Today is Tuesday, my brain is full of conjugated verbs and I'm having some trouble with the grammer as I can't recall what the definition of a reflexive verb or future perfect is in English let alone Spanish.

Last Thursday night I went to a great salsa club, I was rubbish but the locals (Ticos) were great. I'm going to go to a lot more slasa classes this week. I'll give the merengue a miss as it's hard enough trying to work out what to do with your feet never mind your arms as well.

Made refried bean & cheese empanadas in cooking class, yummy but as they're fried so probably very bad for you. The cheese here is really salty, a bit like halloumi. I also helped my host family to cook dinner one evening, I fried the plantain & made some fritters with eggs, onion & some sort of vegetable called Ajote (I think) which is a bit like something in between a courgette & a marrow.

Friday evening I was set for an early night but then the family said they were going out & was I coming? I had no idea where we were going but went anyway. It turns out there is a massive pilgrimmage every year to a nearby town called Cortega to celebrate the miraculous reappearance of a statue of the virgin Mary. So thousands of people walk the route from San Jose to Cartagua (22km). They're supposed to walk it on their knees but apparently they don't do that till the last mile. The roads were all closed to let all the people walk the route. I've stuck a photo in the photo section.

On Saturday I went on a trip around the central valley area which San Jose is nestled in the middle of. You can see the mountains on all sides from anywhere in San Jose. We started early at 6am & visited a coffee plantation on the hills of the Poas Volcano. I am not converted though, I still don't like coffee. Had a breakfast of gallo pinto (rice & beans) with cheese & scrambled egg.

Then we drove on through some stunning scenery to Volcan Poas. 85% of people who visit it see nothing but clouds & some of my classmates had been the previous weekend & had the same experience so I wasn't too hopeful. However, we had really good weather so after 10 minutes of standing around literally in the middle of clouds, they cleared & we got a view of the crater, the inner crater & the sulpher pool in the middle with a fumerole of smoke coming out of it. It smelled like rotten eggs. Apparently in recent years, volcanologists have measured that the level of the sulpher lake is getting lower & this is a bad sign & means it may be getting a bit angry.

We left & drove on past an enormous waterfall which apparently stars in the beginning of Jurassic park. They did about 3 months of filming & used about 20 seconds apparently.

On to La Paz Waterfall gardens which is a big nature reserve & animal sanctuary with added waterfalls. It's a bit like doing the rainforest lite as opposed to last weekend when I was tramping through god knows what in flip flops & trying not to think about what I was wading through. Looks like it is also a stunning hotel so if anyone needs any honeymoon recommendations & you fancy having 2 jacuzzis & a sink with a gushing waterfall for a tap in your rooms then this is the place. Unfortunately I wan't staying there but hust looking round for the day. There was an enormous aviary with about a billion birds whose names I don't know who have all been rescued from hunters or donated by owners. There was also the worlds biggest butterfly enclosure which was lovely but I was worried i was going to accidentally stand on them (I don't think I did). Loads of exotic plants & flowers & an orchid room where I couldn't help thinking that they all looked artificail but that's probably because I'm used to seeing artificial orchids for sale in M&S.

There was a whole section for hummingbirds which wasn't enclosed at all so the hummingbirds are free to go wherever they want, although if I was them I think I'd know what side my bread was buttered & stick around there because there's loads of feeders hanging up with sugar water in for them. there were literally hundreds whizzing past my ears. I took a video of them so I'll try & stick that in the video section (it starts off sideways but stick with it & I'll turn the camera round after a few seconds). (Mum & Dad, I wouldn't bother looking at it unless you get broadband sorted out as it'll kill your connection a bit).

Then we wandered off to some waterfalls whre the Rio La Paz drops 1400m in less than 8km down the slopes of Volcan Poas. Ridiculously beautiful. At that point it started raining as per usual in the afternoons & I was very glad I spent money on a decent raincoat.

After that (yes, it was a very busy day) we went on a boat ride down the Sarapiqui river where we saw (& heard) howler monkeys, parakeets, macaws, loads of birds & I got bitten by a load of mosquitos (though I didn't know that till the next day).

Sunday I went into San Jose intending to go to a museum but it was closed & I happened across some kind of huge parade instead involving cows (both real & sculptures), horses & strangely, German Shepherd dogs.

That's all for now, I think I may be roller disco-ing again tonight.