JUST CALL ME GUACA

April 11, 2006
Journal Entry
Montezuma, Costa Rica


eating fruit after lunch on tortuga island

I can't believe that I can walk around this town and know half the people I see. Okay, maybe not quite half, but I know a lot of people here and they're locals, not travellers. It's a feeling I've experienced in only a few places in this world and two of them are ski towns in Canada, so, obviously, this situation stands apart just a little.

I'm so glad that, in a town so full of travellers and tourists you sometimes need to remind yourself you're in Costa Rica, I'm hanging out mostly with Ticos and communicating mostly in Spanish. I speak to the girls I'm staying with mostly in English but there are almost always a group of Ticos with us and so most conversations are in Spanish. I almost always know generally what's going on, but more and more I'm easily understanding slang filled conversation and I love every minute of it. It makes me feel like taking a vacation every year to a Spanish speaking country to keep in practice.

Last night we made a fajita dinner and partied a la casa de Sheleena, where I'm now staying. It was so great to cook again and definitely one of the things I'm most looking forward to about being back home, the kitchen! Anyway, we made some guacamole and as I stood there putting the finishing touches on it, Roberto and Soma suddenly had a brain wave and the pronunciation my name became so much more clearer to them. For the rest of the night I was guacamole. They just got such a laugh out of it, and of course so did I. I figured it wouldn't continue so heavily today as it did last night and at first I was fine. Roberto and Soma had pretty much dropped it, but it went on to find new life.


the eco tours boat and crew setting out for tortuga in the morning

Sheleena let me hop on one of the Eco-Tours all day boat tours to Isla de Tortuga. With each trip there are 3 staff. The guide, the captain and the cook. Over lunch I sat with the workers of a couple of the tour companies. I'm not sure who thought of it first, it was either Pollo (eco-tours cocinara) or Allonso (el capitan de eco-tours) who, independantly from the guys last night, came to the same conclusions about my name. So, alas, the name has caught on and I'm sure I'll continue to hear it throughout the rest of the week, which is okay I guess. They certainly seem to like their nicknames here. Half the poeple I know, I know only by nickname. So I take to be rather endearing and am actually enjoying it some.


beautiful starfish, this side is orange the other is purple

I'm having a great time here, Spanish practice aside, we've been having some really good times. Tortuga Island today was really great. The island itself is really very pretty and tranquila, a little slice of heaven here on earth, although many people are there visiting. This morning as we rode to the first stop for snorkelling we saw a huge manta ray. It was really cool! Stuck a corner up out of the water looking something like a shark fin. Saw that freak at least one other person out for a minute or two. Then we went snorkelling, yes I went snorkelling and am now a big fan! Didn't mind swimming with the fish at all. They were all so beautiful. So many different shapes and amazingly vibrant colours, I was truly mesmerized. I couldn't even tell you how many different kinds I saw but there were at least 20 and they included starfish (that I held), a moray eel (that I steered clear from, they are dangerous) and even a blowfish (so cute) that Roberto caught and brought to the surface for us to look at and snap some photos of. Lunch and a little more swimming before we made our way back to Montezuma and a great day had by all.


roberto and the blowfish

Tonight we're going to have a beach fire at a more remote beach in the area. Semana Santa (Easter) celebrations are in full swing this weekend so locals are flocking to this beach town and setting up camp. No one who lives here likes it very much. Think Wasage Beach on May 24...NUFF SAID! So, we're taking tonight's beach party to a smaller spot. Now though, I must shower away today's salt so that i'm ready to head backto town.

PURA VIDA!