Road Trip with the Girls!

This last weekend was my last full weekend in Costa Rica. It is hard to believe, but I will be back in the States on Saturday. I am really looking forward to seeing all my friends and family. But in the mean time I wanted to make my last weekend in Costa Rica really special. So I called up Andrea, my Costa Rican friend, and we planned a fantastic weekend with some of my closest girl friends from the trip.

We chose to go to Arenal Volcano, visit some totally natural hot springs, and take a canopy tour. One of my highlights from the whole trip was going on the canopy tour. At first I was really nervous; I could feel my heart pounding. But once I took the leap of faith and jumped off the platform I didn’t want to stop. I felt like I could do anything. The sights were absolutely breathtaking. I have had dreams that I could fly, but this experience made my dreams feel like a reality. I felt so big and so small at the same time! I felt like a bird flying at lightening speed over the tops of trees. I could see for miles and miles while waterfalls passed me by at over 60 miles per hour!

Let it Rain!

Today was the first day I got caught in the rain after school. April is the time in Costa Rica when the weather changes from the dry season to the wet season. My classmates and I were on our way to the bus stop after Geography class and it started to pour. I got soaked and so did everybody else.

I presented my charla or informal speech in my Geography class today. So that means that I don’t have anything else to do for my Geography class and there isn’t a final exam! Wednesday is Juan Santamaria Day, so I don’t have school. Juan Santamaria (August 29, 1831-April 11, 1856) is officially recognized as the national hero of the Republic of Costa Rica. A national holiday in Costa Rica, Juan Santamaria Day, is held every April 11 to commemorate his death. He is honored by a statue in the central square of Alajuela, and by a small museum in the same city. But to be honest, all I really wanted to say through that little spiel about Juan Santa Maria is that I have 8 days of school left until I graduate from high school! I am enjoying everyday I have left here, but I am also looking forward to returning home.

My Turn to Cook!

I have been eating Costa Rican food for almost two months now. I have enjoyed it, but I do miss some of my own cooking. So I decided I wanted to make one of my favorite soups for my host family. The soup isn’t actually all that different from what I usually eat here in Costa Rica, but I enjoyed making it none the less.

This was a big occasion; they invited quite a few relatives over to join in the fun. They were all very excited to try the soup. Costa Ricans have many different nicknames for food that they like. One of them is “rico.” When the relatives tried the soup they called it, “Ricisimo!” So that means they absolutely loved it.

Costa Ricans almost always sit around or take a siesta after they eat. But because I made the meal they said they would go walking with me (because I love to walk after a meal). We walked for over two and a half hours through a ton of different towns. I had a wonderful day! I got to share a little bit of my culture while they ate some fabulous soup and walked it off afterwards. It was a win-win!

FARMER’S MARKET ON A FRIDAY NIGHT!

I can’t believe it is spring break already. To celebrate I went to a farmer’s market with my host family last night. (lol) The actually name of the farmer’s market in Costa Rica is, “La Feria de Agricultor.” My mother said that many people bring their own carts to the farmer’s market to buy all the fresh goods they need for the week. I couldn’t believe all the people headed to the farmer’s market on a Friday night!

When we entered the area of fresh produce I couldn’t believe all the people who were yelling and whistling, trying to get my attention. It was like a mad house. Man, men in Costa Rica make a lot more noise at woman passing buy than in the U.S! Many men whistle, holler, or use English just to get a woman’s attention. Young woman get whistled at a lot more in Costa Rica than in the States. I WAS FINALLY CALLED CHAQUITA IN THE FERIA LAST NIGHT! That is extremely big news because the name of my blog is, “Chaquita Costa Rica.” So now I can truly be a “Chaquita from Costa Rica!”

The farmer’s market has about five long rows of farmer’s all trying to sell their goods. In the last row, farmers were selling cheese. My mom said she only buys cheese at the market because it is very expensive everywhere else. In general, all the farmers were friendly and were willing to talk to my mom and me for a very long time. My mom kept pulling me along because many people there just wanted to talk and talk, even if I didn’t buy anything. This seemed to confuse me because in the U.S., people at the farmers market are in a rush to sell everything they can and don’t really want to chit chat. When we were finished with our shopping my mother said that we received better prices than usual. She said it helped having a little blond girl with her in her shopping. She received better prices, the farmer’s were friendlier, and she got more attention than usual!

A LITTLE BACKGROUND ABOUT THE FARMER’S MARKET -
Many do not go shopping at Mega Super or Maxi Bodega (these are like a Super Target in Costa Rica) to buy their groceries. Many walk from their houses with their carts to buy the goods. Many people only use cars when it is absolutely necessary because gas is so expensive.

I was surprised at the variety of fruits and vegetables there. I didn’t think there was going to be a very big selection, but there was. They had strawberries, raspberries, apples, oranges, mandarins, peaches, and bananas just to name a few. They had vegetables upon vegetables many of which I can not pronounce.
In the United States I have mainly seen adults in the market, but in Costa Rica it seems like a family affair. I saw children of all ages being dragged by their patiently awaiting parents. Many families go out on Friday night to the market to get their groceries for the week. It is a group effort and many Costa Rican families enjoy it. Family is incredibly important to many Costa Ricans. The farmers market is just another way to spend time with the family!

Guayabo National Monument in Turrialba

A few people have requested some information on the national monument, Guayabo. So on the 25th of March, I took a tour of Guayabo with my classmates from Minnesota. It was raining like cats and dogs on the way there. I forgot my rain gear, but luckily there was a Mega Super (similar to a target) on our way to Guayabo. Here is a quick synopsis of what I learned.

Guayabo covers an area of 232 hectares on the southern slopes of Turrialba volcano. It is the most important and largest archeological site discovered in Costa Rica to date. This site forms part of the cultural region known as the Central Intermountain region on the Atlantic Slope. A number of small villages established in the outlying area housed a rural population estimated at between 1,500 and 2,000 people. Guayabo was abandoned before the arrival of the Spanish.

I can’t believe how they were able to build all these structures without horses, mules, or wheels to help them. The aqueducts were a really interesting feature of the water supply system. Some of the channels are underground while other parts are exposed to the world and many of them are still in use today!

I can't believe I have been here a month!

Wow, It is hard to believe that I have been here for a month on Sunday. Life has been great in Costa Rica. There have been times when I didn’t know how I was going to survive in a home where the people only spoke Spanish, but I have made it thus far. I have had ups and downs, but through it all my relationship with God has grown immensely. I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have been praying for me and sending me such encouraging emails. There are a lot of dangers in Costa Rica, but with your prayers and God’s protection and grace, I know I will be out of harm's way.

You are probably wondering what the pictures in my last blog are regarding. The first photo is a picture of what I eat for breakfast almost every morning. This main dish is very traditional in Costa Rica. It is called Gallo Pinto, which is basically black beans and rice. There is also cilantro, a type of red pepper, and onion that is mixed into the beans and rice. The second and third pictures are of me when I went on a field trip with my class to the La Paz waterfalls and a coffee plantation.

This week was full of homework and less eventful than other weeks, but I needed to catch up on some school work. I am going to post a few random pictures in this blog just to keep you updated. I am headed off to the pool now so - hasta luego!

Gallo Pinto and the Field Trip!