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!