Cultural Aspect
It has been my pleasure to experience the Costa Rican culture on this trip. Our host family cooks
us 3 meals a day and they incorporate rice and beans with every meal. Plantains are a very
versatile fruit in their culture that can be used for both meals and desserts. They are also very big
on coffee, coffee is Costa Rica. It is one of their main exports and contributes largely contributes
to their overall economy. A typical day in the life of our host mom consists of cooking 3 meals
a day, hand washing clothes and hanging them to dry on a clothes line in the house, grocery
shopping, cleaning the house and entertaining family and friends. She likes to watch novellas.
Our host dad and mom are retired. Family is a huge part of their culture. Our host family's
extended and immediate family were at their host to visit and/or have dinner with them every
night. When we would go out they always made sure we were together and knew our way to
where we were going and back home. Here in Costa Rica they are very conservative with their
resources. They don't use hot water to shower so we had to request hot water in our bathroom.
They also have sky lights throughout their homes so most of the day they use the natural light
instead of electricity during the day. Their whole house has tiled flooring which keeps the house
cool. They don't leave the water running when brushing their teeth, washing dishes, etc. Overall I
noticed that they try to be conservative with their amenities. Also Costa Ricans overall walk a lot
to places like the mall grocery store, bars, and ride the bus in order to save money and conserve
gas. They also incorporate nature into the construction of their homes, hotels, and restaurant
structure. Everything is really open and connected. It rains almost everyday in Costa Rica for
10 months out of the year so rain jackets and umbrellas are a must. The natural landscape here
is so gorgeous which makes them a natural tourist attraction including the wild life, volcanoes,
and mountains. Costa Rica has been one of the most beautiful, richest and most invigorating
experiences of my life.
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