So this weekend was awesome. On Saturday, Kelly and I went to Palmerez where there was a country wide festival (about 20 min taxi ride). We got there to find basically a state fair on steroids. I dont know how else to explain it. It was similar to fair, but bigger things, and more of them...and A LOT of people. I dont think I posted any pictures of them, but there were 7 or 8 huge buildings that were assembled in the middle of a field in this small town. Each building thing was set up for late night dancing. There were TV´s on the outside of them, and DJ´s on the outside of them. It was just an enormous production. And if I knew how to salsa, I may have waited in line and start bustin the moves when they opened at 9pm.
Later that afternoon, Kelly and I went to their equivelent of a rodeo. It was awesome!! Watching the matador in person was a spectacle in itself, but after he was finished teasing a couple of bulls, they just let like 20-30 nobodies jump into the ring and just see how close they could get to attracting the bull. It was ridiculous. All I could think about was when a couple of buddies (you know who you are) and I tried going cow-tipping one night, and that one and only night. As soon as we got like 30 feet from the cow (ya know, WITHOUT horns) it started runnig at us. So basically, I can´t phathom what these guys could possibly be thinking. Anyway, the rodeo was full of close-calls and beer drinking.
Sunday was the coolest day for me here so far. My family had mentioned to me a waterfall that the locals go to every now and then. They didn´t know exactly how to get there, but gave me direction. So, Leslie, Susan, Kelly, and I (the only 4 volunteers currently in Atenas through this particular program) decided to take a taxi. We asked the driver for a cascada (waterfall) and he ended up driving us in the right direction. Funny enough, as soon as we were getting out of the city, he had to stop and continually ask people walking by where he should drop us off. Well we finally got dropped off with the driver pointing his finger where to start walking. We passed a little shelter-thingy with a couple people hanging out there. They also instrusted to a general direction for the cascada. We found this little river or stream and walked up and down it for about 3 hours. This is when we found the marching ants, and dragonflies, and catapillars, and dead snake (no picture). When we started walking back, the people we saw on the way down now had a whole family reunion goin on. We stopped by. They then offered us their tradional food, a couple beers, and some conversation that was all translated through their 15 yr old son. The nicest people I´ve ever met for sure!! We soon discovered that this mysterious waterfal was only a couple hundred more meters from where we stopped walking. So...the fater, son, and distant uncle escorted us down through the water, and sure enough, CASCADA!!!! I wont bother trying to put in words how amazing it was, but it was amazing! We swam there for a little bit beforing leaving. Alfredo Garcia, this father that had walked us down was actualy the owner of this waterfall and 600 acres around the area. He told us about the special trees around there, the white-faced monkeys that will throw nuts and things at you, and the 1 type of poisonous snake that lives in this region (which he was actually where the skin of on his hat).
We walked once again back to the picnic shelter thing and had costa rican coffee (still dont like coffee by the way) and cake. We hung out there for a couple of hours before walking home. The perfect day I believe.
I hate to have something bad to report , but....
I´m kinda getting tired of the rice and beans EVERY meal. I´ve been here for like 10 days, and had rice and beans like 25 times. Hopefully my mom (not you mom, my other mom :) ) will start picking up on how much rice and beans I´m not eating..we´ll see.

So my older sister, Mili 19, has had a boyfriend for like 5 years. I found out, through the younger sister Aryiana 17, that Mili is pregnant!! She then said that if Mili tells me, acted suprised!! And of course, Mili told me, and of course, I probably did a poor job of acting suprised. But Mili and William are both very happy about the baby, and I guess both families are supportive, so hurray. I asked if the plan on getting married or moving in together. She said no, neither. Not sure how that´ll work, but it´s Costa Rica...they do things differently I suppose.