Been a long time...

Ok, so I haven’t written in a while. I guess I got busy… but mainly lazy. I am getting ready for Ben and Aaron to arrive. I will take my last exam on Wednesday and then go pick them up. We have quite an itinerary. It should be an exciting month.
A few exciting things happened since the last time I wrote. So, almost every town of size has a futbol (soccer) team. The best ones of from San Jose or Alajuela, the big cities. However, this year the Puntarenas team was awesome, we just kept winning. First we were the best in the country, then we started playing other Latin American teams. About a week ago, Puntarenas played a huge game against a well-known Honduras team in their home town. The team who won this game would be Central American Champions. The whole city watched on TV, but no one expected Puntarenas to win. I watched it at the B&B next door to the school outside on the patio. Every time we scored a goal, we could hear cheering from all the homes and restaurants around the city. We’d scream really quick and then get quiet to listen to all the yelling. It was a very exciting game- they were tied at the end and had to go to sudden death. Puntarenas kicked butt. As soon as the final kick was made, we ran to the street (along with everyone else in town). There were many people with flags, cheering, hugging, and having a great time. We made our way downtown where there was a big party in the street. There was singing and dancing and all the gringo students joined in. Everyone said they had never seen Puntarenas like this. It was really incredible with fireworks and general mob madness. We were so lucky to be here during this time, seeing how significant futbol is to Latin America and being from the little town that would become champion. It was really special.
The next Sunday was election day, and because of Costa Rican law, no alcohol is sold for 2 days before elections. Amanda, Kristin and I decided to go to San Jose to dance, thinking that people don’t need alcohol to go dancing. We discovered, however, that clubs need to sell alcohol to make money, so all the discos were closed. We were bummed, but ordered Papa John’s to be delivered to the hostel and decided to go to the National Theatre instead. There was a modern dance festival, with many different choreographers and dancers. The tickets were only $2 (for the 3rd balcony) and the show was really beautiful and incredible. We had so much fun and got all dressed up. After, we hung out at the hostel and played cards. The next day, the girls wanted to go home early, but I stayed to hang out with one of the Ticos who worked at the hostel. We walked around, he took me to the zoo (it was really sad, although I did see a jaguar) and then to lunch. It was a great weekend.
Some random thoughts:
-It has stopped raining, but we are experiencing SCORCHING heat. I can barely take it.
-My host mom told me I was “mas gorda” (more fat) and my pants are getting tight (eek).
-I have mystery groupings of bug bites on my left foot only that itch like hell.
-2 teachers have kindly offered to house me and the boys during our travels.
-I have found a home I want to buy in Nicaragua. Check it out:
-I am sick of hearing “hey you/ mi amour/ baby/ I luv you/ machita, macha (slang words for a blond woman)” all day long everyday.
-My mom told me that “this is my home” and when I come back to visit I can always stay here. She also said she would cry when I was gone. It was a nice sentiment.
-I want to make fudge for Christmas, but I’m pretty sure Karo syrup doesn’t exist here.
-Since Jennifer, the last student, brought the kids a playstation, they haven’t left the living room. Sometimes my 10 yr old bro and my 5 yr old sis are up after midnight playing. Somebody break the tv.
I had my final politics class on Monday and then my last dance class on Tuesday. We had a big dance party afterwards which was so much fun. When some strange music (sounds like matador music or something) came on, my teacher asked me to dance. He positioned our hands and then said, “hold on tight.” He spun me around so much, I didn’t know the moves at all, but I held on and it was awesome. I would love to know all the different types of dance. There is so much diversity in the types of dance. We have all learned so much and I will really miss dancing here in CR.
That is all for now. I will try to get out one more before I leave for the month long adventure. All my love…

Weird Tico Turkey

Last Wednesday, Tony and I met with Carlitos (dance teacher) to learn our bolero routine. We recorded the whole thing on video and vowed to practice later. Tony had Dengue Fever last week, which has similar symptoms as malaria, but he was lucky and didn’t have it too bad. He did get this gnarly rash all over his body. The rest of the week was uneventful (no cooking class). Oh! That’s not true- the B&B that Josh lives at started serving food last week. The owners (Robb and Kathy) did margarita Monday and I had dinner there one day. Veggie sandwich with gouda cheese, avocado, corn, cilantro, and tomato and a baked potato. I was so excited to have something baked- my mom doesn’t have an oven! Anyway, Robb and Kathy are so nice and everything they’re always giving us tasty snacks and drinks. Robb’s Spanish is terrible and he is always saying the funniest things in Spanglish to the workers at the hotel. One night he kept saying “gratas french fries,” and we had no idea what kind of fries were gratas. Finally we realize he was saying “gratis” (free). It was hilarious.
On Friday, Loren, Robb (student), Aaron, Stephanie and I left for Turrialba. It was pouring all day, but we have been lucky since it hasn’t rained much since we’ve been here. We wandered a bit trying to find a hotel in the dark, a guy approached us and said he had a hotel in his home. We followed him a little while until we started going into dark allies. Then we ditched him and found a decent place. Played cards with Loren and Robb (rummy) and then I taught them to play Oh, Hell! It was so much fun. In the morning we caught the bus to Guayabo- a national archeology monument. This site was inhabited between 1000BC and 1400AD. Although this site is tiny and not as impressive compared to Mayan and Aztec sites- we thought it was cool. We had a local student as a guide, she spoke slowly so we would understand most of what she was saying. She warned us that is was going to start raining and asked if we had umbrellas or raincoats- unfortunately we had forgotten them at the hotel. We told her it was ok, and proceeding on our 1.5hr tour. Our guide was correct- it poured and we were so soaked. But since it wasn’t too cold, we were fine. We saw aqueducts, graves, petroglyphs, and a cool road was built in a line up to the local volcano. We ran around in our sopping wet shoes and had the whole place to ourselves. It finally let up enough for pictures- I posted some. Later, we had Papa Johns’ pizza in Cartago- I headed to San Jose (to meet Tony the next day) and the rest of the group went to Orosi (I had already been there). I went to the hostel that we always go to- Tranquilo Backpackers. I started chatting we a couple of guys (Seth and Tyler) who are two professional kayakers on the most incredible journey- they are driving from Alaska to Argentina in a truck that runs off veggie oil. Along the way they are working with local embassies to do alternative energy education. They have met with heads of government in many Central American countries. I heard some amazing stories. They were heading through Puntarenas to go and relax on the beach for a few days so I invited them to come speak to our Conservation Biology class. Such neat people. Later in the evening, a German girl named Lillian, heard me talking about salsa dancing and asked if I wanted to go out with her. We went to Castro’s (one of the places I had been before) and had a BLAST. I danced most the night with a young Tico who was a high school teacher, so we had a lot to talk about. He was an awesome dancer too. I met up with Tony on Sunday afternoon and we decided not to dance Bolero because its so difficult and we had just began learning it. We switched to salsa and began choreographing our song. It took us hours just to get one minute done! So crazy. The past student, Jennifer, was here when I returned. I really wanted to dislike her, but she’s really cool. Her Spanish was really good and we spent lots of time with the whole family. She’s going to study abroad again next semester in Alicante, Spain.
We made “meat bread,” potatoes, and sweet potatoes on Monday in cooking class- not exactly my favorite meal, but was ok. On Tuesday I had to go the US embassy to have some papers notarized- it was such a nightmare. They were so rude and it took so long! Yuck. I did meet up with Seth and Tyler in San Jose and they drove me back to Puntarenas in the alternative energy vehicle. They spoke to our class and we all had lunch. The students really enjoyed seeing their truck and hearing about their journey.
Tuesday and Wednesday Tony and I worked really hard with Carlitos to perfect our dance. It took so many hours. I had a huge blister on the bottom of my foot from doing so many turns. I also went out dancing with Jennifer, my cousin Fernando, and my bro Mario. I taught Fernando a little merengue and finally got to dance with Mario for the first time. He’s a great dancer!
Yesterday, after morning classes, we headed to San Ramon (about 1.5hrs away) to a big recreation/banquet ranch area. There was a pretty waterfall, a huge pool, and a place for soccer and volleyball. It was a little chilly so most of us didn’t swim, just explored the area. Many of the students started drinking early in the day and were acting like idiots. Tony and I practiced our dance a little, then wanted to work with the music. I couldn’t find the CD that I had left out on my stuff. I asked the borrachos (drunks) where it was. Then a CD comes flying past us all. It turns out, they thought it would be hilarious to use a CD as a Frisbee. We tested the CD, but it was too scratched up. I was seriously heartbroken- Tony and I had practiced so many hours to get everything perfect. Carlitos said we could dance to a different story (all salsa songs have the same rhythm) but we had so many points in our dance that were based off music cues. We decided to dance, but our concentration was shot. We had NEVER even heard the song we danced to and it was shorter than our other song so we had to try to cut out some stuff and we didn’t even know when the end was coming. It went ok- we forgot a lot of the routine but danced until the music stopped. Everyone said that we did well and they liked it- but it was half of what it could have been with the really music. I was so upset and disappointed. I really hate my generation sometimes. They are so apathetic- all they care about is “having a good time,” which to most means lots of alcohol. It’s sad. I pouted and fumed for a little while, but felt better after dinner. We had turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy, rice, salad, and a weird potato, ground beef, breaded patty. Then apple pie which was the closest thing to American food. We had a dance party afterwards- some American music, then reggaetone, cumbia, and finally salsa and merengue. It was a long night- we were exhausted when we got back to “the Punt.” Ok. Whew- that’s more than enough for today. Hope everyone had an awesome Thanksgiving. Happy Birthday to my Aunt Kathy! I love you!

Life in Puntarenas

Hello to all!
The following blog is some thoughts and anecdotes from daily life, including the return of the prodigal daughter, the dog that yips a lot, heavenly pizza, and multiple attacks by the same bird.
Ok, so my host family has talked about the last student they had, Jennifer. She knew some Spanish coming in and (I just learned) loved to play football (soccer). My mom told me that when she left, the family cried for 3 days. She said the Mario and her were best friends and hung out everyday. Ok, time ok. Mario has NEVER wanted to hang out with me (plus I have a really hard time understanding him) and they are not going to cry when I leave. As if being the 2nd best daughter isn’t bad enough, she’s coming to visit next week. They are so excited, with one exception- she can’t stay with them because they have a “new student” (aka ME) that is living in HER room. I feel so special. ;)
Side note: they are still a wonderful family and are very nice to me. I get lots of privacy (a rarity here) but they are willing to include me in whatever they are doing (usually tv watching!). I’m very grateful to have such a lovely family, because I’ve heard some not so pleasant things about other families.
Next subject, Sophia got a new dog as a present (not sure who it was from), Becky (a chihuahua). It’s a nice enough dog, although for the first week it barked at only me, like I was a stranger, like it knew I wasn’t a member of the family. I don’t mind it barking at strange people walking by the house. However, this dog LOVES my mom. When she leaves for work, it cries- the highest pitch, yippiest bark you have ever heard. It’s piercing, going right through my blaring headphones. I have considered “leaving the gate open.” I guess I am a bad daughter!
Since Josh, Agata and Erik don’t live with a family, they have to come up with their own meals. To Josh, this means drinking instead of eating dinner a couple days a week and to Eric and Agata this means eating pizza everyday. The 3 have discovered the BEST restaurant in town Matobe’s, which just happens to be Italian food, and not typical Tico. It’s an awesome, cute, hole in the wall place with 5 outdoor tables and a white and red awning. We first went for awesome focaccia, which is actually a focaccia sandwich with awesome cheese, tomatoes, ham and basil. Then we tried the pizza. Ohmygoodness- to DIE for. They cook it in a wood-burning oven and I can understand why Agata and Eric eat it everyday. Josh got a little wild and crazy one day and ordered the only other thing on the menu, the pasta. He got a huge plate of fetticini with an awesome salad and garlic bread. Each item mentioned about is less than $4 and totally filling. Better than most $15/plate Italian places. When I just can’t eat another plate of rice and beans, I go to Matobe’s, “where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came.” Well, they don’t exactly know our names, but it’s the same waiter and cook and we’re pretty much the most consistent business they get.
Finally the bird, oh, the devil bird. So about a month ago, I was riding my bike from the separate building that the Track I (beginning Spanish) students have class in, to our main USAC building, when I feel something hit my head. I look over and I’ve just been dive bombed/pecked by this mean looking black bird. I look around for a witness, but no one is to be found. I forget the incident until… the SAME thing happens again. Out of the blue- I’m attacked at the same location. Then later that same day, I’m riding my bike in the same spot and I see it coming for me and I dodge it. Some Ticos saw me this time, and think it’s hilarious that this bird is attacking me. I think it’s less funny to be harassed twice in the same day by a little bird. So I decide to start taking a different route. I actually go out of my way to ride around where the bird lives. It’s sad. Finally, I tell the story in class, and find out he’s been attacking every blond that rides a bike. It’s pretty hilarious. I haven’t seen him for a couple of weeks, so I’m going to assume he’s moved on, or collected enough blond hair to decorate his nest.
That is all for today. Hope you enjoyed hearing a little about my silly, daily life here.
Oh, and I’ve pretty much finished my Peace Corps application. I am refining a couple essays and will get my references together when I get back. I think I will be ready to submit everything early next spring. Exciting!
Much love to all.

Bailar

Written on Oct. 29th

Hello to all! On the spur of the moment, a few of us muchachas, decided to go to San Jose (the capital and largest city) to go dancing and shopping. I hadn't really seen SJ outside of the bus stations, so I was excited. We got here in the afternoon and had a crazy time trying to find the bus to the mall. We (Stephanie, Kristin, and I) ended up running across a crazy busy street. The mall was cool, really big, with some American stores but mostly different stuff. The food court, however, was almost all familiar fast food. We were overwhelmed by all the choices, but had Quiznos. Yummy! I found some cute heels to go dancing in and we all bought a skirt or dress. We had checked in at cool hostel, our room had 8 beds, but we were the only ones there when we arrived. I had forgotten it was a coed room, so we were suprised to meet our cute Tico roommate, Jonathan! We spoke Spanish with him, learned he's from Tamarindo (a surfing town on the northern pacific coast) and later asked him if he wanted to go dancing with us. We were giddy from shopping, so kept giggling and having a grand time, speaking English when we didn't want him to understand what we were saying. He also knew the receptionist, so he went dancing too. The receptionist is from here, San Jose, so he knew a good place with salsa and merengue. We got all dolled up, in our new clothes and shoes and left with our two new friends. The club we went to was called Castros and we when arrived they were playing reggaetone, yuck! But latin music was promised later, so we stayed. We discovered that our non-english speaking roommate spoke English perfectly and was just messing with us earlier. It was really funny. It was hard because there were only 2 guys but 3 girls, however there were plenty of other men willing to dance with us. Finally there was merengue, salsa, and cumbia so it was good practice, because everyone dances a little differently, knows different moves too, so the guys were being patient with us, and I learned so much. There was another dance floor downstairs which was nice so we spent the rest of the night down there. Jonathan and I danced for almost 2 hours without taking a break once! Now that's how I like to do it! We left the club after 3. It was a great evening. The hostel offers free pancakes breakfast so we got up at a decent time. Then we shopped a little more and met up with some USAC kids that were here on a class field trip. We all promised to meet for dancing. A big group wanted to go to an expensive club that was having a Halloween costume party, but I didn’t want to buy a costume or pay so much. I went to dinner with Tony and we saw a salsa club downtown within walking distance of our hostel, so we decided to go there Saturday night. Tony, Aaron, Stephanie and I went out about 11:30 to find the BEST dancers that I have ever seen. These people were seriously professionals and competitors. It was amazing just to watch. They played salsa, merengue, cumbia, cha cha cha, bolero, and a couple other styles that I don’t know. We were a little scared to dance (since everyone was so amazing), but Tony and I made it to the floor and we ended up dancing all night. It was fun to try to keep up with the buenos salseros. We slept in a little, had an amazing pancake breakfast and then headed home after Wendy’s for lunch. Hey- we gotta have fast food when we are in the city, it’s the only time we get something different!

Ok, it’s now Nov. 6th!

Oh my- there is so much to say! Sorry it has been so long!
In cooking class we made a really interesting dished called pastel de papas, with is made with a mashed potato crust and filled with meat, topped with more mashed potatoes and covered with a white wine cream sauce. It was interesting, but not my favorite. We made brushetta too. It was nice because we didn’t have Spanish class on Monday, so I got to sleep in a little. Then Tuesday night our teacher, Arturo asked us to meet with his class of Ticos who were learning English. He bought some snacks and we all practiced. We spoke Spanish to them and they spoke English to us. It was fun. The house/B&B that Josh, Agata and Erik live in has a new cleaning lady and her daughter is 19 and will work there a little too, speaking to the Tico customers etc. Her name is Maureen and her English is really good and she seems like a cool girl. I asked her to lunch and hopefully I will practice more Spanish and get to know more locals. It’s a little late, but I still want to get over the speaking hurdle. So that is exciting. Oh!! In dance class we learned dips this week- SO FUN! My teacher, Carlitos, used me as an example and I kept having to hold my position while I’m bent all the way back while he explained it. It was a workout, but so awesome. We learned 3 dips total. After class Carlitos asked Tony and I if we wanted to dance in the talent show on Thanksgiving. Side note: We are going short classes on Thanksgiving, a big dinner with the Heredia kids, a soccer game (us versus them!) and a talent show + dancing. Anyway, Carlitos said he usually works with a few couples to do something in the show. So Tony and I are going to do it! We were debating whether we wanted to do salsa or merengue when we heard a bolero song come on. We knew we would be learning bolero at the end of the course, but we asked Carlitos if we could dance it in the show since no one else would know it. He said yes and we are going to practice Tuesday nights. It’s going to be like having private lessons! Tony is a really good partner too, because he took salsa classes in Chicago and his parents are Puerto Rican so he knows ALL the music. This was major news for me. I will make sure to video the performance and (if it’s good!) you guys can see it. I will tape some salsa and merengue too, since it is so awesome.
We had another test on Thursday and I think it went well, I had a little trouble with the reading comprehension part. We are reading an actual book now, Pantalones Cortos, and it’s been really hard for all of us. I have to look up so many words! I think it’s 4th grade reading level, sad huh? It was Josh’s 22nd birthday, so the people he rents the room from, Robb and Kathy wanted to throw him a surprise party. I did some planning and invited a bunch of people. While he was at class, we made guacamole and brushetta. Then, Agata, Erik and I took him to dinner at an awesome Chinese place here in town. Josh we all ordered a dish and then Josh and I ordered pineapple fried rice- it came in a WHOLE dug out pineapple. So yummy. I also had awesome chow mein- very different. Then we brought him back to the house, but I had found out he already knew about the party so no surprise. We had a great time and went to an open mike night to watch some USAC kids sing and play guitar. No one had class on Friday because we had a planned group trip. We had to split the group again, so half left Friday and half on Saturday. I relaxed on Friday and did some homework, then went with the 2nd group to the Monteverde cloud forest. It’s a very popular tourist destination, and we went on a hike on Saturday. It was pretty, but not the best hike I have done. We stayed at a nice place and had some meals there. Later that night we went into town and had an awesome meal at a restaurant with a huge tree in the middle. It was very tasty. The next day was awesome- we went to a zip line tour- flying through the air on cables, so high up. Check out the SkyTrek link to the right. I was so happy to have a free weekend of fun. I didn’t take my digital camera, so there are no pics, but I will post some of cooking class tomorrow. Overall having a great time. Love you all very much. Thank you for the e-mails.
Oh- and here’s a threat, if no one posts a comment, I’m going to assume no one is reading and stop writing! Say hello! ;)
Much love!!

I've been here 2 months- today!

We have been having so much more rain here. I guess it’s more like I expected it to be in the first place. Sometimes it pours ALL night. It’s pretty crazy. Lots of lightning and thunder too. The good news is the rainy season is almost over. It should be dropping off in the next few weeks. The dry season should be so easy for me! Last week was a slow one, no cooking or dance class, which was a bummer. I did see a doctor on Wednesday on the request of my REAL Mom. ;) USAC recommended a clinic and when I went to see the doctor, he said a quick “buenas,” and nothing else. I then assumed he didn’t speak English and I went on for about 5 minutes in Spanish trying to explain all the treatments I had with the other doctor and my symptoms. Then I showed him the antibiotics that I had taken. He said (in English), “These pills won’t help you.” I laughed, because I must have sounded silly with my broken Spanish, but he just let me keep talking and didn’t correct me! Anyway, he was very nice, told me I had an intestinal infection, gave me a prescription for “better antibiotics” and some kind of powder to be mixed with water. Can you believe that the pills were almost as expensive as the US? My antibiotics cost $4 a pill! After started both medications, I was immediately better and still feel better now. I can eat everything- including cookies! I ran into another student going into the clinic with an ear infection. She and 2 others that saw the doctor there ended up having to get a shot or two in the ass, so I guess I was lucky!
I don’t think I told everyone, but my good friend Loren had to go to the States before our week off (on the 6th) because his dad had emergency surgery. It was scary- all of our worst fears, to have something happen back home while we are so far away. I got a little homesick/emotional after hearing the news and wrote my mom right away to tell her I love her! Anyway, he was home for over a week, and his dad is doing much better. He and I headed to Montezuma on Saturday. I had already been there on a day trip, but wanted to go back and explore a little more. It’s a really lovely ferry ride across the gulf. We had an awesome dinner and stayed in a cute hotel. I posted some pics since I haven’t taken many of places we’ve stayed. It had been raining almost all week and was still raining when we got up in the morning, but luckily cleared up before our banana pancake breakfast. While we were headed up to the waterfalls we were warned to be careful by a local since the falls/rivers were very full due to the rain. We got lost trying to find the “easier trail” that I had heard about, but saw some howler monkeys and I got some great video of one with a tiny baby! You’ll have to wait and see that when I get home. We never found the other trail, so headed to the one I had taken in September and found that ohmygoodness the water was HIGH. There’s a part on the trail where you have to cross the river, and last time we got our feet a little wet crossing the rocks. This time we were in a swift current up higher than our waists. I have to admit- I was a little scared (mostly of dropping my bag that contained my cameras). After an intense hike- we arrived to the overflowing falls. Compare the new photos to the ones from the earlier and you’ll understand what I mean. We couldn’t swim very much because the current was so strong and cliff jumping was definitely out this time. We did have fun though. It was quite the adventure through the jungle to get there, so we felt we “earned it.” Had a great lunch at this cute outdoor restaurant right on the beach. I was so tired from the day I feel asleep just after 9 and slept until 7 then next morning!
Now, I am sitting in cooking class- waiting for some empanadas (sweet ones) and scones to bake. I know that you’re thinking- yummy scones… add a little jam and perfect! But let me tell you, these are not scones as we know them. They are scones (skoe-nays) and are rolls with bacon, onion, bell peppers, and basil. Tasty! When I cook theses recipes back home, I think you will be surprised since I think most of us associate Latin American cuisine with Mexican food. We actually haven’t learned any recipes that are spicy or anything like Mexican food, probably because our teacher is actually from a chef from Uruguay. However, Costa Rican cuisine is not spicy at all- plain rice and black beans. Simple meat dishes to accompany, sometimes in sauce/gravy. Cabbage salad is common also. Batidos, fresh fruit shakes in water or milk, are the drink of choice at any restaurant, although my mom serves Coca-cola with lunch and dinner a lot. Iced tea is very common here, but it’s extremely sweet and has lots of lemon. I really like it.
That is all for tonight. We may go white water rafting or turtle watching next weekend.
Hope you all are doing well. Thanks for the messages, cards, packages and e-mails. It really helps me stay connected and not feel too homesick. I love you all very much!

Hello all! I thought I would post some photos and tell about some of the POSITIVE things that happened last week before I got sick! Click to the right to see some new photos of the Caribbean paradise! In our last cooking class we made some fruit tarts- strawberry and peach. It was alot easier than I had expected. We watched some documentaries in my Latin American politics class and had to write some papers on them- so I have been staying busy with school work. We are moving faster in our Spanish class, which is good, but challenging. On Tuesday night we had a dance party for our dance classes at a local piano bar. It was a good opportunity to practice all that we had been learning. I asked my mom to go, since she always says she loves to dance, but never goes out. Her boyfriend, Carlos (who cooks and is around most days) doesn't like to dance, but we took Fernando and my 17yr old brother Mario. I had a ton of fun, but only danced with gringos all night. We are all really improving and I am planning on taking more salsa or merengue when I get home. Reno also has classes for Argentine Tango, which I think would be fun too. My brother watched the girls dance and later he said that I was a good dancer and that he would like to dance salsa with me later! I was so excited! It was a nice night and I feel like it bridged a gap between my family and me a little. Josh, Agata, Eric and I decided to leave on Thurday for the Caribbean. It took about 7 hours to get there, but it was worth it (even for only one day for me!). We arrived at small town Cahuita, and explored the national park the next day where we saw 2 types of monkeys and a picture perfect beach. We also ate crepes that morning- HUGE crepes, filled with delicious fruit. And oh, the pineapple. I don't even like pineapple that much, but it is so juicy and tasty here that I could eat it all day. Wow. We had a Caribbean style dinner- nice change from the normal rice and beans (now it is rice and beans with coconut!). We moved on to Puerto Viejo- a bit of a party town, but still very laid back and fun. We stayed in a really cool, popular hostel that had the option of sleeping in a hammock. We loved it. Then I got sick (see blog below for all my complaining!). I returned here on Thursday and rested over the weekend. My family took me to a family birthday party on Saturday night. It was really fun/funny. This was a cousin I had never met 20th birthday, but I knew her mom (my mom's sis). There was tons of food, even though we had just eaten dinner! They had also rented a karoake machine- everyone grabbed the mike and belted loudly and off key. The mike was echo-y and a little screechy but they all loved it. I have never seen so many people with such a love for singing- without caring at all what they sounded like! Then I had the best chocolate cake of my life. It was covered in this awesome fudge sauce.
That was pretty much it! I am feeling much better. Thanks for all your well wishes!
All my love...

Sick, sick, sick

Hey,
So my exciting week off is turning out to be terrible! We made it over the Carribean side a day early (last thurs) and we really love it over here! We had a beautiful Friday in a little town called Cahuita- beautiful beaches, cool monkeys and hikes, awesome food (including the best crepes ever!). The music was fun and attitude mellow. Sat. we went to the slightly bigger and more touristy town- Puerto Viejo, had a pretty mellow day (it rained) good dinner, watched a movie in town and went to bed. We were staying at this awesome huge hostel, Josh and I choose to sleep in hammocks and Eric and Agata got a private room. Anyway, I got super sick in the middle of the night (vomiting and other things) and realized I was really bad. I finally woke Agata up at 8 and told them all that I had to go to the clinic. I needed Agata to go with me to translate. Everyone went and another nice hostel kid gave us a ride to the clinic that was 30 minutes away on a bad road. Long story short- they kept me at the clinic for almost 10 hours, I got IV fluids and some unknown drugs, was poked a proded so much. They told me that my blood test showed that I was anemic and I needed to come back the next day. I was sent home with anti-biotics and rehydration salts. The mean nurse there was going to keep me overnight, but thankgod, they released me. It was scary there and they don't wear gloves or anything. I slept for about 15 hours straight then went back to the stupid clinic, got poked again, waited with poor Josh for 5 hours and they said my blood was fine. I was still sick, however, just tired and weak. We had moved to nice rooms, with clean big bathrooms and jacuzzi tubs. The owner was really nice (from Chicago) and gave us a deal. I pretty much slept for 3 days. We got ready to go yesterday, but Agata was sick (with something very similar, minus vomiting. Josh, Tony and I went without them over the border to Bocas del Toro, Panama- these cool cool islands. It was dark when we got here so we pretty much just got a room and went to bed. I got sick AGAIN all night- had to move to another nicer room at 8 this morning, sent Josh to the pharmacy and stayed in bed all day. I'm barely strong enough to type this. This week sucks, and Í'm bummed because we are in such cool places and I've only seen hotel rooms. The planned group trip (which I decided not to go on, because it was expensive and we wanted to to our own thing) is here on the island too. We ran into most of the kids and chaperones last night. I asked the director of our program if I could go back to Puntarenas with the group tomorrow, so I am cutting my vacation short. Boo hoo. It is really sad because we had decided yesterday to go to Panama city and the canal. You can fly from here for $40 dollars. The boys are still going. Maybe I will get to go when Ben and Aaron visit. They will be here from Dec. 13th- Jan 11th, so we will cover some ground I hope.
Sorry this is so negative- I'm down a ton of money that I wasn't planning on spending and I'm still feeling bad. But I'm definitely alot better than I was.
I will try to call some of you (A. Kathy, Grandma, Ben, Mom, etc) next week.
I can't believe I missing the awesome carribean food. Sad.
Love you guys so much!

Fantastic weekend

Ok, so let’s go over last week. On Monday I threw up all afternoon, missed most of my politics class and cooking. It was pretty gross. I felt fine the next day, so glad it was just a little 24hr bug, or something I ate. I got my final grade for my first clase de espanol – A. Happy about that. We are progressing quicker now, finally learning past tense! Thank goodness, it’s so hard to only speak in present tense! ;)
There was a big soccer game here on Wednesday- I think some kind of championship. If the Puntarenas team wins another, they will play a team from Honduras (or some other country, can’t remember!) and then if the win that, a team from the states will come to play us (Puntarenas) here. The game was at 3, but I had dance class at 3:30 so decided not to go. I showed up at the school about 3 to e-mail and wait for class and it was totally deserted!! The dance teacher told me that we would wait until 3:30 exactly and if no one else came for class we would go to the game. There were about 5 (out of 15) in class, but it was so much fun since we are learning more salsa. It really helped practicing at real dance places- I felt more confident/comfortable and recognized the rhythms more easily. That night there were so many people in the street celebrating since Puntarenas won. The whole soccer phenomenon is crazy here (like most parts of the world besides the US). It’s hard to describe the wild fans- let’s just say there’s lots of yelling and jumping. Thursday was a big day. Before I left for CR, I had started to apply for an absentee ballot (since we have congressional elections soon) and I registered with Democrats Abroad (DA) also. I received an e-mail from a woman named Ruth who is the head of DA welcoming me and extending an invitation to join their monthly meetings in San Jose. We wrote back and forth about finishing my absentee ballot, then she asked about other students. Long story short, she offered to drive out and register all interested students for an absentee ballot and leave write-in ballots with me also. I organized a thing for Thursday, made guacamole and brought cookies. We ended up registering over 25 students, which is a pretty good turn out. I was very excited since most weren’t planning on applying for an absentee ballot. The professor from Reno was thrilled that I was able to organize it. His name is Steve and he teaches in UNR’s education department so we have had lots to talk about. We are going to coordinate something between the children’s theatre club (since I am the Pres.) and a program he runs for at-risk kids when we return. So many good opportunities have presented themselves.
Onto the travel stories! This weekend Loren, Maya, Kim and I went to the province of Cartago (south of the capital). We had to change buses in Cartago, and we saw some beautiful ruins in the center of town with a lovely garden on the inside. We ended up staying in Orosi, a town of about 10,000 that sat in a beautiful valley on a river. It was a very mellow place, we breathtaking mountains and very few tourists! We stayed at a really cool but deserted hostel (it’s the wet season!) that housed only 3 others and we had to go to the owner’s home just to pay and get keys. That night we had dinner at a local pizza place and played cards in the hostel with a couple from Colorado. Loren and a Tico played the hostel guitar and we sang along with familiar songs. It was a delightful evening.
The next day we got lucky and found the 2 buses that were needed to get to Volcan Irazu. This is really a miraculous feat since the bus stops change and everyone you ask tells you something different. We walked to about 5 different stations, then realized we were 10 minutes late for the bus we wanted to catch. Finally a group of Ticos started waving and yelling at us. They knew the gringos wanted to go to a volcano. ;) We got in line with them and went up into the cloud to Irazu. It’s the highest volcano in CR and if it’s clear it’s possible to see both the Pacific and Caribbean. It was clear enough to see the volcano, but not too far into the valley. See the many photos to the right. The clouds blew in and out so fast- getting foggy or clear in 2 minutes. Later that day we ate American food (I had Burger King and the others had Papa John’s) because not too many towns have fast food and we were all craving something familiar. We explored a big basilica in town, which was cool, but didn’t compare to any in Europe. We decided to stay both nights in Orosi since we loved it so much. The hostel had many hikes and sights listed in “things to do” so we picked one. We went to “Nano’s waterfall.” It gave directions on how to get there and requested that visitors go to Nano’s house to pay him since the waterfall is on his private property. We hiked up slippery rocks to a pretty little waterfall, but it was starting to get dark, so no pics. Then we hiked up a little trail to a shack where there were cows and misc. animals. We called for someone and finally a little crazy man came out and was so excited to have visitors. It was dark, but he showed his farm, and took us with him while he put a calf away and then brought us into his home. There was no electricity, but he lit candles and showed us photos so we could see what everything looked like in the daylight. He talked and told stories, we didn’t get a word in. Then he would go into town the bar since we needed a guide in the dark. He gave us a tour and made us taste the jam he was cooking on the coal stove. It was a crazy experience. We hiked down a treacherous trail where Nano used an old paint can with a candle in it as a lantern. We had a great local dinner of arroz con pollo and strawberry drinks. On Sunday we slept in, went to a local hot spring (undeveloped) and hung out at the river. We ate a coffee berry on the recommendation of Nano and it was pretty good. Not really sweet, but they tasted ok. We had to go back into the city (Cartago) to catch a bus back home and we ate American again- Papa John’s and I had mashed potatoes from Church’s Chicken too. We had pizza about 4 times over the weekend! We wanted to have something besides beans and rice I think. We are very excited about going to the Caribbean side and having some very different food. We leave for our week off next Friday and I have most of it planned out. It will be mostly beach locations, with snorkeling and kayaking and we are dipping into Panama too.
That’s all for now. I will try to post the photos today.

Never coming home...

Hello all!
I’ve made a little change of plans- I will be staying in Costa Rica/Latin America until January 12th. I’m very excited to be here for a month after my studies end. It will also give more people time to visit if they are so inclined! This last week was fun, but I am still a little sick, which sucks. I learned to make chicken and onion tarts- more tasty food. You will all reap the benefits when I get home. Right now, Josh, Agata and Eric are getting the leftovers, since they live in an apartment and don’t get food provided by a family. It is getting rainier- October is the wettest month of the year. We had a massive tropical storm after dance class on Wednesday. We watched from our covered 2nd story patio at the school- it looked just like a storm from a movie. Pouring buckets- blowing through palm trees, lightning striking everywhere. The thunder was the loudest I have ever heard- so loud it made us jump several times. Most of us waited it out at the school the restaurant/bar next door. I finally rode home in the rain when it let up. We were going to have a short class on Friday so Stephanie, Tony, and I went to Heredia (near the capital, San Jose) to meet other USAC students (USAC has a program in Puntarenas and Heredia) and our dance instructor, Carlitos, to go practice our dance skills. We went up to this place in the mountains that had a live band that played mostly merengue and salsa, not reggae tone like most bars here. Carlitos brought local friends to dance with us, and we had so much fun getting thrown around on the dance floor. It is so much fun and so easy to do if you have a strong lead. It is much more difficult for the men, who have to know what they are doing. We had a very late night, but stayed with Kirby, an Heredia USAC student, who has his own apartment there. We had really hot showers, which were incredible since Heredia is much colder than Puntarenas. Did I forget to mention Puntarenas is probably the hottest and most humid spot in Costa Rica? I thought the whole country was like this, but the mainly is much cooler and more crisp. Funny. I really wanted a jacket in Heredia. On Friday we met up with Josh, Loren, Kelly, Alicia, Jason, and Aaron in Alajuela, the 2nd biggest city in CR. We really didn’t enjoy the city, but it had access to Volcan Poas, which we visited on Saturday. It is an active volcano and you can peer into the crater (the 2nd biggest in the world). There wasn’t much hiking there, but we walked up to a little lake and had a nice stroll through the jungle where I photographed a terrified squirrel (see pics to the right). We all went dancing again on Saturday night- I really want to continue Latin dancing when I return home. It’s great exercise and so beautiful! We were pretty tired from our late night out- we stayed with Kirby again- 9 people in a tiny apartment!! It was fun. Today was my brother Mario’s birthday- he turned 17. I bought him a Quicksilver shirt in Alajuela on the recommendation of Fernando. He still doesn’t talk to me much, but I think it’s because I can’t really understand him and when I talk to him it’s very simple sentences. I was feeling like a failure last week when he brought me my laundry and said nothing to me. I don’t want them to cook me meals and do my wash- I really want to be part of the family. The next night I talked with Sandra, my mom, for a long time and she said that I was speaking much more and learning very quickly, so I felt much better. The advanced students also encourage me and I try to communicate to bus drivers/hotel workers when we are traveling as much as possible. Tomorrow I have my final exam for Elem. Spanish I. Did I mention I got 100% on my midterm? It was pretty easy and I kinda wish the class was moving faster. Anyway- I’m ready for tomorrow and hope to get a high A. Don’t know if I will get 100% because I am still struggling with the use of por/para. I’ve struck a friendly competition with Aaron- the only other student to receive 100%. I have been reading an extra book my politics teacher gave me on Haiti’s slave revolution. I am really enjoying it- I don’t think many of the students are even doing the required reading for that class which is disappointing since they are really interesting. This week we are talking about Mexican politics- particularly noteworthy because of the recent complicated election. I’m excited to hear my teacher’s thoughts.
I hope some of you are able to visit this lovely country- it will be very hard for me to leave here after 4 months. Many study abroad students and other Americans have come back to live here- most of them teach English. I may just want to live abroad after this experience. I love you all very much- send me a note at kenzikat@gmail.com sometime!

It looks like these blog entries will become weekly- unless more starts happening during the week! The weekends are just so exciting. Let’s see- last week our cooking recipe was Shrimp- they have huge shrimp here and they are really fresh too. Although I’m not crazy about seafood, I liked the recipe, which also included tasty coconut rice. Did I mention before that I tried coconut milk/water? We had it in Caldera- one of the locals that went with us started cracking them open and it to us to try. I felt like I was on a desert island. ;) I took my first test on Wednesday and although we haven’t received the results, I think I did well. We started learning Salsa in dance class, after focusing most of our attention on Merengue and Cumbia. We were just getting Merengue down- working well with partners, doing cool spins, keeping the rhythm, and then we went back to bumbling idiots with a new dance! I really love this class, sure hope I can find a dance partner when I get back home. We went out dancing at one of the common dance places- Pie Caliente. My mom knows the owner and he always greets me. They were playing mostly reggae tone (yuck), but Loren and I were able try out our moves on some songs. Kellie went with us and she found a local to dance with all night. Some of the local guys really are awesome dancers!
This was a short week, because Friday was independence day here. On Thursday night there is a parade of “faroles” (torches) where children make decorative bags with cut outs for candles to go in. Then they walk the town. I walked with the large group- it was cool to be part of a different tradition. On Friday morning there was a big parade, although we only saw the set up because we caught a bus to La Fortuna. It took us about 5 hours to get there- but it was so worth it! The group who went: Agata, Eric (her boyfriend who just arrived from the states- he will be living here with her), Tony, Josh, Derek, Loren, and myself. La Fortuna sits at the base of the active Volcan Arenal. I had read, and heard from other travelers that the volcano can be hard to see since it is cloudy there most of the time. In fact, Israel told us that he didn’t believe there was a volcano there at all since he didn’t see it once when he stayed there! We were really lucky because it was very clear and the volcano was magnificent! We settled in our hostel, Gringo Pete’s, where 5 us of had our own little cabin outside, and 2 others stayed in the dorms inside. It reminded me of many hostels in Europe- but nicer and cheaper ($4). We had a traditional dinner at a soda (these are little cafes all over) and walked around. The view of the volcano was still clear and the sunset was spectacular orange and pink. A group of people with some serious camera equipment were set up and their local guide told me this: “This (pointing to the sunset), this is a gift for you. I have been a guide for 16 years and you never see a sky like this (clear and beautiful sunset).” We felt very blessed to be seeing such a spectacular sight (especially after realizing how rare it was). We decided to go to one of famous hot springs in the area. It was a little pricey for our budget ($15- more than 3 nights at our hotel!)—but boy, are we glad we went. There were about 15 pools, ranging from cold to 152 degrees Fahrenheit. There were waterfalls, and all kinds of trails. It was really beautiful, but the best part about it was the view. We could still see the volcano (no clouds!) and we got a little show—lava! The activity of Arenal varies greatly, so we didn’t know if we would be able to witness it, and we did! None of my pictures really turned out, but if you do a google image search for “Arenal volcano” you can see some pics. Just take them and tone it down- the most impressive shows were about 8 years ago. I know Mt. St. Helens is pretty awesome, but I was awestruck by the flowing lava on top of a volcano that was about 10 miles away. Incredible. The next day (still clear!) we hiked to a waterfall that was just outside of town. It was uphill the whole way on a road that was filled with taxis and tourist buses flying by us. We appreciated the view on the way up and felt that we earned a cool dip in the blue water, unlike those dropped at the entrance. This was the largest waterfall that I’ve seen here- about 200ft tall according to my all-knowing Lonely Planet guidebook. We’ve taken to calling it “the Book” since we have lived by it during our travels. There were many people down by the waterfalls, but it was still gorgeous and the water was incredibly blue, and COLD! Later that evening we tried to go to the best viewing spot, around the mountain to catch a glimpse of the red stuff—but alas, the clouds we had heard so much about set in, so Loren, Josh, Agata, Eric, and I sat and had coffee, played cards at a very foggy café. It was still a fun night and made us appreciate our good fortune the night before. I was so tired after we returned Sunday- I have had a cold since Wednesday, which I regrettably gave to Loren. I am feeling ok, just tired and am trying to rest up for our next big weekend. We may go visit on of the very few indigenous tribes. So excited!
I do miss you all very much. It was be strange leaving my new friends and family in a few months to return back to Reno in the freezing wintertime.
So much love to you all!!

-McKenzi

P.S. I met a girl who was on vacation from the Peace Corps in Panama. She spoke with so much enthusiasm for the program, and I felt very encouraged, but who knows where life will take me in the next year!!

LONG blog. Good luck. ;)

The weekdays have become routine mostly, classes in the morning- lunch with our families, sometimes classes in the afternoon, dinner, studying, and a little hanging out with amigos. I am taking fewer classes than I mentioned before. The program will only transfer 6 classes (18 credits) and I decided not to overdo it here. I am trying to put the extra time into leaning Spanish. Last Monday I had my first cooking class. We learned to make empanadas. The dough was pretty easy and there were three different fillings: ham and cheese, meat (ground beef with spices, a little egg, and olives), and tomato, basil and cheese. It was fun and very easy. I will definitely make these back at home! I will take pictures this week to show you the kitchen and our cute aprons.
Let’s see… my political science teacher canceled class for tomorrow because he is traveling for business (some political conference) to Cuba. I have a confession to make- many students (including myself) were thinking of visiting Cuba, because it is so easy to do from Costa Rica. I wasn’t going to say anything, cause I know some of you out there would worry, but the plane tickets were more than we were expecting and I don’t think anyone is going. That was Monday.
The dance class is so much fun!! We are learning tons, and we are already better than last week. We are actually working with partners and not just trying to do moves and keep the rhythm. The guys are actually doing pretty well, even though the class is more difficult for them, since they have to lead. I, of course, am always trying to lead (and control) so this is good practice for me too. We didn’t really go dancing (or out at all) this week, there was supposed to be karaoke, but no one showed up. My Spanish teacher, Arturo, must be the best in the school, he is HILARIOUS, and so helpful. He tells us so many stories about local life and also about the historical significance of words. We are all so grateful to have him, otherwise, it might be hard to have class at 8am! I am getting frustrated about not learning quick enough, but I think I am one of the best of the beginning students (and most have studied Spanish a little before).
I forgot to tell this story—my host mom made me cry a little one day last week. It all began the night before the crying. She had Fernando translate that she thought I wasn’t talking to her and that I didn’t like her. She was kidding a little bit, but I told her that I was trying and that it was difficult because I have only learned how to say things in present tense (making it difficult how to say how my day WAS and what I LEARNED and then what was WOULD BE doing later). She told me I shouldn’t be friend with the other students because we only speak in English with each other. I know this is true, but I haven’t really met any locals here to hang out with that are my age. I really need to keep my friends! Ok, so that was all for that night, no big deal. The next day my mom walk in on me while I was changing (she probably didn’t hear me say una momenta) and I was a little embarrassed, but again, no big deal. She looks over my homework most nights and for some reason she found my mistakes funny that night and kept laughing. I corrected them and tried to move on. She then showed me some fish (the were whole with their eyes and mouths open) and told me that we going to have them for dinner. I thought this was a little strange since she asked me what I don’t eat (I told her that I don’t eat seafood or drink milk). I told her that I didn’t like fish, but would be happy to eat just rice and beans or eat with my friends. I then she kept asking my something I didn’t understand and was getting frustrated. She told me, “You must learn Spanish.” I told her that I was trying and that I am learning everyday. Her and her boyfriend were laughing a little and then they kept asking me if we eat salmon in the United States. I told them that some people do, but not me! They kept laughing at me (they were teasing me) but I was so upset, when she left my room I started crying. My mom is very good natured, but I think she needs to be a little more patient with me. I learned how to say (more or less), “When you tease me, I don’t understand. Speaking Spanish is difficult for me because I have only learned for one week.” I wrote it out, but decided not to say anything, because I didn’t want her to feel bad. Long story short, she say the notebook on my bed and wrote, “Sory, Sandra” while I was gone. Things are getting better and I am studying more so I hope I can learn quicker.
Wow, there is still so much more to say. On Thursday afternoon Loren (I’ve been spelling his name wrong), Agata, and I went to Jaco, a notorious surfing (and party) town. Loren wanted to buy a surf board/surf and Agata and I wanted to shop/hang out at the beach. There were so many Americans there and it was a major tourist location. Kinda didn’t like it for that reason, but there was lots of shopping. The waves were huge… and a little crazy for swimming. We ended up missing the last bus due to some incorrect information from the locals. We were warned that in this culture if you ask a local a question that they will always tell you some kind of answer instead of saying that they don’t know. We asked one woman if the bus came at 4:30 or 5:30 and she said, “Yes. 4:30, 5:30, it’s the same thing.” Life is like that here, very laid back with little concern about exact time. Needless to say, we missed the last bus and had to pay a little more than we wanted for a taxi.
Finally—I MUST tell you about the weekend. It was one of my best travel experiences. We (Josh, Stephanie, Loren, Kellie, Kelly, Joe, Michelle, and Robb) left class early (thanks to the teachers who think traveling is more important than the classroom) and caught a bus to Liberia, the capital of the Guancaste province. Delta also flies in there FYI. It took about 3 hours, a little longer than was expected, but was a fairly smooth ride. It was pouring buckets when we arrived and we were a little hesitant about walking to the hotel that we had planned on staying in. I finally got to use my emergency poncho. This is the same poncho I had carried throughout Europe and other times camping. I finally broke it out of it’s case and was covered! Everyone else wished they had a poncho and my cool waterproof backpack cover (thanks Aunt Kathy!!). We made it about 2 blocks before we decided to stop a hostel with a little covering outside. We met an American, Mark from Tennessee who was teaching English in town. He was thrilled to find out we were going to Parque Nacional Ricon de la Vieja the next day because he had planned on going and didn’t want to hire a guide (you’re not really allowed to hike alone). We relaxed there until the rain let up a little then we made it to our hotel. It was pretty nice, we had two rooms (4 people in one, 5 in another) and shared a bathroom and 2 other showers down the hall. It was $7 per person and pretty nice. Liberia is pretty nice compared to Puntarenas, and a little cooler and less humid which was awesome. We met a 24 yr old from Israel named Marron (I don’t know how to spell it). We have affectionately nicknamed him Israel. ;) From now until we left Liberia, “we” includes Israel and Mark. Half of us had Italian/pizza for dinner and the rest of us went to a soda (a common cafeteria). Finally we went to Pali- a chain of supermarkets that we think are owned by Wal-Mart. We packed a big lunch for our hike through the park. PB&J for all, I also took some nuts and cookies! ;) We had arranged for a taxi the next morning for 6AM and we crammed 11 people in there!! We arrived at the park about 7 and started hiking. We hiked for about 3 hours and saw boiling mud pots, boiling hot springs, interesting trees and a mini volcano. We didn’t see very many animals, which was a bummer, but we could hear the most beautiful bird noises. Oh- and check out the cool lizard picture. Then it started POURING buckets and buckets. We made it up to the ranger station and took cover. We had lunch and waited until it was raining less. We were going to head on a new trail to a waterfall, but the ranger was worried about a river crossing being flooded due to the downpour. We said we would go and if it was scary we would turn back. Luckily for us, it stopped raining. I was the only one with a camera (because mine is waterproof) but you won’t get to see those yet because it’s not digital.
Another story- on the way to the falls, Loren and I heard some noises. My guide book mentioned that there has been jaguars spotted in this park. They said that their roars sound like a deep series of coughs. We couldn’t believe it- they sounded so close. There were two calling to each other and we decided to get off the path to chase them. We were getting deep in the jungle and swore we would see them. Finally the roars started getting far away and then they stopped. Although we didn’t see one, the chase was pretty exciting and we were thrilled to be so close. We found our way back to the trail (thank goodness, we didn’t have water or a compass with us) and made it through the river, which was very tame at this point. The waterfall was cool, in some ways prettier than Montezuma, but mainly just different. It was totally isolated. On the way back we say a group of white-faced capuchin monkeys. They were curious about us, looking and jumping through the trees above us. Hope my pictures of the cute little guys turned out. We made it back and our taxi picked us up at 4. We hiking approx. 10 miles- some of it was pretty strenuous!
That night we went to have Chinese food across the street. I, of course, ordered pork fried rice (a huge portion for less than $3). We headed to local pizza place/ bar where we had been given a free cocktail from the hotel. They made us this really interesting blended drink. It was red and fruity with the local liquor. Yummy.
It was one of my best days traveling ever. The group was so fun and laid back and everything went well. I had planned the whole trip- some people showed up to the bus station without even knowing where we were going!! Michelle gave me the nickname “Mama McKenzi” since I was the tour guide and was the person to go to for just about anything. What a lovely, lovely time!!

Ok, I’ve written WAY too much this time. I will try to update more frequently. I’ll get the photos from this weekend on today or tomorrow.

So Pretty!

See more photos like this by clicking the link to the right.
This was at Turu-Bari.

Playing catch up

Hello to all! I have to catch up on everything we did this weekend and explain some of the photos I posted. This whole adventure is quite different than Europe, since I actually live here. The days fly by, but it feels like I’ve been here forever too. Alright… let’s recap—Friday after school I went to the beach at Caldera. It’s the same place I went with the surfer group on my second day here. The taxi ride is about 15 minutes. It was so beautiful, and really nice day there. I went with Agata, Derek, Josh (film student from Toledo) and Stephanie (from Ohio also). We all had so much fun swimming, taking pictures, and exploring a little. There are these really bright colored crabs with bluish claws. If you get close they run in holes that are all over the sand. I will try to get close enough for a picture one of these days. It started pouring (about the same time as before) and walking back to the taxi we were attacked by mosquitoes. I could feel them on me, but didn’t really have any bites when we got back. Stephanie got it the worst, her back was covered in bites! We walked around later that night after a shower, and Lauren and I found a dead puffer fish on the sand. It was pretty cool to see. The picture is kinda blurry, but I’ll probably post it.
On Saturday we went on our first group field trip. It was to Turu-bari park and a crocodile tour on the Tarcoles river. We were split into groups of about 10 and we went down into the park in same compartments (see pics of them and the views). Our guide spoke English to us, which helped me and Josh (we seemed to be the only beginners in our group). We went to see the iguanas (which are still eaten in parts of CR) and then the butterfly garden. Oh, along the way, our guide was showing us plants, and he broke off a branch of this bush and he gave it me to look at. I touched it and the sap which he kept pointing to and then passed it on. About 3 of us had touched it when he told us that the sap was poison! Then we asked what it was called—oleander! Had he told me that in the beginning, I wouldn’t have touched it! I tried to keep my hands away from my face all day. The butterfly garden was cool, we met a coatimundi that was eating butterflies named Willy. He was just a baby and so cute. We found out that he is very tame. Outside the garden, Willy followed us and we met Big Willy, the adult version. They followed us on our whole tour. I was excited about seeing the wildlife, but thought it would be more wild! The guide also caught a raccoon going through the trash, he was pretty tame too. We saw so many cool plants and walked through the most beautiful forest. I tried to take many plant/flower pictures for you nature lovers out there. In the middle of the park we had lunch- a huge, delicious buffet. When we left the park, we went to the Tarcoles river for a boat tour from The Crocodile Man. They pointed out many birds and of course, crocodiles. The guide would get out of the boat and play with the crocodiles, they would snap at him and he even rode one. It was pretty interesting. The only bad part of the day was during the boat ride it started raining, and I was sitting on the side that got soaked.
That was it for Saturday.
Sunday, I was going to meet a bunch of people to go to Montezuma (over the gulf and on the pacific side) but in the morning I didn’t see anyone buying tickets for the ferry. I decided to go anyway and ran into 2 USAC kids, TC and Brady. We traveled on the ferry for an hour and a bus for 2. It was SO worth it. We ate pizza quickly in town, and walked up to some waterfalls I had read about in my guide book. Just look at the pictures- I can’t begin to describe how beautiful it was there. The water was cool and felt so clean compared to the salty ocean water. There were three falls, I didn’t really get a picture of the middle ones, except for Brady jumping into them. We wanted to stay longer, but had to come back for class.
That was about it. It is truly amazing here and I may actually be getting used to the heat. I’m able to blow dry my hair in the morning which is a big step forward!
Gotta run. I’ll write more later.

Love ya!

Old Blog.

12:30am Wednesday night, Thursday early morn 8/31

I had a funny experience tonight. My mom told me yesterday that she was going to do laundry today. So I put out all of my laundry minus my bras and underwear, because in orientation, they told us that girls must wash their own. My brother, Mario, gave me all of my clothes, then my mom came in to ask me why I don’t wear underwear!! When I told her about orientation, we had a good laugh and she said she will wash ALL my clothes. They must of thought of me as a crazy American with no underwear. I had my first dance class today. Since most of the students (67/84) are taking this class, they had to divide it into four groups. It was AMAZING. We learned some merengue, cambio, salsa, and another dance I don’t know the name of. Our teacher only speaks Spanish, but he is an incredible dancer. We danced so much and learned tons. We only have this class once a week, but he told us we have homework—we much go out and dance at the discos. Not to disappoint our teacher, most of us went dancing tonight. We were all eager to practice our new moves. Some of the girls were getting a little too friendly with the Ticos, but the locals are such good dancers! I danced with Lauren, so we could be inexperienced together. I will be speaking Spanish and a master of the dance floor when I get home. YAY. We had another good dinner tonight- rice/beans, leftover pasta from lunch (fetticini with great cream sauce, ham, and tomatoes) and some kind of sausage sauted with other seasonings. My mom’s boyfriend cooks about half of the meals here. If you remember from the first blog- I didn’t know if he was the boyfriend or what, but he is and stays here a lot during the week. Him and my mom asked me who was the better cook. I told them they were both excellent. He laughed and said that was the right answer- the last student, however, said he was better. ;)
Oh- and I haven’t mentioned the grandfather, Fernando Sr. in a while. This is because no one talks to him- I think he may even be senile. He sits on the porch all day and fiddles with the radio. He doesn’t want to watch tv, or eat with the family. He only comes in to sleep. It’s really weird. The family doesn’t really talk to him, but I can tell he is loved and taken care of. The worst part is that his room isn’t next to my and he coughs very loud in the night.
I do wish it was cooler here, but the visiting professor, from UNR has been here a several weeks and he says it took 2 weeks to adjust and then he felt great. Those from the Midwest are handling the heat/humidity better than I am.
Gotta sleep, early morning tomorrow.
Oh- thanks Briana for my first piece of mail here in Puntarenas. In fact, I was the first student to receive anything in the mail! Exciting.

Love you guys,
McKenzi

P.S. I discovered I love plantains. Muy bien!

P.P.S. Friday morning- changed my mind about plantains. When I had them they other night they were fried and tasted like potato chips, but had them yesterday at lunch and they tasted like some weird not as sweet banana that was cooked.

Also- my wireless internet is not working here. So I haven’t been able to post this, or respond to e-mail as much as I would like to. It’s supposed to be fixed on Monday and I will try to post some photos then.

Classes!

Written: 11:53pm Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Buenas dias!
My classes are so wonderful. The teachers are really cool and the students really want to be here. Even the 8AM class is fun (go figure). I have Spanish M-F 8-11, Latin American Politics Monday afternoons, followed by Latin American Cuisine, then on Tuesday afternoon I am auditing Tropical Conservation Biology (with many political undertones), Wednesday I will have Latin American Dance (mostly Salsa and Merengue), and finally—on Thursday I may audit a Costa Rican culture class. Whew! It sounds like lots of school, but really is not. It is much more laid back here due to the Pura Vida attitude around here. My beginning Spanish (also teaches culture class) teacher is so interesting, funny and intelligent. He speaks English, Polish, Italian, French, and, of course, Spanish. Amazing. The politics teacher has many valuable things to say, on subjects that I’m very interested in- including US involvement in LA Politics and current issues like Venezuela/Hugo Chavez. The biology teacher is an ex-pat who has been here for 9 years, but never bothered to learn Spanish. Funny. There will be many field trips with that class. There’s not better place to study Tropical Biology than in the tropics!
I will find out about the dance class tomorrow, but some students had it today, and loved it. Several friends will be in that class.
I had such a good dinner tonight- it was a big salad with tomatoes and warm pieces of fried chicken breast on it. Of course, to accompany it, there was rice and beans- although my mom doesn’t serve them every meal like most. After dinner, I finished my homework and Fernando corrected it. I helped him last night to study for an English exam. I can understand most of what my mom says and I am trying to speak as much as possible. I can’t believe it’s been less than a week. Most students feel like this is home and we don’t want to leave! We will see if that is the case in 4 months. Some have never been out of the country or even away from home! Tonight, a student from U.Mass, Derek invited us to a piano bar his host family runs. His dad opened it just for us, so it was really cool. A few professors came by too. I have made friends with 2 students (Agatha, who is Polish, and Tony) from Chicago, so we can root for the Cubbies together! I also made friends with a pre-med student, Lauren from Tulsa. Also Kelly from PA- see picture on the beach at the link to the right.
I am getting a bike tomorrow, it is the best way to get around town and most students have one at this point. I am pretty close to school- about a 15 minute walk- but it’s so hot to walk that far with a backpack. The heat makes us all sleepy in the afternoon. My family is so nice and tries very hard to make it comfortable for me here. The only (very small) thing I don’t like is--- cockroaches. They are only in the bathroom and only at night. But it scares me to go in there if I wake up in the middle of the night. Ewww. However, it is very clean here and my mom tries had to maintain everything. She told me she will do my laundry tomorrow and any day I want.
This weekend is our first group field trip. Because there are so many students, half with go on Saturday and half on Sunday. I’m with the Saturday group with my friends, and most of us will travel together on Sunday to another beach across the gulf, probably Montezuma.
I think I may be adjusting to the heat, or I’ve given up on being cool. Our classrooms have A/C, thankgoodness! I’ve posted a few more photos, so check it out.
Hope everything is going well back home. I would love to have visitors, I think I will extend my stay until the 1st week of January, so come travel with me! (Mom, A. Kathy, Cheryl, Janet—this means you!) ;)

Love to all.

Playa!

Written:
9:15pm Sunday August 27, 2006

Ok, so much has happened since Friday night. I got really sick between midnight and 4am so I didn’t sleep much. Then my mom served me “gallo pinto” (spotted rooster) which is rice and beans mixed together and a fried egg and bread for breakfast. The food is so good, but I was still feeling sick (maybe because of travel or the malaria pills) so I only ate half. I felt terrible that I couldn’t finish it all, but they were such huge portions! My “mom” (from now on I will refer to my host family here by “mom”, “brother”, “cousin,” etc—when referring to my family in the states I will say “my real mom”) asked me what kinds of foods I like, and I told her anything but fish. Fernando came to walk me to where I was to meet the group for a city tour. He told me that as soon as breakfast was over my mom called him because she thought that I didn’t like the food. She told Fernando to ask what I like and she will cook anything for me. I told him that I loved the food, but I am a little person and need smaller portions! We met another USAC (University Study Abroad Consortium) student who lives near me. His name is Ryan and he’s from U. Mass. His host mom was explaining the directions in Spanish and he was very confused so he walked with us. The city tour wasn’t very helpful, but I learned where the red light district is! Also, I lied in my last blog about the humidity and the heat not being bad. My tank top was SOAKED in sweat, but most others were too. I thought I was going to pass out a few times. My cousin (Fernando) came to pick me up. We ran into some other students that were planning to go to the beach. About 17 of us went to a beach that was 18 minutes away by taxi. There were 11 people in one taxi and 8 in another! It was crazy but very cheap. About 10 of the 17 brought surfboards, and the rest of us swam and body surfed. The beach was so beautiful and secluded and the water felt amazing. We swam/surfed for 3 hours then dried off so the cabs would pick us up. When we walked back to the meeting spot, there was a torrential downpour and we were dripping wet and DIRTY. My mom was very nice about it and wanted to wash my clothes right away. I think my mom was still worried that I didn’t like rice and beans so she served me a big plate of watermelon, mango, and pineapple for dinner. It was funny. Sandra (mi mama), Fernando, Fernando’s sister Maria Jose (9 years old and VERY bright) and Fernando’s mother talked with me and taught me many things in Spanish. They are so kind and fun. Sandra gets frustrated that I don’t understand her very well, but I told her that I will learn very soon. Later, about 25 USAC students met at a local bar. It is fun meeting everyone. I am learning many names. We went dancing too. It was so hot, but a blast. My mom told me that a male must walk me home at night, so since Ryan lives close I asked him to do it. I also learned that another boy, John from Point Loma, lives across the street. All the guys here try to make sure that none of the girls walk home alone, so don’t worry, I will be protected. I slept like a rock after my late night! Today, my mom made me the best omelet I’ve ever had- I have no idea what was in it, but it was GOOD. We also had fruit and fresh bread that she gets daily from a bakery. Today was orientation in a very hot building with 84 students. 3 students were from Australia (including Sophie, a friend of mine) and 2 students from Germany. Very interesting. Orientation was boring, but I added a Latin American Cuisine class. One of the main office workers here in Puntarenas, Sebastion, was a professional chef in Uruguay, so he will be teaching it. I may also audit Conservation Biology (taught by an ex-pat from NY) or a Culture class. I think it would be fun to sit in on a couple extra classes, we are only allowed to take 6 for actual credit. Finally we all went to a Chino (Chinese) food place for dinner. It was buffet style and very very good. The fried rice tasted a little different, but the sweet and sour pork was very similar and a chicken dish also very similar but had cilantro too. I met a bunch of students from Reno, which is cool since I didn’t know anyone before the trip.
Talked more with my mom tonight and Fernando came over for a bit. We spoke very little English and I am learning so many Spanish words. It’s still hard, because they teach me words, but not full sentences, so I can say “beach” but can’t say; “I’m going to the beach.” So tonight I tried to learn phrases. It really helps me when it is written down. I have been reviewing new words every night and the Spanish-English dictionary that Kale gave me has helped so much. Ohmygoodness! I just had a visitor in my room, a little lizard about the size of my finger! He’s running on a walls, and I hope he doesn’t crawl on me when I go to bed! Yesterday I had some creature run behind my backpack, but I didn’t know what kind of creature it was so I was very scared. I moved my bag to reveal a little mouse which promptly ran out of my room. I was relieved to see it was something I recognized. Other than that, there are less bugs than I expected. I’ve seen ants and flies, but no mosquitoes really.

Sorry I am writing so much, there is so much to say- everything is new and exciting right now and I want to tell you everything! My stories should get more interesting and less informative as time goes by. If you click the link to the right that says, “See my photos HERE” you will see a few pictures of my room and the beach that is 2 blocks away from mi casa.
Buenas noches!

Arrived

Written: 8:45pm Friday August 25, 2006

So, I had a terrible time in Houston with the airline, but I got on and arrived in San Jose on schedule. There were about 5 other students with our program on the same flight so we all attached to one another. I think all of my film got ruined going through customs, although the man there said they would be fine. I’m a little upset about that. Alright, on to the fun stuff. The bus ride to Puntarenas was about 2 ½ hours and it was fun to get to meet more students. Everyone seems very nice and fun. I didn’t really meet anyone from UNR though. When we arrived at the school site here in Puntarenas and the staff gave us name tags with our hosts’ names on it. Then families drove up and walked around looking for their “child.” We were all a little nervous because they just picked kids up and we didn’t see them again. None of us knew when to go back to school or anything about where we were going. We kept saying “see you someday” to each other. A nice man (who I still don’t know the name of) picked me up. He didn’t speak any English, but they brought my host sister (6 years old named Sofia) and an older boy. I didn’t know who he was because they didn’t tell me I would have a brother that age. I found out he is my cousin and he was sent because he speaks some English. His name is Fernando (after the grandfather who lives here) and is 16. He showed me my room and tried to ask me questions. My host mom was still at work when I arrived, but I met my little brother, Alejandro (he will be 10 later this month), and Mario (I’m guessing is 13-15, but don’t know) who is apparently my brother also. As soon as I sat down, the man who drove (who may or may not be my host mom’s boyfriend/husband or he may be an uncle) started cooking. Fernando said he was the chef. Little did I know they were cooking for me! He made me a pork chop that was very tasty, white rice and beans. Then he brought out a cabbage salad with cucumbers and radish. Finally, he asked if I like avocado and I, of course, said yes. This avocado was 10 TIMES the size of the ones we get in the grocery. It was so ripe and tasty. He put rock salt on it, which was a little too much for me, but still excellent. I wasn’t hungry but tried to eat most of it because it was very good. I finally told Fernando “No tengo hambre” and he took the food away. I was still feeling awkward and decided to unpack. I gave Fernando the presents I had brought for all of them, and Sofia her coloring book. She is very sweet and tries to talk to me too. The kids were outside playing and I passed out on the bed, I was so tired. It is very hot and humid in my room, but they put a fan in there so it is ok. Puntarenas itself is less humid than I expected, much less than Houston! I woke up about an hour later and felt very shy about leaving my room, but decided to venture out. Fernando took me to the “playa” (beach) and showed me where other students live and how to get to my school. When we got home, I met my host mom, Sandra. She is so nice and was very interested in my photos and understands some English, but does not speak in English to me. They are very patient and I’ve had Fernando repeat words so many times! They even understand my gringo Spanish. I was scared my first few hours here and now I feel like this will soon be home. I will send a picture of my room too. It’s just what I expected- simple with a dresser and mirror, a bed with attached nightstand and a tv. They get all the cable channels, it’s funny. I think that Alejandro has a Playstation too.

Wow, I’m going to have to learn to edit or I’ll lose readers, huh? ;)
This was a set up for all future blogs. I’m really happy to be here. I’ll be speaking Spanish in no time. Love to you all.

Leaving on a jet plane...

I can't believe I'm finally leaving! It really hasn't hit me yet... that I will be gone for the next four months! I love you all, and will miss everyone. Don't forget to send me an e-mail while I'm going. More to come in a few days.