Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [240]
Unlike their contemporaries, however, the Chorotega were not prolific builders. As a result, most of our understanding of the group is based on the representations that appear in their artwork. The Chorotega are best known for their elaborate jade work, though they were also talented potters and sculptors.
Archaeologists believe that the Chorotega were a hierarchical and militaristic society that kept slaves and regularly practiced both cannibalism and human sacrifice. It’s also believed that shamanism, fertility rites and ritualistic dance played an important role in their society, though little is actually known about their belief structure.
Although their civilization survived for more than 2000 years, the Chorotega were wiped out by warfare and disease during the Spanish colonial period, though their artisan tradition is still evident among the surviving indigenous populations of Península de Nicoya (see boxed text). The December 12 Festival de La Virgen de Guadalupe in the city of Nicoya incorporates the Chorotega legend of La Yequita, which relates how a little mare stopped two brothers from killing one another over the love of a princess. The celebration blends Catholic and Chorotega elements by parading a statue of the Virgin to the tune of indigenous music and loud fireworks, while revelers drink copious amounts of chicha, a traditional liquor of fermented corn and sugar that’s served in hollowed gourds.
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PARQUE NACIONAL BARRA HONDA
Situated about halfway between Nicoya and the mouth of the Río Tempisque, this 23-sq-km national park protects a massive underground system of caves and is one of the most unusual (and also highly memorable) national parks in all of the country. The caverns, which are composed of soft limestone, were carved by rainfall and erosion over a period of about 70 million years. Speleologists have discovered more than 40 caverns, with some of them reaching as far as 200m deep, though to date only 19 have been fully explored. There have been discoveries here of pre-Columbian remains dating back to 300 BC.
The caves come with the requisite cave accoutrements: stalagmites, stalactites and a host of beautiful formations with intriguing names such as fried eggs, organ, soda straws, popcorn, curtains, columns, pearls, flowers and shark’s teeth. However, unlike caverns in your own country perhaps, Barra Honda is not developed for wide-scale tourism, which means that the caves here feel less like a carnival attraction and more like a scene from Indiana Jones. So, don your yellow miner’s hat, put on some sturdy boots and be prepared to get down and dirty.
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Information
The dry season is the only time that tourists are allowed to enter the caves, though hiking is good any time of year. In the dry season, carry several liters of water and let the rangers know where you are going. Two German hikers died at Barra Honda in 1993 after getting lost on a short hike – they had no water and succumbed to dehydration. Sneakers or, preferably, boots are necessary if you will be caving.
The ranger station (2659-1551; 8am-4pm) in the southwest corner of the park takes the US$10 admission fee and provides information. Plan to arrive by noon to tour the caverns, as tours last three to four hours and guides won’t start them much later than that.
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Sights
You can only explore the caves with a guide from the Asociación de Guías Ecologistas de Barra Honda, which can be arranged in the national park offices in Nicoya (2686-6760), Santa Cruz (2680-1920) or Bagaces (2671-1455). A guide charges about US$35 per person, including park admission and equipment. The descent involves using ladders and ropes, so you should be reasonably fit and you must be at least 12 years of age.
A guide service is available for hiking the trails within the park and also