Travel the world and the seven seas, everybody’s looking for something

You may have been wondering where I have been for the last few weeks.  I myself have been wondering the same thing.  The only answer I can come up with is that I've been everywhere.

There was a week in Boston: A work off-site in NH (what happens at Mt. Washington, stays at Mt. Washington),  a meeting of the Dining Divas, and a much needed night at the Thirsty Scholar with Sets All Night Long.

All my favorites

Group shot

There was a week at BCR, with a whole lot of grenades (double Jager shots) and a little bit of learning sprinkled in.

Say hello to my little friends

Jaggggerrr Bombs!

And here is a little bit of that learning

A week on Long Island, RIP Aunt Alice.  And finally another week in Boston.  At some point in the middle there were a few days in San Jose, where I did manage to pick up some wheels! Check out my new (old) car.

The Troop

A 1990 Isuzu Trooper, and other than a small dent on the hood (from me, standing on it to change the light at the top of our car port) it's in good shape. And after purchasing a life-time supply of coconut scented air fresheners it actually smells good too. There was of course the small incident of the car not starting after work on the day I picked it up, but again my fault, I forgot to turn the headlights off while I was in the office. And I guess again the next morning when it didn't start, but also my fault, I didn't charge the battery enough before parking at the house.  The positive side of all this is that I met a few of my neighbors when they tried to jump me, the car that is, not a drive-by mugging, and I learned how to say "my battery is dead" in Spanish (mi batería está muerta).  And ever since then it's been just fine!

With the weekend peaking over the horizon, I wanted to get this baby out on the roads, open her up, and she what she could do.  At the suggestion of Rockstar David, Clay and I planned a trip to Tapanti National Park for a lunch/hike.  Google Maps (now and forever to be referred to as the anti-Christ) claimed the National Park was a short 30 minutes away.  This may have been true if 1) Roads had signs.  2) One small wrong turn didn't cause you to be lost for 1 hour.  3) You didn't get pulled over for driving without passport (or you knew how to offer a bride to a cop).  4) The map you drew on napkin made any sense at all.

3 hours and 2 stops for directions later, we were nearly certain we were going the right way and actually believed the entrance would be on our left in 25 kilometers.  Oh you stupid Americans.  It wasn't until our 3rd stop for directions that we were told it would be another 40 kilometers.  That is when we gave up hope and turned the car around.  Fail #1.

Deteremined to salvage the trip, we pulled off at the gate for what appeared to be a different National Park.  But after a brief visit to the ranger station, we found out it was too late in the day to head out into the trails.  Fail #2.  Back on the road and eager for some sort of adventure I took a chance and cut the wheel to the right and took a turn down a dirt road that descended into what we could only hope was part of the National Park.  It wasn't long before we came upon our first sign of life, a man... walking a horse.  Notice I didn't say riding a horse. Nope, just taking a horse for a stroll down the road.  Clay babbled something in Spanish, but all I heard was "perfecto" and "claro", thinking shit, this could be good.  Turns out there was a some sort of sports fishing expedition  up ahead. Now we're talking, I could get into sport fishing! 

If you could have seen the condition of the road we were driving on with mud slides and giant boulders all throughout, you too would have been proud of how the Troop handled herself.  No hesitation, no pause, exactly what I look for in a 22 year old car in a 3rd world country! Pure force!

We quickly came upon a sign that said sport fshing, and then another sign that said parking. So we did! We got out to take a look around, and this is what we found....

Before the disappointment

Dirty hole

Just in case someone comes up and tries to steal a fish

Sport Fishing my ass! It was a dirty pond with fish I think I could have caught with my bare hands.  Fail #3.  The only semi redeeming aspect of the day, that would be forever be known as the day we drove around for 5 hours and saw nothing, was we stopped into a side of the road souvinier shop to look around.  Clay bought a pretty cool cloth coffee drip thing and the store owner gave me a calla lilly because he thought I was pretty. Awwwwwww.

That night the Heredia Soccer team was playing in the National Championship game (a very big deal!), and if they won, it would have been the first time in 22 years.  So we though we'd save the day and go out in town to watch the game with the locals.  Rocking our brand new yellow and red Heredia jerseys, we headed out for the night. 

Badasss

We got as far as Bar Lido.  I dont think i've ever told you about Bar Lido, but this place is magical.  The best part is it's within walking distance from our apartment (if you are up for a brisk 25 minute walk), but also a very short drive. It's hard to describe the exact theme the decorator was going for when they opened this place, because it's more of an iSpy game of name all the weird shit on the walls and hanging from the ceiling.  They've got giant oriole nests, halloween lanters that flicker, some animal horns (not the head, just the horns), actual animal heads, garlic bunches with only a few garlic heads on them, dusty wine glasses that I hope they don't use for customers, tree stumps as bar stools and so much more. None of it makes sense, but I still love it. 

Hey dude!

That night in particular was especially fun because when Heredia won, the place went berserk.  In fact the city went crazy, but I wouldn't find that out until my 3 minute drive home with people running with flags and screaming in the streets.  Congratulations Heredia, glad I got to be part of history!

 More on my neverending travels to come! Stay tuned.

Pura Vida!