Uphill All the Way

>>>> OMG!
>>>> This morning, we drove over 5 1/2 hours to CIMA hospital in San Jose for a MRI for Andy's back. Uphill all the way, literally.  Two lane highway, much of the paving not much better than the dirt roads (the first half of the trip). Many very slow trucks and almost invisible motorbikes.
>>>> We stopped twice, briefly. The first was by the police for speeding. Having left the dirt road, Andy floored it and was trapped. Just as I warned him that the speed limit dropped from 80 to 60 to 40 all within 20 meters or so, we were snagged. Very nice cop, spoke English fairly well. Told us how important going slow is. A school zone followed and was only 25/kph. He showed us that he had clocked us going 86/kph!!!!
>>>> Showed Andy the schedule of fines, putting ours at $700!!!! Andy grabbed his heart and pled for mercy. Pretty convincing. We joked with cop about skipping MRI and going straight to heart doctor. The cop relented and said he would write ticket for only $100.  Phew! He gave us the choice of paying him or going to a bank. Andy wanted to go to the bank, but I knew that would be another very fattening, time-consuming nightmare. So piped in and said we'd pay him. I dug out $60 and said OK? He quickly took it and waved us on. No ticket. No record. Just a little highway robbery.
>>>> The second was a pit stop, where a gardener was trimming some nice foliage. In my very best Spanish, I asked him if I could have the clippings. He politely named the plant and tossed it into the trash. Dove in after it, clarifying my request. He got it then and gave me a huge stalk that would grow if I stuck it in the ground.
>>>> Andy is in with MRI people. The last I heard was that his stents are a problem in CIMA'a machine. He's been gone nearly an hour, so maybe that is good news.
>>>> We were planning on spending the night on the road, no matter what the outcome of the appointment with the doctor is. We don't want to be on the dirt roads at night, because bandits are known to drag trees across the road and rob cars. I want to get back for my 10:30 bridge game so we are driving a lot of the way tonight. We booked at the Hotel Yenny in Nicoya. $24 a night, but Bobbi warns that the shower is cold water. That was a joke - would you expect hot water for that price?
>>>> Just ordered food for us. Expect Andy will find me. Or the food.
>>>> Actually, he has lost a ton of weight, despite no exercise. No red meat in over a month. Very little chicken or fish. Mostly rice and beans and veggies and fruit.  Hardly anything sweet or salty. Of course, that diet does nothing for me.
>>>> One little indulgence has been pretzels' but never again! We checked the receipt to discover they are over $5 a bag. Not a Tico snack.
>>>> Lunch just arrived.