The market we visited was a mini one so instead of hamburger meat we had some sort of sausage in it. We all agreed it was a bit primitive but it was fun to be in the kitchen with the girls and get to whip up some food in a different country.
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
The day we got to sleep in
Tuesday was a good day. We got to sleep in til 8!! After breakfast we loaded up and headed to Manuel Antonio...a five hour ride. A couple of hours in we stopped to go to the bathroom at the Rio Tarcoles which is known for its alligators. We saw about 20 alligators laying out on the banks and got to see a few babies. It was here we noticed that not all of Costa Rica is as beautiful as we had thought. It smelled bad and there was trash everywhere. Later as we talked with Dr. Terdal he admitted that unintentionally this was a side of Costa Rica he neglected to show us. It is not all conservation and beauty. It has its citizens who don't care about the environment and choose to liter it with trash. It was something that none of us had really thought about until then. America is the same way. As Dr. Terdal stated it would be like bringing a Costa Rican here and only showing him/her Yellowstone or any other national park but not showing them any other side of our imperfect country. Once we arrived in Manuel Antonio we checked into what was my second favorite hostel. The girls room was equipped with its own bathroom and its own kitchen. It was rainy of course but once it lightened up some of us girls decided we would walk down to the market and grab food for dinner. Once back at the room Brittney made guacamole for an appetizer and we all did our part and cooked some spaghetti.
The market we visited was a mini one so instead of hamburger meat we had some sort of sausage in it. We all agreed it was a bit primitive but it was fun to be in the kitchen with the girls and get to whip up some food in a different country.
The market we visited was a mini one so instead of hamburger meat we had some sort of sausage in it. We all agreed it was a bit primitive but it was fun to be in the kitchen with the girls and get to whip up some food in a different country.
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Santa Elena
Monday was a very relaxing day. First we went to the Santa Elena reserve for a hike. I have to say it wasn't my favorite activity. I had to buy a poncho because it was raining and to be honest I didn't really see or learn anything that we haven't already learned here. After the hike we just went back to the hostel and relaxed for the rest of the day. We had "family" dinner together which was fun and we all separated to do our own thing. We didn't do much but it was still a good day.
Monday, June 30, 2014
The day Costa Rica made history
Sunday started out like every other day. Breakfast at 6:30 and we headed to the Monteverde Cloud forest reserve. It was amazing. Many different trails lead up into the clouds and at one point we met at the continental divide for a class lecture. On the way to the divide we saw many plants and crossed a canopy bridge which is a walkway high above the forest floor. Like everything else I found it amazing. On a clear day (which is rare) you can look on one side of the continental divide and see the Pacific Ocean and on the other the Caribbean. We got lucky and caught a small glimpse of the Pacific Ocean. We decided to head to the waterfall and an hour later we arrived.
Samantha and I had packed stuff for sandwiches and a few of us sat and ate lunch at the waterfall. It was much smaller than La Fortuna but just as beautiful. We saw a little black mouse there and fed him some granola. We headed back and at the entrance we saw a Coati. Coatis are in the raccoon family and he was looking for some food. While we were waiting for the bus we went to visit the hummingbird gallery. 4 feeders hung from a porch and tons of hummingbirds buzzed about feeding. We stood right next to the feeder as they flew about and ate. It was so much fun!
The real excitement came while we were relaxing and warming up from the hike. We were sitting in the reception/kitchen area of the hostel watching Costa Rica play with the guy from the front desk. We were all watching anxiously as Costa Rica and Greece were tied and in double overtime. It came down to a sudden death situation. 5 goals for each team. Costa Rica and Greece had made all three of their goals so far and it was Greeces turn to kick. He kicked and the Costa Rican goalie denied him his point! We cheered a bit but it wasn't over yet. It was Costa Ricas turn and he made it as did Greece. Costa Rica 4 Greece 4. If Costa Rica made the next goal it would be won! We held our breaths as he walked up to prepare. He kicked and it was good!!!! We erupted in cheer along with the rest of the entire country. Horns honked, people cheered and started to make their way downtown. We decided then we were headed downtown too. When we arrived there was a parade, people singing and waving flags and riding in the backs of trucks! We were in awe. We were here the day Costa Rica made national history. They have never before been in the quarter finals and we were there to witness it. We got high fives and sang along. We were Costa Rican too that day and we were loving every minute of it.
Samantha and I had packed stuff for sandwiches and a few of us sat and ate lunch at the waterfall. It was much smaller than La Fortuna but just as beautiful. We saw a little black mouse there and fed him some granola. We headed back and at the entrance we saw a Coati. Coatis are in the raccoon family and he was looking for some food. While we were waiting for the bus we went to visit the hummingbird gallery. 4 feeders hung from a porch and tons of hummingbirds buzzed about feeding. We stood right next to the feeder as they flew about and ate. It was so much fun!
The real excitement came while we were relaxing and warming up from the hike. We were sitting in the reception/kitchen area of the hostel watching Costa Rica play with the guy from the front desk. We were all watching anxiously as Costa Rica and Greece were tied and in double overtime. It came down to a sudden death situation. 5 goals for each team. Costa Rica and Greece had made all three of their goals so far and it was Greeces turn to kick. He kicked and the Costa Rican goalie denied him his point! We cheered a bit but it wasn't over yet. It was Costa Ricas turn and he made it as did Greece. Costa Rica 4 Greece 4. If Costa Rica made the next goal it would be won! We held our breaths as he walked up to prepare. He kicked and it was good!!!! We erupted in cheer along with the rest of the entire country. Horns honked, people cheered and started to make their way downtown. We decided then we were headed downtown too. When we arrived there was a parade, people singing and waving flags and riding in the backs of trucks! We were in awe. We were here the day Costa Rica made national history. They have never before been in the quarter finals and we were there to witness it. We got high fives and sang along. We were Costa Rican too that day and we were loving every minute of it.
Our own little adventure
Saturday there were two options. Hike the volcano to the Cerro Chato lagoon or hike to the La Fortuna waterfall. Rebecca, Emily and I chose the waterfall. Everyone else left at 6 am and we left at 8:30. We asked reception to call us a taxi and she gave us the money that Christian (the trip director) left us. Until then I had never even taken a cab. The three of us set out on our adventure. It only took about 10 minutes to get to the waterfall and the taxi driver gave us his card so we could call him back. We got our tickets and headed in. Only a few steps in we saw a huge, huge beetle!!
It was a total of 250 stair steps to get to the waterfall but when we finally got there it was amazing. The power of the water was mesmerizing and the height was stunning.
Once we got back to the top we had to call our own taxi back and headed back to the hotel. The three of us agreed it was kinda cool that it was just us without a guide. It was our own little adventure that showed us how other people experience Costa Rica without a large group. Once everyone was back we headed to lake Arenal. We got on a party boat and headed out onto the lake. Our captain (Erick) and crew were three guys from America who moved here about 11 years ago and started the business. I even got to drive the boat!!!
A little while in we stopped on an island and the captain took us ashore to what was once an old cemetery. When the volcano erupted in 1968 it destroyed towns and only part of the cemetary was left. We saw a few headstones and some of the outline of the cemetery walls could still be seen. While we were on the island we took a swim break and some of us floated out on tube floaties for a little bit. The bank was cool because the top layer above the sand was actually black volcanic ash. Once we took our tour of lake Arenal we caught a second boat and met our bus across the lake. The boat ride was about an hour. We were told if we would have taken a bus it was have been a 4 hr ride. Once we were all on the bus we were headed to our next stop...Monteverde.
It was a total of 250 stair steps to get to the waterfall but when we finally got there it was amazing. The power of the water was mesmerizing and the height was stunning.
Once we got back to the top we had to call our own taxi back and headed back to the hotel. The three of us agreed it was kinda cool that it was just us without a guide. It was our own little adventure that showed us how other people experience Costa Rica without a large group. Once everyone was back we headed to lake Arenal. We got on a party boat and headed out onto the lake. Our captain (Erick) and crew were three guys from America who moved here about 11 years ago and started the business. I even got to drive the boat!!!
A little while in we stopped on an island and the captain took us ashore to what was once an old cemetery. When the volcano erupted in 1968 it destroyed towns and only part of the cemetary was left. We saw a few headstones and some of the outline of the cemetery walls could still be seen. While we were on the island we took a swim break and some of us floated out on tube floaties for a little bit. The bank was cool because the top layer above the sand was actually black volcanic ash. Once we took our tour of lake Arenal we caught a second boat and met our bus across the lake. The boat ride was about an hour. We were told if we would have taken a bus it was have been a 4 hr ride. Once we were all on the bus we were headed to our next stop...Monteverde.
The injury
Friday was a day to remember. Rafting. I was a bit apprehensive because like most everything so far I had never done it. The bus ride was fun and I met a couple from Spring Texas...small world. The bus had pictures of past river rafting experiences so we were getting excited. When we were there we split into rafts of six. I was in a raft with Samantha, Joey, Randy, Brittney, and Ludrick (our Costa Rican guide for the whole trip). We geared up with a life jacket a helmet and a paddle. Once we were in the water it was time to learn commands. Lean in means lean into the middle. Get down means sit in the middle. When it was time to paddle he would say left front or back and right front or back depending on which way he wanted the raft to float. We finally took off and it was like a park ride that you were in control of. We counted rows (1&2) so we could be in sync and gain more momentum. The first set of rapids were class two and three and it was there we lost our first passenger. We hit a big rapid and Britney couldn't hold on anymore and fell out. We all kinda freaked out but another raft picked her up and we collected her once we caught up. Every now and then we would get stuck on top of a rock and have to jump to get off. Then it happened. We hit a big rock and the raft went vertical. One second we were all in and the next second 5 out of the 7 of us were out. One of the 5 was even the guide! Joey caught it all on his go pro camera! In the video he was rowing and the raft went vertical. He looked back and nobody was there...he turned back forward and 4 blue helmets went bobbing down the river. The next thing we know we are being pulled into a raft. I was pulled in and Ludrick was pulled in and placed right on top of me..haha!! We a were all laughing and proud that we made it out alive!! 4 of us were pulled into a raft making a total of 10 people in ONE raft!!! We gathered ourselves and got back into our own raft. My toe was throbbing but I had to shove it back under the part of the raft that helped u stay in. We made a pit stop where we were given some fruit for a snack. It was then that I observed a few new bruises on my shins.
Sally (our unofficial trip nurse) wanted to look at my toe and determined it was jammed. I sat there on the bank and took some deep breaths and then she did it!!! She pulled hard to get it to unjam! It was terrible. She pulled one more time to make sure and the pain instantly eased up and the swelling started to decrease. I was brought my fruit by the guides and they told me I was the princess...haha! We got back into the raft and finished with some class 1&2 rapids. When we reached the end there were bathrooms water and beer waiting. It was an amazing experience that I hope I get to do someday again. Despite jamming my toe (which still hurts 3 days later) it was a blast!!!!
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| The scratches are from surfing but the shin bruises are all from rafting |
Sally (our unofficial trip nurse) wanted to look at my toe and determined it was jammed. I sat there on the bank and took some deep breaths and then she did it!!! She pulled hard to get it to unjam! It was terrible. She pulled one more time to make sure and the pain instantly eased up and the swelling started to decrease. I was brought my fruit by the guides and they told me I was the princess...haha! We got back into the raft and finished with some class 1&2 rapids. When we reached the end there were bathrooms water and beer waiting. It was an amazing experience that I hope I get to do someday again. Despite jamming my toe (which still hurts 3 days later) it was a blast!!!!
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| Bruising a few days after I jammed it |
Friday, June 27, 2014
The best day ever!
Thursday (day 6) was pretty much the best day ever!!! We started the day with zip lining! When we were gearing up I have never been so excited and nervous at the same time! I was not as scared as I thought I would be. Miguel was our main guide. He was 100% Malecu (an indigenous tribe) who stood about 5ft and was nothing but pure muscle. It was slightly raining so it was hard to see very far and he told us the rain would make the zip lines faster. It was finally my turn and I had no clue what to expect. Miguel hooked me up and got into position...left hand on the wire behind my head, right hand in the front on my gear, ankles together and knees up. I took off!
It was the most awesome thing ever!! Flying through the air in the middle of the forest canopy was a feeling I can't describe. It is absolutely the best way to see the forest! There were 9 zip lines total and a few were positioned where u would almost pass the person who had gone after you. When we got to the end Miguel said "last one" and there was a collective group sigh. We all had so much fun! When we were done Miguel took us to a hut to show us some of his culture. The way we said hi was to tap our fists on each other's shoulder and say "capi capi". The Malecu have the best philosophy on life. They believe that all people are the same except for the main difference of gender. We all have 2 eyes 2 ears and a heart and a mind. Everyone around the world is equal. Next was horseback riding. Of course they picked a shorter horse for me and I used a tree root to climb up. One of the horses slipped and one of the girls sorta went down with it but there were no injuries and she jumped back on like a pro. We rode about 30 minutes back to the stables which were across the street from where we started.
All in all it was my favorite day of the trip so far! I actually think I may have overcome my fear of heights. I wasn't scared at all walking across the platforms to the next line! This trip is so much more than I could have ever dreamed and I hope to continue to have as much fun as I did on this day.
It was the most awesome thing ever!! Flying through the air in the middle of the forest canopy was a feeling I can't describe. It is absolutely the best way to see the forest! There were 9 zip lines total and a few were positioned where u would almost pass the person who had gone after you. When we got to the end Miguel said "last one" and there was a collective group sigh. We all had so much fun! When we were done Miguel took us to a hut to show us some of his culture. The way we said hi was to tap our fists on each other's shoulder and say "capi capi". The Malecu have the best philosophy on life. They believe that all people are the same except for the main difference of gender. We all have 2 eyes 2 ears and a heart and a mind. Everyone around the world is equal. Next was horseback riding. Of course they picked a shorter horse for me and I used a tree root to climb up. One of the horses slipped and one of the girls sorta went down with it but there were no injuries and she jumped back on like a pro. We rode about 30 minutes back to the stables which were across the street from where we started.
All in all it was my favorite day of the trip so far! I actually think I may have overcome my fear of heights. I wasn't scared at all walking across the platforms to the next line! This trip is so much more than I could have ever dreamed and I hope to continue to have as much fun as I did on this day.
La Fortuna
Wednesday (day 5) was mostly uneventful. We woke up and grabbed breakfast to go and headed out. It was 5 hrs total from Cahuita to La Fortuna. We were supposed to drop our stuff off and hike to either the waterfall or the volcano (our choice) but it was raining so we picked another activity...the Baldi hot springs! 26 pools all heated by the Arenal volcano.
They had springs with swim up bars, springs with dance music, and all at varying temps. Overall it was a good day...not too boring but not too tiring.
They had springs with swim up bars, springs with dance music, and all at varying temps. Overall it was a good day...not too boring but not too tiring.
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