Chapter 13
The past few weeks I have gotten to travel around the country a little more. Like I mentioned before I went to Manuel Antonio beach, Irazu volcano, and then this past week Hotel Riu in Guanacaste. All these places are very touristy, meaning there were a lot of people speaking English. In my latest experience of this at the resort in Guanacaste I was with my host family and speaking Spanish and when people think you don’t speak their language they tend to not edit what they say quite as much. One of the things I found myself thinking about alot was if I sounded that obvious and obnoxious when I spoke in English either with my host mom or on the phone or when I’m out with my friends from the states. There is something so strange about hearing your language from the perspective of someone who doesn't speak it. For me at least it was like I was slightly in the middle of being an English speaker and Spanish speaker. At home and in non touristy spots I am very clearly not a Spanish speaker however around English speakers I tend to know more Spanish. Otherwise it was a little bit of an ego boost to be around people from the US and other tourists who didn’t seem to care that Costa Rica is not in fact an English speaking country. It was embarrassing to see “my” people not even try to learn Spanish. Obviously most hotel staff spoke English, nonetheless it was so frustrating to be standing behind a man with a very heavy american accent demanding to be told what kind of chicken was on the buffet (also there was a sign) in loud demeaning English.
Overall though it was a beautiful vacation and I got to visit one of the most beautiful secluded beaches I’ve been to. Another one of my favorite recent moments was when my host mom’s grandmother and cousin taught me to make tortillas, one of my favorite things to eat here. Here are some photos to go with this post.
First views of the beach.
Just a pretty resort shot.
Tortillas, pinto, eggs, and avocado.
Making tortillas!
Playa Bonita, Guanacaste.
Recent rains, I was completely soaked despite my umbrella by the time I made it home.
Coffee plants on the mountain.