Tivives

The Liebersteins have a great little house on a black sand beach on the Pacific Coast, in a little town called Tivives. We stayed there the weekend with Patricia Bonilla.

Nothing I said could convince Bryndon not to pick up the beached blowfish, above.

Not only are black sand beaches cool to look at, they also make for realistic-looking pretend beards.

Villa Nueva

This weekend, Bryndon gave his first Spanish public talk at the Villa Nueva group. They have about 25 publishers, and were just recommended to be named a congregation. Attendance is usually in the 40's. Very soon, they will begin construction of a new Kingdom Hall on a piece of property which has been donated by one of the local brothers. In the meantime, they meet at a very humble Kingdom Hall in a brother's back yard.

Olga, the sister in the blue, here with her 3 grandkids, was just baptized the weekend before at the district convention. One week before her expected baptism, she was bit by a poisonous snake, which landed her in the hospital, nearly causing her to miss the convention. She's happy to say that her determination was greater than that of the 'original serpent.'

Limon and Cahuita

Last Sunday, Bryndon gave two English public talks, both on the East coast of Costa Rica. The first, in the small town of Cahuita at 8 a.m., and then in Limon, a larger city 45 minutes north at 10 a.m.  It was the first time we visited this area of the country.

Bryndon, below, with long-time brother in Cahuita English, Walter Ferguson. Brother Ferguson is one of the most famous and oldest calypso singers in Costa Rica, and his picture appears in "Town of Cahuita" sign, above.

There is a very strong caribbean influence in Limon. We got a taste of it, with Limon's twist on Costa Rican gallo pinto (black beans and rice), cooked with coconut milk and a little extra spice (above). We were given a warm welcome by all the lovely sisters in Limon English congregation. Below, Rachel, from our Cartago group, posed with a sister visiting from Virginia (left), and two sisters from the congregation. Can you find Waldo?

 

What a treat it was to stay an extra day and visit Cahuita National Park. We snorkeled, swam in the crystal clear water at Punta Uva beach, and walked through the National Park, looking for monkeys and sloths. No sloths, but we caught sight of a group of monkeys in the almond trees.

Travel at Your Own Risk

Since arriving here, one of Lynette's biggest fears was falling into a hole in these treacherous Costa Rican sidewalks. Well, last week she was betrayed by this seemingly covered hole. The cover was loose, and her left leg fell in up to her knee. No sprains or breaks, but the scratches she got on the way down will make for some pretty cool scars.

To avoid sidewalks, you could walk in the street, but this approach can prove to be even more dangerous, for several obvious reasons. To add to the list: manhole covers are stolen and sold as scrap metal for cash. Let's just say it's a long way down...

Then, Bryndon was attacked by this very small but dangerous caterpillar in a friend's backyard. It rested on a low hanging leaf, and as Bryndon unknowingly brushed his forehead along its tiny hairs, he began to feel the burn. On his way back in the house, he again touched the caterpillar without realizing, this time his finger began to burn. We are expecting a full recovery.

Finally, Doky got in a fight with a pile of grass...only a few days after getting a bath and blowdry!

Mirador Ram Luna Restaurant

Restaurante Mirador Ram Luna, is located on the slopes of the Escazú hills above San Jose, providing one of the best views of the whole Central Valley.

 Delicious buffet, featuring typical Costa Rican cuisine...

After dinner, we enjoyed beautiful performances of Costa Rican folk dances, in typical dress. 

And Bryndon made new friends; as always, he fits right in...

Bienvenidos Romeros

During the days leading up to August 2nd, people came from all over Costa Rica, and beyond, some walking barefoot, for the annual pilgrimage known as the "Romeria." Those who walk are known as "Romeros."

"Holy water! Come and get your holy water!"

So you can get a better idea of the massive amount of people coming into Cartago, imagine a highway similar to Route 84 in Orange County. Early in the day on Monday, August 1st, one lane was closed to traffic, to make room for the Romeros (above). By the evening, there were two dedicated lanes for walkers coming into the city. At some points during our trip home Monday evening, our jaws dropped as we saw the two lanes of highway feeding into the city completely disappear beneath a crowd of people.