Tropical Garden Hotel Jaco

... than being "stuck" in Costa Rica for two days: especially since I hooked up with some friends that I had met in Nicaragua. They had been living in San Jose for the past two months so they knew all the best places to go and see. I had a great time and took advantage of being in a capital by visiting museums learning more about the country's history and culture. In general, Costa Ricans, Ticos, as they call themselves, are extremely friendly and helpful. Costa Rica is the ...

Oct. 8: COSTA RICA....what a day!!! Off the ship and on the mini-bus at 8:00am....off the pier at 8:15 on our way to Tarcoles, a Mangrove Swamp, (although they call it a "river" for the sake of the Americans who get cringie about swamps and bugs and stuff and there really is a Tarcoles River close by just in case they decide to check), for an hour or so of bird watching, crocodile spotting, macaw spotting, and generally seeing why they tell us we should not throw things ...

... it used to end in San Diego. I have been to Panama before and saw the Panama Canal, but it was very interesting to actually go through in a large ship and watch as we passed through the locks. We had a special barbecue that day on the ship and just lounged out by the pool and started saying our goodbyes. It was inevitable, this experience had to end sometime. These past 3 and half months have been the most amazing times of my life. I have seen ...

... space. As one of the first of the students here, I was free to spend the arvo swinging in the hammock by the pool and watch the others arrive and let first impressions sink in. My schoolmates are a lovely mixed bunch. David - the oldests is a 50yr old retired professional angler who knows more about Bass fishing than is healthy but is good enough not to share. Jess the youngest is a 16 yr old ...

... the time we made it safely back to my apartment! As a reward, we were greeted by Mackie, my neighbor's dog. She is great company, though she is a little shy at first. She comes to visit every day and recently, she came in and lay at my feet while I caught up on some writing!

... beans, rice and papaya and then go the the training we study and practice until around 1 eat lunch which is similar to the breakfast and then go back to practice and study until dinner than back to study until around 9 or 10. We wake to do it all again. I smell like the jungle and even the water tastes of it. I think by the end I will also have a layer of moss. Who knows. I think from here I will go to Panama after the training and study Spanish ...

... Lenny & Catherine, another couple of Irish rat-race escapees, who we first met in Grenada showed up in San Juan so a debaucherous night of copious amounts of Nicaraguan rum ensued, finished off of course by a swim at 4am. Needless to say the appeal of doing the border crossing to Costa Rica the next morning got postponed another day as we nursed a very nasty hangover. So we eventually packed our bags again and headed for the border ...

... was even more beautiful than I remembered and made better by Marco, the craziest ranger of all being there to entertain us t\with his crazy spanglish and cries of 'Oh my god.' The house had not changed that much-still not electricity or running water but the turtle project was thiriving, awaiting the next turtle season in June. Tomorrow we are heading further down the coast, our last stop before we fly home as my mini-gap year is rapidly coming to an end.

... be doing. While I thought Santa Teresa was rustic, Guilicon in 2 steps backward in time and closeness to "our" world. Mostly thatched roof huts, made of wood with dirt floors; and hotter that jJaco. Later, Efrain would tell me that actually the town is looking more modern, since now there are more houses changed over to metal roofs, and theyhve bus service where before you had to hitch a ride on a truck. And the town now gets 4 ½ hours of electricity a day ...

Whew! This week has been so jam packed I have gotten myself a day behind. Yesterday was so fun!!! Same start to the day as usual, did some shopping, had some coffee, watched the crazy dogs at the beach. In the afternoon when Arvin got back from surfing we went out and paddled with the one and only outrigger canoe club in Costa Rica. They are a really cool group of guys. An American guy started the club but the ...