Lazy Daze

Puerto Viejo with the family. It was beautiful and the food was great, oven baked pizza!
The trip from Hell! Our bus got caught up in a strike by the truckers traveling across Central America. What should have been a five hour trip to Nicaragua ended up being an eight hour trip.
Senior and Senora Viejo in Puerto Viejo a fun trip.
A mother daughter moment in Viejo!
Tattoo time with her big brother.

O.K. so I have had a bit of a lazy spell about blogging. I really should not do that as I am planning to blog to book all my posts and that is about as far as I get on the whole scrap booking idea. I have included a few recent pictures to update out big adventure.

When we moved here four and a half years ago I never imagined the effect the move would have on me. I can't speak for the rest of the family, but for me it has been a life changing adventure.

One of my sons called me from the U.S. today to tell me about how he almost got a ticket for riding his skate board through a stop sign. It was the most bizzare feeling in the world to realize that it made no sense to me. It also made me wonder how it ever made sense to me. I asked my family " if you are driving in your car and you get pulled over they can give you a ticket if you do not have a seat belt on. Why?"

No one could answer that question. It no longer makes sense to us.

I have also had my named removed off the rolls of the mormon church. I cannot talk bad about my experience in the church. It was what it was and I am ready to move on. There are many, many people who are very bitter about their experience in what they refer to as the "cult".

It was always my choice and I could have left at any point and time. We are glad to be done with that phase of our lives and look forward to the life and adventures ahead. Peace and pura vida!

ANOTHER EX-PAT DOWN HOW MANY MORE TO GO?

I receive the morning news from a.m. Costa Rica. This morning front page was about a Dutch guy over on Nicoya, near Samara who was robbed and murdered in his house, protecting his wife! He has lived here for over 20 years and probably felt pretty safe over there.
It appears they were drug people, they seem to be taking over the neighborhood on the coasts. I hope it takes awhile for them to spread to the Valley as I pretty much like it here :) Also Nicoya is supposed to be a really beautiful place and the druggies should have to stay in the ugly places! Don't really know of any of those here in Costa Rica but I'm sure we could set up some for them.
They did mention in the article there was another forced entry in Samara a week or so ago. That is a pretty place also, we visited there last year. The problem with all the robberies is in who is going to want to visit the beaches if the robberies continue? If people don't feel safe they are not going to vacation there.
That is pretty much what happened to the Caribean side, people not quite feeling safe there. We have always felt safe when we visit Puerto Viejo, but we don't mind people trying to sell us drugs all the time. We have never had a problem telling them no and they leave us alone.
Of course we always have the baby with us and here they do respect that, usually! Crazy goings on down South for sure.

MANUEL ANTONIO BEACH

I love Manuel Antonio beach! It is my favorite beach so far in Costa Rica, and believe me we have been checking them out. We even took our christmas card picture there this weekend. It was beautiful at the beach and we enjoyed teaching and just hanging out.

There are many beaches here in Costa Rica and we have checked out many.

We also like Puerto Viejo, which is on the Caribean side of the country. It is very laid back and a little bit more affordable.

On the Pacific side we have visited Jaco, Punteranus, Samara, as well as Osa Peninsula. We did not care for them as much as MA. They are a little more crowded and more expensive. There are as many beaches as places people are coming from to choose from though so there is lots to pick from. If you would like more info or help planning a vacation feel free to contact us, we love to share Costa Rica with all!