http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Bushmush/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Bushmush en-us Sat, 02 Jan 2010 08:30:15 +0000 Sat, 02 Jan 2010 08:30:15 +0000 Another silly day in class.Then I went to visit where I'm going to be volunteering at an elementary school nearby. The kids there are CRAZY and out of control. It's not like schooling in the U.S. at all. They were just runing around screaming and roughhousing. It's like a train wreck in the middle of a war zone. It should be interesting when I do go to volunteer. We went to the National Museum wh http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-344152.html Day 27 September 30 2008Today I realized my new teacher in Business Spanish is a little bit crazy. We'll see how this plays out. Stay tuned.The night class was tough the business class I have with all Costa Ricans taught in Spanish because there were lots of new words and people talked fast. At least I picked up on a good amount of it. It makes you pay attention in class when you have be atte http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Yoses/San-Jose/blog-342430.html Started a new class today Business Spanish. All we did was read from a packet for 2 hours. You know those classes where you would rather be almost anywhere else than sitting there doing whatever you are doing I just can't seem to understand what makes professors think that we enjoy or even learn from just reading a packet the whole time. Now syllabus day is different. I do enjoy when on the http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-341319.html I woke up at 500 am to go see the sunrise. It's not often that I get a chance to see the sunrise over an ocean. I had to see how it compared to pacific sunsets. Answer pretty gorgeous. Check the pictures to decide for yourself. I was spellbound. There's something about a sunrise that is just captivating in a way that sunsets aren't. I felt it this summer when we would be in our kayaks as the su http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Limon/Tortuguero-National-Park/blog-340741.html Day 24 September 27th 2008After a great day on Friday we woke up and were served delicious breakfast by Isabel our hostess at Casa Marbella Bed Breakfast. Then we took the canoe that Casa Marbella owned out on the canal. We paddled along and saw majestic things. We saw big spiders cool birds water snakes and a bunch of crazy monkeys jumping all over the place. Monkeys are ridiculously en http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Limon/Tortuguero-National-Park/blog-340052.html Day 23 September 26th 2008I am writing about September 26th over a month later its actually October 29 I got wrapped up in things and stopped writing blogs. Alas we will catch up somehow.Today was the last day of class we had one class everyday for 3 weeks. However I and 4 others skipped class and traveled to Tortuguero a town on the Caribbean Coast. We got on an early bus to a town http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Limon/Tortuguero-National-Park/blog-337117.html Day 22 Thanx ProfInstead of having class in our classroom our Professor Senor Mendoza had us meet at the market downtown. He wanted to take us around the market which is incredibly similar to Pike Place Market with Costa Rica twists to show us things and explain about Costa Rican culture. He also bought us all 8 of us ice cream at a famous heladeria or ice cream standstore as well as c http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-329118.html Day 20 Chocolate and GoldWe watched ldquoLike Water for Chocolaterdquo in Spanish in class today. Really good movie. Also worth renting. After class the ISA group went to the Museo de Oro or Gold Museum. There was a lot of cool gold stuff. Also I really enjoy miniature figurines miniature models of things. Yea Irsquom really nerdy. Therersquos even pictures of this.Another guy from http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-329113.html Day 19 Dancing Without the StarsSeptember 22 2008Today we had a test in Spanish class. But after that we spent the last hour and half learning to dance with a dance teacher our professor brought in. We learned the basics to merenge salsa and cumbia. It got really hot in that room and I was sweating like crazy but it was fun. I went for a run for the first time in forever today I want to ge http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-329112.html Day 18 The Swede ArrivesSeptember 21 2008After breakfast I went on a steep fairly long hike with some ISA ladies. It was a nice hike along the base of the volcano through green hills that ended up at a pretty sweet lookout. Went back to the hotel to chill. Our hotel had a bunch of pools and waterslides all over. I love waterslides. A lot. If waterslides were a musical act I would have booke http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-329106.html Day 17 Counting Cards Waterfalls Chess Hot Springs Longest Day Yet.Make sure you have some time on your hands if you are going to read this entry. Itrsquos a full one. I woke up at 500 am to get to school by 530. On the way to Arenal we watched ldquo21rdquo on the bus. I enjoyed the film. Well done in my opinion. Worth renting for sure.We stopped at a park in Zarcote where there was http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-329102.html Day 16 ShortWe listened to Spanish songs in class today.I wanted to learn more guitar after listening.Downloaded guitar tabs.Played for hours at home.Went to bed.The end. http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-329098.html Day 15 No military More Had a big discussion in class today about racism and discrimination and the like. It was very interesting to talk about especially because for the last 2 weeks and the next 3 months Irsquove been the outsider. I talked about how that is somewhat ironic because I have a scholarship for LatinAmerican back at SU. What if someone that wasnrsquot Latino needed that http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-329094.html Day 13 and 14 UmmhellipSeptember 16 2008So really a bland day. I had my class with Ticos again where Irsquom the only white guy. I understood a lot more this time though. Today I also posted like 5 blogs. I need to get more on top of this. Irsquom working on it I promise. Pura VidaSeptember 17 2008Another normal day. Except I went to a storytelling event kind of like something SEAC w http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-329088.html Day 12 Denim DiapersSeptember 15 2008Today was Independence Day not just for Costa Rica but for all of Central America. I didnrsquot know thatrsquos how it was until I got down here. On September 15th from Mexico to Costa Rica not Panama they all celebrate independence. In my opinion thatrsquos a pretty cool concept that brings unity to an entire region regardless of their present http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-329079.html Day 11 Nature and Pierce BrosnanWe woke up early to go to the Monteverde Biological Cloud Forest Reserve. With a couple friends we conquered almost the entire park in 2 hours. So many amazing different plants and fauna things you picture when you think of the rainforest huge leaves towering trees vines moss bright colors. I think my skin became saturated with chlorophyll. We went across a http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Puntarenas/Monteverde/blog-327622.html Day 10 Bon Apptit Introduces Grilled ChocoCheeseI was so stoked for this big day that I put on my ipod and cranked up the volume as I started to cut my nails outside. I look up and no one is around. I run to the bus and everywhere is there smiling at me and laughing hysterically. Sound like me I canrsquot get away from crappy habits.Itrsquos really hard to put my zip line rainforest canop http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Puntarenas/Monteverde/blog-326838.html Today in class we played hangman and 20 questions in Spanish. Irsquom glad Irsquom a senior in college.We left at 1pm for Monteverde a town in the mountains in the north rich with rainforests and adventure with the group. Gorgeous drive up in our huge charter bus so much green hills forests cows locals I guess this is the same description you could use for like Carnation or Duvall http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-326767.html Day 8I spent most of the daytime hanging out in the office with ISA friends while figuring out Skype and calling friends and family back home to let them know I was alive and kicking. Skype is pretty dang tight. Irsquom making international calls for almost nothing. I canrsquot wait to get internet at our house in CR so that I can call people back home and what not.At dinnerbefore we went o http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-324428.html Day 7I went downtown again today with the same crowd relatively. Explored. Today random thoughts and commentaryThe weather here is crazy awesome. It is extremely predictable and goes a little something like this. Warm and sunny 70s80s through the morning until around 3ish. Then it gets cloudy really dark clouds and you know whatrsquos coming. It starts to POUR for an hour or two or thre http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-324426.html