Today is May 17. The students said a tearful and sad goodbye to their Tico families yesterday and sniffled all the way to the airport. I also said a tearful goodbye to them, but today, they are waking up in their own beds surrounded by their US families. I will miss them, but am thrilled at the thought of waking up in my own bed on Tuesday morning!
I spent the rest of the afternoon with my friend Ana and her family. Her brother Marcel was celebrating his 28th birthday, and his girlfriend Lorena had a surprise lunch for him at her family’s house, so I got to meet her family: mom, siblings, uncles, aunts, cousins, and eat homemade Tico food and a luscious tres leches with tons of fruit on the top. Muy rico! After lunch, we played what I can only describe as parlor games: hot potato and a game they call Pablo y Pedro [Everyone gets into a circle. One person is Pablo, another Pedro, and the rest have numbers. Your number is then called out and you have to call out another’s number or name. When someone speaks out of turn or forgets their number, they have to move to the end of the numbers, so everyone’s identify shifts. I sat this one out because it was all in very fast Spanish, and I couldn’t keep up. La gringa did, however, win the hot potato game played with balloons. ] There was a lot of other silliness, but it felt good being with a family who has such fun together doing what most American families would think corny. In the afternoon, Ana’s family drove me to Escazú—the expatriate stronghold of Costa Rica--and where it is most Americanized. Too much so for my taste. The big buildings and houses were gorgeous, but the mall there was similar to many malls in the US—but with some interesting and different stores than we have.
On Thursday and Friday, I graded, took Linda and Cliff out for a "thank-you" dinner on Friday at a really nice little restaurant just blocks from my house that I had passed but never went to. I packed and unpacked and packed again. I have far too much stuff to bring back, and I hope I don’t go over the weight limit.
We had exams this past week, and then on Wednesday the entire group traveled up into the hills to a gorgeous restaurant called Mirador Ram Luna outside the city of Aserri. Many of the teachers went as well as Stephanie, and the Meso housekeeper, Maria Elena. I will miss their cheery faces and smiles in the mornings at Meso. We celebrated the end of a very successful semester with excellent food, a charming setting, and a phenomenal view of the lights all across the Central Valley, and watched as some of our group got pulled into some of the typical Costa Rican dances. I gave Linda a framed picture of the entire group on a huge plaster sea turtle at InBio as our goodbye present for all the wonderful work she does at Mesoamerica. What an excellent way to end the semester!
A week ago Friday, I went with some students to the Doka Coffee Plantation and got to see the process that the beans go through from the field to bag. I highly recommend this place because it is outside of the city on the slopes of the Poas Volcano and seems more authentic than the more publicized Café Britt tour, where you see a video instead of the real thing—and their coffee (Tres Generaciones) is wonderful! On Saturday three of us went to the local farmer’s market in Guadalupe to buy some last chance fruits and veggies—very colorful and lively. I then took a taxi to Moravia to pick up some last minute gifts.
So . . . I think that catches me up for the last couple of weeks.
Reflections on leaving:
I am, of course, very ready to get back to my friends and family, my garden, my kitchen, my comfort zones, but I would not give up hardly any of the time I’ve spend in Costa Rica. I’ve griped about the noise around the apartment, the rudeness of the drivers, the terrible condition of the streets, and the unattractiveness of San Jose, but we’ve all had a marvelous and very educational time here. I’ve seen a good part of the world, and Costa Rica has some of the most beautiful and varied geography of any place I’ve been and absolutely some of the nicest, most helpful people I have ever met. I think we’ve all learned to care more about the environment because we’ve been places where it is slipping away here because of development, poor management, or economic duress. We’ve seen how modernized and 21st century Costa Rica can be, but have also seen many aspects of a third world country; however, much ahead of the game as compared to other Central American countries like Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala.
Some of us learned firsthand about how good the medical care here is and how difficult it is to get around in a country where English is still not spoken well by many people. Some of us learned about the problems in the public and private schools in Costa Rica; how the legal system is different from ours; the rising teenage pregnancy rate and the cultural and religious obstacles that allow it to happen; and sustainability issues in resorts, hotels, and national parks. Others spent time traveling to very remote areas and discovering how hard it is to walk up a mountain, to a beautiful waterfall, or to a magical blue river. I’ve seen college students get excited over an elusive, beautiful, green bird, a clear blue sunny morning, hotels with hot showers, and birthday cakes made especially for them at Meso. All in all, I have seen great growth in my students and myself—the ultimate test of a study abroad experience. I will take home with me stronger Spanish skills and no regrets, but a list of things still yet to do, like visiting the Osa Peninsula where the Scarlet Macaw lives, seeing the sea turtles at Tortuguero, Rio Celeste, and a really spectacular waterfall. I will end this blog by not saying goodbye, but rather hasta luego (see you later) because I know I’ll be back to visit this beautiful and special part of the world.
Sunday, 17 May 2009
Monday, 11 May 2009
Cahuita: May 1-3
[The battery of my camera is gone and a new one can't be found in SJ, so you are at the mercy of my descriptive powers on this journey, but there are all kinds of great pictures on the internet.]
This weekend I set off on a solo journey to the small town of Cahuita in the province of Limon on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. Although I had been to Tortuguero (also on the Caribbean) earlier, I wanted to see the Cahuita national park and see the black sand beaches (Playa Negro).
I left San Jose on Friday morning from the Caribe station. May 1 is Costa Rica's Labor Day, so I had gotten my ticket the day before--which was lucky since there were no free seats on the bus. The ride down was interesting. Three American boys from Wisconsin spent at least 2 hours talking about the best recipes for marijuana brownies, how much liquor they had brought, and how many girls they could meet. We slowly made our way to Limon, where the mood on the bus changed noticeably because we could see the beach nearly all the way to Cahuita.
I got off the bus, expecting to find a taxi, since everywhere else I've been--large and small--the taxis have been nearly predatory. I hiked a couple of blocks into town and saw no taxis. Finally I found one and arrived at my hotel (about a mile down the road)in the afternoon. The Suizo Loco Lodge is beautiful, but it is not (as advertised) three minutes from the beach (more like 15--and not a very good beach at that). Because I was so far from town (a 40 minute walk by the beach road) and there seemed to be no taxis, I agreed to have dinner at the hotel (thank goodness they had a restaurant). One thing I forgot to mention--there's no English at this hotel. If you speak French, German, or Spanish, you are in luck. So I had to listen hard and practice my Spanish. I walked to the beach and nearly into town just to see what was in the neighborhood and enjoyed the grounds, pool, and a little birdwatching before dinner, which was excellent. Not much to do here, so I turned in early.
The next morning (gray and overcast but not raining) I was collected by the tour company to take me to the national park. I was supposed to have an English-speaking guide, but did not and ended up being the only person on the tour. My guide, Alfredo, spoke bits and pieces of English and was limping and barefoot. Not really good omens for a walk through a jungle known for its vipers and spiders. He told me that he had damaged his knee while surfing, practicing for a big surf tournament to be held in Puerto Viejo the next weekend. The paths were sand, and 50 meters into the park, he stopped, paused, and pointed to a small bush not more than 4 feet from us. Curled up on the stem in S-fashion was the most beautiful bright yellow eyelash viper! Very poisonous, but not aggressive. He told me that during holidays people often party and drink too much on the beach 10 feet to our left and stumble into to the woods (for bathroom breaks), accidentally brush against the brush and get bitten.
We also saw many crabs, spiders, lizards, monkeys, and a really pretty non-venomous vine snake that blends in perfectly with the trees and vines it climbs on, walked through a mangrove swamp on recycled plastic bridges, and fended off swarms of mosquitoes. Once we got to Punta Cahuita we met many other tourists and snorkelers, and many were looking up into a tree close to the water: another eyelash viper--a little bigger than the first--and obviously enjoying a lunch of bird. The beach contained many pieces of exotic coral (illegal to take off the beach)because in 1997, the reef was damaged by an earthquake and is still rebuilding, but the broken pieces still wash up on the shore. I was impressed that this park a) did not charge an entrance fee (but gladly accepts donations), b)was very clean, and 3)seemed well-cared for and protected. Even though I had doubts about Alfredo, he turned out to be a very good guide. I learned a lot about biology and wildlife and got to practice my Spanish!
I opted not to be taken back to the hotel and instead headed to the bus stop to take a local bus to a place I had found on the internet just the day before: Los Aviarios--a sloth rescue sanctuary. I got there too late in the afternoon to take advantage of the full tour, but I did get to walk around the grounds, and a retired, transplanted psychologist from America, Clare, introduced me to Buttercup (a 17 year old female who has her own wicker hanging chair, hangs from it, and extends her arm to people passing by--too cute) and rescued sloths from all over Costa Rica and at all stages of life. The plight of the sloth is pretty dismal in areas of Costa Rica where deforestation and development are taking their toll on them and their habitats. I was told that sloths raised in captivity cannot be returned to the wild and do not mate in captivity, so this place is important in many ways, but it would, of course, be better for them to be able to stay in their natural habitats. Contrary to popular belief, these are very intelligent animals; they just move slowly. For more information just google Aviarios to see pictures of their work, the animals, and the center. This was the most interesting thing I have done in my nearly 4 months there, so if you go to CR, plan a visit to Cahuita and Aviarios. Clare was kind enough to give me a ride back to the hotel when she got off work, and I enjoyed another delicious dinner and relaxing night.
On Sunday morning, wakened early by the family of howler monkeys that live near the hotel, I enjoyed a last gourmet meal and took a taxi to the bus station. We rode back to San Jose on a very old bus with very hard seats, not meant for long hauls. At one point I thought we were all going to have to get out and push. Nearly a non-English weekend, and I think I did better than I thought.
This weekend I set off on a solo journey to the small town of Cahuita in the province of Limon on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. Although I had been to Tortuguero (also on the Caribbean) earlier, I wanted to see the Cahuita national park and see the black sand beaches (Playa Negro).
I left San Jose on Friday morning from the Caribe station. May 1 is Costa Rica's Labor Day, so I had gotten my ticket the day before--which was lucky since there were no free seats on the bus. The ride down was interesting. Three American boys from Wisconsin spent at least 2 hours talking about the best recipes for marijuana brownies, how much liquor they had brought, and how many girls they could meet. We slowly made our way to Limon, where the mood on the bus changed noticeably because we could see the beach nearly all the way to Cahuita.
I got off the bus, expecting to find a taxi, since everywhere else I've been--large and small--the taxis have been nearly predatory. I hiked a couple of blocks into town and saw no taxis. Finally I found one and arrived at my hotel (about a mile down the road)in the afternoon. The Suizo Loco Lodge is beautiful, but it is not (as advertised) three minutes from the beach (more like 15--and not a very good beach at that). Because I was so far from town (a 40 minute walk by the beach road) and there seemed to be no taxis, I agreed to have dinner at the hotel (thank goodness they had a restaurant). One thing I forgot to mention--there's no English at this hotel. If you speak French, German, or Spanish, you are in luck. So I had to listen hard and practice my Spanish. I walked to the beach and nearly into town just to see what was in the neighborhood and enjoyed the grounds, pool, and a little birdwatching before dinner, which was excellent. Not much to do here, so I turned in early.
The next morning (gray and overcast but not raining) I was collected by the tour company to take me to the national park. I was supposed to have an English-speaking guide, but did not and ended up being the only person on the tour. My guide, Alfredo, spoke bits and pieces of English and was limping and barefoot. Not really good omens for a walk through a jungle known for its vipers and spiders. He told me that he had damaged his knee while surfing, practicing for a big surf tournament to be held in Puerto Viejo the next weekend. The paths were sand, and 50 meters into the park, he stopped, paused, and pointed to a small bush not more than 4 feet from us. Curled up on the stem in S-fashion was the most beautiful bright yellow eyelash viper! Very poisonous, but not aggressive. He told me that during holidays people often party and drink too much on the beach 10 feet to our left and stumble into to the woods (for bathroom breaks), accidentally brush against the brush and get bitten.
We also saw many crabs, spiders, lizards, monkeys, and a really pretty non-venomous vine snake that blends in perfectly with the trees and vines it climbs on, walked through a mangrove swamp on recycled plastic bridges, and fended off swarms of mosquitoes. Once we got to Punta Cahuita we met many other tourists and snorkelers, and many were looking up into a tree close to the water: another eyelash viper--a little bigger than the first--and obviously enjoying a lunch of bird. The beach contained many pieces of exotic coral (illegal to take off the beach)because in 1997, the reef was damaged by an earthquake and is still rebuilding, but the broken pieces still wash up on the shore. I was impressed that this park a) did not charge an entrance fee (but gladly accepts donations), b)was very clean, and 3)seemed well-cared for and protected. Even though I had doubts about Alfredo, he turned out to be a very good guide. I learned a lot about biology and wildlife and got to practice my Spanish!
I opted not to be taken back to the hotel and instead headed to the bus stop to take a local bus to a place I had found on the internet just the day before: Los Aviarios--a sloth rescue sanctuary. I got there too late in the afternoon to take advantage of the full tour, but I did get to walk around the grounds, and a retired, transplanted psychologist from America, Clare, introduced me to Buttercup (a 17 year old female who has her own wicker hanging chair, hangs from it, and extends her arm to people passing by--too cute) and rescued sloths from all over Costa Rica and at all stages of life. The plight of the sloth is pretty dismal in areas of Costa Rica where deforestation and development are taking their toll on them and their habitats. I was told that sloths raised in captivity cannot be returned to the wild and do not mate in captivity, so this place is important in many ways, but it would, of course, be better for them to be able to stay in their natural habitats. Contrary to popular belief, these are very intelligent animals; they just move slowly. For more information just google Aviarios to see pictures of their work, the animals, and the center. This was the most interesting thing I have done in my nearly 4 months there, so if you go to CR, plan a visit to Cahuita and Aviarios. Clare was kind enough to give me a ride back to the hotel when she got off work, and I enjoyed another delicious dinner and relaxing night.
On Sunday morning, wakened early by the family of howler monkeys that live near the hotel, I enjoyed a last gourmet meal and took a taxi to the bus station. We rode back to San Jose on a very old bus with very hard seats, not meant for long hauls. At one point I thought we were all going to have to get out and push. Nearly a non-English weekend, and I think I did better than I thought.
Sunday, 10 May 2009
April 24-26, 2009: Arenal
Our last group trip was to the Arenal Volcano, the biggest, baddest, most active volcano in Costa Rica. The rain accompanied us all the way to La Fortuna (the small town below Arenal), and our first glimpse of the volcano was only half of it, with the top covered by thick clouds. The resort, Los Lagos, is huge, and we had rooms on the second level above the pools and spa, so we discovered we had a steep walk down an unlit path to get to the pools. Our restaurant, however, was just across the parking lot. We had no excursions planned here, although some of the students arranged for waterfall rappelling or walks into town. I stayed put because there was so much other stuff to do.
This resort has beautiful gardens, so everyday I'd say hello to the large crocs, the little frogs, the butterflies, and birds that were all over the grounds (crocs, frogs, and butterflies in enclosures) and just enjoy the beautiful flowers, the quietness and beauty of the running water and fresh air.
Once during Saturday, we saw glimpses of the top of the volcano since the weather had cleared a bit (see above), but by that evening and Sunday, the clouds and rain were back, and unfortunately, there were no fireworks during the weekend. But we made the best of our time there. The students and I lolled around in the cold pools, the warm pools, and the hottest ones. Fake rocks, and probably not mineral water, but certainly relaxing. The students fell in love with the pool bar (of course) and the several slides. I tried a couple of the slides, and they were fun! Three students and I had spa treatments: mini-massage, mini-facial, and volcanic mud wrap. Very different from the very privacy-dominated spas in the US. Here you take everything off--no modesty allowed--get slathered with mud goop, get wrapped in cellophane, and left to "cook" for about 15 minutes. Facial is done during this process. Shower and then massage (a pretty rough one, too, for our weary bodies. I think we all hurt a little afterwards, but pretty soon were very relaxed).
We discovered a toucan in a tree on the road to our hotel block and visited him/her often. The second time I went, the toucan flew into a tree and started making pitiful sounds. Another toucan flew in to its rescue. Maybe they had a nest in the tree. We saw them several times during our stay. I tried to capture one in a picture, but it's a little blurry.
On Sunday morning I hiked 2 km up to the observation point and was able to see the part of the mountain where the lava had carved out, but no top of the mountain or lava. I met a couple of nice folks and we hiked back down with a herd of cows on their way for a morning rendezvous with the bulls in the next field. On the way down we spotted a smallish brown and black patterned snake. We all jumped back but realized that it was dead (and had not been there on the way up). I snapped a picture, and the way back home, the driver and our guide looked at it, made awful faces, and told me it was a terciopelo. I had no idea what that was, but I looked it up when I got home, and I believe they were right, although we know it by another name: Fer-de-lance. Not comforting, but at least it was dead.
We enjoyed a sunny drive home through beautiful but winding countryside. Even though we were disappointed with not seeing the volcano "doing its thing," we marveled at the diversity of wildlife and flowers inthis place, and really enjoyed a relaxing weekend before the final 2 weeks of presentations, projects, and exams.
April 18-19: Cerro de la Muerte
This weekend was certainly interesting. The students in the ENS class, their teacher, her TAs, and I headed into the mountains for the night and a day of hummingbird observation and tagging. We stayed at basically a truck stop on the crest of a large mountain, whose valleys and tops were washed with clouds. Only on Sunday morning were we able to get a glimpse of what was above and below the parts we could see.
We had been warned that this place was cold, so I was relieved to see that I had an electric blanket on my bed--but it didn't work. We had all brought the warmest clothes we could find because we had been warned by previous classes, but it was like camping in the NC mountains in the fall--very chilly and brisk in the morning--but with no fire to chase the chills away.
On the way up Saturday we hiked to a mountain bog--lots of fun squishing through mud and bog in our attractive black rubber boots. At the way station the students started observing the kinds of hummingbirds and the frequency they fed at the feeders hung all over the outside of the dining room. They were researching whether the feeders interrupted natural feeding patterns on the many flowers scattered on the property. One small bird, the volcano, never came to the feeders, which was interesting.
On Sunday, we set up some nets to trap the birds (no animals were injured during this experiment!). The teaching assistants took care of that part, then handed them over to us to hold and take to the "tagging" station--which was really a manicure station set up to place a drop of bright nail polish on their little feet to let us know if they were repeaters (and therefore not eligible), gently take pollen off their beaks with tape, and record their species. I learned that although hummingbirds may look the same from a distance, they are really very different in temperament, beak size and curve, size, and color. It was amazing to be this close to these little creatures and hear dozens of them bussing around at once. Students took turns doing this while others compared pollen gathered from the flowers to the pollen collected from the birds
On the way home, the students climbed up a steep rocky hill to study another high mountain habitat, but I stayed in the bus to rest my foot, enjoy the driver's choice of music, and take in some of the scenery.
Mother's Day
Connie, Me, her daughter, Christie, my daughter, Landis, and my mom
Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers I know, especially to my Mom, Polly Lyday, in Knoxville, Tennessee; my sister, August in Knoxville; my sisters in law, Marie Fields in Nashville and Renee Lee in Burlington, NC; my best friend from college, Connie Goethel; and all of my mom-friends at Elon University.
Phones aren't working here (what else is new), the rainy season has begun, so I often come home to no electricity for 3 hours and interrupted phone service--on a very special weekend.
I hope all of you have a wonderful day!
I'm here for only one more week, so I'm trying to catch up my blogs before I go. Please be patient.
Kathy
Sunday, 3 May 2009
6 April 2009
Today we packed up and headed south to the small fishing village of San Juan del Oriente. Before leaving I made a quick visit to the market in downtown Granada where the Nicas, not the tourists, shop. In my travels, I find these kinds of places a truer picture of where I'm visiting, and this was no exception. I never photograph in these public areas because you never know who might be offended, but it's wonderful to weave through the usually tight little aisles, looking at the food, supplies, and clothing for sale. The people are all very busy trying to sell their wares, cooking made-to-order tortillas, mixing herbs and natural medicines, talking with their friends in the next stall--all very vibrant and alive. I got much more of the feel of what life is like everyday for Granadians, sites that the tourist markets and fancy hotels can't possibly show us.
San Juan is close to the border, a small fishing village surrounded by tall cliffs. I don't know how to describe the resort we were in except to say that we referred to it the rest of the time as the OMG resort and said thanks to Elon and Linda every hour! Its official name is Piedras y Olas (rocks and waves), and we all thought we'd died and gone to heaven, and actually quite reasonable during non-holiday seasons. Of course you have to factor in a flight to Managua. . . . Some of the girls are already planning honeymoons here, and it's on my list of places to revisit. Our large group was divided into four smaller groups: the 6 guys, the 10 girls into 2 groups, and Carmen (our Meso representative) and me. Each group had its own casita (little house--although they weren't very little), complete with kitchen, views, porches--absolutely beautiful in every aspect. The only drawback--or not, according to whom you talk--are the stairs--hundreds of them. We all certainly got our exercise. I took many pictures of the architectural elements to steal later! But more than being an incredibly beautiful place with gorgeous gardens and views, this place supports various community resources through its Brugger foundation and runs an animal habitat for rescued animals, including cats, dogs, and monkeys, that could not live any other way. It's one thing to create a beautiful place for people to enjoy, but an entirely other thing to help the community and animals in addition to catering to tourists.
This weekend was Final Four (and if you're from North Carolina, you know what that means!). We did a bit of good-natured trash talking with a group that dared to wear Michigan State t-shirts, but they were pretty quiet at breakfast the next morning :)
Some of us cooked dinner in our kitchens, while others enjoyed margaritas at sunset and a beachfront dinner in the village (where the realities of hungry children found us again), and returned to our perch to enjoy the evening. In the morning after a huge breakfast, most of us took advantage of one last session by the pool, and then reluctantly climbed aboard the bus for the not-looking-forward-to border crossing and the long bus ride to San Jose. Fortunately, thanks to Carmen's maneuvering, we were able to get through customs in half the time and stopped for an early dinner break, where we all ended up in a Subway. We looked so American that I had to take a picture of us on a platform in the parking lot beside a strip mall, eating our subs.
All in all, this trip was amazing in so many different ways. Our visas were refreshed, we were refreshed, but we had seen many troubling things that are very different from what we've experienced in Costa Rica. The roads seem better in Nicaragua, but other than that, we feel pretty lucky to be in Costa Rica.
Today we packed up and headed south to the small fishing village of San Juan del Oriente. Before leaving I made a quick visit to the market in downtown Granada where the Nicas, not the tourists, shop. In my travels, I find these kinds of places a truer picture of where I'm visiting, and this was no exception. I never photograph in these public areas because you never know who might be offended, but it's wonderful to weave through the usually tight little aisles, looking at the food, supplies, and clothing for sale. The people are all very busy trying to sell their wares, cooking made-to-order tortillas, mixing herbs and natural medicines, talking with their friends in the next stall--all very vibrant and alive. I got much more of the feel of what life is like everyday for Granadians, sites that the tourist markets and fancy hotels can't possibly show us.
San Juan is close to the border, a small fishing village surrounded by tall cliffs. I don't know how to describe the resort we were in except to say that we referred to it the rest of the time as the OMG resort and said thanks to Elon and Linda every hour! Its official name is Piedras y Olas (rocks and waves), and we all thought we'd died and gone to heaven, and actually quite reasonable during non-holiday seasons. Of course you have to factor in a flight to Managua. . . . Some of the girls are already planning honeymoons here, and it's on my list of places to revisit. Our large group was divided into four smaller groups: the 6 guys, the 10 girls into 2 groups, and Carmen (our Meso representative) and me. Each group had its own casita (little house--although they weren't very little), complete with kitchen, views, porches--absolutely beautiful in every aspect. The only drawback--or not, according to whom you talk--are the stairs--hundreds of them. We all certainly got our exercise. I took many pictures of the architectural elements to steal later! But more than being an incredibly beautiful place with gorgeous gardens and views, this place supports various community resources through its Brugger foundation and runs an animal habitat for rescued animals, including cats, dogs, and monkeys, that could not live any other way. It's one thing to create a beautiful place for people to enjoy, but an entirely other thing to help the community and animals in addition to catering to tourists.
This weekend was Final Four (and if you're from North Carolina, you know what that means!). We did a bit of good-natured trash talking with a group that dared to wear Michigan State t-shirts, but they were pretty quiet at breakfast the next morning :)
Some of us cooked dinner in our kitchens, while others enjoyed margaritas at sunset and a beachfront dinner in the village (where the realities of hungry children found us again), and returned to our perch to enjoy the evening. In the morning after a huge breakfast, most of us took advantage of one last session by the pool, and then reluctantly climbed aboard the bus for the not-looking-forward-to border crossing and the long bus ride to San Jose. Fortunately, thanks to Carmen's maneuvering, we were able to get through customs in half the time and stopped for an early dinner break, where we all ended up in a Subway. We looked so American that I had to take a picture of us on a platform in the parking lot beside a strip mall, eating our subs.
All in all, this trip was amazing in so many different ways. Our visas were refreshed, we were refreshed, but we had seen many troubling things that are very different from what we've experienced in Costa Rica. The roads seem better in Nicaragua, but other than that, we feel pretty lucky to be in Costa Rica.
Granada, Nicaragua
Palm Sunday, April 5, 2009
Today we had an amazing day in and around Granada, a beautiful colonial city that reminded me in some ways of St. Augustine or Charleston (although the historical societies there would have our heads if we tried to paint our houses these glorious colors!). So here's a brief outline and a few pictures on the side of this activity-filled day.
Before breakfast (because in Central America, the sun rises and people get busy very early),I walked around Granada in the quiet and cool of the morning and snapped some pictures. After that here's a synopsis:
1) Took a bus to visit a fortress outside of town and run by the Boy Scouts—very cool place. We took flashlights and walked through the underground passages used as a prison and tried to avoid the bats.
2) Next, the Masaya Volcano. First stop, the visitor center with a very interesting museum showcasing the geology and history of the volcano, then up to the volcano itself: sulphur fumes, 177 steps to the top, worth it because the views were fabulous. Masaya is an active volcano, thus the signs posted around the park asking visitors to stay only 20 minutes and park heading out.
3) A visit to the Masaya craft market for several good bargains
4) To Catarina—a very touristy place with terrible food but great views of the beautiful lake and strolling mariachi bands.
5) Down the road a bit to San Juan del Oriente, known for its pottery factories.
6) And the best for last: a boat ride near sunset on Lake Nicaragua to see Las Isletas, little islands with individual homes and hotels—and in one case, monkeys, who enjoy climbing into tourist boats for a loaf of bread or mangoes brought by the guides. My camera battery was gone by now, so you’ll just have to imagine the beauty of these little islands.
7) Back to the hotel for some relaxation in the pool and a wonderful dinner in the center of town where we could hear and watch some of the Semana Santa processions and activities.
Today we had an amazing day in and around Granada, a beautiful colonial city that reminded me in some ways of St. Augustine or Charleston (although the historical societies there would have our heads if we tried to paint our houses these glorious colors!). So here's a brief outline and a few pictures on the side of this activity-filled day.
Before breakfast (because in Central America, the sun rises and people get busy very early),I walked around Granada in the quiet and cool of the morning and snapped some pictures. After that here's a synopsis:
1) Took a bus to visit a fortress outside of town and run by the Boy Scouts—very cool place. We took flashlights and walked through the underground passages used as a prison and tried to avoid the bats.
2) Next, the Masaya Volcano. First stop, the visitor center with a very interesting museum showcasing the geology and history of the volcano, then up to the volcano itself: sulphur fumes, 177 steps to the top, worth it because the views were fabulous. Masaya is an active volcano, thus the signs posted around the park asking visitors to stay only 20 minutes and park heading out.
3) A visit to the Masaya craft market for several good bargains
4) To Catarina—a very touristy place with terrible food but great views of the beautiful lake and strolling mariachi bands.
5) Down the road a bit to San Juan del Oriente, known for its pottery factories.
6) And the best for last: a boat ride near sunset on Lake Nicaragua to see Las Isletas, little islands with individual homes and hotels—and in one case, monkeys, who enjoy climbing into tourist boats for a loaf of bread or mangoes brought by the guides. My camera battery was gone by now, so you’ll just have to imagine the beauty of these little islands.
7) Back to the hotel for some relaxation in the pool and a wonderful dinner in the center of town where we could hear and watch some of the Semana Santa processions and activities.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
