Our trip to Jaco yesterday was interesting....poor Ry drove the stick-shift Subaru up and down these crazy hills, behind huge trucks, causing a few stalls here and there. (I forgot to mention, they hardly sell Automatic cars here, as it’s not MACHISMO to drive an automatic.)

 

2 hours after setting out Saturday morning, we arrive in Jaco. Excited to hit the beach, there’s one little snag. The car seems to be struggling - shuddering when accelerating. I start to panic, and question Ryan’s driving. (Typical, I know.) So poor Kat is in the back listening to us argue and debate as to whether or not the car is breaking down. We come to an agreement to get it looked at. After stopping in a rental car agency, the guy at the front desk explains to me where we can find someone to take a look at the car (yes, more directions in Spanish!)

 

We pull up to this tiny shack - 3 teenage boys are checking out a motorcycle and a beat up pick-up truck. As I step out of a car, a guy in his 40’s, covered in oil says “Can I help you.” I begin to explain our problem and how we ended up here. He asks us to go for a ride with him in the car. It’s like 100 degrees, by the way, we’re all sweating like crazy and I hope I’m communicating properly.  Kathy’s not feeling great, so I’m hoping to get this over with and get her some food.

 

After a brief car ride, we return to the shop. The man and the teenagers pop the hood and start tinkering around. He looks at me and informs me this is a “muy bueno” car  and if we own it, we’ve made a great purchase. Whew, that’s a relief, I just wish I could understand what they were muttering to each other. After 30 minutes, they show me a pump and explain that it wasn’t working well. They open up  a new one, install it, and the man hops in our car and takes off.

 

At this point, you may be thinking we’re crazy - letting him hop in our car, barely understanding what they “fixed.” Well, there was something about this guy we just felt like we could trust. He comes back 5 minutes later, declaring it’s fixed. I ask him how much, and he asks for 6 thousand colones - 12 bucks. When Kat, Ryan and I get back in the car, it’s driving like a dream. We are all psyched and head to the beach. For those skeptics of you out there - yes, this is a reality. Costa Ricans are generally VERY trust worthy, honest, helpful people. Of course, you can’t trust everyone, but in this case, we know this guy has taken good care of us.

 

After hitting the beach (for those who’ve visited the most gorgeous beaches down here, Jaco is not one of them) we hang out around the town and have a beer, just kick back. The town has got a cool vibe - it’s a serious party town.

 

On our drive back to Heredia, we stop to see a few crocodiles at this touristy stop near a bridge (pictured above, Caitlin and Miche, I’m sure you remember this spot).

 

Terry gets here tomorrow!