Scrap’n and Protest'n

I mentioned the urge to blog was at an all time high so I will post just about anything that is going on these days.  This heap of shit, over 1800 lbs, has just been slowly piling up out at the farm.  Some of it has heaved up out of the ground, and I can't recall how the rest of it came to be.  All I knew was that I had to borrow a car hauler to move it away because tucked down in that load are some steel beams off a windmill or something that were well over 14 feet long.  My little trailer wasn't up to that task.  It was all organized and ready to go - too bad the price of it was terrible.  At $0.05 a pound one does not get rich in my position, but you do get rid of it.

I convinced Steve to help me.  Being retired has its many advantages such as having the bulk of most days freed up.  Plus I did him a solid by delivering a huge load of slab wood, a tonne worth anyway, and various other cuts of wood that he needs for a project.  So instead of going only one direction with a load and returning empty, any trucker worth his/her salt would go both ways full - such as myself.  We loaded it by hand, and Tyler unloaded it with the claw!

  

Up next was a civics lesson for the entire family in protesting.  Shelly and her friends got into the spirit of it all a few days ago when people got together for a good-ole-fashioned sign making party.  Then just the other night about 300 people from the education sector mostly gathered in Blyth and demonstrated in front of the Education Minister's office.  It was a pretty tame outing all in all, but we had signs and flags and a unified message that the cuts in the budget to education are too much.  It is sad that this government is sinking below the Snobelem/Harris government policies of the mid 90s.  

School enrollments' are steady, but class sizes are increasing at an unprecedented level.  As it is there will be significant job loses in September for teachers and support staff in schools, there will be decreased options for students in high school and their course selections, and class sizes will dramatically increase in high schools.  There will be less support for the most vulnerable students with exceptional needs, schools are concerned that healthy eating and nutritional programs will not be able to continue to certain locations, and the arts and humanities and tech courses will be in jeopardy.  There is also a key idea that students have to complete 4 online course credits to graduate high school.  It is terrible.  

I would suggest that the government not do these things, 

but at the very least govern from the center.

Find Efficiencies By:

1.  Scrapping EQAO testing all together

2.  Create incentives for early retirement so that younger teachers get into the profession sooner

3.  Have 1 province wide education system

4.  Institute a fee for students who do "victory laps" in high school

5.  Move most teachers into the classrooms by reducing jobs like "learning for all coaches" and such

6.  Put some pressure on Federal Gov't to offset some education costs

Education should not and can not be run like a business.  There is no commodity to trade, package and especially sell at the end of the day in schools.  Business makes widgets as cheaply as possible to sell at a maximized price.  This does not happen in schools.

Maybe not next year Shelly.  Although Shelly didn't get notification of a layoff, she did get a notification that as of now she does not have a job at the school she's worked at since 2008.  So it is back to the drawing board for her of updating a resume and applying to jobs if and when they get posted.  She is just one of many, probably 15 or 20 teachers who may be uprooted from a school that they call home.  A school that is like a tight community.  Plus these teachers may most likely not be able to apply to a job within their skill sets, because those jobs will be cut.  They won't be offered anymore.  Teachers like her coach sports and build extra curricular programs that kids otherwise would not be involved with outside of the education system.  Teachers who volunteer their time to chaperone dances, run assemblies in schools, and provide outreach to other community groups.  Teachers who are like therapists, job counselors, or social workers who troubleshoot problems outside the normal course of the school day.

I have to give credit where credit is due.  I saw a person holding a sign with the exact same or very similar message as what Molly is holding at a protest back last August....  At the time it was really relevant, but since there is a revised Health and Active Living Curriculum, the "No Sex. Ed." isn't really the case.  But it is politics; you can just say anything you want whether it is true or not.   And also the photo credits go to Laurie Hayden as I poached them from her Facebook page. 

Easter Weekend

Because of the moon phases, I think, Easter was as late in the month of April as it could be. It was just last weekend.  What promised to be an exciting weekend with warm weather and some canoeing, was interrupted by lots of rain and staying indoors.  At any rate the spirit of blogging is a bit of a higher priority having been updating with more frequency, and also just enjoying putting down some thoughts and pictures to this form of media.  Not a lot of extraordinary notes, but still.

Easter starts on Friday morning around here.  My buddies and I got a run in during the rain, but it didn't dampen our spirits too much.  The Boston Marathon took care of that a week prior with my one buddy running 3:10 and the other ran about 3:20.  Despite having put in an incredible amount of work, the return on investment was terrible for them and they were quite disappointed.  There was a great deal of running going on this winter, and they both missed their marks and goals.  However they shook off some cobwebs and picked up their pride for 6 miles of talk and reminiscing of what went wrong and not as planned.

Two hours later the group rejoined on Lighthouse Street for a huge brunch.  Quarterbacking this event started with me in my single days, and it is an event that has continued.  About 15 people in all, were over for a french toast oven bake recipe, some scrambled eggs, muffins, mimosas, fruit salad, yogurt, coffee and bacon.  There was lots to eat, lots of kids, and lots of mess.  But in the end the traditional preserved itself for this year at least.  I am sure there are more to come.

But it rained quite heavily on Friday and Saturday so the initial Saturday plan of canoeing was sunk, and it just prevents us from walking over to the park or getting out bicycles.  We aren't witches or made of sugar, but being out in the rain is not something that I'd do on purpose if it can be avoided.  So it was indoor projects that we attended to.  Actually on Saturday afternoon my dad, the kids and I went to the dump.  My trailer was full of a year or two worth of disposables, and it was time to get rid of them.

On Sunday it was a great day.  Really nice weather, sunny and warm, so it was more of an outdoor kind of day.  The morning started with a neighbourhood Easter egg hunt.  There were about 6 kids and we were up the street.  The parents had coffee and muffins, and the kids were in the yard finding a bounty of hidden treasures.  It was a fun event, and much different then a municipal free-for-all where only the strong survive.  Our town has one of those events - Darwin would be thrilled, but though the spirit of it nice, it is just like kids on the loose from Lord of the Flies.  So the neighbourhood hunt was nice.

There would be a bit of a gathering up at Shelly's parents' place.  Seeing as though the Leaf's game would start at 3:15 or so, we timed the ride to coincide with the drop of the puck.  Watching hockey would have been the perfect rainy day plan.  It was a bit of a shame to watch the game with such nice weather out, but after all it was a playoff and elimination game, so it seemed like a important enough event to view.  The Leafs lost.  It was a bit disappointing, similar to that of staying inside during such a nice day.

That just leaves Monday to summarize.  It was a great day so we were outside a lot on the bikes and out for a walk across the bridge and on the trail.  We walked up to an old neighbour's house for a hello.  The kids are old enough to rip around the block on their own so that they did.

Full Circle

In no time at all we were back on the Easy Ride Shuttle to the San Jose airport.  4 of us were on the ride.  Shelly and I made 2, one lady who owned a resort/retreat like facility in the area, and the other was a down on her luck primary school teacher who 4 months ago sold everything she owned to try and make it in Dominical.  Evidently it didn’t work out for the latter of the two.  She was tearful and weepy from time to time because she was leaving a boyfriend whom she had met, was financially broke, and just seemed to be at the end of any luck whatsoever.  The three girls talked back and forth for much of the 3 hour ride, and I just sat quietly.  Truthfully I was hoping I wasn’t going to have an accident as my guts were rolling!  But the conversation was interesting to say the least; my problems may not be as bad as the one women's.

The night before we left Shelly and I had a Mexican taco scoff.  Maybe that was the source of my gastrointestinal problems throughout the night and prior to leaving. It was unsettling to say the least.  However I just thought positively and sure enough I held it together.

After the tacos, and before the G.I. issues Shelly and I went to a bar called Tortilla Flats.  There was a live 3 person band, no Mike, but also no open mike.  That was fine as it was nice to have 2 last Imperials in the Pacific seashore bar.  It was back to the crib thereafter.

So after 90 minutes of the commute we stopped at the same roadside cafe and tourist trap as a week earlier.  With the help of the one co-traveler with us, the one who wasn’t downtrodden, she said it is a rather famous stop to see river crocodiles.  And huge ones at that.  Sure enough we saw 20 basking in what is Costa Rica’s most polluted river way.  Easily there were 12 footers, if not bigger.  We were a safe distance away.  The driver told us a story, obviously an urban myth, about a tourist who got to close to the crocs and all they found of him was his right leg.

We got to the airport about 3.5 hours early.  We poked around and noticed that the airport was busy, but not bustling.  We checked in and paid a departure tax and proceeded through customs and to our gate.  Having lots of time we had something to eat, and even chit chatted with one of the ladies on our shuttle again.  The one who more was more collected.  Shelly and her enjoyed a few more laughs at their similarities, and Kerry Manter indicated she’d source her out on Facebook.  We never did cross paths with Debbie Downer.  I do hope she made it to her gate and ultimate destination.

The flight home was fine.  It was even 30 minutes early into Toronto.

Overall the trip was lots of fun.  Travelling can boost confidence, but also bring one down.  My confidence was boosted successfully navigating some of the transportation issues and language barriers with people.  It was really a pleasure to get to that fresh water waterfall area, relax at the beach and get into the warm ocean surfing, swimming and body boarding.  I had a good time running each day actually too, and reading my Robert's Rules of Order, and I read The Rooster Bar too.  It got really frustrating getting down to Golfito.  It didn't seem like the day was going to be that arduous considering how well all the other days had been.  But I guess that is what happens.  Of course the best part of it was being with Shelly and bouncing around with her in a different element other then our lives and ways here.  We had lots of laughs.

  

Domincal is a place I would definitely recommend to people.  It is rather rustic, but it has a charm to it which is authentic and real.  The people were very very nice.  Maybe we'll see you again another time.

The summary in CDN $ went something close to:
Flights = $1050
Accommodations = $900
All busing/transport = $300*
Airport Parking = $110
Park Fees = $30
Surfing Lessons/Board/Rentals = $140
Food + Drink = $600*
We only bought two trucker hats as souvenirs which were kind of neat....  But didn't buy anything else in terms of trinkets or anything similar.  They came to about $20 bucks or so.

*estimation could be more or less by 50 bucks or so

Alto Alto

Wouldn’t you know it, but the bus driver kept on driving past the Dominical stop.  Alto!  Alto!  Thankfully the bus didn’t stop every damn 5km like the transit one, but we needed to get off.  Well Alvaro, or whatever the hombres name was, did hit the brakes and dropped 4 of us off on the side of the road 200 or 300 m past the official turn off into town.  Not an ideal spot, but a spot nonetheless.  Whatever.  It would be more then sufficient given the previous ordeals 8 hrs in the making.

The first building we walked by was a hotel with live music playing.  There were a number of salty expatriate types you’d expect to see at such an establishment.  In fact it was open mike night too.  After drinking the neck of the beer, I said to Shelly let’s get up and play.  There was an electric piano, a shitty Washburn guitar with five strings, and Mike from Halifax on the harmonica.  It would be Browned Eyed Girl for our first ditty.  Nobody really payed much mind, even though the establishment was somewhat busy.  They weren’t there for the entertainment principally I guess.  Our encore was Wagon Wheel.

Shelly switched to the guitar, I switched to drinking Mojitos rather then beer, and Mike switched to check out the sunset.  Shelly was up for the next 6 or 7 songs playing some Joel Plaskett, Justin Beiber, and some other artists.   The crowd just kept about their business as darkness fell and the clock rounded 6:30 or so.

It would be back to the rental, into the cold and refreshing outdoor shower, and out to a restaurant by 7:30 for some reflections and decompression meditation.  It was an interesting day.

The next day, Monday, would be our last basically.  I woke up, and feeling quite spritely, ran an extra 5 or 10 minutes more then my usual down here.  The outdoor shower really is exhilarating especially in this climate of this heat.  So I spent a few extra minutes getting all the grit and dirt off in it.  Shelly and I went for a light breakfast and I had a coffee.  Then we poked around the stores one last time.

By noon we loaded up some things to take to the beach.  Chairs from the casa, and our books and water and towels.  We rented a body board so while one person read the other checked out the surf.  It went like that back and forth, the former and the latter until late in the afternoon.  I have been reading my Robert’s Rules of Order, 11th Edition, in preparation for the big final exam on May 11th.  An usual read, but I’ve been getting into it more and more.

Ambling home, we said a few goodbyes to a few locals we had got to know.  

Poo or Papaya?

In Port Hood, NS Alex, Crystal and I would run on the ripped up railroad tracks and it was Crystal who would call out stick or snake from time to time.  It was a warning for what you may step on.  Walking down the streets here it would be applicable to announce poo or papaya.  There always seems to be something to step on or into around here.  The speed bumps aren’t colour marked on the road and it seems as though 3 times a day Shelly gets caught up on one.

To back up a few days we’ve just sort of been hanging out and filling in the days.  I’ve gone and reread this blog a number of times and I am cringing at the various grammatical and formatting mistakes that I am reading and seeing.  It is a bit disappointing, but to create these posts using two thumbs, on a IPhone, in Notes, it is hopefully understandable to the reader.  It is not going to be perfect.  Fixing the errors will give me something to do once we return home.

Shelly and I rented a surf board the other day.  It was a decent success.  We were both up on our feet and cruising towards the shore a number of times without the explanations and assistance from Oscar.

We also decided to go on a journey to a community 130-140km south called Golfito.  Having gone 2 for 2 recently on public transportation, and successfully at that, we thought the third time would be a charm.  In a nutshell it wasn’t.

Drawback 1 was the underestimation of time.  The trip took 3 hrs.  It stopped everywhere, and picked up everyone going to youth soccer games to Palm Sunday church services.  It got to be too much for our impatient selves.  At 10$ though, I all, it was inexpensively priced.  But we wouldn’t do that again anytime soon.  The stopping and starting was just too much to take.

E v e n t u a l l y the bus dropped us off in a community where we still had a 25 km drive to Golfito.  We surrendered to our fate, found a restaurant, had a delicious pizza, then regrouped and zoned in for the next leg.  We would take a taxi the rest of the way for about 8$ or so.  I rode up front with the driver and he spoke Spanish and I nodded with a lot of “si”s and “okay”s.  I figured he was asking a whole bunch of questions that required an affirmative response.  The driver was a religious man with his lucky religious charms on his dash board and a rosary around the rear view mirror.  But the sure tale tell was all the Hail Mary’s he gestured while we passed church after church in the 20km or so drive in.  Hallelujah!

Funny enough it was now 1:00, our day started at 8:00, and there was a 2:00 direct bus back to Dominical, from Golfito, by more of a bus company rather then a transit service that we took in.  We got ourselves 2 tickets for about 35$ or so.  Anything would be better then how we arrived, and at any cost.  We walked around for 45 minutes with a sense of relief. 

Golfito promised to be a really nice spot and it was too bad we never gave it its proper inspections.  They have a really nice National Park, fresh water, beaches, and it is off the beaten trail.  It was not to be for us.  However we filled the day and the journey didn’t consequence our relationship whatsoever!  Going home the bus ride was nice.  We sat near this lady who had two kids about 7 and 4.    The same age as ours.  With little formal verbal communication, we enjoyed each others' company using common buzzword phrases that are nearly universally recognizable and understandable.  Lots of hand gestures too.

As it was we went through an immigration/military checkpoint on the road.  Shelly had no ID or anything at all.  I had my wallet.  The official took my license and shook his head no.  “Passportes”.  I shook my head no.  I said Passportes, hotel, Dominical, and I am pointing with my finger the 100km away it is thinking that will seal the understanding deal.  He shook his head no, and I am sure he said you need your passport amigo so we know who the hell you are.  Shelly has nothing on her.....  

I really wasn’t worried.  The agent, it was clear, seemed like a nice guy.  He got his superior and they jibber-jabbered for a bit and pointed at me 6 feet away.  There he is.   I was shrugging my shoulders, shaking my head no, and still pointing 100km down the road indicating were the passports are.  I am sure he said you need your papers when you are in this end of the country which is within 50km or so from Panama.  It was clear they were not going to haul us off the bus for this minor and incidental transgression.  Thankfully.  My head shaking turned to nodding in agreement, then lots of “si”s and “gracias” after it became clear that this didn’t need to go any further with these two scofflaws then a warning in Spanish.  We got the message.  You couldn’t slap the smile off my face having just avoided what might have been.

All the while the lady with the two kids was staying out of our problems, but she was sympathetic, and tried to explain to us what was going on once the bus accelerated back to cruising speed.  And no sooner had we got up to speed we picked up a feller who gets on buses and sells drinks and deep fried plantains.  It would be a round for everyone at the back of the bus on me.  The kids had a smile on their faces which couldn’t be slapped off either!

Uvita

Repeat of early morning noises.  Repeat of rising before six and feeling like I’ve slept on rocks.  Repeat of going for a run to shake it all out, having a cold shower which really rejuvenates oneself, and repeat of a bite to eat and some reading.

The bus to Uvita would pick us up right outside the abode.  There was also a farmer’s market going on.  From what I could tell it brought people in from surrounding areas who may not otherwise have a reason to come to town.  That’s what they do I suppose.  Anyway there were a lot of artisans, lots of produce sellers and bakers, and a collection of gypsies and nomads who would be recognized as such anywhere in the world.  The only problem was even though it was a rather small collection, we didn’t leave enough time to go through it and give it the credit it was due.  It was really a shame because we were just hanging out in the hut anyway not up to much waiting for the bus.

Sure enough with Latin American efficiency the bus arrived.  Uvita is 20km or so away.  The coastline drive is scenically nice, though the ministry of transportation could hire crews to pick up garbage along the way and decapitate the top half of every tree to get better views of the Pacific Ocean.  In fact they could cut further down...  with a climate like this they’d grow back in no time.  It would be magnificent thereafter.  

We hastily got off the bus a few stops too soon.  Although it was a bit serendipitous as Shelly got a great gelato and I had a delicious Americana coffee.  There was also a tourist information booth at the stop and a pleasant lady directed us in the right direction.  It would be a 2 or 2.5k walk.  It was hot and dusty again, but no vertical to contend with.  Shelly was happy.

Uvita is known for a National Park with neat vegetation and animals, but iconic for its tidal activity.  When it is low tide, and sand landform appears resembling a whale’s tail.  It would stretch everything of 800 m long, ranges from 50 to 100 metres wide in places, and it has a nasty rocky 300 m section where the tail would be.  Again, imagine a whale’s tail.  That is what it looks like from above.  While walking it you get a sense of the resemblance.  But maybe that is because you know before hand what you are getting into. At it is high tide it is nothing.  Just water.

Sure enough the tide was out/low and we walked another 3k or so around the park.  Out to the end of the whales tale and around.  We walked back in and sought refuge in some shade for an hour or so.  It wasn’t too busy.  In fact there hasn’t been too many crowded areas at all anywhere we have been.

The schedule indicated there was a four o’clock bus back to the home base.  900 colones would be the cost per person.  So for about 4 bucks US, we were back on the road.  Roughly 1000 Costa Rican colones is 2$ US.

I am a bit surprised how much groceries and food costs.  I have preconceived ideas that rustic or curb-side foods cost little in typical undeveloped nations.  Busing is cheap, but meals of hamburgers, club house sandwiches, and the like are about 12 bucks US, if not more.  Never less.  Maybe Costa Rica isn’t as undeveloped as I thought.  More then likely my sense of fair market cost of things is out of whack.

At the grocery store we’ve been buying 6L of water for 4$ US, a can of Coke is about 2$ US.  A good cup of coffee was 3$ US.  I just mention these things as informational.  Shelly had a delicious meal of rice, black beans, chicken, and a nice garden salad for 8$ US in Uvita, and it was fantastic.  But I would have figured it would have been less expensive.  Imperial Beer is usually about 2.50$ US a bottle.  When you drink it all and eat it all, you at least haven’t wasted anything.  The price to get into Nauyaka Falls was 8$ and the National Park was 6$ US.  Haven’t priced out the t-shorts and necklaces yet.... things like that.  Maybe all of this means I’m cheap and don’t understand the ways of 2019 economics.  Surfboards are 5$ US to rent for half a day.  Just the foam topped 9.6 ft ones.

At the end of today’s expedition, I wasn’t really as tired as the other days.  I had a cold shower when we got back to the dwelling and that seemed to recharge me for the rest of the night.  Shelly and I ate at a Thai Noodle place with portions that were way too big!  33$ US for two dishes, 2 beers, a lemonade, then we added a 5$ tip.  I should get this money thing off my mind.

Surfing

They are early mornings here.  The sun sets early, and it rises early.  The roosters were off to harass others, but the tree frogs, dogs and doves made their whereabouts known as soon as light hit them.  I kept my eyes shut until 5:45, and stayed in bed for another 20 mins.  I woke feeling like I had been in a fight.  My body was stiff and sore.  A morning run would shake it all out.  Sure enough after that, a shower, and some food, by eight fifteen I was feeling like I could tackle the surf.

The lesson started shortly after nine on the beach.  Oscar was our capable instructor who had been nearly everywhere, and dated a lot!  He is Costa Rican (Tico/Tican), has been all around Canada, and like I mentioned had ex girlfriends all over the place.  He had snowboarded up in Smithers, worked as a forklift operator at the Honda plant in Alliston, been all over Ontario, and had been out to the Maritimes as well.  His current girlfriend was in Toronto, and he was hoping to get up there in the next few months.  He was an able instructor having figured I slashed the skateboard in my youth.  How right he was.

I have never surfed.  But the lesson was everything television and movies make it out to be.  Think right now about a movie or show you saw on tv with people learning how to surf.  That is it.  You spend 20 or thirty minutes on the sand perfecting your pop ups and your stance on the board.  Ninja like in some ways.  Then you get in the water trying to replicate that on a wobbly surface.  It doesn’t always work.  Inevitably there are lots of falls.  But sure enough I caught a number of white capped waves.  I passed.  It was challenging all in all, but fun.  The beginner lesson included no paddling really, Oscar pushed us into the waves momentum.  Of course we were just catching waves that had already crashed and capped white.

Oscar had fresh fruit and drinks for us.  The constructive criticism was good, but it is easy to know where you go wrong.  Surfing should be effortless, smooth, and the rider needs a simple touch.  Balance and body position is key.  Lastly practice and patience is a sure fire way of getting better.  Having 90 degree water helps too!  All of that excitement, but not a picture taken of either of us up on the boards.

It’s barely 11:30 in the morning.  Shelly and I returned to the cabana.  I was hungry, but mostly tired.  I fixed both issues with something to eat and a sleep.  When I woke at 1:20 or so I felt like I had been in an even worse fight.  I was groggy and foggy, disheveled and confused, but I put my best foot forward and we got out for a few hours in the afternoon walking aimlessly about.  This place is smaller then Grand Bend for sure.  

So we walked around and saw the same sights we had seen the day before.  We had something to eat and sorted out a bus schedule because we are going to hit the road to a different community 20 km south called Uvita.  To the Whale Tail!

New Noises

Sounds come in all pitches, levels and volumes.  The sounds during the night were the big rig trucks breaking, 2 stroke dirt bikes racing up and down the street, rain, thunder and lightning, and the noise of people at the bars.  We were very tired and went to bed early, but the noises kept me up.  

Bright and early at 4:30, before any sliver of sun rose over the range to the east, a bloody rooster made its presence known.  I don’t mind  gobbling if it is on April 28th and I am turkey hunting.  Not this case however.  Nevertheless morning doves and tree frogs signaled soon after.  Then a sundry of other native species called.  By five local time we were well awake.

I went for a run.  It would be the first time I saw anything of Dominical in daylight.  So I went down a road, up another, through yonder and by a corner.  5km might be padding the actual data, but it would be good enough.  It was all it would take to get a sense of where we are and where other necessities would be.  This is a small community.  Most readers would get that it wouldn’t be much bigger then Grand Bend.  It has the exact same feel as it too.

Shelly and I walked to the Groceria, but the proprietors didn’t rise as early as us.  Evidently no roosters in their neighbourhood.  So we went for a breakfast and coffee at a cafe instead.  After 40 minutes of that, it was back to the grocery store.  We got a decent amount of grub to tie is over and stock our cabin.  Shelly and I walked the town, walked the beach, and in no time we were on a 13:00 bus 15 km up the road to Nauyaca Falls.

It was a 5km hike in.  I would compare it to a mixture of the Grouse Grind, Old Smokey on the Cabot Trail, driving into Whiskey Lake, as well as walking up to Old Quebec City.  It was hot and dusty, and mean and nasty.  It wasn’t for regular folk, just irregulars such as ourselves.  By and by we made it, and a spectacular and well worth adventure it was.  It really was physically demanding.  No wonder they offer horseback riding and Jeep tours to the falls.  

No sooner had we finished the hike a bus was there to pick us up.  As much a s Tuesday’s travel was about waiting, today that wouldn’t be the case.  We took the winding road back to Dominical and immediately retreated back to the retreat.  Within 40 minutes in was dark, and it rained quite heavily.  Not wanting to go out into the monsoon like conditions, we picked away at our booty from the grocery store.  We had nachos and salsa, but out of a bag and a jar.  Crazy, we are all this way, but eating like we just shopped at Giant Tiger.  Authentically fresh would have been hundreds of metres away.....

Costa Rica

3800 km by air can take you a number of places.  For Shelly and me it was to San Jose, Costa Rica from Toronto.  

The day started bright and early in Guelph.  We bunked at the Tremain’s.  They were hospitable hosts, and it would have been nice to visit with them longer, but that was not the case this time.  There would be another visit with them another time.  We had arrived at 8:00pm and were out the door by 5:30am.  Most people work shifts longer then that.

There was no issues at all with the first 7 hours of the journey which included driving to the airport, checking through security, boarding, leaving, and arriving in SJO.  

From then, it was a bit of a wait for the next leg of the journey.  A two hour layover was our fate.  Enough time to have a beer and a plate of food.  We walked around the airport a bit, and chit chatted with a few other travellers.  Then as advertised, our Easy Ride shuttle picked us up at 3:00, and the open highway awaited.  200km was up next.

The first 30km of the drive was crazy.  We were up and down and turning consistently.  There wasn’t one straightforward piece of pavement along the way.  Sure enough we got to a divided four lane highway.  It was still quite hilly and the traffic was moderately busy.  We did not exchange any pleasantries with our coachman.  He wasn’t hired for his ability to speak English, rather to keep the 5 speed Toyota Hiace on the road and out of the ditch.  

Along the road, the route was smash packed with fruit stands and corner stores.  More corner stores then one would see in Montreal!  The other thing that I noticed was that pretty much all of the houses, from the opulent to the run down, were gated or fenced.  Whether it was a security measure, or it is just what people do, I never found out.  But lots of high walls and fencing that does not convey a friendly neighbourly welcome feel.  Lots of skinny cows and skinny horses too, but no evidence of large scale agriculture.  The rocky terrain and semi mountainous vistas ensure that.

By 6:30, 3 and a half hours after the hack picked us up, we had arrived in Domincal.  It was pitched dark, but the village was still bustling from the touristy activities it is known for.  With a bit of investigation,  we found our lodging.  It was right were it was supposed to be.  We had played our selfs out with a long day of travel, so the only thing left to do was refreshed with a shower, and retire to rest.

The roosters would awaken us soon enough the next morning.