I thought I should share the video I made about our mission trip to Bajo Tejares, Costa Rica. This will be shown during next Sunday's service (pending Pastor approval). Hope you all enjoy!
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Saturday, July 9, 2011
pensamientos al azar
Meet my new friend Flip Flap. She came home with me from Costa Rica and loves her new home! She's solar powered, so she dances happily when the sun shines and goes to sleep when the rains come. (Just like me) I like Flip Flap even though she's just "chunche." (a thingamajig).
Life since I got home has been pretty boring, but in a good way. It's nice that I decided not to work this summer because for once I'm actually not running from one place to the next. I've already printed and completed a photo album of our mission to Bajo Tejares. Now this is real progress for me, considering the fact that my scrapbook from last year's mission to Mexico is still uncompleted. I'll probably need to take out a loan to print the rest of my pictures from studying abroad! That's what I get for buying a fancy new camera before the trip....1,902 pictures!
I've decided once again that I do not like American Food, so I decided to bring some Costa Rican flavor into this home on Tuesday night. Kelsey and I went shopping and I prepared a traditional Costa Rican dish: Gallo Pinto. (It's eaten for breakfast in Costa Rica, but I feel like beans and rice are better served for dinner). My recipe wasn't kidding when it said it served 15 people. I definitely should have halved that thing! And apparently I was still on Costa Rican time when I made the Gallo Pinto because once everything was on the table, it was 9 pm! Ooops, it only felt like 7 pm to me!
So this has been my first week behind the wheel. I figured my driving couldn't be nearly as bad as some of the taxi rides I took while in Costa Rica. I started out the week driving my mom's car simply because it is smaller than my tank of a car. After warming up with the Accord, I decided to take my Mustang for a spin yesterday. Ahh how I have missed the purr of that engine! I just went to Kelsey's house and about five minutes after my arrival, her dad comes in the room and asks me "So they park in the grass in Costa Rica?!" Oops, my bad. But actually, yes they do.
My driving has been fine, but my walking on the other hand could use some help. The Flagler College Dance Team would be happy to know that I can still do a split, as I did one in the middle of the parking lot of JoAnn Fabrics the other day. It was raining, so I don't feel like a complete loser. Not only did I skin my knee, but I also hurt my pride because I ungracefully descended in front of three cars.
It has been nice to see my friends again, and hear from the ones who are far away. But KALEY ELIZABETH McCANN, if you are reading this, I am coming to hunt you down!!!! (I forgive you for being MIA this week, but I MISS you!)
I've decided once again that I do not like American Food, so I decided to bring some Costa Rican flavor into this home on Tuesday night. Kelsey and I went shopping and I prepared a traditional Costa Rican dish: Gallo Pinto. (It's eaten for breakfast in Costa Rica, but I feel like beans and rice are better served for dinner). My recipe wasn't kidding when it said it served 15 people. I definitely should have halved that thing! And apparently I was still on Costa Rican time when I made the Gallo Pinto because once everything was on the table, it was 9 pm! Ooops, it only felt like 7 pm to me!
So this has been my first week behind the wheel. I figured my driving couldn't be nearly as bad as some of the taxi rides I took while in Costa Rica. I started out the week driving my mom's car simply because it is smaller than my tank of a car. After warming up with the Accord, I decided to take my Mustang for a spin yesterday. Ahh how I have missed the purr of that engine! I just went to Kelsey's house and about five minutes after my arrival, her dad comes in the room and asks me "So they park in the grass in Costa Rica?!" Oops, my bad. But actually, yes they do.
My driving has been fine, but my walking on the other hand could use some help. The Flagler College Dance Team would be happy to know that I can still do a split, as I did one in the middle of the parking lot of JoAnn Fabrics the other day. It was raining, so I don't feel like a complete loser. Not only did I skin my knee, but I also hurt my pride because I ungracefully descended in front of three cars.
It has been nice to see my friends again, and hear from the ones who are far away. But KALEY ELIZABETH McCANN, if you are reading this, I am coming to hunt you down!!!! (I forgive you for being MIA this week, but I MISS you!)
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Poas y Paz (July 1, 2011)
Since several people have asked what happened to the end of my blog, here it is... I have enjoyed blogging over the past two months, so don't expect this to be the last you hear from me; however, I will not be updating everday because a) that is too time consuming and b) my life in the US just simply is not as exciting as it was in Costa Rica!
For your sake and mine, when you read this blog entry, pretend you are reading it on the 1st of July when all this occured. I'm just 4 days late and several thousand colones short. No big deal.
On Fridays, children don't come to the mission, so it is a free day for the groups staying at the mission that particular week. Lalo, our wonderful bus driver, picked us up at 7 am for the day's adventure. Think 7 am is early? Well think again, because in Costa Rica, the people rise when the sun rises, and that's 5 am. And that's why they drink coffee! (or that's why I do at least) We began our two hour journey to Volcán Poas. I was very excited to go to Volcán Poas because, although it was about 30 minutes from Heredia, it was one place Flagler actually didn't visit. Volcán Poas hasn't erupted since 1996, so it was completely different from what I had seen at Volcán Arenal several weeks earlier. Poas has a steaming crater of boiling torquise water, a laguna (lake) which used to be another crater, and also many walking trails.
(The cake purchase is a story of its own. It is a miracle that we and the cake made it back to the mission in one piece. I have taken many dangerous taxi rides during my stay in Costa Rica, but the return ride back to the mission was by far the scariest taxi ride I have ever taken. It was POURING rain, and the taxi driver's window was completely fogged up. My dad was in the front seat and he said there was no way the driver could see through the glass. I was in the back with Sam and Andrew. With every turn, the three of us would slide up against one door or the other. I was holding the cake, and we were all praying we would make it back in one piece. Although ALTO means stop, those red octoganol signs mean little to Costa Rican drivers. Most just hold the horn down to let others know they are coming through an intersection, but this taxi driver didn't even slow down when approaching the intersection, nor did he blow his horn! He sped through at what my dad guessed to be at least 40 mph!)
![]()
After leaving Volcán Poas, we heading to La Paz Waterfall Gardens. I had been here my first weekend in Costa Rica, but I was very excited to return, because I had enjoyed it so much. And I was doubly excited to have the opportunity to show everything to my parents in person instead of just through pictures. Since I had already been to La Paz, the women in our group had asked me for suggestions on what to wear. A) walking shoes are a must if you want to see the waterfalls; other than that it really doesn't matter, but I suggested wearing shorts and sleeveless tops because it can get pretty hot at La Paz. Well, bad call on my part. As our bus pulled up to La Paz, it began to sprinkle, and then the sprinkle turned into an aguacero (downpour) which never let up. Welcome to the rainy season in Costa Rica! Against my will, I wore a poncho. We were quite the colorful family.
Despite the rain, I had a great time spending the day at La Paz with my parents. My mom loved the colibris (hummingbirds), and the orchids. And just because I had been to La Paz before didn't make the day any less special. This time, I held a toucan, and so did my parents! (last time I simply took pictures of the toucans) Also, the oxen who were closed up in their pen/pin (?) last time I went, were out loose this time. Well not, running wild, because they were attached to a coffee cart. I was so excited to see them out. I had seen many coffee carts throughout my visit to Costa Rica, but this was the first time I had seen the oxen pulling one! As we approached, a park employee came out of the casita and told me we could get into the cart and he would take our picture! How fun!
The waterfalls were just as gorgeous as I remembered them, but they were much more forcefull because of the heavy rain. Judging by the amount of waterfall pictures I found when I loaded my mom's pictures onto the computer, I can safely say that she enjoyed them too.
![]()
After we had returned back to the mission that night and eating our last Costa Rican dinner, my dad and I snuck down into the downstairs kitchen to retrieve the birthday cake we had been hiding since yesterday. A portion of the icing was messed up, but we were a-okay with that and the next paragraph will explain why. My mom had ask that we not do anything special for her birthday, because simply spending the day together as a family was the perfect gift, so she said. But what's a birthday without a cake?? We also hung a FELIZ CUMPLEANOS banner across her bunk, and I've already been informed that it will be recycled for my birthday in less than a month. haha
![]()
(The cake purchase is a story of its own. It is a miracle that we and the cake made it back to the mission in one piece. I have taken many dangerous taxi rides during my stay in Costa Rica, but the return ride back to the mission was by far the scariest taxi ride I have ever taken. It was POURING rain, and the taxi driver's window was completely fogged up. My dad was in the front seat and he said there was no way the driver could see through the glass. I was in the back with Sam and Andrew. I was holding the cake, and we were all praying we would make it back in one piece. Although ALTO means stop, those red octoganol signs mean little to Costa Rican drivers. Most just hold the horn down to let others know they are coming through an intersection, but this taxi driver didn't even slow down when approaching the intersection, nor did he honk his horn! He sped through at what my dad guessed to be at least 40 mph!)
For your sake and mine, when you read this blog entry, pretend you are reading it on the 1st of July when all this occured. I'm just 4 days late and several thousand colones short. No big deal.
On Fridays, children don't come to the mission, so it is a free day for the groups staying at the mission that particular week. Lalo, our wonderful bus driver, picked us up at 7 am for the day's adventure. Think 7 am is early? Well think again, because in Costa Rica, the people rise when the sun rises, and that's 5 am. And that's why they drink coffee! (or that's why I do at least) We began our two hour journey to Volcán Poas. I was very excited to go to Volcán Poas because, although it was about 30 minutes from Heredia, it was one place Flagler actually didn't visit. Volcán Poas hasn't erupted since 1996, so it was completely different from what I had seen at Volcán Arenal several weeks earlier. Poas has a steaming crater of boiling torquise water, a laguna (lake) which used to be another crater, and also many walking trails.
(The cake purchase is a story of its own. It is a miracle that we and the cake made it back to the mission in one piece. I have taken many dangerous taxi rides during my stay in Costa Rica, but the return ride back to the mission was by far the scariest taxi ride I have ever taken. It was POURING rain, and the taxi driver's window was completely fogged up. My dad was in the front seat and he said there was no way the driver could see through the glass. I was in the back with Sam and Andrew. With every turn, the three of us would slide up against one door or the other. I was holding the cake, and we were all praying we would make it back in one piece. Although ALTO means stop, those red octoganol signs mean little to Costa Rican drivers. Most just hold the horn down to let others know they are coming through an intersection, but this taxi driver didn't even slow down when approaching the intersection, nor did he blow his horn! He sped through at what my dad guessed to be at least 40 mph!)
 |
| Spoiled much?! (I got tired of walking) |
 |
| the crater |
 |
| the lake, which used to be a crater |
 |
| FYI: that smile on my face is fake. Wearing a poncho is against my personal dress code. |
Despite the rain, I had a great time spending the day at La Paz with my parents. My mom loved the colibris (hummingbirds), and the orchids. And just because I had been to La Paz before didn't make the day any less special. This time, I held a toucan, and so did my parents! (last time I simply took pictures of the toucans) Also, the oxen who were closed up in their pen/pin (?) last time I went, were out loose this time. Well not, running wild, because they were attached to a coffee cart. I was so excited to see them out. I had seen many coffee carts throughout my visit to Costa Rica, but this was the first time I had seen the oxen pulling one! As we approached, a park employee came out of the casita and told me we could get into the cart and he would take our picture! How fun!
 |
| colibri, before my camera battery died :( |
 |
| I don't think too many people hold a toucan in Costa Rica on their birthday!! |
 |
| going for a ride! |
After we had returned back to the mission that night and eating our last Costa Rican dinner, my dad and I snuck down into the downstairs kitchen to retrieve the birthday cake we had been hiding since yesterday. A portion of the icing was messed up, but we were a-okay with that and the next paragraph will explain why. My mom had ask that we not do anything special for her birthday, because simply spending the day together as a family was the perfect gift, so she said. But what's a birthday without a cake?? We also hung a FELIZ CUMPLEANOS banner across her bunk, and I've already been informed that it will be recycled for my birthday in less than a month. haha
 |
| ¡sorpresa! |
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)