So the Arenal weekend ended spectacularly. Angel, Gina and I ended up staying through Monday afternoon. We did a volcano hike on Sunday afternoon and watched the sun set around Arenal Volcano. We even saw lava come out and roll down the side. It only lasted about 12 seconds, but it was something I will never forget!
The weekend in La Fortuna/Arenal was awesome.. Ziplining was definitely the highlight, but being near an active volcano was pretty cool as well. The resort we stayed in had a bilingual staff in order to prepare for the busy season of tourists, most of whom are English-speaking. However, we were very proud of ourselves for using the Spanish menus, and attempting to speak with our waiters/reception/taxi drivers in Espanol.
Today (Tuesday) was back to class again. Mi maestra Agnes (my teacher) talks only in Spanish now, and I am constantly asking her to please habla mas despacio--speak more slowly. Sometimes she does, and sometimes I have no idea what she´s saying. Today we talked about farms and dairies (fincas y lecherias). I told her (to the best of my ability) about Holland Dairy and how I used to play a role in the Dairy commercials and advertisements. Her husband actually works on a farm with cows -- he´s a veterinarian. I have to use a lot of hand motions and charades when I´m explaining things in Spanish--- trying to fill in the blanks of the words I don´t know. ha. It´s probably pretty entertaining for Agnes.
This afternoon a group of us students met in the Nicoya Park to hike a mountain that overlooks the town. The hill that has a big cross on top & is appropriately named Cerro de la Cruz. It was a very strenuous, 45-minute uphill climb. The views at the top were well worth it. I could see the soccer field and my school and the church. I´m glad I hauled my camera up there with me :)
On the way home from the hike, we snuck into the Guancaste Soccer (Futbol) Stadium to snap a couple pictures of the team practicing. Unfortunately, they don´t have an home games while we´re in Nicoya. I also stopped by the local bookstore, and then grabbed dinner at a classy establishment: Pollo Campero http://www.campero.com/restaurants/list_costarica.php
That´s all for now... Spanish class for 6 hours tomorrow, followed by Latin Dance class in the evening. !Ciao amigos!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Saturday, June 13, 2009
El Volcan Arenal --- ARENAL VOLCANO!
Wow! I just finished a canopy tour near the Arenal Volcano in La Fortuna! It was sooooooooo flippin' awesome. It consisted of ELEVEN different zip-lines... going tree to tree. I'll have pictures and videos up soon to give you a taste. It was so exhilarating.
Our hotel here is so nice. I had my first hot shower last night in a week. It was glorious. Stupendous even. aghhh. I will never take hot water, air conditioning, or bug-/scorpion-free accommodations for granted again!
Yesterday we (Angel, Gina & I) hired a taxi to take us from Nicoya to La Fortuna. It cost us quite a bit, but it was completely worth it to get out of Nicoya for the weekend. The 3-hour ride was very interesting... consisting of several dirt/rock roads and one-lane roads weaving in and out of the mountains. It was a scary drive!
When we were about 20 minutes from our hotel our driver suddenly stopped (in the middle of nowhere) and said in Spanish: "long trip, too little pay." Gina and I got scared, wondering if we had enough money to get us to our hotel or how we would proceed in finding an alternative cab or bus in the middle of nowhere if our driver decided to leave us there.
Gina simply got angry. I flipped out. And for some reason Angel was laughing. Little did I know, it was a joke that our director from school had told our taxi driver to play on us. Angel actually knew about it. I was so angry! More so because I was scared and confused and couldn't properly relay my concerns in his language. Anyway, we made it safely to our hotel and our driver apologized for scaring us; he told us he'd be back for us on Sunday afternoon.
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There are actually 7 main Volcanoes in Costa Rica. The one we are at (Arenal Volcano) is the most active volcano in Costa Rica (second most active in the world). I'm actually looking at it right now (we have a view from our hotel room). You can see lava and boulders coming off of it when it gets dark. Here's a link to check it out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arenal_Volcano
Our hotel here is so nice. I had my first hot shower last night in a week. It was glorious. Stupendous even. aghhh. I will never take hot water, air conditioning, or bug-/scorpion-free accommodations for granted again!
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I have class Mon-Fri this week, but we're trying to plan some side trips in the afternoons. We're thinking a hike to a nearby mountain one day; another Latin dance class; maybe a cooking class; and another trip to La Playa Samara (beach) to try kayaking or snorkeling. I'll keep you posted.
Oooh, looks like rain again! Blasted wet season in Costa Rica! I'm off to get my paraguas (umbrella). Ciao!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
cOsTa RiCa!
So what did you picture when you heard I was moving to Costa Rica for a month? Me sitting on a white sand beach, tropical drink (complete with an umbrella) in hand? Luxurious, all-inclusive resort on the ocean? If this is what you pictured, you were waaaay off. Ha!
(side note: because I have had trouble finding a wi-fi connection and/or good internet cafés, I am of course behind in my blogging. This chronological update -- from memory and excerpts from my personal journal -- will have to do.)
Here goes the adventure so far….
Saturday, June 6
Stepping off the plane is Liberia (Liberia Aeropuerto, Costa Rica) was my first realization that I would be sweating non-stop for the next few weeks. Daily temperatures are in the upper 90s, and there’s some intense humidity going on. We’re close to the Equator here as well (Costa Rica is located between Nicaragua and Panama – geography tidbit for the day).
The hour-drive from Liberia to Nicoya was interesting with a driver who spoke very very little Enlgish. After arriving in Nicoya, mi amiga Gina and I checked into our hotel – Hotel Marianela. The owner of the hotel does not speak English. Gina was assigned to room 4, and I to room 3. The rooms are small and remind me of church camp, minus the bunk beds (each room actually has three single beds). There is A/C (until the power goes out – which does happen) and a small 13” TV (I’ve already watched parts of Friends and Harry Potter in Spanish). The biggest problem: bugs. They seem to be everywhere in my room. Ants and spiders mostly, with the occasional grasshopper. The second biggest problem is the fact that I’ll be taking cold showers. Prior to my registration for this program, someone failed to mention that Costa Ricans don’t believe in hot water.
Saturday evening Gina and I explored the town briefly and found the “Main Street” of Nicoya (approximately a ten-minute walk from our accommodations). We discovered that the businesses in Nicoya, including the large grocery store (Supermercado), don’t have air-conditioning. Nicoya is definitely not a touristy place. It’s located approximately 40 km from the nearest beach, and most of the locals know zero English. The town makes for a lousy vacation spot, but it’s an ideal place for immersion in order to learn the Spanish language. Bingo!
Sunday, June 7
Gina and I saw a Methodist Church as we were exploring the town. I said hello to the pastor and tried to tell him that I was a member of a Methodist Church in the U.S…“Soy metodista de los estados unidos.” I think he understood, because he invited us in for the 9:30 worship service. Three hours. THREE HOURS of church… IN SPANISH! And NO air conditioning. It was crazy. Lots of tambourines. People dancing all over the place and singing. Two girls came and sat with us, sharing their Bibles so we could follow along with the scripture readings. The pastor even introduced us to the congregation (in Spanish, of course)… He said something about “welcoming our sisters, Gina & Ashley, visiting from the USA and how our God is the same across the borders of countries.. It was neat. Dios es bueno – God is good.
We ate lunch at El Soda Condor (Sodas here are little cafes). I ate Pinto con Pollo (rice/bean mixture with chicken) and I had the most delicious drink: agua con pina. It’s just water, pineapple and sugar in a blender. Mi favorita.
Monday, June 8
Primero dia de clase. First day of class!
I am the only student in my class and mi profesora es Agnes. She’s from Costa Rica and she’s very nice. I’m going to be reviewing my basic Spanish skills for a few days and then moving on to some new lessons. I’m excited to see how much I can pick up in three weeks of classes.
I got to practice my Spanish today when I went to ask the Hotel manager for a towel. “Necesito una toalla, por favor.” (I need a towel, please.) He hesitated and I pointed to the shelf containing towels. He nodded and gave me one. Later I found out from one of the other American students that while “toalla” does mean “towel” in Spanish, it actually means something different in Costa Rica. Apparently, I really said to my hotel manager: “I need a feminine sanitary napkin, please.” No wonder he hesitated! Hahahaha. Awkward.
Gina and I decided to attend a Spinning class that we found in town (aerobic bike workout). If you’ve ever done one of these classes before, you know how intense they can be… imagine doing it with no air conditioning in 95-degree weather, and with a teacher yelling instructions in Spanish! The rest of the class was laughing at us most of the time because we couldn’t understand the instructor. Ha. We had fun.
…..
Tonight I found a scorpion in my room – HOLY FLIPPIN COW! This is like something from Indiana Jones. I can’t believe it. I was complaining about bugs, but a SCORPION?! What is going on?! I need to get a different hotel – problem is, this is supposedly one of the nicest in Nicoya. What now?
I went to get the owner but there was some other guy working. I tried to say in Spanish, “Come here, please!” … I showed him the scorpion and he ran to get a broom and pillow case. He first tried to scoot the scorpion into a pillow case but it ran up the curtains. He started hitting it with a broom and my curtain rod broke and the curtains fell. He ended up killing the scorpion, but my room was left somewhat destructed. I packed up my stuff and moved to Gina’s room. During the moving process I managed to rip my big luggage bag on wheels – to the point where it won’t make it home, so I’ll have to buy a new one for the trip home.
Tuesday, 7 de Junio
Class day numero two. Immediately after class, Gina and I walked to the bus stop and took the hour ride to Samara Beach. I honestly don’t know how the bus made it.. I would date it back to the early 60s. The ride was curvy and bumpy and sweaty. Samara was nice, but sort of dead (It’s actually winter down here – slow season). We explored Samara and walked the beach, but only for a couple hours because we had to catch the last bus back to Nicoya.
May – November is considered “wet season” in Costa Rica. It rains at least once a day, though it’s usually not for more than an hour or two. Gina doesn’t own an umbrella yet. We’re usually so gross (sweaty; dirty from the streets) that the rain is welcomed. I’ve actually been taking two cold showers a day here. Weeee!
Tuesday night Gina and I attended a Latin dance class at the school from 7-9 p.m. It was us, five other students, and a teacher from our school. We learned the tango, salsa, meringue, and one other that starts with a “c”. It was so much fun.
10 de Junio, Miercoles
It’s almost 8 a.m. and I’m at school, waiting for classes to start. I’m going to try to visit a nearby pottery village today or tomorrow. Perhaps a beach this weekend.
That’s all for now!
Adios!
My program: www.spanishcostarica.com
(side note: because I have had trouble finding a wi-fi connection and/or good internet cafés, I am of course behind in my blogging. This chronological update -- from memory and excerpts from my personal journal -- will have to do.)
Here goes the adventure so far….
Saturday, June 6
Stepping off the plane is Liberia (Liberia Aeropuerto, Costa Rica) was my first realization that I would be sweating non-stop for the next few weeks. Daily temperatures are in the upper 90s, and there’s some intense humidity going on. We’re close to the Equator here as well (Costa Rica is located between Nicaragua and Panama – geography tidbit for the day).
The hour-drive from Liberia to Nicoya was interesting with a driver who spoke very very little Enlgish. After arriving in Nicoya, mi amiga Gina and I checked into our hotel – Hotel Marianela. The owner of the hotel does not speak English. Gina was assigned to room 4, and I to room 3. The rooms are small and remind me of church camp, minus the bunk beds (each room actually has three single beds). There is A/C (until the power goes out – which does happen) and a small 13” TV (I’ve already watched parts of Friends and Harry Potter in Spanish). The biggest problem: bugs. They seem to be everywhere in my room. Ants and spiders mostly, with the occasional grasshopper. The second biggest problem is the fact that I’ll be taking cold showers. Prior to my registration for this program, someone failed to mention that Costa Ricans don’t believe in hot water.
Saturday evening Gina and I explored the town briefly and found the “Main Street” of Nicoya (approximately a ten-minute walk from our accommodations). We discovered that the businesses in Nicoya, including the large grocery store (Supermercado), don’t have air-conditioning. Nicoya is definitely not a touristy place. It’s located approximately 40 km from the nearest beach, and most of the locals know zero English. The town makes for a lousy vacation spot, but it’s an ideal place for immersion in order to learn the Spanish language. Bingo!
Sunday, June 7
Gina and I saw a Methodist Church as we were exploring the town. I said hello to the pastor and tried to tell him that I was a member of a Methodist Church in the U.S…“Soy metodista de los estados unidos.” I think he understood, because he invited us in for the 9:30 worship service. Three hours. THREE HOURS of church… IN SPANISH! And NO air conditioning. It was crazy. Lots of tambourines. People dancing all over the place and singing. Two girls came and sat with us, sharing their Bibles so we could follow along with the scripture readings. The pastor even introduced us to the congregation (in Spanish, of course)… He said something about “welcoming our sisters, Gina & Ashley, visiting from the USA and how our God is the same across the borders of countries.. It was neat. Dios es bueno – God is good.
We ate lunch at El Soda Condor (Sodas here are little cafes). I ate Pinto con Pollo (rice/bean mixture with chicken) and I had the most delicious drink: agua con pina. It’s just water, pineapple and sugar in a blender. Mi favorita.
Monday, June 8
Primero dia de clase. First day of class!
I am the only student in my class and mi profesora es Agnes. She’s from Costa Rica and she’s very nice. I’m going to be reviewing my basic Spanish skills for a few days and then moving on to some new lessons. I’m excited to see how much I can pick up in three weeks of classes.
I got to practice my Spanish today when I went to ask the Hotel manager for a towel. “Necesito una toalla, por favor.” (I need a towel, please.) He hesitated and I pointed to the shelf containing towels. He nodded and gave me one. Later I found out from one of the other American students that while “toalla” does mean “towel” in Spanish, it actually means something different in Costa Rica. Apparently, I really said to my hotel manager: “I need a feminine sanitary napkin, please.” No wonder he hesitated! Hahahaha. Awkward.
Gina and I decided to attend a Spinning class that we found in town (aerobic bike workout). If you’ve ever done one of these classes before, you know how intense they can be… imagine doing it with no air conditioning in 95-degree weather, and with a teacher yelling instructions in Spanish! The rest of the class was laughing at us most of the time because we couldn’t understand the instructor. Ha. We had fun.
…..
Tonight I found a scorpion in my room – HOLY FLIPPIN COW! This is like something from Indiana Jones. I can’t believe it. I was complaining about bugs, but a SCORPION?! What is going on?! I need to get a different hotel – problem is, this is supposedly one of the nicest in Nicoya. What now?
I went to get the owner but there was some other guy working. I tried to say in Spanish, “Come here, please!” … I showed him the scorpion and he ran to get a broom and pillow case. He first tried to scoot the scorpion into a pillow case but it ran up the curtains. He started hitting it with a broom and my curtain rod broke and the curtains fell. He ended up killing the scorpion, but my room was left somewhat destructed. I packed up my stuff and moved to Gina’s room. During the moving process I managed to rip my big luggage bag on wheels – to the point where it won’t make it home, so I’ll have to buy a new one for the trip home.
Tuesday, 7 de Junio
Class day numero two. Immediately after class, Gina and I walked to the bus stop and took the hour ride to Samara Beach. I honestly don’t know how the bus made it.. I would date it back to the early 60s. The ride was curvy and bumpy and sweaty. Samara was nice, but sort of dead (It’s actually winter down here – slow season). We explored Samara and walked the beach, but only for a couple hours because we had to catch the last bus back to Nicoya.
May – November is considered “wet season” in Costa Rica. It rains at least once a day, though it’s usually not for more than an hour or two. Gina doesn’t own an umbrella yet. We’re usually so gross (sweaty; dirty from the streets) that the rain is welcomed. I’ve actually been taking two cold showers a day here. Weeee!
Tuesday night Gina and I attended a Latin dance class at the school from 7-9 p.m. It was us, five other students, and a teacher from our school. We learned the tango, salsa, meringue, and one other that starts with a “c”. It was so much fun.
10 de Junio, Miercoles
It’s almost 8 a.m. and I’m at school, waiting for classes to start. I’m going to try to visit a nearby pottery village today or tomorrow. Perhaps a beach this weekend.
That’s all for now!
Adios!
My program: www.spanishcostarica.com
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