This past Saturday we made our way up to Costa Rica's tallest volcano, Irazú. We were able to drive all the way to the top, which was better than hiking any of the 3000+ meters upward. In addition, the views of the cloud covered city of Cartago while we were driving were as beautiful as those from the summit itself.
At the top we were able to peer down into two of the recognized craters, Cráter Principal and Diego de la Haya, and roam around the third crater, Playa Hermosa. I got a pretty mean sunburn wandering around Cráter Playa Hermosa, probably because it was shadeless field of black rocks and sand, but the pain has mostly dissipated now and the experience was entirely worth it.
Upon exiting the park we drove down a dirt road along the side of the volcano to catch a better glimpse of another volcano, Turrialba, which as of late has been fairly active. It began spewing ash and acidic gasses about two weeks ago and the area been entirely closed off to tourists. Nevertheless, blessed with a clear day we were able to view the column of smoke and steam rising from its summit safely from the distant peak of Irazú.
Although our trip to Manuel Antonio would have been enough to have seen in one weekend, our weekend was far from over. That evening we headed northward to Punta Leona, a private community and resort with one of Costa Rica's finest beaches, Playa Blanca.
Saturday Morning we woke up and headed to breakfast. The buffet style food, while not as good as our host mother's cooking, was a still very good or as they say here in Costa Rica, "muy rica." We sat calmly eating our breakfast until a swarm of White Faced Monkeys and Pizotes descended upon the outdoor restaurant. The Pizotes are a member of the raccoon family, but are arguably much cuter. They grazed the ground for food as the monkeys came from above snatching peoples left overs right off there plates. Although the signs said, "don't feed the monkeys we are affecting their diet" people went right ahead and waiters and waitresses didn't do much to stop the mischievous and wily monkeys. They stole bread, fruit, and handfuls of sugar packets as people (including myself) snapped photos. We felt a bad considering how we might actually be affecting the diets of the monkeys, and I'm still concerned about the ones stealing sugar packets for the fear that they might become diabetic.
After and eventful breakfast we made our way to Playa Blanca. We lounged in the sand and in the water which was slightly more refreshing than that of Manuel Antonio. We explored the rocks and tide pools and came across some very interesting creatures while we admired the beautiful landscapes. We concluded our beach day by taking an afternoon hike through the local biological preserve before dinner. After dinner we were all too exhausted to do much so went to bead early in hopes of waking up for the bird watching tour Sunday morning at six. Sunday morning we were able to see a few species of Toucans, some Scarlet Macaws, as well as many other species of birds. After the bird watching tour we headed to breakfast where we had an experience similar to the one above, but this morning a waiter brought out a whole garbage bag full of bread and dumped it behind the restaurant in and effort to distract the monkeys from the sugar packets.
This weekend was an extrememly eventful one. I can't believe we have only been here for two weeks. We have done so much already that I'm sure I would be satisfied if I went home now, and knowing that I'm here for more than three more months is still a little hard to comprehend.
Photo of Scarlet Macaws courtesy of Emily Ferstle.
Look at the the title picture above and you see three beaches. These are located at Manuel Antonio one of Costa Rica's many national parks. The second one with the boats in the bay is the one where we spent our Friday afternoon.
We left around six in the morning and stopped for a hearty breakfast of some very tasty gallo pinto y huevos around eight. Later we made our second stop of the day at Rio Tarcoles, which is actually a problematic place for Costa Rica due to the pollution and booming population of alligators there. We didn't actually head into the national park where the alligator problem is a little worse but our stop at the one of the bridges crossing the river gave us feel for what it is like.
An hour or so past Rio Tarcoles we came to Manuel Antonio. We began our day there by going on a hike up to Punta Catedral where we had some great views of the beautiful white beaches. We also came upon a family of Howler Monkeys. Though they were very far away and nearly out of our sight, their deep, resonating calls made them feel closer than they actually were.
After our hike, with our shirts soaked in sweat, we made our way down to the beaches. There we bathed in the salty Pacific Ocean that was so warm it almost wasn't refreshing, but we scrubbed ourselves with the salt water anyway. We passed time in the shade of the trees that came right up to the sand and explored the black, basalt rock outcroppings and their tide pools. Just before we were about to leave a wave of White Faced Monkeys invaded the beach stealing beach goer's snacks straight out of their hands. I had the pleasure of shaking hands with one of the Monkeys, but I think he was disappointed because I didn't give him any food.
Later in the afternoon we left the park in order to grab some lunch. On our way out we were fortunate enough to encounter some Squirrel Monkey's looming around the gateway into the park. Manuel Antonio, while teeming with tourists, is full of wildlife and has some of Costa Rica's most beautiful beaches. According to our program director Don Jorge, though the park maybe small it is one of Costa Rica' s most beautiful destinations.
Since we have Mondays off we decided to head to San Jose for a few hours. We stopped at a "soda" for some cheap yet delicious food and then spend a few hours walking around the crowded streets and markets. Sadly, we didn't make it to either the Museum of Gold or the Jade Museum, nor did we check out the National Theater or Park. Instead we passed through an old liquour factory converted to cultural center as well as one of the cities large cathedrals. We also sought out a few of the parks that the city had to offer and it was refreshing to see some green mixed among the gray concrete. However, we are heading there in a couple of weeks and there are many more free Mondays for us to explore the city another time. I'm not quite sure what more San Jose has to offer than that though, and most Ticos around Santa Ana seem to think it is a fairly dangerous place. But I can't imagine its any worse than any other large city. Either way I look forward to exploring San Jose a bit more before the semester comes to a close.
This weekend we traveled to Puntarenas, a resort town of old that may have lost some of its former glory but is once again emerging as a vacation destination. Although, we didn't exactly dive head first into la vida costarricense, we instead enjoyed a weekend of relaxation at the all-inclusive Double Tree Resort. We mostly passed our time between the pools and the beach. Most of us have returned with sunburns and sore muscles from being tossed around by 10 foot waves in the Pacific Ocean. The weekend proved to be a great time for getting to know one another meeting a few "Ticos" along the way. Thankfully, we don't have classes on Monday, so we have yet another day to rehydrate and rest before the heart of the program begins.
Also, perhaps the most interesting thing we happened upon was a small mariposario or butterfly vivarium that houses butterflies in all stages of life as well as its own brightly colored toucan.
Yesterday we made our way up into the mountains just side Santa Ana. We drove to the top and then hiked around the peaks and the forests for around two hours. It was fairly chilly and the wind currents blew hard over certain parts of the mountain. In fact, when we first got out to the vehicles we all had to duck behind them in order to even put on our jackets. Don Jorge pointed out a variety of species and noted some of the ongoing reforestation efforts occurring in Costa Rica's forests. Our hike concluded with a steep trek down the hillside to Don Jorge's second home in the mountains (pictured below) where he keeps an assortment of Pre-Columbian art. We passed the time there eating comida tipica, drinking coffee, enjoying the beautiful vistas from the balcony, and exploring our surroundings. After an hour or so of relaxation at Don Jorge's place our drivers returned to bring us back down the mountain. Along the way we caught our a glimpse of a 5-6 foot long boa constrictor slithering its way off the mountain road back into the forests. I would have liked to have jumped out and snagged a photo but I was locked in the trunk of our jeep on the way home. More pictures to come soon as well, so keep checking updated posts for new photos.
We arrived safely and exhausted in Costa Rica after a few cramped hours on airplanes. Thankfully everything went smoothly for the most part. Only one student, Emily, had a problem after the baggage handler broke the handle clean off of her carry-on luggage thereby inhibiting the handle with which you pull the luggage from retracting. The permanent protruding pole though unfortunate did not overly complicate anyone's travels.
Upon our descent we caught views of cloud coated mountains covered in lush, green vegetation. Color sorely missing from the gray trees and white snow of winter in Michigan. The airport felt a bit like a prison during the half an hour spent gathering luggage and waiting in lines at. We desperately wanted to get outside. The tops of palm trees and peeks of mountains viewed through the high set windows at the airports beckoned us. Finally reaching the outdoors proved to rejuvenate us to some degree. The slight humidity and warm sunlight brought upon a collective sigh of relief.
I don't think we waited outside the airport for more than a few minutes until our program's director Don Jorge arrived with our teal colored bus. A few men seeking tips loaded our group's 27 pieces of luggage on the the bus and we were off. We swiftly headed southward towards Santa Ana, passing through a highly Americanized zone of international industry consisting of familiar names like Citi Bank, Taco Bell, and McDonalds. We stopped off for a quick bite of ice cream before heading to our Don Jorge's home where we were to meet with our host families for the first time. Surprisingly enough no one seemed too nervous and everyone seemed to get along fine with there families right from the get go. Upon our reunion at Don Jorge's house for a tour Santa Ana we discussed our new homes and rooms out on the patio as Don Jorge's parrot constantly interrupted us with frequent squawking and a few "hola's." We toured the city for a couple of hours visiting the colonial-style cathedral, the library, and the places where we would be attending classes. Needless to say, after a merely a couple hours of sleep the night before the walking tour wiped us all out. Following the termination of the brief tour and a short lecture and some last minute questions for Don Jorge and his wife Ana we headed in for the night. Our first night in Costa Rica may not be the most eventful of nights but we will all get the much some much needed sleep before we trek into the mountains tomorrow, begin classes on Thursday, and make our way to a resort in Puntarenas this weekend.
Though my bags may not yet be completely packed We are most definitely ready to go. Nearly a year has passed since we first learned of our acceptance into the Santa Ana, Costa Rica (see maps) study abroad program at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After finishing up the spring semester of 2009, summer swept by quickly into the fall. Things grew colder as the new semester crept by, and at the onset of the first snow we realized we were already sick of cool weather and dreading the imminent Michigan winter. I spent winter break dreaming of warm weather, beaches, and rain forest, and time over winter break slowed to a crawl despite the typically swift pace of the holiday season. Finally the first twelve days of 2010, full of packing and preperation, comprised the conclusion to the brutal anticipation.
Personally, I have decided it was not perhaps the best idea too leave work for a ten day hiatus prior to the trip. It really doesn't take more than a day or two of efficiency in order to pack and make sure all is in order for the the trip. My only problem consisted of getting malaria pills covered by my parents new health insurance policy. Other than that small snafu, other vaccinations and medications were easy enough to obtain. Really, after a couple of hours of ironing and folding and few phone calls to credit card companies and banks I found myself feeling confident in my preparations.
So, bright and early tomorrow (around 3:30 a.m. I believe) We will awake after a long night of little sleep and arrive at Gerald R. Ford International for departure and a mere six or so hours later arrive at our new homes and begin our venture into the "vida costarricense" in Santa Ana.
This past Saturday we made our way up to Costa Rica's tallest volcano, Irazú. We were able to drive all the way to the top, which was better than hiking any of the 3000+ meters upward. In addition, the views of the cloud covered city of Cartago while we were driving were as beautiful as those from the summit itself.
the experience was entirely worth it.
