Farewell Dinner...

Pura Vida!! Our stay at Catie has been wonderful. We are at our farewell dinner and will be showing off our Salsa moves with the Graduate Students tonight. On Monday we had a hot and heavy dance session with Dr. Vargas's wife. Everyone is dressed up in nice attire and ready to impress.

This week we visited organic food businesses. On Monday we visited APOT, an organic coffee business and we got to make and package our own coffee. On Tuesday we had Lunch with a family farm business. They called themselves La Florasite. And we leaned how they managed their business. An important factor of their success is due to the fact there is no middle man. The family saves a lot of money this way.

We were told to think about what we learned from our trip so far. Collectively all of us understand the importance of having sustainable lifestyles and will make the effort to use more organic products and wear more sustainable clothing. We will also make the effort to be more aware of the food we eat!

So, it is almost time to start our dance off!!

Until next time,
Pura Vida :)

Zip-Lining!!!

Zip-lining!! We had so much fun when we went zip-lining. There were 10 cables that we had to go through and each one seemed to get longer as we went along. The adrenaline that we were feeling only increased when you looked down and realized that you were seeing the top of all the trees. The staff that was helping us out made the zip-lining more fun that it already was. They were extremely friendly, great customer service. It was an amazing experience!

We also went to visit and climb up the Arenal Volcano! The guides gave us a back ground of the volcano and then they showed us a trail that we could follow that would lead us to the base of it. Some of us made it a competition to see who could get there first. It was so much fun, I mean, how many people can say they have climbed a volcano! We are very much enjoying ourselves here in Costa Rica and can only wait to see what else the trip holds for us...

Learn Something New...

As a fun little excercise, I asked the students to provide you all with one thing they have learned that is of serious, academic nature, and also something they have learned that is more on the funny side. I hope you find their compilation both informative and entertaining. - hope

Serious/Academic:
1) I have learned that there are 83 communities that have been awared the Blue Flag Certification. The Blue Flag Certification seeks to conserve beaches, communities, central education, natural parks, and actions to face climate change. Panama adopted the Blue Flag program and Cube is in the process of getting it customized.
2) The average annual salary is $6,000 dollars for Costa Ricans. Today, much of that income is attained from the tourism industry.
3) I learned that focusing on eco-tourism can be very profitable both for the bottom line and for one's knowledge base.
4) I have learned that the elevation and region controls whether a forest is as wet forest, dry forest, or cloud forest.
5) Ever since I found out about the cocao butter not being real chocolate in bars such as Snickers, I want to find real chocolate and use the organic coffee beans I purchased to make chocolate covered coffee beans and Snicker-replica delicacies.
6) I learned that it takes a lot of manual labor to produce one cup of organic coffee.
7) I learned that CATIE is trying to implement another action in order to conserve the environment which is to develop ways to face climate change, which is all part of the Bandera Azul.
8) It can be a profitable move for small businesses to practice eco-tourism.
9) Costa Rica is much more developed for a third-world country than I had anticipated.
10) I learned that people in Costa Rica are really concerned with recognizing individuality.
11) Seriously, I found it very interesting how sustainability has played a big roll in the lives of Costa Ricans from the way they run their businesses to the way they just do everyday things.
12) There is so much serious information on this trip, but what stood out to me most was how often the professors are warning us about this coming Friday. I feel like we're going to be on Man V. Nature. I'm doing some serious mental preparation.
13) I have learned to be more sustainable! I am going to work on being less high maintenance and more aware of the products I use and clothes I wear. I will definitely think about the food I eat by considering where it comes from and how organic it is.
14) Sustainable tourism is mainly focused in Costa Rica and South America.

Personal/Funny:
1) Velcro watches can come undone and get lost when river rafting or cliff jumping.
2) I have learned to read the meter very carefully when traveling in taxis so that I will pay $1.00 instead of $10.00!
3) What was funny about this trip so far is when we went to the cheese factory. I thought since the cheese we were eating was called "The Baby" it would be new and fresh. So I ate it, and it turns out it was 45-60 days old!
4) I never thought I'd see the day when I'd wake up in the jungle and have no hot water!
5) To avoid making new micro-organism friends, I learned not to bury my damp, dirty clothes at the bottom of my bag. (ewww)
6) Just because Costa Rica is close to the equator doesn’t mean it’s always hot. Bring a jacket.
7) My facial expressions are very “readable”.
8) Don’t ever pay the taxi 15,000 Colones. Lesson learned.
9) I learned how clumsy I am once my toe hurt every time I tripped.
10) One must learn to maneuver your head and body in such a way, so as not to get stuck inside a very tight crevice of a Strangler Fig tree.
11) You should never look up when Howler Monkeys are above.
12) I’ve learned not to question what the milking area of an organic dairy farm looks like.
13) I have learned that zip-lining harnesses give you wedgies.
14) Different people really like different types of cheese, even the old, rotten looking cheese; the uglier the cheese, the pricier.

Social-Cultural Group Blog 4: The Children of Costa Rica

Yesterday we attended an assembly at a local private school! The assembly was held to celebrate the anniversary of the anex of a small part of Nicaragua to Costa Rica. The kids were so cute! The danced, sang, read poetry, and performed a little play. This school consisted of grades from Kindergarden to eleventh grade. Kindergarden through sixth grade were in one building, while seventh through eleventh grade were in another. Because this system is so different from that of the U.S, we were curious as to how the parents felt about their 12 year olds going to school with kids so much older. Dr. Vargas explained that in Costa Rica, kids are allowed to be children much longer than in America. There is less pressure for them to mature quickly, so they don't really have an "angry teen stage." Because they aren't as rebellious, the older children aren't thought of as bad a influence. This difference definitely caught our attention, being that we look mainly at culture and the customs that the Costa Ricans have. Plus, the children, their performance, and the breakfast we were given was wonderful!

Happy 186th!

This week we celebrated the one hundred and eighty–sixth anniversary of the Annexation of Nicoya along with the school children of Turrialba. We watched as the kids performed their traditional cultural dances. It was amazing to be a part of the cultural celebration in Costa Rica. The ninas wore white shirts with fancy colorful skirts while the ninos wore white shirts and hats. We have never been so close to such a special celebration this important. Luckily, we were able to learn some of the Latin dances to really feel like a part of the culture.

Shortly thereafter, we traveled to a local organic coffee farm called Café Historia 1492. This organic coffee company has established an alliance with local coffee growers. They participate in fair trade activities to ensure that the best quality coffee reaches the consumer. By being a part of fair trade, the consumer is guaranteed the quality of the coffee by tracing the origins back to the farm where it was grown on. We were taught that in organic coffee growing the producers do not waste any part of the bean. During the first stage, the outer layer of the bean is used for fertilization, in the second stage the sweet inner most part of the bean is used to feed the livestock, the third stage involves roasting the bean to the desired taste. Café Historia 1492 is being sustainable due to the fact that they are not wasting any of their resources.

Later that afternoon we visited a certified CST organic hotel and restaurant called Casa Turire. The entire hotel is based off of sustainable practices such as recycling and growing their own organic food for the restaurant. They also have a waste processing method specifically for fertilization. This process takes up to four months to process the grease from food to a sustainable fertilizer. Based upon our experiences and observations we have noticed that the environmental aspect of the triple bottom line is becoming more and more important to the consumer.

Welcome to CATIE

When we first saw CATIE we noticed some differences from Monteverde: it was hot, humid, and sunny (no rain). During our tour of CATIE we saw how beautiful the campus was. We noticed a lot of birds, flowers, and even a volcano. We had a delicious welcome dinner with the dean of the grad school.On Sunday (our free day) we went to Tico's River and learned (except for Krista who had already done it) how to white water raft. It was a very strenuous and exciting activity that left us sore the next day!

Our Tico friend Dr. Vargas invited us for dinner at his house. Little did Tyler know it was his birthday party! We had carne asada with vegetables and very spicy chilera that only the brave tried! When we brought out the cake, Tyler's face turned red and he couldn't stop smiling :) The surprises continued as Dr. Vargas brought out a piñata and Tyler failed (miserably) to break it. Thanks to Dr. Spears strong muscles the piñata was destroyed.

On Monday morning we visited a coffee plantation and learned about the advantages of organic coffee. We were also given the opportunity to grind and package our own organic coffee. Later that day we went to a nearby hotel, Casa Turire, a highly sustainable business. It had 7 different types of recycling and used fruit and eggs from its own farm. The most exciting part of the day was learning several Latin dances. It was quite a workout and very entertaining.

Sincerely,


Kristel Montano
Tyler Eaton
Krista Vanden
HeuvelAngele
HallBekah Nicks

A message from Hope...

I apologize for this only being my second blog post, but the internet has not been the most consistent depending on our daily destinations. On a daily basis back home, the thought of being without internet would be both horrific and unimaginable, but here, it’s the way of life, for the most part. Perhaps I’m showing my ignorance here, but I wasn’t aware that Costa Rica was a 3rd world country. Of course, I’ve seen world maps that color code what countries are considered, but 1) they are never really consistent, and 2) with all the touristy advertisements I recall floating around about CR wouldn’t directly lead me to believe it was luring me to a 3rd world country. So as of yesterday morning, I realized I was visiting one.

That being said, here are the things that I have found surprising: No one has become sick from drinking the water, items for purchase are not dirt cheap (cheaper than in the states, but not by much), there is incredible food everywhere we go, and from my small sliver of the country I’ve seen, people seem to have nice items and accommodations (of course we have not yet seen the most poverty-stricken sections of the country either), and I believe places to be on the cleaner side of what one might imagine. Pleasant surprises around every bend. And obviously, it’s a remarkably gorgeous country with so much to appreciate. I have traveled a good amount and am not certain I have seen anything near such natural beauty for such a vast amount of open space.

For the last few days we have been in Monteverde, which includes the Cloud Forest. The nearest I’ve seen to this phenomenon is the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. The morning could be clear skies, only to yield to a quick takeover of mist, shortly followed by a downpour. Afternoon/evening rains have shown themselves every day, but the amount of rain has differed each day. The most important issue for our group is that hopefully our students listened to us when we warned about daily rain and handed out the recommended packing list. Let’s just say that for the most part, all has been well, and if there have been areas they missed on their check-off lists, their new friends have been kind enough to accommodate the missing parts.

Jennifer informed the group early on that there would be no whining or grumbling allowed on the trip. When they nodded in unison we were certain they would soon change their tune as it grew too hot, too cold, too wet, too remote, or too bug-ridden. However, wonders never cease, because either her motherly brow convinced them this rule was definitely real, or they are wonderful people whose adaptability is incredible and worth nothing! In either case, they are very good with rolling with the punches and making the best of any situation. This is most impressive, as I do not remember myself or any group in my hang-out groups being this jovial at their age. Bravo group!

Not only have we noted their nature, but thus far, every tour guide or host we have encountered has given our students praises for their sincere interest in what they have to say and also for asking well-informed and thoughtful questions. Of course many of them are not on this trip for their direct majors and had minimal interests in tourism or sustainability prior to this trip, but their minds are expanding like sponges with each new crumb of information. I have a sneaky suspicion they are Discovering the Power of Ideas and am excited to see how they will use what they have learned in their social and academic lives in the future.

In some of the pictures, you may see colored index cards tied to the student’s backpacks or purses bearing their names and Top 5 Strengths. During the first week of class, they were each asked to take the Clifton Strengths Finder assessment to find their Top 5 Strengths. At first they were nothing more than 5 random words on a piece of paper, essentially meaningless. And they would remain so, if we had not taken the time to explore them more and find out how they were playing out uniquely in each of their lives and characteristics. Since they have been assigned teams to work in, understanding not only their own strengths, but also the strengths of others has been very interesting for the students to explore more and has also helped them understand more about those they will be working with for the coming weeks. Beyond applying it to their obvious academic goal for this course, they have also had fun with their strengths, finding humor in their differences and more importantly embracing those differences with kindness and acceptance- A beautiful thing indeed!
- hope