Costa Rica - Pura Vida

Welcome to Costa Rica!

I can't believe it, I finally made it - Costa Rica baby!! It was a very exciting journey full of adrenaline. After the woman at the check-in counter told me that I have to pick up my luggage at London Heathrow and to change airports my stress level was at its peak. I was told to have four hours to change from London Heathrow to London Gatwick what - calculated without traffic jam - takes about one hour by bus. Because this never occurred to me before on long-haul flights, I wasn't prepared for it and pretty nervous about whether I would catch the flight yet. (As a short side note: Never forget to check the shorthand symbols! I definitely won't forget it again..this one taught me a real lesson!) Finally landed in London, it took 45 minutes to get the luggages. Therefore, I had to take the later bus which arrived very close to the check-in deadline. In my predicament, I met two guys from Europe at the bus station whose destination was the same as mine: Costa Rica. Together with my new fellow sufferers we were sweating through the whole bus ride. 3 minutes before the counters close and just in time, we arrived at the check-in. You can't imagine how relieved I was about sitting in this airplane. I have already seen this flight flying without me. The flight could have taken for ages, I was too happy to be in the aircraft to think about the long journey of 11.30 hours that lay in front of me. I barely couldn't sleep but the flight passed faster than I thought with a lot of airplane-food, chatting with my Irish neighbor and watching movies.

When we arrived in Costa Rica it was 5.30 p.m. and already getting dark outside. I was very glad and super excited to hear people speaking Spanish and listen to the well-known vibes of the latin beats in the airport. Outside, I was immediately welcomed by Brenda, who is a friend of my study colleague Lena, and her mother. By taxi we drove to the nearby town Cartago where Brenda and her family live. (As a side fact: Cartago is the former capital of Costa Rica but had to give up its position when San José got more and more important by their increasing economy because of coffee production). Even if it was already quite dark outside I could observe the environmental surroundings during the ride. Surprisingly, it appeared quite similar to me as Ecuador - at first glance: The house's facades, the driving style,...In the house, I was welcomed very warmly by the rest of Brenda's family and immediately introduced to the first typical local plate: Gallo pinto (as much as to say: spotted rooster). It is a traditional rice-and-bean breakfast dish of Costa Rica, maybe because the rice's natural color is white but the beans and special spices give it a red or purple color. It was served together with crumbled eggs. In a conversation with the family I learned already some important facts about Costa Rican life. To name only the most important ones:

1. Tico - The Costa Rican people call themselves "ticos" what is used for men and "ticas" what indicates the female name.

2. Mae - The word "is heard with astonishing frequency, especially among men. It’s used like “dude” among friends, or it can refer to any person. (Some people use it that often that it can appear in the same sentence several times: “Mae, that mae has no idea what he’s talking about, mae.”)

3. Pura Vida - The expression "Pure life" is very important for Costa Rican culture and is used in any context is. This Costa Rican phrase has many meanings: great, fantastic, hello, nice to meet you, thank you, or you’re welcome.

So far so good with Costa Rican lessons..Even if the night was pretty cold and I needed to use 3 blankets at once - because Cartago is located higher on the mountain side - I slept like a baby.

Good night mae!Read more