i have learned so much about this country and more importantly, the moral fiber of the people that bring it together.
the main allure, it seems, for outsiders to visit this country is for the unprecedented raw beauty. the jungle wraps itself around costa rica...completely untamed...the beaches pepper the coastline and offer affectionately warm waters year round. in only a day, via ground transportation, you can visit the pacific as well as the atlantic. the sun is shining daily. and for those that love thunderstorms, as i do, you are given a hearty serving in the late afternoons. surfing is out of control...attracting surf entrepreneurs from all over the world. there are beautiful butterflys like the blue morpho (my favorite), horses that roam the beach, monkeys and more monkeys, colorful fish, birdies...and on and on....
this may sound like some sort of sales pitch for paradise, but i guess it really is.
okay, so now that the costa rican feel good, eye candy has been exposed....for me, it is the people here, that really make costa rica a magical place. the locals.
i have yet to meet a culture of people that is more gracious. that is more welcoming. the extent to which the locals touch, kiss, listen, laugh, eat, sing, dance, tell stories, work....supercedes anything i have ever experienced. their honesty...and lack of judgement...their legitimate concern. it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. :)
i love these people. i love what they stand for, their drives, their ambitions, their peaceful ways, their dinner conversation (some of which i can't understand completely), their morals, their food, their work ethics....their HUMBLENESS!
i have lived with a surgeon and a pyschiatrist here and been taught by two general practioners in class. instead of flashing their credentials, they were more interested in talking about their passion for caring for people. the benefits of socialized health care. the stuff, when it all boils down, really matters.
i understand, i have been fortunate enough to meet and greet only a handful of locals. and it is fairly presumptuous of me to generalize... but, the places i have traveled here, the locals that i have met in passing, have all offered me a comparable vibe.
so, i love it, and i feel a strong pull to return...
a few bits... i haven't seen ONE cat here in costa rica, but plenty of dogs. the majority of guys use ALOT of product in their hair. puma is the most popular clothing brand. i haven't seen northface once. imperial is the king of beers. skinny pants are taking over the country. it really isn't as cheap as most tend to think. technology, clothes, cars....all comparable to u.s., its the food, real estate, housing, and manis + pedis that are cheap. ticos love blondes. honking is normal everywhere you go. i have been told more than once that the best way to learn the language is by getting a tico boyfriend so that i can 'feel and smell' the language of costa rica. techno is predominant. most of the girls, women, elderly women have french manicures and french pedicures. manis and pedis cost $2.00. the water is safe. bus systems are huge. tatoos are scarce. and...hmmm....pedestrians DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY!
