Just another day in San Jose

Museo Nacional

As I finish up my last days here (I fly home tomorrow) I am slowly seeing more and more of this amazing city. Sure its dirty by my standards but its really neat! Yesterday I went downtown to the Museo Nacional. The taxi had to drop us off a couple blocks up because the streets were closed for a protest. We walked head on into a protest of the indigenous people. It was very peaceful but amazing to watch. They were protesting for their rights to practice and protect their heritage. The people here (indigenous and non-indigenous) keep many elements of the indigenous culture alive. Many Costa Ricans have indigenous and Spanish blood and celebrate both cultures. Very different from back at home where we've all but eradicated Native American culture.

Smoothies (the one on the R is mine!)

The national museum is really neat. It is an old fort built in 1917 and was used to house the military. Bullet holes splatter the exterior walls from the Civil War of 1948. This Civil War greatly shaped this country. Lasting for 44 days, the rebel army overthrew the current president and legislature. They constructed a new Constitution outlining Costa Rican's Rights and abolished the army. In 1950 the Costa Rican government turned the fort into a museum. Inside the museum we found a butterfly garden, history of the fort, indigenous history and much more. I learned a lot about the first people to live in Costa Rica and how that culture has transformed today.

Walking the streets back to school we came across one of the thousands of smoothie shops that dot San Jose. These places are amazing, you watch them cut the fruit up right in front of you and its far better than any smoothie place in the states. I had Guanabana and Cas in yogurt...yum! It was so good. These are fruits I can't get back in the states and I love them so much!

Campus of Andres' School

This week I also got a chance to see where Andres goes to school. He goes to a private school and it is very different than the public school Indiana goes to. There are lots of gates, security guards, cameras and much more. The primary and secondary schools both have their own gyms and play facilities. It is a Catholic school and the chapel on campus is gorgeous. In a lot of ways this private school reminded me of Concordia's campus. They offer lots of programs to their students and really make the experience worth while. At Indiana's school, where she goes to Kinder, there is one guard, a gate, they say there is a camera but I couldn't find it, and its not very well protected. Her mom told me that drug dealers often stand on the street side of the gate and pass cigarettes, joints and other drugs in to the young students when the teachers aren't looking. The public school system is very corrupt so teachers and administrators often steal money and other resources from the schools. It is a world of a difference. Most people send their students to private school if they have the money and their children can pass the entrance exam. Private schools often prepare students better for University than public schools. In 11th grade (the last grade of Costa Rican school), all students have to take an exam for the University of Costa Rica, if they pass they get in if not they don't, it doesn't matter how much money a person has. Often times students with a lot of money who don't pass this exam will go to private universities in the country, like Veritas, where I studied. Public University is very cheap in Costa Rica. They can go to school for four years for the same price I pay for one year. Its crazy! And because University is so cheap, most families don't mind paying for their child's primary and secondary schools. My host family told me in the US we get free education along the way and pay a lot at the end, in Costa Rica they pay a little the whole way along so its just a little at the end. A very interesting and surprisingly successful system.

The group (minus Kirbs) on my last day in CR. (L to R) Jes, Kas, Me and Hans)

That about wraps up my final adventures in Costa Rica...I am actually home now but there will be one more entry about how I got here.    

Exploring San Jose

Teatro Nacional

Since I arrived in Costa Rica I've spent the majority of my free time traveling to far of beaches and volcanoes of the country. Now as I coast through my last week I find myself with an abundance of free time. The Spanish course I took for 4 hours every morning was done last Friday. This means that I don't have to be to school until 6pm at night. With all this free time I've found myself getting out to explore the city of San Jose.

National Park of Costa Rica

The capitol of Costa Rica is an interesting place full of history, culture and some cool places hidden away. On Monday I found myself sitting at home with nothing to do so when it was time to pick Indiana up from Kinder I asked Claudia if I could come along. This was my first opportunity to see a public school in Costa Rica. Now public schools here are not like public schools at home. They receive insufficient funding and lack the security of private schools here. Kids and teachers need to be extra careful because drug dealers hang around outside the gates and hand drugs in for innocent children to try getting them hooked early. Because its so unsafe most families choose to send their children to private school but in order to get into private school here the students must pass an entrance exam no matter how much money the family has. So the public schools end up having low achieving and poor students. Andres goes to a private school and hopefully I'll get to come with to pick him up later this week. On Monday I also found the coolest little cafe called Musa Confusa 2 blocks away from campus. I never knew it existed and I'm so sad I just found it.

National Cathedral

Tuesday was a day for exploring Downtown. I went with a few people from my night class. We took the public bus for the first time. Imagine this giant school bus painted Blue, Yellow and Orange pulling up on the side of the road. Everyone shuffles on paying 150 colones (about 20 cents) and scoots into these plastic old fashion bus seats (and not school bus seats). We were dropped off a few blocks from out destination, el Teatro Nacional (the national theatre). This theatre was built in 1897 and is a replica of the National Theatre in France. The entire interior was hand painted and is absolutely gorgeous. For me the pinnacle of the Theatre was the Chandelier, hundreds of tiny lights make up this gigantic beacon and it looks so cool when all the lights go out. The afternoon show was a selection of Arias from various Operas. The performers were Costa Rican students trying to get a head start before studying in Europe or the US and hopefully having a career. It was an amazing show, especially since it was only 1000 colones ($2). After the show we stopped by this little cafe for lunch. It was kind of spendy but I had a delicious Montecristo sandwich, two cups of coffee and for dessert Tres Leches (3 milks). This dessert has become very popular in Costa Rica but infact it is a Nicaraguan dessert. My host family is actually originally from Nicaragua, my host mom and all her kids were born there but moved here when the youngest was 3. I think its funny that Costa Ricans love tres leches so much because most Costa Ricans strongly dislike Nicaragua (the two countries have had a tense history). Tres leches is a very sweet cake with a light frosting and the whole thing is doused in milk. It is so good but very rich. I want to learn how to make it.




Later today I am going to the Gold Museum and National Museum. More updates on that later.               

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No its Zach!

Today was a national holiday here in Costa Rica. Over the past week thousands of people from across the country made a pilgrimage to Cartago, the old capitol of Costa Rica. Their the masses gather at a Basilica to celebrate La Negrita, the little black virgin. The main event actually occurred last night as people entered Cartago walking on their knees and into the Basilica. Today is the official holiday and everyone rests and parties after the long night. Although I did not make the walk to Cartago I still had a fantastic holiday.

This morning I woke up at 6am for an exciting adventure. 8 students from Veritas along with 3 adults from Europe piled into a van and drove about two hours to San Luis in Alajuela Province. It was a thrilling day! We began our trek with some easy lines. One has to remember when Zip Lining to keep your knees up. The first few lines were very slow because they were so short. After 4 lines we came to the Tarzan Swing! This thing was amazing. A long rope was ready to carry you over a cliff to look out onto the rainforest. I was a little nervous to do it because everyone before me screamed a ton and said it was scary. It takes two guys to get you ready to go but once they let  you go the feeling is amazing. You feel free as you swing over the trees and get a beautiful view of the valley below.

We continued our tour through many other zip lines. They were all longer than the first few and the crew really tried to make the experience fun. On one line they employees would shake the rope while you were riding across which turned out to be a cool bumpy ride. Finally, we came to the Big Daddy of the canopy tour, the Superman! This was like all the other lines expect for two things, first it was the highest and longest of all the lines and second you were strapped into a sack on your stomach so you could "fly" like superman. It was really neat! The view was absolutely gorgeous! Today was such a neat experience and I know I will go again someday.

Los maravillosos del bosque tropical

Walking into Tirimbina

Everyday I look out my window and see the mountains surrounding the San Jose valley. On my walk to school I pass a variety of palm trees and exotic plants yet somehow San Jose has never felt like "the tropics." This past weekend I finally got to experience the tropics for real! One Saturday morning my Tropical Ecology class and I embarked on a journey to Tirimbina Biological Reserve in Sarapiqui, Costa Rica. Just over two hours outside of San Jose exists a wildlife reserve teeming with life. Tirimbina is a private park protecting 345 hectares of rainforest on the Sarapiqui river. Less than 10% of the park has been altered by humans which makes it a great example of Primary Forest (a forest that hasn`t had to regenerate in 70 years or more. Tirimbina is definitely a RAINforest. Therefore, one needed to have a rain jacket on them at all times. During one of our walks it rained more than 8 different times.

We went on two walks, one during the afternoon and another after dark. Both walks began by crossing the hanging bridge into the park. The bridge hung over the river and blew in the wind. With each step you wanted to grab the railing to steady yourself but each time you had to check to see if bullet ants were walking along the railing. Bullet ants are nearly an inch long and can be extremely aggressive if you are not careful they will bite you and it will knock a person out for a day. Once we entered the forest there was an array of stimuli to take it. If you walk into the rainforest, stand perfectly still and remain perfectly quiet you hear an orchestra of chirps, sqwaks, croaks, and flapping wings. The forest isn`t silent, on the contrary its like an all natural rock concert. The tree are a lot different than you`d think too. There are some palm trees but many look like the trees back at home. There is little vegetation on the forest floor since the soil lacks many nutrients, most of the tree roots are above ground to get the most water possible. Moss grows everywhere blanketing the forest in a permanent green hue.

Preying Mantis

Insects are literally everywhere! During our evening walk a bunch of us got bit by small black ants. It felt like a bunch of pin pricks all over my ankles and they itched really bad. Throughout the night hike we came across spiders big and small, a 5 inch long preying mantis, and the giant flying cockroach of Costa Rica. Despite the fear of these bugs falling on you at any time it was really neat to see the diversity of insects in the forest. Frogs were not hard to find either except we heard them more than we saw them. One frog we saw a lot of was the Blue Jean Frog. This little guys is red with blue legs but watch out because when he feels threatened he secretes a black poison from his back. They are tiny things but they are packing.

Waterfall we saw on the way home

Overall the rainforest was a really cool experience. On Sunday we had presentations in the morning and then we were suppose to have more free time but we had to leave early. The road we used to get to Tirimbina was closed because there was a mudslide due to the amount of rain the night before. We took a around about way back to San Jose but saw some amazing things along the way. We drove through a city that had been destroyed by an earthquake about 3 years ago...it was very eerie to see the destruction and abandoned buildings. Near the ghost town we stopped at a Soda for lunch. Side bar: A soda is a mini restaurant that they have all over Costa Rica. They are owned by families and most make really good food but it can get a little expensive. This Soda was right along the road over looking a steep valley into a river. Amongst the mist and fog we saw tiny waterfalls forming along the walls of the valley from all the rain. The food was very good too! I had chicken in homemade salsa with rice and homemade tortillas yum! Our next stop was only minutes away where we found an amazing waterfall! This country is so beautiful and I cannot believe the new things I find everyday. This quote resonates with me and expresses my thoughts on Costa Rica well

Discovering this idyllic place, we find ourselves filled with a
     yearning to linger here, where time stands still and beauty
     overwhelms.

-Author Unknown

Sunday was also my birthday! It was a pretty uneventful day, traveling and doing homework for the most part. I was surprised  though when my host family brought out a cake during dinner. We celebrated AJ (one of my housemates) and my birthday that night. AJ's birthday was our second day in Costa Rica so it was good to have a proper celebration for him that night. Following cake we danced some Bachata in the living room. All in all it was a great birthday.

5-4-3-2-1 JUUUUUUUUUUUMP

Studying abroad is all about being open to new experiences. On orientation day told us that we should all be open to changing and growing. When we arrived here our identities had been erased and we had the opportunity to try new things and evolve a people. Since that time I have tried many new things but today may have been the most out of character experience for me. Today, I went bungee jumping. Now earlier this week I was trying to decide what to today since its a holiday in Costa Rica so we had no school. When my friends suggested Bungee Jumping I opposed. After some cajoling I was convinced to do it...I mean you only live once right?

 I was very nervous the hours leading up to the jump and I wasn't even sure if I would jump. They had us sign release forms which was an eerie experience. We were then brought to a bridge going over a deep gorge. Now this bridge wasn't special for bungee jumping, in fact cars would cross every once in a while. The guys that worked for the company made us feel so safe. They were reassuring and got you really pumped up to jump. I was the second person to jump in our group and I was really scared to do it, especially after watching someone else do it first. When its your turn they have you  step up and they tighten all your straps...its kind of weird how few straps they actually use. There is a safety tether they attach around your wait and the bungee is attached to your feet. The bungee is only like 2 inches thick and extremely elastic like a really thick rubber band. Yet despite all of it you feel extremely safe. 

After getting suited up you have to walk to the edge of a tiny platform. Since the bungee connects your feet you have to waddle over to the edge and drop the bungee cord between your feet. You look down and all you see are trees and a river. The countdown begins, 5-4-3-2-1 you put your arms straight out, push off with your feet (barefoot by the way) and begin to free fall. At first you feel like you have "eagles in your stomach," you want to scream but the wind in knocked right out of you. Before hand I thought I'd scream, shut my eyes, panic but none of that happened. The feeling is pure joy absolute euphoria. The best part is the free fall. You feel strangely free and light. Once I snapped the laughing began. I could not believe how amazing the experience had been. Once you snapped the first time you start to swing and you swing a long ways. Imagine hanging there upside down, over a river and swinging from side to side under a bridge. Hanging there is that moment is like nothing else I've ever felt and the feeling lasts for quite some time. You feel more relaxed more.... Pura Vida! 

After you stop swinging they lower a rope down to you. Its kind of tricky because you're hanging upside down, on this endorphin high, blood is rushing to your head and you have to catch this rope that they lower to you and clip it on your belt. Coming back the the bridge is an amazing feeling. I remember thinking "did I just really do that?" and then I said to my friend Jes "I kinda want to do that again." Here is what I learned today. Sometimes we have to do things that scare us because we might actually enjoy it. Experiences help us evolve as a person and personal development is critical to growing up. This is just an example of many experiences I've had so far in Costa Rica. All of these things have changed me in some way and hopefully for the better. I see the world through a slightly different lens. I leave you with this quote:

"A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions."

Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

Irazu

Irazu Volcano Crater

After a crazy day yesterday I woke up for another day of travels. Today we ascended 11,000 feet above sea level to the Irazu volcano the highest active volcano in Costa Rica. On a clear day you can see both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, unfortunately we came on a cloudy day. When we first arrived the main crater wasn't visible so we walked the black sandy plans surrounding the volcano. It almost feels like you're in another world little vegetation clouds and fog all around. Finally, a breeze pushed the clouds away and we had a beautiful view of the main crater. At the center is a green crater lake called Diego de la Haya. The lake is colored because of algae and sulfur chemical reactions. The most famous eruption of this volcano began in 1963 when JFK arrived in San Jose for his tour of the country. This eruption lasted until 1965. The last eruption lasted only a day in 1994 and was contained to the national park causing minimal damage. This park was truly a spectacular to see.

Black Plains around the crater

Following Irazu we descended toward a local community for lunch. Coming down the sides of the volcano was one of the best views I've ever seen. Clouds hang below and around mountain tops as we descend. Crop fields and pastures dot the slops as cattle carefully keep their balance trying to graze a little. It is amazing how these people live. Along the way we stopped to buy homemade bread and organic strawberries from  families selling crops. The bread was amazing and these were some of the best strawberries I've ever had. They served them with sweet and condensed milk a tasty combination. While enjoying our treats we arrived at restaurant for lunch. 

The view descending the volcano

Lunch was at a eco-farm with all the food being grown organically and sustainably (the way of life in Costa Rica). I enjoyed a juicy chicken breast, light salad and mashed yuka (a potato like veggie). The food was amazing! For dessert we had ice cream with papaya mmm! The view from the restaurant was stunning overlooking the Orosi valley. 

We left the eco-farm and desended into the valley to visit an old catholic church built in the 1700s. Our stay was very short and we continued to another church in Cartago Costa Rica. This Basilica is the site of an important holiday in Costa Rica, Virgen de los Angeles. A statuette of a La Negrita (Black Virgin) was found at the site by an indigenous woman. When she tried to take it with her it reappeared from the spot she'd taken it. Since then the site has been considered holy. Each year on August 2nd, the day she was discovered, people form San Jose go on a pilgrimage by foot 22 km to the Basilica usually completing the journey on their knees. When I entered the Basilica people were walking down the main aisle on their knees to the main alter. A very interesting story. 

Perfect view to eat to

All in all today was much more relaxed than yesterday. The sites we saw were far closer to San Jose than Poas and the Doka Plantation. I also didn't sleep well last night and this busy schedule is catching up on me. 3 weeks left in San Jose and I am soaking up every moment. Next weekend I am going to Tirimbina Biological Reserve on the Caribbean side of the country for my Tropical Ecology class. Next weekend is also my birthday. I think this is going to be a VERY busy week.             

Doka--Poas--La Paz

Coffee Cherries

Today has been an absolutely amazing adventure. Woke up at 6am to get ready for my trip to a Volcano! We left so early that our mama tica didn't make us breakfast. About 15 of us loaded onto a small bus a began the 2 hour trek to Alajuela just north of San Jose. The distance from San Jose to Alajuela isn't that long but here in Costa Rica it takes a VERY long time to get anywhere by car. Due to poor road conditions, heavy traffic, and variable terrain something 20 miles away can take nearly an hour to get to. 

The first stop was made at the Doka Coffee Plantation. Sadly we only stayed about an hour, just enough time to learn a little about how they grow their coffee, see some coffee plants, and buy a little coffee. The Doka Plantation is grown on the side of the Poas volcano so the soil produces very good coffee. Doka produces a French Roast, Breakfast Blend, Espresso Blend, and Peaberry. Needless to say I bought 2 pounds of coffee (for less than $20) and a traditional Costa Rican coffee brewer called a "chorreador." The grounds are put in a "coffee sock" and warm water (not boiling) is poured over the top and the coffee drains into the cup below. The sock is better than normal paper filters at home because it allows the oils from the coffee to soak through which enhances the flavor. 

 

 

 

 

Chorreador

 Sadly, my time at Doka was short lived but the coffee was delicious. The next leg of the trip brought us nearly 8,000 feet above sea level, the Poas Volcano. Up in the cloud forest on the side of the volcano we hiked from the visitors center to an outlook above the crater to see the crater lake. Sadly, due to our altitude the crater wasn't visible because it was a cloudy day. However, this adventure was not hopeless, the hike to the outlook was a beautiful example of Mountain and Cloud forest habitats and the views were spectacular. We descended to a lower outlook and the clouds started to clear a little and we were able to see a little of the crater. But I am hopeful because tomorrow we are going to another Volcano, Irazu. 

 

 

My friends Kas, Kerby, Jes, Alejandro and myself at Poas Crater

  Our last stop of the day was to La Paz (The Peace). La Paz is like a natural resort that people can stay at or visit. We ate lunch there and then explored the resort. We came across a garden of Hummingbirds. They were everywhere but we had to be careful because they are territorial so every once in awhile one would dive at your head. We also went into a butterfly garden. It was so cool, the butterflies would land right on your hand and try to suck nectar off of you. I had a butterfly land on my head and stay there for quite some time. When I got out of the garden I took off my sweatshirt and found one hiding inside. After, the butterflies we entered the aviary and saw Tucans. You could actually have them land on your arm. However, the highlight of La Paz was the waterfalls. 5 beautiful waterfalls can be found along a river running through the resort. They were absolutely beautiful but I only have a couple pictures since my camera died (lots of picture taking today). 

All in all today was a ton of fun. Its great to explore new places with my new friends, la ganga, as we call ourselves. I have yet to introduce them so really quick here they are. Alejandro is my housemate and member of la ganga. He is from RI and studying alternative medicine. Kasandra (left in the picture above) is from Ottawa, Canada. We call her Kas because her favorite drink here is Cas (a fruit kind of like an orange that is often made into a juice. Kerby (R of Kas) is from Tampa, Florida and just graduated high school. Kerby is a bundle of fun but often times doesn't know where she is. The final member of la ganga is Jes from Jersey. Jes has truly traveled the world and knows lots of Spanish. We are in the same Spanish class. She can be crazy but is a sweetheart. These are the people I'm spending free time with along with 250 other students from the United States. I've already met 2 other people from MN.

La Paz Catarata (waterfall)

Tucan

 Colibri (Hummingbird)

Mariposa (butterfly)  on my shoulder