Nice to meet you, Mr. Quetzal!

This weekend was an extraordinary experience overall. We visited two beautiful places in Monteverde: Cloud Forest Reserve and El Tigre Waterfalls.

Cloud Forest Reserve was a unique experience, not only because walking on the trails is really like walking through the clouds, but also because we were lucky enough to see and hear many species of birds. Our tour guide was very interesting and gave us a mission right away, which was to follow a specific bird sound until we could find it in the trees. We heard the sound a couple of times and walked back and forth through the forest. We were all very curious, so we were all engaged in the mission! We had spent approximately two hours walking along the forest, when suddenly: mission accomplished, we found the emblematic bird of Costa Rica, the majestic Quetzal. Oscar, our guide, explained to us that it is very difficult and rare to see this bird. We were very lucky because it is also an endangered species. People from all over the world travel to Monteverde specifically to hear and see this bird, but some are not as lucky as we were. We all understood how special and important this moment was. It was pretty amazing! 

Our second excursion was an equally special hike. El Tigre Waterfalls is another reserve in the cloud forest not so far from the campus. It was a rainy day, which made our walk challenging, but also unique. For about three hours, between trails with ups and downs, 14 waterfalls, 10 suspension bridges, mud, and lots and lots of rain, we covered around three miles on foot. The rain hadn’t stopped for hours, we were tired, hungry, and wet! Yet, we could not miss the final part of the tour: horse riding. We took a quick break and prepared for the final part. Between excitement, laughter, and more rain, we began our tour on horseback. At first, we thought it would be an intense adventure and we were afraid that the horses would go too fast. We were surprised when the horses began to walk slowly and carefully, which allowed us to enjoy the road calmly and peacefully until we reached our destination to obtain our reward: a delicious typical Costa Rican dish, all sitting together at a table with a spectacular view of the majestic cloud forest!

In only four days, we have explored the different ecosystems, seen local flora and fauna, and learned about ecosystem interactions. This has been possible not only because of the outstanding teachers and their classes, but also because of the direct contact with nature in the daily life in campus. All the hiking under the rain, listening to birds singing from dawn to dusk, and being in contact with nature every day, has been already a life-changing experience!