COSTA RICA

January 8, 2013

PUERTO LIMON, COSTA RICA

We have had  a delightful three days at sea.  We have been so busy with all the activities and with meeting so many people it has really been fun.  Today we stopped in our first port – Costa Rica. 

We had a five hour tour and the first stop was a banana plantation and packing plant.
It takes nine months to grow the bananas. At six months they cut the banana flower and then put the blue plastic over the bunch. That keeps the insects and birds off of them as well as keeping them from getting ripe. The bananas come into the processing plant but only stay for one and a half hours.  They get covered in chemicals, thoroughly washed, and covered in a wax before they are sent to market. Costa Rico’s primary export is pineapple and second is bananas. This was a Del Monte plant we were in.

 

There are 4.5 million people living in Costa Rico.   Of that number 100,000 are from the States.  They have 112 volcanos with seven being active.  The average monthly salary is $800. Teachers are paid $1,400. Costa Rico has no Army.  It is mandatory for the children to go to school through six grades then they can go on to high school but it is not mandatory.  That is all free to them.  After high school they take a test and if they pass they can go to college for free.  The others can go to college but they must pay for it.

 

We went by boat on the Tortuguero Canal to look for spider monkeys, birds and other water fowl.  Then we took a train to look for more animals.  It was an interesting day. Now we are heading for the Panama Canal. 

 

  

It takes nine months to grow the bananas. At six months they cut the banana flower and then put the blue plastic over the bunch. That keeps the insects and birds off of them as well as keeping them from getting ripe. The bananas come into the processing plant but only stay for one and a half hours.  They get covered in chemicals, thoroughly washed, and covered in a wax before they are sent to market. Costa Rico’s primary export is pineapple and second is bananas. This was a Del Monte plant we were in.

 

There 4.5 million people living in Costa Rico.   Of that number 100,000 are from the States.  They have 112 volcanos with seven being active.  The average monthly salary is $800. Teachers are paid $1,400. Costa Rico has no Army.  It is mandatory for the children to go to school through six grades then they can go on to high school but it is not mandatory.  That is all free to them.  After high school they take a test and if they pass they can go to college for free.  The others can go to college but they must pay for it.

 

We went by boat on the Tortuguero Canals to look for spider monkeys, birds and other water fowl.  Then we took a train to look for more animals.  It was an interesting day. Now we are heading for the Panama Canal.