The Airport Taketh Away - Uppity Updates

 

A rooster coming up over our wall.

This morning I dropped my husband Jim off at the Tamarindo Airport for a flight to San Jose and his doctor's office. Today is staple and catheter removal day! Praying it goes well. I hated missing it, but the asthma is bad, and I'm just emotionally wrung out by the last four months. Simple check up it's not essential I be there for.

Per my kids demands he flew down on Sansa Air, and he's having to bus back in the sole bus line that runs through Huacas, the nearest town of any size near us. Airline had no available seats on the afternoon flights. I wanted to drive down, but my family threatened to fly down again if I did. I still think we would be fine, but.. a promise is a promise.

Got such a kick out of the airport because the waiting area is open air like most of Costa Rica. A zinc wavy metal roof on metal poles over a scant few benches. What tickled me was the flock of chickens casually browsing through the waiting room. The airport is surrounded on all sides by active farms. I took a ton of photos with my janky camera. If I can figure out how to get these off I'll post them here.

Saw the craziest wreck on my way home. I pulled up to where the intersection is, the dirt road leading to the airport that tees right into the main drag into Tama. Black Escalade stopped with cars waiting behind it, blinkers on,  to turn into the airport then, blam, blam, blam. Yes, a collectivo taxi (aka a pirata taxi: illegal as heck!) had come down the road at the speed of light and literally plowed into the line of cars, which all rammed into each other. The worst thing is that the pirata drove off, didn''t even stop to exchange information with the other drivers. What a complete mess!

 Gawd I feel like turds today. I'm suddenly allergic to the good bread brand I get at Costco/PriceSmart. Started a sour dough starter solution and I'm going back to making my own for me. I'll keep good commercially made bread for Jim. I have whole wheat flour and rye flour waiting. I hope I don't have to go back to gluten free again!

Wanted to toss up here a few updates in our small community. 

Davey Jones and his locker returned to the United States. I think he realized that his income was never going to stretch to be enough here and he gave up. We're both actually kind of glad. Jim even pointed out recently what a completely bogus fraud of a Christian Davey was. Hee. I am curious how his trip went considering he'd decided not to tell his sons and daughters he was returning, planning on landing unannounced on a son's doorstep. 

Our friends from Richmond sold their home and decamped from Costa Rica recently. I miss them.

Robert, our semi famous surfing giant is gone back home and not coming back.

Velma, she of the broken hips and running her SUV into our gate left a mere few days ago. Her daughter finally listened to the chorus of voices telling her that Velma suffers from dementia.  Velma is going back and moving into a retirement (memory care) home. Really the best place for her.

I am noticing a fleet of homes on the market here in Surfside and Palm Beach Estates built in 2020 and 2021 are all on the market. Our real estate market here is on steroids and tiny two bedroom Tico-style homes are selling for 300K. Nothing I've looked at has as big a lot as ours and none of them have pools as big as ours or a guesthouse, so I'm guessing our house is worth a lot more than I dreamed. 

But...here's the thing about all these properties pitched at gringos in gringo communities - they are a trend no one ever talks about here - the two year decamping by Americans. I see this again and again, but apparently post-Covid when the feckless hordes of Americans descended to purchase their dream Costa Rican property and run away from the hot mess that is the United States they didn't factor in their in ability to accept the culture of the local people. Because it was overwhelming numbers coming here there are now overwhelming numbers leaving Costa Rica. Might be time to pick up a beachside residence we can rent out as a luxury vacation home. 

There is truly no shame in deciding another culture is too much for you to live in, but for the love of all that is beachy and holy please come here and rent a place for a year before you buy. International moves are crazy expensive and a cow pie show all on their own.



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