This article was first released in volume 9 of the anglophone Pakistani magazine The Fourth Article.
Please visit http://thefourtharticle.com for further information and all issues released yet.

Pura Vida, TFA readers!
Please don't respond with "livin la vida loca", as I used to do. If you don't know the meaning of pura vida, don't think of a quick response just yet; let me try to explain it. If you do happen to know what Pura Vida means, definitely you are one of many lucky travellers who has visited Costa Rica, a small country just on the southern up of the Mesoamerican subcontinent. Firmly nested between Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south, Costa Rica embodies the concept of Pura Vida.

Monteverde Cloud Forest (Image: Brian Lewis. The image was not part of the original publication in "The Fourth Article")

Our main base was the small town of Alajuela, 10 minutes away from the capital of Costa Rica, San Jose (note: there is also a San Jose in California, so don't get confused!). It was here that we explored the town, and found that, like all Costa Rican cities, was based around a central church with a park. The Alajuela Zoo d'aves (aviary) was an out of this world experience as we were literally placed inside the bird cages! Macaws, Peacocks, Toucans, and enormous (not to mention rare and exotic) plants were at our fingertips every step of the way. And we got a chance to see the infamous long-tailed Quetzal. Reaching the La Paz waterfall garden, we were initially placed in a cage with Toucans! Then something blue flew by me and it was only a few seconds later that I realized that we were in the hummingbird garden. I had never seen them before in the wild, and here, there were dozens flying past us in everv which way! We moved on towards the butterfly garden, with hundreds of delicate species flying about our heads. Then, we literally walked into the poisonous frog habitat, where we searched around trees, shrubs and stones for hidden brightly coloured frogs. As we exited the habitat, we were greeted by a Coati, a racoon like animal, and we quickly made our way along to the cataratas, or waterfalls.
We followed the wooden trails around each waterfall (3 in total), getting drenched along the way by mist.

It was definitely a return to raw nature. At a few minutes distance from Alajucla is the Poas Volcano, which last erupted in 1989. Lucky for us, the lack of eruptions allowed us to go to 8200 feet; to the top to see the crater. Along the way were severely burned cloud forest plants, still showing damage from the last eruption. At the top of the summit, all we could see was grey mist - the moisture that was rising from the hot crater underneath us. A short walk away, still on the summit was Crater Lake, a clear blue lake on the top of the volcano.

Arenal (Image: Scott Robinson. The image was not part of the original publication in "The Fourth Article")

Poas Volcano wasn't erupting, but we heard another one was. So we travelled to la Fortuna to get a glimpse of the active Arenal volcano, which constantly spews out lava day and night. We first recognized it bv its great height, almost touching the clouds, and furthermore by its blackened sides, which signified recent cooling lava. After observing it for some time, we went to Baldi Hot springs, a site where water is pumped from the ground near the volcano, and guided into Jacuzzi-like pools. After wading in the hot water for a few hours and feeling nearly burnt by 43°C (109F) water, we decided to have the traditional Costa Rican dinner, an incredible mix of beans, rice and plantains, while we observed liquid orange Lava pouring down Arenal like patterns of lightening. Truly an amazing way to end a day of sight seeing.

The next day, we also scoured the Sarapiqui river that runs through central Costa Rica on a hunt for wildlife. Along the river, we got the chance to see Caymans, bats, snowy egrets, and howler monkeys up close and personal. The highlight of the trip for me was sitting amongst the Costa Rican rainforest in an aerial tram. Trees galore, a multitude of types! We also observed and heard the animals below us, then as the rain grew stronger, all that could be heard were droplets hitting the leaves. We sat amongst the trees stationed, just listening to the sounds that one can undoubtedly never hear from our bustling cities. The trees were untouched, the sounds were raw, and the moist air was fresh. If there was anything I would love to go back for, it would be to recreate the hours I spent in the rainforest here.

San Jose (Image: Arturo Sotillo. The image was not part of the original publication in "The Fourth Article")

We took a bus to Sarchi and we were all amazed to see the lush greenery of all kinds of plants along the way, never once seeing a barren spot of land. As soon as the bus pulled into the village, furniture and souvenir stores started appearing in masses along the road. Sarchi is a little village known for its colourful handicrafts, such as hand carved and painted bowls, trays, tables, rocking chairs and most popular, oxcarts. Oxcarts, or carettas in Spanish, are traditional coffee transportation methods around the entire country of Costa Rica. Obsolete now, they are prized for the immaculate details artisans craft them with. There is also a gigantic sized oxcart that lies in Sarchis town square, a wonder to see for itself for its size and intricate detailing.
The other cities we had visited were not as dense as San Jose. The capital city screamed people, as we walked through the city streets. The city is the pride of Costa Rica, as we walked and saw numerous crafted oxen, delicately painted in different styles, just like the moose sculptures of Canada.

Costa Rica is the one place that you can visit over and over again. There is always something to do. for every type of person - the naturalist (biodiversity and ecology), the adventurer (canopying, river rafting), the unwinder (beaches galore), the shopper (town markets), and whoever else. If you're looking to travel to a place exciting and new, definitely Costa Rica is worth the trip! You won't be disappointed when you experience Pura Vida.