The Peñas Blancas border crossing between Costa Rica and Nicaragua was an unnerving spectacle. Armed with calculators and currencies, a gang of money exchangers (some legitimate, some fake) mauled unsuspecting tourists. I cleverly did the math before I arrived, and knew that 20 Canadian dollars was[...]
Posts Tagged ‘Sebastian Kindsvater’
Rural Poverty in Costa Rica: A Local Farmer’s Perspective
As the world spins into the year 2011, groups are battling for control. Countries, companies, NGOs and their various public relations departments are focusing their energies on how to look good in an increasingly ugly global economy. Everywhere you look, every product you pick up, whether it be an a[...]
November 17th, 2010 - 6:30 pm § in Costa Rica, Tips & Resources
Inevitable Roommate Drama
Living in a foreign country can be tricky. Most travelers I’ve met have grown accustomed to living in various situations. By lowering general standards of cleanliness and order, one becomes flexible and adaptable to a range of personality types and overall living conditions. But everyone has a[...]
Do I Even Speak Spanish?
Ever since my first trip to Costa Rica a year ago, I have been bragging to my Canadian friends about my new trilingual status. I have a minimal formal Spanish education (beginners Spanish at university, which I barely passed) and I have never lived in a Spanish speaking country other than Costa Rica[...]
If You Travel to Costa Rica, Make Sure to See More Than San Jose
It’s probably a cliché by now to complain about San Jose, and other major Central American cities, but I’m gonna do it anyways. After all, if everyone else gets to take a shot, am I not entitled to one? I had been working in an office setting in San Jose for a month and had forgotten [.[...]
Warning to Women: Thicken Your Skin, Machismo Awaits in Costa Rica
With a female president and numerous high ranking female politicians, one would tend to think that the Costa Rican people are progressive in terms of gender issues. It is for this reason that I am surprised by the level of machismo, or paternalistic ways of thinking and acting that exist in the coun[...]
Take Your Own Advice
The first thing I noticed was the smell. Stepping off the plane around 10 p.m. after nearly being turned around due to a lack of visibility as we flew through a lightning storm, I was hit with the humid smell of San Jose. (I can’t describe it really; it’s something you have to smell it [[...]
Back to San Jose, Back to Excitement
Some might say that cities such as San Jose, Límon and Jaco in Costa Rica are ugly. Reasons for this ugliness might include poor air quality, a plethora of prostitutes searching for wealthy gringos (or vice versa), thieves on every corner, traffic jams, or the large amount of drug dealers. I guess [...]
If I Won the Lottery Tomorrow: Why Everyone Should Volunteer
I think it should be mandatory for every university degree to include a volunteer component, whether locally or internationally. Why? I have recently returned to my home in Canada after eight months of working at a Costa Rican microfinance organization. Most of my friends have university degrees and[...]
Profits vs. People
Costa Rica is arguably the most “developed” country in Central America. But at what cost has this “development” been attained? Is it really an accomplishment to be able to say, ¨We cater to the interests of gringos better than anyone else?¨ Or would it be more noble to pass[...]
