Sunday, July 11, 2010

Our Trip to Altos Quetzal

Alto Quetzal is a community that is a 2 hour walk from Grano de Oro. There is no public transportation that heads there but there is a road. It is the end of the road. From here there is no public or clean drinking water, no electricity and only paths that lead off into the mountains.

This photo is the director of the elementary school in Alto Quetzal. There is also a high school here. One of the 5 high schools in the largest district (what would be a county in the U.S.) Many still do not have access to high school. Standing in the door is the director (principal) of the elementary school. We interviewed him and he said they lack many resources and that alcohol is a problem in the indigenous territory.
This is one of the traditional homes or buildings. This one they use as a community center. We have heard that there are still homes deeper within the territory that are very traditional as this one. However, where there are roads there are free homes so no one lives in these in accessible areas.
Joe with the territories behind him. Some communities are 4 or 5 day walks.
We have no garbage cans in our Community of Grano de Oro but at the end of the road in Alto Quetzal -----we found one. We were very impressed. Generally everyone just throws their garbage out the bus window or on the ground while walking down the street.
This is the sign when entering the main areas of the school and high school here. In fact that is about all that exists here. And maybe one Pulperia. Which is a kind of corner store. Grano de Oro is the main stocking up place for people to get their food. Or they walk however long to Grano de Oro, spend the night in a run down shack that is run by the Catholic Church and take the bus out 2 1/2 hours to Turrialba. Generally people only head to Turriabla once a month, if that.
No matter where you go in Costa Rica, the laundry is always out on the line to dry.
This is a bridge (or a rotten log) which we were far to afraid to go any farther out on. To get places here you frequently have to cross streams and rivers. There aren't very many bridges. This log is just 20 minutes outside of Grano de Oro in the small community of El Seis. One little kid dies a year trying to cross this stream to get to school on the other side. When the river swells the creek becomes impassable and they use the rotten log to try and cross the stream. Last year a mom fell in with her baby and young child. They all died. Supposedly they have the supplies to build a walking bridge here but not the funds for labor. Lots of projects sit untouched or partly done because generally the groups and organizations here have a hard time working together. Also, no one does anything for free. Generally they are used to getting free things, and work here is scarce so everyone charges for everything....and no one has anything. We are still trying to figure this out. It might just be a conclusion that we have jumped to......First impressions are rarely correct:-)
This is a house along the way. Just round logs with a tin roof and huge gaps all the way around.
We are going to head back to Altos Quetzal after the 2 week summer break for the kids. We hope to give a presentation on the U.S. to get ourselves in the door and then head up there once a month to do programs.