Never in a million years did I think I would end up at a coffee plantation, and you know what? I don’t regret one second of it. It was so cool learning about coffee production and the Costa Rican coffee culture. I was in awe with the entire plantation and all that it had to offer but there were three things that really caught my attention.
First, was learning that their banana plants work as an irrigation system. In the lining of the plant’s stem are small pockets of WATER! How cool is that? The water is used for the soil and the rest is chopped off after the bananas become ripe.
Another observation I thought was interesting was found in the bathroom. Very minor but I noticed that they had to separate trash cans. One for the toilet paper because it was not too be thrown inside of the toilet since there is not a filter system to separate that waste, and the other was for hand towels. They did not use paper towels or have a fast hand dryer but used towels instead. I thought it was a cool concept because instead of using paper towels, which goes to waste, you can just wash the towel and it can be used again.
Did you know that avocado pits can serve as another use other than planting an avocado tree? Well I didn’t either until we had lunch at Finca Rosa Blanca. I ordered a watermelon juice that was served in a mason jar and before opening the straw, my classmate pointed something out. On the straw wrapper it read: Made from an avocado pit! How mind blowing is that?! I was hesitant at first because I was hoping it wouldn’t taste like wood but the straw was smooth. One week later and this sustainability feature still resonates with me!