DAY 1 ARRIVAL SAN JOSE - FIELD COURSE ORIENTATION.
Following your arrival at Juan Santamaría International Airport, outside of San José, you will be met by our Costa Rica Field Course Staff and transferred to your hotel. After dinner, there will be an orientation session to our Costa Rica A Field Course. Overnight San José. D
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DAY 2 NATIONAL THEATERS - MUSEUMS.
Following breakfast, we will depart to The National Theater par excellence the national historical monument that is preserved for the future generations. It is the main cultural center responsible for the promotion, organization and programming of artistic and cultural spectacles of quality, with national and international cover with the fundamental objective to promote the scenic and musical arts to elevate the cultural and spiritual level of the citizenship. Following lunch we will visit the different museums of Costa Rica between them The National Museum arose in the Costa Rica where the liberal ideas and the principles of peace, material progress and education, characterized the society of the decade of 1880. Against this background, the laws related to the education and the creation of cultural institutions impelled the birth of the museum. The Museum of Jade with its interesting pre Columbian pieces and works of art contemporary. After these entire historical visits we will come back to our hotel and have dinner. B L D
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DAY 3 QUITIRRISI RESERVE - TRANSFER TO MONTEVERDE.
After breakfast this morning we have the change to visit one of the most beautiful reserves in Costa Rica a small Huetar group to which could survive our days, is located at the top of the Indigenous Reserve of Quitirrisí, in the highway between the Corner of Mora and the one of Puriscal. They conserve little of his culture and physical characteristics, although they still maintain some traditions, as the Celebration of the Corn and the use of medicinal plants. Very the colonization and the transit to urban centers have been affected by. They cultivate corn almost solely, due to the poverty of its earth, little apt for agriculture. Its main economic activity is the crafts with vegetal palm, and other fibers. They are expert in the preparation of vegetal colorants for the fiber dye. Also they work with ceramics; their products commercialize them in fairs and positions of such indigenous in the edge of the highway. The Huetares speaks at the present time the Spanish language. We will take our typical lunch in this attractive place and then we will depart to Monteverde. After this day we will have dinner and overnight Monteverde. B L D
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DAY 4 TOUR IN A TYPICAL OXCART - WATERFALL MONTERVERDE MUSEM.
After breakfast the group will have a tour in the typical oxcart. It symbolizes, with foundation the culture, of La Paz and the work that is to say, humility, patience, sacrifice, certainty in the eagerness to reach the aims. After this short trip, they we will arrive at a beautiful waterfall located in the middle of the forest. After Lunch we will visit The Museum of Monteverde History has a primary focus on the North American Quakers who founded Monteverde in 1950. Besides the amazing collection of historic photos, visitors will see many exhibits and learn about the geological history that created the Central American isthmus and enabled the critical migrations of animals and humans between the two continents. We will also learn about the indigenous tribes that once lived here, and finally, the contribution of biologists, conservationists, and ecotourism to modern Monteverde. Dinner and overnight at Monteverde. B L D
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DAY 5 MONTEVERDE RESERVE - ARENAL HOT SPRINGS.
After breakfast this morning, we will have a chance to hike in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. At present, Monteverde is comprised of 27,000 acres and run by the Monteverde Conservation League. The Reserve is cool, due to its’ elevation and lush vegetation. Incredible biodiversity here includes 400 species of birds, 100 species of mammals, 500 butterfly species and 2500 different types of plants. Three species of monkeys, tree sloths, coatimundis, kinkajous, the spectacular resplendent quetzal, three-wattled bell birds, red-eyed tree frogs and blue morphed butterflies are just a few of the animal highlights. After lunch we will depart for Arenal Volcano. One of the most active volcanoes in the Western Hemisphere, Arenal has been in a constant state of activity since it last erupted in 1968. Afterward we will visit Baldi Hot Springs, located at the base of Arenal. Steaming waters form waterfalls and natural therapeutic pools that we can soak and relax in. The hot springs found here are surrounded by brilliant vegetation, while Arenal serves as a stunning backdrop. Subsequently the sun sets, we will with some luck, observe the activity of Arenal. On a clear night, one can see bursts of fire and red-hot molten lava shooting hundreds of feet into the sky, whereas during the day only smoke and the volcano's roar are apparent. Explosions typically occur every day and they are easy to see if the sky is clear, but we can not guarantee you will see one. Overnight in a lodge near Lake Arenal. B L D
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DAY 6 MALEKU RESERVE - HANGING BRIDGES.
Early this morning we will visit the Malekus Reserve in one hour and average of step we will get to know a little the past Costa Rica. He is one of the smaller indigenous groups. They are located in the plains of the North of the country, in the Corner of San Rafael de Guatuso, Province of Alajuela. They conserve its physical characteristics and their cultural expressions. You will be able to buy some handicrafts of this reserve. Following lunch we will be able to appreciate the natural beauties of the majestic environment, thanks to the imposing and huge hanging bridges with the beautiful trails that make an easier access to it and offer great security. The doors of our tropical paradise are already open for all nature lovers and adventurers. Overnight in a lodge near Lake Arenal. B L D
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DAY 7 ARENAL - BANANA PLANTATION TOUR - CAHUITA.
Early today we will depart Arenal for a nearby banana plantation. Here, our group will learn how bananas are raised and processed in Costa Rica. The history, economic importance and ecological impact of the banana industry will also be considered. Following lunch, we drive on to the village of Cahuita, access point to Costa Rica’s only marine sanctuary, famous for its’ coral reef. Once in Cahuita, we will settle into our hotel, have dinner and overnight. B L D
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DAY 8 BRIBRI RESERVE - AFROAMERICAN CULTURE.
Following breakfast we will continue soon to the Bri-Bri Indigenous Reserve by where we arrived at the community of Suretka, to the margins of the Telire River, place where the product market of the reservation takes place (bananas, banana trees, cacao, oranges, coconuts, etc.). It is possible to emphasize that these products in their totality are organic. After coexisting with the neighbors, you will enjoy some fresh tropical fruits snack (watermelon, pineapple, mango, melon, maracuya, papaya, etc.) and potable water. After lunch we will have a tour of the Afro-American Culture. One such tradition, very well known, is the region's music, which combines various elements and influences: calypso and reggae. As for traditional dances, the cuadrilla (square dance) is one of the most typical. Games and legends occupy a special place in the region's culture as well. The Creole English spoken by most Afro-Caribbean’s from Limon is also unique to the region. Finally, the noteworthy local architecture is a result of the society's lifestyle; its forms and spaces respond to climatic, cultural, technological and economic conditions. Limon's old quarter owes itself to the effervescence of the banana-production industry; public and commercial buildings display Victorian, Caribbean and art nouveau influences. Dinner and overnight. B L D
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DAY 9 CAHUITA TRANSFER TO SAN JOSE - MEDICINAL PLANTS TOUR - TYPICAL SGOPPING IN MORAVIA - FAREWELL DINNER.
Early this morning we will return to San Jose and following lunch we will have a medicinal plants tour; one of kindness of the nature is the grass and plants that, from unmemorable times and of generation in generation have been used with curatives aims. For that reason, the legacy of the ancestors, called natural medicine or traditional, it has been allied to the modern medicine. At the end of the tour we will visit Moravia Market, one of the best places in Costa Rica to see and purchase traditional handicrafts. In the evening, we will return to the hotel for our Farewell Dinner and overnight. B L D
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DAY 10 DEPARTURE.
After an early breakfast and farewells to our Costa Rica Field Course Staff, you will be transferred to Juan Santamaría International Airport, outside of San José for your return flight home. B
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