Turrialba

The Turrialba area where I am living has quite an interesting history. For many years, Turrialba was the train connection between the Caribbean and Pacific shores. A train ran through the city, there was commerce, and the area grew with people and money.

In the later 80's and 90's, roads were built to connect Turrialba to San Jose, and the coasts, which eliminated the need for the rail. Although the town didn't stop using the train for much of its imports and exports, the reduced reliance on the train cut jobs and the area went into decline.

The final nail in the railway came with an earthquake in 1991 that destroyed the railway in the Reventazon River Canyon. With this irreparable damage done, the town declined further, and many people moved out of the area.

The growing popularity of Costa Rica as an ecotour destination brought commerce and US dollars to the area, and it has stabilized in the last decade. The history of the area has contributed to its rich culture and diversity of Costa Ricans. There are black ticos from the Caribbean, alongside the lighter skinned ticos from the Pacific. There are Indians, indigenos, alongside the occasional American ex-pat who is running an ecotour business such as a rafting company, jungle exploration company, or cycle touring company. It is a rich and diverse landscape.

The Turrialba area is, in many ways, off the beaten path. You must cross the continental divide (*read=Rocky Mountains, 2000 miles south), take a few different busses, and speak spanish beause few of the people in Turrialba speak english. It is my good luck that there are few english speakers; I need the practice with the Spanish, and I am really enjoying being forced into the uncertain. Not knowing what they are saying, but knowing that in a few short months, I will. This excites me.