Let’s talk about the food here. So it’s is similar so Mexican food. BUT, I feel like I’m eating the same thing at every meal. I get that rice and beans are popular here, and that’s fine, they are the same in Mexico. But in Mexico I feel that there are more dishes to choose from. I cannot stand the plantains here. They eat them like candy. They eat them in so many different ways it’s ridiculous. They fry them, marinade them, put cheese with them, bake them, etc. Eww! People here don’t eat chile con su comida, so that was a little disappointing. But other than that the food was good.
The culture is somewhat different than Mexico. First of all, the people here are more exotic looking. That is because they have more Caribbean in them. I’ve been told by a local that they believe Mexicans are more “duro” is the way he put it. I like comparing the cultures because a lot of how the people are has to do with their history.
Friday, June 13, 2008
The host family and such
So after a couple days I got used to the way things were going to be. Every day we eat breakfast literally right before we have to leave for either class or for a weekend travel. Juliana and I can’t help it. We are always living on Latino time. We are usually late to class. There always seems to be some others late as well, so we don’t look as bad. Like the one time Marty and Rob were like one hour late to class. That day Juliana and I were 20 minutes late, but nobody noticed as much because everybody was still waiting for Marty and Rob.So for breakfast we eat fruit every morning. I get a fried egg with toast on the side, but Juliana doesn’t. I don’t know why this is relevant. I’ve never had a scheduled breakfast before so I guess this was nice to experience. I’ll always remember Gloriana’s questions in the morning. “Buenos dias!” “Como te dormiste?” “Te vas a banar?” No hay agua caliente. “Quedes que te lo pongo?” etc.
When I wake up, she’s cooking. When I get out of the shower, she’s cleaning. When we leave for Universidad Veritas, she’s getting Luis Carlos ready for school. She talks a lot, but she does so much for the family. Even though she’s a little odd, I think she likes to talk a lot because she doesn’t get the opportunity to. Carlos is gone 4 months out of the year. She gets international students from U. Veritas year round. This gives her a chance to talk and have company. The house is usually quiet with just her and Luis Carlos. But last week Carlos’s three sons from Florida (who are originally ticos) came to visit. So it’s a pretty full house. There’s Gloriana, Luis Carlos, Carlos, Juliana, Carmen (me), Juan Ignacio, Felipe, and Paolo. I actually love it. I come from a busy household so I like to see people around the house.
We don’t really see the fam that much because we are constantly busy with traveling or classes. When we are not doing that, we are visiting Juliana’s family in Heredia y Alajuela. She’s lucky she has so many cousins her age. Her fam is really nice. They take us places like the mall, etc. They went out with us at the beginning when we first got here. But they haven’t lately because they are all very busy. We visited her little baby niece the other day. That was my favorite. She was so cute. She’s a new born so we didn’t stay very long. It takes us at least an hour to get to Heredia and Alajuela, then back is another hour. The traffic is horrible. We are actually going to Alajuela today, or at least that’s the plan, we’ll see what happens.
Last Thoughts
Some people spend there whole life trying to figure out who they are, what they want to accomplish, and where they fit in. Going to
I will do things differently now. I will now only use water when I have to. When I am brushing my teeth, I only use water to wet the brush and rinse my mouth. Cold showers aren’t that big of a deal. I’ll just be happy I have clean water to take a shower in. I am also happy I come from a place where the water is drinkable. My mom always said “it’s the little things in life that count,” and she’s right.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Puerto Viejo y Manzanillo y La Selva
The first three weekends of our stay was ecotourism craziness. This past week is when we experienced the least amount of ecotourism. The three ecotourism events that I can think of is snorkeling, La Selva and the beach.
I consider the beach to be ecotourism because we tourists are using the beach as entertainment while damaging it as minimal as possible. The profit from the beach would be the tourist shop surrounding the beach. It was easy to tell that the locals really depend on the tourists as consumers.
Snorkeling was awesome! We pretty much paid to go and observe the species near the coral reefs. The coral reefs are said to be some of the biggest in the country. After the reefs we ate lunch and toured a part of the rainforest. We saw monkeys, a snake, and a sloth. I guess the tour also counts as ecotourism. We were not allowed to feed the monkeys. They forest rangers did not want the monkeys to become accustomed to human food and eventually change their eating habits.
La Selva was a place we stayed at. It was also like a research and conservation place where interested animal lovers go and research the rainforest. The rainforest is literally right behind the cabins where we stayed. We took two tours while we were there.
I consider the beach to be ecotourism because we tourists are using the beach as entertainment while damaging it as minimal as possible. The profit from the beach would be the tourist shop surrounding the beach. It was easy to tell that the locals really depend on the tourists as consumers.
Snorkeling was awesome! We pretty much paid to go and observe the species near the coral reefs. The coral reefs are said to be some of the biggest in the country. After the reefs we ate lunch and toured a part of the rainforest. We saw monkeys, a snake, and a sloth. I guess the tour also counts as ecotourism. We were not allowed to feed the monkeys. They forest rangers did not want the monkeys to become accustomed to human food and eventually change their eating habits.
La Selva was a place we stayed at. It was also like a research and conservation place where interested animal lovers go and research the rainforest. The rainforest is literally right behind the cabins where we stayed. We took two tours while we were there.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Our Visit To Chiquita
Saturday morning we set off to Chiquita, one of Costa Rica’s largest banana plantations. On the way there I was excited, until Glenn mentioned how many chemicals Chiquita releases into their fields and their employees lungs. After that lecture, it was hard to enjoy the plantation.
We first watched a video on how Chiquita is being more environmentally friendly. The video mentioned that in order to help the wildlife around the plantation they are planting trees and such to create a rainforest corridor. The rainforest corridor is meant to connect the wildlife from nearby primary rainforests. Banana plantations need a lot of land to grow the bananas. Chiquita is very proud of their rainforest corridors they are creating. Chiquita is calling their recent social and environmental changes, The Nature and Community Project.
This project involves not only the growth of rainforest corridors, but social changes such as an employee wage increase, better employee working conditions regarding health issues and insurance coverage, and elimination of child labor. A great example of employee having more opportunity was The Chiquita Banana Show we experienced. This show was put on by Chiquita workers, a small business they created. The show educated us on the overall plantation worked, including; employee apparel, the history of bananas and where they originally came from, the banana plant, and how the bananas are grown.
I learned that employees have to wear required apparel while on the plantation. The banana plant originally came from Asia, which is why Chiquita and other banana plantations have to spry so many pesticides on their plants. Bananas are not meant to be grown on Costa Rica’s land. Costa Rica has too many insects and fungus in the soil that doesn’t mix well with banana plants. Pesticides are used to kill the insects and funguses that arise.
I also learned about the banana plant (it’s a plant, not a tree). The plant is like a family, there is a grandfather, a mom, and a son. Each family member is a part of the plant. The grandfather is the strongest most reliable part of the plant, the main part. The mother is the part of the plant that makes the son. The son is where the bananas are grown from. The mom actually creates many sons, but only the strongest survives. The others are cut off. After the first two weeks of growth, the bananas are covered with a plastic bag to protect them from insects. The bananas take about nine months to fully grow. The whole plant can live up to over 25 years. The bananas are then cut off and transported on a cable to the cleansing and packaging part of the plantation. The average load on the cable is about 20-25 bananas.
Chiquita was fun after I gave them a break. I realize it’s still not right that they use all those pesticides, but compared to other banana plantations Chiquita has done an amazing job changing their old habits. I can’t imagine what the employees of the other banana plantations conditions are.
We first watched a video on how Chiquita is being more environmentally friendly. The video mentioned that in order to help the wildlife around the plantation they are planting trees and such to create a rainforest corridor. The rainforest corridor is meant to connect the wildlife from nearby primary rainforests. Banana plantations need a lot of land to grow the bananas. Chiquita is very proud of their rainforest corridors they are creating. Chiquita is calling their recent social and environmental changes, The Nature and Community Project.
This project involves not only the growth of rainforest corridors, but social changes such as an employee wage increase, better employee working conditions regarding health issues and insurance coverage, and elimination of child labor. A great example of employee having more opportunity was The Chiquita Banana Show we experienced. This show was put on by Chiquita workers, a small business they created. The show educated us on the overall plantation worked, including; employee apparel, the history of bananas and where they originally came from, the banana plant, and how the bananas are grown.
I learned that employees have to wear required apparel while on the plantation. The banana plant originally came from Asia, which is why Chiquita and other banana plantations have to spry so many pesticides on their plants. Bananas are not meant to be grown on Costa Rica’s land. Costa Rica has too many insects and fungus in the soil that doesn’t mix well with banana plants. Pesticides are used to kill the insects and funguses that arise.
I also learned about the banana plant (it’s a plant, not a tree). The plant is like a family, there is a grandfather, a mom, and a son. Each family member is a part of the plant. The grandfather is the strongest most reliable part of the plant, the main part. The mother is the part of the plant that makes the son. The son is where the bananas are grown from. The mom actually creates many sons, but only the strongest survives. The others are cut off. After the first two weeks of growth, the bananas are covered with a plastic bag to protect them from insects. The bananas take about nine months to fully grow. The whole plant can live up to over 25 years. The bananas are then cut off and transported on a cable to the cleansing and packaging part of the plantation. The average load on the cable is about 20-25 bananas.
Chiquita was fun after I gave them a break. I realize it’s still not right that they use all those pesticides, but compared to other banana plantations Chiquita has done an amazing job changing their old habits. I can’t imagine what the employees of the other banana plantations conditions are.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Bananas In General and In CR
Large scale banana production has been conducted in Central America since the beginning of the 20th century. Bananas originated in the tropical regions of Asia. They were introduced to the Caribbean Islands during the period of Spanish colonization. The banana industry is almost entirely controlled by three large fruit companies: Chiquita, Dole, and Del Monte. Most of the bananas produced in Central America are exported to industrialized countries.
Banana plantations have been developed primarily along the Caribbean Coast of Central America where the high temperature, rainfall, and rich alluvial soil are suitable for the large scale production of this tropical fruit. High rainfall makes crop irrigation unnecessary, but necessitates the installation of drainage canals to prevent flooding.
Unlike coffee, bananas are commonly used in CR. Bananas are fried, marinated, and eaten as desserts. There are bananas at every meal here in Costa Rica. I’m not really certain who the number one seller of bananas to ticos is. I imagine it is one of the three largest fruit companies: Chiquita, Dole, and Del Monte. I guess we’ll see when we visit the banana plantations this weekend.
Banana plantations have been developed primarily along the Caribbean Coast of Central America where the high temperature, rainfall, and rich alluvial soil are suitable for the large scale production of this tropical fruit. High rainfall makes crop irrigation unnecessary, but necessitates the installation of drainage canals to prevent flooding.
Unlike coffee, bananas are commonly used in CR. Bananas are fried, marinated, and eaten as desserts. There are bananas at every meal here in Costa Rica. I’m not really certain who the number one seller of bananas to ticos is. I imagine it is one of the three largest fruit companies: Chiquita, Dole, and Del Monte. I guess we’ll see when we visit the banana plantations this weekend.
The History Of Coffee
According to one story, the effect of coffee beans were found by an Ethiopian sheep herder, Kaldi. Kaldi noticed that the sheep became hyperactive after eating the beans. The story later says that Kaldi was scolded by monks for eating the “devil’s fruit.” Monks later depended on the coffee beans to help them stay awake for their prayers.
The coffee plant originally grew in Ethiopia, but later transplanted in Arabia. Transportation of the plant out of the Moslem nations was forbidden by the government. The actual spread of coffee started illegally. An Arab smuggled beans to India, and started a farm.
Coffee was believed by some Christians to be the devil’s drink. Pope Vincent III heard this and decided to taste it before he banished it. He enjoyed it so much he baptized it.
The coffee plant originally grew in Ethiopia, but later transplanted in Arabia. Transportation of the plant out of the Moslem nations was forbidden by the government. The actual spread of coffee started illegally. An Arab smuggled beans to India, and started a farm.
Coffee was believed by some Christians to be the devil’s drink. Pope Vincent III heard this and decided to taste it before he banished it. He enjoyed it so much he baptized it.
Peninsula de Osa
This past weekend many adventures and events were considered ecotourism. During our stay at the Osa Peninsula we encountered camping, nature hikes, and snorkeling. We left Sunday morning bright and early at 6am. It literally took us all day to travel there. It was about 11 hrs. by bus and 1 hr. by boat. We stayed there until Wednesday morning and traveled all day.
During our nature hikes, we hiked through a secondary rainforest. A secondary rainforest is a rainforest that grows where a primary rainforest has been destroyed by man or Mother Nature. Different animals live in a secondary rainforest than a primary rainforest. During our hike we saw howler monkeys, leafcutter ants, Jesus Christ lizards, and more. The point of the hike was to experience the rainforest while keeping the damage to the animal’s habitats to a minimum.
After the nature hikes we went snorkeling. The idea of it was fun, but the experience fell short. My goggles were too big and broken and my breathing thingy was leaking water. Nevertheless, it was worth it. The only fish I was that day was an amazing blue shiny one. I don’t know the technical term for it, but just seeing that was worth it.
Last but not least we were pretty much camping the whole time. The place where we stayed at had tents that placed four beds to a tent. There was barely any electricity. The showers were always cold. I liked it. It felt more ‘one with nature’ as opposed to staying at a hotel the whole time. The owners of the establishment did a lovely job at keeping the balance of ecotourism.
During our nature hikes, we hiked through a secondary rainforest. A secondary rainforest is a rainforest that grows where a primary rainforest has been destroyed by man or Mother Nature. Different animals live in a secondary rainforest than a primary rainforest. During our hike we saw howler monkeys, leafcutter ants, Jesus Christ lizards, and more. The point of the hike was to experience the rainforest while keeping the damage to the animal’s habitats to a minimum.
After the nature hikes we went snorkeling. The idea of it was fun, but the experience fell short. My goggles were too big and broken and my breathing thingy was leaking water. Nevertheless, it was worth it. The only fish I was that day was an amazing blue shiny one. I don’t know the technical term for it, but just seeing that was worth it.
Last but not least we were pretty much camping the whole time. The place where we stayed at had tents that placed four beds to a tent. There was barely any electricity. The showers were always cold. I liked it. It felt more ‘one with nature’ as opposed to staying at a hotel the whole time. The owners of the establishment did a lovely job at keeping the balance of ecotourism.
Coffee in Costa Rica
CR has great soil and climate conditions for coffee plantations. Exports to neighboring Panama began in the late 1820s. After a load was sent directly to Britain in 1843, the British began investing heavily in the industry, becoming the principal purchaser of Costa Rican coffee until later World War II. The largest growing areas are San Jose, Alajuela, Heredia, Puntarenas, and Cartago provinces. Costa Rican coffee is high in both quality and caffeine content.
Coffee production depends upon cheap, seasonal labor, most of which has come from Nicaraguan immigrants that cross over due to Costa Rica's low unemployment and higher standard of living . Workers receive only around 60 ¢ to $1.50 per basket picked. Each cajuela weights around 15 lbs. And a good worker can fill as many as 12 per day.
I have noticed that although Costa Rica is known for their coffee, not many ticos enjoy the beverage. In my host family, the husband is the only one in the household who drinks coffee. The wife does not care for it. Many other students have expressed that not many relatives in their households drink it. I guess it is a common misconception that all ticos drink coffee. Not all from the EEUU eat corn.
Coffee production depends upon cheap, seasonal labor, most of which has come from Nicaraguan immigrants that cross over due to Costa Rica's low unemployment and higher standard of living . Workers receive only around 60 ¢ to $1.50 per basket picked. Each cajuela weights around 15 lbs. And a good worker can fill as many as 12 per day.
I have noticed that although Costa Rica is known for their coffee, not many ticos enjoy the beverage. In my host family, the husband is the only one in the household who drinks coffee. The wife does not care for it. Many other students have expressed that not many relatives in their households drink it. I guess it is a common misconception that all ticos drink coffee. Not all from the EEUU eat corn.
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