From Monteverde

So...we are here at last. We arrived on Monday, so happy to finally be in the place we have dreamed of for so many months. Odilio picks us up at the airport and we take the four hour drive to Monteverde. The first part of the ride is along the Pan American Highway, and then, after a few hours, we reach the mountains. The road up the mountain is unpaved and quite bumpy; and the view is spectacular. Everywhere you look, majestic green vistas of rolling hills, verdant with LIFE- teeming plantlife everywhere- and the tumbling clouds blanketing from above. We bump along and can barely speak...we are in awe. After one turn, we suddenly see the sunset- and I cannot help but exclaim WOW at the brillant purple, orange, red dance that is happening above.
We arrive at Gina's house and fall asleep, exhausted.
The next day, we sit up in bed and realize we look directly out over a view of the mountains and the Gulf of Nicoya. It is sunny and breezy and again, we are speechless. How can you begin to speak about the wonder that is Monteverde? How can you begin to say to each other, "We LIVE here. We LIVE in this paradise on earth." Mostly we just look and stare and point.
Yesterday we hiked down from Gina's to have the local coffee at a cafe. The walk is amazing- beautiful views everywhere and a cool breeze tossing your hair about. Trees rising on either side of the road- banana trees and strangler figs and palms and others. Birds whistling from the trees. Every now and then, a burst of color in the form of flowers or butterflies. A blue morpho butterfly sharing its spectacularly vibrant blue.
At the cafe- the best espresso I've ever had in my life. Also journeyed on to Santa Elena, the largest town near here. It is small but has a lot of neccasities such as a grocery store, a place to buy wine, and a bank. It's much busier than up in the hills, where it is peaceful and the only sounds heard are those of birds, insects, and the occasionally barking dog. Down in Santa Elena there is a buzz of activity- taxis, buses, folks on bikes, people about, and more dogs.
For lunch we eat the special cheese they make here in Monteverde. Delicious.
For dinner we eat a tiny hotel near Gina's house where they have the following animals walking in the dining room: a parrot, a rooster, two cats, a dog, a rabbit and two cages containing a tarantula and tree frogs. The folks who own it are expats who we chatted with for a while.
I also visited my new school! It's adorable. It looks like a summer camp. My classroom has big windows all around.
Today we are going to our house! More on that later. And pictures soon!