Terra: Sarchí, Costa Rica

Coffee pulses through the veins of every Tico, whether they choose to imbibe or not. It is the lifeblood of Costa Rica. Sarchí is a small town nestled among coffee plantations, a development center once focused on the singular task of processing and shipping red ripe beans to various mills along both coastlines. … … […]

Terra: Río Sucio – Parque Braulio Carrillo, Costa Rica

On our way through Braulio Carrillo, our bus driver asks if we can make a quick stop. He asks if we have ever been this way before, and when we reply that this is our first time through the national park he smiles and says that the stop will be worth it. Río Sucio runs […]

Terra: Doka Estate Coffee Plantation, Costa Rica

The roads to Doka Estate are lined with verdant curtains of coffee plants, with red ripe jewels dangling from the branches. Black shears diffuse the sunlight and shelters one of Costa Rica’s most vital exports. The plantation isn’t located too far off the beaten path, which makes it a large draw for tour groups. However, […]

Terra: Santa Elena, Costa Rica

Monteverde represents Costa Rica’s modern progressive paradox. The balance between preservation of the cloud forests and the willingness to share it with the rest of the world is the subject of no small debate. Monteverde is also far from a day trip, and the excursion to get there is worthy of its own narrative. The […]

Terra: The Road To Monteverde, Costa Rica

Getting to Monteverde is as great of an adventure as the reserve itself. Costa Rica boasts diverse extremes, and the journey from San Jose to the cloud forest is no exception. Language should not be taken for granted, for one man’s molehill is another’s mountain. The “road” to Monteverde can barely be classified as such, […]

Terra: Fútbol in Alajuela, Costa Rica

Soccer is not a sport, it’s an experience. The game pervades every aspect of daily life, making it less of a sport and more of a cultural phenomenon. It is a spectacle on par with weddings and festivals, an opportunity to participate should never be missed. Alajuela, Costa Rica is not a major city, more […]

Terra: Playa Esterillos, Costa Rica

Head to nowhere, hang a left at the horses, and you’ll find Playa Esterillos. You’d miss it if not for the ocean at its edges. There are actually three “playas”, West, Center, and East, and the location of all three can only be divined by their proximity to each other. The fact that most people […]

Folium: LEAF News – 17 May 2012

So, you’re actually reading this huh? I’m sorry … Here’s what new with LEAF! On January 1st, 2012 we launched LEAF! We added a ton of little things like random Spanish vocabulary lessons, trabalenguas, and other things across the internet that we thought was pretty cool. I guess the original thought was to make a […]