I'll try to keep this brief and will answer questions if anyone wants more info. Thanks again to all those who so willingly gave advice and encouragement. Our trip was from May 9th through May 22nd. Where appropriate, I'll break it up by areas, rather than by days.

May 9th. Like Tully, we booked as early a flight as possible which meant being at the Pensacola airport at 4:30. No problems with our flight to Atlanta or from Atlanta to San Jose. We actually arrived at SJO about 20 minutes early. Zipped through immigration so quickly I worried that Tricolor wouldn't be there to meet us. Should have known better after all the good things shillmac has reported about them. Stepped through the doors and saw our name on a Tricolor sign.

The van arrived minutes later and I was surprised how quickly and easily they managed to load six people, 3 large surf board bags, and the rest of our luggage (which wasn't exactly few in number of pieces).

Things went smoothly at Tricolor, though I have to confess I was a bit disconcerted by the presence of an armed guard outside their door. This was something I'd never seen anywhere in CR 28 years ago and I worried what this said about the other changes I might find.

We'd hoped to be on the road toward the Orosi Valley by 3:00. Instead, it was only about 2:00 when we pulled out and headed to buy gas. (I do wish they'd give you a car with a bit more gas. We had only an eight of a tank.) Followed their directions to a nearby station. From there we had conflicting directions. One fellow had told us to backtrack past Tricolor, another had said to continue the way we were going and veer right at the "Y" to reach the road we wanted.

Well, if anyone gives you this choice, and even if they don't, go back past Tricolor. We didn't and got lost - big time. Ended up in a bit of a dicey area. While stopped at a red light someone jumped out of a car behind our friends' SUV and stuck a knife in the tire.

We drove straight back to a service station where we'd stopped to ask directions, and where there was another armed guard, to change the tire. We'd read about the scam of flattening your tire, following you, then robbing you when they stop to "help."

Needless to say, this meant we had to return to Tricolor. No way could we set out for the places we were going without a good spare on both SUVs.

The people at Tricolor were wonderful. They were also very concerned to get as much information from us as to exactly where we were when this happened, etc. While they changed out all the tires on the SUV, our friends detailed everything they could recall about the incident for a police report.

This could have easily soured the whole trip for the 3 first-timers and me too, for that matter. Such a long absence made me feel like a first-timer in many ways. Instead, everyone took the attitude that this was the only bad thing that was going to happen to us on our "magnificent adventure" as one of the other ladies had dubbed our trip.

It was 3:00 by the time we left Tricolor the second time and this time our directions were to go through San Jose rather than around the city to the north as we'd originally planned. While I couldn't see how this could possibly be faster, or easier, it's how we went.

Finally made it through and I can safely say my DH and I will never drive in San Jose again. There are things I'd like for him to see like the National Theater, the Jade and Gold Museums, etc. But we'll do it on foot after arriving there by taxi. I don't think anyone could convince him that driving around in the city again would be a good idea.

Away from San Jose, I began to finally feel like I was back in Costa Rica. Although almost nothing looked familiar, at least I recognized the names of the towns. Drove past the ruins and the Basilica in Cartago, then on to Pariso.

Oh my gosh! The tiny village I recalled had grown to at least four times its old size. Nothing looked familiar. Just when I feared I wouldn't know how to get us on the road to Orosi, we came to the parque. There's a building in its center, now, but I knew where I was! Good thing too, as it was getting on toward dark.

Arrived at the Mirador and Lodge Sanchiri in time to get checked-in, unloaded, and sit down in the open-sided half of the restaurant to watch the valley change as the sun set and the lights below came on.

I have to admit I was stunned by the number of lights in the valley now. When I lived there it was almost pitch black at night. Now street lights snaked down the road in glittery twists and turns. And the hillsides were dotted with a heavy scattering of lights for the many new houses since my time.

But for all the changes, some things were the same. The murmur of the river, which on many a night had assuaged my longing for my Florida beaches, still floated up to us. And the breeze, always so welcome, rustled the leaves, stirring long ago memories. It wasn't exactly like coming home. More like coming back to a beloved place where I felt welcome and comfortable.

We toasted our safe arrival and I was happy that everyone seemed to enjoy the gorgeous view as much as I always had. I had a tipico meal of arroz con pollo - it had been far too long. DH had a steak with Sanchiri sauce - which I can't describe but it sure tasted good. The others had the corvina cooked in various ways. All good. All more than we needed to eat. But lunch on the plane was, by now, a distant memory.

Our rooms were in the new part (not the individual cabins) and were very nice. Large sliding glass doors open up most of the wall. These aren't screened, but the smaller horizontal slider above is and lets in lots of cool air. In fact, we ended up pulling the cover over us during the wee hours. The bath has a shower easily big enough for 2 people.

Being a builder I notice things other might just pass over and I could see that a great deal of thought, planning, and care went into this place. For instance, the tile on the shower walls - whoever laid it had taken the time to plan the corners so that the cuts formed a nice, even pattern. A small thing, but for me, it speaks to the overall attitude about a place. I liked their attention to detail in the landscaping, the little butterfly house, the comfy chairs outside each room. Nothing major, but lots of little things that said they cared about their guests.

Before dinner I'd called the ex-pat coffee farm owner I'd known way back when. He invited us to come over any time after 5:30 the next morning for a tour and some fresh coffee.

That's where I'll pick up my next segment. And obviously I "lied" about keeping things brief. I'll really try to do better in the future.

Fran you can't possibly be any wordier than me so don't worry! Looking forward to the rest. So sorry about the tire incident, luckily nothing worse happened. After being driven in a minivan thru SJO I msut agree that I would never want to drive there myself! I just checked out the Sanchiri website and it looks lovely, what a wonderful view!

Great report so far, Fran!

I'm so glad you were able to put the tire incident quickly behind you. Many people definitely would have let that ruin their entire vacation. I would have been pretty freaked out for a day or two!

The Orosi valley sounds like a beautiful and special place. Yet another destination to put on my wish list.

How long did you live in Costa Rica?

How fascinating for you to be able to re-visit and see all that is different and all that is unchanged, as well!

I'm looking forward to your next instalment!

(Sorry for the delay. Computer probs this weekend so I helped DH paint the exterior of the ground floor. Maybe by the end of this hurricane season we’ll finally be through with all the repairs from Ivan in ’04.)

May 10 - Up with the sun (which became our routine) and off to Cafe Cristina finca to see my long-ago friend and show my traveling companions what a working coffee farm was like.

True to his word my pal, Ernesto, had lots of good, strong, freshly brewed coffee awaiting us with the requisite warm milk and sugar. Mugs in hand, we began our private tour.

I was delighted that there were still a few coffee blooms left on a plant up by the house so everyone could see what pretty little star-shaped flowers they are and how lovely they smell (a bit like a gardenia, to me). At first everyone wondered where the other coffee plants were. Then they realized that all that small trees, under the big trees, just beyond the jungle of flowers and banana plants that surrounded the house and other farm buildings, were the coffee. Ernie went organic with his farm about 15 years ago and so he had to not only farm the coffee, but process it, as well. So my friends and DH, Tom, got to see how the beans are separated from the pulp, dried (some were spread on a large concrete pad), de-husked, sorted, roasted, and stored.

Back at the farm house the housekeeper/cook had baked us some delicious peanut butter cookies made with tapa dulce (the local version of brown sugar). In moments they were all gone. Unfortunately, our departure had to follow fairly quickly. We were driving all the way to Pavones today - 6 to 8 hours - and still had to go back to Sanchiri for our free breakfast, load up and get on the road.

After quick good-byes and thanks, with a promise from Tom and me that we'd come back on our next trip and stay longer, we were off. I regretted that Ernie’s wife, Linda, was in the States seeing their daughter get her MBA, so everyone missed meeting her. I really, really regretted that we’d had so little time in the area and I couldn’t go see the man who’d been the foreman on our farm and visit with him and his wife. Especially when Ernie told me they still live on our old finca in the house we built for them near ours. That’s an absolute must for our next trip.

Back at Sanchiri breakfast was ready. Plenty of yummy comida tipica, more good coffee (they'd made some for us when we first got up, even though the kitchen wasn't supposed to open for another hour). After eating we took a quick tour through their butterfly house and, wishing we had more time to spend in this beautiful area, we loaded our cars, checked out, and backtracked toward Cartago where a stop at the Basilica was on the schedule.

It doesn't take long and I urge anyone who's close by to take the time. It's a beautiful, domed, white structure with some stunning stained-glass windows and lovely statuary/icons. Has an interesting history, as well, as do the ruins we’d passed the day before driving into town. Well worth the extra bit of time and effort to see.

Soon we were on the road again, headed to the first surf spot. Before we left the U.S. I'd asked advice on which of 2 routes to take. We had settled on the one which had us turn off at San Isidro and go to Dominical then south. This turned out to be a good choice, although I'd still like to try the other way when I could overnight somewhere along the way to take time out of the equation. As it was, I think this was the best for us this trip. For one thing, we were in and out of fog and/or drizzle much of the way over the mountains which slowed us a bit. Although the Tourismo bus had no such constraints and passed both our cars and a truck, on a blind curve, in a fairly heavy fog. For another, there was a lot of construction scattered along the way, with traffic often one-way for a while. Had we stayed on the higher road, I think we'd have been in for more of the same and a longer trip.

Not too far south of San Isidro we stopped at a little soda beside a river and had some fantastic chicken and rice, black beans, and salad. Sorry I don't recall the name, but it was nice to look down on the river while we enjoyed our food. By now the drizzle and fog of the higher elevations were gone. Soon palms and banana plants replaced the tree ferns that had overhung the highway. This was a good road and we made decent time. But our lunch stop had taken longer than we’d hoped and we were now really behind schedule.

Loved the well-paved road from Dominical to Palmar. Along the way we passed tons of palm groves - both coconut and palm oil - and came upon a palm oil truck tipped nose first into a ditch. Men were quickly unloading the "fruit" from the disabled truck to another. Stopped at a small mercado in Palmar for a few essentials and by now knew we weren't going to make Pavones before dark.

Not far past the turn off toward Golfito we lost the paved road and began the dusty (not much rain here yet), bumpy (this was all river rock, of varying shapes and sizes), hot (did I mention our air-conditioner had stopped working?) drive to Pavones. By now we just hoped we'd reach the river we had to cross on the 2-car ferry before dark.

Not to worry, we arrived in plenty of time and learned that the 2-car ferry can, when necessary, become a 4-car ferry. We were first on and I confess, I wondered if the ferryman was going to tell Tom to stop inching forward before we drove slap off the front of the boat. Cost us 600 colones - 125 per person plus 100 for the car. (If I understood correctly. This was early in the trip and my Spanish hadn't been given much practice yet.)

We reached Pavones after dark but managed, after only 2 wrong turns, to find Casa Siempre Domingo. Heck of a steep drive to get up there - but so worth it!

Heidi (one of the owners) greeted us and admitted she'd begun to worry a bit about us. She quickly showed us to our rooms and asked if there was anything we needed. Coffee! At least for me and the 3 guys. The other ladies preferred hot tea and though nighttime beverage service isn't supposed to be included, Heidi cheerfully obliged.

While our drinks brewed, we unloaded our stuff, and put drinks and such in the “community” fridge. Then we ladies sat on the patio, breathing in the fabulous smells of the many blooming plants, and sipped away while the guys reattached their fins to their boards in anticipation of hitting the surf as soon as the sun came up.

Next installment will, I promise, be shorter as I’ll condense our time at Pavones instead of doing a daily report.

Oops, left out something. That's what I get for not consulting my trip journal before hitting "post."

After getting settled at CSD, we went back to "town" for a bit of dinner. Heidi had suggested a little soda which we found quite easily.

We all had comida tipica again. But this time I opted for the sauteed mixed veggies in garlic sauce. For one, I'm a veggie person and was craving a generous helping. But more importantly the cook told me that along with chayote, carrots, potatoes, etc, it had yucca in it. Not the fried yucca I'd been hungering for, but yucca none-the-less. This simple dish was one of the tastiest I've eaten in a long time.

On the way back to CSD, stopped at a tiny mercado to buy some jelly, drinks, and such now that we knew we'd have a full-size fridge at our disposal. Back at the B&B I realized why the beds were so high off the floor. With the drapes open you could see the Golfo Dulce and the Osa Peninsula while lying in bed.

We were glad the A/C was cranking out tons of cold air. We'd been so hot most of the day. It was nice to know we'd sleep in cool comfort.

Fran

Fran your trip sounds really great so far. Looked up the website of your place in Pavones, looks very nice! I honestly did look over there several times, once thinking 'they're going to get poured on very soon'. Would you say having a car there is necessary, as it didn't look like your place had a restaurant? What types of activities are there to do other than surfing, or maybe I'm getting ahead of myself - and you! Make it as long as you want, no one is counting the words!

Fran--sounds like a great trip! So glad you guys had such a good time. I hated the part at the beginning--I keep thinking all those little problems might someday disappear, but know they're getting worse instead. We've been very lucky so far.

Pavones sounds very cool to me. So glad you reported on Casa Siempre Domingo. Thanks!

And welcome home--the changes to the country must have really been amazing for you to see and take in. What a perspective you have!

Thanks to all for your kind comments and patience in sloughing through all this. I've been writing it in Notepad so I can transfer it over without those strange things that happen if it's done in Word. I'm enjoying re-living it all as I go through my journal. In some ways it already seems almost like a dream.

I'll have another installment tomorrow. Just couldn't get it finished tonight. Too much work (darn real life!).

cmerrell,
I lived in CR April of '75 to April of '79, almost all of that at our finca overlooking the Orosi Valley.

tully,
There's a lot more to do around the Orosi Valley area than even I realized. When I was there we were so busy with the farm we didn't have too much time to play tourist. Plus, there just wasn't much emphasis on eco-tourism back then. Next trip we'll give it more time for sure.

shillmac,
More coming about CSD and that area in the next installment. Wish I'd had you with me to identify the birds I saw. Tried to get photos of as many as possible but doubt I'll ever know what all of them were.

Later,
Fran

Sorry for the delay with this next installment. I had this almost finished in Notepad then the real world intruded. First there was an engineering "issue" on the jobsite. (Still unresolved.) Then Friday my 87-year-old mom had to be taken to the ER over in Jax. She's still in the hospital, but doing better. Enough so that I don't have to worry that my next trip will be a wild drive over there. (Prayers from those of you share my belief in the power of them would be greatly appreciated. She isn't out of the woods yet.)

Before I start this I really should give “names” to my traveling companions since at times it’s hard to just say “the guys” or the “other ladies.” T (Terry) and S (Scott) are long-time friends, especially of my DH (Tom). DH and S have been surfing together since 1961 and T has been in the picture for over 30 years. I’m the newcomer (only met DH 14 years ago). Forrest (F) and Danette (D) are the youngest of our group and the newest/most recent to the friendship circle. All made for great traveling buddies and I’d go with them again – hope they feel the same about me.

May 11th- As they would do every morning from now on where there was surf, the guys were up at day break and off to the waves. Came back later, wet and happy, and we all enjoyed the fantastic breakfast Heidi and Greg prepared for us at Casa Siempre Domingo.

We had fresh cut fruit (pineapple, mango, papaya, banana, even apples), French toast, pancakes, eggs (any way you wanted), omelets (with all sorts of goodies in them), bacon, toast, and the tastiest “home fries” (diced potatoes, peppers, onions). All served with bottomless coffee, Dos Pinos jugo mixta, and/or hot tea. Each day Heidi and Greg asked what we wanted and we were free to choose any or all of the things they cooked fresh as we “ordered” it.

After breakfast, the guys were off to surf again, at a different break. While the other two ladies did a bit of beach combing, I tried to get some decent photos of the guys surfing. Harder to do here, because the break was farther from shore, but I did manage a few before my battery went dead. I’d forgotten the spare so when T and D came back to walk in the other direction, I tagged along.

The beaches at Pavones are very dark, almost light black, sand and hot as the devil if you’re barefoot on the dry part. Wading in the water it’s okay, as is standing in the shade. Not much in the way of shells here but the palms leaning out over the beach are enough to make this place special. (For us ladies. For the guys the place could be desolate – it’s the waves that matter - and so they’re happy as can be.)

Back at CSD it was nap time. (This also becomes the routine. After surfing and breakfast, and surfing, a quick siesta before the afternoon surfing or other activity). I rarely can nap so while the others snoozed, or just enjoyed being inside with the A/C, I sat in the shade on the patio and did my best to identify the birds that were zipping about (I needed shillmac, earthtraveler, and you other birders).

Heidi has some excellent books, but I’m such a novice I don’t even have a clue where to start looking most of the time. Finally give up and just relaxed and enjoyed the sea breeze and the gorgeous view.

The grounds at CSD have been beautifully landscaped, but not overly done. I think they realized that the view that packs the punch is the Gulf and the distant peninsula. Instead of being the focus of attention, the plants - from very large flowering trees down to tiny fragile ground cover – perfectly compliment the ever changing colors of the Gulf and the Osa beyond.

I’m not normally a sit and do nothing person, but I found myself perfectly content to sit there and gaze out on that scene and do absolutely nothing but let time slip by. No cell phone, no schedule, nothing but peace and solitude. One by one the others got up and joined me and we decided on a plan of action for the rest of the day.

We still wanted to try to book a tour up at Tiskita Lodge and so DH, S, T and I headed back up there for the 3rd time to try to catch someone who could tell us yea or nay. Success! We met Peter Aspinall, who started the restoration and preservation of this land back in 1978. After quick intros and telling him Heidi at CSD sent us, he agreed to a private tour for the 6 of us the next morning. The tours usually start at 8:30 but Peter graciously pushed that back to 9:00 so the guys could get in their morning surf session and have breakfast before our hike.

While we were at Tiskita, F and D had found us a place to park where we could explore some tide pools another Florida surfer had mentioned that morning. We poked around a bit, but found nothing spectacular and I have a suspicion we weren’t at the right spot. No matter. By now everyone was hungry again and off we went to another soda Heidi had told us about.

Found Las Brisas del Mar with ease and I got my first major workout with communicating in Spanish with not a word of English for help. Managed to get 2 pizzas, a pork casada, and my 3rd version of arroz con pollo ordered without screwing it up. All delicious and more food than we needed.

Back at CSD it was getting toward sunset. This time we all sat out on the open patio with the outside lights off and watched the colors of the Gulf and the Osa change. Soon the cicadas began their “song” and S, T, DH and I laughed as we recalled hearing them our first night while driving with the windows down and thinking our car had a slipping fan belt or something. Frogs joined the chorus and then fireflies began to blink all across the hillside. I haven’t seen fireflies in this number since I was a child. Suddenly an especially large and bright firefly zoomed over the roof from the back of the house, blinked furiously, then zoomed back the way he came. If his intention was to attract a mate, he failed. Not a single light followed his path.

Out on the Gulf a ship’s lights came into view and we followed it slowly motoring toward the open Pacific. F is a former boat captain and particularly enjoyed this sighting. We located the Big Dipper and Orion’s Belt in the multitude of stars overhead. (Things are bit different looking this close to the equator.) The heady perfume of the small tree at the south end of the patio drifted across us on the balmy breeze. This had to be Paradise.

Finally in bed (at 8:30! again our routine for this trip). Lights out, I looked up to see 3 tiny blinking lights scattered along the peak of our ceiling. “Poor fireflies,” I said to DH, “caught inside.” “Dinner for the gecko in the corner,” he sleepily replied. “Wish he ate centipedes,” I mumbled, recalling the one DH had removed from my bedspread the night before and tossed out the door. Yes, even Paradise has critters. And not all of them are cute.

May 12 - After morning surf and breakfast, we headed up to Tiskita where we were greeted by Lisbeth, Peter’s wife, who said she would be our guide for the tour instead of Peter. Worried about this for about one minute until we got underway. Lisbeth may not know as much as Peter (her words) but she knew more than we could absorb.

Tasted all sorts of new (to us) and unusual (to most of us) fruits and vegetables. Including a quarter-size, fluted, rather flattened red “fruit” that Lisbeth said was some kind of cherry. Tasted very much like a sweet red pepper.

Saw at least 3 agoutis, a couple of 3-toed sloths, several birds (which Lisbeth named and I promptly forgot – I despair of ever being a birder), and tons of neat flowers and other plants. Then, finally, the howlers! I’d heard them each morning at CSD but had yet to see one. They all looked a bit tipsy or high and were very laid-back, sprawled along the tree limbs overhead and not seeming to be the least concerned with our presence.

Our 2 hour hike had become 3 because (per Lisbeth) we were so obviously interested in what they had done. Back at the lodge we got to a see a white bat, hanging just outside the door to one of the cabins. Then it was on to the open-air dining area where we thankfully downed cold bottled water. The heat and humidity had to both be in the high nineties and the water we’d taken with us was long gone.

Bought some Tiskita logo t-shirts and cami’s and made arrangements to come back that night for dinner. While the others paid for things, I wandered, taking even more photos of plants of very type and finally getting a couple of good shots of the resident iguana whose name escapes me at the moment. We'd seen two other, larger ones, on our way up the day before.

Back at CSD we took turns in the spiral outdoor shower. This river rock creation was quite a hit with everyone in our group. I don't think F. took a single indoor shower, even though the outdoor one had only cold water. Because the grounds sloped away from the shower it was possible to have a "window" in the side which overlooked the Gulf and Osa.

While everyone else finished cooling off in the A/Cd rooms, I sat and watch the thunder clouds building over the Osa. Suddenly heard the unmistakable sound of macaws and there they were. A magnificent pair of scarlets, announcing their return for the day. I had the choice of watching them or trying to grab my camera and hoping for a decent photo. I opted to simply watch and listen. When I saw Greg and Heidi later I told them and they were relieved at the news. This pair is part of the reintroduced scarlets in this area and they hadn't been seen in a couple of days.

Over the Osa, the clouds continued to thicken and darken, then gradually rolled across the Gulf toward us. Occasional holes in the clouds allowed shafts of sunlight to turn the shadow-darkened water to shimmering silver.

It was beautiful to watch the rain that had been pelting the Osa sweep across the Gulf, so heavy at times that the dark profile of the peninsula would disappear. By now the others had joined me in the open-air living room and we agreed this was the heaviest rain we'd had. And while we were all happy for the locals, we worried about that steep road to Tiskita getting more and more slippery by the minute.

We all piled into the XL-7 and braved the elements. By now the rain had slacked a bit, but the evidence of the earlier downpour was everywhere. Small uprooted trees, tiny landslides, palm fronds, and hundreds of leaves of all shapes and sizes littered the road. Water from the potholes and ruts splashed as high as the side windows. With the rain still falling, we had to keep the windows up and the lack of A/C was very uncomfortable. The defroster didn't seem to be working all that well, either and I worried that DH soon wouldn't be able to see at all through the foggy - and getting foggier - windows.

We reached Tiskita safe and sound and, huddling under the 3 umbrellas Heidi had loaned us, dashed to the open-sided dining hall. Besides us, the only other guests were a young ex-pat couple from the U.S. who're just opening a small (4 cabinas) place on a hillside closer to central Pavones and young Tico named Jose. Unfortunately he was all the way at the other end of the table from me so I never learned exactly who he was.

Dinner, was in a word, scumptious. Started out with a "creamy" soup. (Not thick creamy, but not a clear broth-type either.) Had a hint of coconut, carrots, and cholantro (sp) - this is like cilantro but according to Lisbeth it grows better in CR. This simple soup was excellent.

Followed that with a fresh salad - red cabbage, other greens, those "cherries" that taste like red bell peppers, and other bounty from Peter's years of planting that none of us can identify. That little detail didn't stop any of us from doing our part to make sure that huge salad bowl was empty by the time the main course arrived.

This was a firm, white-fleshed, deep sea fish whose name I'd never heard before. Wish I could recall what it was because it's well worth having again, especially the way it was prepared for us. Baked to perfection and topped with a fresh "salsa" of chopped raw onions and tomatoes with chayote and either pasta or rice (didn't write it down immediately and so, naturally, I forgot). I live on the Gulf coast of Florida and have eaten fish all my life. This was, without a doubt, some of the best I've ever had.

Dessert was a two layer rectangle, about half the size of a deck of cards, of unknown name. Top was rather like strawberry jello, but not exactly. The bottom was a white, firm but creamy, little hint of coconut but not really concoction that, when eaten with its red companion can only be described as pure bliss. Not too sweet. Not too heavy. A perfect balance of flavors and textures. I could have easily eaten three more. With considerable effort I refrained from stealing Tom's.

Throughout the meal we had coffee (brewed as only Costa Ricans know how to do it) and cas juice. When I first saw the pitcher I thought it was lemonade. Same color, but a bit more opaque. Upon tasting however, it was very clear this was not lemonade. None of that tartness. This is tasty liquid refreshment, pure and simple. Lisbeth had pointed out the cas trees to us on our tour. Who'd have thought that unremarkable-looking fruit could taste so wonderful. Before I knew it I'd had 2 large glasses and we were only up to the salad.

After dinner I spent a lot of time talking about birds with Lisbeth. She gave me a printed list to keep track of my sitings. Then she got her bird book and showed me what we'd seen that morning - chestnut-mandibiled toucans, a buff-rumped warbler, and a black-throated trogon. What an enthusiast lady she is. She reminded us all of the late Steve Irwin. With her vivacity and love for what she's doing Lisbeth could certainly be a TV star.

Knowing we faced a long, rough drive the next day, we bid everyone good night and the 6 of us headed back for our last night at CSD. It was still raining when we got back and we all voiced hope for sunny skies the next morning for loading up.

Fran, you have a very special way of describing everything--loved the part about the sounds of the evening--and the starry skies. The meal at Tiskita with Lisbeth sounded pretty tasty!

Fantastic reading Fran. Tiskita is another place I've had saved in my favourites. Did you get a chance to look around the cabins at all? Sounds like it was really quiet, guests wise. You sound like me, I feel like I should be up doing something but CR brings out the be still & relax vibe in me! I totally remember that rain on the 12th, that was the one that was really bad at night, several small trees down at BdC. I saw it heading right for ya!