Here is my friend Lidieth, in her little soda, which is a cafe. Her cooking is very good, and she makes me refrescas (natural fruit juices blenderized with water) regularly. She is a single woman with four children, and all of them are great. Juco, where she lives, recently had some serious damage due to flooding and avalanchas (mudslides) where the roads have been closed, and a huge amount of rocks and mud continue to be cleared off the road two weeks later.

While I was looking at this - in about 12 inches of slushy mud (did I mention it has been raining a lot lately, as the tropical storms influence the weather here, and the end of the wet season comes to a close?) I learned from a local man what it would cost - itme by item - to build a small cabina with electricity, and a bathroom...how about under $5K?

This place was very overgrown, and had coffee and citrus trees. THe good thing about this, is because it had been abandoned for several years, it would easily qualify for organic certification - but it would take two years before the coffee is ready for harvest again.

Here is another view of the property

I went to look at a local finca that was about 5 acres, clear title, with potable water, phone, electric and on a decent enough (for Costa Rica) road for about $35,000. I liked it, although it needed a heck of a lot of work, and a livable house, but it had electric lines going over most of the property

Here is a frequent visitor to Montana Linda.

But Jasmine did, here she is, gobbling it for the first time!

Here is the church during the service - I was rather surprised that I understood most of what the preacher was saying. The sign in cut out letter in the front says "he who eats my bobody and drinks my blood will have eternal life". I didn't take the cracker.

This is my friend Lydith's eldest daughter, Karol with her cousin.

Jasmin's first communion - The daughter of a firend of mine invited me to attend her daughter's first communion in the neigboring town of Juco on Sunday. She was making a large party for everyone in the neighborhood following the ceremony. Here is Jasmin, after the service, looking quite like the little bride.

This is the ginger plant that used to be yellow when I was here in August. It is growing int he garden adjacent to the common area in Montana Linda.

There are some new orchids blooming in the yards now, and I find that some people ahve remembered me.

Back in Orosi

Have come back to visit the lovely town of Orosi, where I have some friends, and have resumed studying Spanish language. It is colder here now, and I enjoyed reconnecting with people I have met, and am meeting new ones. My Spanish is still pretty bad, but at least I am understanding more. Poco a poco (little by little)...