"Exercising" in La Esperanza

            So in the months in between graduating from U of R and coming to Costa Rica, I was in by far the best shape of my life.  I started running, trained for a half marathon, and for the first time in my life was really starting to embrace a daily active and healthy lifestyle…I credit most of this to my temporary move to San Diego to live with Rina for 4 months prior to leaving the States.  I think when one moves to southern California, a once dormant gene that was simply waiting in a state of cryostasis maintained by several consecutive Northeast Winters is awakened.  I call this gene the Crunchy Granola Gene (or CGG as it will be called in scientific journals years from now) , whereas upon its infusion into the once hermit-like East Coasters bloodstream,  waking up at 5 am to go for a 7 mile run seems like a fantastic idea and delicious Philly Cheesesteaks are replaced with foods with the word “Power” in the name (Powerade, Powerbar, Powershakes, Powerwaffles, Powercheeseburgers, Powerbeersetc…).  So, even upon my departure from California, remnants of CGG were still pulsating in my veins, and producedlike a little voice in my head saying things like “Oh man look at that steep mountain…I bet I should climb it barefoot!” and “Oh look mud!  I bet I should walk in that barefoot!” and “Oh look my shoes!...Fuck you shoes!”.  The moral of the story is that since being in La Esperanza, I have been trying to combat the 6 meals and 4-5 cups of coffee I drink everyday by going on runs, which is usually met with strange looks from the locals as I gallop awkwardly up the coffee hills in the rain.  Today however, I had an especially Tico style run that I want to share.  I usually go on the same 3-4 mile round trip run from my house to the edge of town where the dirt road meets the paved road and back.  Even though it’s a short run, its so hilly that I am usually pretty spent when I get back.  Since I haven’t gone on a run or really moved more than 1 mph since Rina and I climbed Cerro Chirripo 2 weeks ago (stories of her visit here to come in the next post!!), I decided to get back into the habit and go for a run today to get my butt back in shape.  Since there was no school today (which is not at all rare these days:-/), I woke up around 8 and off I went!  I made it abouutttt 2 km until I made the fatal mistake of saying hi as I passed by my host mom’s cousin’s house (this is only a fatal mistake in terms of the continuity of a run, but always great when in the mood for some good conversation and a cafecito).  This naturally led to a tour of her beautiful house, an introduction to her 2 cows, 24 chickens, 6 huge pigs, and 28 weeee little 4 day old piglets.  This was followed by her showing me baby pictures of all her kids and then giving me coffeand  5 of her homemade sweet breads (she makes breads and sells them to the local towns as her business).  After about 2 hours visiting, off I went again!...for about 1 km.  Then I, truly not learning from my previous mistake, said hello to all the folks (5 of them) working at the trapiche as I past (the trapiche is the little sugar cane mill in town) which of course led to a 30 minute stay while eating hot sugar cane off a piece of wood and drinking aguadulce, which is a sweet hot drink made from the cane.  Finally, with a very full stomach, I ran the remaining 2km home or so.  So to sum up….3 1/2 hour run. 3 miles covered. Breakfast, a snack and desert.  This about sums up my level of activity here!  I think it is these type of unexpected morning that I will really miss when I go back in the states.  I have become SO accustomed to the hospitality, the friendliness, and the nosiness of people here that I don’t notice it at all anymore until I really and think about it.  I literally cannot walk anywhere in town without everyone I pass asking me where I am going and why, even if I am only walking to the school, which is about 60 feet from my house.  I think when I go back to the states, I will be very confused when nobody stops me as I walk around the streets of Philly just to ask me why I am there, where I am going, and if I have a novia (girlfriend).  I have also become used to running into a familiar face in the street meaning at the very least a halt in forward momentum to have a short conversation and running past a familiar house unexpectedly guarantees a tour, coffee, and more often than not, a full meal.  So, when I come home 100 pounds heavier but tell you that I ran every day, now you will understand the mystery.  Puravida.