Into the swing of things

Makena at the quad dealer in San Jose

dinner with the Cruces at the "tree house"

Things have started off eventfully. After beginning the day with a filling Costa Rica-style breakfast of rice, beans, and scrambled eggs, I met Allen Adams and headed to the skate park to help him build a theft-deterring railing for the music cafe. We ripped some round lumber and used it to create a tall railing that will make it difficult for someone to go upstairs if the door at the base of the stairs is locked. Barrett would like to be able to start keeping some outdoor furniture up there. It will be nice to have some seating up there, especially now that the house church which used to meet at his house has relocated to the skate park.

I got to ride around town on a rented bike and see the beach a little, then headed up to Barrett and Amy's “tree house” to check out the work that is going on at their future house. What an intense bike ride, uphill in that humidity! Unfortunately, work on their house has been made difficult by the fact that their well and their neighbor's well have both dried up. Although they live in a rain forest where it rains all year, there are some drier months where the water table drops significantly. Barrett and Amy have been trucking 5 gallon jugs of water up to their house for their household use as well as for the construction. I know it's been hard for them to not be able to shower on a regular basis, and to ration water use at home. I guess it builds character??

Upstairs at the "tree house"

As we were eating hamburgers in a local restaurant, it started raining and wouldn't stop, and I still had a pretty long ways to go on my bike, so I got soaked and muddy riding home in the dark, but thankfully at my hostel there is a shower, so I was able to clean up. Welcome to Puerto Viejo!