Today is our first day in the country. After checking in to the Aurola Hotel in San Jose, we split into four groups. My group is the Howler Monkeys. The other groups are the Coral Snakes, Leafcutter Ants and Toucans. Each group is paired with a tour guide and led on a walking tour of San Jose. Our tour guide is Rosa, a college student, and she is very knowledgable about Costa Rican history, culture and geography.
Some of the facts Rosa give us: Costa Rica sits in a tectonic depression so they are protected from hurricanes. It's about 600 feet above sea level. It has a largely Catholic population, and all of the Catholic churches face west. There are no colonial buildings in San Jose because it was the last country to be conquered by Spain-- near the end of the colonial period. San Jose is in the central province of Costa Rica. There aren't many tall buildings in San Jose because of nearly constant earthquake activity. Costa Rica received its independence from Spain in 1821. Clouds hang low over the mountains that form the backbone of Costa Rica. These mountains form part of the continental divide, separating the Pacific from the Atlantic. The trade winds that come from the northeast carry a lot of moisture and it condenses at the top of the mountains forming a tropical cloud forest.
Some of the facts Rosa give us: Costa Rica sits in a tectonic depression so they are protected from hurricanes. It's about 600 feet above sea level. It has a largely Catholic population, and all of the Catholic churches face west. There are no colonial buildings in San Jose because it was the last country to be conquered by Spain-- near the end of the colonial period. San Jose is in the central province of Costa Rica. There aren't many tall buildings in San Jose because of nearly constant earthquake activity. Costa Rica received its independence from Spain in 1821. Clouds hang low over the mountains that form the backbone of Costa Rica. These mountains form part of the continental divide, separating the Pacific from the Atlantic. The trade winds that come from the northeast carry a lot of moisture and it condenses at the top of the mountains forming a tropical cloud forest.
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