This is what happens. . .

When you go ziplining with your folks! This is the Eidsons back in October when my folks were here visiting. We got all outfitted and suited up at Eco-Glide, a very good company near the volcano in La Fortuna. Everyone had to wear the high-shoulder harness except for Lucy. Yes, she is wasting away down here! After we were all suited up and the guides gave my folks several warnings about not coming into the platform with their feet high, we posed for this picture. Then we went to the practice line where everyone took a turn. Alas, the whole tour was not meant to be as thunder and lightning came rolling through. For those not familiar with ziplining, you hook into a metal cable and shoot from tree to tree. Lightning is not a zipliner's friend, so everything was put on hold.

Ho-Ho-Ho Poll. . .

Furry elves. . .

Against all better judgment (that would be mine, as I wasn't around when Lucy was out shopping) the pooches of Tree Houses are now all outfitted in Christmas attire. In addition to Bejuca and Mini-B, we are watching Sweetie while Kelly is up in the States. Sweetie didn't know what she was getting into when she was dropped off here a couple of weeks ago.

Despite my best intentions and argument ("No self-respecting jungle dog should wear a Christmas 'do-rag or fuzzy snowballs) the pooches are all outfitted for the season.

It may not last very long, as they're all pretty much used to tearing off into the jungle, so the 'do-rags and other stuff may not make it back from an afternoon jaunt.

Big lag. . .

We returned from Argentina. . . Great trip. . . And then I picked up my first cold in over a year. . . No fun at all sneezing, wheezing, hacking and snorting in the tropics.

Did cave in and went to the local pharmacy for an injection, which is what most Ticos do when they come down with a cold. Of course, due to my limited Spanish, I'm not entirely sure what I was shot up with, but it did some good, I think.

I walked into the pharmacy, told them I had a cold and needed an injection. After a few questions and sign language as to what my allergies were, the pharmacy tech told me to head into the back room for the shot. I walked back, and there was the pharmacy tech, drawing something out of a bottle with a needle. I gamely rolled up my sleeve and braced for the prick. She smiled, shook her head and said, "Pantalones abajo" or drop your pants. I did and she did her thing with the needle. It was a big lump on the right side, which made the drive home a bit uncomfortable, but think it was worthwhile.

In Costa Rica, you can get a load of drugs over the counter, whereas in the States you need a prescription. And the drugs are considerably cheaper than back home. My dad, a pharmacist, was checking out different pharmacies when he and my mom were down here in October, and he wasn't aghast about the pharmacies here, so that's good enough for me.

Time to vamoose. . .

For a week or so. . . We're heading out for our quarterly trip out of Costa Rica to renew our visa. . . This time, we're going a little further afield. We're flying from San Jose to Miami and then down to Buenos Aires. This trip serves two purposes: One, Lucy has never been to Argentina; I've been to Argentina, but not to Buenos Aires. Two, we can qualify for elite status by flying down to Argentina, which helps us out as we don't have to pay for checked bags and get to sneak into the bulkhead seats.

While in Buenos Aires, we're really hoping to get over to Montevideo, Uruguay, for at least a day as we have heard nothing but good things about the place. It's just a short ferry/hyrdofoil ride away from Buenos Aires, so it will be doable. Of course, we have to fit in some time to take a flamenco dancing class, or at least take in a show. Lucy claims I have no moves. I maintain that I'm way ahead of my time.

Either way, we should have a good time, though the blog is on hiatus until we return in early December sometime.

The birds. . .

We have been getting excellent bird sightings here at the hotel, particulary during breakfast. Whenever the first guests show up, we go and put out plantains or bananas on some feeders for the birds. We have had mott-motts, creepers, wood-peckers, fly-catchers, robins and others along with the usual gaggle of 20 to 30 hummingbirds.


Today, we had a great surprise. It was a aracari, which looks like a toucan, though its beak is more of a solid color of silver/blue than a toucan, which is a bright yellow. For the first time since we've been here, the aracaris came down and at first I thought it was a toucan, as it has the same shape and beak as a toucan.

The largest one swooped down and started scarfing up the plantain, while two smaller ones watched from the tree above. It was really cool to see and exciting, as I thought we were seeing a toucan. Just as close, though, so still pretty neat.

Slack-jawed, but still have all the teeth. . .

Went to the dentist here for the first time. . . A bit tardy, but who is in a hurry to go to the dentist? Went in for a cleaning and it was just like back home, little bit of pain, little bit of bleeding and a whole lot of spitting. . . Dr. Yorleny Mora did a fine job and only slightly scolded me for chewing tobacco. . . Even got my choice of cherry or mint polish at the end (cherry was pretty good, though I think I'll try the mint next time just for comparison's sake).

Doc Mora is about 20 minutes away from Tree Houses on the way to La Fortuna, kind of in the middle of nowhere. Not sure why she set up a shop there (she also has an office in San Jose about 3 hours away), but she speaks excellent English, so that's a major bonus for me, as I would hate to go in for a cleaning and come out with four extractions because of something I said.

A very nice perk, is that the doc's office is right next to an excellent little soda. After being scraped and de-plaqued, I went over to re-load the deposits on the pearly whites with combo No. 2: Hamburger with ham and cheese, lettuce, tomato and relish, with papas fritas (french fries) that came with a funky sauce of mayonnaise/sour cream/spicy ketchup (very good) and a glass of iced tea. All for 1,800 colones, or $3.

Makes it worthwhile to head to the dentist, methinks.