Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Jaco Beach 3-3-07
I went to the beach for the first time in Costa Rica on Saturday. Maria Julia (my host mother) said we had to leave at 8:00 AM sharp. Her older sister and husband (Charlie) accompanied us in the vehicle on the way to the beach.
Anyways, we set out for Jaco beach at 7:36 AM, which is earlier than I had anticipated. Maria said it was a two and a half hour ride. In Costa Rica, the closer you get to the coast the hotter it gets. The minute we all piled in the car I knew I was in trouble. I was so squished and it was so hot even 15 minutes into the trip. I felt pretty claustrophobic. There is no air conditioning in the vehicle! The little old man sitting next to me reminded me of one of the men from the movie ¨Grumpy Old Men.¨ He kept poking me and asking to dance with me. He slurred his words so it was difficult to understand him. He took off his boots and crowded me the entire trip. He kept pressuring me to drink with him. Wow, the experiences in Costa Rica! We stopped to see some alligators by a bridge on the way there.
We finally got to the beach! It seemed like a ten hour ride. Once we arrived, we met Juan and Maria’s daughter (Nuria). Nuria introduced me to a lady named Janet, who was visiting Costa Rica for a week. She was an exchange student ten years ago and stayed with my host family. Janet was a great friend to talk to at the beach. She gave me a lot of great tips about being an exchange student in Costa Rica. I really enjoyed the day at the beach. It was wonderful. The weather was gorgeous and I really enjoyed hanging out with the kids and Janet.