The Costa Rica Challenge

Challenges
in
Costa
Rica...

Mountains...

Rain
(again)

and
scary
shrubs...

Costa
Rica
presents
challenges...

that
surprise!

Our
morning
started
out
so
peacefully...

It's

good-bye now

to

our

Xandari

home...

How
can
our
next
hotel
compare?

Heiner
and
Manrique
load
the
bus...

We
wait
patiently.

And
we're
off!

Long
drive
through
green
countryside...

entertained
by
Heiner
lessons.

















A brief
stop
at small
town
Zancero...


Population
4,277

Beautiful
church...

Amazing
landscaping!

All
the work
of
one
dedicated
man.

I
think
Dr Seuss
trained
here...

We
admire
the
nave...

the
faux
marble...

Robert
paints
the
Zancero
angel...

while
Frederico
flies
without
wings.

Back
on
the
bus
now...

Bidin'
our
time....

Wave
to
the
school
kids...

They're
everywhere!

Because
in 1948
Costa
Rica
canceled
their army....

they
use
the money
now
for parks....

and
schools!

You
gotta
love
this country!

Stopping
now
for
snacks...










The
others...

eat....

while
I
browse...

I buy...



I can't say what.

(It's a
Christmas
surprise!)












OK!

Now we're
ready
to
start
biking....

Look
out
for
the
puddles,
Pete!

Wow!

Flowers
twenty
feet
tall!

Look
over
there...

Blackbirds
in
the
sugarcane....

lots
of
them!

Bright
blue
planes...

Pure
white
cattle
egrets....

Light-cicles!

(invented
in my
home
town)

We
bikers
see
it
all!!

But
the
rain
is
picking up
again....















and
it's
time
for
lunch.

We
bikers
love
to
eat!

and
anticipate
the
road
ahead...

Not
everyone
will
bike
from
here.











It's
10 miles
of uphill

and
pouring
rain.

Probably
not
biking it,
says
Tom.

Well,
Janet
and I
are
going!

and
Zack...

and
Dan.



Here
we
go...

Through
the
town
of
La Fortuna...

up
the
sides
of the
imposing....


Volcan
Arenal!

If I
see
the van
I'm
taking it!
says Dan.

Slogging
up
the
mountain
slopes...

Marathoners
cheer
me
on!

Billboards
tempt
me....

with
luring
hot
springs...

and
soothing
erupciones(?)

Can
I
make
it?

Peering
over
the
rainforest...

Leaf
giants
scatter
at
my
pedals...













and
distant
toucans
glimpse
the
skies.

Finally,
exhausted,
I reach
the
bus...

but
where's
Tom?

Look
behind
you...

The
Costa
Rica
Challenge...



He
did
it!

I
love
you!

Greetings
now
at the
Lost
Iguana
Resort...

and
rocking chairs
on our own
rainforest
balcony...

In
Costa
Rica,
life
is
sweet...