San Jose is interesting and food in December is tasty!

The capital doesn't have high rise buildings or much left of the colonial era. Yet, there is a lot of nice architecture to see, if one knows where to look for it.

In the last week of December, there are festivities and events for Josefinos (people from San Jose) to celebrate the end and beginning of the year, mainly the Tope and the municipal festivities in Zapote.

A good concentration of points of interest in San Jose is found on and around the Central Avenue Boulevard. I walked the entire region from Iglesia de la Merced to Barrio Amon. Next day, I went to the Tope, one of the most popular events in San Jose at the end of the year, featuring horses from all over the country. Walking down the street and taking pictures of the people, I realized my half-brother was in one of them, and so I spent most of the time with him and his gung (in fact, the Barra Morada - Saprissa Die Hard soccer fans!).

Central Avenue Boulevard

  

The Boulevard at the "Avenida Central" is a pedestrian shopping mall that stretches for about 1.2 km (0.75 mi). There are shops, bookstores, restaurants and bars along the way. Important sites of interest on and around Avenida Central include the Central Market (1880), the National Post Office (1847), the Metropolitan Cathedral (1871), and the National Theater (1897). Most buildings are short, with some of them being three or four stories tall at the most - all over San Jose; many with nice arquitechture have been turned into stores, pharmacies and restaurants. It is a nice walk and there is more to see in the surrounding areas and with a good eye.


Barrio Amon

San Jose doesn't have much left of the colonial era, but some can still be found in this upscale neigborhood. Decades ago, rich families lived in large mansions here that featured architecture from colonial times. Today, most of the nicest buildings are now hotels, restaurants and art galleries or government offices. A few blocks away from the busy and commercial Avenida Central, Barrio Amon is a quite residential area characterised by hills, bohemian and artsy scenes, and interesting architecture.


Tope de San Jose

The end-of-the-year horse parade usually takes place on the Sunday before new year's eve, and marks the beginning of the municipal festivities in Zapote. According to La Nacion, a major newspaper, this year there was a record number of horse riders, with more than 4,000 compared to around 2,000 last year. The ambient is always exicinting and fun. Families and groups of friends put on their cowboy huts and set mini-bars and pic-nic tables on the street, and some even bring sofas! Also, there are the famous "Cimarronas" - groups of musicians that play at town festivities. In all, this is a fun activity to relax and have a good laugh with beer.


Toros a la Tica

Zapote, San Jose

Bull-fighting Tico style is an all time favorite. Hundreds of improvised bull fighters tease the bull in the "Redondel". Some of them put on customes like Superman, Batman, clowns, etc. Unlike in other countries, the bull is not killed, and instead, many get badly hurt, and some even killed. There is also the "Monta de Toros" which is to ride the bull, similar to how Texans do it but in the Tico style. This year, there were presentations by international bull riders, including Texans, South and Central Americans in the December festivities in San Jose.

The "Toros" also have funny moments, like last week in Zapote when a bull undressed almost completly a guy - and he got paid $50 for that! Check out the first 30 seconds of the youtube video. Another video with improvised bull fighting in Santa Cruz coming up.


The Food, The Food!!!

Gifts and festitivities at the end of the year are nice.... but the food makes everything even nicer!  Traditionally, Ticos prepare "tamales" only in December, so imagine how much happiness there is around after waiting for 11 months! Some people like to eat them with coffee and others with "agua dulce" for either meal of the day.  Another tradition is to have two dinners, one on the 24th at the regular dinner time and the other one on the 31st at midnight, although not everyone likes to wait.

The festivities at the end and beginning of the year offer a good opportunity to see how Ticos like to eat and celebrate. In January, there are some more festivities in other parts of the country outside of San Jose. The two most anticipated (by account of many and the adversiting on TV) are the "Fiestas de Palmares, Alajuela" and the "Fiestas de Santa Cruz, Guanacaste". Going to these festivities in Palmares and Santa Cruz is already a tradition for many. They feature dance halls, tent bars, fireworks, lots of foods, contests, and the beloved Tope and bull fighting Tico style.

Both events are good in their own right. Palmares has a mix of country side and city life, and since I have memory the festivities here have always been regarded as one of the biggest and most exciting events that include concert presentations by international and national artists. In regards to Santa Cruz, life here is very traditional and one of Guanacaste's most important towns. Aside from that, Guanacaste is considered the cradle of Costa Rican traditions. And.... people here are known for partying hard, from sunset to sunrise - for five months in different towns!

This year, these two festivities fall on the same dates on the week of the 14th, so I am gonna have to do miracles to assist to both.


Photo albums this week

• San Jose
• Tope in San Jose
• Costa Rican Foods

First week: Guanacaste

I spent my first week in Costa Rica traveling in Santa Cruz, Guanacaste. From there, I visited different towns. In my experience, doing research with travelling books can result in a more affordable trip than booking online. Another approach is to just go to places and take things as they come for a more adventurous experience, while also having on the side plans B and C.


Here is a thought: we might have an idea of where we come from, but it is very difficult to know where we are going to and when. Why not take advantage of this by coming and going from and to all directions and at all times.


Festival of Lights, San Jose

The Festival of Lights in San Jose celebrated its 15^th anniversary, and this was the first time I went to see it live. Each year there are more complex decorations and themes, and the idea is now extending to other provinces.

The event attracts around 1 million people each year and features “carrozas”, bands, celebrities, fireworks and a large variety of entertainment activities. It officially starts at 6:00 and goes on for four or five hours. The parade presents a good mix of themes that includes ecology, advertising for several businesses, typical images of Costa Rica and some not so typical, and the level of detail gets better each year.

The next day I woke up at 9:00, had sweet and salty tamales for breakfast, and by 11:00 I was getting on the bus to San Jose on my way to Nicoya, in the province of Guanacaste. No plan, only a general idea of what I was gonna do.


Town Festivities in Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz is a very small and charming town close to the mountains. There is a lot of commerce there, both chain stores and local businesses. Many people ride bikes, the main streets are wide, and there are old houses in many of the corners. The ambient is very tranquil, even at the busiest of the intersections. Later in the afternoon, close to 5:00, the birds get noisy, and there is that feeling of serenity, almost as if nothing had happened during the day.

There are a few hotels in the area at various rates. One of the nicest ones is Alcala for $60 the night, including breakfast, Wi-Fi, swimming pool and very comfortable installations, and close to the Tralapa Co. bus terminal. I needed something more affordable, so I went to Pension Amadita, for $10 the night, about five blocks away from the bus terminal. It included a private room, and a shared bathroom. The installations are very rustic and there is no breakfast included, but was good for a tight budget.

The festivities in Santa Cruz are typical of small towns, taking place in a small plaza in the middle of the town. The main attraction is the bull fighting Costa Rican style, where a bunch of guys tease the bull without killing it. There are a few food stands, improvised dance halls and bars, traditional marimba presentations and dances, some gambling and rides for children.  Many of the improvised establishments play their own music in addition to the bull fighting announcements and the music from the dance halls, making the noise a bit confusing, but fun anyway.

Santa Cruz has two festivities that go with the end and beginning of the year, one in December and a bigger one in January when more people from other provinces come. Each one goes for about four days and can last till early in the morning.

All over Guanacaste, events like this last about four or five days and move from one town to the next. This goes on from November to June, making Guanacaste the province where people like to party the hardest in the traditional Tico way. In terms of music to dance, cumbia and merengue are preferred, which is also true for most of the country with the exception of Limon, where reggae is big.


Tamarindo and Playa Grande

After Santa Cruz I went to Tamarindo, a small beach town next to Las Baulas National Marine Park. There are three beaches nearby: Playa Grande, Tamarindo and Langosta. Playa Grande is popular during the day for surfing, and at night there are guided tours sponsored by the national park to see the Leatherback Turtles lay their eggs.

There are private tour guide operators that go to the park all over Tamarindo and Playa Grande that cost in average $35-$30, in addition to the $15 that the park charges to foreigners. This is a good price if one comes from Tamarindo and doesn't have a car. There are no buses in the evening from the park to Tamarindo and the average rate to come back by taxi is $30. Tickets to the park can be purchased directly at the park's office in Playa Grande and Tamarindo.

Tamarindo is one of the best spots for surfing in Costa Rica. Near the estuary, the waves are considered to be more consistent and give enough time to ride before they break. The surfing areas closer to town have lower waves that break faster, and are good for beginners. Lessons cost in average $45 for two hours, and instructors take one or two people at a time.

The beach is also very nice, surrounded by mountains and tall trees. The water is very clear and from far looks dark blue. It is very clean, there are lots of shells and the sunset is immaculate.  The best times to visit are between December and April, both for surfing and to see the turtles.

A must do here is taking a good 30-minute hike to the top of the mountain for a panoramic view of the bay. The dirt road up to the top is really steep and hard to walk, but once there the sweat is well worth. There is a complete view of the entire bay, including all three beaches, the national reserve, and the mountains of the “Cordillera Central” in the back. Aside from the breathtaking view, it is very peaceful up there, and it makes it easy to clear one’s mind and have appreciation for Mother Nature.

I stayed at Bahia Paraiso Hostel for $15 a night. Prices around here for hostels range from $10 to $15 in average. Other places are much more expensive, but there seems to be a good variety for all budgets.

Something that calls the attention when entering Tamarindo is how little by little the signs change from Spanish to English, and eventually all the signs are virtually in English only. For the last decade, Tamarindo has been experiencing a large scale of development, as in most of the northern pacific coast in Guanacaste. Real estate is a big business and prices of properties have been sky rocketing.

In New York I learned that gentrification is the process of changing the composition of a neighborhood from relatively affordable housing and commerce to more expensive ones. It is my impression that in Costa Rica this is commonly known as “Americanization”.  Personally, I’m ok with open market policies and business development for tourism to a certain extent. I just hope that in most areas it is the locals who take advantage of their resources and try to keep development at a pace that is not harmful to nature.


Chorotega Pottery and Tortillas in Guatil

The Chorotegas were one of the most influential indigenous tribes in Costa Rica before the Spaniards arrived. Very few of their traditions seem to be left, including cooking recipes and pottery techniques.

Guatil is one of the few towns where Chorotega pottery is still put in practice. Here, I was adopted by a family at the Oven Store Shop who taught me the basics of pottery and how to make Chorotega tortillas from scratch. It takes about 30 minutes to get here by bus from Santa Cruz. The roads are in good condition and the scenery of the Guanacastecan savanna with its cows, horses, small hills and short trees is impressive. There are no Chorotega villages in Guatil now, but some people who live here are direct descendants of this tribe, although very few.

The town is small, consisting of small chops around the soccer field. Each chop makes its own crafts by hand and sell them to tourist and to other businesses including hotels in the area. The locals tell me that before the recent global economic crises many tourists would come and buy from them, but now the business is very slow.

On the southeast corner of the soccer field there is Oven Store, a small family-owned shop. All their work is made by hand and with natural materials. The soil used to make the clay can be found only in this region; it has to be purchased as it is in private property. Unfortunately, the owner of the land has plans to develop it and if that happens, then there won’t be soil to create more Chorotega art crafts, which could mean the end of this beautiful tradition.

After three days, I was able to make two small pots (picture above). I also learned how to make tortillas from scratch and the results were good. The tortillas are made by first boiling the corn with wood ashes, which helps to break the grain faster. Then, the corn is washed, ground and mixed with water. The dough is then cooked on a clay plate over the wood oven. The tortillas came out better than the pots, but I was happy with my work either way.

While I was in Guatil, I also went to the festivities in Santa Barbara and to an elementary school and kinder garden graduation ceremony. The event also included a program for adults who had just learned to write and read. They had music and a dance show, which reminded me of the days when I was a school kid.

Right now Oven Store doesn’t have a website, but I will be trying to help them out. If I can find someone who knows about web development, that would help a lot (hint, hint!).

Ostional Wildlife Refuge

Ostional is one of the world’s most important nesting beaches for the Lora Turtle. The “arrivada” is the time when the turtles come to lay their eggs, which could be by the hundreds at a time between July and December. I was able to only see the little turtles making their way into the ocean. The experience is incredible, and I think it is worth seeing at least once.

Here, there is far less development than in Tamarindo. The beaches didn’t seem to be what most people would expect for bathing or surfing, but they are great to see the turtles laying their eggs and also when they are born. For the little turtles, it is best to come out at night when there are fewer predators on the beach. In the morning, there are lots of vultures and other animals that eat them. Good thing is that the locals care for the turtles and many of them come early in the morning to try to make sure the turtles make it to the ocean.

The town is very small, with a few places to eat and drink near the beach, but with more establishments up the hills where the view is good. Getting here is not easy as the conditions of the roads are very harsh. After the rainy season each year, the bridges are often damaged making the trip even harder. Finding a place to stay is not difficult, but it is definitely best to plan ahead of time to come see the turtles and take guided tours inside the park.

I met Marcia from South Carolina and her tour guide Carlos who took me to Santa Cruz. Along the way, we stopped in Playa Lagarto, and met Don Luis, a fisherman who is also a leader of a community association for tourism and town development. His association tries to protect the natural settings of the area, and to promote local economic development and be able to compete with foreign investments.

Community Associations for tourism and local development are common in many areas of the country and extend to different business sectors. The idea is to allow the local community to have access to credit, assistance for development ideas, and a share profit plan that benefits the locals. The central government seems to have some “difficulties” giving support to these small associations when big business owners, especially foreign, put pressure to develop coastal areas and are willing to pay big money.

Chorotega Corn Tortillas Recipe

Ingredients

Yellow corn

Wood ashes

Water


Process


1. Dry the corn outside

2. Pick the grains

3. Boil wood ashes in water, then add the grains and cook

4. Wash the grains and then grind

5. Add water and prepared dough

6. Cook on a clay plate over fire


Special Thanks

Jesus, Susan, Carlos, Marjorie and your children, thanks for adopting me and giving me a place to stay and food. My experience in Guatil was very special thanks to your hospitality and generosity. Also, thanks for teaching me how to work with clay and to make tortillas in the Chorotegan tradition. You work very hard to make Oven Store one of the best pottery shops and I learned a lot from you.

Brian, body, thanks for the beer and for showing me around Playa Grande and telling me about the town. Your business idea for an eco-friendly sports-bar is really cool and I can't wait to try the ceviche man! I am not sure if I will be traveling as much as you did (and your dog Bear), but will try and let you know where I go next.

Don Francisco, thank you for telling me about the way Guanacastecans party and a little bit of the history in Tamarindo and the towns nearby. You are very knowledgeable and I hope to talk more with you soon.

Marcia and Carlos, thank you for taking me to see the turtles when I first arrived to Ostional late at night and then gave me a ride to Santa Cruz. I had never seen turtles coming out of the sand and then run into the ocean, and it was nice to have shared the experience with you. And to Don Luis, for showing us Lagarto Beach and sharing with us his plans for a Community Association.

KM 0, New York

This is my traveling blog for a trip starting on December 11, 2010. I’ll first go to Costa Rica and do some traveling there and get the TESL/TEFL certificate. Then, I plan to continue in southern Europe, northern Africa, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and make a U-turn towards northern Asia, Central and Western Europe, and back to New York.

I feel like Don Quixote de la Mancha. The horseshoes he gave to Rocinante helped him out to discover the world he only knew from books. In the end, he wrote his own destiny through creativity and an open mind.

The route has four parts: I) Spain, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Israel; II) Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia; III) Japan, Korea, China; IV) Central and Western Europe (countries tbd). Each part is planned separately from the others. Depending on how well I do to finance each part, I will be able to continue on my journey and make adjustments as needed. The trip could be as short as four months and as long as one year.

I want to see more of the world, and learn about other cultures, their history, arts, and ways of live. While I am out there, I plan on documenting my experiences and gather enough material to write a small book or a series of articles to help other travelers. I also have some business ideas and will try to do some networking for future projects.

In order to keep it all in a tight budget and to be able to stay longer in each place, most of my traveling will be on public transportation and when possible by land. For accomodations, I will start with couchsurfing and hostels. I’m also going to look for volunteer work in exchange for a place to stay, food and a stipend, and could even offer language and Latin dance lessons for extra cash.

Having seen so many people from all over the world here in New York would make anyone wonder what things are like out there. The ideas for this trip are in general terms, and although some important details are also included, it will be through improvisation how things will eventually happen, like everything else in life.

Will keep you posted....