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!