Retired in Costa Rica … Ken Beedle’s journal today about shopping.

What a day! My wife was in San Jose’s version of Home Depot. I was outside spinning in a revolving lounge chair like a kid.

Patience… She has been in checkout for over 15 minutes. The line was only three people deep! What is taking her so long? Maybe they caught her shoplifting!

The morning was clear after the rumbling storms of the past night had cleared the air. The sun was shining, no clouds masked Volcan Irazu and we had humming birds in the patio garden.

I woke Carmela the Bouncing Poodle from her slumber. She was all wiggles and whines. She has enough energy to light the city of Cartago. I cannot help but like the dog. I wouldn’t be caught dead walking her but she has quickly learned the rules.

As I looked into the rancho the grass needs cutting but the lawnmower is in Florida. The ship does not depart for another 8 days. I may need to use the machete we keep in storage if it is late. In a few days the Bouncing Poodle could hide back there and we would never see her. I had cut and hacked for most of one day clearing overgrowth.

With the help of Silvia and my brother-in-law we had loaded five huge bags of cuttings into his truck. We could carry a body out and no one would know it. The rancho was changing. My friend Chico was creating a landscaping plan based on an idea I had but it would have to wait until he returned from India. He is the Chief Auditor for the Rainforest Alliance. They send him all over the world, great job for a nice guy.

It was time for Silvia to leave for work and I was her taxi service to the bus station. I took a deep breath as she passed in her cute jeans and jacket making me pause to consider how lucky I am. She was dressed casually for the second day. The country has been pre-celebrating Independence Day. The holiday is the 15th but they started their activities yesterday September 11.

Sunday I have a job taking a photograph of the torch lighting ceremony. I had renewed my contact with a local English newspaper hopefully it will lead to a few assignments.

I dropped Silvia at the bus station and decided to skip the gym. The sirens from volcano were calling. It had been five years since I drove up there. It is 27kms to the crater or about 16 miles. I did not plan to drive to the top only to the mirador overlooking the valley to take a few photographs. Later I had to meet Silvia in San Jose for lunch and some errands. I love the drive.

It is through lush vegetable fields and pasture land and winds up the mountain like a snake on a hot sidewalk. The soil is incredibly black. It looks more like wet coal than dirt. Irazu’s last eruption was in 1964 but it was beginning to show some interest in reawaking. To the southwest I could easily see Cerro de Muerto (the Mountain of Death). I drove so slowly I was waiting for a farm tractor to pass me.

I missed a few photos that I should have stopped for. I forgot the old axiom about shooting now and asking questions later. There were four trabajadores (field workers) having an animated conversation. They had great faces. By the time I turned around and drove back they were returning to the field.

I passed an old man with a white hat and cane walking up the mountain. I was determined not to let another one pass so I turned around but found no place to safely stop. Finally I stopped in the middle of the road and turned around. I introduced myself. He had lived on the mountain all his life. He was 78 years young. I am sure he could tell fascinating stories about the last eruption.

A few years ago I had talked to one man who told me he literally ran for life with the toxic gases nipping at his heels like an angry Chihuahua. The old man allowed me the privilege of taking his photograph.

After racing back to the house for a fast shower I met Silvia and her coworkers. They really seem like a great group. I had been to the office before. Carlos (the Jefe) and Avelino (the sub -jefe) I had met in February.

They have very different personalities. Carlos was very political, tough but Silvia liked him and more importantly he liked Silvia. Avelino was a nice guy and fun to be around. Silvia was the next boss in the pecking order and had a small but comfortable office overlooking the courtyard. Carlos wanted his photo taken as did Avelino. Of course, I accommodated.

Back to the story…

So there I sat outside this Big Box store spinning like a top on a marble floor. It was now 20 minutes and counting since Silvia entered the checkout line. Silvia’s sister had asked her to buy something on her return to Cartago. Friday afternoon traffic in any big city is a nightmare but places like Seattle or Minneapolis have the infrastructure to accommodate the load whereas San Jose does not.

That is why they instituted the new rule governing who can drive into San Jose on what days. San Jose enjoys is a great bus system fueled black clouds of diesel fumes, motorcycles driven by Evel Knivel look-alikes and people driving cars like they were waiting for their last rites.

It is five lanes of one-way traffic squeezed into two lanes. On a good day the rush hour will make a priest swear. On a bad day it will make you cry like a hungry baby. What made my sister-in-law’s request a little maddening was the store was on the opposite side of the road.

When Silvia casually told me I said that I was going to kill her sister if we did not die first. It would be nice if the road had left-hand turn lanes but there are not. I think there are two between San Pedro and the freeway (about four miles). Making a left turn is taking your life in your hands. You do not know whether you will be run over or shot by a crazed biker with pins in his nose.

As we walked around the store we enjoyed the time talking about the things house needs, checking prices and just being together. After about 35 minutes Silvia asked a service person where she could find what her sister asked us to purchase. I was thinking it was something special.

Irene had seen it advertised in a four-color shopper distributed by the store. When it turned out to be 4 hooks that were on special for fifty cents each I almost fell on the floor laughing. We had spent more in gas than what they cost. I love my sister-in-law. She has been terrific from Day 1.

When Silvia and I had to be married in three weeks back in 2004 because we had to move to the U.S. she made it happen. This is the woman you want running the railroad. She could herd cats. Later she claimed these hooks were not available in Cartago. That made me love her more. I could have made these things with wire cutters and two hangers.

After 20 minutes I knew something was wrong. I found Silvia at a checkout counter with her arms folded. When she saw me she smiled. God, I love to see her smile. Apparently, the hooks the salesperson gave her were not the hooks that were on sale. The hooks were 50 cents more and she had asked for a manager. I was beginning to giggle at this point.

The manager came and Silvia explained the problem. He took the hooks, disappeared around a corner and never returned. We waited another 10 minutes.

It stretched another five minutes…then another five. I thought I saw him running out the backdoor. Silvia was ready to leave but I said “no” we were going to buy this #@&*#*^^% hooks if they cost five times as much.

After all these were for my beloved sister-in-law whom I intended to murder when we got to her house. I did not want to lose the opportunity to have a little fun with her. In the end, the cost was 2700 colons or $4.47. When we arrived in Cartago Irene opened a bottle of wine and I forgot about the hooks and enjoyed the moment.

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Written by Ken Beedle who is a landscape photographer and retired Television Sales/Marketing Executive. Ken first visited Costa Rica in 1998 and later lived here for a few years, married a Tica and returned to the USA to take advantage of a business opportunity however, he promised to come back to Costa Rica and now he and his wife live in Cartago.

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.