February 14–20, 2007, Number 134
Life in Puntarenas, Costa Rica
I have been so busy writing about all my trips and adventures that I haven’t really taken the opportunity to write about any of the cultural differences that exist here. So, during this article I hope to touch on a few of the many aspects that I have noticed about life in Costa Rica that differ from life in the United States.
Puntarenas is a beautiful place. Unfortunately, it is impossible to ignore the vast pollution that exists here. I am still trying to figure out whether or not there are legal penalties for littering. Either way, I’ve come to the realization that there is either no law saying that littering is illegal or there is a law but it is rarely enforced. I see people littering here all the time. It is really frustrating for me when I see people throw bags of garbage out their car windows when they drive by. Even though there are people who clean up the trash, they definitely don’t get all of it, and especially after a weekend in Puntarenas the streets and beaches are full of garbage. It is really sad to see such a naturally beautiful place lose some of its beauty due to human negligence. As a result of pollution, in general, and perhaps the sewer system, the water in Puntarenas is said to be "ok" for swimming but in reality it is polluted. I took a trip this past weekend to Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, where I saw a different mentality. Santa Teresa is a small beach town that is popular with surfers. I didn’t see much littering or pollution there. In fact, I even saw signs that encouraged the proper disposal of garbage. It was nice to see people really respecting the environment. Hopefully, this type of mentality will be contagious. I would like to get involved in cleaning up Puntarenas somehow. It would be nice to help clean up the garbage, but also I think that raising awareness about the harmful effects of littering is extremely important too.
This is a typical bus in Costa Rica. It is very much like a school bus. Also, on the left side of the picture there is a home with double barbed wire surrounding it.
Public transportation is wonderful here in Costa Rica and is something, I think, we lack in parts of the United States. The buses are cheap; you can estimate about $1 per hour ride, and they go just about everywhere. Unfortunately, they are also unreliable and, at times, uncomfortable. A local guy once gave me great advice about the buses. He said, "They are either 15 minutes late, 15 minutes early, or they don’t come at all.” There are a few factors that make riding the buses uncomfortable. First, you will most likely be sick to your stomach during the ride due to the unbelievably windy and bumpy roads. Secondly, the buses can fill up fast and the bus drivers will pack as many people as possible into one bus. It isn’t uncommon to have to stand shoulder-to-shoulder alongside absolute strangers for the entire trip, which, depending on your destination could be for hours. Finally, most buses don’t have air conditioning so the more people on the bus, the more everyone sweats. You, along with everyone else, will be dripping in sweat by the end of the ride. If you can get over those small factors, public transportation allows you to travel all over Central America for really cheap. All things considered, I don’t know what I would do without the buses here.
Lastly, I find the way that people here protect their houses to be really interesting. Although I rarely notice it now, when I first arrived in Costa Rica and I looked at the houses, I wondering what I got myself into. Most of the houses are protected by barbed wire and all are gated off with bars, too. The only thing I can think to compare it to would be how prisons look in the United States. This is a big difference for me since I am used to living in Michigan where people often don’t even lock their doors. Even the windows here are barred off. This seemed to be the norm everywhere I had been in Costa Rica except for Santa Teresa where I didn’t see any houses with barbed wire. I have to admit that when I first got here I felt a lot safer knowing that it was nearly impossible for anyone to get into my house, but at the same time I was uneasy about why these measures were necessary.
While everyone in Houghton is celebrating Winter Carnival, I am preparing to celebrate Carnival here in Costa Rica. Carnival is a ten-day celebration held in Puntarenas. I can’t wait to tell you all about it in my next article. I hope everyone is staying warm!
- Sincerely,
- Michigan Technological University
- 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931-1295
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