Final Days

I realized looking through my photos today that I never wrote about my last weekend in Costa Rica! I apologize for writing in the past/present tense throughout the entry because it’s a mix of what happened then and how I feel now, etc…

Saturday, July 23

Today we went to Montezuma, it was quite the bus, ferry, bus, and small bus ride. I think it’s the longest trip we have taken.

Montezuma is a very small town, but the scenery is beautiful. Sam and I really loved the beach. It was probably my favorite beach, even in comparison to Cahuita! We went shopping for a bit after swimming and before dinner and I got some last minute souvenirs. For dinner we went to a healthy-themed restaurant. I had a spinach noodle pesto creation and it was pretty good. This was one of those restaurants where they serve dinner & show a movie. The movie was Burlesque! Which I had wanted to see for a long time, so I was excited that we got to see it. After the restaurant we double-checked the bus times and found out that our only options were 6 a.m. or 2 p.m. At this point I hadn’t packed yet, so the 4-6 hour trip frightened me a bit. I wanted to spend time with my familia tica before I left as well. This made me really sad because we had come up with a bunch of fun plans to do in the morning before we caught the noon bus that we thought was offered….

Sunday, July 24

6 a.m. came so fast. The hotel/hostel that we stayed in had one fan, shared bathrooms, and very small rooms. It was probably the most bare-boned hotel we stayed in. We didn’t mind because it was cheap! The bus, other bus, ferry, and final bus rides were fine. I have been getting so sick on these bus rides. I have never gotten motion-sick until I rode these buses.

I started packing and deciding what I would leave behind to donate. For some reason I am always able to pack more on the way back than the way there. On every weekend trip I had that luck – which I didn’t complain about! I stayed up really late packing and double-checking everything to make sure I was prepared for my morning flight.

Monday, July 25

I left my casa tica at 9:00 a.m. today. I cried when I had to hug my mami tica goodbye. I think that was the hardest goodbye for me, because mi mami tica and I talked often and spent a lot of time together for meals and such. I thought it was ironic that I cried my whole way to Costa Rica, and most of the way home. On the way down I was so scared because I was all alone, and it was my first international trip. On the way back, I wasn’t as scared, but I was very sad.

In case you didn’t know, I have the best luck in the world. And thus, when I was in the Miami airport my flight gate changed twice, and was delayed for about 2 hours. It was miserable. At this point I just wanted to get home. I didn’t end up back in Superior until about 3 a.m. I was so tired, but so excited to see my family and boyfriend. It was such an odd feeling at the same time though. It was very… foreign.

Very large update!

Day 25 [June 30] – My birthday was wonderful. I went to school, as per usual, and my teacher was acting very strange. She kept leaving the room and coming back with a grin on her face. Eventually, it was time for our cafe or tea and in the kitchen was a CAKE! It was so beautiful, the top had four sections of different fruits: mango, apple, strawberry, and grape. They all sang Happy Birthday to me and we had the scrumptious cake. Later that day we went to Casa San Lazaro to visit our internship site again… It made me very nervous for the following week… Later, for dinner we had my favorite: Canadian Bacon & Pineapple pizza! Coke-a-cola! and CAKE! It was a homemade chocolate cake, and it was delicious. I was sad to not be home with my family for my birthday, but all of the people around me made it wonderful still.

Day 26 [July 1] – This weekend Sam and I decided to stay in San Jose because we start our internship/community service experience on Monday and we didn’t want to be worn out on Monday, and traveling usually makes us very tired. So, today I went out to celebrate my birthday with my host brother Brian, his friend Alejandro, and my very good friend Kati.

Day 27 [July 2]  & Day 28 [July 3] – This weekend we went to Volcan Irazu for a day trip Saturday. We wanted to stay close to San Jose because we start official full days at C.S.L. on Monday! The Volcan was interesting and a nice day trip.

Day 29 [July 4] – I was very sad to not be in the U.S. today. I love the 4th of July… Today we had our first “official” day at Casa San Lazaro. It was stressful. This week I am spending time getting to know the children, what conditions they live in, the population, etc. This town makes me so sad. The living conditions are rather poor, yet the children are still so upbeat. It’s amazing to me that they can still smile everyday.

Day 30 [July 5] – We took the children on a paseo [trip] to the University of Costa Rica’s farm. I’m not sure why this location was picked, but the children enjoyed it. Today we took the small children. On the bus ride there we had to continuously tell them to sit down in their seat [both ways]. The University’s staff had programming for the children and they really seemed to like it. It was a nice day outside too so I think that helped.

Day 31 [July 6] – Today we took our second trip to the University’s farm with the older children. It was a little more organized and not as stressful as yesterday. The older children are also a little less wild than the younger, so there wasn’t as much running around.

Day 32 [July 7] – Today we worked at Casa San Lazaro until 3, then we went to Teatro Nacional to see a show. The concert was lovely, it was a band composed of a flute and/or saxophone, piano, and drums. It is such a beautiful building… I couldn’t stop looking around during the concert at the big room and all of the things there are on the walls.

Day 33 [July 8] – Today we had Spanish class. It was weird to go back to school after working with the children all week…

Day 34 [July 9]  & Day 35 [ July 10] – This weekend I hung out with the family and stuck around San Jose for most of the weekend. I enjoy exploring the city. It’s so nice that there’s always something to do here…

Day 36 [July 11] – Today we had our first “official” workshop. It was about feelings. We had the children play an ice breaker game then they made a collage of feelings & facial expressions or things that make them feel happy/sad/angry/etc. I thought it was a fun activity to start up the workshop series.

Day 37 [July 12] – The workshop theme today was Self-Esteem. We discussed what self-esteem is and what it means. Then we painted their hands/made pictures with positive and negative attributes that they have. The children enjoyed painting a lot, I don’t think they get to do it often.

Day 38 [July 13] – For my workshop today, I told the children the story of Franklin Chang-Diaz, the first Costa Rican astronaut. Afterwards I had them make lists of their dream occupations and what they want to be when they grow up. The purpose of the workshop today was the discussion after they made their lists about how to accomplish their goals. We stressed the importance of staying in school and getting good grades. In this area school is a huge deal because it can change their entire future.

Day 39 [July 14] – Today we took the children to CIME to watch a video about violence. I honestly think  the children were just excited to get out of Rio Azul. They came in and some said, “Que rico!” and other phrases like that. They thought school was so fancy. While they watched the video they got popcorn and such. After they broke off into groups and took magazines and made collages about violence. Then we had pizza AND soda for lunch. The children were so excited for pizza. It broke my heart a little to see something so small make them so happy.

Day 40 [July 15] – I had school today, which seems arbitrary in comparison to my internship now. I enjoy it so much, I would much rather be there than in class practicing the subjunctive tense and other nonsense… but I did come to learn Spanish, so I guess it’s okay.

Day 41 [July 16]  & Day 42 [July 17]: This weekend we went to La Fortuna to see Volcan Arenal and enjoy the hot springs. It was a cute little town and the springs were amazing. We went to Baldi Resort and Spa for the springs.

Day 43 [July 18] – The theme of the day was hope.  I read the children the story of Martin Luther King Jr. (basically the highlights that we learn in school in the U.S.) and then had the children draw their hopes and dreams for the world, their city, etc. We also sang a song, “Color Esperanza” and the children absolutely loved it. This group was younger than the ones before, and I think that’s why they enjoyed singing so much.

Day 44 [July 19] – Today I had two workshops – one with the younger kids in the morning and one in the afternoon with the older kids. For the younger children I had them write/draw things about themselves: name, house, age, what they like, goals, etc. In the afternoon the older children did a workshop about sexual abuse: what it is, their right to say no, what to do if it happens, etc.

Day 45 [July 20] – Today’s theme was the future. I had the children draw two self portraits – One of them today (with their favorite things, family, etc.) and one of them in 20 years (with their occupation, things they want to have, etc.). It was a very successful workshop and the children enjoyed talking about what they want to be when they grow up.

After C.S.L. Sam and I went downtown to look for souvenirs. It was fun for both of us. I finished up most of my shopping for my friends back home. 🙂

Day 46 [July 21] – Sam and I went to the Museo Nacional this morning. We didn’t have to be to C.S.L. until noon, and we didn’t want to waste the morning, so we [finally] went the museum! It was lovely. I will post my pictures soon… I hope.

Today was also the end of my internship. We had a workshop for the kids about emotions again. We felt that ending with the same topic we started with would be a good idea for the children, to add a sense of closure. It was very sad and hard for me to leave.  The activity was to trace the children on large pieces of paper and they were to fill themselves in with colors that represent their emotions and such. The children loved it. While they painted Sam and I were just doodling and ended up drawing (combined) 6 or 7 drawings that some children took home. All in all it was a nice way to end the project. I was sent off with many well wishes by the staff at Casa San Lazaro and by Laura. The bus ride home was joyful because it was nice outside and it almost felt like a Friday afternoon… you know the feeling I’m sure.

After we went home and changed, Sam and I met up with Jose for our “surprise.” We ended up going to a lovely Italian restaurant that had a view of the mountains. They were beautiful when it was dark, the little lights reminded me of Duluth a bit, except they were a little more spread out. Jose also invited a special guest to our dinner – my old Spanish Professor Hilda! She was my Spanish Professor during my sophomore year at UWS. It was nice to catch up with her and actually be able to speak Spanish with her, unlike two years ago when I wasn’t as good.

Day 47 [July 22] – Today was my last day at CIME! We had our usual class from 8 am – Noon. After that I went to the movies with my good friend Kati – we finally got to see Harry Potter! It was a wonderful way to spend the afternoon. Tonight I have to pack up some of my stuff before I leave for the weekend with Sam. We are heading over to Montezuma in the gulf! Our last weekend at the beach!

Days 19 – 24

Day 19 [June 24] – Today we left for Cahuita, which is near Limon. Cahuita is a smaller city on the Caribbean coast and we are here for the sloths tomorrow!!!! Today is also my Daddy’s birthday, and so I had to wake up extra early to Skype with him and wish him a Happy Birthday! 🙂

Day 20 [June 25] – SLOTHDAY

Today was the day! THE BIG DAY WE HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!

We started the day by visiting Aviarios Sloth Rescue Center in Cahuita. Firstly, we had a canoe tour and we saw howler monkeys, birds, bats, and a sloth in a tree! Afterwards we saw a cute video about the sanctuary and the lives of sloths. We got to see 5 “adult” sloths: Billy – who was sleeping because he was tired from his “escape” earlier that day (he was found a few feet from his living area in the rafters), Millie – a beautiful 2 toed sloth that I was able to pet (sloths have very interesting fur), two orphaned sloths Sunshine & Sammy – they reside in the same living space because they were rescued together and they have clung to each other for support ever since. They are likely to be life-long residents of the sanctuary because they were never taught survival skills by their mothers, the last sloth was Toyota – a very shy male sloth who only turned around to look at once once or twice. After the adults, we visited the sloth nursery to see the babies! They were so cute! My pictures don’t do enough justice for how cute they are in real life. Overall it was a wonderful experience and I was so glad that I finally got to see the sloths!

Later, we tried some local food – jerked chicken sandwiches – which were pretty good. Then we went to the beach. I have now swam in both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans! After the beach we went back to the hotel room and I watched Star Wars in Spanish while we waited to go to dinner. Then we went to a cute local restaurant that shows a movie every night, today it was The Town, it was rather interesting from what we saw, but we didn’t get to finish because it was kind of long and we were tired.

Today was also Scotty’s grad party. I was really sad that I couldn’t be there, but I think the sloth sanctuary made me feel a lot better than I would have otherwise.

Day 21 [June 26] – Today wasn’t an eventful day. We had to catch the bus back to San Jose at 11:30 am so all we did was get ready and check out. The bus ride was hot and humid, but not as bad as the way down! When we arrived home I was exhausted so I only had dinner then went to bed.

Day 22 [June 27] – We had Spanish Class as per usual, then we made empanadas. They were delicious! It wasn’t a very eventful day. Cooking was fun though.

Day 23 [June 28] – Today we visited Casa Ames, which is the Costa Rica version of Planned Parenthood. We talked with the director about the program, and it’s very interesting. The website is here if you want to peruse it: http://www.casaames.com/ (I know if you use Google Chrome as your browser, it will offer to translate the page to English for you!)

Day 24 [June 29] – Today we learned about our internship site, Casa San Lazaro. It sounds like I’m going to be working with a group of teenagers, a support group of some sort. But I’m not really sure because things keep changing and I never really know what I’m going to be doing. I’m really nervous about this.

 

Day 12 – 18

Day 12 [June 17] – Today we went to Monteverde, the famous cloud forest. It is essentially a city on top of a mountain with two rain forest parks – Salvatura and Monteverde. We arrived in Monteverde and the manager of the hotel came to pick us up from the bus-stop. We then went to our very cute room, which had one big bed, one small bed, t.v., and a balcony that faced the forest! It was a very cute hotel. Our bus-ride was awful, it was cramped, and all seats were taken in addition to what seemed like a million people that we picked up along the way that had to stand in the aisle. I was amazed that was legal. We went to bed early because we were tired from the bus ride and we wanted to get to Monteverde bright and early!

Day 13 [June 18] – We woke up around 7:30 and had a lovely breakfast at our hotel. Our hotel was very cheap, $20 per person, per night, and it included breakfast!! What a steal! And it wasn’t even continental breakfast like in the U.S., the waitress came out and gave us menus, and we picked what she would make for us! I had an omelet and Sam had granola and yogurt. It was very delicious. Then we left for the park. The park was so beautiful. Everything was very green – since it is the rainy season the forests are especially lush and thriving. The hike around the park was much rougher than Manuel Antonio, Sam and I both struggled a bit. [I struggled a lot, actually, since I never go hiking.] The view was worth it though. I seriously think we were on top of the world. It was so beautiful. It was like we were in a cloud. I will have to post pictures on Flickr sometime soon, but the pictures don’t do it justice. After we [finally] made it back to the entrance of the park, it started to downpour! In San Jose we hadn’t experienced a lot of rain in the afternoon, so this was a wonderful surprise. I felt like I had jumped in the lake and came out – that’s how wet my clothes were by the time we got back to the hotel. We went into town to get dinner and looked around. I bought some gifts for my parents, and then we went back to the hotel to bunker down for the night, at approximately 6:00 pm. We watched some movies in Spanish/with subtitles. It was quite relaxing.

Day 14 [June 19] – We went to Salvatura today, and went on a hanging bridge tour. Sam and I didn’t want to do the zip-lining because it looked terrifying, but the bridges were more beautiful [in my opinion] because you could stop and look for as long as you want and not worry about holding people up behind you. After the park we got lunch and waited for the bus. There were a lot of stray dogs walking around the main street, it was very sad. One dog even came in the restaurant and people were feeding it! It was strange… We boarded the bus and had a lovely 4.5 hour ride back to San Jose. After we returned I quickly did my homework, skyped with my parents, had Father’s day dinner with my family, and went to bed. This trip was very exhausting.

Day 15 [June 20] – Today we had Spanish class, as per usual, and in the afternoon we went to a spa/salon and made jewelry. It was very fun and we enjoyed it a lot! I made purple jewelry of course, and Sam made bright red jewelry. It was very fun to talk to new people a little and learn a new craft.

Day 16 [June 21] – Today we got to go home early because we moved our Latin dance class to Thursday. Sam and I sent postcards to our family and just hung around the neighborhood. Nothing too exciting, but it was very relaxing.

Day 17 [June 22] – We visited Cartago today. Cartago is a gorgeous city with the most famous church in Costa Rica, and I also think of Central America. It was so big and beautiful. We also visited an organic farm way up in the mountains. It was a very fun time. We had a vegetarian friendly lunch, and then took a tour of the property. They had goats, chickens, a swan, and horses. They also had a very large assortment of crops. After we returned, Sam and I made tortillas with my host-family and then went to Pirates of the Caribbean [4, I think] since we are going to the Caribbean this weekend – finally! It cost us 1.300, which is less than $3 USD. Granted it was half-off night, but still, much cheaper than movies in the states. The movie was wonderful – it was in English, but with Spanish subtitles so we were still learning!

Day 18 [June 23] – I woke up with the worst migraine I have ever had. I had to sit out of class for awhile. My teacher suggested I “unplug” for awhile. So, I laid on the floor of the living room with a pillow below my head and one over my head to cover the light. I also had a blanket because I was freezing. I have been feeling really off all week. I’m not sure if it’s because it’s gotten a little colder recently, or because there is more rain. Tomorrow, Sam and I are going to a town that starts with a “C” next to the Caribbean Coast. We are also going to the SLOTH SANCTUARY!!! Finally!!!! I plan to buy majority of my souvenirs there, I am beyond excited. I hope this weekend is a little more relaxing than the last two that had the extreme hiking business.

I’m kind of sad to leave this weekend because it’s my brother’s grad party, and I wanted to skype in and see everyone. I might bring my computer, but I am kind of scared because I read in the news that last Thursday a female tourist was killed on a beach [shot in the head!] by two criminals trying to steal her laptop! Scary business. Actually there’s been a few deaths and other events here recently that are slightly unnerving: 2 (or 3) people were killed by lighting on Sunday, the tourist last Thursday, another tourist earlier this month was shot by a hotel security guard when he tried to get in after curfew, and a 15-year old boy was attacked by a shark – I believe he is currently in a coma, unless his state has changed… There are others but I think that’s enough to raise my awareness a bit. Sam and I have been fairly cautious thus far, but after the murder of this last tourist I think she and I will take extra precautions to ensure our safety. Also, since Jose has so many connections throughout the country I think we will be relatively safe. They know we are his students and they make sure we are as safe as possible! Also, we try to blend in as much as possible to not look like tourists.

On that note, have a great weekend and be safe everyone… Sam and I certainly will! Scott – have fun at your grad party! I’m sorry I couldn’t be there. Dad – Happy Birthday tomorrow!! 🙂

-Amanda

Day 05 (continued) – 11

05 [June 10th] – We arrived in Manuel Antonio at about 6:00 pm. It was already dark at that time, how odd! We checked into our hotel and then went to look for something to eat. Our hotel was on the beach, so it was very lovely. We ate at a small pizzeria/Italian restaurant and it was surprisingly delicious! We were very tired from the three hour (or so) bus ride. There were some wild youth on the bus that kept us awake the whole drive, so we didn’t get to nap like we intended. Also, we went to the store to buy some snacks for the park the next day, and I bought a snorkel and goggles! (In purple, of course!)

06 [June 11th] – Today was a long day, but very wonderful. At approximately 8:30-8:45 am I saw my first sloth in his real habitat! On the way to the park there were tour guides trying to sell tours, and the man said we need a guide so we can spot animals — like this sloth! We declined, as it was $20 and we only brought enough for the park entrance fee. So we headed into the park on our own, and it was good. We saw many, many cool plants and such. On the trail I was almost attacked by monkeys! And by attacked I mean it tried to jump on my backpack. It got really close to me, and it was eyeing up the distance between it and my backpack. I then stepped back slowly in order to avoid a literal “monkey on my back.”

We then continued the climb around Cathedral Point.  It was very muggy and muddy in the rain forest, and thus, I fell again. This time hurting my left leg. It wasn’t a bad fall, it was as if I decided to slide down the hill instead of walk. After that, we found the ocean. It was so beautiful! Then we made our way down to the beach to swim. The waves were kind of strong, but it was a glorious first swim in the ocean for me. I tried to use my snorkel gear, alas the waves were too strong and the water was murky from the sand moving back and forth… (If you want to see pictures, check out Sam’s blog/Flickr.)

After hanging out at the beach for a few hours, Sam and I made our way back to the hotel. I took a nap, and then we went to get dinner. We went to a Sport’s Bar/Grille called “L Sol” and it was fantastic. Sam and I were both very impressed with our meals. After that, we went to bed rather early.

07 [June 12th] – We woke up/checked out of our hotel around 10 in the morning, and then made our way to town. We toured the little shops and went to the beach for awhile. Then we went to a restaurant called Balu’s. It was very quaint, the tables and chairs were made of stone and just placed in the sand. The waiters didn’t even wear shoes! After we went back to the hotel to acquire our backpacks that we left at the reception desk, and sat by the pool until our bus arrived. After the bus ride we went home and straight to bed!

08 [June 13] Today was a very rough Monday. I was very sun burnt, very tired from all of my injuries/falls, and tired also because I switched rooms in my host-family’s house and the bed was different so I didn’t sleep very well. The staff at school asked if we wanted to end the day early and move our afternoon activity (cooking) to another day. I was very glad for that! I sent out some postcards and relaxed that afternoon.

09 [June 14] – Today we made gallo de pinto and tortillas with cheese. The cheese here is a bit different from Wisconsin, it’s still a little weird for me to eat. However, lunch was great! I made the tortillas and Sam made the gallo. We also had what would be translated to “Sweet Water” which is pure sugar melted down into a beverage. It’s very dulce (sweet) and rico (rich). Sam and I also walked around downtown after cooking.

We walked around the main square, looked at museum hours of operations of exhibits we want to see, and we went to the main market. At the market, I had a strange man approach me and ask me what my name was. Sam was a little ahead of me and I yelled for her because I was slightly frightened by said stranger. He then spoke to Sam in Spanish. (I think he was under the impression that I didn’t know Spanish, or that Sam was my interpreter.) He asked her what our names were, where we lived, and told Sam that he had seen us earlier in the main square and wanted to meet us. It was a very, very, unusual situation. (It gave me the creeps.) ** Mom, Mrs. Licht, and other adults – Don’t worry. Sam was very quick and reacted better in this situation than I did: she told him a different location and gave vague answers to his questions. It wasn’t dangerous, just slightly awkward.

10 [June 15] – For today’s afternoon activity, we talked about our internship options. I am going to be working at a place with children for mine (psychology related), and Sam is going to be teaching English to children and doing other community-service type work. I have three options for locations to work, Jose (our internship coordinator) is going to check out which needs the most help and send me there, which I think is a very practical idea. At these children’s homes, the children are taken out of risky situations by the government (which is similar to Child Protection Services in the U.S.) and puts them in a home with one mother, and up to 9 other children. There is a Social Worker, Psychologist, and other personnel at each location to help teach the children many things and support them in any way needed. I think it’s a great program, and I am very excited to work there.

11 [June 16] – Today is Thursday. For our trip tomorrow, Sam and I are visiting Monteverde, a cloud forest. We hope to do the “Sky Walk” which is seven suspended bridges throughout the forest (very sturdy bridges) that let you see the forest from the tree tops, or a bird’s eye view. (http://www.skywalk.co.cr/index/index.html) Jose said that it is colder there, so I am very excited. He even said to bring long pants and a light jacket! This week has been rather cold here, and in the U.S. as well I’m told, but I doubt it will get that cold. (Especially if we are hiking and doing other activities.)

Wish us luck!

-Amanda

Day 03 – 05

03: Today, we explored San Jose for the first time. We have Spanish classes every day from 8 am – Noon, and then we have planned activities until 3 or so. At noon we walked downtown. It was a very educational and beautiful trip. We learned a lot about the history of Costa Rica and San Jose.

Costa Rica’s army was abolished in 1948, and their country is one of the most peaceful in the world, if not the first. The country is run by the people, and has their best interests at heart. (Affordable education and health care for everyone.) They also encourage the arts, because it lowers the amount of violence. Walking through the cities you will see beautiful murals painted by residents.

Time is also not very important here. People will arrive when it’s time. There isn’t a lot of rushing or passing others on the sidewalk. It’s very different from the U.S.

04: Today for our activity we talked about our upcoming trip to Manuel Antonio. It is in the Central Pacific area of Costa Rica. The beaches are beautiful, there are many monkeys, and SLOTHS! Sam and I leave at 2:30 pm on Friday and will arrive around 5:00 pm in M.A. I am so excited to see the ocean for the very, very first time! Also, Sam and I went to Pop’s, an ice cream establishment, and had the best ice cream we have ever eaten. Kali – you were right, it is amazing!

05: Tomorrow, is (the real) sloth day. We leave in approximately 80 minutes for Manuel Antonio – sloth central. Sam and I are very excited for this trip. We have been told to wear a lot of sunscreen, hats, and take extra precautions with people. Also, we shouldn’t bring backpacks with zippers because if we leave  our backpacks on the beach monkeys will dig in them! How funny!

On a sadder note, I fell on my way to the bus today. It was a very bad experience (my bruise/cut is pretty wicked), and I am a little worried that the salt water of the ocean will hurt it… but that won’t stop me from swimming all day tomorrow! I hope today gets better than this morning, the fall was painful, the bus ride was awful (apparently if you have two bags: one backpack and a small purse, you have to pay twice the fare? Granted that is still under 50 cents, but it’s the principal of the matter!), school was good, and lunch was the best (noodles with salsa – not American salsa, it’s very different, bread, a type of fried bananas, and freshly squeezed pineapple juice)  so I think the day is going up 😀

Have a great weekend everyone!

Amanda 🙂

Day 02

Today was a very interesting day. I am finding that my Spanglish is turning more Spanish than English – which is very exciting. With my host family I am supposed to feel more comfortable if I make mistakes, and I do. It’s very nice that they don’t think I’m stupid if I make a mistake, which is very different from classes or in America in general. I am able to listen and comprehend more than I am able to respond correctly. Costarricense is very fast, but it’s starting to make more sense as I spend more time here.

Houses here are so beautiful. The outside may look plain, but the inside is a complete surprise. At our school it is very open. There is an atrium with a garden and the only doors are to the bathrooms and some classrooms, everything else is open and bright. I will post the small amount of photos I have taken on my flickr, which is located on the side of this blog!

Today was a lot of orientation and review material, which was very good because my Spanish is very rusty. I hope to improve much more with time. We took a walk to the bank as part of our orientation, their security is very high in comparison. They have guards at the door and they use a metal detector on you before you’re allowed in. An American dollar goes a very long way, it is equivalent to 500 colones here. So, if something is 800 colones, it’s 4 American dollars. The walk was very hot, but it cooled down this afternoon. The rainy season was a good time to come for a northern Wisconsinite like me! The mornings/early afternoons are warm, but afternoon/evening is cooler. Tuanis.

Also, Saturday is sloth day! Sam and I are going close to the Caribbean to the Central Pacific Coast to see the sloths!!! 🙂  I will also see the ocean and a rainforest for the first time! It is too much excitement for me to contain.

Hasta luego.

-Amanda

Day 01

Today has been a very tiring, but exciting, day. My brother graduated high school last night, and then three hours later I was on the road to the airport! [Needless to say I have only had 3 hours of sleep since Friday night.] The first flight was hardest. I didn’t think saying goodbye to my parents and Tad was going to be as hard as it was. I ended up getting a window seat with no neighbors so I slept for the flight from Minneapolis to Miami. I then had a 4 hour layover in Miami. It is very hot there, even in the airport I was sweating. I grabbed a slice of pizza and sat around until my flight boarded. Did you know that you have to pay to use their wifi?! I feel like that is such false advertising to say: Wifi here! Easy! Blah blah… and then charge people. I think airports make enough money on their $3.99 bags of granola, $20 neck pillows, and $5.00 water bottles to cover the wifi cost.

Once boarded, I was surrounded by high school children on a field trip. I felt very old, and this time my row was full so I couldn’t sleep. I didn’t want to sleep any way because the view from Miami to Costa Rica was rather breathtaking. I got my first glimpse of the ocean! It looks very different from the Great Lakes, I was surprised at how it looked in real life.  We hit some turbulance due to it being the rainy season down here, but other than that the flight was smooth. As we were landing I found myself in a downpour. They are not joking when they say rainy season.

I then got off, grabbed my bags and wandered nervously through the airport looking for my guide. Luckily, they were wearing bright orange and big smiles so they weren’t hard to find! Every person I encountered in the Costa Rican airport was friendly – very different from the other airports I had been in earlier. We loaded up the car and headed to my host family’s house. I thought driving in the cities was frightening, but driving here is like the cities times 20. I feel like there are no rules on the road. Thankfully, I never have to drive during my stay.

We arrived at my host family’s house. My host mother owns the cutest store on the corner, and their house is gorgeous and comfortable. My family is very friendly and seem excited to have me, which made me feel more comfortable as the night went on. I ended up needed a nap, since I hadn’t slept much. My friend Sam is here as well, I am very excited that she lives nearby. Tomorrow, she and I will head to school with her host mother for our first day at CIME. In the afternoon, my host mother will escort us back. I am very excited. In the weeks prior to my trip I was so nervous, but now that I have started to get used to speaking Spanish again, I feel slightly more confident. My host mother and I talked for a long time tonight after dinner (which was very delicious) and it helped me break out of my shell a little bit. I am so excited for school and to work with the children soon.

Stay tuned for what happens next friends. I will start taking some photos tomorrow to hopefully create a “visual tour” of my every day routine in Costa Rica!

-Amanda

P.S. I apologize if anything is spelled wrong in this post or any following because my spell check is in Spanish, and thus it thinks every word is wrong and I get confused by all of the red lines and it’s just too messy to revise. But, you all get the un-cut version of my blog in this way. Be. Excited.