Time flies when you're having fun!

In the last two weeks my parents came, they saw and they bought the T-shirt (OK, really it was a hat). And boy did the time fly. Some tears were shed when I met my parents at the San Jose airport on the 14th of Feb. This was the first time we were seeing each other in more than 7 months. Mostly those tears were from me. We had a good two days in San Jose visiting my training community, the Peace Corps office, and eating at two wonderful restaurants. It's always nice when someone else is footing the bill. Following the brief stint in San Jose, we took the four-wheel drive and set out for a little exploring. Stopping to visit the town of Sarchi where a lot of woodcrafts and furniture are made was among the highlights. We saw a lot of beautiful terrain, animals and rainbows along the way. Just from this little bit of exploring and seeing a part of the country which I never knew existed, gave me a newfound appreciation for Costa Rica. On day four, we finally arrived in Fortuna where we would spend the next three days exploring the Arenal Volcano, taking a horseback ride to a canopy tour through the rain forest (think zip line), and soaking in hot springs at night. Next on our agenda was visiting my site. We made the four hour drive around Lake Arenal and finally arrived to Santa Cruz on Monday night. The following day was filled with more than 75 formal introductions so my parents could meet the people with whom I live, work and play. My brain was really fried after that day from all the translating. I am happy that my parents will now actually be able to visualize my town and work and acquaintances when I talk about them. My parents really enjoyed meeting everyone and commented on how friendly the Ticos are . The next day we headed to the small town of Guaitil where I am learning to make an ancient form of pottery derived from the indigenous people of Costa Rica. A small dent was made in my dad's wallet as they bought up a bunch of pottery. Finally it was time to head for the beach. We stayed for the next two nights at a beautiful paradise called Lugar Bonita. Gracious Gringo owners, Jerry and Wanda , rent out two cabinas on their property. Each cabina has a theme and is decorated to the max, with every detail covered. There is a very inviting swimming pool, lush plants and flowers, and a rancho (think large tiki hut) filled with lounge chairs and hammocks and a stocked fridge. After we arrived, my dad made the executive decision that we would stay for two nights and not just the originally planned one. It was a very tranquil place that I would recommend to anyone looking for a very relaxing spot to vacation. Check out their site at http://www.lugarbonita.com/ Though a lot of these last few days were spent enjoying the company of the owners, we did manage to take a trip away from paradise to visit two different beaches, watch the sunset and eat at a few more good restaurants. It was sad to see my parents leave after their 11 day visit, but I know it is only another 10 months till I go home for Christmas.