Villa Blance – the former summer residence of the President of Costa Rica in the cloud forest
From the capital, San José, you land a small plane at a makeshift airfield in the jungle. From there, “airport taxis,” which are actually museum-sized off-road vehicles, take you to the boat dock. The dirt road winds through shabby farms, steep cliffs jutting out into the sea, and through rivers where the water is almost up to the roof of the car.
Costa Rica is one of the few countries that has made environmental protection a top national priority. A quarter of Costa Rica’s land area is covered by nature reserves – twice the average for developed countries, and four times that of developing countries.
Costa Ricans are directly involved in protecting the forest. They understand that forests are a source of clean water, and that ecotourism from the forest is a more sustainable source of income than hunting or logging. This is, of course, the result of a longeducation process that began in the 1970s, when the government established the first nature reserve.
Costa Rica is famous for its biodiversity, especially amphibians like this frog.
For the average tourist, this means that Costa Rica has a lot of beautiful forests. The forests in Costa Rica are mostly tropical, dense and lush. Near Corcovado, just a few steps outside the resort, the forest seems to collapse all around, a velvet curtain that blocks out the familiar sounds of the human world , replaced by the chirping of birds, the rustling of monkeys, and the buzzing of insects.
It is not easy to find large creatures in the rainforest: they hide from each other in the endless cycle of nature, and therefore also from human eyes. Instead, there are birds of all colors, sizes, and different songs. From toucans with oversized beaks and colorful wings, to hummingbirds with the ability to change direction quickly or even hover in place like helicopters; from pairs of pheasants scouring the ground to flocks of vultures that can hover for hours in the sky. That is not to mention kingfishers with blue plumage, terns migrating thousands of kilometers from the North, falcons with sharp eyes, herons hunting fish with long beaks like swords...
The high humidity of the cloud forests allows plants and fungi to grow everywhere.
Take a knowledgeable guide who will turn over leaves to find tiny, colorful tree frogs hiding underneath, or point out the intricate social structures of ants as they diligently cut leaves to bring back to their nests to grow edible mushrooms, or, on a night hike, show you where to turn off your lights to see the glow of a mushroom.
And the shyness of the rainforest creatures adds to the satisfaction when you are lucky enough to spot them: a sloth sleeping in a tree that looks like a bird's nest from a distance, a pair of rare tapirs, agile striped-tailed agoutis, spider monkeys with tails that are as flexible as arms…
Costa Rica is also one of the last places in the world where you can visit a cloud forest. This is a rare ecosystem, accounting for only about 1% of the existing forests on Earth. In a cloud forest, plants can get water not only from underground, but also from the dense fog or clouds that cover the surroundings. Therefore, in a cloud forest, trees grow on trees, leaves grow on leaves, creating the most ecological diversity in nature. Each large tree trunk can support hundreds to thousands of different types of epiphytes – that is, vines, ferns, shrubs and clumps that grow on the trunk without stealing nutrients from the host tree. Even on a single leaf, you can see a clump of wild bromeliads, or a blooming orchid that is as tiny as a match head.
You can also visit the Arenal volcano area with steaming outdoor hot springs right at the foot of the volcano. Relax in the pools with different temperatures, thanks to the clever design to mix cold spring water with hot underground water, while sipping a cup of Costa Rican coffee. The coffee here is mainly Arabica, mild and slightly sour than the Robusta coffee commonly found in Vietnam but fragrant. Finally, don't miss the opportunity to hang yourself on the zipline and fly through the forest above the treetops at speeds of up to 100 km/h. Just overcome the initial fear and you can enjoy the feeling of freedom like a bird spreading its wings in the windy sky of Costa Rica.
Saying goodbye to Costa Rica, we could not help but admire the efforts of this small country, a green oasis of only five million people but 98% of its energy comes from renewable sources, where the government is committed to replacing the army with an “army” of teachers, and where the catchphrase of every citizen is “pura vida” – wishing each other a simple, carefree life.
Source: https://heritagevietnamairlines.com/costa-rica-va-loi-chuc-pura-vida/
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