The Last Leg

Bobbi picked us up at 2PM to arrive at 2:15 for our 2:55 flight. Ah, pura vida. No pressure.
Tom made a party out of our department. Drove down from Mt. Tom with a cooler full of beer. So sweet!
Fortuneately, all the weighing of baggage and us took place before he got there or they may not have been able to on the plane. I only had one berr, but it tasted wonderful as we watched the dust storms at the far end of the runway. It was just passing cars, but it did look a little like the Old West.
Many of the tales of Nosara sound like the Old West: armed robberies, armed drivers hoping to make it unmolested from Nosara to paved roads, midnight encounters with burglars reaching over a girl's head to get her purse; guard dogs let loose at night and riding shotgun on trips to the supermarket, etc.
We do enjoy a certain amount of protection, being related to Bobbi Johnson. Anmd risk some potential threats by being related to her. She is such an activist that she has made some enemies, hopefully none crazy enough to hurt her.
But there weren't any volcanos in the Old West. I am looking at Irazu Volcano as I write this. WE are in San Jose. I chose the Hotel Milvia owned by Florencia Urbina, an artist of some world reknown. Read about her in Nature Air's on-board magazine and have been looking forward to our stay here for some months. Hopefully, someone with a camera I might borrow will wander by. A pieture is worth a thousand words and I would love to post what I will describe. She is currently hosting a show by more than a dozen glass artists. A few pieces are very wonderful.But the highlight of the hotel is her work. The octopus from the plane's magazine is here. I love him. Every room is decorated in different funky styles, with walls bedecked by her work and the work of other artists. There are charming courtyards and fountains, unusual plants and sculptures. My favorites may be the giant metal bugs marching around a 3 tiered fountain, sunken in an enclosed courtyard, surrounded by guestrooms. As is everything in San Jose, the hotel is completely enclosed and behind gatess, What is unusual is that it entirely walled off tfrom the street. A tiny metal gate is the only entrance and the entrance is manned 24/7. Ring a charming bell and the attendant buzzes you in. The gardens are lush and charming, filled with sitting areas and exotic plants.
We went out to find a local restaurant and were disappointed that the delicious, cheap sushi place was closed. The local TIco joint was too far Andy to walk, as his hip is bothering him. We circled the block and got to a mall, with Argentinian, Jamaican and Mexican choices. We chose the Argentinian as I felt like having beef. That and Andy's chicken were very good. The profitarole (av very unusual treat) was the best ever. I loved wanting to wear jeans and burrowing under heavy covers iin the cool mountain air. Quite a relief from the dry, dusty Nosara air, where we didn't even use a top sheet.
We will have breakfast here and Louis, our cab driver from yesterdaqy, is supposed to pick us up at 10 for our 12:50 flight. Home around midnight tonight.