cuisine class

I have forgotton to write the last few weeks about my cooking class.  It is a lot of fun and we have made many different things.  In the last few classes we have made: pasta from potatos, cheese bread, sesame bread, a type of cookie (with caramel centers and either coconut or chocolate on the outside), spaghetti and some type of dessert with bananas.  Everything is made from scratch.  My class only has 5 girls in it and we have it at the house of one of the university staff.  We have a good time (trying) to make the food and understand the teacher (who only speaks Spanish).  This past Tuesday, when we made spaghetti, it didn't turn out so well.  When we cooked it, it became a big mass and looked kind of like potatos.  Our teacher told us she had never seen that happen before and we had to make it over again.

Lauren and Miriam licking the chocolate off their fingers

caramel and coconut

making spaghetti

Michaela seperating spaghetti strands

our bad first batch

San Jose

Here are a few photos from the capital city.

Teatro Nacional

Museo del Oro (Museum of Gold)

"Welcome, Mercado Central, Founded in 1880"

Guanacaste

Last weekend we had our second trip for my Latin American Cultures field study class.  We went to the province of Guanacaste which is in the northwest along the Pacific.  The area is warmer and much more humid than where I live.

We went first to the site of the mines of Abangares.  These mines are no longer in use but they have many of the old tools and equipment that was once used there.  We hiked through the forest (and uphill) to see different areas that they used for the mining processes.  Between the hills and the humidity, I almost had to pull out my inhaler.  I don't think I have ever been so sweaty in my life.

we hiked up to the top

"Tulita"

Next we stopped at a house in the country where a man makes pottery using the techniques and designs of native peoples.  He showed us all the tools he uses, what types of earth/rock he uses for color and the native designs and what they represent.  We also watched him make a vase.

cows in the road

We then stopped in the small town of Santa Cruz and spent some time in their central park.  Next we continued on to Nicoya where are hotel was.  We went out for dinner and I even ate pizza (four cheese without tomato sauce).  We were going to see a colonial church but apparently it was closed (I can't remember why).

On Sunday we spent a lazy day on the beach.  My teacher brought fruit and bread for breakfast (yummy).  I mostly just did some reading for school, walked on the beach and took pictures.

casado con bistec