Oops there goes
another rubber tree plant.
another rubber tree plant.
-Frank Sinatra
One of the fascinating things in Costa Rica is how large the plants grow. Things that are bushes in Canada are trees there, and Canadian houseplants are as big as houses.
On a wander through the rain forest near Arenal, the guide was telling us about tree species and about their uses. This is Guanacaste – it is used in making furniture. This is Melina, also used for furniture. He also pointed out a cedar tree, slightly larger than anything I’ve seen before. So large, that the top was out of sight in the canopy, and we could not identify it without his help.
On a wander through the rain forest near Arenal, the guide was telling us about tree species and about their uses. This is Guanacaste – it is used in making furniture. This is Melina, also used for furniture. He also pointed out a cedar tree, slightly larger than anything I’ve seen before. So large, that the top was out of sight in the canopy, and we could not identify it without his help.
(It is actually pictured in an earlier post)
As we came around a corner, he asked if anybody recognized a tree just off the trail. It turned out to be a rubber tree, used as he suggested for gloves and condoms. He cut the bark with a pocket knife and a white milky liquid poured forth. The girl with the touch everything finger immediately got the finger coated in the substance to let it dry into a souvenir. Suddenly remembering to look BEFORE leaping, and after putting it on her hand, she asked if raw rubber was safe to put it on her hand.
“Oh yes”, replied the guide. “In some countries, they make gloves by having workers put their hands in the liquid, then holding them up until it dries. After a couple coats, they simply peel off the new gloves and put them aside for packaging”.
“Hmmm”, says she. “I wonder how they make condoms?”
As we came around a corner, he asked if anybody recognized a tree just off the trail. It turned out to be a rubber tree, used as he suggested for gloves and condoms. He cut the bark with a pocket knife and a white milky liquid poured forth. The girl with the touch everything finger immediately got the finger coated in the substance to let it dry into a souvenir. Suddenly remembering to look BEFORE leaping, and after putting it on her hand, she asked if raw rubber was safe to put it on her hand.
“Oh yes”, replied the guide. “In some countries, they make gloves by having workers put their hands in the liquid, then holding them up until it dries. After a couple coats, they simply peel off the new gloves and put them aside for packaging”.
“Hmmm”, says she. “I wonder how they make condoms?”
