Tica Women

I've finally got a taste of a Costa Rican woman and I must say it's pretty nice! I was beginning to fear that it might not happen... so many potentials, yet no bites! well I've finally fished one out, and must say she is quite the biter! Cristina is her name, and almost everyday this past week, we've had us a little fling! She's a teacher at San Martin, with a stunning body, a funny sense of humor, and a so-so face... She's a country-girl, yet still has that typical Latin flavor! I think we're both in agreement that this is no more than a day-to-day thing, and nothing serious... I'm just happy to finally get a little bit of Latina loving! The women here at San Carlos, are gorgeous, far better than in San Jose... I've gotten to know so many here, of all ages, and must say they are all somewhat similar... Typical Latin girls... I don't know what it is, but ever since visiting Venezuela some 8 years ago, I've been crazy about Latin girls... They are beautiful, loud, well dressed, funny, gossipers, clingy, always late, dramatic, blunt, good cooks, good dancers, etc... and I love 'em!

Big Futbol Match

Last night I played in an extremely competitive futbol match on a nice pitch in the barrio of Los Angeles... It was with Nacho, and his entire family from San Vicente... such good people they are! The game was very fast paced, 7 vs 7, and there were lots of people watching... Our team won 6 to 3, and i managed to put in 2 goals, yet I still think my play could have been ALOT better... when I get back to the states, I intend to get back in a competitive league or something! But anyway those San Vicente people, are just all around good people... Must be because their all from the country! I hope to return there sometime this week to climb the "Cerro" with Nacho and Roy... We all went out for some drinks after the game, and we might go out again tonight. Tonight is going to be interesting... I have 3 different groups of people that all want to go out, and I hope I can merge them all together... yet Cristina is definitely the priority I should think! We shall how it goes!

My Friends at San Martin

Today was my last day at the Escuela of San Martin where I worked as an English teacher and a Gym Teacher for the past 3 weeks... Each day consisted of walking up a deadly hill and arriving sweaty as could be... I would begin my morning by chatting with the lunch ladies... Then after that I would either work with Yogibeth, a cute mixed girl who teaches English to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders... or work with Hilbert, a tall cool, former professional futbol player in the gym...
The kids were awesome! So happy and loving,
and full of so much energy... They made me feel like a rock-star! Like a futbol-star; "Cristiano Ronaldo" was my name! It was too fun... It was like being a kid again! Playing tag, hide & seek, futbol, hackey sack, and so forth... Where I could be as crazy as I wanted to be... Like playing with Alejandrovich back at home! Speaking of which one of my favorite kids at the school was a 5th grader, named Andres, who looked and acted just like Alejandrovich... It was very peculiar! Very peculiar indeed! And there were so many cool kids like Andres, boys and girls, who I really got to know over the past 3 weeks! From 1st to 6th graders, all with different styles yet all became my good amigos!

Then there was the teachers that made things all the better... it was like being back in high school. "Who likes who.." type-of-a-thing... and I must say there were definitely more than one I had a thing for... Yogi, my best friend at the school, Nale, the art teacher, Christina, the 3rd grade teacher with a stunning body (still working on this one), Andrea, the 4th, 5th, 6th grade teacher, Eva, the sexy librarian, and hell even some of the older teachers were pretty attractive and flirtatious... yet along with the beautiful teachers, were just good funny people; like Mikol, the music teacher, Jorge, Yogi's loud and obnoxious sister, the lunch ladies, the parents I met, and of course Carlos, the fast-talking janitor, a funny guy who has become my drinking buddy here in Ciudad Quesada!

Although my time at the school is finished, I still got another week here in Ciudad Quesada, living with Dona Janette... She is a very bossy old woman, yet with the best intentions... I have no idea what next week has in store, yet hope I have not seen the last of these friends... My experience at the Escuela of San Martin was truly unforgettable! I was part of a community for three weeks, where I got to know Ticos & Ticas of all form! It was exactly what I was looking for here in Costa Rica, and will probably be the biggest thing I will remember...

Pozo Verde

This past Saturday evening I returned to San Vicente, with my good friend Miguel. We stayed the night at Roy's house, the nephew of Don Gerardo, and got up very early Sunday morning to begin our hike... We decided to hike up to the "Poso Verde" which an English means the Green Well. It was about a 3 hour hike up and no more than a 2 hr hike back down... For once the day was clear as could be, and the entire scene was breath-taking! We hiked out of San Vicente, up a treacherous hill of tires, across the greenest of grasses, past an amazing futbol field, and into "El Montana de San Jose", a town similar to San Vicente... We pressed onward through dirt roads and trails, deep into forests, over bridges and across rivers, through farms, and fields of cows and sheep... Some hills were so steep we had to use our hands to get up.. We were one with nature... so close to the mountains... It kind of had an unreal feel to it... Like journeying through Middle-Earth or Narnia... We were like Samwise and Frodo Baggins!! When we finally reached the Poso Verde, we took a good break... The sight was incredible and so very peaceful... We hung out for maybe a good hour, eating some good snacks, resting our feet, and just taking it easy... A blueish-green lagoon surrounded by forest and mountain... It was an amazing sight, well worth the long hike! Afterwards we journeyed back to San Vicente, and stopped to get lunch at a restaurant called "Albergue Monterreal". There I had an amazing Guayabana Juice with some "Casado de Trucho"... They had a whole pool full of trout, and we watched the owner preparing the trout for us... After lunch we got rained on a little, but not too bad... We arrived back at Roy's house around 4ish, for some good coffee and cake. The family was extremely friendly and we talked for some time, watched the Saprissa match, and exchanged information... i hope to see them again!

The Barrio of Los Angeles

After a real fun time last night at "Colina" with the teachers, I decided to take the day off today... So I had some breakfast and then ventured outward into the Barrio of Los Angeles. I walked for a good 3 hours, up and down hills, pass schools and houses, through roads and towns, through dirt-trails and farms, through forests and rivers, ... and the further I went, the less I wanted to turn back... so much to see! this place just never gets old... yet the climax of my walk had to be the small forest I ventured into... it was a hidden trail, behind a shed, covered by trees, and I decided to give it a go... to see where it lead... and as I began, I was somewhat afraid of what lied ahead... if it was private property? or worse was the thought of deadly snakes, of which I have heard many stories about... yet I pressed onward, into the high grass, submerged into the forest, and away from the main roads or civilization, and soon I was no longer afraid... it was a peaceful place... away from the blazing sun, and into a secluded trail, with a gentle wind and light beaming through the trees, surrounded by colorful butterflies, tropical birds, green plants, amazing flowers, tall bamboo trees that swayed back and forth, and incredible views of the green mountain ranges... I'd look out into those mountain ranges and see cows grazing, and giant birds gliding in the air... It all had a majestic feel to it, like something out of a cartoon... there are really no words or pictures that can describe the beauty of this country... it's just something you got to see with your own eyes...

In other news, I'm finally moving out of Dona Hilda's house this weekend. I'll be moving in with Miguel, and staying another 2 weeks in San Carlos... I'll also be teaching another week at San Martin, for now... Things are really starting to get "interesting" with the teachers... ;) As hard as this was to break to Dona Hilda, it kind of was an easy decision... 1. because it's twice as cheap, and 2. It's going to be much more relaxing.... As much as I like Dona Hilda, I need some peace and privacy!! So we'll see how this change goes... Also this weekend I'll be going on an ultimate adventure with Miguel back to San Vicente, to climb the peak... It's going to take us the entire day, and I imagine will be quite a memorable hike, so expect a post with some pictures in a few days...

Volcan Arenal

So on Saturday I caught a bus to La Fortuna, a town about an hour away from San Carlos. The town is best known for it's glorious Volcan Arenal, one of the most active volcanoes in the world! I got there early in the morning, and first went to see the Catarata Fortuna. This consisted of a long downward hike through a forest... Although my legs were burning, from a very active previous week, I knew I would just have to suck it up! And once I finally got there, it was definitely worth it! The colors were vivid! A white waterfall, sparkling blue water, the greenest of green trees, and black & gray rocks... it was an incredible sight... I got my feet wet for a while, yet didn't completely jump in... The water was very very cold, just like in San Vicente!

After I hiked back up the forest, I caught a taxi back to the city center. I asked the taxi driver if there were any restaurants she recommended and she told me about a house, where a lady cooks good food for a very cheap price. So she dropped me off at Dona Isabelle's house, where I sat in her kitchen and talked while she cooked some good pork, rice, beans, repollo, picadillo, and an amazing fried platano! We talked for some time, and she told me her story, of her 10 children, and how she lived in the states for 9 years, working as a cook... it was all very interesting!

After lunch I met up with my Volcano tour guide, which Miguel had arranged. Since Miguel works in tourism, he was able to help me get a discount. We were joined by a Swedish couple... The woman was massive and reminded me of a giant Valkyrie or something! So the four of us hiked through a forest that was very close to the volcano... The entire sight reminded me of Jurassic Park...we saw all sorts of tropical birds, monkeys, insects, and plants... the hike lasted a good 4 hours or so, and our guide was very good! afterwards I returned to La Fortuna...

That night things got a little random... I got a little confused about the bus schedule, and missed my 7pm bus back to San Carlos... Yet before I had any time to panic, I met some Ticos who quickly came to my rescue... They offered me a hotel room for 6 bucks for one night... so i said why not! The hotel was a part of someone's house, which is normal around here... So my new plan was to stay the night in La Fortuna, get some dinner, maybe a drink or two, and leave early the next morning... yet before I had time to settle in, one of the Ticos named Elias began offering me a deal to re-visit the Volcano in the morning... At the time I wasn't interested in re-visiting it, much less early in the morning, much less paying $5o to see it... Yet he told me they would be much closer to the volcano, close enough to see lava! So that caught my interest, and we began bartering for quite some time... Finally we agreed on $15 and a cheeseburger from BK... no joke! After BK I met some American girls from Colorado at the hotel, and I drank some cheap "Apache" Costa Rican Vodka with them...

Before I knew it I was getting awoken in my hotel room at 3:30am, to go journey up the volcano... Elias had not even been to sleep yet! We were joined by an American couple from Seattle and a couple from Portugal. I was dead tired, and my head was spinning from the vodka. We began hiking through a pitch dark forest with our flashlights, up a very steep trail, at an incredibly fast pace... the American couple was unable to make the hike, and had to take the detour... It was a pretty intense hike to say the least! And go figure, once we got to the viewpoint, the peak of the volcano was STILL covered by clouds... we were never able to see lava or the peak!! this was my biggest dissapointment of the weekend... Yet I still don't regret the 2nd hike... We saw the volcano much closer, along with many more monkeys, birds, and a closer look at the Lake...

We got back to La Fortuna at around 8am, I took a quick power nap, went to church, and then caught the 11:30 bus back to San Carlos... I was dead tired when I walked into Dona Hilda's house, yet sure enough there was no rest to be had! I was being waited on by the entire family to eat lunch... and later after that, I being the nice person that I am, offered to help Dona Hilda make empanadas for Tati and her entire brigade of Christian advocates... I went straight to bed once dinner was cooked and served...

Teachers vs Students Futbol Match

I really like working at the Escuela of San Martin... I switch every other day helping as an English teacher, and helping with the gym teacher. The English teacher is a very cute black girl named Yohibeth... the gym teacher is a tall, cool guy named Hilbert... The children there all love me and think I'm the coolest person in the world... Their always hugging me and shaking my hand... The teachers there are very pretty, in their mid to late 20s... I went out with some of them on Thursday...

Today we had an amazing futbol match in the gym... The teachers vs. the 6th grade stars... It was a 5 vs 5 match, or what they call around here a "Mahange"... and what was even cooler was that the entire school was watching... So of course, I had to do a little bit of showing off... I told the children to call me "Cristiano Ronaldo"... We won 8 vs 2, and it was a very fast paced match... After the game was over, I was dead-tired, and my thighs are extremely cramped right now... (but I think this is due to hiking up the mountains in San Vicente)

-I had to bail on my weekend plans to Malpais with Miguel, mostly due to the sore condition of my body... Yet I think I might journey out to Fortuna tomorrow to see the glorious Volcano Arenal, which is about an hour away from here... we shall see!

San Vicente

I got here on Sunday to Ciudad Quesada, welcomed by a bombardment of rain... The lady who lives here is Dona Hilda, same name as my grandma, and is very friendly... She has three daughters all of which are teachers... they are all very friendly, very musical, and extremely Christian... the only downside is that the place is in the middle of construction, and extremely noisy! There is zero privacy, and people are always coming in and out... but on the upside, I've made a really good friend, named Miguel, who's quite the free-spirit just like me... On Monday night we went on a random adventure to a small town high up in the mountains called San Vicente... There we stayed for two nights, with Don Gerardo and Dona Grace, in their cabin... This family was the epitome of culture! Very hard working, social, friendly, religious, and extremely old-fashioned...

We got up early that morning to help Don Gerardo cement a damn, deep in the forest... This was no easy hike, carrying cement up and down steep muddy slippery trails and across rivers to get to the waterfall... after we were done working, I just had to take a dip in the freezing cold water... Afterwards Miguel and I hiked up the mountains... The mountains continued to go up and up, and we were never able to make it to the top, yet we plan to return in a week to do so! For lunch Dona Grace made an incredible "Sopa Negra con Huevos Duro"... Afterwards we continued hiking, met lots of the townspeople, saw the lecherias, tons of cows, and helped Don Gerardo move some wood... In the evening there was a "futbol" tournament, in which the entire town was there to see... The town is very organized! It was so amazing to see how social and united they all are...









I returned to Ciudad Quesada early this morning to begin working at a school in San Carlos. My first day was quite a rush, put straight into action... After only one day I have to say I really like this work... The children are all so alive, loving, and energetic! I'll be working for two weeks as their English teacher and gym teacher... Also all my fellow teachers, are very attractive and friendly ladies! Tonight I'm going out with some of them, Should be interesting!!

My Week in Calle Blancos

It's was a good week here at Calle Blancos with Queta, Humberto, and Humberto's family... Although I mostly stayed indoors I still kept very busy, helping around the house and taking in lots of "Tico" and "Venezuelan" culture... Here are some pics from my week in Calle Blancos...

Since Queta & Humberto are still settling into their house, there was much work to be done... Yet of the many jobs I did around the house, this patio was our biggest project... We painted the entire thing white which took a good 3 days... Now it has plants and wall decorations, and looks much different then it did before!

We were basically trying to get the house ready for a big party on Saturday, in which all of Humberto's family would be visiting... So I kind of fell into a routine this week... In the mornings I would have coffee with Queta while we watched a Venezuelan soap opera called "Ka Ina"... Then have "Gallo-Pinto" for breakfest... (Eggs, Rice, and Beans) very good! Then work during the day... I would take a break around the afternoon with a beer, and watch a European futbol match...(They are always on TV here, and I love it!) Have lunch, and then get back to work until about dinner time...


On Thursday night, we had an amazing futbol match at a stadium, in which Marco and his co-worker's rented out... I don't think I'd ever played on such a nice field or inside such a stadium before... We had a ref and about 20 players; 10 vs 1o; white vs red, with full 4o minute halves... Me, Humberto, and Don Humberto were all the same team, yet Marco pulled a muscle before the game started... I thought I would be terribly out of shape, yet I held my own, and actually put in 2 goals... I could have put in more, yet let some opportunities slip by... Our team lost 10-6, and perhaps had we had Marco we would have won... Yet it was still so fun to get back on the pitch for a serious, competitive game like the good ole days...

Friday we did lots of grocery shopping, yet Saturday was our busiest of days.. we got up early around 7am to go to the "Feria" which was a marketplace of fresh fruit and vegetables... It was quite a site, with vendors side by side, yelling out their deals, and tons of people shopping... I drank some extremely fresh coconut! During the day we did some finishing touches on the patio along with some basic clean-up and food preparations...

By around 5pm, people starting showing up.. Humberto cooked some amazing Saviche (fish that is saturated in Lemon Juice, along with other herbs) Very Good! and Queta was the master Chef, teaching everyone how to make Sushi... Everyone was very interested to see how it was made, yet nobody really liked it besides me, Queta, Laura, and Pedro... It was a good time with good food, good drinks, and good atmosphere...



Today I am off to San Carlos, to a town called Ciudad Quesada... It will be a completely different way of life, in a more rural part of Costa Rica, far away from San Jose... I believe it's within the mountains, close to the glorious volcano called Arenal, which I do hope to visit while I'm there... I'll be living with a new family, and be working as an English teacher... So, I'll be beginning Phase 2 of my Costa Rican adventure... I think I'm ready for the change... My time here with Queta &
Humberto has been great and memorable, and I know this won't be my last time in Calle Blancos, yet it is time to once again step outside of my comfort zone! I think that it will go well...