Kristin in Costa Rica

We (Mom, Dad, and I) left the house around 2:15 this morning. My flight took off at 5:50 am and the security didn't open till 5:00 so we were waiting around awhile. Once security opened it was through and to the gate. Everyone was speaking in Spanish since I'm on a Latin America Airline and I have had my first taste of not understanding what is being said, but having to piece it together nonetheless. The flight hasn't been too bad and I was able to catch a couple hours of sleep. I lucked out with an empty seat in the middle so I was able to stretch out a little more than normal. Two more hours and I will be in San Salvador, El Salvador for my hour layover and then “Voy a Costa Rica!”

As expected, Carlos was waiting with a sign to greet me at the San Jose, Costa Rica Airport. I looked through various programs before I chose ISLS, but I can say that if everyone in this program is as nice as him and his wife Francini I am going to have a fabulous trip. Carlos drove me to the guest house and explained a little about the country, some travel trips while avoiding HUGE potholes in the roads. Drivers have the right away in this country so pedestrians watch out! We picked up his wife Francini and their daughter on our way before arriving at the guest house I will stay in until Sunday. I was supposed to attend a welcome dinner, but am not feeling so well (the pupusa I so much desired in El Salvador didn't agree with me so much) so instead Carlos made me some tea from a special Costa Rican plant that should calm my stomach. Although it is only 7:00pm here (5:00 in California) I am anxious to get a much needed good nights rest. I have a big day ahead of me tomorrow...up at 6:15 for breakfast and then a full day of tours: Poas Volcano, Coffee Plantation, Rainforest, etc.

Hasta Manana

I decided to postpone my tours for one day since I wasn't feeling so well and wanted to get the most out of the day. From San Jose I was driven to a hotel in Alajuela where I was picked up by the tour bus. I was supposed to be picked up at 8:00, but due to "Tico time" it was almost 8:45 before they arrived. I am glad I took some motion sickness pills because the day was filled with bumpy and windy roads. It took about an hour to get to the Poas Volcano National Park and on the way we traveled through country towns, dairy farms, coffee plantations, and highland forests. Before the volcano we stopped at a small shop and had the opportunity to try the local wine, cheese (delicious and tastes like Mozzarella) and sugar cane. 9:30 is a little early for vino, but it wasn't half bad (although nothing compares to Sonoma County wine)!

Once we reached the volcano we grabbed our raincoats and starting hiking to the top. The summit of the volcano is 8445 ft which takes you through a cloud forest full of giant leaves, ferns, forests and colorful hydrangeas. Unfortunately after reaching the summit it was too foggy to see anything. I was super bummed, but I overheard several tour guides saying that they have never had the luck of a clear view.

Thank goodness it was time for some cafe and lunch at the famous "tres generaciones" Doka coffee plantation. Beautiful picturesque views of coffee plants everywhere. It was very interesting to hear about the coffee process while also watching it in action.
There was also also a butterfly garden on the plantation and many beautiful butterflies to try and take a picture of.

The Third stop was Grecia, considered one of the cleanest cities in Latin America and with essentially zero crime. We were able to catch a glimpse of the local style with a visit to the central market area

The last stop on the tour was Sarchi known as the cradle of Costa Rican Artisans because of its fine workshops. We passed many furniture stores with beautiful wood carved items and stopped for a few souvenirs at a local stop.

Although it was a long day of tours I am glad to have seen a little more of Costa Rica so far. Tomorrow morning I will get on a bus for an hour and a half trip to where I will be for the next two weeks, Turrialba. I am anxious to go to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica and meet my new host family! I begin Spanish class on Monday and from what I understand will be speaking a lot of it in this not so touristy town.

Until then....

This morning I boarded a bus from San Jose to Turrialba, about an hour and a half away from where I was staying; it is located in the Cartago province. I was a little worried about how I would find my host family, but Xinia was right there to greet me. She immediately started talking to me only in Spanish and although I have been here for 3 full days it was the first time I could only correspond in Spanish. Once we arrived at her house she showed me my room, around the house, and asked if I would like to go for a walk. Turrialba is a very small and safe town and she greeted almost everyone as we walked along. We walked to the store and she asked what type of things I like. I was a little worried as I am a picky eater, but she told me not to worry and didn't seem phased when I said I would pass on beans, milk and avocados. Once back at the house she made me a very nice lunch that the two of us enjoyed. I was very worried about the food before I came to Costa Rica, but so far I have enjoyed most of it. Along with Xinia, I will be living with her husband Alfredo, daughter Pamela who is 25 and her 4 month old baby Nicole who were out when I arrived. So far Costa Rican people have been extremely nice and understanding. This family has been a host family for 10 years so although my Spanish is only slowly coming back to me they are more than used to people of different skill levels and speak pretty slowly to me. I took a siesta after lunch and woke up to people talking in a different room. I know I need to just dive into speaking Spanish as much as possible, but it is very overwhelming and frightening when you don't understand what someone is saying or have to ask for it to be repeated a few times. It's only 3:30 and I think I will spend some time looking through my dictionary and praying 4 years of Spanish comes back to me quick! I am able to put sentences together pretty well, because I can think about it and chose simple words, but it understanding them that will prove most difficult for me
Wish me luck...

Today was my first day of spanish school! I left the house with Alfredo at 7:15 and he walked me to the school which is about a 15 minute walk. When I arrived there were two other girls Laura and Katie from Texas who were beginning today as well. Katie speaks very good spanish and Laura's skill level is similar to mine. Katie and I were put in a classroom together and our teacher was Alice. Most of the focus is on conversation and we spent most of the four hours talking about American holidays, our families, work, and food! It was quite apparent that Katie knows and understands a lot more spanish than me so from tomorrow on I will be studying with Laura. Besides us three girls there are also currently two men studying there, one who lives in Sacramento and another from Quebec, Canada. To my surprise I was told that after school on Wednesday's there is a free cooking class and Thursday's a dance class; I am very excited about both! In addition, tomorrow someone will come to speak with us about available tours and I am already trying to plan when I can go rafting, horseback riding, and hopefully ziplining! After class the girls and I went to a traditional “soda” (restaurant) for lunch and for $3000 colones or $6.00 I had a filling lunch with a fruit shake. At 3:00 I will return to the school to meet the girls again and head to their house where they said I can use their internet to skype my brother Brad and wish him Feliz Cumpleanos (Happy Birthday)! For now I think I will rest my brain; four hours of straight spanish is much more exhausting than I expected!

Today was my second day of school and surprisingly I think my Spanish has gotten better over the last couple days. I learned a lot of vocabulary yesterday and although it is overwhelming I hope that I can learn a few more verbs each day. Today is the first day that I have been able to see the sun, as Costa Rica is in the process of changing to its summertime. Turrialba is closer to the equator so it is pretty warm with and without the sun. Futbol (soccer) is big here like many other countries and today their is a BIG game against Spain. Losing is expected, as many have said "Costa Rica is the 2nd best worst team", but nonetheless it seems like the locals are excited to celebrate and root for their team. My two friends and I that I met yesterday are planning to watch the game in a bar and enjoy a few cervezas with the locals! I am enjoying participating in the culture and love learning about the lifestyle and typical routine of Turrialbans. Tomorrow after school is cooking class, Thursday dancing, and I am looking forward to both! It was quite the surprise to find out this is included in the schooling especially because I enjoy cooking so much. Xinia's (my host mother's) food continues to be delicious and I am so lucky to live with such a great and accomodating cook! I have the next few hours free so I plan to explore the shops and center a little more and hopefully take some more pictures that show a little more of the city and what it is like.

The center of the city was a little father walk than I originally thought and I probably would have taken a taxi back if Pamela didn't offer to give me a ride! I enjoyed walking around and taking in the culture, observing how people interact and live in general. Cars have the right away and traffic lights are uncommon, street signs unheard of! The town is safe as far as crime, but you really have to be careful because they won't stop for you and lay on the horns if they even think you will be in their way. After exploring I walked back to school and met my friends. To the surprise of most Costa Ricans they were winning the soccer game and we found a nearby bar to watch the second half. In the end, Costa Rica tied with Spain, but it was enjoyable to enjoy a local beer and be part of the excitement. It started to rain hard and I was a 25 minute walk away from my house with no umbrella or jacket, only a tank top, shorts, and flip flops (sorry mom!). I made it home and probably looked really silly to my host family. As I walked into the house the smell of dinner filled the air and made everything better immediately. Alfredo (the dad) and I got to talking and bonded over horses and beer. He said he enjoys trying different American beers and I said that next time I am at the store I will buy my favorite for us to enjoy!