Flast Forward to NOW

2 – 3 – 07

I definately dont have enough time on internets right now to keep up backlogged blog entries and detailed accounts of stuff. So were gonna flash forward to now… quick overview, my parents met me in San Luis and spent a few days with me and the family before I said good bye to them. Then I went with my parents to the Arenal area, which is the most active volcano in Costa Rica, and also one of the biggest gringo circuit tourist traps in Costa Rica. It was fun hanging out with my parents and it was very cool to see lava spewing out of the volcano at night, kinda like the best fireworks show, but overall Arenal was frusterating in that it was impossible to get away from the tourists and from spending lots of money on canned tours. I think if Id been there longer maybe I could have found a niche, like I did in the Monteverde area… but we didnt stay long.

We were staying though out of La Fortuna, the nearest town, in the place called the Cerro Chato lodge with a really crazy revolutionary Costa Rica with all kinds of ideas about politics and hating George Bush and respecting your parents, and how women are the future. It was really interesting talking to him, or general being talked at by him with a kinda crazy look in his eyes. We climbed the Cerro Chato, which is an old volcano with a lake crater in the middle. It was a crazy hike of about 4 hours up and then about 3 hours down… but very pretty views.
The next day was spend riding in buses, down to Alejuela and then a taxi to Ciudad Colon and then bus to Puriscal and then to Mastatal where we got off to begin the next leg of life.

Mastatal is a small farming village that has been built up by the arrival of 3 different tourist-sustainable living educational facilities. Rancho Mastatal is the biggest and more established local, with lots of workshops and classes relating to sustainable living, construction, organic farming, and other good stuff like that. Lots of intellectuals. La Iguana Chocolate is a typical WWOOF farm with lots of youngish people working the land, for a tico family. It is cool but overwhelmingly americanized. And Cabanas Siempre Verde where I am is a combination organic farms volunteer program and spanish lessons for americans. Itś nice cause itś smaller key and more time speaking spanish. Overall Im really enjoying my time here and at the moment planing to stay indefinately, until I decide to move on.

There is plenty more to say but internet time is limited and Im itching to get to the beach….

More updates someday.