Costa Rica 10th 1999

Costa Rica 9/10/99

Hello to All:
We are here in Tortuguero on the Caribbean coast in the huge swamp area, but more about that next time. I wanted to get you up to date on our time here since arriving in Costa Rica.
We arrived in San Jose and were met at the airport by Marco, Dixie and the kids with kisses all around. We went back to the house where we got them up to speed on our time in Guatemala, how Angela, Rich, Jeff, Bandit (the dog) and all the sheep were doing. This takes about 10 minutes at which time Marco’s mother and father showed up. There were kisses all around and we caught everybody up on our time in Guatemala Angela and Rich, Jeff, Bandit and all this sheep. This not takes twice as much time as before because those who have heard the stories now throw in their own version of the stories. After this, the ex-communist grandmother who was instrumental in bringing social change to Costa Rica and a fascinating woman in her 90’s shows up with her daughter. There are kisses all around and we have to tell about our time…………. This now becomes a full conversation because there are even more people throwing information into the mix. It’s a wonderful dynamic to watch this grow from the pleasantries of greetings to a full fledged story with a life all its own. I’m convinced that whoever developed proportional mathematics must have studied Hispanic families at work.
We were informed that early, 6 a.m. the following morning we were heading for the Panamanian border on the Atlantic side. We went to a resort which was quite nice where we stayed for two nights. In all, there were 16 of us since nobody goes anywhere alone in this country. We relaxed while the kids played soccer on the beach, on the grass and in the water. Meanwhile we drank on the beach, on the grass, and in the water. We went to a small village inhabited by a a bunch of Rastafarian types. Difficult to think to think of a place more isolated. Just a bunch of thatch buildings one of which was a drinking hole posing as a restaurant. We sat down to eat (drink) when we heard this sound being uttered from the mouth of somebody in a noisy throng of people behind us: “Oh my God, Mrs. Simas and Mr. Owens?” Sure enough, there were a couple of our ex-students from Lincoln High. Girls who had bused their way down from UC Berkeley and were now studying Spanish in Costa Rica. It’s great to know that we’ve had such a good influence on People☺
On Monday we returned late to Heredia, and I learned a valuable lesson for clients. Never drive after dark in Costa Rica. It’s really dangerous. There are no rules, at least none adhered to, about passing on blind hills, around curves, and the speed limit is whatever the car can take in the pot-hole riddled road. Just let the IRS claim I’m not working down here.
Tuesday was Carol and Dixie’s birthday, the ostensible reason we came at this time, and we were out buying a little present for Dixie when I felt a robber’s hand in my pocket. I grabbed the hand, spun around and there was Marco’s mother laughing her head off. We had to go to the airport to deliver a ticket to the son of the travel agency owner, and they insisted on taking us there. They then insisted on waiting for us, and taking us back to the house and, well, since it’s almost lunch time why not go to a restaurant for lunch and spend the afternoon together. All of which was done and the afternoon spent in great company. There is no such thing as “Dead time” here.
The birthday party was a small, intimate affair of family, neighbors, general passers-by and people who nobody could account where they came from. No problem, if they weren’t causing a problem, what’s the issue? In all about 50 people of four generations were there and needless to say, the alcohol flowed. The local beer, which isn’t bad by the way, Imperial, was well stocked in coolers as was the local fire water, Guaro. It’s an innocuous looking clear liquid but can make ones limbs go numb in a hurry. A mariachi band was booked, all dressed out in Jalisco’s finest mariachi outfits – huge sombreros, silver threaded black suits and all very authentic. It was a little other-worldly being in Costa Rica, but what the hell, cultural crossover occurs everywhere in the world these days.
We came to Costa Rica laden down with 16 pounds of pistacio nuts,VCR tapes, camera film, pants, Vaseline (for Laura’s ichthyosis), and other sundry gifts we were requested to bring due to the scarcity of such items in Tico land. We came with the anticipation that our return home would be much lighter after depositing all the above with our hosts. This would mean easier travel on our bus ride to Panama. NO such luck. We now return with as much loot as we brought. Lots of birthday presents to my birthday girl from all the aforementioned four generations, 20 pounds of Café Britt, very good chocolates with Guaro centers, yummy, and beautiful wooden objects, from bowls to trivets to decorative ornaments. The woods are a rich variety of color, from deep red to yellow and make excellent gifts four those at home who want/expect souvenirs from our travels. It all required a rethinking and reorganization of suitcases.
At least we had Wednesday before heading to Panama on Thursday. Carol wanted to go out and look for some weaving magazines – surprise, surprise, surprise, but we had the evening to ourselves with the family in a quiet household. But wait, Jorge calls, and there’s just one table left at this mountain-top restaurant with an amazing view of the valley, great food, and folkloric dancing and singing and we might as well have a drink while we’re there. Well, how could we say no to that. Needless to say we had a great evening. Everything they said was true, it just wasn’t the quiet evening we thought we had in store.
Naturally, we’re trying to keep a stiff upper lip in the face of such travel disasters. Good company, good food, and just a little alcohol to make everything wash down a little easier. Life is good.
C and J