Boyeros World Cultural Heritage

Visitors to Costa Rica and residents alike enthuse at the heavy wooden carts hauled by plodding oxen heading for their daily labor. The boyeros, or oxcart drivers, and their often brightly decorated carts on unsprung wheels are uniquely Costa Rican.

Traditionally used to bring produce, charcoal and salt to town, they also helped transport building materials for churches, bridges and schools. It is still possible to see them pulling ploughshares or circling steadily round a trapiche (mill) grinding the sugar cane to extract the juice. Somewhat incredibly in this age of tractor and harvester, they still labor profitably in the fields; and their tradition and role in shaping Costa Rica's past is increasingly recognized with national festivals and parades in their honor.

Last November, the 8th Entry of the Saints and Boyero Parade saw oxen and drivers from Upala in the north steadfastly proceeding down San Jose's Paseo Colón along with boyeros from the Central Valley and southerly San Isidro del General. So significant are the boyeros to the country's heritage that a petition has been made for UNESCO to declare the tradition a World Cultural Heritage. If approved, full status will be declared by mid-2005 and one can only imagine what kind of bovine celebrations will herald the honor.

What is it about this beast-cart combination that is so compelling? Weighing up to a ton, one gentle nudge from an ox could flatten the best of us, but there they stand – the epitome of patience, yoked to their matching pair, so noble, so dewy eyed, massively tranquil and utterly irresistible. No molly-coddled show creatures, these oxen work the fields much of the year, tolerating rain, heat and heavy loads without complaint. And then, occasionally, they are decked out: horns polished and tipped with brass globes, shanks brushed to gleaming shine, carretas and yokes touched up with fresh paint ready for the show! I defy anyone not to be moved by these lumbering giants and their independent, courteous drivers.

The boyeros seem as implacable as their beasts. The real experts nonchalantly swap gossip and a beer with their buddies, but a glance and the slightest flick of the long sharp-tipped prods onto the yoke lift the oxens' heads immediately and hooves step out in unison. The lead cart for the Entry of the Saints, drawn by a magnificent pair of imposing dappled oxen, carried San José's effigy to be blessed at the Cathedral. A mere whistle from their smartly turned out boyero was sufficient to lead them off, or bring them to a coordinated standstill. Remote-controlled ox-driving, now there's a novel concept…

The next big event takes place the second week in March in San Antonio de Escazú. The tradition is strongly rooted there with an official Association to Preserve Boyero Traditions. Not only do they organize and promote the various gatherings, but will provide financial help when the inevitable happens and a boyero loses an ox. The fraternity is tight-knit and anyone linked to the oxcart way of life pools resources to replace the lost animal. The respect and support for their beasts and each other celebrate ethical standards that many see as disappearing, but it doesn't look as if the boyeros or their oxen are vanishing any place soon.