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Student Work
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Activity 1: Travel Journal Write a travel journal entry as if you were a visitor or tourist to your own town/city. What would you notice about your area? What kinds of things would you see? What would you do first as a visitor? Who would you talk to? Describe the nature and animals you might see. Write using the first person. For example, “Today I arrived in Salem, Oregon and the first thing I noticed were the tall trees…” Now, write another travel journal entry as if you were a visitor or tourist to your town/city in 1904. What would the area look like? How would it be different than it is today? What type of transportation would you have used to get there? What might people be talking about in town? What would you do first as a visitor? Again, write using first person. Jeanne D'Arc School of Rabat, Morocco From all the group : Rabat, 5th 10 2005 Dear diary, Yesterday, when arrived to Morocco, I noticed that the weather was beautiful and sunny and there were no clouds but a bright blue sky. Who could believe it was autumn! To go to my hotel I took a small blue taxi. On my way, I caught a sight of Rabat: its royal palace surrounded by an old wall, its giant palmers along the road and the ocean at the far way. Rabat, 6th 10 2005 Dear diary, After a good night of sleep, I decided to visit Rabat. Firstly I went to the “Medina” (the old area) where a spicy smell with the copper smell of Moroccan traditional shoes “babouch” spreads from small alleys. After that I went to a Hamam (a Turkish kind of bath) to relax. At the end of this memorable day a Moroccan family invited me to share their dinner (couscous of course!). I found it delicious: the mixture of the meet and the seven sort of vegetable and the semolina was quite typical very spicy and nice. Rabat, 7th 10 2005 Dear diary, I have to leave Rabat today. The few days I stayed in this marvelous quite city allowed me to appreciate the friendliness of its population as well as the way they live. Nisrine Arahou added: Rabat 23 April 1905 Dear friend When I arrived in Morocco, I was surprised to see that I looked quite a desert: There is no roads, no high building, no cars, motels but it was quite green with lovely gardens. It looked simply like an “uncivilized” place. I tried to ask someone if there is something to visit, they told me that all I could visit is some historical sites like Shell which was built by the roman empire and the Oudaya Castle of the great Moroccan dynasty “amoravide”. I loved Oudaya which was an exiting panorama especially the fortress looking into the ocean. As mean of transportation I noticed that they still use some camels and heavy donkey. I liked the big old wall and the beautiful big gardens and the Bourgreg River that was smoothly flowing into the ocean
RESPECT Intellectual Club of the Buduburam Refugee Camp in Accra, Ghana
Travel Journal to Buduburam Refugee Camp
When I firstly arrived on the Buduburam refugee camp, I met with the Camp Manager and introduced myself and the purpose of my visit and he welcomed me. I was later taken to a hotel next to the camp where I would be residing whilst on the camp. I notice whilst at the camp that most of the people where suffering from extreme hunger. As saw some people who were having serious sickness and could not afford to be treated. I also saw many people living in houses built from mud bricks. The southern part of the camp was categorized by bushes filled with reptiles most especially snakes, lizards, tortoise and Gila monsters. There are also rabbits, cows and all sort of beautiful birds and millions of different varieties of insects. I also saw big trees at the south eastern plains of the camp which is mostly a savannah vegetation land. There where also few well constructed buildings but most where attached rooms to individual houses or group of houses. As a result, I also noticed that the free flow of oxygen into houses and rooms were very difficult to attain. I also saw a mountain at the open space at about 2,500 feet above sea level which is about 10 kilometers away from the camp, it can seen from any part of the camp. It is traditionally believed that demons exist on that mountain. It is also where traditional fetish Priest visit annually to make sacrifices to their gods. Notwithstanding, I also saw people that have mental problems and where locally considered as “Crazy People”. As a visitor, I firstly contact the camp manager’s office and told him about my visit to the camp. I also presented to him a letter that I did received from a friend who live on the camp upon whom invitation had made this urgent trip. After a brief meeting with the camp manager, I was later carried to the Chairlady of the Liberian Refugee Welfare Council and assisted me greatly in locating my friend. At the meeting with the chairlady of the welfare council, I was able to gather some very important information concerning the living conditions of the people here at Buduburam. I spoke with members of the camp management committee in the person of the camp manager, the chairlady of the Liberian Refugee Welfare Council(LRWC), the staff at the St. Gregory Catholic Hospital, members of the zonal heads as well as individual members of every zone. 1904 When I visited Buduburam Gomoa District back in 1904, there where mud buildings made from sticks and termites hills. There where extreme hunger. Children had no good wearing. There was no nothing like a hospital. People died from almost every sicknesses. There was no build streets, no electricity, internet, telephone, cell phone, fabrics where made from local animals that where hunted for food. As compare to today, there have been extreme development. There a well constructed international transport route connecting three countries in West Africa. Today, most of the country is electrified as compared to that of 1904. Today there are job opportunities available in cities and major towns where people seek jobs to work and earn income to improve their living condition. In the year 1904, people mostly walk from one place to another and that was the form of transport that I also used. At that time, people talked mostly about farming and hunting. Children as well as parents centered their interactions on farming as there was not apart from farming that constituted their daily lives. As a visitor in the Buduburam Gomoa District in 1904, I firstly visited the town chief palace at the middle of the town and present myself as a visitor into his home.
Today I arrive in Buduburam Firstly what I notice is the football field and a very big church as well as a car parking station and many wheelbarrow boys. I noticed that the life star of the young people was not satisfactory to me because it was mostly immoral, that is the young people dress any how especially the girls who dress half nicked. Discoursing unnecessary things especially the boys who have something to say about any girl that passes by them like wise the girls how they will get the boy that will able to sponsor them. Well I say many things such as a very big market which contains different traders and adjacent is the police station and international of migration (I. O. M). I also say entertainment centers there and many businesses apart from the market. There are two main clinic on the Buduburam Refugee camp (Catholic and Lutheran) and many churches. As a visitor on Buduburam camp Firstly I will meet with the comp manager and explain my mission on the camp after getting permission from the camp manager I will move around the camp make friend to be to get an accurate information about the community especially those that were the first inhabitance. The nature and animals on Buduburam Refugee Settlement I noticed that most of the animals like dog and cat are not well fed move anywhere in search for food on their own. No control over them they are self feeling animals. There are trees as well as many black plastic that contain faeces and some that are spread all over the camp including dirty water wasted all over the place.
James River High School of Midlothian, Virginia, USA Present Day Dear Journal, The leaves have long since fallen, leaving only the desolate skeletons behind; yet, the skeletons have all the beauty of an eye-catching painting. The branches have all the splendor of timbers that support a majestic house. The trees sway gently as the wind caress them softly. The waters of the James are like a mirror image of the banks as they reflect the trees and color of the sky. However, the deep waters still grasp part of their own mysteries in the dark pools of shadow, and hint of hidden treasures reflected by the glistening ripples across the surface of the James. In the spring, the land is so fresh and fertile. The air is sweet and fresh after a spring rain. In the city I see many people. Everyone walks along the sidewalks and cars are zooming down the street. Honking and motors fill the space of sound. Cars stop and go at stoplights on every block. The people I see are out at all times. In the daytime, I see men and women striding in suits with briefcases. Young people I see walking on a nearby college campus. Many people are walking dogs on the sidewalks past cute houses in the area known as the Fan. I see police chasing criminals in the rougher areas. In Carytown, I see cute and trendy shops and cafes that line the street. Billboards line the streets advertising products and places. I stop and ask directions from a nearby police officer directing traffic. In Chesterfield County, I see big houses lining the roads of suburban neighborhoods. Families of both young and old live in the county. I see a lot of children playing ball in the backyard and school busses taking children to school. Mothers are tending to their gardens while fathers are driving to work. People stop at Starbucks to get coffee and some kids are shopping at the mall. I stop and talk to a the friendly people walking along the sidewalks and decide to go out to lunch at a nice restaurant and then go see a movie at the Commonwealth theater nearby. 1904 Dear Journal, It is 1904 and I have just arrived in Richmond, Virginia and I do declare it is very dusty here. I arrived by train this morning. There are lots of beautiful estates with large old trees. There are Model T’s around here and other strange automobile type contraptions. I prefer a bike. The air is a bit thick from the smog of the factories, but still pleasant outside of town. There are all sorts of businessmen discussing their prospects in other countries. As well, everyone is very interested in opium. The worldwide involvement has even reached this small city. There is still a lot of resentment against the North from the Civil War here in Richmond. Civil War veterans are walking the streets and there is a lot of racism. The main, overpowering landmark of the city is the tobacco factory downtown where half the town is employed. The canal is also quite nice and you can walk along it although the water is not very clean. The city is still quite poor but sanitary. Big farms fill the area with chickens, horses, pigs, and cows and tobacco growing in the fields. As my first order of business I have been invited to tea by one of the women’s societies so I must go prepare for that, the horse carriage will be waiting for me.
Perfect Youth Group of Arusha, Tanzania Present Day Today I arrive in Majengo Arusha and the first thing I noticed were the Rough Roads to Majengo Arusha and the first thing I noticed were the Rough Roads to Majengo and Dirty Streets which have Garbages around the houses of the Majengo Residents.And I came ! to Notice that the Town of Majengo is having the big Problem of Lack of Education as due to people are not able to understand the effects of the Rubishes as I came to realized that is the Poverty in Mind.As am the Visitor first of all Iwill try to talk with the people of that place about the idea of establish the Youth Group where it could be easy for me to provide the Seminar about the Importance of keeping Clean our Environment and the Importance of Youth to be in Coolaboration so that they can bring the Changes where I belive through youth for youth we can Change our Communities.Iwould talk with youth and Iwill try to talk also to my Colleqial whom they can advice me more about this. The Nature I might see is is the Natural Vegetations and the Houses made up by Mud around my Town and the Animals I might see are Dogs,Cats,Goats, Donkey,Cows and Chickens. 1904 It was during the Afternoon around 1:30pm.There were no many people in that village, because the large number of people was a only child. Because all of their parents were in the work, where by ! women were been in the farm and men were been hunting. I founded some one with very long hair (man) running, he was been chasing an antelope. The places were very quiet with a lot of trees, it was been like a forest. It was on Monday 12th July1904. There were no another type of Transportation than Vessels (Boat),so I used it up to there. All people I found on the small town of Tanga were been talking about touchers they were been getting from German’s Government. As a visitor first I would tell them to join together and struggling to get Independence by using diplomatic ways. After there to make sure that, they send their children to school. Also to grow cash crops which will enable them to sustain their life where by they can sell use others for eating and others to sell in order to get money which they can use them to establish another kind of business.
Jane Goodall Environmental Magnet School of Salem, Oregon, USA Madeleine Tweedt Yesterday I arrived in Salem, Oregon. The first thing that I noticed was all of the trees that are all over every piece of land. It is winter and the weather is cold around 40 to 50 degrees F. The trees here are deciduous, which means that the trees lose their leaves during the winter. The leaves are many colors such as browns, reds, orange, etc. The animals here are not covered in thick fur; they have mostly thin fur and not that much fat. There are many malls, offices, schools, stores, gyms, and many other man-made structures. Running through Salem and West Salem is the big Willamette River. The river is not very clean. The parts of the river that run though Salem are very polluted because of all of the people and all of the trash that people throw into the river. Salem is the capital of Oregon. It is in the northwest corner of the United States. Today I got to visit a place called Opal Creek. This is the most beautiful and relaxing place. All of the sounds you hear are just so thrilling to the ear. The sights are also amazing to see. The water at the creek is so clear and it is very chilly. The hike into Jawbone Flats was so exciting because you can see all of the living organisms that have Opal Creek as their home or shelter. There were lots of fallen or cut down logs that had many different kinds of animals that have those logs as a home. There were not just trees, plants, and animals, there were also different type of fungi that was either under or on top of the duff. Duff is the pieces of trees and plants like needles and twigs, mixed with dirt to make a top layer on the ground. All of the biodiversity was truly amazing to see. When I went from Salem to Opal Creek it was wonderful to see all of the changes that you first recognize when you go from city to forest. The trees that are there are the most big, round, and colorful trees that the human eye can see. Some of the living things that are there are very unique. When it rains all of the amphibians come out to the paths, so you can see all of the colors and all of the designs on their backs. The best part was to see all of the different trees, and how they were shaped different ways. If I were to arrive in Salem in 1905 it would have been quite different. Salem is the capital of Oregon and Oregon has been a state since 1859. You would not see cars; instead you would see horses and buggies. The county court house looks like a cathedral, not a courthouse. There are not a lot of buildings and parks. Opal Creek is still an old growth forest with all of its wonder. There would not be a lot of merchandise to sell in the stores because there were not a lot of factories that would make that merchandise. Most of the stores would not be the same as they are now, because they have had expansions or taken away pieces of buildings. There are more homes than there were. Salem is not what it was 100 years ago.
New Generation School of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia Oyun-Erdene present day Travel journal. Notice: It was a cool day, when I came to Buyant-Ukhaa. At first, I saw that UB has devious children,so many litters are always be with Mongolian beautiful nature, development and future toghether. and I have heard about Mongolian the best hotel UlaanBaatar hotel many time, So I decided to go to UB hotel. I stopped taxi and talked with taxi driver firstly. 1904 On 1904. I imagine, there would have so many big differences.For example: the development was very bad, all people wore only the deel and they hadn't have any privacy. And It would look like very bad and very dark. I would have used to get only by horse. And all people would talk about privacy and dimocracy. Erjan Humetbek 1) If I came to my country as a tourist by a train or a plane I would be see the buildings at first time, because I think I can see the historical and cultural heritages from ancient buildings and the development level from modern building. Imagine, I suppose myself as an american tourist. So i'll fly on plane to Mongolia and when I see the house maybe I think it's not enough development country. But there are appearred the advanced sides. After I look at a sky. if nobody meets me, taxi driver is my first meeting person. (hehe) :) 2) Mongolia began an independent after revolution of 1921. In 1946 year the independent of Mongolia was agreed by other countries. But before it was under rule of Manj Ghin Empire. If you come to Mongolia at that time (1904) you would see Mongolians without freedom under foreign depression. Maybe you used to transport as water at first, then road. There weren't building houses in mongolia those days. There were ger and one or two stored houses. There were rarely educated persons. But it has traditional culture in Mongolia. For example: Marriage, horse racing... Khandjav 1. I arrived in Mongolia at my first time by airplane. First of all i saw cloudless blue sky and broad large steppe when I was stepping out of the plane. The flight of birds were flying in the sky. Between the broad steppe there was a black way where cars were going. When I came to the town I saw apartments, tall buildings and the green tall trees. When i arrived to Mongolia I talked to the taxi driver. 2. I had returned to 1904 using by time machine. At this time there were no buildings, cars were very scarce and there were many gers in the town. There was markets in center of city. People had sold or bought useful (needed) things as horse, foods, pins, shoeses, and clothes.
2. I had returned to 1904 using by time machine. Manj empire enslaved to our country and no buildings, no appearance and monarch in 1904.
Country Day School of Escazu, Costa Rica *~Arriving In Costa Rica~* Journal entry # 1 Costa rica!* Hello! My name is Adriana Angelini and I have just arrived in Costa Rica from Atlanta. The airport is 10 times smaller and only has about 3 stores (tourist shops). I guess that is logical, I mean, a lot of people visit Costa Rica. After we got out of there, the streets were extremly bumpy. I was shacking the whole way, but not because I was scared. Everyone i would look at would have a smilke on their faces, so I thought that everyone was nce, and they were. Everyone welcomed us because they saw that we were in a tourist taxi. The wildlife (trees) are beautiful. Everything is green and sunny, and the valey is gorgeous. My house is really pretty because it is overlooking the valley. Anyways, I have to go. i love Costa Rica so much, i dont think I will ever forget it. ~* Adriana*~
Chantal and Catalina I just arrived at the homely airport in Costa Rica. I saw the city on my way to the hotel, the dim lights, poorly constructed road made it a bumpy ride, but it was interesting. Honestly, as I looked out the window, it isn't how I expected it to be, it is not a jungle. It is nothing like they described in many shows. There is poverty, but there are very beautiful mountains. The churches are just beautiful, ringing their bells every hour. The friendly natives ride by horseback, and play soccer on the streets. You can smell the gallo pinto in the air. I see marvelous people singing and dancing on the street rejoicing. This really is the Pura Vida; as the Costa Ricans say.
Hey everyone this is Christian S and I'm gonna tell ya a bit about Costa Rica. I am now in the school's computer lab writing this essay, which is full and MACS and there are about 30 of them...along with my fellow classmates. Here is something to read about Costa Rica. Let's start with our school. our school is located in escazu, a little...you could call it a district or in the states you might call it a small county outside capital city of san jose. We are a small school, including elementary, middle and high, but only 700 in total. we aren't that big. in our school the best sport and the one we play most is soccer, followed by basketball and dodgeball, and football if we play with two hand touch. speaking of recess, NO, we don't go to the beach because the closest beach around san jose is 2 hours away (from my house it's hermosa. we have a band, art, drama program and all that junk. It's a nice school, but the campus is small. well, enough about the school. let's talk about costa rica. In costa rica, i know some of u were asking, so in response to your question NO it does not and NEVER will snow in costa rica, but yes of course we celebrate christmas, although when we celebrate it it is summer and it is nice and hot and going to the beach is real good. Beaches! That is probably a very awesome aspect of costa rica. There are so many great beaches in costa rica. the most popular ones include Naranjo (orange), Tamarindo (awesome for surfing), manuel antonio (good for surfing and look at wildlife), hermosa (beautiful in english, good for surfing), Puerto Viejo (old port in english, not so great for surfing but it has crystal clear blue water and mostly during october it's the best time to surf there), Jaco (some really rocky beach that is no good for surfing), Playa Conchal (shell beach, not great for surfing but it has pure white sand)and so many other beaches including the ones on the Osa Peninsula, which is awesome for snorkeling and many outdoor activities...great for you adventurers out there (I like it too). Animals! In costa rica there is a huge variety of animals! Probably the two you think of when u think costa rica are monkeys and iguanas. Yes, we have a huge load of monkeys of various species like the Howler Monkey (not very big, but at night it howls real low and you can hear it from far away), The Capuccino monkeys (the call them capuccino because they are like the color of a capuccino), the ti ti monkeys (the little black and white ones) and so many others. For iguanas, there a big 1 foot iguanas in a lot of places, especially around the beaches. You won't find too many roaming free around the city, but by the beach they like to walk in a lot o places. We also have a lot of bugs, like scorpions, beattles, tarantulas, other spiders etc. and we have some snakes. As for sea life, especially on the Osa Peninsula, there are a huge load of different sharks and fish. there are so many different kinds i can't explain how many you would have to see. There are so many animals in costa rica, I dont think i have time to describe them all. you would have to come down and see them. Costa Rican culture. Some great asepcts of costa rican culture are soccer, surfing, beaches, some cultural foods and many other things. As for soccer the sele (vamos los ticos) the national team is pretty good, with a REALLY good player (Pablo Cesar Wuanchope), and other good players like Alonso Solis, Porras the keeper, Cristian Bolanos and others. Then, there are teams for the districts outside San jose inculding san jose like Saprissa (the best one(, la liga, heredia, brujas de escazu (the witches of escazu), puntarenas, cartago and many others. Soccer is played in just about every school down here... and it is awesome. Surfing! That is probably just as awesome as soccer. There are so many beaches to go surfing here...it's like surfing paradise. It's a lot of fun. As for cultural foods, costa rica has a really awesome rice called gallo pinto! It is rice, beans, and many different seasonings mixed together. it is real good. Also cajetas, little sweet boxes of sugar are good, toritallas are eaten in some places, and arroz con leche (a rice and milk blended dessert) is also good and popular. I think I have told you as much as I am willing to about costa rica. It is an awesome place, and you oreganers who will come visist will be able to explore it some more. I could go on and on describing costa rica, but I won't because I don't feel like it and it would take pages and pages to describe how pura vida costa rica is (pura vida is like enjoy life to max, love life, live life to the your greates extent etc.) Well, I gotta go now. Hope you guys liked hearing a summary of costa rica! Later.
Christian S (CDS 8th grade)
Enrique - COSTA RICA Costa Rica is a wonderful place with things that you’d never expect. Its beautiful nature and amazing beaches are just some of the ingredients of this country. As soon as I arrived at this small country I got in love with it. It is a very different country, specially its culture. Costa Rica’s culture was maybe one of the things that impressed me the most when I arrived here. They love soccer, and so do I so its even better, surfing is also very common because the waves are incredible down here, and partying is just part of their daily life. The country is full of tropical forests with a big variety of wild animals. Even though the economy is not the greatest, happiness is everywhere. Coffee is very important to the countries economy. Most of the rural areas are dedicated to agriculture, especially coffee. Costa Rica is a beautiful country with splendid people, and I have enjoyed every second since I arrived here. I really encourage you to come down here surf some waves and party big time.
~*Arriving in Costa Rica*~ By: Gina Goldberg JOURNAL ENTRY: I just arrived in Costa Rica, and the weather is very hot and humid. There are bright blue skies, a lot of sunshine, and tall palm trees. I hear Spanish all around me, and the people here are very kind. At the airport there were many welcoming signs, and taxi drivers were asking me if I needed a ride. Then the shuttle bus for my hotel pulled up, and I got in. It drove me to the hotel, and I was spellbound when I realized that it was actually a very nice hotel. I checked in, which went really fast, and then I went to the room, where there were satellite TVs, two queen-size beds, a very glamorous bathroom (with a hot tub), and a terrific view of the city. After I witnessed a beautiful sunset, I went downstairs to the restaurant for dinner. A waiter came to get me a table, and he told me to go get a plate by the buffet tables, which turned out to be very lavish, with many courses, including some typical dishes such as Gallo Pinto (rice&beans), Frijoles (refried beans), and Tortillas, but also various delicious desserts. I had a great meal, and the longer that I'm here, the more I'm realizing I was wrong when I expected this hotel to be some forlorn hotel with barely any guests, but that is far from what it turned out to be. Anyway, as I started to get to know the city, I found out that it was bustling with life, with many markets and busy streets. I can't wait to find out what the rest of the country is like!
Our trip to Costa Rica
When we first arrived at Costa Rica we were very impressed. Especially by the people. They referred to themselves only as "maes" and said words like "pura vida" very often. When we had breakfast they gave us rice and bean, but together with some sort of sauce with they called "salsa lizano". The food was delicious and after breakfast we went to take a stroll through San Jose. Crossing the street was impossible. Cars swooped by all around us honking their horns and angry taxi drivers screamed words which were clearly insults. Some of the people form the street whistled at us and stared in a strange way. We found several shops on the sidewalks which sold food, clothes, shoes and much more. The people were very nice at all times and when they noticed that we were tourists, many offered their help to get around. After a while we called a cab which we discovered was like death ride because the driver drove like a maniac. We asked him to take us to a good restaurant for dinner and he took us to a place which he called "escazu". We ate at Il Panino, a delicious Italian restaurant. The place was decorated very modernly and the waiters were very nice. We noticed that a soccer game was on but we did not expect people to be so passionate about the sport. Every time a goal was made by their team the people jumped up and down jovially. Everyone hugged each other gleefully, even if they did not know the other person. We called another cab, who's driver smoked like crazy. When we finally got to the hotel we were super tired. We had just spent a day full of excitement and we were introduced to a wonderful new culture, however we knew that the next day we would learn much more! By Adriana Acuña and Jimena Chavarría
Costa Rican Experience When I arrived a the airport I was extremly suprised. The airport was nothing like what I expected it to be. I thought it was going to be the jungle and a dirt landing strip, but instead, it was a very big, beutifull, and technological airport. As soon as I got out of it, about thirty people offered me taxi service but I already had my Jeep wating in the parking lot with a full tank of gas. I felt really good because I had had my beautful car shipped to here 2 weeks ago and I really missed it. I started the engine and went to the chepest hotel I found because I was low on cash. I found this place called "La Margarita de Oro" which was this really ghetto motel in the middle of nowhere. I went into the room and layed on the bed. I suddenly realized how extremly bad the room smelled. There was a big yellow stain on the middle of the bed, and there were so many lice, that I could litelraly see them crawling into my head. I immidiatly ran out of there and got into my car. i drove for a while until I was completley away from the place and I thogout to my self "Thats what you get for being cheap, Lamberto!" I suddenly realized that i was thinking like my mother. I forgot about everything and fell asleep. The next morning, I woke up and my neck hurt so much that I screamed outloud. I had slept with my head dangling in the air all night. I looked at my watch and saw that it was only 9:15 but there was no way I could go back to sleep. I started the car and drove back to the city. The city was pretty cool. I thought that it was going to be just a bunch of indians living in trees. but it wasnt... there were tall buildings and many apratments. still, there were many trees and plants everywhere which made me feel good. I went into the first cafe that i found. I didnt even sk for anything but this really old lady came in and gave me some "Gallo Pinto" which I think that is some kind of rice and beans, and some coffee. I finished up my breakfast and called my friend up. His name is pancho. He is this really weird guy that use to live in my town that later moved here. When he heard I was comming he called me immidiatly (as if he really knew me.) So I spent the day at panchos. He lives in the mountains of escazu, which apears to be one of the major towns here. The mountain was beautifull but it was getting late and I was hungry so we went down to escazu and went into a restaurant called "El Panino." We ate really good and had a great time! Im defently comming back here someday. Lamberto M.
THE LAND OF THE MONKEYS When we were on the airplane heading to Costa Rica, we saw many things, down below that we did not expect to see. We saw mountains, forests, rivers, and a lot of houses. We thought it would be a huge jungle where people lived in tree houses and on the beach, but it turned out to be totally different. The capital city looked extermely populated and there were many people walking from shop to shop doing some holiday shopping. As we drove away from the capital, the area got more rural and there weren't as much buildings as the city. Then, we drove for a couple hours, where the beaches were and we saw many people surfing, skimming, and doing a lot of water sports. Near the beaches there are a lot of foresty jungly places. In those places there are a lot of animals, espacially MONKEYS! You can see them all the time and after a few times of seeing them, it isn't a big shoke anymore. When we got back to the city, we found out that a local spot for teens to hang out was Multi Plaza which is a sopping mall. We thought there would only be Costa Rican brands, but there was much more. There was from KFC to Puma. We also decided to go to a movie, even though we thought that it would be in spanish. The movies were pretty recent and they were in English with spanish subtitles. The people are the same as in other countries, except for the way they talk. They speak spanish, but it's kind of hard to understand. It's kind of liek this: "Mae, q todo bn?" "Pura vida mae... vos?" Transalation: "Hey dude, whats up?" "Pure life... u?" ... just kidding, "pura vida" means like everytrhing's good. The driving is horrible! There are cars everywhere, people do not follow the traffic signs and people honk their horns every second! We didn't expect Costa Rica to be the way it is, but it is AWSOME!
I'm Moving to Costa Rica
The plane is up in the skies, we are flying over Costa Rica and I only see green. There a several buildings and a lot of houses. I come from China. It is a totally different place over there. There are huge buildings and loads of people. The place is huge and there is almost no space to walk around. There are lots of companies and businesses. Comapred to my country this place is tiny! I have heard that this country has the best beaches and some awsome food. I am really looking forward to visiting diferent and cool places. We just got to the airport, and it looks good. The service is a bit slow but I'm used to having to make big lines in China, so it is ok. Outside there are a bunch of people sumuthering you and asking if you want a taxi. We looked back and we saw this desolate little kid, looking for his mommy. He is crying. We look back and we see a lady yelling franaticlly. We go back and ask her " what is wrong?" She just mumbled a few things in spanish and ran twards her kid. We finally found a decent man to drive us to our hotel. We are staying in a hotel while we get the furniture inside. The street life in Costa Rica is just CRAZY!! We were leaving the airport and we nearly got killed by this bus driver that was reading a newspaper while he drove the bus. He stared at us and he honked. As if it was our fault! What a nerve! I am amazed. The people don't follow the rules. The motorcycles cut all the cars and the people skip the red light. In Costa Rica the yellow light means "metale la pata" as I heard our taxi driver said. He got really angry because the car that was next to ours stopped in the middle of the road to pick up a shoe that fell off acidentaly. Then there were these electricians working on he cables in the street. They had a ladder and they were just there in the middle of the street! Then we see the police stopping a taxi because there was a cow in it! Can you believe it! They thought they could get away with stealing a cow and just escaping in a taxi! Oh my god! I want to get home! Then we got to the hotel and the people were really nice and polite. They took our bags to the hotel and we decided we would go to a mall that was beside our hotel. It was nice. There were so many teens hanging out. They were going to the movies. This made me feel a bit bad because I just thought about my friends at home and everything I missed. The food lines were huge and the people didn't understand but finally we got our food. When we got back I fell asleep. I had just had a hecktic night in the San Jose area. It was interesting! I can't wait till we go to the beaches and visit the volcanoes. This in my opinion is a very original and diferent country and I guess it will be a bit hard to adapt but I can do it. The only thing I have to learn is how to survive the streets in this country!
Hi....we are Adrain and Marcela.We have now been for a week in Costa Rica.We are going to talk to you about C.R., so that you can picture the way we live here. Even though it is a beautiful country it has some weird traditions, WEIRD people, a weird style of living... in other words everything is WEIRD!!!!!!!!!!!! Just look at this... When we got to Costa Rica we had to take a taxi to our place....there the guy said"que mae, esa es su reina papo??", (hey dude, is that your girl). >>>> THAT GUY WAS A FREAK.<<<< In order to get to where we were going we had to pass through the middle of San Jose, the capital. At first it was normal...meaning that the car was not moving... after we pass the highway, the car started to jump, it was like being on a crazy horse!!!!!!!!!!! there were holes everywhere. While in the cab...we saw really STRANGE things. Besides the road there was a Taxi with a cow inside...ITS TRUE.... also when we got to the stop sing we had to stop to let the cows, chickens, and the horses pass. Then after 2 hours on the cab we got to take a long rest in our place.
Dominique & Monika Well, When we first came to Costa Rica, we were surprised. The customs line was really long and unorganized. Then when we came out we got a cab and rode to the hotel. The driving was interesting...poeple were driving like maniacs!! Our hotel was in the mountians and kind of in the rain forests. The mountians were very pretty and green compared to texas...where dominique is from. Dominique was very surprised because texas is flat. Its really crowded but the people are very nice. Then we had to drive to the beach which was long and car sicky. You have to drive through the hills so you get VERY car sick. Then we finally got to the beach. The people were very nice and welcoming. But then two days later dominiques frada bag was stolen. So, it showed that you need to be carefull and cuasious. Other than that Costa Rica is very nice. It took along time to get used to, but i really like it now....:)
Costa Rica I think that Costa Rica is an interesting place to live even though I’ve only lived here for 2 months. In these 2 months I’ve been in the beach and I like it a lot because it has hotels that are for people like me that come to the beach for tourism. I also like the diversity of fish in Costa Rican oceans (especially in Isla Del Coco). I’ve also been in the forest and I was spellbound by all the different kinds of animals I saw (especially the monkeys). I also went to this forest that was near a volcano and I was astonished when I saw the mud at 1000 degrees C or more. I also like the city because it has trees and stuff but it is super contaminated by smog. There are also a lot of street dogs, and I think it is amazing the quantities of homeless dogs on the streets. Anyway, I like Costa Rica a lot because I think that it is one of the best countries in the world to live if you are a tourist because you can’t imagine how many things there are for tourists here. Oh, one last thing. I recommend to use a Turismo bus because I think that you don’t want to drive here and don’t go to San Jose at night and alone because robbers here would even steel your teeth if they could.
Costa Rica
When I came to Costa Rica, I noticed many things. There were many things that weren't like anywhere I had been before. First of all, the roads are very crappy here in Costa Rica. To make matters worse, many people drive like drunkards and nobody payed attention to their blinkers or stop signs. Also, I noticed all the moisture here, with all the rainforests and the salt sticking to the shaker. Since Costa Rica has two bodies of water in the east and west, there are many beaches. There were many beaches that I loved and I still go to them every year. The waves are pretty good for surfing and people who don't know how to surf can still boogie board. Even though people don't have very good driving skills, many citizens are extremely nice, such as waiters and waitresses in restaurants and sodas. People are always offering me different foods and drinks and filling my water glass. I like the way there are many different climate areas in Costa Rica, such as Guanacaste, which is dry and arid. Osa Peninsula, rainy and green. Puntarenas, mostly beach. And other counties in Costa Rica. I love my house here in Costa Rica, up in the mountains where the air is fresh and there are hills and trees everywhere. I like the way almost nobody comes up onto the mountain and we live peacefully with only two neighbors closeby. Our dogs are very happy here since there is so much wildlife and insects. My cats love the insects, mice, and lizards, since they can hunt them. I like it when they hunt them because then we can rescue the lizards, but the insects and mice have to go. I love Costa Rica, and I can't think of anyone who wouldn't love the rainforests and monkeys.
~*Arriving in Costa Rica*~ by: Sophie Jansen and Gina Goldberg
JOURNAL ENTRY: I just arrived in Costa Rica, and the weather is very hot and humid. There are bright blue skies, a lot of sunshine, and tall palm trees. I hear Spanish everywhere around me, and the people are very kind. There are Taxi drivers asking me if I want a ride , and there are welcoming signs. The Marriot shuttle bus pulled up, and I got in. It drove me to the hotel, and I was spellbound when I realized that it was actually a very nice hotel. I went to the room, and there were high-speed internet connections, satellite TVs,
My First Visit to Costa Rica William Kim When i first got to Costa Rica I thought that it wold be filled with trees, it was true. When. I got out of the airport, i was wearing a jacket and but it was really hot and humid so I took it off as fast as i could because I was dying of the hotness. The, I was looking for taxi. I only saw red cars. I thoght they were some private drivers for people but when I looked at the side, it said "TAXI" and I hopped into one. I asked him if he could give me a tour around the country, he happily said, yes. I noticed that all of the houses were made of concrete not like in the US which they are mostly made of wood. I also noticed that there were no buildings. He left me at a mall and i had to pay him in colones but I forgot to change my dollars into colones. I was still going to pay him with dollars but he didnt accep it because he didnt know what it was and he thought I was ripping him off. I put some dollars on the seat and I ran as fast as I could out of the taxi. *phew* I got lucky there. The Heritage School of Dehra Dun, India
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