This is just a little clip of how college students waste time on busrides to salsa clubs. After happy hour.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Random
This has nothing to do with Costa Rica but I just got two donations towards my goal for Team In Training!!! I`m so pumped!!
Bananas
My other posts on bananas point out their history and cultivation but they do not address the effects that they have on the environment.
The major affect that initially starting a plantation will have on the enviornment is detrimental. Many natural features, such as rainforests are being destroyed to make way for the creation of banana plantations.
Several large banana plantations such as Dole, Chiquita, and Del Monte are focused highly on the appearance of their bananas with little regards to the environmental affects on the earth. Many pesticides are used so that insects will not alter the appearance of the banana, which brings along many other issues. If the insect species that is being targeted is not present when sprayed, then the beneficial predetors may end up being killed. The pesticides used on these insects have also shown to be harmful to surrounding wildlife such as birds and fish which are predators to the insects that these pesticides kill.
A startling fact is that bananas are actually the most pesticide-rich topical fruit produced for international trade. Even more shocking, in Costa Rica 280 different pesticides are approved for use on bananas and one third of banana production cost in Costa Rica is spent on pesticides.
Although Costa Rica has ideal conditions for banana production, it also provides the an abundance of rain. This can become an issue because the rain water carries away pesticides from the plantations to other areas of the country. In fact around 60 - 85% of all chemicals are lost to leaching or runoff due to raining and absorption.
Banana plantations also have issues with the disposal of waste. Twenty percent of waste from plantations requires special treatment. The Ministry of Health found that in Costa Rica, 78% of plantations did not dispose of waste properly. Waste exists from the disposal of bad banana production and also plastic bags and ties used to protect the plant from insects.
It is apparent that banana production seems to have a very detrimental affect on the environment. Companies are starting to improve the ways of production so that there are less effects occuring. Later in our trip, we are visiting an organic plantation where I'm hoping to learn about more sustainable ways to grow bananas.
(http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/15843/Banana-Production-and-the-Environment-Sarapiqui-1)
The major affect that initially starting a plantation will have on the enviornment is detrimental. Many natural features, such as rainforests are being destroyed to make way for the creation of banana plantations.
Several large banana plantations such as Dole, Chiquita, and Del Monte are focused highly on the appearance of their bananas with little regards to the environmental affects on the earth. Many pesticides are used so that insects will not alter the appearance of the banana, which brings along many other issues. If the insect species that is being targeted is not present when sprayed, then the beneficial predetors may end up being killed. The pesticides used on these insects have also shown to be harmful to surrounding wildlife such as birds and fish which are predators to the insects that these pesticides kill.
A startling fact is that bananas are actually the most pesticide-rich topical fruit produced for international trade. Even more shocking, in Costa Rica 280 different pesticides are approved for use on bananas and one third of banana production cost in Costa Rica is spent on pesticides.
Although Costa Rica has ideal conditions for banana production, it also provides the an abundance of rain. This can become an issue because the rain water carries away pesticides from the plantations to other areas of the country. In fact around 60 - 85% of all chemicals are lost to leaching or runoff due to raining and absorption.
Banana plantations also have issues with the disposal of waste. Twenty percent of waste from plantations requires special treatment. The Ministry of Health found that in Costa Rica, 78% of plantations did not dispose of waste properly. Waste exists from the disposal of bad banana production and also plastic bags and ties used to protect the plant from insects.
It is apparent that banana production seems to have a very detrimental affect on the environment. Companies are starting to improve the ways of production so that there are less effects occuring. Later in our trip, we are visiting an organic plantation where I'm hoping to learn about more sustainable ways to grow bananas.
(http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/15843/Banana-Production-and-the-Environment-Sarapiqui-1)
Friday, May 30, 2008
Hello everyone. Today is a beautiful day. The sun is shining, the temperature is perfect, Stephanie and I went on a nice run this morning...its just great. Oh, and class got postoned an hour. I'm very happy.
I don't have much to talk about really. We had 3 classes yesterday and they were all pretty interesting. We talked alot of about risk management and ecological services. It was really interesting to learn more about what pushes companies to "go green". I didn't realize how many people can have an affect on companies and the way they use our resources. There are alot of stakeholders who put pressure on companies to become more sustainable such as the media, competitors, and non-governmental organizations.
We also watched the movie The 11th Hour last night which is narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio. First, I'd like to say that he shouldnt have narrated the movie because he's an actor and it looked like he was acting when he was talking about our effect on the earth. Not a good choice in my opinion. Either way, the movie was insane. I'm pretty sure they were using the fear tactic to make the viewer realize that everything on earth will die if we don't change our habits. They talked alot about water scarcity, the extinction of oceanic life, dead zones, storm enhancement, etc. It was really interesting and it kept my attention the majority of the time. It did motivate me to act because I feel more conscious about my water usage and throwing away trash among other things.
Jumping back to the present - our trip to the Osa Penninsula ended up getting postponed to Sunday because of Tropical Storm Alma. Today, we're having class instead and starting to work on our group projects. Instead of next Thursday, we're going white water rafting all day tomorrow then coming back to San Jose before leaving for the Pennisnula tomorrow. I'm pumped to have this nice break with nice weather and rafting tomorrow should be a blast.
In case you feel like helping me out, you should go to this website:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/soh/nattri08/aminneman
I don't have much to talk about really. We had 3 classes yesterday and they were all pretty interesting. We talked alot of about risk management and ecological services. It was really interesting to learn more about what pushes companies to "go green". I didn't realize how many people can have an affect on companies and the way they use our resources. There are alot of stakeholders who put pressure on companies to become more sustainable such as the media, competitors, and non-governmental organizations.
We also watched the movie The 11th Hour last night which is narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio. First, I'd like to say that he shouldnt have narrated the movie because he's an actor and it looked like he was acting when he was talking about our effect on the earth. Not a good choice in my opinion. Either way, the movie was insane. I'm pretty sure they were using the fear tactic to make the viewer realize that everything on earth will die if we don't change our habits. They talked alot about water scarcity, the extinction of oceanic life, dead zones, storm enhancement, etc. It was really interesting and it kept my attention the majority of the time. It did motivate me to act because I feel more conscious about my water usage and throwing away trash among other things.
Jumping back to the present - our trip to the Osa Penninsula ended up getting postponed to Sunday because of Tropical Storm Alma. Today, we're having class instead and starting to work on our group projects. Instead of next Thursday, we're going white water rafting all day tomorrow then coming back to San Jose before leaving for the Pennisnula tomorrow. I'm pumped to have this nice break with nice weather and rafting tomorrow should be a blast.
In case you feel like helping me out, you should go to this website:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/soh/nattri08/aminneman
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Coffee
I was reading more about sustainable coffee growth and I found some information about indications that coffee is grown sustainably. The five that were listed were:
1. Certification
2. Country of Origin
3. Botanical Variety
4. Roaster
5. Price
In regards to certification, the cost of certifying your coffee organic can be great so some organic coffees do not have a seal. In the event that organic coffee does carry a seal, there are several types that may be present. One type of seal is that of bird friendly growth. In this case, it is required to be grown organically so you are getting coffee with sustainability and biodiversity kept as high priorities. To be certified organic by the USDA, it means that most but not all chemicals were eliminated from the growth process and most are grown with at least partial shade. Other types of seals exist such as from the Rainforest Alliance
The country of origin is important because some countries no longer use shade to grow their beans. These countries are more likely to use shade growing: Mexico, Bolivia, Ethiopia and a few others. Countries likely to use sun growing are: Costa Rica, Brazil, Colombia, and Vietnam.
Botanical variety relates to the two species of coffees sold commercially. These two are Arabica and Robusta. Arabica is high quality where Robusta is generally low quality and mass produced with a lot of chemicals.
It is recommended that you buy coffee from a small, specialty roaster. This is because small roasters tend to have better relationships with the farms that grow their coffee and they know exactly where it came from. They are also more likely to know how it was grown.
The topic of price and sustainable coffee is just as one may guess: cheap coffee is probably not sustainable. It takes more money to grow organic, sustainably coffee; therefore, the cost will tend to be higher.
I think this will help me to make a more educated decision when the day comes that I decide to like coffee. I don't think the day will come but maybe whoever reads this will benefit.
1. Certification
2. Country of Origin
3. Botanical Variety
4. Roaster
5. Price
In regards to certification, the cost of certifying your coffee organic can be great so some organic coffees do not have a seal. In the event that organic coffee does carry a seal, there are several types that may be present. One type of seal is that of bird friendly growth. In this case, it is required to be grown organically so you are getting coffee with sustainability and biodiversity kept as high priorities. To be certified organic by the USDA, it means that most but not all chemicals were eliminated from the growth process and most are grown with at least partial shade. Other types of seals exist such as from the Rainforest Alliance
The country of origin is important because some countries no longer use shade to grow their beans. These countries are more likely to use shade growing: Mexico, Bolivia, Ethiopia and a few others. Countries likely to use sun growing are: Costa Rica, Brazil, Colombia, and Vietnam.
Botanical variety relates to the two species of coffees sold commercially. These two are Arabica and Robusta. Arabica is high quality where Robusta is generally low quality and mass produced with a lot of chemicals.
It is recommended that you buy coffee from a small, specialty roaster. This is because small roasters tend to have better relationships with the farms that grow their coffee and they know exactly where it came from. They are also more likely to know how it was grown.
The topic of price and sustainable coffee is just as one may guess: cheap coffee is probably not sustainable. It takes more money to grow organic, sustainably coffee; therefore, the cost will tend to be higher.
I think this will help me to make a more educated decision when the day comes that I decide to like coffee. I don't think the day will come but maybe whoever reads this will benefit.
Pictures from Manuel Antonio
This is a view from the bridge we stopped at on our way to Manuel Antonio (note the five gators, crocs...whatever they are)
Here's the crew out in the Pacific while it was raining but warm thank goodness.
A monkey!! Its very small peeping its head up in the middle of the picture.
Happy hour!
This was the view from our hotel...it was beautiful. Unfortunately, it was always raining.Manuel Antonio
Tuesday and Wednesday were an experience...not the most amazing but still and experience. Our whole group of 27 (minus our instructors) went Manuel Antonio Beach in search of a nice relaxing trip and to catch some rays. It ended up after our 4 hour bus ride there that it rained the entire time.
We went to the beach anyways and got to enjoy the huge waves and riptides. It was a good time other than my ear becoming full of water. We were all diving into the waves and getting flipped around and upside down by the currents which was really scary at first but still a blast.
We all went to happy hour where that had 2 x 1 tropical drinks and we took over the place which made it alot of fun. Our bus ended up taking us to a salsa and meringue restaurant/bar/club which was sooo much fun. I didn't really know what I was doing but the guy leads so all I did was just spin around.
We actually got to sleep in the next morning and nobody went to the beach because it was raining again...surprise, surprise. Then we took a long busride back as everybody talked about how the rain was depressing us. Either way, were in Costa Rica but its hard when the beach trip wasn't what we were waiting for.
We woke up this morning to more rain and found out that there is a tropical "depression" over Costa Rica right now which is why it has been raining non stop. Its called Tropical Storm Alma. Apparently, if the storm doesn't go North like its supposed to, then we may have to change our plans for the weekend. We're supposed to be going to the Osa Penninsula which is the hardcore rainforest/jungle that nobody goes to because its so hard to get to (combo of driving/boating/hiking). This is where were supposed to see all of the exotic creatures and sleep at a nature preserve under mosquito nets. Sounds like a good time...if its not raining. If you can't tell, i'm soo hating rain right now.
We're scheduled to have class all day today to make up for our trip to Manuel Antonio. We're one class in with two more to go. I'm starting to realize that class is the most relaxing part of our trip because we're sitting still. The material is really interesting too which helps. We talked about all of the negative parts of the world today. That made you feel good about life. All of the water shortages, deforestation, desertification, etc. I heard a lot about it in my geology course but to hear about it all at once just makes you realize alot about how we live. We also have our midterm/"short exam" this afternoon. We'll see how it goes.
Well I have to go back to class. I'll add pictures eventually when we have more free time.
We went to the beach anyways and got to enjoy the huge waves and riptides. It was a good time other than my ear becoming full of water. We were all diving into the waves and getting flipped around and upside down by the currents which was really scary at first but still a blast.
We all went to happy hour where that had 2 x 1 tropical drinks and we took over the place which made it alot of fun. Our bus ended up taking us to a salsa and meringue restaurant/bar/club which was sooo much fun. I didn't really know what I was doing but the guy leads so all I did was just spin around.
We actually got to sleep in the next morning and nobody went to the beach because it was raining again...surprise, surprise. Then we took a long busride back as everybody talked about how the rain was depressing us. Either way, were in Costa Rica but its hard when the beach trip wasn't what we were waiting for.
We woke up this morning to more rain and found out that there is a tropical "depression" over Costa Rica right now which is why it has been raining non stop. Its called Tropical Storm Alma. Apparently, if the storm doesn't go North like its supposed to, then we may have to change our plans for the weekend. We're supposed to be going to the Osa Penninsula which is the hardcore rainforest/jungle that nobody goes to because its so hard to get to (combo of driving/boating/hiking). This is where were supposed to see all of the exotic creatures and sleep at a nature preserve under mosquito nets. Sounds like a good time...if its not raining. If you can't tell, i'm soo hating rain right now.
We're scheduled to have class all day today to make up for our trip to Manuel Antonio. We're one class in with two more to go. I'm starting to realize that class is the most relaxing part of our trip because we're sitting still. The material is really interesting too which helps. We talked about all of the negative parts of the world today. That made you feel good about life. All of the water shortages, deforestation, desertification, etc. I heard a lot about it in my geology course but to hear about it all at once just makes you realize alot about how we live. We also have our midterm/"short exam" this afternoon. We'll see how it goes.
Well I have to go back to class. I'll add pictures eventually when we have more free time.
Tourism
We got a little better taste of eco-tourism on our trip to Arenal and Monteverde this past weekend. We were tourist because of the natural landscape and features.
People visit Arenal to see a sight that you can't see many places in the world: an active volcano. We were able to enjoy hot springs heated by the volcano and take a hike through the park that lead to a lava flow from the most recent eruption. It was all marked off so that we stayed on specific paths so that the park could maintain its natural beauty.
Monteverde was just the same. The rainforest was preserved for the most part so that we could take our night and morning walks and see the wildlife and insects that lived in the forest. I think the ziplining was a very commercial version of eco-tourism because we were able to enjoy the rainforest and also the thrill of flying through the trees and over the canopy (which I can't stress how amazing it was).
Many people believe that eco-tourism is still tourism and negatively effects the environment whether or not it is a natural sight. I agree that this is true but when you compare traveling to visit naturally maintained sights rather than commercial areas, you are doing something beneficial rather than harmful. Also, in cases such as Costa Rica, income is being brought to the country by those who want to see these sights. Not only can it be very beneficial for the economy of the surrounding areas, but it also encourages that who could benefit financially to maintain the beauty and keep the environment untouched.
Over the past 2 days, our whole group (less our instructors) took a trip to Manuel Antonio to visit the beach. It was obvious to me that the environment is a key attraction after noticing the view from our hotel room. In many other beach locations, the coast is lined with huge hotels and homes and the natual landscape is no longer natural. Despite the small stores and restaurants, Manuel Antonio seemed almost untouched. Standing outside our hotel room, you could see how beautiful the coast was. There were trees everywhere and it was much prettier than say Florida or California.
I think that eco-toursim is much more benefical when the right natural features exist and can be utilized. I'm excited to see more of what Costa Rica has to offer in the next few weeks.
People visit Arenal to see a sight that you can't see many places in the world: an active volcano. We were able to enjoy hot springs heated by the volcano and take a hike through the park that lead to a lava flow from the most recent eruption. It was all marked off so that we stayed on specific paths so that the park could maintain its natural beauty.
Monteverde was just the same. The rainforest was preserved for the most part so that we could take our night and morning walks and see the wildlife and insects that lived in the forest. I think the ziplining was a very commercial version of eco-tourism because we were able to enjoy the rainforest and also the thrill of flying through the trees and over the canopy (which I can't stress how amazing it was).
Many people believe that eco-tourism is still tourism and negatively effects the environment whether or not it is a natural sight. I agree that this is true but when you compare traveling to visit naturally maintained sights rather than commercial areas, you are doing something beneficial rather than harmful. Also, in cases such as Costa Rica, income is being brought to the country by those who want to see these sights. Not only can it be very beneficial for the economy of the surrounding areas, but it also encourages that who could benefit financially to maintain the beauty and keep the environment untouched.
Over the past 2 days, our whole group (less our instructors) took a trip to Manuel Antonio to visit the beach. It was obvious to me that the environment is a key attraction after noticing the view from our hotel room. In many other beach locations, the coast is lined with huge hotels and homes and the natual landscape is no longer natural. Despite the small stores and restaurants, Manuel Antonio seemed almost untouched. Standing outside our hotel room, you could see how beautiful the coast was. There were trees everywhere and it was much prettier than say Florida or California.
I think that eco-toursim is much more benefical when the right natural features exist and can be utilized. I'm excited to see more of what Costa Rica has to offer in the next few weeks.
Pictures...out of order but here they are
A pretty bird we found while hiking en la mañana. This is through a telescope thing.
A beautiful waterfall that we hiked to on morning hike in Monteverde.
This is from our night of relaxation and good conversation. ha
View from our boat as we crossed Lake Arenal on our way to Monteverde.
Bob and I during the zip lining. You can tell how happy he was when he realized that I had a camera out in the rain...forest.
"Just Livin Life, Doin Work, Playin Mafia"
Here I am inside of a tree in the rainforest.
Arenal Volcano...it was very clear and beautiful!
This is a sideways view of the dam that we visited on our hydroelectric plant tour.
This is a distant view of the waterfall that we all hiked to.
Here we all are at the bottom of the massive, amazing, beautiful waterfall.
Here we all are hiking across the volcanic rock (aka lava flow). It was unreal.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Long Amazing Weekend
Wow, well we just got back from a long weekend that was amazing.
It all started on Friday with a long drive to Arenal Volcano. The first thing we did after we got to the hotel was go to Baldi Hot Springs. We got to relax in the huge warm pools of water and order fun drinks. It was a nice bonding experience for the crew :)
We stayed at a nice hotel right by Arenal and we got to see it alot because the sky was clear the majority of the time we were there. Apparently that doesnt happen to often so everyone was pumped. We even got to see it erupting on Saturday night.
Saturday was packed too. We got up early to go to a hydroelectric plant which was interesting. It was cool to actually see a dam after learning so much about them in my geology course. We got to see how they divert the water then where it comes out and generates electricity which was crazy.
After the plant, we went horseback riding to La Fortuna waterfall which was amazing. At least the waterfall was. I learned that i´m not a horse kind of girl to say the least. I was sorta kinda scared out of my mind. The waterfall was beautiful and huge. We all got to swim around under it and relax after the horseback riding so it was nice to cool off. After the waterfall, we hiked through Arenal National Park. We walked right up next to the volcano and walked through our first "rain forest." We walked until we got to the lava flow from when the volcano erupted in the 60's. There were massive black rocks every and you could how the flow wrapped around. You could also see Lake Arenal in the distance which was beautiful. It was literally a breathtaking experience. We ended up walking back to the bus in the poring rain before we went to dinner at a steakhouse where we ate chicken. ha
Sunday was my favorite day by far. We woke up and took vans to Lake Arenal. We all jumped on a boat and cruised across the lake. It was surrounded by mountains and the lake was beautiful. We had a full view of the volcano too which was amazing. After the boat ride, we got back on some vans and took an insane ride to Monteverde. The roads were horrible. There were rocks everywhere. We found out that they do this intentionally. The people of Monteverde keep their roads really badly maintained because they want people to stay longer. It takes longer to get to the park which is the motivation to stay longer from what I understand. Either way, we only stayed one night but we had a rocky ride there and back.
The first thing we did when we got to Monteverde was unload into the lodge we stayed at in the park. It was like summer camp. We had rooms with 3 bunks and we shared bathrooms. It was alot of fun though. In the afternoon we went on a canopy tour which was my favorite part of the weekend. I was prepared for around 5-7 ziplines through the rainforest but it turned out to be soooo much more. We started off on a few easy ziplines then they got longer. Out of nowhere came this huge platform thats called the "tarzan swing." Image this: first you jump off the platform and the rope isnt tight. Then, all the sudden as your falling, it tightens and you start swinging really far and really high. I was incredibly nervous but it was so much fun. That wasn't even the best part. We had two more ziplines that are hard to describe. I started out in the forest then as I was gliding along the trees just open up and I was just out in the middle of this huge valley hundreds of feet in the air. It felt like I was flying...like I was the only person around. It was amazing. The second one was just the same but it was through a cloud. I almost couldn't see it was so dense but it was incredible. I wish I could do it again right now! The only downside was that it was pouring down rain the entire tour but it didn't matter.
We came back soaked then they surprised us with dinner at a pizzeria and everybody was pumped. The pizza was amazing and we all dessert for Rob's birthday. We ended up going on a night hike in the rain and we saw a trantula (sp?) and a ton of bats. We saw a lot of random insects too.
We woke up this morning at 5:30 am to go on another hike at 6. We got to see a few birds and more insects. I finally felt like I was in a real rainforest. It was dense and wet and you could tons of birds.
Overall, this weekend was amazing. The next few are going to have to be pretty good to top what I just experienced.
Sunday was my favorite day by far. We woke up and took vans to Lake Arenal. We all jumped on a boat and cruised across the lake. It was surrounded by mountains and the lake was beautiful. We had a full view of the volcano too which was amazing. After the boat ride, we got back on some vans and took an insane ride to Monteverde. The roads were horrible. There were rocks everywhere. We found out that they do this intentionally. The people of Monteverde keep their roads really badly maintained because they want people to stay longer. It takes longer to get to the park which is the motivation to stay longer from what I understand. Either way, we only stayed one night but we had a rocky ride there and back.
The first thing we did when we got to Monteverde was unload into the lodge we stayed at in the park. It was like summer camp. We had rooms with 3 bunks and we shared bathrooms. It was alot of fun though. In the afternoon we went on a canopy tour which was my favorite part of the weekend. I was prepared for around 5-7 ziplines through the rainforest but it turned out to be soooo much more. We started off on a few easy ziplines then they got longer. Out of nowhere came this huge platform thats called the "tarzan swing." Image this: first you jump off the platform and the rope isnt tight. Then, all the sudden as your falling, it tightens and you start swinging really far and really high. I was incredibly nervous but it was so much fun. That wasn't even the best part. We had two more ziplines that are hard to describe. I started out in the forest then as I was gliding along the trees just open up and I was just out in the middle of this huge valley hundreds of feet in the air. It felt like I was flying...like I was the only person around. It was amazing. The second one was just the same but it was through a cloud. I almost couldn't see it was so dense but it was incredible. I wish I could do it again right now! The only downside was that it was pouring down rain the entire tour but it didn't matter.
We came back soaked then they surprised us with dinner at a pizzeria and everybody was pumped. The pizza was amazing and we all dessert for Rob's birthday. We ended up going on a night hike in the rain and we saw a trantula (sp?) and a ton of bats. We saw a lot of random insects too.
We woke up this morning at 5:30 am to go on another hike at 6. We got to see a few birds and more insects. I finally felt like I was in a real rainforest. It was dense and wet and you could tons of birds.
Overall, this weekend was amazing. The next few are going to have to be pretty good to top what I just experienced.
Friday, May 23, 2008
More Bananas
As you can tell from my last blog on this topic, bananas have a rich history and contribute greatly to Costa Rica's economy.
Banana cultivation in itself is a very interesting process. Cultivation requires specific conditions and optimum soils to produce good bananas. The terrain must be flat with deep, well-drained and structured soils. Costa Rica is ideal for banana production because of the volcanic ash deposit in the soils that exist. Also, conditions are ideal because bananas require 10-15 months of no frost and temperatures constantly above 53 degrees F.
The production of bananas consists of four stages: plant growth, fruit protection, harvest, and cleaning, packing and shipping. The plant growth lasts about 6-8 months and consists of the growth of a stem with a large bud. Once the stem has arrived, the fruit protection begins. The fruit is protected by removing damaging leaves and bagging the fruit to prevent sun and insect damage. At this point, colored ribbons are tied to the bags to mark the fruits scheduled harvest. At this point, fruits are supported by twine to prevent wind damage. Also, this is the stage where pesticides and other chemicals are applied. When the bananas are matured, they are cut from the vine and placed in water tanks to be cleaned. Once cleaned, they are cut into bunches and packaged to be shipped. Bananas usually arrive on refrigerated trucks and shipped within 24 hours. The fruit generally arrives are supermarkets within 3-11 days of harvesting.
I had no idea of the process that brought this wonderful fruit to my grocery store in Ohio. Later in our trip, we are going to visit Chiquita and another organic banana plantation. I'm looking forward to seeing the process in real life.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Tourism
Tourism and eco tourism have been on the rise in Costa Rica as well as many other Central American countries. This is occuring due to these countries containing natural beauty from their landscapes and fascinating beauty. Costa Rica has a lot to offer. The beaches, rainforests, vocanoes and wildlife are the major ecosystems that attract tourists from all over the world. In fact, tourism is the second highest source of income in Costa Rica after the production of silicon chips. To better understand eco tourism, it can best be described as traveling purposely to natural areas purely to understand the natural history and culture of the environment. This is done while making sure to not alter the ecosystem. This leads to more economic opportunities to make conservation beneficial to the local citizens and also provides incentive to preseve the natural surroundings.
We got a little taste of the tourism industry here in Costa Rica on our trip to Cafe Britt today. We were thrown into this tour that made you feel like a product being pushed through the process. Compared to yesterdays plantation, Cafe Britt was very commercial. You could sense that tourism was a major industry just through this experience. As far as eco tourism goes, today wasn´t the best example. We stayed on a paved path the entire time and were explained the coffee production process. We also got to see how the beans were roasted and packaged. We then learned how to test coffee and smell and feel it. I wouldn´t call this eco tourism because we didn´t get to see alot of the natural part of the plantation. We were surrounded by coffee plants but we didnt get to see the natural beauty so much as the production side. Either way, it was very evident that the plantation had the tourism act down. I think that in the next few weeks we will continually experience this.
This shows you how commerical Cafe Britt was. They put on a play to explain the history of coffee. It was bizarre.
My cappucino that I ordered in the restaurant (it was very strong).
Here we are enjoying our coffee drinks in the restaurant.
We got a little taste of the tourism industry here in Costa Rica on our trip to Cafe Britt today. We were thrown into this tour that made you feel like a product being pushed through the process. Compared to yesterdays plantation, Cafe Britt was very commercial. You could sense that tourism was a major industry just through this experience. As far as eco tourism goes, today wasn´t the best example. We stayed on a paved path the entire time and were explained the coffee production process. We also got to see how the beans were roasted and packaged. We then learned how to test coffee and smell and feel it. I wouldn´t call this eco tourism because we didn´t get to see alot of the natural part of the plantation. We were surrounded by coffee plants but we didnt get to see the natural beauty so much as the production side. Either way, it was very evident that the plantation had the tourism act down. I think that in the next few weeks we will continually experience this.
This shows you how commerical Cafe Britt was. They put on a play to explain the history of coffee. It was bizarre.
My cappucino that I ordered in the restaurant (it was very strong).
Here we are enjoying our coffee drinks in the restaurant.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Costa Rica...ya gotta love it
This would be mi amigos dancing last night. We had a latino dance class which was a blast.
Here I am with Heidi and my roommate Stephanie. It was 230 colones (50 cent) beer night.
The road to the coffee plantation. Note that we are in a huge commercial sized bus.
Beautiful Costa Rica on the walk to the plantation.
This massive bug was hanging out on the ground when we were at the plantation.So you have heard all about my coffee plantation trip. It was a lot of fun and it was really interesting. The coffee was just too strong but I had to try it. We ended up getting back here to San Jose and we had a survival spanish course which seemed like it took all day because we had to keep playing out scenarios in groups but I learned a little and I now have another booklet to help me out.
I started my Team in Training triathlon training two days ago when Stephanie and I went for a run. We went out again this morning and ran for 30 minutes which is really good considering their are hills every 100 meters. It gets me pumped to get ready. In case anyone doesn´t know, Team in Training is an organization that benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I´m participating in the Nations Triathlon in Washington D.C. in September which is an Olympic distance triathlon (1.5K swim, 40K bike, and 10K run). I´ve started to raise money but I have no donations but my own :( My fundraising goal is to raise $4,500 by mid-August. I have a long way to go but I will keep moving. I know I can do it! If you want to help me out, then I would be very, very happy!!!!!!
http://pages.teamintraining.org/soh/nattri08/aminneman
We are going to Cafe Brit tomorrow which is the big coffee company here in Costa Rica. It should be a lot different then today and we should be able to buy more bags of coffee. I´m really excited! Miss you all!
I started my Team in Training triathlon training two days ago when Stephanie and I went for a run. We went out again this morning and ran for 30 minutes which is really good considering their are hills every 100 meters. It gets me pumped to get ready. In case anyone doesn´t know, Team in Training is an organization that benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I´m participating in the Nations Triathlon in Washington D.C. in September which is an Olympic distance triathlon (1.5K swim, 40K bike, and 10K run). I´ve started to raise money but I have no donations but my own :( My fundraising goal is to raise $4,500 by mid-August. I have a long way to go but I will keep moving. I know I can do it! If you want to help me out, then I would be very, very happy!!!!!!
http://pages.teamintraining.org/soh/nattri08/aminneman
We are going to Cafe Brit tomorrow which is the big coffee company here in Costa Rica. It should be a lot different then today and we should be able to buy more bags of coffee. I´m really excited! Miss you all!
More Coffee
Today we visited a coffee plantation just outside of San Jose. It was owned by a succesful business woman who bought the plantation ten years ago. We took our bus back a long bumpy dirt road then walked a long way down to where we learned about the plantation. Here is a picture of me next to a bunch of coffee plants.
Here is a coffee bean. If you squeeze the seeds out, you can eat them. I didn´t take time to test it out but I heard that they didn´t taste like coffee :(
Here is a coffee bean. If you squeeze the seeds out, you can eat them. I didn´t take time to test it out but I heard that they didn´t taste like coffee :(
Here I am with my freshest cup of coffee that I will ever drink (and the strongest).
I found alot of what I learned today to be very interesting. First off, this specific plantation just won an award for best coffee in Costa Rica (aka best coffee in the world according to the Ticos). It used to be an organic plantation for three years but changed back because of less profit due to low production capabilities. When the plantation switched to organic, production went from 800 sacks to 30 sacks. This played a big role in the change.
On the way up to the plantation we saw fields that been overused and degradation was taking place. It was cool to actually see some of the effects of overuse even though these farms can no longer be used sustainably.
We heard alot from the owner about how she has changed things at the plantation to become successful. Ever since they won the award, they have been able to sell their coffee at very high price compared to in the past.
She also talked to us about where her coffee is sent and sold. She mentioned that her beans are combined with other beans and sold in bigger batches to major companies. That was the only thing that surprised me. She told us that many coffee growers will label their beans as organic when they actually are not. Basically, the ethics are no longer there. Thats too bad for all those organic lovers out there!
Coffee is an export that is considered suitable for fair trade. Fair trade is a movement to alleviate global poverty and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a fair price as well as social and environmental standards related to the production of a variety of goods. Fair trade can lead to equality in international trade. Sustainable development can be achieved through better trading conditions and securing the rights of producers in workers. This mainly relates to those in developing countries. The plantation that we visited and the woman who owns it could possibly benefit from fair trade. On the other hand, this woman completes all steps of production from planting and cultivating to exporting; therefore making use of fair trade is not necessarily beneficial in her case. Also, she has found that separating herself can allow her to work more directly with customers which has proven to work through her apparent success.
The main downfall of this plantation is its lack of sustainable growth patterns. Due to the location of the plantation, few pesticides and growth enhancers are needed and the altitude and lack of a lot of sunshine provide for very positive growing conditions. The reason sustainable practices are not in place is due the higher expenses with less attainable profit for the woman who owns the plantation.
Tomorrow we are visiting a coffee plantation that operates using more sustainable practices and has the benefit of being very successful.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Coffee
I don't really like coffee. Tomorrow we're going to a coffee plantation so I researched a little to learn more about it before we go.
The last decade of the eighteenth century is when coffee was first brought to Costa Rica. After the slow movement across the country, Costa Rica became the first country in Central America to establish a coffee industry. Colombia was the first country that coffee was exported to, followed by Chile. After arrival in Chile, the coffee would be repackaged and sold in Europe under a Chilean name. In 1854, Costa Rica began exporting to London which led to the coffee becoming known as the "grain of gold". The bean was able to be exported after an oxcart path was built from the central valley where it was grown to the Caribbean coast for export.
Coffee helped modernize Costa Rica and brought more wealth and opportunity not only from current citizens but also from Europe and other places. The Atlantic railroad that I mentioned in my banana blog was funded by the growth of coffee popularity and export. It was not only used for bananas but also for easy access between the Central Valley and Limon. Coffee is said to have established the base which Costa Rica stands today.
After visiting the coffee plantation tomorrow, I hope to find out more about the sustainability issues that exist within the industry.
The last decade of the eighteenth century is when coffee was first brought to Costa Rica. After the slow movement across the country, Costa Rica became the first country in Central America to establish a coffee industry. Colombia was the first country that coffee was exported to, followed by Chile. After arrival in Chile, the coffee would be repackaged and sold in Europe under a Chilean name. In 1854, Costa Rica began exporting to London which led to the coffee becoming known as the "grain of gold". The bean was able to be exported after an oxcart path was built from the central valley where it was grown to the Caribbean coast for export.
Coffee helped modernize Costa Rica and brought more wealth and opportunity not only from current citizens but also from Europe and other places. The Atlantic railroad that I mentioned in my banana blog was funded by the growth of coffee popularity and export. It was not only used for bananas but also for easy access between the Central Valley and Limon. Coffee is said to have established the base which Costa Rica stands today.
After visiting the coffee plantation tomorrow, I hope to find out more about the sustainability issues that exist within the industry.
PHOTOs finally
Here are a few photos over the past few days...
Here are a bunch of us just hanging out in the Atlanta airport during our 4.5 hour layover.
This is my bed. Note the picture in the top left corner...I'll reference it later in this blog.
Here a Caribbean Cow. They have these cows all over San Jose and each is decorated differently to represent something to do with Costa Rica. This one is supposed to be a dressed like Caribbean Costa Rican women. Very conservative as you can tell.
The National Museum.
The whole group in front of a big statue in downtown San Jose.
Here are a bunch of us just hanging out in the Atlanta airport during our 4.5 hour layover.
This is my bed. Note the picture in the top left corner...I'll reference it later in this blog.
Here a Caribbean Cow. They have these cows all over San Jose and each is decorated differently to represent something to do with Costa Rica. This one is supposed to be a dressed like Caribbean Costa Rican women. Very conservative as you can tell.
The National Museum.
The whole group in front of a big statue in downtown San Jose. Since yesterday's blog some pretty crazy things have happened...well mainly just one. Last night we got to go out with most of the group to a local bar which was alot of fun. I got to try some Costa Rican drinks which were good (mainly beer). My roommates and I had our first cab experience which went great. He took us right home (I'm not sure what else I was expecting). After we got back, I noticed another ant on my wall which I had been seeing a few randomly in this same area of my wall but never thought much of it. Well last night I wanted to do something about it so I went to kill it and it crawled behind a picture frame in my room. I casually grab the frame and lift it from the wall expecting to see an ant. WOW, not just one...picture over 100 ants crawling frantically around behind this frame and falling to the floor and crawling all over the floor. Not just regualr small USA ants. BIG RED ants. They were crawling everywhere so my roommate went and grabbed the Raid and I drenched my entire room and killed them all. They were climbing into my suitcase (which was empty thankfully). I ended up sleeping on the couch in the hall until my host mama came and woke me up and ask what was wrong. I told her and she cleaned it up right then which was nice. I don't know what else could make me homesick. I got over it quickly though :)
Today we had a crash course on the basics of risk management and the business environment. We talked about how everything varies by country and culture and how regulations differ greatly. I think the course were taking is going to be very intesting because I get to see sustainablity from a business light and compare it to my geology background. I know that our trips out of San Jose are going to teach me even more because of the actual experiences.
Tomorrow and Thursday we are going to two different coffee plantations. I'm excited to learn more about the process and see how they go about being sustainable in Costa Rica. We're having a guest lecture today purely on Costa Rican sustainability which should help me get more out of our trips in the next few weeks. Well I have to go to the lecture now. Adios.
PS. For anyone who doesn't know, I have to write four posts each about bananas, coffee and tourism for class. Hints the blog about bananas before this.
Bananas
I love bananas. I actually just had one for breakfast this morning. My host Mama Carmen poured honey ontop and it was delicious. This sparked my interest in learning more about the banana industry and how they've come about in Costa Rica.
I just learned that bananas have been part of the Caribbean since 1870. The export of the fruit began after after the Atlantic railway was finished in 1890. Costa Rica became the largest producer of bananas in 1911 and today, the industry is one of the top foreign currency earning industries in Costa Rica. When bananas began being exported from Central America, 12 million stems were sent to the US. In 1955, 1,389,000 tons were exported, with 290,000 being sent from Costa Rica.
In 1985, a man known as Luis Alberto Monge issued the banana expansion decree which brought in national companies and caused what was known as the "uncontrolled banana expansion". Costa Rica doubled its banana production in less than seven years. The total went up to 103 million boxes in 1994.
As you can tell, banana production has grown greatly in Costa Rica. Next time, I'm going to look into how this expansion has affected the country in terms of the land, growing conditions, etc.
A side note: Three banana brands that we know in the US are Chiquita, Dole and Del Monte. They are all called "the big three" and branch from the the United Brands Company. Just the other day, my host Papa Fernando told us that we have Chiquita bananas where his son lives in Florida. He was really excited to know that we eat food from Costa Rica back in the states. It was kinda cool.
I just learned that bananas have been part of the Caribbean since 1870. The export of the fruit began after after the Atlantic railway was finished in 1890. Costa Rica became the largest producer of bananas in 1911 and today, the industry is one of the top foreign currency earning industries in Costa Rica. When bananas began being exported from Central America, 12 million stems were sent to the US. In 1955, 1,389,000 tons were exported, with 290,000 being sent from Costa Rica.
In 1985, a man known as Luis Alberto Monge issued the banana expansion decree which brought in national companies and caused what was known as the "uncontrolled banana expansion". Costa Rica doubled its banana production in less than seven years. The total went up to 103 million boxes in 1994.
As you can tell, banana production has grown greatly in Costa Rica. Next time, I'm going to look into how this expansion has affected the country in terms of the land, growing conditions, etc.
A side note: Three banana brands that we know in the US are Chiquita, Dole and Del Monte. They are all called "the big three" and branch from the the United Brands Company. Just the other day, my host Papa Fernando told us that we have Chiquita bananas where his son lives in Florida. He was really excited to know that we eat food from Costa Rica back in the states. It was kinda cool.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Post numero uno
I'm finally posting! It seems like forever since I've sat down at a computer (and I still haven't considering the labs are full and I have to stand at the the one I'm using now). Anyways...
We got into San Jose late Saturday night and took a bus from the airport to Veritas which is the university we're studying at. Our host family picked us up and we ended up hanging out and staying up until 12:30 am (2:30 am Ohio time) talking Spanish and getting the rundown on the city/country/rules. My roommate Stephanie knows Spanish well so she was my translator. It was rough and overwhelming :( Our family consists of an older couple who live by themselves and they are very nice. They also have a big hairy dog that smells just great. I have my own room and it's pretty nice. Theres a twin bed and a lot of storage. There are also huge windows that wake me up in the morning. Yay.
Sunday was a long day. We woke up and went into San Jose on a bus and we toured the city and walked around. It's alot different than West Milton/Oxford. It re-affirmed my love for the country and lack of love for big cities which gets me more excited for our weekend trips. We ate at a restaurant downtown and I got fajitas which was very good. Speaking of the food...we were all told about rice and beans everyday, every meal BUT our host family is from Peru and the man is on a diet so no rice and beans (so far)!! They have served us eggs and toast yesterday and a plate of fruit and toast today. For dinner last night, we had pasta. In other words, the food has been good. I'll need to dig into some rice and beans eventually though.
The rain came yesterday. Apparently their rainy season hadn't started (which is unusual)...until yesterday. It poured from about 4 pm until after I fell asleep. Its kind of cool though because you can sense when its coming. The weather is as follows...sunning and hot in the morning then rain in the afternoon. Apparently everyday it will be like this. It hasn't started yet today but it looks like it could anytime.
We found out last night that our hosts own two Hollywood Video stores. They ask if we wanted to go so we were excited thinking it would be a short trip (we were supposed to meet up with the group at nine). It ended up that they were closing the stores for the night so we waited then they took us to McDonalds to get ice cream. We didn't get back until almost ten :( It was still pretty cool to ride around the city with Costa Rican people that we had just met.
Today, we went to a big bank downtown. They have a lot of windows and you had to get a ticket when you come in to get in line. This may not be unusual in big cities, but it was new to me. We got a good exchange rate! Its nice to finally have colones. The exchange rate was 550 colones for every dollar.
After lunch we went to CINDE which is a marketing companies that promotes investment in Costa Rica. They reach out to companies and try to bring in international businesses. They have alot of incentives to attract them to Costa Rica. I never really thought about something like this existing but the presentation was very interesting. We got to see their growth in terms of GDP and investment and how their main exports and production have changed over the years.
Thats pretty much what has been going on. Everybody is getting along well in our whole group. We all stay in different directions for the University but thats where we all meet. We make plans because we have no cell phones. Just like old times.
I want to say hello to my family and everybody else (Jeff especially). I hope all is well in Ohio!
I don't know when i'll write again but I doubt it will be this long...but maybe so.
Adios mi familia y amigos!
We got into San Jose late Saturday night and took a bus from the airport to Veritas which is the university we're studying at. Our host family picked us up and we ended up hanging out and staying up until 12:30 am (2:30 am Ohio time) talking Spanish and getting the rundown on the city/country/rules. My roommate Stephanie knows Spanish well so she was my translator. It was rough and overwhelming :( Our family consists of an older couple who live by themselves and they are very nice. They also have a big hairy dog that smells just great. I have my own room and it's pretty nice. Theres a twin bed and a lot of storage. There are also huge windows that wake me up in the morning. Yay.
Sunday was a long day. We woke up and went into San Jose on a bus and we toured the city and walked around. It's alot different than West Milton/Oxford. It re-affirmed my love for the country and lack of love for big cities which gets me more excited for our weekend trips. We ate at a restaurant downtown and I got fajitas which was very good. Speaking of the food...we were all told about rice and beans everyday, every meal BUT our host family is from Peru and the man is on a diet so no rice and beans (so far)!! They have served us eggs and toast yesterday and a plate of fruit and toast today. For dinner last night, we had pasta. In other words, the food has been good. I'll need to dig into some rice and beans eventually though.
The rain came yesterday. Apparently their rainy season hadn't started (which is unusual)...until yesterday. It poured from about 4 pm until after I fell asleep. Its kind of cool though because you can sense when its coming. The weather is as follows...sunning and hot in the morning then rain in the afternoon. Apparently everyday it will be like this. It hasn't started yet today but it looks like it could anytime.
We found out last night that our hosts own two Hollywood Video stores. They ask if we wanted to go so we were excited thinking it would be a short trip (we were supposed to meet up with the group at nine). It ended up that they were closing the stores for the night so we waited then they took us to McDonalds to get ice cream. We didn't get back until almost ten :( It was still pretty cool to ride around the city with Costa Rican people that we had just met.
Today, we went to a big bank downtown. They have a lot of windows and you had to get a ticket when you come in to get in line. This may not be unusual in big cities, but it was new to me. We got a good exchange rate! Its nice to finally have colones. The exchange rate was 550 colones for every dollar.
After lunch we went to CINDE which is a marketing companies that promotes investment in Costa Rica. They reach out to companies and try to bring in international businesses. They have alot of incentives to attract them to Costa Rica. I never really thought about something like this existing but the presentation was very interesting. We got to see their growth in terms of GDP and investment and how their main exports and production have changed over the years.
Thats pretty much what has been going on. Everybody is getting along well in our whole group. We all stay in different directions for the University but thats where we all meet. We make plans because we have no cell phones. Just like old times.
I want to say hello to my family and everybody else (Jeff especially). I hope all is well in Ohio!
I don't know when i'll write again but I doubt it will be this long...but maybe so.
Adios mi familia y amigos!
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