Tropical Depression in my Heart

howler monkey

On Tuesday we took a couple of days off without our teachers because they were in Cuba. We planned a trip to Manuel Antonio beach where we thought we were going to relax and play in the ocean and get tan...that didn't happen as planned.
All twenty-seven of us got into a smaller bus than normal where there were flip up seats that were apparently uncomfortable (I always got a window seat). On the way to Manuel Antonio we stopped on a bridge over a local river to take pictures of the crocodiles. They were big and nonresponsive. It was pretty much raining the whole way there and, go figure, it was raining when we got there!

We walked down a hill where the beach was and had lunch. It took forever to get my nachos and they didn't taste good anyway. It was still raining and some of the guys went to the beach instead of having lunch. After lunch we went to the beach. There were a lot of waves and the water was very salty, Pacific Ocean. I didn't enjoy that very much so I looked for shells and crabs instead. When we were swimming in the ocean it wasn't raining anymore but it was still cloudy. I didn't get a tan. A Tico gave me a pretty shell though. On the walk back to the hotel we saw three monkeys. One of them was road kill...ew.

That night we went out to dinner and they gave me America dollars back for change....what am I going to do with that here?!

Wednesday I had a really nice breakfast, a huge pancake. After breakfast some of us went on a nature walk. We didn't see much, but there was a beautiful view. We didn't think we were going to see any monkeys, but a tree almost fell on us and that woke up the howler monkeys, so, we got to see them sleeping. We saw a huge rat thing and something else that looked like a raccoon. By the way, it was raining the whole time on the nature walk.

Basically the trip kind of stunk because of all the rain when we were expecting sun.

Banana Herb

Thought to be a native plant of tropical Asia, the banana was introduced into the Caribbean and then to Central America and Costa Rica sometime after the Spanish invasion. The banana cultivating started in 1878 (the first 360 stems were shipped to New Orleans). Costa Rica became the first Central American nation to plant bananas.
According to banana.com the banana plant is not a tree, it’s actually the world's largest herb! Learn something new every day. Banana “trees” are mainly tall, upright, and fairly sturdy, but the main stem is called a pseudostem, literally meaning a “fake stem.” Each stem can produce a bunch of yellow, green, or even red bananas before dying and being replaced by another banana plant. Bananas are a valuable source of vitamin B6, vitamin c, and potassium.
In Costa Rica plantains are a popular fruit in their cuisine. A plantain is in the banana family but is cooked instead of eaten raw like the typical sweet banana. When the plantain has a green skin it has a texture similar to potatoes yet has much more starch. A fully ripened one has a sweet texture that crosses between a sweet potato and a regular banana.
Every day I have either plantains or bananas for breakfast, I don’t know which one is which yet. For lunch, I sometimes have fried plantains or banana chips. I like them both. By the end of the trip I will hopefully be able to tell the two apart.
In Costa Rica, ripe bananas from an entire bunch are peeled and boiled slowly for hours to make a thick syrup which is called "honey".

Golden Bean

Coffee came to Costa Rica from France. As a sign of sustainability, Costa Ricans can use the same coffee plants for many years. The harvest season for coffee is from December to about January. The average lifespan of a coffee plant is about five years. It takes about three years for the coffee plant to mature and grow the coffee fruit. The time to pick the coffee bean is when the skin is a dark red. If you pick it too late the coffee bean will taste bitter. To sort out the bad coffee from the good, coffee producers put them in water and the coffee that sinks is the good coffee. The bad coffee beans float.
The dictator Braulio Carrillo introduced coffee in the early 1830s. Costa Rica needed a cash crop to sustain it and coffee became the ideal choice. The coffee plants were handed out to the poor and tax breaks and free land were offered to any Ticos that wanted to grow the crop. After independence from Spain, Britain became the biggest purchaser of Costa Rica's "golden bean."
Coffee was also responsible for underdevelopment in Costa Rica. The crop was practically the only export from 1840 to 1890 and productions of basic foods fell because coffee plants took up the available land. The country became dependent of imports, which left it vulnerable to price shocks in the future.

Best Weekend Ever

Cloud Forest
Red/orange Belly bird
waterfall in cloud forest
volcanic rocks

Arenal Volcano from my motel
Group picture at the dam
Picture from far away of the water fall
Down at the water fall
Huge bug

Friday morning we left for the Arenal area, which is a volcano that is still active. It´s last large explosion was in 1968 where it wiped out a small town and now there are large volcanic rocks and a lake in its place. Four-hour drive later we get to our hotel slash motel where we had a perfect view of the volcano. Normally it is covered with clouds, but because the whole world is messed up, global warming, the rainy season started late and the volcano top was clear. Friday night we went to the Baldie Hot Springs where they had a lot of hot water, slides, and bars everywhere. I went down the water slide three times and each time my headache got worse because it was so intense. It felt like I was going down a normal water slide than it got really steep and you flew off the slide into the water. I bruised my elbow the first round and after that little injuries occurred. Big John hit his head really hard the first time he went down, he didn´t go down after that. I sat in a 152 degree hot spring for a couple of minutes and after that I was so hot and dehydrated...good thing the water was free at the bar. We had dinner at the hot springs. It was really good buffet type.

Saturday morning we drove to an important dam in Costa Rica and walked around. We also got to see the inside workings of the dam. After that we drove to the horse ranch where we saddled up for a thirty-minute horseback to La Fortuna waterfall. I didn´t take my camera on the ride and I am glad because a few people broke theirs. My horse was very temperamental in the beginning but we became close friends at the end! Steph´s horse was temperamental the whole time and bit my leg, it did hurt, and then bit my horse! My horse´s name was Ja-something. I chanted it so I would remember, but that didn´t work. When we got to our stopping point my horse laid it’s head on my shoulder and got my shirt very sweaty, it was gross, but like I said we bonded.

La Fortuna waterfall was down in the forest. We had to walk down so many stairs my legs were shaking by the time I got down, but it was a beautiful sight. It was very cold compared to the hot springs the night before. We didn´t stay very long and it hurt even worse to walk up the stairs. I felt like I was going to puke because I was working out so hard. I just wanted to get the stairs over with, that´s why I tried to walk fast up the stairs.

After lunch we went on a hike, in the rain, at the Arenal National Park. We were listening to the howler monkeys and trying to listen to the volcano popping when a bug bit me under my shorts. It itched and hurt so bad, I still have about four bites from that one bug. On this trip I discovered the coolest plant ever. Glenn called it the sleepy plant. When you touched the leaves they would close up. On our hike towards the volcano we didn´t see much besides a daddy long leg which is apparently not a daddy long leg, it’s not even a spider because it has a lot more legs and it´s not poisonous. The coolest part of the walk was when we came to the volcanic rocks. It look so cool, it was an ongoing view of volcanic rocks that were thrown from the volcano in 1968. On the walk back it started to rain and some lady wanted to buy my umbrella from me. I didn´t have much pity for her because we´re in Costa Rica and it rains all the time. It was her own fault.

Sunday we drove to the lake that covered the town that was destroyed from the 1968 eruption. We took a jeep boat across the lake to Monteverde. When we got off the boat we took about an hour and a half drive, up the mountain, in tight nit vans to Monteverde. It was so bumpy, but there was a gorgeous view the whole way up. It was really scary though. There weren't any rails and many times it felt like the bus was going to fall off the mountain.

We arrived at La Casona de Monteverde at the entrance to the park where we were going to sleep for the night. The best part of the trip was when we went zip lining, but it was raining the whole time. The last zip line was 4400 feet. We crossed through the jungle than a valley than the jungle again and it was cloudy. I also did the Tarzan swing. I climbed up some stairs and when I got to the top they strapped me to a rope, asked me how I was feeling, I said I was scared so they pushed me off. I felt like I was dropping to the group, which was the scariest part, I screamed, and then I swung towards the trees. I went back and forth about 2 times than they stopped me. It felt so good to do that. After the zip lines we were all soaked and muddy. We went back to where we were staying and got ready for out night tour of the reserve with a guide. We didn´t see much besides bugs, bats, spiders, and a few frogs. I saw more bugs in the girl's bathroom where we were sleeping than on the night tour. It was kind of miserable because it was raining the whole time. I saw a huge tarantula that had orange legs.

The next morning I had to get up at 5:30 for our bird watch tour at 6. We saw a few birds, but didn´t see the Quetzal, which is the country´s bird. Some other groups saw it. I saw some kind of red belly bird and a small waterfall. Did I mention that it was raining then too? That was about an hour and a half walk. After that we packed everything up and went back to the dreaded San Jose, which pretty much took all Monday.

Eco what?

Ecotourism is a form of tourism that appeals to ecologically and socially conscious people. Ecotourism focuses on volunteering, personal growth, and learning new ways to live on the planet. It typically involves travel to destinations where flora, fauna, and cultural heritage are the primary attractions. Ecotourism is extremely popular with the many tourists visiting the extensive national parks and protected areas around the country. Costa Rica is recognized as one of the few with real ecotourism. Since the 1990s Costa Rica has become famous for ecotourism and national parks. In terms of 2008 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index, Costa Rica reached the 44th place in the world ranking, being the first among Latin American countries.
On this trip we have experience a lot of ecotourism. We traveled to two coffee plantations so far that showed a lot of flora and fauna (huge gross bugs).
The world´s largest service industry is tourism. The developing nations of Central America, with its cloud forests, active volcanoes, and wide variety of flora and fauna, are taking advantage of the growing demand for ecotourism. Costa Rica is leading this trend. The idea behind ecotourism is to preserve a nation's natural resources while profiting from them. However, their ecotourism industry is starting to become ecologically damaging with the growing supply of tourists. Unlimited numbers of tourists are allowed into Costa Rica. They should put a cap on how many should be allowed to come in or their multibillion dollar industry will collapse when their rain forests and animals deplete. With tourism there is an increase in garbage problems.
Costa Rica is a prime location for tourists because of its biodiversity, environment, and location (five hour airplane flight from Ohio). A quote that one of our speakers told: "We humans fight war against nature forgetting that we will be the losers."

B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

Bananas were introduced into Costa Rica sometime after the Spanish invasion. According to Info Costa Rica website, in 1899, Tropical Trading and Transport Co. merged with the Boston Fruit Co. to form the United Fruit Co., which became a dominant force of the political economies of the "banana republic". Costa Rica is also known as the coffee republic as well. Today, Costa Rica´s main exports are not bananas or coffee anymore, but integrated circuits and modular circuits. As of 2005, Costa Rica produces 2.2 million metric tons of bananas. Costa Rica has Chiquita, Del Monte, Dole, and Fyffes.
There are banana trees around San Jose. We see them on the side of the road and there was even one in the back of a gift shop we went to that had a garden.
When we went to Cinde, the Costa Rican Investment Promotion Agency which is a private non-profit apolitical organization, they talked about how they are trying to get new investors to come to Costa Rica to products and export to other countries. I don´t have their PowerPoint that they are going to send to us that talked about the numbers involved in the industries including bananas and coffee.
I will have to research bananas more. I can´t seem to find a lot of information about them now.

Daisy's Coffee

stray dog
old coffee sun drying
Diasy´s coffee shop sign
huge bug

Daisy´s coffee plants
scenery walking up the mountain


The picture I was talking when the guy tapped me

coffee

hydrangeas


roaster

our bus drove up most of the way and this is where we got out to walk.


huge flying ant

According to the Global Exchange website, the U.S. consumes 1/5 of the entire world's coffee, making it the largest consumer in the world. Today we went to Daisy Rodriguez Coffee farm and Del Cafe Tal, her coffee shop. Recently, Daisy's coffee was awarded the best coffee in Costa Rica, number two in Latin America. Her coffee is so good that she can sell it for $15 a pound. I bought a pound for $10 today, discount! We all got a taste and I thought it was very delicious. Her coffee plantation was gorgeous, but it was a long walk, uphill, to the top of the mountain, where her plantation was. There were hydrangeas lining the side of the road some of the way. A very beautiful blue. Jamie asked Daisy if she had the hydrangeas to test the acidity of the soil, but she said that her neighbor planted them and really didn't know what he was talking about. They call hydrangeas something else and didn't know the English translation.
Daisy has seven employees year round, and 70 (from Nicaragua) around picking season which starts in December. Nicaraguans in Costa Rica have the same connotation as Mexicans to the U.S. They are harder workers and cheaper labor. She also has a herd of stray dogs, very cute and friendly dogs.

Even though Daisy has a small coffee farm, that she bought 10 years ago, she has quality coffee and does not receive prices for her coffee that are less than the cost of production like other small plantations.

Unfortunately she was not able to maintain an organic coffee plantation that she tried out for four years. She quit her organic plantation three years ago.

Fair Trade assures consumers that the coffee we drink was purchased under fair conditions. According the Global Exchange website, to be Fair Trade certified, an importer must meet stringent international criteria; paying a minimum price per pound of $1.26. This is supposed to provide technical assistance such as help transitioning to organic farming. Fair Trade can only help companies that agree to the criterion, which mostly means larger coffee dealers like Starbucks.

The coffee plants, today, had white flower blooms and some had the red berries. We picked a few of the berries, opened them up, and found white coffee beans. I put the bean in my mouth and it didn't taste anything like a coffee beans, it was actually kind of slimy, but still hard. I have some gorgeous pictures that I will hopefully be able to post once I figure out my camera situation.

The weirdest thing happened to me while I was taking pictures of the mountains. I was standing on the sidewalk, close to a driveway and as I was taking the picture a car hit me! (it tapped me). Why couldn't the guy just honk his horn if I was in his way, which I don' t think I was. He could have gotten into the drive without hitting me! No bumps or bruises, just a weird experience.

First Few Days

Tico cow
My room
Post office
Group picture

View of mountains outside Universidad Veritas

We arrived in Costa Rica around 8:40 Costa Rican time. Outside the airport was crowded with people waiting with signs. We have a nice Mercedes Benz, huge, bus that takes us around everywhere. We got dropped off at Veritas where our host families picked us up. My ¨dad¨ picked Emily and me up in a car that sounded like it was going to fall apart. We thought it was just going to be him and us in a shack in the ghetto, but he drove us to a lovely house that has gorgeous wood floors and ceilings, with paintings on the walls. They have somewhat hot water, five TVs, internet, three bedrooms, karaoke, three grandchildren and one that was born the day we arrived. There are little microscopic bugs that crawl around everywhere and moths that fly around.
The next day we had to be at school by 8:30. We drove around a lot in our bus and then they dropped us off the walk around San Jose. They have cows painted everywhere like the Cincinnati flying pigs. I have a few pictures of some of them, if I can get everything to work!
I uploaded my pictures onto the computer and the computer wouldn´t change the English and when I tried to put the pictures on my memory stick they wouldn´t open. I had to upload 70 pictures onto the Miami server, one by one....ugh.
I survived my first rain on Sunday. We walked from Veritas to the market to home in POURING rain. The front of my capris were soaked...there are pictures and a video of the event! The only thing that seemed to survive the rain that night was my waterproof watch, mascara, and waterproof Cradle to Cradle book...haha.
I am really surprised how much English is spoken. They even take our ¨real money¨ (joke!).
We went to a really cute gift shop that is specifically for tourists...they had a lot of really cute things in there. The most surprising thing was that had a collection of cigars and some that were bought that day by the guys were Cuban cigars (no one got in trouble, it was normal). The store had a beautiful garden in the back...there should be a really funny picture of bananas and me somewhere.
Costa Rica is known for it´s natural beauty, but there is trash everywhere. I don´t understand why they don´t have public trashcans!! They also have stray dogs wondering around everywhere and yesterday (Monday) Emily and I had a dog walk us home for a block...it was so cute.
Sunday night we went to a bar where they had football and an awesome bar tender, Raffi. Don´t worry I didn´t drink anything but water, even though the guys joke saying I got so wasted! Monday night we went to another bar that played American 80s music with the videos. They didn´t bother me about not drinking this time because Lindsay and Emily didn´t drink either. It is fun to go to the bars and talk. I had a lot of fun both times and everyone watches out for everyone.
Tonight we are going dancing!! I have been waiting for this moment and have been suggesting it since we got here. We are not going to a club, we are going to classes!
Today we had our first class...it was about three hours long. It wasn´t bad at all and I am not just saying that because my teachers are going to read this! We have a two hour break now to blog, email, and upload photos. I´ll write soon.