Manuel Antonio

Well, honestly there's not a whole lot to say about Manuel Antonio besides the fact that it was obviously the smart choice as opposed to Tamarindo (where there was apparently a massive celebration this weekend that left most hotels booked). We left on Friday at noon from the ghetto-ass "Coca Cola Station" which let me tell you, fully lives up to its reputation as a ghetto spot, and not someplace you want to just hang out. There were tons of shady-looking people who were all eager to get at us and/or our money. We had no less than three taxi drivers try to tell us that the roads were closed and we had no chance of getting there without their assistance. Needless to say, we took our chances and arrived just fine.

The ride was pretty short...about 3.5 hours which put us in at around 4:00 PM. Like usual, it was sweltering hot there and my shirt was pretty much immediately soaked through. This is not something I could ever really get used to, or even like. Every weekend trip we've taken, whether to the beach or up in the mountains always has two things in common: humidity and rain. This weekend was absolutely no different!

We checked into our hostel, which was nothing special. Again, it was pretty much just a small room, one bed, a fan, and a table where you could place all your crap. All this for the bargain price of $10. Every weekend, I've said that I'm going to "splurge" on a decent hotel, but every time, I've decided to stay with the rest of the group and save some dough (which I inevitably waste/blow on cocktails and food). I have decided however, that while in Nicaragua, I really am going to get a decent place, or at least one with a good air-conditioner (which will be a good investment as it's supposed to be in the 90's). Sorry, Stockton people. I realize now that that seems rather mild...lol

Anyway, after arriving, we hit the local tourist trap of a restaurant and spent the next few hours there having dinner and drinks, meanwhile avoiding the rain (which was pretty intense). It cleared up a couple of hours later and we left, heading for the local liquor store and subsequently, the beach. We drank enough beers that at some point, it seemed like a great idea to jump in the ocean and swim for a while. And you know, that's something I can only be convinced to do when A) It's late B) I've had a number of drinks and C) When other people are doing it. Normally, I'm pretty timid around the ocean because I can't stop thinking about sharks, killer whales, stinging jellyfish, etc. But, this night, I guess all the stars just lined up...

The next day, we got up and headed into the national park. It was a really nice walk, and even though we really didn't see much on the way in, when we got to the end (the beaches), the area was teeming with wildlife. If you look at my pictures on FB, you can see the multitude of monkeys and other animals. We stumbled upon a group of monkeys on a few occasions, and I got some really good shots. They were seriously within arm reach, and that was incredibly cool. Never did I have time to think about a rabid monkey attaching itself to my face and eating my eyeballs right out of the sockets, but of course, that was still an after thought. After sufficient wildlife viewing, we retired to the beach where we spent the next few hours lounging on the beach and floating in the ocean. The beach was stunningly beautiful, with gorgeous views and a really impressive panorama.

Later, it was off to another beach and an "all you can eat" spaghetti dinner at the hostel. That was a little ghetto, but hey, it was really cheap. Like $3 cheap. Later that night, it was back out for more drinks, which was pretty mellow as bars (THE bar, actually) was closed by midnight. We hung out on the beach (stayed out of the water this time) with the locals, who provided us with some comic relief. Serious beach bums in this place...

The next day came with a rude awakening. And that rude awakening came in the form of some serious pain on my shoulders and back. Indeed, it was not a good idea to go without the sunscreen. The only thing that was comforting about this was that I was one of the least worst sunburned in the group. At least I had the sense to only stay out for a couple of hours. Some German friends of ours didn't fare as well. I seriously thought their faces were about to peel off! We spent the rest of the day out on the beach, since we opted for the later bus. This time, I used generous amounts of sunblock and splurged on the beach chair and umbrella. Aside from hours on the beach just lounging, we got a wild hair and decided to ride "The Banana Boat," which was a giant tube pulled behind a boat. THAT was good times. We were out on the ocean for only about 10-15 minutes, but probably spent the majority of this time in the water (AFTER being thrown off repeatedly).

We caught the bus right at 5:00, and not a second too soon. I seriously thought I was going to kill someone after sweating that much. It was just constant, and it started to get really old. Add to that the sunburn and a big backpack on my shoulders...I was DONE. Getting back into San Jose was such a welcome relief, with it's temperatures in the high 60's. It felt SO good.

Which brings me to today...my last week in class. After today I have only three days left, which seems pretty crazy to me. I have resolved myself to the fact that after four weeks in class, I am NOT fluent, and really not anywhere near it. Obviously my Spanish is much better, but I am still in a fairly constant state of confusion and have many regular struggles. I think the thing I learned most about during this trip is the learning process, and what works and doesn't work for my own learning style. I have some great new insights that I will take with me back to the classroom, and that is an education that is worth its weight in gold. When I get back, one of my first orders of business is figuring out how I can continue to learn and keep fresh what I've picked up while here.

Alright, well that just about does it. I imagine I'll get in another post before I take off...maybe Friday night. This week will be action-packed, I'm sure, as it's all about enjoying our last few nights together. We're heading out tonight to Caccio's, which is a cool bar place that serves steins (called Olaffos) for about two bucks. They also have great pizza. What a great combination, huh?! On Friday, Jacob and I are cashing in on our "free trip" which will be whitewater rafting somewhere nearby. I'll take it easy that night, as I have a 6:00 AM bus ride to Grenada, Nicaragua. I'll be there until Thursday, coming back that night. I'll spend my last Friday here in town probably picking up useless souvenirs and crap that I'll stuff in drawers never to be seen again. Then, it's off to the airport bright and early Saturday morning.

This trip has been going by very quickly, and while I've never been eager to get back, last night I had my first USA dream where I was back at home wondering where all the time went, and late to school for my first day. I hope that wasn't a premonition...