Newsletter

Volume 5

Hi:This is David.

Marcia came down from Florida for ten days and, after spending a week on our property, she didn’t want to leave. It’s just so peaceful and beautiful. We ate most of our meals outside on the porch. What a view! And one of the most remarkable things is the almost complete silence. In fact, it’s so quiet that you can hear the river flowing through the rocks in the valley close to twenty miles away, and the only other sound most of the time is the song of a hundred birds. At breakfast and lunch we were joined by several species of birds. There are small birds with bright yellow breasts and some larger ones like blackbirds, but with bright yellow tail feathers. Then there are the gorgeous hues of red on some of the fluttering wings. Recently I bought a small hummingbird feeder and we were delighted to see our first customer. So far he has not brought the family but I’m sure he will soon.

Just when we least expect it he’ll come in like a helicopter flapping his wings at 100 miles an hour. He stops in mid air six feet from us and gets a good look at us. Then he flies to the other side to see if we look different from there. Sometimes when we’re inside the house he flies right up to the window and hovers there looking into the living room.

At night we sat under the stars looking at the lights on the distant mountains and counting the pinpoints of light in the sky. I bought some of those flaming torches fueled with citronella oil. They not only ward off the occasional flying insect but they are also remarkably romantic and give our outside table something of a Romanesque feel.

LOCAL FOOD

We’ve been experimenting more and more with local cooking customs and I have to say I’ve become very fond of Gauyo Pinto. A year ago I wouldn’t think of eating rice and black beans but now I relish it three or four times a week cooked with a little garlic and onions. Food prices have gone up a little just as they have in the States because of the cost of transportation. Even so they remain on average, I think 25% to 30% less than in Florida. A large loaf of bread in Turrialba is less than a dollar and we pay almost $3.00 in Florida. Bananas are 25 cents for twenty small ones. Pineapples are 50 cents to a dollar. But I don’t want to mislead you. Some things are more expensive.

NEW CELL PHONE

 Not everything is as we would like it. It took more than five hours to get my new cell phone chip and three trips to the ICE office. I had to take my passport, two electric bills, proof that I own the corporation and a receipt for the cell phone. And then, of course the credit card to pay for it. What a production!

INTERNET ON PROPERTY

We now have internet on the property and it’s surprisingly fast. There have been some small problems with it but, on the whole, I am surprised and happy.

GROWING THINGS

About three months ago we planted some tiny twigs around our lawn. Today those tiny twigs are a 30 inches high hedge. Amazing! While I’m in Florida (until Jan 7th) Ricardo is putting in a small garden to grow vegetables (even though the Turrialba market has them good and cheap). It’s just nice to have your own. He is also putting up a pen for Turkeys. Yes, Turkeys are expensive in Costa Rica so we’re going to raise our own.

CHRISTMAS PARTY

Some of our Costa Rican friends invited us to share Christmas eve with them. They put on a fabulous feast with Chicken, Pork Ribs and Roast Beef. As we were leaving we were presented with a basket containing one small gift from each of the twenty people there. How sweet! Most of it was baked goods but one item stood out. It was a 2008 World Series baseball. I don’t care anything about baseball but I was touched by this gift. One of the young men at the party works for the Rawlins Company where they make baseballs for the World Series right there in Turrialba. Well, as I said, I’m heading back home to Costa Rica on the 7th of January but I’m looking forward to seeing you on “Marcia’s Paradise.” Come on down soon.

David & Marcia Rushton