Oregon: To Escape From the Rain?

Abuela bugs in a swarm

Yigüirro birds are everywhere so I guess it’s official: the rainy season is upon us. Or as it is euphemistically known here, the “green season,” a term coined no doubt by the tourist industry. Of course, it is true that in coming months the whole country will be transformed into the greenest of greens, with flowers blooming and jungle canopies dripping with humidity, the exact image of a tropical paradise.

Yesterday afternoon the thunder and lightning began booming and blazing around us and a torrential downpour pelted the ground. Other than unplugging our laptops to avoid a power surge, Layne and I continued on with our work, unconcerned with the weather. But soon our upstairs neighbor Linda called to point out a unique phenomenon happening outside. At the first rain, she said, the abuela or grandmother bugs swarm and we should close our doors so they would not get inside. We looked out the window and were amazed to see a shimmering cloud of black bugs flying helter-skelter in the air just off our front porch. I tried but found it exceedingly difficult to get a good picture of the multitude of small insects doing their frantic seasonal thing in the rain. If you click to enlarge the photo here, you might get some idea of what a bizarre event this was.

Today the weather pattern is much the same as yesterday -- sunny and warm in the morning becoming muggy by mid-day, turning into rain by the afternoon. It seems like a good time to head back to the United States for a visit. Portland, Oregon, should be nice this time of year even though Texas, our other destination, is likely to be insufferably hot and humid. But part of the plan for our retirement here in Costa Rica was annual trips back to see family, so the rainy season seems like a good time to go.

Before we leave the country in mid-May, we plan to look at other housing options for when we return. We love so much about this apartment it’s very hard to consider giving it up but when we have company a one-bedroom apartment is too small for comfort. Now granted, we have not had much company so far but we are hoping to be a magnet for friends and family who would like to experience the beauty of Costa Rica without incurring big hotel bills.

An iguana neighbor

A resident gecko

Looking at other houses makes us really appreciate this place, however. The cleanliness, modern appliances, comfortable bed, nice furniture and swimming pool all make for a pleasant living arrangement. Plus, we are within walking distance of town but have the jungle right outside our doors. This offers us the enchantment of having wild things pay us a visit. This big iguana was wandering around the backyard recently and seemed happy to stop and pose for me on a log. We have our own little clutch of geckos keeping insects under control indoors. When our friends Sue and Christine were visiting, they enjoyed the rare experience of a horde of capuchin monkeys migrating through the trees out front. Toucans fly by, as do flocks of emerald green parrots, squawking loudly in flight. Even the nightly moonrise is spectacular here. And as for landlords, well, Odie and Eduardo are unbeatable. So we’ll see. If we don’t find a more perfect place that this, we will stay here and figure out other accommodations for guests.

Meanwhile, our residency has been approved! Tomorrow we go to Migracion to have photos taken for our cedulas, and we hope to receive them by mail before our departure date in mid-May. Having started this process just about one year ago, sending the completed documents to our attorney last July, we are quite pleased with the approval of our application in this time frame. At last we’re legal. Pura Vida!  

Arenal Adventures and Jaco Tacos

It seems like all I do lately is sit here at the computer screen checking airfares to the U.S. With summer just around the corner, Layne and I are trying to make plans but the air ticket prices are just ridiculous! (See my latest column for TheCostaRicaNews.com for more on this.) And it’s a moving target. Just when I think I’ve found a reasonable fare on something other than a “red-eye,” the next day the cost has gone up another $25 or more. It’s nuts!

But since this is such a quiet week here in Costa Rica with Semana Santa (Easter Week) closing everything down like a nuclear disaster, it seems a good time to continue my report on our vacation trip with Sue and Christine. After such a wonderful few days at Bahia Rica (see my last post for details), we reluctantly headed for the ferry again on Sunday morning in time for Thomas to pick up the next arriving sport-fishing guests. Once on the Puntarenas side, we taxied to our rental car pick-up spot and headed up the road toward Lake Arenal.

Lake Arenal

Angling northwest from the magnificent and still active Arenal Volcano, the lake is the largest land-locked body of water in Costa Rica, with a surface covering nearly 33 square miles and a depth of some 200 feet. The hydroelectric dam, which tripled the size of the original lake back in 1979, now provides about 12% of the country’s electric energy. The beautiful rolling pastureland and green forests that surround the lake attract a large number of tourists and also provide home to many expats who prefer the area’s cooler temperatures. With dependable winds for much of the year, the lake is a magnet for windsurfers and sailboarders. Because of the popularity of kayaking on the vast waters, we thought we would be able to tackle another paddling adventure during our stay there.

The dramatic facade of Hotel Tilawa

But this was not to be. Our choice of Hotel Tilawa turned out to be a mini-disaster. In working on his novel, Layne had researched hotels in the Arenal area because one of the book’s main characters owns property there. This hotel had come to his attention via the Internet and one of the scenes in the novel takes place there. Photos of the hotel and activities offered on the website made it sound ideal for our three-day stay. Although Hotel Tilawa has an interesting history, features a dramatic Minoan theme and some nice views, the website definitely exaggerated the facilities. Too windy for kayaking, no direct access to the Lake, a spa that needed an hour to warm up and pool cues that lacked tips: these were just some of the challenges we faced. And incredibly, with dozens of rooms on two floors, a large sitting area with a working fireplace, huge swimming pool, organic garden, microbrewery on the premises and more, we were the only guests! The eccentric proprietor J.P., who built the place 18 years ago, and his family live there, along with a few Tico workers but that’s about it. J.P. quickly made it clear that he is tired of running the hotel and his children seem uninterested in taking over from him. No wonder the place has gone to seed. As Sue and Christine, who are budding screenplay writers, described it: Hotel Tilawa was "The Shining" meets "Night of the Iguana" via a minotaur's labyrinth, complete with murals of bare breasted Cretan maidens jumping over bulls!

J.P. is in his early forties, a tall, rangy man  of very strong opinions who displayed a fast-talking, insensitive and cynical nature that I particularly found annoying. Try to ask him a question and before you can finish, he is speeding ahead, talking over you, assuming he knows what you want. His focus seems to be perfecting the recipes for his microbrewery, and by the way, sampling those products frequently throughout the day. Layne and I spent an interesting hour talking with him and his brewmaster after dinner discussing beer-making, politics and the internships advertised on the hotel website. Whereas we had once entertained the idea of applying for one, we soon changed our minds.

Our reservation was for a two-bedroom suite, but that turned out to be unsuitable because there was only one bed in each room and Sue and Christine preferred not to share. J.P. was kind enough to offer us separate rooms at the same price, but when Sue and Christine looked at this second choice, they discovered that the bathroom was infested with small ants. When we mentioned this to J.P., he shrugged and said, “Well, they were here first,” adding, “There are lots of bugs in Costa Rica. Most won’t hurt you.” No offer of a different room despite the fact they were all empty. Go figure.

As cocktail hour arrived, we asked for ice. None was available but J.P.’s wife valiantly stabbed at a frozen chunk in a bowl, reducing it to pieces still somewhat large for a glass. Nevertheless, we managed to mix drinks in our room before coming down for dinner. As the only guests, we were painfully aware of just how much staff was required for only four people. No wonder J.P. seemed happy to see us leave the next day, cutting short our visit.

The morning hike downhill; watch for barbed wire!

The best part of Hotel Tilawa was Gabriel, an altogether pleasant young Tico who works very hard to make guests feel comfortable. Friendly and personable, he built a fire for us and sat chatting enthusiastically about the various tours he could arrange. But by then we were leery about the place so we put off a decision, opting instead for a hike down to the lake the next morning. After searching around for the trail, we headed down the steep and densely wooded hill, crawling through barbed wire fences, only to discover there was no access to the lake. ICE, the electricity company that owns Lake Arenal, has fenced around it. J.P. had neglected to mention that when we got to the road, we should turn right to reach an entrance. No wonder Hotel Tilawa’s former popularity with windsurfers has dwindled to nothing.

Needless to say, the hike was aborted and Sue and I headed quickly back uphill to check out, get the car and return to pick up Layne and Christine. Halfway up the slope, huffing and puffing, we realized the other two had our room keys and Layne had the car key! But those difficulties were short-lived and with apologies to J.P. (who actually seemed relieved), we were soon off in our rental car, heading for the beach. Onward to Jaco, where we always have a good time. This trip was no exception. 

Pool and courtyard at the Flamboyant Hotel

"Flamboyant" Orchids

Sisters Sue and Christine on their balcony

We discovered a new hotel, the Flamboyant, located right on the beach, with lovely gardens, a great pool and a guarded parking lot. With a friendly and courteous staff, the Flamoyant is our new favorite. We also found a cool taco bar nearby, cleverly named Taco Bar, with fabulous fish tacos and a great breakfast. After two comfortable nights at the Flamboyant, a couple of delicious seafood dinners and hours lounging by the pool, we were ready for the trip back to Atenas.

Dinner out in Jaco

Jaco Surfer

Sunset at Jaco Beach

 Unfortunately, the second morning in Jaco, Layne awoke with a sore throat, which developed into a major sinus infection and put him out of commission. Within days, I was also a bit under the weather as well. That turn of events meant that Sue and Christine spent the last few days of their visit off in San Jose without us. But at least they were able to enjoy several excellent tours of cool tourist spots and museums that they had hoped to visit. All in all, it was a fun trip with good friends.

Mooning the Howler Monkeys

“In sickness and in health” took on a whole new meaning this week as Layne and I have both been under the weather with cold/sinus infection blues. Feeling tired and stuffed up offers no incentive for writing, that’s for sure.

But as Lady Gaga might say, “The show must go on.” Did you see her terrible fall from the piano bench during her Houston show recently? Goodness, the woman is a real trooper to keep on singing after a tumble like that. Even if she was lip-synching, as some cynical commenters charged, it was still amazing that she got back up and kept performing.

Katia at Apartotel LaSabana

So I’ll try to buck up and offer a brief report on our recent (pre-snuffles) travels with friends from Oregon, Sue and Christine. We met them at our San Jose home-away-from-home, Apartotel LaSabana, the comfortable inn located just far enough from downtown to feel safe and secure but close enough to be convenient to museums, parks and restaurants. Although Layne and I arrived quite early, our two-bedroom suite was all ready for us so we had time to lie around the pool. One of the best things about Apartotel LaSabana is the helpful staff so while we awaited Sue and Chris’ arrival, I got some friendly advice from desk clerk Katia regarding the bus schedule for the next morning -- destination: Paquera on the Nicoya Peninsula by ferry from Puntarenas.  After due consideration, we opted to take a later ferry rather than push our jet-lagged friends on to the early bus to Puntarenas.

Puntarenas Ferry Terminal

Following the relaxed and delicious Tico breakfast at Apartotel LaSabana, we headed to the bus station for the two-plus hour ride to Puntarenas, a rugged port city that stretches out along a narrow peninsula into the Gulf of Nicoya. As we dropped down from the Central Valley toward the Pacific coastline, the weather changed from fresh and comfortable to muggy, hot and humid, a dramatic illustration of the microclimates in this small country.

Vigdis, our lovely hostess

Humidity notwithstanding, the short ferry ride to Paquera was delightful as sea gulls, pelicans and frigate birds sailed the ocean breezes around us while we nibbled on leftover lamb from dinner the night before and sipped Costa Rican beer. Soon enough we pulled into the dock and were met by Vigdis Vatshaug, a captivating sun-tanned beauty who with her husband Thomas Jones runs Bahia Rica, a fishing and sea kayaking lodge just a few minutes drive over rough road from the ferry terminal. With her vibrant smile and sun-bleached hair, Vigdis presented the perfect beach welcome to us weary travelers.

One of the many exotic birds 

Relaxing on the veranda

Vigdis and Thomas are charming Norwegians who met via the Internet and have successfully fulfilled their dream of running a fishing company and bed-and-breakfast business in the heart of the tropics. Located at the top of a large hill with views of the Gulf is the lodge, a unique pole-built structure constructed by the Dutch owner to European standards, offering three large rooms with a queen and a single bed in each. Rising two stories up into a jungle of trees, with long open verandas on each level, the lodge brings guests into close contact with wildlife all around.

A View for the Monkeys

And boy, was there some wildlife! Colorful exotic birds and a variety of butterflies flitted through the trees on the second floor where we stayed and howler monkeys moaned their distinctively fearsome calls only yards away. Situated between two sleeping rooms, the upstairs bathroom was an open-air arrangement, which we shared with our Atenas friends Sally and Leonard who had arrived earlier by car for this two-night stay at Bahia Rica. Showering with howler monkeys watching from their treetop perches was quite a bizarre experience!

It was a treacherous path down the steep hillside 

that led to Vigdis and Thomas’ rustic beachfront cottage, set in a clearing full of mango and cashew trees and adorned with tempting hammocks at the water’s edge. Sally and Leonard opted to make the extreme climb back uphill to the lodge but Layne and I, along with Sue and Christine, only managed the vertigo-inducing hike down.

All the meals prepared by our hosts were delightful, including Norwegian breakfasts of homemade bread, light meats, cheese, sliced tomato and cucumber. Vigdis showed cooking creativity the first night by adding mango to chicken quesadillas. Delicious! The second night we enjoyed fresh-caught mackerel that Thomas had snagged on an outing with sport-fishing clients, then cooked for us himself. It was truly the best fish I’ve ever eaten, just lightly breaded and sautéed, served with salad and mashed potatoes. 

The happy kayakers! 

Our morning sea-kayaking excursion was adventuresome and strenuous fun as we paddled our way out into the Gulf, along the way watching schools of leaping black tuna feed on sardines in the surface waters. We circled nearby Jesuito Island and stopped for snacks at a secluded beach inhabited only by a family of Ticos. Frolicking in the shallow water was a small girl who shyly befriended me and pointed out her house at the top of the surrounding cliff. I enjoyed a leisurely swim in the incredibly warm waters until it was time for us to move on and reluctantly make our way back to Bahia Rica. Along the way we were suddenly bombarded by an aerial feeding frenzy as dozens of large black frigate birds, with their scimitar wings and forked tails, began diving headlong close to our kayaks, grabbing some of the sardines away from the tuna. An amazing sight!

At noon we crowded into Sally and Leonard’s SUV and headed into the little town of Paquera for lunch. Talk about a step back in time. It felt like Hawaii in the 50’s with kids riding along dusty roads on bicycles, mangos hanging in clusters from the trees and bougainvillea lining the yards. Our lunch at Mapi’s, a small hotel and restaurant run by a Tico family, was excellent and inexpensive.

One very virile monkey!

As we lounged on the verandas that afternoon, a whole family of howler monkeys paid us a noisy visit -- a mother with a baby on her back who kept her distance, a big male with enormous pink testicles which drooped down below the branches where he sat arrogantly observing us and several others leaping through the tree limbs. Although we have heard the sound of howlers now and then even here in Atenas, we had never before seen them. Being so up-close and at their level in the treetops was a thrill.

And yet this wonderful two-night adventure was just the beginning of our travels with Sue and Christine. As we waved goodbye to Sally and Leonard in Puntarenas following the ferry ride back across the Gulf, we headed off to Lake Arenal for still more exciting activities. Stay tuned! 

No Water? No Internet? Pura Vida??

What a funny, unpredictable country Costa Rica is! In my last post, I reported the frustrating saga of the undelivered remote control from SKY TV and the numerous trips to the post office and phone calls to the company trying to track it down. In that last phone call when Tech Support guided me through a repair of the frozen television picture as well as a resuscitation of the unresponsive clicker, the techie had also canceled our order for a new remote control since we no longer needed one. So what happened yesterday morning? At 7:15, there was a call from the post office informing me that the remote control had been delivered. LOL! Somehow I managed to convey the information that the order had been canceled and our patient postal clerk said fine. I presume the unwanted clicker will be returned to SKY. Now we’ll wait and see if the $19 charge for the thing is on our next bill. If it is, still another call will be required to reverse that. Patience, Gringa, patience.

Downtown San Jose traffic 

Meet my dentist, Dr. Alberto Meza

So after being without water off and on for days now, yesterday and this morning we had no Internet. Costa Rica may not be “third-world,” but it’s not exactly “first-world” yet either. As addicted as we are to online news and email and Facebook contacts, it has been a trying couple of days. 

The Internet is truly our lifeline to the world and to family and friends back home. Easing the pain yesterday was the fact that our Tai Chi class filled much of the morning, then in the afternoon we bused into San Jose to my dentist’s office to pick up a night guard. Dr. Alberto Meza assures me that I need to wear this mouthful of plastic in order to protect the implant he did several years ago on my first medical tourism trip to Costa Rica. Being a light sleeper, I do hate the thing. But the implant has been so reliable and trouble-free, it seems prudent to follow the doctor’s orders on this.

The rainy season has evidently started early this year. As the clouds appear here in the early afternoon and the thunder rolls in the distance, it’s clear we’re in for another shower today, the third day in a row for late-afternoon precipitation. At least we don’t have to water the garden so much now. But it could spell trouble for our friends’ Sue and Christine who are due to arrive on Thursday for a visit. As reported in my last post, their original flight was canceled at the very last minute, literally at 4:00 a.m. when they arrived at the gate.  

Part of last year's Oxcart Parade

 La Estrella Valley

But the silver lining to this story is that their re-booked trip is now two weeks instead of only one, giving us much more time to tour the country. And we do have some great trips lined up: sea kayaking and off-shore fishing at Bahia Rica on the Nicoya Peninsula; more kayaking, hiking and volcano watching at Hotel Tilawa on Lake Arenal; enjoying this year’s Climate Fair and Oxcart Parade here in Atenas; and finally, visiting their high school pal, Layne’s first wife Kate, and her Tico husband Gilberto high up in a tiny mountain village called La Estrella, or The Star. Along the way we’ll visit the Gold Museum, the Jade Museum and perhaps the beautiful Teatro Nacional in downtown San Jose. All in all, it promises to be a pretty fabulous trip not only for our visitors but for Layne and me as well. We’ll be seeing some parts of Costa Rica that we’ve never visited and I look forward to sharing some of our adventures with you! Pura Vida!

Zen and the Art of Pura Vida!

When they warn you to have “patience, patience, patience” here in Costa Rica, they aren’t kidding. We’ve had a couple of object lessons on this motto lately and at least one of the slow-moving problems is still unresolved.

Manual labor builds roads

In a previous post, I wrote about the water problems here in Barrio Los Angeles: low and sporadic water pressure, then no water at all. We struggled through several days of having to lug containers of water down from the rancho to the apartment, eating out since food preparation and dish washing were difficult, unable to wash clothes and, worst of all, forced to take cold showers up in the rancho baño. For a few days, we assumed that the problems were related to roadwork on Calle Capre Verde, with gutters and pipes being installed in preparation for paving our little dirt lane. But additional research by our landlady Odie revealed that the city’s construction of a new water tower on the primary road leading to Los Angeles had disrupted water mains and service would probably not be restored until that work was done. Oh, great.

Our new water tower! 

Then, miraculously the water came back on, but only for a few precious days. Once again, last Saturday we were suddenly without water, except for a trickle sometimes at night. On Sunday evening, Odie informed us she had learned that the next day, water would be off in the morning but should be restored for good by mid-day. It seems that the new water tower had to fill up enough for sufficient pressure to push the liquid to us, but as people used what there was, the pressure dropped again. Welcome to the dry season. For a country with so much water falling from the sky, it doesn’t seem to be managed very well.

Another saga that tested our patience involved the television remote control for our cable service called SKY TV, a company that serves all of Central America. A few weeks ago, our clicker stopped clicking. When new batteries didn’t bring it back to life, I called the SKY TV phone number and was pleased to be connected quickly to an English-speaker in Customer Service who, after guiding me through a short test, offered to send out a new one. He said the replacement should arrive at the local post office in five days, perhaps less. We would need a copy of our landlord’s identification since the account is in his name. No problem there as Eduardo and Odie are always so responsive to our needs.

Always the optimists, we went to the post office on the fourth day and in my best Spanish, I asked if there was a caja (box) or paquete (package) from SKY TV for Eduardo Alexis Calderon. No, sorry. Check back in a few days.

After several more unsuccessful trips, I called SKY TV again and was assured that their records definitely showed the package had been delivered to the Atenas post office. Since there is only one post office in this small town, we knew we weren’t going to the wrong building. Take a deep breath and seek your Zen.

But after drawing still another blank at the post office, I called SKY TV and once more and spoke with a fellow who gave me a tracking number. This should do it, I thought. On our next trip, we were greeted with a knowing smile by Mario the postal clerk.  He checked in his computer for the number, but with a sad shake of his head informed me that it was not in his system.

Through all this, we had been able to use the television manually but suddenly, the picture froze and nothing worked. On the next call to SKY, I talked with Tech Support not Customer Service and guess what? By phone, they managed to fix not only the picture problem but the remote control as well! All the weeks of patience surely built character at least.

But hey! Things could be worse. Our friends from Central Oregon who were scheduled to arrive here last Sunday called early that morning to inform us that after driving to the Redmond airport at 4:00 a.m. in a snow flurry, they learned their flight to Costa Rica had been canceled! Now there’s a disappointment that would really challenge your patience. At least here the skies are blue, the breeze is warm and we have television and water! Hallelujah and Pura Vida!  

Kids, More Kids and Orchids

Layne and I have been in a pretty celebratory mood since last Thursday. That’s when we got word that his brain scan had come back normal. Yippee! No mini-stroke! Now that’s something to celebrate. So when we got a last-minute invitation to a little boy’s one-year-old birthday party on Saturday, we were delighted to accept. Plus, some old friends from the United States would be there, grandparents of the birthday boy. We go back many years with Karen and Joe, including playing dress-up at a series of hilarious Halloween parties with Karen’s sisters, Penny and Ruth, both of whom are also dear friends of ours. With the prospect of seeing Karen and Joe, renewing acquaintance with their son Greg and his wife Amanda and joining little Lincoln for his first birthday, we happily packed our swimsuits and got ready to hop on the bus from Atenas into San Jose.

But once we arrived at the downtown San Jose bus station, ironically known as Coca Cola because of its former function, we wondered how we would know which bus to take to Escazu, where Greg and Amanda live. The directions to their condominium complex were typical for Costa Rica: two hundred meters past World Gym on the old road from Escazu to Santa Ana. Not very helpful for getting around by bus and we had no idea what a taxi might cost. But as luck would have it, as soon as we exited our bus from Atenas, a bus pulled in under the Santa Ana sign and in the window was a small placard reading “Calle Vieja.” Old Road! I stepped up to the driver with map in hand and began trying to ask if he stopped near our destination but he sharply ordered me to “Pase! Pase!” -- move out of the way of other riders getting onboard. This was not your typical friendly Tico. He seemed to be having a bad day. Fortunately, as has so often happened for us, a young Tica came to my aide and we learned from her that indeed the bus would stop a block away from our destination. With her help, we arrived with no difficulty and had a wonderful time at the birthday shindig, indulging in Amada’s great bean dip and guacamole, Greg’s delicious grilled shish-ka-bob and laughing as the kids smacked the piñata.

A great breakfast!

Apartotel LaSabana pool area

Before leaving Atenas, Layne and I had checked the return bus schedule and to avoid a late bus ride home, we had decided to stay overnight in the city at our favorite small hotel, Apartotel LaSabana Conveniently located near downtown and with an English-speaking staff, we always enjoy our stays there, especially the fabulous Tico breakfast buffet included with the room charge.

We had heard there was a big orchid show that weekend and being the orchid-lover that I am, I had hoped to attend. Our impromptu trip into San Jose gave me that opportunity. So on Sunday morning we stowed our bags with the hotel staff and headed off for the day’s adventures, catching a bus along Paseo Colon and noting our progress on our GPS, fondly known as “Ilsa” for her Germanic directives.

After the final bus stop, we set off on foot, counting on Ilsa in pedestrian mode to help us find the way. As we wandered along we soon noticed musicians setting up onstage in the Parque Morazon amid signs announcing a Festival de Verano, or Festival of Spring, and the further into the central park we went, the more activities we discovered. Eventually we made our way to Parque Espana where even more festivities were in evidence: huge play structures for the kids, plus dozens of vendors with clothing, jewelry, decorations made of recycled plastic, hand puppets, leather goods, artwork and even furniture made from old computer parts. Then there were the dancers -- the women dressed in traditional colorful full skirts, the men flashing their red and blue bandanas. It was all in perfect harmony with our happy feelings of gratitude for our joy in being together and our good health. Pura Vida!

Eventually we pulled ourselves away from the outdoor festival and entered the grand hall of Antigua Aduana or Old Customs, now known as the Centro del Arte y la Cultura, the Center for Art and Culture where the Asociacion Costarricense de Orquideologia was hosting their show. What a splash of color greeted us! Hundreds of gorgeous orchid blooms were displayed in charming little environments, each designed to show off the majestic blossoms to best effect. As we wandered along the roped off area with dozens of other attendees, the flowers simply amazed us. From the grandest purple cattleyas of high school prom fame to a stalk of the tiniest pink flowers imaginable, the variety and beauty of orchids is simply breathtaking. And of course, here in Costa Rica, the national flower is an orchid by the name of Guaria Morada. As we finished the exhibits and entered the sales area, it was difficult for me to resist buying a plant or two. But with a bus trip ahead of us, it seemed too risky. Besides, orchid plants are for sale each Friday at our feria and it is probably safer to buy one locally. 

Tired but satisfied, we taxied back to the hotel to collect our bags then on to Coca Cola for the trip back to Atenas on the 1:30 p.m. bus. Only the 1:30 bus didn’t show up until after 2 p.m. Even then, the trip back home was unusually lengthy. It seems the powers-that-be had decided to close part of the main road where a bridge is under repair and detour traffic through side streets. It took over a half hour just to get out of San Jose. But that’s why we like riding the bus. As I read my book and Layne took a nap, we stayed tranquilo all the way home. No problema! 

(Remember you can click on any photo to enlarge it.)

Apartotel LaSabana

Cold Showers and CAT scans

Janis and Penny, long ago

A month with no blog posts. A month of death and drama, stress and strain, worry and weariness with a little Costa Rican comedy thrown in for good measure. A few days after my last post here, I traveled to Texas to be with my mother as we faced the imminent passing of my older sister from pancreatic cancer. And indeed, only three days after I arrived, we received word that Janis had died peacefully in her sleep. A tragic loss for my mom but a blessing for my sister as she had suffered greatly in her final days and weeks.

Then began the difficult but important task of helping my mom update all the papers for her estate: calling insurance companies, revising her Will and powers of attorney and all the other minutiae necessitated by a change in family structure, even while in bereavement. Still, the days ticked away and Mother and I managed to have some good times together, shopping for things I wanted to bring back to Costa Rica, watching and discussing the unfolding drama in Egypt on television and feasting on local Tex-Mex, Miss Hattie's Cafe gourmet food and barbeque. Especially the delicious ribs and brisket at our favorite place, Old Time Pit Barbeque. But in still another distressing blow to my mom’s emotions, Old Time Pit burned down a few days after I returned to Costa Rica. As Mother and I said in commiseration to one another, "When it rains, it pours."

Miss Hattie's dining room

And for me, it just kept pouring. Although I had planned to stay a few more days in Texas, on Monday the 28th while on a phone call with Layne here in Costa Rica, I learned that he had just experienced a “health event,” a sudden blurring of vision in both eyes that cleared soon after, an indication of a possible mini-stroke.

It was just December when Layne was first diagnosed with elevated blood pressure in a routine visit to Linea Vital, the local private medical group we joined in order to avoid the sometimes lengthy waits for service through the nationalized health plan known as CAJA. CAJA is great for emergencies and major medical needs but for routine visits, Linea Vital is the choice of many Ticos and Gringos here in Atenas. They have English-speaking doctors on duty 24/7 and an ambulance service available at all times. For a “premium” membership, we pay $65 per month for both of us, which includes free doctor’s visits, house calls, annual physicals and many other services.

As Layne described his scary symptoms to me, I told him to call Linea Vital immediately for an ambulance and get in to see a doctor right away, even as I was making reservations to leave for Costa Rica that very afternoon. But when Layne called Linea Vital, he was told that they had a number of patients waiting and that it would be a couple of hours before he could see a doctor. As we have since learned, what Layne didn’t say was that he was a “member.” Members get priority and had he said that magic word, service would have been prompt.

CIMA Hospital

As it was, he called our wonderful landlords who arranged for a Cruz Roja (Red Cross) ambulance (at no charge!) which took him to Linea Vital where, once they realized he was a member, he was seen without delay. In follow-up visits since then, he was given an EKG (also at no charge), which seemed basically normal and a referral for a brain scan at CIMA, a highly respected and high-tech hospital in San Jose. He just underwent that CT scan today at the modest cost of about $440. We fully expect those results to be negative as his doctor is considering other less serious possibilities as well, but it will be reassuring to know that he did not have a stroke.

Curbs going in on Calle Capre Verde 

Meanwhile, back at the rancho, we were having water problems. We had been warned that water pressure might drop during the dry season but in our kitchen the tap had slowed to a trickle. In part we had assumed this was due to roadwork being done on our dirt lane, Calle Capre Verde, in preparation for paving; but since we had adequate pressure in the lavatory and shower, we wondered if there might be a blockage in the line to the kitchen sink. Then, on Saturday morning, all the water stopped. Zero, zip, nada. And as luck would have it, we had just moments before put on a load of wash. Our clothes were now sitting in about 4 inches of water and laundry soap. I had just gone for a walk and needed a shower and there were dishes in the sink from breakfast! What the heck happened to Pura Vida?

In a call to our landlady Odie, we learned that much of Atenas was without water due to underground work being done near Coopeatenas grocery up the road. She thought it would be back on by 6 o’clock, she said, and of course, there was un-potable water available up at the rancho and a shower there as well, albeit with only cold water. Brrrr! Since 6 o’clock didn’t seem so far away, we waited. And waited. Well, perhaps she meant 6 o’clock in the morning.

When Sunday morning came, our hopes were dashed as still nothing was coming from the dry taps. And now the rancho wasn’t even available because Odie had the young students in her Spanish Immersion School meeting there for a lecture and party on the first day of their 10-day study trip.

By Monday, we were becoming desperate, both for clean plates as well as clean hair. We lugged a tray full of dishes up to the rancho and washed them in the sink in the barbeque area, then hauled them back down to the apartment. Fearing the worst for our poor clothes still sitting in soapy water, Layne and I carted containers of water from the rancho down to the laundry room and set the machine to finish the wash cycle. With no water for the rinse, however, and with Layne under doctor’s orders to minimize his exercise, it was up to me to haul the wet clothes up to the rancho sink for hand-rinsing, then back down to the washer once again for a final spin before hanging them on the line. By the time I finished I was exhausted and ready to face that cold shower, a necessity since Layne had his medical appointment the next day.

Layne entering the hi-tech scanner

So here it is Tuesday and our housekeeper somehow worked a miracle this morning and managed to clean our house, apparently schlepping water back and forth from the rancho while we were at CIMA for the brain scan. What an angel she is! This experience has given me a whole new appreciation of the kind of labor-intensive lives most people in developing countries endure. And now, late in the day on Tuesday, it appears that the water is beginning to flow once again. The lesson here? Count your blessings, Gringos, and never take running water for granted!