fish and chicks

As I sit here eating refried black beans in a bag and nursing the electrical shock I got from the improperly wired stove, I'd like to share with you the last couple of weeks.

My apologies for the lack of entries, however thus far, it has been a very casual trip. I really honestly haven't done anything. I planned it this way and so far I have stuck to it. Although I have to admit, I have this ache to hurry up and see as much of Costa Rica as I possibly can, however I will be travelling nearly everyday as soon as my tour starts, so this will be much needed down time.

I arrived in Manuel Antonio on my first day. My hostel actually located between Manuel Antonio and Quepos, I easily got the best of both worlds with out all the noise. Nestled on top of the hillside, I was able to get some much needed R and R. It is located in the middle of one of the many rainforests Costa Rica has to offer. Although I didn't realize it at the time, I would actually miss the humidity. The beaches here are stunning, the wildlife abundant. Many iguana's graced me with there presence as I would sit in a hammock overlooking the ocean enjoying my book and a coffee. Buzzards, toucan, hawks, birds Ive never seen before always flying over head. And believe it or not, there weren't many bugs. There are plenty of tourist things to do in the area, but I opted for the easy and cheap varieties; beaches and walking. I find you see a lot more that way. Of course, this is also where I got sick so my memories will always be bitter sweet. The hostel was run by a great family. Conrad, I know you will never read this, but thank you for your hospitality!! Lonely Planet under estimated your ambiance!! Unfortunately, it was still a hostel and sleep was hard to come by. Some people need a serious lesson in hostel etiquette. (Like leaving other peoples belongings where they left them!!)

There has certainly been an eclectic group of travellors I have met. Young, Old, experienced, rookies. Germans, Swedes, Spaniards, Canadians, Australians, Americans. Some Ill remember, some Ill make a point of forgetting (22 deuchebag med students!! ok, actually, maybe like 15 of them).

As I left Manuel Antonio, I was extremely worried that by stomach would not cooperate during the ride. Luckily it did, although with the much needed help of some gravol. It took me my first couple of days in Tamarindo to recover fully. Now I am jogging on the beach and able to stray more that 20 ft from any given bathroom. It was definitely an adjustment coming from Manuel Antonio to Tamarindo. Although both are big tourist spots, Tamarindo is definitely very americanized. I feel like I walked into a 3rd world Huntington Beach. The people have been nice, although EVERYONE wants to sell you something, "No, gracias" gets really old after a while. The beach here is nice, although I liked Man. Ant. more. But the sunset, my! So beautiful. Hopefully I will be able to get some pictures up soon so everyone can see what my travels have looked like.

My fishing trip was fun, although it gets kind of boring when the fish aren't biting and you don't really have anyone to talk to. The language barrier does get exhausting and sometimes a little peace and quiet is just the solution. I bet you would think that my favorite part of fishing was just that, the fishing. But no, it was actually the cab ride. To be exact, it was the introduction of the cab driver. (For those of you who have heard me say this before, I always make fun of men when they have huge ego's and think the are really slick with women, yet its actually soooo obviously corny. My nickname for these guys is Rico Suave. This has been my running joke for years.) Well, as I introduced my self to my cab driver, "Ola, mi nombre Christi". He replied with  "Hi, my name is Rico Suave" I nearly peed myself!

The fishing trip was fun though. I loved watching all the stingrays. We had a couple so close to the boat. The are really cool creatures. They like to sit at the surface when the water is calm, fold their wings so that just the tips penetrate the surface, and graze in the morning sun. I did get a few pictures of this, but unfortunately not the best ones. What was even cooler, is that they like to jump into the air and do flips. None did so close enoough for a picture opportunity, but I must have watched this 2 dozen times. It was awesome!!! I have now eaten fresh tuna two days in a row and could really get used to it. But next time, I would like to prepare it on a stove that works properly. The temperature is not labelled and it can be pretty hard to gauge the heat. Yes, you would think the amber glow on the element would tell you, but this doesn't seem to happen with consistency. Plus, everyone loves a good electric shock through your arm!!

The hostel here is nice. You here and see howler monkies regularly, there is a nice pool and the staff are very friendly.But again, a serious lesson in hostel etiquette is much needed. After the bar, you do not come home and decide to have a very loud, drunken conversation in the middle of the dorm. Take it outside!!! I was very relieved yesterday when I found out the snorer had left too!! I think anyone who snores passed a certain decibel should be forced into a private room! After he kept me awake for over an hour, I resorted to beating him with my pillow. Nothing. It took me throwing his towel over his face to wake him up.

Today, I hung out at the beach for a bit. I watched the surfers with a combination of jealousy and sadness. But my health needs to come first! Dammit! Why did apex have to teach me a lesson. Why couldnt' it have been Costa Rica!! Oh well, it is still beautiful here!

Tomorrow I may go kayaking down teh river in search of Cayman's and Crocodiles. Wish me luck!!