They had rented a huge hotel with a pool and invited 200 guests. The ceremony started with the host introducing her best friends one by one with applause in between. Then the birthday child made a big entrance with an elaborate a pink dress with lace and sequins. Following some tear-filled speeches by her father and brother, the formalities were finished and the party and dancing began. Since dancing is such an integral part of the culture, it seems that everyone can dance, and dance very well. The dancefloor was filled with all ages between eight and seventy, and they all knew what they were doing and how to move. They played salsa, merenge and paso doble (waltz) into the early morning, with a small break for food.

The party was held in Sámara, a small place on a Pacific beach, where we spent the rest of the weekend. Me and three other guys from the school took a boat trip out to sea to fish, do some snorkeling and try to see dolphins. It was a bit too late to spot dolphins, but we passed several giant turtles. We came back home with four big tuna fish, which a restaurant then prepared for us.

I try to study a lot during the week. After the classes in the morning I usually study by myself a couple of hours before I have dinner with the family. A traditional Costa Rican dish is called 'gallo pinto', rice with black beans fried together, which people eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner (I'm actually quite tired of it to be honest). You eat it together with fried bananas and pork, beef, chicken or fish. The best thing about food culture is that a beer cost $1, and then you get something little to eat with it.

February 3 - Everyday life in Nicoya
It doesn't take long to get used to what seemed so different in the beginning. The heat, 32 degrees, all the dogs and chickens weaving from house to house looking for anything to eat. The houses are very eye-catching, painted a multitude of vibrant colors. Some of the street life consists of carts filled with watermelons and pineapples, which are constantly being sold to pedestrians on the go. Seedy bars where you can hear marimba music and inebriated patrons scowling at the innocent. Weathered old men in white cotton hats sitting on the sidewalk, showing their inactiveness by the hours spent in one spot watching the crowds go by. Friendly smiles and people laughing. No one is in a hurry here, for there's nothing to move too fast for. Here in the tropics, time is irrelevant and punctuality is not part of the culture (Which also means, of course, that everyone is understanding if you're a half hour late).

As of now, the fiestas of San Blas are going on. These fiestas contain a lot of people, beer, music and food. The nightly focal point of the few brave men is to ride the bulls with the audience cheering them on from the arena. Me and a guy from the school took a 4WD-taxi to Hojancha yesterday, it's a small town southeast of Nicoya. The four wheel drive was required because it's impossible to get there using an ordinary car.

Once we got there we walked a couple of kilometers to a river where some kids were enjoying themselves by swinging from a tree into the water. One little kid had just caught an armadillo which he played with, swinging it from it's tail. After a while he let the poor animal go. Scared to death, it ran from the kid directly into the forest. Later in the afternoon we hitched back to Nicoya.

Tomorrow is my last day in the school, then I'm going to a national park to work with the guides there.