Musings on the last week in San Luis de Grecia

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Up to the house for the first time.  Stopped in Grecia at “el ICE” to see about phone, electricity & SIM cards on the way.  Got the SIMs, electricity w/b going in Marco’s name, land line in Mari’s … I guess that is just how it is done when you are an undocumented person! 

Don Alexis did us no favors, I will say that!  Floors filthy, the inside of the exterior walls incredibly moldy, interior walls just plain dirty with a little mold.  Hung out for a bit, had a couple of beers, picked some chayote from the back yard & then back to the valley, with a wonderful lunch w/Marco, Mari and Nicole on the way. 

Took a taxi to WalMart near the airport to pick up a few things & spent way too much money … easy to do when you have NOTHING!  Clumping kitty litter is not easy to find.   Early to bed. 

Friday, January 18, 2013

Moving day.  Marco picked us up, and Alberto picked up a bunch of our “stuff” … too much for one car!  Went into Grecia Central & hired a “carga taxi”, then to Clark’s to pick up the fridge, table & chairs & bed.  All hombres amazed at Roy’s strength moving Clark’s trailer sideways alone.  Then the hunt for the repair shop, where the range was, ensues.   After asking several people on the street as to the location of the Rosville Grocery (repair shop across the street) and many cell calls, we found Clark, the “carga taxi” and the shop.  Then the fun begins!  We don’t have the “repair ticket” and Dan neglected to leave instructions as to the disposition of the stove.  After about 15 minutes and several failed attempts to reach Dan on his mobile (he is in Nicaragua), they finally released the stove to Clark (me), I paid the bill and we were on our way once again. 

Up the hill to the house only to find zero electricity and ICE saying that we have to replace our meter box and wiring to the house before they will reconnect us.  Marco, our savior, found us an “electrician” … yes, I use this term loosely … and just after dark he had all the wiring done and had us ganged into the next pole (not wanting us to be in the dark all weekend).  119,735 colones later (approx. $240) and we have the new meter box & wiring to the panel.  Can’t imagine what that would have cost in the States.  The labor portion was only 15,000 colones, or about $30.  Materiales son muy caro (expensive) but labor son muy barata (inexpensive). 

Tuna san for dinner and early to bed … like WAAAY early … In the living room, as it is the cleanest at this point. 

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Discovered that the neighbor dogs, mama Charro & son Oso, like to bark pretty much all night … bad enough if they were in their OWN yard just meters away, but just outside our front windows?  Not much sleep. 

Internet proves to be elusive so far.  The “3G” on our phones is now “E” … don’t know what that means other than I can get email on the phone, but using the phone for a wireless hotspot doesn’t work.  Also don’t know if it is our location or el ICE … could be either. 

Started cleaning … front bedroom first.  Took hours w/scrub brush, scrubby sponges, garas (rags) and gancho (those funny mop thingies that you hook a gara to and use on the floors).   Fortunately, bleach is readily available and Formula 409 sometimes.   Much better!  The Kitties want out, but we aren’t going there just yet. 

M & M and their oldest grandson, Marco, showed up with groceries, a mirror, and mucha cerveza.  They visited for a while, but Marco under the weather, so not for long.  Found out we need to go down the hill Tuesday night @ 7 to the “Coope”, which I guess is the Water Cooperative, to change the water to our name. 

Stove is a “shocking” thing!  Roy lifted the top and we discovered why … how many bare spots does one expect to see on wiring?  Ick … back to the small, alcohol powered camp stove for a while for our coffee, eggs & toast.  Must now seek electrician’s tape for Roy to wrap the bare spots.

Had a visit from Tony (and his friend, Duke from Boca Raton) this evening.  Tony is from Brooklyn but sadly we didn’t get to meet his wife, Joyce, who returns from FLA Thursday.  Our friend in Friajanes, Marilyn, says she is a GREAT hair cutter and an excellent cook.  Can’t wait to meet her.  They live @ Electrical post #144 (we are at #183 … I think I’ve finally figured out addresses here … at least here en el campo (in the country)).

Sausage & Cheese sans for dinner and early to bed … maybe even earlier than yesterday. 

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Amazing how quickly the days run together!  Eggs, Toast & Turrialba Cheese for breakfast … oh, and coffee, of course.  We MUST go grocery shopping soon. 

Roy took Kiki out on leash this early morning and she only wanted to go where he couldn’t.  Enough of THAT for a while. 

We scrubbed the bathroom which, surprisingly, went more quickly than the simple front bedroom.   Our cleaning implements & supplies have already paid for themselves, but we are already pining for our “stuff” (including the pressure washer), which doesn’t even depart Seattle until the 23^rd.  Sigh!  One room per day is going to have to be enough … we have time, LOTS of time.

Went about three minutes up (down) the road to a wonderful restaurant, Essprezzo de la Casa, for dinner and met the owner, Isobel.  She is from Durango, Mexico and her food has a marvelous Mexican flair!  The coffee, burritos, enchiladas & dessert (passion fruit mousse w/blackberry sauce) were all spectacular, not to mention the views!  All the fruits, veggies & coffee come from the Organic Finca next door, which belongs to her husband’s family.  It may be a good thing that she is only open on Friday & Saturday 3-9 and Sunday 9-6 or we could get back into a habit that we need to break (dining out).   She also turned us on to another “possible” for internet access, so will call them mañana. 

Early to bed again … funny what barking dogs will do for (to) your energy level! 

Monday, January 21, 2013

Up early … again!  Waiting for el ICE to come and connect our very own electricity (not the bootlegged variety, which works just fine).  By 3, hadn’t seen em, but Marco says we don’t have to be here anyway, so grabbed a bus to the Maxi Palí, which is owned by WalMart … Sigh again!  We were able to obtain a small, plastic, 4-tiered “rolly thingie” to use as our “cupboard” till our stuff arrives.  Also splurged on a dish rack and a plug for the kitchen sink!  It’s the small things in life …..!  Bought some groceries and decided that we had too much stuff to schlep back on the bus, so grabbed a Taxi for the ride home.  We won’t be doing THAT every day.  While it only came to 5,495 colones (around $11) that is a little pricy for every day.  Still, way faster than the bus.

Roy did “tacos” with diced chorizo, Turrialba cheese, cilantro, tomatoes, lime & avocado for dinner … YUM!  We bought some wine that really makes us miss our “Bota Box”.  I suppose if you drank enough ……..

Early to bed, AGAIN!

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Up with the chickens again … actually haven’t HEARD any chickens yet.  Apparently not poultry country … just coffee, fruit & veggies.  The dogs were, mercifully, quieter last night.  Only woke us up a couple of times and no prolonged bark fests. 

Roy let “the girls” out this morning.  Sandy was her usual “good girl” and stuck close to the door, while we haven’t yet seen Kiki.  I think she is exploring the finca and I live in the constant hope she will come home.  It is what it is, I guess.  I’ve offered the neighbor boys, Luis, Daniel & Michael (13, 12 & 8) a small reward if they find her and bring her home.  I don’t think they are too terribly motivated … they have the attention span of children, after all.  Will keep y’all posted on that front. Update:  7:30 pm (pretty much straight up, or down as it IS ½ past) YAY!!!!!!!!!!  Kiki strolls en la casa.  She has burrs and is shaking her little feet, but eating voraciously and just got treats!!  All is right in paradise!  Glad we didn’t go to bed at our new “usual” time!  Celebrating with the last glass of the horrid wine we bought last night.  I would be drinking the Ron Centenario, but the wine simply had . to . go (if we dumped it on the lawn, it probably would have killed the Bermuda grass! 

Met the water meter reader this morning and he took my name & said we DON’T have to go to the Coope tonight … good thing, as we are usually in BED by 7 (9 at the latest).  Despite our prior experience, I find that once you get out of the city or tourist areas, most people do NOT speak English.  That is working my Spanish big time.  I am, however getting better already.  My phone has a translate app, but most of the locals are actually afraid (I think) to talk into it.  And, when they do, it is so “rapido” that the phone can’t keep up!

Roy has had his way with the stove, re-wrapping all the wiring and it is no longer a “shocking” thing!  I smell breakfast … eek, it is late!  9:20?  Where does the day go?  Breakfast was scrambled eggs w/chorizo with Tico cheese, sliced avocado and toast with blackberry (mora) jelly on the side (Roy also had Guava jelly … ok, but I lurve me some blackberries)!  Yum! 

I guess siesta is NOT in my future.  Tried, but neighbor came and I spent 20 minutes attempting to understand,  and make myself understood, concerning some questions about how long we would be ganged into the other neighbor’s power.  Sadly, I was not able to reach either of my trusty interpreters via phone, so waiting. 

Sigh ……………

Headed down to Valle Central mañana en la mañana, so will post this there.  Our 3G signal should be sufficiente, pero if not; I have other ways of finding a “hotspot”!  Meeting up w/our friend, Julio Sanchez, to look at a couple of Rovers he has spotted.  Probably more shopping … not sure for what, but I BET we have a list by the time we go from San Luis to Grecia (30 mins +/-) and then Grecia to Alajuela (not sure, can’t remember, it has been so long since we’ve taken THAT bus … maybe an hour??).  Item #1, mas Kitty litter @ PriceSmart.  Oh, and more bleach.  The list has begun!  Need to find “free & clear” laundry soap as well, everything here is perfumed to the MAX. See how easy it is to spend $$ (don’t have the symbol for colones, which sort of looks like cents symbol, but I think backward, preceding the number w/a vertical line ALL the way thru) … Oh, and perhaps a better (newer) suicide shower, because it isn’t hot here and a slightly warmer shower would totally be in order! Also a cheapo phone … our Panasonic’s are in the container!  I just got VM on the Magic Jack and have NO CLUE who it is from … who is 503-440-7950?  Home, yes, but I don’t know anyone’s phone number … my phone USED to know em!   Duh, how much good will that do without the internet connection?  We are so reliant!   

Still no internet (except email on our phones, sometimes) at the property … we (me, Marco, Mari) are working on that and should be connected within a month or so … es una broma (joke).  Hopefully a week or so.  Very frustrating, we are sooo spoiled! 

My too tight shorts fit better this morning, something to be said ……… Picked some burrs off “the Kik” and I think es el tiempo por la cama!

Hope y’all are enjoying this … let me know in comments if there are things you want to know, on which I am not touching. 

Todo es Pura Vida (but not exactly),

Besos, Kathleen