South of the Border

So I spent Jan. in Costa Rica, summer camp with the kids for the first four weeks! What a time.  It was really a lot of fun, and I was so glad that my environmental day went well! We made recycled paper and I think the kids enjoyed it... which is the most important.  Then the last weekend in Jan, and the first week in Feb I actually had some freetime in Samara. Okay, so I bet your thinking... dont you always have free time, well the answer is no. Other then weekends, since I arrived in Samara on Nov. 12th, I had been working each week with CREAR.  SO honestly the first week in Feb. was my first vacation time in vacation town.  It was amazing to sleep in, but only of a few days... I continued to hunt mariscos, attemp to surf and just plan relax.  I hung my hammock up here the beach one day, brained stormed about CREAR and just enjoyed my time in Samara.  Oh did I mention the fiestas!? Okay! As I have mentioned, Jan and Feb in Guanacaste are big mont...

Okay, next trip... PARQUE MARINO! In Puntarenas there is a a Marine Park.  Like a mini Aquarim.. They have sea turtles and sharks, crocs and camines, not to mention many fish and a Red Snapper Fish hatchery! SO we planned to be there for 6 hours.  OKay seems long, but we had a 3 hour program to offer.. 45 min chat about the circle of life in the sea, then the tour of the park, then a recap on the circle of life, and then lunch and then the tour of the fish hatchery.  Bingo Bango... wait... did I mention the X factor? So we arrive to the park. All is well.  We get the 50 kids in to the classroom, Aula numero 3 and we begin the Cadena de energia chat... Right off the bat Im realizing this chat is NOT for kids.  They said it was... but it could have been used for a Bio 101 course in a college somewhere... Im talking FULL scientific defintions, full paragraphs, equations for photosynthesis and so on... the kids were not into it.  They would comment, but it wa...

Jan 3rd! First day of summer camp for the youth of Playa Samara.  We had two awesome weeks planned for this kids, then the following two weeks repeat the activities with the El Torito kids.  We expected about 50 kids each day, but really we had no way to comfirm who would show up which days, obiviously were dealing with children and they are the X factor.  You can plan a perfect lesson, but you never know how its going to go until that X factor is introduced... But here are some of the things we had planned, Bean mosiacs, coffee filter "stained glass", Glass Jar tissue paper pretty candle holders, african mask, Under the Sea REAL Wall mosiac.. ENVIRONMENAL DAY, african dance workshop, Latin Dance workshop, and not to mention the viajes -Local rescue ZOO, Coffee plantation, Parque Marino, and the African Safari = Africa Mia! So the Zoo was first.  It went really well.  Two trips of about 25 kids each.  Smooth.  The kids saw native animals that have ...

SO I spent Christmas In Mexico.  It was really nice and relaxing.  I felt part of a family and thats the whole reason.  We went to church the night of and that was a new experience for me.  It was my 2nd Christmas there, but first time in a Church for the holiday.  Im a spiritual person, but I would say I conform much to a specific religion, and long story short, this was way different then the Luthern Church Christmas´ I had as a child. First off WAAAY more somber.  I recall lots of singing and songing and happiness.. but this was just kinda lacking.. Okay, not lacking, but it just didnt seem like a celebration of the birth of the Savior. And for your information, the most basic Religious tunes werent sung until New Years... AM I missing something? Little Drummer boy on new years? OkayI mean I gues techinically not many people were actually there for the big guys birth, so I suppose it would have taking a couple of days to spread the word verbally that t...

SO as I was saying.. I arrived before the rest of the Family... so I took this opportunity to walk around the historical center of Zacatecas.  Lots of people were around, it was just a couple o days before Chirstmas... I wasnt in the mood to buy anything, and my heart was set on a cup of joe outside on a nice terrace.... would you believe that I walked and I walked and I walked and I only saw one rest. with outdoor sitting.. and it looked a little fluffy so I didnt bother taking a seat... It wasnt until I walked back to the Refugio de Don Carlos and asked the receptionist where I should go... he directed me and when I got there I felt more like having a Michelada! YUMMY oh and durning my coffee hunt I found a Zacatecas Candy store, so I enjoyed my brew with a spicy sweet and sour tamarindo candy... I really have gotten the hang of thi mexican food! Around 5pm I thought I would test my luck and see if the family had arrived.  I head back to the hotel and I see Tio Santigo and...

So I went to Mexico for Christmas! How COOL! I left Samara on Dec 17th, spent the night in San Jose to get to the airport bright and early on the 18th.  I got to the hostel and basically went right to bed, after the 5hour bus ride to the city sleeping was all I could think about, plus I had to wake and get myself ready at 2am to take a cab by 3am to the bus stop to take the bus to the airport to arrive by my 4am check in.  Great.  Plus at the hostel they told me at a bus leaves for the airport every hour on the hour.  SO planned to take the 3am bus.  I get ready and the hostel calls me a cab.  I tell him where Im heading, and he takes me to the Coca-Cola bus stop... woah.. wait.. I dont think I wanna get out of the car here, actually I dont even want to the cabbie to slow down in this area.  So the Coca-Cola bus stop is on the corner of a block and the station is like an L shape from one side to the other, but the corner is still intact.. leavin...

Okay.. geez.. its feb. 13th and Im in Peru and my last update was in Dec and about river shrimp... So much has happened.  I will get this up to speed and then go back for the details :) Dec 19th- Jan2nd I was in Mexico.  I had an amazing time.  I flew into DF, bused to San Luis Potosi, Bused to Zacatecas.. Saw family and friends and had a wonderful time. Jan 2nd- Traveled allll day.. No joke, left SLP at 11pm, traveled to DF for my 8am flight, then flew to Guatemala, and Honduras then San Jose... then some friends drove me to Samara-- arriving at the final destination at 1am wooof what a day. Jan 3rd- !st day of Summer Camp with CREAR! Plan, two weeks with the youth (5 to 12yrs) of Samara and then 2 weeks with El Torito.  Two weeks each group fun filled days, and great trips; coffee plantation, Parque Marino, ENVIRONMENTAL DAY- hosted by yours truly, La Selva (local zoo), and an African Safari! Now multiple that by the x factor (which is about 50plus kids)...