Today was an amazing day! We started off with a visit to Arenal Volcano. To get there, we took a small drive to the trail we would use to climb up. When we arrived at the base, we begain the 1.6 km walk up. The trail was grassy, and had many tall plants. As we advanced along the trail, the ground got rockier because it was covered with volcanic rock. After walking over some uneven ground, we made it to the end of the trail and the beginning of our beautiful view! The sky was a bit overcast, but that didn't prevent us from enjoying the grand view we had of Arenal! All of us took pictures in front of the volcano, making sure this moment was well documented. After all, not many people have the chance to be so close to an active volcano! With heavy hearts, we left our spot and view of Arenal. As soon as we began our way back down the trail, it began to sprinkle. 
We then drove on to the city of La Fortuna. Many people come to Costa Rica to visit Arenal, and La Fortuna is the city by the volcano. It is a tourist-like location with many shops and restaurants to enjoy. It was here that we split up to explore, shop and, eat. After looking at a few places, we had lunch. I ate at, and would recommend, Restaurante La Parada. They have excellent pizza and a chill environment. The food is reasonably priced and very filling. I would also recommend the icecream from Pops. Pops is an icecream chain here in Costa Rica, and they have a variety of helado and nieve (icecream and sherbet) flavors. Chocolate lovers will enjoy a scoop of the choco-almendras!
Our last adventure was a trip to Don Juan's farm. (Yes, that is his name!) Don Juan owns a two acre organic farm. He believes in and practices sustainable farming, and we were honored to take a tour of the grounds. He told us that with just these two acres, forty people can feed off of the land everyday. After one visit, we could see why! He has a pond where he harvests tilapia, a place for three pigs and a cow and, a variety of plants that will blow you away. Mimbre is an edible plant with an interesting flavor. It has the texture of grape, but the flavor of a lemon and pickle crossed together. It was was very savory, and would make a great add-on to salads. Tattoo fern has a white powder that, when pressed on skin or fabric, leaves an impression of the plant! Impatience is a type of pod that pops open when pressure is applied to it. We got to sample some of the fruits and herbs as well, like Don Juan's pineapple, which is sweet and juicy. We also tried this leaf called malba. When blended into a drink, it is actually sweet and refreshing. 
Along the whole tour, we collected plants for the dinner we would have at the end of our visit. Before dinner, we got to experience sugar cane. A few of us got to help squeeze out the sugar cane juice that we eventually got to drink. We also tried raw sugar cane and sugar cane candy. We headed over to the kitchen to help prepare dinner. Some of us helped with the salad, others made tortillas. The end product of everyone's work was a delicious, all natural, all organic meal. What made it even more enjoyable was that we helped prepare the meal we consumed. Don Juan showed us how an individual could change how we perceive and work the land we depend on. The farm also showed us an example of good people, good deeds and most importantly, good food!
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