Samara Beach Excursion

Well I haven't posted for a little while because I have been away for the weekend. I did not post Thursday because I had a busy day and then went out for the first time and wanted to get to bed early in order to wake up early for my trip Friday. Somehow my post from last Wednesday, July 10th got deleted which I am not happy about because I now have no way of accessing it. Thursday was good except that I was sick. I'm guessing just travelers sickness because I feel better now. My Human Rights in Latin America teacher is very engaging and creates stimulating discussions which makes it much more bearable from 7-9 at night. Although I don't agree with everything she says, it is still interesting to see different sides of issues. My professor is British and her accent is so cool. I go to the dance lessons the school offers on Tuesdays and Thursdays after my night class. It is honestly so fun and much better than how Americans usually dance. I should not be saying Americans because many people from central or South America consider themselves American as well.

On Friday, I got up early to go to class because I had to leave straight from school for our excursion to Samara Beach. We had a free day at the beach Saturday and went turtle watching in the evening. It's ironic how Costa Rica has so much of it's own culture but yet so many different elements as well. Some of the same stores exist and people wear clothes from places like Forever xxiv and things that say, "I love New York". They are truly their own unique people. On the way to Samara, I saw many stray cats and dogs. It is sad that they don't have families to live with, but they did look like they were well feed which is good I guess. We were able to catch the beautiful sunset on the way. Went went out to a bar/restaurant and got casados (typical Costa Rican plate which includes salad, beans, rice, a meat, and vegetable (usually plantain). We got some drinks and walked a little on the beach.Sat

Out to lunch with the group

Friday's Dinner (Casado)

We got up early and had breakfast at our hotel on Saturday. We went to a beach about 15 minutes away from Samara called Carrillo. The water was blue and a lot clearer than what I have swam in before. This was my first time in the Pacific Ocean! We took some cool pictures on rocks and then headed back to Samara. We had lunch at a place next to the hotel which took forever. We enjoyed our food but were disappointed in how long it took. Then, we went down to Samara beach and swam for a little. There were people horseback riding along the beach. It looked very fun! At 6:30 PM, we had to be on the bus to go see turtles lay their eggs at place called Ostional. Two and a half hours later we made it to the turtle beach. The road going there was bumpy and filled with potholes so the driver had to go extremely slow. I don't think it would have taken more than 35 minutes in the states. But that is the difference here and the United States. Sometimes things take longer to do in Costa Rica, but the people talk and relate with each other during that time. I am learning to embrace the culture. At Ostional, we saw the turtles come up the beach and start digging to lay their eggs. I swear the turtle was so close to laying her eggs, but it was too dry so she went down into the water where she would eventually lay them and sadly, they would die.

Carillo Beach with Jill, Shannon, & Caity

Sea Turtle at Ostional

On Sunday, many of my roommates woke up super early to see what they called an "unimpressive sunrise". I am glad I didn't. I had my favorite food for the first time since I've been here. It was snickers ice cream! This weekend was amazing. I was able to get closer to everyone in the group. After our five hour drive back to San Jose from Samara, I had dinner with my family and then uploaded my pictures taken so far to Facebook. Today has been uneventful for the most part. I had a regular day of classes and homework to do. I am getting more homework as the time goes on so it may be harder for me to post everyday. I did get to watch "Sydney White" with my host sister, Ana Gaby. It was especially funny since I am in a sorority. Until tomorrow.

Pura Vida.