Grecia, Costa Rica

The city of Grecia is much more populated than I had originally assumed. It's actually quite large. There is a population of about 15,500 people. There is a mix of fairly wealthy and very poor citizens.  A house made of stacked wood can be sitting next to a modern, well built, two story home. Not having traveled much before, seeing the difference in social ladders and economic scales is very surprising. Unlike other poor countries though, these citizens are, for the majority, well fed and happy.

One thing that caught my eye while exploring on our first day here was Grecia's church made entirely of metal. The giant building is named Iglesia la Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes. The church is composed entirely of steel plates painted red.

The first animal we saw here was a wild sloth on the side of the road. The poor guy had fallen out of a tree and landed near the small road. Sloths' fur hosts two species of algae, this is to provide camouflage, but it also makes them look ugly and can cause them to smell vary bad. Sloths have big eyes, short snouts, long limbs, small eyes, long limbs, and large claws. Their claws serve as their one natural defense.

Though it is only my first day here, I am loving Costa Rica; or what I've seen of it at least. The incredible looking animals, to the beautiful landscape has made the thought of being away from home for so long very bearable.