Back in the US!

Sorry about the delay in posting - I've had on and off internet service. I am currently back in the US, but travelling there as well - stay tuned for posts on San Diego, CA as well as the California Coast. I should also be posting the recipes from my Costa Rican travels near the end of July. I hope your summers are going well!

Panamá

I had a great weekend this weekend in Panamá, but first, I want to share with you the game from last weekend - I went to a Costa Rican soccer game.

Everyone gets excited for the games

Everyone had jerseys (at the game as well)

The stadium

And on an unrelated note, this is what the inside of a tamarind looks like

And now for... Panamá!

We stayed on an island and passed these cute little huts on the way (we went via boat)

Playa de Estrellas (Starfish beach)

Starfish!

The water was so clear and there were a lot of starfish

Water bike!

Bocas del Toro, Panama is so pretty!

Dolphin!

Dolphins (delfines) in real life

Cool corals

Birds (who were basically pets)

Little crab!

And... that's when my camera died.

But it was a great weekend! We spent a lot of time on the beaches near/on the island we were staying on, Isla Colón and saw a lot of cool wildlife. By the way, Isla Colón is named after Christopher Columbus, whose name in Spanish is Cristobal Colón. (That's also why Costa Rican currency is called colones)

I want to let you guys have the opportunity to ask any questions you may have about Costa Rica - my experiences, the culture, the food, etc. If I don't know the answer I will ask my host family. =)

Más y más

(More and more)

The more I do, the less time I have to blog! Bear with me, as I will try to continue sharing my stories and pictures. =)

Green/black poison frog (center of picture)

Un natillera (bread with butter and sour cream)

Last Tuesday I went to Museo del Oro (Museum of Gold)

They had a feline exhibit with different pre-historic statues of felines.

Interactive Game!

Most of the gold had influence from the nature around - here are some frogs (ranas)

Crocodile

Frog with a moustache?

Ceramic Crocodiles!

And now onto interesting foods! Or at the very least, delicious foods!

Interesting candy

Watermelon smoothie!

Arroz con pollo

My roommate Barbara and the cooking teacher - who brought cake and ice cream for her birthday.

It seems as though Costa Ricans celebrate birthdays the same way we do. =)

Oh, you want to know how to sing "Happy Birthday" in Spanish? Well here goes (to the same tune):

♪♫ Feliz cumpleaños a ti, feliz cumpleaños a ti, feliz cumpleaños a (name), feliz cumpleaños a ti ♪♫

And now, off to the wood factory!

These pieces are from a Guanacaste, the national tree of Costa Rica. It is illegal to cut down trees anywhere in Costa Rica without a permit - and for every tree you cut down, you have to plant seven more. The Guanacaste can't even be cut down with a permit - you can only obtain its wood if it falls on its own.

Bead-making machine

Cool wood statue

Step-by-step process of making a mug

Aren't these fun?

Wood chips in a spinner

Finished product

Walking tree! It's roots are above the ground and they move too



That's it for today! Stay tuned for adventures at Costa Rican soccer games and Panama!

El selva

(The Jungle)

We went to a place called "Pura Vida". It wasn't all that, but it was pretty gorgeous there!

Cool palm tree

A restaurant with a mountain/waterfall/ocean view

Me!

Toucan!!!!!!

The Marriot - for restaurant and swimming

Hammock on the beach, between two palm trees

Oh, and I tried coconut milk... straight from a coconut =)