Kids entertaining themselves after hours of waiting at the airport |
Getting there. . .
The anticipation had been building for months for our three week adventure in Costa Rica; the kids dreaming of monkeys, parrots and frogs - the big kids longing for a change of scenery and a few Imperials before our big move to the east coast. There we were, bags packed, tickets in hand, when we heard the announcement. . . Your flight has been delayed due to mechanical problems. . . The proverbial kiss of death when traveling with 2 young kids. This set off a chain of delays that rippled through our itinerary. By the time we landed in San Jose, we had weathered 30 hours of delays, cancellations and a cheap overnight hotel. With bloodshot eyes and a few hours of sleep, we finally landed in San Jose - ready for the adventure that lay ahead. . .
Sully and Shiloh enjoying their first major rainstorm.. ever! |
Our temporary home. . .
Dylan and Dafne teaching our kids to climb their security fence |
Shiloh showing Darcy how to use the I-Pad |
Shiloh posing with her new boyfriend |
The sleeping arrangements are challenging as we only have 3 twin beds between us. We wake to sore backs and stiff necks but the experience is priceless, especially for the kids.
Class at the kids' kindergarden |
Sully showing us his school |
Turrialba is off the beaten path, and unlike most Costa Rican towns, tourists are noticeably absent. This makes us somewhat of a novelty around town - which results in the occasion stare. Sidestory: spent the day at the local pool with Sully and a class of young kids; when we entered the kids starting singing Bob Marley in English for us!
Shiloh at pick-up time |
Our school. . .
Its the rainy season and understandably, the slow season for our Spanish School. Except for one other student - a 71-year-old women from Inglewood - we are the only students in school. This means we each get private lessons each day which is phenomenal. Our Spanish is improving by the day - even the kids are picking up a few words.
Adventure #1. . .
After our first 3 days of class, we were ready for the weekend and some exploring. One of our teachers, Oscar, offered to bring us to a coffee farm and waterfall outside of town - an offer that we gratefully accepted. Sunday morning, we met Oscar and his dog, Lolie, for the 30 minute drive outside of town. The hike was relatively easy, even with two young kids in tow. We slowly made our way through lush fields of coffee, sugar cane and jungle - Lolie leading the way. Upon arrival at the waterfall - which was breathtaking - we realized that Lolie was missing. She simply vanished. We spent the next few hours searching for her but to no avail. Lolie was gone. Oscar was rightfully devastated which made for a long ride home. . .
The next day we met Oscar in the park. We offered to buy their family a new dog which they gratefully accepted. Within 24 hours of the mishap, Oscar had a new best friend. A schnauzer named Weiner. That was the best $140 we've ever spent.