David and Pam have taken time off this week to be available to us. We have had a great time learning to know of and about their adopted hometown. They had plans also to take us out of the area to points of interest some of which were at higher elevations and thus cooler and perhaps less humid than their hometown. We opted to stay put considering the time we had spent during the past seven to ten days on the road in buses and cars. And also considering the short length of time we would be spending here. We think that our choice was good.
We are situated in a hotel which abuts the gorgeous sea shore and beach. The waves pound in a wonderfully rhythmic manner which almost mesmerizes me while I sit out on the balcony each morning. The toucans fly overhead and chant their unique songs. The other birds have a special time early in the day when they perform their morning chorus. Too bad you are not hear to experience the harmony and lack of discord. It is good for both the spirit and soul.
The means of transportation for David and Pam would be bikes. As myriads of other ex-pats and North American visitors seem to do, walking and biking appears to be the most popular method of moving from one place to another in town. There are taxis here and they are available at very low metered rates. But, more often than not one will see folks wander about with a surfboard, clad only in the scantiest of coverings. It is hot and humid here. It would match the weather in the hottest part of the year in New Orleans or San Antonio. Or, for that matter anywhere in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Many folks do not refrigerate the air in their homes and some even operate without fans overhead. I do not know how they adjust to this discomfort but they seem to do so. Even the dogs lie very near the ground and their very bones seem to flatten out on the earth. Nobody ambulates very swiftly here.
Pam has cooked for us no less than two times at their home. The first night she served us some very delicious grilled tuna with a ginger/pepper seasoning. There were wonderful fresh green beans and other vegetables served julienne style. She accented them with a wonderful sauce using a soy base. The starch for our meal was cooked white rice. Watermelon was served for dessert. The second time we were invited over to their home we enjoyed an old family favorite (at least of the Swansons). She stirred up two batches of Swedish pancakes. She offered syrup, two or three types of fresh fruit, butter and all of the fixings. We enjoyed our breakfast out on their patio overlooking the gorgeous garden and pool just below their balcony. Life is rough, my friends. Yes, it is!
Today we have spent much of the day visiting and catching up. John and I found a great restaurant called Brown Box. We enjoyed our second meal of the day there by ordering and consuming paninis. We thought when we first entered that we would order something sweet after the sandwiches but there was no room in the pansa (stomach). Instead, I ordered two cinnamon/caramel rolls to go for us to share in the morning with coffee and tea. I also asked for una caja para llevar (a take-away box) for one-half of my sandwich which I could not eat. Do not get me wrong, it was a fantastic offering but it was just too much! A score of 8.9 on a scale of 10. The salad served on the side was also superb: heirloom tomatoes thickly sliced with cubes of feta, sunflower seeds, balsamic vinegar/oil, salt and pepper. Yummy!
This afternoon Pam rode her bike several miles to the area where tickets are sold for the bus ride back to the capital tomorrow. John requested two seats as he was cramped on the outbound leg of the trip. Tomorrow he should be sufficiently comfortable. Our departure time is around 1 in the afternoon and the ride to the capital is approximately two hours and 15 minutes.
We will be staying at the TICA hotel just about four blocks distant from where our bus should arrive tomorrow. This will be our parking place for the next two nights leading up to our flights to the USA and back to Guatemala on Saturday. While we are in San José, we have plans to connect with our new-found friends who are Tico (nick-name for those born in Costa Rica) living in the capital city. Daniela and Gustavo (brother and sister) enjoy practicing their English and we our Spanish. They also enjoy the card games we brought along and one that we will introduce to them on Friday - Five Crowns. We met them when John and I were touring in Belize about one month ago. We look forward to seeing them again.
So, tonight is our final night here on the beach and tomorrow we will be heading for a higher elevation, cooler temperatures and far less humidity. Yea!!!!
We are situated in a hotel which abuts the gorgeous sea shore and beach. The waves pound in a wonderfully rhythmic manner which almost mesmerizes me while I sit out on the balcony each morning. The toucans fly overhead and chant their unique songs. The other birds have a special time early in the day when they perform their morning chorus. Too bad you are not hear to experience the harmony and lack of discord. It is good for both the spirit and soul.
The means of transportation for David and Pam would be bikes. As myriads of other ex-pats and North American visitors seem to do, walking and biking appears to be the most popular method of moving from one place to another in town. There are taxis here and they are available at very low metered rates. But, more often than not one will see folks wander about with a surfboard, clad only in the scantiest of coverings. It is hot and humid here. It would match the weather in the hottest part of the year in New Orleans or San Antonio. Or, for that matter anywhere in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Many folks do not refrigerate the air in their homes and some even operate without fans overhead. I do not know how they adjust to this discomfort but they seem to do so. Even the dogs lie very near the ground and their very bones seem to flatten out on the earth. Nobody ambulates very swiftly here.
Pam has cooked for us no less than two times at their home. The first night she served us some very delicious grilled tuna with a ginger/pepper seasoning. There were wonderful fresh green beans and other vegetables served julienne style. She accented them with a wonderful sauce using a soy base. The starch for our meal was cooked white rice. Watermelon was served for dessert. The second time we were invited over to their home we enjoyed an old family favorite (at least of the Swansons). She stirred up two batches of Swedish pancakes. She offered syrup, two or three types of fresh fruit, butter and all of the fixings. We enjoyed our breakfast out on their patio overlooking the gorgeous garden and pool just below their balcony. Life is rough, my friends. Yes, it is!
Today we have spent much of the day visiting and catching up. John and I found a great restaurant called Brown Box. We enjoyed our second meal of the day there by ordering and consuming paninis. We thought when we first entered that we would order something sweet after the sandwiches but there was no room in the pansa (stomach). Instead, I ordered two cinnamon/caramel rolls to go for us to share in the morning with coffee and tea. I also asked for una caja para llevar (a take-away box) for one-half of my sandwich which I could not eat. Do not get me wrong, it was a fantastic offering but it was just too much! A score of 8.9 on a scale of 10. The salad served on the side was also superb: heirloom tomatoes thickly sliced with cubes of feta, sunflower seeds, balsamic vinegar/oil, salt and pepper. Yummy!
This afternoon Pam rode her bike several miles to the area where tickets are sold for the bus ride back to the capital tomorrow. John requested two seats as he was cramped on the outbound leg of the trip. Tomorrow he should be sufficiently comfortable. Our departure time is around 1 in the afternoon and the ride to the capital is approximately two hours and 15 minutes.
We will be staying at the TICA hotel just about four blocks distant from where our bus should arrive tomorrow. This will be our parking place for the next two nights leading up to our flights to the USA and back to Guatemala on Saturday. While we are in San José, we have plans to connect with our new-found friends who are Tico (nick-name for those born in Costa Rica) living in the capital city. Daniela and Gustavo (brother and sister) enjoy practicing their English and we our Spanish. They also enjoy the card games we brought along and one that we will introduce to them on Friday - Five Crowns. We met them when John and I were touring in Belize about one month ago. We look forward to seeing them again.
So, tonight is our final night here on the beach and tomorrow we will be heading for a higher elevation, cooler temperatures and far less humidity. Yea!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment