A Life Full of Laughter

This morning my roommates and I had breakfast with Pablo and the bus driver. We practiced some Spanish and learned some new words. Sandía means watermelon and aguacate is avocado and con su primiso means “with your permission” to leave the table. It’s customary in Spanish speaking countries. I’m glad I got to practice some Spanish even if it was just simple conversations like “como estás?” I’m going to Spain for my GO trip this summer and I have an easier time understanding Spanish than speaking it. And if I’m going for a month, I need to practice speaking it more and I think this is the perfect time to get my feet wet. I’m feeling better this morning. I finished my DayQuil and I hope the hot springs will really clear my head later.

After breakfast we loaded onto the bus and headed out to Fortuna.

We hiked around Arenal volcano and found an eyelash viper on the way–a juvenile. Although it was still young, it was still very poisonous, and of course Pablo picked it up (with a stick).

I saw a sign at the beginning of the trail (and at the end) that said mirador. I’ve seen this a few times in scenic areas, I’m beginning to think it means viewpoint or something because I know mirar means to look or watch. I also picked up some volcanic rock to bring back home.

As we made our way up the rocky incline we were warned about snakes that like to hide in the crevasses of the rocks. Not really what I wanted to hear at the time. No one had on their snake guards! I was busy enough trying to keep up with the group and not losing my step, the last thing I needed to think about was a snake biting my ankles. Once we made it to the top, everyone took their pictures and we snapped a group photo.

It was a beautiful view, of the volcano and of the river on the other side. I’m starting to feel like I’m in Costa Rica. Once everyone had taken their pictures, we headed back down along the path and loaded onto the bus to head out for lunch. Originally, we were going to eat in the park but it started to rain (go figure) so we ate at a restaurant called La Casa de la Hormiga – The House of the Ant. Very interesting name for a restaurant. I had pineapple juice (piña) and the chicken dish (served with rice and beans of course). It was very good and gave me a chance to practice some Spanish.

One thing I have noticed about Costa Rica is a lot of the buildings are open, as in no doors or walls. The restaurant didn’t have either and Soltis Center is pretty open itself. You never see this in America (many people prefer the AC than the humid air). Another thing I’ve noticed was all of the houses are only one floor. In the US we have more than one floor home, usually. When I did my home stay in Australia, the house was one floor and the houses I have seen in Africa were also one floor. I have never been to Europe, so I don’t know what the houses are like there, I just think it’s interesting that from where I have traveled, all the other countries have one story houses. Why is that?

After lunch we went on a chocolate tour that was actually really interesting. I was first surprised at how many people liked dark chocolate, I didn’t think it was a very popular choice but I was also surprised at the taste of the fruit as it was. It was horrible! I would never to eat something so bitter, never less have it be a symbol for royalty or upper class.

I would never think to peel the seed and dry them out for seven days and then mash them up. Who came up with this idea? How many times / different ways did they try this? Are there any other seeds this could be done to?

I got to help stir the nuts covered in everyone’s saliva. It was gross, but still kind of cool.

I got to smash the seeds as well. That pole was heavy and I could see where it would be a lot of work for someone.

When the chocolate was made, we got to try it in hot water and we could add flavors like hibiscus, orange, vanilla, sugar, coconut, cinnamon, ginger, sea salt, marshmallows, etc. For my first round I tried vanilla and coconut, It wasn’t that great. Then I tried hibiscus and orange and things were better.

After the hot chocolate, we got to try spoonfuls of the chocolate batter and we got to add things too like peanuts, coconut, marshmallows, sea salt, etc. The first time I tried “Death By Chocolate” (sea salt, vanilla and nieve) which was good. Erica told me she liked my shoes; they were “just her style”. I told her they were comfortable and so practical (they were Timberland boots). My second time around the table I asked for something sweet and I got vanilla, coconut, sea salt, peanuts, and marshmallows. There may have been a few drops of something else but it wasn’t labeled so I don’t know what it was. All I know is that it hit the spot. Before we left we had the opportunity to buy some chocolate and use the bathroom. As everyone was doing this I walked around taking pictures. Dr. Holt saw me snapping some shots of a pink and green plant. It’s one of my favorites. He told me it was called a Heliconia plant, it was related to the banana tree and it’s also known as the Lobster Claw because that’s almost what it looks like.

Once we left the plantation we headed into town to shop. We only had 30 minutes unfortunately. I wish we had more time. I’m always wishing I had more time. At any rate, I bought two shot glasses, a toucan statue, a sticker and a magnet. This was another great opportunity for me to practice my Spanish in a real life situation. I will definitely be buying souvenirs in Spain this summer so it’s good I practice the tourist dialogue: “Hi, how are you? How much is this? Have a good day.” It was a little awkward because my Spanish is so choppy because I get embarrassed. The words sound so unnatural coming out of my mouth. But it’s all a part of learning. I wish I had more time though. Priscilla said she wants to push for another souvenir shop tomorrow – she knows a good place that has good prices. I hope we get to practice more Spanish there. I love it.

After shopping we went to the hot springs. They were really neat and not what I was expecting. I imagined the springs to be on the side of a cliff, a volcano, or waterfall. When I was in Australia a few years ago we went to a lagoon and on the other side there was a waterfall and along the rocks were hot springs so we swam out there to sit in them. I guess I was expecting something similar, but I still loved these springs just as much. We all laughed at the signs that said love scenes were forbidden. I guess that’s something people have done before.

The clouds on top of the volcano cleared for a little so we were finally able to see the top for a little. The top wasn’t what I was expecting. I’m so used to seeing mountains and mountaintops and peaks, it didn’t occur to me that a volcano wouldn’t have this peak. I thought that was pretty neat to see. The springs were cool too. It was interesting to feel the water get warmer as we moved up into the different pools. It made sense, but it was neat to experience the change in water temperature. The top pool was so hot no one could bear to stay in there too long. I wish we had more time there too. I wish there were more hours in the day even though Costa Rica has some pretty long days.

When we got back, we had dinner and surprisingly enough there were no rice and beans! And there was chocolate for dessert! There was one called Tapita and another called Milán. I snagged a few extras to bring home.

At 7:45 we went on a walk and found some tree frogs and a kinkajou! I even spotted a poison dart frog! The red one with blue jeans! I’m so happy I found it! The non-bio student can see things! It was really exciting to spot something so small that everyone had walked right past.

I was nervous when Lucas held it. I thought poison dart frogs were poisonous to the touch but Pablo made it sound like they’re only harmful if the oil from their skin gets into you, like if you have a cut or something or if you’re an animal being hunted and you are impaled with an arrow that has the oils on the tip. I also learned that if you do handle a poison dart frog it is very, very important not to touch your eyes, nose, mouth, etc. and it is crucial to wash your hands with mud, not just soap and water. I never would have thought of this, but it made sense. The roughness of the mud would literally scrape away the toxins, whereas soap will not. We followed the trail all the way to the end before we turned around. We saw a bullet ant on a fern that over hung the path. I don’t know how everyone brushed past it the first time without getting bit.

On the way back, Pablo found a large frog in a pond and tried to catch it, but it got away. Pablo needed a hand getting out and Laura 1 tried to help him out but fell in. Today was a long and exciting day. Tomorrow will be another early start. We’re heading out to Curú. I’m excited for the beach and I heard we may see crocodiles! I can’t wait! I also think I’m kicking whatever was in my system out, so that’s good too.