Pura Vida - Our Costa Rican Adventure

I will be checking in a couple in less than three hours. I find myself wondering where they come from and what colors and characteristics they may have. I suppose the answer lies in whatever this space and time wants in this pocket of paradise. At one given moment many threads or peoples coincide and clash, resulting in the weirdest ripples. For what reason does this happen? Is there such thing as destiny or fate? Perhaps it’s one big ball of chaotic energy that has no purpose.

I'm on vacation but yet working in a hotel; YET AGAIN. I start to look around my immediate environment and want to make it as good as it can be. I mean why not? And this is all for free, not impressed. These people expect a dream vacation and I have the power to make their first impression good or bad. The banana tree is molting. A bat took keen interest to it. We had to clean animal dong out of the pool last night, maybe from a monkey or a raccoon. The pool works through ionizing the water and doesn't use chlorine. It could be a big lizard or a jaguar but its best not to think like that. The pool might be considered a good water hole to the more attentive critters. Maybe I can take the big machete used to hack bush and tree leaves but come on, big slick cat vs. man with cane or machete. There is a brown lizard under the washer and drier. I had to kick out two intruders this week. They were nice enough but somehow got passed the locked gates. I got the impression that they might have been scoping out the place but they had gentle demeanor's, no big deal. Sometime between the years 2000-2003 when I was a night auditor at the hotels in Marquette a story comes to mind. At Value Host Motor Inn in Marquette on Halloween night a couple checked in. At 1 AM the husband freaked out and had me call the ambulance because his wife was having seizures. The whole night I had to deal with Marquette cops and military personnel as they put her body in a body bag. A few days later all video surveillance and records were erased and my coworkers thought I made it up a good tale.

Regardless, management does not rent out rooms to locals in Costa Rica. I made friends with my neighbors who own a craft store. They have the whole paradise reality mixed with local customs and pagan spirituality. Kelly thinks the store is a souvenir store but I think it’s a craft store. They made mention that they wanted to take us around to a hot Spring near a Volcano. I'm terrible for I don't know how to pronounce their names let alone write it. Next week Kelly and I are heading to Nicaragua for a short trip. We are going to see Granada, two other towns, and a cigar factory. I'm still not sure if we are going to Panama or just chill on the Caribbean coast next month. I love the vibrancy.

It’s been a few days. The new people came and we helped them, Heidi and Eric. Sure enough they had scorpions on the toilet and a faulty gas leak upon arrival. We met them at the gate and explained the situation. A couple hours after they arrived there was a chaotic mess with their gas lines which resulted in a group effort from everybody. Jessie the dude upstairs, finally semi fixed the issue by putting twigs in the leaky valves which pressed some lever down that stopped the gas. Needless to say they aren’t going to be able to cook. Jessie is into property rentals around the world and was an insurance collector prior to coming here. We ended up chilling with them and had a few mixed drinks at the pool. The pool has taken routine maintenance and there has been a lot of landscape work done this month.

It’s been a few days. The new arrivals bailed and the property manager never came back. They were supposed to collect rent five days ago but no one has shown up outside the maid who seems to be not want to knowing anything. We did more work to keep the jungle and possible bad people away. Many locals comment and appreciate that we have been here over a month. The locals chide and gossip that the people who run Gardenia left and are not coming back. We have a machete that we need to use to keep the plants from overgrowing into our possessions; it’s not like America where you can to have guns. Actually that's not true. Most people own guns and you can pick up handguns everywhere but that's another side of Costa Rica. There is an inner strength in the knowledge that your skills are good enough in the wilds. We have internet and a pool. Kelly is very happy. We are doing a good job in keeping the place in proper order. Whenever I wander outside I'm hailed by dozens of people who seem genuinely happy that we are here. Its nice and feels like a warm community. Many people in the community are telling me I should be getting paid a minimum of 500 dollars for watching the hotel and that I should work as a manager in resorts around town. I think I will when Cecelia is 18 and with Kelly. I do not miss Michigan. The trails around the rain forest make walking and doing chores not long.

Stay tuned in for next week’s adventure which will take us deep into the jungles of Nicaragua, local pottery with the locals, surfing, and much more.