This weekend a group of us went to La Fortuna, a touristy town an hour and a half from where we are. We had signed up for waterfall repelling on the Saturday at 7.30am so we went out for drinks to relax after our hard week. The hostel we stayed in was beautiful and clean and the was a pool am hammocks with a direct view onto the volcano! More delicious cocktails, lava cocktail anyone? We met a bung if people and went to what I thought was a scetchy bar down a dirt track. It was a cool wooden lodge and we chatted to some guys who pretty sleezy so I ended up making friends with the old bar man who was giving spanish lessons during the evening.
We stupidly went to bed to late and only had 4 hours sleep before having to rise and throw ourselves off waterfalls. So waterfall repelling is absailing down waterfalls and canyoning out of the jungle. It was amazing the highest waterfall was 170 feet! So going down we would have to push off the rock behind the waterfall so we got so drenched! The jungle was amazing so so beautiful, like nothing I've ever seen.
It was a very tiring morning and after some arroz con pollo we arrived back at the hostel. Jocelyn and I went shopping and there were so beautiful shops. Jocelyn speaks good Spanish so we started to chat to the local artisans and I joined in a bit! We stayed a long time in one shop and were it was a family that amde beautiful beaded jewellery. He ended up giving us a bracelet each as a gift! We are planning to go back in the next few weeks to give him a card.
That evening me and michelle went to the natural volcanic hot springs until after 10 pm! It was the most relaxing evening i've had. There were different pools and some were cool, one was 43 degrees, hot hot hot. When we got back to the hostel we were so tired. We decided to have ice cream and fruit at the bar, while people were doing shots, ten to bed for a great sleep.
It has been raining a lot here this week so I know I will be coming back paler than when I left!
We got back earlier today and have been relaxing and napping, a good relaxing weekend.
The only downside was the one water slide I did at the hot springs which I think broke all health and safety rules! I have seriously hurt my neck and when I got back to the hostel the it we made freinds that worked at reception said people have broken their arms! Wish I known that before!
Needing to brainstorm for placement tmw, off to practise some spanish as well. Hope everyone has had a good weekend and feels rested for the week ahead xxxxx
Sunday 28 February 2010
Thursday 25 February 2010
Hola, well today has be great but majorly busy! This morning I was with five kids by myself for the while 5 hours and no big problems there were some standoffs but I held my groud and kept saying no and eventually they got bored, I felt that finally they realised I wasn't going to backdown. I brought large sheets of paper in and we traced round children and labelled the body parts, it worked really well. This afternoon we went to the orphanage and looked after the kids while the staff had training. The hildren are all ages and it's hard miek, they are all desperate for attention and fight a lot. It has certainly made me think about adopting, it's no place for kids.
Today has been very rainy, but much alleviated as my mosquito bites had swollen up in the heat. this morning I got up early to do yoga with one of the girls, it was a very chilled start to the day.
Now for descriptions of cuidad quesada, it's a smallish rural centre in the northern region of the country. It is surrounded by mountains and fields and many cows are scattered around. The town itself is concentrated into about a 10 street grid with lots of bakeries, fruit shops and little shops, too many treats! The town itself is pretty poor, the top of the hill has a few rich houses but the rest are very run and down and there is one part which we have been told not to enter and is a shanty town, it looks like those parts if brazil I have seen. There are lots of old cars, crazy driving and stray dogs. The dogs sleep in the main square and look relatively healthy for being strays. Our house is in the center and is like a hostel inside. I share a room with 2 others, katie and michelle, although our room is for six, too crowded at that. We all get on so well as the people are all here for the same reason.
Tonight we are going to an evening class for adults learning English to help them practise but I am so tired! I want to thank you all for all your comments it's amazing to know ur reading all my posts I will reply but today has been so busy!
Off tmw night for the weekend but will hopefully post something before I go, much love xxxx
Today has been very rainy, but much alleviated as my mosquito bites had swollen up in the heat. this morning I got up early to do yoga with one of the girls, it was a very chilled start to the day.
Now for descriptions of cuidad quesada, it's a smallish rural centre in the northern region of the country. It is surrounded by mountains and fields and many cows are scattered around. The town itself is concentrated into about a 10 street grid with lots of bakeries, fruit shops and little shops, too many treats! The town itself is pretty poor, the top of the hill has a few rich houses but the rest are very run and down and there is one part which we have been told not to enter and is a shanty town, it looks like those parts if brazil I have seen. There are lots of old cars, crazy driving and stray dogs. The dogs sleep in the main square and look relatively healthy for being strays. Our house is in the center and is like a hostel inside. I share a room with 2 others, katie and michelle, although our room is for six, too crowded at that. We all get on so well as the people are all here for the same reason.
Tonight we are going to an evening class for adults learning English to help them practise but I am so tired! I want to thank you all for all your comments it's amazing to know ur reading all my posts I will reply but today has been so busy!
Off tmw night for the weekend but will hopefully post something before I go, much love xxxx
Wednesday 24 February 2010
Wednesday is halfway through the week!
Now I know I'm here to volunteer an do my part but I have to say I and glad to be halfway through this week. There is a heat wave just now in costa rica and the air is thick and got with no movement. Working with seven hot children is hard for all of us as they get overheated and frustrated.
Today was such a contrast of emotions, the morning stayed slow with two children and we coloured in some pictures and played on the swings. I was bitten today, not badly and there were several bad tantrums but marlane, the lady in charge, in so firm with the time out chair that it does work and they do apologise!
In contrast today I taught the 3 older kids, who are between 4 and 5 to Scottish country dance! It was so funny and they were laughing and loving it. We needed some music so Marlane put on some regatone- a perfect combination! Also we picked oranges from her trees and peeled them for the children, they have a big snack of fruit at 10am and today they were happily munching on guavas, it's odd to see children eating what we scots would consider exotic fruit. So, while under the trees I felt something heavy land on my head and I knew it wasn't an orange! I tipped my head up and started shacking it an felt whatever it was scramble first onto myy ponytail and then onto and down my back. I shouted for Marlane and she said something, I never know exactly and pointed to a big lizard on the ground! It hard jumped onto my head!! It was pretty big about the length of one hand and a half. The kids were intrigued and scared and all ran to cling on to my shouting "sophia, sophia", I think I won valuable cool points!
Will tell you more about Cuidad Quesada on my next blogg, and describe where I'm staying and the surrounding area, xxxx
Today was such a contrast of emotions, the morning stayed slow with two children and we coloured in some pictures and played on the swings. I was bitten today, not badly and there were several bad tantrums but marlane, the lady in charge, in so firm with the time out chair that it does work and they do apologise!
In contrast today I taught the 3 older kids, who are between 4 and 5 to Scottish country dance! It was so funny and they were laughing and loving it. We needed some music so Marlane put on some regatone- a perfect combination! Also we picked oranges from her trees and peeled them for the children, they have a big snack of fruit at 10am and today they were happily munching on guavas, it's odd to see children eating what we scots would consider exotic fruit. So, while under the trees I felt something heavy land on my head and I knew it wasn't an orange! I tipped my head up and started shacking it an felt whatever it was scramble first onto myy ponytail and then onto and down my back. I shouted for Marlane and she said something, I never know exactly and pointed to a big lizard on the ground! It hard jumped onto my head!! It was pretty big about the length of one hand and a half. The kids were intrigued and scared and all ran to cling on to my shouting "sophia, sophia", I think I won valuable cool points!
Will tell you more about Cuidad Quesada on my next blogg, and describe where I'm staying and the surrounding area, xxxx
Tuesday 23 February 2010
Well today after work we all went on a hike to tw Arenal volcano, the most active volcano in costa rica and the third most active in the world. You can only get so close as the are little eruptions eachday, so we hiked as far as the rock formations which fell as a result of the last big eruption on 1992 and 1967. The landscape looked like Mordor and the road up to mount doom! The were rock and boulders as far as the eye could see, luckily no orks, and the surrounding land is full of trees and cattle. I had been hoping to sew some lava but aparently this volcano is not a lava volcano, it usually erupts rocks and gases. In fact while we were there it spurt out boulders and we heard them coming down the volcano and saw all the smoke. Each rock is around the size of a Volkswagen beetle and on impact it breaks up and avalanches down the sides.
Today was unually clear so we had a great view but it was also abnormally hot and close and again I was a sweaty mess! It's becoming a permanent state of mine. Not something I am enjoying.
So this weekend is looking like a trip to La Fortuna, a town about 2 hours away, right next to arenal volcano. I'm going with 4 other girls and we are planning to visit the natural hot springs and perhaps do waterfall absailing! Can't wait!
Lots if love, hope ur not to cold where you are, I'll try to send some heat ur way! xxxxx
Today was unually clear so we had a great view but it was also abnormally hot and close and again I was a sweaty mess! It's becoming a permanent state of mine. Not something I am enjoying.
So this weekend is looking like a trip to La Fortuna, a town about 2 hours away, right next to arenal volcano. I'm going with 4 other girls and we are planning to visit the natural hot springs and perhaps do waterfall absailing! Can't wait!
Lots if love, hope ur not to cold where you are, I'll try to send some heat ur way! xxxxx
Monday 22 February 2010
Manuel Antonio
Hola chicos and chicas
today was a stressfull day, very hot weather, 7 gurney children resulted in them all crying at the one point I was left alone with them, muchos stress! One was punching another, two were having tantrums, one ran away and one was just joining in i think. The only child not crying was Reading a book and looking at me with contempt in my failure. Definately rethinking being a parent! Anyhoo I exercised my stress away by going to a zumba class, a Latino aerobics; think sean Paul, regatone And lunges! Soo much fun- you'd love this maddi!
So this weekend 7 of us went to manuel Antonio beach on the west coast, a six hour journey from where I'm staying. We stayed in a hostel by the beach which was beautiful scenery and there were hammocks and a outdoor cocktail bar, not bad!
We spent the first day by the beach and tried to avoid getting burnt. Which I didn't quite manage. In the evening we chilled in the hammocks with a quepos breeze, my new favourite drink. Some went out clubbing but I just lay about- perfect after my first week.
On the Sunday we went to the national park and saw monkeys, sloths, and giant lizards! It was a trail through a dense Forrest and there were animals amongst the trees. The paths all led to a breathtaking beach, unbelievably beautiful. And there were monkeys all by the trees in the beach just sleeping in the branches, it was magical.
Tomorrow I am going on a hike up the arenal volanco, I hope I see some lava!
Love to you all, miss you all so much xxx
today was a stressfull day, very hot weather, 7 gurney children resulted in them all crying at the one point I was left alone with them, muchos stress! One was punching another, two were having tantrums, one ran away and one was just joining in i think. The only child not crying was Reading a book and looking at me with contempt in my failure. Definately rethinking being a parent! Anyhoo I exercised my stress away by going to a zumba class, a Latino aerobics; think sean Paul, regatone And lunges! Soo much fun- you'd love this maddi!
So this weekend 7 of us went to manuel Antonio beach on the west coast, a six hour journey from where I'm staying. We stayed in a hostel by the beach which was beautiful scenery and there were hammocks and a outdoor cocktail bar, not bad!
We spent the first day by the beach and tried to avoid getting burnt. Which I didn't quite manage. In the evening we chilled in the hammocks with a quepos breeze, my new favourite drink. Some went out clubbing but I just lay about- perfect after my first week.
On the Sunday we went to the national park and saw monkeys, sloths, and giant lizards! It was a trail through a dense Forrest and there were animals amongst the trees. The paths all led to a breathtaking beach, unbelievably beautiful. And there were monkeys all by the trees in the beach just sleeping in the branches, it was magical.
Tomorrow I am going on a hike up the arenal volanco, I hope I see some lava!
Love to you all, miss you all so much xxx
Sunday 21 February 2010
One week already....
Having arrived in costa rica after what can only be called the worst journey of my life( two days if airport hotels in Houston) I experienced a million different emotions. I was pretty nervous about meeting everyone but I had nothing to worry about as my two roomate were so lovely, michelle and katy. I had missed orientation and the tour due to arriving so late I had to go straight into planning for my placement the next morning. We start at 7.30 in the morning so I am up at about 6am most mornings. I work until 1pm when I then you back to the bade ad have lunch. In the afternoon we either have Spanish or we do more volunteering. The food here at the base is amazing though it is rice and beans for every meal including breakfast so I may not be saying that for long!
My placement is with a goverment funded child centre which is aimed at helping single mothers in the real areas work and have somewhere for their kids to go which isn't paid for. The emphasis is heavily on family and teaching the childen manners, hygeine and basic Spanish and English. I have started a projects on shapes, colours, and animals this week. I have big plans though- I'm going to build them a fort, oh yes my medieval history degree does come into use! Downside to placent the children are wild, I've been bitten, punched, hit an called racial slang. Lovely, and they are all under 5! They are troubled children and it certainly comes with the territory but it has meant I have found it hard to warm to some of them. On thursday I volunteered at an orphanage which was really sad and brilliant at the same time. The children are so desperate for attention and want to play and learn. At the same time they are violent with each other and discipline is very difficult. The boys seem to pick on the baby girls and I caught them kicking a two year old girl. They are scared at mealtimes and gulp their food down as they try to steal each others.
I had such fun keeping their attention for 14 mins while I read them a story in Spanish. A wee boy made me two paper aeroplane as a gift.
A group of us went on a trip to a cloud Forrest farm this week and had a cookery lesson. It had been monsoon rain for two days and the rain insane. The farmer took us on a rainforrest trail to a waterfall which was breathtaking. I have never been soaked in my life. We went back to his house where his wife had made coffee and tortillas, and the girls ended up doing Spanish karioke with the farmer, I cheered them on. It was exciting to be in someones home in the Forrest and feel so confortable and welcome.
I went to the national reserve manuel saint Antonio this weekend but that is for another post!
Love to you all xxxx
My placement is with a goverment funded child centre which is aimed at helping single mothers in the real areas work and have somewhere for their kids to go which isn't paid for. The emphasis is heavily on family and teaching the childen manners, hygeine and basic Spanish and English. I have started a projects on shapes, colours, and animals this week. I have big plans though- I'm going to build them a fort, oh yes my medieval history degree does come into use! Downside to placent the children are wild, I've been bitten, punched, hit an called racial slang. Lovely, and they are all under 5! They are troubled children and it certainly comes with the territory but it has meant I have found it hard to warm to some of them. On thursday I volunteered at an orphanage which was really sad and brilliant at the same time. The children are so desperate for attention and want to play and learn. At the same time they are violent with each other and discipline is very difficult. The boys seem to pick on the baby girls and I caught them kicking a two year old girl. They are scared at mealtimes and gulp their food down as they try to steal each others.
I had such fun keeping their attention for 14 mins while I read them a story in Spanish. A wee boy made me two paper aeroplane as a gift.
A group of us went on a trip to a cloud Forrest farm this week and had a cookery lesson. It had been monsoon rain for two days and the rain insane. The farmer took us on a rainforrest trail to a waterfall which was breathtaking. I have never been soaked in my life. We went back to his house where his wife had made coffee and tortillas, and the girls ended up doing Spanish karioke with the farmer, I cheered them on. It was exciting to be in someones home in the Forrest and feel so confortable and welcome.
I went to the national reserve manuel saint Antonio this weekend but that is for another post!
Love to you all xxxx
Saturday 13 February 2010
Hello, I am en route to costa rica just now and am unsurprisingly delayed at heathrow!
I may not make my connection but I am pretty up for a night in Houston!
It is very surreal to think it all starts in a day, the teaching and learning(struggling) with Spanish.
I have done so much planning that it doesn't seem real that I'm actually going. I am very excited to start and meet the other volunteers.
It's like starting school againg- will I be the random Scottish girl?!
chau for now xxxx
I may not make my connection but I am pretty up for a night in Houston!
It is very surreal to think it all starts in a day, the teaching and learning(struggling) with Spanish.
I have done so much planning that it doesn't seem real that I'm actually going. I am very excited to start and meet the other volunteers.
It's like starting school againg- will I be the random Scottish girl?!
chau for now xxxx
Tuesday 9 February 2010
Preparation, preparation, preparation!
Ok, so its a mere 5 days until I leave and I am trying to stay on top of all the lists! It is not unknown to most of you that I have mild OCD tendancies in my organisation and this is going into overdrive now I have a iphone and I can set numerous memos and list to beep all day.
I have been told the children I wil be working with are aged 0- 7 years and that I should start brainstorming ideas for activities, lessons, games etc. I have been trying to remember things from when I was little but I am coming up blank! If anyone has any suggestions please let me know, any songs with actions ( I remember bits of 'we're going on a bear hunt'). Anyhoo the next few days wil be packing, buying most of the stock of boots and speed learning Spanish grammer.
Chau xxxx
I have been told the children I wil be working with are aged 0- 7 years and that I should start brainstorming ideas for activities, lessons, games etc. I have been trying to remember things from when I was little but I am coming up blank! If anyone has any suggestions please let me know, any songs with actions ( I remember bits of 'we're going on a bear hunt'). Anyhoo the next few days wil be packing, buying most of the stock of boots and speed learning Spanish grammer.
Chau xxxx
Friday 5 February 2010
One week to go
Hello and welcome! Nothing interesting to say as yet apart from two interesting pieces of travel advise from my family.
1. Don't trust anyone
2. Remember, you are not invincible
Bed time now, chau xx
1. Don't trust anyone
2. Remember, you are not invincible
Bed time now, chau xx
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