Time is Flying By!

I am seriously slacking on my blogposts lately. I should be writing about my adventures, the great food I am eating, the people I am meeting, and, most importantly, the plethora of new things I am learning! But alas, time slips between my fingers more and more quickly each day. Additionally, I should apologize for the lack of photos, but I sometimes forget my camera, and friends are slow in posting them to Facebook. Someday I will try to post them! It is difficult to believe that I have been here for 7.5 weeks already, which is 75% of my time here in Costa Rica. But, at the same time, I am getting very excited to return to the states, to see my family and friends, to return to my normal routine, and to no longer be a guest. With that being said, however, I have had an amazing experience here and have grown so much. 

Last weekend (July 12/13) was spent doing a few different things. Friday I traveled about a half hour to Heredia, a city north of San Jose, where my father's longtime friend Joan lives. Joan's late husband Arturo worked with Dad in Montreal, and they retired here in the early 1990's. Joan and I were able to have a lengthy conversation about Costa Rican culture and my experiences here over a lunch at an authentic Costa Rican restaurant about a block from her home. Even though had never met Joan before that day, I was blessed to have the opportunity to talk with such a wise woman! She had great advice for my nursing career (she retired in 1992 after decades of nursing) and we were able to talk about some of the various happenings in the Church, as she is a very devout Catholic.

Joan and me

The following day, I woke up very early (about 4:30am) to go white water rafting. One of my father's former co-workers is native to Costa Rica and put me in touch with his brother Adolfo. Adolfo and his wife graciously offered to take me white water rafting on the Pacuare River. The Pacuare is located on the eastern side of the county and is ranked as one of the top ten commercial rafting rivers in the world! We went through Class III and Class IV rapids. The highest is Class VI, which is a straight drop waterfall. Needless to say we went through some turbulent waters! 

We left San Jose around 5:30 and arrived at base camp around 8:00 for a typical Costa Rican breakfast of gallo pinto, some of the best scrambled eggs I have ever had, potatoes, and more fruit than I could eat! And I mustn't forget the coffee too! Then we traveled another hour to the starting point on the Pacuare. We rafted for approximately three hours before stopping for lunch, which the guides had packed for us: sandwiches, veggies, fresh pineapple and watermelon, and chips, guacamole, and refried beans. Then we hopped back in our rafts for another hour and a half to finish our eighteen mile trip on the river. By the end of the day I was both exhausted and soaked. I hadn't expected anything less though, really, since I had volunteered to sit in the front of the boat. On the way home, after changing into dry clothing and getting a warm beverage, I slept very well. It was a splendid day full of adventure, and I am looking forward to doing more white water rafting and other adventure sports in the future! I really enjoy things like that including rock climbing, ropes courses, and hiking. Unfortunately, I have no photos to post yet. 

This past weekend was spent in Manuel Antonio, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Costa Rica. Two parts of this beach town make it so appealing to foreigners: the beautiful beach with great waves and the biologically diverse national park. I personally preferred the park over the beach, but most others preferred the beach more. (Personally, I still have yet to become accustomed to the saltiness of the water! I miss my freshwater Great Lakes!) 

To travel to Manuel Antonio, we took the public bus (there are buses to everywhere for relatively cheap!), which was slightly over three hours. We arrived in Manuel Antonio, and were dropped off at the Manuel Antonio Backpackers Hostel. Despite asking our bus driver if this was the correct hostel (there are two backpackers in the town), we were left at the wrong one. When we inquired at the hostel, the man only replied, "Pura Vida!" as we went on our way. Not helpful, sir, not helpful. We started to walk the two kilometers to the correct location when we decided to flag down a taxi. In retrospect that was a very wise decision, as the man in the hostel underestimated the two kilometer walk. My best guess is that it was in the ballpark of two miles, and we all had our luggage with us! 

Eventually we arrived at the correct hostel, National Park Backpackers Manuel Antonio. We settled in, then set out for Quepos, the larger town nearby where we needed to purchase our bus tickets for Sunday's return trip. While in Quepos, we also purchased provisions at the grocery store for lunch. My friend Lauren and I split the makings of veggie sandwiches and pineapple. A whole pineapple only cost us 690 colones (about $1.38 USD). I wish the fruit were that cheap in the United States. I could easily live off of it!

So. Much. Pineapple.

We spent the afternoon hiking in the national park, where we spotted two sloths, dozens of monkeys--three different species: spider, white-faced capuchins, and howler, deer, raccoons, agoutis, and many different insects and birds. I love seeing these animals in the wild! Definitely don't see monkeys or sloths just chilling out in the trees back in Michigan or Pittsburgh!

Saturday night was an early-to-bed kind of night. We had a relatively early dinner since the park closed at 4:00, and then it poured around 7:00. I fell asleep shortly after 8:00 while reading, and slept until about 7:00 the next morning. I appreciated the extra sleep! We were in dorm beds, so it was not exactly the best sleep, but more sleep than I get on an average night...about 50% more!
Sunday morning we ate breakfast at a small hotel called Loma Linda. They offered a huge breakfast for only two mil (about $4 US). First we had coffee, fruit, and a pancake. Bananas, watermelon, papaya, and pineapple were cut neatly into slices for us to enjoy. I have learned the art of adding bananas to oatmeal and pancakes, and I love it! Something I will definitely do once I am back home, although I am certain the bananas will not taste nearly as good. I am so spoiled by the fruit in this country! After we finished that, the server brought out another large plate, this time piled high with gallo pinto, scrambled eggs, and fresh, warm white bread: the typical Costa Rican breakfast. I have a feeling I will be eating a lot of rice and beans this fall, since it is quick, healthy, and cheap. I actually think I will miss the Costa Rican staple! However, there are definitely some foods from home that I am craving here. One is spaghetti with real spaghetti sauce. My mama tica makes pasta a few times a week, but the sauce is very watery and nothing like my real mom's homemade sauce that simmers in the crock-pot all day long with lots of tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, and ground meat. I also miss a simple bowl of cold cereal and milk. Perhaps that comes from being a ¨Kellogg's Kid¨, or maybe I just being able to prepare my own breakfast. It is such an adjustment to be served breakfast and dinner every day. Growing up, Valerie and I loved cooking dinner, and that is something I really have missed while being abroad.
We spent Sunday morning at the public beach in Manuel Antonio, jumping waves and getting tan. For many of my friends, it was their last weekend here, because their session was only eight weeks. It was likely my last trip to the Pacific coast here as well. It was a relaxing morning, and we left for San Jose early that afternoon.
Monday night, back in San Jose, was one of my friend´s 20th birthday. A group of us went to the Pie Factory to celebrate, and I had strawberry cream pie. Unfortunately the nut-free options were limited, but I was still very pleased with my choice. It was great fun to hang out for a couple hours on a ¨school night¨ and enjoy each other's company, since the majority of them leave this weekend.

Happy Birthday, Lauren!

Yesterday I traveled to an indigenous reservation my Tropical Medicine class. We visited the Quitirrisí tribe, which is located about an hour northwest of San Jose. We spent the morning learning about various plants used for healing, the different aspects of the Quitirrisí culture, and received a blessing from their shaman. They also fed us a traditional "sandwich", which consisted of corn tortillas, eggs, and beans wrapped in a banana leaf. It was delicious!

Two of my classmates, Emily and Meghan, and me 

The ceremonial fire

Don Juan, the shaman, explaining one of the rituals

Tasting freshly squeezed sugar cane

Traditional eggs and beans sandwich

Speaking of this weekend, it is about to be an adventure! Tomorrow is a holiday here which celebrates the annexation (or addition) of the Guanacaste province to Costa Rica in the 1850s. The province really wanted to be a part of this country, and there are huge celebrations, especially in Liberia, the largest city in Guanacaste. My friend Jessie (who also happens to attend the University of Pittsburgh, though we did not know each other before coming down here) and I will travel to Liberia to attend the celebrations. We will spend the night in a hostel there and travel to Rio Celeste on Friday afternoon. We will spend Saturday morning hiking in Rio Celeste, which is renowned for its beautiful waters. I am hoping to get some great pictures!