Bijagua

Last weekend I found myself on a field trip to the northern province of Alajuela with my "Environmental Impact and Society" class. I went to plant trees and hike with three other students and the professor (or, as another student has correctly dubbed her, "not really our teacher, more like the badass woman who comes to talk to us about the environment in the morning"). After a four-hour drive through the countryside, we arrived at a gorgeous little town named Bijagua situated in a valley between the towering Miravalles and Tenorio volcanoes. We dropped off our things and went for two hikes. First, we hiked an easy path with some hanging bridges in the forest behind our hotel. Then we took a difficult hike to see a natural spring on a nearby foothill of Miravalles. And I mean difficult: the adventure required scaling large rocks walking up and down steep slopes with next to zero flat stretches and sloshing through creek beds. I came out dehydrated with a badly scraped elbow and a nearly sprained ankle. It was definitely worth it to see the waterfall and river source at the end as a natural underground aquifer drained out the side of the mountain dozens of feet above us.

We awoke early the next morning to go to work in the fields. On the way out, we spotted three toucans in a tree outside the hotel. Finally I saw them in the wild! Of course, my camera was locked in the van, so I have no pictures. You'll have to take my word that I saw them. Following the morning's excitement came two hours of clearing weeds from around newly-planted trees, a picnic lunch, and two more hours of clearing weeds and planting new trees. I planted 8! Hopefully that will negate my carbon footprint from the flight down here. Before we left the field, another volunteer showed us the ceiba tree in the forest near our field. The tree was 600 years old and had to be at least 50 feet high. I estimated it would take at least 20 men holding hands to encircle the trunk. A true testament to the beauty and power of nature and why we must protect it. Of course, I have no pictures because my camera was still locked in the van at this point.

We all slept extraordinarily well that night then awoke for one last hike before our return to the city. This hike along the Río Celeste in Parque Nacional Volcán Tenorio was the highlight of the trip and a contender for my best experience in Costa Rica so far. Because of certain volcanic minerals bubbling up from underground into the river and forming a colloidal solution, the river is an intensely bright blue. Here are a few pictures from the hike.

The best part was the waterfall, probably the most beautiful spot I have yet seen on Earth. The splash of bright colors, the light weight of the mist on your skin and in your lungs, the scent of the fresh spring water hanging in the air, the soft soothing sound of the waterfall plunging into the pond below all create a sensual masterpiece for those lucky enough to visit. New life goal: to return to the Catarata del Río Celeste.

We sadly departed for San José but had a great discussion on the woes of American consumerism in the van on the way back. A cherry on top of the weekend's environmentally-friendly cake.

Pura vida,

Eric