In a Nutshell

For only having a week off, I managed to cram a lot in. Here is my week in a nutshell. Most of the time I spent in San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica, with my friend Karina. She was the cook during both my semesters at Capernwray Bible School Portantorchas (http://www.portantorchas.org/). I was able to visit the school and the staff who still work there. That brought back many great memories of my 8 months there in 2006.

Me in front of the kiosko (classroom) at Portantorchas

After that I visited a good friend, Laura, who is currently working as a tour guide in the rainforests of Monteverde. Consequently I got to do a canopy zipline and 2 guided walks through the rainforest, one at night and one in the morning. I got to see (and hear) howler monkeys, an armadillo, a coati, an emerald toucanet, as well as various butterflies, orchids, and insects. While in Monteverde I visited a serpentarium (snakes), ranarium (frogs), and butterfly gardens. Having a biology degree I found this extremely interesting.

Laura and I before the zipline tour

One of the guides on the zipline

Laura and I on one of the hanging bridges in the rainforest canopy

A green iguana at the serpentarium

A boa constrictor

A butterfly in the butterfly gardens

From the mountains I went to the beach. Karina's mom rents some cabins on beachfront property in Parrita. So Karina and I went first to Manuel Antonio (one of my favourite white sand, calm water tourist beaches) and then to Playa Bandera (a deserted black sand beach with crashing waves). I got to see white-faced capuchin monkeys, sloths, and iguanas.

Manuel Antonio beach inside the national park

A white-faced capuchin monkey at Manuel Antonio

Karina after a day on the beach

Playa Bandera

Playa Bandera

Our cabin by the beach

Drinking and eating a coconut on the beach

Returning back to the capital, I was able to visit another friend, Fresia, and her family who I had met on a number of occasions. Her sister actually just got back from Capernwray Bible School on Thetis Island, BC, Canada. Before leaving Costa Rica, I was able to enjoy some typical Costa Rican food, such as gallo pinto and Pops ice cream, as well as some American food that I can't get in Tactic, such as Subway and Rootbeer (which they call Zarza). Karina and I went to an exercise gym, and I got a new pair of shoes (I cannot buy shoes in Tactic because they do not sell my size. Overall it was a wonderful trip.

Eating Subway

A traditional Costa Rican meal at McDonalds

Wonderful, yes. Perfect, no. Transportation issues made this a real adventure. Three times I was on buses that broke down. I got ripped off by a taxi driver. Once I got on the wrong bus and once I got off at the wrong stop. In hind sight, I should have bought a prepaid cell phone when I arrived since my Guatemalan phone has no service there and ended up breaking anyway. Also, my camera case got stolen/lost/left behind. Thankfully it only had my spare batteries in it and not my memory cards or the camera itself! Then, to top it all off, my flight back to Guatemala was cancelled. I didn't have access to internet all week and therefore was uninformed of the change. As a result, Copa Airlines put me up in a hotel for the night, covering the costs of transportation to and from, as well as dinner, breakfast, and a free international phone call. They rebooked my flight for the next morning, which turned out not to be a problem for those picking me up in Guatemala. Thanks to this dilemma, I enjoyed the jacuzzi, air conditioning, a comfy double bed, and carpet on the floor! I feel so fortunate and blessed. God has been so good to me. Despite transportation and communication glitches, I felt at peace and not anxious or afraid the entire week. I managed to find my way around San Jose. I got to see my friends and experience the best of Costa Rica.

Waiting for a new bus

The Ramada Hotel

One of the many tropical flowers