Greetings from Costa Rica

After a 2:30am wake-up call yesterday, we packed all our stuff in the limo and set off for O'hare. We were there by 3:30 for our 6am flight to Charlotte. Check-in went smoothly and Kileigh enjoyed walking around in the terminal. The flight to Charlotte was smooth. Kileigh struggled to get settled initially, but fell asleep for the remainder of the flight. Our layover in Charlotte went by very quickly. We had breakfast and explored the shops for a few minutes, before heading to the gate. As we settled in at the gate, they announced we needed to bring our boarding passes and passports to check-in. After doing that, they announced it was time for boarding and then we settled in for our 3 1/2 hour flight to San Jose, Costa Rica. Kileigh was awake for that flight, but was well behaved, and before we knew it we were landing. We went through customs, got our bags, bought some duty-free liquor, and then met up with our driver.

The first portion of the drive leaving the airport reminded off being in some third world countries with the houses and buildings. Shortly after taking off we stopped at a local spot for some lunch. It was outside, but a covered building. When we were ready to leave, it started to pour, but the rain didn't last long. After lunch, we drove through the mountains, up and down and around tight corners. The roads don't have the shoulders they way they do back in the states. It was a little hair raising at times. Halfway through the trip, we stopped at Crocodile bridge. There were probably 25-30 crocodiles swimming in the river or hanging out on the banks. We stopped at a local grocery store and picked up a few items for breakfast and drinks. Once we got back on the road, we noticed how dark it had gotten. There were lots of locals walking along side the road or biking with no sidewalk or much of a shoulder to walk on. Thank goodness we had a driver and didn't have to manuever our way in the dark with no street lights to guide us. When we arrived in Quepos, we drove through the downtown area and then headed to our home for the week "Casa Tranquila". When we arrived, we were exhausted from our travels, but thankful to have made it and be greeted with quite a sight.

Donald, the owner, was there when we arrived. We unloaded our luggage and groceries and when we came into the house, we were greeted with a "welcome fruit drink". Donald gave us a tour of the house. To be continued.