{"id":212,"date":"2023-07-12T16:30:50","date_gmt":"2023-07-12T22:30:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/santateresahoy.com\/?p=212"},"modified":"2023-07-27T06:15:23","modified_gmt":"2023-07-27T12:15:23","slug":"la-historia-del-pueblo-por-gerardo-reyes-reyes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/santateresahoy.com\/en\/2023\/07\/12\/la-historia-del-pueblo-por-gerardo-reyes-reyes\/","title":{"rendered":"La historia del pueblo, por Gerardo Reyes Reyes"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\">&#8212;-English below&#8212;-<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Don Gerardo naci\u00f3 en Malpa\u00eds alrededor de la d\u00e9cada de 1950. Ahora vende pescado en la zona de San Ram\u00f3n de Alajuela y ha decidido deleitarnos con sus memorias de su tiempo en este hermoso lugar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">En el siguiente texto, el orden de algunos p\u00e1rrafos ha sido modificado para mantener el eje temporal y facilitar la comprensi\u00f3n. No se ha omitido ninguna informaci\u00f3n, todo est\u00e1 transcrito tal cual nos lo escribi\u00f3 Don Gerardo.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">En su manuscrito, Gerardo comienza hablando de Malpa\u00eds y de la historia que le contaban sus mayores.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c\u00bfPor qu\u00e9 se llama Malpa\u00eds y desde cu\u00e1ndo?<br>En los a\u00f1os 1930 viv\u00eda un se\u00f1or muy anciano que se llamaba Tato Micho. \u00c9l contaba que en esos a\u00f1os, el pueblo era muy peque\u00f1o, como unos cinco ranchos, y no ten\u00eda nombre. Era solo un pueblito muy peque\u00f1o.<br>En esos a\u00f1os, lleg\u00f3 un sacerdote a dar una misa. \u00c9l iba de Puntarenas en lancha y cuando lleg\u00f3 desembarc\u00f3 y al llegar al pueblito puso la sotana en una piedra y se sent\u00f3 a descansar. En eso lleg\u00f3 un borracho y se llev\u00f3 la sotana, o sea, se la rob\u00f3. La buscaron un buen tiempo y al no encontrarla, el sacerdote exclam\u00f3 pero muy enojado y dijo \u201cOoooh que triste este ser un Mal Pa\u00eds, Dios mio, un Mal Pa\u00eds, esto es un Mal Pa\u00eds oooh un Mal Pa\u00eds\u201d y desde ese d\u00eda hasta el d\u00eda de hoy, hace 93 a\u00f1os. Hace 93 a\u00f1os que se llama Mal Pa\u00eds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Llegaron maestros y le pusieron Los \u00c1ngeles de Paquera, pero la gente le segu\u00eda diciendo Malpa\u00eds. Por mucho que se le intent\u00f3 poner otro nombre, no se pudo.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lo curioso es que la sotana nunca apareci\u00f3, nadie supo nada. Se busc\u00f3 por los pueblos vecinos y nada. Se busc\u00f3 por las monta\u00f1as y nada. Se busc\u00f3 en los ranchos donde vend\u00edan guaro de contrabando, ya que se cre\u00eda que el borracho hab\u00eda ido a cambiarlo por guaro y no fue as\u00ed. Hasta el d\u00eda de hoy no se sabe nada de la sotana, solo que se perdi\u00f3 o se la rob\u00f3 el borrachito y el pueblo qued\u00f3 bautizado Malpa\u00eds. Esta historia es de los viejos, los habitantes viejos. Ahora la juventud no sabe nada de eso, solo los viejos.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">El guaro es la manera en que se llama al aguardiente de ca\u00f1a de az\u00facar en Costa Rica y durante mucho tiempo se fabricaba de manera casera sobre todo en zonas rurales.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Don Gerardo contin\u00faa describiendo su pueblo:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c\u00bfCu\u00e1ntos habitantes tuvo Malpa\u00eds?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nos contaba Tato Micho que en los a\u00f1os 1930 al 1940 no hab\u00eda m\u00e1s de cinco ranchos y en cada rancho hab\u00edan lo m\u00e1s cuatro personas, no hab\u00eda mucha gente. Eran tierras libres, puras monta\u00f1as. Malpa\u00eds colindaba al este con San Isidro, al oeste con el mar, al norte con Manzanillo y al sur con Cabuya.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ya como en 1940 empez\u00f3 la gente a agarrar tierras libres y a trabajarlas. Empezaron a cortar \u00e1rboles con hacha y a hacer quemas para sembrar agricultura: ma\u00edz, frijoles y arroz. Los primeros en meterse a las monta\u00f1as fueron Alejandro \u00c1vila, Virgilio \u00c1vila, Nemesio Pineda, Clementina Rosales, Atiliano Mendoza, Victorio Mendoza, Facundo Calvo, Pedro Reyes, Felipe Reyes, In\u00e9s Arguedas, Felipe Arguedas, Chico Pe\u00f1a. Esos fueron los primeros en meterse a las monta\u00f1as pero no eran de Malpa\u00eds, llegaron de otros pueblos a agarrar tierras ya que eran tierras libres sin due\u00f1o. Algunos llegaron de Guanacaste, otros de Puntarenas de la pen\u00ednsula, otros de Montezuma y otros de Cabuya. Lugares cercanos a Malpa\u00eds.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Al final todos quedaron viviendo en Malpa\u00eds, ya que el ICTCO (Instituto Costarricense de Tierras y Colonizaciones) compr\u00f3 las tierras a todos y ahora es la famosa Reserva Forestal de Cabo Blanco. \u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gerardo recuerda muchos detalles y contin\u00faa describiendo c\u00f3mo naci\u00f3 la Reserva absoluta de Cabo Blanco:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c\u00bfPor qu\u00e9 se llama Cabo Blanco?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">La gente dice Reserva Forestal Cabo Blanco por el lugar donde naci\u00f3, Cabo Blanco. Nos contaba Tato Micho que hac\u00eda muchos a\u00f1os llegaron unos turistas a Malpa\u00eds cuando todav\u00eda no se llamaba Malpa\u00eds y estaban en la playa muy de ma\u00f1ana y cuando comenz\u00f3 a salir el sol se quedaron mirando hacia la roca y uno de ellos dijo \u201cooh mira Cabo Blanco, mira all\u00e1 Cabo Blanco\u201d y desde ese d\u00eda se llama la Isla. La famosa isla de Cabo Blanco.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00bfEn qu\u00e9 a\u00f1o naci\u00f3 la reserva forestal de Cabo Blanco?<br>La Reserva Forestal de Cabo Blanco eran tierras libres. Como en los a\u00f1os 1930 la gente empez\u00f3 a meterse a agarrar tierras. Comenzaron a trabajar las tierras sembrando agricultura y ganader\u00eda.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00bfQuienes eran los due\u00f1os de la reserva?<br>Los due\u00f1os eran Alejandro Avil\u00e9s, Virgilio Avil\u00e9s, Memercio, Pedro Reyes, Atiliano Mendoza, Victorio Mendoza, Chico Pe\u00f1on, In\u00e9s Arguedas y Facundo Calero.<br>Ya como en los a\u00f1os 1960 llegaron unos se\u00f1ores del ICTCO y ofrecieron comprar. Ya en los a\u00f1os 1964 compraron y la gente sali\u00f3 de la reserva. Casi todos se vinieron a Malpa\u00eds. Ya desde el a\u00f1o 1964 nadie pod\u00eda entrar a la reserva. Hab\u00edan guardas forestales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00bfQu\u00e9 animales hab\u00eda en la Reserva?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hab\u00eda monos Carablanca, monos Colorados, monos Congo, mapaches, pizotes, ardillas, venados cola blanca, dantas, tepezcuintle, cusuco (Armadillo), garrobos, pajuilas, pavas, pavon, chachalacas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Las quebradas estaban llenas de camarones, camar\u00f3n rayado y el famoso manotudo, camar\u00f3n pilero y camar\u00f3n amarillo. Tambi\u00e9n hab\u00edan cangrejos muy ricos para comer. Las aguas eran limpias, claritas.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Otros animales que hab\u00edan eran el famoso tigre, hab\u00eda le\u00f3n y leoncillo, tigrillo manigordo, caucel y leopardo. Hab\u00eda muchas culebras terciopelo, Bocaraca, becquer o boa cascabel, gavilana coral, la famosa pecho amarillo, cascabel muda.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">En esa reserva hab\u00edan muchos \u00e1rboles de madera muy buena y eran \u00e1rboles muy grandes como el famoso espavel. Hab\u00eda \u00e1rboles de espavel tan grandes que hac\u00edan botes de esos \u00e1rboles. Botes y lanchas peque\u00f1as. Hab\u00eda \u00e1rboles de pochote, roble, cort\u00e9s negro y cedro amargo. Todos eran buena madera. \u201c<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nuestro amigo Gerardo presenci\u00f3 el hundimiento del Gran Ranger y nos cuenta en primera persona lo que se vivi\u00f3:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEn qu\u00e9 a\u00f1o encall\u00f3 el Gran Ranger?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">El Gran Ranger encall\u00f3 en el a\u00f1o 1971. La tripulaci\u00f3n sali\u00f3 en dos pangas y un helic\u00f3ptero cay\u00f3 a la playa y los recogi\u00f3 y se los llev\u00f3 a Puntarenas. Eran puros chinos. El barco ten\u00eda cinco bodegas y en cada bodega ven\u00edan cien carros Toyota Land Cruiser, quinientos autos en total. Eran carros Toyota de los antiguos, de esos que la carrocer\u00eda era de aluminio, o sea ya no salen de esos carros. La gente iba en panga y sacaban arroz muy bueno, arroz chino. Sacaron platos, cucharas, todo lo de la cocina y mucha mercader\u00eda. El Gran Ranger ya no existe, todo se errumbr\u00f3 y se desbarat\u00f3. Se hundi\u00f3 y ya no se ve.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cuando sacaron todos los carros, la gente de Malpa\u00eds comenzaron a destruir el barco. Comenzaron a sacar mucho plomo y cobre y aluminio. Tambi\u00e9n sacaron mucho bronce. Toda la cabina era de cobre y aluminio, todo lo sacaron.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Para m\u00e1s informaci\u00f3n puede visitar<a href=\"https:\/\/www.montezumabeach.com\/?s=gran+ranger\"> este link<\/a> donde se explica en m\u00e1s detalle el hundimiento.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Continuamos con la historia de nuestro pueblo y Don Gerardo explica cu\u00e1les fueron los inicios de la actual Santa Teresa:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSanta Teresa de C\u00f3bano \u00bfC\u00f3mo se llamaba antes?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hasta el a\u00f1o 1973 se llam\u00f3 Finca el Carmen. Era de un se\u00f1or que se llamaba Maro Bargas. Se la vendi\u00f3 a un gringo-italiano. El gringo italiano la compr\u00f3 y la dej\u00f3 abandonada. Se la compr\u00f3 en 25,000 colones. Ya en los a\u00f1os 1973 la invadieron los precaristas y todos comenzaron a vender lotes hasta que se form\u00f3 un gran pueblo que hasta el d\u00eda de hoy se llama Santa Teresa de C\u00f3bano. Esa es la historia de Santa Teresa de C\u00f3bano que antes se llam\u00f3 finca El Carmen.\u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A partir de aqu\u00ed Don Gerardo nos cuenta curiosidades e hitos en la vida del pueblo:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEn el a\u00f1o 1960 Atiliano Mendoza compr\u00f3 un radio marca Nivico. Era un radio de una sola banda, AM. En ese tiempo no exist\u00eda la banda FM. El radio era un caj\u00f3n grande con cuatro patas y una perilla para mover las estaciones. El radio funcionaba solo con antena y era una antena larga como de cien metros. Hab\u00eda que enterrar cuatro palos de bamb\u00fa para poner la antena y nosotros los ni\u00f1os le pregunt\u00e1bamos a un se\u00f1or que se llamaba Juan Cuadra que qui\u00e9n era el que hablaba dentro del radio y el se\u00f1or nos dec\u00eda que eran hombres peque\u00f1itos que estaban dentro del radio. \u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Desde la llegada de la radio hasta la llegada del primer carro por los impracticables caminos y r\u00edos de la zona:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEn el a\u00f1o 1966 lleg\u00f3 por primera vez un carro marca Toyota Land Rover color gris a Malpais y todo el vecindario, que eran muy pocos, al ver el carro corr\u00edan detr\u00e1s para conocerlo porque nadie conoc\u00eda un carro. Le cost\u00f3 mucho llegar a Malpa\u00eds porque las carreteras eran muy malas, eran caminos solo para andar a caballo. Era un Toyota de doble tracci\u00f3n.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Todos los vecinos quedaron sorprendidos al ver un carro por primera vez. Cuando el carro lleg\u00f3 hasta Malpais, all\u00ed hab\u00eda una pulper\u00eda, el due\u00f1o se llamaba Arturo Barquero.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">El pulpero le daba fiado a casi todo el pueblo de Malpa\u00eds. Se le pagaba por a\u00f1o con las cosechas de arroz, frijoles y ma\u00edz. En esos tiempos la agricultura era muy buena. La mercader\u00eda se sacaba en lancha para el puerto de Puntarenas. Se sacaban muchos chanchos, cerdos bien gordos.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Las lanchas eran varias. Una se llamaba la Rima, otra La Mercedes, otra Don Bosco, otra La Rocibel, La Amelita I y La Amelita II y la Don Fabio. Eran siete lanchas. \u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPara el a\u00f1o 1965 lleg\u00f3 la primera rocola a Manzanillo de Ar\u00edo, y todos nosotros los vecinos de Malpa\u00eds, San Isidro, C\u00f3bano, El Molino, R\u00edo Negro de C\u00f3bano, Betel, La Bajura de Ar\u00edo, todos \u00edbamos a conocer la rocola. Unos a caballo y los que no ten\u00edan caballo \u00edbamos a pie. Algunos nos \u00edbamos desde las 4 de la madrugada. Eran como dos horas caminando por monta\u00f1as hasta llegar a Manzanillo a conocer la rocola y a o\u00edr m\u00fasica.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lo vacil\u00f3n era que casi nadie sab\u00eda marcar la m\u00fasica. Unos le echaban la plata y comenzaban a tocar la rocola por todas partes pero nadie pod\u00eda hacerla sonar, hasta que el due\u00f1o les ense\u00f1\u00f3 a marcarla.<br>En ese tiempo la plata era 2 reales, 4 reales, 6 reales y 1 col\u00f3n.<br>2 reales eran 1 peseta<br>4 reales eran 50 c\u00e9ntimos<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">6 reales eran una peseta y un cuarto o 50 c\u00e9ntimos.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">La rocola, con dos reales o una peseta marcaba una canci\u00f3n. Con cuatro reales o cincuenta c\u00e9ntimos, marcaba dos canciones y con un col\u00f3n marcaba cuatro canciones.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">El due\u00f1o de la rocola era un se\u00f1or que se llamaba Chepe Duran. El negocio era de \u00e9l. Era un comisariato, no exist\u00edan los supermercados ni los Pal\u00ed. \u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ha sido un honor para Santa Teresa Hoy poder tener acceso a esta informaci\u00f3n que no habr\u00eda sido posible sin la inestimable ayuda de Don Ronald S\u00e1nchez Porras.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Es importante conocer el contexto y la historia del pueblo para continuar manteniendo la cultura y esencia del lugar. Seguiremos trabajando para poder acercar la voz de personajes relevantes a todos y todas las lectoras.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Transcripci\u00f3n y comentarios por Elena Parras, fundadora y editora de Santa Teresa Hoy.&nbsp;<br>Fotograf\u00eda de portada de Catherine Wood, Malpa\u00eds 1993<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow aligncenter is-style-circle\" data-effect=\"slide\"><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_container swiper-container\"><ul class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_swiper-wrapper swiper-wrapper\"><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"863\" height=\"1151\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-224\" data-id=\"224\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/santateresahoy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/pagina-1-gerardo-reyes-reyes-1-edited.jpg?resize=863%2C1151&#038;ssl=1\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"814\" height=\"1085\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-225\" data-id=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/santateresahoy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/pagina-2-gerardo-reyes-reyes-edited.jpg?resize=814%2C1085&#038;ssl=1\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"863\" height=\"1151\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-226\" data-id=\"226\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/santateresahoy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/pagina-3-gerardo-reyes-reyes-edited.jpg?resize=863%2C1151&#038;ssl=1\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"863\" height=\"1151\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-227\" data-id=\"227\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/santateresahoy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/pagina-4-gerardo-reyes-reyes-edited.jpg?resize=863%2C1151&#038;ssl=1\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"661\" height=\"881\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-228\" data-id=\"228\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/santateresahoy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/pagina-5-gerardo-reyes-reyes-edited.jpg?resize=661%2C881&#038;ssl=1\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"863\" height=\"1150\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-229\" data-id=\"229\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/santateresahoy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/pagina-6-gerardo-reyes-reyes-edited.jpg?resize=863%2C1150&#038;ssl=1\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"863\" height=\"1151\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-230\" data-id=\"230\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/santateresahoy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/pagina-7-gerardo-reyes-reyes-edited.jpg?resize=863%2C1151&#038;ssl=1\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"863\" height=\"1151\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-231\" data-id=\"231\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/santateresahoy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/pagina-8-gerardo-reyes-reyes-edited.jpg?resize=863%2C1151&#038;ssl=1\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-prev swiper-button-prev swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-next swiper-button-next swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a aria-label=\"Pause Slideshow\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-pause\" role=\"button\"><\/a><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_pagination swiper-pagination swiper-pagination-white\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The History of the town as told by Gerardo Reyes Reyes<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Don Gerardo was born in Malpa\u00eds around the 1950s. He now sells fish in the San Ram\u00f3n area of Alajuela and has decided to delight us with his memories of his time in this beautiful place. In the following text, the order of some paragraphs has been modified to maintain the time axis and facilitate understanding. No information has been omitted, everything is transcribed just as Don Gerardo wrote it to us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his manuscript, Gerardo begins by talking about Malpa\u00eds and the story that his elders told him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhy is it called Malpa\u00eds and since when?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the 1930s there lived a very old man named Tato Micho. He recounted that in those years, the town was very small, about five ranches, and it had no name. It was just a very small town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In those years, a priest came to give a mass. He was going from Puntarenas by boat and when he arrived he disembarked and upon reaching the town he put the cassock on a rock and sat down to rest. That&#8217;s when a drunk arrived and took the cassock, that is, he stole it. They searched for it for a long time and without finding it, the priest exclaimed very angry and said \u00abOoooh how sad this is a Bad Country, my God, a Bad Country, this is a Bad Country oooh a Bad Country\u00bb and from that day until today, 93 years ago. It has been called Malpa\u00eds for 93 years.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mal Pa\u00eds translates into \u201cBad Country\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTeachers arrived and named it Los \u00c1ngeles de Paquera, but people kept calling it Malpa\u00eds. As much as they tried to give it another name, they couldn&#8217;t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The funny thing is that the cassock never appeared, nobody knew anything. Everyone searched in the neighboring towns and nothing. In the mountains and nothing. In the ranches where they sold contraband guaro, since it was believed that the drunkard had gone to exchange it for guaro and it was not that way. To this day nothing is known about the cassock, only that it was lost or stolen by the drunkard and the town was baptized Malpa\u00eds. This story is of the old, the old inhabitants. Now the youth don&#8217;t know anything about it, only the old.\u00bb<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Guaro is the way in which sugar cane brandy is called in Costa Rica and for a long time it was made at home, especially in rural areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Don Gerardo continues describing his hometown:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHow many inhabitants did Malpa\u00eds have?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tato Micho told us that in the years 1930 to 1940 there were no more than five ranches and in each ranch there were at most four people, there were not many people. They were free lands, pure mountains. Malpa\u00eds bordered on the east with San Isidro, on the west with the sea, on the north with Manzanillo and on the south with Cabuya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As early as 1940 people began to grab free land and work it. They began to cut down trees with an ax and make burns to plant agriculture: corn, beans, and rice. The first ones to enter the mountains were Alejandro \u00c1vila, Virgilio \u00c1vila, Nemesio Pineda, Clementina Rosales, Atiliano Mendoza, Victorio Mendoza, Facundo Calvo, Pedro Reyes, Felipe Reyes, In\u00e9s Arguedas, Felipe Arguedas, Chico Pe\u00f1a. Those were the first to enter the mountains but they were not from Malpa\u00eds, they came from other towns to grab land since it was free land without an owner. Some came from Guanacaste, others from Puntarenas on the peninsula, others from Montezuma and others from Cabuya. All places near Malpais.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the end, they all ended up living in Malpa\u00eds, since the ICTCO (Costa Rican Institute of Lands and Colonizations) bought the land from everyone and now it is the famous Cabo Blanco Forest Reserve. \u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gerardo remembers many details and goes on to describe how the Cabo Blanco Absolute Reserve was born:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhy is it called Cabo Blanco?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">People say Cabo Blanco Forest Reserve after the place where it was born, Cabo Blanco. Tato Micho told us that many years ago some tourists came to Malpa\u00eds when it was not yet called Malpa\u00eds and they were on the beach very early in the morning and when the sun began to rise they stared at the rock and one of them said \u201cooh look at Cabo Blanco, look over there, Cabo Blanco\u201d and from that day on it has been called the famous island of Cabo Blanco.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In what year was the Cabo Blanco Forest Reserve born? Who were the owners of the reserve?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Cabo Blanco Forest Reserve was free land. Around the 1930s, people began to get involved in grabbing land. They began to work the land planting agriculture and livestock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The owners were Alejandro Avil\u00e9s, Virgilio Avil\u00e9s, Memercio, Pedro Reyes, Atiliano Mendoza, Victorio Mendoza, Chico Pe\u00f1on, In\u00e9s Arguedas and Facundo Calero.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As in the 1960s, some gentlemen from ICTCO arrived and offered to buy. Already in 1964 they bought and people left the reserve. Almost all of them came to Malpa\u00eds. Since 1964 no one could enter the reserve. There were forest rangers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What animals were there in the Reserve?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There were white-faced monkeys, Colorado monkeys, Howler monkeys, raccoons, coatis, squirrels, white-tailed deer, tapirs, tepezcuintle, cusuco (Armadillo), garrobos, straws, guans, peacock, chachalacas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ravines were full of shrimp, striped shrimp and the famous manotudo, pilero shrimp and yellow shrimp. There were also very tasty crabs to eat. The waters were clean, very clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Other animals that were there were the famous tiger, there was a lion and a young lion, an ocelot, a caucel and a leopard. There were many terciopelo snakes, Bocaraca, becquer or rattlesnake boa, coral hawk, the famous yellow chest, mute rattlesnake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In that reserve there were many trees with very good wood and they were very large trees like the famous espavel. There were espavel trees so big that they made boats out of those trees. Boats and small boats. There were pochote, oak, cort\u00e9s negro, and bitter cedar trees. They were all good wood. \u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our friend Gerardo witnessed the sinking of the Gran Ranger and tells us in first person what happened:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00abWhat year did the Gran Ranger run aground?\u00bb<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Gran Ranger ran aground in 1971. The crew left in two pangas (small boats) and a helicopter landed on the beach and picked them up and took them to Puntarenas. They were purely Chinese. The ship had five holds and in each hold there were one hundred Toyota Land Cruiser, five hundred cars in total. They were old Toyota cars, the kind that had an aluminum body, that is, they don&#8217;t make those cars anymore. People went in pangas and they brought out very good rice, Chinese rice. They took out plates, spoons, everything from the kitchen and a lot of commodities. The Gran Ranger no longer exists, everything rusted and fell apart. It sank and is no longer visible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When all the cars were removed, the people of Malpa\u00eds began to destroy the ship. They began to extract a lot of lead and copper and aluminum. They also took out a lot of bronze. The whole cabin was made of copper and aluminum, everything was removed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For more information you can visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montezumabeach.com\/?s=gran+ranger\">this link<\/a> where the sinking is explained in more detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We continue with the history of our town and Don Gerardo explains what were the beginnings of the current Santa Teresa:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSanta Teresa de C\u00f3bano, what was its name before?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Until 1973 it was called Finca el Carmen. It belonged to a man named Maro Bargas. He sold it to an Italian gringo. The Italian gringo bought it and left it abandoned. He bought it for 25,000 colones. Already in 1973 the squatters invaded it and everyone began to sell lots until a large town was formed that to this day is called Santa Teresa de C\u00f3bano. That is the story of Santa Teresa de C\u00f3bano, which was previously called Finca El Carmen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From here Don Gerardo tells us curiosities and milestones in the life of the town:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIn 1960 Atiliano Mendoza bought a Nivico brand radio. It was a single band radio, AM. At that time there was no FM band. The radio was a large drawer with four legs and a knob to change the channels. The radio worked only with an antenna and it was a long antenna about a hundred meters. We had to bury four bamboo poles to put up the antenna and we children would ask a gentleman named Juan Cuadra who was speaking inside the radio and the gentleman told us that they were little men who were inside the radio. \u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From the arrival of the radio until the arrival of the first car through the impassable roads and rivers of the area:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIn 1966, a gray Toyota Land Rover brand car arrived in Malpais for the first time and the entire neighborhood, which was very small, saw the car and ran behind it to see it because no one had seen a car before. It took him a long time to get to Malpa\u00eds because the roads were very bad, they were only roads for horseback riding. It was a four-wheel drive Toyota.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All the neighbors were surprised to see a car for the first time. When the car reached Malpais, there was a pulper\u00eda (grocery store) there, the owner was called Arturo Barquero.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The pulpero gave credit to almost the entire town of Malpa\u00eds. He was paid by the year with the harvests of rice, beans and corn. In those days agriculture was very good. The commodities were taken out by boat to the port of Puntarenas. Many pigs were taken out, very fat pigs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There were several boats. One was called La Rima, another La Mercedes, another Don Bosco, another La Rocibel, La Amelita I and La Amelita II and Don Fabio. There were seven boats. \u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIn 1965 the first jukebox arrived in Manzanillo de Ar\u00edo, and all of us residents of Malpa\u00eds, San Isidro, C\u00f3bano, El Molino, R\u00edo Negro de C\u00f3bano, Betel, La Bajura de Ar\u00edo, we all went to see the jukebox. Some on horseback and those who did not have horses went on foot. Some of us were leaving at 4 in the morning. It was about two hours walking through the mountains to get to Manzanillo to see the jukebox and listen to music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The funny thing was that almost nobody knew how to tune the music. Some poured money into it and began to play the jukebox everywhere, but no one could make it sound, until the owner taught them how to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At that time, the money was 2 reales, 4 reales, 6 reales, and 1 col\u00f3n.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">2 reales were 1 peseta<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">4 reales were 50 cents<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">6 reales were a peseta and a quarter or 50 cents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The jukebox, with two reales or one peseta played a song. With four reales or fifty cents, played two songs and with one col\u00f3n it played four songs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The owner of the jukebox was a man named Chepe Duran. The business was his. It was a little shop, there were no supermarkets or the Pal\u00ed. \u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It has been an honor for Santa Teresa Hoy to have access to this information that would not have been possible without the invaluable help of Don Ronald S\u00e1nchez Porras.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is important to know the context and history of the town to continue maintaining the culture and essence of the place. We will continue working to be able to bring the voice of relevant characters closer to each and every reader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Transcription and comments by Elena Parras, founder and editor of Santa Teresa Hoy.<br>Cover photography by Catherine Wood, Malpa\u00eds 1993.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Photography by Catherine Wood, Malpa\u00eds 1993<\/p>","protected":false},"author":235223963,"featured_media":235,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3503],"tags":[15562470,768136413,678,705,859744,768136414,140969],"class_list":["post-212","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-historia","tag-cabo-blanco","tag-historia","tag-history","tag-local","tag-malpais","tag-santa-teresa","tag-village"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/peOIQI-3q","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/santateresahoy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/catherine-wood.-ox-cart-malpais-1993-780587797-e1689200656137.jpeg?fit=1125%2C714&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/santateresahoy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/212","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/santateresahoy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/santateresahoy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/santateresahoy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/235223963"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/santateresahoy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=212"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/santateresahoy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/212\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":244,"href":"https:\/\/santateresahoy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/212\/revisions\/244"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/santateresahoy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/santateresahoy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=212"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/santateresahoy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=212"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/santateresahoy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=212"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}