Picking coffee beans on a sustainable farm outside the town of Santa Elena.
We were with a group which included four other people, plus guide. Altogether we picked enough in 15 minutes to earn less than a collective dollar.
The majority of the employees are Nicaraguans who come for the seasonal work and to save money to take home. A dollar is of course worth much more for them than for local Costa Ricans.
On our holiday, we were quite shocked to discover however just how low wages are in Costa Rica, and yet the cost of living there is much the same as in, say, the UK.
It's interesting to see how our coffee grows and shameful to think how little the laborers are getting to pick the coffee. I will feel like I've got a bargain the next cup I drink.
