June 25

 Oh my goodness. We are here and we were not kidnapped at all - yet

I got in a car with a strange man in a different country and drove around. I know this does not seem too dangerous, maybe a little. But I walked up to a man, and asked to get in his car with my precious child. I was pretty sure we were going to die, but WE DIDN'T! Parts of me were not sure this tour thing was real and that it was perhaps a ruse to steal us. So far that has not been true.

And Juan Carlos (photo coming) met us in the lobby and asked us a lot of questions. He also told us we are leaving the hotel tomorrow after a 5 a.m. breakfast. So, he recommended we go to bed. Instead, we went to the bar where Bella ordered her first legal drink and I watched soccer in Spanish.

But FIRST, 

We woke up so early and Gabe, who is the best today, drove us to the airport. Bella woke up with a bloody nose and proceeded to bleed all the way through our drive to Denver, to our gate, through a 30 minute Starbucks line, security, and a train ride. 

Then we rode planes. Planes to Texas where I ate the worst salad of my life. I ordered a wedge salad and was brought an entire half of a head of lettuce- intact, with at least a cup of blue cheese dressing and 5, FIVE cherry tomatoes. This salad cost $15. I was like, "Bitch, this is a $.99 cent head of lettuce with $1.00 of dressing and $.50 of tomatoes. I was also still hungry. Then more planes.

Have I mentioned that I have eaten a lot of Southwest snack mix this week? It is likely the predominant aspect of my diet.

Salt. Carbohydrates. Fat.

Wine.

Then, just like that we were in San Jose, with Juan Carlos, the bar, and a nice comfy bed. The windows are mysteriously high - we can't see out. The shower is odd. But the door locks, and there are a lot of important looking people outside. So, I feel like we are safe for the next few hours.

People here are pretty excited to learn that Bella is Costa Rican. They keep saying she is 'Tico.' The strange man in the car quickly asked based on our last names if we were Mexican. He was super, duper excited to learn that Bella is 1/4 Tico! He kept asking lots and lots of questions about her family and where they are from. On the flight over I was thinking about whether or not she would want people to know her identity. Our last name pretty much took care of that right aways. Also did you know I am white and people are surprised when I show up with my blonde hair and my brown kid and my last name? They are.

I speak French. I do not speak Spanish, but I have spent 16 years listening to people talk shit about me in Spanish and turn out it is a Romance language so a lot of the adjectives are similar. I CAN mostly, kind of understand you. Turns out that Bella and I are not what people expect. 

It seems like par for the course.

In other news, I can't wait to meet our fellow tour folk. I am excited to tell you all about them. The only drawback, which I realized on the plane, is that I am going to have to extrovert for the next 10 days. I HAVE TO TALK TO PEOPLE I DON'T KNOW FOR DAYS. This seems like a slight oversight for me. I don't like people that much. Nic usually fills this role for me because.he loves people and learning their fishing secrets. I would much rather just sit and watch them and judge them and take surreptitious photos of them. I guess I am going to have to be a better version of myself. 

Dang.

As soon as we got in the car with the mystery man who met us at baggage, I remembered why we are going on a tour. I am a bad driver and I have heard that driving in Costa Rica is not like driving in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Tomorrow, very, very early, we are going to Tortuga National Park. I am so excited. 

I still cannot believe that we are here and we are doing this!