Wow, the Ides of March is upon us (tomorrow) and the air is still cool in the morning and evening.  That's especially convenient as our central air conditioning died Saturday night and it would be hard to take under normal circumstances.  Which leads me to the topic of my Monday blog that follows.  It points toward some fundamental differences in people and cultures.....between the 'haves' and the 'have nots'.  Happy mid-March to everyone...........

Not everything about Costa Rica is grand and beautiful.  Oh sure, there are the stupendously impressive  volcanoes, the ecologically unique tropical rain forests, the hundreds upon hundreds of miles of beaches lining the western Pacific coast and the eastern Carribean coast (Costa), and the enormously diverse wildlife amid  flora which is so intensely rich (Rica) as to be one of National Geographic’s top biological wonderlands in the entire world.  But there is also that poverty thing.  Not so pretty.

Of course, nearly every country on the planet has its poverty related problems.  The point here is that Costa Rica is no exception.  There are undoubtedly countries around the world where profound poverty grips the nation on a pandemic level and strangles its people more than here.  But there are far too many Costa Ricans who must endure what by our standards is a pitiful plight.

There are ironies wrapped in conundrums as one observes unsavory levels of destitution alongside the grandeur of the fiercely rugged landscape.  There are people living in shelters framed by lashing dead tree limbs together with twine and tying corregated tin to them to fashion sides and a roof.  The best such dirt floored shelters provide is shade from the sweltering summer sun and slight protection from the wind driven autumn rains.  The only running water in these quarters is what falls from the sky.  Some such huts are found right beside a main road so that the entrepreneurially inclined can fabricate homemade tables to display locally grown fruits in hopes passersby may stop and part with a dollar or two in exchange for a watermelon or some succulent pineapples or mangos.

And then there are the more substantial huts consisting of 4 concrete block walls and something that passes for a roof.  These structures of concrete block are typically found farther off the main roads, on dusty gravel trails with rutted, washboard type surfaces where local residents are assaulted by the clouds of dust born by each passing vehicle, where the battle is never ending, never won.

The nicer ones may even sport a coat of paint.  The walls commonly have rectangular openings and the more upscale versions may have actual windows to fill these openings.  Whether enhanced with glass or not, these openings are typically fortified with iron bars…a deterrent to any unscrupulous among them who may be tempted to misappropriate what little may be harbored within. Except for those driven to thievery out of sheer desperation, Costa Rica is an incredibly  peaceful and non-violent country. 

There is, however, one amenity all of these “homes” have in common.  They all have a clothes line.  And while they may not have many clothes to wash or hang out to dry, the ones they have are clean.  Laundry is an every day affair in every Costa Rican hovel.  Done without the benefit of washing machines, it’s a task which consumes the major portion of each mother’s day.  Uniformed children go to school in white, starched shirts and blouses no matter their station in life.  They wear their clean clothes with pride because  they are a proud people, these Costa Ricans are.

Of course, not every Costa Rican native lives in abject poverty.  Some are actually wealthy… most are not.  There are those who seek and obtain a college education compliments of their socialist government. Those few who do acquire an advanced degree provide professional services and enjoy a comfortable lifestyle.  Those who don’t, have a difficult life to endure.  Laboring in the infernos of sugar cane fields, cantaloupe farms or other back breaking drudgery day in and day out is the destiny faced by the majority.  There is little to look forward to and much to dread.

Yet in spite of these masses who endure the challenges of a substandard lifestyle, there is one singularly  ironic fact that emerges from this cauldron of beauty and the beast-of-indigence.  Costa Ricans are happy.  They do not wallow in misery nor dream enviously of the life enjoyed by the more fortunate.  They celebrate each day with a song in their soul, a smile on their face, and a light in their eye.  They laugh, they cajole, they love their journey.   They are welcoming, they are helpful and they are kind.    Though many of these folks lack even the most basic needs for day to day living, they possess a wealth of cheer and a level of satisfaction money can’t seem to buy.  Costa Ricans are happy people and Costa Rica is a happy country. 

POST SCRIPT: The “Happy Planet Index” from Wikipedia, ranks Costa Rica as the happiest country on earth and  Forbes magazine ranks it the 6th happiest, the top five being Scandinavian countries.  Needless to say, the USA doesn’t make any of the “happy country” lists.  That’s kind of depressing, huh!?!