Life is phenomenal in Costa Rica. Beautiful weather, amazing food, and some amazing basketball so far. The expectations I set for Costa Rica were fairly high and so far all my experiences have surpassed them. The restaurants not only have complex and delicious food but it’s extremely affordable compared to the United States. Although I thought the locals would possibly be a bit judgmental or rude, so far they’ve been extremely helpful and kind. At a local restaurant I was able to practice my Spanish with a waiter and he was super patient throughout the night despite how many words I probably butchered. The central markets included a huge variety of fruit, many that I’ve never seen in my life. I got to try some guava and starfruit which I thought was way different than anything I’ve eaten before. I had the chance to eat more new fruits and flavors today than I have in the past few months.
Another aspect of the trip that surprised me was the “capitalistic” side of Heredia that I had no real knowledge of beforehand. I wasn’t sure if they’re shopping sprees and entertainment would be anything like ours in America. I quickly found out today though that there’s definitely more in common that most people may assume. For example, I found the central market to be very similar to the Strip District in Pittsburgh, the only difference was the variety of food offered. I also saw some grocery stores and sneaker shops that reminded me of a Walmart or Footlocker. In the giant mall we spent some time in, it seemed the stores were similar to that of an American mall. It was really interesting to see that Costa Ricans and Americans spend their hard earned money in the same ways we do.
The main difference that stands out to me is the structure, Costa Rica seems to be very oddly designed in terms of infrastructure. For example, when riding through the streets you could find anything from a supermarket to a home to an animal shelter with no real correlation or reason to be there. I believe the massive amount of urban planning and zoning laws in the United States creates a very structured and uniform design for cities that Costa Rica doesn’t maintain. Our tour guide today also mentioned that many buildings are only one story because of the numerous earthquakes across the country. I feel like it contributes even more to their relaxed and comfortable lifestyle that there’s no overwhelming skyscrapers or corporate headquarters blocking the view. One thing that I think America just can’t match up with though is the culture. You see it in anything from historical churches to small sodas, it’s really beautiful to experience from an outside perspective.