Pura Vida. It’s a ubiquitous and integral part of Costa Rican life. You will hear it said umpteen times a day. In shops and restaurants. In passing in the street. It must be the most used phrase in Costa Rica. Which makes it surprising that it is not the official motto of the Costa Rican tourist board.
So, what does it mean? Literally, it means the pure life. But it is so much more than that. It is a greeting, a farewell, a thank you. In short, it can be used in any situation to convey positive salutations.
But I have been struck by the not-so-pura vida. The afore-mentioned Costa Rican tourist board heavily markets Costa Rica’s eco credentials. Indeed, Costa Rica is well known for high-end eco-tourism. And I am sure that is the impression many people come away from the country with, having stayed in an eco-lodge in the middle of the magnificent rainforest.
I, on the other hand, have stayed in numerous Airbnb. Only one of them had any obvious recycling facilities. Not a single one encouraged recycling in its welcome pack. With no other option, I guiltily put my glass, paper & plastic in the bin. I am told there are recycling facilities but that it is up to individuals to take their property’s waste to the recycling point. Perhaps this is just too much hassle for all those Airbnb owners as they rake in their profits.
Alongside the lack of recycling is the surprisingly still common availability of single-use plastics. Plastic drinking straws are handed out with every drink, more sustainable options definitely being a rarity. At the local market, you are given your vegetables in a plastic bag, even if one isn’t always necessary. If you buy ten vegetables each week, those plastic bags quickly add up.
Water usage is another issue. Some of the places I have stayed in have had very temperamental showers! It takes an age and a lot of patience to find a tolerable temperature before you jump under the shower. In the meantime, a LOT of unused water goes down the plughole. Speaking of plugholes, a plug is always a useful addition when washing up! Otherwise, all that spare water is heading down that plughole. It may not be so bad, if the region in question was not the driest in the country. And I won’t even mention all those swimming pools!
Driving through Costa Rica, you can’t help but notice that the cars (usually 4x4s due to the bad roads) are at either end of the spectrum. Brand spanking new (and therefore hopefully slightly less gas-guzzling) or ancient. The buses that ply the main cities are also ancient. Big plumes of black smoke waft your way. Cue a long hold of breath!
Costa Rica does have some amazing biodiversity credentials. It covers just 0.03% of the earth’s surface yet is home to 5% of the world’s biodiversity. It has reversed deforestation, doubling the amount of forested land to 57%. A third of its territory is protected as national or regional parks. 93% of its electricity comes from renewable sources. And it won Prince William’s debut Earthshot prize. It certainly has achieved some remarkable things for such a small country.
Eco credentials are a great marketing tool. But marketing needs to be backed up by action. And I do get the impression that there’s more than a bit of green-washing going on. Perhaps government policy doesn’t match the economic priorities of the every-day Costa Rican who may be more concerned with earning a living than recycling or upgrading their car. Perhaps there are projects in place that I am not yet aware of. Perhaps, as a tourist, I have not seen the full picture.
But the pura vida remains, to a certain extent at least, just words.
