Saturday, June 18, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Costa Rica Reader - Questions and Answers
My questions, with the answers I've found after our visit, from chapter 4 are as follows:
How gender equal is Costa Rican society today?
I was genuinely surprised at how gender equal Costa Rican society seems to be. Everywhere we went people were treated as equals. Maurico and Maria Paula seemed to see each other as peers, and Don Heraldo and Felicia had their own roles in the family, but were equals. There are probably a few exceptions to this, but from my experience Costa Ricans are not sexist at all.
Are social classes treated equally by the government today?
This question is a hard one to answer, but I lean towards yes. Everyone has the same free access to medical treatment and education, they are all free to voice their opinions, and have equal opportunity to get a job. However, when applying for a job, employers are allowed to ask you personal questions about your age, family, and education. Not only are they allowed to ask, but they can use it against you. I definitely think Costa Rica has some things to work on so that everyone is treated equally, but so does every other country.
How much power does the government have over the people?
The government has a fair bit of control considering land use, but it is not necessarily enforced. We saw several examples of where the government had put provisions on the land that were being ignored, and nothing was being done to fix it. I do not think I saw a single cop car driving around monitoring the roads, or a cop near areas known for prostitution. We did not talk about voting rights, but the protests we heard about did not seem to have much supervision. They looked like masses of people rioting and out of control.
My questions, with the answers I've found after our visit, from chapter 5 are as follows:
How common are pulperías now?
In certain areas, pulperías are very common. In the definition the book gives us, a pulpería is a spot where a town has not formed, but is in between a couple towns. We did not see this kind of pulpería, but we did see several general stores in our first home-stay. I did not see one in the second home-stay, but I would not be surprised if there had been one since we did not get to hang out in the town much.
How prevalent is alcohol in daily life? Sold in pulperías?
Alcohol did not seem to be as prevalent in daily life as it is in the U.S. Many of the people I know in the U.S. come home from work and grab a beer or a glass of wine just to relax. I never saw the families I met in Costa Rica touch alcohol. All of this is a relative experience, but it did seem a little less common. We did not get to see a social gathering, so maybe it is saved for these occasions. I believe that it is just not apart of their history and has not infiltrated their culture yet.
The economy has rebounded, but have the people truly recovered?
Just like the rest of the world, the economy may have rebounded, but it will take a while for things to go back to the way they were before. People seemed to be getting along fine, even in the rural areas. Since Costa Rica is a unique country without many uprisings or an army, they may have been able to avoid some of the world economic problems as well. They are still a developing country, and appear to be sustaining themselves just fine.
Does political persecution still exist?
Political persecution has to exist in some quantity, but probably not in as bold of a manner. Since the army was abolished, the country has to be more peaceful than others. We did not talk much about the government during this trip, but I was able to make a few assumptions from what we did see. The Ticos seem to be able to deal with whatever comes their way in take in stride much easier than other cultures.
How gender equal is Costa Rican society today?
I was genuinely surprised at how gender equal Costa Rican society seems to be. Everywhere we went people were treated as equals. Maurico and Maria Paula seemed to see each other as peers, and Don Heraldo and Felicia had their own roles in the family, but were equals. There are probably a few exceptions to this, but from my experience Costa Ricans are not sexist at all.
Are social classes treated equally by the government today?
This question is a hard one to answer, but I lean towards yes. Everyone has the same free access to medical treatment and education, they are all free to voice their opinions, and have equal opportunity to get a job. However, when applying for a job, employers are allowed to ask you personal questions about your age, family, and education. Not only are they allowed to ask, but they can use it against you. I definitely think Costa Rica has some things to work on so that everyone is treated equally, but so does every other country.
How much power does the government have over the people?
The government has a fair bit of control considering land use, but it is not necessarily enforced. We saw several examples of where the government had put provisions on the land that were being ignored, and nothing was being done to fix it. I do not think I saw a single cop car driving around monitoring the roads, or a cop near areas known for prostitution. We did not talk about voting rights, but the protests we heard about did not seem to have much supervision. They looked like masses of people rioting and out of control.
My questions, with the answers I've found after our visit, from chapter 5 are as follows:
How common are pulperías now?
In certain areas, pulperías are very common. In the definition the book gives us, a pulpería is a spot where a town has not formed, but is in between a couple towns. We did not see this kind of pulpería, but we did see several general stores in our first home-stay. I did not see one in the second home-stay, but I would not be surprised if there had been one since we did not get to hang out in the town much.
How prevalent is alcohol in daily life? Sold in pulperías?
Alcohol did not seem to be as prevalent in daily life as it is in the U.S. Many of the people I know in the U.S. come home from work and grab a beer or a glass of wine just to relax. I never saw the families I met in Costa Rica touch alcohol. All of this is a relative experience, but it did seem a little less common. We did not get to see a social gathering, so maybe it is saved for these occasions. I believe that it is just not apart of their history and has not infiltrated their culture yet.
The economy has rebounded, but have the people truly recovered?
Just like the rest of the world, the economy may have rebounded, but it will take a while for things to go back to the way they were before. People seemed to be getting along fine, even in the rural areas. Since Costa Rica is a unique country without many uprisings or an army, they may have been able to avoid some of the world economic problems as well. They are still a developing country, and appear to be sustaining themselves just fine.
Does political persecution still exist?
Political persecution has to exist in some quantity, but probably not in as bold of a manner. Since the army was abolished, the country has to be more peaceful than others. We did not talk much about the government during this trip, but I was able to make a few assumptions from what we did see. The Ticos seem to be able to deal with whatever comes their way in take in stride much easier than other cultures.
pictures
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| This picture is of the first place coffee beans go to be separated. Our guide told us that when this bin is filled with beans and water, the good beans float, and the bad ones sink. |
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| This picture shows the 7 different kinds of coffee sold by Doka Coffee. Different beans and mixtures of the beans make different flavors. It was interesting to learn that color actually has nothing to do with flavor. |
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| This picture is not great quality, but depicts Don Heraldo showing us how he makes the cheese his family eats and sells to other families in the area. He gets plenty of milk from his cows to sell and make money off of. |
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| Something I have never seen before, almost all of the fences in Costa Rica are living fences. This is because during the dry season, the dead wood dries out and falls down. |
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| From the moment we landed til the next morning it rained. We were scared that it would rain everyday we were there but we were extremely lucky, and rain only ruined our plans one time. |
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| While walking towards the Botos Lagoon, we saw these small plants growing on some of the trees. It is amazing to see how nature forms when left alone. |
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| A great group photo standing in front of Botos Lagoon. |
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| One of my favorite picture, this is Arenal Volcano taken from a distance in the sunset. |
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| The gas prices here were much more expensive than in the U.S. A liter is 0.264 gallons, meaning that this gas costs about $45 for about 9.4 gallons. |
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| This picture is of the mass of iguanas we fed at a souvenir shop. Once we starting dropping food, the iguanas came running. |
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
5 June, 2011
With today being the first day to really relax and enjoy the city on our own, it was a great day. We were finally able to get ourselves something to remember this remarkable trip by. I was not expecting to learn much on this day since we had so much free time to just shop, however; I definitely learned about how locals from San Jose interact with tourists. I also experienced an area designated more towards shopping for Costa Rican people. The open air market we went to was amazing. It had so many different hand-made artifacts; I could have spent all day there. You could tell that these items were what people spent their time making and were their main source of income. We didn't get to learn too much about the normal life in San Jose so spending more time in the city to see it was exciting.
After shopping in the market, Kristen, Taylor and I went into the city to walk around and spend some time in the heart of the city. We found this artistic market which was really cool with local paintings as well as more expensive tourist gifts. The people there did not seem to need our money as much as the ones at the local market, and were more kind. We also went into a local sports store just because we love to look at athletic clothes and it was interesting to note that there were about 10-15 teenage guys working at the store and only one girl. They said this was very common for sports stores, so I hope that overtime, Costa Rica will integrate more. Overall it was not only a fun experience but an educational one.
That night we had our last lecture wrapping up our discussion of sustainable development within Costa Rica. Mauricio showed us several photographs of how although there are laws to prevent the cutting down of trees and how the land is used in certain areas, people are finding ways around them. When the government simply claims the land as theirs, it is hard for people to stop using their land the way they are used to. Developing the national park system and maintaining the trust in the government will be very important for Cost Rica in the future. All that is left to do before leaving the hotel at 4 am is to eat a good dinner and pack up. Hasta Luego Costa Rica.
After shopping in the market, Kristen, Taylor and I went into the city to walk around and spend some time in the heart of the city. We found this artistic market which was really cool with local paintings as well as more expensive tourist gifts. The people there did not seem to need our money as much as the ones at the local market, and were more kind. We also went into a local sports store just because we love to look at athletic clothes and it was interesting to note that there were about 10-15 teenage guys working at the store and only one girl. They said this was very common for sports stores, so I hope that overtime, Costa Rica will integrate more. Overall it was not only a fun experience but an educational one.
That night we had our last lecture wrapping up our discussion of sustainable development within Costa Rica. Mauricio showed us several photographs of how although there are laws to prevent the cutting down of trees and how the land is used in certain areas, people are finding ways around them. When the government simply claims the land as theirs, it is hard for people to stop using their land the way they are used to. Developing the national park system and maintaining the trust in the government will be very important for Cost Rica in the future. All that is left to do before leaving the hotel at 4 am is to eat a good dinner and pack up. Hasta Luego Costa Rica.
4 June, 2011
I still cannot believe how amazingly lucky we have been with the weather during this trip. We got up this morning at 6:30 to see the sun shining once again. My stomach feels much better this morning after sleeping a lot and not eating dinner; however my sunburn still hurts a ton. I am just going to suck it up in order to join the group for kayaking and sea snorkeling. It should be really fun, especially out in these clear waters with small coral reefs underneath. Once again, breakfast was rice and beans with fruit. I never thought I would get sick of such simple food but I cannot eat anymore of it. Just the smell of rice and beans makes me sick.
The morning took a lot longer than we expected so we were forced to rush packing, but it was fun. We left the hotel at 8:15 and went kayaking until about 1:15. Getting there took a while and my arms were tired, but it was amazing to see the island and the clear water. It would have been much better if I had a stronger stomach and did not get seasick while trying to kayak and snorkel. It was still a good experience however. Spending lots of time out there would provide a great way to learn a lot about different species that we never see in the US. Maybe getting sick in the water would help me attract the fish so I could study them up close, but I think I will pass on that opportunity and stick to business.
On another note, I can only imagine how good of shape you have to be in in order to give tours like that multiple times a day. It is also interesting to think about how evolution happens and people are selected for certain things such as darker skin in order to prevent damage from the harsh sun in this environment. It is obvious how ones climate and environment can affect each person. Fray, our guide did not seem to care nearly as much about the money after our tour as someone from the USA would have. Being a good person instead of just a business person does help him come across as a nicer, more well rounded person in general though.
Finally, we rode the bus back to San Jose bringing us very near the end of our trip. It is bitter sweet because the trip has been great, and has shown me so much about how another culture works. However I am definitely ready to eat something besides rice and beans. I cannot wait to take a long warm shower and drink a gallon of milk.
The morning took a lot longer than we expected so we were forced to rush packing, but it was fun. We left the hotel at 8:15 and went kayaking until about 1:15. Getting there took a while and my arms were tired, but it was amazing to see the island and the clear water. It would have been much better if I had a stronger stomach and did not get seasick while trying to kayak and snorkel. It was still a good experience however. Spending lots of time out there would provide a great way to learn a lot about different species that we never see in the US. Maybe getting sick in the water would help me attract the fish so I could study them up close, but I think I will pass on that opportunity and stick to business.
On another note, I can only imagine how good of shape you have to be in in order to give tours like that multiple times a day. It is also interesting to think about how evolution happens and people are selected for certain things such as darker skin in order to prevent damage from the harsh sun in this environment. It is obvious how ones climate and environment can affect each person. Fray, our guide did not seem to care nearly as much about the money after our tour as someone from the USA would have. Being a good person instead of just a business person does help him come across as a nicer, more well rounded person in general though.
Finally, we rode the bus back to San Jose bringing us very near the end of our trip. It is bitter sweet because the trip has been great, and has shown me so much about how another culture works. However I am definitely ready to eat something besides rice and beans. I cannot wait to take a long warm shower and drink a gallon of milk.
3 June, 2011
This morning Taylor and I woke up at 5:30 in order to be ready to meet the bus at 7. Our laundry was not dry just as Zulay had suspected. Everything smelled nice so we tried drying it some more, but the air was just too wet to get much done. I can only imagine trying to do laundry like that every day without a real dryer and having bugs all over you. I woke up with probably more than 20 massive bug bites but they will go away soon. I guess I slept with a few bugs under my covers. Once again, this is living proof of how evolution works as it is obvious that the families who live in this community no longer need to worry about the bugs as they have built up some kind of immunity to them. I am very jealous of this as the bugs seem to think I smell and taste quite sweet.
Johnny arrived at our house 15 minutes earlier than expected and we were just not ready, but it did give us an excuse to not really eat the breakfast. I feel really bad not eating everything we are given but there are just certain things I cannot stomach. For example, the homemade cheese they continue to feed us may taste good to them, but my stomach just repels it. We drove about 30 minutes into the town of Nicoya which was beautiful and had the oldest active church in Costa Rica. built in 1664. Then we continued down to Samara Beach which was absolutely stunning. I am so glad that they planned to take us there after almost all of the class work was done. It would have been such a tease to go to the beach and then have to walk around businesses and listen to lectures. Besides that, my sunburn would have been even more uncomfortable in business clothes.
The rest of the day we spent out at the beach and eating at a small restaurant. The food was delicious and the weather was beautiful, however not all things end as great as they start. By about 3 in the afternoon I was super burnt on my thighs where they have not gotten much sun at all before. I also had a massive stomach problem that I am still not sure what caused it. Everyone else went to dinner, but I do not think I missed much. Wyatt got his wallet stolen which just goes to show how you can never be too careful in a foreign country. I am sure the economy attributes to this, but it makes you appreciate the USA and how civilized most people are. I cannot wait to see how Costa Rica develops over time. The stolen wallets may never change as the main business is tourism and people are just not very careful with their things.
This hotel was amazingly clean and had great service compared to most other places we have been however. They let us check in really early and stay late which was much needed. We really appreciated how far they went to help us and make sure we had a good time.
Johnny arrived at our house 15 minutes earlier than expected and we were just not ready, but it did give us an excuse to not really eat the breakfast. I feel really bad not eating everything we are given but there are just certain things I cannot stomach. For example, the homemade cheese they continue to feed us may taste good to them, but my stomach just repels it. We drove about 30 minutes into the town of Nicoya which was beautiful and had the oldest active church in Costa Rica. built in 1664. Then we continued down to Samara Beach which was absolutely stunning. I am so glad that they planned to take us there after almost all of the class work was done. It would have been such a tease to go to the beach and then have to walk around businesses and listen to lectures. Besides that, my sunburn would have been even more uncomfortable in business clothes.
The rest of the day we spent out at the beach and eating at a small restaurant. The food was delicious and the weather was beautiful, however not all things end as great as they start. By about 3 in the afternoon I was super burnt on my thighs where they have not gotten much sun at all before. I also had a massive stomach problem that I am still not sure what caused it. Everyone else went to dinner, but I do not think I missed much. Wyatt got his wallet stolen which just goes to show how you can never be too careful in a foreign country. I am sure the economy attributes to this, but it makes you appreciate the USA and how civilized most people are. I cannot wait to see how Costa Rica develops over time. The stolen wallets may never change as the main business is tourism and people are just not very careful with their things.
This hotel was amazingly clean and had great service compared to most other places we have been however. They let us check in really early and stay late which was much needed. We really appreciated how far they went to help us and make sure we had a good time.
2 June, 2011
The first thing we did when we woke up was eat breakfast, more rice and beans with rice milk (not my favorite). The community was taking us hiking at 5:30 so we got up really early in order to eat and be prepared. They did not exaggerate how difficult this hike would be, we hiked for five hours up and down this mountain. It was hot, and we were wearing jeans because of the excessive amounts of bugs in the forest. I was not complaining about the hike because it was great exercise and had an awesome view. We could see all three volcanoes we drove by and the village beneath us. It did make us appreciate being in Boone since we get to have these beautiful views near us everyday. I bet these views from other visitors who do not live in an area as beautiful as Boone would absolutely love this hike.
We heard some monkeys on the hike, but did not see much wildlife. This hike was mostly about the beautiful views. On the way down we stopped at a small cave that went into the mountains and had many stagnates. Several people went in and explored the little cave, but after hiking I did not want to make myself even more uncomfortable. I do not like being in small trapped places, but it did sound cool. Back at the houses, we showered and ate lunch before meeting the bus outside for another trip with the community. This time we were headed to the river that goes next to their village.
I was surprised as to how many of the community members joined us on our river tour. I would have assumed they had to work and do things at home, but many of them came with. A few students from UCR met us there because they knew Mauricio (our trip coordinator). During our trip down the river we got to see a ton of iguanas, birds, and even a couple crocodiles. They would not hold still long enough for us to take a picture because of the boat, but they were still really cool to see in person. We also stopped at a place with a huge mound of clam shells that showed how often the community fished in this area. Unfortunately, we did not get to go as far down the river as we wanted to go because of the impending rain. In fact, we ended up being drenched before we got back to the bus.
After scattering back to our houses we changed and ate dinner. Zulay surprised us when we found out she had a washing machine and something to spin the clothes dry. So we did a load of laundry and hoped that the clothes would dry even though it was so humid outside. At least washing them would help get rid of the smell. Our talk this evening was much better than last night. She was willing to work with our broken Spanish since she knew no English. We found out that as crazy as it sounds, Heraldo had to wake up at 4 in order to get to school on time. He has to bike and then take a bus into Nicoya, and he does not get home until around 5:30 in the afternoon. I cannot imagine having to do this everyday. We did notice that he did not do any homework though, so maybe students in this area spend a slightly longer amount of time in school in place of doing work at home.
We heard some monkeys on the hike, but did not see much wildlife. This hike was mostly about the beautiful views. On the way down we stopped at a small cave that went into the mountains and had many stagnates. Several people went in and explored the little cave, but after hiking I did not want to make myself even more uncomfortable. I do not like being in small trapped places, but it did sound cool. Back at the houses, we showered and ate lunch before meeting the bus outside for another trip with the community. This time we were headed to the river that goes next to their village.
I was surprised as to how many of the community members joined us on our river tour. I would have assumed they had to work and do things at home, but many of them came with. A few students from UCR met us there because they knew Mauricio (our trip coordinator). During our trip down the river we got to see a ton of iguanas, birds, and even a couple crocodiles. They would not hold still long enough for us to take a picture because of the boat, but they were still really cool to see in person. We also stopped at a place with a huge mound of clam shells that showed how often the community fished in this area. Unfortunately, we did not get to go as far down the river as we wanted to go because of the impending rain. In fact, we ended up being drenched before we got back to the bus.
After scattering back to our houses we changed and ate dinner. Zulay surprised us when we found out she had a washing machine and something to spin the clothes dry. So we did a load of laundry and hoped that the clothes would dry even though it was so humid outside. At least washing them would help get rid of the smell. Our talk this evening was much better than last night. She was willing to work with our broken Spanish since she knew no English. We found out that as crazy as it sounds, Heraldo had to wake up at 4 in order to get to school on time. He has to bike and then take a bus into Nicoya, and he does not get home until around 5:30 in the afternoon. I cannot imagine having to do this everyday. We did notice that he did not do any homework though, so maybe students in this area spend a slightly longer amount of time in school in place of doing work at home.
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