Day 8 (September 17): Zoo and Intel

 

Blue and Gold Macaws from Zoo Ave San Jose, CR ( the birds that began to nourish on Kerri's hair)




One of the monkeys at the Zoo Ave

     The plan for today was to visit the Zoo Ave and then visit technological companies in the area.  Zoo Ave is the national zoo of Costa Rica and is full of many exquisite animals and birds. The zoo is about 30 minutes from San José, so we took the Pan American Highway to the Atenas exit. Upon arrival at 10 AM (we planned extensively), we decided to go to the bird section.
     The bird collection (which happens to be the largest in Central America) includes numerous toucans, cranes, curassows, parrots, and more than 100 other Costa Rican bird species. Most of the birds there were native to Costa Rica, but we did see a Silver Pheasant, a bird native to Southwest Asia. We were also thrilled to find out that the zoo is one of two in the world to contain quetzals, very small yet exotically colored birds. After about 3 hours of viewing the birds, we decided to go see the animals that could not fly. However, before our departure from that section, one of the birds wanted to say a proper goodbye. I decided to crack a joke and Kerri began laughing. One of the blue and gold macaws noticed us and came out of his cage (one of the zookeepers had left it open.) Thinking of Kerri's hair as nourishment, it began to poke at Kerri's hair incessantly. The rest of us began cracking up. Needless to say, Kerri was not a happy camper. The manager apologized heavily and gave Kerri her refund. Kerri was happy after that, and we were able to move on.
     Besides the avian section, the zoo contains large iguana, deer, tapir, ocelot, puma, monkeys, river turtles, monkey exhibits, and a 3.6 meter (twelve feet) crocodile. Zoo Ave houses only injured, donated, or confiscated animals. We thought that was cool, because the animals are in such good condition. Also, they have a breeding program at the zoo where animals are bred and put back into the wild where they belong.
It took about 2 hours to walk through the zoo's paths and visit all the exhibits.
     We had lunch and then began the second part of our day. A few days prior, Amber and I had researched the growing technology business in San José, Costa Rica. We had scheduled an appointment with the Intel Public Affairs Manager, Gabriela Llobet. She had agreed to give us a tour of the facilities and explain to us the technology and the technological sciences in the region.

Mrs. Gabriela Llobet

     Upon arrival, at around 4 PM, the tour began. The facility closed at 5 but because of Ms. Gabriela, we were given VIP access. Ms. Llobet told us that Costa Rica ranks third behind powerhouses India and China as the most competitive offshore destination, according to a 2005 report on outsourcing by two consulting firms. This is significant for a country roughly the size of Vermont and New Hampshire combined and whose population of just over 4 million is less than half the size of Los Angeles.  We were curious as to why Costa Rica was so economically sound and why many American technology companies were investing so heavily in the region. Basically, we found out that "Costa Rica invested in its people ", according to the Chamber of IT in the region. Because of this investment, the people of Costa Rica attracted millions of dollars in investments from American IT companies. This is because Costa Rica is closer to the US and also the lure: lower costs, an educated, bilingual workforce, political stability, and fat tax incentives. HP (also based in the region) plans to implement 3,500 jobs in the area within two years making it a win-win for Costa Rica. Today, Intel has grown to be Costa Rica's largest high-tech employer, with 2,900 workers.  English conversations are prominent in modern facilities and the uniform cubicles of the firm's gleaming campus outside the capital.  The Costa Rican facility beat out other Intel sites last year to get 150 new jobs in an area known as financial shared services, Mrs. Gabriela informed us. The group performs tasks such as software development, circuit design, procurement, and financial services for the rest of the company.  This is proof the Costa Rican operation is globally competitive and capable of jobs beyond testing and assembly. While we questioned Mrs. Llobet, and happily consumed her information, Bennie and Hannah remained in the kitchen happily consuming tamales and frescos. Mrs. Llobet told us about the jobs of the workers as we walked through the halls and by cubicles.
     We eventually finished and went to a café because Amber, Kerri, and I were quite hungry.  Bennie and Hannah weren't, because they had been eating the whole time.  We drove to the hotel, checked the time, and saw that it was 8 PM. We washed ourselves, talked for a while, and prepared for tomorrow's adventures.

~ Vlad