Poas and Sarchi

Late in the week, students traveled to the National Park of Volcán Poás, situated in the cloud forests of Costa Rica. Poás, reaching 2708 meters above sea level, is a gigantic volcano with a 40-year active cycle. One of its crater spans 1.5 kilometers and contains a greenish sulfuric lake, while another displays a glistening mountain laguna.

During the visit, one SST group member donning a GC sweatshirt was approached by a Costa Rican who had worked with a former SSTer in the small town of Zarcero. Then later she also met a Honduran who had just visited the Goshen area the previous week and was well acquainted with several Honduran GC graduates! GC connections remain alive and well in Central America.

• Eliot, Kimberly, Rachel, Alison, Hannah, Leah, Corey, and Launa above the laguna.
• View of the laguna.

Following a picnic in the park, SSTers headed for the mountain town of Sarchí, known for its many artisans.

Using scraps of hardwoods native to Costa Rica, artist David Gonzalez (seen here with Eliot) captures the "essence of movement" in his sculptures of human figures.

A second stop in Sarchí was at the shop of several oxcart painters. Before the automobile, oxcarts were the primary means of transporting coffee beans and other produce. Families decorated their carts to distinguish them, resulting in a tradition of artisan oxcart painters in the area around Sarchí. This was followed by competitions for the most beautifully decorated oxcarts. Our informant about the tradition was don Chaverri, a third generation oxcart painter (seen painting a chair, with Andrea).

• Sarah C. and Sara A. observe the work of an oxcart painter.