Narrowly Averted

A tree just knocked over the power line.  I'm writing this with what's left of my laptop battery.  I have no idea how long it will be till we have power again, so if you don't hear from me for a few day, don't fret. I'm probably fine :)

Update:

Well the good news is that the electric repair here is surprisingly efficient tonight.  We got the power back in a couple of hours.  It was out just long enough to get everyone riled up.  The stove and fridge are electric here, we were worried we would starve, hah. 

Anyway, that's just half the story. So we're all sitting out on the porch watching the rain, talking about the power outage. Then the power turns back on and I run up to the apartment and when I turned on the light there was a bat flying around inside! I screamed and ran back down.  All the kids ran up to see, and Ivan got it out. Just for the record, he screamed a little too, haha. I'm sure he was here for the fruit fly infestation we've been battling.  I'm not sure where to keep fruit that's not out in the open where they can get them : /

Inside our apartment

 

The only place in the house that has hot water is the shower, it is this cool system that heats up the water when you turn it on.  How high you turn on the water determines the temperature. Ivan said they us these in Argentina too.

Santa Teresa Beach

Max tans like his parents.  Fast and dark.

Someone woke up on the wrong side of the towel!

Tico Food

When we first got here I bought milk and cereal and some fruit.  The milk comes in these shelf-stable boxes that you don't have to refrigerate till you open them. The cereal is actually more expensive then in the US as are most foods that are prepared, processed, American type foods.

Ticos (Costa Ricans) eat rice and beans for every meal, usually with some meat or eggs. I picked out the things I recognized at the mercado; avocado, eggs, rice, potatoes, queso fresco (or what I thought was queso fresco) and got home and realized that these are the things that my dad cooks/eats all the time. Haha, funny how it makes sense now.  Anyway I was pretty bored at the idea of eating rice, beans. eggs or potatoes every meal (I have not tried cooking meat yet, we've only had it in restaurants) but we have been eating a lot of it and I haven't really gotten sick of it (yet), they are very filling, satisfying foods, good when well seasoned! Apparently I haven't even learned how to cook it the true Costa Rican/Nicaragua way yet either.  It's not just rice and beans it's gallo pinto! That is my next task.

I've also decided to get creative with the things I have to work with and start learning to cook new things.  This week I cooked 3 dishes with platanos (plantains).  The first one was simple, ripe platanos sauted in butter with a little suger.  It was a yummy desert, Ivan liked it.

Then we made platanos verdes, fried green plantain chips.  They turned out so delicious!  I don't like to eat too much fried food, and I'm usually terrible at frying, but these turned out great the first time. I used sunflower oil for the frying. They're yummy with ketchup, and the ketchup here is SOOO good. Max asks to eat it plain all the time, haha. They were actually a lot greener than they look in this photo.

Thirdly, I made this recipe which was so moist and delicious, I will definitely make this often!  The only measuring instrument I have right now is a coffee mug that marks 1,2,3 &4 cups, so I have been pretty lucky that anything has turned out good at all.

 One thing to note is that platanos are not overripe until they are quite black. These are moderately ripe ones.

I also discovered why Ticos don't usually bake.  Three reasons;

1. Most don't have ovens, a typical home, usually has a stove but not necessarily an oven.
2. It gets SOO hot in the house when you bake, and it is already really hot here.
3. My neighbor pointed out that the oven is electric, and electricity here is pretty expensive,  it can get costly to bake often.

It was tricky finding the the baking soda and baking powder but I finally found some with the help of the local hippie surfers.

There is a lovely farmer's market on Mondays with a variety of new things to try, several of which I don't recognize, so I am going to continue trying new things every week.  If you have any recommendations I should try, please share!!

Next week I am going to try cooking with yucca root!

Friends!

The neighbor kids are so adorable and so sweet with Max. The girls just crack me up. The youngest girl will come up to see if Max wants see the latest puppy that has wandered into the yard, and if he's asleep she keeps coming back, anxious to show him, so sure that Max is going to love it (and she's right.)

The other day I said "I have to change Max's bum and then he can come back out to play" and as I walked away I heard her turn to her sister and say "do you know what a bum is???"

The older girl is very sweet and a little sassy, and very creative. And the oldest boy is fun, and inventive. They are really good kids.Max just adores them and wants to go wherever they go and do whatever they do.

challenges

I think it's clear that I love this place or I wouldn't keep coming back, and while it has it's magical moments I think it's important to point out that it is definitely not all easy.  There are some notable challenges to adjusting to the Tico lifestyle. Here are a few challenges or things that take a little time to adjust to;

1. Learning to put your toilet paper in the garbage.
Yes, you are not supposed to flush toilet paper in 95% of places in Costa Rica.  Why?  Well the plumbing just isn't set up for it and it really screws things up if you do. You have to throw it in the garbage next to the toilet, which is hard to remeber at first and it is kind of gross and stinky. All in all, I have a new appreciation for (U.S.) plumbing that I never had before!

2. Bugs. Bugs. Bugs.
Tropics = bugs, and LOTS of them. Our apartment is fully screened and on the second level and it is still a battle.  We left some pineapple chunks on the counter for a few hours one day and when we got home it was fruit-fly-palooza! We keep our place clean to stay on top of it, but if you look in the nooks and crannies you will find little creatures living. Always shake your clothes and shoes out if they've been on the floor.  And outdoors is a whole other story.  I made the dumb mistake of stepping onto the lawn barefoot one day and was attacked by red ants. Ouch!  The kids always wear their boots when playing outside. There are lots of locals who don't even have screens in their windows, I can only imagine the kids of things crawling in there!

3. Laundry/ Cleaning
A lot of people wash their clothes by hand, and I have never seen a dryer anywhere in Costa Rica or Nicaragua. Here at our apartment we have a washing machine, but it is not like the ones at home where you out your clothes in, walk away, come back and their clean.  This is a more involved process. First you put the clothes in the washing compartment, then fill it with water and set it to wash.  Then switch it to drain.  Then move the clothes into the spinner to wring them out.  Finally they are ready for the solar powered dryer (clothes line) The final product is crispy clothes that don't smell as good as the ones out of the dryer, but hey, they're clean!

 

Also, the cleaning products are different.  Most people wash dishes by hand, and the dish soap is solid, not liquid. You have to sweep a lot, no vacuuming, there are very rarely carpeted rooms even in nicer houses. It's all tile.

4. The roads.  There are a lot of pretty bad roads here. Hilly, bumpy, muddy, dirt roads.  This area in particular is prone to flooded roads in the rainy season. 4x4 is necessary in a lot of areas. Also, beware of scary drivers.  Costa Ricans have a reputation of being bad drivers, plus it's not illegal to drink and drive, it is only illegal to be drunk while driving.

5. The Heat.
Lots of sweating. Very humid. My hair has exploded in the into a puffball. 


6. Theft/Swindling
This is common in any touristy area, but it is so different from where I come from that it is a bit of a shock.  Back home, if you drop a dollar or over pay someone, most people are almost eager to return it to it's rightful owner. Here your cab driver may seem like the nicest guy but he has all kinds of tricks up his sleeve to swindle a few extra bucks out of you, especially if you are from out of town (we have experienced this many times). Pickpocketing is common in the city.  The beaches as also pretty bad.  If you don't watch your stuff like a hawk, it is likely to be scooped up and disappear. And everybody knows of a "great" hotel/car rental/restaurant whatever that turns out to be not so great, they just get paid from their buddies to take you there.

7. The food.
I do enjoy rice and beans, but every meal seems excessive. Of course, I'm not sure sure I've figured out how to make them right either. This was harder at first but I'm getting used to it and finding ways to expand and be creative. I will post in depth about the seeming lack of both creativity and flavor in the Tico diet. Let me clarify that this is NOT Mexican food. I wish it were. However, it is fresh and nutritious and fairly inexpensive. In the right season, you can't beat the variety of delicious ripe friuts! So, it's not all bad.

So, in conclusion, while there are some breath taking beauties, exciting adventures and kind, friendly people to behold, like any place there are always some negatives to consider as well.

Tree Trimming

Ivan took the camera or I'd take a picture. But here's an interesting fact; the barn across the street is having some trees trimmed. Do you want to know what the local tree trimming service is?  No ladders, no chain saw, just a guy who climbs the tree with his machete. Haha. That's how we do here, simple. Pura Vida.

Hola Senior Sapo

 

One night I thought I heard a knock on the door. When I opened it, this is who I saw.

Storm

Incredible thunderstorm last night! I actually had to get out of bed and go stand outside to watch.  Not that you could sleep at times when it was so loud that it sounded like a canon being fired on my porch.  The rain was just pouring down so hard and the thunder and lightening went on constantly without stopping for hours.  It was crazy and pretty cool if you like storms, which I do! This morning it sounded like it had started raining again but when I got out of bed it was the stream just behind the house rushing.  The stream is normally just a trickle but right after a big rain it gets pretty full. The morning was beautiful and clear as usual.  Mornings are the best time of day here, rarely rainy or overcast.

Sugar Cookies

I decided to make cookies for all the neighbors in my complex because I'm an awesome neighbor and let's face it, I'm a Provo girl, baking cookies is what we do.  They turned out pretty good considering that I got home and realized I had no measuring instruments. I found a coffee pot to use help with cups but I had to eyeball it for teaspoons and such. I sent Ivan to the next door guy first, he inspired the idea the other day when I heard him in the grocery store comment that he just wanted a sugar cookie. I think he's having a hard time adjusting to Tico cuisine. Anyway the little girl from downstairs either saw or smelled the cookies and ran up to see. I had Ivan tell her they were still in the oven (second batch) 10 minutes later when their plate was ready she was still standing outside the door. So cute.  The are very sweet, very well behaved kids from California/Florida.  Like I said, they were good cookies, but man were they rich. They seemed SO sweet and buttery compared to what we've been eating. I'll post more about the food later but it's weird to detox from all that processed junk, not because I want to but because it's just not available, or at least not affordable.  The baked goods here aren't terribly good anyway in comparison to our moist, fluffy breads and muffins and such. Maybe that's why you don't see a lot of fat Costa Ricans though.

First Beach Day

We went to Montezuma beach.  It was a gorgeous day. The beach was lovely and the water was so warm. We didn't go in very far because the waves were crazy strong, the strongest I've ever played in. Fun to roll around in though. Max LOVED it!  We had to tear him away from the water. All in all an excellent first time at the beach (since we've been here)

 Afterwards we went to an Argentine pizza shop for some yummy pizza with our new friends.  This experience wouldn't be what it is if it weren't for the new friends we've made. We really got lucky. A lovely ending to a perfect day. 

It's not all fun and games though, while there have been some magical moments there are definitely challenges to living the Cost Rican lifestyle.  I will post more about the challenges to come!

The tour

 This is the 4-plex we live in.  It is very pretty and clean and our neighbors are great, the only problem is that they all speak English so I am failing pretty bad at practicing my spanish. 

 

We live on the top right. Being on the upper level is great because we have the "upper hand" on the bugs.  Much more about bugs in later posts

There is a big lovely yard full of fruit trees as previously mentioned and other various trees.

2 of our 3 adorable new little friends or "fends" as Max calls as he goes looking for them every day.

 The neighborhood is very rural feeling and farmy, lots of cows and horses and very bumpy, hilly dirt roads. Every morning when the sun comes up we hear the howler monkeys call, all kinds of insects making noise at night and lots of interesting bird calls all day.  It's a noisy place, but somehow it's a very peaceful noise.  I rather enjoy it.

Happy Father's Day

It is SOOO hot today.  Max and I went for a walk and I am dripping with sweat.  We bought the expensive all natural sun block before we came and I caught Ivan layering it onto his arms.  I got so mad. Ivan doesn't burn, I have never seen him get a sunburn EVER. He wears it because he thinks it will help keep him cooler. Sunblock is even more expensive here and they don't sell the all natural kind : /


We noticed the neighbors house on our walk, ooooohh boy am I jealous.  It is gorgeous.  From what we could tell spying through the trees from the barbed wire fence separating their property from the one we're living on, they have a tennis court, goats and turkeys (or something that sounds like a turkey) a cement pond with statues and beautiful birds and a big, gorgeous Mediterranean style house. Do you think they'll let me move in? ; )

Weather

We are in the start of the rainy season.  I wasn't sure what that meant before I got here. the first day it started raining at noon in San Jose and rained all night.  Yesterday was half cloudy and half sunny but no rain. Today was sunny and BEAUTIFUL.  I will post about our trip to the beach soon. It was AMAZING. Today was hot and sunny and lovely until just after dark, around 6:30 it started raining and still is.  Just to clarify, it does not get cold when it is cloudy or rainy.  It is never cold here.  So I am glad to find out that so far it seems we will still have plenty of sun and good weather.

meeting new neighbors

Meet iggy, our new neighbor.  He lives right outside our door.  Max yells "iguana, iguana, iguana!" when he's out and says "seepy, seepy" when he's "gone to sleep"

Our Big Adventure Starts

It was a very long 2 days of travel to get to our new home in Cobano, Costa Rica. the first flight was short and comfortable and the service was great, people are SO nice to a pregnant lady traveling with a 2-year-old. the flight attendant lent us a DVD player and Max was mesmerized by Chip and Dale for the rest of the flight.  Then we met up with Daddy in the airport (he caught an earlier flight) and got onto our next flight which was from midnight to 5 am.  We didn't make our reservations together so I asked them to seat us together and they said the only opening was the last row.  I hadn't realized that the last row was built for people with no legs!  Max slept under the seat the entire time and we attempted to sleep while crammed into a microscopic space.  It was long and pretty miserable.  When we got there we missed the first bus and had to wait 8 hours for the second one, in the same :( spot because we brought too much stuff to carry. It was difficult and we were exhausted with no sleep, it was trying my nerves to say the least.  The bus ride was long but we slept, then the ferry, then more bus.  FINALLY at about 8 pm we reached Cobano, our new home.  Our host family is wonderful, they are from California/Florida, and have 3 young kids 6 to 11 that are great with Max, keeping him occupied, giving mom and dad time to sit and relax. Our apartment is quite beautiful, 3 miles from town out in the boonies with the monkeys and cows, and 4 miles from the beach which we will be seeing soon.  We wake up to the sound of monkeys which got Max very curious, he ran around looking for monos forever until finally some came over to play, a very cute mom and baby howler monkey swung by in the trees.  He loved it!  The yard has mango, coconut and lime trees that we can pick and eat anytime. It rains in the evening and all night. Good thing we brought galoshes because this is a very muddy place!  We love you all and miss you.  So much to tell, and some pictures to upload soon.  Tomorrow, the beach!