November 20th 2008
Company end of year party, Marty and David are here, cold weather
Dear Dad,
Monday, David, Bryan and I got up really early to drive to Puntarenas for the year end company party. After checking availability and the budget, we decided to have the party at the Hotel Doubletree Hilton, (used to be the Fiesta Hotel). We were a group of 42.
Not all the employees went for reasons of their own and some of the guides were busy too. Celiece and Marlon arrived in their own car.
The day started with a group photo at the new Casa Calypso. I was amazed to see such a large crowd and after David took then first photos more amazed when I realized that the bus from San Jose had not arrived and there was still more employees to arrive.
As soon as the San Jose office staff had a chance to look around at the new house, we got into our car and they got into two busses and we drove the 10 minute ride to the hotel.
After everyone was given a towel and a bracelet (an id bracelet to show we could be inside the hotel area) everyone headed for breakfast.
After breakfast was over the Calypso group headed for various activities. Their favorite was to go to the bar in the middle of the swimming pool and start drinking.
We had clouds in the sky, but this helped keep the blazing sun off of us. David and I sat in the shade under a thatched umbrella and watched our employees having fun.
Mauricio, head of reservations, saw a woman walk by with a t-shirt that the word ¨trensas¨ was written on the back. Trensas means braids and Maurico whistled loudly to get the pretty black woman to turn around. OK, I was stuck and Celiece and I followed her to a chair where she made three tiny braids in each of our hair. It took only a few minutes. We walked back to the lounge chairs to show everyone and got nods of approval.. (I still have mine in my hair)
There was nice breeze blowing to keep us cool all day. No way was I going to put on a swim suit, but instead David and I sat and watched the employees playing in the water and water volleyball and even a quick soccer game. We felt like the parents of a very large family.
Soon it was time for lunch and we went back to the dining area. There was a huge selection but truthfully the food needs improvement as it was boring and bland -really
tasteless. I am certainly glad I am not staying a week there. I ate a salad.
The whole day we spent watching everyone have a great time. It was what they voted on and wanted to do. We don’t do a party at the DoubleTree Hotel every year because it is so expensive. Last year I made Christmas baskets filled with all sorts of goodies. I hope they are not expecting the same again this year.
At 5:00pm we all turned in our towels and one bus took the Puntarenas employees back to their homes and the other bus headed back to San Jose and so did we. It was a long day that started early and we were not done. That evening we had to go to the airport to
pick up Marty and David.
I like taking the Aguacate Road up the hill because there is less traffic and fewer trucks.
I hate being behind a truck and I am only the passenger. I am tense all the way up the hill watching the road and David passing every truck or car that gets in front of us. It must be a guy thing.
The road we traveled is being widened for the new highway that is under construction. We have been waiting for over 30 years for the promised road to be completed and it looks like it might really happen this time. When completed, the ride from San Jose will supposedly take less than an hour on the new four lane highway. Let’s wait and see.
Now the ride on the pan American Highway takes 2 ½ or 3 hours to get to Puntarenas and sometimes longer to get back to San Jose.
David and I were amazed at the amount of work that has been accomplished since we last drove home using that road. There are road barriers and detours and we even had to wait for 20 minutes for oncoming traffic due to road work busy with workers and it was already dark.
David was like a race horse with a bit in his mouth anxious for the race to start and told me over and over that he was not going to use the road until it was completed. ¨Fine¨, I told him, ¨then you go to Puntarenas and Punta Coral alone¨ I hate the other road and compromise by letting him drive down the Pan America Highway, but not up.
We got home and it was still a two hour wait for our friends to arrive. After a cool shower and a cold martini, grumpy was himself and then it was time to head for the airport.
We could see the plane coming in for a landing as we arrived at the airport. David had to park on the top level because there are five flights that all arrive at the same time and the parking lot on the lower level was full.
David and I went to the big window to watch the passengers come down the escalator
after leaving immigration. We waited and waited with our noses pressed up against the glass looking for Marty and her husband David and didn’t see them. Finally David, my husband (pretty confusing with two Davids) went to the area where the passengers walk out of the secured area onto the street and found them. They had been out in front for 20 minutes looking for us and we had been a few feet away looking for them through the window. I even held a coin to tap on the glass and get Marty’s attention when I saw them, but never did. Instead I heard her familiar calling of my name – loudly - and turned (so did about 100 other people waiting at the airport) to see that she had already made it out of the secured area and was looking for me. How did we miss them?
This is the first time that we have met David. He and Marty have been married for 12 years, but David has never been to Costa Rica. We drove home and gave them then tour of our home and talked ( ok there was a little wine involve) until 1:00am and finally went to sleep knowing our conversations and ¨catching up on news¨ would continue the following day.
We have lots of events planned, including a trip to Cartago to visit the Virgin in the Basilica ( we did this yesterday), the Water Fall Garden near the top of the Poas Volcano, a flight to Panama to see the Panama Canal, and a trip to Tortugero to see the hatching of the baby sea turtles and then a big Thanksgiving Dinner with Mariachis next week and then a long weekend at Punta Coral that includes a tour of the new Casa Calypso. Whew!
While I am writing this, David and Marty are on a City Tour to see the museums, the National Theatre, the Pre-Columbian gold exhibit and more. They won’t be back until 6:00pm. David wants to sneak away to see a movie – the new James Bond movie, but since we were not here yesterday we will wait and go tomorrow because Marty and David are leaving for Panama will be in Panama for two nights.
We have not been able to go to the Waterfall Gardens because of the weather. This is the time of the year when the north winds blow and there are parts of the country where the winds bring lots of clouds and rain. The Waterfall Gardens is near the top of the volcano and when we called they told us that it was miserable and not good for walking the trails and looking at the waterfalls. It is still a plan, but we aren’t sure when.
When the north winds blow it drastically changes the weather from tropical to very cold and windy. All of us who live here are complaining, but it is something we do at the end of every year. As soon as summer gets here and it gets hot, we will remember fondly the cold weather. We have had to cancel two full trips because of the high winds and big, really big waves in the Gulf of Nicoya.
We really hate to cancel, but it is better not to take a group out and scare them. Our Captain had to turn around yesterday and return to port because the waves and winds were so high. The waves are still high today.
What do you do with lunch for 100 people and a cancelled tour? The Health Department won’t allow us to donate it to anyone and most of it has to be thrown away. We try and give as much as we can to the crew and kitchen employees, but remember it was lunch for 100.
Last night the wind howled. At 1:00am a transformer blew and everything went black.
We had no electricity this morning and had to take warm showers. I am still cold. It was a three cat night, but the cats have been sleeping with Marty and David since they got here.
Both Marty and David love cats and have been petting and feeding our three. Boomer loves being petted and jumps from lap to lap purring and is probably putting on weight because he had two new people to feed him. Happy refuses to play fetch and I keep throwing his little mouse and he just looks at it. It is not the tiny fake mouse, this one is a little bigger and he doesn’t like it as well. Marty and David don’t believe he plays fetch because so far he has not returned a mouse to anyone.
I am still without my car. I am pulling out my hair. I cannot get a reason from the mechanic as to why there is almost a 3 month delay. We have been good paying clients and for a reason, known only to him, my car is sitting inside his shop and no-one is doing anything to repair it. The mechanic won’t even talk to us when we go there. He hides in his office and won’t come out.
I have just thought of a plan to put in a call to the Toyota car agency that sold me the car. The first owner called David the same week we bought the car and recommended the mechanic we are using and I am trying to see if the salesman can remember the first owner’s name. I want either the previous owner or the salesman to call and help get my car returned to me, all repaired of course.
I am so clever, I called the agency and told him my woes and he gave me the name and number of the previous owner of my car. I called the man and repeated my story. He told me he will call the mechanic and find out what the matter is (I hate to use the word problem) and hopefully I will get my car returned to me soon.
The previous owner is the son of a big company here. Hopefully he has clout since he recommended the mechanic that seems to be holding my car hostage.
The salesman recommended I contact our lawyer, but I don’t want another court battle; I just want my car back
The wind is still blowing really hard in the Gulf of Nicoya. Juan Jose, at Punta Coral, called to tell us that the waves have been so big they are crossing the sand up to the little thatched umbrellas about 10 feet inland. He also said the wind is so strong that it knocked over one of the cement planters. The cement planters are very heavy and it takes two guys to move them. This tells me that the wind had to b very strong indeed.
The house next door to Casa Calypso has a roof made out of metal sheets (most houses here have metal roofs) and our captain said they are flying off the house like Frisbees.
As soon as Marty and David return from the City Tour we will go home. Celiece and Marlon are coming over and Marlon wants to cook dinner for all of us. It should be fun.
I guess I need to let him know that Bill and Ana are coming too.
It is almost time to go and pick up Marty. I am cold and want to go home and put on warm pajamas and curl up on the couch with a warm cat and a cold martini.
I am still waiting for the phone call from the previous owner letting me know that my car is going to be taken care of. Keep your fingers and toes crossed.
I love and miss you.
Besos, Cecs
