sounds from my life at 9:58 in the morning:
rooster
weed whacker
"oh my god did you just see that? did you just see that? [that iguana] just fell off the roof"
"holy shit it's huge!"
the scratching of iguanas on the roof
the wind
loud spanish music in the distance
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
volcanoes y futbol
Another Sunday. Therefore the end of our third week in Costa Rica! Also another day off. And a really long blog entry to boot! With awesome pictures. Get ready.
Firstly, on Thursday morning, I went bird watching with Edgardo! This was really cool. We just walked very slowly down our street starting at 6, but we saw a lot of birds. (Mom, this is for you!) I don't remember any of their names except the grackle, which is basically the lamest bird in CR. But it was cool!
On Friday we got up at six and got into field trip mode and headed out to Carara national park. Our first stop was at the crocodile man tour. Very similar to the swamp tours in New Orleans.
Our purpose, of course, was not to go on a swamp tour. Rather, we motored down the Tárcoles River for a couple minutes to the mouth where it conjoins with the Pacific. Here, we got to witness the shocking effects of the lack of enforcement of waste treatment here. We parked on a beach that was literally a trashcan. The banks of the river were simply blanketed with garbage. It was disgusting. And the water was poop brown. Achim gave us a lecture on this beach about how companies upstream just dump all their shit in the water and that’s about it. The town of Tárcoles apparently was a happening spot in the 60’s for Ticos.
After the beach and a quick lecture about mangroves, the scariest trees ever (see picture), we walked through the ‘town’. It is all but abandoned. There is trash EVERYWHERE. In theory, it would be a really nice beach and tourist destination but it’s been completely ruined. Pretty depressing. We did see a fake coral snake though, which was pretty sick.
As we went to get back on the boat, we discovered alas the tide had gone out and the boat was beached. So we spent about twenty minutes pushing the boat back into the water. This was very comical.
Then we drove to the visitor’s center of Carara. Well, I don’t know if you can call it a visitor’s center. It’s what should have been a visitor’s center, but instead is just completely empty. Except for several jars of pickled creatures preserves (fer de lance, armadillo, etc). Gross. Carara, to the say the least, wasn’t too poppin’. As we were waiting to go on our little hike through the dry-to-wet rainforest of Carara, a little male deer emerged from the woods and started attacking Ross. This was probably one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen in my life. Ross stepped out onto the grass and the buck got super territorial and just started walking toward Ross. When it approached it put its head down and started pushing him! Ross tried to push back but basically just failed. This went on for a really long time. It was adorable. Then I pet the wild deer. I thought this was a very cool thing. Luckily I got it all on video.
The most notable thing about the Carara hike were the leafcutter ants. Have I mentioned them yet? They are INCREDIBLE. And there are so many. Like every ten feet we walked, there would be thousands of chunks of leaves just marching across the path. They’re crazy. After the hike, we stopped briefly at a bridge where a bunch of crocs hang out because businesses around the area feed them to create a tourist attraction. Kind of sad. There were 23 crocs all just chillin in one little area.
my friend carrie and the crocs
cool fungus
leaf cutter ants all marching in a row!
leaf cutter ant riding on another ant's leaf! there is some purpose to this that i don't remember.
Home again home again, then we went to a bar to sing karaoke. I copped out pretty early and went to bed.
Sunday, again, off at six for Poas national park. This is the most visited park in the country! And guess what happened! JUST GUESS. You won’t be able to guess, it was absolutely unreal. WE WERE COLD!!!!!! I was wearing LAYERS and WOOL SOCKS and I was still cold!!!!!!!!!!!! This was probably the most homesick I’ve been since I’ve been here. I wish it weren’t so humid all the time and I miss (I never thought I’d say this) altitude! We were at 10,000 feet… I want to go snowboarding and wear warm clothes. Just sometimes. This was also the moment I realized why I couldn’t live here. I really dislike humidity. LOOK WE ARE COLD!!!!!:
Anyway, we got to the park super early and it was cold and rainy and foggy and we couldn’t see the crater at all (above pic). But we hiked around and learned about the leaves and tourism and you know, all the stuff you learn about on a sustainable development program. Then we hiked back down and were supposed to survey some people about their experience at the park. We attempted this, but then just went back to see the crater and the lagoon, which, if you can’t tell by the pictures, was definitely worth it (me and nellie in front of the volcano crater, and my friend nick in front of the lagoon. Much better view than the one in the morning!). I have never seen a volcano before! This was very cool. It reminded me of Yellowstone.
Lecture from the park management (in translated Spanish, very difficult to pay attention) and lecture from Sergio and then we got back on the bus. To head to the Costa Rican club futbol game! An hour later we would be in Alajuela, pregaming for the event. NOT. Alas, somehow we ended up behind a funeral procession for two hours. Because funeral processions just decide to walk down a major road for hours and block traffic. That’s all they do. We literally moved twenty feet in two hours. Many Costa Ricans, with little regard for traffic laws, would just speed down the other side of the road. Somehow we didn’t witness any head on collisions. With 26 college kids on a tiny bus, this made everyone a little crabby.
By the time we finally got to Alajuela (the line of cars was absurdly massive) we were “late” to the game, as in we weren’t three hours early we were only an hour and a half early, so we stopped briefly at a mall with overpriced American food to buy our own dinner and then crammed back on the bus to drive to the stadium. As soon as we got to the stadium, one of our site managers Yendry stepped on the bus as soon as the door opened and rallied us like sheep. We were herded to the entrance of the stadium and then seated at the first available, terrible seats that she found.
Now for a little bitching, because if you can’t tell, I was not pleased. Firstly, I hate sporting events. I have no interest in watching them, I can’t focus; they’re boring. Why did I go you ask? Well, I was being a team player. The aforementioned Ross wanted to go to a club soccer game and if everyone in the group went we would be able to take the bus cheaply and we could all just party together and go to the game and it would be great. So we all said we’d go (all but two). I was not informed that we were going to be babysat all night, that you can’t leave the game and come back in, that not alcoholic beverages are sold in the stadium… All I wanted was a couple drinks. Or five. But no. That was a bust. In looking upon it as a cultural experience (as I was told to do after complaining about my bitterness for a good while), Costa Rican soccer is CRAZY. You can’t bring anything into the stadium except cash dollars (no cameras, coins, credit cards) except people still sneak it massive quantities of paper rolls and confetti that they all throw onto the field as soon as the game is supposed to start. Most of the crowd spends the entire game singing and gyrating in the stands. There are police everywhere. And as for the game, I have never seen a dirtier sport. Basically it’s just a competition to see who can trip the other team more. Anyway, the team we were rooting for won. And after three hours we were able to leave five minutes before the game ended to avoid crowds and got on the bus back home. (No pictures of this, obviously, because we weren't allowed to have cameras. Awesome.)
I slept in this morning. Til nine. This was the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me. And I’m going to sit on my butt all day and relax. Pura vida.
Firstly, on Thursday morning, I went bird watching with Edgardo! This was really cool. We just walked very slowly down our street starting at 6, but we saw a lot of birds. (Mom, this is for you!) I don't remember any of their names except the grackle, which is basically the lamest bird in CR. But it was cool!
On Friday we got up at six and got into field trip mode and headed out to Carara national park. Our first stop was at the crocodile man tour. Very similar to the swamp tours in New Orleans.
Our purpose, of course, was not to go on a swamp tour. Rather, we motored down the Tárcoles River for a couple minutes to the mouth where it conjoins with the Pacific. Here, we got to witness the shocking effects of the lack of enforcement of waste treatment here. We parked on a beach that was literally a trashcan. The banks of the river were simply blanketed with garbage. It was disgusting. And the water was poop brown. Achim gave us a lecture on this beach about how companies upstream just dump all their shit in the water and that’s about it. The town of Tárcoles apparently was a happening spot in the 60’s for Ticos.
After the beach and a quick lecture about mangroves, the scariest trees ever (see picture), we walked through the ‘town’. It is all but abandoned. There is trash EVERYWHERE. In theory, it would be a really nice beach and tourist destination but it’s been completely ruined. Pretty depressing. We did see a fake coral snake though, which was pretty sick.
As we went to get back on the boat, we discovered alas the tide had gone out and the boat was beached. So we spent about twenty minutes pushing the boat back into the water. This was very comical.
Then we drove to the visitor’s center of Carara. Well, I don’t know if you can call it a visitor’s center. It’s what should have been a visitor’s center, but instead is just completely empty. Except for several jars of pickled creatures preserves (fer de lance, armadillo, etc). Gross. Carara, to the say the least, wasn’t too poppin’. As we were waiting to go on our little hike through the dry-to-wet rainforest of Carara, a little male deer emerged from the woods and started attacking Ross. This was probably one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen in my life. Ross stepped out onto the grass and the buck got super territorial and just started walking toward Ross. When it approached it put its head down and started pushing him! Ross tried to push back but basically just failed. This went on for a really long time. It was adorable. Then I pet the wild deer. I thought this was a very cool thing. Luckily I got it all on video.
The most notable thing about the Carara hike were the leafcutter ants. Have I mentioned them yet? They are INCREDIBLE. And there are so many. Like every ten feet we walked, there would be thousands of chunks of leaves just marching across the path. They’re crazy. After the hike, we stopped briefly at a bridge where a bunch of crocs hang out because businesses around the area feed them to create a tourist attraction. Kind of sad. There were 23 crocs all just chillin in one little area.
my friend carrie and the crocs
cool fungus
leaf cutter ants all marching in a row!
leaf cutter ant riding on another ant's leaf! there is some purpose to this that i don't remember.Home again home again, then we went to a bar to sing karaoke. I copped out pretty early and went to bed.
Sunday, again, off at six for Poas national park. This is the most visited park in the country! And guess what happened! JUST GUESS. You won’t be able to guess, it was absolutely unreal. WE WERE COLD!!!!!! I was wearing LAYERS and WOOL SOCKS and I was still cold!!!!!!!!!!!! This was probably the most homesick I’ve been since I’ve been here. I wish it weren’t so humid all the time and I miss (I never thought I’d say this) altitude! We were at 10,000 feet… I want to go snowboarding and wear warm clothes. Just sometimes. This was also the moment I realized why I couldn’t live here. I really dislike humidity. LOOK WE ARE COLD!!!!!:
Anyway, we got to the park super early and it was cold and rainy and foggy and we couldn’t see the crater at all (above pic). But we hiked around and learned about the leaves and tourism and you know, all the stuff you learn about on a sustainable development program. Then we hiked back down and were supposed to survey some people about their experience at the park. We attempted this, but then just went back to see the crater and the lagoon, which, if you can’t tell by the pictures, was definitely worth it (me and nellie in front of the volcano crater, and my friend nick in front of the lagoon. Much better view than the one in the morning!). I have never seen a volcano before! This was very cool. It reminded me of Yellowstone.
Lecture from the park management (in translated Spanish, very difficult to pay attention) and lecture from Sergio and then we got back on the bus. To head to the Costa Rican club futbol game! An hour later we would be in Alajuela, pregaming for the event. NOT. Alas, somehow we ended up behind a funeral procession for two hours. Because funeral processions just decide to walk down a major road for hours and block traffic. That’s all they do. We literally moved twenty feet in two hours. Many Costa Ricans, with little regard for traffic laws, would just speed down the other side of the road. Somehow we didn’t witness any head on collisions. With 26 college kids on a tiny bus, this made everyone a little crabby.
By the time we finally got to Alajuela (the line of cars was absurdly massive) we were “late” to the game, as in we weren’t three hours early we were only an hour and a half early, so we stopped briefly at a mall with overpriced American food to buy our own dinner and then crammed back on the bus to drive to the stadium. As soon as we got to the stadium, one of our site managers Yendry stepped on the bus as soon as the door opened and rallied us like sheep. We were herded to the entrance of the stadium and then seated at the first available, terrible seats that she found.
Now for a little bitching, because if you can’t tell, I was not pleased. Firstly, I hate sporting events. I have no interest in watching them, I can’t focus; they’re boring. Why did I go you ask? Well, I was being a team player. The aforementioned Ross wanted to go to a club soccer game and if everyone in the group went we would be able to take the bus cheaply and we could all just party together and go to the game and it would be great. So we all said we’d go (all but two). I was not informed that we were going to be babysat all night, that you can’t leave the game and come back in, that not alcoholic beverages are sold in the stadium… All I wanted was a couple drinks. Or five. But no. That was a bust. In looking upon it as a cultural experience (as I was told to do after complaining about my bitterness for a good while), Costa Rican soccer is CRAZY. You can’t bring anything into the stadium except cash dollars (no cameras, coins, credit cards) except people still sneak it massive quantities of paper rolls and confetti that they all throw onto the field as soon as the game is supposed to start. Most of the crowd spends the entire game singing and gyrating in the stands. There are police everywhere. And as for the game, I have never seen a dirtier sport. Basically it’s just a competition to see who can trip the other team more. Anyway, the team we were rooting for won. And after three hours we were able to leave five minutes before the game ended to avoid crowds and got on the bus back home. (No pictures of this, obviously, because we weren't allowed to have cameras. Awesome.)
I slept in this morning. Til nine. This was the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me. And I’m going to sit on my butt all day and relax. Pura vida.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
trabajar
Not a lot of news. Too much work to say much; we have a lab report due tomorrow. Just living the Costa Rican life. Still having those moments where I'll be walking to breakfast and I'll turn my head and look over the vista, or I will be laying in a hammock in my bathing suit after the pool drifting in between daydreams and reading a book sweating and I think to myself, Holy crap I am in Costa Rica. I am just living normal life right now. And it's great.
Tomorrow we go on a field trip to Carara National Park and on Saturday we go to Poas volcano. I'm sure there will be sweet pix from those adventures. Tomorrow we get to go on a boat! Saturday night we are ALL going to a soccer game in Alejuela which should be fun.
Mi español mejorada. Hoy yo aprendí una nueva tensa, y mas vocabulario. Yo disfruto la mucho clase y con mas tiempo yo voy a hablar facílmente oraciones. Nosotros hablamos en español durante almuerza todos los dias. Repito repito repito. Yo enseñe los niños ayer; esta dificil. Yo quiero poder hacer un conversacíon con ticos. En tiempo, va a ser realidad.
I am surprised at the number of people who told me that they are reading my blog! It is extremely self indulgent (and also indulgent for my mommy) but I am glad that my experiences are being shared. So thank you! (Hi Lizzy, this is for you)
Mas a la manaña. Buenos noches y mucho gusto. Pura Vida!
Tomorrow we go on a field trip to Carara National Park and on Saturday we go to Poas volcano. I'm sure there will be sweet pix from those adventures. Tomorrow we get to go on a boat! Saturday night we are ALL going to a soccer game in Alejuela which should be fun.
Mi español mejorada. Hoy yo aprendí una nueva tensa, y mas vocabulario. Yo disfruto la mucho clase y con mas tiempo yo voy a hablar facílmente oraciones. Nosotros hablamos en español durante almuerza todos los dias. Repito repito repito. Yo enseñe los niños ayer; esta dificil. Yo quiero poder hacer un conversacíon con ticos. En tiempo, va a ser realidad.
I am surprised at the number of people who told me that they are reading my blog! It is extremely self indulgent (and also indulgent for my mommy) but I am glad that my experiences are being shared. So thank you! (Hi Lizzy, this is for you)
Mas a la manaña. Buenos noches y mucho gusto. Pura Vida!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
outreach and introspection
So after our day off Sunday (on which I did absolutely nothing productive), we had essentially no class on Monday. Lots of study time for projects. And we played soccer again in Atenas with the locals. I can say we’re settled. I remember the first time I went running here, the sun was coming up and I was just so taken by all the houses here, all the dogs, the signs, the school kids going off to school… And now I run down the same street every day to the same place at the same time and see all the same people, and dogs in the same place; I remember every hill, every house, every sign. It is no less beautiful than the first day I saw it, even more so now because I feel like I’m a part of it. I’m not a visitor anymore! I wave to everyone I see and people smile. It’s crazy. My friend said to me today, every morning when I wake up I feel a little bit better about being here.
Today we spent all morning gardening around the campus. I signed up for trimming the orchard trees. That was a euphemism for hacking away at the edge of the property with machetes. MACHETES. Our site manager (who doesn’t speak English) just handed us five girls giant machetes and pointed to a fence and that was that.
All I want in the world is to play with machetes all the time.
I got terrible blisters on my hand though. It is easy to just start hacking away without realizing that it hurts and you’re sweating profusely. Anger management. We also uprooted the old corn harvest and composted it. This was a very hot and sweaty endeavor. And you know what that means? Midday pool time. This has also become a part of our routine. As soon as we get out for lunch, get our bathing suits on and get ready for a dip. My tan is getting much better! Truly.
After lunch I had a group presentation about coffee. What we learn in school is actually really interesting. Problems: we don’t have any grades except two lab reports and two exams. This makes it really difficult for me to understand concepts that I’m supposed to focus on so I don’t really feel motivated to pay attention during lectures. Also, any class between 10 am and 4 pm it is so damn hot and humid in our classroom that it is impossible not to fall asleep. So I often do really distracting things on the computer to stay awake and then I can’t focus.
It’s hard to believe school is the primary reason we’re here. We do all these other projects (tomorrow our schedule consists of a community outreach project [mine is teaching elementary school children English vocabulary about the environment], house cleaning, house meeting, and meals) that are so much more rewarding than sitting and watching power points for hours at a time, that I don’t understand how they expect us to appreciate our scholarly endeavors. Oh well, maybe that’s the point. Tonight we had salsa dancing lessons! It’s pretty damn difficult. But awesome.
I am happy. Almost all the time. But I am kind of living in a fantasy still and sometimes I miss real life.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
a few things
1. i have over 100 bug bites. this is making my life less pleasant than usual.
2. i went out dancing last night and that was really enjoyable.
3. my professor caught me sleeping in class this week and now he hates me.
4. i love chess.
2. i went out dancing last night and that was really enjoyable.
3. my professor caught me sleeping in class this week and now he hates me.
4. i love chess.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
manuel antonio
I don't have much to say because I'm tired and want to take a nap. We actually almost have a REAL weekend. We did community service this morning; we divided up into groups and our group planted FIFTY TREES all over the center's property. It was awesome. Then we get the afternoon OFF and tomorrow OFF which is really nice.
But anyway, we got back from Manuel Antonio last night which is oh possibly the most beautiful place in the world. The beach was stunning and the water was practically boiling hot. We also saw a ton of wildlife. I was, no joke, an inch away from this sloth. It was absolutely the coolest thing I have ever witnessed. Anyway, just basking in the glory of being in PARADISE. Have I mentioned I'm in paradise?
At Manuel Antonio we got to camp in the park because we were helping the park conduct a survey about carrying capacity of the park--whether it's too crowded, if it's affecting the wildlife, etc. That was fun. We also just got a ton of time to chill on the beach which is one of the nicest beaches in the world. All in all, I can't say I mind being a student here. Sunbathing in Central America during school? ....yeah.
And this is class. And my new best friends.
But anyway, we got back from Manuel Antonio last night which is oh possibly the most beautiful place in the world. The beach was stunning and the water was practically boiling hot. We also saw a ton of wildlife. I was, no joke, an inch away from this sloth. It was absolutely the coolest thing I have ever witnessed. Anyway, just basking in the glory of being in PARADISE. Have I mentioned I'm in paradise?
At Manuel Antonio we got to camp in the park because we were helping the park conduct a survey about carrying capacity of the park--whether it's too crowded, if it's affecting the wildlife, etc. That was fun. We also just got a ton of time to chill on the beach which is one of the nicest beaches in the world. All in all, I can't say I mind being a student here. Sunbathing in Central America during school? ....yeah.
And this is class. And my new best friends.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
feliz dia de indepedencia
Feliz dia de Indepedencia! Yes, today is the day of Costa Rican independence. This is great news for me because it means that this morning we got to spend the entire morning in town at the parade instead of in class. This parade was great because there were a lot of really adorable children dressed up in fancy Costa Rican clothing. There was also authentic dancing and music. It was really adorable.
Last night, after 3293874 hours of class, we went to town also to watch the lantern parade. Also adorable. Everyone in Atenas gathered around the city center (Atenas http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atenas is a small town of 17,000 people living in the surrounding area. I live in a neighborhood about 2 miles from downtown called La Presa, which means the dam. Our center is located on the edge of a canyon which goes down to the Rio Grade River, directly above a large hydroelectric dam. In case you were wondering!). All the children had little homemade lanterns that they lit and walked around with on the street. Cultural experience for sure. The streets were packed; it was awesome.
This week I am on kitchen set-up duty, so I have to wake up at 545 every morning to be at breakfast by 6. To help cook. It sucks because that’s the time I usually go running, and our only other real free time before bedtime is in the middle of the day when it’s ridiculously hot. So, sorry cholesterol, but I’m taking the week off. We work in pandillas, which means “gangs” in Espanol. Each week we cycle through different duties. It’s a nice system, if people actually do their jobs. Which sometimes doesn’t happen.
Everyone had a fun midday swim after lunch and then class all afternoon. Today was the first day we’ve had real homework. Studying is weird. I am off to bed now though with my millions of bug bites.
Monday, September 14, 2009
slowing down
Monday again! One week ago today we arrived at the center. Kind of unbelievable.
Yesterday was our first day off. I had a really chill day at the center… We went swimming for a few hours in our POOL and then hung around the center. A few girls and I went into town and ate a massive pizza. We walked back to the center, about two miles from downtown, and watched a movie. So relaxing.
I am in class again… This week is going to be pretty gnarly filled with lectures. But on Thursday we are going to la playa on a field trip! We are going to Manuel Antonio, which is the second most visited national park in the country. And its epic beautiful.
Tonight we go into town to watch a lantern parade and have dinner. Things are settling in and slowing down…. It feels good.
Yesterday was our first day off. I had a really chill day at the center… We went swimming for a few hours in our POOL and then hung around the center. A few girls and I went into town and ate a massive pizza. We walked back to the center, about two miles from downtown, and watched a movie. So relaxing.
I am in class again… This week is going to be pretty gnarly filled with lectures. But on Thursday we are going to la playa on a field trip! We are going to Manuel Antonio, which is the second most visited national park in the country. And its epic beautiful.
Tonight we go into town to watch a lantern parade and have dinner. Things are settling in and slowing down…. It feels good.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
tirimbina
We just returned from an EPIC field trip to the rainforest in a place called Tirimbina. There are like three zillion species of everything there. It was a threeish hour drive from the center, which I slept almost entirely through, but when I opened my eyes every so often I would be surrounded by rolling hills covered with trees or little local farms and farmers… Have I mentioned this is the most beautiful place in the entire world?
When we got there, we went on a long hike up to the field station where we were staying. We saw leaf cutter ants and so many amazing birds. Not to mention just tropical rainforest trees and plants, which are wicked cool. The place we stayed was really nice. Dorms and a kitchen… Once interesting thing here is that you don’t flush your toilet paper down the toilet; you throw your paper in the trash. Sometimes people don’t do that and then the toilets clog and it’s gross.
Anyway, we chilled for a while… had dinner… goals. It’s interesting getting to know everyone here and spending time together. The group is genuinely really great.
Yesterday, we woke up to see TOUCANS!!!! So incredible. Some of the other birds we saw, you ask? Tons of black vultures, white collared manikin which Edgardo held, zillions of species of hummingbirds, parrots like the montezuma oropendola, and so many more.
We saw we did our first project in field research. We were basically measuring the carbon sink of a 2 hectare pasture by measuring the heights and diameters of trees. It was fun! We also went on a hike and got some information from a local farmer at an oriental plant plantation. In the middle of a massive rainstorm. They do not exaggerate the rainstorms in rainforests; they’re epic. We had class after dinner, first in econ and then we went searching for frogs. We found a ridiculous array of incredible frogs. We walked around for a while at night and basically every frog we saw was a different species. Then Edgardo taught us a class about frogs, which was epic.
By the way, our professors are the shit. Check it. These are my professors. And these are my classrooms.
Today we woke up early, ate a bomb breakfast as usual, and then took off to a banana plantation. Probably one of the coolest things I’ve done. We learned about how bananas are produced and bred and marketed… So so so so so so so cool. I am obsessed with bananas. We heard the perspective of the Dole banana company, which is apparently less corrupt than Chiquita. It was really cool though. I love bananas.
Long drive home, and went out tonight for the second time in Atenas. And now I am home, being homesick. It has only been a week, but it feels like months. Every day is jammed packed with so many activities. And the heat is unbearable sometimes. I just get so fatigued. Lots of coffee and naps help… tomorrow we have a day off. I think quite a few people are going to rest hopefully. That’s what I’m trying to do.
Missing some things about America… today we went to a grocery store and stocked up on chocolate, which is expensive. Not too many people eat dessert here. I legit miss ice ream. Also have I mentioned that we take cold showers? Hopefully I'll get used to it!
I live in paradise though. I can't deny that.
When we got there, we went on a long hike up to the field station where we were staying. We saw leaf cutter ants and so many amazing birds. Not to mention just tropical rainforest trees and plants, which are wicked cool. The place we stayed was really nice. Dorms and a kitchen… Once interesting thing here is that you don’t flush your toilet paper down the toilet; you throw your paper in the trash. Sometimes people don’t do that and then the toilets clog and it’s gross.
Anyway, we chilled for a while… had dinner… goals. It’s interesting getting to know everyone here and spending time together. The group is genuinely really great.
Yesterday, we woke up to see TOUCANS!!!! So incredible. Some of the other birds we saw, you ask? Tons of black vultures, white collared manikin which Edgardo held, zillions of species of hummingbirds, parrots like the montezuma oropendola, and so many more.
We saw we did our first project in field research. We were basically measuring the carbon sink of a 2 hectare pasture by measuring the heights and diameters of trees. It was fun! We also went on a hike and got some information from a local farmer at an oriental plant plantation. In the middle of a massive rainstorm. They do not exaggerate the rainstorms in rainforests; they’re epic. We had class after dinner, first in econ and then we went searching for frogs. We found a ridiculous array of incredible frogs. We walked around for a while at night and basically every frog we saw was a different species. Then Edgardo taught us a class about frogs, which was epic.
By the way, our professors are the shit. Check it. These are my professors. And these are my classrooms.
Today we woke up early, ate a bomb breakfast as usual, and then took off to a banana plantation. Probably one of the coolest things I’ve done. We learned about how bananas are produced and bred and marketed… So so so so so so so cool. I am obsessed with bananas. We heard the perspective of the Dole banana company, which is apparently less corrupt than Chiquita. It was really cool though. I love bananas.
Long drive home, and went out tonight for the second time in Atenas. And now I am home, being homesick. It has only been a week, but it feels like months. Every day is jammed packed with so many activities. And the heat is unbearable sometimes. I just get so fatigued. Lots of coffee and naps help… tomorrow we have a day off. I think quite a few people are going to rest hopefully. That’s what I’m trying to do.
Missing some things about America… today we went to a grocery store and stocked up on chocolate, which is expensive. Not too many people eat dessert here. I legit miss ice ream. Also have I mentioned that we take cold showers? Hopefully I'll get used to it!
I live in paradise though. I can't deny that.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
bananas and leche
This is from the other day, but the internet stopped working when I tried to post it.
I love absolutely nothing more than warm milk from the udder of dairy cows and homegrown bananas.
Needless to say, the food here is still unbelievable.
Today we started classes. I'm not going to lie, I paid attention to... maybe ten minutes of each total. Our professors are great--they all have adorable Costa Rican accents, except for of course, the German one, who has an adorable German accent. They have definitely really prepared for our classes and it's weird to think I'm actually in school again. Because I'm in a tropical paradise. Today we had Natural Resource Management and Tropical Ecology. Oh, and Spanish. I am, of course, in the lowest Spanish class. Which is good. I'm motivated to get a lot better. The other two classes are REALLY interesting, and if it weren't for hot, humid conditions in the learning environment, I'd be entirely involved.
Today we also had to take a swim test in the center pool. Which is about 4 feet deep and 10 feet long. It was pretty difficult, but luckily I passed. There is a picture of the pool in my last post.
I got a calling card today and got to call my parents, which was great. I also got lots of responses from my blog, which was really really nice! I'm so glad for all of you that are following. :-)
Tomorrow we leave for a field trip to Tirimbina Rainforest Center. It's a private reserve with ridiculous species diversity. We leave at SEVEN IN THE MORNING and have breakfast at six, so it's a little late but so much happens in a day that I didn't want to forget about this one! A bunch of people from the center all went to a bar tonight to watch the soccer game between Costa and El Salvador. Alas, we lost... but we all still had a really good time! I had some nice talks with people on the program and even though I was definitely in the mood to stay home and veg, I'm glad I went. alcohol is so cheap.
So now I have to pack for our adventure!!! Tomorrow is going to be awesome. We're going on a three hour hike and playing with frogs and going bird watching... I'm stoked. I'll take some great pictures and post them on Saturday when I get back!
Miss you all right now. I wish I could climb into bed with you, haha. Yes, every one of you.
Love Lexi
I love absolutely nothing more than warm milk from the udder of dairy cows and homegrown bananas.
Needless to say, the food here is still unbelievable.
Today we started classes. I'm not going to lie, I paid attention to... maybe ten minutes of each total. Our professors are great--they all have adorable Costa Rican accents, except for of course, the German one, who has an adorable German accent. They have definitely really prepared for our classes and it's weird to think I'm actually in school again. Because I'm in a tropical paradise. Today we had Natural Resource Management and Tropical Ecology. Oh, and Spanish. I am, of course, in the lowest Spanish class. Which is good. I'm motivated to get a lot better. The other two classes are REALLY interesting, and if it weren't for hot, humid conditions in the learning environment, I'd be entirely involved.
Today we also had to take a swim test in the center pool. Which is about 4 feet deep and 10 feet long. It was pretty difficult, but luckily I passed. There is a picture of the pool in my last post.
I got a calling card today and got to call my parents, which was great. I also got lots of responses from my blog, which was really really nice! I'm so glad for all of you that are following. :-)
Tomorrow we leave for a field trip to Tirimbina Rainforest Center. It's a private reserve with ridiculous species diversity. We leave at SEVEN IN THE MORNING and have breakfast at six, so it's a little late but so much happens in a day that I didn't want to forget about this one! A bunch of people from the center all went to a bar tonight to watch the soccer game between Costa and El Salvador. Alas, we lost... but we all still had a really good time! I had some nice talks with people on the program and even though I was definitely in the mood to stay home and veg, I'm glad I went. alcohol is so cheap.
So now I have to pack for our adventure!!! Tomorrow is going to be awesome. We're going on a three hour hike and playing with frogs and going bird watching... I'm stoked. I'll take some great pictures and post them on Saturday when I get back!
Miss you all right now. I wish I could climb into bed with you, haha. Yes, every one of you.
Love Lexi
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
and so it begins.
Day three in Costa Rica! I can’t put in words how incredible it is. I am madly in love with this place. The first thing I noticed when I was flying in was the most incredible thunderstorm—our plane flew what felt like inches away from it. I just stared out my window while massive flashes just appeared out of the night sky every few seconds. It’s like you could see the surges in the clouds.
When we landed, the San Jose airport is nothing spectacular, and neither was the dark drive to the hostel. The city seemed scary at night. But when we arrived at the hostel, I instantly felt comfortable. It was brightly colored and filled with travelers my age from all over the world. I heard lots of German! There was a TV playing “There’s Something About Mary” and computers with the internet, and a pool, a bar, hammocks, couches, a restaurant… Our room was among a labyrinth of dorm rooms and nothing to write home about, but cozy. It was a really nice place. And only $12/night! I officially love hostels. We got to lounge there all day the next day.
I woke up early and went walking around San Jose. I had no idea where we were in the city, or any comprehension of Spanish really, except what I could decipher from street signs. Luckily, I was traveling with a girl who speaks fluent Spanish, so when we went out again later she ordered all our food for us. $2 for a massive plate of huevos (eggs), pintos (beans), plantains, y queso fresca (the most delicious cheese in the WORLD) AND café con late. So delicious and inexpensive. We ate in this small little room next to a small kitchen. It was so quaint and nice. But incredibly hot. Eating food that’s hot (temperature) just instantly makes you sweat.
We lounged at the hostel for the rest of the day and then took a van back to the airport to meet up with the rest of our group. The group seems great. There are 7 boys and 20 girls. Everyone is really nice and we’re all hanging out together and getting along. I anticipate things will get a little more cliquey over time, but for now it’s really great. I am having a hard time being social 24/7, which is how it seems like some of the people here are, but we definitely get alone time, which is good.
I love the Center that we’re at. Our dorms are on a little hill. We have nice bathrooms, a classroom, a game/lounge room, library (very small and with very few books) and an AIR CONDITIONED computer room. That is my hide out, whenever I’m dying of heat. I feel like I’ve settled in and made it home. I have pictures of all my family and friends on my desk, and some ink paintings of Sam’s. It feels like my own. We have very shoddy internet access, but we have it nonetheless! Which is nice. We only get it in the common room though, so at night everyone comes out of their rooms with their computers and sits in the same room, facebooking and whatnot. It’s quite adorable. We also have a POOL and hammocks, and a cafeteria up a little road, and a nice house where all the professors have offices. Everyone who works here is so so so nice and fun and there's just nothing better.
The food here is AMAZING. We have rice at every meal, and some fresh vegetable and usually beans and some sort of carne. The best part is the fruit though—fresh watermelon, bananas, papaya, pineapple… so sweet and to DIE for.
Today we went into the small town called Atenas, which is about a ten minute drive away. We got a tour, exchanged money for colones (the currency here)… Everything is cheap. I bought stamps and some cards. It was a nice outing. The rest of the day, we didn’t do much, but hang out, we had a Spanish placement test, which obviously I failed, and a meeting with our safety coordinator. After dinner, we drove into the neighborhood (we live in a neighborhood called La Preza) and played soccer with the locals there. They are AMAZING. It took us two hours to score a goal against their team. It was really fun and I got some really good pictures.
The culture here is just so beautiful. Everyone is friendly and helpful. Especially in this small community, it feels like everyone knows each other and works together to accomplish their goals. That is a big focus of the school for field studies—they abide by the principle that our research is only progressive if we make a positive impact on the community and our clients. SUSTAINABLE LIVING THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT!!!! wooooo hooo!!!!
I am getting used to the bugs, but it’s difficult. I saw monkeys today and some gorgeous birds. Also there are dogs everywhere and they’re all cute and small and friendly. There is so much I could say and go on FOREVER about. But I guess, in conclusion, I’m living in paradise. It is the most perfect experience I’ve ever had (once I get over heat exhaustion!) I miss home sometimes, but I think that will fade. Anyway, so much happens in a day I am sure I will write more soon!
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