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

   

Mi Familia Tica

Ticos are what Costa Ricans called themselves so here in Costa Rica we all live with Familias Ticas or Tica Families. Due to my schedule I really don't spend a lot of time at home with my family but they are a great bunch. Clarisa is my mama tica and has 7 children. I don't know for sure but I believe she is close to 70. Two of Clarisa's children, Raul and Claudia live in the house behind us with Claudia's children Andres and Indiana. With my other two housemates we make quite the tica family.

I absolutely love my family because in many ways they resemble my family back home. I can't pinpoint similar personalities but the community is very much the same. First, Costa Ricans are very affectionate. We all say good morning, good night, hello, good bye, how was your day? because if we didn't it would be rude. I give and get a kiss on the cheek every morning, evening, and every time I leave or come home. All these little customary actions create a closeness amongst us all. We joke all the time (in Spanish of course) and breakfast or dinner consists of many laughs. In that way dinner is similar to back at home...well minus the food.

Not only am I fed twice a day but Clarisa (or the house help I'm not quite sure) does my laundry daily and folds my clothes....its looks better than anything I could ever do. Every morning I make my bed and pick up my room and everyday when I come home my bed has been remade perfectly, my pictures put in a nice row and my book organized. I am spoiled here!

My clothes are folded perfectly everyday

Tonight, mamita (what I call Clarisa) and I had an hour long conversation while I ate my dinner. Even though I was stressed from school and everything that needed to be done this conversation helped relax me. It was fun to talk, learn more about their culture and touch some interesting topics. Not only did my Spanish improve but my relationship with Clarisa deepened. Today was a reminder of what I've learned over the last few months, family is so important no matter what form it takes. I am thousands of miles away from my family but I have a family here too. They may never be the same as the ones I have back home but I am not a stranger in this how. We all have a general interest in each others lives and it is nice to know that I have people I can depend on here. 

Even though things can be stressful here I always have my family with me. I wake up to these faces everyday.

Tamarindo

Una pipa-Coconut 

This weekend myself and the other students at Veritas took a trip to the Pacific Ocean. The town we went to is called Tamarindo Beach and is located in Guanacaste, Costa Rica in the northwest of the country. In this beautiful paradise I spent an entire day and two nights exploring another part of Costa Rica. In Tamarindo, the people truly embody the idea of Pura Vida (Pure Life). Pura Vida is a popular phrase here in Costa Rica that they use for everything. The phrase shows the "pure" culture here. Costa Ricans pride themselves on eating naturally and organically, not worrying about things all the time, and respecting and conserving nature. 

On Saturday I spent a large chunk of time on the beach. A group of us went out into the ocean and floated around in the waves. The water was very salty, far saltier than I've ever experienced and the sun felt amazing. The sun is extremely intense here because Costa Rica is contained within the 10th parallel and very close to the equator. While walking down the beach we bought pipas (coconuts) from vendors for 1000 colones or $1. At first I was leery but they cut them open right before your eyes. The water is very sweet and the meat inside tastes amazing (although I know people who would disagree with me). 

  

In the afternoon we spent time shopping around Tamarindo but everything was very expensive. However, the food was very good. I tried lots of all naturally fruit smoothies with new types of fruit. My favorite was Cas which kind of tastes like an orange. After awhile we went to the pool at our hotel. At the hotels in Tamarindo they don't have hot tubs because it is very humid and hot there. So we sat in the "jacuzzi" (a smaller pool with jets) for a few hours and talked up a storm. That night a few of us bought ice cream and just walked along the beach. In Costa Rica the sun sets at 6pm everyday all year round so walking on the beach at night is pitch black but when your eyes adjust the view is spectacular.

   

On this excursion I saw lots of wildlife. The hotel we stayed at was up in the rainforest away from the beach and the owners were involved in saving the monkeys. In Costa Rica there are a lot of monkey and also a lot of power lines. Because of the land the power lines are all above ground and the monkeys use them to cross roads, rivers, and paths. The consequence is that most monkeys will be electrocuted, severely injured or die because of the human impact on their environment. To help with this problem locals are collecting funds and building rope bridges to help the monkeys cross safely. We also saw black iguanas and scarlet macaws the last few days as well. 

 

 

 

Mono-Monkey

The salvemonos website is linked below if you'd like to learn more.  

http://salvemonos.org/

Frutas comio en Costa Rica

The best things about food here so far...the fruit. Its true you know. In the US we have embraced GMO (genetically modified organisms) crops while many of the countries of Central American, including Costa Rica, have denounced the idea and have kept them out of the country. Here all the fruit is grown organically by the farmers and tastes amazing. On Sunday we went to the fairia (the farmer's market) and bought food for this week a typical tradition in this household. While there I tried so many fruits, many of which I'd never heard of.

Mamon Chino 

This crazy fruit has become a favorite of mine. At first it looks crazy but its actually very sweet if you eat it at the right time. It needs to be dark and hard before eating it. You peel off the outside and carefully eat the sweet white tissue inside. At the center of the tissue is a seed that is like a cross between a peanut and an almond. It is kind of sour but good. We eat mamon chino at breakfast sometimes or for a snack. 

 Jocote (ho-co-te)

This little fruit is probably my favorite overall. Its no bigger than a ping pong ball and has a bit of a sour/sweet taste to it like a sweet tart candy. You put the whole jocote into your mouth and eat it but the center is hard and you can't eat that so you need to be careful not to swallow it. Jocote are ready to eat when they are yellow or red. Green is okay but there are some toxins that may upset your stomach so its best to eat it mature. Jocote fruit have lost their ability to germinate and scientists don't know why. The only way to plant new Jocote trees is to take a shoot or branch from an established tree, plant it into the ground, and hope it takes. It is the beginning of Jocote season in Costa Rica.

 Papaya

 My first night here we went out to eat at a restaurant. The food was good but my favorite part was the drink I had. Here in Costa Rica all natural fruit juices are everyone and I mean ALL NATURAL. They literally put the fruit through a juicer right in front of you for most cases. The first night I had a papaya con  leche drink, papaya with milk and it had a little cinnamon in it...one of the first and best things I've tried so far!
 

Other food that is really good here: Bananas (banao), Pineapple (pina), salad (ensalada) with lemons (limones), and much much more. I tried a drink at the fairia that was made out of tree bark. They say it is good for two things: Helping your digestive system and for hangovers. Not sure how the last one works but that's what I've been told. 

Guanabana 

This strange fruit that was sitting in the kitchen is a little bigger than a football and weights 5 kilos. This morning for breakfast we had Guanabana con leche. Its like a milk shake. Much like the papaya drink I had, Guanabana is very sweet. It is a little thicker and tastes more like the sugar cane juice I had at the fairia than the papaya juice. 

The food here really had a different taste and I believe its affecting my body in a positive way. I'm feeling a lot better (despite the moist climate and feeling congested a lot) and I think my body is dispelling a lot of toxins. When I first got here I was sick to my stomach after eating but each day I feel much better. I believe the way we eat in the US, with preservatives and chemicals really affects our health in a negative way so our body cannot function naturally. My favorite drink here is the fresh lemonade. Mario, my host mom's son, grows his own lemon and mango trees in the country by the beach. We always have salad with lemon as a dressing. Literally half a lemon is your dressing as you squeeze it onto the salad, mmmmm. The other major difference is that food like this is very very very cheap here. Well, now I am off to school. Ciao!

Mi horario-My Schedule

Now that school has started I have a busy schedule each day.

6am-I wake up and get ready for the day. A quick shower, get dressed and prepare for the day. I have to do this because my 2 other house mates also need to get ready, we have our own bathroom.

7am-Usually earlier for me. We have breakfast together and it is HUGE here. They have a saying here in Costa Rica that doctors and nutritionists use- "For breakfast eat like a king, for lunch like a prince, and for dinner like a peasant." This way of eating is actually better for overall digestion but goes against everything I'm used to. Typical breakfast is: Coffee, Gallo Pinto, Eggs, Fresh Squeezed Lemonade, Salad with Lemon, Bread, Potatoes, Beans, and tons of fruit! (ill talk more about food in another post.)

At 7:45am we leave for school. It is about a 10 min walk from my house and we have to cross a busy highway which can be hard in Costa Rica. Costa Ricans drive like maniacs...they say Minnesotans drive fast...well I see worse everyday. Here, pedestrians never have the right of way so you always need to be looking, yes they will run over you. On the way to school we pick up some of our friends! They are women and their mama tica's like them to walk to school with men.

8am-Spanish class starts and ends at noon. We have one break from 10-10:30 where we can go to the cafe and grab a coffee and chat, en espanol claro. I am in Advanced Spanish 1. Its actually a really fun class but a lot of work. We have lots of readings and homework. But its fun. We've been learning expressions specific to Costa Rica like "Pura Vida" its the same as "Como estas" here and can be used in many other ways.

Noon-1pm: Lunch. For lunch mi ganga (gang) and I go out to a local soda (small restaurant) near Veritas. Today we went to my host mom's daughter's restaurant and I had the best chicken fajita in the whole world. Along with a drink but I can't remember the name. Down here all the drinks and food are 100% organic. NO PRESERVATIVES! The drink its literally the juice of a fruit with milk and very very sweet.

From 3-5 I have a huge break where I do homework. Usually grab a coffee too. Since I have night class my mama tica makes dinner for me at 5. Its small but very good. And always with coffee and  a dessert.

6pm-8pm:  I have Tropical Ecology. The class is kind of boring now since its just the basics of ecology but I think its going to be a lot of fun. The last two weeks here I am going on weekend excursions with the class. First to the Caribbean side of  Costa Rica to see a rainforest and then to the Pacific side to see a dry forest the next weekend. Costa Rica is separated into halves partially but the fault that runs down the center of the country. On the Caribbean side its very humid and rainy this time of year, the rainy season or winter here. The Pacific is also wet now but not as wet. This weekend I am going to a beach on the Pacific side called Tamarindo.

After 8: My friends and I usually go out or stay in to do homework. Last night was tropical dancing lessons where I learned Salsa, Merenge and Bachata. It was a lot of fun. Other nights we just go out to Pezcadito, a local pub/hangout in our neighborhood. We always walk each other home for safety because here the sun sets around 6pm and rises around 5am. Its very strange for me because I'm used to MN summer sun being out late.

Overall things are going really well. I'm trying to immerse myself in the culture as much as possible. Thanks for everyone's words of encouragement and advice. I appreciate all the love and support I have back at home. I miss you all terribly and although I am having a blast I realize even more how important family and friends are. Pura Vida everyone!    

I have arrived

Today, I woke up at 3AM in Bloomington and now I am laying on my bed in San Jose. I cannot believe how far I have gone today...its crazy. The flight to Houston was quick and smooth while the flight to San Jose had lots of turbulence! Getting through the airport in San Jose was a breeze when we fly into the US we have to go through customs and immigration before we can even enter the normal airport, here I had to walk through the airport until I found the immigration line. I waited at the airport for quite awhile because so many kids were flying in for the program today. After about 45 minutes we finally left for our host families. I have an amazing family! Clarisa is my mama tica, she is the grandma of the house  and does most of the cooking, cleaning and laundry. We are only suppose to get laundry service once a week but she does it all the time. She gave me a big hug and kisses when I arrived. Claudia is Clarisa's daughter and she is about 25, maybe a little older. Claudia has two children Indiana and I don't know her son's name yet, he is at his dad's this weekend. I got to me Indiana today, she is 5! She was just in my room as I am writing this and we had a good half hour conversation. I learned about her friends, what she likes to do for her birthday. I can understand her okay...everyone speaks very quickly down here but Claudia speaks English and Clarisa knows some. I brought a big picture book of Minnesota for the family and Clarisa loved it. She and Claudia were surprised when I told them we are known as the land of 10,000 lakes...especially when I said we have much more than that. Clarisa's niece actually studied in the University of Minnesota a while back so there are some ties! She said, the winters are unbearably cold!  

I got here at about 4PM and we ate lunch and boy was I hungry. The food was actually really good, rice with some onions mixed in, steak with tomatoes and peppers on top, salad, steamed broccoli and carrots, with rice pudding for dessert. I said I wouldn't each much because I'd eaten lunch at the airport in Houston but the food was so good. I am a picky eater and I made a bet with myself to just eat what is put in front of me. Aye was it good! They told us that we will only be eating natural here even though many Costa Ricans eat Americanized food. No pop in the house either only water, lemonade and coffee. I cannot wait to try their coffee. Tonight Claudia, Alejandro AJ (the other two guys living here) and I are going out for coffee and to eat it should be an interesting and exciting experience. We all have varying levels of Spanish, Alejandro grew up in Miami and his parents spoke Spanish so he is basically fluent. AJ knows almost no Spanish and has kind of holed up because of it, hopefully we can break him out of his shell.

The neighborhood here seems really really safe. I found the "Special Pharmacy" and its just like a Walgreens. Tonight Alejandro, Claudia and I went to an outdoor mall. It was EXTREMELY compact but really cool. I can't wait to explore these places more.

Another strange thing for me...its 6:30PM and its dark out. They don't have daylight savings here because they are practically on the equator, the sun generally rises at 6AM and sets at 6PM everyday all year round.  

Well, I've just kind of rambled here...so much to say and I haven't really processed it all yet! More organized posts will follow i'm sure.

Top 10 Excitements and Fears

2 days, that's right 2 days until I leave for Costa Rica. The past week has been crazy as I've had to celebrate my brothers birthday, finish work, finish an online class, buy stuff for the trip, pack, and meet with friends and family (not to mention the 4th of July). But even through all the hustle and bustle I've been experiences waves of emotion, elation, fear, nervousness, excitement, anticipation, and adventure. Many thoughts have been swirling in my head as I wait to step into the unknown, thousands of miles from friends and family. So, to get it all out I'm going to give a Top 10 list of things I am excited for and things I am fearful many happen. Let's start with the fear.....

Top 10 Fears for my trip to Costa Rica

10. Being away from my family for so long....I know sounds wimpy but these people mean so much to me! However, I know I'll have a blast and they will have fun too while I'm away.

9. Contracting a foreign disease. I'd be really bummed to get sick or die in Costa Rica but chances of that happening are slim to none, especially if I am careful.

8. Getting lost

7. Getting mugged and robbed...I'd really rather stay safe and keep all my money.

6. Having my identity stolen...good thing I have protection 

5. Being left behind on an excursion 

4. Missing my connecting flight in Houston

3.  Missing out on a great experience because I'm scared- (i'm making a pact with myself not to do this)

2. Getting off the plane in San Jose and having to ride with a taxi driver across town to my host family's

1. Not wanting to come home- This will probably happen and be a good thing

Top 10 Things I'm Excited for in Costa Rica

10. Living like a local- So often we travel and just do the "tourist" things and neglect the authentic experience of the place we've visited 

9. Meeting new people 

8. Seeing a real Volcano

7. The fruit- its going to be so fresh and there will be so many things I've never tried. My sister Kate would be jealous

6. Visiting a coffee plantation and trying coffee in Costa Rica- I love coffee and I cannot wait to try the coffee straight from Costa Rica and even the coffee most Ticos drink. It should be an experience for my taste buds

5. The new culture and customs

4. Watching a Costa Rican soccer game-Central Americans, especially Costa Ricans are passionate about their soccer or should I say football 

3. My classes at the University-Should be very intresting 

2. The excursions- Costa Rica is known for its ecotourism! 

1. The Flora and Fauna

Many of these items will probably be topics of my blog while I'm gone! I'm also journaling for the first time. I'd make my aunt Mary proud there. Well the next time you hear from me I'll be sipping coconut milk in San Jose. Until then, Pura Vida!