mi primero fin de semana en costa rica

this weekend was so jam-packed with amazing sights, incredible food, and fun with new friends, that i can only begin to blog about it...so i'll start with friday...a sort of "preview" to my "fin de semana."

in costa rica, the months that are summetime in the US are the months of the rainy season. the mornings start out clear in santa ana and by noon it is overcast. often, afternoons are very rainy, with thunderstorms and torrential downpours! for this reason, i and some other students from the program have been taking early morning walks to see the views when it is clear. on friday, we walked into the mountains for the first time.

we started our hike through the town of salitral. it is picturesque because of its location but it is also an impoverished area.



and some snapshots of the flora and fauna along the way...


not all of it was exactly "natural." but this is definitely part of the scenery down here!

las bananas!



our friday, as expected, became very rainy. in the afternoon, we took a journey by bus to nearby escazu...and got drenched. but it was still an adventure! (below, daniele, uhnyak, gabi, me!)



it was still a little pretty, even in the downpour...


and after buying ponchos, still getting really wet, and eating some fried chicken, we are still smiling!

more weekend goodness to come...