A Natural Costa Rica

Post by GuillermoG

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If someone were to ask me, “What is the one thing that most impresses me about Costa Rica,” I’d have to say something like: the sheer force of Nature. It’s in this small country (which along with Panama makes up part of the weakest link in all (3) of the Americas), where I’ve come to really feel the awesome force of Nature, in its element, in all its magnitude. And this, coming from someone who’s been to the highest point in Venezuela (over 5,007 meters / 16,427 feet high). This is a country made up of a small expanse of land in the middle of two immense oceans, where the winds from North America travel down, come together and meet up with the winds coming up from the Pacific.

From the electrical discharges caused by the rainy storms of the Costa Rican winter season (April through November), which can tally up to over a thousand electrical discharges; to the constant seismic movements of the land, and last but not least, the intense volcanic activity; these are just three powerful ways of the many in which Nature prevails here and shows its presence throughout the country. These lands possess more or less around 5 percent of the planet’s biodiversity, as well as important water reserves.

I’d describe this place as a small Pandora’s Box which contains within it the natural phenomenon known as “El Niño,” – capable of producing tremors and shakes of up to 6.5 on the Richter scale, the latest one having been registered a year ago at the foot of the Poás Volcano. This Pandora’s Box also houses astonishing (in size) volcanoes, like the impressive Turrialba or the Arenal- both colossal works of nature reaching 3,000 meters (9,842 feet approximately) in height.

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The Turrialba Volcano has a twin, the Irazu Volcano and both are located in the Turrialba National Park. It was precisely this volcano, the Turrialba, which surprised the whole country last Thursday with not one, but two eruptions of moderate intensities and ash emissions that reached populated areas more than 20kms (12 miles) away from the volcano’s crater. One of these being the village of Tres Rios (Three Rivers)- part of the province of Cartago (and also where my home is)- located 27km (16 miles) away from the volcano.

The authorities immediately and without doubt, placed the whole region on a green level alert (preventative level). Soon after they discovered a new crater formation more than 100 meters (328 feet) in length and changed the alert to level yellow (probable eruption), and evacuated all the residents and domesticated animals (the area is high in dairy production) located within the first ring of preventative activity- meaning all those located withing a 2km (1.2 mile) radius of the crater. However, the strong winds brought down by the northern cold fronts, made sure to spread out the ashes and gas emissions as far as 13km (8 miles) away. It should be noted, that this volcano had resumed activity in 2005 (fairly recent), after 145 years of silence.

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Although this region has so much volcanic activity, the Province of Cartago- where the Turrialba canton is located- has many other iconic tourist destinations that can and should be visited, without fear of being affected by any unprecedented volcanic emergency.

Orosi, with its thermal waters, the Ruins of Ujarras and the Church of Cartago, was the first capital of the Republic but was destroyed in two separate occasions by intense earthquakes. There’s the Basilica of la Virgen de los Angeles- also known as “la Negrita,” the patron saint of Costa Rica. This basilica is the ultimate destination for one of the biggest manifestations of faith in Central America. The Romeria occurs every 31^st of August and mobilizes the whole country as well as a good part of Nicaragua and Panama into a sort of pilgrimage towards the temple. This year 2010 it’ll be the center for a very special event that will take place. Good times!

Imágenes: Blog Destinia, Transtusacr

Tags Bloglaxia: Tourism Travel Costa Rica Nature