Australian traveler and journalist Christie Peucker crafts and paints her own oxcart in Sarchí under the tutelage of prominent Costa Rican artist Luis Madrigal.
On a recent afternoon in Sarchí, Costa Rica’s premier artisan town to the northwest of San José, an apron-clad, paint-smeared woman held up a blue oxcart. From gathering the materials to carving the wood to painting the oxcart, Christie Peucker, a 31-year-old journalist from Adelaide, Australia, had crafted the whole thing herself.
Sure, it might not have been the most polished oxcart in the country. (Due to its historical role in transporting coffee, the oxcart is actually Costa Rica’s national symbol.) But Peucker’s intricate handiwork did display a month’s worth of dedication.
“I’m no Picasso, that’s for sure … but it feels great to have a finished product,” she said. “There’s something therapeutic about doing things with your hands. It’s something to be proud of.”
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