Costa Rica 6, Twentieth Day In Monteverde

Today, I am trying something a little different. I am writing this blog from my room, instead of the reception area, for a couple of reasons. My nerves are tired today, and the owners' granddaughter has been playing quite noisily and wildly with two of her playmates. I'm not a kid-hater, by the way, but the noise that they make does get on my nerves and so, since I cannnot reasonably expect their granddaughter not to play, I still have to take measures to take care of myself. The only thing is, when I did get to my room, the three little girls went running and screaming and laughing right past my room and the other rooms as well. I am wearing eqrplugs right now, and have closed the windows qnd the door. I am sure they are not supposed to be playing around the guest rooms, since this can be disturbing to guests and our rest needs, but I am sure that the owners will take care of everything. I hope they do, anyway. Not a lot of other news, outside of the usual. I had an interesting chat with Nery,the lady who helped found the Casem Cooperative where I often stop for a bite to eat in the late afternoon. They have a little soda or local restaurant tucked in the back, which unfortunately isn't mentioned in the website. Anyway, here is some more information about the place pulled from Uncle Google: " CASEM, the Cooperativa de Artesanas de Santa Elena y Monteverde, is a non-profit artisan cooperative dedicated to enhancing the economic and social well-being of local women artists. The CASEM store and workshop, situated within the heart of Monteverde, is a showcase for unique, locally produced handicrafts. These handicrafts include decorative wall hangings, ceramics, clothes, bags, jewelry, toys and wood carvings. The CASEM Co-op – which was originally a part of the Cooperativa Santa Elena, but is now fully independent – was established in 1982 by a group of eight women artists, with the goal of using their creative skills to improve the lives of their families. Initially working out of the kitchen of one of their founding members, the women have now turned the organization into a flourishing community enterprise. CASEM has nearly 100 current members. CASEM’s objectives are to offer employment opportunities to local women and to provide training in production and diversification of arts and crafts techniques. They also work to promote the understanding of business operations in order to help generate extra family income and, more importantly, build self-esteem and encourage community participation. To this end, proceeds from sales have been used to finance artistic and business management training, as well as workshops in confidence building, problem solving and conflict resolution. Members receive 65% of the sale price of all products while the remaining 35% is invested into the cooperative’s facilities and educational programs. In 1987, as part of a joint community effort, the current CASEM building was erected on land that was donated by the Cooperativa Santa Elena. The building houses a store, gallery and workshop space for members. Every year, volunteer groups (hosted by Global Volunteers) from Europe and the United States come to work with CASEM. Their improvements include murals, mosaics, gardens and gallery fittings. CASEM is open Mon-Sat from 8 AM to 5 PM, and on Sundays from 10 AM to 4 PM. Visitors may see local artists at work in the workshop, and can be confident that any purchases made are going to support an essential community enterprise." and here's a bit more about the history of Monteverde: "Indigenous artifacts found throughout Monteverde suggest that native tribes once lived throughout the region from 3000 BC to 500 AD.These tribal societies were eventually replaced by various chiefdoms that farmed and deforested large portions of the land. Populations declined in the fourteenth century, possibly due to a volcanic eruption, and again fell during the sixteenth century following the arrival of the Spanish. In 1949, four pacifist Quakers from Alabama were jailed for refusing to fight in the Korean War. Once released, they sought a country where they could embrace their peaceful beliefs and continue to cultivate their dairy farms. Costa Rica had abolished its army the year before and had underdeveloped mountainsides that were perfect for their trade. This being the case, several Quaker families packed up their belongings and moved to Monteverde in 1950 and began to farm and live in peace. These families – along with some of the area’s native Costa Ricans – would go along to establish the community of Monteverde and some of its famed cloud forest reserves." All for now, Gentle Reader.