First Day in Costa Rica- Tanya

We had an exhausting day of traveling, but I am glad to announce we have officially landed in Costa Rica!! As the plane was landing I got to see the beautiful scenery of mountains and greenery through the plane window. I was very excited knowing that we would soon be meeting our host families.

After a taking a shuttle to Heredia, our mama tica Ginette picked my roommates and I up, and she fed us a common Costa Rican dish, Casado. It included rice, beans, plantains, tortillas, and chicken with bell peppers- it was delicious! Afterwards, we played Rummikub at her dining table. It was our first time playing the game, but as soon as she taught us her strategies the game became intense as we all competed to be the winner. Turns out our mama Gin is very good at number games!

After a couple of rounds of Rummikub, we headed to Oxigeno, which is a shopping mall with an extensive food court and has many open green spaces for one to enjoy the fresh air outside. It has a pet playground in these green spaces and even the stores are pet-friendly so one can shop and eat with their pet. This place was a bliss for mama Gin’s dog, Luki, whom we have all grown to be fond of. As we walked through the green spaces, we were able to overlook the entire city surrounded by mountains and see it glow vibrantly during the night. I could not believe it was real because of the amount of awe I was in.

Following our outing, we returned home and enjoyed the nice breeze by laying down on a hammock, a swing chair, and a lounge sofa in her well-decorated backyard patio, while she cooked dinner for us. In her patio, she has multiple plants, a tall tree that provides shade, cute lights hanging from the ceiling, and even a disco ball! I am beyond grateful to have her us our host mom as she provides us with such a cozy, peaceful home for us to stay in during our time in Costa Rica.

For dinner we had salad, beans, and rice mixed with slices of sausage, onion, and peas. It was very tasty, but what I enjoyed the most was getting to know more about her and about my roommates. Our dinner conversation included things such as family, roots, music, and the environmental sustainability efforts of Costa Rica.

I am looking forward to having plentiful of amazing days like this one for the rest of our trip here.

Until next time,

Tanya Yanez