Pura Vida

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry

Costa Rica | Tuesday, August 10, 2010 | 5 photos

My photographs are a reflection of exactly what I encountered when I traveled to Costa Rica. Costa Rica is a paradise unlike any other here at home in the United States. When I would wake up in the morning I would hear the sounds of wildlife I could only imagine hearing back home. Red macaws would fly overhead alongside their life mates while monkeys leapt from branch to branch in the tropical trees, truly an experience to behold. Stepping just a few paces into the rainforest, you’re greeted with the sweet stench of fermenting tropical fruits and a myriad of small animals and insects. While traversing a path in the forest on horseback I was overcome by all the life surrounding me. Poisonous little frogs and insects littered the ground while small mammals and birds teemed the trees; what larger creatures lurked in the brush is something I could only dare to imagine. But the rainforest and its secrets is not the only wonder that Costa Rica has to offer. I took great pleasure in observing just how fulfilling it could be to bask in the quaintness of the small towns I visited. You didn’t have to be in the rainforest to be surrounded by all manners of life. One night as I was relaxing on a hammock on the deck outside of my hotel room, I noticed an incredible little creature seeking refuge from the summer storm. Hanging from the lamp on the ceiling was a beautiful praying mantis and I couldn’t refuse the chance to take a picture of him. The insect was positioned just so on the lamp that it appeared as though he was hanging from the moon, it was a sight that I won’t soon forget. I can only hope that through my photographs I can convey exactly my feelings of love and respect for the wonder that is Costa Rica and uphold the national motto of "Pura Vida", or "Pure LIfe".