After two flights and nearly eight hours of travel, I finally set foot in the Central American country of Costa Rica. This morning, I left a chilly New York City, but now muggy, humid air makes me instantly regret wearing so many layers of clothing.

My name is Kat, and I have just arrived in San Jose, Costa Rica to embark on a journey that will take me from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea in Belize. I will be your guide as we explore the rainforests, cities, jungles, histories, and cultures of both countries.

Flying through the clouds above Costa Rica is a truly beautiful experience! The terrain ranges from dense, green forest vegetation, to collections of islands surrounded by crystal blue waters. From the plane, shorelines along the edge are pure, sandy white and I can see the towns peppered through the trees below. I wonder what types of new people and places await me here.

When I first learned I would be travelling to two different countries in Central America, I thought they would be similar - like two states close together in America. However, once I began to study these countries I learned that they are more different than they are the same.

For example, Costa Rica’s official language is Spanish, due to the Spanish conquistadors during the Age of Exploration. Belize, however, is still technically under the rule of the British crown (more on this later), and the official language is English. That said, Belize’s coastal location played an important part throughout its cultural history. Its ports and the trading ships which came through them created a diverse, multi-lingual population. Kriol, Garifuna, and Spanish are spoken here. I’m going to have to brush up on my language skills for this trip!

Hungry? Don’t worry, there’s plenty of fresh fish and spicy dishes to sample.

Blog by Jenny M. Buccos, Katherine Lonsdorf, Brandee Sanders.
© ProjectExplorer.org, 2011-present. All Rights Reserved.