La Paz etc...

Mericoles Julio 11, 2007

Well let me begin by saying that this morning I took a warm shower! What an accomplishment for me (an ivy league grad) to figure out the shower system. There is a heater attached to the showerhead- it looks like one of those fancy shower massage gadgets. Anyway I discovered this morning that if you turn the water on only slightly it will heat up. Obviously- less water- easier to heat. So granted I’d say I showered under a hefty trickle this morning- it was warm and a welcome change to the frigid baths I’ve had the last few days.

Today we went to La Paz waterfall gardens, which is located about one hour from Grecia. How I managed not to puke on this bus ride, I’ll never know- perhaps the grace of God. We traveled on this rickety bus on the most windy, mountainous road- however the destination made the journey more than worth it. One rather memorable moment occurred however, when Luiz (our driver) began blasting Carlos Santana on the bus radio. We all sang along to “Smooth”. So bizarre.

La Paz is absolutely beautiful. At one point I’m walking around thinking “I’m actually in the rainforest- this isn’t that Bronx Zoo simulation that we went to as kids”. Rather than explain I think the pictures give a better idea of what the waterfall gardens entail.

Oddly enough, I’ve become quite the comedienne of the group. People are somehow very entertained by how excited I get about things. For example on the bus today we passed through a rather rural area and all of sudden in the front yard of this house, a cow was just standing there, eating grass, hanging out. So I exclaim “ ah! Un Vaca!!”. (cow). And everyone just started cracking up. Of the group I have the least travel experience and least experience outside a metro area and I’m just so out of my element with all this nature stuff. But my enthusiasm is apparently entertaining for the group.

This is for you especially for you Jill- would it be a Vicki story without some sort of “boy tale”? Alejandro our tour guide (pictured) took quite a liking to me. I genuinely was interested in all of the stuff he had to say, unlike many of the people in the group and he was speaking half in Spanish and half English and I would always be saying “mas despacio por favor!”- speak slower please. Anyway so he’s like “Victoria, Victoria- such a pretty name for a pretty girl and then was asking all about what I do in Nuevo York. Anyway so he sits next to me on the bus back from the waterfall tour and he says let’s take a picture. We do and then he gives me his card with his email and phone number! Ha!

So I’ll write more about this soon, but I have to mention it. I do not see poverty in Costa Rica in the same way that I have seen poverty in the united states. While people certainly live with less than many Americans, there is not much of a lower class in Costa Rica. I was speaking with my professor today and she said that while there is poverty, its not widespread and that even the poor have access to many services. I truly believe that the conditions I have seen both in parts of the Bronx, Brooklyn and West Philly over the years far surpass anything here. It’s a different type of poverty. Now, I imagine other Latin American countries may not be the same (i.e. Nicaragua or Guatemala).

I’m exhausted writing this. After got back from the waterfall gardens and then walked home with Kate (about 25 min walk from the school). Carlos wanted to see pictures. When he realized I had a laptop he was so excited because now we can watch DVDs. So we watched Lilo & Stich en Espanola. What a bizarre movie- also totally gives social workers a bad rap. But anyway, then I had about an hour of homework so I’m about ready to crash. I feel the quality of my writing has greatly deteriorated.

So enough, I’ll have lots to say tomorrow after our sight visit to a domestic violence shelter!

Ciao