It's Raining, It's Pouring

It's raining, it's pouring, etc.   It has been raining for 4 or 5 days now.   Turrialba is soggy and muddy.
This morning Grace and I went to the abastecedor to get a loaf of bread and a coke.  We did it
perfectly.  We're just settling in.

Respectfully submitted,
Jaime (aka James)

This is me standing outside the abastecedor just down the street from our house.

Did I mention the rain?

Not only did it pour all night, it also made a pretty good attempt to make today a complete washout. I'm not talking about showers here, this is Biblical-style rain folks, the kind of rain that make you wonder if you should start Googling "Ark plans". It is amazing how loud rain can be when it impacts a corrugated metal roof. We are warm, dry (still itchy) and looking forward to the reappearance of the sun.

Then the cop said...

Who would have thought that the bookstore being closed could have led to the events that made up our morning? Just a block or two from the town square in Turrialba is the used book store run by our favorite book/fruit/mental health salesman. Since he was closed this morning we backtracked to the square for a little large motor activity on the park equipment. Our timing was perfect as it was the two hours today when it wasn't raining. After getting reasonably muddy the kids befriended a local kid and they engaged in some creative play. While they were engaged, a local policeman rode up on his motorcycle simply to chat...and chat...and chat. It was great to practice a little Spanish and feel welcome in the community. We learned that there is a perezoso living in the park - a big one too! We were thrilled but despite our best efforts we were unable to spot it on this particular morning (have you looked it up yet?). We also learned that come April the mangoes rain from the trees here in the central square.

The Rainy Season

The simple explanation for all the wonderful lush vegetation is the fact that it rains a lot here. Never before has our birthday girl's (yes, she's 41 today!) parade been rained upon with such vigor. We tried to make the best of it by visiting CATIE, walking by the kid's schools and observing some of the wonderful birds that inhabit the area. We saw cattle egrets, boat billed herons and the northern jacana. Additionally we saw stands of bamboo, "flame of the forest" trees, wild ginger and the "sensitive plant"-that closes when you touch it (see photo). Despite what sounds like life in paradise we also have experienced some ferocious itching, unexplained rashes and a few creepy crawly things in places where they were not invited. We are all suffering from culture shock fatigue but are soldiering on with well-caffeinated enthusiasm.

A quirky neighborhood

There are few things finer than the local farmer who sells fresh produce door-to-door. I had just written "cilantro" on the shopping list when we heard the familiar call of "oooo-pay" (the Costa Rican version of "yoo-hoo") at the front gate. Here was a farmer-peddler type with a sack of fresh greens. For $0.20, I purchased a beautiful bunch of fresh picked cilantro. We also bought some apples and passion fruit from a fruit slash used book vendor slash psychiatrist. Yes, indeed a quirky neighborhood. Oh ya, there is a steaming volcano in clear view too!

Welcome to Turrialba!

Our first full day in Turrialba has definitely been full.  We started off with a morning visit to the local open air market to buy some produce.  We also visited a couple of stores in town to get some of the basic supplies we needed (like bread, milk, sugar, bath towels, etc.).  Later on we discovered a neat little park at the end of our street.  We especially liked following the leaf-cutter ants on their "highway".  Most of the afternoon was spent playing games on the front patio.  We also watched a pair of horses walk up the street and then come running back down a few minutes later.  We found out later that their owner was busy looking for his lost cows.  Dinner was down at the little "soda" (a word that means corner restaurant) at the end of the street (the other end from the park). 

The new routine

We have begun to settle into a new routine, meaning some concrete school work (math, reading and writer's workshop) in the morning with specials (music, art and PE) in the afternoons. There are plans for a few little field trips this week (science museum, orange grove and the beach). It is cloudy and cool here in Florida but quite pleasant. We all have a little anxiety for our departure on Friday, but it ebbs and flows depending on time of day and level of fatigue.