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Costa Rica 2008
9:55 am Seattle
Flight to Dallas
Entry by Guido
                                                                                                (Goober: “I like Guidos!”)
So here we go again on another adventure/pilgrimage to Zancudo in Costa Rica. Well, we’ll “go” soon hopefully. We’re late. The plan was supposed to have left by now, but for some reason we’re still at the gate. The door is closed and at any moment we should push off. I’m glad we have plenty of time (THUNK! We pushed off) in Dallas; Admirals Club time, definitely: Cookies, Coffee, and a drinky. Anyway here we are; the whole fam. Sometimes it is really funny to think about that still. This might be our last CR trip for a bit. Money and other plans may divert our schedule and intentions in the next year or more. It almost did this year, but thankfully we had miles & points to pay for 80% of it. So yeah, the whole family, at least as it stands now. We’ve been a 4-piece thus far but soon we’ll add a new fuzzy member to “Team G”. I’ll try not to blather on about the doggie plans and whatnot too much here, but considering that my reading material consists of 2 dog books… well, that might be a tall order and besides, these attempts at journals are always part travel accounts and part whatever’s on the brain. So whatever. :)

This will be my seventh trip. Wow. I had no idea what I was getting into when I signed up to go the first time in 1999. Now I’ve managed to turn this trip into a requirement and I’ve infected everyone else with that need. Woo!
 

7:03am San José
Marriott Courtyard
Entry by Guido
The theme of the trip thus far is “delay”. After our unexplained delay in leaving Seattle our Dallas flight was delayed to 6:50 from 6:20, then delayed to 7:30. Then it changed to 7:25. By 7:00 they still hadn’t boarded. So off Goob & Stacia went to go looking around, once they got word that they would begin boarding in 20 minutes. Soon as they left our sight they called for boarding. Kylie eventually found them and on the plane we went. Unfortunately, the delays continued as it took forever for us to push off. We got in 1.5 hours late. (Note: Don’t ever sit at the back of the plane next to the lavatories.) Customs and immigration was fine; then we found our usual cash machine. No, wait, it’s busted, so on to the next one.  Busted too! 3^rd one happened to be the charm, so we got our taxi and headed for the Marriott. Too bad we were booked at the Courtyard! DOH! So finally after mucho delayage we got to our room at 1:00am and plopped. Funny thing about any Marriott is that it always feels like business, no matter what. Oh well. It works fine but it ain’t no Don Carlos! (And $40 for 4 continental breakfasts is a JOKE!)
Our Golfito flight isn’t until 11:41. Bleah. We want to go now!! Er, probably for the best that it is so late because we’re slow this morning. And 25% of us are sleeping, 50% of us are un-showered, and our bag is in shambles. Plus, we need food. Anyway at that time our “Costa Rica Triathlon” will commence: One Plane, One Boat, One Truck. Then it is Zancudo time. Wooo! More later.
 

(Goober Entry)
It’s so nice and bright and clear and warm out there. I think I’ve been looking forward to this trip as much as any other time we’ve come. Mid-winter refresh, bright sun, disconnected from everything, maybe one fast email check then… ah… time to refresh. I so need this. I’m also happy to spend time with my Guido and the girls without all the usual distractions of home.
 

Sunday Morning, 8:45
Harry House, Zancudo
Entry by Goober
My brain is blank, and it’s a wonderful feeling. Normally my brain would be filled with work thoughts – but they’re just not there. And there’s just nothing. It’s nice. :)
So, after breakfast at the Marriott buffet, we caught the shuttle to the airport. The Sansa terminal is in the middle of being completely rebuilt, so it’s looking strange at the moment. You walk across the a grated drain covered by broken planks through this narrow alley/walkway with people lining both walls – one side sitting in old busted chairs, the other leaning propped against the wall. It was a scene reminiscent of the red light district in Amsterdam at night meets airport waiting room. We arrived way early (10:25 for an 11:40 flight), so we had time to walk over to the main airport and get some more cash. Then we just waited. Stood around in the parking lot, measured the width by various feet (50, 54, 37), sat in the chairs in the waiting area. Waited. Waited.
 

Finally in the plane, Guido & Kylie sat in the front row, Stacia and I just behind them. The weather was particularly cloudy/grey and the flight was pretty bumpy – both through the mountains and crossing the Osa. But the winds weren’t bad so the landing was quite smooth. Too grey/foggy/misty to take any good pics this time. And no pilot cookies. Stopped at the grocery at mullecito in Golfito, grabbed a few things and hopped on the boat.
 

Susan was at the dock, but she was very surprised to see us. She was expecting us on the next flight. It was all okay though, just a little awkward. We piled in the truck and headed up the road. I think they must have redone the road recently because it’s in really good shape. Potholes are gone! It was a (relatively) smooth ride! :)
 

Got in, got settled in, made another quick grocery trip. Went for a swim, and soon it was time for dinner. Time for our first trip over to Sol y Mar. How many cheeseburgers? It turned out to be three this time. Took the road back, using the fridge door as our location marker. Then we settled in for an evening of Uno. Before long it was time for a few puzzles, then bed. It rained a ton overnight and we didn’t sleep well. We’ll see how it goes tonight. Maybe this new place will just take some getting used to.
 

Sunday Night, 8:59
Entry by Kylie
I was just writing the ending to my book when Mom Goob plopped the journal in front of me. Oh well… This morning seemed so long ago. Stacia and I work up around 8 o’clock, which is pretty early considering we usually get up at 10 on normal weekends. No particular breakfast, just nibblin’ out of the fridge. Guido found us three coconut trees today. One by our porch, and two by the coconut graveyard. We found a good # of sticks on the one by our cabin, but after we saw the bug infestation we decided to pass. It turned out Guido just twisted 2 coconuts off a tree by the graveyard. Mom & Stacia are going to the wildlife refuge tomorrow, which leave me & Guido at the house to eat our coconuts, watermelon, and pineapple. The pineapple this year is delicious! Oh, and the mangos! I can’t believe it’s only been 3 days since school ended, as it seems much longer. Despite my boredom so far (I finished my entertainment last night), I don’t want this to end!
 

Monday, 8:55am
Entry by Guido
So I have a bunch of random thoughts floating around that I could/should write about. Sadly, writing takes so long the brain can’t remember them all for long enough to write them out. Typing is so much fast and efficient. I think Goob covered this disorder well last year. Let’s call it the “Hand/Brain Gap”. Mind the gap! HA! Ahem. So, yeah!
 

-SO, the house is ok. We definitely like the cabins at Los Cocos better. The good: Large, big deck, nice hammock, 2 bedrooms, stocked kitchen (mostly. Why does every knife in Zancudo suck?), lots of fans, tables, chairs, counters, a stereo to plug the iPod into, large fridge, oven, dish rack, laundry, um… no bats! I think that’s it. It’s nice, and if I hadn’t spent my last 6 times here at the Los Cocos cabins, or ever been here before, I would think this was magical. Oh yeah, and the alarm bird is very amusing. :) The bad: Neighbors below us, chubby obnoxious, naked neighbor to the left (C.A.N.N. also plays his questionable tastes in music too loud and plays with power tools.) 2^nd floor puts you above the clear view to the beach, not as charming as Los Cocos, toilet is busted, every faucet leaks, no bug netting for sleeping, house has ants, not as private or quiet as Los Cocos. (Oh and C.A.N.N. talks too loud. STFU, fatboy!) Anyway, it’s fine and all, and I’m sure we’ll continue to have a good time.
 

If I could continue to winge (whine)… sleep has been hard. Bugs find me. I have bites on shoulders, elbows, hands… WTF? Then I itch. Bed sucks. Sleep is difficult. When I do sleep, all I dream about is doggies.
 

Speaking of, and this is where the brain gets sidetracked (and I lose the random thoughts), I don’t think my brain has been so focused on a topic or issue while here since the first visit in 1999. Doggies are a nicer topic. We’ve been talking about it, coming up with names for boy puppies for every letter, and I’m reading “Dogs for Dummies cover to cover (Much thanks to Jen for the recommendation!) I’m learning a lot. I also think I’m beginning to believe that a young puppy isn’t, or may not be, the right place to start. I’m too noobish I think, and we may not be able to give as much time as is needed for a youngin’. And as much as I want a boy dog (partially to offset the amount of girliness in my home), I’m more interested in getting a good match. So if a good female was available and we hit it off, I doubt I’d pass her up. Besides, the sooner the better. I want a dog now and for the summer so we can do things and have time to bond and grow before the long dark wet cold winter sets in again. If I wait for a pup, we might miss the opportunity. I still think a lot about that sweet seven month old girl that Mona was fostering. I wonder…
 

Anyway Goobs 1 & 2 are out at the wildlife refuge. Goob3 and I are chillin’ here. I need/get to make rice & beans today for our lunch when they get back. Plus, there’s a coconut to bust into, dog books to read, and plopping to do. A full action packed day here in cloudy and cool Zancudo…
 

Yeah! WTF is up with the weather? It feels like a Seattle summer day! LOL!
 

Monday 2:32pm
Entry by Stacia
So this morning Mom and I went to the Wildlife Refuge. Kylie didn’t want to go and so Paul had to stay. It was really fun though. We saw a pod of dolphins on our way there.
Lulu’s grown since the last time I was here; from a bouncing baby to a lazy girl. She was so mellow and cute. She kept climbing up onto people and laying in their arms or their laps. She crawled into this one guy’s arms and went to sleep. It was so cute! Then the spider monkey that Mom and Paul saw last year, Ginger, was sooo energetic. She was bouncing around and climbing all over people, it was hard to keep track of her. But anyway, the local leafcutter and have formed a new trail (only a couple days old) and are carrying leaves (yeah duh) and bugs, really big bugs (it was funny. They got one stuck under a stick and couldn’t move it.) There were these 3 little boys on the tour too, they were annoying. They kept “playing” with monkeys. In truth they just wanted the attention of having a monkey on them.
 

Sometime near the end of the tour the police and coast guard showed up. They said that they “weren’t happy with the way the refuge was being run.” They brought cages off the boat they were on along with a “catcher” (stick with a loop on end) and started taking pictures of all the animals. It’s a shame really. I’d hate to see that place go.
 

Everyone on the boat left in a sorta sad/angry tone. But then we went snorkeling and everyone seemed to cheer up after that. A couple saw a stingray and a Tang and then another woman might have seen a parrotfish. I didn’t see anything, not even the jellyfish that sting me everywhere. So after two years they’re still there.
 

So I go out after five minutes and sat there with Mom and this other woman from California. After a while everyone got back in the boat and we munched on Chikis, shortbread cookies, Coke, and Fanta.
 

On our way back we stopped (well, slowed down actually) to take pictures of the wildlife (a.k.a. birds) We saw two alligators (crocodiles?), but no one got pictures of those.
 

So now I’m here, sittin’ in the hammock, full of rice and beans, Mom’s sleeping, Kylie’s impatient and wants to go swimming, and Paul, well, I don’t know where he is, but he just cracked and ate a good part of a coconut (with Kylie)
 

Tuesday 10:30 am
Entry by Goober

(Guido – “Ow.”)
(Kylie – “Paul said it was like living in a damp towel.”)
(Stacia – “Cookies give me energy!”)
 

Just got back from a nice long walk on the beach w/ Guido. I think he’s itchin for some swimming. We found the sand dollar part of the beach – it seems like it’s moved north some. We didn’t get up early this morning like we’d planned. Paul had another crappy night sleeping and it took me awhile too. It DUMPED last night. Downpour after continuous downpour. And this place has a tin roof so the noise was thunderous. Several times we had to stop what we were doing just to listen. Good thing we came home from dinner (BBQ!) at Sol y Mar when we did. Otherwise we would have been completely soaked and damp all night.
 

Once we were back from dinner, we settled in for our after-dinner game adventure. Last night the game of choice was poker. The girls had never played. I only know about it peripherally by osmosis. So Guido was our resident expert. Overall it was good. Stacia was the first to get bored. She tried hard to lose for several hands. Finally Paul released her from her burden and relieved her of her “all in” for the like the third time. Off she went to do puzzles then go to bed. Kylie was next – but she went down swinging. Paul couldn’t help himself but egg her on. She too was soon out. Off to bed she went, I think. I hung in there for a little bit, but surrendered as soon as the girls were gone. Playing in conservation mode waiting for a good hand doesn’t allow you to make much headway. Even when you do finally get a good hand, there’s not much left to bet, so the stakes by definition can’t be too high.
 

My ankles got totally eaten yesterday at the wildlife refuge. Bleah! No sir, I don’t like it! :-)
Laundry is going now – 2 loads. 1^st one is probably done now. Should probably do my duty and go take care of it. Ta-tah for now!
 

Wednesday 1:35
Entry by Guido
Well, the sun and heat finally showed up. It’s been almost cool (the ladies said it was cold) each day and the night’s even more so, especially with fans. But it’s back to normal. Nice midday breeze, hot bright, and ready to scortch pasty white boys. I need the sun. It has to recharge the batteries until spring, and biking starts up. Speaking of sun, Slacker and I just went swimming. I put 30SPF on, but I think I burned anyway. My face is warm.
 

I’m hungry. It’s lunch time. I need to make beans again. These ladies can eat! Especially the little ones. Especially the littlest one…
 

This feels right, now. The weather’s been odd and with the new house I’ve felt off my game. I’m sitting & swinging in my hammock, tunes playing, Goober with puzzle, Kylie amusing herself with something, birds squawking, and Slacker engrossed with Super Mario 3. Oh yeah, and juice with rum! WOOO! Tomorrow 2 of us are going on the boat tour with Susan. I’m going; not sure who else. I’ve paid for two. In the end, I don’t care.
 

The beach is growing, or maybe receding, from the water’s perspective. Each year the stretch of debris gets wider and the beach steeper. Maybe in the offseason you see more shifting, but it sure seems like the cabins are getting further away.
 

I suppose I should go make lunch. Seems like I cook everything here, except for the grilled sammiches. I don’t get in the master’s way…
 

Wednesday afternoon sometime
Entry by Goober
The rain started early last night – before dark – and continued, although not quite as heavy, through the entire night. Everything outside was damp this morning; the couch, the hammock, the chair pillows… EWW! But the sky was blue – lots of blue – for the first time of this trip it stayed clear. The tide was out this morning. Big beach, big blue sky, storm clouds growing over the Osa. I’m crossing my fingers that the funky weather has finally broken. This is my favorite time of day – afternoon – the sun’s out, the water is very choppy with waves, there’s a nice, strong, consistent warm wind. Everything is in motion and the sound of the leaves moving in the wind is so relaxing. I bet the towels are even dry! :)
 

Thursday, Somewhere between 10 and 12…
Entry by Guido
I’ve been instructed to write in the journal. So here I go. The funny thing is that after 7, yes, SEVEN visits, the journals all end up about the same. 90% of what we do is the same every time, and the 10% is made up of new tours, Zancudo changes, sport fishing, and the occasional marriage proposal :) Each day is the same; containing a mixture of the following: