Author Archives: veladad

Hindsight is 20/20

Posted on by

The trip had been going very well to this point.

After seven and a half weeks in, with “only” four and a half weeks to go, having already gone through a mini-tour of Costa Rica, a harried border crossing, Nicaragua, London Heathrow, Seville and Malaga/Mijas during Semana Santa, then Barcelona and five days on Las Ramblas – all without incident – we spent almost a week in the relaxing confines of Vauvenargues and the slower pace in Aix.

Maybe there were no previous incidents because I was always in the right place at the right time. Or maybe it was because I was more vigilant before. Whatever it was, I let me guard down, and I was an easy strike for… pickpocketers! Continue reading →

Thoughts from Arenal

Posted on by

I can’t sleep.  Maybe it’s because of the iced coffee I had this afternoon; we went into La Fortuna and I had a second helping of this delicious cafe frio:  an amazing, cold, very creamy concoction made from the fabledly-good Costa Rican coffee.  Think Tim Horton’s iced capp, but much, much better! Continue reading →

Mutual exclusivity of Zen and Parenthood?

Posted on by

It’s hot. Muy caliente. Of course, maybe it just feels that way with a 50-degree shift – from minus 15 to plus 35. It’s mid-afternoon by the time we get to the beach in Playa Hermosa, and the clouds have started gathering, with the wind picking up in bursts. I sit on the black sand next to Nadine, wondering if the sun will peak out through the clouds again – I want to feel even warmer so that I get the courage to dare go into the water. Continue reading →