I had an amazing experience in Costa Rica, as I'm sure you can tell. I hope you enjoyed reading about my adventures. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers!
Until my next adventure...
Friday, August 13, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
La Negrita
This is an replica of La Negrita who resides below the Church so people can visit her and see what she looked like originally. There's mural on the wall (and a written explanation) that depicts the story of how she was found. If I'm not mistaken, this replica is either the exact size or even a bit bigger than the "real" stone, so you can see how small she is.Also on the large stone, to the right, is a rosary. Many people throw things in as offerings to La Negrita, and when they visit, they speak to her as tho they expect her to respond. I'm not sure if you can see it, but to the left of La Negrita is a little plastic bag. Inside the bag is a charm of sorts. Stapled onto the bag is a paper with words - can be a name, a prayer, etc. I said before that people pray to the Virgin for miracles. When they come true, people return with a charm that represents that prayer being fulfilled. They actually have several glass cases lining the walls that are filled with charms of furniture, body parts (heads, arms, legs, whole people), houses, everything. There are also tons of medals, as it is common for athletes to come ask the Virgin for help winning a game. It's very interesting to see.
These people have tremendous faith - fe. I think I've heard that word more times in my 5 weeks here than I have in my entire life at home.
This is inside the Basilica. There was a line to enter on feet, and another for on your knees. These people chose to enter on their knees out of humility and as a sign of respect. I should clarify that they walk up the stairs, and then once they enter the Church, they proceed on their knees. Still, it's something I couldn't do. Mayra did, tho. Not yesterday, as she was too worn out from the walk. She wasn't feeling well, so she left me in line to enter the Church and she went to eat. She felt guilty for not visiting the Virgin, so this morning, she got up at 4:30, put on her habit one last time (even tho she could wear normal clothes today), and caught a bus to pray to La Negrita in person. I'm telling you, this woman is DEVOTED!If you look toward the front of the picture, almost directly above the people wearing orange and yellow, you can see La Negrita in her golden shrine thing.
La Negrita is on the table between the men with white hats. See the giant gold thing? Now, see the little black speck IN the gold halo-like thing? That speck is La Negrita in her original form. 375 years old. She doesn't look too bad, now does she?(I know it's inappropriate, but it makes me think of Judy from Santa Claus)
This is the outside of La Basilica. Isn't it beautiful??? I LOVE the angels and detail, tho it's more modern looking than I expected. This Church isn't all that old, tho, as earthquakes and other natural disasters have destroyed the various homes of La Negrita.
This is the outside of La Basilica. Isn't it beautiful??? I LOVE the angels and detail, tho it's more modern looking than I expected. This Church isn't all that old, tho, as earthquakes and other natural disasters have destroyed the various homes of La Negrita.
La Basilica, over the sea of people. The umbrellas are for sun/heat, not rain. Tho it rained a lot today, so Mayra said it looked the same today. I still can't believe she went back so early. She was in so much pain from yesterday, but she just had to go, and she had to do it on her knees. How moving!
I think I could really learn a lot from this woman... Thank you, God, for this opportunity and all of these experiences!
Cartago
This year, the Church is making a HUGE deal out of the pilgrimage because it's the 375th anniversary of the appearance (mabye there's a better word?) of the stone.
This is the Basilica that houses La Negrita. You can see all the people. I can't even describe it to you. Suffice it to say that if you don't like large crowds and you enjoy personal space - this is not the place for you. I've never felt more American than when I was being jossled by tons of people on their way to visit Mary and my primary thought was, "Please back up and give me some space." Tho I was surprised to see that the people were waiting in orderly lines to enter the Church. So not a Latino ideal...
This pic shows the prevalence of the Virgin and what the little shrine thing that houses the rock looks like. I mean, this woman has a drawstring sports bag with an image of the Virgin! Mayra, of course, loved it.
We had finally arrived in Cartago. Tho we still had probably another mile of walking. If you look in the distance, you can see the sea of people. The streets were crowded. The town was taken over by these pilgrims.
Looking back down the hill of where we'd walked. You can see the stream of people behind us, all the way into the mountains back there. Yes, we climbed that mountain :)Our little Pilgrimage
I'm not sure if I've told y'all about the Virgin Mary here, so here's a quick recap. You know the story of the Virgin of Guadelupe in Mexico, right? Well, being that it's Latin America and they're all good little Catholics, it turns out that just about every country (and county and city and town....you get the picture?) has its own manifestation of the Virgin. I'm not Catholic, so I can't pretend to understand how there can be a million different Marys with different stories and in different styles who all happen to be the same Mary, but I digress...
Costa Rica's Virgin is called "La Negrita" because she is this tiny little black stone carved with Mary holding baby Jesus. She resides in the Basilica in Cartago (about 15 miles from San Jose - the capital - so she's basically in the center of CR). Here is her story:
A peasant girl named Juana (all the stories are similar, so bear with me) found the stone in the woods on August 2, 1635. She took in home, thinking it was a beautiful little doll. The next morning, it was gone; but she found it in the woods in the same place as the day before when gathering wood. She took it home again and locked it up. Next morning, same thing happened. It was then that she realized this must really be Mary, so she took it to the priest. He didn't pay much attention to the peasant girl, so he put it in a box to deal with later. The next day, the box was empty. This happened a few more times, and finally, he decided that Mary must want to stay in the woods. So, they built a church for her there and put the humble little rock in a giant (gaudy - sorry I prefered the rock by itself. It's beautiful in it's simplicity), gold, typical Catholic starburst angelic thing (you know what I mean, but I'm not sure how to describe it....not to worry, I have pics!).
And every year, thousands of CRs come from all over to visit La Negrita and ask for miracles. And by come, I mean walk, ride horses, ride bikes, take buses, etc. But MANY MANY MANY of them WALK. When they get to the church, many of them go in on their knees. This is a pilgrimage. It's all about sacrifice. It's about giving up your comfort as a sign of respect for the Virgin, especially if you are asking for something. Many people come for cures for themselves or their family members. Some just come to witness a miracle - because they believe the rock itself is a miracle, a manifestation of the mother of God who looks out for her people.
Even companies get in on the action, supporting the Virgin while advertising their various wares. This one is for ice tea and it says, "God blesses my way/path/journey (depending on your interpretation). The Virgin waits for us." We saw signs like this and others all along our walk.
O yes, our walk... I didn't tell you about that... I said that many people walk to Cartago, but I didn't mention that I walked to Cartago. With my host mom, Mayra. From Tres Rios (3 Rivers), which was 12 km (about 7 miles, I think). Mayra isn't in the best of shape, tho. She has trouble with her hips and her knee (she actually had surgery on it) and her feet (she's supposed to have surgery on them, but she won't because she doesn't want to be laid up for the post-op recovery). But she didn't let any of that stop her. She kept saying it was important to sacrifice for the Virgin. She took her cane with her (I've never seen her use it before), and she refused to use it until after we arrived in Cartago. She wouldn't stop to rest either. She's one tough cookie. (Stubborn, too). But it took us close to 4 hours to reach Cartago. We did take a few brief stops to get beverages, to snack, use the facilities, so she could buy socks cuz her feet hurt. Here's a story in itself. So, she wears a habit, right? We had to go yesterday instead of today, which is the "official day" because yesterday was her last day to wear the habit and it was very important to her that she visit the Virgin while wearing the habit. Except, she refused to wear sneakers with her habit - for fashion? I really don't know her reasoning. But she walked yesterday in loafers that she's worn nonstop for the last 30 days... Needless to say, she was a bit uncomfortable.
But I should explain from the beginning. A few weeks ago, we had an assignment in class to learn about the Virgin. For homework, we had to talk to our host families. Well, being that Mayra is extremely religious, this was abt a 20 min talk....And every day since then, we discuss some aspect of the Virgin. She stole a poster from the Church for me (no worries, she went to Confession. Too funny!), bought me a little figure of La Negrita, saved newspaper articles for me. My one day assignment has turned into a source for bonding with Mayra :)
I asked if she would be willing to take me to Cartago. I told her I really didn't care when we went, as long as I got to see it all. She decided that I should go with her on the "big day," and so our journey began. I should mention that even tho yesterday wasn't the official day, there were still a ton of people because it was Sunday. So, we were 2 of at least 2,000 pilgrims yesterday. Can you even imagine? I can't grasp it. Too amazing!
This is a GIANT replica of the Virgin in the back of a truck, stationed along the way. I say GIANT because wait until you see the real Virgin. She's beautiful, tho, isn't she?
I'm assuming this replica was here for encouragement. A sort of "hey, this is your goal. This is why you're suffering right now. Keep going, she's waiting for you." I must say, all the signs and little tents with free drinks and the energy from the other pilgrims - it was all very moving. I can see how people could draw strength and reassurance from such a day.
Here I am, walking to Cartago. And yes, I do look ridiculous, but I refused to get burnt!
Mayra :)
Costa Rica's Virgin is called "La Negrita" because she is this tiny little black stone carved with Mary holding baby Jesus. She resides in the Basilica in Cartago (about 15 miles from San Jose - the capital - so she's basically in the center of CR). Here is her story:
A peasant girl named Juana (all the stories are similar, so bear with me) found the stone in the woods on August 2, 1635. She took in home, thinking it was a beautiful little doll. The next morning, it was gone; but she found it in the woods in the same place as the day before when gathering wood. She took it home again and locked it up. Next morning, same thing happened. It was then that she realized this must really be Mary, so she took it to the priest. He didn't pay much attention to the peasant girl, so he put it in a box to deal with later. The next day, the box was empty. This happened a few more times, and finally, he decided that Mary must want to stay in the woods. So, they built a church for her there and put the humble little rock in a giant (gaudy - sorry I prefered the rock by itself. It's beautiful in it's simplicity), gold, typical Catholic starburst angelic thing (you know what I mean, but I'm not sure how to describe it....not to worry, I have pics!).
And every year, thousands of CRs come from all over to visit La Negrita and ask for miracles. And by come, I mean walk, ride horses, ride bikes, take buses, etc. But MANY MANY MANY of them WALK. When they get to the church, many of them go in on their knees. This is a pilgrimage. It's all about sacrifice. It's about giving up your comfort as a sign of respect for the Virgin, especially if you are asking for something. Many people come for cures for themselves or their family members. Some just come to witness a miracle - because they believe the rock itself is a miracle, a manifestation of the mother of God who looks out for her people.
Even companies get in on the action, supporting the Virgin while advertising their various wares. This one is for ice tea and it says, "God blesses my way/path/journey (depending on your interpretation). The Virgin waits for us." We saw signs like this and others all along our walk.O yes, our walk... I didn't tell you about that... I said that many people walk to Cartago, but I didn't mention that I walked to Cartago. With my host mom, Mayra. From Tres Rios (3 Rivers), which was 12 km (about 7 miles, I think). Mayra isn't in the best of shape, tho. She has trouble with her hips and her knee (she actually had surgery on it) and her feet (she's supposed to have surgery on them, but she won't because she doesn't want to be laid up for the post-op recovery). But she didn't let any of that stop her. She kept saying it was important to sacrifice for the Virgin. She took her cane with her (I've never seen her use it before), and she refused to use it until after we arrived in Cartago. She wouldn't stop to rest either. She's one tough cookie. (Stubborn, too). But it took us close to 4 hours to reach Cartago. We did take a few brief stops to get beverages, to snack, use the facilities, so she could buy socks cuz her feet hurt. Here's a story in itself. So, she wears a habit, right? We had to go yesterday instead of today, which is the "official day" because yesterday was her last day to wear the habit and it was very important to her that she visit the Virgin while wearing the habit. Except, she refused to wear sneakers with her habit - for fashion? I really don't know her reasoning. But she walked yesterday in loafers that she's worn nonstop for the last 30 days... Needless to say, she was a bit uncomfortable.
But I should explain from the beginning. A few weeks ago, we had an assignment in class to learn about the Virgin. For homework, we had to talk to our host families. Well, being that Mayra is extremely religious, this was abt a 20 min talk....And every day since then, we discuss some aspect of the Virgin. She stole a poster from the Church for me (no worries, she went to Confession. Too funny!), bought me a little figure of La Negrita, saved newspaper articles for me. My one day assignment has turned into a source for bonding with Mayra :)
I asked if she would be willing to take me to Cartago. I told her I really didn't care when we went, as long as I got to see it all. She decided that I should go with her on the "big day," and so our journey began. I should mention that even tho yesterday wasn't the official day, there were still a ton of people because it was Sunday. So, we were 2 of at least 2,000 pilgrims yesterday. Can you even imagine? I can't grasp it. Too amazing!
This is a GIANT replica of the Virgin in the back of a truck, stationed along the way. I say GIANT because wait until you see the real Virgin. She's beautiful, tho, isn't she?I'm assuming this replica was here for encouragement. A sort of "hey, this is your goal. This is why you're suffering right now. Keep going, she's waiting for you." I must say, all the signs and little tents with free drinks and the energy from the other pilgrims - it was all very moving. I can see how people could draw strength and reassurance from such a day.
Here I am, walking to Cartago. And yes, I do look ridiculous, but I refused to get burnt!
Mayra :)
I'm not sure if you can read the sign, but it says "Cartago 10 km" because we had walked a bit before I saw a sign that had the distance on it.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Butterfly Farm
That's right, boys and girls, I finally made it to the Butterfly Farm aka Spirogyra Butterfly Garden yesterday. But first, I went to church with my host mom. Woot, it was a day full of accomplishing long-awaited activities. I really enjoyed myself, even tho I was basically alone...
Two-fer. I'm glad that butterflies learn how to share, even tho they don't have a mommy to raise them (Butterflies abandon their eggs because the typical lifespan of a butterfly is 4 months - but that doesn't include the pupa and larva stages, which can also take several months. Yea, that's right - I watched the cheesy educational video. [I'm down; I got the 4-11] I know more about butterflies than necessary. But dang it, I was gonna be sure I did EVERYTHING possible and got my money's worth!)
Two-fer. I'm glad that butterflies learn how to share, even tho they don't have a mommy to raise them (Butterflies abandon their eggs because the typical lifespan of a butterfly is 4 months - but that doesn't include the pupa and larva stages, which can also take several months. Yea, that's right - I watched the cheesy educational video. [I'm down; I got the 4-11] I know more about butterflies than necessary. But dang it, I was gonna be sure I did EVERYTHING possible and got my money's worth!)Anyway, I really like that photo.
Don't worry, I took time to smell the flowers (tho there were no roses. Guess butterflies don't like roses as much as girls do...). And even tho I was there alone, I implemented the myspace technique (that I often mock) so I could actually have some pics of me in them! Novel idea, right? Anyway, I liked these little orange flowers, and so did the orange butterflies (what do you call them again? Monarchs?). :)
This little guy was chillin on my arm for a minute or two, so I of course had to take a photo! I have never been so excited to be a resting post before. I felt so "one with nature." Lol
Don't worry, I took time to smell the flowers (tho there were no roses. Guess butterflies don't like roses as much as girls do...). And even tho I was there alone, I implemented the myspace technique (that I often mock) so I could actually have some pics of me in them! Novel idea, right? Anyway, I liked these little orange flowers, and so did the orange butterflies (what do you call them again? Monarchs?). :)
This little guy was chillin on my arm for a minute or two, so I of course had to take a photo! I have never been so excited to be a resting post before. I felt so "one with nature." LolScience Museum
Well, I don't think I shared this adventure with you yet. On Wednesday, we decided to go to the Scienc Museum, as several girls in my group are here to study science. However, being that classes are wrapping up, several girls declined because of schoolwork. So, Ale - my trusty adventurer - Camacho, and myself set off to find this wonderful world of science.
The cab driver didn't exactly know where it was, even tho we gave him directions, so it took us forever. We were so excited to arrive at a museum-looking building. It was only when Camacho asked, "Guys, should we be worried that there aren't cars here?" To which, Ale replied, "It's probably not even the right place." And I added, "Yea, watch it not be open." Lucky us - all 3 of us were right! Haha. Mr. Cabbie took us to the ART Museum, which is currently closed for renovations. Guess he got part of it right....
The art museum was on the corner of "La Sabanah" (the Savannah), which is a GIANT park in the middle of San Jose (neat idea, I think). We knew the SCIENCE museum was also on a corner of the park, so we decided to walk thru the park and look for it. Ale declared, "Well, Katie, at least you can cross 2 things off your list!" I'll be honest, I was happy about our "misfortune." Somehow, I'm the brave one down here - I find people to ask for directions, get us across the streets, etc. It's very odd to be the leader of these little ducklings...
In La Sabanah, we found some gorgeous trees and plants, many photo opps (inc. a lake and a giant Cirlce of Life tree), a pick up soccer game to watch, and after asking several policemen for directions, we FINALLY made our way to the real SCIENCE musuem. Good eye, Camacho, for spotting it!
However, upon arrival, we were still a bit nervous. I mean, look at this sign - shady, right? It turned out to be the most ghetto museum I've ever seen. Camacho was like, "Guys, I don't know about this. Jess isn't feeling this..." (She refers to herself in the 3rd person on occassion when she's nervous). But I somehow convinced her to go in - it's all part of the experience. And trust me, it was an experience.
Not really sure this needs a caption...
Speaking of ghetto...You had to get toilet paper from this despenser on the wall, as the individual stalls did not have it. Which is very odd for us Americans. But it's actually fairly common in Latin America. In Ecuador, I was lucky to have toilet paper at all in the puplic restrooms. The other girls think I'm crazy because I always carry everything with me (Freddy - our only guy - calls me "Safari Kate" because I'm 'always ready for everything and there's nothing I don't have'), but it's saved me a few times. And trust me, they appreciate that I have toilet paper when we travel...
The cab driver didn't exactly know where it was, even tho we gave him directions, so it took us forever. We were so excited to arrive at a museum-looking building. It was only when Camacho asked, "Guys, should we be worried that there aren't cars here?" To which, Ale replied, "It's probably not even the right place." And I added, "Yea, watch it not be open." Lucky us - all 3 of us were right! Haha. Mr. Cabbie took us to the ART Museum, which is currently closed for renovations. Guess he got part of it right....
The art museum was on the corner of "La Sabanah" (the Savannah), which is a GIANT park in the middle of San Jose (neat idea, I think). We knew the SCIENCE museum was also on a corner of the park, so we decided to walk thru the park and look for it. Ale declared, "Well, Katie, at least you can cross 2 things off your list!" I'll be honest, I was happy about our "misfortune." Somehow, I'm the brave one down here - I find people to ask for directions, get us across the streets, etc. It's very odd to be the leader of these little ducklings...
In La Sabanah, we found some gorgeous trees and plants, many photo opps (inc. a lake and a giant Cirlce of Life tree), a pick up soccer game to watch, and after asking several policemen for directions, we FINALLY made our way to the real SCIENCE musuem. Good eye, Camacho, for spotting it!
However, upon arrival, we were still a bit nervous. I mean, look at this sign - shady, right? It turned out to be the most ghetto museum I've ever seen. Camacho was like, "Guys, I don't know about this. Jess isn't feeling this..." (She refers to herself in the 3rd person on occassion when she's nervous). But I somehow convinced her to go in - it's all part of the experience. And trust me, it was an experience.
Not really sure this needs a caption...We didn't know what kind of science museum it was...I'm actually still not sure I know....Because they had EVERYTHING. Fossils, rocks, dinosaurs, animals, bugs, birds, pot shards & ceramics, etc. I think the only thing they didn't have would be plants/trees. It was an odd little conglamoration. There didn't seem to be much um, division/organization. For instance, they had the penguins in with tropical birds. Now, I'm no expert, but I'm fairly certain that doesn't work...
Speaking of ghetto...You had to get toilet paper from this despenser on the wall, as the individual stalls did not have it. Which is very odd for us Americans. But it's actually fairly common in Latin America. In Ecuador, I was lucky to have toilet paper at all in the puplic restrooms. The other girls think I'm crazy because I always carry everything with me (Freddy - our only guy - calls me "Safari Kate" because I'm 'always ready for everything and there's nothing I don't have'), but it's saved me a few times. And trust me, they appreciate that I have toilet paper when we travel...To be honest, this is actually one of the better bathrooms down here. It was clean and somewhat lit. I used one today....let's just say that the Girl Scouts Troop Beverly Hills would not have come near (think Diane from Cheers - it's a movie with her)...
Oh, the bug room. Tons and tons of beautiful moths and butterflies. Nasty ucky creepy giantic spiders. And cucarachas!!! Also known as cochroaches. Not that we need to visit a museum to see them..... But we appreciated that these were behind glass after seeing the size of these monstors.
And the animals... Ah, the animals... Let's just say that Doug has better stuffed animals in his house than this poor little museum. Literally. I didn't take pictures because they were so creepy. I'm talking - faces falling off, eyes missing, contorted bodies, lumpy/disfigured bodies.... Not so good. And not to wish ill upon anyone, but I sure hope that taxadermist has moved on to greener pastures, or else this museum should go give him...trouble... In all fairness, tho, I suppose we could blame it on time, as most of the things were dated 1971, 1976, 1983. The newest thing I saw was dated 1989. That's as old as I am. Um, not so good as far as museums go.
Not that I'm making fun of the museum. It was interesting, and they clearly put work/time into it. I'm sure it's difficult to do in a poorer country and whatnot. It just certainly was no Smithsonian. I would recommend a visit more for the experience than for the quality of what you will see. But make sure you go in a group and bring a flashlight. I certainly wouldn't want Night at the Museum to come true here!!!
Oh, the bug room. Tons and tons of beautiful moths and butterflies. Nasty ucky creepy giantic spiders. And cucarachas!!! Also known as cochroaches. Not that we need to visit a museum to see them..... But we appreciated that these were behind glass after seeing the size of these monstors.
And the animals... Ah, the animals... Let's just say that Doug has better stuffed animals in his house than this poor little museum. Literally. I didn't take pictures because they were so creepy. I'm talking - faces falling off, eyes missing, contorted bodies, lumpy/disfigured bodies.... Not so good. And not to wish ill upon anyone, but I sure hope that taxadermist has moved on to greener pastures, or else this museum should go give him...trouble... In all fairness, tho, I suppose we could blame it on time, as most of the things were dated 1971, 1976, 1983. The newest thing I saw was dated 1989. That's as old as I am. Um, not so good as far as museums go.
The displays were...interesting. Someone had painted a generic mural in each display case, so it didn't really fit any of the cases, but at the same time, they thought they could make it fit everything. And they played this really hokey music of generic animals - along the same train of thought.
Not that I'm making fun of the museum. It was interesting, and they clearly put work/time into it. I'm sure it's difficult to do in a poorer country and whatnot. It just certainly was no Smithsonian. I would recommend a visit more for the experience than for the quality of what you will see. But make sure you go in a group and bring a flashlight. I certainly wouldn't want Night at the Museum to come true here!!!
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