Independence Day

September 15 is Central American Independence Day. Or something like that. I didn't know that the whole of Central America had an independence day, but apparently they do. Apparently its also tradition for people to run a torch (like the Olympic torch) from Guatemala to Costa Rica. The story goes that when Central America won its independence from Spain, the people ran out of their houses with their torches to celebrate. So, that tradition continues to this day. Every year during the month of September, a torch gets passed to the people from the park, and they run it through the park. And I got to participate! Kind of. I was doing laundry, when I ran into Elvin (local Tico, has worked with spider monkeys in the park for 7 years [!]) who said I should come along to see the torch. I wasn't quite sure what I was in for, but I went along. We hung out at the entrance to the park (for like 3 hours, a little long than I was expecting, but hey, that's Tico time). There were a lot of people driving by in cars and on bikes with Costa Rica flags and everybody was just hanging out, having a good time. Then the guy who was carrying the torch came and lit the torch that belongs to the park, and some guys from the park ran it to the Casona, which is a historical ranch house. I just sat in the truck, as I wasn't up for running. An interesting tradition, I think. We don't really have an equivalent in the States, at least not something that all people can participate in. I'm glad I got to be a part of it, if only from an on-lookers perspective.