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PS. Alfred, I just wanted to clarify one point because I don’t know if I was very clear about it. Just like all living organisms, the global ecosystem we live in is open. This is evident with the solar energy that enters our atmosphere and allows for the very transmutation and existence of Life. It’s also evident in the heat/energies that flow from living organisms, but in the ‘material exchange’ of things, this planet is a closed system.
I always find the fiesta atmosphere of most voting days in CR an amazing sight and I wish my town embraced voting as much as they do. Although I think most of us, in this forum, probably choose to vote in our respective countries, not voting can be much more than just a sign of apathy, it’s also a clear political expression. I think someone mentioned this before and I agree, if the Oct. 7 vote would have had an option that stated: Would you like the CAFTA agreement to be better clarified before you make a final national decision? Most would have voted for that option. Confusing legislature/contracts are always problematic, and it’s only natural that people that have a duty to make them enforceable (or not) request they be crystal clear before they put their names and lives on the line for them…Although many voted still uncertain of what it may all come to mean, many did not vote because they frankly couldn’t understand much of it and refused to backup a document they (and many educated experts) seemed to have difficulty following. Can you imagine being in a country where you don’t speak the language and facing a life altering decision, body language can only take you so far–I think it would be pretty scary. Language helps us navigate our internal and external world so who should be punished or fined for creating a document that most couldn’t understand in English nor in Spanish? And how does this now becomes a Tico/a civic problem and not an issue of where it came from and why the document originated in such a form?
Dear Alfred, I absolutely agree with you and I want to let you know that it has truly been a pleasure to read your posts and that of most people in the forum, even when they have been divergent from my own. When we do stop to listen to those with different experiences and ideas, we usually expand our own and for that I’m extremely grateful to all. Although prejudice can exist in the heart of all of us since it seems a natural tendency to formulate US and the OTHER, every nation has its own shadow in this respect–Even when it might just be viewed as extreme nationalism–as seemed to be the case during the years I lived in Venezuela. I wasn’t confronted with some of its frightening magnitude until the US gov’t moved my family from Caracas to Miami in 1971 (racial riots, police, tear gas in primary schools, the neighborhoods that belonged to one group and “shouldn’t” be walked thru by another, on and on) . Some of us have had the privileged to have been born at the “right” time, in the “right” place, with the prevalent skin color, with decent economic conditions and from loving people that have protected us from personally experiencing the hardships that prejudice can impose with a heartless iron fist–but that doesn’t make it any less destructive human expression. As I’m sure you can tell from my posts, I do not happen to feel helpless nor “less than” just because I happen to be part of a minority in the US and that’s not only because I have had certain privileges, but also because I too believe that we’re ALL more alike than we are different. Even if I never did a typical DNA test, I have clues from my family’s physical characteristics, my family name and history as to where my recent evolutionary history lies, but what’s even more compelling to me is that all of our mitochondrial DNA. This genetic material which is within a human organelle that powers our cells, became part of us so very long ago, is only passed on from mother to child and happens to break up all of humanity within less than 10 groups which then leads us ALL back to the SAME place and the SAME single group–you don’t get more similar than that.
Costa Rica has been incredibly blessed and has an amazing magical life force that can be profoundly enlightening. To see Corcovado, Parque La Amistad, Braulio Carrillo from a distance and to walk through their ancestral forests are intense experiences. To sit next to a gentle prehistoric creature like the Demochelys coriacea (Leatherbacks) which is so much bigger than most of us and watch its efforts to live, to reproduce, to coexist with other species in its midst and to know the odds of this animal having made it to that point is an honor that Costa Rica has been able to be part of and that I truly hope it will continue to enjoy. CR is geologically one of the newest parts of the Americas and has been a converging bridge for species from the North and the South for animals and cultures alike from its inception. Today, the convergence is so much greater with people of different cultures from all over the planet actually knowing a bit about that wonderful place and so many choosing to call it their adopted home. In the 80s when I said CR to someone, people said where? Puerto Rico, is that an island? Today that’s certainly changed and CR has become very popular. Most of us who love CR also support its conservation efforts without forgetting the social, economic and cultural sides because its always such a terrible loss when LIFE hangs in the balance for any species or group. When you consider CR’s amazing biodiversity per square meter, it makes it such a travesty to loose any of it and with it, not only a part of our human soul, but our very own probabilities of existence which are inextricably affected with the loss of every species on this beautiful and closed system planet we inhabit. The energies and resources within it are all we get to work with and live from–except for a few meteors that get in and some gases that may escape, the matter we need for life is recycled matter. Self-transcending life never forgets or destroys its past, in our case, we are humans, we are animals, we are chemicals and although all life is full of much more synergy than just the sum of our parts, we are physically recycled as such. One characteristic of Life is action and so if we choose on the side of Life, then we must also choose to act with it in mind because all of Life is not only the product of some blind biochemical force, Life is about the choices each organism makes–in the end, it’s not about the Life we (ALL living things) are given, but about the Life we make. The most successful (abundant) life forms on this planet have become so because they have teamed up. Life is an incredible product of individuals evolving within their joint symbiotic actions. We can either be part of CR’s and this planet’s conservation solutions or watch our own demise. One thing that many people believe, but that I don’t think is commonly stressed enough is that humans will NOT be the last to extinguish—by a long shot! Our ability for self-deception is always astounding and as one of my favorite books states (“What is Life”): “If humankind does not conduct a sentient symphony, with or without us, Life will go on…Nature does not end with us, but moves inexorably on, beyond societies of animals.” Pura Vida Alfred, I LOVE that saying! 🙂
Diego, May I please ask you for a huge favor? Don’t let whatever experience you can bring to the table be lost by coloring them with remarks that you may consider funny, sarcastic or appropriate, but which most undoubtedly will be considered offensive to Ticos/as. I actually forwarded some of your posts to a dear friend of mine who works in MINAE and his reaction and the reaction of his peers were even more heated than mine. Costa Rica is going to need all of the help it can get to go forward and truly create a zoning plan that considers all of the factors necessary for a sustainable development they can be proud of and not one just in name. I love CR and if you can provide any insights that could make their journey better, I’m the first one for it. This conservation endeavor doesn’t require that all of its supporters be from the US, from CR or any other place, it just requires people that wish to work together toward making CR a great place for biodiversity and sustainable development for its people. Wouldn’t you agree? I think you mentioned that you own property in CR/maybe live there part of the year–I haven’t had that privilege in 6 years even if I do visit frequently so right now you have the ability to be present physically and contribute first hand. Can we go forward from here?
There seem to be a lot posts lately about these cheaper airfares. Is this sale just pre-Christmas or does the fare hold through the holidays? I was also wondering if anyone knows how tourism is doing in CR these days. Do you think it’s just the airlines trying to drum up more US-CR business during this economically sluggish time in the US or something else?
Rf2cr: Thank you for the info. It’s always a mix of things everywhere. Things sometimes take longer than we expect or we would wish for, but I have great hopes that CR will find sustainable solutions for the leatherback problem as it has for other species that had almost vanished from the area and today appear to be thriving. There’s so much that needs to be done and I hope Ticos/as consider the options very carefully so that they don’t have to backtrack or regret their choices. Also, whatever their plan, it has to be an enforceable one. Costa Rica is filled with some great thinkers, a lot of activist and community leaders that I’m sure are working towards conservation solutions needed. Those groups are always willing to accept any assistance they can get when offered in good faith. The people in the municipalities are sometimes easy to get along with and as with all human social groups, sometimes they can have difficult personalities, but they too wouldn’t reject any help that is offered with respect and in the spirit of assisting and not in the spirit of telling “children” what has to be done.
Alfred: I agree that we can disagree without going over the line. Some of the people that we love most can have very divergent views from our own without it limiting us from genuinely loving them. You and I may not share some of the same political views, but I appreciate the respect and dignity evident in your posts.
Mr. Diego: Don’t project your personal issues on others, the only one spewing hate and condescension left and right has been yourself–it’s all over your posts and it’s tiresome to have to keep copying your own biased words to throw them in your face–even then you seem to be blind to them. Now, can you stop ranting and make a point about conservation that can be addressed without you making it about your bias against Ticos, people that disagree with you or about your assumptions of me? Be assured that I don’t hate you Mr. Diego. Even if you have given me no reason to like you, I’m absolutely sure that you must have some good qualities that you choose to share with others. If you cannot perceive my sincerity, then that will be also be your own issue because I certainly mean it. I make a conscious choice not to hate people–I find it a wasteful and non-productive emotion that only damages the very essence of who we are. I also choose not to be silent when confronted with words that convey disrespect and disdain of others based on thoughtless generalities. Now, you think you can talk about conservation or do you just enjoy thinking of yourself as a victim?
Diego: And on the subject of doing, why don’t you stop all this ranting and actually become part of a much needed solutions in CR by working respectfully with Ticos/as? Complaining about what others (Ticos/as) haven’t done or that they are not “competent” or “logical” enough (your words Diego) to get things done is beginning to look like a sorry excuse for your own lack of action. But of course, your “incompetent” & “illogical” comments about Ticos must have been meant in the nicest of ways by you–These words drip of the reason people in Latin America and throughout the world find some “gringos” obnoxious! My problem with your remarks are that they are NOT geared at someone’s actions, they are spewing negative generalizations about a group of people even if you don’t mind if they’re “chartreuse” (your word again)–hmm, reads racist to me. Do you think Ticos/as are only there for your entertainment and truly lack any capacity to govern their own country? Charming way to show just how much you like someone–as you say you do….There is much to be done for conservation and preservation in CR, I have physically participated when its been in the realm of my possibilities and I continue to support those actions from abroad. What have you done other than rant about others’ inactivity and my contempt for your veiled prejudice? Add LIFE to your years and be part of CR’s conservation efforts without seeking to have top billing or denying what Ticos are not only capable of, but what they have already accomplished!
If you think your comments were only offensive to me and that I’m being self serving, then why don’t you go to a CR town meeting, the park, heck, go to a church and let all of those nice Ticos/as you say you like so much know exactly how you express yourself about them. Let’s see if they consider your remarks anything but rude and racist or if they laugh it off and welcome you into their circle of friends. Where did you learn that it was funny to be a racist p** and denigrate others! I have not pulled any racist card, you brought out the deck! Frankly, I don’t see any more important issue than the veiled racism when commenting about bureaucratic actions, but taking it out on CR people. So, I guess after all your words DID in fact express your underlying beliefs not only about your assumption of the inferiority of Ticos, but your tirade against organizations that defend the rights of minorities and women’s groups alike which shows your disdain for them as well. Gee, do you consider anyone but yourself not a retrograde –’cause you say you like Ticos and look how you refer to them? It all sounds like an incredibly bitter tirade to me. Oh and if you seem to have such intimate knowledge of how prostitutes speak to men at those hours of the morning it must be because what spews out of your mouth might also be considered nauseating by woman that do not need your money to put food on the table and wouldn’t give you the time of day. Don’t blame women that run from you on being “gringa”, blame it on the fact that most women that have done that can see an a**** and have the economic independence to run the other way. As for my writing, I do it as a human being that has experienced many things in my life and lived many places throughout Latin America and the US. Considering my father worked for the US gov’t in Venezuela, paid his taxes in the US and I have been nothing but respectful of the people in the US–I see no problem with having received an education in the US nor having paid for higher education in CR and in the US. Let’s see who’s playing the insulted one now as if I was bashing the US–my first response to you was clear, I don’t think that all bad nor all good stems from the US and I do happen to love many things that have come from here, but I don’t condone many others–Mostly, because what strikes me as inappropriate, does so when I’m in the US or if I was in Timbuktu. What’s wrong is wrong anywhere and your insensitive remarks are wrong if they’re uttered in the US or if they’re uttered in CR or Japan. If you would have made that remark about any other culture, I would have also said something because racism is one of the most entrenched forms of ignorance that a person can suffer from and unfortunately it also causes much suffering. Just to be real clear, I did not make any denigrating allusions about the prejudice that is present in CR, I just stated that it exists because not one person, not one country is perfect–we all have great qualities and ALL of us have other qualities that are not so great. Flaws can be addressed without going for the jugular Mr. Diego and that doesn’t mean you don’t love a country, respect it or see the beauty in its people. When flaws are addressed respectfully, it means that you’re not looking to strip away someone else’s dignity in the process of your remark. My sincerity stands, I can stand in front of any Tico/a and say everything I’ve just said to you in this forum– something Diego, you wouldn’t dare do in front of a lot of Ticos I know anywhere in that beautiful country….Ticos are mostly really nice people, but don’t ever think they’re spineless–they most certainly have more courage than to be offensive and then act as the victim! By the way, thank you for referring to me as Ms. Aragon, because I certainly try to keep it as cordial and distant as possible with people that are as insolent as you!
Annoying isn’t it? When you or the people that you identify with are attacked/mocked the rest of the proposal being discussed is diminished. Human nature is funny that way…By no means was I trying to stop you from making any other point than to not make such condescending remarks and speak as if ALL Costa Ricans had never stood up for the conservation of that country. I also wanted you to realize locals may also know and act upon what is best for CR. Make no mistake, I’m a full blooded Latina and my nieces are Ticas–I may have grown up in the US and truly love many thoughts that have come from this place, but I do not appreciate racial prejudice of any sort, anywhere. It sure sounded like a citizen who thought he came from more “civilized stock” talking about the savages in Costa Rica–well, with all that “go back to the jungle where they came from” attitude, but I was very glad to read in your post that your words were not representative of your thoughts.
Bureaucracy tends to be inefficient everywhere, some places more than others. I hated spending days at Migracion and many other inefficient instances, but I also hate that under the guise of administrative/beuracratic activities, documents detailing those responsible for illegal acts committed against human beings or nuclear warheads being taken for rides above my head and the heads of other tax paying citizens are filed away/lost/mismanaged in the US so that it can be swept under the table. I also hate that my elderly parents, after having worked in the US and for US interests abroad, get stuck in the middle of some Medicare nightmare that turns out to be a bureaucratic mistake and manages to frustrate them for months on end.
As much as I love Ticos/as, if we’re going to call a spade a spade, to say that there is no racial prejudice there would not be acceptable to most Nicaraguans or black citizens living in CR–they have had to bear the brunt of it. You even mentioned the xenophobia that can be felt from time to time and thankfully it’s not felt by most of the population because they are generally very easy going–but is that not a form of prejudice? I won’t go into a lot of details, but even though DNA studies have proven how Ticos/as are truly a mix of many racial groups, most Central Valley Ticos/as would deny any black heritage & certainly Nicaraguan ancestry even though Guanacaste belonged to Nicaragua and blacks were in CR way before the building of the railroad. I’m grateful that this prejudice is not aimed at me, but it doesn’t make it any less real because it’s aimed at other groups. Thankfully, not ALL Ticos are like that, but be assured it’s there.
As far as the zoning proposal, I really don’t know enough about it to comment on particulars, but if you live in the area–work towards the goals you think would benefit that community. In general terms, I can tell you that conscientious and enforceable zoning laws could do wonders for CR, but they have some issues to get thru besides determining true sustainable uses: 1) it turns out that a few years ago they found that there are more square meters of owned land registered in the Registro Nacional than CR happens to have as a country…that makes it difficult (especially for the central gov’t) to delineate areas such as lots/blocks necessary to then identify which areas are under which particular zoning use–but I do believe they are working on this, 2) the central gov’t and municipal gov’ts are always jockeying for power which means that whatever the muni does, might just be overturned by SJ–especially when big interests are at play. Frankly, I think you stand a better chance of getting something done from the muni’s side due to problem #1. If the community sees a benefit, they will back up the proposal, but whatever is being proposed by you or others needs to communicated and work together to achieve those goals. They may not seem like much to you, but Ticos/as can be very proactive if they see the reason and are not treated as children or monkeys in their own country (I promise never to mention your insult again if you promise not to use it again…) Of course, any side of this issue will have to find a way to truly show the benefits to the community or you will be on your own. The benefits need to be balanced–most people can recognize fairness a mile away…
Sprite: Wouldn’t you agree that there is a nasty leap between being critical (which we ALL are in this forum) to being condescending and disrespectful? We all question and we all should. We’re all entitled to our own perceptions without belittling ALL because of some–I do agree with you about the real monkeys, wonderful creatures that don’t deserve to be made into an insult. Pura vida!
You’re so right Maravilla! It’s amazing that there are so many people suffering from vitamin deficiencies in the US with so much food available to most! As you say, the problem is that the food we’re eating is no longer as nutritious as before for various reasons. To add insult to injury, they then diagnose it as something else & give them a little pill to make it better which only seems to add another health concern which then leads to more little pills as if they have forgotten what Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine wrote: “let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food.” It’s wonderful that you can still grow your own food–I miss going out into my CR gardens and picking the fruit I was going to eat that morning. I hope I will be able to do this again sometime soon. Thanks for inspiring all of us. 🙂
Hi Artedwards, In the US I buy them from Heirloom catalogs, but in CR your best source will typically be the campesino who is proud to be growing his own “criollo” vegetables and many ticos will also share their flower/tree seeds. The organizations that tend to have seed banks in CR are mostly for research and sometimes they don’t share, but it never hurts to try. I worked with most of these orgs on projects so I knew some people and that was helpful, but it might not be necessary. They might not be able to give you seed, but they can direct you to where you can find some. Mind you, I haven’t worked in the country for 6 years now, but I think these #s should still do. Be prepared to speak to them in Spanish and ask for the Agricultural depts or seed banks “banco de semillas” or “bancos de germoplasma”. Also, make sure you ask them where you can get “semillas autoctonas” or “semillas criollas” and that you don’t wish to obtain genetically manipulated seed: Universidad Nacional (UNA) 506-261-0035, Universidad de CR (UCR) 506-207-4000, IICA 506-216-0222, CATIE 506-556-1933, EARTH 506-713-0000 and CONAREFI (Comision Nacional de Recursos Fitogeneticos from UCR) 506-433-8525. I really think it will be a lot of fun looking for them, but farmers tend to be the most generous ones with info and seeds. I hope this helps and let me know how it goes. Best of luck! Pura Vida.
Let me remind you that “gringos” as you put it, are not the only foreigners in Costa Rica and US citizens are NOT the only people struggling for its conservation–many locals and other expats have done wonderful things for CR conservation and sustainable development there! The US is not the center of all that is bad and it’s not the center of all that is good. You’re right to complain that Ticos haven’t done enough, it took many a long time to realize the jewel they had. Unfortunately, many species of animals & plants have paid the price not to mention the amounts of deforestation that has been “gained” by such negligence. May I remind you that much of the environmental damage was not created by Ticos, but by foreign transnationals throughout CR not just in Guanacaste. That said, we can all be part of making a change. When Stone Container Corp, a US comapny which at the time was the 2nd largest paper company in the world and they called themselves Ston in CR, wanted to install a wood chipping plant and their own private dock in Punta Estrella (inside the Golfo Dulce–Zona Sur), the local community, a brave environmental NGOs, students, media, Greenpeace and the local Golfito municipal gov’t came together to change that. Mind you, who knows if the Muni’s official would have gotten involved if it wasn’t that his own mother-in-law was directly threatened by Ston workers, but for whatever reason, he got involved. It was a long and painful struggle and in the end a few of my friends ended up mysteriously dead a month after we won that battle, but when people want to change things they can. I can assure you that there were people from many countries working with very little resources to make that change and most were Ticos that knew how to organize an effective opposition and wouldn’t take no for answer. It was also Tico officials in the SJ central government (Contraloria) that had to reject an already signed agreement with that company after our questioning of it, but they took a lot of heat for helping us find the illegalities and standing up for what was right. Don’t be so quick to put all Ticos in the same hand basket as some that have sold or tried to sell their country for a trip to Miami, they are NOT all the same…A very wise man said, “be the change you want to see in this world”–so be a part of that Diego and remember, we can’t make those changes alone, but we certainly can each add our drop of conservation to it. Pura Vida!
Maravilla: You’re too funny (LOL). You might want to get in touch with groups that monitor original seed varieties in CR thru the public universities & the museum. I love to use heirloom seeds in my gardens–they’re so much better tasting and at least I don’t have to worry that I’m eating God knows what gene from what animal in my beautiful tomatoes or peppers. They do take more work, especially in a tropical climate such as CR, but I think they’re well worth it. The humidity is always an issue when storing seeds there. During the rainy season, I could see anything that wasn’t moving or being aerated start to turn moldy. The humidity levels coupled with the amount of microorganisms in the air is astounding. It would be great if you started a seed swap in your area of CR–When people taste the difference, they never want to go back to the insipid stuff they sell at the supermarkets. I hope you invite us to your gardens once you’ve set them up in Costa Rica–they’ll probably be a beautiful sight. Pura Vida.
This is a beach area, but it does sound high to me–Scott may have more recent figures on this. It doesn’t matter the price CR offers, it has landed them in international courts whenever the owners are foreigners and I’m sure this will not be the exception. The development in the area has almost made this already endangered species disappear from here. God knows, they can’t take Playa Langosta since the hotel was built there so they need to take what they can and hope this species can recuperate from so many years of chaos. It’s not just the lights that keep the turtles away, its the general activity in the beaches, getting stuck in fishing nets along the way and contamination of the waters. Once they do make it to the beach they can still be poached for their meat, their eggs can be poached by other animals & to be sold within the local population. The odds of a baby turtle making to the water from the next and then making it to adulthood are really slim which is why so many eggs need to be fertilized in hopes that 1 or 2 (if that) may get to reproduce and continue their life cycle.
I understand your point of using zoning to keep development down, but that would only take the land away from Ticos and put it in the hand of big foreign investors. I don’t think that’s necessary. I think they need to decide where development should take place and how because until very recently, it’s been pretty much a free for all and there’s a price to pay for that.
