CPI Flamingo: sunny, humid, friendly. Just how I remember it, haha.
Today my groupo has thier first day of classes, and I already spent the morning helping the chaperones to update the school blog and post pictures for parents to see. I have never considered myself to be much good with computers, but its clear that my age correlates with my ability to solve technological problems, with the posting blogs and finding ways to charge camera batteries. Who knew??
Hopefully in the next half hour we will get the chance to go walk along the beach: Playa Flamingo. This is a blue flag beach, marked for being one of the cleanest and most ecologically healthy. Awesome, huh? Later we have a cooking and a dance class, and the cahperones want to take the kids to Playa Conchal(the name says it all...instead of sand on this beach, there are conchas: shells!).
I slept really well last night: the river tour really sapped all my energy. We arrived late, after stopping at the airport to reclaim some lost luggage. This took longer than expected, since there were some things missing!! In the end the riverboat tour guide and people were kind enough to wait for us, and we must´ve seen a crocodile every 4 minutes, there were SO MANY!!!! we also saw baby crocs, which was a first for me and really cool! I was wiped out though...after dinner I came back and showered and that was my day!
Now to walk on the beach. Hopefully the day continues like this: beautiful.
Pura vida : )
all about the details.
One word to describe the last 24 hours: FLEXIBLE.
Friday the whole of Grupos descended on the Heredia offices, and began prep to pick up groups that afternoon and the next day. We have several chaperones, many of which are coming later on in the summer. I met Sonia and Dev, who are both new, and gave Muni, Arelys, and Jonle(my boss) hugs.
That afternoon, I left with a CPI transport to Monteverde, instead of taking the public bus. I rode with three women from the Admissions office of Heredia: they are visiting Monteverde and Flamingo. I spent the night in Casas del Toro, and met with my chofer at CPI the next morning: quick breakfast of gallo pinto, greetings to some of the personnel, and we were off!
With Ronny, the chofer, we stopped to was the minibus in Liberia, and then headed to the airport to await my group, International School of Indiana. They arrived right on time, and I spotted them right away: a group of 21 ten and eleven-year-olds all wearing bright orange shirts. They have three chaperones with them, who I am still getting to know. They all seem really nice! The kids are energetic but very well-behaved, at least from what I've observed. We arrived at the hotel, Cabinas Isolina, settled in and hit the pool. Dinner was at 7pm, and then we picked up waterbottles for everyone. Today we are going on a riverboat tour, at the Tempisque river.
Some things about the beach: its HOT!!! People always imagine the beach being nice and breezy, but boy is it humid.
Necessary items here include:
-waterbottle
-sunscreen (30 or higher SPF)
-sunglasses
-bugspray
check, check, check...um, no I don't have bugspray. Pretty sure thats ok though, for some reason the bugs never find me very appetizing.
Well, gotta make myself available for breakfast, and get some tp for my hotel room, there is none!! uh oh.
chao: )
Friday the whole of Grupos descended on the Heredia offices, and began prep to pick up groups that afternoon and the next day. We have several chaperones, many of which are coming later on in the summer. I met Sonia and Dev, who are both new, and gave Muni, Arelys, and Jonle(my boss) hugs.
That afternoon, I left with a CPI transport to Monteverde, instead of taking the public bus. I rode with three women from the Admissions office of Heredia: they are visiting Monteverde and Flamingo. I spent the night in Casas del Toro, and met with my chofer at CPI the next morning: quick breakfast of gallo pinto, greetings to some of the personnel, and we were off!
With Ronny, the chofer, we stopped to was the minibus in Liberia, and then headed to the airport to await my group, International School of Indiana. They arrived right on time, and I spotted them right away: a group of 21 ten and eleven-year-olds all wearing bright orange shirts. They have three chaperones with them, who I am still getting to know. They all seem really nice! The kids are energetic but very well-behaved, at least from what I've observed. We arrived at the hotel, Cabinas Isolina, settled in and hit the pool. Dinner was at 7pm, and then we picked up waterbottles for everyone. Today we are going on a riverboat tour, at the Tempisque river.
Some things about the beach: its HOT!!! People always imagine the beach being nice and breezy, but boy is it humid.
Necessary items here include:
-waterbottle
-sunscreen (30 or higher SPF)
-sunglasses
-bugspray
check, check, check...um, no I don't have bugspray. Pretty sure thats ok though, for some reason the bugs never find me very appetizing.
Well, gotta make myself available for breakfast, and get some tp for my hotel room, there is none!! uh oh.
chao: )
Welcome Back
Day one: make certificates for my group, organize treasure hunt, figure out names of my kids, flight info, figure out schedule, get Grupos shirt, wait for Muni.
The weather here is beautiful right now! We are in "verano bonito," where there has been little rain, lots of sun and breezes. I slept very well last night at Mayi's, where there is a couple also staying and studying at the school. Funny thing though, there is a rooster in the neighborhood who didn't get the memo that roosters are only supposed to crow at dawn. He was busy at 3am, haha!I loved my coffee this morning: the real stuff, not Folgers or Maxwell House or Starbucks, but REAL cafe con leche, fresh mango and pineapple. YUM! Gotta love the food here :)
"Pura Vida" is on everyone's lips...I think I had sort of forgotten how common a phrase it is here! But to effectively sum up this country, and its people: pura vida.
Later today Muni, who also works in Grupos, should be arriving. It will be good to see her again and to jump into preparations for our grupos, many of which arrive tomorrow! Hitting the ground running...and I am ready to rock and roll.
The weather here is beautiful right now! We are in "verano bonito," where there has been little rain, lots of sun and breezes. I slept very well last night at Mayi's, where there is a couple also staying and studying at the school. Funny thing though, there is a rooster in the neighborhood who didn't get the memo that roosters are only supposed to crow at dawn. He was busy at 3am, haha!I loved my coffee this morning: the real stuff, not Folgers or Maxwell House or Starbucks, but REAL cafe con leche, fresh mango and pineapple. YUM! Gotta love the food here :)
"Pura Vida" is on everyone's lips...I think I had sort of forgotten how common a phrase it is here! But to effectively sum up this country, and its people: pura vida.
Later today Muni, who also works in Grupos, should be arriving. It will be good to see her again and to jump into preparations for our grupos, many of which arrive tomorrow! Hitting the ground running...and I am ready to rock and roll.
A New Adventure
Hello! I am writing from Costa Rica, after a safe arrival and easy trip.
The most boring part was my 3 hour layover in Newark, where I read a book (thanks kallie!) and people-watched.
Its amazing being back here! Its hot and humid and it smells like gasoline and trees...Everything I remember. Hearing Spanish all around me, I find myself thinking and translating in my head. There is salsa on the radio, "sodas" all over, and moths flying indoors.
Tomorrow I go to CPI Heredia to prepare for my group. I will be in Flamingo Beach all next week with a group of 5th graders.
Right now I am tired, since I slept fitfully and little on the plane.
Bona nit!
The most boring part was my 3 hour layover in Newark, where I read a book (thanks kallie!) and people-watched.
Its amazing being back here! Its hot and humid and it smells like gasoline and trees...Everything I remember. Hearing Spanish all around me, I find myself thinking and translating in my head. There is salsa on the radio, "sodas" all over, and moths flying indoors.
Tomorrow I go to CPI Heredia to prepare for my group. I will be in Flamingo Beach all next week with a group of 5th graders.
Right now I am tired, since I slept fitfully and little on the plane.
Bona nit!
4
The days are whittling away. I am getting more and more anxious.
As of now my bags are half packed, but there are still to many things I need on hand to pack them up yet. The 12th will be a busy day for me!
I keep trying to remember things about Costa Rica: the taste of rice and beans, smells and colors. I keep thinking about last summer, and can't help but smile remembering the sunshine and the mountains. I have my raincoat and my sunscreen ready to go : )
Its a bittersweet goodbye though. My life has changed so much! But I am looking forward to throwing myself into being a chaperona again. SOON.
As of now my bags are half packed, but there are still to many things I need on hand to pack them up yet. The 12th will be a busy day for me!
I keep trying to remember things about Costa Rica: the taste of rice and beans, smells and colors. I keep thinking about last summer, and can't help but smile remembering the sunshine and the mountains. I have my raincoat and my sunscreen ready to go : )
Its a bittersweet goodbye though. My life has changed so much! But I am looking forward to throwing myself into being a chaperona again. SOON.
9
Nine. That is how many days are left before I return to Costa Rica for a whopping 15 MONTHS. These last few days I have been getting all kinds of questions: what are you doing, where are you going, how long are you staying, are you returning? Sometimes I feel a little out of breath after explaining.
My backpack and duffle will be stuffed when I go...these last few days I have been mentally cataloging what I will need and what I will leave here at my parent's house. Today Brandy asked me how I knew what to take, and the answer is simple. Once my shoes and underwear are packed, eveything else is cake : )
My backpack and duffle will be stuffed when I go...these last few days I have been mentally cataloging what I will need and what I will leave here at my parent's house. Today Brandy asked me how I knew what to take, and the answer is simple. Once my shoes and underwear are packed, eveything else is cake : )