Shannon Costello

Once upon a time Costa Ricans who lived in the mountains would grow coffee and, once it was harvested, they would take it to see in ox-carts.  Eventually somebody decided to paint their wooden cart; this painting grew into a tradition.  Sarchí is famous for its painted ox-carts, one of which is supposed to be the largest in the world.  We went to Sarchí yesterday and saw the enormous ox-cart and the shop where it was made.

The workshop had two parts.  The first part was a lot like the inside of an old garage or barn.  There seemed to be a water wheel providing some power.  We walked where we chose and noone suggested that it was at all dangerous.  A set of rickety wooden steps led upstairs.  There were no real walls anywhere, by the way, just roofs.  This was in sharp contrast to the souvenir store we visited earlier which was spotless, well-lit, and clearly designed for tourists.  We went there first because it was pouring rain.  The other part of the shop was for painting.  I had fun taking pictures in both parts.  One never knows…some of them might even come out well.

We were about to head back when we got the brilliant idea of stopping for ice cream.  Our guide (the same one who took us to the InBioParque the other day) was happy to stop as well.  The oddest flavor of ice cream was the one that had raisins.  I am ashamed (but not really) to say that I went for the brownie sundae.  I should  mention that we have started to notice that we have eaten a good deal more rice and beans than we are accustomed to.

I tried to find out how to say ’scoop’ but was unable to communicate my question to the girl behind the counter, who kept assuring me that I could have a cup or a cone.  This was a slight problem for Mil later on when she wanted just one more scoop and instead got one more ice cream.  Or maybe it wasn’t such a problem.  It was yummy ice cream.

In any case, it is interesting to see the types of crafts that various regions develop, and the connections one must make to history, etc.  I should mention that we pass small coffee plantations all the time.  Yesterday we also got to pass some sugar cane fields.  The cool thing about going on all of these excursions is that every single bend in the road gives one something new to see, because we never go to any place that I have already seen.

I have been watching a good deal of TV.  Yesterday I saw a shot of a car crossing a hanging bridge that appeared to be made of wooden planks.  Members of my host family told me that one can feel the whole bridge sinking as one reaches the middle, and that it sways alarmingly.  Doña Flora said she preferred to cover her eyes.  There are a few of these types of bridges around…though I have yet to see one (which is fine, really!).  The biggest news items around here are which roads are washed out and where Wild Bill is located.  Not sure if that made the US news at all….