H2O on the go...

First impressions seem to saturate my recent posts as I have limited knowledge on this country and basically everything in life.  Looking in retrospect, everything I have seen, experienced, and perceived in Costa Rica has been superficial and somewhat skewed as I am naive tourist in the area, and on a larger scale, on this planet.

By no means am I a Costa Rica expert, however, I am starting to see and read between the lines; for instance, the water situation here. At first when I arrived, I thought the lack of water, or the water preservation was cute.  “Look at this remote, underdeveloped country with a lack of water…awe”. Now I realize there is nothing cute about it.  I didn’t really think it was cute; it just added to the whole living in a second world experience.  It was foreign and unknown to me and I would be lying if the whole lack of water hasn’t contributed to Costa Rica’s mystique.  See the superficiality in my disturbed perception?

The reason why water is so scarce right now is because it is dry season, which means there is absolutely no rain.  We definitely get the occasional water preservation notifications in the states; excess watering one’s green and lush lawn is strongly advised against as well as filling up the above ground pool so the kids can enjoy a nice summer day with friends. In Costa Rica, dry season means the roads are dusty, as well as the boarding landscape that appears antiqued with ground gravel; small farmers’ gardens are wilting and unable to produce without proper care and excess waterings; and, our property's well is tapped as our neighbors enjoy their 10-minute cold showers. We do not expect much more water, and as a result, we will be without the luxury and have to purchase water in town all while having fingers crossed that there will be enough water to be purchased.  Oh, and post script, I have not had a hot shower in almost a month.  The latter actually doesn't bother me, as it is too hot to indulge in a steamy oasis after a long day at the beach or a yoga session.  Quite the contrary, I find myself wanting to jump in the shower just to cool off from the day's relentless heat.

The water scarcity is a new thing for me.  It is a quite a shock that there are many places all over the world that treasure their water as Costa Ricans. Some countries do not even have running water.  Water, a life force, that constitutes about seventy percent of our bodies and seventy five percent of the planet's composition, is a luxury.  Just because we need it, doesn't mean we will always have it.  This realization puts things in perspective on just how lucky I am to have been born in a country where water was not a luxury- it was a given. Without it, how could I take my long hot showers in the morning, wash that perfect outfit I needed to wear that night (instead of choosing another one) or take an additional shower because my hair was not cooperating, so I needed to do it all over again?  These mindless acts were of not mal intent but inherent selfishness from living in a country that took care of its' own (theoretically), and not recognizing or responding to a global issue. I wonder how much water an average household uses each day in the United States.  I am sure there is a survey out there.  For some countries, that one household’s daily usage could supply a whole town and its neighboring villages.  It could at least supply our current property.

Apparently, Trenton informed me that water scarcity is now becoming a problem the United States because big businesses are buying up the supply.  As an attempt to discuss a solution, siphoning the salt from the ocean was put on the table.  I am sure science will one day be able to do this, if they haven't already and I am completely dating myself; however, if we take from the ocean, what happens to the world's largest ecosystem?  How ridiculously human of us to screw up our world, so instead of thinking ecologically or proactively to prevent further destruction, we come up with a great solution that only takes away from the animals, or the inferior species, as man is the most evolved of evolution. Garbage.  I am really not trying to be political here, as I was merely trying to explain an issue that was taking a new light. Really I am just hoping some type of divine intervention takes place and a man with a plan, or men with a plan, or a country with a plan, comes and saves all of us and performs some type of mass paradigm shift, or we are all headed straight down the crap shoot.  Now I am exhausted, so I will write later on a less political topic.  God bless the little people.