I can’t honestly say we’re huge Elton John fans but, Hey, this guy is British so we just had to fork out the $150+ and go to his first concert in Costa Rica.

These days we seldom drive to San Jose; our bus service is excellent and at under $6 for the 3 hour journey, John can relax and enjoy the views as well. Imagine our surprise when we got to the highway and found it closed, not by the usual mad-Tico-drivers-accident but by very mad citizens!

The people of Perez Zeledon have made history — the first municipality in Costa Rica to hold a plebiscite to remove the Alcalde (mayor) from office. The vote took place in December with a resounding Yes vote but the silly man immediately appealed to the constitutional chamber on some minor technical point.

He lost that appeal but with a second appeal being heard the day of the concert, the people took to the streets to make their point. Or rather, they took to the highway where they dumped a huge pile of muck and stopped the traffic until the outcome was declared!

We dumped the car in the garage for a service, grabbed the bags and did a fast K up the highway to catch the bus, relieved to relax and be on our way to Saprissa football stadium for what turned out to be a brilliant night. Well, with the exception of a very chill wind, scudding clouds and rain — the little Tico selling plastic capes made his fortune in minutes!

The warm-up hour was amazing: the Minister of Culture, Manuel Obregon, an accomplished composer and pianist, playing to background videos of Costa Rican nature and wild life.

The crescendo for a pool of leaping orange frogs was perfect, and the humour certainly not lost. Elton did two and half hours non stop; all the old favourites, a superb show and we thoroughly enjoyed our trip to the bright lights of San Jose.

The journey over the Cerro de la Muerte (the highest roadway in central America) is always spectacular, not only with scenery but with plant life changing throughout the year. Since you can’t ask the bus driver to stop for photos, I returned with my best plant hunting pal, Krystel, last week.

Only 40 Ks up, we were on the edge of oak/cloud forest where the wondrous resplendent quetzals reign supreme. We donned the boots and off we went, roaming round the woods for all those Oooh and Aaah moments that make Costa Rica so very special. After many years in the tropics, she and husband Stewart are returning to the UK in April to try out retirement ‘back home’.

I’m going to miss my intrepid explorer friend but I know she’s going to enjoy the new joys of the Yorkshire moors and daffodils in the spring (we’re not saying too much about the cold winds hurling in from the North Sea!)

And what did the constitutional chamber decide?

The Alcalda got short shift – game over, clear his desk and handover within 24 hours. Rumour has it he now intends to sue the people who led the campaign to get him out, amazing how ostensible leaders just don’t get the message and go with dignity.

The municipality has been paralysed with indecision for the last year; we now have a bright young woman at the helm and have great hopes of Perez Zeledon once again being one of the best municipalities in Costa Rica.

She’s inheriting the proverbial poisoned chalice, we can only wish her well for the challenges ahead. For now, the citizens are rightly happy and proud of their successful action, and the fact they’ve made history!

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