Costa Rica of strange and interesting

Here you find some interesting facts over Costa Rica and his inhabitants, the Ticos/Ticas. Something is rather strange, something stimulates to the reflexion.

But anyway interesting.

You find the information of this side also free of charge for other use or expression under Costa Rica Guides & Downloads.

 

At first such countries, only or were called banana republic only mainly bananas exported or produced. Besides, the word goes above all, on the Central American states as for example Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua or Panama back, policy{politics} for decades by the leverage of the big fruit exporters United Fruit Company (Chiquita, Del Monte) and standard Fruit Company was determined. Economic power of these American companies was by far bigger as the political power of the governments or even the population this Countries. Today banana republic is used devaluing for countries, in to those by considerable influencing control of foreign ones Industry companies corruption, crime{offense}, mafiöse activities, Nepotism, personal enrichment{expansion} at the public expense, and dubious choices{elections} were promoted. Besides, the companies have exclusively her{their} company interests in the eye and take this without Consideration{Thought} for the land population true. Thus also happen in Costa Rica. The United Fruit Company (UFCo) owned gigantic regions in Costa Rica, the port in Golfito in the Golfo Dulce was built specially for the UFCo, around to be able to bring the huge amounts from bananas in the export. After of a banana illness the UFCo left Costa Rica in the 80s, meanwhile the banana business in Costa Rica wraps the company Chiquita from and achieves{reaches} with it{thus} turnovers{sales} of more than half a milliard US dollars per year.

 

The National dish of the Ticos. Casado is called 'married' and it is this, what the Tico after the tradition expects every single day if he a Tica marries - Casado.
Casado one finds (mostly) at noon on the menu and there is - how it should be also different - among the rest, from rice and black and/or red beans. The dish with is complemented Cooking bananas, manioc{cassava} and with meat or fish.
With the meat makes a distinction one between steak, chicken and braised meat. Who may, is able to order in addition also papas fritas, so chips frittes, scrambled eggs or sour cream.

 

Die National hors-d'oeuvre of the Ticos - piquant marinated fish. Ceviche has - although one can sometimes read it - with sushi & Co. a little together. Here the recipe.
And one needs this for 8 servings: 1kg of fish fillet (Gruffly, Red Snapper, Halibut - white fish with steady meat), juice of 5 limes, one small, well minced onion, 300 gs of little tomato cubes, 1-2 avocados, of 2-3 chilli verdes (in the specialised trade available or alternatively 2 tablespoons Chilli sauce), some coriander, Tostadas (level Maistortillas).
And in such a way is it done: The fish (he must be really freshly) in small, 1 x 10 cm of pieces cut. The fish with the chili in the lime juice approximately two Hours marinate, so that the fish in the acid cook is able to come{go} (perhaps Plastic transparency cover and chilly put{arrange}). The fish had to go after "Garen" a steady consistency receive. Tomato cube, minced onions and something finely cut coriander of the fish mass add. Cevice with something Chili and salt season. Ceviche (without juice) shortly before serving on the toasted Tostadas fill. As an addition in thin stripes{patrols} cut avocado serve.
Buen provecho! And who don't likes coriander - simply leave it out.

 

You will meet them absolutely, the stone balls of Costa Rica. They measure between 10 cm and 2.48 m in the diameter, the great ones weigh more than 20 Metric tons. Originally they came from the south of the land, one is able to do them{her} there in estuaries, in the jungle, in valleys, however, also on mountains find. In of the level of Diquis, for example, 45 lie of it, on the island{isle} Cano to the north of Osa, however, also in the national park Piedras Blancas in Rio Esquinas if the balls{sphere} are found. They exist{consist}, by the way, of granite and are in that Action perfectly circular. Is unusual, that to itself near the balls{sphere} mostly no stone quarry finds. The more than 20 metric tons balls{sphere} on that Isla del Cano do not come from there. How have they come here? And why?
The balls became supposed from the Bruncas, a pre-colombic nation that inhabited the south of Costa Rica, around 800 A.D. made. One presumes that they were made and installed for mystic reasons. For years kept the rumour that inside gold would be hidden, hence if many balls - unnecessary-wise - were left for. Today one also sees some of the balls before homes in the whole country for decoration purposes.

 

Costa Rica is a synonym for ecology and environment protection as a land{country}. But is this also right? In some guides one is able to do exactly{just} the opposite read. It are indubitable{doubtless} in Costa Rica more than one quarter of the land surface protected{safely}, become concurrent, however, still every single day are hectare-wise Rain forests for pasture surfaces cleared, umpteen ' metric tons{barrels} of fine woods{high-grade timbers} legally and illegally hit, sewage{effluents} inexplicably in the sea dismisses. The list can be continued arbitrarily. Nevertheless, in the international comparison{settlement} if Costa Rica does not stand at all sometimes so badly. The most important in one Layout{Radical change} is the mentality of the population - and it tends more and more to the examination{judiciousness} or view, that future of Costa Rica in an intact nature lies. Accordingly many Ticos also act - and then one is able to in to other countries look long. Remains to hope, that to itself them Pro-nature mentality further{farther} strengthens and expands.

 

A small{little} island{isle} in the Pacific, about 480 km away from Costa Rica, delivers one of the most exciting{thrilling} stories around incredible pirate's treasures. In 1684 if the English pirate William Dampier gave to only 24 square kilometers big{great} basalt rock his{its} name valid still today: " Cocos of Iceland " - thus called{mentioned} by the Spaniards, because there in the abundance coconut trees grow. precipitously from the Pacific rising rocks, about 4.5 kilometers wide and six kilometers long, inspired the hearts all over and over again Treasure seeker on all continents. He is most mysterious{enigmatic} and at the same time enträtseltste little spots earth. The island{isle}, today to Costa Rica belongs and stimulated Robert Luis Stevenson to his{its} book " the treasure island ", was among pirates because of her{their} produced position{situation} and as Food{Foodstuffs} and fresh water depot respectedly and accommodated (and accommodates) immediately a whole row of treasures. The existence{life} more concealed Treasures on the island{isle} is proved and for many years not only him To inhabitants{residents} of Costa Rica, but in all significant coastal cities from Lima to Vancouver in general known. How much the buried ones here Pirate's treasures are worth{esteemed}, nobody dares to estimate. Hundreds from Expeditions took place only this century. The adventurers and adventurers wore it of all treasures supposed there, above all{especially} three seen.
The first one comes from a captain called Edward Davis, 1685 the city{town} Leon in Nicaragua conquered and looted. From his{its} Ship is called it: " In the belly it had loaded the boxes with gold, in Speigatt sparkled precious stones ".
The second one was the pirate don Pedro Bonito which made the seas unsafe under the name Benito Bonito. Be he{it} managed the biggest coup in 1819. Benito Bonito had from a golden transport get to know which was on the move from Mexico city to Acapulco. In land{country} if he attacked the transport, massacred the people and brought the gold on Cocos Iceland. The probably biggest, richest and mightiest{most powerful} treasure is of her legendary state hoard and church hoard of Lima, since 1821 as missing{forgotten} counts{applies}. His{Its} today's{modern} (material) value: some hundred million dollars.
At that time Lima was one of the richest cities{towns} of the world, it was the centre of the Spanish management. Here all gold and silver of South America was collected at first{first of all}, before it was sent on the wide trip to the old continent. But at the beginning of the 19-th century the independence wars began in South America. The Spanish viceroy in Lima had only one thought{notion}: How could he escape and the extensive treasures? Immediately gold, silver and precious stones were brought at first{first of all} in the fort of the port Callao. By chance the English merchant ship "Mary Dear" from Bristol lay at anchor there. It stood under the command of the honest{simple} Scot{Scotsman} John Thompson. 19th August, 1921 admiral Cochrane registered on his{its} logbook: " Today the Spaniards are made easier and strengthened, because wealth{resources} of Lima which are worth{esteemed} many million pounds could be brought in security. " However, with it{thus} he was mistaken immensely. Hardly was "Mary Dear" with the precious cargo, an escort crew of royalist Spanish soldiers and some priests on high sea, the unpleasant guests{company} were murdered and abandoned{jettisoned}. Hardly two weeks ago "Mary Dear" anchored in the Chatham Bay of the Cocos Iceland. Eleven boat piles with gold, silver and precious stones were hidden in a dug up hole between low{ebb} tide and flood line and were camouflaged with stone; the tides would do the remaining one. After a little while a Spanish warship theirs got hold; the pirates were brought to Panama and were condemned{sentenced} there to the death by the rope. Since that time the treasure counts{applies} as untraceable.

The expert{connoisseur} best probably today of Cocos Iceland is the journalist and author{writer} Peter Dischlauxmann. Now after five expeditions and twenty years of work{job} in archives, libraries and after countless conversations with treasure seekers and scientists he believes to know, why up to now only few gold bars and coins were rescued: Cocos Iceland is of volcanic origin. The subsoil, the Cocos Ridge, is still active. Constant earthquakes, rainfall and landslides change the landscape currently. Even the old pirates would not find again, in the meantime, her{their} hiding places and marks any more.
A quite untiring treasure seeker was, by the way, the governor of Cocos Iceland. The German August Gissler by birth was appointed by decree of the costarikanischen president in 1897 to the first and only governor of Cocos Iceland. Twenty years of his life spent Gissler on Cocos Iceland. Up to 33 golden coins and a golden glove he found nothing...

Today Cocos Iceland is interesting - apart from the treasure expeditions - for diver. As one of the top-diving advertisements of the earth Cocos Iceland is probably only with shark guarantee.
In addition{Moreover}, narrow with the treasure island is connected 'EQUIS'', the probably most luxurious kind{way} to spend the night in Costa Rica. 6 stars luxury hostel with own beach{seashore}, own boats, own airplane, own butler, gardener, cook etc. the 'hostel' lie in the Golfo Dulce at a place{job} which the pirates used earlier{formerly} because of her{their} fantastic position{situation} for the repose and taking it easy{relaxing}.

 

(Almost) every (good) day begins in Costa Rica with a substantial{coarse} serving{portion} Gallo Pinto = ' mottled chicken{hen} ". Behind this name a dish from rice (arroz) and black and/or red beans (frijoles) is hidden. Hence, also the name "pinto".
Gallo Pinto is prepared with vegetable oil (aceite), finely thrown, roasted onions (cebolas), a sauce{gravy} typical for land called ' Salsa Lizano ', salt (sel) and fresh coriander green (culantro). To this astonishingly{astoundingly} tasty, substantial{coarse} breakfast dish one eats in Costa Rica either a fried egg (huevo frito) or scrambled eggs (huevo revuelto). In addition{Moreover}, quite a lot of Tico lets itself taste a steak (lomito) to the breakfast.

 

As the Diquis, Indian people{nation} which lived in the southwest of Costa Rica Goldnuggets in Osa's to rivers{flows} discovered{found out}, released the indirectly still centuries later a gold fever. At first{First of all}, nevertheless, the Diquis processed the Nugetts to pieces of jewellery, then statues etc. hundreds of years later searched the Spanish conquistadors in Osa's for rivers{flows} for the 'disappeared' golden mines of Veragua (at that time Costa Rica became so-called) - without appreciable success{result}. Then again some centuries later it came{got} to a renewed gold fever. When the United Fruit Company her{their} gates closed in Golfito, it pulled{drew} many of the dismissed workers on the peninsula Osa around her{their} luck{happiness} here to find, released by a more than 10-kg-nugget which was found on Osa. Became happy, up to few exceptions, only the hotel owners, restaurant owners and brothel owners. . Meanwhile the Goldschürfen on Osa was forbade, nevertheless, there are still some untiring adventurers them - also even today - illegally on Osa prospect.
 

Golden grain - so the Costa Ricans call{mention} the coffee. One supposes that the province of Kaffa is the country of origin of the coffee in Ethiopia. There he was mentioned already in the 9-th century. From Ethiopia the coffee reached{got} presumably in the 14-th century by slave dealers to Arabia. Was roasted and, however, was drunk he there probably only from the middle of the 15-th century. To Costa Rica he reached{got} in 1797 and turned out there the rescue for the economy wretched at that time of the land{country}. The coffee bean announced the land{country} unknown to date worldwide and given prosperity to many people. Coffee prospered{grew} (and prospers{grows}) in the Meseta Central, the central plateau so well that ticos after the independence of Spain sped up the cultivation{outhouse} and, besides, enlisted{recruited} even foreign skilled workers{specialists}. The main harvest time in Costa Rica is from December to January, here the coffee beans are still picked by hand. Today the coffee after bananas and the tourism industry of the turnover bringers is a number three. Details to the coffee under Costa Rica / Fauna.

 

On the peninsula Osa the possibility, the national park exists{consists} to erwandern. It was founded in 1975 and encloses more than 40,000 hectares of rain forests. Please, notice that overnight stay possibilities are not given everywhere or in sufficient{enough} number. Advance notification in the stations is absolutely necessary. Tent, enough drinking waters, flashlights, suns and insects protection means do not forget. Good travelling shoes and a headgear are quite important also. Pay attention please to where you step - poisonous snakes{vipers}. If you cross rivers{flows}, should happen if at all possible with low{ebb} tide - because of the crocodiles. Otherwise a spectacle of nature expects{awaits} you how you have presumably never experienced it.
Other{Farther} details under> Pura Osa. In the Corcovado there are different footpaths, as a nicest one counts{applies} of the Sirena - lot Patos (18 km) and further{farther} to La Palma (13 km). Include for these both segments one day. The share{part} of the main way Sirena - San Pedrillo (25 km) is exceedingly strenuous and should be committed only by very much coached travellers. A highlight is anyway the Laguna Corcovado, on half a way between Sirena and lot Patos. You must announce{register} your wanderings{migrations} in the office of the national park in Puerto Jimenez.
 

In the southwest of Costa Rica lies the Peninsula de Osa, the peninsula Osa, they{she} is also called with pleasure the ' colossal greenhouse'. Here around the Golfo Dulce several nature reserves are arranged{ordered} which should be connected everything with each other around a migration hall to be based. Besides, it concerns the national parks of the Corcovado up to the national park Piedras Blancas, also rainforest of the Austrians called{mentioned}, to the north of Golfito. With it{Thus} the unique nature with the biggest coherent lowland rainforest of the earth presents itself. Here many rare types of tree{tree species}, more than 120 reptiles, more than 350 bird's kinds and more than 160 different mammalian kinds are found. A biodiversity which searches her{their} equals, a spectacle of nature of the first rank - a paradise for every{any} nature lover.
The Corcovado was explained{declared} by UN to the biosphere reserve, just on grounds of the huge biodiversity. Here Jaguars, pumas, light-red Aras - can meet really{actually} everything. The region{area} around the Golfo Dulce exists{consists} of mountain wood, nebulous wood and palm wood, however, one finds also Schwemmland, marsh wood and mangrove marshes. Trail by Osa: Details under> Jungle trail the photo shows the Pacific coast of Osa. Care: Partly strong currents{streams}!

 

The association " rainforest of the Austrians " devotes itself to the ransom of the Esquinas rainforest in the southwest of Costa Rica. The Bosque Esquinas is the last still preserved lowland rainforest on the Pacific coast of Central America beside the Corcovado and belongs to the woods{forests} richest in kinds of the earth. On 1 hectare more than 180 different types of tree{tree species} could be identified (to the comparison{settlement}: In completely Central Europe: 50 kinds{ways})! The ransomed properties are introduced in him with it{thus} steadily growing national park "Piedras Blancas" - in total were already ransomed more than 90 km ² rainforest and were put{arranged} under protection, of it approx. to one third with donations from Austria. These receive the symbolic name " rainforest of the Austrians ". The project goes down on the private initiative of the Austrian of Prof. Michael Schnitzlers who began in 1991 the project. On the photo you can see one possible way to the Bosque Esquinas.


 

In the northwest of the land{country}, in Guanacaste one sees them{her} every{any} day, the Sabaneros, the cowboys of Costa Rica. And on the week-end one sees them{her} also - on the Rodeos. Here not only horses, but also wild bulls - are defeated by the Sabaneros at least for some seconds... With recorridas point the Sabaneros what is in you: Horse rodeo and glassy rodeo, lasso art and thus something more. By the way{Speaking of}, the corridas Spanish kind{way} with which the bull leaves his life do not exist in Costa Rica. Here the bulls with the lasso are brought to case. Winner is who makes it quickest. Also spectators may take part{join in} - nevertheless, a not quite safe{harmless} pleasure.

 

Around the origin of the words 'tica' and 'tico' some anecdotes line up themselves. One is that the ruling upper class in Costa Rica 'hermanticos'' = ' small{little} brothers ' were called and have originated from it 'tica' or 'tico'. Another idea is that the reduction form substitutes{replaces} in the Spanish 'ita' or 'ito' at place{job} last 'a' or 'o'. From 'chica' (girl) becomes corrupted thus (again) 'chicitita' (small{little}, sweet girl). In contrast to Spaniards the Costa Ricans use mostly, nevertheless, 'ica' and 'ico' - one could also have the idea that, hence, 'tica' and 'tico' comes.

In the pre-colombian time three nations lived in Costa Rica. The Chorotegas immigrant from Mexico populated northern Costa Rica, the Huetares immigrant from Amazonia populated the central plateau and the coast of the Caribbean and the Bruncas coming from Chile lived on the southern Pacific coast on Costa Rica and adjoining Panama. In the course of the Konquista most trunks{tribes} of the people{nations} were completely chafed, illnesses did a remaining one. Today still about 30,000 her{their} descendants live in Indian reservations where they maintain partially still her{their} traditional customs and traditions. Some of the reserves are accessible to tourist, other not.

 

Just as there is rodeo and Corrida still other Asoziationen with the wild west. In the cowboy and pasture province of Guanacaste there are many of it, however, everywhere in Costa Rica one bumps into them{her} - more than 3.5 million bovine animals{cattle}. Costa Rica exports per year more than 100,000 metric tons of beef. Suitcases, pockets{bags}, belts, trousers, boots are produced by the leather of the bovine animals{the cattle} etc. But there are also shadow sides. Woods{Forests} are cleared, mostly illegally by the expansionary{expansive} posture of the bovine animals{the cattle}, for new pasture surfaces, the damage{harm} for the environment of Costa Rica is to be seen.
 

Extract for EQUIS Residences, Costa Rica
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