Saturday

I love making breakfast. Which I suppose is a good thing, since I find myself making a lot of it when we have guests. And I’ve really gotten into a nice rhythm when cooking. Now, even when I have multiple people to prepare food for, I get it done without trouble. Unlike the first breakfast I made here where I actually burnt the eggs. Who does that? Eggs are pretty straightforward, right? It’s true. But when you are juggling cutting fresh fruit, making toast in a sometimes-unpredictable toaster, making lattes and juices – one can easily get overwhelmed. Just over a month in, and I’m as close to a pro as I’m going to get.  I have mastered breakfast and it feels good!

Not long after our overnight guests were on their way, a car pulled in with three French-Canadian girls from Montreal. They had been trying all week to stop by, but they said they always found we were closed. Which is actually pretty funny, because we were here, and open. But we forgot to turn our sign around after closing up one day, and the girls had driven by many days, saw the closed sign, and turned around. Bummer! But they were here now, so hooray!

The girls were fantastic and so much fun to talk to. They were staying in a great beach house nearby with their boyfriends/husband, and were enjoying their Costa Rican vacation. We talked about the Butterfly Tour and they asked if I’d make arrangements for them to go the next day. I was happy to do so and they promised to come back to visit again the next morning.

Sunday

The girls made good on their word, and this time, the boys joined them. They enjoyed some coffee, smoothies, muffins and toast and Dave and I enjoyed more fun conversation with our guests. The guys, probably assuming (incorrectly) that the Butterfly Tour was too girly, were headed off to snorkel while the girls headed to see Mike. It’s funny how fast you grow fond of people, and by the time they were ready to leave, we took pictures, exchanged emails and hugs all around. It was such a delight having them here!

Out next guests were a German couple who stopped in for some coffee and smoothies. We told them they were welcome to walk around the property and when we told them we had rooms for rent, they chatted a minute and then decided the place seemed so quiet and serene, that they wanted to stay a night. Terrific! We told them about the Butterfly Tour and like most people, they agreed it sounded interesting and asked that I arrange it for the next morning.  Done!

Our German guests headed out to explore the area, and soon we had another German here for coffee. It’s surprising how many German guests we have. He had lived in CR for a year and although he had no idea how long he planned to stay, he definitely had no plans to leave. We could understand that. I asked him about some of his favorite spots in the country, and he lit up as he began telling me. I took him over to the large map we have on the wall and for the next 20 minutes, he passionately told me (in a mix of English and Spanish), about his travels and the places he’s enjoyed most. It was great to get the insider tips, but even more special was seeing him come to life as he talked about this country we are both new to and eager to explore.

Monday

After breakfast, our guests headed out for the Butterfly Tour. They thought they might want to come back for more smoothies after, so they left their belongings here and set off. A few hours later, they returned with news. They met some people on the tour who were volunteers with PRETOMA – a marine conservation and research organization, and the volunteers invited them to come watch for sea turtles on the beach they next morning (2am-5am). They decided it was an opportunity to seize, and informed us they’d be staying another night. Perfect!

In the afternoon, we enjoyed some fascinating conversation with a couple who was visiting CR from Haiti. They stopped in for coffee, and I suspect, like most of our coffee guests, were surprised when the coffee came with an interview. Imagine you go to Starbucks, and after the barista takes your order, she makes your drink and then pulls up a chair nearby and begins asking you questions. I’m always polite, and if someone just really didn’t want to talk, I’d take the hint. But so far, after the initial mild shock, the guests open up and we talk.

Really glad I did so with this interesting pair. (We snapped a pic of them, but they asked that we keep it private.) She was from Finland and he was from Turkey. They were in Haiti on a humanitarian mission. Both of them had been in the field of humanitarian work for many years and from what I understood, they had met when they were in Haiti several years ago, after the devastating earthquake in 2010. We got on the topic of language, which is a popular topic for some reason, and learned that he speaks eight languages. Can you imagine?

Dave and I had lots of questions and though we weren’t sure exactly what type of work they did for the organizations, we decided humanitarian work would be something we’d like to look into. I told them I thought it was so noble – the work they were doing. Surprisingly, they told us it’s really not as noble as it sounds. She said it’s a job. She would not do it if she weren’t paid to do so and they both talked about the difference in their attitudes today versus when they first began. The progression from “I will change the world!” to “It’s just a job.” was swift. But in the end, they say they enjoy the travel and experiencing real life in the countries they are assigned to (typically 2 years at a time) and they rejoice in the small differences they can make. She talked about the cleaning woman they hired the first time in Haiti who was one of the most intelligent and hard working people they had ever met. They helped her with lessons, with money, and opportunities and they can confidently say that they made a real impact on her life.

Interesting. How many of us have wanted to make a difference, but felt the problems were too big and so we do nothing? I’m guilty of it, for sure. But this conversation was such a strong reminder that changing the world really does happen one person at a time. I am reminded of the quote, “To the world you may be one person, but to one person, you may be the world.” Here were two people who had devoted their lives to humanitarian work and day-in and day-out were frustrated by the corruption, bureaucracy and inefficiencies with the effort. Surely they were making more of a difference than they thought, but ultimately, it was a relationship, off the clock, that left them feeling like a life was truly changed.

Tuesday

Our German guests ended up missing out on the turtle experience due to a stomach bug that struck the wife in the night. In fact, she passed on breakfast and opted for hot tea and sleep instead. We told them to let us know what they needed and to feel free to take their time getting going. When she was just beginning to feel better around lunch time, they told us they decided they’d like to stay another night and just enjoy a leisurely exploration of the area. No problem! We hated that she was not feeling well, but we were happy they’d be staying with us another night.

On top of the morning illness, we also had trouble with the animals. The horses in the neighboring pasture found an open gate and let themselves out. Nothing will solidify your rank as a non-cowboy quicker than the total inability to get a horse to listen to you. After trying for at least 30 minutes, we had to call and get someone to help us. We tried to not be embarrassed. But when the guy got here, hopped off his quad, and the horses immediately went into the corral, we were, in fact, embarrassed.

The horses weren’t the only ones giving us trouble. The day brought some sad news on the chicken front. One of the chickens busted into the little red hen’s laying box and broke one of her eggs. We were so bummed out. Then when Dave went to check on her later on, another chicken had pushed her way in, past the mesh he put up, and offed another one. I saw Dave walking back from the compost heap where he’d disposed of the broken egg and premature chick and he had a strange look on his face. He came closer and I asked what was wrong. Really, his eyes said it all and he simply said, “I’m sad.”

It’s life. It’s the natural way of all living things. We know that and we get it. But we felt like we’d let the little red hen down by not being able to keep her kiddos safe. She was down to four eggs, with just over a week to go, and we decided we’d be damned if we were going to let it happen again. So it was moving day for little red. She got her very own posh pad, complete with fresh hay and soft dried grass. She now has her own food and water and she’s safe from the big meanies. It took her nearly 8 hours to settle in and sit back down. But  eventually she did and we are hoping for the best.

Wednesday

Our German guests are both healthy again and after their “coffee stop” turned into a three night stay, we were sad to see them leave. But of course happy they were feeling good again and that they’d enjoyed their stay, despite the illness.

Neighbor Bill popped in to borrow a tool I’d never heard of, but apparently one we had two of.  Fencing pliers, in case you’re curious.  He was happy to provide us with some driving pointers for the trip we were taking off for the next day to see Austin friends living in Tamarindo.

Lunch plans today! Super exciting! Our friends Richard and Marilyn, who are part-timers here in CR, are headed back to the states in a few days, so we were thrilled when they invited us up to the ocean side home to get a look and enjoy some lunch.  And enjoy we did! Here’s how you know that you have truly impressed Melissa and Dave! First, I should say, when we are guests of someone who is cooking for us, we are ALWAYS impressed and grateful! But, if we ask for recipes, you can be sure we were blown away. I left Marilyn’s with one recipe in hand and requests for two others that were coming in an email. Zucchini sweet pickles, vegetable rice and some super yummy monster cookies!

The food! The view! And the conversation! I know, I say it again and again, but that’s always where the magic is! And with Richard and Marilyn, two retired teachers from California, the conversation was effortless and interesting. We are already eager for their return in January!

We had to scoot home to be back for a horseback ride with Mel, the man who bought a few of Edmund’s horses. He came over the other day with Lucky, so Lucky could get a pineapple treat and a kiss from me, and also so he could say hello to his old horse-pals. As soon as they rounded the corner, Lucky let out an excited neigh – I imagine he was saying, “There you guys are! I’ve been missing you! Life is great and Mel is good to me, but it’s wonderful to see my old friends!” Witnessing the exchange, one would never doubt that horses experience emotion.

The ride was fantastic! I’d never ridden a horse, somehow. I grew up in North Dakota and spent 15 years in Texas – you’d think I’ve have gotten on a horse at some point. I even had boots – for fashion, not function though. Even native Texan Dave hadn’t been on a horse since he was a kid. Mel was a good teacher, despite the language barrier, and we had a very nice two-hour ride. Ouch! If you’ve been on a horse, you know what I’m talking about. Worth the achy bottom though, I must say!

Thursday

Vacation time! OK, so it could be argued that we are on a one-year vacation. And I can’t really disagree. However, when a friend from Austin, who moved to CR over a year ago, invited us to stay with her and her husband in the beach town of Tamarindo, we jumped at the chance to get away and see another slice of the country.

The drive started out, just as every trip here begins…say it with me – “We set out on rutted, pothole-laden, gravel road…” After 1.5 hours, we were on pavement and the last hour was smooth sailing! We arrived and Tamarindo and were a bit taken aback by the stark contrast. Hotels, restaurants and stores lined the tourist and car-filled streets. Whoa! We’re not in the jungle anymore, Toto.

After a tour of Kathleen and Steve’s beautiful condo, we headed out for lunch on the beach. After we ordered, we were visited at least five times by various people trying to sell things – painted wooden bird whistles seemed to be the most popular. The sound of the whistle would prove to be part of the soundtrack for our stay in Tamarindo, as they could be heard from sunup to sundown. The food was good, and I was surprised to see it was cheaper than the food around us. I would have expected a more Westernized and touristy town would have higher prices. But I guess it’s about demand and accessibility. It’s harder for the trucks to get into our area, and thus the prices on food and goods are higher.

Back at the condo, we relaxed by the pool for a few hours before getting ready for happy hour, at the beach. As we sat waiting for the sun to set, a friend of Kathleen and Steve’s came up and we were introduced to him. “This is Mark. He knows everyone in Tamarindo. And he’s a Realtor with Hidden Coast Realty.” Oh really, I thought, and asked him, “Do you work with Hans?” Yes, he does! Nearly three hours from home, in a totally foreign country and the first person I meet is our neighbor’s business partner. Crazy!

Next up, we had a visit from Orrin and Shannon, who joined us for drinks and then later for dinner (pizza because I’d really been craving it!). Guess what!?! They are from Austin and they live across the street from our Austin friends, Mike and Lisa, who stayed with us at the B&B a few weeks back. As they got introduced to us, a lightbulb went off – “Oh, you’re the people running the B&B for a year! We heard all about you!” they exclaimed. Super, duper crazy!

Friday

After a lovely evening with air-conditioning cooling us, we spent a relaxing morning drinking coffee, visiting the local farmer’s market and a few grocery stores. Another beach lunch and some shopping in the afternoon. I never knew you could wear through flip-flops – but I was getting perilously close to doing so, and needed to re-up. I picked up a pair for Dave while I was at it.

Happy Hour that evening was at a beautiful beach bar/restaurant and when we walked in, I nearly forgot we were in Costa Rica. There were at least 50 people, all speaking English about such topics as golf, shopping, shoes, working out, birthday parties and Botox. It was so incredibly different than what we’d grown used to in our little jungle paradise, that we almost didn’t know what to do with ourselves. But the people were welcoming and we enjoyed meeting them and hearing their stories of how they’d found themselves in CR. Everyone has a story. And the quickest way to get conversation started is to ask a few questions and soon, the stories unfold.

What a week! From vacationers staying for four days at our place to us vacationing and enjoying a couple of nights of hospitality from our lovely friends. Our guests challenged us with big topics this week, like how to really make a difference in this world. How to find the balance between watching what looks like unnecessary struggle while resisting the temptation to swoop in and start telling people how to do it “right”. We had some heartache for the chicks little red hen lost, but are hopeful she was able to settle back in quickly enough that the four remaining eggs hatch later this week. Up and down. Yin and yang. There is a balance to life, that we are all seeking, no matter where we are. We all want to be happy, to have a purpose and to feel like our being here matters. Sometimes I wonder if merely remembering that, might hold the key to solving many of the world’s problems. We really aren’t that much different at all.

In case you missed Week 1, Week 2, Week 3,  Week 4 or Week 5 of the big Costa Rica Adventure – you might want to go back and get caught up. If you’re curious how this adventure began, we created a FAQ to cover most of your burning questions. If we missed one, leave it in the comments below and I’ll do my best to get you an answer.

Thanks for your support and for reading the blog. We hope you are enjoying the journey as much as we are. Feel free to share with your peeps – we love new readers and new friends!

If you think you might like to buy the Bed and Breakfast we are care taking this year, here is the link with all the info. And then make plans to come see this paradise for yourself!