Tamarindo: Straight out of a Postcard

This weekend we went to the beach of Tamarindo. It is northwest of San Jose, on el Óceano Pacífico. The bus ride was rather long, topping somewhere near 8 hours. Good thing we were able to watch Here Comes the Boom and a couple of other movies. Moreover, my lovely friends and I spend a good amount of the time just dropping pick up lines and planning the next seven weekends that we have together. After the painfully long ride, we finally made it around 8 or 9. I was too tired and car sick to even look at my watch. Our hotel was across the way from the beach. You walked across the street and through a restaurant and bam, there was the Pacific Ocean. So, what did we do? After an amazing sushi dinner with my friend, we threw our stuff down and ran to the beach. It was amazing. We sat and walked and even had a bonfire on the beach. The waves and the stars seemed a little too similar to the postcards that I have seen to believe it.

 

The next day, we went as a group to get breakfast at a beach front café. Yes, my breakfast of gallopinto (a common dish of rice mixed with beans), eggs, and tortillas was on the beach, with my chair slowly sinking into the wonderfully warm white sand. To make it even more special, my friend Chelsey and I took our mugs of coffee and sat under a nearby palm tree and watched the waves. Needless to say, the waiters made fun of us by asking if we just wanted a straw in the coffee pot. Not going to lie, I was considering it. After we had our fill, we grabbed our suits and walked down to the beach. My mamatica was sweet enough to lend me a bamboo mat to use on the sand since the sand in my towel almost broke the washer last time I was at the beach. We set up out things and walked straight into the water. They weren’t kidding when they said that waves are a little strong. My first wave tossed me into a rock that left a shiner on my left shin. Already winning. We spent about two hours just letting the waves toss us around. There were surfers that we watched and the view was spectacular. I could have spent forever there. I was, however, interrupted by a new challenge: surfing. Some people in our group rented surf boards. One of the friends was tired and offered to let me and a couple of girls to borrow it for a little while. It was so hard. There was no way I was going to get up on my feet, but I did manage to get into a kneeling position. My poor knees were raw after trying that, but I’ll take kneeling on a surf board any day.

 

After a quick lunch of peanut butter and banana tortillas, we spent some more time on the beach. I borrowed my friend Ale’s boogie board and had a blast. Sure, I’m not really built to be a surfer or boogie boarder, but I loved it. I caught one wave that sent me almost all the way up to the beach. Shining moment for me. We went in and spent time at the pool. It became increasingly evident at this point that none of my sunscreen took to my skin and that I was extremely burnt. Again. So, I threw on my cubs hat and sat in the pool like a good sun burnt water baby. We had a couple of chicken fights and mainly threw around a soccer ball and Frisbee.

 

After a much needed shower, we went to watch the sunset from a look out point. We walked about 20 minutes up the beach and then climbed up a hill. Suddenly, we were upon the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen. Seriously, this view put The Little Mermaid, Hercules, and every other Disney perfect sunset to shame. We spent the time taking pictures and just watching as the sun slowly set. It was gorgeous. We walked along the beach back to our hotel and then a group of my friends and I went searching for dinner. After receiving terrible service at the first restaurant and having to change to another one, we found a pizza place that cooked it in front of you. There are pictures that claim I ate an entire pizza. I just want to confirm this. Surfing, sun, boogie boarding, and more sun can really take it out of you.

 

That night, we had a party on the beach. It was so much fun. Oddly enough, two guys from Texas walked up and made friends with our group. We went dancing with them at the local club. I learned the Bachata, Meringue, and Salsa from one of them. It was some of the most fun I had all month. I love to dance. I even made a friend from Canada to top it off!  Once we decided that we were over the club scene, we went and changed to go swimming once again. I refused to put my swimsuit on again and just claimed that I wasn’t going to swim. You can imagine how that turned out. I ended up in the water, of course. It started, though, through a quick Salsa dance lesson while wading in the water, which I think it pretty cool. I learned how to dance a few new moves while standing, or at least trying to stand, in the Pacific Ocean. How many people can say that?  We ended up staying up until about 3 in the morning just hanging around the pool and talking.

 

The next day, I had breakfast on the beach again. It really didn’t get old. Then, I spent the day by the pool hanging out and reading a book in Spanish that my papatico lent me. We had to check out of the hotel at 12 and didn’t have to get on the bus until 2 so I went and spent time with my friends. I had a little taste of home at Subway for lunch and went on a “baby adventure” to find t shirts and postcards with my friend Chris. We left at 2 and did not get home until 9. We spent about an hour in stop and go traffic. It was like I was back home in Chicago!

 

Tamarindo was a blast. I really did enjoy it. My only negative thoughts were that it was so touristy. Everyone spoke English and didn’t even try to speak Spanish to you. There were more gringos than there were locals. Everything was geared to cater to the gringos too. There was even a Subway. Good thing the beach was to die for. I could look past the fact that I used my Spanish only four times because I was able to swim in a beach that came right out of a movie. I loved that beach. The sand was soft and the waves were high. I’m so grateful to have this experience and to spend it with some amazing people. It is still hard to believe that I am even here, living a dream of mine. I hope I never wake up.

Una Sonrisa

I learned in my speech class in the 7th grade that a smile, or sonrisa, is the only gesture that is common among all languages. It is really simple to say that this is true. To experience it, though, is a completely different ball game.

I love to say hello to people when I walk by. I guess you could blame it on the year I spent living "Minnesota Nice". Regardless, I smile, say hello, and sometimes even wave. There is nothing different about that for me now in Costa Rica. Everyday on my walk to and from school, my roommate Devon and I pass by some type of garage/ store that has a security guard that watches the front door. And, everyday, without fail, we say some type of greeting. I'm not really sure what happened since that first hello, but he and I have become friends. In the morning we walk by and he now stands up to wave to me and say hello. The exact same thing happens every afternoon when I walk home. Devon laughs that she doesn't want to get in the way of my new friendship and even steps to the side sometimes while we walk. It has even gotten so routine that one time, when we didn't see him when we passed by, when we turned to look back, and he was standing outside of the shop waving at us. I have never said anything more than "Buenos dias", "Hola", o "Buenas Tardes" to him but everyday, I watch his eyes light up and a smile spread across his face from my hello.

Today when I walked by the garage, I was by myself and lost in my thoughts. When I realized that I was only two blocks away from my friend and, no doubt, his big smile, I started to get excited. No, a smile doesn't cost anything. It isn't something that takes a ton of thought or preparation. It is probably the simplest gift someone could give. One of these days, I'm going to introduce myself and talk to him a little bit, but, in all honesty, I think that his smile says it all. It says that while I may be miles upon miles away from my home, I still matter to someone down here, even if the longest sentence I have ever said to him has been two words. Sometimes, all you need is una sonrisa.

Futbol, Volcan Poas, y Cafe Britt

My feet hurt, I will never complain about Vuvuzuelas again, and I am finally not feeling so jittery from caffeine overdose. Let me explain.

On Friday night, my friends Ale, Leo, Devon, Faith, Shelby and I went to the Costa Rica vs. Belize game at the National Stadium in San Jose. The stadium is commonly known as angel wings because there are two large curving walls that come up from each side that cover the stands but leave the field open to the sky. The stadium was surprisingly empty for being such a popular sport here. Apparently the team is not playing well at all so people are just not going to the games at this time. Regardless, it was awesome. The people get so into the game that everyone jumps and cheers when something happens: good, bad, or neutral. People yell, blow into horns, bang on drums, and whistle. The amount of noise that was produced was definitely impressive with the amount of people there. Costa Rica won 1-0. After being there, and planning on returning for the USA vs. Costa Rica game, I will never complain about hearing Vuvuzuelas again. Most people, instead of vuvuzuelas, blow air horns that make vuvuzuelas look like child's play.

After the game, we all went to an "American Bar". The waitresses were wearing cowboy hats and boots with plaid shirts. What I have gathered is that when people think of the US, they either think of downtown cities or Texas. I think it is so cool to see what they think of us because we always have stereotypes of other people and we think that other people don't have the same stereotypes of us.

The next day, after only about 3 hours of sleep, we left for a full Saturday.  First, we stopped at a small coffee plantation and had some coffee. It was amazing coffee. Definitely the richest I have ever had. My friend even had strawberry coffee that was incredible. After, we drove up to the Volcan Poas. It  was a winding road that took us up and up. By the time we arrived at the Volcano, it seemed like we were in a different country. It was cold and misty. Ok, misty is an understatement. We literally were in the middle of a cloud. We walked up a path, which, by the end, left me rather soaked. We looked over the edge of a railing and saw nothing but white. Apparently there was a crater down there that is amazing. Apparently you can only see it if you are super lucky and come on a clear day. Apparently that only happens if you and God strike a deal. No worries though, it was a fun experience. After looking at the "crater", we walked, or rather, hiked up a path to look at a lake. The hike put my out of shape body to shame. It was a path that wove through the woods and rainforest and was so beautiful. It was just as green as my face was red. We hiked for what seemed like hours, but was really only about 10 minutes, to see a lake that, not surprisingly was also covered by a cloud. A wonderful workout with incredible scenery is what I'll sum that up to.

After a little drive, we went to a resort named La Paz Waterfall. We had a buffet fit for a king and were able to walk around for a couple of hours to see the different attractions the area had. There was a monkey house and butterfly house. The monkeys were cool to look at but after seeing them be trouble makers on the beach a couple of weekends back, I don't know if I could ever call them cute again. The butterfly house is a large house that had hundreds of butterflies. If you stand still enough and luck is on your side, they landed on you. I can't stand still, unfortunately. There was also a garden that had hummingbirds, or colibri, that you could walk through. I have never seen so many hummingbirds in one place in my life. The large attraction, though, were the waterfalls, or caratas. You walked down a good amount of stairs, turned a corner, and bam, there was a huge waterfall. You followed the path further back, and you were right next to the carata. Amazing. Then, after a little walk the other way, you were at the bottom of another waterfall that you only saw the top of before. Once again, after a little walk, you could stand behind the waterfall and look out. I was so impressed. It put the waterfall at Apple Canyon Lake that we talk about each summer to shame.

Needless to say, after a  night and day like this, I was exhausted and very happy to come home and sleep in my bed. I slept for 10 hours in my full size bed with freshly cleaned sheets thanks to my familia tica. I really like living with them; they spoil me.

On Sunday, we were allowed to sleep in until 9. Whoa, that was amazing. We then drove to Cafe Britt, a very popular brand of coffee's plantation to take a tour and have lunch. They had free coffee samples. Challenge accepted. The tour was made for tourists so it was funny but cheesy.We learned how to try coffee the right way and how they make the coffee. Here, instead of Mr. Coffee, they use a chonete, which is a sack filter that you fill with grounds and water and it filters over the cup. After the tour, we walked around downtown San Jose. Here's the deal about downtown. It is not very safe or clean. I heard that living there for 2 weeks is like smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. There is also garbage everywhere. Obviously, I'm rather spoiled with Chicago. Also, downtown is a little on the dangerous side. They say not to wear any jewelry because it will be stolen, especially if you are an extranjero (foreigner). I think that I like the barrios better.

This weekend was jam packed. I really enjoyed it. Some of my favorite parts are the bus rides were we make jokes, tell stories, and even try our hands at pick up lines. I've made some pretty amazing friends here. I enjoy experiencing it all with these people because feeling exhausted, or cold, or shaky from 6 cups of coffee is only fun when you share it with others.

Mi Familia Tica

Mi familia tica is, to say the least, welcoming. My papa tico is Luis. Whenever I am sitting around in the living room, he comes around and teaches me something about the world or how to make something in origami. He loves to fold origami while he watches Big Bang Theory. He is from Spain and therefore has a lovely Spanish accent that, surprisingly, is really easy to understand. The best part of him being from Spain is that he understands what it is like to not be used to a tropical climate. He took me on a walk and showed me all of the plants that are normal for a tico but not for an extranjero (foreigner) like me. There is even a plant that moves when you touch it. So cool. It is very evident that he is curious about almost every part of life. He doesn't smile with just his mouth, he smiles with his whole face.

Marta, mi mama tica, is adorable, especially when she is excited or is talking to the pets. She always tells me about the different things that are happening in Costa Rica. Like any other tico, she loves to touch. She'll hold my hand when she is telling me something important or kiss my cheek when I leave the house. Everyday, she makes breakfast and dinner for my roommate, Devon, and me. I think she is testing the limits of my stomach with the amount of food on each plate. The food is incredible, especially the platanos maduros, but let's be honest, three plates of food is very hard to fit in one stomach. During the meal, she talks mainly at me and Devon about everything from education to laws to the flu season to prices of food. The best way to describe her is the name that they use at the University for the host moms, "Mamaticas". She for sure is treating us like her kids. For example, She told me that she was happy that I had such a good appetite because it meant I was healthy. She even put aloe on my shoulders and Devon's back when we both came back from the beach fried.

The twins, Lorna and Analia, crack me up. While Marta y Luis are talking, they jump in with comments that are very hard not to laugh at, and are usually when I am trying to listen politely. Lorna is super sarcastic and has no problem being herself. For example, for their birthday, they receive bikinis from someone. Lorna holds it up to herself and loudly proclaims in regards to how small it was, "uf, todo va a quemar." (Well, every things going to burn). Analia is sweet and is very helpful when explaining something. She is very patient especially when finding the right word takes a while for me. They are 26 now and are both looking for jobs. Lorna studied education and Analia studied international relations.

The dogs, Inca y Simba, are precious. They sleep on the couches, in the bed of the twins, under the piano keyboard that is in the kitchen, anywhere. They barely bark or make any sound except for the rattling of their tags. While I'm doing homework at the table, if no one else is eating, the dogs graciously occupy my free hand while I write with the other. As sweet as the dogs are, Dubhe, the cat, isn't. The family told me the first day that I came not to touch Dubhe because she'll bite and scratch. May or may not have found out that it is true when I was teasing her one time. Oops. Dubhe, though, is very good at killing bugs, for which I am grateful.

The family welcomed me literally with open arms. My mama tica told me to think of this place as my home. We can come and go as we please, watch TV, do homework in the living room, and use practically anything in the house. Even though they don't speak a lick of English, the family makes a wonderful effort to include me in the conversation because they know that I can understand a good amount of it. They have taken me on walks around the barrio (neighborhood) and to different stores and back. It seems like they get warmer and warmer each day that I am here, if that is even possible.

Puerto Viejo: Crunchy and Crispy

This past weekend we went on an excursion to Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica. It is on the Carribean Sea near Panama in Limon. We drove for about 5 horas en un autobus to get there. Get this: we drove through a park that is in the mountains. The cool part is that we were literally driving in the clouds. When you looked outside, you saw the nearest foliage and then white. Once we arrived, we had a free night. What was it like? Imagine a mix between Carribean, Jamaican, Costa Rican, and European. Yes, we were on the Carrbean Sea and there was a huge presence of Jamaica there, especialmente the colors of black, red, and green. Every person is tan, with beachy wavy hair and definitely have free spirits. It is the epitomy of "Don't Worry, Be Happy".  Our hotel was across the street from the beach and so we could hear the water casi siempre. The weather was like July in Chicago. Therefore, my normally straight hair curled up like a spring! We quickly realized that the entire area had a bar almost every other building. So, after dinner, we went out and enjoyed the relaxing lifestyle. The highlight was the salsa dancing at the bar in front of our hotel entrance. One of our tour guides, Luis took turns teaching some of the girls how to dance. After a sufficient time out, we went to bed.

The next day, we got up and had breakfast. Our options were croissants or arroz con frijoles (rice and beans) and eggs. In case you were wondering, Costa Ricas are almost as good at making croissants with ham or chocolate or crema as the French. After, we took a short bus ride to the Cahuita National Park. We were supposed to go snorkeling but were told we couldn't because of the rip tide. We definitely didn't complain after seeing the waves. I'm a good swimmer but definitely not that good! Instead, we walked through the park and looked at all of the wild life. Our guide showed us sloths, snakes, and monkey. Sloths are by far the cutest things I have seen. Their eyes are so sad! We also saw a eyelash viper, which is a yellow snake that is venomous. Monkeys here are the trouble makers. They come down and grab your stuff if they think that there is food in your bag or hand. Monkeys are way different from the cute portrayal in the US. We also saw a "Basilisc". You can probably imagine my excitement to hear that word, as I am a huge Harry Potter fan. Sadly, when I turned around, I saw that it wasn't a snake that petrifies you. It was a lizard that blends in with the palm trees, which still is really cool. After our walk, we went to the beach.

Let's be honest, it was like none of us "gringos" had seen a beach before. We ran to the water. There were beautiful palm trees and soft sand. Paradise to say the least. We spend the afternoon swimming and walking. Our guide, Luis, told us to soak up the sun because "you all are still too blancos". Silly, Luis, we burned. But let's talk about the beauty first. The water wasn't clear, but it was the perfect temperature. The sun was bright and the sky was clear. Apart from the occasional drift wood that would hit your leg and terrify you, there wasn't any animals in the water. The after math though wasn't quite as pretty. I'll take my back nice and crispy, thank you! Everyone was a nice shade of red after the beach, no matter how much bloqueador (sunscreen) they put on. Not a problem, though. We all were so happy to be where we were. We returned to Puerto Viejo to do whatever we wanted for the rest of the afternoon and night.

What did we want to do? Shop. We walked around the small "tiendas" and looked at all of the different things. I bought my first pulsera (bracelet) of the trip! I plan to buy one every new place I go. After spending time walking, and watching others get henna tattoos, we went to a cute restaurant for dinner. Chicken Fajitas are amazing when you get them from an actual Spanish speaking country. Who would have thought? After dinner and resting in some of the many hammocks that were in the courtyard of our hotel, we went out. Some of the boys made a fire on the beach. We went from there to different bars and finally ended up on the playa (beach). Yes, we stood outside of a bar, on a beach, dancing with our feet in the water. How cool is that?! The stars were out and the music was playing. I know that it sounds like country song, but I promise it was real! We danced to Gangam Style on the sand and learned Salsa from one of our teachers, Ale, which is short for Alejandro. Knowing that we had to get up early the next day cut the party short for us. We went back to the hotel and relaxed in the hammocks and I chatted with the bus driver to practice mi espanol. My friends and I had some wonderful laughs at everything that happened that night to say the least.

The next morning, after breakfast, we went to a beach about an hour away. Some people stayed on the beach while we went for a walk with our guides to see out onto the sea. Not knowing that we would be hiking, we wore flip flops and were carrying our towels. So, when the path suddenly turned into mud with coconuts and palm branches mix into it, going up hills with roots from the trees, I learned what it felt like to really be one with nature and walk barefoot. After, my feet were covered in mud, sand, dirt, and some unidentifiable things. It was really hard but so much fun. The view was incredible. I felt like I was looking at a post card. The final spot was a rock that was sticking out onto the sea. Gorgeous. Nothing else can describe it. Next, we climbed, or in my case, slid down the hill that we just climbed to go to a beach that was surrounded by rocks. The waves were huge and strong so swimming was not really an option. We spent about an hour there just soaking in the beauty. We returned to the rest of the group and drove back to the hotel. Which brings me to my next adjective: crunchy. Sand and dirt everywhere. On my shoes, in my hair, in my bags, in my pockets, in my ears, everywhere. The shower was like being baptised again; I felt amazing. We quickly packed up and went to lunch. Casado con pescado is the way to go for sure. It is a filet of fish, with rice, beans, and ensalada. As if that wasn't perfect enough, there was freshly made mango juice. Every meal I have has some type of juice with it. And, every time I drink the juice, I realize that I really am in a tropical country where juice isn't from a bottle, it's from the tree outside. It was amazing.

The drive back was a ride for sure. We stopped and saw the actual port where they export a good amount of Del Monte fruit and other things. Then we drove for a few hours. I spent the time laughing so hard I was crying with my friends about the different funny things that happened this weekend. After a couple of stops and a few good conversations in Spanish, we finally made it home.

I really enjoyed Puerto Viejo. It was beautiful scenery with people that understood what it means to really enjoy life. The thing that got me, though, was that while we were there, we couldn't drink the water. It is a weird feeling when you realize that you are so far from home that the water is so different that it will make you sick. I was happy to come to my tica home to know that there I could drink the water and be safe. It is definitely a reality check when you are somewhere so different. It makes you appreciate what you have. According to my familia tica and my other friends, I'm a nice color that is less white than before.It was an amazing excursion.

Vaya con Dios

Once upon a time, one of the many projects that I made in Spanish class in high school required a motto. I decided on "Vaya con dios", which translates to "Go with God". I remember telling the class that I decided on this motto because "if you go with God, life is much more beautiful". Looking back over the past 48 hours, I know that this motto definitely applies.


Traveling is stressful. I love it, but it is a challenge. My first flight was delayed by 3 hours. That caused me to miss my connection and have a 6 hour lay over in Houston. It didn't help that I was already nervous about going and now stressed about flights and had ample time to sit and think. Then, I arrived 6 hours late in Costa Rica at about 11pm. Stressful, to say the least.

Good thing I had some angels. Like the little girl I sat next to on the flight to Houston that kept me busy by telling me everything she loved about her trip to Chicago. (The highlight for her? Lou Malnatis Pizza. Atta girl!) Like the post-grad I met that was doing a similar program in San Jose also, who lent me her iphone charger when mine was about to die and then spent the whole time in Houston with me when we were stuck. Like my family that listened to my multiple calls about flights and fears. Like the Tican woman I met on my flight to Costa Rica that gave me her phone number and email just in case I needed anything. Like the travel agent that picked another student and me up from the airport that was so funny I couldn't even think about being nervous. Like my family that graciously greeted me even at the late hour.

After everything, I am so happy that I am here. My family is fun and exciting. The father loves to talk about anything and even taught my housemate and me how to make an origami "paloma" or crane. My mother is very sweet and can cook food that would put Los Potrillos to shame. The twin daughters are very funny, especially when the father is talking and they are making comments. The dog, Inca, is going to be my best friend. Dubhe, the cat, though, will not. 

My school is small and very artsy. Orientation today was not exactly helpful, but thankfully, I met some friends and we figured things out together. Classes start tomorrow. While I might not know exactly where any of the bathrooms in the school are, or where my class is, or anything for that matter, I do know that I will go con dios.

¡Vamos!

My bags are packed, I've said goodbye to a few people, and I have had my final meal at Portillos. Sounds like the exact same story that happens every time I leave for EIU. The differences, although very subtle, are kind of important. Not bags but bag. Not a few people or just one goodbye, but multiple hugs and "I'll see you soon!"s to nearly everyone that I know. Not a final meal at Portillos, but a final marathon of all my favorite American food. The countdown is officially down to only hours. Soon I'll be hopping onto flights that will throw me into a country that I'm planning on loving. I'll be gone for four, terrifying, thrilling, (and hopefully) terrific months. I've been planning this trip since my sophomore year in high school when I first heard of studying abroad. Therefore, to say I have some plans and goals would be a gross understatement. Here are a few:

1. Ziplining. (Sorry, Mom and Dad, but we both knew that this was going to happen some day.)
2. Swim on a few of the beautiful beaches that cover every travel book I have seen.
3. Soak up as much of the tican culture as I can.
4. Go to Panama.
5. Write a consistent blog.
6. Take at least one amazing photo that literally takes your breath away.
7. Take at least a hundred other photos that don't necessarily take your breath away.
8. Try and not stand out like a grienga too much.
9. And, most importantly, learn as much Spanish as I can possibly fit into my brain.

While the Special Education major inside of me is screaming that these goals are not "observable and measurable", the Spanish major within me could not be more excited. So, let's go. Or should I say, ¡Vamos!