No Pura Vida Today

GPS died on the way to airport. Was told the San Jose airport was in Alajuela. Rental Car place was in Heredia (no one bothered to mention the slight difference to me.) Got lost. Got stopped by police (again. I am getting the rules down. Only Ticos can pass on the left). Had to drive behind large trucks going 20 kmh. Missed flight. Rotting in a Hampton Inn right now where they want to charge me $12 for a Haagen Daas carton of ice cream, but I can go across the parking lot to Fiesta Casino and get cheap beer and hookers. Bad day to ask me how I like traveling or worse yet, how I like developing countries. Annie, get your booty out on stage and sing the "Tomorrow" song before I give up and go home.

Tamarindo 2

Coming to Tamarindo was the only time I felt less than safe. (Mom don't read this part.) I was going a bit too fast and got stopped by a police officer. Becky, your advice came in handy. He wanted to confiscate my license and I told him under no circumstances was that going to happen. He wanted to charge me $40 and I said no way. Then he proceeded to bargain with me about the cost of the ticket. I told him to give me my passport back pronto and he ended up giving me a $20 dollar ticket and I got his name and badge number. We'll see what happens. Here is the Junior Adventure Companion. He is happy because he surfed today. He got up several times. His teacher, a coffee colored saint named Gilbert who says he is an "old school surfer," was a great help. He showed Soren the position to assume, when to assume it, and gave him a push when the wave began to crest. Who can resist a guy with male pattern baldness AND dreadlocks. Buy the video--or better yet, let me figure out how to post video footage. (Might take a while.)

A hermit crab he found.

The sunset here is amazing!! Here we are hanging out on the beach before the mosquitoes decide to eat us alive. This pic makes me excited for turning 40 when I get a boobjob. (What. Don't act like you didn't notice I could use one.)

Homework and surfing. Soren has a hard life right now. We are sad that I didn't book in time to see the leatherback turtles. It seems I didn't hear it right when the guy said to book by 2pm. (uh, he didn't say that--in spanish or anyother language. Does it sound like I'm down on Costa Rican men? I'm not.) But the $40 massage was great. I laid on a bed out in the garden by the beach under a palm roof. I heard the waves as I relaxed and the masseuse was really good. You know, firm in the places that need work but not too much to hurt. And note to self to remember Onassis, the waiter. Tomorrow is a drive down the coast. I don't know where we'll end up or what we'll do but I think it will have something to do with sand and waves. Then on to Cancun for some Maya and more playa!!