Backpacking Trip 2010

In my last blog (8 days ago), I mentioned I´d update sooner! Well, combine one shabby computer for everyone at the ranch to use (one computer for all of the guests, employees and volunteers), plus a terrible connection and that equals less personal and blog updates, less communications. I am currently in La Fortuna in an internet cafe, so I am happy that I have a reliable internet connection and I can update everyone! Also, Katie and I hit the one month mark of traveling! So, we´ve been traveling for a month and a week already! Myyyy how the time flies!

Aside from thinking of my family and friends constantly, I have been busy at the ranch, working with the animals whom I´ve come to love very much. A few days ago, while James (the totally awesome guy I work with every day) and I were cutting down sugar cane in the fields, we came across a fer-de-lance! For those of you that don´t know what kind of snake it is, it happens to be the most dangerous snake in Central and South America, and one of the deadliest snakes in the world! Fortunately, James is a badass and handled the situation so nothing bad happened to either of us, but, it was a very close call! I had walked right by where it was laying and didn´t even see it! James saw it, went, “Oh dios mio!”, took a piece of sugar cane and beat it to death, then looked at me and said, “Let´s go.¨He did NOT need to tell me twice! The snake was pretty large! Snake 0, James 1. haha. I hope to never come across one of those again!

Then, the very next day, I cut myself with a machette! In my previous blog, I wrote that I am one big scrape, cut, gash, bruise & mosquito bite from head-to-toe so new injuries aren´t too surprising to me, but this hurt like a son-of-a…..! I am ok, it wasn´t as deep as it could´ve been because I hit my knee bone, so it is more of a bone bruise. Fortunately for me, the machette was kind of dull, as well! But, it does hurt. I´m going to be leaving the ranch with what will end up being some pretty cool scars! haha.

Tuesday is my day off at the ranch, so I came to La Fortuna again. This time, Richard came up to visit me and Katie! I came up on Monday evening by myself (Katie was working that night) and met up with Richard in the middle of Parque Central. He took several buses and almost six hours to get here, just to see me. It was soooooo great to see him! Katie came up on Tuesday morning and the three of us were together again! The three of us always have the best time together! So, Monday night, it was just Richard and I, then Katie came up and we all went out together last night. During the day yesterday, me, Richard and Richard´s room mate, Brauny (who happened to be on vacation in La Fortuna), went to the Cerro Chato waterfall. It was the most beautiful waterfall I´ve ever seen and almost one of the most beautiful things I have seen so far in Costa Rica. I didn´t bring my bathing suit on this trip to La Fortuna so I went swimming in my bra and shorts! Ha! The water was freezing but it was super awesome! We walked to the water fall, walked the preserve and went swimming. We had a lot of fun together, it was a gorgeous day for swimming at a waterfall! Then we walked back, met up with Katie and the four of us went out for eating and drinking (MUCH drinking). We had a great night hanging out, although I feel VERY rough today. Haha. Richard left this morning to go back to San Jose and Katie and I are still hanging out in La Fortuna today. I can´t believe we had to say goodbye to Richard again so soon! 🙁 I will miss him dearly. I miss him already! When we come back from Nicaragua, we are going to go back through San Jose and we´ll be staying with him for a week, so I´ll be looking forward to that! 🙂

So, Katie and I decided to leave the ranch early. We decided today, this morning, and we´ll be leaving for Nicaragua tomorrow. We mutually agreed that four weeks is too long and we don´t have to do what we don´t want to do. I am exhausted and I am looking forward to being able to sleep in again. I am very proud of myself that I did this and consider my time at the ranch to be a big success in my life, even though we are leaving early. I will touch more on that later.

Our next destination is going to be Ometepe Island in Nicaragua! We´ll be on an island in the middle of a lake, surrounded by two volcanos! Ahh! Crazy! I don´t know how long we´ll be there, but it´s okay because leaving early from the ranch will free up more time for our travels.Well, I´m ending this entry and going to get some food! I will be sure to update again, as soon as I know! Mucho amor de Costa Rica, Ang

I have no idea where to start, or what to say, because so much has happened the last five days and I don’t know where to start. Well, I’ve been at the ranch for five days now and it feels like an eternity already! I have already gotten into a daily routine and it feels like I have been doing it my whole life! I absolutely love the work I have been doing! The first two in a half days were working on the farm, in the garden (“gardening” makes it sound so glamorous!). I have planted carrots, transplanted cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower, I tore down a plot of cherry tomatoes that got infected (this took about 8 hours to do), and have tilled land to get ready for planting. Then, the last three days have been working with the pigs! Oh, how I love these pigs! We have pigs ranging from 500-600 pounds down to little piglets, some only 14 days old (who are the most adorable little babies EVER). It is all very hard work from first thing in the morning to the end of the day. On my first day working with the pigs, I introduced myself to them by telling them my name, telling them I am their new friend who will be feeding them and taking care of them. I scratched the momma pigs behind their ears and whispered sweet nothings into their ears. I have devoted more time than the necessary 6 daily hours; I’ve worked about 7-9 hours every day. I collect the ingredients for their diet (which includes going out onto the farm and cutting down sugar cane, going to collect the other two plants we put in their food), then cutting the sugar cane with a machete [this is soooo hard to do, by the way], cutting up the other ingredients and mixing them together. I clean their pens, put the pigs out into their play area, then clean them off when they get back and put into their pens, just to name the primary tasks. I also tend to the chickens, mix their feed, feed them, water them, put them out, wrangle them back in at the end of the work day, and collect their eggs. I work with the pigs and chickens throughout the whole day and take one 15 minute break for lunch. I haven’t done too much else other than work! I was originally told I would be working behind the bar, but after speaking with the director of operations, I was placed in the gardens, farm & with the animals. I was ecstatic to be told this! Once I got here and toured the ranch, I made up my mind that was what I wanted to do. I am one big bruise, scratch, scrape, gash, insect bite and every thing else from head-to-toe! I’ve cut myself up every day, in some way or another. Today was a 4 inch long gash down my calf from jumping a fence and then slipping on the way down. I am filthy, my clothes stink, I stink, I can’t seem to get completely clean, I’m exhausted, I’m cut, I’m sore, I itch from every surface of my body, and I am the happiest I’ve been in my entire life. I have never worked this physically hard yet I have never felt so complete and fulfilled in my whole life. I bet people who don’t keep up with me and what I’m up to think I’m on vacation, living it up and relaxing! If they only knew! Haha! I have grown immensely as a human being already. I am completely independent! All of the employees here are terrific and I enjoy every minute of my day, from start to finish! Like I said, I haven’t done very much other than work yet, because I work so harrd, by the time I’m done, I’m exhausted! But, I have gone to yoga twice, gone swimming in the hot pool once, gone swimming in the pond once, gone into Castillo for pizza and beer, and learn to dance at night with the employees! This entire facility works together, we are all in it together, we work as a team and it is all cohesive to the mantra here. We all sleep in the same quarters, we work together, eat together, dance together. We are truly each others’ family. The employees here speak Spanish, only a few of them can converse in English, and then a few more of them speak and understand a little English. So, naturally, I’ve been learning Spanish and speaking and understanding more by the day! The energy here is amazing. I haven’t gotten to spend very much time with Katie, our schedules have been different since day one, but we do get to see each other every day and get to talk and hug and we’ve had some drinks and gotten to eat together. We both feel the same way: like we have landed in the most magical place in the world and have already grown as human beings and we couldn’t have it any better than we do. I work hard every day and earn my food and shelter. It feels so rewarding to my soul. I breathe happiness and I exude happiness from every pore! I have worked in down-pouring rain, with wet socks and shoes, I have been covered in mud, poop, pig & chicken feed, I have hurt myself and been exhausted, but I love it here, I love every part of it, every second. I feel like I am repeating myself! Haha. But, it’s true, all of it. I do miss my family and friends (hello, out there!!!!!!) very much. I think about them when I’m working and when I’m laying in bed at night, listening to the thunder and volcano rumble (did I mention that Volcan Arenal is right around the corner?!). I love Costa Rica. We haven’t been to any other country yet, but I can’t imagine any place better than here. I love the way I feel. I love the way this place makes me feel. I love my gorgeous surroundings. I feel like this is what I have been wanting and waiting for, my whole life. I feel like I have a symbiotic relationship with myself and the earth and the plants and creatures on this earth. I am at a loss for more words at the moment! I just don’t know what else to say! It hasn’t even been a week working on the ranch yet and I can’t believe how much I have grown and the person I have grown into since working here. As I am writing this, I am completely disgusting, my feet, socks and shoes are soaked, I am covered in everything from my work day. But, you get used to it, you get used to feeling like that! Haha! And it feels good! Well, I’m done with non-profound sentences and repeated ramblings for now. There is no phone here for volunteers and the computer access is limited (and when I can get on it, the connection drops constantly).  But, I hope to update again sooner that way I can write better and better explain what I’ve been doing! I miss you all very much (hello out there!!!!!!)!!!! I’m sending hugs and love to you all!!!!!

I´m leaving Monteverde tomorrow at 8am! I´m headed to Arenal for what is to be a four week volunteer work exchange program! The destination is Rancho Margot, a working ranch near Lake Arenal. I´m told I´ll be bartending! I´m going ... [Continue reading this entry]