Tues March 9th and on

Our friends Dave and Wendy arrived on Sunday evening, and are staying in a park model here in the park, so on Tuesday we took them over to see our new trailer, and look around the park.
Lary's kildeer carved bird is nearly finished, it now has brass legs and is mounted on the manzanita burl, so we headed off to get a plastic box to put it in to protect it.

Very windy in the evening, we packed for our trip, and got Sue and Jen some very basic groceries. They arrive Wednesday AM and we'll pick them up and take them to their hotel where they will stay overnight before coming out here.

Wednesday was a bit of a challenge, we went into the airport and met Sue and Jen, took their bags to their Palm Springs hotel and left them in the lobby as their room wasn't quite ready so early in the day.

Then we went and ate lunch together and had a brief catchup with them. Jen had a rental car a big one that looked like a police car, black. Mercury Grand Marquis.

Then we returned hurriedly to the campsite, and got ready to head out to Costa Rica with the travel group here. Met at the gate and a bus collected us and we drove to Los Angeles, and stayed in the Hacienda Hotel quite near the airport. We went out to the Sizzler Restaurant across the street from our hotel, and then crashed into bed for an early get up next day.

Up at 5:30 AM, breakfast at the hotel, and off on a shuttle to Los Angeles airport. Lary and I were ahead of the group, not a good thing apparently. Sunny weather, we flew off to Phoenix on US Airways, left at 10 AM, a short flight, and there we transferred to another plane and the much longer flight to Costa Rica. Paid $25 each to check our bags. Left Phoenix at 1:02 PM.

Arrived Costa Rica early about 1830 PM, and met the tour guide Orlando Vargas, the paramedic Wilbert and the driver Fabio, and were greeted with tropical flowers for each lady in our group. Tour bus into the hotel. The flowers are really gorgeous. Had dinner in Denny's Restaurant which is right in the hotel, it's the Irazu Best Western, also has a casino and a very active bar, kind of an outdoor covered bar. Hotel is on the Panamerican Highway which goes all through Central America, so heavy traffic, good location not far from the airport, and near quite a few restaurants.

We were given coupons for a modest breakfast each day in Denny's Restaurant, and got more info on the program for the week from Shirley Graham, our main escort from Gadabout Tours. She has worked many years with Orlando and Wilbert. It is quite normal in Costa Rica to have a paramedic accompany tour groups the whole time they are on tour.