My second visa run led me to the tiny, touristy beach town of San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. I was fortunate that my friend from Flag, Lindsey and two other friends (one of whom is also from Flag) wanted to go with me. My first border run experience was so fun, and I knew this one would be too...a new adventure in a new country!!!
We decided to leave a little later than I probably would have. Maximo gives me a paid day off of work, so if I had been traveling by myself, I probably would have gotten out of town around 5 or 6 a.m on Friday morning. We didn't end up leaving until 9:30 a.m.! The bus ride there took about 6 hours, and of course this doesn't include getting off at the border, which was actually a relatively smooth process! We met an expat on the bus named "Poker Dan", who helped us out a lot with making sure we got the correct amount of money when exchanging and explaining the process to us. He was...interesting to say the least!!!
That night, we didn't get to San Juan del Sur until about 6:00, so we checked in to our hotel and got some delicious, cheap pizza! The next day, we walked along the beach and drank and ate a lot! We had to take advantage of the super cheap food! That night, we went to watch a concert in the streets of San Juan del Sur! It was great to hear live music again...there hasn't been much in my time in Costa Rica. I wish I had more time...I went back home with Bethany, while Lindsey got to stay in Nicaragua for another three weeks with our other friend, David (lucky girl!).
25.6.13
May Happenings
Wow, I can't believe it's June already...where is this year going? I'm eight months into living abroad, and I am finally accustomed to the way of life here. I'm done with my contract at Maximo July 30th and am still waiting on the school in Liberia...I should know something next month. I'm also looking at jobs in Antigua, Guatemala, Granada, Nicaragua and Tampico, Mexico...but more on that later.
May was a relatively low key month. I made one out of town beach day trip on May 1st, which is Labor Day here in Costa Rica. I had some fun in town adventures though! Sonia, Jenny, and I went roller skating one night. It was a lot of fun...and more difficult than I thought it would be. It's sort of similar to ice skating, but I think I would have done better with roller blades, since that's what I used when I was younger.
The last weekend in May, I went with some of the volunteers and one of the Tico staff members, Mario on a day hike near San Pedro. It was a lot more challenging than I thought, but the views were spectacular...you could see most of the Central Valley from the top!!
The hike is called the Three Crosses, because there are three crosses about evenly spaced. These made for good resting points...especially at the second cross, where the group stopped for a snack break. Once you get to the top (and the largest cross), it flattens out a bit and gets a whole lot greener! How to get back down the mountain? Well, come back the way we had come, which was steep and muddy, or go down the mountain side stepping and butt sliding...the result being a flatter walk at the bottom next to a creek. We chose the second option, and boy am I glad we did! We had an amazing time just hanging out by the water and enjoying the afternoon.
Mario was right...the way down the mountain was worth it, and it was flat at the bottom...just a few places where we had to cross the creek, but other than that, it was nice to have a break from the strenuous climb back down the way we had come.
After reaching the paved road in the "expat capital" of Escazu in San José, we stopped at a cute little café/soda for lunch while waiting for our transportation to pick us back up. Overall, it was a great day to see some great views of the Central Valley while getting a workout in and enjoying the clean air of the mountains!
May was a relatively low key month. I made one out of town beach day trip on May 1st, which is Labor Day here in Costa Rica. I had some fun in town adventures though! Sonia, Jenny, and I went roller skating one night. It was a lot of fun...and more difficult than I thought it would be. It's sort of similar to ice skating, but I think I would have done better with roller blades, since that's what I used when I was younger.
The last weekend in May, I went with some of the volunteers and one of the Tico staff members, Mario on a day hike near San Pedro. It was a lot more challenging than I thought, but the views were spectacular...you could see most of the Central Valley from the top!!
The hike is called the Three Crosses, because there are three crosses about evenly spaced. These made for good resting points...especially at the second cross, where the group stopped for a snack break. Once you get to the top (and the largest cross), it flattens out a bit and gets a whole lot greener! How to get back down the mountain? Well, come back the way we had come, which was steep and muddy, or go down the mountain side stepping and butt sliding...the result being a flatter walk at the bottom next to a creek. We chose the second option, and boy am I glad we did! We had an amazing time just hanging out by the water and enjoying the afternoon.
Mario was right...the way down the mountain was worth it, and it was flat at the bottom...just a few places where we had to cross the creek, but other than that, it was nice to have a break from the strenuous climb back down the way we had come.
After reaching the paved road in the "expat capital" of Escazu in San José, we stopped at a cute little café/soda for lunch while waiting for our transportation to pick us back up. Overall, it was a great day to see some great views of the Central Valley while getting a workout in and enjoying the clean air of the mountains!
29.5.13
Monteverde
My first birthday in Costa Rica was amazing. Even though I had to work, I had many birthday wishes from my fellow teachers and the staff at Máximo. I was excited for the weekend because my friend Lori was going with me to the Monteverde Cloud Forest, which I had never been too. She decided to rent a car, and the two TEFL trainers, Chelsea and Iani, decided to come with us.
Santa Elena is a cute little town nestled in the hills surrounding Monteverde. We actually didn't even make it into the cloud forest, so that means I have to go back! We did go on a night hike (where we saw a bunch of cool animals), a ziplining tour (that included ziplining, Superman, Tarzan swing, and rappel), and we briefly stopped at the cheese factory for some ice cream...and I bought a huge hunk of feta cheese, since it's so expensive in San José.
It was such a quick trip...I'm definitely looking forward to going back and seeing more of Monteverde soon!
Santa Elena is a cute little town nestled in the hills surrounding Monteverde. We actually didn't even make it into the cloud forest, so that means I have to go back! We did go on a night hike (where we saw a bunch of cool animals), a ziplining tour (that included ziplining, Superman, Tarzan swing, and rappel), and we briefly stopped at the cheese factory for some ice cream...and I bought a huge hunk of feta cheese, since it's so expensive in San José.
It was such a quick trip...I'm definitely looking forward to going back and seeing more of Monteverde soon!
9.5.13
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.
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!
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.
18.4.13
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.
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!
3.4.13
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.
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!!!
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