We left Thursday after school so by the time we arrived in Nandayure (Nahn- dah- jur-ey) it was dark. Jose's parents greeted us happily and with a delicious dinner. Abuelita Veronica showed Tricia and I around and we were shocked to find an entire kitchen outside complete with a large cement oven (kind of like a brick oven) called a "fogon." We visited a little and then went to bed.
Friday morning we were awakened by a rooster, a bus, and lots of people milling around. Apparently we had slept in by getting up at 6: 30 am. We got out of bed and lazily walked outside to find a lot of family members. We were given a lesson in how to make tortillas and empanadas by hand and then fry then over the fire. Mine were definitely never round enough or fat enough, but they tasted incredible when I finally sat down to eat! They accompanied our breakfast of gallo pinto, eggs straight from the hens, and milk straight from the cows. Talk about fresh!! 
Friday we ran some errands with the family and then visited a melon plant owned by one of their friends. We got a tour and had our fill of yellow melons (which get exported to Europe). 
Afterwards we were treated to a trip to Playa Samara on the Golfo de Nicoya. We soaked up some sun and cooled off in the gulf. It was wonderful! Then we went into town for Chinese food and made our way back to the farm. The evening was spent visiting various familiy members whose houses were on/near the farm property. It was funny to see the expressions on some of their faces- gringos don't frequent Nandayure. Some of the children just stared at us! We then went on a trip to a small fishing village called Puerto Thiel to arrange a fishing trip for Saturday. The day ended with some dinner and a lesson on Costa Rican dancing with Abuelita Veronica (who is 88 but still dances in the festivals!).
This brings us to Saturday....a day of adventure. I don't know why, but I always seem to find myself in the most ridiculous of situations and this day was no different. Once again we woke up early, had a wonderful breakfast (I ate a ton of delicious food this weekend!), and prepared for the day. We drove back to Puerto Thiel and meet up with the man who was to be our fishing captain. Puerto Thiel is a small, poor village which depends on fishing to survive. The people were eager to help us prepare the boat and the net (no fishing poles here). We set out in a small motorized fishing boat- Jose, Maria Carmen (Trish's Tico parents), our captain, Trish, and me- under a hot sun and a clear sky. It was beautiful riding down the river that led to the golf. There were pelicans and herons all around and we were surrounded by green trees. The dry mountains in the distance added to the view and we were given a tour of all the islands and wildlife. It was great!
We were just making our way out to the golf (a 45 minute boat ride) when suddenly our motor died. Our capitain started yelling about how it had just been fixed and this and that while Maria Carmen began searching for her cell phone. Trish and I started laughing and commenting on how we are bad luck. The cell phone was found and a phone call was made to send help. Luckily another boat came by and was able to tow us to the nearest island. Now these fishermen are in the sun constantly so they have various methods of sun protection. One is to use a variety of shirts, towels, and caps to cover as much skin as possible, sometimes only leaving their hands and eyes free. This is how our rescuers were dressed so it was a little terrifying to be towed to shore by a boatful of men who looked like Arabian thieves. But we made it safely and had nothing to do but wait. Stranded on a deserted island, Trish and I became a little dramatic. After all the Gilligan's Island references we could think of and convey in Spanish we set out to explore.
We didn't venture too far off, but the island was beautiful. We climbed rocks, found walking sticks, and attempted to hunt for food (all we could find was cacti). Exhausted, we returned to the others under a shady tree, ate our picnic lunch, and relaxed. About an hour and a half later the other boat came to our rescue and we were saved! During the long boat ride back (we only had 1 motor to tow 2 boats and 8 people) we laughed, enjoyed the scenery, lamented our lack of fishing, and sunbathed. It was great!
Saturday evening, unlike the day, was event free. We returned to la granja to eat dinner and visit with family. Trish and I taught some of the cousins how to play Phase 10. It is very difficult to explain things like wild cards, skips, and discarding in another language. However, I learned a lot and we had a lot of fun.This morning (Sunday) we once again arose early and had a delicious breakfast. Abuelito Julian treated me to a horseback ride before we had to go. While loading up the car I dropped my bag and all my things started to fall out. At first I was annoyed at my clumsyness, but then I noticed that a scorpion had fallen out, too! That was quite the surprise. We said our goodbyes and headed off.
We made a few stops along the way home, though. The first was at a restaurante and estate owned by a friend. He breeds scarlet macaws so there were so many there! They are such beautiful birds, and so huge! It was definitely a treat to see them.
Then we made a stop off at Puente de la Amistad (Bridge of Friendship). This is the largest bridge in all of Latin America!
The last stop was at Puerto Caldera to visit Maria Carmen's parents. We ate arroz con pollo and visited a little. Then Trish and I went for an excursion to the beach. Maria Carmen told us how to get there and then warned us about the bridge- she said it was old and made of wood and some boards were wobbly. That was only half true. Actually the ridiculously long bridge was missing boards completely and had big holes in it. Not great for 2 people afraid of heights, but we survived! Of course at the end of the bridge we saw the sign that said "bridge in bad condition, pass with caution." It was worth it, though, for the experience and the laughs (which only happened after we were safe). We enjoyed the beach and the sun and then walked back to the house so we could finish the drive.
All in all, the trip was incredible. I had lots of adventures and learned many new things. And, best of all, I spoke Spanish for 3 days straight! Tricia and I even spoke Spanish with each other. It was encouraging to see how much I have improved and what I am capable of. What a great few days!!!
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