A banner day!

So, I was awake at 4am in anticipation of the day, up at 5am (me waking the dogs up for once instead of the other way around - ha! sweet revenge!), had the dogs walked and fed by 5:30am and with a cup of coffee, in my little car in the dark awaiting my friends Lu and Tom, at 5:45. They pulled up at 6am, piled themselves and their baggage into the Prius and off we went. We flew out of Ft. Lauderdale at 10:30am for an easy breezy flight to San Jose, Costa Rica.
Where we picked up a rental car and hit the road. Not a great experience with the Hertz rental agent in San Jose (probably the same as any other big city) but not letting him spoil our day, off we went in our Daihatsu somethingorother. Tom was a champ, navigating the twisting mountain roads, avoiding 18-wheelers right and left. Well, practically a superhero, I would have to say.
We made a pit stop for a snack and co-colas at this roadside stand. Check out the pots and pans on a wood-fired stove.

 And here are Lu and Tom with their hamburguesa and burrito respectively. So cute, right?

Off we went, turning, twisting, climbing, braking (those ubiquitous trucks!) and all along the way, beauty everywhere.

 (and hello? who knew hydrangeas grew in the tropics???)

Another pit stop when we stopped off at this butterfly and hummingbird garden to gather information for a possible return trip . . . here we are flitting about.

I think we landed in San Jose around 11:30am local time, so 4 hours later and nearer to our destination, we encountered this young lady in the road. She just did not want to move . . . (Lu said that is a moose!  Tom said that is a bull!  I said, Hello! Those nozzles would be udders kids . . .)

The locals paid no mind (well, neither did she) and zoomed around us and finally she moved out of our way with a disgusted glance when Tom tooted the horn.

So. We finally landed at the Finca Luna Nueva, run by none other than my old friend, Steve. He is now head honcho, el presidente, the big kahuna, well you get my drift, he da man here. We have not seen each other in 27 years give or take and it was as if I'd seen him only yesterday. Oh I love that guy. And, I wouldn't tell him this but only the best big bro a girl could ever have.

Anyhoo, here is the lodge where we are staying on the farm (finca) and this little towel swan was what greeted me when I went into my room. Sweet!  I was so tired by the time we were nodding over dinner, I did not take any more pics. I will manana when we get a look at the finca. 

Oh! We saw a sloth in a tree near our rooms AND Tom saw two toucans so Lu and I will look for them tomorrow. Que paradiso! 

What a beautiful world. What a beautiful life. I must have done something fabulous in a previous existence to have such good fortune, so much happiness, such wonderful people in my life, so much to be grateful for.