Aside from a whirlwind of tasks to be tended to, like finding an apartment, getting a telephone and Internet, and signing up for a mail-forwarding service so that we can receive mail and packages from the States, there's been the inconvenience of trekking to an Internet cafe for email and brief Facebook postings to let friends and family know we're still alive and well.
This is the kitchen of our log cabin apartment.
We did hit a sizeable speed bump a few days after our arrival when one of our bags was stolen on the bus from Alajuela to Palmares. With our laptops safely tucked into the backpacks we kept with us in our seats, we had to stow our two other bags on the shelf above the seats. We were well aware of the risks of doing so, but you've got to do what you've got to do on a crowded bus. And so we paid the price when we lost our new cell phone, my jewelry, and some important papers.
Our friends in Palmares were shocked that it happened on "their" bus because this is a quiet, reasonably safe, crime-free little hamlet. We assured them that it could - and does - happen everywhere.... even in the good old U.S. of A. The important thing is that we will be able to reconstruct most of the papers and the rest is just stuff... granted several hundred dollars worth of stuff, but still replaceable.
With most of that now resolved, we are settling into a pleasant, comfortable routine. Our apartment is located in a somewhat rural district (comun) of Palmares, Alajuela. To get to town, we can choose to walk the distance of a little more than a mile or catch the bus, which stops directly in front of our property every hour from 5:30 am until about 10 pm. The bus is easy and a lifesaver when it's raining, but the hilly terrain makes for great exercise, so we usually choose to hoof-it.
We've been trying to buy most of our produce at the weekly feria (farmers market) because it is grown by local farmers and comes at unbelievably low prices. But with a small (by U.S. standards) refrigerator and an equally small amount of cupboard space, we find ourselves making frequent trips to the market in town for other groceries, to the pharmacy (farmacia), hardware store (ferreteria), etc.
The photo above is what we bought last week for a whopping $19! The flower bouquet was a hostess gift for a pre-wedding fiesta we attended last Saturday at our friends' home. It cost us $1.85! With prices like that, we've agreed that we will have fresh flowers often.
And at least once a week we hop on a bus and explore a nearby town.
This is inside the church in Sarchi.
Clearly and most importantly, we are reminded daily of the value of good friends. Without the help of our Tico friends our first weeks here would surely have crossed the line from somewhat overwhelming to nearly catastrophic. We'll never be able to repay them their kindness and generosity... but then we're learning that such is the nature of these warm people. And so we can say with conviction that we're happy we started this adventure and look forward to what is yet to come. After all... look at the view we wake up to every morning.
