Bajo Calvo Cabalgata - 3/6/11

Wow, I've been busy working on this report on my community that is now due in a week.  And as another way to procrastinate on it I want to write about the amazing weekend I spent with my friend Kristin who came to visit and her boyfriend Tim.

Kristin and Tim got into town Saturday and we went to my host-nephew's baptism in the parochial church, truly an interesting experience.  About twenty babies were baptized all in one service which I've never seen before.

We took the bus back into town and I took them on the hike up to the alto.  They absolutely loved it so excited about every single flower and plant - the best visitors for sure.  I'm so happy my host-dad got the chance to show them around because he really lights up with he gets to show off his farm..  When we got back to the house my host-mom had Tim grind corn and Kristin make the tortillas that we proceeded to scarf down.  Basically, they got the coolest cultural experience getting a tour of a local farm and kitchen and it was my daily life.

We went to the Saturday night dance in Bajo Calvo and it was the first time I went out with Ernesto and all of our friends were there.  Even the 15 year old girls looking like they were 24.  It was actually a really nice dance and Kristin and Tim got to try some rural food/ not eat because there was nothing vegetarian for Kristin and I.

Sunday we got ready with my host-mom lending each of us bandannas to wrap around our necks.  Tim kept joking that we were going to an indigenous horse ceremony.  The Bajo Calvo Cabalgata is an event the town has held annually for over ten years.  Each participant donates $20.00 to the town for many of the necessary improvements.  This money includes a snack, lunch and drink.  Then, you bring your own or rented horse to ride through the town.

Everyone rides their horse onto the town's soccer field does a turn and heads off.  It's not a race at all.  Everyone waits for their friends and ride in large groups to someone's ranch.  Some of Ernesto's friends were the honorary riders for the day... I'm still not quite sure why but I think it's because they're the best partiers.  So being in that group young and old men alike were offering us punch as we stopped to let the horses relax in the shade at a creek.

The views... literally breathtaking.  Bajo Calvo is down in the valley but stretches up the mountains on either side.  So we rode up through one of the most beautiful ranches I've ever seen even passing an old trapiche which is a sugar processing "plant" if you want to call it that.  The ancient art of strapping in oxen to spin the machine in circles... I remember seeing one in Pompey, Italy and thinking that it was an ancient profession.  But of course come to Costa Rica where farmers still run them a couple times a month, not even for tourists, but to sell.

Next, we stopped off at this beautiful clearing to have the second snack of the day and take a break.  Running into all of our friends, and meeting new ones in my case.  Every second of this trip was a ridiculous cultural experience for Kristin and Tim.  Oddly enough everything seemed so natural to me.  I joked with my friends that rode us although I've only known most of them for two months.  I wished the day would last longer but the sun was dropping more and more.  I even gave Ernesto back his cowboy hat because it was too nice of an afternoon to wear it as it cooled off.

As we approached the center of town again I really start to hope that we get to cross the river.  We start making our way downhill and lose our way in the fields but find this tiny trail down into the water.  I was gleaming from ear to ear with the cold water splashing onto my legs and my horse which I conveniently have named River is barely stumbling on the river stones and I imagine how long it would take me to walk across carefully.  I mean it's not rushing all that fast but enough where one should be careful crossing.  After letting River drink some water I am a little nervous about climbing the river bank out but she gets up like a pro.

We get to town and let the horses relax as we go watch the ring of horses and bulls they let loose so people can run around with sharing with neighbors as they walk around.  We headed in to have dinner as they raffled off saddles and such.  A 70+ year old lady, who rides like a champ might I add, walked off with a gorgeous saddle probably made locally.  Mind you she strutted off in her plaid shirt and cowboy boots to leave it in the truck.  Have I mentioned to you that I live in rural Costa Rica where coffee and bananas are prevalent, but ranches are becoming increasingly prevalent.

We went outside before the raffle ended... we were exhausted.  We sat meeting more neighbors in the cool air watching the sun set on the mountains.  This was truly one of the best days of my life.  I am so happy to say I have had several since I got here, and I look forward to many more.

Oh and let's see if the next Cabalgata here in my town has anything on that one!

I stole someone´s dog... by accident

Bash on Christmas Day

 

 

My host-brother Mauricio in my training community brought me this adorable little puppy about two weeks after I arrived.  She was this tiny black puppy who has white paws and a white blotch on her chest with wavy ears.  She was about 6 wees old. 

When I moved to my training community she was getting to full-size, which is still pretty small.  She got pretty confident about walking around town to the point where she started bothering our neighbor´s chickens.  He has several thousand egg-laying chickens so she was probably wreaking havok.  So, we started tying her up all day, and I made sure to walk her for at least half an hour.  I went out of town for a weekend and when I got back my host-family told me she gone to a neighbor´s house and they brought her back.  But she escaped again on Sunday and has not been home ever since. 

I went driving around town whisteling and she didn´t respond.  So on my way back from school the next day I found her the next town over... and brought her home.  ¨Doesn´t Bash have white paws?¨ I thought to myself on my way home.  It turned out to be her all black twin and I had stolen someones dog.  In my defense none of the neighbors could believe she wasn´t mine.  So I walked an hour back to the town to drop this strange dog off worrying that the snake on the street would attack her while I was walking all this way to drop her off after stealing her!  But we made it back ok, although it took some effort to make her to stay as I made my way home. 

Stranger Dog

So I vowed not to steal anyone else´s dog and made sure to spread the word that Bash was missing.  I found out someone had left her in a box 6 km away from here and my friend´s neighbor had found her and locked her up in their house claiming it was her son´s puppy.  Since my family wasn´t too happy with the dog I figured I´d let her keep her.  That lasted a couple days so she was now roaming around a new town so I made an appt to get her operated before I gave her to a little boy in my town.  As I called my friend who lived over there she told me that someone had picked her up in a car and taken her away. 

So it´s been two weeks since I´ve seen Bash and I miss her so much!  All of the kids in my neighborhood constantly bring her up and I get so sad each time!  So if you see her, let me know!