Lazy Days

So, yesterday (Sunday) was a day hanging around Los Almendros and the beach--we soaked in the tdepool for hours, then meandered next door had a good lunch at the nearby beachside restaurant.  Later we went intio our own little spa pool since the tide was way in and no tide pools were visible.

We have already talked about the large nest hanging in the trees overhead--Darcie tells me it is a termite nest--although as you can see from the picture below the opening is quite large:

While relaxing in the water, and looking up at the nests, we noticed a parrot (actually it was an orange fronted parakeet)m flying to the hole, then slowly working its way inside where it would disapear into the nest, only to back out a few moments later, then fly to a nearby branch and repeat the process.  Later, Liz noticed there were TWO birds working on the nest, so maybe they are making it over for their own apartment:

Today, Monday, we toured nearby agricultural areas where melons (especially canteloupes), rice, and corn are being grown, then went to the Guanacaste capital City of Liberia touring the hospital, stadium, old church and more.  Near the church was a group of young people in a a marching band celebrating people with special Olympics type disabilities, and everyone was happy and dancing. Our driver, Luis, told us a great deal about the typical Costa Rican lifestyle, educating the young, and was over all very interesting. Then Luis took us up the road toward a volcano (the park is closed on Mondays), then finally wound his way back to where we had a lovely lunch, and home again.

Liz and I (Helen decided to nap) hurried down to the tidepool which we shared with a local man named "Freddie" and his young son, Andres. An Iguana stood watch over our pool,which Andres thought was cool, I could tell. Freddie and I conversed as well as we could in Spanish, he complaining about the cold water, and me telling him it seemed warm as the water off my coast of California was much colder.  He asked where I was staying and I told him at a friend's house is Los Almendros, and in response to his question as to whether the friend was a relative, I told him no, a good friend, then told him also that Liz was the wife of my brother who was deceased (in Heaven, Freddie said, and I agreed).  He wanted to know where I had learned my Spanish and I told him it was in school over fifty years ago, and that I didn't get to practice it much.    The tide had turned and was coming in fiercely, so we decided to go as the incoming water was "mucho frio" compared to the early sun-heated pool water.   We said goodbye to Freddie and Andres and made our way back home.