The first few days of the week were spent freaking out about all the work I had to do and falling asleep when I wasn't supposed to. Both classes on Monday with lots of work. I had a presentation in my elective. A quiz on Tuesday in Spanish. I tried to write my huge research paper all day Tuesday but...you know how that goes. I went to dance that night to give myself a break. And so it continued with stressing, working, and not finishing it all. Wednesday we had our final exam in Spanish which went well. Then I had to go to the store to buy food for my final presentation the next day in Spanish and of course spend the rest of the day working on papers for my elective. Thursday morning class started later so I made pico de gallo with my mamatica before class.
Our final day of spanish class was a lot of fun. We all presented about the food we made and how to make it and the we ate it all, of course. We listened to music and talked and ate way too much. We had everything from french toast to platanos maduros to bloody mary's. Those weren't supposed to happen but one student did it anyway.
I am very happy with my spanish class in the end. My teacher was so much fun and such a wonderful woman. I learned a lot of new vocabulary and phrases and reviewed grammar. It was a great class. It felt so strange that it was ending. This was the first big moment of my time in Costa Rica coming to an end.
Profe and I :)
And a photobomb by Paul
Oh! I forgot to mention that my difficulties in concentrating on my work on Wednesday were enhanced by an email offering me the internship position I applied for!! I got it! I am very excited about this and really nervous but I am now a General Sustainability Intern with the Office of Sustainability at BGSU for this year. =]
Anyway, with spanish over and my work for my elective finished, the weekend began. Friday was another Costa Rican holiday. It was a Catholic holiday about the virgin. It is called La Romeria. Thousands of people make a pilgrimage to a church in Cartago on or before this day. The story is about this little black statue that was found a long time ago that looked like the virgin. I'm not entirely sure. I didn't get it all. The previous weekend, we saw people starting their walk all the way from Puntarenas. I joined Jenny and her roommate, Olivia, and their mamatica and friends on the walk Thursday night. From San José we walked 24 km to Cartago. We began at 5 or 6 and got there several hours later. I didn't even pay attention to the time. We stopped a few times to let the older ladies catch up and to hang out in a park and to grab snacks. I enjoyed the walk. It was like a fair the whole way. There were tents set up and people giving away free shirts or food or drinks and people selling things. There was a lot of music. Other parts were really quiet and dark. The hike is up the mountains so it takes a while and is really exhausting. I think I enjoyed the walk the most even though it got really hard at times. It was amazing how many people there were. We were literally packed on the street at times. Some people even walk barefoot.
When we made it to Cartago, the city was decorated for the festivities that would continue the next few days. The streets were oddly less crowded as we got into the city. I'm not sure why. Finally, we saw the church. It was beautiful with the lights at night. It was very grand and more than I expected. At this point, it was hard to even walk because there were so many people. Going inside the church, was out of the question. People set up camp all over the street, the park in front of the church, and the sidewalks. I almost stepped on so many people. I think they were waiting for the special mass in the morning. Not long after, we got a bus home.
I was hoping for an interesting cultural experience and it certainly was. It is amazing that so many people do this pilgrimage and that some walk for an entire week to get there. If I were Catholic I would probably appreciate it more and find it more interesting. I liked seeing the church but I was ready to go home once we got to the city. I liked the walk though. That was an adventure.
Thousands of people.
The church
Friday, the day was spent relaxing, shopping in the artisan market, and having lunch with friends. It was a good day to recuperate from such a crazy week.
Siempre un estudiante,
Taylor
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