Socio Cultural Group's Adventures...

These recent couple of days have been a whirlwind of cultural awareness, biodiversity, and great fascinating wonders. The indigenous BriBri tribe were very hospitable to us and a quite pleasant friendly lot. We were exposed to lots of bugs during our stay there, consisting of a bat, an unwelcome visit of ants, grasshoppers and all sorts of other critters. Prior to making acquaintance with the BriBri tribe we were told not to show them the soles of our feet, not to speak to them unless spoken to, and to not do anything disorderly. We did so, however the natives were different than we expected for they were civilized and quaint. We played soccer with them, archery and enjoyed their delicious cooking. They have been doing events like this for about 18 years and they are getting a boom in tourists now. Seeing the world from their perspective and resources was an enlightening keyhole into understanding symbiosis and harmony of diverse communities.









Just before departure, we hiked to a waterfall nearby. On Sunday, our free day we dispersed to relax, or immerse ourselves in writing our journals, head to the pool or lovely beach and Cahuita National Park. Shopping that night in the evening was a majestic adventure of many artisan stands and a plethora of aesthetically appealing accesories, jewlery, and artistic works. Then come Monday and Tuesday we observed many animals such as iguanas, turkeys, Spider monkeys, ocelots, and Capuchin monkeys. We learned that some of the iguanas are used for meal consumption and also as a medicine through frying its fat to make oil. Then it can clear sinuses and relieve colds. On Tuesday we went to see a crater and to La Paz waterfall garden. It was just stunning to be in the presence of so much wildlife and to be around so many waterfalls, three of them. One of the highest being the Magia Blanca Waterfall at 37 meters (120 feet) in height.

More from the Economic Group...

On Friday, some members of our group were suffering from general illnesses and stayed behind in a hotel with a pool and the beach to recover while the rest of us went on to see the Bribri indigenous people. The border between Panama and Costa Rica is split by the Yorkin River so we got to see two countries at once. Of course Panama looked just like Costa Rica, but the experience was still cool.

We were not sure what to expect from the indigenous people but we were excited when they greeted us warmly and welcomed us into their homes. They showed us where the local kids all go to school together and the building where they meet for general community meetings. Our rooms were cozy with bunk beds surrounded by netting to keep the bugs out. They served us lunch when we got there, and afterwards everyone had a great game of soccer against the local kids. That night after dinner they told us about how they started their co-op and what they did to make it successful. It was definitely an inspiring story and we loved getting to hear the history of how they started.


On Saturday we were supposed to hike to the Panama waterfall, but because of weather issues, we were not able to go. Bummer. We did play another game of soccer instead and splashed around in the Yorkin River. We were sad to leave the Bribri people, but excited to get back to those we had to leave behind because of illness. After that, we stayed at the Atlantica hotel and enjoyed a day of swimming and being at the beach. At night we got a chance to eat out at some of the local restaurants and look for souvenirs from the many shops that are along the beach.

On Monday, we drove back to San Jose, but along the way we stopped at an Iguana farm. We got to see how they raise the iguanas and later release them back into the wild. On Tuesday, we went to see the Poas volcano. It was quite an amazing site. We hiked up to the large crater and got to look down on a lot of smoke and surrounding burnt scenery. It was cooler than it sounds. Afterwards we hiked up the Botos lagoon and got to take a lot of pretty pictures. For lunch we went to La Paz, and then we got to see all of the different exhibits they have. They keep jungle cats, monkeys, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other animals in really neat exhibits. After we saw the animals, we hiked to several of the different waterfalls there and got to see some really pretty scenery and of course, take more photos. We are all getting to know each other really well and establishing some great friendships on this trip. We are looking forward to our last week of Costa Rica together.

That’s all for now,
Bekah, Christel, Krista, Tyler and Angele

Iguanas and Monkeys and Jaguars, oh my...

Hey everybody! These past few days we did something that not many people can say they have done: spend a night with indigenous Costa Ricans in the middle of the forest! This past weekend we discovered that the farther you are from civilization the better the food is :)





After we left CATIE, we drove past Cahuita (the Atlantic Ocean), canoed down the river that divides Panama and Costa Rica, and hiked to a small native town called Talamanca, which belongs to a group of Bribri people. Upon arrival, we had to win a soccer game against the highly competitive Bribri children in order to get dinner. Thanks to Tyler's amazing coaching skills we tied and called a game over :)



We learned how to make 100% chocolate out of cocoa beans and were serenated that night by Dr. Vargas and his guitar-playing Bribri friend. Some of us also learned how to weave out of leave strands and got to swim under a Panama waterfall. Sunday was a free day at the beach!! We all did different things: some swam, others body-surfed, and Kristel and Chase walked on the beach during sunrise. Some of us also walked into the city of Cahuita and spoke with the locals. On Monday we went to an iguana breeding farm and drove back to San Jose. On Tuesday we visited Volcano Poas and saw the third largest crater in the world. After walking down the volcano, we went to the La Paz Waterfall Garden, which was beautiful. There, we were able to see monkeys, jaguars, frogs, snakes, hummingbirds, and butterflies. Oh and 4 giant waterfalls! Can't wait to see what's next.

Pura vida,
Economic Team
Kristel
Tyler
Angelle
Krista
Bekah

Talamancan territory!

We have experienced a wide range of tourism on this trip, but the most interesting was our stay at an indigenous Talamanca Bribri community. We took boats up the Yorkin river and then stayed at their village. The Bribri people are unique, there are less than 75,000 people that even speak Bribri. During our stay at the village we learned how to make chocolate, straight from the cocoa bean! It was delicious. We also learned archery from one of the village boys. Friday afternoon we played the village kids in a game of soccer for dinner! It was a lot of fun, soccer is the same in every language so there was no barrier at all! The tourism to the village is limited, there are only about a thousand visitors a year. It is really neat how tourism has helped the village. It has created jobs inside the community so that the village men do not have to travel far from home to work in the banana plantations.

While most of the group made the journey into the Talamancan territory, a few of the group members had to stay behind due to a minor illness. The first night at the hotel, the group made their way to the Atlantic Ocean which was only about a three minute walk across the street. It was unique in a sense because no matter what time of day it was, the ocean water was set at the same warm temperature. The water was crystal clear. Later that night, our bus driver Miguel, drove the three of us, Agustin, Chase, and Krista, out to town a couple minutes away. During our time on the little strip filled with restaurants and souvenir shops, we explored a variety of different places.

Due to the unfamiliar surroundings, it was Agustin and Chase's duty to protect Krista. We finally found a place to eat at a pizzeria where the movie Cop Out was playing while we ate our dinner. The next day, Agustin was able to talk to a local man about the negative stereotypes that are given to the area and the people. There were many locals of African descent but there was one that seemed to attract the most people. Roberto, or Agustin's new friend, explained to him how he didn't appreciate all the criticism given to him because he was a Rastafarian individual who was always happy. Roberto was very peaceful and all smiles when you approached him; he told Agustin that many tourists look at him and think he spends his free time smoking marijuana. He also told Agustin that he felt it was unfair that the locals, from airports to hotel receptionists, do not recommend visiting that location. Agustin became such good friends with the man that he decided to donate his green shirt that Roberto liked. After the visit with the local, Jennifer, Agustin, Violet and Hope continued their journey to the beach where they took some pretty amazing photos. One of which seems to be out of a movie scene, (Agustin with his ninja kick).

Overall, although many people seem to stare at the locals, the locals seem to stare back, but it's only because of the curiosity to learn more from each other and when the ice is broken, it becomes a learning experience that can only be done by traveling the world.

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.