Happy Halloween and Pura Vida

We celebrated Halloween in full-on Americana style tonight, in the Paseo del Sol neighborhood in Nosara. Paseo del Sol is a neighborhood of about 9 homes straight out of set design for ET. The residents there, most of whom go to school with Baker, Riley & Tae at Del Mar Academy were wonderful enough to host Trick or Treating for the night. The kids loved it. Baker was a bandit, Riley a bat, Tae a ghoulish monster, Tara a feathered-mask wearing wonder, and I was Batman wearing a blue bandana and carrying a lunchbox full of beer. We had a wonderful time. Thanks to all in Paseo del Sol. Conversation was diverse, ranging from water quality in Granada, Nicaragua to the advantages of the Bowflex (though we did not cover the use of the Bowflex in Nicaragua--perhaps next time). Scariest costume of the night: our fried Koz, dressed as a woman. Nightmares tonight for all women-loving men who saw him.

Had a great day yesterday (Thursday) motorbiking with my friend David up to a small beach called San Juanillo and, from there, up into the hills for a beer with a beautiful overlook of the Pacific. I was riding a borrowed Honda Tornado 250 (said just like a biker) and crashed only once (at low speed, Mom...I'm totally OK.) Every cliche that has ever been written about the freedom one feels on a motorcycle is entirely true...it is like flying, it is liberating, it is utterly different from experiencing a place by car, and on and on...Suffice it to say, it won't be my last ride! Just need to figure out how to drive across wobbly, narrow, suspension bridges hung across crocodile infested rivers and accessed via absurdly steep cement ramps.

Riley went for a horseback riding lesson the other day. Here are some photos of her and her friend Maya taking care of and riding Paloma, a beautiful white horse!

And in another "throw safety to the wind moment," we had some fun surfing and swimming in a lightning storm on Wednesday. Apparently, water and electricity in Costa Rica do mix and pose no hazard to those impacted by them simultaneously. This was, in any case, the presumed belief of about a half dozen college-educated parents, including yours truly, until an enormous multi-pronged bolt of lightning appeared above the roiling waves of the tropical Pacific followed within two seconds by a thundercrack louder than the raucous cheer we will hear after the Yanks win the Series. Above-mentioned adults grabbed children and surfboards and headed to drier places, nobody harmed.

Until next time, good night and good luck and pura vida....