Bocas del Toro, Panama

Semana Santa in Latin America is one of the most important holidays of the entire year.  Most businesses take at least two days off, and all the schools and universities have the whole week off! I had to renew my tourist visa, which expires every 90 days, so I decided to go with some of the teachers to Panama.  I'd heard very good things about Bocas del Toro, which is an island chain about two hours from the Costa Rica-Panama border.  It definitely didn't disappoint!

It was so great to have 5 days off and relax! We stayed on an island called Isla Bastimentos, which is separate from the town of Bocas del Toro...you have to take a water taxi to get to it.  Isla Bastimentos is home to one of the most popular and famous beaches in all of Panama, called Red Frog Beach.  It was a great place to suntan and drink the famous pipas...not so great to swim too far out though. There are a lot of riptides, and I actually got stuck in one!

The first day was rainy and cold...we walked to the beach in the rain and even went in the water, but everything stayed soaking wet, including our clothes and towels, so we just hung out at the hostel for the rest of the day.  The next day, we decided to go into Bocas Town and have some lunch, as well as get money out from the ATM (Isla Bastimentos doesn't have anything, so you have to ride the water taxi in to even get out money!).  We enjoyed a delicious seafood meal on the water, which was a luxury, as the fish in San José can be hit or miss (and even a little sketchy at times).

We also got to go on a tour to two of the other islands a little further away from the actual town of Bocas.  It was still overcast and windy, so the waves were really choppy, but we got to go to Isla de Pájaros (Island of Birds).  It was beautiful...unfortunately we couldn't snorkel because of the rough surf, and we couldn't get out of the boat because the small island is only home to birds.

After Isla de Pájaros, we went to Isla de Estrellas (Starfish Beach).  By then, the sun had come out and we spent most of the day at this beach hanging out with a lot of starfish! I got to hold two before some men came by and yelled at us for holding them. 

The last night, my friend (and fellow teacher) Sonia and one of her students, Valeria, went out for a few hours to a bar in Bocas Town called Barco Hundido (Sunken Ship).  It was nice, out on the water, with peepholes where you could see lots of different fish swimming below.

Overall, I was sad to leave Bocas, and I would love to go back in the future! I would highly recommend Panama to anyone...I had a great experience.  The culture is definitely different from Costa Rica.  The people aren't as friendly initially, but once you get to know them, they love you! Everything costs a lot less here too.  Even though Bocas del Toro is touristy, the prices of food and lodging are much more affordable than most places in Costa Rica.

Manuel Antonio

Manuel Antonio is a national park on the Pacific side of the country.  It has the best of both worlds, combining amazing beaches with rainforest.  Every time I go there, I want to stay longer and I always see a different type of animal than I did on the previous visits.  I went the third week of March to meet up with my friend, Paola, and her family.  I had seen her the weekend before in San José, but it was a brief visit, as they were heading to Arenal the next day.  Luckily, I found the time to head to Manuel Antonio for a night to see her, and I'm so glad I did...we had a great time!

I met her, her husband Yuri, and their boys, Diego and Marco at the park.  I left San José later than originally planned, and she didn't have a phone, so they were left with nothing to do but wait for me at the park entrance.  Once I showed up, we paid for a guide (which I had never had before) and started into the park.  I'm so glad we had the guide, because he knew exactly where all the animals were hiding out. 

After the guide, we hung out on the beach for a couple hours just enjoying the beautiful weather that weekend.  The water was the perfect temperature, and it was great getting to catch up on the last three months since I was home in Flagstaff for Christmas with Paola.

After the park, we ate at a restaurant close to the park entrance, then hopped in their rental car for the short but windy drive back down the road to Quepos, which is the closest town to Manuel Antonio, and where I would stay for the night. On our way, we stopped at a really cool restaurant that utilized an airplane...it was appropriately named "El Avion".

The next morning, I met Paola and her family at their hotel for some breakfast and more beach hang out time at Playa Espadilla...this beach is the main public beach at Manuel Antonio, but their hotel was all the way on the north end, so it was nice and quiet.  There is also another smaller, more private beach called Playa Playitas (funny, I know). I had a great, relaxing weekend!

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!