el fúbol y el baile

15 de mayo

I have found two hobbies/pastimes of the Costa Rican (and greater Latin American) culture that I really appreciate: the obsession with soccer and the tradition of dance. Okay, so I know in America you could say that we have baseball and square dancing, but for me, yeah, neither are quite up my alley. Here pretty much everything is about soccer. It doesn’t matter who, what, when, or where, if it is about soccer, it is big news. Especially right now as everyone is getting geared up for the World Cup in Germany in June. Hopefully this fact is not new news for you, but if it is, well then, case in point. I can guarantee you that everyone in this country not only knows that there is a World Cup this year, but that the inaugural game will be played on Friday, June 9 at 10am (Costa Rican time) and will feature the host team, Germany against our very own Costa Rica National Team. My little “sisters” have already informed me that they will not be attending school that morning, and furthermore, neither will most of their teachers. I think the public schools have already declared it a free day… Everyday the cover of the sports section, along with the following 2 pages minimum, informs the public on the latest news of the Costa Rican leagues and players, as well as those from Europe and South America. Of course now the big focus is the preparation for the World Cup so pretty much everyday you can read a play-by-play action of the previous days’ training and activity schedule of the National team – right down to what they ate and when. How wonderful for me that I get to be in this country during a World Cup (which only comes every 4 years) and even more that Costa Rica is in it. Isn’t that great?

Now for tradition number two: dancing. I think I may have mentioned in a previous blog that part of my Spanish education includes dance classes. So far I have had 3 and they have been great fun and great exercise. This past weekend Luisa, her husband, and I went out for a Saturday night of dancing to practice the moves I have learned. It was really a night of half dancing, half watching and I think I could have watched for days. There are so many different styles, steps, moves, patterns, etc. and so many people, of all ages, that know them all and are great at it. Seriously, the way these people spin, twirl, twist, throw each other around was amazing. It made me wish not only that I knew them all just as well, but that we had more of a culture of dance in the states. It seems like such a fun pastime and a great connection to the culture and history. As I mentioned earlier, we do have square dance and there are those folks who know the country dancing steps so I guess I can’t be too hard on us… Point is, I like it, and now I want to be an expert Latin dancer – minus the big flowy skirt with lots of crazy colors.

210 years is old...

10 de mayo

Today Luisa and I took our classes to the streets with a bit of a walking tour of Barva (the community/area where I live) and Heredia. Both of these districts reflect the traditional style of “city-planning” with the focus being the Catholic church facing the park/plaza, which is surrounded by the necessary services/shops, such as governing offices, post office, bank, etc. Both of these districts boast city centers that consist of the same structures from over a hundred years ago and built using a mixture of mud, clay, straw, and cane. Both of the churches are grand and old. The church in Heredia was built in 1797 which makes it just about 210 years old. If even know I am amazed at the size, structure, detail, beauty, intricacy of this building, I can’t imagine what the people thought about it when it was built, let alone those who designed and built it in the first place. There is something very inspiring about the Catholic churches here – they seem to emanate a sense of awe and reverence with their elaborate statues and sculptures of Jesus and Mary, beautiful stained glass windows of the saints and prophets, and series of paintings depicting the events of the crucifixion of Christ. I have come to appreciate these sights that are so far removed from the warehouse/shopping mall turned churches that I have been to in the States. I guess each has their own value. We also went to a small museum that is centered around a house that was built in 1885 and the surrounding farm and land. Like the buildings in the center of Barva and Heredia, this house was also built by using cane as the support system for walls of mud, clay, straw, and pieces of stone. I am not sure what is more impressive – that people so many years ago were able to build structures such as these churches, stores, and homes OR the fact that they are still standing today.

Rain, rain, rain!

9 de mayo

We have officially arrived at “winter” or the green season. It has been rainy frequently – and a lot. Definitely some of the most intense downpours I have experienced ever. I am talking the kind of rain that is so loud that you have to turn the tv or radio at full volume, or just give up whatever you are trying to read and take a look outside because you can’t concentrate anyway. The good part about it is that I have been inside for all of them – its much easier to appreciate and awe when you are not getting drenched. The construction of houses and buildings here is different too, they don’t have the same practice of insulating as we do so you pretty much hear the rain directly as it pounds the roof over your head. With the rain comes a bit chillier temperatures, but still nothing “cold”. Yes, you might need long sleeves and tennis shoes, but I can deal with that. And don’t be alarmed, it doesn’t rain all day, every day. It has been on and off rain the past week or so in the afternoons. In the morning it can still be sunny and warm, then transition to clouds and rain later, while still maintaining mild temperatures. I am told this is the way the ‘winter’ goes around here…we’ll see how it goes in Limón when I get there in a few weeks.

Cartgo -- churches and a volcano

domingo, el 7 de mayo

Today was another day of adding more sites and sights to my Costa Rican resumé. Luisa, Ibo, Gaby, Faby, and I headed out early this morning – around 7:30am, after a lovely breakfast of pan tostada con jalea de guayaba (toasted bread with guava gelly) and arroz con queso (a tasty dish of rice with pieces of tomato and soft cheese all mixed together and heated on the stove), plus a little famous Costa Rican coffee. **Two side notes to report here: 1) yes, I have started drinking coffee…occasionally. I figure it is part of the culture and the lifestyle, and a big part of the history, so I might as well take part – with equal parts of milk and coffee and a sugar packet or too, of course. 2) I am really re-adjusting quite well to “living at home,” mostly because I really don’t have to think about what I am going to eat, I get to learn how to make new dishes (and enjoy them afterward), there is always something in the cupboards and/or fridge, and what might be the number one reason….breakfast. Pretty much every morning (at least the weekdays for sure), I come down the stairs to a set table and something cooking in the kitchen. Luisa always starts off her family with a great breakfast, and since I am the adopted daughter right now, I get to benefit from this as well. I know its strange, but one of my favorite things here is the toaster that they have. Its really more like a square waffle maker for making thin waffles, but there is just something great about the way it toasts bread or makes “toasted cheese sandwiches” – it’s just great. So anyway, every morning it is either toast, breakfast “sandwiches,” pinto (rice and beans), or eggs. It is all really tasty, but maybe I am just really loving the fact that I feel like I am a kid back at home coming down the stairs ready for school and wondering what my mom has whipped up.**
Okay, back to the day’s recap. We drove about an hour to Cartago – the 6th of 7 provinces in Costa Rica that I have visited. pretty good, huh…. Our first stop was Las Ruinas de la Basilica de Cartago (the ruins of the church in Cartago), which is basically the outer walls of the church. They had tried to build it many, many years ago, but on 2 different occasions their work was destroyed by earthquakes. The people took this as a sign from God and so it still sits today in its mid-construction state.
Next on the list was the Basilica de los Angeles. This is a very important church and site because La Virgen de los Angeles is the Patron Saint of Costa Rica. There is a story that dates back to 1635 when an image of the virgin appeared to a young woman. The girl was excited about finding this mini-statue and took it home with her. The next day the statue reappeared and after taking this one home, the girl discovered that the original was gone. After experiencing the same thing for 3 days, the girl took the image to the priest, who then had the same experience. They decided to build a church in this spot, and today it is still there and there is a replica image on the stone where she first appeared and a fountain of sorts, where water pours from the same spot as well. Many people come to this spot to offer their thanks to the Virgin and/or ask for healing or help with some specific problem. Below the church there is a mini-museum where you can see all sorts of things that people have brought to the Virgin – little silver charms of body parts that needed healing or mementos of some achievement or defining moment (even trophies or awards from winning a soccer game). Every August 2 is the day to celebrate La Virgen de los Angeles and thousands of devout Catholics come to this church from all over the country, and on foot. They walk from where ever they live to bring their offerings, drink the water from her fountain or put it on their body parts that need healing, or offer their thanks to the Virgin.
Next we drove to Las Ruinas de Ujarrás (yup, that means the ruines of Ujarrás) which was the first church built in Costa Rica – 1565. What remains today are portions of the outer and a few inner walls, but you can definitely tell it was a church, a long, long time ago. It just so happened that this weekend was the first ever Feria de Chayote. Chayote is a vegetable that grows in abundance in this area and is their major crop. I had never heard of it until I ate Olla de Carne the other day, but apparently they export a lot of it to the US. So we stumbled upon the festivities of this celebration – a farmer’s market conglomeration of produce and agriculture products, handicrafts, and a judged competition of chayote recipes. We had some mango (my favorite), agua de pipa (which is basically puncturing a hole and sticking a straw into a young, green coconut and drinking the “water” before it solidifies and becomes coconut), dried pineapple and banana, and jugo de azucar (the juice extracted from the sugar cane).
After that we made a quick stop at Iglesia de Orosi, which was built in 1735. The unique thing about this church is that is not only still standing, but is still in use to this day.
Now begins the ascent up the mountain to Volcán Irazú. There are several volcanoes (many of which, like this one, are still active) in Costa Rica but this particular spot happens to be the highest volcano in the country at 3,432 meters above sea level (hmm, need to figure out what that is in feet). It was quite the view as we drove back and forth up the mountain and were able to look down at the farmland and city in the valley below. The cool part about this volcano is that the park where you get to walk around is actually in part of one of the craters. It was very foggy when we first got there but, thanks to God, the fog rolled away for enough time for us to look down into the other craters nearby and see the bright green liquid in them. It really was a remarkable sight – the bright green lake in the middle of a slate gray crater contrasted against the patches of bright blue amongst the clouds in the sky. I took a lot of pictures, so hopefully I will be able to post some of those as well. Upon our arrival at the peak I had my first moments of feeling cold since arriving in the country, and I even had to put on a little zip-up hoodie. Along with the tennis shoes I was wearing I hardly recognized myself as I have been pretty much living in skirts, flip flops, and t-shirts.
So the day in Cartago was quite a success and quite productive as well. Now I only have to hit up Guanacaste (the northern Pacific region – where I will be headed in a few weeks when Jessamy is here) and maybe a little more of Alajuela (since all I have done there is arrive at the airport or drive through parts on the way to other desitinations) and I will be well-traveled in all seven provinces. It’s great here because in the amount of driving that it would take to get around, say Colorado, I have seen a lot of dramatically different sites, landscapes, and climates of an entire country!

a little taste of home...

sábado, el 6 de mayo

This evening Luisa, Pili, Gaby, Faby, and I had a girls excursion to Escazú, which is an area bordering San José. It really felt like a trip to Southern California though. This is a more affluent part of San José with larger homes, condo and hotel high rises, and lots of nice cars. First we browsed the mall, which is just what you are picturing – two stories, food court, and lots of the same stores that we have. After that we had dinner with Luisa’s brother Benson (who had taken us on the jungle adventure when I first arrived) at TGIF (Friday’s) – one of Luisa’s favorites. The street was a more of a flashback to home because there was Tony Roma’s and Outback, among other American joints (the rest of which I can’t remember right now). There was definitely a good deal of English being spoken at the restaurant and I saw more than just my own blonde hair. So this isn’t the most exciting or dramatic event to share, but I wanted to let you know that just when you are think you are far from home….home comes to find you. Truth be told, however, it didn’t make me miss anything, it only reminded me of how much I appreciate and enjoy the experience I am having – getting a taste of the real Costa Rican life and not as just another tourist. It was kind of the feeling of being reminded of what else is out there and appreciating what you have.

Did I mention I like the food??

One more tasty typical Tico recipe to share... its called Olla de Carne (Pot of Beef). Don´t be alarmed, it is more than the name allows.
Today after Spanish class, Luisa and I went to Pili (my other teacher) house for almuerzo (lunch). Her mom had prepared a Costa Rican favorite, and now a Dalyce favorite as well. The dish is basically a process of cooking the meat in water with herbs, then removing the meat and cooking the vegetables in the broth. The veggies consist of large (and I do mean large) chunks of potato, sweet potato, squash, carrot, corn on the cob, yucca cane, and a couple other Costa Rican vegetables. You put the veggies and broth in a huge pot to serve and then put the meat on top. Only problem was that Pili´s mom had cooked the meat a little bit more by itself in a different pressure cooking pot and when she tried to open it the lid broke and we couldn´t get it open! So we ended up eating Olla de Carne, sin Carne (or Pot of Beef without Beef). No complaints from me though - the veggies are my preferred choice anyway and I feasted on them. You can serve with rice, but me, I just stuck to the veggies. Oh so tasty in with the herb seasoned broth... I don´t think I am really doing justice to the meal with this description, it really is very simple, but quite delicious. I seem to have a new favorite food everytime I sit down to eat!

San Jose, part 2

Yesterday (Wed. May 3 - wow, can´t believe it is already May and I have been here 3 weeks!) Luisa and I headed to San José first thing in the morning to complete our City Tour. After fighting the traffic to get there (which, by the way is not as you might expect... they don´t really use a lot of freeways, or that sort of thing, in fact some of the more major streets don´t even have lane markings or the like...anyway, so the commute is not the stop and go of an LA freeway, but it is a commute with traffic and crazy drivers nonetheless). Okay, anyway so we drove into San José, parked the car, and continued on foot through the center of the city to the National Museum. This building used to be a fort, or sorts, it housed the armed forces and gave them a great view of the entire city in order to keep a watch out for invaders, etc. However, I believe it was in 1956 (hopefully I not confusing too many of the details of the things I have learned about the history of CR) when there was a civil war/movement that resulted in the Abolition of armed forces. Point being - Costa Rica does not have any sort of army at all. There are no drafts, no military academies, no registering for service, etc. As I did, you might be thinking, well how does that work? How do they protect themselves? But the people of CR take great pride in the fact that they are a peaceful country, they have no army and are therefore no threat to attack other countries, and in turn at less risk to be attacked. And the time that the US came down and tried to take some control, the farmers and citizens gathered their tools and weapons and fought us off in a single day. So there. Anyway, that is how I understand it. Please don´t go publishing any history books.... :)
The museum had a lot of information about the early peoples that inhabited this region, what they did, how they survived, etc. As well as a lot about how they have developed to become they country they are now, the value of coffee and banana to the economy, and the progression of life-style. One of the most interesting parts to me was gaining a better understanding of why there is such a wide variety of people here - significant representation of Chinese, Spanish and other Europeans, Africans, and indigenous people. Many came looking for work building the railroad that was constructed in order to export and take advantage of the coffee and banana production. It is like being in elementary school all over again, going to museums and such. Only this time it is a lot better because I actually care, am interested, and am practicing & learning more Spanish along the way as well.
In addition to the Museum and a lot of walking through the city (which I believe I noted before is not the prettiest of capitals...) we hit up the market. The market in San José is similar to the one I commented on earlier that I went to in Heredia, only a lot bigger. It is kind of similar to Pike Place Market in Seattle, with a combo of fresh seafood, meats, flowers, fruits, veggies, flowers, handicrafts, and places to eat. However, it must be said that the place is not as organized as PPM, all in one straight line, no this market is more of a labrynth of sorts. It took a bit of hunting but Luisa was able to find her favorite spot: a little Ice Cream stand of sorts where they serve a homemade vanilla ice cream that is made with milk, sugar, and cinammon, I believe, and maybe one of the best treats I have ever had! They have been making ice cream in that place and in that way since 1901! Round 1 for me was a glad with shaved ice and strawberry flavoring, powdered milk, and the ice cream on top - may sound strange, but trust me, it is tasty. And Round 2 (in true Dalyce fashion) was a little cup of just the delicious ice cream. Ahhh... This is the place that Luisa has been coming to for a treat every time she has come to the market since she was a little girl with her grandmother. Now I understand why our City Tour demanded day 2 - it wasn´t complete without this treat!

Manuel Antonio

29 abril – 1 mayo

Saturday morning Pili and I left for Manuel Antonio via the 9am bus from San José. Some of you have probably heard horror stories of bus rides such as this – from riding with chickens to exceeding maximum occupancy to drivers who think they are on the NASCAR track. Well, I have none to report, thankfully. The bus was a nice, charter-type bus, with a fully functioning air-conditioning system (simply open the window and the air comes in) and all the seats were filled with a variety of folks, but not a single animal. It was about a 3 ½ - 4 hour ride, but other than being a little stuffy, was relatively painless. We could definitely feel the air get hotter, and then more humid as we traveled from our nice breezy spot in Heredia, through Alajeula, and then into the beach areas of Puntarenas. We arrived in Manuel Antonio around 1:00pm and although it was cloudy it was definitely hot and humid. Pili’s uncle lives just a block from the beach and works as the manager/caretaker of a unit of “cabinas” – very simple hotel-like rooms with a bed, table and bathroom. We were able to stay in one of the rooms in his building so it was a great set-up. Pili’s uncle, Jorge, greeted us with a smile, a kiss on the cheek (as is customary for greetings), and kitchen full of food. He had made fried fish, puré de papa (mashed potatoes), rice, beans, and a salad of tomato, cucumber, and avocado (oh yeah, and jalapeno for those who like a nice kick…). Pili and I made our way to the beach after lunch and sat, slept, and read there for a good couple of hours in the afternoon. It was still cloudy though, so there was not a drop of sun to be absorbed by my pale skin… Oh well. That night we just relaxed and watched tv in the room of Pili’s uncle. Funny how doing nothing but sitting and eating all day can make you tired.
Sunday morning we got up early and got ready for an all day trip to the beach. We bought some bread at the nearby bakery, made sandwiches, and packed those along with some fruit and our sunblock and headed for Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio (the National Park in Manuel Antonio). We were there shortly after the 7am opening time and paid our entrance fee (about $2 for residents and $7 for us foreigners). The park consists of a jungle with hiking and walking trails, lots of wildlife, and of course, great beaches. We hiked up to a viewpoint and although it was only about 20 minutes of effort but thanks to the humidity we were transpiring as if we had ran a marathon. Along the way we saw a few monkeys (they are quite prevalent in the park), several iguanas, lizards, and a lot of lush green vegetation. It was still cloudy, but we had hopes and strong aspirations for a day of sun and soaking it up. After our hiking and wandering we planted ourselves on a nice patch of sand at the beach and camped out. To our delight, the sun did appear, and made its presence known quite forcefully actually. We spent the rest of the morning/afternoon reading, sleeping, sitting, eating, and cooling off in the water on occasion. It turned out to be a perfect day, plenty of sun, but some clouds too which were a nice break. We headed out just before the 4pm closing time and marched ourselves back to the room for a shower and another homemade meal, thanks to Jorge. To get to the park that morning we walked along the beach and crossed a very small stream and continued to walk into the jungle. At the “stream” there was a small wooden boat that was manned by a few locals who were offering folks, for a fee of course, the pleasure of crossing without getting ones feet wet. I must say that I found this rather humorous and kind of sad that people would offer this ‘service’ but even more so that it was profitable for them. Well, let me just say that on the way back I realized the morning traffic wasn’t the big money-maker. By the time we left and the tide had come in, it was more of a small lake that we had to cross. And now there was more than one group of locals with boats offering the ferry service. Can’t be too quick to judge such things I guess!
Sunday night I spent “studying” Spanish, thanks to the magic of movies dubbed over in Spanish. We watched The Count of Monte Cristo, and for having never seen the movie in English, I was proud of myself for following the story and understanding much of the dialogue as well. I am improving!
Monday morning we strolled the beach for about an hour, then came back to shower, pack and ready ourselves to catch the bus at 12:00pm to head back home. It was a great mini-getaway, and another experience in a new part of the country. Being in Manuel Antonio reminded me that this is a big tourist country… I definitely saw a good deal of “gringos” while we were there.. And it also reminded me how much I appreciate living where I do and being able to have the experience of living life as a Costa Rican would, not just as a camera-toting, Costa Rica t-shirt wearing tourist bouncing around from one hotel-lined beach thinking that English must really be the national language. :)