Nica Times

We just returned from a truly fantastic week in Nicaragua. We began in the city of Leon where we certainly felt like we had hit the big metropolis after ten weeks in our tiny, mountain town. Nicaragua has beautiful, colonial cities and Leon has the largest cathedral in Central America. It’s beautiful and we were able to ramble around on the roof, picking our way around the domes. It was a unique experience and allowed us to see views of the whole city and the several volcanoes that surround Leon. Nicaragua seems to be entirely made of volcanoes. In Leon we also found a delicious Italian restaurant with an amazing bakery attached and a few fun bars.

We also went volcano boarding, which I’m pretty sure is the weirdest thing I’ve done yet, and I’ve done a lot of weird things. All I could think was that the locals must be saying to each other, “Isn’t it hilarious how we can convince all these gringos to do totally insane things, and pay us to do them!” The hike up the volcano was stunning. Blue sky, sun, fluffy clouds, and green vistas all around. I think my choice to scale a volcano is Croc sandals was not the best choice I’ve ever made, but neither was Rob’s decision to ear rubber rain boots. After clambering our way to the top, we got to peak into an active volcano cone, which was awesome. And then, we slid down the volcano on little wooden boards. That was the weird part. Some people liked it, but I mostly just got covered in volcano dirt and stones as I tried to slow down a little bit.

Our next stop was a hostel right on the shores of Laguna de Apoyo where we very happily spent three days swimming, lounging in intertubes, and reading in hammocks. The lake is heated by a volcano (surprise, surprise) and therefore a deliciously warm temperature, but cool enough to feel great after the Nicaraguan sun. And, the setting was truly paradise- lush, green, tropical, amazing.

Our final stop was Grenada and I definitely need to go back. It is a truly charming city where we had the best breakfast at the Chocolate Museum. I need to go back and take their Chocolate farm tour. I’m a little in love with the Chocolate Museum.

Now, we’re back in Monte Verde and it’s drizzling, but bearable. Today was the first day of classes for me with the 7th, 8th, and 9th graders and things are off to an awesome start.

Rain, Rain, and More Rain....

I realize that it’s been ten days since I published my last post… I think the rain definitely brings down energy levels… It’s official- we are in the rainy season. Rob has turned to me frequently over the past few days and said, “It just doesn’t stop, does it?” We’re all coping but I am starting to think that I need to check Rob’s computer at the end of the day to make sure that it’s not filled with, “All work and no play makes Rob a dull boy.” I know I promised I wouldn’t talk about just the rain, so I’ll try to make this the last posting obsessing over it, but, for those of you who have never experienced a tropical rainy season, it’s pretty intense. Basically, we’re into the home stretch we’ve lost the warm, sunny mornings that fade into afternoon storms. For the next six weeks we will live in a world of gloomy grey where the sun will remain hidden behind the clouds. On lucky days, there will be a few hours without rain, but usually it’s always raining- somewhere on the spectrum between drizzle and monsoon with lightening. Similarly, our towels are never dry, just varying degrees of “less wet,” there’s mold on everything, creating an omnipresent aroma of mildew, and we’re usually cold.

So, the rain brings on reflection and I’ve been reminiscing about times past and missing both Berkeley and New York and our families and friends, while also having a great time here. On Friday night, what was supposed to be a few drinks after work turned into a marathon game of Pop Cranium with a massive amount of laughter and screaming. As the rain pelted down, I realized that there is something special about being with a group of friends who, while different in many ways, all share the rather unique fact of deciding to leave the states and teach in Central America. I definitely thought of my favorite quote of all time, from Mrs. Dalloway, “You want to say to each moment, stay, stay.” So, I guess I’m lucky that my biggest problem is that I’ve enjoyed, and continue to enjoy, my life so much that I want each moment to stay.

On Saturday night we went to a huge party at a board member’s house. Her husband is the president of the Monteverde Cheese Factory so we gorged on the cheese and pork products they produced. Then, on Sunday, we had some friends over for dinner and everyone was very impressed by Rob’s delicious recreation of New York Chinese Food (peanut noodles and sesame chicken and broccoli). Apparently, when it rains, we eat ☺

Can there be foreshadowing in your real life?

As a devoted and somewhat obsessive English teacher, one of the many topics that we've been exploring deeply in my 11th grade class this quarter is foreshadowing. So, of course, I now see it constantly in every book I read and every movie I see. Now I'm wondering, can my own life contain foreshadowing? Every once in a while Rob likes to tease me while I cut up our mammoth papayas by reminiscing about how I used to buy sad little containers of taste-less mango and papaya at our Brooklyn bodegas. It was a frequent buy of mine because I am a true fruit lover and hope springs eternal; I always thought that one time they would conjure paradise. They didn't quite, but maybe all that was just foreshadowing of the time when I would live deep in a Costa Rican jungle abundant with tropical fruit.

I never planned on coming to Costa Rica, it wasn't a childhood dream, it was a truly surprising offer that we decided to spontaneously grab. Therefore, I'm not one of the many ex-pats who came here seeking a country free from the possibilities of war and I've tried to avoid the cliché of fawning over the lack of a military here. However, I have always been deeply disturbed by war and confused by its prevalence in our world. So, maybe all those feelings, all my life, were a kind of foreshadowing for now. Now, when I live in a country that is deeply proud of not having a military. We just celebrated Independence Day on September 15th and it was a moving experience from start to finish. Independence came to Central America in 1821 when Spain sent a message to the government in Antigua, Guatemala, stating that Central America was now free (Spain was too drained by the fighting with Simon Bolivar in South America to hold onto her colonies). Then, riders, on horseback, shared the news by traveling, by torch, up to Honduras, and down to Nicaragua and Costa Rica. And so, Ticos are quite proud that even Independence came without a fight (at least, without a fight in Central America). Also, in the 1970's, the minister of education decided that without a violent military, the children are the army of the future and should therefore be the representatives of re-enacting the torch run. Every year, a runner re-enacts the running of the torch from Antigua to Cartaga and all along the way school groups meet the runner on the Pan-America highway, light their torches, and run them back to their schools. I think this is beautiful. Then, at 6pm on September 14th, the entire country sings the nation anthem and each town celebrates with a parade of lanterns that the school children have made. Again, a touching and vibrant experience that I won't soon forget. The following morning, on September 15th, we all (really, the whole zone- everyone was there) gathered for the annual parade where the students from various schools celebrated Independence by playing the drum songs that they had been practicing for months, carrying banners, wearing traditional dance costumes, and generally having a great time. It truly was an example of Pura Vida!

Is It Weird That I Sometimes Wish My Life Were A Montage Scene in a British Romantic Comedy?

Is it? I'll explain. London is not my favorite place in the world; there are cities, towns, beaches, and forests which I would choose above London. However, I do love London. I think I have a large capacity for loving many cities (sort of a metropolitan polygamy?) and London and its many charms and reliable cultural icons has a firm place in my heart and always has. I also love British Pop. And romantic comedies. The result is that whenever I hear certain British music, I start to fantasize that I'm a Bridget Jones type character moving pensively through London as a montage of my life scrolls across the screen- rainy days huddled in a "cold-water flat," sunny days in Hyde Park, thoughtfully pondering my broken heart in the Tate Modern, etc. Since these fantasy montages are not closely linked to my life; past reality, current situation, or desire for the future, I'm not really sure were the urge to be briskly walking along the Thames while The Cure or Jamiroquai play comes from.

Cut to my real life- twice a week (at least) I walk home, in the dark, through the jungle. I am addicted to my Tuesday and Thursday evening yoga classes at Rio Shanti and when the classes let out at 7:00pm, the bosque is quite dark and already teeming its nocturnal life. On Tuesdays, I walk home with two friends who live near me. However, on Thursdays, there is no friend heading my way, so I walk, through the dark, for 30 minutes, uphill, deeper and deeper into the cloud forest until I arrive at our happy, blue house. So, on Thursdays it's just me and my iPod. I've started a game where I must listen to my entire iPod on shuffle, whatever comes up, no matter how random. Last Thursday Dido popped on and I was immediately immersed in one of those moods that only a song can put you in- I was nostalgic for my early days in New York when my then-room-mate and I listened to this album obsessively, I was also, obviously, imagining my British montage life, and I was simultaneously deliriously happy to be at home in the jungle. It's my home now, and it's absurd and yet perfectly reasonable that this is where I am now, and I'm starting to worry that when I leave I'll desperately miss the sparkle of the rainforest- the strange and delightful creatures and plants at every turn. Seriously, there was not an ounce of imagination in Avatar- that's my life now. Well, no blue people or flying dragons- but pretty much everything else.

Little Town- Big Busy

As I’ve made abundantly clear on this blog, I am not used to small town life; so, maybe, my experience in Monteverde is similar to small town life elsewhere, but, to me, it’s entirely unique and surprising in its delights. I’m starting to find that Rob’s and my social life is almost more packed here than it’s been anywhere else and one of the main reasons that I don’t miss watching TV at all (except, of course, for occasional Law & Order cravings) is because I honestly don’t know when I’d find the time for TV.

Friday was open-mike night at a local restaurant, organized by the theater/music teacher in town. We went with several friends and of course a large gathering from town was there to support the students who were singing. I was very proud of my talented students who shared their music and I thought, “If I can’t have Duplex (the best piano bar in New York City) right now, this is really just as good.” I constantly enjoy learning how everyone in the town is related and spending more time with the families of my students. After open-mike night, we sauntered down to another café where we enjoyed more talking and drinks with friends at Reggae Night. This café is smack in the middle of a hostel neighborhood and I was pleasantly pleased to discover that my previous envy of the tourists (they get to come and enjoy and then move on) has turned into pity that they don’t get to stay and become a real part of the community. I guess this is acceptance, a kind of growth.

On Saturday, we met friends and went horseback riding to a hot spring. And, yes, I love that an easy option for Saturday afternoon is horseback riding through the most glorious landscape (I felt, alternately, like I was in Lord of the Rings and A Midsummer Night’s Dream) to a secluded hot spring. “Paradise” does not over-state the situation. Perhaps the highlight was when Milton, our guide and colleague at the CEC (this outing was a group of fellow CEC teachers), turned to one friend and I and said, “Le gusta aventura?” And, we found that when your trusted colleague asks is you like adventure and indicates taking the horses off the steep trail and leading them vertically up the side of a mountain, the only real answer is, “Pura Vida!”

The rest of the weekend has included lovely dinners at two different friends’ houses, reading, and more walking. The amazing thing is that the impending Monday morning does not fill me with any stress whatsoever; I’ll read and write and explore interesting questions with my students. And we’ll do all of this as the mist rolls in over the treetops and the toucanets and mot-mots chirp away. Did I mention that there’s a Quetzal who lives across the street from our house? I greet him everyday on my way to work and there’s always a group of tourists gathered around in awe. Of course, they have to leave, and I get to see him the next day too.

Even When It's Not Raining, It's Raining

The jungle always rains. This is a true fact that all the guides at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve share with all the visitors. Because the fauna in the rain forest thrives on intense amounts of annual rain, many of the plants have evolved to retain the moisture they collect and, as a result, drip and drop condensation even on dry days. So, in our house, deep in the jungle, it always sounds like it's raining. Today, though, it doesn't just sound it- it is definitely raining. For two more months. I promise I will write about other things although I do definitely anticipate the rain being the main focus of my life... I hope it won't turn into an obsession.

The Town Without Collateral

Where I live now, I’ve joined a DVD rental store. It’s in the back of a clothing and gift store, before you hit the house plants. Everything in Monteverde is more than one thing; like the bookstore that’s also an office supply store and also a laundromat and also a café. In order to join the DVD rental program, I simply had to give my name and phone number. No credit card required. And, I return the DVDs whenever I finish them. So, it’s like Netflix, on the honor system.

After work on Friday, three friends and I enjoyed an impromptu girl’s night out at a fantastic local restaurant where we ate unbelievable pizza (I know, I know, Chicago and New York friends- it’s good other places too), real wine (the box wine here will be its own blog entry) and a massive amount of dessert, half of which was on the house. When the bill came the owner was very apologetic that I couldn’t use my card because the machine was down. I said, “No problem, I’ll run to the ATM down the street.” And he said, I swear this is true, “No, please don’t, it’s raining, just pay me tomorrow.” I then said, “No, really, the ATM is so close.” He replied with, “Well, at least let me drive you because it’s raining.” The ATM was seriously twenty feet away. This really happened. High up on a mountain, in the middle of a cloud forest, in Central America.

It's Bearable With An Umbrella

I bought an umbrella which has made a huge difference in my life outlook. This may seem obvious, but I had thought that my full-body rain suit was enough. It turns out that an umbrella makes me feel armed for the movable waterfall (what I've decided rain is like here); I fully anticipate not even noticing the rain by the end of October. Well, maybe that won't happen, but I'm feeling positive. The other big news from today is that our students papered the Science teacher's windows with clever cut-outs of birds because three toucanets had rammed into the window and two had died. The sad part of the story is that two birds died, but the awesome part of the story is that I teach in a place where frequent toucanet spottings are the norm. Even as a I miss strolling along pavement and seeing a movie on a big screen, I am intensely aware of how much I will miss the jungle sounds when we leave. Every night it is as if we are truly engulfed by the jungle, taken in and enveloped by the sounds and dangers and mysteries; nothing between us and the famous Cloud Forest except for our rather thin (but well built :) walls.

The fruit is always sweeter....

I clearly suffer from the deadly sin of envy. I'm working on it. When I lived in the States, even bountiful California, I would look with longing at the imported pineapples, mangoes, and papayas and walk dutifully away because they were expensive and not within the parameters of an ecologically responsible "Hundred Mile Diet." Now, I gorge myself on these sweet tropical delights and am deliriously happy to do us. Until I wonder through the produce aisle of the Supercompro and notice the small mound of peaches, grapes, and plums. Imported, of course, from California. And then I want those. And cherries. And clementines. The clementines are from Peru, is that okay? I know it's not. Sigh.

In a similar vein, many of the ex-pats of Monteverde are drawn to this little mountain jungle because of an urge to escape consumerism; to focus less on material objects and feel closer to the land. And we are indeed closer to the land- I showered with two worms and a moth yesterday, which is pretty par for the course. And there is less of an emphasis on material goods, mainly because they are harder to get up here on the mountain. In reality, everything that you really need, you can find here. This is not hard living or deprived living by any means. But, there is less choice. No big box stores. No strip malls.

However, I have heard the life-long Monteverde residents yearn for the bloated choice of the States with the same intensity that us ex-pats yearn for a life of cage-free eggs and local milk. Our incredibly sweet and generous landlord is a very skilled builder who built their beautiful house, as well as ours, and he confessed to us that the one thing he covets from the States is Home Depot. And, I was eves-dropping on two high school students- one who had just returned from a year in the States and one who was heading there for a year- the one about to leave said that he couldn't wait to go to Wal-Mart, "I heard it's huge, with everything you could ever want!" and the other one impressed the need to go to Starbucks, "It's wonderful- they're everywhere, and you order a carmel machiato." Of course, these desires for the trappings of a life that we are not used to could be as simple as "the grass is always greener," or the human drive to experience and taste new experiences. But, I do think it's interesting to realize that maybe there is no perfect place with perfect solutions to living; maybe the goal is to appreciate the bonuses of where you are at any given moment. Maybe.

I’m not going to lie to you, despite the cautiously optimistic pep-talk tenor of some of my previous entries, I’m not sure I’m going to make it here. Which is unfair because Frank Sinatra promised me that if I could make it in New York, I could make it anywhere. Well, I could make it in New York, but this is a whole new world of hard; Let me illustrate my point:

Yesterday morning, I was with the 7th graders doing some team building exercises when some little bugger bastard stung my lip. So, I spent the rest of the day with a hugely swollen fat lip. It was awesome.

This morning Rob had to kill a spider with a hammer. Yes, that’s right, the spider, IN OUR HOUSE, was so big that the only thing capable of killing it was a hammer. It was in the kitchen sink. This was also awesome.

As my 11th graders were diligently and happily working away in Writer’s Workshop this morning, a tarantula wasp zoomed by the porch and stung one of my student’s feet. His foot swelled up and I sent him immediately to the office. Why? Oh, just because the tarantula wasp (so named because it lays its eggs in a tarantula, rendering the tarantula paralyzed for the rest of its humiliating life) sting will cause TISSUE DEATH in humans. My student was incredibly lucky and, because he was wearing a sock, the sting wasn’t too deep and he will be fine. This was, by far, the most awesome event of the past two days.

Yesterday’s rip-roaring downpour destroyed many areas of the main road and now sections of my walk home involve fording rivers. I’m thinking of getting a kayack.

In order to be fair and balanced, here are some wonderful events of the past few days:

My students are awesome; they’re affectionate and funny and warm and committed to learning.

I’m still amazed by the clouds and mist rolling in over the hills as I stand on the porch of my classroom.

I don’t need an alarm clock because at exactly 6am every day a true symphony of tropical birds start warming up and gently wake me up.

Papaya. So good. So very good.

Same about pineapple.

And avocados.

Cleary, I Took the Teaching Job and Rob and I Moved Back to Monteverde, Costa Rica One Week Ago

It is sort of impossible to live here, physically. I have just spent quite a while reading the fun and informative blogs of other US city folk living in Monteverde and they all devote a lot of time lamenting the damp. There is indeed no magical realism in Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s novels; I still love them, but the pervasiveness of the jungle is all too real realism- ain’t nothing made up about it. Since it does seem to be the lot of those temporarily living here to describe what rain is here, I will too.

We’ve been in our house for one week and my passport and several books have already started to wilt, crumple, and warp. I left a handout on a table at school today for one hour and when I came back it felt as if it had been dropped in a lake- emphasis here on the fact that it had not been raining. We were here in the spring and therefore are experiencing the rainy season for the first time (although I’m pretty sure that the dry season in Monteverde involves more rainfall than yearly averages in many places). We have been duly warned that our clothes will sprout mildew and take days to dry on the line and we are frightened enough by the inevitable mold attacks on the walls to acquiesce to a professional cleaning woman once every three weeks who will scrub them.

And, I’m cold all the time. Northern-California-can’t-get-rid-of-the-chill cold, but worse because everything is always some degree of damp. I’m cold all the time except when I’m hot and sweaty. We walk everywhere; I was expecting to walk everywhere since that was our experience four months ago, but the final hill up to the CEC, where I’m teaching 7th-11th grade English, is a ten minute leg-breaking, heart-pounding, sweat party. However, there is an upside to everything (Right? Right? Please say, I’m right…) and walking everywhere means that I feel healthy and truly hungry (not just it’s-been-five-hours-since-I-ate-so-I-should-eat-again hungry) and I sleep marvelously.

Continuing the upside theme, our house is lovely. I’ve used the word lovely a lot and now I know that I’ve never really used it so aptly- our house is truly lovely. It’s bright blue on the outside, so you can see it peeking through the jungle leaves, and orange and blue on the inside (trust me, it works). There is a marvelous energy in the house, which was only confirmed when we ran into a friend at the farmer’s market who had lived there before and she started crying because her memories of the house are so good. Our landlords are an amazingly warm and generous couple. They live behind us (they built both houses, of course) and we enjoyed a delicious and delightful breakfast at their place last Sunday. The house is also full of windows, clever places to sit and read, and it’s minutes from the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, so we are constantly treated to the calls and colors of amazing rainforest birds.

Back to the difficult side of things, this is a hard transition for me. Of course, you all know that change and transition are not my strong suits and some PhD student should research me as THE case study on homesickness. I worry a little that a year without museums, busy streets, movies, plays, and crowded bookstores will be unbearable for me. However, when we went to the community’s kid production of “Oliver!” (which was awesome) on Saturday night and ran into old friends and faces from our time here before, everyone was so open and friendly in a way that is special to this mountain hamlet. Also, my fellow teachers at the CEC are an enthusiastic, excited bunch; so I keep telling myself, I may miss urban life and knowing what it is to be dry, but the people here couldn’t be more welcoming. Learning Spanish too, has become the big goal of this year and one that I’m already progressing in. It’s mentally exhausting to try to learn a new language and speak it to new friends and colleagues, but just like the walking, it’s wonderful to be really spent at the end of the day.

And, of course, it’s the rainforest. It’s powerful and soothing all at the same time and as I walk up the path to my classroom (yes, to get from building to building at my school, hiking is involved ☺ I hear the oh-so-cheesy and oh-so-accurate refrain, “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need.”

9 Weeks Down, 3 To Go

Brad and Erin left this morning and I'm feeling a little blue. It was really wonderful to have them around; playing cards, hiking, drinking my delicious, if a bit strong, pina coladas. They also mark the end of our string of visitors and it's nice to have life in the cassita; a bit empty-feeling with it dark. I think I'm also dealing with a touch of the "now what"s. We've been so busy with work/school, Spanish lessons, and visitors since day one, and now three weeks stretch out with no real plans. Well, I do have one significant plan- this afternoon I'm interviewing for the position of 7th-11th grade English teacher at a local bilingual school (different from the one where I was teaching the past two months) and I'll let everyone know how it goes!

Life's a Beach

We just returned from four fabulous days in Montezuma with Peter, Brad, and Erin. I spent much time reading in the hammock and watching the ocean. We ate scrumptious food and enjoyed the sun and breezes. Then, we had to say good-bye to Peter and Brad and Erin are with us, in Monteverde, until Wednesday; so far, they've had gorgeous weather and I hope it keeps for tomorrow's visit to the Cloud Forest Reserve.

I just almost stepped on a Coral Snake!!!

I am never walking on the short-cut forest/jungle path again!! I am sticking to the road forever and ever and ever ever!! I wonder if the universe is trying to send me a sign that just as I was racing through the bosque to email my application to teach at another private school here next year, I almost died. Okay, I didn't technically almost die. But I did almost step on a Coral Snake and that could have turned into a large problem. It is true that Coral Snakes are reclusive (this one was hidden under some rotting wood) and scared of humans (I'm pretty sure that he/she slithered away just as fast as I ran away, but I assure you, I did not stop to check), but they are also very deadly. So. I'm a little freaked out. On the other hand, maybe the universe is trying to tell me that scorpions, tarantulas, and snakes are no match for me and that Monteverde is indeed getting under my skin.... In either case, I've applied for a job here in the fall. If I get it, Rob and I will have to make a big decision about whether to return after July. I'll keep everyone posted.

In other news of creepy crawly critters, I do not have a Bot-Fly larvae in my arm. I went to the clinic yesterday and the doctor poked and prodded and determined that I just got a particularly persnickety bite and my immune system was working on it. So, no harm done, but Meredith should be very glad that I'll be safely in the States for three whole weeks before I'm the Maid of Honor in her wedding, because right now I have an interesting collection of spider, wasp, and mosquito bites up and down my arms....

In other news, the best Chocolate Caliente in the world is found at Cafe Cabure in Monteverde and the best cocktail in the world is the Sofia Colada at Sofia's in Cerro Plano.

In other news, Scorpion Count is 73.

In other news, we've been having a blast with my cousin Peter and head down to fun in the sun at Playa Montezuma tomorrow where we'll meet Brad and Erin and snorkle, swim, and relax for a few days.

With a little insect repellent and thick boots that Coral Snakes can't penetrate, Pura Vida!

Tales of a Baby Bot Fly

There is a very good chance that, if I do nothing, I will give birth to a baby bot fly in 4-8 weeks. By giving birth I mean that a nasty, sharp larvae will eat its way through my skin and emerge, "Alien" style, from my upper arm. I've been pretty convinced that the itchy, hard bite is a bot fly larvae and, after getting everyone at the school's opinion on the matter (small town, not a lot going on :), I've decided that it is indeed time to go to the clinic and get a real doctor's opinion on the matter. If it is a bot fly larvae, they'll extract it with a syringe. Which is more appealing than the old school method of coaxing it out with a piece of bacon.... I'll keep you posted :)
Scorpion Count: 71

So Much To Say....

It's been a long time since I wrote and my only excuse is that we've been happily inundated with visitors. After Mara's truly special visit, our friend Chrissy came and led us on a whirlwind itinerary that would have made my parents (the travel professionals) proud. First, we went on all three of our first zip-lining canopy tour ever, which was... AWESOME! Okay, at first it was terrifying and I kept thinking, "Why doesn't anybody ever talk about how truly scary and awful this is?" But then, after the third cable, I was loving the thrill, the view, and the ride and forgot all about the fear.... mostly.

Chrissy then convinced us to take a day-trip to Arenal and I will be forever grateful for her "persuading" (read, "strong insistence"). We took the taxi-boat-taxi across Lake Arenal and were freakishly lucky to have blue skys, calm weather, and a totally stunning view of the volcano! After reaching La Fortuna on the other side (Monteverde is about 3 hours from the Arenal area), we entered Eco Termales hotsprings and were swept away to a tropical paradise.

The Arenal Volcano is quite active (on a clear night, you can watch the lava spew out) and ever since it's big eruption in 1968, it has heated the natural springs around the area causing a flux of deliciously beautiful natural hot spring resorts. Eco Termales was perfect. We soaked ourselves in volcanic waterfalls, drank perfect pina coladas, and were entertained by a troop of Howler Monkeys! Seeing Howler Monkeys are very rare and I will post Chrissy's awesome pictures soon. I won't talk about the part where I slipped on the wet stones, came crashing to my knees, and bled everywhere. Rob got me ice and a pina colada. I'm fine now.

We returned to our house to find David and Renee and all five of us headed out the next morning at 6am for our walk up to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. This was Rob's and my third time, and I don't think it will ever stop being a fully astounding experience. Our guide this time, the wealth of knowledge, Eduardo, kept commenting that James Cameron simply stole the Cloud Forest as his setting for Avatar. I think Eduardo is right; the size of the ferns, the details of the bugs, the sounds of the birds- it's all almost too perfect, too dazzling, too awe-inspiring. And, the freakish luck that Chrissy brought continued because we saw eight Quetzels! Quetzels are the prized, endangered bird of the central american forests and people freak out if they see one. Eduardo was out of his mind with excitement which was just a bonus addition to our happiness. We also saw more monkeys and toucans dive-bombing nests (they kidnap and eat other baby birds). We capped off the day with a night hike where we saw an owl, glowing bugs, and about 15 tarantulas. I'm not exagerating- they're everywhere....

After sadly saying good-bye to Chrissy, our fun with David and Renee continued as they explored coffee farms and waterfalls while we were at work. Last week-end we took taxi-boat-taxi with them and enjoyed it just as much as the first time and once again tested our luck with beautiful weather. This time we visited Tabacon- the king of the Arenal hot spring resorts. We decided to splurge on a room here and soaked up the luxurious volcano pools and reveled in our fancy hotel rooms that are up to standard for one of my parents' safaris (those of you who have been on one of their safaris know what I'm talking about).

The next day, perfectly relaxed and pampered, we visited Arenal National Park and hiked over the lava flows as close to the volcano as non-scientists are allowed. The most amazing part was getting to hear the rocks tumbling out of the volcano. When we looked through the binoculars we could see those rocks tumbling down the side, some as big as small houses!

Our last night with David and Renee we spent at the home of Irene, our new friend, thanks to Mara, where we had another fun night and watched an incredible lightening storm over the lake, out of her panoramic windows.

Now that we're back in Monteverde, enjoying the last week of school, I am a bit worried that our luck has run out weather-wise, because we are living and breathing in rain. I'm hoping it will clear a bit after Peter, Brad, and Erin arrive this week-end.

Pura Vida!

Tilting at Windmills in Tilaran

We spent a truly lovely week end with Mara in the Tilaran, Guanacaste area (roughly two hours north of Monteverde). Driving from Monteverde to Tilaran is a true feast for the eyes, miles and miles of rolling green pastures and panoramic views. The cows, the small villages, and the expansive blue skys are reminiscent, in ways, of places in Ireland, Illinois, and, I imagine, Cervante's own Basque country. We knew that we were approaching Tilaran because of the industrial windwills dotting the hills, and once there, we could feel the wind. It's a new level of wind in my life. Relentless and forceful, but somehow not over-powering. Gaunacaste is a notoriously hot province and you can certainly feel the heat underneath the wind, and then become grateful for the wind for alleviating some of that heat.

Costa Rica is a leader in renewable energy and the massive power provided by this wind is not only very important, but should serve as a harbinger for all those annoying gringos in the US who don't want their Martha's Vineyard and Idaho views "ruined." I have to say, Tilaran is beautiful. Shocking green everywhere sloping down to the expanse of Lake Arenal where the water is whipped (by the wind, of course) into constant tiny, white peaks. And, the windmills just add to the beauty. Mara took us on her daily walk/run from her days living in Parcelles during the Peace Corps and we strolled directly under the giant, rhythmic machines that are not at all offensive or too loud.

We spent a fun night with her host family who were amazingly welcoming and shared LOTS of delicious food and everyone was patient with our halting Spanish. We then spent a night at the house of a friend of Mara's who has an amazing picture window taking in Lake Arenal and the volcano. After a bumpy, but picture-postcard, bus ride back to Monteverde, we hosted Mara for a few days. She did not have any white-faced monkey visitors at her windows (they've been scarce lately), but we did get to see the endangered Spider Monkeys on our Cloud Forest Reserve Tour. They are the largest monkeys in Costa Rica and endangered because they can only survive off of the vegetation from primary forests. As deforestation continues, they are forced to move into secondary forests and without certain nutrients, are developing osteoporosis. And you can imagine how successful a swinging monkey is with brittle bones... We also were lucky to see the famous Resplendent Quetzel, which is as magical and multi-colored as all the guide books say.

Pura Vida!

Zombieland?

For the first week or so here, Rob and I reacted oddly calmly, when every evening as we were eating dinner we would hear distant, clear moaning. I think we both assumed that it just must be something from jungle life. Maybe cows? No, way too deep and eerie for mooing... Maybe horses? No, definitely not horses. Rob even joked once that he felt like we were in "28 Days Later" and that at any moment the zombies were going to burst though our walls and rip our heads off.

Well, it turned out to be Howler Monkeys. And boy, do they howl. It's pretty awesome. They tend to howl in the early morning and late afternoon and their deep, territorial calls travel easily through the forest. We haven't seen any yet, although we're hoping... They live way up in the canopy and are quieter and better behaved than the white-faced monkey terrorists who were, most recently, seen ripping the siding off our guest house. So, the Howlers are harder to see.

Speaking of the monkeys who live above our house: I swear that every morning, mildly bored with their effortless swinging and graceful tree hoping, they say to each other, "Let's go to the roof and have a good stomp." And that's how I imagine them, lying in my bed at 5:30am, envisioning spider monkeys lifting their long arms and legs high above them and then stomping on our roof.

Sloths and R.O.U.S.s

WE SAW A SLOTH! WE SAW A SLOTH! WE SAW A SLOTH! WE SAW A SLOTH! WE SAW A SLOTH! WE SAW A SLOTH! WE SAW A SLOTH! WE SAW A SLOTH! It was so coool. Can you tell I'm excited? We were in our bedroom (of course. Our bedroom is turning out to be the best place to see wildlife in the whole Monteverde zone) and Rob noticed a rusty colored two-toed sloth hurrying along a branch. Hurrying by sloth standards; by white-faced cappuchin monkey (our ever-present companions) standards, he was ambling along. It was amazing. We also saw a beautiful toucan at one of our local cafes. And, one morning, on our driveway, we saw a Rodent Of Unusual Size. Seriously. Fauna here has been grouped into two categories for us; the ones which elicit the reaction, "Incredible!" and the ones that elicit the reaction, "I hope we never have one of those in our house." You can guess which reaction the ROUS got.

Speaking of ROUSs, there have been an odd number of allusions to the Princess Bride lately. First, Rob thinks we may have a fire-swamp in our drive-way. I'm doubting the existence of fire, but there is a suspiciously quick-sand looking spot that we tend to walk around. Secondly, the ROUS. And thirdly, the woman who made the most delicious bread anyone has ever tasted has left. This is sad because she used to sell the bread (and equally inspired cinnamon rolls) outside the school every day. However, a fellow-teacher told us that she is not the first bread-maker and that there are rumours that the recipes have been passed on to another. She said, quote "the bread-lady is a lot like the Dread Pirate Roberts." It might be good that the bread is on hiatus because it was my third day in a row of eating an entire loaf for a snack that I remembered my dear aunt/cousin Nancy telling me how she gained 60 pounds when she lived in Brazil from eating too much bread, beans, and rice....

We finally make it to the proper Monteverde Cloud Reserve this week-end, and while we did not see near the amount of birds and animals that hang out in our yard, we were simply blown away by the experience. It's such a cliche to say "blown-away" and "primordial" and "breath-taking" but that's exactly what the cloud forest is; truly spectacular vegatation and sounds everywhere.

"There goes the baker..."

Every morning as I pass the same ox-cart carrying milk to the cheese factory and notice that Hotel Colonial has the same special for dinner posted (chicken, in case you're wondering), I can't help but think of the opening song from Disney's "Beauty and the Beast":
There goes the baker with his bread tray, always the same old bread and rolls to sell.
Every morning just the same,
since the morning that we came,
to this poor, provincial town..."

Of course, Monteverde is not poor, although certainly provincial, and I do not yet find the life here tedious, rather charming and comforting. There is a surprising amount to do here too- tonight is the music and poetry festival at a local bar/performance space. There will be Costan Rican poets, a visiting poet from South Korea, and music by some of my students!

On an unrelated note, the rainy season is upon us. The mornings are clear, hot, and sunny and then the rain pours and pours in the afternoon. We've already had a healthy dose of real thunderstorms. Of course, this means that the scorpion count is down. I have no idea why, I can only hope that they've drowned. I'm so cruel.

This has nothing to do with Costa Rica..

My cousin, Bill, was just notimated for an Outer Critics Circle Award: check out the class of actor he's in! Pretty incredible! I'm really proud!

Outstanding Actor in a Play
Bill Heck The Orphans' Home Cycle
Jude Law Hamlet
Live Schreiber A View from the Bridge
Christopher Walken A Behanding in Spokane
Denzel Washington Fences

More Monkey Business!

Yesterday, the monkeys clearly woke-up and said, "Let's go to the human exhibit today." Our bedroom (which really is basically a tree-house) was surrounded by monkeys pearing in the windows, pacing the balcony, and sometimes even tapping the glass! Everyone who's been to the zoo knows you're not suppossed to tap the glass! I've been fortunate to spend a significant amount of time in my life around monkeys and babboons (mostly in Africa) and I think that they never stop being facsinating. We loved watching their little facial expressions and swinging antics; however, when one barred his teath and started heading for the door, Rob sugested that we lock it, because we're not sure what their oppossable thumbs are capable of :-)

I've noticed that my "recoil in horror" time at creepy-crawlers has definitely shortened. Don't get me wrong, I do not like the flying roaches, spiders as big as my hand, tarantula wasps, or scorpions, all of whom occasionally find their way into our kitchen. However, when confronted with a hairy spider who I swear looks like it could start talking at any minute, my recovery time is faster than it would have been under similar conditions in New York or Berkeley, and I find myself calming returning to dinner. I've been joking with Rob that he's killed or shooed away so many bugs, that when we get back to the states, he might miss it. I have a vision of him outside at my grandma's house in Wisconsin, seeking the spiders out.

The best thing about jungle life (technically cloud forest life, I still don't know if jungle is a technical ecosystem word or an umbrella term), is the smell. Even though the thick humidity can be exhausting and the sun relentless (only some days), the fresh smell of earth and properly decaying vegetation is wonderful. Sometimes, the monkey poo smell is overpowering, but most of the time, como la vida, la aire es pura aqui.

Speaking of Spanish, we have become dilligent about practicing our flashcards during dinner and I can now carry-on effective conversations with the woman in the store and the man in the bakery. I'm sure I'm saying things like, "Me forgetting to make plantains, how you to make plantains?" but everyone's very patient and I love practicing.

I accidently took a bath with a scorpion!

I am not remotely amused by this situation, but Rob thinks it's hysterical. In fact, all day, he's been periodically chuckling to himself. I went into the tub to wash my feet and armpits (we're getting creative with using the shower-less bath-tub instead of walking over to the cassita-guesthouse- to shower or using the shower that still has a bat), washed, and calmy got out. Rob then noticed that a scorpion had been behind me in the tub the whole time!! There's a good chance I'm not washing again.... Just kidding, but I'm not happy about this.

April 23 Scorpion Count- Day 18- 32 Scorpions- Average of 1.7/day

Sometimes it rains on only one side of the house.

I'm sure there's an amazing metaphor there....

Cheeky Monkeys!

A troupe came through yesterday, while we were out. They smashed an outdoor light, knocked some rubber boots off the balcony, and used our stairs as a toilet.... They weren't seeming so cute yesterday....

We're progressing in our Spanish; Rob is labelling every object in the house with its spanish name.

Scorpion count- still only 22..... Knock on wood :-)

Las Fiestas!

This past week-end was Las Fiestas in St. Elana. It's akin to a state fair and apparantly they happen all over the country. It was very fun to check out; I definitely did not ride the spinning ferris wheel, and I definitely did eat delicious meat on a stick. The highlight was watching the "torros," bull-riding. One slightly dangerous custom is that anyone who wants to can get in the center and get chased by the bull, after the bull bucks the professional rider. The ring was populated by a healthy mix of tipsy ticos and possibly naive turistos. The atmosphere was friendly and spirited, but I did feel bad for the bull and am not sure what I think about the ethics of it all. Maybe I'll bring this up this week in Philosophy class. The non-highlight was that the pulsing salsa disco beat reverberated down through the jungle and made us feel, for one week-end only, that we were back sleeping in a city :)

Scorpion Count- 25 (on day 13, our average has now dropped to fewer than 2/day)

My new haristyling product of choice is sunscreen.

I put a little in my hands and rub it all over my scalp for maximum protection. It creates an awesome greasy/volumized look. There's also a good chance that one day a wasp is going to make a nest in my hair. I didn't need the sunscreen today because we experienced our first long rain- not hard, but we did get wet walking back from the Farmer's Market :-)

In case you're wondering- scorpion count is at 22.

5:45am Wake-Up Call

We've been waking up pretty early here, somewhere around 6:00 or 6:30. In part, this is because the culture here is definitely on the early side and in part because when the jungle wakes up around you, it sort of wakes you up, this morning in particular. At 5:45am we were awoken by people having a dance party on our roof. It turned out to be an entire troop of monkeys hurrying along, shoving bugs and leaves in their mouths for breakfast as they went. It was so cool! There were at least 50 monkeys who came racing through the trees, paused to stare at us through the windows, and then skipped along the roof and away. Our bedroom is on the second floor, so we certainly feel as if we're up in the trees and the monkeys did pause on the branches outside to check us out :-)

Now, for my thoughts on community. I have never been part of such a strong village community. My community at TBS was strong in certain ways, but that was a workplace, not an entire living experience. Similarly, I've had communities in Bryn Mawr, Cape Town, and New York, but the entire town never felt like a cohesive community. I think that my parents have found a pretty strong, cohesive community in Galena, IL, but Monteverde is certainly my first, first- hand experience of this. And, at the risk of angering everyone and their loyalty to their communities, I would venture to say that Monteverde's sense of community is especially strong. Granted, I think in large part it is because this is a tiny town; naturally, the larger a community grows, the less cohesive it can be.

The map that the school gave us of town does not have any street or road names, rather it has the houses of everyone marked on it. Seriously. Also, addresses here are "50 meters south of the Cheese Factory" or, our address, "the end of the Bajo del Tigre." Everywhere we go, literally everywhere, people introduce themselves and engage us in conversation. No one is in too much of a hurry to have a real conversation. One of our neighbors invited us over for coffee three days after we arrived, and another was not at all unnerved when we knocked on her door, introduced ourselves, and asked to borrow her phone because we'd locked ourselves out. We've been invited to join soccer clubs, music ensembles, and potlucks. Yes, a cynic may say that this tiny town is just happy to have new blood to mix it up a bit; I do think that's part of it, there's an eagerness to have new experiences and ideas when new people come to town, but it's also the atmosphere here, one of true welcoming.

There is a fluidity here- gringo families come and go after a year or two and students stay in tico homes for their semester abroads. However, there are many people who spend their lives here and everyone seems to have a sense of "community archeology," who lived where, when, for how long, where they went, etc. And, of course, I'm sure there are downsides to everyone being somewhat intimately involved; I've only been here two weeks and can imagine that everyone knowing your business can sometimes get dreary.... But it was very helpful to have people tell us the history of the cat that has, for better or for worse, become our outdoor pet. What I love most is that no one can be dismissive here (not that anyone wants to be), your cab driver or garbage man or local restaurant owner or yoga teacher, is likely to be the parent of one of your students, or a neighbor; everyone is connected and everyone treats everyone else with respect. I really feel like this is a place where everyone is "seen."

Shock Mode

If you poke or scare many of the beetles here, they curl up and freeze, Rob and I call this "shock mode." Sometimes I joke that seeing too many spiders and scorpions causes me to go into shock mode, but our Spanish teacher (we had our first class yesterday!) brought up an excellent point: We spent the first part of the class learning the names for insects in Spanish, since that is clearly what we are obsessed with these days (and to think, 2 short weeks ago I never, ever thought about scorpions). Then, towards the end of class, Rob and I started sharing with Marcielos how much we are enjoying the incredible fruit here. And, it's true that every time I bite into a mango literally overflowing with flavor, or a banana that has layers of taste unheard of in the states, I think of my mom's one snobby comment of her life, "I just can't eat melon at home after having eaten it on the Nile." Anyway, our teacher made a wonderful point about life in the tropics, "You can't have the marvelous fruit without the crazy insects." And crazy insects continue to abound. This morning our front door had a truly reptilian bug, about five inches long, poking its dinosaur legs at passing moths.

On a totally different note, I taught me first Philosophy class to the 7th/8th graders today and it was quite an exercise in self-awareness. The students were wonderful, and just as my TBS students did, they shared poignant insights and probing questions. However, I became immediately aware that I was suddenly teaching in a country that I know almost nothing about. In the US when I'm teaching, I can rattle off side facts to my students about laws, history, and culture- the normal accumulation of information of being educated and living in the US. Here, in CR, I don't even know when women got the right to vote! Clearly, I need to do some serious reading on CR history, but more than that it is delightfully awkward to realize that my students and I have completely different cultural backgrounds and references. I can't assume anything! It is a little scary and totally incredible, because I have to be mindful of everything I say and do. I definitely feel like my yoga practice is spilling over into my "real" life here.....

Final note, it is awesome how truly bilingual MFS is. Every message in Meeting, every announcement at faculty meetings, is translated into whichever language it was not originally delivered in. The students prattle on, effortlessly switching from one language to another, and Ticos are so open to my fumbling attempts to learn Spanish.

My next post will definitely be on community.

No Scorpions Last Night....

We'll see how long that lasts and I promise I won't only write about scorpions. I do sort of feel like I've been unknowingly placed into an immersion therapy course to eradicate my debilitating fear of all things creepy/crawly. It's been a life-long struggle (just ask my dad and brother who had to often check the shower for spiders when I was growing up, before I'd get near it) and maybe 30 is the year that I'll conquer it!

I promise to upload pictures soon because the 16k hike that we went on yesterday was literally breathtaking. It was the school's (Monteverde Friends School) annual fundraising walk and it was a great way to talk to so many different people in the community. A very common story seems to be people who came down here for a few months and then stayed for years.... I'm not quite there yet. I'm definitely in awe of my surroundings and loving my daily 15 minute walk through the jungle at a perfect 70 degrees to get to school, but..... Part of the love I feel for this experience is knowing that in a few months I'll return to the cafes, art museums, and bustling streets of New York and/or San Francisco. I know, it makes me a little pathetic, but I think that at heart I'm a city girl who relishes the occasional camping adventure.

do So, the walk. We hiked uphill through the tiny towns and lush farms of the Monteverde zoneuntil we reached a lookout high in the Santa Elena Could Forest Reserve. On a clear day you can see the Arenal Volcano, but yesterday was not a clear day. The mist came rolling in and I reallylove the mist rolling in. It's a lot like the fog rolling in in Berkeley and quite lovely. Everywhere you look is saturated with green and everything smells fresh. Sometimes Rob and I have to remind ourselves that we live in a jungle, which is pretty hilarious, like when there are bugs with glow-in-the-dark eyes and huge, indigo Morpho butterflys right outside our door. Andthe birds that just hang out in the backyard are huge and decked out quite flamboyantly. I'm going to get a good bird book soon and identify them all. We also discovered my favorite insecthanging out next to our bowls-he looked exactly like a leaf with tiny legs and antenae (spelling?). Exactlylike a leaf.

Last thing for this LONG post- we went to our first Quaker Meeting yesterday which was a moving and calming experience. A few messages were shared and the room was filled with a sense of shared energy. This really is a strong, warm, welcoming community. I will have more thoughts on community for my next blog. Smiley Face.

The Scorpion is NOT my Sprit Animal

We've found 13 so far. But, I think that we've finally figured out how to keep them away.... Door flaps on all the doors and foot powder (apparently they find it gross). I'm in a hurry but will write more tomorrow, including details on the amazing 16k hike we went on yesterday.
Pura Vida!

4.8.10 Scorpion Death Count in House

8.... probably more tonight. We just went to the Monteverde Cheese Factory and had ice cream. I enjoyed the chocolate, but not the pineapple orange, I miss Ciao Bella a little..... But we did have delicious tamales for lunch and went with the 3rd and 4th graders on their farm skills class today- amazing walk through farms and jungles ended in a delightful garden in a local dairy farmer's backyard. The kids planted fig trees, worked the worm compost, and swung (is that a word?) on the rope swing. Fun.

4.8.10 Day Three in Costa Rica

Hi Everyone! This blog is primarily aimed at my TBS students, who I already miss very much. I want to be able to keep them updated, and yes, in the not too distant future I'll figure out how to post pictures. I also LOVE all the homework and writing that you're sending my way. My internet availability is not too great, so I may take one or two weeks to respond, but I will respond and I am truly relishing reading your work. Feel free to post on the blog (or not) and email me whenever you'd like (or not)!

This was the mass email I sent out yesterday,

It´s our second day here and we´ve stopped in at an internet cafe during our lovely walk exploring the ins and outs of this amazing mountain town. It´s kind of awesome to feel like I´m ¨back¨in the days of traveling through Africa (I want to put a semi colon here but can not figure out the punctuation on this computer. I am such a gringa right now!) Instead of compulsively checking my iPhone every 20 minutes, I am back to checking email every three days or so. Insert smiley face. We had a bit of culture shock last night when we realized that in the span of two weeks we moved out of our Berkeley home, visited many friends and family on the East Coast, and then suddenly ended up in a Central American jungle. It´s been a true blur: I might be in a state of mild shock.....Insert another smiley face. We´ve found (and Rob has killed) five scorpions so far, and there is a small bat living in one of our showers. Fortunately, there is another shower so we have a few days to figure out what to do about our little friend. We also watched a tarantula thoughtfully explore the front porch last night. However, we are very excited to become part of a new culture and community, if only for three months. The house is wonderful, there is nothing better than going to sleep with the sounds of the jungle literally outside our bedroom. And, we can not walk five steps in this town without meeting another super nice and helpful person. It is pretty astonishing here: we are literally steps from several famously diverse bio reserves and many hiking trails. I am very excited to explore the jungle via foot, horseback, and zip line. Insert final smiley face.