costa rican life

HELLLO! everythings been going really well here. in the past week, lou and i have made a better effort to see the town and become a part of life at the school and in monteverde. we have pretty much come to the ultimatum that we would rather spend our time with the ticos than the interns at the school. the other 2 volunteers that we love are leaving after this week... so we will be lonely, but apparently we are getting in groups of 20 kids at a time for a couple weeks straight.

last saturday (on valentine´s day) was a fundraiser race for the school at which lou and i volunteered as street guards. we met the cutest puppy at our stand that we named miel (honey in spanish). lou got to be a crossing guard again, but the traffic was only about 2 cars, 10 runners, a 4-wheeler, some motorcycles, and about 100 dogs. the street dogs are precious, but half of them are pregnant, and the other half follows us around.

the ice cream is really good. and so are the mangos. and we are both getting pretty tan!

lou finished all 3 of his books but has his little brother axel to keep him occupied. all. the. time. i get lonely because my family is so used to volunteer´s doing their own thing. and i miss the family life of the croitoru house. and actually the gemunden house as well.

MY favorite experience so far was riding HORSES down a mountainside. our boss at school named milton had a friend who let us ride horses on his farm about a half hour away from town. we rode on a rocky path about 2 feet wide on horseback with absolutely no instruction. and a guide who did not say a word to us and only made kissing noises to the horses to make them move. lous horse would constantly stop in front of mine teasing my horse (named imperial... the most beautiful one hehe) to get ahead. as soon as mine would get close, lou´s would start up again. poor vanessa cried because her horse was crazy and almost threw her off... but the four of us had a great time. we rode down to natural hotsprings in the forest where we got to spend the afternoon.

we love you and miss you. next week we will be at the BEACH! school is on vacation... so we will try to find an internet place closeby, otherwise you will hear from us in a little over a week.