Half Way Point-End of Week 3!*

Just wanted to do a quick update for week 3! This week has gone by so fast again..Granted I take Friday's off from work so they do move quick but it has been a busy week. Monday and Tuesday were my typical days. Go to Maximo, run some errands, plan for the afternoon with the kids, and head off to my project. This week I've been lucky to have 3 others with me on the project. Usually it's just me and one other person so it helps lighten the load of all the kids wanting me at the exact same time! My new roommate Ruby is actually with me on the project this week so it's been a lot of fun! She is super out going so it's fun to plan things with her and the kids really love her. This week we are working on arts and crafts. Ruby and I are having the kids make pinatas  this week! One of my favorite little girls at the project got adopted last week, Sofia! It makes me sad that she isn't there any more but I am so happy that she has found a loving home. I hope all of the kids at Pani get to have that some day. I'm really starting to grow attached to them...I know it will be hard to say goodbye to them in a few short weeks. They are such a resilient group of kids because despite all of their backgrounds they always manage to have a smile on their face. They are truly some of the strongest people I know. 

Photo Credit: Ruby Melton

(Far left to right: Daniella age 3, Suygen age 9)

Photo Credit: Ruby Melton

(Daniella, age 3)

 Just wanted to share a few photos that my roommate Ruby had taken at the orphanage we work at this week. Just to give every one an insight as to where it is I am Monday-Friday. As I said before these kids are truly amazing and it is such a wonderful experience getting to see them every day (even though they drive me crazy some times haha). 

On Wednesday night we all decided to get a group to go out to "Bar Street" in San Pedro. It is one our girlfriend's last nights in town and since we are going to Jaco Thursday night this will be the last time we get to all go out together. We also wanted to take Ruby out to show her all the bars since she is only here for this week. We ended up meeting quite a few characters at the bar on Wednesday...I had a drink called a "Gringa Killer" maybe I shouldn't be so enthusiastic about downing a drink labeled something white person killer. Whoops. Oh well, it was all in good fun. We all had a good time together even though it was sad to say good bye to one of my girlfriends.

Thursday night after our project we *BARELY* caught our bus to Jaco. Literally, we need to start planning better for San Jose traffic...This incident we ended up getting out of the cab half way through a traffic jam down town and running to our bus...It is amazing that we even made it!! We decided to just stay at the same hostel we had last week because it is super close to the beach and near most of the bars down town. Also, it is Catherine and I's first trip with out Blake so we decided to make it easy on ourselves and go to a place that we know for sure how to get too....Especially in the dark! Once we got to Jaco we were given a warm welcome by the people at the hostel who were still there from last weekend and from the hostel owner herself. It was fun. One of our friends from last weekend who is quite possibly the best chef and drink maker greeted us with fruity drinks and home-made chocolate and cake. YUM! We decided to head out to the bars for awhile but were slightly disappointed when we realized that Jaco is not all that crazy on Thursday nights and more tourist come in on the weekends...Oh well, the four of us girls had fun and dodged some crazy ticos. We also managed to get free drinks at some ladies night at a bar we stopped in. Success in my book. After the bar, we decided to head back to our hostel where we were greeted with more food/drinks from our French Canadian friend. Probably one of the most interesting people I've met so far in Costa Rica and by interesting I mean he is bordering on a little insane. He's a good person though and always is looking out for other people. So thank you again Frenchy for all the yummy drinks and food! I know we all miss your cooking already!

Friday morning we woke up and had breakfast at Cat and I's favorite American place...It's called Sunset Breakfast and it is right near the beach. It really is just good comfort food and makes me miss home. After we ate the four of us went to the ocean. Krista and I were in the surf most of the morning before it started to down pour on our walk home....We were soaking wet the entire afternoon and had to sit on a bus in all of our wet clothes. Needless to say we weren't the happiest of campers on the bus ride home...It didn't get any better either when we had to catch a cab back to Cedros and the traffic was insane! Took us almost a 45 minutes to get home when it should only take roughly 15 minutes tops. Yikes. Vicky was already in bed by the time we got back to the house and I felt bad that she woke up so she could feed us...Sorry Vicky, love you for waking up for us and for always taking care of me!

Saturday morning we had to be up super early to get to Maximo by 6:30am to catch our ride to the 3 in 1 tour. It was just a small group of us...Ruby, myself, and a new volunteer Michelle who is only here for the week. It was quite the day. We started out at Canopy San Luis where we zip lined the rainforest! It was possibly the coolest experience I've had in Costa Rica thus far. We then waited for our bus to come pick us up from the Canopy tour and we went to lunch in Fortuna where we had a traditional Costa Rican meal (rice, beans, chicken, ext). We met a few people from Turkey who were pretty interesting to talk to as well. They could speak some English so we could communicate a little bit with them. After lunch we took another hour bus ride to Baldi Hot Springs/Volcano Arenal. The hot springs were not exactly what I was expecting because these are the man-made ones. I want to go up north further to see the ones that are natural...I am not complaining one bit though! It was nice to be in a hot spring after a long morning. It was also really cool because we were so close to Arenal which is the active volcano in Costa Rica. It hasn't erupted in many, many years but is still considered active. The clouds were covering it most of the afternoon when we were there but when we all got ready to go up to dinner on the roof of the hot springs place the clouds had cleared away, giving us the most perfect view of the volcano! I have to say it was one of those times where you just sit there and question how anything like this could be real...And how unbelievable it is that I am here seeing this. None of us were too excited about the long bus ride home. The roads here are less then great and have a lot of twists and turns. We were also not in a traditional bus that I'm use to...It was a smaller tour bus and we happened to be sitting in the back so we felt every bump, it was a brutal 3+ hours. We didn't get home until about 10pm which made for a very long day but it was so worth it. I posted some pictures of the weekend to Facebook, so take a look! I personally feel as though the pictures can't do it justice but you get the idea. :)

After a long weekend I think I am going to be taking today (Sunday) to unwind. I need to sort through all my clothes and get a bag for laundry ready. It is also Ruby's last morning here before she continues her travels to Playa de Coco. I'm so jealous! I want to go up north further and go to the beach for a few more days. This morning at breakfast, Vicky started telling me some rather sad news...Her sister is sick with cancer. She was planning on going to the United States on May 13 (two days after I leave Costa Rica) to visit but told me that she is now going the 30th (I have yet to figure out if it is the 30th of this month or if it is the 30th of May that she is going...Something I have to try to talk to her about later today or ask my volunteer coordinators tomorrow). I feel so terrible! Also, she told me that I am not getting any new roommates until May 5th. Which, it doesn't matter too much to me at this point if I don't have a roommate the next two weeks because I know I am always so busy and in and out of the house but it is nice to have a friend with me. She said there is a group of 6 people that are coming on May 5th...The only thing is I am planning on traveling starting May 3rd until I come home on the 11th. I have so much I have to talk to my volunteer coordinators about and also talk to Vicky about. So I'll keep every one updated when I sort every thing out. 

Tomorrow is Catherine and Blake's birthday! So we are planning on going out tomorrow night...Well to celebrate Cat's birthday that is. Then on Tuesday Ruby is coming back to town for the night before she flies back to D.C on Wednesday so a group of us are going out to dinner on Tuesday night. Then Wednesday this week Blake comes back to town for a night before he leaves to go to New York and we are going to celebrate his birthday then too! It is already going to be a crazy busy week, not to mention Cat and I are planning on doing some tours this weekend....Maybe going to Puerto Viejo and checking out the scene up there away from the beaches. Then the following week will be my last week at the orphanage and Catherine and I will be planning our week trip of venturing to the Caribbean side. So much is happening before I leave and I hope that I can keep every one updated as much as possible. I'll update more once I know what is going on with my home-stay as well. Hope to know more this week about what is going on or if I am going to be changing houses if Vicky leaves on the 30th of this month for the United States. Please keep Vicky's sister in your thoughts...

Just to wrap up this post...I cannot believe that this marks the end of week 3 and the start of week 4. Where has the time gone? This means that I only have two more weeks with my kids and then a week to travel before coming home. It seriously blows my mind how quick time has been passing for me here. I'm glad that I have been able to meet so many people and cannot wait for the second half of this trip! I know that Catherine and I have already tentatively starting planning for the remaining weekends and the last week that we are using to travel together before I go home...So I can only imagine that these next 3 weeks are going to go just as quick. As much as I miss my family and friends at home...Costa Rica has given me a second family and a second home. I really feel like I have found my footing here and I plan to take full advantage of my new found comfort in this country for the remaining weeks that I am here! :)