My Costa Rica “tribe” (except for Laurie, Melaney and Dani) gathered this morning to witness and help celebrate Costa Rica’s 204th year of independence today. (Someone correct me if 204 is wrong, please!)

Below are images from downtown Grecia.  (There are videos on my Facebook page, if you want to see some of these parade participants in action!)

 

 

Honoring CR’s bomberos (firefighters)

Dale and Clarkie enjoying the parade

Youngest to oldest scholars are honored during the parade.. there are more than 50 schools in Grecia alone!

Honoring first responders

 

 

Macaw maiden

Macaw maiden close up

Clarkie, Dale and doggy Daisy at their lovely home in San Isidro

 

Jon, Francisco, Dale, Clarkie, and yours truly

We watched the parade from the steps of the metal church in downtown Grecia for a good two hours before bladders and appetites suggested it was time to find an open soda and restroom. One of Jon’s favorite sodas was open, so we went there.

 

But I don’t want to get ahead of myself. Let’s stay on the steps a while longer before we eat desayuno (breakfast)!

 

The parade was well attended by what appeared to be pretty much everyone in town, from the youngest to the oldest.  The route started  about eight blocks away at a local school and ended not long after it passed us at the church.

 

All 50 Grecia schools were represented during the parade. The youngest scholars led it, followed by an ascending order all the way to colegio (high school). The youngest students were accompanied  by their teachers and perhaps some other adult volunteers and/or family members. Even the school  explicitly run for special needs children was represented by students in wheelchairs or on other people’s arms. I found that to be  extraordinarily as I have never seen the same honoring of diversity in a US parade except during the Special Olympics.

 

We didn’t watch the entire parade. We were there more than two hours, though. The crowd was immense. Shoulder to shoulder. Honoring education and independencia is a big deal here!!!

 

After that long, appetites and bladders were beginning to urge a change of course, so we needled our way through the crowd on the church steps and headed for one of Jon’s favorite sodas (Tico owned restaurants).

 

I ordered my first standard US breakfast: toast with honey, a link of sausage, two pieces of bacon and scrambled eggs, plus a cup of jugo de naranja (orange juice). The meat was very different and much more tasty than it is in the U.S.  The total (including a coca cola to wash it all down at the end) was just a little over 6000 colones. (Do the conversion and weep!)

 

After delightful meals and conversation, Jon called Topher and I an Uber from my phone because his vehicle was already packed with Clarkie, Francisco,  Dale and himself. We all wended our way to Clarkie and Dale’s to see their new home (AMAZING!!!!!!) and to fetch the two lamps they offered me to furnish my upcoming rental with, wherever that ends up being.

 

But they ended up giving me three lamps — two table lamps and a taller standing lamp.  My new abode will be bright and beautiful as a result of their kindness.  I promised to stop back by after I get settled into my new abode to spend unrushed quality time with them in the very near future.  I want to bond with them and learn more about their lives.

 

Note! The standing lamp has a special feature — the top can swivel out:

Jon drove us back to Villas Escondidas, so we didn’t need to get an Uber for the return trip. He only lives a couple miles away from here.

When I got back I had some immigration business to tend to for about  30 minutes and then I popped myself into the pool here to cool off and float for about twenty minutes. I needed to limit my sun exposure because I didn’t add any more sunscreen than I already had put on at 6:30 this morning and sunscreen should be added every two hours —  this close to the equator especially.  I haven’t had even a tinge of redness because I’ve been very good about keeping it on.  (A new habit, but a vital one!)

 

I guess that’s about it for this time. It’s threatening to rain again.  Hey, it’s the rainy season, but luckily it usually waits until the afternoon to do its thing, so there’s plenty of time in the morning and until mid-day to be out and about without getting wet.

 

Life is good.

 

Damn, that is such an understatement.  Life is glorious!

 

Pura vida!