We never made it back out of our room at Las Orquideas. I finished my book though. :-) We were up early this morning. It was hard not to be, as our room was right next to the kitchen and breakfast started at 6:30 am. We were both up a lot in the middle of the night listening to the howling wind. It had been a long time since I had heard a windstorm like that. After a breadfast tipico (rice and beans, eggs, toast, coffee, guava jelly) we were on the road to Alajuela...which was just as bumpy on the way down. We were cranky (had to pee) by the time we got to (got lost in) Alajuela and found our hotel. I have to say, I have a new appreciation for all those Amazing ... read more

Life at the beach is pretty much what we expected - hot, chill and gorgeous. We got up on the late side this morning, heading back to the Cabinas Cafe for an omelette, panqueques con banana and coffee. Mmmm. On the way back we stopped at Iguana Surf to rent a couple of boards. An 8'6" board for me and a 7 footer for Wes. We spent the morning surfing, although I spent more time falling off than standing up. But it was a good time. And great to be surfing in such warm water. Even in the summer San Diego surf isn't this pleasant. After a few hours we took a break and wandered down the beach. I got a tasty cherry snow cone con leche and Wes stopped in town to get a rashguard. ... read more

Today was the fabled "Christmas Present Biking Trip." We met our Bike Arenal guide, Hector (or maybe Edgar, we weren't sure), at the front desk at 8 am and picked up a couple of teenagers at the Montana de Fuego hotel. From there the four of us were driven out to the turnoff into Arenal National Park where we began our bike ride. The terrain was a little rough - mostly small hills with lots of rocks and bumps (and the trademark Costa Rican potholes). But the bikes were great and helped minimize the jolts. Everyone was patient with me as we travelled to El Castillo, and then on the river and back to our picnic spot. We enjoyed bananas, watermelon and wafers at the edge of Lake Arenal with a nice view of the (still) ... read more

As part of the Best. Christmas. Present. Ever (oh fine, it ties with the ticket to Tokyo I got last year) I am finally in Costa Rica with Wes. So far it has already been an adventure, starting with our quest to find parking at LAX. Lot B? Full. "Please drive to Lot C." Lot C? Also full. At that point we give in, drive to my office and have a taxi pick us up there. Frustrating, but ultimately will save us money on parking, so we get over it pretty quickly. On the plus side, we left 5 hours early to try to get seat assignments together, so we had some time to spare. Unfortunately, it was not the only hiccup in our departure. As soon as we get to the ticket counter the AA ... read more

Continuing my quest to see a little bit of Japan outside of Tokyo, I spent today in the oceanside town of Kamakura. Kamakura is home to dozens of shrines and temples and the Great Buddha: Before leaving for Kamakura, I met the guys for breakfast at the hotel buffet. Just before leaving dad's old friend Noburo showed up. I haven't seen Noburo since 1985. It was a little surreal. Per his recommendation, I caught the JR train at Shinjuku for Kita-kamakura - one stop before Kamakura itself. From the small train depot I started wandering, coming upon the Tokeiji Temple after a few minutes. This is the temple for divorced women - it eventually became a nunnery. I spent a lot of time exploring the temple's cemetery - very beautiful and interesting. I followed a pass ... read more