Catalina en Costa Rica

First Few Days at Cabo Blanco

2009-03-19T18:30:00.003-06:00

Initially we thought that we would not be able to start snorkeling until our 3rd day, but luckily the tides were in our favor and we were able to start on the 8th. We slept extremely well our first night on the sleeping porch, and had breakfast at 7 am. After breakfast Milton gave us a lecture on fish. We learned some extremely interesting things. Did you know that our closest invertebrate relative is the star fish? We we kind of let loose after our first lecture and were able to explore the beach. The beach has an extremely large tide level. Most of the coast is very rocky when it is at low tide and little tide pools are exposed. When it is high tide there is barely any beach. One day we were almost trapped during high tide when we decided to explore the beach, let's just say we ended up getting very wet.

We went snorkeling that evening around 4 or 5, right before dinner. I was a little nervous because I had never been snorkeling before, but it is extremely easy. All you have to do is breath. During certain tide levels there is a lagoon right off the beach. In the lagoon there are the most beautiful fish. Our first time we were able to see a large sea turtle and we followed all around the lagoon. We also saw the barber fish, which is bright yellow and black. We also saw a lot of puffer fish, and also live conchs. It was amazing to see the different kinds of fish so close to the beach.

After snorkeling we cleaned up and had dinner. It is amazing how tired you can be after spending all day in the heat and sun, and we went to sleep extremely early every night we were at Cabo Blanco.

The next morning we were up really early in order to catch the tide. We went snorkeling for over an hour and were able to find the sea turtle again! We also saw the barber fish again, and we got to see something truly amazing. We saw the barber fish cleaning the grey grunts. The barber fish would swim towards the grunt and the grunt would open there mouths and the barber fish would pick out bacteria. Diana said this was truly special and that she had never seen it before. We usually had free time from about 1030 until about 1 or 2. I think this was because it was extremely sunny and hot during these hours and they wanted us to be as hydrated as possible. That afternoon Diana gave us a lecture on Marine Ecology, and then we had dinner and slept on our porch.

The next day we got up early and had breakfast. After breakfast we went to a specific part of the beach where there are a lot of shells. We did an exercise where we collected as many differeny types of shells as possible in 6 minutes. After shell collecting we had another amazing morning of snorkeling. After lunch we had a shell identification lab where we learned about the different types of shells.

The first day we went snorkeling I actually cut the bottom of my foot on one of the rocks. After ignoring it for a few days I managed to get a rock stuck in the cut. It hurt very badly. After dinner, Pick, or as I know call him, Dr. Pick, attended to my wound. He was very attentive, sterilized the tweezers, and cleaned out my cut, and bandaged me up.

Our next day at Cabo Blanco was equally exciting. We snorkeled for our last time! We snorkeled for around an hour, and then we just decided to swim around in the lagoon. David and I swam back and forth across the lagoon and it ended in a relay race with kate and I on one team and Wyatt and David on the other. Kate and I won by a landslide.

After lunch we got to do a cool exercise. All 8 of us found an isolated spot on the beach, where we couldn't see or hear anyone. We sat there for an hour and observed everything around us, asked questions, drew in our nature journals and took pictures. It was very interesting.

Can you believe all of this only happened in the first part of our trip!

Me Encanta Cabo Blanco!!

2009-03-18T11:37:00.006-06:00

This trip just keeps getting better and better! I thought rafting the Pacuare was going to be my favorite thing about the program, but Cabo Blanco has taken the number one spot! I was extremely nervous that we were spending 8 days at Cabo Blanco, but now I feel like we should have stayed for 14! I really could stay at Cabo Blanco for my entire life! There is so much I have to say about this amazing place, let's hope I can get it all out!

We left San Luis early on the morning of the 7th. Diana and Milton Lieberman accompanied us on our trip. They actually started the Eco Lodge in San Luis, and are the current Directors of Cabo Blanco. It was really fun to have them there with us because between the two of them they seriously know everything there is to know about Costa Rica. We drove for about two hours on the bus until we arrived in the city of Punatrenas. Once we arrived there we had a little over an hour to chill before we boarded the ferry. We walked around the town a little bit and decided we should buy some sunscreen. It was $12!!! But we really needed it! We got on the 12 o'clock ferry. The ferry took us from Puntarenas and across the gulf of Nicoya. It was a beautiful ride that was a little over an hour. Once on the other side we got back on the bus and drove for about another hour and a half until we made it to Malpais. Once in Malpais we left the bus behind, loaded our belongings into the pack of a pick up, and hiked for about 45 minutes into Cabo Blanco.

I guess I should take a little bit of time and explain exactly what Cabo Blanco is. Cabo Blanco was the first Absolute Natural Reserve in Costa Rica. It was formed in 1963 by Nicolas Weissberg, who I believe was from Norway and Karen Mogelson, who I think was from Sweden. The two moved to Costa Rica and lived here for several years and basically started the movement for the creation of the National Park Service in Costa Rica. Once the began living in Malpais they discovered the land that is now Cabo Blanco and decided it needed to be a protected area. They tons of letters to the president of Costa Rica and after a tireless fight finally got rights to establish the land as an Absolute Private reserve which meant it was completely closed to the public. It was closed to the public for 22 years, but eventually opened half of the park to the public solely for day visits. Unfortunately Nicolas was murdered in 1975 when the government asked him to look for more places to make reserves. After Karen's passing the government of Costa Rica asked the Lieberman's to be the directors of Cabo Blanco. At this time they decided to establish the private part of the park as a Biological Research station. Before 1992 no one was allowed in this part of the park and also no research was allowed. Now, they only allow around 14 groups to visit the park each year, and usually the groups are only allowed to stay for about 3 or 4 days. It was a true honor the be able to stay at Cabo Blanco for such a long time. Since it has been opened to groups only about 1,200 people have had the pleasure of staying there. We were truly lucky.

After we arrived in the park we were able to see why Nicolas and Karen wanted it to be protected. It is breathtaking. We saw Howler monkeys on our walk in and White faced Capuchins. We had small dorms that were basically like screened cabins, and each had three sets of bunk beds, which we never used. Every single night we took our mattresses off of our beds and put them on what we called our sleeping porch. We were only about 30 meters from the ocean and could hear it every night. We lined our mattresses up in a row and it was the most amazing experience sleeping outside every night. Our first night we saw the biggest spider I have ever seen in my entire life! Cabo Blanco made me realize the spiders are not scary, and after living there for 8 days the only thing I'm kind of scared of are crabs, but I'll get to that later...

Back on Campus in San Luis

2009-03-03T13:02:00.003-06:00

After Spring Break 09 we all met back at Hotel Aranjuez in San Jose. Before we left for Spring Break we had to say farewell to Sandy and Jim, which was sad. But once we got back we got to meet Pick, who is our Ecology Professor and he is amazing!! He is such a character, I kind of think of him as a cross between crocodile dundee, Steve Irwin, and Chirstopher Lloyd. Basically he is the coolest professor ever. Before heading back to campus we stopped at a place called Inbio. It is a facillity that is trying to document and preserve all of the species in Costa Rica, from plants to animals and insects. They specialize and insects. We got a chance to meet a guy named Jose who is basically the leading scientists that is studying Butterflies in Costa Rica. We got a behind the scences tour of their facillity and were able to see how the document all of their samples and we also got to see their collection of butterflies and beetles, which is not open to the public. It was really really cool. We got to see a sample of one specific butterfly which is the only sample in the entire world!

After that we headed back to campus, and let me just say it feels amazing to be back on campus. I really do feel at home here. I love all of the staff and the interns and naturalists. Everyone is so nice and I find campus to be extremely comforting. Our first day back on campus we went to to Monteverde and visited the Monteverde Reserve. It is higher in elevation then San Luis and is a protected reserve. We got guided tour through the reserve. The big draw at the reserve is seeing a katsal. Katsals are beautiful birds that live high in the canopy of the cloud forest. Luckily we were able to see four of them! We also got to see howler monkeys as well as many other birds. I was also extremely excited because we got to see a tarantula!

We started classes our first monday back. I am taking spanish and Ecology 4110 this semester. Spanish is still going really well. Also, we have a really special opportunity this semester. A friend of Pick's named Nancy Lowe traveled down to San Luis and she is staying with our group the entire time and is working with Pick in his class. She is an artist and she is teaching us Scientific Illustration.

During Pick's first introductory lecture something exciting happened. I was sitting in the indoor classroom listening to Pick lecture and was resting my hand on the table. I felt something kid of weird on my hand but didn't think anything of it. I felt it again and then looked down to see a gigantic scorpion on the side of the table. I freaked out jumped up and cursed a wee bit as well. One of the resident naturalists Scott came over and removed the scorpion. After that incident Pick has dubbed me with the nick name Twitch...

SB 09 In Manuel Antonio

2009-03-03T12:45:00.005-06:00

So I know I have been a little bit behind in my postings, but that is because we have been so busy since we have gotten back from spring break! Let me fill you in on my amazing Spring Break in Manuel Antonio. Our group hired a driver and took a private bus 3 hours to the South West to city called Quepos. We stayed at a Best Western in Quepos. I know, I know, a Best Western you say? It had the right price and location and we all just felt comfortable there. We got there on our first day and had lunch at a great restaurant around the corner from our hotel. Quepos is on the water, but does not have any actual beaches that are for public use. But, Quepos is only a 20 minute bus ride from the beautiful Manuel Antonio and it costs about 50 cents to ride the bus. Most tourists stay in Quepos because it is cheaper and then take the bus to Manuel Antonio.

The next day we got up early and made our way to the bus stop which was only a few blocks from our hotel. Manuel Antonio also has a national park that has beautiful beaches and lots of animals and attractions, but because we are broke college students, we decided to save our 12 bucks and go to the public beach. It was breath taking. It is a black sand beach that is full of people and is amazingly beautiful. There are tons of people also roaming the beach and selling souvenirs as well as drinks and food. They also rent out lounges and umbrellas which used every day. It was extremely relaxing and I loved every minute of it.

We typically got to the beach around 10 or 11 and then stayed until about 4 or so. Our last night of SB09 we decided to stay at the beach and watch the sunset. It was the most beautiful sunset I had ever seen. We also decided to have dinner in Manuel Antonio. We ate at a restaurant that was made out of a old fighter plane. Apparently the plane was shot down in panama and was flown by american rebels who were trying to help the Panamanian rebels...or something like that. It was over looking the ocean and was really cool. Also, in the main cockpit area of the jet was a little bar and night club, which was really cool.

All in all it was an amazing Spring Break. The beaches were beautiful and we all got the relaxation we needed. I think if I were to do it again I would actually try and stay in Manuel Antonio, but other then that it was perfect!

Rafting the Pacuare

2009-02-22T13:27:00.003-06:00

I didn't think I would find something that was more fun then zip lining, but rafting totally was! We woke up very early on Thursday to make our way back to San Jose. Before going to San Jose we stopped at Poas. We were supposed to go to Poas our first week in Costa Rica, but the road was blocked due to the earthquake. Unfortunately it was very wet and rainy while we were there. Poas is a dormant volcano that has crater lakes full of sulfur. Apparently seeing the lakes of Poas can be quite difficult. Some people have been many times and have never been able to see the lakes due the mist and clouds. Luckily we got to the lake just as the clouds parted and we were able to see the lake for a short time. It smelled like rotten eggs.

After Poas we did something amazing...ate McDonalds!! I know, this sounds horrible, but if you have been deprived of fast food for a month it tastes sooo good! After that we checked into Hotel Aranjuez, our home way from home. The next morning we got up extremely early to head out on our rafting adventure! The rafting company picked us up and we met one of our river guides, Daniel. He was a young Costa Rican who called us friends all the time! He was very nice. We drove about three hours to their base and had a delicious breakfast there. After that we packed up our stuff and drove another hour to the Pacuare. Once we got down to the river we got out life jackets, helmet and paddles and divided up into two boats. Daniel was the guide in my boat, and my team consisted of Erin, Wyatt, Kate and Ashley. Daniel gave us a brief introduction to rafting. Basically there are three simple commands, forward, stop, and get down!! These commands are pretty self explanatory. Daniel would call out one of them and we would do as he said! Get down was actually kind of scary, he would yell get down and all of us would have to jump into the bottom of the reft and huddle, and then be ready to get back up on the sides as soon as he said get up. This was for when we were in big rapids or big waves, scary but lots of fun. I felt like I was gonna fall out of the raft a million times, but luckily never did, until Daniel pushed me in! More about that later though.

So the first day we were only in Class 1 and 2 rapids. We rafted about 6 or 8 miles, so about an hour or so. We started off and rafted for about 20 minutes or so and then we stopped at a side river. We hiked up (and in) the small river to a small pool where we were able to swim and relax. We got back in our rafts and then rafted for another 30 minutes or so till we got to camp. I guess I should mention that the Pacuare is one of the top 5 rivers to raft in the world. It is perfect for rafting because it has great rapids, but after each rapid there is a calm pool area that makes it very safe. The camp was really cool! It was just off the river up a high hill. The camp had 12 little cabins that had two beds in each. The Cabins were basically like screened porches that all had amazing views of the river. There was also an outdoor common area that had an outdoor kitchen, tables, and hammocks! It was amazingly beautiful. We had about 4 or 5 guides with us on the trip, each were young and adventurous. They made us a wonderful lunch, basically build your own burrito. After lunch, we thought we would be tired, but we weren't! One do the guides, Michael, asked us if we wanted to hike to a near by waterfall, and of course we did! What we thought was gonna be a short hike turned out to be a crazy river hike! basically we had to ford a small but deep river, before we knew it we were up to our chests in the river! It was sooo much fun. Unfortunately all the girls who went, (Kate, Ashley, Erin, Allison and myself) ended up falling except Allison. I had the worst fall though. I was climbing up a large rock and slipped and wacked myself pretty hard on the knee and under my arm, got the bruises to prove it! The waterfall was small but gorgeous and there was a small pool we all got to swim in.

Dinner that night was also amazing, fresh fish and veggies. We also got to have ourselves quite a fun time dancing late into the night. Oh and I forgot, Wyatt got stung by a scorpion! It was in his bed. He was a trooper though.

The next morning we started out on the river at 9am. It was rainy the second day, but you get soaked rafting regardless so it wasnt too bad. We had class 3 and 4 rapids that day, and it was pretty crazy! A lot of getting down and screaming! We stopped at one point and hiked to a beautiful waterfall. We went through several calm parts of the river as well. At one point we were going through a canyon and Daniel was telling us about an earthquake when he suddenly pushed me into the river. He then proceeded to push everyone else in. We all floated down the river for awhile, and it was amazing. We got done rafting about 1pm and had lunch back at the base camp. This truly was one of the most exciting and amazing parts of my time in Costa Rica. I was extremely scared, but I loved every minute of it. I can't wait to go rafting again, next stop, the grand canyon!

It's been awhile

2009-02-21T21:06:00.003-06:00

I don't even know where to begin! We lost internet on campus about two weeks ago. We were having windy and rainy weather for several days, and then one night the power went out and the satellite was knocked over! It takes awhile to get someone from San Jose to come all the way out here, so we didn't have internet until we left for spring break a week later. I'm gonna be honest It was the longest week of my life! But now we finally have it back, and I am also back from spring break. But let me fill you in on what happened before spring break...

Two or three Saturdays ago, right before our finals, we took a trip up to Santa Elena to go zip lining! This was one of the most amazing experiences of my life! Unfortunately we were still experiencing bad weather, so it was lightly raining the entire time, but it was so much fun I didn't really care. I was a little nervous, I'll admit it. I don't really have a fear of heights, but I kind of have a fear of situations that I cannot control. But this trip has taught me that I love all of the things I am initially terrified of! We went on a series of 12 zip lines through the cloud forest of Monteverde. It was absolutely beautiful even though it was raining. The lines were different lengths and also different speeds. Some were short and extremely fast while others were very long and slow. We also got to do something called the Tarzan Swing. This really was terrifying, and let me tell you, I screamed my head off! You go up on a very high platform and they attach your harness to a long rope that is tied around a tree branch. The guides then proceed to push you off of the platform and you go swinging through the air like you are tarzan (or in my case jane) on a vine! It was so scary and sooo much fun!

After zip lining we were all completely drenched. This was actually our first free day in Santa Elena so we took advantage of it. We went to a grocery store and stocked up on junk food and cosmetics, and then went out to lunch. We were planning on staying longer, but we were so wet and cold we headed back to campus. The next day was reading day so we were pretty lazy. WE had our last day of classes on the following monday, and then we worked on our exams Tuesday and Wednesday....leading up to our departure on Thursday for SB09!!!

Rest of Arenal/Homestay

2009-01-28T14:24:00.007-06:00

Our last day in Arenal was extremely wet. As I believed I mentioned earlier, we hiked to see an old lava flow in the rain. This actually was really cool. We got to see that hardened magma from an eruption that occurred in 1992. Again, we were all pretty petrified. We were especially scared due to the signs every so often that said something along the lines of, Caution! You are entering a High Risk Volcanic Area! After we got to the lava flow we looked around for awhile and then headed back down the trail in the rain. We got back to the parking lot and our driver was no where to be found, so we had to walk down the road and find him, which luckily we did! After the hike we went back to the Hotel to change since we were all soaked to the bone. Of course I decided to wear jeans on the one day that it decided to rain!

We headed to Baldi Hot Springs around noon. We had lunch there, which was amazing. I got Sea Bass, sooo good. Then we were let loose for hours of relaxation. I didn't really know what to expect from the hot springs, but it was really pretty damn cool. As most people may know I am not the biggest fan of anything related to swimming, so I was a little skeptical. After the cold and wet weekend we had, Baldi was a special treat. It was raining while we were there, but it actually worked perfectly. There are 20 pools spread around and all of varying temperatures. The coolest is 93 degrees and the hottest is 152!!! We tried as many as possible, but also managed to stay in a key few that were just right. I prefered the large jacuzzi that was 112 degrees or so. There was another much larger pool that was quite shallow. It was 109 degrees and in the middle of it there was another smaller pool that was much cooler, so it was nice to be able to rotate between the two. I highly recommend looking for a Hot Spring near you.

We reluctantly left the Hot Springs and drove to the nearby town of La Fortuna. This was our first chance to do some tourist shopping. I was determined to get a sweatshirt. One thing I have learned, there are no sweatshirts in Costa Rica!!! Not a one!! But I did get a pretty cool Imperial shirt that also says Costa Rica and Pura Vida on the back.

After that we had dinner at our hotel, and once again as the professors went to bed, we stayed up at the restaurant/bar and had ourselves some fun. The next morning we had breakfast and departed at 8 am. It was still very rainy so we couldn't take the boat back across, so we made the four hour drive back around the lake and to San Luis. Oh I guess I should mention that during my first day in Arenal my digital camera decided to stop working. I was freaking out, but luckily, thanks to my amazing father (and mother and sister and brother) I will be getting a new one tomorrow. I also cam to find out that once I got back to San Luis that my computer decided to break as well. I was pretty upset yesterday, but I'm trying to get over it and just look forward to the new computer I'll be buying once I am back in the states...if I have any money left!

Once we were back we started packing for our homestays. We were all very excited, but also a little sad. We all have become so close that it is weird not being together all the time. Around 315, Lyndsay took Wyatt, Amy, Ashley and I to meet our families. My Family lives about a 15 to 20 minute walk from campus. Ashley is about 5 or 10 minutes away from me, so we walk to and from school together. My family is very nice. I'm not gonna lie, I think I'm still in the awkward phase, but I am enjoying it. It is forcing me to us my spanish even more! I have a 14 year old sister Jossette, who does speak english, but only Spanish to me! I also have three year old sister named Joanna, who I can understand very well. I think she talks about me sometimes, one time I heard her say, "Caitlin's madre..." and then I didn't understand the rest, but I guess she was talking about my mom! I also have a one year old brother named Kevin. My host mom is Edith, she is quite, but sweet. My host father is Milton, he is very nice and speaks slowly to me. My House a little further up the mountain and I have an amazing view, I can even see the ocean, although it is extremely far away. I'll be sure to take pictures once I have my camera.

All in all things are going well. It's been a hard couple of days, but I'm getting used to my new routine. Can't wait to see what other surprises Costa Rica has in store!

Arenal

2009-01-27T14:43:00.005-06:00

I'm back in San Luis from my weekend adventure to Arenal. Let me tell you, it was full of ups and downs. Before I get into all of it, let me first give more of a background about where I am. The University in located in the....town of San Luis. I'm not even sure I can call it a town, it's pretty darn small. About 400 people live in San Luis, and everyone knows everyone. San Luis is about a four hour drive from the capital of San Jose, and it is pretty high up in the mountains. San Luis is located in the Region of Monteverde, and there are apparently several San Luis, so it is best for me to say that I am in San Luis de Monteverde. About 30 minutes away from San Luis is the larger town of Santa Elena. It is even further up the mountain. Monteverde is actually the number 2 tourist destination in Costa Rica, Arenal being the first and I think Guayabo rounds out the top three. We drove through Santa Elena in order to get to Arenal, and damn it is touristie. San Luis is very laid back an quite. There isn't even really a central down town area. Anyway, so we took the trip up the hill to Santa Elena in two 12 person vans. Yes, I said two. We had to take two because the hill is so steep the van cannot hold more than about 6 or 8 people. Once we got to the top of the hill we all piled into just one van. Then we drove about two more hours on a winding dirt/rock mountain road. It was beautiful. We got to see many rainbows. We finally made it to Lago Arenal. Once we arrived there it was pretty dark and cloudy. We waited at a rest stop for about 30 minutes and then boarded a boat to cross the Lake.

The lake is absolutely beautiful. I was totally reminded of Loch Ness. Unfortunately I did not find any see and Lago de Arenal Monsters. The lake is surrounded by mountains, and there was one mountain in particular that loomed high above them it, it was the volcano! It was really really cloudy, so we were not able to see the top of the volcano. It was very eerie knowing that we were extremely close to a volcano that is active and characterized by pyroclastic eruptions. The ride across the lake was about 45 minutes. Then we hopped into another waiting bus and were whisked away to our hotel room. Our hotel was really cute. Each of us had our own little cabinas. The beds were extremely comfortable and they made cute animals out of our towels.

We had lunch at the hotel and then after that we set off to the Arenal Observatory. The Observatory was located on the other side of the volcano, being on both sides in one day was supposed to optimize our chances of seeing some molten hot magma, but alas, it was cloudy....the entire time. The observatory was very pretty and really really close to the volcano. Again, we were all petrified. The fact that we couldn't really see it also made it very scary. Also, the fact that we all have decided that Costa Rica is prime Jurassic Park territory, going towards a volcano only increased our fear. All of us have become very attached to Jurassic Park and we are dying to watch it. Several of my peers have even downloaded the theme to the movie and it has become our theme song. At various moments during the day many of us break out in a whistle. The song inspires us an we are in fact playing in on repeat while I am typing this very blog. As we made our way up the volcano we decided that we are going to make a Jurassic Park movie of our very own. So we began to orally write our script.

Here is a quick run down of what we have so far, although there have been several revisions. Basically we all travel to Costa Rica with our professor to learn about the wildlife and all the wonderful things it has to offer. Amy gets a weird feeling before boarding the plane and decides not to come. During our trip to Arenal, things start to go awry. As our professors take us out into La Selva Tropical we begin to hear strange noises. Sadly Amar is the first to perish. He tried to take a picture of a T rex while simultaneously trying to domesticate it. He does not succeed. During a tour of the volcano, Sandy and Jim suggest we go up and look in the crater. All of the students think this is a bad idea, but they go anyway. While they are up there, it erupts. Sad, but fitting. The next day, Ashley decides to go and sunbathe. She is gone for a very long time and we go to look for her and we only find her T-Shirt and one shoe, she disappeared! Sadly, next to go is me. Those of us remaining are walking across a suspension bridge and a Pterodactyl swoops down and pick me up and then takes me back and feeds me to her babies. Next off our list is Allison. Allison loves animals and she comes across a cute baby dinosaur and tries to play with it. Turns out its not a baby and just small vicious dinosaur and it did not want to play. Adios Allison. Finally, the hero of our story, Wyatt is plucked off. We have varied the details a couple of times, but basically he tries to save Kate and sacrifices himself to Veloci Raptor. Kate and David run away before they see the Raptor rip Wyatt to Shreds. Kate and David are the ones who survive. Amy changes her mind and boards a later flight and comes to save the day, she brings a lot of guns. Oh and I forgot about Erin, I think we decided she cracks under the pressure and becomes a cannibal and tries to eat us, and then disappears into the jungle. There is a lot I am leaving out, and we have also started the sequel.

Okay, now back to the weekend. After we got to the observatory we tried to look at the hidden volcano. We actually were able to see some fumeroles, which is like steam escaping from the volcano, so that was pretty cool. We took a hike to a very pretty waterfall and that is when the most amazing thing happened. We saw a Margay! A Margay is like a small leopard. It was beautiful, and it actually just walked slowly past all of us on the trail, it sniffed my shoes, and then peed on Ashley. Hilarious! The Waterfall was small but majestic. After that we went back to the Observatory and had dinner. Then we drove the windy dark road back to the hotel. Then being in gringos that we are we spent sometime at the hotel bar, fun and dancing ensued.

It poured all night. t rained all the next day. We visited Arenal National Park (in the rain) and hiked about a mile in the rain to see some lava flows, which actually were pretty sweet. Then it got really good. We went to Baldi Hot Springs. Baldi takes water that is heated from under the ground and puts it in 20 different pools of varying temperatures. It was the most amazing and relaxing afternoon of my entire life. I could have stayed all day.

There a lot more for me to tell, but I don't have enough time to write it! More later!

Things I love about Costa Rica

2009-01-23T22:00:00.002-06:00

So here are a few things that I cannot get enough here in Costa Rica....

Yuca! It seriously is like my new favorite food, boiled, friend, baked, whatever, it's amazing!

Chocolate cheese. Yep, you read write, I tried chocolate cheese. It was a special treat before our second dance lesson. It come sin a brick just like cheese in the states and it is light brown in color. It basically tastes like chocolate cheese cake, but not as tart. It is the perfect little after dinner treat.

Rainbows morning, noon, and early evening. In the past 3 days I've seen like 6 rainbows. They are usually to the left of our dorms before breakfast, and then over the student union after our 2pm class, and sometimes can be seen around 5pm. They are so beautiful.

Sunshine on my face. Nothing is better then sitting in the rocking chair on the porch, with a good book, having a light sun warming my face. It's been cold the past several days, (and by cold I mean 60 degrees) and today it was bright, sunnny, and warm. It was still windy, but I was able to look past that.

I love being able to see a new animal on a regular basis. Today before dinner Scott caught a giant toad. And when I say giant, I really mean giant. This sucker was huge. We not only observed it but got to learn about it. It apparently has two poisonous glands behind it's ears that secret a toxin.

Basically, I just love Costa Rica.

Dancing, Riding, and Sneezing

2009-01-22T21:39:00.002-06:00

Last night we had our second dance lesson with Geovanny. I think I enjoyed this session even better than the first. The first one was in combination with another large student group, so there were a lot of people. But the one last night was just the 8 of us from UGA, Erin, and couple of the resident naturalists. It was a very intimate experience. We continued learning the meringue. The class was actually pretty extreme. Geovanny taught us several complicated steps. We started out by practicing what we had learned the previous class. I partnered with David again. I was surprised all of us remembered the moves. This class was also more fun because Geovanny had us switch partners every once in awhile, so I also got to dance with Amar and Wyatt and also Kate of course. Kate is still the best leader. I also got a little one on one with Geovanny. He made sure to teach all of the girls individually for a little bit. Dancing with Geovanny is crazy! He literally just pushes you in the right direction. You don't even have to do anything. The only requirement is to not resist. He taught us a lot of steps that involved A LOT of turning/spinning and all of us got pretty dizzy, but it was sooo much fun!

We finished up dancing around 930 and we all started on our homework. All of us usually huddle up in the Comedor or the library and do our homework together. I got mine done as quickly as possible because I had horseback riding at 615 in the morning!

Horseback riding was sooooo cool! I woke up this morning and it was very windy, misty and cold. We were divided up into pairs and I was paired with David, we met Erin and the Cowboy Julio in front of the stadium. We were introduced to all of the horses and shown around the stable. We learned how to brush our horses, first with the curry comb,which gets all the dirt lifted up and then with the hard brush that removes all the dirt. We also learned how to put on the saddle properly, and then we finally mounted the horse.

My horses name is Chele. He is a big white horse. He is very mischievous. He had a halter on and his reigns were hung around a hook on a tree. As I was brushing him he would pick up the reigns with his teeth and take it off the hook and try to get away from me! He would also eat from the trees while we were riding, which is a big no no. Luckily Chele also is one of the fastest horses. And by fast I mean he just walks a little bit faster then David's horse, Huesos. David and I raced and Chele and I won everytime.

The one bad thing I learned from horseback riding, I'm totally allergic to horses. I sneeze and get really red itchy eyes, just like when I'm around cats. It kinda sucks...a lot. I guess I will just have to take benedryl before I ride. I can't wait till our next ride, which is about two weeks away since we are going to our homestays on monday. The university decided it would be cruel for us to have to walk to campus at like 530 in the morning in order to get there by 615.

Speaking of homestays we had a meeting about it this afternoon with Lyndsay. I found out what family I am going to be staying with! My family lives in La Fina De Bella which is actually the same area as the coffee farm. Milton, the father, works in Monteverde as an environmental studies teacher. There are three kids, one that's 14, one that's 3 and then a young baby! They sound really nice and I am excited about the experience. There are also two other students in my neighborhood. I think I'll learn a lot from them.

Well, time to get back to my homework!

Things I wish I had/Things I'm glad I brought

2009-01-21T11:50:00.005-06:00

Pack for this trip was extremely difficult and of course there are several things I left behind and desperately wish I had with me. For some reason I didn't really realize that I could bring two bags, and I think I am one of the only people who brought only one carry on.

The number one thing I wish I had here is a hooded sweatshirt! I live in hoodies when I am in Athens (usually in the comfort of my own home, and in class, but hey, that's where I am when I'm here). It is extremely windy on campus....ALL THE TIME! We are pretty high up in the mountains, and the trade winds from the pacific ocean are coming over the top of the mountain this time of year. A hoodie would be perfect for late nights and also for class. I had one packed, but it was so big and bulky I had to take it out at the last minute. I also wish I had kept in my small track club fleece because it would be useful since it's pretty cool here. Because I am some what of a hoodie connoisseur, I hope to pick one up this weekend in Arenal.

I also wish I had another pair of pajama pants! I had more then one packed, but my dear mother persuaded me to only take one. It's really cold here at night and an extra pair of sleep pants would be a lifesaver. It also isn't very sunny here, the clouds come towering over the mountain all day and night and therefore it does not get very warm. This is actually perfect for hiking though. I usually wear shorts and t shirt and bring my light north face jacket and I never get hot. The clouds also are very misty and while it hasn't really rained while we have been here, it mists all the time!

I am soo glad I threw in another pair of jeans the morning before my departure. That really is all I wear on campus. ( Today is laundry day so I'm also glad I brought this skirt so I can wash everything else). I'm glad I didn't bring Sarah's rei zip pant/short things. I knew I wouldn't wear them, and I've been wearing shorts for all the hikes we have been so, so they only would have taken up space. My trail shoes have been great. They are really comfortable and great for hikes. I also wear my keens a good bit, and I am so glad I brought my boat shoes because I wear them on campus all the time. All in all I think I did a pretty good job packing.

I watched the Inauguration live in costa rica!

2009-01-20T20:34:00.004-06:00

So day two of classes has come and gone. We were all very excited about the inauguration today! We were also very excited because all of the other student groups left this morning, so we are the only group here! We only used one table at breakfast this morning. There are several perks to being the only major group here. You are guaranteed a seat on the porch, the computers in the lab aren't full, and best of all, the food is better! I never even thought that this was a possibility, but it's true! We had empenadas at breakfast this morning and they were sooo good! After breakfast I had my second spanish class. There were two additions to our class today, two of the Resident Naturalists who want to sharpen up their spanish. It is a lot nicer having two extra people in the class.

After class we headed to the library to stream the inauguration. We all huddled around my computer to watch. There was a lot of clapping, cheering screaming, and one person cried! (Obviously not me:). It was truly amazing to watch. Unfortunately directly after President Obama's speech we had to go to our next class, so we weren't able to watch anything more.

After lunch we did get to walk down the road to see un perezoso (a sloth!) It was very high up in a tree. It is apparently very rare to see a sloth, so we were all really excited. The rest of the day was pretty normal, Anthropology, then a break, and then geology. The sunset was beautiful this evening. Dinner was even better! We had a salad with fish, amazing tomato soup, white rice, mixed vegetables, and best of all friend yuca! I had never had Yuca before I got down here, and now I love it! It's kind of like potato, but a little different. I can't really explain it, but thee fried yuca were basically like large french fries. Soooo good! Apparently they don't make it very often and we are having better food because it is only our group and the resident naturalists. I really like only having a small group here. We are all friends with the resident naturalists, so it's kind of like we are a little family.

Me Gusta Bailar!

2009-01-19T22:07:00.002-06:00

So I thought today was gonna be a buzz kill. We started classes today, and I was pretty nervous. My first class was Spanish and it was from 830-945. Allison is the only person in the class with me. I guess I haven't really talked about our spanish professor. Her name is Carla and she is from San Jose. She has been teaching at UGA Costa Rica for a couple years. I am not really sure if she speaks english. I have heard her say maybe a handful of words in English. In class today, she did not speak word of english, which unfortunately for me, is great. I was forced to speak only in spanish! I was really nervous at first, but after a little while I got more confident and realized that it is alright to ask questions. Plus since it is only Allison and I in the class, we kind of have to to talk. I also think it will be good because Allison is in 2001 and I'm in 2002, so I will be doing a little bit of review from what I learned last semester.

After Spanish I had about an hour or so until my next class so I just grabbed my new book (Neverwhere) and did some reading on the porch. At 1120 I had my second class which was upper level anthropology. There are only three other people in my class! Sandy (the professor) really likes the class to be interactive and therefore asks us a lot of questions. After that class we had lunch and then I had another break for my next class. I read a little bit more and then took a wee nap. My last class was upper level geography. The class is called geohazards and we are going to be examining different types of natural disasters like volcanoes, hurricanes and landslides.

After class Allison and I did my Spanish homework. Then at 530 we had a meeting about horse back riding, which starts tomorrow. Two of the 6 horses are sick, so only two students can ride per day since the other two horses have to go to the cowboy Julio and Erin. I guess I haven't mentioned Erin much either. Erin is the linguistics and Horseback riding instructor. She is a grad student at uga, and pretty close to our age. It is really nice having her on the trip with us. We are able to really bond with her and get to know her, and she basically can really tell it like it is. She also understand us pretty well and is very helpful in many situations. I will start horseback riding this thursday at 615!

So today was actually one of the hardest days down here so far. This is the first day that we really had a lot of free time, and therefore the first day we really got to think about home. We have been so distracted every other day that we haven't had much time to think about what we left behind. But our after dinner activity definitely made up for my sluggish day. We had dance lesson in the Comedor with a staff member Geovanny. I was a little hesitant at first but it turned out to be tons of fun. He taught us how to do the Meringue. I made sure to secure a partner earlier in the day because I didn't want to be left out. David was my partner, and let me tell ya, the boy can move. He was definitely the best dancer in our group, but Kate is in the running for best leader. Dancing was so much fun and we are going to have another dance session on Wednesday! I can't wait to learn some more moves!

San Luis Waterfall and the coffee farm

2009-01-18T20:15:00.004-06:00

Every day just gets better and better! We got up again at 7 this morning and headed to breakfast at 8. We had eggs this morning, they were awesome! After breakfast we got ready for the hike to the San Luis waterfall. There is a small pool at the bottom of the waterfall that is perfect for swimming, so I wore a swim suit just incase I decided to hop in. It was actually pretty cool this morning. Scott, who is a Resident Naturalist and lead our hike yesterday, guided us again today. He lives here at the lodge with his wife who is also a naturalist, and he is very funny and extremely knowledgeable.

We left campus around 9 am for the waterfall. The waterfall is actually located on private property, so there is an 8 dollar fee to take the hike. luckily the fee was covered in all of our student fees. In exchange for the fee the family maintains the trails which are extremely well kept. We first stopped a the families house to pay the fee and sign the log book. They always put out fresh fruit on a post in order to attract birds. We saw some beautiful birds including a scarlett rumped tananger. After the we began the hike. It's only about a mile to the waterfall but the trail is pretty tricky so it took us about an hour and a half to get there. We got to cross a lot of small wooden bridges over the San Luis River. It was an amazing hike. Every now and then we would stop and Scott would point out different plants around us. I decided to wear my Keens because I knew we might be walking through water. Mom and Dad, let me just say, Keens are amazing. Thank you so much for getting them for me. I will admit that I had never worn them before I came here and I primarily used them to kill cock roaches in athens. They were awesome today though. Super comfortable and sturdy and even though it was a long hike they were perfect. I highly recommend them.

We finally got to the waterfall land it is absolutely beautiful. We walked down closer to it and the water was freezing! I decided to only stick my feet in a bit, but Ashley, Allison, Erin and David decided to make the plunge. The hike back was a lot quicker and easier, and we got back at 1230, just in time for lunch.

After lunch, around 130, we hiked another 20 minutes or so to a local coffee farm. We went to a local farm close to campus that is run by a small family. They have zbout 4,000 coffee plants! They used to just pick the beans and then sold them to the local coop, but that was not making ends meet. Two years ago they purchased all the equipment to shell and roast the coffee themselves. We went out to the plants and picked the beans for about half an hour. It really was so much fun! The weather here is absolutely amazing that I could pick beans for hours. The farm is a little higher than campus so you can feel the moisture from the clouds on your face. Coffee needs to be planted in the shade in order to grow best, so that makes picking it even better.

After we picked the beans we headed back to the house to learn about the roasting process. They put the beans into a machine that takes away the outer fruit. After that they soak the beans in water four about 12 to 14 hours. They then dry them under a tent for about 10 days. After that they are either stored, or roasted. They said that they like to roast the beans only when their supply is running low in order to keep it as fresh as possible. The family only roasts medium and dark roast, and it takes about 40 minutes to roast the medium and 45 for the dark. Afterwards we were taken inside and given samples of both roasts. It is truly the best coffee I have ever had. It was amazing to drink it because I knew where it was grown and even who picked it. They sell the coffee on the farm and they use bags that are made locally in the community. They bags are only 5 bucks a pop, so I plan on getting quite a bit before I come back. If anyone wants some, place your orders in the comments or facebook me. I'm not gonna buy it until right before I leave, therefore I bring it home as fresh as possible!

We start classes tomorrow! My first class is Spanish at 830, and then I don't really know the rest of my schedule after that, but I guess I'll figure it out. Horseback riding starts for me on thursday at 615! Wish me luck. I'm not quite sure if tomorrow can beat today, but here's hoping!

I've never seen so many stars!!!

2009-01-17T20:25:00.003-06:00

Omg, I just walked outside and up to the Student Union and I have never seen so many stars in my life. It was really exciting to look up at the sky, because last night there were so many clouds that we weren't able to see many stars and the professors said that is what the night sky is usually like. I looked the sky so long just now that I started to get a little bit of a headache, okay, but now back to what I did today.

Actually let me first recount the rest of last night. After Amy brought in the scorpion all of us (especially the girls) were pretty freaked out to go back to our bungalows. But after awhile we finally made our way back. Once in our rooms we frantically looked through our beds and on our pillows we were starting to settle in. Kate hopped up on her top bunk and we were talking when all of the sudden I noticed a humongous spider on the window curtain. We yelled while remaining in our rooms (they are so close together we can here each other) For David and Amar who came running to the rescue. David definitely stepped up to the plate and was the hero. He killed the offensive spider and also checked our beds. Unfortunately the doors to our rooms lock automatically and they ran so quickly to our aid that they locked themselves out.

So this morning we woke up at 7 at got out of bed around 730. Breakfast consisted of beans and rice, mixed fruit, amazing coffee, cheese, toast and fried plantains. After breakfast we got ready to help with the carbon offset program. We walked over to the greenhouse and met Lukas who manages the green house. We also met Allen who is a tour guide and all around staffer on campus. Both are extremely nice. We broke up into groups. Kate, Ashley, Allison and I stayed in the greenhouse and put soil into bags that were going to eventually be potter. We also took the wheel barrel and filled it back up with soil multiple times. It was actually a lot of fun. I really enjoyed it because I felt like I was truly helping the environment. After that she switched with the other group and followed Lukas to go and plan out own avocado tree. We dug small holes in the ground and planted our baby trees. After that we were given steak knives and taken to different trees that were previously planted and helped clear away the weeds. The work was so rewarding and the Carbon Off set program truly is one of the special things about UGA Costa Rica.

After that we had lunch and then met up with one of the Resident Naturalist, Scott, and went on the Camino Real hike. (I remember the name cause it reminded me of Casino Royal :). It took us down to the San Luis River. Along the way Scott pointed out different plants that I would never have noticed.

After the walk was dinner and then we watched a video about Monteverde. There is surprisingly many things I have left out, but I am growing quite sleepy. I am super excited about tomorrow. We are hiking to the San Luis waterfall in the morning and then afterwards doing something I am even more excited about!!! We are going to tour a local coffee farm!!! I can't wait!

We're finally in San Luis!

2009-01-16T19:53:00.004-06:00

Another great day in Costa Rica! I still can't believe I've only been here for three days. This morning I woke up around 6 am and managed to crawl out of bed around 640. We got all packed up and brought all of our bags downstairs. I was a little sad to leave Hotel Aranjuez, but we will be going back there at least two more times. We had breakfast in the outdoor patio again and managed to leave the hotel around 740 beginning our 4 hour journey to to campus. Like I said earlier, I truly could just ride on the bus and stare out the window for hours. I guess it's a good thing I don't get car sick.

The ride to campus was really beautiful. We got to drive all through the mountains. Again I was getting flashbacks to Denali and the winding roads. The ride actually didn't seem too long. I put my ipod on and just looked out the window and occasionally drifted off to sleep. We stopped about half way at a a small restaurant/pit stop. Even the pit stop was beautiful, from where we were we could see the Nicoya coastline. The last hour and a half was a dirt road winding through the high mountain cliffs. I have never been so close to clouds in my entire life.

Finally we arrived on campus! We immediately got our room keys and and got moved in. I am in Bungalow B1 and I am roommates with Kate and Ashley.

Okay side note, Amy just walked into the Comedor (dining hall) where we are all hanging out and brought a container with a scorpion in it! It was on her pillow! and It's really big! This is not what I needed before I go to sleep. Now back to our regularly scheduled blogging...

After we got moved in we went straight to lunch in the Comedor. I totally feel like I'm at girl scout camp by the way. Lunch consisted of white rice, chick peas with chicken, and mixed vegetables containing broccoli and chiote ( I have no idea how that is spelled and I think it's like Yuca).

After lunch we had a little free time so our group took a quick hike up one of the trails. After that we met in the student union with Lyndsey to have a brief orientation which also consisted of a tour of campus. It was really interesting to learn that about 30% of the food that we eat is grown directly on campus. Another 30% is directly purchased from local farmers in San Luis and the rest is from supermarkets. Directly after that we went to one of the classrooms and met with Frabicio who is the General Manager. He told us about The Carbon Offset Programs that we will participating in on campus. He explained that he and Quint were discussing different ecological programs that could be started up on campus when someone mentioned that all of the work that is done on campus is basically insignificant because of all the carbon that is released from the students air plan trips back and forth. They decided to create the carbon offset program of counteract out air travel. After a short lesson on global warming he explained that the program consists of planting trees all throughout the region in order to absorb the carbon in the air. We will be helping with the maintenance of the trees that were planted this past summer, and we start 9 am tomorrow morning.

After our discussion we had some free time before dinner. I grabbed my book and headed up to the student union to do some reading. Dinner was promptly at 6 and consisted off white rice, a delicious egg salad, red beans and also a beef or pork dish that kind of tasted like it had red wine in it.

We all have just been hanging out in the Comedor since dinner. Kate, Allison, Ashley, Wyatt and I had some very interesting conversations about arrests and vomiting. Of course I made sure to tell my story about throwing up on my dad on fathers day. I really like all of the people that are in my group and I think that that we will all remain in contact after the program is over.

Tomorrow we have breakfast at 8 am and then are going to help with the carbon offset program. Hopefully we can squeeze in a hike to the waterfall!

The Day of Museums

2009-01-15T21:28:00.003-06:00

Esta dia...okay that's enough spanish, so today we went to a couple of museums. We actually got to sleep in at little bit! We woke up at 8 and headed down to breakfast at the hotel around 830. This was our first breakfast at the hotel, and it was pretty impressive. They had a wide assortment of fruits and pastries, along with cook to order omelets and pancakes. I got pancakes! We left around 930 and headed to El Museo Nacional de Costa Rica. It was only a short walk from our hotel. I was thinking about fluffing up this entry since apparently I have a small audience now, but whatever, it's my blog, I'm not gonna lie. The museums were kind of boring. I don't know, maybe I'm just not a museum kind of person. The Lourve didn't impress me all that much. But there were some things I saw and learned that were pretty interesting.

We saw a lot of metates, which the Indigenous people used to grind corn. The ones we saw were made from basalt, which is a volcanic rock. Unfortunately, a large part of the museum was closed for renovation, and that particular part had most of the information that Sandy wanted to lecture on. But we did get to see a small exhibit on gold and jade in Costa Rica, and also an exhibit about preserving the mosaic floors in the city. We also got to see part of the museum all about the history of Costa Rica, which I did enjoy since I didn't read the travel books as much as I should have before I came here. One interesting term I learned, the golden bean, which is obviously coffee! Did I mention the coffee in the hotel is amazing! I think all coffee here is going to be amazing. But I secretly want to track down a starbucks just so I can compare.

The best part of the museum was actually a part that only Ashley, Erin, Allison, Amar and I got to see. It was called El Jardin Secreto, The Secret Garden. We walked went a saw it while the rest of the group was finishing the other part of the museum. It was an outdoor exhibit that had a Mariposa Jardin, or Butterfly Garden. It was beautiful! There were several different types of butterflies scattered throughout the garden. It almost reminded me of parts of the botanical gardens in Atlanta, but with butterflies. At one point I walked by some plants and saw a few butterflies sitting on the leaves, but when I looked again there were tons that I didn't even notice. The entire plant was covered!

After the first museum we walked to another a few blocks away. This was the Monetary Museum of Costa Rica. It had different forms of currency all throughout there history. It also contained a section on the indigenous people of Costa Rica and some parts about gold and jade. Honestly, it was very similar to the first museum and therefore a little repetitive.

After the second museum we walked to a nearby restaurant. This was the strangest restaurant I have ever been to in my life! They had three televisions, one was playing Happy Gilmore, the other was playing popular music videos including the likes of Lil Wayne and Rihanna, and the other one was playing all really awesomely bad 80s videos. The one with the 80s videos had the volume up on it, so we not only got to watch the videos but sing along as well. We got to see Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time, James Brown's I feel good, The song with Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson, a lot of Olivia Newton Jon. It was sooo weird, it was almost hypnotizing, we could not stop staring at it.

For lunch almost all of us ordered Arroz Con Pollo. It was...alright. Not bad, but not great. It also came with french fries and a bright pink cold salad which Allison determined to be potato salad. Allison and I also ordered black bean soup. For some reason, when I saw it on the menu, I immediately thought of the black bean soup at The Last Resort. Let me tell ya, it was nothing like that. It was actually pretty good, but it was very scary looking. It was basically black bean broth with several poached eggs in it. But initially we couldn't tell they were poached eggs. It was a very interesting and entertaining lunch that lasted and hour and a half!

After lunch we headed back to the hotel and just hung out before dinner. We went to Cafe Mundo again for dinner. This time we got to sit outside and were free to order anything off the menu as long as it was more than 8,000 Colones. I was tempted to get the roasted veggies and grilled chicken salad again but decided to try and be different. I really enjoyed this dinner, everyone was much more relaxed and I feel like our group is really starting to bond. Most of us ordered Imperials (the official beer of Costa Rica) and really just relaxed. I said I was trying to be different but honestly I wasn't too ambitious. I ordered a Caprese Salad, which Wyatt and Kate ordered as well. To my surprise the mozz e pom at DePalams is actually better! Well actually the tomato I had tonight was better then those at DePalams, but DePalams definitely has better mozzarella. We all also managed to save room for dessert, I got Chocolate Mousse which was pretty good.

All in all it was a great day. It wasn't as long as the past two and was definitely more relaxing. Tomorrow were were supposed to visit the Poas Volcano on our way to campus, but because of the recent earthquake we are not able to. I'm really excited to get to campus and see what a typical day is gonna be like here in beautiful Costa Rica!

Guayabo

2009-01-14T22:14:00.002-06:00

I thought yesterday was long, well today was definitely longer! I don't mean that in a bad way though, it's just a declarative statement. So today we went to the national park of Guayabo. We were actually supposed to go to museums today and go to Guayabo tomorrow, but apparently our coach service changed our plans for us, which was just fine.

We woke up at 6 AM and were down stairs by 625. We were supposed to depart by 630, but our bus driver/tour guide Johnny went to go get air in the tires so it was more like 645. We got on the road and started on our way. This was really our first opportunity to see San Jose in the day light. Allison made a good point when she said that San Jose kind of looks like downtown Atlanta, similar to Five Points. Along the way Johnny filled us in on some of the local monuments. As we started to leave the downtown area, we could finally see the amazing mountains that surrounded us. Costa Rica truly is a Cloud Forest, there are heavenly looking clouds creeping low around the mountains and in the valleys.

After about an hour of driving down narrow windy roads that kind of remind me of the bus ride in Denali, we arrived at a restaurant for breakfast. It was truly worth the wait. The view was absolutely breathtaking. I kept thinking to myself, oh my god, I'm in Costa Rica! Lame, I know. The Restaurant was a top a high hill overlooking a valley with surrounding mountains. It was pretty empty, but I it looked like a tourist destination, and I'm assuming it was empty because it was only 8 am. We got to go out on the front porch area which hung over the hill. There was a metal platform hanging below the porch over the hill that looked like it had been placed there because tourist had lost the cameras over the side in the past. The server was very nice and took our drink orders mostly consisting of coffee and orange juice. The coffee was AMAZING!!! We didn't even look at a menu, they just brought us all the same thing. We had black beans and rice, two small tortillas, scrambled eggs, and cheese. It was a great breakfast. And the view just made it perfect.

After breakfast we continued driving. I could ride in the bus all day. Well...not really. But I didn't mind staring out the window. Johnny was very friendly, telling us about the different types of crops we were seeing. Things you will always find in Costa Rica: Sugar kane and coffee plants, meandering cows, wandering horses, and stray dogs. Johnny also got lost a couple of times. Another interesting fact, Costa Rican men don't mind stopping and asking for directions, we stopped about 3 or 4 times, but we finally found Guayabo.

Guayabo is the national archeological site in Costa Rica. It was created around 1000 BC and was used until about 1400 AD. It was used by several different peoples, ranging from Native Americans initially, and then later by spanish descendants. It is an advanced site that consists of round stone foundations with thatched roofing. It also had a stone causeway leading up to the housing and an advanced aqueduct that still works today.

We had a picnic lunch in Guayabo that we bought from the restaurant we ate breakfast at. We had these grilled cheese and ham sandwich things with lettuce and tomato. They were decent. After lunch we got back on the bus and headed back so San Jose. We crashed at the hotel afterwards and then went to a place called Cafe Mundo for dinner. I had this really good Roasted Vegetable Salad with Grilled Chicken. It had eggplant a zucchini and red peppers. Soooo good.

Now we are back at the hotel and about to get to sleep. We are going to the museums tomorrow, and luckily we don't have to leave here until 930, so we get to sleep in! Woohoo!

First Hours in Costa Rica

2009-01-14T00:41:00.003-06:00

So I finally made it to Costa Rica. When I arrived at the airport today, thanks to my darling brother, I found out that my flight had been cancelled, but luckily they had already put us on another one. Kate was in line behind and it was good to see a familiar face. Allison also got there shortly after, and with our new itinerary (atl to miami, 3 hour layover, and then miami to costa rica) we all met up at the terminal and also found David.

The flight to miami was short and sweet. I think I actually preferred the change in plans because it was less time on a plan and more time on the ground. We got to have some dinner and Miami and the four of us were able to talk and get to know each other. We left Miami around 750 and arrived in San Jose around 1040 Atlanta time. Going through customs was pretty simple. The baggage claim was really small and it would have been a breeze, but there was only one problem. The 20 pound bag of school supplies my sister gave to me to transport down there. I know what you're gonna say Sarah, I told you to disperse it amongst the others, but that was easier said than done.

We found a person with a sign and were directed out of the airport. The linguistics teacher Erin found us and said the others were on their way out. We all met up and got on a small bus and headed off to our hotel. The bus driver took us to an amazingly chic hotel and we all got excited, but then we found out that that wasn't our hotel. So we headed off to the right one, which is adorable. I'm in a small room with Kate and Allison. It's quite lovely.

Tomorrow we were supposed to go to museums, but our bus reservation says that we are in fact going to Guayabo tomorrow, so we must be up at 6 am to be on the bus by 630!!! An because of that I am going to try and get some sleep!

Peace Out Athens

2009-01-11T16:04:00.002-06:00

So I left Athens this morning and I am in Atlanta for two days before I leave for Costa Rica. My last night in Athens was absolutely perfect. I thought that I would be a lot more stressed this morning when I was packing up my car and getting ready to go, but I was surprisingly calm. I wasn't a nervous wreck and I don't think that I left anything behind, but I guess we'll find out in the coming days. I really thought it would be more difficult to leave, but I think because I know im only gonna be gone for 2 and a half months and that I am going to be having the time of my life, made my departure a little easier.

Once I got into town my Dad and I went to Brick Store Pub in Decatur. It's like the Globe of Atlanta but it had a much bigger beer selection. We even have a regular bar tender there now. After that we headed out to get a bunch of errands done in preparation for Costa Rica. We stopped by target and I got a few more of the Boyfriend t-shirts that I found at the one in Athens the other day. Might go pick up a few more colors tomorrow. Then we went off to Walmart (I know, I know, I hate walmart too, but I needed a ton of cosmetics and it truly is cheaper, even though I know it's because they pay their workers shit and they out source. But I only go there like twice a year...) I got pretty much everything I needed, just have a few things I need to pick up tomorrow.

Tomorrow I will spend my day figuring out how to pack. I got everything down here from athens in a pretty disorganized manner, so I'll have to tackle that tomorrow and make everything fit. Then it's a final dinner at Brick Store with the fam, and on tuesday my brother will be dropping me off at the airport....

2009-01-09T11:04:00.002-06:00

With my departure date creeping closer I am finally starting to feel prepared. I've been packing for the last couple of days, trying to figure out everything I need to bring, what I should leave behind, and what I am missing. I think the packing has surprisingly helped to calm my nerves, or I guess it has helped me to organize my thoughts. I know I am bound to forget something and that I will most likely bring something that I will not use and that will just end up taking up space, but that's okay. I honestly can't believe that in about 4 days I'll be in Costa Rica. Let's see how many times I can go to the globe before I leave, right now my count is at 2 soon to be 3 since I'm off to meet Sarah for lunch there. I gotta have a good grilled cheese before I leave!

T Minus 8 Days

2009-01-05T14:34:00.002-06:00

Well, I'm shipping off in 8 days and I am definitely not prepared. I haven't started packing yet and barely have everything I need for the trip. There honestly is just not enough time in my day. While I am incredibly stressed at the moment, I am also extremely excited. I can't wait to start my adventure abroad and experience something new, something different. While I am going to miss everyone I leave behind, I am looking forward to meeting the people on my program and making new friends. My sister Sarah went on two different study abroad programs during her time at UGA and I can remember how hard it was for her to leave everything behind, but I also remember what an amazing time she had and how it truly changed her life. Let's hope I have as good of an experience as she did.