Since the 1800′s the Costa Rican boyero has come to represent the hard work, patience and love of nature that exemplifies the tico life.  While originally used to bring coffee down from steep mountain roads to the port for shipment to North America and Europe, these days the old-fashioned boyero with his ornamentaly painted “carreta” and prized “bueyes” is more of a Costa Rican novelty of history than a real functional part of everyday life.  Well, actually that’s not the case for everyone.  There are still a few real life boyeros (around 5,000 according to La Nacion estimate) out there and they are determined to keep the tradition alive, a tradition that for them has stood the test of time and technology and has been declared since 2005 as “Patrimonio de la Humanidad” according to Unesco (United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture).  The oldest active factory that still produces and paints the carretas (or, oxcarts) is the Chaverri Oxcart Factory located in Sarchi.  Founded in 1903 this factory has become a main tourist attraction for day trips from San Jose and is a place where you can buy a little piece of Costa Rican culture and history in the form of a miniature painted oxcart (however, the real ones are crafted there as well).  Just in case you wanted to know a little more about this time honored tradition, click on the link below to find a full colored graphic that explains in detail (and in Spanish), everything you ever would like to know about the Costa Rican Boyero.

If you have never seen an old-fashioned Costa Rican “mascarada” I can tell you it is quite an experience.  We have some great restaurants where you can go and see this unique Costa Rican tradition in action.  Those are restaurants like Cacique Aserri and Ram Luna, that both offer such shows on certain nights.  But who is responsible for creating these funny and sometimes hideous masks?  In Cartago the “mascarero” Guillermo Martínez Solano has been working this craft for many years.  He recently received the National Award for Popular Traditional Culture for his longstanding work towards preserving the old Costa Rica tradition.  Guillermo is 82 years old and he and his brother (who recently passed) have worked to preserve this traditional art form that was started by their father many decades ago.  Guillermo has been involved with the production of these masks since the age of 8.  But it was the decade of the 40′s when thing got really serious.   For a brief history of the tradition, however, one must go back to the year 1887 when the brothers Martínez of the cantón of Oreamuno purchased the rights to create the mask of the style that this section of Costa Rica is famous for.  During the decade of the 50′s the masks of the Martínez brothers appeared in many traditional festivals.  Such caricatures as the “policía de la esquina” that the Martínez adapted to become “Poligordo” became fixtures at all Costa Rican traditional mascaradas.  Likewise were the giants “Julito and Julita” that were inspired by a couple in Oreamuno who never missed a parade and were always seen in the rear holding hands.  Guillermo maintains the tradition in the truest since using the same materials of the Martínez brothers, a tradition Don Guillermo says “must not die.”

Its festival time in Costa Rica.  Starting December 25th and ending January 4th, each year the biggest festival of them all, Zapote, draws thousands.  The main attraction……the bulls of the redondel (or, bullring).  These crazy ticos that we call “toreros improvisados” that consist of both men and women, get into the ring and taunt the bulls into chasing them.  The object?  Well, I am not real sure, but the effect is usually that someone gets hurt and sometimes badly.  It is all in good fun I guess and the spectators in the stands, fueled by the never ending supply of Imperial, just can’t get enough of it.  Why do they do it?  Well one fearless torero by the name of David Rodriguez, age 21, told La Nación reporters that it is to “feel the fear of being face to face with the animal.”  Even Olympic athlete, Nery Brenes, got into the ring with the bulls (Brenes nearly made it to the finals in the men’s 400 meter sprint in this years summer Olympics).  Mixed in with the “improvisados” (or novices) are actual professional toreros.  One of these professionals is Paterson Esquivel, age 30, who has been a torero for 7 years.  Esquivel declares that to be a torero is an art form and that he loves to feel the adrenaline rush of being in the ring with the bulls along with provoking smiles on the spectators with his bull-taunting antics.  Even Shirley Gómez, age 32, takes part in the action.  She says that as soon as she was given her cedula she was ready to run with the bulls.  A self-confessed “adrenaline junky” Gómez claims that sometimes the “machista” male toreros give her a hard time, but she doesn’t sweat it….her fearlessness in the redondel speaks for itself.  As for me, I would rather see the bull on my plate in the form of a juicy steak than looking at one eye to eye (actually I don’t eat steak, but you get the message….I am a big chicken!).

Tamales traditionally are eaten in Costa Rica on Christmas Eve, or Nochebuena in Spanish.  In fact, for many Ticos, the Christmas festivities begin the moment the first tamale is unwrapped.  Afterwards, and until the year ends, they will go from house to house sampling the various flavors and textures of the tamales until the official best tamale of the Navidad is declared.  The chefs that prepare these tamales are careful never to reveal their secrets to anyone outside of the home.  The best tamale is not simply a matter of taste, but also of texture as some tamales may be dry and others wet, some may fall apart when unwrapped while others are so firm you must cut them with a fork.  However, one thing remains consistent regardless of the flavor or texture, the basic ingredients remain the same as used by the indigenous since pre-colombian times.  Even though corn base from which all tamales are made conserves the original native recipe, in the variety of “fillings” the Spanish influence is found.  Tico tamales may be filled with such diverse ingredients as sweet peppers, carrot slices, and even fillings that are more often found in other Latin cultures such as peppermint (popular in Nicaragua), beans, or sour orange juice as is popular in Mexican recipes.  Areas famous for tamale production in Costa Rica include Aserri, where many conserve the pre-colombian traditions.  With the current fervor for more healthy foods, many have begun to bring ingredients that make the tamales more healthy for the body, as well tasteful to the palate.  One thing is for sure, no matter the recipe utilized, Costa Rican tamales will always maintain that flavor of Christmas.

If you have ever visited Costa Rica you have probably seen an ornamentally painted Costa Rican oxcart (or carreta in Spanish).  The oxcart is actually the National Labor Symbol of Costa Rica and was designated as such on March 22, 1988.  The oxcart played a crucial role in economic transport in the 19th century.  In fact, the first shipment of coffee to London was transported from the coffee plantations to Costa Rica’s main ports by oxcart in 1843.  Later the oxcart became obsolete due to new inventions.  Now it is primarily used as an ornamental object.  However, you can still see some farmers using the painted oxcart during the coffee harvest season.  In modern Costa Rica, oxcart painting has developed into a form of original Costa Rican art.  Cowherds, or the farmers who drive the oxen that pull the carts, decided to add life to oxcarts by hand-painting them with bright colors and geometrical figures. No two oxcarts seem to ever be painted the same. This art has been passed from generation to generation up to the present time.  

One of the best places to see this art form in action is the Chaverri Oxcart Factory.  Since 1903 they have been making some of Costa Rica’s most beautifully crafted and designed oxcarts.  The Chaverri Oxcart Factory is located in Sarchi, a little town about an hour outside of San Jose. Sarchi is generally known as the cradle of arts and craftsmanship in Costa Rica. The factory was founded in 1903 and since then has been building oxcarts using only the best types of woods, such as laurel, cedar and rain-tree. For almost a century, four generations of the Chaverri family have been providing this service with a seal of distinction and quality. Still using the original methods of years ago, the factory makes authentic oxcarts that were once used to transport products to Costa Rica’s markets and harbors. A wide variety of products, all crafted by hand, are available for purchase with affordable worldwide shipping is offered. During a visit to the workshop you will have the opportunity to observe and speak with the actual artists who transform the oxcarts into true works of art. The factory also has a restaurant offering a variety of typical Costa Rican cuisine. 

These days Costa Rican Oxcarts, or smaller replicas of the same, are used as coffee tables, bars, flower holders, or just as stand-alone pieces of artwork.   As a widely recognized National Symbol, the oxcarts portray the peaceful tradition of Costa Rica as well as the labor of its people. One might view them as a window to Costa Rica’s optimistic vision of life, humility, patience, sacrifice, and endurance to pursue goals in a pacific yet progressive manner.  Oxcarts are the vehicles that brought economic wealth and original art to Costa Rica. They represent the simplicity and aspirations of rural Costa Rican people who in turn have become artisans willing to fulfill their destiny.  Portions of this article were borrowed from an excerpt entitled The National Labor Symbol appearing on the web site www.costarica.com.  For more information about the Chaverri Oxcart Factory contact us at Package Costa Rica anytime.

A new book relates the history of the Templo de al Virgen de los Angeles in Cartago, Costa Rica’s most visited catholic temple. The illustrated book is by historian, Sonia Gómez Vargas, and outlines the 369 year history of the temple.  Tradition has it that the stone image of the Virgen de los Angeles first appeared in the year 1635 and was christened as La Negrita by the people of the village due to the dark hue of the stone in which she was carved. Three years later the first temple was built with walls of adobe and a roof of straw in the place where the Virgen appeared.  Later, around 1675, stone walls were erected, but the temple was destroyed in 1715 due to an earthquake. A new temple was planned in 1727 in honor of the Virgen, but it fell short of reaching its 100th anniversary due to the earthquake of May 7, 1822 known as San Estanislao.  However, reconstruction was completed 11 years later, in 1833.  Another earthquake, San Antolín, did damage on the 2nd of September, 1841, but did not destroy the temple completely.  Repairs proceeded very slowly and were not completed until 1861.  Then the famous earthquake of May, 4, 1910 destroyed the temple and most of Cartago with it.  In 1912 a commission assembled to design the temple that exists today.  Its construction took 18 years and the temple was completed in 1930.  In the decade of the 70′s the face of the building was reinforced.