From Coast to Coast and Border to Border

This past week, our family took one last vacation here in Costa Rica... a trip to the Pacific Coast. The trip was planned to help us see yet another province (we've all been studying the seven provinces in 3rd grade Social Studies) and also to visit Carara National Park (the subject of Gracie's first trabajo extra-clase - also for Social Studies). What we didn't realize until we were on our way back to Turrialba was that the trip also helped us complete a full tour of the country - having gone from the Panama border in the south all the way to the Nicaragua border in the north, and from the Caribbean coast on the east to the Pacific coast in the west.

When I've planned vacations before, there has always been a certain amount of anticipation and excitement. There is the waiting - wanting the time of adventure, or rest and relaxation, to arrive as quickly as possible. And there was definitely excitement and waiting involved with this vacation. But perhaps more impressive than the waiting, was the wading. Webster defines wading as moving or proceeding with difficulty or labor - and I would say that we had to wade through each and every leg of our journey - and we have the pictures to prove it!

We started out on Sunday morning driving (in our wonderful rental car - no buses this time!) through fog as thick as pea soup, up and over the highest mountain range in the country. We tried not to cringe as we passed the Cerro de la Muerte (Death Peak) - and even got out of the car for a family picture at the top.

Freezing at the top of Cerro de la Muerte

The temperature difference from the top of the pass to the bottom was a whopping 20 degrees Celsius! We reached the coast, then turned south and headed down to the area near Parque Nacional Marino Ballena. Our hope had been to see whales during their annual migration, but we were off by about 2 months. There was still plenty to see and do though, so we made our way to the beach at the National Park. We may not have seen real whales, but there is an amazing spit of land shaped like a whale tale sticking out into the ocean that we were able to reach by slogging our way through the competing currents. And frankly, playing on the beach in the late afternoon is still one of the best activities ever.

Wading out to the Whale Tale 

The next day we spent the early morning wandering through the trails of the private forest on the hotel grounds. Then we headed about 5k up the road to a fabulous waterfall. We trekked across the river on slippery rocks to reach the crystal clear pools where we spent several hours playing and relaxing. A delicious lunch and delightful conversation with the owners of the little restaurant at the top of the falls was a great way to end the adventure.

Crossing the river to get to the waterfall

Day three we checked out of hotel number one and drove up the coast to hotel number two - near Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio. In all honesty, Greg and I were dreading this part of the trip. We had heard some really unfortunate things about the park and the area - lots of crime, lots of tourists, high prices, no animals, and out of control development of a naturally beautiful paradise. What we discovered was far less horrible than we had anticipated. In fact, we found most of it charming. The park itself, for example, is still undeveloped - so undeveloped that the entrance is unmarked and hidden down an alleyway (unless, of course, you choose to enter the back way by wading through the estuary - which we did on exiting). Undeveloped does not mean uncrowded, though, and we did have to share the beach with many other tourists - but people seemed so happy to be enjoying the waves and the monkeys stealing crackers from towels on the beach that we could hardly complain. We even managed to see an Aracari (a small relative of the toucan), a mother monkey carrying a baby that couldn't have been more than a few days old, and a three-toed sloth.

The beach at Manuel Antonio

Crossing the estuary to exit Manuel Antonio

The other thing we found was that the service we received was fantastic. Our hotel (Mono Azul - the Blue Monkey) is a typical little hotel with pools, a restaurant, and a reception desk. But it also hosts the Kids Saving the Rainforest gift shop - and consequently many youth groups who come on service trips. The teens added a really fun energy to the place, and the staff were obviously enjoying their work. One staff member set up a tour for us to go see Carara National Park with a local guide on day four. We drove an hour and a half to the park entrance, then stopped to change into knee high rubber boots because the park rangers said things were a bit wet.

It is nearly impossible to describe this experience without it sounding like a scene from a movie or novel. But really - it was a genuine jungle trek (oh yeah, with three small kids). The trail was muddy from the first step, and partway through we were literally wading in water up to the edge of our boots (trying not to gag on the smell of rotting dates). Within 100 yards of the entrance we were unable to stand still without being mobbed by mosquitoes, yet we had to stand still time and again to stop and see the amazing wildlife. At one point we watched a capuchin monkey (one of a large troop in the treetops) throwing dates down at the head of a coati who was calmly eating the seeds on the ground.

Wading through the muck at Carara National Park

The mischievous monkey throwing dates

The coati on the ground - mischievous monkey's target

Later on we had to stop James from accidentally stepping on one of the many black iguanas littering the trail. We heard the ugly cry and then witnessed the soaring majesty of the scarlet macaws - and then heard the beautiful song of the plain little gray-collared robin. We saw a blob of tree frog eggs hanging off the tip of a leaf over a puddle filled with tadpoles and delicious bugs. And we saw a crocodile hanging out in a lagoon that only two weeks ago was just some grassy land. We also saw poison caterpillars and the incredibly elusive orange-collared manakin (that even made the guide giddy!). When we got back to the car we were filthy, bug-bitten, blistered, hot and exhausted... but extremely happy. All Social Studies projects should come with such a cool field-work component!

The iguana James almost stepped on

The magnificent scarlet macaw

Glass Frog eggs

As if all that weren't enough - we then drove down the highway about 2 kilometers to the infamous Crocodile Bridge and watched about twelve 15-20 foot long crocodiles swimming around in the Tarcoles River. The combination of high speed traffic zipping by, being on a tall bridge, and looking over to see giant man-eating reptiles was more than we could take for very long - and we happily climbed back in the car for the 90 minute drive back to the hotel.

A crocodile on the bank of the Rio Tarcoles

Day five was supposed to be an uneventful drive back down the coast and over the mountain pass. Naturally, car-sickness overpowered the dramamine and required a stop on the side of the road - at which point we accidentally slammed Maggie's fingers in the car door. Luckily, we were stopped right in front of a house - and the lovely family provided us with a plastic bag, a bowl of ice, and plenty of smiles and good wishes as we wearily got back into the car to continue the drive. It took far longer than we'd hoped, and made us all more queasy than we'd hoped, but thankfully there was no lasting damage (even to Maggie's fingers!) and we made it back to Turrialba safe and sound.

We didn't realize as we were planning this vacation that it would be quite so exhausting and complicated - or rewarding. We were waiting for some regular old rest and relaxation. But the effort of wading through each leg of the journey produced yet another chapter in our border to border and coast to coast adventure.

The last day of school

I've never been very good at transitions.  I like change, but I find the time period right before a change (when you know it's coming but you can't make it happen any faster) to be agonizing.  I'm a "rip the Band-aid off" kind of gal.  If we're going to make a change, let's make it already.  But saying good-bye is a part of the transition process that I find meaningful and satisfying.  I find great joy in articulating my gratitude and sentiments to someone who has been important in a phase of my life.

So this morning we spent a little extra time getting ready for school by writing thank you notes to the teachers and administrators who have been so important to our family over the past six months.  Grace and James wrote to their five core teachers, I wrote to the Director and his assistant, and Maggie wrote to Teacher Maricela.  Greg packaged up some little gifts from Minnesota. 

We headed over to the school weighted down with our notes and gifts, two huge boxes of homemade brownies and bars to be shared with the kids' classmates, Maggie's princess costume (they were having a royal party for the last day), and a fair amount of anxiety about saying good-bye.

Three hours later, when Greg and I went back to collect our children and all of their books and supplies, we were treated to a display that would warm the heart of any parent.  Not only were our children taking the time to thank their friends and teachers for the welcome they've received here - but they were being thanked in turn.  Grace & James received gifts from a classmate; Maggie's teacher cried upon reading her note.  And several people wanted to know when we'll be back...

The reality is, we don't know when we will be back.  We have attempted to say "hasta luego" instead of the more final "adios", but we have no definite plans for a return in the near future. What we do know is that we have all made friends that we hope will continue to be part of our lives, whether we come back to Costa Rica or not.

As for the transition, I'm hoping our vacation to the Pacific Coast will be enough of a change to get me through the next 10 days!

Maggie giving her note to Teacher Maricela.

James and Manuel

Gracie saying goodbye to Marilu.

On the bus again.

Six months ago we left our cars behind to embark on numerous journeys to explore many things. One of the things I was curious about was transportation. How does one get from place to place when one doesn't have a car? How does it work for an individual going grocery shopping? How does it work for a family of five?

When one lives in a town like Turrialba, where all of the shopping and services are located in the central downtown area, one can simply apply shoe leather (or rubber or vinyl or whatever petroleum based abomination shoes are made from these days) to the transportation problem. Walking around town has its own benefits one of which is the sense of community one gets from seeing friends and neighbors on the street and taking the opportunity to stop and chat. Another benefit is the raw upper body workout one gets from lugging a week's worth of groceries (yes all the mangoes can get heavy) around town. The drawback has been that 80% of the family has destroyed at least one pair of shoes since we've been here due to all the walking we do.

On the other hand, the good thing about living outside of town is you get to add a bus ride to the experience. Now just for reference we are talking about regular, ordinary buses that you might find in the states. I know some of you were hoping for the classic Central American overhauled school bus with goats and chickens and people riding on top. Sorry, no. Just a bus, lots of people inside but no chickens.

I can take the CATIE bus for free or for $0.40 I can hop on the La Suiza bus and go the 3k to the center of town. So for the price of a gallon of gas ($4.00) I can make ten trips to town and back. When you consider that I am traveling with about 40 other people, there is definitely a large savings in terms of greenhouse gas emissions relative those same people driving their own cars. But what else?

When one is in the car, you are isolated from your surroundings. Now I agree that when it is hot and humid, a little isolation from your surroundings can be a good thing. But now consider the banter among friends at the bus stop, the chivalry displayed as seats are yielded to the elderly and mothers with babies, and Maggie getting swept into the arms of a grandmother type who simply refuses to see our little angel standing in the crowded aisle. I guess I prefer the benefits gained from the daily interactions with the people in my community. Yes, there is waiting in the rain and the occasional inconvenience when one misses a bus, but I have to say that riding the bus has been one of my favorite parts of living here.

"Dad, do you have your camera?"

Last Saturday, Mom, Dad, James, Maggie and I caught a bus to Turrialba because we needed to go shopping. We also were planning to make the “On Location” video of the farmer’s market, so Daddy had his good camera along. While in town, we needed something in the grocery store, so we dodged people and cars, crossed several streets, stopped to pet the bunnies in the pet store, and finally arrived at the MegaSuper, just four blocks away from the bus stop. Dad was dawdling behind filming us crossing the street.

When we got inside the store, Mom, James, Maggie and I went to look for some tortilla chips. We thought Dad was still filming us. (It seems like he’s always filming us these days!) After we found the chips, we looked behind us and noticed he was not there. It turns out, he was behind the counter in the meat section. Mom said, “What’s Dad doing back there??” James, Maggie and I went to investigate.

Behind the counter, we discovered Dad taking pictures of a GIANT, RARE, OWL BUTTERFLY! It was amazing. You don’t see them in the wild very often, and they are always flying. But this one kept landing as if it wanted us to take its picture or give it attention. One of the places it landed was… ON MY HEAD! The people in the store were just as surprised as we were. One of the ladies was excited to watch me help the butterfly get out of the store.










When we began our day, we thought it was going to be a normal Saturday. But we learned that sometimes the most interesting and unexpected things happen in boring places. And we learned to appreciate Dad’s new hobby of filming us all the time!

Respectfully submitted,
Grace

Rafting on the Pejibaye River

On Monday June 13^th we went rafting on the Pejibaye river. We wanted to go rafting because Turrialba is famous for its rivers. Marty picked us up then we went back to his house where we loaded the raft on top of his car (that’s normal). We were with our guide Angel, his bother Leo and their other brother David. We also brought along a safety kayak in case anyone fell out. We got to a spot above the river and we carefully fitted our helmets and lifejackets and walked down to the river. We put the boat in but we didn’t start rafting until Angel taught us the commands: adelante (paddle forward), atrás (paddle back) and al piso (get on the floor!). Maggie and I were sitting in the very front, Mom and Dad in the middle then Grace and David and finally Angel in the back to steer.

During the first half Maggie and I got splashed by a small waterfall and Maggie was scared. I was trying to protect her from the big splash. Grace was too busy yelling “Wooo Hoooo!!” to notice the splash. After Grace and Maggie changed spots, Maggie was much happier sitting near Mom and Dad.

At one point we were out of control and ran into some hanging grass with a hive of some sort in the middle. Grace and I got covered in black bugs, but thankfully they did not sting or bite.

We went a little bit further downstream and we got to a calm, small place in the river where we could get out and swim. On the other side of the river there was a rock that we could jump off. Angel and Leo and David really enjoyed the swim. The water was really cold but it felt really good to get out of the boat.

During the second half of the trip down the river we saw a lot of cool things like the ave de sol (a bird with yellow, orange and red on its wings) and a cool lizard that looked like a baskalisk. When we were almost done we got stuck on a lot of rocks because the water was so low.

As special part of the trip was that out friend Marty was able to take pictures of us while we were in the raft.

I would do this again because it was very fun and I liked the experience.

Respectfully submitted,

James

Systematic Observations

As we near the end of our Costa Rican adventure, I have been reflecting on the things that I have gained and learned while here. Naturally I have gained far more than I could ever list, and I will likely continue to discover even more after we return to the United States. But in an effort to articulate something I have learned that I can take back to my professional life, I have given some serious thought to systems and institutions with which I have interacted while here – particularly from the perspective of an immigrant (albeit a short term one).

For those of you who don’t know, my work back home is coordinating a coalition of agencies and organizations in Rice County, MN with the goal of building community connectedness in order to improve health. This connection building often focuses on the systems in place to serve families and analyzing whether those systems could be improved to make connecting easier, friendlier, and more efficient.

So in my reflections on the systems and institutions with which I have interacted here in Costa Rica, I find myself continually feeling like there are major contradictions in place – and things that just don’t make sense to me. Take for example our experience today. Greg and I went to the school office to remind the Director that we will need documentation of the children’s school participation to give to our school back home. The secretary indicated that in order to make the document as official and formal as possible, we should go to the regional office of the Civil Registry and purchase “Timbres de Educacion” (stamps from the Ministry of Education) that will be affixed to the documents, then signed, sealed and delivered back to us. So we went in to Turrialba and found the regional office of the Civil Registry. But we didn’t go inside. Why? Because the stamps were being sold by a little old man sitting on the sidewalk outside the office. Literally, we bought the official stamps on the street. AND, this same man (presumably representing the Ministry of Education) could not figure out the total cost for buying three sets of stamps, nor could he make change for me. (We helped him with the math and it all worked out in the end, but come on!!)

To me, this incident was both hilarious and utterly depressing. Really? We are making our children’s school documents more official by affixing stamps we bought from some guy on the street? It just seems so ridiculous.

And that, my friends, is where my reflection led me. If that one incident seems so nonsensical to me, what are the systems and practices we have in place back in the States that are viewed as unnecessary, unreasonable, or just plain ridiculous by the individuals and families we serve? I am a self-proclaimed tax and spend liberal, but I can’t stand inefficiencies. So where are the processes that are needless or wasteful? How can we look at our own systems through a different lens to see things from a new perspective?

I am happy that I still have a couple weeks to enjoy, observe and reflect. But come July, I’ll be more than ready to roll up my sleeves and get back to work.

On Location: The Market

Here we are, the whole family pitching in to bring you this week's "On Location"