This week is Holy Week and because CR is a Catholic nation, we get the whole week off. But because my SO works in a plant, when the plant workers get off, he works extra to install new machines and such. He had to work until Wednesday, then had off the rest of the week. Since Holy Week is the most traveled week of the entire year, it's nearly impossible to make last minute reservations. So I told my SO I wanted to take a day trip to a place about an hour or so away. That way we can take the dog in her crate and have her get used to it a little.
So Friday we drugged up the dog with a little benadryl, threw her in the crate, and headed to some windmills about 30-45 minutes away. I've been wanting to go to these windmills (okay, wind turbines) for a long time, the view looked so nice from the top! They're on the top of a mountain.
The dog was doing so well, she was laying down in the crate and just enjoying the ride. The drive up was insane, the roads were sooo steep! And there were TONS of people walking to the top. I almost wondered if it was some Easter pilgrimage (Costa Ricans are into pilgrimages) but I think it was just a lot of people decided to go. We came to this one part in the road that was ridiculously steep, like I felt like the car might flip over it was so damn steep. And the car didn't make it. We have to go back down the small part of the road backwards. We stop the car to let it rest (it was overheating) and right then the dog barfs all over the crate. I manage to wipe her down a little and get her out and walk her around a little to maybe help her.
I try to convince my SO to leave his car and we can walk up. I mean there were so many people walking! And let's just say they weren't the fittest people I've ever seen. But, my SO is dead set against it. He hates walking and he's worried about leaving the car unattended (it's likely to get broken in to or stolen altogether.) So we try one more time to get up the hill, and nope. Not going to make it.
Right when we're having to go back down the hill backwards, another car comes storming up the hill. Because if you don't gun it at the bottom, you'll never make it up. So the car almost hits us, which gets my SO even more pissed. He manages to move somewhat out of the way, for the car to pass us (it had to go back to the bottom and start again). But in moving he almost hits the siderail. He's so pissed now I'm not even talking to him because I know it'll make things worse.
We start our descent and the dog barfs again. She is now sliding around in her barf (even though yes, there were sheets in her crate) and being totally freaked out. I put on the heat in the car to help with the overheating. My SO then has what I would call a mini panic attack as he says "we don't have brakes".
Well that scared the shit out of me, but it wasn't so much we didn't have brakes as the brakes weren't good enough to make us come to a complete stop on this super steep road. I'm trying to talk to him calmly saying "you're doing fine" and I realize he doesn't have the car in gear. I tell him to put it in 1st or 2nd and the engine will help slow the car down. He goes around a sharp curve and the dog crate flips over! So I frantically turn around to put the crate back, luckily no barf spilled over because that would have sent my SO into rage overdrive.
We make it down the steep part and my SO is so angry and sweaty I tell him I'll call a friend that lives nearby to see if we can come over and sit by the pool, relax a little, and drink a beer (or four). She says they're just leaving for somewhere so we can't come. We decide to stop at a bar on the way home, but EVERYTHING is closed because it's Holy Week and heaven forbid someone drink during Holy Week.
We finally get home and I clean the barf from the crate, the sheet, the dog and the car while my SO grabs a beer and sits in front of the TV. He calmed down a bit later.
So yeah, worst day trip ever. (just checked a map and the elevation goes from 1000m to 1750m in about 4 km)
Where we wanted to go
The hill we couldn't get up. It doesn't look that steep in the picture, but it's really quite steep.
But Saturday we loaded up again (this time sans barf dog) and went to some nearby waterfalls. It was beautiful and we had a really good time. On the way home we wanted to stop at a famous restaurant called "La Fiesta del Maiz" (the corn party) but we couldn't find it so we settled on "La Fiesta del Pollo" (the chicken party). We had a huge lunch and were very happy to get home and pass the fuck out for about 3 hours.
The river on the hike/walk down to the waterfall.
Waterfall!
Traditional meal at La Fiesta del Pollo- roasted chicken, rice, tortilla, beans, guacamole, pico de gallo (tomato salad) and baked plantain with cheese. All served on top of a banana leaf.
Oh and here's some random side stories- trash people come by twice a week in this country, Monday and Thursday. But since this week was Holy Week they didn't come on Thursday. Which totally blows because there's nowhere to store the trash. In the USA we have those city issued buckets, but in CR you just throw your bag of trash on the street. So since they didn't come this week we have a few options to do with trash- keep it in your house where it will smell really bad and attract ants, flies etc, or put it on the street where people and stray dogs/cats will rip it apart and strew everything across the street. We went for option two because we thought there might be a chance the trash people come. Now our trash is ripped open and all over the street. The gross part is our neighbor left their trash out as well, but next to their door and I think a cat got into it. Because their trash is all over our driveway now. Including a used condom. I'm pretty sure it's not ours because we haven't used condoms recently (I take the pill) but it's really damn gross. And there's half eaten pizza everywhere. Yuck!
On Saturday my SO wanted to take me to see the burning of Judas. Yeah, that's a thing here. They make a life sized doll to look like Judas, lynch it, beat it and burn it on Saturday, I guess the day Judas betrayed Jesus? Sorry I'm not up on my Bible Stories. But now they don't allow it anymore! All these police were dispatched to make sure no one burned Judas this year. So I never got to see it. Wah wah.
Not sure if this is CR or not, found this on the googles.
Finally, I remembered the other day I'll have to buy Perlita a new dog tag for the USA! Which is a silly thing to get excited about, but whatever. I'm deciding between a cupcake, a strawberry or an I (heart) NC tag. I'm leaning towards the cupcake. It's so silly! Also, it's the brand she has now and engraving never wore off which is nice. I found one that said "No hablo ingles" HAHA! I was joking with my mom that she'll have to get Perlita ESL (English as a second language) dog classes.
I need to take her to the vet to get her papers filled out for flying out. Taking her to the USA so soon!
Anyways. Suppose that's it for now! Everyone have a lovely day.
