I Don't Think I Would Classify It a "Direct Route"

Last weekend, several of my friends and I ventured out on our own to Montezuma, a touristy beach town on the Nicoya Peninsula in northwestern Costa Rica. There were a total of eleven of us traveling in two smaller groups, one that left on the 6am bus, and my group that left on the 2pm bus. The adventure began with a taxi ride to the Coca-Cola bus station, where the direct Montezuma bus was scheduled to depart. Alas, the direct Montezuma bus did not depart from the Coca-Cola station, but a different one a few blocks away. Needless to say, I felt as though we were on a wild goose chase, but eventually we did locate the correct station with the bus heading to Montezuma. However, passengers wait and pay the bus driver the fee to ride, and only then get the ticket and secure a spot on the bus. We all ended up with seats, thankfully!
I thought the excitement had ended once I had stepped on the bus and it exited the station. I surely hoped so, as I was battling what I believe was a bout of the flu with full-on fever and aches. But, two and a half hours later, we were escorted off the bus and onto a ferry, which took us across the Gulf of Nicoya, a 70-minute voyage. We were able to see a beautiful sunset though, and I had a good cup of coffee to replenish the energy my illness was stealing from me.

Sunset Over the Water

Upon disembarking the gigantic ship (it fit several tour buses like ours as well as dozens of cars and their passengers), we re-boarded our bus and set out toward Montezuma. About an hour later, we came to the small town of Cobano, where we again got off the bus. There we transferred to a local bus, which took us the remaining seven kilometers (about 4.3 miles) into Montezuma. This was perhaps the most nerve racking portion of the trip because we were in a large manual transmission bus traveling down steep slopes with many sharp twists and turns. We arrived in Montezuma at about 8:30pm, and I was exhausted. After a brief dinner at a local restaurant, I headed to bed, determined to feel better in the morning.
God blessed me with feeling so much better Saturday morning! I had ten hours of pretty good sleep, and woke up to freshly brewed coffee at our hostel, Hotel Luna Llena (For those of you wondering, the name means "full moon" in Spanish).  We had chosen the hostel based on TripAdvisor reviews, all of which were incredibly positive. I stayed in a dorm-style room, which was plenty comfortable for what we needed. In addition, it was reasonably priced, which made it ideal for student budgets.

Hotel Luna Llena

Just writing in the fun chair

The town of Montezuma hosts an organic market every Saturday, which we, as faithful tourists, attended. However, the produce did not arrive until much later than expected, and we ended up only buying mangoes. However, they were definitely worth the 335 colones each (~65 cents). The flavor of the mangoes here is spectacular--very rich and juicy. I want to bring a pit home with me to grow my own mango tree! The mango variety I had was a hybrid of a peach and mango that was cultivated thousands of years ago.

Candid photo of me devouring the mango

Fresh bread was also procured from the local supermarket, along with some chocolate milk from Dos Pinos, the country's largest "lechería" or dairy company, and freshly cut pineapple--a large section for only 300 colones (~60 cents). I would call that a great breakfast!
The afternoon was spent hiking, which is a lengthy story to tell. But first, the best part of the weekend: the monkey sighting! While we were lathering ourselves in sunscreen and packing our cameras for a hike to nearby waterfalls, we were graced by the presence of a half dozen Capuchin, or white-faced, monkeys. These are one of four monkey species found in Costa Rica, which also include the howler monkey, the squirrel monkey, and the spider monkey. The monkeys were climbing all over the trees next to the hostel, and often scampered onto the roof! It was so comical to see them look at us quizzically and quickly dart away. Some actually stayed and stared at us for a while. I loved taking photographs of them, and even got a few good ones.

Whoa! People?

You're looking at me?

Well, in that case, look what I can do!

Sunday afternoon I saw a howler monkey dangling upside down from a tree eating fruit, but the photographs are not nearly as good because the monkey was much further away.

I can hang upside down!

The hike to the Montezuma Falls was quite an excursion. We found the entrance to the hiking area, and quickly began our journey, only to come to what we believed was a dead end after only about ten minutes of hiking. We found some water flowing over rocks, but later learned that was not the grand waterfall we should have seen.

What we thought was the waterfall...

After asking a few locals where the actual waterfalls were, we set out in the same direction, this time climbing over rocks and along the side of the river, following the water's path. This was a lot harder than it seemed, because we had to balance ourselves on rocks, hold onto trees as we tiptoed around the edge of the water, and avoid getting our cameras wet! We were wearing bathing suits beneath our clothing, but it was the cameras we were most concerned about. Luckily I had brought a drawstring bag that I could throw everything into in order to free both hands for climbing. I love rock climbing walls, so this was right up my alley. I loved it! After over an hour of hiking and scaling rocks, we finally encountered the first of the three waterfalls. It was a magnificent view. I still think the La Fortuna Waterfall beats it, but this was pretty grand too, especially since we had found it all by ourselves! I, along with several others, took the opportunity to swim around in the waters near the waterfall, and we even climbed behind it!

...the actual waterfall!

The next part of our hike consisted of steep up and down climbs, and some very narrow paths, but that was definitely worth it. I loved the adventure of it all! We eventually found the other two waterfalls, but they weren't nearly as impressive as the first. At that point--nearly 2.5 hours later, I was worn out, but we still had to get back from the middle of the rainforest to Montezuma. We found stairs, and a sign signaling the general direction in which to go, but eventually we came to a fork: follow a well-worn path downward, which seemed to lead directly back to the waterfalls, or continue straight on a narrow path. We decided to take the latter, and eventually came to a gravel road. That was not the main road we were looking forward, and some members of the group began to get discouraged. My inner runner came out, and I decided to run about 400 meters to see what might be up ahead. I did not find another road, but instead a home with a dog that barked at me. A kind lady came out, and I asked, in my best Spanish of course, if the main road was close by. It was. My group was very pleased when I returned a few minutes later with the good news. All in all, it took us about 3.5 hours for the hike, and we were certainly exhausted and thirsty. After recuperating with some water, nourishment, and a shower, I headed to the beach for a little while, where I read some "Sopa de Polla Para Alma" (Chicken Soup for the Soul) and jumped some great waves! I have yet to get used to the salt water here, but I do appreciate the quality of the waves!
We had dinner at a local restaurant and played Uno before calling it an early night. It gets dark here around 6:00 or 6:30, which makes me feel very tired! Sunday morning was spent at the beach again, and we departed for the long ride home around 2:00, but arrived back in San Jose around 9:30. It was a very long day, but I believe all the travel was worth it! I loved being in the heart of the Costa Rican rainforest!
My parents arrive tomorrow in San Jose, and Caroline and Valerie fly in on Saturday. While in San Jose, we will be staying at Casa Bella Rita, a bed and breakfast near the airport that is run by a couple who formerly lived in Battle Creek. As my parents shared their plans to visit me in Costa Rica, so many people from Battle Creek mentioned the DeVores' B&B. It has received great reviews and awards from TripAdvisor as well! I cannot wait to see everyone, as I have been a little bit more homesick here than I expected. Adjusting to a new culture, a new language, and a new home is a lot to handle, but I am doing well and am excited for what the next six and a half weeks hold.

Victory!

Last night, my housemate Renee, our friend Miguel, and I went to the Panama vs. Costa Rica fútbol game (soccer to all you Americans out there!) at the Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica. Costa Rica was victorious 2-0!

Soaked but smiling!

As it does every single day during the rainy season in Costa Rica, there was a torrential downpour last night, complete with the deafening thunder and the lightning that illuminated the sky, while the game was played. Unlike in the United States, the game went on despite the nearly constant flashes of lightning and the booms of thunder. Before we even entered the stadium, the three of us were soaked, muddy, but running on adrenaline! I thought the sidewalks here were bad... It's worse when there's no sidewalk at all! I will certainly need to wash my shoes soon too, or at least when I return to home.

#wetandmuddy

Looking at the stadium, it reminded me of the quidditch matches in the Harry Potter series!

Quidditch, anyone?

There were so many people inside the stadium--fútbol is a huge deal here, especially when it comes to the World Cup! I was so thrilled to even be there! Shortly after the start of the second half, Costa Rica scored its first of two goals, and its second only a few minutes later. Talk about momentum! Renee and I constantly commented how much endurance soccer players have! I can run far for a long time, but not sprinting up and down a field like the soccer players! Despite the rain, I had so much fun and it was great to experience the national sport of Costa Rica in live action!

Players in action! (Not the best photo, but it was rather rainy!)

Yesterday afternoon I took part in a crafting class at ISA given by the father of one of the staff members. He taught us to make clay hummingbirds. It was much more difficult than it looks, working to sculpt the clay exactly how I wanted it. The clay dries quickly too, so you have to be careful to avoid cracking it (luckily you can cover up some of that with the paint!). In Spanish, hummingbirds are called colibrís, and there are over fifty different species in Costa Rica alone. One mother bird can mate with up to thirty males and have approximately 300 babies with each! That's 9,000 offspring per mother! No wonder they are so abundant in the rainforests here!

Just starting out

About halfway finished; ready to paint!

All finished!

This weekend I am traveling to Montezuma with several of my friends, where there is a beach, rainforest, and other nature attractions. I am hoping I will see a monkey or two! I am sure I will have many photographs to share upon my return!

Tonight I was treated to a "tortita de plátano maduro", or a plaintain fritter/cookie that Renee made in her cooking class this afternoon. It was quite good, and was a cross between a cookie and a muffin. Sounds like a great breakfast food! I am hoping to try out the recipe when I am home. Here it is:

Tortitas de Plátano Maduro
Makes approximately 10 tortitas
Recipe by Jeannette Ávila Valverde, professor of "Cocina Típica Para Estudiantes Extranjeros" at Veritas University, San Jose, Costa Rica

• 5 large plantains
• 1/4 c. margarine
• 1 c. flour
• 1/2 t. cinnamon
• 2 T sugar, divided
• 1 T lemon juice
• 2 t. baking powder
• 1 egg
• 2 cups shredded queso blanco
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1/4 c. milk
• cinnamon and sugar mix to serve
• flour and oil to fry (step 4)

1. Slice plantains in half (peel on), and place in a pot. Cover with water and 1 T sugar. Cook over medium heat until the peel comes loose. Drain the plantains and discard the peels. 
2. In the same pot, mash the plantains with a fork until a smooth puree forms. 
3. Add flour, salt, baking powder, cheese, sugar, and cinnamon; mix until fully incorporated.
4. Sprinkle flour onto a plate and your hands. Form patties of dough (approximately 2-3 inches in diameter) until browned and hot inside. Remove from oil and place on paper towels to absorb the extra oil. 
5. Serve hot with the mix of cinnamon and sugar.

Yum!

Lightning and Thunder and Earthquakes, Oh My!

This past week has been great! I thought I was adjusting well before, but I am doing much better now! I have begun to really find good friends to hang out with, including someone to hopefully go to Mass with next week. She actually knows one of the other girls in my nursing classes at Pitt! Such a small world! Unlike in Pittsburgh, I have not been able to go to Mass 3-4 times a week, which is unfortunate. There is a church only a couple blocks from my home here, but the Mass times are not conducive to my schedule unfortunately.
Additionally, I can really notice my language skills improving. Are they anywhere near what I would like them to be? Absolutely not! Ideally I would like to be fluent some day, but I know that is not a realistic goal for a ten week summer in Costa Rica. I am hoping to attend the "Mesas de Conversación" hosted by the Pitt Spanish Club in the fall. They are held at Panera Bread weekly, and the Spanish Department treats us to free coffee!
Wednesday night's event was a surprise! Around 9:00 in the evening, I was in my bedroom studying, and all of a sudden, I felt a shaking. At first I thought it was a car rumbling down one of the nearby roads or perhaps thunder (which, at this time of year, is highly typical here, especially loud booming thunder and bright lightning), but then I walked out of my room at the same time my housemate Renee did, and I knew that it was an earthquake!! I was so excited, and the adrenaline was pumping through my veins at an intense velocity. My host mother told us there had been a tremblar. A tremblar is a small earthquake, whereas a terremoto is a large, destructive earthquake. Now I can check "feel an earthquake" off my bucket list!

Rainy season in Costa Rica!

Thursday night I went to my first salsa-merengue class! The hour and half (more or less, depending on how punctual the instructor is) lessons are somewhat difficult for a novice like me, but my friends Libby and Taylor were excellent helpers and were very patient teaching me. I can run, but that is the same movement all the time; my other coordination skills are lacking! I still enjoyed myself--one of the first times I can actually say that about dancing--and am looking forward to returning this Tuesday for another session!

From left to right: Libby, me, Taylor

Friday morning I had my midterm exam--yes midterms already! The term passes quickly when it's only four weeks long! I think it went decently well, but it was by no means an easy exam. Then I packed my bags, and we were off to Tamarindo, a beach in the northwest portion of the country, for the weekend. It was a five hour trip through the countryside of Costa Rica. We traveled along the coast for some of the trip as well, and the sights were beautiful. One of the things that struck me most, though, is the varying living conditions of the Costa Rican natives. Houses range from small, metal shacks in the country to gigantic monstrosities high up in the mountains.

The countryside on the way to Tamarindo.

We were privileged to stay at El Diria, a fancy resort on the beach, which apparently was booked at a significant discount due to the massive number of students ISA brings through each year. The view was gorgeous!

One of the many pools at the hotel.

Beachfront view!

Friday night we had a nice buffet dinner at the hotel, and my favorite part of it was the tres leches cake (again!). I know what kind of cake I want for my birthday--and I will still be in Costa Rica at that point, so it's a likely possibility! I also tried sopa negra, a traditional Costa Rican black bean soup. I loved the broth, but the restaurant had cooked some sort of fresh cheese balls in it, which I did not care for. But, I did give it a try, and that's what counts! Breakfasts were also buffet meals served at the hotel restaurant. My favorite part was easily the abundance of fresh fruit--pineapple, papaya, watermelon, grapes! I was in heaven, or so it seemed! I also enjoyed the gallo pinto, fried eggs, and today's specialty: tortilla pie. The tortilla pie (which I unfortunately forgot to photograph) was similar to lasagna, but made with corn tortillas instead. Flour tortillas are not popular here, and that is okay with me; I prefer corn!

We were entertained by native dancers while at dinner!

Tres Leches Cake!!

Saturday was a very busy day! The morning began after breakfast with a two hour surfing lesson in the waves of the Pacific Ocean. I have only been to the Pacific Ocean one other time in my life, when we traveled to California when I was ten years old. The water was much warmer this time around! I learned the technique to surf, and I was even successful a few times to stand up on my board. It takes a lot of coordination and timing, but once I got the hang of it, I loved every minute! I certainly have some board burns to show for my hard work, but I think they were worth it.

If you see the small person in the distance, that's me!

I am on the far left in this photo!

The crew! (I am sixth from the left in the orange suit!)

Post surfing snapshot! (I am third from the left)

Lauren and I took advantage of the break between surfing and the afternoon catamaran tour to take a run on the beach. I do not know the exact distance we run, but I estimate it was around four miles round trip to and from a very large rock on the beach. Sand is much more difficult to run on than typical pavement or grass, and my legs were feeling it when we finished. However, we went again yesterday in the opposite direction. It was a great way to explore the area, and the view was positively priceless!

Libby took this one picture of me;
I don't have enough candid running photos!

The catamaran was a gigantic touring boat that fits seventy or eighty people on it, but we only had around fifty. We departed from the shore in a much smaller boat around one o'clock in the afternoon and rode to where the larger boat was anchored. Throughout the afternoon we enjoyed various beverages and snacks. I had my first piña colada, since the drinking age is only 18 years old here. It was delicious! The ship crew made us homemade pico de gallo, guacamole, chocolate chip cookies, and pasta salad, and had a wide assortment of fresh fruit (pineapple, papaya, mango, watermelon--some of my favorites!!!) and chips for us. It was a great spread!
In the middle of the afternoon, we anchored further down the coast and got off the boat to snorkel for a while. It was a lot of fun seeing the different fish--there were some magnificently colored blue ones! I wish I had a photograph of the fish, but my camera wasn't built for the water. We returned to the Tamarindo coast in time for the sunset, which, while nothing spectacular due to cloud cover, was still quite a beauty. It is hard to believe all of the amazing opportunities I am having here, and how quickly these weeks are flying by!

In the catamaran--from left to right: me, Libby, and Lauren 

Posing on the boat!

Look at that bird flying in for some lunch!

One of the girls from our group is teaching
one of the crew members how to "dougie". 

Sunset view!

Snorkeling with friends! (I am second from the right)

Last night we went out for a quick dinner (and when I say quick, I mean an hour and a half; life is lived at a much slower pace here), where I had a bowl of the "soup of the sea". It contained several different forms of seafood, all of which I believe were freshly caught: shrimp, calamari, whitefish of some variety, and many different vegetables in a broth. As is Costa Rican tradition, it was served with rice on the side. We all turned in early after an exhausting day.

Yum!

This morning I woke up at 5:00 with McKenzie and Lauren to view the sunrise. Unfortunately, we were not at a good vantage point (and on the western coast) to see it well, but we still were up early to enjoy the absolutely delightful weather. I spent the morning enjoying the Costa Rican coffee and later jumping waves. The waves are better (yes, I am admitting that ocean waves are superior to Lake Michigan's) and more consistent in the ocean, but the one thing I have yet to adjust to is the salt content of the water! Yuck! I thoroughly enjoy my freshwater beauties in Michigan; at least I don't come out of the water dehydrated there! For the most part that wraps up my past few days. ¡Hasta luego!

It's Wednesday Again? Already?!

How quickly the past week has flown by! I have been in the country for eleven full days now, but it honestly feels like months! It is exhausting to hear in Spanish, talk in Spanish, learn in Spanish, practice in Spanish, write in Spanish, and seemingly breathe in Spanish, but I am starting to get the hang of it, little by little. Last Friday morning, I went running with Paola, my tica sister, and she even mentioned how much improvement she had noticed in my comprehension and speaking skills in just those five or six days. I am beginning to notice it too. I suppose that is the point though, right?

So. Much. Spanish! 

Typical breakfast of gallo pinto, fried egg (a new favorite!), toast, and pineapple.

Wednesday of last week, I went to the Artisan Market in downtown San Jose with some of my friends. The market is an enormously long tent with dozens upon dozens of vendors. Many sell the same gifts for different prices, so it is wise to scope out the tent in its entirety before purchasing anything. Additionally, the prices are not fixed; you can haggle with the vendor before making a purchase, and often if you have cash, you will get a lower price. I was most impressed with the wooden items: picture frames, crosses, puzzles, bowls, and so much more. These pieces were not simply made of oak or maple or birch wood; they were built using a variety of natural Costa Rican woods that are magnificent colors.

Friday afternoon approximately ninety students from ISA (the third-party through which I arranged my studies here) departed San Jose for Arenal Volcano, located north of here in the province of Alajuela. We had some free entertainment when a bull had to be lassoed back into the truck. Traffic was at a standstill for nearly 30 minutes as many men worked together to find a quick solution to this seemingly unusual problem.
















We stayed at Hotel Los Lagos, a very nice resort, through which ISA gets a significant discount because of the quantity of students that stay there every year. There were several pools with great water slides, thermal springs, and several onsite attraction: a crocodile farm, a frog garden, a butterfly house, and an ant farm! I personally liked the frog garden best; the frogs were splendiferous colors! (Yes, I just used the word splendiferous!)

Mariposas (butterflies)

Ranas (frogs)

The food was both traditional Costa Rican food and some American food as well, and I loved it! We had gallo pinto, an abundance of fresh fruit, homemade pastas, chicken, beef, and my favorite, the tres leche cake, which is named for the three milks it uses: whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk. It was the only dessert that was nut free, but I certainly didn't mind!
Saturday morning was spent in the rainforest rappelling from the tops of waterfalls! It was an awesome experience. Even though it was raining (hence rainforest!), I did not mind getting wet. After all, we were swinging through waterfalls anyways! We traveled in the back of 4x4 pick-up trucks from "base camp" to the entrance of the forest. It was a bumpy ride!

Just a lil' bumpy!

We then spent the next couple hours hiking through the forest and completing four rappels. It was very similar to descending after rock climbing, which I happen to enjoy very much. In fact, sometimes I would like to move out west so I can climb real rocks! I am still waiting on receiving pictures from a classmate who had a waterproof camera so I can post some of me in the full gear. I had a harness, helmet, and lots of carabiners. After the excursion, we returned to base camp, where we were treated to a magnificent traditional lunch and coffee!

Post-Canyoneering meal

That afternoon and evening were spent bouncing between the thermal waters and cooler pools with the water slides.

Sunday morning a few friends and I were going to get up at 5:00 to watch the sun rise over the volcano, but unfortunately, it was storming when we woke up. However, after we went back to bed for an hour and a half the sun had come out, and we were treated to some great pictures of the volcano.

The Volcano

My friend Susan and me

Then we went to La Fortuna Waterfall, perhaps my favorite view thus far! We were privileged to hike down to it and have the opportunity to swim in the water. At first, it felt very chilly, but soon the slight chill was refreshing. It was much harder than I thought to swim against the current toward the rushing waterfall! It made for great photographs and memories though!

In front of the waterfall!

Later on, before departing Los Lagos, my friends Lauren and McKenzie joined me for a run up the side of the Arenal Volcano. There were such magnificent sights there! It was a very difficult run, but I certainly felt accomplished after completing it!

From left to right: McKenzie, Lauren, and me

Sunday night I went to my first Costa Rican mass at a small church, Parroquia Nuestra Señora de la Limpia Concepción del Rescate de Ujarrás, just a few blocks from my host family's home. In fact, my tica papa volunteers there on a regular basis and I can find him reading a religious book every morning. What a treat for me to be in this home!

Today I had the opportunity to learn how to make gallo pinto at the ISA office. One of the professors, Jeannette, from Veritás University taught us the traditional method and also made us dulcecitas, a mixture of sweetened condensed milk and coconut with vanilla, sugar, and eggs. Both were fabulous! I have a strong feeling that many meals next fall will be rice and beans: quick, cheap, and healthy! It's wonderful! I am going to attempt to post again in under eight days, but there are midterms this Friday!

The next Martha Stewart!