Enjoy a neutral perspective on life in Costa Rica from a North American Ex-pat who has lived on both coasts of this beautiful country for some 20 years. Just livin the life of "PURA VIDA"!!
Did you know that August 24th is National Park Day in Costa Rica? Just another great reason to celebrate the beauty that surrounds us in this small Central American country, known as the land of Pura Vida! Many Costa Rica hotels hold special tree planting ceremonies, as well as area restaurants often feature special dishes on their menus commemorating this important occasion, by focusing on all that is green and the abundance of natural ingredients that can be found throughout the country. School children take the day from school to learn more about protecting Costa Rica’s natural resources, and national flags, as well as the special Blue Flags representing ecologically awarded beaches and areas, fly proudly. After all, without the parks, where would Costa Rica be on the World’s sustainable tourism totem pole?
A National Park in Costa Rica is defined as a protected area that has been legally declared a National Treasure in order to protect and conserve the biodiversity it contains. These areas generally include diverse eco-systems deemed to be of National significance, generally showing minimal evidence of human impact, while offering important attractions for National and International visitors, as well as learning centers for some of the best scientists in their fields.
In 1888, with the founding of the National Weather Service (now referred to as the National Weather Institute), a century long genesis began of multiple governmental departments culminating in at least a dozen name changes over the years. Duties of protecting the natural resources of Costa Rica gradually expanded to include many diverse functions including specializations in water, hydrocarbons, gender, environmental education, citizen participation, biodiversity, wetlands, climate change, joint implementation, conservation, rational use of energy, environmental quality compliance, as well as the continued control of existing natural resources as previously mentioned. Eventually the morphing entities formed the current government segment referred to as the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Telecommunications, better known in Costa Rica as MINAET.
Costa Rica’s system of Protected Areas consists of an impressive 9 different categories: 1) National Parks 2) Biological Reserves 3) Natural Reserves 4) National Monuments 5) Protected Zones 6) Forest Reserves 7) Wildlife Refuges 8) Wetlands & 9) Indigenous Territories. These wildlife and rainforest areas have been declared as such due to their unique eco-systems, the existence of endangered species and for their significant historical and cultural value as well. The total of these diverse 169 Protected Areas equals approximately 26% of Costa Rica’s territory, protecting an amazing 5% of the World’s biodiversity! This sacrifice of often some of the most valuable land is an incredible example of this country’s dedication to protecting the environment not only within its borders, but the entire continent, since Costa Rica serves as a land bridge between South and North America.
There are an impressive 28 National Parks in Costa Rica, with each park having its own unique features, making every and every one of them worth an in-depth visit. An excellent example is perhaps one of the most famous Costa Rican parks, Isla del Coco, an internationally recognized treasure. Located approximately 340 miles off the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica on an uninhabited island (except for the Park Guard Station), this island has been declared a World Heritage Site, included on the List of “Wetlands of International Importance”, as well as nominated for the short list of 7 New Wonders of Nature, by the 7 Wonders of the World organization. Declared a National Park in 1978, Isla del Coco alone has identified some 235 plant species, 400 insect species (65 endemic), 100 bird species (13 resident, 3 endemic and multiple endangered). Its protected marine territory is home to a wide range of species of Shark, parrot fish, manta rays, among numerous other marine species. This particular park is considered one of the richest diving spots in the World, as declared by the famous Jacques Cousteau. Please see the list below, for an extensive list of Costa Rica’s National Parks, as to detail each one would be too long for one blog post.
List of Costa Rica’s National Parks: 1. Santa Rosa National Park 2. Rincón de la Vieja National Park 3. Guanacaste National Park 4. Las Baulas Marine National Park 5. Diriá National Park 6. Barra Honda National Park 7. Braulio Carrillo National Park 8. Turrialba Volcano National Park 9. Poás Volcano National Park 10. Irazú Volcano National Park 11. Tortuguero National Park 12. Cahuita National Park 13. Barbilla National Park 14. Chirripó National Park 15. Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 16. Internacional de La Amistad National Park 17. Corcovado National Park 18. Ballena Marine National Park 19. Piedras Blancas National Park 20. Manuel Antonio National Park 21. Tenorio National Park 22. Carara National Park 23. Los Quetzales National Park 24. Palo Verde National Park 25. Arenal National Park 26. Del Agua Juan Castro Blanco National Park 27. La Cangreja National Park 28. Isla del Coco National Park
The protected areas of Costa Rica generate extensive economic resources to support its dynamic eco-systems, as well as building centers for further ecological studies, stimulating scientific investigation to learn the proper handling of these delicate zones. Over the last 20 plus years, these Protected Areas have brought in some $1.92 billion dollars per year by promoting sustainable tourism to this country, meaning Costa Rica stands as the most visited nation in the Central American. Tourism now earns more foreign exchange than bananas and coffee combined, a previously unthought of statistic from this coffee and banana republic. Commerce, tourism and associated services now contribute some 68% of the country's GDP and represent more than 13.3% of direct and indirect employment. Not only have the National Parks served as a major economic factor for this developing country, but these important areas continue to serve as healthy and natural alternatives of entertainment, bringing a better quality of life to its citizens, as well as everyone that comes in contact with their unparalelled beauty.
Now isn’t that reason enough to raise a cold Imperial Beer and celebrate Costa Rica’s National Parks, as well as the laidback lifestyle we all call “Pura Vida”?
Author: Kimberly Barron, originally from Malibu, California has lived in Parismina and Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica for 20 years. Starting as a certified tour guide, she spent 15 years managing fishing lodges on the Caribbean Coast and later 4* & 5* Hotels on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. Currently semi-retired, Kimberly still works as the Marketing Director for Byblos Resort & Casino and Hotel Makanda by the Sea.
If scientists and astronomers have it calculated correctly, Friday the 13th, 2029 or possibly Easter Sunday, Friday the 13th in 2036, could be a very unlucky days for Costa Rica if the asteroid Apophis continues on its current projected path toward Earth.
“Apophis” was the name of the ancient Egyptian god of darkness and destruction. Therefore, astronomers could not have chosen a more appropriate moniker to assign to a 25 million ton asteroid that is expected to slice across the orbit of the moon, possibly impacting Earth at more than 28,000 miles per hour on April, Friday the 13th, 2029.
Scientists are 99.7% certain that Apophis, a huge pockmarked rock that carries the energy of 65,000 Hiroshima bombs, and measures more than 1000 feet accross, will pass the Earth at a distance of only 18,800 to 20,800 miles in the year 2029, not actually impacting Earth at that time. To put that distance into perspective though, that is actually shorter than a round-trip flight from Melbourne, Australia, to New York City. Either way, just after dusk on April 13th of 2029, people in Europe, Africa, and parts of Asia will be able to see what looks like a star slowly making its way westward through the sky. Apophis will be the first asteroid in human history to be clearly visible to the naked eye.
The asteroid will be packing enough power to wipe out a small country or churn up a devestating 800-ft. high tsunami. Previous projections showed the asteroid’s trajectory to pass somewhere along a 30-mile-wide path stretching from Russia across the Pacific Ocean into Central America and then across the Atlantic. Although San Jose, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Venezuela would all have been potential targets for total destruction, scientists believe the most likely target would have been several thousand miles off the West Coast of the United States, where the impact would create a 5-mile wide crater in the ocean floor. The impact would trigger tsunamis that would pound the coast of California with 50-foot waves, literally wiping out everything in its path.
Updated projections now have scientists believing that if Apophis passes the Earth at a distance of exactly 18,893 miles in 2029, it will pass through a "gravitational keyhole," where the Earth’s gravity could pull Apophis off track just enough to cause it to enter an orbit that is seven-sixths as long as the Earth’s orbit. If that happens, then exactly seven years later in the year 2036, as Apophis comes back around, the planet would be in an even more precarious path of this lethal asteroid. Fortunately, current tracking estimates put the odds of that happening at about 45,000 to 1, though one should keep in mind that that is considerably less than the chance of someone being in a plane crash!
Former astronaut Rusty Schweickart, now 71, who served on the Apollo 9 mission in 1969, feels that even a tiny risk cannot be ignored. Through his B612 Foundation, which he co-founded in 2001, Schweickart has been urging NASA to start now making preparations to do something about the asteroid. "We need to act," he said. "If we blow this, it’ll be criminal."
Despite Hollywood’s imaginative cinematic escapades, current technology does not provide any way for Apophis to be deflected to miss the Earth in either 2029 or 2036. For that reason, in 2005, Schweickart began urging NASA administrator Michael Griffin to start planning a mission to land a radio transponder on Apophis, in an effort to track the asteroid’s path to confirm that it will not hit the gravitational keyhole. If that data shows that the path will bring it into the keyhole, there would still be time to do something about it and launch a deflection mission. Using current technology, we could attempt to nudge it slightly off course by hitting it with a simple 1-ton "kinetic energy impactor" spacecraft. An alternative solution would be to use a "gravity tractor" spacecraft to hover above the asteroid and gently pull it slightly off course using its own gravity. Both of those corrective methods and their chances of success would be highly speculative.
For now, NASA has decided to wait and see what’s going to happen. According to an analysis by Steven Chesley of the Near Earth Object program at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA, there is no cause for alarm yet. Apophis will be swinging by the Earth in 2013, when it will be in perfect position to be tracked by the 1000-ft. diameter radio telescope in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. The data obtained during that pass could rule out the asteroid hitting the keyhole in 2029. But if it isn’t able to rule out the possibility, there will still be enough time to launch a deflection mission. Schweickart estimates that such a mission could take as long as 12 years to complete. But for now, most scientists are content to wait until we get a better idea of exactly what the risks are.
"There’s no rush right now," says Chesley. "But if it’s still serious by 2014, we need to start designing real missions."
Will Costa Rica homes and businesses be ready for this phoenomenon? Will the World be ready for Apophis? Are you ready? Do you believe this could truly happen? I’d love to hear your feedback!
Author: Kimberly Barron, originally from Malibu, California has lived in Parismina and Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica for 20 years. Starting as a certified tour guide, she spent 15 years managing fishing lodges on the Caribbean Coast and later 4* & 5* Hotels on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. Currently semi-retired, Kimberly still works as the Marketing Director for Byblos Resort & Casino and Hotel Makanda by the Sea.
Sources: Edited from an original article written by: Linda Orlando of Buzzle Staff and Agencies www.buzzle.com Originally Published: 1/8/2007 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/99942_Apophis http://asteroidapophis.com/
Conveniently located close to Costa Rica Hotels along the Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, the Rainmaker Conservation Project covers an ecologically diverse area of approximately 1500 acres. This important nature reserve, of which 80% is primary forest, is less than 30 minutes drive from local Manuel Antonio Lodging and Quepos Hotels, making it a convenient location for visitors to immerse themselves in the wonders of a true rainforest environment. Consisting of a transitional neotropical jungle ranging from humid rainforest to a misty cloud forest at its higher elevations, Rainmaker is completely dedicated to conserving the rainforest, as well as endangered species found within its boundaries. Their mission is to promote highly controlled sustainable development as a means to finance the ongoing protection of this unblemished area, while creating local employment, educational programs and the continued study of flora and fauna for scientific research. Less than 5% of the Rainmaker project is used for tourist activities, making the one-mile trail and bridge system available to a limited number of visitors, guaranteeing minimum impact on the environment. The well-tended trails, hand railings, bridges and lookout points have been designed to assure the safety, comfort and enjoyment of adventurous visitors, while leaving the surrounding jungle terrain as Mother Nature intended.
Rainmaker History: Previously owned by a local rice farmer, Rainmaker was in danger of being clear-cut and commercially developed. Due to a failing rice crop suffered after a severe drought, the indebted farmer was forced to sell his mountain paradise to support his family. Having struggled for years to preserve his majestic piece of property, rather than accept the highest offer, the farmer contacted a friend with whom he held a similar vision for the protection of this beautiful piece of land. In came Mauricio Gutierrez, who with the help of a business partner began the process of purchasing Rainmaker mountain. Sadly, only a few days before signing the final papers, Mauricio drowned while attempting to save a child who had fallen into one of the waterfalls. This tragic event left the purchase of the property in serious jeopardy. With a logging companies ready to step in, the future of Rainmaker was looking bleak. Arriving in Costa Rica for the funeral of their beloved husband and father, Ann Gutierrez and her two children, Alessandra and Mauricio Jr., all deeply aware of Mauricio’s desire to save this land, worked tirelessly to purchase and preserve the mountain in his honor. On August 13, 1993, thanks to the generous help of “The Body Shop”, the deposit was paid and a new future was set in motion for the beautiful Rainmaker Conservation Project. Since purchasing Rainmaker, the family has stayed true to Mauricio’s dream, though land title disputes, managerial usurpation lawsuits, species theft and other daunting challenges have certainly tested this family along the way. With support from visitors, the family continues to protect the mountain, preserving and maintaining its natural integrity, all in memory of their beloved Mauricio.
Sustainability & Species Protection: Dedicated to becoming a leading conservation project in the preservation and betterment of local rainforest communities, the Rainmaker project makes every effort to hire local community members as staff. Actively supporting the area teachers and schools, Rainmaker has been directly responsible in providing badly needed school supplies, as well as providing regular outdoor educational classes. The future of the rainforest depends on educating the next generation, so their work is of utmost importance. According to a study published by J. Alan Pounds in 2006, he suggested that many colorful Harlequin Frog Species (Atelopus) across Central and South America have disappeared due to deadly infectious diseases spurred by changing water and air temperatures likely a direct cause of Global Warming. At one time the colorful Harlequin Frog (actually a toad) was thought to be extinct, but much to everyone’s surprise, in 2003 the Harlequin Frog was rediscovered in the primary rain forest of the Rainmaker Reserve, once again emphasizing the importance of this extensive conservation project. To make a donation click here --->
Nature Tours and Excursions: A well designed system of trails follow the contours of the Río Seco river corridor, intersected by wooden bridges that allow visitors to safely traverse the jungle and enjoy excellent views of the natural scenery, without requiring intense physical effort. Along the trails visitors can generally find a variety of Reptiles, Poison Dart Frogs (dendrobates auratus), colorful Butterflies (morpho amotonte and others), Jesus Christ Lizards with their unique ability to walk on water (baciliscus), as well as colorful Bird Species such as Toucans and Trogons, just to name a few of the natural wonders to be seen. These trails connect to an extensive system of bridges suspended from hefty tree bases and all built to U.S. safety bridge engineering codes. The height of these bridges extend from 30 to 180 feet (some 22 stories high!), with a total expansion of 820 feet, distributed between six bridges; with the longest section stretching over 300 feet. The first platform starts at ground level, and as the slope drops, the bridge becomes higher, giving visitors unobstructed views of an incredible variety of flora and fauna amongst the diverse canopy eco-system. Several waterfalls, one of which is utilized as a natural swimming pool, afford visitors exceptional opportunities to capture breathtaking photographs throughout their hike.
River Walk and Canopy Bridge Tour: Visitors traverse the trail system, arriving to the Canopy Bridge section of the reserve. Built to U.S. engineering standards, the suspension bridges have six sections, creating one of the most impressive Canopy Walks in Costa Rica. The careful design permits minimal forest impact, while giving participants a unique opportunity to explore the majesty of the forest canopy from a bird's eye view in a safe and controlled environment. Tour includes: Round trip transportation from Quepos & Manuel Antonio, a variety of typical fruits and juices for breakfast and/or a typical Costa Rican lunch following the tour. All tours are led by an accredited bilingual nature guide. Hiking shoes, bathing suit, binoculars, and water resistant cameras are recommended.
Amphibians and Reptile Night Tour: 7pm- 9pm After dusk our expert bilingual guide will introduce you to the wonderful world that takes place after dark. You will be able to observe the very active amphibians and reptiles located on the property that prefer to come out at night. Guides will take you along the frog habitat lake, followed by a unique hike into the rainforest. Tour includes: Transportation from Manuel Antonio & Quepos, bilingual nature guide, headlamps, drinks and snacks. Long pants and hiking boots, and a sense of adventure are recommended.
Birdwatching Morning Tour: 5:30am – 9:30am This tour begins at dawn when the majority of tropical birds are most active. Walking around the Rainmaker property, visitors will enjoy the in-depth information provided by their trained nature guide as they learn about the abundant splendor of the native birds all in a relaxed and quiet environment. Tour includes: Round trip transportation from Quepos & Manuel Antonio, trained bilingual nature guide, a variety of typical fruits and juices for breakfast, along with the popular Rainmaker Costa Rica coffee after the tour. Walking shoes, binoculars and cameras are recommended.
Volunteer Service: Adventurous volunteers have the opportunity to participate for two weeks to one month periods in one of the four departments needed to run and preserve the Rainmaker Conservation Project. Consisting of areas of Maintenance, Landscaping, Food Preparation and Scientific Study, Volunteers will also have the opportunity to work with the local schools as well as various community outreach programs sanctioned by the Rainmaker Foundation. For more information click here.
Arrival from San Jose: Rainmaker is easily accessed by the main coastal road (the Costanera Hwy) on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica from the capital city of San Jose. Follow the road signs departing San Jose, for Jaco, then on to the Quepos/Manuel Antonio area. Continuing past the town of Parrita, turn left approximately 10 kilometers past that town. A large Rainmaker road sign is visible. Follow the signs through the Village of San Rafael Norte to the entrance, some seven kilometers.
Arrival from Quepos/Manuel Antonio: Follow the main highway towards San Jose. A large Rainmaker sign is visable just after the town of Paquita/Pocares. Turn right and follow signs to the entrance of Rainmaker through the Village of San Rafael Norte. Rainmaker is approximately 22 kilometers from the center of Quepos town.
For Further Press Stories on Rainmaker Click Here!
For more information: Call us in the US: (540) 349-9848 Or in Costa Rica: (506) 2777-3565 www.rainmakercostarica.org Email: lalycr2002@hotmail.com
Author: Kimberly Barron, originally from Malibu, California has lived in Parismina and Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica for 20 years. Starting as a certified tour guide, she spent 15 years managing fishing lodges on the Caribbean Coast and later 4* & 5* Hotels on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. Currently semi-retired, Kimberly still works as the Marketing Director for Byblos Resort & Casino and Hotel Makanda by the Sea.
The “Festival de la Cultura y el Ambiente Walter Ferguson” will take place from July 5-18, 2010 at various locations around Cahuita and will honor one of the Afro-Costaricans’s favorite sons with music, theater, dance and poetry. Cahuita, a small tourist town located on the Southern Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica is planning to make cultural event a yearly party of dance, music, typical food and a celebration of the Afro-Costarricense culture. Named in honor of Walter Ferguson, known as the “King of Calypso”, he is best known for songs such as Cabin in the Wata and Callaloo. The highlight of the festival is expected to be a Calypso concert at Cahuita’s Central Park, which will feature local Cahuita performers, as well as musicians from Limon and Puerto Viejo.
Background on a Muscial Icon: Locally known as the “King of Calypso” and for which this festival was named, Walter Ferguson was born in Guabito, Panama. His family quickly settled in Costa Rica where he spent most of his childhood around the community of Jamaica Town, a neighborhood by the Port of Limon. His parents moved to Cahuita, a small village in the South of the Limon Province, where he lives to this day. From an early age, Walter showed considerable interest in music and learned to play the harmonica, guitar and clarinet mostly on his own. As a clarinet player, he started the group “Miserable” in the 1950’s with other Calypsonians from Limon. In the 60s, he began to write calypsos with over a hundred songs of great popularity and cultural relevance for the Limonese people. Mr. Ferguson, also known as Mr. “Gavitt”, attended all the Calypso challenges held around the Caribbean coast for decades. From the town of Bluefields, Nicaragua to Bocas del Toro in Panama, Calypsonians were a dedicated bunch and would move by boat, horse, train or truck to compete at these improvised contests. Ferguson soon found fame while traveling along with other big names such as Panama´s Lord Cobra, and Limonese singers Papa Tun and Shanti.
His Place in Cahuita & History: For many years, Walter Ferguson would record his own music on to audiocassettes and sell them directly to the tourists in Cahuita. Each tape was an original, unique unto itself, like a personal concert for each person who requested one of his “souvenirs”. Mr. Ferguson has received numerous recognitions, such as the Popular Culture Award, the ACAM Award, and the Ancora Prize, awarded by Costa Rica’s national newspaper, La Nación. His songs clearly reflect the unique culture of the Afro-Costa Rican community, a culture that has mostly been ignored by the Republic of Costa Rica. Mr. Ferguson often jokes about the Calypsonian´s naïve spirit, often misunderstood, sometimes even persecuted, and has even been taken advantage of by glamour girls who call him “sugar candy”. His work has been interpreted by other Costa Rican artists like Manuel Monestel and the band Cantoamérica since the early 1980s, which has brought more prominence to his work both around the country and abroad.
A Caribbean Icon Lives on: Seated in his customary spot at the entrance to the Sol & Mar Restaurant located in his beloved town of Cahuita, the King of Calypso thrives on the attention he receives from the locals, tourists, expats and whoever else arrives to visit him. Since the beginning of July 2010, Mr. Ferguson has served as a one man marketing machine promoting the first Cahuita Cultural Festival, also dedicated in his name. When asked if he will be attending the Festival, “No!”, answers Don Walter in a strong and certain voice. “Everyone knows me and they already know that I will not go, since I cannot even see, I would not feel very comfortable there.”, explains the 2009 winner of the prestigious Reca Mora Award. It will come as no surprise to those that know him that even for this prestigious award, Don Walter did not make the trip to San Jose to receive his prize. “I don’t like San Jose.”, says Don Walter. “I prefer the country life.”, as he describes it, “I have lived in the same place since I was only 2-3 years old.”, added the outspoken elder.
Interview with An Outspoken Icon: Please enjoy this translated extract of a July 7th, 2010 interview with the Calypso King…… Walter Ferguson with Viva Magazine (part of La Nacion Newspaper) while visiting the beach town of Cahuita. Mr. Ferguson does not shy away from telling you exactly how he feels:
How was your childhood? I mostly just remember my music. Ever since I was a very young boy I liked to sing, perhaps just silly diddies, but my Mother always told me that I would be a famous composer one day. When I was around 10 years old, I learned to play the harmonica, then the ukulele, followed by the guitar and the clarinet. Nobody ever showed me, I taught myself.
What role did your Mother play in the development of your musical abilities? My mother died some 40 years ago now. When she was young, she used to sing in the local Methodist Church. Many women sang at the church and she enjoyed it immensely. Everyday she would sing and I loved to hear her singing, which encouraged me to sing along.
How did you learn to play the different musical instruments? I first started playing the harmonica that belonged to one of my older brothers. I began to play it, and my Mother scolded me and told me to return it to my brother, but I did not. I hid it so I could continue to practice. When my brother found out, he got mad and threw the harmonica in the backyard in the dark. I looked and looked for that harmonica, it took me so long to find it that in the end my brother showed me how to play it. Nobody could play that harmonica better than me. I also learned to play the guitar and the organ, as my Mother sent me to take lessons with a local man.
And your favorite, the Clarinet. Why do you enjoy this instrument so much? I don’t have a bad word to say about the Clarinet. I like everything about it. They call these people “clarinetas”. One day there was a man in Hone Creek that asked me why I didn’t buy a Clarinet, and he agreed to sell it to me and allow me to make payments. I received the instrument in October and by December I already knew how to play it. I learned to play it backwards though, playing with the right hand where the left should be, and vice versa.
When did Calypso Music enter your life? When I was a very young boy, I only sang. When I began to play the ukulele and I’d see Mighty Sparrow (the World Renowned Calypso Musician) playing his own Calypso, I thought…”Why can’t I do that too?” From then on, instead of singing other peoples Calypso I began to only sing my own. I sang Cabin on the Wata, which is one of my own compositions.
How do you define what Calypso is? Since Calypso is my life, I naturally think that Calypso is the best music, but for other people it is not their favorite. One time I attended a small concert and an older woman there told me she did not care for Calypso music at all, but for me, it is everything.
What does it mean to be a “Calypsonian” like yourself? It is the same as saying you are a carpenter, construction man, etc, there is no difference. Since I do Calypso, that makes me a “Calypsonian”. In Calypso, there is a certain rhythm, if you don’t have that, you don’t have Calypso. It would not sound right. I was born with that rhythm, even when I was not playing the music, I could make this rhythm with words and whenever I was doing Calypso, I was always doing it with rhythm.
What are the most common themes in the Calypso songs you write? It depends. One thing I never did was involve myself in things that would get me in trouble. Many times I was teased and encouraged to go outside my comfort limit, but I never involved myself in this style of life. Apart from that, I sing about almost anything. If you are a famous man, I can invent a Calypso song about you right away. If something bad happened, an accident, although I could make a song about that, I never sing Calypso about things that are sad.
Also, there are many times Calypso is from humor…. Yes, like the history of Bato, he called himself Albert. He built a house on the water and was always joking around. The girls would come and tell me they came to see him. The officials told him that he could not build a house inside the National Park (Cahuita National Park), so he took it as he could not have a house on land, so he built it on the water and that is how the song Cabin on the Water was born. That is just one of the many examples of jokes in Calypso. The majority actually are jokes.
You have had competitions to see who is the best. How were these competitions? There was a man in Limon that was saying he was from Panamá, but he was from here and he sang and had a beautiful voice. When I sang, people would say there was no one better than me, but I did not really believe them, as I am not like that. One time they asked me if I knew this man. I had heard of him, but they were saying that he was better than me. That got me very angry, so when I competed against him in Cahuita and beat him 2 times, I was very happy. He had tried telling me that he was the best Calypsonian in the country, so I told him that I must be the best in the World then, since I had beat him two times.
You were taping your music on cassettes to sell them. Do you still do that? No, because I have two CD’s, but the people still ask me for cassettes because many don’t have the right equipment sometimes. Now that I have mostly lost my eyesight, I am not able to play as much and it makes it difficult to make cassettes.
What do you think about your music being known Worldwide? I don’t find it very strange. My Mother always told me I would be a great composer.
How do you see the Calypso of today? I have noticed that the Calypso is slipping and it isn’t like it used to be. The people these days prefer reggae and other styles of music. It seems to me that there are still musicians around Limon that sing, but I don’t know if its going to continue like this or not.
What do you think will happen to Calypso when you are no longer with us? There is a young man here and I am always offering him help, as that is the way I am, I like to help the younger crowd. His name is Danny Williams and I think that if he can receive support, he will be an excellent Calypsonian. I have always felt that Calypso can survive; we just have to help the younger musicians to carry on the tradition.
How is your relationship with Cahuita, where you have lived your entire life? I have so much love for Cahuita. I don’t have any enemies and if someone treats me badly, I stay quiet because there are other younger men that are more capable and will take care of it for me. Mostly, the whole World loves me and I love them.
How have you seen Cahuita change over the years? There is a huge change in everything. Before we grew a little corn, but now you can’t grown anything, as they will just steal it in the night. Also, the people are so unmotivated. Tourism has been the savior of Cahuita. They aren’t bad people, granted they aren’t exactly saints, but they are always ready to help in Cahuita when really needed.
What is it that you like most about living in Cahuita? It’s hard to pin it down to one thing or another, I grew up in the same place since I was two years old. I was born in Panama and sometimes I went to work there, but as soon as I left I always wanted to return immediately to Cahuita.
Do you like to go to San José? No. I go if I have to, but only if I have to. I don’t like San Jose, I prefer Cartago.
Why don’t you like it? Perhaps because I grew up in the country and I like that lifestyle. I go occasionally with friends, everyone needs time like that, but I would never live there.
Does it surprise you that tourists come here looking just for you? Thousands of them have come. From Guatemala, England, all over! One time a woman came from Canada to meet me and she said she had one of my cassettes and she wanted to know if I had more. Some time later a group of 27 persons came to see me and I was very happy because I thought I was going to sell lots of cassettes and I could earn some ¢10.000. They asked me a lot of questions, but nobody asked about the cassettes. At the end, one woman asked me if I had any and if I would GIVE her. I felt bad, as I did not have any money, but I told her yes. They continued asking lots of questions and I answered, but I was not very happy about it. The woman said goodbye and she told me she could not wait to return with another group. In my heart, I did not want her to return, but of course I did not tell her that. Before she left she gave me a white envelope and told me that it was a little something for me. Then I felt bad and I was thankful that I had not said anything because there was ¢25.000 in the envelope which made me feel very good for being willing to give her the cassette without expecting anything in return.
You are an Afro-Costarricense icon. What do you think of this distinction? That means nothing to me. When people tell me that, I thank them, but I don’t feel it is a big deal.
How long ago did you basically stop singing and playing music? Since 2004 when I made my last CD (Dr. Bombodee) with Jazmín (Ross, of Papaya Music). I don’t know if you have heard of ACAM (Asociación Costarricense de Autores Musicales), these people have treated me well, they are the best, they even give me a pension from my music.
Why don’t you sing or play anymore? Because I have lost too much of my eyesight, but I can sing because you don’t need to see to do that, but when I sing the notes do not come out as well as before. Since that problem started, I decided to not sing or play anymore.
You seem to be in excellent condition, what is your secret? Since I have lost my vision and perhaps because I told you I am 91 years old, I’m sure you thought that it was a lie, but before I spent the entire day working on the farm and it was hard.
Beyond your eyesight, how is your general health? Not very good. I have no appetite and I don’t sleep at night, although last night I slept very well.
But you look to be in really good shape? Many people say that, but I do not feel well these days. What do you think of the recognitions you have received such as the festival that now carries your name? I feel very thankful that they thought of me.
What does it mean to you that you won the Reca Mora award from ACAM in 2009? I have always spoke well of ACAM as these people have always taken good care of me.
What do you think of Manuel Monestel, who received the award in your name and gave the national radio DJs a bad time for not playing your music more in their programs? Manuel Monestel is a nugget of gold to me. Whatever I need, he is always there to help me, and besides, he sings a lot of my Calypso songs.
What has been the biggest satisfaction in your life? The biggest satisfaction? When my father gave me the farm and I no longer had to wander in search of odd jobs. There were times when I had no money, like when the crops did not come out well, but I was always able to come up with a few “centavos” with the farm. If I still had my sight, I could probably still earn something on that farm. I have never been as happy as when I had my sight.
At 91 years, what place does music hold in your life? The music you never loose. I never consider myself too old to invent a song, I could do it right now if I wanted to.
What message would you like to give the city of Limón? Whenever I go to Limon I am received with much regard and respect. I hope that the younger musicians will continue to play music, we need to help them keep Calypso alive.
And the rest of Costa Rica? I was born on the Panamanian border and when they ask me where I was born, I say the truth, but my gratitude is for Costa Rica, because I have been here since I was a young child. I am proud to be from Panama, but when they ask where I come from, I always say I am Costa Rican.
Still the King of Calypso, at 91 years old and now mostly blind, the famous Walter Ferguson lives a simple life on a pension. Nonetheless, the King of Costa Rican Calypso still manages to make his way around Cahuita town alone, and stubbornly refuses help from others. Never at a loss for words, long live the King of Calypso, he will be sorely missed when he is gone!
Author: Kimberly Barron, originally from Malibu, California has lived in Parismina and Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica for 20 years. Starting as a certified tour guide, she spent 15 years managing fishing lodges on the Caribbean Coast and later 4* & 5* Hotels on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. Currently semi-retired, Kimberly still works as the Marketing Director for Byblos Resort & Casino and Hotel Makanda by the Sea.
SOURCES: Gerardo Gonzalez: www.nacion.com Ana Maria Parra: www.muchogustocentroamerica.net http://afrocubanlatinjazz.blogia.com http://mp3.mondomix.com/walterferguson http://www.89decibeles.com/noticias/acam-2009-anuncia-sus-nominados
The Latin culture has always been known for its “machismo”, and Costa Rica is certainly no exception. Though admittedly society is slowly changing this male chauvinistic attitude, upon my arrival to Costa Rica, machismo and I had many head-on collisions. Here are some tales of my adventures as one of the first Female Sea Turtle Guides in Costa Rica…
Background: Perhaps it would help if I set the background a bit. My husband and I fortuitously landed on the Caribbean shores of Costa Rica in the early 90’s. Fresh off the turnip truck, we were “newbies” in the worse sense of the word, speaking little Spanish and lacking any understanding of the cultural differences. We lived on a small island across the river from a sleepy little 200 person fishing village known as Barra de Parismina. Located on the Caribbean coast halfway between the Port City of Limon, and the next village to the North called Tortuguero, access to most of this coastline is by boat only via natural rivers and artificial canals (read the fine print people…..no roads!).
My Mission: Looking to start a new life adventure, I had been told the fastest way to learn Spanish was to get a job. I immersed myself in Spanish books and applied to become a certified Nature and Turtle Guide. Trained to promote and protect the natural resources of Costa Rica, with focus on the endangered sea turtles that arrive on this Caribbean coastline, the guides would serve as “ambassadors” of not only the turtles, but the entire concept of Costa Rica as an emerging Eco-Tourism destination.
Progress: My progress was swift on the language, but sadly……sorely lacking in cultural understanding. Oblivious to the whole “machismo” concept, I would buzz around alone in our small motorboat, not realizing that it was “scandalous” behavior for a woman to be driving a boat and driving it alone no less! The village men would confront my husband in the local Cantina, asking him “How can you let your wife drive a boat? You need to stop her! Women don’t drive boats around here!” At which point my hen-picked husband would respond, “YOU’LL have to tell her, cause I’m not gunna tell her!”, neither of us truly understanding what the big deal was.
Cultural Differences Continue: The cultural differences escalated as confrontations with local poachers who had previously hunted our large 60 acre jungle “farm” freely now found themselves in the cross hairs of an irate gringa determined to protect God’s creatures. Word quickly spread that the “crazy gringa” across the river had a gun and was rather passionate about protecting the animals on her property. This unique phenomenon caused an almost collective gasp from the female population and a form of sympathy from the male population toward my husband who obviously couldn’t control the fruitcake “gringa” he was married to. On a happy note, in a short time the illegal hunting was reduced considerably in the immediate area.
Turtle Season Arrives: With my Spanish studies going at full speed and my coveted Nature Guide Certification almost in hand, I was excited as turtle season arrived. Taking my guide certification test in record time, I didn’t realize that I would then have to sit there waiting 40 long uncomfortable minutes, while the rest of the MEN finished the test. Does it seem naïve now to realize that I was the only woman in the group? I honestly didn’t take much notice at the time, but looking back I can recognize how strange this must have seemed to them. Mid-February arrived, and with it, the enormous Leatherback Turtles. Weighing up to 1500 pounds, with flipper spans of up to 7 feet, the Leatherbacks were more commonly found to the North on the Tortuguero beaches and only arrived sporadically thru May to our beaches. As Green Turtle season arrived in July, nightly guided tours to see these majestic creatures lay their eggs began, lasting thru the end of October. Guides would be responsible to carry small groups of no more than 10 tourists by boat through the dark canals to isolated beach locations where lengthy walks began to find and witness this incredible egg laying process.
Passion turns to Danger: It never occurred to me that walking the isolated beaches late at night with a red-dimmed flashlight and 10 hapless tourists stumbling over driftwood was dangerous. I really didn’t put any thought into the several large cat species that regularly hunted the turtles, or the handful of ruthless turtle poachers (both egg and meat) that also awaited the yearly arrival of turtle season. I was from Los Angeles after all, and frankly Costa Rica with its passive culture hardly seemed threatening to me. That was until the dreaded “machismo” reared its ugly head again. My clueless husband was once again confronted at the local Cantina with, “How can you let your wife walk the beaches alone at night? You need to stop her! She’s taking our jobs away!” At which time my dear husband again responded, “YOU tell her, I’m not gunna tell her!” The frustration and sympathy for the guy with the “crazy gringa” wife grew larger amongst the locals. Unfortunately, this male sympathy quickly dissipated when I made my largest faux pas to date.
Cultures Clash: Riding my horses along the beach one morning, I found several turtles on their backs awaiting slaughter. Without thinking, I used a large plank to overturn them and help direct the turtles back to sea, all the while feeling pretty happy with myself. A short time later a major village scandal erupted as it was soon discovered that the turtles had been freed by that “crazy gringa”! (The horse tracks gave me away, I was the only one with horses on our island.) No one had ever dared to interrupt the yearly slaughter of turtles by a handful of organized poachers who profited from the sales of turtle meat and eggs. Once again, my poor husband took the brunt of the punishment, as the the villagers would never directly confront “the crazy woman”. Thank goodness for the passive Tico culture, as machetes and sticks were wielded, but in the end a round of beers quickly settled the angry mob. (It’s a sure fire solution to almost anything in Costa Rica!)
Beer Summit Solution: It was soon accepted that the “crazy gringa” across the river was not going to give up her fight to protect the turtles and other wildlife and if it meant regular free rounds of beers at the Cantina, then maybe that wasn’t such a bad deal after all. Soon, an unspoken turtle moratorium was established along our beach…..no more overturned turtles appeared and beer poured freely at the Cantina. Thankfully with time wiser heads realized that the promotion of these beautiful creatures would bring in more tourists, benefiting the entire village and not just a handful of illegal poachers. Attitudes slowly began to change towards the turtles, and now, almost 20 years later the area has many turtle protection projects in place attracting volunteers and tourists in record numbers. The fight to save the Sea Turtles around the World remains constant and with the continued distress on their habitat, the future of this wonderful creature regrettably remains uncertain. PLEASE HELP SAVE OUR SEA TURTLES!!
How you can help: The following are all recognized organizations with many programs to help conserve the World’s endangered Sea Turtles. If you would like to help, please click thru to these excellent sites to see how you can be a part of saving these beautiful creatures! http://www.costaricaturtles.org/ http://www.conserveturtles.org/ http://www.ecologyproject.org/programs/costa-rica/ http://www.turtles.org/helping.htm http://www.parismina.com/turtle.htm
Author: Kimberly Barron, originally from Malibu, California has lived in Parismina and Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica for 20 years. Starting as a certified tour guide, she spent 15 years managing fishing lodges on the Caribbean Coast and later 4* & 5* Hotels on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. Currently semi-retired, Kimberly still works as the Marketing Director for Byblos Resort & Casino and Hotel Makanda by the Sea.
For those that have traveled or lived in Costa Rica, Musmanni Bakery is a common and most welcome sight. Consistently serving a variety of quality breads, pastries, cakes, cookies and other convenience items, Musmanni is easily the best place to find a quick and delicious snack at a reasonable price. Considered the most popular bakery chain in Costa Rica, its welcoming orange lettered chef’s hat logo is immediately identified by “Ticos” wherever they travel throughout Central America.
Musmanni Early History: The year 1902 brought the arrival of the Musmanni family to Costa Rica. Native to Italy, the original members consisted of Nicolas and Teresa Musmanni (mother & father) and their children Domingo, Carmela and Antonio, quickly followed by the birth of their forth son, Gaetano. The family started their new business in Costa Rica selling pasta, something that was literally in their blood, as they descended from a long line of Italian bakers. By 1929, the once young son, Domingo, built the first Musmanni Bakery on Central Avenue in the heart of San Jose, choosing to focus on fresh tasting, high quality mass production of bread.
Musmanni Family Grows: In 1960, now some 30 years later, Franco Pacheco Musmanni, grandson of Domingo, returned from his studies in Chicago, Illinois, USA to start his own bakery business to be called Panaderia Pinova, S.A., specializing in sliced breads as to not directly compete with the Musmanni loaf style breads. Learning the business from the ground up and on his own, only 10 short years later, Franco bought the Musmanni Brothers Corporation, changing the official name to Musmanni International Corporation, in which he acted as president until his untimely death another 30 years later in 1999.
Musmanni Middle Years: Meanwhile, Santa Cruz, Guanacaste celebrated the inauguration of the second Musmanni Bakery in the year 1973, followed a few years later by a third store. The sons of Franco joined the family business in 1980 as expansion of the chain began to require more and more of the family members efforts. This necessity brought fruition to the concept of franchising, which would enable a spreading out the work as well as the risk, while furthering the brand name, its distribution abilities, all while generating more profits for the growing Musmanni Corporation.
Franchising & Auto Service: Midway through 1985, the concept of the Musmanni Franchise was officially launched, as it’s forth store opened in front of the popular and busy “Coca Cola” central market in downtown San Jose. This was followed only a few years later by the initiation of a new “auto service” (we make it, you bake it) system to be handled by their new subsidiary corporation, Premezclas Industriales para Panaderia, S.A. (Premixed Industries for Bakeries, S.A.), which manufactured pre-mixed bread dough to be offered at points of sale beyond Musmanni stores on a mass scale, enabling bakers to offer a fresher product without compromising time, quality or taste.
Bread School: As the Musmanni brand continued to expand across Costa Rica, 1990 brought in a third Production Plant, larger Central Offices and an innovative company idea, the creation of UPAN, the University of Pan (Bread). Located in the San Jose suburb of La Uruca, the “University” and its outlying facilities were built to offer a central location for corporate operation, as well as extensive training to the future bakers of the Musmanni Corporation.
Continued Baking Success: With the idea of simplifying the production process in their now 24 bakeries, Musmanni began production of frozen baking products in 1995, while the same year procuring the coveted ISO Certification of Quality Standards, one of the first in Costa Rica. This was followed only one short year later by a business alliance with the huge Subway Sandwich chain, as well as inaugurating new modernized production processes allowing the company to produce some 2500 units of product per hour. Other lucrative strategic distribution agreements followed with RICH’s (worldwide distributor of bakery products), as well as giant Pizza Hut Costa Rica & Panama. Lastly, the Musmanni Franchise model expanded to the capital of Panama, bringing the number of Musmanni stores to just under 50 stores, and growing to more than 70 by 1998, winning Mr. Franco Pacheco Musmanni “Businessman of the Year” by the Chamber of Industries.
Expansion Continues: By 1999, Musmanni Bakeries could be found in Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua, as well as Puerto Rico and more exclusive sales deals were closed with several of the largest supermarket chains in Costa Rica. This was also the year Musmanni Corporation celebrated the inauguration of its 100th store! In the next few years, another production plant would go on line, as well as larger offices and storage facilities to facilitate the ever growing business of baking bread, which had showed no signs of stopping as the total number of stores quickly grew to 157!
Musmanni Today: Today Musmanni International consists of more than 200 outlets in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador and Puerto Rico, as well as being the exclusive provider to such prestigious food chains and supermarkets as Pizza Hut, Subway, Quiznos, Perimercados, Multimercados. Musmanni products are served on the tables of many of the most prestigious Costa Rica hotels and restaurants, as well as throughout Central America. A Musmanni Bakery can be found on the street corner of almost any medium sized town in Costa Rica, and are admired for their dedication to quality bakery products. In 2008 the company launched two European style coffee houses called “Mundo de Café” (coffee world), that although mildly successful, will likely never match the wildly popular business model of their popular simple street front bakeries, which continue to thrive to this day!
Summary: So if you have ever had the pleasure of tasting Musmanni products, you surely are hungry by now and ready to head out to the nearest Musmanni bakery to satisfy that old sweet tooth. If you haven’t, you’ll just have to take my word for it, its good! For those of you in Costa Rica, as you bite into that next fresh pastry, or smear rich butter on another loaf of that soft warm bread, think of Nicolas, Domingo, Franco and the other members of the Musmanni family that sacrificed so much to bring from Italy over 100 years of baking pleasure!
Author: Kimberly Barron, originally from Malibu, California has lived in Parismina and Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica for 20 years. Starting as a certified tour guide, she spent 15 years managing fishing lodges on the Caribbean Coast and later 4* & 5* Hotels on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. Currently semi-retired, Kimberly still works as the Marketing Director for Byblos Resort & Casino and Hotel Makanda by the Sea.
Translated from the following Sources: http://www.musmanni.net/3wmus/inicio.aspx http://pruebas.newmediacr.com/musmanni_roy/historia_musmanni.htm
The Cananga Odorata tree is considered to be the true Chanel No.5 Perfume Tree. More often referred to by it’s common name, Ylang-Ylang…(pronounced “ee-lan ee-lan), it is among the most celebrated flowering trees in the World. Commonly found throughout Costa Rica, the Ylang Ylang tree is easily one of the most popular trees grown near or around “Tico” homes, as well as almost every Costa Rican Hotel or Resort in order to take advantage of its intoxicatingly rich floral fragrance.
SPECIFICS: A fast-growing tree of the custard-apple family, growth can exceed an amazing 6-8 ft per year, attaining an average height of around 40 ft or so, with heights of some 140ft! The Ylang Ylang is happy in full or partial sun, but prefers the acidic soil native to its normal rainforest climates, but is known to adapt quite well to other conditions. The long slender leaves are smooth and glossy, pointed with a prominent drip tip, offering subtle drooping yellow star shaped “flower” clusters that yield a highly fragrant essential oil. Specimens typically bloom two times a year, though mature specimens are known to bloom almost continuously throughout the year. Flowers are very fragrant, with a greenish yellow color at first, turning to a deep yellow to yellow brown when mature. Its clusters of black fruit are also important food items for birds, bats, monkeys, squirrels and other small mammals that frequent the rainforest readily dispersing this non-invasive species of tree.
USES: The ubiquitous Ylang Ylang tree offers multiple uses. The wood can be crafted or cut for canoe parts, small canoes, furniture, cooking fuel and cordage. The fragrant flowers are used to scent coconut oil, making lei and other decorative floral arrangements. The essential oil of the Ylang-Ylang is used extensively in aromatherapy, where it is believed to relieve high blood pressure, normalize sebum secretion (the secretions that regulate skin, hair and inhibit bacterial growth), improve symptoms of depression, distressed breathing, high blood pressure, anxiety, and is considered in many parts of the World to be an aphrodisiac. The oil derived from the Ylang-Ylang is widely used in perfumery for oriental and floral scented perfumes, the most famous being the wildly popular Chanel No. 5.
MEDICINAL USES: Ylang Ylang is also used as a common ingredient in the herbal motion sickness remedy, MotionEaze. The bark is used in some South Pacific Islands to treat stomach ailments and sometimes as a laxative. It is also used as an antiseptic on bites, stings and infections, as well as a sedative and as a reproductive tonic for infertility. The dried flowers are used against malaria, and the fresh flowers are pounded into a paste to treat asthma. (Please consult your doctor before trying any of these remedies!)
DISTRIBUTION: Native to Indo-Malaysia, this tree has been widely introduced by Polynesians, Micronesians, and early European explorers into most of the Pacific islands. It was later introduced to Tropical America (e.g., Costa Rica and surrounding countries), where the species has thrived. The Ylang-Ylang is now found from the Mariana Islands (Saipan, Rota, Guam), Nauru, Caroline Islands (Palau, Koror, Faraulep, Chuuk, Pohnpei, Puluwat Atoll), to Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Hawai‘i , and the Cook Islands and Marquesas Islands.
PROPAGATION: When considering growing your own Ylang-Ylang (which I highly recommend), it is most commonly propagated by seed. New trees can also be propagated by cuttings which requires a bit more luck and can result in varying degrees of success. Direct-seeding in the field is also effective in the right circumstances and conditions. The easiest method, and the one that I have personally had the most success with is to gently collect small specimens from under the existing trees and raise them in growing bags for 2–3 months before out planting the new starts. Remember to leave sufficient space for a deep taproot and tall wide growth for the mature trees.
In summary, the appearance of the flowers of the Ylang-Ylang tree are not particularly impressive, but its powerful sweet fragrance makes this a must have in your garden. An early bloomer, its fast growth means you will see flowers when the tree is still relatively young. The branches are known to be brittle and break easily so protection from strong winds is recommended when picking a planting site. The Ylang Ylang likes the heat and will grow and bloom during the warm season, but fear not, as this hearty tree can survive low temperatures and even freezing for short periods of time. The later being something I sincerely hope does not happen any time soon in tropical Costa Rica!
Author: Kimberly Barron, originally from Malibu, California has lived in Parismina and Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica for 20 years. Starting as a certified tour guide, she spent 15 years managing fishing lodges on the Caribbean Coast and later 4* & 5* Hotels on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. Currently semi-retired, Kimberly still works as the Marketing Director for Byblos Resort & Casino and Hotel Makanda by the Sea.
Ññññeee! Ñññññeeee!! Ññññññññeeeee!!! clin-clin-clin-clin-clin-clin is the sound his Ukulele/Guitar plays in a constant, grating rhythm accompanied by completely unintelligible “singing”. Mesmerized, you stop to look, listen, and try to make sense of at least one or two of the words, but the only sound you can truly make out is the incessant sound of Ññññeee, which is repeated countless times in a day on this dedicated spot located on Avenida Central and Calle Uno in downtown San Jose, Costa Rica.
I’m speaking of the beloved street “artist”, Marito Mortadela!! For those not familiar with this musical “icon”, he is Costa Rica’s own Latin American Idol wannabe (remember American Idol’s William Hung?), and your only excuse for not knowing of him would be that you have never walked the Central Avenue boardwalk, where precious Morita has been a fixture for some 40 years.
History: For those that have paused to experience his unique sound, comparable to fingernails running down a chalkboard, Marito, though mostly blind, is known for his quick wit and his endearing happy demeanor, making him one of the most beloved persons in San Jose, as he plucks away at his ukulele. An introverted man who has never offended even the cruelest of passersby, he is happy to pass his day serenading our Capital City, singing a song only he knows, and continuing to plink away on one of Costa Rica's only ukuleles. His true given name is Mario Bolaños Quirós, born in 1948. He lives in Los Cuadros, Guadalupe, on the outskirts of San Jose central, and his story is frankly a sad one. Although his age is over 60 years, his emotional state of mind is said to range more in the area of 14 years. At that age, his mother died suddenly, something he never quite overcame, stalling his mental development, leaving him literally stuck in time. It is believed he lives with his sister and has spent more than 40 years in his found “profession” as a street singer, living off the coins and small denominations that generous people drop in his iconic white bucket. He never begs, never has a foul word or bad mood for anyone, he is just happy to sing his song (I’m pretty sure there is just the one!), dedicated to his long lost mother who he claims to be singing to in Heaven.
Over the Years: Before making his musical home the boardwalk of Central Avenue, Marito spent his time on the sidewalks of the bus stops of Guadalupe, outside of San Jose and later around Avenida Tres, eventually making his “home” seated on Avenida Central and Calle 1, not far from the Librería Universal and the Tienda Carrión. It is extremely rare to see him anywhere else, arriving daily around 9am or 10am and leaving as late as 7pm or even 8pm at night! From time to time unscrupulous or rude people have been known to tease or bother him, playing jokes, even stealing his coin bucket, but the local lottery vendors, newspaper salesmen and store owners that work the same area jump to his defense to protect him. Marito takes it all in stride, happy in his own world existing of his white bucket (for the coins) and his precious ukulele, plinking out that same fingernail biting noise.
Dedication to an Icon: In October of 2008, touched by his dedication to the city and the people of San Jose, the renowned painter, Carolina Rodríguez, who had donated her time to painting one of the famous fiberglass cows used in the “Cow Parades” so popular in Costa Rica, was present as the Mayor of San Jose, Johnny Araya, dedicated her precious work of art to be permanently located on Morita Mortadela’s special corner. All of this said to honor a person that has given his “life” to the capital city of San Jose and the people that traverse it daily.
Dissappointment strikes: Unfortunately, after a wonderful dedication ceremony and several months of Morita playing his favorite Ukulele at the foot of his now personal cow sculpture, colorfully painted with pictures of Morita’s guitar across the sides, vandals destroyed the fiberglass cow during the night after an unruly party following the city wide Christmas Festival of Lights. It is suspected by the damage to the structure that party goers tried to sit on the cow sculpture, collapsing it under their weight and later leaving the now famous cow sculpture in ruins. Morita was beside himself, as was most of the city who was ready to lynch the vandals.
Better news: “We vow to return Marito’s cow, there is no doubt in that”, promised Arias, the assistant to San Jose mayor, Johnny Araya. “The municipality sees this cow not only as a Public work of art, but as an urban monument and we will do what is necessary to return it to its original state. If there is a cost involved, we will pay it!” promised the municipality worker. As a sign of the dedication to the beloved street artist, Mariano Morelli, Manager of Vallas y Gigantografías, the company that organized the Cow Parade in Costa Rica – the activity that promoted the creation of these cows—confirmed to the national newspaper, La Nacion, that they were in agreement to help in the repair of the cow, or if needed, donate a white cow to be repainted by the original artist. “We want to return Marito’s cow as soon as possible”, Mr. Morelli added. With the installation of added security cameras near the cow’s location, and improvement to the 5 other security cameras already located or due to be located in that general area of downtown San Jose, it is hoped that a despicable act such as this will not be repeated.
Happy Ending: Marito is said to be “very happy” to have his cow back in place and happily continues to entertain passersby on the Bulevar (Boulevard) in all types of weather, sitting at the base of his beloved cow, with his faithful white money bucket at his feet and his battered Ukulele plinking away. Since the cow donation, Marito officially boasts his own spot on the boulevard and has found a place in San José's history books.
So the next time you find yourself in San Jose, Costa Rica, be it for a Costa Rica vacation, a little shopping, because you live there, or while you’re lost on our streets with no addresses, when you hear that grating Ññññeee! Ñññññeeeeeee!! Ññññññññeeeeeeeeeeee!!! clin-clin-clin-clin-clin-clin racket, take a moment to stop, listen, and appreciate our chalkboard etching musical master. And while you’re at it……please donate a few extra coins to Costa Rica’s most loved Central American Idol, Marito Mortadela!!
Author: Kimberly Barron, originally from Malibu, California has lived in Parismina and Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica for 20 years. Starting as a certified tour guide, she spent 15 years managing fishing lodges on the Caribbean Coast and later 4* & 5* Hotels on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. Currently semi-retired, Kimberly still works as the Marketing Director for Byblos Resort & Casino and Hotel Makanda by the Sea.
Sources: Partially Translated from the following: http://blog.chepecentro.com/2007_06_01_archive.html http://es.wikipedia.org http://mitiquicia.ticoblogger.com/2008/10/ah-marito-marito.html http://livingcr.blogspot.com/2009/05/san-jose.html http://wvw.nacion.com/ln_ee/2010/febrero/17/aldea2272171.html
Walking down memory lane to the 1990’s, Costa Rica welcomed their first world class hotel chain, the Spanish firm known as Barceló. Specializing in the “All Inclusive” style of lodging, this style of travel did not take much of a foothold in this country, and the Boutique Hotel market remained the most popular choice for tourist accommodations. Now we fast forward some 20 years and Costa Rica hosts some 9 major hotel chains! Everything from Marriott, to Best Western, Intercontinental, Hilton, Choice, Wyndham, Four Seasons and the most recent group….Riu, now serve as the main players, with more jumping in each year. Does this mean the Boutique Hotel concept is ready for the endangered list in Costa Rica?
History: The "boutique" style is said to have been created in New York back in 1984, though there are valid arguments that in 1981 both London and San Francisco boasted the first boutique sized hotels. Most likely, 1984 might be when the term “boutique hotel” actually was coined, with the term coming into more mainstream use. Entrepreneurs Ian Schrager and Steve Rubell opened the boutique Morgans New York on Madison Avenue in the heart of Manhattan, and the concept grew by leaps and bounds from there. Morgans was small, stylish and unique, unlike the big brand-name hotels that predominated the markets at that time. The actual term "boutique hotel" was said to be coined by Rubell himself, who described their new hotel venture as being like a boutique as opposed to a department store. A very succinct analogy if you ask me!
Description: The most defining characteristics of boutique style hotels are that they are generally small properties, with less than 100 rooms and more often averaging between 3 and 50 rooms total. They take great pride in offering a super chic atmosphere, unique design and décor, contemporary styling and quite popular these days, a rich historical value or background. Most boutique hotels provide highly personalized service, with very hands-on staff, management and/or ownership, offering a genuine personality that just can’t be found in the large hotel chains. Services can be limited depending on the size and luxury level of the property or you can often find some of the most dynamic local and gourmet restaurants, world class spas, and other unique features that make them stand out from the standard hotel offering. The concept has been so successful, that most multi-national hotel corporations have begun to brand their own chains of boutique resorts in order to try to capture a share of this huge market.
Locations: Still a popular choice for hotels in Costa Rica, the concept of “boutique”, “design” or “lifestyle” hotels, as they are often referred, has spread throughout the world, to include European & East Asian countries, appearing in such places as Indonesia, mainland China, Japan, Iceland, Turkey, India & the Middle East, just to name a few. They continue to remain popular options throughout Central and South America as well or basically anywhere that provides a desirable destination for travel. I am fairly certain that you will find some sort of boutique hotel in almost any corner of the world these days!
Target Market: There are no longer cookie cutter molds for guests seeking the “Boutique experience”. Travelers are constantly looking for something new and different, while definitely expecting more than the simple comforts once acceptable to the average vacationista. Whether planning a business trip, destination wedding, honeymoon getaway, adults only escape, or just an overdue vacation, when planning travel, guests more often than not seek properties that are noticeably different in look and feel from the large branded hotels. Boutique hotels now even present a certain level of social branding. Those staying at these establishments are often considered as trendy, daring, fashionable, hip travelers that are quite often more ecologically minded. Since boutique facilities and their pricing can vary dramatically, there are now boutique properties designed to suit every demographic, any price range or social class, always with the idea of creating an unforgettable “guest experience” that just cannot be found in the larger hotel properties.
Competition: Boutique hotels retain certain benefits when it comes to cost of operations and overall profitability. They often have a large customer base to work with, as well as being favored by smaller travel agencies or tour operators that are looking to sell the “experiential” concept that the boutique hotel property has to offer. Since boutique hotel owners do not have to pay a franchise fee to be part of a larger chain, the hotel can often operate with a lower overhead that adding costly amenities such as restaurants, spas and convention & meeting spaces would create. However, these added amenities can generate significant profitability and appeal to the hotel's bottom line, so more often than not you will find every sort of amenity imaginable in todays boutique hotel properties. Another benefit for boutique hotel owners is that well established small properties tend to have a higher rate of repeat and word of mouth business compared to normal industry standards, which can save on boutique sized marketing budgets rarely able to compete with the huge marketing budgets of large branded properties. Nevertheless, successful boutique hotels must continually adapt to the constantly changing trends, needs, tastes, preferences, and technology in order to remain competitive in this cut throat hotel market.
In the end, whether it's the most isolated green hotel getaway, the most unique historical location, the most private white sand beach, impeccable five-star white glove service, or you are just looking for that travel environment that loans their son’s boogey board, gives you cookies from their kitchen, offers the most incredible personalized guest services, or located in the most super chic locale, boutique hotels in every instance cater to their guests every need and whim. Who doesn’t want that kind of attention on their hard earned vacation?
So for your next Costa Rica vacation, bypass that mega chain hotel and try one of the many Costa Rican Boutique Hotels, you will be personally helping keep these unique properties off Costa Rica’s endangered list!!
If you have a favorite boutique hotel you have visited, please feel free to share it with us in the comments section!!
Author: Kimberly Barron, originally from Malibu, California has lived in Parismina and Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica for 20 years. Starting as a certified tour guide, she spent 15 years managing fishing lodges on the Caribbean Coast and later 4* & 5* Hotels on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. Currently semi-retired, Kimberly still works as the Marketing Director for Byblos Resort & Casino and Hotel Makanda by the Sea.
Juan Santamaría, an impoverished drummer boy, born of a single mother from the town of Alajuela, is easily the most famous martyr in Costa Rican history, and the only individual to have a National Holiday (April 11) declared in his honor. But was it really Juan Santamaria that saved the day at the Battle of Rivas, or was it more to do with Costa Rica’s need to have a national hero? Read on….
If legend is to be believed, as a result of the Battle of Rivas on April 11th, 1856, Juan Santamaria’s selfless act as his country's impromptu savior brought his eventual rise to glory, fame and martyrdom as he succeeded in saving Costa Rica against the infamous US sponsored invasion of the soldier of fortune style militia of William Walker.
William Walker, a lawyer, doctor and soldier of fortune from Tennessee, hoping to not only exploit the commercial trade route between New York and the Southern tip of Nicaragua, Walker also hoped to conquer the five Central American States with the intention to annex them, extending the new Federation of Southern States, part of the US. Walker and his “filibusteros” (soldiers of fortune) with his new post as a shaky provisional President of Nicaragua planned to instill his political and financial power over the Central American territories, with the next logical step being the invasion of nearby Costa Rica.
Fearing Walker’s growing force in Nicaragua, Costa Rican President Juan Rafael Mora supported by the backing of wealthy American businessmen who wanted their important trading routes reopened, was urged to declare war not on Nicaragua, but on Walker and his filibusters.
Furious, Walker ordered the immediate invasion of Costa Rica, crossing the border into the province of Guanacaste, while the Costa Rican army mobilized full speed ahead Northward from the Central Valley. This rag tag army, led by the President’s brother Jose Joaquin Mora and brother-in-law General Jose Cañas, with their contingent of three thousand men marched towards the Walker encampment said to be assembled near the now famous Hacienda Santa Rosa, south of Nicaragua. Upon learning of their imminent arrival, Walkers men made a hasty retreat, taking the battle to Meson de Guerra in Rivas.
That is where Juan Santamaría prominently steps into the picture.
Walker's men, under the command of Colonel Louis Schlessinger, had no sentries posted in the Rivas fort, allowing Mora’s Costa Rican troops to surprise the small American militia, as Schlessinger himself retreated, leaving his troops in complete disarray. When a bloody battle ensued, the commanding Costa Rican officer asked for a volunteer to set fire to thatch roof of the El Mesón de Guerra; the filibusters' stronghold. Surely a suicide mission at best, it is said that Juan Santamaría, an impoverished mulatto drummer boy from the town of Alajuela, stepped up and with torch in hand, approached the hostel and through a hail of bullets, tossed his torch of fire onto the vulnerable thatched roof. This selfless patriotic act caused the enemy to flee, resulting in Juan Santamaria’s death, but leaving him a genuine National Hero.
The deaths of Juan Santamaría and more than a thousand other men saved Costa Rica and Central America from a complete collapse. The Battle of Rivas put great confidence to the Costa Rican Army in the fight against Walker, who before this battle believed himself undefeatable and unstoppable, and lead to his later assassination in Honduras, during his next attempt at staging a Central American coup.
Although Costa Rica was victorious in the Battle of Rivas, the country did not return back to normal by any means. The numerous dead bodies were not buried in Rivas but were simply thrown into the wells, causing the city a huge outbreak of cholera from the contamination. The troops then carried the disease home with them to Costa Rica where it ravaged the country, killing as much as one tenth of the population. Mora was eventually blamed for the outbreak, as well as other economic problems, and was taken out of power a few years later in 1859.
This is where the dispute of the true legend of Juan Santamaria begins. Heated arguments and several investigations suggest that the well repeated history of Juan Santamaria may not be all it’s cracked up to. According to Steven Palmer, a Canadian researcher, Juan Santamaria was possibly invented by the Liberalist Costa Rican government. Palmer’s study suggests that the government in the late nineteenth century was seeking to create a national identity in order to unify the disorganized country. Legends, heroes and battles, all helpful ingredients in the creation of a sense of national patriotism, the government set out to find something or someone that would serve its motivating purpose. Since Costa Rica lacks a history of warfare, the Liberalist government chose one of the few significant battles, the 1856 Battle of Rivas fought against William Walker. After choosing the famous battle, a brave hero was to be chosen as their new “symbol” for National unity. With this, Palmer says, Juan Santamaria was “born” or reborn after being dead and forgotten for many decades. That Juan Santamaria was a member of the lower classes, only served to inspire an even stronger sense of belonging to a nation that was coming of its own in world recognition, as Juan Santamaria showed anyone could become a National idol.
Further claims have been discovered that state Juan Santamaria actually died of cholera and not by the bullets of his enemies. Now granted, there are said to be listed four different Juan Santamarias amongst the some 9000 volunteer troops of Costa Rica, so this does open the door for some skepticism and confusion, but it is interesting to consider why Juan Santamaria lay buried for almost four decades, before being remembered and named Costa Rica’s National Hero.
Finally, other historical versions of the Battle of Rivas and the fight at the “Mesón de Guerra”, list the Lieutenant Luis Pacheco Bertora as the first to approach the fort with the idea of flushing out the enemy, but he was gravely injured by gunfire in his attempts. Lying unconscious, a Nicaraguan named Joaquín Rosales made a second attempt to burn the fort, but lost his life in the process. Finally, a third brave soldier stepped forward, the now well-known Costa Rican soldier, Juan Santamaría, who successfully set fire to the “meson” and saved the day for Costa Rica. None of these other brave soldiers have ever received the recognition due them as Juan Santamaria did, much less a National Holiday, statues or International Airports named after them, though the mystery behind the true history of these events lives on!
In the end, there is no attempt to minimize the participation of any of the soldiers involved in this battle, even less so Juan Santamaria. We only hope to give a shout out to all the valiant soldiers who gave their lives to win the liberty and sovereignty of Costa Rica, and to dispel of the rumor that Juan Santamaria was simply approaching the building, tripped and his fire torch accidentally started the fire that ended the battle.
Tell that later version out loud in Costa Rica, and you may be run out of the country even faster than William Walker was!!
Author: Kimberly Barron, originally from Malibu, California has lived in Parismina and Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica for 20 years. Starting as a certified tour guide, she spent 15 years managing fishing lodges on the Caribbean Coast and later 4* & 5* Hotels on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. Currently semi-retired, Kimberly still works as the Marketing Director for Byblos Resort & Casino and Hotel Makanda by the Sea.
Sources: Lisa Tirmenstein tirmenlb@muohio.edu. www.Wikipedia.org http://afehc-historia-centroamericana.org/index.php?action=fi_aff&id=1947 http://www.latindex.ucr.ac.cr/historia-51/10-Aguilar.pdf http://wvw.nacion.com/ln_ee/2006/abril/28/opinion8.html
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