La Pura Vida

Murdered turkeys, cuchillas, and Mother Earth

Wow, the hourly price in this internet cafe went down to around 40 cents an hour! Que dichosa. Don´t have endless time as I have to catch the 2:00 bus to San Jose, but wanted to update about last night/this morning before I head off.

Last night returned from the internet cafe to slight chaos - the house was dark (as was the sky, around 8:00), and we couldn´t figure out the location of Mario, the dad. Scary - also, the water was out, and one of the big dogs had escaped from its chain and was wreaking havoc in hen and rooster land. Erlinda started running around and I tried to do what I could - mostly just offer a flashlight. Crazy! Luckily Mario arrived on his bike before long - he´d gone to investigate the water problem...and we restrained the dog. Only lasting damage done to 2 turkeys and a rooster...gross to see the dog with feathers in its mouth. All that made me realize how quickly unexpected situations can develop.

This morning - very typical Tica breakfast (gallo pinto, egg, coffee) - but with a bonus: fried plantains! Thought I smelled those cooking...exciting. Not long after breakfast Erlinda and I headed off for the AMUDA farm (This women´s organization of Africa maintains this small organic farm to educate about sustainability). I got my own cuchillo (big knife) in a leather case...as I took it I happily said ahh, poder! (power) Ha, to which Erlinda replied that she had a bigger one. True words - she has one that is probably 2 feet long. So funny to watch her expertly swing that around in the forest, hacking down small trees (seriously) and whatever´s in her way as we walk.

First we planted pineapples - she cleared the ground of weeds and opened up the earth, and I situated them in the dirt. Loved that... I was planting the top parts of the fruit - the part that looks like crazy hair. Felt honored and sort of maternal as I carefully placed them in and then put sticks and plants around them for protection - crece, crece, bebe piña!

Next we walked around to make sure that the trail was in order (again, Erlinda went in front with her sword and hacked away! I loved when she victoriously cackled.) Ingenious use of sticks - example, she found one that looked like a Y and so used it to twist sweet lemons off of branches high above us. Ate the acid-y yet sweet carambola (starfruit) that was growing there. Final mission: we went in search of bananas. Eventually we found some, a bunch of around 50 growing probably 20 feet off the ground. I wondered how we would get them down but soon found out when E started setting in to the thick tree trunk with her cuchillo. This trunk was bigger than my neck. How satisfying when it all eventually collapsed, she laughed, and off we went with our booty. Much respect.

On the way back she asked if I´d worked much with agriculture...no, muy poco. Mentioned that I think working with the hands like that is spiritual, and she said well yes - Madre Tierra (Mother Earth). Told me how the indigenous of Costa Rica see the Earth as very similar to women...one reason being that when we die we are buried within the earth, much like we begin inside the womb. Neat.

Ok I think it´s about time to take the bus. I love traveling independently so am glad for that - but also looking forward to reuniting with the home ground of ICADS and my friends! I´m excited about the weekend and interested to see how it feels being back with peers.

Closing with a quote from The Little Prince:

They heard the roaring thunder of a third brilliantly lighted express.
¨Are they pursuing the first travelers?¨demanded the little prince.
¨They are pursuing nothing at all,¨said the switchman. ¨They are asleep in there, or if they are not asleep they are yawning. Only the children are flattening their noses against the windowpanes.¨
¨Only the children know what they are looking for,¨said the little prince. ¨They waste their time over a rag doll and it becomes very important to them, and if anybody takes it away from them, they cry.¨
¨They are lucky,¨said the switchman.

As Mario and Erlinda often say, ¡Suerte!

posted by Colleen @ 1:16 PM