July 16, 2015

I was up fairly early…and as I got out of bed I almost fell over.  I was still very dizzy from the day before.  Not good, but also not uncommon.  After a quick cuppa, I began organizing and planning the morning – I still didn’t have a ride arranged to San Jose for that day – Ivan had never responded to the numerous emails I’d sent him.  When the kids were up, they helped me pack and get the house cleaned.  I laundered the bed linens and we cleaned in the kitchen. 

At 11, Tiffany arrived and helped sort out the ride to San Jose, then left to pick up Nate and Kevin.  They would meet us at the taco restaurant.  The kids and I took our last walk down to Dominical.  Mags found a leaf as big as her body and Ethan had a staff which he christened the Sacred Staff of the 7^th Mohave Tribe.  Allrighty then….  After a delicious lunch, I popped next door to the seamstresses’ store to buy some pants.  Funny how Mags and I have the exact same pants, though she looks much cuter in hers.  I had promised her a last smoothie at Joy! and Ethan and I would get a frozen chocolate espresso drink at Delicious.   We headed home quickly on that final walk, but I sure wish we had time/water to shower.  I had more water seeping out me from sweating than the shower faucet did. 

 

Within minutes, it was time to leave.  As Gilligan loaded the truck, I said my goodbyes to Tiffany, Kevin and Nate.  This woman saved our vacation.  Without her, we would not have been able to experience the many wonderful things we did, such as scuba diving (our primary goal).  I am so very appreciative and thankful for all her help and kindness. <big heart smile>

The trip to San Jose had one stop on the way –  Gilligan stopped at a hardware store for me so I could buy Ethan a machete.  We had seen the many uses for it in Costa Rica (coconuts, pineapple, and watermelon), plus he could use it on our off-trail hikes.  I found one for about $4 and a beautiful leather sheath for about $16.  He is very proud of his machete; it isn’t sharpened yet, but I have tools for that.  Soon, at the height of rush hour, no less, we arrived in San Jose.  The rain didn’t help much. I generously tipped Gilligan for being such a kind and thoughtful man:  he had come into the hardware store without my asking him to make certain I found what I was looking for, and then he wrapped my luggage in large plastic bags to keep them from getting wet.  I cannot lie – I was grateful for the air conditioning – not necessarily for the temperature but the humidity factor.   

The kids and I, after my nice shower, headed next door to Denny’s, our traditional – yet no longer favorite place to stop on road trips.  The open-24-hours factor is a benefit, but the food quality is sorely lacking.  Do they not have open-24 healthy places???  We each got an avocado bacon cheeseburger in various stages of undress:  Maggie’s was avocado, bacon bun and meat (though they messed up and gave her cheese instead of bacon), Ethan’s had no mayo, no cheese and I had no mayo, no onions.  The link here is mayo: we dislike it.  We found our fake movie star and headed back to the hotel, where the kids watched a movie - muted since it was in Spanish.  I added scripts to what I thought they could be saying.  It was all very fun – but…sleep beckoned.  I think it likes me.

 Pictures:  My tribe headed to San Jose; Mags and her huge leaf; Ethan's Sacred Staff of the 7th Mohave Tribe; Showing his sister his treasure; The kids with a cow outside the hotel representing Costa Rican Coffee trade