30 March 2010 * On the TACA Jet

This morning, we went by public bus to downtown San Jose. The city's noisy commotion and acrid clouds of vehicle exhaust were shocking after so many days of living in beautiful natural areas. Tessa was affected quickly, as her cough intensified. After several hours there, she was overcome with nausea despite the scopalimine patch behind her ear. Tara's sinuses became congested and she started to get the sniffles. The pollution also affected me, causing my eyes to burn and my chest to feel tight.

Campesinos guard the national bank.

But the vibrant crush of humanity was very interesting for me. People of all shapes, sizes, colours, demeanors thronged the pedestrian malls. We first wandered Mercado Central, an indoor warren of small shops and booths selling everything from loofah sponges to cowboy hats, fish heads, chicken wings, ground turmeric, and leather sandals.

An eatery-lined walkway in Mercado Central.

Fronting the Mercado and extending 10 blocks eastward is a pedestrian mall. We wandered the mall, visiting numerous clothing shops as Tess searched for some deals. E-Cono seemed to have an outlet on every block, and we malingered in a couple of them.

As our main goal was shopping, there was no time for cultural exploration, so I caught only fleeting glimpses:

• Four men, three on guitar and one with maracas played music and sang for a small crowd.
• Children fed popcorn to a great flock of pigeons in the plaza next to the ornate national theater building.
• A group of bronze campesinos stood in silent strength before the national bank.
• A voluminous bronze woman held ground near a monument to coffee.

I would have liked to have spent a day exploring the parks, libraries and museums of San Jose, but time was short. We settled for some cheese-stuffed buns and panini at a bake shop, bought several items as gifts, and made our way back to the bus and Alejuela. Thence, to the Melrost for delivery to Juan Santa maria Airport and the long flight home.

29 March 2010 * Alajuela

My day began before dawn at Don Taco's Cabinas in Santa Elena and ended a yawning 16 hours later at the Melrost B&B in Alejuela. Our rental car had to be returned to Adobe by 11:00, so we were up early, packed, fed and off down the long, dusty, bumpy road to the lowlands.

Our cabina at Don Taco's in Monteverde.

Along the way, Tara and Tessa discussed possibilities for our next vacation: Thailand? Europe? Caribbean? Both agreed it would definitely not be South America or Africa. I bit my tongue...I'd love to visit Africa, a small village in Senegal to learn dzembe and African dance...... yeah.... like that'll happen!

Eventually, the rocks and dust turned into pavement and we wound our way eastward. Tara became car-sick, but hid it from me, while Tessa slept. The GPS guided me flawlessly to the Banco Nacional in Alajuela, where we were greeted by armed guards as we passed one-by-one through double sliding bullet-proof glass doors. We changed money, filled the tank, returned the car and chanced upon a wonderful little place to spend our last night in Costa Rica, the Melrost B&B. Barnaby picked us up in the Melrost minivan and delivered us to our room.

Our suite at the Melrost B & B in Alajuela.

Later, Barnaby took us to the Seniors & Senioritas Exotic Wood Factory. Here, ten or more different kinds of native wood are carefully aged for 13 years before being cut and fashioned into an amazing variety of things: monkeys, sharks, drums, chess sets, dice, cups, bowls, necklaces, earrings, place mats, chests, belts, purses, cutting boards, wine bottle stoppers, coasters, canes...

Our factory tour guide showed us the wood storage area, the raw pieces, the sorting, polishing, laser engraving and drilling. Nothing is wasted--even the smallest bits of wood are ground and polished into beads. The work is mostly done by under-privileged single mothers, who are able to earn a living wage, with childcare provided while they work.

We learned that the exotic trees are now protected in Costa Rica and cutting them without permit is punishable by imprisonment for 5-10 years. This factory has a large stockpile of aged wood, 10-30+ years old, so they have no immediate need to obtain more. But when they do, trees must be planted for every tree harvested.

One tree in particular, the Guanacaste, is carefully protected, as it's the national tree. There are several large pieces of this wood there, and they're being transformed into incredible works of art by the resident sculptor. I marveled at his creations: a mare and foal nuzzling together, a giant sloth, an Ox, an otter with fish, and ironwood shark. His masterpiece so far is called the Hand of God. From a massive stump, he has carved large fingers supporting a profusion of life: fish, lizards, leaves, birds, mollusks, and many other creatures flow from the wood.

Too bad I didn't have my camera!