Back in the Saddle

I am finally getting caught up after missing 4 days of work. 4 days doesn't seem like alot, but you would be surprised at the number of phone messages, computer problems, staff problems, and drama that can pile up in that short amount of time. Luckily, there was nothing too serious. Nancy is glad too, since I told her on our way back that if there were any disasters while I was gone that we may never go on another vacation.


Like I said before, Costa Rica was awesome. I didn't know much about the country prior to our visit, but we were thoroughly impressed. Our original plan had been to go to Mexico, but it made some of our friends a little uneasy to go there with all of the drug cartel stuff going on. So we decided on Costa Rica. For those that don't know, it is a tiny country between Nicaragua and Panama in Central America. It is a fairly mountainous country with alot of jungle and farmland as well. We stayed at the Occidental Grand Papagayo Resort on the northwest Pacific coast, in the province of Guanacaste.


We flew into Liberia, a small town in Guanacaste...a 3.5 hour flight from Houston. We met Derrick and Bjorn (friends of mine from vet school), Bjorn's wife Devin, and Derrick's fiancee Tiffany at the Houston airport. D and Tiff flew in from DFW and Bjorn and Devin from San Antonio. The airport in Liberia was interesting. It was very small, with open-air and no AC. Our plane did not pull up to a gate, but instead had portable stairs right down onto the tarmac.


We realized soon after our arrival that Nancy's leopard-print suitcase did not make it to Liberia. So we had to go through all the red tape of reporting that to Continental and waiting on the rep to make a copy of my passport...which took almost an hour. Needless to say, the ten other people who were riding on our shuttle to the hotel were getting pretty irritated b y the time we finally left. One crack whore even suggested to the shuttle driver that he should leave us in Liberia. Luckily, we got it all straightened out and our bag arrived at our room later that night.


The resort was very nice and all-inclusive. Basically that means all the drinks and food you want are included in the deal, so you don't pay for anything while you are on the resort. Needless to say, we took full advantage of both food and drink, and got our money's worth and then some.


We spent alot of time just relaxing on the beach and in the pool. It was great to catch up with good friends who we don't get to hang out with nearly often enough. And unlike sometimes when a group of people go on vacation together, there was no drama. It helps that all of us are pretty laid back individuals.


We also rode some jet skis, rode four-wheelers through the jungle, and went on the previously mentioned "Canopy Tour"...another name for ziplining. Bjorn and I did not particularly enjoy the Canopy Tour as much as everyone else did. In fact Bjorn quit about 1/4 of the way into it. I stuck it out for some unknown reason. It wasn't necessarily the fact that we were 100 feet off the ground that bothered me (well, maybe some), but it just wasn't very enjoyable to me. Everyone else, besides the two of us, enjoyed it alot. Here a few pictures of my first and last ziplining adventure. You will notice Nancy is smiling and I am not.

Despite that insane, uncontrolled, near-death experience... it was a great vacation, with great friends, in a beautiful country.

Some random observations about our trip:

• Our Bubba Kegs were the envy of the resort. While we were lounging on the beach or in the pool, sipping on our drinks out of these gargantuan, insulated cups, all the other guests were drinking warm beer out of small plastic cups, with constant trips to the bar. A couple of us even sold our Bubba Kegs to other guests before we left.

• A guy, who we named Frank, was the only one who seemed to have a problem with our drinking vessels. Frank was a cross between the gay guy from the first Survivor and Vlade Divac. He stared at us constantly, making snide comments to his grotesque wife (who we named Bertha...a cross between Grimace and a large, wrinkly beach ball), and acting like a total dewshbag.

• The shuttle drivers in Costa Rica would make good kamikaze pilots. The trips in the van made the zipline look like a siesta. Daredevil passing on two-lane narrow roads, nearly driving off the side of the mountain, and a blatant disregard for ALTO signs made this the most dangerous part of the vacation.

• When in Costa Rica, it would be wise to find the air-conditioned lounge area BEFORE spending two nights sitting outside in the open-air lobby with its 124% humidity and breastfeeding Europeans.

• Devin is going to find some interesting, possibly slightly graphic, photographs on her waterproof disposable camera she brought.

• Derrick is the sunset Nazi. Do not even think about leaving until 5 minutes AFTER the sunset, which is when every seasoned photographer knows you get the best shots.

• Bjorn (The Sexual Manatee...don't ask) was stung or bit by something while we were in the ocean. He will still be complaining about this horrible wound at his 1-year-old son Gavin's high school graduation.

• Just below ziplining on my "future things to do" list is eating sushi. If you force me to try it, I will then vomit it up. Once bitten, twice shy.

• Non-American males have a strong desire to accentuate their boy parts for everyone by wearing speedos. Really tight speedos.

• They actually make thong bikinis in size XXXXXL. Who knew?

• We witnessed our first Caribbean-mullet. Business in the front, braided reggae party in the back.

• The Grand Papagayo does not, nor will it ever, sell a shot called a Costa Rican Car Bomb...no matter how many times Bjorn asks for it.

• And finally...Full glasses of liquor do not stand up on angled, beveled table edges. Derrick learned this by accident. Then while trying to demonstrate what caused the spill, he spilled drink #2. You had to be there.