Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears!
From May 24-July 31, I am going to be in San Jose, Costa Rica studying Spanish and experiencing the country and all of it’s culture. I consider it a blessing for me to be able to take two months out of my life and come to Costa Rica for this purpose.
I will be visiting as many places as my budget allows and I will share this experience with whoever is interested in Costa Rica. I will not going to “sugar-coat” this blog and I will tell you exactly how San Jose is and how the people here live their lives. I hope this blog will help people who are planning a trip to Costa Rica and entertain the people that think I’m funny.
Pura Vida,
Alexey
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By the way… It’s not as hot as back home. So everyone, pack some pants and long sleeve shirts along with the summer clothing.
By: goretoya on June 13, 2010
at 1:37 am
Thanks for the packing tips. How are the prices around town for food and entertainment?
By: Samantha on June 13, 2010
at 3:03 am
Alexy on a blog, go figure. Glad to “see” you.
By: globaldiscovery on June 14, 2010
at 12:35 pm
I submitted a new post called “Getting Ready” and it should sum up a majority of things.
By: goretoya on June 22, 2010
at 12:50 pm
Where is the new post, I do not see it?
By: globaldiscovery on June 23, 2010
at 2:33 pm
Someone has to approve it. It’s still pending…
By: goretoya on June 23, 2010
at 3:04 pm
By the way, I secured myself a local number here. Anyone can do it as long as they have a phone that functions with a SIM card and have $35
By: goretoya on June 25, 2010
at 8:32 pm
Ok. For those that are getting ready for CR and are freaking out because they have no idea what to expect… Let me help you.
Weather – rainy. It rains every day so don’t forget an umbrella. Also, the smaller the umbrella folds, the better because you’re going to be taking everywhere with you. It gets chilly, so don’t be lenient with the pants. I would recommend more pants than shorts. There aren’t that many mosquitoes as people say there are. I’ve been bitten only 3 times so far. If you have shoes that can’t get wet, leave them at home because you’re going to get them wet… promise.
Money – Budget, budget, budget! I can not stress it any more. If you’re going to travel a lot, then bring enough money for at least $200/week. You can survive off of $20/week if you would like, but you won’t get a chance to go anywhere and experience Costa Rica. You’ll really begin to enjoy CR when you travel around and meet amazing people. The exchange rate changes every day, but a good heuristic to follow is $1=500 colones. That way the perceived value calculator in your head works for daily purchases.
Food – The food here is awesome! You can always get some Quiznos or McDonalds, but I highly recommend trying all of the food everywhere first. You can eat at school for less than $2 for lunch and that’s what I usually do. There are two cafeterias on campus and both serve amazing food. There are coffee shops everywhere, so if you’re a cafe-junky like me, this is great news. There are two coffee shops within 200 meters of the building where all of the MLSA students study.
Students – The students here are from all over the United States. There are all kinds of people/characters/attitudes, but everyone gets along because everyone wants to have a good time. A lot of the students travel in groups of 8 or more and they seem to have an amazing time doing it. I travel with no more than 4 or I travel with only one person. Possibly, I’m packing my bag tomorrow and traveling alone because everyone else is leaving and I don’t want to waste any of my free time in Costa Rica.
School – Guys, expect to study a lot because these are very intense courses you are taking. One month, two classes, 12 credits. It’s really fun here, but you will have to put some effort into the school work. The instructors are very helpful and Saritta is the leading coordinator of all of the excursions and will help you in any way she can. She is very nice and will possibly become your friend for life.
If anyone has anymore questions, email me at alexgoretoy@hotmail.com. I’m not a blogger and I forget to get on here.
All the best,
Pura Vida!
By: goretoya on June 26, 2010
at 3:48 am
By: goretoya on June 26, 2010
at 10:14 pm
Nice intro Alexey, you should be seeing the group at some point today.
By: Saville on June 28, 2010
at 1:21 pm