Las Tres Mujeres

This morning we had to be up at the buttcrack of dawn to drive to San Jose, where I 8inevitably) bought a hammock, and the batteries I bought yesterday at the Costa Rican equivalent of Dollar General (inevitably) were void of battery acid and, thus, a waste of nearly fifty cents. I HATE stealing pictures from friends worse than just about anything, but when I'm without a camera...well, it's (barely) better than nothing.

We visited Teatro Nacional where Dr. B and I are going to see an opera later, then the national museum where I scouted out el mariposera--the butterfly garden :) I recounted the story of when we wrote our names on the chrysali(ses) and, when the butterflies' wings unfolded, they said our names. It's one of my favorite stories because no one believes it.

After the morning in San Jose and a super-heavy lunch, we headed back to class. Seriously, Worst Time Ever--I want a nap! My professora noticed that Dr. B and I were dragging, so she took us on an adventure :) We hopped in her car and went to the grocery store, Pali (suspiciously close to mi nombre), then talked about going to the park and drinking something; Professora and Dr. B both had mangoes, I had a hammock, we had a bottle of wine--we were good to go! "Dos mangos, una hamaka, una botella de vino--las tres mujeres!" Magic ensued.

We drove into the mountains and looked down on Heredia from above--it's amazing how far we could get without actually going very far. We found a resort, Refranes, that rocked my world--it's basically all my dream houses all rolled into one. Apparently you can rent a room for $50 a night, which has two beds, two couches, a kitchen, and includes dinner in a romantic restaurant that wraps around a lake; there were bromiliads and hibiscuses and hummingbirds all over the place, plus birds of paradise and little fountains and more Spanish tiles than even I knew what to do with. I was in heaven. Las dos mujeres made of me because I took so many pictures (after buying less shit-tastic batteries) but hey, I like what I like.

We got back right after the bell rang (after stopping back at the grocery store for some Maltisomething-or-other--it's a children's drink that tastes like beer and maple syrup) then left immediately to go to a just-for-homestays dinner at an Argentinian restaurant that is, literally, around the corner from my homestay. I have never eaten a steak so fiercely delicate in my life. I'm still bathing in the afterglow.

Now I'm at la escuela, doing one last email check before we Ladies hit the town again (every night is ladies' night!) The foreign students (which I suppose we all are) take English classes at night, so it's hilarious hearing all kinds of accents saying, "It is in the refrigerator. Bryan is in the kitchen!"

Tomorrow we've got dance class again...and I am sooooo excited! I can't wait to get home and teach Mister how to dance salsa and cumbia and bachata and meringue. Then again, another part of me--an equally big part--could wait forever to leave this place.