Sightseeing day…Rental car pick up issues…More museum photos…

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These characters were most likely used in parades and local celebration.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

“The variegated squirrel is a tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus found in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, southern Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. Fifteen subspecies are recognized.”  Tom spotted this squirrel in the yard, alerted me and I took this photo through the glass wall to avoid scaring it away.

Yesterday morning at 11:00 am we were scheduled to pick up the five-day rental car at the Mercado Coopeatenas cafe as we’d done a few times over these past weeks.

Miscellaneous antique items.

We called for a taxi at 10:30 which arrived at our gate five minutes later.  By 10:47 am we were seated in the outdoor cafe waiting for Edgar to arrive with the vehicle.  When 11 came and went, we were a little concerned but decided to wait patiently for 30 more minutes after which we’d call Aad to see what happened.

A collection of voice control devices and more toy cars and trucks.

We’d heard on the news that there was traffic stalling protesting occurring in San Jose on Monday which could easily attribute to delays in Edgar getting to us on time. 

Old equipment used by the railroad.

It’s always our intent to be patient and avoid being the “ugly American” and complaining when life often moves at a slower pace than we’d be used to in the US.  Some refer to is as “island time” regardless of whether one is on an island or not.

At 11:30, we called Aad.  Ten minutes later we received a call from the agency to explain the car we’d booked “broke down” and another car would arrive within an hour.  At this point, it was 11:42.  OK.  We would wait the hour.

A piano and variety of electronic devices used in years past.

Our intention had been to get the car and explore a little, then return to the market to do our main weekly grocery shopping, avoiding keeping perishables in the car in the warm weather. 

Decorative representation of the railway.

With an hour left to wait for the car, I suggested we should forgo the plans to explore and grocery shop during the hour we had to wait.  Instead, we’d head out on Tuesday morning after I’d uploaded today’s post.

Display of toy cars and trucks.

Thus, today, I’m rushing a bit to get done and off we go, free as birds to see our next chosen spot to tour.  We’ve mapped out a location and will share photos and details in days to come.

A clock in the design of a watch.

At 12:50 pm, with our grocery cart filled with the week’s purchases, Edgar arrived having no knowledge of our almost two-hour wait.  We asked him what had happened and he hesitated unsure of the reasons for the almost two-hour delay. 

What could we do?  This is the best car rental deal in town and we weren’t willing to make a fuss and ruin the opportunity to rent a car again.  We smiled while Tom filled out the paperwork, paid our US $1250 (CRC 720,494) and inspected the car with Edgar for any dents or dings.

Syringes used for medical treatment.  Ouch!

Edgar was proud he’d brought us an upgraded vehicle, a Corolla as opposed to a cheaper Yaris.  We were thrilled the car had automatic door locks which in manly cases is a luxury upgrade.  Humm…

Tom is interactive in the museum operating a high stand switch.

By 1:30 we were back at the villa spending the majority of the afternoon putting everything away, taking care of the produce and making dinner.  The time flew by and at 5:00 pm, we were ready for dinner.

Old computers on display.  Brings back memories, don’t they?

Since we only eat one meal each day with an occasional low carb snack, the early dining time seems best, especially for me, allowing plenty of time for the meal to digest considering my ongoing gastrointestinal issues which continue to improve in baby steps.  By eating early, my meal has more time to digest before going to bed.

Juan Ramon was proud of everything in the museum showing off a few of his favorites, in this case a whistle.

So, I’m wrapping it up earlier today hoping I haven’t made any errors we’ve missed.  The sun is out and we want to get on the road before the afternoon rains and thunderstorms begin.

Have a fabulous sunny day!

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Photo from one year ago today, September 19, 2016:

Collecting coconuts on the beach in Bali.  For more photos, please cllick here.

First time driving a car in almost two years…Here goes!…

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It was a joy to finally see the sun on the sea early in the morning. 

I was never the best driver in town. I can admit that now that I haven’t been driving in almost two years. Most cars we’ve rented only allow Tom, an excellent driver, to drive the vehicle. We haven’t seen any reason to pay an extra $10 a day for me to drive.

At long last, blue skies.

As a result, he’s driven every time we’ve gone out. When we rented the car in Maui, a benefit of the rental agreement stated the “spouse drives for free!” Yikes, I thought. That’s no benefit according to me!

The interesting sky as we walked along the row of condos on the beach.

It’s not my driving that worries me. It’s getting lost. (Gosh, I don’t like sounding like the “helpless little woman.” Otherwise, there’s nothing helpless about me). 

Yesterday, we spent 40 minutes by the pool on the chaise lounges. The sun in Hawaii is very hot.  We welcomed the occasional cloud cover.

Over these past few years, I’ve become so determined to look for photo ops, I haven’t paid a moment’s notice as to how to get to and from any location. Over the years, I’ve analyzed this as to the reason why I have a bad sense of direction. 

Gecko.

My apparent lack of interest in paying attention to the route while I busily become enthralled checking out the surroundings prevents me from recalling the route. I may remember that we passed a certain unusual tree but I won’t remember how we got to the tree.

We continue to watch for colorful birds but have yet to spot any in Maui.

Actually, the combination of Tom and me in the car together greatly aids in our finding our way around which usually is not a problem. He has a sense of finding our way and I recall the landmarks. 

Since we have no cell service on our phones, only SIM cards when available, we have no GPS. We’ve tried to find a world GPS device but the technology for our worldwide locations is just not available unless we’re willing to pay $1000’s.

We’ve watched the tide go in and out each day, noting the number of rocks and boulders that are evident at low tide. I wouldn’t want to drive a boat toward this shoreline.

So far, this hasn’t been an issue for us. We map directions on the smartphone while going online in our vacation home, saving the instructions offline for later use. This has served us well.

The golf course quality lawn at our building is lush green after the rains.

Today, I’m going to the grocery store in Kihei, a 20-minute drive with only three turns. Why am I concerned? I think it’s a combination of finding my way and also driving for the first time in so long. One doesn’t forget how to drive. Why would I? I know I won’t.

As soon as I post this, I’m off to the Safeway which I must admit I’m otherwise looking forward to, especially since this will be the first time in two years that I’ll be in a grocery shop on my own with no impatient Tom pushing the cart or sitting in the car with a specific time designated for him to come inside to help me check out. I can easily check out on my own. After all, I did this for almost 50 years by myself.

We’re both always perusing the shoreline looking for sea turtles or other signs of life.

It must be a guy thing. He’d never sit in the car and not get out to help me put the grocery items on the conveyor belt and then into the bags. It never bothered me doing this alone. However, I’ve greatly appreciated his enthusiasm for being helpful since he retired, more than he knows.

So off I go with no time constraints. I can spend 20 minutes checking out the Italian sausage if I’d like with nary a thought of checking the time. 

Then again, it isn’t often we have to be concerned as to the time of day. That’s nice.

                                           Photo from one year ago today, October 21, 2013:

This was my delicious grilled squid at the Sands at Nomad in Diani Beach, Kenya one year ago today. For details, please click here.