Thursday, December 12, 2013

Cupos, Cupos, Cupos Costa Rica 1977

Cupos, Cupos, Cupos...

UofA students, summer 1977 Costa Rica

The Cupos hucksters came through at EVERY bus stop, EVERY train stop.... EVERY stop. Everywhere!

You'd be sitting in you seat... bus would stop... and here would come the wave of local hucksters yelling...

Cupos, Cupos, Cupos.

these were kids... street vendors selling... Snow cones. Yes.... snow cones. Welcome to the Costa Rican Hustle !



They'd board the bus at every stop, come down the aisiles yelling Cupos, Cupos, Cupos...  with a hand held tray with 4 to 5 snow cones cups of ice in the paper cup.

If you said "yes" to buy one... it would be... ?what flavor?

Purple was grape.

Red was strawberry.   ... and I think there was orange.

Cupos cost one Colones.  8.54c.... a dime.  Everything in Costa Rica in 1977 cost one Colone ... a dime!

You'd pick your flavor and they'd pour, from their 3 bottles... purple, red, or orange.  And you'd have your snow cone... your Cupos,

OR..... you got .... conLeche.... w/ milk.   Then they'd take a can of eagle brand milk and drape a swirl on the top of you Cupos.

I guess this was the "Deluxe" Cupos.  It didn't cost more?

In 1977,... I guess this was a real treat in Costa Rica.  .... Hot, humid, tropic Costa Rica...   It was the hustle.

Pix coming soon.... I promise.