In English 1

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April 11, 2006

Hello everybody!
How are you? It has been a while since I wrote the last mail in English, so I have to briefly update you. Some of you already know about my situation, but for the others…I am in Costa Rica!
I was in France studying a master’s programme on sustainable development and tourism. A month ago, I left Grenoble in order to do an internship (after this I´ll be done with studies for a while) here in San José.
I am working for the Costa Rican association for community-based ecotourism. My mission consists in doing the follow-up of a plan which aim is to improve the quality of tourism structures in terms of sustainability. 26 different lodges belong to ACTUAR, and they’ve all been created by local people.
In Costa Rica there are two major organizations in charge of evaluating the lodges; 1) Rainforest Alliance; 2) ICT (Costa Rican tourism institute). The first one is mainly focused on environmental sustainability, and the second, since the government is now giving more importance to community-based tourism, is focused on social sustainability. However, both of them include among the criteria for being sustainable, many requirements that involve lots of money, such as water pumps, filters, renewable energy equipment, whatever switches…etc. (I wonder, did they understand what the community-based experience was about?)
Therefore, my job is to apply what they say to the reality of the communities (and their budget). I have already met people from Rainforest Alliance, and it was interesting to see how they work. I will be meeting the government guys (ICT) on the 19th, and I have to get loads of work done for then so I can see how they like it. Although Rainforest Alliance tries to help structures giving their opinion, here in Costa Rica is the ICT who is in charge of giving sustainable tourism labels (the only country in the world doing that). I am very lucky that they are going to orientate me.
Ok, ok, I know I am boring. Just one last thing related to work and then I´ll start with the animals.
Last week they’ve proposed me to update the community based tourism guide for Costa Rica. Some guy from the NU Small Grants Programme thought I could do it, and of course I said Yeeees! It will be the 3rd edition. =)
Since I arrived I have travelled quite a lot (sometimes with work, others with friends). This country is absolutely amazing in what refers to nature and wildlife. I’ve been to the Pacific coast twice. In Uvita, I saw the most beautiful beach I had never seen before. And in Santa Teresa, I saw the bigger waves I had never seen, and I even went surfing! (well, you know…I rented a long board and went to play with the foams learning how to stand up…=). I’ve also been to different biological reserves lost in the mountains, where they had a hanging bridge over a waterfall, and lots of rivers. And…the last trip was this weekend; we went to Cahuita, in the Caribbean side, rasta atmosphere.
We were hiking in this National Park at Cahuita and we were attacked by whiteface monkeys! They stole the watermelon we were eating while watching the sunset, and they didn´t steal anything else ‘cos luckily we grabbed our bags before they could. What a crazy experience in the middle of the jungle…
I have seen sloths and some congos as well, toucans, turtles, butterflies, 10.000 kinds of amazing birds, and even a humpback whale! Not to mention the amount of incredible flowers, trees and…insects. (yaaak)
Well, I gotta go now. I recommend you to check out the pictures on the rest of entries, and most important, I remind you that you are more than welcome to come and visit if you feel like it. I’ll be here until the 17th of august. My phone numbers are [phone] (9a.m. to 18p.m) or [phone] (home).
Please give some news back. Take care.
Virginia xxxx

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