A few things i love about costa rica after my first three weeks here:
1) everything in costa rica is an adventure
my first forray out to the river for a swim. seems harmless enough, plus no one has actually SEEN the crocodile in el rio since sometime before january. after heading out on the 3k trail to the river, i realize the bike has a flat tire. no problem, i'll walk. once at the river, discover in order to cross to the other bank, you pully yourself over in a metal cart that swings 20 ft above the water. and has the tendency to come of its cable. excellent. lots of fun. and once in the river, realized i didnt remember to bring a flashlight with me and it will be dusk soon. so i maddly scramble to make it back to my cabina before dark. but the trip was well worth it, and EVERYTHING is more fun when its an adventure.
2) and the good-natured attitude of everyone. especially my field assistant
who has to watch me at almost every turn. because if i'm not almost falling off a fallen tree while trying to cross the river, or sliding down a muddly slope straight for a spiny palm, or trying to grab onto branches and lianas with bullet ants on them, then i'm DEFINITELY sunk up mid-leg into the mud and need to be pulled out. we get along great. i wave my hands at him and try to speak spanish. while he tells me that he is going to a) make me swim back to the river station, b) make me climb trees to collect some epiphyte 20 m in the canopy or c) ditch me in the woods to test my sense of direction.
3) there is always something exciting going on
poisonous snake tracking through swamps at night, poison dart frog collecting during the day, trying to find the 2.5 m boa in the field, mist netting for bats... endless possibilities.
4) the national passtime in costa rica is the art of 'subtle' seduction.
so maybe its just the culture and i just need to adjust, but... Its monday nite. hot and humid i have big plans of sprawling on my bed with minimal clothing and the ceiling fan going full speed. until i run into one of the costa rican researchers here. he wants to have a party. music. beer. wine. dancing. he'll even teach me salsa and merengue. sounds good to me. i agree to dance lessons, assuming he must mean at the currently fictional party. until he finds me 5 minutes later. cds in hand. to give me a private party and private dance lessons. in his room. his dimly lit room.
so i now have a fictional boyfriend. who is very tall. and strong. and protective. did i mention how strong he is? oh, and we've been dating for over 5 months now. i'm thrilled. never thought my longest 'relationship' would be FICTIONAL. if things go well, who knows. maybe we'll get a fictional apartment and live together somewhere nice. and the wedding is sure to be something. maybe i wont be the crazy old lady with 40 cats. i'll be crazy with 40 cats and imaginary friends.
now, if i could only get the lab manager to stop trying to apply lotion to me at night, then i would be set. don't even ask about that one...
oh, and one more thing: 5) the second national passtime of (rural) costa rica. KARAOKE. every bar has karaoke. and drunken ticos like to wail off-key love songs in spanish. i love it.
1) everything in costa rica is an adventure
my first forray out to the river for a swim. seems harmless enough, plus no one has actually SEEN the crocodile in el rio since sometime before january. after heading out on the 3k trail to the river, i realize the bike has a flat tire. no problem, i'll walk. once at the river, discover in order to cross to the other bank, you pully yourself over in a metal cart that swings 20 ft above the water. and has the tendency to come of its cable. excellent. lots of fun. and once in the river, realized i didnt remember to bring a flashlight with me and it will be dusk soon. so i maddly scramble to make it back to my cabina before dark. but the trip was well worth it, and EVERYTHING is more fun when its an adventure.
2) and the good-natured attitude of everyone. especially my field assistant
who has to watch me at almost every turn. because if i'm not almost falling off a fallen tree while trying to cross the river, or sliding down a muddly slope straight for a spiny palm, or trying to grab onto branches and lianas with bullet ants on them, then i'm DEFINITELY sunk up mid-leg into the mud and need to be pulled out. we get along great. i wave my hands at him and try to speak spanish. while he tells me that he is going to a) make me swim back to the river station, b) make me climb trees to collect some epiphyte 20 m in the canopy or c) ditch me in the woods to test my sense of direction.
3) there is always something exciting going on
poisonous snake tracking through swamps at night, poison dart frog collecting during the day, trying to find the 2.5 m boa in the field, mist netting for bats... endless possibilities.
4) the national passtime in costa rica is the art of 'subtle' seduction.
so maybe its just the culture and i just need to adjust, but... Its monday nite. hot and humid i have big plans of sprawling on my bed with minimal clothing and the ceiling fan going full speed. until i run into one of the costa rican researchers here. he wants to have a party. music. beer. wine. dancing. he'll even teach me salsa and merengue. sounds good to me. i agree to dance lessons, assuming he must mean at the currently fictional party. until he finds me 5 minutes later. cds in hand. to give me a private party and private dance lessons. in his room. his dimly lit room.
so i now have a fictional boyfriend. who is very tall. and strong. and protective. did i mention how strong he is? oh, and we've been dating for over 5 months now. i'm thrilled. never thought my longest 'relationship' would be FICTIONAL. if things go well, who knows. maybe we'll get a fictional apartment and live together somewhere nice. and the wedding is sure to be something. maybe i wont be the crazy old lady with 40 cats. i'll be crazy with 40 cats and imaginary friends.
now, if i could only get the lab manager to stop trying to apply lotion to me at night, then i would be set. don't even ask about that one...
oh, and one more thing: 5) the second national passtime of (rural) costa rica. KARAOKE. every bar has karaoke. and drunken ticos like to wail off-key love songs in spanish. i love it.
despite the sarcasm (i am ALWAYS sarcastic), i am seriously enjoying myself. i cant wait to see what the next 5 months are going to bring me or where they will take me.
posted by erin at 3:17 PM
4 Comments:
wow im very impressed, do you take visitors down there? new york city is kinda like a jungle... of course the bats are replaced by pigeons and the rivers by gutters.. we have mud though and snow, i bet you dont have snow. =)
I have snow! Or at least slush. Umm... Did you tell anyone at the station about your new blog? 'cause if you did you and your fictional boyfriend may be headed for a less than fictional break-up. I wouldn't worry though. It seems like you have several willing replacements lined up... -Nicole
I'm glad i'm not the only one who has a BIG, strong, rugby (sounds tougher than football) playing ficitonal boyfriend when the need arises! I'm so jealous! I'm in Texas for work and I thought that was exciting... maybe i'll find a BIG strong REAL Cowboy instead! - Carrie :0)
Hey everyone! Thanks for the messages, it made my day(s)!! of course i take visitors:). and no snow, but lots of howler monkies (which are like the pigeons of the rainforest in my opinion).
and you wouldnt believe how many people have told me that they ALSO had fictional boyfriends when living abroad. so i guess we're less neurotic than i thought ;). comforting, si?
besos!!!
-rina
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