Just this morning I was thinking about the probability of experiencing my first earthquake while in Costa Rica. I wondered if I would completely freak out or handle it with ease. Apparently, the way I handle an earthquake is by not even knowing it happened!!
Right before I left NC, an earthquake struck Virginia that could be felt all the way in Chapel Hill. I was in the office, talking with a colleague and I MISSED IT! Everyone was a buzz with the earthquake and how it felt. I was there, and I totally missed it. Maybe it was because I was standing up and not at a desk where I could feel things shake? Alas, I missed my "test run" before moving to a place that has frequent earthquakes...
Then today, late this afternoon, it happened again. And again, I MISSED IT!! Seriously? How does that happen? I was at my desk, rocking out to my music with my headphones on, working away. Krisya sent me a Skype message that said "Did you feel that?" Did I feel what!? Apparently an earthquake hit that made the building sway, but did not shake things on the desk. And...I've got nothing...
Maria thinks I need to get my inner-ear balance mechanism thingy checked. I have to agree. But, I suppose being completely oblivious to an earthquake is better than freaking out about one. For now, I have yet to really experience my first earthquake. I'll keep you posted!
<3,
Amber
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
Is it raining there?
Typically, when I wake up in the morning, the sky is blue and the sun is shining. I can see the mountains clearly from my window.
Usually by mid-morning, it becomes "partly-cloudy" and the clouds start rolling in over the mountains.
By lunch-time, it is pretty grey outside and you can tell the rain is coming soon...
And usually by mid-afternoon the rain has arrived in varying degrees. Sometimes it is short and my drive home is dry. Sometimes it is a deluge that lasts most of the evening.
The good news is that my parking space at home and at the office are covered, so I'm not too stressed if/when I forget my umbrella! So far, this "rainy season" is pretty bearable. However, I am told that October just flat out sucks (for lack of a better way to put it.)
So, is it raining here? Yes - daily. But, it's not so bad!
<3,
Amber
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Cooking with Amber
A lot of people ask me what I eat in Costa Rica. Well, so far I've eaten lots of stuff. I've had traditional Costa Rican meals made up of rice, plantains, beans, and various meats. I've had Costa Rica's version of Mexican food. And I've had Costa Rican Chinese - believe it or not, fried rice translates well down here. At home, I've made everything from an array of veggies from the farmer's market, to home favorites like tomato soup and grilled cheese. It's pretty easy to come by most US brands and foods at the grocery store - as long as you're willing to pay double what you'd pay in the States. Sometimes I am, and sometimes I am not!
I'm currently on a hunt for tofu. As some of you know, I am not particularly fond of cooking with raw meat. Add that to the fact that it is raw meat in a foreign country (no offense Costa Rica) and the outlook of me cooking lots of meaty dishes at home is not too good. But tonight, I bought chicken at the grocery store and cooked with it - yay me!
Catalina has shared her delicious recipe for Sopa Azteca (soup) with me and I had my first go at cooking it tonight. It was actually quite simple! And with Catalina's blessing, I'm sharing the recipe with you!
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
2 packets of Maggi condimento de pollo (chicken flavoring)
1 onion (chopped)
1 stalk of celery (chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
1 red bell pepper (chopped)
2 tomatoes (cut into large pieces)
1 can of tomato sauce
1 can of sweet corn
tortilla chip strips
avocado
soft cheese (queso fresco here)
In a large pot, boil the chicken along with the chicken flavoring, onion, celery, garlic, red pepper, and tomatoes until the chicken is cooked and vegetables are soft. Remove the chicken, shred, and set aside. Place the rest of the ingredients and liquid from pot in a blender. Blend until smooth. Return all of the ingredients, including the chicken, to the pot. Add the corn and tomato sauce, stir while it reheats.
When done, add a few pieces of avocado and cheese. Garnish with the tortilla strips and serve!
Really, if I can do it, anyone can! Note to self (as I assume everyone else is wiser than I when it comes to this stuff): be careful with the blender and the hot liquid. If you're not paying attention, the hot, scalding liquid will shoot out of the blender and onto you and your kitchen. (Yes folks, I had the lid on...)
I'm currently on a hunt for tofu. As some of you know, I am not particularly fond of cooking with raw meat. Add that to the fact that it is raw meat in a foreign country (no offense Costa Rica) and the outlook of me cooking lots of meaty dishes at home is not too good. But tonight, I bought chicken at the grocery store and cooked with it - yay me!
Catalina has shared her delicious recipe for Sopa Azteca (soup) with me and I had my first go at cooking it tonight. It was actually quite simple! And with Catalina's blessing, I'm sharing the recipe with you!
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
2 packets of Maggi condimento de pollo (chicken flavoring)
1 onion (chopped)
1 stalk of celery (chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
1 red bell pepper (chopped)
2 tomatoes (cut into large pieces)
1 can of tomato sauce
1 can of sweet corn
tortilla chip strips
avocado
soft cheese (queso fresco here)
In a large pot, boil the chicken along with the chicken flavoring, onion, celery, garlic, red pepper, and tomatoes until the chicken is cooked and vegetables are soft. Remove the chicken, shred, and set aside. Place the rest of the ingredients and liquid from pot in a blender. Blend until smooth. Return all of the ingredients, including the chicken, to the pot. Add the corn and tomato sauce, stir while it reheats.
When done, add a few pieces of avocado and cheese. Garnish with the tortilla strips and serve!
Really, if I can do it, anyone can! Note to self (as I assume everyone else is wiser than I when it comes to this stuff): be careful with the blender and the hot liquid. If you're not paying attention, the hot, scalding liquid will shoot out of the blender and onto you and your kitchen. (Yes folks, I had the lid on...)
Sunday, September 18, 2011
A Fun Day at the Fun Park
On Saturday Krisya invited me to the Parque Diversiones (Fun Park) with her family. The park reminded me of a smaller version of Carowinds or Six Flags. There was a children's section, roller coasters, water rides, games, and more. The most interesting part of the park was that there was a section recreating old San Jose. I took a few photos and a video of some dancers for your amusement.
<3,
Amber
<3,
Amber
Krisya and I in the old pulperia (small general store.)
Friday, September 16, 2011
POP goes the tire!
It seems that I can't go a day without getting into some sort of pickle here in Costa Rica! After my lovely afternoon in Alajuela on Independence Day, I drove home in the rain. I pulled into my apartment, turned off the car and opened the door. The rain was really loud, but over the rain I heard a sound that sounded like air blowing quickly....wooooooooosssshhhhh. I look back and realize that my back tire is RAPIDLY deflating. Oh boy...
So, I think to myself: "I'm a strong, independent gal. This will be no problem. My daddy taught me how to change a tire. I can do this!!" So I get out the spare, and the jack, and the thingy that takes the lug nuts off the tire. Well, it turns out that my jack is obviously some sort of pre-world war relic. It's rusted and just won't crank down so that I can slide it under the car. After a lot of trying, I get it low enough. But, because it was so hard to crank down, there is no way to crank it up. Great...
So at this point, I realize I need some assistance - or at least a better jack. My next door neighbor, whom I have been told is an older Canadian gentleman, has been gone since I moved in. But he just came back 2 nights ago and I could hear him in his apartment. Maybe he has a jack! What better way to meet a neighbor than with grease on your hands? So I go up to knock on his door. Keep in mind that I can HEAR him in the apartment. Once I knock, he stops moving and doesn't come to the door. I knock again....nothing.... Ok. Maybe he's in the shower or can't get to the door. So I make my way back to my car and mess with the jack some more. I'm stubborn and refuse to give up!
Well, of course the jack isn't going to budge. So, I decide to try my neighbor again. I hear him in the apartment, I knock on the door, all falls silent, and he NEVER comes to the door. Needless to say, I am NOT a fan of this man that I've never seen...
But wait, I'm not in North Carolina! In Costa Rica, I have a guard on the street! So, I go introduce myself to Juan the guard. And in very broken, mostly incoherent Spanish, I point at the relic in my hands and ask if he has another. The neighbor he's chatting with has one and lets me borrow it. Hooray! I get it to the car, but it is too tall to fit under the car. Juan finds another neighbor with a different jack and that one works!
Yes! Now, I've jacked the car up, removed the lug nuts, and am going to take off the wheel...but it won't budge. SERIOUSLY!? I kick it, poke it with the bar to remove the lug nuts, kick it some more...nothing. I give up on trying to be an independent woman at this point and call my insurance agency. (Thank goodness they have an English option!)
30 minutes later a guy on a motorcycle arrives to change my tire! But then HE can't get the wheel off. He kicks it some more, bangs on it, and then tries to talk to me. So, I call my translator on-call Catalina and she talks to him. He just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to get mad if he kicked it some more. Catalina told him to do whatever he needed to do to get the tire off and I agreed! FINALLY, after lots of elbow grease the tire comes off and I have a spare on it in the blink of an eye! When he got the tire off, he showed me the rather large piece of metal jammed into it. That was the reason for the flat. When he showed it to me, I said a bad word in English, but apparently it translated because he started laughing. Oops! Thank you Mr. Motorcycle Man for saving the day!!
Ok, so now what? Now, I've got to get the tire fixed. My friend Krisya teaches me the phrase "Necesito arreglar la llanta" (I need to fix the tire.) So, this morning, I get up and head out to the tire place in the neighborhood. I'm nervous. How the heck am I going to navigate a tire garage with no Spanish!? But apparently, "necesito arreglar la llanta" is a magical phrase. I got out, said the phrase, and didn't have to speak for the rest of the time. The guy fixed my tire, jacked up the car, changed out the tires, replaced my spare, and sent me on my way! The best part, it was only $4!!! So, I drove away from the tire place very proud of myself and my accomplishment all on my own!
<3,
Amber
So, I think to myself: "I'm a strong, independent gal. This will be no problem. My daddy taught me how to change a tire. I can do this!!" So I get out the spare, and the jack, and the thingy that takes the lug nuts off the tire. Well, it turns out that my jack is obviously some sort of pre-world war relic. It's rusted and just won't crank down so that I can slide it under the car. After a lot of trying, I get it low enough. But, because it was so hard to crank down, there is no way to crank it up. Great...
So at this point, I realize I need some assistance - or at least a better jack. My next door neighbor, whom I have been told is an older Canadian gentleman, has been gone since I moved in. But he just came back 2 nights ago and I could hear him in his apartment. Maybe he has a jack! What better way to meet a neighbor than with grease on your hands? So I go up to knock on his door. Keep in mind that I can HEAR him in the apartment. Once I knock, he stops moving and doesn't come to the door. I knock again....nothing.... Ok. Maybe he's in the shower or can't get to the door. So I make my way back to my car and mess with the jack some more. I'm stubborn and refuse to give up!
Well, of course the jack isn't going to budge. So, I decide to try my neighbor again. I hear him in the apartment, I knock on the door, all falls silent, and he NEVER comes to the door. Needless to say, I am NOT a fan of this man that I've never seen...
But wait, I'm not in North Carolina! In Costa Rica, I have a guard on the street! So, I go introduce myself to Juan the guard. And in very broken, mostly incoherent Spanish, I point at the relic in my hands and ask if he has another. The neighbor he's chatting with has one and lets me borrow it. Hooray! I get it to the car, but it is too tall to fit under the car. Juan finds another neighbor with a different jack and that one works!
Yes! Now, I've jacked the car up, removed the lug nuts, and am going to take off the wheel...but it won't budge. SERIOUSLY!? I kick it, poke it with the bar to remove the lug nuts, kick it some more...nothing. I give up on trying to be an independent woman at this point and call my insurance agency. (Thank goodness they have an English option!)
30 minutes later a guy on a motorcycle arrives to change my tire! But then HE can't get the wheel off. He kicks it some more, bangs on it, and then tries to talk to me. So, I call my translator on-call Catalina and she talks to him. He just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to get mad if he kicked it some more. Catalina told him to do whatever he needed to do to get the tire off and I agreed! FINALLY, after lots of elbow grease the tire comes off and I have a spare on it in the blink of an eye! When he got the tire off, he showed me the rather large piece of metal jammed into it. That was the reason for the flat. When he showed it to me, I said a bad word in English, but apparently it translated because he started laughing. Oops! Thank you Mr. Motorcycle Man for saving the day!!
Ok, so now what? Now, I've got to get the tire fixed. My friend Krisya teaches me the phrase "Necesito arreglar la llanta" (I need to fix the tire.) So, this morning, I get up and head out to the tire place in the neighborhood. I'm nervous. How the heck am I going to navigate a tire garage with no Spanish!? But apparently, "necesito arreglar la llanta" is a magical phrase. I got out, said the phrase, and didn't have to speak for the rest of the time. The guy fixed my tire, jacked up the car, changed out the tires, replaced my spare, and sent me on my way! The best part, it was only $4!!! So, I drove away from the tire place very proud of myself and my accomplishment all on my own!
<3,
Amber
Feliz Día de Independencia
September 15th is Independence Day in Costa Rica. This year the country celebrated it's 190th birthday. Now, I am no historian, but the story goes something like this:
In 1821, Costa Rica declared its independence from Spain along with the rest of Central America. News of independence, which took over a month, was spread from Guatemala south. So, each year, a flaming torch is run from Guatemala all the way to Cartago, the former capital of Costa Rica. On the night of the 15th, the entire country stops at 6:00 pm to sing the national anthem and then there are lantern parades throughout the country. On the 16th, all towns celebrate Independence day with parades, cultural events, and more.
I was lucky to be invited to Alajuela (a town west of San Jose) to celebrate Independence Day with Catalina, her nieces, and her mother. We went into the town to watch the parade. The parade was made up of school groups dancing and playing instruments - especially drums. There was lots of Costa Rican pride with most people sporting red, white, and blue - the colors of the flag. Catalina's nieces looked especially cute in their typical Costa Rican dresses!
The bands were really rockin', so I took a video. It's a bit long, but enjoy!
After the parades we went to a restaurant that serves typical Costa Rican food. Yum!!
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed my first Costa Rican Independence Day. But in typical Amber fashion, as soon as I arrived home, another interesting adventure ensued...
<3,
Amber
In 1821, Costa Rica declared its independence from Spain along with the rest of Central America. News of independence, which took over a month, was spread from Guatemala south. So, each year, a flaming torch is run from Guatemala all the way to Cartago, the former capital of Costa Rica. On the night of the 15th, the entire country stops at 6:00 pm to sing the national anthem and then there are lantern parades throughout the country. On the 16th, all towns celebrate Independence day with parades, cultural events, and more.
I was lucky to be invited to Alajuela (a town west of San Jose) to celebrate Independence Day with Catalina, her nieces, and her mother. We went into the town to watch the parade. The parade was made up of school groups dancing and playing instruments - especially drums. There was lots of Costa Rican pride with most people sporting red, white, and blue - the colors of the flag. Catalina's nieces looked especially cute in their typical Costa Rican dresses!
The bands were really rockin', so I took a video. It's a bit long, but enjoy!
After the parades we went to a restaurant that serves typical Costa Rican food. Yum!!
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed my first Costa Rican Independence Day. But in typical Amber fashion, as soon as I arrived home, another interesting adventure ensued...
<3,
Amber
Monday, September 12, 2011
My Busy Birthday Weekend
Ok, so I know that this post is long overdue. (Thank you to those of you that have gently reminded me of my obligation to this blog...) But, be forewarned, this is going to be a long one!!
My birthday weekend officially began on Thursday morning. This was my first trip to the airport solo to pick up someone! Hooray! Beth came to Costa Rica to visit and explore with me! Unfortunately, I got a wee bit lost on the way, so she was already waiting outside on the curb. I pulled up to park and apparently I parked over a crosswalk, which is a big no-no. Oops! As I am helping her get the bags in the car, I hear a loud speaker announce something. Up until this point, I've been assuming that anyone speaking Spanish is not speaking to me. That was not the correct assumption to have. The loud speaker was the airport police yelling at me. But no worries, he made his way over to yell at me in person. I just kept saying "lo siento, lo siento" ("I'm sorry, I'm sorry), but he wasn't really having it. But, after realizing I didn't understand him, he got angry and then gave up. That was my first run in with Costa Rican police this weekend...
After getting Beth back to my neighborhood we met Catalina and Krisya for the drive to Quepos, a town on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. We had a great lunch and then began the 3 hour drive towards the beach. Along the way, we made some stops. The first one, was to walk out on a bridge to view the crocodiles that hang out on the river banks below. There are 7 in this photo! I've never seen so many and that up close!
As we got closer to Quepos, we would get some sneak peaks at the coast line. Of course, we had to stop for a photo opportunity!
Pulling back onto the road here was tricky. It was clear from the height difference between the asphalt and the side of the road that my car was going to scrape. Catalina told me to take it at an angle, but it made the most horrible scraping sound I've ever heard. Later Catalina would tell me that I took it at a US angle and not a Costa Rican angle...I'll have to get more clarification on that one. A little ways down the road, it sounded like something under the car was dragging on the ground...oops again! Later a mechanic diagnosed the problem and put the pipe of the muffler back together for me (double oops.) Catalina is my angel who took my car to the mechanic while the rest of us explored the park - thank you Caty!!
We woke up Friday morning in Quepos and the girls had put together a little pre-birthday breakfast for me! It was a typical Costa Rican breakfast with gallo pinto (rice and black beans), eggs, bread, and condiments. There were also some yummy doughnuts (maybe not so typical) with a candle in them for the celebration!
Maria arrived at the end of breakfast and she, Krisya, Beth, and I headed over to Manual Antonio National Park. The park has a lot of hiking and beautiful beaches that you can spend all day on. We hiked towards the beach and saw many animals on the way. The first ones we came across were these cute little guys, later we would see them at the beach sneaking up behind people to try to steal their bags and food. Krisya had to chase them from our stuff multiple times. Cute little buggers.
There were lizards...
and monkeys...
and iguanas...
...and then...peaking through the jungle...
...was paradise!
The beach at Manuel Antonio was breathtakingly beautiful. The water was clear and the perfect temperature. The sand was soft. It was definitely worth the walk to spend an hour or so basking on this beach.
We finally drug ourselves off the beach and back out of the park to meet Catalina for lunch at a beach side restaurant. We sat around a table with the sand under our feet and enjoyed a delicious Costa Rican lunch while looking at another beautiful view of the ocean.
Later that evening we went to El Avion restaurant which sides on a hillside between Manuel Antonio and Quepos. El Avion is built around a Fairchild C-123 that was involved in the famous Iran-Contra Affair of the 80's. You can read the full story here: http://www.elavion.net/ It's pretty interesting!
We made our way back to San Jose on Saturday morning. The drive was easy and only took about 2.5 hours. Once we got into the City, Krisya came with Beth and I and took us downtown to the Central Market. The downtown area of San Jose has a long pedestrian street with lots of shops, vendors, and folks milling about. It was a great experience to see something a little less touristy.
Krisya left us there with clear instructions on how to get home. But San Jose, like any other large city, has many one way streets. I knew that I needed to find the largest street - Paseo Colon - and then I would know how to get home. It took some weaving around and sitting in traffic, but we finally found it! I was so excited to know where I was that I guess I may have missed some key signs. However, Beth will back me up on the fact that I don't think there were any signs! Needless to say, I take a right on one of the largest streets in San Jose at a point where it is one-way...and NOT the way I was going. Don't worry, it only took about 5 seconds for a police officer standing there to pull me over. This was my second run in with the San Jose police this weekend. This officer was a little nicer, but asked me for my license and passport. Luckily, I was able to understand his Spanish a little better than the first. He asked how long I had been in Costa Rica and was shocked when I told him 2 weeks. He then proceeded to tell me that if I was going to drive in Costa Rica, I needed to learn to read the signs. I agreed, profusely, and he finally let us go on our way. Whew!! I dodged another bullet with that one! I apologize for not getting a photo of this...but I am sure you can understand.
After some rest, Krisya picked Beth and I up and we went to Tiquicia - a mirador restaurant in Escazu. The miradors (which loosely means widow, balcony, or gazer) are restaurants high up in the hills around San Jose with beautiful views of the valley below. I'd love to take more of my guests there, but I am not sure if I could - the drive is basically straight up, and up, and up, and up a giant hill. Krisya was brave and we made it up the hill - although at one point we didn't know if we would! But wow, the view...
And the dinner was great!
The company was fantastic too. (From left to right: Beth, Krisya, Maria, Catalina, Daniella, and yours truly.)
It was really a wonderful birthday thanks to all of my friends who helped me celebrate! A birthday could be hard so far away from home, but not with these gals! Oh, and did I mention one of the best birthday presents ever???
Thanks for the Sun Drop Beth!! I'm NOT sharing with anyone!!!
For the last adventure of the weekend with Beth, we hitched a ride with my neighbor Casey (and fellow Gaston County gal) to the Feria (farmer's market) in Hatillo. It was HUGE and CHEAP! I bought so many vegetables for only about $10 US. There were lots of sights and sounds to take in, so it was a great experience.
Ok, having just lived this weekend, and then reliving it by telling you about it, I am absolutely exhausted! Thanks for reading and following along. More updates and adventures (hopefully ones that do not involve the police) to come soon.
<3,
Amber
My birthday weekend officially began on Thursday morning. This was my first trip to the airport solo to pick up someone! Hooray! Beth came to Costa Rica to visit and explore with me! Unfortunately, I got a wee bit lost on the way, so she was already waiting outside on the curb. I pulled up to park and apparently I parked over a crosswalk, which is a big no-no. Oops! As I am helping her get the bags in the car, I hear a loud speaker announce something. Up until this point, I've been assuming that anyone speaking Spanish is not speaking to me. That was not the correct assumption to have. The loud speaker was the airport police yelling at me. But no worries, he made his way over to yell at me in person. I just kept saying "lo siento, lo siento" ("I'm sorry, I'm sorry), but he wasn't really having it. But, after realizing I didn't understand him, he got angry and then gave up. That was my first run in with Costa Rican police this weekend...
After getting Beth back to my neighborhood we met Catalina and Krisya for the drive to Quepos, a town on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. We had a great lunch and then began the 3 hour drive towards the beach. Along the way, we made some stops. The first one, was to walk out on a bridge to view the crocodiles that hang out on the river banks below. There are 7 in this photo! I've never seen so many and that up close!
As we got closer to Quepos, we would get some sneak peaks at the coast line. Of course, we had to stop for a photo opportunity!
Pulling back onto the road here was tricky. It was clear from the height difference between the asphalt and the side of the road that my car was going to scrape. Catalina told me to take it at an angle, but it made the most horrible scraping sound I've ever heard. Later Catalina would tell me that I took it at a US angle and not a Costa Rican angle...I'll have to get more clarification on that one. A little ways down the road, it sounded like something under the car was dragging on the ground...oops again! Later a mechanic diagnosed the problem and put the pipe of the muffler back together for me (double oops.) Catalina is my angel who took my car to the mechanic while the rest of us explored the park - thank you Caty!!
We woke up Friday morning in Quepos and the girls had put together a little pre-birthday breakfast for me! It was a typical Costa Rican breakfast with gallo pinto (rice and black beans), eggs, bread, and condiments. There were also some yummy doughnuts (maybe not so typical) with a candle in them for the celebration!
Maria arrived at the end of breakfast and she, Krisya, Beth, and I headed over to Manual Antonio National Park. The park has a lot of hiking and beautiful beaches that you can spend all day on. We hiked towards the beach and saw many animals on the way. The first ones we came across were these cute little guys, later we would see them at the beach sneaking up behind people to try to steal their bags and food. Krisya had to chase them from our stuff multiple times. Cute little buggers.
There were lizards...
and monkeys...
and iguanas...
...and then...peaking through the jungle...
...was paradise!
The beach at Manuel Antonio was breathtakingly beautiful. The water was clear and the perfect temperature. The sand was soft. It was definitely worth the walk to spend an hour or so basking on this beach.
We finally drug ourselves off the beach and back out of the park to meet Catalina for lunch at a beach side restaurant. We sat around a table with the sand under our feet and enjoyed a delicious Costa Rican lunch while looking at another beautiful view of the ocean.
Later that evening we went to El Avion restaurant which sides on a hillside between Manuel Antonio and Quepos. El Avion is built around a Fairchild C-123 that was involved in the famous Iran-Contra Affair of the 80's. You can read the full story here: http://www.elavion.net/ It's pretty interesting!
We made our way back to San Jose on Saturday morning. The drive was easy and only took about 2.5 hours. Once we got into the City, Krisya came with Beth and I and took us downtown to the Central Market. The downtown area of San Jose has a long pedestrian street with lots of shops, vendors, and folks milling about. It was a great experience to see something a little less touristy.
Krisya left us there with clear instructions on how to get home. But San Jose, like any other large city, has many one way streets. I knew that I needed to find the largest street - Paseo Colon - and then I would know how to get home. It took some weaving around and sitting in traffic, but we finally found it! I was so excited to know where I was that I guess I may have missed some key signs. However, Beth will back me up on the fact that I don't think there were any signs! Needless to say, I take a right on one of the largest streets in San Jose at a point where it is one-way...and NOT the way I was going. Don't worry, it only took about 5 seconds for a police officer standing there to pull me over. This was my second run in with the San Jose police this weekend. This officer was a little nicer, but asked me for my license and passport. Luckily, I was able to understand his Spanish a little better than the first. He asked how long I had been in Costa Rica and was shocked when I told him 2 weeks. He then proceeded to tell me that if I was going to drive in Costa Rica, I needed to learn to read the signs. I agreed, profusely, and he finally let us go on our way. Whew!! I dodged another bullet with that one! I apologize for not getting a photo of this...but I am sure you can understand.
After some rest, Krisya picked Beth and I up and we went to Tiquicia - a mirador restaurant in Escazu. The miradors (which loosely means widow, balcony, or gazer) are restaurants high up in the hills around San Jose with beautiful views of the valley below. I'd love to take more of my guests there, but I am not sure if I could - the drive is basically straight up, and up, and up, and up a giant hill. Krisya was brave and we made it up the hill - although at one point we didn't know if we would! But wow, the view...
And the dinner was great!
The company was fantastic too. (From left to right: Beth, Krisya, Maria, Catalina, Daniella, and yours truly.)
It was really a wonderful birthday thanks to all of my friends who helped me celebrate! A birthday could be hard so far away from home, but not with these gals! Oh, and did I mention one of the best birthday presents ever???
Thanks for the Sun Drop Beth!! I'm NOT sharing with anyone!!!
For the last adventure of the weekend with Beth, we hitched a ride with my neighbor Casey (and fellow Gaston County gal) to the Feria (farmer's market) in Hatillo. It was HUGE and CHEAP! I bought so many vegetables for only about $10 US. There were lots of sights and sounds to take in, so it was a great experience.
Ok, having just lived this weekend, and then reliving it by telling you about it, I am absolutely exhausted! Thanks for reading and following along. More updates and adventures (hopefully ones that do not involve the police) to come soon.
<3,
Amber
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Friday, September 2, 2011
Mi Casa es Su Casa!
Well Folks,
I've survived my first week in Costa Rica! Everything has gone very smoothly, so no complaints so far! I worked in the office for most of the week and already feel like I've been there forever. I'm also really enjoying having my own office instead of a cube! All of my amigas in the office have been so wonderful and kind to me. Catalina has taken me to explore places further out of San Jose and has helped me spend lots of money on things to make my apartment feel like home. The things left on my to-do list are to open a bank account (plan to do this on Monday) and go with Maria to the Social Security office to get that squared away. I also have plans to force my neighbors to be my friend. I met one girl the other day and believe it or not she is from Gaston County! Small world! She doesn't know it yet, but she is definitely going to be my new BFF. Then, all that will be left is to have lots of fun and adventures.
As promised, a pictorial tour of my new home is below. Enjoy!!
<3,
Amber
I've survived my first week in Costa Rica! Everything has gone very smoothly, so no complaints so far! I worked in the office for most of the week and already feel like I've been there forever. I'm also really enjoying having my own office instead of a cube! All of my amigas in the office have been so wonderful and kind to me. Catalina has taken me to explore places further out of San Jose and has helped me spend lots of money on things to make my apartment feel like home. The things left on my to-do list are to open a bank account (plan to do this on Monday) and go with Maria to the Social Security office to get that squared away. I also have plans to force my neighbors to be my friend. I met one girl the other day and believe it or not she is from Gaston County! Small world! She doesn't know it yet, but she is definitely going to be my new BFF. Then, all that will be left is to have lots of fun and adventures.
As promised, a pictorial tour of my new home is below. Enjoy!!
<3,
Amber
Welcome to Apartamentos America #8
When you enter the front door, the living area is directly in front of you. You are looking at the world's most uncomfortable furniture. But hey, it'll do!
There is a wall behind the couch that separates the living area from the dining area.
The half-bath is beside the living and dining rooms.
Past the dining area is the hallway that leads through the apartment. The kitchen, guest bedroom, guest bathroom, and master bedroom are all off of this.
The kitchen is quite large!
Off the kitchen is the laundry room. The refrigerator, washer, and dryer are here.
The "guest bedroom" only has a twin bed. So, when more than one guest comes, they'll get my room. I haven't done anything to spruce this room up yet. That is on my to-do list for the weekend!
The guest bathroom is at the end of the hallway.
The master bedroom is very spacious and pretty comfy!
I've added my own touches to the master bath already.
Here's the car...in halves... My parking space is covered, which is nice when it rains - like tonight when I got home.
You can't tell in the pictures obviously, but I just had automatic locks put on my car. Now it has a mean security system and beeps loudly when I close the door, lock the door, unlock the door, look at it wrong, etc.
I hope you've enjoyed the tour! You're cordially invited to visit at anytime!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)