A Last-Minute Birthday Bash

Perhaps it's in bad taste to brag about one's own birthday party, but I must. Besides, my friends here in Santa Eulalia organized the thing in about 24 hours so that has to be some kind of record right there and worthy of note for that reason alone. But since it turned into such a splendid party, I really must share the photos and a bit of the story.

It all came about, I suppose, because I kept gloating that I was able to keep up on the "hike from hell" despite it being the last day of my 67th year. So everyone knew my birthday was the next day. After our relaxing afternoon on Marcial and Seidy's patio, I made the short walk home (somewhat surprised I could still walk at all!) and not long after, I found an email from Sue saying, unless I objected, they were all coming to my house the next evening to celebrate my birthday. I was instructed to do nothing to prepare, assured that they would bring all food and drink.

Eroca and her outrageously delicious carrot cake!

For a natural-born hostess like me, these were difficult orders to follow but I did my best, heading to the gym early Monday morning for a workout then taking the 10:00 a.m. bus back to Santa Eulalia, where I spent most of the afternoon writing a blog on the previous day's strenuous hike. Marc and Eroca arrived around 5:15 p.m. with two cakes in hand and that seemed to signal the start of the party. Never short of anything to talk about, we entertained each other until a taxi arrived with Bonnie and Stephen and Chris and Sue, carrying plates of food and bottles of drink. When Marcial and Seidy showed up a little later, things were in full swing.

Sous-chef Stephen at work

Both Chris and Stephen are accomplished chefs who enjoy nothing more than whipping up something scrumptious in the kitchen. Chris had already prepared a special cabbage lasagna (I know it sounds strange but trust me, it was delicious!) and just needed an oven to bake it for an hour. Unbeknownst to him, my oven was awaiting a new lower element to replace a broken one so we had to resort to using the Broil setting on Lo. Chris must have felt like he was on Chopped on the Food Channel and had just been handed a pork roast with marshmallows to cook without a working oven! But he soldiered on and by using aluminum foil over the pan and setting it on a lower shelf, somehow it worked.

Meanwhile, Stephen was serving as sous-chef, cutting up the broccoli for the side dish and working his magic on a big salad with yummy chunks of mango mixed in. Seidy got in the act with her fantastic homemade tortillas while Eroca added candles to the cakes. Bonnie found a way to be helpful by tasting the icing!

The best tortillas you ever tasted

Bonnie shares icing with Eroca

Eroca, Bonnie & Seidy dish up!

Through the magic of the Internet, we even had virtual Layne at the party. Using Skype to Skype with video, he was displayed on the TV screen and we took turns saying Hi to him, giving him a running commentary on the evening's fun. It would have been wonderful to have him here in person but with his face on the big screen, we were able to share some of the pleasure by long distance at least.

Marcial and Seidy talk with "Virtual Layne"

Dinner is served!

Eventually, dinner was ready and we all helped our plates, ready to retire to the back patio. But not before Marcial took a moment to address the group, expressing for everyone our joy at being together and humbling me with very sweet comments about how much I am loved and appreciated by this great group of people.

Make a wish, Kat! 

When the cake was brought out - happily, a few candles short of my age! - I made my wish and blew out the candles as everyone sang the birthday serenade. It was a very special birthday, made even richer by all the Facebook birthday wishes I received, one I shall long remember as a perfect example of the Pura Vida world I've come to love.

Muchas gracias, mis amigos!!

Costa Rica Fun, Food and Friendship

Our community of fun and fun things to do just keeps growing here in Santa Eulalia. Nowhere else in our two years in Costa Rica have we lived in a neighborhood in which we found so many kindred spirits, new friends, both Tico and Gringo and entertaining things to see and do around every corner. Even our almost-daily walks offer new vistas in recent days as cornfields and sugarcane fields have been  harvested and left bare, opening up distant views. One day this week we hiked down a side road toward the waterfall, passing empty cane fields that revealed trees standing tall above sheer canyon walls. In the distance we could see Barrio Los Angeles, where we used to live, and even spied our former landlords Odie and Eduardo's red roof.

But today was special for me. I just returned from a truly magical experience: riding a beautiful Paso Fino mare in an arena about a 15-minute walk down the road from us. A shiny bay with a luxurious long black mane and large, dark intelligent eyes, she was spirited, but responsive and obedient and attentive to every shift of my weight in the saddle or slight adjustment on the reins. Controlled only with a rope halter, she easily stopped, backed up, turned and picked up her incredible quick-step Paso gait with only subtle signals from me. That gait is so different from what I'm used to; no posting to the trot, you just sit quietly as the horse moves smoothly beneath your seat. It was an absolute joy to be on horseback again. I was so excited to be riding such an exquisite animal, I forgot all about taking pictures. But Talia looked much like the bay Paso pictured here.

Photo courtesy of ParadisePasoFinos.com

Equally wonderful was the new Tico friend I made in horse owner Francisco, thanks again to our estimado amigo Marcial, who had arranged this ride for me. After watching me ride awhile, Francisco complimented me on my riding skills then announced I could come ride anytime I wanted. Smiling, he said, "this is your house now," basically offering me the opportunity to ride his horse like it was my own. As we talked more, he also invited me join him and some of his friends on a trail ride soon. It is a dream come true for this horselover, as I miss being around horses and especially my own sweet Mojave, rest his horsy soul.

This introductory ride was arranged by Marcial after he had mentioned to me the possibility of my riding in an upcoming "tope" here in Atenas. As I understand it, a tope is a horse parade, usually part of a bigger festival, in which riders come from all over the country to show off their beautiful steeds and prance down the streets of town in colorful traditional finery. A Tico friend of Marcial's was looking for ways to involve some of the Gringo community in Atenas in the planned tope and since Marcial knew I had owned a horse in the United States, he asked if I'd be interested in participating. Would I?!! You bet! Just get me a horse, I said, and I'm there. But I also asked if he thought I could do some riding before the parade to get my "seat" back, and from this conversation came the ride today at Francisco's barn. We feel very lucky to be friends with such good-hearted and generous people.

Last night was another good time, this one a pool party and dinner at Bonnie & Stephen's house just down the hill from the horse barn where I rode today. I threw together a big salad made from organic lettuces, arugula, tomatoes, beets, cucumber, green onion and chili dulce before Layne and I hiked down the road in time for a leisurely swim in their incredible "pool with a view." As Bonnie said while we gazed out over the edge of the pool at the verdant jungle scenery, "I sometimes wonder if I'm at the Beverly Hilton or maybe I just died and this is heaven." It was pretty heavenly and lucky us, Bonnie & Stephen have thrown the door open to us as well, inviting us to use their pool anytime we want. 

Felipe, aspiring photographer

The handsome young Felipe, Marcial and Saedi's 23-year-old son was there, continuing his lessons in photography from the former instructor and accomplished videographer Stephen, as was Bonnie & Stephen's charming Filipino landlord Dave. When Marcial and Saedi joined us at the swimming pool a little later, we all stared in awe as the magnificent full moon rose over the treetops and highlighted the blue water in the pool. We left the periquitos del amor, as we laughingly called the "lovebirds" Marcial and Saedi, to their evening swim as the rest of us headed down to the house for a glass of wine. When they joined us in a while, we enjoyed a dinner of salads, mine and a yummy fruit, black beans, rice and more of that addictive Italian sausage. A most pleasant way to spend an evening!