Quick Update from Costa Rica

Somehow my original seat assignment was changed to a middle seat which I did not discover until boarding my red-eye flight from LAX to Guate. I was seated next to a morbidly obese Guatemalan woman who did NOT share my own sense of personal space. On the other side of me sat a thin Guatemalan woman who slept spralled. The huge woman actually had her foot in front of my seat until I looked at it and her in disbelief....she moved. Three times, in bad Spanish, I explained that it's no bueno for her to have her elbow in my ribs. Suffice it to say for this not small cloustrophobic gringa, the flight was hellacious and I slept not one wink. Once in Guate I had to go through customs and then right back into the airport and wait for my flight to Costa Rica (one does not casually amble through Guatemala City unless one is craving crime victomhood). I slept on the floor of the airport in some corner, head on my backpack, and I probably got a total of two hours of real sleep. The flight to San Jose was quick, easy, and very comfortable sitting next to a normal sized man who occupied none of my seat. Mary picked me up and we ran a few errands before heading home where I met her two sweet sons and Mario her husband. Mary cooked dinner and then she and I stayed up late talking. I finally crashed and slept over 12 hours and just hung around the house with Mary today, talking and talking. I head to Tortuguero tomorrow and the trip there includes a long boat ride on a canal into the jungle. I will be there 3 days and 2 nights....jungle and canal tours and I also hope to do some fishing. Booked in a cute little lodge. Mary helped me figure it all out and I am still startled by her brilliant Spanish spoken with a seemingly perfect accent. Guess that will happen when you live in Costa Rica for 15 years. More soon. Note: spell check not working so please forgive me for my spelling disorder.