The Turrialba market – a place for meeting and chatting

An important part of the Costa Rican culture are the big markets on the streets. Nearly each bigger village or city has its own market where private people sell fruits, vegetables, clothes and other goods. The markets usually take place during the weekends (Friday, Saturday and/or Sunday).

Turrialba, the next bigger town near our Serendipity office, has its own market, too. It is open every Friday and is also called “farmer´s market”. There is a short tight way through the stalls of the different sellers. 

 

During this way you can marvel at all the different fresh fruits and vegetables. Most of these goods are not available in a supermarket. For example, it is possible to get fresh coconut juice from a “live” chopped coconut. 

There is also a special cozy atmosphere. Nearly every seller greets you and offers you his goods. For many locals, the market is just a perfect place for meeting each other and talking about current things. 

Another advantage of the markets is about price and quality. You often get better and fresher products than in the supermarket. But in general, you pay less. 

The way through the Turrialba market is not too long, but I went through the market for two times nonetheless. There are so many products to see and you just do not know where you should buy your things.

After having bought some fruits, I also bought a jersey of the Costa Rican national team for a very good price. A friendly street seller next to the market was able to convince me and I have to say that I really like the jersey!

All in all, the market is a very important part of the Costa Rican everyday life. At first, it is a good source of income for Costa Rican farmers and families. Furthermore, it is a good way for the people to chat and to meet each other. I think it is one of the important tasks for tourism that those cultural traditions are kept!

San José – a city between tradition and globalization

Amongst all the adventure experiences here in Costa Rica, I also want to increase my cultural knowledge about the country. Therefore Serendipity Adventures gave me the opportunity to make a trip to the capital San José.

For me, it was a very exciting experience because San José is an interesting city that is hard to categorize. On the one hand, San José tries to be like a huge modern capital with the high number of international restaurants, shops and all the different sightseeing offers. On the other one, the city still has got the typical Latin-American flair. The many different street sellers, who offer fruits, clothes or souvenirs, are a good example. 

The first part of my trip was a visit of the National Stadium. This multi-functional arena hosts all the games of the Costa Rican soccer team. Additionally, it hosts concerts and other big events like the presidential inauguration a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, a big fence covers the stadium so that I was not able to come really close to the arena. Nevertheless, the whole construct is a very impressive view for someone who loves to play soccer and to be in big stadiums. 

After this, I made a walk back to the center of San José. This is another fact I like about this city. Its center is not too big, so you can reach each important point by foot. 

The National Museum was the next part on my agenda. There were no guided tours this day, so I had to discover the museum on my own. But this had also benefits. So I could spend much time in the sector that attracted me most, the newer history of the country. Costa Rica is very proud of its stable democracy and the whole history of its development is shown in a very modern part of the museum. Newspaper articles, short video sequences and real historic artifacts make the history understandable.

After two hours in the museum and a short break for lunch, I visited the last part of my agenda. This was the National Theatre of Costa Rica. Built in 1891, it is now one of the finest historic buildings in the capital. The old building is equipped with a very cozy and modern interior. It is a great place for a nice theatre evening. 

Nearly two further hours later, my day in the capital was over. Typical for a city trip, it was quite exhausting because I did the whole exploration by foot. Nevertheless, it was a great and interesting tour. Now I know much more about the history and culture of this exciting country.

Canyoning – a slippery, but very thrilling adventure

My personal adventures in Costa Rica got a new highlight last weekend: Canyoning with Serendipity. I did not know Canyoning before and for those who do not know this sport either: Canyoning means descending along a waterfall into the water – secured with ropes and a harness. 

One of the typical characteristics of a Serendipity adventure is to stay away from touristy and crowded places. Therefore we had to do a 90 minutes ride in our 4x4-vehicle – 60 of them on tight and unsealed roads uphill. These rides are an adventure itself! 

When we arrived in the no-man’s-land, our three guides explained the correct use of the harnesses and ropes. After that, we had to hike for a little while until we arrived on top of the waterfalls. This created a really thrilling and special atmosphere. On the one hand you see the steep and dangerous canyon, but on the other one, you can enjoy the peaceful sound of the flowing water and watch the various types of small animals. But to be honest, the worry about the steep canyon outweighs before your first descent. 

One advantage of a group adventure is the following: You do not have to be the one who starts. After some of my colleagues arrived safely at the bottom of the waterfall, I felt comfortable enough to start my descent. At first, it was quite difficult to find the right position and the right techniques to handle the ropes. The most scaring moment is when you have to lay back and trust the ropes. If you overcome this moment, the descent can start! 

You always have to be careful that you do not become unstable on the slippery waterfall. But even if you do so, the ropes keep you safe all the time – you just have to trust them. 

 My first descent took about two minutes, but it felt like twenty. I was really relieved when I finally arrived at the bottom. The next part was really funny because we were allowed to slip down from a small rock. This was hilarious, although the water was ice-cold. After passing two smaller canyons, the last challenge waited for us. This was a really huge waterfall. It took about 20 minutes per person to descend it. 

Without doubt, this waterfall was the most challenging one. You should not make the mistake to look across your shoulder, otherwise you will get very afraid. The waterfall just seemed to descend in the most steeply imaginable way and there was a lot of water on the way down. But I was successful in descending this waterfall, too. If you are at the bottom once, you are really glad that you made it. And you notice what you can reach if you just challenge yourself – this is an excellent feeling. 

Cartago – a city full of culture and mysticism

During my first weeks in Costa Rica I naturally wanted to see the popular touristic hot-spots like the beautiful beaches or the mystic rainforests. However, Costa Rica has so much more to offer. Therefore it was very interesting for me to have a one day-trip to Cartago as part of my work for Serendipity Adventures.

Cartago is a quite big city and was Costa Rica’s capital until the government chose San José as a new capital in 1823. One of the most known places in town are the “Santiago Apóstol Parish Ruins”. These are a couple of old destroyed stones that cover a little cozy garden. The place around and inside the garden is a popular place for Cartago’s people to hang out. 

The history of the ruins is very interesting because there are many mystical stories concerning this place. Originally, a new big church should have been built at this place, but each time the people tried to build the church, another new earthquake destroyed it. They resigned their attempts in 1910 after a big earthquake destroyed the building once again. Since that date the place is known as a mystic and cursed site. Another story says that a headless priest appears in foggy nights inside the garden…

The other big event in the city is the “Basílicade Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles“. Built in 1926, the huge church is the most important pilgrimage site in the country today. On the 2^nd August, the anniversary of the appearance of the Virgin Mary, people from the whole country pilgrim to the basilica. Many of them cross the church on their knees. The central sanctuary inside the church is the “Negrita”, a black statue of the Virgin Mary. She is also seen as the patron saint of Costa Rica. 

Apart from these two interesting cultural impressions, I also liked the rest of the town. There is a quaint market inside a big building where the people sell their fruits, food, clothes and other interesting stuff in small and tight alleys. Furthermore, Cartago is a quite big town and offers therefore many culinary opportunities. From gourmet restaurant to famous American fast-food chains – everyone gets what he or she loves to eat. 

Without doubt, a few culture experiences should be part of any Costa Rica vacation in my opinion. Therefore I can highly recommend a trip to Cartago – a city full of culture and mysticism, and the home of the Irazú volcano.

Feeling like Tarzan in the jungle – Zip lining in Costa Rica

After the spectacular hot-air balloon and horseback riding adventures, our long and challenging day was not over. The next highlight on our schedule was a canopying tour through the rain forests near the Arenal volcano. 

Because of lots of traffic and very interesting hotel inspections during midday we arrived a little bit delayed at the Canopy station. Fortunately, our guests were not upset and we quickly put on the security clothes. Those consisted of a helmet, one special braking glove, another usual glove, the harness, carabineers and two security ropes. After our preparation we were sent on a short trip on the load area of an off-road vehicle. This was fun, but we arrived very soon at the entry of the rainforest.

  

Just as the balloon flight and the horse ride, I had never done a zip-line tour in my life before. Honestly, Germany does not have the adequate rain forests for this purpose. My co-worker Alex named me as a “canopy-virgin” and he was right! However, my “virginity” was no problem because we had two great guides again. They explained the technique of Canopying, for example the right use of the braking glove, very simple and quick. 

 

The whole canopying track consisted of twelve different segments. The highlight was a really fast part, which was called “Speedy Gonzales”. At first, I had much respect towards the whole adventure and I was not sure if I should trust the cables that were stretched from tree to tree. The most challenging act was the correct regulation of the speed. The only tool for this was the braking glove. By touching the cable with the glove, the speed got reduced.

On my first tour I braked a little bit too much and I stopped to early consequently. However, after a few segments I learned the technique and I could enjoy the thrilling atmosphere of a canopy tour. I found myself in an enormous altitude, nearly on top of the huge jungle trees. During the journey from one tree to another, you should not think about the possibility to fall down, you should rather enjoy the view on the rain forest from this unusual position. During our tour through the jungle, we saw so many interesting trees, birds and other animals like the toucan, one of the most colorful birds of Costa Rica.   

After nearly two hours, the next spectacular adventure was over. I can’t say, which of the three big adventures was my favorite one. But I can say that this was a day I will never forget – so full of adventures and so full of new experiences! Thank your Serendipity!

Being higher than the clouds – a Serendipity Adventures hot-air balloon flight

Another part of our fascinating trip brought us the adventure of a hot-air balloonflight.

As sunrise is the best time for ballooning in Costa Rica, we had to get up very early, our trip started at 5.15am.

Before the big adventure started, there was some work to do for the Serendipity staff. It was astonishing that the huge balloon envelope arrived in a quite small bag. Then, the envelope got stretched on the floor and we got a first impression of its size (see photo).

After that, we started to inflate the balloon envelope. This is a process of about 15 minutes in which a big balloon inflation fan blows air into the envelope. Once it has reached its required size, our pilot, Esteban, started to blow gas to obtain the right pressure. When this had been done, the balloon envelope started to rise up from the ground. 

At this point, we were allowed to jump into the balloon’s basket. First, it seemed to be a little bit challenging, but even our guests, a retired couple from Sao Paulo, Brazil, had no problems to enter the basket. With six persons, the basket was nearly filled up. Then, our pilot started to blow gas into the envelope and our journey finally started. 

 

I was quite surprised in which altitudes such a balloon rises. We went up so high that the clouds were beneath us. Up in the air, there were so many things to see! All the time, we had a great view on the famous Arenal Volcano afar. One of the highlights of the trip was when Esteban let the balloon decline and we were just on top of the rainforest. There we could hear the mystical and fascinating sounds of the jungle, especially the shouts of the howler monkeys. Actually, we either saw them climbing and hanging on the trees. What a gorgeous moment! 

Our whole flight was accompanied by interesting information and stories by Esteban. It seemed if he would know anything about Costa Rica and its nature.

Unfortunately, after about one hour on the air our flight came to its end. Esteban’s advice to hold on had to be taken literally because the landing was quite rough, very close to a river. However, I think this was an unforgettable part of the adventure, too!

Repacking the envelope of the balloon was not as exhausting as the inflation. After some work the whole stuff was back on the truck and everyone was just satisfied and impressed by another Serendipity adventure!

My first time on a horse – a real Serendipity Adventure

A new intern has arrived at Serendipity Adventures in Costa Rica! My name is Julian Sieling and I come from Germany. I am 21 years old and I study International Tourism Management at the University of Applied Science in Heide, a small town near Hamburg. Right now I am doing an eight-week-internship at Serendipity Adventures to gather experiences for my studies and my life.

On my fourth weekend, Serendipity Adventures gave me the chance to take part on an adventure weekend. One of the many highlights of our trip was horseback riding.

I must confess that I have never been on a horse in my whole life before this weekend. The main reason for this is the fact that I never got the chance in Germany, but honestly I also did not look for it. 

When I and my colleagues arrived at the beautiful property in Centaura, I was a little bit scared awaiting my first horse ride. But I also noticed that the horses were very neat and beautiful animals. After a few jokes that I would be supposed to take the wildest one of the horses, they gave me their calmest horse in the end. It was no problem to get on the horse and the explanations of our fulminate guide Esteban sounded quite simple.

 

I was really impressed how easy it was to lead the horse. Every time I wanted to turn right or left, the horse followed, just in consequence of little moves with the rein. 

Typical for Serendipity Adventures, our ride was not a usual ride on fields. No, it was a ride over mountains and hills, culminating in the passing of courses of rivers. Sometimes we also stopped and I saw sugar fields for instance. But I did not only see them, our guide just chopped a sugar crop and gave me the chance to taste it – it was really sweet but special. 

During the time, it got easier for me to trust the horse. It did his job really well! Nevertheless, there were a few moments when I got really scared because from time to time my horse decided to go faster. The gallop may have been fun for it, but not for me! As I was consequently jumping up and down in the saddle, I was really glad when I convinced the horse to go slower.

 

After almost one and a half hour we arrived at the stables in Centaura and I was really proud that I did this adventure. All in all, it was a really safe and well-organized ride. Now I can tell my friends that I have been on a horse – and that I did not fall off!

Many hands prepare the delicious Serendipity meals

           Up until recently I didn't now how many people went into making a Serendipity Adventure trip happen.  Many times you don't get to see the "behind the scenes" work put into a trip, but lately I have been able to watch the entire process unfold.
           The food preparation process involved many more people, and more time than I expected.  It begins in the office, where lists are made, including dietary restrictions, food preferences; drink preferences, among others by the staff.
           The next step is to go buy the food.  A few times I accompanied Carmen, the lady who does this for Serendipity Adventures.  Shopping for food is much different here than it is in the U.S. or Canada.  You won't find large grocery stores or supermarkets in smaller towns, instead you will see small shops specializing in just one type of food.
           We did our shopping in the town of Turrialba, which is the town closest to the office.  We got produce from a shop that only sells fresh fruits and vegetables.  In Spanish this place is called a Verduleria.  We stopped at another small shop, known by the local people as a Carniceria, that only sells meat, where we picked out what we needed for the menu that day.  For items we couldn't find at these specialty shops we went to the small grocery store and stocked up on the rest of the food we needed.
           Shopping for food this way takes more time than I am use to, but everything we bought was fresh and grown locally, which makes it worth the extra effort.
           After we take the food back to Serendipity's office, Flor, the cook is there ready to begin the meal preparation.  Now the new kitchen is put to use, and the next process begins.  She has the list of the planned meals, and begins chopping, dicing, and cooking up the food.
          The smell of fresh vegetables cooking, herbs, and meats grilling fill the air.  Everything is freshly made here, which can sometimes be a very lengthy process, depending on how large the group is.  Sometimes it can take her three to five hours to make everything for the trip, and with the purpose of offering a delicious meal, special dishes that everybody can remember during the rest of their Costa Rica vacation, or when they go back home.
          Once everything is cooked up and carefully placed into containers it is ready to be served to the adventurous group.  Everything is packed up in coolers and taken along with the rest of the equipment for the guided trip.  Our guides know how to set up the food in a beautiful way to make the presentation even better, and the food is ready to enjoy, provecho!

Puerto Viejo in Costa Rica is more than a beach, it's a place to enjoy adventures

View of Playa Chiquita

     This weekend I got to go on a trip to the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica, specifically to Puerto Viejo. Happily this became  my first visit to the beach, since I started working as an intern at Serendipity Adventures.  We stayed at Playa Chiquita, which is a little bit south of Puerto Viejo.

     The beach was beautiful, just like a post card with clear blue water, jungle lined beaches, palm trees, and white sand.

     We stayed in a small cabana a short walking distance to the beach. We spent our first full day there doing a Gandoca Tour, we had to travel north through banana plantations and long dirt roads to get to the area where the tour was.  When we arrived we had lunch on the black sand beach, taking in the view of this beautiful place.  The water was much rougher here, and the jungle was more dense and filled with wildlife.

     After lunch we went to our next adventure, where we met our guide and started off the tour by learning about the plants and animals in the area.  He showed us fruit plants such as pineapple, papaya, and many others.  Once we got to the lagoon he got the small boat ready for us and we began our lagoon ride.  The water was perfectly still, surrounded by dense jungle.

Our boat ride in the lagoon.

     The first animals we saw right when we began was a group of spider monkeys jumping through the trees. I had never seen monkeys in the wild before, so this experience was very unique.  As we quietly continued through the lagoon we saw all different types of animals including toucans, herons, iguanas, and sloths.  It was a great experience to see all of these exotic animals in their natural habitat. Since the boat was quiet we sat and watched the animals for a while taking in the scenery and appreciating our surroundings.
 
     The next two days we enjoyed swimming in the warm, clear blue water at Playa Chiquitta.  The water is filled with colorful coral and many different types of fish.  The area is great for swimming in shallow water, but it is too rough to swim in past the reef.

A sloth outside of our house.

     I relaxed on the beach and soaked up some Costa Rican sun, and went
for walks on the beach.  One night we drove to the nearby beach of Manzanillo to watch the sunset.  Even though it sets in the Pacific, Manzanillo jets out to the point so you can see the best Caribbean sunset here.
   
     We didn't spend much time in the town of Puerto Viejo, but I really enjoyed the time we did spend there.  We had a delicious meal with traditional dishes.  I had Caribbean rice and beans with shrimp. The difference between Caribbean rice and beans and regular rice and beans is that it is made with coconut milk, which gives the rice much more flavor.

     On the last day we stopped in town to try some street food, and look around at all of the interesting things happening in this laid back beach town.
   
     Puerto Viejo has been one of my favorite places I've visited in Costa Rica.  It's a great place to go to relax and enjoy the beautiful beaches and lush jungle on any Costa Rica vacation.

Another view of Playa Chiquita

Canyoning in Costa Rica

           Recently I was lucky enough to go canyoning with Serendipity Adventures.  I had never been canyoning, and didn't even know what it was before I heard about Serendipity.  For those of you who don’t know what it is, it’s exploring canyons by rappelling down waterfalls. 

I started off the morning by meeting with the group and guides in Serendipity’s warehouse, where we all got fitted into our harnesses.  The guides went over all of the safety procedures with us here, and got us ready for this new adventure. 

When all of the equipment was packed up and ready to go we all got in the car and were taken to our destination.

We drove through the countryside of San Antonio to the town of Santa Cruz, to the mountain where a beautiful canyon was hiding. Once we got there the guides got the rest of our gear on us and we started hiking to the first canyon. 

When we reached the canyon the guides went into more detail about how to safely rappel down.  They taught us how to tie different types of knots that they use for this activity, and showed us different techniques we could use. 

These many safety talks, helped me to feel confident about this activity, and ready to start going down the first section, which consisted of a grassy mountainside. This was the perfect way for us to get the feel of rappelling and more comfortable using all of our gear. Then, we were ready for our first waterfall. 

This is when the trip got really exciting, and I was able to feel the adrenaline rush through my body.  It was more difficult to maneuver down since the water made it slippery, but Serendipity’s guides made me feel safe the whole time and talked me through it step by step. 

At the bottom of the waterfall was a small pool of water that went about waist deep, and was a little chilly to jump into.  As we waited for the rest of the group we got a very good surprise, hot chocolate and tasty cookies for us to warm up with. 

The next waterfall was trickier at the start.  Here I had to lean back a lot more and become more parallel to the ground.  The guides said this position is important to have so that if you slip you don’t hurt yourself by hitting the rocks. 

When I leaned back more it felt much easier to rappel down and I was even able to jump down the waterfall a little at the bottom. 

Our final challenge was a big waterfall. Wao! When I first looked down my stomach dropped, I had never seen a waterfall so steep and been standing at the top ready to rappel down before. 

The guides told me how to place my feet for the first section, and when I was ready I started down.  At first I took it step by step, but once I got into a rhythm I was able to jump and rappel the last half of the waterfall. I was happy facing my fears and seeing what I was capable of.

I didn't know what to expect about my first canyoning experience, but I know I definitely want to go again!  The guides at Serendipity made me feel safe throughout the whole trip and made their instructions easy to understand for everyone in the group. 

This is a great adventure activity for a family vacation and I would recommend it for anyone who likes an adrenaline rush. 

           Once again I thank Serendipity Adventures for giving me this opportunity, and I look forward to my next adventure in Costa Rica.

Rafting on the Pacuare River

My favorite experience so far has been white water rafting on the Pacuare River with Serendipity Adventures.  This trip was a day filled with adventure, and lots of fun.  

 I was picked up early in the morning by one of the guides and taken to the river, where we helped set up everything the group would need for the day.  I was very impressed with how organized Serendipity was with every aspect of the trip, from preparing lunch, getting the rafts ready, making sure all safety equipment was working properly, and getting the group to the river with no problems.

 I didn’t realize how many people it took to make this an adventure of a lifetime.  Serendipity staffed the event with 4 river guides, 2 in rafts, and 2 in kayaks, a safety raft that also had food and supplies, drivers that got everyone to the destination, and had cars waiting for the group when we got to the end.  Not to mention everyone in the office who helped plan the trip, assemble the lunch, and get all of the equipment ready.  The whole process was very impressive to watch unfold. 

The Pacuare River, a gorgeous Costa Rican river for rafting.

Once the guides went over our safety instructions we were able to get into our rafts and start our adventure.  We started on a calm part of the river, which was a good way to get used to rafting.  The river has a variety ranging from class 1 to class 4 rapids in the section we were on.  This was a beautiful way to experience Costa Rica’s biodiversity and really take in all that is around you. 

The guides at Serendipity were very knowledgeable of the history of the land, the wildlife in the rainforest, trees and plants that grew along the river, and any questions the group had about rafting.  The guides made sure everyone was comfortable and felt safe at all times, which showed how much Serendipity cares about their clients.  They made the trip that much better and were able to provide a lot of laughs for everyone in the group.

On one part of the river we were able to pull up our rafts to a rocky area where the guides led us to a beautiful waterfall.  There was a swimming hole here where we were all able to jump in, swim and enjoy another adventure in Costa Rica.  When we were finished swimming we headed back to our rafts and continued down the river.

 About halfway through the trip the guides brought us to a small beach where they set up a delicious lunch.  The spread was quite impressive including salads, burritos, fresh fruit, chips and salsa, and fresh juice.  Everyone enjoyed lunch while listening to the birds singing and watching the river pass by.  When lunch was over the guides packed everything back up into the rafts and we were on our way again.  We had some more exciting rapids and some calm water where we could really appreciate our surroundings. 

           The last section of river we rafted was one of my favorite parts because on each side there were rocks so high up it felt like we were in a cave.  The water was also very calm here so we were able to get out of the rafts and swim for a bit to end our adventure in Costa Rica.  Serendipity exceeded all of my expectations by taking me on this adventure, and it is one I will never forget.  Now I see why so many families trust Serendipity with planning and guiding them on their Costa Rica family vacations.

Freshest Fruit in Costa Rica

Since I have arrived in Costa Rica I have tasted some of the freshest fruit I have ever eaten.

Everyday at Serendipity Adventures' offices we get to enjoy fresh fruit and a delicious green salad for lunch. We have had all different kinds of fruit including locally grown pineapple, mango, papaya, watermelon, strawberries and bananas.  One morning we even got freshly squeezed orange juice.

Turrialba produce market

On the weekends I travel to the busier city of Turrialba, where I go to the fresh produce market.  I've been to produce markets before in my home country of the U.S., but none of them compare to the ones in Costa Rica.  All of the local farmers come to town and sell their delicious produce from smaller towns, such as San Antonio of Santa Cruz, where Serendipity's office is located.

Some produce stands have fresh coconuts, which are a refreshing treat to enjoy as I was around taking in all my surroundings.  There's always live music playing, and the whole experience feels more like a festival rather than an ordinary Saturday morning.  Everything always looks so delicious I have a hard time deciding what to bring back with me.  The local bananas are much smaller than ones in the U.S., but a lot sweeter and more delicious.  Farmers get to wait until they are at their peak ripeness before picking them, which is the reason for the extra sweetness they have.

Bananas are Costa Rica's major agriculture export along with coffee, sugar, cocoa, cattle and meat products. Coffee was the major export for many decades and a very important part of Costa Rican history, but in recent years was surpassed by bananas. Other agricultural exports from the country include tropical fruit, such as pineapple, melon, mango, papaya, and coconut.

In many towns local people go to the market to shop for fresh produce, vegetables, and cheeses.  Markets are usually in larger cities such as San José, Turrialba, and San Ramon.  Many people from smaller towns make their trip to the market an all day outing.  They use the day to buy fresh produce and other daily items for the week that they can't get where they live.  Usually markets are during the weekend, and are a one or two day event.  In Turrialba the market takes place on Friday and Saturday.  Markets are a great way to see the local people and immerse yourself in the culture on your Costa Rica vacation.

The fresh produce is one of my favorite parts about living here and I always look forward to going to town to try new things and experience the culture of Costa Rica.

Everyday something new at Serendipity's office

            I would like to introduce myself before I get started, I am a student from the U.S. studying Tourism Management.  I decided to come to Costa Rica to have a new adventure and experience a different culture.  I am from a busy city on the east coast and am used to a lot of traffic and noise all of the time. 

When I arrived in Costa Rica and was taken to San Antonio of Santa Cruz I was most impressed with the size of the mountains and volcanoes that surrounded me.  Once I got to Serendipity’s new office, and the place I’m staying, I was welcomed with the peaceful sounds of birds chirping and the quiet of the mountainside. 

View from the office, the garden is starting to bloom. 

The rainforest that surrounds us is something I have never seen before, along with the towering volcano above us.  I have been embraced by the Serendipity staff and showed the true meaning of Pura Vida, which is a popular saying here that means, “living the good life”.  The people here are among some of the friendliest I have ever met and make me feel right at home here in Costa Rica. 

As I mentioned before, SerendipityAdventures has a new office in San Antonio of Santa Cruz, which is located only a few kilometers north from the old facilities.

The new building is still under construction and we get to see the changes everyday.  The construction workers arrive every day early in the morning when the birds are singing and the sun is beginning to shine.  Many of the workers come from the busier town of Turrialba and travel up the mountain to our peaceful spot on the quiet mountainside.   

Since my arrival I have already seen many changes here at Serendipity, a new path from the building I live in to the office was finished this week, a new wall in the office was constructed to divide the work space, plants and grass have been planted, many of which have already started growing and turning green from all of the rain we have gotten recently. It’s becoming a very beautiful garden.

Now the workers are working on the back exit for cars that will include a large gate. Neither the sun nor the rain stops the workers from doing their job. I can see them every day smiling, listening to a radio and working hard to finish all the construction details.

Most days here in the office we get to enjoy the cool mountain air by having our doors and windows open.  When you look out the windows here at Serendipity your view is not obstructed by tall buildings or busy streets, instead you see only nature in full bloom and the tropical rainforest that surrounds us. 

So far my experience here has been full of new adventures, and I can’t wait to see what is to come next! Even though I am doing my internship, this experience is also a perfect way to get to know Costa Rica, its people, nature and culture. It’s also a learning process to understand how they organize the best trips around the country, the most amazing Costa Rica vacations. 

The construction site, a work in progress.