Nancy's Blog

Yesterday we had a long list of errands.  We were running out of money and needed to get to a bank.  Lauren needs school supplies, Gary needs shaving creme, and we all need a few groceries to get through the weekend.  One road led us to another, and before we knew it, we were on a lonely stretch of beach drinking pineapple juice and considering the state of the world, our errands cast aside.   

When we got back to our car, it wouldn’t start.  Gary tried all the tricks he knew, but nothing worked.  A few Ticos surfaced, one with a pliers and another with small piece of electrical tape.  Together the guys found a fuse that had melted away.  Gary stole a fuse from another part of the car and taped the repair together with the tiny amount of available tape.  If we drove carefully, we might make it home.  

I held my breath because I’ve found that not breathing really helps in these situations. We rattled our way over the miles of dirt road.  When I finally started recognizing scenery, I realized that we had a chance of making it home before Lauren’s school bus and her first day of surf lessons.  It seemed like a close call.

Gary: What time it is?

Lauren:  There's no need to know.

At 9 a.m., we expected the guys who were going to fix our electric gate.  We also expected the guys who were going to fix our phone.  And we were looking forward to the email confirming this morning's appointment to see a rental property.  Instead I watched Gary fish a rat out of our pool and reminded myself once again how great it is to be married.

I got out of bed at 4 in the morning to remove my raw loaves from the fridge and fire up the oven.  The day had finally come to bake my first loaves of bread.

While the oven heated and the loaves came to room temperature, I put together some chocolate chip cookie dough and started baking.  My thought was that I could sell the cookies at the weekly farmers market, and I wanted to do a test run.

By 6:30, the cookies were done, the oven was hot enough, and my loaves were ready.  I slid two loaves onto my improvised baking stone; two more loaves waited on the counter.  Five minutes later, the power went out.

By 7, there was still no power, no phone service, and the school bus we set our watches by was no where to be seen.  Something was wrong.

Cristian, the pool guy who speaks no English, arrived at our door and told us that a utility pole fell on a bus on the main road, the only road, that leads in and out of town.  At least that’s what I think he said.

A half hour later, a bus arrived, not Lauren’s bus but one that was packed with kids.  She got on it and off she went.  Gary and I had appointments lined up to look at houses for rent, so we hopped in the car to take a look at the accident sight.  The pole was still completely blocking the road.  We will look at no houses today.

From our perch level with the jungle canapy, we heard the orchestra of birds and mokeys rush in the new day, the pink sunrise interputed by palm fronds and the outline of distant mountains.  A beautiful morning.

Our miserable bed was repaired yesterday, and for the first time in 10 nights, we slept through the night.  Tomorrow we will begin in earnest the search for new accommodations.