Spanish Journal

December 14th,2012

Today we decided to be lazy. We spent the morning making food and lounging around the hotel. It wasn’t until Carlos and his friend cam by the room, that we did something. He told us to grab a swimsuits because we were heading to the famous waterfall. We walked up to the water fall to just take in it’s beauty. The thing is we weren’t really all to ready to venture in to the chilly watrer.

It was a good thing becuase they had packed a pininic for us after the horse back ride up.The trail ruans through pasture and rainforest.We spotted animals like toucans, monkeys, and other tropical creatures. It took about 15 minutes to hike down the stair set to the waterfall and an hour to arrive by horse. After laying down and relaxing awhile we decide to go swimmming in the waterfall. It was amazing and cold!

We spent the rest of the relxing there and not ginving a care. We ended up going back the hotel to eat dinner and watch movies. I should probably make a post about the food soon.Yeah, I think I’ll write one tomorrow, but until then take care.

Dember 13th, 2012

Okay, it’s history time! My friend doesn’t want to do anything since we just got to La Fortuna.

The history of La Fortuna and the Arenal Volcano have been connected for decades. The volcano Arenal reared it massive head and awoke after a 400 year slumber and violently erupted in 1968 with the largest eruption in its recent history. It had been dormant so long it was thought by the locals to be a mere mountain. Actually, Arenal is an almost perfect cone, soaring 1,633 meters above sea level and has a crater 140 meters deep formed over an ancient caldera.

The volcano dates back to about 3 million years ago. In 1968, Arenal (which means “sandy”) spewed ash, rocks, and gas for 3 consecutive days and when the smoke finally cleared the nearby villages of Tabacon, Pueblo Nuevo and San Luis were no more. From this catastrophic tragedy, La Fortuna (meaning ‘the Fortune’), was born as the town center and village for the Arenal Volcano area and like moths to a flame, tourists from around the world started descending on La Fortuna in search of fiery night skies. I think that’s about all I know of the volcano hopefully Carlos will tell me more about this great place.

Day 12th, 2012

Today was our last day in San Jose which is a good thing, because it was the best day ever. The town of San Jose spent the whole day setting up and decorating for Fiesta de la Yeguita . It is celebrated with religious processions, masses, and costumed dancing. Costa Rica is a Catholic country, and many of its festivals and public holidays are based on religious events and celebrations. During the public holidays, all businesses, services, banks, post offices, and government offices are closed.

Carlos’ mom let me and my friend borrow some of her older dresses she wore for the occasion. They were very colorful dresses to say the least but very fun. The festival started in the late afternoon and continued to late in the morning.  There was music and art every where. They had dancer who were costumed in honor of  Virgin of Guadalupe. The had special foods,flutes and drums from left to right. We met so many interesting people at the festival and it was so beautiful. During the night they had an amazing display of fireworks that would take your breathe away. I’m kind of really sad it is over but I’ll find new stuff to do in La Fortuna.

Day 11, 2012

Today was along day, but totally worth it. We of course made our way to Galería Namu. This fair-trade gallery run by Aisling French did a great job at bringing together artwork and crafts from a diverse population of regional ethnicities. We found a lovely array of Boruca masks, finely woven Wounaan baskets, Guaymí dolls, Bribrí canoes, Chorotega ceramics and Huetar carvings, as well as contemporary urban and Afro-Caribbean crafts. They said they can also help arrange visits to remote indigenous territories in different parts of Costa Rica.

After spending some time in Galería Namu, we headed to Biesanz Woodworks. It was kind of hard to find, but it’s a good thing we had Carlos. The shop is one of the finest wood crafting studios in the nation. It is run by the celebrated artist Barry Biesanz. his bowls and other decorative containers were exquisite and took their inspiration from pre-Columbian techniques. He said the natural lines and forms of the wood determine the shape and size of the bowl.The pieces are expensive (Mine was $85 for a palm-size bowl), but it was so unique and so delicately crafted that it wouldn’t be out of place in a museum.

We decided to eat before we went back to the hotel to rest. We stopped at Restaurante Shakti. It is a neighborhood health-food outpost that  has simple, organic-focused cooking as well as freshly baked goods. There was stuff on the menu like veggie burgers, along with various fish dishes, but most people arrive for the casadoof the day (which is always vegetarian). The plates were so beautiful , the menu was very extended. There were diverse flavors, the smoothies were so good, and the desserts were very  healthy and delicious. The best thing was that they had art every where. there were different paintings and Sculptures of very famous artist from central américa, for sale, so they were constantly changing. It was a great place to eat and hang out after a long day.

December 10th, 2012

It always seems to be the perfect weather here in Costa Rica. Today the guy we met on the bus, who we later found out is named Carlos, showed us around San Jose. We stopped at the Pueblo Antiguo for today’s fun. This singular theme park gave us an unforgettable experience of color, music and wonderful food. It showed three important aspects of great cultural and historical relevance, recreated in a very realistic setting: the city at the turn of the century, the countryside and the Caribbean coast. Something like magic occurs through the architecture, live folklore dances and songs, carnivals, fireworks, boat rides. We spent the whole day there and it was pure perfection in my eyes. Tomorrow we plan on going to Galería Namu, so I better rest up.

(a picture taken at Pueblo Antiguo )

December 9th, 2012

We are in Costa Rica’s capital right now. San Jose happens to be the nation’s largest city. San José is the seat of national government, the focal point of political and economic activity, and the major transportation hub of this Central American nation. We stopped here because it’s right on our way to La Fortuna de San Carlos which happens to be out next stop. We might stay here a couple days because it seem  like a rather interesting place.

Culturally, the city can be considered almost entirely European influenced, in part because of Spanish immigration soon after Costa Rica’s discovery by Christopher Columbus, and the privileged classes which generally studied in Europe during the nineteenth century and early twentieth century. This can be seen in the architecture of the city, namely theaters, museums and houses in the city center. It is named in honor of Joseph of Nazareth.Even though the city’s center is almost uninhabited, it is the most important working area of the country, which brings in more than a million people daily. Despite its problems, according to studies in Latin America, San José is still one of the safest and least violent cities in the region. I know all of this because on of the locals has studied the history of Costa Rica since he was in grade school. I think it might be a good idea to talk to him and get the low down on this place.

December 8th, 2012

Today was the last day in Santa Elena. We decided to walk up early to do the things we didn’t get to do in the last three days.We went on one of the horse back riding tours. Horseback riding is truly one of the best ways to experience Monteverde’s astounding wilderness, as you can cover several miles in a few hours.

Monteverde’s plains have an average temperature of 64°f, is green all year long and offers endless mountain views. The daytime horse trips,take place within an exclusive 139-hectare (343-acre) farm, whose quiet trails and amazing views make for a memorable and pleasant experience. We had the opportunity to spot toucans, bellbirds and parrots, as well as monkeys, sloths and agouti. We passed  mountains and canyons, rode through primary and secondary forest, and spotted the Gulf of Nicoya in the distance.

We went on the 8 A.M tour which only costed us $60 for 4 hours. It literally had the best weather. After that we took a trip to the butterfly garden known locally as Mariposario. It is located between the town of Santa Elena and the Monteverde reserve. The Butterfly Garden is comprised of four climate-controlled butterfly gardens, a medicinal plant garden, a biodiversity center, and a live leafcutter ant colony. Each of the four butterfly gardens represents a different Costa Rican habitat.

The garden was founded in 1989 by biologist Jim Wolfe and his wife Marta with the goal of educating visitors about Costa Rica’s native insect and butterfly populations. They have been hand-raising butterflies and other insects for the past sixteen years, and have a wealth of knowledge about these fragile creatures. Unlike other gardens that buy their chrysalides, all of the butterflies in the garden are bred on the premises. We had an up-close and personal experience with the creatures and learned about their breeding and feeding habits.

We were lucky to we went in the afternoon because they are most active between 10 A.M and 3 P.M.  We stayed at the butterfly garden for awhile and then headed to the frog pond.  Some of the frogs and toads on hand include the colorful poison arrow frog, crowned frog, marine toad, cane toad, leopard frog, hourglass frog, and the famous red-eyed tree frog.The Monteverde Frog Pond is committed to educating its visitors on both the beauty and bounty of frogs, as well as the threats they currently face around the world.Frogs and toads are currently undergoing a massive global decline. Part of the proceeds from the ticket sales goes to conservation and research efforts.  The frog pond was quite enjoyable and we left to the Monteverde Cheese cake factor for a nice dinner.

We walked around after dinner and waited for the perfect time to take one of Monteverdes famous night tours. When we got there they gave of a flashlight, an animal identification-card and led  through the trail.The card explained the various creatures we were likely to see, and  helped us spot and recognize the various animals, insects and amphibians within the reserve. We saw snakes, spiders (most notably, hole-dwelling tarantulas), blue-crowned mot mots, agoutis, porcupines, and tree frogs. The night was wonderful and it was the best way to end our stay at Santa Elena.

December 7th, 2012

Today we went on a guided tour through the Santa Elena Reserve. This reserve wasn’t as big as the Monteverde reserve but it was just as alluring. It was green and lush and the hike was sublime. There was moss and flowers growing on almost every tree.  The clouds would drift in the slopes and basically give the plants the water they require. The vines and dangling roots would sweep across the trails. You could hear  birds and other animals echoing through the forest. At the highest point you could get an overlook of the volcanoes and clouds that roamed among the forest.

After or hike through the Santa Elena reserve we went on one of their famous Don Juan coffee and chocolate tour. The tour was two hours and started at one of the coffee shops at the plantation.  We learned the processes of planting and drying  coffee plants. Since it was in season we got to participate in the rip coffee picking. We saw the grinder house and saw all the different methods used to grind the coffee. We were told the history behind the coffee, chocolate, and sugar cane they produce.  After the tour we headed home but stopped at one of the little restaurants and had dinner. It was a long and exhausting but rather enjoyable day.

(Map of the Santa Elena trail)

(Water fall at Santa Elena)

(View from the highest point)

(Part of the coffee and chocolate tour)

(A picture of one of the local restaurants in the town)

December 6,2012

Today is the day we actually did something exciting. We took yesterday of because we woke up late but not today. Since we were in Puntarenas we decided to go to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. It is 25,700 acres of pure perfection. Just hiking up the trail a couple feet guarantees you’ll see one of the 100 mammals that reside there. it was so beautiful, I saw plants I’ve never seen before. Later I found out that there are 2,500 different kinds of plants and over 400 kinds of birds at the reserve.

The air was the perfect temperature and it felt nicer as we hiked higher. The reserve was only open from 7 a.m to 4 p.m but I wished it would have stayed open longer.  The hike was crowded at first but as you got higher the crowd lessened. The sky trek was amazing, you could see all of the trees, and sky was a clear blue.  Before heading back to the cabin we’re staying in we went to one of the art galleries. We saw all kinds of art and we were only a 15 minute walk from the town.  It was the perfect end to a perfect day.

(The hike up to the sky trek)

December 4th, 2012

I hate connecting flights, but I guess I would hate a long flight just as much. I also hate having to get a Passport but I guess that’s what I had to do if I wanted to visit. Oh, but thank God I only had to get a passport and not a visa.  I had to go from Alaska to Seattle, and from Seattle to my final destination, Costa Rica. They were  rather boring and dull flights but I’m hoping that it would be worth it in the end. There really wasn’t much of a time difference, in fact it is only a three hour time difference.

I did pack the  necessary things for a trip like this one. I brought a couple of shirts and a two dresses. Made sure I brought a jacket and sweater in case I visit a place with higher elevation. I packed hiking shoes, light weight dress sandals, and river sandals. I didn’t forget  to bring shorts or long pants. I packed things  like towels for a hike through the hot springs, things needed to keep up good hygiene , a first aid kit, and all the medical and female products that are hard to find in rural areas. Not to mention  books, sunglasses, sunscreen, maps, and documents. I really should have to worry about converting U.S currency into Costa Rican currency because most of the prices are listed in U.S dollars.

I really hope I meet new people while on this trip. I want to learn the culture and their ways. I think it would be wonderful to hike in the mountains and see things I couldn’t see in Alaska.  I want to talk to people who can tell me things I would have never know if I hadn’t come to visit. I’m traveling with a friend, so I hope they don’t slow me down, but I also hope that it’s safer. I just want to know  Costa Rica as well as I know Alaska, and that’s the only reason I’m on this trip.