Grecia

When I first exited the airport of San José, I joined my classmates in complaining about the humidity and heat. I was excited for the trip, but I was expecting a different scene as I exited the airport of Costa Rica, not the same cars from the USA rushing to grab a spot to pick up a loved one. I shrugged the thought away, thinking that tomorrow we would see more of the beautiful Costa Rica, and we did! The next couple of days, we walked around Grecia. We visited a church, or in Spanish, una Iglesia. It is called la Iglesia de la Virgen de la Merced. This church is special because it was built purely of metal. The only non-metal parts of the church are the windows. The windows are decorated with stained glass illustrating beautiful pictures covered in intricate designs. After exiting the church, our tour guide Minor told us that the entire town is connected by streets (that go north to south) and avenues (that go east to west). The streets and avenues have names, however, most everyone navigates their way with the different landmarks stationed in Grecia. On his way to work, a man may turn right when he sees the church come up on his left, and his wife may turn right when she spots her favorite restaurant. Although people do use cars in Grecia, many people walk to wherever they need to be. As we strolled from place to place, many people said,”Hola” or “Pura Vida” to Minor. "Pura Vida" is a common phrase that can be used in almost any good situation. Many people greeted Minor, and it was nice to see how different life in Costa Rica is from California. In San Jose, California, I barely see my neighbors. In Grecia however, people constantly speak to one another casually on the street. Local kids walk by themselves to cafes at 9:30 PM as if they have all the time in the world. Instead of meeting up at malls like we do in America, the kids here walk to their favorite pizza place after an intense game of soccer. Minor told us not to compare anything in Grecia with anything from the United States. He told us that nothing is worse; it’s only different. And he is right. Originally, Grecia was called "Los Potreros de Puas." Las Puas means barbed wire, and when Grecia was first founded, every one lot of land was enclosed by wire the keep their cattle in and others out. When Las Puas finally gained independence, they renamed themselves after Greece due to the rising influence of European tourists. Another theory is that it was the name of a well known farm in the area.  It's fame was so great that the name stuck. In Grecia, dogs roam around freely on the streets as cranky children grip the hands of their parents as they cross the exact same streets. Grecia has given us all a chance to view Costa Rica as a home rather than a country that is only visited for its glorious beaches. Instead of humid mosquito infested country, I see a place where communities rely on one another for support and love. A place where everyone knows one another and has a voice. I see similarities and differences between Grecia and the USA, but the one main thing they have in common is that they are both my home.

Written by Samvita Gautham