Poas, Cloud Forests, and Waterfalls

   Today was a really fun day! We went on an excursion and finally got outside of the city. San Jose is great but it's not very pretty. Costa Rica is a newly emerging country and they are having issues with keeping up their buildings because they are growing SO quickly. Therefore, things look run down. I have been anxiously wanting to venture out of the city and see the country side. Today, I saw the country side, hiked the country side, got rained on by the country side, and much more. However, I loved every minute of it. We got up at the fantastic hour of five o'clock this morning hiked to the bus stop and arrived on campus at 6:20. Once we loaded the buses we took off for Poas! Poas is an active volcano that erupted in the fifties. While it is still active, it poses no threat to the people in Costa Rica. Poas has a beautiful crater that contains a highly acidic lake in the center of it and steam billows out from the inner parts of the volcano. Fun fact... the lake in the center of the crater is one of the most acidic lakes in the world. Therefore, the water is a very odd color. It's almost a bright blue/ turquoise. It's pretty but you wouldn't want to swim in it though... that would be bad. Very. Bad. It was necessary to hike to the top of the volcano to see the crater early in the morning because it is located in a cloud forest. You know what that means? Clouds. Which means VERY limited visibility. So, early in the morning there are less clouds so we could see the crater really well today! Check it out!

  

   After this we hiked through the rain/cloud forest. By hiked I mean trekked. By trekked I mean today marks the day that I can tell my children that I walked both ways uphill in the rain and cold on a slippery slope up and down a volcano. So future children, be ready to hear me complain to you about this. This was tough stuff. You would think that to head DOWN a volcano you would walk DOWNHILL. Oh no. This volcano told gravity a thing or two. I would say that out of an hour of hiking that a solid 55 minutes of it was up a very steep slope. Thigh work out for the day? Check. Despite the fact that I was heaving like an 80 year old smoker, this hike was beautiful. It was like something out of a Disney movie. Even though part of it looked like the dark forest, most of it looked like a fairy or Peter Pan was going to hop out at any moment. 

  Next on our list of things to do was visit the Waterfall Gardens. Our tour guide described this place as the closest thing to the Garden of Eden. Man was she right. The Waterfall Gardens is a sanctuary for different birds, butterflies, frogs, wildcats, and snakes. Our first stop in the gardens was the bird sanctuary. I have learned that Toucans like to poop and parrots are brats. However, the most important lesson I learned was that no matter how small a hummingbird is, they resemble and sound like small torpedoes flying through the air at the height of my face. I was in the hummingbird sanctuary for about 30 seconds before I was making my way for the exit dodging hummingbird torpedoes. One hummingbird? Sure. HUNDREDS of hummingbirds? Take cover. Here are a few photos from the bird sanctuary.

We then went to the butterfly sanctuary. This was SO beautiful and the butterflies were really friendly. You just walked in and they would land right on you! Check it out!

After this we walked to the waterfalls. There are three total near the gardens and they were magnificent. You can hear them before you see them and you still aren't prepared for the power and beauty. The largest one was close to 300 feet high. Water is flying down the side of the mountain and giving off enough mist to dampen you from more than 50 yards away.

After this we returned to the lodge to relax for a bit, drink some delicious Costa Rican coffee, and to enjoy our beautiful view of the cloud forest over the waterfalls.

Not too shabby huh? After our descent back down the volcano in our bus we returned to the university and hopped on the public bus to take us home. We had a nice dinner with the family and I am about to go to sleep. Tomorrow starts my first day of class at the University of Costa Rica and I will need to be on campus by 7:45 tomorrow morning! Eeeek! Lots of early mornings here. Gotta do what you gotta do. Wish me luck and send some prayers my way!

 

Placement Tests, Sloths, and Outlet Malls

   Today was my first day to wake up pretty early and head to campus. I arrived at the campus around 8:00 and had an academic orientation (don't cheat, if you fail there is no hope, come to class... blah blah blah). Then, we went on a small tour of the campus. It's a pretty big place and imagine that it is a tropical forest that they built a campus in the middle of it. So, it's absolutely beautiful. I'm talking huge trees, tropical flowers, a waterfall, a small creek, and SLOTHS! These cute little creatures are so important that they are even featured on the money of Costa Rica. Sloths are precious. I mean when have you ever seen a sad sloth? Never. They are completely content with moving at a snails pace and just hanging out in their tree of choice. Anyway here are two pictures from our campus tour.

After the tour we went to a place on campus called the "Casa de Idiomas" to take our placement test. It's sort of pointless though because you are really placed in whatever you want to take. I think it's just a precautionary measure that the school takes so they can say "look we told you that you were not ready to take a high level Spanish and we have your test to prove it." Oh well, I will still be taking Intermediate Spanish II and Composition I starting Monday. After the placement test we went to a different place on campus and had a very delicious lunch provided to us by the MLSA program. Because our day ended early, some fellow study abroad students and I decided to hit up the outlet malls. At first I was really pumped about it. However, once inside I wanted to cry. This place was super closed in, sort of dark, and there were four floors of packed in stores. So, been there done that and don't want to do it again. I know where the food court is in the mall so that's about all I will use it for. After our adventure through hell... I mean the mall... we returned to campus and waited while the rest of the girls went to go see the baby sloth on the opposite end of campus. During our waiting time, we enjoyed the luxury of swinging! Yes. Swinging on a college campus. Take notes colleges of the United States. Swinging is fun no matter what age you are and it's a great way to relax! So here is a picture of me swinging on the beautiful campus of the University of Costa Rica!

   After their sloth adventures we caught the bus home and made it back just before the rain. Tomorrow we will be hiking through the cloud forest on the volcano Poas and will see the top of the volcano and a beautiful waterfall that we can enjoy! I am very excited about it! I will tell you all about it tomorrow night! I am now sitting in my room listening to the rain hit the metal roof outside my window and thinking "Pura Vida." Until tomorrow...

Pura Vida

   You ready ladies? (and gentlemen because you need to learn how to cook too) I am about to teach you the key to a man's heart. Yea I'm single, but I am almost positive that all men like food. So let's talk about some Costa Rica cooking. Be ready. I am about to go Eat Pray Love on you. Plantains. Repeat it... plantains. Scratch all this nonsense about chocolate being the food of the gods. Clearly the Greek Gods didn't have plantains. Plantains are like large bananas but you need to cook them. But get this... they are like "slice-and-bake-cookies" easy to cook. You take the plantain and cut it long ways, put them in a frying pan with some olive oil, cook on both sides until it is light brown and bam you have something delicious. I am pretty sure I could eat these things for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Want to spice it up a little bit? Serve them with rice and black beans and some queso. Man... yum. Here's a picture of these fantastic gifts to man.

   This isn't a food blog so I am moving right along. Time to talk about Pray in this Eat Pray Love equation. Most people in Costa Rica are Catholics. In fact one of my landmarks for walking to the bus stop for school is a Catholic church and you better believe I am praying when I am crossing the street near it because there is no such thing as pedestrians having the right of way. I brought a book called "Jesus Calling" with me to read everyday during my trip. Don't have it? Go get it. It takes probably 20 seconds to read the devotion for each day and you get to keep that thought with you all day and for the rest of your life. For me this is helping me overcome culture shock, missing my family and friends, and is just keeping my spirits up in general.
   Lastly, Love... the people of Costa Rica are some of the most loving and caring people you will ever meet. A common question you ask someone in Spanish is "Cómo estás?" This means "How are you?" and the common response in most countries is "bien" or "mal" which means well or poorly. However, in Costa Rica the response is "pura vida." This literally means pure life. "Pura Vida" is used for everything. For you Auburn people, "pura vida" is like "War Eagle."
1. "How are you today?" -"Pura Vida"
2. "I am tired." - "Pura Vida"
3. "I'm heading to the Hooters across the street from the University of Costa Rica." - "Pura Vida"             (this is 100% true)
"Pura Vida" is not just a response or an answer. It's a way of life. These people LOVE their country and are so happy and blessed with what they have. They believe that the goodness in your heart and your faith and hard work is the key to being successful. Simply put, live your life purely. There is no reason in worrying or stressing. The United States need some "pura vida." Hell, we ALL need some "pura vida." So concludes my second day in Costa Rica. I have my first long day at the University of Costa Rica and I have to take a placement test at 8:30 in the morning. Wish me luck!
  

Huevos

This morning I rose to an intercom voice blaring "HUEVOS! HUEVOS! HUEVOS!" For those of you that don't speak Spanish huevos means eggs. Some people wake up to the sound of the ocean crashing against the shore. I wake up to a man selling eggs at 8:30 in the morning. It was at this time that I told myself "Beth... this is a cultural experience and you must enjoy it." However, what I was really thinking was that I really wished that said eggs had stayed inside whatever chicken they came from. I headed downstairs at that time and ate breakfast (a bowl of fruit (fruta) and bread (pan) with butter (mantequilla) and jelly (jalea). I read a daily devotional from Jesus Calling and it's food for thought today was to enjoy the goodness that God has given to us. So Mr. Huevos man... guess that means I need to enjoy you. Today I have an Orientation at the University of Costa Rica! Pretty excited about it and am ready to meet some more people! I'll let y'all know how it goes! 

I Have Arrived!

I have arrived in the beautiful country of Costa Rica! As soon as I landed I immediately got my passport stamped, rushed to gather my luggage and pass through customs, and then ran to the front of the airport to find the MLSA (Modern Languages Study Abroad aka the company that I have scheduled everything through) representative and a bunch of eager, tired, and overwhelmed American students ready to meet their host families. Well, after riding a bus through the "streets" of Costa Rica, gathering that the people of CR really like McDonald's, and that people drive like maniacs here, we were finally united with our host families! Mine is awesome! My Costa Rican mama is named Hannia and she has three kids (2 girls and 1 boy). One of the girls is grown and no longer lives at home. Her son is 16 and is such a gentleman... carried all my bags for me and everything (He's a keeper Costa Rican ladies)! Her youngest daughter is 12 and that sweetheart never stops smiling. She is just precious! My Spanish speaking skills are good. However, no one in my host family speaks English. The brother speaks a little, but of course he prefers Spanish. My roommate is fantastic. She is happily married and we are already sticking together like glue throughout this Costa Rica experience. However, my Spanish seems to possibly be a little more advanced. She may shock us all and may be hiding some mad Spanish speaking skills. Either way, I'm sticking with her. At least she can offer moral support during my comeback from a three month dry spell of speaking Spanish. Anyway, our casa is small but very quaint. Their "hot" water is not quite hot. In fact it's pretty cold. I am going to pretend that I am happy about having to take cold showers for a month. Do what the local people do right? Yea. I'll keep telling myself that. Anyway, I am about to go eat dinner with my host family. Whatever it is it smells good! In the meantime enjoy the picture from our balcony overlooking the city of San Jose! You will see one of three mountains that surround the city!

Pretty Amazing People

Y'all, God is so good. I am currently sitting in the Mobile Airport eating a pitiful breakfast and admiring some pretty amazing people. I met a man this morning that is going with 13 other people to Guatemala to provide medical care, food donations and to build 17 homes. Wow. I am also looking at a flock (I say flock because they are literally huddled together wandering around this postage stamp of an airport) of teenagers dressed in red t-shirts heading to Honduras for mission work as well. Man... I'm sure those kids would love to be at the beach or back at home asleep at this time of morning. However, despite their age differences they are doing these mission trips for the same reason... to spread the goodness of the Lord. So despite the fact my flight is delayed, the TV beside me is on the highest volume setting and I'm too short to do anything about it, and I really want some Waffle House right now (maybe some Starbucks as well), I am feeling pretty blessed. 

Costa Rica Ready

    After my frantic packing and last minute trip to CVS... I am ready to go to Costa Rica! Who knows if I have everything. Knowing my luck I have probably forgotten something important... like pants or underwear. Maybe both? Nope. Just checked and I am Costa Rica ready! This eagerly awaited experience is finally here and man am I ready! I am a student at Auburn University (War Eagle!), a proud member of Delta Zeta, and I am majoring in Biomedical Sciences with a Minor in Spanish. I have a pretty amazing support system. In other words, my family and friends rock. I have always loved to travel and ever since my trip to Spain last summer I have been eager to study abroad. However, not everyone was supportive of my decision to go to Costa Rica. In fact, my College of Science and Mathematics advisers and my Chemistry professor this year highly discouraged that I study abroad. So, here is why I nodded politely, smiled, and then so blatantly did not listen to my advisers and professor. Call me a rebel child...

1.  I am minoring in Spanish. Costa Rica is a Spanish speaking country. Pretty simple... 
2. I am not vacationing... I will be studying. A LOT. I will receive 7 credit hours in a month. Yep... Monday- Friday (8am- 2pm) learning a different language. I am also living with a host family who will help me to speak the language.
3. "Medical Schools don't like to see that you have studied abroad...They believe that it is selfish." I am sorry, but no. NO. Spanish is rapidly becoming one of the most spoken languages in the United States. I want to be a doctor one day and would like to speak the language of a potential patient. Learning the language that people in your country speak is practical... not selfish. 
4. I want to do "Doctors Without Borders" or other forms of mission work. Imagine the difference that knowing the language of a patient who has no idea who you are or is possibility frightened because this could be their first medical treatment ever received. When you speak the language of someone, a HUGE barrier is broken. We use languages to express our thoughts and emotions and to fulfill our wants and needs. When their is a language barrier... these thoughts, emotions, wants, or needs can be lost. Therefore, your ability to understand the person sitting in front of you that you want to help goes far beyond classroom knowledge.  
5. There is only so much that classroom Spanish can teach you. To truly learn a language you must immerse yourself in the culture and speak the language. 

So, there you have it... the roots of my rebellious tendencies towards higher authorities. In all seriousness though, most medical professions require you to be sociable and understanding, especially doctors. You have to understand people, their backgrounds and languages, and habits/behaviors. You won't get that from a classroom. Sure, you will learn how people physically work, but emotionally? No way. To understand the world you have to try to understand the people in it. Me? I plan on understanding the world one person at a time with the people I am blessed to meet... starting in Costa Rica.