Although Spanish is the primary language in Costa Rica, I have noticed that the majority of people also have some level of English proficiency. Some members of my host family speak perfect English, although I try to speak in Spanish whenever possible, so that I can improve my language abilities.
The currency in Costa Rica is called the colón. The physical money is very colorful, and each bill has a depiction of a different animal native to Costa Rica. My shortcut for the exchange rate is that 500 colones is approximately equal to 1 USD, but in reality the dollar is a bit weaker than that.
A bottle of water here costs about one to two US dollars. However, the tap water is safe to drink everywhere in the country, so I try to avoid buying plastic bottles when I can.
On Saturday, my friend, Rachel, and I went to the Mercado Central (Central Market), which is known for having many good sodas (restaurants that usually serve typical cuisine). I had some chifrijo, which contains rice, beans, chips, avacado, and tomatoes. To drink, I had a smoothie with a fruit called soursop, which I had never heard of before, but really enjoyed!
