My sister has come to visit me here for one week on her spring break from college. Tomorrow, we are going to Manuel Antonio and Manuel Antonio National Park - supposedly one of the really pretty beaches here in Costa Rica that I have not yet visited. We are staying overnight in a hostel and returning on Thursday morning. She leaves on Saturday morning at 7am and I also have a class field trip this weekend to a beach area near the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. I really cannot believe it is my last weekend here in Costa Rica! I literally don't know where the last three months went. Time really flew by. I knew it was going to go by fast, but not that fast! I don't regret anything though. I did everything I wanted to do (mostly), and I met some incredible people along the way and I will never forget the awesome friends I made here, as well as the memories I have!
The countdown is real. 10 days left in this beautiful country. I have really mixed emotions about March 29th (the day I return back to the states). This is how it is: I am really excited to go back and see everyone, but I also feel like I am not quite ready to leave Costa Rica yet. I feel like I could do one more month of this, and then I would really be ready to come home. Don't get me wrong - I am getting excited to see my family and dogs and boyfriend, but at the same time, I am not ready to leave. I am going to miss so many things from this country and these last three months. I guarantee I am going to shed some tears before I even leave on the 29th! I only have 20hours left to complete at my internship in the clinic, and I know I am going to be an emotional wreck next week. Costa Rica has created an important place in my heart and I will never forget how these last three months have shaped me and taught me so many. I have developed such awesome friendships and relationships here, and created memories that are truly going to stick with me forever.
My sister has come to visit me here for one week on her spring break from college. Tomorrow, we are going to Manuel Antonio and Manuel Antonio National Park - supposedly one of the really pretty beaches here in Costa Rica that I have not yet visited. We are staying overnight in a hostel and returning on Thursday morning. She leaves on Saturday morning at 7am and I also have a class field trip this weekend to a beach area near the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. I really cannot believe it is my last weekend here in Costa Rica! I literally don't know where the last three months went. Time really flew by. I knew it was going to go by fast, but not that fast! I don't regret anything though. I did everything I wanted to do (mostly), and I met some incredible people along the way and I will never forget the awesome friends I made here, as well as the memories I have!
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As my time in Costa Rica is coming to an end, I just wanted to make a post about how to travel to Costa Rica with ease. I am mostly writing this for my sister who is coming to visit me next week (!!!!!), but it can apply to anyone who is considering coming to Costa Rica. I highly recommend it! Costa Rica is such a beautiful country with incredible people and culture.
Customs on & in the Airport: The airport I flew into was Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO). This was a little confusing for me because 1) I had never gone through customs alone before and 2) I was really nervous, period! Let's see if I can remember this because I did this almost three months ago and don't totally remember. On the plane, the flight attendants give you the customs card to fill out. One thing I recommend is that if you are unsure what to write on the card, ASK for help. You don't want to fill it out incorrectly! Don't be afraid to ask someone for help, whether it be a flight attendant or the person beside you. Also, make sure you mark your purpose of the visit as TOURISM. Once I got off the plane, I walked down this long hallway and mostly just followed the people who were on the plane with me. One thing I recommend is that if the person besides you on the plane speaks English, try to talk with them before you land so you have someone to follow. First, you'll go to baggage claim and get your bags (sorry, I can't remember if you get your luggage before or after the customs booths). Anyways, you'll continue to walk and then you will get to a bunch of windows/booths where the customs agents are. SPEAK ENGLISH to them so there is no confusion! Unless you are fluent in Spanish. Just hand them your passport (save your customs card for the next stop, I think), and they will either react one of two ways. 1) ask little questions and stamp your passport for the visa, or 2) ask a bunch of questions and be really detailed. Don't be afraid though or seem nervous because that will only make them more suspicious. Just remain calm, be honest, and you'll get through! After that, just continue to follow everyone and then you will get to another area where you will have to scan your bags through another customs/security area. When you get there, just hand your customs card to the person by the machine and put all your bags into the machine to scan them. After that, you will exit and there will be a lot of people waiting outside the windows for people to get out of the airport. There will also be taxi drivers asking where you need to go. Don't be overwhelmed! (Amanda, this is where I will be waiting for you). Exchanging Money in Costa Rica: DO NOT EXCHANGE ALL OF YOUR MONEY IN THE AIRPORT!!! DO NOT!!! It is the biggest ripoff EVER. The cheapest and most efficient way to exchange money is to take money out from an ATM. Usually ATMs here have the best conversion rates and they also generally have low fees for international exchanges. Just be smart about which ATM you use! If you're going to be here longer than a week, I recommend going to the nearest bank to exchange your money. Some good ones that I have gone to are Bank of Costa Rica and Banco Popular. They usually have good exchange rates too, and sometimes the bank tellers speak English. BRING YOUR PASSPORT if you are going to exchange money at a bank! You cannot exchange money if you don't bring your actual passport. A copy will NOT WORK! Transportation in Costa Rica: Transportation in San José is pretty safe and efficient. You can either take the public buses (I recommend to take those only when you know for sure where you are wanting to go. however, they are extremely cheap!) or you can take taxis. The legit country taxis are red with a yellow triangle on the side. There are also "pirate taxis" which are normally just red cars or other cars with drivers who say they will take you someplace for a certain amount of money. Don't take the pirate taxis, obviously! There is a great abundance of legal taxis here and you can almost find one on every street during the day. They are normally really cheap too. One word of advice: if a taxi driver says "I can take you to this place for a certain amount of money" I don't recommend to do that because 1) they can easily rip you off or 2) oftentimes if they know you're a foreigner, they will say that to make you think you are getting a good deal, when in reality it's a lot higher than what a local would normally pay. Before you get into any taxi, ask them if they have a "maria" which is basically just like the machine that counts how far you are going and how much money it is costing. Advice for Women: One thing that is really common in Costa Rica is women getting attention from the men. It's a part of their culture and there is no way to stop it. The best thing to do is just to ignore it and keep walking. If you show them any sort of attention (even if you're telling them to stop), it gives them the idea that you are interested because you are showing them attention. It's really popular for girls to get honked at, whistled at, or other things along those lines. In my three months here, it's happened, but no one has ever touched me or followed me or anything like that. As long as you completely ignore them and don't even look at them, they mostly won't do anything. Don't be nervous or afraid of this; it happens to almost every woman whether you're old or young, alone or in a huge group. It's just a part of the culture. Just don't be out at night alone (obviously). Food/Drinks: The food is INCREDIBLE in Costa Rica. There are lot of American restaurants here, but why would you want to eat at those?! They have a bunch of small family-owned restaurants EVERYWHERE. Those are called "sodas" which normally just have a few different types of plates and foods that you can order. If you want traditional Costa Rican food, a lot of the sodas have it there. One thing you MUST TRY while in Costa Rica is gallo pinto. It's a rice and beans dish with assorted spices, and normally served with eggs or other sides. It is my absolute favorite! SO GOOD. That is one thing you HAVE to try if you come to Costa Rica. If you are staying in the city of San José, the water is safe to drink. I was really paranoid about that when I first got here, but I have been drinking tap water for the last three months and never got sick from it. If you're really paranoid, you obviously can buy bottled water, but the water is safe to drink. I am not sure about outside of the city; I never drank the water when we went on our excursions to the beach and rainforest. I always just got bottled water. Just be careful if you are staying anywhere outside of San José. I have had friend who've gotten sick from food/drink outside of the city, but obviously you just need to use your best judgment. Food everywhere is not bad - on all my excursions I ate at restaurants and just ordered bottled water and I never got sick. Just be wise! Where to Visit?: Some places I highly recommend in Costa Rica for vacations/visits are as follows. These are places I have personally visited, or have friends who have visited these places. Beaches: Jacó (the closest beach to San José; it's only a 1.5hour bus ride), Tamarindo (very touristy), Montezuma, Puerto Viejo, Manuel Antonio (very touristy) Rainforest: Monteverde. I HIGHLY recommend to go ziplining in Monteverde if you have the chance! Volcanoes: Poas, Irazu, and Arenal. Arenal has a lot of hot spring resorts that are really nice (but probably expensive). Travel companies: There are two main travel companies that I have worked with for planning day trips/weekend trips/excursions throughout Costa Rica (and even one trip to Panama from San José). The company names are Tico Viajero and Tico Tours. Here are their websites if you want to check out their deals: www.ticoviajero.com/ and www.ticotoursandadventures.com/. They've been really helpful to me and their prices haven't been bad for tours and excursions. Hopefully that covers the basics. Like I said, if you have the chance to go anywhere on vacation, choose Costa Rica. It's absolutely beautiful and you won't regret it! :-) I can't believe it - I have roughly a month left here in Costa Rica. I can't believe how fast two months has flown by. My last big trip is a three-day weekend trip to Bocas del Toro, Panama! I leave this Friday! Here is a website for more information about Bocas: www.bocasdeltoro.com/ I can't wait! My roommate and other friend Alyssa are both coming as well.
I just wanted to take this post to do a little reflecting on what this trip abroad has done in my life. For one, it has brought me closer to God because I feel that I am living a much simpler life here. I hardly feel stress, I don't worry about money or food, and I just always feel a sense of peace and calm. I'm not as anxious or worried as I used to be. I've been reading a devotion every morning titled "100 Ways to Simplify your Life" by Joyce Meyer (I recommend it!) and I've been learning a lot and taking a lot from each day's devotion. I've learned to trust God more than ever, and I always feel safe and stress-free. Another thing about this trip is that it's sparked a desire in me to travel as much as I can. I have embraced and learned so much about the Costa Rican culture, and I can honestly say I've fallen in love with it. I love pretty much everything about Costa Rica and its beautiful history, scenery, nature, food, people, everything. I am honestly going to really miss it and I am probably going to cry on the day that I leave. I am considering doing another month-long internship in the Dominican Republic this summer, if all works out! I am trying to work out the details of that now, and to work out flight information. I just have this feeling that I don't want to settle! I have from April-August to do whatever I want, because I won't have school again until August, and then I graduate in December! I am still so young and would love to take advantage of traveling as much as I can now, while I can! My recommendation to anyone reading this - TRAVEL. Whether you're 21 or 81. As my mom says, traveling is the best teacher. I have learned so much here in the past three months - life lessons, Spanish fluency, confidence, and more - more than I've learned at any other point in my life. So, if you have the means and the free time to do so, TRAVEL. Even if it is just outside of your city or state! Go somewhere new and learn something different. I am so thankful that it's Friday today! Also, Happy Valentines' Day to all my readers. I had a Spanish exam this morning and I'm free for the rest of the day and the weekend. Today, I think my friend Alyssa and I are going to treat ourselves to a manicure for Valentines' Day. I gave my closest friends chocolate bars with a little note for Valentines' Day :-) I also treated myself to a dark chocolate bar with orange granules inside the pieces. It is absolutely HEAVENLY! Anyways, tomorrow, my friends and I are planning to make a day trip to Playa Jaco, the closest beach to San José, which is where I am currently living. It is about a 1.5-2hour bus ride, but we are leaving early in the morning (probably around 7-9am) and coming back in the afternoon/evening. Here is a website if anyone is interested in reading more about Playa Jaco: http://www.anywherecostarica.com/destinations/jaco-hermosa-heradura
I apologize for not posting in over a week! I have been so busy with a new Spanish class and my internship. Nothing too interesting has happened, except my time yesterday (Monday, 2/10/2014) at the clinic. It was my first time shadowing in minor surgery and I was really excited for it! However, I suppose I wasn't really ready to see what was actually going to happen because I ended up passing out! Let me explain. Disclaimer: for those of you with weak stomachs, I recommend skipping the next paragraph!
The first surgery of the afternoon was a guy who had a really bad ingrown toenail, so the doctor wanted to remove it. He gave the patient two shots of a local anesthetic in his toe/foot area and grabbed this scissor-like tool (it was shaped like a pair of scissors but it had like flat ends on it to pull things with). The doctor put the one end of the tool behind the toenail and just pulled the whole toenail off of the foot and the nail bed started bleeding. I'm not sure if the anesthetic was completely absorbed because the patient was writhing around in pain as the doctor did that procedure. That whole surgery was fine for me to watch and everything was okay, but when the next woman came in (she was getting some skin tags removed), I kept thinking back to the first surgery and I couldn't get it out of my mind. I started feeling really hot and sweaty, as well as getting dizzy. I also noticed that I started feeling nauseous, and I thought it was because the room was really warm or something. I asked the nurse where the bathroom was, and he asked me if I was okay. I said I was fine, but needed to know where the bathroom was. I think he knew that I wasn't okay, because at this point I felt like I was going to collapse and the room was turning blue and rotating. Also, when I talked, I couldn't hear myself because it felt like there were thick cotton balls in my ears. I staggered backwards and felt myself slipping away, but the nurse grabbed me and told me to lay down on the table (the patients were gone at this point). I had to lay down for 20minutes with my legs elevated while the nurse monitored my pulse and blood pressure. He told me that my blood pressure dropped really low and my skin was white and clammy. It was a really crazy but scary experience! I have never passed out before and the feelings I had during the event were awful. I don't think I have ever felt so nauseous or clammy before in my life! I am glad that the nurse was there to help me and to reassure me that things were going to be okay. I was really embarrassed by the whole situation because it was my first time in there and I made a scene! But the nurse explained to me that it was normal for that to happen to people who aren't expecting to see what really happens, or if it's their first time. That reassured me a little bit! Other than that, I enjoyed my time in minor surgery, but I wouldn't complain if they sent me to other parts of the clinic for awhile to observe other doctors! I have to go back to the clinic tomorrow and Friday, so hopefully everyone has forgotten about my little episode. Nonetheless, I am excited to see what tomorrow has in store for me! This weekend's excursion is at Playa Tamarindo (beach). It is by far my favorite excursion we have been on! It's also the last one we are going on. The beach and pool area is beautiful and the gentle wind through the palm trees and the sounds of birds chirping and water falling is so relaxing! I started my morning off with a 6am walk along the beach while my roommate went for a run - I collected a lot of shells, watched baby hermit crabs crawl away from the tide, and admired the sunrise as the sky turned from pink to baby blue. After that, I had a hearty breakfast and had a one-hour beachside massage! That was very relaxing and almost put me to sleep. Afterwards, my roommate and I explored the town around the resort, had a falafel pita for lunch, and came back and lounged by the pool under the palm trees. I then came back to the room and slept for an hour... Best nap I've had in awhile :-) around 5:45pm, my friends and I watched the sun set over the ocean on the beach and it was so pretty! Then we had dinner at a traditional Costa Rican restaurant and it was SO GOOD! After that, we walked along the road with the shops and boutiques, eating gelato. When we got back to our rooms, we realized there was a wedding reception in the area right outside of our balcony doors. My roommate and I opened the doors and listened to the music until the reception was over. We are keeping the doors open because there is a nice breeze that will keep us cool. Goodnight! Tonight, I experienced my first earthquake in Costa Rica! Let me explain. I prepared dinner tonight again (I think my host mom likes it when I cook, so I've been cooking on Mondays and Wednesdays). I prepared Hawaiian chicken. Anyways, after dinner, my roommate and I were washing dishes when I heard the gate outside the front door rattling, but we didn't think anything about it. At that same moment, my host mom's parakeets were freaking out and squawking a lot. So about 5 minutes later, my host mom's brother comes home and the first thing he asks is if we felt the tremors from the earthquake. We were in shock because we didn't feel anything! That's when I pieced two and two together and realized the gate was rattling because there was an earthquake just then. The weird thing is that I talked to some of my friends after it happened and even the ones who live down the street from me said they felt the earthquake strongly, and one of my friends even had to evacuate her house for a few minutes! I was so confused as to why we didn't feel anything, but people around us did. I also was a little disappointed that we didn't feel it because I thought it would have been cool to feel a slight one! (just nothing too dangerous or devastating!)
After all that excitement, I was on FaceTime with my mom when suddenly, my bedside table and water bottle began to shake slightly! I couldn't believe it - another tremor happened. I was sitting on my bed but I don't think I felt the bed move that much. My mom said maybe it's because my host mom's house is built on a stable foundation, so that's why we didn't feel it when others did. It was crazy; experiencing an earthquake for the first time! Supposedly, in Costa Rica, I heard that the country experiences an earthquake in some part of the country every day. Majority of them are so small and quick that they are never felt. So for those of you who are reading, don't worry! Back when we were going on the excursion to the Arenal Volcano, my program director told us that when we were on the bus heading to the resort, there was an earthquake but we probably didn't feel it. That one was a little stronger and I believe it actually made headlines on the news. Well, enough excitement for one night! Time to get back to my schoolwork so I can enjoy this weekend at Tamarindo! :-) Today we had a meeting about our last excursion to Tamarindo Beach. I absolutely cannot wait for this excursion! If you're interested in checking out the resort we are staying at, here is the link: www.tamarindodiria.com/ it is BEAUTIFUL!
I'm not doing any additional excursions this weekend because this resort and surrounding town has SO much to offer! I can't wait until Friday so we can leave. It is about a 5.5-6hour bus ride there! Also, today I joined the gym here today! It is about a 4-5minute walk from my house. I was planning on going for a run after class, but decided that I would rather just join the gym because I have been really restless since I haven't been working out as much as I used to back home. The gym here is a lot smaller than my gym back home, but it has all the necessary equipment that I need! For those of you who keep up with my blog on a regular basis, I apologize for the delay in posts! I have been INCREDIBLY busy these last few weeks - this is the last week of my first month of intensive Spanish. The days have been flying by! I have a final interview, final exam, and final presentation to complete this week! But anyways, I had so much fun this past weekend in Monteverde. The hotel we stayed at was so nice - it was a wonderful mountain getaway with beautiful scenery. I tried to take photos of the hills and sunsets that I saw from my balcony, but photos didn't even come close to capturing the beauty of the views! For those of you who didn't know, I went zip-lining on Saturday through the cloud forest at 1590m (roughly 5200ft high)! Surprisingly, I wasn't afraid (...not too much)! I was at peace majority of the time and the views were so pretty. There's a photo of me below. After zip-lining, my friend and I went exploring in the little town that was near our hotel, and basically just saw a bunch of souvenir shops, little restaurants, and local houses. On Sunday, we went on a hike through the biological reserve and saw a really pretty waterfall (photo attached).
I've been doing well at the clinic - getting used to the people who I interact with and the doctor that I have been shadowing majority of the time. Today, I met two patients - one who currently lives in New York, USA but is receiving medical care in Costa Rica (he's a Costa Rican who lives in the States), and another guy who lived in New York for 19 years of his life. I am starting to really enjoy talking with the patients when I can; it's nice to get to know locals and interact with them for a brief period of time. A lot of the patients ask if I am a doctor too :-) I'm really thankful that I am able to get this experience and have this internship, as well as being immersed in this culture because it's helping me to become a better person in regards to my education, as well as learn a new way of life. Sorry for the delayed post! I was really busy this weekend and today was a busy day as well! Time is really starting to go by really quickly here. Anyways, this past weekend was a lot of fun at the resort! The only thing that I wish I could have changed was the fact that it was cloudy and foggy the entire weekend, so we weren't actually able to see the volcano :-( however, I enjoyed everything else that I did this weekend! On Friday, when we arrived, our program coordinator told us that there was an earthquake in a different part of the country, and it was supposedly a big one. But we didn't feel any of it in the part of the country that we were driving through. I attached a photo of the view from our room at the resort! I was in love with all the green, lush plants and flowers. It was beautiful! If you're my friend on Facebook, check out my album of photos because there are really pretty flowers and other scenery that I saw around the resort. On Saturday, I enjoyed a horseback tour that was supposed to take us close to the volcano; however, it was so foggy and cloudy that we were not able to see much of anything (I attached a photo of the horseback tour). After the tour, my friends and I relaxed and spent some time in the hot springs area (I also attached a photo of this) - the hot springs were HEAVENLY! I wish I could have spent more time in them! I also ate a LOT this weekend at the resort because they had breakfast and dinner buffets ;-) On Sunday morning, we had a boat tour on the artificial lake that is at the base of the volcano. However, due to fog and clouds once again, we weren't able to see the volcano. We were literally on the lake going through fog (see last photo attached). It was crazy! I was really disappointed that we weren't able to see the volcano, but it's okay. Some of my friends here who are in another study abroad program told me that they went to another volcano that is about 1 hour from the city that we are in (Arenal Volcano was about 3.5-4hours away), so I'm thinking maybe in February or March when I have some free weekends, to see if any of my friends want to go for a day trip to the other volcano.
Today was a busy day as well. I had my Spanish class this morning, which I was falling asleep in, so I bought a mokachino on campus (not sure if I've posted about those before on my blog with that same name, but it's the cheap cappuccino mochas that I can get on campus). After that, I had my internship at the clinic from 1-4pm (yes, they worked out all the issues...no, no one has told me what happened, but as long as they got it taken care of, that's fine with me!). After the clinic, my friend Alyssa needed to go to the supermarket and wasn't sure where to go, so I went with her and ended up buying some individual packets of the mokachino mix because I did the math and it would be cheaper to spend money on the packets now, instead of buying one on campus when I need it. I've got a busy week ahead of me - two class field trips, one exam, and one presentation! Then, another excursion to Monteverde (a rainforest) this weekend. More information on that tomorrow because I have a meeting about it tomorrow. So excited for this excursion again - hopefully we will have better weather! :-) |
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