Costa Rica at Last

My alarm went off at 2 am. I showered and dressed. These little 2-hour snatches of sleep were contributing to my overall zombie-like feeling.

As I set the alarm on the house, Cash got out. This was not what I needed. I managed to catch him and keep him in the garage as I shut the door. With both cats in the house and the alarm set, I waited for Jim.

He arrived around 2:45. I scraped my knuckle as I put the suitcase in his trunk, and it bled. He didn’t have a napkin or anything, so I wiped it on a scrap of notebook paper. We got to the airport by 3.

I checked in (the bag weighed 49). It was a very full flight. I had an aisle seat, so it was hard to sleep well. I slept poorly for an hour or so on the plane.

In Houston, I ate breakfast at an airport restaurant: scrambled eggs, bacon, and grits. A Gator alum noticed my hat and chatted with me about UF. I vaguely remember what we said. Zombie, I tell you.

Finally, I was sitting on the plane to Costa Rica. And thankfully it was not as full. I still got an aisle seat, but the three seats across the aisle only had one person, sitting on the aisle. I switched to that window seat once I knew they were done boarding.

Being able to lean against the window makes for much better sleeping, and I slept decently for an hour or so. Continental even served a free light meal (I didn’t know any airlines did that anymore). A hot chicken sandwich and salad.

I watched Fanboys on my Macbook.

When we landed in Costa Rica, no one applauded. That was disappointing.

An old friend, Monica Fallas, met me at the baggage carousel. She works at the airport. I’ve been writing a book that takes place in Costa Rica, and I’ve emailed Monica with lots of questions about airport procedures and other Costa Rican matters. She’s been a big help, and despite what she says, her English is quite good.

Wito (pronounced WEE-toe…it’s the kids’ name for my father-in-law, a shortened version of abuelito, or grandfather), Bella, and Alex waited for me outside the airport. Wito had a new car, which was a nice surprise. I felt hot and sticky. Acclimated to Phoenix, this humidity was pretty bad.

Bella gave me some pineapple empanadas during the ride home to Pavas. At home, I unloaded my bags and napped for an hour or so.

Sofia and Alex have been practicing music with a group of local children as part of a Costa Rican cultural initiative that gives children the opportunity to learn an instrument and perform. Sofia brought her trumpet, so she’d been playing with a small youth orchestra. Alex had been singing with a choir (Spanish songs). They had already had one performance and tonight was their second one.

After my nap, I showered and dressed for the performance, which was at a church about a mile up the road.

Sofia played trumpet, Alex sang, and I struggled to keep my eyes open. But it was a lovely evening.

At home, I fell asleep with Bella and Alex, then moved to my bed where I finally got a full night’s sleep.