March Madness

Wow! Another month has passed us by and due to a sudden increase in work it has gone quite quickly. With more going on there are more updates to share and so, what used to be quarterly updates are going to become monthly updates (assuming we continue on this trajectory).

March brought us our one year anniversary of service with Peace Corps and living in Costa Rica, it also brought us long awaited projects, grant proposals, recreation and more visits from current trainees. Some selections from our journal may not be as exciting as others, but we're trying to share our experiences in their entirety, the good and the bad, the happy and sad, the challenges and successes.

So, take a breath, here is our version of March Madness...

March 1

This time last year we were out eating sushi in DC. This year we just finished a game of Canasta and are hoping the dog won't keep us up all night.

It's been a long year. It's been a hard year. There have been a lot of moments when we wonder why we are here.

We've been overwhelmed and underwhelmed.

Things are starting to look up at our year mark. We've been saying that we want work and it's slowly coming our way.

So, as we dive into year 2 we hope things continue to move in the direction that has been started this week.

March 2

We've survived one year in Costa Rica! It's official!

March 4

They wrapped up by making mustaches and noses out of silly putty.

March 8

I was distracted a couple of times because Puppy got loose and I tried catching him (no luck – or I caught him twice but couldn't control him enough to tie him back up) but other than that, all went well!

March 9

Well, we can pause the whole work thing for a day or so. Tomorrow there is a teacher's strike – so no class, no Chicos and Chicas.

This evening Rodolfo checked in with us to see what we can do to move forward with working with Angie. Sounds like her work plan has come together, so Monday we'll pop in and see how we can squeeze in (to her schedule).

March 11

When we were walking home Juan's mom stopped us to say that she was surprised that we didn't go to San Jose with the students... [excerpt removed so as not to implicate any counterparts in a negative manner]... if anything we know that parents trust us with their kids. That's nice to know.

Of course, now we're without power so the festival isn't really happening. Shucks – I guess that means we have a quiet evening. Of course, it also means that we have a HOT evening. No fan = dead air = stupidly hot. [*note: the power came back on, so while it wasn't too hot to sleep it was too noisy]

March 12

We decided to stay on the bus until Coyol since we had paid for the full trip to Puerto. When we got off the bus in Coyol we started our trek home. Shortly before Orquideas we realized that in our rush to get off of the bus we had left our binoculars on the bus. Then it started raining.

March 13

After lunch we watched the cabalgata (horse parade) go through town. There were some incredibly beautiful horses. Some were doing the fancy dancy thing, some people were opening beers or drinking guaro, others were texting and others were trying to catch the eye of some guy or girl. It was all pretty entertaining to watch.

March 14

He [Chris] talked with Rodolfo afterward and he loved Chris's ideas of doing a school newspaper or website. He also received permission for us to use an aula (classroom) from 3:15 – 4:30 Monday thru Wednesday, so hopefully all English help will move out of the house (with the possible exception of Alberto and Henry).

A woman came up to the house and asked if we had left anything on the bus. At first I didn't quite get it since we didn't ride the bus today. After her asking a couple of times I figured out that she was talking about Saturday. Someone had pointed out that we left something behind and she had picked it up to keep for us. We have our binoculars again!

March 15

We actually had an almost 8 hour work day today! It's amazing how this whole wanting to work thing is turning out. Tomorrow we'll have about a 9 hour day. Utter craziness.

We had six students show up for the help session – pretty good for the first day, I think!

Had a family dinner tonight – crema de ayote or chayote – one of those -ote type squashes. David [our 10 year old neighbor] was over so we all sat down together. It was nice.

March 16

This afternoon went by quickly and before we knew it the bell was ringing and kids were running past us to get out of school. These are the kids who clearly are not excited about our after school English sessions.

March 17

For us, it was a happy first day of Chicos and Chicas. It finally happened! It may not have gone perfectly, but that's what first days are for, right?

The schedule's filling up!

March 18

...before going to see the toros (bulls), which we heard started at 5. So, we got there shortly after 5, walked around a bit and came home since nothing was happening. We went back over at 6:30 when we heard the announcer making his sound check. 2 hours later things started. [silly us, showing up on time for scheduled events]

March 22

Hello month 11! Happy to be here. And this time I think we actually mean it!

I checked in with the hogar (home ec) teacher after art class and showed her the fused plastic pouch and the chip bag bag and she was really excited. Then the art teacher wanted to see. Then Rodolfo wanted to see. The all love the idea and the art teacher is talking about using fused plastic as a “canvass” for painting. It seems like it could be a somewhat sustainable project since the teachers want to learn.

March 25

Rafa took us out to see some new calves at the neighbors and then we went to AyA [our water office] for a relatively quick Junta (our town council) meeting. Chavez had gotten everyone together for us, we updated everyone on the status of the grant and let them know what we needed from them. They're hoping to have everything together Monday night when we're going to meet again. We joked around for a bit at the end, reminiscing about of first meeting with them.

While chatting [with Stephanie and Chris] we took many breaks to observe the chirripos (geckos) and make commentary. At one point two were moving in on a gigantic moth – one eventually took a bite – or at least tried. It was pure excitement for all of us – is that sad?

March 27

Lunch was more or less ready when we got back home. Rafa had killed a chicken for Stephanie and Chris – then Maria came in with a baby chick to show them. What do you say to someone when they show you a live chick when you're eating a dead one? Oh, OK, thanks works pretty well. Awkward!

We've got a very busy week ahead of us. Yay work! (will we think that when Friday rolls around?)

March 28

We had another quick Junta meeting tonight. That must be a record; two 45-minute meetings in a row! We got the paperwork that was needed and God willing everything will get to CRUSA before Firday!

March 29

In other [sad] news, Guicho and David moved to Puerto today. We're glad they were at least here during the holidays. We'll miss seeing their faces and hanging out with them.

March 30

We had a fun, crazy and exhausting day. We led two aerobics classes, played in two soccer games and helped out during relay races. The kids all seemed engaged (or most of the kids) during aerobics, had fun (except for those who skinned their knees) and ate a lot of junk food. That's right – on National Sports Day grade levels were selling ice cream, soda, cake etc. during breaks. I guess it's positive that they at least burned a miniscule portion of those calories by participating in activities.

Tomorrow morning is the recreativa (17Km bike ride). Then Friday is No a la Violencia (No to Violence).

This weekend we may have a meeting with the Asociacion de Mujeres (women's association) from Las Orquideas to learn about their hydroponic garden project. They stopped by this morning and had one of the students come and grad me from the school. They're interested in having us work with them, so I told them that we would love to learn more about what they're doing.

What a turn in events life has presented us.

March 31

Today was the recreativa. There were between 70 and 80 students that paid to participate (~75,000 colones more for the cole!) and a few tag-alongs.

On the bad hills past Ademar's the trouble began. It was not a good day for my bike. I punctured the tube in my back tire on one of the climbs and was stuck. Thankfully Willian had a spare tube and he fixed me right up. Then at some point while crossing the bumpy terrain I lost one of my pedals. It had cracked when I crashed some months ago, but was still hanging on there so I just let it be. I guess it's time to go see Javier and get a tune up – things are falling apart left and right!

1 down, 1+ to go

Then: March 2010

It is difficult to believe that we have been living in Costa Rica for one year.  There are the perpetual challenges of time flying, of time standing still and the never changing season (hotness) which at times make us feel like we're experiencing our own version of Groundhog Day.  It's not necessarily that we're living the same day over and over again (though I'm sure I have the same conversation about chickens nearly every day, sometimes with our host dad, sometimes with our host mom), but it is really difficult to measure the passing of time when there is an absence of seasons.  And so, in some ways it came as a (slight) surprise to us this week when we could proudly tell our friends and family, both state side and in Costa Rica, that we have been living here for one year.

The year has been an eventful one - a roller coaster - full of ups and downs.  We have had our moments where we have wanted to throw our hands high to the sky and let out a scream that would leave us gasping for air at the end.  We have had our moments where we have held on tight, not quite sure what would be waiting for us at the top of the next hill or around the next bend, and plastered smiles to our faces because we were pretty sure that there would only be good stuff waiting for us.  We have looked for the hidden camera that is poised to take your photo at the scariest point of the ride and we have looked out at the bystanders who were waiting patiently in line, ready to be the next passengers on board.  We have been sitting on that roller coaster for a year and have almost reached the half way point (it's a really long roller coaster!).  We're sitting here at the bottom of a big hill and we're looking at a corkscrew that requires the momentum to stay at full speed and doesn't appear to have an end in site.  This is what Peace Corps looks like as you approach the mid-point of your service.

The corkscrew in front of us is marked at each turn with projects that are in the works; some that started this week, some that will start next week, and many more that will begin as counterparts are ready.  This week we started working with the new English teacher in our high school.  We have been helping with the pronunciation of words, describing cultural norms of the US, helping to keep advanced classes more conversational and answering questions that the teacher has about grammar, pronunciation and translation.

Next week we will begin our venture into Peace Corps programs called Chicos Poderosos and Chicas Poderosas (Powerful Boys and Powerful Girls).  We have obtained the support of the school guidance counselor, school director and sixth grade teacher and as a result will be able to provide this program as a part of the school day.  Every Thursday for the next 13 weeks we will be leading 80-minute sessions with 51 feisty 11 to 14 year olds on topics ranging from communication and teamwork to dating, decision making and goal setting.  We will have half of the students in the mornings and the other half in the afternoons.  If all goes well we will do the same thing with fifth graders starting in July.

We have plans to work with the guidance counselor and special education director to offer academic support for students who have had to repeat a grade.  There is hope that we will be able to help the guidance counselor start a school newspaper as well.  We have met with the new guidance counselor for the high school and hope to be able to work with each grade level at least once a month during her class periods.

We have permission to use the town water office after school (it is used as a classroom during the days) for programs and so hope to start offering an after school hour for youth and potentially English classes for the community at night.

As you can see, that corkscrew grows and grows.  Of course, we know, before long that next hill will be looming in front of us and we'll be ready to scream again.  The difference is that now we know what to expect on the other side, and it makes us smile.

Now: February 2011

9 Months [in site]

We've reached the end of three more months in site.  We've endured a flood, spent our first Christmas abroad, run three more weeks of summer camp, started exercising more and have watched the easing into of a new school year in La Colonia.  The time hasn't been without its challenges, but has offered us some successes.  We try to greet each day like the new one that it is, cross our fingers and hope that maybe today will be the day that our decision to join Peace Corps will make sense.  Here's another photo album / journal review for your reading pleasure:

December 1
The roads to the cuadrantes had been swallowed.  Our protection [boots, rain coats and umbrellas] did us little good when we decided to follow the crowd of colegio students walking through the flooded road.  By the time we got to the bridge by the colegio water was at mid-thigh.  The guys took it as an opportunity to swim.

December 5
Unfortunately I sliced my thumb in the process of trying to fold over the edges of the tuna can for safety.

December 6
Well, we started the day riding the bus to the colegio.  It was pouring, so we paid the 800 colones, but then the bus went to the old colegio, so we were out 800 colones and still had to walk.  Go us.

December 8
Then English class.  We crammed a shocking 7 people onto the porch with us tonight. [note: there were also 4 bikes and a Christmas tree on the porch - and it's not a very big porch]

December 9
They broke the broom handle three times, but then when they piñata finally broke they all jumped.  Before I could blink the candy had been claimed.  Watching the next group I was able to see their technique.  When the candy flies, throw yourself on the floor and everything under you is yours to keep.

December 11
As we were finishing dinner Rafa came into the kitchen with a pig thrown over his shoulder (it was in a bag) and hefted it onto the counter.  By the time we went out to brush our teeth a couple of guys were having at it and talking about how the fridge was pretty small and what they were going to do with the feet.

December 19
During the walk Jefferson told Chris that if we one day have a son he should be named Superman or Spider-Man.

December 20
We started talking about bullies and when we asked if there was a name for the victim we were told "nerd." [note: nerd is not translated here, that is the actual word that was used]

December 21
We went for a walk at dusk and came home to a tamal making lesson.  Two banana leaves, masa, rice, beans, chili, carrot, green bean, peas and culantro all folded up and tied together.

December 23
We ate a quick lunch, saw the bus go past and then literally ran to catch it.  We're pretty fast though and ended up having to wait at the offices for the bus to catch up!

Maria and Rafa started making Christmas Cake tonight, but got distracted by killing the turkey.

December 24
Hmmm...Christmas Eve.  It sure doesn't feel like it.  There are the sounds of karaoke down the road, random explosions of fire works and the occasional shout or burst of laughter from the street.  It's a far cry from the Christmas Eves of my youth - listening to Uncle Brian sing "Oh Holy Night," going to AB and UBs for crackers and cheese, meatballs, veggies and more Christmas sweets than you'd imagine.  Tonight there will be no candlelight service, no traditional hymns, no reflections of Christmas lights in the snow.  Hamburgers, fried yuca and flan were our Christmas Eve treats.  Life sure has changed a lot over the past 10 - 15 years.

December 29
...while I hung out and finished a load of wash - which is conveniently about as wet now as it was fresh out of the washer.

December 31
Happy New Year's Eve!  The neighbors have their karaoke machines plugged in and ready to go, fire crackers are going off in the streets and then the rain came pouring down.

January 1
We're going to be healthier, more positive and we're going to get things done.  At least we're hopeful for what the year may bring and all that we have the potential to do, no matter how big or small.

January 2
We rode horses today!

January 8
Our big success for the day was getting keys to the school so we can actually get in for camp.  Yay!

January 10
Guicho told Chris that camp was very good today.

January 13
Origami was awesome!  Everyone was engaged for the whole three hours and there weren't any coloring books used today - bonus!

January 17
So, tag doesn't go well with three kids.  Instead we played Go Fish, Basura, LRC and with the foam pads. [note: the foam pads are giant foam puzzle pieces with numbers and letters in them]

January 19
8AM: No kids.
8:15AM: Go for a walk, no one is out
8:30AM: Return to school, still no kids
9AM: Ready to leave, David shows up and we start to play Uno.  Shortly after Hellen Dayana and Marlon show up
9:30AM: David needs to leave
9:40AM: Marlon laves
10:15AM: Dayana is more interested in taking photos
10:30AM: We walk Dayana home, she takes a couple of photos, there's talk of riding bikes at 2 (it doesn't happen)

January 26
How many gringos does it take to make a Tico dinner you ask?  Four.  We all had our roles.  Chris made crema de ayote, Megon did tortillas, Kevin cut platano and Megon fried and flattened into patacones, I flipped tortillas and fried the flattened patacones.  It was all delicious!

January 28
Camp is done!

January 29
An early morning of feeding the animals before the sun came up led to a fun, but long, day.

January 31
This is sure to be one crazy adventure.

February 1
We picked up trash around the work site and at our lowest moment yet, as Peace Corps Volunteers, set it on fire.  I had hoped to get through these two years without burning trash, but I was handed a box of matches upon asking what we should do with the trash.

February 4
Big news of the day is that we're going camping tomorrow!

February 5
We left the house at a little before six, running in the rain and after the bus. [note: we also had our nice big backpacks on our backs, good thing it was a quick run]

What a beautiful place!  We got to the overlook just before the fog rolled in and were able to get some quick photos.

Setting up the hammock for the first time in the rain wasn't the best of ideas, but after our second attempt it was good enough for one night.

February 8
We're kind of in limbo right now.

Spent the evening listening to music and playing canasta.  This is a most excellent way to pass the time - mostly relaxing and listening to music.  Our lives have been lacking on the music front, but canasta gives us a good two hours or so to just hear beautiful sounds.

February 10
Well, in theory school started today.  Kids showed up in uniform, there were acto civicos, though I'm not sure that much else was accomplished.

We sang "Si estas feliz y lo sabe" (If You're Happy and You Know It) twice in the escuela.  No one was really happy though.

February 13
Woke up to a nice chilly mountain morning!

February 14
To our surprise Josh was in the office (with a beard - bonus surprise!) and we ended up spending most of the rest of the day with him.

February 15
The Indian came back to haunt me.

February 17
One of these days we're hoping to work.

February 20
For the return trip of my run Yohancer and his uncle rode their bikes along side of me and we talked until we arrived at the cuadrantes.

February 21
In other news, happy 9 months in site.  Go us.

February 23
After class, Jefferson and I looked at photos on the touch - that was pretty awesome, he loved swiping the photos.

February 24
Yesterday's trip was uneventful with the exception of finding Chris a new wedding band. [note: the old one was lost during a soccer game]

So there you have it, the past three months in our site.  If you have questions, go ahead and ask!  We'd be happy to elaborate.

Coming up... One Year in Costa Rica!

The Challenge

iTunes and Canasta, Welcome to Our World

This year we have become re-acquainted with Canasta* - or Hand and Foot - a wonderful card game that has quickly become an key part of our Costa Rican life.  We sit down at the end of a "hard" day (of not doing too much), listen to some wonderful music, make sets that grow into books, practice our math and shuffle endlessly.

The Canasta journey began on a trip to Chicago when our good friends Jeremy and Kim asked us if we would like to play.  After a short explanation it was decided that it would be best to just dive in.  We dove in deeply, but then, as with a lot of things in life, it became a fond memory of good times spent with friends.

This January we dug up the rules that Jeremy and Kim had sent with us to Costa Rica and settled in for a night of card playing with our friends Megon and Kevin.  After a long day at baseball camp it was a perfect way to spend the evening.  The following weekend we were in Cahuita with other volunteers and the cards came out once again.  After two nights in one week a long standing tournament was established, one that will continue as we spend time with Megon and Kevin over the next year or so that we have left in Costa Rica (right now it's tied: Girls -1, Boys - 1).

Needless to say, those two evenings of playing with friends resulted in the development of house rules and our own in-home tournament was established.  This tournament began on February 1 and it is scheduled to end on May 21, 2012.  After about three weeks of playing, being tied 7-7 and having roughly the same score it was decided that stakes needed to be made.

And so, here they are, the Chris and Tarah Canasta Challenge 2011-2012 stakes:

• At the time of COS (Close of Service) in May 2012, the individual with the most wins will receive two 15-minute back massages per win over the other individual, to be given by the losing individual
• At the time of COS in May 2012, the individual with the most points may choose one of the following:
• To double the number of back massages received should he or she also have the most wins
• To halve the number of back massages given should he or she have fewer wins

After a thoughtful dinner the following conditions were also made:

• At the time of the Panama City International Marathon (December 4, 2011) the individual with the most wins will receive a 30-minute full body massage post-race
• At the time of the Panama City International Marathon (December 4, 2011) the individual with the most points will receive a 15-minute full body massage post-race

And so, our quiet evenings of reading and listening to podcasts have since turned into nail biting escapades with tricky plays made and cries of excitement at the draw of 22 cards exactly at the start of a hand.  There are references made to our time in Chicago with statements such as, "Kim would be so proud" or "You just pulled a Kim" (no offense to Jeremy, Kim just may be the more gutsy player).  We find ourselves glad to have a hand full of black 3s because it allows you to play more defensively and when you have the chance you complete a clean book before melding.  We're each developing our own strategies and this is how they have rewarded us thus far:

• Tarah: 10 Wins & 175,075 Points
• Chris: 7 Wins & 168.565 Points

The tables turn quickly though, don't be fooled.  Just a week ago Chris was winning 6-5 and by more than 5,000 points.  We'll be biting our nails and improving our strategies over the next year +.  Look for an update of wins and scores this coming November as we head into a visit by our parents and then the fateful trip to Panama City, Panama where the first of the winner's booty will be received!

*Note: These rules are pretty similar to how we play, however there are some differences.  If you want to start playing, do a Google search and find the rules that you like best and make your own house rules!

8 Hours + 6 Buses =

Last weekend we traveled with our host parents to Grecia for one of their grandson's 4th birthday party.  We left the house at 6AM and arrived at the party at 2PM.  We thankfully had seats on all of our buses.

We did have a couple of layovers - one in Grecia Center for an hour, during which time our host mom managed to take us through the Iron Church (made purely of metal) and squeeze in an eye exam (I took advantage of our location and bought some contact lenses) and another at our host mom's mom's house for lunch.

The party was pretty much what you would expect for a 4 year old's birthday - balloons, a clown (one of our host mom's sisters), a piñata, candy, ice cream, cake and a table full of presents.  There was classic rock playing in the background and not a whole lot of dancing going on.  The adults were there to eat and the kids were there because their parents dragged them along.

We had a great time though as is evident by the photos above!

The next morning we woke up to the cool mountain air of Cajon Arriba and enjoyed a couple of walks through the countryside while waiting for the next round of buses.

Bosque Alegre Wildlife Refuge

After a respite of more than a year, we were able to dive into a weekend adventure that included backpacking and camping, two of our favorite things!  Thanks to the planning skills of our newfound CouchSurfing friends, Matt and Megan, we were able to explore some of Costa Rica's natural beauty just outside of Cariblanco, a community north of San José.

Saturday morning we woke up not so bright, but early (two weeks in a row, I know!) and made some last minute adjustments to our packs to account for the rain that was pouring down.  Our bus was surprisingly early and did not go to the community beyond ours and so we ended up running through the rain, after the bus, hoping that we would be able to make it to town in time.  It turned out that the bus was stopped just around the corner, but it made for an exhilarating start to the weekend.

Once we made it to Cariblanco we had a 6 km hike to the Bosque Alegre Wildlife Refuge where we were going to spend our evening.  The Bosque is home to the Congo Volcano (dormant for many years) and three lagoons, Hule, Congo, and Bosque Alegre.  We were fortunate enough to spend time at both Hule and Bosque Alegre during our quick trip.

Hule Lagoon

We arrived at the overlook for Hule Lagoon shortly before the fog rolled in and were blessed with beautiful views of nature.  The lagoon in and of itself was gorgeous, but there were also great waterfalls peeking through the jungle that grew on the mountainside.  We saw a pair of toucans hopping through the trees below and were able to examine them a little more closely thanks to our last minute investment of binoculars (purchased in the weeks before coming to Costa Rica).  Their colors were amazingly brilliant, something I hadn't quite expected. With florescent green beaks, bright yellow chests, and turquoise blue feet we were shocked into awe and were left wishing that our cameras could magnify as well as binoculars!

In front of Hule Lagoon

Matt and Megan

With the fog rolling in (and quickly obscuring the amazing views from above) we decided to make the hike to the waters edge.  The hike down was pretty quick, though rocky, and required skirting some mud holes and also crossing one mountain stream.  We also had to take a break to allow for the ATVs and dirt bikes that came flying through the woods - we stepped to the side (heeding Matt's warnings to keep an eye out for snakes) and tried to not inhale too much exhaust.  When we decided that the threat of being run over no longer existed we finished our hike to the water's edge and found a crew of Ticos prepared to camp for the night and cleaning the fish that they had caught.

We ate a quick lunch and then moved on, hearing that there was another lagoon about 30 minutes away.  We didn't want to spend our night in the wilderness in the middle of a fishing party and we were unable to find trees that we thought would satisfactorily hold our hammock.

Our hike took us through the muddy trails that the ATV and dirt bike crew had followed and once again had to stop to let them pass.  We mostly avoided sinking up to our ankles in mud and didn't slip and slide too much (thank you trekking poles!) as we made our way to Bosqu Alegre Lagoon.  We were in heaven when we arrived.  The site was quiet, had a flat spot for Matt and Megan's tent and several tree options for our hammock.  We began setting up camp as a storm rolled in.

It was during this time that each member of our crew of experienced adventurers did the thing that we all knew not to do.  We set up our sleeping arrangements without ever having done so before.  Matt and Megan had a new tent that they hadn't used before, but at least it was a tent and could rely basic tent setting up knowledge to make their home for the night.  We dove into the adventure of setting up a camping hammock for the first time (aside from one quick test in NC where we only set up the hammock and our butts touched the ground when we got in it).  We knew that the hammock needed to be slid inside of the mosquito net and that the rain fly covered everything in order to stay dry - but who couldn't figure that out?  After two attempts we were satisfied with our end result and happily moved the rest of our gear out of the rain.  Then the rain stopped - good timing, right?

Success!

With the rain gone and the knowledge that darkness would soon be upon us, we decided that it was time to settle in for dinner.  We made some delicious angel hair pasta with mushroom sauce (Costa Rica has some wonderful foods that come in backpacker friendly packaging) and miso soup to fight the chill (yes, we've become accustomed to the heat that smothers the non-mountainous areas of Costa Rica).  As we were finishing up we heard a sound in the trees overhead and were able to spot a critter that seemed to have fallen from a higher branch upon waking up!  After looking around online we have been able to deduce that that critter was most likely a Mexican Mouse Opposum.  It checked us out for a while, we checked it out, and then it made its graceful escape by jumping from tree to tree and disappearing into the darkness.

Matt then went to get some water to clean with, but on his way to the lagoon let out a cry and quickly came back to camp.  His not so exact words were, "I think it was a rodent-type thing.  It looked like a frog and moved like a snake."  Megan more or less replied, "like a lizard?"  This was the most profound conversation we had with our more scientifically minded friends over the weekend.

At that we called it a night and with the exception of Chris falling out of the hammock while trying to get into it, we had a successful first night in our ENO Camping Hammock.  We stayed dry and weren't quite touching the ground when we woke up.  We had also reached Chris's goal of not dieing during the night.  We might do some things differently in the future, but even so, the adventure left us longing for our MSR Hubba Hubba (and the places it has been) which has taken up residence in North Carolina until May 2012.

Rising to the sounds of Congos and the bright sun (at roughly 5:30am) we set to breaking camp (also a learning experience) and making breakfast (opening a package of queque seco - dry cake and mixing together fruit flavored oatmeal drinks).  We were on the trail shortly after seven to be sure that we would make our bus back to Puerto.  We had been given an hour time period during which our bus would leave, so we erred on the side of safety and got to town about two hours before the bus left.

Bosque Alegre Lagoon in the Morning

Hule Lagoon in the Morning
(Notice the islands of vegetation that
were not there the afternoon before)

Work Trip?

This past weekend we had the pleasure of attending a Peace Corps meeting at the beach.  Costa Rica is divided into volunteer regions, and we are a part of the Limon region which includes a number of wonderful people, places and beaches.  We held our regional volunteer meeting in the quaint beach town of Cahuita and had a wonderful time with friends.

We left our house not so bright, but early, on Saturday morning and took the adventurous trip that had us ride four buses, get in an argument with bus terminal employees and eat some chocolate and caramel covered peanuts.  The first three of our bus rides went quite smoothly and lined up perfectly, allowing just enough time to buy tickets and grab a seat.  The fourth should have gone just as smoothly - we watched it happen with friends of ours on the same travel schedule.  

The transition to our final bus, or lack of transition depending on your point of view, led to our argument with bus terminal employees.  We got in line, the controller on duty asked us where we were going as he was getting ready to send the Cahuita bus on its way.  He stood in line with us, Chris ordered our tickets and handed over money, the controller took the slips that the woman passed through the window and we followed him to the bus.  He handed the slips to the bus driver through the window, we told the bus driver this when we got on, he looked at us like we were crazy, we got off the bus to look for the controller, Chris talked to the woman at the ticket counter who said she had never seen him or his money before and the bus took off.  We eventually found the controller again who explained that the slips he had taken were to tell the bus driver how many tickets he should have received from paid fares.  After we explained the situation he told us that the woman at the ticket counter was crazy and came with us to make sure we got our tickets and our change (since Chris had paid 5000 colones and it should have only cost 2010).  Thankfully we only had to wait 30 minutes (enough time for chocolate caramel peanuts) for the next bus and we were able to meet up with our friends in time for lunch in Cahuita.

We had a wonderful lunch of rice and beans (a dish prepared with coconut milk and a little Caribbean spice), patacones (one of our favorite items prepared with plantains) and fish.  Another group of volunteers met up with us shortly after we got our food and later we all headed to the beach to toss around a Frisbee and play some Ultimate.  It was great to catch up with people that we hadn't seen since Thanksgiving or before.

Before dinner we came together for our "business" meeting and discussed how things were going and how things could be improved in Peace Corps Costa Rica then the group split into smaller groups for more delicious food.  We went out with our friends Megon and Kevin and ate some delicious pasta full of vegetables that weren't cooked to the point of mush and then returned to the hotel to play a rousing game of Canasta (or Hand and Foot, depending on where you're from).  We had played earlier in the week and the boys had won, the girls were the champions at the beach and now we have a running tally for our remaining time in Peace Corps.  We'll see who walks away with the most wins at the end of May 2012!

We got up early Sunday morning and caught the sunrise over the Atlantic.  After it had passed the stage of beautiful colors a group of us headed to Cahuita National Park.  We walked about 3 kilometers of trail through the seaside jungle and saw Cara Blancas (White Face Monkeys) and Congos (Howler Monkeys) as we walked out to the point where we turned around.  On our return trip we ran into a guided group and the guide was nice enough to pause his tour to point out a Sloth to us and lead us down the trail a bit to see an Eyelash Viper!  Several photos later we walked out of the park and headed into town for a delicious breakfast complete with multi-grain bread (a real treat for us!).

After breakfast it was time for us to call an end to our weekend escape and we returned to the hotel for quick showers before walking to the bus terminal.  We had an uneventful trip home and as nice as it had been to be away for the weekend with friends, were glad to be back in the comforts of home.