San Antonio - Again

A couple days after my trip with Eleanor to see Manuel and his amazing wood carvings, my friend Debbie - here from Vail for 2 weeks - told me she wanted to do a day trip with her rental car.  I told her about San Antonio and so 3 days after my first visit with Manuel... Debbie, my friends Sharon and Jeff here from NJ, and myself, all loaded up in the car and set out for San Antonio.  It is always a pleasure for me to introduce and show a new place to friends who have never been where I am taking them and this was one of those days.  As soon as we got off the highway I was all about telling them what little I actually know - the luffa plants that grow wild on the fences, rosette bromeliads that grow on a number of the tropical trees, the Ceiba tree - my favorite, all this while traveling alongside the Tulin River which is very low right now but at the height of the rainy season is a fierce flowing river.  First stop - one of my favorite sodas.  Too early for lunch but a cold beer and the pleasure of a very cute puppy, then a stop half way up the mountain when Jeff saw a toucan.  Even tho none of us saw it, even after walking up and down the dirt road a couple times, I knew it was there as I had actually seen it the day before when El and I passed thru here.  We had also heard it, stopped and saw two.  This was all territory none of them had ever seen and thus they were totally in awe.  When we got to San Antonio they were just as amazed with the talent of Manuel as I.  After wards we visited the river and then.... instead of heading back down the hill, I took them up even further.  Another beer stop  and here came a rancher herding his cattle up the mountain road.  At the next small town we made the decision to cut across the mountains and make a huge loop back to the highway instead of going back down the way we came.  At a pit stop, I heard toucans and sure enough there they were - not one, but two!  A special moment just to be in their presence. Another hour or so later we arrived at a little soda by a different river that I have also been at before.  By now we were all starving. Local typical food was ordered and enjoyed by all.  Just another beautiful day in paradise!  Pura Vida.