TravelStream™ news feed for member bell.costarica on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/bell.costarica en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:00:13 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bell.costarica/1/1218062460/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bell.costarica/1/1218062460/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bell.costarica/1/1218062460/tpod.html Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:00:13 -0400 La Pura Vida ~ Costa Rican Travels

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Manuel Antonio National Park, Province of Puntarenas, Costa Rica

So yesterday I kind of overslept. I had set my alarm for 640 but I didnt wake up until 710, so I was left with 30 minutes to take a shower and rush up to the university to catch my bus. And what was amazing is that I actually made it on time, but the bus wasn't there. After about 30 minutes it still wasn't there, so I went up to Tico Viajero (the travel service for students on campus that I booked the bus through) to see what was up. Well Interbus had made a mistake on my pickup location and had gone to the wrong university, but they were sending someone to pick me up. The guy who picked me up actually worked in the office and normally didnt leave the office. So, he drove me across San Jose to Alejuela to meet up with the bus who was supposed to get me. The bus ride wasn't to bad, and there was a friendly gay couple from South Carolina infront of me. It was nice to have some other people that spoke english on the bus, and it helped from getting to bored, and we actually arrived in Manuel Antonio on time. I got to the hostel a little before 1, and when I got there they had made a mistake on my room and I ended up having to be the the 14 bed dorm, which I was not excited about. Mainly because its up on the hill a little ways away from the main part and its not near as nice, but I guess that is what you get for 6$ a night. I got ready for the beach and left my stuff and headed off to find food, since I was about to starve because I hadn't eaten all day. I went down to the Manuel Antonio beach area and decided to have lunch at this little resturant called Marlins that was across from the beach and the vendors. Since I had arrived in the middle of the day I hadnt had a chance to meet anyone to hang out with, so it was kind of akward setting by myself. Anyways, the lunch was really good but way overpriced. It cost 14$ for a freaking grilled chicken sandwich, fries and a drink. So after that I headed to the beach and found a place to chill for a while. To be honest, going to the beach alone kind of sucks and its pretty boring. So I ended up not staying for to long and going back to the hostel. I took a shower and napped for a little bit before heading down to the main part of the hostel to try and make friends. Luckily there was a nice couple from Seattle and a guy who was originally from South Africa but now living in California who were playing cards. They were nice enough to let me play, especially considering I had told them that I had no idea how to play Hearts or Rummy, so they taught me. I didnt stay up to late because I had to be up and ready by 6 in the morning.
This morning I overslept, again. I didnt wake up until 550 and was able to get ready really fast and make it down to the main part of the hostel by 605. I had to be up early because I was going on a Mangrove tour. I wasnt really sure what to expect, but I had hoped that there would be crocodiles because thats the only animal I hadn't seen yet. And we didnt find any, but we saw tons of crabs, lizards, and monkeys. They were the white faced monkeys like the ones in the national park. We took bananas and we were able to feed them, and they were so funny because they would hop on the boat and take the banana and run back. Each group of monkeys has one alpha male, who always gets to eat first. And one of the alpha males managed to make it away with a whole banana instead of just part of it. After the mangrove tour I headed down to the beach with a group, where I stayed most of the afternoon. It was alot less boring today especially since I had people to talk to. Im not really sure what Im going to do tonight, but hopefully I can find someone to go to dinner with.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bell.costarica/1/1217913000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bell.costarica/1/1217913000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bell.costarica/1/1217913000/tpod.html Tue, 05 Aug 2008 02:51:35 -0400 La Pura Vida ~ Costa Rican Travels

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Bocas del Toro, Panama

I think that the word "paradise" can properly sum up my trip to Panama. If you were to look in a dictionary i'm pretty sure that you would find a picture of Bocas Del Toro there. It has to be one of the most amazing places that I have ever seen. And if I had 200,000$ I would have bought a over the water home or some property right then. Anyways, more about my trip.....
Friday.
So on Friday I had my final at 9 in the morning and was done a little before 10. Then after that I had to go buy a bag, because I needed to get before I leave to come home so that I won't be overweight, again. So we headed off to HiperMas, which is owned by WalMart. It was so weird, because it was like a ghetto walmart. And I say that because it was really badly laid out, and had the most random stuff. But all the signs were exactly like the ones you would see in WalMart except all in Spanish. Luckily I found a huge bag for 14$, but I had to pay 8$ for a freaking box of tampons. Which is absolutely ridiculous. So after that we got all packed up and said our good-byes to the rest of our house and headed off to the bus stop. We barely made it there on time and literally bought the last two tickets, and it ended up that Amy and Me couldnt set together. Which was good for her because she was able to set by this British guy the entire time, which I was in the front setting by a rather large Costa Rica woman, and another woman setting in the floor with two huge garbage bags full of stuff. So that ended up being a really boring bus ride to Puerto Viejo.It was also bad because I could actually see how bad the bus driver was, and I dont know how we didnt have a few head on colisions. At first there was this little boy on the bus who handed out these papers to everyone, saying that he was 16 years old and how his family didnt have any money and all this other stuff, and so he was asking for money. And since everyone around me was giving him money, I felt bad saying no, so i gave him a little bit of change. After that it seemed like we picked up almost every random person on the side of the road, mainly because Costa Rican bus drivers cant say no. And they didnt even pay. We made it into Puerto Viejo around 6, and had no idea where we were going to stay. So we just walked up the road from the bus stop to a little hostel, who happened to have one room available so we just took it. We dropped off our stuff and went out to eat at this place called Cafe Viejo, Amy had eaten there the weeekend before and had heard the pizza was really good so we went there. It turned out to be an expensive disappointment. The pizza wasn't that great but we were so hungry we ate it anyways. After that since it was so early we wandered around the vendors for a bit before going back to our room. Our room was so freaking hot, one the ceiling fan wasn't very good, and there was no air conditioning. There was a table fan but it had an one hour timer. And another thing that was strange was that we couldnt flip a switch to turn our light out, we literally had to unscrew the light bulb. It was a good thing it was only for one night. Because I could hardly sleep.
Saturday.
We got up around 530 and got ready and we were at the bus station by 550. We werent really sure what to do because the station wasn't open so we couldnt buy tickets beforehand. And it turned out we weren't even at the bus stop, and some nice Tico told us where to go. The bus was late, as usual and we didnt even leave Puerto Viejo untiil around 645. The bus ride between Puerto Viejo and Sixaola was interesting. The bus would get so crowded then everyone would get off. And there was this one woman setting across from me who decided to just breastfeed her baby, with everyone there and not even trying to be descret. So akward. So we made it to the border around 8, and had no idead what to do or where to go. We saw a sign that said Panama and headed that way. Crossing borders in central america are so different. First you have to get in a line in Costa Rica, there you have to fill out a form, and get your passport stamped. That line took almost an hour because there were so many people. After that you literally walk across a bridge. The bridge was originally built for trains but pretty much all of central america has pulled out all of their trains so the trackes ended at the ends of the bridge. So to make this bridge where you can walk on it, they just hammered down some2x6's and added a metal sidewalk hanging off of part of one side. This had to be the most sketchyest thing ever. First of all the metal sidewalk is dangerous looking because its rusting and there are parts missing. And if you walk on the boards its hard because they aren't laid very consistantly and if you step off wrong you could get your foot caught between the railroad ties. So after crossing the bridge you have to get in a line for Panama customs. But first you have to pay 5$ for a tourist card. There we waited another hour in the most horrible heat ever. We were also harrassed by kids, seriously around the age of 5 to 10 asking for money or trying to help you with your bag in order to get money, and trying to do other stuff. Also, there were people asking if you were going to Bocas, and offering rides. Even though we thought it wasn't a good decision at the time, we decided to take one of the rides. But we only decided that because there was a group of 9 girls, 4 girls from Chile. We just assumed we would be more safe with them there too because they speak spanish and they would be able to understand what the guy was saying and there 3 other girls from California. So after our bus ride we were taking to a water taxi. Where we were harrassed by kids yet again. But the water taxi was so cool, it took almost an hour of navigating through canals. Then we finally made it to the islands of Bocas Del Toro. Unfortunately it was raining a little bit when we first got there and we were actually on the wrong island, so we had to take a water taxi across to our hostel. Water taxis are the only way to get around, and its pretty hard trying to get one. Most of them dont have cell phones. So you either have to be a good whisltler and hope they hear or stand on a deck flailing your arms until them come over.
Our hostel was called the Aqua Lounge. It was so amazing. First of all the hostel was over the water, and driving up you could see people on the trampoline, thats in the water. People jumping off a diving board into the pool (actually the ocean), which is actually a large oval cut into the deck so you can swim, and there were two swings that you could swing over the water and a little cafe and a full bar. There were hammocks in all the archways, And all the water around the hostel is the most gorgeous green blue color ever, and its crystal clear and you can see all the way to the bottom and its almost 20 feet. (You can see the bottom on most of the boat rides to, where it is more shallow) Also in the hostel the floors are slats and you can see down inbetween them and see the ocean too. When we got to the Aqua :Lounge we were kind of nervous because they dont take reservations, but luckily they had enough space for us. So we got our stuff situated and we weren't really sure what to do, so we asked this guy who worked there who was so freaking hot. And he suggested this beach on another island called the Bluffs. He helped us flag down a driver to take us, who actually had to go get another boat. So while we were waiting we were talking to this amazingly hot guy. (Which I had heard rumors about before from other travelers). So he was telling us about how he lived for 3 months on an island in Panama with indians then he had been living in the hostel for two years, but his best friend was the owner. And when we asked him if he ever wanted to go home (hes originally from Flordia) he said he never wanted to get on a plane again. Because he had been a model for 13 years and tired of traveling and flying. We didnt ask questions, but we are assuming that the rumor about him being a Calvin Klein model was true. He definitely had the body and face to be one. So after that we headed to the Bluffs with our taxi boat driver. The beach was absolutely deserted and we were the only 3 people. There was golden sand and it was so amazing because it was like walking on clouds, I have never felt sand this amazing before in my life. There we laid out and waded around in the water, there were some big waves so we didnt go out to far. And Amy and I are convinced that our boat driver was triyng to play a prank on us and pretend he was drowning.. We stayed there for about 2 hours and then we left. Getting off the island was a chore. First we had to move the boat back into the water and push it out a ways. Then the waves were getting so large that it would push the boat right back to shore so we kept having to jump out and help. I was just sure that we weren't going to make it off without flipping the boat first. But our dirver managed to get us safely off, we might have been soaked in the process but we got off. And had so much water in our boat. When we returned to the hostel we found out that the water wasn't working, which happens quiet often. And that really sucked because we were covered in sand and salt and there was nothing we could do. So we just took a nap, hoping that the water would come back on. Which it didn't. So we got ready and went to eat at this resturant called Dona Mara. The food was okay, but nothing to special. When we got back to our hostel, we had met these two girls from California and one from Costa Rica. They talked us into hanging out and drinking a little bit at the hostel. It was a good thing that it was ladies night there because we were able to drink for free, but we didnt stay out to late because we wanted to get up early and have all day.
Saturday
We got up early because we were going with a group on a tour. So we were ready around 9ish, and so were two British girls from our hostel. All four of us loaded into the boat and headed across to the other island where we were supposed to meet 5 other people, who ended up not showing up. Which was a real problem, because most people won't do tours with less than 6 people and we needed two more, for 20$ each. So he resorted to asking hostels and people if they wanted to do the tour, and no one didn't. And we waited for almost an hour. So while he was gone we decided to try and negociate a price so we could go. He eneded up taking us for 25$ a person which really isn't bad. First he took us to a place where there are dolphins, and we were able to see around 20. Next we went to Caya Coral to snorkle. It was made up of one larger building, two smaller thacked roof buildings and a lot of decks, all over the water. The water was only about 10 feet deep and perfect for snorkeling. We took turns watching the stuff. The snorkeling was amazing. You could see all the way to the botttom and it was so clear. I was able to see so many coral and colorful fish and even sea cucumbers. If the waterproof camera hadn't sprang a leak and died I could have been able to take so many pictures. This place was seriusly out of a postcard it was so cool. After a little bit of snorkeling we were taken to Red Frog Beach. Where you entered on the opposite side of the island and hiked across. The beach was your typical white sandy beach, and the water was clear there, except for some seaweed washing up. There we stayed most of the day, laying out and swimming. After all of that we returned back to the hostel. And luckily the water was working and we got ready to go out to eat. Me, Amy, and this British guy took a taxi over to the other side of the isalnd to eat at a Purvian Resturant. Where I had really good grilled chicken. The service wasn't that great, but the food made up for it. After that we decided to walk back, which probably wansn't a great idea but we made it just fine. We hung out for a little bit before deciding to go to a bar called the Sunken Ship, which literally had a sunken ship in the middle. We didnt stay out to late because we were so tired from the day and knew it was going to be a long ride home the next day.
Sunday.
Today we got up early because we knew we had to be at the border by 3pm to catch the last direct bus to San Jose. So we got up hailed a water taxi and went to the main island to grab breakfast, book the water ferry, and go to a few gift shops. Our ride home was definitely an adventure in itself. First we took a water taxi to the water ferry, next we took a water ferry. Then we took a van with some other people to the border. There we went through Panama customs and crossed the bridge and went through Costa Rican customs. We didnt realized to get back into Costa Rica you needed to show a ticket to when you were leaving, or a student id of a university here. I had mine, but Amy had nothing. So we were freaking out because the guy wasn't going to let her back in, but finally I guess he felt sorry for us and just stamped her passport. We ended up arriving back into Saxaloa around 12, which was way earlier than we thought we would be and we forgot to take into account that Panama is an hour ahead.. So we asked around where the bus stop is and waited there. We found out that there was a bus that could take us from there to Limon where we could catch another bus there. So we were like, sounds good and got on the bus. Which was so horrible. It was hot and crowded. So we decided to not take the bus all the way to Limon but to get off in Puerto Viejo because there was direct buses to San Jose there to. So we get off and go to buy our tickets and the guy is pretty much a jerk. He doesnt want to help us and tells us there is no space and that we need to get back on the next bus to Limon and then take a bus back to San Jose from there. So we were frustrated because we had to pay again for another bus that we had already paid for. So we decided to go eat, and we had the best pizza ever. So we road the bus from Puerto Viejo to Limon, and when we got to Limon they just dropped us off on the side of the road, no where close to the bus stop. So after asking around we ended up having to take a taxi to get to the bus stop. We arrived around 530 and we were able to get tickets for the 6pm bus. The bus was actually really nice, asides from the fact that there wasnt air conditioning. And we even made one 15min stop. We got back into San Jose around 9ish and had to take a taxi back to the house, but first we stopped at Burger King because we were starving.
Now I have to get my stuff ready to leave for Manuel Antonio early in the morning. Im taking Interbus so it will be airconditioned and not crowded.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bell.costarica/1/1217569680/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bell.costarica/1/1217569680/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bell.costarica/1/1217569680/tpod.html Fri, 01 Aug 2008 01:42:31 -0400 La Pura Vida ~ Costa Rican Travels

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San Jose, Costa Rica

So the program is finally coming to an end. Some people are so ready to go home already, and I just kind of look at them like they are crazy. If I could stay here another month, or two, I would. For most of them this has been their first trip away from home, so they aren't used to being away. Also, we have had a problem with things coming up missing lately. First a few girls had either lost some money, or had it stolen, equaling to about 100$. And people are missing random clothes and other things. And what sucks is my freaking umbrella was jacked the day after I bought it. Let me just tell you, not having an umbrella during the rainy season sucks, and Im kind of refusing to buy another one, beacause it will be my 4th one. The first umbrella I left in Manuel Antonio at a hostel, but it was getting gimpy, so I wasn't to upset, because I had a second one. That one lasted all of 2 weeks, and completely fell apart, no kidding. Now the third one has been stolen. Really, who steals an umbrella. ANYWAYS. This week has gone by so fast. And I felt like I havent done anything. On Monday we had planned on going to Cartago, but we waited around until about 2 and then we decided not to go. So we just kind of hung out around the house. On Tuesday afternoon a small group to Cartago, which I was surprised that it would be worth the trip. So, we ate really fast after class, and we were about to leave for the bus stop when our host dad volunteered to take us there. He takes us to the bus stop that he believes is correct, then after getting out of the truck and looking blankly at the signs and looking like completely stupid tourists. A man walks up to us to ask where we are trying to go, and turns out that we have to walk 5 blocks to where the buses are. Luckily for us there are buses that leave evey 15minutes, and it was only a 20 minute bus ride. At first when we got to Cartago we weren't really sure where this basilica was. But we made it. It was pretty cloudy when we first got there and the rain held off for about 20 minutes then began to downpour, and kept on for the rest of the afternoon. The church has to be one of the prettiest man made structures in this whole entire country. And I kind of wish we had gone last week because they were setting up for this weekend, which is a really important holiday. People from all over the country literally walk to the city. Then they wait in line to enter the church and literally crawl on their knees up to the front. It is an interesting sight. After looking around inside the church, which was partially blocked off because of this weekend, most people wanted to get holy water. Honestly, I think the whole concept of holy water is a little crazy. I mean seriously who is to say that water is anymore holy than some I can get out of my sink. But that is all besides the point, so everyone (except for me) bought creepy little Marys to put this water in. One girl bought 5, to give as presents to her family. If I was the one to receive something like that, I would be like seriously? You went to Costa Rica just to bring me back some freaking water, which probably will taste bad because It will have been in a cheap pastic container for over a week. So after getting the holy water we decided to find some church ruins, still in the pouring rain. The church had been damaged by an earthquake, was repaired then later damaged by a fire, so they just left it. Now there is a little garden in the middle. It would have been a pretty place, except for all the rain. After that we caught the bus to go back home. Later that night I went up to the Veritas computer lab to work on my presentation and I ended up staying almost 2 and a half hours. Which brings me to another point, Costa Ricans can be loud and obnoxious too. So me and this other girl go into a pc lab, mainly because Veritas is a design school so most of the students like to use the mac. So we are in this lab with two other people, then this guy stops by to help this girl out. Which is nice, for her, and he is telling her what to do in photoshop to help her out with her picture. Which by the way looks like crap. So hes helping, and instead of being considerate of other people, he is talking so loud Im pretty sure people outside the labs could hear him, and he continues to do this for over 15 minutes. We are like, seriously. But we dont know how to tell him in spanish to be more quiet, so we went up going to another one. After I get finished for the night I head back to the casa. And just my luck, Tuto is here and looked bored. So I asked him to help me with my presentation. And since he claims I wrote to big, and that there wasn't enough space. He literally rewrote it all to correct my errors. And I had almost 3 pages handwritten. Most people wouldnt do that, but I think he actually enjoys helping us. After that I studied a little bit and went ot bed. On Wednesday after class we decided to go to the market, for probably the 10th time. Anyways It was torrential downpouring like usual, and one girl needs to go to the ATH. Which Im like why dont you use the ATM on campus, but she thinks that she will get to many charges, and she has been so frugal the past two weeks so that she won't have to use her debit card to get money, because she ran out of money on her travel card. So we head off to the ATH, and Im pretty pissed about this because one i'm having to walk all that way, and two its in the rain. And Brittany and I are having to share an umbrella because both of ours have been stolen. After we got to the ATH and she got money, I thought we would try and catch cabs, since it was raining even harder. But no, they wanted to continue walking. So we walked for forever in the rain, and it sucked. When we finally got to the market we were all pretty drenched. But luckily, its covered so it wasn't to bad. We ended up staying several hours, walking around and trying to barter with the vendors. After that we caught cabs and went back home. Wednesday night was also opera night, and the Teatro Nacional was having Faust. One the first week we had all bought tickets, and I ended up not going because I was to stressed about my 12 minute presentation and quiz. Im glad I ended up not going because most people hated it. So today was my presentation, which I did on Blood Diamonds, I was inspired by the movie. And I highly suggest seeing it, but it does have alot of violence. The three people that went before me only talked for 5 minutes, so I was getting really worried because I hadn't practiced mine and I wasn't sure how long it would be. And I ended up talking for 10 minutes, it was 2 minutes to short but way longer than the other three girls and only one girl ended up talking longer than me. This afternoon I really didnt do a whole lot. I went out to eat with Brittany, Corey, and Lindsay, then went with Lindsay to the Bank to get some US dollars, to use in Panama. Also, for about 30 minutes this afternoon we seriously considered going to Cuba. It was a really good deal, and it was 2 people for 669, which would have been like 230 each. It included round trip airfare, 2 nights and 3 days at an all inclusive resort. It would have been amazing, but then we realized there were all these taxes not listed and it would have been over 500 per person. So that wa a little much. And well Americans aren't really supposed to go to Cuba because of the whole embargo act. Which is a little ridiculous. But the Cubans have a good system worked out for everyone. They give you a paper to put in your passport, because they cant stamp anyones who wants to ever go back in the US, and then when you leave, they take the paper. So basically they are cheating the system, and making it possible to still have tourism. Also, we had to make travel arrangements to this hostel, called the Aqua Lounge which is impossible to find a number for unless you know someone who has stayed there. Luckily I remembered that the hostel I stayed at in Manuel Antonio had the info, so I called them to get it and make reservations. And what was weird is the guy recognized my voice, and rememered exactly who I was just from my voice, so weird.
Tonight was our farewell dinner. They took us to a really nice resturant in the hills in Escazu. The view was AMAZING, you could see all the lights from the city. And for the first time the city looked pretty. The food was so-so, the Costa Rican food still hasn't grown on me. But the best thing was the live entertainment. For about 30 minutes they had professional dances, in colorful costumes dancing different types of dances. It was pretty amusing. After that we headed back home, and now we are just hanging out because finals are tomorrow. And there is no way to prepare for a final like mine so im just trying to relax and hang out with people before I leave to tomorrow.
Bocas Del Toro is going to be AMAZING!!!!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bell.costarica/1/1217212980/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bell.costarica/1/1217212980/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bell.costarica/1/1217212980/tpod.html Sun, 27 Jul 2008 23:27:00 -0400 La Pura Vida ~ Costa Rican Travels

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Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

Luckily on Friday we didn't have to leave until 10am so we (FINALLY) were able to sleep in, if you call 830 sleeping in. Anyways, we got up and had to be at Tierrasol before 10, for a 5 hour bus ride to Puerto Viejo, a little surfer town on the Caribbean. The way there was alot smoother than we had expected, because the first group to go to P. Viejo had to stop several times because of car sickness. So we arrived around 330 pm and we got settled in and went to eat at this place called El Dorado. All I wanted was some american food, so I ate a hamburger and french fries. Then after that we went back to our hotel to hang out, and drank a little bit and played games before going out. First we went to this place called Johnnys where they had a live Reggae-esque band. We hung out there for a while before going to another discotec called Stanfords. There we hung out on these large red cubes before going back to the hotel around 11pm. On Saturday we were woken up at 715 am, which was entirely to early considering it was pouring down raining STILL and couldn't go snorkling. So we got ready and went to eat breakfast at Pan Pay, which luckily was included. This little resturant had the most amazing crossiants ever. I had two chocolate ones and one with ham and cheese. After that we all got ready for the beach and decided to suck it up and try to enjoy the beach even though it was still raining. Some people rented surf boards, and attempted to surf. But the water was disgusting and literally there was trash in it. However, there was a black beach, and the sand was once lava so that was cool, and there were random horses roaming up and down the beach. After that a group of us went to get massages at this spa place called Pure. It was the most amazing one hour massage ever. The massage therapist I had was originally from the US, and she came to Costa Rica four years ago and never left. Also it turned out that the receptionist was originally from the US too. When she was a sophomore in high school her parents decided to move to Costa Rica, and she had been here ever since. After the massage me and this other girl took naps and got ready later to go out to eat, and we were so lazy that we didn't go out. Today we had to get up early, again, and since it was STILL raining we didn't get to go snorkling again. So we went and ate, and since it was disgusting outside still, we didn't rent bikes to ride to this other town. So we went around to the vendors and little shops. Where I bought some handmade leather sandals, some gifts, and stuff for myself. We were also all incredibly bored and realized that there was a First Baptist Church in town, so we decided to attend their service, which luckily was in English. The church was so primitive, it was a little concrete rectangle and there was no stained glass or anything elaborate. The congregation consisted of maybe 15 people, and the preacher was a woman. It was so different than at home, because it seemed like people wanted to be there, and they weren't just going just to go, but they actually wanted to be there. Also, all the people were so welcoming. After church we ate lunch and headed back.
Luckily tonight was american food night, so I actually was able to eat, for once. And it was good, and Senora was so excited that I finished my dinner, she actually clapped.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bell.costarica/1/1216947420/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bell.costarica/1/1216947420/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bell.costarica/1/1216947420/tpod.html Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:20:51 -0400 La Pura Vida ~ Costa Rican Travels

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San Jose, Costa Rica

This week was kind of uneventful. Because most of us had quizes and presentations. Also, pretty much everyone in Casa Floribeth are getting sick. I have had a sore throat and now its turning into a head cold. And there is one girl that is about to drive EVERYONE crazy, I feel like i'm pretty tolerent of people but i'm about to yell at her. She worries about every single thing, and has such a bad attitude. And has to comment on everything
On Monday a group of us went to the Mall of San Pedro to get manicures and pedicures. To get a manicure here its 8$ and around 16 for a pedicure. So we got our nails done and wandered around the mall for a little bit. The strange thing about the mall of San Pedro is there are random stores that make no sense. They aren't chain stores like here, and alot of stores don't have prices on their clothes, which is odd. Also, on Monday night Brittanys boyfriend, Corey, arrived at 12pm. On Tuesday after class a group of us went to Terramall to buy movie tickets for Batman in the VIP theatre. Which is a good thing that we did because if we hadn't we wouldnt have been able to get tickets, because wednesday is 2 for 1 and they sell out fast. On Wednesday my class had to go to the central market for a scavenger hunt type activity where we had to talk to the locals that worked there to find out different things about Costa Rican culture. Brittany and I split off from the group so we didn't look so touristy and so that we could have more opportunities to practice spanish. First we had to go the floral section. Where there were atleast 10 vendors selling all different types of flowers. There were typical flowers like roses, gerber daiseys and lillies to tropical flowers like birds of paradise and hibiscus. There we had to ask the what the names are of different flowers and what is the most popular flower. Honestly the lady wasn't very nice but we ended up buying two huge dasies. Next we had to find out about natural herbs/flower remedies for illnesses. The first guy we talked to ended up telling us he didn't have time, but the next guy was extremely helpful. We had to ask the names of six different herbs/flowers and then find out more information on one. He ended up telling us about all six, there were flowers for inflamation of the legs and feet, to ones that would clean your blood and help to lower blood pressure, and ones that were supposed to act like viagra. The one we asked him about was called manazania and we first thought he was telling us it would help digestive problems but turns out its for helping menstural pains. We told him that we were going to buy some of it, but he ended up giving it to us for free. He probably thought we were pmsing and felt sorry for us. Next we had to find out about the ugliest doll ever, the niguenta. Its supposed to be a symbol of good luck. Its a doll of a little girl setting in some grass without clothes. There is a number thirteen on the grass and a horseshoe, both are supposed to give her good luck. She is also looking inbetween her toes, for bugs. Im not really sure why its good luck but it is. Next we had to find out about Costa Rican folklore, which honestly are really strange. The first was El Cadejo, which was to warn drunken villagers. There was a son who drank alot and would come home drunk almost everynight. His mom tried to be more strict with him and he ended up hitting her. So she put a curse on him, which turned him into a black dog with red eyes that would carry chains. So at night supposedly you will see a black dog and white dog. The black dog is supposed to represent the bad and the white dog is good. And you weren't supposed to stray from the right path. The next was "La Segua" is another legend directed towards drunk and unfaithful men. She was a beautiful apparition of a woman, of porcelain-white skin,
large black eyes and long, black hair. She asks the unsuspecting
traveler, who is often drunk, for a ride on his horse, saying that she
needs to see her ill mother. The rider lifts her up unto the saddle and
pretty soon, he turns around to see the gorgeous woman turn into a
hideous creature with the face of a horse's skull, burning red eyes,
and large teeth. Women like to tell their boyfriends and husbands so that they won't be unfaithful. The last was "La Llorona" "La llorona" is one of the most popular legends directed towards women. There was a woman who lived by the river. She fell in love with a man but he had to go off, and they were supposed to marry when he returned. However, whenever he was gone there was another man who fell in love with her. She gave into him and became pregnant. When she had the baby,
she went crazy, and screaming "va a venir" (he's going to come- her
fiance) she ran to the river and threw the baby into the river. People
wandering near rivers sometimes hear the woman crying and trying to find her baby. We also had to ask random questions about food and slangs. After class Brittany and I met Corey downtown at the Gold Museum to play tourists for the afternoon. We wandered around downtown taking pictures of the cows in the cow parade. The cow parade has 150 cows that are intriclately decorated, from stripper cows to cows with maps and other stuff. Its like the lions in Munich, and they are only here until August 2nd. Next we went to wander around the market while it rained. The people that work there really need to work on their marketing skills, because they are like vultures and dont leave you alone. Men are always like I give you good deal, for someone is pretty. After that we went to the national museum, which was an old fort on a hill. It has alot information on the history of costa rica. Honestly the museums aren't that great, however it had good views of the city. Later that night we went to see Batman: Caballero de la Noche. Luckily it was in english with spanish subtitles. Heath Ledger did such an amazing job at the roll, and now I understand why he died.
Today has been kind of boring and I ended up sleeping most of the afternoon. And now we are having a movie night. And tomorrow we are leaving for Puerto Viejo in the morning. Hopefully it won't rain the whole time
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bell.costarica/1/1216656840/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bell.costarica/1/1216656840/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bell.costarica/1/1216656840/tpod.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:29:26 -0400 La Pura Vida ~ Costa Rican Travels

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Poas Volcano National Park, Province of Alajuela, Costa Rica

So on Friday I had my presentation. Which had to use four of the past tenses, and we had to talk for a minimum of 10 minutes. Which is way to long to talk in another language. So I did mine on Germany, complete with pictures to destract everyone from what I was saying. I guess it went over pretty good, i got nervous so i eneded up forgetting a lot but I had notecards so maybe I made a decent grade. After class a small group of us decided to go to Sarchi. Which is famous for their handpainted, ornate, colorful ox carts and wheels. It was my idea to go because I really wanted to see these carts/wheels. So after class we took a cab from Veritas to the Coca Cola bus station. On the way we asked our taxi driver if that was the right one and it ended up not being right but it took us to another one that had a bus that went to Grecia and there was a bus in Grecia that took us to Sarchi. So after two bus rides and not really sure where to get off we finally made it to Sarchi. We really knew nothing about this town other than it had the carts/wheels. So we got off at what we thought was the right stop, but ended up being the wrong side of town. After wandering around for a while and visiting a few shops we found out where to go. We went to this shop that is famous for their carts. It was amazing watching these guys intricately painting the carts and wheels. And they were all so beautiful I wanted to buy several. So I ended up buying one big wheel, this is probably 3.5 feet in diameter which is on its way back to the US right now. I'm pretty much in love with it and I can't wait to get it back and put it up in my room.
Friday night was ashley's "birthday". Her birthday was actually july 5th but since it was the day we arrived to San Jose no one knew, so we were out celebrating. We went this this really posh bar/small club called Five in a really nice part of town. Since there was a group of 10 American girls we got ushered to the front of the line and the bouncer kicked a group off of some sofas to let us have that area. It was only 6$ to get in and open bar from 9 until 12. It was probably the most fun that I have had since I have been here. Since it was small we didn't have to worry about losing anyone and the people there weren't sketchy because it was a nice bar and i'm pretty sure there was a dress code.
Saturday we had to be up and at Tierrasol (CEA office) by 7. It kind of sucked since pretty much everyone was hung over and only had a few hours of sleep. So we made it there on time, and had to ride a big tour bus for an hour before stopping at a coffee plantation. There we had almost an hour to wander around and take pictures. Im pretty sure CEA gets some kind of commission for taking us there because a majority of the people bought so much coffee. After that we headed to Poas Volcano. Since we were at such a high altitude it was suprisingly chilly. We had to hike 15 minutes on a well paved trail to the crater. It was so foggy that we couldn't see anything, so we were just staring into whiteness. So a group of us headed to a lagoon that was another 15 minutes uphill. The lagoon is an extint volcano and has the most amazing blue-green water ever. Which made this stop worthwhile. After that we left Poas and headed for La Paz Waterfall gardens.
When we arrived at La Paz we went to eat at their cafeteria style resturant. Which had two buffets with salads, american food, italian food and typical costa rican food. The cafeteria wasn't really cafeteria-esque. It was really nice, and had waterfalls and trees and a huge fireplace. The La Paz also had birds, where you could walk through and see different types of toucans, parrots, macaws, etc. They also had monkey, snake, and butterfly exhibits too. After that we hiked down to four different waterfalls. Which was nice because we just had to hike down, but it sucked because it rained the entire time. The waterfalls were pretty, but honestly they all kind of look the same. After La Paz we left to come back to San Jose. And since we had to be up early on Sunday we just hung out and watched movies.
On Sunday we had to be at the CEA office before 6. We all loaded up onto a bus and rode for about 1.5 hours then we stopped for breakfast. Where we had 1.5 hours. Which was absolutely ridiculous. They should of just picked us up at 730 and gave us a donut or something on the bus. Anyways, the breakfast was so-so but I did get to hold a toucan. After that we rode the bus for another hour before arriving to Puntarenas. There we got onto the most awesome boat ever. On the front it had to big net type things where you could lay out and when you got to going fast water would splash up. There was also two pools on the front deck where 4 or 5 people could set in. It even had a bar too. There were servers who would bring you drinks and fruits. After about and 1.5 hour boat ride we FINALLY made it to Isla Tortuga. The side of the island we were on was private so there wasn't very many people and you didn't have to constantly worry about your stuff. So a group of us decided to go snorkling, and it was only 10 extra dollars. The water was alot clearer than at Manuel Antonio and we could see tons of fish. You had to be extremely careful not to touch the rocks because there were fish that would jump out and fin you. Also, the guide would dive down and catch starfish and bring them up for us to hold. He found 3 different types, and I have pictures of all of them. He also found the most disgusting creature ever, the sea cucumber. It was a big slimy blog with bumps. After snorkling we had lunch. And it wasn't just your typical sandwich lunch. It was a 5-star ordeal. First we were servied Ceviche, which is similar to pico de gallo. Its spicey and has choped up vegetables and fish. It was also seved with white wine. Next there was salads. For the main dish, we had grilled chicken with the sauce, rice, and platano chips (which were suprisingly good). And for dessert with had this cake. After lunch we swam in the ocean, which was alot calmer than most of the other beaches. Then a group of us decided to do the banana boat around the island, and it only cost 5$. It was fun, except for falling off because I always seemed to get pushed back down by someone else. Luckily we all had on helmets so it wasn't to bad. After that we swam around until we had to leave to go back home. The boat ride home kind of sucked because it was rainy and lightening some. Our bus ride home wasn't to terrible because the bus had tvs and dvd players so we all watched Forrest Gump, and I had to admit I liked it more this time. When I got home I was so tired I just fell asleep.
Today was actually a fun day of classes. We talked about random things like Facebook (in spanish of course). And I found out that I made an 87 on my presentation, which I was pretty excited about. In a little bit I think we are going to go find this outlet mall that we saw in San Jose.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bell.costarica/1/1216326600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bell.costarica/1/1216326600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bell.costarica/1/1216326600/tpod.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:14:34 -0400 La Pura Vida ~ Costa Rican Travels

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Tamarindo, Province of Guanacaste, Costa Rica

So it has been over a week since I have made a blog entry and a lot has happened. First of all San Jose is not safe. We can't walk around at night, so we have to take taxis EVERYWHERE and sometimes they refuse to turn on the MARIA and will rip you off. But we have noticed if you talk to them and try to be friendly they will give you a better deal. Also no one in Costa Rica can drive worth crap. They dont care about the stop lights, lanes or anything. Last week I rode home from a bar with Tuto, and I thought I was in a death truck. He didn't stop at one red light, just honked adn went through. Also, EVERYONE thinks its wniter here, its ike in the 70s and people are wearing boots, sweaters, and wintery clothes. Crazy ticos. Skinny jeans are also the fad right now, EVERYONE has them, even boys.
Last week classes were easy so we went out at night. Wednesday a small group of us went to the Cenoplois in the Tierramall. Wednesday is the best day to go because it is 2 for 1, so you pay 5$ each. Which sounds like alot, but we went to the VIP theatre to see Kung Foo Panda in Spanish. The theatre was AMAZING, everyone had their own lazy boy recliner and there were servers to bring you drinks and food and you could even have beer if you wanted. We also did alot of wandering around downtown last week going to the Central Market several times and going to various malls. Also, Last Thursday was a lot of fun too. First we went to this really posh bar close to our house. It was a small group, mainly just some of the girls from the house and the Ticos we have befriended. And I must say the Costa Rican guys that we are hanging out with come from some of the most wealthy families of the country. Anyways after the bar we went to this place called Castros. It is a 3 story bar that has karaoki, meringue and salsa dancing and another random floor. It was interesting to see all of us triyng to dance, mainly because the boys were so good and we pretty much sucked. But we atleast tried. Last Friday Emily and I left for Tamarindo, which is a beach in the north west of CR. It took almost 5 hours to get there by bus, and we were so tired when we got there we just ate at Pizza Hut and went to bed. We decided to stay in a hotel instead of a hostel because the hotel was fairly cheap and we didn't want to have todeal with other people. On Saturday we got up early and went to the beach, were we literally layed out all day. The beach wasn't as pretty as the one in Manuel Antonio but there was more room to lay out and you didn't have to worry about the tide as much. also this beach was a little more dangerous because there were tons of surfers and most were just learning. We saw a guy have his head about taken off by a surf board and had to go to the hospital for stitches. That night we went out to a resturant on the 4th floor of a building overlooking the sunset. Tamarindo has one of the most breath taking sunsets I have ever seen. On Sunday we got up early again to go to the beach and do a little bit of souvenir shopping before we had to leave at 230. The ride home took almost 7 hours, I thought we were never going to make it. Because alot of people are on vacations now so there were tons of cars coming back from the beach.
On monday night we went to this bar called Cartel. Which was rediculously big and looked like a small town inside. They had live music and three different bars. It was fun until the police came in and mased someone and then it felt impossible to breathe so I ended up leaving shortly there after.
Tuesday was Tutos birthday so a big group of us went to ride go carts. Which is WAY different than in the US. First, its not for kids, just adults. There is a bar upstairs where you can drink while you are waiting. We had to wait almost 2 hours to ride, so alot of people were a little drunk when we finally got to go. Which was really funny because everyone kept crashing. Also, the go carts go fast and you aren't buckled in but you have on a helmet.
Last night i ended up not going out but working on my presentation for Friday and I had Ivan (from Colombia) to proof read what I had written. And today I have been working all afternoon but I think we are goingto go shopping in a little bit.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bell.costarica/1/1216326540/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bell.costarica/1/1216326540/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bell.costarica/1/1216326540/tpod.html Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:51:58 -0400 La Pura Vida ~ Costa Rican Travels

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San Jose, Costa Rica

So it has been over a week since I have made a blog entry and a lot has happened. First of all San Jose is not safe. We can't walk around at night, so we have to take taxis EVERYWHERE and sometimes they refuse to turn on the MARIA and will rip you off. But we have noticed if you talk to them and try to be friendly they will give you a better deal. Also no one in Costa Rica can drive worth crap. They dont care about the stop lights, lanes or anything. Last week I rode home from a bar with Tuto, and I thought I was in a death truck. He didn't stop at one red light, just honked adn went through. Also, EVERYONE thinks its wniter here, its ike in the 70s and people are wearing boots, sweaters, and wintery clothes. Crazy ticos. Skinny jeans are also the fad right now, EVERYONE has them, even boys.
Last week classes were easy so we went out at night. Wednesday a small group of us went to the Cenoplois in the Tierramall. Wednesday is the best day to go because it is 2 for 1, so you pay 5$ each. Which sounds like alot, but we went to the VIP theatre to see Kung Foo Panda in Spanish. The theatre was AMAZING, everyone had their own lazy boy recliner and there were servers to bring you drinks and food and you could even have beer if you wanted. We also did alot of wandering around downtown last week going to the Central Market several times and going to various malls. Also, Last Thursday was a lot of fun too. First we went to this really posh bar close to our house. It was a small group, mainly just some of the girls from the house and the Ticos we have befriended. And I must say the Costa Rican guys that we are hanging out with come from some of the most wealthy families of the country. Anyways after the bar we went to this place called Castros. It is a 3 story bar that has karaoki, meringue and salsa dancing and another random floor. It was interesting to see all of us triyng to dance, mainly because the boys were so good and we pretty much sucked. But we atleast tried. Last Friday Emily and I left for Tamarindo, which is a beach in the north west of CR. It took almost 5 hours to get there by bus, and we were so tired when we got there we just ate at Pizza Hut and went to bed. We decided to stay in a hotel instead of a hostel because the hotel was fairly cheap and we didn't want to have todeal with other people. On Saturday we got up early and went to the beach, were we literally layed out all day. The beach wasn't as pretty as the one in Manuel Antonio but there was more room to lay out and you didn't have to worry about the tide as much. also this beach was a little more dangerous because there were tons of surfers and most were just learning. We saw a guy have his head about taken off by a surf board and had to go to the hospital for stitches. That night we went out to a resturant on the 4th floor of a building overlooking the sunset. Tamarindo has one of the most breath taking sunsets I have ever seen. On Sunday we got up early again to go to the beach and do a little bit of souvenir shopping before we had to leave at 230. The ride home took almost 7 hours, I thought we were never going to make it. Because alot of people are on vacations now so there were tons of cars coming back from the beach.
On monday night we went to this bar called Cartel. Which was rediculously big and looked like a small town inside. They had live music and three different bars. It was fun until the police came in and mased someone and then it felt impossible to breathe so I ended up leaving shortly there after.
Tuesday was Tutos birthday so a big group of us went to ride go carts. Which is WAY different than in the US. First, its not for kids, just adults. There is a bar upstairs where you can drink while you are waiting. We had to wait almost 2 hours to ride, so alot of people were a little drunk when we finally got to go. Which was really funny because everyone kept crashing. Also, the go carts go fast and you aren't buckled in but you have on a helmet.
Last night i ended up not going out but working on my presentation for Friday and I had Ivan (from Colombia) to proof read what I had written. And today I have been working all afternoon but I think we are goingto go shopping in a little bit.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bell.costarica/1/1215571560/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bell.costarica/1/1215571560/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bell.costarica/1/1215571560/tpod.html Tue, 08 Jul 2008 23:22:05 -0400 La Pura Vida ~ Costa Rican Travels

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San Jose, Costa Rica

On July 5th after I left Katherine in the Delta line, I had to go catch my car to go to my casa universitaria. Which i was pretty nervous about during the whole ride because San Jose is pretty much a shithole. Its dirty because people don't care and there is trash EVERYWHERE, pretty much every building has bars over all the windows, metal doors, and extensive security systems. So I was first taken to Tierrasol, which is the CEA headquarters and also doubles as housing. There I met my first roommate, Katherine from California but goes to school in Utah. We were then taken by Sylvia (the daughter who is 25 and an aspiring chef) and Tuto (short for Augusto, who is almost 20 and in a local college) to our house. Which is actually really nice, and in a good part of San Jose, called Zapote. There we met Floribeth (the assistant to the president of the supreme court of costa rica), the mom, who loves to give everyone kisses (on their cheeks/heads). Which to be quiet honest, freaks me out a little bit, but I guess I will have to get used to that cultural difference. She gave Katherine and I a tour of the rediculously big house. On the first kind of like half floor is the garage and my room. The next landing is the main part of the house first there is, which is Floribeth and her husbands room are located, there is a formal sitting room, an informal den, a newly remodeled kitchen complete with stainless steel appliances, a dinning room/area with enough tables/chairs to seat about 20, a study area, couple of full bathrooms, laundry area, an extra bedroom, and I think a room for the maid. On the next floor there is a large den, another sitting area, a balcony, Sylvias and Tutos rooms, and 8 rooms for students (each has 2 or 3 students and private bath), and an area where you can look over to the dining room. On the next half floor is the game room with a ping pong table and a pool table. Not to menchion the panoramic views of the mountians. So my housing has turned out to be a pretty good set up. And the people that are on the trip are pretty cool and they are from all over. Theres people from California, Montana, Seattle, Cincinnati, Virginia, and I forgot some of the rest of the places.
The rest of the day I really didnt do much, other than eat and sleep because I was so tired from getting up early to go to the airport.
The past couple days honestly have been a little boring in comparision to what I have been doing. On the first night we (two guys and four girls) decided to explore the neighborhood. They ended up having to take me back home because of a BAD stomachache. Which is weird because you would think that since I have been here for 2 weeks I wouldnt have any problems, but no. So on our first real day we had a city tour, where we walked around for forever in the awful Costa Rican heat. Which before the tour we were told not to take anything so we wouldnt be subject to pickpocketing. The tour ended up being good because I got to see the better parts of the city. Then we had a forever long orientation. Yesterday we had to get up early to be at the university by 8 so we could have our oral part of our placement test, which I the first one to go, because I didnt' want to set around and wait all day because I wasn't going to get any better at spanish by just setting there. My interview lasted all of 2 minutes, and I thought I had crashed and burned. So I was pretty freaked out that I wasn't going to place into the class that I needed. Next we had another (way to long) orientation for the university. The only thing good about it was we good a free shirt, which by the way XL here is more like a medium, so needless to say my shirt doesnt fit. So that sucked. So after that a group of us ventured back into the city to the market downtown. Where we tried to make friends with the locals to get better deals on stuff. I got a set of coasters for 10$ that were originally priced 16. So at 6 we had to go back to the university and check to see what class we were placed into, which litterally are pieced of papers stapled to a board, you would think in an enviornmentally concious country they would find a better way. Luckily I placed into 210, which was what I wanted. And last night all of us went to our first Tico party. Where some of us had a little to much fun before our first day of classes.
today was our first day of classes. Which I thought would never end to be honest. so now i'm working on my homework and I might go out
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bell.costarica/1/1215185700/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bell.costarica/1/1215185700/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bell.costarica/1/1215185700/tpod.html Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:47:00 -0400 La Pura Vida ~ Costa Rican Travels

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Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

Day 12
On Wednesday night we tried to get at this resturant called Agua Azul, which is on the top of another building overlooking the ocean. But it was closed when we got there, so we decided to take Lonely Planets advice and eat at El Gato Negro. We were pretty surprised because it wasn't as expensive as we thought it would be and the food turned out pretty good. That night we did nothing and went to bed so that we could get up early and spend most of the day at the beach. Yesterday we got up and made our way down to the beach, after waiting 45 minutes for the bus because we missed the first one. We decided to rent chairs because for a full day it was only ten dollars. We layed out from about ten until one. During that time we were attacked numerous times by the beach vultures, whice are people walking around trying to sell tourists ceramics. Katherine decided to go parasailing too. Later we decided to venture around to the different vendors on the street, which were selling everything from jewelry, wraps, t-shirts, things made out of coconuts, etc. After that we were resuced from the beach by Brittanys family, who then took us to their hotel, which had an amazing infinity pool overlooking the ocean. Which was a nice change from the ocean water. There we met a girl, Flo from England, who gave us lots of useful information about Bocos Del Toro, Panama. So I think now we are going to go there one weekend. Later yesterday we ate at a resturant on the MA beach, and headed back to the hostel to take naps before going to Coconuts. But when we woke up it was torrential downpouring and really bad lightening so we decided to hang out at the hostel.

Day 13
Today we have to leave the beach for Alejuela, where the airport is, since Katherines flight is so early. We are going to go to a few of the gift shops again before we have to be back at the hostel at 1230 to be picked up by Grayline. It kind of sucks because its the 4th of July and we are doing nothing exciting.
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