Climbing Serendipity’s strangler tree was unforgettable

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Marianela Argüello L.

I started working for Serendipity Adventures at the beginning of this year, and as soon as I sat down in my chair in front of the computer, I had to start thinking about getting out and seeing the adventure world again.Climbing Joseph Serendipity Adventures strangler tree

My first destination was the San Carlos area, home of the famous Arenal volcano, and one of the main places where Serendipity Adventures develops activities such as hot air ballooning, ATV tours and horseback riding.

I was guided into this journey by Tucker Comstock, co-founder of the company, a person who understands the importance of feeling and living all the action that Serendipity offers to our clients.

Having her vision in mind, my trip was focused on feeling the adrenaline, experiencing the adventures, facing the fears and enjoying every single moment of this very unusual, but exciting, work environment.

Joseph,  an ancient strangler fig, with a hollow core and open windows reaching 80 feet above the ground that create a natural ladder, was one of the most challenging experiences for me. Why? Very simple. It was unforgettable. The adventure of climbing the tree from the inside using my own strength, and soon after rappelling down by hanging on the outside was completely thrilling. I did all this using only a harness, carabineers and ropes.

It was also meaningful to have the emotional support of Beto, as he waited at the top of the hollow. Also, Jaime was at the base of the tree carefully securing my safety ropes. Both of them gave me confidence. They helped me feel secure and recognize that even though it seemed difficult, I was able to do it.

I won’t lie. At the beginning I was particularly shy. I looked up and Joseph seemed huge. Its strong branches extended over the forest’s canopy. All of them full of leaves boasting lush tropical colors.

There were as well moments when I felt afraid, like when I reached the point where the bats were sleeping. As soon as they heard me coming, they started to take flight. The only thing I could do was to continue climbing.

We can all agree that bats are not the best looking mammals, and many scary stories have been told about them, but after this experience I can confirm that the bats that live inside Joseph are completely harmless to people and actually kind of cute.

Rappelling down the tree - Beto is looking downGetting out of the tree at the hollow’s highest point was another big challenge for me. Once again the support and guidance from Serendipity’s staff on how to do it successfully was more than helpful.

As soon as I was out with my legs stretched and my hands holding the rope appropriately, I started rappelling down. It was slow at first, but as soon as I felt comfortable, I started jumping around and my descent was faster.

When my feet were on the ground, the biggest satisfaction was looking up at Joseph, and say out loud, “I could do it”.

Now, I can image how unique, exciting and unforgettable this experience can be for any person who comes for their Costa Rica vacation with Serendipity Adventures. It is a 100% recommendation.

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Guayabo National Monument, Costa Rica’s lost city

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Alexander

Most people don’t know, but just a few miles from Serendipity’s office near Turrialba lye the largest archeological site in Costa Rica. It is the site of an ancient and long forgotten lost city, hidden deep within the jungle. The official name is Guayabo National Monument or Monumento Nacional Guayabo in Spanish. However, the real name of the city or its people is still unknown and remains a mystery to archeologists and historians.

The original entrance to the city - Guayabo National Monument Costa Rica

Costa Rica is normally not known for its pre Columbian sites and highly developed ancient civilizations, but the Guayabo National Monument certainly qualifies as one.

The city was discovered in the late 1800’s by colonists working their way through the jungle to look for coffee plantations. Today the site has been turned into a protected park open to the public for a small entrance fee.

The city lacks the tall temple constructions seen in other parts of Central and South America, but when looking closer it becomes clear that the city was a highly developed civilization due to a number of reason as explained below.

Several foundation used to support wooden buildings at Guayabo National Monument in Costa Rica

When the site was excavated the archaeologists discovered building foundations of rock,which indicates large and complex wooden structures such as houses, storage facilities and workshops. Moreover, they found large networks of well-engineered aqueducts, which still exist today and perfect stone paved roads are also evidence of a large city, estimated to as much as 10.000 people. The roads have been cleared in parts of the national park, but may well stretch for many miles into the jungle.

This is a paved road that stretches far into the Costa Rican rain forest

Tombs, walls, bridges, petroglyphs and many artifacts have been found in the park while most artifacts are now in museums and private collections. This all suggests a great level of civil engineering and urban planning for its time, which dates back 1000 years B.C. For some reason it became abandoned in the 1400’s A.D. just before the arrival of the Spanish colonists. Why this lost city and its civilization disappeared is a mystery, but experts have suggested starvation, epidemic or war.

In 2009 the America Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recognized the Guayabo National Water filtration system at Guayabo National Monument in Costa RicaMonument as a World Engineering Heritage for its waterway system and drainages, and its paved roadways. These structures stood the test of time and are still working, even though the city was abandoned many centuries ago.

 

If you are planning to come to Costa Rica for your vacation it is definitely worth considering a short daytrip to the park. It is a great activity for any Costa Rica holiday, regardless if you travel with the family or as a couple.

This is part of the old road system at Guayabo National Monument Costa Rica

As a foreigner working in Costa Rica, I highly recommend a visit if you are interested in ancient history and impressive ancient engineering.

Remember, we are just a phone call away, if you would like to hear more about how we can help you to tailor a unique and unforgettable custom vacation to this beautiful and diverse country.

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Experiencing a rip tide at the Pacific coast

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Alexander

Blue sky, sand and the ocean; It was yet another wonderful summer day in Costa Rica and I was in Jacó for a second weekend of surfing. The weekend before had been a great surfing experience and I was ready for another one. I had rented a surfboard on my arrival day so I could get in the water early next morning and catch some uncrowded waves.

The next morning I headed down towards the beach with my board and a lot of motivation. It was great weather, like always, and the waves were looking good.

After a few hours I took a break and went back to my hostel to drink some water and relax for half an hour before going back in the water.

When I got back, the waves had changed and there were lots of people in the water. They were mostly families and young people swimming and playing in the waves.

This time I really had to try hard to spot good waves, and I had to be quick to catch them. After an additional half hour the waves had gotten bigger and they were breaking very fast, creating white foamy water with a lot of current.

Just as I decided to quit for the day and paddle back to the beach I saw a guy screaming for help and waiving his hands. I was just 25 feet from the beach, so I got off the board and turned around to check out the situation. Immediately I felt a strong current pulling my feet away from underneath me and I realized that the guy screaming for help had been dragged away from the beach by this current. He had been caught by a rip tide, or rip current, sometimes referred to simply as a rip.

One thing to remember is that when you have a surfboard you are mostly on top of this current and the waves will eventually carry you back to the beach not to mention that you can float if you get tired of fighting the current. As a swimmer it is much more dangerous to get caught in a rip tide because you can panic and become exhausted very quickly. Fortunately, the guy in this story was rescued in a group effort involving a lifeguard and some surfers paddling out 350 feet from the beach to bring him back in.

Illustration of a rip tide

In the illustration above you can see how waves dump sand near the beach. As the sandbar grows, water becomes trapped in an underwater pool between the sandbar and the beach. At some point the pressure exceeds the strength of the sandbar and it breaks, letting a pool of water retreat back into the deeper sea. This creates a vacuum like current known as a rip tide.

This current is very strong so if caught in one, do not try to swim against it as you will become exhausted in seconds. Instead, swim across it to the right or left as indicated by the escape arrows in the illustration above. Rip tides are very narrow, usually less than 100 feet, so swimming across it instead of against it will make everything a lot easier.

Rip currents mostly form where right and left waves collide, often near the beach and the water will be whirling up sand, looking all muddy and foamy. Now you know what a rip tide is, how to escape if caught in one and how to spot them before deciding to go for a swim. If you are not sure, ask a lifeguard before going in the water.

My most important advice is to stay calm and remember to swim slowly across the current and let the surf carry you back to the beach. Whatever you do don’t panic.

I know it sounds a bit scary, but better be safe than sorry, and I feel that this is important information to share with anybody out there. Keeping this in mind, you should be able to safely enjoy the beach when swimming or surfing.

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Surfing with Stingrays in Costa Rica

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Alexander

Everybody wants to see real wild life up close don’t they? I was recently so fortunate to experience some spectacular wild life when I spent a weekend at the pacific coastal town of Jacó. I am currently an intern at Serendipity Adventures and I heard a lot about the great surf conditions in Costa Rica.

It was Sunday morning and after surfing for about two hours I was doing a lot better than I expected and I really enjoyed this new-found water sport. I was able to get on the board and surf all the way back to the beach – it was my first time surfing.

I got back on the board and started paddling away from the beach to spot a good wave to catch – and there it was. I turned my board and started paddling. Just as I look back over my shoulder I see this big blue wave behind me and inside the wave I spot two big Stingrays. I start paddling like a mad man to catch the wave and I succeed. Just a few feet to my left I see the two Stingrays playing inside the wave that I am currently surfing. They were moving with the wave in fast gentle motions.

When the wave started breaking I quickly lost sight of them and before I knew it I had almost reached the beach. This was a unique experience for me, because I would have never expected to see Sting Rays on my first day of surfing.

Bottom dwelling StingraysIn general stingrays are not a problem and it is a rare occurrence that its venomous tail injures swimmers or surfers. What you should keep in mind when surfing or swimming is that stingrays mostly lie on the sandy seabed, and they might sting if they are stepped on.

When trying to get out to the surf you can shuffle your feet in the sand instead of lifting your feet and the Sting Rays will detect the sudden motion and take off. If you are so unfortunate that you do get stung you should seek medical attention right away by alarming a lifeguard or ask somebody to call the emergency line – in Costa Rica it is 911. If medical help is not readily available use the following advice.

  • Clean the bleeding wound with fresh water.
  • If a barb is in the wound do not remove it as this could release more venom or increase the bleeding – let a physician remove it.
  • Soak the wound in hot fresh water (110-130 Fahrenheit) or apply a hot pack; the venom inactivates when exposed to heat – be careful not to burn your skin.
  • If severe bleeding occurs, apply pressure above wound to reduce the blood loss.
  • If stung in the torso, neck or face, be very careful and pay constant attention to the patient until the paramedics show up.

Stingray injuries are almost never fatal, but they do inflict pain. I hope that I have not scared you off yet; that would be a shame with all those stunning beaches in Costa Rica. The only thing you need to do is to take some minor precautions and then you can safely enjoy the beach.

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Serendipity’s soccer game for girls was an example of how unusual we are

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Marianela Argüello L.

Serendipity Adventures is very different from other travel companies in Costa Rica, because we really try to always please our clients in their desires and wishes.

Some of these wishes give us a lot of work investigating the possibilities of the activities. However the amount of time we spend doesn’t compare to the enjoyment and pleasure we feel when we see our goal accomplished, our clients happy and all the people involved having a wonderful time.

Sunday February 19 we organized in Turrialba a soccer game for girls between  8 and 13 years old -a big challenge for Serendipity’s staff. Even though soccer is the biggest sport in Costa Rica, until a few years ago it was not considered a sport for women.

We invested time to get contacts and to get information about possible girls or teams interested. Our guidance came through Mr. Fernando Suñer, who works with the minor leagues of the Turrialba soccer team. He gave us the contact of Mr. Luis Quirós, a rural school principal who also works as a coach for the little girls team of the rural school of Pacayitas.

And here we faced another difficulty…when we started with this project, schools were still on vacation…so it was a matter of waiting a few days and hurrying up later.

As soon as the school year started, the girls, parents and of course, the coach were very interested to participate in this cultural, social and sports event. This became their first game in preparation for the 2012 championship.

Also, three other girls from Turrialba decided to be part of this particular sports event…one of them, Maria Paula, who later became the start of Serendipity’s winning team…

At 4:00 p.m. the whole team from Pacayitas, the parents, the girls from Turrialba and Kurt, the guide taking care of the family from the United States met in front of the central park of Turrialba. The whole activity was organized especially for the two American girls, due to their interest to know more about the culture of Costa Rica and to enjoy playing the sport they love.

The game took place in an artificial soccer field in the neighborhood of Recope, in Turrialba. The referee dressed with his official green shirt and black shorts, blew the whistle and let the ball run at 5:10 p.m. Each team had eight players.   One team was dressed with Serendipity’s red t-shirts, and the other one with their white and red uniform.

All the players did their best — they ran after the ball, they screamed like professional soccer players from the premier leagues of Italy, Spain or England, and they hit the ball as hard as they could to score.

It was a game full of real fun. A game supported by the parents cheering from the benches. A friendly game filled with little girls smiles.

For us at Serendipity Adventures organizing this event was a gratification. The final score didn’t matter; all that mattered was seeing all the girls and families happy. And, having the opportunity to give an American family a Costa Rica vacation outside the realm of tourism.

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The fun roads of Costa Rica with Serendipity Adventures

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Marianela Argüello L.

No matter how good or bad the roads of Costa Rica are, Serendipity Adventures takes the challenge to use them for all types of adventures. In this country with seven provinces and 81 counties there are so many complicated, dusty, muddy and stony roads. These are the roads we love…and, we even love to go across rivers!

Do you want to know why?? Well, the answer is simple, we always make sure to have a lot of fun even with the most difficult and deteriorated roads… We don’t see them as a problem. We see them as an opportunity…

Just a few days ago,  a group of Serendipity people (office staff, guides, and our families) were getting out of an exploratory river trip on a new section of the Pacuare river, we faced challenges to get the people and equipment out via a truly miserable dirt road.

This could have been viewed as a frustrating disaster for the drivers, river guides and the rest of Serendipity’s people. Quite the opposite! It turned into a great adventure and the most memorable challenge for all the participants during this exploration.

The road was stony, curvy and sloping. It had big holes and today’s rain made it muddy…Our solution was to work as a team, women and men, river guides, office staff and drivers. All of us were involved in getting the vehicles, trailer, people and equipment out to the main road.

We jumped on the cars to get some movement. We used the 4X4 system. We took out ropes and pulled equipment. We used the winch of Rosita -one of our beloved beefy Land Cruisers- to anchor on to trees and another 4×4 that was located in front. That helped  to pull the car.

It took us almost two extra hours to finally reach pavement, but time was nothing compared to all the fun, joy, excitement and adrenaline we felt… A completely unexpected adventure, thanks to this muddy road…

This is just one example of what Serendipity Adventures does in the off roads of Costa Rica. We truly think gravel and dirt roads are a blessing for adventurous people, and the perfect excuse to enjoy to the fullest. Our remarkable, yet still primitive, country.

Serendipity does horseback riding through farms, mountains and rivers. ATV adventures on country trails. Mountain biking trails passing through forest, small towns, slopes of active volcanoes and near national parks. All of these are activities we guarantee are better with us just because we’re using the less frequented, less maintained pathways of Costa Rica.

We invite you to come for your Costa Rica vacation with Serendipity Adventures, and let’s all have fun on the roads of Costa Rica…

 

 

Some facts about the roads of Costa Rica

The country has 7.789 km of national roads. Near 5.055,17 km are paved roads, 2.692,07 km are gravel roads and 38,9 km are dirt roads. These roads are maintained by Conavi (National Council of Roads of Costa Rica).
Approximately 28.500 km are county roads maintained by each of the 81 counties of Costa Rica..
Source: Conavi and La Nación newspaper

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More than mountains, Costa Rica has amazing volcanoes

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Marianela Argüello L.

The Turrialba volcano was sleeping for many years -just like a bear during hibernation.  But in 2001 the volcanic activity started to take place in one of the three craters atop this high mountain.

This was the beginning of a story that gets new chapters every single day. On January 20th, a new cloud of ashes appeared in the blue sky and all the people around the town of Turrialba enjoyed the spectacle as the cloud was getting bigger, including us working in Serendipity’s offices on the slopes of this volcano.…

We took our cameras -as many people did– to get pictures  of this natural  phenomenon, and we decided to share with all of you some interesting information about the volcanoes of Costa Rica.

Costa Rica doesn’t have 10, nor 50, nor 100 volcanoes…The number is surprisingly higher, reaching approximately 350, all of them sheltered in a territory of Costa Rica’s 589.000 km2 . This includes the land surface (51,100 km2, about the size of West Virginia)  and sea surface, which is nine times as big as the part above the ocean floor (and is about the size of the United States), according to Guillermo Alvarado, a costarrican geologist and vulcanologist.

This huge number of volcanoes is one of the reasons why Costa Rica is unique in so many different ways, and another motive why you could consider a Costa Rica vacation.  Costa Rica was built from lava formations, responsible for the peculiar topography and vast biodiversity.

An interesting fact is that most of the 350 volcanoes of our country are under the Pacific Ocean, in a volcanic mountain range called Coco. However, some of the more beautiful and touristic volcanoes are distributed on the Central Volcanic Mountain Range, as the Poas volcano (8,870 feet above sea level (ft. msl)), the Irazu volcano (11,256 ft. msl) and the Turrialba volcano (10,915 ft. msl).

Another famous volcano located in the Guanacaste Volcanic Mountain Range is the Arenal, with a height of 5,477 ft. msl. This volcano has been active since the eruption of 1968, but its activity has been decreasing since 2010. This long-term volcanic activity placed the Arenal as one of the ten most active volcanoes of the whole world.

Currently and according to the information gathered in Costa Rica, in the last 400 years there are five active volcanoes, as the Rincon de la Vieja, Arenal, Poas, Irazu and Turrialba. The oldest volcano in the country is the Rincon de la Vieja -which name means old woman’s corner- almost one and a half million years old. The rest of our volcanoes have only one million years, as was pointed out by Alvarado.

Similar to people, volcanoes have temper. Volcanoes breathe through their mouths -the craters-. Their skin is the ground and their blood is the magma. The palpitation of the heart are the frequent earthquakes that sometimes can be felt by people and animals, and the magma chamber is the heart.

Finally, when you come to Costa Rica for your vacations, just think! Approximately every 25 km. there is a volcano. Very close right? Only a 25 km. distance separates one volcano from the next one… Ahh!! and volcanoes can fall asleep, from a few years, to many, many centuries…If they don’t wake up after 400 years, it means they are extinct…

The opportunity to experience active volcanoes as the Arenal or Turrialba, or do adventure activities on their slopes, is another very good reason to come for your Costa Rica vacation with Serendipity Adventures.

The crater of the Turrialba volcano

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An oath to excellence: Costa Rica’s Educational System

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Maria Batista

“Whatever helps to shape the human being—to make the individual what he is, or hinder him from being what he is not—is part of his education”. John Stuart Mill

Through the wise words of John Stuart Mill, I inspire my self today, to write about something that makes me very proud. To invest in quality education is something that my country has decided to do, since the very beginning, and not only quality education but education for all.

An educated society is the motor of a successful country, liberation of the mind allows the individual to grow, appreciating life in a whole new way and providing itself with numerous opportunities. Knowledge, whether is ancestral or provided by “formal” school, is the key that opens doors.

Having said that, qualified professionals serve a government in the way that fertile soils serve an economy… A highly educated country is more attractive to foreign investment, and it also promotes social mobility.

In Costa Rica, the educational system is centered on the ideas of fully developing the human personality, creating competent citizens, who are aware of their responsibilities, their rights and fundamental freedoms. Citizens that are committed to justice and democracy.

Our school programs, aside from the mandatory curriculum in sciences and arts, contain a series of crosscurricular topics, such as environmental education, moral values, intercultural tolerance and others. From preschool education to secondary education, schooling is mandatory by law (until 9th grade), and financed by the State.

In public schools, infrastructure, equipment, faculty members, registration fees, the feeding of the children are free for parents.  School uniforms, study materials, and transportation are covered by the families.

Another wonderful thing about Costa Rica’s educational system, is the scholarship program. For families of low and medium socio economical income, there is a system that provides them with a subsidy that helps them put their child through school. Sometimes, this subsidy even helps them cover for other complementary supplies like computers, encyclopedias, dictionaries, lab equipment that provide the kids with even more learning resources.

The scholarship program maintains through university (families have to apply each year and the State conducts a study about  their socio economical condition every year as well). This makes higher education accessible for all, no matter where they come from.

For parents that work full time, the State has also created a special institution called CEN SINAE, which is an early childhood care and education center. These places are focused on nutrition  and health and they work similar to a day care. They receive kids from ages 1 to 7 and they are supervised by the Ministry of Health.

In Costa Rica, elementary school is divided in six grades plus preschool. Secondary education is divided in 5 grades and sometimes 6 (Technical schools), and for higher education, minor degrees are achieved in four years and post grades are from 1 to 5 or 6 years. There is no middle school. Now a days you have the opportunity of choosing between high schools that emphasize in humanities, or science and technology, technical specialties such as mechanic, artistic schools, language schools etc

For students with special circumstances, such as having to work or take care of children, or live in a very remote area, there is a subdivision of the system called “Open Education” which is very flexible and adapts to all kinds of schedules. There’s tutors, workshops and different resources that are specially created to suit the necessities of this particular population.

And just like that I could continue to describe in detail every single program and institution, but what I really want to emphasize is the logic in which the system works. We are a small country that is still in “development”, our poverty percentage is about 24.2% and our GDP income  is only US$ 40.297 billion,. In 2010,  inflation was 5.6% , and public debt of 42% BUT we have still managed to stand out among the countries of our region, having high rates   on literacy, human development, life expectancy, social security and even happiness. Why you say? Because we have invested in education, well, and there are NO military expenses…

There are many things to be done, and yes, the system has flaws, but, in my personal opinion, in Costa Rica we are privileged to have such an educational system that allows EVERYONE to study; poor, rich, from the rural areas or the city, from a different country, different race, with disabilities… And not only study, but receive quality education.

Costa Ricans are competent professionals in the real world, and we can compete and be measured, on the same level, with other professionals trained, elsewhere.

So come visit us and get to know us… we are not only the happiest nation in the world, but we are also smart :)

Students_with_school_uniform

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Costa Rica and the Human Rights Tradition

Posted on September 21, 2011 by Maria Batista

Over the years, Costa Rica has been recognized as a country of peace, respect and tolerance. We are considered to be regional leaders in the promotion and respect of human rights. We are home to thousands of non governmental organizations who develop regional and international projects and programs, we host regional offices for mostly all of the United Nation’s organs, and we are also home of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

Although some may say that we owe this reputation to a recent foreign policy strategy, there have been long historic and political processes that have led us into the country that we are right now. Let’s take a look at the history…

By the beginning of the 1800’s, Costa Rica was one the poorest and farthest provinces of the Spanish Empire in the Americas. Our commercial and political bonds with Spain were getting weaker each day, and we managed to stay away from mayor commotion and interaction, as the capital of our province was in Guatemala. As the Spaniards ceased to gain interest in the region, independence ideals started to emerge in the Central American region.

In 1821, after almost 300 years of colonialism in the region, Spanish occupation ended in the Americas and independence was granted to Costa Rica. This news resulted in a brief internal struggle between Cartago’s conservatives pushing for Spanish monarchy rule and a more liberal, federalist movement in San José. After a brief civil war, Costa Rica declared itself a state in the Federal Republic of Central America, and the capital was moved to the liberal center of the nation, San José. For the next few years, Costa Rica struggled within its new community. While repressive elitists vied for power, Costa Rica avoided institutional rule and maintained a relatively classless society.

Consequently, from all of the confusion and internal conflicts, emerged the framework of democratic institutions that would help resolve social conflict through reform and are what, still today, shapes our pacific idiosyncrasy and political ideology.

In those early years, a group of visionary politicians influenced considerably the course of our political system and social development in general. One of them was Juan Mora Fernandez, our first head of State. His progressive, liberal leadership helped Costa Rica to develop independently of its neighboring countries, a trend that would forever set it apart from other developing nations in the area. Fernández fortified the emergent country’s infrastructure: he built roads, established schools, and distributed land grants to anyone willing to plant coffee, the most profitable export crop at that time.

Later on, in the 1990′s, we had a rise of NGO’s working in the country and by this time we were pioneers in the protection of human rights. We were taking actions such as ratification of international conventions and declarations (thus acquiring international commitments), we were reforming our domestic laws to secure and improve social development, and we were increasing our budget in education.

All of these economical actions and the relative political stability had a direct effect on cultural behavior, which over the time, became to be known as pacific and educated.

Now a days, we actively participate in the Inter-American System for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, we have grown next to the jurisdictional doctrine and now we have a voice when it comes to alternative resolution of conflicts, all over the world.

But there is still much to do in Costa Rica. We are truly proud of our democratic culture, but we also understand that human rights are more than just laws, and that we are not exempt from international political and economical context nor globalization.

From a very holistic point of view, human rights are a state of mind and they need to be approached from different angles, having as a central pillar the quality of our education. An education for peace that empowers people raises awareness and prepares for action. An active civil society.

In Costa Rica we are free and we leave in peace,  and it is all of our responsibility to maintain it like this for many years.

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The night of the Faroles- Viva la Patria!

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Maria Batista

It is 6:00 pm on September 14th, and we are singing to remember. The streets are covered with bright lights and thousands of children who are holding lanterns in their hands. The blue, red and white shines while patriotic anthems are played in the back. There is a crowd of people parading each and every town  Costa Rica, and a general sense of joy is felt in the air.

What is it that we are celebrating? you may say… We are celebrating freedom!

Costa Rican girl with typical dress

One hundred and ninety years ago, on a September 14th, a woman called Maria Dolores Bedoya rushed through the streets of Guatemala, holding a lantern in her hand. Her goal was to gather as many people as possible, to stand in front of the town council and demand freedom. While the main leaders of the region where meeting with the Spanish Governor in Central America, the people were screaming “Viva la Patria, Viva la Libertad”. Thousands of voices who were letting the Spaniards know, we no longer want to be repressed and we demand independence.

That night of commotion , resulted in the signing of the Independence Act, the next morning, on September 15th 1821. And thus, in the most pacific way you can imagine, we became independent from Spain.

Even though we did not receive the notice in Costa Rica, until October 13th of that same year, as a tradition and a symbolic representation of the acts carried by Bedoya, we celebrate the night of the “faroles” on September 14th, and our independence on September 15, just like the entire Central American region.

As a country that does not have an army, we celebrate with lots of school children, who proudly carry big flags, and march on the streets. No military, no guns or war tanks, no fires.

The families decorate their homes with flags and bright lanterns, and public buildings, streets and schools are also decorated. We celebrate assemblies, perform reenactments, and sing patriotic anthems. It is indeed a very happy time in Costa Rica.

Preschool students waiting for the paradeElementary School celebrating independence

These independence celebrations, that take place throughout the whole country, make the environment cheery and proud. It is a remembrance of our idiosyncrasy. We are pacific people, but we love our country and our sovereignty, and we defend it!

Even 190 years later, we fervently stand to guard our relatively new nation, our home.

Visiting Costa Rica in September,  is a wonderful way to understand our culture and learn about our traditions and pacific idiosyncrasy . Contact us and participate in our independence celebrations, and you will feel the patriotism and excitement in the air.

As your Costa Rican experts, we can lead you into a true cultural immersion, combined with adventure travel and fun vacations.

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