rambling

I have been rambling hither and yon with my sons. It is wonderful to be in their company and we are enjoying many activities together.
As soon as we arrived back in Monteverde (after camping at Playa Junquillal), Liam and Silas took off in the woods to climb fig trees.
Tuesday, we walked to Santa Elena for groceries. On the way we visited the Serpentarium (snakes) and while hauling groceries homeward we stopped for milkshakes and visited the Butterfly Garden. After putting away the groceries and making lunch, we went to the Bat Museum, Quaker History Museum, and cheese factory.
On our second full day in Monteverde we caught the 7:30 bus to the reserve and walked on trails in the rain forest until 2:30 in the afternoon. We walked to Mill’s house to view the construction progress and slowly trudged all the way back to Monteverde.
So, Thursday was a day of rest. I arose early, as usual, and made a beautiful strawberry-rhubarb pie. When Silas and Liam awoke, we had hot yummy pie with vanilla ice-cream and Monteverde coffee.
They hung out at the cabin, playing chess and cards, while I made banana bread, and ayote pie. (Ayote is a large orange squash, similar to a pumpkin and sweeter.) I also baked pizza and some calzones to take on Friday’s hike.
Emily arrived for Silas’ birthday breakfast (apple pancakes and the ayote pie with a candle) and then the four of us set off for the San Luis waterfall. I visited this beautiful falls twice before, in the rain. This time we were there in the warm sunshine and we went swimming. We enjoyed our calzones while sitting on the lovely porch at the University of Georgia’s San Luis campus. Then, it rained lightly as we walked the steep and winding road up to the Guindon farm. We bought yogurt and cheese and “helped” with the afternoon milking of the cows and goats. As we walked home, the rain came solidly. Benito’s ricotta and Liam’s tomato sauce made the most delicious lasagna for Silas’ birthday supper.
While camping last week at the beach, we found shells, took walks, swam, played in the phosphorescence after sunset, and went with a guide in his boat to three reefs for snorkeling. The ants, rain, and mosquitoes hardly dampened our enthusiasm. When we weren’t cooking or playing on the beach, we were swinging in the hammock and reading lazily. I sunk into The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards.
Tomorrow we are catching the 4AM bus down the mountain. Silas will be flying home from Liberia and Liam and I will make our way to the Caribbean coast. Liam will depart from San Jose on Thursday to return to Germany. Then, I will return to my peaceful cabina in Monteverde.