Hector Mena- May 25, 2013

Doing any study abroad is a good idea, and this trip to Costa Rica is no exception. Being an engineering major, my service learning is with an engineering consultant firm specializing in green energy projects. On my first week we had a meeting with financial investors from Holland, and gave them a tour of the hydro plant they were financing. It has been a great insight into the business of engineering.

 At the Hydroplant

Then there is the cultural learning that comes from being in a new country. The people here are very friendly, and seem to always be happy. The biggest surprise Costa Rica gave me was the roads. Without actual addresses, the only way to get around is to give directions based off of landmarks. So even though it’s a small country, is still takes a while to get around the place. The food though, is amazing with rice and beans being staple foods in most meals. They are not big on spicy food, so I wasn’t too excited for that, but everything tastes great so it’s all good.

Eating a tortilla at the Heredia Mercado

The country itself is beautiful, as it is always green. For the first weekend we went to Puerto Viejo, a beach town on the Caribbean. Costa Rica is known for having good surfing beaches, and this is quite apparent when you feel the waves.This little town definitely provided a different setting as opposed to San Jose. Our trip to Monteverde was nothing short of breathtaking. Zip lining through this cloud forest was amazing and provided some of the best views of Costa Rica.

The sunset in Puerto Viejo

The view from our hotel in Monteverde