Perhaps the most striking difference between Puerto Viejo and Cahuita is the size. Puerto Viejo is a bustling town with numerous hostels and restaurants, populated with many foreigners. The crew chiefs and professors visited Puerto Viejo to familiarize themselves with El Lanchon and the fishermen’s boats, all of which will be photographed and recorded over the following two weeks.
The bus ride was bumpy, but the view was bewitching: lush jungle scenery and a peek into the livelihoods of Costa Ricans zoomed past the bus windows.
Upon arrival, we ate at a relaxed restaurant called Hot Rocks, where we enjoyed a swingset and a not-so-fantastic Fanta. We then walked along the beach to examine some of the fishermen’s boats, noting the differences in style and color. Perhaps the most interesting realization was that many of these boats were carved from a single enormous tree – dugout canoe style. This could be the reason the boats are of similar style but different size in Cahuita: smaller trees may be cheaper or easier to carve. We would love to know where these trees are sourced and how long it takes to build these boats. Most of them are fiberglassed over and we discovered one particularly old boat with peeling fiberglass; each older layer of fiberglass visible like the layers in an onion. The story of how these boats are made will certainly be fascinating!
Next we made our way to El Lanchon, a (suspected) barge or floating dock that now sits just in the water, providing a platform for fishing and jumping. Constructed almost entirely of iron, El Lanchon is in an advanced state of deterioration. Dr. Richards will lead a photogrammetry session on the site and create a 3D model using Agisoft PhotoScan. Perhaps the original purpose of this craft will finally be revealed after our work in Puerto Viejo.
-Melissa
