The glory of Fall Break!

Friday, October 22 - Monday, October 23 is LASP students' fall break...an interlude between our 2 week Nicaragua experience and 2 weeks of classes in our concentration areas. (I will post reflections on Nicaragua another day when I have access to Internet again). But a brief update on exploring Costa Rica for the weekend...

Friday, October 22:

Amigos Caleb, Kristen, and I took a bus from San Jose at 6:30 AM intending to go to "La Paz" which is a tourist attraction of trails leading to 5 waterfalls, a butterfly conservatory, hummingbird feeders, and more! However, we found out the bus did not pass directly by this park. Supposedly we could get off at a certain spot and walk 3 km. But we had miscommunication/lack of help to know when to get off. So we ended up basically stranded at the last bus stop on the route with 2 1/2 hours to spare until the bus departed for San Jose again!! Thankfully, this turned out better than paying for a lofty tourist attraction because we hiked the rocky road overlooking the mountain slope and explored a rushing river climbing amidst the rocks! It was glorious and peaceful and adventurous. And the scenery of the mountains and hillsides traveling through Costa Rica is also incredible!

Saturday, October 23:

I spent the night with my friend/peer Kristen and her tica (Costa Rican) family, I traveled to Jaco, a popular beach a 2 hour from San Jose. Kristen's family has connections to a condominium/cabina near the beach that we stayed in for the day. We swam in the pool and ended up relaxing until evening in the cabin because it was rainy rainy rainy...normal here! We took a stroll through Jaco's souvenir shops for the night, but it started pouring again. Better to just relax and be with the family. I am so thankful to have the opportunity to spend the weekend with Costa Ricans and Kristen - to be around Spanish speakers who are so welcoming and keep us immersed in the culture! This means the family is laid back and the plans keep changing and all you can do is be flexible and go along with it. Enjoy! Which I did and was amused. We also shared the expenses of gas and food which helps too!

Sunday, October 24:

We ate breakfast of gallo pinto (rice and beans) and juevos (eggs) and tortillas...then off to Manuel Antonio: a national park along the coast of the region Puntarenas and lots of tropical forest. I enjoyed the hour and a half drive along the coast with Kristen's sister Gloriana and her boyfriend Flaco. They taught us about the masses of palm trees that companies grow to extract coconut oil and about the rice fields/production also. It is actually cheaper to import rice to Costa Rica than to produce much locally.

At the national park, Kristen's sisters Gloriana and Gabriela, Flaco, Kristen, and I explored various hiking trails/paths through the forests/mountains while the parents guarded our possessions along the shore...seriously guarded everything from the monkeys and raccoons!! We saw many clever 'theives' taking tourists' belongings like food or shoes or sunglasses!! The trails were beautiful under the shade of the trees and vines. I saw spider monkeys, lizards, hermit crabs, raccoons and their cousins picoches, sloths, and many COLORFUL butterflies and birds! God's glory everywhere. I was a bit amused at tourists that visit from all over the world....accompanied by their paid tour guide. I felt quite secure being with natives who know the park and trails. Glori, Gabi, and Flaco led us to a waterfall where we immersed ourselves under the chilly, refreshing, pounding water. I enjoyed hiking the trails the best...a challenge with the slopes and mud and streams...while listening and watching nature.

We returned to the beach to Kristen's parents, but since it was a full moon and afternoon, the tide had risen so that we couldn't picnic on the beach inside the park. The waves came up so far that we almost lost a few belongings if each one of us wouldn't have guarded them in a rush. My water Camelback water bottle took a ride quite a ways into the ocean...fortunately the next wave pushed it back out! What an exhilarating end to Manuel Antonio! The water and the views of the ocean were striking with brilliant blues and waves crashing against the rocks. We picnicked on the public beach before traveling back to the cabin in Jaco to jump in the pool at dusk, clean the cabin, and travel home to San Jose.

Being with a well-off family for the weekend in "luxury" of vacation is an interesting transition after living in the 2nd poorest county in Latin America for 2 weeks. (Nicaragua). Costa Rica and Nicaragua certainly have their distinct differences. The Costa Ricans have stereotypes or prejudices of the Nicaraguan immigrants who do the low-paying jobs that ticos wouldn't do...similar to the United States' stereotypes or prejudices of "Mexicans" or Hispano immigrants who seek jobs in the U.S. Wait until I post my reflections of my Nicaraguan experience! It touched my heart greatly.

Monday, October 25:
Today I am going to hang out with a baker in his artesian bakery as an "apprentice." It is a bakery in San Jose famous for the cinnamon rolls. And I just want to learn what I can and take advantage of the time I have to be with ticos! Then I will write the reflection paper on Nicaragua that is due on Tuesday!

Con carino,
Joanne

It has been 3 weeks since communicating by Internet! I have 2 more weeks in San Jose taking Language and Literature classes at LASP. Then all the students separate to live in various parts of Costa Rica to complete their concentration/internship. I leave for the province of Limon to live with an indigenous group los Bribri for 3 1/2 weeks to work with them and live with another familia. The Bribri have a preservation project of iguanas...so I am going to learn all about iguanas and the indigenous lifestyle! Yet I am enjoying one day at a time!