LIGA!! A Live Soccer Game

I finally had the opportunity to go to a live soccer game! I've been wanting to go to one since I studied abroad in Panama back in January 2009. It turned out to be everything I wanted and more.

First things first. We arrived at the stadium two hours early to get a good seat. Tickets, by the way, were only $10 each and this was a semi final game. The streets were impassable for cars and overflowing with excited fans dressed in red. We were searched and made to give up any beer and coins (apparently they're a danger) before we could enter the stadium. Our section was packed and the only seats available were in the front row. I still don't quite understand how the front-row seats are the less desirable ones, but it worked out perfectly for us. The team's band set up about 20 feet from us so we were literally at the center of the energy. I'm not a big fan of soccer, but I spent the whole 90 minutes attentively watching and cheering along with the most devout followers.

In Costa Rica, soccer teams have an element that I don't think our teams have in the US. They have what we might call "official fans". There were thousands of them at this particular game. They have their own section and several tremendous flags. They spend every second of the game, halftime included, jumping, singing, and cheering on their team. They call themselves "La Doce", which means "The Twelve" and is a comparison to the 12th player on the team who goes to every game just to cheer. La Doce, the band, and all the cheers from a stadium of 18 thousands fans created an atmosphere of unbelievable energy and excitement. It was like the stadium was filled with an electrical charge that constantly flowed through us all. Every pass, every block, every foul was another jolt of power in our veins. Every man, woman, and child spent the game on their feet with their eyes glued to the field and their hearts full of anticipation. In the end, our team didn't let us down. They shut out the opposition with a 3-0 victory :). I think this game might have converted me into a soccer fan. I bought my first soccer shirt as I left the stadium as a memento of my first game and its effect on me.

Manual Antonio

Last weekend I had the luxury of experiencing Costa Rica's second most-visited national park, Manual Antonio. Located on the Pacific shore, Manual Antonio has the benefit of both the gorgeous ocean view and the wildlife-packed forest all wrapped up in a nice little package for us tourists. We walked up a well-worn dirt path, struggled through the hordes of tourists, and passed a monstrous hotel which was built right outside the edge of the park. If I could have removed the swarms of tourists dressed for a safari and the imposing hotel, then our entrance would have been picture perfect.

After we paid for our tickets we made our way to the trail. It was still soaked from a recent storm so a misstep could have resulted in thick mud up to the knees. Luckily, I managed to avoid that pitfall.  The forest was filled with all kinds of animals. There were tiny insects who found their way to my t-shirt, I saw a sloth doing absolutely nothing in the top of a tree (now that's the life by my standards), and there was a never-ending supply of plants and flowers of every shape and color.

At the end of the trail was my favorite part, the beach. This beach was certainly not the beach I imagined. When I think of a Costa Rican beach, I think of clear water, white sand, a sunset, and of course there's no one there but me. This particular beach in the Manual Antonio park was none of those things. Everywhere I looked there was a tourist. There were little pieces of plastic, including a plastic fork, floating in the water, and there was driftwood everywhere. One more unexpected appearance made the trip unforgettable. Monkeys. There were dozens of monkeys all around. I couldn't believe my luck! They were everywhere and they practically posed for pictures. Some of them ran right up to people. I even saw a monkey unzip an unattended backpack on the sand in search of food. One monkey strutted right up to a man eating a sandwich and snatched it out of his hand, and apparently that's not such an uncommon sight. He then scampered up a tree to feast on his treasure. It was a hilarious sight with plenty of photo opportunities. Nature 1, Humans 0.

After practicing my paparazzi skills on the monkeys, I finally made my way to the water. I waded out past the garbage buildup and found that it was quite pleasant. The water is shallow enough to stand for a good distance so I could find a place that wasn't surrounded by strangers. I was still in shock about the monkeys when I looked over at the rocks beside the water and saw a huge iguana sunning himself. Soon there was a girl iguana and the first was no longer so interested in the sun. Then, predictably, the national geographic scene began and I had to look away to give them some privacy. As I moved my gaze and scanned the beach, I saw a pack of raccoons ransacking someone's beach bag. One of them took off with a plastic bag because it had an energy bar inside. The poor guy tried to chase the raccoon, but to no avail. Nature 2, Humans 0.

I have never seen so much wildlife anywhere except a zoo. Even if the animals beat the humans in every battle I witnessed, I had a great experience and was thrilled to have been so close to the action. I left the beach with a huge smile on my face and slight burn on my shoulders. Nautre 2, Humans 1.

Roma Caffe

Dear loyal readers (or should I say "reader"?). I must apologize because this will be my first post without a picture. A picture is worth a thousand words, they say, so I am sorry to deprive you of the usual visual addition. I hope my words will suffice. So, why no picture, you ask. There's no picture because I didn't expect a cup of coffee with a couple friends to be a blog-worthy experience. From now on, my camera will become a permanent fixture in my purse to avoid the repetition of this unfortunate tragedy.

We noticed this little cafe on the corner, called Roma Caffe, and decided to make a point to try it out. We went last night with a couple friends to the new restaurant. The owner talked to us for a bit and told us that it's only been open for about 4 months. I would describe it as being 70% coffee house and 30% bar. It was nice mix that made for a fun yet relaxed environment, and without the kinks that you'd expect from such a new place.

The waiter showed us to our table, which was front and center and right next to the band. The big windows, asymmetric place mats, and partially stone interior gave the feel of an artsy, uptown bar while providing a view of the city's center. With a menu offering Italian appetizers, meals, and deserts, a full bar, and a variety of coffees and teas, everyone can find something that tickles their fancy. I chose a mint tea to combat the night's chill. It not only kept me warm and happy, but covered my taste buds with the refreshing flavor. For me, the best part of the ambiance was the band. Live jazz music filled the room with a upbeat and cheery energy. The band consisted of a keyboard, a base guitar, an electric guitar, a saxophone, and a tiny drum set. The group of 20-somethings skillfully worked their respective instruments and played a variety of styles, holding the interest of their audience.

The room itself also contributed nicely to the atmosphere. The bar was built with hard lines and boxes, creating a very sleek look and modern feel. The dining area had softer lines and splashes of brick and natural stone designs, giving a more inviting and comfortable feel. The dining area's deep red and slate grey paint subtly incorporated the bar's modern look into the dining room to create a smooth transition between the two areas. The black and white prints and the colored lanterns worked with everything else to create a very unique cafe/bar.

This little gem of a place was a nice surprise in a city that has more reggaeton bars than anything else. I have yet to find another place here with a similar environment and feel. I give Roma Caffe a thumbs up and a permanent place on my weekly to-do list.

Parque Nacional de Diversiones

Theme park! This past weekend I experienced Costa Rica's one and only Parque de Diversiones. Having grown up 1 hour from the world-famous Disney World, I have quite a bit of theme park experience and consider myself somewhat of an expert on the matter. The Parque de Diversiones was much smaller than the pride of Orlando, but had all the components of a great theme park built for a great time.

Right at the entrance of the park was their only roller coaster. Bright yellow with a couple twists, turns, and corkscrews, the Anaconda gave a welcoming vibe and was our first stop. My first surprise was the fact that there was no line at all! We walked the trail right up to the ride and got on without a wait.

The Anaconda slowly climbed the track, making a very disconcerting clicking noise throughout the whole ascent. We got to the top, I looked at the mountainous scenery and ...weee!! we sped down the track, flipped through a corkscrew and left my stomach behind, a few more turns and the 20-second ride was over. It was really nice not to have to wait 2 hours for a 20 second ride like I used to at Universal Studios.

One of my favorite parts was the bumper cars. Even at my ripe old age of 21 I still enjoy smashing a bumper car full force into strangers. We zipped through the line, hopped into the carts and waited anxiously to be able to start. We got the green light, I stomped on the gas and puttered to a slow and disappointing start. I finally gained enough speed and was off - an unstoppable force bludgeoning my way through the masses. My goal was to hit the people I knew more than they hit me. I can't say that I was successful, I did succeed in thoroughly enjoying myself... and bruising my back from smashing against the seat every time I crashed. The electricity stopped, we jumped out of the carts and ran back to the line like little kids. No wait :). We went another 10 or so rounds in a row - I love Costa Rica.

We had lunch in a traditional restaurant in an old-fashioned town modeled after an 1800s era Costa Rican town. I had a view of the picturesque chapel with the mountains in the background and ate a tamal. Except for the Disney prices, lunch was perfect.

We took an old-fashioned train around the town and ate coffee fruits right off the trees. I  bought a tooth-rotting traditional candy, which was every kids' dream come true. The roosters crowed, the peacock posed, and the goat comped away on a branch wedged in the fence. We walked through a 118-year old home with 3 rooms, an ancient piano, iron, and sewing machine. I noticed the lack of bathrooms and the presence of buckets next to the bed and decided that I prefer modern luxuries to old fashioned simplicity. I really enjoyed getting a feel for ancient Costa Rican life.