Another Amazing Adventure

Today was another day that left me scraped and bruised but also loving this country even more. We went rafting in the best river in the country, the Pacuare River. I have been rafting once in Tennessee but this definetly trumps that trip. We were out on the river for over three hours and got a decent breakfast and an awesome lunch too. Our guide Roberto, was pretty much the best guide ever. We got to jump in the water a lot, spent a good three minutes spinning the boat around and surfing the waves, got stuck on a rock, and then we even swam one of the calm rapids while holding on to the boat, (which lead to a small injury via a sharp rock but hey who do you know who swims in rapids?) And the weather was pure perfection! The weather has certainly been less than perfect reacently but today it was nice and sunny all day. And the river was high because of all the rain from the tropical storm, so the conditions were fabulous. So today was a great day and tomorrow we leave for a very long bus ride to the Osa Penninsula where we will all probably get more sun burn.

Change of Plans

Well today was a fun day locked in classrooms and computer labs that we kept getting kicked out of, while the sun was shining for the first time in who knows how long. We were supposed to have left for the Osa today but that got postponed a little due to an unsual tropical storm near the west coast. So instead we had class today and did some serious blogging and will do our rafting adventure tomorrow and then leave for the Osa on Sunday. That means that we will be gone until Wednesday and then leave again on Thursday to Puerto Viejo to hit the Carribbean. Which also means very little class time and is kind of funny but also a little stressful because we have a lot to do and very little time to do it in. With our plans always changing and our travelling so much we don't have a lot of free time to blog and work on our projects. O well we can sleep when we get home. Pura Vida!

Cafe #2!

Well we didn't get the chance to visit an organic coffee plantation first hand, but the entire food industry is experiencing a boom in organics and coffee is no exception. Organic coffee is grown in a way that greatly reduces the impact on the surrounding environment when compared to traditional coffee growing ways. Traditional growing of any crop can use large amounts of toxic chemicals and pesticides that are clearly unhealthy for the environment and obviously not too good for humans either. Growing organically means greatly reducing and eliminating these dangerous chemicals to produce natural plants and products. Organic production also means that the soil and land will actually be replenished through the growing process instead of being depleted of all its rich nutrients. As with Fair Trade coffee, farmers can have their products

certified as organic and their products will then carry an organic label.

As we learn more and more about all of the harmful things we are doing to the environment and about all the awful things that are put into our food and into our bodies each day, consumers are pushing for more natural ingredients and more environmentally-friendly ways of doing things. In the United States organic coffee sales rose 24% from 2005 to 2006. I know that in the past, I have not typically bought a lot of organic products simply because they are more expensive and as a college student I am pretty much broke. However after taking this rather depressing course and learning more about the environment and all the toxins I am exposed to every day, I think I will be much more likely to purchase organic items. I would like to know how much of a difference there is between making the traditional foods and beverages we are used to versus making them using organic processes. I know Daisy Rodriguez said that she transformed her coffee farm into an organic plantation for a few years but it didn't work out. But she also stated that some of this was due to the high location of her fields. I wonder if it would have worked out better for her is her plantation was in a different location. If it isn't terribly difficult to convert to organic ways and it results in better products and healthier consumers then I would hope that many major food manufacturers would enter the organic market. Currently of the 107 countries that grow coffee only 40 of those countries produce organic coffee products. That is less than half of the coffee growing population even though organic farming is proven to be better for the world and for coffee drinkers. But as I said the organic demand is growing so hopefully this statistic will soon be changing for the better.

Bananas Capitulo Dos

Well I am still looking forward to my first visit to a banana plantation. For some reason I thought I would see bananas all over the country but I really haven't been. I guess that we have been either in San Jose or in tourist spots for most of the trip so I suppose it makes sense that I am not seeing bananas everyday with the exception of my breakfast plate.

One thing that I have realized with the help of Lindsay is that the state of the bananas is definetly different down here than in the United States. I didn't notice it right away but now it makes sense. The bananas I have every morning for breakfast are perfect. They are just to my liking because they are very rip to the point that they have some brown spotting on the peel, which is just the way I want them. When you visit a grocery store in the States you only see bright yellow or even green bananas. I don't like them this raw so I usually have to wait a few days before I eat them. Exporters like Costa Rica send out the bananas when they are very raw and green so they are nice and yellow and attractive to consumers in North America. What is left for the Costa Ricans to eat is the riper bananas that many Americans would consider too far gone, but I think are just perfect.

As I had mentioned in my first blog bananas pose some harmful affects to the environment. A page from the WWF website explains some of the consequences to banana farming. "The volume of waste produced is at least equal to the volume of bananas produced," says the site. That's an amazing thing to think about; That everytime I eat a banana there is that must waste that is also produced and put out into the environment. The banana is a pretty popular fruit so I know that the sheer volume of bananas produced each year is probably astounding, which means the watse and residues produced is also going to be astounding and very detrimental to the environment.

One of the main wastes of banana farms is the organic waste, that is the banana plants themselves and the bananas that are not good enough to sell. In 1996, the number of rejected bananas in Costa Rica alone measured over 225,000 metric tons. Unfortunately banana producers do not always dispose of these wastes properly and that is when the harm is done. I never would have thought that growing bananas could result in killing fish. But when the waste is dumped into rivers by irresponsible farmers these can be the consequences.

Manuel Antonio

So we just had our first beach trip and though the weather was awful I actually did have a great time. We got up waaay early to meet at Veritas and load our very small van-like bus for the 4 hour trip. Along the way we stopped to see alligators or crocs or whatever they were. When we got to Manuel Antonio it was raining (big surprise). So we went to get lunch and then hit the beach. There was no sun at all but it did stop raining so we had an awesome time swimming in the Pacific and trying not to swallow too much salt water. That night we went to happy hour at another restaurant and then to a discoteca with a live band. The next day some of us went on a hike through the national park but because it was raining again we didn't see a lot of wildlife. We saw a few animals and some amazing views and then spotted some monkeys after a giant tree fell down and they all started hollering at it. So the park would have been better if it wasn't raining and the animals weren't hiding, but I guess I got a good workout in. So then we rode that tiny bus back to San Jose and went to bed really early to have class alllll day today.

Cool Trees

Crazy Weekend

So over the last few days I have developed bruises, scrapes, sore muscles, and one very stiff neck. All in all this weekend was exhausting, but exhilarating all at the same time. Every time we do something new it hits me all over again that I am in Costa Rica on a once-in-a-lifetime trip having the time of my life. Everyday I think it can't get any better but somehow it does. I know we have to get up really early and we go go go all day long, but it is so worth it to see the things we are seeing and to do these awesome activities. So here is a quick recap of the weekend:
On Friday we rode the bus to Arenal and went to the Baldi hot springs. It was gorgeous, especially with the volcano right there in the background. I went down this insane slide that definitely would not have passed US safety standards about 4 or 5 times. Then I sat in the hottest spring which was 152 degrees and absolutely painful but worth it just to say I did it.

The amazing view of the volcano from our hotel

This is the crazy slide at Baldi

On Saturday I got on a horse for the first time since junior high and quite honestly I was nervous because my horse was huge. I was towering over most everyone else. Though my horse was a little stubborn we rode through the gorgeous mountains then got a little adventurous and galloped up a steep hill. Next we relaxed a little in the cold waters of the La Fortuna waterfall which was also beautiful. It was well worth the 8000 stairs we had to climb up and down to get to it. After the fall we went on a hike near the volcano. We even got to see some of the old rocks of lava that had been chucked out of the volcano. The views were amazing.

La Fortuna

On Sunday we took a boat ride across the Arenal Lake which is covering an old village, on our way to Monteverde. The roads are ridiculous and I am surprised we made it alive. Even more amazing was that the bus made it. Our driver has skills. So when we got to Monteverde we took a canopy tour of the Cloud Forest which was unbelievable. It was pouring down rain which made it hard to keep my eyes open but the whole experience was indescribable. We even did the Tarzan Swing which also made me nervous but was way cool. That night we ate at the best restaurant we have been to so far, a pizzeria and it was delicious. Later we took a night walk in the park and saw bugs. We also saw bugs inside our hotel which wasn't too fun. At the hotel we played some sweet games of Mafia. I love that everyone gets along so well and plays games together :o)

Bob doing the Tarzan Swing

On Monday we got up way earlier than any college student should ever have to wake up to take another walk in the park but in the day time. It was worth it because we got to see a male and female Quetzal which is a rare bird that Monteverde is known for. It's actually really pretty and apparently seeing both genders in one day is a pretty big deal. Just walking through and hearing the birds sing was nice too because the birds in Ohio don't sound as nice as the birds here. So then we dropped our professors off at the airport so they can go to Cuba (haha, yes they left the country and left us all alone) and came back to San Jose. Morell and I arrived to the nice surprise that our laundry had been done which was fabulous because everything from this weekend is wet and filthy so we are pretty much out of clean clothes. We also did our first bit of souvenir shopping today which was fun because we went to this little market where we could barter with the people and get great deals. I even bought a surprise souvenir to take home, though I don't know how I will get it home of what I will do with it once it gets there. So now I am going to get ready to travel some more.

We leave for Manuel Antonio in the morning to catch some rays at the beach and hopefully learn to surf and see some monkeys.
This weekend was just amazing and I can't wait to see what the next trips bring.

Actually Learning

So I think today started my learning on this trip. When I applied to the various abroad workshops through the FSB I originally wanted to go to Lux not Costa Rica. I wasn't looking at the courses offered, I just wanted to go to Europe. Now that I am here I am so glad I decided to come to Costa Rica. If I was on one of the other programs I would be taking accounting or econ or some other boring business classes that I don't really care about. Here we are learning about stuff that I find very interesting and have always wanted to learn about but haven't had the opportunity. I think this sustainability business is very interesting and enlightening as well as being relevant to the modern world. I know the main idea of this course is not global warming but climate change is definitely one aspect that goes into a business's sustainability. Global warming is something I have wanted to learn about but haven't really had the chance because for some reason the whole issue becomes political and very controversial. Well I am excited to get the opportunity to really learn about it especially after seeing stories like the Aral Sea which was once the size of Ireland but in only a few decades has almost completely dried up. So basically I am glad that I actually like the topic of our classes and will be learning about things that I may not have otherwise. Plus we get the added benefit of being in Costa Rica which is pretty much amazing. So now we are getting ready to leave for our first weekend trip to see some volcanoes and relax in the hot springs. Now the fun is going to start.

O yea, and apparently there was an earthquake last night which means that I have survived 2 earthquakes in the past couple of months and have felt neither, haha.

Cafe!

I seriously wish that I actually liked coffee because we have seen some really cool stuff these last two days and had the chance to try some amazing coffee. Yesterday we were supposed to visit a coffee plantation in Monte Cristo but that didn't work out so we surprised a very nice woman, Daisy Rodriguez who actually just won an award for having the numer one quality coffee in Costa Rica. The plantation, Cafe Tal, was high up near the clouds and we actually walked all around all the farm and the coffee plants. I even ate a bean right off the plant. Well I spit it out after a minute because it had a weird sweet taste, but at least I tried it. I previously knew nothing about how coffee farming worked and it was interesting to learn that the coffee bean grows in a fruit. It actually just looks like red berries when it is ready to be picked.

Daisy tried to be an organic farm for three years but it wasn't working out financially so she changed back to the traditional ways. She said that the location of her farm provides some limitations because it is so high up. The altitude makes it very humid and the clouds can block the sunlight the plants need to thrive. These limits were even greater for organic plants so this contributed to her changing back to a traditional plantation. Obviously it has worked out because she has done quite well and now has an excellent product. Because she has won this award she is able to sell 100 pound bags of her sun-dried coffee for $1500 which is apparently very good. Although Daisy did not know we were coming very far in advance she provided us with some very useful information.

Hiding Among the Coffee Plants

A Ripe Coffee Bean

Today we visited Cafe Britt. Immediatelty upon entering the location we could tell that this was going to be very different than the Rodriquez farm. First of all it was in a city not off in the mountains. We took an organized and very entertaining tour instead of hiking about the hills of a farm. Here I think we learned more about coffee in general rather than the business aspect of the coffee industry in Costa Rica. Cafe Britt is a much more commercial company that has an active website and ships its products anywhere in the world. Instead of seeing simple tables where the beans are sun-dried like the day before, we were shown a very large rotating chamber that used heat to dry the beans. The amount of time spent in the roasting chamber determined weather the coffee would be a light roast, dark roast, or espresso. We were told about the common coffee sins that I know most Americans make such as reheating an old coffee, and we saw a video about the history of coffee with some dramatizations provided by our talented tour guides. Then in a true test to Cafe Britt's commercialness we had lunch in the dining area and bought products in the large gift shop.

Tour Guides at Cafe Britt

Definetly More Commercial than Cafe Tal

As I mentioned earlier, the workers at Cafe Tal seem to be working under good conditions. One big influence in the coffee industry currently is Fair Trade. Fair Trade is set up for importers of international coffee. An importer must be certified to be truly Fair Trade which means they have to meet specific standards. The coffee must be bought for a minimum price which assumes that the employees are treated fairly and are working under decent conditions. The minimum price is over $1.00 per pound which is clearly better than the average 60-70 cents that I already stated the coffee industry is experiencing. This higher price means that workers are getting paid more and they can support their family and not live in poverty even after all their hard work in the fields. The better, happier workers and the higher prices also lead to a better coffee product. There is a simple label that consumers can look for in order to insure that the coffee they are buying is certified Fair trade.

When I visited Cafe Britt´s website I found the Apr-June 2008 newsletter from the president that actually happens to be about Fair Trade. The letter poses the question of why Cafe Britt should have their product certified when they claim that they have been following these business practices from the beginning. They have been using Fair Trade methods long before it became a certifiable option. Although Cafe Britt says that they have always conducted business in a fair way and ¨pay the highest prices in the country for top quality¨ they are currently looking into a Fair Trade certification. The president said that Fair Trade favors small growers and would not certify a company as large as Cafe Britt until recently and that many Fair Trade certifications are used only as a marketing ploy to entice consumers. It was also mentioned that Cafe Britt will soon be offering a coffee that will be certified buy the Rainforest Alliance. It seems that despite the fact that they have always done business in an acceptable manner, Cafe Britt is going to give into the certifying trend in order to stay inline with competitors and please the consumers. Whether it is a ploy or not, or even if they feel it is necessary I think we will soon see Fair Trade certified Cafe Britt products.

Well that is all for now. Stay tuned to see what else I learn about coffee during my time in Costa Rica.

Bananas Capitulo Uno

I had my first banana sighting on our first full day here at the gift shop we stopped by in San Jose. One of the really cool things about Costa Rica is that most of the buildings are very open. So when we went inside the shop it went right outside into a yard with a banana tree.

Bananas are grown in 107 countries across the world with %10-%15 of this production being for export (mostly being sold to the U.S. and Europe according to Wikipedia). It actually surprises me that the export statistics are so low since bananas are such a popular fruit. But I guess when there is a good banana growing climate in over 100 countries there doesn't need to be so much exporting.

One the major exporters of bananas is Costa Rica. Bananas are a big deal here. We have been told that they are the number 2 or 3 leading industry in CR. Though we also learned while back at Miami that the banana industry is much more damaging to the environment than say the coffee industry is. Banana plantations are very large and they require more chemicals to keep them safe. Because they are difficult to maintain, farmers tend to abandon their fields when they reach a certain point and search for a new area to use. This obviously takes up a large amount of Costa Rican land and may not be so efficient. I am pretty excited to visit the banana plantations and see what it's all about. It's interesting that one of the major exports of CR is also rather damaging to the environment. I want to hear about how the banana plantations work, why they are harmful, and what the Ticos may be trying to do to help the situation. All in all I think the sustainability issue is pretty interesting and look forward to seeing how a simple fruit like bananas fits into the equation.

Turismo Parte Uno

Well I don't know much about the trousim industry in Costa Rica yet except that I am a part of it. I do remember that the lecturer (Roldolfo maybe, I really can't remember his name) who spoke to us yesterday about sustainability said that toursim has become the number one industry in Costa Rica. He said that since 1994 their has been a big boom in tourism and that it now exceeds other industries like bananas and Intel. I can understand why more and more tourists would want to come here; it is such a beautiful country, though I am sure I will see this more as we really get out and explore Costa Rica. The infocostarica.com website (which seems to be a bit outdated) says that 17% of the Tico population are employed by the tourism industry and that there has been a very large jump in employment and hotels being built and other tourist related figures. I would imagine that these numbers are now a bit higher which seems to make sense because Costa Rica has the lowest unemployment rate in the area. I have heard and read a few things about some damaging effects of the tourism industry but do not have anything too concrete yet. The tourism industry has grown so much and so quickly that developers are only thinking about the short term demand and profit so they do not really take enough time to think about the long run and the invaluable ecosystem that they may be harming. I have heard about animals becoming endangered or hunted or having their homes destroyed because of tourism developments which is really sad because these are the things that tourists come to Costa Rica to see in the first place. I guess everything has it's consequences and luckily CR does a good amount of protected areas and parks, but the tourism developers need to be very careful and consider the results that their actions will have. Costa Rica is a beautiful place that should be shared with the world and hopefully if people are smart about it, the beauty can stay intact for many many generations to come and enjoy.

The beginning of the pictures

First Banana Sighting

Sweet Cow

National Theatre

Getting to Know San Jose

Well we have only been here for a few days but it kind of seems like forever. We start so early and seem to fit so much in each day so it feels like we have been here for a while now. We had our first class today and had sort a brief intro into what we will be studying. I think the sustainibility topic is very interesting and I want to learn about it but the classes are quite long so we will see how that goes...haha...sorry Saul and Glenn.

Our host family is quite nice. We live with a really cute little old lady and another student from Montana who has been here for a couple of months already. Our host mom's son and wife live in the house behind us and they share a large and very pretty yard. The son speaks english pretty well but he isn't in our house much and since the mom speaks no english there is a bit of a language barrier. I am starting to get used to the food here. I am an extremely picky eater and the food here is so filling that I feel bad when I don't eat much of the dinner that our host mom makes, but I think she has learned that I only eat un poco.

I am most excited about the weekend excusions and can't wait to get out in nature. I think staying in the hotel will be fun too since we will all be together. Our group is a lot of fun. I think we have the perfect blend of craziness and calm. ;o)

We're Here!

We made it to San Jose! We haven't really done too much except touring the city and trying to get familiar with the area. On our first day we walked all over San Jose and saw beautiful buildings and parks and awesome trees. I think things are quite different here than they are in the States. My initial impression was fear because all the buildings have barbed wire and barred windows and gates. Even the houses have big thick bars protecting the homes. But we were told that this is what Ticos do, it's how they build their houses and it does add protecion too so I guesss it's less scary. I suppose others may come to our homes and think we do things odd too.
Veritas seems like a pretty cool school. It's an art school so there are cool works on display and the building is very bright and colorful. The students who built the furniture that is currently on display are quite talented.

One thing that we are all going crazy about is the lack of cell phones. Many of us use our cell phones not only to talk to our friends and family but also as a general use of contact and even as a clock so without all this we are sort of lost. I never know what time it is because I don't have a watch with a working battery. And none of us really knew what to do when trying to meet up with others simply because we have no way to contact each other except through the host families and well we haven't quite mastered that yet. Though I did realize pretty quickly that it's kind of nice to just go about your day without knowing what time it is. In the states and especially at school it is always go, go, go. We have so many obligations and there is never enough time. We are pretty much ruled by the clock. So being without a watch or a good contact is kind of a cool way to really experience the Tico lifestyle and enjoy things rather than worry about all the things we have to do and what time we need to do them.

O yea and on our first day Morell and I got a little lost. We were driven from our house to Veritas so we didn't have a good sense of where the house actually was so when we had to go back we didn't actually know where we were going. We knew what turns we needed to make just not where the turns were and an extra little drive threw us off a bit, so we wondered around in the rain for about a half an hour with the help of some of our classmates (thanks boys!). But we made it eventually and now we know where we are going!