You know you are almost a local when...

your neighbour next door sends her little one over to ask if she can have some toilet paper.

you know the bus schedule to go into town.

you can tell others where to find certain food items at the grocery store.

the bartender at the beach bar smiles, waves and calls you by name when you walk by and it ISN'T because you are always at the bar! You know her name is Guisella.  The owner, Grando, ALSO always smiles and waves.  She is Dixon's cousin and and he, Dixon's brother.

you know what time a local farmer goes through the neighbourhood on weekends, with a megaphone, selling his fruits and vegetables from the back of his truck.

a young teenager, whom you greeted in Spanish when he wandered down to your place (the road ends in your front yard), comes back and asks if he can borrow the bicycle by Peter's villa. WHAT?  He was very personable, spoke no English, but didn't know you could rent bikes many places along the main road. Not a local?

you accidentally run into this woman who stayed at the same hotel as you, six years ago.... the Banana Azul.  At the time, Cleo was in her early seventies, bombing around Puerto Viejo on a scooter with her Toronto Jamaican boyfriend Micheal,  living the high life.  Fastforward six years... she is probably close to eighty now. I am walking by this beautiful house and gardens, and behind me are two other tourists, as well as Nancy and Eric.  The tourists are wondering if this place is a hotel.  Of course, me not being shy, lean in the entrance way and ask. Cleo beckons me in, warmly welcoming us ALL, TOTAL strangers, to stroll through her garden, all the while chatting away from her seat on her open veranda.  When I give her a little Canada pin by way of thanks, she starts telling us her life story, and THAT is when the light bulb went off in my head! OMG, it's Cleo from Banana Azul.  I knew that raspy voice had sounded familiar and I remembered she was a dotcom millionaire.  Big hugs all around, as she remembered me, that I had stayed in the Howler Room, and I, that she had stayed in the corner SUITE, with the ocean view.  I had even kept her business card, as I had checked her out online when I returned to Canada.  She was everything she said she was. She gave me another business card.  Although retired, she is still a hussler.  Apparently, Michael is no longer in the picture.  We exchanged big hugs, took pictures, and I left thinking, "What a marvelous blast from the past!