I had an amazing experience in Costa Rica, as I'm sure you can tell. I hope you enjoyed reading about my adventures. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers!
Until my next adventure...
Friday, August 13, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
La Negrita
This is an replica of La Negrita who resides below the Church so people can visit her and see what she looked like originally. There's mural on the wall (and a written explanation) that depicts the story of how she was found. If I'm not mistaken, this replica is either the exact size or even a bit bigger than the "real" stone, so you can see how small she is.Also on the large stone, to the right, is a rosary. Many people throw things in as offerings to La Negrita, and when they visit, they speak to her as tho they expect her to respond. I'm not sure if you can see it, but to the left of La Negrita is a little plastic bag. Inside the bag is a charm of sorts. Stapled onto the bag is a paper with words - can be a name, a prayer, etc. I said before that people pray to the Virgin for miracles. When they come true, people return with a charm that represents that prayer being fulfilled. They actually have several glass cases lining the walls that are filled with charms of furniture, body parts (heads, arms, legs, whole people), houses, everything. There are also tons of medals, as it is common for athletes to come ask the Virgin for help winning a game. It's very interesting to see.
These people have tremendous faith - fe. I think I've heard that word more times in my 5 weeks here than I have in my entire life at home.
This is inside the Basilica. There was a line to enter on feet, and another for on your knees. These people chose to enter on their knees out of humility and as a sign of respect. I should clarify that they walk up the stairs, and then once they enter the Church, they proceed on their knees. Still, it's something I couldn't do. Mayra did, tho. Not yesterday, as she was too worn out from the walk. She wasn't feeling well, so she left me in line to enter the Church and she went to eat. She felt guilty for not visiting the Virgin, so this morning, she got up at 4:30, put on her habit one last time (even tho she could wear normal clothes today), and caught a bus to pray to La Negrita in person. I'm telling you, this woman is DEVOTED!If you look toward the front of the picture, almost directly above the people wearing orange and yellow, you can see La Negrita in her golden shrine thing.
La Negrita is on the table between the men with white hats. See the giant gold thing? Now, see the little black speck IN the gold halo-like thing? That speck is La Negrita in her original form. 375 years old. She doesn't look too bad, now does she?(I know it's inappropriate, but it makes me think of Judy from Santa Claus)
This is the outside of La Basilica. Isn't it beautiful??? I LOVE the angels and detail, tho it's more modern looking than I expected. This Church isn't all that old, tho, as earthquakes and other natural disasters have destroyed the various homes of La Negrita.
This is the outside of La Basilica. Isn't it beautiful??? I LOVE the angels and detail, tho it's more modern looking than I expected. This Church isn't all that old, tho, as earthquakes and other natural disasters have destroyed the various homes of La Negrita.
La Basilica, over the sea of people. The umbrellas are for sun/heat, not rain. Tho it rained a lot today, so Mayra said it looked the same today. I still can't believe she went back so early. She was in so much pain from yesterday, but she just had to go, and she had to do it on her knees. How moving!
I think I could really learn a lot from this woman... Thank you, God, for this opportunity and all of these experiences!
Cartago
This year, the Church is making a HUGE deal out of the pilgrimage because it's the 375th anniversary of the appearance (mabye there's a better word?) of the stone.
This is the Basilica that houses La Negrita. You can see all the people. I can't even describe it to you. Suffice it to say that if you don't like large crowds and you enjoy personal space - this is not the place for you. I've never felt more American than when I was being jossled by tons of people on their way to visit Mary and my primary thought was, "Please back up and give me some space." Tho I was surprised to see that the people were waiting in orderly lines to enter the Church. So not a Latino ideal...
This pic shows the prevalence of the Virgin and what the little shrine thing that houses the rock looks like. I mean, this woman has a drawstring sports bag with an image of the Virgin! Mayra, of course, loved it.
We had finally arrived in Cartago. Tho we still had probably another mile of walking. If you look in the distance, you can see the sea of people. The streets were crowded. The town was taken over by these pilgrims.
Looking back down the hill of where we'd walked. You can see the stream of people behind us, all the way into the mountains back there. Yes, we climbed that mountain :)Our little Pilgrimage
I'm not sure if I've told y'all about the Virgin Mary here, so here's a quick recap. You know the story of the Virgin of Guadelupe in Mexico, right? Well, being that it's Latin America and they're all good little Catholics, it turns out that just about every country (and county and city and town....you get the picture?) has its own manifestation of the Virgin. I'm not Catholic, so I can't pretend to understand how there can be a million different Marys with different stories and in different styles who all happen to be the same Mary, but I digress...
Costa Rica's Virgin is called "La Negrita" because she is this tiny little black stone carved with Mary holding baby Jesus. She resides in the Basilica in Cartago (about 15 miles from San Jose - the capital - so she's basically in the center of CR). Here is her story:
A peasant girl named Juana (all the stories are similar, so bear with me) found the stone in the woods on August 2, 1635. She took in home, thinking it was a beautiful little doll. The next morning, it was gone; but she found it in the woods in the same place as the day before when gathering wood. She took it home again and locked it up. Next morning, same thing happened. It was then that she realized this must really be Mary, so she took it to the priest. He didn't pay much attention to the peasant girl, so he put it in a box to deal with later. The next day, the box was empty. This happened a few more times, and finally, he decided that Mary must want to stay in the woods. So, they built a church for her there and put the humble little rock in a giant (gaudy - sorry I prefered the rock by itself. It's beautiful in it's simplicity), gold, typical Catholic starburst angelic thing (you know what I mean, but I'm not sure how to describe it....not to worry, I have pics!).
And every year, thousands of CRs come from all over to visit La Negrita and ask for miracles. And by come, I mean walk, ride horses, ride bikes, take buses, etc. But MANY MANY MANY of them WALK. When they get to the church, many of them go in on their knees. This is a pilgrimage. It's all about sacrifice. It's about giving up your comfort as a sign of respect for the Virgin, especially if you are asking for something. Many people come for cures for themselves or their family members. Some just come to witness a miracle - because they believe the rock itself is a miracle, a manifestation of the mother of God who looks out for her people.
Even companies get in on the action, supporting the Virgin while advertising their various wares. This one is for ice tea and it says, "God blesses my way/path/journey (depending on your interpretation). The Virgin waits for us." We saw signs like this and others all along our walk.
O yes, our walk... I didn't tell you about that... I said that many people walk to Cartago, but I didn't mention that I walked to Cartago. With my host mom, Mayra. From Tres Rios (3 Rivers), which was 12 km (about 7 miles, I think). Mayra isn't in the best of shape, tho. She has trouble with her hips and her knee (she actually had surgery on it) and her feet (she's supposed to have surgery on them, but she won't because she doesn't want to be laid up for the post-op recovery). But she didn't let any of that stop her. She kept saying it was important to sacrifice for the Virgin. She took her cane with her (I've never seen her use it before), and she refused to use it until after we arrived in Cartago. She wouldn't stop to rest either. She's one tough cookie. (Stubborn, too). But it took us close to 4 hours to reach Cartago. We did take a few brief stops to get beverages, to snack, use the facilities, so she could buy socks cuz her feet hurt. Here's a story in itself. So, she wears a habit, right? We had to go yesterday instead of today, which is the "official day" because yesterday was her last day to wear the habit and it was very important to her that she visit the Virgin while wearing the habit. Except, she refused to wear sneakers with her habit - for fashion? I really don't know her reasoning. But she walked yesterday in loafers that she's worn nonstop for the last 30 days... Needless to say, she was a bit uncomfortable.
But I should explain from the beginning. A few weeks ago, we had an assignment in class to learn about the Virgin. For homework, we had to talk to our host families. Well, being that Mayra is extremely religious, this was abt a 20 min talk....And every day since then, we discuss some aspect of the Virgin. She stole a poster from the Church for me (no worries, she went to Confession. Too funny!), bought me a little figure of La Negrita, saved newspaper articles for me. My one day assignment has turned into a source for bonding with Mayra :)
I asked if she would be willing to take me to Cartago. I told her I really didn't care when we went, as long as I got to see it all. She decided that I should go with her on the "big day," and so our journey began. I should mention that even tho yesterday wasn't the official day, there were still a ton of people because it was Sunday. So, we were 2 of at least 2,000 pilgrims yesterday. Can you even imagine? I can't grasp it. Too amazing!
This is a GIANT replica of the Virgin in the back of a truck, stationed along the way. I say GIANT because wait until you see the real Virgin. She's beautiful, tho, isn't she?
I'm assuming this replica was here for encouragement. A sort of "hey, this is your goal. This is why you're suffering right now. Keep going, she's waiting for you." I must say, all the signs and little tents with free drinks and the energy from the other pilgrims - it was all very moving. I can see how people could draw strength and reassurance from such a day.
Here I am, walking to Cartago. And yes, I do look ridiculous, but I refused to get burnt!
Mayra :)
Costa Rica's Virgin is called "La Negrita" because she is this tiny little black stone carved with Mary holding baby Jesus. She resides in the Basilica in Cartago (about 15 miles from San Jose - the capital - so she's basically in the center of CR). Here is her story:
A peasant girl named Juana (all the stories are similar, so bear with me) found the stone in the woods on August 2, 1635. She took in home, thinking it was a beautiful little doll. The next morning, it was gone; but she found it in the woods in the same place as the day before when gathering wood. She took it home again and locked it up. Next morning, same thing happened. It was then that she realized this must really be Mary, so she took it to the priest. He didn't pay much attention to the peasant girl, so he put it in a box to deal with later. The next day, the box was empty. This happened a few more times, and finally, he decided that Mary must want to stay in the woods. So, they built a church for her there and put the humble little rock in a giant (gaudy - sorry I prefered the rock by itself. It's beautiful in it's simplicity), gold, typical Catholic starburst angelic thing (you know what I mean, but I'm not sure how to describe it....not to worry, I have pics!).
And every year, thousands of CRs come from all over to visit La Negrita and ask for miracles. And by come, I mean walk, ride horses, ride bikes, take buses, etc. But MANY MANY MANY of them WALK. When they get to the church, many of them go in on their knees. This is a pilgrimage. It's all about sacrifice. It's about giving up your comfort as a sign of respect for the Virgin, especially if you are asking for something. Many people come for cures for themselves or their family members. Some just come to witness a miracle - because they believe the rock itself is a miracle, a manifestation of the mother of God who looks out for her people.
Even companies get in on the action, supporting the Virgin while advertising their various wares. This one is for ice tea and it says, "God blesses my way/path/journey (depending on your interpretation). The Virgin waits for us." We saw signs like this and others all along our walk.O yes, our walk... I didn't tell you about that... I said that many people walk to Cartago, but I didn't mention that I walked to Cartago. With my host mom, Mayra. From Tres Rios (3 Rivers), which was 12 km (about 7 miles, I think). Mayra isn't in the best of shape, tho. She has trouble with her hips and her knee (she actually had surgery on it) and her feet (she's supposed to have surgery on them, but she won't because she doesn't want to be laid up for the post-op recovery). But she didn't let any of that stop her. She kept saying it was important to sacrifice for the Virgin. She took her cane with her (I've never seen her use it before), and she refused to use it until after we arrived in Cartago. She wouldn't stop to rest either. She's one tough cookie. (Stubborn, too). But it took us close to 4 hours to reach Cartago. We did take a few brief stops to get beverages, to snack, use the facilities, so she could buy socks cuz her feet hurt. Here's a story in itself. So, she wears a habit, right? We had to go yesterday instead of today, which is the "official day" because yesterday was her last day to wear the habit and it was very important to her that she visit the Virgin while wearing the habit. Except, she refused to wear sneakers with her habit - for fashion? I really don't know her reasoning. But she walked yesterday in loafers that she's worn nonstop for the last 30 days... Needless to say, she was a bit uncomfortable.
But I should explain from the beginning. A few weeks ago, we had an assignment in class to learn about the Virgin. For homework, we had to talk to our host families. Well, being that Mayra is extremely religious, this was abt a 20 min talk....And every day since then, we discuss some aspect of the Virgin. She stole a poster from the Church for me (no worries, she went to Confession. Too funny!), bought me a little figure of La Negrita, saved newspaper articles for me. My one day assignment has turned into a source for bonding with Mayra :)
I asked if she would be willing to take me to Cartago. I told her I really didn't care when we went, as long as I got to see it all. She decided that I should go with her on the "big day," and so our journey began. I should mention that even tho yesterday wasn't the official day, there were still a ton of people because it was Sunday. So, we were 2 of at least 2,000 pilgrims yesterday. Can you even imagine? I can't grasp it. Too amazing!
This is a GIANT replica of the Virgin in the back of a truck, stationed along the way. I say GIANT because wait until you see the real Virgin. She's beautiful, tho, isn't she?I'm assuming this replica was here for encouragement. A sort of "hey, this is your goal. This is why you're suffering right now. Keep going, she's waiting for you." I must say, all the signs and little tents with free drinks and the energy from the other pilgrims - it was all very moving. I can see how people could draw strength and reassurance from such a day.
Here I am, walking to Cartago. And yes, I do look ridiculous, but I refused to get burnt!
Mayra :)
I'm not sure if you can read the sign, but it says "Cartago 10 km" because we had walked a bit before I saw a sign that had the distance on it.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Butterfly Farm
That's right, boys and girls, I finally made it to the Butterfly Farm aka Spirogyra Butterfly Garden yesterday. But first, I went to church with my host mom. Woot, it was a day full of accomplishing long-awaited activities. I really enjoyed myself, even tho I was basically alone...
Two-fer. I'm glad that butterflies learn how to share, even tho they don't have a mommy to raise them (Butterflies abandon their eggs because the typical lifespan of a butterfly is 4 months - but that doesn't include the pupa and larva stages, which can also take several months. Yea, that's right - I watched the cheesy educational video. [I'm down; I got the 4-11] I know more about butterflies than necessary. But dang it, I was gonna be sure I did EVERYTHING possible and got my money's worth!)
Two-fer. I'm glad that butterflies learn how to share, even tho they don't have a mommy to raise them (Butterflies abandon their eggs because the typical lifespan of a butterfly is 4 months - but that doesn't include the pupa and larva stages, which can also take several months. Yea, that's right - I watched the cheesy educational video. [I'm down; I got the 4-11] I know more about butterflies than necessary. But dang it, I was gonna be sure I did EVERYTHING possible and got my money's worth!)Anyway, I really like that photo.
Don't worry, I took time to smell the flowers (tho there were no roses. Guess butterflies don't like roses as much as girls do...). And even tho I was there alone, I implemented the myspace technique (that I often mock) so I could actually have some pics of me in them! Novel idea, right? Anyway, I liked these little orange flowers, and so did the orange butterflies (what do you call them again? Monarchs?). :)
This little guy was chillin on my arm for a minute or two, so I of course had to take a photo! I have never been so excited to be a resting post before. I felt so "one with nature." Lol
Don't worry, I took time to smell the flowers (tho there were no roses. Guess butterflies don't like roses as much as girls do...). And even tho I was there alone, I implemented the myspace technique (that I often mock) so I could actually have some pics of me in them! Novel idea, right? Anyway, I liked these little orange flowers, and so did the orange butterflies (what do you call them again? Monarchs?). :)
This little guy was chillin on my arm for a minute or two, so I of course had to take a photo! I have never been so excited to be a resting post before. I felt so "one with nature." LolScience Museum
Well, I don't think I shared this adventure with you yet. On Wednesday, we decided to go to the Scienc Museum, as several girls in my group are here to study science. However, being that classes are wrapping up, several girls declined because of schoolwork. So, Ale - my trusty adventurer - Camacho, and myself set off to find this wonderful world of science.
The cab driver didn't exactly know where it was, even tho we gave him directions, so it took us forever. We were so excited to arrive at a museum-looking building. It was only when Camacho asked, "Guys, should we be worried that there aren't cars here?" To which, Ale replied, "It's probably not even the right place." And I added, "Yea, watch it not be open." Lucky us - all 3 of us were right! Haha. Mr. Cabbie took us to the ART Museum, which is currently closed for renovations. Guess he got part of it right....
The art museum was on the corner of "La Sabanah" (the Savannah), which is a GIANT park in the middle of San Jose (neat idea, I think). We knew the SCIENCE museum was also on a corner of the park, so we decided to walk thru the park and look for it. Ale declared, "Well, Katie, at least you can cross 2 things off your list!" I'll be honest, I was happy about our "misfortune." Somehow, I'm the brave one down here - I find people to ask for directions, get us across the streets, etc. It's very odd to be the leader of these little ducklings...
In La Sabanah, we found some gorgeous trees and plants, many photo opps (inc. a lake and a giant Cirlce of Life tree), a pick up soccer game to watch, and after asking several policemen for directions, we FINALLY made our way to the real SCIENCE musuem. Good eye, Camacho, for spotting it!
However, upon arrival, we were still a bit nervous. I mean, look at this sign - shady, right? It turned out to be the most ghetto museum I've ever seen. Camacho was like, "Guys, I don't know about this. Jess isn't feeling this..." (She refers to herself in the 3rd person on occassion when she's nervous). But I somehow convinced her to go in - it's all part of the experience. And trust me, it was an experience.
Not really sure this needs a caption...
Speaking of ghetto...You had to get toilet paper from this despenser on the wall, as the individual stalls did not have it. Which is very odd for us Americans. But it's actually fairly common in Latin America. In Ecuador, I was lucky to have toilet paper at all in the puplic restrooms. The other girls think I'm crazy because I always carry everything with me (Freddy - our only guy - calls me "Safari Kate" because I'm 'always ready for everything and there's nothing I don't have'), but it's saved me a few times. And trust me, they appreciate that I have toilet paper when we travel...
The cab driver didn't exactly know where it was, even tho we gave him directions, so it took us forever. We were so excited to arrive at a museum-looking building. It was only when Camacho asked, "Guys, should we be worried that there aren't cars here?" To which, Ale replied, "It's probably not even the right place." And I added, "Yea, watch it not be open." Lucky us - all 3 of us were right! Haha. Mr. Cabbie took us to the ART Museum, which is currently closed for renovations. Guess he got part of it right....
The art museum was on the corner of "La Sabanah" (the Savannah), which is a GIANT park in the middle of San Jose (neat idea, I think). We knew the SCIENCE museum was also on a corner of the park, so we decided to walk thru the park and look for it. Ale declared, "Well, Katie, at least you can cross 2 things off your list!" I'll be honest, I was happy about our "misfortune." Somehow, I'm the brave one down here - I find people to ask for directions, get us across the streets, etc. It's very odd to be the leader of these little ducklings...
In La Sabanah, we found some gorgeous trees and plants, many photo opps (inc. a lake and a giant Cirlce of Life tree), a pick up soccer game to watch, and after asking several policemen for directions, we FINALLY made our way to the real SCIENCE musuem. Good eye, Camacho, for spotting it!
However, upon arrival, we were still a bit nervous. I mean, look at this sign - shady, right? It turned out to be the most ghetto museum I've ever seen. Camacho was like, "Guys, I don't know about this. Jess isn't feeling this..." (She refers to herself in the 3rd person on occassion when she's nervous). But I somehow convinced her to go in - it's all part of the experience. And trust me, it was an experience.
Not really sure this needs a caption...We didn't know what kind of science museum it was...I'm actually still not sure I know....Because they had EVERYTHING. Fossils, rocks, dinosaurs, animals, bugs, birds, pot shards & ceramics, etc. I think the only thing they didn't have would be plants/trees. It was an odd little conglamoration. There didn't seem to be much um, division/organization. For instance, they had the penguins in with tropical birds. Now, I'm no expert, but I'm fairly certain that doesn't work...
Speaking of ghetto...You had to get toilet paper from this despenser on the wall, as the individual stalls did not have it. Which is very odd for us Americans. But it's actually fairly common in Latin America. In Ecuador, I was lucky to have toilet paper at all in the puplic restrooms. The other girls think I'm crazy because I always carry everything with me (Freddy - our only guy - calls me "Safari Kate" because I'm 'always ready for everything and there's nothing I don't have'), but it's saved me a few times. And trust me, they appreciate that I have toilet paper when we travel...To be honest, this is actually one of the better bathrooms down here. It was clean and somewhat lit. I used one today....let's just say that the Girl Scouts Troop Beverly Hills would not have come near (think Diane from Cheers - it's a movie with her)...
Oh, the bug room. Tons and tons of beautiful moths and butterflies. Nasty ucky creepy giantic spiders. And cucarachas!!! Also known as cochroaches. Not that we need to visit a museum to see them..... But we appreciated that these were behind glass after seeing the size of these monstors.
And the animals... Ah, the animals... Let's just say that Doug has better stuffed animals in his house than this poor little museum. Literally. I didn't take pictures because they were so creepy. I'm talking - faces falling off, eyes missing, contorted bodies, lumpy/disfigured bodies.... Not so good. And not to wish ill upon anyone, but I sure hope that taxadermist has moved on to greener pastures, or else this museum should go give him...trouble... In all fairness, tho, I suppose we could blame it on time, as most of the things were dated 1971, 1976, 1983. The newest thing I saw was dated 1989. That's as old as I am. Um, not so good as far as museums go.
Not that I'm making fun of the museum. It was interesting, and they clearly put work/time into it. I'm sure it's difficult to do in a poorer country and whatnot. It just certainly was no Smithsonian. I would recommend a visit more for the experience than for the quality of what you will see. But make sure you go in a group and bring a flashlight. I certainly wouldn't want Night at the Museum to come true here!!!
Oh, the bug room. Tons and tons of beautiful moths and butterflies. Nasty ucky creepy giantic spiders. And cucarachas!!! Also known as cochroaches. Not that we need to visit a museum to see them..... But we appreciated that these were behind glass after seeing the size of these monstors.
And the animals... Ah, the animals... Let's just say that Doug has better stuffed animals in his house than this poor little museum. Literally. I didn't take pictures because they were so creepy. I'm talking - faces falling off, eyes missing, contorted bodies, lumpy/disfigured bodies.... Not so good. And not to wish ill upon anyone, but I sure hope that taxadermist has moved on to greener pastures, or else this museum should go give him...trouble... In all fairness, tho, I suppose we could blame it on time, as most of the things were dated 1971, 1976, 1983. The newest thing I saw was dated 1989. That's as old as I am. Um, not so good as far as museums go.
The displays were...interesting. Someone had painted a generic mural in each display case, so it didn't really fit any of the cases, but at the same time, they thought they could make it fit everything. And they played this really hokey music of generic animals - along the same train of thought.
Not that I'm making fun of the museum. It was interesting, and they clearly put work/time into it. I'm sure it's difficult to do in a poorer country and whatnot. It just certainly was no Smithsonian. I would recommend a visit more for the experience than for the quality of what you will see. But make sure you go in a group and bring a flashlight. I certainly wouldn't want Night at the Museum to come true here!!!
Friday, July 30, 2010
Volunteering
Do you feel welcome yet?
How about now? These are my little girls. Greichel (I'm assuming her mother heard "Rachel" somewhere and this is how it turned out. This actually happens a lot. There's a man in San Jose named "Usnavy" aka US Navy), Quecha (the one who was glad I remembered her), and I don't know the 3rd girl's name.
Quecha and Katie. How cute :) She's such a little sweetheart!
Ale and Jess were having fun with the kids. Trying to read to them. But this guy - Axel - was not having it! He found a mini cannon and chaos ensued...
Mikey and Emily. Mikey LOVES soccer. If you ask him about futbol, he starts to do this little happy feet dance showing you how he plays. It's adorable. But it was so sad when we couldn't find a ball for him on Monday.Isla Tortuga and Jaco beach
The gang on the boat to Isla Tortuga. (L to R) Jess Lowman, Shannon, Jess Lima, and Dakota in the back. Emily, Katie, and Amy in the front-ish.
Turtle Island. See it? It looks like a TURTLE! Haha.
I liked the bird :)
Jaco beach. Which has Jersery-like waves. They beat us up a bit.
And extremely intense sun. That burnt me severely.And that's about it...
Cafe Mundo
Me with Ale and Dakota. Don't you just love the artwork in the background?
Jess Lowman and Emily enjoying their meal
Mmmmm flan :)Cooking Class
My prof showing other girls how to make pineapple empanadas.
I was so excited that we got to help a bit :)
You have to use the appropriate technique...which is difficult (for some of us cooking challenged people) to learn in a foreign language. Lol
Proof that I did something in this class. Dakota and I diced potatoes for the picadillo.
When my host mom makes picadillo, it's just like chopped, cooked veggies. But in class, it was like an awesome variation of hamburger helper (which I much prefered). Sadly, cooking classes are done :( I can't wait to try out my new recipes at home, though!!Museo de Oro
These pics coincide w/ the post regarding Thurs 7/22
The Gold Museum has things other than just gold... In fact, it has everything regarding the Precolombian History up to present history, regarding the native people and way of life. So they have artifacts that coincide with all aspects of life - for instance, these lovely ceramics that Katie Vannah White Zapel is showing off.
The Gold Museum has things other than just gold... In fact, it has everything regarding the Precolombian History up to present history, regarding the native people and way of life. So they have artifacts that coincide with all aspects of life - for instance, these lovely ceramics that Katie Vannah White Zapel is showing off.
This little woman represents power. So I appreciated that. Though I'm not sure I'd want someone to make a replica of me in this form...
We were so excited to find something in the museum that we could TOUCH! This is an example of their goldwork, though I'm assuming it's a replica.
I'm a big fan of dioramas - can't you tell? This scene made me think of Night at the Musuem. Anyone read the book? Do you recommend it?? Or should I just stick w/ the movie?
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Volunteering...
On Mondays, we volunteer at a day care thath is run by a/the Church (big surprise, there, right??). We found out about it because there was a sign to volunteer here at the U, but it was for "save the planet/hug trees" kind of stuff. They decided that they weren't going to have one fo those programs this summer, but instead, Luis - who does everything, literally; he's the tour guide/planner/director/go to man if you have questions. Anyway, Luis also started an outreach program through his church with 4 other men who work at Veritas. They recruit and send volunteers to like 10 different places to help out w/ various things. For example, there's a men's shelter, a youth/teenager's shelter, the daycare, a place for women, a drug rehab place, etc... So a group of us AIFS girls decided to sign up.
Anyway, we go on Mondays to volunteer. The first visit was a bit tough to swallow for me. It was somewhat ovewhelming. I mean, things could have been so much worse...but they were def not up to "American standards" of hygiene and cleanliness. I'm not sure if you want details or not...
But the 2nd trip was much better. I really enjoyed myself. Which is unusual because I was with children. We took pictures, colored, played games. And then I met up with one of the girls I had been w/ the 1st day - that was the best part. She was so excited that I remembered her name and she came over and hugged me and laid her head on me. It was so sweet. Pictures to follow. Now, back to clase! :/
Anyway, we go on Mondays to volunteer. The first visit was a bit tough to swallow for me. It was somewhat ovewhelming. I mean, things could have been so much worse...but they were def not up to "American standards" of hygiene and cleanliness. I'm not sure if you want details or not...
But the 2nd trip was much better. I really enjoyed myself. Which is unusual because I was with children. We took pictures, colored, played games. And then I met up with one of the girls I had been w/ the 1st day - that was the best part. She was so excited that I remembered her name and she came over and hugged me and laid her head on me. It was so sweet. Pictures to follow. Now, back to clase! :/
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
This past weekend
Well, on Saturday, we (7 ppl from my AIFS group) went to Isla Tortuga - Turtle Island, where I thought we were going to see turtles. Silly me, there aren't any turtles to be found. In fact, the island got it's name because it is SHAPED LIKE a turtle. Which is also very cool. It took us a 2 hour bus ride followed by a 2 hour boat ride (we left at 6 am) to get there to spend 5 hours on the island and then another 2 1/2 hour boat ride and 2 1/2 hour bus ride home. So it was a LOOOONNNNNGGG day, to say the least. But it was VERY VERY fun! The bus was nice and comfy, so I napped. And the boat was good because we sat outside, so I didn't get sick. I looked like a moron because I had to protect myself from the sun via any means possible (I still got a little burnt on the top of my legs...), but the ride was enjoyable. O, and we had to combat a fleet of wasps - which wasn't so fun. Emily was our resident "bee killer" so she kept us safe. I really think she managed to kill a whole hive one wasp at a time. We took a video of the craziness and carnage. I'm sure it'll be quite hilarious to watch!
This island is a huge tourist destination, but it's still relatively untouched. There was 1 tourist shop, 1 restaurant, and 1 set of bathrooms - all owned by the tour company who took us there. Other than that, it's natural. I LOVED IT!! Anybody want to help me buy an island retreat? Lol. But it was just so peaceful and beautiful. We wanted to go snorkeling, but the timing didn't work out; I didn't really feel let down, tho, because the water wasn't all that clear. But it was a nice beach with lots of coral, rocks, and shells to be found. And the water was "persuasive" - our word of the day because it wasn't aggressive, but it wasn't still either. It was rather enjoyable and relaxing. We went kayaking, too. So, my 1st kayaking experience was IN THE OCEAN IN COSTA RICA. Not too shabby. I kept up w/ the other girls, tho, so I was proud even tho I discovered that I truly have no upper body strength (or coordination - thank you soccer). I def want to try kayaking again at home (preferably not in the ocean).
Sunday, we once again rose at an un-Godly hour (if the sun's not up, I shouldn't be either) to go to the beach. O, la playa, the things I do for you. We took an 1 1/2 bus ride to Jaco (pronounced "Ha-co") and then spent the day being fried. Literally. It was HOT HOT HOT. My FEET are sunburnt. The rest of me is fine. But my feet and legs, not so good... It was fun tho becuase this beach reminded us of Jersey (2 girls are from Jersey, and that's where I always go to the beach). The beach was a bit gritty and rocky and the ocean/waves were very aggressive. There was no wading. There was being pummeled, however. Who knew we could find a bit of home in CR?
It turned out to be a very hot, sunny, sandy, salty, and wonderful weekend. Yay for independent traveling!
This island is a huge tourist destination, but it's still relatively untouched. There was 1 tourist shop, 1 restaurant, and 1 set of bathrooms - all owned by the tour company who took us there. Other than that, it's natural. I LOVED IT!! Anybody want to help me buy an island retreat? Lol. But it was just so peaceful and beautiful. We wanted to go snorkeling, but the timing didn't work out; I didn't really feel let down, tho, because the water wasn't all that clear. But it was a nice beach with lots of coral, rocks, and shells to be found. And the water was "persuasive" - our word of the day because it wasn't aggressive, but it wasn't still either. It was rather enjoyable and relaxing. We went kayaking, too. So, my 1st kayaking experience was IN THE OCEAN IN COSTA RICA. Not too shabby. I kept up w/ the other girls, tho, so I was proud even tho I discovered that I truly have no upper body strength (or coordination - thank you soccer). I def want to try kayaking again at home (preferably not in the ocean).
Sunday, we once again rose at an un-Godly hour (if the sun's not up, I shouldn't be either) to go to the beach. O, la playa, the things I do for you. We took an 1 1/2 bus ride to Jaco (pronounced "Ha-co") and then spent the day being fried. Literally. It was HOT HOT HOT. My FEET are sunburnt. The rest of me is fine. But my feet and legs, not so good... It was fun tho becuase this beach reminded us of Jersey (2 girls are from Jersey, and that's where I always go to the beach). The beach was a bit gritty and rocky and the ocean/waves were very aggressive. There was no wading. There was being pummeled, however. Who knew we could find a bit of home in CR?
It turned out to be a very hot, sunny, sandy, salty, and wonderful weekend. Yay for independent traveling!
Friday, July 23, 2010
Thurs. 7/22 (and a bit of today, too)
OMG, yesterday was such a good day. I mean, I didn't get to go into the forest to plant trees, but it was still splendid. I love being busy here in CR! We actually had class class in the morning - which was such a bummer after 2 days of field trips. Then, Emily (a classmate who is also in AIFS - I think I write about her a lot) worked on our presentation for today that was about our visit to the Gold Museum [the field trip on Tues] (it went quite well, in case you were wondering. It was the first time I've ever had to do a legitimate presentation in Spanish. The purpose was to learn about CR culture firsthand and then share w/ our class. It's what we've been talking about all day - culture, that is - so I've been a happy camper. I think I've been dominating the conversation. This is definitely my forte - much more than volunteering w/ little kids, which is what some girls from my group are doing on Mon afternoons. It's awesome, tho, because I can share my Ecuador Experiences with my classmates and use this [plus what I've learned in my classes - it makes me the "go to girl" whenever anyone in our program has a question about anything here in CR, really] to better relate to what my prof is teaching. So I love it. I mean, I chose to study this at home because I enjoy it). But anyway, back to YESTERDAY first...
Afterwards, we had our cooking class. Not sure if I explained, so really quickly: we don't actually get to cook, but we sit there and this woman teaches us how to cook (in Spanish, of course), and we get the recipe (also in Spanish), and then we get to eat it at the end. So I'm sure you can tell what my fav part of this class is...But we made pineapple empanadas! Yummmmm. I had like 4 of them...Whoops! I'm def going to have to walk a ton w/ Stryder when I get home!!! But it was neat because you use the same "dough" to make any kind of empanada (fruit, meat, cheese), so I feel empowered. Lol. I am for sure having a CR cooking fest when I get home. Y'all are invited (you can come help me cook, too). ;)
Then, Ale and I went exploring again. Thursdays are our days to explore because I don't get out of cooking until 3 and many things close at 4, so we just pick an area and wander to see what's open and interesting. This time, Jess Lowman (we have 3 Jessica's on the trip) went with us, too. (She's from Ohio, so she understands/knows a lot about our area). We went to the cultural centers (Mexico, North America, and England), which turned out to be like mini consulates that teach English as private tutors. It was interesting. We went into a couple stores to see what they were like.
Then, a bunch of people from my class and AIFS went out to dinner at Cafe Mundo. I think I mentioned that place before. That was really fun to get a bunch of us together for a "nice" dinner of our choosing. I don't really even do that at home...
After dinner, we went to Castro's a discoteca/salsa club/bar. We DANCED AND DANCED AND DANCED and had a fabulous time. It was the first time we've gone out in CR that I didnt want to go home. We just had that much fun. AND I danced with a Tico boy!!! Sorry Doug. 2 guys came over and asked some classmates to dance, but the 1 girl didn't want to, so the 1st guy asked another girl and the 2nd guy just grabbed my hand and started dancing. I mean, it's dancing, so I didn't object. The order of events was quite funny to me, though. After not asking me to dance, his only question was, "Are you a student at Veritas?" (This whole convo was in Spanish, but it's just easier for those of you who wouldn't understand). Then, a minute or 2 later, when he realized that I actually COULD dance, he started trying slightly more complex moves and asked, "Would you rather dance salsa or merengue?" I told him that it didn't matter since I didn't really know how to do either. He said it was fine and I was doing alright. Then, another minute or 2 later, he finally asked, "What's your name?" but didn't offer his. It was Jorge, btw. Which I found hilarious because that's waht I usually name everything (good thing Ernesto was unique). But we danced for maybe 7 minutes (1 song, but it was a long, discoteca dance-y song). I had a blast! In Ecuador, the only local I ever danced with was my host brother, so this was for sure a very exciting experience for me.
As you can see, it was a very full, but very fun day. Yay!!! :)
Afterwards, we had our cooking class. Not sure if I explained, so really quickly: we don't actually get to cook, but we sit there and this woman teaches us how to cook (in Spanish, of course), and we get the recipe (also in Spanish), and then we get to eat it at the end. So I'm sure you can tell what my fav part of this class is...But we made pineapple empanadas! Yummmmm. I had like 4 of them...Whoops! I'm def going to have to walk a ton w/ Stryder when I get home!!! But it was neat because you use the same "dough" to make any kind of empanada (fruit, meat, cheese), so I feel empowered. Lol. I am for sure having a CR cooking fest when I get home. Y'all are invited (you can come help me cook, too). ;)
Then, Ale and I went exploring again. Thursdays are our days to explore because I don't get out of cooking until 3 and many things close at 4, so we just pick an area and wander to see what's open and interesting. This time, Jess Lowman (we have 3 Jessica's on the trip) went with us, too. (She's from Ohio, so she understands/knows a lot about our area). We went to the cultural centers (Mexico, North America, and England), which turned out to be like mini consulates that teach English as private tutors. It was interesting. We went into a couple stores to see what they were like.
Then, a bunch of people from my class and AIFS went out to dinner at Cafe Mundo. I think I mentioned that place before. That was really fun to get a bunch of us together for a "nice" dinner of our choosing. I don't really even do that at home...
After dinner, we went to Castro's a discoteca/salsa club/bar. We DANCED AND DANCED AND DANCED and had a fabulous time. It was the first time we've gone out in CR that I didnt want to go home. We just had that much fun. AND I danced with a Tico boy!!! Sorry Doug. 2 guys came over and asked some classmates to dance, but the 1 girl didn't want to, so the 1st guy asked another girl and the 2nd guy just grabbed my hand and started dancing. I mean, it's dancing, so I didn't object. The order of events was quite funny to me, though. After not asking me to dance, his only question was, "Are you a student at Veritas?" (This whole convo was in Spanish, but it's just easier for those of you who wouldn't understand). Then, a minute or 2 later, when he realized that I actually COULD dance, he started trying slightly more complex moves and asked, "Would you rather dance salsa or merengue?" I told him that it didn't matter since I didn't really know how to do either. He said it was fine and I was doing alright. Then, another minute or 2 later, he finally asked, "What's your name?" but didn't offer his. It was Jorge, btw. Which I found hilarious because that's waht I usually name everything (good thing Ernesto was unique). But we danced for maybe 7 minutes (1 song, but it was a long, discoteca dance-y song). I had a blast! In Ecuador, the only local I ever danced with was my host brother, so this was for sure a very exciting experience for me.
As you can see, it was a very full, but very fun day. Yay!!! :)
Pics from Tues & Wed
In Los Juncos Cloud Forest, helping to reforest this secondary forest. How exciting!
Me under a "poor man's umbrella" (sombrilla pobre) plant. That is their name in Spanish! Love it. And yes, they are actually that big.
Emily planting Leila right next to Ernesto
Taking care of my little Ernesto. He's going to grow tall and strong and straight and be bilingual and make his momma proud.
Here's my little fellow before I put him in the earth to grow. I spoke in English and Spanish to him so he'll be big and strong (moms talk to their babies in the womb so they'll grow well, and he's my baby, so...)
This is the crazy hippie lady at the raggae night. She supposedly has a facebook page (which I have yet to search for/ find) titled, "la doñita que baile en los conciertos"/the woman who dances at the concerts. Absolutely crazy...
Me under a "poor man's umbrella" (sombrilla pobre) plant. That is their name in Spanish! Love it. And yes, they are actually that big.
Emily planting Leila right next to Ernesto
Taking care of my little Ernesto. He's going to grow tall and strong and straight and be bilingual and make his momma proud. 
Here's my little fellow before I put him in the earth to grow. I spoke in English and Spanish to him so he'll be big and strong (moms talk to their babies in the womb so they'll grow well, and he's my baby, so...)
This is the crazy hippie lady at the raggae night. She supposedly has a facebook page (which I have yet to search for/ find) titled, "la doñita que baile en los conciertos"/the woman who dances at the concerts. Absolutely crazy...Good week, tho!
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