Fun Times with Friends

Late last year, I was contacted by Linda from Arizona - she had read my entire ten year plus Costa Rican blog in one night! She wanted to try living in Costa Rica for a period of time, to see what it was like and if it suited her. We upset her plans to live in Atenas by moving to Grecia, so she decided to live near our new town.

After Linda’s arrival, we got together and it was fun to show her around and go to different places. When we first moved here, we met our Canadian friends Diane and John and they were so generous with their time and driving us around, showing us the ropes. So we were more then happy to pay it forward. Unfortunately, Linda has now returned to the USA but says she will be back and is going to try out Atenas next trip. 

Linda took lots of photos and here they are.

Breakfast at Kay’s Cafe y Restaurante in Atenas - me and Linda.

I always order the BELT sandwich (bacon, egg, lettuce, tomato) at Kay’s. Lance usually gets the egg and bacon breakfast with gallo pinto because he says Kay’s gallo pinto is the best!

Lance and myself at our house in Hacienda el Paseo:

Visiting our wonderful neighbours in Vista Atenas (where we used to live) - Rose Mary and Tony:

Tony, Lance and Rose Mary. They fed us good food! Linda fell in love with their house and the location. This is their outdoor kitchen which I think is so practical in a tropical environment. They also have an indoor kitchen. Like us, Rose Mary and Tony are from the Pacific Northwest.

One day, we planned on having breakfast at Dave’s Restaurant at Zoo Ave but discovered it had been renamed Kivu and didn’t seem to be open for breakfast. There’s a story behind the name Kivu and the lion icon - find out here. On to Plan B - you always have a Plan B in Costa Rica.

Plan B - breakfast at Restaurante La Casona del Maiz in La Garita. This is a super place to try typical Costa Rican food, at reasonable prices, and if you sit near the back there are great views as you can see. I usually get the omelette, which is a very generous size, and a fresh fruit drink.

Next stop - Vivero Central La Garita  because I needed orchid supplies. This photo is funny because .... Lance looks amused, I’m desperately trying to convey to my assistant in Spanish that I’m looking for clay orchid pots with holes in the side and my assistant is giving me the “okay lady, try again” look! Having an assistant in a store is common in Costa Rica - you can wander around but as soon as you find what you want, you give it to the assistant, who puts it all in a pile somewhere. When you are finished, he tallies up the bill, which you take to the caja (cashier), pay, and your assistant loads everything into your vehicle. We always tip them.

Thanks so much for the photos, Linda. It was great meeting you and come back soon!