Wow, a week goes by like a day around here!

Bueno, my load has finally lightened up a bit! We decided to take Aria and Sasha to the beach for Sasha's first beach experience. What better place for this than Costa Rica ("Rich Coast")?

Here's Gramma seeing that Sashita is dressed well for the trip. (Sasha's main concern, however is to check out that she's on camera!)





Well, we had another change of clothes and got from the house out to the picnic table--much closer to the car for the trip--but still not on our way. Sasha was doing some chin-ups and arching like an athlete! I'm sure she was bored with waiting and wanted to wiggle her way right out of the carseat...







With "Tia Titi" (Aunt Jaleh), having escaped from the carseat trap...










After an hour of winding down our favorite Costa Rican blacktop highway, from our town to the coast, we wanted to stop for a bite to eat. (Also we wanted to check on the score of the World Cup soccer game going on--since the first game was our CR team playing Germany's on their turf--and the whole country was practically shut down to see the game). We bought some delicious "enpanadas" (cheese-filled fritters). Here's Sasha saying "I wanna bite".


"No enpanadas, sweetie, gimme a kiss instead!"











"Mom, sand sucks!" (Poor lil' thing! She loved the water at first, but then a loud and large wave splashed her in the face and that ruined the beach trip for her today...)








We set up the "toldo" tent, beach chairs and the works. Then the wind came along and flipped the tent across the beach like a leaf. Then it started clouding up and finally rained. Nevertheless we got our feet wet and had a nice time together! So we decided to go to another beach (Jaco--super turisty--and lots of surfers, etc.) for lunch.





We're so sorry you guys'll have to return to the desert country of New Mexico in a few weeks! Please keep this memory alive of the beautiful CR beaches so that you'll return again soon!













A sleeping baby means a contented mom! Here, waiting for lunch in the town of Jaco...










After a short wait here's what was placed before me: Arroz con camarones (rice with shrimp). Yummy. And, of course, the cafe con leche!










Next to our table was this lil' dude. We call this sort of doggie a "dober- bunny". She's full grown but the size of a Chijuajua. This is a very popular dog in Costa Rica (doesn't eat much...barks at intruders). You see them everywhere. They'll start yapping and come running across the street to let you know that you're violating their territory! Another name could be "sabre-toothed mouse" :^)




It rained all the way home. Here's our infamous hammock bridge. The best route from our place to the coast is via this bridge. Some people (mostly tourists, new to Costa Rica) panic when they see this at the end of their mountain trip--the only route to the coast without backtracking an hour and a half! It's missing a few planks and shakes alot when crossing but, hey, it hasn't dumped anyone in the river yet!

(I wanted to stop at the beginning of the bridge to get a good shot, but Sasha was sleeping in the back seat with Aria so Julie asked me not to. That's why you see just half the bridge, and the wiper blurred on the windshield.)