Sunday, I made my way to San Jose to attend my regional VAC (Volunteer Advisory Council) meeting. I guess I should do my best to explain what VAC is because I’m betting most of you don’t know what I’m babbling about. So basically, VAC is a committee made up of volunteers who become our voice to bring up concerns and suggestions to Peace Corps Costa Rica. They also set up activities and events for volunteers to get together to blow of steam and bond. The volunteers in Costa Rica have been divided up by region. Each region gets together on occasion discuss our issues/successes and hang out. I belong to the Central Valley region and Sunday was our day to meet up.
I got into town early and met up with another Tico 22, Melissa J, to hang out and have lunch before our meeting. It was pretty nice to hang out with her since I haven’t seen her since swearing in. We had a chance to catch up and compare stories. We also went and had lunch at a PCV favorite Asian restaurant. We both had the Pad Thai, which was OK, but not the same as back home. We later found out at our meeting that the restaurant had been shut down due to sanitary reasons. Well, I guess they cleaned up some, because I had to inform everyone that it was definitely not shut down as we had just had lunch there.
So after lunch, we waited for Maitreya to find us so that we could go to the meeting together. While we were waiting, we ran into Allen and Rosie. Rosie doesn’t actually belong to the Central Valley, but was in town for the 4th and decided to tag along. I mean who wouldn’t want to tag along? We were all in one spot and it’s been ages. Anyway, we all went to the meeting and it became really apparent that we were the new kids since we didn’t really have much as far as ideas, concerns, project success and what not. While it was pretty much all business and was slightly reminiscent of training, it was cool to see other volunteers. Especially since we were all jazzed about the 4th. Seriously, I don’t think I have been so excited to be American. Especially since I was hanging out with other Americans who were really excited to be American. I think our group was especially excited since we’re still adjusting to Tico life and have started to appreciate our culture and privileges.
Our meeting ended and our group basically split off from the rest. Rosie took off to figure out where she was going to stay that night, a matter deemed vital and worthy of leaving, and the rest of us decided to look for a bar and have a couple drinks before I had to leave to go back to site. So, as we’re walking along, we realize that everything is closed because it is Sunday when Maitreya realized that she knew of a bar that would probably be open. Allen concurred. So went of in search of this bar. We walked and walked and still no sight of this mysterious bar. I became more and more doubtful they knew what they were talking about and we were moving further and further away from my bus terminal. However, we did eventually find it and I had just enough time to have a beer with them before taking a taxi to the terminal.
It was worth it though. I haven’t had a beer in ages as people in my town have made it apparent that drinking can put off a very bad impression. I mean, when I first got here and people asked if I drank, they would look very displeased with my answer. I thought I was being conservative too with my response, “Yes, but not often. Only in social occasions.” Hahaha. Thus, I’ve refrained from drinking in my town. Not a hard task to do considering there’s never a reason to drink nor people to drink with, and there isn’t really a place either. No bars around in this small town.
So after rushing my beer, I would have much rather been able to take my time and converse longer, I went off to catch my bus. You may be wondering if I had planned on going back to San Jose for the 4th, why not stay the night. Well, that’s because I have a very limited number of nights out in my first 3 months at site and I planned to use it all to meet up with my Auntie Dinna and her family in Guanacaste later on in the week. I happened to luck out and discover that the 4th of July is a freebee night. However, VAC is not so I had to go back home that night.
After getting home around 8:30 or so, I crashed, woke up early the next morning to catch a bus back to San Jose. I met up with Claire who was coming into the same terminal about an hour after I did and we found a place to have breakfast. We had some OK gallo pinto, super stale bread, fried queso blanco (I don’t really like it…I mean what kind of cheese refuses to melt even when fried?!) and some coffee. Typical Tico breakfast. We roamed around a bit while catching up, and you should hear about the issues she’s had. Remember our bad luck with host families in training? Well, that same luck followed her to her site and she was basically kicked out of her new host family’s house. Don’t worry though, she found a new family. Hopefully it works out this time.
We then made our way to Morgan’s (my mentor who has extended a 3rd year to be our Peace Corps Volunteer Leader (PCVL)) place where we were to have an American BBQ, eat lots of American food, and eventually make our way to see fireworks. Well, let’s just say effort should count for something. We got there and Emily (a fellow Tico 22) was already there. We made our way to a local supermarket to buy some supplies for our amazing BBQ. Somehow after getting back, there was consensus that I would start the fire going on the grill while Emily made guacamole, Kyle (Morgan’s roommate and other PCVL) and Morgan worked on something in the kitchen and Claire distributed beer. Well, I’m not sure how old our coal was and how well it had been stored since they inherited off somebody else, but it would not light. Well, the little ones would light, but there were a couple huge pieces that just wouldn’t go. So, Morgan ended up cooking the burgers and sausages on the stove. We all stuffed our faces with amazing burgers and sausages, guacamole and chips, and potato salad. Oh but wait…the grill did not go to waste. We ended up roasting marshmallows to make s’mores! Yeah! Yeah! OK, sorry…I got distracted just thinking about the deliciousness of that day. There was some confusion about graham crackers and labeling, but I still think the s’mores were yummy. To top it off, we had root beer floats. Mmmm, they were so good. I’m not sure if this is coming off, but I MISS food from home.
So after that little feast of yummy-ness, the rain died down and we left to go watch the fireworks. Rosie and Jason (yet another Tico 22) were calling and trying to figure out how to meet us there. So, Kyle and Morgan led us as we ventured off to find the local of this great American celebration. Well, we were misinformed and thought the fireworks were going to start and hour later than it actually did. Luckily, the fireworks started shortly after getting off the bus and we were able to watch most of it. Unfortunately, Rosie and Jason didn’t make it. We ran into a bunch of other PCV’s from the RCD (Rural and Community Development for those of you who can’t keep up with these crazy acronyms…really who can?) project. However on the way back, they split and went to a bar while the rest of us found Rosie and Jason and went back to Morgan and Kyle’s place to hang out. Good times, but I really don’t think I have stayed up that late since orientation most likely, possibly even before that.
The next morning, Claire took off early to go back to site so that she could get her new house and family checked out by Carolina, our boss. The rest of us went to the Peace Corps Office to hang out a bit before going out separate ways. I picked up a couple new books, “Open” by Andre Agassi and the first Harry Potter in Spanish. Very excited to read both. Emily and I had lunch with Morgan and Kyle before leaving and that was good. And that was the end of the great 4th of July adventure.
The next day, I went back to San Jose to catch a bus to Guanacaste. I really didn’t have to go all the way to San Jose, but people (including the guys selling the tickets at the terminal) were being vague and telling me different ways of getting there so I got frustrated and figured that I’d just go to San Jose and take the bus all the way to Tamarindo. I didn’t really have to rush or anything like that because the time that I was originally told the bus leaves San Jose was 8:30, but when I went to go buy that ticket, they told me that time doesn’t exist and the earliest was 11:30. So I had time to kill that morning anyway, why not go to San Jose? I took the bus, scoped out the route and realized that the bus stopped for a break at the exact spot where I could catch a bus back to my town. I took a mental note of that and slept most of the way to Tamarindo. When I got there, it started to pour rain and I somehow found my way to a taxi who said he could drive me to the Marriot where my family was staying.
I get in and ask the guy how much it would cost. He says, “$75.” I respond, “Entonces, cuantos Colones?” (Then how many Colones). He then replies, “12,000.” All of a sudden I like this guy. If you do the math, he ended up charging me about $24. I’d say that’s a pretty good discount. So, we chatted the entire way to the hotel. I think that he liked the fact that I spoke Spanish. He also gave me his card in case I needed to use him in the future.
My Uncle Ron was waiting for me when I pulled in and he gave me a big hug before leading me to his room where the others were waiting. Well, I’m not sure if it was the shock of seeing family from home or from walking around in a fancy place, but I was pretty dazed. I said hello to my Auntie Dinna and Jordan and they gave me the bag of things that people sent me from home. The bag of goodies was pretty awesome. Thank you everyone who contributed! My favorite item was the personalized calendar filled with pictures of family and friends back home. Not only did I really need a calendar, but I also wished I printed more pictures before I left. Perfect gift.
After settling in, we went to dinner and they filled me in on things that they have been doing and the things that they had planned for the next couple of days. We also ate yummy food. Auntie Dinna and I split a bottle of wine. Delicious.
When we got back to the room, I took a shower and basically took in the life of luxury. It was amazing. The toilet was so clean and I wasn’t worried about the flush not working. The sink was so white and the faucet actually gave a generous amount of water compared to the little stream of water that the sink at home spits out. It barely constitutes a trickle. There was light! Oh so much light. You could see everything clearly! So different from the darkness that I’m used to experiencing at home. Also, the shower…what?! TWO SHOWER HEADS! Top it off with hot water. I don’t actually think I showered in water that was all that hot because I’m fairly certain that my skin no longer tolerates water that’s hotter than warm. However, it was nice to shower in warm water! Stepping out of the shower, I realized I wasn’t hot or sweaty. Oh, bless air conditioning. I miss the feeling of cold, artificial air. Although, at times that too became a bit to chilly for me. I didn’t mind though. I took the opportunity to sleep in a long sleeved shirt. I never get to do that! Oh, and the bed! The bed was so soft and didn’t seem like it was going to break apart when I moved. Not to mention I got to sleep bundled in sheets and blankets. Mmm, that was lovely. Wow, I forgot what living in comfort could feel like. AND I LOVE IT! Not to say that I’m not enjoying my time at site, but who doesn’t love the high life? I have to admit, I kept most of my excitement to myself since so I wouldn’t come off like a total lunatic. I mean, I’m sure that it would be startling to all of a sudden hear someone scream, “It doesn’t smell gross in here!” Yes, I did think that, and no, I’m not making that up.
When we woke up the next day it was so quiet. The only things making noise were us. There were no crazy animals, trucks and buses passing through, crazy people yelling and blasting their radios. Out of habit I reached up to my ears to pull out earplugs, and I realized I wasn’t wearing any. It was AWESOME. Then we went to breakfast, which was a buffet, and I had to stop myself from laughing with happiness. I mean seriously, to have one option that is different from my normal mornings is one thing, but to have an entire room that is bigger than the house I’m living in full of different treats was something else. Sigh, I just have to sigh thinking about it.
We then went horseback riding through the rain forest and on the beach. Haha, they actually made us wear helmets. The only reason I laugh is because I’m sure Peace Corps Safety and Security would definitely approve of that. I’ve been horseback riding before and I love it, but this was really different. We were definitely off the beaten path. We also got eat alive by mosquitoes. During training, I formed a theory that Costa Rican mosquitoes are so vicious they can get at you through your clothes. I always thought that I was paranoid. While riding my horse, I realized that I was not paranoid. When you look down and see a mosquito biting you through your jeans, it’s kind of horrifying and astounding all at the same time. It’s OK though, because it was worth it. We saw some beautiful things and I got to show off some of my Spanish skills.
When we got back to the hotel, we grabbed some lunch and hung out in the pool for the rest of the afternoon. That too was lovely. It wasn’t too crowded at all and the water was warm. My uncle did make fun of my farmer’s tan though. And I quote, “It looks like you’re still wearing a shirt!” It’s true. I have a funky tan from running in my sleeveless workout shirts. When we got tired of the pool, we went back to the room and relaxed. Even doing nothing was heavenly there. I wouldn’t have minded reading all day in that room. It was so cool and dry and quiet.
Later, we went into town for dinner. They had heard of this place called Coconut’s or something like that, which specialized in seafood. Oh man, I have to stop and reminisce for a bit. I had the seafood pasta with cream sauce. It was basically exactly what it sounds like but probably even better and it was topped with a small lobster. It was so tasty, but the sauce was so rich, I couldn’t finish it. The others got lobsters and steaks. Those also looked quite delicious.
While we were in town, I was asking around about where to find the terminal and how to buy bus tickets back and what times the buses leave. Well, people were telling me different things and basically it was driving me crazy until some guys told me that I could catch a bus off the road of Villa Real. I took down that information and figured that was the best we were going to get for the night.
The next day, we went back to the buffet breakfast and ate really quick before catching our shuttle to go zip lining. I’ve never done it before, but it was amazing! This place had 11 lines and a couple of them were really long. When we got there, we were the only people so we basically got to have a private tour with the 3 guides. They were awesome guys. They were letting us do tricks and at one point they had all 4 of us go down together. That was fun, but the take off was a bit rough. As soon as the guide and my uncle took off, their weight pulled down the wire and the rest of us were basically dragged through the gravel off the ledge. Still, it was tons of fun.
On the way back to the hotel, the driver was telling us how the road led down to this restaurant called Lola’s. We were planning on trying it out for lunch but had no idea where it was. I asked him if he wouldn’t mind dropping us off there instead of the hotel and he agreed. Lola’s was great. It was basically a restaurant where all the tables were on the beach. The food was really good too. We shared a plate of super yummy nachos and I had what may be one of the best veggie burgers ever. We also met Lola. When we got there, I hear my uncle say, “Is that a pig?” Haha. Normally, if I was at my site I would say, “Probably,” and go on my way. What grabbed my interest was this pig was literally on the beach. This wasn’t just any pig either. This pig was HUGE. I mean, it had to weigh like 350-400 lbs. It was so random. How did a pig get here and is it really just chilling in the water like that? Well, it eventually came up to our table and our waitress just yelled, “Lola!” And then it clicked, “Oh, I guess this is Lola from Lola’s Restaurant.” It was definitely an interesting place to dine if you ever get a chance.
We then walked on the beach on the way back to the hotel. It was kind of cool because the entire stretch of beach between Lola’s and our hotel was deserted. It was kind of disconcerting also. I mean after 20 minutes of walking and seeing only wilderness on your right, and water to your left, and sweat starting to gather at the top of your shirt, you start to feel like a character from “Lost.” However, it was nice to walk off the enormous lunch.
When we got to the hotel, I did more research, talked to more confused people and made some phone calls to figure out my game plan on how to make it home the next day. I decided to somehow make my way to Santa Cruz, which isn’t so far and take a bus from there back. I also called my new taxi friend and he agreed to get me to Santa Cruz for the same 12,000 colones.
After that mess of a treasure hunt, I finally relaxed a bit before dinner. We decided to have dinner at the hotel because on Fridays they had buffet dinners. Because the food was amazing and it was my last night in heaven, I decided to gorge myself. It probably wasn’t the wisest choice because I really don’t think I’ve ever been so full in my life. It was so delicious I couldn’t help myself. There was just so much! Again, my Auntie Dinna and I shared a bottle of wine.
The next day we had breakfast before I had to go. I basically ate more than I normally would considering I had a long day of traveling and probably would not be eating lunch. Still, that English muffin was delicious. The bacon was no joke either. Yum. So, after some goodbyes and big hugs, I jumped in the taxi and made it to the terminal. On the bus ride back, I realized that the bus was taking the exact same route that my other bus took. So I jumped out at the stop, took another bus to Puntarenas and from there took a bus to my community. Skipping the trip to San Jose saved me a few hours, so I think it was a successful journey.
Well, settling back into life here has not been the most fun. The night I got back it was so hot, I could not get to sleep. When I finally did, I was woken at 5 in the morning by these crazy rats having an argument that escalated into a fight in my room. They then decided to run up my wall (by my head) up to the roof. Yes that’s right. They ran vertically up the wall that I sleep next to in order to do whatever it is mice/rats like to do. However, one of these rats decided to stay behind and kept digging around in my trashcan. I’m not sure what it was looking for since I only keep scraps of paper in that trashcan.
Later that day, I told my host-mom about it. She said that she thinks it because of the bodega (make-shift storage shelter thing) around the back that brought the mice in. I think that it is clearly the exposure to the outside that is responsible for bringing the rats/mice. Let’s just agree to disagree. However she and this couple that she has hired as the help have tried to get rid of rodents last night. We’ll see how well it worked.
Oh yes, my host-mom has hired help. I’m not sure how or why. I’m fairly certain that this family is not well off at all…if you just look at the house this is apparent. She herself is a house cleaner, so I’m not really sure where the money’s coming from and why she’s using money that could be spent on better things (ie. Fixing the holes in the walls, putting up windows in the kitchens where we currently only have a chain linked fence, or closing off the house to the outside elements) to get other people to cook and clean for her. I’m not sure how I feel about this. Plus, I’m not sure if these people are going to live here. She said they wouldn’t, but last night they stayed over. I don’t know what to believe anymore. In Costa Rica it seems like the best plan is to just wait and see.
Ok, well that’s all for now. I didn't have time to edit, so pardon any grammar errors. Until next time.
Auntie Dinna getting fitted to her harness before zip lining. That guide's name was Carlos.
Jordan getting fitted to his helmet before horseback riding.
Uncle Ron getting ready to jump on his horse.
Our hotel. The JW Mariott.
This is Lola.
Everyone hanging out at Lola's after eating a delicious lunch.
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