We have relocated to the Casa Conde Apartotel & Suites in San Jose. It is a lovely place with small apartments, kitchenette etc. Not very useful when you can’t really get to a grocery store to do shopping. But the food in the restaurant is fantastic and there are celebrations going on in the pool area that make fun gawking while sitting at a table in the restaurant.
Last evening we had a closing dinner for our Road Scholar excursion. Everyone commented on what they most loved about the trip. My contribution was gratitude that our leader was so knowledgable about the many natural wonders of Costa Rica. (Here in the blog, I have to add a disclaimer. My notes are iffy and information about the various critters and foliage may not be totally accurate.) E-mails were exchanged, hugs passed around. Not all were huggers, clearly.
This morning, we ate breakfast with a few lingering sojourners. We learned a few things and revealed a few things that we hadn’t in all our 8 days together. We solidified our desire to stay in touch with our artist friend from Canada, Cate, Arlene from North Carolina and her friend Terry. These three women did a fine job of stirring up humor and comraderie as we traveled. A closing conversation with Ponchita, Mary Helen and Bernadette. We’ve enjoyed our conversations with them about the poor and about race issues. We said farewell to Alexander and his Israeli wife Edith as well as Richard and Frances. Finally we heard from Nico and Kitty the tale about their their romantic meeting in Italy forty years ago. The others have all left…all delightful people to have met.
Bernie and I are extending our stay a few days. We are scheduled to visit Upeace, the United Nations Peace University. We don’t have plans for today or Tuesday, so I guess we will just hang out at the hotel and do what some vacationers do…relax. I haven’t had much time to reread Peace Pilgrim, so I plan to do that before we leave Costa Rica.
Later:
I did my meditative practice for the first time since we have arrived in Costa Rica. We have been so crunched for time. Yet I did have meditative moments as we walked in the rain and cloud forests. I felt the presence of God in the sounds and sights, in the motion of the swinging bridges, the humid breezes, the light peeking through the foliage above. I would get glimpses of the sun that seemed to be winking at me. I loved the leaf cutter ants because they brought me back to a day ten years ago when an ant taught me a lesson about the importance of friends. I am afraid if I get to know these little critters too intimately, I may turn into one of those Hindu religious people who are afraid to walk lest they kill one of God’s little bugs.