On Tuesday, we had a field trip with our Spanish class to Sarchi, Costa Rica. This is a place that has a lot of history and culture. One of the most important symbols of Costa Rica is the carreta, or ox cart.
Many years ago, it was used to transport crops. Because a lot of the year is very rainy in Costa Rica, the farmers had to develop a certain kind of wheel that could push through the muddy conditions during the winter (rainy season). They invented a type of wheel that does not have spokes. It is just a solid disc.
The artisans at this time realized that the wheels were a great canvas to paint on. They began painting the ox carts with bright and vibrant colors and very detailed designs. Now, these designs are a very important part of Costa Rican culture.
We got to visit and see how it is all done there. It was really interesting to see the artists at work. We even got to try it out ourselves and paint our own mini wheel. It was a lot harder than it looks, and although all of our didn't turn out exactly how they should have, we now have a very special souvenir from Sarchi.
The artisans today paint much more than the wheels of ox carts. Now they hand-make all kinds of things from wood and paint them with the same design as many years ago. Many tourists buy their products which is very helpful to their economy. My group helped out a little more than we probably should have while we were there :)
On Thursday, my host parents and brother left for the beach so my host sister and I went to San Jose on Friday because there was a festival in town for Semana Santa (Holy Week). It was soo crowded and there was a lot to do!
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