Brother Blue
By Gene Monterastelli
May 25, 2006 by Gene

Pereza

The plan was to sleep in a little and catch a 10am bus to the coast. I managed to get to sleep about 1230a (which was 230a body time, it is Moutain time here). I awoke at 5am. Tried to get back to sleep. Tossed and turned for about 25min. Then dicieded to jump on the 6am bus.
It turned out to be a good choice. The bus wasn´t crowed and it got me to my destination by 10am.
LITTLE FRIEND
As I dashed in and out of the bathroom this morning I saw a little movment on the floor. It was a lizard. Small enough that its body would have fit on a quarter.
BREAKFAST
Breakfast was chicken empenda. Dough wrapped around chicken an cooked. I was frustrated in my order. I was saynig the right words, but my pernucation was so poor it took three or four time. Yes hand held chick pot pies are the breakfast of champions.
THE RIDE
The bus ride to the coast was very nice. As I said yesterday, I had no idea what the land looked like coming in so late. Green green green. From the grount to 60 feet in the air everything is green. Ever shape. Every serface. The road system here is much like driving through West Verginia. There is not a straight road in the place. As we made our way to the coast we slowly left the moutain for the banana fields before getting to the coast. This was about two hours of driving. Sun was up by 6am so it was a wonderful way to start the day and introduced to the country. A genlty swaying bus with sleepy pasengers and the break of a new day in a new place.
We then turned south down the coast on a simple road. Banana trees to the left and ocean to the right. Road bearly wide enough for our bus, much less on coming trafic. Lots of dodging pot holes.
SMALL VICOTIRES
The bus driver spoke no English. I was able to comunicate in one try that I need the bus to stop 11km short of our final destination and just drop me on the side of the road. Noramlly I wouldn´t concider being dropped in the middle of nowhere in country I have never be in. It was my desire. Post lunch drink, was able to orded in spanish. Opions explained. Special request made. Small victories. Sitting here as I type this I was just asked to serve as translator between the woman who runs the net cafe and a German tourist at the request of the Costa Rican. To weird.
PEREZA
Tonight and tomorrow I am staying at Aviarios bel Caribe a small bed a breakfast out side of Cahuita. Besides being a cool little place off the beaten path that is a wield life preserve, it is also a sloth(pereza) rescue.
I arrived at 10am and my room wasn´t ready. The staff scrambled with this odd frenetic sense for a group of people who live on the beach to prepare my room. While I was waiting I got out my binoculars and just watched all the bird. In 5 minutes I must have seen 20 differnt types. In blacks, reds, yellow, and blues. For a moment I felt a little sad for the birds of the great plains. They have nothing but brown and sage to blend into. Not vibrant colors. Even the ones that look grey at a distance has intrecite color. A number of lizard run in and out of the bushes. Ranging from 1 to 4 feel long.
As I was looking at the birds I noticed to platic bins on the table next to me. At first it looked like rags, but it turned out it was three baby sloths napping in the friesh air. One of them opened his eyes and looked at me for a while. I got a neat little video of him rubbing the cobwebs fom his eye. I will post when I get home.
Tomorrow I am going to do the boat wildlife tour at 6am. Then meat the sloths up close.
CAHUITA
The B&B I am at is only that, breakfast. So I need to head into town to get some food. There was no taxi to be found. SO once again the staff started scambling to get me a ride. Running here and thier. The daughter of the owner (and her 3 year old) drove me into town. This mad rush to get me to a sleepy beach town. My goal in town was to eat. Sit by the beach and read (book review to come after the trip). Get on line to let me family know I am alive. No need to rush. What ever.
Lunch was some caribian chicken and beans and rice at Miss Ester´s.
Rest of the day will be walking the beach, eating a little more. Catching the bus back (hopfully once again explaining where I need to get out). A second cold shower (it is a little warm and moist here).

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