In 2023, I was blessed with a two week family journey to Costa Rica. I’m trying to figure out when I realized that something was very, very different in the culture of this country. Looking back, I might have taken my cue from the tall Englishman, a farmer, who was returning on his vacation to his beloved Costa Rica. He gushed about the warm people, the food and the land.
I might have picked up some of the clues right in front of me. There was a very limited police presence. I was told by our host that there is no customary tip rate; “just pay whatever feels right to you.” Our AirBNB came with its own industrial-style playground, built by the artist owner. The view of the stars at night were stunning.
I think it really hit home after our encounter with the “stray” dogs. Our first dog visitor followed my daughter and her boyfriend home from their evening stroll into town. He had a sweet face, a polite demeanor and a spirit of adventure. We named him Sam. We didn’t let him into our rental house, fearing fleas or worse. We gave him a bowl of water and he curled up on our porch for the night. In the morning, Sam got leftover eggs and toast for breakfast. We sent a photo to our hostess and she promised to look for the owner.
We headed out to our excursion for the day. When we returned, Sam was gone.
That next evening, another dog followed my daughter and boyfriend home. Upon my interrogation of them, they swore up and down that they did not feed these dogs. This one we called Dusty. We again dutifully sent a photo to our hostess – and I began to wonder if this was a recurring issue in these parts.
After another day of adventure, hiking and eco-tourism, we returned home to find Dusty gone. Our hostess, however, had a report for us. It turns out that Dusty’s owner had been looking all over for him and now they were reunited. Sam, it seems, has been adopted repeatedly by families throughout the town. But Sam never stays put. He prefers the streets, she relayed.
I started to notice that dogs outnumbered cats by at least 50 to 1. Some had collars, most did not. They roamed along the edges of streets and laid spread out on driveways, porches or sidewalks.
Then I noticed something else.
There wasn’t any roadkill.
There were, however, several 3 legged dogs. It seemed that this was a side effect of their free roaming spirit.
I learned that Costa Rica did not have a military. Abolished in 1949, the government has set priorities on strong academic and vocational educational support, universal healthcare, social security, ecological conservation efforts and the development of a free trade zone. See this article for an overview of these key policies.
Its kind of amazing what a country can accomplish when they don’t have to support a military.
Small school houses dotted the rural landscape in the mountains. National curriculums are delivered over the radio for even more remote areas.
I noticed that people seemed content. There was little evidence of homelessness.
Costa Rica is a big destination for eco-tourism. They do not disappoint. Knowledgeable guides are available throughout the country to help you experience and learn about the rich, dense biodiversity of the jungle, rivers and coastal regions of this beautiful country.
A sloth viewed from our guide’s telescopic camera
For example, before heading out on a white water rafting adventure, our briefing included instructions on how to process the food on our tray – separating into returnable utensils, compostable items and recyclable items. They made it clear that you were expected to follow this process so we would minimize the impact we had as we enjoyed the bounty of the wild river.
One day, I noticed that the people walking in the street (and there were many) did not carry anything in their hands. No phones. No coffee cups. No sandwich to be gobbled down later. People simply moved from point A to point B, attending to the business at hand.
In short, there was a harmony in this place. Between government and the people, between neighbors, between people and animals, between every living thing.
The motto repeated throughout the country is “Pura Vida” (Pure Life!). It is a greeting, a good bye and a way of meeting life in harmony. I did not know such a culture was possible in today’s world.
Today, Costa Rica is a popular destination to relocate to. I can understand why.
My big takeaway though was not thinking about moving to this beautiful country with a harmonious culture. I wondered how we might create aspects of this culture right where we live. Can we reprioritize where we spend our money? Can we bring the environment to the forefront of our cultural awareness? Can we drop our phones, coffee cups and sandwiches to be present in this very moment?
For me, it is worth a try.