So I woke up this morning at 5:30. So unlike me... I know right! Anyway... The time change had me all screwed up so I went to bed super early yesterday! Woke up super early today. I had orientation at 7:30 and realized I don't have an alarm clock. So I was afraid to go back to bed and therefore decided to stay awake. So I laid in the hammock areas and just read. It was SO peaceful.
Then I went to Orientation. Nothing special, just met all the new newbies and learned about the program. I met Tsunami too... He is the directors adorable little dog, a terrier of some sort. Prob about 4-5 lbs. He has a full blown beard! He had an allergic reaction to the clippers so they had to stop short. His cut is SO cute! Back on track now..
Then I went to breakfast at the hotel. I had the traditional Tican Breakfast (Tican is what a Costa Rican is called) that consisted of rice, beans, pico de gallo & cheese on top of tortilla's with fried plantains. It was SO good! It's supposed to come with eggs but we all know how I feel about them. I ate with Brian and Kim my new friends from Chicago who are Ex's that went on vaca together... my thoughts exactly! While at breakfast a moth the size of my hand was flying around and the pretty blue birds I see all the time, well one ate it! Gross!
After breaky I headed to yoga- the pavillion is beautiful It is completely wooden and over looks the ocean. I loved it! We're right in the middle of the rain forest too so the sounds of the forest and the waterfall were soo soothing! I used to think I was pretty good at yoga- Well I have some learning to do. This was the best class I had ever taken. It was SO intense but in a good way. In my previous sessions, we concentrated more on relaxation while stretching but here there was no easy way out. Every move was the advanced version and there were no rests in between asanas (the poses). I was dripping bullets! So good though. Dagmar (my german instructor) is a genius!
Then after Yoga I felt like I was a sweaty mess so I came back to take a shower. Oh and to my surprise there was no hot water what so ever. After my Costa Rican induced Bikram sesh.. it felt good but like when you're really hot and you submerge in cold water... your breath almost stops... it was a weird sensation! I don't recommend it... but I'm getting used to it.
So then After I was clean Taurean and I went into Cobano ( a near by town) to go to Cabo Blanco Nationale- the bank. I needed to exchange all my American Dinero for Colognes (their currency). It was cool to get out of Montezuma and I felt safe with T-man! He's from Philly too! However at the bank there is a guard waiting out side the doors with an automatic rifle. It was some Call Of Duty shiz going on. Then when you walk in- you have to go through a metal detector... but it's like a case, it kinda looks like a phone booth, and you get completely enclosed and you go in one at a time. It was a scary experience. We got out of Cobano pretty quickly.
After Cobano we went into Montezuma and met up with Matt. We had lunch at one of the local sodas. I had vegetarian quesadillas with chicken & avocado salad. LOL I know its weird but like it's hard to order here. Matt is traveling south America with his wife. He had a black eye and I was like SO are ya gunna tell me. He told me it was from surfing... mind you I was just about to leave for surfing. I was like "OH... ummm.... Ok..... " I then went back to the hotel after lunch and got changed and ready to go surf.
So going to surf and surfing are two ENTIRELY different things. For starters... surfing is fun and wicked and I can do it! Getting to the beach where all that takes place requires about a 45-1 hour hike. Through the rain forest. It is death on a platter! Especially while wearing hott pink reef flip flops. My blisters are torture. But aside from the hike that is to become my daily routine and what is going to whip me into shape... the surfing was WICKED.
I have Guillermo, Pablo & Gustavo as surf instructors. They are SO funny and sweet! I heart them. They call me Love... because it's hard with their accents to pronounce Courtney and so Courtney Love... get it? Anyway, I oblige! Nothing is better than the smell of Sex Wax... for the boards you perverts.. get your mind out of the gutters... YES that means yo Grandma... I"M Just kidding! lol
So we waxed our boards, and practiced jumping... a concept I still dont understand. We then had to carry our boards to the beach. Crazy work out. We practiced dodging waves. Pablo told us and this is my fav advice thus far (if you get pulled underwater for a minute... Don't Breath... forget about breathing... because when you realize you can't you will panick and die!" I was like OH this will be easy- just remember not to breath. Anyway I had so much fun.
The waves were MASSIVE. Way to advanced for us.. but we do what we can. I got up... on all fours! I just couldnt master the jump. The one time i did get up my leg cramped and I panicked.... but I forgot to breath so it worked its self out! Either way... it was a blast and after 4 weeks I got this in the bag.
So after surfing we hiked back... SO not fun. I met Chris though who goes to UCLA and is my new fav person. We strolled back... so my pace, and then went to the hotel to clean up. We showered (not together) with more cold water (was a little easier the second time) and then went back into town for dinner. I got a hamburger which was SO fabulous. I was so hungry I really didnt care. I need to take in the culture though and continue eating some more tican food. We also ate with Matt, Lucien (from U.K.), Will and adam. It was fun. Chris then took me to the grocery store so I could get some agua. GooD call! We then headed back to the hotel.
I went up to the hammocks with my laptop and ichatted with my mom for a bit. That was cool- it's like a free telephone call. I check Perez and fb, and still need to respond to people (I'm sorry). Then Chris came and we chatted for like 3 hours. He's soo fab! He then went to the next town over called Mal Peis with a bunch of people for a reggae beach party. I was going to go but its only my first week here and I need to be up and ready to go for yoga in the morning. I also don't want to be burnt out completely my first week. There will be other trips and who know's maybe i'll be organizing them.
After they left I met Geenie, who is a school psychologist who went to boarding school in Germany. We totally bonded! While hanging out in the hammocks with Geenie, I got my dog fix with Java... he's my buddy. He looks part black lab with mutt in him. He gives me kisses when I miss Roxy. It's not the same because nothing will compare to my little man... but it's nice to have some K=9 companionship. Java and Tsunami take the cake thus far!
So now I am in bed ready to do it all over again tomorrow!
Mom- BTW I am O.k. and blogging will prob only take place once a night- and not until later. I will update my FB status so you can check that to make sure I'm alive! Yes Dad I got your messages! I miss you too! Thank's again Gram for watching Roxy... I miss him! You're the best!
Gnight & Pura Vida
xo
C
