Finishing Up In Costa Rica--- Que Rico

It has been way too long since my last post. I have finished my final week in Mastatal. I have been working close to 60 hour weeks with one day off a week and needless to say, very little time or patience for internet surfing on malfunction computers. My Costa Rican address has since expired now that I am headed to Nicaragua for the real test of my skills. I have spent the past three days in San Jose waiting for a bus that has an available seat. I arrived Sunday and will leave tomorrow on the 6 am bus for Managua.

I should have been keeping up with my post and I am sorry for any worry or anxiety that I have caused. I have learned so much in three months that it will take a few posts to provide in detail the extent of the information and skill that has been acquired at this sparkling gem of creativity and community that is tucked away in the mountains of Costa Rica´s Central Pacific valley.

I have learned how and contributed to the building of a composting toilet. I have learned about harvesting and using humanure (the term used to refer to human waste that is composted over time and used for agricultural purposes). This has been an obsession of mine and inspired not only the design of the Nicaragua project but is the primary reason for choosing to complete the intership at the ranch. The resutling compost is barely indistinguishable from the sawdust that is used to help with the process of turning waste into agricultural black gold--- the other kind of black gold that contributes to a healthy and viable ecosystem. There is a lot of discussion in development communities about using humanure for agriculture. From what I have seen and learned on the Ranch, it is an indisposable resource that is so accessible. I dont think I will ever use a flush toilet again--- or at least I will dream of the time spent knowing that my poo did not contaminate or waste one drop of potable water. An unintended benefit of using composting toilets is the opportunities for bird sightings- no reading material is required when you can gaze out upon the jungle that is buzzing and flittering with feathered friends. I have fallen in love with this blue Mot Mot (pictured), as well as countless black, blue and emerald hummingbirds, tocans and orupendulas that frequent this space.

I have been in frequent contact with Engineers without Borders . It is possible that I may be extending my trip in Nicaragua in order to assure that all the pieces of the puzzle align before the building begins. Luckily, I had the chance to spend time with Ben during his two week visit that flew by way to fast.

I came to Costa Rica under the auspices that it would serve a very particular purpose-- a go between the two projects to which I have committed. Never would I have imagined that these special communities, within the Ranch and the local area, would steal my heart, but here I sit in San Jose with a sucking chest wound from where my heart once was.