Hello everyone at home. Once again, I am writing this from CR missing you all very much. Sorry for not being the best at updating this blog, but wow have the last few days flown by. I will start off trying my best to explain my weekend.
Friday was filled with a drive to the Caribbean Coast. We made a pitstop at a Chiquita Banana plantation, and I was quickly made aware of how difficult agricultural work can be. The conditions were something I cannot fathom, and I will never look at my favorite fruit the same way again. El jefe gave us a tour of the entire process from planting, to harvesting, to cutting, to cleaning, to packaging...it was truly incredible to know that this plant with about 700 workers, is considered small! After sweating my body weight, we made our way to the sea...FINALLY. I have never seen the Caribbean, and boy was it worth the wait. Thought the humidity had to be close to 100%, it was crystal blue, with white sand, just as I imagined it.
Our hostel for the weekend looked like treehouses more than cabins, the girls in my group (8 of us) were all in a huge log house, and despite our bichos (bug friends), it was beautiful. Dinner was a yummy relief, and then we made our way into town for a night of dancing. Apparently though, they don't start partying until 11 PM, which was when we were off to bed.
Saturday started off with the biggest adventure yet. We were told very little about our trek to the indigenous community (Bri Bris) in Talamanca, and I think that was better. After over two hours of traversing THREE rivers (one by canoe, which I swear was about to break down, and two others by foot), I was ready for land. We were led most of the way by a native named Geronimo, and were immmediately welcomed by the people. They gave us a presentation in their native tongue, which was translated to Spanish, about their medicinal techniques, farming styles, history, etc. There's nothing cooler than doing this in a tee pee constructed from palm trees with a lunch served inside a banana leaf. What a memory. Despite the fact that I fell into River #1 on the way back, I think this may be one of my most favorite memories thus far.
The day ended with a trip into town with half of my group to listen to music and brave during an intense rain storm. Though we were looking for Calipso music, we ended up hearing a band full of old, hippie Americans. Gotta love tourist towns. I really love Puerto Viejo though, it reminds me of what I heard Dominican Republic and Jamaica are like. The African-Caribbean influence is truly incredible, and I quickly felt relaxed in this beach town.
Our trip ended with a bit of beach time, FINALLY. I adored the time just being mellow, reading my magazine, and taking a walk in the sand. After my minor water attack/adventure from the day before, I chose not to fully submerge myself into the sea. You all know how I just love water in any capacity...
The last few days have not been too exciting. Yesterday we had a charla on Urbanismo en Costa Rica, and I very much enjoyed the speaker who was so well-read on the topic. We could ask him any question, whether it was regarding the garbage collection, road infrastructure, water supply, etc., and he provided us with the most in-depth and insightful answers. This morning I had another small Spanish class at Communicare. At noon, we all took our weekly trip to the theatre downtown for a dance performance, and later walked around the Amon neighborhood. If I wanted to live anywhere in the city, I think this barrio is my favorite. It is filled with restored buildings with colonial architecture, me gusta!
The countdown has begun, I will be home in just 5 days. Thing I love today: the brightly painted buildings in the city, contemporary dance shows that make you think, green tea, and public transit (without serious traffic jams). I love you all to the moon and back.
Besos.
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