ACM Costa Rica - Fall 2010

Update from San Jose

2010-11-02T10:33:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

So since returning from our weekend trip in Cahuita, we have been having a great time in San Jose. Last week Adrienne and I started going to aerobic dance classes at the little gym where my host mom goes. They are SUPER fun and a really good workout. The instructors mix aerobic exercises in with merengue, salsa, swing criollo (cumbia), bachata, and some music from U.S. We started telling our friends about it so last night 7 of us "gringas" arrived for dance class...it was hilarious seeing everyone stare at us as we walked in. AND the dance floor is just in the middle of every thing, there is no separate room so it's entertainment for everyone at the gym. I'm sure the owner was very happy to have to many customers since it does cost money to take the class...1000 colones or about $2.

This past weekend we all went out for Halloween. Halloween is not a huge deal here but there are some people in San Jose that dress up and go out. We went to a club called Vertigo in San Jose. It's very nice but super expensive. It had awesome decorations and a ton of people. The only thing I didn't really like was that it was ALL electronic music, not really my thing...but I guess that's what's the style now or something.

Tomorrow we are going on a day trip to Heredia to learn more about the water situation in Costa Rica. So that should be very interesting and I'll have a lot to write about.

AMAZING weekend in Cahuita

2010-10-25T20:56:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!!

So last night our whole group returned from our weekend trip to Cahuita. It was absolutely AMAZING. On Friday we left bright and early at 7:30 am from the ACM building. We stopped in the city of Limon for lunch so that we could walk around and see the famous Port of Limon, which is key to Costa Rica's economy since it is the main port in which every thing comes in and out of. After lunch, we made our way south along the Caribbean to the beautiful Cahuita.

When we arrived, we went to our hotel called La Diosa which is located on Playa Negra. This hotel is a very nice resort tucked away in the foliage that lines the beach. We had free time so some of us walked all the way to the downtown which is about an hour walk. But it was wonderful since you just follow the beach. I ran into MANY of my friends that I had made on my rural stay while we were downtown so we were able to hitch a ride back to the hotel.

That night we had a community leader, AKA my host mom Laura Wilson, come and speak to us all about the history and culture of Cahuita. Afterwards, we had a typical Caribbean dinner and then we all went out to downtown Cahuita to go dancing. It was priceless pulling up in our big "gringo bus" and all 17 of us pouring out! It was quite entertaining. After we got back we all met up in me and Molly's room and sang songs that our Professor, Manuel, played on his guitar. He's an amazing musician and it was so much fun.

On Saturday we learned how to make "pati" which is a a Caribbean food similar to an empanada. The difference is A LOT of pepper, chile picante, and curry. yummmm. Then we had another typical Afro-Costa Rican lunch. In the afternoon we all just hung out at the beach in the National Park and some of us hiked. It was fun seeing my fellow workers at the National Park and chatting with them. After that we went back to our hotel and listened to a Calypso concert. Calypso is a type of music very special to Cahuita and the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. Reason being, Calypso music is something that is composed and produced by people from this area.Whereas, Reggae music which is also very popular, is just consumed. So we listened and danced and our professor played a few songs with the band as well.

That night after the concert we ate dinner and then prepared to go have a bonfire on the beach. This was one of the greatest experiences I've ever had. It was almost a full moon, there were NO clouds, there were stars everywhere, and the moon was insanely bright. We literally walked a moonlit path to the beach and then two of the girls made the fire. We made smores and laid around the fire talking and listening to the sounds of the waves while watching the moon and an occasional shooting star. It was truly a magical night, no body wanted it to end.

The next morning was a beautiful, sunny day so we all spent the morning at the beach. The waves were calm, and the water warm. We all swam and floated lazily in the water talking and commenting about how we couldn't believe that we were still in Costa Rica. Cahuita truly feels like a different country and with the rain and thunderstorms every day in San Jose it adds to the contrast. It was a miracle that our professors were able to get us out of the ocean and back on the bus to San Jose. I think all of us agreed that this was a truly special and unforgettable weekend.

Back in San Jose!

2010-10-16T19:38:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

Today I returned to San Jose safely, gracias a Dios. It was a little sad to leave my family but I will see them again next weekend since, by coincidence, our whole ACM group is going to Cahuita this coming weekend.

This whole last week in Cahuita I was volunteering at the National Park. It was a great...I got to see lots of snakes, monkeys, all kinds of lizards, and a bunch of other cool things. I walked soooo much! One day in the park I walked 14 kilometers collecting garbage, thats about 10 miles. Good thing I walked so much since my diet there was mostly white rice, bread, fried anything, and very sugary tea. It was all delicious but very unhealthy! They also make their rice and beans with coconut milk which is really yummy.

Last night it rained so hard in Cahuita, I dont think I have ever experienced rain like that. We all suddenly remembered that all of the 9 puppies were outside in that rain! When we went to go check on them, the mama was already moving them one by one underneath the porch to protect them...amazing how nature is!

Last night the little kids were all helping me pack and running around like crazy people. It was so different to arrive at my house in San Jose today to the quietness of Flor in the kitchen and Alex sleeping on the couch. Quite a contrast. I just cannot believe how different San Jose is from Cahuita and the whole Limon province. I honestly feel like I am in a different country again. Every thing is different...the food, the language, the volume that people talk, the dress, every thing.

Anyways, tomorrow we are all going to get together from ACM to share stories about our rural stays so that should be fun. Im out for the night with my host brother! Ciao!

End of Week 2 in Cahuita!

2010-10-08T10:43:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!
So the time is going very fast and it´s already the end of my second week here which means next week is my last week! I´ve had a pretty eventful week. On Monday I went to this women´s meeting with my host mom because she is the leader. It was interesting because they talked a lot about current issues going on in Limon (the Province that Cahuita is in). On Tuesday I volunteered at an environmental festival. There were 15 different elementary schools there and there were competitions in things like art, poetry, music, and plays. Everything had to do with the environment and climate change. So that was really neat. I also conducted some interviews for my project

My home life never has a dull moment. Yesterday the kids were especially crazy and my favorite part was when Helen yelled outside to her daughter "Laurita, put away the machete and get back inside!"...definitely something you don´t hear every day in the U.S. haha. Also we have lots of dogs at our house and the one dog had 9 puppies. They are SO cute and I´m tempted to steal one and take it home. I was holding them the day after they were born and they don´t even have their eyes open yet. Also, yesterday the little boys called me outside all excited because there was a sloth in the tree. It was just sleeping way up in the top but for some reason they were scared of it.

Today I just got done volunteering at the National Park here. It was the best volunteering ever because I got to be on the beach for 3 hours raking leaves and picking up garbage that pretty much doesn´t exist. It´s so beautiful and natural. Today the sea is very "bravo" or strong so the waves are very loud and there is a stronger breeze. While I was walking I saw monkeys and sloths and all kinds of birds. Also, I stumbled upon one of the most poisonous snakes in the world! It´s all yellow and very small and it was just sleeping there curled up. I never would have known except that someone pointed it out to me and told me all about it. I definitely could not survive in nature out here on my own, that´s for sure.

Well I´m off, write again soon!

Mariah

End of First Week in Cahuita

2010-10-01T16:00:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! So it´s the end of my first week here in Cahuita. I´ve met so many great people already. For example, my new buddy is this 95 year old man that is really famous for his Calypso music. Every day he sits at the same table at the same chair in the same restaurant, so I go and chat with him and have a soda. He´s super interesting and sweet. I´ve also met a lot of the local community leaders.

Today there was a campaign against dengue which included the first widescale recycling effort in Cahuita. It lasted all day and it was a great success. I was happy to be a big help.It was interesting because the Ministry of Health came and provided music and a microphone for this guy to throw in little blurbs about dengue and recycling but for the most part they really didn´t do anything except help us eat lunch. But there was a core group of us that worked really hard and had fun.

This past week I also went to the National Park which was absolutely gorgeous. It is very natural and has an "untouched" feel since it is community run and not government run. Therefore you can just go walking around as you like and walk all the way to Cahuita Point which is a very historic site since this is where the first settlers came to. This park also boasts a huge coral reef that you can go snorkeling to see, but I don´t know if I will since there are sharks around there! Everyone has assured me that they are harmless sharks but for some reason I still don´t feel comfortable haha. There are many tour companies here but it is the off´-season so there really aren´t too many tourists.

So I had completely forgotten about a sucker that I had left in my purse which I had casually thrown on my bed before I left the house yesterday. Number 1 rule about living in the tropics (which I should have already known): DO NOT leave candy ANYWHERE....especially not on your bed. When I got home there was a black trail of ants that spanned across my entire bed whose destination was my purse...so yea that was tons of fun cleaning that up.

Well the sun is starting to go down so I should start walking back to my home. Ciao! Take care everyone

Rural Stay, Cahuita

2010-09-28T10:45:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

So it´s day 4 in the rural stay and I´ve officially taken up walking as my favorite hobby, haha. Let´s just say that the pace of life is veeerrrry slow. I´m in a little town called Cahuita that is directly on the Caribbean shore. I don´t feel like I´m in Costa Rica AT ALL. I feel like I´m in a completely different country.

Unlike San Jose where it rains and thunderstorms every day, here it is hot, humid, and sunny constantly.Cahuita has a fascinating history because it was founded by people of African descent from Jamaica, Barbados, and other islands in the Caribbean and also by Afro-descendants from Panama and Colombia. So the people here have last names like Robinson, Simmons, Smith, and other British type names. The people speak Spanish of course but they also speak a Creole English (which is hard for me to understand). For example, they say "what happen" a lot but it sounds like "waipun".

Cahuita is absolutely beautiful, but surprisingly there is not that much tourism in comparison to other tourist destinations. Tourism is there biggest source of income but there are no big hotels, no vendors on the beach, nothing that you would think of when you think of a tourist beach. I go for a run along the beach in the mornings and I can see the monkeys in the trees throwing fruit down at me. Not that many trees have been cleared out so it looks very rainforest like everywhere.

There is a National Park here in Cahuita also. I found out that it is the only National Park in Costa Rica that does not charge. I asked my host sister about this and she said that the community fought against the Costa Rican government so that they wouldn´t have an entrance fee. The government wanted to charge $12 per person and then they would get that money. The community won and so now it´s donations if you would like to give them. These donations make up 80% of the community´s income!

My host family here is very chaotic. There are about 8-10 people living in the house and more people that come in and out during the day. My host mom and sisters are powerful leaders in the community and the phone is constantly ringing for them. It is a very lively household with tons of little kids running around.
Alright well I need to walk around some more. Ciao!

Last week in San Jose for awhile

2010-09-23T17:25:00.000-07:00

As most of you probably know, this past weekend a group of 9 of us went to the Pacific coast to Manuel Antonio. It is an absolutely gorgeous location! We stayed at Vista Serena Hostel which was a really fun experience. The owners are from California and super chill and we met a lot of other really cool people. We went for a tour/walk in the Manuel Antonio rainforest park which was amazing. We saw all kinds of wildlife including a lot of monkeys! They were trying to take our stuff while we were swimming on the beach but Michala watched out for us. We also went to the public beach which was super fun but the tide was so high that it was too dangerous to swim so we just tanned instead. It was nice having the sun shining all day long which is something we don't get in San Jose with all of the rain and thunderstorms.

This week has been pretty busy handing in proposals and last minute assignments before we go to our rural communities. Yesterday we had another dance class from the same instructor as last time....and it was just as fun to see everybody have a good time. In addition to the usual salsa and merengue we also learned a dance that is unique to Costa Rica. This dance is called "swing criollo." This is a cultural phenomenon that is a mix between swing from the U.S. and cumbia which is a dance from Colombia. It's the latest thing here. Tomorrow is our last day in San Jose for 3 weeks so I think we are all going to hang out. It will be fun!

Día de Independencia

2010-09-15T11:37:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone. Since we returned from Tirimbina it's been pretty busy with schoolwork and such. Last weekend on Saturday nearly the whole group went out and had a great time dancing. Today we have no class because it is Independence Day! Last night and this morning there were parades and lots of activities for children. Yesterday in ACM we had an Independence Day celebration. We ate traditional food such as tortillas, Costa Rican coffee made the traditional way, picadillo de platanos, and many other things. Also, three professional dancers came and performed traditional dances and also taught us some dances. It was very fun. Also, yesterday was Stuart's birthday so we had a delicious tres leches cake that Ivette made!

Today we are all just doing our own things with our families or homework. We are all getting ready to go to our rural stays which is coming up soon on September 25th. Some of us will be on the Caribbean coast, some on the Pacific, and some more in the center of the country. Everyone's projects are very interesting. Some of the places people are staying include a pineapple plantation, medical center, cacao plantation, and elementary school. It's going to be a great experience for everyone!

Sarapiquí

2010-09-04T15:48:00.000-07:00

Today we just got back from our trip to Sarapiquí. Yesterday, our first stop was at a banana plantation that you all might be familiar with, it's called Dole. None of us knew we were going there so it was an exciting surprise. Of course the whole banana issue in Central America has been a topic of controversy for decades now, so it was really great to actually see first hand what is going on. The company gives jobs to about 200 workers. We learned a lot about how complicated the process is. The bananas need to be of the highest quality otherwise they cannot be exported. Therefore, there is a lot of use of pesticides. The bananas that don't "make the cut" are then sold to Chiquita and made into banana puree which is also exported. It was a great experience and we all received bananas as gifts.

After leaving Dole we headed over to the organic cacao plantation. We learned all about the process of cultivating cacao and turning it into the chocolate we all love. A group of women, wives of the workers on the cacao plantation, started making chocolate a few years ago. The dark chocolate is 75% chocolate which we learned is far more than your usual commercial chocolate which is on average only 10% chocolate. We all bought chocolate bars from them..mmm. Their brand is called Amazilia and they're delicious. The owner of the plantation explained to us the pros and cons of having an organic plantation, which means no use of chemicals or pesticides. In the case of cacao, the pesticides wouldn't hurt the consumer but they are a threat to the health of the workers. This was a big difference from the Dole plantation. Also, the purpose of the cacao plantation is to be sustainable which means that there are many other trees interwoven with the cacao trees and there is still wildlife that lives there so that the soil won't be completely wiped of nutrients when the plantation is too old. For example, there are many sloths that inhabit the plantation and we all got to hold one too!

We then headed on to Tirimbina, which used to be owned by the Milwaukee Public Museum. The Museum could not afford the expenses anymore so a few years ago it became a non-profit organization. It's a beautiful location with little cabanas and many programs and tours. The people there are also very dedicated to education and host many students groups. We walked through the rainforest which was absolutely beautiful. We also walked across a suspended bridge so that we could be at the same level as the canopy, which was very cool and fun since the bridge is really wobbly! Some of us also saw howler monkeys! It was amazing to hear all of the different sounds while walking. We also learned more about cacao and how to the indigenous people used to make it. We all brought home some cacao beans which used to be the currency in Central America amongst the various indigenous groups. The trip was a wonderful experience!

Week Two in Costa Rica!

2010-09-02T11:41:00.000-07:00

As many of you probably already know, this past weekend there was a group of us that went to the beach in Jacó. It was a beautiful 2 and a half hour bus ride through the mountains. However, a few of us felt a little sick by the end. It only cost 1700 colones, or about $3! Jacó is located on the Pacific coast and the beach we went to was a black sand beach, which I guess is pretty common of the beaches in Costa Rica. It was a great experience!

Yesterday we all took a dance class from one of the country’s most famous dancers. His name is Ronaldo and he came to ACM to give a class. We all learned merengue, bachata, salsa, and reggaeton. It was extremely fun to see everyone show off their dance moves! There is a show here equivalent to “Dancing with the Stars” and Ronaldo has a couple that is competing in it right now so he told us all to watch on Saturday. You can also vote for them.

Tomorrow we will venture to Sarapiquí to stay in the rain forest and visit a cacao plantation. This is the plot of land that the Milwaukee Public Museum bought and is used for research and other things. It will be a great experience! We will see the sloths there that the director of ACM Costa Rica, Chris, has studied extensively. The Sarapiquí is located in the province of Limón which is the coastal region on the Caribbean Sea. We are all excited to go!

First days in Costa Rica!

2010-08-25T07:51:00.000-07:00

¡Hola! Hello to everyone! Today is our fifth day in Costa Rica and we have already done so much! Everyone arrived safe and sound on Saturday and spent Sunday with their families. We are all enjoying our families whether they consist of both parents and a house full of small children or a single mom and one teenager. Our houses are situated in neighborhoods not far from the ACM building (on average about 15 minutes by bus). The public transportation here is excellent and we have had no trouble getting to school on time which is incredible since it starts at 7:30 a.m.! It is important that we start early since the sun rises a little before 6:00 a.m. and sets before 6:00 p.m. leaving us with very few daylight hours.

For those of us who are not from a “rainy state” in the U.S., which is most or all of us, we are getting used to the daily rain here. Every morning is sunny and beautiful, but like clockwork it starts to rain around 1:00 p.m. and doesn’t stop until the evening. Costa Rica is in Winter, or the wet season, right now so this is expected. All of us learned very quickly to keep our umbrellas on us at all times!

Yesterday we toured the University of Costa Rica’s campus, which is much bigger than any of our small, liberal arts colleges back in the U.S. The University is nicely situated, surrounded by restaurants and stores of all kinds. It is a lively place with lots of things going on. I’m sure we will be back soon.

Today we will go to the national museum in downtown San Jose. I’m sure there will be much to write about after our visit!

Ciao!

-Mariah Mateo