Weekend Visit to Volcan Irazu

On our way to the Irazu Volcano, we stopped at another Volcano called Turialda.  These volcanoes in general are only about an hour away from San Jose. It was surprising how fast the climate changed in such a short time. Near the volcanos, it was extremely windy and cold. It was about 5 degrees Celsius. 

Riding up towards Irazu, we passed huge green fields with bright green grass. Everywhere around our bus there were blankets of clouds that covered the cities from above. 

This is me and Radhika at the highest peak overlooking the volcano. Standing from the highpoint, we could see three other craters. The diameter of these crafters was about 500ft. The air felt so clean and fresh.

Standing inside the crater of Irazu! 

We also visited an old historic Church in the city of Cartago from the colonization period. It was one of the most calming locations we had ever been to. It almost looked like it was from a fairy tale. People even today attend this church on a regular basis. 

Radhika standing on a hanging bridge overlooking a river commonly used for white water rafting during the summer. 

 

This is the tree from which coffee seeds are produced. When you bit these red looking berries, it is sweet because the coffee seeds are coating with a sugary substance. If you peel the outer coat, you can find these green seeds. Our tour guide told us that almost 70% of the coffee produced in Costa Rica is sold to Starbucks. In general, Costa Rica is known for its coffee.

On the way back, we had these Green Mango Ice sticks. It is a Costa Rican delicacy. The sticks come with a packet of salt, so you can flicker salt on top and eat it. There were pieces of green mango inside the stick.