http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Alajuela/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Central America Caribbean , Costa Rica , Alajuela en-us Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:49:11 BST Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:49:11 BST We have been welcomed into the home of Juan and Gerarda Ramirez. Juan looks after us in our cabinas and Gerarda cooks all the meals. Their english is very poor but then that is ok as our spanish is even worse. It is a wonderful conversation of charades sounds and brief pauses to look up the word in our dictionary. In the beginning it took longer but now our spanish is improving we are able to spe http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Alajuela/Alajuela/blog-303727.html Hola everybodyWell a big finish to a tiring week Friday we went to Hooters for dinner with the crew it was very American but cheaper than going to one in the States so we went...and we had a blast see all the pics and videos We have done some shopping and exploring in the city but i found it is not a lot cheaper than Brisbane which is a shame so i will wait until Vietnam and see the prices ov http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Alajuela/Alajuela/blog-302468.html Well boys and girls we made it What a first week it was. We still have not recovered from the flight yet but i think it is getting better waking at 3 in the am hours feeling conpletely refreshed and trying like hell to get back to sleep to fit in to the time here. Anyhow we arrived on saturday night and met our hosts the nicest people i think i have ever met so patient as we did not speak any or http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Alajuela/blog-301061.html Hot hot hot Volcano http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Alajuela/Arenal/blog-300329.html Meeting Steve Roo in Costa Rica http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Alajuela/blog-300321.html This weekend is our three day weekend and we don't have to report back to class until Tuesday morning. Ten of us got a tour company to get us a reservation in Arenal which is north on the map but it is impossible to drive that way because of the Tilaran Mountain Range. So we took a van through some small hills for 1 12 hours then a boat across Lake Arenal for one hour and then a half hour van http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Alajuela/Arenal/blog-299635.html Although I knew that Hurricane Season officially started on June 1st I did not think it would begin with such punctuality and force. As soon as it hits June these rains and storms unleash their annual pounding of central america without hesitation. We noticed on the weather channel that Hurricane Alma recently started up in Nicaragua and we would be flying over the region the next day. Yowza Fo http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Alajuela/Arenal/blog-291087.html hey all. we stayed in paquero last night due to the storm that hit. we didnt' feel comfortable getting back on the ferry with that weather. we stayed at a place called cabinas margaritas though margarita was not in last night. during the day jenna and i left puntarenas by ferry to paquera. our goal was to drive to playa santa teresa because we heard it was beautiful. our detour to islas tortugas http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Alajuela/Arenal/blog-284233.html Nothing surprises us anymore about local bus journeys especially the amount of people that a driver can cram on. With that in mind it probably wasnt our best decision to travel to La Fortuna on a Saturday afternoon. Started off fine on our four and a half hour jaunt from San Jose Bus Station. Front seat on a half full coach not for long Before we left the city limits it was full to the gunne http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Alajuela/La-Fortuna/blog-283368.html Hi AllToday is going to have to be the last day that I write. Tomorrow we leave for Arenal the volcano where I will not have any internet access. Then on Sunday from the volcano I will be going straight to Roble Alto where we will be doing our volunteering for the last week. In Roble Alto we will staying with children who have been taken away from their family for various reasons death of p http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Alajuela/Grecia/blog-281938.html Hi AllI am finally back at school and starting to feel better I started feeling sick Saturday while I was at the beach and reached the worst point yesterday. The school sent me back home to my host family with a variety of medicine and orange juice. I am feeling a lot better today just a cough left. It seems to be going around all of Grecia. 2 of our other girls had to be taken to the doct http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Alajuela/Grecia/blog-281165.html Day 213 The long and rainy road northReaching one of San Jose's many bus stations at the very sociable hour of quarter past eight I met a few other people looking to go to La Fortuna a town in the north of the country. Having paid for our tickets we climbed aboard the ancient bus and were shortly off on our way out of the big city along winding country roads heading towards La Fortuna. I'm http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Alajuela/La-Fortuna/blog-281144.html Hi Everyone I have so much to tell about this weekend and so many beautiful pictures but I have caught a virus that is going around Costa Rica and they are sending me back home to my host family for the day. I have a fever cough and congestion. I am praying that I start to feel better tomorrow...hopefully you will be able to hear from me then. Love to all. http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Alajuela/Grecia/blog-280752.html Hi everyoneI just wanted to let you know that I FINALLY got all the pictures loaded onto Photobucket www.photobucket.comrrigual. Only a few had loaded yesterday but there is a lot more now. I feel like I do not have a lot of pictures well a lot of the church. We are just so busy. I hope to take a lot of amazing pictures this weekend Look for it Monday or Tuesday. Love to all http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Alajuela/Grecia/blog-279400.html Hi everyone I have so much to write about and I finally have pictures I did not get to write the past few days because we have all been so busy The day we got here was long I went about 32 hours with out sleep. By the end of the night I went to crash and found a bed full of bugs and human hairskin....pretty site I know.... I admit I cried it was a little rough. But I am over it and http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Alajuela/Grecia/blog-279075.html All of us just arrived in Costa Rica. The plane ride was long but we made it I meet my host mother when I arrived she seems really really sweet. Our guide here explained all my allergies to her so everthing is all good The rest of my host family was not at the house when I got there so I have not met them yet. The view from my host families house in Grecia is amazing Costa Rica look l http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Alajuela/Grecia/blog-277990.html Things are getting pretty crazy here at home. Everyone is really excited about leaving but at the same time is stressed with preparations. Jason graduates on Sunday and then we will get ready to leave. I am going to miss my family and Jason a lot but this will be an experience that I will never forget. I also got my Tico family assignment today. I will be with a family that has 3 sons 24 http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Alajuela/Grecia/blog-276027.html Kate After such a wonderful time in Montverde but feeling a little tour guided and wildlife watching out we decided to head for La Fortuna which is home to one of Costa Rica's active volcanos' Volcano Arenal. Steve had never seen a volcano so we were pretty excited. The journey was slightly shorter this time thank god and we took the busboatbus option to break up the journey a little. As f http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Alajuela/Arenal/blog-274594.html Von Tortuguero ging es ins Landesinnere zum Vulkan Arenal.Nach der abenteurllichen Fahrt mit dem Bananenboot ging es weiter mit dem Bus zum Arenal. Schon von Weitem konnten wir die Umrisse des Kegel erkennen. Als wir dann in La Fortuna ankamen war er leider schon in dicke Wolken gehuellt. Unser Hotel lag weit ausserhalb vom Ort schwer erreichbar dafuer mit Blick zur aktiven Seite des Vulkans. Z http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Alajuela/Arenal/blog-270670.html While moving to a new country city or neighbourhood can be extremely exciting the act of actually packing hauling and transporting one's worldly possessions has the well earned reputation of being a most unpleasant and stressful experience. We knew all along that the day would come when we would have to leave our beautiful yard and comfortable home and return to Canada. Having to move all of http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Alajuela/Alajuela/blog-270220.html As someone who has spent most of his life in cities and college towns it remains an unexpected turn to own an organic coffee and fruit farm. These are THE crops of Costa Rica and before tourism and foreign investment became such a powerful part of the economy coffee and bananas ruled.My farm in El Empalme has an amazing ocean view and the sunset in the Pacific is an inspiring experience. El Empa http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Alajuela/San-Ramon/blog-267713.html Moi Olen yllatten jo Costa Ricassa. Aloin selvittaa mahdollisuuksia lentaa EtelaAmerikan pohjoisosan yli heti saavuttuani Argentiinaan maaliskuun alussa koska juuri silloin Ecuador ja Venezuela siirsivat joukkojaan Kolumbian vastaisille rajoille. Tilannehan helpotti tuolloin aika nopeasti eika sotaa syttynyt. Myohemmin kuitenkin tajusin viela sen ettei Kolumbiasta ole tieyhteytta Panamaan ta http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Alajuela/blog-265147.html There was a slight hitch on our first full day in San Jose resulting in Hugh and I having to spend another night there while the rest of the group headed off first thing in the morning to La Fortuna in the north west. A couple of the group had ended their trip on our first night in San Jose and gone off on their way. The second night a group of new people arrived taking the total group size to 18 http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Alajuela/Arenal/blog-264810.html Itrsquos been a while since wersquove updated our blog. So much has transpired since our last posting. I thought I would start with a quick trip we took during Graysonrsquos Easter break. Kilon researched and found Cataratas del Torro which owns 100 acres of land containing a walking trail to a 400 foot waterfall. This was the perfect destination because it could be a day trip and was a http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Alajuela/blog-263044.html Hello.We arrived safe and sound in Costa Rica San Jose what feels like ages ago now but in actual fact was only Yesterday. It did however take us 3 plane rides to get here so no wonder it feels like a long time.As promised I got some fantastci shots going over from Vancouver Island to the main land hope you enjoy I have no idea what islands they are but the mountains are the canada costal rang http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Alajuela/Arenal/blog-262512.html Wow Es ist dunkel wir steigen aus dem Auto aus stolpern ueber die Bruecke und schon gehts los mit Eruption um Eruption knallroten Lawastroemen und einem fantastischen Sternenhimmel ueber uns...Wenn ichs nicht besser wuesste wuerde ich meinen ich traeume wieder mal sehr intensiv. Aber das Rauschen des Flusses unter der Bruecke der leuchtintensive kleine Wagen und die Lawa die mit 120 kmh 4 http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Alajuela/Arenal/blog-261810.html Yes I realize it's been a very long time since I've updated this blog but today I realized a new benefit to keeping it updated more frequently. This morning as I went to greet a Canadian family who showed interested in one of our communities she surprised me with a jar of REAL maple syrup. Pleasantly surprised I asked her How did you know I loved maple syrup. She responded I read your blo http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Alajuela/San-Ramon/blog-258065.html