Lazy day...

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Geo: 9.98333, -84.1167

Sunday, the perfect day to just hang out. We don't have any plans for today except to make email contact with some local realtors. I send a message to a generic Coldwell Banker office explaimimg that we would like someone to show us some ex-pat areas around Heredia. Jeff writes the same to a Century 21 address.

My person writes back first and tells me they don't have any agents in Heredia and why don't we look at beach properties in Tamarindo? He never asked any questions at all - what type of place we were interested in, what our budget is, nothing. Pretty much it was, "I have beach properties and you're a fool not to buy one, goodbye." I didn't respond to his message because it was obvious he wasn't interested in us, but if I had I would have said something along the lines of, "Oh yes, I really want to go someplace that is under a severe flood warning right now and where the local volcano began erupting two days ago. Thanks but no thanks." Just for the record, Costa Rica has 5 active volcanos and one or another is usually erupting or spitting ash and rocks.

Jeff had better luck with his query. His realtor wrote back with 5 or 6 very good questions like: rent or own? locale preferences? is being close to medical facilities important? are gravel or dirt roads acceptable? 4-wheel drive access or not? And, of course, what is your budget? We quickly answered all the questions (budget is flexible) and told him that we were looking about 4 years out. Never heard from him again.

Fine. If we decide to make a move we will not be using either of those companies. For all they know, they just blew off multi-millionaires.
We decide to take Butch's advice and Jeff goes online to make a Budget car reservation for us. We'll pick it up tomorrow morning, have it for tomorrow, and Tuesday and can take it back to Budget Wednesday morning before our flight, riding their free shuttle to the airport.

Jeff walks down to Auto Mercado to buy (more) diet Coke. Normally we don't drink soda at all, but we have these bottles of rum...and you get the picture. I get the laundry together. I'm relieved to see that it is a Kenmore washer/dryer and the knobs are in English. The set in San Ramon wasn't and we were a wee bit challenged.


Jeff returns and comes out to the back yard (where the washer and dryer are). He and I stand and watch the washing machine do its thing. It is a front loading one and we've never seen one in action before. With a laugh, I point out that we are watching a washing machine, for heaven's sake!

I go upstairs to see what there is to read. Ah, Jurassic Park! I didn't tell you that I stayed up until after 1am last night watching Jurassic Park in Spanish. I've never read the book and it looks perfect for a lazy day.

We sit out back at the little patio table having iced tea and talking. Now that we have a car starting tomorrow, where do we want to go? We decide to visit Volcano Poas. It isn't a long drive and if we get up there early enough we might beat the fog and be able to see into the caldera. Poas is not a dormant volcano, but has been inactive for a couple of decades.

Jeff goes in to take a nap and I cozy up in the back yard glider (out of the sun) with my book and tea. Told you it was a lazy day.

After a while it starts to rain. We go upstairs to watch NFL football (in Spanish, of course). I have one eye on the game but am pretty engrossed in my book. The rain is coming down really hard! The thunder and lightening are amazing - I love big storms, but a couple of times I jump and squeak because the thunder is so loud.

Then, in rapid succession, we hear a click, see a flash and BOOM! And everything goes dark.

No problema. Even in the US I always travel with a windup flashlight. We go downstairs, I get my Red Cross flashlight and we use it to find the house flashlight and some candles. (These are things you locate the first day wherever you are staying in Costa Rica.) I was a little afraid that the matches might not work because it is so humid here, but they did. We look outside and see flashlights, camp lanterns and candles moving around in the neighbors' houses

So, now what? We carry the candles into the dining room and play backgammon by candlelight for an hour or so until the power comes back on. Pura Vida!

We make a big salad for dinner. Man, those avocados from the market are good, and the lettuce so fresh.
Jeff plays on his IPad while I keep reading. He goes off to bed and I stay up too late to finish the book. It was good and very different from the movie.

What a nice relaxing day...

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Comments

[Travelwrite]

This link shows some places in Heredia: http://www.propertiesincostarica.com/heredia.html

[mjanesmith]

Hi Eve! You are so much like Jeff it is very scary! He checked out that site - and several others. Hope you can join us in Costa Rica sometime?!

[Tom]

Amazing that you had to go all the way to Costa Rica to watch a front loading washing machine -- you could have gone to a Laundromat here!! Just kidding -- it sounds like you had a perfectly relaxing day with no worries. How cool!

[Travelwrite]

Will very much enjoy staying with you at your new house wherever it may be in Costa Rica. Shame it is still 4 years away!