Day 11 – Leaving Monteverde

The bicycle used to make food for the goats

Unfortunately, today was our last day in Monteverde. We left the hotel at 8:30 this morning to go tour Guillermo’s local coffee farm. However, they didn’t just grow coffee like at the other sites we visited; they also had, for example, bananas, yucca, and rosemary, along with goats, pigs and chickens. In fact, we actually got the chance to see a newborn baby goat that was delivered while we were touring. I also had the opportunity to use their repurposed bicycle contraption to make food for the goats. I made as much food in 30 seconds as someone would have in a few hours with just a machete, and this was particularly interesting to me as an engineer because I think it’s cool using things for a job other than what it was originally intended for to solve a problem.

When we were done touring, we participated in a service project on the farm where my group planted trees and dug up clay that was particularly fertile because of the microorganisms found in that sample. It was rewarding to connect with nature and give back to the community, particularly because it’s been too long since the last time I volunteered, and it gave us a good chance to have conversations with the tour guides and workers.

Everyone there seemed really down to earth, and it seemed like they saw farming as not only a way of life but also medicine for the soul. It was really interesting to listen to the way they talked about the various animals and plants during the tour, at times as if they were deriving the meaning of life through their practices.