Category Archives: Culture

Information about the current culture of a location we visit.

Reflections on How We Have Changed Since We Were Last in Ensenada

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This morning we went out to breakfast as soon as we got up at another favorite restaurant of ours, El Rey del Sol, in downtown Ensenada. It is also just a few blocks from the marina, but in the opposite direction from Los Veleros. The marina is built next to a river, and we noticed a different kind of dredging machine in the river. Eric wants one.

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We walked by the new construction near the marina and were kind of surprised to see that little is done beyond the frame. This project has been planned for several years now, and grading work had begun while we had Kosmos here. And, come to think of it, the sign was gone. There used to be a big sign saying a museum was going to be built here. We wonder if that means the museum project has been abandoned.

Along the rest of the walk, everything else looked much the same. Several buildings were occupied by different businesses than before, but the buildings still look the same. There are a lot of coffee houses now. Coffee houses must be the new rage.

The restaurant was Continue reading →

History of the Mexican Republic

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Mexico’s 1,972,550 square kilometers in size and has an estimated population of 111 million people. It is bordered on the north by the United States, on the South by Belize and Guatemala, on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the east by the Caribbean Sea. Mexico has an incredibly rich history, particularly in regards to the remarkably advanced indigenous people groups. It is believed that the original humans migrated from Siberia (it is believed there used to be a land formation that sank in what is now the Bering Strait) in migratory waves started in 60,000 BC. Somewhere between 7000 and 3000 BC, the people in central Mexico began cultivating agriculture. They went from being nomadic hunters and gatherers to settling into permanent villages. Throughout what is today Mexico, there were dozens and dozens of different ethnic tribes that influenced one another, and at various points in time sometimes conquered one another, too.

Mexico’s “mother culture” is considered to be the Continue reading →

History of the Republic of Nicaragua

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Nicaragua is the largest nation in Central America at 129,494 sq kilometers big, but is also the least densely populated with a population of 5.5 million. It is bordered by Honduras to the north, Costa Rica to the south, the Atlantic to the east and the Pacific to the west. The country’s name is a derivative of “Nicarao”, one of the most powerful indigenous leaders at the time of the Spaniard’s arrival, and Aqua, which means water and represents the large lakes in the region.

Evidence has been found in Nicaragua indicating that humans lived there at least 6000 years ago, and maybe even as far back as 8,000 years ago. When the Continue reading →

History of the Republic of Costa Rica

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Costa Rica is located between Panama and Nicaragua, with coasts on both the Atlantic and the Pacific. It is only 51,100 kilometers square and has an estimated population of 4.25 million people. Human habitation can be traced back more than 10,000 years. Little is known of the cultures that existed pre-Spaniards, and the various histories we have consulted conflict greatly. What is known for sure is that the locals lived in about 20 autonomous tribes, all with distinct cultures and customs. Some sources say Costa Rica was a sparsely populated backwater with 20,000 people. Others say it had a flourishing population of 400,000, with some of the first pottery making villages in the Americas, and was part of an extensive trade network amongst the Americas. None of the impressive stone architecture that characterized the more advanced civilizations of Mesoamerica to the north and the Andes to the south has been found, and only one historical site has been found that indicates a large city (10,000 people). Some sources say the city indicates a once great civilization, other sources disagree.

Columbus and his crew were the first white men to arrive. Their ship had been damaged in a hurricane, and they made an emergency stop near Puerto Lim¢n on September 18, 1502. Columbus Continue reading →

The Puberty Party and Learning More About the Kuna Life

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Continued from yesterday”¦ After everyone else was served, we were offered the beer. Suddenly, all eyes were on us, intently watching for our reaction. Visually speaking, we would have mistaken it for molasses. It was black and thick, like syrup. They insisted we do the little dance prior to drinking it. Another local joined in to lead us in the dance, which we think we followed along with pretty well. We went to down our beer. It was absolutely disgusting. Mr. G had lied when he said it was non-alcoholic. In those 8 days, it had definitely fermented. It wasn’t a strong alcohol taste, but it was enough to make a gross beverage even grosser. Christi could barely get a small sip down. Eric took one gulp. Everyone insisted we finish our cups. Eric took another sip and said he could drink no more. Everyone was disappointed we wouldn’t drink it, but simultaneously incredibly amused by our reaction. We sat down and held onto our cups for a while people continued to insist we drink it. When it was evident we would drink no more, two guys drank it for us.

We asked where the girl being honored was. Apparently, a special room with a special layout is built for her somewhere, and she is Continue reading →