Limón Costa Rica - Day One - Our Life in Costa Rica Yr #3

Here's a little bit of the backstory -- in case you are new to the blog, or just missed my previous post.

Originally there were about 12 of us who were going to the Caribbean Coast to attend the annual Calypso Music Festival in Cahuita. Unfortunately, that weekend, there was a TERRIBLE storm which closed the road and flooded the area. 

So, we rescheduled for the weekend of Aug 4th. 

And that brings me to today's story...

Lavanson and I have visited the Caribbean Coast four times and we have NEVER stopped in Limón longer than a few minutes on our way to Puerto Viejo.

I have to ask myself "why"?

Statue of Christopher Columbus who was the 1st European to set foot in Limón on his 4th and final voyage in 1502

One of the reasons is pretty obvious, Costa Rica tourism is directed to the Pacific Coast to locations such as Playa Jaco, the posh beach town of Manuel Antonio and points north in the ritzy areas of Guanacaste, such as Playa del Coco, the famous beach town of Tamarindo and the very popular tourist area of the Nicoya Peninsula, and there is very little press about the Caribbean Coast -- home of the Afro-Caribbean people (except maybe to warn people of the "dangers" there).

Limón has a rich history! 

.

On this beautiful day, we spent an afternoon in Limón. We walked along the ocean, drank coconut water  marveled at the beauty of the central park and had a very nice lunch at nearby Cafe Gecko.

There is a walking tour available for  Limón where you can learn more about the history - unfortunately the tour can only take 10 people and we had over 15 so we could not take it on this particular day, however on our next trip, it is Number 1 on our list!!!

The Caribbean has some of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica, EXCELLENT food and a laid-back Caribbean vibe! The Caribbean Sea shelters coral reefs and tropical fish and its sands are where four different species of turtle lay their eggs each year.

Be sure to check it out on your next visit to Costa Rica!

Oh and BTW - Puerto Limon is the largest and most important port in Central America for commercial use!

Below is a short recap of the day.

Day One - Welcome to Limon from Devon on Vimeo.

Our Plans to Attend the Calypso Festival (Update) - Our Life in Costa Rica Yr #3

We love the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica, and we try to get over there as often as we can - which usually turns out to be -- once a year. This year we planned to attend the 5th Annual International Calypso Festival. 

La Terraza Travel put together an exciting 2 day, 2 night package which was to begin this past Saturday. 

We awoke on Saturday morning to a light rain in Grecia, but it had rained very heavily the night before. The weather alerts called it a tropical storm front. At any rate, all 14 of the participants arrived at our pick up point in Grecia, on time - bright and early - at 7:00am.

We enjoy meeting new people and we were looking forward to hanging out with some of the new folks (we had not met at least 6 of the people going). Once we arrived we heard the news about the flooding that had occurred on the Caribbean.

Ruta 32 between San Jose and Limon is closed after heavy rains battered the area on Friday night.

Once we came to terms with the fact that we wouldn't be going anywhere close to the festival that day, we regrouped and made a new plan. Our van transportation was already paid for so we would reschedule the trip. The hotel agreed to honor our reservations and allow us to change our date to 8/4.

With the new trip plans in place, several in the group decided to meet at our house for margaritas in the afternoon and later in the evening have dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, La Casa de Miguel. This trip was also a special occasion for Ernest & Elise who were visiting from North Carolina and were married in Costa Rica last year.

They had returned to celebrate their One Year Anniversary!!

Here's a little bit of our day in video

International Calypso Festival - First Try from Devon on Vimeo.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Check traffic congestion before you head to the airport or make a trip to the beach.

There are some stretches on a number of Costa Rican roads that have no cell service which means they are effectively invisible to WAZE traffic updates.

There could be 500 cars sitting perfectly still on the Guapiles Highway in the mountains of Braulio Carrillo and WAZE would show no problem because none of the phones have signal to update WAZE. 

A Conversation with Dr Carmen Hutchinson Miller - Our Life in Costa Rica Yr #2

This is a video trilogy discussion with my friend, Dr Carmen Hutchinson Miller.

Carmen Hutchinson Miller is an Afro-Costa Rican, born in the Port of Limón.  She is a member of the Caribbean díaspora and a third generation descendant of Jamaicans who migrated to Costa Rica in the late 19th century.

Puerto Limón

Dr Carmen Hutchinson Miller, completed her PhD in history at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados. She holds a B.A. in Theology from the Universidad Nazarena de las Americas, an M.A. Education from the Universidad Latina de Costa Rica and an M.A. History, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus. Carmen Hutchinson Miller is currently a University Professor here in Costa Rica.

Dr Hutchinson Miller is the ONLY certified Sisterlocks Consultant in Costa Rica. I had originally planned to interview Dr Miller on these various subjects anyway but...it just so happened that on Saturday I was at her home for a long overdue Sisterlocks hair re-tightening appointment and we began discussing a few very interesting topics (which as travelers, we should all be aware of) so I thought I would share our conversation with you (btw- there is no discussion of hair at!!LOL).  I grabbed my phone and began recording. (Please excuse the camera angles. I was having my hair done while also shooting the video!)

The conversation is in 3 parts.

The topics are:

Video #1. How and why did black people immigrate to the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica in the first place?

Video #2. "America" is more than just the United States of America
And, are YOU guilty of being an arrogant gringo?

Video #3. How much do Afro-Costa Ricans really know about the struggle of African-Americans?

and...here is video #1

Conversations with Dr Carmen Hutchinson Miller (video #1) from Devon on Vimeo.

Carmen Hutchinson Miller is the author of several books as well as numerous articles:

Hutchinson Miller, Carmen. “Contemporary Gender Relations Among Afro-Costa Ricans.” In Love and Power: Caribbean Discourses on Gender. Ed. Eudine Barriteau. UWI Press. 2012: 418-449.

Hutchinson Miller, Carmen. “Portrayal of Eugenia Charles in the Regional Print Media 1980-1995.” In Enjoying Power: Eugenia Charles and Political Leadership in the Commonwealth Caribbean.  Eds. Eudine Barriteau and Alan Cobley.  Jamaica: UWI Press, 2006: 239-258.

Hutchinson Miller, Carmen. “In Memory of my Ancestors: Contribution of Afro-Jamaican Women in the Cultural and Economic Development of Port Limón, Costa Rica.  In Regional Footprints: The Travels and Travails of Early Caribbean Migrants.   Eds.  Annette Insanally, Mark Clifford and Sean Sheriff.  Jamaica: Latin American-Caribbean Centre (LACC) UWI in association with the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES), UWI, 2006: 266-291

Planting Peace! - Our Life in Costa Rica Yr #2

In this post we are not at the beach, a fancy hotel or walking across a hanging bridge...but I hope that you will take the time to read this anyway. In the end, I think what I am describing is an excellent example of the way we want our world to be. Let me know if you agree!

Visions & Values
Visions and values are two of the most important tools used by leaders or anyone involved in transforming a culture -- or the world for that matter! Visions and values provide us with a clear focus. Values provide the trust and appropriate behaviors needed for group success.

We are all truly digging the vibe, the visions and the values at EARTH University. We traveled by van with a group of expats and spent the day there last Wednesday. The university is fully self sustainable. NOTHING goes to waste. Pretty amazing!

It did not disappoint!

EARTH University is located off the beaten path (near Guácimo) and is not on the "must see" list of tourist destinations for the vast majority of travelers to Costa Rica (although 2017 is the year of Sustainable Tourism). EARTH University is a place I highly recommend!  First of all -- the grounds are GORGEOUS and secondly, visiting Earth University will give you a better understanding of the culture of the Costa Rican people. 

Their students say "First, we learn not only to have an understanding of technical knowledge but also to be understanding of people, how to get closer to others and put all we've learned into practice for those who need it. "

For a Better Tomorrow!
The students come from countries all over the world to learn conventional, as well as sustainable farming. Most of the students will return to their home countries to put what they have learned into practice. 

At EARTH University, students learn the importance of growing food locally, making use of urban greenspaces and creative farming techniques. Urban agriculture helps reduce the carbon footprint tied to food transportation and improves access to fresh fruits and vegetables. 

 Mission:

Prepare leaders with ethical values to contribute to sustainable development and to construct a prosperous and just society.

Vision:

Our actions are mission-driven to alleviate poverty, promote social justice and build a future where our communities achieve sustainable and shared prosperity

 Values:

Human development, Academic excellence, Ethical behavior, Sustainable development, Social consciousness, The Search for knowledge and Biodiversity Conservation.

Since the beginning, EARTH’s primary focus has been on sustainable agriculture. A few people, however, saw an opportunity to take that model to the next level and create a completely auto-sustainable farm that was exclusively organic. The idea was to use integrated family farms, essentially how people have been farming for centuries. This is exactly what we came to see!

Just another reason I ♡ Costa Rica!!

Take a look at our day

Field Trip to EARTH University from Devon on Vimeo.

Making Waves in Puerto Viejo - Our Life in Costa Rica

So we went to Puerto Viejo! 

And....

In case you didn't know, 

Puerto Viejo is one of my most favorite places to be.

We would be living there today if it were it not for --

1) The hot and humid weather. This trip it was not excruciatingly hot but the humidity almost reached my tolerance level (Smiling)

2) Poor infrastructure (including cell and internet service)

3) Proximity and access to services (such as medical) There are medical clinics in town, however the hospital is in Limon (about 30 miles away) and I would say that hospital is not equipped to handle many of the emergencies that might arise. The San Jose Central Valley area is 4 1/2 hours away. In an emergency you would need to be airlifted out. Not something I want to worry about at my age.

5) Housing choices - when we looked before we could not find any homes built to US standards for rent. Most of the houses are open plan indoor outdoor and very minimal. I can live without the animals and insects having access to me  24/7 thank you! 

However.....NONE of this takes away from how much We LOVE it there. The sense of community and the diverse population (and did I mention the food?) cannot be beat!!!

We had a TERRIFIC trip! We are going to attempt making the trip to Puerto Viejo at least quarterly

Ladies only pictured here

This trip we were a group of 7 (the Cal 5 plus 2 as our friend Gerald refers to us) Five of the group hailing from Northern California (Bay Area) and 2 from Chicago.

I would say that the trip was partly fun & relaxation and partly a due diligence tour for the newbies as they formulate their plans for relocation to Costa Rica. 

Due Diligence is #One in making a successful move.

Get the facts 

Research - Research - Research

Go there and check it out 1st hand

Expect the unexpected

Will this work for you?

If not, go back and revise

Always have a Plan B

Puerto Viejo - Our Life in Costa Rica

We have folks here visiting from the states, and we just returned from one of my most FAVORITE places

Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica (located on the Caribbean side)

 We hired a driver to take 7 of us on the 4.5 hr journey.  

If you are deciding on where to live (or vacation) in Costa Rica, 

I recommend that everyone go to Puerto Viejo,

 at least once!

I will be posting some more photos of our trip over the next several days

#The Cal Five plus Two

Why you SHOULD visit the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica

When you read about Costa Rica, you’ll read all about the beauty of the country and the vast array of flora and fauna. You'll read all about the mountains, volcanos, the lush valleys and the beautiful Pacific coast. 

Then you’ll be told how peaceful the country is but.... you'll be warned to watch your back when you visit a place called Limon.  As a matter of fact you'll probably be told that it's better (if you value your safety) to skip the entire Caribbean side.

DON'T BELIEVE IT!!!

Limon Costa Rica

Costa Rica has a population of over 4.5 million people 

of which 3% are black 

and almost all of them reside 

on the Caribbean side

The province of Limon is located on the eastern side of Costa Rica on the Caribbean Sea.  This side of the country is not heavily populated but a third of the people live in and around the capital-port city of Puerto Limon, or simply Limon.  I first heard of Puerto Limon when it was a port of call on a cruise we booked.  Limon is where the vast majority of Costa Rica's black people live and it is also Costa Rica's main port handling imports and exports.

Costa Rica (including its Caribbean side) is an ecological wonderland with a rich natural beauty that conservationists are working hard to protect. There are sprawling banana plantations and thick, tropical jungle bordering the lofty Central Mountains.

The Caribbean coast is steeped in history and culture

The Afro-Caribbean people of Costa Rica were never slaves but instead settled on the Caribbean coast as early as 1825.  Most can trace their ancestry back to the 10,000 or so Jamaicans hired by Minor Keith to build the Atlantic Railroad, and to later waves of immigrants who came to work the banana plantations in the late 19th century.

When the project entered the Caribbean lowlands, many workers died from exhaustion and malaria, which prompted Keith to aggressively recruit outside the country, bringing in large numbers of Jamaicans, Chinese, and even Italians to finish the job.  Seeking to minimize fixed costs, Keith planted banana crops along the lines as a cheap source of food for his work force.  After finishing the project, but losing money due to low passenger numbers, Keith placed bananas in the empty cars and shipped them to the United States as a (subsequently successful) business experiment.  Combined with the 800,000 acres of Caribbean land the Costa Rican government gave him and the success of the banana sales, Keith eventually founded and grew the enormously lucrative United Fruit Company.

Racist immigration and residency laws 

restricted black people to the Caribbean coast

Ever since that major development occurred in Limón, an undercurrent of political resentment has been felt between Limonenses and the central government. This is especially true for the Afro-Caribbean population, who, until 1948, had to obtain legal permission to leave Limón province, and were not recognized as citizens.   Roads and electricity were slow to come to most of the province (the latter did not arrive to Cahuita until late 1976), and the traditional disparity of resources – along with racism – created resentment among some of the Limón population. 

A diverse population and sense of community

Due mainly to the surge in tourism starting around the 1970s, Limón is home to a host of foreign expatriates. Among the most common are Americans, Canadians, Nicaraguans, South Americans (mainly Colombian and Ecuadorian), and Europeans (Spanish, Dutch, German, Swiss, and Italian) and indigenous groups (mainly the Bri Bri). 

The Afro-Caribbean influence is evident everywhere, from the lyrical speech and reggae rhythms to the colorful wooden bungalows that line the laid-back, coastal villages. The people mostly speak English and many are bi-lingual.

Why the untrue warnings about crime 

on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica?

The warnings about crime on the Caribbean side were expressed by every person and in every article I read as we were planning our trip to Costa Rica.  At first I believed them, thinking that it was the country's position on safety (they were trying to help keep their tourists safe).  I'm sure that's likely what most people think, so when they visit Costa Rica they hang out in the valley, visit the volcano and the super hyped up Pacific coast (the country's obvious tourism choices).

Tourism=$$
Do the math and follow the money!!

Yes, many of the people on the Caribbean side are poor and yes there is crime (mostly petty crime) but let's put this in perspective.  Do you really want to compare crime?  OK. I'll show you crime. The United States is the most violent nation on the planet.  Our country locks up more of its citizens than any other country.  Do you stay away from Chicago or New York?  I remember the  warnings and the reputation that the city of Oakland had when I lived there.  I moved smack dab in the middle of the downtown.  There were shootings and stabbings and lots of police sirens but I was careful and took precautions. I loved living downtown! 

It's very difficult to put crime in perspective 

when you only have the violent crime in the United States 

to use as a comparison. 

At the urging of my boyfriend, I contacted some people that actually live on the Caribbean side.  That's the way you find out the truth. You go straight to the source. Many of them were American expats who have lived on the Caribbean side for 20 years.  They tell a completely different story.  They tell a story of diversity, culture, beautiful beaches, great music, delicious cuisine, community and a laid back vibe. In other words, an undiscovered treasure! They love living there and most have no desire to return to the U.S.  They admit that there is some crime but there is crime everywhere. The crime in Limon is no more prevalent than the crime in any other big city including the capital city of Costa Rica -- San Jose. 

Now I get it.  This same kind of thing happened when I was going to Africa. Lots of scary warnings from the U.S. Embassy about crime and warnings not to visit. When I got there, nothing was going on. I didn't feel unsafe at all. 

The OTHER Costa Rica

Life isn't fair.  There are lots of things I already LOVE about Costa Rica but unfortunately we are still living in a world where race continues to be a big issue -- and sadly, Costa Rica does not even include the history of its own Afro-Caribbean people in the history it teaches. 

It's 2014 and whether it be Africa, the U.S, Costa Rica or a million other countries across the globe, black folks just can't seem to catch a break!  

White people will have to make their own decision about whether they venture to the "forbidden dark side" but I hope black people will not miss this opportunity to experience the other Costa Rica.  At this time we are considering making our home on the South Caribbean coast. Everything about this part of Costa Rica seems different: different culture, different history, different climate, and different activities.

BTW - Every second week of October, Puerto Limón hosts a festival called carnaval. The event's start is credited to local community leader and activist, Alfred Josiah Henry Smith (known as "Mister King"), who helped organize the first carnaval in October 1949.  

Hope to see you there!

Life is a beach - Black in Costa Rica

Uh, was it me who said (only a short week ago) that she didn't want to live at the beach and would not even consider it?

Well, I certainly can't deny that I said it because I put it in writing
but... today I am having second thoughts and have decided to consider at least one beach in particular.

That beach is located on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica in the town of Puerto Viejo.

Saddled with a bad reputation, it is one of Costa Rica's best kept secrets! (I hear the locals would like to keep it that way)

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is a coastal town in Talamanca in Limón Province in southeastern Costa Rica, known simply as Puerto Viejo to locals. It is very south and close to Panama. It is also home to the BriBri, the original inhabitants of Talamanca.

For some reason there has been a lot of misinformation and myth spread about the Caribbean coast.  It appears that the only reason for this has something to do with the fact that this side of the country is  home to the majority of the African-Caribbean population.  Until yesterday, I had not heard one good thing about this part of the country.  I first mentioned that I was considering visiting Puerto Limon (Costa Rica's largest port city) in 2013.  To any and every question regarding visiting or living on the Caribbean side the responses were always negative with added warnings about increased crime and advice to stay away from the area.  So, of course it made me very nervous and hesitant to venture over to that side of the country.  

But, had any of these naysayers lived in the area or even bothered to fact check their warnings? 

I tend to think not! It's more like an urban myth that just keeps on going. 

The reason I am reconsidering the beach town of Puerto Viejo is because I discovered that just about ALL of the information I had received was incorrect.

What I found out was that Puerto Viejo is the largest tourist destination on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica.  It is multi cultural and diverse with an international vibe and laid-back, Caribbean-style.   Its appeal includes stunning, unspoiled beaches and abundant wildlife with a healthy mix of music.   The food is also supposed to some of the best in the country. 

This kool mix of people and blending of cultures and bohemian lifestyle speaks to me (to us).  Our group is ready to live off the grid!

My favorite travel guys!

Can't wait to check out this restaurant
(be sure to watch to the end to see the cool restaurant photos)

We spent most of the day researching information and I found at least 4 great hotels or beach houses that are available during the time we plan to visit. They meet my initial specs of being rated at least 4 stars.  My hotel does not need to be off the grid - as a matter of fact, I'm looking for all the luxurious comforts of home.  After all this is a vacation.

Our research dispelled the myth regarding the dreadful weather.  It turns out that although it is HOT and it does rain, this area is actually one of the driest in Costa Rica and most of the rain falls at night.

I'm looking forward to checking it out in person. Whether we ultimately decide to live there, remains to be seen.

There is one HUGE fact that still remains.  It is HOT !!!

Lesson: 
Don't believe everything you hear about the places you plan to visit 

(even when you think it is coming from so called "reliable sources") 

Stay open and research, research, research 

then check it out for yourself!

I'm Just Sayin!