On Tuesday of last week, we went to an archaeological site and National Monument, Guyabo in Turrialba...It used to be a cattle farm, but in 1850, the farmers were digging and stumbled upon the remains of an ancient civilization! To get there, we went on the windiest road I've ever seen. By the time the bus stopped, we were all about to get sick. The civilization itself is really amazing...It was built around 1000 B.C. and abandoned sometime around 1400AD...(This means it was built around 3,000 years ago, ya'll.) The aqueduct there is STILL WORKING! The guide told us that the aqueducts that are built now only last about 40 years. Also, there is a road that is made out of stones and is a two feet thick that goes all the way to Turrialba (about 30km!) The whole civilization is thought to be about 500 acres, but only 23 acres have been uncovered due to lack of funding. Many Costa Ricans know very little about their indigenous people. They are very few here and are mainly found in very small communities in the mountainous areas. The only downside to the day was when we got stuck in San José traffic on the way home. Instead of getting home at 4, we got home at 6. It was a very long day.
Our second field trip was on Wednesday to Escazú outside of San José. First thing, we rode in the vans up these windy country roads. Eventually, we get out in the middle of the road. The bus stopped because the rest of the road was too steep, narrow, and gravely to make it. There, two guides start telling us that we'll be walking up the mountain and that it would take about an hour. One guide would go in front, and the other would be in the back with the stragglers. Um, one hour up the side of a mountain? yes. It was ridiculous....and I was not feeling so well that day. (sniffles and such) BUT, when we FINALLY got to the top, I felt like I was in the Sound of Music. You know, that part where she's twirling and singing, "The hills are alive with the sound of music!" It was gorgeous. From there, we could see the entire Central Valley of Costa Rica. I felt like I was standing on top of the world, literally. After taking about a billion pictures and doing every cliché pose ever made, we all sat down to eat our snack while the guides told us a little about the area.
After about an hour, we started our descent which took about 45 min. Waiting on the side of the road were a man and two oxen pulling a cart. These "carretas" are a national symbol of Costa Rica and were used in the 1800s and early 1900s to haul people, rice, and other things to sell. We actually got to ride in the cart! haha. It was definitely an experience. They took us up the road and then turned around for a total ride of about 5 minutes. It was fun, but semi scary since you felt every single bump in the road... and trust me, in Costa Rica, these aren't scarce. 
Later, we were treated to lunch with marimba music followed by a mask making class. Masks are used in Costa Rica for celebrations in parades and such. These masks don't just cover your face, though. They sit on your shoulders and then extend about 3 feet above your head! He brought a few extras and several people from my class tried them on. All of a sudden, they turned on the music, and everybody started dancing. haha. It was like a celebration right there. After mask making, we went to a place where they turn sugar cane into sugar! First thing, we saw a piece of machinery that said Chattanooga, Tennessee! Chelsey, the other girl from UT Knox, and I took a picture with it! Basically to make the sugar, they have to put each sugar cane individually into the machine (powered by oxen) which squeezes out the juice. Then, they put it into a huge pot where they have to cook it. After that, they put it into molds where it cools and hardens.
The last part of our day involved going to look at the damage done by the landslide last year. If you google Escazú, the first thing you'll probably come upon is the landslide. It was caused because last november, they had an insane amount of rain which caused a side of the mountain to literally just fall off. Twenty-three people were killed, and the damage still looks so fresh. The rocks that fell off the mountain have just simply been pushed to the side of the road. Some of these rocks were enormous! We also passed what was left of a house that was directly in the path which had been almost completely destroyed. All that was left was the kitchen wall which was beautifully decorated. It was so sad to see. We still have one field trip left on Tuesday to a coffee plantation... so far, the field trips have been pretty awesome. :)
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