Bosque de Paz
Last
Thursday the students took a day trip to the Bosque de Paz ("Forest
of Peace") rain forest in Bajos del Toro, about 2 hours north of San
Jose in the mountains. Bosque de Paz is a 2,500 acre private biological
reserve reknowned for its birdwatching. The students went on several
two hour hikes through primary and secondary rain forests, and were
treated to sightings of monkeys, many birds, soldier ants, and countless
trees, vines and plants.
One
of the most intriguing plants was a vine that grows so rapidly, thickly
and densly that it completely encases a tree, enventually killing the
tree, but retaining the tree's shape even after the tree is completely
gone. At one such tree, the students were able to stick their heads
inside a hole in the vine down low and look up 30 feet through the open
center of the vine where the original tree used to be!
It
was a rather spectacular day which showcased Costa Rica's natural beauty
and magnificence. The main purpose of the Bosque de Paz preserve is
to educate young people about the importance of protecting the earth's
ecosystems. This message seemed to resonate with the group, as on the
bus ride back to San Jose several students expressed a keen interest
in working in biological preservation during their service assignments!
More snapshots in the forest...
Sarchi
Before
reaching San Jose, the group stopped in Sarchi, a small town known for
its craftsmanship in making decorative wooden oxcarts, one of the most
well-known symbols of Costa Rican history.