Manuel Antonio Banderas

With two days of "R and R" given to us by Glenn and Saul, the whole group decided to head to Manuel Antonio (MA), a generally touristy beach town.

Everyone was ready to go on time (except for Beth and Sam) when we found that Ronald and our Benz Bus were not taking us to MA. Instead, we were treated to a more compact, green bus (probably from the 70s). With our cramped seating, napping was not an option, alot of time was spent with the ipod and playing the what's your favorite game. On the way we made two stops one for food (I had a delicious queso empanada) and we stopped at a river were we saw aligators and cows, but they did not mingle.

We made it to MA to find that it was raining, but I could tell why MA would attract tourists. There was plenty of beach, bars/restaurants, hotels, shopping, etc. After a tour down the only real road in the town we checked in to the Coco Beach Hotel. I lucked out to be staying in what I feel was the nicest room available. There was a great view and my roomates and I had the only room with a bathtub (did not get used though). We walked back down to town and had some lunch. I had one of the best cheeseburgers I have had in awhile. It was a bacon-cheeseburger with onions, lettuce, guacamole, and hot sauce. After waiting 30 minutes, I fully digested my food, changed, and headed to the beach.

It was pretty cloudy, but the water was warm and I had tons o fun. Alot of unsucessful attempts to body surf and games of jackpot were had, but happy hour started at 4:30 at the Marlin Resttaurant so everyone was ready to head over. Alot of fun was had and I enjoyed another good meal. After that we headed to a maranga/salsa bar where I learned how to dance maranga from a mom from Jersey. After all of that a few of us went to another club that was fun, but I was asking alot of myself. A highlight though was watching a lingerie fashion show from two extremely hot locals.

The next morning a handful of us went to MA national park. The previous night left me lacking total enthusiasm, but I'm glad I went. I got to see some great views, a couple of monkeys, and I almost got hit by a falling tree. Good experience overall.

Pumped for white-water rafting and heading to the Osa over the next couple of days.

Organic v. Non Organic Coffee Showdown

Last week at Cafe Britt I did a little shopping and I bought a bag of one of their blends and a bag of their organic coffee and it got me to thinking what is the difference in what I am paying for. I've done a bit of research and found that it basically (most simplistic) comes down to pesticide and fertilizer use.

Organic-grown coffee does not have artificial, toxic pesticides used to cultivate the bean. If the organic label is accurate, this means these pesticides don't even come close to it. Any pesticide used will be a natural pesticide, such as special soil, companion planting (planting different crops in close physical proximity on the theory that they will help each other), or even fungus-based pesticides. This makes sure that the consumer's health is better protected, as well as the environment. Cutting out these harmful pesticides also keeps them from being absorbed by the coffee bean, which in turn keeps the consumer from injesting trace amounts of pesticides.

Organic grown coffee will only use natural, organic fertilizers. This would include fully organic compost and mulch, as well as companion planting. The soil and environment also benefit both in the short and long term. Short term, the soil and environment don't have their natural chemical and ecological balance thrown off by the introduction of synthetic chemical fertilizers. Long term, the soil and environment will be able to support continued growing and harvesting for many years without drastic soil treatments being necessary.

Nanners Dos

Thought I'd start off with a recipe of fried plantain chips (Patacones Ticos) made by my house mother...

Ingrediants:
2 green plantains
1 cup vegetable oil
1 pinch salt,to taste

1. Peel plantains completely.
2. Slice Plantains into 1/2 inch rounds.
3. Heat oil in sauce pan until almost boiling.
4. Carefully place a handful of plantain rounds into hot oil, leaving them in until light brown, about 2 minutes.
5. Remove plantain rounds from hot oil with slotted spoon and place on a cutting board coverd with parchment paper.
6. Plantain pieces should be on only half of the parchment paper. Fold second half of parchment paper over them, and with a second board or other hard, flat surface press firmly on the paper-covered plantain rounds.
7. The rounds should now looked smushed, but still intact.
8. With slotted spoon, replace pieces of plantain in the oil until golden brown.
9. Remove pieces with slotted spoon and place on paper towel. Pieces should be slightly crispy.
10. Repeat with another handful of rounds, until all have been cooked.
11. Sprinkle with salt, to taste.
12. Dip in warm refried beans or also good with ceviche.



The Rainforest Alliance has been doing exceptal work in creating fair and sustainable environments for banana plantations while protecting CR's rainforests.

The Rainforest Alliance first began working with banana plantations in 1990, when the production of the fruit was increasing in the American tropics while at the same time rainforests were being cut down to expand cropland. Banana plantations were infamous for their environmental and social abuses, which included the use of dangerous pesticides, poor working conditions, water pollution, and deforestation. Pesticide laced plastic bags, which protect bananas as they grow, often littered riverbanks and beaches near banana farms, while runoff and erosion killed fish, clogged rivers and killed coral reefs. They have consequently organized working groups since 1990 to study the problems on banana farms and recommend improvements. Groups involved include: scientists, farmers, community leaders, and representatives of other nongovernmental organizations. In 1992, they produced the first principles for sustainable farm management, which were supported by dozens of measurable, concrete criteria.

A key feature of the Rainforest Alliance's sustainable agriculture certification standards is that they require steady and continual improvement of social and environmental conditions. Yet, they are practical enough to allow companies to stay competitive in the international market. Though the initial changes a farm must make to become certified require considerable work and investment, the large banana companies have learned that many changes end up paying for themselves.

Weekend Outside of San Jose

It has been great so far in SJ, but I was ready to see more of CR.

We arrived in Arenal Friday night and quickly made to the Baldi Hot Springs, which is probably one of the best places I have ever been. Baldi is a series of natural hot tubs heated by the lava flows below ground from the Arenal volcano. We started off at a pretty big spring at a great temperature and we were immediately attracted to the water slides. The slide did not seem that bad looking at it, but it rocked me. I doubt it would make US safety standards, as I flew down and felt like I was about to get launched off the slide, I luckily made it to the bottom. We were able to relax for a couple hours before having a great buffet-style dinner. That night we stayed at the hotel and everyone got to know each other in the comforts of our hotel.

We up early the next morning and headed off to the hydroelectric plant. We were first taken to the dam and then to the plant where they housed the turbines. It was interesting to see how the plant worked, since the majority of power supplied comes via hydroelectricity but my mind was definitely set on the rest of the day. We were taken to a local stable were I was able to ride a horse for the first time in my life. My mom and sister have both spent time as equestrians, so I hoped that riding the horse would come naturally. Most of the group rode the horses together to the La Fortuna waterfall. I was surprised how much fun I had riding the horse. The horse´s name was Shakira and I felt like we bonded. I felt like I was in control the whole time and was able to go pretty fast at different points of the ride. It was a great experience, but it definitely left me sore til Sunday. Me and Shakira had to part ways once we got the waterfall.

The waterfall was incredible once we got there. Once we climbed down the endless amount of sketchy stairs we ended up at the waterfall, a picturesque sight. All of us jumped in and swam around. The water was cool, but refreshing. After drying off I finally realized that I had to climb back up these treacherous steps. I was already sore from the horseback riding and know I had to climb these stairs that would not be considered safe by most people. It was a good workout, but I wish I would have not have done it in my flip flops.

After lunch, we hiked through Arenal National Park. The hike was not anything special until we reached the lava rock field. I had never seen a landscape like it ever before. There were endless black rocks formed from cooled lava and it opened to views of the volcano and Monteverde. We were able to have a couple hours off in the afternoon and I was able to get a power nap in before dinner. I was excited to hear that we were going to a stake house, but was upset and confused that our options for dinner were either chicken or fish. I could have gotten a steak if I paid more, but I felt it was a little ridiculous. We came back to the hotel to find that the power was out and we were handed out candles. The novelty of the candles was fun for about five minutes and many of us decided to head to the grocery store, since they had a generator. I was able to try some CR ice cream, it was a little less creamy than American ice cream but still tasty. The power eventually returned and so did the nightlife. Some of us ended up at the Vagabondo bar and disco which had a giant turnout of around 14 people. We were greated by the overly friendly/creepy/uber liberal/cracked-out Jacob. Jacob grew up in Arizona but has been living in CR the past eight years. He made sure we payed attention to his beliefs on American politics (referred to the Bush administration as the fourth re¡ch a couple times), the many benefits and opportunities of CR, and that we were having a good time.

Sunday we left Arenal for Monteverde by Jeep Boat Jeep. The boat ride was fun and relaxing while offering great views of Arenal and Monteverde countryside. We eventually ended up at our lodge and thats when the rain came. We dropped off our things and headed for a canopy tour (zip lining) of some the Monteverde cloud forest. There were 15-17 zip lines, 2 bridges, 1 repel, and 1 Tarzan swing. I have done two canopy tours previously in Mexico, but this was the best one by far. I have never done a Tarzan swing before. I was dropped 40-50 feet and than flung out into the forest and swung back and forth a couple times, it was exhilarating. The tour ended with the longest zip lines I have ever been on. Once we finished we were all soaked and dirty, then we went on a night tour of the rain forest. I went into the hike with little enthusiasm, being completely soaked and cold with the dropping temperature, but our group was able to see different insects, frogs, a frog, an orange tarantula, and some bats. It was a great experience, but it left me starving. We ended up having dinner at a local pizzeria and it was fantastic. Most of the group was craving pizza after seeing some earlier in the day. Bob, Nolan, and myself were able to demolish a lot of pizza for our table, which was very satisfying. We were then treated to more ice cream for Rob´s birthday. That day left me pretty tired and I turned in early for our 5:45 am wake up call.

We were up very early to hike the same forest as the night before. This time we were in search of different birds that call the rain forest home. We were able to see a couple different types of birds, including humming birds. It was then time for breakfast and to check out and head back to SJ. I finally able to make it to the central market place and mall were I was able to pick up some things I needed and souvenirs. I wish I knew Spanish better, because I was not able to barter well and ended up paying a little more than some of my counterparts.

Well that was my weekend. It was a lot of fun, but I was defiantly thinking of home and missing out on Blossom, but it will be around next year. Tomorrow is going to be fun at the beach in Manuel Antonio. El Pescados tonight?








Wanted to take more pictures, but with the tons of rain and my awesome ability to ruin electronics I hesitated to take more.

Turistas

Being apart of this program does not hide the fact that I am a tourist. We are here in CR for work and to gain a valuable life-changing experpenice, but we are doing touristy things on an every day basis. So far we have walked the streets of San Jose, seen tons o coffee, and visited CINDE which is a non-for-profit organization that encourages foreign direct investment for CR.

With a $1.9-billion-a-year tourism industry, Costa Rica stands as the most visited nation in the Central American region, with 1.9 million foreign visitors in 2007. Most of the tourists come from the states and the EU. In 2005, tourism contributed with 8.1% of the country's GNP and represented 13.3% of direct and indirect employment. Tourism now earns more foreign exchange than bananas and coffee combined. Ecotourism is extremely popular with the many tourists visiting the extensive national parks and protected areas around the country. Costa Rica was a pioneer in this type of tourism and the country is recognized as one of the few with real ecotourism.

The next 6 days are going to reach boss major status, the following will occur: go to Arenal, visit hot springs, La Fortuna waterfalls (getting there via horse), volcano lava flows, Monteverde, canopy tours (zip lines), bats, cheese factory, Manuel Antonio, beach, beach, beach, surfing, monkeys, bro'ing out, debotury, cuban cigars from G$. Jealous much?

Fun fact: Sex tourism is big here in CR, have yet to come across any yet, but I'll make sure to keep everyone posted

Nanners

Through our BUS 420 class, I found out how vital bananas are to CR economy and culture. I am not the biggest fan of nanners, but I am adjusting since they are a constant in the culture.

The banana fruit grow in hanging clusters, with up to 20 fruit to a tier (called a hand), and 3-20 tiers to a bunch. The total of the hanging clusters is known as a bunch, or commercially as a "banana stem", and can weigh from 30–50 kg. Each individual fruit has a protective outer layer (a peel) with the edible fruit inside. Both skin and inner part can be eaten raw or cooked. Western cultures generally eat the inside raw and throw away the skin while some Asian cultures generally eat both the skin and inside cooked. The Plantain, a larger member of the banana family, is another commonly used fruit and can be served in a variety of ways. Ripe plantains have a sweet flavor, and can be fried in butter or baked in a honey. Green plantains are boiled in soups or can be cooked, mashed into small round cakes and fried to make patacones.

Costa Rica’s banana industry, recently ousted by tourism as the country’s number exporting industry, continues to expand to meet the demand of a growing international market. Two-third of all bananas are exported by Del Monte and Dole. Workers handle a large bunches, cut bananas off the stalks, sort, wash them and put into boxes. CR produces over 2.2 million metric tons of bananas a year, making it one of the world leaders.

Cafe Britt

We headed to Cafe Britt today, another coffee plantation, which was alot of fun and totally different than what we did yesturday. Cafe Britt is one of CR´s biggest coffee corporations, delivering gormet coffee around the world. They were founded in 1985 as the first gourmet coffee roaster in CR. All of the best coffee in the country was being exported, Cafe Britt saw the opportunity to pioneer great change and introduce gourmet quality roasted coffee to CR.

We were taken on a tour of their facilities by three tour guides and explained the history of coffee around the world and how it came to CR. We also learned how they harvest the coffee bean and the processes behind coffee productions. The tour guides were very entertaining through their various scripted presentations (I was able to take part and got a pretty amazing hat out of it). I wonder if they were actors that were educated on coffee or they knew alot about coffee and were taught how to act and perform?

Anyways the trip was fun, educational, and uber touristy. We were all given free samples of their dark roast and I also bought an organic and another blend at their gift shop. There was plenty of oppurtunites for samples, which I took advantage of. We also had lunch there, which was awesome. I ate fish (tilaplia I think?) and I enjoyed it with the rest of the meal, which included a pumpkin squash ginger soup (doubt I'll ever see that canned in Kroger). I can't really compare experiences between the two plantations. Both were great in their own right, but it just apparant that Del Cafe Tal is mom-and-pop and Cafe Britt is a giant corporation. I have come out these two with a new appreciation for a beverage that I never really much thought about, exept I like cream and sugar (and sometimes cinnamon) with it.

Coffee Coffee Coffee

Well it was a little difficult waking up this morning after Bob Fest 2K8 last night at Sultans, but I was excited to visit a coffee plantation, since I will dabble with the beverage from time to time. It took around an hour, but we finally reached Del Cafe Tal plantation.

My purchases at Gander Mountain and Dicks definately paid off today, since we treked up and down throughout the muddy hills of the plantation. I have never seen nor relized that coffee comes from a plant and the measures it takes to reach the bottom of my cup. The hand picked berries are processes by having them scrubbed and washed to remove the fruity outer layer and dissolve the gummy substance surrounding the bean. The moist beans are then laid out to dry in the sun in the traditional manner. The leather skin of the bean is then removed by machine-rubbing, and the beans are sorted according to size and shape before being shipped off to the States and Europe. Del Cafe Tal's product has just been recognized as the best coffee in Costa Rica, which some indicate as the best in the world.

The owner sat us down at a pavillion near where the beans would dry and gave an overview of her business that she has been operating for the past 10 years. She has gone back and forth in producing the coffee organically and inorganically, but has settled to produce inorganically since she can produced 800 sacks to only 30 sacks organically. I learned the key to their success is location. Growing coffee at a high elevation and having an extended drying period due to the shade allows for a greater quality and higher caffine concentration in the bean. We were given a sample of their product at the end, which I enjoyed. The coffee is definately stronger here and will definately leave a lasting impression when I go to get my coffee at Dunkin Doughnuts back in the states.

Tomorrow we are heading to Cafe Britt, a large commerical producer of coffee in CR, it will be interesting to compare the two plantations and their products...


Thought I should speak some knowlege on fair trade coffee...

The United States consumes one-fifth of all the world's coffee, making it the largest consumer in the world. But few Americans realize that agriculture workers in the coffee industry often working under terrible conditions and wages. Many small coffee farmers receive prices for their coffee that are less than the costs of production, forcing them into debt traps and poverty. Fair Trade is a viable solution to this crisis, assuring consumers that the coffee we drink was purchased under fair conditions. To become Fair Trade certified, an importer must meet stringent international criteria; paying a minimum price per pound, providing much needed credit to farmers, and providing technical assistance such as help transitioning to organic farming. Fair Trade for coffee farmers allows for community development with improvements towards health, education, and environmental stewardship. I also believe that Miami sells free trade coffee and Tuffy's and maybe at the King Cafe.

El Pescados tonight to finish up Bob Fest 2k8.

My First Three Days In CR

Spell check is not working for me, so don't make fun.

In the short time being here I have already become aquainted into the day-to-day Costa Rican lifestyle. I knew minimal spanish phrases and being welcomed into my host family's home who will only speak spanish to us has been very interesting. I have survived so far by smiling, giving thumbs up and down, and lots of hugs. But I am already picking up the language through conversations and relaying on Evan to be my translator. My host family has been amazing despite the language and I feel completely comfortable and welcomed.

My host mom, Martiza, has gone out of her way to make me feel comfortable and has been incrediably friendly. I was definately excited to experience new types of food and I have yet to be disapointed, the meals have been delicious and hearty. My host mom works as a caterer in her spare time and it definatly shows. My host siblings have been easy to get along with and have been helpful in picking up local customs and tips on the bar scene.

I have been surprised how easy it has been for the entire group to bond. I feel like I have known these people for years not days and I look forward to the weekend at the hot spings and the other adventures that will take place.