My life so far

I've been here for about a week now and it feels really strange – because actually it doesn't feel weird at all! It feels like you'd been here for ages already, the other volunteers are like your old friends although you've known them for less than a week.
Yes, it is totally another culture, another climate, another language – another world! I came here with almost no knowledge of Spanish – but I actually understand more or less what I'm told. The culture is something I really have to adapt to. Being a Catholic country and me being an Estonian (meaning, not religious). People are very friendly, but they are yet very conservative. Thus, having got used to the liberty while living alone... I have to get used to living in a family again... living in a family where you have to share ebeything, talk about everything you do and everywhere you go – and all that in Spanish :P
My project has not started yet – as we're learning a little bit of Spanish first. But I am really waiting forward to seeing the hospital and the children!

Prices

Compared to Estonia it is actually quite cheap... depending on the things you need to buy. At first the number will strike you: how come does a salsa course per month cost 7000 colones?!? But then again... it makes about 140 Estonian crowns and yes, it is very cheap!

First impressions of food

Food no 1: Gallo pinto = rice and beans. In some homes you can get rice and beans 24 hors a day, 7 days a week. So no wonder everyone gains a lot of weight here!
But fortunately the first 3 weeks for me is exactly the food I'd expect from a tropical country: fruits and yogurt for breakfast + the wonderful-wonderful Costa Rican coffee. For lunch soup and salad, sometimes rice or lenses. And for dinner just something light.
Oh I just love this country with all the variety of vegetables and fruits!!!

People

As one of my friends said, Costa Ricans are born with the instinct of seduction. So especially if you're a white girl, you should... as bad as it is... get used to guys making all kind of comments to you on the streets - as if there was a cat nearby, you hear "ksss-ksss" and then you know that actually you are the cat. Even as in Estonia I'm really brunette (or dark potato as we say) and quite tan... and no, I don't have blue eyes (how can you not see that they are totally gray?) - here I'll always be a machita (a blondie) or a gringo (american) – blond hair, blue eyes, light skin.
But excluding the rudeness on the streets... Costa Ricans are really-really nice. Very friendly on the first glance... but real friendship is not easy to gain.

The weather

...is just about perfect. Not too hot, not too cold... although can be really-really rainy at that time of a year. So it's August now and they say the rainy season usually starts in August and ends in November or so. For we are not used to having hot sun in the morning and loads of rain in the afternoon... so it's really easy to catch a cold. One should wear good water-resistant shoes... but how do you put on closed shoes when it's 25 degrees Celsius and sun shining bright above you? So no wonder if you catch a cold!
So, one thing for sure – most of my pocket-money will go on umbrellas... knowing my ability to forget things in all impossible places ;)

Cars & traffic

As you can imagine, there is a LOT of cars, always peeping, always being in traffic-jam. But the funny thing is – the cars are in a much better physical condition than the cars in Italy or Spain for example. I also learned another new thing in the traffic culture, which I find to be very-very nice – it is waving to other drivers when you want to change the line. In the world of cold Estonians it would never be like that – we'd just curse other drivers for not letting us in front of them, without doing any effort from ourselves.
Well, I've got another surprise in my sleeve... My host mother actually has a Lada! It's a new mark, but still – it's a Lada! Welcome to the world of Russian cars! And the other day I saw a Ziguli 006. Such a feeling of home crossed me! It's almost like being in my friend's orange “Tibu”, sitting in the back-seat and flying to the other end of the car every time the car makes a turn. Awww, it feels so nice!

Finally here

After about 20 hours of sitting in airports and airplanes, I´ve finally made it to San Jose, Costa Rica.
All I can say right now, is that the people are very nice here and I sure must have learnt some more Spanish... especially as my host family whom I´m going to live with in 3 weeks doesn´t speak any English. So milk-shakes for breakfast, lunch and dinner will have to do for a while... till I learn some more words :D
The weather seems quite OK - 21 degrees Celcius for the morning at 7 o´clock is quite enough I´d say (although for me it´s still 4PM).

Travel-fever

So now for a couple of days I've been living in a huge pile of clothes and other mess surrounding me. I couldn't even open the door to my room (but on the other hand, I have a very tiny room). I'm already trying to get all that in my bag so that it would be less than 20 kilos.
Also I've been running around tourist shops like a desperate little Japanese trying to get the best amber earrings on the market. Come on, I need presents! So I got some Sipsiks for the children (should have bought one for myself, otherwise I don'tr dare to give it away :P)
Only 2 days ago I started to realize I'm going away. For the whole 9 months! And alreay yesterday I had the feeling that it'll be just another 2-week-trip and I'll be back before anyone can even realize that I'm gone.