La Frontera

Good bye Costa Rica (land of very expensive things)...hello Nicaragua (land of very kind people, magical air and cheaper stuff).

My heart always beating really fast and stomach gets butterflies every time I cross the Tico/Nica border. There's an incredible difference in the air the minute you cross the border. It's quite calm and orderly in CR---no questions asked by immigrations---a quick glance at your passpor

t, no money asked and it's indoors. Cross the border, all the noise begins, everyone wants to help you (it's their way of earning a very small amount of money), you wait in very short lines that take a very long time to get to the window, and price is always different to get into the country. I find it quite humorous that on even after showing immigrations your passport, there are still guards a few feet away that ask to see your passport

---and then you hop over to the Nica border, where guards could very clearly see that CR guards had already seen your passport, and you show it to them as well! Our taxi friend, Je

sus, once again carries my heavy backpack and walks us all the way into the Nica sid

e.

Immigrations on Nica side was not so nice this time. I could barely hear him through the plastic windows, and h

e would stare at me point blankly when I asked him to repeat the request. Even my friend, Jesus, a Nica, had trouble hearing him. It turned out he wanted the address of where I was staying in San Juan Del Sur----ha, ha, ha, I almost fell on the floor laughing---there ain't no address in Nicaragua or Costa Rica for that matter! So, I made one up! It worked!

Returning to San Juan Del Sur is something of magic. I really love this small, fishing, surf town. The dona's family was so happy to see us again! And very sad that they didn't have room for us for one night. We ha

d to stay in a really crappy hotel---walls were painted in very retro style, one large king sized bed (very hard, coulda slept on the floor instead) and just didn't feel very clean---it helped just knowing that it was for one nigh

t only.

The next day, with our strong determination, Julia and I looked and looked for an apartment all day. We finally found one---second level---3 bedrooms---within meters from the beach. We'll move in today at four. Once we move in, we'll feel settled---and I'll buy Elyza a

big box of Frosted Flakes (only in the summer) to keep her happy every morning! Here's the vi

ew from our balcony.

Elyza is going to take surfing lessons every day! By the time she returns, she'll probably be pro!