Today was my first tour of Costa Rica in which I traveled to the center of Heredia and visited many popular and important landmarks and locations. Before arriving to Costa Rica, I anticipated my experiences to be a combination of my previous trips to Miami and Italy and upon arriving, I knew that I was correct.
In Heredia, the weather is hot and humid, and it is hard not to notice the structural differences when walking around. Heredia is built similar to cities with street blocks and a grid like mapping. The sidewalks are filled with palm trees, bushes, and flowers and the streets are built to withstand the hard rain that frequently occurs. The general architecture is bright with colors and there are many signs that contain Spanish writing as well as pictures to help tourists, such as myself, understand them. Overall, I noticed that the structural layout of Heredia is similar to that of Miami which does not surprise me because of the similar weather patterns and the constant language barriers between English and Spanish.
Aside for architecture, Costa Rican culture has many values that are ever present when exploring. One example of this can be seen in the fact that most houses and stores have gates, barred windows, and some even have barred wire. This showed me the Costa Rican value of security, not because there are any threats, but because of a sense of protection. Moreover, when I was given directions today, my host family directed me toward landmarks instead of telling me street names. This showed me that Ticos follow rural values despite their urban layout. All in all, both these traits while not an exact match, remind me of Rome in Italy and their many cultural values.
Costa Rica is a beautiful place with an even more beautiful culture, and after spending a day here, my first impression is nothing but stunning. The culture is accepting, kind, open, and friendly and the architecture and people reflect that. Following today, I am extremely excited to see what the next two weeks have to offer and I cannot wait to write all about it here. Until next time, thanks for chiming in.