Costa Rica
Written By Jim and Susan McCutcheon
157 Enfield Falls Road
Ithaca, NY 14850
e-mail: susan4468@aol.com
or explorer@samexplo.org
Dates: September 4-11, 2000
If you've grown weary of the adventure travel South America has
to offer and
just can't stand the thought of one more strangle mugging in Cusco,
hold up
in Lima, or roadblock search in Bolivia, you might be ready to
treat yourself
to a civilized respite in Costa Rica. Here, the natives are
friendly and the
only worries are with the abundant wildlife, which I guess would
explain why
most houses have bars on their doors and windows. The more
affluent have
their fences gaily trimmed with razor wire, probably because the
howler
monkeys know where all the good stuff is.
Costa Rica is the jewel of democracy and
economic stability in Central
America, and links two great continents. To travel here is
at once to be
overwhelmed by its beauty and natural splendor and at the same
time to be
startled at the vast acreage that has been deforested to support
a growing
population and an economy once dependent upon the exportation of
meat. The
Costa Ricans have now recognized the importance of their rain forests
for
themselves, as well as for the rest of the world, and are very
actively
taking steps to preserve biodiversity and still encourage industry
and
growth. The government is committed to increasing tourism to both
stimulate
their economy and expose visitors to Costa Rica's many natural
treasures.
My wife and I were fortunate to be included on a recent tour
of several
areas within driving distance of the nation's capital. San Jose
is the
starting point to anywhere because that's where the airport is.
This area is
called the central valley and is a broad stretch of incredibly
beautiful
coffee country that lies between two mountain ranges.
Before departing San Jose for the many
distant points of interest, a
visit to the INBioparque should be on every visitor's agenda.
This is a
phenomenal educational and research facility with excellent exhibits,
films,
specimens, and interactive computer teaching stations. The INBioparque
guides
present an excellent overview of the incredible effort that is
being made to
inventory every species within the borders of Costa Rica. This
non-profit,
non-governmental organization has undertaken a very progressive
and ambitious
endeavor to study and conserve a major portion of the country's
wild
biodiversity and determine how we can live in harmony with these
natural
treasures so that all things prosper. Their success may be
essential to
improving the quality of human life not only in Costa Rica but
for the rest
of the planet as well. This stop is a must see at either
the beginning or
end of your visit.
One of our destinations northwest of the
capitol was the active volcano,
Arenal. Our journey was spectacularly scenic taking us past hillside
after
hillside, neatly lined with row upon row of coffee plants, a patchwork
of
fields utilizing every available space. Moving away from the city
and to
slightly higher altitude, we encountered large farms planted in
ornamental
tropical plants destined to one day adorn North American malls
and doctor's
offices. The scenic drive is made more interesting by the overwhelming
insistence of the locals to pass on blind curves. Arriving
anywhere alive
feels like a refreshing bonus to the day's itinerary. Hire
a driver.
These expansive fields and the fancy hotels of San
Jose are a sharp
contrast to the meager structures along the way that the rural
Costa Ricans
call home; rusty tin roofs, colorfully painted stucco, steel barred
windows,
the TV antenna, and the family cow or goat tied to the back door.
Apparently
if you can't have a guard dog the next best thing is a cow.
At the foot of mighty Arenal is the resort
spa, Tabacan. Here the new
Costa Rica comes into focus, the great exploitation of a natural
wonder.
Smiling faces and bright eyes whose pupils reflect the symbol of
the dollar
sign unabashedly greet the tourist and offer one decadent sensual
pleasure
after another. This great natural phenomenon once feared
and worshipped by
the native population is now worshipped in another way. The
molten lava that
slowly creeps down the slopes is today a steady flow of cash and
they now
pray that it may never cease.
Cynicism aside, it is a great stop for road weary travelers.
For any adults
who have endured a waterslide type theme park with their children,
this is
the long awaited adult version. The spa features hot pool after
hot pool in a
magnificent, tropical garden setting, with pool side bars, mud
treatments,
massages, pedicures, and even a water slide which delivers you
to in-pool
cocktail service where you can soak in the shadow of Arenal and
be calmed by
the warmth of mother earth. All hotel rooms face the volcano, so
after a
relaxing dinner you can return to your balcony and enjoy watching
the soft
red glow of molten lava slowly creep down the slope toward your
room.
Many of the roads in Costa Rica, away from the major population
centers,
would not be considered roads at all by U.S. standards and that
is exactly
the reason that you might want to travel along them. There
are unspoiled
landscapes and mountainscapes so magnificent that only those willing
to
endure a bumpy and possibly dusty ride should be privileged to
see them. If
your van does not come equipped with its own dialysis unit or have
support
bras for the women passengers then you are probably on the wrong
road. It is
the physical price one must pay to know the charm of Costa Rica,
may this
part never change.
The high road from the lake at Arenal to Monteverde is one of these
roads and
traverses pastureland of mind numbing beauty. Tiny farmhouses,
far from any
community, dot the landscape and subsist in this apparent Eden.
At one turn
in the road smiling uniformed school children swinging from a school
house
gate overflow from the small dirt playground; disheveled, toothless,
but
willing models eager to pose for photos. Closer to Monteverde,
the hillsides
are once again neatly quilted with undulating rows of coffee.
The journey is
so enchanting that it is easy to forget that these fields stand
where there
was once lush rain forest housing thousands of living species.
This
realization is startlingly apparent upon entering the cloud forest
at
Monteverde.
At cloud level, in the presence of massive ancient trees and species
that
predate mankind it can be understood that these plants in their
great thirst
and hunger for nutrients take in carbon dioxide and air-born minerals
from
far away continents and in so doing, supply the world with oxygen
and
potential life saving medicines. Here we see plants with
great demands for
nitrogen neighbor themselves with other plants that fix nitrogen
to the soil
and we are easily enlightened to our connectedness worldwide.
One species
lost in the rainforest can mean the loss of its neighbor and have
global
consequences. Species have come and gone as a part of the
evolutionary
process since life on this planet began. Evolutionary change
required for
adaptation to new conditions occurs only over hundreds and thousands
of
years; but technology and the impact of man on nature have accelerated
the
timeframe in which environments can be altered and destroyed.
The effects of
air pollution, water pollution, and clear cutting of forests appear
quickly
leaving no time for the evolutionary process. There is an
awareness in Costa
Rica, a country with only 0.03% of the global territory but home
to 5% of the
worlds biodiversity, that it is of paramount importance to preserve
and
protect what we have or knowingly join the endangered species list.
You
cannot be here without feeling that there is so much to do and
so little time.
Allen Patton wrote, "Stand unshod upon it, for the ground is holy,
being even
as it came from the Creator. Keep it, guard it, care for
it, for it keeps
men, guards men, cares for men. Destroy it and man is destroyed."
These
words, from Cry, The Beloved Country, were of another country on
another
continent, yet as we traveled across the mountains and through
the rain
forests of Costa Rica they resounded with every footfall and every
turn in
the road.
A guided trip through the cloud forest, on good day with a good
guide, will
take you to the home of howler monkeys, sloths, white faced monkeys,
brilliant hummingbirds, the Resplendent Quetzal, more bird life
than I can
remember, towering trees and awe invoking vegetation. Arrangements
for
getting experienced cloud forest guides can be made through most
hotels in
Monteverde or through an outfitter like Costa Rica Expeditions.
ICT, the
government tourist board will also make recommendations for guides,
or
anything else for that matter, and are very friendly and helpful.
This was our second trip to Costa Rica. The first was during their
dry
season, December-April, and we were rarely dry. This trip,
during the
"green" season, we were rarely wet. So it may not matter when you
go, just be
prepared for anything. During the "green" season everything
is truly
greener, less crowded and less expensive. Seems like a no-brainer.
The government is going to great lengths to promote tourism by
improving
roads, access to information and increasing security at tourist
destinations.
With this as a source of income, Costa Rica will be less
dependent upon
agriculture, which may help save the rainforest for all of us.
Tourism is
now in some stage of its adolescence. As roads are improved
and greater
wealth comes to the country much of the charm may be lost. So,
go soon. It
is spectacular, affordable and friendly.
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