Volcán Arenal

Arenal is beeeaaauutiful. It's unlike anything I've ever seen. The town of Arenal is situated at the foot of a highly active volcano. It was presumed to be an extinct volcano untill 1968 when an earthquake caused it to erupt. The explosion killed 85 people and wiped out fields, forests, and towns. It has been active ever since, shooting out red hot lava rocks every 5-10 minutes. At night, these little ruptures are visiblefrom the north. Oh and what a site it is. After a long day of waterfall repelling in the jungle and skipping rocks with a bunch of immature college guys on a river below a family of lazy howler monkeys, my mom and I took the rental car around the mountain, past tempting five star hot springs, to a little puente in the middle of nowhere to watch the molten piedras fall. Later that night, mi madre y yo met up with the same college dudes from Chicago at a little restaurant in town. I dont think I've ever laughed so hard with someone I had known for that little amount of time. We joked about everything from Absynthe, to a piece of crap 83 minivan one of the guys still has sitting in there front yard, to spooning. It was great. I was like in tears from laughter. Now I really miss my friends.

Today my mom and I are driving down to Jaco to take a ferri to Montezuma, the same town I think I remember the Yandells saying that they stayed in. Our tourbook calls it a hippy town so I should feel right at home :) peace.

Occidental Papa Gayo Resort

Buenos Dias. Monday morning my mom and I took a van to the Occidental Papa Gayo Resort to meet our neighbors Chris, Charles and there daughter Dorsi who were staying in a time share there. The resort was beautiful. The resort itself was situated upon a hill, overlooking a magnificent sparkling bay and their enormous pool. The resort was expensive and loaded with gringos. It was all inclusive, so drinks, meals, and activities were free and limitless. My mom and I rented a room Tuesday night and the next night I stayed with Dorsi and Charles while my mom and Chris rented a car and stayed nearby in Playa Coco. There were a billion British families staying there and tons of kids my age which made my stay a lot more enjoyable. Dorsi and I bonded tons and talked a lot about college etc. On Tuesday I must've played pool volleyball for 3 hours before switching it up to a hardcore game of waterpolo (minus the treading) that we played for about one hour. The goalie on the other team was this old fat football player from Colorado. I played foreward and everytime I shot he was so meaty that he just blocked the ball with his face. And I was throwing hard too. Like so hard that people asked me if I played softball. But he didn't seem to mind. He barely flinched. It was really fun. That night we partied it up at the discoteque with the manager's son, Guille pronounced gui·ay (short for Guillermo) and all the other British folks. Tuesday morning my mom and I got kicked out of the resort for extending our stay and not paying. So off to Arenal we drove in our bright green rental car.

...to be continued... im going waterfall repelling now....

The Past Week

Hello. Sorry its been so long. I havent been up to much. Last weekend I had a three day weekend but I didn't get my plans together fast enough so I was stuck in Jaco without anyone to do anything with or anywhere to go. I also had to be around on Sunday because my family took me up to the mountains agian. These two boys came with us. I think they are my parent's grandsons:

This week I switched to art classes instead of surfing. My teacher had me drawing these intricate textures and doing blind drawings that were not very fun... I would have rather been surfing.

Wedensday, the gang went to ladies night at the Backyard, moved on to the Jungle Bar later, and come morning we migrated to Nacho Daddy's. By far the stupidest move I've made this trip. I woke up the next day curled up like a rolley-poley, holding my stomach. Thus began my first hangover. I was vomiting until 7 thursday night. Estaba NO vale la pena. I learned that lesson like a little kid touching the burner. It's hurts... a lot. I've decided that I won't be drinking on this trip from now on. I'm actually sort of glad it happened. I'm way to young to be drinking like that. This is a picture of my closest friend, Chelsea, from Oregon:

My mom gets in tomorrow morning. I'm really excited to see her. It's been longer than a month! I've sort of hit a low, so I need her here. I REALLY miss Andrew because he hasn't been able to email me or his family. I hope he's safe!!!

etc.

I surfed well agian today. Once you know what you're doing, things get a lot easier. I'm kinda bummed though. Tons of my amigos are leaving this weekend. I have friday and saturday libre and sunday I think I'm going up to the mountains with my family. But that is questionable as well beacuse the really old woman who lived next door that my family was so fond of died . Everyone is sort of in mourning around the house and I feel like I should do something to help. I thought getting flowers would be a thoughtful gesture, but I think they might die/ I dont know who to give them to. I also have this miserable uneven sunburn on my back/shoulders from surfing yesterday and today. I'm bound to get melanoma. whoopee! Also, no one is commenting on my blogs which is really disapointing.

Hey... has anyone been watching Argentina kick culo in futbol lately?!


Much love,
omo

Funboard

Hello. I tried out a shorter board today. A 6'8'' instead of my usual 7'6''. It was hard at first figuring out where to place myself so that i didn't nose dive but I finally got the hang of it and bombed down an amazing wave. The guy I borrowed it from wants to sell it to me but I'm not sure I can use it on the waves at home. Tomorrow I'll post photos that some photography students took of me surfing. I can't wait t see them!!

Currently it's pouring and thunder is booming outside. I wish I hadn't lost my umbrella. I love you guys :)

Not much to report

Ayer, me levante tarde y no fui a surfear. I was way too tired from the weekend. My teacher drove me home at 10:30 that night. I went home that afternoon without a word to my friends and took it easy. I had a brief spanish lesson with Ana and Jeoffery and chatted politics with Oldemar. Before bed I watched parts of Chicken Little and Home on the Range with Jeff in Spanish.

Surfing today was superfun! The waves were small by comparison to the ones I've seen but still steep enough to get a clean ride on. I perfected turning today. I can't wait to display my mad skills at home! I have lab in a couple of hours and then I'll probably head over to Pancho Villa for the Weds. night spaecial. mmm... Pizza Ola!

Funny... The computer moderator internet cafe dude is listening to Green Day. I'm tempted to brag about the Bay Area but he'll have no idea what I'm talking about.

Paz,
Olivia!

Tamarindo

Thursday I was suuuuper tired from the night before. I had one eye open the whole time durring class that day. I surfed considerably well for getting so few hours of sleep.

Friday was my Argentinian friend Leo's last night in Costa Rica so a few of us went out salsa dancing. That was really fun. I got home super late that night as well and was supposed to be at the school at 6 am for a road trip up to Tamarindo. I woke up literally ten minutes before we left, freaked out, stuffed all my crap into a bag and sprinted a good mile to my school wearing no bra, my pijamas, and cradling my bag in my arms.

Saturday and Sunday I spent in and around Tamarindo with my lab teacher, Diego, Sarah, Kristen, Craig, Cory, Nate, and Vincent. It was fun but the waves were diffucult to catch because my rental board was too advanced for me. Saturday we surfed Playa Aviana and Sunday Sarah and I tried surfing Tamarindo (which was patheticly small) and then went to Playa Negra but it was super choppy and way too big for us noobs. Instead I ate a tunafish sandwich and watched the sun set.

Croinky!!

Dig my title? Yeah, me too. Today was field trip day and the school went on a croc tour. I would have liked to stay in Jaco and surf, but everyone really wanted to go. I was right, it was pretty lame, but whatever. They were big and hungry and lazy.Though we witnessed one of them sneak up and prey upon a pelican. I liked seeing the Jesus lizard. What a miracle (haha, pun)? so um...anyways. I plan to go to class, surf, and keep surfing with my Argentinian buddy (who has no idea where Esquina is), then walk along the beach back to the school with our boards.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULIO!!!

free chili dogs at Jaco Taco tonight... Here's to being American, right?

Luv ya,
liv

Lunes

Class doesnt start untill 12:30 every day this week because there are later high tides around 3:30/4. Yesterday I got all of my computing accomplished, cleaned my room, and bought a purse all before school even started. I dig this schedule a lot. Usually I wake up at 7, eat a breakfast consisting of eggs, beans and rice, and bread and a glass of juice. I pack all of my stuff I'll need for the whole day (bikini, boardshorts, my books, my wallet, and a comb) walk a mile to school, go straight to class and pack my brain full of verbs for two hours. We van it out to the beach right after class and surf for about three hours. Someties I'll have an hour to relax or get a bite to eat in town before lab starts at 4, and sometimes I don't. I have lab with a grumpy hombre from Uruguay for two hours, and by the time it lets out, its dinner time. If I want to go out I usually cab it back to my family's house (so I don't have to walk alone at night) and tell them that they dont need to cook for me, and then I'll cab it back. Dinner is always good no matter where we go. If we still have any wind left in us we'll go out to a bar or shop for trinkets at night with a guy to accompany us. Then I come home and crash on my bed.

Surfing yesterday afternoon was fun for longboarding but if I had a shortboard it probably wouldnt've been as fun. There was a random little electrical storm that conjured itself up right next to where we were surfing. It started pouring warm rain and the lightening was brilliant. Rose colored rays that lit up the whole sky complimented the gorgeous horizon. And the thunder was like bombas!!! Lab was boring. I dont like my teacher at all. We learned the body parts which I've learned at least 4 times. Despues de lab mis amigos y yo fuimos a Tsunami Sushi porque it was two for one tuna roll day. I tried sake, which wasnt bad, but still, like all liquor tastes to me, had that acetone-nailpolish remover essence to it. And the sushi wasnt "to die for", just really expensive. But it was a fun little joint nonetheless. After a little shopping I came home and caught a cicaida for Jeffery. We set it free this morning.

Today is just another normal day. Class. Surf. Lab. I think I'm going to go home for dinner tonight. I haven't eaten with my family in a few days (and tomorrow is BBQ special night at Pancho Villa *ayiyi*).

How is the weather at home? Any new news? Did the rock pull an O.J. Simpson, or is that just rumor? Keep me posted guys...

Pura Vida,
Olivia

Ridn' Through the Forest on a Horse with No Name...

The sun shines through my window at 5:30 every day, but i can usually force myself to sleep in another couple of hours. Unfortunately, today I woke up at 5 itching all over. Jellyfish (or medusas) are a big problem among surfers down here. After a week of soid surfing, I'm basically covered from head to toe in red splotchy bumps. I scrambled out of bed, still scratching my stings, eager to find the anti-itch cream and get back to sleep. While I was at it I poped a Benadryl which knocked me right out and I slept in late.

We departed Jaco at 8:30 in the morning. Oldemar, my homestay father drove us waaay out into the boonies, between mountains, over rivers, and through dense forests. We passed hundreds of cows, chickens and bananna plants on the way up. When we reached our family friend's house at the top my "mother" introduced me to the family and showed me around the very small house. The man of the house, Oscar, hooked me up with a horse, told me to get on and walked me around for a little while. I felt like a four year old at a county fair so i had my dad ask if I could ride him on my own. Oscar had no problem with that and swatted the horses rear so he would move. Now I could figure out how to make the thing run! I took him down a path deeper into the rainforest, past cow pastures and exotic flowers, and when I came to flat parts, I leaned foreward, kicked him in the rear or swatted his behind, and we finally started to move. It was thrilling.

I returned to the house within an hour or so an explored their backyard. They had turkeys, chickens, a pigglet, 3 adorable kittens, parakeets, and a strange creature called a tepesquino. I also found an enormous spider the size of a tea cup saucer and photographed it. We had lunch at another house on the mountain and came home around 4. It was a great day!