Another Week in the City (and the BEACH!)

We've spent the last week in San Jose, taking intensive Spanish classes and trying to get to know the city a little.  It's been really busy though; 4 days of week we have 5 hours of Spanish and the other 2 days, we have 10 hours of class (5 of Spanish and 5 of Global Health/Medicine).  It's been fun to be in the city and I think I'm getting better at crossing the road, though I still sprint.  Trust me, I blend in so well with my blond hair, bookbag and sprints across the Pan-American Highway.  This weekend, we went to the beach in Jaco, which is on the Pacific side, just west of San Jose.  We arrived Saturday night after class, and stayed in a (kind of gross) hostel, then spent Sunday on the beach.  The water was very, very warm, but so was the tropical sun.  I reapplied sunscreen a few times, but I still managed to miss a few tiny spots, so I have some bright red splotches in various places.  The waves were huge, and I spent more time than I've ever spent in the water.  Unfortunately, the bus we took home had standing-room only, so I stood for the two hour bus ride home and I was pretty tired and roasted when we finally got back to San Jose.  This week holds a lot more Spanish, including a paper and a 30-minute oral presentation about a comparison of the dairy industries in the U.S. and in Costa Rica, and then a final exam.  We've also got some field trips to visit local health care centers and a hospital.  I hope all is well elsewhere in the world.