ARROZ CON POLLO

You cannot do a more tipical Costa Rican meal than arroz con pollo. This dish is so popular (served at fiestas, birthdays, lunch or dinner) that it is fondly refered to as "arroz con siempre." What follows is a basic recipe that you can tweak to accomodate your tastes (more Lizano? more onion? less cilantro? GO FOR IT!).  To make an even more traditional meal, see my entry for TORTILLAS and serve your arroz con pollo with these and a little side salad.

Make desired amount of rice. 

2 plain chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 large carrot, grated.
1 ½ c. peas
2 large stalks celery, chopped fine
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 large sweet red pepper, chopped fine
1 c. cilantro, chopped fine
Salsa Lizano (cumin alternative)
Salt, Garlic powder to taste.

In a large pot, sauté onion and sweet red pepper.  Add rice.  Add carrot, peas and celery and mix well. Add chicken and mix well. Add salt, garlic, and Salsa Lizano and mix well.  Cover let sit on low heat for 5 mins, stirring occasionally. (This lets seasonings settle, if your rice is very dry maybe add ¼ c. water.) Lastly add cilantro and mix well. 

Above is a variation that I made at home for my family...hope yours tastes RICO! ENJOY!

Pura vida! 

pictures from visiting fam

Oh hey, that is just me on a 4 wheeler. Steering is a lot harder than I thought and my arms were sore the next day! The background is my Father-in-Law's property...there are many pineapple farms in the arear where he lives. It was pretty muddy, my legs are still clean in the picture lol!

This is "gaspar." This fish is an endangered species, and the place where we went (Tabacón is the name, it is just outside the town of Veracruz) is one of the few places allowed to produce them for commercial reasons. However, they are not allowed to exhibition them...the restaurant had many empty tanks where customers could previously see the gaspar. It was very tasty, and you can see that it was served with "patacones" and refried beans. YUM! I would love to come back for more. 

Caño Negro. I did not realize how much of the town and area of the National Park is water. It looks like marshland! E tells me that this is a very popular location to come for bird-watching tours (of COURSE he knows all about that!) and as a result there is a pretty steady toursim industry in the town. Here you can see one of the many "lanchas" or small, flat-bottomed boats that you can pay to go on and take a tour. The sun was setting and we were not able to do that...maybe next time! 

home away from home

Well I wrapped up my 4th season at CPI almost 2 weeks ago now. This year my favorite group was Aurora University, though I did very much enjoy my Alabama group.

After an early morning airport drop-off (4am! I was up at 3am to get myself together), I went to the closest bus station (La Radial in Alajuela, literally 5 mins away!) and waited for the first bus to Esparza. It must have been about 4:30am and I was sitting on a concrete step with my shin in my hand, half-dozing when a white and orange bus pulled up and the folks around me started yelling "puerto, puerto!" That was my bus! I hopped on and it was a quick hour and 40 mins to my town, I was back in my house by 6:30am at which time I fell back asleep.

The next day (Sunday) E and I went to visit with his Mom and extended family for a few days. This trip to visit my Mother-in-Law was full of firsts! I got to spend quality time with her and my nieces, and also got to visit with my Father-in-Law and his family. I learned to ride a 4 wheeler and a motorbike, ate "gaspar" which is like a long nosed fish that looks likes a cross between fish and caiman...We went to Caño Negro, where I have never been! I saw "paca," which are small rodent like critters that look like large chhipmunks with spots instead of stripes on thier backs. These are endangered creatures and are not seen often, so that was especially cool! I also met 3 more of E's cousins on his Mom's side. He has such a large extended family that it seems like I will never meet all of them! And when we left we rode with my Sister-in-Law and got to spend time catching up with her, and the ride was much more enjoyable than public bus!

On Thursday of last week I went AGAIN to Immigration, and still no word on my status. It seems like I will just be in limbo forever, since they keep pushing the date back! I really hope that when I go next that they will have some news for me. E went with me and then we stopped to visit with my Mama Tica and hit a movie, then went home. I had to finish packing!

On Friday August 2nd I left CR and flew back to the USA, where I will be staying for a little while. I barely made my connection in FLL, I had to RUN to my gate and almost had a panic attack. My Dad picked me up around 12am from the airport, and the time adjustment has been kind of tough. Thank goodness for "sleepy time" tea!

But now I am here in Ohio...you can keep following my adventures at:
http://gringaintheusa.blogspot.com/

Hasta pronto, PURA VIDA!

last week of six weeks in Heredia.

I am not joking when I say that I am Herediana at heart... I just spent six whole weeks in a row here this year! Collectively that is about how much time I have spent in my own house so far since returning in March. I still  haven't seen all of the friends I wanted to see here in Heredia either. Not even six weeks is enough time to touch base with all of the people I want to see. But it just means that I have to come back. And of course this isn't goodbye, it's "see you later" or "hasta luego" or "nos vemos."

Have I really been here since March? It doesn't feel like it has been four months, but taking a look at the calender I can see that it has. April, May, June and July are old news. August is a big month as I prepare to travel back to the USA and spend time with family and friends in very good company (E).

This is my last full week with my Alabama group, and on the whole I have to say that it has been a blast, with only a few bumps in the road. All of the kids in the group are sweeties, and it has been great getting to know them and sharing Costa Rica with them. Hard to believe that after this week I am done with groups, that another season is wrapped up and can be tucked away into memory. All of my polos can be washed and turned in, including the light blue one that has now survived 3 whole seasons with me. (Picture below)
This year I didn't have too many groups...only five! That seems like very few, but most of them were here for two whole weeks which is a pretty significant chunk of time.
Which group was my favorite?? I feel that I should reserve judgement until I finish with this group, but I think that the winner has already won in my mind. But I will wait to tell you.
Every  time I leave CPI I always wonder if it will be my last season. I was pretty sure that 2012 would be my last, yet here I am wrapping up another couple months of work in 2013. This time around I definately felt like the seasoned pro, and got a lot of phone calls and helped my compañeros in various small ways and was able to do so because of my experience. I felt like the head chaperone, even though there really is no such title. But I am glad to offer advice and help when I can, and being the oldest of the group makes me feel pretty responsible for how well my compañeros do on the whole. I did as much as I could, that much is true.

So what is next???
That is the million dollar question. If only I could have my cédula in hand, and not worry about my status here in CR, then so many things would be clearer for me. Whatever comes next, I feel confident that I can handle it, especially with the support of my esposo and my family. ¡Los amo!

PURA VIDA

soundtrack: rainstorm

This Friday evening I went with a "welcome party" of a few students to Juan Santamaria Internationl Airport (SJO) and picked up the new professor for my group. We spent less than five minutes waiting, and because the students know this professor it was easy to spot him and his daughter as they exited the arrivals gate. It was without a doubt the fastest airport pick-up I have ever done, thank goodness! We talked that evening about Costa Rica and I gave them an introduction to the program.

At 5:30am I was up on Saturday and caught a bus home. In the end it was around 8:30am when I got there and E made a great breakfast of gallo pinto...I had not eaten rice at all during the week, and it had been forever since I had eaten gallo pinto!!! It was delish. And I had café, which was also good. Café Britt is some good stuff, there is still a bag in our cabinet that we might not use before August.

Saturday and Sunday were pure relax days...I loved just relaxing at home in a lounge dress and making food, watching tv movies and catching up with E. On Sunday I finally got to sleep in and it was so wonderful. The sun was coming up and getting higher, and I could hear the chickens in the backyard and I let myself close my eyes and sleep some more.
What a wonderful feeling!!! I have not been able to sleep in for a very long time. Remember everyone, when you have a moment to breath deep and relax, do it! It felt like I was finally starting to understand the concept of "Tico Time" while I let the afternoon drift away with the fading sunlight...
Later afternoon we went to twon tp pick up some dinner and beat the rain home, and while we ate dinner we listened to the storm outside and the sound of the rain hitting the roof  of our little house and the flashes of lightning outside the window, illuminating the dripping trees and raindrops sliding of the roof.
It was really pretty cool, and I fell asleep early with a very full tummy (fried chicken will do that to you).

Today I woke up at 4:30am and caught the direct bus back to Heredia and week #3 with my group is in full swing...already over...what a crazy fast Monday.

PURA VIDA

DON'T SAY GOOD-BYE

I am not one for good-byes. Saying "good-bye" just feels so final, like something is ending or is over, and that can be very tough to accept. Usually I prefer to say "see you later" or "until next time," something along those lines instead of something as final as "good-bye." In fact I usually say this to my students at the airport, and even if it isn't always true it is positive and doesn't make thier departure quite so sad. (Though I have never cried for any of my groups...! Not that they have not been awesome!)

Today I did say "nos vemos" to the professor of my Alabama group who left today with her daughters to return to the USA. I can never express enough just how incredible my job is in terms of how many awesome people I meet. This professor I met four years ago, during my very first season, and we hit it off so well. SHe has come every year and I have gotten to know her better and watched her young daughters grow, and I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to continue to foster a friendship and professional relationship with her and her family. I will never forget the feeling of knowing that she specifically requested me as her CPI chaperone, a feeling of being appreciated and excited..so gratifying! Being able to spend some quality time with her over the last two weeks (she was my neighbor at the CPI apartments, invited me to dinner twice, and we had many good talks while students were in class) has been truly wonderful.
We agreed that when I am back in the USA that I have to come and see her in Alabama, or we have to at least meet halfway.

Watching her and her girls climb into the car to leave to the airport I kept telling myself, "This is not good-bye."  And it is not. I will see her again...it is one of those relationships that you know are going to last no matter distance, no matter time between visits.

"Nos vemos...!"

Pura Vida.

compañeros

This is Justin. He has been at CPI since December 2012 working as a chaperone, and like me, he was a CPI student before coming back to work with groups.

It has been so much fun working with him and having him as a friend and room-mate for the last month!
In this job I have met so many wonderful and unforgettable people...! And I am so blessed.

real food is good...

My body is still feeling the after-shocks of the "cleanse" I did last week.
The most amazing thing is probably the fact that I do not crave coffee at all. The first few days of this were terrible and I thought that my headache would NEVER go away. How could I possible replace my morning café?? For the last week I have been having tea in the morning, and it is very good. I discovered a lemon & ginger blend that I reeeeeeally like.
Also, fresh fruit! I have had fresh fruit for breakfast the last few days, and it has been a delicious experience. In the USA I am partial to cereal, and this is a much healthier option.
Another amazing thing is that I simply do not feel as compelled to eat..I do not feel as hungry as I used to feel around lunch time. I can wait until later to have my afternoon meal and I survive.
Another big difference has been my awareness: I look at a food and wonder how processed it is. How much sugar does it have? How much fat? Same with drinks. I never thought too much about it before, but I am increasingly aware of just how high a sugar content many foods have and it is downright scary. It is impossible to escape sugar in your food! Unless of course you eat just "raw" food.
I am also amazed at just how good fruits and veggies taste. I have never been a big fan of dressinsg and sauces, but they appeal to me even less.

I feel like I am some sort of health nut writing all this...! But I really do feel different. And I am thinking different too.
With the reality of my Mom's illness still very present in my mind, I have been thinking alot about my lifestyle and diet (not that I am unhealthy, but I could definately make some more healthful choices). I want to start forming good, healthy habits NOW that will continue to bebefit me later on down the road.

Again, I am so thrilled that I have all these healthy food options here at my fingertips...! Fruits and veggies, REAL food, is so good.

PURA VIDA

coming together

Things are happening so quickly, time keeps rushing by. I find it really ironic that my days go by so fast, eben taking into consideration "la hora tica" or Tico Time, which is much slower than gringo time.

Already well into week 2 with my group from Alabama, and they are definately competition for my awesome social work group that I had in May. So far those have been my favorite two groups, mostly because of the dynamic and the professors. The students in the group all vibe pretty well, and I got along with the professors. I am very curious to see how things may change for my Alabama group this next week, as they will have a new professor accompanying them here in CR. He arrives Friday, and I have heard many different things about him: I am  curious and a little nervous to meet him, so we will see how it plays out. Just going in with an open and friendly attitude can make all the difference, and I plan to be my normal good-natured self!

This weekend was quite the ride.
On Friday I was informed that I had to go with my group to Manuel Antonio in the morning and accompany another group back to Heredia in the afternoon. While the morning was pleasant: sun, high waves and wildlife aplenty, the afternoon was complete chaos. The students I had to pick up were not on time. We had to go back to the hotel and get thier luggage. It started to rain on  the way home and we hit a horrible pot hole. Dinner was pretty late, and I missed my chance to catch a bus home. On Monday quite a different story came out, the perception of the students was that the ride was long and dangerous and one of them was so uncomfortable that they sat on the floor of the microbus. There was a very big to-do made about the whole thing, and it was all due to a simple lack of communication..! Lessons learned, lessons learned. I showered Saturday evening and caught the bus home Sunday and E and I stayed in and tried to finalize travel plans and find flights for later this year. We made some headway, at least, then went on a walk to the local MaxiPali (like a Wal-Mart) and spent over an hour there just looking around. We ended up buying a bunch of things too and it was so funny and so unexpected! Funny enough the one thing we actually needed to buy (toilet paper) we left without. On Monday I got up bright and early to get back to Heredia on time and was happy to see one of my compañeras that afternoon before she left with her next group.
Last night I went to dinner with my boss and the professor from my Alabama group to a very nice Peruvian restaurant in downtown San José. We shared a HUGE appetizer plate and then all got soup. I enjoyed two and a half pisco sours (made with traditional Peruvian liqour) and it turned out to have been just too much for my poor little head! I had to take an aspirin this morning.
Right now I am on double duty, since one of my compañeros is not at CPI Heredia today I am supposed to keep an eye on his group. Of course while he isn't here one of his students decides to change homestays, so we will see how that goes. I am very grateful to have a such a nice, drama-free group right now! Later on I will be going to lunch with them and I am looking forward to it.

It seems that travel plans are finally coming all together, and I am excited to have time with E this year and the chance to visit with family.

PURA VIDA!

fresh fruits & vegetables

Right now it is a beautiful sunny Friday here in the Central Valley. But I can see a layer of clouds creeping slowly over the Poas and Barva Volcanoes to the north. My guess is that we can expect rain in the afternoon, but hopefully not in the evening since my group will be going to Noches Tipicas, a really cool dinner and show in Escazú (Escazú is where all the rich folks live in CR, if you didn´t know!). The location is beautiful, halfway up the mountains that ring the Central Valley, and when the night is clear it is a spectacular view! They also have an amazing buffet of typical food, and afterwards they have a special showcase of typical Costa Rican music and dance! Then the dance floor opens up and...!! Everyone can get thier groove on. I hope that the weather is good and that the students enjoy! I always do.

Today though they have a fun task that the profesor and I came up with yesterday afternoon. Instead of doing another chapter of University homework, they have to work in teams and do a treasure hunt at the local farmer's market this morning before class. I came up with the questions with a few suggestions from my Jefa, and then we divided the whole group into teams and they are going to have to find all sorts of new fresh fruits and vegetables today at the market! It will be interesting to hear the comments and experiences they have, and see how well everything goes using thier Español!

One of the things that I absolutely love about this country is the availability of so many delicious fruits and veggies. I have been introduced to so many new flavors and textures since being here, and I continue to discover new things and to find new ways to eat and enjoy the produce found here.
Some new things I have found include: yucca , pejibaye , mango, mamon chino, guanabana, and so many other things!
Have I mentioned how cheap most of the fruits and veggies here are?? It is amazing! A whole bunch of cilantro is only 75 cents. 2 kilos of mango is only $1.90! A whole kilo of tomatos is just a little more than a dollar...! I go back to the USA and am floored at how expensive fresh produce is. No wonder it is so difficult to eat healthy, when a Big Mac is cheaper than a salad...!
I could eat sweet red peppers and tomatoes every day and be a very happy camper. And being here in CR makes that much more feasible.

Oh by the way, maybe you are wondering about my cleanse. Today is day 4, and I think I will go ahead and stop Sunday. Cleansing is good, and I can definately feel the difference in my body. Mylimbs feel lighter and my headache is totally gone, and I am not as hungry as I usually am. This morning I just had some piña and a cup of tea and that was my breakfast! (Oh, I forgot to mention how cheap piña is here...$1.30 for one and sometimes 3 or 4 for $2 if you find a good deal!) I also really like how I have had to start eating more fresh fruits and veggies. I had forgotten how much I love eating tomato with a little salt, or how crunchy a good cucumber can be. And lime water has grown on me! I can drink glass after glass of lime water, and it never gets old.
SO! While I did not adhere strictly to the cleanse (there were quite a few weak moments, mostly involving eating out) I can definately feel the difference, and I wouldl ike to try this again when I have more down time and the affects of the firt few days won't get to me quite so much.
It's like I'm a new persona!

PURA VIDA

one month left

I just realized that yesterday was July 2nd. That means that in one more month I will be making the journey back to the USA. 

The feeling is bittersweet. I love, love, love it here, but I am throughly frustrated sometimes with machismo, the slow system, and the rain. At the same time I will desperately miss visiting the pulperia, the green, the smell of cilantro and the view of the mountains and the heavy hotness of the sun on my shoulders when I walk down Paseo de las Turistas in Puntarenas. 

However, I am really anxious to see my Mom. There is just nothing that substitutes my Mom's hugs, and I am feeling more and more excited to see my family. 

Even more exciting is the hope that E will be able to come and spend quality time with more of my family...even after almost 2 years I am still meeting his large extended family. He has yet to meet anyone on my Dad's side, and this year may be that opportunity. Not to mention that I will definately be going on Williams family vacation for the first time in almost 5 years! I wonder if some of the younger cousins will remember me? I last saw them when they were 4 and 5 years old. What a change.

Soon, soon. I admit that I am excited to go back to the USA this time around, and especially excited to see my familia. 

PURA VIDA

watch out for the hummingbirds!

Well I mentioned in my last post that I was doing a detox. I have to admit that I did not make it through the first day...so I am starting over today after having 3 glasses of lemon water this morning.

Yesterday was tough...I woke up and showered and cleaned the shared kitchen, then got ready for work and had some water. I walked and met my group and thier guide for the day in Heredia, and made some anxious phone calls after a student showed up at CPI instead of at the meeting point. He was just following his Mama Tica, who did not double check her sheet. AH!  So the group got going late and then I headed back to CPI. By mid-morning I had a headache which only continued through  the rest of the day, and I felt like my eyes could not open...! I blame lack of coffee. Who knew I was so hooked? I was so low energy and my Spanish kept coming out wrong.
During the day I heard a few opinions from co-workers...that it is not healthy to do a detox, that I should not try to lose weight (which is not the point, the point is to get toxins and bad stuff out of your system), that I can't attend to my group well, that if you don't start your metabolism by eating something that it won't work well....

Anyway, at 3pm when my compañera brought in some extra pizza, I could not resist and I caved. I ate 3 pieces and then 4 pieces of foccacia bread. And I went out to eat with the professor from my group last night! So today is round two...!

I have to tell you a little about my group that I have for the next 4 weeks.
Four seasons ago when I first started I had this group for the first time (University of Northern Alabama) and they loved it here. It was a wonderful group and they have been coming every year for the last four years. This is the third time that I have been the CPI chaperone for this group, and I know the professor and her daughters, and I have even met some students who have done the trip twice because they enjoyed it so much! This is the first year that they are staying for 4 weeks instead of 3 weeks, and it turns out that this is actualy my last group! The program wraps up at the end of July, and I drop them off at the airport and start preparing for my own journey back to the USA.
So far so good, I see a few shy personalities and some more loud ones, and even a girl who reminds me of myself when I first came to CR (is it bad that I find her a little annoying??) so we will see how the dynamic of this group develops over the next few weeks.

Funny story about last night! I stopped by the apartment in the afternoon to drop something off, and noticed a hummingbird stuck inside the entry way...there is a large glass window over the gated doorway, and it seemed like the bird had flown in and could not make his way out! He was still there when I got home after 6pm, frantically flapping and throwing himself against the window thinking he could escape. With a broom we got him down from the window area, but he proceeded to fly up into the little open air hallway between apartments and we watched him buzzing around, exhausted. He finally flew into the open door of the chaperone apartment and we tried to catch him with a pot but he continued to evade us...until he landed behind the fridge in total exhaustion, at which point we scooped him up in a dustbin and got him outside and into the open air through our porch door...watch out for those hummingbirds! What an adevnture.

I am excited for a free weekend...I want to see E and go to the beach! Maybe it will happen.

Pura Vida

detoxing and locos...

This is day one of a seven day detox that I will be doing with my boss and one of my co-workers.
It is only 11:16am and I am suffering...I need coffee!! For the first two days the detox involves drinking only liquids, herbal tea, water, agua de pipa and broth (my boss is making broth for my compañero and I to have in the evenings). Every morning when I get up the firt thing I do is put on the coffee...how am I to survive these days without my morning jolt?? My head is hurting and my stomach is rumbling. Could it be that I am addicted to caffine?? Or is it just the lack of calories?

Yesterday I had the strangest day, un día de locos! I woke up at 2:30am and went to drop off my group of boys at the airport and it all went smoothly. Then I returned to the little chaperone apartment and tried to sleep for a few more hours...! I had a lovely breakfast of a tomato omelette and avocado with a sandwhich (cream cheese and beans) and a big cup of coffee brewing...when I got a call that I had to go to the airport and help my compañero pick up a girl from his group arriving late. So I threw on my CPI shirt and some jeans and rushed out without brushing teeth or hair...only to get to the airport and discover that I was there about 2 hours early! So I hitched a ride back to San Joaquin and washed up and finished my cup of coffee before leaving to go pick up my new group around 12pm. But I was running up and down, and my whole morning just seems like a blur!
My afternoon was spent with my new group, orienting them and doing a walking tour of San Joaquin, getting a late lunch and then having them meet homestay families. Then I went with my compañera to the local mall and helped her find a gift for her boyfriend, and we got back around 9pm and I watched some tv and ate some Terra Chips (love these, my grandma used to have them all the time at her house when I was a kid!) and brushed my teeth and went to bed!!! But on the whole I had only a little while of free time, and I survived the day.

Today my new group is doing a city tour of Heredia (without me!) and later this afternoon they have thier first day of Spanish class. We will see if I haven't fainted from hunger by then! I am going to go get some more lemon water.

Pura Vida...

hello heredia!

This is week two of six for me here in Heredia...my group of tween-age boys continues to impress, being super tranqulios and enjoying soccer during thier morning break. Tomorrow and Wednesday they have a few tours without me, but I think it will be a nice breather and hopefully I can get some other office work out of the way.

Today in the afternoon we went to La Carpio. We painted houses and re-touched one in a local neighborhood, and then came back to our meeting point for a final presenation given by the women of the Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation and then we took off back towards San Joaquin de Flores, with the rain right on our heels and a traffic jam in the works as we escaped the San José area...! Below a photo.

I got to talk with my Mama Tica and we are hoping to make a pumpkin pie sometime this week...! All we have to do is get the filling. I am going to go to an upscale supermarket tonight with a compañero and look for it...! 

During the weekend I had a chance to go home and it was great! E and I were able to relax at home Saturday and it was a great chance to recharge my batteries. Not that my group is really stressful...but this is definately a crazy week here in CPI Grupos! And I need all my wits about me. Speaking of wits...time to collect them and head back to the little chaperone apartment and make myself some tea. 

PURA VIDA!!!

working through the weekend

Today I get a new group...they will be arriving at the airport in the next hour, and I am feeling the giddiness and anxiety of meeting new people and establishing a whole new dynamic for the next 2 weeks. Ironically my last group was all 13 year old girls, and this new group is all boys. I am not sure about the ages though, but there are only 5 of them, and I hope they aren't too rowdy. Sometimes 2 weeks can go by slow as molasses...!

This weekend the apartment is packed!!! And it feels like a college dorm it is so messy!!! Being such a neat freak I spent some of this morning freaking out...! With our schedules I was the only one there come 9am, and I took the time to clean a little bit and enjoy having the bathroom to myself. This evening we will be packed like sardines again, as another one of my compañeras will be arriving from Flamingo. I will do my best to get everyone to shape up, because the disorder and mess just drive me nuts!

I called home  this morning and was happy to speak to my Dad for a while, but unhappy to hear that my Mom is in the midst of some more medical complications. I continue to pray for her full recovery, and am even more anxious to see her in August when I go back to visit the USA.

For now...be flexible, hold down the fort and power through!

Pura Vida

home-made pizza, ginger ale & rum

Last night was a very successful pizza night with some friends from the office.
I have to comment first about my doubts concerning the making of said pizza...my friend who hosted at her house just has a small toaster oven, not the big apparatus that takes up a whole quarter of the kitchen and has the capacity for a Thanksgiving turkey. This is typical in Costa Rica, that not al homes have the big stoves we are used to in the USA, and if there is one in the home it may be electric and slightly smaller. I have not had the best of experiences with these small electric stoves, and I have to admit that I sorely miss having a big oven with baking capability. But I have learned a lot about how to make things work on a smaller scale with my little toaster oven, and I would not trade it for the world...!  That established, I was in doubt about how good the pizza would turn out.

(Side note: I have the exact same toaster oven at my little casita!)

The dough was made around lunch time to let it rise, and it was perfect. I got tomato sauce and a few other choice toppings (chile dulce, mushrooms and olives, YUM!) and we spent the evening rolling out dough and seasoning with garlic, basil and Italian seasoning and even tried a version with BBQ sauce mixed in with the tomato sauce! On the whole it was delicious success, and I am inspired to try and make some pizza at home when I have the chance. I really like making home-made pizza, and I was thinking I could do garlic rolls or something similar very easily as well!!! Bet that E would love it, and I bet he would also be impressed : )

Another discovery: ginger ale and rum. My friend suggested this combination and she reallyl ikes it, and I was surprised at how good it was!

Today I am going down the mountain so my bags are packed here and I leave sometime around mid-day...the only question is, where will I sleep tonight? The little chaperone apartment in Heredia is full, so I think a compañera and I might have to share the pull out couch...but, as long as I have a place to sleep, I am good. Just gotta be flexible...!

Pura Vida

RAIN RAIN GO AWAY

Thia last week I have been up on the mountain in the Groups office, doing what I can. I will say that it has been frustrating to say the least, as there is only so much I can do. But it has been nice not having a group and this week I have spent quality time with my room-mate and co-workers, and it has been great to renew friendships and have girl time.
On Sunday I met with a girl who came three years ago as a high school student in a group...! She is now in college and doing a seven week study abroad program in Costa Rica, and contacted me and wanted to touch base. How amazing to see her again, how touching that she remembered me and wanted to see me again! It was a really good visit and we had fun.
Tonight is pizza  night with some chicas from the office...this week I know I have gained at least 5 lbs with all the good food and being in the office instead of running around with a group!
The only downer this week has been the rain and cold weather every day.

It looks like I will be in Heredia for the next couple weeks helping out the other chaperones and helping to hold down the fort in some small way. I am definately looking forward to getting of the mountain, especially since it has been so cold and chilly lately, like winter is really settling in. Today the sun is up (at least for now,) so I am sitting in the window trying to soak up as much as I can...!!! I would really just like to go back to my casita and relax there with E for a few days, but no such luck! I'm busy working and he is enjoying his last few days on la Isla del Coco.

Looking forward to August when I can slow down and be with family and friends back in the US of A...until then, soldier on!

Pura Vida

oceans and mountains

This past weekend was a blast! The group has two days of beach loving in Tamarindo, where they did surf and snorkel. The group loved it, and I got a good strong dose of sunshine after being in the office for a week.

Since then we have been in Monteverde, and the climate and weather has been an adjustment for the profesoras of the group. Here we do not always have internet, or it may be affected by wind or rain. The streets are often unpaved and teh taxis are more expensive, and they are finding it difficult to maintain the same level of contact with parents that they did last week in Heredia. So far there has also been another sick girl and I dealt with a bout of crying the other day, and I think that on the whole this group of girls, while all very sweet, are delicadas and it is probably better that they bring a group j
ust for one week next year...!! The profesoras are both taking notes and have learned alot about what they hope for in a future program, so I hope that this group will return, espcially since this is the first year and that thier experience with me at this moment is forming an opinion of what may happen next year and affect thier decision to study with CPI again. Oh the pressure of first time groups...!!

Since yesterday I have not been feeling my best. I have a tickle in my throat and I am trying to rest as much as I can and not fall into sick mode, especially not with the attention this group needs!! Hoping for a day or two of rest next week.

For now enjoying the mountain views and seeing old friends in the office again!

Pura Vida...here hanging around in the cloudforest!

britt babies & bye bye Heredia

Wow today I hit the caffine! In addition to my two morning cups I went to Café Britt and had many delicious samples of coffee and chocolates! I only bought a bag of chocolates because I still have coffee at home, and these days E and I are not there. I plan to get some items for family and friends before I return to the USA.

Speaking of the USA, have I mentioned that I will be back in August to visit family and friends for a while? Travel plans are set in motion, and I hope to see more of my extended family this time around. Also hopeful that E will make it too.

Finally FRIDAY! This week has really flown by, what with my group of thirteen year olds and a few episodes and late night house-calls. They are a sweet bunch but I am ready for a more independent group. This weekend we head to Guanacaste for two days and two nights before making the journey up the mountain to Monteverde for another week of Spanish class. Already my third group of the season, how time flies!

Hoping to see E when he arrives home after his time on Coco Island. Vamos a ver, we will see how my schedule works out.

This afternoon there is a baby shower at CPI Heredia...two ladies are pregnant, one with a boy and the other with a girl. Before both of them go on maternity leave (which will probably be soon), the school is hosting a baby shower for them. Last night my compañera and I went to the mall and visited Bebé Mundo to get them some small gifts! I think that the gift bags and thier contents are quite cute : ) But I do not think that I will make it to the baby shower, as I have to drop my group off, walk two girls home, and then visit my Mama Tica and another amiga here in San Joaquin.
I am going to miss Heredia, even though rainy season has set in and the evenings are very chilly in comparison to my toasty little casita in Esparza. I am excited for a dose of sunshine (I hope) this weekend before arriving to the chilly mountain clime of Monteverde. Though I am excited to touch base with my amigos in the Groups Dept. that I haven't seen in a while!!
Until next time, Heredia...! Hasta la proxima!

Pura Vida

another day in ticolandia

Most mornings I get up at 6am with my alarm, which has been set to that time since I was last in the USA. I think part of why I haven't bothered to change or switch off the alarm is because I am so time oriented and I like knowing what time it is...even on my days off I leave the alarm on for 6am and it helps me gauge how much time I can afford to waste, haha! 

Last night I had hoped to go and see my sisterin-law in San José and celebrate her birthday! In the end it didn't work out...my bus came LATE late LATE, and she did not get off work in time so we had to postpone. It was all for the best, as I enjoyed time sharing with my compañeras and talked with E. Tonight I want to try and see some amigos and talk with my Mom.

The sky this morning was not clear but it was nice, with whisps of cloud floating by and the humidity high. I had breakfast sitting on the little terraza, and my two cups of coffee. 

This monring I took my group to La Carpio, the immigrant community near San José. We did a day of service work and painted houses and worked with kids in thier model education center. The man living in the house we painted was very pleased with the job we did and thanked us...another home that we painted had two little kids living there, and they came to investigate and watch us paint. 

Afterwards we watched a presentation given by some of the women in the community, and then had to leave to eat lunch and get to school on time. 

Going to this community is always a very special experience. It really helps to keep me grounded and give me prespective in my own life. It is such a challenge to distinguish between wants and needs in our world...and visiting La Carpio really helps me to understand the difference. 

A girl from my group sharing with the kids of La Carpio

Now the sky overhead is dark and you can hear the thunderclouds rolling in from north of us. In the distance you can even see the clouds dropping a curtain of rain across the landscape, and I am glad that I have my raincoat. One important need taken care of for today. 

Pura Vida

thirteen THIRTEEN-YEAR-OLDS

After 48 hours at home I am back in Heredia with a new group from Dallas, TX. They are all thirteen-year-old girls, many away from home for the first time, and after picking them up Sunday night and dropping them off at homestay families it seemed like everything would be fabulous this week...! The two professors who accompanied the group are both nice enough, one is a little more demanding but after all it is a group of minors and understandable. But after 24 hours...reality set in.

Last night I got two calls from Familia Ticas, with students crying and sick and who knows what else! With the professors we went to two different homestays and took stock of the situation. Luckily the professor knows her students well and was able to calm them. Another student she took home with her to help her peace of mind...did I mention that these professors are my next-door neighbors this week??? I am almost bothered by being so close to them, but so far they haven't come knocking on my door. After calming the students and bringing one home, I had a phone call after 10pm from another student who was having a little bit of a meltdown. After speaking with her professor on the phone she felt better...but wow, I really have my hands full it seems with some delicate young ladies for the next two weeks. What luck! But I know I can handle it. Also, I cannot imagine leaving the country without my parents at thirteen...I don't think I would have handled it well. So I just take a deep breath and dive in, and hope that my energy this week is infectious enough to distract them from any homesickness they may feel, espcially after 24 hours...! Hopefully I will not have any more calls tonight.

While I was at home I had a visit from a howler monkey in my backyard. Talking with my landlady we are pretty sure he saw his own reflection in the glass door on my terraza, and came down to investigate. He was all of 4 feet from me!!! I took several pictures and all of the little kids next door came in and watched him, and my landlady even tried to feed him a banana, but he just wanted to check out his reflection...what a vain monkey, haha!! Or maybe he just wanted a friend??? (Pictures below)

This week it's like I am in college all over again. I have 3 compañeras in the little chaperone apartment with me. We have a random assortment of food in the fridge and share stories in the evenings, and it has been a lot of fun! We are trying to arrange a trip to the mall sometime this week...vamos a ver!
But man, we are officially in high season here at CPI.

PURA VIDA!

monkeys and crocodiles and trying to walk up the stairs.

This morning my group went on a jungle boat tour in the Tempisque river...on one side of the river was Palo Verde National Park and on the other was El Viejo Wetlands Private Reserve.
Throughout the trip my group has been dying to see animals...especially monkeys and sloths. Today we definately filled our wildlife quota for the trip in the space of 1.5 hours...!

-20+ crocodiles
-white face monkeys
-howler monkeys
-birds, birds, birds
-iguanas and MORE iguanas

After the tour we had lunch a finished it off with a delicious arroz con leche. My group was thrilled after seeing so many animals and slept almost the whole way back to CPI Flamingo. The coolest part of the tour was definately having a crocodile about a foot away from me as he emerged from a shallow area under the boat and moved off to get away from us. I jumped, he came up so unexpectedly and so close! Creepy crocodiles...I also saw motmots (national bird of Nicaragua), Tiger herons, little blue herons and a sandpiper. E would be impressed by the fact that I know all the names. 

So far today I have fallen up the stairs twice, the first time catching myself in time to avoid bruising, and the second time spilling a significant amount of coffee on both stairs and myself...! I am trying to avoid a third fall. My loose sandal is possibly the culprit. Ugh now I smell like café! 

Soon the group will finish with thier last day of class and I will not be returning to CPI Flamingo for a while. It looks like my next group will take me to Heredia and then to Monteverde. Tomorrow my group has a snorkel cruise as thier final activity and then on Friday morning I drop them off at the airport and hopefully get as much laundry done as I can that afternoon at home before getting back to Heredia Sunday to get a new group. 

I have had a very pleasant two weeks with these ladies from Chicago, they are all kind and mature and not drama queens at all! I will miss them and they have been a breath of fresh air for me. Wonder what my next group will be like...? 

PURA VIDA!

thanks for the chacos

This weekend was long.
Long in the sense that I had to work both Saturday and Sunday, and Saturday proved to be more stressful than I thought...! The group was scheduled for a few tours in the area of Rincón de La Vieja (an active volcano close to Liberia). First we were going to do a guided hike through the National Park with the guide who was with us for our Santa Cruz tour Friday...upon arriving to the road where we start our way uphill to the park entrance we found a roadblock...a car rally was going on and we would have had to wait until 11am to get through. So we turned around and went right back down the hill to Liberia, where the group got to spend a little more time looking around. I looked for sandals (no luck) and had some jugo de caña off the street, being sold by a local man...sugar cane juice is some good stuff, but it is sweeeeet! I had a cup and a half though, I have a terrible sweet tooth. But I was so stressed, and the guide was not the most helpful. In fact when we got to Liberia for our little detour he took off back to his house for breakfast!
We finally made it up to Hacienda Guachipelin where we were scheduled to have lunch and do our afternoon activity...horseback riding and rafting!
The guide only did the horseback riding with us, not the tubing. It would have been interesting if I had not been there, because he was suposed to go..!! I am no longer so impressed by this guide after this weekend.
The important thing is that the group had a lot of fun, despite our detour and the wait....they wanted to get right back on the river and do tubing all over again! I did too hehe : )
I am especially thankful to my parents for thier gift of Chacos at Family Christmas some years ago, as these all terrain sandlas have served me well rafting, waterfall rappeling and on river tubing tours...! Thanks for the Chacos, Mom & Dad! : )

Loving the water and the ride...!!! One of my fave tours in the area and always happy to accompany groups here! Anyway after the ride we started back to Playa Flamingo right away and our guide got off in Liberia without shaking the professor's had, or mine...! He was out of there. Ugh.

Sunday was a long day too. We left at 5:30am from our hotel and started on the road to Monteverde. We stopped and had breakfast along the way in Cañas (where I thought of E's grandma, and wished I could call her!) and then continued and went up the road from Las Juntas. Wow I had forgotten how bumpy the ride can be, and my back and neck were killing me...!! We arrived late to our morning tour at the Reserva Santa Elena and got on the trail with a local guide who was very kind and knowlegeable. We finished hiking around  12:15pm and went back down to the neighborhood of Cañitas, where we did the Trapiche tour. The tour has changed a little in the last year, they now have a chocolate making area and they moved the sugar cane processing equipment to another area, So I am glad I got to see the new set-up and be prepared for the rest of the season. At the end of the tour we made candy as usual...I could eat a whole bag by myself in one sitting. So unhealthy but SO GOOD!!!! Our stop at the gas station turned into an impromptu souvenir stop...next door there is a little shop that sells jewelry and clothes and lots of original art, and I admit that I got some earrings and a ring that I am wearing right now. Going into that shop is always a risk for me, since I could easily spend my whole paycheck there!!! I have some gift ideas for friends and family before I go back to the USA.
We reached Liberia again by 8:30pm and were back at the hotel around 10pm. I slept like a rock, I was so tired. But the sleep did the trick because this morning I feel good. Hopefully this energy lasts the week!!!

PURA VIDA!

beach scene--where i have been lately

PLAYA CABO BLANCO

SUNSET CABO BLANCO

PLAYA QUESERA- PARQUE NACIÓNAL VIDA SILVESTRE CURÚ

guanacaste

CPI Flamingo is located in Guanacaste, a province located in the north of Costa Rica and well known for it's beaches as well as cattle farms and rich cultural heritage. July 25th is when the Annexation of Guanacaste is celebrated in Costa Rica. Before gaining independence from Spain the province was considered part of Nicaragua.
The culture here is all abut cowboys, corn tortillas and tradition.
Bull riding is incredibly popular and two of the most well-known bulls are from the town of Santa Cruz, where I visited with my group today. You see cowboys (plaid short sleeve shirt, leather belt, jeans tucked into leather cowboys boots with a coil of rope at the hip and a plain canvas hat...shirt usually open to expose manly chest hair) and farms everywhere stretching over the flat, dusty plain of Costa Rica, sloping down to meet the ocean and creating some of the most popular touristic destinations in the country: Tamarindo (or TamaGRINGO), Playas del Coco, Samara and Nosara just to name a few.
In Guanacaste you can find handmade tortillas of varying colors: all made with cornflour, sometines you will see white, yellow, even red or purple. Traditional recipies include corn and it is used in a variety of ways...! There is nothing quite like having a fresh tortillas made by a tortillera, a local woman who makes tortillas! I do not have the same touch they do, I need to perfect my tortilla making...they are never perfectly round, much to E's amusement.
Many of the people have Afro-Caribean and indigenous roots. They have darker complexions and black hair, and many of the women wear it long straight. This is interesting because you find people with lighter complexions in other areas of the country like Monteverde or Heredia or San Jose, where it is more common to have Spanish roots...if anyone asks, I would say I am Herediana haha!
People from the province of Guancaste are proud of thier heritage and traditions...passing the local primary school the phrase over the front door was, "Orgullosos de ser Guanacastecos" or "Proud to be Guanacasteco."

In the town of Santa Cruz you see many statues and symbols that represent the culture, like the one here. A sabonero (cowboy) is shown riding a bull!
What a great opportuniuty to learn more and to enjoy this province and it's unique culture. Today was a great day touring with the group.

GUANACASTE...pura vida : )

guilty pleasures

Lately I have become more and more obcessed with a certain kind of cookie found here in CR: YEMAS.
For all of you Spanish speakers, you know that a "yema" is the yolk of an egg (and if you did not know that, now you do!). These cookies hardly look like that, or taste like that! Between two plain sugar cookies is a delicious dolop of guava jam....basically it is like the vanilla and fruit version of an oreo! I love it! I have already eaten an entire package this week. And they are even more delicious when paired with a cup of coffee. Yemas...yum!

Today I met the new chaperones who will be part of the team this year. We talked more in depth about the job, two of them are native Spanish speakers and one is from my UD group last year. She was kind enough to bring me a few things from the USA, among them two of my favorite magazines! One of my guiltiest pleasures is reading fashion magazines, namely InStyle and Marie Claire (I am not really a Cosmo girl, much to my Mom's relief I am sure haha!). I am thrilled to have the most recent copies of these two mags, which I will pour over probably until I return to the USA and get myself the newest issue...! Hmm now I can hear Madonna's "Vogue" playing as backround music in my head...

This time last year I was training the new chaperones...they are doing much the same program, getting to know each campus and the surrounding restaurants and tours, seeing meeting points and neighborhoods where we have homestay families. Thier leader is a chaperone who has been with CPI since December but who I have never met before. But based on my first impression I think we will get along very well! My fisrt impressions are not usually wrong...! I say not usually but I can hardly say never.

Did I mention that this week I am in a hotel with my group? All this talk of guilty pleasures has inspired me to go and take a dip in the pool this afternoon when we get back, something I haven't done yet...

PURA VIDA!

May: all about the beach

So this month I am back to work, after a long respite and time to recuperate after a very wet week in Heredia with my last group.

Currently enjoying the beach at CPI Flamingo, with a group of grad students from Chicago, IL. I am constatly reminded of my best friend while listening to the group speak, as many of them have that typical Chicago accent, especially the professor of the group who has a slightly stronger accent. Missing my BFF!

This group has been wonderful so far, but it has only been 48 hours since I picked them up from LIR (Liberia's international airport). They are much more focused and mature which is a relief and a pleasure, often having to work with rambunctious high school groups or college students who tend to be very thirsty...!
Yesterday we made arroz con pollo for lunch and watched the sunset before coming back to our hotel for dinner.
That is right, I am in a hotel with this group during thier stay...a whole 2 weeks of AC! What a luxury! But I still shower with just the cool water, it is much too hot to turn on the hot water.
Here in this area the majority of homes do not have hot water, as there is no need for it! Hotels may, or newer rental homes, but most ordinary people would never dream of bathing with hot water in this environment. Right now it is very dusty here, as rainy season has not yet swept in to dampen everything and lessen the dust and dry dirt that is disturbed by bikes and cars and four-wheelers coming and going down the  unpaved streets. Life on the beach is not as glamourous as you may imagine...unless of course you are living in a hotel, haha!

While we were doing a walking tour of downtown Flamingo and looking at all of the high rise condominiums and hotels, one of the students commented that living here would probably cause the beach and the atmosphere to lose it's novelty...and asked me if living here had caused some of the novelty to wear off.
After reflecting I have to admit that yes...living in Costa Rica is lovely, but it is not always paradise. I often get frustrated at the system, not having reliable postal service, the potholes in the road and the prices of some items in the grocery store, not mention the lack of chocolate and peanut butter flavored candies and ice cream! When I have one of these moments I have to step back and take a deep breath.
I am living in a beautiful country on the whole, with an amazing person and I would not change that for the world. The most important thing to remember, coming from the USA is...
"Not better, not worse, just different." So true.

beach camping in CR

In my last post I mentioned that E and I through our astronomy course were able to visit 3 beautiful beaches in CR....Cabo Blanco, Santa Teresa, Curú.

The location that we fell in love with, though, was Playa Quesera, part of Curú and accessible through a winding cattle trail. Well! After finding that beach we decided we had to come back and CAMP!
So we rescued the little tent E has from it's corner in our apartment, took some blankets and swim suits and enough food for 3 days, and went!
It was an afternoon when E got off of work and we waited for a friend of his to all ride the ferry together. When we arrived to Paquera (from Puntarenas, El Puerto) it was already completely dark and E's friend was kind enough to give us a ride into the trailhead so we would not have to walk so far in the dark. He also has contacts there in Curú and knows the owner, so he was able to help confirm that it was OK to camp there.

(NOTE: Apparently there is a standing reservation for someone who comes from Canada every year and does a camping trip there. But at the end of the reservation period they are no longer going to allow people to camp there in Curú.)

We arrived at the trailhead and put on our backpacks and turned on our flashlights, the dry leaves and gravel crunching under our feet as we skirted past some loose horses hanging out by the gate and started to make our way through the dry forest at night.
What a different view! E's main concern was snake activity, considering that some venemous snakes are known to be more active at night and that there are some more agressive than others. Not even a meter later we had already encountered a small boa constrictor, about 1.5 ft long on the ground along our path. 10 mins later we encountered a small vine snake and could hear and see him as he slithered away from the beams of our flashlights through the bushes along the edge of the trail. We heard several birds, swatted many mosquitoes and once saw a pair of eyes staring back at us from the depths of the night as we crosssed the pasture but did not encounter the terciopelo, and agressive venomous snake that caused E to walk slowly and cautiously. We took way too much food with us, and we were both sore when we finally arrived to the beach and were facinated to find the sand blanketed by hermit crabs and haloween crabs in a frenzy of activity, moving and crucnhing the undergrowth all around us as we approached the beach and heard the waves and as we set up our tent and established camp they moved in to check us out, then scrambled away from our heavy footsteps as we walked across the sand. We light two small candles to conserve our flashlight batteries and opened a box of wine and looked up in awe at the stars, E finding several constellations and me settling myself down on my back on the beach to watch the sky and being rewarded with 3 shooting stars...! E did not see any this time around.
Sleeping was not a very comfortable affair...the size of the tent might be ok for two people, but when you stop to considered how to fit in the backpacks and bags of food and shoes, well...it's a whole other thing! I slept all of two hours after trying to get comfortable and failing, then hearing hermit crabs scratch at the walls of the tent where it met the sand, right next to my head. Several times I also sat up and squinted out into the pale moonlight to see where the tide was, as it crept up the beach toward us but never quite reached up all the way to get us wet. By the time my alarm went off at 6am I knew there was no way I was going to be able to sleep anymore and E couldn't either, so we both got up and had an early breakfast and listened the the little radio E had brought and watched the hermit crabs crawl around our feet as the sun spread it's slow warmth across the sand. We spent most of the morning laying out on the beach in the shade, trying to sleep a little now we no longer had to worry about the tide or the mosquitoes with the ocean breeze. Later around 9am we finally went into the water, crystal clear and perfectly warm and snorkeled and swam for a while.

E got an important phone call while we were there, and was offered an opportunity to go as a volunteer to the Isla del Coco! He said yes, and being overjoyed and having to make plans to leave that coming Saturday we started to pack up and left Playa Quesera early with the sun shining over head as we hiked our way back to the entrance of the trail. E called a taxi which got us to the ferry just in time to buy some tickets and get back to Puntarenas and then to Esparza where we both starting preparing for our trips away. He will be on the island for one month volunteering and doing work very similar to that of a park ranger. This island, Isla del Coco, is part of the Galapagos and a touristic visit there costs five thousand dollars or more. E was excited for the chance to visit and learn more biological info, historical info and just to broaden his experience as a naturalist, and I am excited for him as well. Really it is not an opportunity that comes along every day!

The only negative of this beach camping experience was my choice of footwear. That may not sound like a big deal, but believe me, it really makes all the difference! I wore my Chacos (sandals) and it was a huge mistake as I got terrible blisters along the bottom of my feet and also a really bad chafe on my toe that removed quite a lot of skin, making it painful to walk. E taped me up and gave me a few bandaids and I learned my lesson...just wear shoes, it really is a much better idea.

I will keep that in mind for next time...because there will absolutely be another visit to the beautiful Playa Quesera, definately my favorite beach in all of Costa Rica!

Pura Vida

twinkle twinkle little star...!

About a week ago E and I particiated in an astronomy course being offered by the Organization of Tropial Studies or Organización de Estudios Tropicales (OET). We both enrolled for a weekend-long course that included transportation, meals and entrance fees to several national parks and a pit stop at a popular beach.
The trip was AMAZING!  I enjoyed it very much, and I have always been interested in astronomy and learning more about the position and names of those celestial bodies visible only on clear dark nights, and I was very excited to be able to learn more. The course was taught by a well known professor, astronomer and physist who E has heard of before and who has impeccable credentials. He has a real knack for explaining things and a genuine enthusiasm that is downright contagious! We had a wonderful time learning about the constellations and names of stars, as well as information about how to orient yourself looking the sky, important times of year (or day, or night!) when you can see more or less, about the rotation of the earth and sun and moon...! E took some really wonderful pictures, we even got to see Saturn and it's rings clearly defined and hovering in the sky through E's telescope! I went to bed before E did, my enthusiasm wasn't enough to keep my eyes open. But then we got up at 4am, the hour when you are most likely to see more shooting stars. I saw about 7 in the 20 minutes we stood out on the beach! In total my count was 13, while E's was much higher. Guess I should have been wearing my glasses???
The following day we left Reserva Absoluta Cabo Blanco (where we stargazed and spent the night at a research station) and hiked back out to our little bus, seeing monkeys and almost getting pooped and peed on on the way (there were 15 participants in all) and drove to Playa Santa Teresa. This was however, a Sunday at 8am and there was nothing much to do or see. E and I hung out on the beach and watched the surfers fighting to get waves through our binoculars before going into town and stoping at a bakery to get some cappucinos and a chocolate pastry and get online to check our mail. Then we all got back on the bus and drove to Reserva de Vida Silvetre Curú, a private nature reserve where we had way too much free time and the tide was up on the beach. We ate lunch there and afterwards E and I decided to go hiking and find a beach called Playa Quesera, which is accessible by a winding cattle trail through the reserve, an estimated 2 hour hike away. Wanting to make the most of our time we booked it up and down the cattle trail, up a little winding hill and through open pastures until a little over an hour later we reached the sandy and pristine shore of Playa Quesera...and fell instatly in love. After such an intense hike we threw ourselves into the waves and then walked right back out, putting on clothes over our wet swim suits and booking it back to the bus to leave on time (we made it in 55 mins). When we arrived I was BEAT, and with 10 minutes to spare and the rest of the group waiting on the bus I went and rinsed off all the sweat and sand before changing into shorts and flip flops and collapsing into my seat on the bus...but E and I were both so glad that we had decided to do that hike, exhausting as it was, and so excited at discovering this pristine and completely tranquil bit of beach. From Playa Quesera you can see Isla Tortuga, and a thought E and I had was to rent sea kayaks or maybe a small boat and come by sea to the beach, bringing things to camp and picnic. (see my next blog entry!) In any case, if my family comes to visit at some point we decided that taking them to this beach is an absolute must.
Once back on the bus we arrived to Paquera in time to catch the ferry back to Puntarenas. As soon as we reached the Puerto the sky opened up and it started to rain...the kind of rain that had been waiting to fall for days, huge fat drops that when flung into the wind feel like needles on your skin. I had left my raincoatin the bus, and all E had was a flimsy rain poncho and his WINDBREAKER which I ALWAYS thought was a RAINJACKET! So we put everything into E's water resistant backpack and made a run for it down to the bus after most of the other passengers had gotten off...the bus dropped us off at our bus-stop for Esparza where miraculously there was a bus waiting to leave and we jumped on, hauling wet gear and jackets behind us, and sat down wet and tired but elated in the bus. By the time we got to Esparza we realized that there had been no rainfall there and we looked like such tourists toting our backpacks and now non-essential raingear, and we made it home and hung things out to dry and showered properly.

What an amazing trip! I now can recognize (with names in Spanish):
-la cruz
-el cuervo
-el escorpion
-gemini
- el león
-la joyera
-Saturn

It also helps that I installed an app called SKY MAP on my android phone, which helps me to recognize direction and costellations. Now on a clear night I won't feel so lost and insignificant looking at the sky...! Instead I will be able to point out some of the constellations and tell thier stories.

E and I hope to do another course with OET, which for the total cost did include quite a lot of activities. If only there had been a little more information about astronomy, maybe a talk or two given by our leader. It would have helped me to get much more out of the trip, but it was still worthwhile...!

PURA VIDA

week of mariscos

This last week has been a great one.
Last Saturday I dropped my group off at the airport in the wee hours of the morning and then made my way to a nearby bus stop, where I passed up two buses on thier way to the border with Nicaragua-Peñas Blancas- and was rewarded when a bus to Esparza came rolling up 15 minutes later. And luckily the driver took my USD, because that was the only currency I had in my wallet! He was also nice enough to help me get my backpack under the bus, which was a feat with my small bag and my Café Britt bag.
I have to tell you that I am always a little leery of putting my bag under the bus...ever since I once saw a poor gringa arrive at the airport and not find her backpack, and you know she never got that bag back...!! I do not want that to be me. I got home around 6am and proceeded to fall asleep, and it was lovely!

The days that E works I usually end up going to the beach and waiting for him (though I don't dare to swim at the beaches here, them being ports of call and having pretty sketchy looking gray waves along with trash on the beach, and again I don't like leaving my bag unattended), and sometimes we get a little something to eat or we just head home. The days he doesn't work we relax, make late breakfasts and late lunches, maybe run errands. This week we have enjoyed a lot of seafood, mostly shrimp in various dishes and sea bass that E got from a local guy selling it, for an amazing price that we have made several different ways.

Truth be told, I am more of a breakfast person. I can make a delicious gallo pinto, I love making platano maduro, and if I had the right equipment I would make tortillas more often! But E is also a great cook in his own right, and he has a great touch with shrimp in white sauce with pasta...and shrimp and rice, and sea bass in sauce...basically I have been spoiled rotten this week with huge delicious lunches! And I have enjoyed it, but we both realize that we should probably cut back on the mariscos (seafood).
One dish I do have down pat is potato salad. E loves it! Guess I need to work on rounding out my comidas tipicas, haha!

We discovered a great restaurant while walking around Puntarenas. La Cueva del Diablo Playa, a little seafood place (again, marisos...!) and the owner owns another restaurant that E knows nad likes, also called La Cueva del Diablo, but it is not on the beachfront.
It had been a while since I had gone walking around in Puntarenas, and really, it's much better than I thought it was...there has been a real effort to clean up and revitalize the beachfront, the Paseo de las Turistas. There are several hotels, lots of little places to eat, lots of kiosks where people sell thier wares to the tourists that come off the cruise ship for the day...buses coming and going, locals walking around, Ticos on vacation and tourists and tour guides. We saw a sunset that was beautiful, and then a breathtaking moon on the rise.

It's already Friday, and I will be going to the beach later. But first, lunch. Anything but seafood, haha!

Pura Vida : )

rain on my parade (almost)

Really and truly we are entering into rainy season here in CR...! Monday we had a downpur in the afternoon and the kids in my group were all too eager to run around and play outside, with lightning flashing overhead. NO WAY, CHICOS!!!! Naturally they had to come indoors, and left water all over the floor in hallways and classrooms, and left me apologizing left and right. So I was happpy today that we escaped the rain (barely) during our tour in Heredia. As always I had rainjacket and umbrella, but many kids in the group ignored the rain clouds. All we had were a few drops while on the bus and then some rainfall during lunch, and at the moment I anticipate more rain in the evening. But I am safely inside.

I have to say that I love Heredia. Out of all the provinces in CR, I like Heredia the best. It has a little bit of everything, it's beautiful and it's central, and I have spent more time here than any other campus through work. I walk down the streets and I feel like I am at home. I wave at Mama Ticas and kids who I have worked with. The public bus driver even knows me. Across the street from the school is a mini-super owned by some friends. Herediana de corazon...that is what I am. Also, when people (Ticos that is,) ask where I am from I say Heredia. Apparently I even have the accent. Here I also have many friends, and my Familia Tica. La Provincia de las Flores will always hold a very special place in my heart, even though I love the heat of Puntarenas (so I in that way I am more of a Porteña).

Currently trying to organize all of my things...I have clothing and shoes scattered throughout the apartment, and I have things I have to organize for work still that need to be sent back to headquarters (Monteverde).

Tomorrow I pick up my group at 3am and take them to the airport, where they will hopefully check-in on time after paying the exit tax of $29 (it went up two months ago! I didn't realize) per person and then leaving for the USA.

The next few weeks I will have some free time before groups start arriving in May, full force. High season will be in full swing...! I am excited but at the same time loathing the idea of leaving my little comfy home.
So I guess I had better make this time off count...!

PURA VIDA!

old friends

Two years ago, I led a tour that was a combined volunteer and travel program. With this group we did various days of community service in La Carpio, with the Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation. Today my group did a service project in this same community, and I saw again a boy that I first met two year ago.

His name is Junior, and he still remembered me from two years ago. He greeted me with a hug and continued to hug me and hold my hand during the rest of our time there. Coming into a community like this one, it is very encouraging to see a little boy thriving and growing and still so full of energy and enthusiasm for life. 

Even better...is to have him greet me like an old friend. 

PURA VIDA

and my life looks like...

                                                               With my amiga from UD

                                                           Ticket to the BIG GAME!

valley girl...central valley, that is

This week is going slow as molasses and at the same time as fast as Daytona...! But I am happy to be here in Heredia...really I have spent more time here than anywhere else, and I like to think that I am Herediana at heart.

Thursday last I picked up my first group of the season, from Vail, CO. I had forgotten the nervous energy that I always feel at the airport, waiting on your feet for flight updates (though now I can put internet on my phone and check that way), and how many people there are who work there to help you find a taxi, to pick you up for a tour, or help you with your luggage...for a price, of course.
Last year I worked with this same group but was not the main chaperone, so this time around I am getting to know the professors much better and they keep me on my toes, to say the least. I am seeing more clearly a weakness of mine, which is a need to please that ends up having me be over sensitive to attitudes and demands...my job is always easiest when groups stick to the itinerary, but that is not always how things work out. Be flexible...!! But do not give in to every whim. Balance is what life is all about.

Right now I am battling an untimely flu/cold...on Sunday we went to the Saprissa v. Liga soccer game and were caught in the rain, and I was soaked and chilled to the bone! We all were. The last two days I have been sore all over, and my throat is irritated and a nasty hacking cough has developed...I am doing my best to take Vitamin C, drink lots of tea and get my rest, but I cannot exactly slow down when I have a group. I hope to recover my strength next week.
Go figure...as soon as I start to work I come down with something! And it is not often that I get sick, not like this anyway. All I want to see is my bed!

This week I had hoped to touch base with more of the friends I have here in San Joaquin. It would be all too easy to fill up my social calender but I haven't really been up to it, and it is always a challenge to work around schedules. I know I will be back, anyway, and can visit more later.

I was able to visit with a friend from UD, who I haven't seen in almost two years! She is currently volunteering in Costa Rica, near San José, and we hung out Saturday evening and a great time catching up! Hopefully we can touch base again sometime soon.

Always so much to see and do...

PURA VIDA

time after time

This past weekend was a great one...!!!

I went to visit my mother-in-law and extended family in E's hometown...The bus ride may be long, but the calm and the company are always worth it. My mother-in-law is an amazing woman, and I get along well with my sisters-in-law and nieces, and have met so much of E's family...I admit that being from another country and not being totally fluent was a concern for me when we first met, but I have been so blessed in having a good relationship with everyone...!!

My sister-in-law and I spent a lot of time together, and it was great. We are about the same age and it is great to have someone to talk with about girl stuff, to cook with, to ask about cultural things and learn more about the family. Love her!! My other sister-in-law, B, invited us over to her house for a grill out and we had lots of good food! The grill is not quite the big silver contraption that many people have in the backyard in the USA...it is smaller, rounder, and all about charcol! We made "pinches" or beef kabobs with red pepper and onion...then chicken and yucca, and even pizza. We had a great time sitting on the back patio and sharing stories, eating and watching the bugs converge around the lights as the night crept in on us...

The next day (Sunday) I spent quality time with my mother-in-law and a Tía (Aunt) and we made tamales!!! I have once before helped to make tamales, but I got to see how the filling is made and how more of the ingredients are prepared (for example: I did not know that the banana leaf the tamal is wrapped in must first be softened over heat so the leaves will not break when folded! or just how important the seasoning is to makeing the filling, and my mother-in-law has the perfect touch!), and I got practice wrapping and learned a new more homestyle way of wrapping and tying tamales, and at the end of the day I ate a chicken tamal and it was DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!! Pictures later.

On Monday I had to head home, but not before eating a filling lunch and spending time in the living room with my nieces after they arrived from school and we all sat together watching soccer and eating home-made ice creams...Then hugs and kisses and "see you laters" and I was on the bus home.

Yesterday was my birthday, and it was great! It was  nice realxing day with some of the best company, E! We had a great breakfast (mango season is in, and I am totally taking advantage) and then went to the beach for a while, had a delicious lunch at the Shrimp Shack where I tried my first shrimp burger, and then we shopped around a bit before heading home and changing to go see a movie. It was great day...!!!

I have to say that I do not feel any older. Maybe a little wiser, but not older...and I know that there is still so much to see and do with my life.
When I was younger, I never thought that my life would turn out the way it has...I am so blessed, so lucky, and time after time I am overwhelmed with gratitude for everything I have, and inspired to continue discovering and learning and living and loving....!

PURA VIDA