Today was a beautiful day in Costa Rica! The temperature was in the 70s and it was sunny and warm. It was a perfect day for exploring the city, and that's what I did. My roommate, her friend, and I left this morning around 10:30am and walked about 20-25minutes to the San Pedro Mall. We browsed all the little shops that they had, and found a lot of cute stuff (but I didn't end up buying anything because I wanted to save my money!). They also had people on the sidewalks who were hand-making bracelets and selling them for about $2 (American dollars). Definitely a little spot where I would like to visit again before I return to the States! We also discovered a little fresh market with a lot of American brands (Ramen noodles, Chips Ahoy cookies, Tostitos chips, salsa, queso, etc., sushi, and so many other products! They also had local brands and local snacks, as well as fresh bread, fruits, and vegetables. I also noticed that they had a cappuccino/coffee/mocha machine that dispensed hot beverages for under $2 (American dollars). I still have yet to try their mochas here. The university that I am attending has a beverage dispenser like that, so I am planning on trying that out sometime this week!
After the fresh market and the mall, we went back to the house and had some lunch before going out again to a multiplaza that is about 10minutes near our house. We weren't too sure as to where it was, but we heard a lot of different people talking about it, so we just wandered in the direction of where we thought it was and we found it! I will attach a photo of this plaza below. It basically was two floors of little clothes shops, electronic shops, pharmacies, flower shops, shoe stores, pastries and cake stores... and it had its own food court. So much to do in that plaza! We ended up buying things from a cosmetic store (I'm interested in trying out their makeup and seeing if it works better than my things from the States). I got some mascara and some aloe Vera face wipes for freshening up throughout the day. I'm exhausted! We did SO much walking. I want to say we did at least 4-5miles today! At least it was cheaper than taking a taxi everywhere, and we were able to explore the areas more fully. We also discovered a little park near our house, and there's this grassy area that is between two buildings, and the walls of the buildings has graffiti all over it. I wanted to take a photo of it, but I didn't have my camera with me. But next time I will be more prepared! Tonight, we are probably just going to have dinner and relax. We are exhausted from all the walking! Last night, I also found a website that shows free episodes of The Office (all 9 seasons!) so I will probably lay in bed watching that once the sun goes down.
Life here is definitely different from life in the States. Something I noticed that is a common "norm" is that dogs and cats (and other animals, probably) freely use the bathroom anywhere they can (including on the sidewalk and on the streets). It's probably because these houses are really close together, and there is no yard space (I will also attach a photo of some houses that are near my house so you can have a visual). Another crazy thing from today - I saw my share of dead animals on the streets. We saw a huge cockroach with long arms (it was probably about 2-3inches long...UGH!) and we saw a dead pigeon in the middle of the road. Anyways, hope everyone is having a good weekend!
After the fresh market and the mall, we went back to the house and had some lunch before going out again to a multiplaza that is about 10minutes near our house. We weren't too sure as to where it was, but we heard a lot of different people talking about it, so we just wandered in the direction of where we thought it was and we found it! I will attach a photo of this plaza below. It basically was two floors of little clothes shops, electronic shops, pharmacies, flower shops, shoe stores, pastries and cake stores... and it had its own food court. So much to do in that plaza! We ended up buying things from a cosmetic store (I'm interested in trying out their makeup and seeing if it works better than my things from the States). I got some mascara and some aloe Vera face wipes for freshening up throughout the day. I'm exhausted! We did SO much walking. I want to say we did at least 4-5miles today! At least it was cheaper than taking a taxi everywhere, and we were able to explore the areas more fully. We also discovered a little park near our house, and there's this grassy area that is between two buildings, and the walls of the buildings has graffiti all over it. I wanted to take a photo of it, but I didn't have my camera with me. But next time I will be more prepared! Tonight, we are probably just going to have dinner and relax. We are exhausted from all the walking! Last night, I also found a website that shows free episodes of The Office (all 9 seasons!) so I will probably lay in bed watching that once the sun goes down.
Life here is definitely different from life in the States. Something I noticed that is a common "norm" is that dogs and cats (and other animals, probably) freely use the bathroom anywhere they can (including on the sidewalk and on the streets). It's probably because these houses are really close together, and there is no yard space (I will also attach a photo of some houses that are near my house so you can have a visual). Another crazy thing from today - I saw my share of dead animals on the streets. We saw a huge cockroach with long arms (it was probably about 2-3inches long...UGH!) and we saw a dead pigeon in the middle of the road. Anyways, hope everyone is having a good weekend!