La Pura Vida en Costa Rica

Costa Rica has been so amazing! Everything around is

lush and green and it has been great to relax after our

busy schedule in the Galapagos. The UPEACE campus

is absolutely gorgeous. It is small and quaint with only

5 classrooms. There is a community park attached to the

campus with lakes and picnic areas. Inside the park is the

UN Peace Monument- pictured to the right. It is

incredibly symbolic and adds to the beauty of the whole

area.

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For Costa Rican Arbor Day, we went as a group to plant trees on the UPEACE campus. We have been told that we will be given the coordinates of our trees so we can watch them grow via satellite image.

                            

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On Sunday, we had our first excursion, a zipline tour through the canopy of the Costa Rican rainforest. It was breathtakingly beautiful and we had a great time, even though a few people in the group were conquering a fear of heights.

Costa Rican Eco-Tourists!

This weekend we had the privilege of experiencing Costa Rican eco-tourism for the first time since arriving in the land of “Pura Vida;” a country known most for its thriving eco-tourism industries. In the Galapagos we had done eco-tourism activities almost every day, everything from hiking to snorkeling but we got to experience something completely new this weekend.

Our first adventure was zip-lining, or as our host family calls it “canopy,” about an hour and a half outside of Ciudad Colon. Every zip-line I had done in the past was about 30 feet off the ground and lasted a total of 20 seconds. However, the zip-lining offered by Vista Los Suenos, roughly translated to sight of your dreams, was quite the opposite. In total we went on 14 different zip-lines (one upside down) zig-zagging through the Costa Rican jungle. We zipped high above the trees so we could see for miles around us. At one point we could see the ocean while we flew through the air. At each stopping point the men efficiently unharnessed and re-harnessed every gringo that came flying down the line and as somebody who is scared of heights, their efficiency and professionalism put the butterflies in my stomach to rest. This was no joke, our leader Marco had been working there for twelve years, employing English-speaking Ticos and perfecting the art of eco-tourism. That is how Costa Rica thrives.

For our next adventure we travelled another half an hour to a beautiful river-side restaurant that doubled as a crocodile river tour. After a delicious seafood lunch we loaded ourselves on to a long boat with a jolly, English-speaking tour guide and driver. For the first few minutes of the ride all we saw were birds, although interesting, not as entertaining as the massive crocodile we saw after about 10 minutes. We all thought that seeing the 10 foot long crocodile was thrilling but when the driver got out of the boat and started to dangle chicken meat in front of the crocodile so that it had to jump up to catch the meat, the boat rocked violently as we all crowded to one side to see, mouths open and cameras out. We motored on for about an hour and a half seeing strange birds, including a group of macaws, and dozens of other crocodiles. Our guide named each crocodile we saw; choosing names like Chavez, Castro, Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, and my personal favorite: Monica Lewinsky. He catered to us Americans perfectly, the same way Marco had done, speaking near-perfect English and making a mundane activity such as riding a boat on a river a profit-making enterprise.

For our first weekend here in Costa Rica, our activities could not have been more fun, but they also opened my eyes to the real Costa Rica, one that thrives on eco-tourism and that caters to vacationing “gringos” to sustain their economy.

-Emily Elliot-Meisel

Our lovely host madre

Costa Rica has been significantly different to The Galapagos and Ecuador. After having travelled for three weeks and venturing on excursions and taking class, it has been nice to settle down in the quaint town of Ciudad Colon in Costa Rica. The few days I have been here, my hostess has spoilt Katie (my roommate) and me from every angle! In the mornings for breakfast, she always has a plate of tropical fruit, including mango, banana, watermelon and pineapple with either a grilled cheese or Gallo Pinto (a typical dish). She also sets out cups of orange juice and native coffee to accompany our scrumptious breakfast. Tita, our hostess, makes our bed and does our laundry without even letting us know! There is always clean pair of “panueletas” (towels) waiting on our desk and occasionally an afternoon snack. For dinner, Tita tends to prepare many local dishes. On her menu are yucca pie, potato and chicken and pork that are all accompanied by a salad, rice and beans. Tita truly makes me feel at home! 


-Carolina Kitras

Costa Rica!

Bienvenidos! 
The Galapagos group has arrived in Ciudad Colon, Costa Rica and is for the first time in three weeks split among three home-stays situated throughout the town. Sitting outside of San Jose, the capital of this country- famous for its lack of a military, amazing coffee, and overwhelming greenness- Ciudad Colon will be our home for the subsequent three weeks. Our families have already introduced us to their neighbors, communities, friends, and relatives. I personally feel as if I am part of the family. I have even been invited to attend the birthday party of Angel, my host-mother's grandson. The Ticos of Costa Rica are an inviting people, their genuine care for others easily showing in all things they do. 
The University of Peace is located around 7 kilometers from the edge of Ciudad Colon, and the bus ride there takes us through coffee plantations where men can be seen working with the plants, and through lush rainforest that begs to be explored. The vibrant colors of vines, flowers, and fruits can be glimsed in between the thick branches of green. We often gaze out the window in silence, in utter awe of the beauty around us. This landscape stands in such antithesis with that of the Galapagos. Instead of towering cactus plants and lava rocks, giant flowers and melodious birds dominate. The dry land of the archipelago is now tranformed into wetness. Daily, the downpours drench Ciudad Colon. Getting caught in the strong rain while walking back from the bus is unfortunate yet serene. Everything goes quiet as the steady beating of the rain literally drowns out all other sounds. 
Standing behind the University's main building looking at the gorgeous vista below and beyond takes my breath away. The mounatins opposite me are touched by the weight of huge clouds that appear to fill up half the sky. They form beautiful patterns in the bright blue sky, creating a wonderful view when paired with the inevitable green valley below. 
Every day here at U Peace is an adventure. The mornings in Costa Rica find us intellectually stimulated by lecture and discussion, in the afternoons we explore Ciudad Colon, and at night we learn culture from the Ticos as we interact in our home-stays. Professor Lacatus encourages us to learn from everything around us, and it is impossible not to. I can't wait for this journey to unfold. Two more weeks to go!
Hasta luego!
-Katie Field

Otavalo, Ecuador

On Wednesday, we left early in the morning to visit Otavalo market. Though it was a long bus ride, the scenery was breathtaking. As we drove through the mountains, we were rewarded with perfect views of the Andes. Along the way, we stopped at an overlook where we could see a lake surrounded by the mountains. There was a llama, an alpaca, and a goat for tourists to pet. Naturally, many of us made friends with the animals. After staying there for a short while, we continued on our way to Otovalo.

At the Otavalo market, we were paired up to participate in a contest- who could find the most interesting item with the best story behind it for two dollars or less. Though there were many honorable mentions, Daphne and Brock were the winners. They had bought two dolls and gave them to two small Otavalan girls they met at the market, embodying the values of service that our program is built upon. While we shopped, we observed locals and market transactions, taking notes along the way. Later on we turned these field notes into an ethnography- cultural analyses of what we had witnessed. Many of us bartered for the first time and had to put our Spanish skills to the test, some more successful than others.

After leaving Otavalo, we visited an old Spanish hacienda built in the 18th century. The property was sprawling and beautiful and the estate was like stepping into a time machine. We gathered in the dining room to have lunch together. Some ate trout, some ate steak, and others were given a sampling of vegetarian options. The three course meals were all outstanding regardless of what was ordered. We were served by women in traditional dress and serenaded by a band. Overall, our lunch at the hacienda was a very culturally rewarding experience. After lunch, we toured Cotacachi, a small town that specializes in leather production. We only stayed for a short time, but we all enjoyed the shopping colorful buildings, cobblestone roads, and park. On our way home, we made a short excursion to El Mitad del Mundo- the equator. We straddled the line at zero degrees latitude and were simultaneously in the northern and southern hemispheres, experiencing spring and fall at the same time. We took several group pictures and took in the scenery before hopping on the long bus ride back home.
We returned later at night; traffic was very thick coming into the city of Quito. We all reflected on our experiences of the day and began our ethnographies of Otovalo market. Some students chose to watch Crude, a documentary about oil extraction in the Amazon which we learned about when Adrian Schwartz came to speak to us on Tuesday. Today (Thursday), we were greeted by Provost Scott Bass and his wife, who will be joining us in the Galapagos. We heard from a young professional from Sun Mountain International, an organization that assists other organizations in their environmental responsibilities, and then broke for a long lunch. Afterwards, we reconvened at the Ecuadorian Ministry of the Environment where were heard a stimulating presentation about the current state of the Galapagos islands, followed by a question and answer session. Our takeaway from the experience was that Ecuador is full of paradoxes and contradictions, and that the future of the Galapagos is not black and white.

Tonight, we will be visiting SWING, a cultural center, where we will enjoy live music. We look forward to fully utilizing our last day in Quito as well as our voyage to the Galapagos on Saturday morning. Hasta luego!

- Matthew and Kelly

¡Quito, Te queremos!

As we begin our final night in Quito, I think about the strange, amazing learning environment that Quito has been. As I discuss my thoughts with Emily, one thing pops up in discussion more and more: unexpected. Before our trip, I imagined Quito as a run-down, dingy, “sketchy,” unfriendly city. This was the part of the trip that we would have to get through to reach the Galapagos, which would be the “prize” for getting through our week in Quito. While the city is polluted, it doesn’t seem all that worse than how a major American city is. Yes, there is graffiti on the walls and most of the buildings would be considered antiquated in the US, but Quito is vibrant nonetheless. And from what we have learned from Milton, our charming Ecuadorian guide, and Adrian, one of the speakers who came to address our class, Quito as a city has made a lot of progress in the past ten years. It’s true that Quito is a developing city, but what city isn’t? As we have learned this week, Quito has come a long way and has a lot of exciting plans for the future. One fact that especially stuck out to me is that there are 450,000 cars in Quito. While I don’t know if this is a lot for the 1 million residents, the air pollution has probably been the worst thing about the city. But if I heard this before the trip, I wouldn’t have expected there to be plans for correcting this problem. However, the Quito government has been encouraging the use of public transportation by subsidizing public transportation ($0.25 for a ride on the tram/buses that have their own lanes, which is highly preferable over the traffic in the city), and has a new initiative called “pico y placa”, which essentially restricts when cars are allowed to travel in the city. I suppose that this surprised me because I was expecting the city to be in a state of disarray or a giant mess that seemed to be spinning uncontrollably towards a near certain doom. Today we had the pleasure of visiting “Parque Metropolitano” in the north of the city, which was an absolutely beautiful urban, green space with trails for walking and a large playground. Because today is a national holiday, there were many families enjoying the fresh air and beautiful weather. Not only this, but I noticed that on many streets there are flower beds planted in the medians and other landscaping in and around the city. While our class may be more focused on the environmental issues in the Galapagos and the Amazon of Ecuador, I have been pleasantly surprised to find that Quito is a very livable city. Although it may not be considered particularly “green”, the city governance still seems to value and care about improving the city. While we did not get to see the whole city, and I’m sure many other problems exist, it is heartening to know that if I come back to the city later, it has the potential to be even better than it is now.