On the journey

By Guest Writer PG, post was originally prepared for a School Paper

There should be no denying of the fact that the earth’s mean temperature is gradually increasing, this is a fact based on scientific measurements. Debating anyone who says otherwise is a waste of time; one can wake up someone who is asleep, but one can’t wake up someone who is pretending to be asleep.  The debate should be more centered towards whether the climate change is human induced or not, or how can we reverse the trend, or do we even have to do anything if the earth can act both as the sink and the source of green house gases (GHG), or are we prepared for any acute climatic catastrophes, etc.

The earth’s temperature, since 1850, has warmed by 1.0 to 1.7⁰F, there are clear signs that glaciers are melting, and the increase in the sea level have been recorded too, these are facts. The sun, the source of energy for our planet, emits the shortwave radiation which is re-radiated back in form of long-wave radiation (thermal or heat energy) after coming into the contact of earth’s surface. The GHG’s, which are transparent to shortwave, traps the long-wave radiation and confines it within the earth’s atmosphere; this is a scientific fact. Hence, the more GHG’s in atmosphere, less heat escapes and earth gets warmer, a simple correlation. Plotting the available human induced GHG emissions against recorded temperature shows strong correlation, a very strong indicator that current climate change is human induced.

There are also strong scientific evidences that help in supporting the claim that current climate change may not be human induced. Based on the study of fossils, minerals and geography, earth in past had gone through periods of extreme warm and ice periods, much before human could have influenced the change. Compared to those historical changes in climate, the scientific data on temperature does not span back enough to be deemed as absolutely conclusive. The earth does require the presence of GHG’s in the atmosphere to keep itself warm, or else it will freeze if all long-wave radiation escapes outside to the space. Thus, GHGs are responsible for maintaining the optimal earth’s temperature, long before any excessive human influence. Also, GHG’s are emitted by nature too. View full article »

By Guest Writer: Gurkhahere

It was a time well spent. I’m glad I chose to go as a volunteer and not as a tourist. I believe this has given me a better perspective of life in Costa Rica, which would not have been possible by touristy sightseeing. I’m going to remember this place, the city, the family, the relaxed life, and the happy people around. However, it’s the Pura Vida attitude that has impressed me the most.

Pura Vida! Hasta Luego!

Note: For those interested, there are plenty of volunteer opportunities in Costa Rica and many other countries around the world. A simple internet search should yield plenty of results. I went through International Volunteer HQ, based in New Zealand. Costs vary depending on where you go, how long you stay and a host of other factors, but in general, volunteering is cheaper than going to another country as a tourist through vacation packages. Then there is the contentment of being of help to other communities. I wouldn’t trade this experience for any vacation package. Simple!

Note: All the pictures are from the writer. The previous postings of this Costa Rica Diary  can be read here: Part 1,Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, and Part 6.

By Guest Writer: Gurkhahere

Today was going to be the most exciting day of my trip. I had reserved for a rafting and a canopy tour a few days ago. I was especially excited because I had convinced another volunteer who had never rafted before to go rafting. Although she had just been to a canopy tour a couple of weeks before, she agreed to go on the combine tour because I had put enough excitement in my words while explaining how much fun rafting can be, especially on the Pacuare river, recognized by some, including the National Geographic, as one of the best whitewater rivers in the world.

The bus came to pick us up around nine. In the bus were a bunch of Frenchmen, Chileans and one American. We drove through Cartago, one of the other bigger cities in Costa Rica. The driver showed us a volcanic mountain along the spectacular two hour drive. Two rafts, two guides and a photographer were waiting for us when we got there. It was a beautiful river surrounded by green mountains. The air was fresh. The day was beautiful. The sun was out and it almost seemed like it was waiting to watch us paddle the river. It was a perfect setting for a great run down the river.

After quick safety instructions, we were all ready to experience the thrill. My friend was nervous, especially because the water was very cold and guide had said that if someone fell off the raft, it was up to them to make it to the shore. Of course, he knew better but thought it was funny to scare others. I was really excited, as this was one of the things that I had really wanted to do while I was down there. I had run a few whitewater rivers in the US but this was going to be different. This was a whole new continent, a whole new group of people whom I will very likely never meet again. But that didn’t bother me. All I was focused on at that point was to experience the Class III thrill and make it to the shore without scratching a bone.

The five-kilometer run was very quick. The first half kilometer was not very exciting as we hit many rocks but the remainder of the trip was filled with the guide yelling “paddle forward,” “right back”, “left back,” and “duck” along with a couple of profanities. By being on the front of the raft, I was one of the two leaders which made me feel extra responsible but I was confident that no one was going to die. As long as no lives were spared I was okay with someone falling into the river. That would just add to the excitement- I thought. I nearly became the victim when I was almost thrown out of the boat while maneuvering, or more appropriately – trying to maneuver, through a rapid. The raft bounced off the river. The guide had yelled “duck” which meant “hold on to the paddle and grab the freaking rope.” I did. But I only managed to hold the paddle underneath my arm. It was too late before I could find my rope. The next thing I know is I have half my body out of the boat and parallel to the river. First thing that occurred to me was to somehow avoid any rock that was going to be on my way as I fell off the boat. But then, I also quickly remembered that my foot was tangled to a “grip” on the floor of the boat. I pulled my leg to make sure that my grip was tight. As we were coming down the rapid, the boat hit a huge splash of water coming towards the boat in the opposite direction. The splash couldn’t have timed itself any better. I was soon back up in the boat, this time better prepared and even more excited to tackle another rapid. View full article »

By Guest Writer: Gurkhahere

Local Store

I haven’t been feeling too well lately. Although, Kiel keeps scaring me that its swine flu, I know that it’s only cold. Upon recommendation from Yami, I went to a local store and bought some anti-gripe, the cold medicine. I felt much better after taking it.

Today was the day that we did the most work. We moved around some construction materials, dug a ditch to dump some rotten fish and cleaned the backyard. A hot and humid weather discouraged me from doing anything else. This being the last night at the beach, we went to watch the sunset again.

I volunteered to patrol the beach again in hopes of seeing a turtle. Of course, an hour and a half of walking along the beach didn’t yield anything. It was still very nice to walk along the beach under a clear sky along with the sounds of the waves. I went to bed before midnight so I could wake up at 4.30 to catch the 5 am bus. View full article »

By Guest Writer: Gurkhahere

After a big breakfast of gallo pinto, pancakes, and water melons I walked along the beach in the morning picking up trash. I used the opportunity to dive in the ocean and just hang out for a while. Although the sand was not the prettiest, we were told that a white sand beach is not too far from here.

Turtles come to nest every year on this beach, known as the Playa de Ostional. Among the seven species of sea turtles around the world that are endangered; three species namely, leatherback, green turtle, and olive ridley come to this beach. Turtles are amazing. Female turtles (turtuego for the locals) come to lay eggs on the same beach they were born. When the turtles come to the surface after hatching underground, they immediately go into the sea. Twelve to fifteen years later, when its time to lay eggs, they can trace back their path back to the same beach. Its just amazing how they can do that. I can’t even remember how to get to Sears in Seven Corners, and I was there just a few weeks ago.

The turtle conservation program in Ostional is pretty amazing. This is a great example of how any local project can be made successful by working with the local community. The Universidad de Costa Rica has a research unit in Ostional in conjunction with the community. A certain percentage (I think its five) of the eggs harvested every year is given to the locals, as turtle eggs are part of their livelihoods. People have been eating turtle eggs for generations. The conservation program has nicely coexisted- with the university helping poachers from illegally getting the eggs and the locals helping the university with the research program.

In the afternoon, I took a stroll around the town which basically consisted of three shops and some open space. I also grabbed some medicines for cold and had conversations with the locals while at the shop. We talked about the earthquake in Haiti. The Ticos down here didn’t hesitate to ask us what we thought of Bush. Conversely I asked them about Obama. The locals seemed to think that more tourists came to town when Bush was in power. It’s interesting how they thought the two could have been related. I tried to explain the economic situation with all the Spanish I knew and they seemed to understand, or they may have just nodded. Who knows?

One of the volunteers offered us to tag along with her for beach-patrol at night. During the patrol I learned quite a bit about turtles and the conservation program in Ostional. It seemed clear to me that the program was a success because they had chose to work with the locals and give them a fair share of the resources. Leatherbacks apparently haven’t had a successful nesting in three years. So they maintain a nesting place where eggs collected by volunteers are hatched and released later. The program also hires locals as assistants, who work to protect the turtles. However at the end of an hour long patrol, we didn’t see a single turtle. There had been a “false crawl”- a turtle had come to the beach a few nights ago, but apparently didn’t like something there and returned to the ocean without laying eggs. So we were hoping that she would come again, this time to actually lay the eggs. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen that night.

To be continued….

Note: All the pictures are from the writer. The previous postings of this Costa Rica Diary  can be read here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3

By Guest Writer: Gurkhahere

I feel like home here. I feel like I know the streets. For the past three days, I’ve been seeing the same people every day. I’ve been walking down the same street, going to the same stores. I know where the shops are, where the bank is and where things are in the house. However, today was a little different because I leave for the volunteer site.

I’ll be honest that I didn’t want to wake up at 4:30, especially after going to bed at 1 am but I was more than happy to do so because I knew I was venturing into a new place, a new surrounding and a new cause that I rarely get to be a part of. I was excited, thrilled, and energized in the morning. A 20 minute taxi ride from home after picking up Kiel and Brandon took us to the bus stand in San Jose.

The four hour bus ride reminded me of Nepal. The mountains, the narrow highway, the dirt roads branching out of the highway, the small houses, and the snack stops actually made me nostalgic. Some mountains looked a little barren but most were green. Four hours of reminiscence of Nepal took me to Santa Cruz, a town northwest of San Jose. We had to wait for two hours for the midday bus to Ostional from Santa Cruz. I got two pieces of fried chicken for c2000 at a food stand. Apparently, my friend Kiel who is white was charged more. View full article »

By Guest Writer: Gurkhahere

Avenida Central in San Jose

Speaking of time, I had plenty on Sunday. The orientation wasn’t until Monday. So I decided to walk the streets of San Jose. I also needed a camera since I hadn’t brought one. I consulted my host sister for advice on where to go to find a camera. Turns out I had to visit another town, albeit close, to find a big electronic store. The plan was to first go to Zapote to buy a camera and then head to downtown San Jose. Then out I went with a mindset of being a tourist/traveler. I wanted to see what the city was like, what the people were like and what it was that made them unique in Central America. Costa Rica is arguably the most developed country in Central America besides being the most politically stable. The crime rate is very low. Btw, Ingrid had told me that presidential elections were to occur in February for which I could already see the spirits raised with rallies and people carrying flags and pictures of their favorite candidates. In recent years Ticos have made ecotourism their tool for development and economic development. They have taken great strides in conservation of some of the most amazing biodiversity on planet. While export of coffee and banana was the primary source of income for Costa Rica for a long time, income through eco-tourism has taken over in the last few years. Their adventure tours such as canopy tours, whitewater rafting, which I also plan to do, are some of the best in the world.

Avenida Central in San Jose

I caught a local bus at the bus station after a 10 minute walk from the house. After being on the bus for about 20 minutes I saw this really happening area and figured it would be the mall area where I was supposed to buy camera. I got off the bus and walked around. Turns out I was in downtown San Jose- in Central Avenue. After talking to a man, I found out I had taken the bus in the other direction. But whatever, I was where I wanted to be, just a little early. The Central Avenue and the surrounding area are vibrant. I was surprised to see that many people and that many shops open on a Sunday. People were just hanging out at the park, feeding the birds, watching street shows, selling DVDs, and just enjoying the nice weather. I took a stroll around the city’s core area. The city along with the neighborhood I was living in so reminded me of home. People look very much like Nepalis, which is why whenever I wanted to have any conversation people spoke to me like I was one of them, just another Tico. The streets are narrow, shops are very similar to those in Nepal in that you have to ask for what you want to see/buy. Unlike many big stores in the US, you can’t just look around, pick up stuff and take to the counter. Some other reminders of Nepal were trash just lying open on the roadside, although not as huge a pile nor as stinky as back home. Street dogs, open sewer lines and sudden holes on the pavement as you are walking were common sights.

National Theater in San Jose

However, San Jose has more developed infrastructures than Kathmandu. The roads are very decent, even in the neighborhoods. Eighteen wheelers frequent the freeways. Many households in San Jose and San Pedro have cars. Traffic lights are in great working condition and drivers and pedestrians mostly follow the traffic rules. The funniest thing is the green light for pedestrians whistles like parrots and with much speed before it goes red. I spent the evening in a bar again (c 4000 for 3 Imperials) as I couldn’t find a coffee shop in San Pedro. Seriously I didn’t…..

To be continued…….