Somehow we decided to take one more tour--it sounded like it would feature a meeting with an herbalist-shaman as well as a visit to a chocolate factory, a visit with some indigenous peoples, and a hike to a waterfall.
Mostly it was a hike to a waterfall. The hike included walking through five rivers (some nearly hip-deep.) And being Costa Rica it rained throughout the hike. Our guide did admit that the last time he took a group on this tour was back in December. As we trudged through one swift river after another, I very much understood why. At one moment I lost my footing in the river and fell. Not seriously, just a minor bash on my knee. Mostly I was terrified for my camera. My camera case is hardly waterproof and it had been immersed. As soon as I could, I examined it. Yes it could still shoot, but the zoom was dead. I shot pictures as best as I could, hoping this was not a permanent condition. (Fortunately it wasn´t. After a good drying out under a lamp, my wonderful camera returned to normal.)
After the hike which did feature an amazing waterfall, we visited some Biri Biri people who were making crafts in a traditional looking hut for people like us to purchase. (And dutifully I purchased something.) Then we did go to a Chocolate Factory where we saw a bit of a demonstration of how cacao beans are made into cocoa butter and then eating chocolate. (Being a connosieur of really high-end dark chocolate, I wasn´t too terribly impressed.)
Finally we visited our guide´s father who is an herbalist (and not a shaman). We were shown bark that he has used to cure cancer, potions that he uses to balance the hormone levels in women...and in men as well as rocks that are used for hot and cold stone massage. I so wished we would have had the time to explore these amazing sounding substances.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Puerto Viejo Banana Azul Style
When I was planning this trip, my Costa Rican travel agent had suggested we´d like Puerto Viejo, a laid-back Caribbean beach town. In exploring lodging options, she´d sent me a link for Banana Azul. Don´t ask me how she knew about it, but damn, it was such a fabulous choice.
Banana Azul is hidden down a road that few people who visit Puerto Viejo ever frequent. (Our driver had no idea where in town it was.) After many missed turns we arrived and were met by Colin, a gay man from Canada. The hotel was designed him and his partner about four years ago. The reception staff seemed to all be gay men, hailing from all over Latin America. Their attention to details was phenomenal. Clearly they were the most traveller-friendly hosts we´d yet encountered. The hotel grounds are adjacent to a pristine stretch of Playa Negra. The dining area includes a ground level aquarium with fish and sea turtles...and the seating areas feature some wonderfully gawdy benches and tables.
We stayed at the Magic Moon Beach House which is down the road from (and managed by Banana Azul). The beach house is absolutely gorgeous. It includes two sleeping rooms, a kitchen, a deck with a hammock, a garden with fruit trees and two cats and one dog. We were immediately at home with hunger-struck cats, a dog whose eyes match Bacchus´ (my dog who sports a brown eye and a blue eye) and a beach front that is literally footsteps away. Despite that it was hardly ¨authentic¨ Costa Rica, for our last few days we felt very blessed.
Banana Azul is hidden down a road that few people who visit Puerto Viejo ever frequent. (Our driver had no idea where in town it was.) After many missed turns we arrived and were met by Colin, a gay man from Canada. The hotel was designed him and his partner about four years ago. The reception staff seemed to all be gay men, hailing from all over Latin America. Their attention to details was phenomenal. Clearly they were the most traveller-friendly hosts we´d yet encountered. The hotel grounds are adjacent to a pristine stretch of Playa Negra. The dining area includes a ground level aquarium with fish and sea turtles...and the seating areas feature some wonderfully gawdy benches and tables.
We stayed at the Magic Moon Beach House which is down the road from (and managed by Banana Azul). The beach house is absolutely gorgeous. It includes two sleeping rooms, a kitchen, a deck with a hammock, a garden with fruit trees and two cats and one dog. We were immediately at home with hunger-struck cats, a dog whose eyes match Bacchus´ (my dog who sports a brown eye and a blue eye) and a beach front that is literally footsteps away. Despite that it was hardly ¨authentic¨ Costa Rica, for our last few days we felt very blessed.
Home Stay in Sarapiqui
When I initially designed this trip, the homestays were to be a central part of the trip. Students would become junior anthropologists by living with local families in a countryside village. This homestay was a bit of an afterthought. Ultimately it was really fun.
After our bout with ¨jungle tourism¨ in Tortuguero we landed in Sarapiqui, a traditional agricultural town in the middle of Costa Rica. It was pouring as we arrived at the town´s community center which had arranged our visit with Doña Minerva and her family. After a quick orientation about the town, which included discussion of a high teen pregnancy rate , we piled into a taxi and were taken to our ¨home for the night.¨ Doña Minerva hugged us warmly and showed us to our rooms. I had a little single bed with a Mickey Mouse blanket and Linda and Dennis, spent the night on bunk beds. (Most of the homestay guests are in their teens.) Next we were offered a tasty stew made from beef, carrots and potatoes. We then watched American TV (the family has a satellite receiver mounted on their zinc-covered tin roof.)
In the morning Vladmir, Doña Minerva´s youngest son, walked us down to the Sarapiqui River where he often works as a Rafting Guide. He gravitated to Dennis´cool Nikon and started composing pictures. He decorated Linda in leaves and made her into a jungle woman. He was so much fun! Next we studied traditional cooking with his mother. She taught us how to make tostones, flatted fried plantain chips. Then we made a rich creamed chicken dish and finally a sweet plantain dessert using sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, condensed milk and cheese. I imagine it was one of the higher-calorie indulgences we´ve had since we´ve been here.
Considering the communal cold shower, the noisy roosters and the rickety bunk bed, Dennis and Linda were especially glad that our homestay was just one night. That afternoon a friendly driver came by, loaded up our many bags, and drove us down to Puerto Viejo, a town on the Southern End of the Caribbean Coast.
After our bout with ¨jungle tourism¨ in Tortuguero we landed in Sarapiqui, a traditional agricultural town in the middle of Costa Rica. It was pouring as we arrived at the town´s community center which had arranged our visit with Doña Minerva and her family. After a quick orientation about the town, which included discussion of a high teen pregnancy rate , we piled into a taxi and were taken to our ¨home for the night.¨ Doña Minerva hugged us warmly and showed us to our rooms. I had a little single bed with a Mickey Mouse blanket and Linda and Dennis, spent the night on bunk beds. (Most of the homestay guests are in their teens.) Next we were offered a tasty stew made from beef, carrots and potatoes. We then watched American TV (the family has a satellite receiver mounted on their zinc-covered tin roof.)
In the morning Vladmir, Doña Minerva´s youngest son, walked us down to the Sarapiqui River where he often works as a Rafting Guide. He gravitated to Dennis´cool Nikon and started composing pictures. He decorated Linda in leaves and made her into a jungle woman. He was so much fun! Next we studied traditional cooking with his mother. She taught us how to make tostones, flatted fried plantain chips. Then we made a rich creamed chicken dish and finally a sweet plantain dessert using sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, condensed milk and cheese. I imagine it was one of the higher-calorie indulgences we´ve had since we´ve been here.
Considering the communal cold shower, the noisy roosters and the rickety bunk bed, Dennis and Linda were especially glad that our homestay was just one night. That afternoon a friendly driver came by, loaded up our many bags, and drove us down to Puerto Viejo, a town on the Southern End of the Caribbean Coast.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Tortuguero...
There´s a place on the Caribbean Coast that is a refuge for several kinds of sea turtles and tortoises...and a haven for turtle tourism. Hearing that it´s a Caribbean Coast "must visit," we arose very early (5 am) from our delicious La Fortuna hotel and loaded our gear into one of those ubiquitous "turismo" vans. After several additional hotel stops to pick up other early risers, we headed to Rancho Roberto Restaurant which serves as a rendezvous point for travelers coming from other directions. There we gobbled down some breakfast, loaded our gear into a large turismo bus and headed east. Along the way we visited a banana plantation, witnessing the ripening, washing, and packing of bananas. After pineapple, bananas are Costa Rica´s #2 export. Then we drove further to a dock. There busloads of people were being loaded onto river boats. Our group was loaded onto several barge-like boats depending on whether we were going for one, two or three days. We´d selected a two-day trip which included a night in a jungle style hotel, several beach walks and a chance to watch a tortoise lay her eggs on a moon lit beach.
Costa Ricas turtles' reproductive process has been endangered as the result of human activities such as light pollution, garbage and waterfront development. And at tortuguero those turtles who do manage to reproduce (a mature female will lay eggs every three years) are studied carefully by scientists and tracked nightly for tourist-observers. The tell-tale signs of a turtle's readiness to drop her eggs are tracks along the beach and the digging of holes. We were treated to a live-action performance. Our Mama spent nearly an hour dropping her over 100 glistening golf-ball sized eggs. Then she covered them with sand, created a pseudo nest to confuse egg-hungry predators and then returned to the sea. And we spent an amazing evening in our jungle cabanas. The sounds of cicadas and birds filled the night-time air; then the rain began to pound on our clangy tin roofs and I sort of slept. The sounds were so amazing I just wanted to stay awake and listen.
The next day we went out on a nature boatride and a nature walk, feasting our eyes on birds, sloths and monkeys. When photographing these distant creatures wore me out, I´d shoot the beautiful reflections of the jungle leaves on the gray-green river.
Costa Ricas turtles' reproductive process has been endangered as the result of human activities such as light pollution, garbage and waterfront development. And at tortuguero those turtles who do manage to reproduce (a mature female will lay eggs every three years) are studied carefully by scientists and tracked nightly for tourist-observers. The tell-tale signs of a turtle's readiness to drop her eggs are tracks along the beach and the digging of holes. We were treated to a live-action performance. Our Mama spent nearly an hour dropping her over 100 glistening golf-ball sized eggs. Then she covered them with sand, created a pseudo nest to confuse egg-hungry predators and then returned to the sea. And we spent an amazing evening in our jungle cabanas. The sounds of cicadas and birds filled the night-time air; then the rain began to pound on our clangy tin roofs and I sort of slept. The sounds were so amazing I just wanted to stay awake and listen.
The next day we went out on a nature boatride and a nature walk, feasting our eyes on birds, sloths and monkeys. When photographing these distant creatures wore me out, I´d shoot the beautiful reflections of the jungle leaves on the gray-green river.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Canopy Tour and More
When I visited Jamaica a couple of years ago, one of my most favorite activities was the canopy tour. When I heard that Costa Rica's Canopy Tours are really good, I put it on my "someday" list. And today was became that "someday." Briefly canopy tours allow a treetop level view of the forest by riding ziplines from about a dozen different staging areas. At times one can go as fast as 65 mph, with the wind blowing into one's face and the green wet jungle below, it's absolutely spectacular.
Dennis took to it immediately--we would take turn videotaping each other and Linda. Linda found a way to conquer her fears by riding in tandem with one of our Costa Rican guides. The guides became her surrogates!
After riding some ziplines that spanned several thousand feet...and ultimately surviving it all, we were taken to a sample Meloka village. The village featured wooden structures topped with banana leaves and the "inhabitants" explained that they only wear their "native" dress for tourists. After a bit of Meloka woo woo, we were invited to look over the many crafts that present day Melokans make for visitors like us. Considering that there might be a small space on my international mask wall for a Meloka mask, I selected a nicely painted one featuring bright blue butterflies which symbolize love, peace and liberty.
Then it began to rain. Not a light sprinkle, but rather a cold incessant rain. Just because it was raining hard there was no way our tour would quickly end and we'd be handed mugs of hot chocolate and sit around a fire. Rather, we forged ahead. Next we were placed on top of horses whose saddles were sopping wet. And then we simply became drenched through and through. The horses trudged through lots of mud...and eventually we arrived at the staging area. Soon enough we were returned to our hotel, hot showers and dry clothes.
Dennis took to it immediately--we would take turn videotaping each other and Linda. Linda found a way to conquer her fears by riding in tandem with one of our Costa Rican guides. The guides became her surrogates!
After riding some ziplines that spanned several thousand feet...and ultimately surviving it all, we were taken to a sample Meloka village. The village featured wooden structures topped with banana leaves and the "inhabitants" explained that they only wear their "native" dress for tourists. After a bit of Meloka woo woo, we were invited to look over the many crafts that present day Melokans make for visitors like us. Considering that there might be a small space on my international mask wall for a Meloka mask, I selected a nicely painted one featuring bright blue butterflies which symbolize love, peace and liberty.
Then it began to rain. Not a light sprinkle, but rather a cold incessant rain. Just because it was raining hard there was no way our tour would quickly end and we'd be handed mugs of hot chocolate and sit around a fire. Rather, we forged ahead. Next we were placed on top of horses whose saddles were sopping wet. And then we simply became drenched through and through. The horses trudged through lots of mud...and eventually we arrived at the staging area. Soon enough we were returned to our hotel, hot showers and dry clothes.
Cataratas
Cataratas means waterfall in Spanish...and due to Dennis' careful web-searching we managed to book rooms at the Cataratas Eco Resort here in La Fortuna. The place is gorgeous with pools, waterfalls, pretty gardens, a great restaurant and spacious bedrooms.
And up the road from the Cataratas Resort along a very bumpy road is an impressive waterfall. We walked about a mile to the trail, paid a tourist fee, and then began to descend many many steps. At the bottom you can swim in the rough and amazing current. It was one of those indelible moments as I took in the bright moss-covered walls, the heavy mist of the waterfall and just let my body bounce in the current. Later I found a spot below where the waves could pound my back....perfectly.
As I walked back up those many stairs and my face quickly filled with sweat, that moment of complete bliss in the midst of the waterfall made it all worth it.
And up the road from the Cataratas Resort along a very bumpy road is an impressive waterfall. We walked about a mile to the trail, paid a tourist fee, and then began to descend many many steps. At the bottom you can swim in the rough and amazing current. It was one of those indelible moments as I took in the bright moss-covered walls, the heavy mist of the waterfall and just let my body bounce in the current. Later I found a spot below where the waves could pound my back....perfectly.
As I walked back up those many stairs and my face quickly filled with sweat, that moment of complete bliss in the midst of the waterfall made it all worth it.
Arenal and then some
Arenal is a percolating volcano that graces the La Fortuna region. Every so often a bellowing occurs as steam blows out and molten rocks tumble down the side. We were taken on a late afternoon walk around the volcano's base and then as the sun set, we witnessed glowing red rocks in the far far distance. 1968 is the last time the volcano seriously errupted, destroying nearby towns and ending lives. Since then geologists have been studying the activities of Costa Rica's nine active volcanoes, with the hopes of averting such calamities. Altogether, Costa Rica has 119 volcanoes.
And as a result of Arenal's activity, there are many hotsprings in the region. Our tour included a dip in one that is based at the swanky Tabacon Hotel. We cavorted amongst dozens of pools, pounding hot waterfalls and an exciting waterslide. Afterwards we gorged on way too much food at the hotel's evening buffet.
And as a result of Arenal's activity, there are many hotsprings in the region. Our tour included a dip in one that is based at the swanky Tabacon Hotel. We cavorted amongst dozens of pools, pounding hot waterfalls and an exciting waterslide. Afterwards we gorged on way too much food at the hotel's evening buffet.
White Water Rafting on the Pacuare
The Pacuare is a fabulous river for white water rafting...and we, Dennis and I, had the privilege to ride its class III and IV rapids. Linda, who is fearful of these kinds of things, went on a Pineapple Plantation Tour... We were outfitted with lifejackets and helmets and packed into an inflatable raft with a mother-daughter duo from Denmark and two-teenaged cousins from Mexico City. Thus our Costa Rican guide's commands were nearly trilingual. While we jumped into the river several times to swim, no one fell out against their will! There's a beautiful jungle along the edges with thick rain forest, tropical flowers and a scattering of riverside lodges. The roofs of these lodges were the only time I was able to see thatched roofs. Everywhere else in Costa Rica the roofs are corrugated tin, some rusty and many painted orange to mimic Spanish tiling.
Our guide, Ricardo, had us do a paddle-raising "high five" everytime we successfully traversed a rapid, in Spanish "rapido." On several easy rapids, he placed one of us on the front of the boat so the moment the first wave washed over, this "volunteer" would fall backwards into the raft--and we'd all burst into hysterics. Another antic was having one side of paddlers reverse themselves with everyone paddling forward so that when we traversed an easish rapid we'd be running it in circles! Finally when we engaged the intense class IV "rapidos" he'd yell get down and we'd all bunch ourselves into the bottom of the raft and get flooded...and of course laugh with glee!
Having run rivers in Australia, Africa, Thailand and California, this was certainly a favorite. If you ever get a chance to run the Pacuare, do it!!!
Our guide, Ricardo, had us do a paddle-raising "high five" everytime we successfully traversed a rapid, in Spanish "rapido." On several easy rapids, he placed one of us on the front of the boat so the moment the first wave washed over, this "volunteer" would fall backwards into the raft--and we'd all burst into hysterics. Another antic was having one side of paddlers reverse themselves with everyone paddling forward so that when we traversed an easish rapid we'd be running it in circles! Finally when we engaged the intense class IV "rapidos" he'd yell get down and we'd all bunch ourselves into the bottom of the raft and get flooded...and of course laugh with glee!
Having run rivers in Australia, Africa, Thailand and California, this was certainly a favorite. If you ever get a chance to run the Pacuare, do it!!!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Diarama of Guayabo
What remains of the Cabeceras peoples that inhabited this site are mounds--this reconstruction visualizes what it might have looked like prior to 1400 A.D.
Plaza Sculptures in Turrialba
Considering that Costa Rica does not invest in military activities, the country has no war time heroes to celebrate. Thus the plaza sculptures in Turrialba feature local wildlife...
Sunday, July 20, 2008
A Bit of Costa Rican Archeology
Today we repacked our bags, caught a taxi to the Turrialba bus station and boarded a local bus to the mountain town of Turrialba. There we dropped our stuff off at a modest hotel and caught another cab to the Guayabo archeological site. The site was once home to about 700 priestly inhabitants, with several thousand more people living in the vicinity. What remains of the site are walkways, mounds (one which contains funerary remains and jade pieces), an aqueduct and water storage cisterns. The site was abandoned around 1400, probably as a result of intertribal wars in that there is also much ash which seems to imply the whole village must have been burned down by it's conquerors.
The park site is embedded in a rainforest, replete with gorgeous tropical flowers including white ginger and startlingly bright pinks, oranges and yellows. Beyond this are the gorgeous birds and magnetic butterflies.
We arrived around a bit after three in the afternoon, just as the park was about to close. Rather than being tight-assed functionaries, the rangers decided to keep it open so we might visit (especially in that we had travelled so far to get there.) We were assigned a sweet "by-donation" guide who dedicated the next several hours to showing us around. The whole visit was decidedly low-key relative to my visits to archeological sites in Peru and Mexico. There thousands of tourists flock to absorb remnants of ancient history, while here there were perhaps two other groups taking it all in.
Tomorrow, Dennis and I go white water rafting, while Linda explores a pineapple plantation...
The park site is embedded in a rainforest, replete with gorgeous tropical flowers including white ginger and startlingly bright pinks, oranges and yellows. Beyond this are the gorgeous birds and magnetic butterflies.
We arrived around a bit after three in the afternoon, just as the park was about to close. Rather than being tight-assed functionaries, the rangers decided to keep it open so we might visit (especially in that we had travelled so far to get there.) We were assigned a sweet "by-donation" guide who dedicated the next several hours to showing us around. The whole visit was decidedly low-key relative to my visits to archeological sites in Peru and Mexico. There thousands of tourists flock to absorb remnants of ancient history, while here there were perhaps two other groups taking it all in.
Tomorrow, Dennis and I go white water rafting, while Linda explores a pineapple plantation...
First Looks at Costa Rica´s Natural Beauty
Yesterday we indulged in the Poas Volcano, Cataratas Water Falls, Coffee Plantation, Aviary and caged monkey tour. We did see a little bit of a lot of things...and yes, Costa Rica is a very green country! Green ecologically (recycling bins are everywhere) and green with its thick wet verdant jungle.
The coffee export business took a huge leap 15 years ago when Costa Rica began to roast its own coffee. These days everything but decaf is processed, roasted and ground locally. Decaf involves water-filtration equipment that´s very expensive. Here beans can be processed abroad (Holland) and then returned for a variety of roasting options (Italian, French, etc.). A local speciality is peaberry--it´s quite potent...and delicious.
The Poas Volcano was enveloped in clouds when we arrived. Nonetheless some of us (we were in a group of eight travellers), walked out to a lake vista. After shooting a series of photos of the lake, I walked up to another vista and noted a sign which announced a loop trail back to the visitors center\parking lot. I began to walk. Pretty soon I noticed that NO ONE ELSE had taken this option...and that it would be a very long walk. By that time it seemed like it would take even longer to retrace my steps so I continued walking. The jungle was thick...and to calm myself down, I took photos. Yes, I believe some gorgeous ones. I arrived back to a slightly irrate driver (I was 15 minutes late).
Afterwards we were shuttled to a huge complex that houses tropical birds, captive monkeys, butterflies and a huge number of hummingbirds. Yes, we got upclose (and personal) with some gorgeous toucans who pretty-much held their poses for the numerous photo-ops that come their way. The monkeys included playful capuchins and wily spider monkeys. I could have watched them for hours, but we were beckoned to a sumptuous buffet with all of Costa Rica´s best. After gorging on tropical fruit, salad, casado (a tasty marriage of rice and black beans), chicken stew, sweet plantains in a carmel sauce, we retired for a visit to the very impressive Cataratas Waterfalls. These included a hike (which was easy relative to my morning self-guided tour) and a lot of afternoon rain. Within minutes my "waterproof" jacket soaked through and I became one with the tropics. Through the torrents of rain we shot photos. Eventually we were collected and returned to our hostel. I was wet, tired and not at all hungry. I passed on dinner and slept 10 hours.
The coffee export business took a huge leap 15 years ago when Costa Rica began to roast its own coffee. These days everything but decaf is processed, roasted and ground locally. Decaf involves water-filtration equipment that´s very expensive. Here beans can be processed abroad (Holland) and then returned for a variety of roasting options (Italian, French, etc.). A local speciality is peaberry--it´s quite potent...and delicious.
The Poas Volcano was enveloped in clouds when we arrived. Nonetheless some of us (we were in a group of eight travellers), walked out to a lake vista. After shooting a series of photos of the lake, I walked up to another vista and noted a sign which announced a loop trail back to the visitors center\parking lot. I began to walk. Pretty soon I noticed that NO ONE ELSE had taken this option...and that it would be a very long walk. By that time it seemed like it would take even longer to retrace my steps so I continued walking. The jungle was thick...and to calm myself down, I took photos. Yes, I believe some gorgeous ones. I arrived back to a slightly irrate driver (I was 15 minutes late).
Afterwards we were shuttled to a huge complex that houses tropical birds, captive monkeys, butterflies and a huge number of hummingbirds. Yes, we got upclose (and personal) with some gorgeous toucans who pretty-much held their poses for the numerous photo-ops that come their way. The monkeys included playful capuchins and wily spider monkeys. I could have watched them for hours, but we were beckoned to a sumptuous buffet with all of Costa Rica´s best. After gorging on tropical fruit, salad, casado (a tasty marriage of rice and black beans), chicken stew, sweet plantains in a carmel sauce, we retired for a visit to the very impressive Cataratas Waterfalls. These included a hike (which was easy relative to my morning self-guided tour) and a lot of afternoon rain. Within minutes my "waterproof" jacket soaked through and I became one with the tropics. Through the torrents of rain we shot photos. Eventually we were collected and returned to our hostel. I was wet, tired and not at all hungry. I passed on dinner and slept 10 hours.
Finding Our Way Around San Jose
Being that there are no formal street addresses in Costa Rica, everything is described in relationship to something else. For example our hostel is across the street from the KFC (yes they're all over San Jose) and next to the UAMC (one of the many private universities that dot the city). We quickly discovered that those who do not know where all the hospitals, universities and KFC´s are, must take taxis or endeavor to walk to places that are visible (e.g. on the same street which may or may not have a formal name.)
We visited the Jade Museum and the Gold Museum which each discussed Costa Rica´s brief ethnohistory. We were told two stories about how Costa Rica got named. One was that Christopher Columbus sailed towards the east coast and noted the beautiful-resource rich coast and named it, costa rica. The other, which sounds more believable to me, is that the Columbus and his crew came upon a band of natives who were decked out in gold everything (necklaces, earrings, nose pieces, etc) and thus with gold on the brain, named it costa rica. Apparently the Spanish were so smitten with the gold that they rapidly exterminated the wearers and thus many of today´s Costa Ricans are light-skinned peoples of Spanish ancestry who participate willingly and readily in world market trade. Thus far I have yet to meet anyone who wears what might be considered indigenous clothing. The very closest we saw was a photo in the gold museum of people wearing elaborate masks and tunics, but the contemporary giveaway was that underneath they were all wearing blue jeans!
Is this good? Bad? Are there judgments one might make about a country that has chased the dollar (locally the colon) and has minimal roots into its Indian past? As for contemporary cultural expression, one taxi driver told us he listens to Mexican and American music in that there are no singers of note in his own country! We did visit the Grand Theater which features a massive ceiling mural painted by a Spaniard, featuring light-skinned very Spanish looking peasants in an 18th century bucolic setting. Diego Rivera would have rolled in his grave.
As for contemporary artistic expression, San Jose is filled with creatively decorated cow-statues, each very feminine with gleaming udders and bright paint-jobs. (As soon as I can access a computer in which I can post photos, I´ll send some of my favorites.)
We visited the Jade Museum and the Gold Museum which each discussed Costa Rica´s brief ethnohistory. We were told two stories about how Costa Rica got named. One was that Christopher Columbus sailed towards the east coast and noted the beautiful-resource rich coast and named it, costa rica. The other, which sounds more believable to me, is that the Columbus and his crew came upon a band of natives who were decked out in gold everything (necklaces, earrings, nose pieces, etc) and thus with gold on the brain, named it costa rica. Apparently the Spanish were so smitten with the gold that they rapidly exterminated the wearers and thus many of today´s Costa Ricans are light-skinned peoples of Spanish ancestry who participate willingly and readily in world market trade. Thus far I have yet to meet anyone who wears what might be considered indigenous clothing. The very closest we saw was a photo in the gold museum of people wearing elaborate masks and tunics, but the contemporary giveaway was that underneath they were all wearing blue jeans!
Is this good? Bad? Are there judgments one might make about a country that has chased the dollar (locally the colon) and has minimal roots into its Indian past? As for contemporary cultural expression, one taxi driver told us he listens to Mexican and American music in that there are no singers of note in his own country! We did visit the Grand Theater which features a massive ceiling mural painted by a Spaniard, featuring light-skinned very Spanish looking peasants in an 18th century bucolic setting. Diego Rivera would have rolled in his grave.
As for contemporary artistic expression, San Jose is filled with creatively decorated cow-statues, each very feminine with gleaming udders and bright paint-jobs. (As soon as I can access a computer in which I can post photos, I´ll send some of my favorites.)
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Entry...
We arrived Thursday night after spending most of the day getting here. We´d booked flights on Continental Airlines which still checks a first bag for free, screens movies for free and serves (free) hot meals. All I can say is yeah Continental!
After clearing immigration and customs, we were met by a driver who drove us out to our hostel. The streets were covered with signage from international corporations and filled with lots of new-looking compact cars. As Costa Rica began to grow it´s economy (beyond tourism, it´s exports include micro chips, bananas, coffee and all sorts of fruits and flowers), a dedication to conservation took hold. SUVs and mini-vans are only driven full (often with tourists) and well-maintained public buses are typically filled to capacity.
I´d booked rooms at "Hostel" Toruma which is so upscale that our rooms have flat-screen TVs, there´s free internet, a bar-restaurant and a pretty swimming pool. After sleeping off the flight, and having some breakfast, we partook in an apparently very common Costa Rican adventure (finding a location in an address-oblivious country). We set out by foot to visit the agency that had booked a bunch of our activities. I´d been given directions which were something like, "go to the original entrance of the county hospital, they walk to the north 2 meters, then walk west a half a meter." Soon we found a woman with a bit of time on her hands who showed us the way to the hospital. Then the true adventure began as various ambulance drivers, hospital workers and construction workers attempted to decipher where we should go. After walking around in circles for about 15 minutes, we eventually found a building (with no public signage) and pushed the buzzer for Exploradores Outdoors. We met Betshilva, the woman I´d been corresponding with the last couple of weeks. She handed me a packet with a series of activity-vouchers and after Dennis took photos to document our visit, we were headed out to explore San Jose.
After clearing immigration and customs, we were met by a driver who drove us out to our hostel. The streets were covered with signage from international corporations and filled with lots of new-looking compact cars. As Costa Rica began to grow it´s economy (beyond tourism, it´s exports include micro chips, bananas, coffee and all sorts of fruits and flowers), a dedication to conservation took hold. SUVs and mini-vans are only driven full (often with tourists) and well-maintained public buses are typically filled to capacity.
I´d booked rooms at "Hostel" Toruma which is so upscale that our rooms have flat-screen TVs, there´s free internet, a bar-restaurant and a pretty swimming pool. After sleeping off the flight, and having some breakfast, we partook in an apparently very common Costa Rican adventure (finding a location in an address-oblivious country). We set out by foot to visit the agency that had booked a bunch of our activities. I´d been given directions which were something like, "go to the original entrance of the county hospital, they walk to the north 2 meters, then walk west a half a meter." Soon we found a woman with a bit of time on her hands who showed us the way to the hospital. Then the true adventure began as various ambulance drivers, hospital workers and construction workers attempted to decipher where we should go. After walking around in circles for about 15 minutes, we eventually found a building (with no public signage) and pushed the buzzer for Exploradores Outdoors. We met Betshilva, the woman I´d been corresponding with the last couple of weeks. She handed me a packet with a series of activity-vouchers and after Dennis took photos to document our visit, we were headed out to explore San Jose.
Overview
It took a while to get here, but considering where else I´ve been, getting here (and being here) have been relatively easy. My arrival was hardly as other-worldly as when I first stepped off the plane in Africa 10 years ago, New Guinea 7 years ago and India last year and let my eyes and ears take in what for me was a very unknown country and culture.
Thirty-five percent of Costa Rica´s GNP is based on tourism...and for the last 15 years, Ticos have been taking it very seriously. What Costa Rica has to offer is natural beauty in the form of rainforest-jungle, highland volcanoes, hotsprings and tropical beaches. Its indigenous populations were decimated years ago, though there are native peoples who do live on the peripheries. Ultimately, they don´t play an active part in politics nor in the country´s ethnic-spiritual identity.
Who travels here? Well plenty of Americans and Canadians (often for 10-day to two-week trips), Europeans are typically here for three weeks (in that it takes them so long to get here) while the Mexicans and Guatemalans I´ve met, come for about a week (in that it´s just a couple of borders away). Nicaraguans come looking for work in that Costa Rica is clearly more prosperous than their politically/economically challenged homeland. It´s been noted that Nicaraguans are to Costa Rica what Mexicans are to the U.S.
Costa Rica is so first-world that it´s literacy rate and life expectancy is exactly the same as the U.S. It´s illegal to sell food on the street except during festivals and while there is talk about pickpockets all I can say is that financial desperation is hardly apparent. (I have seen a couple of passed-out homeless people on the street, but honestly LA´s downtown looks much more desperate than San Jose´s).
Thirty-five percent of Costa Rica´s GNP is based on tourism...and for the last 15 years, Ticos have been taking it very seriously. What Costa Rica has to offer is natural beauty in the form of rainforest-jungle, highland volcanoes, hotsprings and tropical beaches. Its indigenous populations were decimated years ago, though there are native peoples who do live on the peripheries. Ultimately, they don´t play an active part in politics nor in the country´s ethnic-spiritual identity.
Who travels here? Well plenty of Americans and Canadians (often for 10-day to two-week trips), Europeans are typically here for three weeks (in that it takes them so long to get here) while the Mexicans and Guatemalans I´ve met, come for about a week (in that it´s just a couple of borders away). Nicaraguans come looking for work in that Costa Rica is clearly more prosperous than their politically/economically challenged homeland. It´s been noted that Nicaraguans are to Costa Rica what Mexicans are to the U.S.
Costa Rica is so first-world that it´s literacy rate and life expectancy is exactly the same as the U.S. It´s illegal to sell food on the street except during festivals and while there is talk about pickpockets all I can say is that financial desperation is hardly apparent. (I have seen a couple of passed-out homeless people on the street, but honestly LA´s downtown looks much more desperate than San Jose´s).
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Setting the Stage
Last Spring one of my anthropology students began asking me to organize a student travel group. Being someone who tends to arrive in foreign places and allow myself to be blown around out of the sense that all experiences are valuable, I felt cautious. It felt too dangerous to subject students to such an approach to the unknown and thus I set out to organize a formal trip.
As the Spring semester ended I had upwards of 15 students claiming they would love to join me for such a trip. I picked Costa Rica because it sounded traveler-friendly as well as manageable for a two-week trip. I also wanted to pick a place I had never been, so I, too, might experience the awe of something new.
In early June I made contact with a Costa Rican travel agency that specializes in student travel and together we designed what seemed to be the perfect blend of Anthropology (primate observations, a visit to an archeological site and a homestay with local families) and Adventure (white water rafting, canopy jungle tour, snorkeling). The interested students faded away...and I began to promote the trip to colleagues, friends, etc. With the lack of lead time and the rise in airfares, I ultimately found few genuine takers. And a couple of weeks ago, the tour company backed out. I invited those who had signed up and were willing to travel more independently (without a 24\7 guide and a dedicated driver) to still come to Costa Rica.
I connected with a different tour company, Exploradores Outdoors, that was comfortable making arrangements for small groups and began to design a different trip. With the concept of Anthropology and Adventure Travel brewing in my head, I put together a trip that reflected those concepts. And ultimately I ended up with two travel companions, my friends Dennis and Linda. As a sort of personal-training for my nascent business venture, I did much of the booking myself. I created a trip that feels like it will mix intelligence and adventure with plenty of unstructured to uncover...and discover.
As the Spring semester ended I had upwards of 15 students claiming they would love to join me for such a trip. I picked Costa Rica because it sounded traveler-friendly as well as manageable for a two-week trip. I also wanted to pick a place I had never been, so I, too, might experience the awe of something new.
In early June I made contact with a Costa Rican travel agency that specializes in student travel and together we designed what seemed to be the perfect blend of Anthropology (primate observations, a visit to an archeological site and a homestay with local families) and Adventure (white water rafting, canopy jungle tour, snorkeling). The interested students faded away...and I began to promote the trip to colleagues, friends, etc. With the lack of lead time and the rise in airfares, I ultimately found few genuine takers. And a couple of weeks ago, the tour company backed out. I invited those who had signed up and were willing to travel more independently (without a 24\7 guide and a dedicated driver) to still come to Costa Rica.
I connected with a different tour company, Exploradores Outdoors, that was comfortable making arrangements for small groups and began to design a different trip. With the concept of Anthropology and Adventure Travel brewing in my head, I put together a trip that reflected those concepts. And ultimately I ended up with two travel companions, my friends Dennis and Linda. As a sort of personal-training for my nascent business venture, I did much of the booking myself. I created a trip that feels like it will mix intelligence and adventure with plenty of unstructured to uncover...and discover.
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