Today we focused on learning more about the history and culture of Costa Rica. Our day began with a short history lesson with Dr. Laura Ramirez, who provided us with a refresher on the origins of the Costa Rican people that we initially learned about in the pre-departure meetings. After providing us with a brief history, she moved onto culture, which is when the real fun began. We learned about dozens of Costa Rican dishes, which all looked delicious in the photos. Now, I have a personal mission to try as much of the food she recommended as possible before leaving. Then, we moved onto games. These included hula hula and brinca brinca, which are identical to hula hooping and jump rope in the United States. Finally, our culture presentation included a history of the oxcart and its modern importance to the Ticos. The country is famous for its beautifully painted oxcarts that were used to transport coffee to the markets. Now, they are a symbol of how proud Costa Ricans are of their history and culture. Oxcarts are even recognized by UNESCO as a heritage symbol of the country. We even painted some of our own oxcart wheel designs, which was a bit challenging but made me appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into the oxcarts even more.
After our morning session in the classroom, some of my classmates and I ate lunch at Spoon in the mall across the street from ULatina. It was my first time trying Casado, and just like the other Costa Rican foods I have tried so far, it did not disappoint. I also tried passionfruit juice for the first time, which is quickly becoming one of my new favorite fruits. All of these new and interesting foods made me wonder what influences led to the popularity of these dishes. The main influence seems to simply be what is available in the area. Each region of Costa Rica has slight variations of popular dishes, and some local favorites, based on what is grown or caught near them. This is why fruit and vegetables are abundant in the Ticos’ diets, as well as why one will only find seafood served near the coasts.
Our day concluded with an exciting dance lesson in the salsa and merengue styles. The dancing in Costa Rica is as lively as the people themselves. It was exciting to learn a new style of dance I was not familiar with, and the simple steps were great for someone as uncoordinated as me. As a whole, this day was a great opportunity to delve deeper and find more appreciation in Costa Rican culture.
Pura Vida!