Jaco for a day

I didn't do much this weekend, but it was great. I read a book, which I havn't had time to do since last summer, and it made me happier than ever. On Sunday, Nicole and I hopped in a car with two surfboards, two Ticas we'd never met before, and a fellow named Alejandro who we met at ultimate who's nickname is psyco. What a day. The weather was absolutely beautiful and the drive there and back too, though a bit scary, as we sped around curves winding through the jungle mountains.

Museo de los Niños

Today for our last day of class we turned in a paper, and then headed straight over to the Childrens Museum about 200 yards from the school. The place used to be an old prison, so it was very interesting keeping that in mind during our tour. But I'm pretty sure that childrens museums are by far the best on this planet, and that all other kinds should try to change their ways to be more like them. You know, for the sake of the kids....not me. There were so many things to do that I can't even begin to list them, but some of the things not included in the photos was an earthquake simulater(did that more than a few times), giant piano keys on the floor of a room, a newsroom where we were filmed and then they edited it and we watched ourselves, a mic room where we sang and then could hear it played back, cool electricity and magnet demos, and much more than I can remember.

Itty bitty room of mirrors. I loved it. It looked like there were hundreds of the two of us sqeezed into a tiny space.
This is the hallway where you start. The neon light sequence on the ceiling was sweet.
Hott.
They had this enclosed setup of masks. Kinda creepy actually.
This was too funny. When you sqeezed that little black thing just behind his butt, liquid went through the piping...how would you like to be the model for that photo?

In this hallway there were pictures on the wall comparing what different parts of the museum looked like now compared to before they began rebuilding.
We spent a good 20 minutes or so taking turns messing around with this mirror combo thing.
She's floating!
Inside a giant mouth. There were larger than life sized toothbrushes and toothpaste sculptures behind me. And yes, that dark brown swinging thing is in fact a giant tonsel.

Josh is the next Michael Jackson.

Banana's licking me.

There were all kinds of animals, bugs and dinasaurs made out of scrap metal.

Puerto Viejo

Well this past weekend Kate and I went off on our own and spend a day and 1/2 on the Caribbean. The weather couldn't have been more beautiful and the place we stayed at, Rockin' J's, was cool too. We spent $5 to sleep in hammocks outside right at the edge of the beach. While we did end up having an amazing time, we kind of go off to a rocky start. The two of us arrived at the bus station at 5:30 am to get an early start since it's a 4 hour bus ride. Kate had set her bag just to the left of her leg and mine was directly between my legs, where I prefer it at all times while sitting in public. After about 20 minutes of waiting on the bus a man came and sat to the right of me, and I didn't think a thing of him. Then, he turned to us and asked us in English if the pair of glasses he had in his hands in a glasses case were ours. He motioned to the ground right behind him as if he had found them there, but that's when I heard Kate start yelling and running after a man. And yes, this man she was yelling at had her bag in his hand. The fellow put the bag down, never looking back and took off running out of the station. At the same time the man with the glasses had suddenly took off running in a different direction as well. So we had been set up by two guys and they almost got away with it. In fact, Kate got rather lucky. The guy had been a good 15 yards or so from her when she realized her bag was gone, which was probably enough room to where he would have gotten away with it. But after the moment of panick was gone, a lesson was definitely learned. Kate in her hammock at Rockin J's.
These were some of the bathrooms and showers in the middle of the courtyard.
Almost everything was either a mosaic or painted. The place was pretty cool.

After a nap in our hammocks we walked along the shore to soak in the scenery.

Right at the edge of this there is a drop off deep enough to where you can't touch, and you can't tell that the drop exist until you get right up to it. I didn't get in it unfortunately, but it looked awfully strange the first time I saw a person just wandering in shallow water, and the next step they took they were suddenly neck deep.

Before dinner Kate and I sat on the beach and drank from a box of merlot while watching the clouds change color and position as the sun set behind them. Also, Kate brought here backpackers guitar and so I was able to enjoy her beautiful voice and musical skills as well.

Sunrise....

After sunrise Kate and I made PB&J's for breakfast and then set off to find a good beach for soaking up the sun and that didn't have corral. After about 10 minutes of walking down the beautiful path in the treed area next to he sand, we found what we thought was nice. And by nice, I mean perfect. There was rarely a soul to be seen within 1/4 a mile of us, and the water was possibly the clearest I've ever seen in my life on a beach.


Crabs were everywhere. I thought it was awesome, Kate was afraid.
To our right.
To the left.
And straight ahead. In this photo a wave is just about to break, and you can see directly through it to the coral past and below.

i.e.

Putting off putting together my presentation over Evo Morales I have to give tomorrow........besides, I don't really have doors in my house in the states, so this was a prime opportunity to take advantage of my "house with doors and doornobs" situation.

The devil incarnate

I don't think there has ever been anything in this world I have ever loathed more than grammar.

Jaco

Wow what a weekend. I went to Jaco which is on the Pacific side, and had a great time. The big part of my weekend though was learning a bit how to surf. I started out with a long board and actually didn't really have any problems standing. Then I tried the shortboard and barely caught more than 2 or 3 waves, never once actually getting past having one foot on the board. I can't wait to go back to the ocean to try it again. Also, I came to the decision that when I grow up, I want to live on the beach at the foot of great big mountains in a foreign country. Good idea, no? Actually, that sounds a bit like what I'm doing already.

After we finished for the day.
Outside our door at the hostel.

I missed the best part of this sunset.

Making PB&J's at the hostel.

HUGE 32 oz smoothies.

Water and Electricity?

Of course they mix right? If this makes anyone uncomfortable, try being Nicole and I who use it everyday to shower. But at least I have hot water, it's quite the luxery.

Monte Verde

Well this past weekend we went on our last ISA planned trip and it was to the beautiful Monte Verde. While there I went hiking in the jungle, stood on the continental devide, visited a huge orchid garden, played pool, visited a cheese factory, played ulitmate and lots more. Other people went on a canopy tour, but honestly I'm rather afraid of heights and am over budget at the same time, so no canopy tour or horseback rididng for me. But I none-the-less had an amazing time, and I'd have to say that it is my favorite experience yet being here in Costa Rica.
Sunset on the way there.
Liz and I.