There is a lot of ridiculousness happening right now, and all will be blogged shortly, but this I had to get down:
Every Tico I have spoken to has lied to me about their age. And the number of kids/wives/girlfriends they have.
Real suave guys.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Surfing, Yoga, Pilates and five forties
Yesterday was a blissfully perfect day. It started off early with some surfing, and Gabby even got a little riskay and paddled out! I on the other hand, enjoyed some olas tranquílas in the white wash, soaked in the sun and salt water, and let the salt water cure my cold. I even caught a wave or two, which was nice.
We headed back to Escuela del Mundo, went and got some local food at the soda (gallo pinto, juevos, ensalada, jugo de limón), and then cooked in the sun by the pool until yoga.
Yoga time thoroughly kicked my ass and cleansed my body and soul. I have never sweated so much in my life, and it felt great. I had so much energy during class, and did some poses that I have never been able to do. This also did a good deal on my cold, and by the end, I felt nice and refreshed.
Through some connections, we were able to go to a free two hour pilates class en Playa Hermosa, which is a much more laid back beach than Jaco. We did half of the pilates class right on the beach, and the rest on a second floor hut overlooking the beach. Our sivasina was to thundering tropical rain surrounding us and ocean waves crashing against the sand. When class was done, we chatted with Ali, the entrepreneur that is opening this new pilates studio, and we watched the most incredible sunset from her boyfriend's restaurant next door. This is when we decided that it might be a good idea to extend our stay...
But, a night a Friday in Jacó isn't complete without some debauchery, so, to balance out a morning of health and happiness, we bought 5 forties of imperial and had ourselves a good ol' time with some beerpong and flipcup. Let´s just say team America held their own. Fuck ya. And, to cap of the night, in true baller fashion, not one, but TWO guys at the house got their third nipples pierced. Yes...their third nipples. No further comments are necessary.
I'm sad to see some of the coolest people we've met here head back, but I suppose that's all part of the traveling experience. It also gives us an excuse to have a reunion in the not-so-distant future.
Now, we're off on a few day adventure on the Caribbean coast.
¡Pura Vida!
We headed back to Escuela del Mundo, went and got some local food at the soda (gallo pinto, juevos, ensalada, jugo de limón), and then cooked in the sun by the pool until yoga.
Yoga time thoroughly kicked my ass and cleansed my body and soul. I have never sweated so much in my life, and it felt great. I had so much energy during class, and did some poses that I have never been able to do. This also did a good deal on my cold, and by the end, I felt nice and refreshed.
Through some connections, we were able to go to a free two hour pilates class en Playa Hermosa, which is a much more laid back beach than Jaco. We did half of the pilates class right on the beach, and the rest on a second floor hut overlooking the beach. Our sivasina was to thundering tropical rain surrounding us and ocean waves crashing against the sand. When class was done, we chatted with Ali, the entrepreneur that is opening this new pilates studio, and we watched the most incredible sunset from her boyfriend's restaurant next door. This is when we decided that it might be a good idea to extend our stay...
But, a night a Friday in Jacó isn't complete without some debauchery, so, to balance out a morning of health and happiness, we bought 5 forties of imperial and had ourselves a good ol' time with some beerpong and flipcup. Let´s just say team America held their own. Fuck ya. And, to cap of the night, in true baller fashion, not one, but TWO guys at the house got their third nipples pierced. Yes...their third nipples. No further comments are necessary.
I'm sad to see some of the coolest people we've met here head back, but I suppose that's all part of the traveling experience. It also gives us an excuse to have a reunion in the not-so-distant future.
Now, we're off on a few day adventure on the Caribbean coast.
¡Pura Vida!
Friday, July 10, 2009
A miracle
Yesterday, something miraculous happened. Yesterday, I stood up on my surfboard and rode not one, but a few Costa Rican waves. It wasn't pretty, nor was it graceful, and yes there were injuries, but man, it happened, and it felt good.
Truth be told, it would have been quite embarrassing had I not stood up yesterday. I mean, our instructor, Yeudi, is the baby amongst the instructors, and we have an inkling (or more than an inkling) that he was getting shit for our shittiness, which is, by the way, clearly our fault and not at all his fault.
So basically we decided it was time to stop being an embarrassment to our surfing instructor. Thus, the miracle.
Truth be told, it would have been quite embarrassing had I not stood up yesterday. I mean, our instructor, Yeudi, is the baby amongst the instructors, and we have an inkling (or more than an inkling) that he was getting shit for our shittiness, which is, by the way, clearly our fault and not at all his fault.
So basically we decided it was time to stop being an embarrassment to our surfing instructor. Thus, the miracle.
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Biting My tongue
Girl Surfer 1: Man I like really want a tattoo. This girl that was here before got this really awesome tattoo that said "peace" in Arabic, it was like so cool.
Guy Surfer: Uh ya except she's going back and enlisting in the military, which is ironic...
Girl surfer 1: ya it like really made me want to get a tattoo.
Me: WTF!!!!
Guy Surfer: Uh ya except she's going back and enlisting in the military, which is ironic...
Girl surfer 1: ya it like really made me want to get a tattoo.
Me: WTF!!!!
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
A good ass-kicking
So I think it's fair to say that with all my indulgence (which I have very much enjoyed) this past month, I have needed a solid ass-kicking. I think this month will give me exactly that, and I love it.
Yesterday we began our surfing and yoga classes. At 2:30, we went to the beach for two hours of surfing fun...or waves kicking our asses repeatedly, whatever. It went a little something like this: Fight the waves until you get to the surf instructor, climb on the board, clinging to the edges for dear life, get pushed into the wave, attempt to stand (or not), fail, grab the board and do it all over again. For two hours. I mean, I kind of enjoyed the physically arduous task of getting tossed around helplessly for two hours...err...masochistic? Maybe. Needless to say, I did not gracefully stand up on the board and ride a beautiful Costa Rican wave as of yet, but what's the rush? We have a whole month!
An hour and a half after, we enter yoga class one, complete with jelly-like limbs from our previous debacle. I don't know which was more taxing, the physical exhaustion from trying to contort my body in vinyassa poses for an hour and a half, or the mental exhaustion from trying to reach a meditative state as mosquitoes eat my body alive. Next time, I will lather my body in bug spray.
And today, we do it all over again. I have to say, there is something gloriously relaxing about spending a month doing physically draining activities...They keep you focused in the present and don't give your mind the downtime necessary to obsess over anything remotely stressful or draining.
All in all, I could get used to this.
Yesterday we began our surfing and yoga classes. At 2:30, we went to the beach for two hours of surfing fun...or waves kicking our asses repeatedly, whatever. It went a little something like this: Fight the waves until you get to the surf instructor, climb on the board, clinging to the edges for dear life, get pushed into the wave, attempt to stand (or not), fail, grab the board and do it all over again. For two hours. I mean, I kind of enjoyed the physically arduous task of getting tossed around helplessly for two hours...err...masochistic? Maybe. Needless to say, I did not gracefully stand up on the board and ride a beautiful Costa Rican wave as of yet, but what's the rush? We have a whole month!
An hour and a half after, we enter yoga class one, complete with jelly-like limbs from our previous debacle. I don't know which was more taxing, the physical exhaustion from trying to contort my body in vinyassa poses for an hour and a half, or the mental exhaustion from trying to reach a meditative state as mosquitoes eat my body alive. Next time, I will lather my body in bug spray.
And today, we do it all over again. I have to say, there is something gloriously relaxing about spending a month doing physically draining activities...They keep you focused in the present and don't give your mind the downtime necessary to obsess over anything remotely stressful or draining.
All in all, I could get used to this.
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Monteverde: Cloud Forest
The cloud forest en Monteverde has a series of 8 hanging bridges that allow one the surreal experience of floating above the tree tops and amongst the clouds.
It was a challenge to capture everything we were taking in via photos...
But this is a small taste.
Que disfruten.
Friday, July 03, 2009
Color accent happy
Gabs and my biggest struggle: naps. Yes, naps. We take them, convinced that we will wake up refreshed for a night on the town, but instead end up sleeping well through the night and into the morning hours.
Today we break that trend. It is 9:00 pm and we are sitting at a bar watching el partido de fútbol entre Costa Rica y El Salvador, with dos imperiales and our computers. Life is good.
Needless to say, today was a day of indulgence...but I suppose that has been the story of my life for the past month, and will likely be the story of my life for the near future.
After breakfast, complete with Gallo Pinto (which I have been craving since my days in Nicaragua) and fresh fruit (which Gabby loves...ha), we were whisked off towards Volcán Arenal and the Baldí hot springs.
One of the major highlights of our trek was our discovery of the color accent setting on our cameras. This setting has opened a world of picture-taking possibilities.
If you thought I was camera-happy before...you have no idea what this has done to me.
After a few tourist detours, we stopped for a "light lunch" which consisted of mounds of food at an open buffet, followed by a half hour full-body massage.
We then hit up the Tabacón hot springs...
The hot springs are near el volcán and are tucked into the rainforest. On a good day you can see the volcano from them.
On a day like today, the steam, mist, and fog all blend in together with the springs and waterfalls. I'll take it.
We decided that Tabacón is great honeymoon spot, or a great retired folks vacation spot. While it looks tranquil in the pics, it's actually an upscale hotel of sorts. If you ever venture to Tabacón, steer clear of the overpriced pool bar.
And this is when Gabby almost lost her swimsuit to the waterfall:
And some more color accents:
After our hot spring adventures and some more food indulgence, we finally arrived in pitch darkness to watch the flowing lava of el volcán...and what we saw was...nada. Darkness. Here are some pictures of us admiring the theoretical active volcano that exists behind the clouds:
All in all, I'm quite satisfied with this day, but the gluttony makes me crave a month of surfing, yoga and minimal eating binges even more. Now it's time for some more imperial and fútbol. Tomorrow, Monteverde.
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Planeando
I've been here less than 24 hours and I think I'm extending my stay...
July 2: Explore San José, especialmente el mercado
July 3: Monteverde for rainforest and canopy tours
July 4th: Volcán Arenal and Baldí hot springs
July 5th-30th: Surfing and Yoga in Jacó. Weekend trips include kayak and snorkeling, waterfall hike, and a trip to the Caribbean Coast to meet up with Berger around Tortuguero.
July 30th-August 4th: Granada Nicaragua
August 5th: Return to NYC.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
En Costa Rica
After a crazy whirlwind of finishing my first year as a teacher, moving apartments, and celebrating MJ with some of my favorite people, Gabby and I have begun our Costa Rican Adventures.
We are currently in San Jose in a neighborhood called Barrio Amón. The cab driver was trying really hard to convince us not to come to this part of San Jose, but my trusted Lonely planet says it's the safest neighborhood to stay for tourists, so I'm feeling a little confused. So far it seems pleasant enough, although I don't want to spend too much time in the city.
We have five days before our surfing and yoga program begins in Jacó, so we'll spend today figuring out how to maximize those days before we take off.
I don't know if anyone still reads this blog, but I'll try to keep it updated during my month here, if for nothing else, then for conserving the clarity of memories made.
We are currently in San Jose in a neighborhood called Barrio Amón. The cab driver was trying really hard to convince us not to come to this part of San Jose, but my trusted Lonely planet says it's the safest neighborhood to stay for tourists, so I'm feeling a little confused. So far it seems pleasant enough, although I don't want to spend too much time in the city.
We have five days before our surfing and yoga program begins in Jacó, so we'll spend today figuring out how to maximize those days before we take off.
I don't know if anyone still reads this blog, but I'll try to keep it updated during my month here, if for nothing else, then for conserving the clarity of memories made.