We got to sleep in till 8 am! Breakfast was at Terrazzo del Pacifico for the last time, after which we bid adieu (or rather, Adios) to the beach and Playa Hermosa, and set off to Sarchi—a town en route to our final destination, San Jose. On the way, we stopped at the Crocodile bridge over Tarcoles (it was finally sunny!) and counted about 36 crocodiles below, in the water and on the banks! We soon reached Sarchi, known as "the cradle of Costa Rican handicrafts"—and home to more than 200 of the country's family-owned artisans.
There, we went to the Oxcart Factory, one of the highlights of Sarchi. We learned that the oxcart was very significant to Costa Rican culture--it was one of Costa Rica’s national symbols, and had been used for transporting coffee and then cacao beans for over a century. At the Oxcart Factory, the wheel design had gone through many changes, finally making it lightweight and strong for farmers today. The factory was powered with a water turbine wheel to make electricity—this big wheel could produce 15 Horsepower. After the tour, we were given a tutorial on how to paint an oxcart wheel, and we were given 45 minutes to replicate the wheel with our paints! While we were working, the patrons played live Spanish music with their guitars and harmonicas.
After this new experience, we took our newly painted wheels to lunch, which was a healthy buffet. Finally, we were given time to shop at the Oxcart Factory souvenir store, which was the biggest store for souvenirs in Sarchi. My shopping bag included a brown Jaguars shirt for my brother, and an oxcart Costa Rica magnet. We then drove to a second department souvenir store, also in Sarchi, which had cheaper (but a lesser variety) of souvenirs. I bought a Monteverde magnet there. Then, we drove to San Jose, and checked in to our hotel Villa Tournon. Some interesting things about our last hotel of the trip—the entrance was at ground level, but it was the third floor, and went down! Moreover, there were several paintings inside, giving it a cosmopolitan aspect. After unpacking and relaxing in the room for an hour, we went upstairs for dinner and the folklore evening. At the folklore evening, we saw Costa Rican dancers dance in the styles of the Guanacaste region, Limón region and the Central Valley region. After that, we followed them, and learned a few dance moves. After, we put on our own playlist and danced to American music! We then went to bed, tired from the day’s activities.
There, we went to the Oxcart Factory, one of the highlights of Sarchi. We learned that the oxcart was very significant to Costa Rican culture--it was one of Costa Rica’s national symbols, and had been used for transporting coffee and then cacao beans for over a century. At the Oxcart Factory, the wheel design had gone through many changes, finally making it lightweight and strong for farmers today. The factory was powered with a water turbine wheel to make electricity—this big wheel could produce 15 Horsepower. After the tour, we were given a tutorial on how to paint an oxcart wheel, and we were given 45 minutes to replicate the wheel with our paints! While we were working, the patrons played live Spanish music with their guitars and harmonicas.
After this new experience, we took our newly painted wheels to lunch, which was a healthy buffet. Finally, we were given time to shop at the Oxcart Factory souvenir store, which was the biggest store for souvenirs in Sarchi. My shopping bag included a brown Jaguars shirt for my brother, and an oxcart Costa Rica magnet. We then drove to a second department souvenir store, also in Sarchi, which had cheaper (but a lesser variety) of souvenirs. I bought a Monteverde magnet there. Then, we drove to San Jose, and checked in to our hotel Villa Tournon. Some interesting things about our last hotel of the trip—the entrance was at ground level, but it was the third floor, and went down! Moreover, there were several paintings inside, giving it a cosmopolitan aspect. After unpacking and relaxing in the room for an hour, we went upstairs for dinner and the folklore evening. At the folklore evening, we saw Costa Rican dancers dance in the styles of the Guanacaste region, Limón region and the Central Valley region. After that, we followed them, and learned a few dance moves. After, we put on our own playlist and danced to American music! We then went to bed, tired from the day’s activities.