cafe con leche

What an amazing weekend!! I had time to rest, and it was great. Friday night I went out with a few kids from my group: we went to a cool bar near downtown Sta. Elena and just kicked back. I got to dance salsa and I (sort of) know the bartender/owner from my visit last summer and got a good deal on drinks.
Sonia and Royner and I all walked home together. Sonia and I checked out brunch at Dulce Marzo yesterday, a local bakery. They have the best baked goods...I am trying to teach Sonia the difference between salsa and merengue, so we sat and listened to a lot of Latin jams yesterday too. Muni arrived in the evening, and it felt a little like college again with all three of us in tiny #8 at Casas del Torro, sharing keys and trying to plan outfits to go to dinner.
The UD group currently studying abroad also arrived last night, and we saw a few of the students out in Sta. Elena after dinner. Percio Castro, my favorite professor of all time has arrived with them and is my neighbor in Casas del Torro. For dinner we went to Morphos, a nice restaurant in downtown. It was nice, but expensive and I do not think I will go back of my own accord. Although I was flattered when they asked if I was from the zona...in other words if i was a local. (LOCALS GET DISCOUNTS! big difference in price) I am going to miss not having him for class anymore, ever. Its a real pleasure to get to see him again.

I think I should clarify a few things about Monteverde. It refers to a greater region: right now I am actually in Cerro Plano, like a suburb of Monteverde. From Cerro Plano you can walk downhill for about 15-20 minutes to Santa Elena, which is downtown. When I say "downtown" though I really mean that there is one main street lined with shops for souvenirs, canopy tours, a bus station,a bar and several restaurants. To walk through downtown takes maybe two minutes total, but it is still considered "downtown." Something is always happeneing and I LOVE being able to people watch: its an eclectic mix of locals and tourists, and people like me who could pass for being from the "zona," being able to walk confidently across the street and ask for a specific food item at the hotdog stand, or ordering a casado (marriage of rice and beans) instead of a hamburger. Oh and YES there is a hotdog stand in Sta. Elena, haha!

I think this is the start of a good week, with Muni, UD kids, and Dr. Castro all here. Pura Vida.