Tucan Travels

Hasta luego, y pronto yo espero

2010-04-08T20:44:00.001-07:00

Pues, yo termine con las fotos de Costa Rica, hasta mi proxima viaje. Espero que estara pronto, pero no se cuando regresara. Por cierto quiero visitar cada ano y si yo puedo dos veces cada ano!

Well, I am finished with my pictures of Costa Rica, until my next trip! I hope that it will be some, but I don't know when I will return. Certainly I want to visit every year and if I can twice a year.

Terminare mi blog con fotos de mi fiesta despedida y otra fotos que yo queria compartir Gracias para visitando mi blog y compartiendo mis historias y adventuras. Hasta la proxima vez!

I will finish my blog with pictures of my farewell party and other pictures I wanted to share. Thanks for visiting my blog and sharing my stories and adventures. Until next time!

And of course, Rosy

2010-04-08T20:06:00.000-07:00

By now you know that Rosy is by far my favorite! My first trip, I spent a lot of time with her living in her home and at her cafe. She quickly stepped in and became my caretaker, whether I wanted it or not, which was endearing. Though everyone was very excited about my return trip, it was Rosy who called and insisted that I stay with her.......trumping everyone else, and we'd travel together back to Coronado to see everyone else. She has willingly tolerated me for 2 weeks, both visits! (I'm not sure who cries more at the airport her or me? It's always a teary, teary, good-bye with us!) Though she doesn't have a cafe right now, she still enjoys cooking greatly and anxiously awaited me to wake each morning to prepare my breakfast! SWEET! We spent a few days cooking together so I can learn how to make some typically Tico food! I was trained by the best! My favorite time with her, this trip, was bar hopping! We had a blast! I have since then sworn off tequila!

This woman goes non-stop, all day every day! I would beg her to rest, even if for just a moment! (The picture with her sitting on the couch eating an apple was the one time she actually listened to me!) It's her personality to always being doing something. She wakes up at 5:30am and off, she goes! I, on the other hand, woke up around 10am, and was still sluggish until noon! She is the oldest of all the siblings (Lorena, Mierna, Yehu, Cesar, y Annette) and imagine that's where she got her caretaking nature.

She was generally uncooperative for most photo opportunities, so I don't have any great pictures of her. But don't let her serious face fool you.....she will love you to pieces! She is very affectionate and doesn't care if you are or not! She full of hugs and kisses, and even shares my cynicism!

I am still hoping she will visit her soon! She used to live her in Indy, and I wasn't fortunate enough to know her then! However, if she ever visits, we'll have a Tico style fiesta at my house!

The loveable Tias!

2010-04-08T19:50:00.000-07:00

The Tias, or the aunts, are the oldest living members of this large family. I gave up on trying to remember everyone's names, which worked out great, because they all went by Tia. Everyone just called them all Tia! They were the best! They couldn't talk to me enough! They all told me that they look forward to meeting and getting to know new people, and it was great pleasure that they welcomed me to their home, whenever possible. One night, Rosy and I walked down to the Tia's home, in San Carlos, at 10pm because they hadn't seen me that day and wanted to have coffee with me! (Seriously, how could I not love Costa Rica with people like this!) I felt badly for never staying the night at their home, but promised to do so my next visit! Don't you just want to hug and kiss on them? (I accidentally put two of the same photos up, and can't un-do it!)

Yehudith and Luis

2010-04-08T19:22:00.000-07:00

I have long said that Yehu is the craziest of them all, but I love her to death! We always have so much fun together. I have never spent the night at her house, but if anyone is looking for me, they will usually start at Yehu's house. I am always there whenever I can be. She and her boyfriend Luis, insisted on taking me to the airport, which was super sweet of them to do. Her son was the official photographer at the party!

Cesar y Lilli

2010-04-08T18:51:00.000-07:00

Cesar is one of the brothers and is married to Lilli. I took a fond liking to them on my first visit especially because they had wireless internet in their home, just across the way from where I was staying. Of course that's not the only thing I like about them. We had quit the party at their house too! I will say that I didn't get to spend hardly any time with them this visit. Cesar was out of town until Friday, but happily came to my good-bye BBQ! He even brought his dog to play with Cosmo!

Mierna, Marcos, Yuli, y Fernando

2010-04-07T07:22:00.000-07:00

Mierna is another sister. She is married to Marcos and their children are Yuli and Fernando. I don't have a picture of Fernando. He wasn't feeling all the pictures, but as you can see the rest weren't camera shy! Mierna's eyes are always closed in pictures! We have devised a plan that includes lots of tape and super-glue to help her with this problem! Jajajaaja

Lorena

2010-04-06T22:08:00.000-07:00

Lorena is another sister. She is really into quilting, but hasn't finished my quilt for my bed yet! She is quiet compared to the other siblings, but very enjoyable! We have enjoyed many cups of coffee together!

Cosmo

2010-04-06T22:06:00.001-07:00

Annette.....and gang

2010-04-06T21:56:00.000-07:00

Annette is the youngest of all the siblings. I stayed with her the 2nd part of my trip. Her husband is Coki, and their kids are Sophia....the youngest, Alonso, and Valeria. Oh, and their dog Cosmo too! Cosmo sleeps with me while I am there! I finally got me a white boy! LOL (I'll feature Cosmo in another post!)

Ninoshka

2010-04-06T21:33:00.000-07:00

Ninoshka, called Nino, is the youngest daughter of Rosy. Though I didn't know them then, she graduated from North Central High School in Indianapolis! Because I changed my plans at the last minute, I didn't get to see her until my last 3 days in Costa Rica. Believe me, we made up for lost time!

Lorna

2010-04-06T21:21:00.000-07:00

Lorna is the middle daughter of Rosy! She is about the sweetest person I have ever met. She had me over for dinner one day. She is an artist in disguise! She gave me this painted 'pueblo' that she did herself. (I don't have a picture of that, but look at the pig she painted!) She is one person that I didn't get to spend enough time with for sure! Next time Lorna! I'm spending several days at your house!

Katrina, Sebastian, Miranda, y Wilmer

2010-04-06T21:14:00.000-07:00

Katrina is the oldest daughter of Rosy. Her children are Sebastian and Miranda, affectionately called Sebas y Nana! Wilmer is their dad!

Playa Cocal, en Quepos

2010-04-06T20:52:00.001-07:00

Nino y yo pasamos un día a la Playa Cocal. Nosotros levantamos a las 5 por la mañana! Cuando ella me invito a la playa no sabía que tenemos que levantarnos bien temprano. Pero estaba feliz ir y teníamos un bien día juntos! Nos sentamos por el océano pacifico todo el día, y hablamos mucho……en ingles! Ella estudió en los estados unidas por 6 anos y su ingles es perfecto! Ella me caí bien, por cierto!

Yes, I do realize the picture of me is sideways. I'm not smart enough to change it!

Chance reunion!

2010-04-06T20:20:00.000-07:00

So, I was in the grocery store when I heard someone yell my name. This was especially strange because I was in another country, and everyone I knew there was back at the house. Well, to my surprise, it was Yanori and her son, whom I met on my previous visit. In fact, her son was the one to tell me that Michael Jackson had died. He was waiting for me to return to the cafe and ran out and said, "Donita, Michael Jackson se murio!" At that point I was thinking, my Spanish is worst than I thought because I think he just said Michael Jackson died! Well, as we all know, it was so true. This was certainly a profound memory for me. Anyway, I had intended to visit with them but hadn't gotten around to it! So, I was most happy to run into them!

Cooking, a group effort.

2010-04-05T09:49:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a lazy day for us all, especially after a day at the beach. Some remained in their pajamas all day! That's my type of day. Sunday is usually used to prepare for the week in many ways, but especially in the kitchen. We made empanadas, sliced vegetables, gallo pinto, and several other things. As you can imagine, the kitchen is the 'hang out' especially on Sundays. Somehow this prep for the week turned into my farewell BBQ later that evening. (Pictures of this later!)

Home, away from home

2010-04-01T21:13:00.000-07:00

I spent my first week in San Carlos, an area that I hadn't been to on my previous trip, where I stayed with Rosy and her grandkids. This is the house where Rosy raised all her kids and is her home away from Coronado, therefore, it's my home away from Coronado too!

Of course, coffee time!

2010-04-01T20:54:00.000-07:00

I can't tell you how much coffee I had. It is jus what you do when someone comes over, or you go somewhere. Here are some of the coffee gatherings I enjoyed this trip! (O.K., so I didn't get too many coffee pictures, but you get the idea!)

Estrellita donde esta?

2010-04-01T20:32:00.000-07:00

It's Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star in Spanish! (Hey, the guitar adds to the song!)

Wanna go to jail?

2010-04-01T20:10:00.000-07:00

One of the most interesting things I learned about Costa Rica is that it is illegal to cut down any trees without government approval. Their government has made a strong stance on the importance of trees to the lives of everyone.....all creatures great and small, and the are invested in maintaining the trees in their country. So, no new housing developments popping up all over the place. Tree live is more important! I found this quite interesting!

Arenal Volcano

2010-04-01T19:34:00.000-07:00

The day we went to this volcano, it was pretty cloudy and I couldn't get any good pictures. However, the next day was we were leaving San Carlos I got better pictures than when I was actually there. I want to visit this volcano at night because they said you can see lots of red and orange from the fire of the volcano! That would be awesome! I must return to see this sight, for sure!

Pretty Horses

2010-03-29T20:57:00.001-07:00

Yo pensé que quería montar a cabello. Entonces yo realice que yo soy una chica de la ciudad! No monto cabellos! Pues, no monte un cabello este viaje, pero voy a hacerlo en mi próximo viaje, por cierto.

I thought that I wanted to ride a horse. Then I realized that I am a city girl. I don't ride horses. Well, I didn't ride a horse this trip, but I am going to do it on my next trip, for sure!

San Carlos River

2010-03-29T20:01:00.000-07:00

One of the bars we went to was on the San Carlos River. More entertaining than anything was watching these 'drunk' guys trying to get this boat out of the water. It was even more hilarious when one of them went back to the bar for another beer, then returned to help with this whole boat deal! (I am amused by small things!)

Sebastians takes on Michael Jackson

2010-03-26T13:27:00.000-07:00

Michael Jackson may be dead, but his legacy long lives on in the life of this 4 year old. Sebastian, a.k.a. Seba, loves Michael Jackson. He was often listening to my iPod...all Michael Jackson. However, when I decided to record him, that's when his moves really came out! He thinks I am going to show this to all the 'important' people back in the states! Does anyone know how I can reach Randy and Simon?

Bar Hopping!

2010-03-25T15:38:00.001-07:00

So, my first experience bar-hopping Tico style was quite an adventure to say the least. We spent the most time at the 1^st bar which bordered Nicaragua! This is the bar where apparently everyone was welcome! Look! People brought their entire families……kids, dogs, and all! It seemed to be more acceptable and a cultural difference between the Nicaraguans and the Costaricans in regards to bringing the entire family to the bar. In defense of the Nicaraguans there were lots of other things for the kids to do, like play ball, a lake, and dancing! There is a picture of me with a couple….I forgot their names. They took a liking to me and even thought my Spanish was good! That should have been my first sign that I had too much to drink. After he brought us our 4^th round of drinks we decided it was time to head to our next bar! Who knew partying Tico style could be so much fun! Party on Ticos! Pura vida!

Pineapples

2010-03-25T15:34:00.001-07:00

Yo no tengo miedo decirte que yo no sabía que las pinas no cultivan por los arboles! En serio! Mi mama tiene avergüenza porque yo no sabía. Aquí en San Carlos hay muchos terrenos agrícolas de pinas. Costa Rica es el segundo productor de pinas en el mundo! Tu lo crees? Pues, tenía que aprender más desde yo no sabía nada a pinas. Yo les dije que, en los estados unidas, las pinas cultivan por los arboles desde es que yo pensé por mucho tiempo, es la verdad por cierto! Era un chiste para nosotros.

I am not afraid to say that I didn't know that pineapples didn't come from trees! Seriously. My mother is very embarrassed because I didn't know. Here in San Carlos there are many pineapple farms. Costa Rica is the 2^nd largest producer of pineapples in the world. Can you believe it? Well, I had to learn more since I didn't know a thing about pineapples. I told them that, in the United States, pineapples grow on trees since that is what I thought for so long, it must be true! It was a joke for us!

Sebastian y Miranda

2010-03-25T15:27:00.001-07:00

Sebastian y Miranda! Sebastian y Miranda son los nietos de Rosy y es mi primera vez conocerles. Pasamos mucho tiempo junto y ellos me caen bien. Sebestian tiene casi 5 anos, le gusta ayudarme con las fotos. El sabe cómo ponerlos por mi computadora solito! También, el le encanta la música de Michael Jackson. Miranda, tiene 3 anos, me dio una muñeca diferente cada noche dormir conmigo para que yo no tendré miedo! (Pues, Sebastian me dio una vaca también, por el mismo razón!) Ella esta aprendiendo contar en ingles! Aquí hay mucho fotos de ellos!

Sebastian and Miranda are the grandchildren of Rosy and this was my first time meeting them. We spent a lot of time together and I like them a lot. Sebastian, who is almost 5, likes to help me with the pictures. He knows how to put them on my computer all by himself! He also likes the music of Michael Jackson. Miranda gave me a different doll to sleep with each night, so that I wouldn't be scared! (Well, Sebastian gave me a cow too, for the same reason!) Miranda is learning how to count in English. Here are lots of pictures of them! Enjoy!

Rosy

2010-03-25T15:25:00.001-07:00

Por cierto estaba bien nerviosa para mi viaje. Estoy nerviosa cuando yo viajar siempre, pero es diferente cuando viajo a un país diferente. Aunque estuve aquí en junio es un país, cultura, y idioma bien diferente de mi país. Me olvide todos mis preocupes cuando Rosy me encontró a el aueropuerto! Cuando ella me saludo con un abrazote y besote y sabia estaba en bien manos otra vez! Ella me cuida mucho y no puedo preguntar por mas! Ella le quiero mucho!

For sure I was nervous for my trip. I am always nervous when I travel, but it's different when I travel to a different country. Although I was here in June, it's a country, culture, and language very different than my country. I forgot all my worries when Rosy met me at the airport. When she greeted me with a big hug and kiss I knew I was in good hands again. She cares for me so well and I couldn't ask for more. I love her lots!

Yo regrese a Costa Rica, por fin!

2010-03-25T15:24:00.001-07:00

Yo he decido no hacer mi blog otra vez antes yo regrese a Costa Rica. Pero después dos días yo tenía casi 200 fotos, y por el caso de este yo decide hacer mi blog otra vez. Fíjate mis fotos de mi viaje del aeropuerto a San Carlos.

I had decided not to do my blog again as I returned to Costa Rica. But after 2 days I had almost 200 pictures, and for this reason I decided to do my blog again. Look at my photos of my trip from the airport to San Carlos.

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

2010-03-25T15:22:00.001-07:00

(Desayuna, almuerza, y la cena!) Dentro de 20 pasos de la casa donde estoy quedando yo tengo acceso de todas que necesito comer. Las gallos ellos producen huevos para mi desayuna. Yo puedo tener frutas de los árboles para mi almuerza. Y para la cena hay muchas vacas. Si me gustaba bistec estará mejor, verdad! Los gallos tienen potencial estar desayuna y la cena cuando ellos están haciendo mucho ruidos por la mañana. Si yo tenía un escopeta mi primer mañana aquí, por seguro los mataría y cocinaría un bien cena! Está bien estar en un diferente lugares y estoy disfrutando todos, en serio, incluyendo los gallos, vacas, y arboles!

Within 20 steps of the house where I am staying I have access to everything I need to eat. The roosters produce eggs for my breakfast. I can have fruit from the trees for my lunch. And for my dinner there are many cows. If I like steak it would be better, right? The roosters have the potential to be breakfast and dinner when they are making a lot of noise in the morning! If I had a shotgun my first morning here, for sure I would have killed them and cooked a great dinner! It's great to be in a different place and I am really enjoying everything, seriously, including the roosters, the cows, and trees!

Underground Museum???

2009-07-29T15:54:00.000-07:00

I must say, this was my one regret. The day I was
at this museum, it wasn't open and I never made
it back. This museum is 6 stories underground!
How cool is that? The top of the museum is just
part of a patio, but the entire museum is underground! Therefore, I find it only fitting to plan another trip to ensure that I can experience this museum. I'm returning in January! Anyone want to join me?
Pura Vida!

Vecinos

2009-07-12T10:30:00.001-07:00

As I have told you before, the entire family, except for one sister, lived in the same little area. This is the main gate where everyone who lived here entered. The gate was electric for those entering with a car. They had something very similar to our garage door openers in their cars that would open the gate. The gate also had a smaller, non-electrical, door to enter without cars. It was kind of like, what we would call, an alley but lead to everyone's home. I lived in the first house to the left. Behind us was Tia, and Mirna's Family, Cesar's Family, and Yehudi's Family as well as two other neighbors not part of the family but joined in with parties and meals! I so loved being so close to everyone. I still remember my first morning, waking up and walking down the way until I found someone home. It turned out that Mirna was home and everyone was eating breakfast at her house. The family loved living so close together, but not together. I found this to be really neat!

Lorena

2009-07-11T21:57:00.000-07:00

Lorena and Rosy lived together. Lorena was just too sweet! I enjoyed her terribly and looked forward to seeing her when I returned each evening. I most enjoyed watching Vecinos with Lorena each night. Vecinos was a variety type show, but was funny. I miss hearing her laugh too. Lorena, has recently retired, and is learning to quilt. She can often be found at the kitchen table working on her quilts! We would also go into her bedroom to annoy her too! (I was always snapping pictures!) Besitos Lore!

Homes

2009-07-11T21:35:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, my first day or two in Costa Rica I compared everything to my life and how things look in Indianapolis. This quickly proved to be nonproductive and not helpful as there really is no comparison. Though things are very different, it was just how things were in Costa Rica. I would say, that for us, the homes on the outside were not esthetically desirable. Again, this is just how it was and I quickly accepted and appreciated this as part of the life in C.R. However, the inside of the homes were much like ours here in the states. I would say the one thing that was strikingly different was that most homes had tile floors throughout. (The house I stayed in, which was older that rest in this little neighborhood, had hardwood floors in the bedrooms, but tile everywhere else. )

Yehudith

2009-07-09T07:12:00.000-07:00

Yehu is one of my now, surrogate sisters. (I like being the little sister of all these guys!) Yehu could always make me laugh! She was crazy, but I loved her! Some of my favorite times with Yehu was we were just sitting and talking at her house! Most days when I returned home, I would make sure I'd go and see Yehu! The day Michael Jackson died, she dressed up in all red and busted in singing, "I'm bad, I'm bad................" Hilarious! (I wish I had taken a picture, but I was laughing hysterically.) Our shopping excursions was fun too! I guess there is a little bit of crazy in me too! Besitos Yehu!

The Children's Museum

2009-07-05T08:36:00.001-07:00

I don't know why, but I thought this was funny. The Children's Museum used to be the penitentiary.

Camera Shy....NOT!

2009-07-02T20:30:00.000-07:00

Yeah! They were NOT camera shy! You could always count on a striking pose when pictures were taken! Gotta love them!

Spanish Immersion???

2009-07-02T20:03:00.000-07:00

So, do I think my Spanish has improved now that I have returned from Costa Rica? I would say that my listening and reading comprehension has greatly improved! I had to listen a lot and closely to understand what was being said. I was around very gracious people who were patient and helpful. I could ask them to repeat it, or tell me another way so that I could understand. In general, I would say that my listening and reading comprehension is about 70%. My speaking isn't as far as I would like it to be, but people were able to understand me, and we were able to communicate. You all know that I am very social so communication was important for me. I knew I was doing better when I could use my cynicism in Spanish!

Also, all the big news here in the states was delivered to me in Spanish. All the information I had about Micheal Jackson, especially, was only in Spanish. This, unfortunately, was a great reading comprehension tool for me. Since I wanted to know everything that was going on with this situation particularly, I read the paper every day. It was also interesting to read the other news in Costa Rica to learn about the country and the culture.

This picture, unwillingly taken, is proof that I studied at least once! Also, the news about Micheal Jackson....en espanol!

Tearful Good-byes!

2009-06-29T21:21:00.001-07:00

Though these photos show happier times, spending my last day in Costa Rica and saying good-bye has been sad and tearful. I could have never imagined how much I have enjoyed the family I have stayed with particularly. They alone have made my time in Costa Rica some of the best times in my life. We have all joked about how I was introduced as 'la muchacha' or the girl on my first day, to now being introduced as their sister! Though I knew Glenda, the sister that lives in Indy, I didn't know the rest of the family, nor did they know me. So, no one really knew what to expect. However, in the end, we all enjoyed one another terrible so....thus a tearful good-bye!

Keep watching the blog. There is still much more to post and so much more to tell. For now, I am drying my tears and missing Costa Rica, but looking forward to being back home!

My Sugar Daddy or Cabana Boy!

2009-06-29T21:14:00.000-07:00

Well, we all know that I was searching for my Sugar Daddy or Cabana boy! Look! I found him! His name is Cosmo and he loved me to pieces! And, he's pretty hot too! Besitos Cosmo!

Family Bonding

2009-06-29T20:49:00.000-07:00

I think one of the things I will miss most is just 'hanging out' for no particular reason. Well, there was usually food involved, but mostly just because they could. For meals at home it was often plenty of food and people. And....home was anyone's home that had food. "Home is where the food is!" Or, coffee could be a reason for gathering, but then you had to have food! I have eaten more and drank more coffee here than I care to tell about! (the good thing is that I have walked sooooo much too! the hills are a bear!)

Colones

2009-06-29T20:22:00.000-07:00

Costa Ricans use Colones as their currency. Let me just tell you that I had the hardest time using Colones! We were laughing, but it's true, Americans can't count that high! Our dollar equals about 585 Colones. Imagine purchasing something for 13, 500 Colones! What the hell? Who can count that high? When I was alone and couldn't figure out how much to pay, I'd just give them money and let them figure it out. For all I know I could have been hustled out of money! Lessons learned.....learn how to count in the thousands!

Besitos!

2009-06-29T20:04:00.000-07:00

In Costa Rica, and in all Latino Cultures it is most common to great one another with a kiss! This is very different from American Culture. Because I have many Latino friends I knew this and have been accustomed to this for some time. Now, this is usually for people that you know or someone you have just met. It is the polite thing to do, when you meet or are introduced to someone, to say "mucho gusto" and offer a kiss. For other friends and family, you offer a kiss too and a hug if you want. However, the kiss is most common! And with this family particularly, you pretty much greeted with a kiss whenever you encountered them! I had rode the bus with some in the morning, and an hour later we ran into one another again. Yep! You guessed it! Besitos! (kisses) Muchos besitos!

La feria del agricultor

2009-06-29T19:57:00.000-07:00

Cada sabado (y en algunos lugares el domingo) por la manana en las diferentes comunidades del pais, los costarricenses salen a la calle par addquirir frutas y verduras a precios mas bajos y mucho mas frescas que en el supermercado. La "feria del Agricultor" no es solamente un mercado. Se trata de una alegre fiesta de colores y aromas, de apretones de manos, de risas, de conversaciones y de chistes. En las ferias no solo se ofrecen vegetales, en la actualidad, muchos vendedores ofrecen sombreros, juguetes, peceras y otras cosas!

Rain, Rain, Go away!

2009-06-29T19:46:00.000-07:00

In Costa Rica, there are two season.....wet and dry! This is how it was, jokingly, explained to me. Apparently we are in the wet season now. It has rained every, single day since I have been here! I am not talking a little sprinkle or light shower. I am talking inches of rain! Of all the many things I will miss about Costa Rica, the rain isn't one of them!

Pedestrians

2009-06-26T15:23:00.000-07:00

Here, Pedestrians DO NOT have the right of way. Thinking that you have the right of way here, is purely suicidal thinking! Buses have the right of way 1st! Then taxi's, then service trucks, then cars, then motorcycles, then bikes, then any other vehicle, then dogs, then and only then are you able to risk your life to cross the street! People say good-bye to their families as if they will never see them again before leaving out in the morning because walking, which is a neccessary, makes you risk your life each time!

I wish I could have gotten a better picture, but as I told you....my life was at hand!

The Mountains

2009-06-26T15:11:00.000-07:00

Yeah...you can pretty much see the mountains from anywhere! These pictures are taken from different places....e.g. San Jose, Guadalupes, Coronado, etc! (I wish I could give you more details but I can't remember everything!)

Different Foods

2009-06-26T14:57:00.000-07:00

A common breakfasts here is Gallo Pinto with Platano Maduro. It's usually served with eggs, cheese, and some type of bread. As you can see, I just opted for coffee!

The Fruit: the red prickly ones are Mamonchino! It was almost scary looking to me, but I tried it anyway! It ended up being my favorite. It was like a giant grape on the inside with a seed. A little different taste but delicious.

The yellow ones are Jocote! I can't really describe how this tasted. It was a bad taste, just not as flavorful as the Mamonchino! You can buy these both reddish, greenish, and yellowish!

Copo: this is a drink that you can easily find on the streets or at the park. It's like a snowcone, but they use sweetened condensed milk too! It was yummy. It tasted like a strawberry and cream smoothie!

My Costa Rican Mother!

2009-06-23T11:34:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you know, I am trying to figure out how to put Rosy in my suitcase and bring her ! She has and still is taking great care of me and we are having a great time! Only Rosy could get me up at 4:30am to go to Guadalupes! Yes folks, I said 4:30am! Funny thing is that Rosy used to live in Indianapolis, less than I mile from me! How funny! You can't help but to love her to pieces! So much fun and so loving! Look for her in my suitcase when I return! Pura Vida!

The Coffee

2009-06-23T11:25:00.000-07:00

Let me just say, the coffee here is excellent. I didn't think it was possible to drink any more coffee than I already do, but here it's common to drink it all day. Wherever you go, you are offered coffee! Of course they have coffee makers just like ours in the United States. However, they prefer to make it 'the old fashioned' way sometimes....as they did here in the photos! Very strong coffee! (Oh....apparently the coffee makes you crazy too! Only coffee would make you pose like this for a photo! Pura Vida!)

El primero comunion

2009-06-23T11:10:00.001-07:00

La Iglesia….
El domingo nos fuimos a una iglesia en Guadalapes por el primero comunión de Juan. ¡Teníamos que mandar un autobús por una hora y atravesamos las montanas! (¡Siento mucho pero no podia tomar fotos en el autobús! ¡Pero la vista estaba magnifico!)
Por el servicio por el primero comunión había muchas personas. Ellos no tenían espacio por todas personas y muchas personas no podían sentar por el servicio. Juan estaba muy feliz tener su familia y amigos por este día importante. ¡Mira los fotos por este día!
(Church)
Sunday we went to a church in Guadalapes for the 1st Communion of Juan. We had to travel by bus for an hour going through the mountains. (Sorry. I couldn’t take pictures on the bus, but the view was amazing.)
There were a lot of people there for the 1st Communion service. Because there were so many people there, many people had to stand for the service. Juan was very happy to have his friends and family there for this important day!

Rosy's Place

2009-06-23T10:57:00.000-07:00

La Café de Rosy está muy lindo! Aquí tu puedes comer comidas típico de Costa Rico! Yo he comido aquí mucho! Y Rosy, el dueña, es mi mama aquí in Costa Rica! Qué lindo!

Lunch=party

2009-06-23T08:49:00.000-07:00

So, there was a plan to have a lunch on Saturday. It started at 1pm and just kept going! Apparently this is very common, and let me tell you....FUN! I am really enjoying the people here! Wish I had time to write more, but keep watching. I will try to post whenever I can. I am keeping very busy trying to take in everything! And about the weather.....it is spring here. It's about 60ish during the day, and maybe 40 or 50 at night. Very comfortable, but it rains every single night because we are in the mountains!

San Jose

2009-06-23T08:42:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! Sorry. I haven't had enough time to post as I thought I would. However, I am officially loving it here, and am not happy that I have to leave soon. We have all decided not to thing about it. Anyway...here are some pictures from San Jose. I will try to post more later tonight.

Family

2009-06-20T10:30:00.001-07:00

I must say I am most impressed at how closely knit this family is here! I love that I can walk out the door, in my cute Joe Boxer pajamas, and be at the door of 4 other siblings and their family! You never know who will walk in to any house as they treat each house as their own! Though I had a few moments of missing my family and friends, it has quickly passed with such warmth and love here. I surely don't feel like a stranger! And about the over-indulgent Americans, it is quite true. I am one of them, I know, but true nonetheless! (In response to Shawna's comment.) Even now, because it's Saturday, they are preparing for a family lunch togeter.....just because!

Keep watching for new post. Next week, there are a lot of excursions planned where I will have plenty of opportunities for pictures and a different experience of the various cultures and communities. And....on Tuesday, I am going to a class at the University of Costa Rica! How cool is that? Alright....time to prepare for lunch!

Modern Technology

2009-06-19T11:32:00.001-07:00

I must say that I miss my cell phone and laptop more than anything! You could have never made me believe how 'hooked' I am to the both. I often say I want to throw my cell phone out the window and live without computers! I am publicly recanting any such statement! I feel lost and alone without my connection to the rest of the world. The house I am staying at doesn't have any Internet connection. Some of the relatives have dial up. I am in the office of one of the families using their connection on my computer. We will go today to search for a wireless card that will give me more service. You all have permission to talk about me for being so connected and reliant on my technology! (It must be said that I wasn't trying to use my phone on the airplane. I thought it was funny the people who had to use theirs on the plane or as soon as the pilot announced we could, they were on theirs! I'm not that far gone!)

The River

2009-06-19T11:15:00.000-07:00

Look at these! This was the view just a down the road from where I am staying. It's neat how you can find something like this just by walking around the corner. In Indiana, to see something like this, means a road trip! They said the water is very, very cold in the rivers!

ooops

2009-06-19T11:11:00.000-07:00

opps. I forgot to add this picture. The living room and dinning area! Different but nice!

My home away from home

2009-06-19T10:57:00.000-07:00

First off, I know I said I'd be writing in Spanish, but I don't have time now and wanted to post. Here is the house I am staying at with Rosie and Lorena. I didn't know what to expect because the homes are very different here, but I really like the house. I have my own room and it's pretty comfortable. Though I don't have pictures now, the entire family lives in the same area. This morning I walked out the door to Mierna's house where everyone was having breakfast! How neat is that! They love living so close together, but NOT together. It's the best of both worlds.

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go......?

2009-06-17T20:51:00.000-07:00

Well, I am all packed, but am not sure I am ready to go! All my built up excitement has turned into nervousness and anxiety! Too bad! There is no turning back now. I leave tomorrow, bright and early, for my trip to Costa Rica! For those of you just catching up I am heading to Costa Rica for 13 days. Though I wish this was solely a vacation trip, this sadly is not the case. I'm going to Costa Rica for an 'immersion' of sorts, in Spanish. I am hoping that as I am immersed in the language and some of the Latino Culture, my Spanish will blossom! I will be working in an elementary school in the mornings and studying Spanish with a professor from the University of Costa Rica. I will be doing some excursions as part of my class. So, keep up with the blog. I am sure I will have lots of interesting things to share from this journey! And, the rest of the blogs will be in both English and Spanish!

Thanks so much to all my friends and family for supporting and encouraging me to do this! I am so thankful for all of you. Keep in touch via the blog! It will likely be my only mode of communication! Please keep me in your prayers too! I NEED them! Here we go!

Toucan vs. Tucan

2009-06-09T20:25:00.001-07:00

I'm just running a test blog to try this out. In the process I found myself facing a difficult decision. Should my blog be titled Toucan Travels, using the English spelling of Toucan, or title it Tucan Travels with the Spanish spelling of Tucan. Quite the decision wouldn't you say? I think I like Tucan Travels as it allows me to use one word in Spanish and the other in English! The best of both worlds, huh?