So continues the stories of Semana Santa.
After returning home for a brief bit to my Venecia house it was time to head out to Guanacaste (the Northwestern section of Costa Rica, only a few kilometers from the Nicaraguan border). However, in the brief time I was home I had to pack up all my things for my return to San Jose post Semana Santa. You can all guess how that went with my delightful talent to avoid packing to the very last millisecond.
We headed out Wedneday afternoon for my host brother’s house (one of four who are all older than me and live in their own houses around Costa Rica). The car carried me, Angelina, my host mom and dad, and my host sister Maria Mercedes (the youngest of my host siblings besides Angelina, Maria is the same age as me but attends the U of Costa Rica and is only home occasional weekends). We made our way across the country. Let me tell you, driving is a whole lot more timely than taking public transportation in this country. However, I lack a car so I’ve never really had the option.
We then proceeded to pass four wonderful days at the beach, cooking food, going to a lot of Mass and just hanging out. Thursday was a beach day (for us, and all of Costa Rica). The beach was pretty packed, but pretty beautiful as well.
What a view. The mountainish landscape leading to the beach was a new look I hadn't previously seen in Costa Rica.
Angelina photos are always necessary.
Friday was a more holy day, so we never went to the beach. However, my host brother does work on an organe/pineapple/passion fruit juice factory (he is some sort of supervisor, I couldn’t teally tell you exactly what he does). Our first night we had gotten a tour of all the machineary and the plant itselt. However, on Friday we headed out to the orange orchards that surrouneded the house we were staying in. Now, I have been a little upset with Colorado’s lack of apple orchards in the fall in comparison to good ole New England. But this was a whole new experience to go orange picking. There was also a beautiful view of Lake Nicaragua across the border, and of a nearby (no longer active) volcano. It was great.
It was beautiful. I love fruit. And the places where it grows.
Flowers. Bumble bee.
The volcano
I take alot of pictures of the fruit I am eating. This day was no different.
Pretty dang beautiful view.
Dad, Brother, Brother, Sister in Law, Mom, Angelina
Orange orchard for your strolling pleasure
Yum yum.
Its like a real live minute maid commercial.
Saturday we returned to the beach (a different one so I could get a better sampling of the variety offered in the area). Again it was beautiful and wonderful.
The water is really that color.
This is not a postcard.
Beach rocks. Little barnacles. Cool.
Cactuses growing right next to the beach. The usual.
Buena Vista!
Fruit. Beach. Perfection.
This is a churchill. It is a desert of shaved iced, dried powdered sweet milk and red syrup flavor (previously mentioned in an earlier post). It tastes like heaven when you're at the beach.
Sunday was our day to journey back so we never made it to the beach. However, we spent the morning visiting, and had Easter lunch at Pizza Hut. During lunch I tried to explain an easter egg hunt. When you think about it, they are extremely weird. Also on the way home I got to take pictures of the scenery. I had not previously visited a place in Costa Rica that was not overwhelmingly green. However, Guanacaste looked a whole awful lot like Colorado. I’ll show you what I mean:
Colorado?
Slowly transforming back to the green Costa Rica I know. (Note the windmills in the background)
Still trying to figure out how the heck the GPS works here since there aren't any street names here....
Tomorrow we have a field trip. That means there is soon more to come!
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