I am finding that there can be a great sense of sadness when leaving a place like Costa Rica. These six days have yielded such positive sensory overload that they have left me wishing for more. I think what I will miss most about the country, and it is a subject I have been meaning to mention here since we arrived, is the olfactory element. As we drove, hiked, and swam around this place, the SMELLS that greeted us were incredibly varied and almost universally interesting and pleasing. They were the smells of the cooking in modest, well-kept homes; the smells of the smoke from the small fires that seem to burn ubiquitously here in every yard, despite the frequent rains during this, their “winter” season; the smells of the the damp, rich, volcanic soil; the smells of the lush, tropical foliage. They were so delightful that Mr. Evans and I spoke frequently of wishing we could capture and record them for you to experience as well.
We found the people of Costa Rica to be warm, friendly, and wonderfully CHILL (please excuse the informality of the grammar; it just seems to be the ideal way to describe the Ticos). Earlier in the blog I described their phrase “pura vida”. What we found is that they definitely practice this concept in their daily lives. The average per capita annual income is far lower than that of a U.S. Citizen, yet to a person they seem to love, embrace, and simply enjoy life. I think I told you before that this country ranks NUMBER ONE in surveys of overall citizen happiness. As inhabitants of a society of wealth and privilege, perhaps it would benefit us to spend some time pondering how they achieve this state of “pura vida” without the trappings we enjoy.
Despite their relative poverty, the Ticos that we met were articulate and very well educated. The jobs they held often did not reflect their level of education, but many spoke flawless English and held advanced degrees. We found that many of them would like to obtain visas to travel to the U.S. to work, but they are currently having a tough time getting approved. They attributed this to a variety of factors, ranging from the tragedy of 9/11 to the current American jobless rate and foundering economy. There was Raymond, our most excellent Don Juan coffee plantation guide (featured in the video: see previous post). His English was so good that he was able to use the word “aesthetic” correctly in conversation, he is working on his master's degree, and he hopes to work in the international coffee trade in the near future. There was Henry, a server at dinner one evening who used to live in Reno, Nevada, has children who live in Ohio, is college-educated, and wants to return to the U.S. to work. There was Andrea, our college-educated surfing instructor in Tamarindo (pictured above), whose English was impeccable as well. These folks offer a small window into the credentials of the Costa Rican populous.
We learned that Costa Rica has no military whatsoever; they abolished it in the 1940s and redirected those funds to education and the social welfare of the people. It is a democratic republic, and they recently elected their first female president. Over ¼ of the country has been set aside as natural preserves, and the eco and adventure tourism businesses have become a vital part of the economy.
It is my hope that everyone who reads this blog becomes inspired to visit Costa Rica and is able to come here at some point. While I have tried my best to post here as much and as frequently as possible, I have managed to capture but a fraction of the experience. If anyone out there has any questions after reading the blog, viewing the pictures, and watching the video, please don't hesitate to send them (clark.pollitt@kcd.org). While this trip was full of incredibly enjoyable adventures, the primary purpose was one of education and curricular enrichment. Mr. Evans and I have already begun planning ways to integrate our experiences into our classes in the years to come, and we are always open to outside suggestions along those lines as well.
I will likely post a few more images and videos in the days to come, but this will serve as my final entry in the travel journal aspect of the blog. Thanks very much for taking the time to read; please let us know your thoughts!
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