Adios Atenas, Ola, Rio

Welp, we’re on the move via air from Central to South America. This morning we were guessing that it will be a big change to go from a quiet farm house at the end of a dirt road, to Rio, where I am guessing you hear a lot less crickets and roosters and a lot more music and cars and other city things. We had a great time in Atenas, where the weather is nice, the views are great (today on our run we were looking out 30 miles down the hill to the Pacific) and things can be pretty simple. We had fun living with chickens and horses and cows too. Now we are on our way to Rio via Lima where we will head straight for a condo on the beach supplied by one of Haley’s dear friends.  After that we’ll find our good friends Earl and Samantha and figure out how to say a few things in Portuguese and try to settle in to a different kind of pura vida.

Other Notes:

On New Year’s eve we saw one of the best sunsets ever from high atop a pueblo called Estanquillo.  After that we attempted and miraculously succeeded to cook floured chicken and green beans from a Julia Childs cookbook. It was very good. marinate chicken in olive oil lemon juice herbs and salt, cover in flour, cook in olive oil in thin strips plus boil and fry green beans with breadcrumbs. yummmmmm.

haley taking in the last sun of 2011

at the pool at the finca in Barrio Jesus, Atenas

We got to swim lots in this beautiful pool.

There were some mean bugs called bichos that you don’t see and bite hard. They got us good.

We enjoyed taking care of a sweet cat and eating fresh chicken eggs and feeding cows and patting horses. One night I lost a chicken, but we found it in the morning.

We ate more of my Uncle and Aunt’s great cooking.

We got to see our good friends the Cohans one more time in San Jose for a funny Italian lunch.

proof that cooking was done.