Wildlife Sanctuary
To be totally honest,so far Costa Rica is a bit of a disappointment. The place I am at right now is on the Nicoya Peninsula, which is very touristy, so maybe that’s part of the problem. However, the place on the internet looks really cool and like they are doing great stuff and all, but in reality it seems more like kinda a zoo, which is both a gimmick to get americans to work and pay to stay there, and also a method through which the owner can be allowed to keep cute little animals. it is condoned by the government, in fact apparently it’s the only place in the whole region that has a wildlife program for injured or whatever animals, so I guess that’s good, but still… most of the cages are tiny and the animals seem bored and unhappy.
But, on a possitive note, it is of course beautiful here! I am staying up the road a bit from the owner’s place, in an old two story building with no walls. Up there also 4 other volunteers, at least at this point. 3 from the US and one from the Netherlands, which means that we only speak english which is unfornunate. But I will be taking dutch lessons, which is of course awesome!
One of the owners is gringa, but luckily so far I’ve mostly been working with her husband, who is this crazy looking awesome tico (Costa Rican) man with lots of dreadlocks. He speaks some english but mostly talks to us in spanish, so that’s good. Plus I can listen in on his converstation with another tico man who works there and speaks no english, although I understand none of it cause they go so fast! Yesterday and today we were digging a ditch to bring water up to the “finca”, where we’re staying. Also up there there’s a bird sanctuary, 3 horses, and a pig and a little garden plot that seems mostly overrun with weeds. I’m gonna ask if I can work up there sometime, but I’m not sure what exactly there is to be done up there. The whole place seems pretty discombobulated and spur of the moment.
Overall so far, it’s been pretty fun and eye opening. Lots of new experiences and good converstations with the other volunteers about ya know communism and evolution and global agriculture and other good Janet converstations, also some totally unJanet converstations about ya know Family Guy and stuff like that.
So I’ve been feeling kinda pissed that I have to pay to stay any place around here, but I was told today that the guy who works there, and he works VERY hard for many hours a day, unlike us, gets only 2 dollars an hour, which even with the low cost of living, is very little. I think that’s pretty normal, too, I get the feeling. So that makes me feel more lucky to be american, even though it does suck down here cause everyone assumes that American means filthy rich. Which I’m not exactly, just compared to people here I guess. The whole concept of people who have versus don’t have is confussing to me and I hate it. Too many big concepts in the world. Definately makes me more determined than ever to try to live without unnecesary junk.
More later.