Yes, I´m still alive

Hello all, and sorry for the lax in communication. I´ve been up to a whole lot and I suppose the laid-back culture of Costa Rica got to me a little and I got lazy. Here´s an update for ya:

The people here are so friendly and laid back and neighbors are like family. There is crime, but I live in a pretty tranquil beach town. It´s kinda run down in a lot of places, but it has a charm I´m coming to love. People ride cruisers with baskets on them everywhere and most places in town are just a bike ride away just like Chico! They sometimes cram three people on one bike!

So far I´ve bought a surf board and am starting to pick up the sport. Unfortunately years ago a huge rock wall was built a ways away from my town to cut off the current for shipping boats so there aren´t any good waves in Puntarenas. However, I can hop on a bus (the bus system here is great) and get to waves about 20 km away. Not bad.

Been to one wet forest so far, not a true rain forest, but saw some white-faced monkeys, beautiful butterflies, a few lizzards and a poisonous green and black frog. We also took a tour of the Tarcoles river which is home to about 25-30 crocodiles per square kilometer. Our boat tour saw the biggest crocodile in all of Central America! His name was Torneo (Tornado) and was at least 15 feet long! Just his head was a little longer than our guide´s torso. He was just a few feet from our boat, crazy.

Also saw a volcano with surlfuric lake in it´s crater (Vocán Poás) and a nearby lagoon - so beautiful - that used to be a volcano. Also took a trip out to a beautiful, palm-lined beach on Torguga Island which is in the gulf that my peninsula town sticks out into. Turquoise water (cloudy from the rainy season though at times they say it´s transparent). Went with a group of friends who knew someone with a boat. We paid $10 each when commercial tours are normally $99 per person!

The sunsets here in Puntarenas, when it´s not clouded over, are breathtaking.

Out the front porch of my house is the city soccer stadium. There was a game today against the biggest team in Costa Rica, Saprisa. Puntarenas´team is often called "El Puerto" though their name is Los Porteños. The jersy´s just read Puntarenas and they are flourescent orange. When the seats are filled with spirited fans it´s almost blinding. Everyone gets so into it. I love it. It´s also a little dangerous with our house location because people get drunk and worked up and fans get in fights outside the stadium but there´s a fair amount of police to keep things under control.

The food is yummy though not spicy. Rice and bean abound. Rice and black beans mixed and fried is the traditional breakfast called Gallopinto which often comes with eggs scrambled with ham or sausage. Tropical fruits are everywhere and fruit stands are extremely easy to come by. Seafood is all over (I also live in a port town with a big fishing population) and a shrip plate and a chicken plat are about the same price. Food and drink are very cheap. A full plate meal can cost only $4 and a beer just over a buck. You usually don´t tip here either.

There is a church just one block from my house that I´ve come to like very much. The people have all but adopted me and there´s lots of members my age (that was the group I went to the island with). I can usually understand about 70-80% of the sermon but usually miss the jokes. I´m pretty with it.

All in all it has been a wonderful experience save a scary experience yesterday. I was in a car accident. My host mom was driving and I was the only other passenger in the car. We were T-boned as we pulled into an intersection. We looked and didn´t see anyone then an SUV appeared then BAM. Smashed right between the front and rear doors and shattered the windows and windshield. Very scary. Luckily we weren´t hurt. I wasn´t wearing a seat belt and thank God I only have some bruised ribs. Norma was wearing hers and her shoulder and neck are sore, but she´s not as hurt as me. I´m pretty mobile, just hurts to stand up or sit down. Initially I was in a bit of shock and I hurt way more, but now I´m much better. Got something for the pain form the hospital which ran us through its system in a whopping 5.5 hours! In the end, I´m fine and praise the Lord constantly that it wasn´t worse. Hopefully I´ll be back surfing soon.

That about wraps it up. I´m posting some photos on photobucket.com and I´ll send a message out when they are ready. Until next time, take care and Pura Vida!

Meet Anahi (AHN-ah-ee)

This is Anahi, my host mom´s 2-year-old granddaughter. She´s adorable when she wants to be. Here she´s singing the spanish version of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." Precious


And here are a few more photos




The girl will scribble and draw on anything at her level. I think she´ll be an artist someday. Or maybe a model. She is rather photogenic!