Rebecca White
Studied in Costa Rica, Summer 2012
While visiting the Huetar tribe of Quitirrisí (named after the sound that a native bird makes) in Costa Rica, we spent the day learning the importance of plants native to the area and their uses in medicine and everyday life. One such plant was the sugar cane. The chief Yoto, also known as Juan, explained to us the history of the sugar cane and its uses in the tribe before demonstrating how the juice of the sugar cane was harvested. I believe that this experience with the tribe was one of the most memorable parts of my trip.