Coffee in Costa Rica

The cultivation of coffee is a leading industry in Costa Rica, and has long been a source of prosperity. It was begun a hundred years ago; a few plants having been brought from New Granada, and the first trial being successful, it has rapidly extended. All the coffee is grown in the plain of San Jose, where the three principal towns are situated-about two-thirds being produced in the environs of the capital, a fourth in those of Hindia, and the remainder at Alhajuela, and its vicinity. The land which has been found by experience to be best suited to coffee is a black loam, and the next best, a dark-red earth--soils of a brown and dull yellow color being quite unsuitable. The plain of San Jose is mostly of the first class, being, like all the soils of Central America, formed with a large admixture of volcanic materials. Contrary to the experience of Java and Arabia, coffee is here found to thrive much better, and produce a more healthy and equal berry on plain land, than upon hills, or undulating slopes, which doubtless arises from the former retaining its moisture better, and generally containing a larger deposit of loam.

A coffee plantation in Costa Rica produces a crop the third year after it is planted, and is in perfection the fifth year. The coffee trees are planted in rows, with a space of about three yards between each and one between each plant, resembling in appearance hedges of the laurel bay. The weeds are cut down, and the earth slightly turned with a hoe, three or four times in the year; and the plant is not allowed to increase above the height of six feet, for the facility of gathering the fruit. The coffee tree here begins to flower in the months of March and April, and the berry ripens in the plains of San Jose in the months of November and December, strongly resembling a wild cherry in form and appearance, being covered with a similar sweet pulp.

As soon as the crimson color assumed by the ripe fruit indicates the time for cropping, numbers of men, women, and children are sent to gather the berry, which is piled in large heaps, to soften the pulp, for forty-eight hours, and then placed in tanks, through which a stream of water passes, when it is continually stirred, to free it from the outer pulp; after which it is spread out on a platform, with which every coffee estate is furnished, to dry in the sun; but there still exists an inner husk, which, when perfectly dry, is, in the smaller estates, removed by treading the berry under the feet of oxen; and in the larger, by water-mills, which bruise the berry slightly to break the husk, and afterwards separate it by fanners.

The coffee tree bears flowers only the second year, and its blossoms last only 24 hours. The returns of the third year are very abundant; at an average, each plant yielding a pound and a-half or two pounds of coffee.

The same families for have owned the largest coffee estates of Costa Rica over a century.

Costa Rican coffee is considered some of the finest in the world and generally only makes up a small percentage of the beans in most blends due to its higher cost compared to coffee of a lesser quality coming out of Brazil.

Mexico City

When it comes to excitement and cultural diversity, Mexico City, Mexico ranks near the top. In this city, you could be out partying at night, eating at a wonderful restaurant, or dancing into the wee hours of the night but then turn the corner the next day and be face-to-face with poverty, deprivation, and people living in filth and squalor. Literally, there are magnificent neighbors with vast mansions and just a short distance away, people living in shantytowns or sleeping on public walkways. What you find in Mexico City is incredible wealth and smothering poverty. Even with the negative aspects of Mexico's capital city, people are lured in from around the globe.

When visiting Mexico City, you can stay in nice accommodations but you would do best to stick with the area west of Zocalo, which is close to the Plaza de la Republica and Alameda Central. You will also find a number of restaurants that offer good food at affordable prices. This area also offers several good forms of entertainment to include mariachi, theater, the symphony, or dancing. As you will discover in this article, Mexico City, Mexico is a unique place to visit that moves to a different beat from the rest of the world.

Dating back as far as 10,000 BC, many people lived around the lake called Lago de Texcoco, which covered the majority of the Valle de Mexico floor. However, around 7500 BC, that same lake began to decrease in size, which meant that hunting was more of a challenge. Because of that, the people had to turn to other forms of eating and earning a living so they turned to agriculture. Then around 200 BC, a number of villages were established. The largest called Cuicuilco was destroyed 100 years later by a massive volcanic eruption.

Then, Teotihuacan, which was just 16 miles from the lake, became a serious influence. In fact, Teotihuacan was the capital of a large empire for centuries but during the 7th century, it fell. Some of the cities and states that were in this area included the Toltec empire, which was just 40 miles to the north of what we know today as Mexico City. Another was the Tula Empire, which fell in the 13th century.

The Spanish conquest destroyed Tenochititlan, which was later rebuilt as a Spanish city. The population of Valle de Mexico dropped to just 100,000 within the next following century but in 1550, the city was again growing, strong, and elegant. Soon, schools, hospitals, palaces, churches, parks, and even a university were constructed. However, by the 19th century the city was partially destroyed by floods. Then in 1810, approximately 80,000 rebels from Mexico City were defeated by the Spanish.

Miguel Hidalgo who was the leader of the Spanish conquest did not want to advance on the city. Because of this, Mexico had to fight another 11 years to win their independence. After obtaining their independence, Mexico City began to rebuild and by 1940, more than 1.5 million people lived there. Soon, skyscrapers and factories were built, providing work for the people. In fact, Mexico City grew so quickly that jobs and housing could not keep pace. Sadly, Mexico City underwent even more challenges over the years but by the 1970s, the growth had not yet let up. Even with a devastating earthquake in 1985 that killed more than 10,000 people, Mexico City continued to fight to stay on top. Experts estimate that in current times, every day some 1,100 newcomers pour into the city.

Today, Mexico City is comprised of 350 neighborhoods called Colonias. There is an abundance of restaurants, hotels, shopping malls, nightclubs, and more. When visiting Mexico City, Mexico, you have a huge selection of places to visit. Bosque de Chapultepec, which translates to "Hill of Grasshoppers", is a nice area that offers a zoo, several nice museums, and lakes. The Museo Nacional de Antropologia is a one-of-a-kind museum and definitely worth seeing.

Centro Historico, which is the Historic Center, is dotted with colonial buildings and a number of historical sites. However, Zocalo is the heart of this city where you have a variety of things to do and see. In addition, you might take time to see Templo Mayer, which is believed to be the very place where the Aztec Indians saw the symbolic eagle with a snake in its beak, sitting perched on top of a cactus, which is still Mexico's symbol today. A stellar museum is called Museo Nacional de Arta that makes a great day trip and for a magnificent view of the city, you can visit the top floors of Torre Latinoamericana, an incredible skyscraper.

Because of the high altitude of Mexico City, you need to pace yourself. In fact, most visitors claim they become fatigued for a few days while others experience headaches or nosebleeds. Just slow down a bit and you will be just fine. Without doubt, Mexico City, Mexico has had a long, hard history but the people there are strong and dedicated to this city and its success. From bull fighting to shopping for ivory, Mexico City offers something for everyone and if you want to spend a day at the beach, you can drive to Acapulco!