Costa Rica -- las semanas primeras (the first weeks)

Departed Portland International Airport -- October 12, 2010 at 5:45 am.

The sun was setting as I entered Costa Rican airspace.
Smooth sailing all the way to my hotel in San Jose, CR from Portland OR.

I spent 4 nights in San Jose at the lovely Hotel Aranjuez (I highly recommend it for San Jose travelers). While in SJ I met with the director of the Central American School of Geology, and the engineer and design manager for the Reventazon hydro-project of ICE (Costa Rica's national electricity and communication company). All meetings went well!

My family fun connections were with uncle Jim and aunt Jo who were in the city to see dentists/doctors and get supplies not available in their neck of the woods. It was beyond fantastic having some hang out time with the two of them. I also crossed paths at the hotel with a friend I had met previously in CR who is dealing with litigation to reclaim his mother's properties that were taking nefariously by her Costa Rican lawyer (ick .... what a mess). Nice to catch up on his story and to have good company for breakfast at the hotel.

I shuffled my way via collectivo bus to the town of Turrialba on Saturday (Oct 16) and found my way via taxi to what will be my new home for the next 2 months.

My Turrialba home (on the left side of the photo) coffee farms and the Turrialba Valley below.

Mi casa nueva is located 9-10 km outside of the town of Turrialba along the steep fertile flanks of Volcan Turrialba. The people that own the house I am renting a room from are incredible! The food is beyond delicious and my situation is completely comfortable. I couldn't imagine a better place to have landed. The only inconvenience is that the limited bus schedule way up here requires that I leave at 6am and then have to spend a few hours in town after school before catching my bus home at 3pm.

The weather up in the cloud forest where my casa is located ranges from thick drippy fog to lighting and thunder to clear sunny skies to pounding rain (usually all in the same day). We are high enough up the volcano that there are virtually no mosquitoes -- too cold at night -- and I am sleeping with 2-3 blankets every night.

My current room with a view in my CR home.

Needless to say, the view from the house (and my room) is amazing. It looks south across the vast valley of Turrialba and the coffee farms of the foothills.

AEC Spanish Language School - CATIE, Turrialba

Every week day Monday - Friday (8am - noon) I attend Spanish language class at the AEC School located on the beautiful CATIE campus just 3km south of the town of Turriabla. I usually walk to school from town as my bus schedule gets me there in plenty of time. The teachers are quite good and personable and I have enjoyed the other students. It is the slow season so there were only 5 students at the school my first week (2 medical doctors and 2 university students -- all fulfilling language credits). In my class there was only one other student.

Today (Oct 24) I raft the rio Pacuare. Just a one-day trip but it will feel great to be on the river. Keep posted for pictures!