NUTS!

Maybe the catchphrase of vacation, this term was coined by my siblings after borrowing it from the peaNUTS vendor at the Cincinnati Reds baseball games.

I’m home again. I’m back in the United States and having mixed feelings about it all. Without hesitating today, I told someone that ‘next summer when I’m in Costa Rica…’ I said it without thinking, but I mean it. I’ll probably find a way to get myself back down there.

My family and I wrapped up our week with a stay in Manuel Antonio (monkey sounds!) and our final day near San Jose. On Friday morning, my family walked through Manuel Antonio National Park and saw an abundance of wildlife. We saw birds, butterflies, lizards, two sloths, and muchos monkeys. We spent a little time on the beautiful beach inside the park before exiting and heading back to our hotel.

Back at the hotel, we showered up and hit the road back to the Central Valley. It was sometime in this time frame that I discovered that I may be having an allergic reaction to the antibiotic the pharmacy had given me the previous day. I was developing welts and bumps that resembled bug bites, but I was in the car, and no bugs were in sight. Needless to say, I laid off the medicine.

We arrived in the evening to the Central Valley and checked into the Marriot just outside of San Jose. The hotel is lindísimo. It was a fabulous way to end our trip. With everyone being exhausted, we opted for eating dinner at the hotel and calling it an early night. I called it a night little earlier than everyone else because I popped a couple Benedryl. (Dad managed to buy 4 individual pills at the pharmacy because the lady cut out 4 pills from the pack of 50 for him).

Saturday morning we woke up and headed to the Café Britt Coffee Tour. The whole family had a great time! My parents even got called up as volunteers during the tour and earned themselves Café Britt hats. My parents swear I had arranged something ahead of time, but I can promise you I didn’t. However, it could not have worked out any better.

On a side note, my dad was talking to one of the actors after the show, and they said ‘Oh yes, we know you’re daughter, she was here a week ago. I recognized her at the very beginning of the tour.” I guess I’ve been on that tour a few times this summer… : )

We wrapped up Saturday with a final visit to the artisan town of Sarchi to do some gift shopping and witness the local festival. Two adorable little tica girls were rather intrigued by my sister and I and our gringa skin and language. It was really cute because Kristen and I decided that we probably would have done the same thing at their age.

Saturday night was spent at a Peruvian restaurant celebrating my parent’s 29th wedding anniversary. It was a great dinner to finish out on!

Sunday was travel day and started at 4:00 a.m. We departed Costa Rica at 7:10 and arrived in Atlanta at 1:00 p.m. From Atlanta we made the drive home and rolled in around midnight. It was nice to finally arrive.

I’m making my cultural adjustments to the U.S. now, and I’m not fully acclimated yet, and I’m not sure I want to be. I miss Costa Rica already…

Time to get a run in.

Arroz y frijoles,
Jessica Lynn

Voodoo Chicken

Voodoo Chicken: A dish at restuarant Kapi Kapi in Manuel Antonio that lived up to its name...even 48 hours later. Just ask my brother and sister.

Note to self: any dish with the word voodoo in it should be avoided at all costs.

Coconuts

Here is an update of what my family and I have been up to for the past few days:

1. Watched a volcano erupt…sort of. It glowed red, so that counts.
2. Ziplining through a cloud forest…in the pouring rain with a little lightening.
3. Went surfing…or something that more resembled boogie boarding on a surfboard.
4. A really large raccoon bird-dogged my brother at the hotel…”I ain’t playin’” was his response as he bolted across the pool deck to get away.
5. Went on an ‘Adventure Snorkel’… although it was agreed that the company should probably remove the word ‘adventure’ from their title.

We are having a great time! The weather has cooperated and we have been enjoying the pura vida lifestyle down here. We are currently in the national park called Manuel Antonio and enjoying relaxing time on the beach and at our hotel. Tomorrow we are headed back to the central valley to spend our last few days touring around and visiting Café Britt!

Our accommodations here in Costa Rica have been amazing. CPI helped me book a few of the places and they are phenomenal! The food we have been eating has been equally as delicious and of course, the ice cream never disappoints!

On a side note, besides the hand-painted ox cart I am bringing home, I am also bringing home a bacterial infection. I received an insect bite (or something) about three weeks ago, and it never healed. In fact, the wound has been growing. Despite my stubbornness about wanting my body to heal on its own, I broke down today and went to the farmacia to get some medicine. Here in Costa Rica, if the ailment isn’t life threatening, you can simply go to the pharmacy and a pharmacist will recommend and give you medication. When I showed the woman my leg, she simply told me this was pretty common in Costa Rica and gave me an antibiotic and cream. I’m hoping it all goes away…

It’s time for dinner here in Manuel Antonio! We have a good recommendation, so I’m looking forward to dinner. My Spanish skills have yet to order us half of the Burger King menu, so I’m feeling successful. (In Spain when my brother came to visit, I accidentally ordered what seemed like half of the BK menu for us one night at dinner.)

¡Buen provecho!

Jessica Lynn

Ya Llega Mi Familia!

JAJA! Adam (chaperone from last year) and guide Selma!

I take back my title from yesterday. Today I am twiddling my thumbs.

In anticipation for the arrival of my family, I am hanging out at the hotel today and just being a bum. When was the last time I did this? I can’t remember. That being said, my lazy day probably won’t last long. I’ll need to find diversion.

I woke up this morning at 5:30 to get to the fitness center before anyone else. Mission accomplished. I ate breakfast, read the newspaper and went back to bed. I woke back up, took a lap around the outside of the hotel to find something to do and only found the casino. I may be gambling later. I’m thinking about taking a bus to the mall but I’m not sure it’s worth the effort. I’ll keep you posted.

Approximately 12 hours after I started my day, I repeated everything I did this morning in the same fashion as when I woke up, including running for a second time. It was like the movie Groundhog Day.

For the first time in my life, I ran twice in one day so I could meet a weekly mileage goal. Don’t misunderstand me though, I have run twice in one day before—especially running collegiate track and field. However, I have never run twice in one day to meet a mileage goal. I’ll become a distance runner yet.

Yesterday I met up with a chaperone I worked with last year. Half of team JAJA was reunited again in Costa Rica! I was stoked to see him and right before we parted ways we realized we would be in Manuel Antonio at the same time. Que ta bien tuanis : )

Okay, time for dinner and to patiently await my family’s arrival. Big day of touring Costa Rica tomorrow!!

Pura vida,

Jessica Lynn

Thumb Twiddling

Cafe Britt Coffee Map from yesterday. Very useful information for coffee lovers.

Today was my last day of work. I would like to know where in the world this summer has gone.

This morning at 4 a.m. my group left for the airport. I didn’t go with them so I said my goodbyes last night. It was a whirlwind of a night full of food, memories and fun. After the Café Britt Coffee Tour we returned to our hotel to get ready for the farewell banquet dinner.

I arranged a fantastic meal at a place called Los Cebollines. The ambiance was phenomenal and we had a private room all to ourselves. Dinner was excellent and my cheesecake dessert was amazing. We followed dinner and dessert with presentations from the kids and staff. I even joined in on a skit! We also had a birthday to celebrate so earlier in the day we bought a cake and when it was time, the Los Cebollines staff brought in a sombrero and we all sang and ate cake. It was the perfect send off meal.

Back at the hotel we had some time to pack our bag and then there was a piñata to break. Sound like an overdose of sugar last night? It was. : ) We hung out around the pool until late and then the group and I headed to bed.

This morning I woke up at my normal time to go running. I relaxed in my hotel room, packed my bags, gathered my clothes to donate, and took a nice long shower and quiet breakfast. It was a wonderful way to wake up. I have not had a day like this the entire summer. I am hoping to spend today and tomorrow this way—taking time for myself. It’s a rare day even in U.S. that I take time to care for myself, so what better place to do it than in Costa Rica? One morning before my 5 a.m. run. My group thought I was crazy for running every day!

Time to spend the day with my boss’s family and their youngest son! I can’t wait : )

Paz, amor y libertad,
Jessica Lynn

P.S. 1.5 days!

Key Investments

Every time I leave the country I learn how to pack more efficiently. This year was my best packing year by far. I was efficient and compact. I attribute this to a few key investments:

1. My Osprey hiking backpack—probably the best investment by far. No more rolling luggage!
2. My North Face hiking pants—quick drying and not the zip away kind.
3. My compact, super absorbent travel towel.

This ends up looking for a plug for certain brands of clothing/gear, but it’s not. I am a nerd for how much I love my pack. I think I will travel more just to use it.

I survived 6 weeks of work, travel and running this year with just a hiking pack and day pack. My groups are usually shocked when they see how little I carry with me. It’s amazing how much they pack for 2 weeks of travel—one girl brought a 70 pound bag for two weeks. I made that mistake once with a 50 pound bag for 6 weeks, and I will never make that error in judgment again (although my dad did try to warn me before I even left that it would be too much).

5 year travel packing recap:
Peru (2 weeks): 36 pounds, 3 medium bags
Spain/Europe (6 weeks): 50 pounds, 1 large bag, 1 small carry on, backpack
Costa Rica 2008 (4 weeks): 47 pounds, 1 large rolling bag, backpack
Costa Rica 2009 (10 weeks): 42 pounds, 1 large rolling bag, backpack, computer case

My total weight year: 26 pounds. 1 hiking backpack. 1 daypack.

Success. My big determining factor for buying a pack this year was my bus fiasco last year where I spent 12 hours hauling around my luggage trying to get to the coast for work via the public bus. I decided then that if I were to ever travel for long periods of time again I would find a better way to pack for it. I am also very nomadic in the summer, traveling somewhere new almost every five days. A backpack is a necessity for this sort of lifestyle.

It just occurred to me I’ve spent a whole blog talking about my backpack and travel habits. Pura vida. : )

Time for breakfast and the Café Britt Coffee Tour!

Café y caffeine,
Jessica Lynn

Mordizco de Pitufa

Has anyone heard of a Smurf bite? Me neither until today. Apparently it’s pinching someone using a combination of your thumb stuck between your index and middle finger. It’s interesting and the name just makes me laugh.

Today was white water rafting day! Usually one of my favorite days with any group and today was no exception. The rapids were awesome! Maybe one of the best parts was when the rapids slowed down a bit and we had to make our own excitement. The other chaperone and I decided to attack the other boat and let the air out of the middle of their raft. When we got close enough to the other raft, the chap and I dove into the other boat. They had no idea what was going on so they initially were just surprised. They all started piling on the other sneak attacker and completely forgot about me. I let the air completely out of one inside tubes and jumped back into my boat unscathed. My accomplice managed to deflate 2 tubes. Success!

Later, in retaliation, the boys jumped from their boat to ours and managed to steal most of our paddles. One boy tried to pull me in, but using some back-bending evasive maneuver managed to stay in the boat. I also managed this once before when the male chaperone tried to pull me in. Apparently unsatisfied with their failed attempts, 10 minutes later in a sneak attack, two boys dove at me trying to take me down. I grabbed onto their life jackets and held on. The chaperone came from under the boat and tried pulling me in also to no avail. I think I had a death grip on the life jackets because I wasn’t budging for a solid 3 minutes of struggling on their end. Finally, I went in. I’m calling it a success!

The men that tried to take me down.

Also noteworthy: the ride to the rafting place today was rather pungent. The driver must have had eggs for breakfast. It was like riding in the suburban on a family vacation with my brother after a Bob Evens breakfast.

...We just returned from dinner and ice cream. Dinner tonight was Chinese food-Costa Rican style. It was so nice to change things up! I am completely exhausted from the day however and I’m turning in early. Tomorrow is the last day with this group and I can’t believe it! Where has the summer gone?

Buenas noches a todos!

Jessica Lynn

P.S. Maybe the cutest juice box I’ve seen down here. It made me smile. Welchito: Little Welch.

Man Purse

Alex y yo durante la mejenga en la calle. : )

Today was the last day of service in La Carpio. It was a tearful goodbye for me when I parted ways with Gail. She is such an inspiration to me and those who meet her. We finished our last day of service with delivering bunk beds and playing mejenga in the streets. Mejenga is a pick up game of soccer in Costa Rica.

The place where we delivered one of the beds was so small and cramped that we literally had to build the bed into its space. It’s a very humbling experience to walk into places like this and you walk away wanting to make a change and hoping you don’t forget those feelings when you return home. After beds and fútbol we ate a lunch that the women at the Montessori school prepared for us and then visited the room where the women’s co-op is located.

The women’s co-op is something Gail started for the women of La Carpio to give work to women with creative talents and skills. The women make things like jewelry and purses to sell as a way to learn a living. It’s a wonderful program.

One woman in particular makes purses entirely out of zippers that can be entirely unzipped if so desired into a string of zippers. Imagine who in the group thought this was a particularly incredible invention: the men. Guess who bought them to take home as gifts to the women in their lives? The men. I’ve never seen so many men buying purses. Tuanis.

Okay, my group is watching a movie and I’m just finishing work for the night, so I’m going to leave work and get some sleep. White water rafting tomorrow!!

Tuanis mae,
Jessica Lynn

Gawking

Courtesy of Merriam Webster:
gawk
Function: intransitive verb
: to gape or stare stupidly

Admittedly, I am a gawker. If I see something intriguing, I am liable to stop for a moment and watch as long as I am not in any danger.

Our new driver is also a gawker but at the most inopportune times. For instance, yesterday in La Carpio he slowed down to watch some men arguing. When those men realized that we were all watching them, they started approaching the bus in an aggressive manner. The driver kept creeping along saying to me “Mira, problemas. Mira! Mira!” (Look, problems!). Yes, that’s great, but there are going to be more problems if these men get any closer to the bus.

The same thing occurred today when leaving La Carpio. A man was being arrested and we had to slow down to watch. Of course, I’m curious to, but not to the extent that I’ll put myself in danger. La Carpio really isn’t a safe place and I don’t need anymore incidents on my record this year. Please, no more gawking.

Secondly, I feel very accomplished today. I managed to call a restaurant and set up a group menu for my group’s banquet dinner on Friday. I typically doubt my Spanish phone skills, but I rocked this one…I think. It all remains to be seen, but I’m feelin’ good.

Thirdly, I saw my mamatica from last year! It was a surprise and I was so excited to see her!! She told me I looked really tired and I asked “Does it really show that much? Because I am exhausted.” : )

Fourthly, I am meeting up on Saturday with my West Coast chaperone from last year. Pura Vida!

Bueno, vamos a participar en la clase de cocina. Mmmm. ¡Qué rico!

¡5 días!

Paz,
Jessica Lynn

Heartache and Hope

Today was our first day in La Carpio- the poor town outside of San Jose that is comprised mostly of Nicaraguan immigrants. On our way down to the daycare called La Libertad, we witnessed five young children being taken away in a police car and a woman crying and pleading not to take them. Gail explained to us that the foundation has tried everything to help this woman keep her children (given her food, a house) but the woman can’t stop beating them. The police officers wouldn’t tell Gail where the children were being taken, but Gail told us it could be any number of orphanages and that she fears the woman may never see her children again.

With that image burned in my mind, the group continued on to the day care where we were greeted by 15 energized children learning about healthy eating. Half of the group stayed there and the other half went to build bunk beds. It was a great day of service!

The most inspiring part of La Carpio is that despite all of the bad, the people are full of a lot of hope. Yes, the town is still dangerous and the people are still struggling to survive, but they continue to survive through perseverance and hope. From where the town was 17 years ago and how much potential it has, it’s pretty incredible to be a part of.

Amazingly, it is 8:45 p.m. now and I am exhausted. What a day… I am calling it an early night tonight.

Dulces sueños,

Jessica Lynn

Here’s a fun phrase:

Pulpería de pobre.

Background: a pulpería is a store that has a little bit of everything, like a convenience store. De pobre is ‘poor,’ thus implying the store is small, but has a lot. This being said, a girl who is a pulpería de pobre is a girl who is small, but ‘well-stocked.’ I have been called this on a few occasions by ticos…I think it’s supposed to be a compliment. : )

Pulpería de pobre: Chiquita, pero bien surtida.

Whirlwind Sunday

At Poas Volcano!

Recall long ago when Sunday was supposed to be a relaxing day of rest? Today was quite the contrary of that.

I woke up and ran first. City running is much different than Monteverde running. First, because I am not as familiar with the city and I’m less comfortable in it. Secondly, because it doesn’t have hills, and I actually began to enjoy mountain running.

After my run, the group got breakfast and we headed to Poas Volcano. Poas is different than Arenal because it is a crater instead of a cone. Actually, it’s the largest volcanic crater on the planet. Because the group itinerary had free time in the afternoon and the chaperones wanted to do something more dynamic, there was a rush to find an activity. On the way down from the volcano we stopped at a great restaurant called Freddo Fresas for lunch and to watch the World Cup final.

After lunch, we finally found an activity: Parque de Diversiones. The Amusement Park. We got the kids in and the chaperones and I found a place to post up in the Plaza Antigua or Old City. Naturally, it started raining so the gazebo was a great place to be. We spent a few hours there, headed back to the hotel, showered, and went to dinner and then the supermarket. I can honestly say I’m pooped. Whew.

Tomorrow we head to do service work in the town of La Carpio with the Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation. A woman by the name of Gail Nystrom has been living in La Carpio for 25 years and started the foundation. CPI sends volunteers there to help with her foundation. Last year and this year we will be building bunkbeds to give to the local families that need them and working the Montessori school that Gail founded.

La Carpio originally began around 17 years ago when Nicaraguans were fleeing their country due to political unrest and wars. Costa Rica was a refuge for them. However, the Nicaraguans didn’t have the resources to flourish, so the town started off very poor and remains that way today. With Gail’s foundation, however, vast improvements have been made and La Carpio continues to raise itself up by its own will power and determination. It’s an incredible story that I will continue to share throughout my blogs.

Time to fall asleep to the sound of the rain…that’s been falling since 2:00 p.m. : )

Buenas noches,
Jessica Lynn

P.S. The family arrives in exactly 1 week!

La Mitad Se Va

Half of my group left for the States yesterday and I am amazed at how small the group seems now. The group dynamic is definitely different and we are traveling in a much smaller bus with a really fun driver!

We headed to the Central Valley today to spend the rest of the time taking classes and doing service work. At the end of the week we will go white water rafting and on the Café Britt Coffee Tour. I can’t believe how fast the time is going down here!

Yesterday we spent the day in La Fortuna just hanging out and seeing the other group off. It was a really relaxing day that was much needed. From the town you can hear the volcano erupting every once in a while. It’s always amazing to me and I am astounded by it all.

One of the chaperones and I made plans to meet up in a week for dinner. She’s going to Panama for a week and then spending a day in Costa Rica before flying back to Canada so I’m going to meet up with her for dinner next Sunday. It’ll be great to see her again before she leaves! That is one of the best things about working for CPI Grupos—the people I get to meet. I have met so many amazing and wonderful people through this program!


Amor,
Jessica

Que Linda La Naturaleza

Enfrente del Lago Arenal!

Well what started out as a quiet day quickly turned to chaos. Almost 20km from arriving at our hotel in Arenal, a tired blew on our bus. This meant we all had to get off for an hour while the guide and driver changed it. In order to kill time, we walked around a half mile through the rainforest to get to Arenal Dam. Once we got there, we walked down to the lake below and sat around for a while. Naturally, during this time, the kids started throwing rocks. One errant throw later, we had a boy bleeding from the head.

Because our bus was so far away, we didn’t have a medical kit and the boy was bleeding some, so I hiked back up the dam and asked one of the tour company drivers who was there also with a group if he could help us out. Thankfully, he had a botiquin and the supplies we needed to get the boy cleaned up. He still went to the clinic later and received two stitches.

After finally arriving at the hotel, we quickly checked-in and headed to the hot springs. About an hour into what should be a relaxing trip to the thermal waters, the ambulance had to be called because one of the girls in the group hit her head hard going down the waterslides. She wasn’t taken to the hospital, but she was shaken up, dizzy, and hurting.

When it rains it pours I suppose…

However, after the hot springs, we all boarded the bus and headed to the lava point to watch the volcano erupt. When we got there and disembarked, we stepped out into one of the most beautiful nights I have witnessed here in Costa Rica. The sky was clear, no light pollution in sight and a million stars were surrounding us. The beauty was astonishing and breathtaking. Shortly after arriving, the volcano erupted twice; spewing orange and red hot lava high into the black sky and down the sides of the volcano. It was an incredible sight and probably one of the best lava viewings I have witnessed in the countless times I have gone to see this.

It’s amazing to me that after the chaotic day I could end with something so incredible and wonderful. I finally accepted that after all I have been through down here that I deserved to see something wonderful and to be reminded that there is such amazing, pure beauty in this world. I needed that.

Time to run and prepare to send half of my group back to the states today. Let’s hope for a more seamless transition today!

Lindo amor,
Jessica Lynn

P.S. I’ll tell you what’s not beautiful though, and that’s the stench my running shoes are giving off right now. Oh my.

The first time I really became homesick was upon seeing the lake and houseboat.

Zigzagging

I have finally figured out the only way to run the roads in Monteverde and that’s by zigzagging wildly from one side to another. Yes, it puts extra distance on my run, but it’s really the only safe way. Monteverde is full of hills and turns and the best way to take a turn is on the outside (because cars cut to the inside). So as I approach one turn I sprint to the outside of it, and inevitably the next turn is in the opposite direction so I sprint to the other side of the road. I look like I can’t make up my mind, but I know exactly what I am doing. : ) Not efficient, but it works.

I had two Monteverde dogs run with me for a while, but even they gave up on the hill that looks like the ‘Big Nasty’ back home only six times as long.

*There are even more perks to being a guide: I got my laundry done for free at the hotel. Instead of paying $1 for every shirt and $.50 for every sock, I got it gratis. I dropped it off in the morning and it was waiting on my bed, folded, when I returned. Tuanis.

Mucho Amor,

Jessica Lynn

The Daughter of an Art Teacher

I love my parents for many reasons, and each one has given me so many gifts and talents, all of which I am so thankful for. However, today, I must give credit to my mom and having the privilege of growing up the daughter of an art teacher.

Today for our service work we held a day camp for the local children in Monteverde. Yesterday in the CPI we were trying to come up with ideas for the camp to add to the ones we already had. We really wanted to make this special for all involved. We came up with some great ideas and set them into motion. However, upon arriving this morning, we realized we couldn’t locate paper bags for the puppet making and we were really lacking another station.

This is where my background came into play. Because we had tissue paper for the puppet making, but no bags, we were kind of at a loss for what to do with that station. My mind kicked into high gear and soon, with some scissors, string, tissue paper, and quick instruction, we were making colorful paper flowers with the kids.

The group then really wanted to do face painting, but we lacked paint and supplies. One of the other CPI chaperones told me the mini-super across the street had paint but it was only Tempura Paint and they didn’t think that would work. Au contraire. When we were little, Mom used to paint our faces with Tempura paint mixed with a little dish soap for easy removal. I ran across the street, quickly bought the paint, soap and brushes. In no time at all we had the face painting station up and running. It ended up being one of the most popular.

I would like to take credit for saving the camp stations, but this one is going to my mom. I know where most of my creative spirit and intuition comes from and today, it was greatly needed. After a less than stellar volunteer day yesterday, we really needed something great today and we got it.

Thank you, Mom. : )

Writing more later,

Jessica Lynn


P.S. Don't worry, Dad. I know my gymnastics came from you. : )

Nada Nada Limonada

Back in Monteverde! And of course, it’s raining like no other at the moment.

We arrived yesterday and spent some time in downtown Santa Elena before checking into our hotel. After check-in we headed to la cancha sintetica for some fútbol. The synthetic court is a covered court just for soccer, so the kids had a chance to burn off some energy after being on a bus for four hours in the morning.

Today we took the group to a coffee coop plantation where they helped plant coffee trees on a coffee plantation that aide the local town in earning money. The town that farms the coop is a poor town, so the money from the coop goes to help them. After the volunteer work, the kids ate at Stella’s Bakery—one of my favorite bakeries in Monteverde. I got a free pastry for being a guide (this job has all sorts of perks!).

It’s 8:30 and I’m back at CPI right now. We are attempting to have movie night, but the sound keeps failing. No worries, we have plenty of popcorn!

Nothing too exciting to speak of today though. I ran an 8k before work and it’s becoming like an addiction. I think it’s also how I stay sane. : )

Amor,

Jessica

Just Another Day in Costa Rica

A list of things I’ve done today:

1. Scared a herd of cattle.
   
2. Hiked in a national forest around a volcano.
   
3. Jumped from a waterfall into the water below…first one to figure out this was possible and be willing to try it. The waterfall was only 10 feet high. (Tilt your head to the left to watch.)

And because I survived the waterfall jump twice…

1. I shimmied out onto a little wooden bridge about 20 feet high nestled between two rock walls, hung from the bridge and dropped into the water below…with another chaperone.
   
2. Went to the mud baths and painted myself up as directed…now I am stained. It looks like a spray on tan gone wrong.

I’m wondering if I should tell my family about all of this…

Cow in the Road, You Swerve to the Left

Or a horse. Or a monkey. Or an agouti.

I nearly jumped out of my skin this morning on my run, when a seemingly harmless group of cows came out onto the road I was running on. I’m a friend of cows back home, but apparently I startled them enough this morning that they all took off in a frenzy of hooves and utters. Normally, I wouldn’t mind, but the cows around here have horns. I decided to turn around. You win, cows, you win.

On my way back, I saw a few horses in the road and then an Agouti scurried across the road. An agouti happens to be a rodent that looks a lot like an oversized combination of a hamster and a rat.

A nature sighting that I forgot to mention yesterday was a howler monkey in Flamingo. I was startled as something darted off the road, into the brush and up a tree, until I realized it had a tail and was perched in the tree later on. Monkey sounds.

By the way, here is a token picture of me on the horse yesterday. Look at my knee. See the brown spot? Yes, that is the knee that went up the other horse's butt...twice.

Time for a hike around the national park!

Animales y Amor,

Jessica Lynn


Feliz cumpleaños abuelito : )

Yo No Soy Caballera.

Let me translate: I’m not a cowgirl.

We transferred from Flamingo today to the national park, Rincón de la Vieja for the next two days. After a hearty ‘American’ breakfast this morning, we hopped on the bus for a couple of hours before arriving at our hotel Hacienda Gauchipelin. It’s a beautiful hotel that greets you with a refreshing drink and a gentleman playing Marimba music. It was a nice atmosphere to walk into.

After lunch at the hotel, we began the horseback riding to river tubing part of our day. This is why I claim that I am not a cowgirl. I am terribly awkward and uncomfortable on these beautiful creatures. However, this time my horse actually stayed with the group, so I can’t complain. The last time I did this tour my horse went on every trail but the one we were supposed to be on. My horse today was a little bit like me: social, stubborn, seemed to have a mind of its own, and would often make last minute decisions that took us into exciting territory. We bonded well.

For the record however, smelling like a horse, having my horse antagonize 25 other horses, and having horse poo running down my knee by the end of the ride is not my idea of a good time.

Once we arrived at river tubing, we grabbed our individual tubes and jumped into the river as the rain started to pour down. River tubing is a lot like white water rafting, but in single inner tubes and lower class rapids. I personally think it’s a blast. I quickly noted that my inner tube seemed to be a lot like me also because I started out in the back of the group of about 38 people and quickly sped to the front, bypassing all of the slower tubers.

About midway through, as the rain continued to pour, the lightening also became increasingly closer. So much so, in fact, that there was no delay between the lightening and the thunder attached to it. It was one wild river tubing ride. In Costa Rica, there is no such thing as the 30 minute rule when it comes to lightening apparently so we journeyed on through the pouring rain and lightening. Hakuna Matata. : )

I am at the hotel now relaxing before dinner. Last night was disco night, and what started out as a minor failure because the first disco we went to was a bust, ended up being a great experience for the kids. We ending up finding a great place called the Voodoo Lounge that had a rockin’ DJ and fire show to boot.

Tonight is an easy night at the hotel and I’m looking forward to it. I need a little less stress after my adventurous day! All right, chow time!

Hasta mañana,
Jessica Lynn

Corriendo Las Olas

Surfs up! No really. The surf was way up today, and it was an awesome day on the beach!

My group had surf lessons in Tamarindo today (affectionately called Tamagringo) and because I have been to Iguana Surf so many times and been through their lessons about a dozen times, I decided to sweet talk the surf shop into letting me use a ‘real’ board instead of a beginner board. It worked! Instead of taking the lesson for the umpteenth time, I got to take out an actual board and ride the waves. It was a smaller board so I could manipulate in better, but that also made it more difficult to ride. No worries mae, it was still a great surf day!

I spent the rest of the morning wandering around Tamarindo and enjoying a smoothie before taking the group back to class at CPI. I’m in the office now trying to get some work done. Tomorrow the group leaves Flamingo and we head to Rincón de la Vieja for a couple of days (a beautiful national park where we are going horseback riding and river tubing). However, tonight we first have disco night in Tamarindo. : ) Looking forward to it.

Random sighting: A Monteverde dog in Tamarindo.

Also, the bonfire was awesome last night. I made the fire with another chaperone successfully in under 10 minutes. Nice.

Time to get dinner and get ready for disco night!

Always on the move,

Jessica Lynn