I can't beleive it...but a month has already come and gone! I have to pack up my things tonight and return tomorrow. :-( My flight leaves at 8am...another early morning for me!
Here is a little recap of the past few days...
On Wednesday I woke up with a pretty sore throat...not a good way to begin the day. I went on a tour of Lankaster Gardens. This is a beautiful garden with all kinds of native Costa Rican plants. It specializes in rare forms of orchids. I would like to say that I have lots of pictures to show you all...but on this day I forgot my memory card to my camera. Meaning I was able to take about 4 pictures before my internal memory was full. It's ok...I'll just steal someone else's photos later! That night when I got home I began to feel a little more sick. Thats when I realized that I was definitely sick.
Thursday I felt absolutely horrible! The climate has gotten really cold here lately, and I think the change from the Pacific beach climate to the cold city climate did me in. I always get sick when the climate changes. So on Thursday I couldn't get out of bed that morning. I had a tour planned to another older city near San Jose...but I had to miss it. I mustered up the strength to make it to class then collapsed when I got back home. I couldn't eat anything, stuffy nose, sore throat, swimmy head...the works! Miraculously (and thanks to the deadly amount of medicine that I took.) I recovered, and even managed to go out one last time in Costa Rica.
Today when I awoke I still felt a little sick but I am definitely getting better! Mainly just a stuffy nose now! I defnitely need to US medicine...the pharmacies here leave much to be desired. In a country fill with mosquitos...they have never heard of Benedryl!
Today I spent my last morning walking about San Jose. I went to the Mercado Atesania to see all the local goods. I was able to weasel some pretty good deals too! I'm telling you, Spanish combined with blond hair and freckles can get you just about anything in this country! I even had one guy tell me he wished he looked like me, yet he had the most beautiful brown skin!
I'm definitely sad to go but I will leave you all with a list of things I can't wait to have in the US and things that I will miss dearly...
When I get back to the States I can't wait to...
~Take a normal shower! With HOT water and normal water pressure!
~Eat Mexican food! This might be surprising...but the food here is nothing like Mexican food. Nothing here is spicy! And I can't wait for some Burritos Tapatios de Papas Guisadas and some Guacamole Picante de Mi Casita!
~Wear more of my clothes! As most of you know I have WAY too many clothes! This trip has made me realize that I could survive off about one eighth of what I own. But I defintely miss having the choice to wear something different!
~Get a pedicure! My toes are in BAD shape!
The things that I will miss most from Costa Rica:
~My Tica Family
~The Gallo Pinto and Gallitos (my favorite foods that I am going to be eating tonight for my farewell!)
~The best pineapple in the world!
~Not having to drive! (Public Transportation now has my name all over it!)
~The friendly people and all the friends I have made!
Well I'm off to head home now to pack up my things! I can't wait to see you all when I return! I'm already thinking of where my next big adventure can take me...
Friday, July 11, 2008
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
A-M-A-Z-I-N-G
What an adventure! This was the weekend I had been waiting for! I am sorry that I didn’t post yesterday...but I was having such a wonderful time in Manuel Antonio that I decided to stay another day! My longest trip yet, and by far the best!
I left San Jose, Saturday, around 8:00am. I took what is called an “Interbus” to get to Manuel Antonio. They are pretty much large vans. They cost more than the regular bus but they are worth it. It is always a small group, usually less than 6 people. The ride to Manuel Antonio was a bit ruff. It started well…then the van broke down! Ha! I have no idea how…it just sort of died on the side of the road. However, within less than 10 minutes, there was another bus there to pick us up but that is when we hit the bad roads…if you could even call them roads! There is one main road from Quepos (a little town outside of Manuel Antonio) to the beach…it is the only road that is paved. (If you could consider this paved!) It was bad with quite a few dilapidated old bridges as well. All of the other roads were not paved or had been paved at one time many many moons ago. Now they really were a bunch of potholes strung together with little patches of pavement. Hey…it’s all a part of the adventure right?
My hotel was Villa Bosque (Forest Villa) and it was quite nice and cozy! It was extremely near the national park as well as the beach. Right in the middle of everything I needed and it had air conditioning…AND a somewhat normal shower! I had a very nice balcony overlooking a stream. It was in the middle of the forest so the monkeys and birds talked to me all through the night. Here is a less than impressive picture of the view. Sorry, my pictures really do not do this trip justice! Oh and also a picture of the key because it came with the cutest little wooden elephant keychain! I really wanted to steal it…but of course…that would be wrong!
When I arrived, I immediately scheduled a Canopy Tour. This is where you go “ziplining” through the jungle. We also hiked to twin waterfalls for a quick swim! That filled up my Sunday morning through early afternoon. It was such fun! I was REALLY scared at first and thought that the guide was going to have to push me…but I recovered! Here is a picture of me having fun swinging through the jungle and a picture of one of the waterfalls:
I only had one mishap the whole time! On one of the really long lines the wind started blowing and blew me in circles! I could not keep my brake hand on the line and instead went flying to the end with no breaks! Thanks to the kind guide who used his body to keep me from hitting the tree…I survived! I only came away with a ugly bruise on my leg and a sore arm. One of the other guides was kind enough to take a ton of pictures for me and even took a video for me! He even slows himself down to really enjoy the view! Oh and at the end of the video you see me on the platform, the guide beside me in the orange shirt is the one that saved me! (So a big, thankful shout out to Winston at La Selvita in Quepos, Costa Rica! ) Here is the video:
That night when I returned, I headed to the beach, to take in the people, the sand, the waves and the happy hour specials! ;-)
The next day I headed out on a sailboat! Like a real deal, Captain Ron/Summer Rental sailboat! We were looking for dolphins but did not see any. I did however see a GIANT sea turtle! Unfortunately, he was a lot faster than he looked and I did not get a picture! We sailed around for a while then eventually headed for a little cove to go snorkeling! This was a lot of fun…but I actually became a little freaked out because the fish were REALLY close to me! Like, I kept my hands tucked in because I was afraid! (Yes, I know…I am strange…and the fish could not hurt me!) Unfortunately, my camera cannot go underwater…so you will have to just imagine all the pretty fish! Here are some pictures that I took of the shore and ocean from aboard the boat:
The next day I went into the national park and saw many animals and some of the most beautiful beaches! Here are some of my favorite pictures:
These are my 2 favorites! The first is of a sign that was nailed to a tree. And the last one is like a postcard!!!
To finish…I cannot believe I only have 3 days left! This month has passed by way too fast! I feel I could easily stay for another month and still not want to leave! I am really going to miss the family with which I stay. However, I have made some wonderful memories and still have 3 days to make even more!
Oh, before I forget…my new sunglasses are gone! I think I lost them on the beach! I ran into one of the guides from my canopy tour, sat and talked to him for while, it became dark…I’m pretty sure they are sitting in the sand! I told you that I only lose expensive sunglasses! I guess I’ll just suffer through the next few days and head to Target for another nice, cheap pair when I return!
I left San Jose, Saturday, around 8:00am. I took what is called an “Interbus” to get to Manuel Antonio. They are pretty much large vans. They cost more than the regular bus but they are worth it. It is always a small group, usually less than 6 people. The ride to Manuel Antonio was a bit ruff. It started well…then the van broke down! Ha! I have no idea how…it just sort of died on the side of the road. However, within less than 10 minutes, there was another bus there to pick us up but that is when we hit the bad roads…if you could even call them roads! There is one main road from Quepos (a little town outside of Manuel Antonio) to the beach…it is the only road that is paved. (If you could consider this paved!) It was bad with quite a few dilapidated old bridges as well. All of the other roads were not paved or had been paved at one time many many moons ago. Now they really were a bunch of potholes strung together with little patches of pavement. Hey…it’s all a part of the adventure right?
My hotel was Villa Bosque (Forest Villa) and it was quite nice and cozy! It was extremely near the national park as well as the beach. Right in the middle of everything I needed and it had air conditioning…AND a somewhat normal shower! I had a very nice balcony overlooking a stream. It was in the middle of the forest so the monkeys and birds talked to me all through the night. Here is a less than impressive picture of the view. Sorry, my pictures really do not do this trip justice! Oh and also a picture of the key because it came with the cutest little wooden elephant keychain! I really wanted to steal it…but of course…that would be wrong!
When I arrived, I immediately scheduled a Canopy Tour. This is where you go “ziplining” through the jungle. We also hiked to twin waterfalls for a quick swim! That filled up my Sunday morning through early afternoon. It was such fun! I was REALLY scared at first and thought that the guide was going to have to push me…but I recovered! Here is a picture of me having fun swinging through the jungle and a picture of one of the waterfalls:
I only had one mishap the whole time! On one of the really long lines the wind started blowing and blew me in circles! I could not keep my brake hand on the line and instead went flying to the end with no breaks! Thanks to the kind guide who used his body to keep me from hitting the tree…I survived! I only came away with a ugly bruise on my leg and a sore arm. One of the other guides was kind enough to take a ton of pictures for me and even took a video for me! He even slows himself down to really enjoy the view! Oh and at the end of the video you see me on the platform, the guide beside me in the orange shirt is the one that saved me! (So a big, thankful shout out to Winston at La Selvita in Quepos, Costa Rica! ) Here is the video:
That night when I returned, I headed to the beach, to take in the people, the sand, the waves and the happy hour specials! ;-)
The next day I headed out on a sailboat! Like a real deal, Captain Ron/Summer Rental sailboat! We were looking for dolphins but did not see any. I did however see a GIANT sea turtle! Unfortunately, he was a lot faster than he looked and I did not get a picture! We sailed around for a while then eventually headed for a little cove to go snorkeling! This was a lot of fun…but I actually became a little freaked out because the fish were REALLY close to me! Like, I kept my hands tucked in because I was afraid! (Yes, I know…I am strange…and the fish could not hurt me!) Unfortunately, my camera cannot go underwater…so you will have to just imagine all the pretty fish! Here are some pictures that I took of the shore and ocean from aboard the boat:
The next day I went into the national park and saw many animals and some of the most beautiful beaches! Here are some of my favorite pictures:
These are my 2 favorites! The first is of a sign that was nailed to a tree. And the last one is like a postcard!!!
To finish…I cannot believe I only have 3 days left! This month has passed by way too fast! I feel I could easily stay for another month and still not want to leave! I am really going to miss the family with which I stay. However, I have made some wonderful memories and still have 3 days to make even more!
Oh, before I forget…my new sunglasses are gone! I think I lost them on the beach! I ran into one of the guides from my canopy tour, sat and talked to him for while, it became dark…I’m pretty sure they are sitting in the sand! I told you that I only lose expensive sunglasses! I guess I’ll just suffer through the next few days and head to Target for another nice, cheap pair when I return!
Friday, July 4, 2008
Last full weekend in CR!
Well I can't believe it...but this is my last full weekend in Costa Rica! 3 weeks have already come and gone! I'm definitely not ready to come home! But...being that it is my last weekend I've planned a great trip. I'm finally going to head off to the beautiful Pacific coast! White sandy beaches...clear blue water...I can't wait!
I will be leaving tomorrow morning for Manuel Antonio. If you look at the map, find San Jose, go toward the Pacific coast and a little further East. There is a national park there and it is ranked one of the best beaches in the world. I think it is ranked Top 3 by NY Times. Here is a little preview of what I will be seeing...
While I am visiting here I plan on doing a canopy tour and snorkeling...who knows what else!
This week has been very relaxing! I have slept in every day. Eaten breakfast with Isabel then headed for school. Next week I have more tours booked for the morning. I will be visiting more towns, gardens, museums and such as that. So hopefully I will have more interesting posts for you next week.
A big Happy 4th of July to everyone! Please be safe and don't shoot each other with fireworks. (This is mainly directed to my family!)
And a HUGE BIRTHDAY WISH TO BB! I'm sorry I'm going to miss your birthday! Just pretend I'm there!
I will be leaving tomorrow morning for Manuel Antonio. If you look at the map, find San Jose, go toward the Pacific coast and a little further East. There is a national park there and it is ranked one of the best beaches in the world. I think it is ranked Top 3 by NY Times. Here is a little preview of what I will be seeing...
While I am visiting here I plan on doing a canopy tour and snorkeling...who knows what else!
This week has been very relaxing! I have slept in every day. Eaten breakfast with Isabel then headed for school. Next week I have more tours booked for the morning. I will be visiting more towns, gardens, museums and such as that. So hopefully I will have more interesting posts for you next week.
A big Happy 4th of July to everyone! Please be safe and don't shoot each other with fireworks. (This is mainly directed to my family!)
And a HUGE BIRTHDAY WISH TO BB! I'm sorry I'm going to miss your birthday! Just pretend I'm there!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Back from another amazing weekend!
My weekend was of course...fabulous! It definitely was NOT as well organized as the last one...but that made it more fun!
I was picked up at 8:00am in San Jose in a little bus with a very nice driver. He told me we had 3 other people going. So I'm thinking...GREAT...not an over crowded trip! Then we drove in circles for 20 minutes. LITERALLY...in circles! He had no idea where the next pick up was. So this was quite an excellent way to begin my day. Once we were all picked up, we were transfered to a BIG bus...with 38 people!!! So there went my nice quiet trip!
The ride up was agonizing! The people in front of me decided to lean their seats back all the way and the drive was very bumpy...very windy mountain roads. When we arrive in La Fortuna we stop to eat. The food is always good...you never need to worry about that. Then we make it to Tabacon Resort. This is a resort with the hot springs and excellent views of the volcano! The waters in the hot springs are never less than 40 degrees Celsius! For those that don't like the math...thats OVER 100 degrees Farenheit! Here are some pictures of the hot springs:
You just sit right down in the rivers. It is AMAZING! Its like having a bath or shower that never gets cold!
Here are some pictures of Arenal Volcano. They are all taking during the day from the resort or from the road. We went to view the volcano at night but it was very
cloudy! So we couldn't see any lava! :-( Believe me...the pictures do not do the size justice. It rises over 5000 feet. Another reason they don't take tours to the top.
The 2nd day I was there I went on a Safari boat ride in La Fortuna looking for animals. We also stopped at a farm on the way. The man that owns the farm is over 90 years old and will sit and talk to you about the good ole days! It was really amazing! I saw a few howler monkeys, toucans, iguanas and bats. I also got to see a Blue Jeans Frog. That is really what they call them. Here is a picture that can explain the name!
The other picture is of me in the boat. I think I was finally able to get a little sun! YAY! But I did burn my head a little...ouch! Should have worn a hat!
All this week I have private classes. There aren't any other students here! It is really nice to be the only student but 4 hours is too much for just one person!
Well I'm off to class now...hope everyone is doing well!
I was picked up at 8:00am in San Jose in a little bus with a very nice driver. He told me we had 3 other people going. So I'm thinking...GREAT...not an over crowded trip! Then we drove in circles for 20 minutes. LITERALLY...in circles! He had no idea where the next pick up was. So this was quite an excellent way to begin my day. Once we were all picked up, we were transfered to a BIG bus...with 38 people!!! So there went my nice quiet trip!
The ride up was agonizing! The people in front of me decided to lean their seats back all the way and the drive was very bumpy...very windy mountain roads. When we arrive in La Fortuna we stop to eat. The food is always good...you never need to worry about that. Then we make it to Tabacon Resort. This is a resort with the hot springs and excellent views of the volcano! The waters in the hot springs are never less than 40 degrees Celsius! For those that don't like the math...thats OVER 100 degrees Farenheit! Here are some pictures of the hot springs:
You just sit right down in the rivers. It is AMAZING! Its like having a bath or shower that never gets cold!
Here are some pictures of Arenal Volcano. They are all taking during the day from the resort or from the road. We went to view the volcano at night but it was very
cloudy! So we couldn't see any lava! :-( Believe me...the pictures do not do the size justice. It rises over 5000 feet. Another reason they don't take tours to the top.
The 2nd day I was there I went on a Safari boat ride in La Fortuna looking for animals. We also stopped at a farm on the way. The man that owns the farm is over 90 years old and will sit and talk to you about the good ole days! It was really amazing! I saw a few howler monkeys, toucans, iguanas and bats. I also got to see a Blue Jeans Frog. That is really what they call them. Here is a picture that can explain the name!
The other picture is of me in the boat. I think I was finally able to get a little sun! YAY! But I did burn my head a little...ouch! Should have worn a hat!
All this week I have private classes. There aren't any other students here! It is really nice to be the only student but 4 hours is too much for just one person!
Well I'm off to class now...hope everyone is doing well!
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