Day two in Costa Rica

 Hello again!! Today we leave San Jose and head Southeast to the Caribbean coast.  A small town named Cahuita is out destination. A province of Limon Costa Rica.  Population 5,000 people about 60Km from the border of Panama. The older generations speak a mixture of French, Spanish and English, called Patwah which is a language Americans would call Creole.(www.spanishcourses.info/cities/playa-Cahuita-population)

Cahuita is a quiet town, except when the Costa Rican's win a World Cup Futbol game!! Cahuita has 3 Spanish schools. I observed many speaking Spanish but they could speak enough English to give directions and take my order for food.  This is where we met our amazing guide "Ludrick", he is native to Cahuita and his ancestors are from this area as well.

The scenery from San Jose to the Caribbean coast was breathtaking!! Such lush hues of green and untouched rivers draining into the Caribbean Sea.  There was a lot of small houses painted bright colors which is typical for the area.  There is a strong Jamaican influence here. " Many of these people's ancestors came from Jamaica to work on banana plantations and the railroad in the late 18th century"(spanishcourses.info).colorful buildings on the way to Cahuita

It was a 5 hour drive to the coast and we had plenty of time to rest, read and just watch the scenery as we traveled along sometimes narrow roads.  I appreciate the dexterity of drivers in Costa Rica, "tailgating" as described in the US is a non issue there, they all do it.  A stoplight is mostly a suggestion and a couple taps of the horn means "I'm coming through!!!!".  There are many forms of transportation here from big rigs hauling out the fruits from the area to local Ticos on small motorcycles zipping in and out of traffic, fearless at times passing between two cars.  It was too much to watch at times, so I focused on the scenery and was glad we arrived intact at the bus station.

 If you look to the right side of this picture in the "V" that is sideways, just above the coconuts there is a two toed sloth(Choloepus didactylus).  He is light brown and very furry.  It takes some training of the eye to spot one.  The three toed sloth (Bradypus tridactylus) is a darker "coffee" color.  Both species sleep about 20 hours a day. They are herbivores and move slowly to limit the amount of calories they expend.  They come down from the tree only once every 5 days to drop some scat and back up the tree they go.  Their color is a way to protect themselves from predators, as is the infrequent trips to the ground.

Old suspension bridge, perhaps for rail.  Was not an auto bridge.

In Costa Rica the dead are buried above ground.  I suspect a below ground grave would not be very efficient as the ground is saturated often.  I have seen above ground graves in other cities where below ground burial would result in the coffin and its contents "floating" up with the water levels.  I was told by our guide it is very expensive to be buried in this manner.

 Hello my name is Ludrick!! This is our guide who went with us throughout the trip.  He is an educated tour guide and he told me being a guide is one of the best paying jobs in Cahuita.  He went to school for one year to get certified as a tour guide.  Much of his knowledge comes from growing up in this area.  He speaks Patwah, English, Spanish, and is learning German.  Ludrick only eats truly organic foods.  He showed us one side of the road with truly organic bananas ( about 3 inches long when ripe) and another side of the road with bananas that are sprayed with insecticide and bagged in plastic while still growing to protect from insects and animals.  I learned the "organic" fruits that we buy in Oklahoma are not likely truly organic unless they are locally grown.  The taste between an organic banana and an inorganic banana is like night and day.  Organic much sweeter and much more flavor.

 The photo to the right is a lady selling tissue for the public restroom which costs 150 colones. While we were there the exchange rate for US dollars was about 550 colones for every US dollar.  I was told by several businessmen the rate changes sever time daily.  But, 550 was about the average while we were there.

Here is the view from the first hostel we stayed at.  We had an impressive storm the first night and the waves were much higher that the seawall that was built there.  A local told me it was a very big storm in relation to the ones they usually have there.  For that reason we were not able to go snorkeling as the sediment from the rivers and ocean bottom made it difficult to see anything.  Not safe for inexperienced snorkelers.

 Our first sighting of Costa Rica's fauna. A giant grasshopper. about 2 inches long.

 Blue crab hiding in his home.

 To the right is one of the main streets of Cahuita.  They have their own brand of rum they sell here. It's a coconut rum and very tasty.

 The beach near the entrance to the Cahuita National Park which was founded in 1970.  This is one of the only parks where your admittance is by donation only.  No set fee to enter.

Above and left is a couple of monkeys we saw. They are Howler Monkeys (Alouatta family) there are several different species of howlers and I am not sure which species this one is. We did see the Capuchin Monkey and I will point that one out and provide the scientific name when we get to the picture.

Ludrick is showing us a female crab with an egg sack ready to lay some eggs.  (Right and Below)

We learned a lot about termites.  They wont bite you.  Rub a rock on the side of the termite nest and out they come, let them come on your hands.  If you were in a survivalist situation they are a great source of protein and yes I ate a couple. They taste just like wood.  Also if you rub them together with your hands their smashed bodies are a wonderful natural insect repellant.  Termite nests are frequently taken over by bees.

Hiking through the Cahuita National Reserve. 

This video was on mute when I recorded it. :(
But this is a hot spring, the bubbles you see are natural gas coming up from the earth.  It was discovered some time ago.  First thing the Costa Ricans said was "this is not good for the earth, not good for the fish, not good for the people to harvest this resource"  So it is an attraction within the National Park in Cahuita now.  Can you imagine Americans walking away from such a lucrative resource simply because it would damage the earth?? I was in awe as to the natives attitude towards all the material things they could have, they say "Why????" it will damage the earth!!! 70% of all of Costa Rica's electricity is generated by hydroelectric dams. Not one carbon emission from their primary source of electricity.  Brilliant.
(Information from Ludrick McCloud)

To the left and below are the White Faced Capuchin Monkey (Cebus Capucinus) named from their resemblance in white markings to an order of Monks. a-z-animals.com/animals/white-faced-capuchin

Some scenic photos of the Caribbean coast after our hike

 

Red flag means dangerous "Rip Currents"

 

Dr. Terdal, cooling off

Ticos surfing

Dr. Terdal and Joseph Wells getting ready to body surf.

Costa Rican dogs run loose, no leash laws, they come to the soda's and beg for food, they are frequently successful.  They run free here. This is a photo of two dogs playing on the coast.

More pics of the Caribbean Coast

Surfing anyone??

Finally another pic of our friend the sloth.
So that's it for day two.  Day three will be up tomorrow.  The Costa Rican's have a saying
"Pura Vida" they say it all the time.  At first I didn't quite know how to use it and was a little shy to be saying things in Spanish I didn't fully understand.  It means "Pure Life" and by the end of my trip it was rolling off my tongue with a true understanding of the meaning.  See you tomorrow!!

Reflections of Costa Rica: Day one, arrival in San Jose

Ahhhhh, Well I have been back in the US for 5 days.  I have been resting (a lot), doing laundry, and  the usual things a man does after 2 weeks out of the country.  I had the option to do my blog as I went along the trip, but I thought I could do a more meaningful piece if I had some time to reflect, absorb the events I was included in and not do a quick list of what I did that day.  I am a thinker, I sometimes talk too much when I find someone I share interests with.  So I wanted some time to ponder on what I really experienced while in Costa Rica.

San Jose in daytime

Street Vendors

We arrived in San Jose on the 21st of July, 2014.  It was evening and I learned later from a native of Cahuita that "everything ugly comes out in San Jose after dark".  While I had the feeling of angst when we arrived, I couldn't quite put my finger on what I was feeling.  There is a lot of desperate people in San Jose.  Homeless and dirty, unshaven with leathery skin and the look of a man who's been drinking way too much for way too long.  It's a city, tall buildings and concrete and brick streets, crowds of people on the streets doing what, I am not sure.  Trash piles that have been there for some time and people sleeping in boxes or just in the open in close proximity to the trash piles.  We stayed in a hostel in downtown San Jose that locked the entrance at some point in the evening.  One of our guides who is native to a small Caribbean town named Cahuita, close to the border of Nicaragua explained when I asked about the apparent poverty.   He said" many men come from Nicaragua looking for work and there is none".  It was apparent that much humanitarian work could be done in the city.  I am not versed enough in the politics of Costa Rica to be able to provide a reasonable explanation for the desperation I saw there.  I just know when I arrived, I clutched my wallet tight, didn't make any eye contact with anyone other than our guide and tried my best to get where we were supposed to be as quickly as possible.  I don't speak Spanish well at all, I don't know what was being said to me as I passed with pale skin and a large bag looking as American as a guy can look.  I was deaf for 14 years from an allergic reaction to a medication and a sixth sense came to me during that time.  That sixth sense was on point like a dogs hair standing on the back of the neck.  I had to do this trip without the processor I had surgically implanted in my skull to correct my hearing loss as the humidity would have caused great damage to the expensive hearing aid.  The US government classifies this type of hearing aid as a prosthetic ear.  I was without my "bionic ear" as I jokingly call it and I was feeling vulnerable.  Could have been the loss of senses, could have been the big city I am not used to, could have been the language barrier, could have been a combination of all of these factors.  I was told most of the crime in San Jose is crimes of opportunity.  I was very aware the people of this town knew how to make an opportunity happen and I would have been none the wiser.  I could sense the street smarts of the people and I was not included in that group.
Please don't get me wrong, I am not judging these people.  I wish I had the opportunity to hear some of their stories so I could understand what I did not understand.  I am not a wealthy man myself, and I am certainly not in a position to judge others.  I am merely trying to convey what I saw and how I felt during the first few hours in San Jose.  I don't think afraid is the right term.  No one approached me for anything other than to offer a taxi.  No one reached for my wallet, no one bumped me or approached me in a threatening manner.  I could see the opportunity for that to occur though, and I kept my head down and followed the group.  It was new to me, the crowds, the ruckus of Spanish voices trying to be heard over the guy next to them.  To secure a cab fare, or carry my bags for me.  I tried in a polite and assertive manner to decline and made it to our group taxi fine.  I will say this, I would have to spend some time there before I went willingly into the city at night again.  The next time I saw San Jose was in the day time on our return to the airport.  The sense of angst was still there but at least in the daylight I could assess any threats or attempts to manipulate me much better.  I still held my wallet tight and was polite and assertive. As the sun set on the last day of the trip, I saw again that my friend from Cahuita was spot on, as the sun went down, I felt again more and more vulnerable.  I was certainly glad to get out of the city the next day and see some of what I had seen in some photos of Costa Rica, the lush green hues and the vibrant reds and oranges that are frequent in the area outside of San Jose.  I felt more naïve in the time I spent in San Jose than any other time on the trip. 
I don't want to be an "Americano" that comes to another country and disrespects their culture.  I am admittedly uninformed as to how or why the city looked the way it did to me.  I have been in some of the slums in the US and I recognized the look of the people, there was no hope in their eyes.  At least none I could recognize.  I wish I could have a clearer understanding as to the social challenges that the people are facing there.  I simple did not have the time to ask or to understand fully what was before my eyes. 
I am glad that this blog entry is done, it was not one I wanted to address.  But in all fairness, it needed to be said to stay true to my attempt to share what I saw and felt.  I am pleased to say that no one got hurt or even approached and all ended well.  We stayed the night in San Jose and left the following morning for Cahuita where we met an amazing young man who is native to that area and his attitude and the never ending smile he shared with us was a stark contrast to what I saw in the city.  So, it is done, and I can get on with the best parts of the trip and stick to a more positive theme. 
I will post one blog entry a day for the next two weeks to cover the days activities.  Then my rant will be complete.  I hope you follow along to see the more appealing parts of Costa Rica in the coming weeks.  I have a lot of wonderful photos and history to share.  For now, it's a wrap.  See you tomorrow.

Locals called "Ticos" for male "Tacas" for female

San Jose streets

In the US this would be a "pride flag"  I have seen these all over the world, so the assumption if it is safe to make one is this is a "pride flag"

Supreme Court Building

City area where the World Cup Futbol was being shown

Interesting cultural symbol

Streets of San Jose

Pedestrian shopping area

Local mall

Museum in San Jose

Interesting architecture

Small statues in front of one of the banks

More architecture

Another bank, "National Bank of Costa Rica"

Reflections of Costa Rica 2014

I had an amazing trip. Our first day was traveling and staying at the Backpackers hostel.  I loved the way the trip was laid out.  We followed the trade winds from the Caribbean coast over the Continental Divide and on to the Pacific Coast.  I purchased a map the first day and made markings on the map as we moved around the country. I also added to the legend with my own symbols and what they meant.  Our first stop was Cauhita after the night in San Jose, we spent 3 nights there and were in a hostel right on the Caribbean coast.  I met a very nice couple from Austria and we talked of many things and they were surprised  I knew much about Austria, but I have traveled there in the past.  One night the wife asked me if I could identify an animal they saw that day.  As a student and future wildlife biologist, I was hopeful I would be able to identify accurately the animal they showed me.  I was pleased I was able to identify a raccoon (Procyon lotor).  They are very common in Oklahoma where I live but not in Austria.  So my first random wildlife identification was a success.  Not a big challenge, but a success none the less.

Bus ride to Cahuita




This is the Costa Rica 2014 Pura Vida!! Group



The view from Spencer's Seaside Resort, actually a hostel. But the view was amazing!!



So I have a lot of pictures to sort to add visual references to the blog.  I will attempt to add content for every one of the 15 days we were in Costa Rica!!!!


And here is me drinking some coconut water and yes we opened them ourselves!!!  Coconut water is excellent for electrolytes and the meat of the coconut is a natural laxative. If you have high blood pressure, a "new" or unripe coconut will bring it down naturally.  That's all for now, and as the Costa Rican's say !Pura Vida!  which means pure life.