Magical Monteverde

Looking back, I have mixed feelings about my experience in Monteverde the sixth week I was here. I thought it was a beautiful area, but it didn't have much that was within walking distance or budget-friendly. Monteverde is most known for its cloud forest biological reserve and for having the longest zip line in Latin America. That's what really brings tourists, the forest, the zip line, and bungee jumping. I got to do some pretty cool things, like hike in the cloud forest and go to an orchid garden, but the amount of time I stayed there was way too long considering I didn't bungee jump or go zip lining. I did some zip lining when I went canyoning in Arenal, so I was not about to pay $50 to do it here. Or the $60 to go bungee jumping. If I really wanted to do it, I probably would have, but I'm glad I didn't, because I would have done it more out of obligation, and financially speaking, it wasn't the best use of my money.

Friday, November 6
I left to the bus station not long after my Friday Spanish class ended for the day. Not wanting to stand like I did for the ride to Puerto Viejo, I made it to the bus station early, but unfortunately, I had to wait about an hour before the ticket vendor came back from lunch. I did get a seat, thankfully, and prepared myself for the 4 1/2 hour long bus ride. It was a bit inconvenient, because the bus didn't leave until 2:30pm and I had waited since around 12:30pm, but it was whatever. The bus only comes and leaves twice per day, once at 6:30am and once at 2:30pm. When I arrived in Monteverde, confused, I walked ten minutes in the wrong direction of my hostel until I finally went into a hotel and asked the front desk how to get to my hostel. I turned around, went down the giant hill I had just ascended, and finally got to my hostel. It was dark, so I was thankful that I found it quickly. Because it had rained earlier, the credit card machine wasn't working, so I had to walk a couple blocks to an ATM to pull out cash to pay the remainder of my balance. The hostel was pretty chill. It offered free breakfast, free coffee and tea, wifi, and the rooms weren't bad at all. They consisted of two bunk beds and a shared bathroom. I was okay with that for around $10 a night. Tired, I decided not to get dinner, and went straight to bed. I had planned to go hiking in the cloud forest the next day, and knew I would have to get up early for that, so I passed out, looking forward to the next day.

Saturday, November 7

I started off the morning enjoying the free breakfast provided by the hostel. And when they say free breakfast, they are not talking about some continental style thing -- they are talking about homemade plates of food and a separate plate just for fruit. I scarfed down the delicious food quickly and headed to the bus stop to go to the cloud forest, which was conveniently located right outside of my hostel.




















My first adventure for the day was hiking in the cloud forest. Because it was a biological reserve with many trails, I figured I'd spend the whole day there, but that is not what happened. I arrived at the information desk to get my ticket, speaking Spanish as I should be. The man at the desk was very nice and complemented my Spanish skills. He highlighted the longest route he could find after I told him I'd like to stay there as long as I could. The route was supposed to take five hours, and near the end, provide me with a trail to see a waterfall. Ecstatic and happy to be in my hiking element, I set off on my journey. I saw a lot of nature, in terms of plants and trees, but not much wildlife. This is because most of the wildlife live in the canopy level of the forest, which makes sense. Regardless, the temperature was in the sixties, which was so refreshing. The path took me on various trails with varying levels of difficulty. There were several viewing points, a hanging bridge, and a waterfall along the path. Despite the fact it was supposed to take five hours, it took me about two and a half hours. Being 10:30am when I finished and not knowing what to do the rest of the day, I was disappointed, since I had planned to remain in the forest the whole day, I headed into the souvenir shop to wait for the return bus. I bought a postcard to send to the little girl I tutor at the Bridge Project and a gift for my brother. I boarded the bus and headed back to Santa Elena, the town that I was staying in.


I returned to my hostel and relaxed for a little while. I decided that I should go explore the town, since it wasn't that big and because I didn't know what else to do. I ended up running into some girls from my program, so I hung out with them and browsed the shops. We ended up going into a large souvenir shop where I purchased a couple of items. When they were ready to head back to their hostel, we parted ways and talked about meeting up for dinner. We didn't end up meeting, due to a lack of wifi on their end, but that was cool, and I ended up eating casado at one of the restaurants. They seated me at a table for four, which I found hilarious, but the food was good nonetheless. I headed back to my hostel to contemplate the rest of the evening.

That evening, bored while trying to maintain wifi, I managed to drop my phone off of my bed. Mind you, I had the top bunk. Never having damaged my phone before, I didn't worry, until I saw the screen. It was cracked. Of all the times I dropped it, it took a bunk bed to actually do some damage. I was pretty unhappy after that occurred. It pretty much ruined my evening, until I got a new roommate.

One thing that is really cool about hostels in particular is that you can meet people from all over the world. That weekend, I had done that. The first night, I roomed with a pair from Switzerland and a dude from Ireland. They were pretty chill, especially the Irish guy. I briefly chatted with him the night before about his travels and how he was planning on going zip lining and bungee jumping. The next night, I roomed with the pair again and a dude from Panama. We talked for a long time, and the next day, about his travels, and what Panama is like, and what he thought of Costa Rica. He was really chill too!

Sunday, November 8
My day started off early, jumping out of bed to eat the free breakfast and packing up my things. Unlike most hostels, whose check out time is around 11am, this hostel had a checkout time of 9:30am. Considering the earliest bus wasn't until 2:30pm, I was not very happy about this. I walked around the entire day with all of my belongings; though not much, they were bulky, and I was not a fan of that. Unlike the bulk of travelers who visit only to zip line or bungee jump, I thought my time would be better spent exploring to find cheaper and less touristy options and not spending $60+. Nothing wrong with doing the longest zip line in Latin America, but I couldn't justify it to myself, especially since it wasn't something I was yearning to do. But that decision didn't leave me with many options. Because of the few options that were affordable and did not require a reservation, I decided to wander to find what I could do for the next several hours.

"bailarinas de oro"

The first place I stopped by was an orchid garden right near my hostel. I paid the entrance and a guide walked me through the garden, giving his tour in Spanish as I had requested. I was so proud of myself for understanding the tour in its entirety! Back to the garden -- I learned so much about orchids that I would never have learned otherwise, like how to tell which orchids are natural and not created, how to tell a flower is an orchid, things that are interesting but not really talked about in regular conversation. I learned that most orchids are actually small, very small, and reside on the tops or bottoms of leaves. Hate to break it to ya, but most orchids in the US are not natural; they're likely hybrids and you wouldn't really find them in nature. I also had the opportunity to see the smallest orchid in the world, which you need a magnifying glass to see, and it also happens to be native to Monteverde and only found there.

hybrid; not natural

After wandering a while longer, I stopped into the herpentarium, which houses snakes, turtles, and frogs. Though it was great to learn about these animals and about their presence in Costa Rica, it felt like I was at a zoo, and zoo's aren't as great as they appear. Nonetheless, I got to see some pretty cool frogs, including one that is essentially invisible since it is see-though, some chill turtles, and some creepy snakes.



My last stop, after hours of wandering around the familiar with nothing left to do, was at a cheap restaurant where I ate a hamburger and fries. It was the cheapest restaurant there and I was so exhausted that I wasn't all that concerned that it wasn't traditional Costa Rican food. I had attempted to go to another restaurant earlier that advertised paninis, but as soon as I got the menu and saw that the food started at $12, and small beverages started at $4, I left right away; I felt kind of bad, but the prices were ridiculous for a traveler on a budget.

Note to future travelers: Santa Elena is tiny, and there is not much within walking distance, though there are many things to do if you have transportation and reservations. Also, know that there are only two buses each day, one at 6:30am and one at 2:30pm, so you could be stuck wandering waiting for the bus if you choose the later one with no actual plan for the day.

Santa Elena

Enferma

2015 appears to be not so great for my health. In January, I dealt with norovirus and an upper respiratory infection. From June until mid-October, I had a rash that just wouldn't go away. Turns out it was an allergy, but the substance is unknown because I was unable to get an allergy test before I left the country. With my use of allergy tablets, the rash has subsided, and I still don't know what I have an allergy to. Fast forward to week five of my study abroad experience and I had another fun time being sick once again. So much for getting the most out of my experience abroad.

Unfortunately, what ever I had was pretty awful. I ended up leaving my night class on Monday early, and not heading to my first class of my new Spanish class the next morning. Despite being sick, I battled though the rest of my classes that week, mostly because I did not want to miss my class' field trip to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The timing was also poor because it kept me at my homestay on Halloween, my favorite holiday. Though Halloween is not really a holiday here, younger generations have begun to celebrate it due to the influence of the US. Instead of going out to see how Ticos celebrate it, I was stuck at my homestay alone. After a couple weeks, I had made a full recovery (or at least I thought).

I will say that thankfully, medicine did help for the most part. I ended up getting some pills for my runny nose, sore throat, fever of 102 degrees F, and other stuff, as well as some cough syrup. It's interesting here. In order to buy these meds, I had to go to a pharmacy. Here, they don't just sell them in a supermarket like they do in the states. If I were back home, I could head to Target and pick up some ibuprofen and some day quil, but here, I have to ask a pharmacist for pills and then pay by the pill. There aren't just X-count boxes you can by. Despite the difference in obtaining the medicine, it worked just like that in the US.

At the same time, I was prevented from engaging in Halloween festivities with friends outside of my homestay. Never to fear, Netflix is here! I ended up having a "Halloween" movie marathon with some snacks while laying in bed: American Horror Story (not a movie, but appropriate), Beetlejuice, Donnie Darko, among others. Despite the limitations, I had a good Halloween anyways.

Picturesque Puerto Viejo

Though my adventure to picturesque Puerto Viejo started off less than ideal, it ended up being a pretty great weekend. Between sleeping in a hammock, exploring the town, going to a botanical garden, stopping into an art gallery, and soaking up the sun on the beaches, this trip was definitely one for the books.
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On Friday, I left my Spanish class early and hung out for a bit until I met up with some girls to head to Puerto Viejo with. With five of us, we split up into two taxis. Our first taxi ride was not very pleasant. Even though I stressed to the taxi driver that we needed to go to the bus station for Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, not Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui, he ended up taking us to the wrong stop anyways. I basically fell trying to out of the cab, and lost one of my flip flops along the way. I ended up just throwing the other one away because what was I supposed to do with only one shoe? When we arrived, I had a very strong feeling we were not where we were supposed to be and that was confirmed when we made it to the ticket counter. We rushed to find a taxi to take us to the other station. We sat in traffic for what seemed like forever, but eventually made it to the correct bus station. Unfortunately, the taxi driver had taken us to the wrong terminal. Upon our looks of confusion, one taxi driver was kind enough to give us directions to the correct terminal which was a couple of blocks away. We started following his directions, but when the route appeared to be sketchy, we turned back and stood hella confused on the corner. He ended up driving up in his taxi and reiterated his directions so we wouldn't get lost. Without that kind taxi driver, we would have never made it to the right terminal.

We arrived at the correct terminal about a half an hour before the bus was set to leave. Unfortunately, when we arrived at the ticket counter, all that was left were standing tickets. Keep in mind, this is a five hour bus ride. Not wanting to be separated from the other girls once again, we decided to just roll with it. We paid for the tickets, boarded the buses, and things were finally looking up. We were finally on our way to Puerto Viejo and the other girls no longer were freaking out (and rightfully so) since they couldn't get in touch with us. After about an hour and a half of standing, the two other girls and I decided to just sit on the floor. With all the jerks and turns and countless times I almost fell, I was over it. We were near a staircase in the back of the bus, so we ended up squishing near that. About three hours into the travels, a woman walked with her toddler to the back of the bus toward the staircase. We got up from the stairs and moved out of the way so the woman could get through. I assumed that she was going to exit the bus. Soon after, she pulled down her little girl's pants and the little girl proceeded to pee all over the stairs. Well, so much for sitting down. Interestingly, five minutes later, we made it to the quick pit stop for everyone to get off, stretch, get some snacks, and use the restroom. We reboarded and stood most of the way. Many folks got of in Calhuita, so we were able to find seats for the last 30-40 minutes of the ride there.

We finally arrived in Puerto Viejo that evening. Unable to find any authorized taxis and not knowing how far the hostel was, we ended up taking a pirata, which is basically a person who uses their personal car as a taxi. They tell you how much to pay them, rather than starting a meter, or a maria  as they are called here. You basically hop in a stranger's car and pay them to take you somewhere. A little sketch, but we didn't have much of a choice. Some of the girls had utilized piratas before and assured us it was safe. We hopped in an soon arrived at the hostel of choice: Rocking Js.

Rocking Js is THE hostel to go to in Puerto Viejo. I received the recommendation from a friend, because it's where everyone goes. You have the option of sleeping in a hammock (the cheapest option), tent, dorm, or private room. It's known as the party hostel with an on-site bar. The hostel is basically outdoors with some roofs over the top. It's really chill and artsy, with mosaics covering every wall and piece of the ground. Though it's a walk from the main part of the town, it is right off of a beach, albeit a rocky one you probably wouldn't swim in. I knew as soon as I stepped in and got the key to my locker that was conveniently located next to my hammock that it could only go up from here.

Hungry, we settled in and then took off in search of food. Another student from the program had recommended that we check out this restaurant/bar called Hot Rocks, so that's exactly where we headed. Friday nights were karaoke nights, and in between eating and drinking, some of the girls and a couple of the boys we knew got up and belted some songs. I have videos, but I won't post them, out of respect for the fact that the boys were drunk and in respect of their identities. If they ask me to post them, I will later on. It was a good time. Exhausted, we headed back to our hostels and went to sleep in our hammocks and tents.
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On Saturday morning, I woke up well before sunrise, one, because for my first time in a hammock, I didn't really know how to position myself to sleep, and two, monkeys were howling non-stop. Luckily, a couple other girls woke up as well, so we decided to go watch the sunrise along the beach. It was hard to see because of where it was at and how far we could get out without getting into the water, but it was beautiful nonetheless. After watching the sunrise, I headed back to sleep for awhile while the other girls prepared for their trip to Panama.

I decided to sleep for awhile longer after watching the sunrise. I started the rest of the day by exploring the town. I first stopped into the supermarket to buy snacks as well as a towel, since I didn't have a beach towel for the beach or a towel for the shower at the hostel. It didn't cross my mind to pack one back in the states. I browsed a ton of the local shops. There was so much I wanted to buy, but I stuck to my mission: a postcard for my tutee back in the states and maybe gifts that were made in Puerto Viejo. My favorite shop was this store that had a little bit of everything. The majority of the projects there were made right there in Costa Rica. There were even a ton of natural products that I was sure my best friend back home (Alex Q) would love. After purchasing a postcard and a small wristlet (I really needed something smaller than my owl purse), I finished exploring the shops along the main roads and headed back to the hostel to research things to do in the area.

While I was researching, a Tico student from a local university asked to interview me for a project for his English class. I said sure. He and his classmates were interviewing English speakers for their conversations class to see what non-natives thought about Costa Rica.

I found a couple of places to visit thanks to Trip Advisor. I had discovered them earlier during the week, but I wanted to confirm that they were open and exactly where they were located. The first place I visited was La Finca de la Isla. La Finca de la Isla is a tropical botanical garden. With a three mil entrance fee (about $6), I started on a self-guided tour. I got a chance to chill with some red poison dart frogs and another type of poison frog that I can't remember the name of. There were so many beautiful plants, like flowers, fruit trees, and more. After my self-guided tour, I got to try various fruits, fruit juice, and chocolate from the garden, which was delicious. I would definitely recommend it; I will say it is quite a walk from the main part of town, though.



On my way back to the hostel, I stopped at an art gallery/shop called Luluberlu. There were so many cool pieces of art that I wanted to purchase, but I didn't have the money. I really enjoyed browsing the shop. All of the art was created by local artists in Puerto Rico. I ended up buying natural soaps made right there in Costa Rica, which didn't cost too much. I wish I would have had more money with me to buy more. The art was beautiful and the atmosphere there was so friendly. Those artists in Puerto Viejo are very talented. My bestie (Alex Q) would have loved it.

The rest of the evening consisted of my getting caught in the rain, eating dinner, and then passing out it my hammock. The only notable thing I feel like was my frozen mojito that I had with dinner. It was delicious. Oh, and I almost forgot -- there were fire twirling people at the hostel. Pretty cool.

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On Sunday, I started the day early, hoping to get in some time at different beaches throughout the day. Despite having bought snacks, I decided to search for real breakfast. Upon walking around, there were not very many cheap options for the breakfast. I decided to head back to the hostel and eat there. Upon my return, right outside the convenience store across the street, a fight broke out between two guys. They were going hard at each other, one with a bat and the other with a giant rock. I passed them as they continued fighting. I heard a loud pop. I wasn't sure if it was sort of weapon, so I sped up to make it back into the boundary of my hostel. I ended up eating there, as they have cheap breakfast options.

The first beach I headed to was a beach located about a 15-20 minute walk from my hostel in the opposite direction of town. It was a nice yellow, sandy beach, that was not as packed as the other beaches closer to the town center. I laid out in the sun for awhile, then enjoyed the waves for awhile. I alternated like this for awhile until the heat and sun and humidity, that nasty combo, began to get to me. I headed back to the hostel, purchased a Powerade from the convenience store, and took a break from the sun.


The second beach I headed to was named Playa Negra. It is a small beach with black sand. Because it is often compared to Playa Jaco, another black sanded beach which is apparently beautiful, not many visit it. It wasn't crowded, so I laid out my towel and spent some time just dipping my toes in the pretty sand. I alternated between laying out in the sun and enjoying the waves. I preferred this beach over the other because the waves weren't as intense and the water was the perfect temperature. I stayed here for a couple an hours until the afternoon rain looked like it was going to begin. Not wanting to get caught in a downpour, I gathered my belongings and headed back toward my hostel. I stopped to get a drink to quench my thirst at the super market just as soon as it started pouring. I had forgotten my umbrella and rain jacket, so I waited it out for awhile, as many others did. When it was clear that it was not going to stop for awhile, I headed out into the rain and walked the rest of the way back to my hostel.

 I hung out at the hostel until I ran into the girls again. They had decided to visit Panama that weekend as well. I joined them for dinner at a nearby pizza place. The pizza was so delicious, as were the desserts. We had a great, fun time, one of the few people in the restaurant, probably because it was pouring.
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Monday morning, I checked out of Rocking Js and headed to the bus station. This time, I was determined to get a seat. I bought my ticket and relaxed in the mini park while waiting for the bus. I took the bus home. On the return, traffic was backed up due to the protests in Limón. If there are people that know how to organize and protest, Ticos are up there. They have regularly scheduled protests. That Monday, they were protesting about wages, employment conditions, and governmental corruption. It was great to see this action being taken by the citizens. The other people on the bus thought it was great too. It was nice to be around people that didn't shrug it off or say that the people were just complaining and that they were causing trouble like I hear people say about protests in the US.

I eventually made it back to San José. I was out of cash (well that I brought anyways) for the most part, since I overestimated how often I would be able to use my card. There are taxis that take credit cards, but they are difficult to find. I was about to go on to a search when I was approached by a taxi driver asking where I needed to go. I told him Universidad Veritas, but unless he accepted credit cards, I couldn't take his taxi. This woman overheard me and said that she was going to Veritas as well and asked if we could share a cab. I explained to her that I needed a cab that took cards. She relayed that they are very hard to fine and offered to pay. I felt bad not paying anything, but she was insistent, so I hopped in the cab and rode to Veritas with her. Turns out, she is a local who lives in Puerto Viejo but had decided to go back to school and take classes at Veritas during the week. Since she lives and works in Puerto Viejo, she stays with a friend during the week since it would be a long commute. We arrived at Veritas and parted ways. I will always remember that act of kindness.

Turning 21 Abroad

On October 14, 2015, I turned 21. In the United States, turning 21 is treated as some sort of rite of passage into adulthood, celebrated by the legality of consuming alcohol, often times ending in a severe hangover the next morning. In Colorado, the same intent goes with weed. In Costa Rica, those rites of passage have already been completed at age 18. When I told others that I would be turning 21 during my time abroad in Costa Rica, people were excited, citing how lucky I was and how cool that would be. I didn't think much of those comments, until my birthday actually happened.

My birthday present to myself:
lunch from the local soda.

For those that know me well, I'm not a huge birthday celebrator. When I was younger, I used to plan halloween-themed parties with piñatas. As I grew older, I felt like I had fewer and fewer real friends, and less and less reason to celebrate. My methods of celebrating transformed, from crazy costume party sleepovers to movies and dinners with close friends. When I started college, I would go out to dinner with friends and continue the rest of my day as normal. I've never been super big about celebrating birthdays. So, as you can imagine, when I would picture what my 21st birthday celebration would be like, I pictured a small dinner with friends, enjoying a drink with dinner. This is way different than how most celebrate their 21st birthday: going to bars or clubs and getting wasted. Bars and clubs can be chill sometimes, but they're really not my scene. I'd rather go on a night hike, or stay in and watch a movie, or go to a festival of some sort. When I imagined my 21st birthday, I did not picture how my birthday was actually celebrated here. And for me, I have mixed feelings about it.

What happens when your roommate is
a cosmetologist and it's your birthday

Those lights tell it all

Back to those comments. I shouldn't have felt like my 21st birthday was not that great. After all, I was lucky to be celebrating my 21st birthday in a foreign country often thought of as "tropical paradise." It was cool that I would not be celebrating my birthday in the United States. It is true that I have fallen in love with the country that is Costa Rica and that it has many beautiful, rich cultures that I've been able to explore. I'm so thankful for this opportunity that I have been able to access. But for me, what makes my birthday special is when I get to celebrate it with the other special people in my life: my best friends and my pets. My two best friends are back in Colorado, as are my two cats. I envisioned celebrating my "rite of passage" into adulthood with my them, enjoying a drink with dinner at a restaurant and then catching a movie, or taking a stroll in the parks. I didn't get to do that. Instead, I ended up at a reggae bar with my housemates that I've only known for a couple of weeks with an endless stream of drinks expected to be drunk. I am grateful to my housemates for their enthusiasm in celebrating my birthday and taking me out. I appreciate everything they've done for me. And my feelings are all me and have nothing to do with them. Their celebration was great and I really am thankful that they went out of their way to host it for me. But that celebration, that place, that's just not me. That scene, that type of celebration, is great for many people, but just not for me. And I'm okay with that.

My birthday wasn't all full of mixed feelings, though. I was pleasantly surprised by a nice gesture from my Spanish professor. After learning that it was my birthday, she instructed the other students to sing happy birthday to me in Spanish. (I did not tell her; she found out from a classmate who I was friends with on Facebook.) Also, after returning from our daily 30 minute break (our classes are four hours long, so...), she presented me with a delicious looking dessert. Based on the taste and layers of the dessert, I believe it to have been dulce de leche. She gave me a hug and wished me a happy birthday once again. It was so nice! I've had many great teachers and professors in my life, but I really have not lucked out when it came to Spanish teachers or professors. I've had such bad experiences with those particular individuals that I stopped taking Spanish classes once my requirement was met and as a result, missed out on the opportunity to potentially pursue a Spanish major or minor and study this language I've fallen in love with over the years more in depth. I missed out on the opportunity to seek out study abroad programs in other Latin American countries because I didn't have enough formal Spanish to qualify. It was a personal choice, though. And I'm happy where I've ended up. She's the first Spanish instructor that I've had in a long time that I actually get along with and whose class I actually feel excited to go to. If I had to pick a best part of my day, it would be that thoughtful gift. 

Día de las Culturas, Not Columbus Day

Monday October 12th was Día de las Culturas here in Costa Rica. In the United States, it is more commonly known as Columbus Day. This holiday celebrates the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas and the fusion of different cultures between Europe and the Americas. It was a very important event that affected the geographical, economic, and political landscapes of the Americas. Unlike the in the United States, where the holiday is named for and celebrates a man contributed to the enslaved and slaughtering of many indigenous folks, the holiday focuses on the cultural activities of Costa Ricans and the indigenous groups of Costa Rica. It's a day to spread the message of respect for others. 

As a result of the holiday, we had no classes. I originally was going to travel to Jacó with my roommates, but seeing as there were very few seats left on the bus that morning and the fact that I could sense that I would be more of a burden than companion to the trip, I decided to forego the trip all together and remain in San José. After all, I had not been able to explore the city I was living in due to my weird class schedule and the weekend excursions with my program. Content, I began my first of hopefully many solo travels.

To start off my day, I ventured off to Pequeño Mundo to treat myself to a couple articles of clothing, since I packed way too lightly when coming here. Pequeño Mundo is a really cheap store that has food, house products, clothes, among other things. I managed to score three shirts, a pack of lead pencils, a thong, and a pair of leggings (though they are two see-through to wear as pants :(   ) for less than $11. I was very pleased with that.

Since Mall San Pedro was within walking distance of Pequeño Mundo, I decided to venture there and check out what kind of shops were there. When I arrived, I was shocked at the size of the mall. The mall had three different levels, with tons of shops, restaurants, and stands on each floor. The top floor even had a small arcade and a movie theatre. The arcade contained my two favorite games of all time, skiball and basketball. I was so excited when I saw those machines there. I haven't played skiball in ages, as nowhere nearby exists anymore to play that game. Seeing as the arcade was overrun with little children, I decided to venture out and explore the rest of the mall. When walking around, the U.S. influence on that particular mall was apparent. I saw many familiar restaurants such as KFC, Taco Bell, McDonald's, Burger King, Subway, and more. Many of the stores appeared to cater to rich tourists. I found the stores quite expensive, as they are in most malls around the world, so I mostly just browsed many different stores. I did stop into a store and get some mascara, concealer, and makeup remover since I was out, but I made sure to not spend more than I had planned to. I was happy to find a couple of stores very similar to ones that I love back home. I found Costa Rican versions of my favorite stores, Zumiez and Hot Topic. I also found a lot of shops my friends back home would love: several anime stores, a large bookstore mimicking Barnes & Noble, a couple smoke shops, and a Rasta shop. I stayed there for a couple hours and ended up purchasing a frozen caramel drink and a giant chocolate muffin to consume on my walk home. The frozen drink was very similar to a frappucino and it was delicious. Starbucks, you better watch out.

My walk home was pretty relaxed, except for the endless stream of rain that began to flood the streets. I'm glad that I had remembered to bring my umbrella for the somewhat long walk back to my homestay. Had I not brought it, I would have been soaked. Side note, I have a feeling that people reading this will wonder why I did not get a taxi there or home, since taxis tend to be fairly cheap here. The truth is, I love walking everywhere. It's something I do regularly back home in Denver. Long distances don't really bother me. Also, I really don't like to spend a ton of money on taxis when I could walk. Though the majority of the taxi drivers here are friendly and awesome, I've had the unfortunate experiences of being in taxis where the taxi drivers attempt to take advantage of the gringos by overcharging us greatly. If we remember to ask them to start the maria, the meter (it's sad that I had to look up the English word because I completely forgot it), those particular taxi drivers take long ways to produce a higher fare. If we don't remember to ask them about the maria, those particular taxi drivers charge us much more than we would pay had the maria been started. I don't blame them, though, and I understand part of the motive behind it. The history between the U.S. and Costa Rica is not great, and there is a huge stereotype that visitors from the U.S. have money. Oftentimes, that tends to be true of people who travel in general, especially those coming form the U.S.; I just happen to be one of the exceptions. On top of that, taxi drivers don't have a regular wage. It can be difficult to make a wage one can live off of. Income inequality is fairly persistent in Costa Rica as well. Plus, as I noted before, I love walking, and despite the rain, the day was beautiful.

After returning to my homestay to drop off my purchases, I took a relaxation break and just hung out for an hour or so before making the trek in the other direction to downtown San José. I arrived at Avenida Central and checked out the stores and restaurants along the streets, as well as the avenues above and below, since Avenida Central is the main avenue. Avenida Central reminds me of the 16th street mall in Denver, but on a much larger and busier scale. I marveled at the architecture of the buildings downtown, the widespread appearance of public art and murals, and the parks and green areas. I watched locals in the street selling goods, saw children running though puddles, and just experienced the relaxed atmosphere that was there. I made sure to head back to my homestay before dark, just so I could be home in time for dinner and also finish up some last minute homework. I hope to go down there again and visit the many museums and art galleries, as well as El Teatro Nacional, the national theater.

The lack of seats on the bus to Jacó caused me to have a great Monday. There is so much that the city has to offer, and when I find myself wanting to do something before my evening classes in December, when I no longer have a morning Spanish class, I know where to head.

Tantalizing Tamarindo

My excursion to Tamarindo was tantalizing! It was amazing and interesting and full of firsts. First time seeing the deep blue ocean. First time feeling the soft sand of a beach between my toes. First time feeling the cool waves rush up against my skin. First time ducking my head below water searching for any signs of life along the coastline. First time taking a boat through the open water, without a care in the world, enjoying the sun, the views, and the breeze flowing through my hair. Those firsts were unlike anything I have ever felt before (literally).

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We boarded the bus for Tamarindo Friday afternoon upon the conclusion of the morning Spanish classes at noon. I attempted to take a long nap on the bus, but I am awful when it comes to sleeping in moving vehicles, so I watched the movies they had playing and chilled until our arrival around 5pm. I stepped off the bus with this image of this dark, soft pristine beach in the background of a beautiful hotel; luckily, that is exactly what I saw. The glistening of the light on the ocean and the outdoor pool, the clean, fancy-looking lobby. It was so much to take in. I had finally seen the ocean for the first time and it was more incredible than I could have imagined. Breathing in the salty hair, feeling disgusting from all the humidity, looking at the clear, deep blue water and the clear night sky; it was just great.

I headed to my room to unpack and get ready for dinner. The hotel provided us with a buffet dinner, which consisted of pasta and the like. We were also treated to cultural dancers, who reminded me very much of when I participated in baile folklorico back in the states when I was little.

The rest of the evening consisting of figuring out what form my fun take for the evening. This fun took the form of hanging out with other ISA students in one of the other rooms in the hotel, wavering back and forth between paying two mil to enter the local club, The Crazy Monkey, or walking back to the hotel alone. After analyzing the club from the outside for a couple of minutes, I decided it was not worth the money and chose the later option. Luckily, one of guys also decided to turn back, so I had a walking companion back to the hotel. We ended up talking to some other ISA students upon our return, and I eventually settled on a nice night of getting cozy in the hotel bed and watching American Horror story. As many of you know, I like to go out sometimes, but clubs, bars, and drinking are just not my thing, so I was very much content with the remainder of my evening.

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On Saturday morning, I was determined to get an early start. I had planned to fit in some time exploring the beach and ocean before I boarded a catamaran for a tour. I got up early, around 7am or so, chowed down on some breakfast while watching the waves of the ocean, and prepared to experience the beach for the first time. I took off my sandals and grabbed a towel and stepped onto the smooth, soft sand of the beach for the first time in my life. It's hard to explain my emotions as I felt the sand of the beach run between my toes and the crash of the waves upon my body as I made my way into the ocean for the first time. Many children go to the beach when they're young, so they don't always have the memory of the first time they went. For others, it's so common for them to go to the beach that they don't have as much of the excitement each time they return. For me, being almost 21 years old and never having stepped foot on a beach, I was able to create a memory, filled with happiness and excitement and those rich sensations of touch, and I will be able to remember that moment vividly for the rest of my life.

I spent about 4 or so hours just soaking up the sun, playing in the sand, and cooling off in the warm, clear, salty water of the Pacific Ocean. It was soon time for my catamaran tour, another adventure filled with firsts for me. The catamaran tour was not only my first time on a catamaran, but my first time on a boat, period. I stepped onto the speed boat that quickly took us to board the catamaran. I made a snug spot for myself near the front of the deck and looked over the side. The feeling of the breeze flowing through my hair, the saltiness of the air on my skin, and the incredible views is something I didn't expect whatsover. We traveled through the water, eating chips and salsa and taking advantage of the limited, but open bar. I had a couple of house drinks, which was a fruit juice mixed with Cacique, also known as Guaro, a Costa Rican brand of liquor. I also had a rum and coke. Besides drinking, I had the opportunity to just enjoy the view.

During the tour, we headed to a small coastline where we had the opportunity to snorkel, kayak, swim, or walk on the private beach. I chose snorkeling. Even though I suck at swimming, I was thrilled after dipping my head into the water and seeing the rocks near me, as well as the many different types of fish swimming around. I was so into the view that I ended up swimming straight into a giant rock. I quickly recovered and decided to go sit on the beach for a little while and soak up the sun. Upon my return swim to the boat after an hour, one of the guides was holding a puffer fish beneath the water. With snorkeling gear, I had the amazing opportunity to see a puffer fish for the first time. Unfortunately there was not enough time for me to hold it, as the other students did, but is was enjoyable nonetheless.

Upon our return to the boat, we were treated with lunch and music. We made our travels back to shore just in time to watch the sunset on the catamaran. It was beautiful. 

I ended the evening with getting tacos at a nearby stand and hanging out with friends from ISA. I didn't go out to the bars like the other students, mostly because I had drank all day on the boat and also, they're just not a thing to do all the time for me. I don't really get that much enjoyment out of it.

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Sunday was pretty carefree. I spent the morning saying goodbye to the ocean that was my first, saying goodbye to the beach that was my first, and browsing the shops in the little beach town. Everything was super expensive and super touristy, so I decided against getting anything there. 


Until next time, Pura Vida.

La primera semana: exploración, entusiasmo, y diversión

I had a fabulous first week living and studying in San José, Costa Rica. This week was filled with exploration, excitement, and fun, and I would like to believe that I settled in a lot easier to this new place and culture that I had anticipated. Costa Rica is a natural beauty, with views for days, and the Pura Vida lifestyle of the Ticos is something I can definitely get on board with. In the United States, we are always in a hurry, worried about everything, and fail to take time to not only appreciate our country, but also to simply live. Pura Vida is a lifestyle that embraces life and all that it has to offer, and throughout my stay in Costa Rica, and hopefully my immersion into this beautiful culture, I hope to learn more about it and embrace it. While settling into this new culture, I also began classes, including my intensive studies in Spanish, and I anticipate that I will enjoy every piece of my study abroad experience, including my courses and professors.

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On Monday, I started off the morning first with breakfast with my familia Tica (Costa Rican family/host family) and then headed to Universidad Veritas to start my half-day of orientation. When we arrived, we were seated into a large auditorium to undergo a presentation about everything we needed to know about being international students: how the classes worked, our resources on campus, activities to get involved in, safety, etc. Unfortunately, it was almost an exact repeat of the orientation provided to us the previous day from ISA (the program I am studying abroad through). I sat in one of the back rows, and behind me, was an entire row of ISA boys. At one point, I looked back, and saw them all asleep. Considering we had gone through all of the information the day before, I couldn't blame them.

At some point, we had a campus tour, but I can't remember if it was before or after the formal presentation. The campus is much smaller than I am used to. Weeks later, I am still deciding whether that's a good thing or a bad thing. The campus spans a lofty three buildings, only one of which I utilize for classes. The building across from where I have my classes houses the auditorium, a cafeteria, and the room where the dancing club is held. Students also have classes there, just not me. The third building houses a little store and I am assuming more classes, but I haven't ventured into it quite yet.

La banda y los masquerades

Los masquerades - un abuelo y un pasayo

After orientation, Veritas hosted a surprise welcome activity. We though the extent of the activity was pizza and socialization. That was not the activity. Out of nowhere emerged a band consisting of brass and percussion instruments followed by people in large costumes with giant heads, known as "masquerades." 

conga line

These groups are a large part of Costa Rica's culture, especially when Costa Rica celebrates Día de la Masquerada on October 31. They danced and encouraged the international students to form a conga line, which did happen This lasted for a food 10 to 15 minutes or so. As the music died down, they exited without an explanation. I spent the rest of the day confused by what had happened.

The local currency is colones.
One U.S. dollar is approximately 527 colones.
In my opinion, la plata (money is not called dinero here)
 is much better looking that the money in the U.S.

Sometime after the activity, I finally figured out what. I needed to get done the rest of the day. First, I needed to exchange my U.S. dollars into the local currency, since I wasn't able to do that on Sunday. I headed to the bank with some other ISA students and made that happen. Luckily, VISA cards are widely accepted here, so I've been able to use my credit card for everything. The only fees that happen are some minor foreign currency conversion fees. I didn't take out a lot of cash before leaving the U.S. because I didn't want it to get stolen. Little did I know, that would happen anyways later in the week. For me to pull out cash here using my debit card, I get charged hefty fees, so I didn't want to resort to that. I keep the local currency on hand for the event that a place does not take cards. In my couple of weeks here, I've run into very few places where that is the case.

The live band

Long Island Iced Tea

During the evening, my roommates and I went to a popular gringo (American/Americanized) bar. I tried my first Long Island Iced Tea and socialized with other people in my program. Little did we know that they had a live band playing that night. We ventured into the dance floor and listened to the band, that played tunes I was actually familiar with, as well as tunes I was unfamiliar with (all in Spanish of course). It was a ton of fun, though I wasn't a big fan about how Americanized it was. The other areas of the bar played a lot of music that is super popular in the United States right now, and there were few Ticos in sight. Despite that, I had a good time overall.

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On Tuesday, classes began. I entered my first classroom, a tiny room with one fan and 15 desks squished together. It was smaller than my freshman year dorm room! My first class of the day was Spanish, from 8am to 12pm. Because the language classes are four week intensive courses, we have them every day for four hours each day. With my placement exam, I was placed in Básico 2 (Basic 2), though the ISA placement exam put me at Intermédio 1 (Intermediate 1). I had already started off the morning not very happy about this, especially considering I've taken Spanish on and off since first grade. I browsed through the workbook we received and determined that I had to get out of that class; the material was only present tense, something I learned long ago, as well as concepts I learned in SPAN 2001 back home. After two hours, we had a thirty minute break. This concept of breaks to get coffee or snacks is very common here, at least in all of my classes. When my professor returned to the classroom, I asked about moving up a language level. Her response? I had to take another placement exam, which I did. I spent the rest of the day hoping that I would not be stuck in a class learning concepts I had already learned and felt comfortable with.

lugar para estudiar ADENTRO de la universidad

At noon, I headed to the ISA office for our weekly meeting. The ISA office is around the corner from Veritas, so it is super convenient. We learned that our first of three weekend excursions would be to Tamarindo, which is a beach town about four or five hours away. I became really excited, as the excursion would be the first time that I would see an ocean and step onto a beach. I couldn't contain my excitement. 

Afterwards, I spent time at the office changing into a communications class, Intercultural Communication and Competence, where a spot had just opened up. It had started already when I arrived, and I was famished from not having eaten since breakfast, so I reluctantly sat through the class, counting down the minutes until I could eat again. Next was my Human Rights in Latin America course. Before the professor arrived, I managed to head downstairs to the on campus deli and grabbed a ham & cheese sandwich. I was in the middle of eating the sandwich when my professor arrived in the classroom. What an awkward first impression! However, as class started, and my hunger subsided, I came to the conclusion that I would love the class and the professor. Having taken an international law & human rights course back at home, I was already on the right track.

After a bit of homework and dinner, I decided to check out the dancing club that was offered to international students. The club meets twice per week for an hour and a half each. It consists of learning traditional and popular dances of Costa Rica and practicing them with partners. I thoroughly enjoyed learning some steps of bachata, salsa, and a couple other dances I cannot recall. I think I'll become a regular at the club.

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Sandwich de jamón y pavo con jugo de frutas

On Wednesday morning, I was told that, indeed, I should have been placed in the Intermediate 1 Spanish class. I had passed the placement exam. As a result, I was moved into the new class and was finally at peace with that aspect of my adventure. Later that day, I ate lunch at The Whisk, a nearby artisan restaurant, with a couple of my ISA buddies and ran some errands, including getting copies of my passport made for ISA and changing into a different communications class, Creative Conflict Resolution, making my schedule what I envisioned before I arrived in Costa Rica. I stopped at the Auto Mercado, a local supermarket, and grabbed some food for lunch and snacks, before heading back to my homestay for the night. I did have class at 6pm until 8pm (Creative Conflict Resolution) so I missed dinner. Luckily, my mama Tica has agreed to put my dinner upstairs on Mondays and Wednesdays so I can eat after my class. Overall, it was a perfect day.

La cena -- yum!

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On Thursday, I attended my classes as a good student does, and stopped at Mr. Charles' Restaurant for lunch with a couple of friends. The evening is when things really took off for me. In multitasking with preparing and packing for my excursion to Tamarindo and studying for my first Spanish test, I somehow found time to Facebook video chat with my cats, who I miss so much, attended the dancing club, and followed the dancing club to show off our moves at Club Castro's. It was a night of sweat, fun, education, dancing, and so many other things. It was such a great day; I just hope to have many more days like this day.

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Friday was the day. It was the day that I would visit my first beach, take my first steps on the sand, and see an ocean for the first time. It was the day, that is until I realized that somehow, I had lost/or someone stole from me 30 mil colones (the local currency, around $60) that I had just exchanged. Then, my day took a turn for the worst. Upon further reflection and a hefty cleaning of my homestay, my money was gone for good. I believe that I accidentally took it with me to Castro's the night before and was pick-pocketed from my purse. I did find my purse unzipped a couple of times; I had assumed it was from the movement while dancing, but now I'm not so sure. I am so careful and was so eager to not let this happen to me, but it did. I guess it just goes to show that no matter how eager or how cautious you are, you can be a victim of a crime. It just happens.

On the brighter side of things, stay tuned for my later post about my excursion to Tamarindo.