La Tortuga Feliz

Surprisingly the thing that has struck me most now that I have returned from the remote project site of La Tortuga Feliz is the presence of mirrors. The space above the sinks in the outdoor bathroom of the project site was devoid of walls, let alone mirrors. As I brushed my teeth, flashlight propped against the edge of the sink, I would gaze out into blackness. The bathroom in my hostel in San Jose is full of mirrors and I'm shocked to see myself once again.

There are so many things that I take for granted where I live. I both enjoyed the break from them and relished my imminent return to convenience while at the project. Things like dryers and a lack of sand and hot water were both sorely missed and marvelled at in their lack of necessity. There was nothing dire about where I was, it was luxurious camping, but I found myself wishing that my clothes would ever be completely clean and dry, that I wouldn't have to sweep the sand off of my feet before falling asleep, or stand the extra heat added by my mosquito net, or concentrate very hard on not scratching the bug bites. I actually quite enjoyed the cold showers as it was a pleasant break from the constant humid heat.

I have so much to tell about the project that it is going to take numerous posts to cover it all. In my own journal, I mainly focused on different aspects of the volunteer and living experience and plan to organize my posts this way as well. When I start talking about a new part of the trip, I'll tell you. Otherwise, the following posts will be reflecting on my experiences at La Tortuga Feliz. Ahora I am too tired to write mas por que I woke up at 4:45 this morning to catch the boat back to Bataan then sat on a bus for three hours to get back to San Jose. Enjoy the Spanglish, folks, I'm starting to think a bit en espanol.

Pura vida!