Costa Rica on a Wednesday morning

Hello everyone!

We are still in Costa Rica and are looking forward to flying back into the US to go on our vacation cruise! I am so glad Spanish uses the same alphabet as we do, it makes trying to read and understand everything here easier. Also, where we are staying, much of the staff and surrounding stores and restaurants have English speaking people. That, I didn't expect and have been happily surprised by it. I figured if one goes to another country it is the responsibility of the traveler to learn the local language and since we had a week and a half to get ready for this trip, we didn't have time to learn a language.

Jeff is doing so well with his first class. Today the first one ends at noon and the second class starts after lunch and goes until Friday. I am so very pleased because one Intel class that was taught in Malaysia was a disaster and now New Horizon of Sacramento is going to fix it by redoing it. They are requesting Jeff! His reputation is now global. We are hoping they don't fly Jeff to Malaysia but instead do a virtual class from his office, which his bosses would prefer due to costs of travel.

Except for that, not much happening... Jeff is gone and I stay around the hotel or the nearby shops because I don't feel confident of my safety if I go much further. There are security guards everywhere here, 24 hours. Yes, that's good that we have them but why we need them is what concerns me. :-)

Oh... we are having fun with the local currency, Costa Rican colones (sounds like: ka-loan-ays). They come in 10,000, 20,000, etc. notes and then you have the coin which is huge and heavy. I really love that tipping isn't required here. The price you see is the price with tax and, if eating out, a tip already added to the bill. You pay what you see. I love this system!!

Please email us (really, Renee) if you are so inclined. You have no idea how much I miss everyone; but I am grateful for this once in a lifetime opportunity and am thanking God for it all. Fair warning to my babies in my life, Paige and Madison, you are going to be swallowed up by my love when I get back! And I might not let go for a week!

Bye for now.