Road Trip with Goldie

I figure it’s high time that I gave you the skinny on our fantastic month of travel.

(I make that statement as though I have hundreds of loyal followers anxiously awaiting my next update...which is, let’s be honest, far from the case. Despite the fact that no one really comments on these posts, or the fact that I have a meager fifteen followers, I am often encouraged to post by people telling me that they’ve been waiting for an update! Who knew? Even if it’s only an occasional reader, I’ll take what I can get!)

Our adventures began in a shiny, gold rental car, affectionately titled “Goldie.” Oh, how I loved Goldie. After months and months of bus travel, I felt like a rockstar being chauffeured. Don’t get me wrong...I’ve been thankful for our cheap bus travel, as it’s certainly gotten us where we’ve needed to go. However, I began to love it a little less once I discovered my tendency towards motion sickness when being propelled over curvy mountain roads at high speeds. I’ll spare you from any other details...let’s just say, I was quite thankful for a change of pace. 

Julia was quick to poke fun at my enthusiasm...as I was literally posing for pictures inside the car.


This little beach we passed and couldn’t help but stop...it was so beautiful and so deserted.

Our drive was full of amazing sights, and it was quite a thrill for me as a photographer to be able to stop for a photo any ol’ time I wanted. It was unbelievable just how many different landscapes we passed.


This time of year, most of the trees are in full bloom...

Wow.

The drive was not without thrill...at one point, we spent a full half hour on the buuuuuuummmmpppppppppppiest rooooaaaaaaaaddddd I’ve ever experienced. When we finally hit concrete again, we both felt like we could breathe...simultaneously amazed that our heads were still attached to our bodies.

After passing through coastal towns, we found ourselves surrounded by farmland. It was really so beautiful to see fields of cas and watermelon on all sides.

I've never seen so many watermelons in one place. After each turn in the road, there was yet another watermelon stand. These folks are lovin' watermelons...

Our drive was really wonderful...we both loved getting to go at our own pace, exploring so many different aspects of this fine country. 


The only downside is the reality that it's going to be awfully hard to get on another bus...

Just a typical Monday night around here...

I'm drinking a Corona and reading an interview with Ruth Reichl...(she's my fav.)
Julia is piddling through a Spanish dictionary, and, well...translating...something.

She looks up and said, "Oooh, that was a big bug on the porch! Go see what it was...and tell me if it was a scorpion."

After my search, I had no thrills to report. "Nah. Just one of those big spiders..."
"A tarantula?"
"No, one of those big spiders we used to think were scary until we lived here for more than five minutes and realized they aren't worth our time."

Yep. We live in the jungle.

Light.

We had a mighty fine view from our ferry ride the other evening...

Good to be Back.

Well. It's been a helluva month of travel.

Feels like we've been on the go for quite some time. Aw, who am I kidding...we have been! It's been absolutely amazing. We have seen and done so much.

As we made the trip across the ferry last night, we both remarked on how lovely it felt to be on a familiar path. It's funny how much this tiny little beach town has become like home to us...and we sure are glad to be back!

We're fortunate to spend the next few days house-sitting for our dear friend, Dagmar, who we've known ever since our first trip to Costa Rica last year...

Her home is one of the most glorious spaces...and being here is just plain peaceful.

Before we left Montezuma last December, Dagmar invited us up the hill to her house for lunch...

...which was one of those lovely afternoons full of wisdom and laughter.

Her home is strongly influenced by Moroccan design, and is situated atop a hill...waking up here every morning to the sounds outside has me feeling quite thankful.

We sure are lucky gals...

Making a Wish...

I didn't have a birthday cake. And, I wasn't even sad about it. Especially because my birthday began with this...

Oooooh, gelato. Gimme somma that.

Let's be honest...I tried almost every flavor before deciding on my combination. It's my birthday -- I can do that, right? Hazelnut and chocolate hazelnut was my pick...and what a pick it was!

Clearly, I wasn't the only one who benefitted from this excursion...

...which all began because we had to pick up a rental car. Yes, a rental car! Never knew I could be so excited about the prospect of a car, that we get to drive wherever we want...but when you've been rocking the Costa Rican public bus system in the ways that we have, I was pretty pumped about this whole rental car thing. More on that later...
So we had to go to the next town over to pick up our car (and yes, we rode the public bus to get there...such locals we are.) And the next town over just happens to have some Italians who decided to open a gelato shop. Happy birthday to me!

The enthusiasm captured in the above photographs is almost a little embarrassing...but I've always said that you should enjoy the little things...