On Friday morning, we took off for Uvita ("little grape?"), a beach just north of the Osa Peninsula that is home to The Ballena Marine National Park ("ballena" = WHALE).
The bus ride there was much like a cattle car. Despite being early for the bus, we were stuck with the front row seat over the wheel. Let's just say the bus capacity was 50, and we were running somewhere in the 70's. There's too many elbows to scrub in this tub... How that bus made it over the mountains is beyond me...There was a lot of Little Engine that Could references going on! The bus to Uvita was possibly more miserable. It was hot (and I mean Nicargua hot) and there were people selling banana chips every 3 miles. It took us 3 hours to go about 75 miles...and we didn't know where we were getting off in the first place.
By chance, we stopped in front of a sign for our hotel, and we dashed off the bus. We ended up walking up a dirt road, at this point unsure whether or not it was truly our hotel or just a billboard! We finally did make it, though we had to summit a mountain to get there...we arrived drenched in sweat, and the receptionist asked us where we parked our car. Ha ha! No ma'am, we are the "value travelers," and took the bus for $6 total!
The hotel had a beautiful view of the ocean and an infinity pool...nice! We stayed in the adventure lodge, i.e. the economy rooms (though a little pricier than the bus), which were quite suitable though at the bottom of said mountain. A hike to the breakfast buffet in the morning never hurt anyone!
The next morning, we had booked a whale watching excursion, and were SUPER excited about it. We awakened at 7AM to a very pleasant sound, though quickly realized that it was pouring rain. We were fogged in and coudn't even seen the ocean. Sad face.
Trip was postponed a few hours, which ended up fine. We took a small boat out to sea (not for the weak stomachs out there...you know who I'm talking about) and took our post to look for whales. After sitting with the engine off, rocking in the middle of the Pacific for long time, we finally saw our first spout, followed by whale tail! A male humpback, followed soon thereafter by his friend. The coolest part was getting in the water to hear them sing...sounds much like a cow being strangled under water. Moo!
We also managed to see some huge bottlenose dolphins and some brown footed boobies (cousins of the blue footed boobie of the Galapagos...talking about birds you sickos!). We had a great day despite the weather, and headed back to the hotel for some R&R, fresh banana daquiris, and an amazing sunset (pictures to follow)!
We are back in the rainforest for another couple of days before we head home on Sunday (hard to believe)! We are planning to leave for San Jose via Manuel Antonio on Thursday. Gotta get one last dose of Vitamin D before we head back to winter wonderland and the Vandy ICUs! We have now decided that we have celebrated all of our anniversaries (plus one) that we have missed during residency, and have hopefully replenished some of our sleep deprivation (sleep tank to at least 75% full). We have completed a record ten books and are still going. We have enjoyed the combination of medicine + spanish + rainforest + relaxation, and will fondly remember this trip forever.
Can't wait to see y'all soon! Ciao!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
B-A-N-A-N-A-S!!
Everyone loves a good banana (Kathleen prefers hers in pancakes), but have you ever stopped to think where a banana actually comes from? We went on our weekly field trip to a banana plantation today...who knew that Costa Rica was the 2nd biggest exporter of bananas in the world (behind Ecuador)? I guess we could have figured it seeing as though there are bananas growing everywhere, even in parking lots...David has decided it would be difficult to starve here because there are TONS of different fruits hanging off every tree...debatable.
But these bananas were the cream of the crop..."organic" bananas to be shipped to Europe. There are huge fields of them (apparently this is where the vipers like to lurk...yikes!) and they are brought in from the fields on little "banana trams," i.e. hung from a rod system and pulled in by one of the workers. Heavy duty!
The selection process is ridiculous...one tiny brown spot and you are booted! In fact, if one banana in an entire lot packed for shipping looks like it has a twig on its end that possibly could lead to the eventual growth of fungus, the entire thing is thrown away...each box is $8 worth of bananas and they had to throw out 300 boxes last week....$2400 down the drain...how 'bout them apples?
Moral of the story is that both "organic" and DelMonte bananas come from the same crop and are the same as every other banana. Word to the wise, no need to spend extra on the "organic" variety!
Speaking of fruit, has anyone ever heard of a Guanabana? Kathleen was the genius at the bar who asked if the guanabana daquiri was like banana (guess she likes bananas in daquiris too)...sources say no. The next day we got to try one of these guanabanas...about the size of a watermelon. You cut it open and it is filled with a white mucusy liquid and black seeds...sweet to the taste, but disgusting texture. Not a banana.
We are headed out this weekend on a whale hunt. Camera ready. Battery charged. Hope Willy is ready to breach, just not on us! Stay tuned...
Much love to you all!
But these bananas were the cream of the crop..."organic" bananas to be shipped to Europe. There are huge fields of them (apparently this is where the vipers like to lurk...yikes!) and they are brought in from the fields on little "banana trams," i.e. hung from a rod system and pulled in by one of the workers. Heavy duty!
The selection process is ridiculous...one tiny brown spot and you are booted! In fact, if one banana in an entire lot packed for shipping looks like it has a twig on its end that possibly could lead to the eventual growth of fungus, the entire thing is thrown away...each box is $8 worth of bananas and they had to throw out 300 boxes last week....$2400 down the drain...how 'bout them apples?
Moral of the story is that both "organic" and DelMonte bananas come from the same crop and are the same as every other banana. Word to the wise, no need to spend extra on the "organic" variety!
Speaking of fruit, has anyone ever heard of a Guanabana? Kathleen was the genius at the bar who asked if the guanabana daquiri was like banana (guess she likes bananas in daquiris too)...sources say no. The next day we got to try one of these guanabanas...about the size of a watermelon. You cut it open and it is filled with a white mucusy liquid and black seeds...sweet to the taste, but disgusting texture. Not a banana.
We are headed out this weekend on a whale hunt. Camera ready. Battery charged. Hope Willy is ready to breach, just not on us! Stay tuned...
Much love to you all!
Monday, January 17, 2011
Two pups and a sunken ship
Let's see, where did we leave off? No bug stories this time, though there continue to be plenty of creepy crawlers!!
We visited the Botanical Gardens right down the road on Thursday, learned lots about various plants in the area, saw some birds...rumor has it that the house is haunted and occasionally you see ghosts on the road outside Pablo's house. Creo que no...
On Friday, we hitched a ride to Golfito with Pablo, who was going to town for a meeting (amazing how much faster things are when you ride in a car rather than in a bus...). We then jumped on the ole water ferry and headed out to the Iguana Lodge in Puerto Jimenez. We were greeted with mango smoothies, a great view of the beach, and two highly fashionable sarongs...which were then used as towels (it was an eco-lodge in fact!). We spent most of our time walking the miles of beach and sitting by the pool reading and listening to the howler monkeys in the background.
Kathleen did tickle the adventure bone in her body and agreed to try a sea kayak and head out into the waves. It was a perfect launch and we paddled up and down the shore hoping that a large shark didn't eat us (though Kathleen hummed the Jaws theme for the duration of the trip). We then decided that it was time to go back to shore...and that is when the adventure began. As David steadied the boat and lined us up to catch a wave, Kathleen was at the front of the kayak paddling away, oblivious to the trouble brewing. As we caught a monster wave in (probably the biggest wave to hit the beach that day...) the kayak lurched forward, and then went vertical, straight down into the abyss of the Pacific. Kathleen bailed ship and David jumped out valiantly to save her life. Luckily we were only in 2 feet of water and we were able to corral Kathleen's paddle and the kayak and make for shore. It was only then that we realized that the kayak had a hole in the bottom and had been taking on water the whole voyage! We spent the next 30 minutes draining said kayak before returning it in mint condition...all in all, Kathleen's primary complaint was that her hat got wet...
We had an excellent candlelit dinner with the other guests on Saturday night and then headed back to San Vito on Sunday. It was hot as Hades on the bus, causing Kathleen to be "Unsure" and to reapply deodorant amongst the other passengers (hey, desperate times)...classy, though we were indeed riding on a big yellow school bus...
We got home safe and sound to "Casa de Pablo," aka. full fledged farm in the rainforest. Rumor has it, we're going to buy a cow tomorrow...We asked where they would keep it, as there is not much land...Response? The freezer, of course! Stay tuned for more from the silent cow auction...
We also arrived home to find that our pregnant puppy friend, "Pulgas" (i.e. "fleas") had labored and given birth to 2 pups in our absence...we were hoping to catch the birth, but it occurred overnight anyway. We now have 2 little "pulgitas" in the house...don't know about the baby daddy!
We do continue with our medical education as well, though it isn't quite as entertaining or rigorous as our travel! Today, Kathleen was in a local clinic while David participated in a teleconference with a dermatologist in San Jose. Nobody said Costa Rica wasn't wired! Our Spanish classes continue for 2-3 hours daily, though our progress is minimal...David remains the "class clown," humoring our teacher with his Spanglish and made up words. I know you all are shocked... :)
Hope you all are surviving the winter storms. We miss you all...stay tuned for more adventures!
We visited the Botanical Gardens right down the road on Thursday, learned lots about various plants in the area, saw some birds...rumor has it that the house is haunted and occasionally you see ghosts on the road outside Pablo's house. Creo que no...
On Friday, we hitched a ride to Golfito with Pablo, who was going to town for a meeting (amazing how much faster things are when you ride in a car rather than in a bus...). We then jumped on the ole water ferry and headed out to the Iguana Lodge in Puerto Jimenez. We were greeted with mango smoothies, a great view of the beach, and two highly fashionable sarongs...which were then used as towels (it was an eco-lodge in fact!). We spent most of our time walking the miles of beach and sitting by the pool reading and listening to the howler monkeys in the background.
Kathleen did tickle the adventure bone in her body and agreed to try a sea kayak and head out into the waves. It was a perfect launch and we paddled up and down the shore hoping that a large shark didn't eat us (though Kathleen hummed the Jaws theme for the duration of the trip). We then decided that it was time to go back to shore...and that is when the adventure began. As David steadied the boat and lined us up to catch a wave, Kathleen was at the front of the kayak paddling away, oblivious to the trouble brewing. As we caught a monster wave in (probably the biggest wave to hit the beach that day...) the kayak lurched forward, and then went vertical, straight down into the abyss of the Pacific. Kathleen bailed ship and David jumped out valiantly to save her life. Luckily we were only in 2 feet of water and we were able to corral Kathleen's paddle and the kayak and make for shore. It was only then that we realized that the kayak had a hole in the bottom and had been taking on water the whole voyage! We spent the next 30 minutes draining said kayak before returning it in mint condition...all in all, Kathleen's primary complaint was that her hat got wet...
We had an excellent candlelit dinner with the other guests on Saturday night and then headed back to San Vito on Sunday. It was hot as Hades on the bus, causing Kathleen to be "Unsure" and to reapply deodorant amongst the other passengers (hey, desperate times)...classy, though we were indeed riding on a big yellow school bus...
We got home safe and sound to "Casa de Pablo," aka. full fledged farm in the rainforest. Rumor has it, we're going to buy a cow tomorrow...We asked where they would keep it, as there is not much land...Response? The freezer, of course! Stay tuned for more from the silent cow auction...
We also arrived home to find that our pregnant puppy friend, "Pulgas" (i.e. "fleas") had labored and given birth to 2 pups in our absence...we were hoping to catch the birth, but it occurred overnight anyway. We now have 2 little "pulgitas" in the house...don't know about the baby daddy!
We do continue with our medical education as well, though it isn't quite as entertaining or rigorous as our travel! Today, Kathleen was in a local clinic while David participated in a teleconference with a dermatologist in San Jose. Nobody said Costa Rica wasn't wired! Our Spanish classes continue for 2-3 hours daily, though our progress is minimal...David remains the "class clown," humoring our teacher with his Spanglish and made up words. I know you all are shocked... :)
Hope you all are surviving the winter storms. We miss you all...stay tuned for more adventures!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Beetles and Bridges
So if we have learned on thing for sure on this trip, it's that David is an arachnophobe...actually, just a bug-a-phobe (please refer back to spider story from last week).
Let's rewind to a few nights ago, as Kathleen was sleeping soundly with her ear "tampones" (i.e. ear plugs) securely in place, comfy travel pillow under her head (let's be honest, she was only missing her beauty mask). She was suddenly awakened to a bout of thrashing and shrieking, flashlight on, and David frantically searching for a creepy crawler that had just tickled his legs. Ah, yes, our friend the extra large beetle was on the bedside table, and quickly flew up to the ceiling. (Yep, they fly) As Kath crawled sleepily out of bed, she urged David to throw something at it...a blanket, anything perhaps, so that she could go back to bed! The little guy found a landing place smack dab in the middle of the bed...and who got the honors, again? Kathleen got the trusty 2 gallon ziploc (ear plugs still in place), grabbed the little booger and threw him outside with the rest of his family...and the aforementioned spider. We were only allowed back in bed after a thorough bug check was performed...walls, corners, EACH layer of the bedding...and yes, that occurs every night from here on out...
In other news, we have had an exciting week. Monday was spent back at the clinic, where we were able to see patients together...David saw the crusty old people while Kathleen saw the babies. Perfect combination! Tuesday, David stayed at the clinic and Kath went to visit a drug rehabilitation center for teenage boys. It serves all of Costa Rica, and is in the most beautiful location, offering the boys education, work, and camaraderie! It is a wonderful two year program that treats young boys from the age of 12 to mid-20's. Sadly, there are several 12 year olds there...hard to believe. We treated their acute issues and provided some preventive care (Costa Rica does an amazing job of this), and had a very interesting visit.
This morning, the breakfast treat of the day was homemade tortillas...ah-maz-ing! David immediately made Costa Rica's first breakfast burrito full of egg and beans. Gotta get that recipe! After breakfast, we went on a one hour trip out to a local indian reservation, where the indigenous people of this region are living. They have a clinic on site and a school, but are incredibly impoverished. We feared for our lives as we crossed a swinging bridge that connects the main road from the living establishment. It was 20 to 30 feet above a river and consisted of 2 boards and some chicken wire. Yikes! Pictures to follow... Along the bridge also hangs a hose, which served as the only "fresh water" to their homes. Although we have seen multiple similar populations in Ethiopia and Nicaragua, it is always a different and very eye opening experience. Fortunately, the government programs here are working hard to improve their health care and general quality of life.
We finished the day with a run, a cold shower (whoops, ran out of gas!), and a delicious dinner...rice and beans! Tomorrow we are off on a field trip to the botanical garden nearby (A Fodor's Choice!) and more Spanish lessons...we have now relearned the past tense so that we can talk about things we did yesterday!
Hope you all are staying warm in all of the snow and ice, we are thinking about you all. We are back to the beach this weekend! :)
Let's rewind to a few nights ago, as Kathleen was sleeping soundly with her ear "tampones" (i.e. ear plugs) securely in place, comfy travel pillow under her head (let's be honest, she was only missing her beauty mask). She was suddenly awakened to a bout of thrashing and shrieking, flashlight on, and David frantically searching for a creepy crawler that had just tickled his legs. Ah, yes, our friend the extra large beetle was on the bedside table, and quickly flew up to the ceiling. (Yep, they fly) As Kath crawled sleepily out of bed, she urged David to throw something at it...a blanket, anything perhaps, so that she could go back to bed! The little guy found a landing place smack dab in the middle of the bed...and who got the honors, again? Kathleen got the trusty 2 gallon ziploc (ear plugs still in place), grabbed the little booger and threw him outside with the rest of his family...and the aforementioned spider. We were only allowed back in bed after a thorough bug check was performed...walls, corners, EACH layer of the bedding...and yes, that occurs every night from here on out...
In other news, we have had an exciting week. Monday was spent back at the clinic, where we were able to see patients together...David saw the crusty old people while Kathleen saw the babies. Perfect combination! Tuesday, David stayed at the clinic and Kath went to visit a drug rehabilitation center for teenage boys. It serves all of Costa Rica, and is in the most beautiful location, offering the boys education, work, and camaraderie! It is a wonderful two year program that treats young boys from the age of 12 to mid-20's. Sadly, there are several 12 year olds there...hard to believe. We treated their acute issues and provided some preventive care (Costa Rica does an amazing job of this), and had a very interesting visit.
This morning, the breakfast treat of the day was homemade tortillas...ah-maz-ing! David immediately made Costa Rica's first breakfast burrito full of egg and beans. Gotta get that recipe! After breakfast, we went on a one hour trip out to a local indian reservation, where the indigenous people of this region are living. They have a clinic on site and a school, but are incredibly impoverished. We feared for our lives as we crossed a swinging bridge that connects the main road from the living establishment. It was 20 to 30 feet above a river and consisted of 2 boards and some chicken wire. Yikes! Pictures to follow... Along the bridge also hangs a hose, which served as the only "fresh water" to their homes. Although we have seen multiple similar populations in Ethiopia and Nicaragua, it is always a different and very eye opening experience. Fortunately, the government programs here are working hard to improve their health care and general quality of life.
We finished the day with a run, a cold shower (whoops, ran out of gas!), and a delicious dinner...rice and beans! Tomorrow we are off on a field trip to the botanical garden nearby (A Fodor's Choice!) and more Spanish lessons...we have now relearned the past tense so that we can talk about things we did yesterday!
Hope you all are staying warm in all of the snow and ice, we are thinking about you all. We are back to the beach this weekend! :)
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Boats, Buses, and Automobiles...
It's hard to believe that we have been here for nine days. We wake up every morning at 6AM to the sounds of roosters, pigs, dogs, monkeys and the smell of "café" (coffee for you non Spanish speakers) and gallo pinto, the classic Costa Rican rice and beans breakfast dish. Sleeping in the rainforest is interesting...lots of things that go "bump" in the night (i.e. the possum that swung by the kitchen the other night for a late night snack). Marcel still hasn't shown up on the potty though!
Several nights ago, our favorite Irish Setter, "Canela" (i.e. Cinnamon) spent all night barking at the monkeys in the backyard...BAD Cannela! We spent the next entire afternoon searching for ear plugs (otherwise known as "ear tampons" if translated directly from Spanish). We were successful on store number 6, and our receipt totaled 25 cents for 2 pair. They worked about as expected...meaning not at all.
This weekend we ventured to Playa Zancudo ("playa" = beach) via the Costa Rican transportation system... ¿DONDE ESTAMOS? We were dropped off at the local bus station and told to get on the yellow bus. There were three yellow buses...awesome.
Fortunately we chose wisely and were off to Neily, where we boarded the brown bus. This took us to Golfito, which I figured was going to be a tiny town with one stop and a water ferry. As we went whizzing by the dock for the ferry to Zancudo, David and I kept figuring "the bus station must be right around this bend"...alas, there is not a bus station in Golfito. We got to the end of the town and had to hike back a mile to the ferry. Whoops!
We found the ferry, which was little more than a dingy without seats to take us 40 minutes across the sea. Let me just say, this trip was not for the weak stomach...or those with loaned wetsuits. :) Upon arrival, a taxi was waiting to take us to our beach front "resort" (and by taxi, I mean random white pickup truck that solely serves the entire area)...sweating about our weekend living conditions that had begun on the dingy worsened.
However, upon arrival to Coloso del Mar, we were met by the owner (from upstate New York) and led to our beach front cabina...wow...pleasantly surprised is an understatement. 50 yards from the beach, hammocks in between, blue water, and an amazingly empty black sand beach. Paradise. For $45 a night.
Our weekend was spent hammocking, reading profusely, and sleeping...oh yeah, and eating too (lots of avocado). We also witnessed two of the most beautiful sunsets we have ever seen...while eating homeade guac...and took about 1000 pictures of said sunsets (just wait, you'll see)!
All in all, an amazing weekend away...and we were able to make it back safe and sound. We are already planning next weekend's adventures...
On another note, given above massive guacamole/avocado and rice and beans ingestion, we came back for a little jog. Doesn't go so well when you're on the TOP of a mountain at 4000 feet. That half marathon in April isn't looking so good!
We are looking forward to another week of learning Costa Rican medicine and kindergarten Español...not sure what our week's plans entail yet, but we will update soon!
Love to you all!
Several nights ago, our favorite Irish Setter, "Canela" (i.e. Cinnamon) spent all night barking at the monkeys in the backyard...BAD Cannela! We spent the next entire afternoon searching for ear plugs (otherwise known as "ear tampons" if translated directly from Spanish). We were successful on store number 6, and our receipt totaled 25 cents for 2 pair. They worked about as expected...meaning not at all.
This weekend we ventured to Playa Zancudo ("playa" = beach) via the Costa Rican transportation system... ¿DONDE ESTAMOS? We were dropped off at the local bus station and told to get on the yellow bus. There were three yellow buses...awesome.
Fortunately we chose wisely and were off to Neily, where we boarded the brown bus. This took us to Golfito, which I figured was going to be a tiny town with one stop and a water ferry. As we went whizzing by the dock for the ferry to Zancudo, David and I kept figuring "the bus station must be right around this bend"...alas, there is not a bus station in Golfito. We got to the end of the town and had to hike back a mile to the ferry. Whoops!
We found the ferry, which was little more than a dingy without seats to take us 40 minutes across the sea. Let me just say, this trip was not for the weak stomach...or those with loaned wetsuits. :) Upon arrival, a taxi was waiting to take us to our beach front "resort" (and by taxi, I mean random white pickup truck that solely serves the entire area)...sweating about our weekend living conditions that had begun on the dingy worsened.
However, upon arrival to Coloso del Mar, we were met by the owner (from upstate New York) and led to our beach front cabina...wow...pleasantly surprised is an understatement. 50 yards from the beach, hammocks in between, blue water, and an amazingly empty black sand beach. Paradise. For $45 a night.
Our weekend was spent hammocking, reading profusely, and sleeping...oh yeah, and eating too (lots of avocado). We also witnessed two of the most beautiful sunsets we have ever seen...while eating homeade guac...and took about 1000 pictures of said sunsets (just wait, you'll see)!
All in all, an amazing weekend away...and we were able to make it back safe and sound. We are already planning next weekend's adventures...
On another note, given above massive guacamole/avocado and rice and beans ingestion, we came back for a little jog. Doesn't go so well when you're on the TOP of a mountain at 4000 feet. That half marathon in April isn't looking so good!
We are looking forward to another week of learning Costa Rican medicine and kindergarten Español...not sure what our week's plans entail yet, but we will update soon!
Love to you all!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
PURA VIDA!
David and I have embarked on our next adventure...a month in Costa Rica! After spending a couple of days with our families in North Carolina, we rang in the new year with a US Airways flight out of Charlotte direct to San Jose...with some cash, some clothes, and a medical-spanish dictionary (turns out it is not that helpful when you need to get on a bus)!
We knew that we were ultimately going to make it to San Vito, a small town in Southern Costa Rica to meet Dr. Pablo Ortiz, our host for the month...but we weren't quite sure how that was going to happen. Turns out, Pablo's friend picked us up from the airport and took us to his mother's house for the night. She was a very gracious host for two tired travelers as we began to dust off our broken Spanish, as she didn't speak any English at all (yikes!) and realized how much we have to learn this month!
We made it to the bus the next morning (thankfully) and were told not to get off until we got to the "parque de San Vito"....seeing as though the bus stops at random spots along the country road, we were worried we might miss it. Finally, we arrived at something that resembled a park - after many "¿es parque?" questions, we felt like we were in the right spot!!
Pablo found us (clearly not difficult, the 2 gringoes with the pack and huge rolling suitcase), and we embarked on a very bumpy journey up the mountain to his home in the rainforest.
This place is CRAZY! Kinda like Swiss Family Robinson style. No doors, no windows...just us and the monkey that lives outside. He steals bananas and eggs from the kitchen. We have named him Marcel.
A few highlights from our first few days here:
- On our first night here, I encountered a HUGE spider (we are convinced it was a tarantula) on the window in our room. Picture the following: Kathleen with winter gloves and a ziploc bag (thanks to David, the Eagle Scout, for having such things) and David with a coat hanger trying to tickle the spider and get him to drop in the bag. Screams ensued when the spider scurried in...and I dropped him outside. Gross.
-Our bathroom is outside our room...and I literally mean outside. We could wake up and find Marcel on the potty. Thank goodness that has not happened yet...stay tuned!
- Our first "field trip" was a trip to the Panamanian border, the "frontera"...it pretty much consists of prostitutes and beer cans. We didn't stay long! Adios, Panama!
-We have started Spanish lessons at the "bilingual kindergarten"...no joke, we sit at miniature tables and talk like Costa Rican toddlers. Pretty hilarious! We have a class every day...I think we have already made it to Spanish III. We still don't understand por vs. para, never will.
-We have spent the mornings this week at the local hospital with several of the general "medicinas" here. I knew I was in trouble when I figured out what the patient was here for when the doctor wrote the prescription...they talk so fast!!
- This morning, Pablo offers his diesel van (kinda reminds me of the Libyans van from Back to the Future)...obviously it's stick so yours truly has to drive it (David still refuses to learn)! Who knew that a diesel engine was so hard to start! I stalled out several times in the driveway, but managed to get up the bumpy driveway without hurting anybody. Hope my American driver's license holds up down here!!
- Fanta naranja and Chiky cookies are STILL my favorite.
This weekend we are planning a trip to Playa Zancudo. Not sure how the bus trip will go, especially given that there are NO published bus schedules in this country. Seriously? Oh well, we have a hotel reservation for a cabina on the beach...we will see if we can get there!
Wish I had pictures to post, but I don't have any way to upload them...mass picture uploading will ensue when we get back.
Until our next installment...Ciao!
We knew that we were ultimately going to make it to San Vito, a small town in Southern Costa Rica to meet Dr. Pablo Ortiz, our host for the month...but we weren't quite sure how that was going to happen. Turns out, Pablo's friend picked us up from the airport and took us to his mother's house for the night. She was a very gracious host for two tired travelers as we began to dust off our broken Spanish, as she didn't speak any English at all (yikes!) and realized how much we have to learn this month!
We made it to the bus the next morning (thankfully) and were told not to get off until we got to the "parque de San Vito"....seeing as though the bus stops at random spots along the country road, we were worried we might miss it. Finally, we arrived at something that resembled a park - after many "¿es parque?" questions, we felt like we were in the right spot!!
Pablo found us (clearly not difficult, the 2 gringoes with the pack and huge rolling suitcase), and we embarked on a very bumpy journey up the mountain to his home in the rainforest.
This place is CRAZY! Kinda like Swiss Family Robinson style. No doors, no windows...just us and the monkey that lives outside. He steals bananas and eggs from the kitchen. We have named him Marcel.
A few highlights from our first few days here:
- On our first night here, I encountered a HUGE spider (we are convinced it was a tarantula) on the window in our room. Picture the following: Kathleen with winter gloves and a ziploc bag (thanks to David, the Eagle Scout, for having such things) and David with a coat hanger trying to tickle the spider and get him to drop in the bag. Screams ensued when the spider scurried in...and I dropped him outside. Gross.
-Our bathroom is outside our room...and I literally mean outside. We could wake up and find Marcel on the potty. Thank goodness that has not happened yet...stay tuned!
- Our first "field trip" was a trip to the Panamanian border, the "frontera"...it pretty much consists of prostitutes and beer cans. We didn't stay long! Adios, Panama!
-We have started Spanish lessons at the "bilingual kindergarten"...no joke, we sit at miniature tables and talk like Costa Rican toddlers. Pretty hilarious! We have a class every day...I think we have already made it to Spanish III. We still don't understand por vs. para, never will.
-We have spent the mornings this week at the local hospital with several of the general "medicinas" here. I knew I was in trouble when I figured out what the patient was here for when the doctor wrote the prescription...they talk so fast!!
- This morning, Pablo offers his diesel van (kinda reminds me of the Libyans van from Back to the Future)...obviously it's stick so yours truly has to drive it (David still refuses to learn)! Who knew that a diesel engine was so hard to start! I stalled out several times in the driveway, but managed to get up the bumpy driveway without hurting anybody. Hope my American driver's license holds up down here!!
- Fanta naranja and Chiky cookies are STILL my favorite.
This weekend we are planning a trip to Playa Zancudo. Not sure how the bus trip will go, especially given that there are NO published bus schedules in this country. Seriously? Oh well, we have a hotel reservation for a cabina on the beach...we will see if we can get there!
Wish I had pictures to post, but I don't have any way to upload them...mass picture uploading will ensue when we get back.
Until our next installment...Ciao!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Headed Back Home...
Our biggest news this month is that David matched at Wake Forest for a Gastroenterology fellowship!! Although we love Nashville and will miss our friends dearly, we are excited to return to Winston-Salem next June. Kathleen will begin the search for her "big girl job" in the next few months so stay tuned! We're both looking forward to this next chapter in our lives...hopefully it won't involve quite as much in house call!
We enjoyed a trip home last month for Peter and Kenzie's wedding. It was a wonderful opportunity to see family and we had a blast celebrating the newlyweds! Bryan and David performed "the worm" at the wedding...unfortunately, I'm having trouble uploading the video!
We all enjoyed spoiling Miss Alexis over the weekend. In fact, her first babysitter, "Mama Martin" especially enjoyed cuddling with the little one!
We've enjoyed visitors in Nashville this month as well! Unfortunately it's been so incredibly hot that we were primarily confined to malls and restaurants (what a shame!), but we had a wonderful time with David's parents followed by Mama and the Martin brothers.
July 1st marks the start of a new year...and our LAST year of residency!! Seems like just yesterday that we were anticipating our July 1st calls as interns. Time does fly...and it can keep on flying for the next year! :)
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