Costa Rica Trip: Journal

May 28, 2010: Travel/San Jose:
After a very early morning, and a brief panic when I forgot all of my cash, we arrived at O’Hare airport in Chicago within record time (I think just under an hour). Check-in went very, very well, and the flight was full, but surprisingly fast (only 3 hours). Our transfer in Cancun went well also. We had only an hour long layover – not a lot of time when you consider getting through customs and then to our next plane, which was due to begin boarding a half hour after our arrival. However, we were ushered out of customs and directly back into the next international terminal… a big relief! Cancun was familiar (surprisingly since we’ve only been there once before), and oddly relaxing. The flight was late departing, but it was nice to sit a bit. Once we left the runway, the flight from Cancun to San Jose was only about 1hr 50mins. It was a great chance to practice my Spanish too, since the Stewards began asking their questions, and responding to my replies, in Spanish! I loved it! Once in San Jose, we were again ushered along very quickly… it’s amazing how easy immigration/customs is in other countries! We got through so quickly that I was a little confused as to whether or not we were actually out. Before I knew it, we had our luggage in hands, some money exchanged for local cash (which I will remember not to do at the airport next time – terrible exchange rate), and were out on the curb. Our drivers met us about 15 or 20 minutes late, but were very nice. The driver was a woman who spoke almost perfect English, and she did a good job getting us acquainted with the ins and outs of traveling in San Jose and then touring the rest of the country.
The hotel we’re in is adorable! It’s like this old style hotel with Spanish/Caribbean architecture, tile, courtyards, ironwork, and lots of very friendly and welcoming staff. We got up to our room, and Melis took some pictures. We then got quickly settled in, and I called my contact at the college. He was very nice, sounded a bit younger than I was expecting, and asked if we could meet tomorrow morning. It turns out that we’re staying only about 15 to 20 minutes away during light traffic (which apparently only happens late at night and before dawn), but about an hour or so away the rest of the time. So – we have an appointment for tomorrow at 8am.

Given that we now had some extra time, Melis and I decided to walk around a bit. We were tired and hungry, so we didn’t go far (maybe just a few blocks), but it was enough to take in how lush it is here and how beautiful some of this old architecture is! The jungle sounds (even though we aren’t in a jungle… just very lush area) gave us a laugh too, and we marveled at all of the noisy green parrots all over the place. They’re everywhere! Dinner in the courtyard of some little grill was fantastic, but we’re starting to see a pattern… no one is in a rush here. Service is slow and relaxed, which for someone like myself is a bit hard to get used to. I had Casado, which is a traditional dish served with rice, beans, plantains, meat (chicken), egg, and a salad (which was shredded lettuce, avocado, and tomatoes). It sounds like an odd combination, but it was incredible!!! Melissa had another traditional dish (the name escapes me right now) that reminded me of 4 meat tostadas with plantains, potatoes, and fresh salsa. She let me have some, and it was equally fantastic! Yum… something tells me I’m going to be putting on a few pounds while I’m here! After dinner, we walked back to the hotel and took them up on some complimentary “punch”. It was less like punch, and more like a fruit smoothie… quite refreshing. We enjoyed them while sitting out on a patio that looked over a busy little corner. It's weird, but I can almost feel the stress oozing out of me. It was just SO nice to just sit and talk. After relaxing for a bit, we walked around the hotel a bit (exploring some of the quaint nooks).

As I write this, I have the TV on in the background… a combination of Spanish and English (they have both channels, but this seems to be a bit more of a mix). Melissa is sound asleep next to me, and I’m starting to feel a little tired myself. I think I’ll send off a few quick emails, check my class posts, and then head off to sleep.

I feel very blessed right now! - ck

May 29, 2010: Bus /San Jose & Arenal:

I slept like a rock last night. Wish I could say the same for Melis who says she tossed and turned. Our window to the courtyard overlooks the lobby area, and she said she could hear people coming and going all night. We were up and out of the door by 5am (6am CST) to do some exploring. The staff gave us a light boxed breakfast that included two sandwiches and some mixed fruit. We ate them gratefully while sipping on some coffee and listening to the sounds of San Jose waking up. Again… parrots were everywhere. The morning weather was somewhat cloudy, but comfortable and breezy. About 7am, showered and changed, we caught a cab to Heredia to meet at the college. The driver got a bit lost, but it was a good way for me to practice my Spanish and we still made it ½ hour early for the appointment. The school is small, but gorgeous! The students were beginning to assemble around the campus for classes. Everyone was very nice. We peaked around a bit before running into Bernal (my contact). Bernal is one of the busiest men I’ve met yet. The weight of the English language program appears to be on his shoulders (as he said, the fault of that is likely his own). It made me wonder how some of my managerial skills might come in handy here as well. He was very welcoming, brought us into the office/administration/registration area, and chatted with us here and there as he ran to and from classes and quick touch base meetings with either current teachers or new teachers who were arriving (he was originally hoping that I was in this month’s batch of incoming teachers). I didn’t complain since it gave me a chance to meet some of the students (and at least 1 new teacher). I thought it was interesting that when I asked one student why she was studying English, her answer was “because it’s necessary” (in an incredulous manner, as if my question were flat out silly). Our meeting was quick, but informative. It’s a private school regulated by the government. The English language program has been growing by leaps and bounds (doubling every year for the last few years). They have about 900 students, and at the beginning of the year, only 7 teachers. As of this month, that number is up to 14. He seemed to like my experience, and my goals, and gave me some more direction towards completing my paperwork. He said it was very important that we keep in touch as we move closer to the August 1st deadline (which is when the next set of classes begins). I have a lot of work to do (US Dept of State, Costa Rican consulate, ect…). I thought it was a good meeting … a sentiment that Melissa seems to agree with. We want to continue moving forward.

Upon return to the hotel, we had a quick “bio-break” and then headed out to do some more exploring. (It’s time to explore Costa Rica!) We found the small “locals” café to have breakfast…. another great opportunity to practice my Spanish (our Spanish lessons are coming in handy). The food was fantastic… and the coffee … well … I don’t know that I’ve ever enjoyed such a cup in the USA. This had a thick golden crema on it, and tasted smooth and rich. Wow! After that we walked around “The Boulevard”, which is a main street cutting through the downtown area, yet is closed off to car traffic… foot traffic only. It’s full of shops, street vendors, and musicians. The crowds were amazing.

Shortly thereafter, we had a quick breather before the bus came to pick us up for the long haul to Arenal and La Fortuna. When we realized we were coming to Costa Rica, we told ourselves we had to visit this place. It’s at the base of one of the world’s most active volcanoes! The drive was maybe just a bit over 3 hours, and through lots of mountainous/hilly roads. We checked in sort of late, had a good dinner, and then went to bed (we were both exhausted). During the night, we awoke to a bit of a roar, and looked out the window to see the volcano erupting! Melissa says she caught the actual eruption (which was quick), but I only caught the trails of red molten rock barreling down the side of the mountain. (They aren’t so much lava flows as they are landslides of red hot rocks and debris.) It was a very cool site, and repeated at least once more during the night!

May 30, 2010: Arenal (La fortuna):
Didn’t sleep much last night – I think that the excitement of the volcano erupting several times was too much (we’ve had 3 more eruptions this morning!) … plus the bed wasn’t totally comfortable. Woke up early and headed down for a free breakfast buffet. It was delicious, and very filling. Had lots of time to work on homework. Was a bit frustrated that I couldn’t get online, but then internet connects while in Arenal haven’t been good – oh well!
Did a canopy zipline tour and Tarzan swing… well worth it! I'm very glad Melissa signed us up! Wow – talk about an adrenaline rush! There was time for a bit of leisurely rest as well… plus more time for homework. I don’t recall the last time we were this “unrushed”! We wanted to go to the other side of the volcano where the lava flows are regularly seen, but it was expensive and we were hungry, so we opted to go into town instead. Dinner was good, but not great (neither did it seem like typical Tico-fare). It was kind of nice to walk around La Fortuna afterward. Lots of people were in the main park tonight. When we got tired, we took a cab back to the hotel. The cabby was talkative (in Spanish), so it was another great opportunity to practice our Spanish. Melis says she understood a lot of what he was saying… I’m very proud of how quickly she’s picking Spanish up. She’ll be beyond me in no time! I got the feeling the cabby was also trying to shake us down a bit… he took a wrong turn, and then went unusually slow in a couple of spots – seemed a bit fishy.

Spent a good portion of the night discussing work, school, teaching, and where to go/what to do next (with these potential plans for me teaching down here). Melissa is VERY supportive and encouraging, but I’m still wary of leaving her in Wisconsin and the financial impact of this sort of change. However, in the end we both agreed that we’d continue moving forward, and that if God wants it to happen, he’ll take care of all the particulars. It would be a dream come true! … not to mention the boost to my resume/experience!

May 31, 2010: travel/Tamarindo:
The bus ride from Arenal to Tamarindo was about 3.5 hours long –wow. The driver drove like a Chicago cabby pretty much the whole time. We saw two monkeys and a Toucan on the trip – cool! Again, I’m struck by how beautiful and lush it is here. It’s amazing!

We’re in Tamarindo as I write this. We got in about 2 hours ago. We both agree that what we’ve seen of Tamarindo so far is reminiscent of Rosarito, Mexico. We are still incredibly thankful and excited to be in Costa Rica, but we’re a bit disappointed with Tamarindo. It strikes me as kind of dirty. This is also the first time I felt “unsafe”. There are a LOT of Caucasians here, particularly surfers… but not SoCal-type surfers… more like strung-out surfers who are dirty and too thin! Lunch was fantastic at a seaside restaurant. It’s VERY hot here, so sitting outside under the palms and umbrellas while the surf breeze cooled us down was very relaxing/welcome! Lunch was expensive though… $55 USD. We’ll make sure to give Tamarindo a “chance”, but we’re already debating leaving for some exploration elsewhere. We’ll see…

After a nap back at the hotel, we both strayed out again. We walked up and down a good portion of the main strip. It’s mostly hotels, gift shops, and surf shops. There are so many surf shops, that I almost don’t understand how any of them can make money… seems like there would simply be too much competition! During our walk tonight, I was approached three times by people in the shadows saying, “Pst! Hey man! Hey!” In general, I followed the rule that when someone on a foreign street, in the dark, comes up to and goes, “Pst! Hey man…” … don’t acknowledge them! However, the last one got the best of me and so I answered back “Hey.” He then replied, “I got what you need.” To which I answered, “No thanks. I have everything I need already.” He then shouted back as we walked on, “What about you woman, man?” we walked on… Another comment as we turned back toward the hotel was, “You smoke weed, man?” Tamarindo is such a lovely place…

We ate dinner at the hotel. My dinner was wonderful (Tamarindo chicken), while Melissa’s was just “good” (mahi-mahi with a basil tapenade). I think the mosquitoes made a wonderful meal out of me as well. Melissa seemed just “good” to them. I was the lucky “wonderful” one!

June 1, 2010: Tamarindo:

Slept OK. Got up early and found some coffee down near the pool. No one was there, but the pot was hot and the cups all out… and I NEEDED my morning cup. I love how much coffee is a part of Costa Rican culture! After Melis got up, we walked down to the local panaderia. It was all French pastry, so I got a chocolate croissant and another cup of coffee. Melis had a cappuccino. We walked around a bit (the place still looks/feels dirty), and then went to Alamo to rent a car (total basic economy care – a manual transmission too!). They placed a $1000 hold on my credit card! Yikes! After that, had some trouble taking out cash, but we think it was the bank. My card worked when we went to another bank. (Lesson: don’t ask bank workers for help. They refuse. I tried to call at the hotel, but noticed we don’t have a phone. I tried the front desk, but they were confused about how to dial internationally. Ugh!) After getting that all straightened out, Melis and I headed South toward Samara. Uhm…. Turns out it’s all dirt roads! Wow – I’ve never seen so many ruts and potholes in my life! It’s like playing a video game where you’re avoiding road hazards while driving 60 kph – OK, will maybe I was going about half the speed limit: 30 kmp. (Mental image: Remember the car ride in Disney’s future land? They were on rails, but as a kid you thought it was SO cool to look like you were driving it, so you’d just wildly swing the steering wheel back and forth. Well… that’s what driving looked like! … only I WAS driving!)

Aside from the dirt roads, the drive South was breathtaking! The countryside here is so lush and tropical! We drove for about an hour and a half before Melis saw a sign for the playa. We found the beach, parked in a small dirt lot (guarded by Victor who was very nice and promised to keep our car safe if we’d tip him later – another great chance to practice my Spanish!), and then walked out onto a beach that looked like something out of a post card: Playa Negra! Wow! Melissa describes it as a quiet, peaceful beach out of a Corona commercial. The sand was dark (but not black), and the inland edge of the sand was lined with small twisted trees where we saw a few people here and there resting. So, we found our own spot as well, and hung out… soaking in the serenity and beauty of the place. The surf was good, but not dangerous, and the water was lukewarm… ever so slightly cooler than the air temperature. We both took a dip (I played in the waves a bit) and then we headed back to the car where we thought we saw a café tucked back into the palms.
Sure enough… we found Lola’s. It was a cool cantina, complete with outside seating and music. We had lunch there while watching the local iguanas compete for sun on a nearby tree. The café kept a pig in the back too, and we could hear it getting upset (or perhaps just trying for attention) every once in a while. After that, we gave my new friend, Victor, his tip, and then after he helped us back out, we headed south again. Nothing much to report there… just more dirt roads, ranches, and tiny towns. By 4pm, we were turned around, and headed back to Tamarindo. Melissa’s burn was also coming in nicely.

Back at the hotel, I worked on homework for a while, and then we went to dinner at a cute restaurant on the beach. We were ON the beach until it started raining, then moved up to a more covered area. We had some drinks and dessert at the hotel, then went back up to the room to watch some American TV (I’m still amazed at all of the English TV out here) before dabbing on a lotion we picked up at the farmacia for mosquito bites, and going to bed.

June 2, 2010: Tamarindo:
Woke up before Melis this morning, and decided to go take a walk. (How did I end up with MORE mosquito bites!) It was about 6am. Apparently this town doesn’t wake up until 7 … it was a ghost town! Bars still have bottles and ash trays on them… looks as if no one has cleaned from the night before. Barely ran into anyone either… just a few cabbies here and there. The beach was nice and quiet (people-wise). The surf was high, and I ran into a few people strolling along the beach. Surfers were out catching waves. Dogs (as they are everywhere around here) were running around playing on their own. This was a nice place to pray this morning.

Walked back to the hotel. I think it rained last night as the roads are very muddy and everything looks sort of washed down (this is a very dirty town). Melis and I went down stairs and grabbed some coffee and a bite to eat at the hotel. The server there was very nice. It was just us and one other couple… and about 20 flies! We decided to walk downtown together – Melissa wants a beach towel in case we find another cool beach on our exploration today. I was still hungry (fruit and cereal didn’t do it for me), so we found another place right on the beach to have some beans & rice and eggs (called gallo pinto by the locals). It was nice to sit and eat while watching the waves. The breeze was nice also, especially since it was already in the low 80’s. I think that maybe I’m starting to get more used to the pace around here… very unrushed.

Headed out for the golfo today. We thought we’d head out that way and see some more of the locals. More dirt roads, but only for about 20 or 30 minutes this time before it turned into a paved highway. We passed through several towns. What they consider a good sized town (on our map) is about the size of Morenci (if any of you remember that place)… there’s not much to them. We stopped at one local artisan’s pottery shack. He didn’t know any English, so it was a good opportunity to practice Spanish. It was some cool stuff, and we could see their firing oven, so we believed him when he said he made the stuff right there. Got about to the golfo when I was getting tired. We pulled off at some bar/rest stop. Turns out it was this nice lady’s house with an outdoor bar in her front yard. She didn’t know any English, so… you guessed it, another great place to practice Spanish! I used the restroom, which I shared with a gecko, and then we sat for a while and soaked in her lovely garden. There were butterflies everywhere, and Melis got some great photos. The woman was curious and asked if she could see them. She seemed pleased. She also told us to go the other way and check out a bridge were she said there would be a good spot to take pictures. So, we turned around and headed that way. Unfortunately, a HUGE storm was coming in, and … well… tropical thunderstorms we soon learned are nothing to take lightly!!! Yikes! So, we started heading back to Tamarindo… trying to pear through the wall of water outside of the car.

Dinner was nice tonight. We had a break in the rain that was long enough to walk downtown and kickback on the beach. Our table was under cover, which was good, because the storm must have double backed around and it soon felt like we were in a restaurant that sat dead center under a waterfall! It was actually kind of cool to see all the rain, lightning, and hear the thunder as we ate and drank under the palms and our thatched roof restaurant (with no walls)! The dilemma came in when we were done, but the rain was still pretty intense. We figured we’d just settle the bill and then call a cab… when … suddenly it let up. We dashed out and walked back to the hotel just in time as it was starting to rain again as we arrived. It was an interesting day!

Finished up some more homework. I’m actually not only caught up now, but also ahead enough to take a break tomorrow and just enjoy the day. I don’t recall the last time I could say that!

June 3, 2010: Tamarindo:

It was another early morning (Costa Rica style). We were up by about 6 am and downstairs for a pickup at 8am. I had to drop off our rental car in between there. Our driver/guide was nice. I’ve forgotten his name already, but the hotel manager said he knew him and he could give us a good tour of the local estuary (a State Park/Reserve). He took us down to the beach, to an area with several small boats outfitted with outboard motors and extra chairs. We climbed in and began the journey up the estuary. It was at a nice leisurely pace, and he pointed out items of special interest: mangroves, birds, giant termite nests, etc. It was a beautiful day, and we got lots of great pictures. After winding up the estuary for a while, the waterway began to narrow, and we were soon traveling up through the small waterways between the mangroves. It was here that we saw a tree iguana and a couple of alligators. The sounds of the jungle around us, the water, and the murmur of the boat motor were mesmerizing. At one point he shut off the motor, and I got some great video of what almost looks like some sort of Disney jungle cruise! About then he spotted something far off in the taller trees. It was a family of Howler Monkeys! This guy was awesome at bird and monkey calls, so he started calling to them to work them up a bit. (The sound they make is really awesome!)
At that, he turned the boat around, anchored us on a slight opening in the jungle, and guided us on a hike through the mud, crabs (the larger orange ones dig burrows in the mud), and insects. Not long into the hike, we came across a female Howler. To Melis and I, he could have ended the hike right there and we would have been very happy. However, he kept calling for us to continue… so we did. Soon after, we found ourselves surrounded by what he thought were about 12 monkeys or more! One word for you: “wow!” They didn’t seem alarmed, but instead sort of surrounded us trying to get a good view of the weird humans who had invaded their home.
This was most definitely the experience of a lifetime!!! After staying for about 15 or 20 minutes, and taking tons of pictures and video, we headed back to the boat and then back down the estuary to where we began. Our guide fed us some pineapple as we headed back to shore (the fruit here as been very, very good).

After the tour, Melis and I headed out for lunch. (I was approached to buy “weed” again – what’s up with these people?!) We found a great little locals place on the beach, and watched another storm come in. After that, we browsed through some of the souvenir shops, ducking in and out of the rain, and then headed back up the dirt (now mud) road to the hotel. Both of us worked on our computers for a bit (downloading pictures, answering a few quick emails), napped, and then decided to stay in for the night. We were tired, and had begun packing for the long day of travel ahead. Tomorrow morning we’re being picked up around 4AM for the 4 to 5 hour drive to San Jose, then we fly from San Jose to Cancun for an hour and a half layover before flying from Cancun to O’hare. After that, we have about an hour to hour and a half drive home. We should be home by 11PM. I teach on Saturday morning, but after that I just have some homework to do before we can just relax.

We have been very blessed! This was a wonderful trip! It’s given us some great memories, and lots to think about.

Chris


(PS - you may be able to click on the above pictures for larger images.)