Costa Ricans themselves like to clime similarities between the two countries. Therefore, even though Costa Rica is as much like Switzerland
as a poodle is like a beagle, I suppose this book is obliged to make the same comparison. At first glance, the only thing the two countries
seem to have in common is that they are similar is size. But Costa Rica is lushly tropical and continuously swathed is luxurious green
vegetarian - a place where coffee, sugarcane, and mangoes thrive and where snow never falls. It's the exact opposite of Switzerland,
with its snowcapped peaks and barren, rocky terrain. Yet the more one travels in Costa Rica, the more apparent are the parallels with
Switzerland. Both are peaceful, progressive countries where democracy and stability are hallmarks. Although Costa Rica's tropical beaches
are incongruent with Swiss, terrain, the higher mountains rival the rugged beauty of the Alps. The lake area around the
Arenal Volcano could easily pass for parts of Switzerland – during the Swiss summertime, at any rate.
