Jungle Addiction

Yep, it's official. I am addicted to the jungle. There's just no place like off the grid to slow your thoughts down, set em up straight, and center yourself. There is nothing there to stress you out either....no cars, no work, no daily grind. For me, it's an escape with just enough people to make it interesting, and the surf, sand, and rain forests to relax you. Even the mud and lizards and rain and bugs and all of the less than ideal things are still less stressful than "normal life" stressors. I just can't be in a bad mood when I fall asleep to the sound of crashing waves and wake up to howler monkeys. I mean, I guess that could get old, haha, but I do like rising with the sun and having a cup of coffee on the deck as I listen to the forest come alive.

Alright. So. I've debated about whether to put this in my blog or not, but let's face it, life here is different than life at home - some things are safer and some things are more dangerous. It just all depends on there you go. One of the things that is safer here is hitch hiking. Yes, hitch hiking. Don't panic. It is somewhat of a normal part of life here. Most people don't have cars, and need the occasional ride into or out of town, especially since the bus/collectivo system can be seasonal and sporatic. So, in reference to the theme of my last blog, this is something I would not do by myself, nor would I do it after dark. While this is considered safe here, it can be unreliable, and therefore you must know your limits. I needed an ally just in case (Marco was with me), and you never know (I learned) how much you will be riding and how much you'll actually walk. Walking is a bigger part of hitch hiking than I thought....

We started at the BM (grocery store) in town, and got our first ride, easy from there. In fact, it was the first guy that passed us with our thumbs out. For future reference, thumb out is a universal sign for "I need a ride" and it works here! We got in the backseat of his (very nice) Toyota truck, and learned that he was only going a little ways down the road, but hey, something was better than nothing. He dropped us off when he needed to turn off, so we gathered our stuff and started walking. After a while, another car came past. Thumbs out. He slowed down. We hopped in the bed of the truck.

 This guy and a lady that looked like his wife were headed to Tamales, a place on the way to Matapalo. Again, something was better than nothing. Again, when he needed to turn off our road, he stopped, we got out, said thank you, and kept walking. This time, all of the cars seemed to be headed in the wrong direction, towards Puerto Jimenez. We walked...and walked....and walked. I was carrying a gallon of water in one hand, a bag of groceries in the other, and my backpack was strapped to my back. I was thankful that I packed lightly this weekend, compared to some of my other weekends. Still, my traps were getting tired, and I knew they'd be sore. The walk was beautiful though....we passed through rain forests, and we could see the ocean sometimes. We soon got to a cow pasture - the last pasture before you get into the real jungle. The pasture was backed with a rain forest mountain, and you could literally HEAR the jungle off in the distance. Thankfully it was also a clear afternoon, and there was actually a sunset!

Since I'm keeping this real and all, I will admit that I started getting a little nervous, seeing as we were still walking and not to Matapalo yet. After an eternity, a truck passed....but to no avail...He was so loaded with furniture and family that he couldn't fit us. At this time, I texted a friend, asking for the possibility of help, but ALAS! A truck! We waved him down, and without a question, he offered a ride. AND HE HAD AIR CONDITION. Amazing. Luckily, we were actually pretty close, so he was able to get us to the top of Matapalo, near where the collective drops off anyway. We had made it before dark. HOORAY. As we walked down Matapalo road, it got dark fast under the canopy, but we were ready with our flashlights and headlamps. 

We finally arrived at our cozy little platform. At laaasstttt. Ahhhh. Comfy beds, the cleanest sheets known to man......Not too shabby. After dinner, I was out when my head hit the pillow. I was thankful to have made it after a surprisingly long journey, and I was happy too that it hadn't rained on us on the way! 

It ended up raining all night, which sounded nice on the tin roof, not like rocks this time. We woke to more rain, but I grew up going to the beach in the rain anyway (thanks, Mom), so I threw on my rain jacket, and headed to the beach! 

Even in the rain, it was gorgeous. I walked down a little and climbed on the rocks since it was low tide. I could see electric blue and orange (yay!) fish and neon guppies bigger stripped fish in the tide pools, and there were tons of crabs scurrying around on the rocks. When I looked back towards The Crack (see that pointy rock offshore?), the mountain was hidden in the clouds and the ocean spray made everything misty. To me, this was the perfectly painted image of what a secluded rain forest beach should look like. :)

See??? Even when it rains, how can I be upset in a place like this?! Saturday was spent lounging for most of the day, broken up by some walks here and there. We even sat on the beach and watched it get dark...again, there was a semi-sunset! I've heard sunsets here are beautiful, so I can't wait to see a proper one here. There was a storm over the Gulf with lightening too, but you could still see some stars and the sunset in the other direction. Ah. Relaxation at last. Escape at last.

This morning we woke up to more rain and barking howler monkeys. Something must have been in their territory today because they sure were mad! I slept late today, 8:30! And Marco was still sleeping after I made breakfast and enjoyed my porch coffee, so....I headed to the beach! Of course! The waves were big this morning, but as the morning turned into afternoon, they were cleaning up nicely. I'd say about 10 surfers stayed on the 6-8ft waves for most of the day. It was fun to watch them really show off, and on the other hand, really wipe out! Haha! My friend Pollo was surfing, and after a while (a while meaning, I would have died of exhaustion a million times over by then), he got out of the water. He came over, stood next to me, and out of no where, invited me surfing. SURE! YES! I had been dying to get back on the water since I haven't had a chance to surf in over a year since I was in CR last, and I had been asking him if I could borrow one of his boards (he's an instructor remember, so he has beginner ones like I need haha).

I was already in my bathing suit, and had everything I needed, so we went. We walked up the road, and then out on the beach. The beaches here are small little stretches on sand punctuated by black, rocky headlands, and as you go away from the point there where I usually am, the waves get smaller. Pan Dulce, the beginner surf beach, is all the way at the top, past Matapalo beach and the intermediate beach, Backwash. We walked on the beach when we could, and we took forest trails around the rocky points until we were spit out at Pan Dulce. If you know about surfing (which I've learned a lot just watching recently), Pan Dulce is a looonnngggg right point break, meaning that you generally ride the wave to your right once you get up and it starts breaking from a rocky point on the beach.. This is good for me, since I ride regular stance with my right foot in back- I like to turn to my right  Here, you paddle out near the rocky point, wait for a break, and ride for a long time back in. The long ride means...you guessed it, a looonnnggg paddle too! Thankfully, the waves were the perfect size for me....Not too big to where I'd get pounded on the paddle out and not too small to where I couldn't get a good ride. We got in the water and PADDLE, PADDLE, PADDLE for a long time before I was in position for my first wave. I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to get up since it's been so long since I practiced....BUT I GOT UP! On my first wave! And I rode it all the way in! The paddling was worth the ride, and I'm happy to say that it was like riding a bike - your body just doesn't forget. :) Hooray! This is what I had been missing.

After more paddling back out, I was able to catch 5 more waves before my arms became anvils. I am happy to say that of the 6 total waves I caught, I stood up, and surfed all the way in on ALL of them! I could really get into this I think! If only someone would give me a board and ship me off to all the best surf locales. Any takers??!! Christmas is coming up....I need a used longboard in the upper 8 foot range (8'6" - 9')....HINT HINT. Haha

This is Pan Dulce, but I'll admit, not my picture...I was too excited to be surfing that I didn't get any pictures this time. Maybe next. But look all the way out and you'll see the point I was telling you about....You catch the waves there and then ride back in this way....

What a good day. Now it's back to good ole work....Hurryyy uppppp next weekend! :)

Mi, Migo, y Yo: Una Adventura Individual

First things first, I promised an update about the Independence Day festivities from this weekend. I am surprised to say, I was not surprised! Haha...so far, most of the Costa Rican celebrations I've been too have had a pinch of wacky, but this one was fairly "normal." After non-stop drum and dance practice that started back in August, I was anxious to see if the constant, repetitive, noisy practice was worth it. Friday night, there was the Desfilas de Faroles, or Faroles Parade. All of the kids in the community are required to make a farol for school. Best I can tell, faroles are handcrafted patriotic symbols made into lanterns on a stick. These can range from the flag and crest to a historic house, and there is always a light inside to represent the torch carried around the time that Costa Rica gained its independence. Friday morning, the torch run began in the northern part of our peninsula, and throughout the day, the torch was passed down through the towns. Runners carried the torch all the way down the Puerto Jimenez for the celebration and parade Friday night. Yes, high schoolers RAN the torch all the way down the peninsula, just like they do in the Olympics. Pretty impressive! They finally arrived at the collegio (high school) around the corner, and the festivities began. The collegio's "auditorium," which was more like a small warehouse with NO FANS, soon became packed with people (I'd guess over 1,000 people attended), and they lit the final torch. Everyone was carrying brightly colored faroles lit up with lights or candles. Eventually, the auditorium emptied a little, and we were able to squeeze in to get a look. In the middle of the floor, pairs of high schoolers were all dressed up in satin shirts and fancy, customary dresses, and they danced "Baile Typico" or typical dance of Costa Rica. I definitely enjoyed this part! The girls were beautiful, and their dresses flowed and shimmered as they twirled, and the ruffles on their tops bounced with them.

After the dancing and singing was over, people gathered outside and began the Desfilas de Faroles (the parade, remember?). There was no order - people just began walking and carrying their faroles! No drums (thank goodness), only threatening lightening and thunder. (Sidenote: I've learned that it can threaten to storm here and never actually storm, unlike at home where it comes in whether you like it or not!). We walked down the main road past the supermarket and shops, and people slowly branched off to go home as we passed their streets. We walked all the way down to the soccer field, where it pretty much ended.

Then, we were off to the bar with some of the volunteers from the forest camp...Underwhelming....they weren't so friendly, and the dancing was reggaeton and discoteca instead of salsa and latin. There were tons of people, and I did witness an all out, hair-pulling girl fight, but overall a fairly uneventful evening for it to be such a celebration earlier!

Sunday morning, I was up earlllyyyyy - we had to be at an Acto Civico Obligatario (mandatory community event). The people gathered in the same auditorium at 7:30am to sing national anthems, pledge, and watch more traditional dancing. I people watched more than anything, but of course, the dancing was again, fantastic.

After the ceremony, before the parade, I escaped to go pack. I was supposed to go to Matapalo for a little getaway. I could hear those same drums leading the parade all the way around town (that's how small town is, and how loud those obnoxious drums were!!).

Okay so many of you probably think I am crazy for going to the jungle by myself. I just needed some time to myself! It gets hard when you live in a full house when someone is ALWAYS home....I just wanted to blast MY music, wear what I wanted, DO what I wanted, WHENEVER I wanted to do it! I'm a little independent I guess. Let's preface this by saying I asked around first - everyone I talked to said I'd be fine, and I now that I have a phone, I have a few friends in Matapalo that I could call if I needed anything. So while traveling alone is always a risk, this one was a calculated, planned, prepared for risk. I've been there before, stayed in the exact same place, and I feel comfortable there because really there's no one there to hurt you. You only have to worry about animals and snakes, and if you take precautions and be smart about your food and bring lights, you're fine. Plus, Coneha, the hostel dog, follows me around and guards my porch at night (I heard her chase away a few critters this weekend, so she does her job!).

I arrived Sunday, midday, and got settled in my cozy, familiar, little platform. I headed straight to the beach to relax while the weather was nice. Ahhhhhh relaxation at last. The waves were small again - this season is apparently all messed up due to climate change. The waves are supposed to be huge now, but they are flat, and the locals are predicting less rain than usual in October (YES!) and the swells to roll in around December. I hope I get to see the big waves before I leave!

A relaxing afternoon led to a chill evening cooking. And guess what, I cooked for ME and I only had to clean up after ME. I didn't have to ask anyone else when they were hungry - I ate when I was hungry. It got dark while I was in the kitchen, and there were only sounds from the frogs, birds, and crashing waves. I'll admit I was a little nervous walking back to my platform in the dark, but a little fear keeps your heightened senses aware of your surroundings, which is healthy. Once at my platform though, I was able to light some candles, play some Jack Johnson, watch the lightening coming in, and listen to the sounds of the untouched jungle. I now knew my "neighbors" that live on two sides of my hostel, and I knew they were close, so that was comforting, and if Coneha was relaxed, then I knew there was nothing to be worried about. This time to myself was so peaceful. Then, early, I climbed into those comfy beds with the cleanest sheets known to man. Ahhhhhh. This is what I needed.

Sunday night brought a torrential downpour! The lightening was bright through the canopy, and since my platform tent is mostly mesh, I could see it well. Being the weather nerd that I am, I tried to stay up and watch it, but I kept falling asleep. Here, the storms take their time, lingering where they want, unlike the relentlessly fast storms that blow through at home. Then the rain came, and I felt as if I was trapped in a tiny metal box while people threw rocks at my box. It was so loud on my tin roof!! Exciting! This is when I could hear Coneha chasing critters every once in a while - they were probably just trying to find shelter from the storm too.

An exciting night made for a late morning - by late I mean I slept until 8:00! Ha! Here, I usually rise with the sun. And guess what?! I got dressed, made breakfast, and headed to the beach, ALL in MY time. I didn't have to wait on anyone to wake up or get dressed (I usually have to wait because when it comes to the beach, I don't waste time!). I ate what I wanted, when I wanted, and laid on the beach. Walked where and when I wanted too. I didn't have to do anything but exactly what I wanted, and I'm definitely NOT used to that. Come to find, it's VERY nice, and I look forward to practicing this type of decision making more in the future since I am young and free with a whole life ahead of me!

My friend Pollo showed up a little later - I had asked to borrow a surfboard to practice, but he told me it was too flat, even for me. Instead, he offered to teach me and take me paddle boarding! SURE! I had what I needed with me, so we hopped on his quad and just left. And I could, because it was just me! We picked up some boards and paddles and headed to the beach by his house. The wind had picked up pretty quick, which made my first time a little challenging, but I'm at least athletic and love sports. The new exercise was welcome too, since I've been unable to find any volleyball worth playing. I got on the board, on my knees, and he pushed me out as I began to paddle. When I was far enough out, he showed me how to stand. He had already been standing, and of course made it look sooooo easy. I hopped up in paddleboard stance....Yeah, not as easy as he made it look of course! I wobbled and teetered for a while, attempting to catch my balance in the wind, and I managed a few strokes. The wind was pushing us in the opposite direction we were trying to go, so I paddled as hard as I could without loosing balance. Before too long, I was starting to get the hang of it! I could feel that I'd be sore in my torso tomorrow too...Just as I was getting used to it, here comes a wave! Out of nowhere, a pretty decent sized one for being off the shore. I took it head on, and lost by balance forward. I didn't want to fall forward on the board, so I fell instead to the side. SPLASH. I was in the cool, quite-refreshing, green water. Actually this was kind of a nice break! I hopped back on though, and finished paddling to the little protected cove we had been aiming for. Once there, we were able to get off and float around and swim in the beautiful green waters. We had wanted to go far out to try to see whales, but when the winds picked up, we headed for the cove instead.

After a short swim, we headed back. Going back, I almost didn't even have to paddle! The wind pushed me almost the whole way! Of course, Pollo caught some of the small waves on the paddle board, but I wasn't brave enough for that yet. Maybe next time.

I was starving after this, so lunch time it was! After lunch, I headed back to the beach, and took an unplanned, impromptu nap on the sand. Paddleboarding had made me sleepier than I thought! When I woke up, the surfers were attempting to catch some of the waves, so I watched and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon.

Before long, it was time to catch the good ole collectivo, or as my mother refers to it, the immigration bus. I was surprised to see only one other person on there, who was white, when the collectivo is usually packed with people from all over, all walks of life, and sometimes there are even animals or motorbikes on there! It had just began to rain, so the ride back was GORGEOUS. The road passes by a bunch of farmland backed by jungle-covered mountains. The rainclouds hung low in the treetops. I felt like I was driving through a scene of Jurassic Park! I was able to just take it all in - what a nice way to end a relaxing solo retreat.

And there you have it. I went on a trip by myself. GASP. Unheard of you say?! Dangerous you say?! I know that I have to be very careful as a solo traveler in a foreign place, but its empowering to know that you CAN do something by yourself. As a female traveler, so many people think you can't do ANYTHING alone, that you are somehow incapable of doing anything by yourself because the whole world is out to get you just because you are perceived as weaker or less aware, just because you are a girl. All of that is bologna. Again, YES you have to be smart about where you go alone and how you go there, but females CAN arm themselves with the knowledge and street smarts that they need to be able to do things like this. There are some limits, like traveling to the Middle East as a single gal, but you just have to KNOW those limits.

It's not solo travel that get you - people, and yes even women, go at it alone, safely, all the time. It's being stupid that gets you. And that can get you whether you are traveling in a group OR by yourself. Here's an example - if I had decided to have too many beers alone, I could have gotten disoriented and lost in the jungle. On the other hand, I could have had too many beers in a group situation and left with a stranger. Either way, it's knowing your limits and being smart that keeps you safe.

That being said, baby steps. I was only gone one night, and the jungle was only 30 minutes away. Plus, I had friends there and was familiar with the topography and landscape. AND, my weekend ended up being a wonderful escape, so it just might happen again soon. :)

Moral of the story, keep your wits about you, be smart, and go for it. You never know where the path of life will lead you.

Third Time's the Charm?

I know it's been a while since I've updated, but it's proven somewhat difficult this week....For those of you who haven't heard, our house got broken into last Saturday night and my laptop got stolen. Great. Long story short, they tapped out the slats in the jealousie windows, reached through the bars, and pulled what they could off the couch. They got about $50 out of Zahra's purse on the couch, and best we can figure, they used my laptop's power chord to pull my computer within reaching distance. They even stole the power chord. Awesome. Yeah, I filed a police report, but it was more for insurance purposes than anything else. They did come out and take fingerprints, which is more than I expected them to do, but no word on anything yet. We'll see, but I'll be lucky if I ever see it again. The town has their suspects - one guy who seems to be a repeat offender that has had previous beef with the volunteers at this house, and another guy (coincidentally named Burrito) who's a major skeeve and likes to harass us. Maybe, since this is the third time I've been robbed in this otherwise wonderful country, my robbing streak will be over....

Other than the robbing business, this week has been a wonderful week at school!!! This was the first week since I've been here that was normal - a whole 5 days of school, no special events, no exams, and no running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I was able to have a routine each day, and I was able to TEACH instead of panic about exams and try to piece things together. My students seemed to be having a good week too - I'm proud to say that ALL homework for the ENTIRE WEEK was turned in ON TIME by EVERY STUDENT. Amazing. Granted, I only have 6 students, so my odds are good, but I am still one happy teacher!

This week, I am thankful for the wonderful teachers that I have worked with in my journey to become a teacher. I have been lucky to have good role models in the teaching world that give me all the great ideas for my classroom! They weren't joking in undergrad when they told us not to reinvent the wheel! Only modify it...Thanks Sara Calderon for the daily spelling activities, Mad Minutes, independent math games, and our "money" behavior chart and "class savings." I've also stolen your idea for folders for each day so I can sort what materials are for which day. Sarah Goodling, thanks for the activity name "Between Us" and small group reading ideas. Dr. Leier, the kids love to write to me in their journals each day as they come into class just like your students used to do with you.

Also this week, I'm beginning to miss some things (other than my wonderful friends and family) - nothing major, but I'm somewhat surprised at the things I'm missing....like a dishwasher. I mean, I'll wash dishes by hand, but it's the sponge thing that freaks me out...it just doesn't feel sanitary. I don't miss hot showers that much, mostly because it's stifling hot these days. I actually might go shower after this just to cool off. (By the way, our pool is never filled up, so it's pretty useless.) I miss volleyball and football A LOT but I expected that. I didn't think I'd be so social, so I kinda wish I had packed another decent outfit or two, but that's nothing major. I'm not sure how I feel about not having a car. I think I'm okay without it - I don't like to drive anyway haha. I MISS CHOCOLATE. They have like no good chocolate here, surprisingly. Like, a bag of Dove's dark chocolate or York Peppermint Patties would go a long way with me right now! I also miss sandwiches. The processed meat here is just WAY too funky for me! Like, worse than bologna....yeah, that's possible.

On the other hand, I don't know how I ever lived my whole life without the avocados here. I never really liked or ate them in the States, and now I think I have a problem. I eat them with almost every meal. I was already spoiled by the pineapple, bananas, and coffee, and we can just add avocados to that list. Oh and coconut. I have a friend here that has shown me how to properly crack open a coconut using only rocks on the beach. Of course, he's a pro and I need practice! I'm working on it though.

Speaking of the beach, I'm off to the beach now! Other than a shower, it's the best way to beat this heat! Pura Vida!

P.S. More later on today's events - it's Independence Day here, so we have Monday off, and the whole town is buzzing with festivities. We are meeting volunteers from the forest camp tonight to watch the Defila de Faroles (type of parade), and then out for dancing!

Positive Reinforcement

I'll admit, I was a little nervous going into parent conferences - the parents seemed like they'd be tough cookies! But, I'd like another day of them please? 

Yesterday, most of my meetings were with my little girls' parents, and today, I had mostly older kids' parents. After the chaos of last week, I was hoping for some good news. The first parent I met with is in the Materno classroom a lot, and she takes them for lunch so I can have a lunch break, so I see her all the time. This kind of made me nervous - she saw what REALLY goes on in the classroom, so she has the best point of view. I was interested to see how it would go. 

I'm very relieved and happy to say that she highly approves of what's going on in my classroom!! She said that she is very impressed, and likes that I am organized. She also commented on my creativeness. :) She wants me to come back next year. YAY! After only one month! The next few parents were also pleasant, and they too commented about my organization and asked me to come back. This definitely made me feel good about the hard work I have been doing. AND, I could understand most of what they were saying in Spanish! (but Nela was translating for me thankfully!). 

The next parent asked me to entertain her child more in the morning, maybe with face painting or balloons. (I'm sorry, but this is not a circus, so let's not even talk about that!) Quite an entertaining request...

I also had one meeting with an older kid's parent, and she was English. She agreed that the kids should have science everyday, and she was interested in my ideas about "disguising" learning so that kids don't feel so bored and obligated at school (I like to do things the kids are interested in so they don't even realize they're learning! Gotcha!). 

On a break yesterday, Nela, Elmer (our principal/director), and I took a little lunch break at the Marisqueria by the gulf. It was high tide, and it was gorgeous. We got back a little late to my last parent meeting, but that's part of the culture here (to be a little late), so it wasn't a problem! In the States, something drastic would have happened if I left campus for lunch and showed up 5 minutes late. No wonder people are so stressed out! I'll take the Pura Vida lifestyle anyday. 

Today went well too I think. No major successes, and no disasters. The parents seemed to be happy, and I walked into school this morning to three new boxes of books! FOR ME! The books were too advanced for the other classrooms, so finally, my 3rd-6th got some resources just for them! In between meetings, I got on a role in that classroom and TORE IT UP. One "bench" (aka cement blocks with a 2x4 sitting on top) had books piled on top, and it was in the way. So I moved it to the back of the classroom, stacked the books UNDER the bench so the kids could use the bench to store their things during the day. That left me room to push back one of our mobile white boards, and I brought in a shelf to put on that wall for the new books we got. I already had one cart that had my math things on it (my math "station" if you will). I found a sarong to put on top like a table cloth, and it draped over so you couldn't see all my things under, only the things on top that I wanted everyone to see. My new bookshelves became my new "English Corner" with different shelves designated for teacher/student/literacy activities/reading books. Last, I went through the books on the shelves behind my desk. This was the first time I had had time to take inventory of those teachers' manuals and lesson plan books. I sorted and organized them as well so that I have a Math section underneath, an English section, notebooks and English cards box, and even a little file box. Elmer uses the drawers in my desk, so those are a lost cause. Therefore, my "filing cabinet" is a plastic tupperware-type box filled with about 8 stacked manila folders. It works though! :)

I wish I had taken some before pictures, but here is my 3rd-6th grade classroom AFTER the organization storm had hit it. Elmer (Spanish teacher that shares my room/principal/director) came in right as I was finishing up, and he loved what I had done. Maybe that means he will help keep it that way!

Tomorrow, we have a regular day, and then Friday we celebrate "Dia de los Ninos" with a party from 9am-1pm at the school. Then, it looks like we'll have a chill weekend with the a trip to Playa Preciosa, Latin dancing, and maybe even some paddleboarding. I think I'm beginning to live for weekends....

Helllooooo September!

While part of me is starting to feel like I've been here forever, most of me still can't believe I've been here teaching for a month (exactly on Friday!). And I think I have made it through most of the storm for now. Exams were last week, parent conferences this week, and then the dust SHOULD settle. That doesn't mean it will because nothing here every goes as planned, but I can rest knowing that I can plan like a normal teacher and not have to catch my students up for exams that I had to make up without knowing what's been covered!

And MAN am I glad last week is over! After a "normal week," last week had me frazzled, I will admit, and I don't usually get frazzled easily, if that is any indication. Exams were last week, and after I had prepared my students as best I could...they all got sick. HA! Que typico! We managed to get through exams though, and my nerves began to settle as I began to grade them. To my somewhat surprised delight, my students did well!!! We had all A's on the science report (of course, since they loved doing that!), only one B in English, and only 1 B and 1 C in Math! I was proud of my students, especially since the last trimester had been chaos for them!

We had a half day on Friday  - we get half days on the last Friday of each month for planning = I was getting reports cards done at lightening speed so I could leave early instead of plan. Grades were coming in, Zahra was helping me with the math and percentages of each grade, and I wrote comments for each student.

Then Thursday morning happened.....Like I've said before, I don't have much experience with little, little kids like my Materno girls, but I like to think I am getting the hang of it really fast. My baby Oreo has helped me hone my motherly instincts as well HA! So we're sitting there in circle time, first thing Thursday morning, and one of my girls gets this look...A look of terror and panic and confusion. I didn't know what was happening, but my instincts told me she was about to vomit. Like, gonna-blow-any-second kind of throw up. I. WAS. RIGHT. Thankfully, our bathroom was close, and my attempt to rush her to the toilet was not wasted. No, we did not make it to the toilet, but we avoided friends, clothes, a parent, the super absorbent mat we sit on, most of her shoes, and me! We had only made it into the bathroom, but at least it was tile. This could have gone a lot worse. I just pictured her throwing up on a friend (maybe in her hair), then that girl puking on another friend, then friends running around stepping in it and tracking it everywhere, and me crying like I was their age. That's how this COULD have gone down, but thankfully it didn't! Whew. It was a close one.

So after that, she just bopped around like she was fine, drinking her water. I should have known better....you ALWAYS feel brand new after you get it out of your system. Well....It wasn't maybe an hour later and I see THE look again....Oh no. Not THE look. Again, we rushed to the bathroom, but only made it onto the tile. Also, this time, she threw up twice, and it was almost entirely the water she had been chugging. Still, better than the said situation that COULD have happened.

WHAT A MORNING. That morning turned into exams for my older kids, and soon, Thursday was Friday. THANK GOODNESS. Friday was only a half day, and I had planned to take Zahra to Matapalo for the somewhat long weekend. It was Nela's birthday too, and she was going, so we all rode together. Friday night, Nela and her roommate Maria were going to Martinez, the only bar even CLOSE to Matapalo, to sell their coffee and scrubs. Martinez was having a big party with a pirate theme, so Zahra and I decided we'd go. I tell you, the people watching was fantastic. Tourists, expats, locals, semi-locals, family (yes children), and friends all gathered at the local watering hole for dancing, beer, and handmade arts and goodies. People of all ages were having a great time, and some of them came up with some really creative, limited resource pirate costumes! Towards the end of the night, the dancing picked up, and I ended up dancing with this older man....Turns out, he's the dad of one of the surfers I met last time I was there. Small town, go figure. He twirled me around in Salsa, and for 60, he did well!

After a fun night Friday night, Zahra and I were expecting to just chill, maybe do a little hiking or something on Saturday. Well remember how I said things here never go as planned? Well, they don't. We relaxed on the beach all morning, and when we were walking up to our kitchen for lunch, we heard a whistle behind us. We turn around, and there's Pollo's dad (surfer's dad from last night), sitting on a horse....Hm....Okay. So we went back, talked to him, and he offered to take us horse back riding! OF COURSE I was gonna take him up on that offer! I love horse back riding! We ran up to our platform to get shorts, shoes, and lunch, and since Zahra had never been on a horse before, I went first. I got up in the saddle, and Pollo's dad got on the back. Off we went, up the main "road" in Matapalo. The road is more like a rocky, off road path...We rode all the way up this jungle road to Playa Pan Dulce, the swimming/beginner surfing beach. The horse, Canella (Cinnamon), apparently loves the beach, so she was ready to run! But, with two people on her back, we had to keep her to a trot at most. After Pan Dulce, we rode back down towards Playa Matapalo, and stopped by at Playa Backwash, which is like the intermediate surfing spot. This is where Nela, Alyssa, Drew, and I had hung out one night last time I was in Matapalo. Finally, we headed back to the beach at the end of the road (Matapalo beach) and it was Zahra's turn. The whole ride had taken about 30-45 minutes maybe, and I am proud to say I held a conversation, IN SPANISH, for almost the entire trip! Plus, he helped correct me so I could learn better Spanish. When we got back to our beach spot in front of Kapu (our hostel), Zahra was gone, so he offered to show me his farmhouse and his rental house. Sure, why not!? He owns all the land next to Kapu, so it was literally next door. His house was so humbling and beautiful in it's own way. No doors or windows really, just a concrete frame and roof and the necessities inside. However, it was situated on the edge of the jungle on a clear stream, and the back room was literally 4 walls about thigh high and a roof over head. It felt like you were right there in the jungle, living with all the animals! So pretty! It was all anyone needed, and I loved it. His rental house was much fancier, and seemed like a nice retreat. He didn't have it rented out at the moment, so if anyone is looking for a cheap second home, I can put you in touch! Haha! We walked back to look for Zahra, and she was there this time, so we sold her on the idea of going on a short horse back ride. (Afterwards, she admitted she liked it!).

Saturday night, we get back up to our hostel kitchen, hungry and ready to eat when we realized........OUR FOOD WAS GONE. No, the monkies didn't steal it - although we were told they would steal our eggs so we put them in the fridge earlier. We had also put some leftover rice and beans and our bread in the fridge, and those were the only things left. We managed to find our beloved tabasco sauce, and I dug up a box of mac and cheese in my backpack. So, for three meals, we had rice, beans, mac and cheese, and hot sauce all mixed together (the mac and cheese was just like putting cheese on the rice and beans in our minds, so it worked). Ahhh...never a dull weekend in Matapalo. Yet, I always come back so refreshed and clear-headed. Maybe it's the adventure, change of scenery, beach, spontaneity, roughin' it, being off the grid, or likely a combo of all, and I love it. I could probably live there for at least a few months if I had just one good friend or family member. Any takers?!?!

Sunday was full of absolute laziness. I didn't move from my towel in the sun, except when it was completely necessary. And I was NOT complaining. Just what I needed after a crazy week!

We caught the famous collectivo home Sunday evening, and I ended up talking to the guy sitting next to me. Turns out, he's a tour guide in the Corcovado National Park! He grew up right outside the jungle, and didn't learn to read and write in Spanish until he was 23 (my age!), but 9 years later he's bilingual. Still working on English of course, but he spoke well. During our talk, he informed me that Agua Luna, the salsa bar by the river and bay was going to have a special tonight and play salsa/meringue/bachata/cumbia/etc (latin dances) around 8 or 9. So, we agreed to go. Again, why not? Yeah we had school, but it would end early enough, plus I needed a tour guide friend. We went home, showered, and went to dinner at the awesome pizza place in town (it's a real Italian lady who owns and runs it), and we grabbed a beer at Marisqueria (my student's parent's bar) before heading to Agua Luna. When we got there, my new friend was there. He taught me cumbia, a version of salsa, and meringue, which is pretty easy. He didn't warn me that he was like, a PRO, so by the end of the first song I was super dizzy from so much spinning and twirls! It's easy dancing for the girl - all you have to do is follow - so I had a great time learning and dancing. I managed to end the night with only one elbow-to-another-girl's-head and one back-bump-into-a-stranger. No major injuries, falls, trips, or crashes! Our little house group is planning to go back Saturday night for more practice. :)

Annndddd Monday was back to skewl, back to skewl..... The day went well actually, mostly because I actually had all of my older kids there. I didn't feel too well (I've lost my voice, and I'm afraid my friend Bronchitis is coming for her yearly visit), but the day went surprisingly smoothly.

After school, I went into town to run errands, and I even ran into a friend/our backyard neighbor at the store. We got to talking, and I just threw it out there that I needed a local phone but didn't want to pay $100 for a new, very shoddy one. He called a friend, and even ran over to another friend's house on his motorbike real fast while I grocery shopped, and when he came back, he had found a friend that would sell me one for cheap. So, groceries in hand, I hopped on his bike with him , we ran to a his friend's house, and I got me a little brick of a cell phone! WOOT WOOT! I can finally have real friends who can call me to hang out instead of just trying to run into people on purpose haha I was lucky and only paid $30, and the guy said he'd even buy it back from me when I left. Sweet deal.

Today, we had parent teacher conferences, and so far so good. I'll give details after the second round of them tomorrow - I don't want to jinx myself! I will say, though, that...CAN IT PLEASE BE THE WEEKEND AGAIN?!  I live for my weekends and the unplanned adventures...

Hasta luego!