tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20892782130504330542024-03-12T20:13:48.266-07:00Little Larky's LifeMikey Larkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16491193823634210270noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089278213050433054.post-35754387011222562112013-12-20T12:23:00.002-08:002013-12-20T12:26:34.414-08:00The Basque Country <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Merry Christmas everyone! I'm just finishing packing for Morocco, jamming to the Beyoncé album (which is SO good), and thought I'd post some pictures from earlier this month. About two weeks ago, we had a 4-day weekend, so I traveled to Bilbao with some other auxiliars. We ate tons of pintxos, visited the Guggenheim, and also made a day trip to the gorgeous city of San Sebastián. Here's a look:<br />
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The river in Bilbao</div>
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Pintxos: small foods (usually on bread) that you order with a drink. In Bilbao, they are very popular and displayed quite nicely. </div>
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A variety of pintxos</div>
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This one has bread with sun-dried tomato, cheese, membrillo (like a crab apple jelly), cranberries and balsamic drizzle.</div>
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Coffee near our hostel in the old town.</div>
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The famous puppy outside the Guggeheim. It's made of living flowers.</div>
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Pintxos at a holiday food fair. I'm eating a mushroom stuffed with bonito (fish) and smothered in alioli and balsamic. SO good.</div>
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Behind the Guggenheim</div>
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(Sam, I think this statue was the inspiration for bucky balls.)</div>
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Being totes Basque in San Sebastián...or should I say Donostia? </div>
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A view of the bay. Our weather was perfect.</div>
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Eating an amazing apple cream tart on the beach. </div>
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"Merry Christmas"</div>
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I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday! Don't miss me too much at home :) Like I said, I am headed to Morocco on Monday (via Madrid) and am looking forward to it! Our intinerary is Ouarzazete-Tinerhir-Fez-Marrakech-Rabat, if anyone is interested, though you will of course see pictures in a couple weeks. I'll be back in Spain on the 5th of January, so don't worry if you don't hear from me until then. Okay everyone, stay happy, safe, and warm. Love you alll!!!</div>
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<br />Mikey Larkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16491193823634210270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089278213050433054.post-59396183702831352412013-12-02T15:37:00.001-08:002013-12-02T15:37:43.945-08:00Happy Late Thanksgiving<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We may be thousands of miles from our homeland, but Americans always git r done, no? Getting r done includes celebrating our beloved Turkey Day. Above, you can see the lovely group of people I got to spend Thanksgiving with this year. The holidays really are one of the most difficult times to be living abroad; not only are you separated from friends and family, but you're also missing the typical customs, celebrations, and Taylor Swift Christmas songs playing during Black Friday at Target (wait, that last one is actually incentive to move abroad.) That's why I'm very thankful for the friends I have here and the opportunity to get together and share our traditions.<br />
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Before moving to Spain, I thought there was something kind of pathetic or lazy about so-called "expat communities" abroad. And while I admittedly spend too much time with other English speakers- from America, Britain, New Zealand, or Spain- I fully understand why these communities develop and the psychological need for us to have this kind of support group. Life is pretty insufferable when you have to work and live with people who, despite their language abilities and sweet dispositions, will never fully understand you. (Kendra, I know you are nodding in agreement, but also rolling your eyes at me from the mountains of Perú or Bolivia.) So as long as I eat typical Spanish food instead of McDonald's, try to live like a local, and speak a fair amount of Spanish, I feel like I'm allowed my little English indulgences, right?<br />
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Hope everyone else had a great Thanksgiving and enjoyed the long weekend! Shout out to my Grandma for having her tree selected as the official Christmas tree of downtown Boise. It looks beautiful! Also, I sent out a batch of post cards a couple weeks ago, so be on the lookout for those. (And if you didn't get one, send me your address.)<br />
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This week is looking pretty calm. Just three more work days and then I will be headed to Bilbao for our long weekend!
Parting shot: My friend Beth and me at a Real Oviedo soccer match. As seen on TV, soccer fans are absolutely crazy, and one of them set off a firecracker just before half-time. I think it was an act of protest against the ref, who was making some awful calls. They ended up cancelling the match halfway through and forcing everyone to leave the stadium (and our team was winning!)...hopefully the next one will be better?<br />
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*Photo credits to my gyalz Nicole Belz & Beth Love*</div>
Mikey Larkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16491193823634210270noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089278213050433054.post-47716345774832858602013-11-20T14:43:00.001-08:002013-12-02T14:38:19.594-08:00October/November Photo RecapWhat have I been up to this past month? Well, I've been to Madrid, had a few smaller trips & adventures, and helped supervise some fun school events. It's finally getting chilly- the horrible, bone-chilling cold that only occurs in humid climates- and raining quite a bit here. I can't tell if we just made an abrupt switch to winter, or if fall, I mean <i>autumn</i> (British English...), is still halfheartedly happening. With so many trees here, I was expecting an autumn fireworks show. So far the leaves have mostly failed to turn colors and the ones that have are like a dingy gold color, as if they've already started rotting before falling off the tree. Asturias is still beautiful, though! After taking a walk along the coast in Gijón, I'm so anxious to see the rest of the rugged beaches and sea cliffs in my region.
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In other news, we got paid today! I was getting a little nervous, because I'm in the process of planning/booking two separate trips: Bilbao for a long weekend & Morocco for winter break. I wish I could see all my family & friends for the holidays, but that's just not how life is working out right now. Obviously I'm thrilled for Morocco; I just want to acknowledge how much I miss everybody! Here's some photos from the past couple weeks:
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<center>Seeing John & Yohann (& their friend Michael) in Madrid. <br>
I'm headed to Morocco with these 3!<br></center>
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<center>Kayaking the Río Sella with friends from Gijón</center><br>
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<center>My kayak partner & BJZ roommate, Daron!</center><br><br>
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<center>For Halloween, the bilingual teachers and I put together a scavenger hunt for the students. They had to complete a set of tasks related to content they were study in their bilingual classes. Activities included "spooky" math problems and Pin the Tail on the Cat. The kids had a lot of fun!<br></center>
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<center>Halloween costume: Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain.</center><br>
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<center> John & Yohann came to visit after Halloween. <br>
We visited some Romanic ruins above Oviedo.<br>
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<br>The coast near Gijón is beautiful- with sun or clouds.<br></center><br>
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<br><center>Some of my auxiliar friends from Oviedo and I went to the city of Avilés and found this ridiculous fountain. From L to R: Idaho, England, New Zealand, California, Maryland, and Scotland. <br>
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<br>Roasting chestnuts is a tradition in many cities here.<br></center><br>
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<center>This week, we took some of the older students on a combined language-science excursion to Gijón. The weather was a bit rough, but we still managed to enjoy parts of the botanical garden.<br>
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<br>We watched an Australian film called "Satellite Boy" in this absolutely random building outside Gijón. It's called La Laboral and it was built during the Franco era. It's a multi-use complex that is equal parts Harry Potter castle and ancient empire-themed Las Vegas casino. It was great to get the kids out of the classroom for a change of scenery and a little experiential learning. <br><br></center>
That's about it for now. Let me know what you'd like to see/know more about. Food pics? Cultural differences? Spanish or British slang? Leave me a comment! LovesMikey Larkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16491193823634210270noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089278213050433054.post-29594483018469215342013-10-14T11:58:00.001-07:002013-10-14T11:58:37.335-07:00Life & LeónI'm sorry, but I love titles with alliterations. They're cheap and cheesy, so hate me if you want. (No, love me!)<br><br>
Things are going well here in Oviedo! I've been in classes for about two weeks and I'm really happy with my school. We have a bilingual program, which provides an interesting opportunity for me to work in English-language content classes (biology & music, for example.) So the job is going well, as is life outside of the classroom. <br><br>
I've gone out a couple times with the other auxiliars here (or "white gurlz", as I refer to everyone who isn't Spanish) and there's always something to do in Asturias. They had a wildly successful culture night last weekend, a local fashion week, and there will be a film festival next month in Gijón. <br><br>
My most exciting adventure lately was to León. It's a city located just south of Asturias (in train, it's about 2 hours of breathtaking scenery away from Oviedo) and that's where my now ex-roommate San is from. She moved out after a week, but we're still friends, so she invited me to spend the weekend with her family. We visited León, and other places, like Astorgas, and the village where her grandpa lives where we had a delicious barbecue. Seriously, like 6 kinds of meat, and I had to try them all...:0<br><br>
We spent the rest of the weekend eating tapas and seeing the sights- cathedral, gypsy market, parks- in the capital. Like in Granada, the tapas are free with the purchase of a beverage, so you can get your drink on and eat dinner for like 5-10 euros. It's the best.<br><br>
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<center>Tapas: creamy mushroom tostada, goat cheese & bacon sandwich, and potato lasagna :)<br></center>
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<center> Palacio Episcopal by Gaudí</center><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LoxzzK2U6QA/Ulw6jnsRbcI/AAAAAAAAAgc/YCQbg3mKSgc/s1600/DSCF3694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LoxzzK2U6QA/Ulw6jnsRbcI/AAAAAAAAAgc/YCQbg3mKSgc/s320/DSCF3694.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rzV_RbQDTKA/Ulw6rFdJIhI/AAAAAAAAAgs/I1TZvCtVX_U/s1600/DSCF3701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rzV_RbQDTKA/Ulw6rFdJIhI/AAAAAAAAAgs/I1TZvCtVX_U/s320/DSCF3701.JPG" /></a></div>
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<br><center>We went to this great "palace", which has a restaurant, bodega, and small hotel. It has views of the mountains and beautiful agricultural valley.<br><br></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B-edSymuJ5g/Ulw7DBuKkPI/AAAAAAAAAg0/0R__TK_i_A0/s1600/DSCF3714.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B-edSymuJ5g/Ulw7DBuKkPI/AAAAAAAAAg0/0R__TK_i_A0/s320/DSCF3714.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jeR7ye2Hw2Y/Ulw7G3aTcCI/AAAAAAAAAg8/qPmamEvXLVw/s1600/DSCF3718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jeR7ye2Hw2Y/Ulw7G3aTcCI/AAAAAAAAAg8/qPmamEvXLVw/s320/DSCF3718.JPG" /></a></div><br><br><center>
Blurred Lines: the wine room<br></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZGuFtNiGYw8/Ulw7MUXVRmI/AAAAAAAAAhE/5VEEGVoK9SI/s1600/DSCF3722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZGuFtNiGYw8/Ulw7MUXVRmI/AAAAAAAAAhE/5VEEGVoK9SI/s320/DSCF3722.JPG" /></a></div>
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Where they roast red peppers to sell. </center><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y73Vz6ar7K0/Ulw7p--7rjI/AAAAAAAAAhU/CJIkyikSqEU/s1600/DSCF3725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y73Vz6ar7K0/Ulw7p--7rjI/AAAAAAAAAhU/CJIkyikSqEU/s320/DSCF3725.JPG" /></a></div><br><center>
Picking figs at San's grandpa's house.<br></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7uoOEh1tLwM/Ulw7ZAyc_lI/AAAAAAAAAhM/Y5MH1C3yNXo/s1600/DSCF3728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7uoOEh1tLwM/Ulw7ZAyc_lI/AAAAAAAAAhM/Y5MH1C3yNXo/s320/DSCF3728.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BqJFPsphXtI/Ulw7qr9qyyI/AAAAAAAAAhY/_VjvS1kTc7Y/s1600/DSCF3749.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BqJFPsphXtI/Ulw7qr9qyyI/AAAAAAAAAhY/_VjvS1kTc7Y/s320/DSCF3749.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e7hW8FM60vc/Ulw7xLi6NkI/AAAAAAAAAhk/3rT_4FIw32k/s1600/DSCF3767.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e7hW8FM60vc/Ulw7xLi6NkI/AAAAAAAAAhk/3rT_4FIw32k/s320/DSCF3767.JPG" /></a></div>
<br><center>The facade of this building is covered in scallop shells, a symbol of the Camino de Santiago.<br><br></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v6p2wf5d8CQ/Ulw75FdtwAI/AAAAAAAAAhs/Ogsq7He-gG0/s1600/DSCF3776.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v6p2wf5d8CQ/Ulw75FdtwAI/AAAAAAAAAhs/Ogsq7He-gG0/s320/DSCF3776.JPG" /></a></div>Mikey Larkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16491193823634210270noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089278213050433054.post-26694749518358359562013-09-24T09:11:00.002-07:002013-09-24T09:11:31.438-07:00Oviedo: My New HomeHey peeps, I'm finally moved into an apartment in Oviedo! It's in a great location, just on the edge of the historic old town and close to the city center. Here's my address, if anyone wants to send me a card or look it up on google maps:<br><br>
Michael Larkin<br>
c/ Padre Suarez, 13, PRL IZQ<br>
Oviedo, Asturias, 33009<br>
ESPAÑA<br><br>
I'm living in a shared flat; so far, there is a Spanish girl (doing graduate studies in English,) an Italian guy, and myself. Supposedly, "two Turks" are coming on Friday, so we will be quite the international apartment. (I seriously hope some of these people teach me how to cook/feed me delicious food.) The two roommates I've met are really nice, and one of them helped me register myself at city hall today. I like our apartment because it's in pretty good condition, has a big, quiet green space behind us, and is close to everything: my bank, my favorite grocery store (MERCADONA), a park, and some of the big party streets are just adjacent to us, which means no taxis or sketchy walks home at night. Here's a view from my bedroom: <center>
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So peaceful! <br>
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I've just spent the last two days getting settled in, grocery shopping and unpacking. Besides that, I have just been walking around town, exploring things. Oviedo has some gorgeous architecture and it is very well kept. Someone told me it is the cleanest city in Europe, actually. I like that there is a mix of styles here, in contrast to Badajoz, where everything basically sprang up uniformally during the 70's-80's.
I met up with the assistant who worked at my future school last year, because she is still living in Oviedo. Her name is Holly and she has been really helpful, even inviting me to this beautiful beach on Sunday. So far, I am very impressed with the natural beauty of Asturias and the kindness of the people here. I hope I still feel that way after meeting my students next week!
Here's some other pictures of Oviedo (sorry the picture quality is not great!):<center>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eNb95j45M4g/UkG3D0stqXI/AAAAAAAAAfU/FQBOn2uh4yw/s1600/DSCF3650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eNb95j45M4g/UkG3D0stqXI/AAAAAAAAAfU/FQBOn2uh4yw/s320/DSCF3650.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l5AJ0FCZPTc/UkG3K9VtM0I/AAAAAAAAAfc/yfyc6ZosTy0/s1600/DSCF3654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l5AJ0FCZPTc/UkG3K9VtM0I/AAAAAAAAAfc/yfyc6ZosTy0/s320/DSCF3654.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tSIeny_D5qo/UkG3M4QRotI/AAAAAAAAAfk/y2EYgyJrfFM/s1600/DSCF3656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tSIeny_D5qo/UkG3M4QRotI/AAAAAAAAAfk/y2EYgyJrfFM/s320/DSCF3656.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ek2d0-0VJ4w/UkG3YX6q_DI/AAAAAAAAAfs/3vSUwMdxhcQ/s1600/DSCF3657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ek2d0-0VJ4w/UkG3YX6q_DI/AAAAAAAAAfs/3vSUwMdxhcQ/s320/DSCF3657.JPG" /></a></div>Green spaces, sculptures, old & new buildings...Oviedo.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Kna7RYEKbpI/UkG3i8SWEXI/AAAAAAAAAf0/ahaJj8UKpGI/s1600/DSCF3658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Kna7RYEKbpI/UkG3i8SWEXI/AAAAAAAAAf0/ahaJj8UKpGI/s320/DSCF3658.JPG" /></a></div>
Any Woody Allen fans recognize this building??</br></center><br>
I'll keep you updated with my life and travel plans. Love you all!Mikey Larkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16491193823634210270noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089278213050433054.post-61870790371039168952013-09-20T00:52:00.000-07:002013-09-20T00:52:40.666-07:00Back to the Blog!Hello! Welcome back to this little ol' blog of mine. I'm back in Spain for a second year of living & teaching English. (This time, in Oviedo, Asturias.) I know I didn't post anything last year, but I hope to stay more on top of things now. For those who missed it, here's a look back at the amazing experiences I had last year. I learned so much about traveling, teaching, language, Spanish & American culture, friendship, love, and life. Take a look:<br><br>
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<center>My roomies from last year :)</center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xkdtaAoI2l8/UjPliFwdpYI/AAAAAAAAAaE/yAt2dKwpWv4/s1600/DSCF1134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xkdtaAoI2l8/UjPliFwdpYI/AAAAAAAAAaE/yAt2dKwpWv4/s320/DSCF1134.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LB7BZKuYjlw/UjPlf1DXxjI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/EL2MXYIWySM/s1600/DSCF1183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LB7BZKuYjlw/UjPlf1DXxjI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/EL2MXYIWySM/s320/DSCF1183.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9tOI3nqHnpk/UjPlYRG1DoI/AAAAAAAAAZw/MDAx32wg8F0/s1600/DSCF1221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9tOI3nqHnpk/UjPlYRG1DoI/AAAAAAAAAZw/MDAx32wg8F0/s320/DSCF1221.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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Check back soon for photos of Oviedo and my new apartment (once I find one...)Mikey Larkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16491193823634210270noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089278213050433054.post-53755037007689568542011-08-30T15:40:00.000-07:002011-08-31T10:55:33.349-07:00I Passed!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MhyCrIAOo0g/Tl1nVqkoizI/AAAAAAAAARo/KxRXh-M37pE/s1600/DSCF0311%2Bedited.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 290px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MhyCrIAOo0g/Tl1nVqkoizI/AAAAAAAAARo/KxRXh-M37pE/s320/DSCF0311%2Bedited.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646783129695324978" /></a>
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<br />Oh herro, this is me in my teacher clothes! I taught my first observation lesson yesterday and it went really well. We have two observations in this practicum where one of our Western professors comes to class and evaluates us. We use the SIOP (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol) teaching method, so we are evaluated with this comprehensive form with like thirty different points. So basically, it is a lot of stuff to keep in mind!
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<br />I passed, though! My teacher had some constructive criticism, of course, but she also said my lesson was one of the best practicum lessons she has ever seen in Mexico. Yay! I owe a big thanks to my wonderful students and mentor teachers. Now, of course, my professor expects me to do just as well on the second one, so that's a lot of pressure. Glad I passed, though!
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<br />This is Teresa, my host mom.
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<br />She looked so cute yesterday as she set up for her weekly girls' night. She plays cards with a group of seven other friends every Tuesday. They play at a different house every time, so when it is her turn to host(roughly every two months) it's a big deal! She spent so long cleaning and rearranging furniture, kind of like when you have a PEO meeting or ladies lunch in the States, Grandma! The setup was so cute...each table had a tray with a bowl of cheetos and gumdrops for her friends. She's a precious little abuelita! (I miss my real grandma, though!)
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<br />Mikey Larkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16491193823634210270noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089278213050433054.post-37598118262263415532011-08-23T16:31:00.000-07:002011-08-23T16:41:40.632-07:00First 2 Days in Class...and it´s great! The fifth graders are so sweet and cute and they know a lot of English! The main teacher, Olga, did a great job creating a welcoming environment for them on the first day. I haven´t done any teaching yet, just observing, but I am preparing for my first lesson tomorrow. I am using an article from their workbook about Miley Cyrus (yes, THAT Miley Cyrus) to teach about adjectives and other things. It should be fun!
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<br />If I weren´t working in an internet cafe with a suuuuper slow connection, I would add pictures of my first day outfit. My professor told me I looked ¨beautiful¨ haha. She also told me that my mentor teacher is one of the best, so I hope to learn a lot from her!
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<br />Other than that, not too much is going on. I have only gone out one night, because I have to get up super early. We went to some REALLY classy clubs this weekend, though. Like more luxurious than any I have been to in the U.S. or Canada. (Of course, that comes with a price...hello $10 cover and $80 bottle service! Good thing there was a big group of us to split that.) Things are also fine with my host mom. She sometimes annoys me because she is forgetful and also likes to spray insecticide a lot, but she is so sweet I can´t be mad at her. She also makes me sweet little fruit platters every morning for breakfast...guava and cantaloupe this morning :)
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<br />Well, wish me luck on my lesson! It´s preparation for my big observation next Tuesday!
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<br />P.S. I got A´s in all 4 of my other classes this summer. BOOM.
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<br />Love you all!!!
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<br />P.P.S. My lack of regular internet, plus the fact that I am consumed with my own lessons is leaving me out of the loop about all your lives and current events back home. If anyone has news to share, just drop it in the comments; I would love to read it!Mikey Larkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16491193823634210270noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089278213050433054.post-47606557314584163052011-08-20T14:30:00.000-07:002011-08-20T15:10:00.939-07:00Michael Larkin is a MexiCAN, not a Mexican't!Hola everyone! Once again, I am abroad, doing what I do best: gallivanting around Latin America in the name of higher learning! Here's a little background for those who may not know:
<br />This summer, I have been taking classes full time in the TESOL (Teaching English to speakers of other languages) program. That's my minor at school. At the end of the program, everyone has to complete a teaching practicum to show what they have learned. This practicum can be completed in the States or abroad, depending on your interests. The program at Western is great, because we had the option to go on a faculty-led trip to Querétaro, México. Thus, I am south of the border, preparing to teach a class of fifth grade Mexican students!
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<br />I am living with a host family again. Well, actually a host grandma, because it is just an older lady named Teresa who lives by herself. Her daughter and granddaughters visit often, though. There is also another student living in my house. He is a middle aged electrical engineer from California. His name is Roberto and he is studying Spanish here at Olé. That's the school where our program is based. (But not where I am teaching my practicum.)
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<br />I want to tell everyone that there is nothing to worry about here. The México portrayed on the news is completely biased and not representative of this entire, wonderful country. Querétaro in particular, is very clean, safe, and calm. It is a much bigger city than I was expecting, though. My school is located in the largely historic downtown. It's so fun to just walk around with a michelada (flavored beer) or sit in the plazas. Here's a picture of me and the other new students from Western:
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<br />Mariela, Rebecca, Emily, Me, Jessica, and Ariana @ Jardín Zanea
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<br />The past few days have been SO busy that I don't even know what to say. A few exciting things:
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<br />-Yesterday morning, the Olé coordinators took me to see my placement site. It's a private primary school called Erik Erikson. My cooperating teacher's name is Olga López. I'm going to be working with a fifth grade class. That's a little bit younger than I prefer, but I am still looking forward to it. The only downside: I have to be there at 7:45 every morning, which is really early considering it's about a half hour walk from my house. I start Monday!!!
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<br />-Friday and Saturday, the other new students (including my friend Jessica) and I spent time with "Mexican pals". Our school set us up with them so they could walk us around the city and practice Spanish with us. Today, our amigo Marco took us to a market. It was similar to the ones in Costa Rica. However, the meat section was terrifying. There were things there that looked more like live animals than steak or chicken breast. Jessica saw someone with a whole dead pig on his back. I saw a bucket full of pig heads, still intact. At least it was after I ate a delicious "gringa" (think quesadilla made from spit-roasted pork, pineapple, cheese, and cilantro...deliciosa!!!)
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<br />-We also had a welcoming party at Olé last night. We helped make the food and it was so good. Even though it was a school party, there was plenty of beer and a few bottles of tequila...and the obligatory piñata. There were also these traditional dancers. I'm one of only two guys in the program so the girl kept making me dance with her! It was kinda embarrassing, but super fun.
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<br />Okay, I feel like I just wrote a massive amount. Gonna leave the café soon so I can take a siesta and then figure out my plans for tonight. Love and miss you all! Check back this week to find out about my first few days in the classroom!Mikey Larkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16491193823634210270noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089278213050433054.post-17563578237623675972011-03-27T19:40:00.000-07:002011-03-27T19:46:40.509-07:00Back in BellinghamFinally! <br /><br />I feel like I need to write a reflection about my last three months, especially for my personal benefit, but right now I am just so happy to be back in Bellingham. It was extremely hard to say goodbye to my family and friends in Costa Rica. It's nice to return to a place that I love, though. I will probably post more pictures and stories from my last week in Costa Rica...just need some time to relax and unpack my room first. <br /><br />xoxoMikey Larkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16491193823634210270noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089278213050433054.post-45610331014455110112011-03-21T11:57:00.000-07:002011-03-21T15:29:13.524-07:00Rafting el PacuareSorry for the delayed posting! These last few weeks have been filled with so much to see and do, so I've been pretty lazy with this blog. I still have to share all the pictures from my visit to the coffee plantation and my weekend in Puerto Viejo. First, though, I wanted to tell y'all about my rafting adventure! <br /><br />So a few weeks ago, when Jessica's sister was here, we tried to go rafting. We woke up at 6 AM and waited for over an hour, but the tour company never picked us up. Since we booked the trip through our study abroad program, we talked to them about it, and they were extremely apologetic. They refunded us and even gave us a free trip! So last friday, Jessica and I both got to go on a $75 rafting trip...for free! <br /><br />It would be totally worth the money even if we did have to pay, because this river is gorgeous! It's called the Pacuare, located about 2 hours to the northeast of San José. National Geographic named it "one of the 5 most beautiful river trips in the world." While it was my first real rafting trip, I have to agree with them. It was a four hour trip through some amazing rocky canyons and rainforest. The Pacuare is also the perfect amount of excitement for me; a few class IV rapids, but mostly smoother stuff, which allowed me to absorb the wonderful scenery. They also made us breakfast before the trip and we stopped for lunch in a beautiful place next to the river.<br /><br />Some of my pictures are kinda blurry because I had water on the lens. I'm so glad I have a waterproof camera!<br /><br />PS Nobody (in our raft) fell out in the rapids!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t1yEMoOfxOw/TYfLKdkeG_I/AAAAAAAAAQE/L4pXLWbFZ4M/s1600/DSCF1215.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t1yEMoOfxOw/TYfLKdkeG_I/AAAAAAAAAQE/L4pXLWbFZ4M/s320/DSCF1215.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586657243373116402" /></a><br />In my rafting gear<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8GNyZt9hHdc/TYfLKIXpkNI/AAAAAAAAAP8/RTSIBqww7MY/s1600/DSCF1211.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8GNyZt9hHdc/TYfLKIXpkNI/AAAAAAAAAP8/RTSIBqww7MY/s320/DSCF1211.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586657237682196690" /></a><br />Rainforest :)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iPM7atd2iCY/TYfON4hJYlI/AAAAAAAAAQk/jSlKT22CFdw/s1600/DSCF1222.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iPM7atd2iCY/TYfON4hJYlI/AAAAAAAAAQk/jSlKT22CFdw/s320/DSCF1222.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586660600681423442" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kUr7g0HsI9c/TYfONXQ9tzI/AAAAAAAAAQc/sGSjk02AvV8/s1600/DSCF1220.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kUr7g0HsI9c/TYfONXQ9tzI/AAAAAAAAAQc/sGSjk02AvV8/s320/DSCF1220.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586660591755179826" /></a><br />Waterfall!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bnx4z87QRSw/TYfRDnLk4YI/AAAAAAAAAQs/XUxFQBnUnxo/s1600/DSCF1232.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bnx4z87QRSw/TYfRDnLk4YI/AAAAAAAAAQs/XUxFQBnUnxo/s320/DSCF1232.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586663722763739522" /></a><br />Taking a swim (with Jessica)Mikey Larkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16491193823634210270noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089278213050433054.post-46360334920771299152011-03-11T08:12:00.000-08:002011-03-11T08:17:33.572-08:00Safety UpdateHey y'all, just wanted to reassure everyone about my safety this weekend. As you know, that earthquake in Japan was enormous, and I have received tsunami warning information from my program and the embassy here. Fortunately, San Jose is inland and not at risk for any kind of tsunami activity. I'm not planning to go to the beach this weekend, either, so I should be okay (a lot of people are cancelling or changing their plans, which is unfortunate). Okay, I just wanted to make sure no one was worrying about me! A more interesting post will be up later this weekend. Take care, everyone! XoxoMikey Larkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16491193823634210270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089278213050433054.post-10103377658978088702011-03-09T15:33:00.000-08:002011-03-09T16:09:34.503-08:00Family time!Our family finally took us on their beach trip, last weekend. All but 2 of the daughters came....and about 13 gringos as well! They were mostly Steve's friends, two of which were celebrating their birthdays, so it was just a big party weekend. The gringos taught the ticos how to play college drinking games like beer pong and flip cup. Super fun!<br /><br />I stayed in a little compound with all the other gringos, about 5 minutes down the road from the rest of our family. The place was still technically "under construction", but we stayed there because our family's cabin didn't have enough room. We occupied 2 of the 6 colorful cabins that were JUST built. The landscaping wasn't even finished around the pool,but it was still a great set-up with the individual houses and common pool/hangout area.<br /><br />The beach wasn't that spectacular, in fact it was kind of dirty, because a lot of garbage gets washed up in that area :( There was this really fascinating rock plateau, though. My friend Kristi and I had an adventure, walking between the ocean and the sheer rock cliff, trying to reach the other end (where we could safely climb up) before the tide came in....it was a close call! <br /><br />So overall, this weekend was pretty relaxed, we mostly just hung out, switching between the beach, our pool, and the pool at our family's cabin. I should mention, though, that Ticos are the most disorganized people in the world. Our family left for the beach the day before us and forgot literally everything...ALL the meat, ALL the toothbrushes, their dvd play, karaoke equipment, etc, so they were frantically calling Steve and I before we came to meet them. While we remembered to bring almost all of their ridiculous requests, we forgot the meat and one daughter's toothbrush. SO of course, that was OUR fault, and we were kind of chastised for the first day. Seriously, though, how can you go to the beach for 4 days and not have ANYONE in the family remember to bring the meat or toothbrushes? They are kind of stressful to travel with because of that....and they also caused QUITE the fiasco when we were trying to get back to San José (think lots of crying, praying, name calling, flying down dirt roads in a rickety van, and watching the bus that we should have been on pull out three cars ahead of us, forcing us to chase it down...) Okay maybe I just had a mini-venting session about them, haha. It all worked out, though, and we are a happy family again. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JhT6XIgmtJk/TXgQFWdoKdI/AAAAAAAAAPU/7rDSAJ4LzsY/s1600/DSCF0921.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JhT6XIgmtJk/TXgQFWdoKdI/AAAAAAAAAPU/7rDSAJ4LzsY/s320/DSCF0921.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582229422240967122" /></a><br />Our cute little cabins!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XgW-gPqVZG4/TXgRjgjtFdI/AAAAAAAAAPk/C8kB0r8faxI/s1600/DSCF0976.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XgW-gPqVZG4/TXgRjgjtFdI/AAAAAAAAAPk/C8kB0r8faxI/s320/DSCF0976.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582231039858513362" /></a><br />The pool...as you can see, my life is awful here.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RXq0t6xbMAY/TXgQF7QMBxI/AAAAAAAAAPc/mkRKw6OOhi8/s1600/DSCF0958.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RXq0t6xbMAY/TXgQF7QMBxI/AAAAAAAAAPc/mkRKw6OOhi8/s320/DSCF0958.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582229432116709138" /></a><br />The beach. Not the prettiest, but the rocks/tide pools are fun.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0wDsmNvW6hA/TXgV9BSnhSI/AAAAAAAAAP0/UPYLAWJ_JOs/s1600/DSCF1059.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0wDsmNvW6hA/TXgV9BSnhSI/AAAAAAAAAP0/UPYLAWJ_JOs/s320/DSCF1059.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582235876188456226" /></a><br />Sunset, as seen from the plateau above the beach.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d1tCkm9Obps/TXgRj-lIr5I/AAAAAAAAAPs/2HlUI8dQFVE/s1600/DSCF1073.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d1tCkm9Obps/TXgRj-lIr5I/AAAAAAAAAPs/2HlUI8dQFVE/s320/DSCF1073.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582231047917580178" /></a><br />Bonus picture: Monday was my sister Ely's birthday, so we had a delicious kahlua cake from Spoon :)<br /><br />Soon to be posted: my trip to the cafetal (coffee plantation)!Mikey Larkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16491193823634210270noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089278213050433054.post-6686624869973022922011-02-27T14:33:00.000-08:002011-02-28T18:20:54.937-08:00Manuel Antonio + Monkeys!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IlMOeAkAfkQ/TWxIAs2IV3I/AAAAAAAAAOE/WizNrnxtKew/s1600/DSCF0840.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IlMOeAkAfkQ/TWxIAs2IV3I/AAAAAAAAAOE/WizNrnxtKew/s320/DSCF0840.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578913215280600946" /></a><br />Baby sloth! Awwwww, you know you want to read a post that starts out with a baby sloth, don't you? Yes, you do.<br /><br />Jessica's sister and her girlfriend are in town, so we took them to the beach last weekend! We wanted to pick one that we hadn't been to yet....Manuel Antonio. The plan was to leave Friday afternoon and come back Saturday night for whitewater rafting on Sunday. Unfortunately, the rafting didn't work out, but we still had a blast in Manuel Antonio. It's about a 4 to 6 hour bus ride (depending if you take a direct bus, which I DEFINITELY recommend.) We arrived Friday evening and discovered probably the best hostel that we have stayed in, so far. It's called Backpacker's of Manuel Antonio or something similar. It's clean, reasonable (~$13/night), has amenities (pool, free internet, pancake breakfast) and is located right by a bus stop. <br /><br />Manuel Antonio is interesting because it doesn't really have a large town center. It is basically just a road from Quepos (a bigger town) to the national park. There are tons of hotels, hostels, restaurants, and souvenir markets, but they are all located on this one main road that weaves through the hills and down to the beach. It has a really efficient bus service, which is convenient. There aren't as many mega-resorts here. That's something I really appreciate, because it means more quaint, smaller hotels and (hopefully) less invasive construction and development projects. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2Hzap9krIXM/TWxIAzIPqTI/AAAAAAAAAOM/OSciwQIO0eA/s1600/DSCF0872.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2Hzap9krIXM/TWxIAzIPqTI/AAAAAAAAAOM/OSciwQIO0eA/s320/DSCF0872.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578913216967190834" /></a><br />These buddies are everywhere!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G4N196Dc3L4/TWxRltBOAQI/AAAAAAAAAPE/-aVm1pPqjQ8/s1600/DSCF0901.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G4N196Dc3L4/TWxRltBOAQI/AAAAAAAAAPE/-aVm1pPqjQ8/s320/DSCF0901.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578923746586919170" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-64VV1kfyqt8/TWxIBHU1_nI/AAAAAAAAAOU/kP39AlhaWkg/s1600/DSCF0874.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-64VV1kfyqt8/TWxIBHU1_nI/AAAAAAAAAOU/kP39AlhaWkg/s320/DSCF0874.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578913222388743794" /></a><br /><br />Anyway, the beach is GORGEOUS. We went to the National Park (there is also a public beach right next to it) on Saturday. You have to wake up early, because they only let a certain number of guests in per day to protect the park's wildlife. It was so worth it, though. After a walk through the rainforest, you reach this pristine white beach with turquoise water....and monkeys! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GH_KrYy1nng/TWxLvhXrnHI/AAAAAAAAAOs/k-0TNzyz0XU/s1600/DSCF0889.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GH_KrYy1nng/TWxLvhXrnHI/AAAAAAAAAOs/k-0TNzyz0XU/s320/DSCF0889.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578917318188833906" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YoSuoMkNrC0/TWxLvnR3RUI/AAAAAAAAAOk/IuFMkGyIHO0/s1600/DSCF0885.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YoSuoMkNrC0/TWxLvnR3RUI/AAAAAAAAAOk/IuFMkGyIHO0/s320/DSCF0885.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578917319775044930" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zYVDJsJQF70/TWxO3fehzEI/AAAAAAAAAO0/UBJeN_FiCLg/s1600/DSCF0890.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zYVDJsJQF70/TWxO3fehzEI/AAAAAAAAAO0/UBJeN_FiCLg/s320/DSCF0890.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578920753654516802" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jAumMeweNqs/TWxLvIfT-lI/AAAAAAAAAOc/AOey0eZMyjo/s1600/DSCF0883.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jAumMeweNqs/TWxLvIfT-lI/AAAAAAAAAOc/AOey0eZMyjo/s320/DSCF0883.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578917311509953106" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IZ6sJhecGJM/TWxO4ADZuPI/AAAAAAAAAO8/xDfhwbLrLyQ/s1600/DSCF0893.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IZ6sJhecGJM/TWxO4ADZuPI/AAAAAAAAAO8/xDfhwbLrLyQ/s320/DSCF0893.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578920762399111410" /></a><br />Look at them baring their teeth! Very "where the wild things are", no?<br /><br />Yes, capuchin monkeys who creep down from the trees and steal your stuff. I first spotted one unzipping the bag of some French tourists and robbing several packages of saltine crackers. They travel in packs up and down the beach, and it seems like they are trying to overwhelm and distract you in order to steal food or shiny objects. Fortunately, they didn't take anything from us, but they sure tried! When they went for my bag, I snatched it up and shook a towel at them to make them leave. They responded by mounting each other and hissing. It looked like they were forming a new super-monkey with two heads and two sets of fangs. They are really cute, though. <br /><br />So after spending a few hours on this part of beach (there are 3 separate beaches in the park), we went for a little hike on this central peninsula/extrusion of rock. Then, we relocated to the beach on the other side of the isthmus from where we were originally sitting. No monkeys there, but we did find something else. While Jennifer, Alayna, and I were playing in the surf, we noticed Jessica freaking out on the beach. A raccoon had appeared out of the bushes and gone for our bags, just like the monkeys. Fortunately, he left us alone after Jessica scolded him.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-khEipOq5OQM/TWxRl8CjmqI/AAAAAAAAAPM/8uu8N6r6fn4/s1600/DSCF0913.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-khEipOq5OQM/TWxRl8CjmqI/AAAAAAAAAPM/8uu8N6r6fn4/s320/DSCF0913.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578923750619060898" /></a><br /><br />Even though we were only in Manuel Antonio for about a day, I fell in love. It's definitely somewhere I would take my parents or friends if they came to Costa Rica. I finished the day there with a bacon burger, piña colada, and a camera full of monkey pictures. And a nice tan hehe.Mikey Larkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16491193823634210270noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089278213050433054.post-31414286516428127222011-02-24T17:59:00.000-08:002011-02-24T19:55:08.307-08:00Montezuma*Let's just start this post by saying, don't go to Puntarenas. Just don't. The beach is average, the water is murky, and the town is a lil ghetto. Fortunately, we only stayed the night here so we could break up our trip to Montezuma. There were a lot of people in town because there was a carnival/fiestas all weekend. Rooms were hard to come by and prices were extremely inflated. We ended up staying at a "pensión", which is basically like a boarding house, I think. The night life was kind of fun; they had about a mile of food stands, bars, and pop-up clubs next to the beach. It wasn't really my scene, though. Here's some pichas:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FMXlDLTbIss/TWcOEyQ2sBI/AAAAAAAAALE/5H7uT15xF_k/s1600/DSCF0646.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FMXlDLTbIss/TWcOEyQ2sBI/AAAAAAAAALE/5H7uT15xF_k/s320/DSCF0646.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577442138896379922" /></a><br />This sign should simply read "WARNING!"<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JbVG0TCLTRA/TWcOFUq2BmI/AAAAAAAAALU/GgTbpA3iN2U/s1600/DSCF0649.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JbVG0TCLTRA/TWcOFUq2BmI/AAAAAAAAALU/GgTbpA3iN2U/s320/DSCF0649.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577442148132193890" /></a><br />Okay, let's analyze this one. Six people, one room. Jessica and I were each lucky enough to have our own bunks on the bunk bed. Three girls slept across the queen size bed, and our poor friend Heidi was nice enough to sleep on the floor (on the pillows that everyone else was scared to use.) So this is a picture of my bunk. Notice how I am sleeping on a beach towel and a dirty shirt. There were no sheets provided! We felt kind of filthy after sleeping here. I'm not even going to get started about the [community] bathroom. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9_vGWrNN3uk/TWcOFKj3zxI/AAAAAAAAALM/bZJbzUz1itc/s1600/DSCF0642.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9_vGWrNN3uk/TWcOFKj3zxI/AAAAAAAAALM/bZJbzUz1itc/s320/DSCF0642.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577442145418596114" /></a><br />Yep, that's what you think it is. Found on the porch of our "pensión".And you thought I was just being a pampered American whiner, didn't you?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fDib6sg8hJM/TWcReGWZHuI/AAAAAAAAALc/0sBkUegmRv4/s1600/DSCF0658.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fDib6sg8hJM/TWcReGWZHuI/AAAAAAAAALc/0sBkUegmRv4/s320/DSCF0658.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577445872319930082" /></a><br /><br />Thankfully, our final destination was Montezuma. It's on the Nicoya Peninsula, across the gulf from Puntarenas, so we took a ferry to get there. After the ferry, we got on a bus, thinking, "oh, it will be a simple 10 minute ride." No. It was like an hour and a half of standing in the aisle of the bus, careening around the corners on steep dirt roads. Our arms were so tired by the time we got to Montezuma! But these are just the things that happen when traveling here, and you have to make it fun. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QfBY7RhTtMs/TWcReX_SWEI/AAAAAAAAALk/4IunF-2Qnyo/s1600/DSCF0659.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QfBY7RhTtMs/TWcReX_SWEI/AAAAAAAAALk/4IunF-2Qnyo/s320/DSCF0659.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577445877054855234" /></a><br />A rooster on the bus!<br /><br />When we reached Montezuma, we had to find a place to stay. There are so many cute little cabins, but most of them were full. We ended up staying at a decent little hotel with clean bathrooms, sufficient sleeping space, and we even had sheets! The craziest part: it was cheaper than the place in Puntarenas. <br /><br />Montezuma is a pretty quiet, relaxed town. There is only one real bar and just a handful of restaurants. They have a good grocery store, though, with bread from a local Italian bakery. We used the bread to make yummy cream cheese and veggie sandwiches for lunch....affordable and delicious! This was actually really exciting to me, though, because I hardly ever get to make food (especially super healthy food) here. <br /><br />Okay, I'll stop talking about sandwiches and talk about what we actually did. The beach is really beautiful, so we wandered down it for a while. The waves are pretty big, though, and there are a lot of rocks near shore, so actual swimming can only be done in a few places. It was still super nice to just hang out on the beach for a while. We actually all fell asleep at one point. That's literally the dumbest thing you can do at the beach, but we were all so relaxed and content. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8S3DIjxqtiY/TWckah8pwEI/AAAAAAAAANc/U6kgfS2HMNU/s1600/DSCF0742.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8S3DIjxqtiY/TWckah8pwEI/AAAAAAAAANc/U6kgfS2HMNU/s320/DSCF0742.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577466701729611842" /></a><br />The beach at Montezuma<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-88kJsiIGYnE/TWcRe54aGxI/AAAAAAAAALs/KrlmELnkpwo/s1600/DSCF0662.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-88kJsiIGYnE/TWcRe54aGxI/AAAAAAAAALs/KrlmELnkpwo/s320/DSCF0662.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577445886152809234" /></a><br />Piña y cerveza<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g5zcdBUxJjQ/TWcUKbbWdiI/AAAAAAAAAL0/OvTELrlJQ3c/s1600/DSCF0666.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g5zcdBUxJjQ/TWcUKbbWdiI/AAAAAAAAAL0/OvTELrlJQ3c/s320/DSCF0666.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577448832915371554" /></a><br />I would like to thank my faja Bill for this leatherman juice pro tool. Seriously, you have no idea how much I have used it (especially this weekend.) It comes in handy for manly things like chopping fruit and opening wine bottles.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5kRPK4e0fJ0/TWcUKmeg1uI/AAAAAAAAAL8/blTLAKEvhbk/s1600/DSCF0667.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5kRPK4e0fJ0/TWcUKmeg1uI/AAAAAAAAAL8/blTLAKEvhbk/s320/DSCF0667.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577448835881424610" /></a><br />The ocean at Montezuma<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dEOpB4L7Gqk/TWcka64ZpZI/AAAAAAAAANk/tQp1gN4EoVw/s1600/DSCF0749.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dEOpB4L7Gqk/TWcka64ZpZI/AAAAAAAAANk/tQp1gN4EoVw/s320/DSCF0749.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577466708422665618" /></a><br />Bandit! My lil beach dog love muffin. He found us two days in a row.<br /><br />For dinner, we took advantage of the kitchen at our hotel. We made a simple pasta and garlic bread. So yummy! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KxZX0nBvfx8/TWcXlY9qhcI/AAAAAAAAAMc/nGk-r8KBhs8/s1600/DSCF0688.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KxZX0nBvfx8/TWcXlY9qhcI/AAAAAAAAAMc/nGk-r8KBhs8/s320/DSCF0688.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577452594645337538" /></a><br />Good food & good friends :) <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kzmrKiSqLAA/TWcXlBTvMsI/AAAAAAAAAMU/aM2HQfiem3Q/s1600/DSCF0681.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kzmrKiSqLAA/TWcXlBTvMsI/AAAAAAAAAMU/aM2HQfiem3Q/s320/DSCF0681.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577452588295467714" /></a><br />Wine with dinner...so classy.<br /><br />The highlight of the trip was definitely our hike on Sunday. About fifteen minutes outside town, we found a trail that led up to some waterfalls. It followed a creek through the jungle. We swam in the water below the waterfall. What an amazing day!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SSNxtQVK1ig/TWcY5A5BFzI/AAAAAAAAAMs/QUqU7Xjs-Rs/s1600/DSCF0706.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SSNxtQVK1ig/TWcY5A5BFzI/AAAAAAAAAMs/QUqU7Xjs-Rs/s320/DSCF0706.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577454031292405554" /></a><br />The sign says: "Danger! Several people have died here. Do not climb or jump." <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cVFD9a2Hl98/TWcY5aNGxMI/AAAAAAAAAM0/P8FvknhZtf0/s1600/DSCF0710.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cVFD9a2Hl98/TWcY5aNGxMI/AAAAAAAAAM0/P8FvknhZtf0/s320/DSCF0710.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577454038087550146" /></a><br />Cool spider, with chicas in background.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uKGGN05Zs1Q/TWcY5gZ64MI/AAAAAAAAAM8/Nw3-rnBxccY/s1600/DSCF0714.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uKGGN05Zs1Q/TWcY5gZ64MI/AAAAAAAAAM8/Nw3-rnBxccY/s320/DSCF0714.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577454039751909570" /></a><br />Just a stroll through the forest...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kg6q3jjOeHY/TWcl34yuCvI/AAAAAAAAAN0/HItsWmcd94I/s1600/DSCF0717.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kg6q3jjOeHY/TWcl34yuCvI/AAAAAAAAAN0/HItsWmcd94I/s320/DSCF0717.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577468305589799666" /></a><br />Waterfall!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qBTCBhNLNe4/TWcl4Pk3_HI/AAAAAAAAAN8/-EtoObm3NO4/s1600/DSCF0731.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qBTCBhNLNe4/TWcl4Pk3_HI/AAAAAAAAAN8/-EtoObm3NO4/s320/DSCF0731.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577468311705746546" /></a><br />Oh hey<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KVsrEMTkolk/TWckbNpG8dI/AAAAAAAAANs/p-sSVJLo1Xk/s1600/DSCF0751.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KVsrEMTkolk/TWckbNpG8dI/AAAAAAAAANs/p-sSVJLo1Xk/s320/DSCF0751.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577466713458799058" /></a><br />On the bus back to San José, there was a sign on the bathroom that said "YES TO PISS". I'm sure it didn't sound so awful in Spanish, but that's what the translation said. <br /><br />Okay, that was kind of foul, so I'll leave you with this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tHgRWkqlMEo/TWcXlkxAPRI/AAAAAAAAAMk/ccJaALak_Xg/s1600/DSCF0702numba2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tHgRWkqlMEo/TWcXlkxAPRI/AAAAAAAAAMk/ccJaALak_Xg/s320/DSCF0702numba2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577452597813460242" /></a><br />A beautiful bird that joined us for breakfast.Mikey Larkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16491193823634210270noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089278213050433054.post-90186446659943030832011-02-22T19:17:00.000-08:002011-02-22T19:27:41.226-08:00Still Kickin'<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s_tbBC9RppE/TWR9rtDTCvI/AAAAAAAAAK8/PcmjUH4mUn0/s1600/DSCF0667.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s_tbBC9RppE/TWR9rtDTCvI/AAAAAAAAAK8/PcmjUH4mUn0/s320/DSCF0667.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576720428372790002" /></a><br /><br />Hola a todos!<br /><br />I'm still alive, after an amazing weekend in Montezuma. I'll upload pictures and share stories probably tomorrow or thursday, when I have less homework. (Tonight I have to read 70 pages and take 20+ different pictures of an umbrella...) Anyway, that's what's going on down here. I'm feeling a little sad because I only have a month left :( But it will be a wonderful last month, and I have been very lucky to be here. Hope all is well! <br /><br />-MikeyMikey Larkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16491193823634210270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089278213050433054.post-25994516722947519852011-02-12T15:30:00.000-08:002011-02-16T19:51:16.532-08:00This Past WeekAYYYY<br /><br />So much to say! Here's what's happened in the last seven days:<br /><br />Thursday:<br />-Class trip to Heredia. We visited the National University, the central square, and the market. We were supposed to investigate the city/province of Heredia.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fEoMzzhA9To/TVyO3KNl6VI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/L_MUQCT9Djs/s1600/DSCF0583.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fEoMzzhA9To/TVyO3KNl6VI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/L_MUQCT9Djs/s320/DSCF0583.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574487517063145810" /></a>Fountain in the central square.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mxcjj7cJPIw/TVyShvQqV0I/AAAAAAAAAKE/ehfOCcySfN4/s1600/DSCF0590.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mxcjj7cJPIw/TVyShvQqV0I/AAAAAAAAAKE/ehfOCcySfN4/s320/DSCF0590.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574491547097519938" /></a><br />Yep, definitely a Catholic church.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F7C32xSJH-w/TVyUPE6-k2I/AAAAAAAAAKM/crWtWLA1IsQ/s1600/DSCF0592.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F7C32xSJH-w/TVyUPE6-k2I/AAAAAAAAAKM/crWtWLA1IsQ/s320/DSCF0592.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574493425517892450" /></a><br />I don't mean to be sacrilegious, but this is frightening!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BIfw9NRt82M/TVyVR1Lk-WI/AAAAAAAAAKU/jY8D18RQrjc/s1600/DSCF0598.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BIfw9NRt82M/TVyVR1Lk-WI/AAAAAAAAAKU/jY8D18RQrjc/s320/DSCF0598.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574494572343785826" /></a><br />Chicken feet at the Heredia Market<br /><br /><br />Friday:<br />-45 minute presentation with Jessica & Emily. It went really well :)<br />-Jessica and I decided to reward ourselves afterwards. We went to Barrio Amón, this really cute (and clean) neighborhood with boutique hotels and cafés. Lunch at Café Mundo...super yummy! We ate bruschetta, salad (me), shrimp pasta (jessica), and chocolate cake. I also sipped a mojito as we sat on the veranda. Qué rico!<br />-First haircut experience in Spanish. I was a little anxious, but the end result was great. Well, the stylist tried to make me leave three inches of flimsy, deflated mullet in the back, but I told him NO way. It only cost $6, though, and Jessica got a pedicure for $8!<br />-Lexi, Jessica, and I went out to Club Oh! on Friday night. We had to pay a ten dollar cover, but they had an open bar. So obviously we were really well behaved and didn't dance on stage or anything. Also, there was an intense drag show.<br /><br />Saturday:<br />-I went to the produce market with Mildred and Mare, her second oldest daughter. SO many luscious/bizarre fruits and veggies! Such a variety, and decent prices. Like 3 pineapples or 4 boxes of strawberries for $2. We filled up a whole grocery cart with JUST produce. I couldn't believe it. <br />-We also went to the pool. So nice :)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HY_VfZgmV4o/TVyV3vB-AKI/AAAAAAAAAKc/-sTgKsTS0H8/s1600/DSCF0601.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HY_VfZgmV4o/TVyV3vB-AKI/AAAAAAAAAKc/-sTgKsTS0H8/s320/DSCF0601.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574495223527899298" /></a><br />Farmer's Market<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OJaZtDMLgFQ/TVyWZrWbB-I/AAAAAAAAAKk/OU1NL3d4ODg/s1600/DSCF0605.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OJaZtDMLgFQ/TVyWZrWbB-I/AAAAAAAAAKk/OU1NL3d4ODg/s320/DSCF0605.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574495806655498210" /></a><br />Our cart...all fruit and veggies! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bhkXGttG0Wg/TVyX_lqAvjI/AAAAAAAAAKs/JdyL9zt7ywE/s1600/DSCF0606.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bhkXGttG0Wg/TVyX_lqAvjI/AAAAAAAAAKs/JdyL9zt7ywE/s320/DSCF0606.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574497557473705522" /></a><br />Drinking from coconuts with Mildred. Refreshing!<br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hv42VDQ3Mns/TVyZxxz86DI/AAAAAAAAAK0/rxcWI6Bb0Dw/s1600/DSCF0608.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hv42VDQ3Mns/TVyZxxz86DI/AAAAAAAAAK0/rxcWI6Bb0Dw/s320/DSCF0608.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574499519241709618" /></a><br />Lettuce head.<br /><br />I didn't do too much the rest of the weekend. San José is kinda dead on Sundays.<br /><br />Last night, I went out to "La calle," this street near the University of Costa Rica that is basically a long strip of bars for the college crowd. Jessica's housemate Kelly's boyfriend is in town, so the four of us went for drinks. I can't remember what the place was called, but they serve flavored beers. I had "the torero"....a light beer with cherries and cherry flavored syrup. It's an odd concept, but it was tasty. They also have "the godzilla" (green beer with salt), as well as orange, grape, or bloody-mary flavored beers. Good times :)Mikey Larkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16491193823634210270noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089278213050433054.post-77161658393264378842011-02-09T16:12:00.000-08:002011-02-09T18:00:49.751-08:00RecapMy weekend and week have been much better than last Friday. I have felt totally fine since the hospital, well besides being a giant sleep monster all the time. Here's a recap:<br /><br />Weekend-<br />I stayed in San José last weekend, which was a nice change. Highlights included going out to the bars on Saturday with Jessica, buying running shoes so I can work out once in a while (yay!), and a dinner adventure in the hills outside of town. We went to a restaurant that was actually on the same hill as the one I visited on my second night in Costa Rica. This time, though, I went with friends and it took a lot of planning (walking, plus two separate buses) to get there. Dinner was really delicious and so was the view. Getting back was a challenge, though, because we had to wait on the side of the road (in the dark) for a bus. I also discovered a store that is a total danger zone for me: Zara. It's like an H&M but better quality and they actually have a decent selection of things in my size. I didn't buy anything, but I have my eye on some shoes! Normally, I eat out every day for lunch, but I'm trying to cut back so I can buy some clothes. That means peanut butter sandwiches everyday...woohoo!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-prcImzlQ9WY/TVNFWtNEkDI/AAAAAAAAAJk/vdegP8jnXPM/s1600/DSCF0577.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-prcImzlQ9WY/TVNFWtNEkDI/AAAAAAAAAJk/vdegP8jnXPM/s320/DSCF0577.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571873420381294642" /></a><br />Someone told me I seemed Italian...<br />That's much better than "you look like a farmer"!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T-xhdfnFPP4/TVNFWjOAQVI/AAAAAAAAAJs/9lpJG-xXvW4/s1600/mirador%2Blinking%2Barms.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T-xhdfnFPP4/TVNFWjOAQVI/AAAAAAAAAJs/9lpJG-xXvW4/s320/mirador%2Blinking%2Barms.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571873417700852050" /></a><br />Me, Jessica, Katie, Aubrey<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_-m9CDeUoH8/TVNFW5wFsrI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/rfHydgWw7Cg/s1600/mirador%2Bram%2Bluna-%2Bnight%2Bpicture.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_-m9CDeUoH8/TVNFW5wFsrI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/rfHydgWw7Cg/s320/mirador%2Bram%2Bluna-%2Bnight%2Bpicture.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571873423749395122" /></a><br />Gorgeous<br /><br />This week- <br />This week has gone by so fast, but there is so much to do! I have to give a forty five minute presentation on Friday in my conversation class. Jessica, Emily, and I are preparing a really obnoxious fake news/talk show. Tomorrow we are going to visit a university in Heredia, a neighboring city. I'm also going to attempt to get my haircut...which will require me to give instructions in Spanish. Wish me luck! That's another thing; I feel like I have kind of plateaued with my Spanish speaking. Part of that is because my class is so conversation oriented that I just feel very hyper-conscious of my speaking skills and afraid to to make mistakes. I'll get over that, though. What else...well, the kids in my family are starting school tomorrow. Tonight, the girls are decorating all their new notebooks and organizing their supplies. They're precious. Okay, I think that's all. Hopefully I will do something exciting with my family this weekend!Mikey Larkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16491193823634210270noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089278213050433054.post-54975000218435647982011-02-05T08:10:00.000-08:002011-02-05T08:31:33.878-08:00Febuary IVYou see how I did that? You're wondering, "Hmmm does the IV stand for 4th or IntraVenous?" Answer: Both!<br /><br />Yesterday morning I was sitting in class waiting to give a presentation when I got hit by this intense feeling of nausea and pain in my stomach. I wasn't nervous/unprepared/hungover or anything else, so it really freaked me out. I came home to rest for the day, but I had no appetite. Everything I tried to nibble on made me feel nauseous. My mama Tica called ISA (my program) and the director convinced me that I should go to a doctor. I wasn't sure if that was necessary, but she made a good point that it would be hard to get in anywhere until Monday, so if it got worse I would be really out of luck. <br /><br />I met up with Andrea (my favorite ISA person) and we took a taxi to the doctor. And by doctor, I mean private hospital. And by private hospital, I mean the emergency room. Seems a little excessive, no? She reassured me that it's just called the emergency place, but you can go there for anything. (Culture note: Andrea said that there is also a public health clinic, but she would only go there if "it was the only option or I didn't have any money that month"....interesting.) At the hospital, most of the doctors and nurses spoke English, which was nice. A doctor did all the regular checks (pulse, etc.) and told me that I was really dehydrated and probably had a stomach virus.<br /><br />Next thing I know, I was being hooked up to an IV. It seems traumatic, especially since I've never been on one of those before, but it didn't feel like a big deal. They also added some medicines that would "protect my stomach." One thing, though: the fluid in the IV was freezing cold! It literally felt like my right arm was being infused with ice water. Maybe they're always that cold, I don't know. Anyway, I had to sit there for about an hour and a half and Andrea was so nice to stay with me the whole time. I felt better right away, but they told me to go to a pharmacy for some prescriptions. Sooo I'm on the road to recovery and taking it easy this weekend. No clubbing for me, but that's okay. <br /><br />PS: I watched "Tangled" last night with my family. Super cute movie! Jamie, if Jilly hasn't seen it, y'all should watch it.Mikey Larkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16491193823634210270noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089278213050433054.post-70740133738562572132011-02-03T14:07:00.000-08:002011-02-03T15:35:48.332-08:00Pox & ParrotsI may or may not have small pox of the face.<br /><br />Okay, there's like a 100% chance that I don't have small pox of the face. SOMETHING has happened to it, though. For the past few years (since I took Accutane), my skin has been pretty good. I seldom have more than one problem area. However, this week, my face has exploded. Seriously, there are like 9 or 10 very obvious pimples all over the place. I think they were probably caused by the sunscreen/sand/humidity/etc. of last weekend. I'm just slightly paranoid, though, because a fellow student told me that her friend got a skin parasite from the sand on one of the beaches here and it caused severe reaction on her face. Eeeek! <br /><br />In other news, my conversation class took a field trip to the University of Costa Rica this morning. We listened to a discussion about political and economic relations between Costa Rica and the U.S. It was fairly interesting, although somewhat hard to follow for over an hour in Spanish. The best part: little empanadas and lemon tartlets at the end! I also ate lunch at a bagel shop and had a sandwich with real, solid cheese! That's one of the foods I really miss here...they have very soft, spongy cheese here, and it just isn't that good on sandwiches.<br /><br />PS: While I was writing this, a flock of parrots landed in the tree outside my window. There were about 15 bright green birds, qué bonitos! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUswUeLQUII/AAAAAAAAAJU/GNIy-iWxXag/s1600/DSCF0537edited.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUswUeLQUII/AAAAAAAAAJU/GNIy-iWxXag/s320/DSCF0537edited.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569598492429537410" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUsxNMXdlDI/AAAAAAAAAJc/7NRCMuzjcjM/s1600/DSCF0546.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 221px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUsxNMXdlDI/AAAAAAAAAJc/7NRCMuzjcjM/s320/DSCF0546.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569599466901443634" /></a><br />Gratuitous picture of Frosty. I can't get enough!Mikey Larkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16491193823634210270noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089278213050433054.post-35351999896494118202011-02-02T20:29:00.000-08:002011-02-02T20:43:38.449-08:00Mikey "Cookie" LarkinOkay, I admit, I have been very inattentive to my blog lately. It's unfortunate, not only because I want to share my stories with family and friends, but also because I want to record all my memories from this amazing experience. So here's to hoping that I'll write at least every other day. <br /><br />In academic news, I finished my advanced grammar class on Friday. This Tuesday I started my new class: advanced conversation! I was a little intimidated, but the professor is so awesome, I love him (almost literally) and our class is great. I'm the only guy besides the professor, Ronulfo. Yes, that's his name. We're going to be doing a lot of interactive and investigative activities, which are definitely beneficial...and fun. It's also really helpful to take all these different Spanish classes because the instructors are native speakers, unlike many professors in the States. It allows you to learn the material in a different way. It also gives me lots of ideas for my future classroom :)<br /><br />Not too much else is going on right now. I went to the cinema tonight with my host siblings, because they have a 2 for 1 deal on Wednesday nights. The theater is at a really nice mall (danger, danger!). Apparently only "pipis" shop there. I think that means snobs, because my host sisters always demonstrate the word with their noses upturned and a little wrist flick. They decided that I'm a pipi since I said I like most of those stores. My family has also given me a nickname: Cookie (pronounced: KOOO-key.) WHY? Well, apparently "cookie" is a neologism adopted from English meaning "cool." I thought it was so hilarious when they used it as a serious term to describe clothes or movies or whatever. So now my name is Cookie, and I hear it about 600 times a day.Mikey Larkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16491193823634210270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089278213050433054.post-68835335752350002882011-01-31T16:42:00.000-08:002011-01-31T18:14:58.547-08:00A Weekend of Firsts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUdq8FLNO-I/AAAAAAAAAIw/9lWTP_aOdt4/s1600/Jaco%2Bbeach.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUdq8FLNO-I/AAAAAAAAAIw/9lWTP_aOdt4/s320/Jaco%2Bbeach.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568537044680784866" /></a><br />Jacó Beach<br /><br />First time traveling independently in Costa Rica, first time staying in a hostel, and.....first time dealing with a medical situation in a foreign country.<br /><br />Remember when I said I wouldn't write super long posts? Well, that was a lie. Last Friday I finished my first Spanish class here in Costa Rica. What better way to celebrate than a beach weekend? Five friends and I decided to go to Jacó, a beach town that is about 2.5 hours away, on the Pacific side. We booked a hostel online and woke up at 5:30 Saturday morning to take a public bus to Jacó. Public transportation is always fun here, because you don't really know what will happen. We got tickets for an 8 o'clock bus, which isn't even offered on the official schedule list. On the bus, there were a few people standing in the aisle for nearly the whole 2.5 hour ride. Occasionally, the bus would stop along the way and let people out. Actually, it didn't really stop, it just slowed down a bit, the door opened, and people would hop off while the bus was basically still going. Kind of unsafe. Overall, though, the transportation was pretty easy and cheap (only $6 each way).<br /><br />We arrived in Jacó and decided to look for our hostel. Apparently, the one we booked online was under construction, so Jessica had arranged for a different hostel via email. We didn't really know what to expect, but that made it exciting. The hostel was about 5 blocks from the beach, with a hammock and swing in the front yard...it seemed promising. We wandered into a place that had obviously seen a party the night before. The hostel owner was really nice, but really hungover. I think his name was Chabba. He was from somewhere in Europe, probably like Slovakia or something. Anyway, it seemed like any other house, but with bunk beds in every bedroom. It was about 11 am and there were various strangers sleeping in each room. Chabba seemed unprepared for 6 of us to be staying there, but he showed us to our bedrooms anyway. Jessica, Heidi, Ellen, and I stayed in a room with 8 bunk beds and 3 strangers. It might sound bizarre to just settle into a house with people you are completely unfamiliar with, but it wasn't. Everyone was really nice, really chill, and easy to be around. Most of them were very seasoned travelers with interesting stories and advice. <br /><br />After leaving our things at the hostel, we went to the beach. On the way, we noticed that there was an abundance of motorcycles. We soon realized that there was a motorcycle rally happening the same weekend. Obviously, there were a lot of interesting people in town. The beach was great, though. It was super warm and sunny, busy without being crowded, and the water was actually warm. I have never felt the Pacific at a comfortable temperature, but the water in Jacó definitely is! It was so nice to just relax and play in the water all day. I got some color, too :)<br /><br />Not too much else happened Saturday. We ate BURGERS and fries for dinner. The restaurant did some strange things. About halfway through our meal, the waitress came and took one of my friends' water glasses explaining that, "we need these for other people." The restaurant wasn't even that busy! Later, we went to one of the clubs that was having Ladies' Night. It was actually a nice club, but the only people there were old white guys and some very flirtatious, voluptuous, and cheaply dressed women (read: HOOKERS). After the girls got their 2 free drinks, we decided to call it a night. <br /><br />I slept well, despite sharing a room with 6 others, and I didn't wake up until 5 am. Why? Well, this very drunk Canadian girl was standing next to my bed trying to talk to me. I was really confused, at first, especially when she started pulling the covers off of me! I realized that she had me mistake for someone else. All I wanted to say was, "Girl, please, I am trying to sleep and my name is not 'Timmy!'" Oh hostels, what fun!<br /><br />The next day, we were all somewhat sunburned, but we decided to visit the other end of the beach. Our friend Ellen wasn't feeling great, though we thought it was just a stomach ache or something. On the way back from the beach, she just started puking all of a sudden. After spending some time in the bathroom, she came out, barely able to walk and complaining that her vision was fuzzy. Obviously, we were really freaked out and worried about her. Two people ran back to the hostel and they sent a guy on a motorcycle to pick her up and take her to see a doctor. Everybody went back to the hostel and scrambled to find all her necessities, like her passport copy and money. We took a taxi to the Red Cross, which is where the motorcycle guy said she would be. Do you know what the doctor told us? He said, "No, there's no one here named Ellen, no American girl." My heart stopped for like 5 seconds as we all thought simultaneously, "Oh my god, we just put our sick friend on the back of a stranger's motorcycle and now she's disappeared into the jungle!" <br /><br />Thankfully, we all speak Spanish, so we were able to question the doctor and get directions to the other health clinic. Keep in mind that we were also supposed to be getting on a bus this afternoon, so in addition to stressing about her health, we were also worried about our schedule. We managed to find her, though, and she was already looking a little better. They told her she had a stomach virus (how they diagnosed this in 1 hour, we're not sure), gave her some antibiotics, and said she would be fine to ride the bus back to San José. So in the end, everything turned out okay, and we even managed to make the bus. <br /><br />As a final, lovely topping on this weekend, though, the first half of the bus ride was miserable. We were stuck in traffic for an hour with intense heat and sweat occurring, and of course Lexi and my window was the one that wouldn't open. After the traffic, our driver turned off on some gravel side road that took us through the country for a bumpy shortcut aka "scenic tour." The rest of the journey was completed by highway, but we were driving on the wrong side of the road for almost the entire way. Apparently, that's okay here. I came back to San José exhausted, tan, and fully appreciative of my own bed and family here. Despite the scares and abnormalities, this was a fun weekend, and I can't wait for more weekend trips!<br /><br />Photo credits to Lexi and Jessica, who were brave enough to bring their cameras this weekend. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUdrVpPgKRI/AAAAAAAAAJI/nfKNvz4B1aY/s1600/Jaco%2Bhostel-%2Bbackyard.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUdrVpPgKRI/AAAAAAAAAJI/nfKNvz4B1aY/s320/Jaco%2Bhostel-%2Bbackyard.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568537483859208466" /></a>Backyard at the hostel.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUdrQp5UaCI/AAAAAAAAAJA/jAEB35tc0Fs/s1600/Jaco%2Bbeach%2Bwith%2Bkelly.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUdrQp5UaCI/AAAAAAAAAJA/jAEB35tc0Fs/s320/Jaco%2Bbeach%2Bwith%2Bkelly.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568537398135253026" /></a>Jacó beach with Kelly (note the fact that I haven't shaved in over a week)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUdrL0ozgwI/AAAAAAAAAI4/qAh5Mm-sGMU/s1600/driving%2Bon%2Bwrong%2Bside%2Bin%2Bcr.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUdrL0ozgwI/AAAAAAAAAI4/qAh5Mm-sGMU/s320/driving%2Bon%2Bwrong%2Bside%2Bin%2Bcr.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568537315119432450" /></a><br />Yep, driving on the left side is totally safe..Mikey Larkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16491193823634210270noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089278213050433054.post-82856590208525983872011-01-26T19:10:00.000-08:002011-01-26T20:41:28.824-08:00MonteverdeOkay....time to take a break from my presentation/essay/final exam studying to post about last weekend. I have been here almost a month and I can definitely say that Monteverde is my favorite place. Possibly my favorite in the world. It's a rain/cloud forest about 5 hours north of San José. It didn't rain once while we were there, though. I don't even know how to describe it, it was so surreal. We stayed in this amazing hotel with the buildings staggered on a steep, forested mountainside. From my balcony, I could see all the way to the peninsula on the Pacific side. We were literally above the clouds. <div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUDrttNO6pI/AAAAAAAAAG4/G1tO8XFUDC4/s1600/DSCF0535.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUDrttNO6pI/AAAAAAAAAG4/G1tO8XFUDC4/s320/DSCF0535.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566708309891672722" /></a>Hydrangeas were everywhere at our hotel </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>We took two excursions while in Monteverde. One was the zip-lining/canopy tour. Obviously, that was a blast, with 15 different zip lines, a tarzan swing (a four-story tower, harness, and swiiiiing over the rain forest), and some great views. The last two zip lines were actually optional because they were so long, spanning a small valley. I actually got stuck before completing the last one...not enough speed. Sailing over the rainforest is one thing, but dangling 200 feet in the air with no momentum and another 100 yards to safety is not the most comforting sensation. It was really fun, though :)</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUDsmGlZ0aI/AAAAAAAAAHA/zCoLrZ8brTY/s1600/DSCF0443.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUDsmGlZ0aI/AAAAAAAAAHA/zCoLrZ8brTY/s320/DSCF0443.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566709278776611234" /></a><div><br /><br />Modeling our harnesses.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUDtfRpHzMI/AAAAAAAAAHI/NqsV0819cqs/s1600/DSCF0459.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUDtfRpHzMI/AAAAAAAAAHI/NqsV0819cqs/s320/DSCF0459.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566710260997541058" /></a><br /></div>Zoom zoom!<div><br /><br />Also, the town of Monteverde is cute. There's this great art gallery with handmade, unique pieces. Much more interesting than your typical souvenirs. I purchased a fused glass ring that many people have mistaken for amethyst. It is shaped like a dangerous cutting weapon, which is always a plus when it comes to jewelry. My friends and I had cocktails at this restaurant called "The Tree House". It's a restaurant/hotel centered around a giant tree. Pretty neat.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUDuSrPl8_I/AAAAAAAAAHQ/dFjnX7_w3EQ/s1600/DSCF0467.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUDuSrPl8_I/AAAAAAAAAHQ/dFjnX7_w3EQ/s320/DSCF0467.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566711144043115506" /></a><div></div><div style="text-align: center;">Above the town of Monteverde</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUDx5PYRajI/AAAAAAAAAHw/R6Q3jG4CCWA/s1600/DSCF0468.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUDx5PYRajI/AAAAAAAAAHw/R6Q3jG4CCWA/s320/DSCF0468.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566715105113106994" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Someone buy me this car!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUDx5Rm38VI/AAAAAAAAAH4/s3v8_Df2uW0/s1600/DSCF0469.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUDx5Rm38VI/AAAAAAAAAH4/s3v8_Df2uW0/s320/DSCF0469.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566715105711223122" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Arriving at the Tree House Bar</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUDzl56ycoI/AAAAAAAAAIA/fHxINcAj_BA/s1600/DSCF0472.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUDzl56ycoI/AAAAAAAAAIA/fHxINcAj_BA/s320/DSCF0472.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566716971958039170" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Tequila Sunrises & BBCs (Banana, Baileys, Coconut)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUDzmH3u3TI/AAAAAAAAAII/ov18R-BIw78/s1600/DSCF0507.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUDzmH3u3TI/AAAAAAAAAII/ov18R-BIw78/s320/DSCF0507.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566716975703317810" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">We encountered two lemur-like creatures this weekend. One chased us (okay ran AT us) and then there was this one...inside our hotel building!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>On Sunday, we took a hike through the cloud forest preserve. It was a really pleasant 2 hour hike, with lots of beautiful scenery. We didn't see many animals, though. I heard another group saw a sloth and a quetzal. There were also a TON of older (60+) travelers in Monteverde, including a large group of them on the hiking trail. I thought that was cool, as I hope to keep exploring forever.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUD0_cI8mcI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/aSya6Xdi6ME/s1600/DSCF0512.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUD0_cI8mcI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/aSya6Xdi6ME/s320/DSCF0512.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566718510152587714" /></a><br />Beautiful old tree<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUD0_8NuGUI/AAAAAAAAAIY/tx9Z6LRVlOA/s1600/DSCF0521.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUD0_8NuGUI/AAAAAAAAAIY/tx9Z6LRVlOA/s320/DSCF0521.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566718518762543426" /></a><br />Obligatory rain forest shot<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUD2VquBe7I/AAAAAAAAAIg/cdM_grxN6Lo/s1600/DSCF0525.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUD2VquBe7I/AAAAAAAAAIg/cdM_grxN6Lo/s320/DSCF0525.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566719991534943154" /></a><br />FUNGUS!<br /><br />PS: I'm gonna do a little promoting for my friend Kennie P. She has been involved with some tremendous volunteer work at a women's shelter in Bellingham. Everyone PLEASE VOTE for her so she can win a scholarship and keep doing good in our community :)<br /><br />http://www.serviceawards.org/applicant/115/sis_applicant.aspx?nid=115<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUD2Vn2n0ZI/AAAAAAAAAIo/6DTVHAdvMMw/s1600/165791_501522421768_731136768_6111011_5455150_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TUD2Vn2n0ZI/AAAAAAAAAIo/6DTVHAdvMMw/s320/165791_501522421768_731136768_6111011_5455150_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566719990765703570" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Nature boy...on the lawn below our room :)</div></div>Mikey Larkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16491193823634210270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089278213050433054.post-81208177273433440852011-01-20T19:15:00.000-08:002011-01-20T20:35:20.600-08:00Pictures from Arenal<div style="text-align: center;">Just a few shots from last weekend at Arenal:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TTkBWla0zPI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/nBRRcgES-54/s320/DSCF0305.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Hanging bridge at the hotel...this was actually a shortcut from our rooms to the pool :) </div><div style="text-align: center;">Super fun to walk across at night, with all kinds of creatures chirping/howling.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TTkJYP_1PZI/AAAAAAAAAGA/WbTc_DOCXLM/s1600/DSCF0396.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TTkJYP_1PZI/AAAAAAAAAGA/WbTc_DOCXLM/s320/DSCF0396.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564489126808731026" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Another bridge picture: Erin, Jessica, Claire, & Kelly</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TTkJXnrtlZI/AAAAAAAAAF4/PyJjuBNqdqw/s1600/DSCF0382.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TTkJXnrtlZI/AAAAAAAAAF4/PyJjuBNqdqw/s320/DSCF0382.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564489115986924946" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Crocodile exhibit at the hotel. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TTkBX8nFPEI/AAAAAAAAAFw/-vyUq8oq6p8/s1600/DSCF0366.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TTkBX8nFPEI/AAAAAAAAAFw/-vyUq8oq6p8/s320/DSCF0366.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564480325511625794" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">La Fortuna waterfall. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TTkBXSPpzwI/AAAAAAAAAFo/NgGxkLRYtu8/s1600/DSCF0362.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TTkBXSPpzwI/AAAAAAAAAFo/NgGxkLRYtu8/s320/DSCF0362.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564480314139070210" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">I love wild mushrooms/fungus, as creepy as that sounds.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I hope I find tons more this weekend in the Monteverde rain/cloud forest.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TTkBXMvqq2I/AAAAAAAAAFg/SOCwNZE2Nao/s1600/DSCF0360.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TTkBXMvqq2I/AAAAAAAAAFg/SOCwNZE2Nao/s320/DSCF0360.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564480312662731618" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Soaked, but happy. It was raining on our hike to the waterfall.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TTkBWzJJldI/AAAAAAAAAFY/Yq3bLWt0m3c/s1600/DSCF0308.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TTkBWzJJldI/AAAAAAAAAFY/Yq3bLWt0m3c/s320/DSCF0308.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564480305790293458" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Swim-up bar, oh heyy (w/ Jessica and our friend Emily from Nebraska)</div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm drinking a "Kangaroo."</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BclM3l1RAfQ/TTkJYRbKCgI/AAAAAAAAAGI/krrdc97zYYg/s320/DSCF0400.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Ice cream!</div><div style="text-align: center;">(PS that tank top is from Forever 21, I know you all want one.)</div>Mikey Larkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16491193823634210270noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089278213050433054.post-35637828798230644602011-01-17T20:45:00.000-08:002011-01-17T21:05:06.509-08:00Check CheckHey Everyone, <div><br /></div><div>I just wanted to check in since I haven't posted for a while. We went to the Arenal volcano this weekend, but it rained the whole time so we never actually saw the volcano. It was a beautiful place, though, with lots of lush vegetation. Our hotel was on a hillside, with a view of this expansive green valley (when there weren't clouds) and it also had several pools with waterslides, naturally heated by the volcanic hot springs. It was relaxing, but also really moist. Everyone felt soggy by the end of the weekend. I will try to find time to play catch up and post a lot of pictures. I need to stay on top of things, because this week I am going to: </div><div><br /></div><div>-Thursday- the zoo (with my art class). We are going to compare the representations that we saw at the gold museum last week to the actual animals.</div><div>-Friday- several of the Spanish classes are going to the Children's Museum. We have to view certain exhibits and give our final presentations about them next week.</div><div>-Weekend- Monteverde Cloud Forest! EEEK, can't wait! Canopy tour, etc.</div><div><br /></div><div>Oh and here's a fun Costa Rican slang word that my family taught me: chunche (pronounced: CHOON-CHAY). They use it to refer to any "thing" that may not have a specific name, like a remote control or a phone charger. I've also heard it used to describe girls when they are wearing revealing clothing. So don't let your "chunche" hang out.</div><div><br /></div><div>Loves</div><div><br /></div><div>PS: Once again, my phone is not working. I forgot the SIM password and after 3 unsuccessful attempts, it locked me out permanently. So now my family is trying to contact the phone's previous owner for the override code. Kinda annoying</div>Mikey Larkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16491193823634210270noreply@blogger.com0