San Jose and the wedding

From Saturday August 23 –
This morning I had a walking tour of the city of San Jose, with a man named Julio who does this now for the love in his heart. He knows everything about the history of San Jose, and all of Central America! This city is quite a sad place really, no one lives here anymore, all of the interesting architecture has been torn down in favor of pretty revolting modern stuff thrown up with no thought to any city planning. Many homeless on the streets, lots of litter and abandoned buildings - just sad. I got a lot of intersting history, but really understand why we do not include this in our tours. Not many people would enjoy it! I had to check out of my room - which is why I'm all dolled up, sitting in open air cafe at the Gran Hotel Costa Rica, one of the oldest buildings in the city. It is pouring rain and hot, Costa Rican style. I have a chilled glass of white wine and a plate of sea bass ceviche, and am in heaven.

I am picked up at 3P to go to Sole's wedding. A traditional Costa Rican wedding, just great, in a lovely church with Sole looking so beautiful. Of course I did not understand a word of it, but then love is a matter of the heart is it not?? Words are not necessary.

This was followed by a full night's dancing and partying ina unique art hotel. I met many people I only knew via email before, that was fun. The food and dancing were great, and I was in bed asleep by midnight?

Pura Vida Costa Rica!

from August 22 2008

Logan airport has never been so crowded – at 5am there is barely room to walk nside the terminal. The line snakes back and forth countless times, and it is hard to even find the end of it – which adds to the overall chaos as hundreds of people drag luggage and whiny children through the crowds. It takes almost 90 minutes to reach the counter and check in my bags 0 then a quick dash to the gate to board the plane. First time in my life it required the whole two hour advance the airlines asked for.

So I was starving when I got onboard and searched for the hard boiled egg I packed. Unfortunately with all the tossing around of bags it was flattened, with the shattered shell thoroughly imbedded in the egg. Inedible. I resorted to the $4 on-board breakfast of a packet of cheese and crackers, with a few nuts and raisins thrown in. The alternative looked like it was mostly Oreos and Cheez Its which made me wonder what American Airlines thinks the definition of ‘Breakfast’ is.

Landing in Miami I headed to the next door terminal for my connection to San Jose. It must have been a mile walk at the very least, up and down stairs, around construction, down long hallways. How do children and the elderly do it?? Many food options along the way, so I grabbed a Chili’s salad to eat later. No internet, not even for a fee. This plane was full too - but for the seat between me and the woman by the window. We were very lucky for that but tortured by the distinct urine smell in our row (made note to check for lingering odor on me afterward) Everyone was so excited to be going to Costa Rica (except the toddler who screamed nonstop for 2.5 hours) so there was lots of chatter and celebratory drinking, sort of like college week

So I arrived without incident. The San Jose airport was a treat – simple and small, I got through it in no time, There is even a bathroom right in the luggage collection area, so convenient! The bathroom was spotless, with a woman mopping the floor every three minutes. It smelled delicious like oranges –well, really it was like orange creamsicles. Cuca met me in full Thomson Family Adventures regalia – the sign, the hat, the jumping and shouting with excitement. I joined her on her carpool loop, Costa Rican style – to her home for two kids, then to school for the eldest, then to her parent’s to drop them off. We finally settled at Hands, where we had an appointment adjacent to Sole’s for manicures and pedicures. For over two hours we were pampered – massaged, scraped, rubbed and painted, until our nails looked perfecto! Though I feared the total bill (there was water, tea, and Sole’s bottle of Boone’s Farm Strawberry wine graciously served as well) the total per person was a mere $22. No tipping. Wow, I might be moving to Costa Rica. Afterwards Cuca and I joined her husband Danilo at his new Caribbean restaurant for some fantastic ceviche and rice and beans with chicken. The hot sauce was perfecto, and the waiter had a flair that made the whole experience special. I made it to my hotel about 930P – 1130 for me on Boston time – realizing I was ready to collapse. I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

Wednesday, December 5 – trying to get back to Boston!

This is the reminder that one must always be patient with travel, and getting there and back is always half of the adventure:

-4A cab to airport for our confirmed 7A flight to Miami

-5A arrive at check in to find out.....

-Flight delayed until 11A

- A Long Breakfast – I remember French fries and lots of espresso

-Wandering aimlessly through airport shops

-10A go through security and head to gate

-11A Run into Sue who is on her way to her noon flight back to Quito;

-She lets me use her iPhone to call home, a definite high point to the day's journey;

-I take 800 mg Ibuprofen for the shooting pains in my knees

-Larry is very patient through all of it.

-1130A we board our flight; I think I immediately fall asleep

Naturally we have missed out conveniently timed connection in Miami, but we have been resceduled and in fact between customs and security and getting from one terminal to another there really isn't time to spare. We board, starved, but by the time the flight attendants get to us the food is all gone (oh except for pringles and chocolate bars which we pass on)

-930pm we land in Boston but one of my bags is missing (though it does show up the next day) How does that happen?? It's cold, a harsh end to a great vacation

- 11p arrive home, really late to bed, really early up for carpool and work and life.....

Tuesday December 4 – on to Lima

This morning there was time to visit the Spanish Cathedral in Cusco – an amazing place – before our ride to the airport. An easy flight to Lima, followed by a cab ride to our hotel in the Miraflores section of the city. The Hotel Antigua Miraflores is a cute place (this is a photo of it), but a far cry from the 5Star treatment we have gotten used to. I think the 3 floor walk up was the hardest part – oh my knees!

We find delicious ceviche for a late lunch, and get a cab to the market area which is overwhelming in size and scope. Every type of Peruvian product and souvenir one could imagine, and we spend hours inspecting all of it. My legs are tired and my knees are beginning to hurt. Larry discovers he left his Amex card back at the lunch restaurant; they are closed by the time we return to get it. He remains cheerful! Later, a light dinner at a nice restaurant close to the hotel, and fun conversation with the bartender over nightcaps, refills free. Early to bed, wake up call at 3:30AM!

Machu Picchu stonework

Monday December 3 – Machu Picchu

How sad to check out of such a fantastic hotel so soon! We meet up with our MP guide (Fernando?) who is dramatic and theatrical and lots of fun to discover Machu Picchu with. We ride the bus up the mountain, and enter the site well after sunrise, but before the crowds have taken over. It is just beautiful and amazing, and once again we have perfect weather to enjoy it. The llamas are snoozing in pools of sun on the green grass and the sky is clear so we can see how some of the surrounding mountains line up with the silhouettes of rocks carved on the site. We can even look across to where we were yesterday at Patallacta Pass. The stonework is incredible, though it seems so obvious to keep saying so. We meet up later with Javier for a farewell lunch in town and then say our goodbyes as we all begin to go our separate ways. Larry, Eduardo and I are all on the same train back to Cusco; Larry and I are back where we began, at the Libertador Inca Palacio in time for a late, light supper and re-packing time.

Sunday December 2 – day 6 of the Trek

Today is the last day of this trekking adventure. Note the mis-buttoned shirt in this photo - I must be losing brain cells!

After breakfast we climb a few hours to Patallacta Pass, still steeped in lush cloud forest, and ending in a beautiful clearing with a breathtaking view (as the clouds conveniently parted for our pleasure) of the back side of Machu Picchu. This is our gift – not a crowded march into the ruins themselves, but a remote and solitary vision of this amazing site. This is what our efforts were meant for, and it is worth every step we took. I think I have 30 photos of just this spot, hoping one will sufficiently remind me of the moment.

With our picnic lunch we sip cold beer bought from a woman with a little camp ground along this trail; so interesting to contemplate how the goods are brought to this remote spot, and how the beer is kept ice cold a day’s walk from anywhere…
Then it is all downhill through farmland and my slow pace is about trying to stay upright on steep slippery rocky muddy paths. At the bottom we cross the river, and walk along the road to the hydroelectric plant and the train station. We have time for celebratory beer and French fries – the best French fries I think any of us have ever eaten – before climbing on board the train for the 30 minute ride to Aguas Caliente. It’s a fun, bustling, touristy town with shops pressed right up along the train tracks and trekkers of all shapes sizes and colors roaming the narrow streets. Our five star hotel is amazing, and has the best shower in the world. There are complimentary Pisco Sours in the bar, a delicious dinner in the dining room, and a night of cigars and grappa while we tell our stories and debrief from the trek. What an amazing thing we all did!