Vacation--week 2

So after I got Justin set and off to the airport I only had a couple of hours before my parents got here. When they first got here they got a great introduction to life in Costa

Tucan Sam and I

Rica--the rent-a-car window was closed because the man decided he wanted to go home. Yup, it's pretty laid back here. So we just took a taxi back to my place. Oh yeah, and my mom also thought that maybe if she spoke English louder that my host mom would understand her.....turns out that doesn't help if she doesn't know any English!

Here are some highlights from the week:
--Spent a couple days in Playa Hermosa (not the one J and I went to but another one--they are not very creative with their names!--the one near Jaco Beach) and met a dad and his son from San Diego. We spent some time hanging out and eating with them. It was a lot of fun but the beach there was for surfing only...which kept us outta the water. It didn't matter too much

Dad and I with some bamboo trees

because it wasn't too nice out.
--I played pool on a team with an 80's porn star, as I came to find out afterwards. You have to ask about that character when I get home. And yes, I have pictures......
--We went to a botanical garden for my mom's birthday. It was interesting because we had to drive 8 km on a crappy gravel road to get there....up the side of part of the mountain. It was cool though and the views were absolutely georgous!
--After a couple days there we went down to Manuel Antonio (me for the second time!).

Dad, myself, Hugh, and Alan zip lining through the rain forest

It was very busy but still just as beautiful. We met up with Alan and Hugh (that J and I met in Playa Hermosa) and spent a LOT of time with them. Dad, Hugh, Alan, and I went on a canopy tour, which is a bunch of zip lines throughout the jungle.....it was AWESOME!
--On the night before we headed back to the city, the president of Costa Rica (Don Oscar) was staying at our hotel. We were very interested at how laid back everything was and I

Me and the president of Costa Rica, Don Oscar

decided that I was going to get a picture with him. Well, it happened right when he got there before his dinner. Then, after he got done with dinner and was heading up to his room he stopped and asked me out.......seriously. You can ask my mom, she saw the whole thing. It was hilarious!
--We went to Manuel Antonion National Park and spent some time checking out the local wildlife. We saw lots of whiteface monkeys, slothes, poision tree frogs, a snake (mom did WONDERFUL!) and lots of other animals.
--The week that we spent traveling, we got a car to drive. That in itself was an

Monkey at Manuel Antonio National Park

adventure! We had to try manage ourselves in a country with no addressess, street names, and almost nonexistent street signs! We only got lost twice--once on the way and once on the way back--so I think we did very well. Oh and I was driving....good thing too because it was through the mountains for 70% and also on a "road" (which was more like they cut down the trees and threw huge rocks on it) which took us an hour and a half to go 20 miles. There were potholes on the road that our car could have disappeared into forever if we would have hit them (seriously holes with a diameter of 7-8 feet)!!!

I know that there are more and I am sure you will all hear them over and over in the next

Mom with some cool flowers

couple months--so get excited! I only have 3 weeks and 3 days left (I get home late on August 10th) which is very weird to think about, but also exciting. I miss everyone a lot, especially after having a taste of home here with me. I have lots of pictures and lots of stories so if you're interested, you know where to find me.........

Jaco, Costa Rica