Days 7, 8 and 9 in Costa Rica

Day 7 and 8 in Grecia, Costa Rica

I got sick so these days went by in a bit of a blur.  I wasn't terribly sick just felt yucky and tired.  So I read and slept most of the time.  Eric said that they harvested the coffee beans next to us.  We were wondering when they did that, now we know.  According to Ursula, they bring in Nicaraguans to harvest the coffee. 

The coffee plantation across the valley from us.  The red tractor in the middle is hauling a trailer full of workers.

Ripe coffee beans

Day 9 in Grecia, Costa Rica.

On December 20, we headed into Grecia on the bus to buy a pillow.  I had had it with my flat, lumpy pillow.  We also decided that it would be good time to check prices on household items.  We scouted out a few of the local appliance and department stores located around the bus terminal and the square.  Prices seem to be about what we pay or a bit higher and the quality looks to be a bit lower.  Crock pots and rice cookers, though, were outrageously high.  We ran into our upstairs neighbors, Don and Deb eating ice cream in the park.  They had come in with Richard in his car.  We decided to buy some beverages at the store and send them back in the car with them, so we wouldn't have to carry them down the mountain after getting off the bus.    After seeing them off with our heavy shopping, we went to lunch at a restaurant Richard recommended that was located between the funeral store and the hospital.  Sure enough, there is a funeral store where you can purchase your casket and other necessary items.  The restaurant was nice with a great view of the valley.  After lunch, we purchased the rest of our groceries. We are already out of guava jelly, it is so good.  We also purchased egg nog and ingredients for pineapple bake for Christmas. I had to improvise a bit on ingredients, I'll let you know how it turns out.  On our way home down the mountain from the bus stop, we noticed the most unusual house. 

It is a yellow school bus with a house built around it.  The bus is on the second floor of the house.  Our neighbor, Michael said that they live in the school bus and built the building around it.  He had seen it on a TV program.     

As I am blogging, the clouds are starting to creep down the mountains and towards our valley.  I think it would take a long time to get tired of these views. 

The weather is just wonderful.  It is really warm in the mornings.  Then about 11:00 the clouds move in from the mountains and a cool breeze starts up.  The afternoons are just a perfect mid-seventies and partly cloudy with a cool breeze. 

Pura Vida