COSTA RICA
COLOURFULL CARRETA
Las carretas are hands-painted wooden, 2-wheels ox-carts, pulled by oxes. In 1988 were recognized as the symbol of Costa Rica`s handicrafts. They are produced in private minifactories in Sarchi - a small village situated to the north of Alajuela (province of Alajuela). Their wooden circles are painted in small gardens into patterned compositions. Carretas appeared in Costa Rica suddenly around 1840, when the meaning of coffee plantations increased. At the beginning carretas were the only mean of transportation in the country. In the first years they were pulled by people, later (when increased transport of goods) they were drawn mainly by oxes. In colonial times there were very famous caravanes of carretas full of coffee, that traversed a muddy roads between the Central Valley and Puntarenas.
In 1903 people started to decorate also their circles, and in 1915 for the separation of their attachment to distinct family, they were painted entire. In 1960`s when they were taken over by motorished transport, people started making them for touristic purposes. Today they are used as a decorations in gardens. Very popular among foreigners are also their miniatures as a souvenirs for desks. Nowadays in Costa Rica is hard to imagine any fiesta or parade without carretas. The most known is ox-carts parade in Escazu, which is held every year on the second sunday of March.
In Sarchi people pay attention on the carretas` wheels, which used to be manufactured from the lagarto wood. That kind of wood made that during the journeys there were heard the lovely, characteristic sounds of wheels. Many inhabitants of Sarchi like telling the story, about the man who many years ago was believed to pay a record number of 240 colones for carreta. All because the wheels of that were making the perfect sound. They say that when he came back to his Alajuela, people were ready to repay it from him even for 300 colones. It was making the most beautiful sound in town.
NATIONAL SYMBOLS
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