July 8, 2009

July 8, 2009

Here are some funny photos Andrew and I took as we were waiting on the plane that day!!!!

Andrew and I finally arrived in San Jose and from this point on everything was Paradise!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Andrew and I booked our honeymoon through a company named Journey Weavers! Our stateside contact was named Sandy, who was just fabulous, and her business partner in country, Ana, who was fantastic too! They gave us such individually and personal attention, it made it feel as though they were only working for us!

We told them what we wanted to do, where we wanted to go, and how much we had to spend and they put together 4 different options for us to choose from. They suggested different activities and places to eat as well!

The packages did not include airfare, which was great for us, as we got to shop around for the best airport to fly out from!
They knew exactly where to send us that was NOT touristy to gain the authentic Costa Rican experience! It is without ANY hesitation that Andrew and I recommend having them plan your trip to Costa Rica!!!!

If you have ever been to a Latin American airport you will know exactly what I mean when I describe what happened next!!

When you finally have cleared immigration, gathered your luggage and your Samsonite Gorilla, and make it through customs, you walk out into a hallway to exit the airport.

Nobody is allowed inside the airport - so MOBS of people are waiting and jocking for the front spot. People are waving their signs with peoples names on them. It is almost impossible to find the person who is looking for you!!!

I remember when I first went to El Salvador, the Peace Corps trainer made us all line up in a single file line and walk out together. She called this, "The Gringo Show"!

Andrew and I walked out, as I was super anxious and couldn't wait to find our name on the sign, poor Andrew- I think his head was on a swivel! I kept having to remind myself, that this was only his 2nd time out of the United States!!!

There he was, our driver from Arenal Star, Fernando with a BRIGHT yellow sign that said - "Andrew and Kristen" !!

Journey Weavers contracted a driving company to drive us from each of the places that we went! It was my impression or understanding that he would be just that. Just a driver. Fernando turned out to be the complete anthesis of that!!! Andrew and I fell in love with him!! Our first Costa Rican friend!!

1) Andrew not doing too well going up and down through the mountains!!
2) We stopped at a restaurant and Fernando took our picture over looking the mountains!
3) Finally - Andrew had his "mini fridge!"

When I was in El Salvador, I was introduced to a delicious fruit called Mamones. These red ones are called, Mamones Chinos or mamonchinos. We got a whole bag of them for a little over a dollar!

They taste sour and are very juicy! There is a nut inside that you aren't supposed to eat! Before Fernando and I thought to warn Andrew, he had already ate the nut!! Fernando had a good laugh at him!! :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(not my image)

Sloth in the tree...keep watching - he climbs!

When Fernando was driving along, he spotted a sloth up in the tree. The spanish name is Oso Pereozoso, which translates to "Lazy Bear" He taught us that sloths sleep for 18 hours a day up in the tree. The only time that they come down is to go to the bathroom. They dig a huge hole, use it as their bathroom, cover it up and climb back up the tree. Apparently, they do this because Eagles can smell their dung and will then attack them!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fernando stopped again on the side of the street to show us this plant. He played a joke on us, that I guess is pretty common to pull on the Gringos! He ripped off a piece and pretended that it made him bleed. Really, it just marks red on your hand, but does look a lot like blood!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iguanas are very special here. We stopped at an iguana farm and saw many iguanas! Some cats too!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~
The last little surprise that Fernando had for us was taking us to his parents house! This was fantastic, because I have been always wanting to have images of house and real life from Costa Rica to try to explain the conditions of which I lived when in the Peace Corps. Even though Costa Rica is much more modern than El Salvador, there were many similarities!

The following is a video of Fernando showing us around his parents fruit tree and spice bushes! Along with their dog TOR - that looks so similar to my sister in laws dog, Roxie!

Showing us Tor, fruit trees, and different herbal bushes.

This is Fernando cutting off a piece of the sugar cane! We thought it was a bamboo stick! Very interesting taste!!