I think this p.o.s. is finally working again, so here's what has been going down in Costa Rica. I'm still really enjoying my time with the women at Amureci. I'm always doing something and the women are patient with me and are helping me with my "Spanish." The other day a kindergarten class came in to learn about recycling and made paper with Martha. They also had a female psychologist come one afternoon to talk to a group of women about self-esteem.
We went horseback riding for our field trip last week. It was really fun, but I made the mistake of asking for a slow horse. Everyone else was cantering and mine was looking for snacks. We rode through a bunch of sugar cane fields and crossed over the river twice. It started pouring, but it was still fun. We had an hour or so to play ping pong, pool, and get coffee while the other half of the group went.
Thursday, the day after horseback riding, we went to an indoor soccer field (the kind with tire bits in the turf) and played soccer with the kids from the orphanage and the staff. It was one of my favorite days here. I could probably do it every day. I convinced Fanny to let us do it again before I leave, and I think she's letting us go on next Tuesday. We'll have the huge group here by now, but that will be okay.
Friday was bittersweet because we had to say goodbye to a bunch of people, most notably Laura. She is still here with her family traveling around, but our paths won't cross again until the States. She was a lot of fun and had a ton of energy, and she's definitely missed. She's not dead, although I just made it sound like it. We left Friday afternoon for Monteverde, the cloud forest reserve. The ride up the mountain was long and windy and bumpy, but there was a lightening storm that was great to watch roll in. We got some dinner after checking in to Pension Colibri, a cute hostel/B&B-like place (minus the second B) and went to Bar Amigos to mingle with fellow tourists and Ticos.
The next morning we got up to get transportation to our zipline canopy tour and hanging bridges walk only to find the bus had already left. They had given us the start time rather than the pick-up time. They eventually let us change to the 11:00 reservation and we walked around Santa Elena until it was time to catch the bus to Selvatura park.
The ziplining was incredible. There were 18 platforms inbetween the high and long cables. I can't even think of how to describe how it felt to be above the rainforest, seeing the tops of the canopy, the hills and mountains, the mist seaping inbetween the trees. I have video, but it can't quite capture the surrealness of it all. There was also a Tarzan swing that was a rush.
We got some lunch and headed back to town because we had to catch a night hike tour at 5:30. The four of us (Jasmine, Elena, Brittany and me) caught up with the other group (Bina the Britt, Amy, Chelsea) and went on a hike through the rainforest looking for the nocturnal animals and insects of the rainforest. We saw a bunch of crazy bugs and some huge raccoons, but no jaguars like I had hoped. It was bizarre being in the middle of the rainforest at night. Monteverde is the real thing, and it was unreal and humbling in a way being there.
The next day the four of us from Pension Colibri got some breakfast at the Treehouse, a restaurant/hotel that has a real tree growing in it. We went to do the hanging bridges part of our tour. It was relaxing and beautiful. We watched some people ziplining and thought that we couldn't believe we had done that. We took our time taking it all in, and by the time we were done, it was about lunch time, so we headed back to the Treehouse and ate. Max our driver picked us all up and it was back to reality, or what has become our Costa Rican reality.
We went horseback riding for our field trip last week. It was really fun, but I made the mistake of asking for a slow horse. Everyone else was cantering and mine was looking for snacks. We rode through a bunch of sugar cane fields and crossed over the river twice. It started pouring, but it was still fun. We had an hour or so to play ping pong, pool, and get coffee while the other half of the group went.
Thursday, the day after horseback riding, we went to an indoor soccer field (the kind with tire bits in the turf) and played soccer with the kids from the orphanage and the staff. It was one of my favorite days here. I could probably do it every day. I convinced Fanny to let us do it again before I leave, and I think she's letting us go on next Tuesday. We'll have the huge group here by now, but that will be okay.
Friday was bittersweet because we had to say goodbye to a bunch of people, most notably Laura. She is still here with her family traveling around, but our paths won't cross again until the States. She was a lot of fun and had a ton of energy, and she's definitely missed. She's not dead, although I just made it sound like it. We left Friday afternoon for Monteverde, the cloud forest reserve. The ride up the mountain was long and windy and bumpy, but there was a lightening storm that was great to watch roll in. We got some dinner after checking in to Pension Colibri, a cute hostel/B&B-like place (minus the second B) and went to Bar Amigos to mingle with fellow tourists and Ticos.
The next morning we got up to get transportation to our zipline canopy tour and hanging bridges walk only to find the bus had already left. They had given us the start time rather than the pick-up time. They eventually let us change to the 11:00 reservation and we walked around Santa Elena until it was time to catch the bus to Selvatura park.
The ziplining was incredible. There were 18 platforms inbetween the high and long cables. I can't even think of how to describe how it felt to be above the rainforest, seeing the tops of the canopy, the hills and mountains, the mist seaping inbetween the trees. I have video, but it can't quite capture the surrealness of it all. There was also a Tarzan swing that was a rush.
We got some lunch and headed back to town because we had to catch a night hike tour at 5:30. The four of us (Jasmine, Elena, Brittany and me) caught up with the other group (Bina the Britt, Amy, Chelsea) and went on a hike through the rainforest looking for the nocturnal animals and insects of the rainforest. We saw a bunch of crazy bugs and some huge raccoons, but no jaguars like I had hoped. It was bizarre being in the middle of the rainforest at night. Monteverde is the real thing, and it was unreal and humbling in a way being there.
The next day the four of us from Pension Colibri got some breakfast at the Treehouse, a restaurant/hotel that has a real tree growing in it. We went to do the hanging bridges part of our tour. It was relaxing and beautiful. We watched some people ziplining and thought that we couldn't believe we had done that. We took our time taking it all in, and by the time we were done, it was about lunch time, so we headed back to the Treehouse and ate. Max our driver picked us all up and it was back to reality, or what has become our Costa Rican reality.
On the way down the mountain
Mayella and Martha
Martha working with the kinder kids
Elena, Jasmine and Britt preparing to zip across the cloud forest
Britt zips
Bina and me Bar Amigos the second night
In the cloud forest
One of the hanging bridges
2 comments:
I am sooo glad your blog is back. I really missed being able to keep up with all that you're doing, although the video of the zipline was great to watch. Keep posting lots of pictures and copy. It's hard to believe your time there is almost over. I love you. Love, Mom.
It's great to hear about all the good things going on at the placement like the class and psychologist. Your trips continue to sound amazing! I'm also glad the blog is back!
Mike
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