Liberia

The first week of March I headed north to my favorite province in Costa Rica, Guanacaste.  Whether it's because it's the first place I visited in Costa Rica or because I was with my parents at the time, I don't know.  Liberia has a very special place in my heart.  I've blogged about a language school there called Instituto Estelar Bilingue, which was the first school I interviewed with after I got my IDELT certificate...I actually was in contact with her while I was still in Chile. 

The primary purpose of my trip to Liberia was to see the school and meet the director, Bethany.  I arrived there on a Friday night after a very comfortable ride on an air conditioned bus (almost unheard of!).  I got settled at the hotel and wandered the two blocks down the street to the school.  

Bethany actually told me there was a job opening at the end of April, as that's when one of her teachers would be leaving because it was the end of their contract.  I would love to head up there that soon, but as I've already committed to going home in August, I told her September would be better.  

Conveniently, the Fiestas de las Civicas were also going on in Liberia that weekend, and I took the opportunity to explore the town a little more. I love the culture, it's very different from San José and the Central Valley.  There is a more relaxed vibe here.  No one is in much of a hurry to do anything.  The people are happier and live longer, and I can understand why.  They have orgullo, or pride for not just their country but also their province, town, and all the people that live there. 

I think I understand why Guanacaste is my favorite.  It reminds me of home.  For the 72 short hours I was in Liberia, I felt more at home than I had since returning to Costa Rica on New Years Day.  The people greeted me like they'd known me for years.  I got to observe a kid's class that Bethany teaches on Saturdays, and it was great to be able to see the teaching style a bit before I actually teach there.  I really hope this job works out in September, because right now, I need more relaxation, less stress, and a little more of the "Guanacasteco" culture in mi vida. :)

Here are some pictures of the "tope" or parade in the streets of Liberia:

My parents visit Costa Rica! Part 2: La Fortuna/Arenal Volcano

My third trip to Costa Rica and I finally got to see Arenal! I now know what all the fuss is about.  The volcano is only a mile high (5,500 feet), but it towers over everything else around it, including the small, tourist town of La Fortuna.  

We stayed at a really nice little eco-lodge on the edge of La Fortuna...it was a dirt road off a dirt road kind of place.  There was a pool and a river on the hotel grounds, and the day we arrived it was pretty hot, so we opted for these options instead of the infamous hot springs nearby.

The next day, we went horseback riding to La Fortuna Waterfall. It was an amazing tour with amazing views! 

We even got to check out one of the native tribes living near the active volcano, and swim in the cool water near the falls.

We didn't even make it into the national park or Lake Arenal, but it was an amazing weekend in La Fortuna. The scenery and volcano views are to die for! I would love to go back and explore more when I have another long weekend!!!

My parents visit Costa Rica! Part 1: San José

By far the hardest thing about being in Costa Rica is being away from my family and friends...the two people I miss the most are my parents.  It was so great to have them visit! 

The week they were here was by far the most fun week I've had so far in Costa Rica. We went to two museums (one of which was a new one for me) and went to visit La Fortuna/Arenal volcano, which I've wanted to do for a long time.  I also showed them Máximo and where I live in Vargas Araya.  They stayed about 15 minutes away from work, in a great part of the city called Los Yoses.  A lot of embassies are there, and the neighborhoods and restaurants all have a more European flair.

They arrived on a Tuesday night, so I went to have dinner with them after work at 9.  The next day we walked from my house to Maximo and we booked a couple of tours and our weekend in La Fortuna/Arenal.  They got to meet most of my co-workers and the international team, and then I showed them the university campus.  Thursday we went to have lunch with my roommate at this great little Cajun/BBQ (Costa Rican style, of course).  After that, we went to the National Museum, which I had been to before five years earlier when I studied at UCR.  

 

I hadn't seen the butterfly house that was added a few years ago. 

 We then went to the Gold Museum, which was a new experience for me and probably my favorite museum in San Jose so far!

Tamarindo

Gah I'm so behind! I'm now blogging for a website called Go Overseas as well as The Literacy Center, the organization in Flagstaff that I volunteered with...and today, BridgeTEFL (the organization that got me the job at Máximo and took the IDELT course with) emailed me today and said they wanted to make me a regular contributor!!! Sometimes I tend to take on too much, but blogging is great because I can share my experiences with people around the world, as well as tell my friends and family back home about my experiences. Long story short, I apologize in advance for long lapses on my posts here.

Alright, now back to regularly scheduled blogging!!

The first weekend of February was a long one, since we had our monthly staff meeting on a Thursday.  This meant we could actually leave San José early the next morning for Tamarindo, which is the northwestern province of Guanacaste.  I went with one of my fellow teacher friends, Carissa, who had actually just finished her contract with Máximo.  The bus ride does take forever, since they have to stop frequently to pick people up/let people off the bus.  I would say it was worth it with the perfect temperatures and temperate water...Guanacaste is much drier than the rest of the country.  Some of the views on the way to the beach made me think we were in Africa!!

No better way to celebrate a long weekend than with views like this:

 And this...

Oh, I forgot to mention...we stayed at the cutest hostel ever! We think the owner was from somewhere in Scandanavia somewhere, since the theme was cows and the name of the hostel was "La Botella de Leche" (A bottle of milk).  It was cheap, clean, and comfortable with a huge kitchen/lounge area, a TV, pool, rack for hanging towels/wet clothes, and even a washer! If you're in Tamarindo, definitely stay there!!! :)

And it wouldn't be a successful weekend at the beach without a gorgeous sunset!

Weekend in Jacó

In mid January, I went back to Jacó with two girls from work, Emma and Chloe. Chloe is a fellow teacher and Emma is on the international team at Máximo as a field manager.  We made our way downtown around 11 a.m. and ended up having to wait in line to buy bus tickets.  In true Costa Rican fashion, we didn't end up leaving San José until around 1.  

We got to the hostel and checked in.  Chloe works at one of the hostels in San Pedro, so we ended up staying in the staff dorms.  It was kind of funny because it was the three of us and one guy.  The bathroom didn't have a door and we had to pour water in the toilet in order to flush it, so we definitely had an interesting time there.  The hostel itself was really nice, and about 200 feet from the beach.  We definitely didn't waste much time getting there as it was hot and humid...absolutely perfect beach weather!

It was the first trip I'd taken since Manuel Antonio in December and also the first since I returned to Costa Rica on New Years Day.  It was a short trip, but nice and relaxing! 

Playa Hermosa/Jacó

The third week of November was my adjustment week...I finally started to feel comfortable with all of the Costa Rican customs and culture.  This was the weekend that I wanted to socialize with some of the TEFL students and other staff at Máximo, so what better way to do that than go to the beach?

We left Máximo at 7:00 a.m. and headed for Playa Hermosa.  There are actually two beaches named Playa Hermosa in Costa Rica (not that it's confusing at all...), one in Guanacaste and one in Puntarenas.  We went to the one in Puntarenas since its closer...only about 2 hours away from San Pedro.  Playa Hermosa is a gorgeous black sand beach just outside of the more touristy beach, Jacó.

First, we stopped for a stretch/bathroom break...where we also got the opportunity to take pictures of some crocodiles wading in a river.  This is really a tourist stop, as most of the people taking pictures of the crocs were foreigners.

Once we got to Playa Hermosa, we enjoyed the first sunny day of our stay in Costa Rica just relaxing on the beach and swimming in the Pacific Ocean.

 

After Playa Hermosa, we went to Jacó for lunch.  Jacó is way more developed, with lots of hotels and more tourists than Playa Hermosa.  I liked Playa Hermosa more, as it has a small beach town type of vibe...definitely more my style. :)

Adjustment period

After my culture shock abated, I finally started to feel at home in Costa Rica.  The city still has its downfalls, and as much as I'd love to live closer to the beach or in the mountains (since transportation here is insane), I'm oddly happy living in a big city.  I moved from the apartment I spent November in to a house in Vargas Araya, which is about a 10-15 minute bus ride to work.  Everything is close; there's a market a block away, as well as a bar/restaurant, Chinese restaurant, bakery/panadería, ice cream shop, and a couple of video rental places.  My roommates are great, and I love the house.

Last night was the Christmas party at Máximo.  It was so great to have fun with my new family.  I really do love everyone that works there.  We had great food, dancing, drinks, and gift giving in the form of Secret Santas.  

I'm really excited to go home and play in all the snow.  Flagstaff got 18 inches at the airport, and there was a foot at my parents' house.  I'm looking forward to seeing all my friends and family and telling them about my Costa Rican adventures...I feel like it's been forever since I left home.  Part of this comes from feeling like I've changed. Maybe it's because I'm living an independent life for the first time and I've had to adjust to everything on my own.  I've met amazing people, but my loved ones at home mean everything to me.