Tico Tales - Welcome to the Jungle (December 17)

Occasional Tales from our Life in Costa Rica

Well, it has been two weeks since our arrival in San Jose on December 2 and it's time for a web page update.

Things are going very well so far. Costa Rica is an amazingly beautiful country with lush, green mountains everywhere you look. We're looking forward to exploring the country from top to bottom and from coast to coast. We are also hoping to have many visitors over the next couple years, so book your tickets now! Casa Orlando awaits you...

Here are some highlights of our first few days in San Jose (in no particular order):

1. We bought a car -- After not driving for two years it's a little scary to be behind the wheel again. It's a Daihatsu Terios (we had never heard of it either). The mini-SUV with 4 wheel drive is good for the bumpy roads.

2. Saw our new house in the Escazú suburb of San Jose, which will hopefully be ready for move-in before Christmas. Here's the outside of the house. Yes, it's pink. Hey, it takes a real man to live in a pink house. Or, at least so Jason says.

3. Sophie was invited to the embassy's holiday party where, like last year, she was scared out of her wits by Santa Claus. Here she is with some elves.

4. Shopped at the weekly street market in our neighborhood, which sells many fruits and vegetables we've never seen before.

5. Jason started work at the Ministry of Hacienda (Finance) and is quickly improving his rusty Spanish. Uno, dos, tres...uhmm, oh well, we need to practice!