Hello everyone!
I'm doing my best to figure out how to get my video post from last week to show the full post. I guess that is just one of the challenges of working with this blog. Until then, you should check out my photos from the last week or so, there are quite a few. Also, I put up the dough recipe and baking instructions from the baking class I took two weeks ago. It is under the "Interesting Information" page toward the bottom. You should definitely check it out!
So the last week was full of interesting happenings that I feel I should share. We will start where I left off last week, with our trip to Jacó beach. Our bus left at 6 a.m. so we had to meet pretty early to catch the first bus into San Jose. I was nervous to walk by myself to the university because it was still dark when I left at 4:45. For the most part, the walk went ok, until I got to my last strip of road before the mall. There was a man standing outside a house smoking a cigarette, so I made the wise decision to cross to the other side of the street so that I didn’t have to walk directly past him. As I was crossing the street, I fell into a hole and cut up my leg. Only later did I realize the man had just been taking a break after helping his wife, who was just inside their doorframe, take out the garbage. So basically I crossed the street to avoid someone who probably wasn’t much of a threat and got injured in the process. But, better safe than sorry.
That wasn’t the last time I had to use my survival instincts that morning, though. As I closed in on the university (limping and hoping my leg wasn’t bleeding too badly) a white, unmarked van with tinted windows slowed down and pulled up beside me. Panic erupted and I started to pick up my pace and run to the bus stop. Then, I heard Anna yell “Liz! It’s me!” I turned around to see that it was Anna, Lacy, and Anna’s host dad. She had convinced him to drive us to San Jose instead of having us take the bus. Anna hadn’t been able to get the window down before she saw me. After I showed them my leg, they felt pretty bad, but it was also pretty funny because it ended well. And I didn’t end up abducted. So it was all ok. But, you should always react how I did to a situation like that if you don’t know who it is in the van.
So we finally got to the beach (thankfully) and I found a lifeguard to clean up and dress my wound. Now I had the most amazing tan lines ever because he had to wrap my whole shin and calf to keep the bandages on my leg so that sand wouldn’t get in them. It was awesome. And still is considering that tan different will probably never really go away.
Oh, and I don’t know if I posted this picture, but I’m pretty sure I did, but the pool rules sign at the hotel that we ate lunch at was hilarious. The Spanish-English translation was incredibly off. I don’t know how that wasn’t regulated. You should definitely take a look at my photos and see if it is there. If not, let me know and I will put it up.
For the most part, Jaco was a lot of fun. A little bit stressful at the beginning, but a lot of fun. One of the tica students in Catie’s public speaking class joined us and we had a great day at the beach.
Then Sunday we actually found a sports bar where we could watch the Superbowl. It was pretty cool, they had a prize give away at half time and everything. You could tell that there were a lot of gringos there. It didn’t really seem like there were more people for either team there, it was pretty even. I don’t really care about football (baseball is my sport) but it was still a lot of fun. We met Jose, Adri, and Fofo (which is a nickname for Rodolfo) that night. They are friends of Anna’s who she met though some other host students that had been living at her house and they joined us for the game.
On Monday I was supposed to have a big presentation in Public Relations. But, I found out why my group had been freaking out about knowing everything they could about the topic. My professor chooses the people out of the group who will give the presentation, so even though we all prepare, we don’t all present. He chose two of our five girls (thankfully not myself) and they did pretty well considering they probably had been hoping he wouldn’t pick them. It was a little nerve wracking, but at least now I know what to expect for next time.
Last week Tuesday we had a tour of San Jose with Janiva and our Spanish professors. It was a really nice to see a cleaner side of San Jose considering we have only ever really seen the dirtier sides and we have decided (like the rest of Costa Rica) that we don’t like the city because it is dirty and just kind of a general sore spot in such a beautiful country. But, we went to some really beautiful churches, the National Theater, and the National Museum which were all very interesting. The National Museum is located inside an old army barrack that was converted after the military was abolished. The basement of the museum is still set up as the army base so it is cool to walk through. There are also rumors that it, and the National Theatre, is haunted. What kind of city would San Jose be if there weren’t a few ghost stories? Not a very good one.
Also, I have to just point out that I am eating the best potato chips ever right now. Papas Liliana. They are epic.
Where was I? Oh yeah, San Jose. Well, we ended our trip at a souvenir market which was cool. We learned how to haggle, but I’m not very good at it. And I’ve learned that the vendors hate it. They give you nasty looks and make it seem like you’re asking the world of them. But I’m not a stupid tourist and I won’t let them gauge me on prices.
But yeah, Wednesday we went to a futbol (soccer) game with Jose, Adri, and Fofo. It was really fun to watch, but Heredia lost. They were playing against Alajuela, who apparently beat them in the semi-final last year so it was a tough loss for Heredia.
Saturday Anna, Lacy, and I went to Puntarenas to a private beach with Jose and Fofo. Jose’s family has a membership to the beach so he was able to get us in. It was a lot of fun, but it wasn’t very sunny out. We spent most of the day in the water. It was just nice and relaxing. And it was nice to take a car somewhere instead of a bus.
Today is homework day. I think no matter what country you are in, Sunday is deemed homework day.
My parents come on Thursday! And I’m lucky because my yoga professor cancelled our class on Thursday night so I don’t have to worry about ditching out early on them that first night.
To summarize what I’ve learned this week:
- Always cross the street so that you don’t have to walk past men that seem creepy (even if it means you will be injured).
- Always run away from unfamiliar creepy vans (even if they are actually filled with your friends).
- Always be ready for a professor to surprise you (even in slightly sadistic ways).
- Always bargain for souvenirs (even if the vendor gives you a dirty look; they just don’t like that you have caught on to them).
- Always sit by people who are cheering for the same team as you at a soccer match in a Latin American Country (even if you don’t care about the match...they definitely do).
Have a wonderful week everyone!
Pura Vida!
Feb 13, 2011
Feb 4, 2011
Feb 1, 2011
Return to Manuel Antonio, mama tica’s birthday, and organic coffee
Hola, and Buenos días! Our schedules have finally slowed down a bit here in Heredia. Last weekend we didn’t have an excursion or trip planned through Sol, so the girls and I planned our own trip, which was a lot more complicated than it sounds when you are just learning the language and you don’t know where to necessarily stay that is cheap and clean. We ended up going back to Manuel Antonio because we are at least somewhat comfortable with the area and kind of know some tricks on how to save money.
None of us has a car here, or would even want to attempt to drive, so figuring out how to get back to Manuel Antonio was a bit complicated. We not only had to find the best and most economical way to the beach, but we also had to decide on the best way to get to, in our case, the bus stop. Once we arrived in Quepos/Manuel Antonio, we had to decide how to get to our hostel and how to get from there to the beach.
We took the bus (which was sort of like a Greyhound) because it had the most options for departure, and a direct ticket to and from Quepos were only 4000 colones each (about $8 USD). But, we made the mistake of buying our departure ticket when we arrived in Quepos. Because of this, we couldn’t buy a ticket for the departure time we wanted, so we had to choose between leaving at 12 p.m. or 5 p.m. instead of 2:30. We didn’t want to arrive back in San Jose at 8, so we had to take the 12 bus, which didn’t leave us much time for the beach on Sunday, but now we know that we should try to buy our tickets ahead of time.
We were pretty lucky because Anna’s host dad had a van that was big enough to fit all of us and our weekend bags. He agreed to drive us to the bus station the morning that we left, so that saved us money on a taxi or trying to catch a bus in the morning. It was also nice because none of us really knew where the bus station was (we had been there to buy tickets, but we had gotten lost on our way there so it would have been almost impossible to find it again).
After arriving in Quepos, we found a taxi-van to bring us to the hostel where we were staying (I’ll talk more about that in a minute). We were lucky that we found a van because car taxis refuse to drive with more than 4 passengers because it’s a pretty big fine in Costa Rica to be caught with more passengers in your car than seatbelts. Then, for the rest of the trip, we took the public bus that ran from Quepos to the beach and made a stop near our hostel. It was only 240 colones per bus ride (about $.50 USD), so it didn’t cost us a lot of money and we ended up taking that bus back to the Quepos bus station on Sunday when we went home.
The five of us (Toya had other plans for the weekend, so she didn’t come along) had a tough time deciding between whether we wanted to stay at a hostel or a hotel. Since it was only one night, it really didn’t make much of a difference, but it was a hard decision. We knew of a hotel where it would have been $35 USD per person to stay for one night, but we found a hostel where we could rent a private cabin for the night for $20 USD per person. It was a draw either way because the cabin was a longer walk to the beach, so we would have to take a bus to get there every day, and the hotel was right across the street so we would be able to get there really quickly. We ultimately decided on the cabin because we would have a kitchenette and we would all be in one place instead of having two separate rooms at a hotel. The cabin was actually really nice, and we went to the grocery store to buy pasta and sauce and we made dinner instead of going out, which saved us some cash. We also bought materials for lunch the next day and some water, because you can’t drink the water at the beach, only in the Central Valley.
Even though we loved the cabin, I think we all wished that it had been closer to the beach. It was a neat experience, but I think that if we return, we will be staying at Coco Beach Hotel, which is just that much closer and that much more convenient. It’s too bad that Coco Beach doesn’t have a kitchenette because if we could stay there and be able to cook our own meals, the $15 difference would really equal out.
All in all, we spent a lovely weekend at an incredible beach for about $65 USD, which I think anyone from the States can agree, is a pretty sweet deal. Since it went pretty smoothly, I think now we have more confidence in planning trips to new places. Plus, Janiva can always help us with details like hotels and tips on saving money. She really is a pretty invaluable asset.
When I arrived home on Sunday night, I was greeted by a birthday party for my host mom. The entire family was over, along with her sister, sister’s husband, and their two children. It was a fun night and we had a really delicious dinner of what I more or less can describe as seasoned tenderloin tips, a vegetable called yucca which is kind of potato-y, and tortilla shells. We also had an incredibly delicious birthday cake that had three layers, chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. We also watched the Costa Rica/Honduras soccer game and sat around and talked. It was nice meeting some more members of the family.
Organic Coffee Farm
On Wednesday, we went to an organic coffee farm, where we learned about the difference between organically grown and chemically grown coffee and fruit. Being the coffee-fiend that I am, it was really interesting to learn about the process and the different growing methods. The farm we went to was a small coffee farm owned by a Costa Rican professor who specializes in organic growth. We were lucky enough to have the opportunity to actually go out into the coffee forest and pick coffee beans from the trees.
After harvesting some coffee beans, he brought us back to the main house and we all had some coffee, including Anna, who doesn’t usually like it. We learned about the traditional Costa Rican method for making coffee, which involves no electricity, which is why the coffee tastes less bitter, and why Anna actually didn’t mind it. Basically, there is a stand, either metal or wooden, that has a small cloth or netted bag at the top where you put the ground coffee. Then, you place a pitcher or cup underneath the bag and pour boiling water over the grounds. The coffee is filtered through the cloth and you get a pot of piping hot coffee. It was really interesting to learn about the traditional method, and it is cost effective if you want to spend less money on electricity (not that a coffee maker really requires that much electricity).
I know it’s taken me a while to get this posted and I’m sorry! I’ll include everything from Friday, Jan. 28 and on in my next post!
None of us has a car here, or would even want to attempt to drive, so figuring out how to get back to Manuel Antonio was a bit complicated. We not only had to find the best and most economical way to the beach, but we also had to decide on the best way to get to, in our case, the bus stop. Once we arrived in Quepos/Manuel Antonio, we had to decide how to get to our hostel and how to get from there to the beach.
We took the bus (which was sort of like a Greyhound) because it had the most options for departure, and a direct ticket to and from Quepos were only 4000 colones each (about $8 USD). But, we made the mistake of buying our departure ticket when we arrived in Quepos. Because of this, we couldn’t buy a ticket for the departure time we wanted, so we had to choose between leaving at 12 p.m. or 5 p.m. instead of 2:30. We didn’t want to arrive back in San Jose at 8, so we had to take the 12 bus, which didn’t leave us much time for the beach on Sunday, but now we know that we should try to buy our tickets ahead of time.
We were pretty lucky because Anna’s host dad had a van that was big enough to fit all of us and our weekend bags. He agreed to drive us to the bus station the morning that we left, so that saved us money on a taxi or trying to catch a bus in the morning. It was also nice because none of us really knew where the bus station was (we had been there to buy tickets, but we had gotten lost on our way there so it would have been almost impossible to find it again).
After arriving in Quepos, we found a taxi-van to bring us to the hostel where we were staying (I’ll talk more about that in a minute). We were lucky that we found a van because car taxis refuse to drive with more than 4 passengers because it’s a pretty big fine in Costa Rica to be caught with more passengers in your car than seatbelts. Then, for the rest of the trip, we took the public bus that ran from Quepos to the beach and made a stop near our hostel. It was only 240 colones per bus ride (about $.50 USD), so it didn’t cost us a lot of money and we ended up taking that bus back to the Quepos bus station on Sunday when we went home.
The five of us (Toya had other plans for the weekend, so she didn’t come along) had a tough time deciding between whether we wanted to stay at a hostel or a hotel. Since it was only one night, it really didn’t make much of a difference, but it was a hard decision. We knew of a hotel where it would have been $35 USD per person to stay for one night, but we found a hostel where we could rent a private cabin for the night for $20 USD per person. It was a draw either way because the cabin was a longer walk to the beach, so we would have to take a bus to get there every day, and the hotel was right across the street so we would be able to get there really quickly. We ultimately decided on the cabin because we would have a kitchenette and we would all be in one place instead of having two separate rooms at a hotel. The cabin was actually really nice, and we went to the grocery store to buy pasta and sauce and we made dinner instead of going out, which saved us some cash. We also bought materials for lunch the next day and some water, because you can’t drink the water at the beach, only in the Central Valley.
Even though we loved the cabin, I think we all wished that it had been closer to the beach. It was a neat experience, but I think that if we return, we will be staying at Coco Beach Hotel, which is just that much closer and that much more convenient. It’s too bad that Coco Beach doesn’t have a kitchenette because if we could stay there and be able to cook our own meals, the $15 difference would really equal out.
All in all, we spent a lovely weekend at an incredible beach for about $65 USD, which I think anyone from the States can agree, is a pretty sweet deal. Since it went pretty smoothly, I think now we have more confidence in planning trips to new places. Plus, Janiva can always help us with details like hotels and tips on saving money. She really is a pretty invaluable asset.
When I arrived home on Sunday night, I was greeted by a birthday party for my host mom. The entire family was over, along with her sister, sister’s husband, and their two children. It was a fun night and we had a really delicious dinner of what I more or less can describe as seasoned tenderloin tips, a vegetable called yucca which is kind of potato-y, and tortilla shells. We also had an incredibly delicious birthday cake that had three layers, chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. We also watched the Costa Rica/Honduras soccer game and sat around and talked. It was nice meeting some more members of the family.
Organic Coffee Farm
On Wednesday, we went to an organic coffee farm, where we learned about the difference between organically grown and chemically grown coffee and fruit. Being the coffee-fiend that I am, it was really interesting to learn about the process and the different growing methods. The farm we went to was a small coffee farm owned by a Costa Rican professor who specializes in organic growth. We were lucky enough to have the opportunity to actually go out into the coffee forest and pick coffee beans from the trees.
After harvesting some coffee beans, he brought us back to the main house and we all had some coffee, including Anna, who doesn’t usually like it. We learned about the traditional Costa Rican method for making coffee, which involves no electricity, which is why the coffee tastes less bitter, and why Anna actually didn’t mind it. Basically, there is a stand, either metal or wooden, that has a small cloth or netted bag at the top where you put the ground coffee. Then, you place a pitcher or cup underneath the bag and pour boiling water over the grounds. The coffee is filtered through the cloth and you get a pot of piping hot coffee. It was really interesting to learn about the traditional method, and it is cost effective if you want to spend less money on electricity (not that a coffee maker really requires that much electricity).
I know it’s taken me a while to get this posted and I’m sorry! I’ll include everything from Friday, Jan. 28 and on in my next post!
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