This picture is the view we woke up to today. No city anywhere in sight. Just trees, birds, and sky. Really far off… mountains. Beautiful!
We took out time this morning but cleared out pretty quick and got on the road by 10:30 and figured we’d get breakfast on the road. With a regular map that doesn’t have Playa Negra on it and Rick’s map with no road names I’m worried about how this is gonna work. I couldn’t wrap my head around this… There truly are no road names, just places. Road signs are apparently a new thing over here – at least since mom was here last. They were only helpful enough to know we were heading the right way. I don’t think we saw the same town listed twice.
Cruising down the road – we are using Garmin and he’s telling us to go straight. Ricks map is saying turn right. Problem… Adding to the problem is NO STREET NAMES. Your supposed to turn right at the sign that says Junquillal 160… but don’t go over the bridge or you’ve gone to far………… Ok. Here’s a bridge… we turn around because we’ve gone to far – but Garmin says keep going straight… So does Justin… We turn around.
What do we find????? A guy selling fruit out of the back of his truck… Something that looks like a dark skinned cantaloupe and is dark reddish orange inside with something like a mango seed inside. 
Avocados as big as bag of Oreos and other avocados that are like over grown crook-neck squash. We got some of the fruit and an avocado… got more fruit and the oddly shaped avocado free. You thought I was going to say we found the road huh? Nope, we kept going and oh there’s the airport again. There’s Liberia – ok on Rick’s map we are most definitely the wrong direction. Turning around again… let’s follow Garmin’s directions and see where that takes us.
Garmin took us on some windy paved roads. Past a monkey rehabilitation facility that we now need to find again… and by local villages – they are not big enough to be towns. Neat little blink if you miss them places.
Stopped for breakfast/lunch I don’t know where but it was called Soda de la Palma – I think… We were the only not local people there. I think everyone was on their lunch break because it was very busy. Good food. Guess there are little places like this all over the place and they are called “Sodas”. Paved road all gone… Pot holes as big as a car here we go. Ok patches of pot holes as big as your car…
We reached a big Century 21 building. Biggest building I’ve seen since we left the hotel so it sort of stuck out. Went a little bit and realized we missed the road and turned around. Oh there it is, back on the right road. Turn left instead of right and there is gate. We made it!!
Glad to see Danielle and the boys. The house is more amazing in person. Pictures just don’t cut it but I’m going to keep including them anyway. This picture is the front of Rick’s from the ocean side – high tide is coming in. 
Danielle showed us around the house and where we are staying so we got our things put away.
Walked out on the deck and oh my god! GORGEOUS! I just don’t know how else to put it. It is absolutely amazing. Nothing between us and the horizon except a handful of surfers. 
Didn’t take long for Justin to hit the pool. I am not far behind…
OOPS! I’m in the ocean with my camera – silly me. Headed back to shore and gave it to mom.
Next up – Sunset and dinner…
Random people in the bottom of this one…
While watching the sunset – the bats came out. This one swooped in for a little visit. Tiny little buggers! 
And now it’s off to dinner at MacDonald’s. No not what your thinking… the local Tico who owns the place is named MacDonald. 
Plantain banana fried – flattened – and fried again with guacamole, pico de gallo, and lime juice. OH MY GOD this was incredible. Fresh Mahi Mahi grilled for dinner with fresh veggies and mashed potatoes. Couldn’t read a thing on the menu but just picking something random worked out this time for me. Had a 10 minute thunder and lightening storm and poof it was done. Time to go home.
Danielle gave me a test – could I find our way home by myself. Yes indeedy!
At the front door we had a frog and a crab waiting to greet us. Grabbed my dress from the pool area and took it upstairs to dry. Don’t want a crab to drag it off somewhere. No clue if that would even happen but I thought I should just pick up after myself anyway.
Sat by the pool and watched the bats swoop down and pick the bugs out of the pool while Justin was swimming. These bats were much bigger than the bats we saw earlier in the evening. They never came near us – scratch that... they never hit us… but got uncomfortably close for Justin’s taste. Mom and I wound up sort of pushing the bugs from the edge of the pool out to the middle for the bats to pick up. It’s one way to keep your pool clean. I can think of many of you that would be freaking out by this… but really… they were completely aware we were there and made every effort to steer clear of us.
I don’t think they have them this far south but there was something in the trees that made mom and I think about the “fireflies” on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland. No clue what they were but there was definite flickering in the trees down by the water.
Even as I type I can hear the waves, crickets, frogs, and an occasional something that I have no clue what it is. I see lightening off in the distance over the ocean. I am so happy… I love it here. I can totally understand why Rick built here and comes back for his max time every year. I know I would if I could.
Tomorrow – Pick up Sierra at the airport. Something happened and she didn’t make her connection in Houston. Luckily she has an uncle there to stay with and we pick her up tomorrow. Then more ocean and pool time!!!
Pura Vida!
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