Tuesday is a Sun Day

After a LOT of rain last night it was time for something different. Sure enough after a morning grey, the sky opened up blue as could be. I spent so much time harping on the boys to repeat their sunblock... well I got burned myself. A minor detail.

One of the highlights of today was RAW MEAT SANDWICHES for lunch. This was standard fare for Granny growing up, and also a real treat for me as a child. For you nervous parents, we are quite careful choosing what beef to consume.  Nicco remembered trying 'raw meat' in Tyringham and did not hesitate to cook his burger today, but Leo, Sean and I happily filled our plates with the uncooked beef, Chow Chow mustard pickle, red onion, and Crazy Salt. Sean cleverly added cheese to the mix. It was all delicious.

Nicco's cooked burger to left, Leo's raw one to the right

Sean's is... just right? (note perfect avocado on the side)

Along with frequent applications of sun screen this afternoon, the boys spent time on the beach, and we all played BananaGrams by the pool. Perhaps this sounds dull, but while on vacation boring is redefined as relaxing!



Then Granny and I had a dinner out with some clients of mine, and the boys went to dinner at....where else but Hamburger Heaven. Guess it was a beefy kind of day.

We made it to Palm Beach!

The journey was a success - We have nothing but good things to say about the Holiday Inn Express by TF Green Airport in Providence - fun staff, pool and jacuzzi, comfortable beds and a reliable wake up call (at 345 am...). All flights went smoothly - to Washington DC then an easy connection to West Palm. Our bags were almost first off the plane (as I intended, but the boys didn't believe...) and a short cab ride - we were at the house in Palm Beach by 1130am with time for a swim before lunch.

We've had some rain and cloudy skies but it's warm and everything smells good (though the gardenias haven't bloomed yet) This afternoon cleared to amazing blue skies, and everyone learned you can get tanned even through the clouds.

My ankle is holding up - I'm doing a lot of icing and elevation, but have also walked to the local bookstore, and through the mega-Target. Might throw on the boot and try biking! The boys have tossed the football on the beach, played in the pool, and been to the court for some hoops. Oh, and rode the bike path some too. Tonight they are off exploring at City Place, though we all ate so much dinner I'm not sure how they could even move. But - count 'em! - as of this afternoon there were still three boys here!

End of the Road

Well..... OK what to report. I have no photos to illustrate what I've been up to - been too busy attending seminars on the importance of blogging and posting photos and video. Did you know for every one hit on commercial websites there are 10,000 hits on blogs? Don't worry, as soon as I figure out my niche I am jumping ALL OVER it. This is a money maker waiting to happen - though it already has for lots of people. (Hm, why am I telling you this?)

These seminars have been great and full of good ideas though in my opinion they almost all began with way too much doom and gloom. Just give me the good stuff! I don't need to be encouraged to be depressed, I can do that part all by myself.

Then yesterday and today I rushed off to man the Thomson Family Adventures booth for all of those 'Luxury Travel Agents" looking for just the right thing for their clients. Thought there were a fair amount of people clearly not taking this seriously I did meet a good number of interesting dedicated travel agents. I look forward to building a solid tribe so we can all make some money!

Now I've broken down the booth (the entire city of elaborate displays seemed to disintegrate in a matter of minutes after the close of the show), and fit it back into the shipping case (phew). I showered and packed (a complicated mathmatical challenge to fit it all back in my little bag). And hey! I have a bit of time to hit the slot machines before heading to the airport... Now that the work is done that kind of seems like a fun idea so I'm going to pull out that last $10 bill that says SLOT MACHINES on it and see how long it lasts. Wish me luck!

The Set Up

I am here to testify that it is a 15 minute brisk walk from the hotel lobby to the conference center where the Travel Expo is taking place. Yet this morning it took an hour, due to bad information and poor directions which sent me all over the place. You also have to pass through acres of slot machines in the casino (running at full tilt at 8am), and about 27 mouth watering restauarnts (thankfully most are closed this early)

The exhibition hall is a sight - a construction site of huge crates, fork lifts and chaos, and huundreds of hulking teamsters putting things together. I see furniture, beds, whirlpool tubs, towers, AV equipment - it's a city in the making!

After I get our display together (no problem!) I roam, I have breakfast, I look out to the beach (the desert version -white sand and wave pool) and pool area but it's too cold (oh and um I didn't bring a suit). Later it's time for the Buzz Marketing seminar which gives me some good ideas to work on. And of course I make best friends with the agent sitting next to me. By the end of the session we were making plans for a group to Costa Rica next December..

I did succumb to the slot machines before retiring this evening. But you know what? No more tokens or coins! Everything is paper now - tickets you buy in a machine and insert, or else you can pull out your 20's or 50's and slide those in too. You can also open an account and get a plastic card you swipe. It's annoying to have to go to one counter or another to get the right paper to play a machine - no spontaneity! - But the real truth is I just miss the kerchunk of the falling coins. My $20 bill became $50 and then backslid to $24 - now I have a piece of paper, like a coupon, worth $24 to be cashed in - or played tomorrow!

Vegas is FAR

It's 2 am and I just got to my room at Mandalay Bay. Considering I left the office for the airport at 330P I'd say it's been quite a day of travel. I could be in China by now!

OK first of all - SLOT MACHINES at the airport. I should have known, but it is kind of jolting to walk off the plane and see them RIGHT THERE. I was tired and didn't stop, though at the luggage carousel there was a huge screen showing previews of all the shows and I got so absorbed in that my bag passed me by about 3 times before I saw it.

A little cab ride took me to the hotel where a line of 40 other cabs slowly edged their way up to the hotel entrance. Vegas is a happening place! Then I had to walk about 3 blocks from the front entrance to the registration desk where there was a line of at least 20 eager guests checking in.

My room is fab - big bed, bigger bathroom with 2 sinks, a jacuzzi tub AND a shower stall AND a second room for the loo (took me a minute to locate it). One of my goals this week is to use ALL of them.

I am hungry and curious - but I am not sure I can make it back downstairs for the Action which is surely at full tilt....

Oh hey what the heck, I'm in Vegas! Guess I'll go walk around.

Test Number Two!

This is a favorite picture from work. Let's see if it enhances my blog!

Saturday in paradise

I don't think I've ever seen such a beautiful day as today. Not a peep of a cloud anywhere. The Boys are awake and already downing cereal when I pop over to the cottage at 8am!! They come over to the main house for eggs bacon and English muffins, then take off for Leo's tour of the property. Hiking climbing, exploring endlessly.

Granny and I go to the outlet mall and the grocery store since morning is her free time - starting at 1pm she needs to be around for visitors to the gardens.

We're back in time for lunch - the boys obviously whipped up an appetite being outdoors - and then I drop them in the center of town for basketball. I confess I let Leo drive (he does have a legal learner's permit, and several hours practice behind the wheel) down the country road, while everyone else huddled in the back, silent. Leo did a great job.

There is some chuckling about the 'center of town' since it consists of one small building for the post office, and a mail box. Blink and you miss it. They stayed for a couple of hours, and I must report that the two-team of Leo and Parker whooped the three-team of Dustin, Nicco and David. I think there was betting behind the scenes, and now Leo and Parker do not have to do any clean up in the cottage...plus I htink they're standing just a little taller...

There are at least 15 cars parked outside, for all the garden visitors today, it's amazing.

Now they are showering so we can head into the outlet mall... I need to pick up my cell phone whch I left in the Bass store (ahem) and they want to look around. Then we'll meet Granny for a yummy dinner in an Indian restaurant in Lee.

Off to the Berkshires, October 10 2008

Milo and Maria left around 230pm; The Boys showed up at my house after school and whipped around snacking, packing and completing the mandatory bathroom visist. We were on the road by 415 which I hoped would get us a teense ahead of the traffic.

No such luck, It's a holiday weekend and EVERYONE is on the road. We *crawl*. No problem, there is a party atmosphere in the car and everyone is having fun.

At 630PM we are not even at Sturbridge which I always take as the halfway point of the 2.5 hour car ride.... Things are a little quieter in the back, but we have plenty of snacks so no one is starving

Once we pass Sturbridge things open up and I even get to go the speed limit. For about 7 minutes. Then we stop again - this time it's an accident way up ahead. Once that clears and we can speed up again - it's not almost 8PM - we see a sign indicating 29 mor emiles to the exit. ARGH. The boys are silent.

We roll in about 845PM. Granny, Milo and Maria are all fed and happy, and jump up to cook our burgers while we wash hands and feel oh so glad to be out of that car. It's like the best food we ever had in the warmest nicest kitchen ever. The boys went off for a walk in the dark (I hear they didn't get very far - it is REALLY dark here in the country) and the rest of us drifted off to bed.

Things I'm thinking about

Those many many smooth red spots all over my body... you don't feel the bugs biting but oh my goodness how they ITCH for days to come. I made a stop at the local pharmacy for some antihistamine gel that makes a tiny difference for enough time to feel human again. The experience in the shop was fun, even if I do start scratching like a monkey again a few mnutes later.

Epiphyte is now a part of my every day vocabulary. Not only do I recognize epiphytes everywhere, when I see one I very clearly hear and see my friend Linda jumping with glee, arms in the air, crying out "EPIPHYTE!" during our game of charades.

Rain is totally cool, and more people should be prepared for it on a regular basis so as not to miss out on what life has to offer. Everyone should own a good poncho no matter how silly they look in it. And umbrellas? How come I never really knew before how AWESOME and useful they are.

Hiking boots are invaluable. Why did I think sissy Keens with socks would be worthwhile in Costa Rica? Even in my hikers my feet were drenched on more than one occasion - but had I only worn Keens my feet would now be as mossy as my boots are. No kidding - green stuff growing all over those boots!

Almost everywhere in Costa Rica you are asked to NOT put your paper into the toilet, but to deposit it into a bin next to it. It makes me wonder why it is OK in the USA to drop paper and other things into our toilets....yes yes of course we may have more sophisticated plumbing but still... maybe we should rethink our habits?

On a similar note - the nice lined bathing suit worn by swimmers and lifeguards everywhere - forget it! It could never dry fast enough to be useful. Which is to say, even though it's been washed with soap several times the mildew smell is so potent I am afraid they'll ban my suitcase from the airplane.

September 4, everything unexpected

This morning we expected to be packing up for a drive to meet Sole - she would take me on to Guanacaste and the beach hotels while Cuca returned to San Jose and her family who had expected her a couple of days ago (and then her son Ignacio went and broke his collarbone just to make the point!). But as we were going to breakfast Sole called from the road - those rains in Guanacaste we keep shrugging off were not going away. Oh those nasty hurricaines.

The region is declared a Yellow Zone, about to turn Red, the rivers are beginning to flood, and it's time for Plan B.

So Cuca will drive me back to a hotel outside of San Jose, and Sole tried valiantly to return home -- but alas she cannot get back over the bridge and is stuck looking for a hotel for the night. Cuca and I begin the long crawl down the wet and slippery mountain to San Jose...

... It takes us over two hours down the unpaved road to get to the PanAmerican Highway. Our most tense moment is documented in this photo - a big beer truck, stuck solidly in deep mud and having churned up everything in its path (not to mention how it hogged the narrow road) We were not quite sure what to do next. After some conferring with the locals we decided to try and make it - and with Cuca's *Expertise* behind the wheel we spin our way through the mud and beyond the stuck truck. I am sure I saw sweat trickling down Cuca's forehead.

Once on paved road it was more about traffic and rain - it was almost 5 hours before we finally landed at this nice hotel where I will spend the night before flying out in the morning, a day earlier than expected. It's also a couple of adventures earlier than planned, and I am so sad to not have my time with Sole on the north Pacific coast (I've promised to come back soon, sorry Jim).

But this last adventure today was pretty hair raising! Not the kind of family adventure we advertise, but an authentic experience for sure.

Monteverde September 2 - 3

This morning we wake to yet another amazing volcano view, and head off towards Monteverde. First we're dropped at the dock where we have to say goodbye to beloved Jose - how will we ever survive without his careful attentions?? That is quite unclear. But we enjoy a delightful 30 minute ride across Lake Arenal - the sky stays clear - then we board minivans for the dreaded ride to Monteverde. I've heard all about these roads, and have prepared by taking a Bonine to help with motion sickness (it's not supposed to make me sleepy but the truth is I am kind of out of it the rest of the day...) The ride is indeed bumpy and winding, I mean REALLY winding up and up and up the mountain and around the tighest curves you have ever seen. We make one stop (for breath?) halfway - altogether it's about 2 hours to our hotel.

El Estbalo is a large property of villas spread out over an area so wide and steep they have a bunch of vans to drive you where you want to go. Unfortunately we have to wait for our rooms - though once they realize we are there for an inspection we get pampered a bit more (I must be traveling with a rock star). We also have a rental car that is dropped off to us so we can get around - since the whole driver / guide thing did not work out as planned.

After brushing our teeth we speed off to do hotel inspections. It is interesting - the road up the mountain is brutal, but in town everything is nice and paved. It seems though they do NOT want to encourage the masses to climb that mountain to come visit, they DO want them to enjoy their stay once they are there. But several of the hotels are out of town enough to be on wild roads. The 4 wheel drive in mandatory here.

So far there is no view here, we are solidly centered in a cloud of mist mixed with rain. ANd in fact I have no outdoor photos of Monteverde as it just never stops being so wet I can't pull out my camera.

Our early morning visit to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is wet - the ponchos are as mandatory as the 4 wheel drive - but I have learned enough to not let that stop my good time. It is about a two hour walk with a naturalist guide - the wildlife has mostly taken cover from the rain but the forest is so beautiful and interesting it hardly matters. We see a sloth and baby getting drenched up in a tree, and the highlight is a nest of tiny baby toucanets peeping out for food. The hummingbird garden is fantastic, where you are buzzed constantly by these tiny (and some big ones too) birds who need to be constantly fed to survive.

The on to an inspection of Selvatura, a place with everything in one spot - a zip line (I've already earned my badge, and decline to do it again in the rain) a series of 9 hanging bridges (we do this walk) and exhibits of reptiles, butterflies, and insects.

Back to our hotel for a more complete inspection there (I really AM working on this trip!) and then we go back to a small restaurant / cafe with free internet to have dinner - appetizers and dessert! - before going to bed.

We watch The Firm on tv, in English with Spanish subtitles, before falling asleep, the view out the window still just one big smear of white cloud.

I may not have a photo of Monteverde, and this would be because it never stopped raining....

Arenal August 31 - September 1

This is an example of a photo that should NOT be used in any marketing materials about the Arenal Volcano region, since one can never count on a view like this... It also does not mean we haven't had PLENTY of torrential rain - but we have also had amazing volcano views as you can see. I have about 68 pictures just like this - its hard to stop.

We made it here from Turrialba (after inspecting both the hotel we stayed in, and a fancier one nearby where I could actually understand the manager's Spanish because she spoke so slowly and clearly! Not a native speaker) The drive was under 4 hours, winding, gorgeous valleys and views. In Arenal we did a bunch of hotel inspections and spent an evening brewing in the Ecotermales hotsprings - set amongst gardens full of flowers and toads there are a series of pools with water flowing from the hotsprings - the temperatures range from warm to what we referred to as egg-boiler hot. This last one we could only stay in about 2 minutes. I could have soaked in these springs all night, but eventually we changed back to dry clothes and enjoyed a fantastic family style dinner right onthe property and then went home to fall into our beds at the hotel.

Early the next morning we visited the famed Hanging Bridges - our guide Jose had his telescope and we enjoyed several hours of exploring, looking, listening and smelling for the wildlife that lives there. In the afternoon we checked out the bustling town of La Fortuna (ok, so I might not be getting the order exactly right here) then went to enjoy a lovely dinner at a fancy hotel.

It is interesting how heavy downpours here can turn to clear skies in no time. One moment you are in a cloud of white, the next the volcano is right in your face. I never see any red lava at night, but thoroughly enjoy the puffs of smoke and rumbling of explosions throughout the day. It takes me awhile to realize it isn't thunder I'm hearing!

Aug 30

Up early in the pouring rain – and off to the airport even though we know the plane is delayed and maybe even cancelled. But if it does take off and you’re not there, well tough luck. I am accompanied by Juan Carlos, Lis, and Isa – driver, mentor and guide – who kindly make conversation with me while we wait to see what will happen. After an hour I do in fact climb aboard the tiny 12 seater; I hear it is the last flight to return to San Jose before the airports close again. I guess this happens a lot in Costa Rica!

I am met by Cuca and Jose Pablo. All these guides and drivers have me spoiled rotten. I haven’t carried a bag, opened a door, or wondered when to have a meal for over a week and I no longer know how to take care of myself. Yet I can tell this next week is all serious business – we have lots to see and do. We drive through beautiful country to Turrialba and a little hotel, Villa Florence, set above a tiny village. We are greeted as if we are long lost family, by the Costa Rican owner and the transplanted Canadian manager. Then off to CATIE where we are met by a very nervous guide who walks us through the gardens before we all hop on bikes (helmets included!) for a nice, fairly level bike ride through the plantations of sugar cane, palm trees and meadows. There are tons of birds and beautiful vistas though I learn pretty quickly I can’t navigate the rocky road and look around at the same time. This is a beautiful valley, very lush, surrounded by cloud swept mountains – very un-touristed and a pleasant picture of local life. Later we enjoy a coffee tour, at the end of which we all get to try the ‘slurp and spit’ method of coffee tasting – fascinating but not likely this will be incorporated into my morning routine. Dinner at a local restaurant is steak with a coffee sauce.

Bed feels really good.

August 29

Off to Manuel Antonio National Park this morning. It rained all night again and so we are lucky to see blue skies for our day at the beach. We park at the entrance and there is a long walk in, down a gravel road. It’s easy to think "oh no, a 20 minute walk!” but within moments we are all captivated by sloths hanging in the trees, bright red and purple crabs crawling alongside the road, turtles and butterflies, monkeys, birds – you almost can’t count all of the cool things to see. In no time we are by the beach.

We claim a picnic table for all of our food etc, and jump into the deliciously warm ocean. There is a nice strip of beach with forest right behind – monkeys, sloths, and raccoons rule here and food and back packs must be carefully guarded! There is a great hour’s walk around Cathedral Point for the more adventurous, and tuna salad, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chips and fruit for lunch – followed by MORE time in the ocean with higher tide and bigger waves. The rain does not begin until we are all back on the bus - A perfect day. Then on our way back to the hotel we find a family of spider monkeys traveling in the trees along side the road – this is the only species of monkey we had not seen so it’s pretty exciting.

Dinner tonight is out in a local restaurant; it is Alex’s 14th birthday so we have cake for dessert and present him with a jar of the same blue hair gel his pen pal used to groom his hair after swimming. It’s also my last night with the group as I head out in the morning. Sorry to be sating goodbye...

August 28

Up at 5 am for the early flight to Manuel Antonio – this means a boat ride across the canal (all of 4 minutes) to a tiny airstrip and a tiny building with a tiny counter where you weight your tiny bag for check in (30lb weight limit) Unfortunately the weather is bad in San Jose and the plane can’t make it to us – so BACK to the hotel for more charades until we get the call that a plane is on the way.

We do make it to San Jose and quickly on to our connecting flight just in a tiny window of time before the airports shut down again for bad weather. Somehow we land just in time for our scheduled zip line adventure. Ahem. This was definitely the thrill of the week and though I confess to a moment of almost uncontrollable panic when I looked down to the abyss from the very high platform, I did manage to suck it up and complete all 12 lines of the course.

Everyone loved it. I think the secret is to simply not allow yourself to acknowledge all the ways in which you could come to serious harm doing such a thing.

The rain began just at the end, conveniently, and continued while we enjoyed a great lunch before heading to our hotel. This afternoon I joined the guides on a very wet trip doing errands – the grocery store, the bank – as I wanted to see the town. This is where I stocked up on mayonnaise con limon which is my new favorite food. It has not ceased to amaze me how much it can rain here.

The hotel is a sprawling 5star Italian villa sort of resort; the air conditioning and sumptuous beds piled high with pillows are all quite inviting after our nights at 'camp'. Dinner tonight is in the open air dining room, and tastes great.

How to ruin a perfectly good manicure..

These hands looked *so* good at the wedding - and now look! Oh well, it has all been worth it, and by now I've found remover and made myself respectable again. (PS - the toes still look great!)

Tortuguero August 27

Last night’s rain beginning not until we were safely in bed!) was torrential, but here’s the thing: Not only do howler monkeys begin war-whooping at about 445am, they also throw bombs of monkey poop as a way to defend themselves and their territory – the noise is deafening as it hits the tin roofs and it is an interesting way to wake up in the morning.

This morning: a jungle boat expedition – tons of birds and monkeys. Blue skies! Later a fantastic kayak expedition down the narrower canals where we see turtles and caiman and more monkeys. The highlight of the day – maybe of our whole adventure – was witnessing a large family of capuchin monkeys battling with a bird guarding her nest. The bird fought valiantly but the monkeys won. While the nervous mother bird paced and squawked along the water’s edge the monkeys went ahead and raided the eggs, carefully drinking their nutritious contents from the shells. Even our guide said she had only seen anything like that just once before.

The weather is beautiful all day, for our wildlife viewing and swimming later in the pool. We cap it off with a wild game of charades, dinner, and early to bed.

From Sarapiqui to Tortuguero, Aug 26

This morning we leave the Sarapiqui region for the trip to Tortuguero on the Caribbean coast. First we must rescue a bat from the ladies room by the reception area at the hotel. Once he / she has found her way back out we check out and walk down the road so we can cross the amazing bridge on foot. Our driver Juan Carlos follows a bit later, to give us time to get ahead. Along the way we see our first toucan! We took a longish drive (filled with riddles, Wordles and Symbol Simon games). The scenery is worth the drive, and the stop at the banana packing plant was fascinating (you have no idea what goes into getting a banana from its plant to your store!). About 11am we board a small boat - long and narrow, about 4 seats across, with a canopy in case of rain or blazing sun (both being prevalent) and roar our way down the canals to Tortuguero National Park and our home for the next two nights.

A friend who shall remain nameless unless he wants to come forward has coined this area Torture-Guero, and I think it is my favorite paradise on this trip - deep jungle, long riverways, no roads, you go everywhere by boat. The 90 minute boat ride in shows us a crocodile, countless beautiful birds, and lots of monkeys (monos!). We are greeted at the hotel's dock with the sweet and fruity welcome drink - the music is a bit loud by the pool, there are lots of Spanish and German tourists roaming and it feels a lot like camp! Our rooms are in blocks of 4 scattered along covered pathways, and you just never know when a monkey might leap over your head on his way to the next tree. Accomodations are simple but great - damp? Well yes, everything here feels a bit damp (like camp) but there is hot running water and a flush toilet and a comfortable bed and ceiling fan.

Later we take the boat across the canal to town (a five minute ride), where we visit the Caribbean Conservation Corporation and learn about the plight of the green sea turtle. We walk down the beach where there is not supposed to be swimming allowed– both sharks and severe undertow live here – though several people are in the water. We visit the center of town - about a block long – ending at a tiny local store where we can buy ice cream bars. The local kids are deeply involved in band practice for the upcoming celebrations, and we cheer them on before going back to the hotel for salsa dance lessons and dinner.

Though we might have been tempted to be in bed by 8, instead we donned our dark clothing for the night walk in search of nesting turtles. This is highly organized and regulated by the park system – again, a boat across the canal to the ocean side and a quiet shuffling walk through the dark pathways – no lights allowed!. The sky is brilliant with stars but there is NO moon at all, something I don’t think I have ever seen before. All night I am not sure if I should be looking for turtles or constellations. Anyway, we are lucky enough to see three turtles in various stages of laying eggs, covering them, camouflaging the site, and returning to the ocean. Pretty darn cool!

my moth friend