Sunny Costa Rica ~ The Power of the Sun over our Lives

Do you remember the first sunset you ever saw in your life?

Do you remember the sunrise caressing your eyes while waking up on your first vacation day at the beach?

Do you remember the most romantic sunset you ever experienced?
 

And… what about that unbelievable sunrise infusing you with an energetic feeling within yourself?
  

I believe every one of us has had at least one extraordinary experience involving a sunrise or a sunset. I also believe each one of us has a different perception of the sun and its powers, what I think is undeniable is the powerful effect the sun has over our lives and every living being on earth.

Since we moved to Costa Rica, almost without noticing I started to develop a deep

appreciation for the beauty of nature and everything under the sun. I have learned to see life from a different perspective, and perceive nature not only with my eyes but also with all my senses.  

For years, I have heard that people who live closer to nature do not suffer depression, or at least, they experience less depression than people living in highly structured environments do. 

I believe there is an element of truth in that statement, perhaps…

·        There is a deeper connection to life as a result of admiring the beauty of creation.

·        Experiencing a sunset or a sunrise makes the soul happy, influencing the well-being of the body.

·        The nervous system becomes relaxed when we take the time to experience nature, absorbing the energy gifted by the sun.

·       Connecting with nature allows the living energy to penetrate our mind, helping to dissolve negative emotions and depressive thought forms; resulting in a renewed happiness that will carry us through the day.  

Don’t you feel more alive when you can see the sun outside your window?

Our human nature requires the energy of the sun to move forward; we need to see its light, and we want to feel its energy as well as processing its power to support many of our daily activities.

In our little corner of paradise, when the sun shows its dazzling face, everything and everyone comes out to play, the hummingbirds, the squirrels, the monkeys, the butterflies; everyone is out there to share another beautiful day; it is up to us to join that energy.

Becoming one with nature is an easy thing to do when living in a tropical place like Costa Ballena, Costa Rica.

To benefit from nature’s energy; we can practice several enjoyable activities:

We can go to the beach and take the time to ‘listen’ the powerful ocean waves carrying the sounds of the sea-creatures, making us feel part of life with them.

We can walk barefoot on the beach and feel the sand tickling our toes, feeling every grain of sand and the life within it, letting all the energy run through our body.

We can also go to the river, and let the water run through our body or at least through our feet; it helps to balance the feelings, the thoughts, and the perceptions we may have around specific issues.

Drawing energy from the earth in whatever shape or form,

helps to strengthen our body and mind. That is something many indigenous cultures have used consciously as a powerful source of life. http://www.sheknows.com/health-and-wellness/articles/831035/6-ways-nature-can-boost-your-mood

The sun is the oldest and outmost universal theme

connecting the ancient wisdom traditions of the world, and yet its deeper meaning has continued to elude our modern and technologically oriented society.

We know the mind is a complex mechanism; according to some scientist, 40% of the human brain is devoted to processing vision, and for that to happen, the color spectrum is a vital component. Color attracts attention, sets the mood, and brings forth emotions. Color is influenced by wavelengths of light captured by the eye, and that light often than comes from the sun. http://www.ehow.com/info_8433029_factors-affect-intensity-color.html#ixzz2xtEMrqrI

Try to imagine life without the sun illuminating your days... It would not be the same!

Let’s enjoy every sunny day and benefit from the powerful gift of warmness, light, and life.

Recently, I stumbled upon the following description by Fr. Richard Rohr of what three different men saw in a sunset while standing by the ocean.

It made a profound impression me, and I want to share it with you.

One man saw the immense physical beauty and enjoyed the event in itself. This man was the "sensate" type who, like 80 percent of the world, deals with what he can see, feel, touch, move, and fix. This was enough reality for him, for he had little interest in larger ideas, intuitions, or the grand scheme of things. He saw with his first eye, which was good.

 

A second man saw the sunset. He enjoyed all the beauty that the first man did. Like all lovers of coherent thought, technology, and science, he also enjoyed his power to make sense of the universe and explain what he discovered. He thought about the cyclical rotations of planets and stars. Through imagination, intuition, and reason, he saw with his second eye, which was even better.

 

The third man saw the sunset, knowing and enjoying all that the first and the second men did. But in his ability to progress from seeing to explaining to "tasting," he also remained in awe before an underlying mystery, coherence, and spaciousness that connected him with everything else. He used his third eye, which is the full goal of all seeing and all knowing. This was the best.

 

It would be wonderful if the next time you come to visit Costa Rica, you have the opportunity of experiencing the full connection of your being with the enormous power of the sun, whether a sunrise, a sunset, or just its powerful light.

 

 

 

Going Bananas or Going for… the Bananas…

Bananas are one of the oldest fruits known to man.

They are wonderful snacks made of sweet-creamy flesh; they come prepackaged in individual yellow jackets, and they are available all year–round almost every were in the world.

Some horticulturists have placed the banana’s origin in Southeast Asia, in the jungles of Malaysia, Indonesia, or the Philippines, where they have been growing since the year 500 BC.

Furthermore, some people give credit for the current name to the Arab world, apparently because the word banana derived from the Arab word ‘banan’ that means “finger.” 

Whether this is true or only an interesting piece of trivia, the fact is that “Bananas” have become the most popular fruit in the world.

They are an essential source of income and employment for many households, as well as being a great source of nutrition and job security for more than 400 million people in producer countries.  http://www.bananalink.org.uk/all-about-bananas

Most bananas are grown for export on large plantations in Latin America an increasingly in Africa.

Some of the big producers are:

Brasil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe & Martinique, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ghana.

The countries mentioned above are producers for the five international companies controlling the banana trade worldwide.

Now that U.S. banana producer Chiquita Brands International and Ireland’s Fyffes have agreed to merge, they will create the world’s largest banana company, displacing Dole from the No. 1 spot. (New York CNNMoney)

It has been said that the new company will continue listed on the New York Stock Exchange, but will have its legal headquarter in Ireland with the purpose of taking advantage of tax savings.

The deal is expected to go through this year. Even though it will be subject to review by U.S. and European regulators, it is unlikely to find any problem in the process.

This new deal between Chiquita and Fyffes certainly will represent changes for the producers worldwide, hopefully those changes will benefit the people working in the banana plantations around the world; they deserve to receive a fair treatment in exchange for the delicious bananas they produce with such hard work.

In Costa Rica is easy to ignore the controversy around the monopoly of banana trade, simply because this wonderful and tasty fruit can be grown almost in every house. In rural areas is common to see lots of banana plants growing wild along the roads, they feed anyone wanting to take the fruits as well as the monkeys in the area.

Bananas are fast-growing herbaceous perennials arising from underground rhizomes. The fleshy stalks formed by upright concentric layers of leaf sheaths constitute the functional trunks.

The true stem begins as an underground bulb, which grows upwards, pushing its way out through the center of the stalk, somewhere around 12 months after being planted, eventually produces the terminal “inflorescence” or group of flowers arranged on a stem, which will later bear the fruit. Each stalk produces one huge flower cluster and then dies. http://www.tropicamango.com/banana.html

The banana plant grows 10 to 26 feet in height and belongs to the family Musaceae. The banana fruit grows in clusters of 50 to 150, with individual fruits grouped in bunches of 10 to 25, and they are known as “hands.”

Bananas abound in many edible varieties, all of them falling into two distinct species: the sweet banana (Musa sapient, Musa nana) and the plantain banana (Musa paradisiacal). Sweet bananas come in different sizes and colors, and their names vary according to the specific region. The following link shows an interesting list of names.

http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/nelsons/banana/BananaSynonymsHawaii.pdf
 

When we think of sweet bananas, what usually comes to mind is the yellow-jacketed banana; however, there are others with outfits going from pink, red, purple, and even black tones when ripe. Each color carries a particular flavor and texture.

The yellow bananas are known as Cavendish, they are long, and the flesh is  creamy and sweet.

Red bananas are known in the US as Cuban Red, among other names, they are shorter and chubbier than the Cavendish; their skin is softer, they have a core and seeds, sweet and delicious with a light raspberry-apple flavor. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_banana

Apple-silk bananas are chunkier and thicker than regular bananas; the skin has a pale gold color. These bananas are sweeter when their skins begin to blacken or even become very black.

Minis are the variety of banana half the size of an average one; their skin is thinner and when the tips are still green, they have a tangy taste; however, when the peel is covered with specks, they are sweeter than any other banana, at that point it is easier to peel them from the bottom.

Plantains are a member of the banana family.

They are firm, low in sugar, and starchy; they are used in savory dishes, sometimes as a substitute of potato. It has to be cooked before serving because it is uneatable when raw. It is commonly fried or baked; either way is excellent as a side dish or dessert.

They have a higher beta-carotene concentration than most sweet bananas.

 

Plantains are considered more a vegetable than a fruit.

This vegetable-banana has a different taste at every stage of development, for example, when the peel goes from green to yellow, the flavor of the flesh is bland, and its texture is starchy. As the peel changes to brown or black, the flesh becomes sweeter and the aroma and flavor are more like the banana. Even when they are very ripe, they never lose the firmness of the flesh, which makes them always easy to cook.

Bananas are good for your health

Bananas are a very good source of vitamin B-6 and an excellent source of manganese, vitamin C, potassium, biotin, fiber, and Cooper. 

Cardiovascular protection is one of the gifts from the bananas; the content of potassium in an average banana is 400-plus mg and only one mg of sodium; this daily dosage can help to prevent high blood pressure and protect against atherosclerosis.

Bananas have been known for their antacid effects that protect against stomach ulcers and ulcer damage.

Bananas help to nourish probiotic (friendly) bacteria in the colon; that beneficial bacteria produces vitamins and digestive enzymes that improve the ability to absorb nutrients; some studies suggest they also help to decrease the risk of colon cancer.

Bananas are also a great way to prevent osteoporosis, eating them frequently can improve your body’s ability to absorb calcium properly.

Wherever you are in the world; most likely, you have enjoyed the sweet and soothing taste of the bananas. They are awesome, aren’t they?

Instead going bananas, I decided to go for the bananas, and I hope you do it too, they are a versatile fruit, you can have a banana smoothie, bake them into banana bread or banana muffins, bananas flambé are delicious, and... think about a banana cream pie, and doesn’t it sound scrumptious?

When you come to Costa Rica, you will have the banana experience, bananas everywhere, all kinds, colors, and shapes.

You will find them in beverages, main dishes, desserts, snack, and of course, just hanging in there in their yellow jackets by the road, welcoming you to their tropical paradise.

What a gift from mother nature!
 

Why is Costa Rica so Special?

Whether you come for a vacation, or you decide to move here permanently, Costa Rica will be the gateway to help you find yourself within a new reality.
 

There are many reasons why people choose Costa Rica as a vacation spot or as a new

home base. Some of the most common are: the natural beauty, the lower levels ofpollutions in the coastal areas, the informal lifestyle, and the way Ticos seem to live in present time, all the time.

This “Living in Present Time” is a concept that many of us consider a great spiritual achievement after years and years of inner work.

For Ticos, living today is all there is; tomorrow, well, God will tell.
 

For many of us, being in close contact with nature help us to open up to the world we always wanted and could not experience, mainly because of the work and social pressures. Here, we can relax, put aside those stereotypes that have been ruling our lives for so many years, and start being the amazing selves that we are. It may sound unbelievable, but the energy provided by nature in every one of its forms, is a propeller that will set you awakening in motion.

Costa Rica is often referred as the Switzerland of Central America, this description seems to apply to the sheer natural beauty of the country, and not to the overall development; reason why some people think it is only a cute slogan in a postcard. In the beginning of the 20^th century, that slogan was an optimistic caricature of a country with some sort of democracy and widespread poverty; however, in the second half of the century, the country started to live up to that image; the slogan in the postcard became more tangible and real. The country started showing a sustained economic growth, opening the path to a strong middle class and more generous social welfare, which benefited a great majority.

With economic changes, social changes followed. More women entered the workforce, the divorce rate increased, and family size shrunk. A large number of Ticos now, are seeking higher education, and they are doing it right here in their country, which means; the system is improving.  

Such an accelerated growth has been great for the country, but at the same time, has created a gap in the roots and values of the new generations; they have been drifting and detaching from the ancestral beliefs and traditions, mirroring more and more the ever-increasing foreign population.

The traces of the indigenous civilization have been fading in the process.
Until recently, Ticos have shown little interest in their lineage; however, it seems, at least to me, that there is some renewed interest in the cultural origins, both by Ticos and foreign residents.

Humans have inhabited the rain forest of Costa Rica for about 10,000 years, and the region served as an intersection for America’s native cultures; however, the knowledge of these pre-Columbian cultures is very scant in the minds of Ticos. Perhaps, because the remains of lost civilizations were washed away by torrential rains, and no one took the time to pass through the generations the indigenous heritage.

A little bit of history tells us that Christopher Columbus, during his fourth and final voyage to the New World, in 1502, was forced to drop anchor in Puerto Limón after a hurricane damaged the ship. While waiting for the repairs, he met the friendly natives and exchange precious gifts. He returned expressing his amazement with the amount of gold he saw in what he considered a “rich coast,” that belief prompted him to give the region the name of “Costa Rica."

After his death in 1506, Columbus descendants visited the area and found out that it wasn’t abundant, and the natives were not so friendly. Then, during 1513, the intercontinental germ warfare cause outbreaks of deadly fever. Spaniards finally decided to leave the area after they noticed the scarcity of gold and other minerals.

In 1560, a Spanish colony was established in Cartago with the purpose of cultivating the rich volcanic soil of the Central Valley. Costa Rica's mainly focused on agriculture, growing corn, beans, and plantains, also producing sugar, cacao, and tobacco. By 1821, the Central America colonies declared independence; however, Costa Rica, being a little laid back, learned of its liberation a month after the fact.

Costa Rica kept moving forward at a very comfortable pace; by the 1840s, the country was able to send several hundred sacks of coffee to London; this was the beginning of a great relationship. The Costa Rican coffee was embraced with extreme enthusiasm creating a wonderful boom.

The coffee-trade, spontaneously gave bird to the banana boom.

As the story goes, to be able to get the coffee out to the world markets, it was necessary to build a railroad to link the high lands with the Port of Limón, located in the east coast of the country. The project started, but the insufficient funds turned it into a disaster, the contractor, Minor Keith, started to grow banana plants along the tracks as a cheap source of food for the workers. In a desperate move to recover his investment, he shipped some bananas to New Orleans with the hope of starting a side venture.
His ideas became a moneymaker. By the beginning of the 20^th century, the banana export surpassed the coffee industry, unfortunately; great percentages of the profits from this venture were exported together with the bananas. Keith associated with another American importer to found the well-known United Fruit Company (Chiquita); it became an empire; they imported labor from Jamaica, and this move also changed the country’s ethnic complexion, provoking racial tensions.
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/costa-rica/history

In 1913, the blight attacked the banana plantations, and the whole industry relocated to the Pacific coast. By the 1940s that United Fruit Company, had been heavily invested in the banana production when the banana blight reached the Pacific coast, so it became urgent to come up with an alternative crop to save the company.

The African palm turned out to be a very profitable choice. By the 1970s, the palm oil production was in full swing in the Quepos area, and by 1995, the 'United Fruit Era' ended, after being sold to a local-private investor known as Palma Tica. http://ecopreservationsociety.wordpress.com/2008/01/29/a-brief-hisory-of-african-palm-production-in-costa-rica/

Costa Rica embarked in a green revolution somewhere around 1975, and became stronger a little bit at the time, by 1999, more than a million tourists visited Costa Rica, and the numbers continue soaring every year.

People come to Costa Rica for many different reasons. Some come because it is a beautiful topical place, others, because it is a cheap place to visit, others, because they can hide from the emotional noise from the big cities in the world, and some others because being in close proximity with the elements allows them the possibility of a further development and awakening.

Since we know that happiness and well-being is an inside job, it really helps to choose an environment that promotes and nourishes the fertile grounds for further physical, emotional, and spiritual flourishing.

If you have had any interest in visiting Costa Rica, I would suggest that you follow your intuition. It will help to open-up a new world of possibilities for you.

After over eight years of living in this country, I still find it full of surprising gifts that keep paving the road for my continuous growth.

It has been a wordy endeavor, and I believe you too, will find the precious present in this country.