Swimming in rivers and surfing big waves

Hola,

After having such a relaxing weekend, it was a little difficult to begin classes and our busy schedule Monday morning.  Our schedule is based around the tides in order to surf in ideal conditions so this week, our classes ended up being bunched together, leaving us little free time both in general and together.  We currently have been the only Spanish students so we both have had private lessons.  Tyler has spent the majority of his Spanish classes at the beach with Edgar, the Spanish teacher, and they have developed a sort of friendship.

For surf this week, we were able to explore a new beach where the waves are bigger and come in more typical sets than the white water conditions we have been surfing on.  Those waves were a bit too big for Ju and provided a new challenge for Ty.  After surfing, we drove to a nearby river, where we actually watched young boys catching langostina (a cross between shrimp and lobster), and also made a pit stop at a delicious local bakery in Cabuya.  On the way back, we saw the biggest tree in Costa Rica which was really neat.  We are going to miss our Uruguayan surf instructor, Guillermo, who is funny, pleasant, energetic, and very nice to Ju when she is scared of big waves :)

Paddling to catch a (small) wave...

...and Ty riding the white water at Playa Grande!

You can probably tell from this photo that Guillermo is a fun-loving guy

Look at the size of that tree!

In this last week we have spent more time in town, exploring new restaurants while remaining loyal to our favorite eateries;  La Soda Naranja, where we enjoy heaping piles of amazingly flavored arroz con camarones, and Mocte Zuma, where the huge sandwiches are prepared with their delicious homemade bread.  These two meals are among the cheapest and most scrumptious in town ($5-6 per dish).  Last night we decided to experience Montezuma life at Thursday reggae night.  Upon arriving, our friend Edgar (the Spanish teacher) spotted us, and invited us to hang out with his friends.  We spent the evening drinking beer, speaking spanish, enjoying the company of new friends, and the music.

Arroz con Camarones...mmmmm

Last dinner in Montezuma...the sandwiches look as big as our heads

We are sad to leave Montezuma, but at the same time we are excited to begin the next phase of our adventure in Quepos/Manuel Antonio.  We leave tomorrow morning and travel to Jaco by boat, where we will have a transition day before traveling onwards to meet our host families Sunday afternoon.  While it feels sad to leave, it feels more as though we are saying "see you later" and not "adios," as we don't doubt we will return to see Montezuma in the dry season, apparently a very different experience.  Hopefully when we visit, we will take our friend Guillermo up on his offer to stay in his place in the hills of Montezuma.

Bueno, hasta la proximo vez, amigos en Montezuma.

Love,
Ty and Ju