Four days and seventy dollars ago, the 2009 ASU-Costa 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 right after I did in a very random rest stop in Costa Rica. Oh yeah...it was going to be a good day. Our destination was the Pacuare River, and the company that took us to the [View Full Entry]

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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 is the most notable difference. Although most Costa Rican restaurants serve hamburgers and French fries, they are significantly less greasy than most American burgers and fries. The difference [View Full Entry]

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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 2-4 bedrooms, all of a good size. Most have 1-3 bathrooms with at least 1 being really big. In your kitchen you have 2 sinks, a large stove and a big fridge. Your living room can accommodate more people than your household or maybe you have lots of room to put things. Now take all that and cut [View Full Entry]

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We are learning so much about Costa Rica’s culture, including the country’s 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 reservations that the government has set aside for them, growing and harvesting their crops and making what they need. They travel 6 hours from their village to a cable car which transports them across th [View Full Entry]

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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 it! Dr. O. [View Full Entry]

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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, or hike the trails, Manuel Antonio had it all. The first bit of adventure was on the way to our destination. We stopped and walked out onto the bridge that [View Full Entry]

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Written by Jill On Tuesday, with the help of Doña Eugenia, all of us had a lesson in Latin cooking. We made salad and "Arroz con pollo" or rice with chicken for all you non-speaking Spanish folks. Everyone had their own cutting board and knife. We cut up sweet chiles, cilantro, celery, garlic and many other tasty ingredients. Doña Eugenia taught us how to make our own corn tortillas with tortilla presses. She put all our work together to make the salad and "Arroz con pollo." Finally, we were all able to sit down and enjoy. It was "muy delicioso," [View Full Entry]

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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 beautiful color I have the privilege of seeing every day. There are breathtaking flowers everywhere that my eyes wander. There is clearly no reason [View Full Entry]

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On June 11, after a hard day of Spanish class, we took a tour of the capital of Costa Rica, San José. After our lunch at a “soda” 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. Once we sat down in the theater, I tried to picture the beautiful place filled with people and outside surrounded by coffee bean fields. Gold leaflets brought out [View Full Entry]

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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 salsa, merengue, and cumbia. We went to the movies Thursday night, and the movie was in Spanish with no subtitles! I kept wanting to [View Full Entry]

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