Our group arrived safely in San Jose, Costa Rica yesterday and hit the ground running today in the Tirimbina Rainforest!
On our drive this morning to Sarapiqui, we stopped at a coffee plantation high in the mountains to learn about the "golden bean" that allowed Costa Rica to become a successful country. Costa Rica only grows Arabic coffee and harvests ripe coffee beans by hand. 
This distinction sets Costa Rica apart because the coffee harvested is of higher quality, which demands a higher price. Other countries (such as Columbia and Vietnam) depend on quantity of coffee harvested rather than quality like Costa Rica. Our group picked up some high quality Expresso, French Roast, and Low Roast coffee to take back and sample with friends and family in the United States. While stopping at the cafe, we also were able to see a team of oxen and a beautiful ox cart.
The ox cart is viewed as a traditional part of Costa Rican culture that symbolizes "peace, humility, and hard work." We couldn't agree more with these adjectives that describe the country and great Costa Ricans we've interacted with so far on our trip!
Along the switchback roads coming down the mountain, we stopped to see the La Paz waterfall and discussed some of the devastion that can occur during the rainy season with extreme flooding and landslides. We continued our descent and saw several dairy farms (Holsteins & Jerseys), then finally some Brahman cattle in the lowlands. 
We arrived at the Tirimbina Rainforest Preserve a little before lunch and jumped right into a "Rainforest Color Challenge" to identify flora and fauna that were yellows, blues, reds, blacks, and pinks. After lunch, it was time to cross the Sarapiqui River on a swaying suspension bridge to enter the rainforest. Our group was treated to a colony of "ants moving plants," a 300-year-old tree, and great views of toucans, frogs, and spiders. 
Before departing for the afternoon, the group set up seed traps for a study to analyze how bats move seeds across the rainforest. Stay tuned to see our results tomorrow morning!
The day ended with a night bat study and up-close encounters with several species of bats found in the Tirimbina Rainforest. Did you know that various species of bats consume insects, frogs, and nectar from plants?
Until tomorrow, pura vida!
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