Safe, Dry, and Warm Part 2

Still safe.

Feliz Cumpleanos, Rod!

We haven't seen the sun at all this week and it continues to rain, so things are damp and cold. Some of my fellow travelers are somewhat cranky and all are ready to return to the United States. I am still enjoying the people so much that I can overlook some of the discomfort. However, we did not receive accurate information about what to pack (e.g., a light sweater or jacket for evenings) and most of us don't have the appropriate clothing. The locals here say that it rains almost all the time and although it is a bit colder now than usual, the rain is typical.

Here's an example of my daily layered attire: sleeveless top used as an undershirt, long sleeve t-shirt, button-up shirt, light jacket, San Jose heavy jacket. At no point did I remove more than the heavy jacket and light jacket. My legs were cold most of the day as I only had cotton pants. The wool socks I purchased in Chattanooga have been wonderful!

Our classes, dining room, meeting rooms are all 'afuera' or open-air and of course no place has heat. Today after class we had a nice afternoon in a restaurant in Turrialba that was covered on all sides except the front. It was actually warm inside. Our teachers went with us to visit with some people who live in Turrialba and it was quite fun to talk with them. When I return, I am to visit Lucinda and Pepe's finca (farm) where they grow organic crops and coffee, have no electricity except for a generator, and fish in the river that run along the side. We also talked with another gentleman who explained a lot about machines, but we didn't get a lot of it. Then we played bingo where we were to cover the entire board (our black-out). We joked about yelling 'Bingo' just to receive a prize, but were afraid they would make us read back each of the numbers. Too much work.

We continue to be served delicious food and lots of it. The tamale we had at Restaurant Betty in town was the best yet and reminded me of the ones we used to get in Marion. Each meal is a large one, so Weight Watchers definitely is on the schedule for February. Must head off to cena. Here's another CR saying that means 'all good': Solo Bueno! Much love, Netta