Last Saturday we visited a vibrant town called Sarchi; it is 18 miles from Alojuela city located in the central valley region of Costa Rica. Sarchi is known for its handiwork, mainly of the oxcart which has become a national symbol for Costa Rica. The initial use of oxcarts date back to over a century ago, when they were the main mode of transporting coffee bean to markets throughout the country. Sarchi is home to the largest oxcart in the world and has many intricate handicrafts and furniture stores.
After we saw the oxcart, which is in the Guinness Book of World Records and hand painted intricately, we ventured to tour the Fabrica Eloy Alfaro. The area we drove through appeared to be more rural. Here we saw a water wheel that runs all of their equipment and learned more about the oxcart's history and purpose. I thought it was interesting that the oxcart is a national symbol for Costa Ricans because it represents hard work. They used to be their only means of transporting coffee beans out of the central valley to other parts of the country. In the early twentieth century, each oxcart started to become individually decorated so drivers could identify theirs. Oxcarts were also designed to sing a unique song when they rode by using a chime on the wheels. After our tour we had the opportunity to paint our own oxcart wheels. It was fun to see how everyone's design was different and they all had a distinct look.
Through exploring Sarchi I learned about the importance of the oxcart to Costa Ricans. Before I never thought twice about its history or purpose. After learning more I can appreciate the value oxcarts have for the history of the Country and the symbolic meaning of it today. It seems like Costa Ricans have always made the most of the resources they have available to them to live a better life.
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