I heard and saw a toothless, local drunk man keep hitting on my sister, while I was waiting in line at the store. Ronald, our little handyman, from the Bribri tribe, was there in the background, watching. He finished his drink, hopped on his bike, came over to Louise, shook her hand and started chatting with her. The drunk backed off right away!
I learned how to correctly spell the name of the fish, JUREL, which is mackerel, that we see Ticos jigging for, on the beaches. They also fish "pargo", which is snapper. An older, sun wizened
fisherman whizzed by me, on his bicycle, his front basket full of these two gleaming fish, and he yelling out their names at the top of his lungs. Voilà! A true slice of daily life here.
Ananda, our seven year little neighbour, is a total little chatterbox. She tells me everything! She and her sister have different fathers. However, her mother's current partner lives in Belzile, but comes to stay once in a while, for a month or so. Her Mom speaks English very well. Ananda speaks a little English, but we converse mainly in Spanish, since I need the practice. Her mother is a cook in a hotel close by. We hear her in the morning, calling out to Ananda and her sister Amah, to get ready for school. The two sisters leave on foot, at 6:30 am. So that is ANOTHER reason we are up so early every morning. No more sleep once we TOO are awakened by "la pequeña madre."
Our concierge/caretaker Lico has five daughters, with four different mothers, only he calls the latter "ladies." He is single and in his early fifties. I am beginning to see a pattern here. Remember our shuttle driver Dixon? He has seven children. I didn't think to ask how many wives he'd had!! Someone thinks he said four as well! Yikes!!!
I can't tell you how many young Ticos I have seen bicycle by, one hand on the handlebars, and the other either talking, texting or looking at their phone screen. Truly "loco!"
While swimming, strong rip tides suddenly pulled me out too far. I didn't panic but Louise kind of did, as I wasn't catching up to her as she swam to shore. She asked a younger man to guide me in and he did. Bless him! We had been discussing The Trump, and hadn't noticed how quickly our feet no longer touched bottom nor how far out the waves had pulled us. LESSON LEARNED. Don't discuss politics while swimming in the Caribbean!
Daily life/Notre vie quotidienne
You fall into a nice little routine in Costa Rica. Although I must admit it isn't easy to do nothing, we are slowly getting into the groove.
Many nights, it rains overnight, and it rains HARD! THE howler monkeys really HOWL then, so that takes some adjustment. Most mornings we are up at 6:00 am with the toucans and other birds that start chirping early. We are usually in bed by 9:00 pm.
We are right in the jungle, but a seven minute walk to the beaches of Playa Chiquita. Our mornings are spent observing the sloths, the parrots and toucans in the tall trees above us. In late morning we hit the beach until late afternoon. Supper, a few drinks on the patio, and chit chats with our convivial caretaker Lico and his native BriBri tribe helper Ronald, and our neighbours, who are locals, as well as visitors, round out our day.
I am signing up for a few private Spanish lessons, hoping to improve my fluency, but in the meantime, Lico is a great quasi tutor.
We have taken in some local areas of interest, but since this is my second visit to the Caribbean side of this magnificent country, I don't always join the other three. I am quite happy to sit and read, (I am finishing my third book in a week), listen and look, and soak up some sun and humidity. My hair has gotten whiter, and totally curly. Chuck your hair straightener if you come this way!
There is a real sense of community in this little village. You see the same locals, and visitors every day, everywhere, in your daily jaunts. Everyone smiles and greets you! My sister, who didn't always feel safe on the Pacific side of Costa Rica last year, is a lot more at ease here. I can see why many people choose to retire here, or to spend their winters.
LIFE HERE REALLY IS "PURA VIDA"
A PURE AND SIMPLE LIFE
What can I say about PARADISE?
I can say that ...
when you are on the beach, you will see gorgeous pelicans flying overhead in perfect formation.
you will see horses trotting by with bareback riders, led by a Rastafarian looking, dread locked, handsome, young man, shielding his eyes from the sun.
a tiny, three year old will suddenly run up to you on the beach, and shove a handful of small, dead fish under your nose. He will solemnly declare that they are " pescacitos muertos ". He will then inform you that they are "sin ojos" (without eyes) and when you ask him in Spanish where they went, he will shrug and reply "Perditos!" LOST! You will pull out a tissue, hold it to his nose and he will blow like a foghorn, before scampering off, never to be seen again.
a man holding a beautiful four month old baby, upon seeing the look of longing on your face when you walk by, will offer him up to you. You will dash over and experience pure bliss and wonder, as you snuggle this warm, sweet smelling body close to your chest. When you have to give him back, you will spread kisses all over his sweet chubby face, hands and feet and YOU will scamper off.
you will get a bug bite while sleeping, and scratch it. Not good! You will wake up with a swollen hand, which some say is the result of an ant bite, others say a spider bite. So out comes the Benadryl, teatree oil and prescription ointment. Your hand still looks terrible but you hope that tomorrow your hand will look better.
you will see some REAL diehard fisherman jigging for "hurel", one of them with crutches!
your beer that you poured into your Tim Horton's mug to keep cold, but did NOT drink right away, will suddenly blow its cap with a huge pop, and soak everything in your packsack with beer.
you will buy fresh fruit and cheese at the local market, and enjoy a simple repast for your Saturday evening supper.
you will realize that you are living "La Dolce Vita" and you will be ever so grateful.
when you are on the beach, you will see gorgeous pelicans flying overhead in perfect formation.
you will see horses trotting by with bareback riders, led by a Rastafarian looking, dread locked, handsome, young man, shielding his eyes from the sun.
a tiny, three year old will suddenly run up to you on the beach, and shove a handful of small, dead fish under your nose. He will solemnly declare that they are " pescacitos muertos ". He will then inform you that they are "sin ojos" (without eyes) and when you ask him in Spanish where they went, he will shrug and reply "Perditos!" LOST! You will pull out a tissue, hold it to his nose and he will blow like a foghorn, before scampering off, never to be seen again.
a man holding a beautiful four month old baby, upon seeing the look of longing on your face when you walk by, will offer him up to you. You will dash over and experience pure bliss and wonder, as you snuggle this warm, sweet smelling body close to your chest. When you have to give him back, you will spread kisses all over his sweet chubby face, hands and feet and YOU will scamper off.
you will get a bug bite while sleeping, and scratch it. Not good! You will wake up with a swollen hand, which some say is the result of an ant bite, others say a spider bite. So out comes the Benadryl, teatree oil and prescription ointment. Your hand still looks terrible but you hope that tomorrow your hand will look better.
you will see some REAL diehard fisherman jigging for "hurel", one of them with crutches!
your beer that you poured into your Tim Horton's mug to keep cold, but did NOT drink right away, will suddenly blow its cap with a huge pop, and soak everything in your packsack with beer.
you will buy fresh fruit and cheese at the local market, and enjoy a simple repast for your Saturday evening supper.
you will realize that you are living "La Dolce Vita" and you will be ever so grateful.
What's not to love...
about traveling? ALL of it! The highs and lows, the adventures and misadventures, the people you meet, their culture, history and geography you experience, their language you try to speak, the beauty of their country that you soak up.
When you travel, you have to expect the UNEXPECTED! Your flights WILL be delayed; you WILL arrive late, but thankfully, this time you will NOT miss any connections. You WILL get up at 3:30 am to catch a 5:30 am flight. The luggage carousel WILL break down and it will take over an hour to deliver your luggage. The taxi van WILL have a flat tire shortly after leaving the airport, breaking down right in front of Walmart. Yessir! Walmart is in CR!!! Your replacement taxi will not be able to get up the 45 degree driveway of your hotel, because ANOTHER taxi is stuck there having backed out DOWN the driveway. Your driver will jump out, other men will come running, and they will rock that taxi to get it unstuck. All the while you are sitting there watching this unfold, your brother in the front seat declaring that the taxi is going to roll down and HIT your vehicle. It doesn't. It is now midnight; you have been up for twenty-one hours and you don't really care if it does!! Midnight, and you are at destination. Sweet!
A half decent night's sleep, a breakfast of fresh fruit and toast, and you are on your way again, to your final destination for the next month. Your Panamanian/Costa Rican private shuttle driver, a charming, black 51 year old, is informative and fun. You know he is totally at ease with the four of you, when he engages in political commentary and drops the "F" bomb more than once! He also happens to be the former mayor of the little town where you are staying, so he knows EVERYONE and EVERYTHING! SWEET!
You WILL arrive at your final destination, and it IS sweet!!
PS: You WILL notice those toilets in airports that flush automatically and do so BEFORE you even stand up! There is so much suction that your bare backside gets sprayed! Plus the swooshing noise causes you to practically jump out of your skin!
When you travel, you have to expect the UNEXPECTED! Your flights WILL be delayed; you WILL arrive late, but thankfully, this time you will NOT miss any connections. You WILL get up at 3:30 am to catch a 5:30 am flight. The luggage carousel WILL break down and it will take over an hour to deliver your luggage. The taxi van WILL have a flat tire shortly after leaving the airport, breaking down right in front of Walmart. Yessir! Walmart is in CR!!! Your replacement taxi will not be able to get up the 45 degree driveway of your hotel, because ANOTHER taxi is stuck there having backed out DOWN the driveway. Your driver will jump out, other men will come running, and they will rock that taxi to get it unstuck. All the while you are sitting there watching this unfold, your brother in the front seat declaring that the taxi is going to roll down and HIT your vehicle. It doesn't. It is now midnight; you have been up for twenty-one hours and you don't really care if it does!! Midnight, and you are at destination. Sweet!
A half decent night's sleep, a breakfast of fresh fruit and toast, and you are on your way again, to your final destination for the next month. Your Panamanian/Costa Rican private shuttle driver, a charming, black 51 year old, is informative and fun. You know he is totally at ease with the four of you, when he engages in political commentary and drops the "F" bomb more than once! He also happens to be the former mayor of the little town where you are staying, so he knows EVERYONE and EVERYTHING! SWEET!
You WILL arrive at your final destination, and it IS sweet!!
PS: You WILL notice those toilets in airports that flush automatically and do so BEFORE you even stand up! There is so much suction that your bare backside gets sprayed! Plus the swooshing noise causes you to practically jump out of your skin!
DO YOU TRUST GPS?
I DO trust GPS or Google Maps, when I am in big cities, or densely populated areas. Rural NB? NO WAY, José.
The little doctor from Québec who got lost in the back woods of northern NB for three days, in winter, driving from Sherbrooke, to Bathurst, is a case in point. Three snowmobilers found her. I K*N*E*W those damn machines were good for something other than noise and air pollution. What did she use to guide her? Her car's GPS system. GPS sends you down the nearest road, if you get off track. That road, in NB, more often than NOT, can be a DIRT road. Do you need to be on a dirt road? I think not. You can read about that medical student's adventure, below.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/gps-stranded-driver-stuck-3-days-in-snow-1.993878
We have all been lost at some point, but with a GPS, you can sometimes get REALLY lost. I wanted to go from Riverview, to Hillsborough, about eight years ago. Where did my GPS take me? Into the woods as well, where I ended up on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere, and a total dead end!
I even found a Garmin GPS in the woods, when I was looking for my golf ball. I cleaned it up and it looked brand new, but of course it didn't work. I guess THAT is why someone chucked it in the woods in TOTAL frustration, in the first place.
I won't even mention about when I left St.Martin's, and ended up in Sussex, when I should have been in Rothesay!
So, recently, when I wanted to leave the bright lights of our major city in NB, Moncton, SANS GPS, I headed out on what I thought was the correct highway, to take the first exit going north. Well, that WAS NOT it. I ended up out in the middle of nowhere, where all I could see were rural roads branching off in all directions, along with several long on or off ramps. Total confusion, and no road signs that made any sense to me.
I knew I was lost. I also knew I should pay attention to those numbers they assign to roads but I never do. I consulted Google maps on my phone. Way too many directions, none of which made sense to me. Then I saw a vehicle approaching with what looked like a sympathetic woman driver, so I rolled down my window and flagged her down, so to speak.
I must admit, her funky hairdo (think a fluorescent Mohawk!) was a big distraction, but I strove to listen carefully as she very patiently explained that it would be easier for me to follow these back roads out to Route 126, then to send me back to my original departure point. I followed her instructions precisely, and arrived at route 126, where I turned right. W.e.l.l.... I knew when I saw a familiar landmark, (a school), that I should have turned left, as I was heading right back to Moncton. I turned Jiminy on a dime, and we were finally on our way home.
The little doctor from Québec who got lost in the back woods of northern NB for three days, in winter, driving from Sherbrooke, to Bathurst, is a case in point. Three snowmobilers found her. I K*N*E*W those damn machines were good for something other than noise and air pollution. What did she use to guide her? Her car's GPS system. GPS sends you down the nearest road, if you get off track. That road, in NB, more often than NOT, can be a DIRT road. Do you need to be on a dirt road? I think not. You can read about that medical student's adventure, below.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/gps-stranded-driver-stuck-3-days-in-snow-1.993878
We have all been lost at some point, but with a GPS, you can sometimes get REALLY lost. I wanted to go from Riverview, to Hillsborough, about eight years ago. Where did my GPS take me? Into the woods as well, where I ended up on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere, and a total dead end!
I even found a Garmin GPS in the woods, when I was looking for my golf ball. I cleaned it up and it looked brand new, but of course it didn't work. I guess THAT is why someone chucked it in the woods in TOTAL frustration, in the first place.
I won't even mention about when I left St.Martin's, and ended up in Sussex, when I should have been in Rothesay!
So, recently, when I wanted to leave the bright lights of our major city in NB, Moncton, SANS GPS, I headed out on what I thought was the correct highway, to take the first exit going north. Well, that WAS NOT it. I ended up out in the middle of nowhere, where all I could see were rural roads branching off in all directions, along with several long on or off ramps. Total confusion, and no road signs that made any sense to me.
I knew I was lost. I also knew I should pay attention to those numbers they assign to roads but I never do. I consulted Google maps on my phone. Way too many directions, none of which made sense to me. Then I saw a vehicle approaching with what looked like a sympathetic woman driver, so I rolled down my window and flagged her down, so to speak.
I must admit, her funky hairdo (think a fluorescent Mohawk!) was a big distraction, but I strove to listen carefully as she very patiently explained that it would be easier for me to follow these back roads out to Route 126, then to send me back to my original departure point. I followed her instructions precisely, and arrived at route 126, where I turned right. W.e.l.l.... I knew when I saw a familiar landmark, (a school), that I should have turned left, as I was heading right back to Moncton. I turned Jiminy on a dime, and we were finally on our way home.
My little adventure set me back twenty minutes. Peanuts, compared to how much more time I could have wasted, had I used the GPS on my phone, possibly ending up on some D=E=A=D=E=N=D,
DIRT ROAD, AGAIN!
PS: To myself - change the settings on my phone to eliminate dirt roads?
Happiness is...
getting home from work on a Friday night, and managing to get into your snowy driveway FIVE minutes ahead of the town plow, which passes and completely blocks your driveway!
having a new 550 piece puzzle, a good book, Thuyla gin, Netflix and your best companion for company, on a snowy, stormy Friday night.
having a very dear, old friend with whom you can share a good laugh. I had taken her winter coat and mine, intending to hang them up in a public cloakroom, when it dawned on me that my V-E-R-Y expensive coat could easily be removed by anyone going by. This same, dear friend was the one who had coaxed me into buying THAT coat four years ago. What did I do? I put my coat on the hanger first, and then hung her coat on TOP of mine. When I relayed what I had done, albeit a little sheepishly, she laughed and said, "Your coat cost you over $450.00? Mine was $10.00! Go for it!"
knowing that another dear, good friend, road warrior companion and partner in adventures and crime, sailed through two surgeries and God only knows how many invasive procedures during a month long PLUS stay in hospital, all the while admitting she is a" tough old bird!", laughing and keeping a totally positive attitude.
celebrating your mother's eighty-fourth birthday with her, and two of your four siblings. Que je suis donc chanceuse, de pouvoir réjouir d'une maman toujours resplendissante, et en pleine forme!
hugging your sis-in-law at work, slipping her a Lindt chocolate for Valentine's day, and telling her you love her!
knowing a good friend will drop anything and everything, to come to you in your hour of need, NO MATTER how big or small that need actually is.
getting to know other single women like yourself, with whom to socialize and have fun. It isn't always easy being a "single-ette" in a "couples" world.
seeing Canadian athletes do their VERY best to represent our WONDERFUL country, regardless of whether they earn a medal or NOT.
MORE BLISS?
having a new 550 piece puzzle, a good book, Thuyla gin, Netflix and your best companion for company, on a snowy, stormy Friday night.
having a very dear, old friend with whom you can share a good laugh. I had taken her winter coat and mine, intending to hang them up in a public cloakroom, when it dawned on me that my V-E-R-Y expensive coat could easily be removed by anyone going by. This same, dear friend was the one who had coaxed me into buying THAT coat four years ago. What did I do? I put my coat on the hanger first, and then hung her coat on TOP of mine. When I relayed what I had done, albeit a little sheepishly, she laughed and said, "Your coat cost you over $450.00? Mine was $10.00! Go for it!"
knowing that another dear, good friend, road warrior companion and partner in adventures and crime, sailed through two surgeries and God only knows how many invasive procedures during a month long PLUS stay in hospital, all the while admitting she is a" tough old bird!", laughing and keeping a totally positive attitude.
celebrating your mother's eighty-fourth birthday with her, and two of your four siblings. Que je suis donc chanceuse, de pouvoir réjouir d'une maman toujours resplendissante, et en pleine forme!
hugging your sis-in-law at work, slipping her a Lindt chocolate for Valentine's day, and telling her you love her!
knowing a good friend will drop anything and everything, to come to you in your hour of need, NO MATTER how big or small that need actually is.
getting to know other single women like yourself, with whom to socialize and have fun. It isn't always easy being a "single-ette" in a "couples" world.
seeing Canadian athletes do their VERY best to represent our WONDERFUL country, regardless of whether they earn a medal or NOT.
BLISS?
your investment adviser telling you, YES, you CAN afford to retire at the end of the year!
MORE BLISS?
a little forward thinking, some surfing on the net, a sweet seat sale with AC Rouge; all of which lets me spend a month of winter with family and friends, in my second favourite country in the world. Costa Rica, here I come!
PURE BLISS?
getting a text on Valentine's Day that shows the ultra sound of your first unborn grandchild, five months in utero, and clearly seeing a familiar upturned nose!
I need to be COMMITTED....
but not to some kind of asylum. I am talking about commitment versus resolution. I decided NOT to make any "RESOLUTIONS" per say, in this New Year. Rather, I decided to commit to being kinder, to engage, to apply, to improve, and to stand out, in whatever I chose. We live in a crazy, upside world these days. Everything can appear dark, uncertain and foreboding. Why not shed a little light here and there, by trying to be kind? To anybody!
Doing a kind gesture à la #beccatoldmeto, EVERY DAY, is relatively easy, especially on a teaching day. I simply offer to do another teacher's supervision, and voilà, instant, HUGE gratitude on their part, and satisfaction on mine. Love it! 💓
Non working days are a little harder. However, one day last week, a storm day turned out to be a panoply of simple random acts of kindness, just like that!
It started when I went out to do a few errands. While browsing at the Salvation Army store, I ended up chatting with the cashier. Seeing she had an empty Tim Horton's cup nearby, I inquired as to whether she drank their coffee. When she said yes, I handed her a coupon I had received for a free coffee. She was very happy! I don't use drive thru windows often, so paying for the coffee of the person behind me, at the drive thru queue, just wouldn't happen. THIS was my version of that common pay-it-forward gesture.
I had dropped off a book at the library, and was returning to my car, slogging my way across and over banks onto a street, full of slushy, icy snow when I noticed a young CCNB student standing up by his very ICED up vehicle, with a look of frustration on his face. He looked frozen too, as he wasn't dressed for winter. I scooted back across the street. He couldn't get into his car. The key turned in the lock but the door was completely iced up. He could not get it to budge an inch. After asking a few questions I established that A) his key-less remote did not work, (no battery!) B) he had no scraper or any object with which to help clear the ice, and C) all the other doors were locked and had no keyhole). He had one key. There was therefore no question of trying to get one of the other doors open, and then having him crawl over, into, or across the front seat. I thought about his dilemma for a minute. Had it been Jiminy, I would have given the door frame above the keyhole, a good, HARD hit with the heel of my boot. Since I didn't think he would appreciate my doing that to HIS car, I did the next best thing. Since I had already tried banging the door frame a few times with my upper arm and shoulder, without success, I turned around and did the NEXT BEST THING. I butted the door AS HARD AS I COULD, with my b-a-c-k-s-i-d-e. You should have seen the look of incredulity and surprise on his face, when he tried the handle again, and the door OPENED! Too funny! Off I went, happy to have helped. Don't we CANADIANS know all the tricks, when it comes to snow and ice?
I had just turned the corner from the library, now on my way home, when I noticed an elderly gentleman slugging his way through some slushy, icy and generally horrific walking conditions on Douglas Avenue. He was carrying two, large shopping bags, and they looked heavy. I turned around, rolled down the window, and offered him a ride home. He accepted, after making sure he told me that he didn't live close by. I didn't care how far. The poor man looked e-x-h-a-u-s-t-e-d. It turns out, he had already walked FIVE kilometers, some of it up a steep hill, to do some grocery shopping and had walked back THREE of those six when I picked him up. Poor soul! I was more than happy to drive him the rest of the way home. The last half of a kilometre would have been up another hill. I don't know that he would have made it.
Doing a kind gesture à la #beccatoldmeto, EVERY DAY, is relatively easy, especially on a teaching day. I simply offer to do another teacher's supervision, and voilà, instant, HUGE gratitude on their part, and satisfaction on mine. Love it! 💓
Non working days are a little harder. However, one day last week, a storm day turned out to be a panoply of simple random acts of kindness, just like that!
It started when I went out to do a few errands. While browsing at the Salvation Army store, I ended up chatting with the cashier. Seeing she had an empty Tim Horton's cup nearby, I inquired as to whether she drank their coffee. When she said yes, I handed her a coupon I had received for a free coffee. She was very happy! I don't use drive thru windows often, so paying for the coffee of the person behind me, at the drive thru queue, just wouldn't happen. THIS was my version of that common pay-it-forward gesture.
I had dropped off a book at the library, and was returning to my car, slogging my way across and over banks onto a street, full of slushy, icy snow when I noticed a young CCNB student standing up by his very ICED up vehicle, with a look of frustration on his face. He looked frozen too, as he wasn't dressed for winter. I scooted back across the street. He couldn't get into his car. The key turned in the lock but the door was completely iced up. He could not get it to budge an inch. After asking a few questions I established that A) his key-less remote did not work, (no battery!) B) he had no scraper or any object with which to help clear the ice, and C) all the other doors were locked and had no keyhole). He had one key. There was therefore no question of trying to get one of the other doors open, and then having him crawl over, into, or across the front seat. I thought about his dilemma for a minute. Had it been Jiminy, I would have given the door frame above the keyhole, a good, HARD hit with the heel of my boot. Since I didn't think he would appreciate my doing that to HIS car, I did the next best thing. Since I had already tried banging the door frame a few times with my upper arm and shoulder, without success, I turned around and did the NEXT BEST THING. I butted the door AS HARD AS I COULD, with my b-a-c-k-s-i-d-e. You should have seen the look of incredulity and surprise on his face, when he tried the handle again, and the door OPENED! Too funny! Off I went, happy to have helped. Don't we CANADIANS know all the tricks, when it comes to snow and ice?
I had just turned the corner from the library, now on my way home, when I noticed an elderly gentleman slugging his way through some slushy, icy and generally horrific walking conditions on Douglas Avenue. He was carrying two, large shopping bags, and they looked heavy. I turned around, rolled down the window, and offered him a ride home. He accepted, after making sure he told me that he didn't live close by. I didn't care how far. The poor man looked e-x-h-a-u-s-t-e-d. It turns out, he had already walked FIVE kilometers, some of it up a steep hill, to do some grocery shopping and had walked back THREE of those six when I picked him up. Poor soul! I was more than happy to drive him the rest of the way home. The last half of a kilometre would have been up another hill. I don't know that he would have made it.
So my little outing resulted in a huge dose of dopamine for me and hopefully a tiny dose for the others. Plus, I was now good for three days! :)
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