After the program ended a group of us packed up, stored most of our crap (like my GIGANTIC suitcase) at the hotel, and hopped on a bus for Puerto Viejo where we planned to rent and share a house. The normally 4 hour bus ride took 8+ hours in the rain where there was water over the wheels of the bus as we looked out the window. We were supposed to arrive in time to meet the Contact and get the keys to the house. Now it's dark, there's 12 of us and no one has a phone. Or even the contact number! Luckily we found an internet cafe and one of the girls had the number in her e-mail. We had to borrow one of the guys phones that was working at the cafe and were finally able to reach him and he came to meet us. He let us in and then came to check on us the next day.
We spent a week at the house it was awesome. Well sleeping arrangements were less than ideal for me seeing as I didn't get a bed, but I lived. We took turns making dinner, and we drank and hung out. During the day we rented bikes and went on trips down the coast. Found a gorgeous beach at Punta Uva where we spent the day lounging in the sun and playing in the water. I had fish tacos for the first time and of course they were amazing :) There was a little drama for me towards the end but it's not worth detailing now, haha.
After Puerto Viejo Katie, Marc, Michael and I left a little early to get into San Jose. Marc and Michael were leaving and Katie and I were continuing on to Nicaragua to meet up with our friend Quinn. The four of us found a Hostel and went out for a good bye dinner. We thought we picked a random restaurant but it ended up to be the one we went to with the program one of our first nights there so that was pretty cool. (that meal is also where I fell in love with Malbec wine!)
Now Katie and I were on our way to Nicaragua on a bus full of Nicaraguans, crossing our fingers Quinn Made the connection to the bus! (she did) crossing the boarder was super jenky! They ask for everyones passport and I mean you're told not to give it to ANYONE. but everyone else was so we did too and thank heavens it turned out ok! We made it into a city in Nicaragua but we wanted to go to the coast. We found this crazy cab driver and idiotically put our bags in the trunk... terrible idea but nothing happened luckily. And he stopped at home to get something on the way to the town we were going San Juan del Sur. But he was really nice and found us a hostel where we had an upstairs room just the 3 of us. we shared a bathroom but it was mostly us for the time we were there. and we had a gorgeous balcony and were across the street from the bay we were on. I've got gorgeous pictures from those sunsets.
Nicaragua was pretty cheap. we got a decent sized basket of fish and chips for $4 and there were drink specials for $1.50 Rum and coke, $2 daquaris, ladies drank free 8-10pm. I made friends with a local server, danced my A$$ off and I'm lucky I remember it at all. But it was a BLAST. We also got amazing coconut oil massages and a free bottle of coconut oil and a chocolate after our massage. That was possibly the best chocolate I've ever had. San Juan del Sur was just relaxing and fun. The last night we were there I stayed up all night and then Katie and I hopped a bus/cab to town where we got on a ferry to go to Ometeppe
Ometeppe is an Island in the middle of a fresh water lake called Lake Nicaragua. It's the 2nd largest lake in the world I believe. And it's gorgeous. We're genius' so we didn't see the gigantic ferry and ended up on some local boat that was getting tossed around in the waves and we lifted our feet to keep them from getting wet we made it across and to the hostel where Stefan, Mimi, and Nathan were staying to find them gone for the day. Katie convinced me to climb up the volcano with a guide and this guy from England? I think that's where he was from. remember me no sleep. 3 hours up, 2 hours down. It was incredible. I'm glad I did it but I was exhausted by the end! Water levels were crazy high on Ometeppe I think the shores had risen 50 ft? yds? there were doors of businesses halfway under water. They just got an insane amount of rain in October-November. Finally we met up with Nathan, Stefan, and Mimi. Mimi was miserable because they'd been cooped up in the hostel up until that day with the boys and they didn't want to spend money so they were reading. So lame. It was depressing being around such lameness.
Without meaning to it kinda threw off our momentum we picked up Mimi and carried on to Grenada where we used a hostel that had been recommended to us and it was really nice. We had the Largest hammock I've ever seen in our room!!! We wandered around town trying to find something we wanted to do. Money was kind of low so we weren't shopping, no one had the right clothes for clubbing... Katie was really ready to go home. It was kinda a mess. But Grenada was a beautiful city and we had fun touring the market and I bought a bracelet and some chocolate. We climbed a church tower and took pictures at the top which was really awesome.
Finally we all needed to go back to San Jose. Katie and I had booked our tickets together so we had to put Mimi on an earlier open bus which thankfully turned out okay but we were worried! Getting back into San Jose we had to pick up our bags from the program hotel and then we lugged them to a hostel (2 flights of stairs up and down with my GIGANTIC suitcase... terrible idea) the 3 of us were crammed, goofy, and delirious trying to repack and fit everything to go home the next day. We met Moncho for a farwell dinner at the Cafe Mundo the one where we ate with the program originally and then when we said goodbye to Michael and Marc.
Airport the next morning lugging my suitcase down I felt so bad because it was noisy and I was waking people up. finally someone got up to help me carry it down. Haha. I had to pay fees because my luggage was so heavy... whoops! Anyway we all made our flights and as I said before I was miserable going home! I left my heart on the tarmac and missed my friends, but I know I'll go back to Costa Rica someday and it was nice to come home to family. My Mom surprised me and I got to see my Sister Des and nieces the very night I came home! Well that's the end of my Costa Rica story. Although there might be a random post of things I Wish I'd done, things I learned, or stories I still want to tell.
Chao! Besos,
B
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Homestays and Research Projects
After Panama we returned to the station in Monteverde for a few days where we were able to research and come up with our research projects, and choose the area we wanted to live for our homestays, before we left to go live with strangers and work on our projects! Coming up with a project was worse than pulling teeth for me. I had the toughest time. I finally picked one but after several days of implementation and no results I had to switch. The first one was trying to find rodents in windbreaks (fence lines basically) and I was trying to trap them with oats and peanut butter. It did not go well. Even with Moncho's help. So I switched to identifying species in the windbreaks. WAY more boring, and tedious and I pretty much hated it. ha. I listened to music and got to hike up to beautiful places... Oh wait. there was another failed experiment I forgot about, I think I was trying to trap bees. Except it was always raining and I wasn't catching a darn thing, so then I had to go with plants.
Homestay was tough at first I was placed with a family that wasn't terrible, but just wasn't a good fit for me. I'm a friendly person, and was already nervous so when I went to get dropped off we knocked and at first thought no one was home it took them so long to come to the door. I was shown to my room and they hardly talked to me. The kids adored me but were always in my stuff, in my room, etc. They were sweet, but attention starved. The food was decent but I was always fed first and pretty much ate by myself they ate more in front of the tv. I didn't hate it but I wasn't happy... It was a super tough decision to ask to switch families, and of course the last night I was there they all sat down to dinner with me at the table and told me stories of the farm and their wedding and all the land they owned and how they roasted their own coffee... I think they got a call that I was leaving the next day. I felt super guilty but I'm glad I changed.
When I went to live with my new family I got a hug when I walked in the door and my Mami was talking to me and asking me questions and it was amazing. I Loved my host family. My Papi carved his own bowls out of wood and we sold them in a store attached to the house. Mami also made jewelry and there's a beautiful orchid garden in the back where we frequently got sloths, hummingbirds, and other wildlife. We had mint plants and a couple other plants for tea, Sugar cane, yucca, papaya, bananas. It was so much fun living there. They ate pretty healthy too, not a lot of meat, salad frequently at meals. I miss her cooking. I had a sister Moni too who was just a year younger than me. I had my own room and bathroom and my room even had a door to outside so I wouldn't have to wake them if I came home late at night from the bar (which i didn't do that often) Honest! We had little dogs, and Lizzy and I made our own halloween costumes we were thing 1 and thing 2, and my mom sewed them a little for us. Ugh I miss them! I still see them on facebook and we write a little bit now and then. She likes my pictures and I see pictures of them with the grandbaby. They have an older daughter that was married to an American and living in Georgia. they would skype everyday sometimes more. She was pregnant. I never got to meet her but saw her via skype frequently and was excited for them to see pictures of the baby when I returned back to the states.
I completed my project while in homestay and wrote up my report on it. My grades weren't terrible but they weren't A's in this program. It was super challenging for me. I actually reached a point when we were living in the homestays and I was trying to write a report for a project we had done in parts as a large group back at Eladio's in the Penas Blancas Valley and I was miserable. That was kind of a turning point where I realized I didn't think that biology was going to be the major for me when I returned to the states so I e-mailed my adviser right then. I said, I need a new major, I'm considering event planning, what kind of suggestions do you have for me. She came back with journalism, communications, and sociology. I thought the first two were tooooo english-y so I scheduled a full load of intro sociology classes and the rest of my requirements and took a leap. ( I kept it and loved the major so I totally got lucky)
Anyways we finished up homestays, went back to live at the station, finished writing our research projects and had to present our projects for the group. I think I did alright it wasn't spectacularly inspiring but we were done! We celebrated and it was so hard to have to start saying goodbye to people. Some went right home, others were meeting their parents, some were going on to do some traveling ( I was going to travel).
It was realllllllly hard to say goodbye. This was such an amazing experience and we were a unique program. Normally they have close to 30 students. We only had 21 and we all got along. You weren't best friends with everyone but you could work together. and the reduced amount of people meant we got a few extra trips that other larger groups wouldn't be able to afford. plus we were about evenly split male/female. Most of the past years have 3/4 female to 1/4 male. There were just so many factors that made this an amazing incredible experience that I'm so thankful I was able to participate in. I know i didn't end up being a biology major but the way this program opened my eyes and the outlook it gave me are just not quantifiable. When I flew out of the country I was hardly excited to be going back to the states. I felt closer to crying, and like I left my heart on the tarmac. Just and unbelievable experience. That I wish I could go back to, but the thing is I know it'd never be the same. Sigh.
Homestay was tough at first I was placed with a family that wasn't terrible, but just wasn't a good fit for me. I'm a friendly person, and was already nervous so when I went to get dropped off we knocked and at first thought no one was home it took them so long to come to the door. I was shown to my room and they hardly talked to me. The kids adored me but were always in my stuff, in my room, etc. They were sweet, but attention starved. The food was decent but I was always fed first and pretty much ate by myself they ate more in front of the tv. I didn't hate it but I wasn't happy... It was a super tough decision to ask to switch families, and of course the last night I was there they all sat down to dinner with me at the table and told me stories of the farm and their wedding and all the land they owned and how they roasted their own coffee... I think they got a call that I was leaving the next day. I felt super guilty but I'm glad I changed.
When I went to live with my new family I got a hug when I walked in the door and my Mami was talking to me and asking me questions and it was amazing. I Loved my host family. My Papi carved his own bowls out of wood and we sold them in a store attached to the house. Mami also made jewelry and there's a beautiful orchid garden in the back where we frequently got sloths, hummingbirds, and other wildlife. We had mint plants and a couple other plants for tea, Sugar cane, yucca, papaya, bananas. It was so much fun living there. They ate pretty healthy too, not a lot of meat, salad frequently at meals. I miss her cooking. I had a sister Moni too who was just a year younger than me. I had my own room and bathroom and my room even had a door to outside so I wouldn't have to wake them if I came home late at night from the bar (which i didn't do that often) Honest! We had little dogs, and Lizzy and I made our own halloween costumes we were thing 1 and thing 2, and my mom sewed them a little for us. Ugh I miss them! I still see them on facebook and we write a little bit now and then. She likes my pictures and I see pictures of them with the grandbaby. They have an older daughter that was married to an American and living in Georgia. they would skype everyday sometimes more. She was pregnant. I never got to meet her but saw her via skype frequently and was excited for them to see pictures of the baby when I returned back to the states.
I completed my project while in homestay and wrote up my report on it. My grades weren't terrible but they weren't A's in this program. It was super challenging for me. I actually reached a point when we were living in the homestays and I was trying to write a report for a project we had done in parts as a large group back at Eladio's in the Penas Blancas Valley and I was miserable. That was kind of a turning point where I realized I didn't think that biology was going to be the major for me when I returned to the states so I e-mailed my adviser right then. I said, I need a new major, I'm considering event planning, what kind of suggestions do you have for me. She came back with journalism, communications, and sociology. I thought the first two were tooooo english-y so I scheduled a full load of intro sociology classes and the rest of my requirements and took a leap. ( I kept it and loved the major so I totally got lucky)
Anyways we finished up homestays, went back to live at the station, finished writing our research projects and had to present our projects for the group. I think I did alright it wasn't spectacularly inspiring but we were done! We celebrated and it was so hard to have to start saying goodbye to people. Some went right home, others were meeting their parents, some were going on to do some traveling ( I was going to travel).
It was realllllllly hard to say goodbye. This was such an amazing experience and we were a unique program. Normally they have close to 30 students. We only had 21 and we all got along. You weren't best friends with everyone but you could work together. and the reduced amount of people meant we got a few extra trips that other larger groups wouldn't be able to afford. plus we were about evenly split male/female. Most of the past years have 3/4 female to 1/4 male. There were just so many factors that made this an amazing incredible experience that I'm so thankful I was able to participate in. I know i didn't end up being a biology major but the way this program opened my eyes and the outlook it gave me are just not quantifiable. When I flew out of the country I was hardly excited to be going back to the states. I felt closer to crying, and like I left my heart on the tarmac. Just and unbelievable experience. That I wish I could go back to, but the thing is I know it'd never be the same. Sigh.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Island Adventures
Traveling to Panama was a little crazy. When we got to the boarder we had to all get off the bus and stand in line for customs and then walk across this old train bridge that had open gaps. Then we had to stand and wait on the otherside for the bus. Officials got on and looked around our bus. Finally we got back on and then had to drive to the little port where packed all our backpacks on a boat at night and got in a different boat to drive to the island. We arrived late at night and ate an immediate dinner.
We stayed on the island Boca del Drago in Panama in several houses. At the end of the island by us there was a fancy house that was owned by a banana plantation owner. The food was really good. I remember fresh fish, coconut rice, fried bread fruit, which kind of tasted like french fries. While in Panama we learned about some island species but did a lot of snorkeling. It was AMAZING. We went to a bird island too. An island where a lot of different sea birds go to nest. That same day we went to a beach that had hundreds of star fish. it was incredible. You looked out of the boat and the water was crystal clear and there's star fish everywhere. It took me a while to feel confident snorkeling and learn to dive down because I've never been a confident swimmer, but it's so different in salt water you float so much easier along the top i could skim over the tops of the reef at close proximity. Of course you never wanted to touch it because that can and will kill the coral.
Something else remarkable but sad that we saw is coral bleaching. It's when the coral turns white because it is dead. Coral are very fragile. they need a certain temperature range to survive. and while they can live through some temperature flux, extended periods of too-warm water temperatures can kill the coral and the coral turns white, coral bleaching. The higher than normal water temperatures are believe to be evidence of climate change and it's impacts. Some of it is quite rapid. The very corals we looked at were fine when the teachers were last there so it happened in less than a year. We saw so many fish and sea creatures, dolphins, some people saw a nurse shark, only with biologists someone yells "SHARK" and everyone swims toward the person/shark! :)
I also trashed one of my cameras in Panama. I changed out the battery and didn't realize I caught the cord in the battery compartment. I dove in, started taking pictures and it stopped working! (it was a waterproof camera) I hopped out to discover my mistake. It's not water proof if the battery compartment is open, and salt water is corrosive. Boo. Luckily the water didn't damage the memory card so I was still able to have all the pictures I'd taken up to that point. We went into town one day in Panama where we got to eat lunch, and I bought some jewelry. Panama was gorgeous and relaxing and amazing.
We stayed on the island Boca del Drago in Panama in several houses. At the end of the island by us there was a fancy house that was owned by a banana plantation owner. The food was really good. I remember fresh fish, coconut rice, fried bread fruit, which kind of tasted like french fries. While in Panama we learned about some island species but did a lot of snorkeling. It was AMAZING. We went to a bird island too. An island where a lot of different sea birds go to nest. That same day we went to a beach that had hundreds of star fish. it was incredible. You looked out of the boat and the water was crystal clear and there's star fish everywhere. It took me a while to feel confident snorkeling and learn to dive down because I've never been a confident swimmer, but it's so different in salt water you float so much easier along the top i could skim over the tops of the reef at close proximity. Of course you never wanted to touch it because that can and will kill the coral.
Something else remarkable but sad that we saw is coral bleaching. It's when the coral turns white because it is dead. Coral are very fragile. they need a certain temperature range to survive. and while they can live through some temperature flux, extended periods of too-warm water temperatures can kill the coral and the coral turns white, coral bleaching. The higher than normal water temperatures are believe to be evidence of climate change and it's impacts. Some of it is quite rapid. The very corals we looked at were fine when the teachers were last there so it happened in less than a year. We saw so many fish and sea creatures, dolphins, some people saw a nurse shark, only with biologists someone yells "SHARK" and everyone swims toward the person/shark! :)
I also trashed one of my cameras in Panama. I changed out the battery and didn't realize I caught the cord in the battery compartment. I dove in, started taking pictures and it stopped working! (it was a waterproof camera) I hopped out to discover my mistake. It's not water proof if the battery compartment is open, and salt water is corrosive. Boo. Luckily the water didn't damage the memory card so I was still able to have all the pictures I'd taken up to that point. We went into town one day in Panama where we got to eat lunch, and I bought some jewelry. Panama was gorgeous and relaxing and amazing.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Atlanama Here I Come!
So I just finished a fantabulous trip to the atlantic coast in which i was physically and mentally challenged. We backpacked through the Reserves surrounding Monteverde to the Peñas Blancas valley. Which is around 10 miles of ups and downs, slipping and sliding, river crossings, mudholes, and at the end it was raining. But overall we had a really nice day for the hike, and the guides helped us. We're hands down the fastest group they've ever had.
For lunch on the hike day we stopped shortly after a river crossing and swam in the river and ate lunch on a huge rock on the edge of the river. Scary moment: one of the girls got sucked down river.
She went a pretty good distance before she was able to grab a rock, and one of our guys ran down the rocky bank and was able to get to her and bring her to safety. No serious injuries, just a lot of bumps, bruises, and scratches. It was so hard to watch we were dead silent as the boys chased down the rocky bank. But she's great!
Finally we got to Eladio's (The man who has the cabins) where we bunked in 2 large rooms (girls and guys separate) and Eladio cooked amazing food, and told us the story of his house, which is only accessible by foot or horse, but when we arrived the horse trails were blocked due to recent storms. We also hiked the surrounding forest wading through mud, and water every time we went out. We learned a lot of birds, and spent a lot of time with binoculars in hand birding. We went on an amazing night hike where we saw frogs, snakes, spiders, even a small mammal. It was incredible.
Eladio's stories were the best though. He told us the story of how he came to claim land because there was a mining industry starting so everyone was rushing to claim. He cleared a lot, but eventually the mining crews found nothing and left, after not getting very far. Then he was approached by a man that basically taught him about biodiversity and conservation, and Eladio eventually agreed to sell his land and let it regenerate. But he kept his house, and the man still brings groups of students there to teach them about the woods and just because it is such an incredible place. There are only 3 groups that make the hike to Eladios. Us, EAP(a Cali program), and that gentleman every couple years. No one gets to make that hike. and of those groups, we are the only ones that then hike to Poco Sol which is a research station on the other side of the mountains.
Can you say experience of a lifetime?! this isn't the first time we've done stuff on this program that no other program does. Crazy, I did well when I picked this Program for sure! Eladio has also been bitten by a Fer de lance, the most poisonous snake in Costa Rica. and he wasn't bit just once but almost 20 times in his hand. He made it to the hospital (which was sketchy) and was treated there for quite a while in yucky conditions. Basically he got the anti-venom, but survived because there was only one that was not a "dry bite" in which the snake actually injected a larger amount of venom. At one point he almost lost his finger, but didn't because he disobeyed the doctor, and drained it himself. It's an incredible story.
From Eladio's we hiked about another 10 miles out to Poco Sol. We stayed there and birded, we also celebrated Moncho's (TA)birthday by tasting and rating different brands of rum. It was pretty fun. They tricked us into thinking we had class and that's what our class was :) From Poco Sol we went to La Selva which is well known biological research station. We did our classes there and were able to hike around the trails and witness other research projects in progress. One of the highlights was getting to see white tent bats. they make a tent out of the leaves and sleep in it during the day.
After La Selva we went out to the Caribbean Coast- Tortuguero. Known for it's sea turtle nesting. in the area we canoed around and birded, identified plants both from the boat and on the beach. We had time to shop and took a night hike where we saw a turtle trying to lay it's eggs. Unfortunately I think we might have disturbed it and it didn't finish. In the mornings we got up early (of our own accord) to walk the beach in the hopes of seeing a baby turtle scuttling to the sea. I wasn't fortunate enough to see a live one, but others did and I got to see their pictures. After Tortuguero we took a long bus ride to Panama we stopped on the coast to eat lunch at a really pretty beach. We were headed to Panama because we were reaching our 90 day limit in Costa Rica. You're allowed to stay in the country for 60? days with out a Visa but then you need to be out for a minimum of 3 days to come back in and have another 60? days in the country. So we went to the Bocas del Toro region of Panama and stayed on the Island Boca del Drago.
She went a pretty good distance before she was able to grab a rock, and one of our guys ran down the rocky bank and was able to get to her and bring her to safety. No serious injuries, just a lot of bumps, bruises, and scratches. It was so hard to watch we were dead silent as the boys chased down the rocky bank. But she's great!
Finally we got to Eladio's (The man who has the cabins) where we bunked in 2 large rooms (girls and guys separate) and Eladio cooked amazing food, and told us the story of his house, which is only accessible by foot or horse, but when we arrived the horse trails were blocked due to recent storms. We also hiked the surrounding forest wading through mud, and water every time we went out. We learned a lot of birds, and spent a lot of time with binoculars in hand birding. We went on an amazing night hike where we saw frogs, snakes, spiders, even a small mammal. It was incredible.
Eladio's stories were the best though. He told us the story of how he came to claim land because there was a mining industry starting so everyone was rushing to claim. He cleared a lot, but eventually the mining crews found nothing and left, after not getting very far. Then he was approached by a man that basically taught him about biodiversity and conservation, and Eladio eventually agreed to sell his land and let it regenerate. But he kept his house, and the man still brings groups of students there to teach them about the woods and just because it is such an incredible place. There are only 3 groups that make the hike to Eladios. Us, EAP(a Cali program), and that gentleman every couple years. No one gets to make that hike. and of those groups, we are the only ones that then hike to Poco Sol which is a research station on the other side of the mountains.
Can you say experience of a lifetime?! this isn't the first time we've done stuff on this program that no other program does. Crazy, I did well when I picked this Program for sure! Eladio has also been bitten by a Fer de lance, the most poisonous snake in Costa Rica. and he wasn't bit just once but almost 20 times in his hand. He made it to the hospital (which was sketchy) and was treated there for quite a while in yucky conditions. Basically he got the anti-venom, but survived because there was only one that was not a "dry bite" in which the snake actually injected a larger amount of venom. At one point he almost lost his finger, but didn't because he disobeyed the doctor, and drained it himself. It's an incredible story.
From Eladio's we hiked about another 10 miles out to Poco Sol. We stayed there and birded, we also celebrated Moncho's (TA)birthday by tasting and rating different brands of rum. It was pretty fun. They tricked us into thinking we had class and that's what our class was :) From Poco Sol we went to La Selva which is well known biological research station. We did our classes there and were able to hike around the trails and witness other research projects in progress. One of the highlights was getting to see white tent bats. they make a tent out of the leaves and sleep in it during the day.
After La Selva we went out to the Caribbean Coast- Tortuguero. Known for it's sea turtle nesting. in the area we canoed around and birded, identified plants both from the boat and on the beach. We had time to shop and took a night hike where we saw a turtle trying to lay it's eggs. Unfortunately I think we might have disturbed it and it didn't finish. In the mornings we got up early (of our own accord) to walk the beach in the hopes of seeing a baby turtle scuttling to the sea. I wasn't fortunate enough to see a live one, but others did and I got to see their pictures. After Tortuguero we took a long bus ride to Panama we stopped on the coast to eat lunch at a really pretty beach. We were headed to Panama because we were reaching our 90 day limit in Costa Rica. You're allowed to stay in the country for 60? days with out a Visa but then you need to be out for a minimum of 3 days to come back in and have another 60? days in the country. So we went to the Bocas del Toro region of Panama and stayed on the Island Boca del Drago.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
The Journey to Monteverde
Holy crap do I have a million stories and pictures and memories! Where do I start/ Where did I leave off?
Flew into San Jose, met up with Kristina and Marc along the way. We stayed at a pretty nice hotel in San jose right downtown. Classes started pretty much right away. We had an amazing field trip along the pacific coast full of hiking, swimming, and trying not to get too muddy, and keep our tents dry. We stayed in two main camps: San Pedrillo in the Corcovado reserve and Santa Rosa which is part of the Guanacaste region. From both places we went on several long crazy hikes to beaches. Had the most perfect evening of my life in a warm ocean cove, watching the sunset, beer in hand, whales in the distance, parrots overhead, double rainbow behind us, with fantastic company. Yes, that really happened! I got to see tons of cool stuff, and swim in the ocean, and climb around a vocano, and stand under waterfalls. I became really good friends with a lot of people, but mainly Lizzy. I learned how to take hermit crabs from their shells, and that bug bites are a mental challenge to not scratch more than anything! We climbed through mangroves, took boat rides to our campsite, snorkeled off a small island, and much much more. Such an incredible 2.5 weeks. Everyday seemed long, but in the best possible way because it never seemed to end, you could drink it all in, and everything just kept getting better (something that still hasn't plateaued thank goodness... not that I was worried) Most days I feel like i'm dreaming. I have to tell myself that this really is my life, and yes it truly is this incredible!
The field trip led us to Monteverde and intense classes. Lecture everyday, mostly in the classroom. First bout of exams started out with a practical with species we learned on the first field trip. Then shortly after Midterms for 2 of my classes. Of course there are quizzes, and homework readings, and spanish quizzes. Busy busy busy. There's a fantastic garden here with tons of epidemic species. and Monteverde is an incredibly diverse place. We took several day trips for our Humans in the Tropics days. One we learned about sustainable/fairtrade/organic coffee (they do NOT all mean the same thing.) and another day we learned about the animal side of agriculture and visited a farm, cheese factory, and hog farm. I still love baby pigs! SO cute :) It was a very interesting process. Leading up to the second field trip there is much to do... packing took my room... 6+ hours? hahaha (i'm not kidding) but we had fun (relatively) while doing it. I have too much crap. And one ginormous suitcase, may not have been the best idea in hindsight. Oh well, its brought some laughs. Along with getting ready for the trip there were dicisions about homestays to be made, which also means i need to consider options for my independent project... yikes! How on earth am i going to find something?
The first week or so in Monteverde was sun until about midday, and then rain.. but the second 2 weeks we found things increasingly cloudy and rainy. Mainly due to the tropical storms and hurricanes in the Gulf. I also experienced my first earthquake! Nothing to worry about though. Apparently there are many small ones the whole time that we haven't felt. Occasionally there is a larger one. Classes are good. Challenging though but thoroughly interesting. It's crazy to see the impact we as humans are having on the environment, and the amount of people that have no idea, or think that its not a big deal. Every action you take matters. Its a cycle it all affects the earth in some way. Predictions were made in the past that the world would die because of using up the food, what that prediciton didn't account for however was our technology boost. It is currently impossible for the world and its populations to sustain itself at the current rate. Again there could be some technology boost that saves us. But drastic changes need to start becoming reality. I'm not trying to be a downer or forboding. There are real issues facing the planet that no one wants to acknowledge, and being in a temerate zone its harder to see those impacts. BUT living here and finding that species are disappearing, birds are moving higher up the mountains because lower elevations are becoming too warm, Monteverde is no longer getting the same amount of mist precip. that it's plants count on, are just a few examples of how real global warming and environmental change is becoming. Ok I'll get off my soapbox. :)
People in this program are amazing. I've made great friends, and our Professors/TAs commented on how united we are as a group. Sometimes I think we don't feel that way, but compared to previous programs we're incredibly united. Albet a bit messy... haha we may also be one of the messiest groups they've had.
We also had some fun in Monteverde exploring the nightlife aka a gringo bar called Mat 'E Caña, where we dance to salsa and american, and listen to our professor's rock band Conchos de monte. Pretty awesome. We also went ziplining which was amazing, but i was incredibly hungover. And a different day we made a gorgeous hike over the continental divide to the place we ziplined to learn about insects.
All in all everything is incredible. And I can't wait to see what else is in store for me.
Living the Dream, Missing you all, and Loving life!
Pura vida!
XOXO
Flew into San Jose, met up with Kristina and Marc along the way. We stayed at a pretty nice hotel in San jose right downtown. Classes started pretty much right away. We had an amazing field trip along the pacific coast full of hiking, swimming, and trying not to get too muddy, and keep our tents dry. We stayed in two main camps: San Pedrillo in the Corcovado reserve and Santa Rosa which is part of the Guanacaste region. From both places we went on several long crazy hikes to beaches. Had the most perfect evening of my life in a warm ocean cove, watching the sunset, beer in hand, whales in the distance, parrots overhead, double rainbow behind us, with fantastic company. Yes, that really happened! I got to see tons of cool stuff, and swim in the ocean, and climb around a vocano, and stand under waterfalls. I became really good friends with a lot of people, but mainly Lizzy. I learned how to take hermit crabs from their shells, and that bug bites are a mental challenge to not scratch more than anything! We climbed through mangroves, took boat rides to our campsite, snorkeled off a small island, and much much more. Such an incredible 2.5 weeks. Everyday seemed long, but in the best possible way because it never seemed to end, you could drink it all in, and everything just kept getting better (something that still hasn't plateaued thank goodness... not that I was worried) Most days I feel like i'm dreaming. I have to tell myself that this really is my life, and yes it truly is this incredible!
The field trip led us to Monteverde and intense classes. Lecture everyday, mostly in the classroom. First bout of exams started out with a practical with species we learned on the first field trip. Then shortly after Midterms for 2 of my classes. Of course there are quizzes, and homework readings, and spanish quizzes. Busy busy busy. There's a fantastic garden here with tons of epidemic species. and Monteverde is an incredibly diverse place. We took several day trips for our Humans in the Tropics days. One we learned about sustainable/fairtrade/organic coffee (they do NOT all mean the same thing.) and another day we learned about the animal side of agriculture and visited a farm, cheese factory, and hog farm. I still love baby pigs! SO cute :) It was a very interesting process. Leading up to the second field trip there is much to do... packing took my room... 6+ hours? hahaha (i'm not kidding) but we had fun (relatively) while doing it. I have too much crap. And one ginormous suitcase, may not have been the best idea in hindsight. Oh well, its brought some laughs. Along with getting ready for the trip there were dicisions about homestays to be made, which also means i need to consider options for my independent project... yikes! How on earth am i going to find something?
The first week or so in Monteverde was sun until about midday, and then rain.. but the second 2 weeks we found things increasingly cloudy and rainy. Mainly due to the tropical storms and hurricanes in the Gulf. I also experienced my first earthquake! Nothing to worry about though. Apparently there are many small ones the whole time that we haven't felt. Occasionally there is a larger one. Classes are good. Challenging though but thoroughly interesting. It's crazy to see the impact we as humans are having on the environment, and the amount of people that have no idea, or think that its not a big deal. Every action you take matters. Its a cycle it all affects the earth in some way. Predictions were made in the past that the world would die because of using up the food, what that prediciton didn't account for however was our technology boost. It is currently impossible for the world and its populations to sustain itself at the current rate. Again there could be some technology boost that saves us. But drastic changes need to start becoming reality. I'm not trying to be a downer or forboding. There are real issues facing the planet that no one wants to acknowledge, and being in a temerate zone its harder to see those impacts. BUT living here and finding that species are disappearing, birds are moving higher up the mountains because lower elevations are becoming too warm, Monteverde is no longer getting the same amount of mist precip. that it's plants count on, are just a few examples of how real global warming and environmental change is becoming. Ok I'll get off my soapbox. :)
People in this program are amazing. I've made great friends, and our Professors/TAs commented on how united we are as a group. Sometimes I think we don't feel that way, but compared to previous programs we're incredibly united. Albet a bit messy... haha we may also be one of the messiest groups they've had.
We also had some fun in Monteverde exploring the nightlife aka a gringo bar called Mat 'E Caña, where we dance to salsa and american, and listen to our professor's rock band Conchos de monte. Pretty awesome. We also went ziplining which was amazing, but i was incredibly hungover. And a different day we made a gorgeous hike over the continental divide to the place we ziplined to learn about insects.
All in all everything is incredible. And I can't wait to see what else is in store for me.
Living the Dream, Missing you all, and Loving life!
Pura vida!
XOXO
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Estoy aqui!
I'm here! Finally holy cow! I can't believe it after all this time! This is gonna be quick because my internet is running low i believe. but my flights were good I met up with Kristina (the other girl from UW) in chicago and we hung together and then we met up with a guy Marc from Boston(ish) in Miami. Upon arriving in Costa Rica we 3 met up with 3 more from the group and then we went to the hotel! Its a pretty nice hotel we had lunch! Pizza y Imperial cerveza! (beer) tonight we'll all eat dinner together and begin orientation stuff. Breakfast is at 7am tom! yuck no sleeping in for this girl! Hope you're all well! I'm excited to be here it's crazy though!
Mucho amor,
Besos,
~R
Mucho amor,
Besos,
~R
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Counting Down!
3 more days, 3 more days hey, hey, hey, hey! The Countdown continues, or starts I guess as this is my first post! I'm stoked to be going to Costa Rica! It's going to be a lot of work, but hey what's work when you're learning in the rainforest/jungle? Well stick around and we'll find out together! FYI I'm more than a little random so if the blog gets hard to follow at times feel free to yell at me! haha and I'll try to explain better if I have time. For now I'll try to break thoughts into new paragraphs! I know most of you reading this will be family and close friends, so you love me anyways, but if i do collect some random stragglers, I hope you're entertained!
I'm in the throws of packing... my room is a mess, my living room is a mess. Mom's probably going to be a little happy that I leave if only for the fact that she gets her house back! Sometimes I wish i could just fast forward... Because I know I'm going to be ready on Sunday but right now? I'm not so ready. But I'm working on it! Heehee
I woke up early and rested this morning! Which is amazing seeing as I don't think I went to bed until at least 1:30am but it must say something for my stress level-it's going down if I no longer want to sleep the day away to not deal with things. :) I also had a dream about Costa last night. We were by some river, and I had a map and was looking for this waterfall but no one wanted to go explore and find it with me! And then it started raining! (imagine that... rain in Costa Rica) And I didn't think I had my rain jacket or poncho, but then I remembered I did! Then I woke up. Guess it could kinda symbolize how I'm feeling? Disorganized at the moment, but when it comes down to it I'm actually prepared? Guess I can handle that. Let's hope it stays and I don't drive my family too crazy!
I have no idea how I'm going to handle all the bugs and spiders down there... eek! Well here goes...! More soon!
Besos (Kisses for those of you unfamiliar with spanish)
~R
I'm in the throws of packing... my room is a mess, my living room is a mess. Mom's probably going to be a little happy that I leave if only for the fact that she gets her house back! Sometimes I wish i could just fast forward... Because I know I'm going to be ready on Sunday but right now? I'm not so ready. But I'm working on it! Heehee
I woke up early and rested this morning! Which is amazing seeing as I don't think I went to bed until at least 1:30am but it must say something for my stress level-it's going down if I no longer want to sleep the day away to not deal with things. :) I also had a dream about Costa last night. We were by some river, and I had a map and was looking for this waterfall but no one wanted to go explore and find it with me! And then it started raining! (imagine that... rain in Costa Rica) And I didn't think I had my rain jacket or poncho, but then I remembered I did! Then I woke up. Guess it could kinda symbolize how I'm feeling? Disorganized at the moment, but when it comes down to it I'm actually prepared? Guess I can handle that. Let's hope it stays and I don't drive my family too crazy!
I have no idea how I'm going to handle all the bugs and spiders down there... eek! Well here goes...! More soon!
Besos (Kisses for those of you unfamiliar with spanish)
~R
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