People We've Met

We've met so many interesting people on this trip.   Some of the most memorable...

Magdalena, the drunk lady at the bar at Los Portreros our first night in Costa Rica. 

Graduation day with Claire and Lisa

Claire and Lisa, two great girls from the Pacific Northwest who took Spanish classes w us in Tamarindo.  They are trying to stay in CR as long as possible/until $$ runs out.  They are fresh out of college and doing the dream so many have to travel first.  Buen suerte girls!

Todd and Jan, a very nice couple from Florida, and their dog Ella.   They are trying to decide if they want to move to CR in their retirement.  Plus, they invited us to go lobster diving in Big Pine Key Florida. Ok! 

Josephine and Alex, a cute and kind and awesome couple.  Alex is a Frenchman living in Montreal.  Josephine is a beautiful and sweet Phillipino girl from San Francisco.   They were much fun to hang out with for dinners and fire pits.  I hope to keep in touch with them!

Peter, an almost 60-years old gay man from Australia traveling for the year with his boyfriend.  But his boyfriend was in Ecuador for a couple weeks visiting family while Peter "took a vacation from him" in CR.

Alex and Henry, a cool couple from the UK. They were honeymooning for 6 weeks (wow!), starting w/2 weeks in Mexico, then to Costa Rica and on to Peru.   One night, we hung w them, Alex and Josephine, and Sara from LazDivaz for an impromptu dinner grilled w fire near the beach. It was thrown together at the last minute based on what groceries anyone had.

Alex, Josephine, Sara, Kasia, Alex and Henry

Sara, owner of LazDivaz and our friend.  We met her in 2010.  I'm so glad we went back to stay at her place again.  She was great to us in so many ways, and made us feel at home on Samara Beach.   I'm not sure we can thank her enough.  

Angelina, an old friend and ex-Spanish teacher of Sara's.  Sara graciously called her for me, and the former university professor gave me some Spanish lessons at a good price, and joined us for dinner at the best soda in town for authentic Tico food.   

The Germans who took the shuttle w us from Samara.  Man did that guy stink.  I know that Americans are a little over the top w hygiene (I know I am) but c'mon.  Or at least put your arm down.  The windy, bumpy, crazy 4-hour ride of death was nothing compared to his pit smells wafting my way the ENTIRE ride to Montezuma.

Ken, a cool guy from Boston on a vacation to celebrate retirement.  For about 6 weeks, it's just him, and his wife is joining him after that.  He was super talkative and happy to chat w English speakers.  He talked Geraldine's ear off!  But he was kind and as non-creepy as they come (especially for a married guy traveling alone).  He had a car rented for 2 whole months!

Geraldine, who lived in Switzerland, was traveling the world by herself.   She was smart and nice enough to listen to Ken for hours during 3 whole days.   "He was such a nice guy. At home, he would be exactly what people think of as typical American."  She didn't mean this as a slam, just as an observation.

Cheryl from New York.  O.M.G.  This 34-year old lawyer was SO tightly wound.  She was there for yoga and unwinding for a week, but she was losing her shit a little bit without a Starbucks on every corner.  I'm surprised she's able to do yoga.  For goodness sakes, I wanted to spike her water w some vodka or maybe even a roofie so she'd act more normally screwed up like the rest of us.  I can be a little tightly wound myself, but she was out of control. She seemed more like a caricature of a driven young lawyer from NYC in a movie by the "Best in Show" guy.  

The couple from Amsterdam who is traveling for 6 months around Mexico and Central America and shared a cab w us from Quepos to Manuel Antonio, ultimately helping us to stumble upon a "good enough!" apartment for one night after a long day of travel.  

Wanda, 71-year-old owner of Wacky Wanda's bar in Quepos.   Kas and I were talking about the Polish signs behind the bar, and the lady at the end of the bar chatted us up.   Finally, she walked to the other side of the bar (where people work), chatted w us about Polish recipes, life, etc.  She even gave us some homemade pierogies (plus butter!) to thaw out and cook at our place.  Can't wait to try em tonight!