Week 5

Sunset Picture from my front yard

Ok I have good news! I will be back online, the ACM has agreed to pay for wifi within the consorcio that I work in so I should have facebook for like 2 hours a day, the consorcio is supposed to open at 8 and close for lunch at 11 then open back up at 12 till 5, yesterday it opened at 9:30 and closed at 11 and didn’t open again at all so Pura Vida, also the wifi wont let me sign on so this is being written in a word document with the hope of posting it to my blog later this week. So that is where I am at on the internet front! Being in Tarcoles is an experience, upon arrival I had the largest now what moment of my life so I just kind of sat around and watched, tried to talk to people, bothered my host family, got frustrated with the wifi, walked about the beach, found a dead sting ray, watch chickens cross the road (because my life is a joke now) but I really did all those things.  And this morning I found out that I have been doing it right I’m just supposed to watch things happen and observe them happening, figure out when people are on the beach and why and then watch what happens when there are fish and when there are not and look at things that wash up on the beach and such so with a little more talking to people I’m all set. That said I find I’m used to a bit more structure and am a little frustrated by the lack of things going on in my life but its all going to be fine.

On Tuesday afternoon my family took pity on my situation, which they call “esperando por el gallo puso” which means waiting for a rooster to lay an egg and is used for people who don’t do useful things with their lives. So we walked to Playa Azul named for its blue sand, unfortunately there are only spots of blue sand left because of pollution and garbage that comes down the Tarcoles River but apparently large clean up efforts have been put into place and the beach is much cleaner than it was before. The large amounts of garbage probably keep tourists from seeing it so it is rather unused even though the blue parts are really very cool. After seeing this beach my family showed me a river that is fed by a waterfall and is therefore pure, crocodile free, and ok to swim in. This is an epic discovery because now I know where the giant waterfall is, giving me something to do with my free days, and now I can swim when I really need to which is all the time because it is hot here.

In other news I have had questions regarding my 8 legged friend, she is still there and wants to cuddle but I now have a mosquito net which encompasses my bed, my spider friend simply cannot outsmart it but earlier this week I did wake up to a spider above my head so she keeps close in case I slip up but I feel that I have won.

Just a crocodile in the ocean

            On Wednesday morning I was sitting on the beach observing things like I’m supposed to when my friend and I noticed something in the ocean that was large and appeared to be moving, it was a crocodile. It was about 4 meters long and about 20 ft away from us. I am never ever ever swimming in that ocean ever. When I freaked out about it to my host family they were completely unfazed and explained that it happened and they very seldom get out of the water so its fine. They also explained that in the wet season (starts in April I will be here) the drainage ditch fills with water from the rain and crocodiles like to nest there and its fun because you can play with the baby crocodiles but when they grow up it gets awkward because the come up to the house and try to eat the chickens and dogs. As if I wasn’t appaled enough by this news my host mom turned to me and was like Emma your legs are so pale that a crocodile might mistake you for a chicken so you better watch out. So there is always that, unfortunately this has made my long walks on the beach less fun because now I think everything is a crocodile. The real problem is a lot of the time I am probably right.

Yenni

            In terms of good news, I have 6 dogs their names are Donkey, Pinto, Caballero, Negra, Balon, and Yenni. I do not have a favorite but Yenni and Negra are not tied up so they get to walk me places which I enjoy, Yenni also reminds me of a blond merlin because he crosses his paws when he lays down and has some lab in him. Negra is super old and can’t see very well, I found out yesterday that she is Caballero’s mom tho which is nice. Donkey likes to chase cars so he does not get to roam around very much but he likes belly rubs and gets very excited when I come home. Balon is a Chihuahua and is freaking adorable, the family treats him more like a pet rabbit than a dog but that’s ok, he lives closest to the house so when I read outside we sit together unless the chickens are about, he’s afraid of them. Also the chickens are not for eating, they are gardeners! Apparently eating chickens are bullies and tried to beat up the small children so my family sold their eating chickens to their neighbors so I shan’t be killing them!   

                 Also the sunsets here are beautiful. Also my Advisor showed up today fixed the internet and now I have things to do Yay!!!