African Roots in Limon, Costa Rica

Recently I had the pleasure to attend a Costa Rican history event and students invited North Americans from our community here in Grecia.

We were given facts about the Costa Rican culture. I was surprised how the students spoke of the culture of the people in Limon with so much respect and admiration.

They talked about how the people of Limon came to Costa Rica and how they have maintained their customs they had when they first arrived in Costa Rica. The people in Limon have not allowed the North American customs or the customs of their adopted country change their pride in what they do.

Even though their names are different from most natives living in Costa Rica, the African people of Limon have maintained their British slave names, so they stand out because most of the Costa Rican names are Spanish.

There is a certain pride you feel when you hear other Costa Ricans speak about the people of Limon. They admire their colorful clothing, their wonderful music and the foods they eat. The people of Costa Rica are sometimes reserved and unable to really relax and enjoy themselves. You do not feel that when you are in Limon where the people are full of joy and excitement in everything they do.

The city of Limon which is the capital of the Province of Limon celebrate their heritage from the mother land of Africa; they celebrate being black people.

There is going to be a celebration of the 100th anniversary of when Marcus Garvey came to Limon. Marcus Garvey had planned on arranging transportation ships back to Africa. The people in this part of the world hold up and honor Marcus Garvey as an international hero of black people. Just thinking about this upcoming celebration and what it means gets me excited!

Most people take tours of the northern parts of Costa Rica along the Pacific Coast, but I believe there is much beauty on the Caribbean coast. If you are thinking of coming to Costa Rica, you just must visit the Province of Limon.

I enjoyed visiting the city itself; it excited me to see people laughing and talking in the street. Everyone seems to know each other. The conditions are somewhat poor, but rich in heritage, hospitality and they seem to welcome just anyone and everyone. The Europeans love Limon.

Costa Rica has not capitalized on the richness of the area so Limon is a bot of a sleeping giant. My friend Ramiro Crawford of LimonRoots.net is arranging tours so if you are interested in the Afro-Limon-Costa Rican festival in August, start making plans as soon as possible.

The recent world sail boat challenge has helped put Limon on the map and is helping to make it a very popular tourist destination so come to Limon and take a part in a heritage that is rich and wonderful.

Meet people are proud to be people of color. They take great pride in being called a Negro or black. It is just wonderful, not to be offended and made to feel guilty about how God created you. Black pride is something we North Americans really don’t know about. The people of Limon represent pride in being black and beautiful and there is richness in their history and inheritance that we can play a part in.

If you are looking to invest, right now Limon could be an interesting investment. It is not an overnight investment; it is an investment that should come to full bloom in about 5-10 years. It would be great if black people could play a big part in the success of this area. If I was younger this is one of the places in the world I would be investigating in because of the growth potential and the areas logistics.

The port of Limon is the actual heart beat of Costa Rica. A lot of North American have been very slow to invest in Limon perhaps because of the black population, but without Limon Costa Rica will never reach its wealth potential. The most important port in Costa Rica is the port of Limon.

It sounds like I am excited about Limon, huh? Well I am excited! Reading the articles on www.LimonRoots.com is exciting! I don’t want to spoil it for you, so instead go to the web site and you will find information about Limon. Remember Limon is a Province as well as a city. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn the hidden facts about the people of Africa who were brought to Central America.

Come to Costa Rica and begin to enjoy the richness of our inheritance through the eyes of the people of Limon.

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Written by Jeanetta Owens who owns the lovely La Terraza B&B in Grecia which is about one hour from San José, Costa Rica. For a taste of living the good life in Grecia, Costa Rica, may we suggest you to book yourself into Jeanetta’s B&B for a nice long vacation.

Jeanetta’s B&B has been rated the #1 B&B in Grecia, Costa Rica by Trip Advisor. You can find her blog here at La Terraza Blog

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.