Geo: 43.611, -116.393Hi All - Sean kicking things off here. To be fair, we are going to hike part of the Haute Route; not the whole thing. That would just be crazy :-). However, we are going to be content (and likely more comfortable) with taking in some of the highlights of this historic trek including the tranquil Champex-Lac, the remote Cabane du Mont Fort, the mountain luxury of the Hotel Weisshorn, and (hopefully) views of the Matterhorn from Zermatt where hikers thrive and cars don't drive. After months of planning and preparing, we are off to test our bodies , our minds, and our pocketbooks in a country with world renowned mountains and pricey 2-star hotels. We have put in some training to prepare for the journey in hopes of having a moderate level of ... read more

Geo: 10.096, -84.3475Today was mostly a travel day as we began to make our way back to San José. Stopping in Sarchi for lunch, we got to observe a few artisans at work, meticulously painting the oxcarts that are locally famous in Costa Rica. These carretas were once used to haul the coffee beans (by oxen, of course) down to the cities from the surrounding farms. Now they are beautiful reminders of Costa Rica's agricultural history. I spoke with one man (se llama Junior) who has been painting oxcarts for 31 years; his son is now carrying on the family tradition. We also visited the park to view the largest oxcart ever built—and gorgeously hand painted in an array of floral colors. Its symbolism of Sarchi's heritage was obvious. From the hotel in San José, the ... read more

Geo: 9.77944, -84.5631Today was mostly a travel day as we began descending from the mountainous region of Monteverde and heading toward the Central Pacific Coast. I'm convinced there isn't a straight road in this country! As we wound down and around the hilly countryside, crossed narrow bridges, and made switchback turns, we came to respect our bus driver Henry all the more for what he can accomplish with a manual transmission, 40-passenger bus. En route to the coast, we stopped at Carara National Park for a crocodile boat tour down the Tárcoles River. We filed onto the wide barge, glad for the cover to protect us from the sun, and set off upstream in search of crocodiles. In no time at all, we were pulling onto the muddy bank where our guide José was all too ... read more

Geo: 10.3041, -84.798Today's highlight was undoubtedly visiting an elementary school in the rural Arenal region. After a brief greeting from the maestra and a tour of the quaint building and grounds, we were free to spend time conversing and interacting with the children. Dressed in their navy blue and white uniforms and as cute as they could be, we found the students to be quite shy at first. But after a few simple questions in Espanol, they soon opened up and flocked around us to chat, ask questions, and take photos. Twenty-five students ranged in age from 8-12 in one classroom, and many walk over six miles to school each day (round trip) because there is no rural busing for schools. Our students jumped right in to play a game of chase with the ninos, while ... read more

Geo: 10.4459, -84.6895By way of introduction to the natural environment of Costa Rica, we began the day today at a nature preserve called INBioparque. Our guide, Alejandra, led us along a network of trails throughout the park which weaved through dense rainforest. Within the first twenty minutes, she pointed out a sloth in the canopy, lazily breakfasting on deciduous leaves. We also delighted in the Jardin de Mariposas (Garden of Butterflies) where the vibrant mariposas touched down upon our skin in the lightest of butterfly kisses.Later in the afternoon, we hiked to the overlook at the Poas Volcano. We were lucky enough to see inside the crater, for oftentimes the view becomes obscured by too much steam pouring forth from the volcano´s mouth. A surreal landscape stretched before us of volcanic rock in gray and black ... read more