My final month here in Costa Rica has been far more eventful than I could have imagined. The first weekend I took my first ferry ride from Puntarenas to Paquera. It was a different experience to take a boat as public transport. Once we arrived in Paquera we had a two kilometers hike to the beach to see the phenomenal bioluminescence. Bioluminescence is when living organisms naturally produce light. It occurs widely in marine life and in some invertebrate animals, such as fireflies. Because the bioluminescence is activated by touch, we waited until nightfall and kayaked through the water. As the paddles of the kayak and our hands touched the water, the brightness increased. Running my hand through the water and seeing it light up made me feel a sense of power, as if I had some sort of “magic touch.”
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| First time riding on a ferry and enjoying phenomenon of bioluminescence |
The next day our group traveled to Montezuma. There were many people there, both tourists and locals. We all camped on the beach and my friends and I met a local man who took me fishing the next day. We went fishing in Playa Tambor, about 15 kilometers away from Montezuma. The fishing spot was populated by locals only and I enjoyed seeing how Ticos and Ticas spend their weekends.
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| Camping on a beach in Montezuma |
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| Enjoying fishing with my new friend in Playa Tambor |
The following weekend we traveled to Monteverde, approximately 140 kilometers from San José. This weekend was full of adrenaline-pumping excitement. The first day we all went zip lining and on a Tarzan Swing. I had never been on a Tarzan Swing before and that was an extremely exhilarating experience. The next day was nerve-wracking. We went bungee jumping from the tallest bungee jump in Central America! It took me four minutes to gather the courage to finally jump! During the long ride back to Chepe (what the locals call San José) I could still feel my heart racing.
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| Monkeying around after bungee jumping. What a nerve-wracking experience! |
That week my friends and I went to una partido de fútbol (soccer game). I was supporting Saprissa, my Mama Tica’s favorite team. The game ended in a draw between Saprissa and Limón. I enjoyed talking to other fans of the game and bantering with fans of the opposite team. As my Spanish improves, I am more confident and am able to showcase my personality in both English and Español.
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| ¡Vamos Saprissa! |
My final weekend here was spent entirely with my host family and roommate. We all went out to dinner at a local restaurant and had a lovely last supper. Realizing that I have to leave the people I have called family over the last semester has taken a bit of an emotional toll on me. I have grown so attached to the people and even pets. The relationships I have made over the last semester will be carried in a special place in my heart forever. Although I will miss Costa Rica, I am excited to return to my home in Iowa
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| La cena final con mi familia |
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