So... we're moving to LA on Saturday. We got an apartment near the Burbank Airport. Its one bedroom, one bathroom and has a nice balcony with storage. Its close to the airport, therefore its close to transit. Its all very exciting except one thing... we don't have jobs. We feel like when we're there we will be better equipped to get jobs, but we'll see. I waver between excited and terrified but my optimisim usually wins.
I think we're going to get cell phones on Monday. Hopefully they won't be too expensive and we can give everyone our numbers. It will be strange to have a cell phone again, that's for sure.
I'm still trying to get into school. My adivsor hasn't been in her office and won't be until school starts, so when we get there I have to go find someone to talk to so I can register. I hear it helps to register for classes in college.
I'll try to keep this updated as our new adventure begins!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Engagement in Samara
So, here's the story you've all been waiting for!
Its a funny story, really. Every time this year that were somewhere romantic on a trip (the Carribbean, Samara, Panama, the mountains, etc) I would always think about how romantic it would be for Jordan to propose there.
However, when he did actually pop the question, I was totally shocked and honestly had not been thinking about it that whole weekend.
A few teachers decided to go to the beach the weekend after the last week of school. Jordan and I had planned all along to spend our last trip in Samara as we had done for our first trip in Costa Rica. Everyone left on Sunday morning except us because we were leaving on Monday instead. We had spent the morning wandering town and hanging out at the beach. We decided to go surfing but we wanted to digest our lunch first (you wanted the whole story, right?) so we walked down the beach a bit to read until we were ready.
Not long after we sat down Jordan asked me to stand up.
"Why?"
"Just stand up."
"Um, okay..."
Just then I saw something in his hand and I realized what was going on. I started getting embarrassed because there were people around. I just wanted him to stand up. He said he loved me very much and asked if I would marry him. I said, "Yes. Stand up!"
He stood up and we hugged and then he got back down on his knee to put the ring on my finger. I pulled him up again. How embarrassing! (Really there was no one around and no one noticed, but for me there might as well have been 100 people watching.)
We realized that the ring didn't fit, but he told me not to worry because there were 4 more possibilities back in the room. He had bought the first ring in Dominical when Amber and Danny were visiting. But he second guessed his choice and ended up with 5 rings total. None of them fit, however, so we had to find another one the next day before we left.
Directly after I said yes it started raining. Then it poured. We decided to go in the ocean (in CR the water, air and rain are all the same temperature). We swam and played until we were the only ones left on the beach. Then we walked back in the rain and got ready for dinner. It was still raining so we were the only ones at the restaurant. But, as you can imagine I'm sure, it didn't matter.
So, that's the story. It was wonderful and perfect!
Its a funny story, really. Every time this year that were somewhere romantic on a trip (the Carribbean, Samara, Panama, the mountains, etc) I would always think about how romantic it would be for Jordan to propose there.
However, when he did actually pop the question, I was totally shocked and honestly had not been thinking about it that whole weekend.
A few teachers decided to go to the beach the weekend after the last week of school. Jordan and I had planned all along to spend our last trip in Samara as we had done for our first trip in Costa Rica. Everyone left on Sunday morning except us because we were leaving on Monday instead. We had spent the morning wandering town and hanging out at the beach. We decided to go surfing but we wanted to digest our lunch first (you wanted the whole story, right?) so we walked down the beach a bit to read until we were ready.
Not long after we sat down Jordan asked me to stand up.
"Why?"
"Just stand up."
"Um, okay..."
Just then I saw something in his hand and I realized what was going on. I started getting embarrassed because there were people around. I just wanted him to stand up. He said he loved me very much and asked if I would marry him. I said, "Yes. Stand up!"
He stood up and we hugged and then he got back down on his knee to put the ring on my finger. I pulled him up again. How embarrassing! (Really there was no one around and no one noticed, but for me there might as well have been 100 people watching.)
We realized that the ring didn't fit, but he told me not to worry because there were 4 more possibilities back in the room. He had bought the first ring in Dominical when Amber and Danny were visiting. But he second guessed his choice and ended up with 5 rings total. None of them fit, however, so we had to find another one the next day before we left.
Directly after I said yes it started raining. Then it poured. We decided to go in the ocean (in CR the water, air and rain are all the same temperature). We swam and played until we were the only ones left on the beach. Then we walked back in the rain and got ready for dinner. It was still raining so we were the only ones at the restaurant. But, as you can imagine I'm sure, it didn't matter.
So, that's the story. It was wonderful and perfect!
Rafting
Yes, I am going to go in chronological order. I haven't been good about posting, but in order to keep everything in order, I'm going to write about this first and then the post I'm sure most of you are here to read.
So, rafting... Well, as some of you may know, I'm scared of everything. Rafting is no exception. After all the safety information, we loaded into our boats and headed down the river. We had practiced all the commands and our guide seemed very good (also, it was his birthday and I figured this was a good sign that he would try to keep us alive so that he could go to his birthday party later that day).
Our first few "rapids" were a little scary for me. The biggest of the day was a class four rapid, and the first few were barely class ones. That made me little nervous. Turns out my fear was founded and on the first real class one rapid, the whole boat flipped and everyone flew out into the water. No, I'm not joking.
I lost my paddle, we all scrambled to find the top of the water and eventually we all made it back into the boat. It was startling but turned out okay, so I had a little more confidence that I would survive this adventure.
The rest of the day went smoothly except on the biggest rapid. Jordan and our friend Andrew were in the front of the boat and Andrew's wife Ali and I were behind the boys. On the biggest rapid, Andrew and Jordan were shot out of the boat and into the rapids. The guide yelled for Ali and I to get in the front.
Get in the front? No thanks.
I wanted to say no. In reality I knew I had now choice so we hoisted ourselves to the front. I don't really remember the rest of the rapid just that I don't think I was really paddling and all I focused on was staying in the boat.
After the rapid we saw that Andrew and Jordan had been rescued by other boats. They had even picked up Jordan's lost shoe somewhere along the way.
It was a fund bonding experience and I'm glad I did it. I don't know, however, if I ever need to do it again. :)
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Final Morning in Costa Rica
Good "morning".
Really its 4:30 am. Is that morning? I think its an evil hour.
I'm writing a quick post because we're leaving in exactly 3.5 hours for the US. I have mixed feelings about leaving, but mostly right now I'm just tired and ready to be done traveling. It will be nice to fully unpack and settle into the next fun adventure in LA! I've said all my good-byes and it feels like its time to move on down the road.
Thanks to all of you who have supported our trip here. We couldn't have been so successful without you and we can't wait to reconnect with all you long-lost friends!
Love you guys!
Really its 4:30 am. Is that morning? I think its an evil hour.
I'm writing a quick post because we're leaving in exactly 3.5 hours for the US. I have mixed feelings about leaving, but mostly right now I'm just tired and ready to be done traveling. It will be nice to fully unpack and settle into the next fun adventure in LA! I've said all my good-byes and it feels like its time to move on down the road.
Thanks to all of you who have supported our trip here. We couldn't have been so successful without you and we can't wait to reconnect with all you long-lost friends!
Love you guys!
Saturday, June 6, 2009
When it Rains...
I wanted to share these pictures of Heredia. Its rainy season again and so we get thunderstorms most afternoons. All the streets are outfitted with deep ditches for the rain, but sometimes that just isn't enough. Here are some pictures of the street by our house after some rain.
Speaking of rain, the other weekend Jordan and I decided to take an overnight to a few near-by towns and it rained almost the whole time. First we went to Sarchi and had lunch. Sarchi is the best place in the country to find all the "artesenia" that you could ever want to see. There are warehouses of stuff from all over the country (and probably China). We spent a little time looking around one store with a group on a shore excursion from their cruise. We contemplated getting on the bus and coveted the incredible spread of fruit they were provided, but decided to go to Grecia insted.
Grecia is a small Tico town that is pretty typical. It does have one really cool sight- an all metal church. It was built in Europe then dismantled into pieces and shipped to Costa Rica. It was beautiful but it was also raining and we soon lost interest in the town and headed home early. So much for our overnight, but we did get to meet up with friends when we got back, which was much better!
Church in Grecia
Me and the church
Then I yawned and Jordan thought i would be good to take my picture.
And then I caught him!
Speaking of rain, the other weekend Jordan and I decided to take an overnight to a few near-by towns and it rained almost the whole time. First we went to Sarchi and had lunch. Sarchi is the best place in the country to find all the "artesenia" that you could ever want to see. There are warehouses of stuff from all over the country (and probably China). We spent a little time looking around one store with a group on a shore excursion from their cruise. We contemplated getting on the bus and coveted the incredible spread of fruit they were provided, but decided to go to Grecia insted.
Grecia is a small Tico town that is pretty typical. It does have one really cool sight- an all metal church. It was built in Europe then dismantled into pieces and shipped to Costa Rica. It was beautiful but it was also raining and we soon lost interest in the town and headed home early. So much for our overnight, but we did get to meet up with friends when we got back, which was much better!
Church in Grecia
Me and the church
Then I yawned and Jordan thought i would be good to take my picture.
And then I caught him!
Pirate Party
I know some of you saw these pictures on Facebook, but here are my favorites:
Last month a big group of teachers and Spanish students from our school go together at a friend's (and fellow Intercultura-ite) house for a pirate party. I made a hook for the occasion and everything! It was a really fun party and we ended up dancing for hours. And yes, that is a small bottle of wine I'm drinking. It was yummy Argentinian wine. Mmm....
Of course there was a fire! I think they burned the chair.
Forrest gave me a cool tattoo. Now I'm really a pirate!
Justin and Nico had the best costumes at the party.
Gotta love the bird!
Panama
For our final border run in March we went to Bocas del Toro, Panama.
Bocas is an archipelago of islands on the Caribbean side of Panama. We took the bus to the border then walked across a crazy-rickety bridge before boarding a taxi then a water taxi. The main island is home to many ex-pats and a lot of people who visit end up staying. The main town, Bocas Town, is small with a lot of cool local crafts and restaurants.
The first night we continued on to the island of Bastimentos. This is a smaller island with a small village and no cars. The first night we stayed at Hotel Bastimentos- a really sweet yellow hostel with a beautiful view of the ocean. We cooked and read and relaxed the next day. There isn't really much to do on the island but it was relaxing! The next day we hiked with a group of other people from the hostel to Wizard Beach. The beach was on the other side of the island. Because it rained all night the night before the train was incredibly muddy. We ended up taking off our shoes so we didn’t lose them and walking barefoot through the muc. There was virtually no one at the beach when we got there so we swam, read and enjoyed the sun. It was great!
The next day we went back to Bocas Town and stayed at a nice hotel as a treat for our two year anniversary (aw… I know!) The hotel was really fancy and we even had air-conditioning and a fridge in our room. We ate on nice dinner on the bay but the rest of the time we sat on our balcony, reading and watching all the people on the bay. Those two days we ate one brick of Gouda cheese, 2 loaves of bread and fruit. It was so nice to be in a fancy hotel and be able to enjoy it for 2 days. How refreshing!
We headed back early in the morning in order to catch the bus back to San Jose. I think that Bocas del Toro was one of my favorite places we visited. It had a wonderful Caribbean vibe and it was really relaxed. I like the island lifestyle, but I don't think I could do it permanently.
Bocas is an archipelago of islands on the Caribbean side of Panama. We took the bus to the border then walked across a crazy-rickety bridge before boarding a taxi then a water taxi. The main island is home to many ex-pats and a lot of people who visit end up staying. The main town, Bocas Town, is small with a lot of cool local crafts and restaurants.
The first night we continued on to the island of Bastimentos. This is a smaller island with a small village and no cars. The first night we stayed at Hotel Bastimentos- a really sweet yellow hostel with a beautiful view of the ocean. We cooked and read and relaxed the next day. There isn't really much to do on the island but it was relaxing! The next day we hiked with a group of other people from the hostel to Wizard Beach. The beach was on the other side of the island. Because it rained all night the night before the train was incredibly muddy. We ended up taking off our shoes so we didn’t lose them and walking barefoot through the muc. There was virtually no one at the beach when we got there so we swam, read and enjoyed the sun. It was great!
The next day we went back to Bocas Town and stayed at a nice hotel as a treat for our two year anniversary (aw… I know!) The hotel was really fancy and we even had air-conditioning and a fridge in our room. We ate on nice dinner on the bay but the rest of the time we sat on our balcony, reading and watching all the people on the bay. Those two days we ate one brick of Gouda cheese, 2 loaves of bread and fruit. It was so nice to be in a fancy hotel and be able to enjoy it for 2 days. How refreshing!
We headed back early in the morning in order to catch the bus back to San Jose. I think that Bocas del Toro was one of my favorite places we visited. It had a wonderful Caribbean vibe and it was really relaxed. I like the island lifestyle, but I don't think I could do it permanently.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Its been too long!
I am so bad about updating this blog!
So... here is an update of the last 2 months.
In February we had my step brother, Aaron, and his girlfriend, Regan, visit. They traveled to the Caribbean but we had to stay home because we were working. They were kind enough to do an "intercambio" with my students so they could practice speaking English with native speakers. It went great!
This semester Jordan has taken on a few classes at school. Its been fun talking about work together!
Then, in March, we had our friends Marilyn, Chris and Grey visit. It was great to have a little Bellingham in Heredia. They also did a dinner-intercambio with my class, which ws really fun. We went to Playa Carrillo, which is just south of Samara. It is a BEAUTIFUL beach! There isn't really a town or anything near the beach, but the beach itself is so amazing that is doesn't matter. We sat at the beach, read and swam. There was also a really great Argentinian retaurant at our hotel and we ate there every night. Yummy steak, potatoes and chicken!
Right after the B-ham crew left, Jordan and I headed out on another border run to Panama. We went to Panama. It was a fun trip. I think I'll make that its own blog...
After Panama, my sister, Julia, visited. She was here for 2 weeks! We had a great time going to Puerto Viejo, hanging out and cooking. She took Spanish class for a week at my school. It was really fun to have her around at school and at home. She even came to my English class a few times and my students loved talking to her and practicing their English.
While my sister was here we had a brief appearance from Glen and Amy, from Bellingham. Glen knows Jordan through his film school in Bellingham and Amy is Glen's girlfriend. They were only here for a day or two on either side of their visits to Arenal and Samara. That sounded like a great trip! It was fun to have them here and Jordan enjoyed discussing film with someone who knows what he's talking about!
A few days after Julia left, Amber and Danny of Bellingham fame, arrived. Amber is the person who introduced Jordan and I and we went to Western together. It was so great to have them here. We spend a relaxing WEEK (Easter Week) at Playa Dominical.
Dominical is a beautiful surfing beach on the south, Pacific side of Costa Rica. It is almost on the Osa Peninsula. The bus ride was long (8 hours) and the roads weren't always paved. The local goverment is puporsefully not paving a stretch of road to discourage large-scale building and tourism. The result is that Dominical is a relaxed beach town without many hotels.
We stayed in a house right on the beach. It was a great house except for the fact that the mattresses had bugs. I got totally eatten alive the first night and looked like I had chicken pox for the rest of the week. During our time we surfed (yes, I surfed and stood up twice!), ran, did yoga, cooked, ate and read a lot. We even had a hammock in the back with a beach view. We also took a day-trip to Quepos and Manuel Antonio and another day we walked down to a little private beach where we spent an afternoon. It was awesome!
Now, we're settling back into our routine. We've been cleaning and doing laundry. My kids class has started again. I will post some pictures of them soon. We are starting our plans to return to southern California. If you know anyone in LA looking for a graphic artist or a special ed teacher, let us know!
Its hard to believe our time is coming to an end. We only have a bout 2 months left! Time sure flies!
So... here is an update of the last 2 months.
In February we had my step brother, Aaron, and his girlfriend, Regan, visit. They traveled to the Caribbean but we had to stay home because we were working. They were kind enough to do an "intercambio" with my students so they could practice speaking English with native speakers. It went great!
This semester Jordan has taken on a few classes at school. Its been fun talking about work together!
Then, in March, we had our friends Marilyn, Chris and Grey visit. It was great to have a little Bellingham in Heredia. They also did a dinner-intercambio with my class, which ws really fun. We went to Playa Carrillo, which is just south of Samara. It is a BEAUTIFUL beach! There isn't really a town or anything near the beach, but the beach itself is so amazing that is doesn't matter. We sat at the beach, read and swam. There was also a really great Argentinian retaurant at our hotel and we ate there every night. Yummy steak, potatoes and chicken!
Right after the B-ham crew left, Jordan and I headed out on another border run to Panama. We went to Panama. It was a fun trip. I think I'll make that its own blog...After Panama, my sister, Julia, visited. She was here for 2 weeks! We had a great time going to Puerto Viejo, hanging out and cooking. She took Spanish class for a week at my school. It was really fun to have her around at school and at home. She even came to my English class a few times and my students loved talking to her and practicing their English.
While my sister was here we had a brief appearance from Glen and Amy, from Bellingham. Glen knows Jordan through his film school in Bellingham and Amy is Glen's girlfriend. They were only here for a day or two on either side of their visits to Arenal and Samara. That sounded like a great trip! It was fun to have them here and Jordan enjoyed discussing film with someone who knows what he's talking about!A few days after Julia left, Amber and Danny of Bellingham fame, arrived. Amber is the person who introduced Jordan and I and we went to Western together. It was so great to have them here. We spend a relaxing WEEK (Easter Week) at Playa Dominical.
Dominical is a beautiful surfing beach on the south, Pacific side of Costa Rica. It is almost on the Osa Peninsula. The bus ride was long (8 hours) and the roads weren't always paved. The local goverment is puporsefully not paving a stretch of road to discourage large-scale building and tourism. The result is that Dominical is a relaxed beach town without many hotels.
We stayed in a house right on the beach. It was a great house except for the fact that the mattresses had bugs. I got totally eatten alive the first night and looked like I had chicken pox for the rest of the week. During our time we surfed (yes, I surfed and stood up twice!), ran, did yoga, cooked, ate and read a lot. We even had a hammock in the back with a beach view. We also took a day-trip to Quepos and Manuel Antonio and another day we walked down to a little private beach where we spent an afternoon. It was awesome!
Now, we're settling back into our routine. We've been cleaning and doing laundry. My kids class has started again. I will post some pictures of them soon. We are starting our plans to return to southern California. If you know anyone in LA looking for a graphic artist or a special ed teacher, let us know!
Its hard to believe our time is coming to an end. We only have a bout 2 months left! Time sure flies!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Monteverde
A few weeks ago my aunt, Laura and cousin, Kevin visited us from Orange County.
After spending a few days hanging out around Heredia, we all boarded the bus to Monteverde. Monteverde is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Costa Rica. It is a village that was founded many years ago by the Quakers and has since become a favorite place for foreigners looking to stay a few days or expats looking to settle down.
The bus ride was interesting and we spent half the time on unpaved road. When we got there, though, I could tell I would like the town. We stayed in a cool hotel with a tree growing in the middle of it, taking up the entire courtyard.
While we were in Monteverde we did another zipline. This one was CRAZY. And by CRAZY I mean climbing towers, wind blowing, chilly CRAZY. We climbed the towers so we could zig-zag across the canyon. On the first one I really considered climbing back down and walking back to the lodge. I'm glad I didn't, though, because the first on was the worst and they got better. On several lines we had to do a tandem ride because it was so windy that one person couldn't have made it all the way across and would have gotten stuck in the middle ( I had to go with Jordan, I'm sure you can imagine that).
I still don't know if I really like it, but I did it and that's what counts. I will definitely never forget it! It was also a nice bonding time for me and my cousin and aunt. I don't get to see them too often, but when we live in Orange County we will live close to them.
In Monteverde we also took a guided tour at the nature reserve. In the other parks I always see the guides with their telescopes and large groups of tourists and I always kind of giggled at how funny the whole the looked. Couldn't they just walk and enjoy the scenery? What a waste of money. Well... let me tell you- I was wrong! Our guide was amazing and we mannaged to see all three types of monkeys that live in that area, a tarantula and lots of birds. The most amazing part was seeing a Queztal- the Holy Grail for birders in Costa Rica. We watched her sit on the branch and puke up the avocado seeds that she had swallowed hole with the rest of the fruit. It was so amazing!
Other than that we just walked around and ate lots of food. They continued on to Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean before heading back home. It was a fun trip!
After spending a few days hanging out around Heredia, we all boarded the bus to Monteverde. Monteverde is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Costa Rica. It is a village that was founded many years ago by the Quakers and has since become a favorite place for foreigners looking to stay a few days or expats looking to settle down.
The bus ride was interesting and we spent half the time on unpaved road. When we got there, though, I could tell I would like the town. We stayed in a cool hotel with a tree growing in the middle of it, taking up the entire courtyard.
While we were in Monteverde we did another zipline. This one was CRAZY. And by CRAZY I mean climbing towers, wind blowing, chilly CRAZY. We climbed the towers so we could zig-zag across the canyon. On the first one I really considered climbing back down and walking back to the lodge. I'm glad I didn't, though, because the first on was the worst and they got better. On several lines we had to do a tandem ride because it was so windy that one person couldn't have made it all the way across and would have gotten stuck in the middle ( I had to go with Jordan, I'm sure you can imagine that).
I still don't know if I really like it, but I did it and that's what counts. I will definitely never forget it! It was also a nice bonding time for me and my cousin and aunt. I don't get to see them too often, but when we live in Orange County we will live close to them.
In Monteverde we also took a guided tour at the nature reserve. In the other parks I always see the guides with their telescopes and large groups of tourists and I always kind of giggled at how funny the whole the looked. Couldn't they just walk and enjoy the scenery? What a waste of money. Well... let me tell you- I was wrong! Our guide was amazing and we mannaged to see all three types of monkeys that live in that area, a tarantula and lots of birds. The most amazing part was seeing a Queztal- the Holy Grail for birders in Costa Rica. We watched her sit on the branch and puke up the avocado seeds that she had swallowed hole with the rest of the fruit. It was so amazing!
Other than that we just walked around and ate lots of food. They continued on to Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean before heading back home. It was a fun trip!
Arenal and Cahuita
Sorry its been so long! Our new semester has started and it has been crazy! This week has been especially busy because my boss and his assistant are both out of town leaving me and the other head teacher, Greta, in charge. So far we have had 2 people absent and a million questions. I think we'll be okay, though.
This blog is about the trip I took with my mom and Frank in December and January.
We started by driving our rental car to La Fortuna, the town at the foot of Volcan Arenal. Our hotel there was awesome! We each had our own mini-cabin and the bathrooms were great! It rained for a while when we were there, but that didn't stop us from eating good food and taking some adventures. The picture of the "volacano" is the most we saw of the mountain while we were there.
Our first adventure was ziplining. For anyone who hasn't tried ziplining, I actually recommend it! This might be surprising to some of you who know me and my fears of most things. But, the place we went in Arenal was beautiful and we were in the rainforest for a lot of the time. There was also something called the Tarzan Swing. Sounds fun, right? Um... lets just say after my mom and I watched Jordan go first, we both almost ran the other way. However, we sucked it up and jumped. The "swing" is really more like a small bungee jump and you get a few seconds of free falling before swinging out over the trees. Lets just say, its not something I need to do again.
One day we took a hike to a beautiful waterfall. There was quite a view but the hike was outrageous. It was basically a staircase that you walked down and then walked back up. It was a great workout!
We also took a night hike to the other side of the volcano to see "lava". Apparently by "lava" they mean falling red rocks. It was actually pretty cool to see and somewhat redeemed the tour company from the rest of the horrible trip which included having to ditch the first part of the tour because we were too late to enter the park and having our guide leave most of the group of 25 in his dust as he power-walked through the rainforest on the way back (after dark).
Next, we hit up Cahuita. This is a beautiful town on the Caribbean coast. We stayed at a fun hotel outside of town. While there we swam, my mom scuba dived and we walked in the national park.
Frank didn't get to see his monkeys (that was the whole reason he came to Costa Rice), but we did do something else really cool. We visited one of the few remaining indigenous tribes in Costa Rica- the Bri Bris. We drove out into the middle of nowhere, parked the car, boarded an hour-long dug-out wooden canoe ride and then trudged through the mud to get to the village.
The community started an organization to improve their lives when the men were returning from the banana fields ill due to the pesticides. After babies were born with serious health problems, the women took action. 15 years ago they joined together and started planting organic bananas and cacao on their land. They also built a community building and started accepting tourists to see their land, fields, and village. They now host guests on a daily basis and show all their local crops, give several demonstrations and show how they roast and grind cacao. They send their products to Europe and use the money to continue building their organization. Their area was massacred by the November and December floods of last year and they lost many of their fields as well as many buildings. They are optimistic, though, that they will rebuild and they are using many of the recycled materials to begin the process.
Sorry I don't have any pictures of this part of the trip because Jordan's camera died. I will try to get them to post from my mom.
The rest of the trip is a bit hazy for me because I got really sick the next day. It did, however, include a drive back to Heredia, an earthquake that we didn't feel, moving into our new apartment and seeing my mom and Frank off.
We are now settled into our new place and really happy here!
This blog is about the trip I took with my mom and Frank in December and January.
We started by driving our rental car to La Fortuna, the town at the foot of Volcan Arenal. Our hotel there was awesome! We each had our own mini-cabin and the bathrooms were great! It rained for a while when we were there, but that didn't stop us from eating good food and taking some adventures. The picture of the "volacano" is the most we saw of the mountain while we were there.
Our first adventure was ziplining. For anyone who hasn't tried ziplining, I actually recommend it! This might be surprising to some of you who know me and my fears of most things. But, the place we went in Arenal was beautiful and we were in the rainforest for a lot of the time. There was also something called the Tarzan Swing. Sounds fun, right? Um... lets just say after my mom and I watched Jordan go first, we both almost ran the other way. However, we sucked it up and jumped. The "swing" is really more like a small bungee jump and you get a few seconds of free falling before swinging out over the trees. Lets just say, its not something I need to do again.
One day we took a hike to a beautiful waterfall. There was quite a view but the hike was outrageous. It was basically a staircase that you walked down and then walked back up. It was a great workout!
We also took a night hike to the other side of the volcano to see "lava". Apparently by "lava" they mean falling red rocks. It was actually pretty cool to see and somewhat redeemed the tour company from the rest of the horrible trip which included having to ditch the first part of the tour because we were too late to enter the park and having our guide leave most of the group of 25 in his dust as he power-walked through the rainforest on the way back (after dark).
Next, we hit up Cahuita. This is a beautiful town on the Caribbean coast. We stayed at a fun hotel outside of town. While there we swam, my mom scuba dived and we walked in the national park.
Frank didn't get to see his monkeys (that was the whole reason he came to Costa Rice), but we did do something else really cool. We visited one of the few remaining indigenous tribes in Costa Rica- the Bri Bris. We drove out into the middle of nowhere, parked the car, boarded an hour-long dug-out wooden canoe ride and then trudged through the mud to get to the village.
The community started an organization to improve their lives when the men were returning from the banana fields ill due to the pesticides. After babies were born with serious health problems, the women took action. 15 years ago they joined together and started planting organic bananas and cacao on their land. They also built a community building and started accepting tourists to see their land, fields, and village. They now host guests on a daily basis and show all their local crops, give several demonstrations and show how they roast and grind cacao. They send their products to Europe and use the money to continue building their organization. Their area was massacred by the November and December floods of last year and they lost many of their fields as well as many buildings. They are optimistic, though, that they will rebuild and they are using many of the recycled materials to begin the process.
Sorry I don't have any pictures of this part of the trip because Jordan's camera died. I will try to get them to post from my mom.
The rest of the trip is a bit hazy for me because I got really sick the next day. It did, however, include a drive back to Heredia, an earthquake that we didn't feel, moving into our new apartment and seeing my mom and Frank off.
We are now settled into our new place and really happy here!
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