My friend, Emily, and I were walking through her new barrio (neighborhood) the other day and she said: “I heard there was a clandestino somewhere around here.” “A what? Clandestino? Like Manu Chao sings, ‘Clandestino’? I always wondered what that meant in his song. Maybe that’s it, a hidden bar where you have to use the … Continue reading
Isa and Howard were grateful for the airport pick-up. Their friend and neighbor, Cameron, had delivered them to Juan Santamaria Airport in Alajuela two weeks prior, for a visit to the states. On the return to Costa Rica, they stopped at the Duty Free and purchased a fine bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon as a token of appreciation. … Continue reading
Her arms are open with a “welcome hug” before I even get over the threshold. You gotta love those Southern girls! Kay and I have that in common; she’s from South Dakota, and I’m from South Brooklyn. Before I moved to Atenas, going on two years now, I had heard about Kay’s Gringo Postres. I heard … Continue reading
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October), this boomer-girl tells the story of her shocking diagnosis thirty years ago. I called out from the shower: “Hey, John, my boob just deflated. You still wanna marry me? I heard a faint: “What are you talking about?” I cupped my right breast, bounced it up and down a … Continue reading
Yes, there are scorpions in Costa Rica. It’s a good practice to shake out your shoes before blindly sticking your tender toes into your sneakers. I know somebody who forgot to shake, shake, shake out her shorts that were crumpled in a heap on the floor. She stepped into them, zipped them up and the stinging … Continue reading
She shouted across the table, “Pass the salt, please.” He mouthed “What?” “The salt. Pass the salt.” The rain was steadily pounding on the metal roof, like an endless stream of machine-gun fire. It had been raining for three days. The green season in Costa Rica was like that. She leaned forward in her … Continue reading
Four fat lobsters slipped by border patrol with claws clacking and tails flapping inside their Styrofoam container. Tyler and Colette were coming from San Francisco to visit Mom and hubby, Donny K, in Atenas, Costa Rica by way of Maine. They had planned it well in advance, knowing they had a wedding to attend there in early … Continue reading
