A day in busy San Jose

Pre-Colombian, thousand year old gold figurines

We finished a busy week of studying, exams, reveled in some great results, packed, cleaned up the house and drove three hours to Costa Rica's busy capital city, San Jose.  After a celebratory dinner last night and some sleep, we ventured into the center of San Jose.  Our crew was impressed by the traffic and the throngs of pedestrians.  My impression is that very few people travel to Costa Rica with the primary goal of visiting San Jose, most well known for its congestion, pollution and urban grit.  For visitors, passing through is often viewed as a price to pay in order to experience the natural beauty of the country.  Today we wanted to experience some of what the city has to offer.

Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica

Our first stop was the beautiful Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica, built in 1897 to showcase opera performances.  More reminiscent of European theaters than of the Costa Rican beauty to which we're accustomed, its reverence as a national treasure seems easily justified.  It is surely a one-of-a-kind in Costa Rica and surprisingly intimate and ornate, especially with original hardwood floors and artistic leanings in meshing themes of local scenes and animals with classically styled frescoes painted by period Italian artists.

The Gold Staircase

Which country are we in again?

Second stop was the nearby and much anticipated Museo del Oro Precolombino, purported to showcase one of the finest collections of Precolombian gold works anywhere.  We successfully sweet-talked the ticket booth lady into the "National" prices because we're living here and did tremendously enjoy this museum.   The museum center itself is built down into the ground under a plaza and is architecturally quite interesting in its use of triangles and unique angles.  The original plan was to house the museum in an above-ground building but this plan was scrapped in order to preserve views of the adjacent Teatro Nacional.  An underground location also facilitated an almost bunker-like security for the collections of gold works.

Unique underground space with use of natural light

The collections of old coins, hundreds of ornamental gold figures and medallions were most impressive indeed, especially considering the specialization of labor required to make these intricate pieces utilizing wax and clay molds.  And about a thousand years ago or so.  The figurines often were used in spiritual ceremonies and incorporated elements of natural world.

Iguana?  Sea creature?

A temporary museum gallery exhibited depictions of Central American felines through art and everyday tools.  A popular use of the cat design was in the melate, flat stone structures traditionally used to grind corn.  For what it's worth, there are six large cat species in Costa Rica.

Feline melate of years ago

A Tica artist's works were also showcased.  I found them whimsical but often dark, a theme not necessarily a common part of the warm latin culture here.

Los Peces (The Fishes)

We managed to track down some Mediterranean food in a small mall to whet Henry's palette for a gyro.  More walking and a day of museum going eventually wore our crew down, but not so much that we couldn't be revived by some POPS ice cream, and a few clowns.

One of the many clowns around town today

Chowing down on Costa Rican Mediterranean food

A very clever and funny street performing clown happened to start up his schtick very close to where we were sitting.  His antics were hilarious and appropriately resulted in a hat full of colones.

¡Que chistoso!

A cab ride back to the hotel took us through the busy market district of San Jose and was followed by a dip in the pool in the rain.  Tomorrow our adventure continues as we venture back to the States for the first time as a family.  Florida and reverse culture shock, here we come.

Helping our community

Today after school Henry was excited to tell us that a bunch of Toms shoes arrived, and kids were able take a pair home.  He recalled hearing about Toms’ One for One program when he and Madeleine got their Toms shoes last summer.  It is great to see the result of this program first hand, and great for our kids to see it too.  It is also another reminder to us that while we have a very nice life here in Costa Rica, some of our Tico neighbors are not so well off.  Everyone seems to get by, in spite of the low wages we hear about and the US food prices that we see in the grocery stores and restaurants here.

There are two families we have met, both with kids in Sullivan’s kindergarten class, who don’t have enough money or food to eat.  In both cases, the father is not able to work due to injury, and the mother is not having much luck finding work.  One family we have helped a bit by buying them food, giving them some money and paying the mom to help us clean our house once and teaching us some Costa Rican cooking another time.  We have tried to spread the word that she is looking for work, but I don’t think much has materialized yet.  We plan to buy some food to donate to the other family this week as well.  The mom is pregnant and has been quite sick.  Not having enough food to eat is certainly not helping the situation.

Nik is on the parent committee for Sullivan’s kindergarten class, and has been involved a bit in planning some of the fund raisers they have done. The current need is for money to buy paint for the outside of the classroom that is in bad shape.  The wonderful kindergarten teacher, Marilyn, also wants to have a festive mural added to the front of the classroom building.  She planned a paint fund collection evening for Friday at two of the gringo-frequented restaurants in town, but it had to be cancelled due to heavy rain.  

Inspired by the arrival of the Toms today, I finally got my act together to put out a donation request for the kindergarten paint fund on the Lake Arenal Facebook page, that I affectionately refer to as the Gringo FB page.  We’ll see what comes of it.

We are feeling a bit of guilt, as we were paying a fairly hefty tuition for Sullivan’s Montessori school in Portland before we came to Costa Rica, as well as making large donations to the foundation for Madeleine and Henry’s (public) school.  Here all we are asked to pay is a monthly fee to cover the free daily lunch and copies. This totals no more than $10 a month for all 3 of our kids!  Obviously we can and need to give more.  We are trying to live frugally and also don’t want to come across as the rich gringos (though I doubt that anyone would mind).  So we are thinking about how we can help and are asking some folks at the school what they need.  Since we are going to the US for a visit soon, it will be the perfect time to bring back supplies.

Nik and I attended a school-wide meeting held by the fast-talking school director last week.  The purpose was to organize a parent committee for the whole school, a PTA type thing to help deal with the school’s issues and problems.  The meeting was not very well publicized and thus not very well attended.  As is typical in school meetings here, I could not understand much of what was said.  Sully’s teacher was sitting near us, and at one point she asked the director to explain in more detail (for our benefit) what he was proposing: a committee with president, VP, etc.  He came over to where Nik and I were sitting and said something directed at me that I did not understand.  Then Sully’s teacher said something, and voila, I was the first one signed up for the new committee.  Whoosh!  

Now, I was a pretty dedicated volunteer at our kids’ schools in Portland and helped to raise some significant funds... but that was all in English!  The thought of trying to help raise money and get things done with my feeble Spanish seems ridiculous.  I know it is a great opportunity though, and I will give it a try.  It would be amazing to be able to help improve things for our adopted community.  For now, I am off to Google Translate for help with writing an email to el señor director to inquire about the school’s issues and how we might help.

Volcan Miravalles termales, geothermal energy & Llanos de Cortes waterfall

With school out for three days earlier this week, the kids and I made a Sunday night escape to Volcan Miravalles, two volcanoes to the northwest of us.   We stayed in a small hot springs (termales) hotel, El Guayacan, with 7 warm pools and a great view of Miravalles.  Two of the pools were extra popular with Madeleine and Henry, thanks to the long and fast slide into one and a dive platform at another.  Sully and I mostly explored and did tricks with our snorkel masks on while the daredevil pair went for height and speed.  From the hotel one can hike to see fumaroles (hissing vents and mud pots), but this crew opted to save that for our next visit.  We’d like to bring Nik back here sometime.

Miravalles with jumper

Henry takes the slide

Henry off the high dive

Madeleine shows her style

Sully in the deep pool. (profundidad = depth)

The calmer side of the termales.

Sully

On the way up the flanks of Miravalles we were able to see some sites of the geothermal energy plant that was built in the 90s.  Lots of big metal tubes carry steam from thermal vents to the power plant.  There are various gated turnoffs for “pozos” or wells, in this case geothermal.  Our guidebook states that 18% of Costa Rica’s electricity is generated here, but the majority of electricity produced is exported to Nicaragua and Panama.

Volcan Miravalles with what sure looks like a steam vent to the right.

Part of the geothermal electricity plant

Our trusty guidebook (Lonely Planet has been our go-to resource) also stated that we must see an amazing waterfall that was mostly on our way home.  Llanos de Cortes is near Bagaces, just off the Pan American Hwy, and was definitely worth the visit.  I was happy to discover that I really do trust my older two adventurers’ skills and sense.  Having read that one can swim to the waterfall and climb around under and behind it, they were off.  Sully and I stayed on the beach to collect seed pods and draw kites in the sand.  It seems to be a theme that we are the less adventurous ones.  What will I do when Sully is older and goes off to join his sister and brother?

Madeleine and the falls

Henry tries out the swing into the water

The two adventurers under the falls

Beautiful Portland Sun

Portland's Willamette River and Hawthorne Bridge

While the Costa Rica contingent continues to enjoy life in the tropics and its adventure, I've been working away here in Portland.  The first week of my two weeks greeted me with cool, gray and wet weather but this lovely city has once again unleashed its seductive charm.  Yes, the sun is out!  I don't really care what anybody else says--it is tough to beat Portland, Oregon in the summertime.

Good times and good friends

Though my reason for being back in the States is to work and to keep up to speed, the biggest other benefit is having the opportunity to see close friends and to catch up.  For me, living abroad has not only been an adventure in itself, but it has also helped to clarify and amplify some of the best parts of  our lives when we lived in Oregon.  This has been a tremendous gift and I am thankful.  I've come to appreciate our good friends and my work family in a way that just wasn't possible before.  This is most likely due to having a major perspective change and not taking anyone for granted.  I'm sure that this sensation will be even stronger for Erica and the kids when we all come return to the States in about a month.

What fun!

Colors, shapes and angles of the Portland Art Museum

During the gray, cool, rainy wintery months, this city seems to endure the dark and bide its time.  When the sun finally shows itself, the warmth energizes the population and the enthusiasm and activity level around town booms.

Crazy van.  Crazy music.  Crazy man with dancing monkey puppet.  Somehow expected here.

For the last two weeks, working has been invigorating.  I'm not sure I've ever felt more patient and understanding.  I'm thankful for the generosity of friends, family and coworkers in helping to entertain, house and feed me on this work trip.  It is not difficult to be able to appreciate the good that life has brought our way, but my return to trip to Costa Rica cannot come soon enough.

Pioneer Courthouse Square