Orientation Part 2

So I think this day was even better than the other: First of all we had a fabulous Costa Rican breakfast of Gallo Pinto (beans and rice) plus eggs, coffee and fruit.Then we went on a tour of Costa Rica which was really cool. I learned that initially all of the bars and fences that seem to be guarding the houses were initially put there in order to keep wild animals and cattle out of the houses. Now they are used as decoration more than anything else. We also went to a real coffee plantation where we learned about how it used to be children and families who harvested the ripe red beans during winter break, which used to go from December through January. Nowadays, it is mostly Nicaraguans who do it. While there I also bought a couple of souvenirs for people for pretty cheap prices. Next, we gradually went up a mountain towards the Puas Volcan and we learned that on different levels of the mountain, only certain things can grow. On the lowest level there are coffee beans, next ferns, next flowers, next cattle and finally strawberries. Then when we finally go to the top of the mountain we went on a hike towards the Volcano. Man am I out of shape!!! The altitude made it so much harder to breathe and the hills just about killed me. Although the sites were beautiful it was still super rough. Next we went to a restaurant called Freddos Fresas and has the traditional Costa Rican lunch, Casado (married man´s meal). It was delicious and cosisted on of beans, rice, salad, water potatoe(reminded me of an onion) and fish. Also we had something like fresh strawberry milk shake to go with it and tres leches cake con freses for desert. It was so good! Next we went to a farm  where we got to take a tour around. We got to pick fresh strawberries (the best i have ever had), walk through the cloud forest (did you know ferns there tend to grow up and  over eachother in order to reach the sunlight?) and we got to milk the cows and bottle feed the baby calfs (so cute!). We also met some really cute and sweet dogs (Rufle and Honcho). Last but not least we got to try some fresh cheese which tasted delicious. Thats where things started to go down hill...