Geo: 39.74, -104.992Hogar, dulce hogar, translates to Home, sweet home.If you are a faithful reader of our blogs you know that Jeff and I are very frugal travelers - or maybe we are travelers because we are very frugal? Anyway, we often get our accomodations through sites like VRBO (vacation rentals by owner) or occassionally Airbnb. We are returning to Costa Rica this week and several weeks ago, on a lark, I wrote to our friends Annie and Norman in San Ramon, CR telling them we were planning to come down and we were going to stay in Atenas because we want to check out that area. I asked her if she knew anyone around who might have a place to rent and that we did not want to spend more than $150-175/night. (This is high ... read more

Geo: 23.1168, -82.3886I never get sick when travelling ->not sick sick, but last night was an exception. A very serious exception. I started vomiting and couldn't stop. Then it would stop and about an hour later start again. This went on literally all night. I have never been so sick in my life.At one point, because I was freezing, I got up, drank two bottles of water, put on my wool socks, fleece jacket and bathrobe and crawled back under the covers only to have to get up again to throw up.. Finally, I just stayed on the floor in the bathroom.That's when the chills started, violent chills. I couldn't stop shaking and it was gross motor movement, not just little'chills.' I was frightened and couldn't even think straight enough to call to Jeff for help. ... read more

Geo: 23.1168, -82.3886OMG! We had a 4 a.m. wakeup call. That sure came fast. Jeff and I stumble around making sure all our official documents - passport, visa, and customs form are readily available. Our flight to Havana is a charter which is, apparently, shared by at least one other tour company. A short 90 minutes later we land in Cuba.We got our luggage and after clearing all the official steps (which was quite easy as there was a "Nothing to Declare" aisle and the health people didn't even collect our forms), we head for our coach. Right about here I lose Jeff who has spotted them - the very famous old American made cars.Most are beautifully restored and these serve as taxis, others, in various degrees of reworkmanship are privatly owned. Our coach is a ... read more

Geo: 25.7928, -80.1349Yes, it is Super Bowl Sunday and the six of us (Trish's daughter arrived last night, so now we are six) are having our own little fiesta tonight. But first we'll enjoy the day.Without plan we all end up at the small continental breakfast area at the same time, early like 9:15. Toast, yogurt, juice, fruit and coffee are set up on two small tables in a narrow hallway. Lots of "pardon me's" and "Sorries" as we and the other guests maneuver about. I don't think we are the demographic for this hotel as all of the folks I see are young Europeans.We carry our breakfasts outside to the veranda where it is a little chilly but not bad. It is certainly much warmer than at home. As we eat and people watch we ... read more

Geo: 10.3014, -84.3338Okay, we are going to pick up our rental car over in Alajuela near the airport, but how are we going to get there? We aren't sure if the bus stops anywhere near there, but Jeff has a plan. We'll load up our backpacks with the stuff we'll want for hiking and exploring Poas National Park: water bottles, snacks, binoculars, cameras, extra camera batteries, raincoats (we accidentally left our umbrellas in Butch's car Saturday night). Wearing our hiking boots and hats, we catch the bus to WalMart - there are always cabs outside WalMart. Our driver doesn't speak English at all. Charades are fun! Making a motion like I'm driving, I say "Budget" and "Alajuela." He nods and we get in. "Yo direcciones" (I directions) I say and we set off. We arrive at ... read more