Coffee, Costa Rica, and Rolling Home (Saturday)

Once again, we got up early, though not quite as early.  I headed to the showers first of all, and there were the Ngobe women getting ready for their days.  I returned to the room and packed everything up - not difficult since I never really unpacked.  The guys took all of our luggage out to the bus before breakfast and we trooped to breakfast.

Then we climbed in the bus and went on our way.  Onto the Pan American highway and into David's outskirts where we picked up Anna who was to guide us today and several professors from UTP-Chiriqui in David.  Then we climbed up into the mountains again.  This time, Elba had an antiemetic from Anna which really helped her endure the climb.  Winding and laboring up, then quickly heading down just to turn and climb again.  Once again, no AC - except in the rainy bits.

We arrived in Rio Sereno in sunshine.  I recognized the main street - the shops, the people, the traffic.  It felt really good to be returning somewhere that I knew.  We turned up to the border patrol and the official border crossing.  There, we immediately all queued up for the one toilet in the border patrol!  How funny!

While they were waiting, several of the lads posed with one of the Border police.

We walked up the muddy road to a station similar to the one we went to yesterday, except that this one was on the Costa Rican side of the border.  It was still under construction.  There, Anna explained what they were doing there.

Then we trooped back down to the border crossing, where we posed as a group.  Those photos are supposedly in a shared Dropbox folder and I'll add one once I have it.  But for the moment, these will have to suffice.

From there, we walked down and into Rio Sereno itself.  Some of the kids picked up snacks at one of the many M/S stores.

(It was the best photo of the parrot, not
of the woman, however)

Then we climbed back in the bus for our final descent.

Down we went, not stopping at the coffee fields as we had hoped because by now it was late, and the rain had started in earnest, no longer a gentle drizzle but rather an energetic downpour.

We reached David and dropped off our local colleagues, and then hurried back to get as far as we could before nightfall.  Unfortunately we didn't make it as far as we would have liked.  We bumped and slewed and shuddered across Chiriqui and then on into Veraguas where we took a brief pit stop in Santiago again before we hustled back on the bus to make tracks.

On through the dark we rode.  I had decided to make bracelets for the girls on the trip and was almost done, but I worked most of the way across the country to get them all done in time.

As the time grew later and later, it seemed that we sped up.  And so we did.  The driver was only authorized to drive the UTP bus until midnight!  So we raced the clock. And pulled into the entrance to UTP at exactly midnight!  By this time, the gates were already locked, and most of the people who were there to pick us up were locked in.  But with our arrival, they opened the gates and let us all out.

Wonderful Elba's cousin and aunt had driven to pick us up and they delivered me to my doorstep.  A long but fruitful journey.

Adventuring in Chiriqui: Day 3 (Saturday)

In Costa Rica (very briefly)

Ngäbe-Buglé women walking to the border

 

Danny (Aris' son)

David (Aris' other son)

Daniel at the playground 

At the playground

At the playground

On the drive back to David

Coffee growers for the label, Cafe Duran

Another coffee grower

Aris at the wheel

The temperature has plummeted to 23 C (73 F)

In Volcan

The Barber of Volcan

Ngäbe-Buglé walking

Ngäbe-Buglé waiting

Ngäbe-Buglé waiting

Ngäbe-Buglé waiting

I awoke before 7 today, and got up to shower before the rush on the bathroom.  I had a “boat shower” using the collected water in the corner and then dressed and packed.  As I heard people moving into the living room, I joined them.  The coffee con leche (which used evaporated milk – brilliant idea!) was amazing!  And then came breakfast:  Yucca. Carne asada.  Fresh queso.  And a sweet made with sugar cane juice and milk, boiled together for quite a while the night before on an open fire.  Once again, delicious!

After we had eaten, two of Aris’ sisters and I were sitting in the living room when the chairs began to dance and rock.  It felt like it went on for several minutes, although I’m certain it was under a minute.  It stopped for a moment, and then continued on again.

Turns out there was a 5.2 magnitude earthquake whose epicenter was in Conception – only 45 miles away!  Aris said that they felt it even more up on the hill at her cousin’s house.  It wasn’t scary – perhaps if it had been stronger it would have been.  (David pointed out that this was the strongest quake I've ever experienced)  More about it here  

A couple of Aris’ sisters wanted to go up to the border with Costa Rica, so we jumped in the car and went.  Turns out it was just a few blocks away!  Of course, a "few" blocks is a long way when it's up a steep street!  We walked across the border –  unmanned as far as I could see – and went into a couple of shops.  Then, we went back down the hill, and sped past the family’s house.  I saw Aris’ car and, not wanting a repeat of yesterday morning when I kept them waiting, I was a bit concerned.  I used “What’s App” to tell her where we were, and then to send her the photos of us at the next border crossing several miles away.  

A digression:  If you are using "What’s App” now, I’d love to know so we can chat – for free!  If you aren’t, please consider getting it (and letting me know so we can chat)  It’s really great – you can chat and send photos easily and for free (did I mention that before?)  All-in-all, a terrific app.

We returned home and a whole new group was assembling – along with most of those from yesterday.  Aris and the boys were there, but they weren’t yet ready to leave (phew!)  Once again, the happy, busy, loving family greeted and kissed each other.  It’s wonderful.  And there was another demo of the beauty products.  And food.  More food.

We were getting ready to leave when Aris’ aunt made soup.  So we stayed for it since, of course, it was amazingly good.  

Finally, it was time to depart.  After many kisses good bye, we piled into the car and sped back to David.  There was rain splatters en route home, and the many twists and turns gave us a completely different view than we had on the way to Rio Sereno.  This time I got more of the shots I wanted while in the back seat, the boys quietly napped.  Aris said they were sort of like puppies, all piled together, and so they were.

We returned to David and I checked into my hotel.  This time, I’m on the first (2nd in US) floor, so it won’t be as hard to get up or down as it was last time when I was on the 2nd (3rd) floor.  And the elevator is working which it wasn’t last time.  But, alas, the internet is not working.  I’ve been able to download email, but not to send it, and I can’t get to the web.

So I wrote these entries, and prepared for tonight’s dance!

At 8 pm, Aris picked me up and off we went to meet her high school friends and maybe dance a bit.  It was fun seeing all of them again, but unfortunately, a headache which had been building all day blossomed into a full-blown monster and I had to cab it back to the hotel.  Darn it!

I fell into bed and straight to sleep the moment I got back.

Aris and her friends danced until 1:30 am.  At which point I had been in dreamland for many hours.