“Pura Vida!” a typical saying in Costa Rica that all locals use on the daily translated to “Pure Life”. It’s used to say hello, goodbye, how are you and everything in between. However, Pura Vida to Costa Ricans (Ticos) is so much more than just a saying, it’s their way of life. Being in Costa Rica for over a month now has really shown me what “Pura Vida” really is. Ticos take one day at a time, they are in no rush to get to places, no time lines, no meetings with friends/family that they want to rush through. They take things at an easy pace and value what’s in front of them; they have a simple way of looking at life.

I live la Pura Vida by venturing out into Costa Rica.

Two weekends ago we ventured onto one of our program excursions that took place in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica which is on the Caribbean part of the country, very close to Panama.

Where we ate delicious coconut rice, stayed in a hotel with hammocks right outside our doors and where we were able to snorkel and see some pretty amazing things underwater, including a shark and squid!

I do have to say though that my favorite part of Puerto Viejo had to be the sunrise. A few of my friends and I decided to rent bikes the night before and bike to the next beach over, Cocles, where the sunrise was supposed to be amazing. We got up at 4:30am Sunday morning to and started our 15 minute bike ride. While we were riding over, we began to notice that what was once pitch black was beginning to have hints of orange and pink hues so we peddled as fast as we could to witness this. Although there were clouds in the sky, the sunrise was still breathtaking. I would definitely do it all over again and perhaps wake up even earlier to be there right when it barely starts.

This past weekend we went on our other program excursion, but this time we went to the Pacific side of the country; Tamarindo, Costa Rica. Or how Ticos like to call it, “Tamagringo”. Tamarindo was a very touristy place, nice resorts and restaurants. Tamarindo is said to be the best place for surfers to catch some great waves.

We stayed in probably one of the nicest hotels that we have stayed at while in Costa Rica.

It was amazing. I’m a sucker for a good sunset, so when I was told that the best sunsets were seen on this side of the country, I had to get a front row seat at the beach. And I was not disappointed. At 5:28pm on the dot, the sky turned into this incredible pink/orangy hue and it was absolutely mesmerizing. I could have stared at it all day if I was able to do so.

While I have enjoyed visiting many of the beaches that Costa Rica has to offer, I do have to say that I enjoy the time that I spend at home with my host family. One of the things that I enjoy most is teaching them of my own culture. Being Mexican in a Latin country isn’t all that different, but the differences that are there, I have been able to share with them just like when they share their Costa Rican culture with me. Ticos are wonderful people and Costa Rica is a wonderful country that I cannot wait to explore some more.

Pura Vida!

While being in Costa Rica has been nothing short of an amazing experience, it’s not all fun and games. I’m an intern at a local foundation (Fundacion Rahab) that is dedicated to serving women, men and their families that have been victims of the sex trade industry. In Costa Rica, prostitution is legal and there are no legal forms/laws that protect these women, Fundacion Rahab is a resource that they are able to utilize to get back on their feet and get out of that life style. Being part of Fundacion Rahab has been an amazing opportunity that has allowed to me to see the other side of palm trees, beaches, and the occasional monkey roaming around. I’ve been able to see a different part of Costa Rica that many people don’t even know exists. It’s pretty amazing what happens when you immerse yourself in the community and without doing an internship I would have never discovered this other side to San Jose, Costa Rica.

Being an intern I’ve been able to read case files for women that have gone through the organization and I’ve also been able to work the kids at the onsite day care. And let me tell you, run around little kids is no easy job. My first day at the daycare, I was exhausted, at that point in time I realized the tremendous amount of body, mind, and soul that daycare givers give to these children and it was amazing.

This is Mateo. My little friend that I made while working at the daycare at Fundacion Rahab. He was adorable and had the sweetest smile I have ever seen.

My next post will be adventure updates, until then!

Hello all,

Are you alright? Here in London that is another way to say “How are you?” and it is incredibly confusing. I have been here for a little over a month now and I still have not gotten used to this saying. Every time someone greets me in this way (which happens a lot) I usually stare at them for a while and then stumble to figure out what I am supposed to say. Do I say yes? Do I say I am good? I have asked people who use the expression and they tell me that either of those options are fine, but I still stutter. It is the one thing I am not sure I will ever get used to in the three months I am here.

On another note, I am feeling so much better. I have finally made friends! I am so happy. This past week went really well. Classes are still slow, but I am powering through. My favorite class is the one I am taking online through WOU because it actually keeps me somewhat busy.

On Saturday me and a few other internationals went to Windsor Castle. It was really beautiful and it was a lovely day so that made it even nicer. The weather has been wonderful since I have been here. It has only rained about 3 times in the entire past month. I am shocked, but not keeping my hopes up. It is starting to get colder and I am sure the rain will settle in soon.

I had plans to go to Brighton on Sunday, but the  tube was delayed and I missed my train. It was too expensive to by another ticket at the train station so I went home and went back to bed. It was quite upsetting and will hopefully be the first and last time that ever happens. Now I know to be REALLY early just in case. I was thankful it was only a day trip I missed and not a flight out of the country. That would have been much worse.

Overall, I am feeling much better and am looking forward to my first trip out of the country coming up here in a few weeks.

Cheers, Mackenzie

Windsor Castle

Friends!! (At Whiteland’s formal dinner)

This week we learned that during the first Sunday of every month most museums have free entry! The downside to this is that the lines to get in are also very long, and it was raining like crazy, but we were determined! During the course of a Sunday I managed to see the David, the Uffizi Gallery, and the Boboli Gardens (all for free!). I must say that while the museums were an incredible experience, the gardens were my favorite. I didn’t realize how much I had started to miss Oregon’s fresh air and greenery! I got some lovely pictures at the gardens and intend to go back soon before it starts getting too cold. I also had a delicious dinner at my Italian family’s house, ate a delicious salad at the school restaurant, and had a weekly “family dinner night” with friends! Overall it was a very well rounded week, though I have so many more museums yet to see! Here are some pictures to sum up the week, I took so many pictures at the museums, so these are only a few from each location!

Ciao for now!

-Alexis

Definitely not a great blogger!

It is currently the middle of the third week of classes but this blog post will be about the second week.

Finally got my time-table all sorted out and I am taking Linguistics, Philosophy of Religion and French. I think it will be an interesting but challenging term, particularly with linguistics and philosophy. I only have classes two days a week which is definitely different from academic life at WOU but I quite like it, just means you have more time for homework and studying. I also like not starting before 9am 🙂

As school work hadn’t really started coming yet, I had a good relaxing Thursday. Friday was one of flat mates birthdays and we went to the Westfield shopping centre then out to dinner followed of course by BOP, the event that happens every Friday on campus.

I also started kickboxing which is hard and very strenuous but will be so worth it! 🙂

More to come very soon as I was late with this post.

XX

Even though only a week has passed, it feels like at least 3. Every day is so jam-packed that it’s hard to remember everything that has happened. Unfortunately, the reason I finally have the time to blog about my experiences is because at the moment I’m in bed with a stomach bug. It could have been the food, but I’ve had it since Sunday morning.

Thursday we went around La Ronda where I took pictures of the amazing architecture. We toured churches, got food, and went Salsa dancing. Shakira would probably be disappointed in my moves, but we had a lot of fun. There’s something liberating about trying new things in a new country…especially when you know the people here will probably never see you again so it really doesn’t matter if you look stupid 🙂

Also, this is not an elephant ear people. This is a giant empanada with cheese on the inside and sugar on the outside. And yes, I had hot chocolate too.

This weekend we traveled north of Quito to Otavalo, Cochasqui, Ibarra, and Cotocachi. (I’m not promising that those are spelled right).

First we stopped in Cochasqui, where we got to chill with some alpaca’s and see pre-incan ruins. We also stood at the highest point in the middle of the world, so you could say we were slightly out of breath.

Our guide spoke only in Spanish (obviously) so I didn’t pick up everything he was saying. But the trip was well worth while and I enjoyed witnessing remnants of a history so long ago.

In Otavalo they have one of largest hand-crafts markets in South America. You can find everything from Alpaca fur scarves, blankets, and sweaters (alpacas are not harmed by the way), to jewelry, baked goods, pottery, instruments, paintings, etc.

It was here that I found out that I have a gift for haggling down prices in Spanish. I think this is due to me not understanding the majority of what they’re telling me, so I feel no pressure or guilt from requesting outrageously low prices. I also know I’ll be here a while, so I don’t feel pressured to buy anything that very moment because I know the opportunity will present itself again, and I have no problem walking away — which REALLY gets them to drop the price. 🙂

I ended up getting a handmade alpaca blanket for $11, a handmade alpaca sweater for $15, and a hand painted oil painting (just barely able to fit in my suitcase) for $25. I still have my eye on some painted bowls and a small vase that seems to be pretty common, but I’m holding out for a deal.

Otavalo also has an animal trade/market in the mornings, which I was able to go see. It wasn’t the easiest thing in the world, especially considering I JUST gave up vegetarianism (and plan on going back to that after I leave here), but it was a good experience to have.

It was not uncommon to see animals tightly packed in small spaces, often sitting on top of each other. Most people were walking around with bags of live chickens (multiple in just one bag that is tied off without holes). This was somewhat uncomfortable because you could hear them squak and see the bag move. We also saw live pigs dragged by their feet.

I had to remind myself that the factory “farms” in the US are just as bad, if not worse, as far as treatment. And from what I can tell, most of these animals grew up in a healthy/nicer environment then the one they were presently being sold in. I don’t consider this a negative experience, just a learning opportunity. It would be hard to treat an animal as your pet if it was your livelihood or your dinner.

Otavalo and the surrounding areas were a good reminder of the poverty that many people face in this country. It was a bit of a reality check after visiting the beautiful streets of La Ronda with cathedrals filled from head to toe with real gold.

While in Otavalo, we visited a rescued bird sanctuary. There were amazing species to look at, and tons of owls, which I loved. There was also a fantastic view of the mountains that you’re continually surrounded by if you live pretty much anywhere in Ecuador. The tall mountains and beautiful cloud cover are a constant occurrence.

Otavalo, Ecuador

Oh, and as we left there were some random cows in the road.

Cows

We also got to hike to a waterfall called the Cascada de Peguche. Here you could see lots of couples showing their affection (PDA is a much more common occurence here. These people just seem to be very passionate in general. I think its kinda cute). You could also crawl through tunnels made in the rocks (terrifying by the way) to little spots behind the waterfall that you wouldn’t be able to walk to.

Cascada de Peguche

A few miles away we got to visit a stone solar calendar and a small market with food and crafts. So here is a picture of me, and not of the calendar or the food or crafts. haha woops.

Yesterday, Monday the 5th, was the first day that we started work. I went to the preschool, Rebecca went to a women’s service clinic, and Lauren went to a dental office. (I’ll be going to the hospitals in 4 weeks)

While I was at the preschool there was some miscommunication with the teacher. As in, as soon as I got there she left me alone with the classroom of kids for the entire time. She didn’t even come back when class was over, and I had to send them off with people that I hope to goodness are their caregivers. Luckily, they had wifi so I could use a translator on my ipod if I needed to say something I was unsure of. The nice thing is, kids speak slower and have pretty simple sentences, so I understood them better than I do adults here. But if there was ever a time when I didn’t understand them, smiling and nodding did the trick. I think for the most part they were just telling me stories about siblings and pets 🙂

(sorry she is upside down, for some reason the pictures of the kiddos wont all turn)

Being on the playground with these kids is terrifying. First, they all wear the same uniform and are the same height and skin tone. And I didn’t know all their names. So trying to keep track of everyone was exhausting. Especially when the playground is 3 levels from the school being built on a hill.

Second, the equipment on this playground I’m sure has long since been banned in the US. Old mary-go-rounds, rusty teeter-totters, wooden structures with nails sticking out. And third, the way they played almost gave me a heart attack. 3 students would lay on the slide while one up climbed over them (stepping on their backs) and another tried to slide down them (running into the one climbing up) and from what I can tell, the goal was to knock the other person OFF THE SLIDE. There’s no photo of this because I was too busy tearing my hair out.

When this kind of play was happening, I would look around to other students and teachers, who didn’t seem at all phased, or were doing the exact same thing. I made the decision to not step in, because I didn’t know if this was just a cultural difference. The US schools do tend to be extra paranoid, so maybe I’ve just been engrained like that. And maybe this kind of play is what creates the type of driving the adults seem to partake in here 😉

In the end, no one got hurt (not even a scratch–maybe we need to relax a little in the US), I shuffled them off to the bus or parents, and went on my way to Spanish class. After talking to my director about the teacher leaving, she called the lady and we got the situation straightened out. Today was MUCH better, but only for the hour that I was there…considering I slightly ruined the fun day by throwing up and having to go home…not sure how she explained that one.

Other things I’ve noticed:

-Money is not nearly as private of a matter here than it is in the US. It seems to be very casual to ask people what they make. I’m constantly asked by teachers or even cab drivers how much I’m paying to learn here. I just try and avoid the questions because I don’t want to put myself in a vulnerable position, seen as a wealthy American girl traveling alone in a foreign country. I’m sure they are just genuinely curious. However, the minimum wage here is like $1.50 an hour so I’m sure anything I told them would sound extravagant.

-Everyone is so relaxed. Like relaxed to the point that it gives me anxiety. Whenever I ask a question people laugh and go “tranquila” which basically means chill out. So I must come across very stressed. Haha but everyone is also very nice, warm, and welcoming. And if they don’t know an answer to your questions, they will try to find another way to help. (When I got sick out of town, the lady who managed the hostal we were staying in brought me a homemade electrolyte drink with lemon and sugar and salt and some other stuff. She even checked in on me. so sweet.

-All the advertisements are of white people. Most with light hair. Which I find to be just SO odd when literally no native here is remotely light skinned. It makes me sad that as humans we’re fixated on unreachable beauty standards. And it makes me even more sad that in a nation that is SO BEAUTIFUL, with gorgeous people, they’re constantly told through media that they need to idealize western culture/people and are pressured to be like them. Even the bathroom passes for the girls and boys in school had blonde-haired, blue-eyed children. I can’t imagine how it feels to be out-casted, even when you’re the majority!

That’s it for awhile, I’m going to try and sleep off this darn stomach bug. Chao from Ecuador!

Cheerio!

I learned the origin of that term this past week. It is quite interesting- you should look it up!

Anyway, this weekend was really incredible. Yesterday we went to Bath and Stonehenge as a part of the social programme. Both places were AMAZING. I highly recommend Stonehenge if you ever come to the United Kingdom. It is so simply and yet so incredibly beautiful. Bath was very interesting as well, but in a different way. There is a place at Bath where you can drink the water- it is supposed to have magical properties. Personally, I thought it tasted awful, but that may also be due to the fact that it was hot.

One interesting thing I saw in Bath that I have not seen elsewhere is that most of the street performers were teenagers and children. There was one boy who looked about 12 years old who was doing tricks with his soccer ball. It made me wonder if the parents knew their kids were out doing this or if it was something they did on their own just to have some extra money. I was amazed at how much he had earned after just a few minutes. Emma (the social programme leader) said that usually the performers are closer to our age and that the performance often has to do with music. So I guess this boy and Bath was a rarity, but I still found it really cool.

It also shows how safe places are over here. There have only been a few times late at night, walking home alone, that I have even been remotely worried about safety. From what I have been told, most people around here feel the same way. Although there are obviously certain places which are best to avoid at night, crime is fairly low here. Which is even more surprising because I very rarely ever see cops driving or walking around.

I learn and experience something new every day and it is so exciting (well except today- it is 4pm and I am still in my pajamas).

Cheers!

P.S. I am still having a pretty hard time making friends. If anyone could give me some suggestions as to what they did that helped them, that would be greatly appreciated.

Drinking the “bath” water!