Blogs from Costa Rica, Central America Caribbean - page 490

We're almost there..... We close on the house a week from today, January 19, 2006. The date was pushed back from the original closing date of the 10th as the buyer’s agent wasn’t able to get his ducks in a row. The inspections and appraisal have all been completed. Now we wait for the title to record and pick up our check on the 19th. If things go without a hitch we’ll head for LA that afternoon or early the following morning to ship our belongings. From there it’s on to Scott’s in San Diego for a relaxing weekend before leaving the country. The vehicles have both been sold. We’ll deliver mine to the buyer over the weekend & Bill will keep the truck until the day before we leave. The buyer is only a block ... read more

Checking in from the Carribean coast, chillin in the small town of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, just a little ways up from the border of Panama. I got into town a few days ago, and have been just lounging ever since. The town is pretty small, right on the ocean with a huge surf spot, Salsa Brava, right out front. I am staying at the coolest hostel I have ever imagined, Rockin J's, THE place to be down here. There are tons of other travelers staying here, with accomodations ranging from tents, to the hammock hotel, to shared cabins and even a treetop room that you climb 100 feet up to. There are travelers here from all over the world, and English is by far the least used language. Just sitting in the common area you ... read more

This is the start of my (Carolyn's), hopefully, excellent adventure. It is the longest and loosest trip I have ever been on. This is not easy for someone who likes, well, order - I can hear my kids laughing about that euphemism. I will be traveling for about 103 days, through 5 Central American countries. I have a couple of hotels lined up for a night here and there. I have the names of some of the host families I will be staying with when I go to school in 3 different countries. THe rest of a day to day test of the power of the internet. Well, let's talk about the weather. I was led to believe that all would be sunny and hot, hot, hot. I left my fleece jacket back in Boston, brought ... read more

Alright, so I'm not really sure where to begin, the last 3 days have honestly been some of the best of my life. From San Jose, we drove a few hours over to the town of Turrialba, got some groceries, then headed up to our amazing accomodations at the Pochotel, a mountaintop villa with views like I have never seen before! High atop a mountain overlooking several volcanos, this tiny place was just what we were looking for. The restaurant has glass walls with panoramic views of the sorrounding river valleys. We all hung out in a treehouse above the restaurant, hanging out with 55 year old locals that were more than happy to pass us a bottle of Guaro and a spliff in exchange for some english lessons. Let me reiterate once again how overwhelmingly ... read more

Well, a new year is upon us. They just fly by and I’m not getting any younger. Yikes! There’s plenty to do in the coming year and the next few months are very busy with customers—which is good given that the B&B, under our ownership, has only been in business for about 6 months. Manuel Antonio—again I spent a few days over New Years in Manuel Antonio. I must admit I love that place! The beach is terrific, the people are friendly, the food is decent, and if you look hard enough, you can actually find a hotel room at a reasonable price, even in peak season. After taking the local bus down there last time—which took about six hours—I decided to see if the ole Trooper would hold up, so I drove down there on ... read more