050 Cycle Touring Central America - Part 1 - Costa Rica & Nicaraqua

(^16) Dominical – Quepos - 47 kilometres

Our path north continued past the dreaded oil palm plantations. Although a
common cooking ingredient in parts of Africa, Southeast Asia and Brazil, it, by now,
appeared planted almost wherever it would grow. Worldwide demand has increased
tremendously; today, nearly all processed foods contain palm oil.
The removal of forests to make space for oil palm plantations has resulted in
massive losses of natural forests, and one can understand the concern of
environmental activists. However, I was not too fond of these plantations for an
entirely different reason, as they always seemed planted in extremely hilly areas.
The ride to Quepos, a small harbour town, was proof of this.