Day 2: 4-16 Sunday (Easter)
thereThis morning we got to sleep in, although must of us couldn't take advantage of it, as we are still used to NY time. However, we had a lovely breakfast at our hotel, and we prepared to leave San Jose. We drove about an hour to the town of Grecia. Grecia is famous for a church they call the, "Iglesia Metalica" because it is made with metal. We went to Easter mass there and it was a really wonderful experience. We enjoyed the clapped and the singing. There were no programs or hymnals, so we just kind of went along as best we could. The church was standing room only with people, families and lots of children. The students were able to mostly follow along, even though didn't understand all the words.
After church, we drove about 10 minutes to the town of Sarchi. This is a town known for its handicrafts, and famous painting designs of ox carts. We enjoyed shopping for some souvenirs, and then we made our way to a nearby restaurant called, "Restaurante Finca" It was in a beautiful spot, and the food was absolutely outstanding.
We then made our way from Sarchi and headed to La Fortuna, where we will be staying for 3 nights. The journey was full of lots of curves and turns and changes in elevation. The road was so windy, that several us (including myself) weren't feeling well. Somehow, with a couple of dramamines given out, we managed to get through it. Finally we descended down the mountain to the flatter section where La Fortuna is located. We couldn't see the volcano of Arenal from a distance because it was covered in clouds. Our guide says that there are over 30 microclimates in C. Rica, Here in La Fortuna, you can feel the humidity increase, and everything is very lush and green. We had to change our plans because we arrived late to town, so we had a meal where we are going to do the Eco farm tour, but we are going to do the actual tour later.
We have checked into our hotel in La Fortuna, and the students immediately went to explore the hot springs. It is a beautiful compound, and I think we will enjoy it here.
After church, we drove about 10 minutes to the town of Sarchi. This is a town known for its handicrafts, and famous painting designs of ox carts. We enjoyed shopping for some souvenirs, and then we made our way to a nearby restaurant called, "Restaurante Finca" It was in a beautiful spot, and the food was absolutely outstanding.
We then made our way from Sarchi and headed to La Fortuna, where we will be staying for 3 nights. The journey was full of lots of curves and turns and changes in elevation. The road was so windy, that several us (including myself) weren't feeling well. Somehow, with a couple of dramamines given out, we managed to get through it. Finally we descended down the mountain to the flatter section where La Fortuna is located. We couldn't see the volcano of Arenal from a distance because it was covered in clouds. Our guide says that there are over 30 microclimates in C. Rica, Here in La Fortuna, you can feel the humidity increase, and everything is very lush and green. We had to change our plans because we arrived late to town, so we had a meal where we are going to do the Eco farm tour, but we are going to do the actual tour later.
We have checked into our hotel in La Fortuna, and the students immediately went to explore the hot springs. It is a beautiful compound, and I think we will enjoy it here.