Turtles!!

Lets talk about turtles!

This weekend I traveled with the ecotourism class to Tortuguero. When you think about baby sea turtles, this is the place that probably pops into your mind. But before I continue, I have to say, unfortunately, we were not there during the right time and missed out on seeing the little ones scurry to the ocean. 

I’ll start with Thursday. I spent the day doing homework (and many some Pinterest J ) and emailing my mom. She is coming down in March/April so we are working on figuring out what we want to do. On Thursday night, all the girls met at the bus stop in San Joaquin and went to the mall, El Paseo de las Flores. A free mini-concert was being held, and most of us needed to see it for a music report we had to write. The singer, Xiomara, was wonderful! She is about 4’10”, but her voice is huge! I found out later that she won the Costa Rican version of The Voice. After the concert, we hung out in Heredia for an hour, then those of us heading to Tortuguero, a.k.a. Turtleville, headed home for a good nights sleep.

We all woke up on Friday and met our driver and Ana, our administrator/principle/mom/secretary at the institute at 7:00am. Taking the back roads, we traveled through Heredia and picked up the ecotourism teacher. It was my first time meeting her, and she was really nice! I felt bad because I had taken Dramamine for motion sickness, so I slept most of the way. However, I was awake when we crossed the mountains out of the central valley. They are truly rainforest, and it rained slightly on our way out, which is normal. It is always strange to me how the central valley can be relatively dry, yet the mountains that surround it always have fog and drizzly weather.

We made our way to the area where boats will ferry people to Tortuguero. Tortuguero has no roads, and the only way in and out is by boat. Lets just say, for the first time in Costa Rica, I matched everyone around me – white skin, light hair, and big backpacks. Since we arrived on Friday morning, there were many other tourists, scientists, and students waiting to catch the boats. We didn’t have to wait long – Ana had already reserved a boat for us, so we only had to wait 20 minutes for the other half of the boat to show up.

A little warning here – if the following paragraph describes you, I am sorry, and try to not take offense.

There, that’s my warning. The other half of the boat was full of stereotypical GRINGOS!! Now, I know, I am a gringo. It’s my hair, my eyes, my skin – but there is a difference between being a gringo and acting like one. This group was full of high school students and two chaperones. One chaperone would not quit talking, even though she had lost her voice before the trip. The others were constantly talking and not enjoying the peaceful river or looking for animals. Our driver, Manuel, said something to our group in Spanish. One girl yells from the back, “We don’t understand Spanish! Can you speak English??” in the whitest, blonde girl voice I have heard in a long time. When a Tico speaks, and its not directed directly at you, it might be a good idea to try to act like you understand. My group and I talked in Spanish, just because we were so fed up with their actions and it was good practice for us. I know we are all tourists, or extranjeros, en Costa Rica, but when your own countrymen think you are obnoxious, you know the locals are rolling their eyes at you. The 40-minute boat ride finally ended, and it was wonderful to get some space and put ourselves fully back into the Tico frame of mind.  Pura vida 

After eating lunch at our hotel, Vista al Mar, we got on a smaller boat and set out for the Turtle Conservatory Center. The other students passed out surveys to students as part of their class, so I had time to look around. A path led from the center to the town, so we headed down that way. The town of Tortuguero is truly a one-street town. The spit of land is not wide enough to have it any way else! I had plenty of time to shop around and enjoy the view. I found a cute, family run store and I bought a keychain and a piggybank made from a coconut. On our way back to the hotel, I stopped and grabbed a smoothie for 1000 colones, or 2 dollars. It was pineapple, mango, papaya, and it was delicious! I have been so lucky getting to be in a place where the fruit is readily available.

After riding around the river and seeing birds, monkeys, and a few adult turtles, we arrived back to the hotel. I used the Wifi to call my mom and email people, then headed to dinner.

Friday was valentines day, and I have to say, for being half a world away, I managed to have a good one. My boyfriend had sent me a package earlier that week, so I got to eat my chocolate and read his card on the beach in the moonlight. The beach was so calm and serene with the waves and the full moon. It was wonderful to sit and be able to think with no cars or people.

Saturday rolled around! We headed to Tortugeuro National Park and learned more about the conservation process. After, we had a few hours free-time, then boarded the boat to return home. The drive from Tortuguero to Heredia lasts about 3.5 hours, and this time I was awake to see the country. Its amazing how many small towns there are, and there is really no wide open spaces. That’s one thing that’s been different. The idea of “rural” here is not the same as mine. I think of cattle-ranches, or the Palouse at home, and there is just not that much space here. Its been interesting adjusting to that.

On Sunday, I went to mass at 9am, then came back and worked on homework. Monica and Angelica had gone to a party, so the house was very calm with only Flor and I. We watched Letters to Juliet in Spanish. I was very glad I could take it easy on Sunday and get ready for the week, including prepping for the English class I help teach on Mondays.

Have a good rest of the week!

Arenal and Rio Celeste

Arenal!

This weekend myself and the other API kids (Albert, Jill, Scott, Abbie, and MaryClaire) had the opportunity to visit Arenal and Rio Celeste with our fearless guide and director, Esteban! We were all super excited, and for good reason.

We left San Joaquin de Flores at 9am on Friday. It was very nice having private transportation, and not having to deal with the bus system. We followed some windy roads up into the mountains. Our first stop, about 1 hour into the trip, was a town called Zarcero. It’s a small town with around 4,500 residence, but we went to see the gardens at the Parque Francisco Alvarado and the church, la Iglesia de San Rafael. The park is full of bushes and trees that have been shaped into fantastic animals, shapes, and are altogether wonderful. We all had fun running around and taking pictures. The church was also beautiful. It is made of wood, which is different from many of the stone churches you will find in Costa Rica. There was a pianist playing when we visited, so the experience was quiet majestic.

The drive from Zarcero to La Fortuna was beautiful. The skies were clear and we saw many mountain villages. The roads are very twisty, so if you have problems with motion sickness, like myself, take medication. It will help! As we descended, we saw the first view of the Arenal Volcano. It instantly reminded me of the lonely mountain from The Hobbit. Arenal is very impressive, and loams up. It is the quintessential volcano. It has stopped spewing lava, but we did see a little bit of gas released from the top.

We checked into our hotel, Arenal Paraiso, and then took off for the national park. We took a short hike and went to the observation point where there are views of the volcano and Lake Arenal. See the pictures below:

After, we had a few hours at the hotel, then headed to Baldi to visit the hot springs. They were wonderful! The water was super warm, and we explored the whole complex. Our ticket time was for 6-10pm, but we all were tired, so we found Esteban and returned to the hotel around 8:30. I checked the Olympic games, then fell asleep.

On Saturday, we had a delicious buffet breakfast and headed to Rio Celeste. It was raining, and I forgot my raincoat! I guess I’m used to the semi-desert of Wenatchee, where I never need one. Esteban and his girlfriend, Lucia, didn’t have raincoats either, so we stopped and got dollar ponchos. Best purchase of the weekend!

We hiked into Rio Celeste and saw the waterfall, sulfur pools, and where the water changes from normal to the brilliant blue. Although it was raining, we still could see the color, which was a blessing. We went to the end and soaked in some natural hot springs, and then headed back out. After a total of 5 hours of hiking in the rain and mud, we all were grateful to head back to the hotel.

*Note, if anyone is planning on going to Rio Celeste, the trail is pretty treacherous. It was super muddy for us, and there are many tree roots and rocks. Take an extra pair of shoes, because my tennis shoes were covered in mud and soaking wet.

On Saturday night, we all went to a nice group dinner in La Fortuna, and I had yummy steak. J  I also experienced Pops ice-cream for the first time. It is delicious, and reminds me of Baskin-Robbins.  

Sunday morning rolled around and we had the morning to ourselves. The group basked in the sun, watched movies, and used the WiFi in the hotel lobby. At 12, we headed back to San Joaquin. I got back at 3:45, dropped my bags, and went to the church to attend 4pm mass. Once I got back, I had some quality time with my Tica mom as we cleaned and scrubbed my tennis shoes. They are now squeaky clean, but I need some bleach to get them white again.

On the agenda this week: Classes, teaching English, working out, observing a physical therapist, and enjoying the package my boyfriend sent me for Valentines day. J Lots of yummy chocolate and candy!!

The weekend was a blast, and now I have a normal week ahead of me. Hope everyone is having a wonderful February!

Happy February

Some people have been bugging me to update my blog, so I think it’s time.

Time is flying by! It’s been two weeks since I have last posted. I can’t believe I’ve already been here a month! It seems like yesterday I boarded the plane and said goodbye to my family and my boyfriend.  

So much has happened these past two weeks. I finished my resume material and sent them to my mom for her to proof read and mail. I also got some sad news from home. My dog, who was a puppy when I was 9, had to be put down. She had cancer and it was time. Having to deal with those feelings and emotions while in another country has been interesting. I think it was easier to get over my dog’s death because there is nothing here to remind me of her, and thankfully I haven’t seen any chocolate labs around.

Classes are going well. I only have four, so I can’t complain about anything. My week starts on Monday at 8am and ends Wednesday at noon. There are definitely worse things!  In my conversation class, we have to do community service. I choose to teach intro to English at the local library. The first class was a little crazy because my partner and I didn’t have a lesson plan. Luckily, we could focus on the basics, like the alphabet, how to say the letters, and little greetings. Tomorrow will be a lot better – we are working on numbers, colors, and some basic information, and we have handouts for the students. There are 5 women, so we are able to help them one-on-one a lot. I have found I really like teaching them, even when I have a hard time explaining something because my Spanish isn’t perfect.  

Other fun news, I will be observing a physical therapist here in Costa Rica! I have been working with one of the administrators at the Institute and he has helped me get everything set up. Hopefully I will be able to start this week, and if not, for sure the week after. I am really excited to see if there is a difference in how they treat clients.

Last weekend (January 25^th) I went to a wedding with Monica. It was very fun, with lots of food. I found it very similar to a normal US wedding. The ceremony was similar, and there was plenty of dancing! A DJ took care of the music, but a Mariachi came by, along with a Mardi Gras drum line and dancers! There was a ton of energy at the wedding, and everyone had a wonderful time. 

Also, I was craving chocolate chip cookies two weeks ago. So, after asking my host mom, I bought everything to make them with Emily and Brenda. They turned out slightly different - I think it is the brown sugar. It is not the same as at home. But, they still tasted great! 

This weekend, everyone went to Puerto Viejo! It’s a wonderful beach on the Caribbean. I think I liked it more than Manuel Antonio. We left early on Friday and came back Saturday night. In that time we explored the town of Puerto Viejo, laid on the beach, had a group dinner at a lovely restaurant, and hung out at the hostel. On Saturday, Emily and I rented bikes and rode the 12km down to Manzanillo beach and walked around the Gandoca-Manzanillo Preserve. The views of the ocean were spectacular! We enjoyed our time, and on the way back up, stopped at a chocolate shop. It was okay, but we had found a better one on Friday. It was located in a yoga shop (Om Yoga), and was awesome! The owner had a tasting room with free chocolate samples, and he let us have as many as we wanted. In fact, he actually left us, two young women, alone with all the chocolate J It was delicious! I ended up purchasing Black Beach Espresso, Chai Choco Latte, and Three Kings chocolate bars. So good! The company is Caribeans, and everything was made in Puerto Viejo. I could seriously talk about the chocolate all day, but I think I should move on :)

After biking 15 miles and hiking around, I was glad to get back to the hostel and shower. We had return tickets for 4pm, so around 3pm we started trekking into town. There are no assigned seats on the bus from Puerto Viejo, so we wanted to be in the front of the line. The ride back was uneventful, and everyone was glad we had decided to do a short trip. We arrived in San Jose, and found a bus to take us back to San Joaquin. I was so happy to fall into my bed! I slept until 8:15am, which is the longest I have done so far. I know, that’s not too late, but if you heard the traffic outside my house, you would be impressed, especially today.

Today (Sunday) is voting day! People really get into the voting and drive around playing music from their cars while waving flags. It’s a really fun atmosphere. I am going to church at 4pm, then I’m having my own celebration for the Super Bowl! Go Hawks!! I am so excited to watch it, and represent the Seahawks from Costa Rica. I have loved seeing the news on Facebook, and am really excited for this Super Bowl, especially since my cousin in son the team! He is a wide receiver, and has worked so hard to get to where he is. Cheer him on, #19, Bryan Walters!

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! I want to say good luck to the Seahawks, and my friends at St. Thomas More who are planning the Founder's Dinner. I know how much work it is, but I know you will all do a wonderful job!

Hasta Luego!

PS - I will edit this when I have faster internet and post some pictures!

Weekend Update

Happy Tuesday!

I was planning on posting this yesterday, but I ended up working on my research paper for Professor Bruya . Yes, I am working on a research paper while in Costa Rica. Fun right? However, the sooner I get it done, the more time I will have. It is a literature review based on falls in the elderly population and attentional resources. Hopefully I will have it published through WSKW – Western Society for Kinesiology and Wellness.

I’ve also been working on my resume and cover letter material, hoping to get an internship with a physical therapy clinic in Wenatchee over the summer. My plan is to mail hard copies from Costa Rica, but if anyone has suggestions, I will gladly listen. 

Last time I posted was from Manuel Antonio on Friday night. I thought I had not been badly sunburned – until I went to bed. I realized I had forgotten about my back! Ouch! It will heal, but it is very itchy.

My group and I had a wonderful time in Manuel Antonio. On Saturday, Emily, Darrah, Brenda, Abbie, MC, and myself went to Manuel Antonio National Park. I would encourage everybody to go! We saw sloths, monkeys, lizards, butterflies, frogs, and these weird rabbit/rat things. Surprising, they were somewhat cute! The best beaches are in the park. The entrance fee was $10/person, and we could have gone on a tour. The tours started at $20/person, but we actually got them down to $5/person, but we still passed. Many people along the path pointed out things their guides had pointed out – so we saw some things for free! When we arrived at the ocean, the main beach was closed due to alligators, but the second beach was wonderful with plenty of shade, something that the public beaches do not have unless you pay for it. It was also great not having people hawk their wares at us, and not asking us to buy crafts at a ridiculously high price.  

Anyway, we walked around the park, and eventually walked all the way down the public beach to meet the other half of our group. We rented two surfboards, but I did not go out – if you know me, you know how I lack anything resembling balance and coordination. J Darrah, Brenda, and I returned to the hostel to shower and hangout. It was wonderful hanging out with the group. We definitely learned a lot more about each other, and it is very easy to be around everyone. We are becoming one big family, each with our own roles.

After dinner, three members went to the beach party that takes place every Saturday. Most of us decided to stay and not get any more sand between our toes. We were exhausted from the sun, humidity, and walking all day. The night passed quickly, with lots of games of cards and Take Two (similar to Bananagrams).

On Sunday, we hung out at the hostel. Most of us already had our fill of sun and sand. The humidity was killer, but luckily we had a slight breeze. We talked about every topic under the sun, from high school dances to celebrity couples. At 2:45pm, we walked up the hill to our bus stop. Our 3:00pm bus to San Jose came rolling round the bend, and we all headed home.

We pulled into San Jose around 6:30 (thankfully! The bus was not kind to me with my motion sickness!). A minivan taxi (a registered one, not a pirata), told us he would take us all the way to San Joaquin for 15,000 colones, or $30. This was only $1 more per person than going to the bus stop and taking the bus back. We took the taxi! It saved us about 45 minutes of travel time. It dropped us off right on the main street in San Joaquin, and we all split our separate ways, longing for dinner, a hot shower, and our beds.

When I got back to the house, I unpacked my bags – my mamá tica had my laundry whisked from my hand before I was all the way unpacked! The laundry was back in my room, clean, by 2:00pm on Monday. She really hates dirty laundry! Anyway, I had a wonderful dinner (home cooked food!) and showered. Around 8:30pm, I was trying to stay awake, but common sense came to me and I just went to bed. Travelling always takes more energy than I think!

Monday was the day everything went back to normal. I woke up for my 8:00 grammar class, went to the gym, ate a lot of food for lunch, skyped my momma, worked on things that required internet at the Instituto, and went to music class. I have to do a report on Reggaeton music, and I have no idea what it is! Luckily, I have a couple months, and a wonderful partner to help me teach the class. It’s very nice being back in the groove of things. Everyone agreed that this weekend was a good weekend to spend in San Joaquin. We are going to check out the shopping malls in Heredia, and perhaps go shoe shopping. Heredia is known around here for their shoe stores! There is a wedding in my tica family on Saturday (one of the many cousins), so I will get to experience a big family gathering! Hopefully my Spanish is ready!

Have a great week everybody!!

Pura Vida!

Manuel Antonio

On Friday, my group woke up at 4am, caught a bus to San Jose at 5am, and boarded our bus to Manuel Antonio at 6am! We had a slight problem with a taxi mixup, but everyone made it to the bus on time! And now we are sitting in our hostel, and this is our view:

We are staying at Vista Serena, a very popular hostel around Querpos and Manuel Antonio. We all enjoyed the public beach today, and tomorrow we are planning on going to the Manuel Antonio National Park. Surprisingly, I only have a very mild sunburn. I applied sunscreen about every 20 minutes, after I had dried off from swimming in the ocean :) We went to the store tonight and I did splurge and bought 50 SPF and a nice light purple sun hat. I don't want to get a bad sunburn! 

Have a good evening everybody! 

Two weeks in!!

Hello everyone!

Today is Thurday. I have been on my adventure for two weeks! It's amazing how time flies. I just had my first week of classes; I'm taking Grammar, Conversation, History of Central America, and Music of Latin Ameria. It's a drastic change from the 18 credits of kinesiology and science I've been taking in Pullman. Luckily, I have plenty to keep me busy, such as my honor's thesis, a paper I was suppose to write last semester and never did, finding a physical therapy intership for the summer, and of course, keeping you all updated!

More about school. My classes meet once a week, except grammar, which is twice a week. I am done with classes by Wednesday at noon! Also, we have no classes scheduled on Friday, because they want to encourage us to go out and explore Costa Rica. The school also provides us with coffee and fresh fruit - let me just say, we attack that table everyday! The fruit tastes better down here, probably because it hasn't spent time in a shipping container. The school has wonderful gardens, and all the trees make me feel very safe and secure. Overall, I really like the school. 

The conversation class might turn out to be one of my favorites. We spend two hours a week in class, and we spend two hours a week in the community. I think I am going to spend one hour teaching English classes at the library, and one hour at the senior care center. I also want to find a physical therapist to observe, but that will be outside of the conversation class. I also want to start working out again. Ive been to the gym twice, and will pick it up more after this weekend. 

This weekend, we are going to Manuel Antonio, a beach on the Pacific Ocean! I'm very excited to relax in the sand. I'll try to post about it over the weekend, provided my hostel (Vista Selena) has internet. The plans changed over the past couple days, but we finally hammered out details. I went with my API director (Irina) to San Jose today to buy bus tickets for everyone. We are taking the 6am bus from San Jose, which means we take the 5am bus from San Joaquin. Its going to be an early morning! 

Taking the buses with Irina helped boost my confidence in using the transportation system. The hardest part is just knowing where the bus stops are, since they are unmarked. We made it to San Jose and took the taxi to the bus terminal. It's a new terminal, so it is very nice as far as bus terminals go. Afterwards, Iri and I walked to the central part of San Jose and she helped me buy a watch - my original one decided to quit ticking on the 3rd day here. It's nice to not have to pull out my phone to check the time. We came back to San Joaquin, and I welcomed the calmer streets. 

I hope everyone is having a good time in the US! I'm praying for snow for everyone in the Pacific Northwest! I can't wait to see everyone! The homesickness still comes in waves, but each wave is getting smaller, and passing more quickly. I'll post again soon! 

BYOHD! (bring your own hairdryer)

Hola! I know I just posted, but I want to update everyone again.

Saturday was when homesickness really hit me. I had not slept well, was motion sick from the van driving on curvy roads, and not feeling like I meshed with the group very well. It was while passing McDonalds and other American-based stores when the tears came. Based on everything people say, this is completely normal and totally expected! I think everyone remembers their first semester at college. Its basically the same feelings. And about the group: I am a planner, I am reserved, and am not comfortable with the bar scene. I love everyone in my group, but they are much more outgoing than me. Hopefully I will be able to overcome my hesitation and become more spontanious.  There are plans in the making to go to the beach next weekend. I want to talk with my API director about traveling and how to get the buses figured out. After that I know I will feel better, and I know I will enjoy my  time spent with all the amazing people I have met so far. 

On a different note, we went to the pool yesterday for the last 45 minutes it was open! Within 20 minutes, I could tell I had a sunburn. I changed into my clothes to save my skin. I will be here for 4 months, so I don't feel like I need to fry myself the second week. The sun down here is very intense, and feels very good to a girl from Washington State. Enjoy the sun! The vitamin D is wonderful and helps make you happy. 

After the pool we went to Walmart! We all needed some things, like razors, body wash, earplugs, and such. I wanted to buy a hair dryer, becuase I had read it was easier to buy than to bring down from the US. Well, I wish I had brought mine, because a similar hair dryer costs $70!!! (I have a ConAir Ion Shine) Ouch! I will air dry my hair for the rest of the time I am down here. If you are planning on studying down here, bring your own hairdryer (BYOHD), or plan on going al-natural. 

Also, it is a good idea to bring your own beach towel for the pool and the beach. We weren't able to find beach towels at Walmart, and the bath towels cost around $12. And if you want an idea of the cost of things, my body wash was $7, compared to about $4.50 in the US. My small washcloth was 1.50, and my snack was 50 cents. Overall, if things are imported, they are more expensive. We also couldn't  find earplugs - I would suggest bringing some down with you. I have never used them before, but now I use them every night. Also, bring slippers. Due to the humidity, most of the houses only have tile. Slippers are a comfy item from home, and you will be glad you have them!

The buses are getting easier to use for all of us down here. Just make sure you read the signs in the bus windows to make sure you are getting on the right bus. It's all right to feel nervous about them - you will figure them out once you are down here. 

I also was hesitant to run down here. I didn't know if it was popular. I did not need to worry! Many people run, bike, and go for walks. The most popular time is in the morning when it is sunny, but still relatively cool out. (Maybe around 6:30-7) If you want to run in Costa Rica, go ahead! It is a good way to explore and to get endorphines that help combat the homesickness you will experience. 

I hope everyone is having a wonderful time back at home! For all the students, good luck on the first day of classes; mine start today! (Monday)