And the winner by TKO...

It was a good fight but I kicked his XSS!!! The other night, I went 3 rounds with a roach the size of a candy bar. A Twix maybe but fatter...so what would that be...a Snickers? He bobbed into the shower drain...I turned on the shower and he couldn't take it so he came out of the drain. I whacked at him once and missed, then again and I wounded him. THEN, I got my hiking boot and it was all over! Roach carcass in the shower...the crowd went crazy...ah that would have been me...swearing like sailor! I did it...I conquered my fear and crushed the roach...bone and shell cracking and all! I've been told that this trip is really going to show me what I am made of...at least now I know that I can kick a roach's nasty little ass!

I graduated...!

Two weeks of school has gone by really fast. Friday was my last day at COSI (Costa Rica Spanish Institute). My teacher for both weeks was Patricia Cubrero. She was awesome! My classmates were (from left to right) Julie, Jessie and Tina. I sure am glad I am 29 so I didn't feel THAT old!

After my last morning of school, a bunch of peeps from school rode horses to a waterfall here in the mountains. The bottle of Casique (costa rican vodka like product) made the trip extra fun! After the horseback ride, they made us dinner at their ranch. Fun times for sure! That night was the final futbol game between MASS and Tulemar. MASS won and the guys went nuts! There were fireworks and a big fiesta. The award presentation was at the Discotech. We danced till about 3 a.m.!

On Saturday night, Juan Carlos took us to a concert near the marina in Quepos. The concert was the big finale to culture week. It was awesome. The main event was a band from San Jose and the famous singer from Costa Rica, Marta Fonseca, was the main attraction. She is really good and the music was a combination of electric guitar, electric violin and rock. They played some cover songs too. There was also a special appearance by a rap artist. I was impressed! After the concert, we went with Juan Carlos, Wilmar, and Gustavo to bar Tutu. It's a mostly gay bar. Manuel Antonio is very liberal in that way. Maybe that's part of why I like it here...it's like San Francisco in that way. We danced for a while and hung out with the guys. Then Karen and I headed out to Republik...a lounge bar in Quepos. It's the place most people go before the discotech. Then dancing at the discotech. I can make it till about 3 or 3:30...peeps here can go and go and go...they don't leave till 5:30 or 6 in the morning!!! Not me...in bed by 4 at the latest!!! Ok, so maybe 29 it pushing it!

Go, go go...

The last week has been action packed...

I did end up moving. I am now staying across the street from our school in a really cute hotel. I love it and am much happier now!

Karen and I have been hanging out most of the time. We have a lot in common. She loves to salsa dance, like yours truly, so we have been going out dancing as much as possible. Karen is here in Manuel Antonio for 3 months. She is studying Spanish and taking a much needed break from work. Like me, she quit her job and decided to travel for a while. It does not happen often in life when you meet someone that you feel like you have know forever...I feel like that about Karen. She is awesome! She worked for Staples in Boston for 9 years and helped coin the phrase " that was easy"!

Before Karen came to Costa Rica, she was emailing a girl named Nicole who moved here from the states. Nicole, it turns out, is a fantastic yoga instructor. We have been going to her class as much as possible. I hope to be doing a headstand soon!!!

Karen´s landlord is Juan Carlos. He is awesome. He´s a tico (Costa Rican) who grew up in Switzerland, has lived in Canada, the U.S. and is now back in Costa Rica. He speaks 5 languages and is now learning Mandarin...amazing! We were talking about a fruit they have here in Costa Rica. Karen and I couldn´t pronounce it. He was like "Oh...Guanabana (Gwa na ba na)...I have a tree, let me go get one for you...". It is kind of hard to explain...really sweet, soft and squishy texture, and you pull the fruit out like pulling meat off of a bone. It´s actually really good. Juan Carlos took Karen and I to a cultural event in Quepos. It is "culture week" so they are having different events down by the marina. We listened to presentations on culinary techniques, there was a sushi demonstration, and an organic wine presentation. All the presentations were in Spanish...(a little odd to see/hear a Japanese sushi chef speaking Spanish)! My brain was exhausted afterward but I understood most of what was discussed. I actually learned a few things too! They gave us certificates for attending. I think we were the only Americans there...yay!

I´ve been surfing a couple more times. My surf instructors have been Marcos and Yiener. They´ve been super nice and patient! I´ve gotten up a few more times. It´s much easier in the beginning when I am not as tired. It´s exhausting but so fun! My official lessons are over but next week I plan to rent a board and go at it alone. My surf school is MASS (Manuel Antonio Surf School). MASS played Hotel Si Como No in the semi finals in futbol on Wednesday. It´s like a corporate challenge. We went to watch the game and are going to the finals on Friday. They take their futbol very serious here. Most know that I love sports so watching was a blast for me!

Study study study...

I have been in "school" for the past week. We have class from 8 a.m. to noon every week day. It has been a long time since I have studied Spanish (actually studied the language). Verb tenses, conjugation, and irregular verbs...oh my! I am in an intermediate class and I find that since I have pretty good pronunciation and a good vocabulary it is sometimes perceived that I know more than I do. I need work on verb tenses for sure! I am making an effort to speak Spanish as much as possible but it is really easy to speak English most of the time. I ask all the taxi drivers to speak Spanish to me and anyone else I meet because "necesito practica". In order to get to school, I take the bus. It costs 115 colones which is about the equivalent to 20 cents. I would love to walk to school as it is not that far but it is up a heinous hill. There was one day after a big rain, that a huge tree fell on the road (it´s a single lane curvy road). We walked to school that day and it was exhausting. Next time, it´s a free day!

I´ve met some really cool people. Karen is a girl from Boston who I have been hanging out with...it´s kind of weird how similar our paths to get here have been...birds of a feather...! We've been gone dancing a couple of times, gone to yoga class and hung out on the beach. Being in school is pretty cool because no matter where you go, there are people around from the school and there's always someone around to talk to or find out what is going on that day.

I took my 1st surf lesson on Wednesday and went back for more on Friday. I got up a couple of times but haven't really got it yet! Soon...!

A bit about my living situation. I mentioned my host mom but didn't mention that it turns out that I have a roommate which wasn't really part of the deal. We have shared a teeny tiny room in Quepos for the last week. It's been a challenge for me to have no space and no privacy whatsoever. This weekend, a couple from my school, John and Carol, left on a weekend excursion and offered for me to stay in their Cabina while they are away for the weekend. It was so nice of them and I realized that yesterday was the first day that I've actually been alone for any period of time over the past 3 weeks. Their place has a pool and I plan to take advantage of it! I am considering renting a little room of my own for next week. Tbd...

And so two become one...

Our last adventure together was in Quepos and Manuel Antonio. We or I decided to splurge on a really (really) nice hotel since I knew my next digs were going to be really (really) modest. The views from Hotel Si Como No were amazing! The rain forest meets the ocean...like a postcard! Our first morning in the hotel, I woke up to the sounds of monkeys (loud monkeys) at 5 a.m...crazy! I love the monos (monkeys)...they are my favorite by far. We´ve seen sloths, crocodiles, iguanas, geckos...and and and...but the monos are my favorite! We hiked a couple of trails in the national park and ended up on a secluded beach. It was Jen, me and about 8 monos...unreal! We were in one of the largest thunder and lightning storms I have ever seen. So incredibly loud. We found out the next day that lightning hit a nearby tree. We walked to the town´s outdoor Market on Saturday and checked out the small town of Quepos (my soon to be new home). Jen left on Sunday morning (big boo!) and I savoured my last hours in the lap of luxury...

I am now on my own. I start language school tomorrow. I am staying with a family for the next 2 to 3 weeks. My house "mom" (am I too old to say that???) is named Susana. She´s a pistol for sure! She´s sworn off men, took me to get a beer while we waited for my roommate at the bus station and smokes like a chimney...I love her! She has 2 kids: Luis Jesus who is 9 and Maria Jose who is 8. They are so incredibly well behaved and sweet. I thought the room in Jaco was small...ah yeah no...this room is really (really) small. Super modest accommodations but clean and she is a good cook!

On another quick note, many have asked about my place and did I get it leased? Yes I did! Yay...I found out on the day I was leaving for the airport that a guy from England was interested in my place and wanted to sign a year lease. It all worked out over e-mail and fax! It´s a done deal. I think it worked out exactly as it was supposed to!

More fun stuff...

From Tamarido to Arenal, Monte Verde, Jaco and Quepos/Manuel Antonio:

I am catching up here so I can send out the blog spot URL!

We left Tamarindo and took a car to Volcano Arenal. It is one of the country's active volcanoes. We did a horseback riding tour, Canyoning (basically repelling down waterfalls) and went dancing at one of the countries largest disco techs. It was Jen's birthday on Monday so we celebrated Sunday night! Feliz Cumpleanos Jen! Ally's favorite spanish phrases have been classic..."Cuidado", "Con Permiso" and "Cacique por favor"! Remember ladies..."lo que pasa en costa rica, queda en costa rica"! From Arenal, it was time for Ally to leave us...boo!

Monday morning, Jen and I took a car to Monte Verde where we walked the cloud forest. Huge suspension bridges at the top of the rain forest. It was gorgeous and we stayed in a fantastic hotel...Fonda Vela! I have to say, we've been pretty darn lucky...the only hotel we had planned out was hotel Diria in Tamarindo, everything else we've been winging it as we go along!

The next day we took a car to Jaco. A surfer town on the pacific. We stayed at the cute cabina called copa cabana (and when I say little...i mean the room was tiny!) Jaco beach isn't great for laying out but it's apparently one of the great beaches for surfing. I still haven't tried surfing yet...next week!

Costa Rica...we are there!

We made it! We arrived in Costa Rica on Tuesday June 24th. We stayed at the hotel Diria (a nice tourist hotel on the beach in Tamarindo). Our mission...to do nothing and hang out on the beach! That is exactly what we did for 3 days! We did go out to a salsa club and we have met some cool peeps along the way.

One night we walked/boated over to Play Grande. You have to walk along tamarindo beach and take a water taxi across a river. Apparently you can swim across the river but there are supposed to be Crocodiles in the river...ah yeah, no thanks. We made our way to RipJack Hotel/Restaurant. The views were fantastic. I did not get to meet Dave the owner but props to his place...food and atmosphere were great! (Jackie...please let Dave know we tried to catch him!)

Oh, when I say "we", I mean Me, Ally and Jen! There are 3 of us for a week and then then there will be two cuz Ally goes home and then there will be one...yikes...just me! Photo is of our "pit stop" on our way to RipJack...we stopped at Bula Bula for the famous Waltinis!