Today is a special day for many people and countries around the world. That’s right: it’s the anniversary of the first Costa Rican coffee export to England. Captain William Le Lacheur took the precious cargo from the Pacific port of Puntarenas in the clipper Monarch.
That was in 1843. You know what happened in 1844 in England? The birth of the modern cooperative movement, the abolition of debtor’s prison and the creation of workday limits (ok, 12 hours for women and six for kids – not exactly knocking it out of the park, but progress). An awfully efficient, high-performing year for the country’s leaders, wouldn’t you say? Coincidence? I think not.
Well, maybe. But life started getting better across the pond when, that foggy Christmas Eve, a ship full of the world’s best coffee set off on an adventure that would transform Costa Rica forever.
To all those celebrating today, happy wrapping, churchgoing, cookie baking or whatever else the day holds – and may the coffee that fuels you through it all be worthy of a Monarch.
I’m a writer in San José, Costa Rica, on a year-long quest to share daily posts on inspiring people, places and ideas from my adopted home as a kind of tonic during a rough time in the world. Sign up (top right of this page) to receive a little dose of inspiration every weekday in your mailbox; tell a friend; check out past posts; and please connect with me on Instagram or Facebook! You can also find me churning out small, square poems on any topic under the sun (here on the site, on Instagram or Twitter).
katherine stanley obando 