Today at noon I met up for lunch again with my Costa Rica family  — all but the Rainbow Refuge staff, including Laurie and Melaney who are still hand raising two formerly abandoned but now dearly loved puppies — at the coloquially named Football Club in Grecia.

 

Francisco, Jon, Dale Nov. 7 2025

But 90 minutes before I got that far in today’s saga, I asked Marianela to drop me off at Laboratorio Sanchez after she waited for me to get colones at the bank. (My results: My INR is a tad bit high this month, but only by a percentage point — .12 — so I’ll eat more greens and fix that well before my next check in a month.)

 

After Marianela dropped me off there, I walked to Cafe Delicias to get two plastic cartons of coconut treats, but they only had one, so I gifted it to Marianela when she picked me up at 2 to transport me back home.

 

At the club, I met yet another El Cajon resident — who I have heard loads of good things about from Jon. I hope we get additional chances to connect!

 

EVERYONE I KNOW HERE KNOWS MARILYN STEVENS

 

Remember Marilyn Stevens, who I met once briefly at Compre Bien and am loosely scheduled (no date set yet) to  get together with after her ribs heal well enough to allow a pleasant conversation with some laughs? (Laughing is painful for people with cracked or broken ribs.) I hope that will happen soon. (Update: She read this post and says we’ll do it this week. Hurray!)

 

Can’t wait to see what Upper El Cajon looks like

 

I hear it’s much more windy higher up in El Cajon than it is here just off Calle Esteban Salas. That’s okay!  I want to check out some rentals in that neck of the woods.

 

There are affordable rentals up in San Isidro where Clarkie and Dale are, too. But I’m also interested in looking even further afield to Curridabat and Cartago, two other high altitude places with comfortable temperatures year ’round. I hear it rains all year ’round in Cartago, though, something like a total of 127 inches! But we get around 111 inches annually here in El Cajon, Bolivar District so it isn’t that much more; certainly not a deal breaker. These CR totals are nearly three times the amount of rain that Seattle gets annually, but it’s so predictable that it’s easy to work and play between the time of day  when it usually falls: afternoons and evenings mostly.

 

The rent prices in Cartago are significantly lower than they are here, but it’s farther away from San Jose (two plus hours) and it’s a long way from the friends I have made so far during the two months I’ve been here.

 

I know one person in Curridabat, but she’s a confirmed loner and that isn’t overly conducive to building fond bonds.

 

I’m a loner, too, which makes it too damned easy to self-isolate, which I am determined NOT to do down here! I did it up in the States as a self-protection mechanism, but everyone down here is so kind and welcoming that I feel safe enough to climb out of my cocoon.

 

I’m sure there are other people in Curridibat that I could meet, but the place would have to be utterly perfect for me (like forever perfect, my slice of paradise within this overarching paradise) for me to move that far away from the people I have already built fond bonds with.

 

But these are all options. I’m gonna consider all (or most) of them before I make what I hope will be my final move here in Costa Rica!  The woman I met Friday says she moved seven times before she found her happy place, which is El Cajon.  Maybe it’s my happiest place, too. I’m just not absolutely certain it is yet. I don’t have enough traveling experience around here yet to be able to confirm that. I do know that I have to find a place that doesn’t require the abilities of a mountain goat. I’m only going to get older and less able to climb and there isn’t enough space here to allow any kind of lift or elevator, or even a staircase up the slope.  That’s sad.  It really is.  I love this little casita and my landlady!!

Francisco and Dale Nov 7 2025

Clarkie and Francisco

Clarkie and Chris 

Clarkie and me

 Francisco and me

photo by Dale Garrison

Dale Garrison and Clarkie Mullen, esposos

 

We always have a good time together.

I’m very much looking forward to additional adventures with them, too.