Art

We were pretty tired today, so we decided to go to a museum. We went to the Museo de Arte Costarricense (museum of Costa Rican art) in San Jose. There was a lot of cool and amazing artwork, but I was really interested in Francisco Amighetti's work.



Amighetti had an academic background, but he rebelled against the European style of art and created a distinct Costa Rican style. His artwork was influenced by surrealism, but portrayed regular life in Costa Rica. Even though some of his techniques seemed similar to European and American art, I could see the cultural flavor. He has become internationally famous for his paintings and engravings.



~Nadia

WELCOME 2010!

Wow! I can't believe it's a new decade already! It has definitely been off to an amazing start!



We kicked off the new year with a huge party in San Jose's central park. There was plenty of fireworks, food, drinks, and dancing. This was the first time I have count down to the new year in Spaninsh!

There are still Christmas decorations everywhere, but they are a sign of tradition, not holiday laziness :-). Ticos celebrate Christmas until January 6 (traditionally the day the three wise men arrived to worship Jesus).

Happy New Year!

~Nadia

White Water Rafting!

This morning, we drove down to Pacuare River, one of the most beautiful and scenic rivers in all of Costa Rica. It was about a long 90 minute drive to the river, but breakfast was included in the price! The drive there and back was also very scenic with beautiful mountian ranges to our left and right. We were all anxious to get there and go rafting. None of us have been white water rafting before, and I was nervous!



We finally got there but it took a little while for us to get our equipment together; plus, we had a novice rafting lesson. We finally got into the raft and I couldn't stand but smile. We were supposed to have three to four people in the boat, but our guide let us bend the rules. We started off, the five of us and our tour guide, in a raft floating gently down the river. It was easy at first but it got a lot harder! We all got wet a few times, but it was very fun.


We stopped about half way through, to eat a picnic lunch. They brought us sandwhiches, subs and chips, which I thought was the perfect picnic. We finished eating and took off to finish the other half of the 18 mile river!

~Nicole

History

Today, we visited the National Museum of Costa Rica. The exhibits were cool—they showed the history and science of the country—but I thought the location was the most interesting part.

The museum is located on the Bellavista Headquarters, the former headquarters of the national army. Bellavista means "beautiful view", but this beautiful location has an ugly history.

The building was started in 1917, by Federico Tinoco Granados, a tyrannical president who abused the military for oppressive purposes. Construction of the building was stopped when his regime was overthrown.

The headquarters was later finished and then used during the Costa Rican Civil War in 1948. The Civil War was a short and bloody struggle over the results of a presidential election (one side believed the election was fraudulent). Afterwards, the victorious junta government abolished the army, and the headquarters became a museum.

Although Costa Rica is a peaceful and beautiful country today, it is important to remember its bloody background.



~Nadia

Watch Our Adventures

Today, we did some souvenir shopping/ late Christmas shopping in downtown San Jose. Its a beautiful city that really puts be in the mood to spend money :-).

We went to the Mall San Pedro and Terra Mall (two large, modern malls), but my favorite spot was a local market called the Plaza de la Democracia. It was a charming shopping spot full of souvenirs, handicrafts, musical instruments, and jewelery. However, I happen to be a terrible bargainer, so my money disappeared quickly!

I also uploaded a video of our canopy tour. Check it out!

~Nadia

Eruption!

Today we got to witness an erupting volcano while relaxing in hot springs and getting massages.

We went to see Arenal Volcano.

Arenal is a volcano that has been in constant activity since the eruption in 1968. It's not active enough to be dangerous, if you keep your distance; it's just active enough to look really amazing. Still, it's pretty creepy to be so close to an erupting volcano!

Our nerves were calmed by Los Peridos springs. The name means "the lost springs", but today, they are a popular tourist destination. The volcanic activity below the surface creates natural hot tubs of warm, bubling mineral water. We also got excellent massages while we watched Arenal Explode. It was thrilling and relaxing at the same time.
-LeeAnn

Flying

Today we headed to Mahogany Park for a canopy tour. As soon as we arrived at the park, I knew it was going to be amazing. Between the massive mahoganies and other trees, the forest was filled with life, from the creatures beneath our feet to the tropical birds soaring above us. Nicole, who had done her reasearch, told me that the birds were tinamou and jabriru, but I was just excited to soar above the jungle with them.



After climbing up a platform, we were hooked to a cable. We went across the forest, and the whole world seemed to fly by. I was so terrified, I couldn't speak, but everyone else was screaming their heads off. As soon as I started to relax, we landed, and climbed up to another platforms. We did this nine times.

When we were on one of the platforms, we spotted a white faced capuchin monkey. We only saw it for a second, but it was adorable! It looked like this:

After a day of flying through the jungle, it was time to go home. We were all exausted and arguing about who would shower first, but this experience was totally worth it.

~Nadia