Final Four

03/28/10

My Blue Devils played a great game and pulled ahead wonderfully to secure a win. It was quite a sitting on the edge of your seat game. Carrie and I watched the first half at the OTIAC and then after halftime went to the bar down the road where there is a spotty, but existent internet connection. It was great to be able to see this game. I'm sorry I have missed most of this season. When Duke plays next I will be at home and able to see it on a legit tv and a comfy couch.

 03/29/10

Started my day off by almost eating a worm of some sort inside my mango. Quite saddening to see a whole mango go to waste. But they are dirt cheap here so I just went to the fruit stand and got two new worm-free mangoes. Delicious. As always. 2 mangoes, 3 avocados, and an apple, all for 1,500 colones. That works out to about 3 dollars.
Today is another absolutely beautiful day. Soak up a bit more Orosi before I head home.

Pictures from a day at the beach in Cahuita.

Testing the waters.

I have some other photos that I want to upload, but blogger is being uncooperative.

03/25/10

I had a very tranquil, low key 19th birthday yesterday. Had class at 8 like usual, but instead of sitting in the classroom for 3 hours we went up to the Orosi Mirador. Basically this beautiful little overlook of Orosi and Cachi with plenty of places to sit and trails to walk. It was also a perfect day weather-wise. The past few days have been rainy and fairly dreary, but yesterday was just great. Sunny and a great temperature. After class I returned to the hostel and made some lunch. I finished my book and started another. The book I finished is called “Wesley the Owl”. It is a very interesting read about a relationship between this woman and her owl she raised from 4 days old. I enjoyed it immensely. I'm now reading a book called “The Are of Racing in the Rain” and it is told from the viewpoint of a dog. So far it is pretty interesting as well. At one o'clock I went to get myself my birthday present. I am quite happy with it. The evening involved a little homework, but nothing terribly time consuming. Just some practice with pasado subjuntivo. Not the highest thing on my list, but important none the less. A little later we played a great game of monopoly and then some cards.

A friend from last time I was in Orosi is returning on Sunday. It will be nice to see her again. She was supposed to get in yesterday, but it was very icy in Colorado where she was flying out of and they couldn't de-ice the planes.

I have my last class tomorrow. By this time in the week my brain is fried so a break from classes will be welcome. I do really need to look for opportunities to use and practice my spanish back in the states. I really enjoy and I have made such great improvements it would be a shame for it to get rusty.

I talked to my dad this morning and I got a letter from Warren Wilson informing me that I got a scholarship for $4,000. :)

I return in less than a week now. I'm looking forward to it very much.

Canopy pt. 2

Right before the last zip.

Adam on his way down just kicking back.

Coming in closer.

Braking.

Ben following behind.

Ben barely surviving with his glove stuck in the zip pully. I must say he reacted perfectly and guided himself in with his left hand braking.

Getting some air gather fruit.

MYSPACE.

Donde esta su pies?!

Post canopy relaxing.

Where the sloths hang out

I didn't realize how many pictures there were from the canopy tour. It is wonderful. (Thanks Alison!)

On our way up to the start of the canopy tour. We are riding in the back of a truck.

A view from out the back of the truck.

Our ride.

Lots of these looking up pictures. Alison had her camera secured to her belt loop.

Steps leading up to one of the platforms.

Just a fellow companero zipping in.

Looking off the edge of a platform.

Ben zipping off into the abyss of trees.

Adam zipping off after Ben.

Alison, being the rebel she is, taking a picture mid-zip.

Alison coming in on the zip taking a picture of a guide and me heading off.

 Alison coming in for a landing.

A group on a platform waiting to do the Tarzan Swing.

Ben mid-swing.

Tickled pink and full of awesome-ness.

Trees!

 I will post a Part 2 at some point. The internet is beginning to slow down a bit.

Feels like home

03/13/10

Orosi began my adventure and now it shall bring it to a close.

I arrived in Orosi at about noon today. There are quite a bit more people here than last time. Well, so it seems so far. Tonight I will be in the hostel, but at 11 tomorrow morning I will meet my host family for the upcoming week. I'm slightly anxious about it. I've heard great things about the homestays in Orosi. Many say that it does wonders for their Spanish and the cultural experience is great. Never have I heard negative things about it, but I have heard some people say their families weren't terribly interactive and/or they didn't get what they expected out of it. I will be with the family for one week. If I remember correctly, breakfast and diner is provided by the family. After this week I will be in a dorm-style room for the remaining 1 ½ weeks I am in Costa Rica.

I start my language classes on Monday. 3 hours a day and five days a week.

03/16/10

Second night with my new family was pleasant as well. By the end of this week I am going to have put on some pounds. My mom is feeding me ridiculously well. Rice and beans are always on the plate, but there is also at least one other thing. There are quite a few people in my family. Quite honestly I am still trying to figure out who is family, friends, boy/girlfriends, etc. I have the important immediate family down though (I think). At last count though there were 8 people living in the house.

Spanish class is going well so far. Completed a good chunk of the first book yesterday. It is all review, but always good to get more practice. I have a different teacher this time than last. She is the newest of the teachers I believe. It has been very interesting to see which things have changed about my language since I first took classes here.

As usual the community at the hostel is very diverse. We have a German, an Austrian, two Canadians, an Irish, a Tico, some French, some Gringos, and others that are coming and going.

I'll be home in a little over two weeks time.

Pura Vida.

La Semana Pasada

On our way to Volcan Poas. Not the volcano here, but just a view of the mountains.

Standing at the edge of the crater.

Looking off into the crater.

Pre-assaulting the Policia.

Sorry...No post pictures...

Waiting for the cloud cover to clear.

Casi.

Que lindo!

Striking a pose in her corner.

Beautiful path heading up to the lagoon and a perfect tree for Ben.

Kicking back for a rest on the way up to the lagoon.

 Que perfecto!

Los tres.

Plenty more pictures to come. Some including very high places, serpents, and breakfast.