Hmm I realize that story may need more background

But it´s not really going to happen.  Mostly we argued about were we were for a very long time while flying into the san jose airport and we asked our cab driver who told us we were in san jose but mostly we realized people just agree with you here.  They try to be polite its so very texan of them.  They pretend to like you even if they don´t... of course the philipino family really liked us. they applauded at a lot we had to say like our name and what we did.  They called us amazing wome of the 21century... which we are... I know off subject.  but I realized back story isn´t that interesting if you haven´t been traveling with the five of us for a week.

Pam tells of our first night in San Jose?? or is it Alajueah?

I know i already told you the end of the story.  but pam wrote it out and we completely adore pam so here it is.

 

Here's an exciting story that I have the pleasure of being the first to pass on. Elena, Maggie, Lan and I made a plan to meet Yvonne on Saturday evening --- she was staying in a different hotel in San Jose...Yvonne (whose real first name is Wendy, by the way) was going to walk over to our place just a couple of blocks away, according to the maps. Plans went awry, as they do, and we traded multiple phone calls from hotel desks, never quite catching each other but getting messages translated into spanish and back into English. She was waiting for us in the rain at the corner of Central Ave and 3rd, near the cathedral and the mcdonalds. We were ALSO waiting in the rain for HOURS, not wanting to abandon her, at the corner of Central and 3rd by the cathedral and mcdonalds. (But we were grouchy because of low blood sugar. It's very hard to fend for yourself after a week of having all your meals sauvely slid in front of you by Mayrol...)

Yvonne finally gave up the ghost (I got that message from our hotel front desk, after we sought shelter in a cafe) around 6 pm. We gave her a call at her hotel to figure out how things got so screwed up and to say goodbye, and eventually we figured out that we were not caught in a wrinkle in the time-space continuum -- standing at the exact same place but in different dimensions -- but instead were in TWO DIFFERENT TOWNS. She was standing at the street corner with the cathdral and McDonalds in San Jose and we were in some little town near the airport that seemed like it might be San Jose but in actuality is  Alajuela, which unfortunately for all of us also has a McDonalds and Cathedral at its very own corner of 3rd and Central.

The moral of this story is ask your hotel clerk what town you are actually in before trying to meet Yvonne or you will get very wet and hungry.

The End.
 

Just call me sporty spice

Okay people I have a whole new hobby. I am a rafter, a white water rafter. Yes I love it.  Today was seriously one of my favorite days in costa rica.  I love rafting, it was only a level three and nothing really exciting happened.  I really need a 4.5 or 5 I´m so sporty I totally loved it.  And I jumped of a rock in to the rapids (almost rapid rapids) I really do need to become a better swimmer.  And there are more pictures of me being adventureous. are you excited -- I will post them but you must leave comments about how cool i look being all sporty.  Okay so let me tell you about today´s tour group. Three Philipino families -- 14 all together.  I do believe a family that paddles together stays together.  They are from texas, via new jersey.  and they were so awesome.  all the kids and the mom´s were a crack up-- always giving sage advice.  the kids would read on the bus then talk about what they would read and then discuss as a family.  If my kids would turn out like that I would totally have three.  So what I¨ve gathered it´s very important to stay home with them and know what you believe in your heart before college so professor don´t sway you with lies.  because anyone can write a book but it doesn´t have to be true. They were all so fabulous.  And there was a high school grad. who just joined the army and is getting ready to go michigan state in the fall with a girl who was an exchange student from costa rica and she wants to go there in the spring.  but i don´t think they were together.  just good friends.  I know totally matters to you :)  Anyway his family had 4 Sudanese foster kids.  Cool.  Nice nice people. oh and these like 70 year olds from puerto rico. such a cute couple I asked them for there email address because i was going to send them the photos of us rafting and they gave me a po box.  I don´t know if they really understood what rafting was.  I am an amazing rafter. I think i mentioned it.  the colorado river is calling me and maybe another river called middleford or something close to that in CA our rafting guide recommend it.

Oh and I come home tomorrow so excited. I miss being home and a choice of clothes and my bed and my boyfriend and my blackberry. I may even miss work just a little...

 

Lan and Maggie´s Grand Adventure.

So our fellow surf campers were a bit worried to find out that Lan and I were going solo for a few days in Costa Rica, they worried about our lack of skill in speaking spanish and from the looks on some of their faces they worried about us just walking down the street alone. 

But this morning we except for one minor glitch we found they have nothing to worry about. 

So this morning we asked (in spanish) where the autobus estaction was and after our self interpreted answer found it -- feeling very proud we watched for the signs that said san jose.  We asked about a few then finally saw the one clearly marked.  We were so proud of ourselves that Lan decided we should take a picture.  So I of course turn and smile for the camera, ooh one more, I know its because I´m ultra photogenic, and if there had been a third photo it would have shown the bus driving away without us.  Apparently when you just stare at the bus it doesn´t stop for you even though all the other ones did.  So now we felt a little bad. Although we had found the right bus it had left without us. We then kind of understood what the other girls were maybe thinking.  Anyway we grabbed hold of the adventurous spirit inside and decided to just take the next bus.  And that would be to Heredia.   Now we both left our tour books at home mostly because they were to heavy to carry.  But that didn´t stop us.  We were now on the way to Heredia.  Lovely drive -- went through San Juan, interesting little developments going up there.  And sure enough there was the church and the town square.  We again felt confident in getting around and asking questions because we studied our spanish cheat sheets along the way.  We stopped in the local market and took some photos.  I was a little grossed out by all the hanging meat.  There was just so much of it. Ewe. This not being a tourist town at all we got a bit of the local flavor.  I bought some Japanese anime cards for Morgan.  I think she´ll get a kick out of them and then we had some authentic Israeli cuisine at Shalom Cafe.  Delicious and friendly.  Caught ANOTHER autobus to San Jose and visited the ha-day (jade) museum then felt like we needed some jade which just opened us up to the shopping bug. We spent the rest of the afternoon shopping and walking (almost six miles total - thanks to Lan´s pedometer.) ooh and we even helped a little old lady looking for cinco boys fumar.  Yes we have become masters of costa rica.  So all and all a good day.  Feeling a little fluent in spanish it quite nice actually.  and now we are off to have dinner, i´m sure it will be another casado because seriously I haven´t had enough Fish Rice and Beans. I keep thinking of shaking it  up but then the fish is just so fresh here.  besides there are always plantains and you know I love a fried plantain. 

(so if Pam says yes I´m going to post her email about the challenges of San Jose and Alejuah )  which is probably another reason they were needlessly worried about us.

Life on the outside

So real quick. 

Yesterday went out to the big waves.  we rode around to three different beaches looking for the right waves.  and then we found them at st. teresa.  waves were shoulder high and looked great. so I paddled out without a problem. only had turtle once, ridiculously lucky the two girls behind me got every wave and didn't even make it out.  so getting to the outside kind of is cool all on its own even though it was mostly luck.  but then I"m out there britt and erika are with me giving me advice and instruction.  HUGE WAVE COMING. omg omg what to do what to-- TURTLE.  oh kay made it.  Nice job.  Here's another one OMG SO FREAKING BIG.... TURTLE TURTLE  okay made it.  What happened to hanging out in themellow ocean.  these waves are freaking huge.  Here comes another one!!! NO NONO STOP omg other surfers omg omg TURTLE.  lost my board kind of rough, this tough and scary people I'm not so sure about it.  Here's another one and another one. omg i just want to go home.  okay finally back up.  wait there's the beach, PADDLE PADDLE-- Britt is coming towards me... you are going the wrong way NO I'M ALL DONE omg keep paddling!!! wave gets me lose my board.  recover PADDLE wave gets  me lose my board, I WANT TO GO HOME. surfer yellingat me -- wave -wave.  OMG made it to the beach.  and that my friends is life on the outside. 

 

So this morning I had my private yoga session I totally rock yoga, did a head stand and can put my leg over my shoulder.  I'm very good, thinking of becoming a yogi rather than a surfer.  why because I'm flexible and surfing is SCARY.  fun yes in the white water but yes its scary you get totally knocked around.  so I go out for the final morning surf and rode an 8'6" board, smaller and lighter than the 9'2" I was riding. abut I got up no problemo-- I popped up -- I turned.  so I guess i can stick with surfing a bit more.  Small waves people. 

OOh and you all have some awesome photos to look forward to seeing of the waves I did get up on.

Alright next leg of the trip.

Change my ass, not my life.... Pam´s thoughts on ¨the science of yoga¨

I have so much to tell you and I can barely remember it all!  First I can´t even explain how bruised bitten and burned I am.  I have a bruise from the fin of the surfboard like three fingers deep.  It looks like big purple lips and I totally burned my lower back and upper legs mostly because i think that my board shorts are unlucky.  they are just really hard to pop up in, they stick to your legs, I don´t know how boys manage really.  Still haven´t gone the outside, well i kind of did but it doesn´t really count because there was a channel.  so this afternoon is the day.  i´m ready i had a good morning. 

oooh i didn´t tell you how zip line-ing went.  I pretty much screamed the whole way --but still is was so much fun.  But i kind of made our guide nervous,  i guess a lot of people aren´t screamers, which i dont´understand because we are going through trees crazy fast.  but I scream on waves, when I get one, when i´m tackled by one, its kind of become a stress reliever at this point.  ohh today we had our last group yoga session . it was great, we did kundlini (sp) so lots of breathing and up and down and turning-- very cardio but great.  and at the end during mediation she was like one more ex cerise,  the ¨laughing exercises¨ so we just lay there and she laughs, which makes us laugh and everybody cracks up because everyone else is laughing.  it was hysterical, i could´t stop laughing.  apparently is a new thing, something to google, laughing yoga.  it might become one of my favorites.  oh and we have this little dog scooby that follows us around all the time, he sleeps outside mine and elen´s bungalow,  he´s looks kind of like a puppy golden retiever but he´s not, like i don´t think he´s going to get big.  and he joined us for yoga and even met us the beach for pizza, he´s very protective of the whole group, its so cute!  It makes me almost want one, till I seem him scratching and biting and then I´m kind of like ew big germ. 

so yesterday (day 4) morning surf was awesome.  I got up all the time and was turning and was awesome non stop.  then we wen´t to the special afternoon spot which was not nearly as fun. first the waves were to big then they were gone but we did do the paddle relay which my team won.  But really all i wanted to do was go back in.  I´m kind of done with the surfing, not that it isn´t fun.  but I´m about ready to come home.  Next week I have all sorts of things planned but I¨m kind of tired of being covered in salt and sunblock.  at some point you want to not be sticky.  (For those (one) of you who don´t like lotion, i finally get it!)

so tomorrow is our last day so I am triyng to get all i can out of this so I will be going to the 730 surf and I have a semi private yoga session with alexandra (the one who cut her eye) at 645.  I know I¨m a total morning person, because those freaking birds!  I´m kind of over the birds too but not the guacamole or the caprinah (lime sugar and brazilian liquor).  alright a few afternoon sun salutations to prepare for the afternoon surf. hopefully my next one will be all aobut the big wave i caught --maybe just maybe :)

Day 3

Not an easy day... still fun but you know there is more pressure to get up and and really I want to go to the outside.  Even Pam (who has never even tried to surf before) made it to the outside, so really its just four girls but I want to be one of them.  I was apparently to tired to get it together today but they didn't end up going out there because the waves were to big or they were too tired.  I guess that's why they plan the canopy tour for today.  I'll be zip line-ing through the forest, or something like that.  Either way I'm pretty excited about it.  Ooh so Alexandra a Canadian who is a lawyer in NY cut her head open today, they took her to the emergency room, she needed a couple of stitches, kind of scary.  But she will be fine and now have a forever reminder about her time in costa rica, I guess I'll just get the picture instead, although I do have a couple of nice bruises.  Ohh so for those interested have moved off the soft top to a regular 9 foot long board.  And I even waxed it this morning, I of course slid right off it most of the day but I think it will be good in the long run. 

And I have to tell you this other funny story.  So Britt has been telling us about the iguana that stares at her in the room and every time we hear the monster noise we're like oh there goes the iguana.  So we were talking about it at morning yoga and we heard the monster cry and we were like "oh the iguana the iguana" like ten of us were talking about it.  And she turns to us and is like that's a howling monkey.  But she doesn't speak great english so we thought we didn't understand her but our fluent spanish speakers were like that's what she said a howling monkey!  turns out iguanas don't make any noise.  So now its twice Britt has led us a stray with bad information, from here on out we are asking for her sources.

Should practice pop ups but probably won't -- maybe I'll get a smoothie and do some mind ones instead :)

so l lied...

I thought I was an actual surfer yesterday before the afternoon surf, but I was so wrong....  I am now an actual surfer, of course now I realize I'm just an actual beginning surfer but a surfer all the same.  Yesterday was soooo cool, I was standing all afternoon.  Then this morning I was off to a great start, stood up right away.  My pop ups were strong then some how I lost but I finished strong.  And let me tell you when your last couple of rides are good it makes your entire night!  We went to this place called Mary's it was of course delicious... I had one mojito and was feeling tipsy (I actually had two but I was feeling pretty good before the second one arrived).  And this morning we were all l so tired, we asked the yoga instructor, who is so tiny and cute -- Brazilian and totally beautiful--- that we wanted easy yoga and so we did partners yoga, so much fun!  Everything stretches so much better... of course we couldn't stop giggling but it was great, and totally got us ready for morning surf.  I had Pam as my partner, she's my new favorite person. She must be close to six feet tall and is so funny.  She just got a new job as an AP journalist covering the CIA.  How cool is that.  And she has hilarious online dating stories.  Her current guy total pack rat and not just a collector a hoarder, like what you would see on Oprah. She's a crack up, you would all love her. 

So tomorrow we have an extra long morning surf so we can go on a canopy tour!  Can't wait.  Ooh and I finally found some one to travel with for a few days after camp is done.  We of course are clueless of what we want to do but she's and adventurer, Lahn is her name.  I think we will have a great time.  We might go see the giant sea turtles on the Caribbean side. 

Alright dinner and movie tonight, should probably go practice some more pop ups,

Oh and yes I did hear about Paris losing her $60M -- how crazy is that. 

I can't wait to see Britney's OK Mag spread. 

I may be an actual surfer

So my first morning went really well.  Mostly because I just kept remembering that I'm in Costa Rica surfing, and that's just crazy... I should have worked out a bit more, (when I say a bit I really mean a lot more-- something beyond competitive push ups for a day) anyway there is this girl Waverly she's from Dallas, some of you know how i feel about Dallas.  But she's actually great.  She worked out... and tried surfing in Barbados... but  i think we can probably still be friends anyway... she doesn't eat certain carbs, haven't really figured out which one but I guess it turns out you do really have to watch what you eat and workout to look like she does. and another girl Brit, (Brittany) I was kind of worried about her you know being named Brittany and all but she an interesting one a Navigator on a boat that takes in data so people know where to drill for oil, she has a British boyfriend, and a giant shark mouth tattooed to her back, an odd duck that one, taught her self to surf, turns out she's doing it wrong so she's a little frustrated.  and she can't sit still by the pool.  So I did get up but I quickly fell off,  the board is of course slippery so its hard to actually get up all the way sometimes but you know it turns out if you really follow instructions it kind of works,  oh my instructor is Erika -- totally adorable.  but afternoon surf in a couple of hours and I need to go the Pharmacia.