http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Dr-O/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Dr O en-us Mon, 30 Nov 2009 07:16:25 +0000 Mon, 30 Nov 2009 07:16:25 +0000 Four days and seventy dollars ago the 2009 ASUCosta Rica Squad set out to conquer something a little more challenging than an entirely different language and slightly more dangerous than gallo pinto for breakfast...White Water Rafting. Let's just say...I knew it was going to be a good day after Janice Dickenson former supermodel and guest on America's Next Top Model used the men's room rig http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/blog-413858.html A typical Costa Rican meal consists of meat rice beans and sometimes salad. The meat is usually chicken beef or steak. Costa Rican salads contain avocado juice and do not contain dressing and French fries are sometimes served instead of beans or rice. Burritos are commonly served in restaurants.There are several differences between Costa Rican food and American food. The amount of grease http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Heredia/blog-412716.html Here in Costa Rica the houses all look the same. All of them have security gates and these gates can be tricky getting into. On the inside the houses are smaller than what most Americans are used to. Most U.S. houses have 24 bedrooms all of a good size. Most have 13 bathrooms with at least 1 being really big. In your kitchen you have 2 sinks a large stove and a big fridge. Your livi http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Heredia/blog-412548.html We are learning so much about Costa Ricarsquos culture including the countryrsquos work with their native Costa Rican indigenous population. There are 3 to 4 main populations that remain active in Costa Rica and live on reservations. During our first week at CPI we were fortunate enough to meet and talk with this couple who shared their culture with us. They live in the mountains on reser http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Heredia/blog-412251.html Manuel Antonio National Park By Jessica Manuel Antonio National Park is one of the most popular destinations in Costa Rica. It is packed with wildlife and gorgeous beaches. Fortunately our group was able to spend the weekend here. Being our first weekend in Costa Rica we were pumped to visit Manuel Antonio and take a break from classes. Whether we wanted to lie on the beach play in the water http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/blog-411326.html Be sure to scroll down a little bit and check out Amanda's entry on our tour of San Jose. It was published today June 23 but since I started it on June 17th it shows up on the list earlier than the last two entries.It's really nice and I didn't want you to miss itDr. O. http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-411699.html On June 11 after a hard day of Spanish class we took a tour of the capital of Costa Rica San Jos. After our lunch at a ldquosodardquo we made our way downtown. Our first stop was the National Theater. Once inside we saw a painting that once was on the 500 colones bill. This painting depicts the culture here in Costa Rica. Also the government no longer uses the 500 colones bill. Onc http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-409303.html Written by Jill On Tuesday with the help of Doa Eugenia all of us had a lesson in Latin cooking. We made salad and Arroz con pollo or rice with chicken for all you nonspeaking Spanish folks. Everyone had their own cutting board and knife. We cut up sweet chiles cilantro celery garlic and many other tasty ingredients. Doa Eugenia taught us how to make our own corn tortillas with tortil http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Heredia/blog-410907.html Blog Entry by Valarie Vegetation We have been here just over a week so we have become somewhat accustomed to our new homes new school and new schedules. Although I am very familiar with my walk to school I never get bored looking at what is on the way there. I knew before I arrived that Costa Rica would be very green but I guess I never really anticipated how green. Green is not the only b http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Heredia/blog-409649.html Blog Entry Written by Michelle The First Week It has been a tiring yet amazing five days I am learning so much Spanish and enjoying spending time with my host family and our group. I taught my family how to play Go Fish or Vaya de Pesca in Spanish. I attempted to teach them how to call the Hogs but I only got laughs and funny looks back. Wednesday we had dance class and learned the s http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Heredia/blog-408604.html The Market in Heredia Written by Valarie with some photos that she took of the market and other sites in Heredia On a tour through the central part of Heredia we visited a large indoor market. Although our guide says that this type of market is becoming less popular in Costa Rica there was a great deal of activity and a high level of energy there. There were a variety of fresh produce meat http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Heredia/blog-407537.html On Monday after classes we had our first experience on a public bus in Costa Rica. We went as a group to the neighboring town of Heredia capital city of the province of Heredia which is only about 15 minutes from San Joaquin. Even though it looked like it might rain any minute the weather held and we were able to see all the highlights of the town el Fortin the main square a church buil http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Heredia/blog-406950.html To be sure that you see all of the pictures please remember to click on view full entry. Everyone has been far too busy since we arrived yesterday to email home so don't worry if you haven't heard anything yet. The flights the brief layover in Houston and arrival in San Jose all went very smoothly. Almost everyone changed some money or used the ATM before leaving the airport and we were http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Heredia/blog-406716.html After the first day or so in Monteverde everyone settled in and quickly got used to the totally different environment of the cloud forest region. We literally were above the clouds during most days you could see them down below the mountain and in the afternoon they would creep up the side of the mountain cross over the road in front of CPI and make everything foggy. Sometimes it woul http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Puntarenas/Monteverde/blog-299417.html In some of the gift shops in Monteverde they sell a Tshirt that says ldquoI survived the road to Monteverde.rdquo Itrsquos true that the last hour and a half of the trip from San Joaquin was on a very bumpy and hard gravel road that winds through the fields and mountains and eventually reaches what feels like the top of the world. The panoramas were breathtaking. Sometimes there were sha http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Puntarenas/Monteverde/blog-297075.html First I'd better explain the language in the first video even though you may have already watched and heard it. There is plenty of humor throughout the Caf Britt Coffee Tour. The supposed owner of a coffee plantation begins the tour by leading the group through his shaded coffee fields to two of the workers who help the owner to explain the process of growing and processing coffee beans. They http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Heredia/blog-294683.html By Crystaldirectly after class they pile us back to the van to head to La Paz the waterfall gardens. Its an hour ride there during which time i do not face backwards. we drive through coffee fields pass a volcano lots of farms cows in the road a runaway cow... and we even stop to take pictures but i think that was mainly because we were traveling uphill through the mountains so lots of http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Heredia/blog-292988.html When does a 30minute meal REALLY only take 30 minutes When you have 10 highly skilled ASU students cutting chopping and grating with a very experienced Costa Rican cook named Doa Eugenia organizing everything. Check out Crystal's account of the Costa Rican cooking class along with some photos and even videos of the action. You can find the recipe for Arroz con pollo rice with chicken http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Heredia/blog-292131.html written by Crystal so friday we left for the beach. we stopped several times including once to see a a group of crocodiles... massive crocodiles who hang out with cows. we all stood over the bridge and leaned over.. i think we made johnny nervous. we finally make it to the beach and were all exhausted. well most of us. i made it to bed some others made it to the disco. our resort was simpl http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/blog-291036.html The town of San Joaqun de Flores where we live is in the province of Heredia but it is also more or less a suburb of the capital city of San Jos. On Thursday afternoon we spent a few hours on a tour of the city. First we drove through some of the more affluent neighborhoods and saw the home of the current president Oscar Arias as well as the US Embassy. Then we drove into the heart of t http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-290124.html