What an amazingly hectic past 3 days! My last day in Atenas with the Garcia Family was packes with lessons and traveling. Last brekfast of mango, piña, pan y cafe then I had an 8 to 12 Spanish Review with Priscilla then walked 30mins to Atenas (in the lluvia to look at shops. There I bought pan con crema dulce (bread with sweet cream inside), yucas fritas served with this mayonnaise ketchup dip, a Bon Bon (chocolate peanut ball I think) and a very yummy pastry with guayaba jam inside! Soooo good!

Then I returned to the ATESA school where Mercedes gave me mas cafe and a piece of fruity chocolate cheescake. Ate wayy too much then had a dance lesson with a guy named Fabio. That was the best dance lesson I have ever had, and I learned more fancy Salsa moves, the Merengue and Swing (not like americanos). I really hope I can remember everything and my ¨hermano¨ here says we can dance too! So at this time I am wet from rain and sweaty from dancing but next I had my cooking class two houses down. Before I entered the house, I called Revae, expressing my excitment  in partial screams. The lady that cooked with me was called Laticia and was the nicest lady I have ever met. They are very nice here and really try to help yoiu understand something if you´re lost. We made picadillo (I´ll gice the recipe later) y empañadas con queso, picadillo y frijoles negros. It was so delicious! She first cooked garlic in the pan but only for taste, I told her I loved garlic and so we sat and ate the rest of the carmelized garlic with butter, talk about healthy...haha. Then I asked if the plantains were ripe and she said, Le gusta and I said ohh yea Sí, mucho! So she then cooked some plantains for me! She also made this sour cream, which doesnt taste like ours at all. Besides the wonderful dishes, we talked and laughed so much! I was telling her all about Ukrainian food and how perogies are similar to the empañadas and told her I will return someday and make them for her. By the end of all the comida sobrosa, I really though I had a kid because I was ridiculously full. It was very painful. I told Leticia about the expression Ï ate like a cow (Comí como una vaca) and she thought it was the most hilarious thing in the world. She also kept making fun of me since I was so full. Finally went home, packed, and waited to say adios to Alonso. He listen to my ipod for a bit then we played rummy. Then bed and another mago y piña with cafe y pan. Said goodbye to my host parents and went to catch my first bus to San JOse.

IFor some reason I sat in the back of the bus, alone. stupid. So some guy sat next to me and started talking to me halfway during the trip. So paranoid me started freaking out and thinking of escape plans. Turns out he was just a nice guy...anyway, the trip to San Jose from Atenas was reallly neat. We went through (my new word) the frungle or frungletan, for forest and jungle and mountains, since that is the only way to describe Costa Rican scenery. To my padres: it was like the roads going up the mountains of Glacier National Park, so a little scary. The buses, and cars drive SO fast on such tiny roads! and there are cliffs and jungles and streams, oh it was gorgeous. At San Jose I caught a cab to another terminal and bought a ticket to Ciudad Quesada. That trip was like a roller coaster. I always got a thrill fomr surfing and snowboarding and driving, but Ive never driven like that! SO fast! mY stomach dropped several times through the zig-zagged mountainous streets. Another terminal and another bus to Zoo La Marina and I was there, 5 hours later. 

I got a tour by the director Marta´s daughter Alba and then met the other voluntarios. There are people from Cally, Canada, Germany, Holland and Ohio,2 guys rest girls. Work is 8 to 3, with a 9 cafe break and hour lunch. There is a jaguar and 2 lions!!!! 9 others, 2 youner than me and the rest older. They are all very nice. I could have gone home but decided to stay and start work so I went to the pig pens with 3 of the girls and helped clean cage. After work I went with all the voluneers to a Natural Hot Springs only 10 minutes away. It was about 12 dollars and was beautiful. Walked down, then through the frungle to many little hot tub pools. I bought a Piña Colada, with rum- bought my first alcoholic drink! and we all chilled in the springs until 6 and headed back. 3 of the girls were walking and I tried calling Jose to pick me up bu no answer so I walked with them. Bad idea. Walked at night on the road, no lights, fast cars and random ppl. But we mad it to their house where Jose (Marta´s son y his family picked me up. Im staying with the director Marta´s Mom, Doña and Marta´shermana Mary. Their house is large and very nice. Again, the tile in these homes are bonita.  I got a tour and then ate dinner. Too much. Demasiaso. lol. Arroz con frijoles, papas, queso, leche, cafe, tamates, jamón. Jose speaks a little English so we talked for a bit and he helped me with translating, as the family speaks muy rápido. Very amable y loco people.

This morning I had cereal, leche y cafe for breakfast, and then she made grille queso y jamón sanwiches. ay mi dios. Then to the Zoo. In the morning I scrubbed all the algae, lana, off the feline cages and sendero, path. Asked for that job since Im literall a foot or less from the jaguar, margays and jagaurundi. The tiger isextremely fat since its previous owner overfed him. :( Then coffee then almuerzo. Mary packed me this fruit juice, arroz y frijoles, pollo y ensalada. Then I scrubbed the heladero, freezer, where they kill, chop and keep cows to feed the animals. :( It rained in the morning, like terrential downpour and thank gosh Marta has raincoats and pants for us since the ones I bought are definitely not impermeable...soaked all day and covered with the bleach that I cleaned with. Not fun and dont even get to work with the animals. Not even a vet here but very rarely. Oh well at least I get to be close to them and can have fun with my family and other volunteers.

Cant wait til mis padres get here! After work today We bussed to Aguas Zarcas and using the internet now. No internet there so maybe I will talk in a few days. I miss everyone., Sorry, but to save money Im notgoing to be sendng anything and will only bring things back with me...but xoxo de Costa Rica para Ud and de mi!!!! ¡Feliz Cumpleaños a todos!! ¡Hasta luego!