Guaitil

Ancient Crafts

Located in the province of Guanacaste, Guaitil is a small town that still practices some traditions of their Chorotegan ancestors, one of the main indigenous cultures of Costa Rica. At present, the whole town is dedicated to the production of clay pottery, similar to that of their past, following their ancient tradition; this is how they reuse and renew the precolombian decorations characteristic to the Chorotegas, using clay that they obtain in the area.

Guaitil is located only 12 kilometers away from Santa Cruz. Getting to the town is easy, if you travel by car you will not find any problems since the road is kept in good condition and if you go by bus, there is one leaving from Santa Cruz twice a day that will take you there in about 20 minutes. Guaitil has basic services such as drinking water, electric power and phone, but there is no lodging possibility. Also there are only two small home style cafeterias that will offer you the delicious traditional food.

Crafting Tradition

The secrets of crafts making have been passed along from generation to generation, creating a never-ending system that economically supports the people of Guaitil. Tourists that wish to obtain a handmade copy of indigenous pottery for their collection will have the chance of doing so and for a very reasonable price. Clay pots, jars, pitchers, vases and other crafts fabricated with ancient techniques are part of the offering you will find around the town's park, the area where most of the commercial activity takes place.

"Making clay pieces like these takes lots of time and dedication, since the methods we use are those of the indigenous tradition", explained Manuel Angel Chavarr�a, one of the natives. In brief, the process starts by obtaining the raw material, which is clay, and allowing it to dry. Once it is completely dry, the next step is "pitarlo", that is to mash it until powdered. This powder is later mixed with "iguana sand", a type of very soft fresh water sand used by iguanas to lay their eggs (origin of the name).

Then they add water and mix until obtaining a paste. Then the material is knead and stretched with a stripped corncob and later with a spoon made out of j�caro they start shaping the piece, this spoon is rounded and it is used to make the "bellies" of the pots. A piece of flexible leather is the tool used next and it helps to form the neck of the vases. Once the piece has been shaped, it receives color dips with red, black or white and the shades that can be obtained by combining them.

Once the piece is painted, it must undergo a polishing process, using a "sukia" stone to make the piece shine. After it has been polished, the piece is left to dry in the shade; then it is transferred to the sun and depending on its size it will take one or two days to be completely dry. After that, it is placed in a firewood oven for the final step of the process. This pieces can be used in several ways; in the old days they were used to cook and store food, to mezquellar (mash) corn and for transporting water. Now they are used mostly for decoration and in collections.

Tasty Traditions

All the Guanacaste area is inevitably intertwined by mesoamerican indigenous cultures, this is why corn is a basic part of the diet, both in food and drinks. If you would like to taste some traditional dishes of the region, ask about tamal de elote, atol de ma�z, rosquillas, tortillas revueltas or any type of picadillo like flor de pi�uela or pipi�n.

And if you want to try a drink from Guanacaste that you will always remember, ask for vino de coyol (wine of coyol) which is extracted from a palm tree. If you drink too much, you will remember it every time you go out in the sun on the following day. Corn chicha (fermented corn), chicheme (soft drink made out of fermented purple corn) and pitarria (a sort of chicha) are popular drinks in the area. Music is very important in this region and it is reflected in rhythms such as the son, "punto", "tambito" and vals criollo; and instruments such as the marimba, quijongo, ocarina and indian sonajeros are all part of the Guanacaste flavor.

The weather in Guaitil is very warm and dry, so vegetation is scarce. Iguanas, squirrels and monkeys can occasionally be seen. If you wish to learn more about traditional costarrican indigenous crafts from people that still conserve their historic roots attached to their daily lives, in Guaitil you will be able to take a glimpse of past without leaving the present.