Un Dia Sobre Adrenelina!

As I am looking for my water bottle on the porch of the house, I hear a scream and I turn to see my host sister Milaydi running over peices of wood and broken stones with the flashlight in her hand.  I hear a crash and I realize that the car I had just gotten out of has rolled down the hill with my host mom, Melene,  and Jose still inside.  I run after her and find Jose and Melene standing outside of the car that had run into the bank of bushes on the side of the driveway.  I have never been more scared in my life.  I joined Melene in thanking God aloud for keeping my loved ones safe.

So let me back up a little...yesterday was very relaxed.  I slept a lot and am finally feeling better.  I think I as so deprived of sleep after the red-eye flight, the walking in San Jose for three hours and the 6 hour bus ride up the mountain.  I just needed sleep!  We met up with some friends that we had met on the bus the day before around dinner time and made our way to Bar Amigos to play pool.  Daniel (from South Carolina), Fayn (from Canada) and Alex (from Britian), Jose and I played a couple round of pool and then went in search of a place where the drinks were a little cheaper.  We ran into Evan and he told us that if we mention his name at Taberna and we could get the "local" price for drinks.  We spent the night talking, sharing our different travels, dancing, playing games and just enjoying the company of good people!

Our day today, however,was full of adventures and adreneline.  Jose and I slept in (10:30) after being out until 2 am with our new friends.  Then we walked up the dreaded hill to the school I taught at.  In all the time I lived here I had NEVER been able to walk up the hill to the school.  Well, today I did it!  I went to say hi to Bethany from the school and we chatted for a bit before I ran to join Daniel and Jose at the Strangler Fig.  A tree that is hallow because it killed the original tree.  It has changed a lot in the two years since I have been here but I suppose I should have expected that.  Living things grow you know!

Jose and I then ran most of the way back down the hill to town to catch the bus to our Zip lining tour.  Milaydi set things up so we didn´t have to pay full ´prince for the tour.  It was really fun.  The tarzan swing was very different from the ones I did a couple years ago.  You walk out on a sky bridge, they hook you up to the swing, and there you are being pulled against a gate, 50 stories above the ground, and then they open the gate and you have no choice but to fall.  I screamed like a little girl the entire time.  Mema - you did the other one, but you wouldn´t have survived this one.  It was such a rush!!

After the tour Milaydi picked us up and took her to her house.  Well, a house in the making.  She has but a ton of work into it but there is still a ways to go.  It is absolutely beautiful.  It is in the reserve so there are animals all around and it was just beautiful!  She has come such a long way since I was here two years ago.  She owns her own business, is married, has a house and has some fantastic dreams and aspirations about her future!  At her house Melene was also there and they cooked us a fabulous dinner!  The way they cooked the plantains was different but it was SO good!!!!  I´ll have to write it down.

Here enters the car incident.  Melene was so thankful for Jose and I was just thankful that everyone is fine, including the dog in the car.  This is family.  I have missed them so much and I am so happy to have had the oppotunity to return and find my family happy and healthy.  Monteverde itself has changed a lot, and not entirely in the best way, but my family has changed for the better.  I only hope it doesn´t take me another two years to visit again.  Even if it is only for a couple of days.

I can hardly believe it has only been a week since I left Portland, so much has happened.  Tomorrow morning Jose and I are going to depart Monteverde and head north to Nicaragua.  it wasn´t in the plans but everything here is SO expensive and I have seen and done what I really wanted, well, needed to do. 

The most fantastic memory that I have so far is the love on Melene´s face as she kissed us good-bye tonight.  She told Jose to take good care of me, she sent love and health to my parents and my aunt and she told me she loves me.  What more could I ask for?