Caribbean trip!

Day 153, el Viernes 14 de Deciembre 2012 10:25

Gotta love the Caribbean!

After 2 months of looking forward to this trip it is now time to look back on a beautiful and epic trip. Let’s go back to Tuesday when it started!

I woke up at 4:45 to pack my bags and eat a small breakfast. I walked to Ruth’s house and we went with her host dad to San José. Here we drank coffee and chilled in the big park I always wanted to go to. After this I went to the center to meet with Beatrice. We bought presents for Anna, drank some more coffee and looked for a cake to buy, didn’t find it though.

At the EF office we met all the other students; seeing all my friends again was great. In the mini-bus as always and ready to go to the Caribbean! After 2 hours we got a flat tire so we had to wait at the side of a road for a while and later when we stopped in Guapiles we had to wait more. After 7 hours after riding we finally arrived, I didn’t really mind it was so long I like sitting in the bus and talking with friends I haven’t seen for a while.

At the hotel we directly sat down to eat dinner, I didn’t eat that much all day so I really enjoyed the fish in coconut sauce. Later we got the rooms houses, including 2 queen-size beds, hammock and jacuzzi. We discovered the hotel, it was beautiful; a lot of small houses in the middle of the rainforest, birds whistling, monkeys jumping and snakes sneaking around, everything was green and 1 with the nature. We chilled a bit in the rooms and stayed up until 12 the celebrate Anna’s birthday.

The next day I woke up at 6 after a small 4 hours of sleep. It was great waking up with birds singing and little sun beams getting through the leaf roof. I walked to the beach with Bea; it was an amazing typical Caribbean beach, rainforest with palms followed by a nice sandy beach ending in a rough yet stunning sea. We collected firewood for the campfire we were going to have later. After this we went for breakfast: pinto, platanos, scrambled eggs, bread and fruits. Then we got ready to go to Puerto Viejo, the famous nearby town. It is the second biggest tourist place at the Caribbean side but still it was extremely small. Bea and I looked somewhere to buy a cake for Anna’s birthday and found at a Megasuper, we also walked into an ice-cream shop which looked very cute like a Pipi-Langkous ice-cream shop but unfortunately it was closed. We walked a bit through this fisher’s village and then you really notice the different culture Limón has. The people talk different, with a strong African tongue and of course rasta style. The houses are different as well; they’re like Swedish houses I think, always standing on pillars and in all kinds of happy colors. We drank coffee with everybody at a cute coffee place with very good coffee; the rastas know how to drink a good espresso.

We went back to the hotel to have lunch and after that it finally was time to swim! I loved the beach and the sea; I spent almost 3 hours in the water playing in the waves with everybody. The sea just makes me happy; I will be randomly clapping my hands of happiness and jumping around. Most people went back already but I stayed with some other people, and when I came back everybody were in the Jacuzzis, I couldn’t really join so that made me kind of sad but nothing could really destroy my temper. We played pool a bit until it was time for the dinner. After the dinner the cake was brought in and Anna was really surprised I am very glad Bea and I pulled this off, I like making other people happy. Then we went to the beach to secretly make the campfire and surprise Anna. It didn’t really work at first but I got my deodorant and got the fire going, it is cheating but the fire didn’t get less nice because of that. We chilled at the campfire; making marshmallows and telling stories how it is supposed to be. And campfires make you think about family and friends, because you make memories at campfires and remember them when you will be having a campfire again. But it couldn’t take my happiness away and I know that at my next campfire I can happily miss this campfire we had.

The next morning I got up early again, I walked through the forest alone to the beach, I like taking little moments for myself, to think and to be happy. Later we went for a last swim which again was extremely nice. Then it was time to pack and clean-up to go back. After a nice 6 hour bus ride we got back in San José and dropped off at the bus station. I said goodbye to a lot of people but the most special goodbye was to Ellie because it could be the last one. I’m glad goodbyes aren’t that hard on me but I will miss her, but I will visit New-Zealand once, I heard so much stories about it now that I have to go there. I took the bus alone and had to stand for 2 hours, I was pretty tired but I managed it. I listened to music and go kind of sad about nothing and everything I don’t know why but it just comes and goes.

When I came home I showered quickly and got ready for my brothers graduation. Ticos don’t really tell you when there is something going to happen, I don’t know why but it is kind of annoying. The graduation was very nice, the students entered under music, they sang the national anthem, there was a dance, a very good song by some students and they got their documents. I got kind of annoyed by the fact that my host family didn’t really enjoy it. I don’t know why but ‘Pura Vida’ doesn’t count for everything. Actually only if it is a private party or if they organized it themselves they will be satisfied, I don’t know if this is because if the little town life or not, could be. After the graduation we went out for dinner, for the first time in Costa Rica. It was very nice and it made me very happy. I got a really good connection with my host dad; I noticed that it is better as I knew before.

When I got home I opened the package that my parents send me, it includes ‘chocolade kruidnoten’ licorice, my chocolate cooking book, cheese and presents for my host family. Eating these things gave me an instant boost of happiness; it’s great to have these things back in my house again!

I fell in a deep sleep with a huge smile on my face while there were a lot of little earthquakes. I now have 3 more days to remember forever.