and we're back!

Hey everybody,

If you tuned in last night to the Tree House Restaurant and didn't see us its because the entire Internet grid went down for several square miles yesterday after we got to Santa Elena. It just came back up about 12:30 here. We will try an eat at that table again tonight if you want to tune in.

Well let try and catch you up. We got up about 4:30 yesterday morning cause Arenal was making lots of noise, so we watched him till breakfast, then hit the road. It was a great drive on really good paved roads. Twisting through the hills it was like a Grand Prix race. At one point I had to pass a big truck on a blind curve, that's not uncommon here though, heck they will pass you on a blind curve, on a hill, on a hill with a blind curve! I have still to see any wrecks though. One interesting thing I have meant to tell you is how they mark the roads where someone died in a wreck, while we do a cross, they have about a 6'x6' square painted on the pavement in yellow, with a large heart and halo over the heart to mark the spot. Anyway we got to Tilaran to find a gravel road the rest of the way to Santa Elena. The last 2 rough roads I told you about proved to be boot camp for this one! While those we loose rock roads this was hard packed earth with large rocks jutting up everywhere. I never got out of more than 2nd gear and rarely got out of 1st, several times I had to put it in 4 wheel drive just to make it up the seemingly endless hills, and this is the only way from there to here. People us it like we do the road to the grocery store.

Finally got to Santa Elena, which is where the Tree House Restaurant is, found the town overflowing with people, tourist and locals. We got a room at the Tree House hotel, room #4, in case anyone wants to stop by. Its on the 3rd floor and when you step out of the room there is the top of the tree, its open air. The tree is a 65 yr. old Ficus, have never seen one so huge! We have a balcony and its fun to sit there and watch the world go by. And man does it go by!!! big diff. here from where we stayed in Arenal, it is loud, noisy and always busy. We have the church just across the street , about 50 yds., and they have their bells hooked up to load speaker, so everyone knows when its time for mass. The school is on the next hill bout 400 yds away and they are out there practicing their music for the big celebration this mon. Also Costa Ricans LOVE their car horn. They honk it to say hi to each other, they honk to tell the next guy to get out of the way, they honk it to tell the Ticas, they think they are nice looking, OH! and my personal fav., they have these guys driving around all day with giant speakers on the roof with commercials on a continuous loop, its all in Spanish so I have no idea what they are pedeling but WOW is it annoying but cool at the same time...its atmosphere! Oh and of course you can't forget the 2 million motorcycles running around. Yesterday on the road in we saw a young mother on a motorcycle, with her maybe one year old up front on the gas tank, no helmet, hanging on to the handle bars as they headed into town.

Had a Pineapple milkshake yesterday just to try it, turns out its what they say it is, Pineapple and milk whipped up in a blender, no ice cream, it was really good though. This morning for breakfast I decided to try what they called an American breakfast, small fruit plate, eggs, thin slice of ham, the thinnest bacon I ever saw and a pancake, with some of the best maple syrup I have had, and the Banana juice, and caramel latte were both very good.

Well I better close, the server keeps coming and going so I hope this sends, more later on the zip lines and Tarzan Swing

Don