Head in the Clouds...Literally

Hola everyone! So after my not so fun post about real life yesterday...I want to remind everyone (myself included) that with life not only comes learning lessons and scary parts, it comes with some really wonderful adventures and experiences. Obviously my whole time spent in Costa Rica is one big adventure, but within my trip there are many chances to explore the country. I did so with my friends last weekend in MONTEVERDE!
Today was a day when I just felt nervous about everything. Some friends of mine were kind enough to walk me home and we passed some guys just sitting by a house. On the outside I was calm, but on the inside I was freaking out. I wanted to go do something today but I decided to take the day to just chill. I need to stop stressing but I will wait until I'm a little more recovered! In lieu of that, I decided to think happy thoughts and post about The Cloud Forest (hence the title!)

Honestly, I just wanted to go to Monteverde because of zip-lining. I had never done anything like that and was in a major hurry to go! Since that was not one of the excursions included with ISA, my friends Jo, Hilary, Ragha, and I decided to plan our trip (with the help of Jason from Tico Tours) and venture on our own.
Well, I think we did a pretty FREAKING good job :) We all had a wonderful time and plan to go back!

This is just a sample of the craziness during the weekend, this was the Friday night...girl time!

Our weekend plan was to zip-line, do the walking bridges, and then do something on Sunday before we left. Hilary and Ragha wanted to bungee jump, but Jo and I were going to do a chocolate tour instead! Keep reading to find out exactly what we did ;)

Friday:
We left San Jose on a bus toward Monteverde at 2:30p...a 5 hour bus ride. Ugh! It honestly wasn't bad..actually quite beautiful! That is until it got dark and we made our way up the mountain. I definitely had a stomach ache going up a bumpy, dirt road for an hour. But we finally got there a little before 8pm.
A little story for you too...Jo and I are both from Minnesota and we actually met a guy from Olivia, MN while on our trip! We ended up seeing him and his girlfriend (from Norway) all three days! He actually knows someone who goes to BLC..how small is the world!?
So, the hostel we stayed had amazing service. The name is Camino Verde and I would recommend it to anyone who was going to Monteverde. We were picked up and were shown (sort of-it was dark and cloudy ha) downtown and where some of the best places to eat were. But let me tell you, when we got to Camino Verde...all of us were in awe. This place is beautiful! I would put up the pictures that I took (like 500 literally) but oh, some thugs decided to be cool and take my camera including my pics..so I will be showing ones my friends took! Don't worry-they're just as good as mine! But seriously, we all squealed with joy because we were practically in heaven! I want to take everyone there! It may have helped that we were "on cloud nine" ha. Not only did, Jose our host for lack of a better term, pick us up, he booked our tours and bought our bus tickets for us. Camino Verde also had free coffee all day..I don't think it gets better than that!
The rest of Friday night we spent by going to a local soda..the food was amazing...and having girl time just chilling, talking, and maybe having a bottle or two of wine! We live the life!

Saturday:
Breakfast was included during our stay and we woke up to eat (I got pancakes and fruit...and coffee!) before our activities for the day. I was SO pumped to FINALLY go zip-lining! First up though was the hanging bridge tour of the forest. And gosh...it was one of the most beautiful, serene, green places I've ever seen.
And at this time I am going to direct you to Jo Dobrowski's flickr for pictures of our weekend!

Pura Vida!

We booked with 100% Aventura but there were many other companies to go through..that's what made some of the planning stressful! But after the forest was..you guessed it...ZIP-LINING! AHHHH! 
All I can say about it-SO.MUCH.FUN. Wow! When we did the longest part of the zip line I was surprised I wasn't scared! I was so high above the ground! And everything under me was green and gorgeous! When on the line, you get going so fast it's kind of a cool rush! Not to mention-we did the superman! It's the longest one in Monteverde I believe..and super high! This poor girl in front of us was freaking out. Going superman that high, and for a minute and a half...holy amazeballs. Plus, the clouds were rolling in so it was like just a line into nowhere. Very sweet! And at the end you think you're going to run headfirst into a tree! But thankfully, they stop you from coming in too hot :P
Some pics of the forest/zipline:

I definitely want to do zip-lining again. It did not let me down! Especially because we did the tarzan swing afterwards! I can't describe it very well but the first two seconds...I felt like I was in a free fall! They strap you in, make you grab the ropes, have you bend your knees, open the gate, and AHHHHHHH! Basically. It was so much fun but I was trembling afterwards.

When we got back to Camino Verde we were tired, but refueled by drinking coffee and hanging out before our next tour. We went on a night tour in the forest and it was interesting to say the least! I was hoping to see more animals but we mostly saw insects and birds. Jo's flickr has pictures of some of the wildlife we saw! 

Coming back from the tour, we decided that we wanted to have a chill day the next day and go on a coffee, chocolate, and sugar cane tour in place of bungee jumping. We needed a day to just chill instead of be thrill-seekers. Besides, going back to Monteverde is definitely happening ;)

Sunday:

Woke up. Ate breakfast..today for me was pancakes and eggs! Then we loaded up for our tour with Don Juan Coffee, Chocolate, and Sugar Cane! I will use mostly pictures to explain but wow...the sugar consumption was insane! We got to see coffee at every stage of production..along with cocoa and sugar cane. The processes for each are very interesting..and tasty! We got to taste test at almost every stage as well, hence the sugar consumption. There just really isn't anything like making your own hot cocoa, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, sugar shots, and coffee all in the same day! 

 Those are some pictures of the chocolate part of the tour..I have yet to get my hands on the sugar shots picture...but I will..and when I do..I'll make sure to post them for ya! 

Unfortunately, shortly after our tour we had to pack up and leave :( Our bus left heaven at 2:30p to get us back around 6:15..much faster than when we went to Monteverde! And the drive home was gorgeous..seeing the mountain with all the clouds and scenery was an indescribable beauty. So green and fresco! All of us felt pangs of sadness but knew that in the future..we would once again have our head in the clouds :)

 Thanks for reading! Now it's time to pack for Bocas del Toro, Panama! 

Olive juice amor, xo :)

Allie

Threatened, Terrified, Shaken, but Lucky.

Right now I'm sitting down in my favorite homework spot. I have my cup on café con leche and the house was quiet, until about 2 seconds ago when Tito decided to go on his hourly barking rampage. Ha. The calm of the afternoon is my favorite because I can just sit here and really appreciate life. I have had my siesta and my final test for my intensive Spanish class. All I have to do now is prepare my Picadillo de Cheyote tomorrow and then it's off to Panama on Saturday! But I'm getting ahead of myself..

They say it's not a good thing to say "sorry" on blogs..but I feel bad I haven't posted for so long! So that's all I'm apologizing for-I'm sorry for not keeping you updated! I get very busy and tired but I promise to make a better effort to post..it's so fun sharing with you :) 

On that note to get to my actual post. Below I want you to read the post I started on Tuesday. I ended up stopping because I was just too beat from the day to continue.

Tuesday was the most terrifying day of my life thus far. And if you continue reading, you'll understand why:

I know it's been a bit since I've posted. This was also supposed to be a happy post about what an amazing time I had in Monteverde. Sorry to say though, this post is about my experience today and let me tell you, it is not a fun one.

Posting this is hard because it's still so fresh and I'm still on the verge of tears when I think about it. However, I feel it necessary to document now so down the road I remember to not take security for granted.

Today, on my way home from cooking class at ISA after school, I was mugged/robbed/assaulted, whatever you want to call it. Typing it doesn't sound as traumatic as it was.

I was walking on the sidewalk between the highway I cross and my house, which is about a 5 minute walk. There were guys on bikes in the street that I saw but didn't think anything of. That was my mistake. Before I knew it, two of them pulled up on the sidewalk in front of me. My thought was "great, they're going to cat call me in my face." Oh how wrong I was. They pulled out pocket knife/wrench looking things and I immediately stopped and stood frozen in fear. They called out, "la bolsa, la bolsa (the bag, the bag)" referencing my backpack.

I let them take my bag off my back so they didn't touch me or harm me physically. But it all happened so fast I can't even tell you what I was thinking. After they took my bag they all bolted. There were cars that had stopped but didn't help me. I didn't know what else to do so I kept walking home, all the while trying not to cry, but thanking God that I had my life and they didn't hurt me.

I was also very thankful that I had my keys for my house in my pocket. Walking in the house was sweet relief as I let the tears fall when I sat on my bed. My papa Tico and host sisters asked me what happened and I tried to explain it to them. It's a frustrating feeling not knowing how to ask for help on the street, now explain at home what happened. I was just so shaken I didn't even know what to do, or if there was anything I could do. Taking a shower, I curled in a ball and let the soothing water wash over me as I continued to cry. My thoughts ranged from being thankful I was alive and unhurt, to asking God "why me?" A million unanswerable questions bounced around in my mind. I couldn't get a grip. All I wanted was my mom and dad to hug me and comfort me.

Then I thought to myself-great I have to tell my parents.

Now:

That was my untouched start of a blog post on Tuesday and although I could have changed it or rewritten it, part of me wanted to leave it. What I wrote then was written only hours after I had been assaulted. I am a pretty dramatic person and in my mind the story told right then wasn't very dramatic. A friend of mine made a comment that I didn't show much feeling when I told them what happened, that same day. You want to know why? I did not know what to feel. I couldn't pick an emotion.

I felt-

Scared...angry...resentful...lucky...happy (about being unhurt physically)...worried...paranoid...unprotected...

I wanted to go home because I had lost all sense of security here.

And just so you know, here are the things my beautiful purple and pink zebra striped backpack (with ribbons from the previous year's volleyball games) contained: (if you couldn't tell, I loved that backpack)

-book for class

-notebooks with ALL of my homework and study materials

-All my pens and pencils

-note cards for study purposes

-planner (in other words, my life)

-post cards for friends

-iPod

-camera (including my 500 pics of Monteverde and cooking class)

-clothes for Audrey

-beautiful orange Nike rain jacket

-umbrella

-a container of food

-a CD with pictures of whitewater rafting

-spanish/english diccionary

Pretty sure that is all. I was VERY fortunate to have forgotten my wallet that day and have the keys to my house in my pocket. Stupid boys thinking that they could rob an innocent gringa and get all her money..wrong! I thank the Lord for my forgetful mind sometimes :)

The rest of the story:

As you can imagine, I did tell my parents. I was worried they would freak out (my mom is a bit of a worrier-that's where I get it from) but they remained calm which helped me immensely. She did get on me for walking alone..which I do feel bad about. But in my mind, I never thought that at 2:45pm in the broad daylight I would be assaulted. I didn't talk to my dad for long earlier in the day because I was exhausted. After I had changed all the passwords I could think of I took a nap and both of them called back later to check in.

My friends Hilary and Audrey (the wonderful women they are) came over after I woke up and brought me a chocolate covered doughnut. It's like they know me or something! I felt so loved with all the support I was getting from friends and family after the incident. And even though I looked like hell from crying all day, I went to dance class that night. I knew that to keep life here going normally and not give in to fear, I had to do what I would normally do. So, we walked as a group to dance class and I was given a ride back home from Veritas. The support I got at dance was great too. Even though I was still shaken and scared, I knew that I had people around who cared. My professor at Veritas too was very nice and sent me an email telling me not to worry about the homework or QUIZ we had the next day. You know, since I had no study materials.

The following day:

I woke up and got ready for the day but I just didn't feel normal. I can't describe to you what I felt but I can guarantee no one wants to feel that way. I put on a cute outfit despite feeling down and went through the normal routine. At school everyone I told or had found out made sure to comfort me, especially my teacher, which was great because she was very motherly. She even let us take our quiz in groups because she knew I had nothing to study from However, the first part of class I just felt awful. I wanted to cry and I kept repeating the incident in my head because I couldn't concentrate and I just wanted to sleep.

All I kept thinking about was: I should have asked for my books..I should have asked for help after..There has to have been something I could have done to prevent this...They have my life in that backpack...They aren't going to take good care of my stuff..I want my planner...I want my backpack..I'll never get my stuff back..I should have rung the doorbell of a house...How could I have not suspected something was up...Just be thankful I'm alive...Why did this happen to me..What did I do to deserve this...And on and on and on and on....

People kept telling me not to beat myself up about it, especially the three people I knew who had all been assaulted in my neighborhood. And they also offered me their support but it was hard not to think about it or think of alternative things I could have done because it was still so fresh. I still felt no sense of security.

I won't lie, I got kind of sick of telling people what happened because it was like reliving the entire thing. And it happened so fast that I was still reacting to it I feel like.

After school, Maria Belen (one of the girls with ISA) took me to the police station to file a report, which made me feel a bit better even though I know I'm not getting my stuff back. The station also said they may do an investigation of this area since there have been so many incidents. That is a huge relief because not that my neighborhood is unsafe, there are a lot of entrances which makes it easy to come and go. Basically, my friend Andres and I decided we need more security in Barrio Cordoba. But please, do not think I am unsafe! I was the one who was walking alone when I was advised not to.

When I got home I was feeling much better about things. I studied for my test and the day continued normally.

There was a point though, when all I wanted was to be "happy" again and not feel weird. I knew that I had to be positive about my time here despite the horrible experience and I didn't want that to ruin what a great trip this is.

Well, I can tell you, I have reached that point..my happiness is recovered and I'm ready for more aventuras! There will be points when I get nervous or sad for a few minutes. But I have this great family here who loves me and cares for my roommate and I as their own. I have my family back home who sends their love and support every single day. I have wonderfully marvelous friends here and back home who also send me love and support. My recovery from having no sense of security is bouncing back so quickly because of my web of support and I thank God for each and every single one of you :) Even though I felt weird today asking for people to come with me when I needed to go places, that is how much I didn't care because I never want to go through that experience again..and if any of you are reading this that are my go to traveling buddies-suck it up! I need you...isn't it awesome to be needed? Haha. Today was awesome because not only one, but two guys walked me home. I like this whole body guard deal! I feel safe..and that feeling, especially after Tuesday, is priceless.

A Prayer of Praise

Not only did friends and family help me but every day my faith helps me. I am thankful that the only things taken were material items and I was untouched physically. When I was questioning why this happened, I couldn't find a reason other than it was a lesson and everything I had been fearing, questioning, and what not came down to two things. Trust and faith. After this happened, I had to trust in God that I would be OK and have faith in Him. Maybe this was my realization that, yes of course I have family and friends..but He is whom I need to go to for ALL things in life. Yesterday Manuela, papa Tico, and I were sitting around talking and they introduced me to Psalm 27 and I was in awe. Psalm 27 is a prayer of praise and just was so fitting for me after what had happened. The whole Bible is full of comforting passages but the fact that randomly this one was introduced to me when I needed it most, was not just luck!

Some recommendations!

Not that I am an expert by any means and my assault did not leave physical scars, it still was the most terrifying moment of my life. I was one of many who believed it wouldn't happen to them, and I learned my lesson the hard way. I just want to leave with some tips for anyone, especially women. I didn't look these up or anything..thinking about a future post about that...but these are just some common sense things for safety here in Costa Rica and in general!

1. When people in the area say to never walk alone, DO NOT WALK ALONE. I was dumb enough to think that just because I had been doing it for two weeks, I was immune to being mugged. Don't get sucked into thinking that way. If you're a girl, always walk with another person-preferably a guy. You won't be immune to getting mugged but it's better to be a group than alone. I may sound like a broken record, but take it from someone who's been there, it's better to annoy your friends and be safe than get your stuff-or you life-taken from you.

2. Like I said, annoy your friends! If they have offered to walk you home or go places with you, TAKE THEM UP ON IT. I felt a little needy today (something I don't like to feel) but I felt safe when my two guy friends walked me home. That's a feeling uncomparable to anything. I can guarantee your friends would rather have you alive and well than hurting even more because you didn't ask them to help you out. And a word to friends..help your friends out when they ask!

3. Take a taxi. I didn't like the idea at first because I'm not used to it, it makes me a tad uncomfortable, it means spending money, and I have to use my Spanish to communicate (which puts me outside my comfort zone). BUT the thought of walking alone or taking a taxi? TAKE THE TAXI.

4. Stash stuff. I want to assume the reason I got mugged was not only because I was an easy target (I was alone) but because I am American. Americans I know in Costa Rica are targeted because they think we have money (obviously they don't realize how in debt our nation is ha). Even if you are a poor college student..if you are blonde, a girl, or give off any indication you're foreign, you're a target. That day I had my keys in my pocket and had forgotten my wallet. But when I go places (and my friends do this too) STASH MONEY EVERYWHERE. I'm talking in your bra, in your shoes, in your pockets..wherever! That way if someone comes along and steals your stuff, you still have some in odd places. Also a TRAVEL POUCH, is recommended many times. Just a simple little pouch that goes around your neck or waist that you wear inside your clothes to put money, passport, or anything else important. I'm using my friend Kasslin's, and I am definitely going to use it now!

5. Be aware of your surroundings. I won't stereotype, but I am from America and I'm used to making eye contact and being friendly. I have this idea in my head that everyone is as nice as I am. If you're like me, STOP. You can be friendly where you KNOW it's safe. Here being on your guard in necessary. I wasn't thinking anything of the guys riding bikes in the street and then in the blink of an eye I was being threatened. I literally walked right into it.

6. GIVE THEM YOUR THINGS. Don't resist. I was told I did the right thing by just giving them my bag. It hurts to have my stuff just stripped from me and be helpless but it's better to be physically unharmed than resist and get hurt. They have my bag, but I have my health. I kept thinking, I wish I would have asked for my books..but in that moment, thinking straight wasn't my body's priority. I don't know what would have happened but I doubt it would have been productive to do anything other than what I did. Nothing is more important than you life in that situation. I promise.

7. My final recommendation (and I read this somewhere but didn't listen)-HAVE A WAY OF COMMUNICATION. I had absolutely nothing when this happened. I broke my phone and hadn't gotten a Tico phone. I don't know that it would have helped but if I would have had a way to contact someone at the time, I would have. I was at a loss because I didn't know how to ask for help or what to do. Yesterday I bought a cheap Tico phone because I am not going to go anywhere without a means of communication. If anything it's, again, having that sense of security.

In the future I plan to be safer and possibly create some kind of action plan should I feel unsafe. First of all, never going anywhere alone and keeping my cell phone with me. But this was a lesson well learned.

I know this was a long post, but necessary to share my experience. As I said before, I want to share good and bad! I'm hoping this is the only major down of my trip. But I plan to stay here and keep on loving my time here just as well as before! I don't want anyone to think I'm unsafe. I made a bad decision by walking alone and will prevent that in the future. Costa Rica is still an amazing place and I look forward to continuing my exploration :)

Thanks for making it through this beast of a post, y'all!

Olive juice amor, xo :)

Allie

Vivir la Vida Tica

This will be my third post today, forgive me. I actually have time today to post! And I'm trying to keep everyone updated on not only the fun aspects of life, but the normal ones too! Hence, vivir la vida tica...kind of!

Today marks two weeks I have been in Costa Rica. For real though, I feel like I've been here for a few months! That's not at all a bad thing though. Last week (before Puerto Viejo) was pretty great. Coming here I thought I would know like no Spanish whatsoever but I actually know and understand more than I thought. In lieu of that, I moved from Basico 1, to Basico 2! It may not seem like a big deal but for me, it's HUGE! The differences in moving from basic 1 to basic 2 are a quicker pace of learning, the professor speaks only Spanish to us, we can only speak Spanish to her and each other, and my brain has to work ten times harder than I'm used to. To actually move up a class was a hard decision. I knew that I was here to accelerate my Spanish and I want so badly to understand what my family says to me and respond intelligently. In basic 1 we were going to be learning verbs at the end, I already had a good grasp on. So, I made the decision to try and move up. In order to do that, I had to take the oral exam I had never taken. Holy nerve-wracking! My professor (Profe)  was asking me questions and I understood what she was saying so that was nice. But responding was another story. Luckily I was really talkative in my previous class so learned a lot of descriptive words and basics. It helped when I responded because I just used the words I knew and talked..then talked some more! Sometimes my ability to talk a lot helps me ;) I was able to move into basic 2!! Boy, was I excited! I joined my class that very day (Friday) and have been happy there ever since.

That's not to say it's easy though! Every day my brain is in overdrive to listen, comprehend, and retain all that I learn. We had a quiz on Tuesday (literally 2 days after I joined the class) and I had to study hard to be ready for it! Profe even called me out in class that I had to study extra (one reason I got into the class was because I promised to study harder than everyone else)! But it's the truth! Not only did we have a quiz Tuesday, we had a presentation Thursday and test Friday. WHAT!? I was like there's no way. Although, where there's a will there's a way. And I memorized my part for the oral presentation with the help of my mama Tica, Valeria, and roommate Manuela. They may have made fun of me, but I did it! And then I skipped going out on ladies night to study for my test Friday that I am about 95% sure I did really well on!

Even though the intensive class isn't always fun to wake up for and sit through for 4 hours, it's rewarding when I can understand my family better and speak more intelligently! Plus my class is small and Profe is awesome! She makes us do the craziest things to learn! And another professor always comes in to talk to her in the morning..or to do the cancan because they are exited about the futbol game :P Here are the songs we have had to sing...ridic I know..the first one is actually good though, a song by Juanes (who Profe was ashamed none of us knew) and Nelly Furtado.

Fotografia-Juanes and Nelly Furtado

A Mi Burro con Letra

Cabeza, Hombros, Rodilla, y Pie

So as far as school goes, it's hard but fun and rewarding! And not only do I have intensive Spanish...Veritas offers free dance classes every Tuesday and Thursday nights! We have only had 4 classes and my dancing has improved immensely. Classes are always a workout too! I sweat profusely. So far we have learned basics for Meringue, Salsa, Cha-Cha, Cumbia, and Bachata. It has been super nice too because a lot of guys participate and want to learn...but in my humble opinion need help with leading...or I just need to stop leading haha! I plan to be a pro by the time I get back...and yes, I'll offer lessons :P One thing I definitely love about being here too, is the opportunity to dance...like every night! Not that I have taken advantage of it but it's there if I want to! My friends definitely like to do it too! We are just dancing fiends!

In other news, due to my high food consumption, I joined a gym! My friend Audrey convinced me and she has some great crossfit workouts. Yesterday she made me do 50 pushups..on top on an arm and ab workout. My arms are dead today. Wednesday we did a killer leg workout that my butt thoroughly enjoyed. Gotta love them squats! I look forward to working out as much as possible because I'm not about to come back and let my basketball team run circles around me! Plus, with the way my mama tica cooks, I need the extra hard workouts to burn off these carbs. Seriously, I consume so much food for breakfast and supper. Vanessa is one hell of a cook and I appreciate every meal I get...sometimes a little too much! In the coming weeks I might need to back off...but for now I'm just going to keep eating my way through my experience here! And then learn to cook it all so I can continue to eat like this in the States!

Speaking of food, has anyone ever had a mamon chino? If not, you need to try them.

They may look feo but inside the white squishy fruit is beyond compare..so yummy!

We also tried jacotes that night...not my fave :/ 

It's funny because that same night was a huge futbol game-Costa Rica v. USA. Manuela and I pretended to cheer for the US and Vanessa threatened (jokingly) to make us eat jacotes for supper..bleh! Luckily we had hamburgers but that didn't stop us from teasing about the US winning. Sad to say...they lost by 2...and we (as Americans) heard about it for a couple days after ;)

If you didn't know, futbol is huge in Costa Rica. I guess I never realized it but they get so into it..as a country. The game vs USA was a nice win for Costa Rica and they are going to Brazil for the World Cup. Even after their game vs Jamaica ended in a tie. But in all seriousness, the Costa Rican people as a whole get super excited about their futbol games..like I said before, our family rubbed it in our face when they won over the US and my professor and another came into the room doing the cancan singing, "Oleeee ole ole ole, Ticooooo Ticooooo!" I get a kick out of everyone's enthusiasm. I'm not into soccer that much, but while I'm here, it's a must! Go Costa Rica ;)

This post is kind of just a ramble about life here the past two weeks, like normal life. And life is pretty normal but a great kind of normal. I'm starting to get into a routine and I love it. Life may be a bit slower paced but I'm enjoying every minute! Even if I am tired all the time ;) My family here is amazing, I have great friends, school is doing it's job, and I feel I'm going to/am having the best experience possible! I'm so blessed I can't stand it :)

If I forgot anything about normal life, I'll be sure to post about it in the future!

And if you haven't read my story about Mr. Roach...you HAVE to. Last night at 2am I had my first run in with a cockroach. I'm not kidding you, I can't describe how traumatic it was...I found out that I have an irrational fear of cockroaches. I'm so serious. Irrational. But I was almost in tears I was so terrorized...by a freaking insect! Ugh...apparently that happens a lot though during rainy season..I just figure this is God's way of trying to help me get over my fear. I doubt that will happen though. I guess I'll be less traumatized by them if they a) stay out of my room and b) don't get near me. The thought of them being on me, makes me want to pass out. Yes people, this fear is real. I pray for no more!

Anyways...

Thanks for reading everyone!

Olive juice amor, xo :)

Allie

PS-Some extra pics..randoms!

Caribbean Fried Gringa

I'm struggling with where to start right now! It's been so long since I've posted! Life may be about 10 times slower here but I'm constantly tired. My brain is in overdrive trying to learn and understand Spanish.

In other news though, last weekend (Sept. 7th and 8th) I spent in Puerto Viejo! This was my first adventure, of many, outside of San Jose. 

The weekend started at 5:30a, waking up for white water rafting. We traveled about two hours away to Rio Pacuare where we experienced an 18 mile journey full of stage 1-4 rapids. Before even getting on the river we had to learn about safety techniques and what to do if someone fell out of the raft. I have to admit, I was a little nervous...I didn't want to fall out while going over a rapid! So, getting in that raft and fully trusting the other 5 people in the raft, as well as my guide, was tough. But I did it, and it was exhilarating! We got to experience a part of the rainforest only visible to people by rafting and learn about all the wildlife and native people. I kept thinking to myself, this is not real, I'm not seriously in the middle of a rainforest in Costa Rica right now. But I was! And not only did we get to raft the river, we got to swim too! Most of the time though, it wasn't my choice to get it...the guide decided to throw me in. One time he even threw me from one side of the raft to the other. Needless to say, I wasn't too happy with him at that moment! But he was still a cool guide, very knowledgeable! If you ever get the chance to raft, DO IT! It's thrilling going through those stage 4 rapids, thinking at any second you could fall out as the water washes over your head! 

I survived and had a wonderful time..you can too :)

 Going through a huge wave!

 Rio Pacaure...que hermoso!

 Going through yet another rapid!

After white water rafting, we continued our (bumpy) journey to Puerto Viejo in Limon, Costa Rica. I still can't explain my feelings about Puerto Viejo. That place is absolutely gorgeous. We arrived around 4 or 5 when the sun was setting. It was like entering a different world when we got there. The coast of the Caribbean Sea was right at our feet and the air around me felt heavy but comforting. As we walked to our hostel for the night, I kept wanting to pinch myself. I never in my life thought I would be somewhere so beautiful and full of life! The walk to our hostel from the bus station wasn't too far and we got to see some of the local shops and restaurants. It was crazy to me that all the restaurants were so open! But in the Caribbean you can do that! The weather was just SO perfect.
Our hostel, Coconut Grove, was absolutely adorable. Hammocks everywhere!

 The room I shared with Audrey and Manuela at Coconut Grove

 Cocnut Grove from the outside! Que tranquilo!

 

Going out Saturday night was a little hectic. We went out to eat at a place called Koki Beach and it was delicious! A little pricey but I think we paid more for the veiw because the place was beautiful and right across from the beach. I also saw a real sloth!! I couldn't believe mis ojos! At Koki Beach I tried ceviche for the first time! It's like a dish where everything in it (in this case onion, tomato, shrimp, and corn) is all "cooked" in lime juice. I don't know if I like ceviche in general, but the shrimp and corn part I liked!
When we were done with our food, we went out, and like I said-hectic! There were three places with dancing and that's what we wanted to do. Because we had already been up for so long, we went out kind of early. That was a mistake! We kept going between the three bars but didn't like the music at any of them. I was exhausted from dancing and the days activities so went to hang out by the beach for a bit. That was probably the best part of the night. I stuck my feet in the water, looked up at the stars, and was completely tranquila. The water was warm, the air cool and fresh, and the stars bright in the dark sky. I still can't believe places like that exist! But after a while, I decided it was time to sleep. Finally got to bed around 2a!

 First pic of the water

 The hammock right outside our room! Very comfy!

 Seeing my first real live sloth! They actually move kind fast...hence the butt pic.

 My shrimp ceviche and Cuba Libre 

 Koki Beach Restaurante! 

The next morning, Manuela got up to watch the sunrise and take pictures. I wanted to see it but was not having it. I love my sleep. So all the rights for this next picture go to my roommate Manuela! Bless her heart for getting up at 5am to take pics of the BEAUTIFUL sunrise over the Caribbean sea.

When we all decided it was time to get going for the day (we only had until 4p to explore) it was about 9:30a. Apparently I slept really hard because there was tons of activity in the morning before I woke up at 9a. Manuela got up, the owner of Coconut Grove came into our room twice because we emptied the well..oops! We let our toilet run without realizing apparently and the whole place didn't have water for a while! It came back though, so no worries.
People, last Sunday (Sept. 8th) was probably one of the best days of my life...other than becoming, as the title implies, a Caribbean Fried Gringa. I'm not even joking. Me, being as white as I am, under a completely sunny day with no suncreen ended up with me getting fried to a crisp. My mama Tica said I looked like a different person. I DO NOT recommend not wearing suncreen, even if you're not prone to burning. People, I was in pain for DAYS afterwards. I have never been so red before. My nose, forehead, shoulders and lower back were the worst. Not to mention that I now look like I have vitiligo on my shoulders. Ugh..never again.
Other than getting burned, I can't even say how relaxing the day was. Being able to be in Costa Rica and visit the beautiful Puerto Viejo as well as hang out in the clear blue sea, is and was truly a blessing from above. We kept saying to each other, this is not happening right now..I only imagined this on my honeymoon...we aren't studying abroad right now, we're on vacation! The only way I can describe to you the beauty is by pictures..I also took some of my breakfast and lunch at Puerto Viejo Bakery..yum! Oh, and we rented bikes for a few hours to ride from beach to beach! I was in paradise people, PARADISE!

 Mi panqueques de banano...or loaves of bread..thickest pancaked I've ever seen/eaten!

 Just a street in Puerto Viejo

 Pics of the beach (above and below)

 

This pic is postcard material ;)

 After spending the day in the water!

Mi quesadilla de pollo por almuerzo!

 Found a volleyball court on my fave beach! Too bad the sand was too hot...and I didn't have a volleyball..

 Audrey sippin on her juicebox

 With our rented bikes

 Tryna be a good photographer

 Another beach pic!

 A cute little church on the beach!

 Not only did they have a net on the beach...they had a basketball court!

The bus ride home was long, but the sunset was beautiful :)

That in a nutshell is my trip to Puerto Viejo! Many more details and pictures, but this post is long as it is! I think I covered everything I needed to...for real though, it was the best trip of my life. I never could have imagined myself hanging in paradise for a day. I am definitely going back! Feeling extremely blessed every day that I get to have this experience. It's definitely life changing! 

Olive juice amor babes, xo :)

Allie