It is a rainy day in Esterillos and a great time to get caught up on checking in with friends and family. This has been the longest time since I did an "update" and lots has happened.
Shortly after my friend Ann and I returned from Granada, Nicaragua another friend and I took off on another adventure. This other friend's name is Anna. She is 42, Swedish, tall, blonde and wonderful - lives in Vail, Colorado part time between being flown to other cities by her wealthy clients to do massage with NO happy endings as quoted by her. She is beautiful. (I hate her - it is a tough gig hanging with someone so lovely) Actually - I adore her and we get along amazingly very well. She has a house being built here in Esterillos in the same development as Mike and Erin.
Anyway - sometime early June she and I took off to the Nicoyo Peninsula to visit her friend Chris - a former boyfriend. We took a water taxi which took about an hour to get to Montezuma. Chris was right there waiting for us. I had met him before last year, but really did not know him. Turned out he was the hostess with the mostest. For the next 5 days he packed up surf boards for all 3 of us and we would drive from Montezuma on the East side of the peninsula tip to Malpais on the West side of the tip to check out the surf. Chris is a very, very good surfer - Anna is good - and me..... well, still working on it. The favorite spot was a small bay with reef called Cedros. The first day, as soon as we hit this place, we were all in the water. There was only one 8 foot board and Anna wanted to use that one. Since she knows how to use that size I gave it up to her and took the short board. This was the first time I had been on a short board since my one and only one time before at the time of the "daring" rescue. This was just fine since the waves were not too dramatic and it was good practice for me to just get used to this small of a board. The next day was double over-head - 10 to 12 foot high waves. No way was I going out and so I sat on the beach for over 2 hours just watching and enjoying the wonder of that moment. It was 2 days after that day that I was back out in that bay. The waves were larger than I prefer but I was determined to try. After a while of just sitting I asked Chris to tell me where to be and when to paddle. He announced to everyone that the next wave was Pat's and to get out of the way. The small group of about 10 all smiled. When the wave came I paddled like crazy. It's an amazing moment when the wave takes the board. It was not pretty but I managed to get up. I was standing for about 5 seconds and down I went. Remember this is a small bay with a reef that has several large rocks right in the surfing lane. As I went down I was very aware I was near those rocks. When I popped up I got slammed by the following wave and then headed for shore. I managed to get out without incident and called it good. In fact - I was so stoked that I did it and survived!!!! The next few times of surfing were uneventful for me but fun to be in the water. While we were there we met other people who were all high on just being in Costa Rica - it is amazing how happy it makes one just to be here. As I said, Chris turned out to be absolutely wonderful. The house he rents is up in the mountains above Montezuma. The amazing thing about that area is the Howler monkeys. They are quite large and have a cry that is the most primeval wild sound I have ever heard. We heard them and saw them everyday we were there. Amazing!!!!
Other highlights - hiking up to a large waterfall and jumping into the pool, looking at property as Chris is a realtor in that area, sitting on the porch of Chris' house and just being there, one night the 3 of us danced for over 2 hours - the next day all 3 of us had very sore calves. The last night was spend partying with the locals and dancing at a disco. Very, very fun. When we left the next morning we took the water taxi back. This time there was a large pod of dolphins all around us and 3 times we stopped to check out the large sea turtles floating in the water.
Upon my return from this trip I moved from Eleanor's cabina back up to the large beautiful house on the hill. That was the middle of June.
About a week after the Montezuma/Malpais trip a young man named Adam came to visit Anna and I. He is 29, from Seattle, Washington and full of humor and enthusiasum. He was only going to be here a week and then head for a surfing camp in Panama for 10 days before returning home. The day before he was to leave us he lost his ATM card. Thus he cancelled that trip and stayed in Esterillos. During the time of his stay he, Anna and I all had some wild adventures. Adam was a delight and kept us laughing the whole time he was here. A very odd trio - but it worked for all of us.
During Adam's stay was also my birthday - July 2nd! I started the day out by taking a horseback ride into the mountains where I was treated to a mud bath and fresh fruit. I took another friend with me and treated him to the same tour for his 40th birthday which was coming up on July 7th. The morning was beautiful and the tour perfect. That evening Adam cooked fresh fish. About 15 friends showed up to help me celebrate. I had this amazing house all lit up, lots of great food, swimming in the pool and dancing to classic rock till 1:30am. I am not happy about the number of years but the day was wonderful.
On July 15th another family moved into the big house and will be there until the end of August. At that time I will move back in and be there until the end of September when the owners return from their other home in B.C. Canada. I stayed at Eleanor's the first 5 days while she and her boyfriend went to Granada and then moved back down to the beach house I was at in March. Lot's of hopping around -keeps things interesting. From this place I can see the beach from my pillow and sleep to the sound of the waves. I can take my board and just walk down the beach to surf. With all that has been going on and the moving from place to place I have yet to establish a regular routine as far as surfing. I am hoping to get that going while I am back down here altho at this very moment I am back in the house on the hill covering for the new people who have taken a trip up to the volcano for 4 days - I am not real happy about this but oh well......
During the month of July other friends came and went. MIke and Erin from California whom I am forever in debt to for referring me to Kurt and Kristi here in Esterillos. Dinner parties, fun at the beach and LowTide. After they left, their young friends Mike from Santa Barbara and his friend Stu from Australia - both very cute and fun to hang with. Another family from Connecticut who were renting Kurt and Kristi's house. I played tour guide for them several times and took them places off the beaten path. People come - people go and I have the time and good fortune to get to know them and spend some magical moments that always abound here in Costa Rica.
I actually started this message 2 weeks ago and in that time I almost bought a house here in Esterillos. Turns out the timing is not good for my renters in Arroyo Grande and I will not move them to make this happen - at least not now. They are very interested in buying my house but not until they take care of some other matters that must be dealt with before they can purchase a home. When I made the decision to let it go -it was a mixed bag.
I am now done with all my housesitting commitments and am finally back on the beach. Yesterday was lovely and so I got my board out and walked down the beach to where I like to "attempt" surfing. It has been so hit and miss these past few months I really can't officially call it surfing. Anyway - no one was out there but out I went. I was once again terrified at doing this but made it past the breakers fairly easy. I sat out there in the water by myself for as long as I could stand it. Tried one wave - managed to get up but that didn't last long. And they all this fun???? I have decided to devote the month of August to surfing - everyday I will go out if only for a short time until I get this down.
Love to all of you!!!!!!
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