More Costa Rica...

Maggie, with 1 of our group's guides, on the last stretch of ziplining through the Monteverde Cloud Forest Canopy (1.5 miles long). Wow, was that exciting and quite the adventure.

The past few days in Costa Rica...

Shiny and Sharon working on the signs that we made for Coopesanjuan, the pineapple cooperative.

Playing soccer with the locals at Coopesanjuan. Local ticos, Daniel, Jacquie, and Maggie.

Our Otterbein group with Denia, the manager of Coopesanjuan, and two local children, Jordy and Joseph.

Alyssa dancing with quite possibly the best dancer in all of Costa Rica, Joseph - one of the children of the families that we stayed with in Coopesanjuan.

Taking the canoe from Cahuita to Yorkin to visit the Bribri and Guayemese, indigenous tribes.

Sharon learning how to catch dinner with the bow and arrow demonstration.

Hello everyone. Sorry we haven´t written in a while, but we have been experiencing the lack of connection to the outside world... aka... the U.S. We have been very busy burning calories by walking through the cloud forest in Monteverde. Hope to see everyone soon.

·Alyssa Miller. International Business and Marketing. Class of 2010.

Please use the tilt head effect. It would take another 45 minutes to rotate this picture (appreciate the United States of Internet)

P.S. This is at the Continental Divide.

Zip lining through the cloud forest. Some were scared but ¨I´ll never tell.¨

The surprise ¨Tarzan Jump¨ after 13 zip lines through the Canopy!

Yes we picked up a stray, can you guess who?

Monte Verde! safe but little service, new pics soon!

Coffee Tasting

Laura Mantle c/o 2010 Business Administration.

Although some of us are not avid coffee drinkers, this was a once in a lifetime chance to do a taste test with a professional coffee taster.

L- R: Sharon, Maggie, Dr. Lehman and Laura

L-R: Kate and Alyssa

Day 2, December 1

Smell the coffee. . .

~Sharon Zalokar, PR major. Class of 2010

Time to get to work in the coffee bean field's of Cicafe.

Bottom: Shiny, Seth, Kate, Jacquie, Sharon, Maggie, Alyssa

Top: Daniel, Laura, Renee, Dr Cornell

Sharon working in the field's. It takes 50 beans to make one cup of espresso.

Hit the field's Dr Lehman and Shiny, you get paid by the basket. . .approximately 1100 colones ($2)

Six cups of coffee are sampled at a time to assure aromatic, acidity, flavor and body. Higher the altitude the higher the acidic content.

Costa Rican's work towards sustainablity. Photo of bean's drying in the sun at Cafe De Costa Rica Brumas del Zurqui

Day 1, November 30

Hola todos! Estamos en San Jose. La advenutra empieza ahora! ~Renee Buchele c/o 2010, Equine Business & Facility Management and Spanish

Alyssa and Maggie with travel hats leaving Columbus.

Safe arrival at the San Jose airport.

Bed and Breakfast, El Caracol Inn - San Jose.

Daniel and Seth in front of their room at El Caracol Inn.

Time to Begin Packing!

Sunscreen - CHECK! Binoculars - CHECK! Hiking shoes - CHECK! Curious expectations - CHECK! ...Today was the last day of finals at Otterbein so the packing begins for our two weeks in the tropical country of Costa Rica!

Our class has spent the last 10 weeks studying 3 main topics which we will focus on throughout our trip: Culture, Business, and Biology. This "Senior Year Experience" course is part of our integrative studies program here at Otterbein and is an integral part of our well-rounded education.

We fly out of Columbus on Monday November 30 and will return on Sunday December 13. Everyone is anticipating our time in Costa Rica and we are looking forward to returning with a much better understanding of the Costa Rican culture, the plant and animal species, business operations and a first hand experience with a developing country.

We hope you can follow our blog throughout our Latin American adventure and hope to hear from you all!

Pictures coming soon, we will update as frequently as possible!

--->Otterbein Student: Maggie Ellison c/o 2010, Business Major/French Minor