The raw ability to survive off of the elements has been lost as generations grow up in a society where everything is provided. Water comes catered through complex piping systems. It might be a strenuous 15-foot walk to the nearest water source for many Americans. Not only is food easy to access, but there is a seemingly unlimited supply of, from fast food to the organic section in the grocery store. Housing, or shelter, varies from massive multi-billion dollar mansions to cozy apartment complexes. Sewer systems are abundant; there is never any worry about where to go the bathroom, or what happens to all the waste. Of course, all this comes with a nice green price tag, but that is topic for another time. Society’s participants don’t need to know basic, natural skills to provide for the most rudimentary human needs. This is the 21st Century, isn’t it?
In fact, there are few people that possess the skills needed to live off of the land; it’s becoming rare knowledge that can be very valuable. There’s great respect for anyone with those kind of skills. Despite massive societal growth, there are still those who live life independent of society’s structure.
The Zona de los Santos region is located in the middle of Costa Rica. It is an absolutely stunning area within Costa Rica’s luscious rain forest. Scattered within this region of dense forests are families that live off of the Costa Rican land. Many of these families are almost completely self-sustaining; they provide much of their own food and have built their own water and electric systems in the middle of the rain forest. Some of the few things they attain from other resources outside of the forest includes building materials for their houses, clothing, pots and pans, silverware, food they cannot grow, and other luxuries.
The Zona de los Santos region is full of dense rain forest.
The Lopez family is one of many families that live in this region. Access to any kind of outside city is a major trek for most of these people. For the Lopez family, it is an eight-mile trail, which can be taken by horse or by foot, to the nearest road. From there it’s another hour and a half by truck to the nearest town, traveling over muddy dirt roads.
The Lopez Family includes 18 children, most of whom have grown up and moved out. Having a large family plays a key role in this family’s ability to sustain themselves. They have clean, running water piped to their house; it comes from a nearby stream. From the same stream they have a system set up to get electricity. This particular family actually has a TV and satellite set up that runs off of home-made electricity. They have an extensive garden where they grow fruits and vegetables. Cows and chickens provide milk, eggs and the occasional poultry dinner.
In this photo from left to right is Aubrey Mullins, Mrs. Granado, and Mr. Granado. The Granado household is located approximately two and a half miles from the Lopez family.
Even though the Lopez family has the capability to be self-sustaining, they will sometimes host tour groups through G Adventures, demonstrating their culture and way of life. This provides a little extra revenue for luxuries and food that they cannot produce themselves, like rice. Another source of revenue comes from producing sugar and selling it to local marketplaces. The process that produces sugar from sugar cane is an extensive one that requires lots of man hours and hard work.
This is sugar cane before it is turned into sugar. Photo credit: here
The Lopez's pavilion-like house is open, built only with the purpose of keeping rain out. Costa Rican weather is relatively consistent with temperatures ranging from 60 to 79 degrees Fahrenheit, with a persistent chance of heavy showers.
It's important to be aware of the different ways of living around the world. In this case, Costa Rican families live deep in the forest, thriving almost entirely off the land, and they are content. There's value in the knowledge that there is more than one way to live, and that it's entirely possible to leave society's safe structure and to utilize nature in a different way to support a down-to-earth kind of lifestyle.
