Sunday, August 13, 2017
Tuesday, August 1, 2017
Well kids, it is time for an update
It is August and I have moved, but let me back up a bit.
Here is a picture Johanna from the craft ladies made it and raffled it off. I got it and it will look great in my new house.
Here is a picture Johanna from the craft ladies made it and raffled it off. I got it and it will look great in my new house.
Remember I told you this new place is quite rustic. It is like a cabin, with a creek running past and a river a short distance away. It is fast running water with big rocks so I have the sound of the river all the time. It kept me up the first night but now I am sleeping. There aren't many noises besides the river and the birds in the morning.
We started moving things in on Monday of last week, went shopping on Tuesday, did more moving on Wednesday and finished on Friday. That was my first night here. We moved everything with Jose's old vehicle and some trips we looked like the Beverly Hillbillies. It was amazing how much they managed to get in for a load. Course sometimes the helper was so buried in the back you could barely see him. Remember, I have a mattress, 3 memory foam mattress toppers and many shelving units, 9 tubs and about 20 suitcases of things I or family have brought down over the last 2 years. And we moved lots of plants. One of the first things they did was begin my garden.
The owner, Adrian, has been doing so much work here. Remember they weren't really ready to rent it out and only had two weeks from the time I said I wanted it. They were working in the house and had lots of things in here and here I am bringing tons more. I spent Wednesday afternoon here putting things away and getting organized because clutter bothers me more than dirt. By the time we came on Friday with the last 2 loads, in the rain, they had cleared their things out and it was easier to figure out where to put everything. I had put everything from the plastic tubs that wasn't breakable in yard size garbage bags so first I had to unpack the tubs so I could put the stuff back in that belonged there. Then figure out where to stick them. I am down to 1 suitcase and a little in 1 tub and everything will be unpacked.
We have had some interesting situations. The range in the kitchen wouldn't work at all and they told me 2 of the burners didn't work anyway. They increased the power to that outlet and brought a different stove where everything worked. Then I discovered there was no hot water in the shower - I was of course ready to hop in. The next day they came and replaced part of the shower and again, last night I was all ready for a shower and after a minute of running the water, I blew the breaker. So today they took more parts off the shower and maybe tomorrow. I have high hopes for a shower tomorrow. It has been a while!
I did get a washer today. It is a Whirlpool, not a Costa Rican type. I am anxious to try it but I am waiting till we get all the electricity problems solved.
Brandon, Adrian's 20 year old son, took me yesterday to visit his grandmother and aunt. We didn't take the road or sidewalk. We went the back way, thru the coffee field where I will learn to pick coffee. Past the greenhouses, past the chicken coops - I just need to ask them when I need eggs. Grandma is called Lala and she has a beautiful house and a beautiful kitchen. She loves to cook as does the aunt, Lara who lives next door. Lala remembered me from a party at la Quinta. They also are Arce - the same last name as Gerardo. Cousins.
The internet out here is great and they were very fast at installing. I did also make a big purchase on my shopping trip that took 4 guys to carry. I had seen an ad so when Jose and his helper came, José called the lady in Cartago and we went to see it. I bought it and Jose called his cousin - one of 240 - with a truck to meet us at 3:00 back by the lady's house. In the mean time we went to EPA for a few things ( kinda like Menards) and then on to Bazar ABC for lamps and a picture. They didn't have the picture I really wanted but the clerk was from the Cartago store and remembered me and said he would see if he could get it from one of their other stores. I haven't heard anything so I told Katherine she and Courtney will need to paint me one.
Half of my house is 2 bedrooms and the living room and the other half is kitchen/dining and a sewing table. It is split down the center the long way. I have a table with fold down sides for the island in the kitchen, the great big long table for eating and the table for sewing is under the front window. I am already thinking about Thanksgiving and I have a good start on tables but only 3 chairs. I need to work on that.
Several times the owner or his son have given me a ride back to Orosi but I did call Luis, the taxi driver, to bring me back out here on Sunday and yesterday I took the bus for the first time. They come as far as the church and it is a good hike, uphill, on my lovely sidewalk. A long walk. There is 1 little store - a puperia along the way so I stopped to see what all they have. The basics. I got an ice cream cone and finished my walk home. I did do a lot of grocery shopping on Friday so I wouldn't need to go right away. Saturday I even made a crockpot full of chicken, potatoes and vegetables which will last several days. Thursday Otto should be coming and I should be going to Paraiso to the craft ladies.
Brandon and his sister have both taken English but don't have anyone to speak with to practice and learn more. They are anxious to start coming here so we can talk and I can help. I figure one day it will be gardening, one day sewing, one day cooking so we can cover different areas and words.
If you come to visit, mine is the gate with multicolored scarves tied to it. Ziomara and María José came on Saturday and in a couple weeks I will have the crochet ladies and the senior center ladies who live out here. Jeanette says there are 4 of them including Emili's great aunt. Emilio and Rosita are coming soon too.
This is pretty long. I will post as many pictures as I can and may have to do a separate post with the rest.
My new washer and hammmock
From the front door, the kitchen and dining . My island that I move to where I need it. There is an outlet there.
My living room looks out on the garden.
My table and feather picture
Some plants added to the front.
My new garden - lots more to do.
My bridge over the creek to where the peanut butter and mango trees will be planted.
The chief Beverly Hillbilly
The helper squeezing in
My big purchase. I love it
Loading it up
The picture I really want
Monday, July 17, 2017
Es hora
Yes, I know, it has been a very long time. I will bring you a little up to date with what is going on in my life.
I knew that when I returned from the States I would be moving. What you say! But you love your house and your garden and Orosi. Yes that is all true but you forget the number one thing about me. I have a gypsy heart and when the heart says move, I move.
While I was in the States my trusty helpers Jose, Emilio, Ziomara and Katherine kept their eyes open. When I returned we got serious and I found a place in Cartago, near Ziomara, that I thought would work for me but it didn't work out. We found it very difficult to find a place that was furnished, in a safe area, close to the bus and in my price range. I also didn't want a mountain to climb.
Friday Jose came to take me again to Cartago because I was still thinking of that area. I told him as long as it was a safe area I would take away the requirement of bus nearby. There are tons of taxi and quite reasonable. He said he wanted to show me something before we went to Cartago to see if I had any interest. We headed in the opposite direction, but not too far. We went past the electrical plant and left at the church. Past the terminal which is the end of the line for the buses. The road turned to gravel. The houses were farther apart. He pulled up to a gate, which was locked and showed me a house that sits in the middle of a big yard. There is a creek, tons of big rocks and you can hear the river. The area and river are called Rio Macho. Jose went down the fence a little ways and opened a little gate and said " Come, it is an adventure." We climbed over the rocks and creek - well, he did and I slipped and got my pants muddy. The property is owned by people who live in town - get this, across the street from me and I hadn't met them or given them cookies. He works for the electric company. We looked around, checked out the coffee plantation next door which his father owns and headed back to town to change pants and see if we could get a key.
I changed and went out to meet Jose and he called me over. I met the owner, I will figure out his name soon, and we took their son, Brandon, and their nephew, Joseph, back with us. They are young men in their 20's who are going to University for English. The parents speak very little English.
So, the house. They have been working on it slowly and weren't ready to rent it. Jose knew about it because when they put the new roof on he bought the old material. Now they are going to speed up the work. The bottom of the walls are stone then logs. In some places you could see out between the logs but they are putting strips of wood over all those areas. There aren't ceilings really, just the roof. It reminds me of my friend Kaye's lake home but maybe 20-30 years ago. The kitchen is pretty much a sink but since the kitchen is so important to me, we are working on that. They are lovely people and willing to do anything I need. It will take a bit of time but I will do my best to be patient. I believe the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. I love the deck in the back and will spend a lot of time there. There are all kinds of fruit trees and I can plant anywhere I want. There is an area to the right of the house where I am going to start. One day soon Jose and his workers will come and get my bags of dirt and all the plants I am taking with me and get things started. The property is very large and there aren't any neighbors really close. None at all on one side or behind. The mountain is across the street. And did I mention I can hear the river. I love the sound. Birds and birds and birds and butterflies and we will see what else.
Next door is a coffee plantation and I have already been told I will be taught coffee picking late this year and how to take it to the cup to drink.
The biggest surprise - I have found the best sidewalk in all of Costa Rica right outside my door. The electric company, ICE, put it in so that people could walk safe and it goes for miles. It is about 300 meters - about 3 long blocks - to the bus and there is a little store along the way. It will be farther for anything else so I will have to be organized when I go to town. We will do the crochet ladies at Jeanette's and I will continue with the craft ladies.
Now, the pièce de résistance. Saturday when we went back to visit with the owners and give them an idea what I wanted or needed, they took me for a walk. Out the back, over rocks, through coffee plants and there, at the edge of the property, is my very own spot on the river. This time I wore tennis shoes so I didn't slip and had a hand to help me all the time. It is a short walk and a beautiful spot. They say the water is very cold but people do go in. Or, I can sit and read. The spot on the river where people go swimming and there are wonderful big rocks is only 700 meters up my wonderful sidewalk.
How could I resist! I have paid rent for 3 months and will be moving little by little with a lot of help over the next 2 weeks. And in case you are wondering what this paradise is costing me, it is $400.00 a month including all my utilities. It is furnished and they are going to add a stove with an oven and a clothes washer. There is already a refrigerator. By the way, when a house here says furnished that may just mean it has cupboards in the kitchen. Unfurnished has nothing but a sink. This has overstuffed furniture in the living room - really comfortable, a bed in each bedroom (2) whatever I want for tables. No cupboards in the kitchen area but my shelving units will work for now. There is a wardrobe in one of the bedrooms. The deck is covered and I will have furniture and my hammock. We can already see thanksgiving dinner there.
I knew that when I returned from the States I would be moving. What you say! But you love your house and your garden and Orosi. Yes that is all true but you forget the number one thing about me. I have a gypsy heart and when the heart says move, I move.
While I was in the States my trusty helpers Jose, Emilio, Ziomara and Katherine kept their eyes open. When I returned we got serious and I found a place in Cartago, near Ziomara, that I thought would work for me but it didn't work out. We found it very difficult to find a place that was furnished, in a safe area, close to the bus and in my price range. I also didn't want a mountain to climb.
Friday Jose came to take me again to Cartago because I was still thinking of that area. I told him as long as it was a safe area I would take away the requirement of bus nearby. There are tons of taxi and quite reasonable. He said he wanted to show me something before we went to Cartago to see if I had any interest. We headed in the opposite direction, but not too far. We went past the electrical plant and left at the church. Past the terminal which is the end of the line for the buses. The road turned to gravel. The houses were farther apart. He pulled up to a gate, which was locked and showed me a house that sits in the middle of a big yard. There is a creek, tons of big rocks and you can hear the river. The area and river are called Rio Macho. Jose went down the fence a little ways and opened a little gate and said " Come, it is an adventure." We climbed over the rocks and creek - well, he did and I slipped and got my pants muddy. The property is owned by people who live in town - get this, across the street from me and I hadn't met them or given them cookies. He works for the electric company. We looked around, checked out the coffee plantation next door which his father owns and headed back to town to change pants and see if we could get a key.
I changed and went out to meet Jose and he called me over. I met the owner, I will figure out his name soon, and we took their son, Brandon, and their nephew, Joseph, back with us. They are young men in their 20's who are going to University for English. The parents speak very little English.
So, the house. They have been working on it slowly and weren't ready to rent it. Jose knew about it because when they put the new roof on he bought the old material. Now they are going to speed up the work. The bottom of the walls are stone then logs. In some places you could see out between the logs but they are putting strips of wood over all those areas. There aren't ceilings really, just the roof. It reminds me of my friend Kaye's lake home but maybe 20-30 years ago. The kitchen is pretty much a sink but since the kitchen is so important to me, we are working on that. They are lovely people and willing to do anything I need. It will take a bit of time but I will do my best to be patient. I believe the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. I love the deck in the back and will spend a lot of time there. There are all kinds of fruit trees and I can plant anywhere I want. There is an area to the right of the house where I am going to start. One day soon Jose and his workers will come and get my bags of dirt and all the plants I am taking with me and get things started. The property is very large and there aren't any neighbors really close. None at all on one side or behind. The mountain is across the street. And did I mention I can hear the river. I love the sound. Birds and birds and birds and butterflies and we will see what else.
The river at the back
From the road
Just really needs window boxes
The deck. They are working so their supplies and equipment
Next door is a coffee plantation and I have already been told I will be taught coffee picking late this year and how to take it to the cup to drink.
The biggest surprise - I have found the best sidewalk in all of Costa Rica right outside my door. The electric company, ICE, put it in so that people could walk safe and it goes for miles. It is about 300 meters - about 3 long blocks - to the bus and there is a little store along the way. It will be farther for anything else so I will have to be organized when I go to town. We will do the crochet ladies at Jeanette's and I will continue with the craft ladies.
Now, the pièce de résistance. Saturday when we went back to visit with the owners and give them an idea what I wanted or needed, they took me for a walk. Out the back, over rocks, through coffee plants and there, at the edge of the property, is my very own spot on the river. This time I wore tennis shoes so I didn't slip and had a hand to help me all the time. It is a short walk and a beautiful spot. They say the water is very cold but people do go in. Or, I can sit and read. The spot on the river where people go swimming and there are wonderful big rocks is only 700 meters up my wonderful sidewalk.
How could I resist! I have paid rent for 3 months and will be moving little by little with a lot of help over the next 2 weeks. And in case you are wondering what this paradise is costing me, it is $400.00 a month including all my utilities. It is furnished and they are going to add a stove with an oven and a clothes washer. There is already a refrigerator. By the way, when a house here says furnished that may just mean it has cupboards in the kitchen. Unfurnished has nothing but a sink. This has overstuffed furniture in the living room - really comfortable, a bed in each bedroom (2) whatever I want for tables. No cupboards in the kitchen area but my shelving units will work for now. There is a wardrobe in one of the bedrooms. The deck is covered and I will have furniture and my hammock. We can already see thanksgiving dinner there.
Thursday, June 1, 2017
Finished, and with 15 minutes to spare.
I finished the baby blanket last night and now I am back to working on my bag. I am almost finished with the main part of the bag and then I have 100 inches of strap to crochet. I wanted something where the straps also go around the bottom to help support it. Once that is done, I can sew the lining in it. I don't have much planned the next few days so I will have time. The ladies are stopping by on Monday to give me anything that is finished in case I want to take it with me and pick up yarn for projects and Tuesday morning Otto is coming. I need to move some plants around to under the sarong so they get rain. I showed Ana the tomatoes yesterday so she will watch them and take them when they are ripe. I have things to plant and I will hopefully get that done Sunday. I have a couple berries on my plant in the pineapple plantation and people say strawberry but I haven't seen strawberries with thorns on the stems. Emilio says wild raspberry. They too will probably ripen when I am gone. The garden is in pretty good shape and should be fine while I am gone as long as it rains often - which it definitely has been doing.
Nothing new and exciting. Katherine is working on the new cards for Chicas Buenas - good girls. My suitcase will be full of items to sell, coffee and jelly. Coming back I could probably use 12 suitcases instead of 2 with all the stuff I have ordered and have at Heather's house. I keep saying I will have a plastic tub and when it is full I will quit ordering. I have now changed that to the whole garage.
Tuesday when Ligia Sanchez and Jeanette were here we were talking about projects and what I am bringing back. I told them in July I am learning to do the stitching on checked gingham and they said they do that too and Ligia will teach me. Jeanette was showing me a picture from her phone of a tablecloth and stitching and trying to get me to figure out what it is and asking me to bring some. I went in the back to one of my tubs and got out a big piece of counted cross stitch canvas. They were so excited. I said they could each have half. Then I dug out a bag of embroidery thread my friend, Judi, had given me years ago and gave them that. They are meeting Tuesday at Jeanett's house to work on it. Another find from the Digs put to good use.
Nothing new and exciting. Katherine is working on the new cards for Chicas Buenas - good girls. My suitcase will be full of items to sell, coffee and jelly. Coming back I could probably use 12 suitcases instead of 2 with all the stuff I have ordered and have at Heather's house. I keep saying I will have a plastic tub and when it is full I will quit ordering. I have now changed that to the whole garage.
Tuesday when Ligia Sanchez and Jeanette were here we were talking about projects and what I am bringing back. I told them in July I am learning to do the stitching on checked gingham and they said they do that too and Ligia will teach me. Jeanette was showing me a picture from her phone of a tablecloth and stitching and trying to get me to figure out what it is and asking me to bring some. I went in the back to one of my tubs and got out a big piece of counted cross stitch canvas. They were so excited. I said they could each have half. Then I dug out a bag of embroidery thread my friend, Judi, had given me years ago and gave them that. They are meeting Tuesday at Jeanett's house to work on it. Another find from the Digs put to good use.
I think it turned out cute.
My bag
Isn't this cute! Ligia Sanchez made it. The decorations are pull tabs. We had fun teasing her that she drinks a lot.
Monday, May 29, 2017
Could it really be two and a half weeks since my last post!
I have been very busy. Doing what you might ask. Well, I could tell you I have been having a mad passionate affair but you would just laugh so I will tell you what else has been keeping me busy. I am still working to finish the monkey face hat for Lexi, I made a purse for my friend Kathy's two year old granddaughter. I have to sew the strap and flowers on it before I take it to Fargo. I am crocheting a purse for me so I don't take my big purse with all the scarves on it with me on the trip. I like how it is looking and once it is done I will line it. Then, last Thursday I found out there is a baby shower this Thursday for Anita's granddaughter so I got busy making a baby blanket. It is coming along well and I am pretty sure I will get it done. I am going to ask that the next baby they give me more than a week.
I went with Katherine's family to Don Fernando's meat market and PriceSmart. The meat market is one of the few places with real bacon and ham and they rave about the beef. I only bought some cooked ham and a few slices of roast beef. I loved the ham. Not so much the beef but I am sure it was just the cooking, not the quality of the meat. They didn't have any bacon but Katherine had bought me a package so I got to try that. Cooked up crispy and was good. Now the kicker - it was all very expensive. Not something I would splurge on often. Especially since so far Heather and Kaye have brought me all my bacon and ham. That is a really good price for me. Courtney was in my cart at PriceSmart and everything she liked she would say "I don't have that at my house."
I made a trip to the hospital on a Tuesday so I have hit everyday they are open for chemo. This time I had hats and chocolate so I was very popular with patients, staff and security.
Yesterday I spent the day with Ziomaro and her family. She and María José are living at her parents while her house is under construction. They are adding a second floor with a bedroom for María José and a tv room. It will be about 3 more weeks before they get back in. We had a great lunch similar to tostadas and I brought a Hummingbird Cake. Douglas's oldest daughter wants to go with me to the hospital the next time I go. She is going to university to be a social worker.
Emilio plans to start a business called Thrift Nation and I had given Ziomara a bunch of clothes from Heather. She is so busy right now so once she gets back in her house she will give them to him to see if he can use them.
It has been raining a lot. My one planter with the big, tall weed doesn't have any drainage so I am managing to kill it. The bugs were all gone but today they were back. I sprayed again but with all the rain it washes it away pretty fast. I noticed today a bunch of little tomatoes so they will probably be ripe just as I leave. I added a bunch of orchids to the trunk of the avocado tree so it will be quite beautiful when they bloom.
That's about it. Life goes on as usual. Craft ladies are coming here July 6th to go thru everything I bring back and crochet ladies are anxious for more yarn and to get started on items Kaye ordered.
My sore tailbone is improving and Otto will be here again right before I leave for the US.
I went with Katherine's family to Don Fernando's meat market and PriceSmart. The meat market is one of the few places with real bacon and ham and they rave about the beef. I only bought some cooked ham and a few slices of roast beef. I loved the ham. Not so much the beef but I am sure it was just the cooking, not the quality of the meat. They didn't have any bacon but Katherine had bought me a package so I got to try that. Cooked up crispy and was good. Now the kicker - it was all very expensive. Not something I would splurge on often. Especially since so far Heather and Kaye have brought me all my bacon and ham. That is a really good price for me. Courtney was in my cart at PriceSmart and everything she liked she would say "I don't have that at my house."
I made a trip to the hospital on a Tuesday so I have hit everyday they are open for chemo. This time I had hats and chocolate so I was very popular with patients, staff and security.
Yesterday I spent the day with Ziomaro and her family. She and María José are living at her parents while her house is under construction. They are adding a second floor with a bedroom for María José and a tv room. It will be about 3 more weeks before they get back in. We had a great lunch similar to tostadas and I brought a Hummingbird Cake. Douglas's oldest daughter wants to go with me to the hospital the next time I go. She is going to university to be a social worker.
Emilio plans to start a business called Thrift Nation and I had given Ziomara a bunch of clothes from Heather. She is so busy right now so once she gets back in her house she will give them to him to see if he can use them.
It has been raining a lot. My one planter with the big, tall weed doesn't have any drainage so I am managing to kill it. The bugs were all gone but today they were back. I sprayed again but with all the rain it washes it away pretty fast. I noticed today a bunch of little tomatoes so they will probably be ripe just as I leave. I added a bunch of orchids to the trunk of the avocado tree so it will be quite beautiful when they bloom.
That's about it. Life goes on as usual. Craft ladies are coming here July 6th to go thru everything I bring back and crochet ladies are anxious for more yarn and to get started on items Kaye ordered.
My sore tailbone is improving and Otto will be here again right before I leave for the US.
My poor dying weed
Lots more orchids
A new batch of bananas
The young ones break my heart
Our birthday party for Ligia
Jeanette's granddaughter being our model
The layout of my baby blanket.
Thursday, May 11, 2017
I know my two followers can't wait to hear about the last 10 days.
I promise it won't be a minute by minute report. but it was a busy 10 days. I had a little accident as it started so I was moving slow. It had been raining a little and I headed to get clothes off the line. There is a white tiled area near my house that slants down to the courtyard. As I stepped on it I went down really hard on my tailbone. Ana happened to be watching me and she moved a piece of carpet on the tiles but when Gerardo came he switched it for rubber mats so I should be good. I didn't pull any muscles, just bruised really hard. Otto worked on it today and it doesn't seem to be as sore. I had also just been to the pharmacy for drops for an ear infection. That is gone now.
Jose got a different car so we picked Kaye and Harvey Richard up in style. She came with lots of luggage for 48 canning jars, lots of checked gingham for the craft ladies, cocoa butter oil and 4 big bags of chocolate, ham and bacon. At least going back she was able to consolidate but she still had to make room for a basket she bought from a man along the road, a statue carved from coffee roots, lots of coffee and lots of crochet items and hand stitched pieces.
It turns out Harvey Richard had never had a massage so we told Otto that. He really enjoyed it, as did Kaye. She gets them all the time but said he was very good. Jose was here at 1:45 and the ladies at 1:50 and off they went. We headed for the bus stop and wouldn't you know it, nothing went right. The bus was really late and although it is never full because it is starting out, it was. Others had to give up their seats for us old people but with people standing in the aisle you couldn't see much of the scenery. We connected with Jose in front of the church and headed for the finca. There were a good number of ladies there and several of them and my ladies had their things out for sale. Emilio was there to help with translating. The ladies had made several traditional foods for them to try and we all had a good time. Kaye has Ligia and Jeanette making her some tops and Anita making her dish towels with crocheted edges. Whatever is done I will take with me in June. For the trip home we managed to all get in the car with two ladies sitting in the back luggage area. One of them kept falling off whatever she was sitting on so we did a lot of laughing.
We did a little switching and at 9:00am Gerardo was here to head to the finca. We went vía his other properties first. It had done a lot of heavy raining Thursday night so we were a little concerned about the ride up the mountain on the tiny road, straight up. WE HAD GOOD REASON TO BE CONCERNED. At one point we started sliding towards the dropoff. No problem, you just back up and go faster. We were concerned about Harvey Richard and his pacemaker but we all made it. Kaye was on the dropoff side so she was a bit of a wreck. I just sat and laughed. I knew Gerardo knew his road. He was grinning like mad and enjoying the whole process. We made it up and down and had him drop us off at the hammock bridge so we could walk to lunch and home. We changed Jose and the coffee tour to 3:00 but by then it was starting to rain so we made changes in what we did. There is a new place just outside Orosi he showed us that will be fabulous when it is finished. Hot mineral pools, beautiful landscaping, covered eating area and a full house with 6 bedrooms. Hacienda Orosi. The pools and eating area are available now, just not the house. Wonderful spot for a group of 12.
Saturday morning we left at 9:00 for Puerto Viejo and the Bird House. We made it to Puerto Viejo for a late lunch after a stop for beverages at another gorgeous small resort. Puerto Viejo has wonderful fish dishes. Jose's was a whole fish - a big fish, Kaye and I had snapper and Harvey Richard had shrimp. The Bird House is farther from Puerto Viejo than where Emilio and I stayed and farther back from the beach. A nice spot in the jungle. Upstairs were 2 bedrooms, a bathroom and living area. Main floor has a bedroom, bathroom and kitchen/living area. Mosquito netting on all the beds. My main complaint was both living areas were completely open so as soon as it got dark the bugs moved in. We ended up moving the table into our bedroom so we could play Quiddler and have a late snack. If it were mine I would put mosquito netting around the living area. It would be easy enough to do.
Sunday morning we met Alex, our guide, at 8:30am. He is Bribri, one of the indigenous tribes and has a talent for languages. He speaks Bribri, Spanish, English and French and is studying two others. I think Mandarin is one of them and maybe German. We had many options for what we wanted to do for the day in the Talamanca area. We rode thru the area where Costa Rica is on one side of the river and Panama on the other. We learned about the people and what they do and how they live. We stopped and visited on the river where boats take people to different places. Boats or walking are the main means of transportation. The main occupations are working in the fields and doing jobs others don't want to do like coffee picking. We also paid a very interesting visit to a Shaman in a traditional hut and learned about what they go through to become a Shaman. They are trained from ages 4-22 and must past tests to be able to continue. At the end he performed a blessing.
It was very hot so we returned to Puerto Viejo for lunch with Alex - more fish - and ended about 2:00. A nap or a walk or read a book or time by the pool. It was decided we would leave early and spend some time in San Jose before taking them to their airport hotel. The ham, bread, my pickles, chips, fruit, peanut butter and jelly came in very handy for our late snacks. Harvey Richard decided he really liked the yogurt and granola I brought along for breakfast and the last morning we finished up almost everything.
We left about 8:15 and made it to San Jose for a late lunch at a really good spot, The Patio. It is right
near the Gold Museum with an extensive display of PreColumbian Gold. We spent time there and then headed to the airport area. Traffic is terrible and it took us 3 hours to get to Orosi. All in all a good time.
This week was back to normal with 2 of the crochet ladies here on Tuesday, Otto here this morning and the craft ladies this afternoon. Hopefully tomorrow or Saturday I can get more planting done. No sign of bugs.
Jose got a different car so we picked Kaye and Harvey Richard up in style. She came with lots of luggage for 48 canning jars, lots of checked gingham for the craft ladies, cocoa butter oil and 4 big bags of chocolate, ham and bacon. At least going back she was able to consolidate but she still had to make room for a basket she bought from a man along the road, a statue carved from coffee roots, lots of coffee and lots of crochet items and hand stitched pieces.
It turns out Harvey Richard had never had a massage so we told Otto that. He really enjoyed it, as did Kaye. She gets them all the time but said he was very good. Jose was here at 1:45 and the ladies at 1:50 and off they went. We headed for the bus stop and wouldn't you know it, nothing went right. The bus was really late and although it is never full because it is starting out, it was. Others had to give up their seats for us old people but with people standing in the aisle you couldn't see much of the scenery. We connected with Jose in front of the church and headed for the finca. There were a good number of ladies there and several of them and my ladies had their things out for sale. Emilio was there to help with translating. The ladies had made several traditional foods for them to try and we all had a good time. Kaye has Ligia and Jeanette making her some tops and Anita making her dish towels with crocheted edges. Whatever is done I will take with me in June. For the trip home we managed to all get in the car with two ladies sitting in the back luggage area. One of them kept falling off whatever she was sitting on so we did a lot of laughing.
We did a little switching and at 9:00am Gerardo was here to head to the finca. We went vía his other properties first. It had done a lot of heavy raining Thursday night so we were a little concerned about the ride up the mountain on the tiny road, straight up. WE HAD GOOD REASON TO BE CONCERNED. At one point we started sliding towards the dropoff. No problem, you just back up and go faster. We were concerned about Harvey Richard and his pacemaker but we all made it. Kaye was on the dropoff side so she was a bit of a wreck. I just sat and laughed. I knew Gerardo knew his road. He was grinning like mad and enjoying the whole process. We made it up and down and had him drop us off at the hammock bridge so we could walk to lunch and home. We changed Jose and the coffee tour to 3:00 but by then it was starting to rain so we made changes in what we did. There is a new place just outside Orosi he showed us that will be fabulous when it is finished. Hot mineral pools, beautiful landscaping, covered eating area and a full house with 6 bedrooms. Hacienda Orosi. The pools and eating area are available now, just not the house. Wonderful spot for a group of 12.
Saturday morning we left at 9:00 for Puerto Viejo and the Bird House. We made it to Puerto Viejo for a late lunch after a stop for beverages at another gorgeous small resort. Puerto Viejo has wonderful fish dishes. Jose's was a whole fish - a big fish, Kaye and I had snapper and Harvey Richard had shrimp. The Bird House is farther from Puerto Viejo than where Emilio and I stayed and farther back from the beach. A nice spot in the jungle. Upstairs were 2 bedrooms, a bathroom and living area. Main floor has a bedroom, bathroom and kitchen/living area. Mosquito netting on all the beds. My main complaint was both living areas were completely open so as soon as it got dark the bugs moved in. We ended up moving the table into our bedroom so we could play Quiddler and have a late snack. If it were mine I would put mosquito netting around the living area. It would be easy enough to do.
Sunday morning we met Alex, our guide, at 8:30am. He is Bribri, one of the indigenous tribes and has a talent for languages. He speaks Bribri, Spanish, English and French and is studying two others. I think Mandarin is one of them and maybe German. We had many options for what we wanted to do for the day in the Talamanca area. We rode thru the area where Costa Rica is on one side of the river and Panama on the other. We learned about the people and what they do and how they live. We stopped and visited on the river where boats take people to different places. Boats or walking are the main means of transportation. The main occupations are working in the fields and doing jobs others don't want to do like coffee picking. We also paid a very interesting visit to a Shaman in a traditional hut and learned about what they go through to become a Shaman. They are trained from ages 4-22 and must past tests to be able to continue. At the end he performed a blessing.
It was very hot so we returned to Puerto Viejo for lunch with Alex - more fish - and ended about 2:00. A nap or a walk or read a book or time by the pool. It was decided we would leave early and spend some time in San Jose before taking them to their airport hotel. The ham, bread, my pickles, chips, fruit, peanut butter and jelly came in very handy for our late snacks. Harvey Richard decided he really liked the yogurt and granola I brought along for breakfast and the last morning we finished up almost everything.
We left about 8:15 and made it to San Jose for a late lunch at a really good spot, The Patio. It is right
near the Gold Museum with an extensive display of PreColumbian Gold. We spent time there and then headed to the airport area. Traffic is terrible and it took us 3 hours to get to Orosi. All in all a good time.
This week was back to normal with 2 of the crochet ladies here on Tuesday, Otto here this morning and the craft ladies this afternoon. Hopefully tomorrow or Saturday I can get more planting done. No sign of bugs.
This was one of my first purchases 2 years ago. it has done nothing but look droopy for 2 years. a couple days ago I noticed lots of buds. This was today.
Jose outside the Shaman's hut
Transportation in the Talamanca area.
Some of the guys playing dominoes. They liked my cookies.
The poo;s at the Hacienda Orosi.
The pool and outdoor eating area.
Some of the landscaping
Kaye, Gerardo and Harvey Richard on the mountaintop.
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
I think, I think, I think
At least for now the bugs are gone. You would be too if you had to live in a garden that smells like mine. Definitely not a nice flowery smell. Whatever Gerardo gave me smells like cayenne pepper and yesterday I put the garlic mixture on everything. And, just for good measure I sprinkled all the cooked garlic all over the garden. I will wait and watch before I do the next dose. They didn't get the beautiful orchid but the flowers are done so now I can plant it in one of my big planters. I wanted to wait until it was done blooming.
Last night Katherine and I were messaging and she said for school today Courtney needed to dress like a chef and she had nothing. As I was figuring out how I could help she said Courtney had changed her mind and wanted to be a painter. I said she needs a beret and she said she didn't have anything. I think it took me about a half hour to make her one and deliver it. She looked so cute this morning.
Katherine and her family are involved in various gluten free flours that are now becoming available in the US. Yuca, banana and now breadfruit. The idea is to be as close to wheat as possible without having to add a lot of other ingredients. Today I made a loaf of regular strawberry bread and a loaf using breadfruit flour. We will try them for coffee. I didn't use any baking powder so it isn't as tall as the one with baking powder. I will try it again using some and see how it works.
Tomorrow Kaye and Harvey Richard get here and our busy week of fun begins. The indigenous guide has been confirmed for our day to Bribri and Jose will be available the whole time they are here to make things easier.
The house is pretty clean, the curtains are back up, I have moved to the guest bedroom and mine is all ready for Kaye, the massage table is ready. I have a little last minute shopping to do tomorrow but I think I am in pretty good shape. We leave here at 5:00pm.
Last night Katherine and I were messaging and she said for school today Courtney needed to dress like a chef and she had nothing. As I was figuring out how I could help she said Courtney had changed her mind and wanted to be a painter. I said she needs a beret and she said she didn't have anything. I think it took me about a half hour to make her one and deliver it. She looked so cute this morning.
Katherine and her family are involved in various gluten free flours that are now becoming available in the US. Yuca, banana and now breadfruit. The idea is to be as close to wheat as possible without having to add a lot of other ingredients. Today I made a loaf of regular strawberry bread and a loaf using breadfruit flour. We will try them for coffee. I didn't use any baking powder so it isn't as tall as the one with baking powder. I will try it again using some and see how it works.
Tomorrow Kaye and Harvey Richard get here and our busy week of fun begins. The indigenous guide has been confirmed for our day to Bribri and Jose will be available the whole time they are here to make things easier.
The house is pretty clean, the curtains are back up, I have moved to the guest bedroom and mine is all ready for Kaye, the massage table is ready. I have a little last minute shopping to do tomorrow but I think I am in pretty good shape. We leave here at 5:00pm.
My breads
My bohemian sweetie.
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