I'll Be Home For Christmas...

I should start this post by giving an example of the wonderful infrastructure of Costa Rica (please note the sarcasm). Playa Junquillal, where we were when I last wrote, is near Tamarindo on the pacific coast of Costa Rica and Montezuma is directly south along the coast at the tip of the Nicoya Peninsula. It is, however, impossible to go straight there (or even in a round-a-bout way there) without a rental car. I posted a picture to the right of a map of just where we had to go to get there, which included 4 local buses and 1 ferry and took us all the way north to Liberia before heading southeast to Puntarenas to catch the ferry back west across the Gulf of Nicoya and finally another bus to Montezuma. The trip took a total of about 13 hours, the same time it takes me to drive from Tahoe to my brother's house in Montana, over 800 miles away. Playa Junquillal and Montezuma are about 70 miles apart as the pelican flies.

I can't complain though as I am used to long periods of dirty bus travel and the reward this time was so great. My Montezuma, as I sometime call it, is where I spent so much of my second semester in Costa Rica when I lived there 6 years ago. My dear friend Michelle (whom I just saw in London) and I became almost like locals, knew most of the townspeople, and most importantly made lasting friendships that I love coming back to on visits like this. It is literally made up of a street corner, like an "L" running along the beach on one side and inland on the other. Packed with shops, restaurants, and people, it is sometimes hard to believe it is still so small. Montezuma is where Nate and I stayed for the next two weeks, finally winding down from traveling so much and focusing simply on relaxing and not much else. We greatly succeeded in this. Our hotel had a kitchen, so we cooked a lot which not only saved us a lot of money but also quenched our craving to cook after having eaten out so much. Our days were spent going to the beach, hiking the river to the swimming hole and waterfall, going to the beach, taking photos of wildlife, going to the beach, and pretty much going to the beach. We did happen to take a yoga class and an ice-cream making class as well, but mostly we just tried to stay cool and went through a lot of sunscreen. Our nights were spent playing gin rummy, and occasionally we went out to Chico's Bar (the only bar in town) to hang out with my friends. It was almost like old times, except that we've all grown up a lot in the last 6 years (this is a good thing:). I was so happy to learn that I haven't lost a step in my salsa dancing, and spent many many songs being twirled around the dance floor, something that makes me SO SO SO happy that I can't stop smiling. It was amazing to see my friends again, and I'm so glad I've been able to visit a few times before things really change and all my friends eventually leave, which is slowly starting to happen.

Here are a couple of fun stories from Montezuma: one night in the grocery store as Nate and I were picking out vegetables, I was suddenly engulfed in a giant hug from one of my girl friends that I hadn't seen yet, so excited to see her although I think at first Nate's heart skipped a beat thinking something was wrong from all the commotion, girls:) Anyway as we tried to make plans to hang out she insisted we come to breakfast tomorrow (her parents own a hotel) and then suddenly felt so bad and so saddened by the fact that she couldn't tomorrow because she promised she'd go with the hotel workers to Isla Tortuga for their Christmas bonus and acted as if it was such a burden. Let me explain something, Isla Tortuga is a destination island with white sandy beaches where tourists go on nice boats for lunch and snorkeling. Such is the hard life in Montezuma! The very next night in the same exact spot I actually ran into a girl I knew in high school though, and THAT was a small world story! Nate was beginning to wonder what was so magic about that corner of the grocery store. And one morning as we were eating breakfast, flowers were falling from the sky, literally. Our hotel faces the park, full of big trees where monkeys like to visit. They sit high in the trees and pick the flowers, sucking something out of them and then letting them float to the ground. Only in paradise does it rain flowers:)

After our two weeks we headed back to the central valley to Heredia which is where I lived 6 years ago. I showed Nate my university, which hardly looks the same at all they have built many new buildings and repainted some old ones. It actually looks more like a university than a correctional center now, which I think is a step in the right direction! And finally, on our last night in Costa Rica, we went to my house to visit my host family that I lived with for the entire year that I was there. It was a Monday and at their house that means English class night! My dad is a retired English teacher, and gives classes each Monday to all my mom's siblings, plus a few extra relatives, there are about 10 students in all. After catching up with my parents and little brother who turns 14 in March (crazy, he was 7 when I first moved there!) over a Christmas tamale and coffee, the students arrived. We were happy to act as the visiting professors for the night, and engaged in conversation (mostly prepared questions) with all of them for over an hour to practice their English. And when class was over we all ate dinner together and let me tell you it was one of my favorite parts of the whole trip. I love those people, they loved us, and they are so real. One of the things I love the most about being able to conquer the language barrier is understanding that people are all the same behind their languages! They love to laugh and joke and share with each other and I just love to be part of it. Nate did very well and I think they all really liked him too. Unfortunately the night had to end eventually and my family gave us a ride back to our hotel, bidding us farewell until who knows when, but it left me with such a feeling satisfaction for our whole trip, and I was ready to go back to the US.

Nate left before me, as he was flying home to Minnesota for Christmas, so I had one last breakfast of gallo pinto before heading to the airport. As it turns out, I was sitting next to a blind man on my flight. His name was Brad and he was from the States, a very nice guy whom I chatted with for a bit. He has friends in Costa Rica that he visits often, and by himself. It broke my heart when he said he had visited Jaco and San Ramon and that "San Ramon is so beautiful..." I didn't know what to say but to agree with him, who sat there staring blankly at nothing with a big smile on his face. I suddenly was hit with such a deep gratitude for my healthy eyesight, I couldn't even imagine being in a place as beautiful and lush as Costa Rica (or any place for that matter) and not being able to enjoy it with my eyes, and my camera, as I do so absent-mindedly. I am so thankful for the freedom that I have to travel and my healthy body that enables me to do so. Today is Christmas and I am spending it at home with my brother and parents (and the dogs, of course:) and am feeling very blessed!

I won't be staying in Tahoe for long, but we don't have a plan yet for where we are going next (not abroad, just moving somewhere) so I may be posting again soon, but for now, Merry Christmas everybody!

With love,
J