Costa Rica 2008!

Cafe Britt History!

2008-06-12T17:30:00.000-07:00

Looking back on this trip I have realized how much market share Cafe Britt has inside Costa Rica. It doesn't matter where we go, it could be a small gift shop in the middle of no where or a high end gift shop, they all sell Cafe Britt coffee. For that reason, I have decided to dig deeper into the history of this company.

Well, during the 1980's the people of Costa Rica could not find a good cup of coffee even though these huge plantations were just around the corner. It comes to find out, all of the good coffee was being exported all around the world. It was at this moment Cafe Britt had and idea, a target market and went for it. In 1985, Cafe Britt became the first gourmet coffee roaster in Costa Rica.

Ever since that moment, the company has exploded. In 1995, Cafe Britt came out with their online store. This allowed its customers the easy access to order their coffee from anywhere in the world. Also, it pushed for a larger market than just Costa Ricans. However, they didn't make the step to add additional locations for their stores until 2004, when they opened in Peru. Currently, you can find Cafe Britt Coffee Corporation all over the world. They have locations in: Costa Rica, Peru, Curacao, Chile, and the United States.

While visiting Cafe Britt myself, I noticed how hard everyone was working. When looking over their website I realized how many awards the company has won. Currently, Cafe Britt has won the "Overall Excellence Award for outstanding performance in leadership, customer service, processes, environmental, innovation & HHRR" in 2007 & 2006. Also, in 2004 they were awarded a spot in the top 100 most admired companies in Central America. It seems that they have done well for themselves.

So, what does Cafe Britt sell? Well, they not only sell coffee, but also a variety of merchandise. For example, I saw that they sold many different souvenirs like coffee mugs, candies, post cards, t-shirts, etc. while in their store. However, they are most known for their coffee. Their 8 most popular coffees are: Costa Rica Dark Roast, Costa Rica Light Roast, Costa Rica Decaffeinated, Costa Rica Espresso, Costa Rica Shade Grown Organic, Tarrazu Montecielo, Tres Rios Valdivia, & Poas Volcanic Earth. As I just stated, some of their coffee is organic. According to their website, they are dedicated to their organic coffee suppliers to enable that water, soil, and biodiversity is preserved. Also, they say that they pay their farmers above the average market for the coffee. Looking back on the entire trip, I must say that Cafe Britt isn't perfect, but that they are far ahead of Chiquita and other banana plantations on their sustainable practices.

Information from: http://www.cafebritt.com/

Last Night @ Pescadito!

2008-06-12T17:13:00.000-07:00

Poas Volcano & La Paz Waterfall Gardens!!!

2008-06-12T15:51:00.000-07:00

Today Thursday, June 12, 2008 we had our last trip, which was to Poas Volcano & La Pez Waterfall. As you can see above these are pictures of Poas Volcano, which is actually a crater that measures a mile in diameter and 900 feet deep. Most of the time you can't actually see the crater due to the clouds, however we were lucky today because the blew away as we reached the top. You can see how beautiful it was from the pictures. It is considered to be one of the most active craters in the world, which would explain why there were so many tourists there today. Also, the location of the crater compared to San Jose also creates some popularity points for this tourist, "hot spot". Again, we have not been let down with the amazing eco-tourism locations.

Information from: http://www.infocostarica.com/places/poas.html

After our visit to the volcano, we visited La Paz Waterfall Gardens, which was only a short drive away. La Paz Waterfall Gardens is a multi-million dollar nature park composed of: exotic birds, butterflies, hummingbirds, frogs, snakes, and of course waterfalls! However, the pictures above

are some of the exotic birds that I saw today. Most of the birds above are toucans. As you can see, they are all very beautiful and some were playful. The last picture actually shows one bitting my arm, however it didn't hurt. Also, Peter (a member of our group) actually got attacked by a few of the birds. The birds were one of the more exciting parts of the day.

As you can see above, we saw the butterflies next. They were also very playful and would lay on anyone that would let them. For example, a young girl had close to 10 butterflies on her head and arms at once. Also, as shown above they would even walk up your leg. However, my favorite butterfly is called "the morpho" due to its beautiful wings. When they are closed they show a brown "eye", which allows it to hide from its predators. It most direct predator is actually humans due to deforestation. They are also hunted by the jacamar and flycatcher. However, the most amazing aspect of this butterfly is its wings when they are open, which is a bright blue. The vivid color of the blue morpho’s wings is a result of the microscopic scales on the backs of their wings, which reflect light, causing the butterfly to appear a brilliant iridescent blue. Also, they are one of the largest butterflies in the world, with a wingspan of up to 8 inches. They are a very common butterfly and I have seen numerous ones since I have been on the trip. Their lifespan is only about 115 days, so must of their time is spent eating and reproducing. The morpho butterfly is shown in the first picture above.

Information from: http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/resources/forest-facts/species-profiles/morpho_butterfly.html

After the butterflies, we were able to take a break and eat lunch. Today's lunch was one of the best ones we have had so far. Not only did they serve Costa Rican food, but also American food, which was amazing! After lunch, we continued with the tour and we able to see the frogs, hummingbirds, and snakes! Along the way, we also stopped at a colonial home to see how Costa Ricans lived years ago. As you can see above, I was able to take my picture with a few cows that were used as transportation.

Finally, we made it to the waterfalls. The waterfalls were the best part of the trip because they were all right after another. In total there are 5 waterfalls named: el templo, magia blanca, encantada, escondida, and la paz. However, my favorite was magia blanca (white magic) because if you stared at the waterfall long enough, then you could look to the right and the rocks would look like they were moving! As you can see, the establishment offers numerous spots to stop and take pictures. Overall, today was another wonderful experience of eco-tourism in Costa Rica. Not only do you have the chance to learn, but its also fun at the same time!

Las Palmas!

2008-06-09T20:52:00.000-07:00

Our last big trip! Overall, this was the most relaxing of all the trips because we finally got some down time just to chill at the beach, which was awesome! The first few pictures above are of the hotel, called Las Palmas, which was a four star hotel. I loved it because it was the first hotel that actually gave us fresh towels! The next picture is of Bob, Steven, and me outside of our hotel room (or the ice box). The following picture is of Peter and I standing outside the hotel & the final picture is of our trusty bus driver, Ronald and me. Seriously, that man did things with a bus that I didn´t even know was possible.

Nate & I's Adventure!!!

2008-06-09T20:45:00.001-07:00

Wow, where do I even begin with this? Well, as I said before a few of the students were on a short walk with one of the professors on the beach. Everything was fine, until Nate looked at me and said, "hey, you wanna go out there with me?" And, without hesitation, I said yes. Before the story, you must know that rock was probably 50 yards out in the ocean and was made of sharp coral. With this knowledge, we began our journey. Everything was fine, until the first big wave, which resulted in Nate losing not one, but two of his flip-flops. Even though he was faced with adversity, he continued on. We finally made it to the coral and then a huge wave came in and sweep me away. After a few seconds to regain my position I was able to meet Nate up on the coral. Finally, we made it! However, as we began to celebrate our achievement, the biggest wave I had ever seen covered the entire coral - including us! As you can see above, I really had to use an athletic stance, just to stand up. After a few minutes out there, we decided we had enough and made our way back to the coast. Looking back, it was one of the funniest parts of the trip, even though I had to endure a few bumps and bruises.

WOW!

2008-06-09T20:41:00.000-07:00

These are just some pictures of the beautiful scenery that we saw while we were on our short walk and right before Nate and I's big adventure.

-The fourth picture is of Rob and me.

-The fifth picture is of Bob & me.

Manzanillo!!!

2008-06-09T20:35:00.000-07:00

Here are just some pictures of the hotel & are own beach. As you can see above the scenery from the hotel was amazing! The was truly one of the most relaxing and best times of the entire trip!

-The third and fifth picture is of me enjoying the beach.

-The fourth picture is of Steph and me.

-The sixth picture is of Rob being goofy.

Puerto Viejo!

2008-06-09T20:34:00.001-07:00

Even though we were only in Puerto Viejo for 12 hours, we were still able to enjoy the culture. For dinner, we went to a local restaurant called Lidia's Place. There we were able to enjoy some Caribbean food which included, chicked, and rice & beans. The following pictures is of Nate and I on our way back to the hotel on the bus.

The Show!

2008-06-09T20:31:00.000-07:00

As you can see above, these are few pictures of The Chiquita Banana Show. It was kinda of an awkward show not only because they all spoke Spanish and I had no idea what they were saying, but also because they pulled us out of the audience to dance with them. However, it was a fun show to watch. Also, while we were there they offered us all packets full of information about Chiquita and the business industry in Costa Rica.

First, I would like to start out with a brief history of Chiquita. Well, in 1899, United Fruit Company became an established corporation. Then, in 1903, the were listed on the New York Stock Exchange. However, it was not until 1944 that the name Chiquita, the Miss Chiquita character, and the jingle all came about. It is interesting to note here that Chiquita actually means little girl. Finally, there were two huge events that occured during the 1960's that will impact the company forever. First, they began to use cardboard boxes for shipping which allowed for protection between locations. Second, they began to sell in Europe which opened up a whole new market. However, I want to focus more social responsibiliy & environmental responsibility.

According to Chiquita, all of their Latin American farms conform to certain standards, which includes: no child labor, safe working conditions, no harsh treatment, maximum of 48 hours a week, and compensation meets the legal minimum. While visiting the plantation, all of those requirements were being met. However, it is important to address what the minimum wage in Costa Rica is. Currently, Chiquita is paying their employees $13 a day, which is 50% greater than most plantations in Costa Rica. That fact truly put it in perspective for me to see how hard these people were working for the amount of money they were making. I am truly blessed with the opportunities that I have been given.

I also wanted to address the environmental aspect as well. According to Chiquita, their farms concorm to strict standards such as: minimal pesticide use, protection of wildlife, conservation of water and soil, environmental education, fair pay, safe working conditions, and no tolerance for deforestation. While must of these issues are important, that statement continues to show me that Chiquita is still not ready to become sustainable. For example, they specifically mention minimal pesticide use. If there is no demand for another solution to this big problem, then it will never happen. Also, as I mentioned in a previous blog, they continue to waste water and release them into the environement with harmful chemicals. However, they are making strides.

The company has planted at least one million trees along rivers, lakes, roads and in residential and industrial areas to try and help offset their actions that are harming to the environment. Also, at Chiquita they minimize the water that contains pesticides from spreading unlike many other banana plantations. Even though they are not perfect, I believe that they realize that sustainability is important and they are making steps to become more environmentally friendly. Overall, it is not going to help the environment if only one company makes a change, we must all make a change to become more sustainable.

Information from: Chiquita

The Process!

2008-06-09T20:26:00.000-07:00

Our visit to the Chiquita banana plantation on Friday, June 6, 2008 was not only interesting, but also informing. The first thing that I noticed when pulling into the plantation was a sign warning people of the hazardous materials that are used on the plants. I had a feeling I was going to find such a sign due to previous research, however I didn’t expect to see homes of people right across the street. It is important to note that the reason that they must use the chemicals is because the plant is foreign to Costa Rica and therefore needs them to survive. The banana plant was actually brought over from Asia.

After lunch, we were able to take a tour to see the process of how the bananas are produced. First, they must grow and nuture the plant which can take up to a year in time. After, the plant begins to produce the fruit – bananas. However, as you can see in the pictures above Chiquita must use plastic bags in order to protect the fruit from insects/fungi. At least at Chiquita, those plastic bags are recycled after their use, however there are some plantations that don’t even do that. Next, the workers (who are payed $13 a day) pick the bananas, and take them to be cleaned. As you can see above, the good bananas are sent through a cleaning process. The water that is sprayed on them contains a toxic chemical – chlorine to rid the bananas of a natural latex. Next, the bananas are boxed and ready to be shipped anywhere around the world. However, what I found most interesting is that the water that is used to clean the bananas is then wasted. The most efficient process would be to clean the water and recycle it again to clean the bananas. Yet, the water containing chlorine, is sent out and into a creek, which is ulimately effecting and harming the surronding environment. Even though Chiquita is using a “less bad” approach compared to its competitors, it still isn’t using a complete cradle to cradle method.

There are numerous benefits that they could reap if they were willing to think “outside the box” and think sustainable. As a matter of fact, I don’t even think the guides could even answer our questions that related to sustainability. Some of the benefits that they could see if Chiquita was willing to make some changes would include: reduce costs (for example, the reuse of water), reduce risk and liability, and an increase in labor production and financial performance. Overall, they must shift their eyes from the short-run to the long-run. Also, not just on their customers, but also the environment and their stakeholders.

Chiquita!

2008-06-09T20:11:00.000-07:00

Well, after leaving La Selva Research Station, we headed for a visit to a Chiquita banana plantation on Friday, June 6, 2008. Even though I will go into more detail of how the process actually works in my next post, I wanted to post a few personal pictures from the visit. As you can see, the first few pictures are just of the welcome sign and me. The fourth picture is of the largest banana I have ever seen! (too bad it was fake.) Overall, it was a wonderful time there, especially since they offered us banana bread for lunch! So good!

La Selva Research Station!

2008-06-09T19:59:00.000-07:00

After our visit to the OSA, we were back on the road again. We were gone from Thursday, June 5 to Monday, June 9, 2008. On Thursday, we spent the night at La Selva Research Station. There we were able to once again take part in eco-tourism and learn more about the rainforest.

Well, how did La Selva Research Station come about? According to Costa Rican Guide, Dr. Leslie Holdridge established La Selva as a study site on mixed plantations for the improvement of natural resources management in 1954. Since its purchase in 1968 by the Organization for Tropical Studies it’s been declared a private Biological Reserve and grown into one of the premier sites in the world for research on tropical rain forest. It is located in the Caribbean lowlands and bracketed by the Sarapiquí and Puerto Viejo Rivers, La Selva is covered with what is technically known as tropical pre-montane wet forest and more commonly referred to as rainforest. There is no better place in Costa Rica to learn about this ever more endangered ecosystem.

Once again, I come to realize how much Costa Rican depends on eco-tourism to help sustain its economy. It truly is everywhere around this small country. The trip to La Selva was truly a wonderful and learning experience. To help explain what I learned on the trip, I am going to describe the pictures taken while I was there.

The first couple pictures are of me while on the hike. The next picture is of our guide who was showing us a birds nest that had fallen to the ground. The red frog above, is called the poison dart frog, because the poison that it creates and how it was once used on the tips of darts during battle. If the dart didn't kill them, the poison would. The next picture is of a bullet ant, which is the largest ant that I have every seen & they can be extremely painful if they sting you (luckily I don't know from experience). The next picture is some of the wild hogs that were at the location. However, they weren't very wild. If you look closely at the seventh picture you can see a monkey! It was really cool to see them because they were loud and would swing from tree to tree. Overall, it made me think how sustainable the entire process of the rainforest is. Nothing is wasted and everything relies on one another. We can truly learn from these different processes if we one day want to live in a completely sustainable world.

Information from: http://costa-rica-guide.com/travel/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=295&Itemid=502

Random!

2008-06-09T19:57:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post these two pictures because these two signs are very different from ones found in the US and they are everywhere in Costa Rica. The first is obviously a stop sign that reads, "Alto", for stop. The second, is a sign of the national beer of Costa Rica - Imperial. You literally can not go to a different town and not see this sign. Almost every bar has it outside their store. This bar is called El Pescadito, which was the bar right around the corner from my host family's home and where all the Miami students went for a drink.

Makol

2008-06-09T19:54:00.000-07:00

After leaving the OSA, we made our way back to San Jose. Even though we were only there for a short time, we were able to stop at a local medical supply distribution company, named Makol. Overall, this company was the middle man between large developed countries like the USA and ones in Europe to less developed countries like ones in Central America. Their objective was to import and export as many supplies that they could while fulfilling all of their requirements, and keeping a low inventory. It was very interesting to see how a small company, like Makol, is trying to conform to the regulations of so many different countries, while still being profitable.

Campground & Snorkling @ OSA!

2008-06-09T19:50:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, June 3, 2008 we travled one hour by boat to Cano Island. After getting there we received snorkling gear and I went snorkling for the first time in my life! We weren't very far off shore and we could only see about 10 feet deep. I saw some exotic fish, however, the most exciting moment was when we were back in the boat heading back to the coast, when we saw dolphins. It was incredibly hard to capture their picture because they would come up and right back down, but if you look closely to the last picture you can see it's fin! Finally, before leaving on Wednesday morning, I took a few pictures of the campground/hotel we stayed at for those few days, and yes, those are tents (the first two pictures).

Waterfall @ OSA!

2008-06-09T19:48:00.000-07:00

After hiking through the woods at the Osa, we went on another hike. Yet, this one lead to a waterfall! As you can see above, it was beautiful. The most fun part was lying in the refreshing water and jumping off the top!

Nature Walk @ OSA!

2008-06-09T19:39:00.000-07:00

After enjoying some rays, the group left for a nature walk. Once again, we were partaking in eco-tourism. Even though everything was interesting, some of the most interesting are shown above. Included is a few birds, a tree, and a leopard print. However, the most interesting is the first picture which captures the ants all working together. According to Cradle to Cradle, the ants are one of the most sustaining creatures that live on the Earth. Overall, the hike was great!

Paradise!!!

2008-06-09T19:22:00.000-07:00

Well, it's a little hard to remember this far back because we have been away from San Jose for so long. After Manuel Antonio we went white water rafting on Saturday, May 31, 2008. I was unable to take any pictures due to the fact that I don't have a water-proof camera, but I wish that I could have! Looking back right now, it has been by far the best time of this trip. Not only was the scenery gorgeous, the rapids were also a tough 18 miles long! After white water rafting, we were off again to the Osa Peninsula from Sunday, June 1 to Wednesday, June 4, 2008. As you can see above, it was beautiful there! Another amazing experience on this trip was lying in the hammock, while listening to the Pacific Ocean waves crashing against the shore!

Manuel Antonio!

2008-05-30T09:09:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, May 27, 2008 we left for a two day trip to the Manuel Antonio beach. On the way, the driver stopped at a local river where we were able to see crocodiles!!! (the first four pictures). At the time they didn't seem aggresive, however I was perfectly fine viewing them from a distance. Then, we returned back to the bus and headed toward the beach. When we arrived we got unpacked and headed for the sand. The last picture is from the hotel balcony of the beautiful ocean. The food was great because it actually tasted like American food due to the fact that we were at a "hot spot" marketed for tourists. However, the best part of the trip was the warm ocean and bringing back the old school game of...jackpot. After everyone left to go back to the hotel to get clean, Rob and I had a different idea. We decided to take an adventure over to some of the coast line rocks. There we saw close to 40 crabs, and I don't think I have ever seen that many in my life. Overall, it was a great few days!

Eco-Tourism: A Closer Look!

2008-05-29T21:13:00.001-07:00

After watching, The 11th Hour, I have realized how vital it is as a human species that we take responsibility for our actions and promote the growth of our planet over the promotion of the economy. In other words, our species can survive without an economy, but it can’t survive without our planet. The wonderful thing is that ecotourism in Costa Rica has been able to combine the two. Not only are they preserving essential forests, but they are using them to boast their economy with little side effects.

Speaking of deforestation, I feel it is important to discuss how significant this issue is in our world today. Deforestation is growing at an exponential amount and if we don’t take a stance now it will be too late. How are reserves, such as Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, beneficial to our ecosystem? Well, we are losing biodiversity, they not only create homes for many different animals and plants, but they are also the source of different medicines. In addition, forests are vital aspect to complete the environmental cycle. Trees are able to absorb CO2 emissions that we as a human species are emitting. Two other critical purposes of forests are to control flooding and erosion, without them, both could become serious problems.

I tell you the effects of deforestation to stress the importance of these forests and wildlife for our very existence. Without them, we would live a life where natural resources are even limited than they are now until we reached a breaking point. A surface look at Monteverde forest and you see beautiful Mother Nature, however if you take a step back, you can see that it is truly a key aspect to our survival. At the rate that the human population is growing, more forests must be kept safe from deforestation, before it is too late.

While at Monteverde, I was interested in what the “locals” thought of all of the tourists. The reply from the man who worked there was that he loved the tourists because they were the ones that were allowing him to put food on the table for his family. It seemed like a win-win situation. I was enjoying the culture of Costa Rica and he was able to feed and care for his family. However, he said that many Ticos that don’t work in the tourist industry can become very irritated by tourists due to the fact that they increase traffic and don’t speak Spanish. There are always going to be positives and negatives to every situation because nothing is perfect. Nevertheless, the eco-tourism industry is a fundamental sustaining industry for the world’s eco-system.

Banana Business: Good or Bad?

2008-05-28T19:25:00.000-07:00

Well, that’s a hard question. To answer let’s look at it from the point of view from the text, Corporate Survival: The Critical Importance of Sustainability Risk Management. One of the main themes in the novel is the discussion of maximizing shareholder value by increasing financial performance, environmental performance, and social justice performance.

1. Financial Performance: Well, overall the banana business is doing well in the financial aspect of this model. Bananas have been one of Costa Rica’s number one exporters for years. Today, it is still very profitable, which would allow us to assume that banana business is good. However, we must look at the other two objectives in order to come to a conclusion about whether or not the banana business is good or bad?

2. Environmental Performance: There are numerous environmental standards set by the government to help protect the ecosystem from the banana business. One example would be Art. No. 13, which states that waste shall not be burned. Solid waste which is demonstrably unfit for collection or recycling, shall be deposited in sanitary landfills. According to the text, Cradle to Cradle, it is a positive motion that they are banning the burning of waste due to the fact that it could emit powerful chemicals into the environment, which would be harmful to humans, animals, plants, and the ozone. However, they are directly saying that it is ok to deposit their waste into sanitary landfills. That is unacceptable. The waste that they are going to leave in the landfill is not going to decompose and be beneficial to the earth, and therefore the harmful chemicals are just going to stay there. Would you consider this a good business plan, harming our own Earth where there aren’t unlimited resources?

3. Social Justice Performance: The final aspect of the model discusses social justice. As I have stated before, social justice is the concept of fairness and equity in dealing with workers, local communities, and people in other countries. Well, how is the banana business handling this objective? Today, thousands of workers were exposed to harmful chemicals in order to “effectively” produce bananas. I would say that isn’t the best treatment of your employees. Also, the business only offers three month contracts, in order to rotate employees. I don’t believe this is a good business plan because your workers aren’t going to work at their highest potential if they have a fear of losing their job at any moment. Another point that must be made is that the workers often face sexual harassment and violence. Again, they aren’t creating a safe work environment. The final point that I would like to make is that the workers are often paid below the legal minimum wage, which doesn’t push the workers to be the best. Would you consider this a good business plan?

Overall, would you consider Costa Rica’s current banana business, a good one or bad one? From this information, I hope that the banana business takes a new look at where they are heading and what kind of business they want to be.

Information from: http://members.tripod.com/foro_emaus/ni5.html

Fair Trade!

2008-05-26T21:19:00.000-07:00

What is fair trade coffee? Fair trade is a movement that promotes the alleviation of the global poverty level and sustainability. How? Well, it sets regulations on the price, social, and environmental standards of coffee from developing nations to developed nations.
An example of a fair trade coffee organization in Costa Rica is Coocafé. They are a small organization and therefore need to promote the strength of small farmers, to ensure their sustainability, due to the fact that the market is so large. Only a little over half of their production is going to fair trade, which, over ten years has brought $7 million in income out of $40 million.

Why is fair trade coffee a good thing? According to the text, Corporate Survival: The Critical Importance of Sustainability Risk Management, there are three objectives that must be met in order to maximize shareholder value; financial performance, environmental performance, and social justice performance. I’m going to explain how fair trade is meeting these requirements.

1. Financial Performance: A key advantage is that companies can use the difference in the fair trade market price and conventional market price to help the business. For example, they can use that to help their producers. Since most of their producers are small farmers, they need to help them financially to ensure sustainability. Without those small farmers, Costa Rica wouldn’t produce enough coffee. Also, this will allow for the companies to withstand times of hardship, such as high production and low sales.

2. Environmental Performance: Another key advantage is that companies can use that same difference in price to help the environment. For example, Coocafé had donated $3.5 million over the past ten years to help with the sustainability of our environment. That money has been used for organic coffee production, reforestation, development of hydro-electric programs and coffee dryers, etc.

3. Social Justice Performance: The first two were straight forward, but what is social justice? Well, according to the text, it refers to concepts of fairness and equity in dealing with workers, local communities, and people in other countries. 5% of Costa Rica’s labor force is employed by a coffee organization, which is a good amount of people. So, how are companies, like Coocafé, helping build this aspect of the triangle? Well, they are not only promoting a good work environment for the employees, but also education. This, not only has a direct effect on their employees, but also the larger effect on the community.

I predict that fair trade coffee will continue to grow only if they keep meeting these expectations and continuing to push their limits.

Information from: http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade/coffee/cooperatives.html

Monteverde!!!

2008-05-26T20:52:00.000-07:00

After visiting the waterfall, we had to hike all the way back up, which was a good workout! We then went to lunch at the hotel. After lunch, we went on a hike around Arenal Volcano. The coolest part of the hike was that we got to see volcanic rock from the last eruption, more than 40 years ago. After the long hike, we went back to the hotel to rest for the night. The next morning (Sunday, May 25, 2008) we left for Monteverde. To get there we had to travel by boat across the Arenal Lake and then drive the rest of the way. When getting to Monteverde, we got checked into the hotel, ate lunch, and then had a break before canopying. The zip-lining through the cloud forest (in the rain!) has been one of the best experiences on the trip. Not only was it gorgeous, but it also got your heart beat going a little bit. I'm sorry, I was unable to take any pictures because I was afraid of getting my camera wet or breaking it. My favorite (and scariest) line was called the Tarzan Swing, where you were literally attached to a rope and pushed of a 50-75 foot cliff and we able to swing back and forth! All of the lines were great because you were zipping across large valleys and couldn’t even see across because of the clouds (Monteverde is a cloud forest)! After the canopying we went back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. That night we went to a local pizza shop, which was delicious. Also, we were able to celebrate Rob’s twentieth birthday! After getting back to the hotel, we went on a tour of the Monteverde forest at night. My favorite part was the part where the guide pointed out some bats to us (I had never seen a bat before)! After getting soaking wet from the tour, we went back to the hotel to dry off. After that most of us ended up staying up late playing Mafia, which was a lot of fun! The next morning (Monday, May 26, 2008) we went on the same tour as the night before, to see different animals. Now, I can see why Monteverde is one of the number one eco-tourism spots in Costa Rica, because of its beautiful and natural environment! Overall, it was an awesome weekend!

Waterfall!!!

2008-05-26T20:29:00.000-07:00

After visiting the hydro-electric plant, we all went to a horse stable (which I was unable to take any pictures of due to the fact I did not want to break my camera). From there we rode horses up this trail to get to the waterfall. It was my first time ever riding a horse and it was fun! After about half an hour we reached our destination and dropped off the horses. From there we had to walk down (a good distance) to get to the waterfall. It was gorgeous (all of the pictures above)! Even though the water was freezing, we jumped in and went swimming. After this trip (and seeing the waterfall), I definitely know why Costa Rica is one of the highest grossing eco-tourism countries in the world.

Hydro-Electric Plant

2008-05-26T20:13:00.000-07:00

The following morning (Saturday, May 24, 2008) we were able to visit a hydro-electric plant. First, we saw the dam and the beautiful scenery of Costa Rica (the first two pictures). Then, we drove down to the plant to see how the electricity is produced (the last three pictures). The water that is built up from the dam is transported through two different tubes and then enters the plant. The water, which has a lot of built up energy, is then used to run a turbine, which then produces electricity. After the water is used it is then filtered out of the plant and into a creek. Besides the fact the dam alters the environment, hydro-electric power is one of the most sustaining ways to produce energy. This is because the water is not being used up and wasted, but is pumped back outside and is able to continue an endless cycle.

Hot Springs!

2008-05-26T19:54:00.000-07:00

Well, this weekend was an adventure to say the least. We started on Friday, May 23, 2008 by traveling to this small town to see Arenal Volcano. Below, you can see various pictures of the volcano. After getting settled into the hotel we went to the hot springs! There we were able to get in the water, which was around 105 degrees. It was a beautiful place, as you can tell by the first picture above. Also, we went down one of the craziest slides that I have ever gone down. I literally got air going down it! Finally, some of the members of the group wanted to get into the hottest spring they had, which was close to 120 degrees (the fourth picture above)! And after I saw some of the girls get in, I knew that I had to do it too. So, Rob & I sucked it up and were able to sit in it for a few minutes (the second & third picture above). Wow, was it hot! Next, we had a delicious dinner and then went back to the hotel to get some rest.

Arenal Volcano!!!

2008-05-26T19:41:00.000-07:00

The History!

2008-05-22T20:39:00.001-07:00

Today, bananas are one of the largest revenue generators of Costa Rica. Well, how did it come to be that way? It all started in the year 1878 when banana planting and cultivation began. An interesting fact is that Costa Rica was the first Central America nation to begin this process. In the early 1900's the United Fruit Company, founded by Minor Keith, became and established banana plantation. At that time, Costa Rica was the number one producer of bananas in the world. However, in the year 1934 a strike occured resulting in the shut down of banana production in Costa Rica. The production began again when equal wages were given to all workers. In the 1950's another company stepped in to fulfill the demand for bananas, and that was the Standard Fruit Company. They began production in 1956 and began exporting in '59. However, it was also shut down in 1985 due to a 72-day strike. They were able to bounce back but were condemned in 1992 due to pollution. According to a main theme in Corporate Survival: The Critical Importance of Sustainability Risk Management, is it more important to make the right choice, but endore more costs in the short-run and large rewards in the long-run or the wrong choice to make a quick dollar and face the consequences when they come? For the Standard Fruit Company, they made a wrong choice and were effected by that in the long-run. However, they bounced back again. Today, BANDECO (Del Monte) and the Standard Fruit Company (Dole) are the leading exporters of Costa Rican bananas.

How are bananas prepared? Well, first the plantations use incecticides to protect their product. Then the large bunches are cut off the stalk, placed on a large belt to transport them to other labors to sort. Then they are washed and then placed into boxes for shipment. Now, there are two sustainabile issues that must be addressed. First, the bags that are used for shipment have incecticide in them and are usually disposed of into the sea. Not only are these chemicals spreading through the water, but many turtles are also choking on these bags mistaking them as jellyfish. The second point is that the fertilizers that have many different chemicals in them are being washed out to sea. This has a direct effect on coral reefs, as many are dying. Again, we must ask ourself this question while thinking of the seventh generation ahead of us, is it worth destroying our planet in order to make a short-run profit or should we be making environmentally sound decisions and be thinking of the long-run?

Information from: http://www.kostaryka.org/banany2489/

Ecotourism! & Cafe Britt!

2008-05-22T08:30:00.000-07:00

What is ecotourism? Ecotourism is the travel to areas of natural resources to better understand the ecosystem, culture, and history. Costa Rica is the leading country in Latin America for ecotourism. This is because they are able to use their resources to their advantage. Not only do they have beautiful beaches, but they also have active volcanoes, rain forests, and wildlife.

Tourism brings approximately one million visitors to the country and about one billion in revenue. With that being said, almost 50% of all visitors are from the United States. Why are Americans attracted to Costa Rica. Well, a few reasons are biodiversity, location, safety & stability, and higher standard of living, just to name a few. Biodiversity is a term that refers to the incredible range of environments. Costa Rica offers volcanoes, mountains, beaches, and rainforests all in a country the size of West Virginia. Location is key. Costa Rica's proximity compared to America gives it a huge advantage over many eastern countries. Even though Costa Rica doesn't have an army, it is still a relatively safe environment because no one is attacking the country. Also, the low crime rates are a major persuasive point for tourists. The final point was higher standard of living which is another selling point for tourists. Since, Costa Rica aboilshed it's military it has been able to devote more money to higher education. As a result, Costa Rica has one of the highest literacy rates in Latin America.

Many benefits can occur becauce of ecotourism. The first is that it can provide financial rewards to the parks. Some of the income brought in from the tourists can go directly back to them to help building up the park. Another, benefit is that it would promote private conservation efforts which would open up more jobs and therefore allowing the economy & GDP to grow. The final benefit is that for the most part it is economically friendly. A major point to take away is that ecotourism took the place of different industries that could have been far more harming to the environment such as polluting factories.

On the other hand, you must look at the negatives that are involved with ecotourism. One of the major costs is that it creates visitor overcapacity. This can be a problem because the tourists can harm the surrounding environments such as the plants and animals. The second major negative that you must look at is the issue of profit versus protection. If the parks become to consumed in profit and forget their responsibily to protect the wildlife it could be costly. A possible reason that this could occur is that the park isn't receiving enough funding or has poor management.

Information from: http://www.american.edu/TED/costa-rica-tourism.htm

It is very exciting that I was actually apart of Costa Rica's ecotourism today!!! We visited Cafe Britt coffee plantation. It was different than visiting Del Cafe Tal because it wasn't a family owned organization. Cafe Britt treated us just like tourists. As shown in the pictures above we had tour guides directing us through the plantation. In the second picture, we were shown how the harvestors pick the berries of the plants and then place them into the bucket around their waste. In the third picture, we were shown what a coffee bean looks like and how to recognize a "good" one. If the berry is still green, then it isn't ready. However, if the berry is red, then it is considered a "good" one. Finally, if the berry is black, then it has died and has no value. In the fourth picture, the tour guide is showing us how the bean are prepared and then packaged to be shipped around the world. The final picture examplifies the tourism aspect of the day. The guides started by showing us how to prepare a cup of coffee followed by a short skit of the history of coffee. Overall, it was a wonderful experience.

Del Cafe Tal!!!

2008-05-22T07:58:00.000-07:00

Well, we ended up not going to Montecristo, but instead we went to a family owned coffee plantation named Del Cafe Tal. It was wonderful experience to see how coffee is produced and prepared. In the first picture, you can see a beautiful shot taken just before we got to the plantation. The next picture shows all of the coffee plants lined up in rows. It was very interesting to see that the coffee bean is actually inside of a red pulp, and that all of the workers must first remove the bean from the plant and then the red pulp. The next picture is of a machine that they use to help prepare the beans, and then they must lay them out to dry out on the tables shown in the fourth picture. The final picture is of me standing in the coffee field after I had picked my own coffee bean. After our trip to the Del Cafe Tal plantation, which was high in the mountains (to allow the beans to aquire a more acidic flavor), we rode on the bus back to the town. There the family owned business has their own coffee shop for the locals. After going inside, the owner showed us a roaster that they use for preperation of the bean. El cafe fue excellente!!!

The entire process of how coffee is prepared is very interesting. The actual coffee bean that is picked is inside of a berry. The berry most be washed off in order to receive the bean. For a period of time the pulp was deposited into rivers, but in order to become more sustainable the Costa Rican government put a stop to it through environmental laws. Now, the pulp is returned back to the fields and used as a fertilizer. This is an excellent example of waste = food from Cradle to Cradle. Then there is another layer of skin on the bean that must be rubbed off and then the bean is ready. Next, the beans must be roasted using machines. However, the traditional way was to let them dry out in the sun.

I also wanted to add some Costa Rican coffee recipes that I fould interesting:

Caribbean (hot) 8 servings
1 coconut 2 cups milk 4 cups strong coffee 1 tablespoon sugar
Punch two holes in to coconut, pour liquid into saucepan
Bake coconut for 30 minutes at 300 F degrees
Break open coconut, remove meat, and grate.
Mix coconut meat, coconut liquid, and milk in a sauce pan
Heat over low heat until creamy.
Strain
Toast grated coconut under broiler
Mix milk mixture, coffee, and sugar
Pour into mugs, garnish with toasted coconut.

Grog (hot) 6 servings
3 cups coffee 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons softened butter 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon Peel of one large orange, broken into 6 pieces Peel of one large lemon, broken into 6 pieces
Place one piece of each peel into cups
Mix butter, sugar, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon
Mix coffee and cream
Pour both mixtures into cups and stir.

Overall, it was a great experience to come to Costa Rica and see not only how coffee is produced and other sustainable issues along with it, but also to taste the wonderful coffee!

The History!

2008-05-20T14:37:00.000-07:00

In order to truly know the importance of coffee today, then we must look to the past. Therefore, I felt that it was important to take note of the value that coffee has had on Costa Rica. Coffee came to Costa Rica in the 1770’s. Coffee production didn't begin until 1779 in the Meseta Central. This area was perfect because of the climate and soil. It was a slow process for coffee to become a dominate industry in Costa Rica, but it was bound to happen. Even though coffee isn't the largest Costa Rican export today (compared to bananas, textiles, and microchips), it is important to know that it once was during the 1800's. This was because at that time transportation of exports took a long period of time and coffee being a nonperishable good allowed Costa Rica to export more coffee. Coffee was one of the first goods to change the Costa Rican economy. It went from a small economy to that of growth and commercialization. From the 1840's to WWII the British were the number one purchaser of Costa Rican coffee. However, today the United States are the number one importer of Costa Rican coffee.

Something interesting to take note of coffee exportation is that coffee is a plantation crop and their income is affected by price fluctuations. This severely hurt the Costa Rican economy in the 1980's. In order to recover, Costa Rica teamed up with other Latin American countries to initiate a plan. Now, their coffee is sold in installments to insure price stability. It is also interesting that in 1994 Costa Rica diminished the tax on export coffee.

Information from: http://www.infocostarica.com/business/eco_coffee.html

Veritas University!

2008-05-20T12:06:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of Veritas University. The university is less than a mile away from my host family's home which is good because Rob and I have to walk there every morning. The first picture is of me stand out front of the university followed by a picture of the entrance to the school. The next picture is of a study area inside of the university and yes that is inside! The final picture is of the cafeteria where we eat lunch everyday.

Cinde!

2008-05-20T11:21:00.000-07:00

The first picture is of a business that we visited on Monday called Cinde. Cinde is a private, non-profit organization that promotes foreign direct investment (FDI). Cinde is not part of the Costa Rican government, actually according to Dr. Adelman, Cinde is self-sustaining due to a large donation from the United States many years ago. Some of the companies that Cinde has helped integrate into the Costa Rican economy include; Intel, Procter & Gamble, Baxter Healthcare, and many more. For more information about Cinde visit cinde.org. The next picture is of me standing outside of the Cinde building. The final picture is of Rob and me finishing dinner in our host family's dinning room!

Pictures of My Home Family!

2008-05-20T11:16:00.000-07:00

The first picture is of my host family's house followed by a picture of their front door. As you can notice there are metal bars around the home. Many of the buildings in San Jose have these bars to help protect it from intruders. The next picture is of me in my room the first night I got there. It is very nice and clean. The final picture is of Rob and me with our host mom. She has shown us nothing but love. She knows a good amount of english which is good because I don't know much Spanish. She is very patient when trying to communicate and is willing to try and figure out what I'm saying. Also, she is a wonderful cook!

First Day in San Jose!

2008-05-19T15:35:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! Here is a little information about my first day in Costa Rica. I got home late the first night and met my home stay family. They are all super friendly and helpful. There is madre who is the sweetest mom you would ever meet and she can cook! She knows a good amount of english which is really good because wow I totally forget all my spanish (not good)! However, they are all really patient and nice about it. Madre told me that her husband passed away two years ago but she seems to be doing ok. She has four children, three boys (27, 20, and 4) and one girl who is 9. They also have two other costa ricans who live in the house. There are also 5 students who live with us, Mark from South Carolina, Eric from Maine, Dan from Florida, Rob and me. Luckily with all those people we all pretty much have our own room! The house is actually like 2 houses with a courtyard in between and they also have a dog named Lilly. I slept OK last night but it was really easy to wake up with the bright sunshine filling my room and the birds chirping, I don't think I have ever heard birds chirp that loud. Then madre made us ham sandwiches for breakfast at 730 in the morning. Then we went to the university where we got our ids followed by an all day tour of San Jose. We rode a charter bus most of the day and walked a little bit. Most of the buildings where under 2 stories and bars on the windows. The most exciting part was that we got to drive past the president of Costa Rica's house. Then we walked through the park. You know how Cincinnati has pigs all over downtown, well Costa Rica has cows. They were really cool and usually funny. Then we went back to the university and we were done for the day so me and rob decided to walk to the market to get some bottled water and snacks. However, we didn't know it was going to pour the rain! I've never seen it rain so hard. When we finally got home Madre hung our clothes up to dry and we just chilled at the house till dinner. For dinner we had chicken burritos. They were delicious! For the rest of the night we just spent time with our host family talking and having a great time! I know realize what culture shock truly means. I've never been stared at or looking at differently walking down the street until today, but I wouldn't change anything. I appreciate this experience and will remember this day for the rest of my life.

I can't wait to go to Costa Rica!

2008-03-25T14:18:00.000-07:00

When I am in Costa Rica, I can't wait to go white water rafting!