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| What a lovely flower! |
“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”
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| This pretty little hummingbird hit the glass wall and perished. It’s so sad to see this happen. There are stickers on the windows specifically designed to avoid these types of incidences, but they still occur every so often. |
At 10:30 yesterday morning, a taxi we’d found online picked us up to drive us into town for a relatively reasonable US $2.61 (CRC 1500), dropping us off at the Supermercado Coopeatenas. This was the lowest fare we’d paid for this fairly frequent ride, and we’ll use the same company again.
The varying taxi fares from the villa to the market is baffling, and we’ve yet to settle in with one company/provider perhaps until now. However, there’s something to be said for consistency that is often lacking in many countries regarding taxi fares and other services.
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| Mother Nature is astounding in her infinite wisdom and creativity! |
I sat outside with Tom for a few minutes and then headed into the market to do the grocery shopping while he waited for Edgar. I prefer to shop without Tom at my side. He has a routine for perusing the aisles, which is very different from mine. Plus, I can be determined when I’m attempting to find a specific item, leaving anyone with me frustrated and bored while I’m “on a mission.”
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| The outdoor cafe at Supermercado Coopeatenas where we waited for the Thrifty Car Rental guy. Also, earlier in the day, this can be an excellent place to meet people. |
Early yesterday morning, I called one of the two dental offices in town and, with my choppy Spanish, managed to get a 2:00 pm appointment. I was pleased knowing I’d somehow managed to convey my need to have the crown repaired, only requiring a short appointment.
After bringing the groceries to the villa and putting it all away, we stayed busy until it was time to leave for the dentist appointment in the little gray rental car. We’d hoped to do some sightseeing after the dental appointment, but the rain started again at 3:00 pm as we were leaving the dentist’s office, and we decided to forgo driving in the rain.
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| A hen and her chicks in our gated community. |
Her attention to sanitation, her use of freshly packaged and sanitized tools kept me mesmerized while in the chair for 45 minutes. We tried to communicate via an app on my phone, but when she spoke into the phone, the translation put both of us into a bout of laughter we could hardly stop. Even Tom heard us carrying on while he waited in the reception area.
After my appointment ended, I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. My tooth felt fine after she worked hard for a perfect fit. The bill for the 45 minutes of care (minus laughing time) was a mere US $17.37 (CRC 10,000). We couldn’t have been more pleased.
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| Could this be a dad and his young boy, yet to grow his full crown of glory, his comb, and his wattle? |
Shortly today, we’re off for our tour and sightseeing, which both of us are looking forward to. We booked an appointment and tour with a facility’s owner to do a story on their highly-rated facility (ranked #1 in TripAdvisor for Atenas), and we’re expected at 10:00 am.
This appointment resulted in a rushed post today, especially when I’d planned to prepare tonight’s low-carb lasagne (email me for the recipe) before we left, leaving it refrigerated and ready to be cooked at dinner. This left us the entire day to travel about at our leisure with no time constraints whatsoever.
Now, I’ll upload this early post. Tom will proofread it while I put the finishing touches on tonight’s dinner. It’s a great start to the day, sunny in the ’70s, and perfect to be out. Tomorrow, we’ll share details and photos of our day!
You have a lovely day, too!
Photo from one year ago today, September 5, 2016:
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| Tom shot this scene in Sumbersari, Bali, early that morning one year ago. Good job, Honey! For more photos, please click here. |