Day 19: Thursday, July 3 - Returning to USA

All of the students left for the airport and their flights back home. By now (this is being written on July 4th), everyone has presumably arrived home safely, filled with memories of this once in a lifetime experience.


PS Happy Fourth of July

Day 18: Wednesday, July 2 - Manuel Antonio to Alajuela

We had a nice ride to our final stop for this course. The rain held up until after we arrived at the hotel and had time to bring our luggage to our rooms. We will have a class meeting in a little while and then our farewell dinner together here at the Orquideas Inn.

Sorry that there are no new pictures posted. Again, a very slow connection.

That´s all for now.

Days 16 and 17: Monday, June 30 and Tuesday, July 1 - Quepos and Manuel Antonio

[This is an excruciatingly slow internet connection, so two days are combined to minimize the pain. No photos will be posted, as it would take forever. Sorry.]

On Monday morning we moved closer to the beach and the park entrance. Some of us went to Quepos to do banking, buy food, eat lunch, or simply explore this once thriving city. It used to be the main port for shipping bananas, but when that stopped, the city went downhill. A new marina, owned by an American developer and in the works for over nine years, is being "sold" as the city's savior. We'll see.

All of us went out for dinner together. First we went to El Avion, a restaurant constructed in part from an old, military cargo plane. Due to a long wait, we walked 300 meters - it seems like everything is 300 meters away - to a "sister" restaurant containing an old railroad car. Not as exciting or unique, but no wait.

Today some of us went boogie boarding at the big beach while others headed back to the national park to swim or hike or both. One hike lead to a beautiful waterfall, while another took us high up on the peninsula, which juts out into the ocean. The wildlife was out in force after a day off - the park is closed on Mondays - and we saw many white-faced monkeys, including a baby riding on its parent's back, a few large iguanas, some smaller lizards, a couple of sloths, and a cat-sized, rodent-like animal.

Tomorrow is the last full day in Costa Rica. We will head for Alajuela, our jumping-off point for the airport.

Day 15: Sunday, June 29 - Quepos/Manuel Antonio

Yesterday we did some combination of a variety of things: explored Quepos or Manuel Antonio or both, relaxed in or around the pool at our hotel, or sat on the balcony and read.

Today all of us went to Manuel Antonio National Park. We hiked for about twenty-five minutes until we came across a beautiful white sand beach at the edge of the rain forest. The water was a perfect temperature, enabling us to comfortably wade right in. Being in somewhat of bay, this is not a surfing beach and it had just the right size waves to enjoy.

A family of three white-faced monkeys put on quite a show in some trees at the edge of the beach. We also saw iguanas, a sloth, and a variety of crabs.

After being there for a couple of hours and while trying to decide which trail to take next, true to its name, it began began to rain. We took the shortest route out and took taxis or a public bus back to our hotel.

Tomorrow, we will be moving to a hotel right across from the beach and adjacent to the entrance to the national park. Here is the contact information:

Hotel Manuel Antonio
506 2777-1237 or 506 2777-1351
hotelmanuelantonio@racsa.co.cr

I am not sure about internet access at that hotel, so don't be surprised if there are no new entries until we arrive on late Wednesday afternoon at the Orquideas Inn in Alajuela as previously planned.

Day 13: Friday, June 27 - From San Jose to Quepos/Manuel Antonio

This morning we loaded all of our luggage on our van and headed out of San Jose for the mid-Pacific coast. As with our trip to Monteverde, we drove through lush, green mountains and valleys before reaching the ocean. After lunch at a roadside restaurant on the shore, we continued along the coast to our hotel.

We will be here until at least Monday morning and have not yet decided whether we will spend an additional two nights here or head back up the coast to Jaco for two nights. I'll post our plans when they are firm.

Tomorrow we'll probably relax at the beach, hike in Manuel Antonio National Park, some combination of both, or maybe something else.

Reminder, the phone number of our hotel is 506 2777- 0119.

As access to the internet is limited, this blog might not be updated until Sunday.

Hasta luego.

Day 12: Thursday, June 26 - In and around San Jose

We had some very interesting experiences today. Having seen mostly the "regular" part of San Jose, we wanted to see how the "other half" lives. We headed for Rohrmoser, the part of San Jose where the U.S. embassy, as well as the equivalent of the White House, are located. The former seemed to be much more fortified and had much more visible security. In fact, we were not even allowed to take any pictures of the embassy, according to the guards, who were all Costa Ricans, out in front.

Next, we drove through a nearby residential neighborhood and to our surprise, our driver stopped the van and parked in front of a house. (Actually, he parked first and then stopped the van.) He beckoned us to come inside to see . . . a cigar factory. There we found four or five workers sitting in a room rolling cigars. For all practical purposes, these are Cuban cigars as that is where the tobacco comes from. However, since they are made in CR, they are labeled as such and are therefore, supposedly, legal to import into the U.S.

While not directly related to the apparel industry, we were able to compare the hourly wage (much higher) and the working conditions (about the same) of the cigar workers to the apparel workers.

We then drove by the residence of the U.S. ambassador. Our driver told us that the large condominium project across the street and uphill from the ambassador's house was totally vacant because our government bought it to prevent it being used to spy on or do harm to the ambassador.

A little further on and we stopped at the Multi-Plaza mall in Escazu, a wealthy suburb of San Jose, to compare prices and products to those we had seen in downtown SanJose. As with most malls today, there were few clues to let you know what country you were in.

After shopping and lunch at the mall, we drove around Escazu to see some of the homes of mostly wealthy Americans and some Europeans. Except for the relatively low prices, according to our driver, the homes could have been in any number of gated communities back in the U.S., including the proximity of one home to another.

Our day concluded with the last of the book reports and a lively discussion of what we have all seen and learned about the garment industry across time and space.

Tomorrow we head for the beautiful beaches and tropical rainforest by-the-sea National Park, Manuel Antonio. Note that this is a change from the itinerary published on the course website and that the correct phone number for our hotel is 506 2777- 0119.

Day 11: Wednesday, June 25 - San Jose

Due to circumstances beyond our control, we had to cancel the trip to Alto Laguna, so we decided to spend the next two days in San Jose. Today, in various combinations of students and faculty, we visited the Museum of Gold, the Jade Museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Art. They were all very interesting and informative.

Day 10: Tuesday, June 24 - Visit to Amoena in Heredia

This morning we headed out to the Amoena factory in Heredia, outside of San Jose. This company makes bras and swimsuits for women who have had mastectomies. You may recall that one of the student presentations at UCreativa, the Pink Rose project, was related to this company.

Once again, we learned about the labor conditions and had a tour of the factory. Both were conducted by Jorge Montero, Production Manager. This factory is air conditioned and had music playing throughout the shop floor. Our visit concluded with refreshments and the opportunity to ask questions.

The remainder of the afternoon was free time. Various people went to the bank, a museum, or did some shopping or simply took it easy. Later we gathered for book report discussions.

Because there will not be internet access during the trip to Palmar Norte and Alto Laguna on Wednesday and Thursday, this blog may not be updated until late Friday afternoon from Manuel Antonio. Please note that there is a typo on the itinerary posted on the course website. The correct number of hotel El Mirador del Pacifico is 506 2777- 0119.

Day 9: Monday, June 23 - Visit to Bor Kar

Today we were joined by some of our new friends from UCreativa for a visit to the Bor Kar factory in San Pedro de Poas, about an hour and a half northwest of San Jose. We were greeted by Michael Borg, the president of BorKar and one of its principle owners. While Mr. Borg talked to us about the history of Bor Kar, including what it produces, its labor practices, the expected - and hoped-for - benefitsof CAFTA, and much more, we were treated to pastries, fruit, and a variety of beverages. Following a lively question and answer session, we toured the floor of the factory. What we found was much more similar to the working conditions we had seen at American Apparel in Los Angeles and significantly different from the sweatshops we had seen there. Then it was back to San Jose, with a quick stop at a supermarket and bank.

Day 8: Sunday, June 22 - Arenal to San Jose (updated)

UPDATE:
We had an uneventful ride to San Jose. The bumper-to-bumper traffic on the main "highway" - a one lane in each direction road - was a not so pleasant reminder of home. It was a good time for napping and otherwise relaxing. Speaking of home, arriving back at Hotel Aranjuez felt a little like coming home.

Our time in Arenal was "free time." We took advantage of the various outdoor activities.
(Time to go to dinner - back later.)

EARLIER TODAY:

A very quick note for now. We had a great time in Arenal. Will provide details and photos later tonight.

Everyone is doing very well.

Hasta luego.

Day 5: June 19th - Monteverde to Arenal

First, a quick note: our plans changed and we are at Hotel Tocatal. We came here a day early and are staying through Sunday morning as previously planned.

This morning we visited CASEM, the Cooperativa de Artesanas de Santa Elena y Monteverde. For more information, visit them at http://www.monteverdeinfo.com/casem/. This was a fascinating place and will make the highlight reel of this field trip to CR. This mostly women's cooperative does amazing things, both in terms of the things the members create and the improvements in their lives.

We were also intrigued by the similarities, in terms of philosophy, with UCreativa, and the possibilities of connections that we can foster between the two organizations.

After our visit, we headed for Arenal. The first part of the ride was on an unpaved road. As usual here, the scenery was beautiful. We caught our first glimpse of Volcan Arenal, with its peak covered in clouds, We also saw Lake Arenal from many vantage points as we made our way around its southwest end.

Pictures will be posted later depending on the availability of computer access.

Day 4: June 18th - San Jose to Monteverde

It was raining as our van pulled up to the hotel in San Jose. As we were traveling light for our four night excursion, we were able to get all of the luggage in the van. Although distances in Costa Rica are not huge, it seems like it takes a whole day to get anywhere, and this trip was not an exception. It rained most of the way as we traveled west along the main highway, making a slow ride even slower. This main "highway" is one lane in each direction, with a passing lane now and then. Add in the large trucks going to or from the port and you can begin to imagine what it is like. In spite of all that, it was a pleasant ride full of changing scenery.

When we turned off the highway to get to Monteverde, some drivers heading in the opposite direction immediately hailed our driver and told him that the road was blocked up ahead due to the rain. We got back on the highway and continued heading west to an alternative route. Although it is a dirt road, it was very passable and by now it had stopped raining.

It was a beautiful ride as we headed north to the Cloud Forest. There were lush, green valleys with cows grazing high up the hillsides. We saw our first monkeys in some trees by the side of the road. Very exciting.

We finally arrived in Monteverde and found our lodging. After getting settled, we trekked into town for a stop at the supermarket and then dinner. It was a long day, so we headed back to our cabins.

First, a quick note: our plans changed and we are at Hotel Tocatal. We came here a day early and are staying through Sunday morning as previously planned.

This morning we visited CASEM, the Cooperativa de Artesanas de Santa Elena y Monteverde. For more information, visit them at http://www.monteverdeinfo.com/casem/. This was a fascinating place and will make the highlight reel of this field trip to CR. This mostly women's cooperative does amazing things, both in terms of the things the members create and the improvements in their lives.

We were also intrigued by the similarities, in terms of philosophy, with UCreativa, and the possibilities of connections that we can foster between the two organizations.

After our visit, we headed for Arenal. The first part of the ride was on an unpaved road. As usual here, the scenery was beautiful. We caught our first glimpse of Volcan Arenal, with its peak covered in clouds, We also saw Lake Arenal from many vantage points as we made our way around its southwest end.

Pictures will be posted later depending on the availability of computer access.

Day 3: Tuesday, June 17 - San Jose

This morning we headed back to the Universidad Creativa, this time for some educational presentations. Maria Quirce, Executive Director of CATECO (the Costa Rican Textile Chamber of Commerce), talked about the condition of workers in the textile industry and the expected impact of CAFTA (the Central American Free Trade Agreement with the US).

Next, Professor Paula Barrionuevo, the head of the Fashion Design program, talked about the history of fashion design in Costa Rica, UCreativa's role in it, and prospects for the future.

As examples of what the university is doing, there were presentations by two fashion design students. The first student talked about her project called Pink Rose. This project's main objective was to assist female cancer patients, especially those who have had mastectomies. The students designed special brassieres for prostheses. In addition , they designed a line of turbans for women who lost their hair while undergoing chemotherapy.

The second student presentation was about the Ngabes, a tribe of indigenous people who do a unique and beautiful type of textile work. This was especially interesting to us, as next week we are going to Alto Laguna, in southwestern Costa Rica, to visit the Ngabes. We saw photos of the trail we are going to have to hike for about two hours (or less if they have enough horses for all of us) and the river that we are going to have to cross five times in order to get to their village. We learned about the culture of the Ngabes, saw photos of them doing the textile work, and actual samples of the line of clothing that the student had designed and produced in the style of the Ngabes.

Both of these projects exemplify UCreativa's philosophy of education leading to social responsibility. All of us were impressed and inspired by these two projects.

The students had the rest of the afternoon and evening to explore San Jose, with the exception of a class meeting from 6:00 - 7:30. It has been raining lightly on and off today, but that has not stopped us from doing any of our activities. I am pleased to report that while some of us did get wet, none of us melted.

On Wednesday, we leave for Monteverde and the Cloud Forest.

Day 2: Monday, June 16 - San Jose

We had our first breakfast at the hotel, and it was wonderful. There were lots of choices and something for everyone. Best of all, it was in a beautiful garden, filled with lush, tropical foliage and a pair of red squirrels.

Afterward, many of us walked to a bank to change dollars into colones and then continued on to the Mercado de Artisans. On the way, we had a wonderful surprise. While cutting through the Parque Nacional, we came upon a beautiful painted "cow." And then another. And another. Each one had a unique and often clever theme. A few of these cows can be seen in our photo album.

A few blocks outside of the park, we passed a beautiful building - Costa Rica's parliament, complete with political graffiti nearby.

Onward to the market. After visiting with some old "friends" of mine - I had purchased things from them on two previous occassions - we spent time with a fascinating man a couple of stalls down who was selling magnificent molas made by the Kuna tribe in Panama. This man was much more than a merchant, as he had a wealth of knowledge about the molas, as well as his own collection that was on display, but not for sale.

We split up on the way back, with some of the students opting to take a taxi back to the hotel and the rest of us traveling on foot. By the time we got back, it was time to get ready for the main event of the day, a visit to Universidad Creativa. This is a small, private university focusing on architecture, interior design, graphic design, animation, and, the reason that we had made contact in the first place, fashion design. Hmmm. Does that remind you of some other university that we all know and love? The only thing keeping this university from being a great university is its near total lack of economics courses!

The founder of the university met with us and told us about the history of the university and why she founded it. Her background is as a psychologist and she believes that creative people are born that way and that creativity cannot be taught. She also believes that creative people do not learn in the same way as "normal" people and therefore founded this university to accomodate their unique learning style.

Next, the Director of Fashion Design, Paula Barrionuevo, spoke about the fashion program. She is also our main contact in CR and the one who made the arrangements for our field trips to the various garment manufacturers that we will be visiting next week.

I think that it is safe to say that all of us were very impressed with this university and we will bring home a number of exciting (and beautiful) ideas. Best of all, they are very interested in exploring ways to partner with Woodbury.

Following these two presentations, we were joined by some of their students for a social hour. By the time we finished, it was time to head back for supper. Tomorrow we go back to the university for more formal lectures about the garment and textile industries in beautiful Costa Rica.

Day 1: Sunday, June 15 - Getting to Costa Rica

First and foremost, I was asked to send a Fathers' Day greeting to all of the fathers out there, so Happy Father's Day! I know it is not the same for any of us, but the best we could do is have me sit in for the traditional photo of dad surrounded by all the kids.

The flight that most of us took - 2:10 AM TACA flight from LAX - was uneventful. Although we left a little late, we arrived on time at SJO to find a beautiful sunny morning. Our luggage made it, too, and we made it through customs without any problems. Outside at the ground transportation area, the van driver was there waiting for us, as planned. After loading our luggage, we piled in and headed for downtown San Jose. Being Sunday, the traffic was light and we arrived at Hotel Aranjuez in about thirty minutes. The rooms were not yet ready, so we sat around in a shaded courtyard and chatted, learned a little about Costa Rica's history, and some of us even dozed off.

Everyone went their own way for a while, depending on whether they wanted to nap, freshen up, or eat. We met again on the courtyard at 5:00 to go over plans for tomorrow - a visit to Universidad de Creativa - and to go over some of the logistics of the next few days.

That's it for now. Tune in tomorrow for the next installment of Global Apparel Adventures, brought to you by your favorite and mine, Woodbury University.

PS You can view additional photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/wuglobalapparel