At this point we are really settled in. I know because the weeks are starting to fly by and every time I look at what day it is, it is the weekend again. I have been surfing at an awesome break called Playa Boca Barrnaca which is one of the longest left hand breaks in the world. I swear it looks like a movie, just perfectly shaped waves breaking consistently in the exact same spot and then pushing into the bay, and any good surfer can easily get a two plus minute ride. I am not a good surfer yet but I am planning to explore more breaks, such as Jaco, Hermosa, Dominical, and eventually Samara, and Pevones and eventually I am sure will be pretty comfortable. For now I am really focused on building my endurance for paddling and just consistently paddling into waves, but the whole standing up and carving thing is still a few more times away.
We have made some pretty cool friends around the area where we live, one couple just had a baby girl two nights ago, so it has been pretty exciting. The other benefit to knowing Carlos is that almost everyone that lives in the small town we are in is related to him in some way and his aunt owns the best and cheapest Soda (a little typical CR restaurant) we have been to yet. We are also getting closer with another couple, Leeland and Faviana, who are recently married. Leeland is from Vermont and he went surfing with me this week. We plan on exploring more breaks together. His wife is a Tica so his Spanish is really good, and she is in charge of organizing one of the local all organic markets in Heredia, so their interests and simple lifestyle are right up our alley. It has been amazing to have my family here, for the transition has been as close to flawless as we could have imagined.
We are starting to feel pretty official, we are now the proud owners of our own corporation, which allows us to have a cell phone, own property, and own a car all under the corporation's name, without having to gain citizenship. It sounds funny but this is the safest and most official way for us to possess anything here, it also will allow us to sell the car more easily whenever that time may come. Yep, we bought a car, a 98' Toyota Rav 4. I'm sure this created a few laughs when you just read this, I am a pretty good size guy to be in this little car but it really makes the most sense. Gas prices are about $5.50 a gallon once you convert it from liters and colones (the local currency) and the Rav 4 has only a 2000 c.c. engine, and offers us everything a Pathfinder or 4-Runner could have, specifically 5 comfortable seats and four wheel drive, not to mention how easy it will be to recover all our money because Toyota s are definitely the most respected car here. With all this said we did pay 4.8 million for the car, yeah that's right million, I'm not sure but I think that was the gringo price. Just kidding this is an incredible deal and I think the Tico salesmen were actually a little pissed at how hard I negotiated it, but I got what we wanted and made them throw in a set of racks for the surf board.
Today I may hike Irazu volcano, which is not very far from where we live, but tomorrow is what I am really excited for. My cousin is taking me on a 150 km dirt bike ride, which we are going to ride all the way to the Nicaraguan border and back! I'm renting a bike and can't wait for the mud and the whole experience. I have been helping Dana get her classroom ready this week, and all the other teachers are very complimentary on how the whole thing has come together. We organized a ton, and decorated the whole thing without buying or using any new materials. The school is absolutely incredible, they are very focused on recycling anything possible, use almost no plastic, and have fresh, all organic, mostly vegetarian lunches everyday. She starts on Monday, and has 19 students as of now, but is assured she will have the full classroom of a whopping 20 with a full time aid.
I start language school on Monday and have been looking into volunteer opportunities ranging from CR's version of habitat for humanity to a three week stint on an island in the middle of the Pacific that hosts its own ecosystem. It is Isle do Cocos which sits halfway between the Osa peninsula and the Galapagos Islands, and only hosts about five hundred visitors a year! The entire island is a nature preserve, so I would be volunteering in the park, getting a free ride out there on a supply ship and staying for three weeks. It would give me/maybe us the opportunity to swim with schools of hammerhead sharks, and live amongst one of the most uniquely bio-diverse ecosystems in the world! As for now we are just finishing up Dana's classroom and enjoying everything that comes our way. We miss Tahoe a little bit, but really we are embracing the life experiences that we are currently gaining. Can't wait for everything and anything, and we hope everyone is doing well. Remind people to read the blog and maybe we will see some of you soon to share part of the adventure! Pura Vida!!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment