Week 2 - Setteled into the homestay
Trip Start
Jan 28, 2010
1
2
6
Trip End
May 29, 2010
Turrialba, Province of Cartago, Costa Rica
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Feb 1st
Kicked off Monday morning with a breakfast with my home stay family and then off to school for the morning. After class we made a hike up a mountain to the yellow church – Bonnie and I continued to the top where there were a few houses overlooking the Orosi valley and a coffee farm. The view from up here was incredible and unfortunately the pictures do not do it justice. Back down the mountain and into the house, I found myself trying to talk with the family before and during dinner. After the meal I brought out the computer and showed them the pictures I had on here (Hawaii) and we seemed to bond over that.
Feb 2nd
An egg, onion, and pepper wrapped in a tortilla was on the menu for breakfast and like the day before I was off to school. I am starting to get a bit frustrated with Spanish; mainly because there is so much information and with the school they just try and get as much in you before you have to leave. I have the basics; now I just need the time in order to pick up some vocab and practice. In the afternoon Bonnie and I went on a walk up to Polomo (a nearby town of 300) and then across an old one lane bridge back around to Orosi. That night I showed the family some stretches (they called it yoga) and my "brother" helped me with some Spanish verbs after dinner. Around 7 my host mother brought me to her neighbors’ house where the living room had been converted into a church and we had another mass (I think). I am still not sure why we did this but Santa Maria was mentioned much more during mass as opposed to the one on Sunday. After church it was back to the flash cards before bed.
Feb 3rd was a down day and I cant even think of anything that is worth writing down.
The next day we made a trip into San Jose, which went surprisingly smooth considering we had no idea where to get on/off the bus or where the address that were supposed to go to. For all the bad things that I have heard about San Jose, I didn’t find it all that bad; but weren’t there that long (5 hour round trip). The large city is not what I wanted to do in Central America so the short trip was long enough for me.
Feb 6th and 7th – weekend trip to Turrialba
Up nice and early to meet up with Bonnie at 845 we were on the first bus from Orosi to Cartago around 9. After wandering around looking for the Turrialba bus stop we found that the bus didn’t leave until 11 so we had a couple of hours to burn in Cartago. According to my cab driver on the first day in Costa Rica, the large church in Cartago is one of the top tourist attractions in the country; so we wondered around there for a while, taking pictures and looking like complete tourists. A few blocks to the west we found some church ruins (ruins of the temple of the Santiago Apostil Parish or ruinas de la iglesia parroquial de satiago apostol) that are now a central hub for the city of Cartago. The church was never actually completed due to a 1910 earthquake that made the structure impossible to finish.
Back to the bus station, and on the bus for the trip to Turrialba. The trip was only an hour of winding mountain roads and just like that we pulled into the bus station in the city of approximately 80,000; hopped in a cab and got a room at the hostel Interamericano. For 10$ a night you can’t go wrong (it was clean at least). We wondered around the city for the rest of the afternoon, cruising through the local market place and finding the town soccer stadium (that was closed and locked) and stumbled onto the Rawlings baseball manufacturing plant; which turns out produces all the baseballs that are used in MLB games (compliments of lonely planet). The night was pretty chill, went for dinner across the street at El Loco Hugo, where we me Hugo (who is a bit crazy) and had a few drinks there before heading back to bed.
Sunday morning we were up early again and in the van to head whitewater rafting on the Pacuare River (ranked #4 in the world). Well worth every penny of what we paid, the lagoon blue/green water flowing through the mountain valley was unbelievable, like nowhere I have ever been before. The walls of the mountains were covered with gigantic green trees, some with vines overhanging the river. Waterfalls every so often; one we stopped under and another we stopped to hike up and have a swim in a lagoon – both amazing. My favorite part of the day was jumping out of the raft and swimming/floating through the “dos montaņas” gorge. Lying on my back looking up at the blue sky with two towering rock faces on either side will be an image that will never be removed from my memory. A few rapids later we loaded the raft back onto the van, grabbed a bite to eat and were back on the bus to Orosi. Another week in Costa Rica that will never be forgotten.
Gotta add a piece on here. As I’m typing this a couple sets of drums and a couple horns just started playing outside. A few doors down the neighbors are having a fiesta. This week (especially today) has been crazy because of the election that is going on, everyone supporting their choice by flying the flag in their car window or posting the poster in their house window, or wearing the t shirt – you get the point. The votes are being tallied and the results should be any minute now; could be the first time in Costa Rican history where there is a presidenta (female president). The enthusiasm for their chance to vote is surreal – nothing like what is seen in Canada.
Comments
Hey Geoff.....
Just found out about your blog.
Awesome pics.
Looks like you are enjoying yourself. Meeting new friends , seeing new country ,experiencing different lifestyles.
Think about you often. Be safe.......have lots of fun !!
I am so jealous.
Better than Toby Creek , our last white water ?
Enjoy every moment Geoff, and keep sending pics, Mom
P.S. Hola , and keep up with the Spanish, eh ?
Wish we were there. Looks like you are having a great time. Keep sending the pics. God be with you.