The view from my perch

After traveling to Quepos for a couple of days, I am now happily perched at my favorite bar in Esterillos Oeste enjoying the breeze and the surf. Not a bad way to spend the winter, I must say.

Return to Costa Rica

It has been two years since I have had reason to update this blog, but last Thursday I returned to Costa Rica. I hope I am here for a long, long time and that everyone enjoys my little blog. I will be posting new pictures and stories about this wonderful little country in the coming weeks and months so check back often. I will be heading to the beach tomorrow for two weeks and then going to Nicaragua for a couple of weeks after that. I will post pictures as I take them. Chow for now.

At last, there is nothing left to say

Well I'm sitting in the airport in San Jose waiting to leave my beloved Costa Rica. This time however, I have no set plans to return, although two of my Tico brothers are coming up in December and I may stop in on my way back from Brazil in Febuary. I hope all of you have enjoyed the stories and the pictures. Thanks for being a part of my Costa Rica Adventure!

End of days

For my last weekend in CR, I took some girlie friends to my favorite beach, Esterillos Oeste. They promised me a weekend I wouldn't forget and they definately delivered! A very special thanks to Andrea, Abby, Leah and Jessica for giving me such a awesome send-off. I hope you guys enjoy the rest of your time here as much as we did this weekend.

The Last Hooray

Shelly and me at our last night blowout

On Thursday night, my group celebrated the end of our program and the end of our time together. I am once more excited to come home and, at the same time, sad to see my time here end. I have made many new and wonderful friends in Costa Rica and I am sure that this will not be the last that I see of them. But for now, I am singularly focused on finishing up my last few months of school so I can begin my next adventure, whatever form that may ultimately take. To everyone that has supported me and encouraged me along the way, be you in Europe, the US, Brazil, or C.R. Thank you. And to Emily, Paul, Shelley, Max, Zack, the Kristens, Cary, and the rest of the crew, a special thanks for helping to make this experience one that I will never forget!

Wild horses couldn't drag me away...from Samara

Well, I just got back to the Valley from my days in Samara where I got to do the beach thing, visit a coffee cooperative, have a barn burner of a debate, and drink mucho tequila. I'm sure there is more to be said, but frankly, I'm worn out.

This weekend I am spending writting my research paper and finishing up a journal assignment. My program officially ends on Wednesday. I am sticking around a few extra days because I can, but I will be back in the States on the evening of the 18th.

The Boys of Summer

Change is good

Well my weekend plans changed at the last minute. Instead of the object lesson in third world privation that Nicaragua always provides, I got to enjoy a weekend of first world opulence. My buddy Raul called on Wednesday night and invited Jose and I to his family's vacation home in Jaco. So we spent the weekend in this amazing house right on the beach in a private resort. I spent my days playing tennis with Estabon and relaxing in the hot tub and the nights drinking copious amounts of Flor de Cana and flirting with the bevy of sexy Tica's that were there. I'm sure there is some constructive lesson about the nature of wealth distribution in the third world, but maybe sometimes you should just be grateful for the opportunities you have and not over think it.

A good weekend

...a really good weekend

Day in the mountains

Today we traveled to the sleepy little village of San Miguel. This is a picture of the valley below the town, which is tucked into the mountains in the SE part of the valley. The village itself is tiny, but has a few small coffee farms which provide the bulk of the employment and income. After touring one of these facilities and peppering the owner with questions, we went into the tiny little town and had lunch at the local school. After lunch we volunteered on some renovation work that they needed done. We dug a new garbage pit and sanded and painted some steel posts that they want to use for a new building that they are preparing to put up. Once all of the work was done, some of the local kids challenged us to a soccer game. I'm happy to report that we made a good accounting for ourselves. In the end we lost 5-4, but I had a goal and a couple of really pretty saves during my turn in the box. It was a big event for the people who rarely see outsiders and by the end of the game, most of the town was out watching and cheering. The kids had a blast and so did we. All in all, it was one of the most rewarding days that I have spent here. Special thanks to Helen Temple for setting it all up.

Coffee Silo

During the harvest season (August to December), the local farmers all bring their harvests to this storage barn where the company that buys their beans comes with a truck every couple of days to pick it up. They sell exclusively to Nestle who guarentees a minimum price and has an active enviromental program to assure sustainability. However, they have no workers' rights provision or organization to assure that the workers are treated fairly and according to Costa Rica law or international standards.

Helping hands

As I mentioned, we helped out around the school after lunch. You have all seen news coverage of mudslides in Latin America that destroy communities and kill rural villagers. Well San Miguel was one of those places. 10 years ago, a mudslide leveled the school. It had to be rebuild from scratch using the materials that were salvaged. As a result, it is a less than impressive place to receive an education. The community is so poor, and the government too, that they receive only $150 US per year for maintenance and scholastic materials! They have to feed lunch to the kids for about $.25 US per student, per day and they have to pay the kitchen staff out of that! It is a testament to human nature that this place didn't grind to a halt years ago.

The kids of San Miguel

If you would like to donate to the school, I will be adding information on how to do it when I get back from Samarra in a few days.

Mas Cafe

Today we traveled to another finca to look at different ways coffee is produced, roasted and marketed. The staff was extremely well versed in their trade and my head is swimming with information. Tomorrow I sit down and start working on my class paper and presentation. I am planning on using rational choice, structural, and game theoretic analyses to determine whether it is possible to devise a system within the free market that will maximize the benefits for producers, buyers (read "Starbucks"), and export firms in order to assuring more equitable distribution of coffee proceeds. I won't bore you with details, but I will likely post the final paper on my political site when I am finished for those of you who actually care.

Today at Doka Estates, in addition to chilling on giant piles of coffee, I got to pick coffee beans and discovered what crummy, thankless and worthless work it is. It took 21 people (my group) 20 minutes of frantic picking to earn $6 US. The average trabador de cafe works 10-12 hour per day to earn $15-20 US. Most of these workers are undocumented Nicaraguans who rely on this tiny income to support large families who fled privation and anarchy in their own country. If this makes you rethink your feelings about Mexican laborers, good.

Volcan Arenal

The last time I was in La Fortuna it rained for three solid days and I never got to see the most active volcano in the Western Hemisphere. This time I got lucky and actually managed to get some shots. The volcano even treated us to a little steam release on the second day.

La Fortuna

A couple of people have complained that it is unfair of me to show pictures of me playing in waterfalls when they are stuck in far less exotic locations. Therefore, I shot this picture before I went and played in the waterfall.

I spent last weekend in La Fortuna doing the waterfall, hot springs, rafting thing. Good times. I will be in the Central Valley until Thursday when I play hookey from school and go to Managua, Nicaragua to hunt and do some business research. I am meeting back up with the UW group on the Pacific coast on Sunday for a week of classes in Playa Samara.

Coffee, coffee, coffee

As you may know, the main reason I am down here is to learn everything there is to know about coffee. To that end, yesterday we have had a lecture from Starbucks guy in Costa Rica and today we traveled to a finca (coffee farm) that produces high end organic, shade grown coffee that they sell exclusively to Starbucks. In the afternoon, we went to the Speciality Coffee Institute and learned how to judge a coffee (think wine tasting) and we learned about the geography of Costa Rican coffees. Tomorrow I am attending a coffee conference at the National University that will focus on the politics and economics of the coffee trade.

No whip, not-fat triple mocha hazelnut latte (on the vine)

You may be wondering when I found the time to visit the Dominican Republic, I'm just as baffled as you.

New Blog

Monica took so many beautiful nature shots while she was here that I have decided to create a separate blog to display some of her best. It's called Monica's Flora and Fauna of Costa Rica. You can access it by clicking on the link or I will be adding it to the links section if I haven't already. It may take me a few days to get all the pics up so be patient.

Bye Mon!

Well Monica headed home this morning.

I'm sure you all join me in wishing her a safe and pleasant trip. It was so much fun to be able to share this beautiful country with my best friend and I am always happy to play travel guide if anyone else would like to pop down. I know Monica will be talking about her experience for a long time to come.

Teaching the monkeys to swing

This is actually a photo from last year's world finals in Holland, Monica is sending me the shots from Atlantis in a couple days and I will update it then.

Of course, Monica wouldn't be Monica if she missed the opportunity to perform so on her last night we all went to Atlantis where she was doing a guest set for the Ticos. The crowd was, as always, blown away and the club comped all of our drinks and covers. Two club owners have offered to fly her down to train all of their dancers and she is even thinking about opening her second Koi Fitness location here.

How cute are we?

Never trust a man wearing heals

So I had planned on burying this story deep in the darkest corner of my mind never to be considered, contemplated or, God forbid, discussed again. However, Jose and Monica have managed to convince me that it would be therapeutic for me to put it out there so that everyone can have a good laugh over it. So let the healing begin...

On Friday night, after an evening of dancing, smoozing and drinking, Jose ask Diego to take him home because he needed some sleep. Monica, Diego and I were still in the mood to party so we dropped Jose off at the house with the intention of hitting another club before calling it a night. As we were driving through central Heredia, a thought occurred to me. Monica and I had both mentioned how funny it would be to get a picture with one of the tranny hookers that frequent that part of town. It took Diego (who should have known better) only a minute to find two of them hanging out at an intersection. Monica and I jumped out of the car and I ask one of them if we could have a photo and she...he...it readily agreed. Unfortunately for me, as the picture (above) was being taken, the second tranny (back and to the right) managed to pick my wallet. I will pause while you catch your breath..............................................................o.k. Ready? They quickly disappeared into a taxi and by the time I realized that my wallet was gone, so were they. I called Jose and we went to the police station, showed the picture, canceled my credit card, and filled out a report. I have never heard another word about it and given the lack of credible investigative police work here, I probably never will. The good news is that I only had $28 in my wallet and they didn't access my account. So Rachel (Thank you baby, you hung the stars and moon) wired me some money and, in the end, the only real damage done was to my ego. I hope this torrid tale gives you all a little smile as you go about your day and I hope you remember this lesson so none of you will ever get pick-pocketed by a tran.....who am I kidding, only Monica and I could have put ourselves in such a ridiculous situation. So I guess a good laugh is the best I can hope for.

DJ's eye view

On Friday night we went to Vertigo, the most exclusive club in Costa Rica, where our friend, D.J. Vega, was performing. While he was on stage, he snapped a couple of shots of the insanity for us. Thanks Vega!

It just wouldn't be a trip to Esterillios without a visit to the Mermaid

Root Rock

Weekend on the Pacific

Hey Everybody! Sorry its been a bit longer then planned since I posted an update, but I have been having internet connnection issues since I got here. Monica and I just returned from a weekend in Jaco, Esterillos Oeste, Quepos, and Manuel Antonio. We got to see lots of wildlife and do a bunch of swimming and hiking. I discovered Monica's talent for wildlife photography and will be adding some of her best shots in the next couple of days.

so far...SO MUCH FUN!

Well Monica and I have been in town for three days and we have been having an absolutely amazing time. We have gone to the clubs every night and with her celebrity status, my family connections, and our other friend, Vega (the top DJ in C.R.), we have been treated to VIP rooms, free drinks and opportunities to meet some of the richest and most influencial people in the country (or at least their kids). We are going to a private party with the C.R. jet set crowd where Vega is performing on Friday and on Saturday, my buddy Diego has invited us to his family's house near Jaco where we plan on spending a few days surfing, tanning and hiking in Manuel Antonio. Keep checking back for more.

In typical fashion, Monica has already found celebrities to hang out with.

I'm Back!

Well, it took an extra 4 hours in Dallas, but I made it and I am happy to report that Monica did too. We will be traveling for the next couple of weeks and then I start school and she heads home. Keep checking back for updates.

Return to CR

Click to Enlarge

Well, the time is near for me to head back to CR. I will be flying down on the 7th of August. My best friend, Monica, will be flying down on the 8th. We intend to travel for two weeks before I have to be back in Heredia for class. The program is five weeks on the political economy of coffee in Latin America. I will, of course, be publishing pictures, observations, and stories about the trip, so check back often.

Costa Rica, parte dos

I just learned that I have been accepted into a summer program in CR. Therefore, I will be going back soon so look forward to a new cast of crazies and all new Costa Rica Adventures!

Tonight, I said my goodbyes to my family including my wonderful Tica mom, Rocio.

Saurday Night at Frankie Go

Last night, my older brothers, Carlos and Jose, took me out for one final blow out before I head home. We went to an excellent dance club with a group of Tico friends and some other friends who were in town from Guatamala. They orders bottle after bottle of rum and by the time we stumbled home, I was ready for bed and resigned to the fact that my time in Costa Rica had come to an end.

Last night was the second of the three night that make up my long goodbye from Costa Rica. The group met up at Club Bulivar in Heredia for a greasy bar food and beer tower pre-funk before piling into a rented tour bus for the drive to San Jose where we were deposited at an Indian restaurant. We sat at large two large communal tables and half gallon bottles of rum and vodka were brought out along with glasses of ice and mixers. Just when I thought I couldn't possibly drink any more, plate after plate after plate of delicious food began to appear. Pita bread and a dozen different dips and spreads followed by strips of lamb and chicken, kabobs and babakanoosh. Everybody laughed and ate and enjoyed each others company one last time. After dinner, hookahs came out and we all had a nice smoke as we were entertained by a bevy of beautiful, exotic belly dancers. After dinner, I caught a bus back to Heredia with some of the girls. We said our final "so long for nows" and with fairwell hugs, it was suddenly over. I feel really blessed to have had the opportunity to spend this time here and to have spent it with such an amazing group of people. You will all remain close to my heart.

Tonight, my Tico brothers are taking me and a few friends that are still in town out to one of the local clubs for a final night of partying. It will be my toughest goodbye of all.

On a completely unrelated note, I know that I have been very lazy about maintaining my political web site since I have been on this trip, but I have just added a couple of new posts, so those of you who are fans of The Freeman's Burden will be relieved to know that I will be rededicating myself to sharing news and analysis from a perspective you will not see on the news. I will also be updating and adding new links over the next few days. Thank you for your continuing support of my work.

"This is just tobacco, right?"

Bring on the dancing girls!

At dinner, Max presented us all with t-shirts to commemorate our experience. For our part, we gave him a t-shirt with his picture from the Ropa Americana party on the front and our unofficial motto on the back. For those of you who have seen Brokeback Mountain, there is a particularly silly line where one gay cowboy screams at the other gay cowboy, "WHY CAN'T I QUIT YOU!!!" Ben, and then others, started breaking this line out at comically timed moments throughout the trip and kept us all in stitches with it. None the less, I can't help identifying with that sentiment when I think about Costa Rica. Side note: Doesn't Emily look incredibly hot in this photo!

I wanted to do something nice for my family, so today I cooked my internationally famous fried egg sandwiches for everyone. Rolando ranked the sanwich a "12" on a scale from 1 to 10 and Rocio exclaimed "Esta rico!" I think they liked them.

Tonight was our Ropa Americana party and, sure enough, ridiculous outfits abounded. Ashley-Claire, Emily and I struck a mean pose.

Sarita and Amy were looking particularly fab.

My Program director Max was dressed to kill.

The tax payers of Washington, through their involuntary subsidies to the university, have paid for some pretty incredible things on his trip, not least among them, a mariachi band to play a house party.

In just 5 short days I will be back to Seattle. I can't say that I am looking forward to school, rain, cold, bills, obligations and rules, rules, rules! None the less, my trepidation is tempered by my desire to see my friends, my cats and, of course, to finish college. I am also buoyed by the knowledge that I will be returning to CR in August for a 5 credit program on the political economy of coffee. Already I am looking forward to the beaches, the sun, the beer and, most of all, the wonderful friends that I have made here.

Don't assume this means that I wouldn't still be posting on this site for a while longer. This weekend is going to be filled with a lot of activities. Not content to simply have a going away party, the group is going to have one tonight dubbed the "Ropa Americana" party. We have all gone to the thrift store for the tackiest outfits we could find and will be attired thusly tonight. Stay tuned for embarrassing pictures. Tomorrow is "The Marathon". We are going to meet at a local bar at around 1 and proceed to party into the wee hours. Finally, on Saturday, my brothers are throwing me a going away party at Vertigo, one of the swankiest night clubs in the country. I figure I will spend Sunday resting before flying to Phoenix on Monday and Seattle on Tuesday. After I get back to Seattle, I will scan my rafting and hang gliding pics as well as posting any other pictures that I like, but didn't post before. I hope everyone has enjoyed following my trip on this here little web site. Ain't technology grand? - Don

Down Week

Well I had big plans to go to Rincon this weekend, but alas, the fact that I had a pile of unfinished homework and was running out of time to do it dictated that I stay home and hit the books. That didn't stop me from stepping out Thursday night with my Tico brother Jose and my favorite girlie Ashley-Claire for a little club fun in San Jose. 2night.com snapped this picture at one of the clubs we hit.

Weekend in Nicaragua

Market Street in Granada

Well I am back from my weekend in Nicaragua and what an experience it was. We drove 11 hours from Heredia across the border, through Rivas and into Granada, the oldest city in the country. I was immediately struck by the beauty of the city and by the stark contrast of rich and poor. I later learned that Nicaragua has about 20% wealthy people and 80% living in poverty. Because of its history of colonialism, occupation, and corruption, it is still a country with virtually no middle class. On Friday night, and Saturday and Sunday for that matter, my friend Carrine and I hit the clubs and danced until the wee hours. We met a Nica (the term for Nicaraguans) who used to live in Kent Washington and he served as our guide, taking us to clubs and keeping us out of places we shouldn't be. On Sunday, the group took a boat through some of the 400 islands that dot Lake Nicaragua. Most are no bigger than an acre or two and are owned by some of the wealthy Nicas and gringo ex-pats. On one island, we saw the home of Violetta Chamorra, who's successful run for president in 1990 ended the rule of the Sandinistas and made her the first democratically elected female head of state in the history of the Americas. I spend most of the day on a resort island swimming, relaxing in the sun and playing cards.

This Spanish colonial church stands near the central park of Granada Nicaragua. It is ironic that that the brutal occupation of Nicaragua by the Spanish that set in motion her sad history is also responsible for the incredible architecture that helps make this country so beautiful.

In 1979, the Frente Sandinista Liberacion Nacional overthrew the incredibly brutal US-backed Somoza family and freed Nicaragua. They ruled the country for 11 years in spite of US backing of the Contra rebels. In 1990, the FSLM succumbed to their own ineptness and was voted out of power, but people still fondly remember there role in ending the dictatorship. Today, the conservatives that beat the FSLM has joined with the former FSLM members that aren't commie nuts to create the Conservative-Liberal Alliance in an effort to keep the FSLM from ever taking power again.

El Grupo del Universidad de Washington en Nicaragua

Here is the whole gang posing on an old fort on Lake Nicaragua that was used by the Spanish to fight pirates (It's a really big lake!)

This is me somewhere over Lake Nicaragua. This lake is unique in that it is the only fresh water lake in the world where you can be killed by sharks. I wasn't.

Election Update: The Tides Turn Again

The TSE has completed its hand recound and says that Oscar Arias is now ahead by 1.1%. That seems like a big shift until you consider that the last two provinces to get counted were Limon and Guanacoste, both of which Arias won by wide margins. However, the TSE has refused to declare Arias the winner until they resolve the hundreds of complaints of vote irregularities that have been alledged by the PAC. Read more here.

Take Off

One of the highlights of my two days in Esterillos was the chance to have an airplane pull me 2000' in the air above the coastline for a 25 minute hang gliding ride. The instructor let me pilot for a while and we even did some tricks like mid-air stalls and dives. He also pointed out the vacation home of Jenna Jameson, unfortunately she wasn't sunbathing by the pool at the time.

There was a camera mounted on the wing and I will post some mid-air pictures as soon as I get to a scanner.