Fond Farewell

Friday became another day to relax and enjoy the Gallant/Gerlach homes. Lunch and relaxing by the pool were the activities of the day and then we dined by candlelight - yes by candlelight as the power went out yet again here on the Central American frontier. Luckily, the lasagna was already cooked and Polly and I whipped up the caesar dressing by hand.

Saturday we all dined together at Samareno (wonderful steaks) and then had a drink at Shake Joe's for the final farewell. The trip was over - short but sweet!

Lunch at Shake Joe's

Thursday, we had lunch at Shake Joe's on the beach in Samara. Here's the gang hanging out on the big comfy couches.

Sunset Celebrations in Samara

Wednesday, I took the ladies to Nicoya for shopping and we lunched at El Presidente (Chinese). Upon our return, we had time for a dip in the pool at Kalimbas and then we had sunset celebrations at the Gallant/Gerlach Samara residence lots. Here's the gang, including Patricia Crawshaw, who stopped by to say hello to Polly. The Howler monkeys made an appearance behind us but unfortunately I didn't take any pictures.

Also, two more shots of the night before (bonfire at condo site).

Tour Day - Camaronal, Punta Islita and San Miguel

Tuesday was tour day. We set out for Punta Islita and points unknown as it turned out. We first had to cross the river (Terry thought she was on Discovery channel) with our first stop as Camaronal. Here the beach is black and the cactus are huge. Terry was hit by a rogue wave which made her shorts look very suspect!

Next stop was the the town of Punta Islita (church) and then up to the top of the hill to the Monkey Bar which was closed! So, we carried onto San Miguel where we had lunch and discovered the refreshing drink of gin and Squirt! Who knew? After lunch we drove at least a 100 metres to the Blue Pelican where we spent the afternoon as we were so parched from the long drive there. As you can see, Jan and Terry enjoyed the swing.









Well, it was time to hit the trail, so on the way home we stopped at Restaurant Cambute for a small pick-me-up refreshment - such a long and weary trail....






Upon reaching the Gallant casa we were informed by Senor Gallant that we needed to proceed to the condo site for sunset celebrations - well, how much can one do in one day.... Ever the troopers, here we are at the sunset celebration, enjoying the setting sun, roasting marshmellows and winding down.

Sightseeing - Crocodiles and Carrillo Beach

We didn't have any chicken to feed the crocs with but they obliged us anyway with a show of themselves.

Here's a picture of the gang under a palm tree at Carrillo Beach. Later on in the week when we were back at the beach a huge palm frond narrowly missed Jan when it fell off the tree. We had purposefully stayed away from palm trees with coconuts but we hadn't counted on loose fronds! Oh, the adventures!

Supplies arrive from Canada

We asked my sister to bring us several bottles of Crown Royal (John's favourite or one of his favourites) and so, ever diligent, she had encased them in bubble wrap, packing tape and then sealed in a ziploc! Tough to break into but we managed! All six bottles arrived safely but only three remained behind - what happened to the other three? So many mysteries. . . .

Polly and Company Arrive from the Cold North

April 14/07 my sister Paulette a.k.a. Polly, arrives for a one week visit. With her, are her friends, Terry, Donna, and Pat and Jan Wren. They are staying at the Villas Kalimbas in downtown Samara for one week, departing on April 21. Here's a picture of the night they arrived.

The fun begins Saturday night when we arrange to meet them at Kalimbas upon their arrival. Much to our dismay, Roberto, owner of Kalimbas, calls us to say that the cab driver has reported that they were not on the plane??? Now what? Not knowing if they had missed their connection or perhaps a storm delayed the flight; we decided to go home and wait. We just arrive home and the phone rings. Polly says, " where are you guys? We're here and the party has started." We get back in the car and drive back to Samara. When we arrive, Roberto tells me that my sister must be a very important guest because he sent two taxis to the airport to greet them! No wonder the cab driver couldn't find them, they were already gone with the first guy. And so it goes as this sets the tone for the rest of the week.

On Sunday, I pick the gang up and give them an orientation tour of Samara and then we have lunch at Villas Playa Samara. After lunch we visited with Mary Ange and Edward as my sister knows them from a previous visit to Samara. Here are some pics of the gang at Villas and with Mary Ange and Edward.









Next, we travelled up the hill to show them our new home and the home of Sherry and Larry Gerlach. Some friends of ours from San Jose, Magic, his wife Anna and their daughter Danielle were also visiting and contributed to the dinner by cooking some fabulous chicken and beef kabobs. New friends, Sein and wife Jenny, also joined us for dinner.



Some of the gang went swimming and are shown here demonstrating their synchronized swimming skills.









Magic demonstrates his kabob cooking with his "made in 5 minutes" charcoal grill out on our front street!

Day 1 comes to a conclusion with Johnny chauffering the gang back down the hill to Samara.