The 25th was a day of travel and heat. We left Monteverde bright and early and headed west, destined for Liberia. The drive was long and hot. We got to Liberia around midday and dropped off our stuff at the hotel. Then we headed right back out onto the bus to go check out Santa Rosa National Park, which was about a half an hour away. The Santa Rosa/Guanacaste national park area protects much of the tropical dry forest on the Pacific coast. We visited the house that is situated on the site of a famous 1856 battle between Costa Rican forces and the army of William Walker, the self proclaimed president of Nicaragua.
Walker was held off and eventually driven out of Costa Rica for good. We toured the historical site under the guidance of Johan, who seemed to know everything about Costa Rican history, conservation issues, and the tropical dry forest. We also got to enjoy the spectacular view from the top of the hill.
After the tour, all of us walked around the place, examining all the various tidbits of historical information. Before we left, us guys took goofy pictures on the massive stump in the front yard. We then enjoyed a nice buffet style dinner when we got back. After dinner, there was plenty of time for people who needed to catch up on a little journaling (like me), take a look at the questions on the final, or just simply relax and unwind.
-Rick
