Another Day 1 all over again

9 days ago was Day 1 of 8 days travel to get to Samara in Costa Rica.
3 days ago was Day 1 of being back in Costa Rica.
2 days ago was Day 1 back on familiar turf in the tropics, in Samara on the Pacific coast.
Now I'm ready for Day 3! 1 Day before Christmas, and how much more jingle can I put in this month? Good question for someone who likes a challenge.
Day 1 in Costa Rica was a whole hour long. The flight was late and then it was after 10pm to pick up the car rental and find the hotel. Whew. I have the whole 8 days of travel to talk about, but how much do I tell? Why are the embarrassing stories the funniest?? Human nature is a strange thing. Laughter is weird. The gift of being ticklish is also the worst torture. Life is a strange and wonderful thing.
When we first got here it was amazing. 4 months of the U.S. and now back to visit with my Mom.
There was the drive from the airport to the tiny town with only a few paved streets (Mom's street is not paved). I missed the flowers and mash up houses. I remember there were a few houses with fences that looked like it was scrap metal thrown together in various pieces. I was startled all over again to see people hanging laundry on the line to dry. Which doesn't sound like much until you realize the line is a barbed wire fence.
We bought the tickets about 2 weeks ago, and ever since I have been living with a portion of my thoughts constantly being back in the tropics. And then we finally arrived. Time for many translations. Language from English to Spanish. Distances, temperatures, currency, all the things that I have to get used to again. There was a sign that said "55 to Samara". I thought to myself: when is a mile not a mile? When it's a kilometer. Different speedometer, different way to calculate how much gas (in liters) and cuanto cuesto (how much the gas cost). It cost 500 for a coconut with a straw sticking out the top. Sounds like a lot. Except it's colones, and means it's a dollar.
I had my list of "firsts". Saw my first vulture flying around. Heard my first rapid-fire Spanish in 4 months. Had my first glimpse of little Samara, and all the memories came flooding back. Then it was the best and brightest part. The true highlight was the biggest challenge, and we did it! We surprised my Mom again. I talk or text with her almost every day. Not telling her was so difficult!! We parked down the street a bit and walked around the back of the house. I went in through the back door and yelled out: "Mamma??" "Oh Mamma??" And she was down the hall sitting in a chair. Which is a good thing so that she didn't fall over. I used to think that a surprise like that is once in lifetime, but this is the second time we did it to her. But this time I had too much time to give it away, it was just too hard. I didn't get share my whole 8 day trip with her. So I documented it for her, so she can see it like a power point presentation. Once we settle down, that is. I spent the first afternoon unpacking, and yesterday out playing. I still have plenty of unpacking to do. And wrapping.
We had our first moment on the beach as the sun was setting the first evening. I had been thinking of the wet sand under my feet, the smell of the salt air, the divine variety of colors that shift and flow into the night sky. I had forgotten how it sounded! The crashing waves at high tide is something that can't be duplicated. The trick is, the only way to describe a sound is by comparing it to another sound. It's also fascinating that every wave is different, and every tide is different. Every beach has it's own combination of sand, choral, and rocks. This was a high tide with noisy waves that soothed my soul. Like it was washing away the past, and making room for a new present.
And a big surprise for me is that I have no bug bites! Yet. Despite spending 2 mornings on the back porch eating breakfast and 2 sunsets on the beach. And no sunburn. Yet.
Yesterday was Day 1 of jumping in the salty ocean water. Next sunset on the beach I will bring a camera. I pinky promise.
Depending on when I saw them last, my friends congratulate me on losing weight. The sad thing is that I'm 10 pounds lighter than last year, but I had lost 20 while in Europe. So I gained 10 pounds while in Seattle, doing lots of brain work, but little physical workouts. But I know it's going to melt off here. I am going to eat my big meal at lunch, and dinner will be eating a mango or avocado while walking the beach at sunset - which is dinner time.
The first picture is me feeling so pale!
Then a picture of how the crabs make patterns in the sand as they dig their holes an push up little balls of damp sand.
There is a papaya tree in the yard, which is part of the excitement of eating good food that is home grown. Plus the leaves are totally cool.
Walking from my Mom's place to town/the beach are these pink flowering bushes/trees that reach out into the street to greet you.
The last picture is the look on my face all day as I kept saying: Oh wow!
Like this morning, my goodness gracious. Oh wow the birds were noisy. At one point it was like being on a bus full of teenagers who just won a championship game. It was so cool. I need a thesaurus. What's another way to say: so amazing?? I feel like a broken record sometimes. I feel so blessed.