20/10/6

I haven’t mentioned it before, but we are trying to start a bed and breakfast business in our small home. We have rented our extra bedroom to six people, so far. The first couple enjoyed the peace and quiet of our home, but did not like the noise of Costa Rica. After leaving here, they stayed at Marvin’s cabins, near the Bar Huevo, and were kept awake by karaoke on the weekend. Before they stayed here, they stayed at Playa Coco. This is a party town, full of bars and many people party there every night. They left for their country two weeks early, but you can’t please everyone.

The other four people were men. Three of them are friends of mine. They thought Costa Rica was marvelous. They enjoyed staying in a Tico environment, and all of them commented that the best part was meeting my neighbours.

My most recent visitor went home on Wednesday. When I talked to him last night, he was planning a return trip. Just for one example, he is a fisherman. We hired my neighbour to take us fishing. Howie, my friend, has fished for all kinds of fish, all over the world. He said he has never had so much fun. He is in a wheelchair. Rafa carried him from the car, down the steep steps to the panga ( an open boat they use for fishing around here), and set him in the boat. It is 18 feet long, with a 40 HP outboard. I also got in the boat, and because we were late, it was low tide, they pushed us 800m. through mud that was over their knees to get us to the ocean.  No problem. Once under way, we headed across the Gulf of Nicoya to San Lucas Island. This island was once used as a prison, but is now a beautiful nature reserve.

They fished with nylon line wrapped around a plastic bottle. They baited the hook with a shrimp, and threw it out. When they caught fish, they brought them in hand over hand. It was obvious to me they were all having a lot of fun. This is what the locals do for fun, and Howie was right in there, learning all their tricks. They didn’t need my interpreting skills to joke with each other when one of them caught a garbage fish, or a bigger fish than the last guy, they were saying the same things all fishermen do, and the five of us hardly stopped laughing the whole day. When we returned, he booked another day in the boat for two days later. If anything, that day was better because we weren’t late, and they didn’t have to push the boat through mud. Both days were very productive, and as Howie would rather go out for a hamburger, we gave all the fish to the guys. They were happy with that.

Anyway, I got an email from my cousin today. He was thinking of coming for a holiday, but it is more expensive to fly here, than it is for an all-inclusive. I tried to explain that cost isn’t everything, and if he could get away for two weeks, Costa Rica would be more cost effective. The holiday is different. Not everyone wants to swim and drink for a week. The hotels are usually isolated from the society, and many Caribbean islands get boring after four days. Everyone who has been here has left wanting more. Costa Rica has so much to offer tourists; three or four separate climates, volcanoes, beaches, rain and cloud forests, bird reserves, (not to mention all the wild birds), fishing, night life, and tranquility. Ticos enjoy a quality of life unconnected to how much money they make, or what problems they must solve daily. Life is so different here, and discovering the differences has been a marvelous education for this old man, and my guests have felt the same.

People here are used to having problems, and they know what to do about them, solve them. My windshield wipers quit on the way to the airport with Howie. After I got him sorted out at the airport, I went to my friend’s hotel I had stayed in the first week. Larry and his family have stayed here a few times, once for three days, and I have got to know him quite well. He figured that we should take the car to his mechanic. The mechanic fixed it for a good price, and I had my car back around five. I don’t like driving through the mountains at night, so I stayed over. Larry was broke, so he charged me a whole ten dollars for the room, and I headed home early in the morning to feed Raz. Problem solved.