Soy Hattie, la limpiadora

Hard to believe it was this time last week that I was walking through the misty streets of Amsterdam on my way to Schiphol. Now I've had some time to adjust to the humidity, funky fried food and "Tico time", I can reflect on what has been a long but memorable week.

A highlight so far has been our walks around the reserve and the surrounding areas. Each day, we go somewhere new. We've tramped up hundreds of meters through rainforest, coffee trees and banana plantations- saw an armadillo yesterday! Around the reserve, there is a wealth of butterflies, hummingbirds and of course insects of all kinds but every square centimetre is filled with a new, uniquely shaped and shaded leaf.

I will never tire of the natural beauty of the rainforest but there is potential that in the remaining three weeks I will be tire of cleaning. Fast becoming my profession, we have cleaned the bridges, platforms, gates... The "Monica" in me says it's surprisingly satisfying but let's hope next week there is a bit more painting. Perhaps it's a blessing. It's an opportunity to hone my skills ready to pay back my debts from the (rather extortionate) Costa Rican prices that have taken me by surprise!

A significant draw of staying with a host family was to learn the Spanish language. Whilst I have kept up my fairly average Spanish up over the past year, I had forgotten the joys of learning the native language in situ. It's so draining to be immersed in the language but equally, it's amazing to be able to hold a conversation with a native without making too much of an idiot of yourself. I am not sure I will be able to get over the complete lack of the "tu" form considering I have spent the last eighteen months training myself to use it. I am grateful that my host family are very patient but manning the office and answering phone calls was a whole other story. Aside from the fact that we were left on call with absolutely minimal knowledge about the pricing, events or even opening times of the reserve, trying to respond to questions down a crackly phone line my skills! It certainly is confusing when the main man of the reserve, whom you thought was called Gilbert, is in fact called Jesús.

Talking of names, I am never allowed to forget just how difficult the name "Hattie" is for the non-English speaking world. My host mum has simply resorted to "erm" whenever she wishes to address me. To Jesús I am "niña" and to most other relations I am relegated to the anonymous "muchacha".

So for this month, and I hope this month only, I am the nameless cleaner from England, not Scotland (for the purpose of ease on my behalf). A crazy girl to travel alone and who eats chicken with cutlery. I'm quite aware of the cultural differences already but I've often been reminded of the "cultural iceberg" which suggests just how much more there is to uncover.

If I'm honest, not everything is that easy, at times I feel a million miles away from home comforts and occasionally things can feel a bit like an endurance test. I've been endurance training all year (if in a rather different form) and I'm very lucky to be here. If it wasn't a challenge it wouldn't be worth doing, right?

Off back to the Pacific waves tomorrow- it's time to explore a bit more of what this country has to offer. I've been told to be careful of the monkeys so I'm excited!