Day Twenty Six - Sea Shells on the Sea Shore

Wow, is it getting warm down here. Now I realize I have to say that with some perspective in mind. Back in Minneapolis, you guys are hitting record highs and slowly turning into something that could be sold on a stick at the State Fair; nevertheless, it’s pretty dang hot down here too. Usually, you’re able to get some relief at night, but as far as I can tell, it stays hot all throughout the night. During the day, the sun is super strong – it feels like the rays are being pinpointed to your exact location like an ant under a child’s magnifying glass. We’ve been plowing through bottles of sun screen, but we really haven’t been burnt yet…fingers crossed!

Since this is my first time out of the country, I have been experiencing many new things each and every day. 

Today’s new experience was paying exit taxes. I never realized I had to pay my way out of a ountry before, but for just 26 bucks, I can leave paradise and return to my smoldering apartment in Minnesota. Taxes aside, banks in Costa Rica are very strange. The two occasions that visited a financial instution left me feeling like I was entering a mental institution…or a library. Unlike in the United States, the banks here are very serious places. Just to enter the Bank of Costa Rica, I was swiped with a wand to check for metal, went through two sets of doors, and had to remove my hat. Once inside, it was eerily quiet, almost too quiet. I stepped slowly to counter, conducted my business, and calmly left. They let me out – thank goodness.

On a side note, I find it pretty fun to withdraw money from Costa Rican ATMs. Since we are abroad, I can only pull out money in the local currency – the colone. On average the going rate is 500 colones to 1 US dollar. So if I wanted to pull out $100, I would need to withdraw 50,000 colones. There’s just something fun about typing all those zeroes which makes me feel like I’m a millionaire. I need to remember to cut that out once I get back to the states!

After paying my fees, I needed to get some lunch, so I headed to this little coffee shop across the parking lot called The Tico Café. Now if you’ve been reading regularly, you know that I have had some pretty awesome food while I’ve been down here. True, many of the meals have been very simple, but the flavors, like the colors of the sunset, are very vivid in strong. Those meals aside, I have had a few experiences that weren’t so hot, and today was one of them.

I walked in to look at the menu, and the lady behind the counter looked at me like she was begging me to order. Even though there wasn’t much on the menu, I couldn’t turn down those puppy dog eyes and ordered an iced vanilla coffee and a cheese sandwich. The coffee was pretty good  - very much like a blended coffee you can get back in the states. However, the sandwich was less than stellar. Turns out, The Tico Café’s idea of a cheese sandwich is three pieces of white bread and one slice of American cheese between each layer. The sandwich is then toasted, not grilled, and slapped on a plate. No butter, no spread of any kind made its way on to the sandwich. I said down the hatch and made it through my meal.

On my way back to school, I stopped at a little supermarket to get something cool to take away from the smoldering noontime heat. I ended up getting an ice cream treat which was mint ice cream with a chocolate shell. Things were looking up – I had the sun and my ice cream and I was headed back to the air conditioned palace known as the CPI office. About halfway through the walk and halfway through my ice cream cone, tragedy struck again. I went to take another bite, and all I got was stick. A few steps earlier, my ice cream delight succumbed to the heat and let go of its wooden support. There, lying on the hot blacktop was my ice cream. Food was not my friend this day.

Food tragedies aside, the day ended up turning out pretty good. Kelly and I FINALLY made our way over to Playa Conchal, and let me tell you – it was worth it! We got to the beach around three o’clock and the tide was down, so we started our trek to one of the most beautiful beaches in all of Costa Rica. Once we made it to the beach, we could easily see why it is classified as such. As far as the eye could see, white beaches met the clear ocean waves. To top it all off, one section of this beach is completely made of broken sea shells. Ouch! you might say; however, through the marvelous work of the ocean, each jagged edge of the shell has been dulled down to create a perfect place to walk. In fact, if you let your feet sink into the bed of shells, you get a pretty good foot scrub! We collected some shells and enjoyed the overall beauty of the beach.

Tomorrow is our last day at CPI, and we fly home Sunday. Not going to lie, I’m going to miss the sun, but I’m going to be happy to share all these stories and more with family and friends.

See you soon!

Casey

Day Twenty Five - I'm on a Boat!

It was very hard to focus in class today. Besides the fact it is getting warmer and warmer each day, we were again focusing on gender and number agreement. To add the final slice of ADD to my plate, Kelly and I signed up to go on a 5 hour sailboat tour that included snorkeling, kayaking, and an open bar. Needless to say, whether or not my nouns had the proper article in front of them was not the focus of my mind today. As the seconds slowly ticked away, I began to imagine all the things I would see on the boat this afternoon.

Finally saved by the bell, Kelly and I made our way with about 10 other students to the shore right across the street from the school.  There we were met by our guides and hopped on a taxi boat to our awaiting ship. The Manta Ray was captained by Matteo and he welcomed us aboard his ship. We were greeted by glasses of rum punch and basked in the sun as the crew prepared the boat. As we were chatting and sipping on our beverages, we noticed that we really weren’t moving. Turns out, there was an issue with the transmission on the boat and there wasn’t enough wind for the sails. With a sad face, Matteo told that us that he would have to cancel today’s tour in order to fix the boat. We were devastated.

However, we began inching forward. I thought we were just making  U-turn, but we kept heading out to sea. Then, the sails began to open up and we started moving faster. The crew had figured out a solution and we didn’t need to cancel the tour! The power of good thought definitely came through in this case. With full sails, we made our way to a secluded beach to snorkel and relax.

Once we arrived, I donned my snorkel gear and hoped in the water. Sadly, with the storms of last week, the water was kind of murky. Nevertheless, I am not one to miss an opportunity to explore – especially in the water. We made our way closer to shore and I was able to see some starfish, some reef, and a small school of fish. With the assistance of a pool noodle, I swam my way around the waters near the boat. After awhile, the murky waters just stayed murky and I made my way back to boat to further investigate the open bar.

After awhile, lunch was served – sub sandwiches with chips and “boat-made” guacamole. One of the things I love most about Ticos is the humble welcoming that they seem to offer to everyone. The three members of the crew went above and beyond to make sure we were having a great experience. They wanted to offer us whatever they could and then some. From drinks to beautiful views, the crew made us feel welcome. Also, Kender, the snorkeling expert of the crew, brought back some fish that he caught by hand to show off. He had found three puffer fish – two with the spikes and one that was almost a vivid banana yellow. It was great to see the wildlife in their natural habitat.

After eating and relaxing some more, we started to make our way back as the sun slowly set in the background. I know I have been talking a lot about the sunsets here in Playa Flamingo, but today’s was by far the prettiest one I have ever seen in my life. The colors faded and changed like an artist had a brush in his hand and delicately painted the changing sky. Everything was so incredibly vivid; it was a bit breath taking. With my Kelly right next to me, I got to experience beauty in the sky with beauty by my side.

We returned around 8 – a full hour later than expected, but it was so worth it. I’m sad to say that we only have two more days of classes left. We leave for San Jose on Saturday and leave for home on Sunday. Time is literally flying by. I want to grasp on to every moment…let’s hope it lasts.

Much Love,
Casey

Day Twenty Four - Casey Pretends He is Bear Grylls

We’re getting to the point in the trip where the end is imminent. Like I said yesterday, from here on out, it is our final day of the week here in Costa Rica. For the most part, I think I’m ready to come home. We’re getting into the nitty gritty of the language in my classes by studying gender and number agreement of nouns and adjectives in a sentence. The lessons are a bit tedious, and they’re taking away from my sun time! Gosh, I sound like I’m a teenager again…Then again, when you get to go on adventures like I got to go on today, I long for some more time in this beautiful country.

Our adventure started yesterday when Kelly and I wanted to go to see Playa Conchal. Remember the tide was too high and we just said forget it. Well today, our friend who has been studying here for the past four weeks said she would take us after class. With a new guide in hand, Kelly and I ventured off to see one of the most beautiful beaches in the entire country.

Turns out, the tides have just changed in Brasilito. The water is coming in much earlier than in previous weeks and is blocking off the passageway to get to Playa Conchal. Our Mama Tica told us the water wasn’t very high and we could just forge our way across. Trying not to be sissies, we started to make our way across through the incoming tide. For the record, our Mama Tica is about 5 feet tall and she said the water went up to her knees...

As we walked across, the water levels kept rising and soon enough, it was at my chest level. Not wanting to chance getting in any deeper, we made our way back to shore to think of a new way across. Around the bend of the beach, we could see a fallen tree in the water. A good 50 percent of the tree was exposed above water level, so doing my best Bear Grylls impression, we slowly and steadily made our way across the tree. At one point, there was a short gap that we needed to jump and we also needed to land on what seemed like a pretty flimsy root. The root held as the three of hopped across.

Once on the other side, we were met by a plethora of little blue and red crabs who have a nest just above the water level. As they scurried into their holes, we began fighting our way through the brush. As I was stomping my through a pretty hefty bush, Kel and Elise decided that maybe tomorrow would be a better day to visit the beach. My good senses agreed and we began our way back through the Costa Rican obstacle course. Another Tico on his way back from the beach showed us the easier way across and we set up shop on the other beach to watch the sunset.

Sunsets in Costa Rica are amazing. It is just that simple. The colors are incredibly brilliant and the sounds of the waves accent the descent of the sun. The reds blend in with the yellows, and the purples fade to orange. Each day bring an even more beautiful sunset to be seen. It’s hard to believe that Costa Rica keeps outdoing itself with the natural beauty it possesses. It’s no wonder why this country is one of the world’s largest eco-tourism locales.

As the sun said its final goodbye, we made our way back to the house to have dinner with the family. The boys had school today and were reluctant to finish their homework; however, once they did, we went out and played some soccer on their patio. Kevin, the larger of the two boys, said that he was Messi, and with a mix of “Oles,” he attempted to dribble past and score a goal past me. There were some hard fought battles, but I think he ultimately beat me. I won’t say that I let him win, but he did have some pretty good skills.

Pura Vida,
Casey

Day Twenty Three – Welcome to CPI Playa Flamingo!

Green Day has a song that has the perfect message for the way we are feeling right now – Welcome to Paradise. Although Billie Joe Armstorng’s words a tab bit tongue in cheek; Playa Flamingo is the epitome of that word – paradise.

We woke this morning to the sounds of chickens outside our window. I forgot to mention yesterday where we are specifically living. In Brasilito, there is a little complex of house and a motel that our host family owns. Pretty much everyone in their entire family lives on the grounds, and there are at least 3 different sets of CPI students staying there as well. Kel and I lucked out pretty well because we get to have on the rooms in the motel to ourselves. Two beds, a TV with cable, a fridge, and a cold shower await us every night when we get home. Don’t get us wrong, we love living with the families – that’s the whole point of the immersion experience – but it is nice to have some privacy.

The family we are staying with is made up of a younger couple and their two twin sons. They’re about the same age as my brother and sister and the boys just turned 8. Their house is like the typical small home most Costa Rica families live in. They have a dog that Kattia was embarrassed to share name with me because her name is Casey as well. Oh well, the two Casey’s can definitely get along.

We ate gallo pinto for breakfast and were off for our first day of classes at CPI Playa Flamingo. The school is a short 15 minute bus ride from our house. As we got closer to the school, we realized that we were literally a hop, skip, and a jump from the beach. The building itself is rather beautiful and has a basketball court, a pool, and a Jacuzzi. Not going to lie, I’m starting to wonder why I don’t teach in a place like this! Classes went well and I’m actually in a class with one of my classmates from Monteverde. There are quite a few of us from Monteverde that traded the rain and cloud forest for the sun and beach.

After class today, we headed out to get some lunch. We found this little sub and pizza shop not more than 5 minutes from the school and grabbed a bite there. From lunch, I headed to the Flamingo Beach Resort that has a special partnership with CPI that allows students to use the premises for free. I ordered a cerveza and soaked in the rays until Kelly got done with her afternoon classes.

One of the cool features of CPI Playa Flamingo is the fact they offer changing rooms and a shower to use before and after you head to the beach. Needless to say, Kel and I took full advantage of them on day one. After Kel’s classes, we headed to Playa Flamingo – the beach, and swam in the ocean for about an hour. It was definitely fun fighting the waves as the tide came in. After swimming, we headed back to CPI to swim in their pool and waited for the best to arrive to take us back to Brasilito.

The night brought another venture down to the seaside to watch the sunset with my classmate Joelle. While watching the colors change from red, to yellow, to orange, to purple, I began to think about how this would be our last Monday in Costa Rica. In fact, from here on out, it will be our last (Insert day of the week) here in Costa Rica. A month is nearly up, but we’ve been having a blast the entire time.

Pura Vida,
Casey

Day Twenty Two – The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow

After yesterday’s craziness, we were hoping that today would bring some better luck. Boy, were we wrong when we woke up. As my alarm sounded on my phone, we awoke to another sound – the rain pitter pattering on the roof. Yes, I understand we are in Costa Rica during the rainy season, and yes, I know that it is par for the course; however, can a guy catch a break every once in awhile? On a side note, yes I know I’m whinning about being in a wonderful country during a three month vacation, but with all due respect, Costa Rica needed to get its act together!

We ate breakfast at the hotel while we hoped and prayed that the rain would stop. There was a significant debate of whether or not to just cancel the tour of the park altogether and just relax at the hotel. Luckily enough, cooler heads prevailed and we grabbed our gear and headed back to the national park in Manuel Antonio. As we boarded the bus, the sun started to shine through, and we knew then, we would be in for a good day.

Turns out, it was a lot better than we expected. Once we got to the park, we had a little bit of a hike to get to beach we were going to. Along the path, we were able to appreciate, in the sunlight, the beauty of the park. We saw some of the tallest bamboo I have ever seen, numerous types of other plants and flowers, and  a few animals decided to grace us with their presence. The first animal we saw a three-toed sloth right at the entrance of the park. It was just hanging out in the tree, being a sloth. Then we saw some Morphos and heard some different calls of the birds of the forest. Next we saw some blue and red crabs that were skittering about near the path. Kelly and I were really enjoying the wildlife, but much of our group just wanted to get to the beach. They ran ahead whilst we stayed back with the guide. That was a good choice. We got to see this massive black iguana just hanging out in the tree. Good things do come to those that wait.

After we finally made it to the beach, Kel and I decided it was definitely worth the wait. There had to be no more than 10 other people at the beach when we first arrived. We snapped some photos, and Ted and I checked out the tide pools. There were tons of crabs walking about, and every time you hopped on a new rock, more would dash away. For my first experience with tide pools, it was pretty darn cool.

Then we decided to try out the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Reluctantly, I will share this bit of information with you…When we first got in the water, I started to wonder to myself why is everything so salty, and then I remembered, I’m in the ocean, not a lake in Minnesota! Definitely a light bulb moment for me there. We swam for a bit and then headed back to the beach to catch some rays. However, we were about to catch something else…

Another reason why the Manuel Antonio beach is so popular is the fact there is so much wildlife about – including very brave raccoons and monkeys. As we were walking back, we saw a raccoon grab a bag from some unsuspecting beach goer and scurry back into the forest. Our guide said that was not an uncommon sight¸ and to be prepared to see monkeys soon. And they did not disappoint. About a half hour later, a pack of white faced monkeys made their way to the beach. Amidst much hullabaloo, the monkeys sprang from tree to tried to snap photos of them. We didn’t rush over with the crowd however; we had seen a family of monkeys up close just a couple of Fridays ago. Nevertheless, these monkeys wanted to outdo those from Monteverde. They came right up to where we were stationed and hung out for awhile. I got some pretty good photos of a mama monkey with her baby on her back. As I was trying to get one last shot of the pair, another monkey nearly brushed my leg as it ran by. Yes I jumped, I’m not afraid to admit that.

After my near encounter with my primate cousin, we started to make our way back to the hotel. But as we were leaving, something caught Kelly’s eye. Right above us in the tree we were getting shade from was a pair of sloths – a mama and a baby! Kelly definitely could be a guide in the forest with eyes like those. The two of them were actually pretty cute because the mama was scratching as sloths love to do, and her baby was mimicking her every action. I love seeing teaching happen.

After the beach, we headed back to the hotel to check out and go on our separate paths. It was nice to catch up with old friends again. Our second trip definitely solidified our friendships and we will be seeing them soon. I mean, Ted lives in Orlando…Harry Potter World anyone? We set out for our next destination which would be Playa Flamingo. We had six hours in the bus ahead of, but with DJ Chinchilla on our sides, the time flew by. We made it to Playa Flamingo just in time to see our first sunset go down on the Brasilito Beach. It may not be Monteverde, but Kel and I are definitely going to take advantage of the week ahead of us.

Pura Vida,
Casey

Day Twenty One - Playing the Waiting Game

The sky was crying this morning - I think it knew that we were leaving. Then again, it is the rainy season in Costa Rica, but I do like it when things get to be poetic like that.

We ate our last breakfast with Ana Patricia – of course it was gallo pinto. She was so excited to tell us about her trip to San Jose and being on TV. I showed her the video we took of the show and she was just glowing. Although, she was happy to recount her time on TV, it seemed that there might have been a tear in her eye. We definitely made a very strong connection with our host parents – a lot deeper than I think most relationships get. Before we left, we ran across the street to say good bye to Tomas as well. He was working in the morning and was happy that we came to have one last good bye. We will definitely have to stay in contact with them.

Around 7 o’clock, our bus arrived and we started our trip to Manuel Antonio. Manuel Antonio is one of the first national parks of Costa Rica and it is located on the southern coast about halfway through the country. Since we were coming down from the mountains, we knew it would take a while to reach the shore, but I don’t think we were prepared for how long the trip was going to actually be. More on that later.

After driving for a couple hours, we made a stop, our first of many, to pick up the rest of our exploration party. Six students from Playa Flamingo joined us as we made our journey to the national park. Kel and I were happy to see some familiar faces waiting to get picked up. Ted, one of the first people we met in Costa Rica, and a couple others from our previous stay in Heredia hopped on the bus and we were off.

Remember how I said we were prepared for a long journey? Well, here’s the part where it gets really long. About an hour after picking Ted and the rest of our party up, we stopped again for breakfast at the equivalent of a truck stop. We munched on gallo pinto again, and after an hour, we cruised away. An hour later, our driver wanted a smoke…so we stopped again. 45 minutes later someone wanted to take a photo of the first sight of the coastline…so we stopped again.

About three random stops later, we made it to Quepos, the town near the park where we would be staying. We checked in the hotel and our guide decided it was time for lunch. We hit up this little chicken joint where Kelly and I shared some nachos. I found some mamon chino at a little fruit stand near the restaurant and needless to say I was satisfied. We left and went back to the hotel one last time so people could change into beach clothes before we made our way to the hike and beach in Manuel Antonio Park.

That is where we thought we were going. By the time we all loaded up and made it to the park, it was about 3 o’clock. Funny story – the park closes at 4. And when our guide tried to pay our entrance with 100 dollar bills, the cashier said he couldn’t take them. So the trip that we paid for – to visit the national park – was not going as planned. We headed to the other beach that was not as secluded and didn’t include a hike. And to top it all off, the rain began. I still made my way into the ocean, but sadly, no one else would come.

In fact, they thought it a better idea to find a bar to try and wait out the rain. We found a place, ordered drinks and started to play cards. Turns out, Costa Rica has some pretty crazy rules when it comes to playing blackjack. One of my favorites is that if you get a face card and a two, it equals 20.5. Don’t ask me how that math works, but it helped me beat the dealer a few times. Sadly, the rain didn’t stop, but we still had fun. There’s that saying about turning lemons into lemonade, but I think it works better when you take coconuts and turn them into pina coladas.

We headed back to hotel and decided to go swimming in the rain. The water was chilly, but we shared some wine to celebrate one of our group member’s birthday – so we stayed warm. After the swim, we relaxed until we left for dinner. We headed back to Quepos because it is less expensive than around Manuel Antonio. We found a little Itallian place that had moderately priced food and live music. The meal would have been great, but it took three hours to complete. I guess today was just a day of waiting for us. Tico time does exist, we better get used to it.

After dinner, a few of us got together on the patio in Ted’s room for more cards and drinks. It was really nice to lay low and socialize with people. I dazzled with a few of my magic tricks and we all shared some really great stories. For the most part, there are really good people studying at our school. They all have very different backgrounds, but they all seem fairly genuine…even Ted. Kel and I both hope to stay in contact with many of them. Who knows, maybe we’ll have a CPI reunion.

Much love,

Casey 

Day Twenty – Our Tico Parents are Famous!

Our last Friday in Monteverde. It feels weird saying that. We love it so much here that saying goodbye is rather bittersweet. We know that we will probably have an amazing time in Playa Flamingo, but we’re having so much fun here. Maybe we’re creatures of habit, but we definitely wouldn’t mind spending our last week here.

Today was a pretty good day at CPI. In classes, we played games and just conversed about life in general. We continued our learning, but it was nice to use our new language to share our lives. I’m really understanding a lot more and am able to create my own thoughts using the words I’ve learned. Three weeks in and I can hold my own in a conversation. The conversation may be slow, but I can still get a thought in every once in awhile.

After classes, Kelly and I made the rounds and said goodbye to our teachers and the staff of CPI. The Monteverde staff were absolutely great – the help us out in so many ways from getting Kelly the classes and attention she needed to helping us plan awesome excursions. Muni and Digna were just two of the people that made CPI feel like a home away from home. Always with a smile or some fun story to tell, they always had the best interests of the students in mind.

We made our final trek down the huge hill in Monteverde and stopped by a few artisian shops and decided to get lunch at a place in Santa Elena called Morphos. A morpho is a type of butterfly that Costa Rica is renowned for – it has these beautiful electric blue wings that glisten as it flies. Truly a sight to see. We grabbed a quick bite of their version of a veggie burger – using an omlette instead of a burger patty – and guanabana batido. Guanabana is another one of those fruits that I tried for the first time down here that I can’t wait to find back in the US.

After lunch, we traversed our way through the shops one last time in Santa Elena. We couldn’t spend too much time browsing because we needed to get back to the house by 4:30. Why you ask? Because at 4:30, Tomas and Ana Patricia were going to be dancing on a TV show called Con Sello de Oro – an afternoon program for Tico senior citizens. The two of them were by far the best dancers – and I’m not just saying that because they were our Tico parents. With huge smiles, they danced to the songs written to celebrate Monteverde.

Monteverde and Santa Elena are both great little villages. It was very evident that the people who live there think they have the best place in the world to reside in. As the dancers spoke with the host of the TV show, they all stated how thankful they were to be from such an awesome place. Truth be told, Monteverde reminds us a lot of Ely, Minnesota where Kelly’s family has a cabin. From the quaint shops to the relaxed atmosphere, Monteverde offered a slice of that up north life that we left behind in the states. Heck, even the weather was reminiscent of summers in Ely.

It was sad to start packing. We were going to be leaving behind a great place, but we do know that we can always come back. We made some great friends and great memories, and we will always be able to hang on to that.

Pura Vida,
Casey

Day Nineteen – Meet Rene the Rana

Only two more days left here in Monteverde. Time is flying by and there is still so much to do. In classes, I’m trekking through irregular verbs and Kelly is having in depth conversations about education and the role of women in society. We’re learning a lot, but we just wish we had more time here.

Today was the day that we finally decided to make our way over to the Monteverde Reserve. The reserve itself is a couple miles wide and a few miles long of some of the oldest primary forests in the country. We’ve been wanting to go and visit the reserve the entire time that we have been here because it is noted for its wildlife and its beauty.

After classes, Kelly and I started our journey to the reserve with another student from CPI named Nancy. We heard that the reserve was close to CPI numerous times so we decided we could use the nice walk. It wasn’t raining, the clouds were moving into the forest, and it looked beautiful. However, beauty can be deceiving. 

Not once had we actually confirmed the distance between the school and the reserve, we just assumed that it was just around the bend. Boy, were we wrong. Turns out, the reserve isn’t just around the bend, it’s actually an 8 kilometer hike up the mountain to the front gate. Normally, I would have bit the bullet and just enjoyed the beauty, but we also had the other student with us who we convinced that walking to the reserve would be a good idea. Oops, our bad! Nevertheless, the beauty made up for the hour long hike up the hill. We saw the rolling hills covered with trees, the sun shining through the clouds, and two very distinct landmarks – the Friends School and the Trapp Family Lodge.

The former of the two is the school the Quakers set up and still educate in today, and the latter also had an interesting story. You may recognize that name from a certain famous musical movie classic. Truth be told, the Trapp Family Lodge was set up by some of the infamous members of the Von Trapp family that were dramatized in The Sound of Music.

Hike completed, we made our way to buy our entrance into the reserve and meet our guide. The tour was supposed to start at 1:30, and we arrived at 1:55. Usually, things run on Tico Time – always starting later than scheduled and what not; however, that was not the case today. The tour started on time and it sounded like we were out of luck. After climbing the mountain, being chased by dogs, we were not going to be able to see the reserve with a guide. We were crushed.

But there was hope. The receptionist got on the phone and providence saved us. There was a guide, close by, that said he would come up and lead us through the forest. Rodrigo definitely was the silver lining on the trip. He had been studying and researching the forest for a better part of a quarter of a century and shared his wealth of knowledge with us. We saw two different types of monkeys – howler and white faced – chase each other through the trees. Also, numerous plants and insects, and we even got walk on a hanging bridge over a canyon.

That being said, I didn’t get see the one thing I wanted to see in the reserve. No quetzals for Casey. I got to see where they live, I got see the food they eat, and even I got to see where a day earlier one was nesting. But no quetzal for me. I guess this is not the time of the year to see them. Alas, I guess I will just have to come back to Costa Rica to see one in life.

The tour ended around 4:30 and we called a cab for the ride back. As we waited for the cab, we visited a hummingbird exhibit.  Next to this little coffee shop, there were about 10 hummingbird feeders set up that have nearly 50 hummingbirds feeding on them. We got to see all 7 types of hummingbirds that are in Costa Rica zipping and zooming past our heads. They all were of various sizes and colors and I was sure they were going to hit me in the face. Rodrigo just laughed and said even if they did run into you, it would feel like a piece of paper . Oh well, don’t judge me!

After the reserve, we headed home and took a much needed rest. Our Tico parents came home and stared making dinner – our last one together. Interestingly enough, it was the same meal we had on our first night – Vegetables in soy sauce. Delicious. At the end of the meal, they told us to close our eyes. I was a little skeptical because Tomas is a known prankster, but there was no reason to be. After a few seconds, they came back with some handmade presents for us! Kelly got a puppet of one of the colorful frogs from Costa Rica, named Rene the Rana, and I got an apron with the words Pinto Gallo written on it. Both were hand made by Ana Patricia and Tomas and were definitely made with love.

We really could not have asked for a better set of Tico parents. They were caring, encouraging, and took us in as their own children. They were interested in our lives both here in Costa Rica and back home in Minnesota. We shared many stories, laughs, and Kelly and I will definitely be staying in contact with them. mean, they are the future versions of us. =)

10 Days. We’re almost down to single digits. It’s hard to believe it’s almost over! We’re heading to Manuel Antonio this weekend and start classes at Playa Flamingo on Monday. Let’s hope that this next week matches the greatness of the trip so far.

Con mucho amor,

Casey

Day Eighteen - Beating up the Beat

I like Wednesdays in Monteverde. Usually that’s a statement you don’t hear to many people making – I like Wednesdays. Wednesday is that huge hill in the middle of a tough week that you down 5 hour energy to get through. However, Wednesdays here are pretty awesome.

This Wednesday did begin like one of those “How am I ever going to make it through this day?” kind of Wednesdays. The day started off kind of gloomy with a covering of clouds and a light rain misting the town. Monteverde is living up to its expectations of being a bit chillier and wetter than the other two CPI campuses in Costa Rica. In class, we trudged through some more irregular verb structures and listened to Gloria Esteffan. I was ready to throw in my towel, but then I remember…it’s Wednesday, and Wednesday means cooking class!

Finally, some sunlight in the otherwise gloomy environment. I love cooking class because I get to cook and it’s a free lunch. Today we made chalupas. Not the chalupas you get at Taco Bell, but chalupas that consisted of a fried tortilla, guacamole, pico de gallo, refried beans and queso fresco. In all honesty, the cooking classes don’t seem very Costa Rican, but I won’t complain too much because the food is free and delicious. We had a lot of inexperienced chefs in our class, so I got to help Beatrice, the cocinera, teach them how to slice, chop, dice, and prepare the different ingredients for lunch. I channeled my inner Bobby Flay and flashed some fancy knife work and demonstrated my no fail method of prepping cilantro.

After class today, Kelly and I headed to The Common Cup to finish our homework and use their internet. Besides having a pretty decent cup of coffee, The Common Cup also serves some pretty wicked desserts. Kel and I shared a slice of chocolate cake and one of their specialties – a passion fruit mousse. The mousse was really interesting – it had a yellow coloring with a very silky texture, and on top was a crumble of Oreo cookies and a sprinkle of passion fruit seeds on top. The seeds give a little unexpected crunch that leaves you mouth guessing.

While at the coffee shop, Kelly asked me very interesting question. She asked what I missed about America. After a few seconds, I responded with “Nothing.” That’s not to say I don’t miss my family and friends, but in a reality, life is pretty similar down here. Sure the internet access isn’t the best, but that’s a luxury that I can do without. Truth be told, life is pretty sweet down here. I would gladly trade my big TV for the cloud forest any day, but then again, I’m saying that now when it seems there will be no football season next year. Check back with me in September.

The other ray of sunshine on Wednesdays is Karoake Night at Bar Amigos. At about nine o’clock, which is usually when we’ve been going to bed, Kelly and I walked the short walk to the bar and met up with a ton of CPI folks. The bar looked like it was literally transplanted from the Jersey Shore with the flashing lights and booming bass. We thought we were going for Karaoke, but we ended up just watching the gringo touristas make a fool of themselves on the dance floor. It was an odd flash back to our freshman year of college…let’s just leave it at that.

Pura vida,

Casey

Day Seventeen – Taking it Easy

Today was a day of taking it easy. For the better part of the trip, Kelly and I have been go, go, go, but today, we just chilled out.

Classes were pretty good today. Funny enough, last night’s eggplant parmesan experiment was a topic of conversation in both Kelly’s and my classes. My maestro had me draw the steps on the board and she copied down the recipe – I felt like Bobby Flay! Also, in both our classes, they question arose of why we didn’t bring any to share. Oops, our bad!

After classes, Kelly and I headed into the town of Monteverde. We ate lunch at this little Italian joint called Tramonti’s that was recommended to us by Muni, our student activities coordinator. We had a seat overlooking the cloud forest and enjoyed a fire roasted pizza. It’s was pretty good, but to be honest, the pizza we had in the mall in Heredia, was better.

Lunch eaten, we dived further into Monteverde to visit this cute little shop called Rio Shanti. The place looked like it was transplanted from State Street in Madison to the forest of Monteverde. With all of the essential oils, hand-made local jewelry, and prayer flags about, I definitely felt like I was back on campus. We headed over that way to check out some “amazing” cookies that they sell. Tragically, they only had one left because they were out of town the weekend before, but they gave us that one for free! It was pretty good, very oaty and peanut buttery, and I hear they’re bringing more to school tomorrow…I’m pretty stoked.

We headed back to school, did our homework, and chatted up the staff for just over an hour. It’s funny, after being here a week, the staff really let down their guard and share much more of who they are with you. I really like that…you get to see into the real side of the town and find out all of the local secrets. Needless to say, we’ll be going to karaoke tomorrow night!

Three days left in Monteverde, and there is still so much to do. We have to make it to the Reserve and by golly I will see a quetzal. Let’s hope we can fit it all in.

Pura vida,
Casey

Day Sixteen – Rain, Rain, Go Away

Mondays seem to be the rainy day here in Monteverde. Both Mondays we have been here have been filled with storms that last for hours. In fact, over half the day has been rainy. From a light drizzle to torrential downpours, we have seen it all. That doesn’t mean we didn’t have a good time today  - we knew we were headed to Costa Rica in the rainy season. So rain jackets in hand, we ventured out for whatever the day would bring.

New classes started today. Each week, regardless if you stay at the same CPI campus, you get a new instructor. My new instructor is the same one Kelly had last week, and interestingly enough, the same one my friend Claire had when she studied in Costa Rica a few years back. Once again, talk about a small world! This week’s classes already seem to be a bit more focused and faster paced. I just hope I can keep up!

After classes today, we decided we would take the tour of the Monteverde Cheese Factory. The tour didn’t start until 2:00 and classes end at 12:30 for us, so Kelly went to go fetch us some lunch during one of the lulls of the rain. There are a few places to eat around school and one of our favorites is a place called Sobres. It’s an ice cream shop that serves sandwiches and paninis. I stayed back at school to finish up some work while Kelly fetched our lunch. Sadly, about 5 minutes before Kel got back to school, it started to rain. Then it got harder, and harder, and harder, until we had a full fledged storm on our hands. Kelly was like the little engine that could and made her way through the storm to bring us lunch. I felt so bad, but the lunch was good.

To help make up for her natural shower, I paid for Kelly’s tour of the factory. The tour was actually pretty information both about the process of making cheese and how Monteverde became to be. Monteverde is an area that was established by Quakers in 1953. They came here in response to the draft for the Korean War. Being the pacifists that they were, the Quakers loved the idea that Costa had already abolished their army in the 1940s. They came to the Monteverde area and started settling it; however, they needed a way to make money. After doing some pre-internet research, one guy decided that cheese making was the way to go, and thus, the Monteverde Cheese Factory was born.

During the tour, we were able to sample a few of the different cheeses the factory makes. Costa Ricans tend to like the less strong cheeses that have only been aged for a few days compared to the stinky blues that Europeans enjoy. We also found out that over 40 different farms sell their milk to the factory. Each batch has to be tested for bacteria and fat content. The more fat content, the more money for the farmer, and the less bacteria, the more money. Some farmers hand deliver their milk in 40 litre containers each day by truck or oxcart, while a majority of the farms all go in on one big refrigerated tank. The catch with the big tank is that if one of the farmers contributes tainted milk, the whole truck must be thrown away, and the one farmer who supplied the bad milk has to pay for it all. What a way to ensure quality insurance!

My Mama Tica was excited for dinner tonight – she bought an eggplant at the Farmer’s Market and asked me to help her prepare it. We made an excellent eggplant parmesan served with garlic bread and a salad based with rhubard. It was a delicious dinner with much conversation and laughter. We really enjoy our Tico family. In fact, Tomas, our Papa Tico, shares a lot of the same personality traits as me. I think that’s why we get along so well. It’s going to be sad to leave them, but we will definitely stay in contact.

Much love,
Casey

Day Fifteen - Sunday Siestas

Lazy Sundays are great even when you’re abroad. Well, let me take that back. Lazy Sundays are great abroad after you go zip-lining through the cloud forest. Yes, dear readers, Kelly and I took the opportunity to truly see the cloud forests of Monteverde by speeding through the air at the zip-line playground that is Canopy Extremo.

Knowing the regular schedule of the weather here in Monteverde, Kelly and I planned our trip for early in the morning. We got up, had our breakfast and started our trek to Canopy Extremo. The tour itself consists of about 13 different zip-lines of various lengths and speeds. Some of the lines are extremely high up while others are shorter and faster - each one has its specialty and experience. Overall, it was an awesome experience. Flying through the air like you’re Superman and observing the beautiful surroundings beneath you can not be beat.

My favorite zip-line of the tour was the last one. Nearly 1 kilometer - or .6 of a mile- long, the last line lasts for a good half of a minute. Kelly and I were able to go down the line at the same time which made the experience even better. Flashes of green and wind in your face truly make the experience extreme!

After our flights through the air, we decided to take it a little easy today. Mind you, the zooming through the lines was not that tough; rather, it was the massive hikes between each platform that wore us out. By the end of the tour, we were pretty much spent, so an afternoon of chillaxing was par for the course. Siesta was the word for the afternoon and we definitely enjoyed it.

Naps done, we headed to the local coffeehouse, The Common Cup, for some internet time and some delicious coffee drinks. This Common Cup was definitely the hot place to be this Sunday afternoon. At one point, the owner and I counted 15 different computing devices using the wireless. Even when we’re supposed to be enjoying the beauty of Monteverde, we’re all still connected into the Matrix. We really like this coffeehouse for a few different reasons, but mainly because they have internet access and that they grow, roast, and serve their own coffee from their own coffee farm. Straight from the source…it doesn’t get much better.

Ken, the owner, had been pitching his espresso martinis to us for the past couple of days, so we, or I, decided to try one. Two shots of espresso, a shot of vodka, a splash of coffee liqueur, and a sugar cane dusted glass made for quite the delicious treat. I still like my espresso martinis at home, but in the absence of my liquor cabinet, this definitely made do.

The other highlight of the day was our second trip to the Ranario…this time at night! Flashlights in hand, we headed back into the exhibit to see the frogs that were supposed to be more active at night. And yes, they were. The room was filled with the different calls and songs of the frogs and their colors were on full display. It was really interesting to see how differently the frogs acted at night. Those who were toxic were out and about, whilst those that use their camouflage for protection were nowhere to be seen. We got some really cool pictures that I’ll post soon.

This was definitely not too bad for a Sunday. I’m excited to start our next week and for our next adventures.

Pura vida,

Casey

We're making coffee and hanging with butterflies.

Kelly and I getting ready for our cooking class. We're chefs!

A traditional oxcart. Costa Rica is known for these.

Coffee still on the branch.

Coffee! Pre-roasting of course!

Little mushrooms we saw on the trail.

The Costa Rican way of making coffee.

Kelly holding our "delicious" sugar cane candy.

Casey making the sugar cane. Look at that arm move!

A marimba in the gift short of the El Trapiche tour.

Yeah, monkeys hang out at my school on Fridays.

Butterfly in the sky...

I can fly twice as high...

Butterflies can't read.

I LOVE the vivid colors here!

Rawr! It's a tiger butterfly.

Nom nom nom...pollen!

Seriously, there were butterflies everywhere!

This is a shy butterfly...the inside of the wings were bright blue!

Butterfly food.

Purple flowers attract butterflies...I saw it!

Even butterflies like Kelly's ring.

Day Fourteen - It's Hot in the Kitchen

Saturday in Monteverde means the Farmer’s Market. Kel and I were able to sleep in and went to the market around 8:00 am. Yes, 8:00 am is sleeping in around here. Truth be told, the sun rises around 5 in the morning and sets about 5 at night. Many people here base their entire days on the sun and they will get up with it very early in the morning.

The Farmer’s Market in Monteverde is much smaller than the one in Heredia, in fact, if you add them both together, you might get half of the market in Madison or Minneapolis. Even though they are smaller, the produce is undeniably fresher and sold directly by the people who picked or made it that morning.

Today at the market, our host family was serving breakfast to raise money for their dancing group. Tomas and Ana Patricia are very active in the Senior Citizen groups here in Monteverde. They dance, the fundraise, and they stay young doing it. They were serving Gallo Pinto, empanadas, coffee, aguadulce, and some deserts.

After eating, Kel and I wandered around the market, which was held in the high school’s gym. We knew we were cooking dinner tonight so we picked up ingredients for salad and for one of my staples – French bread served with goat cheese and a balsamic vinegar reduction. Also on the menu was a simple pasta and sauce because we’ve been eating lots of Tico style dishes and wanted to share some of our Italian background with the family.

Ingredients in hand, we headed back home, dropped off our supplies, and went to our next stop – the Ranario. The ranario is an exhibition of the various types of frogs found in Costa Rica. When we arrived, the next tour wouldn’t be for another hour, so we took the advantage of the chance to walk around the butterfly garden they also had there. Imagine 5 greenhouses filled with hundreds of butterflies. It was awesome. Flashes of orange, pink, and yellow flew through the air as you admired both the butterflies and the plants. The best of the butterfly garden was the last greenhouse. Inside were the most vivid blue and black butterflies I have ever seen. Costa Rica is known for this type, but they were so cool to see in such a large group.

The Ranario tour had some big shoes to fill after the butterfly garden, and it did a pretty good job filling them. In total, we saw about 20 different types of frogs and toads. I love the smaller frogs – which happen to be more poisonous. They have awesome names like blue jean frog or red eyed tree frog that use their colors to describe them. Because we went during the day when most of the frogs are sleeping, we get to go back tomorrow night for free and see the frogs in their more active state.

I don’t know if you have ever tried to cook in someone else’s kitchen before, but from my experiences, it’s tough. And dinner tonight was no exception. Mind you, the typical Tico kitchen is small to begin with, I was trying to cook for 7 people with a modest amount of tools. Iron Chef Casey had some challenges to face. Nevertheless, I was able to create some semblance of a meal to serve to our Tico family and their friends. The pasta and sauce were great…not too hard to mess that up. The salad was super fresh thanks to the great vinaigrette our Mama Tica made, but sadly, my bread didn’t turn out they way I wanted to. Turns out the goat cheese I bought at the Farmer’s Market wasn’t like the goat cheese I am used to at home. It was definitely more solid and tangier than what I buy at Trader Joe’s. We made do, and the family seemed to enjoy the meal. Tomas really enjoyed the balsamic reduction, so much so I caught him licking the pan!

We’re halfway there. Looking back on the days, we’ve had a lot of fun, but there is definitely more to come. Even as I write this blog for today, I am surprised with how full we can make a day. Let’s hope that we keep up the good work.

Bon appétit,
Casey

Day Thirteen - Monkeys in the Classroom

It’s Friday, Friday, Friday! Even when I’m out of the States, that song pops into my head. Usually Friday means the end of the week and relaxing weekend; however, this Friday is a little melancholy – it marks the halfway point of our trip. Time is flying by!

This morning, our Mama Tica made Gallo Pinto for breakfast. Remember, Gallo Pinto is a traditional Costa Rican dish that is made in almost every home here. Essentially it’s rice and black beans mixed together; nevertheless, each family has its own spin on it. This Gallo Pinto was a little bit different than the dish we had with our other Tico Family. This Gallo Pinto was a little bit drier and was served with fruit and cereal rather than eggs and bread. Both were delicious and I wouldn’t mind sampling some more dishes from other families.

To end the week of classes, my maestra decided it would be good to review everything we learned this week. Let me tell you, we learned a lot! Body parts, fruits and vegetables, countries and language, articles of clothing, past and future tense, and the list goes on! Tons of information is being thrown my way and I’m trying to be like an empty cup and take it all in. My Tico Family has definitely noticed a drastic improvement in my communication skills, for no other reason than that I know more words to help me express myself.

While I’m learning at leaps and bounds, Kelly is focusing more on the intricacies of the language. There might not be as big a jump for her, but her understanding is becoming much more profound, while I’m still very surface level. That is the great thing about CPI, the programs are designed to help you grow where you need to grow.

Whilst reviewing, something very interesting happened in class. I was reciting my favorite season and why, when all of a sudden, my maestra says “Monos! Mira, monos!” Yes, outside our classroom, in the trees, were a family of white faced monkeys. They were hopping around looking for food and creating quite the ruckus at CPI. Pretty much the entire school was out watching the monkeys play in the trees. The lunch lady, for a lack of a better English word, brought out some apples and some of the students gave them right to the monkeys. It was a cool experience and a reminder that we really are living in a rain forest.

Tonight, Kelly and I got to help in the kitchen to prepare dinner. We had tostadas with guacamole, black beans and the staple of every meal, rice. It was nice to help out and learn how the different foods are made down here.

Much love,

Casey

Day Twelve – “Con Gusto” means something totally different in Spain…

I finally learned how to speak in the future tense! That was my big breakthrough today in class. Prior to today, I was able to tell you what I am currently doing and what I had done before; however, I didn’t have a future! Now I do, and it looks pretty bright. The Spanish is coming along pretty well and every day I am learning new things.

Today’s adventure after school was a tour of a coffee plantation and farm called El Trapiche. This tour, like so many of the others was absolutely amazing. For about two hours, we walked around the grounds of the farm and plantation learning about where and how coffee is made. Besides the café, we also got another look into the farming culture of Costa Rica. We learned about sugar cane and the many uses of it, and to top it all off, we got to make our own sugar cane candy. The candy was REALLY sweet, almost too sweet to eat; nevertheless, we ate it. I really enjoyed the tour, and what made it even cooler was the fact that is was entirely in Spanish…and I understood most of it!

Funny story from the tour…While we were walking along the path, we talked about the importance of banana plants and one lady from Spain was trying to take a photo of the plant. I asked her if she wanted to have her picture with plant, but she said “No gracias.” I replied with “Con gusto” which is the Costa Rican way of say no worries and responding to gracias. Unbeknownst to me, “Con gusto” has a very different meaning in Spain. It literally translates to “With pleasure” and the older Spaniard turned a few shades of red. Kelly wasn’t jealous, but I definitely learned to be a bit  more careful of who I say “Con gusto” to.

After the tour, we headed home for dinner with Tomas and Ana Patricia. Over dinner we conversed about the tour and coffee, all in Spanish. These dinner time conversations are really helping my Spanish come along. I mean, I could conjugate verbs for days, but the actual application of the language is what truly leads to mastery. During dinner, we decided that Tomas and I share very similar personalities and hearts, much like that of a butterfly. We float around and try to make people happy. Kelly on the other hand decided she was more like a wasp – or we decided that for her…. I don’t know if I actual believe that though; Kel is definitely more like a beautiful bird than a wasp.

After Kelly and I went to bed tonight, it started raining tremendously hard. It definitely sounded like we were in a bomb shelter with the pitter patter of the rain hitting our tin roof. Even though we knew that our house was built for this type of weather, it was kind of scary! Rain like that usually means tornadoes or something else is on the war path, but luckily, there aren’t tornadoes here in Costa Rica. I’m happy about that because we definitely would have ended up in Oz with ruby red slippers if our house would have been caught up in that star.

I can’t believe it’s already Thursday, and our time in Monteverde is almost half over. The time is flying by; but isn’t that the saying – time flies when you’re having fun? We are having fun and loving every minute of it.

Pura Vida,

Casey

Day Eleven - Faster than a Quetzal

Can you tell the difference between when you know something and when you know something? That’s what I learned about today in class. Unlike in English, Spanish has two words to show the level of understanding of knowing something – saber and conocer. If you imagine an iceberg in the ocean, saber is the tiny bit above the water and conocer is the massive amount beneath the surface. I shared that analogy with my maestra and she thought it to be very profound…I guess going to UW actually did teach me something – the iceberg metaphor.

After class today, Kelly and I hopped into the kitchen at CPI for the weekly cooking class. The class offers many benefits, but two of the best are that you get to learn to make some type of typical Costa Rican food, and you get a free lunch for the day. Not too bad, eh?

Today’s class was how to create a perfect chimichunga.  With our heads wrapped in hairnets and hands washed, Kelly and I dove into making our food. I was the chopper and slicer and Kelly was the grater. We had about 6 other people cooking with us, but Kelly and I zipped through our jobs and ended up doing a lot of the work. What can I say, all those days cooking for each and watching the Food Network have really paid off!

The meal itself was pretty darn delicious. Two small chimichungas with fresh salsa, fresh guacamole, and a side salad. In just 45 minutes, we created a delicious meal for 8 people, and cleaned all our dishes too. That must be a record or something. In all reality, it was a fun class and we may try to sneak into the other class tomorrow….but don’t tell!

In the afternoon, Kel and I made our first trek down to the village of Monteverde. I am reluctant to even call it a village because it was so small, but there were a few things we were able to visit. We first stopped at the Casem Co-op which is a collection of different arts from local artists. One of the local artists contributing to the co-op is our host mother. We told her tonight that we saw her picture there and that we were a little starstruck to be in her home. Much laughter followed that statement.

After glancing at the art at the co-op, we made our way to two places for snacks – Stella’s Bakery and a chocolateria. At Stella’s we had a very fresh jugo naturale made with fresh strawberries and water and a chocolate croissant. With the abundance of fruit available in Costa Rica, it’s very common to have some with every meal. I especially enjoy the jugo naturals both with water or milk. They are the perfect way to help pass a warm day.

And of course, when Kelly saw the word chocolate, we had to stop. This chocolateria is located in upstairs in a combination hotel, art gallery, chocolate shop, and bat tour. Kelly and I had 4 different types of chocolate – vodka, Kalhua, cognac, and coffee. No, we’re not alcoholics – we just like chocolate infused with booze.  This chocolate was pretty good, but the shop in La Fortuna was a little better in my humble opinion.

The other item on our agenda for today was Movie Night at CPI. When I heard that, I thought, “AWESOME, we’re going to get to see a new release in Spanish!” However, per usual, I was wrong. Movie night in a town in the cloud forest means popping in a DVD and eating popcorn.

We tried to watch  Frida, but it was in English; we tried to watch Evita, but it was in English, and finally we decided on watching another film – No sabe, No Contesta. It was a cute flick about a guy falling in love even as the life around him seems to be falling apart. Kel and I both really enjoyed it – we’re suckers for a good romantic comedy.

I can’t believe we’re already halfway through this week. Time is flying by faster than the quetzal, and we have to make sure we take advantage of every moment of it. We’re filling every hour we can with activities and lessons, but every moment is worth it.

Mucho amor,

Casey

Day Ten – Sloth or no sloth, we’re going to have a good time!

It’s interesting how quickly you can get into a routine, time and time again. We’ve only been attending classes in Monteverde for two days, and I already feel like I have my routine down. True enough, the routine hasn’t changed much from Heredia to Monteverde, but I didn’t expect it to come this quickly.

Class is going pretty well. That old adage about it being easier to learn a language is young is being illustrated quite well in my class. My other classmate is a  50 something pastor from Texas, and although he is doing a really good job in class, I am moving a bit faster than him. That being said, it has been nice to take the time to help teach and reteach the class. They say once you’re able to reteach something, you’ve mastered it. I don’t know if I’ve mastered all my lesson so far; however, I know that I am helping my classmate and teacher move through the lessons.

Kelly and I decided to try lunch outside CPI today. Usually, a cook from or near the CPI campus prepares meals for the students for about 2000 colones, or 4 bucks. In Heredia, it was the same routine of beans, rice, and salad for us vegetarians, but they would drop the price around 500 colones, but in Monteverde, the cook charges 2500 colones, or 5 bucks, no matter if the dish is with meat or without. Wanting something a tad bit different, Kelly and I found a little café close to the school for our almuerzo. The place was cute and served a killer egg, cheese, and tomato sandwich – the spices were to die for.

After lunch, we headed back to CPI and I was able to chat with mi madre for a bit and get my homework done while Kelly finished up her extra classes. We were going to see a movie at CPI with some other students, but they moved the movie to Wednesday. Nevertheless, Kelly and I found a good use of our time – a night walk in the rain forest. Like I said earlier, Monteverde is located directly in one of the world’s largest rain/cloud forests.

Wild life abound and flashlights ready, we began our adventure. For the most part, it was a hike through some trails in the dark chasing a sloth that didn’t want to be seen. However, our guide had grown up on the property and knew so much about the wild life there. From the strangling fig tree that grows only by suffocating its host tree to the numerous facts about the different types of insects in the forest, our guide made our adventure not only fun, but informative. In our group, there was a couple from England who were delighted to see for the first time raccoons and possums in the flesh. The guy from New York said, “Big deal, these guys get in my garbage all the time!” and Kelly and I just smiled and appreciated the nature around us.

One cool fact from the trip, banana trees aren’t really trees - they’re weeds. Also, they repopulate by sending shoots out from underground like other weeds do. However, this fact causes a bit of confusion for scientists. Banana “trees” produce a fruit and flower, but they don’t use them to spread their seed. They are still trying to figure out why this is…Interesting ,no?

Tomorrow brings more classes, including a cooking class for lunch, and watching a film a CPI. We’re doing it the Tico way and emphasizing the Pura Vida.

Keep in touch and leave comments!

Casey 

More Photos Including Our Trip to Arenal!

Beers on our last night in San Joaquin de Flores. They open the beer and cover it to keep flies away.

The Farmer's Market in San Joaquin de Flores. Super fresh and super open.

Our first Tico pet - Chille Jalepeno!

Our first view of Volcan Arenal.

Kelly in our massive shower at the resort.

Another view of the shower - with plants!

A flower on our nature hike.

Our guide Walter.

The first view of the Baldi Hot Springs. The first of 26 hot springs.

I'm under the poor man's umbrella.

Kelly's a poor man too!

Another flower on the tour.

Volcan Arenal in the morning. No clouds here!

They call this the rattlesnake plant.

Kelly and I by the waterfall.

View of the waterfall in La Fortuna.

Casey, Waterfall, Kelly

A view from our new host families home.

I love all the flowers here.

Kelly likes them too.