Laura Dulin

Living in the Rainforest - Sexy Latinos

By Laura Dulin ⋅ June 3, 2008 ⋅  Email this post ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment

Hello from the land of Latin love,

When we arrived, the city, the whole city was watching the futbol (soccer) game between Mexico and Costa Rica. People sat in vigil around store window TV’s and shouting could be head throughout the streets as the game progressed. One solid scream of triumph containing the voice of every Costa Rican was heard when Costa Rica won2-1. People ran out of their houses and out of stores to jump up in the air and dance in the street. Horns were honking; people gathered in the streets stopping traffic and sang national pride songs, “Aye, Aye, Aye…Ticos, Ticos!” Such solidarity and pride.

And this is just a part of something much bigger. People are free here to express themselves and it makes me feel free. People sing love songs on the buses, on the streets…and the dancing-wow. The hips of men and women sway together smoothly as their feet tap out the fast beats of Salsa, Meringue, and Cumbia. It’s sexier than I can begin to describe, and it’s totally accepted here. Even eight your old know how to swing their hips to the music.

Naturally I wanted to get into this fun after class, my adult students have been teaching me how to dance. We blast the Latin music and they take turns showing the rigid American how to move sauvecito style. It takes time and a few beers to learn these dances. Americans look like such stiffs on the dance floor when standing next to Latinos. We may have wealth, but most Americans will never manage to dance like this.

I can’t truly describe dancing without describing Costa
Rican fashion. The men dress casual, but the women all wear the tightest clothing. They wear heels with pants that form themselves around the curves of the lower side. Many women wear a top that pulls tight against the chest and ties in the back with spaghetti straps. What I love is that every woman dresses this way. Skinny, short, fat, thin, young, old; it doesn’t matter, you’re showing off everything that you got.

There’s the Costa Rican walk that accompanies this look. They walk with their torso held high and straight, and shoulders rolled back. Their legs move forward in long casual strides while their butt sways back and forth. By American standards, most Costa Rican women would be mistaken for prostitutes, but that’s just the way it is here.

Ok, back to my favorite thing. Dancing. People, young and old, flock to the discos, and they’re so fun. Michelle and I have now traveled to Monteverde and San Jose together. We go to the discos at night and have no problem finding dancing partners for the night. Two weekends ago our dancing partners were Oscar and Julio, rural farmers. Last Friday night we were at our local bar when a group of men asked us to join them at their table. We agreed and as we sat they brought a candle to our table, and one of the men pulled out a guitar and serenaded us with Latin folk songs. Everyone in the bar started to sing along full out and tap rhythms on their tables and glasses.

Last night we first went to a tiny Argentinean tango bar where 70-year-old musicians took turns playing accordions and guitars while belting out songs of love and loss. One of the old passionate goats sang a song to Michelle and I about how sad it was that we were alone, “Que triste, mi pobrecitos estan solo.” Oh God. Then we went to a disco and danced the night away with an Argentinian magician and his friend. While dancing, the magician pulled a red cloth and feathers from his empty hand.

Es una vida loca aquí. Ciao, Laura J