Without Walls

I continue with caution as I see my friends sitting on this faintly lighted porch. I am not even in the house yet, but am able to see the kitchen and living room all made out of wood. I hope the walls are just glass, but as I penetrate through these perceived glass walls, I realize they are built out of nothing but air. I hear comments coming at me from the eight other people – “we are camping in the jungle”, “we will get robbed,” “I am not sleeping here.” Then others reply, “This house is awesome,” “This will be so much fun.” These contradicting attitudes coincided with the contradicting personalities; either way we had to understand we had paid for four nights in a house without walls. We all begin to calm down and work out sleeping arrangements. We start to head to bed and surround ourselves with a white net to protect ourselves from insects. Screams are coming from every bedroom but I knew nobody was hurt; just another bug had entered the other rooms and there was no need to leave my safe net.
The next night is similar to last but I could tell attitudes had begun to change. We are all smiling in what we now refer to as our “tree house.” Now it’s the third night and all fears of the unknown had disappeared and even some people who despised the house initially are now having a surprisingly fun time. I cannot tell if their attitudes had changed because this is so different from what they are used to or because they were just in the company of friends. Beaches, scooters, restaurants, cooking (which was surprisingly a tasty treat from the expected cheap and easy to make Ramen Noodles my other college friends usually cook), swimming, card games, or just being in the jungle in Costa Rica - I don’t know which one of these was the catalyst, but on the fourth night, not only was the house without walls, we all had now let down our walls as well. “Life has taken us elsewhere” and are living in the moment.
We continued from Manzanillo, fifteen minutes down the coast, to the more tourist-focused town of Puerto Viejo, we all are sad to leave our “jungle house.” We talk about housing in Puerto Viejo, and no one cares anymore – the fact was we had overcome our hopes of a luxurious vacation with air-conditioned room in order to fulfill something much deeper. This deeper goal was not to better understand ourselves; at this point we understood this was far from important, but rather to live for the moment with no regrets and to take what life handed us. We couldn’t be disappointed if we didn’t have any expectations. If life never gave us walls again we would never be disappointed.
MM

Monteverde

Our trip to Montverde was wet, wild, and wonderful, for the first time in many of our lives we walked with our heads in the clouds. We felt the sensation of being free and amidst bodies full of tiny particles of pure water. The wind tore across the landscape as if to rip every tree from its roots yet everything flexed and held with each attack. We walked with, flew against, and became part of this invisible force during our short time in this mystical place.
As we reached the end of our worn path, rolling gusts of air and clouds greeted us, whipping our voices in all directions of the compass. Our laughter at the sight of each other was barely audible as the wind carried it away. Though we had entered the forest dry and cozy, we left the reserve with dripping hair, damp clothing, yet content hearts and aching stomachs from laughing so hard. That is what Montverde is; the opportunity to enjoy the unpredictable weather, see pristine and virgin land untouched by human progress, and enter a world one may never set foot in again. ZK

Ole-Ole Ole Ole-Ole Ole- Azul Azul!”

Sunday February 25, 2007 I sat down in my Tico sister’s bedroom. I pulled out my Costa Rica for Dummies book and began searching for things to do during Spring Break and asking for her advice, because she traveled a lot before having her son Andoni. Then the Saprissa soccer match came on the local channel 7 television station. The Saprissa soccer team represents the San Jose Province in Costa Rica. There are two teams that represent this region, but my Tico family routes for Saprissa, so I’ve also taken on this team, as if they were my own home team.
This sport, soccer to us, futbol to them, happens to be the most popular sport in all of Latin America. Teams range from small town teams like my neighborhood Sabanilla Team, to minor league teams, to major league teams, like the Saprissa team. I tried to round up the troops, meaning other soccer fans, when my Tica sister told me that the Saprissa team was playing in San Jose on Wednesday night, so that I could share this experience with them, but there was only one brave soul who agreed to go with me, considering all of the recent fights that had occurred in different soccer stadiums throughout the world.
The plan: to meet at 7:30 for a game that started at 8:30 in Parque de Sabanilla, where we always meet. Then, there was a phone call; we needed to leave at 7:00 pm because there was going to be a large crowd, because the opposing team, Cartargo, was located near San Jose. They would have a lot of fans.
We met at 7:00 pm in the Parque de Sabanilla, catch a Taxi, because the buses are slow during this time of the day. We get in and tell the driver, ‘Estadio de Saprissa, por favor.’ A ride that we thought would be no longer than 10 minutes, turned into a 20 minute drive and a traffic jam because the taxi driver didn’t have change for what they consider large colones bills. We made our way through the enthusiastically dressed fans and street venders, grilling chicken on sticks, selling ‘hot’ tickets for $2 more than the original price, selling sports memorabilia and the other crowds of people drinking beer on the streets and about 6 different entrances into the massive stadium. We began to panic, but only a little, because with our combined knowledge we found out where to buy tickets, which entrance to go through, and which section to sit in.
“Ole-Ole Ole Ole-Ole Ole- Azul Azul!” the Cartargo soccer fans screamed as Mark and I entered the brightly colored purple soccer stadium in the San Jose countryside Wednesday March 6, 2007. We went to buy a beer and some snacks before heading to ours seats, to find that alcoholic beverages aren’t sold in the stadiums, which explains why people were drinking in the streets. We stepped into the stadium, asked the man for our seats and he pointed to the front row, and said “sit anywhere.” “For real?” we asked ourselves. “We paid 4 mil. in colones, which equals 8 American dollars, for front row seats!” This was unbelievable. We decided to sit on the 4th row so that we could see the entire field. The stadium, not as packed as we once had thought it would be, turned into a surround sound speaker as the echoing chants from the two teams’ fans filled the chill in the air.
The game commenced and the fans went wild. As the game continued the fans began to throw things like their cups, and their snacks and since we were sitting on the front row, I was hit in the head. The players were intense and the one’s who on the bench warmed up the entire half hoping to get a minute of play. The game was tied with 3 minutes left in the game and Mark I decided it was time to go since there was a scarcity of Taxi’s in this area of town. The next morning I woke up and told my Tico mom about the game to find out that Cartargo had actually won by scoring an extra goal in the last couple of minutes. This was their past time as baseball is considered our past time in the U.S.A. This was truly what we consider an ‘ethnographic moment.’ I was experiencing something that was, to me, greatness and culture at it’s finest.

posted by VS

life took us elsewhere

In an unexpected visit to Tartulas, 8 of us experienced the rainforest's spectacular beauty up close. The forest wakes up in the morning in a busy whirring, clacking, whizzing, clucking, snapping symphony and goes to bed at night in the same way just a different tune. The sun takes an hour to sift from the top of the mountains down to our river hammocks. Some of our gang went ziplining through the forest in the moonlight under the careful guidence of biology students and outdoor educators. Others watched the birds drift along the up drafts and others went in search of crocodiles and herons and the elusive waterfalls. As K so eloquently put it.. "studying abroad is being in the classroom 24/7 every minute there is something new I must try to learn and understand"

K&K - Sunday

This trip began on a Sunday morning at about 6 o’clock. The group included the two Gringas (us), Katie’s Tico Mom, Dad and Sister, along with extended family and friends. In total, there were 11 people getting ready for an adventure. We went into this knowing no more than the name of the place we were going and we barely even knew that. Tortuguero was the destination, but time and transportation was unknown to us because of our inability to understand Spanish. We quickly learned the universal language of “smile and nod.”

The trip began in the back roads of Sabanilla and quickly extended into the winding mountainous roads. We passed through the longest tunnel of Costa Rica… well the only tunnel in Costa Rica. Most of the scenery during our drive was farmland, rainforest and banana plantations. In a matter of seconds, the nicely paved roads were transformed into a bumpy roller coaster ride of rocks and dirt. We thought the bumpy roads were a signal that we were almost there, but little did we know this ride was to be 45 minutes.

We finally arrived at what seemed to be our destination; a large shack constructed for the cars of those who come to Tortuguero. We looked around and realized there was nothing but cows, grass and stray animals. We thought to ourselves, “where are we and what are we doing?” It didn’t bother us that we didn’t know where we were going; we were simply in it for the adventure.

Katie’s family led us through the grass about a hundred meters to a boat sitting in a shallow canal. We asked no questions; we simply got in the boat and sat down not having a clue where it was taking us. The man on the boat started driving the boat with a long wooden stick while another was up ahead pulling wooden logs out of the water. We continuously got stuck because of the low water level. At times we got stuck so bad that all the men aboard had to get off and help push us through the shallow waters.

What seemed like another shallow area of the canal was actually a stop for all of us. We struck ground and then the driver of the boat turned around and yelled “Venga Todos.” Now, if you don’t know Spanish, this is a command for everyone to come and follow the driver. Well we did just that but had no idea what we were getting ourselves into! The diver proceeded to lead us through a valley of tall grass and mud. About ten minutes into the hike, we began to question our trust in this boat guide. He simply told us to come, and so we did, but we had no idea where or why. Also, we left our bags back on the boat like they told us to and we began to regret that decision.

At last we turned a corner and were pleasantly surprised to see our boat waiting for us! How it got there… we have no idea! We climbed back on the boat and began to enjoy our surroundings. The small canal turned into a heavy flowing river surrounded by jungle and wildlife which then took us straight to our final destination of Tortuguero.

When we landed at shore, the first experience we encountered was a group of locals dressing a 4 foot Tarpin. As we continued on our journey, curiously following our Tico family, we became filled with excitement with our surroundings. Small dirt paths, no cars, small stores and friendly people made our day exceptional. Katie’s family led us to the beach just about 400 yards from the river. They set their belongings down there while we went to explore the area. We walked up and down the little town discovering all it had to offer. Along the way, we met several people from the area who we attempted to have a conversation with in Spanish. They were some of the most successful Spanish conversations we have had since we got here! One of the men we met made jewelry for a living and so we bought two necklaces and a bracelet from him…I think we made his week. One of the other men we met gave us advice about what restaurant to have lunch at because we were starving!

Lunch was wonderful! It was very “American” but absolutely delicious. We ate right beside the river surrounded by lush plants and beautiful flowers. After lunch, we made our way back to the beach in order to accompany the rest of the group with their lunch. They chose a local soda that made typical Tico meals.

Once they were done with lunch we all went to a park near the river. In the park there was a dock where we could jump in the water and swim. We all took a dip in the cool water and some of us took turns jumping off the dock. This is where we really began to feel connected to the family. Lots of laughs and chistes (jokes) filled the air as we played in the water. We didn’t understand them and they didn’t understand us, but the universal language of fun is all the same.

Close to four O’clock we slowly made our way over to the place where the boat dropped us off. The boat was there waiting for us, but this time it was very full of visitors and locals wanting to make their way to the mainland as well. The only way to get to any other city or place in Costa Rica was to take some kind of boat like the one we were on, so it was no surprise to us that the boat was quite full.

thoughts of M&M - read on..

This blog is being posted by M & M and represents their thoughts on the experience. Our quote for the weekend was: If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water – Loren Eiseley What follows is a wonderful combination of insights and photos.. be patient viewer.. it is worth the "read" enjoy it!

This weekend was a fabulous weekend at Manuel Antonio. Some of us explored the water and its treasures by renting a boat, and others drove ATVs to discover the countryside. No matter what activities we participated in, everyone was stimulated by the sand and surf. There is no accurate way to convey the country’s splendor without breaking down the five senses.

Hearing

The first thing we noticed upon arrival at Manuel Antonio was the hustle and bustle of the main strip. We could hear the laughter of families spending the day together as well as angry drivers honking at tour buses to clear the road. After the air breaks released and the bus doors opened, the sound of the waves drew us towards the sea. Against the rocky ledges, the ebbing tide just captured us. It was like the irresistible mating call of birds. Just beyond the ocean is one of Costa Rica’s diverse forests, which is a world of its own. There seemed to be a symphony of monkeys, birds, and bugs, composing the beautiful song of nature.

Smell

At daybreak, the aroma of Costa Rican coffee couldn’t help but creep into one’s nose. To accentuate the freshly roasted beans, sweet and potent fruits, such as pineapple and watermelon, filled the air. Sitting amidst the exotic flowers at breakfast gave more depth to the delightful coast. While walking down the sandy path to the shore, one could not escape the smells of suntan lotion and salty air, which were precursors to a beautiful, sunny, and hot day.

Taste

There was not one person who did not venture into the depths of the ocean. Whether it was through surfing, snorkeling, or swimming, everyone could not forget the familiar taste of salt water. While water itself is an unavoidable entity of life, there is something enchanting about the bitter yet smooth water that tickles the tongue. Each of us will always be able to savor the sea of Costa Rica.

Touch

Besides the obvious yet enjoyable touches of sand and sea, we cherished finer details that brushed up against our sun-kissed skin. At the end of the exhausting yet pleasurable day, nothing felt better than the cool sheets against one’s heated body. If someone was not tired enough to go to bed, he or she could curl up in the tightly woven hammock and turn the pages of a beach novel. The hammock was like a cocoon. After resting, one would emerge from this safe haven only to have the soft air caress their body.

Sight

No words can do this country justice.

cataratas y mariposa

The first field trip to the waterfalls and the butterflys was epic with many unexpected adventures. This is one of those places on Earth that leaves you in awe of the complexity of nature and the power of water. As we move through the week, the rumble and spray stays with us all.