Costa Rica Day 9: Lost in the Rainforest!!

Checked out of my hotel about 7:30.
My room is at the top.  This is one
Of five separate buildings.

My last day in Costa Rica I finally got to go to see the National Park.  You can't come to Costa Rica and pass that up.  Not allowed.  Most of the group wanted to find a beach.  I got lost looking for something else.  Here is a pictorial of my adventure.

Took the bus from Manuel Antonio  to the National
Park.  Big group.  Whole bottle of water. What could be safer?

These flowers are everywhere.  Anyone know what they are?
Hot and sweaty. Water running low.

Most people wanted to take the path that led to the beach. I
took a different one because I wanted to explore the rainforest.
The camera was being held by a friendly log.  I call this, "Where the
Hell am I?"

Water all gone, soaking wet with sweat.  I met a group of 4
Tico teenagers in swimwear.  They knew the way and
invited me to follow them.  My spanish was good enough to manage
THAT at least.   Snapped this shot of the cove where Ponce de Leon tried
to land.  The Quepoa Indians convinced him otherwise.

My return to civilization.  A restaurant at the beginning of the
trail.  Over-priced food, but I didn't care.  Their water was
ice cold and the breeze off the ocean revived me nicely

Costa Rica Day 8: Monkeys!!

I was feeling poorly today, so I didn't get to go to the Park.  Maybe tomorrow morning before I leave. The monkeys seemed to feel sorry for me, so they came over to my hotel and let me photograph them from my hotel balcony.

Costa Rica Day 7: Quepos, on the Pacific Shore

Spent the day exploring Quepos, a town a little
north of Manuel Antonio and right ON the coast.

Sleeping I HOPE!!!

I just thought this was cute.

Quepos Part I

Another BEAUTIFUL wagon.  They use it for garbage cans!!!!

Picture of Quepos, Part 2

The Pacific.  Tides coming in.

Costa Rica Day 6: The Pacific Coast

We visited a school this morning in Manuel Antonio.

What an amazing thing THAT was.   Curriculum, discipline, even the way the grounds are kept.  All surprised and amazed us.  I made friends with these kids.

Coincidentally, after we finished I changed into something more summery (It's hot and humid here.) and walked back to Manuel Antonio (Only about 1 km). to get some things and find a lunch.  As I passed the school the three boys above were leaving school and saw me.  "Oye.  Como se llama?" one of them yelled.  "Tu sabe's" I replied.  "KARL!"  he said with some delight.  "Buen Hecho!" I replied.

I found a kind of groceri'a and bought a couple of things.  Then I looked for lunch.  In both places it became obvious to me that although I don't have Marti's command of Spanish, I have WAYYYYY more than most Americans who come to Costa Rica.  I was very comfortable asking for things, directions and my meal in Spanish.  Several Americans in the restaurant clearly had no Spainish at all and seemed to expect the waitress to be fluent in English (she wasn't).  They got very impatient.  No wonder people in other countries hate us.

During the day I was photographing plants and animals.  These things are common by the roadside and in yards.  See below.

Don't know what these are.  Do You?

These beautiful flowers cost a LOT in the US but grow wild by the  roadside here.

Bats on a wall.  It's an inside wall, but most places in Costa Rica have
access to the outside.  They can.  No snow or arctic winds

Iguana.  They are as common and obvious as squirrels are back home,

Costa Rica Day 5: Some Costa Rican Culture

Today we pitched the idea of expanding the student teaching program in Costa Rica to another school principal.  Then we all had lunch with the COSI people, including our friends Montse, Marvin (mar VEEN) and Rolando.   The restaurant has this weird little device for making coffee at the table.  It looks like a little guillotine, with a sock hanging down.  In the sock is Costa Rica coffee beans,

You pour hot water over the beans and it drips through them and into the cup.  Marti says it's excellent and he only drinks coffee in Costa Rica.

He normally doesn't like coffee at all.
Then we took the interbus, basically an 8 person van, on a 3 hour drive to Manuel Antonio, the beach on the west coast of Costa Rica.

Along the way we stopped at a tourist trap for a "comfort break."  While there we saw this amazing cart, filled with trash.  Apparently this beautifully painted wagon is used AS A WAGON.

My hotel in Manuel Antonio is the La Colina.  Very swank, but my room as not as classy and comfy as the one in Escazu.

On the other hand there are no diesel trucks or motorcycles going past.  The only sound is the sound of the Pacific Ocean lapping the beach.  AHHHHHHHH!

Costa Rica Day 4: The Street Painter

Marti and I had lunch at a "Soda" (Small mom and pop restaurant) then we took a bus from Escazu' to the main drag in downtown San Jose.  It looks a lot like Times Square at rush hour. There were a lot of venders on the street selling everything from toys and fruits to lottery tickets.  I was distracted by a little old guy who was hawking his painting.  His name was Jose'.

I liked his stuff so I bought one for my office.  It was 7,000 colones -- about 14 bucks.  It's primitive but he uses bright colors and depicts Costa Rica as if it is almost a paradise.  Can't help liking a guy that loves his country so!

Marti got into a conversation with him.  Marti's spanish is so good he can talk to anybody anytime.

Then we parted ways and I took a cab back.  Cab driver was a nice guy.  I was able to converse with him in my bumbling fashion.  He was nice about it though and happy to be talking with an American that was trying so hard, I think.

Okay, this morning we visited the MSU students at the Country Day School in Escazu' and this afternoon talked to a prof at the University of Costa Rica about an exchange of University students between MSU and UCR.  I thought the "tourism" was more interesting, though so I skipped that stuff.

Costa Rica Day 3

Today was an adventure!

The day started with a visit to Country Day School.  Marti and I met the principal Maria Fernanda Cardona.  NICE person!  Toured the school.  Lots of diplomacy.  She was under the impression we were there to evaluate the MSU students, and so the teachers are under that impression also.  Actually we are only here to make sure everyone is having a good experience and do what we can to help.  Also we want to try to expand the program, so we are planning visits to other schools to pitch the student teaching program to them.

Well --  anyway- - after that Marty and I went to lunch at a "soda"-- A small restaurant.   The restaurants in Costa Rica - - especially in San Jose and Manuel Antonio -- cater to tourists, so they have become too expensive for regular working people.  Sodas (Pronounced "so DAHSS") are little restaurants that cater to regular working people (meaning not tourists or the wealthy).  The food is pretty natural and unprocessed.  But it is traditional CR food, based largely on Gallo Pinto --  beans and rice.  We ate at one called Soda de Rio.  Had "arroz con pollo" and fresh vegetables.

Transporte de estudiantes.  We'd call it a school bus.

At 6:30 in the evening Marvin, the director of COSI with Montse and Marti came to pick me up for dinner.  We went high into the mountains overlooking San Jose to a WONDERFUL restaurant called Miradora Ticoqueria.  I learned about a dish -- can't recall the name, but it works like this:

You take a not-quite-ripe plantain (you know, those banana like things) and slice it.  Then you fry the slices in vegetable oil, then squash them and fry them again.  It makes a crispy, but not sweet, chippy kind of thing,  They eat them as Appetizers with refried beans.  So I guess you'd call them Plantera Refrito.  Anyway, quite good!  They'd be excellent with guacamole or salsa too.

While we were there, quite by surprise a group of young people came out and performed traditional Costan Rica dances. -- pictures later.  It was stroke of luck!  They seemed very similar to some traditional Mexican dances I saw in San Diego the first time I was there.  Very beautiful costumes and dances and such a great treat!  Montse opened the gift I made for her (See previous blog post about this) and was clearly pleased by it.  That made me feel pretty good.

I can't get Mt Dew in Costa Rica so I have been drinking Coca-Light for most of my caffeine.  I also like This --  a LOT:

Te' Frio Melocoton =  Peach iced tea!  It's REALLY good!!  

Costa Rica Day 2: El Viaje a Turrialba

I went to Mass at the Church in this picture.  "La Iglesia San Miguel Arcangel."  Beautiful church.

After Mass Marti and I boarded a bus for Turrialba.  There we spoke to a teacher named Ania Leon about the students that have already been to her school and some things we might do in the future.  I also got to meet her hubby Marlin and her two lovely kids.  After our meeting we went to their home for "cafe y pan."  Lovely home and a beautiful view of the Turrialba.

Turrialba is some distance from San Jose so on the 2 hour bus ride I got to see a good bit of the country.

Costa Rica is a beautiful country with many many really lovely people.  I'm REALLY enjoying my time here.

Costa Rica day 1

Mi Habitaccion.

My flight was not a joyous one.  Typical flight from MN to Atlanta and then a SIX- HOUR layover in Atlanta airport. The flight to Costa Rica boarded on time but then was delayed because one of the plastic panels on one of the EXIT signs had fallen off and they had to find it before they could take off.  Apparently some kind soul on the previous flight found it on the floor and put in the overhead bin.  Not a real obvious place to look.  But they did find it after about 40 minutes.  By then we were fifth in line for take off.  So we were squeezed into our sardine can for an extra hour or so. 

Going through immigration and customs was quick.  We filled out some paperwork on the plane so we just had a little line to go through, some quick questions and our luggage was scanned.  They talk too fast for me, so I had to do it in English.

The Hotel is GORGEOUS, from what I could tell in the dark.  My room is very comfy. Five days here for $405.00 taxes and fees included.  This room would be $150-175 a NIGHT in USA or about $900-$1000 for the 5 days with taxes and fees.  The clerk at check-in was very nice.  She let me mix up my Spanish and English.

Today we are going to a town called Turialba to pitch the idea of a Student Teaching program at a school there.  I guess Sunday was the only day they were available.

Hasta Manana!!

Thirty-six Hours until I leave for Costa Rica!

Okay, so . . . .
I leave for Costa Rica the day after tomorrow at ZERO DARK THIRTY.  In the meantime I made this gift for our contact person in Costa Rica who has been SO helpful and SO accommodating.

I just finished it this evening, which gives the polyurethane time to dry before I pack it.  I am in the process of trying to get things together and discovered to my utter chagrin that my suitcase will NOT do.  I bought the one I needed for weekend trips to conferences - - so I could carry-on and not deal with checking baggage.  It is just too small and I have to buy a larger one.  Weird problem the day before a trip!!

FIVE DAYS UNTIL I LEAVE FOR COSTA RICA

The time is growing closer.  I had a meeting with my traveling partner.  Heck of a guy and I am thrilled to be sharing the journey with him.  Our contact in Costa Rica is just the nicest person ever!  I emailed her and asked whether it would be a good idea to walk around Escazu and she said it would be perfectly safe.  I also mentioned that I'd be looking for the "Iglesia Catolico mas cercana" -- the catholic church nearest to my hotel.  She sent me a map.  I think I'll be able to follow it pretty well.

The walking route from my hotel to the nearest Catholic church.  

Costa Rica: A Trip Abroad Before this Year's Planting

Hi!  I WILL be blogging about my experiments with square-foot gardening this year, but before that happens I will be visting Costa Rica for the first time ever and want to blog about that.

Having never traveled outside the borders of the US before this, I had to get a pass-port.  That happened without a hitch.  I have been brushing up on my Spanish, but still read and write it better than I can speak and listen.  Getting better at the latter though.

Here's the basic run-down:  I will be arriving in Costa Rica April 13 and staying at the Beacon Hotel in Escazu (a suburb northwest of San Jose).  My job while I'm there will be to visit the student teachers who have been assigned to the school in Escazu to serve as ambassador for MSU and to make sure they are having a good experience.  Also I have been asked to take photos for use in future advertising of the Costa Rica student teaching option.

On Wednesday I will travel by bus to Manuel Antonio on the Pacific coast to visit student teachers there.  Same deal.  I will be staying a jungle bed and breakfast called the Hotel La Colina.  My traveling partner is Marti Sievek a professor in Secondary Education here at MSU.  He teaches Spanish and speaks it fluently.

Tomorrow I am meeting with Marti to discuss the trip.

I will blog each day with photos and post to facebook so I hope you will join me on my journey.

KARL