Sunday, January 26, 2014

Builder Selected, Farmers Market and Our Second Week

We selected our builder who is anxious to getting going on our house. We have the house plans, finally, from the architect. Just waiting on building permit.

Thursday we went to a very large city, San Isidro, about an hour away with our builder and his wife, Christian and Charlotte. After we completed some business at the bank they took us to a HUGE Farmers Market. There was so much there. One picture can't even begin to show you how big it is. We can get about anything we need related to agriculture there. Honey, jam, of course fruit and veggies (some of which we have no clue what they are), fish, meat, sausage, cane sugar in a block that you dissolve for your drink or recipe or grate it, bread and a little crafts. We will be going back on regular basis to get things.

Farmer's Market in San Isidro

We then went to lunch with Christian and Charlotte. They took us to a restaurant we would like to go back to if we can ever find it! Charlotte is from Pennsylvania, been here for 8 years with her Costa Rican husband. So she obviously speaks English and so does Christian. It is surprising how many Costa Rican men in the building trade spent years in the US. It usually results in pretty good English so it makes it much easier for us to communicate.

John's Domestic Side

Retirement has brought out a side in John that I haven't seen before. Today he swept the house (his idea) while I did breakfast dishes. Then we did laundry together in a Tico Washing Machine. You put your clothes in one side, turn on the hose to fill with water, add soap and let it agitate. Then you put the clothes in the other side, run water on the clothes as it spins out the water to rinse and extract water. Aldemar (found out his email doesn't reflect the correct spelling of his name) just bought a Tico washer and is willing to share it with us until our belongings arrive. The clothes then were hung up outside here at our house; all shared together.

We were getting a few bug bites several days ago but could never see what was biting us. I started applying a very small amount of Avon Skin So Soft and no more bites. Much nicer than putting insect repellent on. John said putting SSS on me also resulted in no more bites on him! Haha! Two for one! So when you come down to take your cheap tropical vacation in our upstairs guest lodge you might want to bring some Avon SSS. Doubt I can get it here.

We have found going down the mountain (and back up again) on the Pacific side is much harder than finding what we need up here in the mountains. We have a town about 20 minutes away, Pejibaye, and if we need a big city going to San Isidro, 45 minutes from there, is the best. The drive to San Isidro is one of the prettiest drives I have seen in Costa Rica. Can't wait to take you there!

Time to take off my sundress and put on pants and shirt as it is getting cooler. Nights can get chilly but nothing like what I hear you are experiencing! Wow! BRUTAL Norte Americana Invierno (winter). I really am sorry that the lows and highs are so bad. My heart is with you all!

Bye!
Love, Diane

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