Living La Pura Vida in Costa Rica

By Neil Melancon

Louisiana Farm Bureau

¡Pura Vida!

That’s the first thing we learned upon arriving in Costa Rica. Worn out from a long day of travel the day before, the class was able to slow down to the Costa Rican lifestyle on Sunday. Pura Vida literally means “pure life,” but it is really an attitude that is part Bohemian and part California. They run on their own timetable here, but it is an attractive way of life for natives and many ex-pats from across the globe. They say “pure vida” in response when you ask them how they’re doing.

It’s not the only linguistic quirk. Costa Ricans are known in Latin America as “Ticos” from the way they end their diminutives with “-tico” instead of “-ito.” We’re not sure yet if mojitos are called moticos, but research is underway.

It may seem laid-back, but there’s a quiet fierceness to the way of life here. San Jose is nestled between two of the three mountain ranges in the country and contains more than one-third of the country’s population. The city’s mountainous and dramatic backdrop hides active volcanos. Our guide told us that there are more than 100 earthquakes per year in Costa Rice, but assured us we can’t feel most of them. They’re called harmonic earthquakes, giving geologic presence to the vibe here. Pura vida, indeed.

On Sunday, Class XVII had a late start, and enjoyed the slow pace of a Costa Rican Sunday morning, starting at the farmer’s market of San Jose. Only held once per week, the market was crowded with people buying their fruits and vegetables for the week. The group was bewildered with the variety of a normal produce section, plus standouts like coconut, papaya, mango and dragonfruit. In addition to the raw ingredients, there were numerous food trucks on hand, and many in the class enjoyed a hobbit-like second breakfast.

A quick bus ride brought the group to downtown San Jose for a walking tour. The city was fairly crowded, but the cool mountain air was a welcome contrast to hot and humid Panama. The crown jewel of the tour was the National Theater. Built in 1897, it took six years to complete the "people's theater" to replace the one lost by fire. While wealthy coffee owners promised to pay for the construction, 96 percent was paid for by import and export sales taxes. As such, it is the pride of the city, modeled after neo-Classical theaters in Europe. The theater is open to everyone, but upon completion, non-aristocrats could only access third-floor gallery, while the wealthy either sat in box seats or in floor seating.

San Jose was the third city in the world to be electrified and the gilded lamps of the theater reflect the pride they had in that fact. All that glitters in the place is indeed gold—extensive gold leaf was used throughout the construction, a testament to the care and concern they put into what was once the center of entertainment for Latin America.

The class slipped fully into pura vida with a late lunch in town, followed by an afternoon and evening free. The next day begins with a meeting with the U.S. Ag Attaché and then a tour of a coffee farm. On Tuesday, the class will visit a world-class research facility to get a close-up look of the country’s efforts to preserve most of its land and what impact that has had on agriculture in the country of five million.

LSU Ag Leadership Class XVII talks with Rodrigo Spiegel, a major cattle owner near the city of Santiago de Panama. The class toured his 800 acre ranch on the banks of the San Miguel River. A graduate of Texas A&M University, Spiegel has brought his Aggie knowledge to the isthmus nation, combining grass management with pure Brahmin genetics, becoming one of the wealthiest landowners in the country.

Part of Rodrigo Spiegel's herd of Brahmin cattle, set against the dramatic backdrop of the mountains of Panama.

Avery Davidson filmed the class taking a hike down to the San Miguel River.

LSU Ag Leadership Class XVII on the banks of the San Miguel River, a major river that flows into the Pacific in Panama.

$LSU Ag Leadership Class XVII got a tour of a teakwood plantation, led by owner Jeffrey Duda, an American ex-pat who saw an opportunity in Panama.  The 2,000 acres here represent a tiny fraction of the teakwood business, but they told the class$

LSU Ag Leadership Class XVII got a tour of a teakwood plantation, led by owner Jeffrey Duda, an American ex-pat who saw an opportunity in Panama. The 2,000 acres here represent a tiny fraction of the teakwood business, but they told the class they have found their niche in the market in both delivering to oversees markets and utilizing what others in the business see as waste products.

Teakwood trees sway considerably in the Panamanian wind. Despite the mountain gusts, the farm suffers very little damage.

Class XVII member Ben Guarisco, a forester by trade, listens to Jeff Duda on his teakwood farm.

Teakwood tree bark.

On Saturday, Class XVII took a long bus ride to the airport and a short flight to San Jose, Costa Rica. On Sunday, the class members toured a farmer's markets full of fresh vegetables and a wide variety of fruits, as well as finished emapandas and pastries. They then went to San Jose's downtown, getting to tour the beautiful, gilded National Theatre.

The farmer's market in San Jose is only open on Sundays, and many local Costa Ricans shop for their produce for the entire week.

Egg prices in Costa Rica are comparable to those of the U.S., although a bit cheaper here. Each batch of 30 costs a little more than $8.

BREADA Director Darlene Rowland was particularly interested in seeing San Jose's farmer's market, as she runs the one in Baton Rouge. Here, she, Will Killen and his wife, Lindsey, enjoy coconut juice direct from the source, bought fresh here at the market.

Class XVII members touring downtown San Jose.

Downtown San Jose with mountains in the background. The city houses more than 1/3rd of the total population of Costa Rica, and sits in a valley between two of the country's three mountain ranges.

Class XVII members toured the Metropolitan Cathedral in downtown San Jose. Esther Boe-Mansura and her husband, David, made it to the 8 am Mass on Sunday.

The entrance to the National Theatre of San Jose. Built in 1897, it took six years to complete the "people's theater" to replace the one lost by fire. While wealthy coffee owners promised to pay for the construction, 96 percent was paid for by import and export sales taxes. As such, it is the pride of the city, modeled after neo-Classical theaters in Europe. The theater is open to everyone, but upon completion, non-aristocrats could only access third-floor gallery, while the wealthy either sat in box seats or on the floor.