The Rich Coast

Costa Rica marked my first trip to Central America. It took me too long to visit. I can't wait to return. "Latin America," my friend Kelley recently described, "is a diverse rainbow." Her description of the people and the land was dead-on. Like many post-colonial nations, the people are a blend of their unique stories and histories. In the capitol of San Jose a lot of the people seemed very Spanish European. Up North, the people had a different way about them, perhaps they had more Amerindian blood, were very laid back and embodied the "gaucho" style. On the Caribbean Coast, were communities of people of African descent. Brought over from Jamaica, an Island Patois was spoken. Costa Rica was a beautiful blend of cultures, tastes, energy and art. I was acutely aware of one groups sparse numbers however. You are hard pressed to find many indigenous Amerindians. They have been virtually wiped out, the amazing, disappearing people. It is a sad reality, the dirty side of the Americas.