Our last full day in Costa Rica began with a stop at a coffee farm en route to the Poas Volcano. I remembered seeing photos of this beautiful spot from the trip taken two years ago, and it did not disappoint. Before we arrived, Sr. Huggins read Psalm 104 to us and encouraged us to praise God throughout the coming day for the beauty we would enjoy in His creation. This was not difficult to do.
Our entire group in front of the coffee fields:
View from the bus as we climbed into the hills:
A man with a traditional oxcart made sure that we did not miss the turn in to the coffee farm:
This tree, with the beautiful hydrangeas in front, reminded me of some of my favorite scenery in the Dandenongs in Australia:
Next we drove further up into the mountains for our canopy tour at Colinas de Poas. As the guides strapped us into our gear, the excitement levels grew, and at least one of our students was visibly shaking. However we were very well taken care of throughout the twelve runs. In between platforms we hiked through the forest enjoying the greenery and sounds. The last run was a length of one quarter of a mile, and we reached speeds high enough to get the adrenalin flowing. It was a great way to end our tour.
Our last stop for the day was the town of Sarchi, known for its wood products, and most particularly, the wooden oxcart used to transport coffee and sugarcane through the steep and narrow mountain trails. We walked around the town square, admired the world's largest oxcart, and finished up at the official oxcart factory where we were able to purchase souvenirs.
We ended our day with praise and worship, followed by a time of sharing, and then, as has become tradition, a short walk to the local fresh market.
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