Infirmary Picnic - Patterson

Costa Rica Baby!

Volcano Poas (An active volcano which totally smelled like rotten eggs because of the sulfur in the air. But very cool none the less).



Julee and Shaphan and our group of fellow travelers...



Julee, Brandy and Jael

Richie and Brandy

Luis and Jael

and we rendevouz'ed with Sam while we were there

wouldn't be going to a third-world country without hitching in the back of a truck now, would it?

The "tree house" we stayed in.

breakfast in the palms...

the house came complete with a pool table on the main floor - outside.

during our travels we kept attracting the attention of stray dogs, who sensed our niceness and followed us around. this poor mutt we named "billy" and billy followed us around for the day.

we rented bicycles and rode them up and down the coast for transportation. and yes britta, i did wear this shirt in London too. but i swear i've washed it since.

we rode even at night. and thank goodness we had a night light because we would've gotten stranded otherwise (here worn by Luis). let me tell you...it was quite an adventure traveling in the pitch black of night with only a small headlamp lighting our way.

on a nature walk through the woods....i suddenly felt like Dorothy on the 'Wizard of Oz' being watched by monkeys

I discovered some the most interesting root and tree formations I've ever seen...reminded of noodles.

and then we went surfing!

this is me getting out of the water...

making dinner in our outdoor kitchen

at Maxine's restaurant in Manzanillo. the best Carribean food ever. the seafood and steak shish-ka-bobs were to die for.

on our way back to San Juan. of course, our bus broke down, which also makes our trip to a third-world country totally authentic.

and we had nothing better to do while we waited for a rescue than to play rummy on the side of the street and count all the bug bites on my legs.

finally we made it to the Costa Rican Branch in San Juan!

Luis sporting the stache he grew on vacation, minus the handle bars which he shaved off for our visit to the Branch.

Shaphan with the Branch overseer