Costa Rica: Days 1, 2, 3

So far, so good for me in this country! From the moment I arrived at my home stay, I have felt completely at home. My host sister is really, really nice and so is her mother. Essentially, we have been conversing in Spanglish, teaching each other a little about the other's languages as we go on. They have really made me feel at home and her cooking is really good!!

On the first day, we went on a walking tour of the entire city, seeing all of the important sites as we went along, such as the national parks, national theatre and national museum that used to be the military base and was turned into a museum when the army was abolished in 1949. Interestingly, Fidel Castro and the at the time president of Costa Rica met on the steps of that same building. Also interestingly, a large, large number of American presidents have attended the national theatre and had coffee in its famous coffee shop, including Clinton, six weeks before his untimely death. 

Then, we went to a coffee plantation (as coffee is a large source of revenue in the country, it is a large and important part of the country's culture) called Britt (pronounced breeeeet) which is the main producer of coffee in the country. We learned that coffee originated in Ethiopia, went to Saudi Arabia, then to Italy and was then given to France's King Louis the fourteenth as a gift where it was stolen by his subjects, brought to Martinique in the carribean, was brought to Brasil and ended up in Costa Rica in 1750, where it turned the poor country into an economically stable one. 

Afterwards, we went into town to see the open-air craft market, which was really cool. 

Last night we went to a carnival that goes around the country and went on a typical Costa Rican ride that was banned in the US called La Taragada, which was more horrifying than swimming with great whites and hurt A LOT, my body is covered in bruises. 

Today we had our orientation for the university and begin classes tomorrow, can't wait! 

Pictures to come later! 

Landing in Costa Rica! 

Aika, my host-dog! 

The first train in Costa Rica, on the system built by Cornelius Vanderbilt! (Did you know that Costa Rica was the third place in the world to have electricity?)

Marks of the civil war in 1949, bullet holes in their army base/armory. 

The new national museum, which used to be the city's army base! 

Cork trees grow naturally in Costa Rica! 

The cathedral in San Jose! 

Coffee plants! 

Blossoming coffee plants. 

Cacao plant before it's made into chocolate! 

Craic pub in Costa Rica! 

Market in San Jose! 

Cultural event at La Universidad Veritas!