Costa Rica's main source of income used to be coffee......coffee is now #9 on that list, replaced by eco-tourism and microchips (Intel). Progress by some definition, but not a universal Costa Rican definition. The total population of this country is currently 4.5 million......2/3 of those people live in the capital, San Jose, primarily because of jobs and the climate.......San Jose is located in the center of the country, nestled high in the mountains where the air is much cooler and less humid. Quite different than many countries and cities we have visited, the closer to the ocean, the poorer the people.....the middle class resides in the meadowlands.....and the wealthiest live in the mountains.....all because of the CLIMATE!
Welcome to Costa Rica! Puntarenas is located on the western, Pacific side of the country.....where there are only two seasons....wet and dry....we arrived at the start of the dry so everything was still lush and green. The eastern, Caribbean side has only one season.....WET! Hence, they have all the flora, fauna, rain forest, fruit.
Not a flattering picture, but a VERY accomplished guide...Glorianna Sanchez Castro....a native Costa Rican, married to a Danish Jew whom she met on one of her tours, lives on 5 acres at the top of a mountain, in the clouds, 7,000' altitude...with 22 dogs....and eats lunch at her mother's every Sunday with the whole family......all 50 of them!!!! Glorianna and her sister hope their Mom lives forever because the Sunday dinners will become their responsibility when Mom is unable.
We are on our way to Espiritu Santo (Holy Spirit) Coffee Plantation....so named in thanks to God for saving the local village and its people from an earthquake. Looking closely, you will see the rows and rows of coffee plants.
A closer look
Espiritu Santo is a coop, encompassing hundreds of farmers in the area....and the harvesting is a family affair....done by hand, as demonstrated by Karen, another wonderful guide. The school 3 month vacation in Costa Rica is Dec., Jan., and Feb. so that the children may help their parents harvest the coffee beans.
The baskets of beans are dumped into the above machine which "dehusks" the bean.....the pickers are paid by the basketful, $2.00/basket, and each basket is manually counted on the abacus looking apparatus. Pickers average 3 - 20 baskets/day.....the ones who only pick 3/day quit and become guides!
After "dehusking", the beans are "set out to dry".....literally.....and then manually tested for dryness...by weight (the lighter the better), color (whiter the better) and by rubbing in your hand to hear a "crackle" sound.....
Finally, out of the roaster, judged by color only, and then on to the cooler.....the aroma was DELICIOUS!!
As you see, much of the ENTIRE operation is MANUAL!!
But in the beginning, each farmer brought his own coffee beans down the mountain to the port.....and the families would custom decorate their oxcarts.
A perfect cup of Costa Rican coffee....NEAR boiling water poured over the beans in a "cloth"(which is rinsed after each use and can be reused 20-30 times). Glorianna's Mom drinks 12!!!!! (twelve) cups a day and has no high blood pressure!
The "schmoozer" (the one on the left) thanking Karen for a great tour!
