Aero: Katherine Kostuk – Costa Rica 2013 – City Life
Aero: Katherine Kostuk – Costa Rica 2013 – City Life
Aero: Katherine Kostuk – Costa Rica 2013 – City Life
I’m not even sure where to start, there is so much that can be said on the city life in Costa Rica. One of the very first things I noticed, and was warned about, was the driving. The driving laws in Costa Rica appear to be very different than those in the states. In Costa Rica cars have the right of way, not pedestrians. When we were all younger our parents taught us to look both ways before crossing the road; well this is where that really comes in handy to remember. Along with this it is normal that no one wears seatbelts, no matter their age. However it is mandatory that if they are driving a motorcycle then they have to wear a neon reflector vest and a helmet or they are heavily fined. While this is very good, it didn’t stop them from weaving in and out of other cars, following close behind an ambulance, or other reckless driving. While I double checked every street I crossed, it baffled me that there was no street names. I couldn’t understand how people could give directions for where they wanted to go by using land marks around them. We got use to asking to go to the Central Park and walked home from there but I could never imagine trying to call a taxi or for help and get them to me. Within the town I live in there is a single one way street, our main street. In Alajuela however there were many one way streets. This caused us to take different routes every time we wanted to get to the same place. It was very confusing and while we were in the taxis it was hard to orient ourselves to where we were. All I know is that I would have gotten lost and gone down streets the wrong way multiple times if I was trying to drive myself. If I ever get the chance to go back to Costa Rica I would definitely get someone to drive me like we had while we were there.
Another thing that I found very different is the houses and buildings. The stores and restaurants were completely open during the day to allow the breeze and fresh air to come in. When they close at night they pull down metal doors with locks and then bared entrances around those. The houses are similar in they also had bared entrances with multiple locks. Before getting into Mayra’s house we had to walk through two bared entrances. On top of most if not all of the bars around the homes, there was barbed wire, or pieces of glass. The first time I saw the glass it gave me a very uneasy feeling and I wondered how safe Costa Rica really was if people were going to these lengths. The next day we learned that the crime rate was comparatively low and these were safety measures just like an alarm system would be for us.
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We spent time in the Central Park a lot and got the chance to see how people interacted with each other. It was a lot like spending time in a park here in the states depending on the time. Right next to the park was the Cathedral which had large doors that where opened and welcoming. People could sit in the Cathedral and pray, think, or clear their head. Many people sat in the benches around the large fountain in park and would enjoy the company of who they were with. Unlike in the states people in Costa Rica weren’t attached to their phones all the time. It was also very different because people here didn’t smoke like people in the states. During my time I think I only saw two or three people smoking. There was so much love everywhere and the couples where easy to spot in the park because they holding hands or smiling broadly at one another. The kids were just like kids in the states, running around the large fountain with their parents yelling at them to not get wet. It was refreshing to see how people here where just relaxing as they sat in the park. They weren’t worried about the time or where they had to be, instead they just enjoyed that moment.
Spending time here I also noticed that unlike in the states the women in Costa Rica wear heels that are ridiculously tall. So tall I’d probably break my neck if I attempted them especially on those sidewalks. In Alajuela the sidewalks were brick and uneven so they have a talent that I wish I had. It was obvious that we were not natives and because of that people tended to stare when there were a lot of us together. During our time a couple people came over to us, whether it was for donations, selling something or just to talk to us. One of the most interesting parts of city life was the language they had using a car horn. They beeped at practically everything; as they were approaching an intersection, dogs, people, other cars. They had a specific language for it; one beeps, two beeps, flashing the lights. It was very interesting to see.
The biggest city event I got to see was going to a soccer game. Alajuela is not a very big town, but for the soccer game everyone must have come out because the street was packed. I’ve been to a lot of different sporting events, but this was the first time where everyone in the stadium was cheering for the same team. The amount of support the crowd was giving the team was amazing. For the entire game there was a section that was on their feet, jumping up and down cheering loudly. The energy in the crowd was so exciting it made you want to start cheering the fight song with them. It was one of the most thrilling and extreme parts of city life that I had a chance to see.
– Katherine Kostuk
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