This morning I set out to photograph the Costa Rican Independence Day holiday celebrations in the small mountain town of Monteverde.
What I captured is the friendly, peaceful nature of the proud citizens that organized and attended the day's procession. It may even be the essence of this small, peaceful nation, which is only the size of West Virginia.
The Central American country, which abolished its standing army in 1949, formed independence from Spain in 1821. Bordered by Panama, Nicaragua, and surrounded by the Pacific and Caribbean Oceans, Costa Rica is best known for its coffee and commitment to ecological sustainability and booming tourism.
Read more about the history of Costa Rica here.
So, after breakfast of Gallo Pinto, a typical and delicious breakfast dish, I situated myself on the sidewalk and made friendly with those nearby. The Costa Rican families around me were very warm and open, happily subjecting themselves to my novice photography attempts and forgiving my broken Spanish.
In attendance were a range between young and old. Costa Ricans are very family oriented and the turnout was proof of this. A few tourist were there but most were in the cloud forests, hiking, riding zip lines, or exploring the many natural wonders of the area.
The environment was very family oriented, and missing any militant overtones at all. This came as no surprise since Costa Rica gave its army the boot more than 55 years ago. I didn't miss the fighter jets and tanks though, and the most dangerous things here were motorcycles and the drumstick held by the mischievous looking drummer pictured below. Motorcycles and ATV's are a common mode of transport for families in Monteverde, not just the police officer in the photo below.
The procession consisted of the children of all the nearby schools. I was too busy with the camera shutter to count the exact number of schools represented, but my guess is between 4-6. The students ranged from kindergarten to high school.
In reviewing the photos, I was struck by the rich colors of the day. Derived from the the colors of the Costa Rican flag (red, white, and blue), the color red was by far most popular in the school uniforms.
Also adding to the range of vibrant colors were the traditional dresses worn by the some of the girls. While the surroundings may be humble, it was clear to me that the Costa Rican mothers had put a labor of love into their little girls outfits. Many mothers walked beside the street with their little ones and would dart about fixing the things that mothers like to fix, their motherly pride and concern obvious.
In the days leading up to Independence Day, I heard repeated hammering noises. Sometimes I thought it was construction workers hammering, other times fireworks, and sometimes like percussion drumming. Today the obvious dawned on me - it was some of the schools practicing their drumming for today's march.
I was repeatedly amazed at the beauty of these children. When selecting the photos to include, I literally had to pass over dozens that I felt were exception, due not to my photography skills but simply the photogenic quality of the subject.
The child below stole my full attention with her smile. Apparently she was as enchanted by my camera as I was by her smile; she just stood there and smiled while I clicked away until her mother or teacher prodded her to move along with the rest of the children.
It is no mystery why these kids can dance so well by the time they are out of there teens - they have the advantage of being exposed to the moves at such a young age. It is almost as though dancing is ingrained genetically in Costa Rican children.
It seems that all the schools included some dance routines in their show. The older schoolchildren stepped things up a few notches with their dance routines.
Kids will be kids - a few of the children seem nervous or shy, but many seemed very comfortable and I was lucky enough to capture more than a few smiles from some of the more relaxed children.
I took dozens more photos that I would love to post. I think I will share just one more and save the rest. Below is my favorite photo (hard choice!) of the day - something to the rear of the parade seemed to capture everyone's attention at the some moment.
Well, there you have a little piece of Costa Rican culture. I had a great time - and you now know where and when to be if you want to take your own photos! See you there next September 15, if not earlier!
More information about visiting Monteverde, Costa Rica