Almost two weeks at the ASVO Turtle Conservation project on Playa Buena Vista, near Samara on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Amazing experience, more photos posted to Fototime website (link sent in email).... read more

(entered on 3/2/11) Relatively uneventful flight direct flight with JetBlue from Orlando to San Jose Costa Rica. Very strong turbulence about a half hour out of Miami - Ridley commented that it was a bumpier ride than the rollercoasters we were on the day before at Univeral Studios. Arrived in San Jose, had a fun argument with the porters at the airport who insisted we needed to pay them to carry our bags 20 feet to the taxis (first experience with using sign language and bad Spanish to try and communicate). Took taxi to Heredia to the house of a Costa Rican friend who graciously welcomed us. Dumped our bags and headed back by taxi into San Jose (very slow in rush hour) to sort out our volunteer program with ASVO. Back to Heredia to ... read more

- (Retroactive entry on 2/25/11) Hard to believe the day is here that we are leaving on our six-month sabbatical adventure. Are we ready? No. We could blame it on a computer virus, a leaky roof, hosting a party two days beore leaving, but mostly it is just the enormity of organizing all the details for a trip like this. Dianne and Chris pulled an all-nighter trying to get all the packing done. Our friend Gerardo, a visting professor from Costa Rica who will be living in our house, took us to the airport where we narrowly avoided missing the cutoff time for checking in. Our goals for this Sabbatical Trip Here is the list of goals we have for this trip, written several months ago, but they still seem to hold true: Learn language Experience ... read more