Some Things You Never Forget!

And then some things, with time, fall into the proper prospective. My son and friends just left this week to return to the U.S. after a very good visit. And I was reminded of last year. They visit once or more times a year but always right after Christmas. In January of 2008, they had rented a wonderful house right on the beach of the Nicoya Peninsula for all of us. The day they were to arrive, at 2 a.m., I woke up with the granddaddy of all viruses. So debilitating, that my friend had to go to the airport to pick them up for me. After a couple of days here, my son insisted that I go with them to the beach. I had two new puppies and my dog Wendy and the house was pet friendly... And he had rented this large house so we could all be together. So, off we go with me still feeling sick and weak in a caravan of two cars.

The next morning after our arrival, my car had a flat tire and would not start. A Tico neighbor said it was a battery cable and spent most of New Year’s Day repairing it with found objects as there was nothing open. (Ticos can do this, you know) Needless to say that all through New Year’s was a blur, with me reclining on banquettes instead of my room to protect the puppies from the tiny sand crabs everywhere.. (You can have security OR an ocean breeze at the beach) The puppies Mieko and Sassy’s introduction to the ocean was not their favorite adventure and Wendy guarded the perimeter of the property obsessively. And...one in our party had the same virus. So, we all were feeling a little off-center, to put it mildly, so I decided to go home and get well.

My son drove me to ferry and all I had to do was drive from Puntarenas to Atenas, so I felt that I did not need anyone to go with me. The puppies were in their kennels and Wendy travels fine. I was still weak, but how hard could that be?

My first clue should have been when my car got to the ferry first, we checked the schedule and found that we had hours of waiting….. And no, being sick was not a reason to get on the first ferry. As we waited in line, one of our party driving the other car kept passing us and yelling for us to go to head of line and other choice tidbits as we sweltered and tried to keep the dogs hydrated. Finally someone told her where she should go and what to do when she got there.

My second clue should have been when they directed my car onto the ferry; we were on the bottom level, the dungeon level where humans and dogs will be asphyxiated or worse if you stay in the car. Realization set in that I had to get myself and the dogs to an upper level. On this level, the cars are parked about a foot apart if that. So, I had to take two kennels, lifted above car height and one dog on a leash out of the maze of cars and climb the stairs to an upper level, yes another level full of cars, but in the open air. I was exhausted by then, so found a set of steps, attached to nothing, a small space by a wall and settled us in for the duration. We must have been at the front of the ferry for ocean water kept spraying all over us. No where to move us, so took the puppies out of kennels so they wouldn’t drown and held both of then, Wendy still on leash. Both puppies had thrown up in their kennels, so just let the ocean water clean it up.
Sassy, the water baby, loved it and Mieko
hid her face as Wendy clawed her way to the top of the steps over the rest of us and perched there the entire time. We remained this way for an hour or more until we arrived.

Oh, and I was wearing light pink…. I don’t even like pink. A kind gentleman helped the drenched; dirty four of us back to car at the end of journey. Bless his heart. In leaving the bowels of the ferry, all is organized. People start their cars in anticipation and you breathe the fumes until you get off… everyone except me… for my car will not start. Several Tico young men look under hood, nothing will make car start. They decide to push me off the ferry, about 6 of them, the ramp is vertical, about a 75 degree angle. This is fine until they stop pushing about half way up and I am racing backwards with no power. Trying to steer with all my limited strength, I still hit two of the supports before I can get it stopped. SUPPORTS that hold the second level up. Visualizing the entire collapse of the ferry, I am shaking by now. They then get the tow truck which is a Costa Rican cattle truck filled with concrete blocks. It pulls me off and takes me to the outer edges of the ferry lot.

Several Ticos start checking all things under the hood, speaking Spanish of which I understood less then but did understand they wanted to replace the battery. The battery was only 6 months old so I said no, it was not the battery.

By then the wind was blowing hard, all the dust added to the sea water makes a light coat of mud on light pink and puppies. After 30 minutes or so, an older gentleman appears and speaks English. He talks briefly with me and then on his cell phone to his mechanic and then tells me to tell the guys to close my hood for it is my alternator. As it is a Sunday around 6 p.m., there are no repair shops open and my options are to spend the night and have it repaired in the morning or have a large truck take me back to Atenas. I called a friend in Atenas and we decided to take it to his house as I only had $65.00 on me, no automatic tellers anywhere and he had cash there for the balance. This gentleman, an Angel, spoke with my friend and stayed with me for a while. I never saw him drive up nor drive off. Logically, as close to hysteria as I was, he did… I think. At any rate, I thanked him, hugged his neck, but did not get his name….just that he was from San Jose. I guess one of the reasons I trusted him was that he had on pressed blue jeans… that gets me every time.

The Chinese-Tico driver arrives with the big truck, hooks up the car, and off we go, the dogs in the car and me in the truck. I was speechless, literally. My upper limits, when reached, put me beyond the ability of speech and certainly not in Spanish. But the driver kept trying, telling me that the women standing by the on ramp to the highway are transvestites….surreal! Finally in Orotina, he stops, checks the dogs for me, and says that I am to eat a hamburger….so with no choice I did and was able to talk to him in Spanish. By the time we got to Atenas, I was at least coherent and was so grateful to see my angel friends and to be back home.

I, nor my dogs, have ever been near the ferry again...and have decided we are not really beach people, uh..beach dogs!!!!

Potpourri

The latest numbers from the earthquake are thankfully less than anticipated in those missing, but the loss of homes seems to be more. And the aftershocks continue. These have caused other land slides that have obliterated former rescue sites. Continuing prayers for all that are affected are needed.

My friend Frances, that I have written about before has been to the site every day this week rescuing animals. For more on actual happenings in the earthquake area, read her blog here. There will be more pictures a little later. Help in donations for the animals both large and small is still needed.

If any of you that read my blog have questions, comments, or just want to say hello, under each post are some keywords, then the word COMMENTS, click there to contact me and I will get back to you. And to add yourself as a follower, click on the word in the right column. A picture is not necessary and I think you can follow anonymously.

My son and friends have been here these last two weeks and I have been playing more than usual so later on this week will get back to writing on interesting things about visiting or moving to Costa Rica.

I understand that many across the US are experiencing very cold temperatures. Stay warm for the only good thing about winter as I remember it is that it always passes….and Spring is around the corner!!

Followup on Earthquake in Costa Rica!

Sadly, the earthquake we had on the 8th has caused a lot more loss of lives and devastation than was first reported. I guess there is not an official count of the lives loss as many, many, more are missing than first reported. One online newspaper reports that there are more than 100 missing and over 60 bodies recovered. There are various numbers being reported, however from other reports of people actually working at the site, this seems closer to the number of people missing. Some were stranded as late as yesterday, cut off by landslides on roads or other results of the quake. Several roads were closed in and out of the area.

The number of homes lost has not been estimated either. Apparently, most of these homes were very rudimentary in construction. Except for the La Paz Waterfall, hotel.... and gardens, a major tourist attraction very near where the epicenter is calculated to have been. This is very frightening to me as this is where I sent my cousin and friend who visited me in August. Intellectually you realize that an earthquake could happen anywhere, like a tornado or hurricane, but it seems to me you have a little warning with them.

Living with earthquakes for many years in Alaska and California, you get accustomed to the shaking, but I think the construction is better there and they have less slides. I don't know the building requirements as far as geology reports here in this country, but I hope that people will demand that they are in existence, required, and the areas that are in a potential slide zone are identified and made known to the public.

Sorry that this is not a more accurate report, but there is no more official information.

Whole Lotta Shaking Going On!

We had an earthquake of 6.2 today, and was centered rather close, caused some damage throughout Costa Rica, however here in Atenas area, all is well as far as we know. All friends and family are ok. Before it ended, we were from back patio to front yard (about 1 second) ... My top of the mountain is solid rock.... I think. Will write more soon.

Weddings in Costa Rica!

This is a nice cheery New Year theme for 2009. However I am no expert, for in the time I have been here, I have been to only one wedding. And it was a very different one for me. There were about 13 couples getting married at the same time in a church. One person in this group was a friend of my escort.

Of course, I had many questions and found that these couples were members of a church where the pastor had told them to get married since they were living together. It seemed a little less than romantic, however the brides wore white gowns and the grooms a variety of dress. The ceremony itself addressed each couple in the large semi-circle and there was more than one person acting as the pastor or officiate. Or I assumed the pastor, for if you don’t speak Spanish, you really don’t know what is going on most of the time. The receptions or fiestas were held at individual family homes, which was probably a lot more fun. I had never been to a multiple ceremony anywhere, so it was very interesting.

But, do not think that is the “norm” in Costa Rica. Probably the ratio is about 50/50 of individual couples that are married by attorneys in a private civil ceremony, versus those that opt for a more church oriented wedding by a priest and an attorney. I was surprised to learn that many people here do not recognize the civil ceremony, but feel that if it was not done by a priest, then it is not considered a marriage. One of my friends had mentioned his wife several times and then had mentioned in other conversations about not being married. Finally, I just asked him was he married or not. And he explained that his wife’s extended family did not consider them married as theirs was a civil ceremony… And they have a 2 year old child and he is an excellent husband (rare) and father. He was very surprised to learn that in other places, no importance is given to type of ceremony and that married is married.

Oh, and if you ever have the opportunity to go to a wedding here, please do so, but dress nicely and do NOT dress up, or you will feel out of place, for no one was dressed out of the ordinary except the brides.

Different cultures have many different customs, all resulting in the same thing. Vive la difference! Oh, wrong language, Vive la differencia!! Maybe just "Pura Vida!"

FELIZ ANO AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

When one moves to Costa Rica, a critical question should always be asked of one's self. How do you feel about lines… or rather waiting in line? Actually, there are many lines everywhere and Costa Ricans don’t seem to mind them. And probably most gringos have learned to deal with them, either by the avoidance method or by the diversion method. Both which work, almost all of the time. Until you run into a line like I did yesterday on New Year’s Eve.

As I wrote about the disappearing automatic teller in my last post, my ability to obtain money locally since then has been none. And as I was running very short, my son decided yesterday that I needed money right then and wired me some. Sounds simple, and I decided to make it even simpler by taking a taxi to Alajuela in order that there was no possibility of me having to drive after dark….on New Year’s Eve. Alajuela is about 40 minutes from Atenas, so the fare is not inexpensive. I called a friend, Walter who has a few taxis, speaks perfect English, and had been so helpful when some family members with slight disabilities were here back in August and agreed to meet him in town in order that he not have the “up the mountain trek”. A driver, Hugo, met me and off we went.

Upon arriving at the supermarket where the closest Western Union is located, I saw a line coming out the door and snaking along the building. Upon enquiring, I found the line was the line to pay the marchama, a car tax that must be paid by December 31 each year for there is a penalty for each day late. After discussing this line with Walter by phone, he decided that it was best for Hugo to wait. By then, I realized, I had only two unpopular choices. I was already committed to an expensive fare, could leave and all have been for naught or I could pay more and get the business finished. You know, like caught between “the devil and the deep blue sea”.

Turns out the line has about 90-100 Costa Ricans and me. There were two cashiers. (When one wanted to close, I witnessed the closest thing to a revolt I have ever seen in Costa Rica) Paying your marchama must be a very lengthy thing for some people. Suffice it to say that I stood in line for 3 hours and about 30 minutes…for something that would normally have taken 15 minutes, at the very most. Let me clarify, I stood for about 3 hours and sat on the floor in a large supermarket in the yoga position doing stretching exercises for the last 30 minutes,(with no qualms of impropriety) trying to ease the pain in my back and shoulders. The line moved by up to 3 feet increments. And the moment I sat down (off to the side), three other people sat also. My son was very supportive and called me three times from New Mexico to see how the line was moving. That helped!

The downside to this is that I was so exhausted when returning home, I took care of my dogs, and went straight to bed and missed the fireworks over the ocean that I had been waiting for all year…. And that I have done nothing today, but recuperate.

The upside to this incident was that I got to practice a lot of Spanish with a lot of different people and even exchanged phone numbers with a couple that I would like to know better. When I left, there were many, many wishes for a “Feliz Ano”. And I am now aware that I would go anywhere with Walter and his guys and know that I would be taken care of totally….(He can be reached at 8873-4266 or here for e-mail.) .

And I learned a good lesson; never leave your home on New Year’s Eve. But, hey, Adventure is what it is all about. FELIZ ANO and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

One Down and One to Go!

Christmas is over and as always I have mixed feelings but then I start thinking about the New Year.

Christmas was interesting this year for me in Costa Rica. We did some non-traditional things. We visited a very nice couple in Grecia that has an incredible home which has been featured in an architectural magazine. But even more delightful for me was her collections… many excellent art deco and contemporary pieces . I would love to show you the pictures, but guess it would have been a little crass to ask to take pictures of her home on Christmas day. We met some new and interesting friends and of course, had a great dinner. Thank you, Clare.

Also, I had the opportunity to see the work of a young artist and friend Joray, who is now working in wood burning… and wood burning as you have never seen before. Check out her blog here.

Of course, Christmas would not be Christmas for me unless all the things that could go wrong do. This is not specific to Costa Rica. Here, it is just “special”. On Christmas Eve, after having no water for most of the day, (interrupting the cooking), I go to deliver my Christmas pies and to the automatic teller machine that I use. (Only one in town that works for my card). Shockingly, there is No Machine. The little room is still there with rubble on the floor. There is no explanation on the door or sign of any kind. It was there 2 days before. Honest! But no, that did not “ruin Christmas”, but pretty close. I guess my Christmas Eve falls into the category of a “Tico Day”, of which the cure is a tall drink, looking at the view of the ocean, and remembering why I am here, according to a friend of mine.

A favorite incident that I remember each year and many times is one that my nephew Jody related to me. My three sisters and I have always been a little on the edge at Christmas time (to put it mildly)...you know.. trying to make the "perfect" holiday. My sister had drawn bath water and her husband in passing the bathroom thought she had finished and let it out. Well, apparently my sister was not too happy as she was feeling rushed and let him know in no uncertain terms. My nephew told her "look Mom, it was only bath water". I have remembered this many times when whatever I was about to be upset about amounted to "only bath water". Of course, here my tranquillo mantra works also.

By the way, recently I added in the links section page some pictures of Granada, Nicaragua from a trip back in July. A great trip, totally unexpected, and we had a blast.

Also, I have a new blog and website. Free Websites, if you need one or just want to know more about the site, click here.