Pension Alajuela

... the hostel, although by foreign driving standards I feel I got off quite lightly with only 3 near misses, 5 episodes of emergency braking and 2 verges mounted.

Oh well as they say, another day another Dollar (and I've already spent 30 of those!)

Carry on vs Check in luggage:

If I'd have checked in a bag I would never have made the flight to San Jose so...

Carry on 1-0 Check in

... street dogs, happy pet dogs, and people all rode bikes. From the school there were daily drumming sessions that were heard throughout the town and really gave it an exciting feel. There is so much lush flora around its amazing. But then we realised why as it rained fantastically for most of the time we were there. Phenomenal storms again and more rain that I have seen in Australia since I was a child. The hostel flooded (but us in our treehouse were safe!) and listening to ...

... one problem. It was such a smooth travel day, we were amazed. There were sounds of bugs I had never heard before, large beetle like bugs flying around, the first indication we were now in a tropical environment. After a short time, we retired to our room. It was a beautiful welcome, a nice day and a beautiful feeling to have actually arrived and were excited about the days ahead, bound for a 10 night "no itinerary" get-away!

... to make the decision to come home.... I had 2 weeks to get my act together, pack, and move on. After 2 years in Costa Rica and 2 professions later I had certainly accumulated a lot of stuff. Rather than throwing it all away I tried setting up a yard sale. Yard sales in Costa Rica are not so common but I had a few dedicated clients who came back even days after I had closed up shop to settle debts and to see if I had anything else. The biggest hit were ...

... and am tired of wearing my workout pants! But my greatest loss is the camera. . . or at least the pictures like the nativity scene. So, that explains why I can no longer post any photos on "South of the Border with Neal and Annette". I will try to find good websites so you can see where we've been. Am thankful I had downloaded up to the point of our trip. For now, however, we're including some shots from around our neighborhood that I haven't shared before.

... now with our night in it´s capital city. When we wake up tomorrow morning we will be in another country, next to one of the most impressive man made structures in the world, the Panama Canal, and a few hundred kilometers from Columbia. We look forward to the next week, Mish´s birthday and our continuing adventure. PS: I´m sorry Eddie but I think I´m gonna blow out this Saturday, even if it is Bahram road! XXX

... The city was really pretty with old buildings in a rainbow of colours, and a large cathedral that could be seen way out on the lake. We decided to do a lake tour and were weighing up if we should do the expensive one where you could swim, or the later, cheaper shorter option where you stayed in the boat. We opted for the cheaper, and I was so glad, as 5 minutes into the boat ride the our guide told us that the lake had lots of Caimen and Bull Sharks - which can ...

... The spectacular aqua color is due to the high sulfuric content located in the water. You can thank Carolina for those wonderfully detailed nuggets!! After the volcano tour, we made a pit stop for fresh strawberries and coffee liquor. YUM. Stay tuned for the next entry as we describe our adventures with wild, tropical birds, human-like monkeys, precious waterfalls, and an unforgettable boat ride on the Saripiqui River.

... C'est notre dernier message en direct du Costa Rica. Nous essaierons de mettre quelques photos à notre retour. Il y a aussi quelques anecdotes que j'aimerais noter pour ne pas les oublier. Nous serons de retour dans le froid, la slushe et la neige dans la nuit de lundi à mardi. Nous espérons que vous avez apprécier nos récits. À bientôt! Melanie et Yannick (avec une pensée pour Marie-Ève, qui est déjà dans le froid!)