And... we're here!

A giant windfarm on Lake Nicaragua!

I’ll type this now, as we drive south from the Nicaragua/Costa Rica border, knowing that I’ll have shifted gears once we arrive at our Nosara home. This last border crossing was much like the others, very hot (Maeve has become good at moving her nostrils in different directions to ‘blow cool air on myself’) long waits, a lot of paperwork at different offices, fumigation of the car (where they spray the outside and then, with what the kids described as the world’s largest gun, they blow a huge puff of smoke inside the car – I so wish I’d had the camera with me, both to capture what they do and how the kids responded. Hilarious, if toxic.) 

Recognize that flay? Celebrating arrival.

Yesterday, we drove through three countries – El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, all verdant green, dotted with volcanoes, roosters and horses along the road, aggressive but whimsically painted buses roaring. Also along the road are people selling various things – but just one thing each.  There will be a 4 km stretch of people selling pineapples, and then a 2km stretch of lychees, 2km of birdcages, 3km of strawberries, 1km of shrimp, 2km of painted pots, 1km of hammocks. Here, they buy local. I also noticed how many, many fathers or older brothers are walking hand in hand with their kids or younger siblings. I hope this means something good.

We stopped to sleep in the Sandanista stronghold of Esteli, arriving in the dark as the whole town was without power. Our hotelier provided us with a candle and we st out to find dinner. It being Sunday, the cathedral was still holding service. When we peeked in, you could see giant clouds of smoke rising behind the men in white robes at the front. It was beautiful somehow. So too was the sky, lit up with lightning. We found a simple meal of beans, rice, and potato cake at the local grocery market (powered by their generator.) The lights came back on, breaking the spell, just in time for bed.

And before laundry or dinner, we went immediately to our beach...

Dan just remarked that it’s much greener today than it was when he visited Costa Rica in April. It’s not raining at the moment though we can see it in the distance. It is a damp 34 degrees. The kids are in the backseat, heads together, looking through their passports, reminiscing about various parts of our trip, already as if it were years ago. So sweet (and must say I prefer this to their activity of 20 minutes ago, throwing balled up socks at one another, laughing riotously and then arguing ridiculously.) We’re here!

... to watch the sunset surfers!

PS... Now, we're really here - in Nosara! So far it is exactly like living in a jungle. The kids asked me please not to post about all the wildlife they've seen in our yard as they'd like to do so tomorrow, so I'll only mention the smallest (well, except the ants.) We had a hard time getting the kids to bed because of a grasshopper that is bigger (and thicker) than Dan's hand. At first they were thrilled, looking at its autumnal colours from behind the window. Then, they were completely freaked as it joined them in their room (okay, so maybe it was a little bit because I screamed I was so startled!) Ah, I guess we'll have to close a window or two.

Much more soon.