Costa Rica Charity

The charity I decided to give to is called SOS Children's Villages. I have given to them before, and I like their organization. They are a great way to give to needy children.

Costa Rica Day 7.

Today is my last day in Costa Rica. Since my flight left in the evening today, I stayed in San José. I decided to go to the Gold Museum in the downtown area. I have heard really good things about this museum, and I was not disappointed. When I walked in the door, I was confronted with a gigantic hall covered in display cases. I had to go get my ticket first, and I waited impatiently in line to get it. When I finally got in, there were so many things to see. There are three floors too the museum, but it is underground, under the Plaza de la Cultura. The first is the main gold floor, it has thousands of gold pieces in it, jewelery, statuettes, and decorations. Did you know that gold is very hard to find in Costa Rica, so some of it is what is called Tumbaga. I saw a whole bunch of different statuettes, most of them depicting animals like jaguars or frogs for some reason, but there were some of people too. There was also a lot of jewelry, and apparently the natives wore a lot of it in everyday life. I found this cool. The weirdest piece of jewelry I found was a pair of earrings, about two inches long and cylindrical, with a diameter of about three quarters of an inch. They did not look comfortable at all! I would hate to wear them. I loved this on necklace, though. It was made of small gold beads interspersed with jade beads in the shape of teardrop. It was really lovely, and I would have loved to have it, but I was in a museum, and you're generally not aloud to steal from museums. On the next floor down, I saw a collection simmilar to the one a floor above me, but this time, not with gold, but with precious stones. It was really pretty. I absolutely loved the color in these pieces, red, green, blue, and purple. It was such a cool museum. On the last floor, they had a collection of tools and utensils the natives used in daily life, and a section on how they made the gold figures. I especially liked this part. They showed what they used to melt the gold, and how they refined it. They also showed how they shaped it into the intricate shapes I saw upstairs. They had a life-sized model of a man doing this, but the man creeped me out, so I didn't look at it much. After I finished looking at the museum, and had bought a book on old myths of the native people, I left. I had lunch at a little café across the street form the entrance, and I headed to the airport to go home. I had to rush to make my plane, but I got here, and I'm writing this while we wait to take off. Oh, the stewardess just told me to shut off my computer. Next stop, Santa Barbara! a model of the native people. a necklace at the museum

Costa Rica Day 5.

Today was amazing!!!!! I went on a horse back riding lessons and met Costa Rican horses. I had to get up pretty early to be able to get to the south in time for the ride, which started at eight thirty, before the weather gets too hot. I really wanted to get their early so I would be able to go around meeting the horses and giving them the bag of apples that I had bought at a local store. I got to the ranch at around eight. There was a couple who arrived at the same time I did, and for the same reason. We were all horse enthusiasts, but hadn't ridden much. We got our guide, Diego, to show us around the horses. He told us the ranch raised Iberoameracana, Costarriccence de Paso and Criollo horses, the native breeds of Costa Rica. I lent apples to the two other people in my group, Sasha and Eli. They were both very nice people, and I had a feeling we would get along well with them. The first breed we met was the Costarriccence de Paso. They are beautiful horses, but the one we saw was quite high strung, and not for us to ride. The next ones were Criollo horses. They were very nice and gentle, and were the prettiest ones there. It was actually a Criollo named Zorba that I chose to ride for the day. Zorba, isn't he pretty? The next ones we saw were Iberoameracana. They were very pretty as well, but most of them needed an experienced rider, which I am not. I liked them, but I had already connected with Zorba. Once the other two had picked out horses, it was time for some riding lessons! I headed to the tack room, which is what you call the place where you keep the equipment for riding, and got Zorba's saddle and bridle. I carried them out to the stall that he was in, and was able to lift the saddle onto his back. I wasn't however able to make the strap tight, because he has a weird habit of breathing in every time I got the cinch tight. I had Diego help me with that, and I was able to put the bridle on myself. I was the second out to the ring, Eli's horse didn't puff out apparently, and we were soon on to our lesson. I learned how to mount Zorba, and I was very glad he was a patient horse, because I couldn't get my leg over his back in one smooth swing like Diego could. My heel hit his flank and he twitched, but that was all. Good horse! After we were all seated, we learned how to ride at a walk. I have ridden horses before, but only on trail rides where the horse doesn't care about you, he only cares about following the tail in front of him. This was different. I was in control! Zorba had his ears back listening for commands given by me, and he went whichever way I wanted him to go. That was nice. After a while we almost mastered walking, so we started on a very slow trot, which is a completely different animal. It was more bouncy, even though it was still very smooth, and you had to give a couple of different commands. After about four hours of learning, We had to stop, and have lunch, but first we had to cool down and groom our horses. We did one slow lap of the training ring, and then got the combs and bushes necessary for the job. Since we weren't going that fast, the horses didn't break much of a sweat, so we mostly curried their coats and worked on their manes and tails. No need for a wash. Lunch was nice, and after lunch we got to check out the rest of the farm. There were a lot of baby goats, and I had the funnest time playing with the adorable little things around the yard. I also got to pet a newborn calf and a lot of baby ducklings. After my dose of cute, it was time to head home, so I said goodbye to Zorba and hit the road. I had a great day, and I loved every minute of it, even the brushing. I really had fun, and if I ever come back to Costa Rica, I will definitely visit Establo San Rafael. One of the instructors with Lluvia.

Costa Rica Day 4.

Today I went to a butterfly farm in the heart of the country. When I got to the road that led off the highway, the car couldn't pass. It had rained pretty hard earlier today and a tree had fallen over right across the path. Darn. Well, when the men who were driving the bus I was in moved the tree, I got to check out the flowers in the area. When I got to one particularly fragrant one, I was surprised to see a very large, shocking blue butterfly land on me. I was mesmerized. My guide said it was a Blue Morpho, one of the most common species of butterfly. Did you know that 90% of all Central American butterflies, 66% of all neo-tropical butterflies,and 18% of all butterflies live in Costa Rica. Wow! Thats a lot of butterflies! When they finally got the tree moved, the journey to The Butterfly Farm, in Guácima, near San José. It was a cool place, with a strong butterfly theme of course. When we got there, a guide was waiting for us, her name was Lupe. She told us that she would show us around the farm. Wegot started and shetold us lot about the different types of butterflies they have and what they look like. When we actually got to see the butterflies, it was very fun. There was a man walking next to me who spilled the cup of nectar they gave us on his shirt. Befire he could try to clean it up, about sixty butterflies came swooping down and started to suck up all the nectar. By the time they were finished, his shirt was nearly dry. If you could have seen the man's face when he saw this cloud of color coming right at him, you would have fallen on the ground laughing. It was the funniest thing I have seen on this trip so far. The rest of the day was uneventfull, they served us lunch, chicken soup and Gallo Pinto. We left at about three thirty, and made it to town by four. I had a little time to kill, so I bought a couple of souveneers for later. I got a really cool gem butterfly pin and a wooden model of the church here in San José. I had dinner at my hotel and I am sitting in bed, I am going to have a horseback ride tomorrow. my favorite butterfly my butterfly

Costa Rica Day 3.

Today I visited the Tabacon Hot Springs. Tabacon is a resort built around a naturally occurring heated spring that flows through the resort. It normally runs at 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Wow. That's like jacuzzi warm! When I walked into the resort, it was beautiful. The whole place was planted in tropical, bright colors and lush green leaves. The air around the spring was steamy and warm. When I changed into my bikini, I felt a little self conscious, all the people around me were Japanese tourists who were wearing very conservative one pieces. When I was coming out of the changing rooms, I felt a sharp pain in my foot. The plant growing on the side of the path had sharp thorns that had fallen off of it. I had stepped on one and my foot was bleeding slightly. After removing it from my foot and I had put antiseptic on it, I headed on to the pool. I felt a little bit better when I got to the pool, though. At least sixty percent were wearing bikinis that are less conservative than mine. The pool its self was amazing. It was brightly colored on the bottom with a variety of mosaic patterns, and the water was crystal clear and steaming hot! When I got into the water, it felt like my feet were on fire! After I got used to it, though, it felt really nice. Apparently, the water has minerals in it from the magma it flows over that makes it beneficial for your skin and help circulation. It also helps soothe aching muscles and any pains you may have. I actually felt my foot getting better. When I got out for lunch, this creepy guy started following me saying something in Spanish. He scared me because I knew he'd been drinking. I went into the restaurant thinking he'd stop following me. But he came in and started to sit down at my table. I called my waiter over and asked him to see the man out. Apparently, he'd was kicked out by the end of the day. After my unpleasant encounter, I had a nice lunch of fried prawns and guess what, Gallo Pinto, and headed back out to another of the pools. This one was not as hot as the other one, it was merely 100 degrees! By the end of the day I had soaked in all of their five pools and had all my aches and pains removed by a masseuse. I also had my nails done, green with a bird of paradise on my thumb and big toe nails. It was really nice to be pampered for one day. I've never had my nails done, and it was much better than I could have ever done. When I got back to my hotel, I had a wonderful dinner of fried fish and steamed palm heart which I found exceedingly odd. I don't think it is for all tastes. Well, I had a good day today, I hope I have a great day tomorrow. palm heart One of the pools.

Costa Rica Day 2.

I woke up bleary eyed this morning to the sound of traffic outside my window. I sat up and looked at my alarm clock. Great, 7:30. I didn't even get to sleep in. Then I noticed the other reason I woke up. There was the wonderful smell of frying something and coffee. Coffee! I stood up to go get in the shower, and had to sit down very quickly. My butt hurt sooo bad! I went into the bathroom as quickly as I could, hoping a hot shower would make it feel better. I had plans to go to a horseback tour today, but that was obviously not going to happen today. By the time I finally got downstairs, I still felt sore, but coffee soon fixed that. The owner of the bed and breakfast I was staying at had cooked a traditional Gallo Pinto and scrambled egg tacos, Yummy! They smelled like the home-made breakfast burritos that my mom used to make when we didn't have anything for dinner, which smells good. After being filled up with breakfast tacos, I asked my chef what I could do that wasn't too strenuous. She suggested going to the beach, since we were right on it. Literally. I am in the not-so-little town of Limón. It is right on the beach, and Juana, my personal tour guide for the day told me she knew just the place to go, so we both got our swim suits and towels and so forth, and got in her car. We took a long, rambling road to a spot surrounded by forest. It was one of the prettiest beaches I have ever seen. There were only four or five families there, and they were all clumped into a small section, so we had the beach practically to ourselves. Once I got the ocean breeze in my hair, and the smell of salt in my lungs, I went running out to the almost jacuzzi like water and dived in. There was a reef about fifty yards out, and Juana and I went to go check it out. We stayed in the water for a long time. It wasn't like in Santa Barbara where you have to get out after thirty minutes or so to thaw (okay, that's an overstatement). The water was crystal clear and we could see all the little tropical fish swimming around like gems through a forest of red, orange, green, and surprisingly blue. It was amazing. It was like paradise, and I was swimming right over it. Man, this was cool. Well, finally we had to leave, but I felt rested and very relaxed. I also had a lot of salt in my hair, and it needed washing bad. Overall, this was a great day and I had a lot of fun hanging out with Juana. one of the beaches frequented in Limón the city of Limón

Costa Rica Day 6.

Today I toured a coffee plantation. I really liked the coffee in this country, and I thought it would be cool to see where it all came from. I decided to go to the Doka Estate , which apparently has the best coffee in Costa Rica. When I got there, the place was beautiful, I had the wind in my hair, blowing a sweet smell of herbs and wet soil to me. It was an oddly refreshing scent that really made me cheer up. I walked up the path that led to the place my group would be meeting. I could see the rows of coffee plants surrounding the estate for almost a mile on every side, with little specks that were the workers picking the coffee berries and tending to the plants. I thought it was so picturesque and lovely that I couldn't wait to start my tour. The first thing we did on out tour was to go to the seed beds, where they start the coffee plants. Then we went into the fields and see the plants and how they are harvested. He showed us what the coffee berries looked like and how they loaded the berries into the bags on trucks. Then we went to the processing plant, which is the oldest humid coffee processing plant and is an architectural heritage site. We got to see how the berries are stripped of their outer coating and how the seeds are ground. Afterward we saw the tanks where the grains are fermented to take out the natural honey and bring out the flavor. Last we visited the roasting plant where the seeds are roasted before getting ground at the processing plant. We later got to sample their different kinds of coffee, and I liked the house blend coffee the best. By this time it was getting a bit late in the afternoon, and I had dinner reservations at six, so I headed back to San José. I made it on time to my dinner reservation, and I had a great dinner at a fancy Costa Rican place. I'm getting a bit tiered of Gallo Pinto, but tomorrow's my last day, so I won't be eating it for very much longer. Coffee plant turns into..... ..... delicious foamy coffee! The processing plant

Costa Rica Day 1.

Wow! Today was amazing! Okay, where to begin. I left early this morning to go to a meeting place right at the edge of the rain forest. There I met my guide, and the three other people I would be spending my day with and we set off in our guide's van. We went pretty far into the forest and then climbed up a ladder leading into a tree. Once we got up into the canopy, we strapped on harnesses and helmets and one by one we hooked on to the metal cord stretching from the tree we were in to a tree in the distance and pushed off. That's right, I was going zip lining baby! It was one of the most exhilarating things I have ever done. It was amazing. At first when I kicked off, everything was a whirl of color, but once I steadied myself, I enjoyed one of the most beautiful scenes ever. I was surrounded by greens of every shade dotted by a sudden burst of red or yellow as I passed a flower or bird. There were also the most vibrant browns I have ever seen. Before this trip, I didn't even know brown could be vibrant. Well, you learn something new every day. When I looked up, the sky that I could see through the green was mostly cloudy, we had had some rain earlier. But when I got to a break in the vegetation while crossing a river, the sun broke through the clouds and shone a beam of light directly over me! I was in awe. No where could be more beautiful. After what seemed like an eternity, and having my butt get a bit sore from a pretty abrupt stop, my first zip line was over. On to the next one! You see, we were going to travel in a five mile circle around the forest on zip lines. Every now and then, the lines were studded with platforms in the trees where you unhooked from one line and onto another. The one I had landed on just now was a eight by ten foot ledge built on a massive branch of a tree with railing all around except for two places where you entered and exited. The trunk was almost covered in bromeliads in red, yellow, pink, and purple. Looking over the rail, there was a 100 foot drop to the ground, blocked in parts by massive branches about ten feet in circumference. I saw many other trees like this in my journey through the sky today, some with orchids, some with bromeliads, some with both and others combined. There were massive liana vines stretching from the ground to the bottom of the canopy, and large leafy philodendron. We also saw animals in the form of macaws, birds of paradise, monkeys, and even a jaguar, spotted at a distance. All of these made a soothing background noise, along with the splashing of the river, that calmed me down and invigorated me at the same time. It almost made you forget the heat. Once we were almost done, it started to rain. No, not rain, pour. No, not even pour. It was like the sky opened up and great torrents of rain were falling on us, soaking us in seconds. It was over withing the next five minutes, but it left the world squeaky clean and smelling of wet earth and sweet flowers. Man, I love that smell. So fresh and clean. It cooled us down drastically and I was in euphoria. Once it stopped raining, the world was hot again, and you could see the vegetation steam as the water evaporated, it was so cool. Well, all good things come to an end eventually, and we finally got to the end of our trip. I was sad to leave, but I was also hungry, so we unstrapped our harnesses and left the rain forest for the urban jungle of San José. a man in our group coming into our ledge. another woman in our group landing.

Costa Rica Day 1/2.

I got off the plane in San José Juan Santamaria, or San José, Costa Rica. It was 6:00 and I was starving. After getting to my hotel and freshening up from the six hour plane flight from Phoenix, I hit the streets to see what I could find. The first thing that hit me was the heat, and I loved it. It was almost seven and about eighty degrees outside! I was definitely Not going to need the sweater I had brought. The second thing that hit me was the bustle, everyone seemed to be out enjoying the nightlife. Well, I finally found a small traditional restaurant and sat down. Since I didn't know anything on the menu, I asked the waiter to surprise me, but not to make it too spicy. I was so glad I did, there was a couple next to me who looked like their faces were burning up, habeñero most probably, but I wasn't sure. I ended up with Olla de carne, a yummy stew made with beef, potatoes, carrots, chayote(whatever that is), plantains and yucca. It was delicious, and I consumed every bite. Afterward I had elote esado, or corn on the cob, seved with salty butter and a sauce that is very lemony. For dessert, I had tres leches or a three layered Custard commonly known as flan with milanes or chocolate candies around it. This is the national dessert, and I wanted to try it. It was actually really good, and not at all jello-y like the flan I had tried before in Spain. The little candies were sooo good, they practically melted in my mouth. By this time it was fairly late, so I left, full bellied, to my hotel. Tomorrow's a big day, I get to take a canopy tour in the rainforest! tres leches

Seven Things To Do In Costa Rica

1. Take a canopy tour in the rain forest 2. Be lazy on the most gorgeous beaches in the universe 3. Tabacon hot springs 4. See the butterfly farm 5. see the countryside on horseback 6. tour a coffee plantation 7. Go to the Gold Museum in Downtown San José

Costa Rica!

I'm going to Costa Rica!!! I'm psyched! Here are my online tickets. Pretty good, I only have one connecting flight! Anyway, here they are: Money: $1 510.09 colones $5 2550.45 colones $10 5100.89 colones $20 10201.79 colones $50 25504.47 colones $100 51008.94 colones Note: Tejas is 100-colones Cinco tejas for 500 colónes Un Rojo is 1,000 colones Un Tucan is 5,000 colones Words and Phrases: Hello = Hola Goodbye = Buenos Días I don't speak Spanish = Yo no hablo Español Thank you = Gracías You're welcome = De Nada (Literally "it is nothing") What is your name = Como se llama My name is Hannah = Mi llamo Hannah I want... = Yo quiero ( such as "Yo quiero Taco Bell!") This is the wrong order = Este es el orden incorrecto Where is the Bathroom = Dónde está el baño Costa Rica Baby!