Well here we are in beautiful, hot Costa Rica!! I haven't completely figured out this spanish keyboard, but the internet use is free here in the hotel business room. So, I will do some updates before we leave for our bike trip on Sunday, and am working on getting pics online...

Mon. Mar 5 - So, we did manage to get on first class for the flight from Toronto to San Jose, and since it was late leaving due to wind, we didn't have much time to catch our flight on Sansa air, to Liberia. We had a 2 block walk around the corner from the airport to the little regional airport, check our bags, pay extra for the weight, go thru security, which I held up by carrying the duty free booze, cigars, had to go back to check those. Then we boarded our 12 passenger flight to Tamarindo, then on to Liberia. Taxi from there to our hotel, where Stephen the groom, Jaime the bride and Paul and Faye were waiting to greet us. We were starving, so after getting checked into our room, got some snacks at the Buffet, showered then went to dinner with a gang of 14 at the Italian restaurant, followed by a little lights out planned for the birthday boy, with a little cake Rosie had arranged!!

Tues. - Mar 6 - to the beach first off, great soft sand beach, lots of volcanic rock on the ends of the beach and a big reef out one side. Quite windy today, so gusts of sand blowing up. Then off to the pool for a calmer break, with breakfast and lunch in there somewhere. It is very hot, over 30 degrees and thank goodness we have air conditioning as it does not cool down much at night. Great ocean view from our room, lots of unusual bird calls in the morning. It is very dry here and the trees are brown, as this is their dry season. Dinner in the buffet, relaxing around the pool, up to the bar where it is cool and general lounging around and visiting. Here for the wedding are G\s bro Paul, Faye, their daughter Jeanette, Jamie and son Kaden, their son Stephen and Jaime the bride and groom, and G\s sister Rosie, Brian, their son Barry and daughter Suzanne and Alexi. As well, the brides family and lots of friends. So it is quite a crew.

Wed. Mar 7 - this is the wedding day, so off to the pool for more tanning, G plays volleyball in the pool, I go for a manicure after lunch. A workout in the gym for awhile, then get cleaned up for the 4.30 ceremony. It is a bit windy, but not as much as yesterday. The ceremony is on a knoll, overlooking the ocean. The bride is beautiful in her ivory gown, with bridesmaids and groomsmen wearing pale mint green and calla lilies. It was a sweet ceremony performed by a female spanish attorney, with a flower petal tossing event. The guitar trio played and sang spanish music while the pictures were being taken and we drank champagne. Then it was up to the reception where the bar was open while we waiting for a surprise from the bride and groom. After dark it was an amazing display of fireworks put on by a local group. The whole hotel is buzzing about the free show they all got last night! The 4 course meal followed this, all very delicious, the speaches and then a slide show of the bride and grooms life, very well done! Dancing started and then continued in the disco. But after another day in the sun, too much eating and drinking, the old folks were in bed by 10.... thats us!

Today we went for a short snorkel after breakfast, a walk on the volcanic reef at the beach and now are going to do our separate workouts, G in the gym on the bicycle and elliptical machine and I in the pool. Then we\re off for a sunset walk and dinner in the Oriental restaurant. Life is tough! It\s a great place, staff very friendly and helpful, just have to get used to the heat....but we\re not complaining!!!