http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Central America Caribbean , Costa Rica , San Jose en-us Fri, 05 Dec 2008 02:00:02 UTC Fri, 05 Dec 2008 02:00:02 UTC Hi everyone I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving of course I had to work but last night Sabrina and I made a turkey and most of the trimmings and had a bunch of people over at our house it turned out really fun. It was the first Thanksgiving that I ate outsideEnjoy the pictures and I also took a very amature video.Hope everyone is well http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-349991.html hello everyone who is reading this. so i arrived in costa rica finally after about 20 hrs. thank god i have a direct flight home from belize. i left tacoma at 245 caught my flight in seatac at 5pm flew to LA after a 2 hr layover then to miami for a 4 hr layover then to SJCR arriving at 930 our time. then i went to the wrong side of town for my hostel but i finally made it to the nicest hostel in s http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-346446.html I went to Tortuguero with my Tropical Ecology class last weekend and it was terrible. No really I think all of my bad luck from my first 6 weeks here all piled up into this 36 hour time span.First we had to be at school at 5 AM on Saturday to leave. This meant I had to get up at 4 AM which would have been fine had I been able to go to sleep before midnight. Sadly and for them happily my http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-344573.html Good Lord some of you may be thinking Its been months since we've heard from these girls Since July that pictures were last posted This is due to a combination of reasons. One being that unfortunately we have experienced a loss in the 'family' and another camera has been taken from us which has therefore caused a severe lack in pictures. Secondly rainy season has been terribly l http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-344279.html 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 Hi everyone hope you are all doing well. I'm fine not too much going on. I saw the new James Bond movie on Saturday night it was really good if you have a chance to see it. Then we came back home and had some friends over for a little get together it was really nice. Anyway attached are some pictures of my house if you are interested. http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-343697.html Andy wanted to buy a guitar so we went to a guitar shop in Tibas.Afterwards we walked around the town and stopped at a Coffee Shop. http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/blog-343046.html Not that they stole anything from me but man they wanted toLast weekend I went to Manuel Antonio which is the name of a beach and a national park on the Pacific side of this little country I've decided to call home for 12 weeks. The bus ride was... interesting to say the least because it was Halloween and they had decided to rent us fun slasher movies Hoofrickinray. On top of the fact t http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-342792.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 Sorry I haven't updated in WAY too long but life just gets crazy sometimes and BAM suddenly I'm two weekends behind. So two weekends ago was a long weekend. Our Spanish finals were on Friday morning and then we were free totally free until Tuesday at 8. We had a ridiculous girls day on Friday and hung out with some Ticos and my Venezuelan and Guatemalan friends. Saturday morning Kate and I http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-342053.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 The title explains our movements and actions from the last few weeks. We send our love to you all and hope all is fine in your worlds. Although we moved from one area of the continent to another we are still keeping it Latino. Ricki Martin once said he was Living the viva loca. Sometimes we are and for the rest it's bed by 10pm with a book. Over 3 weeks have passed with 3 countries thrown in. O http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-340986.html Most of my blogs thus far have consisted of fun weekend trips and the vacationer's Costa Rica. But I'm living here. I've been here for almost a month and I think I've adapted to the culture fairly well so here are some cultural subtleties and other fun facts about my day to day life.Funny Rules It's rude to put your hands in your lap at the table while eating. Doors to every room in the ho http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-337461.html So this last weekend ISA was supposed to go to Manuel Antonio but it had been raining for days all over the country particularly on the Pacific side so our trip got scratched. However lots of us were set on hitting the beach that weekend so under our own gumption and colones we headed to Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean side of things.We left on a bus at 4 and finally got to PV around 930 in http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-336697.html This weekend we basically did as much as was humanly possible in 36 hours and it was FABULOUS.After turning my alarm off in my sleep at 500 and waking up in a panic at 533 my roommate and I still managed to walk out of the house at quarter to 6 and get to the ISA office in plenty of time. Eventually everyone made it and we set off for a 4 hour bus ridenap which was interrupted only by a http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-334320.html After Antigua Guatemala the capital of CR San Jose was a bit of a shock Tall buildings loads of shopping malls and traffic that was worse than the M25 in rush hour. All in all definitely not my cup of tea though of course the coffee was great thereCosta Rica itself is lovely and I did a couple of weekend trips to a volcano no lava or accidents this time waterfall wildlife and b http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/blog-332208.html Hello world I played in the rainforest last weekend. Go on be jealous. So the ISA students went to Monteverde. After a 6 hour long bus ride that should have been 4 over rushing chocolate covered rivers in a gigantic bus we finally made it. We ate dinner and just hung out around the hotel that night dancing a little at the inhotel bar and Pinto DJEd. Did you know that Yellow Tail wine is http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-331992.html The Costa Rica house we live in is named Villa de Chupacabras. So what is Chupacabras Costa Rican's and other Latin American's know but this gringo had to look it up and it was a little creepy. Let's just say it's an animal of folklore you wouldn't want to meet in a dark house ... which leads me to my real life storyLast night we got home after dark and as I made my way to the nearest light http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/blog-331731.html Junior and I walked around San Jos Costa Rica this past Saturday. Our travels took us to Parque Zoolgico Simn Bolivar the San Jose Zoo Museo de Oro Y Numismtica the PreColumbian Gold and Numismatic or Money Museum Museo Nacional the National Museum in the old Costa Rica army fort known as the Bellavista Headquarters. We were also fortunate enough to view the limited time showing of http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-331716.html Costa Rica Holy Week Easter Cowboys or Vaqueros TicoThis week was Easter or Holy Week in Costa Rica. Like Christmas most of the country was shut down as Tico's headed for the Pacific or CaribbeanAtlantic beaches gathered with friends and family and even headed for destinations outside the country for vacations at the likes of Disney World in Florida Our new home of Las Nubes de Coronado i http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/blog-331694.html Finding a truly bilingual grade school primary school in Costa Rica that is both good and affordable can be a challenge. I have a nine year old son that although he is a native Costarricense only speaks English because he has been living in the United States since he was three years old. A big part of my decision to move to Costa Rica was my desire to have my son receive a good bilingual educ http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/blog-331682.html I am experiencing Costa Rica from the groundup literally. Due to my semiremote location and the fact that I don't yet have a car means I am putting my soles to the ground and hoofing it up and down a mountainside in search of daily necessities. During my first week all of my time from waking to sleeping was spent taking care of little things to make a new house and location feel like home.W http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/blog-331679.html Costa Rica Pictures from February 2008 have been posted online featuring 2 albums 1. A small album containing a few pictures from our relocation flight from Chicago to San Jose Costa Rica 2. A larger album of pictures showing our new home in Las Nubes de Coronado San Jose Costa Rica.My good friend John has extended us the use of his beautiful home until his return ... Junior and I are anxi http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/blog-331677.html Moving day... Fact there is absolutely no adequate preparation for moving to a new country.Sunday February 24th 2008 was my moving day from the Chicago area to Costa Rica. The finality of the situation did not really weigh on me until my day was almost finished. When I realized what I had done the panic was not so much acute as it was what the hell have I just done to myself. Where was my http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/blog-331676.html Hey everyoneThis will be our last blog from Costa Rica. When next we write it will be from Vietnam somewhere. Still not decided on whether we start in the north and work our way south or catch a train for Ho Chi Minh City and see the south and Cambodia first then head back north. Id like to take the slow boat to Hong Kong from Halong Bay if possible at the end of the stay. But well let you kno http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-331647.html After my class on Thursday a few of my friends and I decided to hike up Volcan Barva.Heredia to Barva 20 minutes by busBarva to Volcan Barva Ranger Station 1 hour by TaxiVolcan Barva Ranger Station to Bus Stop 3040 minute walkBus Stop to Heredia 3040 minutes by bus http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/Braulio-Carrillo/blog-331521.html They say it takes about a week before you break out of your comfort zone and really get into your trip and they are right. I have to say I have not stayed at a funkier hostel then the Tranquilo backpackers hostel. This place is probably the best hostel I had ever stayed at. The vibe is just off the charts.I arrived from Caribe bus station and made my way here. The hostel use to be an old mansi http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/tranquilo-backpackers/blog-330625.html So I finally met up with Marianne and John and out of no where a full on marching band was in formation on the intersection. I guess it must of been some sort of school organized event because there were 20 to 30 something kids and a conductor leading them down the street. It was pretty fun watching the little kids dance to the local music. Soon after we went over to the bus station and paid t http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/tranquilo-backpackers/blog-330537.html So first of all I'm headed to Monteverde tomorrow for the weekend and I'm super excited. Check in for that blog on Mondayish.Classes are awesome so far. I'm taking Intermediate 1 Spanish which is just about perfect and involves a lot of talking which is what I need to practice. I'm also taking Tropical Ecology with a fun young male profesor and the class will include Field Trips to Tor http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-330320.html