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Upon our return from the journey to the Caribbean coast we started exploring our opportunities back in Canada. According to my leave agreement it was necessary to indicate my intentions to return or not by the 15th of March. I had already contacted my buddy in human resources to find out what might be available and Nataghia was exploring her opportunities as well. As it turned out my opportunities were limited to a couple of teaching positions in small remote communities and a principal position in a small town similar to Eastend. In the meantime Nataghia found a nice opportunity with the Office of the Provincial Secretary and with that in consideration I requested more time with respect to my decision so Nataghia could try and firm up her situation. Nevertheless it seemed like we were ... read more

After returning from our visa vacation in Nicaragua we enjoyed a quiet relaxing weekend in and around Esparza. We hadn’t seen some of our Costa Rican friends for a while so we invited Marlon, Andrea, and their one year old daughter Camilla to spend Sunday afternoon at Playa Dona Ana. It was Camilla’s first trip to the ocean and we enjoyed watching her parents fuss over her. It is very interesting to watch the subtle differences in child rearing no matter where we are. In Costa Rica the child is always golden and it seems like the parents will do everything to make sure their little ones are never made uncomfortable. Not saying we don’t protect our children but the Tico child must really go over the top to garner any negative attention from Mom or ... read more

As the sun set on our adventure with the McLeod’s we were forced to face the bitter reality of life. After a week away, no matter where you’ve been and what you’ve been doing, going home is always a good feeling. Of course it is nice to sleep in one’s own bed and cook in a familiar kitchen but the backlog of laundry and other not so enjoyable aspects of life need to be dealt with eventually. This is especially true if the arrival of more guests is immanent and with the owner of the school emailing and calling about my response to his offer it was a stressful time to say the least. The Offer On the second last day of school, Victor, the owner called me to his office for a secret meeting. He ... read more

We have to go to Monteverde. When the McLeod’s visited Costa Rica some 17 years ago they never made it to the famous Costa Rican community of Monteverde because they didn’t have a 4x4. Monteverde has a unique history, climate, geography, ecology, and is very difficult to get to. Therefore people want to go there. Monteverde, means Green Mountain in English, and after spending two nights in Monteverde I wonder what kind of green the name refers to. I'm pretty sure you know it isn't the green that Puerto Viejo is known for and that what I'm talking about is dollars. The area has outstanding attractions including adventure tours like zip-lining, and nature tours and attractions such as the insect, bat, frog, serpent, night hike, horseback riding, quad, and tree planting tours...all at a cost. Since ... read more

After being our guests in Costa Rica for nearly three whole days and not getting to the beach on any of them made the McLeod's plan for the next day easy. Ariana had been waiting to go since Christmas Day and I applaud her grown up patience. Before heading out we filled up on pancakes and bacon, with fresh strawberries and yummy pineapple. Not as good as the Boxing Day brunch in Saskatoon, but Gail appreciated Ron's delicious cafe con leche. Then it was time to follow the little blue car - the McLeod's had rented their own big 4WD for their stay but we took the lead and they always made sure not to lose us on our various road trips. After a quick stop at the Maxi-Bodega (one of Costa Rica's versions of ... read more