Costa Rica days 2-5 part 1

We stayed at the Zula Aparthotel while we were at Santa Teresa for the next few days. This is a no frills little complex where we got our own tiny house with a kitchen. The place had a common area that was one bedroom connected to the kitchen andyou can walk through to get to the other bedroom. The bathroom connected the 2 rooms. It worked fine although the beds weren't to most comfy in the world. The kitchen was sparse but really had what you needed (unless you wanted to make blender drinks). We had a Toast-R-oven and a double burner hot plate. Every day Scott made us delicious breakfasts! In Costa Rica you can buy bundles of eggs in 10's or you can buy single eggs. Be careful getting them home! I carried my 2 eggs in my hand.
Each morning you could hear howler monkeys in the trees nearby. There were kitties and all kinds of pretty colorful birds. I got up at dawn each day and sat by the pool watching birds, listening to monkies and enjoying the sounds before it got too hot. The funny blue bird is an urracca. I have no idea what the yellow one was. I never saw a toucan or a sloth. Next time...

RIP Mama kitty

Mama kitty was so devoted to me. One day I caught her in my trap when I was fixing ferals. We did a kitty abortion and brought her back home. I had to keep her overnight because she was on anesthetic and while she was doped up i held her in a towel and cuddled her for a bit. I think that's why she trusted and loved me. She only let me pet herwhen Ifed her but then I only fed her if she was right there.
tonight I went outside right after she was hit by a car. I was able to just pick her up and say goodbye and thankfully it was just the one blow and not a gory mess. She's not in the flower bed with Tang and Princess Rainbow. In Heaven cats have wings so they aren't always in the car's way.

Costa Rica- Day 2 the ferry

Taking the ferry is cool but disorganized. You have to get your car in line and sit there in the heat and wait for the man to bring you a laminated piece of paper. THEN, you take the paper to the office and pay. There are lots of people trying to sell you hats and fat little old toothless ladies shoving sunglasses at you. And dogs. They are everywhere. I love them. So the ferry took about 1 hour and 10 minutes and then we were off! Scott is the best driver for these situations because he was a bike messenger for years and he is fearless. He just steps on the gas and goes! Swerving around the bigger dips, shifting for hills and sliding to a stop to let the car coming the other way use the single lane bridge. Sometimes you might go around a corner and there's a cow in the road. Sometimes there is a festival caravan with a band and decorated oxen. You never really know what to expect except that it is a very bumpy dusty ride. We made it to Santa Teresa just in time to have some beers! I'll post more on Santa Teresa tomorrow

Costa Rica- Day 1

Woohoo! We arrived in San Jose on a Saturday afternoon around 12pm. We took Spirit Air and I want to point out that they are like the dollar store compared to Target. You will ultimately end up paying the same as flying Delta if you factor in layovers, airport food, time hanging out waiting for layovers, and baggage. We crammed 3 people's stuff into 2 suitcases and checked them because they charge for carry-ons. If we flew Delta direct it would have cost 500 more over 3 people but once you factor in 160 bucks for bags, 3 meals there, 2 meals back, some beers and your 4 hours waiting, Delta would have been a better choice. Be warned.

So the first thing we did was get a rental car. We had arranged one through a small company called Target Car Rental and they were GREAT! They picked us up at the airport and got us situated and set up on GPS and off we go! We went directly to Walmart and bought a crappy little disposable phone "just in case". The Walmart is scary. It was super empty and there were armed guards everywhere and a giant fence to stop an invasion. If it was the Walking Dead that is where I would go. Inside it looked just like Walmart is supposed to look but with weirder fruit and all summer clothes. Oh, and no craft section.
So, after Walmart we headed to Puntarenas, which is about 1 1/2 hours away from San Jose. This is a port town for cruises and the place to cathc the ferry to the Nicoya Peninsula. It is NOT a final destination. There's not much. Boring beaches, neighborhoods, and judging by the fencing and razor wire there's a lot of crime. We stayed at the Las Brisas which was not a 5 star by any means. But it had 4 beds (yes, 4) and air conditioning and it was just a night there. For the price it wasn't a great choice but I am scared to think what a cheaper place would look like. At least it included breakfast for 139 bucks a night!
Once we got to the hotel and lightly settled we went out on the town. By this, we mean we went and found the closest bar/restaurant and sat by the water drinking delicious fruit beverages or beers while eating ceviche and calamari. After dinner we walked the strip and just appreciated the town for what we could. There were lots of people out as it was the weekend. Lots of meat on sticks being sold, sunglasses, and just a good walking area. On the walk home we took the neighborhood route to see that side. Every house had fencing completely encasing their courtyard or garage. They were all like tiny jails with intricate iron work or chain link. sometimes there were decorative cement bricks building a wall or ever razor wire. Theft is pretty bad around there I am guessing. I slept good after all the travel.