19/1/2011

9:04am

After finishing breakfast, I decided I'd do what I usually do when I have nothing to do at home: write. About nothing in particular, just some observations...

The coffee here is incredible. I've gone from only drinking mocha's from an espresso machine to drinking black coffee straight from the pot, with only one and a half sugars at most. It's just so smooth and delicious, not at all bitter like some of the coffee back home. I think I'm either going to have to stop drinking coffee, or start importing my own beans from Costa Rica. I've been having 3 or 4 cups a day here, on average, so quitting may not be a viable option.

The second day of working with kids was also a great experience. Personally, I wouldn't ever say I was great with kids. Most of the time my life is anything but PG rated, and I'm not the first to say that kids these days just aren't as nice and cute and they used to be. They grow up so fast. Half of them are at where I am (in various ways of life experience), at 19, when they're barely 13.

But these kids, for the most part, are different. Maybe it's the foreign culture, or maybe it's the isolation of the town, but these kids really appreciate your time and effort, and the simple act of drawing a lion mask on cardboard for them to paint and decorate brings a smile to their faces that I wouldn't believe if I didn't see it myself. Maybe there are kids like that at home and I've just never taken the time to interact with them, but it still feels different for me.

Judging form that, and my entry last night, I can see my thoughts are getting all sappy and sentimental (I blame this on the fact that I'm reading Dear John in my spare time). And I don't mean to sound like a walking billboard for any volunteer company, but I'm starting to see the effect our presence has on these people, and it's become quite the experience I'll never forget. Sure, I did have about 7 dreams last night, all of scenarios about home (and I'll admit, each time I felt a little disappointed they were only dreams) but in the bigger picture, I'm glad I'm here, because it really is turning out to be an unforgettable experience.

19/1/2011

8:35pm

It's Wednesday morning, and our day off from volunteering. My roommate has already had breakfast and gone for a run. We have a hike planned at 1 o'clock, and my legs and abs ache from my work out yesterday. I decided to give myself a day off in that department too, but now I'm at a bit of a loss at what to do with my morning.

There's just not much to do in a small town like this: free time seems like a curse! I don't think I'll ever complain about being bored back home ever again.

18/1/2011

9:35pm

I think I just had the best experience yet from this trip.

We'd just finished dinner, and I was expecting another quiet and early night, even though tomorrow is our day off. I went with the girls on their walk today, as well as throwing in some jogging, and the second afternoon with the kids in the art workshop was pretty hectic too.

But all of a sudden, it seemed and though everyone, even the sons who are usually glued to the Playstation, looked like they were getting ready to go somewhere. Our father tried to explain it to us, but the only word I could understand was "lights".

So in our jumpers and scarves, we set out into the night. We walked further up the dirt road near our house, and our father opened a gate, we walked through, and then we came up to a clearing. And it was such an amazing sight.

I like to think there's natural beauty in everything. It was a full moon, or close enough to watch the night bathed in moonlight, which was inspiring enough for me. But looking out over the edge of the mountain, we could see the valley below scattered with lights in various clusters and outlying points. It was a view that was literally breath-taking. Los Santos is a region that is known for its cloud forests, and I could literally see wisps of cloud floating just over our heads. The peak of the next mountain along peeped over the thick clouds, which circled it like a halo. If you stared at the scene long enough, the lights began to twinkle, as though mirroring the stars above. I stood there, awestruck, soaking in the scenery.

I tried to converse a little with my host parents, and I could tell they were pleased with my attempts. I also looked up at the perfect moment, when both my father and I glimpsed a shooting star. Though we couldn't verbally express it, I think we both could sense the mutual excitement.

We then spent a long while playing in the clearing: the whole family, plus two of their cousins, my roommate and myself. Simple joys such as spending time with the people around you are almost forgotten back at home, it sometimes feels, and it was great to see that despite the apparent infiltration of electronic entertainment, a family can spend an enjoyable evening in a moonlit clearing, kicking a ball and swinging the smaller children around, laughing and all eventually collapsing out of dizziness.

Right now, I'm sitting in the living room with the entire family, just after emerging from my lukewarm shower. The boys are showing me some of their music on their computer, and they get pretty excited when I recognise some of the tracks (they're anything from Blink 182, Green Day and RHCP, to ACDC and Bon Jovi). I have no idea if they understand the lyrics, but it's a bond that is transcending language barriers. For the first time I really feel like a part of this family.

And as I think back to that breath-taking view of the valley, I am sure this is a night that I am never going to forget.

17/1/2011

5:59pm

One other change I forgot to mention yesterday:

I was talking to my project leader, and mentioned how my back and shoulders were getting a bit sore, from my very thin mattress and hard bed, I suspected. I'm loving my host family so I didn't want to move, but was just wondering if there was anything I could do. He said that with the upcoming work with the kids, a good sleep was important, and that he would take care of it.

As I was ducking between my room and the bathroom to have a shower last night, I glimpsed my host father dragging a thicker mattress through the door. Not for the first time that night, my heart swelled for these lovely people.

Which brings me to today; the first day of the workshop with the children. I, being me, was pretty apprehensive about it. However, as soon as we started, I realised all my fears were quite unwarranted. They loved all the masks I made for them, even drawings that I deemed my most poor, rushed work. I managed to communicate with them fairly well in Spanish, and soon enough I found myself matching the smiles on their beaming faces. You could really tell that this week is going to be the biggest highlight of their life for quite a while, and that was an awesome feeling.

The afternoon was over before I knew it. We still have three more days working with the kids, but I have a feeling this time is going to fly. It's now Monday evening, and the street parade is on Sunday. Finally, the volunteer work that had such an incredibly long lead up has begun.

16/1/2011

9:50pm

Today was a day of many differences, and many of them good. All of them, in fact. I've had a pretty good day, especially compared to the way I was feeling two days ago.

Firstly was the weather. So far it had been a cold and miserable week: it was literally raining sideways on our first evening, and howling winds rattled the house for the first few nights. Today, however, was free from wind or rain, and the mountain air provided perfect weather, allowing us to take a walk during our lunch break.

It was during this walk, doing some exercise, that I noticed how little of that I've been doing lately. All the travelling and working just doesn't leave much time for it, which is a scary thought when you sit back and realise how much food they give you here. With rice, beans, potatoes and pasta, its carb heaven and I'm beginning to actually worry about my weight for the first time in my life.

Luckily, because of the good weather, we were invited to play soccer with the local children and families. It was a great experience (it's a really popular pass-time here, so many of the kids are awesome players), and it also meant I got to do some running around, and I also did some crunches and push-ups when I got home. The point of all this: I'm not going to get fat, and I have one more thing to think about instead of being homesick.

I also had a really great time with the family tonight. I've been working on my Spanish so after dinner I practiced a little bit and it seemed to delight them as much as it did me. We played some more card games, and I even managed to build a house of cards (with which they were all very impressed). This led to getting out cameras, and me showing the mother, father and daughter my holiday photos, as well as the photos of my family that I brought. My host sister has taken a real liking to my roommate and myself. The fact that he speaks pretty capable Spanish makes me pretty proud that she still likes me too.

She's just come into my room to watch me write, and got her coloured pencils, and is now colouring in pictures in my Spanish book from Heredia. I wish Australian kids were this cute.

15/1/2011

9:24pm

Earlier, just after a cold/lukewarm shower, I watched bull riding/fighting with my host father. I find such cruel sports quite unpleasant, but he seemed to really enjoy it. I didn't want to seem rude, and snob the preferences of a family that has opened their home to me, so I made myself watch with forced enthusiasm (and perhaps a hint of authentic curiosity). It may be quite entertaining, but I find it quite disgusting to find it in such expense of an animal.

15/1/2011

5:52pm

Last night was bizarre. I was woken up by the rustling of plastic bags at about 4:30 in the morning. I thought little of it until I realised my roommate was still asleep. After a moment of intense panic, careful listening made me believe the rustling was coming form one of my bags, which I'd left on a shelf, and contained some drinks and food I bought in Heredia - including an opened packet of potato chips.

I mean, I know I left food open at night, but a rat or mouse was the last thing I expected. There wasn't much I could do, I didn't want to wake up my roommate and for all I knew the damn thing had rabies. I just moved shit around and in the end I think I scared it away. Definitely a new experience to add to the list. (I also threw the chips out the next day, just to clarify).

After that I had a restless sleep, and it was permeated with a collection of dreams. Most of them were of people at home; a side-effect of the way I was feeling yesterday, I assume. I guess we all just go through phases, with our good and bad days.

Today was a lot better. We painted a mural, finished making musical instruments and lacquered some benched that we painted yesterday. The school is going to look so amazing when we've finished with it. When the local families brought us our lunch today, their faces lit up when they saw the mural. It was absolutely sensational. Our group discussion in the afternoon was about the women's roles in Costa Rica, which was also really thought-provoking. The pregnancy rate is teens is an astounding 40%, and even though most girls technically have a choice, many are encouraged to get married and have a family rather than get an education or have a career. There's been a lot of progress in that respect though. I guess learning about these kinds of social issues reminds me why I'm studying what I am, to work with people in these circumstances and maybe one day make a difference.

As bad as it sounds, I think it would be easier to just forget about everyone back home. I guess I now know how my friends who live abroad feel. I'm just lucky enough to have a set deadline of when I'm coming home. So with saying that, I'm going to try and make the most of the experience; as thought time is quickly and consistently running out.

14/1/2011

5:00pm

I just tried calling home, but the operator said that they can't place collect calls to Australia. I told myself I wouldn't cry, but it was just a kick in the gut that made me realise just how far away I am to everything and everyone back home.

I guess they define homesickness as a kind of culture shock. I didn't feel it as much in Heredia because I was still fairly connected to home, and in a fairly urbanised and comparatively familiar place.

I also underestimated the time period. It feels like such a long time, but I've only been in Costa Rica for about 10 days. I don't even want to try counting how many I have left to go. I'm reminded of the way my sister always says two weeks is enough time for her for a holiday, and that after that time she gets of anything but her own bed. I always considered myself a lot more adventurous, willing to be gone for long periods of time. Now I'm discovering that's not quite the case.

I listen to some of the others talking about their travel plans, and how they want to go all over the world, and are gone for months at a time. I guess I'm not as much of a traveller. Not to say I'm not adventurous; I just learnt this past year that, where I come from, I can have all kinds of crazy adventures without even leaving the city. It's probably a lot cheaper too...

But if I have to be honest, there is mainly one reason (or one person) why I think, or know, that I feel so homesick. I told myself for months that I didn't want to get romantically involved with anyone before leaving for 5 weeks. Yet almost as though fate was trying to spite me, I meet the most amazing guy on Christmas night, and have an awesome week with him, only to have to up and leave. I know people would say it's just a week, and that I shouldn't miss him that much, but I feel the opposite. In that cute, 'getting to know you' phase in any new interest, all you want to do is spend every possible second with that person. And at that point I felt like I would have given up this trip just to keep seeing him.

But I know that would be really stupid. I spend the better part of a year looking forward to this trip, and I'm trying to view this trip as a progressive adventure, rather than counting down the days.

But then I remember back to New Years Eve, where he told his friends he wasn't feeling well, just so he could jump in a cab and pay nearly $100 to surprise me at my party and be there for the midnight kiss... it was like something out of a movie.

And it's moments like that, it's hard to not wish I was getting on that plane in LA.

13/1/2011

8:32pm

Today was definitely a new experience. After 11 hours of sleep (amazing!) I had rice and beans for breakfast for the first time. I actually quite liked it, so these two weeks should be pretty good in that respect.

In our first day of the volunteer workshop, we made up characters for ourselves and then created a mask for them. I've yet to think of name for my monkey (my choice was inspired by my next planned tattoo), but I'm pretty happy with how he has turned out. The masks will be for the parade that we put on at the end of our stay. For a small town like this it will be a pretty huge deal. There are even children coming from a neighbouring town to participate! Our volunteer work will be a sort of summer camp for the kids (they're on school holidays), and apparently everyone is getting very excited.

At the school, we also saw the marching band practicing, which surprised me, as I was under the impression such things didn't happen here. Never-the-less, I was thrilled, even more so by the fact it was a entirely percussive band. I spoke to one of the creative directors, who knew about my musical abilities, ad he was very excited to hear about my band back home. Maybe I'll even get to play with the children in the band - that would be so awesome!

We also had a more involved family night tonight. Despite a language barrier, we managed to have hours of fun with a deck of cards. The eldest son still shut himself away to play his Playstation, and it saddens me a little to learn that such electronics have even permeated such a small, isolated, and somewhat innocent town.

And I guess that makes me reflect on my life, and my dependence of such things in such a big city. My obsession with connectedness has morphed into almost a form of entertainment. I scorn the boy for playing his games (not literally, just in my thoughts), but in reality there is not much difference between him and the way I may sit on Facebook for countless hours on end. Maybe that is something I could learn from: I could either not take for granted the fact I'm anything but isolated, and doing better things with my time, or spend my time at home with the people at home, instead of wishing I was out there with everyone else.

I haven't showered since yesterday morning, and at this rate I think that may not even happen until tomorrow night. The weather is (apparently) unusually cold right now, even for a high altitude mountain climate. The hot water is supposedly not very crash hot, and I don't smell particularly revolting, so I am going to put it off as long as I can.

I'm also going to use these two weeks of isolation to forget about the rest of the world (well, most of it), and catch up on some sleep. Buenos noches!

12/1/2011

7:21pm

And so the culture shock continues...

Two hours drive later and I wouldn't have believed we were in Costa Rica if I hadn't already spent a week here.

But it's so different. As I write this, wind and rain are raging outside the window. I'm literally living in a cute little house on a hill in the middle of nowhere. Well, the town is called San Cristobal Norte, in the region of Los Santos, but it is nothing like a typical preconception of Costa Rica. It's a tiny little town where everyone seems to know everyone. Stray dogs wander the streets, which is pretty random. And the views are breath-taking. The mountain tips disappear into the clouds, and the hillsides look like something from a postcard, picture perfect.

I'm staying with the only other guy on the project, in a family that couldn't be more different from my home stay in Heredia. Mother, father, two teenage sons and a little girl of about 8 years. She is adorable, and the sons are currently playing video games with my Australian partner. It's a soccer game though, and I'm terrible at those.

We had our introduction to the project, it sounds like such an incredible experience for all involved. Tomorrow starts with a three day workshop , where we'll learn all the things we'll be teaching the children at the school.

The whole point of this project is to build a better community and educate them about recycling and environmental issues through the creative arts. Being a musician myself, I am so thrilled to be able to give kids the opportunity for a creative outlet that I literally do not think I would be alive without. I'll write more details on what we do as they happen, but just knowing the long-term differences we will hopefully make on these individuals, and the entire community and environment, has got me all excited, and feeling warm and fuzzy.

These weather conditions in particular are something fierce (I prepared for 'chilly', not 'blowing a gale'), but I'm keen for the challenge, and am more than ready to be thrown out of my comfort zone and into the deep end.

12/1/2011

8:29am

So the partying did happen...

And it was so much fun, I'm actually a little sad we're all splitting up today. I've made some really good friends in the week that I've spent here, and already we're all going our separate ways.

Yesterday we had the briefings for our projects. Mine sounds pretty good and I have some awesome who I've gotten to know in the same place as me. So that's all pretty exciting. Th one thing that's going to test me is that there is no internet in Los Santos. Two whole weeks with no contact to home (as I was too lazy to buy a phone card). It will definitely be an interesting experience though.

And then we all went out a final time before going our own ways today. All the guys in my shared room left early, so I enjoyed a long hot shower and getting ready in solitude. We depart for Los Santos at 9:00am. Bring on the next phase of this journey!

11/1/2011

12:25pm

So as they say, as one door closes another one opens. I've just checked into the Hotel America, in a sort of limbo transition between phases of my journey.

After an emotional goodbye last night, we headed out for another night in Heredia, this time at an American bar called Boulevard. Nothing too exciting happened, but an inability to properly order drinks in Spanish quickly led to intoxication.

This didn't bode too well for an early start, but none-the-less we got up and had an emotional goodbye again, with just our mama tica (her sons were there last night). I managed to pass the Spanish exam with 87%, and after our graduation we all trudged through the city with out huge backpacks, to this (relatively) nice hotel. Unfortunately it's without the luxury of a private bedroom or bathroom that I received at my home stay, but things could definitely be worse.

We have our project orientation meeting in about an hour, and I think some of the others are planning on a big night out (the casino is next door to the hotel). I know, due to health and funding reasons, that I probably shouldn't join them, but I know myself well enough to know that I'll never say no to a party.

10/1/2011

5:35pm

Today was interesting. After our Spanish lessons in the morning, I ran into our Texan buddy from the weekend. Due to his comparatively superior Spanish skills, I hung out with him for most of the day. He helped me order my lunch, send my postcards off back home, and even buy flowers as a parting gift for my mama tica. He as almost a tour guide for the city for me, and in his words: "Speaking Spanish is an unlimited discount card in Costa Rica." I'd like to think my Spanish is (almost) sufficient enough to get by, but having him there did make my day a lot more stress-free.

It was also nice to have another gay person to hang out with. I know that might sound stupid and shallow, and maybe it has nothing to do with his orientation, but he was just really fun to hang out with, and really funny too. We jokes around about our cultural differences and how much America sucks. I don't think it was awkward after the weekend, and I'm praying I didn't come off as too flirtatious. I checked my Facebook to find an awesome long message from that certain guy, and felt my heart swell a little as I read it. Once again, it makes being away that little bit harder. As bad as it sounds, I'm kind of looking forward to the isolation of the project. Less contact with him will mean less time to think about him and miss him.

But then at the same time, I'm almost always thinking about him.

9/1/2011

10:17pm

Finally home and showered at last. It's amazing how quickly I've become accustomed to life here, and coming back to Heredia seems normal. But then I've been saying how it's felt so much longer than a week, so maybe it's not that amazing at all.

Just another thought that's been bothering me. I got to know the group that came to Manuel Antonio a little better this weekend, and a lot of people have said they don't really miss their family that much. I wonder why people travel at all: is it to get away from the boring routine in their lives, or do they not like their normal, regular lives? Has traveling, with excitement and adventure, become more of their real life than when they're at home?

I quite like my life at home, I think I could have amazing fun for the rest of my life and never leave Sydney. I obviously will go and travel again at some point, but I don't think I'd ever get the 'travel bug' and travel at every given opportunity.

I guess even just seeing a different culture once is enough to make me appreciate just how lucky I actually am, and how good most people in Australia have it.

9/1/2011

5:42pm

And so the journey within a journey within a journey continues...

The sun sets early here so I'll make the most of the light.

We had to check-out at noon today, so we had several hours to kill before the bus trip back to San Jose. There was a relatively cheap internet cafe, so I spent an hour there, replying to emails and checking notifications, writing to all the people I miss so much. In a way I think it makes the homesickness worse. Not that I feel miserable and can't wait to go home, but I've just found I'm usually too busy to think about home or miss it too much. So when I log on and get all these reminders, I'm over the moon to hear from them (well, from him in particular), but at the same time it's almost painful.

I fell asleep last night thinking of him, remembering those nights I spent in his arms. I know that it's something amazing to look forward to when I get home, but right now I guess I really want it... right now. Perhaps the few little kisses last night brought flooding back memories of the guy I actually wish it was with.

But this whole weekend I've felt a little guilty. As fun as this holiday has been so far, I want to get out there and start working, and help make a difference somewhere. It helps to keep telling myself that my minor pain is going to be someone else's incredible gain.

Sunlight has all but gone now, so I'll have to end my rambling here.

9/1/2011

3:49pm

Sitting in a Jamaican style cafe, reflecting on the weekend. We found ourselves in something of a tropical paradise, I think. Also, it's hard to believe that we unknowingly, until I stumbled across the page while reading my travel guide, stumbled into Manuel Antonio, supposedly the gay and lesbian capital of Costa Rica!

Last night was bound to be a big night, with a bunch of the girls very keen to go out partying. We started out at this very cafe for dinner and drinks, and then caught taxi's to Quepos, the next town, which was about ten minutes away. We'd heard of this night club that was "the place to be" on a Saturday night, after about 1am. Unfortunately, we got there at about 10 o'clock. Yet being the inhibition free tourists that we are, we got up and danced by ourselves anyway. There were a few dramas here and there, like people wandering off with locals without telling the rest of the group, but in the end the place got pretty busy and we had a great time. I danced more with the Australian girls than with the locals this time; I guess our smaller group had a little extra bonding time on our trip down to Manuel Antonio.

We also ran into a group of Americans from Texas who we already knew from the Spanish school in Heredia. One who recognised me came over to introduce himself, and he immediately set off the sirens of my gaydar (it was a nice surprise: I'd been feeling like the only gay in the village). We danced together with the rest of the girls, and towards the end of the night when the group began to disperse, he accompanied one of the other girls and myself to the gaybar that was on the way back to Manuel Antonio.

As I previously mentioned, I'd given up on any hope of visiting a Costa Rican gay bar, so this news was quite exciting. Unfortunately, the bar proved to be quite disappointing. There was no bouncer, no door-person, the floor was plain concrete, and I literally felt like I'd walked into a party that someone was throwing in their garage. The crowd had a very high average age, however the music they played made be believe I could've been back at ARQ. There was a small unoccupied stage, so I took it upon myself to get up there and show them how we do it in the gay capital of the Southern hemisphere. While failing at any attempt to be modest, I think they were pleasantly surprised by my presence: how often does a white, blonde teenager walk into their club and dirty dance/partially strip to 'I'm a Slave 4 U'? Memorable highlights also include dancing to Gaga's 'Alejandro' with a fat man named Alejandro, and his amusement when I could complete the chorus as 'Roberto', and posing for photos with guys who thought I was the most hilarious thing they'd ever seen.

Though I'm not proud to admit it, I also kissed my new Texan friend a couple of times. I maintained that it was just for shits and giggles as friends, as part of the dancing, which he was more than fine with, but I still felt a little guilty knowing I have unfinished business with a certain guy back at home. I'm not sure what I'm going to do: my personal beliefs are that I shouldn't keep secrets, and since there is nothing official between us, I technically wasn't unfaithful. But my morals are getting the better of me, and I know I have to tell him. I'll wait until I get back to Australia first to do it in person, and hope that it isn't too damaging to our relationship.

After we'd finished at the gay bar, our new Texan friend walked us back to our hotel, and the three of us discussed and joked about the cultural customs of the United States. He also spoke excellent Spanish, which helped us get home safely, and managed to help us avoid being scammed by taxi drivers. Once home, I showered and promptly went to bed. Several of us had to get up early to catch a bus into Quepos so we could buy tickets for the afternoon bus back to San Jose this evening. It's going to be a long 4 hour trip, so I'll save some further thoughts I have to share until then.

8/1/2011

4:21pm

I'm sitting by the pool of our hotel by the beach, just finished writing a bunch of postcards. It's been a nice day: cheap breakfast with heaps of food and long swims at the beach and pool. It's actually feeling like a bit of a vacation for the first time.

Not that I mind how we live back in Heredia. I kind of enjoy living like the locals, but it's also nice to relax and just act like a tourist. Easier, I suppose.

Some of the girls said they found a really nice restaurant and bar next to the beach. So I have a feeling we might be in for another big night. We're in a big tourist area though so I have a feeling they jack the prices up. I also feel like I'm spending my money too quickly, simply because I'm assuming everything is so cheap.

Hopefully spending will cut back once I'm in the poorer areas doing the volunteer work.

7/1/2011

11:28pm

So where was I...

The band played some great music. The entire atmosphere of the club was different, with couples salsa dancing as well as your typical Western style club dancing.

I guess that depends on what you'd call typical. But I was fairly drunk and feeling the tequila kick in by this point, so I was busting out all the usual moves I'd do in the bars on Oxford Street. A couple of Latino ladies came up to me and thought I was amazing. "You're such a very good dancer. This will get you very far in Costa Rica." I don't know if its correct Spanish, but the words "soy hombre gusto hombre" seemed to get the point across. None-the-less, they were very liberal in sharing the Captain Morgan cocktail mix in a bottle that the male dancers handed down from the stage, so once again drinks became free!

Throughout the evening I met and danced with about six local Costa Rican women. I think the combination of my outrageous, uninhibited dancing combined with my blonde hair (a rarity around here) just really excited them. The highlight of the evening, however, was when the bartenders got up onto the bar and started pouring tequila straight from the bottles into peoples mouths. It definitely lived up to my preconceptions of the crazy Latin American partying, and any hating I had been doing on the area was long gone.

After we'd drunk so much we could barely walk, and I'd told the Latino ladies to add me on Facebook, we jumped into a cab with our host brother and stumbled home. It was a fun night out, reminding me of what I thought I'd be missing out on while I was over here in Costa Rica, and it was also a more liberating experience, and will hopefully allow me to be myself more too, on the remainder of the trip.

After a nice long sleep in (as I mentioned, mama tica left some breakfast out for me), I walked down to the school to attend the afternoon class in Spanish (that's when mine were scheduled, I'm not just being lazy). The school had arranged a trip away for the weekend, but instead I decided to go with the other girls in my home stay to spend two nights on the beach on the Pacific Coast. So I ran home afterwards, quickly threw a backpack together, kissed mama tica goodbye and headed out. There's a group of eleven of us, and we got a private mini-van (owned by the brother of the school's tour guide) to drive us. We paid about US$15 each, and after a four hour drive we finally arrived. We're staying at a relatively nice hotel for only $20 a night, and had my most Western meal so far, spaghetti bolognese. This town caters for tourists, so I decided to go with 'when in Rome'. I also sampled their margaritas: not the best I've ever had, but boy, do they like their drinks strong in this country.

Afterwards we went for a walk down to the beach to feel the water: it was pretty exciting to touch the Pacific Ocean from the other side of the world. I'm pretty excited to go to the beach tomorrow, hopefully I'll have more luck than I was having back in Australia.

It's been a long week learning Spanish at the school, this weekend away almost feels like a bit of a holiday. I had to remind myself that I actually am on a holiday already.

Well, more than just a holiday: a 'life experience', so I'd like to think.

7/1/2011

10:15am

I am sitting alone in my host house, eating breakfast. My mama tica is such a sweetheart, she left my fruit out for me, under a plastic container so it wouldn't go off. I have no idea where she is, though.

A fair bit has happened, but I'll try to start from the beginning....

First, my ambiguous note on Monopoly: we played a Spanish edition the other night with our host brother, and he absolutely dominated. I'm not sure if he actually lives here when mama tica isn't hosting students, or if it's just their extremely family-oriented culture, but he comes over every night for dinner, and so far has been an entertaining addition to the home stay, knowing enough English to crack a number of jokes.

My mama tica is also lovely. I don't think I could have asked for a better home stay while here in Heredia. We had our cooking class yesterday, learning how to make some traditional Spanish (NB: well, Costa Rican) food, and as she is the teacher, she was so excited to see me there, and got me to help prepare the food. We made fried plantain fritter with guacamole. Plantains are huge bananas but you can't eat them raw, they have to be cooked. The whole thing was delicious.

I've realised just how lucky I got when being put with our families. At the Spanish school we all like to discuss our different circumstances, and I actually feel sorry for some people, who've been placed with older, stricter families, or ones that know considerably less English, or have lot of rules to follow. I'm having such a good time, I chose to stay in Heredia this weekend instead of going on a trip away the school organised. Much of it's activities are a double up on the adventure tour so I don't think I'll be missing much.

I also broke another one of my detox goals last night. Our host brother took us to a discotheque, and lets just say I'm a slave for tequila!

The Costa Rican night club was strange: such a scene felt so familiar, but certain aspects stuck out, reminding me that the experience was completely foreign. For starters, smoke was allowed inside, though the venue was only half-enclosed and well ventilated so it wasn't exactly choked with smoke. And for some scandalous reason, they didn't have bourbon!

It was ladies night at the club, and apart from my brother, I was the only boy in our group. The girls were lovely, getting me a few free drinks, but after a while management caught on so they had to stop. I started to get a little frustrated at that point (the fact I was at a ladies night that wasn't Moist at ARQ was unbelievable enough in itself), and began blaming it on the country itself for that. I went to the bathroom to try and cool off and think about it all. I realised that I was starting to be one of those people who cannot have fun unless they're drinking/drunk. So I tried to overcome that, and just enjoy all the cultural differences. There was a live band playing some amazing music throughout the night, as well as time when a DJ was playing all the same music we go clubbing to back home.

So we all danced and had fun, even while paying for our drinks (1000 colones, or US$2 for a tequila slammer is nothing to shake a stick at). There was a bit of confusion when someone lost their phone, and some of the girls wanted to go somewhere else, but I knew I had to stay once the male strippers got on stage. I'd been looking after drunk girls all night, so dear God I deserved that.

Their presence made me realise that for most of this trip I've been living in the closet. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hiding it, said that it just never came up. There were plenty of places where I could have slipped it into the conversation, but I've tended to steer away from it. I know lots of of people here are heavily religious, and I guess I didn't want to ruin any bonds or connections I was making. But I was almost relieved when one of the Australian girls asked me outright last night (my dancing gave it away). It was almost like taking a leash off, and I consequently went down to fan-boy scream at the ripped male torso's on stage.

I'm going to have to continue this later, as I need to wash up and get ready for class.

7/1/2011

2:34am

Drunko Roberto!

Muchos happened tonight!

Very exciting!

I guess it is the equivalent to a drunk Facebook update. Hopefully I'll remember all of it.

In case not, here is a few small details:

- I practiced lots of Spanish with the locals

- I am very drunk

- I took lots of photos and gave out my email tres times

- I am not looking forward to the morning!

I will add further details when time/state of mind allows.

xx

P.S. I think I sort of "came out" to the other girls at the "discotheque" tonight. I guess wolf whistling and screaming at the male strippers didn't help!

LOL

P.P.S. LOL I just farted and lost my second last pen.

P.P.P.S. Found it!

Buenos noches!

5/1/2011

9:50pm

P.S. Tico's are very good at Monopoly!

5/1/2011

5:42pm

I just walked home from school. Marching down the street with my backpack slung over my shoulder, I felt thirteen years old again. (They recommended wearing it on your front, to protect yourself from thieves and pickpockets, but I felt that such a tourist-like action might spoil my indulgence in a moment of child-like innocence.)

Costa Rica is a place that unmistakably feels like a foreign country. Small roads with insane traffic (that doesn't give way to pedestrians!), gutters about a metre deep to accommodate for a torrential rainy season, and most obviously I suppose, all the signs are in Spanish. Traffic lights dangle from power cables, and locals are either extremely friendly, quite used to providing for tourists, or rather scary and intimidating, most likely adept in stealing from them. Violence is low, but petty theft is rife in San Jose.

Home life here is a surprising mix of familiar and unfamiliar customs. They urge us to turn off the lights when out of a room to save energy, but toilet paper is put into a bin rather than flushed down the toilet, in order to ease the pressure on a less than perfect sewage system. We sat down and ate dinner together, but said Grace before starting. (Though I realise this unfamiliarity is more a personal difference than a cultural one. However, many Costa Ricans are heavily religious Catholics.)

My host mother is lovely. I'm staying here with two other girls from the volunteer group, and she's been treating each one of us like children of her own. Speaking of which, she does have two grown sons, who don't live at home. They did visit last night though, and I must admit one in particular fulfilled my expectations of a typical Latin American hunk. He invited us to join him at a discotheque tomorrow night. While not expecting to score my own Latin American dreamboat, I'm quite curious to investigate the local night clubs. I wonder if I'll enjoy Costa Rican straight bars any more than Australian ones! (I've ruled out options of venturing to any gay bars: it's not something I'd want to drag anyone along to, and it's probably unwise to explore on my own at night).

Our first full day was an introduction at the Spanish school, then a tour of the local hot spots in Heredia (the suburb of San Jose we are staying in). Also, a dancing class where my time of ballroom dancing has actually paid off! Spanish lessons were in the afternoon, which meant I was a little sleepy, but the classes are pretty fun and interactive, so I'm hoping my Spanish will improve during my stay. I just had a successful, despite slow and fragmented conversation with my host mother, so I feel as though just being here has made a difference.

On the detox front, however, there as been little success. Computer access is quite easy around here, so I have decided to make the most of that, as I know it will be a different story come the volunteer project. It's nice to keep in contact, but at the same time I feel the short snippets of conversation are like picking at nearly healed scabs, and I begin to miss them all over again. Never-the-less, I think it's worth it, and I'll savour those precious few moments.

If one things for sure, only one day into my home stay, life as a Costa Rican is an interesting a refreshing change.

4/1/2011

7:30am, Houston, Texas

After a painfully long wait at LAX, we are waiting for out last connection flight to San Jose. Neither airport has had facilities for using the internet, short of using your own laptop or mobile device, so I suppose I'll have to wait for the limited opportunities I will have in Costa Rica. I know that my frustration is an example that proves how dependent I've become on the Internet.

I also know it's foolish to think that contacting certain persons is going to make me miss them any less...

3/1/2001

8:35pm, Los Angeles

I'm writing this journal with the intention of having something to reflect on: some substantial piece of writing that will hopefully be able to document the supposedly significant changes that this trip will bring.

So far, it already feels like we have made half the journey, and we're only sitting on the floor at LAX, early as a result of being too keen to frantically buy last minute essentials and make our last contact with civilisation, with our friends and families, for an indefinite period of time. I know I said the whole point of this trip (or a personal goal of mine, at least), was to break the dependency I've come to have on the Internet and technology. However, I can't seem to deprive myself when an opportunity arises in such naturally disconnected circumstances.

Now, ironically, I find myself with 5 other members of our volunteer party, sitting on the floor with our massive backpacks. It's been a long, full, but tiring day. Crossing the International Date Line messed with our time zones majorly. Most of us have gone through 2 full days with little to no sleep, though not without help of a small Starbucks coffee (which is comparatively larger in the States). The day was spent seeing the popular attractions of LA: Hollywood Boulevard, Farmer's Markets, Venice Beach and the like. It felt almost wrong, acting like such a tourist, when I think ahead of what we'll be doing in Costa Rica.

Our flight leaves LAX at 12:30am. Hopefully our bodies will be able to overcome this jetlag rather quickly once we get settled into Heredia.

Prologue

When it was suggested to write a journal on your travels, that a well recorded one could be one of the best souvenirs you take home, I had no idea how accurate that description would be.

My time in Costa Rica was absolutely mind-blowing.

I saw things, met people, and had experiences that I will never forget.

It was the first time I'd ever travelled without the company of my family, and my first time venturing into a developing country.

Being the poorer country that it is, my access to the Internet throughout my trip was somewhat limited.

As a writer, I find it somewhat therapeutic to be able to write down my thoughts, to record a stream of consciousness. In that sense, I guess I have been taking my blog quite for granted.

Maybe it's something to do with vanity, how Erica tells Mark in The Social Network, 'you think every thought in your head is so clever and original that you can't not share it'.

But for the past five weeks, I have been putting pen to paper in an attempt to record my thoughts during something that was far more extraordinary than my typical, everyday trashy life.

And so even part-way through my journey, I realised that this journal had become my substitute blog.

Therefore, since anyone who returns from a holiday is inundated with the question "How was it?!", I decided that I will let you discover the answer for yourself.

And with that, I'll allow you to wait and see, to read the diary that was Tino's Travels.