Layne and I are about to head out the door for a hike around
the neighborhood and soon I'll be packing for still another trip to the U.S. My
mom in Texas has had a few non-serious health issues of late and I leave
tomorrow to spend a few weeks with her to help get things back in order around
her house; Layne will join me there in mid-September. Meanwhile I owe my
readers an update on our busy lives here in beautiful Costa Rica.
Back on August 15th, it was Dia de Las Madres or Mother's Day here and it was our good fortune to
be invited to our neighbor Rosa's family celebration. Over a delicious lunch of
pollo (chicken), steamed
vegetables, rice and the delicious chicken soup pictured here, we practiced our
Spanish and learned more about the big family on whose large traditional family
estate we reside. Rosa and her sister Suzie live together in a comfortable home
on the main road above us. In fact, it is Rosa's house that we give as a
landmark to taxi drivers when heading home, there being no house numbers or
indeed road signs in Costa Rica. "A la casa de Rosa Mora," we say, and they all know the place. The two
sisters are siblings of Isaac Mora, our landlord who lives next door to us;
Rosa's house is next to Isaac's, just up the hill. Across the road is Juan, a
brother, and next door to Rosa's place is still another sister who lives with
her son. A fourth sibling, Angelica, lives in Heredia and arrived later with
her lovely daughter Maria. Maria spoke some English as she works at the airport
as an industrial engineer so she was able to translate a bit for everyone. The fiesta was so entertaining that I neglected to take any
more pictures once the food was on the table!
It is the rainy season here and as in all tropical
countries, sometimes it really pours. During a deluge, the noise on our metal
roof can be deafening. But most Ticos prefer this wetter time of year because
everything is so green, the flowers bloom gloriously and the heavy rains clear
the streets and gutters of trash and debris. Because of this, Costa Ricans tend
to throw plastic bags and other litter on the ground, confident that when the
rains come, it will all disappear. It does, of course, but they don't seem to
realize that most of that garbage will end up in rivers, streams and eventually
the ocean, contributing to a global problem. Fortunately, recycling of paper
and plastic and other materials is beginning to catch on with a service that
collects recyclables now coming regularly to Atenas and other communities.
The rains also wash away a lot of dirt from the steep
hillsides here. On a recent walk, we passed a gentleman shoveling dirt from the
concrete gutter where it had collected after a big downpour. Further along we
crossed the usually small creek, now running fast and deep, a muddy brown from
the runoff.
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| Seidy, Layne, Bonnie, Chris, Sue & Marcial (Photo by Stephen Kopel) |
Yesterday was overcast with a light sprinkle now and then
but it didn't stop us from joining a group of good friends at Marcial and
Seidy's house for a Tico feast and some badminton. The group, led by Marcial,
had earlier in the day taken a long hike down by the river, down treacherous
muddy slopes and up steep hillsides. Layne said it was a challenging walk but
invigorating. I had to miss the outing in order to call my mom and let her know
I was coming for a visit this week. It had been a worrisome couple of weeks for
me, as we didn't know what was causing her to feel so bad. But after a trip to
the doctor, she had learned it was not serious so my trip should be fun, not
troubling.
By stretching elastic cord over the ground for borders and
setting up a net, Marcial and his sons Felipe and Daniel had constructed a
makeshift badminton court in the midst of the mango grove. Soon everyone got in
on the game, with Seidy making some great shots and Layne giving it his all.
New friends Chris and Sue got into the game, with Chris' height giving him a
strong advantage. Meanwhile, the "fans in the bleacher seats" nibbled
on local peanuts in the shell, chips and guacamole and sipped on beer or Seidy's delicious refresca drink, made from star fruit.
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| Daniel and Stephen vs Layne and Seidy |
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| Chris celebrates a shot |
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| Seidy in action! |
Eventually, a duel
between "the old guys" of Marcial and Stephen and "the young
bloods" of Felipe and Daniel got started with Layne on the sideline
keeping score and correcting the teams on the rules of the game. It was fast
and furious for a while, with the winning team uncertain. At one point, Marc's
dog Bean decided to take a nap in the middle of the court and when Stephen
gently touched her on the rump with his racket to encourage her to move away,
she curled up in terror of punishment. With some gentle coaxing from Marcial,
she was finally persuaded to lie down out of bounds and the game proceeded.
With a final score of 15-13, the seniors beat out the kids and gloated
appropriately.
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| Bean just wants in the game... |
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| But she is banished to the sidelines |
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| Stephen and Marcial vs Felipe and Daniel |
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| The "peanut" gallery |
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| Feisty little Bean (l), Yours Truly and Referee Layne (Photo by Stephen Kopel) |
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| Relaxing after the game (Photo by Stephen Kopel) |
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| Leftovers from the feast |
Then it was back to the house for a yummy chicken and
garbanzo soup, avocado salad, traditional Tico cabbage and tomato salad and
Marcial's great Italian sausage and peppers dish, flavored with fresh basil and
tarragon, served over rice. What a feast!
Don't expect many posts from me, dear readers, while I'm in
Texas. But I'll resume my reports after Layne and I return on September 30th.
Meanwhile, Pura Vida!
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