Leaving Scotland, Arriving in Costa Rica

On September 18th I got on my first flight, beginning my journey beyond the UK. After 12 hours of flying I arrived in Costa Rica, marking the beginning of my first ever trip to Central America. I spent the next few days slowly travelling down from the capital of Costa Rica, San Jose, to the town of Golfito on the South Pacific coast where I would be completing the next stage of my project. My journey involved a series of boats and buses with beautiful sites along the way. Having learnt a lot about Costa Rica's successful environmental protection policies during my undergraduate degree it was amazing to see the reality of those laws face to face, with beautiful landscapes and a clear love for the environment embedded in many aspects of both social life and the tourism infrastructure.

Prior to arriving in Costa Rica I had been nervous about the prospect of travelling alone and feeling lonely along the way. However, from the very first night I spent at a hostel I met lots of new friends and can honestly say I was not lonely for a single day during my time in the country.