Tranquilo and Cafecita in Costa Rica

Post written by Mary Han, a United Planet volunteer

Upon arriving in San Jose, Costa Rica, we were greeted by a United Planet representative, and were driven to the Green House Hostel, where we stayed for two nights. This facility was comfortable and roomy, and was apparently a hot commodity for other travelers from all around the world, as we met people from England, Wales, United States, Canada, and New Zealand. I took the time at the Green House Hostel to settle in and get used to the area around me, as well as to the people. I met other international volunteers as well, and had time to get to know them as we would be volunteering abroad together for the next two weeks. We took this time to wander the streets and explore our surroundings. The most amusing thing that I encountered while walking around was the stares that the local people would give me and my friends. It wasn’t only the fact that we looked completely out of place with our different clothes, but because I, as well as my friend, are of Asian ethnicity and apparently we were fascinating to the locals.

During our stay there, our guide took us to the Irazu volcano where we had our chance to be tourists. We also visited Our Lady of Los Angeles Church in Cartago, where, luckily, a national holiday was being celebrated that day. People from all over Costa Rica had biked, walked, and arrived on horseback to pay tribute to the Virgin of Los Angeles. (Ironically, Los Angeles is where I am from.) We also visited the mall in San Jose, where I had a lunch at Quiznos. (I was still eager for some American food!)
We arrived at our host house, a tiny green and white four-bedroom home with the rainforest in the background. We stepped eagerly inside, anticipating everything from what the bathroom and showers would look like to rehearsing Spanish sentences as we had to speak 100% Spanish from now on. (Our guide spoke English quite well). We settled in to a cozy bedroom with a bunkbed and had our first real “home-cooked” Costa Rican meal: rice, beans, and beef stew. All of it was delicious. We also got to meet the children, who eagerly eyed the Nintendo DS that my friend brought along, which they eventually spent hours playing. The family consisted of a mother, father, three daughters and one son. After the meal, we decided to explore the village. As we were walking past houses, we suddenly spotted our host mother in front of a home that was not her own, and beckoning us to come inside. This property actually belonged to her parents, whom we soon met. It was quite shocking to realize that our host mother’s parents lived two doors down. The importance of family and togetherness was shown most through this discovery. (I can’t possibly imagine my parents living two doors down in my adult life. Hell, I can’t wait to go off to college!) We spent quite a long time on the porch surveying our surroundings and gazing off at the drizzling rain. It didn’t take long for us to notice that the Ticos (Costa Ricans) took things very very slowly. They took things slowly enough to enjoy them, whether it be making a meal or running some errands. It was a very different atmosphere from the hustling, bustling city life of Los Angeles, and one that I appreciated very much. Everything was “tranquilo.” Time and punctuality was unimportant here. (I rarely looked at the time during my stay, a surprise!) The Costa Ricans also had teatime every afternoon ’round 3, called “cafecita”, another activity to rest and relax, and to take things slowly.

The next morning, we were picked up by the administrators of the Fudebiol Biological Center where we would be working at, and had our grand tour of the place. It was such a beautiful facility, right in the middle of the rainforest. The view of the mountains from up there was extraordinary and breathtaking. The Biological Center consisted of a school, an office, a garden, a butterfly garden, a gazebo, and an inn type of place that travelers could stay in. After our welcome to the area by the main worker there, we walked back down to our host home. We didn’t know it then, but we ran down some very steep hills. The very same hills we would have to walk up the next morning. But that is another story. After coming back down, we had cafecita, and decided to take a bus trip to San Isidro (the local town). We visited a marketplace, walked past butcher shops and fruit venders, as well as bookstores and clothing stores. It was fun to see McDonalds, Subway, and Abercrombie in such a small town. After our visit to the town, we headed back home and spent the rest of the day playing with puppies. The next morning, we woke up bright and early (6 a.m.) and started our hike up the mountain to Fudebiol. At the biological center, we took to a number of activities, the first of which was to paint a schoolhouse.

And so a routine began, and I am all about routines. There was a schedule to follow, and a structure to maintain. With the mixture of structure and some good Costa Rican “tranquilo-ness” the days were quite fun. Our tasks at Quebradas changed from day to day, with weeding and gardening, and my favorite, making large wooden signs with a rotor. I initially came on this trip with the mindset of just being an international volunteer, but I experienced so much more than that. I was immersed in this rich, Costa Rican culture for two weeks, and it was so much fun. And I am all about fun. I made friends with the village kids, watched the Olympics with my host family, had a healthy dose of exploration, ate good food and did not get sick. It was the experience of a lifetime, and I obtained the best souvenirs that any eager tourist could possibly hope for. I have the best memories and stories to tell and to share when I got back home.

This is my story.