More Costa Rica--Arenal

We spent Thursday and Friday near the town of La Fortuna, at the volcano Arenal. We stayed at the Arenal Observatory Lodge Thursday night, which the kids loved. Built in 1987 for scientists, it's situated as close to the volcano as you can safely be. The volcano erupts often, and you can feel it rumble and watch as the rocks and lava careen down the sides. Friday we hiked to the site of lava flow from the last major eruption in 1992. With thoughts of the bi-level pool swimming in her head, Lo whined and complained all the way up--until we found a nice walking stick stuck in a hole between the rocks. This made her happy--until she put it down to scale a giant lava pile and have her picture taken. She left Sadie guarding the stick, but Bleeding Heart Blue let some old woman have it because the lady was having trouble with her hips. Not me, Friend. I'd have told Grandma to go whittle her own. Whatever Lola wants...

Other photos here are of local scenery and wildlife and of La Fortuna, a very brave--or stupid--town.

Priorities

We got home from our trip Sunday night around 10 p.m. The only clean item of clothing in the house was Lo's softball uniform. The only food in the fridge was a two-week-old meatball and an expired yogurt. A little more than 24 hours later, here's the current domestic state:



Our room (there are several rooms in similar disorder)


But we have been to Trader Joe's...


and to PetSmart for a new leopord gecko, named Pipa.

Worst. Birthday. Ever.

First, I want to say hey to Mamoo. Today would have been my sister's 42nd birthday. I love you, Mom. (And we're moving to the Arenal Lodge today if you have an emergency. Our phones are not working.)

This will most likely be the last internets access I have while we're here, so I'll have to wait till we get home to give further report. BUT I already had these pics on my laptop, so...

On Tuesday, which happened to be George's 18th b-day, we went to Ricon DeVieja National Park to hike to Blue Lake, a beautiful waterfall with a pool the color of John Travolta's eyes. The drive was three hours, much of it rough dirt roads, and when we neared our destination, it started sprinkling. By the time we parked the car, an all-out rainstorm had begun, with winds strong enough to fly Stella. It's hot as seven hells in Costa Rica--for the most part--but it was damned chilly here at this point.

This meant trouble. I knew the kids wouldn't want to hike in this weather. The first clue was they said so. Georgia was close to crying. Biggy's solution was to buy us all rain ponchos in the nearby "country store." These were as thick and effective as Save-Rite brand trash bags. My solution was to wait it out in the store and pray. I know my husband. He wants what he wants, and he has an uncanny ability to ignore any obstacles. He wasn't going to leave without hiking; the rest of us could just wait in the car.

Fortunately, the rain did stop after about ten minutes, so our by now bedraggled and disgruntled group took off for the "moist transitional" forest. Our fearless leader put us on the wrong trail, however, so we ended up seeing fumeroles--boiling mud pits-- instead of the promised waterfall.

But it was all good. And as a bonus, near the end of the trail: a family of capuchin monkeys. Darling.

Pura Vida!

DAY ONE


Past the giant red sphincter is the paradise of the Pasatiempo Hotel...


where Georgia and I enjoyed coffee by the pool the first morning...


and Sadie and George hung out in the poolside restaurant...


before heading to the beach.


There were dogs, of course.


Later, Biggy drove us up up up into the mountains until I was in a fetal position in the floorboard.


We got out of the car to take some pictures...


and monkey hunt...


and made it back to Tamarindo just in time for sunset.

Eight Years Down the Pike

As you may (or not) recall, Biggy and I got married on George's B-day, back in 1999 (Oh, and when I said Biggy painted the swingset to use as an arbor, you thought I was kidding!). And, yes, that was the same year Lola was born--8 or 9 months later. I wasn't getting any younger, after all, so after we were engaged in October, we started "trying" in March, a few weeks before the wedding. I never imagined, at 36, I'd get lucky the first time.


So, truth be told, Lo was at the wedding with the rest of 'em. And, unlike the rest of the kids (and unbeknownst to us), she was also in Costa Rica--hiking, horseback riding, drinking beer...

I wanted to post some pictures from our honeymoon. It's hard to believe the amount of time and life that have transpired since then. We've been through some really tough times, but also made a lot of wonderful memories, and learned plenty.

I believe I've made my way back to happy; however, whatever normal might be, it ain't us and never will be.

Here's a sample of the past--to compare with the pics we'll take next week:


We stayed in the honeymoon suite at the Sueno del Mar. It was like being in a beautiful treehouse.






We went on a seven-mile (3.5 each way) hike to the waterfall you see. We were the only two at the falls, so Biggy skinny-dipped. Nobody sees me naked in daylight.


Me and Lola having a cocktail in the hot springs at Arenal (the volcano). See the little tummy already at a mere 2 weeks.


I'd wanted to get married in Vegas, but Biggy's parents disapproved. I have to say this was the next best thing.


La Fortuna, the little town where Arenal bubbles.


In Costa Rica, they have these outdoor bars where the kids surf all day, taking breaks to drink the cerveza and nap on mats.



Dogs are everywhere.


And below are some of the reasons I'm so excited about taking Lola:

More monkeys than Grandpa's got war stories.


Frogs bigger than muskmelons.


Bugs that would scare Gary Busey.

Bonus: we can show the kids where McDonald's hamburgers come from. No lie.