The Journey Continues…

¡Hola amigos y familia! Time here in Costa Rica has been flying by; I can’t believe I have finished my third week here already. I am really enjoying and taking in all that the culture and area has to offer. Here are the highlights for this week (9/16-9/22):

Monday: I had Spanish class at COSI from 9am to 1pm and class for NCC in the afternoon from 2-4pm. I then stayed for dance classes at COSI. Dance class lasted for 1.5 hours and I am continuing to attempt to perfect the Salsa and Merengue.

Tuesday: Today comprised of Spanish classes in the morning and a very calm afternoon consisting of playing with Samuel and Antoine, doing homework, and talking to my family via Skype. However, that night turned out to be very eventful.

I received a taste of how the healthcare system in Costa Rica works. A student from the NCC group, who lives across the street from me, unfortunately had to go to the hospital tonight. Although everything turned out to be okay, the adventure to the hospital was quite the experience and opened my eyes to a whole new healthcare system and the many resources and modern conveniences that we take for granted in the United States.

Wednesday: Once again I had class at COSI in the morning and class for NCC in the afternoon. After classes, I came home to complete my homework for the night. I later went to Zumba with my Mamá Tica. Today was my papa’s birthday. So, after dinner tonight we ate some chocolate chip ice cream to celebrate. I noticed that my family didn’t do too much to celebrate his birthday. I proceeded to ask whether or not birthdays were a big celebration here in Costa Rica. My host parents told me that for younger kids birthdays are a big deal, specifically for girls who are turning 15. However, as you age birthdays are just another day and another year for adults.

Thursday: Spanish class in the morning, Café Milagro, homework, Zumba, and Trivia night at Dos Locos filled my schedule today.  Café Milagro is a cute café within 5 minute walking distance from COSI. They are infamous for their espresso shakes, so naturally I had to try one out for myself. The shake is made of chocolate chip ice cream, milk, and coffee. It is quite possibly the best shake that I have ever had…yes, I know this is saying a lot! Zumba was both exciting and exhausting as always. Once again, I went to Trivia night at Dos Locos. My team added a new member this week, my roommate named David. We hoped with his years of wisdom he would be able to help us pull out a victory. Although that was not the case this week, we are aiming to take home the gold next week!

Friday: As always, we took a quiz today in class. However, the quiz this week compared to last week was very lengthy, nearly 10 pages. I made a goal for myself this week to preform better on this quiz and I was able to reach my goal. Each week I am beginning to feel more and more confident in my Spanish. Although there are always ups and downs along the way, I am looking forward to the weeks ahead. After class today, I came home to work on my homework so that I could have a fun weekend in Jacó with friends!

Saturday: Kayla, Tara, Jacob, Theresa, and I all left for Jacó around noon today. Kayla, Tara, and Theresa’s host dad (Juan) has a house in Jacó where we visited for the weekend. Juan picked us up in a Tourism van similar to the one that we drove from San José to Quepos upon arrival. We quickly stopped at the grocery store for food for the weekend and we were on our way. It took about 45 minutes to get to the house in Jacó. Along the way, we drove through a small town, across a river, along side forests of palm trees, and farms of cattle. Upon arriving in Jacó the five of us could not believe the size of the house that we would be staying in for the next 48 hours. This house was a rarity in Costa Rica. The house had tile floors, air conditioning, granite counter tops, hot water, multiple bedrooms and multiple levels to the house. We concluded after much pondering that Juan co-owns the house with a friend from the states. After settling in to the enormous house we would be staying in, we headed to Playa Hermosa to hopefully go surfing. However, once we arrived at the beach it was already 4:30 in the afternoon. We decided that surfing wouldn’t be worth our money today, as the sun would be setting soon and we could surf some other weekend. Instead, we watched multiple surfers from the beach while taking in the beautiful sunset. 

The beautiful sunset at Playa Hermosa in Jacó

Just enjoying the beauty

Sunday: Today was a day to rewind from the excitement from the weekend as well as a day of travel back to Quepos from Jacó. Overall, Jacó was a nice place to visit for a weekend, but the town is very touristy and I am glad that we only spent a short period of time there. Tonight was Leandra’s (my roommate from Switzerland) last night in Quepos. So, a group of us went out to celebrate and say our goodbyes. I miss Leandra already and I am hoping that I can see her when I am in San José because she will be working as a volunteer at a school not too far away.

One last tid-bit, dinners this week were delicious as always! I realized that I have been here for three weeks now and it continues to amaze me the variety of meals that we eat here...all equally delicious! My Mama Tica is a wonderful cook and to my surprise we have not eaten the same meal since I have arrived. Wow!

Thank you all for reading! ¡Hasta luego!

~Kailey

Week Number Two in Review

This week has continued to be packed full of adventures and fun. Of course, school has been a part of my very busy schedule here in Costa Rica as well! Here is what happened this week (9/9-9/15):

Monday: I had Spanish class at COSI from 9am to 1pm and class for NCC in the afternoon from 2-4pm. I then stopped for a quick bite of pizza at Miguelito’s before heading to Zumba.

Tuesday: Today consisted of Spanish classes in the morning, beach in the afternoon, and watching soccer with mis padres Ticos (Costa Rican parents).

Wednesday: Once again I had class at COSI in the morning and class for NCC in the afternoon. After classes, I went to El Avión (a local restaurant) to watch the sunset. The evening turned out to be rather cloudy and we didn’t see too much of a sunset but it was still enjoyable and beautiful. 

Sunset at El Avión

Thursday: Spanish class in the morning and a mangrove tour in the afternoon along with Trivia at Dos Locos (a local bar) at night kept my Thursday very busy. The mangrove tour took us to an island where we swam and enjoyed the beach for a bit. The homes on the island were very run down compared to those in Quepos or Manuel Antonio. After some time on the beach, we loaded a boat that took us through the mangroves. In order to get to the mangrove we had to go through the Marina. I later found out that this is where my dad works during the day. In the mangroves, we saw birds, fish, and a baby crocodile. It was cool to be able to see such an important part of an ecosystem up close. 

The Marina in Quepos

Baby Crocodile

That night we went to Dos Locos where they were having Trivia Night…thankfully in English! My team (Theresa, Kayla, Tara, Jacob, and I) ended with a total of 23 points. The winning team had 20 points after one round if that gives any idea as to how little we knew. Nonetheless, we had fun and are hoping to improve each week.

Friday: Friday the 13^th. I learned that Friday the 13^th isn’t unlucky in Central America; rather they have “martes trece” or Tuesday the 13^th. We took a quiz today in class which we will be doing every Friday. However, the quiz this week compared to last week was very difficult. I struggled and didn’t do so well on the quiz. This was the first time that my patience has been tested while I am learning the language. I was getting very frustrated, but after taking a deep breath and relaxing I realized that my emotions were just a part of the process of learning a foreign language. After class I came home to work on my homework so that I could have a weekend full of fun as I had big plans ahead. Sunday is Independence Day!

Saturday: The group from NCC went on a catamaran trip today. We boarded a large boat that had a waterslide off the back named the Tsunami and 4 large nets in the front to take in the sun. Sounds like a great start to me! We cruised around the ocean for a while before stopping to snorkel. On our way, we saw 4 ballenas (whales) that I attempted to take pictures of but none of them turned out. We anchored in a bay to snorkel for a while. The water was very foggy due to the excess amounts of rain that Costa Rica gets during this time and our tour guide told us that we might not even get to see anything. However, once we got into the water we were quite literally swimming in a school of small blue and yellow fish. This was really neat! After I had my fair share of snorkeling, I decided to plunge down the Tsunami. This experience was very similar to that of the waterfall because as I approached the slide it seemed much steeper than I had expected. I knew I better go down the waterslide right away or I might talk myself out of doing so. In a matter of seconds I was skidding across the water and out into the ocean. After spending a good amount of time in the bay, we boarded the ship again and headed back to shore.

The Water slide on the Catamaran

We were all glad to be back on shore (some of us more than others as the boat made a good majority of the group very seasick). The boat luckily did not affect me. A small group of us went to get ice cream in Quepos. I tried a scoop of chocolate almond ice cream. ¡Que rico! Later we went to spend some time relaxing at the pool behind COSI.

Tonight we had dinner very early (5:45pm) in order to attend El Desfile de Faroles for Independence Day. Here is a little history lesson for on El Desfile de Faroles(the lantern parade)…Maria Dolores Bedoya ran through the streets of Guatemala holding a lantern in her hand. Her goal was to gather as many people as possible and stand in front of the town council to demand freedom. The next day, September 15^th, was deemed Independence Day. I attended the parade that night which was scheduled to start at 6pm and la hora Tica as my Mama Tica told me. This meant that the parade was supposed to start at 6pm but it is Tico Time here so the parade will start whenever it is convenient and everyone is ready. The parade finally started at about 6:45pm. The parade consisted of niños (kids) and their parents walking behind a band. The kids carried faroles (lanterns) that they made at home with their parents. The streets were full of people and it was very eye opening to be able to see the enthusiasm and loyalty that the Ticans had for their country. 

El Desfile de Los Faroles

Sunday: INDEPENDENCE DAY!! Today began with breakfast at 7:45. The parade was supposed to begin at 8 am and la hora Tica. The parade started at 9:15 am. The noise, hustle and bustle of the Tican culture, and the mass amounts of people from all over could be seen and heard from miles away. All of the kids within Quepos are required to participate in the parade. As you may imagine the parade included vast amounts of groups of students from various schools around the area. My host brothers, Samuel and Antoine, participated in the parade as un campesino (a farmer) and a drummer respectively. All of the kids were so cute and the fact that they marched in the parade on the hottest day in Quepos showed their dedication to their culture. The parade lasted for 2.5 hours. 

Samuel and I after the parade

Antoine and I after the parade

After the parade, I went to the beach to relax and enjoy the weather. Dinner was delicious as always! My Mama Tica made Tres Leches (a dessert consisting of cake doused in three different kinds of milk) for both the special day and her son, Felipe, who absolutely loves this dessert.

This week has been packed full of many new adventures and experiences that continue to open my eyes to a whole new and moving culture. Until next week…¡Pura Vida!

A Week of Firsts…and Many More to Come!

After arriving in Costa Rica and settling into my new home for the next 4 months, I figured it was time to take in all that the Pura Vida lifestyle has to offer me. Some firsts for the week include: Zumba, early morning workouts, walks to the nearby beach, dance classes, a Tican soccer game, and exploring the depths of the rainforest. That is besides the obvious task of attending school each day.

I signed up for a months worth of Zumba classes here in Quepos. The classes are 3 days a week (MWF) from 6-7:30pm. Zumba here consists of 30 minutes of yoga and abs, 30 minutes of cardio, and 30 minutes of dancing. In total, one month of Zumba cost me 5000 colones or $10.  In addition, I began my workout routine with a couple of other people from the NCC group this week. We start our workout consisting of walking, running, sprints, and/or pushups etc. at 6am and are finished by 7am. As if Zumba was not enough, I decided to take dance classes at COSI this past Wednesday (September 4^th). This past week I learned how to Salsa and Merengue. Let’s just say that it is much harder than it looks! Although it appears I have kept myself very busy, I also find time to relax…on the beach.

This weekend was also one of many firsts. The weekend started on Friday with the BIG soccer game (Costa Rica vs. U.S.). Soccer or fútbol is a huge part of the Tican culture. I, of course, made it clear that I was cheering for Costa Rica…I am not sure what may have happened if I rooted for the U.S. Fortunately, Costa Rica won 3-1. The team spirit and enthusiasm for their home country is unreal! The remainder of the night was filled with Ticans roaming the streets cheering and singing “¡Ole, ole, ole, ole, ole, ole, ole, ole, Ticos, Ticos!”

On Saturday, I went to “la feria” (the market). I have never seen such a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. I walked up and down the street taking in all that the vendors had to offer. I ended up buying an Imperial tank top, a towel, and a fruit called mangosteen. I figured I should expand my knowledge of fruits and try something new while I am here. In addition to mangosteen, I also tried a fruit called mamones for breakfast that morning with my Mama Tica. I liked both of the fruits that I had added to my taste bud vocabulary that morning!

On Saturday, a small group of my friends and I went to explore the depths of the rainforest in order to find a waterfall that we had previously been told about. According to the word on the street, you could jump off this waterfall. After about 45 minutes of hiking in and out of the river and over and under various branches, we had found the waterfall! The next step was to find the courage and bravery to jump off of the waterfall. After watching others take the plunge, I decided it was my turn. I stood at the top of the falls thinking, “What am I doing?” I kept counting…uno, dos, uno, dos, but I couldn’t seem to get to tres in order to jump! I finally told myself I just had to do it before I talked myself out of jumping. The adrenaline rushed through my body as I took the plunge into the water below. However, when I was finished one jump wasn’t enough and I decided that many more were in store. In fact, I had so much fun at the waterfall on Saturday that I decided to go back again on Sunday. This weekend was tons of fun and I can’t wait for the days to come!

Me with the mamones vendor!

Mangosteen

Mamones

La cascada

Climbing to the top to jump again!

~Kailey

Mira, Mira...

On Thursday, September 5^th, our NCC in Costa Rica group took a trip to the Manuel Antonio National Park after class. We took a mini bus from COSI to the Park. Upon our arrival and with one step out of the mini bus, wildlife and the treasures of the rainforest were right at out fingertips. We walked about 15 to 20 feet and saw a group of monkeys playing in a tree just feet above our heads. As we entered the park, the scenery was even more beautiful. The park consisted of a gravel path that wove through trees upon trees within the rainforest. The colors in the Park were vibrant and represented almost every color imaginable. As we continued walking, our tour guide, Henri, would often say “mira, mira” or “look, look”. There would then be some sort of animal or plant that could either be seen with the naked eye or seen through the telescope that our tour guide carried around. We saw sloths, crabs, venomous snakes, insects, lizards, raccoons, and much more! In order to get out of the park, we had to cross a little bit of water that appeared to be a small river. We were told that the water level was about up to your chest, so we had two options of crossing. You could either pay 500 colones or $1 to cross in a boat OR you could swim across. I choose to take the boat because I did not have my swimsuit on that day. A group of my friends decided to swim through the water. As it turns out, I definitely could have walked and saved myself a dollar because the water level was barely even waist high. Oh well, the boat ride with one of the locals was a great experience too!

Los Monos

Una Iguana

Our tour guide at the Manuel Antonio National Park

 I can’t wait to post again soon! Thanks for reading. ¡Pura Vida!

~Kailey

¡Bienvenidos a Quepos!

On Sunday September 1^st, the group from NCC and I (12 of us) took a 3.5 hour ride from San José to Quepos in a large van. The drive was absolutely beautiful! The landscape is very diverse and full of flowers and a lot of greenery. While driving I saw a forest of palm trees lined up in rows similar to how the pine trees are aligned in the Northern part of Wisconsin. “Que lindo” meaning how beautiful. We stopped to eat at El Restaurante 45 about 40 minutes before arriving in Quepos. I decided to have arroz con pollo (rice with chicken). What better time than the present to enjoy the very traditional custom of having rice and beans at every meal? After a delicious rest stop, we were on the road to Quepos once again. Once I arrived to Quepos my host mom and dad, Fransisca and Joaquin, picked me up. My host dad quickly took my suitcases for me (yes both of them) and began to travel down the cobblestone road towards their house.

In the house, I have my own “cuarto” (bedroom) with a sink and plenty of storage. My bedroom is located upstairs along with another bedroom (where Leandra, another girl who is studying abroad, is staying) and a bathroom. Downstairs contains a large entryway into the house with seating, the family room, the kitchen, 2 bedrooms and a bathroom.

My host mom, Mama Tica, is such a sweetheart. She doesn’t speak any English so I am forced to listen, process, and respond in Spanish. I have learned many new words and I have seen an improvement in my Spanish after only being here for a few short days. I am so glad that I am able to communicate with her even if the dialog is a bit choppy at this point in time. Mama Tica is a housewife and spends her time running errands, cleaning and cooking for her family. She has made the most delicious food. I beginning to come accustomed to the food here, it is delicious. I am becoming a huge fan of rice and beans.

My Tico dad is soft spoken and hardworking. He works at a fish exporting company for a majority of the day. I do not see him around the house much. I was able to form a bond with him almost immediately after giving him a gift I brought from the U.S. for him. He is a huge fan of the band Metallica and his favorite song of all time is Eye of the Tiger. I brought him two new CD’s and he made a point to tell me that we would get along and we would not fight. I think it is safe to say that he enjoyed his gift.

My host mom and dad have a son, Andres who lives right behind their house. The houses are connected to one another so I see Andres’ family quite often. He is married to a woman named Jessy. Together they have two kids, Samuel (5) and Antoine (8). Samuel and Antoine are both very cute! Samuel has a lot of energy just as any typical 5-year-old boy should. A few nights ago I spent much of my time playing games with Samuel.

The Spanish school that I attend, COSI, is gorgeous. The building is set up similar to a majority of the buildings down here. The building is designed as an open-air building. I am learning an abundance of new vocabulary terms as well as reviewing concepts that I have learned in the past. I have only had one week of classes and I already feel like I have learned so much! I am in a class with 4 other students and a teacher for four hours a day. In order to travel to school, I take the bus along with the other students from my group.  The bus station is just a short walk down the road from my house. It costs 280 colones (just over 25 cents) to ride the bus to school.

The large van that took us to Quepos

Me in front of El Restaurante 45 (where we stopped for lunch along the way)

My bedroom

The sink and counter in my bedroom

The view from COSI (the school I attend)

Until next time!
~Kailey

Arrival in San José, Costa Rica

¡Hola Amigos y Familia!

I have finally found time to make my first post. Saturday August 31st was a very long day of travel, starting at 3:30 in the morning. The journey was relatively easy. I took two flights to Costa Rica; the first from Chicago O’Hare to Houston and then from Houston to San Jose, Costa Rica. As the miles between my location and Costa Rica dwindled, I began to hear more and more Spanish around me. My dream of studying abroad was quickly becoming a reality. Once we arrived in San Jose, I was quickly thrown into the Tican culture. While going through customs, my Vera Bradley duffle bag was pulled aside. The man asked me (all in Spanish I may add) if I had any fruits in my bag. I replied (in all Spanish of course) that I did not. He then asked if I had "bolas" (balls). I replied (in Spanish once again) yes I did (the waboba balls looked like fruit to him on the scan and he was concerned). I had to pull them out of my bag and show him the balls. I then proceeded to ask "está bien?" (is everything okay now?). He replied yes and I was then on my way to Costa Rica.

A buseta (mini-bus) picked us up to travel to our hotel in San Jose, the capitol, where we would stay for one night. The hotel was very nice. I stayed with two other girls (Sam and Kelly) from my group. Our room consisted of 2 bedrooms, a bathroom, a living room area, and beautiful views of the pool area. The food here is awesome and the fruit is even better. I think I could get used to this for a couple months. I am beginning to live the Pura Vida lifestyle and I love it!

Volcano that I flew over on the way to Costa Rica. 

The pool and common area at the hotel in San José.

My bedroom in the hotel in San José.

Pura vida, hasta luego!
~Kailey