SPRING BREAK!

I know it has been a realllly long time since I updated but its been very busy here! So this entry will be about my spring break---what an adventure it was! I had 2 weeks off for spring break and the whole group went to Nicaragua for 3 days. It was amazing. We stayed in Granada at this beautiful hotel. We went on tours of Granada and Managua. We also went to a volcano and the lake of Nicaragua. It was really cool to see the differences between Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

After Nicaragua, 3 others on the trip and I traveled around Guanacaste for the next week. We stayed in Liberia for 2 nights and while we were there we went to a bull rodeo/fight--which was actually really cool. The next day we went to a national park, Rincon de la Vieja. We hiked for almost 7 hours that day. First we hiked through a part of the forest that was pretty dense--we saw so many animals, a few different species of monkeys, so many cool birds and a couple others that I don't know names of. We also went to mud pits heated by the volcano that the national park is at. After the first hike, we hiked to this gorgeous waterfall, which took about 3 hours to get there and back. This waterfall was huge and we swam in it for about an hour. So beautifull. On the way back from the waterfall we swear we heard a Jaguar which was scary but also really cool.


The next day we traveled to Braselito, a smaller beach town. We stayed at this great hotel that had bunk beds and a full size bed, a fridge and a kitchen. That was really nice because we were able to buy food at a grocery store and cook our own meals to save money. Also the owner of the hotel let us use his bikes, snorkeling gear, and kayaks. We were about a 15 minute walk from the beach. We spent most of our time on this beach called Playa Conchal that was full of quarter sized shells instead of tiny grains of sand, it was really neat. Also the waves at this beach were HUGE. So we had a blast playing on the beach. We also went kayaking in the ocean. We saw probably 20 poisonous snakes...scary. We were kayaking by these huge rocks and the waves were white capping on the rocks which was kind of terrifying, but we survived...no problems!

After our 4 days in Braselito, we traveled to Nicoya and stayed at these cabins in the middle of the woods. We were staying there because the cabins were close to the caves we went exploring the next day. This hotel was really neat though because we were the only ones staying there. They only have 5 rooms and we occupied 2 of those. There was also a pool that we relaxed in during the day. It was neat being out in the middle of the woods because we could hear so many animals at night especially the howler monkeys and we could also see so so many stars.

The next day, which was friday, we went spelunking at this national park. We had to hike about an hour to get to the caves...completely up hill. It was a pretty intense walk. The caves were really cool. We had to climb down about 40 feet on a ladder and explored this cave. We had a guide with us and he took us through crevices that you would not think a human could even fit through. It was a really cool experience.

That night at 5pm we got on another bus to travel back to San Jose to get back to Santa Ana. It was a 4 hour bus ride which was pretty comfortable and went by pretty fast. Our spring break trip was so neat because the 4 of us were able to travel around parts of Costa Rica by ourselves, using the bus systems and staying at different hotels and learning more. It felt like we were more immersed in the culture. I loved it.

St. Patty's Day was yesterday, we went out to a bar but ticos don't really celebrate St. Pattys so it was very chill. I missed having corn beef and cabbage and a guiness. Next year though!

Monteverde

This weekend was one of the best yet! We went to Monteverde on Saturday. We hiked through the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and when we hiked up into the clouds you could see the continental divide. The cloud forest is a type of rain forest that was much more dense and humid than any other forest we’ve been to so far. After the hike, we went to our hotel for dinner. It was gorgeous and called Fonda Vela. The room we stayed in was huge; there was a king size bed and another full bed, a sitting area and a bathroom and this was for 3 of us! The view from the room was really pretty as well. Afterwards we relaxed in some hot tubs and went to bed early because we had to get going on Sunday at 7am.


Sunday we went to the Selvatura Adventure Park where we did a canopy tour of the rainforest by ziplining. I was so terrified before the first zipline because of my fear of heights but I did it and it was really fun! It was cool to be able to just fly over and through a forest. The we did 13 ziplines, the last one was 1 km long. Afterwards we went and saw hummingbirds and butterflies of Costa Rica at the park.


We went back to our hotel for lunch and got back on the bus to head towards Guanacaste. On the way, we stopped at a coffee shop and learned about the process of Costa Rican coffee at Monteverde. The dark roast coffee at Monteverde is amazing, it is so smooth, almost chocolaty. I even bought some :)


We arrived at our next hotel that night and ate dinner. After dinner we went into the hot springs that the hotel had. There were 4 pools. The first with a slide and much cooler but the others were much warmer. The water is heated by the volcano which is just so cool. It was like being in a giant hot tub.
The next morning we went to Volcan Miravalles and went horseback riding. We stopped at a certain point and hiked up into a waterfall. This was so incredible. We were inside the waterfall, it was so beautiful. Afterwards, we rode the horses back and ventured off to the natural hot springs of the volcano that were muddy. First there was a 200 meter slide that we rode down a few times and afterwards went into the muddy hot springs. After we were all cleaned off we went back to the hotel for lunch and headed back to Santa Ana. I still can’t believe I am getting credit for this. In summary of this weekend: I hiked through the clouds, went ziplining, rode horses, hiked into a waterfall and relaxed in hot springs. This is the best semester ever.

The sun is up, the sky is blue, it's beautiful and so are you :)

Hola!
So rafting on saturday was a BLAST. It was so much more fun than the first time we went rafting. There were so many more rapids that were longer and harder. It was a thrill. I think I am addicted to rafting now. Sunday was the presidential election in Costa Rica and they elected their first female president, Laura Chinchilla. It was really neat to see election stuff here. People gather in the streets and have huge tables out in front of schools where voting takes place with their select candidates. They also drive around in cars, honking and holding up huge flags of the candidate they are supporting. It's so wild. I was walking to Don Jorge's house the other day and I waited almost 15 minutes to cross a simple street because there was parade of cars going by campaigning for Laura! It was neat to see it all.

Sunday was also the super bowl, which we did watch here! We had a party at one of the houses, it was really fun. We all brought dishes to pass--american foods. Monday a group of us girls went shopping. There is this store called Pequeno Mundo and it looks like a hardware store inside but they have really cute clothes! Tuesday, I had class early int he morning but afterwards a group of girls and I went to Escazu, a nice area about 15 from Santa Ana, on bus and...drumroll please...we got piercings! I got my nose pierced (don't be mad parents, it's classy) and so did another girl. We went to the same place that a few of my friends from last years trip went, so it was definitely sanitary! I'm really excited about it.


Today, we went to San Jose for the day. We went to a few museums, including a modern art exhibit which was really neat. We went to the Teatro National which was so beautiful. We learned a lot about the indigenuous tribes of Costa Rica and a lot about the history. Afterwards, we had literature class and coffee. I can't express how much I love the coffee here. Tonight I went to my first choir rehearsal, it was really neat! There are about 25 people in the choir, it's a good size and Don Jorge is a great director. Well, I'm going to get to bed. We are going to Monteverde this weekend which includes horseback riding, ziplining (I am TERRIFIED)/canopy walks. I'm excited none the less. Hope everyone is doing well! Nos vemos! ~Nora

Just a day in the life

I'm sitting in a coffee shop right now, enjoying a Cafe con leche while updating my blog. We found a coffee shop called Zuka Cafe about 10 minutes from our house that has delicious cafe and free wireless internet. It's so nice; a piece of home. It's this cute little shop, very European looking which has coffe, sandwiches, paninis and salads. I am in heaven. There is a corner of the shop that has a couch with a few ottomans and a chic carpet. It is just so wonderful.


On monday, we went Rafting down the Pacuare river. It was such a thrill. I did not think I was going to enjoy it as much as I did. They were level 3-4 rapids and this saturday we are going rafting on the Rio Pascua which has level 4+ rapids. I'm so nervous but SO excited. On Monday, we were divided into two rafts, and no one fell out, we had no accidentes! Our rafting guide was hilarious as well! Constantly doing tricks and making jokes. I think it was my favorite thing we've done in Costa Rica thus far. I absolutely loved it. I cannot wait for this saturday!

This week has been pretty relaxing. We only had 2 classes yesterday, which was fabulous(we usually have 3 on wednesday). So instead of class some of the girls and I spent the afternoon exploring parts of Santa Ana that we hadn't seen before. This is how we found this Cafe shop :)
I had voice lessons with Jorge today. They went really well and I am going to start going to his choir next week. I think taking lessons with him is going to help me so much. He is so musical, he is really a renaissance man.

Volcan Irazu y Iglesias

This week went well. Friday we finally had ceramics and our reforestation class. In the reforestation class we go up to Jorge’s mountain house and sift through horse poop and clean the area to plant trees. But what is cool is that since I am a biology major, another girl and I get to do a different project. We are taking photos of all the trees and plants in the area as well as insects or any other animals and we have to identify them. We have to find their scientific names from our pictures and the characteristics that we have noted. Then at the end of the semester we are going to present all of the information and catalog the plants in the area. Friday night we went out to some bars in Santa Ana as well which was fun.




Saturday we went to Volcano Irazu. We left at 7am for the volcano and arrived around 9. This volcano last erupted in 1963, the day JFK arrived in Costa Rica. We could look down and see the greenish lagoon in the crater principal, seen in the picture. It was really pretty because we were literally in the clouds. It was a pretty cloudy day but on a clear day you can see the Caribbean and Pacific ocean from Volcano Irazu.

We were also able to see another volcano in Costa Rica that just erupted a few weeks ago; Volcano Turrialba. It was really neat because you could see all the smoke coming from the volcano!



After the volcanoes, we went to ruins in Cartago and the Basillica of Our Lady of Angels in Cartago as well. It was really beautiful. We learned a lot about the Basilica and the story behind why it was built. The story is basically a girl from the village found a statue of the Virgin Mary on a rock and took it home. The next day, the statue was missing and the girl found it back on the rock on which she found it the day previous. So the little girl took it again, and again, the next day the statue was back on the rock to where she found it originally. The church was then built around this statue.

At the Basilica, the orinigal statue on the rock is kept in a glass area and people come to pray. Many people come to ask for miracles from la Reina de los Angeles and when their miracle is granted they bring gifts according to their miracle. (Like if people asked for a miracle involving their leg or something like that, people would bring a charm of a leg)

We then went to other ruins of a Church in Cartago as well and another church in Orosi. We had a huge lunch around 4pm and headed back to Santa Ana afterwards. I had a nice and relaxing evening last night with Jess. We got food and watched a few episodes of Friends and The Office. It was a very American night. Then we both went to bed by 10pm.

Today we went to Spanish mass in Santa Ana, walked through the markets, because every Sunday there is a market, similar to the Farmer’s market and spent the day doing homework and catching up with friends. We are going rafting tomorrow, and leaving at 6am! It will be an adventure. Til next time!

Week 2. I forgot that when you study abroad, you actually have to go to class and do homework. That’s too bad. So this was my first official week of classes. Monday, we never have class. Tuesday, 2 classes (one is dance though..). Wednesday, 3 classes. Culture, Ecology and Literature. It’s our busiest day. Thursdays, only dance class. Friday, reforestation, sometimes…when we don’t go on an excursion.

This past weekend we adventured to Manuel Antonio National Park. We left at 6am on Friday morning. Part way through the bus ride we stopped at a restaurant for huevos and gallo pinto and café. The café there was the best I have tasted yet. After that we stopped at the Tarcoles river, where we saw many cocodrillos (crocodiles). About an hour after we got back on the bus, we arrived at Manuel Antonio National Park. We went on a few hour hike through the park. Along the way we saw howler monkeys (very far away), white-faced monkeys, iguanas and many hermit crabs and trees. After the hike, we arrived at a white, sandy beach. We were so so sweaty after the hike because it was incredibly hot that day. Cooling off in the ocean felt good. At the beach, we saw about…20 or so white-faced monkeys. We saw them inches away from our faces. I saw one sneak into someone’s bag and steal a whole package of cookies. Then another stole an entire package of crackers. It was absolutely hilarious.


After our relaxation on the beach we hiked back to the entrance of the park where we saw a few Squirrel monkeys. After we had a great lunch and went back on the bus to Punta Leona, a almost resort spread out over a few miles in the forest. We had dinner there and went to bed afterwards, being exhausted from the day. The rooms were so nice and cool. The place itself is very very beautiful, being in the middle of Costa Rica’s forests along with the wildlife. While we ate breakfast the next morning there were several monkeys in the eating area. They would be on the roofs ready to snatch food when people were not looking. We saw several steal packets of sugar off the tables. There were also pizotes that were around along with the monkeys. They look almost like a mix between a raccoon and an ant eater. Very cute.



We spent the day at Playa Blanca, a beautiful white sandy beach. We took a long walk around the beach as well which was great. We discovered a great area with huge rocks and a cave. It was gorgeous. After spending the day at the beach, the group took another hike through the forest. We had dinner that night, watched some salsa dancing and then I went to bed early. I had to get up early the next morning for bird watching. Sunday morning we went bird watching at 6am and saw several birds. The best sightings were the Scarlet Macaws that we saw. They are so majestic!!


We got back to Santa Ana on Sunday around 6pm. That night, 3 girls and myself went to a pizza place which was amazing! I was in bed by 9pm! It was wonderful. I’m off to dinner now. I’ll update again soon.

My first week in Costa Rica!

I have been in Costa Rica for officially one week!! It’s been great so far. First of all, the flights into Costa Rica were so easy. We had no delays or long periods of waiting at all. It was great. The flights in total were about 5 hours. So great. When we got there, our program director Jorge took us all out for ice cream at POPS. We drove to Santa Ana from the airport and then met our host families. Jess and I live together with our host mom, Elieth. She is really nice, she speaks no English and she is pretty easy to communicate with in Spanish. She is an amazing cook! AMAZING. So far I have enjoyed every meal, I always come away from meals feeling very full but so satisfied. The food here is incredible. For breakfast we have different fruits, either papaya, banana, pineapple, strawberry and usually toast and of course, café. The coffee is so great here, I love it. I feel so spoiled with all this fruit!

Like I said, I live with Jess in Elieth’s house. Our rooms are right across the hall from one another. This is a picture of me in my room. Elieth does our laundry every day! Again, sooo spoiled! We don’t have any wireless at my house but I’ll be on every few days because other people have wireless at their host houses.

Anyway, last week we hiked in the mountains for a day. We saw several bugs and unique flowers. When we were driving back down from the mountains we saw a Boa Constrictor on the side of the road. It was awesome! The hike was really fun too. We were literally walking down the side of the mountain, climbing under barbed wire and making up our own paths in the forest. We spent the afternoon at Don Jorge’s other house, the one in the mountains. We had lunch there, which was of course wonderful. And coffee. The view from the mountains was amazing as well.

I’m enjoying my group a lot. There are eleven of us, 9 girls and 2 boys. We went to a bar in Santa Ana last week, Bar Amigos! That was really fun.

Friday through Sunday was spent at the Double Tree resort in Puntarenas. It was amazing, like paradise. The resort was our way to relax, enjoy the sun, the beach and just have fun. It was all inclusive, so room, food and drinks. We swam a lot through the days, in the ocean and the pool. One pool at the resort had a swim up bar, which was really neat. At night we went dancing after dinner which was super fun. I got slightly burnt this weekend, but it’s turned into a tan by now.

In Puntareanas, we also had our first taste of a Costa Rican specialty, a Churchil. It’s a dessert, like a combination between icecream and a snowcone. It’s very sweet, but so good.

Yesterday, a group of us went to San Jose to explore. We had lunch there and walked around, shopping and exploring. Went to some parks and figured out how to work the bus system.

This is our first full week of classes. I had a advanced conversation class today, that is only with 2 other students. I also had the Latin dance class, which is a blast. This weekend we are going to Manuel Antonio National Park. Pura Vida mis amigos!