Lisa is here! It took a little extra time getting through customs because of a United Airlines app glitch, but she finally made her way clear!

 

THE ROUTE

 

Adilio took me on a shortcut to the airport from my place, through Alajuela instead of Grecia. It was super wind-y, but a beautiful drive!

 

We practiced each other’s native language most of the way in, so that was fun.

 

I asked him first in English if we could stop on the way back at a Banco Nacional so I could get some dinero, and he said yes.

 

Then I said that I’d like to try asking in Spanish so he could straighten me out if I got anything wrong.  He said, “OK.” So, I repeated the request in Spanish and he said it was just fine!  That gave me extra confidence.

 

Knowing that Lisa gets carsick, he asked if she would be able to handle the shortcut on the way back.  I told him I thought so, as she is wearing a travel sickness patch, but that I’d ask when she got in the car.

 

At the airport (exactly an hour from the time we left my place), Adilio let me off and said he’d wait with relatives while I fetched Lisa and to call him when we were ready to go.  I said okay and walked into the waiting area.

 

I got there about ten minutes after her plane landed

 

… and waited about an hour before I heard from her saying that she was going through customs but there was a snag.  The United App wasn’t showing her return trip, so the immigration/customs people had to jump through a few extra hoops (call United, whatever) to assure themselves that she does, indeed, have a flight out scheduled.  That process took about 45 minutes.

 

I kept watching people exiting, expecting her at any moment, and then, at one point, she stopped communicating from inside so I figured she was still ensconsed in getting approval from the powers that be to enter Costa Rica.

 

Then, all of a sudden, there she was, standing on the other side of the rope! 

 

So alas I didn’t get a chance to film her as she came down the exit corridor, or even to shed tears, I was so surprised to see her standing there!

 

I  had cried not fifteen minutes before when a small group of men reconnected and hugged each other, because I could tell how delighted they were to see each other again.  I knew I was gonna cry too as soon as I saw Lisa emerge from the airport exit door, but she was right there in front of me before I knew it.  Surprise extinguises tears!  (I’ll certainly make up for the lapse when she leaves … WAAAHHH!!!)

 

We hit the restroom and I asked her if she’d be okay on wind-y roads on the way back. She said yes, so I called Adilio and he was there within minutes to drive us home via the same route, with a stop at Banco Nacional to get the colones we need for Rescate tomorrow and the feria on Friday.

 

When we got here, Lisa was feeling wiped out, so we sat down and just vegged all afternoon. By “vegged” I mean, we chatted, catching up on things. She told me that Wendy had texted her to tell me hello and to give me a big hug from them.  So I collected it and sent back my love.

 

Later on, we sat on the back porch, she met my landlady and took a few bird pictures.

 

I put rice on to cook and kept an eye on the chicken.  We ate at about 3:30 and she said the meal was great.  YES!  I was glad to hear that!

 

That has been our day so far.

 

We’ve had a very laid back but fun day.

 

Much more to come as the days pass.

 

P.S. No, Lisa is not naked in this picture. That’s my fat thumb portraying a naked shoulder.  Naked in the airport is frowned upon!