Not all Costa Ricans Speak English

I've noticed lately that U.S. and Canadian visitors to Costa Rica, even long term residents of the Puerto Viejo area, are actually getting angry at Ticos for not speaking their language—English. It's true that many people speak a little English and it is easy to live here for years and not learn much Spanish, especially in this area with its many speakers of patois; but the very least a person can do is recognize that they are the ones speaking a foreign language, not the Ticos. I can only presume that these are the same people who want English to be the official language of the U.S.

A few examples:

Recently I was in ATEC, in my office in the back, and I overheard someone talking to one of the cashiers about coming back tomorrow to pick up a job she needed done. This person was speaking in English to the Spanish-speaking cashier and I could hear that she was very upset that she wasn't being understood. This is a person who has lived here for years. She hasn't learned the word mañana? She then came to me to explain what she needed done and something to the effect of, "I don't know why she doesn't understand me!"

Another person recently moved here and owns a business. This well-intentioned person wants ATEC to provide a translator for community meetings, such as the upcoming meeting about the marina. This is already a sore subject with the local government because they think it is a bunch of foreign activists who want to stop the marina project.

A tourist recently told me about watching another Canadian tourist get angry at a guy selling snacks on the bus because he couldn't understand that the guy didn't have change for the large bill he was giving him. The first tourist, who spoke some Spanish, had to ask him to "simmer down" and realize where he was.

I'm not saying don't come to Costa Rica if you don't speak Spanish. My own Spanish still needs a lot of work. All I'm saying is be aware that Spanish is the language of Costa Rica. It seems obvious, but apparently it is not for some people.

Pura vida.

Clean Ocean Big Water Paddle Board Race

Saturday I went with Alaine, Paul and Tirza for a protest against the building of a marina in Puerto Viejo. This proposed 400 slip marina would likely disrupt Cahuita National Park, Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge and surf spots in Cocles and Puerto Viejo. The protest took the form of a race with the participants paddling their surfboards from Beach Break in Cocles to the bus stop in Puerto Viejo, not far from Salsa Brava, Puerto Viejo's most famous surf break.

Team ATEC

Since none of us are surfers, we decided to participate by kayaking the race route. We signed up for the race as "Team ATEC" and biked to Puerto Viejo and rented kayaks. Rather than try to put in in the heavy surf at Beach Break, we decided to start in Puerto Viejo, kayak to Beach Break and just float out there beyond the breakers and wait for the race. We were well-provisioned with several large bottles of water, sunblock, 10 cold beers, a half-liter water bottle filled with Flor de Caña rum, and some snacks.

Going out

Tirza

The kayak rental guys pointed out a channel where we could safely get the kayaks out with getting pounded by a wave. Paul and I led the way and Alaine and Tirza followed. Once we were well clear of the breaking waves, we decided to celebrate with a beer. We had to to go out really far before we could start heading east towards Cocles in order to avoid Salsa Brava. It was about 45 minutes before we all arrived at Beach Break, but we were traveling slowly because of a couple of equipment problems and Paul stopping to take pictures.

The Race

Me in front, Tirza behind the boat, getting ready to get in

Once we got to Beach Break Tirza started feeling seasick. There was a rescue boat there so Paul helped get Tirza and her kayak into the boat. We could hear the PA system on the beach but it was hard for us to make out what was going on finally we heard an announcement that the race would start at 3:30, 1 and a half hours late. Once we saw the surfers paddling near us we started heading back to Puerto Viejo. I was surprised that they were going almost as fast as I was in my kayak. There were two kids on one board who wanted to have me pull them, but they tried to hold on to the side and I couldn't paddle. I suggested they hold on to the back but they decided to go it alone. Later the younger boy climbed into the back cargo area of Paul's kayak and Paul carried him the rest of the way in. A couple of people were wanting water so I shared mine with them. The second guy that I gave water to said he was really tired so I said maybe he should get in the boat, which he did.

Kid getting ready to climb into Paul's Kayak

I finally caught up to Alaine where she was waiting before going back to land. We couldn't tell exactly where the channel was from the different angle so we just headed in hoping it would become clear once we got closer. I got caught by a couple small waves but was able to keep the kayak upright. The waves carried me most of the way in. Alaine flipped over on the reef and got little scraped up. I didn't realize it because she was behind me. Paul was already on land and had shoes on, so he walked out on the reef and helped Alaine get back and I paddled back out and got her oar.

Alaine was OK and we returned the kayaks and stayed for part of the post-race ceremony but we had to go home early. Yesterday Alaine saw the race organizer on the road and she gave Alaine a trophy for second place. Tirza got a first place trophy but we don't know why. It's funny because we never were in the race to win.