Feliz Navidad

What  a good start to a morning - sleeping in past the sunrise, having some fresh, Costa Rican coffee, a hearty breakfast, opening stockings, and then a walk, a little over 5 1/4 miles in the community.  It was quite breathtaking, and we got to see much coffee, many other plants, and a couple of Christmas cows.

Then it was back home for a traditional Christmas lunch of tamales, some plantains, and some very untraditional rain.  And the opening of presents.  With beans cooking for tomorrow, there was a little time to relax before prepping our Christmas dinner for the Batzer and Luce families.  We prepared something non-traditional:  two smoked chickens, green beans, rice, bread, cheeses, trail mix, and no bake cookies.  And despite heavy rain, and limited internet usage (thanks to a lot of people on the network, along with aforementioned rain), the afternoon passed affably.

Side note:  We finally had success in getting our iPads to access the 3G Data, the website:  http://www.unlockit.co.nz.  Similar to the process that Pam had to use to unlock her iPhone in London, we had to do something similar with our iPads.  We accessed the webpage, clicked on the generate APN tab, selected the appropriately suggested provider, and then generated a new APN key.  This downloaded an app on our iPads that then prompted us to make the APN change.  Presto change-o, we had access, to our great delight.  We are keeping the site bookmarked for future travel, and it is now permanently in our memory banks.

The Luces were retrieved and arrived, unscathed by the morning’s weather.  Stockings and gifts were exchanged, and in addition to some lovely coffee and earrings from Aaron, we got the most wonderful home-made card.

After this, and an inundation of videos, we sat down to a good Christmas feast, and started up conversation, which spanned a large number of topics.  Definitely a wide range of experience was in the room, along with a peg leg.  We were all amused with Tati’s antics (well, ok, not quite so much, she was more than a little rambunctious and ravenous), and guarded our food, which was followed by no-bake cookies a la Darien.

The Luces went home under the bright light of a very full Costa Rican moon.  Tomorrow both sets of families on different endeavors and meetings of people, and will be reunited for a trip to the mountain on Thursday.

Sleep well, all -- I hope that we do, too!

Six travelers, San Vito bound

The morning started around the normal time, and we started packing our bags up to head down to the Fila.  We had to get a shell for the truck yesterday in order to fit the six of us and our bags, and we knew it would still be a bit of a tight fit for all of us with bags and baggage.

With the legendary feat of legerdemain behind us, we all got in the SUV and backed under the pipes that we scraped returning from Avis with an empty shell.  We made it successfully and then headed out to start the scenic route down the coast.

One thing I really dislike about Costa Rica is the lack of street signs!  We missed the onramp for our entrance to Highway 27, and had to circle the park one more time before hitting the ramp.  Once successful, we started down the toll road towards Highway 34.

Side note, after two years in a row where Google Maps does not work in Costa Rica, don’t try using Google Maps....

On another side note, the Kolbi SIM cards for our iPhones work great, but they didn’t translate over so well to the iPads.  No worries though, tethering works, and we have unlimited data for 15 days, which more than covers our needs.

Our first stop on the route was Tarcoles, where we walked halfway across the bridge to show Aaron’s folks Crocodile River (aka Rio Grande de Tarcoles).  Crocs still there, lots of them, and still smelled like crocs!!

Then it was down the road to our lunch spot, Dominical, where we first fueled up the SUV, and then hit Cafe Delicias for lunch.  It was indeed delicious.  On our way there, probably ten minutes after the crocodile bridge, I actually saw a HUGE lizard crossing the road.  I guess the warning sign wasn’t off too much.

Then came the final journey down to the communities, by way of San Vito.  Wayne offered to drive, but since the roads had been fine so far, I turned him down and we didn’t swap over until we reached San Vito.  The roads were significantly different this time - no gaping holes filled with water while we were in a downpour, and no trucks looming behind me on the precarious path. 

In San Vito, we stopped for bus tickets, for cash, and then dropped off the Luces with Aaron’s host family, and settled in at Darien’s place, unpacking, and getting ready for Christmas Eve dinner.  Salad, fresh local pork, and torillas that Darien and I made finished up the evening, along with a local Panamanian sec.  Nice and easy trip this time.  Looking forward to the rest of the week in Fila Guinea/San Vito.  We also got to meet our grandkitty, Tati.  Very nice day!

Merry Christmas Eve to all!  Skype and and iChat tomorrow, I hope.

En La Volcan Poas

We did a face plant very quickly last night, and were quite sound sleepers through the night last night.  Wayne was up at his typical early hour and I slept in until 5:30.  We met up with Darien & Aaron for breakfast, and then shortly met our mothers (no, not really)...I mean Aaron’s parents, Elaine (Wayne’s mom’s name) and Randy (slight variation on mine).  They are California transplants who have spent the last 20+ years living in Maryland.

We took off after breakfast for the Poas Volcano (a national park here in Costa Rica).  As we ascended the mountain into the park, we passed by a number of cyclists heading up.  There were many cars, not to mention a news truck and Kolbi signs, as we gained entrance to the park.  And we had a delightful team of three (ha, ha) helping us to park.  They wanted us to back in, but then had another 3 cars backing in at the same time, and pinning us in.  I was grateful we made it into the space and out of the car without difficulty.

No sooner had we made it out of the car, then the rain started in earnest.  It wasn’t terribly bad, but it did mean that we wouldn’t get to see the view of the crater and its warm lake.  Nevertheless, it was a nice walk up and around inside the lush, tropical foliage.  At one point, it felt like we were in the midst of an Escher painting, we continued to climb and climb in elevation, despite returning back to our starting point.  Great workout for quads and glutes today!

The story of conservation at Poás began in Tennessee's Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the 1960's. Mario Boza was a student when he visited the park in the United States and was so impressed that he developed a plan to manage the area around Poás Volcano in a similar way, presented it as his masters thesis, and pursued its implementation.

Poás volcano is a powerful symbol of the geothermal forces that formed Costa Rica.  When the mist and clouds part there is a sulfuric, bubbling, green rain fed lake at the bottom, surrounded by smoke and steam rising from fumaroles, similar to Yellowstone. And, water from the lake is constantly seeping through cracks in the hot rock, evaporating and building pockets of steam, which then steam breaks through in geysers that rocket up to 820 feet high. Poas is the largest active crater in the world, but the most recent period of eruptive activity ended in 1954.  It is 13,800 acres, which is 16 times the size of Central Park, and its highest peak is near 8,900 feet (Wayne says actually 8800 feet, as per his GPS that is accurate to within 30 feet).                                 

Coming back down the mountain was a bit more of a feat.  We no sooner had left the park, when we stopped for what felt like ages.  It turned out that the awards ceremony for the bicycle race had ended, and that the traffic police were directing traffic.  We had thought we might stop at a local place on the way down the slope, but each restaurant was jam packed full of bicyclists, reporters, etc., so we continued back to San Jose.  There we decided to stop at a local chicken restaurant, Rosti Pollo for lunch prior to going back to pick up a cargo shell for the top of the car so that all of our luggage could make it in the car, along with six people.  We were stopped from entering the Rosti Pollos lot, and then redirected back to the parking slot I had originally eyeballed by an elderly gentleman, who seemed to be the director of parking.  Too much!  Oh well, it seems like they pay him with tortillas and beans, so I guess his guardianship of the lot is appropriate.

From there, to get the clamshell, and then to get Christmas sides, wine, and food to make for dinner.  We had a simple bolognese with tri-color pasta, and the wonderful company of Darien, Aaron, Randy and Elaine.  We definitely laughed, ate well, and are now prepping to hit the hay and get an early start to the communities in the morning.

Sleep well all!

Costa Rican Christmas

We took off last night on the 8:20 flight to Houston on one of the newer United 777 airplanes.  My head was definitely clogged up with this never ending cold, and the United website would not let me print out a ticket of any kind.  =p  But the plane - and the new business class seats - was a winner!  It may not have been the new dream plane 787, but it wasn’t in the least bit shabby.  Nearly a full recline in business, wow!

Much of the city of San Jose looked very familiar to us as we got in our rental mammoth truck (big enough to seat six, as Aaron’s parents are coming in for Christmas as well).

We are staying at the Suites Cristina Apartotel in downtown San Jose, very close to our original stay hotel of last year.  It’s clean, and they charge a decent rate if you pay cash.  Peace Corps gems that these kids find...                                                             

We had dinner at a fun place we ate last year - Fogo Brasil.  They have a webpage and a Facebook page, so if you like going to Churrascarias, and love red meat, you should check it out!

Aaron’s parents arrive at 9, and will be coming back, but I think the sleep monster is starting to hit very, very hard.  It may be that we meet tomorrow morning, and not tonight.  Tomorrow we head to a national park to see a volcano, and then we will wing the rest as the day goes by.  Christmas eve will be spent navigating back to Fila Guinea, and then we will move on from there.

Parting is such (un)sweet sorrow

And in the early morning, Don first took his daughter to the station at 5:45 in order for her to go to an audition in London for Singing in the Rain.  Nicola’s newly graduated from theater training and looking to break through as a singer who dances, rather than as a dancer who sings.  I can understand - the singer who dances gets the lead!  Their son Martin is an astro-physics major at the University, who is interested in getting his doctorate in the United States.  No slouches, those two, Don and Barb have an entirely impressive family, themselves very much included.  They have been the absolutely most fabulous hosts, and I only hope we can eventually return the favor, or at least be on several more trips together.  I am sensing MacWorld may be in our future.

I mistakenly booked us in first class (because I had to rebook the train for an earlier one) on our return trip, but it was a good mistake!  We had a full breakfast, free wifi, and comfortable seats in which you could actually sleep for the 2 1/4 hour journey.  Then we hopped on the Victoria underground line, followed by the Picadilly line, with a final out at Heathrow.

We squeezed into our seats and dealt with the six hour flight (economy plus was filled up =( and we had a full flight), and then managed to secure upgraded seats for tomorrow’s flights. Then it was off to customs/immigration to find out whether or not the time and money (only $100) invested in the GOES program was worth its weight in salt.

It was.  Less than five minutes to clear customs and immigration, and to head to the AirTrain to Jamaica station on the LIRR.  I have to say, this whole system really makes traveling via JFK a very pleasant alternative to Newark.  Much closer to my folks by far, and far shorter train rides.  It’s definitely going to remain on the horizon.

The Global Online Enrollment System was definitely worth the time and effort if you expect to do at least one overseas trip per year for the next five years.  The online application can be a bit daunting, even irritating, but once it’s complete and your application is processed, it makes traveling so much nicer.  Just one time through customs made it worth every headache.

Now it is on to the Yankees game (they lost, so Dad will see game 5), and the Nats (they won, so it’s down to tomorrow to see if they advance).

I think we’re going to be back in lovely England!