Pura Vida!

Hola! Yo muy burracha anoche a Palmares 2009! Palmares es una fiesta grande.  Despite my lack of spanish vocabulary, I again went on another adventure una sola. Little did I know what a treat I was in for.

With out a ride out to Palmares around 2:30 p.m. the chances of me going were slim. Norra’s autobus (or party shuttle mas o menos) was full.. and everyone in the office was making valiant effort to find me a ride. Mi amigo christopher saw a bus (the size of a grey hound) out side the house on his way over. Acting as my translator, Chris and I went to scope out a spot for me. I lucked out, Alberto said they had an extra seat and I had exactly un menuto to get my things, and we were off!

Sebastian y yo

At first a bit shy, I was hardly talking to anyone..not to mention I was unsure if any of them spoke a lick of english, but I put my pride down on the seat next to me and turned to a kid. “Hola me llames es Maggie, Yo hablo español un poquito. Te llames?” (my spelling could be off.) Sebastian.. went to University near Excazu and he knew fluent english, but he decided I would not be allowed to talk to him in english and .. the hour bus ride consisted of him correcting my spanish and bebemos cervesas mucho.  I was starting to fit in. The trip out there was only the beginning though.. Oh did i forget to mention our el bano alto (bathroom stop)?

The Tico family on the side of the freeway, gladly welcomed visitors and travelers into their small home, for an inexpensive price of 200 colones. (around $0.40). Selling beer, fruit, coconuts, and offering there bathroom.. wasn’t too bad of a business. Even, the little boy didn’t mind when one of the muchachas burracha sat down with him to play el futbol on his playstation, while waiting her turn to use the restroom. The aroma of a fresh cooked dinner mixed with the hot musty costa rician air chocked me and I could not wait to get back onto the bus to finish my beer.

Entrada de Palmares

Arriving at Palmares everyone received bracelets to cover the drinks we had already consumed, the festival entrance, and the vip spots to see the performers and artists. Lucky for me, Alberto was an event promoter. I received all of this for 6,000 colones ($10-$12) and did not buy a drink from there on out. Palmares was huge! Circus size tents turned into 4 floor bars each with a stage and performers, a dance floor, and vip areas. Not to mention the endless rows of food and souvenir vendors lining each “street”. It was like a small town in there and it was packed with people. Finding Norra turned out to be way more complicated then expected.

Mi amigas nuevo

Artista de musica

Learning how to dance from some of the ticos I was really beginning to enjoy myself. As the night proceeded, my vision became blurred, but my outgoingness increased and I met two girls from the other bus. Though I cannot tell you their names, we got along just fine and they took me under their wing. We headed to another “tent” bar, where we danced and listened to a wicked band. Eventually came back to Barra Imperiel and low and behold ran into Norra! Norra muy burrachas, I met

Muy burracha

her boyfriend and we finished the night with Pizza from the vendors. In total.. I wouldn’t have changed a thing! My first tico fiesta. Pura Vida!

Unfortunately I did not get too many pictures.. except for one at the entrance gate, a few performers, and mi amigas nuevo.

Orale - Bar in Escazu

Feeling quite cooped up the past several days, considering I rarely leave my house. I decided I would venture to the bar myself on Wednesday (1/28).. No se? maybe meet friends? Local Ticos to talk with. Arriving at the bar to only discover no one there, except the very generous bar staff. Apparently many do not drink on mirecoles .. or maybe they are saving it for the weekend at Palmeres 2009 (a huge drinking festival)

The Bar was called, Orale, a Mexican bar according to a few. No se? There i sat at the bar, watching my first television in costa rica. (Again, no misconceptions to be made, Costa Rica has t.v., electricity, hot water, etc. – I am just renting from hippies) Ha. As Williams and that other chick dual it out (Patrick you’d know her) in the Australian Open, I sat there alone. So eagar to meet meet people, but no one out. I was aching for conversation, but I did not want to intrude with my ignorance and lack of spanish onto the staff. So I bit my tounge and continued to drink my beer. But then. Yes, Marco my savior of the night, shared a few lines with me taught me one or two words.. I will take one or two words. I even got to use the word “cat”.. to inform Marco and the crew “el gato” is coming into the bar. Ha and i said it just like that, no complete sentence, just two words blurted from my mouth. “el gato” as i pointed. ( they all laughed.) I went home with dos cervesas mucho. For what it was worth. I enjoyed myself.

Mountains from the valley in Escazu

Yesterday during lunch, I took a walk for my break. Considering I had an entire hour and it was sunny (well small overcast) I thought I would walk to downtown Escazu for some solid exploring… check out the valley I live in. It’s absolutely gorgeous seeing the mountains all around. I brought my camera along, but did not take too many shots. I tried to retrace my car ride route, when Andres took me to the vegetarian restaurant (one of my first days here), but could not quite seem to remember where that was anymore. Either way the walk was relaxing, and again I increased the bronze tone in my skin.  I enjoyed. The only other thing to be mentioned here is, that the United States fast food chains have taken over the world, and i could have chosen to eat at almost anyone of them. Where am i again? McDonalds 24-hour drive through. Not them too! Sheeeesh.

Last night I was invited to join Andres for his thursday night yoga class. Practicing sun salutations daily, I thought it would be good for me to try it out.. you know learn a few additional positions. No yo practico yoga en clases…generally (I do not practice yoga in classes). Or I think that’s how Andres taught me to say it.

Yoga in spanish was entertaining, to say the very least. Not only was I trying to keep up with these intense bends and twists, while still keeping my backbone intact.. I was trying my very best to decipher what the heck was being said. There was un momento when I was half way twisted up into some crazy back bend, when the instructor approached me to help me correct something. I was open to the feedback, it was definitely much appreciated, yet I was unsure what the heck she was saying. so just before she walked away I managed to squeal out the words “no habla espanoel” while still maintaining the uncompromising yoga position. She giggled.. and repeated it all in english. In short; Yoga was fun.

Pura Vida!

Ferry ride: Puntarenas a Paquera

I made it to Montezuma. With the few rehearsed spanish phrases scribbled down prior to my departure, and my numerous transfers i still made it.  I awoke at 3:00 a.m. at my house, from there on- taxi to bus station in San Jose. Bus from San Jose to Punterenas, then taxi to ferry. Ferry from Punterenas to Paquera (absolutely stunning.. views) , and the final bus from Paquera to Montezuma. I did it on my own. I made it. And I felt good. Muy buena.

La playa en Montezuma

I’m not one for religion, but if God did something right .. it was the creation of sand and sea. Montezuma is one those places that makes you want to fall in love. From hammocks to the sunrises, it’s a place i’d like to go back and visit..

la cascada

La cascada- the waterfall was absolutely breath taking. Aside from the trek.. i daringly opted to do in … yes, nonetheless.. my rainbow sandals, the trip out to the waterfall was quite exhilarating and left one wanting to take one step back to ask, “Am i alive?” Again, it’s one of those “pura vida” moments that could not be matched by any tangible material or product. You know what i mean? It just makes you grateful for the life you have been instilled with. Quite humbling.

Beyond these emotions of self-reflection. My trip to Montezuma.. was an unforgettable one. Met up with a friend of a friend, Lorraine, then her friend Mariah… and before you knew it we were making memories in no time. Of course it helped that I can basically speak to a rock (or so say my roommates) or any other inanimate object in that case. haha i kid I dig their style.. your typical west coast Californian surfer chicks. In for the ride. wave after wave, living. Okay, so in short we got along and had a blast.

la cascada con mi amigas

In long: The run down of activities. Beyond the trek to la cascasda and the 25 ft jump of the cliff into the rocky unknown (i kid mi mama).. We spent our time soaking up el sol a playa montezuma and swimming in the pacific. I was truly amazed how warm the pacific was, but it was also extremely salty. According to Mariah (an environmental studies graduate) salinity of water directly correlates to its temperature.  Don’t ask me to rework this small discovery, but common sense tells me that heat causes water to evaporate.. leaving more salt? si o no? Regardless – the swim in the ocean was refreshing as the sun baked my skin back to that nice golden color i wear so well. ha.

Lorraine y mi

A quick shower before heading to town. And by town i simply mean the center of it all.. which consisted of one street compiled with hippie vendors, organic and ethnic restaurants, quaint surf and gift shops, and a few bars (oh and fire dancers) ..  We watched the colors of the sky change from hammocks, wishing we had clear views of the setting sun.

la comida

Into town now.  Though I had yet to spend this kind of money on mi comida, Lorraine, Mariah, and i decided to “treat our selves” (which apparently they were doing every time they ate dinner) at the organic restaurant. Muy bueno. We purchased our own beer down the street.. and I ate my organic tacos, drank mi cervezas and again life was good.

la playa a las 6:30 a.m.

The final moments in the town were spent drinking on the beach, gazing at the stars i forgot existed (living in D.C. and all), getting drunk and practicing my spanish with the Chileans who found me entertaining to say the least, dancing the night away (god we know I was drunk now!), and retiring back to the hammocks.. prior to heading to bed. Before you knew it it was 6:30 a.m. and we were waking to catch the 7 o’clock bus to depart this town I had just fallen for..ah,  life. comes at you fast. PURA VIDA!

Mi cuarto en mi casa

So, I have yet to describe my house/office. I live in a split level house, the bottom level is the office and a small room for my bedroom. The upstairs is where the owner Andres lives. My bedroom is quaint, i have wireless internet, a tapestry for a quilt, no hot water, no stove or oven, my shower head breaks just about every day.. however I dig it.. kind of no se.. rustic or should I say keeps things interesting. The cold showers take some getting use to though.. actually I am procrastinating it this very un momento. Oh, but do not let me instill the misconception in you that all of Costa Rica lacks hot because this is not true. I took a nice warm shower at the beach last weekend!  haha

There are some pros and cons, yo trabajo en mi casa.

Pros: 1) have to be at work by 8:00 a.m., therefore I do not have to wake up until 7:45 a.m.  2) I do not have to fight traffic. 3) I do not have to pack a lunch.

Con: I am always here.

Part of the office

Haha.. so there you have it. I do not mind it much. I awake in the small bedroom that was designated mine when I arrived. I do el salutaciones de sol por la mañana. If there is time I will eat, oh wait not to worry I have my own kitchen at the office (but the office kitchen has no stove or oven either). I then head to work. Or should i say cross the hall to get my day started.

I work for a company called Solimar Travel or Solimar Costa Rica. They are connected with the company I have previously interned for in Washington, D.C. solimar international. Currently I am writing reviews on Costa Rican places  they are continuously trying to promote to their clients. In addition, I have begun to assist in the uploading and creation of the website content. (I will keep you updated once it is up and running.)

The district i live in is Escazu, which is right out side of downtown San Jose.  Placed in a valley, there are many mountains and rainforests that surround the city creating a very unique landscape… quite picturesque. The sun high in the sky, the sky muy azul, the clearest of days, yet some how remains that thin layer of grayish/purple/white clouds, almost like mist around the caps of the mountains. Hmm.. mysterious.. creepy?.. hmm at the very least beautiful. I hope to eventually get to the mountains to go climbing with my boss/co-worker andres, the yoga practicing hippie, who creates his own music videos and is well own his way to bettering our world, I am sure of it. What I mean here is hard to describe in a post. Pura Vida! Andres es muy buenos.

Playa Montezuma

I have finally set up my blog today! I expect this may be one of the easier ways for my friends and family to see what I am doing down in Costa Rica! I chose the site title of Pura Vida (which literally means pure life) for multiple reasons. Pura Vida is an expression which can be used in many forms, from a greeting, to a synonym for “excellent.”   It depicts the relaxed Tico lifestyle and radiates positive vibes, which reflect Costa Ricans strong community, good spirits, and their want to enjoy life and celebrate good fortune!  I am very fortunate and grateful to be down in Costa Rica and excited to share the next 4 months of my journey with all of you! 

PURA VIDA!