Meghan J. Ward » Culture

Café

Meghan — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:07:51 +0000

Transcribing this from my journal entry on June 14…

Trying yet another one of Costa Rica’s coffee shops, this time the Rainforest Café. Costa Ricans sure love their café, and I love them for that. Or perhaps they know that we North Americans love coffee, and so they make it readily available. Apparently, Americans drink more coffee than Costa Ricans, though I would have to say that, based on observation, Ticos enjoy their coffee more – not simply downing it droopy-eyed in the morning and hourly thereafter to kick start the old engine.

Made traditionally, it takes much longer to produce just a single cup of coffee (Tico-style); a whole pot would be unthinkable and time-consuming, though Ticos seem to have all the time in the world.

I take a sip of what may be the best latté I have ever had. I have said that before while I’ve been here, but this time is unmistakable. And writing and coffee go so well together, except that it take me a long time to write and only a few short minutes to see the bottom of my coffee cup.

Rumour has it, one of the sentences Ticos used to make their children read while learning to read was something along the lines of “I drink coffee every day. Coffee is good for me.” (I am fairly sure I have also heard my mother say this by her own volition and not simply reading a school textbook). Scientists have long debated whether or not coffee is “good” for you. No doubt, though, it is good for the soul and boosts your spirits.

A magical bean, I say.

Check out http://www.cafemonteverde.com/, one of the local coffee co-ops in Monteverde, Costa Rica.

La Paz y la Amistad

Meghan — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 21:46:05 +0000

Step aside Oprah, Dr. Phil, and all you neo-yogic philosophers…these Ticos have definitely learned the secret to the simple and peaceful life of constant contentment. My experience so far leads me to believe that either they have more than just coffee beans in their morning brew, or that as a people they have chosen a life of happiness.

I was reading yesterday about the history of Costa Rica, and how it was really only in the last century that this small country adopted the progressive mindset that has made it the peace-loving oasis of Central America. In the 1940s, Jose Figueres Ferrer, head of a temporary junta government, enacted nearly 1000 decrees – from taxing the wealthy to voting rights to women – and also laid the foundation for the disarmament of the national military, which still remains today. At the local level, Ticos know how to take care of each other and live in harmony. Obviously very family oriented, at times they almost seem like actors in a commercial for Disney World, walking hand-in-hand, mother, father and daughter to the pier to watch the sunset. They no doubt deal with their own difficulties in life, but they are also warm and friendly with visitors, and are proud to show off their country to those willing to travel to see it.

At times the juxtapositions are humorous, though. Sitting high up in the mountains on the edge of Parque Nacional Chirripo, I took a taxi from San Isidro down 10 km of paved roads to Rivas, and then down 12km of cobblestone roads clinging precariously against the steep slopes of the peaks blanketed in thick greenery. Just when you thought the road could go no further, it turned again, eventually revealing Albergue Uran nestled beautifully close to the trailhead that I plan on taking tomorrow morning, just outside the town of San Gerardo de Rivas. At the hostel, however, I am greeted by a local woman wearing 3-inch platform sandals, who walks her way down the cobblestone as if she was on 5-foot stilts. She is wearing capris and a tight tanktop, and obviously put a lot of time into her make-up. No matter where you go, the women are dressed to the nines, even if they have to swing on vines to get to work. They are all beautiful people with so much to give.

In 1502, when Christopher Columbus landed on the eastern coast of the country to make repairs to his ship, he ventured inland and made exchanges with the local people. When he returned from the encounter, he claimed to have seen more gold in two days than in his four years in Espanola. Hence, the name Costa Rica, or the Rich Coast, came to adorn this land of dense, unforgiving jungle, though his predecessors found no gold in the area. Eventually they would discover soil that was rich enough to grow coffee and bananas, which put Costa Rica on the map. Gold or no gold, these Ticos are wealthy beyond measure for they have found a secret so dear that an adventurous Canadian had to travel thousands of kilometres to discover it.

Nothing is worth more than peace, if only inside yourself. And friendliness goes a long, long way.

The Road to Puerto Jimenez

Meghan — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 01:05:34 +0000

A long trek has brough me down to Puerto Jimenez in the southern end of the country, the Osa Peninsula, where wildlife is about as common as the coconut trees that line the main street.

The journey down here began with an entertaining wait at the bus station in San Jose, where nine individual vendors made their way in the span of an hour selling everything from nail clippers to soda to underwear. The bus station also turned out to be a local arcade (I waited a solid 10 minutes to buy my ticket with no one in front of me because the guy working was busy playing his own arcade games). The station also had a television that happened to be showing a Spanish version of Mythbusters on the Discovery Channel.

Eight hours on the bus wound me through the highest mountains of Costa Rica and back down towards the southern coast. It rained, no poured, the entire way, which obscured any views and made for a long ride with a lot of stopping. The bus felt like it would implode at times, or at least lose some important parts as we bumped our way through rocks and potholes at record speeds.

The journey was long, but it was well worth it to visit this small town on the edge of Parque Nacional Corcovado, which sadly, I will not visit due to a lack of time. Today I hit a local beach located at the end of a beautiful 5 km road that was okay to walk down in the shady morning, but almost unbearable in the afternoon. A ice-cold limonada provided a nice relief from the heat.

My travels take me next to Parque Nacional Chirripo in the central mountainous area that follows the spine of the country, where I will (hopefully) embark on a hike 2.5 km straight up the second highest point in Central America. Apparently there is WIFI at the hostel close to the summit (we definitely do not have, nor do we need that in The Rockies), so you may hear from me while I am in the park.

¡Hasta luego!