Fruit tree galore!

Tierra de Suenos could just as well be an exotic fruit farm. It seems everyday we discover a new tropical fruit tree just waiting to explode with some colorful, tasty, or not so tasty, edible. We enjoyed the ackee when we first arrived. This Jamaican fruit was a delight to us not only because of its delicious flavor but because it attracts Toucans. We are lucky to have the ackee hanging over our patio; a perfect spot for the collection of fruit and bird watching! We discovered a new citrus tree the other day. We already have three others bursting with the most delicious limes you've ever tasted.

It's hard to know what to do with 3 massive guanabanas at the same time. This very large fruit is great as a beverage but time consuming and messy to deal with.

We're looking forward to the water apples, that tree has yet to fruit for us, and the two avocado trees which have yet to produce. A grapefruit tree has recently been pointed out to us, it was being strangled by the jungle, hidden in vines. Pineapples were a delight a couple months ago and we're still waiting on another papaya. Jack fruits hang heavily from the trunk of a tree that actually goes right through the roof of a bungalow and star fruits are falling by the dozen. Our neighbor is quite jealous of the Mangostien tree he saw behind our storage house. Apparently this is the most delicious fruit in the world and with a little love, ours should be sprouting in no time.

We decided to give planting a few a shot and recently transplanted air-layered mamon chino, a soft spiky skinned grape thing, bayrum, and peanut butter fruit, a shrub that produces creamy little balls that actually taste like peanut butter. They all seem to be doing well so far.

We're trying to save our cacao tree from a blight and it's looking better. We just roasted our first chocolate beans! The insane amount of bananas are overwhelming but they are best bananas we've ever eaten. The list goes on and on and I haven't gotten to the herbs, vegetables and melons!

Beep....Beeeeeeeep

It’s hard to know where to start this story. It could be when brown/black liquid started spraying onto the windshield of our Galloper, or when Hernan said to call El Cubano, or with the condition of the road and the thrice broken hinges to the hood. We might as well start with the malfunctioning horn that honks at will, usually when slowing down.

Since the road is in a constant state of disrepair we slow down often and as a result do a lot of unnecessary honking. Hernan, the tattooed pierced Argentinean real estate agent that John and I were driving around with the other day, thought the honking was great. In a thick accent he says- “You know, it’s like ‘hello we are coming, it’s nice to see you’.” That is, until the horn wouldn’t stop. We turned the engine off, but kept right on honking. It’s not even our real horn, it’s the alarm horn that we don’t use, don’t want. We carefully opened the broken hood, found which horn was making the noise and tried to disconnect it. Mind you, it’s not easy to concentrate when you are being blasted with such noise. I grabbed the yellow wire, Hernan held onto the box it was connected to, and we pulled. We unplugged two boxes but failed to disconnect the wire and, in the confusion, dropped one box into the engine. It was visible and I was able to reach an arm down to get it. Reconnected, the horn was silent. I jumped back in the car leaving John to put the hood back down. He lowered the stabilizing arm, brought the hood half way down, and as you normally would, dropped it. Because the hinges were broken it fell askew and didn’t close. Having done this myself I hopped down and helped it shut. Back in the car, the engine starts no problem and we’re on our merry way. That’s when brown/black stuff spews onto the windshield. I say oil, Hernan says mud. It gets worse so I look onto the hood, which is covered in black and then see the oil light brighten on the dash. We pull over immediately and that’s when Hernan says to call El Cubano. We needed to call somebody. The Galloper looked like it had barfed oil.

In 15 minutes El Cubano shows up with a helper in their own Galloper. Being in Costa Rica and hearing the name El Cubano I was a little surprised when he and his friend ended up being two rednecks from Florida. El Cubano is missing all his front teeth so his tongue curls to one side when he talks. He’s somewhere between 35 and 50. In two seconds El Cubano said it was the intercooler. The latch from the crashing hood had punctured it, and since it is high pressure, it needs to be welded with aluminum, something that can only be done in Bri Bri about 30 minutes away. El Cubano said it would be $90.00 to tow it to our house, have the intercooler welded in Bri Bri and re-weld the hood on site. This, compared to what it costs at our mechanic for a days work, seems like a huge rip-off; but what are our options? We’re immobile, don’t know anyone else who will tow us and do the work in any kind of reasonable time and need the car again within two days.

With the Gallopers hitched we head down the road towards home when, a little predictably, El Cubano wings an empty can of Imperial (read Bud Light) out the window. In the driveway he and his helper, who’s main job was to buy beer and fetch wrenches, work steadily at finishing a six pack and taking out the Intercooler. They then headed to Bri Bri, John along for the ride, guzzling Imperials the whole way, to get it welded. They were successful and after El Cubano reattached the Intercooler with much effort to compensate for the quantity of Imperial consumed, they were gone. He came back later in the week to weld the hinges himself and have a few more Imperials. Everything is working well and now we know another Puerto Viejo character who happens to be a traveling mechanic.

Just another day at Tierra de Sueños

Brendan and I have been taking advantage of the slow season and going to yoga classes at the Gaia Center next door. A few days ago we walked the 3 meters to our class and Ish, the awesome instructor, stopped us at the front gate saying there was a private “session” going on. He asked if we could move the yoga class to our studio (Tierra de Sueños was originally a yoga school and the property has two beautiful studios). We were delighted at this because we had yet to use our yoga facility and were happy to have people enjoy it. So the class of about 6 began breathing practice when screams came from the Gaia Center. A dramatic gust of wind, thunder shortly following, came blowing through the studio and the screams grew louder and more urgent. The quick down poor cleared and as the screaming subsided, the faint sound of a baby’s cry made its way to us. We learned later that morning that during our uncomfortable back bends and downward facing dog, a baby was born. The day turned into clear blue skies and sunshine, a perfect first day in this world. Throughout the day we listened to the sounds of a one day old through the trees: just another day at Tierra de Sueños!

While we were gone...

Angie and I just returned from a two week whirlwind tour in the states. We saw my parent’s gorgeous new house in Maine, went to Brian Becker’s wedding on Martha’s Vineyard and visited with friends along the way. Our partner, John, was at Tierra de Sueños while we were gone. The adjustment from Pleasantville to Puerto Viejo has been a bit shocking. We never could have imagined the changes that would happen in being away for such a short time.

Several of the dirt roads in Puerto Viejo are now paved. The rumor is that they will be coming down our road soon. Great for the car, tough on pedestrians as the drivers will go as fast as possible.

Where five months ago there was a parking lot, there is now a palapa roofed wireless internet spot with 6 laptops. This is the most shocking change. It’s right down the street from Tierra de Sueños and directly across from the entrance to Playa Chiquita. Internet has been a tough subject for us so far. There are constantly rumors about someone getting wireless that they will sell at a monthly rate or that ICE, the national electric company, will lay a cable for ethernet soon. For now we’re still on dial up, but with change happening so fast it’s hard to imagine that lasting very long. Then again, it is Cost Rica.

Our neighbors a few doors down sold their property two days ago. They have four small houses, so it may be run as a lodge or B&B. More competition and recognition for Playa Chiquita.

There is a huge poster on the stable down the road advertising luxury villas built to Italian standards. We’re not exactly sure where they’re going, but it’s somewhere in the neighborhood.

Unfortunately some kids have figured out that spray paint is fun. They tagged our beautiful sign, wrote on C & J’s supermarket down the street and the house across from them. They also took the old Tierra de Sueños sign that we had leaning on the gate to our parking spots. We should have the good sign painted and back up by tomorrow.

It’s hard to digest the area changing so rapidly and to imagine what the Talamanca coast may look like in 10 years. The best change was realizing after returning that we do have a quite a few friends around. It took 45 minutes to walk 100 meters on our first morning because we kept stopping to talk to people. The sloths and monkeys are still here. Our gardens are blooming more and more. All in all, it’s good to be back in the jungle.