A Regal Experience

Last you left Lisa and I, we were traveling from the beautiful possibilities of Thunder Bay for another road trip, this time making our way toward the city of Winnipeg (anyone hear a bear?) We got into the city (early for a change) and found the Marlborough hotel where we would be spending time in one of those attractive turn of the century palaces with all the modern conveniences Lisa and I craved…like wireless internet. Moved in and worn out, we located ourselves in the Regal Beagle (attracting me of course because of its THREE’S COMPANY reference) and enjoyed the company of Robyn- hostess, bartendress, and server goddess…needless to say, she did it all and took care of us. On top of that, she fell madly in love with the Aroma Muchacho, who was so enamored with the place that he stayed over that night. I had the chance to go out and meet some of the locals of Winnipeg as well and found they couldn’t be friendlier, asking me to join them in a karaoke competition (no, I didn’t need to compete and yet roused some more uncertain people to take the stage) while they listened to a bit of my Costa Rica rants- i.e. The Oaks.

The next day it was time for Lisa and I to again “shove off”, move on, even farther west to the province of Saskatchewan where we met some friendly young men who work for the ever present Oil Fields. They talked about all the great places they had journeyed to in Mexico but were thirsty for something different…and The Oaks in Guanacaste seemed just the drink to make their mouth water. In the end they couldn’t be more pleased or excited by the information we had to bring them and awaited their travel in the near future to the province…hopefully joining Lisa and I at The Oaks for their next adventurous visit.

Though Regina and Loydminster of Saskatchewan may not have been the most exciting places we have visited, with multiple oil wells and obviously newly purchased SUVs and HUGE trucks (signs of economic growth), the people and the conversations we had were some of the most positive and excited encountered since Thunder Bay.

Soon enough it was time we came to a familiar destination, Edmonton (only two hours or so from Loydminster), a place Lisa and I felt fairly comfortable (and better since the last time we saw it in February…brrr). All we can say is that in less time than it takes to say “do you think I will thaw” we were deep in the heart of the city at a place we knew would be great for future, potential meetings or focus groups…Hudson’s Public House. This place had it all, with beautifully designed wood-work walls and floors, including a back room that seemed to echo Independence Hall itself, we quickly realized it would be a phenomenal location for bringing people together to learn more about Costa Rica …and of course, The Oaks.

After meeting with two of our favorite Oaks Owners turned great friends, Sol and Judy F., for an incredible dinner in South Western Edmonton, we knew that we had truly made the rounds and had come full circle. It was nice to hear that “the dynamic duo” (this time I mean Sol and Judy) couldn’t be more pleased with their Oaks purchase and on top of that they couldn’t wait to get back! After being away from Costa Rica for nearly a month and a half, Lisa and I couldn’t be more understanding of that growing need but, as we broke bread and passed the potatoes, we said we would all be back soon.

Thank-you Canada for all you have taught us about your land of plenty and the people within it. We learn more everyday and, as we do, know that we couldn’t have come at a better time…nor met better people!

Check back in the next few weeks for more of Lisa and Ryan’s Excellent (if not Chilly) Adventure!

1st Destination: Easter Holiday Columbia, SC

I did not enjoy an easy rest in the wee small hours before Lisa, C.J. and I were to leave Winter Haven. All through the night, visions of bandits in huge vans or pickup trucks attempted to break into the new JEEP and make off with all its contents. I knew that the living community we were staying at was a safe one, but being out of the States for a few weeks and especially staying at The Oaks with its 24 hour security, my mind was running with strange ideas. My fears were allayed by the light of day as C.J. and I scouted the local area in search of bottled water for some very much needed coffee. Lisa joined us in the kitchen area just a few moments later to aid in the repacking of the vehicle.

In no time, we were on the road, stopping only for breakfast at the Winter Haven International House of Pancakes. As you can see, the Aroma Muchacho was a BIG hit with the ladies as he enjoyed his first taste of a Rooty Tooty Fresh ‘N Fruity breakfast (and throwing all table manners to the wayside) got it all over his face! After telling the A.M.’s story a few times (see the last blog), the newly formed OAKS TRAVEL TEAM jumped into our respective vehicles and headed toward the Orlando Airport. Thirty minutes or so later, we dropped C.J.’s truck off for safe keeping and were on the road again (Willy Nelson, we love you) heading north toward 95 to reach my parent’s house in Columbia, South Carolina. Other than a quick “re-fueling stop” at a Mexican restaurant, the trip was a quick one.

Pulling into my parent’s Columbia, South Carolina home was a perfect sight for tired eyes, as Lisa, C.J. and I arrived from Winter Haven around 11pm. Sluggishly piling out of the car and grabbing our bags, “The OTT” quietly entered the warm Colonial-style home to find my parents, Beth and T.J., slumbering soundly before the fire and election news television with dog-eared books in their hands. It wasn’t long before the two were wide awake sharing friendly hugs, kisses, and the usual, “How was the trip?” Although the fire was as inviting as the election news and conversation, we weary travelers headed for our rooms and some greatly needed rest.

The next day, I rose early to a bright and clear Easter Morning. It was hardly a warm one in comparison to Tamarindo or even Winter Haven, but in light of our coming Canadian Turn-buckle Tour, it was as good as any. Soon met in the kitchen by Ms. C.J., we dropped some of Costa Rica’s BEST coffee into the maker and immediately the pungent brew’s smell did its magic on the rest of the house, bringing Lisa, my mom, Beth, and father, T.J., to the caffeinated sunshine shrine. As is traditional, my dad made his FAMOUS blueberry pancake breakfast with a side of real maple syrup bacon strips and Costa Rican bananas! Many coffee cups later, the whole house got to work- Dad to his laptop, Mom to prep the house for dinner, C.J. to unpack the car and aid in setting up “The Nerve Center”, Lisa put on her master techie hat, and I got down to the task of divvying up my worldly possessions into several categories: Keep, Throw, Retrieve Later, and Memory/Keepsake. These tasks occupied us all for several hours until we converged upon the kitchen once more to create Easter Dinner!

Dad delegated dinner duties to his new crew with the most important effort going to myself- to make my family’s “secret recipe” Sweet Bourbon Manhattans. Lisa and C.J. happily took some of the work load off my Mom this year and came up with a divine looking salad (bigger than your head), T.J perfectly prepared the Prime Rib, Beth heated up the Ham and steamed the veggies, and I whipped up my specialty, the mashed potatoes. Soon we were visited by my adopted sister, Laura, from next door who, always a whirlwind of fun and energy, added to the feast with a huge Macaroni and Cheese dish and Cake for desert. The kitchen looked like Hiroshima, but the dining room was immaculate (my Mother’s talent) as we sat down to enjoy each other’s company and this exquisitely created dinner. As is every occasion with my family, there was tons of laughing, story telling, political conversations, book reviews, discussions about the economy, and, of course, more LAUGHING! My Dad took the award that night for one of the funniest Taxi Tales the table had ever heard while C.J. astonished us with some amazing vocal acrobatics. Plates cleared, cocktails finished, coffee perked and cake presented, we all settled into our sugar induced comas and later said our good-byes. Another unforgettable holiday!

Early that morning, Mom took Dad to the airport for his usual weekly assignment in Cincinnati, leaving Lisa, C.J. and I to complete our travel item checklist (which I will blog about next time) and far too soon we were hugging my Mom goodbye and, with Aroma Muchacho in tow, hit the open road.

MEET OUR SMELLY FRIEND!

Everyone who comes to Costa Rica quickly learns there are many strange and wonderfully facets to this land’s culture. Here, for your consideration, is a legend handed down to me by my Aunt Betty from when she first made the trip- “The Legend of The Aroma Muchacho.” His name roughly translates to “The Smelly Friend”, suiting him well, as you will soon find out:

In 1998, I was visiting with my Aunt Betty or ¨Bad Betty¨, as she was called, enjoying a few relaxing days of summer vacation. ¨Bad Betty¨ got her name because of her love for good, cold beer on long, warm afternoons. One day as she was about to finish her second trusty six pack, she looked off into the setting sun and gave me a smile that always let you know she had a story to tell. I was about to lean over and ask her what was on her mind when she groggily chuckled and pointed off toward the horizon.


¨Ryan, this sunset reminds me of a time…I was about your age, when I went on vacation with a man I dearly loved. He asked me to join him on the trip of a lifetime, exploring many distant and exotic places, and being young and care-free, I went along. One of our many adventures found us in Costa Rica, where we visited many places along the Pacific Coast to enjoy some sailing and shopping. One small fishing village had a souvenir shop for the growing tourist set and sold carved images of local animals and jewelry made of shells. I went into the darkened shop and browsed some very beautiful pieces of woodworking until I found a really unusual carving that looked like a man, with the face of a monkey, holding what looked like a sandal. Now I’d seen all kinds of things on these trips, but for some reason this ugly creature captured my imagination and I brought it with me to the shopkeeper. I asked him what the trinket was and his eyes grew wide. He looked up at me and responded in very hushed tones.


¨Señorita ¨, he said with a hand resting to his lips, ¨this is a very especial carving for my people, very powerful and very sacred. It is one of our most ancient stories told for nearly as long as that tree has been alive!” The man pointed to a small bush, roughly a foot tall and then continued on with his tale. “This is the AROMA MUCHACHO!” At that moment, a sweet yet rotting smell wafted through the small store, unlike anything I had smelled before. “The Aroma Muchacho is a creature as revered by my people as he is feared! Sit with me, Señorita, and I will tell you the tale, very estrange, but TRUE! ¨

“Outside I heard a loud voice of a man yell ¨Pipa¨ on the foreign Papagayo winds and the shopkeeper handed me my very first Imperial Light, Costa Rica’s native drink. He then began like this:

When COSTA RICA was very young and unexplored, as far back as 1975, many a native Costa Rican told the story of the creature we have come to know as The Aroma Muchacho. It is said to awake very early in the mornings, just before the sun rises, to quietly creep into the village and take the people’s shoes in the night. But even estranger than this…it would only take one at a time! We are told he likes the smell of the shoes and will do anything he can to have them! For many ayears my people were plagued by his unending desire for our smelly shoes, until one man from far to the north came to town selling his Pipas or coconuts. The man walked the beach during the day selling these delicious fruits and would rest beneath the palm trees after a hard day’s work. Usually he would return to his home village but this day he worked extra hard with more Pipas than ever before…having only one left for himself. Many passersby warned the man to be careful for his shoes…they smelled especially bad from the long, hot day...but he said he did not believe in silly folk tales and did as he pleased. Well, the tired man slept through the whole night and in the morning awoke to make his way back home. Immediately he realized the Pipa he kept for his return trip was gone, but his pair of shoes were still together! That’s when he began calling out to all who could hear “Pipas! Pipas!” so they too would learn the secret to appeasing The Aroma Muchacho. A few days later, people from all over Costa Rica came together to discuss what they would do with this especially exciting news! Soon a fiesta was created where the people would bring their best fruits to one place and leave it for The Aroma Muchacho so he will leave our shoes alone…and it worked! From then on and until today, we are still meeting together for The Frutos Zapato, or The Fruit Shoe Festival (held annually at The Oaks), and The Aroma Muchacho has been never seen again. But, every once in a while you can smell him on the Papagayo Winds letting us know he is ready for either our fruit…or our SHOES!”


“I thanked the man immediately for the story, the beer, and paid him for the strange and wonderful statue, returning to my hotel on the hill. I placed the little figurine on the window near my patio and got ready for a date with the man I loved. After a lovely dinner and a walk on the beach, we enjoyed the perfect Costa Rican sunset, then a few drinks at the hotel bar. My gentleman friend walked me to my room a bit later than we both may have liked, kissed me sweetly in the moonlight, and bade me goodnight. I removed my sandals at the door and slipped into my bed and then into sleep. The next morning was yet another gorgeous day and I made some coffee, looking out at the ocean from my terrace. I decided I would bring my friend his morning cup and fixed a tray to bring with me. I stepped out my door, ready to put on my sandals, when I quickly realized that there, at my feet, was only one lone sandal and leading off toward the hill were large muddy footprints! To this day, I swear it is true and I will never forget that there are some things in this world that we may never quite understand. But when it comes to The Aroma Muchacho, I believe.”


“Bad Betty” then came out of her trance-like story, kissed me on the cheek, and made her way into the house to make dinner. Just then, my uncle came home from work and sat down next to me, pulling out an Imperial Light from some bags he carried. He looked at me, took a quick drink of the cold, golden brew, and then looked out to the nearly darkened sky, saying:


“Ryan, this sunset reminds me of a time...I was just about your age, when I fell madly in love with your Aunt Betty,,,”

And Away We Go...

The journey continues! Lisa and I made an early date with a ¨puddle jumper¨ from Tamarindo’s small but useful airport, greeted by the calls of our bovine friends and some early rising Howler monkeys. The process was quick and efficient, the staff, courteous and accommodating for all we newbie fliers, and as the tiny plane was heard above us, anticipation was palpable.

Moments after the ¨bird man¨, a gentleman employed to ride his scooter onto the landing field to scare away the local squatters, made his rounds, the plane came to an impressive pause and the group of waiting wingers piled in. Lisa and I hurried forward so as to get the front seats so we could watch the pilots go through their motions and feel comforted by their professional airs.

The flight to San Jose was a quick and relaxed one filled with images of the beautiful countryside (some parts I believe would never be seen otherwise), from rolling hills and lush mountains and plains to rivers, inlets, and islands just outside of the Nicoya Peninsula. Astounding! Our landing, with its expected mountain-wind turbulence, was amicable and exciting as we taxied toward the San Jose International airport. F.Y.I. look for the N.A.S.A. ¨tent¨, which either is doing weather balloon or satellite surveying or communicating with aliens… you deicide.

We were met by an industrious young man who aided us by bringing our luggage the short trip to our terminal, then made our way into the heart of the port itself. A few well spent hours later (of course filled with many moments spreading the good word of The Oaks), we were on the plane to Miami, and from there, on to our new adventure. When visiting the San Jose Airport, enjoy the musical stylings of a native gentleman on his guitar, with CD at hand for purchase, as he entertains waiting passengers with gorgeous acoustic versions of everything from Puccini and Vivaldi to Eric Clapton and Sarah McLaughlin.

The American Airlines fight to Miami was unremarkable at best in the best ways possible: fast trip, no turbulence, easy landing… and THEN we were herded into customs. The waiting lines for Non-Citizens, seemingly innumerous and unclogged, contrasted greatly against the overcrowded and labyrinthine queues for Actual Citizens, making me long for the easy-going nature of our Tico counterparts. After a good forty five minutes or more, Lisa and I passed through Homeland Security’s gaping maw to find our luggage in baggage claim. Other than the fact we were misinformed about which carousel our bags were to be arriving at, collecting the luggage was a rather simple process and we exited the terminal to catch a cab.

Lisa and I arrived at the Weston hotel to retrieve my truck (revved up to get this journey underway) when the valet at the establishment informed us that they could not find the keys to my ¨Rugged Chariot¨. In hindsight, we were hurried leaving the first time for the Miami airport and the fact that my truck was left alone in their care for over a month, but all logic disappears at 10:30 PM when you know you have an hour and a half drive in store! The Weston staff was as helpful and apologetic as possible and called for a locksmith to get us into the truck. Less than an hour later said specialist arrived and, after a quick diagnosis, returned to his warehouse with my ignition in hand. Another hour later he arrived back at the hotel with two new keys that worked only to start the car… NOT lock or unlock it. Pura Vida, eh? We promptly paid the man for his services (which in the end was less expensive that the proposed parking fee that the Weston thankfully dropped) and The Oaks Duo was on their way! Finally!

The drive to the ¨West Coast¨ of Florida was crisp and filled with mass amounts of music and talk radio so as to keep the sleep from my eyes. More often then not, the dial fell upon some rather strange late night sermons by Florida based pastors and liberal "crazies" whose statements made even this fairly open minded gent cringe. We arrived at our destination and settled into a pre-planned room at the Ramada by our newly found "Lakeland" (now Winter Haven) friend, C.J., who was already well on her way to dreamland when we arrived. We slipped into our respective beds and followed suit. The next morning our Trio ventured over to the local JEEP dealer to purchase the 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited that Lisa and I had had our eyes on since we first surfed the web for adequate and affordable transportation... and there it was. A few minutes of haggling and a bank trip to acquire the necessary funds later, we were driving off in The OAKS JEEP! Yippy! We attempted a drive to Fort Myers Beach to "soak up the atmosphere" but found even the road to get there far too overcrowded (unlike at The OAKS where you are mere moments from the FIVE BEST BEACHES in Costa Rica!) and decided to make other plans. Lunch!

The MacGregor Cafe in Fort Myers was the spot chosen for its outdoor patio and delicious sandwiches (special thanks to our Latina friend for her aesthetic abilities on the apple pie with vanilla ice cream, garnished with mini strawberry cake morsels!) C.J. and I then took a jaunt to my old abode to pack my belongings (more than I expected) to meet Lisa at her personal Mecca, Wal-mart. By the time we arrived, she had collected all the items we would need over the course of the next few days. Just as I was trying on some new cargo shorts (or what we call "The Lisa Jo Uniform"), Lisa's cart was mistakenly absconded away by a fellow shopper and we had to make a mad dash to seek it out. Twenty minutes later, we had discovered the lost cargo and made a hasty exit for the check out. Paid up, packed up, and settled in for our trip, the three of us made our way to Winter Haven, FL for a good night's sleep before we would continue on to Columbia, South Carolina to spend Easter with my parents and connect with the Auto Wrapping Specialist for our newly acquired vehicle!

We made camp at C.J.'s condo that evening and enjoyed some light guitar playing and story telling on the patio, accompanied by our mascot, The Aroma Muchacho! All I can say is that that Aroma loves to tell a tale, for he kept us up a bit too late! In the end, we made it to bed and dozed well for the next morning's journey!

There is MUCH more to come of Lisa's and Ryan's (EXCELLENT and getting CHILLY) Adventure!