http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Central America Caribbean , Costa Rica , Cartago , Volcan Turrialba en-us Thu, 16 Oct 2008 03:22:03 BST Thu, 16 Oct 2008 03:22:03 BST So Christmas and New Year's came and went...Lot's of things happened here.We had a nice Christmas Eve dinner in candlelight and all...On Christmas day we were busy with welcoming the new family from the States who wanted to take Spanish lessons for the week. I opened one present that Shelley mailed to me so that kinda felt like Christmas. Talked to the fam in the morning on speaker phone and the http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/blog-116805.html It's less than a week before Christmas. I have to say that it doesn't really feel like it. Even though there's Christmas lights everywhere and Christmas music in all the stores it just doesn't have the same feeling. I had some tamales the other day which is this mashed up maize and flour and other vegetables all wrapped up in a big leaf. Then they get cooked over a fire. They taste pretty good a http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/blog-112214.html This past week I visited 'Ranchito Naturalista' with one of the students from the school. It's famous for its hummingbirds and butterflies. As we were walking along the trail I saw something move by my feet. I looked down and saw this big snake that slithered behind me. I yelled to the girl behind me to stop walking so that she wouldn't step on it. We were all shaken up and then even more so when http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/blog-108425.html So I've been here one full month already It's hard to believe.I can't believe how much has happenedThis past weekend was a youth retreat. It was crazy The lady cooks that came with us were wild Singing at 4 in the morning doing impromptu skits at night fashion shows with bread and eggs don't ask scavenger hunt etc...It was pretty fun. I got to see toucans that weekend too It was my dream http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/blog-104765.html Check out these photos http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/blog-102193.html Believe it or not I've been really busy lately Today was the first day I had a pounding headache and so at 2pm I shut all the doors and locked them so that I could take a quick nap without being disturbed. After an hour of resting I felt a lot better. I still think I'm at the beginning stages of a cold though Last week I had two afternoons of Spanish classes which I really liked. I'm finally l http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/blog-100904.html So it's been one full week since I've arrived.It's gone by fast and slow at the same time...A lot of new things to adjust to..but it hasn't been a big deal. I guess because I knew what I was coming back to.I've started helping the 'coordinating' of the Spanish school already. I like it a lot. My office has 2 windows where I can see the palm trees and I can feel the sun through the open no screen http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/blog-98204.html It's hard to believe I'll be back in Costa Rica in a few weeks. It's been a looong buildup and now that it's so close it feels strange...but good Last night's farewell party me moving out of my apartment are all making this feel real...So I've decided to reuse this blog for the next year. Apparantly now this site lets you upload video clips so once I figure out how to compress files I'll t http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/blog-92313.html So now I'm back in Toronto.Start work again on Monday. It was definetly hard to leave on Wednesday. My flight seemed to go too fast. I printed off around 90 pictures from my camera. That narrows it down for people so that they don't have to sit through 500 I also just uploaded some pics onto this blog just for the sake of at least having more than just 2In a nutshell an experience of a lifetim http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/blog-50174.html Well it's almost over....Tonight Macha is putting on a goodbye dinner for me. A bunch of people are coming over. This afternoon I'm visiting another house for coffee at 2pm. I like that everyone stops what they're doing for afternoon coffee. It's a major priority in their day I'll miss that.This past Friday we drove to Cartago an hour away to watch a movie in a big theatre. I invited a coupl http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/blog-49190.html Friday night all 6 of us drove to Cahuita Beach close to Limon on the Caribbean coast. It only took 2 hours to get there.We stayed in cabinas which only cost 10 per person. It was the first time that Mauricio and Gabriel had ever stayed overnight in a hotelhostel. Gabriel said he felt like he was in another country and was loving the experienceThe beach was beautiful and we had sun the whole d http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/blog-47763.html So this past Tuesday I moved into Macha's house. Their house is about 20 minutes walking distance from the Mission. I didn't sleep well the first night cuz of the new bed and the sounds of the dogs barking everywhere. I have ear plugs but I don't know if I'm just incompetent or something but they don't work at all. I can still hear everything. Maybe my ears are too small for the plugs or somethi http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/blog-46256.html Well it's about 12 hours before the off.... frantic last minute internet opportunity before we disappear into the jungle for 18 days.The venturers arrived last weekend and are a great bunch... mostly Brits with the odd american dutch french thrown in. We have 19 host country venturers with us... with money raised in country to support them and three are in our group two from Nicaragua much po http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/blog-45556.html So I've been here a full month now. I can't believe how fast it's gone. The first week felt like forever but ever since then it has just flown byThis past week I had 3 Spanish classes and now I don't have any more sessions left. So now it's up to me to keep talking Because I've been living at the Mission house I've been speaking english all the time with Jeanette and Hector and Daniel. Only wh http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/blog-44527.html The photos I attached to the last blog were actually from our project planning trip. The majority of us took the bus into San Jose for an evening on the town on Tuesday. Stewart and I were lucky because our bus south was 7am unlike the poor 3amers going to Nicaragua. After a 7 hour bus journey we reached Villa Briceno on the Interamericana highway and were picked up by two of the rangers. We wer http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/blog-43723.html We got back Sat night from our week long road trip across the country. It was a great trip.Some highlightsArenal Volcano Saw the smoke billowing out from the top. Perfect view. The Baldi Hot Springs just divineFlamengo Beach Felt like ritzville. Gigantic mansions on the hills. Only problem was the construction workers aren't so rich. They were the ones who robbed our car Apparantly twice http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/blog-43254.html Thank you to EVERYONE who has made donations to my website.... large and small they have been INVALUABLE. There have been some incredibly generous ones and I am very touched that you have put so much in to support what Raleigh and the projects are trying to achieve. I have tried to give you an idea below of where and to whom your money is going..... I now know a bit more about Raleigh and what we http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/blog-41903.html Wet wet and more wet.... and this is the dry season Also first night on the floor on a pallet with 7 other people in staff tent. But actually not bad and am well rested and fed today. Just completed swim test in lovely pool on CATIE agricultural campus. We have a fair number of amenities near us and Venturers dont arrive for about another 10 days so allowed beerHope all well with you http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/blog-41408.html On Sunday morningafternoon the mission held a pig roast for the church as an outreach event. We went to La Suisa about 15 minutes by car and held the 'fiesta' in the yard of the house the mission's converted into a usedclothing store. A lot of families came and the ladies of course cooked up a storm. They were all crammed into this tiny kitchen and took everyone's orders. I had this meal http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/blog-41084.html hello everybody and so the journey begins. have been in Turrialba since Monday learning spanish at this amazing school run by a dutch lady after only 4 days i am already beginning to understand much of what people say noone speaks english here so we have to make the effort we have 8 hours of spanish a day which is very tiring but the view is absolutely amazing If you want to know more abo http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/Volcan-Turrialba/blog-36527.html