Early Rain

Folks,

It was back to work after the Easter break. Monday was a bank holiday, but the school was open, so we were paid double time. And as I hear the weather is improving in Ireland, it’s moving steadily towards rainy season here.

Here comes the rain again
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It feels like the rainy season is here a little early this year. It’s been a funny summer, not typical according to the Ticos in that the evenings always remained cold. But now the afternoons are often rainy. May is the traditional start to rainy season, but I feel it’s really been here for the past two weeks. The funny thing is that the temperature is also rising, and we’re back to using the fan at home at night. The earlier part of the rainy season isn’t bad. It’s just a short time of torrential rain most afternoons. It’s not until October and November that we hit the really constant rain.

It’s actually 4.20pm now, and it’s beautiful and sunny outside.

Back to work
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Having been off for the full Semana Santa we were back for a full schedule this week. We have a bank holiday for Mayday, but apart from that it’s without a break until the end of the semester on 30th June.

Security bars
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One of the first things you notice when you get to Costa Rica is that there are bars on every window, door and garden gate – on everything in fact. In the apartment we have a gate downstairs leading to the stairs. Then we have bars on our door and all our windows. I asked someone if things were really that dangerous, and was told that when every house has bars, you can’t be the only one without. Because then you’re the easy target. But I laughed this week when Josh and Lori, two of the newer teachers told me that they have bars around their small garden. So when they sit outside or do some work in the garden the locals stop to have a look in. They call it ‘The Gringo Zoo’.

Growing prosperity
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I read in the paper that there is a government agency that has investigated the living conditions in Costa Rica. There has been a growth in the amount of homes with consumer electronics over the past 16 years. Now 98% of homes have electricity (The second-highest in Latin America after Chile). 72% have either landline or mobile phones, and the ‘vast majority’ have a cooker and colour TV. Only 7.5% of houses have internet access.

The number of home with colour TV have tripled in the sixteen years, and washing machines and telephones have doubled.

A big concern, as it is in Ireland, is the increasing price of oil. Although petrol is quite a bit cheaper here at €0.76 per litre.

Neighbours in trouble
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There are three apartments in the building where we live. Two are stable in occupancy with ourselves in one, and Denis next door. The other apartment changes every few months, and will change again soon. Denis and Carlos our landlord are not happy with the American girls that have moved in. They have a lot of friends visiting regularly. Several of whom seem to have copies of the keys. Carlos has given them their notice, so they leave in May. But they had a party last night and it was all drama. Carlos and Denis out on the balcony in a shouting match with the girls and the party-goers. It was all very exciting!
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So that’s it for another week. We’re nearly into May. Where does the time go?

Pura Vida,

Éamon

Today’s headline in La Nación: Parties reclaim C6,436 million

Semana Santa

We had planned to go to Cuba for Holy Week, because I was off. But we were a little late in actually planning it, and prices were quite high, so we decided to save it for later in the year. So we ended up staying at home, and having a very relaxing week.

No alcohol again
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It was like a repeat of the election, as black plastic sealed all of the alcohol shelves and fridges in the supermarket, and the bars were all sealed shut on both Thursday and Friday.

Good Friday
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I was explaining the names of the days of Holy Week to my students, and they all asked why on earth ‘Good Friday’ was called ‘Good’. Given that it’s commemorating the crucifixion. I had never given this any thought! So I’ve looked it up, and apparently, it’s a corruption of ‘God’s Friday’. In the same way as ‘Goodbye’ is a corruption of ‘God be with you’. Bet you didn’t know that.

They just call it Holy Friday here, and on Friday evening there was a large procession going by the apartment down Avenida Central. It started off with altar boys, followed by little girls dressed as angels, men as shepherds and women dressed as vestal virgins. There was a group of men playing those wooden ratchet instruments. Then a band playing the death march. They were followed by the ornate glass coffin with neon lights that contained the statue of the dead Jesus. Finally we had statues of Our Lady and saintly mourners also borne by the marchers.

Easter Sunday
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There was another procession, before 11 o’clock mass on Sunday. The music was much more upbeat this time. More like a circus band. The procession had most of the same people as Friday, but with a resurrected Jesus carried shoulder high. Despite the celebratory theme, Mary and the mourning saints’ statues looked as sad as they had on Friday.

The Mass
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Having followed the parade, I decided to attend the mass. It was in the large church on Parque Central. I always notice that even in very poor communities, the churches are quite architecturally impressive and elaborate, and this one is no exception. I’ve seen this throughout South America and Costa Rica. And even in the coverage of the tsunami, I saw that in many towns and villages that had been entirely wiped out, the only surviving building was the mosque, which was built to a much higher standard than other buildings.

Anyway, while the procession continued to the side of the church I nipped inside. But they must just have just completed a circuit of the church, because next thing the entire procession came in and walked down the aisle. Altar boys, angels, shepherds, vestal virgins, the circus music-playing band, followed by Jesus, Mary and the mourning saints. There were rounds of applause from the congregation as each group arrived. The largest applause being reserved for Jesus and the band.

Leah and Laura
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Sadly, over Semana Santa I also said goodbye to my two closest friends at the school. Laura, from Washington State left to live in Tucson, Arizona on Tuesday, and Leah from Maryland left for home on Saturday. We were quite close and hung around together a lot, particularly while Jack wasn’t here and I was on my own. We were very different ages, all ten years apart. Leah is in her early 20s, Laura early 30s, and I’m early 40s. I’ll miss them, but we’ve promised to keep in touch and meet up in the US before we go home.
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So that’s it for another week. I’m back in work today, even though it’s a relocated bank holiday, because the April 11 Juan Santamaría holiday was in Semana Santa. The school has obviously decided we’ve had enough time off! So until next week.

Pura Vida,

Éamon

Today’s headline in La Nación: Intermediaries exploit lottery reseller

One Year on

I can hardly believe it myself, but it’s a year since we first came to Costa Rica. Wednesday was the anniversary because we arrived here on 5th April. It’s unbelievable how the year has flown. And I know that the next year is going to be even quicker.

So this week’s email is a little reflective, as I look back on the year that was.

Travels
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We’ve had a wonderful time travelling around the country. We’ve gone from the Caribbean coast to the Pacific. From the hot coastal regions to the colder mountain districts. From the laid back village of Manuel Antonio on the Pacific to the positively horizontal Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean. Highlights for me have included the volcano at Arenal, the Hot Springs, and the National Park at Manuel Antonio. But the number one experience would have to be watching the turtles laying their eggs at Tortuguero.

Heredia
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Having been unimpressed with San José as a city, it was great to find Heredia so close, and yet a much nicer place to live. Don’t get me wrong. It’s dirty, it can be very noisy and it has no interesting architecture to speak of. But it’s more relaxed. It’s smaller. And being in the Central Valley it’s got a beautiful climate. It’s never cold enough to need heating. And it’s never too warm too need air conditioning. Unless I’m working I’m rarely in anything other than t-shirt, shorts and flip-flops!

Intercultura
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I think the biggest stroke of luck however, was getting a job in Intercultura. I was just lucky. I sent my CV by email to about eight schools, and Intercultura was the first to get back. They offered me a job virtually straight away. And then it turned out to be a stone’s throw from our new apartment. I’ve met wonderful friends through the school. I was nervous teaching at first, because it was all so new to me. But now I’ve got used to it I’m very relaxed.

The Life
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I suppose that the best part for me of the past year has been the relaxed life over here. The mornings are so beautiful, even through most of the rainy season. And I don’t work in the morning. I have the best part of the day to do whatever I like. Sometimes I take the free Spanish lessons in the school. Sometimes I write. Sometimes I potter around Heredia or do the shopping. Sometimes I just read. Then Monday to Thursday I have work. But it doesn’t begin until 4pm, and I’m finished at 9. I work half my Saturdays too, but that’s only until 3.30, and pays extra!

The Apartment
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We were also very lucky getting the apartment. In fact, looking back over the year, I feel that we’ve had more than our fair share of luck! It was the first ad we saw for an apartment in Heredia. And we didn’t know that I’d be working around the corner when we took it. It’s spacious and over the year we’ve made it more homely. It’s also got a spare room for would-be visitors! And we’re the only ones I know living in Heredia that have a balcony! Which is great for sitting out in the cool evenings having a drink.

The Future
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While I’m loving my time here, I’m also aware that it’s not permanent. I’m already the 8th longest-serving staff member out of the 23 in the English Department. I’m certainly planning to spend my next semester in the school, which will bring me up to December. But after that we’re toying with the idea of moving to the coast for our last six months, with me probably teaching privately. After that we’d like to travel through Central America and Mexico up to the US. Then travel a little in the US before coming home for a little while. After that, maybe some time in Spain to broaden my Spanish! Who knows.
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I hope you’ve enjoyed the mails over the year. It’s been great being able to keep in contact with so many of you, and I hope you’ll be interested in reading about life in Costa Rica for another while.

The Visitors

Between loss of internet, Sharon and Niall’s visit and our trip to Manuel Antonio, I’ve been knocked quite out of my routine regarding the weekly emails. I’m determined to get back to normal and apologise for the break!

Arenal
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Sharon and Niall had a great time in La Fortuna and at the hot springs and the Arenal volcano. The risky thing about going to see Arenal is that the combination of the heat of the volcano and the humidity means that the mountain is often shrouded in cloud. Sharon and Niall were very lucky and saw the entire mountain except for a little part at the top. The activity is constant, but difficult to see in daylight. As the light faded in the evening they got a great view of the hot orange rocks tumbling down the mountain and breaking like fireworks.

They also visited the hot springs at Tabacón, and really loved them.

Manuel Antonio
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I got a couple of days off work and swapped a Saturday, which meant that myself and Jack could travel down to Manuel Antonio with Sharon and Niall on the Wednesday and stay until Sunday. The direct bus was full, so we had to book tickets on the ‘colectivo’, which is the slow local bus which stops everywhere, making the journey quite an ordeal.

It’s really hot on the coast at the moment. Myself and Jack were staying at a cheap hostel and the fan circulating warm air felt like a hair dryer! We swapped for the luxury of an air conditioned room for the final night.

Highlights of the trip included our visit to the national park where there were more sloths than I’d ever seen, and the monkeys went through Niall’s bag and stole his camera battery.

Dry season
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I could really see the difference in Manuel Antonio at the end of the dry season compared with my trip with Rita in January. The rivers had almost completely dried up. We went on a walk in the national park to the waterfall. The first sign said “Waterfall trail – 1km”, so we decided that would be worth it. After a kilometre we saw another sign saying “Welcome to the start of the waterfall trail – Waterfall 1.2km”. The sign also warned that we’d need to traverse rivers and that it was a difficult trail. But that we were guaranteed to get wet, have a smile on our faces and have our spirits lifted.

However, every river we crossed was bone dry, and when we got to the waterfall after a tough trek through the rain forest, it too was bone dry. So we didn’t get wet, but I guess we did have a laugh, so smiles and raised spirits if no water.

On Saturday night we had a heavy tropical rainstorm, and the next day you could see all the rivers beginning to flow.

Happy Birthday, Jack
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It was Jack’s birthday on Monday, and he’s now the owner of a new guitar. He’s currently practising and shredding his fingers on the strings. To celebrate his birthday we went for a meal with Sharon and Niall in the local Italian restaurant.

More volcanic activity
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Since we arrived we’ve been planning a visit to the Poás volcano. I’m not sure how long it takes to get there, but you can get a regular commuter bus to it. It was last active in the early 90s and now has a beautiful azure blue lake in the crater. It’s the most popular tourist attraction near San José.

Until last Friday week that is. That’s when, with absolutely no warning, the lake started spurting water 50m into the air. The activity continued the next day, and the park is closed now until they do further tests to establish exactly what’s happening.
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Well, that’s it for another week. We’re coming up to our last week before ‘Semana Santa’ or Holy Week, when the country closes down. And I promise my updates will revert to their previous regularity!