First Ride in Costa Rica

Time
to
meet
the
bikes...

and
the
bikers!

and
our
guides,
Gio...

and
Heiner.

(emphasize
the H)

Quintessential
Costa
Ricans.

Ted

It's
a
serious
business....

getting
your
bikes

to
ride
in a
foreign
country.

Gio
explains
the
challenges
ahead.

Costa
Rica
is
a
hilly
country...

Know
your
brakes!

Call us
if you
need
help.

Sharon

I look
around
at the
faces...

Dan

Strangers
now...

Marilyn

Eyes
hidden
by
polarized
glass...

Susan

Will
we
become
friends...

in
a
Costa
Rican
bike
week?













Well,
it's time
to
try out
now...

the
bikes.

Adjust
the
pedals...

the
saddles...

Zack
is
ready to
go!

We're
biking
around
a
lovely
church...

watching
a
Costa
Rican
wedding...

guests
arriving
in
the
front...

Kids
playing
out
back.

The
Universal
Wheels.

Speaking
of
wheels...

Here
we
go!

We share
the
roads
with
"motos"...

"Caballos"...

and
other
"ciclistas".

It's
a
short
ride...

Just
enough
to find
our
legs...

and
watch
coffee
trucks
fill...

with
the
precious
beans.

Curious
sights....

along
the
Costa
Rican
roads...

We
meet
at the
bus...

in
time
for the
ice
cream
man.

Here in
Costa Rica
ice cream
doesn't come
in
annoying
music
trucks...

but
with
the
sweet
tinkle....

of
bicycle
bells.

They
all
pile on
the
bus....

But
not
Tom
and me.

We're
biking back
to Xandari.

braving
the
long
steep
hill

Heiner says -



on a
scale
of
1 to 10?

It's an 11!

I'll
vouch
for
that!

Can
Tom
make
it?

Can
Heiner?

Almost
there....

At last!

The
Xandari
gate...

and
our
gateman!

Now for
the
lovely
long
Xandari
driveway...


uphill!

Gio
is glad
when
we
make it!

We're
glad,
too!

Now
a
nice
warm
shower...

and
a
warm
Xandari
sleep...

to
prepare
us
for...

a
full day
biking
Costa
Rica....




tomorrow.