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.
1 June, 2011
Today we woke up and had a lecture about this eco-lodge from one of the workers who had been there for a long time. He told us about how this eco-lodge had started as farming land and then started housing visitors when the national park opened. Originally it was just the main building, but now there are about 20 cabins in a semicircle around the beautiful landscaping. In the future, they plan to add several more cabins in order to complete the circle. Our speaker had been working to help build the geothermal energy plant until today. He told us that building the plant had created a lot of jobs for people and now that it was almost finished being built, the jobs would be gone.
The worst part about breakfast was that our horseback riding and canopy tour trip was cancelled. It had rained all through the night and was still drizzling so they said that it was too dangerous for the horses to be walking in the mud. I was really disappointed, a canopy tour is something I have always wanted to do, but I will next time! Next, we all took really fast showers and got dressed up to go to the Ad Astra Rocket Company. Continuing to pack up all of our stuff that smelled terrible was getting gross. Doing a load of laundry would be really helpful for me and would spare everyone else from the stench.
The tour of the astronaut facility was actually really cool, I was impressed. They have some awesome plasma rocket technology that will help astronauts get places with much less fuel and clear space of the satellite and other garbage. Satellites are only useful in space for a certain amount of time, so finding a way to get rid of them will allow more room for new satellites and make work in space safer for astronauts. Of course they did not tell us much about their technology since it is secret and still in progress. NASA has given them the money to build an entire facility in Houston devoted to researching this technology. It would be amazing if this technology worked, and investing in it would be a brilliant idea, if it works. A risky business usually means a huge reward if it is successful.
Next, we drove to a few different local beaches for a short time just to waste some time. They were beautiful, I cannot wait to come back and spend time here getting some vitamin D. Continuing to the second home-stay in Corral De Piedra, we arrived to find the local children ready to perform some traditional dances for us. This welcoming was very cool, and helped us to open up to them. Dancing and playing games with the children was a great way to start our visit here. Afterwards, we split up with our families. Taylor and I were put with Zulay, her son Haraldo, and their puppy Danger. After a little bit of awkward conversation because this community had never had people spend the night with them, we went to bed. Unfortunately, this time we did not have mosquito nets.
The worst part about breakfast was that our horseback riding and canopy tour trip was cancelled. It had rained all through the night and was still drizzling so they said that it was too dangerous for the horses to be walking in the mud. I was really disappointed, a canopy tour is something I have always wanted to do, but I will next time! Next, we all took really fast showers and got dressed up to go to the Ad Astra Rocket Company. Continuing to pack up all of our stuff that smelled terrible was getting gross. Doing a load of laundry would be really helpful for me and would spare everyone else from the stench.
The tour of the astronaut facility was actually really cool, I was impressed. They have some awesome plasma rocket technology that will help astronauts get places with much less fuel and clear space of the satellite and other garbage. Satellites are only useful in space for a certain amount of time, so finding a way to get rid of them will allow more room for new satellites and make work in space safer for astronauts. Of course they did not tell us much about their technology since it is secret and still in progress. NASA has given them the money to build an entire facility in Houston devoted to researching this technology. It would be amazing if this technology worked, and investing in it would be a brilliant idea, if it works. A risky business usually means a huge reward if it is successful.
Next, we drove to a few different local beaches for a short time just to waste some time. They were beautiful, I cannot wait to come back and spend time here getting some vitamin D. Continuing to the second home-stay in Corral De Piedra, we arrived to find the local children ready to perform some traditional dances for us. This welcoming was very cool, and helped us to open up to them. Dancing and playing games with the children was a great way to start our visit here. Afterwards, we split up with our families. Taylor and I were put with Zulay, her son Haraldo, and their puppy Danger. After a little bit of awkward conversation because this community had never had people spend the night with them, we went to bed. Unfortunately, this time we did not have mosquito nets.
31 May, 2011
We left the Catarata Eco-lodge in the morning and headed towards Rincón de la Vieja. While this drive was not as bad as some others, my head was killing me when we got there. I'm sure that being dehydrated from sweating so much did not help though. We stopped at a grocery store to get lunch which was exciting and a good change. It was really fun to walk around the store and see the different Spanish names for things we knew such as "Zucaritas" for Frosted Flakes. Then we went to the national park and spent a long time walking around inside. While the main attraction of the event was supposed to be the boiling mud-pits, my favorite part was seeing the spider monkeys.
Almost right away Javier spotted the spider monkeys in the trees above us. There were several of them traveling some where and we were able to walk under them for a while, eventually getting some good pictures. Once again, this was a stroke of luck since most people do not see the quick moving spider monkeys. We also saw tons of the leaf cutter ants carrying heavy loads. Something my dad would have loved was the strangler trees. While it is sad to watch them kill the other trees, the way nature works is astounding. One tree looked like it had fallen down and then started growing again as normal. It was huge, and very cool. In this park we also got to see a baby iguana and a relative of the black widow, which was much bigger.
Boiling mud pits were cool, but after seeing one the others are not as impressive. The smell was also quite difficult to deal with for very long. I have never smelled sulfur like that before, it makes me wonder how the wildlife can live so close to it. On the way back Meredith opened her bag of chips and two of the rangers horses started following us to get at the food. This hiking trip was really fun, I am glad we did it. Next time I go back I will have to spend the day there so that I can hike to the crater (5 hours). After the park we drove down to the hotel, once again on a gravel road.
On the way down we saw many different pipes of the geothermic power plant. I have never seen anything like that, but I have never been to a place hot enough to create energy either. I assumed that the hotel we were going to was powered by this geothermal energy, but found out later that it has its own water source and therefore runs off of free hydraulic energy. This hotel was beautiful, another eco-lodge nestled next to the national park. We arrived and marveled at the horses grazing in the field next to the hotel. With not much to do at the hotel and no internet, the girls decided to do an ab workout and some yoga while the boys slept. It was very relaxing and a good way to stretch out the kinks from being on a bus so much.
Dinner was pleasant, and then as our cabin was attacked by moths, we retreated to get some rest. Getting up early is definitely caused by going to bed early. So far in Costa Rica we have gone to bed fairly early almost every night because it is dark and there is not much to do. Therefore we are getting the normal amount of sleep, just at different times. I enjoy getting up early tho, the mornings here have been beautiful and the day has not turned miserably hot yet.
Almost right away Javier spotted the spider monkeys in the trees above us. There were several of them traveling some where and we were able to walk under them for a while, eventually getting some good pictures. Once again, this was a stroke of luck since most people do not see the quick moving spider monkeys. We also saw tons of the leaf cutter ants carrying heavy loads. Something my dad would have loved was the strangler trees. While it is sad to watch them kill the other trees, the way nature works is astounding. One tree looked like it had fallen down and then started growing again as normal. It was huge, and very cool. In this park we also got to see a baby iguana and a relative of the black widow, which was much bigger.
Boiling mud pits were cool, but after seeing one the others are not as impressive. The smell was also quite difficult to deal with for very long. I have never smelled sulfur like that before, it makes me wonder how the wildlife can live so close to it. On the way back Meredith opened her bag of chips and two of the rangers horses started following us to get at the food. This hiking trip was really fun, I am glad we did it. Next time I go back I will have to spend the day there so that I can hike to the crater (5 hours). After the park we drove down to the hotel, once again on a gravel road.
On the way down we saw many different pipes of the geothermic power plant. I have never seen anything like that, but I have never been to a place hot enough to create energy either. I assumed that the hotel we were going to was powered by this geothermal energy, but found out later that it has its own water source and therefore runs off of free hydraulic energy. This hotel was beautiful, another eco-lodge nestled next to the national park. We arrived and marveled at the horses grazing in the field next to the hotel. With not much to do at the hotel and no internet, the girls decided to do an ab workout and some yoga while the boys slept. It was very relaxing and a good way to stretch out the kinks from being on a bus so much.
Dinner was pleasant, and then as our cabin was attacked by moths, we retreated to get some rest. Getting up early is definitely caused by going to bed early. So far in Costa Rica we have gone to bed fairly early almost every night because it is dark and there is not much to do. Therefore we are getting the normal amount of sleep, just at different times. I enjoy getting up early tho, the mornings here have been beautiful and the day has not turned miserably hot yet.
30 May, 2011
This morning we got to sleep in a little and then after breakfast one of the eco-lodge owners talked to us about how and why it started. I was surprised to learn it was already 18 years old because the entire place seemed so new and well kept. The original project involved a lot of organic agriculture, which was to be sold to the three other hotels in the area. Then, with the help of three public organization, they built four rooms to house visitors. Unfortunately, the family was not prepared; they had no electricity or telephone, and did not speak any English. With empty rooms to fill, the family furnished the place with their own furniture and added a kitchen.
After a few years the family sold the business to the current owners, who refinanced it and built it up to 20 rooms with a pool. While it has been a challenge, the family has managed to maintain the business and keep its qualification as an eco-lodge. They are not allowed to use chemicals, have to conserve the environment on their land, and need to give back to the community. Supporting local dance and recycling groups helps them to do this. The Catarata Eco-lodge also has solar panels to heat the hot water now, which has helped them to save almost $250 a year. The owner said that while they are about 56% full during the high season, they are only 27% full during the low season. She plans on using their new website and tourist agencies to help attract more customers in the future.
A wonderful trip to the Catarata waterfall was our next planned trip, but it did not go as well as I expected. Kristen and I decided to walk up the mountain which they said would be about 1.6 miles. What we did not know what how steep it would be, or that the price they told us would be wrong. So long story short, we got to the top only to find out that we had to go back down and get more money. An hour and a half after we originally started up the mountain we descended the stairs to the waterfall. It was beautiful, and the cold water felt amazing after walking in the sun for so long. I truly wish we had been able to stay longer, but it was nice while it lasted.
We ran down the mountain to a store where a lady had confirmed that we could not find any other way to the waterfall and would have to go get more money. She made us smoothies and talked to us about the stray dogs she had been saving. Each time she rescues one she has it spayed or neutered which was really good to hear since there are so many stray dogs in Costa Rica. Then we ran the rest of the way down to the Eco-lodge for lunch. We spent a little time at the pool and then showered before meeting to go visit the Maleku indigenous tribe.
It was disappointing to learn that we had gone to a village created simply to make it easier for tourists to visit. Created six years ago, this village only had about four buildings and a few people staying there at a time. They told us a little about the history of the tribe and then performed a traditional ceremony in their language. Dressed in clothes that the tribe would have worn in the past, they told us that dressed as we did now because the tree the old clothes were made from had become endangered. One exciting thing for the Maleku tribe is that a team of people sat down together to put their language on paper and make a dictionary so that it would not be forgotten in the future.
I wish it had been a better experience but it is hard to get into something like that with only a few people performing. We walked around looking at the masks and other items they had made. It is sad to think that tourism is even affecting the indigenous tribes here as they make more items to sell and adapt their lives in order to make money off of tourism. One of the Maleku people told us that they were happy tourists were coming so that we could learn about their culture and know they exist. I wonder if this was a rehearsed answer because none of them looked particularly pleased that we were there.
Finally, we drove back into La Fortuna in order to eat dinner and relax. Instead of ordering a typical Costa Rican dish, everyone there ordered a pizza, burger, or pasta. American food really hit the spot after eating so much rice and beans. I really hope the Eco-lodge can stay afloat, it is a great family business that could do really well if only people knew about it. If I ever come back to this area, I would absolutely go to the hot springs and the waterfall again. I can only hope that I will get to see the volcano again, and that it will erupt again (it hasn't in the past 6 months).
After a few years the family sold the business to the current owners, who refinanced it and built it up to 20 rooms with a pool. While it has been a challenge, the family has managed to maintain the business and keep its qualification as an eco-lodge. They are not allowed to use chemicals, have to conserve the environment on their land, and need to give back to the community. Supporting local dance and recycling groups helps them to do this. The Catarata Eco-lodge also has solar panels to heat the hot water now, which has helped them to save almost $250 a year. The owner said that while they are about 56% full during the high season, they are only 27% full during the low season. She plans on using their new website and tourist agencies to help attract more customers in the future.
A wonderful trip to the Catarata waterfall was our next planned trip, but it did not go as well as I expected. Kristen and I decided to walk up the mountain which they said would be about 1.6 miles. What we did not know what how steep it would be, or that the price they told us would be wrong. So long story short, we got to the top only to find out that we had to go back down and get more money. An hour and a half after we originally started up the mountain we descended the stairs to the waterfall. It was beautiful, and the cold water felt amazing after walking in the sun for so long. I truly wish we had been able to stay longer, but it was nice while it lasted.
We ran down the mountain to a store where a lady had confirmed that we could not find any other way to the waterfall and would have to go get more money. She made us smoothies and talked to us about the stray dogs she had been saving. Each time she rescues one she has it spayed or neutered which was really good to hear since there are so many stray dogs in Costa Rica. Then we ran the rest of the way down to the Eco-lodge for lunch. We spent a little time at the pool and then showered before meeting to go visit the Maleku indigenous tribe.
It was disappointing to learn that we had gone to a village created simply to make it easier for tourists to visit. Created six years ago, this village only had about four buildings and a few people staying there at a time. They told us a little about the history of the tribe and then performed a traditional ceremony in their language. Dressed in clothes that the tribe would have worn in the past, they told us that dressed as we did now because the tree the old clothes were made from had become endangered. One exciting thing for the Maleku tribe is that a team of people sat down together to put their language on paper and make a dictionary so that it would not be forgotten in the future.
I wish it had been a better experience but it is hard to get into something like that with only a few people performing. We walked around looking at the masks and other items they had made. It is sad to think that tourism is even affecting the indigenous tribes here as they make more items to sell and adapt their lives in order to make money off of tourism. One of the Maleku people told us that they were happy tourists were coming so that we could learn about their culture and know they exist. I wonder if this was a rehearsed answer because none of them looked particularly pleased that we were there.
Finally, we drove back into La Fortuna in order to eat dinner and relax. Instead of ordering a typical Costa Rican dish, everyone there ordered a pizza, burger, or pasta. American food really hit the spot after eating so much rice and beans. I really hope the Eco-lodge can stay afloat, it is a great family business that could do really well if only people knew about it. If I ever come back to this area, I would absolutely go to the hot springs and the waterfall again. I can only hope that I will get to see the volcano again, and that it will erupt again (it hasn't in the past 6 months).
29 May, 2011
The bus left early this morning to go to the Catarata Eco-lodge in La Fortuna and see the Arenal Volcano. On the way we stopped at a souvenir shop where many iguanas perch in the trees sunning themselves until some tourists (like ourselves) come to feed them. After a while of not being able to see many, Javier got some cabbage to throw down to them. Then all of a sudden, iguanas appeared from everywhere. We probably had between 30 and 40 iguanas on the ground racing each other for a bite of the food. That was something I had never seen before, nor expected to see. The iguanas were as popular there as squirrels are in Raleigh.
After this stop we continued to the Eco-lodge where there was an awesome surprise that we only had to share a room with one other person, and we each had our own bed. The rooms were completely closed off from the bugs, and had a fan. I cannot express how much we appreciated these things after living at the home-stay for two days. The home-stay was not bad at all, it just makes all of the amenities we are used to seem so much better. We even had a hammock outside of our room.
In addition to all of these wonderful things, there was a stunning view of the Arenal Volcano. Javier told us several times how lucky we were to see it because he has taken lots of groups to stay in this area for a few nights and some of them never got to see it. This is especially true because we came during the rainy season which is when clouds normally descend over the volcano and hide it from vew. The group reassembled to go to a restaurant in downtown La Fortuna for lunch. One of the best meals we have had, they even gave us a display of typical Guanacaste dancing. So far, this area has just been kind to us. Actually, we have been very lucky with the weather and the way the trip has gone in general.
To conclude the day, we went to the Ecotermales resort to relax in the hot springs and eat dinner. There were several naturally heated hot springs getting cooler as they go downhill. The temperatures were between 97 and 121ºF which is much hotter than a hot tub. Sitting in them for more than fifteen minutes or so was not good for you (rising body temperature), so we rotated between pools often and I even ventured to get in the cold pool. Even the rain that soaked our towels felt really good. Wasting time and relaxing in these hot springs was a great way to spend an evening. We could not stop talking about how perfect this experience would be on a honeymoon.
Dinner was okay, but nothing spectacular. Relaxing in the hot water had already made this place an unforgettable experience. Retiring to the hotel made us even more inclined to go to sleep, so no one chatted for long. The one thing the Eco-lodge did not have great service of was the wireless internet. However, I kind of enjoyed not being in contact with the rest of the world and just living my own life. It is funny how important we make social networking and focus on what others make of us when we function just as well if not better without it.
After this stop we continued to the Eco-lodge where there was an awesome surprise that we only had to share a room with one other person, and we each had our own bed. The rooms were completely closed off from the bugs, and had a fan. I cannot express how much we appreciated these things after living at the home-stay for two days. The home-stay was not bad at all, it just makes all of the amenities we are used to seem so much better. We even had a hammock outside of our room.
In addition to all of these wonderful things, there was a stunning view of the Arenal Volcano. Javier told us several times how lucky we were to see it because he has taken lots of groups to stay in this area for a few nights and some of them never got to see it. This is especially true because we came during the rainy season which is when clouds normally descend over the volcano and hide it from vew. The group reassembled to go to a restaurant in downtown La Fortuna for lunch. One of the best meals we have had, they even gave us a display of typical Guanacaste dancing. So far, this area has just been kind to us. Actually, we have been very lucky with the weather and the way the trip has gone in general.
To conclude the day, we went to the Ecotermales resort to relax in the hot springs and eat dinner. There were several naturally heated hot springs getting cooler as they go downhill. The temperatures were between 97 and 121ºF which is much hotter than a hot tub. Sitting in them for more than fifteen minutes or so was not good for you (rising body temperature), so we rotated between pools often and I even ventured to get in the cold pool. Even the rain that soaked our towels felt really good. Wasting time and relaxing in these hot springs was a great way to spend an evening. We could not stop talking about how perfect this experience would be on a honeymoon.
Dinner was okay, but nothing spectacular. Relaxing in the hot water had already made this place an unforgettable experience. Retiring to the hotel made us even more inclined to go to sleep, so no one chatted for long. The one thing the Eco-lodge did not have great service of was the wireless internet. However, I kind of enjoyed not being in contact with the rest of the world and just living my own life. It is funny how important we make social networking and focus on what others make of us when we function just as well if not better without it.
28 May, 2011
Waking up this morning was not the most pleasant feeling, everyone was sweating and my throat was sore. The first topic of discussion was whether or not everyone woke up to the howler monkeys. Apparently I was in a deep sleep because I was one of the few who did not. I wish I had, but I am glad I got some good sleep. Kristen, Meredith and I walked around a short loop to get some exercise during which we got to see lots of parrots and more of the town which we had driven through after it was dark. Watching and listening to the wildlife was very relaxing and made Costa Rica feel more like the country they portray it to be. We continued up to the soccer field where we met Javier bird watching.
After getting up a good sweat in hot, humid temperatures, we went back to the house to eat breakfast (more rice and beans) and get ready for our farm tour. I could not believe how much hotter it was here than in San Jose, even for 6:30 in the morning. We met up with the boys and followed Don Heraldo, Mauricio, and Christopher out to their fields. On the way, Don Heraldo handed us each a piece of real sugar cane to try. We sucked all of the juice out and then got rid of what remained. It was sweet, but not so much that it could not be eaten. Then they walked us through a pineapple field where we learned that not only did each plant only produce one fruit at a time, but only once every 8-10 months! We also learned that just by cutting the top off of the pineapple and replanting it, a new plant will grow. Five minutes into the tour and I already learned several things I would have never thought about.
As we walked further he pulled a tree out of the ground and showed us how yucca is grown. The root of the tree provides much of the protein and nutrients in their diet. I know I have heard of yucca before, but I have never tried it. He pointed out several papaya trees, and showed us an area where students who had stayed several months planted trees. Their project was to help regrow part of a natural forest that had been destroyed in order to provide more farming land. On the way back, Don Heraldo picked several pineapples for us to eat, and chopped them up with his machete right in front of us. He placed them on a banana leaf and told us that these pineapples would taste better since they had not been sprayed with preservatives. This was an understatement.
Next we went back to the house, and out to the barn behind it. He had a mom and a baby pig that were adorable, as well as about eight cows. Don Heraldo displayed the groups effort to be sustainable when he showed us his worms that ate through his cow manure in order to produce healthy soil and provide fuel for their gas stoves. He also showed us how they made their own cheese with the milk their cows gave them. The cheese they gave us from breakfast this morning must have been from these cows, although it was not to my liking. I much prefer processed cheese. The worms, milk and cheese they produce are used by the family as well as sold for an extra profit. It was obvious how hard they worked and how much attention they had paid to their surroundings and opportunities.
After our tour we went back to the house to relax and stay out of the heat. The still air in the house was brutal even if they had designed it to allow as much air flow as possible. None of the walls went all the way up to the ceiling, and the rooms were designed to take maximum advantage of the air flow. Yet, we were all still sitting on the porch in rocking chairs reading and writing our blogs. It was so nice to be able to relax and talk with everyone. After lunch we decided to go play soccer with some of the locals. I was extremely excited for this, it is my favorite way to exercise and I love playing with natural talent. After about two hours of soccer, I was drenched and exhausted. However, I had a great time and I got to learn a few Spanish phrases for things in soccer such as "banco" for "cherry-picking."
Even though the shower was the worst we have had so far, the cold water felt amazing and took away all of my sweat and bug spray. Of course immediately after getting out I had to cover myself in bug spray again. Our last adventure of the day was to drive to a river overlook that had beautiful views of the sunset. It was too late and too cloudy to really see much but the river was still pretty, and you could see how shallow it was compared to what it once had been. They showed us pictures of previous sunsets and told us that the river used to be so deep that this town used it as a trading port with people who sailed down it. I wonder how much tourism and how the country has been developing has affected that river. Finally the day was over and we went back to relax and get a good nights sleep. This time maybe I will hear the howler monkeys!
After getting up a good sweat in hot, humid temperatures, we went back to the house to eat breakfast (more rice and beans) and get ready for our farm tour. I could not believe how much hotter it was here than in San Jose, even for 6:30 in the morning. We met up with the boys and followed Don Heraldo, Mauricio, and Christopher out to their fields. On the way, Don Heraldo handed us each a piece of real sugar cane to try. We sucked all of the juice out and then got rid of what remained. It was sweet, but not so much that it could not be eaten. Then they walked us through a pineapple field where we learned that not only did each plant only produce one fruit at a time, but only once every 8-10 months! We also learned that just by cutting the top off of the pineapple and replanting it, a new plant will grow. Five minutes into the tour and I already learned several things I would have never thought about.
As we walked further he pulled a tree out of the ground and showed us how yucca is grown. The root of the tree provides much of the protein and nutrients in their diet. I know I have heard of yucca before, but I have never tried it. He pointed out several papaya trees, and showed us an area where students who had stayed several months planted trees. Their project was to help regrow part of a natural forest that had been destroyed in order to provide more farming land. On the way back, Don Heraldo picked several pineapples for us to eat, and chopped them up with his machete right in front of us. He placed them on a banana leaf and told us that these pineapples would taste better since they had not been sprayed with preservatives. This was an understatement.
Next we went back to the house, and out to the barn behind it. He had a mom and a baby pig that were adorable, as well as about eight cows. Don Heraldo displayed the groups effort to be sustainable when he showed us his worms that ate through his cow manure in order to produce healthy soil and provide fuel for their gas stoves. He also showed us how they made their own cheese with the milk their cows gave them. The cheese they gave us from breakfast this morning must have been from these cows, although it was not to my liking. I much prefer processed cheese. The worms, milk and cheese they produce are used by the family as well as sold for an extra profit. It was obvious how hard they worked and how much attention they had paid to their surroundings and opportunities.
After our tour we went back to the house to relax and stay out of the heat. The still air in the house was brutal even if they had designed it to allow as much air flow as possible. None of the walls went all the way up to the ceiling, and the rooms were designed to take maximum advantage of the air flow. Yet, we were all still sitting on the porch in rocking chairs reading and writing our blogs. It was so nice to be able to relax and talk with everyone. After lunch we decided to go play soccer with some of the locals. I was extremely excited for this, it is my favorite way to exercise and I love playing with natural talent. After about two hours of soccer, I was drenched and exhausted. However, I had a great time and I got to learn a few Spanish phrases for things in soccer such as "banco" for "cherry-picking."
Even though the shower was the worst we have had so far, the cold water felt amazing and took away all of my sweat and bug spray. Of course immediately after getting out I had to cover myself in bug spray again. Our last adventure of the day was to drive to a river overlook that had beautiful views of the sunset. It was too late and too cloudy to really see much but the river was still pretty, and you could see how shallow it was compared to what it once had been. They showed us pictures of previous sunsets and told us that the river used to be so deep that this town used it as a trading port with people who sailed down it. I wonder how much tourism and how the country has been developing has affected that river. Finally the day was over and we went back to relax and get a good nights sleep. This time maybe I will hear the howler monkeys!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
27 May, 2011
I have been looking forward to today because we got to leave San Jose for the beautiful country side, and more importantly, a volcano! I have never seen a volcano before even from a distance so being up close with a crater of the Poás Volcano is really exciting. We had to leave our hotel early in the morning to ensure that the weather was nice during our visit, but that did not really bother the girls. For some reason we have been waking up between 5 and 6 without even using an alarm. I suppose this is because we haven't adjusted to Costa Rican time, but it has definitely made the trip more enjoyable.
Almost three times as high as Appalachian State University's campus, I could really feel the altitude as we walked to the crater and to the lagoon. Breathing was much more difficult, and of course the sulfur in the air did not help. Poás is an active volcano that was steaming a ton. It was supposed to have about 18 small eruptions the day we visited, but we did not get to see any. Javier (our tour guide) said that they would only last about 10-15 seconds and we may not even see it so we did not spend much time waiting for one. I found it hard to believe that we were allowed to go stand where we were if small eruptions were happening. How sure are the volcanologists that a bigger one will not occur? It is amazing how far science has come, and what it allows us to do.
After a little while watching the volcano steam got to be a little boring, so we hiked what was supposed to be a 30 minute hike in 15-20 minutes to the Botos Lagoon. This lake was really pretty, with a greenish blue color I've never seen before. We did not see much wildlife at either place, just a few pretty birds. We did not ask much about the lagoon because there was no ranger there to really tell us about it, but I wonder what the temperature of it is. I would think it was pretty warm because it is next to a volcano, but you never know. Walking back we took time to notice how pretty the landscape was and how dense the forest was. It was not like anything you would see in the U.S. that's for sure.
On the way down the mountain there were some beautiful views and plenty of farming land to see. It is amazing how much of this country is covered by different crops. Certain parts of the U.S. are mostly farmland, but not where we live. We stopped at a souvenir shop on the way down; it was amazing how much more expensive things were here than at that market we saw yesterday. Next stop was the Doka Coffee Plantation. This might be the most anticipated visit of the whole trip for our group (U.S.A. coffee addicts).
Learning about how difficult it is to pick coffee beans and how little they get paid was really depressing. The workers are out in the hot sun all day and only make about $1.50 per basket they fill up, which is about 20 pounds of beans. However this does add up to a fairly decent salary for Costa Ricans. Our guide told us that many of the workers come down from Nicaragua because working and life in Costa Rica is so much better than what they would have at home. It was still amazing to think how many of those baskets were filled each day and how much time must be spent grabbing cherries off of the thousands of coffee plants every day.
Some of the interesting things we learned about coffee are that the good beans float, and the bad ones sink. This process of sorting the beans makes so much more sense now. They also showed us several turning tables that sort the beans from large to small which also helps determine the quality of the beans. I could not believe that the whole process runs on hydraulic power. Massive bands turn the sorting wheels and the pumps all day long. We also learned about the different types of coffee bean and their different sizes and shapes.
Not being a coffee drinker, I had no idea that coffee beans were split into two halves. It makes a lot of sense that coffee beans which are whole (peabody) are the best because all of the plants nutrients focus on this one bean. Normal coffee is made from plants with split coffee beans, but a few even have beans split into three different pieces. Lastly, they showed us where the beans dry out. A large area covered by concrete is where workers spread out the beans and turn them over about once every 30 minutes. A great question someone asked is what the workers do when it rains since the whole thing was outside. Our guide was very praising of the original owners and creators of the plantation saying that they thought of everything, even to make the concrete area slope slightly to one side. The workers simply push all of the beans to the top of the hill and cover them in plastic so that all of the water drains away from them.
After buying lots of Doka coffee that would make everything smell over the next week, we drove a long way to San Marcos de Cutris. This was one of the worst drives I have taken in a while because instead of just having roads go straight through valleys, they hugged the mountains. Several people were feeling the pain of this trip, and advil was a common theme. Johnny (our driver) was great though, he was passing people every chance he got. When we arrived at San Marcos everyone was really excited, but it drained little by little as we drove on a gravel road for 30 minutes. Part of the experience was simply getting to the town, but once we got there it was a pleasant surprise to have all of the girls staying together in one house. We didn't have to worry about translating things, and could relax after a long day.
Dinner was delicious, I wish I had gotten her recipes. We gave her our gifts, and basically went straight to bed. Everyone was exhausted and it was dark outside so there wasn't much we could do anyways. Luckily, we all had a mosquito net around our beds to help prevent the mosquitoes from getting to us. They were everywhere; I hope we can avoid them during the day. We also found out that the boys are staying in a home where a lady runs a pulperia (general store). She said that when someone wants something, they just call her and she opens the store. It is a great way for her to make a little money and catch up with community members.
Almost three times as high as Appalachian State University's campus, I could really feel the altitude as we walked to the crater and to the lagoon. Breathing was much more difficult, and of course the sulfur in the air did not help. Poás is an active volcano that was steaming a ton. It was supposed to have about 18 small eruptions the day we visited, but we did not get to see any. Javier (our tour guide) said that they would only last about 10-15 seconds and we may not even see it so we did not spend much time waiting for one. I found it hard to believe that we were allowed to go stand where we were if small eruptions were happening. How sure are the volcanologists that a bigger one will not occur? It is amazing how far science has come, and what it allows us to do.
After a little while watching the volcano steam got to be a little boring, so we hiked what was supposed to be a 30 minute hike in 15-20 minutes to the Botos Lagoon. This lake was really pretty, with a greenish blue color I've never seen before. We did not see much wildlife at either place, just a few pretty birds. We did not ask much about the lagoon because there was no ranger there to really tell us about it, but I wonder what the temperature of it is. I would think it was pretty warm because it is next to a volcano, but you never know. Walking back we took time to notice how pretty the landscape was and how dense the forest was. It was not like anything you would see in the U.S. that's for sure.
On the way down the mountain there were some beautiful views and plenty of farming land to see. It is amazing how much of this country is covered by different crops. Certain parts of the U.S. are mostly farmland, but not where we live. We stopped at a souvenir shop on the way down; it was amazing how much more expensive things were here than at that market we saw yesterday. Next stop was the Doka Coffee Plantation. This might be the most anticipated visit of the whole trip for our group (U.S.A. coffee addicts).
Learning about how difficult it is to pick coffee beans and how little they get paid was really depressing. The workers are out in the hot sun all day and only make about $1.50 per basket they fill up, which is about 20 pounds of beans. However this does add up to a fairly decent salary for Costa Ricans. Our guide told us that many of the workers come down from Nicaragua because working and life in Costa Rica is so much better than what they would have at home. It was still amazing to think how many of those baskets were filled each day and how much time must be spent grabbing cherries off of the thousands of coffee plants every day.
Some of the interesting things we learned about coffee are that the good beans float, and the bad ones sink. This process of sorting the beans makes so much more sense now. They also showed us several turning tables that sort the beans from large to small which also helps determine the quality of the beans. I could not believe that the whole process runs on hydraulic power. Massive bands turn the sorting wheels and the pumps all day long. We also learned about the different types of coffee bean and their different sizes and shapes.
Not being a coffee drinker, I had no idea that coffee beans were split into two halves. It makes a lot of sense that coffee beans which are whole (peabody) are the best because all of the plants nutrients focus on this one bean. Normal coffee is made from plants with split coffee beans, but a few even have beans split into three different pieces. Lastly, they showed us where the beans dry out. A large area covered by concrete is where workers spread out the beans and turn them over about once every 30 minutes. A great question someone asked is what the workers do when it rains since the whole thing was outside. Our guide was very praising of the original owners and creators of the plantation saying that they thought of everything, even to make the concrete area slope slightly to one side. The workers simply push all of the beans to the top of the hill and cover them in plastic so that all of the water drains away from them.
After buying lots of Doka coffee that would make everything smell over the next week, we drove a long way to San Marcos de Cutris. This was one of the worst drives I have taken in a while because instead of just having roads go straight through valleys, they hugged the mountains. Several people were feeling the pain of this trip, and advil was a common theme. Johnny (our driver) was great though, he was passing people every chance he got. When we arrived at San Marcos everyone was really excited, but it drained little by little as we drove on a gravel road for 30 minutes. Part of the experience was simply getting to the town, but once we got there it was a pleasant surprise to have all of the girls staying together in one house. We didn't have to worry about translating things, and could relax after a long day.
Dinner was delicious, I wish I had gotten her recipes. We gave her our gifts, and basically went straight to bed. Everyone was exhausted and it was dark outside so there wasn't much we could do anyways. Luckily, we all had a mosquito net around our beds to help prevent the mosquitoes from getting to us. They were everywhere; I hope we can avoid them during the day. We also found out that the boys are staying in a home where a lady runs a pulperia (general store). She said that when someone wants something, they just call her and she opens the store. It is a great way for her to make a little money and catch up with community members.
26 May, 2011
Today was the first day that our schedule really changed from what was on the itinerary. We spent the morning listening to one of Maria Paula's lectures, and walking around the campus of Universidad de Costa Rica. To be honest, that lecture was painful. It was on free trade agreements and their development, but considering how little I know about that topic, and the vast quantity Maria Paula knows, it was difficult. Not being shy about her opinions on the subject made it even harder to understand because we did not hear a fair account of both sides. She is a very smart lady, and it would have been helpful for her to slow down and try to help us understand.
She did not seem to be in favor of free trade agreement because of how the countries do not always trade in equal amounts. She also referenced the unstable structural problems Latin America already has and how free trade agreement may help them from solving these problems. It was interesting for me to hear that one of the main reasons countries continue to sign free trade agreements is fear. No one wants to be excluded from the consensus of everyone else, so they hop on the bandwagon too. There are several sensitive topics surrounding free trade agreements including immigration, food sanity, security, and agriculture. Maria Paula said they should have never started signing free trade agreements, yet; now Costa Rica has signed with 11 different countries. Learning more about this topic is now something I would like to do, but I need to start at the beginning and learn the basics before I can understand what Maria Paula was talking about.
Walking around campus, the group noticed that for the amount of which Ticos talk about being carbon neutral and sustaining the environment, there was a ton of trash on campus, especially near the river. This was disappointing and something I hope they can promote further, similar to the way it has been pushed on Appalachian State University's campus. Another thing we noticed was how few students carried cell phones with them. Most students were either socializing with their peers or studying. This surprised me and I wonder how soon they will follow the trend in the U.S. of never letting your cell phone leave your side. We went to a vegetarian cafe for lunch, which was delicious. I had cashew juice which was interesting to say the least, but not bad. The food here was a good change from what we had been eating, but of course it still had rice and beans.
After lunch we drove to a national museum. It was very small compared to most museums in the U.S. but did contain some of the old walls surrounding a fort. There were many different kinds of animals that had gone through taxidermy, as well as lots of pottery. Examples of old rooms and prisoners cells were on display also. It was a simple museum, but it had a lot of character. Our tour guide was very excited about the one object only found in Costa Rica, the stone spheres. There were several of them, in all different sizes, shaped exactly into spheres. No one knows who shaped them, or why. This was the most interesting thing about the museum for me, just the mystery of it was cool.
Then, we got to go look at an open air market. It had tons of stores all selling similar things, but almost all of them were handmade or painted. Talking with the people and getting to see their objects was really cool. We decided not to buy anything because we would have to carry it all the way around the country. However, we did promise to return on our last day in the country to buy our gifts for everyone at home. It will be nice to have everything in one place, and to enjoy the happy environment we encountered here.
She did not seem to be in favor of free trade agreement because of how the countries do not always trade in equal amounts. She also referenced the unstable structural problems Latin America already has and how free trade agreement may help them from solving these problems. It was interesting for me to hear that one of the main reasons countries continue to sign free trade agreements is fear. No one wants to be excluded from the consensus of everyone else, so they hop on the bandwagon too. There are several sensitive topics surrounding free trade agreements including immigration, food sanity, security, and agriculture. Maria Paula said they should have never started signing free trade agreements, yet; now Costa Rica has signed with 11 different countries. Learning more about this topic is now something I would like to do, but I need to start at the beginning and learn the basics before I can understand what Maria Paula was talking about.
Walking around campus, the group noticed that for the amount of which Ticos talk about being carbon neutral and sustaining the environment, there was a ton of trash on campus, especially near the river. This was disappointing and something I hope they can promote further, similar to the way it has been pushed on Appalachian State University's campus. Another thing we noticed was how few students carried cell phones with them. Most students were either socializing with their peers or studying. This surprised me and I wonder how soon they will follow the trend in the U.S. of never letting your cell phone leave your side. We went to a vegetarian cafe for lunch, which was delicious. I had cashew juice which was interesting to say the least, but not bad. The food here was a good change from what we had been eating, but of course it still had rice and beans.
After lunch we drove to a national museum. It was very small compared to most museums in the U.S. but did contain some of the old walls surrounding a fort. There were many different kinds of animals that had gone through taxidermy, as well as lots of pottery. Examples of old rooms and prisoners cells were on display also. It was a simple museum, but it had a lot of character. Our tour guide was very excited about the one object only found in Costa Rica, the stone spheres. There were several of them, in all different sizes, shaped exactly into spheres. No one knows who shaped them, or why. This was the most interesting thing about the museum for me, just the mystery of it was cool.
Then, we got to go look at an open air market. It had tons of stores all selling similar things, but almost all of them were handmade or painted. Talking with the people and getting to see their objects was really cool. We decided not to buy anything because we would have to carry it all the way around the country. However, we did promise to return on our last day in the country to buy our gifts for everyone at home. It will be nice to have everything in one place, and to enjoy the happy environment we encountered here.
25 May, 2011
Today was one of our busiest days, we visited 3 different hospitals which were definitely some of the most interesting places to see. Comparing them to hospitals in the US was fairly simple because our tour guides talked a lot about the similarities and differences. The first hospital, Clínica Bíblica was private, and it was obvious. Right away the group was given free drinks, and was allowed to relax in the lobby that felt more like an old church. The decorations and the furniture were very classy and upscale. Another thing we noticed right away was the smell, or lack thereof. In the U.S., hospitals smell like antiseptics, and sick people. They also create this feeling of tension and stress. In Clínica Bíblica, there was no hospital smell, the people seemed relaxed and confident in their doctors, and it was clean. The whole place was just spotless and very well maintained. I was very impressed with the service here, and even more so with the price.
The prices in Clínica Bíblica were 1/4 the prices of a typical hospital in the U.S. This makes it obvious why 17% of the hospital's patients are medical tourists. This hospital not only offers normal services, but it also provides tours and transportation to and from the airport. I could not believe that after the hospital's expansion they will have room for 5 helicopter pads and a charging station for electric cars! It was also awesome that they use an electronic filing system to keep track of their patients and they include their prescription information in this database. We think of our hospitals here in the U.S. as being so much better than everywhere else, yet; we definitely do not keep track of our information like we should. This hospital was not only in spectacular condition, but the services met high standards as well.
The next hospital we went to was a public hospital. It was interesting and notable that in Costa Rica, the public hospitals are designated towards a specific purpose. National Geriatric and Gerontologic Hospital (Blanco Cervantes) specializes towards old people. Walking into this hospital was much more depressing than the private ones. Since Ticos (Costa Ricans) pay into the government every year 9% their salary, and their employers pay 12%, the services people receive in the public hospitals are free. This allows everyone to receive treatment whenever they need it even if they would normally not be able to afford the procedure. However, this also creates an over crowding problem. The hospital had six people per hospital room, and there was nothing separating them from the outdoors.
Blanco Cervantes is run by the government, and does not having the funding necessary to keep a 24-hour emergency room open. They do not accept any private insurance policies, and they cover any treatment (including cancer treatments). One of the most important things for their future was for the public to be educated on how much each visit costs the government and that the services will not always be free if they continue to come in for every little ailment. It was not as well maintained or nearly as upscale as Clínica Bíblica, but it still maintained a feeling of calmness with very personable staff. Doctors and nurses who could choose to work for private hospitals which make 10,000 USD but stay at public hospitals to make 2,000 USD have earned my respect. Seeing how people were still happy with the services they were receiving through the government was really nice to see.
Hospital CIMA (Centro Internacional de Medicina) felt much more like a business than a hotel. I was expecting it to feel like Clínica Bíblica because it is also private, however it did not feel as rich or stuck up. It is JCI (Joint Commission International) accredited, and is held accountable to U.S. standards. They took lots of different foreign insurance policies, but had only 58 rooms. They were planning on expanding to the third floor when more patients started arriving, but for now it was a small hospital. A satellite hospital is being built in Guanacaste in order to give medical tourists closer access to the beach and beautiful countryside.
This was the quietest and emptiest of the three, probably because it did have a large focus on medical tourism. In fact, 30% of their patients are medical tourists. With two hotels built next door for patients to recover in, it was clear that the hospital wasn't aiming its attention at the locals. Appeasing foreigners was even more apparent considering that every room was a single, instead of the doubles we have in the U.S.A. One thing that CIMA was far behind on was their technological system. It only contains patients' standard information such as name and birthday, and their money balance. The only medical piece of information we were told about was the radiological data. CIMA really needs to step up their record keeping standards in order to compete in the future.
While hospitals were not what I was looking forward to most, and my feet were killing me in my heels after a tour of three entire hospitals, I did learn a lot. I never thought about the way a hospital feels when you walk in, and all of the different approaches they can take. Seeing how these three hospitals were all close to each other, but had completely different mindsets was fascinating. It was impressive to see how kind all of the people we spoke to were, especially considering they were doing this without any compensation. They were all very "hospitable."
The prices in Clínica Bíblica were 1/4 the prices of a typical hospital in the U.S. This makes it obvious why 17% of the hospital's patients are medical tourists. This hospital not only offers normal services, but it also provides tours and transportation to and from the airport. I could not believe that after the hospital's expansion they will have room for 5 helicopter pads and a charging station for electric cars! It was also awesome that they use an electronic filing system to keep track of their patients and they include their prescription information in this database. We think of our hospitals here in the U.S. as being so much better than everywhere else, yet; we definitely do not keep track of our information like we should. This hospital was not only in spectacular condition, but the services met high standards as well.
The next hospital we went to was a public hospital. It was interesting and notable that in Costa Rica, the public hospitals are designated towards a specific purpose. National Geriatric and Gerontologic Hospital (Blanco Cervantes) specializes towards old people. Walking into this hospital was much more depressing than the private ones. Since Ticos (Costa Ricans) pay into the government every year 9% their salary, and their employers pay 12%, the services people receive in the public hospitals are free. This allows everyone to receive treatment whenever they need it even if they would normally not be able to afford the procedure. However, this also creates an over crowding problem. The hospital had six people per hospital room, and there was nothing separating them from the outdoors.
Blanco Cervantes is run by the government, and does not having the funding necessary to keep a 24-hour emergency room open. They do not accept any private insurance policies, and they cover any treatment (including cancer treatments). One of the most important things for their future was for the public to be educated on how much each visit costs the government and that the services will not always be free if they continue to come in for every little ailment. It was not as well maintained or nearly as upscale as Clínica Bíblica, but it still maintained a feeling of calmness with very personable staff. Doctors and nurses who could choose to work for private hospitals which make 10,000 USD but stay at public hospitals to make 2,000 USD have earned my respect. Seeing how people were still happy with the services they were receiving through the government was really nice to see.
Hospital CIMA (Centro Internacional de Medicina) felt much more like a business than a hotel. I was expecting it to feel like Clínica Bíblica because it is also private, however it did not feel as rich or stuck up. It is JCI (Joint Commission International) accredited, and is held accountable to U.S. standards. They took lots of different foreign insurance policies, but had only 58 rooms. They were planning on expanding to the third floor when more patients started arriving, but for now it was a small hospital. A satellite hospital is being built in Guanacaste in order to give medical tourists closer access to the beach and beautiful countryside.
This was the quietest and emptiest of the three, probably because it did have a large focus on medical tourism. In fact, 30% of their patients are medical tourists. With two hotels built next door for patients to recover in, it was clear that the hospital wasn't aiming its attention at the locals. Appeasing foreigners was even more apparent considering that every room was a single, instead of the doubles we have in the U.S.A. One thing that CIMA was far behind on was their technological system. It only contains patients' standard information such as name and birthday, and their money balance. The only medical piece of information we were told about was the radiological data. CIMA really needs to step up their record keeping standards in order to compete in the future.
While hospitals were not what I was looking forward to most, and my feet were killing me in my heels after a tour of three entire hospitals, I did learn a lot. I never thought about the way a hospital feels when you walk in, and all of the different approaches they can take. Seeing how these three hospitals were all close to each other, but had completely different mindsets was fascinating. It was impressive to see how kind all of the people we spoke to were, especially considering they were doing this without any compensation. They were all very "hospitable."
Saturday, June 11, 2011
24 May, 2011
The first full day in Costa Rica, and I suppose everyone was really excited because we woke up at 6 am without an alarm. All four girls showered and ate breakfast by 7 am, so we were able to relax until 8 when we left for Tico Electronics. Breakfast was really good, beans and rice, fresh papaya and pineapple, and guava juice. If this is a typical Costa Rican breakfast I will be happy here, it is filling and really gets you ready for the day ahead. One thing I have noticed already is that while this is a rustic Costa Rican hotel, I have not seen a single Costa Rican guest. Everyone staying at the hotel is a foreign visitor, which probably shouldn't surprise me since it is the middle of the week. I suppose not many Costa Ricans travel for their work during the week, and the majority of them tend farms and cattle.
Tico Electronics was an interesting place, I did not know what we were going to see and it surprised me. We drove into a free trade area with many different businesses. When we walked into Tico, the only people I saw working there were women. They were all bent over their desks building something. Then, we went into a conference room where we were greeted by two men. They were clearly in charge of the place, and told us about how things were done. While claiming not to discriminate, I found that hard to believe after seeing almost all female workers and two guy supervisors. During the tour they maintained that women are more detail and attention oriented than men, which is usually true. It was hard to tell whether they were telling the whole truth or not. The workers here are only paid $4 an hour, which sounds terrible, but in Costa Rica this is actually good money.
The amount of skill necessary to do these tasks was actually very detailed and precise. It surprised me to see almost zero technology used in a place that makes technological objects. Almost everything here was done by hand, and most of it could be done by machine. It made me wonder how the company even stayed in business since machines can do the work with almost 100% precision. However, I suppose in Costa Rica, the infrastructure is not really there for high amounts of technology. Doing things by hand employs more people, and may be cheaper than paying for the maintenance of the machines.
Tico Electronics produces a large quantity of products, especially for the small size of their facility. They seem to train their workers well, and they spend the time to prevent workers from getting carpel tunnel in their hands and fingers. While Tico did seem a bit behind the times technologically, I was impressed by the working standards. These standards are probably what give them their ISO 9100 status. After taking a picture we went to lunch and then to the INCAE business school.
Driving into INCAE was impressive in itself. The landscape was beautiful, and all of the houses were well kept. During the lecture we found out that all of the professors and students are forced to live on campus, which didn't seem too bad after seeing how nice the houses were. Several other things about this school were fascinating, just because of how adamant about them our speaker was. For example, he compared INCAE to Harvard, and said that the professors who work at INCAE have the same status as a UN worker. At first I was doubtful of this, but then he explained that they have different license plates, and tax exemptions. He made it very clear that this school was an international school and did not want to be seen as the business school of Costa Rica. There are more than 25 countries represented in the school, and no more than 32% from any one country.
This school was just so different from anything I have ever seen before that it was difficult to wrap my head around. It takes between 15 months and 18 months to graduate, and focused on case studies as a way of learning. In sharp contrast from Tico Electronics, INCAE was obviously well up-to-date with technology. For all of its positives and impressive qualities, it was astounding that almost no one in the U.S. has ever heard of it. I found it hard to compare this school to Harvard considering how different their popularity is. Our speaker was clearly a very smart man, and believed in the school and what it was doing, yet; this model is just hard for me to understand.
After dinner we had two more lectures from Mauricio and Maria Paula. Mauricio's lecture on politics and the economy was not one of my favorite topics, but it was interesting. Some of Costa Rica's statistics seem impressive, but then looking at the details takes that away. For example, they only have a 6-8% rate of unemployment, however; the wages are very low and there are no unemployment wages at all. Workers are basically defenseless from being fired since there are no workers unions, and there is discrimination and inequality. The income distribution is becoming worse as time goes by, and the poverty level is not changing. All of these things make you wonder whether or not Costa Rica should really focus on becoming carbon neutral by 2020 or if other things require their attention.
Maria Paula's lecture was on tourism and development. We could tell how much she had studied and though about this subject and how much it influenced her. The tourism industry is an important topic in Costa Rica right now, especially because of how it is damaging their beautiful environment which is what tourists want to see. The hotels are using more water than is available, which is hurting towns downstream, and are pushing the locals away from the lifestyle they know. Now, instead of farming or “cattle-ing”, the people go into the tourist areas to work during the day and go back to their second-class homes at night. This is not fair to them because most of the time they never gave the tourist companies permission to use that land. Most people do not think about tourism hurting the locals because it does bring so much business to the area. However, much of that business may be going to the foreign company controlling that business instead of the locals working inside it.
It is sad to see how much Costa Rica is benefiting from tourism, yet how the locals may even be suffering because of it. One of our main topics, sustainable development, could really help Costa Rica solve this problem. They really need to meet current needs and solve current problems without compromising future ones. The water supply and treatment of waste water needs to become top priority before small towns are destroyed. Today was a long day, but we learned a lot. It was nice to see a couple completely different businesses, and how they affect and are affected by foreigners.
Tico Electronics was an interesting place, I did not know what we were going to see and it surprised me. We drove into a free trade area with many different businesses. When we walked into Tico, the only people I saw working there were women. They were all bent over their desks building something. Then, we went into a conference room where we were greeted by two men. They were clearly in charge of the place, and told us about how things were done. While claiming not to discriminate, I found that hard to believe after seeing almost all female workers and two guy supervisors. During the tour they maintained that women are more detail and attention oriented than men, which is usually true. It was hard to tell whether they were telling the whole truth or not. The workers here are only paid $4 an hour, which sounds terrible, but in Costa Rica this is actually good money.
The amount of skill necessary to do these tasks was actually very detailed and precise. It surprised me to see almost zero technology used in a place that makes technological objects. Almost everything here was done by hand, and most of it could be done by machine. It made me wonder how the company even stayed in business since machines can do the work with almost 100% precision. However, I suppose in Costa Rica, the infrastructure is not really there for high amounts of technology. Doing things by hand employs more people, and may be cheaper than paying for the maintenance of the machines.
Tico Electronics produces a large quantity of products, especially for the small size of their facility. They seem to train their workers well, and they spend the time to prevent workers from getting carpel tunnel in their hands and fingers. While Tico did seem a bit behind the times technologically, I was impressed by the working standards. These standards are probably what give them their ISO 9100 status. After taking a picture we went to lunch and then to the INCAE business school.
Driving into INCAE was impressive in itself. The landscape was beautiful, and all of the houses were well kept. During the lecture we found out that all of the professors and students are forced to live on campus, which didn't seem too bad after seeing how nice the houses were. Several other things about this school were fascinating, just because of how adamant about them our speaker was. For example, he compared INCAE to Harvard, and said that the professors who work at INCAE have the same status as a UN worker. At first I was doubtful of this, but then he explained that they have different license plates, and tax exemptions. He made it very clear that this school was an international school and did not want to be seen as the business school of Costa Rica. There are more than 25 countries represented in the school, and no more than 32% from any one country.
This school was just so different from anything I have ever seen before that it was difficult to wrap my head around. It takes between 15 months and 18 months to graduate, and focused on case studies as a way of learning. In sharp contrast from Tico Electronics, INCAE was obviously well up-to-date with technology. For all of its positives and impressive qualities, it was astounding that almost no one in the U.S. has ever heard of it. I found it hard to compare this school to Harvard considering how different their popularity is. Our speaker was clearly a very smart man, and believed in the school and what it was doing, yet; this model is just hard for me to understand.
After dinner we had two more lectures from Mauricio and Maria Paula. Mauricio's lecture on politics and the economy was not one of my favorite topics, but it was interesting. Some of Costa Rica's statistics seem impressive, but then looking at the details takes that away. For example, they only have a 6-8% rate of unemployment, however; the wages are very low and there are no unemployment wages at all. Workers are basically defenseless from being fired since there are no workers unions, and there is discrimination and inequality. The income distribution is becoming worse as time goes by, and the poverty level is not changing. All of these things make you wonder whether or not Costa Rica should really focus on becoming carbon neutral by 2020 or if other things require their attention.
Maria Paula's lecture was on tourism and development. We could tell how much she had studied and though about this subject and how much it influenced her. The tourism industry is an important topic in Costa Rica right now, especially because of how it is damaging their beautiful environment which is what tourists want to see. The hotels are using more water than is available, which is hurting towns downstream, and are pushing the locals away from the lifestyle they know. Now, instead of farming or “cattle-ing”, the people go into the tourist areas to work during the day and go back to their second-class homes at night. This is not fair to them because most of the time they never gave the tourist companies permission to use that land. Most people do not think about tourism hurting the locals because it does bring so much business to the area. However, much of that business may be going to the foreign company controlling that business instead of the locals working inside it.
It is sad to see how much Costa Rica is benefiting from tourism, yet how the locals may even be suffering because of it. One of our main topics, sustainable development, could really help Costa Rica solve this problem. They really need to meet current needs and solve current problems without compromising future ones. The water supply and treatment of waste water needs to become top priority before small towns are destroyed. Today was a long day, but we learned a lot. It was nice to see a couple completely different businesses, and how they affect and are affected by foreigners.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
23 May, 2011
After a long day of traveling, we arrived in our hotel in San Jose, Costa Rica. It felt so good to be at our destination and be able to relax for a little while. A drive to Charlotte, night in a hotel, shuttle to the airport, plane ride, gate transfer, a second plane ride, and a bus trip finally got us to our hotel. For such a long journey, it went smoothly and uneventfully. The guy next to me on the first plane ride had never been on a plane before which surprised me. I guess having traveled so many times I did not even consider the fact that someone in his late 20s wouldn't have experienced the trauma of flying. It was quite humbling to think about how many people have not and will not have the opportunity to travel across the country or even around the world. In contrast, the girl next to me on the second flight was a pilot. She received her private pilot license when she was 16. Now she is going to spend 3 months studying and taking aerial photos for her job. It is amazing how influential your upbringing is on your life and its direction.
More specific to our trip, the hotel will be our beautiful, 4 star rustic looking home for 4 nights. It has lots of wooden features that make it feel homey and welcoming, I love it. It has wireless internet, air conditioning, and a safe deposit box. The bad part is that we are not in a great location. Walking more than 2 blocks from the hotel is a bad idea, there is not really anything else around us. I did not get to spend much time with any of the group, but I will get to know them well enough soon.
Dinner was delicious, we ate at the only place within walking distance; a restaurant/disco club. It was delicious, I love all of the rice and beans. Dr. Medlin was super kind and paid for our meal as a welcoming to the country and class. The guy who will be organizing most of our trip and giving lectures, Mauricio, joined us for dinner as well. We have already learned several things about life in Costa Rica. For example, the gas is about $4.80 per gallon here after converting it from liters to gallons and colones (the local currency) to dollars. We are about 4000 feet above sea level, but the city spans over several hills so it changes quite a bit depending on where you are. It has a population of about 1.8 million while the country is approaching 5 million.
Lastly, we had two lectures for the night, which was difficult to really pay attention because of how exhausted we were from travelling. The first was simply on the introduction of the class and Costa Rica as a whole. It is considered one of the happiest places on earth, and is aiming to be carbon neutral by 2020. 90% of their energy used is hydro-power. For a country which is smaller than the state of West Virginia, it has some big goals and is a leader in Latin America. However, instead of simply improving it's "green" standards, Costa Rica also has to find a way to control the growing tourism industry as well.
The second lecture dealt with the politics of the country which is not something I am very interested in, although I did learn a lot about the way it runs. One of Costa Rica's distinguishing factors is that the country has no army. Instead, they are able to spend their money on things such as education, health care, and sustainability. In fact, the nation has improved to having a better life expectancy rate than the U.S. As you can see, it is a rapidly developing country that has grown a lot in the past 30 years. It will be really interesting to learn about this workings of this country from scholars as well as local families during this two week class.
More specific to our trip, the hotel will be our beautiful, 4 star rustic looking home for 4 nights. It has lots of wooden features that make it feel homey and welcoming, I love it. It has wireless internet, air conditioning, and a safe deposit box. The bad part is that we are not in a great location. Walking more than 2 blocks from the hotel is a bad idea, there is not really anything else around us. I did not get to spend much time with any of the group, but I will get to know them well enough soon.
Dinner was delicious, we ate at the only place within walking distance; a restaurant/disco club. It was delicious, I love all of the rice and beans. Dr. Medlin was super kind and paid for our meal as a welcoming to the country and class. The guy who will be organizing most of our trip and giving lectures, Mauricio, joined us for dinner as well. We have already learned several things about life in Costa Rica. For example, the gas is about $4.80 per gallon here after converting it from liters to gallons and colones (the local currency) to dollars. We are about 4000 feet above sea level, but the city spans over several hills so it changes quite a bit depending on where you are. It has a population of about 1.8 million while the country is approaching 5 million.
Lastly, we had two lectures for the night, which was difficult to really pay attention because of how exhausted we were from travelling. The first was simply on the introduction of the class and Costa Rica as a whole. It is considered one of the happiest places on earth, and is aiming to be carbon neutral by 2020. 90% of their energy used is hydro-power. For a country which is smaller than the state of West Virginia, it has some big goals and is a leader in Latin America. However, instead of simply improving it's "green" standards, Costa Rica also has to find a way to control the growing tourism industry as well.
The second lecture dealt with the politics of the country which is not something I am very interested in, although I did learn a lot about the way it runs. One of Costa Rica's distinguishing factors is that the country has no army. Instead, they are able to spend their money on things such as education, health care, and sustainability. In fact, the nation has improved to having a better life expectancy rate than the U.S. As you can see, it is a rapidly developing country that has grown a lot in the past 30 years. It will be really interesting to learn about this workings of this country from scholars as well as local families during this two week class.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Chapters 4 & 5 of the Costa Rica Reader
http://280slides.com/Viewer/?user=81999&name=costa%20rican%20reader&fullscreen
This is my presentation on chapters 4 and 5. It briefly covers what I thought were the most important main topics and asks some questions as well. Feel free to ask if you have any questions!
This is my presentation on chapters 4 and 5. It briefly covers what I thought were the most important main topics and asks some questions as well. Feel free to ask if you have any questions!
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