Leaving Monteverde

June 8

Yesterday, we left Monteverde and came to Manuel Antonio, on the pacific coast.

First, leaving was more difficult than I thought it would be. I told my tico papa and one brother bye the night before. The next morning, I told everyone bye as they left. Genesis, the baby of the family gave me parting gifts of a purse and headband. So sweet! Finally, it was just tica mama Rosa and I. She was going about her business; I was reading. I decided to walk to Monteverde one last time to buy a gift in the gift shop that I saw when I first arrived. So, she was surprised I was leaving earlier than I had originally thought. We hugged; she asked if she could pray for me, and held my hand as she did so. I couldn’t understand everything that was said (dang brain of mine isn’t cooperative about this whole Spanish thing). However, like my tico papa, she did say when I come back to Monteverde, their house was my house. I always have a house in Monteverde. My eyes? Yeah, I’m not talking about that.

I am still frustrated that I do not have the ability to effectively communicate all I would have liked to have said. I am hoping I was able to convey my sincere appreciation of them opening up their home and welcoming me. I plan to send them a note when I get home saying what I would like to say.

On a funny note, I guess one of my tico brothers (Victor, 18), who seemed to have a bit of a crush on one of my classmates who lived across the road, told her that I was nice and that, “I wasn’t like all of the others.” I think I will just take that as a compliment.

This motmot bird made an appearance on my last morning in Monteverde