My poor mom had full dentures, top and bottom, by the time she was 25. I remember growing up, feeling so sorry for her. It probably went a long way towards me keeping good dental hygiene habits. However, despite those habits, I ended up with gum disease when I was 18. I had to get 5 teeth pulled, and braces which I wore for 2 years.
Over the next several years I had 2 root canals, and 1 little cavity. My teeth were in really good shape. They were all my own, and dentists always commented on how nice they were. I got them cleaned regularly, brushed and flossed a couple of times every day, and twice a week, for many years, I rinsed with peroxide and brushed with baking soda. My teeth looked really good. They felt good, too.
As my root canals aged, about 15-20 years, they got brittle and they broke. Right at the gum line. So, I had two gaps in my teeth because there was no way I was going to get implants. I didn't have the money, plus they both were in the back, on opposite sides of my mouth so I figured no one would ever see the gaps. Little did I know that was the beginning of the end of my nice teeth!
I inherited a lovely habit from my dad. It's called grinding of teeth. Otherwise known as "What is that hideous sound?!?!" I'm not certain, but I think it may have contributed to the end of my marriage. If not, it certainly must have made it easier, to make the decision, to call it quits!! Personally, I've never heard it but my mom has said it's the loudest, grossest sound she's ever heard come out of a human body. She hated it when my dad did that.
Because I had an old silver filling in a tooth next to one of the gaps, and I started grinding my teeth, I ended up having a tooth pulled yesterday. Those old silver fillings are a little soft and the grinding pushed the filling farther into my tooth. The only problem with that is that the filling has to go somewhere, so it pushes out against the sides of the tooth. Which caused cracks, which caused the tooth to break. Who would think they'd break a tooth while eating chicken wild rice soup? Certainly not me. But there I was, in the Denver airport, waiting for my connection and was suddenly chewing on something hard. I knew it couldn't be right so I took it out and there was 1/4 of a molar. Made me think twice about the soup! And, after the second thought, I decided not to finish it. That might have been one of the best decisions I make all year!
When I got to my destination (Costa Rica) I told my daughter and son-in-law about it and then pretty much forgot about it. But a few nights later I must have been grinding, because I woke up with a lot of tooth pain. She made an appointment for me with a dentist down there. Unfortunately, I couldn't see anyone until the day before I returned to the states, so there wasn't a whole lot she could do for me.
As it turned out, I had another tooth, right below the newly broken one, that I had broken a couple of months before. I had not done anything about it because I didn't have any insurance and it only hurt a couple of times and rinsing with peroxide took care of that right away.
Eventually, they both started giving me problems so I made an apt, but the day of there was a bunch of ice on my car, and the roads, and we didn't get up early enough to still make it to the apt on time. So I rescheduled and I have to say that those last 3 days before my apt were miserable. I had a lot of pain, and to exacerbate the problem, I was grinding my teeth the night before. I woke up in so much pain that a vicadin, Anbesol, and ice didn't stop the pain from increasing. I've never been so happy to see a dentist! He pulled the badly broken tooth, fixed the other broken tooth, which included drilling a cavity in it, drilled a cavity in the tooth next to that one and pulled an old tooth chip from one of my broken crowns. Zoikes! It sounds like it was a lot, but let me tell you...I feel much better today than I did yesterday before he did all of that!
So, the moral of the story is, if you have enjoyed healthy teeth all of your life, don't relax your oral hygiene habits when you get older. They actually need more care then. Eat healthy (which I can't say I do), floss and brush at least 2 times a day, try to stay away from sugar and carbonation, and keep regular 6 month apts for cleaning and exam. You may save yourself a lot of pain.
Now, I'm going to take a pain killer and go enjoy a book. Of course, I'll have to read it again later, because I don't remember much when I'm on Vicadin, but that's ok!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Costa Rica, cont. I swear this is the last one
Right. Per usual I forgot to put something important in my last blog. I should keep a list!
If you're interested in seeing clips of the "talent show", just google Frontier Flight 2025. You'll be able to see it in YouTube, or on our FB page.
That is all.
I think.
If you're interested in seeing clips of the "talent show", just google Frontier Flight 2025. You'll be able to see it in YouTube, or on our FB page.
That is all.
I think.
Costa Rice, The Flight Home
Monday we just took it easy. I stayed up late the night before and got up early so that I could go to bed early and be up by 4:30.
I spent the day mostly just enjoying my grandsons. They are so cute, and so smart! When it was time to go to bed Malachi hugged me really hard and said "I'm going to miss you so much." I cried, but not until he was upstairs.
Tuesday started very early, and it went smoothly. I packed the night before (except Steph's camera which is still there!) so I didn't have much to do to get ready. Sara woke me up, we spent a few minutes talking and I got up. The taxi driver was right on time, which was great. Since John was still in Equadore we decided it would be best if we just let the kids sleep, and that I take a cab. I think it was a very good choice. I know Sara thinks that, too. :)
The ride to the airport was very pleasant. Sara had asked the driver if I could sit in front, so I sat there saying goodbye to Escazu, and surrounding areas. The driver spoke no English, so we had nothing to say to each other. I wouldn't have minded trying, but I think he was a bit shy.
I got to the airport with plenty of time to spare and after luggage, security, & customs I found the right gate and sat down with my book. It was pretty quiet there. People started to come in and the place filled up pretty fast. It's not a huge airport, and there were 150 of us on our flight.
Got onto the plane just fine and was very happy to have an aisle seat. I didn't say hi to the two men next to me because they were complaining, loudly, about something, so I figured I'd talk to someone else, if I had to talk.
About 20 minutes after we boarded the pilot came on and said that there was a problem with one of the engines and that the mechanic had to put some oil in. About 20 minutes later he started to taxi and there was this HUGE bang from the left wing, and a metal on metal grating sound that was very loud. The man next to me, who was frequently putting his head on his arms and sighing loudly (and occasionally swearing and comoplaining), started up with some very loud and rude complaining. I understand the saying "the ugly American" now, perfectly. We started to move back towards the airport (we really weren't very far away), and the pilot came on to say that there was definitely a problem with an engine and he would get back to us with more info as soon as he had it. At this point the man next to me started in on a flight attendant. Her name is Carol, and I've never met a nicer person. She is just the sweetest thing! She apologized, and he just kept going on and on. I was on the verge of asking if he'd never had a car that broke down on the road. I mean, really! It's a piece of machinery. Personally, I'd rather it be working well while flying around. But the flight attendant said to him "I'm just glad it happened on the ground, and not over the ocean." I said "Amen!!" He got pretty quiet.
They rolled one of those metal staircases right up to the door, and asked us to disembark. We were ushered into a gate that was not in use and asked us to sit tight, have lunch on them (it was 9:30 am.), and wait until they had instructions from the airline. They said it could take a couple of hours. Which it did. We were told that the engine needed a part, that they had to get from the States, and that we'd be taken to a hotel where room and board would be, again, on them. There were about 10 people who had to get home asap, so they found them flights on another airline. We were taken to a hotel that was absolutely beautiful! And it had everything. Swimmong pool (my room was right off of it, and it was the most beautiful patio/pool I've ever seen in person), hot tubs, jacuzzi, gym, tennis courts... I was able to make 4 calls to the States, with no charge, and use their pc's in the computer room, using the internet, at no charge. Had a fairly decent meal and just had a very relaxing and fun time. I started to get to know some of my fellow passengers, and the whole crowd, and I mean all but maybe 20 ended up in the bar, which is wide open to the outside, and had seating for about 20. They scrounged and got more tables, and chairs, and played their music too loud and everyone just sat around talking and laughing and having a great time.
We were told to be ready to leave the hotel at 11:00, which was later changed to 11:30, but we'd all turned in our keys by then. So, about 100 people sat on the floor, around the bar, and gift shops, and spilled out onto the sidewalk. We talked and laughed and had a really good time again. One guy whipped out his banjo and started playing. Another guy saw him and took out his guitar and they started to jam.
Well, we were picked up and taken to the airline and were told that if we all got through everything quickly enough the plane would take off at 3:20. A bunch of people were still waiting to check their luggage at 3:00 so we knew that wouldn't happen. But we didn't mind. The complainers had left our group the day before, and I can say in all honesty, they weren't missed. Everyone else had such a good attitude about everything and we just had so much fun. Little did we know that it was going to get better!
When we boarded our newly fixed plane, around 4:30, we were told that we'd be taking off shortly. We were also told that there had been an odd, but interesting, request by one of our fellow passengers. He wanted to organize a talent show when we were safely up in the air. Everybody clapped and yelled and some whistled. Then the pilot started to taxi to the runway and there were no bad or scary sounds so we all clapped and cheered. Then we took off and the clapping and yelling continued, then we were at cruising altitude and you could feel the excitement in the air.
One of the passengers got up and introduced himself in a unique way. He asked how many of us had ever read any of the "Chicken Soup For The..." books. A bunch of us raised our hands, and he said that he'd written the "Chicken Soup For the Workplace" book and a bunch of us cheered. LOL Ok, we had been having a great time since the day before, but we were starting to get homesick, so we were very happy to cheer for everything. Anyhow, this man organized an entertainment for us that was so unique, and so good. We had the best time. I think it lasted about 45 minutes and we saw and heard:
The banjo player who played one song, then played a second and sang along. He was so good!!
He was followed by a singer who sang blues. He was also very good.
Then we had a 12 year old tell us jokes.
Then we had a lecture, from a wildlife preserve person (sorry! can't remember your actual title!) on mountain cats.
There was a young woman who stood on her head and drank a glass of water.
A baby who laughed on command and was SO ADORABLE!!!
Another blues singer who was spectacular! He was my favorite, and probably the favorite for most of us.
Then, we told him there was a young man who could play the harmonica and he said no way, he wasn't going up there because he'd only been playing for 2 weeks and didn't even know any songs. But, he'd be happy to accompany someone. So, we ended with the banjo play, the guitarist, and blues singer (the 2nd one) and the guy with the harmonica, and they jammed for about 5 minutes. It was THE BEST FLIGHT EVER!!!!
I have, of course, left out a lot because it would fill a book. But, I will never, ever forget Frontier Flight 87 that was cancled, or Frontier Flight 2025 that brought us home the next day.
BTW Sara, on the shuttle bus to our hotel on Tuesday, I sat by and talked to a man who, with his wife, lives in the states for half of the year, and in Costa Rica the other half. He said they live across the valley from Escazu, and that they've been to the same falls a few times. I asked if he'd ever been on the road when it was fine, and he said the rocks were the after effects of a big earthquake they'd had 2 years ago, and the result was that there were tons of rock and dirt slides. They just don't have the money needed to fix the road.
We got to Denver late, and we'd all missed our connecting flights so they put us up at a hotel again. Small, but still very nice. The Denver airport is HUGE!!!!! Even though there was nothing wrong with the hotel, it felt lonely and dull. I was anxious to get home. When I saw Steph, I was so happy! All I could think was "I'll be home soon!!"
So, that's my great Costa Rica experience. I will never regret going. I had so much fun and it was so great to spend that time with Sara & family! I actually kind of miss the valley. Life was very different there. They have a slower, more gentle approach to life. I sometimes wish we were like that. And yet, yesterday I was in my car and was mad because it was taking SO LONG for the stop light to turn green. Then I remembered Escazu and realized that I was being a major dork!
Goodbye C.R. I will miss you!!!
I spent the day mostly just enjoying my grandsons. They are so cute, and so smart! When it was time to go to bed Malachi hugged me really hard and said "I'm going to miss you so much." I cried, but not until he was upstairs.
Tuesday started very early, and it went smoothly. I packed the night before (except Steph's camera which is still there!) so I didn't have much to do to get ready. Sara woke me up, we spent a few minutes talking and I got up. The taxi driver was right on time, which was great. Since John was still in Equadore we decided it would be best if we just let the kids sleep, and that I take a cab. I think it was a very good choice. I know Sara thinks that, too. :)
The ride to the airport was very pleasant. Sara had asked the driver if I could sit in front, so I sat there saying goodbye to Escazu, and surrounding areas. The driver spoke no English, so we had nothing to say to each other. I wouldn't have minded trying, but I think he was a bit shy.
I got to the airport with plenty of time to spare and after luggage, security, & customs I found the right gate and sat down with my book. It was pretty quiet there. People started to come in and the place filled up pretty fast. It's not a huge airport, and there were 150 of us on our flight.
Got onto the plane just fine and was very happy to have an aisle seat. I didn't say hi to the two men next to me because they were complaining, loudly, about something, so I figured I'd talk to someone else, if I had to talk.
About 20 minutes after we boarded the pilot came on and said that there was a problem with one of the engines and that the mechanic had to put some oil in. About 20 minutes later he started to taxi and there was this HUGE bang from the left wing, and a metal on metal grating sound that was very loud. The man next to me, who was frequently putting his head on his arms and sighing loudly (and occasionally swearing and comoplaining), started up with some very loud and rude complaining. I understand the saying "the ugly American" now, perfectly. We started to move back towards the airport (we really weren't very far away), and the pilot came on to say that there was definitely a problem with an engine and he would get back to us with more info as soon as he had it. At this point the man next to me started in on a flight attendant. Her name is Carol, and I've never met a nicer person. She is just the sweetest thing! She apologized, and he just kept going on and on. I was on the verge of asking if he'd never had a car that broke down on the road. I mean, really! It's a piece of machinery. Personally, I'd rather it be working well while flying around. But the flight attendant said to him "I'm just glad it happened on the ground, and not over the ocean." I said "Amen!!" He got pretty quiet.
They rolled one of those metal staircases right up to the door, and asked us to disembark. We were ushered into a gate that was not in use and asked us to sit tight, have lunch on them (it was 9:30 am.), and wait until they had instructions from the airline. They said it could take a couple of hours. Which it did. We were told that the engine needed a part, that they had to get from the States, and that we'd be taken to a hotel where room and board would be, again, on them. There were about 10 people who had to get home asap, so they found them flights on another airline. We were taken to a hotel that was absolutely beautiful! And it had everything. Swimmong pool (my room was right off of it, and it was the most beautiful patio/pool I've ever seen in person), hot tubs, jacuzzi, gym, tennis courts... I was able to make 4 calls to the States, with no charge, and use their pc's in the computer room, using the internet, at no charge. Had a fairly decent meal and just had a very relaxing and fun time. I started to get to know some of my fellow passengers, and the whole crowd, and I mean all but maybe 20 ended up in the bar, which is wide open to the outside, and had seating for about 20. They scrounged and got more tables, and chairs, and played their music too loud and everyone just sat around talking and laughing and having a great time.
We were told to be ready to leave the hotel at 11:00, which was later changed to 11:30, but we'd all turned in our keys by then. So, about 100 people sat on the floor, around the bar, and gift shops, and spilled out onto the sidewalk. We talked and laughed and had a really good time again. One guy whipped out his banjo and started playing. Another guy saw him and took out his guitar and they started to jam.
Well, we were picked up and taken to the airline and were told that if we all got through everything quickly enough the plane would take off at 3:20. A bunch of people were still waiting to check their luggage at 3:00 so we knew that wouldn't happen. But we didn't mind. The complainers had left our group the day before, and I can say in all honesty, they weren't missed. Everyone else had such a good attitude about everything and we just had so much fun. Little did we know that it was going to get better!
When we boarded our newly fixed plane, around 4:30, we were told that we'd be taking off shortly. We were also told that there had been an odd, but interesting, request by one of our fellow passengers. He wanted to organize a talent show when we were safely up in the air. Everybody clapped and yelled and some whistled. Then the pilot started to taxi to the runway and there were no bad or scary sounds so we all clapped and cheered. Then we took off and the clapping and yelling continued, then we were at cruising altitude and you could feel the excitement in the air.
One of the passengers got up and introduced himself in a unique way. He asked how many of us had ever read any of the "Chicken Soup For The..." books. A bunch of us raised our hands, and he said that he'd written the "Chicken Soup For the Workplace" book and a bunch of us cheered. LOL Ok, we had been having a great time since the day before, but we were starting to get homesick, so we were very happy to cheer for everything. Anyhow, this man organized an entertainment for us that was so unique, and so good. We had the best time. I think it lasted about 45 minutes and we saw and heard:
The banjo player who played one song, then played a second and sang along. He was so good!!
He was followed by a singer who sang blues. He was also very good.
Then we had a 12 year old tell us jokes.
Then we had a lecture, from a wildlife preserve person (sorry! can't remember your actual title!) on mountain cats.
There was a young woman who stood on her head and drank a glass of water.
A baby who laughed on command and was SO ADORABLE!!!
Another blues singer who was spectacular! He was my favorite, and probably the favorite for most of us.
Then, we told him there was a young man who could play the harmonica and he said no way, he wasn't going up there because he'd only been playing for 2 weeks and didn't even know any songs. But, he'd be happy to accompany someone. So, we ended with the banjo play, the guitarist, and blues singer (the 2nd one) and the guy with the harmonica, and they jammed for about 5 minutes. It was THE BEST FLIGHT EVER!!!!
I have, of course, left out a lot because it would fill a book. But, I will never, ever forget Frontier Flight 87 that was cancled, or Frontier Flight 2025 that brought us home the next day.
BTW Sara, on the shuttle bus to our hotel on Tuesday, I sat by and talked to a man who, with his wife, lives in the states for half of the year, and in Costa Rica the other half. He said they live across the valley from Escazu, and that they've been to the same falls a few times. I asked if he'd ever been on the road when it was fine, and he said the rocks were the after effects of a big earthquake they'd had 2 years ago, and the result was that there were tons of rock and dirt slides. They just don't have the money needed to fix the road.
We got to Denver late, and we'd all missed our connecting flights so they put us up at a hotel again. Small, but still very nice. The Denver airport is HUGE!!!!! Even though there was nothing wrong with the hotel, it felt lonely and dull. I was anxious to get home. When I saw Steph, I was so happy! All I could think was "I'll be home soon!!"
So, that's my great Costa Rica experience. I will never regret going. I had so much fun and it was so great to spend that time with Sara & family! I actually kind of miss the valley. Life was very different there. They have a slower, more gentle approach to life. I sometimes wish we were like that. And yet, yesterday I was in my car and was mad because it was taking SO LONG for the stop light to turn green. Then I remembered Escazu and realized that I was being a major dork!
Goodbye C.R. I will miss you!!!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Costa Rica, cont. some more
Sunday-the waterfall.
Sara heard from a friend at work that someone was organizing a trip to see this really great waterfall. We'd be going on Sunday, it would take about 2 hrs to get there, pack a lunch, bring swimming suits... We were so excited to go!!
So, the day before Sara went to the store to pick up a few groceries and to buy Ginger Ale for the 2 of us. She packed a big bag with suits, towels, and sunscreen. She made our picnic lunch, and we grabbed the kids and took off.
We crossed the valley, and headed up into some absolutely gorgeous mountain area. I've been through the mountains in AZ, but this was very different mountain driving. The road, for the most part, was in really good condition. Sometimes we'd have to cross a gorge, but the bridge was just as good as any you'd find here. What was so different from the AZ mountains was that most of the time the ground on both sides of the car came down to the road, and there were trees right up to the edge of the road. Trees, and bushes, and all sorts of flora and fauna. There was one thing, we couldn't really tell if it was a bush, or a weed, that had leaves that were twice the size of my end table. Absolutely HUGE!!! And, very pretty. Every now and then the ground would level out, or go down on the drivers side, and the trees would thin or they'd be gone altogether. When this happened we saw the most amazing thing. Down the side of the road, across a deep, or small ravine, and up the next side of that mountain was all green. Trees, that were huge, and beautiful. I don't even know how many different kinds there were, but it was beautiful. The trees were so dense that you could see nothing else. Sara told me that this was where Jerrasic Park was filmed, and that was something I actually had remembered, but seeing it made it so clear. They did not have to use any cg, or pc programs to enhance the look of the island in that movie. That is just how wild and beautiful it was.It made me wish that I could get down there and walk around and see, up close, all of the trees, bushes, vines, and wildlife as I possibly could. I thought of the monkeys and just wanted to see some so badly. Then I thought of the mountain lions and decided the car ride was good enough for me.
Suddenly, with no warning, we were out of the valley and though the ground was still hilly, we were out of the mountains. And Costa Rica looked like northern Minnesota! There were open fields, farmers fields, forests, lakes and rivers. There were cows, and horses, horses, horses. And, there were a ton of dogs. (the dogs in C.R. are numerous, and have the run of the land. In the cities and towns they walk right down the middle of the road, or cross it at a nice slow pace, and no one honks, or yells at them.) We'd see nothing man made for many miles, then come suddenly to a village. The houses were pretty poor, and they came up very close to the road. Most of them must have been farmers, because a lot of them had produce stands along the road, and the produce looked great! So fresh. We'd be driving down the highway, and we'd come up to a school, and there would be speed bumps in the road on either side of it. It was kind of strange, but very smart!
But what happened next was a real shock. The paved road ended, and the gravel road began, but this was no ordinary gravel road. It was all rocks! I think the smallest ones were the size of my fist. There were rocks the size of bowling balls, and everything was a mess. I don't mean there was a dirt road, and every now and then you'd see a big rock. That is what the road consisted of. Rocks, and little boulders. Sara's poor car sits pretty low to the ground and I just started praying right away. We could not believe that her car didn't break down. You should have heard those rocks hitting the bottom of her car. She went as slow as she could, but the ground underneath was pretty soft, and we were going uphill, and there were pretty big dips in the road, so she couldn't go too slow. At one point the dip was so deep, so long, and it was so full of big rocks, that we almost got stuck. I don't know how long that road was, but it felt like many miles. It was really scary. But, we took another turn, the road continued like that for maybe 2 or 3 blocks distance, and we were out of it and at the "hotel" on who's property the waterfall is.
This hotel consisted of a big, beautiful lodge, with a patio in which is the swimming pool, and a many layered deck that started at the open sided gazebo. There were 5 or 6 bungalows, and horses as well. We had to go into the lodge to pay for the trip to the waterfall, and while that was all being taken care of, we found out that to get to the falls we had to get back on that road, and drive 2 miles to it. There was a way to hike from the lodge, but it was, at places, a pretty steep walk and there were several small children with, and of course, a pregnant lady. Our caravan consisted of 1 big pickup, 3 suv's, 1 mini van and Sara's car. Apparently the guy driving the mini van (which also sits low to the ground), got upset about driving some more on that road. He had had some trouble in the same spot we did. So, the plans were changed and we were hiking. Only, there's no way I could have done that. I have some health issues that made that impossible. So, I stayed behind. But I wasn't upset by that. I had some truly exquisite scenery to watch, and they had a small "library". I thought maybe I'd be able to find something in English.
Well, every book they had was in English. So, I sat by the pool, with my book, and my ginger ale, and frequently looked up because I couldn't keep my eyes off of that view. This is what I saw-on the far side was a mountain, all green and lush like the others, and in between was, well, I don't know what it's called. It was kind of like a valley, but not at all, if that makes any sense. There were huge forests, and multi-layered rocky areas, and a river that was deep, and long, and that snaked around. Only, you can't see the river, even from up that high, because both sides of the river are rock that go straight up. The manager told me that the river is so deep, and so wide, that big (we're talking ocean liners) travel up and down it and sometimes you can see the tops of the masts! I wished I could see it. This whole valley, ravine, whatever it is, is crescent shaped and surrounded 3 sides of the hotel. It was a great, relaxing day. I had really wanted to see the falls, but I don't feel like I was ripped off, because I had a great afternoon! And, it felt like it went very quickly.
Sara had left a sandwich for me, and some money so I could get a snack, or something cold to drink. I did get a coke later on, but the people running this place were so wonderful. They even invited me to have lunch with them. The manager speaks English very well, and his assistant is just learning it. None of the others could speak it at all, but I didn't feel at all unwelcome. The manager asked me if I speak Spanish and when I shook my head no, and said "no hable espaniole" every one laughed. Then he said "none? not at all" so I started listing off what I know:
Agua - water
Asta meniona - see you tomorrow, or later
Felice navidad - merry christmas
No hable espaniol - don't speak spanish
gracias - thanks
mucho gracias - thanks, a lot
de nada - you're welcome
mucho gusto - you're very welcome and several more that I'm just too tired to remember right now.
And, they all laughed at me some more, but it wasn't mean. We were just having a good time. Then I said "Wait! there's one more. Abuela (I doubt very much it's spelled this way) which means grandma. I said I was an Abuela. That my 2 grandsons call me Nana, or grandma Laurie and that they live in Escasu, and they said I wasn't old enough to have 2 grandsons. I wanted to kiss them all, but we didn't know each other very well, so I decided that might be a bad idea!
I cannot remember what lunch was called, but we ate out in the open air and it was so good. And they were so nice to invite me. I really never will forget the Tico's. They're wonderful, generous, kind people who love to laugh, and love. They're openly affectionate with each other and it was very nice to see.
The group came trudging back, and they all looked so tired. One man had been nice enough to put on a carrier, and take Simon, the baby. That was a huge help to Sara. He took him to the falls, and back. The last part of the hike is to come down a hill behind the bungalows, and it got pretty steep, so there were steps and a railing. I knew right away Sara was hurting because she was walking sideways down the steps, just one step at a time. Everyone was tired, and had gotten a lot of sun, and they all said the falls were beautiful. I asked Sara if she took pictures, fully prepared to kill her if she hadn't. But, she's safe. She took pics. She also said that it was a good thing I didn't go. Apparently, the walk back is almost all uphill, and at times it was really steep. I knew it had to be bad when I saw Malachi and told him I'd missed him and he mumbled something I couldn't understand as he walked by. He didn't even stop to visit with the horses.
The drive home, as always, went so much faster. Even the gravel road didn't seem as long, and the really bad spot was better going down. Sara put the car in 1st gear and had a much easier time going down. Her legs didn't get as tired, which was a good thing considering how much walking and climbing she'd just done. There was one spot where a big mound of soil had shown up and was covering more than half of the road.
It was a great day, and a great trip. I got a little sunburned, but not too bad. Sara got badly sunburned, especially on her shoulders, and we all slept pretty well that night. I think. Ok, so I slept really well that night. I don't know about the others, but it was a great day for all of us. We missed John, tho.
Sara heard from a friend at work that someone was organizing a trip to see this really great waterfall. We'd be going on Sunday, it would take about 2 hrs to get there, pack a lunch, bring swimming suits... We were so excited to go!!
So, the day before Sara went to the store to pick up a few groceries and to buy Ginger Ale for the 2 of us. She packed a big bag with suits, towels, and sunscreen. She made our picnic lunch, and we grabbed the kids and took off.
We crossed the valley, and headed up into some absolutely gorgeous mountain area. I've been through the mountains in AZ, but this was very different mountain driving. The road, for the most part, was in really good condition. Sometimes we'd have to cross a gorge, but the bridge was just as good as any you'd find here. What was so different from the AZ mountains was that most of the time the ground on both sides of the car came down to the road, and there were trees right up to the edge of the road. Trees, and bushes, and all sorts of flora and fauna. There was one thing, we couldn't really tell if it was a bush, or a weed, that had leaves that were twice the size of my end table. Absolutely HUGE!!! And, very pretty. Every now and then the ground would level out, or go down on the drivers side, and the trees would thin or they'd be gone altogether. When this happened we saw the most amazing thing. Down the side of the road, across a deep, or small ravine, and up the next side of that mountain was all green. Trees, that were huge, and beautiful. I don't even know how many different kinds there were, but it was beautiful. The trees were so dense that you could see nothing else. Sara told me that this was where Jerrasic Park was filmed, and that was something I actually had remembered, but seeing it made it so clear. They did not have to use any cg, or pc programs to enhance the look of the island in that movie. That is just how wild and beautiful it was.It made me wish that I could get down there and walk around and see, up close, all of the trees, bushes, vines, and wildlife as I possibly could. I thought of the monkeys and just wanted to see some so badly. Then I thought of the mountain lions and decided the car ride was good enough for me.
Suddenly, with no warning, we were out of the valley and though the ground was still hilly, we were out of the mountains. And Costa Rica looked like northern Minnesota! There were open fields, farmers fields, forests, lakes and rivers. There were cows, and horses, horses, horses. And, there were a ton of dogs. (the dogs in C.R. are numerous, and have the run of the land. In the cities and towns they walk right down the middle of the road, or cross it at a nice slow pace, and no one honks, or yells at them.) We'd see nothing man made for many miles, then come suddenly to a village. The houses were pretty poor, and they came up very close to the road. Most of them must have been farmers, because a lot of them had produce stands along the road, and the produce looked great! So fresh. We'd be driving down the highway, and we'd come up to a school, and there would be speed bumps in the road on either side of it. It was kind of strange, but very smart!
But what happened next was a real shock. The paved road ended, and the gravel road began, but this was no ordinary gravel road. It was all rocks! I think the smallest ones were the size of my fist. There were rocks the size of bowling balls, and everything was a mess. I don't mean there was a dirt road, and every now and then you'd see a big rock. That is what the road consisted of. Rocks, and little boulders. Sara's poor car sits pretty low to the ground and I just started praying right away. We could not believe that her car didn't break down. You should have heard those rocks hitting the bottom of her car. She went as slow as she could, but the ground underneath was pretty soft, and we were going uphill, and there were pretty big dips in the road, so she couldn't go too slow. At one point the dip was so deep, so long, and it was so full of big rocks, that we almost got stuck. I don't know how long that road was, but it felt like many miles. It was really scary. But, we took another turn, the road continued like that for maybe 2 or 3 blocks distance, and we were out of it and at the "hotel" on who's property the waterfall is.
This hotel consisted of a big, beautiful lodge, with a patio in which is the swimming pool, and a many layered deck that started at the open sided gazebo. There were 5 or 6 bungalows, and horses as well. We had to go into the lodge to pay for the trip to the waterfall, and while that was all being taken care of, we found out that to get to the falls we had to get back on that road, and drive 2 miles to it. There was a way to hike from the lodge, but it was, at places, a pretty steep walk and there were several small children with, and of course, a pregnant lady. Our caravan consisted of 1 big pickup, 3 suv's, 1 mini van and Sara's car. Apparently the guy driving the mini van (which also sits low to the ground), got upset about driving some more on that road. He had had some trouble in the same spot we did. So, the plans were changed and we were hiking. Only, there's no way I could have done that. I have some health issues that made that impossible. So, I stayed behind. But I wasn't upset by that. I had some truly exquisite scenery to watch, and they had a small "library". I thought maybe I'd be able to find something in English.
Well, every book they had was in English. So, I sat by the pool, with my book, and my ginger ale, and frequently looked up because I couldn't keep my eyes off of that view. This is what I saw-on the far side was a mountain, all green and lush like the others, and in between was, well, I don't know what it's called. It was kind of like a valley, but not at all, if that makes any sense. There were huge forests, and multi-layered rocky areas, and a river that was deep, and long, and that snaked around. Only, you can't see the river, even from up that high, because both sides of the river are rock that go straight up. The manager told me that the river is so deep, and so wide, that big (we're talking ocean liners) travel up and down it and sometimes you can see the tops of the masts! I wished I could see it. This whole valley, ravine, whatever it is, is crescent shaped and surrounded 3 sides of the hotel. It was a great, relaxing day. I had really wanted to see the falls, but I don't feel like I was ripped off, because I had a great afternoon! And, it felt like it went very quickly.
Sara had left a sandwich for me, and some money so I could get a snack, or something cold to drink. I did get a coke later on, but the people running this place were so wonderful. They even invited me to have lunch with them. The manager speaks English very well, and his assistant is just learning it. None of the others could speak it at all, but I didn't feel at all unwelcome. The manager asked me if I speak Spanish and when I shook my head no, and said "no hable espaniole" every one laughed. Then he said "none? not at all" so I started listing off what I know:
Agua - water
Asta meniona - see you tomorrow, or later
Felice navidad - merry christmas
No hable espaniol - don't speak spanish
gracias - thanks
mucho gracias - thanks, a lot
de nada - you're welcome
mucho gusto - you're very welcome and several more that I'm just too tired to remember right now.
And, they all laughed at me some more, but it wasn't mean. We were just having a good time. Then I said "Wait! there's one more. Abuela (I doubt very much it's spelled this way) which means grandma. I said I was an Abuela. That my 2 grandsons call me Nana, or grandma Laurie and that they live in Escasu, and they said I wasn't old enough to have 2 grandsons. I wanted to kiss them all, but we didn't know each other very well, so I decided that might be a bad idea!
I cannot remember what lunch was called, but we ate out in the open air and it was so good. And they were so nice to invite me. I really never will forget the Tico's. They're wonderful, generous, kind people who love to laugh, and love. They're openly affectionate with each other and it was very nice to see.
The group came trudging back, and they all looked so tired. One man had been nice enough to put on a carrier, and take Simon, the baby. That was a huge help to Sara. He took him to the falls, and back. The last part of the hike is to come down a hill behind the bungalows, and it got pretty steep, so there were steps and a railing. I knew right away Sara was hurting because she was walking sideways down the steps, just one step at a time. Everyone was tired, and had gotten a lot of sun, and they all said the falls were beautiful. I asked Sara if she took pictures, fully prepared to kill her if she hadn't. But, she's safe. She took pics. She also said that it was a good thing I didn't go. Apparently, the walk back is almost all uphill, and at times it was really steep. I knew it had to be bad when I saw Malachi and told him I'd missed him and he mumbled something I couldn't understand as he walked by. He didn't even stop to visit with the horses.
The drive home, as always, went so much faster. Even the gravel road didn't seem as long, and the really bad spot was better going down. Sara put the car in 1st gear and had a much easier time going down. Her legs didn't get as tired, which was a good thing considering how much walking and climbing she'd just done. There was one spot where a big mound of soil had shown up and was covering more than half of the road.
It was a great day, and a great trip. I got a little sunburned, but not too bad. Sara got badly sunburned, especially on her shoulders, and we all slept pretty well that night. I think. Ok, so I slept really well that night. I don't know about the others, but it was a great day for all of us. We missed John, tho.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Costa Rica, cont.
Sara worked on Tuesday, so I had Simon to myself for several hours. Well, Patricia was there, but I pretty much had Simon the whole day and let her get on with her work. That child is a hand full! He is a 1 yr old with a mission, and he can't wait to do it. He loves to push buttons and play with anything electronic, which he really isn't allowed to do so he gets a little frustrated when you pull him away from the entertainment center, but otherwise is perfectly content to play with his toys. They have a cute toy that has a big magnet on the back, and several smaller pieces that go with it that also have magnets. They keep these on the fridge, so he has something to play with when you're in the kitchen. This would work great, and he does often play with it, but he really loves appliances. So, if you're going to open a hot oven, you have to be sure of where he is, and if you can get it open, take out the cookies, and close it before he gets there. He is the fastest crawler I have ever seen! You can always tell when someone starts the dishwasher, washer, or dryer because he makes a beeline to the kitchen or laundry room.
Over the next several days we spent a lot of time just hanging out, and I got to spend a lot of time with the boys. Malachi and I played castle, and "I'm invisible so you can't see me, but you think the castle must be haunted, cause I'm going to make a lot of noise.", board games, coloring, hide and seek, and watched a few movies together. I had a lot of fun and I miss him so much! But, Sara and I also went to the mall and Simon had his first haircut, and we went to the spa where a friend of hers works. Sara got a pedicure, and I got a facial. I've never had one before, I've got to say that my skin was great afterwords, but I'm not sure I'll ever do it again. It kind of hurt!
I got a tour of the embassy. Very nice!! Both Sara & John work there, and we timed it so that after the tour, John took us to lunch. We went to this little, tiny place across the street from the Embassy. I think there were about 7 tables, and the front of it was wide open. They make roasted chicken there, in this big brick walk in oven, and they use chopped up coffee trees to fuel it. It was the BEST chicken I've ever had. It was so tender, and it was so good.
Over the course of the week I learned that I had a lot of their life in Costa Rica wrong. Yes, they have a big house, and a housekeeper/nanny. They live in a gated community, with guards who patrol it after dark, and they have good jobs. But, except for the housekeeper, it's very expensive to live there. 1 lb of bacon costs $7.00. 1 lb of butter costs $8.00, and a tiny little container of real maple syrup costs $30.00. And that's at Costco!!! Patricia is the housekeeper, and Tico's are used to not making much money, but S & J decided to pay her more than the going rate. She has 2 children, and she does a great job taking care of the house and kids.The average income for a Tico is the equivalent of $5,000.00. I think life must be very hard for them.
John left for his trip to Equadore, and we had dinner at the house of some co-workers of Sara. They had a small dinner party and the food was great! And so was the company. It was a very pleasant evening. That was Friday night. Saturday morning we went to the farmer's market. The produce there is fantastic! It's so incredibly fresh. There were a lot of people there. I had told Sara that I wanted to go to a market where people sell their wares, but that's in downtown San Jose, and that's not the most pleasant place. The traffic is a nightmare, so Sara didn't want to go, and I don't blame her. We went thru it, briefly, on our way back from the waterfall, and it had teeny, tiny little streets, most of which were 1 way, and the streets were typically short. I could see it being very easy to get lost there.
I'll leave the waterfall for my next blog. It deserves it's own blog. And, so does the trip home. That was wild! You're going to love it!!
P. S. please pray for Malachi and S & J. Malachi has had a LOT of seizures since I left. He had them the whole time I was there, but they were never more than 3 in a day (If I'm remembering that correctly) and they were all small seizures. He had no grand mal seizures. But, he has had 8 small, and 2 large seizures, since I left. I think that's right. Sara? Am I remembering that correctly?
Over the next several days we spent a lot of time just hanging out, and I got to spend a lot of time with the boys. Malachi and I played castle, and "I'm invisible so you can't see me, but you think the castle must be haunted, cause I'm going to make a lot of noise.", board games, coloring, hide and seek, and watched a few movies together. I had a lot of fun and I miss him so much! But, Sara and I also went to the mall and Simon had his first haircut, and we went to the spa where a friend of hers works. Sara got a pedicure, and I got a facial. I've never had one before, I've got to say that my skin was great afterwords, but I'm not sure I'll ever do it again. It kind of hurt!
I got a tour of the embassy. Very nice!! Both Sara & John work there, and we timed it so that after the tour, John took us to lunch. We went to this little, tiny place across the street from the Embassy. I think there were about 7 tables, and the front of it was wide open. They make roasted chicken there, in this big brick walk in oven, and they use chopped up coffee trees to fuel it. It was the BEST chicken I've ever had. It was so tender, and it was so good.
Over the course of the week I learned that I had a lot of their life in Costa Rica wrong. Yes, they have a big house, and a housekeeper/nanny. They live in a gated community, with guards who patrol it after dark, and they have good jobs. But, except for the housekeeper, it's very expensive to live there. 1 lb of bacon costs $7.00. 1 lb of butter costs $8.00, and a tiny little container of real maple syrup costs $30.00. And that's at Costco!!! Patricia is the housekeeper, and Tico's are used to not making much money, but S & J decided to pay her more than the going rate. She has 2 children, and she does a great job taking care of the house and kids.The average income for a Tico is the equivalent of $5,000.00. I think life must be very hard for them.
John left for his trip to Equadore, and we had dinner at the house of some co-workers of Sara. They had a small dinner party and the food was great! And so was the company. It was a very pleasant evening. That was Friday night. Saturday morning we went to the farmer's market. The produce there is fantastic! It's so incredibly fresh. There were a lot of people there. I had told Sara that I wanted to go to a market where people sell their wares, but that's in downtown San Jose, and that's not the most pleasant place. The traffic is a nightmare, so Sara didn't want to go, and I don't blame her. We went thru it, briefly, on our way back from the waterfall, and it had teeny, tiny little streets, most of which were 1 way, and the streets were typically short. I could see it being very easy to get lost there.
I'll leave the waterfall for my next blog. It deserves it's own blog. And, so does the trip home. That was wild! You're going to love it!!
P. S. please pray for Malachi and S & J. Malachi has had a LOT of seizures since I left. He had them the whole time I was there, but they were never more than 3 in a day (If I'm remembering that correctly) and they were all small seizures. He had no grand mal seizures. But, he has had 8 small, and 2 large seizures, since I left. I think that's right. Sara? Am I remembering that correctly?
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Costa Rica
Wow. There's just so much, I don't know where to begin. Ok, how about the beginning?
My entire life I have suffered with motion sickness. I get sick in the car, and everything bigger than that. In fact, the bigger the vehicle, the sicker I get. Needless to say, I hate to fly. Fortunately, I heard from a coworker, a few years ago, that ginger helps. I went straight to GNC and got a big bottle and it really does help. I usually still get sick when flying, but only during the descent.
I have never left the country before, except a short jaunt into Canada when I was 10. I had a 4 hr layover in Denver, followed by a 5 hr ride to San Jose. I never got sick. Not once. Not even a little bit. This made the whole trip start out so great. I was in a wonderful mood.
Sara was waiting at the airport for me, and I was so happy to see her. All the way to their house I kept saying "I'm not in the states anymore!" San Jose, and all of it's suburbs is in a big, roundish valley that is ringed with mountains. It was all freeway driving at first, and then little cities and villages. I have to say that C.R. has lush, beautiful green trees and grasses, of many kinds. There was a lot of traffic, and the people drive like they drive in Europe, from what I hear. And yet, the whole time I was there I saw no accidents.
It was just terrific to see Sara again. She and Simon had just been here a month before, but I can usually count on seeing them only once, or twice, a year, so this was a real treat. When we got to their house (beautiful!!) Malachi ran straight for me and I was thrilled to see him and John. Simon was still sleeping. We had a great breakfast of different pastries and lots of fresh fruit. (If you have plans to never go to C.R., or anywhere tropical, go for the produce. GREAT!!!!)
Simon got up and the 5 of us just hung out for a while, then Nana had to go take a nap. I went down on the red eye. We had a nice, relaxing day at their house and it was the best way to start my trip!
Monday Sara & I went to the grocery store. It was beautiful. So nice, and so clean. It was very much like Byerly's. It was odd to see that the store was very much Costa Rican. All of the employees were Tico's (C.R. are called Tico pronounced tee-koe), and it was Spanish all around us. Sara is very good at speaking C.R. Spanish. But, most of the products came from the states. John said we had to play a game that night. They had a new one they just love. Sara took me to an old monastery that's been converted to a restaurant. It was very, very nice and the food was great. We sat at a table that was up against the glass wall, and my fear of heights thing popped up. Sara & John are at 3300 ft on the mountain, and the monastery was another 2000 ft up. It was right on the edge and you could see the whole valley. I felt like I was being tipped towards the wall and was a little freaked out, but not for long. The view was spectacular, and the food was very good. Unfortunately, we couldn't get any pictures. It was too dark and even when Sara suppressed her flash, it still wasn't any good. I meant to go back up to take pics, but just forgot. (I'm very good at that!) We went back to their house and played Ticket To Ride, and I could have played all night. Very fun game!!
It was a great start to my trip. I'll post more later. Still recovering from the trip home, and need to take a nap. Sorry, don't mean to be cryptic, but you'll just have to read more later on.
My entire life I have suffered with motion sickness. I get sick in the car, and everything bigger than that. In fact, the bigger the vehicle, the sicker I get. Needless to say, I hate to fly. Fortunately, I heard from a coworker, a few years ago, that ginger helps. I went straight to GNC and got a big bottle and it really does help. I usually still get sick when flying, but only during the descent.
I have never left the country before, except a short jaunt into Canada when I was 10. I had a 4 hr layover in Denver, followed by a 5 hr ride to San Jose. I never got sick. Not once. Not even a little bit. This made the whole trip start out so great. I was in a wonderful mood.
Sara was waiting at the airport for me, and I was so happy to see her. All the way to their house I kept saying "I'm not in the states anymore!" San Jose, and all of it's suburbs is in a big, roundish valley that is ringed with mountains. It was all freeway driving at first, and then little cities and villages. I have to say that C.R. has lush, beautiful green trees and grasses, of many kinds. There was a lot of traffic, and the people drive like they drive in Europe, from what I hear. And yet, the whole time I was there I saw no accidents.
It was just terrific to see Sara again. She and Simon had just been here a month before, but I can usually count on seeing them only once, or twice, a year, so this was a real treat. When we got to their house (beautiful!!) Malachi ran straight for me and I was thrilled to see him and John. Simon was still sleeping. We had a great breakfast of different pastries and lots of fresh fruit. (If you have plans to never go to C.R., or anywhere tropical, go for the produce. GREAT!!!!)
Simon got up and the 5 of us just hung out for a while, then Nana had to go take a nap. I went down on the red eye. We had a nice, relaxing day at their house and it was the best way to start my trip!
Monday Sara & I went to the grocery store. It was beautiful. So nice, and so clean. It was very much like Byerly's. It was odd to see that the store was very much Costa Rican. All of the employees were Tico's (C.R. are called Tico pronounced tee-koe), and it was Spanish all around us. Sara is very good at speaking C.R. Spanish. But, most of the products came from the states. John said we had to play a game that night. They had a new one they just love. Sara took me to an old monastery that's been converted to a restaurant. It was very, very nice and the food was great. We sat at a table that was up against the glass wall, and my fear of heights thing popped up. Sara & John are at 3300 ft on the mountain, and the monastery was another 2000 ft up. It was right on the edge and you could see the whole valley. I felt like I was being tipped towards the wall and was a little freaked out, but not for long. The view was spectacular, and the food was very good. Unfortunately, we couldn't get any pictures. It was too dark and even when Sara suppressed her flash, it still wasn't any good. I meant to go back up to take pics, but just forgot. (I'm very good at that!) We went back to their house and played Ticket To Ride, and I could have played all night. Very fun game!!
It was a great start to my trip. I'll post more later. Still recovering from the trip home, and need to take a nap. Sorry, don't mean to be cryptic, but you'll just have to read more later on.
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