Today we had Laura Rodriguez, professor at Universidad Latina, speak to us about the history and culture of Costa Rica. I enjoyed brushing up on the history that we covered in our pre-departure meetings and learning a bit more about the different traditions in Costa Rica, such as the music, food, and games the Ticos take pride in. I’m looking forward to trying some of the dishes in the future with our host family. While I was familiar with most of what was taught, I learned the most about a tradition that Costa Ricans continue to be passionate about through generations: The Tradition of Boyeo and the Oxcart.

Boyeo is a term that roughly represents the ideas and practices of those who worked within agriculture in the early days of Costa Rica, mainly within handling the oxen and the oxcart. These workers were known as boyeros. Being a boyero was an occupation that was highly respected, and the techniques taught were passed down through generations, keeping a tradition within certain families of Costa Rica. To pay homage to the boyeros, Ticos paint oxcarts for decoration in intricate designs and patterns. After learning about the history of the tradition and meaning of colors, we were assigned to design our own oxcart wheels, including designing and painting these ideas onto a canvas. Our group had some difficulty early on with trying to keep our design symmetrical and in mixing our paints, but overall everyone had very impressive designs and ideas. I’m thankful that Professor Rodriguez was able to visit, and I enjoyed learning a bit more about the country I’m in.

After lunch, we partook in dancing lessons back at Universidad Latina. I’m not a master at the salsa, nor am I that light on my feet, but I still had fun in the experience. Today was full of learning about the history and culture of Costa Rica, and I’m looking forward to diving more into coffee when we visit Doka Coffee and Café Britt Coffee Farm tomorrow.