Panama and Starfish

             I haven’t done a picture post in awhile so, to fill you in on my 3 days at Bocas del Toro, in Panama, I have decided to do a picture post.  Que bueno, verdad?  So here it goes, enjoy the pictures and my captions.  Hopefully, by way of the pictures and captions you can garner enough information about my weekend and how awesome it was.  However, if you want to ask a question, please feel free to do so in the comment box below and I will be sure to answer it for you.  Enjoy!

Walking across the bridge/border to Panama after our 7 hour bus ride.  We still had about another hour bus ride after this.

The person who was supposed to check our bus after we crossed the border into Panama was eating lunch so we had to wait outside for him.  It was hot so I tossed this heat-fighting outfit together.  Stylin'

After our 1 more hour bus ride, we got to a port and boarded a water taxi so it could take us out to Bocas del Toro, an island and where we stayed for 3 days while in Panama.  By the way, we 'had' to go to Panama in order to renew our visas since our 90 days in the country was almost up.

After arriving late Friday, we didn't do much.  However, the next day, Whitney and I decided to go on a bike ride around the island.

On our bike ride, which took us all day and we basically rode on every street there was to ride on, we saw some monkeys just hanging out in a tree.

We stopped at a really pretty beach with clear blue water and nice sand.  We were the only 2 there but the waves were monstrous and destroyed us so we continued on our bike ride.

We passed a photo-worthy church.

We based 2 lone tombstones.

Finally, after riding for about 20 miles up and down hills, we arrived at where we were headed, Boca del Drago.  We had to walk the last 800m because the chain on Whit's bike decided to fall off and stay off.  However, we were finally there!

Of course, the water was clear and calm and PERFECT!

I just had to get in and pose for the camera.

I saw some seagulls.  They all had their own posts.

There wasn't much at Boca del Drago except for one expensive restaurant and a few huts like the one above.  So, being the adventurous gents we are, me and old Whit decided to explore along the coast some.

Good thing we did because just a bit up the coast was Starfish beach!  There were countless starfish.  It was amazing!!  After that, she and I just laid in the water along the beach and talked for a few hours.  Lemme tell you, that water, that sun, the atmosphere was so relaxing and tranquil.  I had the 3 most relaxing days ever this past weekend.  God-like is the only way to describe that beach.

Since Whit's bike broke and because we were soo very tired, we waited around for the next shuttle to come by at 5ish.  We found some hammocks and just relaxed while also attempting to talk to each other in Spanish.  While waiting, we also met 2 gringos from Montana, Les and Mike, who are building a house on the island.  They were great guys and it was fun talking to them.  You meet the most interesting people when you travel and are open to talking to others.

The next day, Laura, Whitney and I spent the day on another island at Red Frog Beach.  It was so very relaxing.  I just laid out, explored, and napped in the shade all day for about 7 hours.  Perfect.

The old gang at Red Frog Beach (Laura, me, Whitney).

A map of the area and islands.  We stayed at Bocas del Toro which is on the southern tip Isla Colon.  The island with the giant frog is where we went to Red Frog Beach.  Also, right next to the name Isla Colon, to the left of Isla. there is a small dot (it's a starfish).  That is where Whit and I biked to.  We also biked up the east side of the island to where the surfer guy is in the ocean on the map. 

A cool shot of Bocas del Toro in the morning.

The main street in Bocas.  There were lots of gringos and bars but it was a really cool and relaxing place.  We met a local man named Nester but he told us everyone calls him Snoop.  He was very nice and proceeded to tell us how he learned the F-word.  Surprisingly enough, it was from a Bob Marley song.

The one thing I didn't like about Panama was that they didn't sell bananas like they do in Costa Rica.  I'm not sure why.  And if they did have bananas they were green like these.  Yuck!

The flag of Bocas.

Sadly, while I was enjoying my time in Panama, a lot of people live like this in poor conditions along the water.  There were tons of trash too in the ocean and around these houses.  It puts things in perspective sometimes to see others with less than you.  You begin to realize that you yourself don't need all the things that you have in order to live.

On the way back to San Jose, in a little town in Panama, we saw some school kids playing kickball.  I love how kickball is universal.

And finally, we crossed the border bridge again but this time from Panama into Costa Rica.  On the Panama side of the river was this lovely Panama flag.  While Panama was relaxing, cheaper and fun, it was certainly nice to be back in Costa Rica, my home away from home.

What Would You Do For God?

           This past Saturday, Mr. Brian and his family from the States came down to visit my host family.  Mr. Brian was a student here in Costa Rica 2 years ago when he was getting another degree (he’s 50 years old or so).  He wanted to come back and visit with his family so they, the 6 of them, have been living in our host family’s house since Saturday.  Now, with me and my roommate and my host family, there are 11 of us in the house.  Talk about busy and crowded.  Plus, since basically no one in Mr. Brian’s family speaks Spanish, I’ve been up to my clavicle in translating for them and for my host family.  But I can’t complain because it’s great practice.  

The front of the Basilica that we worshiped in this past Sunday.  It was my first ever Catholic mass too.

It’s a little strange that having ‘outsiders’ stay with us in the house makes me feel more like a part of my host family because I’m no longer the ‘outsider’ now.  Whenever I help wash the dishes or clean up around the house, my host dad tells me “It’s okay” or “Don’t worry, I can do that.”  What I’ve been telling him in return is that “This is my house too so I need to help out around it.”  It’s nice being accepted and feeling as though you are part of the family.  

A view of the inside of the Basilica and the altar way up front.

Anyways, this past Sunday, I went to the Basilica with my host family and Mr. Brian’s family.  As I’ve mentioned in some other posts, the Basilica is probably the holiest place in Costa Rica for Catholics.  It’s huge.  Well, my host parents always sing there on Sundays.  Since my host family has been singing there every Sunday for the past 11 years, they were able to give us the star treatment.  By this I mean that we sat up next to the altar the entire service, went back in the sacristy and met the priest after service, and we were given a tour of the Basilica with access to places where the public is not allowed to see.  It was a very awesome experience.  But what was even more amazing were the people who came to worship there.  Here's a short clip of the inside of the Basilica.  Sorry that it's a little wobbly.  At around the 2:10 mark you see some benches up by the altar, that's where we sat for the service this past Sunday.

These people love the Lord so much that they were willing to stand for 2 hours during the length of the service because there was no room to sit.  The Basilica was so full that people were standing in the aisles, around the back of the church, in the entryways, and anywhere else they could find.  People were sitting on the steps that lead up to the start of the altar area because there wasn’t enough room.  During the service, I started to think about how awesome it was that these people wanted to hear the Word of God so badly that they were willing to stand the entire service and not complain one bit verbally or nonverbally.  Some of these people had multiple kids they were also looking after or babies in their arms.  Even most of the children were intent on the service too.  I guess, after this past Sunday, I had to ask myself the question: “Would I stand for 2 hours to hear some pastor or priest speak about Jesus for 2 hours?”  I encourage you to ask yourself the same question and think about where you have placed the Lord in your life.  What do you value most in life and what should you value most in life?  I think sometimes we all need a little different perspective to help us see what’s really important in life. 

Opinion Poll!! What Should I Do?

Here’s the question.  I need everyone to chime in so that I can make a wise and knowledgeable decision.  Lately, I’ve been pretty lazy here in Costa Rica.  What I mean by this is that I haven’t shaved my face in awhile (please refer to the picture below).  What I need from all of you is this: should I shave or should I keep growing it out and see what happens?  Maybe a bird will lay 3 eggs in my beard…Chris, Stewie, and…errr…Boba Fett (if you don’t watch Family Guy that this sentence won’t make any sense to you).  Anyhow, let me know what you think I should do and why.  And when you tell me why, be detailed, creative, and exact. 

Where Am I Going To Sleep?!

I’m sure you have all heard about the horrible earthquake and tsunamis in Japan.  My prayers are and will continue to be, of course, with everyone involved with that terrible disaster.  Well, due to that earthquake, Costa Rica was put on a tsunami alert and the program I am down here with forbade any of us from going to the Pacific Coast this past weekend just in case there was a tsunami.  Well, I was planning on going somewhere on the Pacific coast but the earthquake threw a wrench in my plans.  So, at around 1pm on Friday, Tom and I decided to go to Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean coast because we could.  The last bus leaving for Puerto Viejo left at 4pm so we only had a little time to pack and get to the bus station to buy tickets.

Err…we arrived at the bus station at 3:50pm because we walked there.  We asked the ticket guy if there was any room but sadly there was not and there were no other buses going to Puerto Viejo that night.  Well, a little sold out bus wasn’t going to stop us.  Instead, we looked at all the other places we could go from that bus station and decided on Guapiles, a town halfway between San Jose and the Caribbean coast, again, because we could.

Bag o' Beans

And bananas...a meal fit for a king...or just me and Tom.

            When Tom and I arrived in Guapiles it was around 7pm.  We bought some bananas and some prepackaged bags of refried beans and sat and ate them while watching a local soccer match at a stadium.  After that, we walked around and checked out some local grocery stores for more food (by more food I mean more beans and bananas – a man’s meal), walked through a park, went to a karaoke bar, had a beer, witnessed a midget pastor preaching, went to a casino with a guard out front wielding a shotgun, went to a Burger King, and then finally found a hostel to sleep in for the night.  Again, this is just Tom and I roughin’ it like the pioneers of old used to.

A shot of some of Rockin' J's.

            The next morning we woke up at 4:50am to catch the bus to Limon, a large port city on the Caribbean coast.  From there, we took another bus to Puerto Viejo, finally.  Oh, in Limon we bought some more beans and bananas.  Once in PV, at around 11am, we checked into Rockin’ J’s which is by far one of the coolest places on earth, and then rented some bikes.  We rode about 15 miles to another town south of PV and rented snorkeling gear.  For the rest of the afternoon, Tom and I snorkeled around the only living coral reef in Costa Rica.  The amount and colors of fish we saw that day was unbelievable.  We also did some exploring around the forest by the beach too.  Limon is an awesome province because you have the beach and then right beside the beach you have the dense, untamed forest.  Here's a short video of Rockin' J's.

 

            That night, I made rice for dinner and then Tom and I and some other friends hit up the town for some nightlife.  We slept in hammocks that night for only $5.  At around 4am I heard howler monkeys just outside the shelter yelling their heads off.  We woke up around 7:30am because coconuts kept dropping on the tin roof we were sleeping under and making loud “bang” noises.  Tom and I then made some breakfast, hung out a bit talking to some Italian friends we made the day before, and then took the 11am bus back to San Jose.

More of Rockin' J's.

            On the bus ride back, I sat next to an older tica lady, probably around the age of 50 or so.  She asked if I could speak Spanish and I said that I could, but only a little.  She then proceeded to talk to me for 2 hours in Spanish on the bus ride back.  It was very difficult to understand her sometimes but she was very patient and kind.  We ended up becoming friends.  If anyone was wondering, he name is Hannah.  However, I could only take so much of her and told her I had to sleep because I had a headache, which was true.  I just didn’t tell her that she was the one who gave me the headache.

Where I slept at Rockin' J's with a bunch of other people.

                Overall, I loved the weekend!  Just getting up and going was what I needed to put me outside of my comfort zone.  Not knowing where you’re going to sleep that night or what the next day holds for you is a scary but an exhilarating and addictive feeling.  I recommend it.  Plus, even though I like the people from the group I usually travel with, not traveling in a large group was less stressful for me.  I felt freer.  Oh, and Tom is a hoot.  He and I had a great time together and a great weekend.  I met a lot of knew friends and people from all over the world.  I thoroughly enjoyed my unplanned, sporadic weekend around Costa Rica these past few days.  Here's another video of Rockin' J's for your enjoyment (just ignore all the alcohol at the end... We all know that's not my style).

A Crazy Weekend In Montezuma

So, after a whole week with my parents, walking all around Costa Rica and entertaining them, I guess I didn’t have enough adventure.  This past weekend, after the folks and Peter left for the States, I, along with 6 other friends, went to Montezuma, a beach town on the Nicoya Peninsula, for the weekend (wow comma overload).  To catch the bus there, we had to wake up at 4:15am in order to buy tickets for the 6:00am bus ride.  They don’t let you buy tickets in advance for this trip.  Well, after being at the bus station for about 15 minutes waiting for the bus to arrive, I realized that I didn’t know where my keys were.  

I knew I locked the door to my house before I got in the cab but I couldn’t find them in any bag I had with me or anywhere around the bus station.  I called my host family at 5:00am in the morning to tell them I couldn’t find my keys.  Laura, thank the Lord for her, helped me get the right message to my host family (she’s pretty darn good at Spanish).  Others in the group with me did a good job of helping me not freak out because if a student loses his house keys, the host family has to replace all the locks on the house which costs roughly $100. 

I wasn’t worried about losing the keys or paying to get the locks replaced, I just didn’t want my host family to worry or be inconvenienced.  Anyways, after my host dad looked outside and down the street, and at the market, and at ISA, and told me via cellphone he couldn’t find them, we (meaning Laura) called the cab company and tracked down our cab driver from that morning.  As a side note, I’m not sure why my host dad looked in all those places because I only stepped outside the front door and into a taxi.  I guess Juan Carlos’s (my host dad) motto should be, “Go big or go home.”  Anyways, the taxi driver had them!  And he took them back to my host family’s house.  It was a productive and busy morning.  I had successfully lost and found my keys before 6:00am.      

The boat ride over the Montezuma.

            We took a 2 hour bus ride to the Pacific coast, then a 1.5 hour boat ride to the peninsula (the boat ride cuts off almost 3 hours of driving) and then another 1-1.5 hour bus ride to Montezuma.  It was a long trip but we got there around 12:30pm.  The hostel we stayed at was rough but the people where friendly.  The bathroom for our hostel was literally a stall outside right next to the shower stall.  The beds where nice and the pillows were extra fluffy.  I guess, overall, I don’t mind rough (in fact, I prefer it) but $15 a night was a little too expensive for the quality.  But, then again, it was only $15.  Of course, I was starving when I got to the hostel so I made oatmeal with bananas for lunch in the hostel kitchen.  Then, we hit the beach for the rest of the day.  

The view of the cabin we stayed in.

The room we slept in.

Last but not least, our bathroom (left) and shower (right).

            Two of our friends met up with us in Montezuma later that day, Mason and Caroline.  Around 4:00pm or so, Caroline started having terrible, constant stomach pains.  We weren’t sure what was causing them but after 30 minutes of her being in steady pain, Heather and Kristina took her to the nearest town with a doctor to see what was wrong.  The doctor didn’t have the technology needed to run any tests so he put the 3 of them in an ambulance and they drove/boated the 5 hours to San Jose.  Turns out, she has a bacterial infection.   She just needs to stay in the hospital for a few days so they can give her the right medication.  But she’s fine.  No need to worry too much.  But I’m sure she wouldn’t mind your prayers.   

Some local with he longest dreads ever!  I had to snip this photo of him from a distance.  He was a eely one to shoot.

            After all that fun with Caroline’s stomach, the remaining group stayed on the beach until sunset then trekked back to the hostel.  Laura and I made food (Rice, chicken, veggies, and pineapple) and ate for basically no money at all.  Then a few of us went back into town and hung out at various places.  I slept in my boxers that night because I didn’t bring anything else to wear.  Packing light is the way to go.  

The waterfall.

            The next day we went to a nearby waterfall.  The hike was literally up a creek and through the woods.  But it was beautiful and free and beautiful.  After the waterfall we headed back to the hostel, ate the free breakfast (which was consisted of a pretty lame gallo pinto, toast, and a banana), checked out of the hostel, and then went to the beach until 2:30pm which was when the bus came to pick us up.  

Eating breakfast at the hostel with our new hostel buddies.

After we got off the bus at the port and were waiting around for the boat, I had some leftover cooked hamburger patties that my parents gave me before they left for the States.  I knew I wasn’t going to eat them so I gave two to Josh and Mason.  I was going to throw the other 2 away but then saw a hungry stray dog and decided that I wanted to make a new dog friend.  Dog friend successfully made. 

Sharing the cold hamburger love with my friends...notice our new dog friend.

Getting his hamburger on.

We finally made it back to San Jose around 10pm.  I ate something real light when I got home because I wasn’t too hungry, just really tired.  I hadn’t eaten since noon that day but I still wasn’t hungry.  I showered, admired my new tan, and then slept.  Fun weekend but I’m pooped.

Topped the boat ride back off with a beautiful sunset.

Oh, the bus came with us on the ferry too.

A Busy-Fun Week With My Family

Boy oh boy do I have a lot to share with you this week.  Be prepared to read.  My parents arrived in San Jose last Saturday night to spend 6 days in Costa Rica.  Since their plane didn’t land until 10:30pm Saturday night, I was a little hesitant in taking the bus to the airport so late at night.  Furthermore, I didn’t know where the bus station was.  Well, that all worked out somehow.  Let me explain.  Earlier that Saturday I went over to my professor’s host family’s house to talk with their daughter about the differences between college in Costa Rica and college in the US.  While there are really not too many differences, I was able to practice my Spanish with his host mother and talk with a tica (in English) about Costa Rican life.  As I was about to leave, I asked the girl, Liz, if she knew where the bus stop was for the airport.  She couldn’t remember at first, plus I kept asking questions about it which I’m sure didn’t help.  Anyways, she ended up asking me if I wanted her to come with me.  Of course I said yes and later on that night her mother drove us to the bus stop and we took the bus, her and me, to the airport.

The two of us ended up sitting, waiting around for my parents to land and get through customs, etc.  She was my tour guide.  We tried to steal a taxi instead of paying for one while we were waiting but neither of us knows how to drive stick (most cars in CR are stick).  We also plotted on how to steal this one girl’s zebra print luggage since Liz loves zebra print.  But I was a terrible friend and didn’t follow through on the robbery.  Mom, pops, and Peter arrived safe and sound and we all took a $30 cab ride back to San Jose because it was very late and the bus wasn’t going to arrive for another 45 minutes.  Can you see now why I wanted to take the $1 bus ride to the airport?  We got to the hotel around 12:30am, said our goodbyes to Liz, and went in to sleep.  Make a tica friend?  Check.  Plus it was nice to have a native speaker there to help us get around.  

            I spent the night with the family that Saturday because we had to get up early the next morning in order to go to Tortuga Island all day.  We ended up falling asleep around 1am and had to wake up at 5am.  Ugh!  Anywho, we got up, tried to find an ATM that was open because the folks didn’t have any money and I only had a few dollars left from that $30 taxi.  We couldn’t find any international ATMs so I just used a few bucks I still had to get us a taxi that would take us to the bus pick-up zone for our day trip.

The boat we sailed on to get to the island.

            After doing some asking around, we got on the right bus and it took us to breakfast, which was included in the trip.  The breakfast was a typical Costa Rican breakfast which was, I’m sure, a little different for the folks.  The bus then took us to the Pacific Coast where we boarded a boat to take to the island.  The boat was bumping (for you older folks, it was ‘lively’).  We each got 3 free drink tickets to use on whatever we wanted.  They served us snacks on the boat, music was playing, and there was a small wading pool onboard; it was pretty awesome.  However, the boat moved really slowly.  So, after about another 2 hours, we made it to the island.  We were served lunch when we got there, chicken, fish, salad, arroz con leche, wine, etc.  It was good food.  (Check my Facebook page for more photos of the things written about in this blog).

A view from the boat we took of the Pacific Ocean.

            The rest of the 4 hours on the island we spent lying on the beach, playing in the ocean, exploring, playing soccer and digging tunnels in the sand.  4 hours on any beach is never a bad thing.  On the way back, on the boat, mom, Peter, and Jimbo all crashed because they were running on little sleep, tired from a day’s worth of activities, and jetlagged.  Plus, due to night construction, the bus ride back to San Jose took 4 hours instead of 2.  It was a long day for them and for me too but, personally, I felt it was worth it.  We also got to see dolphins on the boat ride back which made the trip for me.  Oh, at the end of the night, I ended up with roughly $0.80 left over from that few dollars I had.  We barely had enough for a cab back to the hotel but the Lord was keeping an eye on us.  They were able to pull money out the next day and I went home to replenish my coffers.

The hotel my parents and brother stayed at while in Costa Rica.  It was about a 10 minute walk from my house.

            Monday was a new day.  The parents had time to rest and relax, sleep in a bit, and recharge their batteries.  We started the day by heading over to the local grocer to buy some food supplies for them for the week.  Mom was freaking out because she couldn’t read any of the labels and couldn’t figure out the prices because they were in colones.  Furthermore, she was attracted to the American brands because they were in English and recognizable.  However, the American brands are much much more expensive.  She ended up not dying and I helped her pick the equivalent Costa Rican brands but I thought we were going to lose her for a moment there.  From there, we went back to the hotel, Apartotel Los Yoses, dropped off the goods, collected Peter, and headed downtown.

The artisans' market we frequented often that week.

The first place we ended up going to was the local artisans’ market downtown.  My roommate Josh came along too.  The market has all the souvenir things a tourist could dream of at low prices.  Plus, you can haggle with the venders a bit too and get a better deal.  I won’t ruin the surprise of what my family bought but they really enjoyed the market and went back to it multiple times during the week.  I bought a pretty rad shoulder bag for myself.  From there, we went to avenida central, the main shopping street downtown San Jose that’s for pedestrians only.  They looked around some, we ate a McDonalds, and then we walked back towards the hotel and went to Pequeno Mundo.  Pequeno Mundo is like a warehouse with dirt cheap prices.  Peter ended up buying 3 or 4 jerseys and almost 5 pairs of soccer shorts for only $30 or so.  Needless to say, he went back there again before the week was over.  Monday night the parents went to bed early and I went home to eat with my host family.

Peter made friends with the pigeons by feeding them...

And I joined in too.

The next day, Tuesday, we had planned on visiting Poas, one of the active volcanoes here in Costa Rica.  However, when I woke up to meet my family at 7am, it was pouring rain.  We still decided to give it a go and met up anyways.  However, after I told them that we probably wouldn’t be able to see any of the volcano because of how cloudy it was, we decided to reschedule it for the next day.  So, to get out of the rain and waste a little time since it was so early, we went to McDonalds again to get dad some coffee and Peter a few Egg McMuffins.  After sitting around there a bit, I took them to a local park to walk around, show them some cool statues, and then we decided to go to the zoo.  The zoo was a long walk and we got lost quite a bit but we eventually found it.  The zoo was small and dirty but very cool.  We saw lots of cool birds and animals and were able to get really close to them.  I could almost reach out and touch the lion if I wanted to. 

  

A jaguar.

One of the many different butterflies here in Costa Rica.

After the zoo we went back to avenida central to see the pigeons.  During the day, there are hundreds of pigeons in the central plaza because people sell corn to feed them and others bring food to feed them.  Lots of tico parents bring their kids there because the children have fun chasing the pigeons around.  Peter and I ended up making lots of pigeon friends and had then perched on our arms and shoulders for a bit.  We also witnessed a man catch one and then proceed to highlight it blue.  Haha, what a world.

Definitely the king of the jungle.

That same night, my host family invited my family to come eat dinner with them.  Since my Spanish is limited and my family doesn’t speak any at all, I was a little nervous about translating for both sides.  However, it went perfectly.  We ate together, we sang together, played music together, laughed together, and teased each other.  It was a great end to a great day.  My host family is so loving and giving and my real family is just the same.  It was a gift from God that we were able to share that night together as one big family in Christ.

Peter and I taking shots of coffee liquor at 10:00 in the morning at the coffee plantation.

            As you might have been able to see, my paragraphs are getting shorter which means I’m getting tired of typing.  But I must press on.  Wednesday the 4 of us went on a 3-location tour.  We had an early morning again, being picked up at 6am from our hotel.  After picking up everyone else that was going on the tour too, we headed to Doka, a local coffee plantation where Starbucks buys some of their coffee from.  We ate a typical Costa Rican breakfast there and then took a tour of the plantation.  Peter and I tried coffee liquor at 9am in the morning.  We’re not alcoholics, just adventurous boys.  From there, the bus took us all to Poas to see the volcano.  It was a perfectly clear day and we were able to see the entire crater!  Our tour guide said that the volcano is only that clear 10% of the time and that we were lucky to see it in such a state.  

A shot of the bean drying fields at Doka

The Poas crater with lots of acidic water and sulfur smell.

After Poas, we headed to La Paz waterfalls.  There, we walked through the mini zoo they had on site and ate a buffet lunch.  The hotel where La Paz waterfalls is located is amazing.  It’s $250 a night amazing.  Anyways, after looking at all the animals and eating, we walked down some 400 steps to see the 3 different waterfalls.  Then we got back on the bus and started our trek back to San Jose.  After riding in the bus for about 5 minutes, it started to rain.  The Lord was keeping us dry until we were completely done with our tours.  He gave us a perfect day.

The family at the Poas lagoon.

Peter made a friend at the La Paz waterfalls zoo.

One of the 3 waterfalls we saw.

            That night was low key.  I went back home to eat with my host family and my real family hung out in their hotel.  Thursday, we got up fairly early again and headed to Cartago, a city about 30 minutes east of San Jose.  My friend Laura came with us too.  We walked around the city a bit, looking in various stores and such.  We visited the huge Catholic Church, La Basilica, and looked at some old church ruins.  Then we went to the huge fresh fruit, veggies, and food market.  I, of course, bought fruit.  We just walked around there for a bit looking at all the different things and then headed back to San Jose around noon.  Peter and I were going to play soccer with some ticos and other Americans but no one really showed up so we just ended up kicking around a bit and then leaving.

Inside the Basilica.  Notice the people on their knees walking up the main aisle.

The old church ruins in Cartago

            The parents and Peter went back to the artisans market to spend more money after we finished kicking around the soccer ball, but I had a test at 3pm that day which I hadn’t studied for so I didn’t go with them (remember, I’m a student down here; it’s not just vacation for me all week long…well, actually, it kind of is).  I got about an hour’s worth of studying in and then took the test.  I really didn’t care about the test.  I’m sure I did alright.  I had already missed 3 classes that week in order to spend more time with my family but the professors said it was okay.  Later that night, I took Peter to a bar since he can legally drink in Costa Rica.  A few of my friends came too.  Peter got a Long Island Ice Tea and thoroughly enjoyed it.  He and I accidentally broke a glass while thumb wrestling.  Needlessly to say, Peter was feeling pretty good last night.

Peter's drink is the large one.  Mine is the small fruity looking one.

Today, Friday, all of the family fun came to an end.  Juan Carlos and I drove my family to the airport at around noon.  Their plane is supposed to take off around 3pm.  I hope they stay safe and I hoped they enjoyed their time in Costa Rica even though it’s much different than the United States.  I hope they have a little different view of the world and a little different view of themselves.  It was a blessing to spend time with them and show them all the things I’ve experienced and live with daily.  Now, I’m sitting here in my host family’s house blogging about my time with my family, all alone.  I certainly had a blast with them and realize that I missed them more than I thought I did.  I’ll see you guys in a few months!  I love you guys.

P.S.  We couldn’t get the car to start at the airport so we (Gleys, Juan Carlos, and I) ended up having to call a flatbed tow truck to come get the car.  Then we had to take a taxi home.  I said it was your fault, mom and dad.  Don’t worry though; Gleys and Juan Carlos were fine with it, mostly thankful that it didn’t happen somewhere far away.  Plus it was good bonding time for the 3 of us.  Pura vida, right?