About 2 months ago I briefly wrote about Max - the Nicaraguan who had been in a fight with a local tico that ended when Max stabbed the other man - not with a knife - the small blade on the end of a fingernail clipper I was told...not sure as I did not see it. Anyway...as a result of this, legal action was taken and Max was given probation. Max has been living with a local tica for over a year now and just to make things easier and so he could get residency here in Costa Rica - a wedding was decided on. Yesterday was that day.
When I heard about the wedding I asked if there would be a celebration. I was told nothing was planned. I know both Kattia and Max. They are good hard working people. I simply made the comment "that's too bad....there should be some sort of celebration for their wedding" and then...before I knew it...I was asked to help organize the party.
The party was organized and yesterday was the day. It was fun, it was lovely and a good time had by all.
Felicidades Max y Kattia!
Before I came to Costa Rica, I had lived in CA for 30 years - 20 of that in the same house. Raised a family, interesting career, a great life. Long story as to why I decided to leave and only by chance and a whim did I end up here...but that is not what this is about. This morning I said good bye to my new best friends - The Daytona Boys - Bob, Mike, Dana and Scott. We have now know each other for a total of 3 days and seriously.....we are now best friends!
Before I came to CR, I had lots of friends. Many for years and years, but it wasn't until I had lived here for a while that I realized my life was about the size of a pea. I seldom met anyone new and I didn't need e-mail because if I needed to talk to someone I either saw them or just called.
Costa Rica changed EVERYTHING!
Esterillos is a very transient place. It is visited by people from all over the world. Most come for the surf. Some come on vacation....and stay. Others come and go like the tide. But when they are here a great thing happens. These people are happy, they are in awe, they are on vacation and as a result... so are those of us who hang with them. And the one who hangs the most in Esterillos is me!
If you were to ask anyone who knows me what is Pat like, I am sure they would say she is outgoing, she is always smiling, will do anything......And that is true but the truth is I am actually very shy. Growing up I was a serious wall flower...... I prefer to just blend.
But something changed when I landed here. Not at first - altho there are some here that would roll their eyes at that one considering the 2nd week here I was frolicking in the waves on a very public beach (between the school and LowTide) on a Saturday morning, naked with a man I had just met. We had talked for 20 minutes - He was going out for a swim - asked me if I wanted to join him - I was in a skirt and told him I wasn't dressed for swimming - he told me I could take it off, so... I told him....... "I will if you will" and whala.....there we went. The man was a bit older than me - here checking out fancy real estate - we both knew we would never see each other again - there was no touchy feely - just 2 grown children playing in the water for about 15 minutes and then he was gone.
Sorry.....It is so easy for me to get side tracked.
When I meet someone who is visiting, I often offer to take them somewhere like the waterfalls, Margarita's soda, just sit on the beach. Then if I enjoy being with them... I start taking photos. Often it is surfers who seldom having photos of themselves in the water and they are thrilled to having someone taking this on. The reasons why and the variety of people are as different as the shells on the beach. Bottom line.....if I have spent tim with them the day these people leave - be it two days like by special friends Mark and Paula or 8 months like Brooke and Craig... I present them with a DVD that includes an introduction, then a slideshow with music that displays photos I have taken of them plus Esterillos and all that Costa Rica means. Often the recipients are so surprised they want to pay me -like this morning with the Daytona boys. But what they don't understand is this is a gift. I am the one who has benefited from their gift of friendship. The time spent with them was more meaningful to me than they can possibly understand.
I now keep a list of who and how many DVD's I have made. Today I handed out 4 copies of number 115 - "The Daytona Boys"
I have already wrote about Coralillo - our first day. The next day it was me, Kealy, Mike, Dana and Scott. Bob decided to spent the day checking out local real estate. Kealy is all about surfing and decided we needed to check out Quepos - another left point break that goes off at low tide - near Manual Antonio Park - 30 minutes down the coast. We planned to leave about 9ish. I had told the guys the night before I would meet them at 8 - take them to Margarita's and then we would head out. That is just what we did. In short......Quepos was not happening......no surf, we visited a small park near the marina, drove over the hill close to Manual Antonio, made a tourist shopping stop for a hammock and then visited a dive shop that is owned and operated by two guys from Florida whom Dana and I think Scott, maybe even Mike - all knew. It was still early - about 11ish with no plans so I made the decision we should go to Dominical and thus we did. With the new super highway we were there within 40 minutes. Had awesome chicken nachos at Tortilla Flats on the beach in Dominical. After that we went in search of waves. Two years ago I had spent some time in this area with my young friends Cailin and Ozzie and every day here I watched them surf waves on slamming beach breaks and sketchy rocky point breaks - I took all the photos on that trip also. So....now me being the one with "local knowledge" off we went. I did manage to find the two big spots we had visited back in Feb. 2008. But still, drizzly day, waves were a tackelbox everywhere.....after all - this is October - typically the rainiest month of the year. Despite all this.....the sense of adventure was in the air and none of these guys had ever seen this area before - so all was good. Between Parrita and Esterillos we made a stop to check out a drainage area in hopes of seeing 3 crocodiles that apparently live there right next to the small convenience store - however, it was dark by then and none of us were willing to get out of the car to try and find them..... Got back to Esterillos and all went our separate waves before the rain began.
Then yesterday morning, they managed to escape without me tagging along. They went to Boca Barranca up the coast, had a nice time surfing - waves not so great but they are on vacation and just being in the water is awesome. Checked out the big crocodiles on the river safely from the Tarcoles bridge. I spent several hours up the hill with Kealy, Desirae and Kara watching the monkeys jumping in the trees behind Eleanor's house, moving my players around on my fantasy football team since I lost Tony Romo last weekend, just hanging. Kealy and I had plans to meet at the surf shop at 3 to check out the local "secret spot" however, waves were still a mess and on top of that, Kealy had seen the 6 foot croc in the tide pools at the "secret spot" on his morning run. But still.....the guys wanted to check it out. So, instead of walking down the beach....we - all hoped in the big "fully insured" vehicle they were driving and went cross country, thru the gates and mud trails right up to the beach that looks out on the "secret spot" Tide was high - no sign of the croc. The day was topped off by dinner at El Vago's. Steve and Margot's famous wings, pizza, the best potato salad ever.......and beer - perfect!
And then......this morning........by 7 am, they were gone :(
These guys.......I think I will see them here again in Esterillos. All of them married - all hoping to bring wives and children back. Good men......seriously good men who go above and beyond to help people in times of crisis. As I mentioned before, careers all related to law enforcement, life guards, fire department - dealing with situations and often tragedies most of us hope to never, ever have to encounter. I have nothing but total respect - and now love - for all 4 of these wonderful men.
Today they are taking home a DVD that depicts some of the adventures they had on this trip. They were all smiles. For me, it was my pleasure just spending the time with them and once again - as this so often happens here - in such an amazing short time (3 days) a friendship and trust has been sealed. It makes my heart feel very full and as they leave there is a sense of sadness, but what I also now know....... next week, maybe the next......this will happen again. Some one new will come into my life and then #116 will be handed over on the last day. I wrote about all this over 2 years ago.
The tide still continues to come in.......the tide still continues to go out.
Visitors often ask me what I do here. I tell them it is hard to explain. When they leave - they understand.
Oh.......the pizotes - aka - Coatis. Just now I got out my Foder's and Lonely Planet Costa Rica books to get accurate info re these wonderful, raccoon related delightful, very sociable creatures. I read that females and offsprings live in groups, the males are solitary. They have a long ringed tail that is often held erect above the body, and a mobile, upturned and elongated snout. Everytime I see one.......they make me smile. And day before yesterday, on the return trip from Dominical, there by the side of the road, at a fruit stand we saw a "herd" of pizotes like I have never seen before. I told Kealy to buy some fruit and immediately, he became their best friend. The photos say it all - total feeding frenzy.........I was laughing so hard it was difficult to get focused photos. Check them out.....The one thing I could not find in the book was the name Pizotes.......I have no idea where that name came from but that is what they are called here in CR. I simply love the pizotes!!!!!!!
Pura Vida !!!
This was the first time I had ever been to Coralillo when Brett did not go. He is the one who usually makes the arrangements and deals with Capitan Edgar. Well, Edgar was there but he was not the one taking us out. I know Edgar, he is a great captain - always on it. A couple times ago we were in a big swell and Brett didn't get to the boat fast enough before the wave got to us, so.... we left him to get out of the way and then came back to pick him up. Edgar is the man and I trust him with my life! This new guy I did not know and this was who I would be spending the next several hours with while the guys were in the water.
In short.....turns out this was an epic day. Clean sets, over head waves. I was kinda glad I had a good reason to be on the boat even tho I know I could handle it by staying on the outside. On the boat I still wanted to be on the outside but close enough to get photos. I told the capitan where I wanted to be and when we got there - he dropped an anchor - something Edgar never does. Then the guy cleans out the area where the boards where stored on the way out, climbs in and goes to sleep. I have been in situations where I am trying to sit on my surf board way on the outside to avoid on coming huge waves and just when you think you are safe- here comes a rouge wave. So here I am, stuck on a boat, close to big waves, the Capitan... is asleep. In short, there was only one time - maybe two - I was actually concerned, but..... geezzzzz - it's hard taking photos of a huge set while keeping the other eye on your own situation. The guys had an awesome day and amazingly......Scott told us in the car later, this was his best day surfing ever.....ever!!!!!!! and.... it's not like he is a beginner - he has been at this for a number of years. Just for going and taking photos I was treated to lunch at our usual Coralillo stop - Tico, Tico - great food.....Super great day! Tomorrow I am taking them to Margarita's for breakfast and then we are off to Quepos for another hopefully epic day of surfing. Pura Vida!!!!!!
