Costa Rica Journal 2013: Our Last Day in Costa Rica

Thursday, April 4

We arrived in Costa Rica the evening of January 28th, and we leave tomorrow, Friday, April 5th, at the crack of dawn. Our driver, Sergio, will pick us up at 4 am (!) for a 6:30 am flight to Miami.

This morning, we awake early to sunny skies, and we climb the hill up behind the Casa to a fantastic view. The skies are blue and the mountains are clearer than we have ever seen them. We can see Poas Volcano to the west, Barva Volcano across the valley, and Irazu Volcano to the east. Below us, Escazu is spread out before us, with Santa Ana to the west, Heredia due north, and San Jose to the east. The view is breathtaking.

One more time, we enjoy a delicious and beautifully laid out breakfast - the best coffee, fresh fruit, freshly squeezed orange juice, wonderful egg bread from a Colombian bakery, and made-to-order special scrambled eggs (Huevos Renata). We watch the hummingbirds feed on hibiscus and a female robin building a nest right near us on the terrace. La Pura Vida! Life is good!

This morning we have things to do - tickets and boarding passes to print, a hotel bill to pay, some souvenir shopping to do, packing to begin. At lunchtime, we pick up a few groceries with the idea of having a picnic lunch on the porch of Casa de las Tias.

Well, we settled on the porch with our bread, cheese, and apple when the sky darkened, we began hearing the rumble of thunder, and before we knew it, we were in a heavy downpour with thunder, lightning, and even some hail! Though we were under a protective roof, the winds blew the rain in sideways, and we eventually retreated to our room to finish our lunch. Well, I guess the dry season is over!

Later...

This evening we walked over to D'Amalfi's for our last meal out in Costa Rica. D'Amalfi's is a very good Italian restaurant in Escazu that we have been to before. We celebrated with wine (for me) and cerveza ( beer, for Bob), with a delicious meal of Cesear salad, two kinds of fresh pasta dishes, and Tiramisu for desert. We made a toast to our time here, to all we have learned, and to going home to family and friends and Rockport. And, to La Pura Vida!

Bob and Connie at D'Amalfi Restaurant, Escazu, Costa Rica.

Reluctantly, we said goodbye to our wonderful hosts at Casa de las Tias - Pilar and Xavier Vela. They have so welcoming and helpful, and their home is so beautiful and relaxing.