Gone fishing (I mean bird watching)

Arrived yesterday in Costa Rica with minimal drama, save almost missing my flight because I didn´t double check my gate (things change). Since every seat on every plane from almost every city in the USA is booked to CR in the next few weeks, I´m glad I figured it out!

Previously my trips to CR has been through a tour guide, and there was a contact person waiting; fortunately I was advised to use the national airport taxi service, because when you step out the door, it´s a meat grinder of cabbies! This taxi manager takes your receipt, tells you to stay close, and basically is your lead-blocker through the lines of arms-swinging-car-keys-yelling-taxi. Somehow if you make it to the curb, the game is that you made it to 'base' and the hopeful hordes turn their attention to the next traveler coming down the chute.

My destination, Hotel 1915, (otél milnovicientoycince) was 2 km away, about a mile and a half, which is why it took 10 minutes to get there... anyone telling you to rent a car in Latin America is a fool-- you are way over your heads here, best to leave it to the professionals who can honk, turn, play the clutch upward on a hill in stop-n-go traffic and do hand gestures to a crushing mass of 4-cylindar vehicles making their way up a narrow, unlined, unmarked corridor of streets (I have yet to see a street sign of any type, and I walked around an hour this morning). The taxi abruptly stops, pops the trunk tells me we are here, and there I stand outside a barracaded storefront...I had to go stand in the street to see the sign, but there it was. After a brief wait, I was allowed into the fortress, which actually is amazing once you get inside.
Only one staff person speaks English, about how I speak Spanish, so once she showed up we figured most of it out... my expedition team were put up in a new apartment complex owned by the hotel a few blocks away.

My roommate is Kevin (19, so. Calif.); the rest of the team includes Marsha (50's, NY), Kirsten (30s, UK), Jessica (Kevin's girlfriend from CA), Monica (17, so. CA) and the guides. We have yet to meet 2 of the team, including main leader, but last night we had supper together and was a good start.

Today we head to our research site after breakfast, so I don´t know what options I will have for email. Until then, Lord bless you.

In Christ, Jim