I went to withdraw some money from Banco Nacional and had a life-time first. As I stood in a zigzag teller line of about 20 people, I saw our reflection in the teller glass. I was the tall guy. For the first time, I was the tallest person in a room full of adults! Having experienced very little physical superiority in my life to this point, I confess, I stood up a little taller. As long as I'm fated to be the gringo in the room, I'm going to be that tall gringo.
In other news, I spent some time this week mixing a holiday spoof. It features the melodramatic crooning of the talented Sheila Moss and yours truly on backing vocals. I'll be giving the tune away free at www.rulonbrown.com. So stay tuned and please share it with friends.
Today we saw two gorgeous toucans in our tree. Sadly we didn't have a tripod to do them justice. Their beaks looked almost day glow green and make up most their total length.
I now understand why people say Costa Rica is a birder's paradise. So far, we have seen amazing birds right out our window. I can only imagine how good it would be if you went looking for them.
The birds must have enjoyed the break in the rain. The storm off the Pacific Coast of Mexico has swamped Central America with heavier rains in the height of rainy season. This afternoon was the first time in five days that it hasn't rained constantly. Living in Seattle I have known rain, but heavy tropical torrents that go on for days and nights with only short intermissions of light showers or cloudy mists... that is a different beast all together.
We couldn't stand being inside anymore so we walked part of the old "new" Atenas highway. It has been closed for over a year because of a landslide. We heard that the national authorities have been slow to fix the road because Atenians made such a protest over the addition of a toll exit from the new highway 27.
Even though the it's closed, some still use the route with 4x4s. We only saw two cars make the pass during our 15 minute time in the danger zone. This was not somewhere we wanted to stay long.
On our walk, we also discovered a wonderfully well-manicured park at the edge of town next to the highway closure barricades. It had two pools, gazeebos, ball fields and lush rolling grass under these large old trees. I'm not sure who owns or uses it but it was pretty enchanting in the rain. Aren't these old iron swings great!
We returned home soaked but well exercised and glad to have gotten out of the cabin before fever set in.
And now for something different...
The bugs aren't bad here, but I have to include this gratuitous photo of a very large locust. I put my hand directly behind him to give you some sense of scale. He didn't care about me and was happy just sunning himself on a bench in the apartment complex we are moving into next month.
While searching for our next apartment we discovered a "taste of Jerusalem" restaurant called Sisso. It was by the finest meal we've had in Costa Rica so far (and we've enjoyed some good food here). S and I had fund enjoying the queque de chocolate con macaron de coco. That is chocolate cake with a coconut macaroon baked inside! We will eat there again.
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