Brother Blue

On the second bus yesterday I was working on something I am writting for friends. I couldn’t do any writting because of the bouncing of the bus, but I did a lot of work in my head.
It is a document called: “When the man with the machine gun says, ‘You pay $20,’ you pay $20, and other rules for international travel”
Here are a few of the rules
DO YOU RESEARCH (idiot part 1)
So I went to check on how to set up a trip to the beach to see the sea turtles. One type was last here in middle of April, the next group isn’t coming until the full moon in June. Took the worst bus ride of me life to see the spot where the turtle were a few months ago. (Kind of like my quest to see the puffins which took me all over the world and years before I got to hold one in Orlando.) The tutles lay thier eggs seasonal. Duh! When you are going to see something spicific, make sure it is going to be there when you are there.
KNOW WHT YOU LIKE (idiot part 2)
What am I doing in a beach town? I don’t like hot, I don’t like sand. The ocean is find when it is above 45°N. Last night I was laying in bed, sticky as san be thinking. You should know better than this. If you don’t like hot and sticky when you are home, what makes you think you are going to like it some where else. This doens’t mean you shouldn’t streach yourself when you travel, but I should know better than this.
BE FELXABLE
So I don’t like hot beaches. Insted of heading to a different beach for 4 more days I have changed plans. I am going to head back into the mountains tomorrow, but a differnt part than before. Heading to look at the valcano, sit in its shadow and do the reading and writting I was going to do on the beach.
YOUR ATITUDUE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING
So I am here for another day. No turtles. Lots of sun (the thought of makes my pasty white skin redden). I could sulk. I could hide. But no. The plan is to head to Witches Rock. Drink some tea. Finish my pleasure reading. Go buy a long sleeve surf shirt with the money I would have spent on seeing the turtles. Slash in the ocean alittle. Enjoy the fact I am in a beautiful place. This morning at 630am i walked the beach. Waded here and thier. Picked up a cool shell. It was awesome. Life really is to good.
I am off to find the local church and light a candle in thanksgiving for this day.

Not much to report
Was on three buses for a total of 10 hours today. Don’t think it was supose to work out like that. The last three hour bus ride was the roughest I have ever had anywhere in the world. Need to go to the bathroom the whole. It was painful.
Now I am in the beach town of Tamarindo. The hope is to see leather back turtles tomorrow night when they come in from the sea.
Time for a much needed shower. Do some laundry. Short nap. Then dinner.

Very odd. Sitting in the net cafe and late 80´s Madana is on the sterio.
The last 24 hours has been spent with animals of all types.
First I took a little walk after mass. I walk out of town for about 5km and then headed back. I stopped to take a pìcture. It is one of those pictures that is never going t capute what it is. It is like trying to take a picture of Wyoming, but when the picture comes back it is nothing. The photo I took was from the mountain I am on down to the Pasific Ocean.
BIRDS
On the way back from some reason I decided to leave the road and walk on the path paralle to the road (where I should have been the whole time). Heard a rustle. Looked up to see what looked like a tocan, but it was smaller (only 8 inches tall) and green. When I had seen the tocans down of the coast it was from over 40 yards away and they were in flight. Here, he was only a few feet away. He hung out long enough to get a good lock, but not a picture. When I got back into town there was a comotion in the trees above. It was two yellow birds, about the size of robins, chasing a tocan aruond. It was obvious that the yellow birds were scared of the tocan, but from some reason really wanted him to move along. The tocan paid them little mind and when about its business. This time I was able to get out my binoclars and get a great look. Tocans in the wild. Too cool.
SERPIENTES
I went to the world of snakes. Very fun. Leanded how to tell differnace between a venomus snake (in three of the eight snake families in the world) and a non venomus one. The cool picture of the day is of 30 baby boa all in a ball sleeping. Rememeber when looking at a coral RANA meens posionous.
RANAS
I also went to the frog pond. Meet over 30 types of frogs. Learned some great Tico slang (tico is slang from Costa Rican). The world is ojirufo. There is a frog called the ojirufo rana, meaning red eyed frog because it has a red ring around the pupil of the eye like our white. It is also the slag term older ticos use for a drunk.
My guide was great. He mimiced many of the of the frog calls and they called back. I also learned why licking some toads will get you high (as well as make you blind, be sluggish and posibliy die)
BICHOS
(That means bugs, get your mind out the gutter.) While sitting in a little tico diner for dinner a huge bug flew in and landed on the back of the chair of a young American woman. She flicked it away to the floor. I went over and picked it up to carry it outside. After bending to pick it up I made eye contact with another american who mouthed “Thank you” as I took my new friend outside.
SELVA
This morning after a brisk half hour walk up and down the streets of Santa Elena and some bread at the panaria I headed into the jungle. I did a two hour walking tour over a group of bridges. At one point I was 215 feet about the ground and was eye level with the top of a tree. It still amazes the amout of mosture that is needed to have green lushness from the ground to 220 feet in the air. At ground level the brush was so think of the path it would have been imposible to move and the ground brush was 10 feet high.
My new favorite Tico bird is the three wodled bellbird. There wasn´t a previos favorite, but that should not detur it from feeling pride for the title.
Then it was off to the zip lines. 10 in total. Some over 100 yards long. Some over 300 feet above valley floors. The the best way to see wild live, but a very cool look from the top of the world. My group was 15 germans, two spanards, and a honeymooning couple from LA, CA. It was a nice two hours.
I DON´T THINK I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE LIVED HERE
I had a strange thought while looking through my binoculars at a green bird that had tail feathers that were longer than two feet. I thought of my friend Yella from Germany. She was a fellow student at the felmaco school I was at in Granda. Yella, Nic, and myself toured the Alahambra together. It was a beautiful Moorish castle and the last strong hold of the Moores before being driven back to Africa by the Christians. It is an amazing castle with floor to ceiling wood work. Because it is sacrelgious for Muslims to depict people or animals in art (for fear of idle worship) all the carvings were these beautiful gemotric designs. Room and room. Floor the ceiling (many times three stories tall). Yella said, “I don´t think I would have liked to have lived here. I would be afraid I would get use to this beautiful art and take it for granted.
I would if my facination with the birds here is in much the same vein. I love the Western Meadowlark. But the first time I think I really apreicaited its song was when I was driving home from college my freshman year. When I reached the NE boarder I stopped for gas. The first thing I heard was the song of the Meadowlark. It ment I was almost home. A place I missed.
I wonder if I would lose appriciation for the birds here if I saw them everyday.

The Ascension
I simplely do not find my spiritual home in the Church, but it is also my place of work. Because of this many of my friends and loved ones also work in the institution. Sometimes this is a difficult thing. It is hard sometimes (read many time) to separate the people from the institution from the faith. It would be fair to say that over the last few years I have suffered an “institutional fitigue”. I have seen, for many reason, friends lose jobs, offices close, and people hurt. It is hard to see friends who fight for the young church, over night without warning lose jobs.
Then their are moment like this morning. After a cup (well, two) of Costa Rica´s finest café (organico) con leche I walk across the street to Santa Elana Iglesia for mass.
LA IGLESIA
It is a simple wood church. Seating no more than 100. The only sign at the entrance informs that “you are entering the house of God, please turn off your cell phone.” White cloth is hung with white and pink balloons celebrating the resurrection. Two gitarista a strumming while two damas sing the mass parts. Little old ladies are in the front saying a rosary. A picture of the last supper hangs above the presider’s chair, slightly to the right (surprisingly Mary Magdalen is not in the picture). A simple tabernacle is to the side. The Christ in the is stations looks like those sitting in the pews, but Mary is surprisingly anglo. The congregation slowly fills in. Grandparents are kissed on the cheek. Greetings are offered to friends and strangers. Everyone who sits in my row shakes my hand and wishes me a good morning. Prayers are said quietly as children fidget. Most of the community is local, but a few extranjeros are sprinkled about. T-shirts reading “Junior pride 2004″ and “Duke”. All are welcome.
LA MISA
Hymens are song and the precession begins. Padre is led in by a single alter boy. Tiene 12 años. He yawns, unaware that everyone can see him. He rubs the cobwebs from his eyes.
Blessings and peace are offered.
We sit to hear our family stories.
We stand to hear more.
Reflections are offered. What is important? ¿dinero? (money) ¿cosas? (thinks) ¡no! Comunique paz. Comunique amor. At the simplest level it is not about authority or doctrine, but peace and love. Share it.
Oramos (we pray) for the church, the world, peace, heath, and the silent prayers we offer in our heart.
Gifts are giving.
Pan de vida: Blessing offered. Thanks given. Baked to be broken
Copa de vide: Blessings offered. Thanks given. Filled to be spilled.
Nuestro Padre: Hands are opened. Other grab loved ones by the hand and shoulders. The same ancient prayer. I don´t the words in Spanish, but I know the meaning by heart in my heart. Lord you are holy. We do not say this because you need to hear it, but because it is good we remind ourselves of that fact. Feed us today with simple bread. Offer us forgiveness in the way we forgive nuestro hermanos y hermanas. Lead us away form what is away from You. This we believe.
Peace is offered in kisses, hugs, hand shakes, and waves. The language doesn´t matter. We all know what we are saying. Everyone in arms length is touched. ¡Familia!
We move forward, not in order, but as we are ready. El courpo de Chirsto. Amen.
Silent thanks given on seats and on bended knee.
Announcements (¡claro qué sí!)
Heads bowed and eyes raised to heaven for blessings.
Song sung.
¡Estoy en mi casa con mi familia!

Those were the last words that Sr. Aroyo said to me as he dropped me at the bus stop at 615a. He was right, but a good day none the less.
LAST NIGHT
I get on the bus from Cahuite back to where I am staying. I say very clearly where I am heading and about to tell the driver that I am idiot and don’t know where I going and could he please please please stop for me. Before I get a chance to rev my spanish monolog up I realize it is the drive from last night. He tells me, “We won’t miss it tonight and please sit here” Pointing to the first seat on the bus. More angels take care of me.
RIDE TO THE BUS
I was up at 530a to take a shower, have bit of fresh fruit, hang out with the baby sloths who were getting freash air and waiting to be fed (two of them climbed up the side and nuzzled my hand with their noses), and pay the bill. Sr. Aroyo gave me a ride to the bus stop. He was telling me about his time in the states. His first wife. His drive across contry. The four months he spent in San Fansico in 1968. And we drive right past the stop. Quick turn around. A quick hand shake. An admonishment for taking publi transportation concidering my journy. “You have a long day ahead of you.”
THE FIRST BUS
A four hour ride back to San Jose was quite. A early morning crowd, half full bus, open windows, the ocean to the left. I had my ipod in my pocket, but I didn’t take it out. My book was on my lap, but it was never opened. Just rode, and looked, and thought, and looked, and thought some more. Hoped a cab cross town (because there are 9 million bus stations in San Jose, each with its own destination in the country). Bought a ticket at 1030a. The guy selling the tickets said, “You know the bus doesn’t leave until 230p?” Claro!
THE BUS STATION
Very small. One food stand. One restraunt. I had a plate of chicken in white sause, beans, plantains, a coffee (no sugar), and a beer for $4. Very good. On the TV as american tv dubbed. I am always amazed at the shows they dub in to other langauges.
Monk (Season 1 or 2): God choice
Time Travelers???: Not the name of the show. It was a show from the eights where the lead had this little handheld thing that told him where he was and if history was turning out right. It never was, and he had to fix what was happening so things would work out. For some reason he was traveling with a kid. I remember the show, but also remember the lead of the show died in a freak accedent. He was on the set shooting a gun with blanks in it. At the end of the shot he was joking around and shot into his own head. A peice of the blank ended up lodged in his brain and he died. Odd set of thoughts for a Costa Rican bus stop.
Firefly: The space western which I never saw, was cricially loved, and I need to get the DVD from the two seasons it was on.
The Chronical: A show about a “newspaper” which is a cover for a tean of properly ethnically divers, very young and hip, (all with the same bone structure in the face) to investigate paranormal things. Never heard of the show. It is amazing to watch TV without the sound. It all looks the same.
BUS TWO
The second bus trip was an adventure. Image taking a bus into a rigion of the contry that refuses to have paved roads for enviromental reasons, durring the rainy season. The last 60km of the road was dirt(read mud). A masterful bus driver got us hear in one piece.
WHERE I AM
So I am in the middle of nowhere, the farest of map I have gotten on my own (there are two other places on the earth I have been that are more remote). WIth that being said I am in a netcafe with high speed internet and the two computers next to me a occupied by teenbopper girl who are talking like valley girls (in english, their native language) who are getting ready to go out and get “so smashed”. It is more than my little brain can handel.
Off to get food, a shower, and sleep before tackling the rain forest tomorrow.

Quick note and correction from yesterday.
NOTE
Please keep the youth ministry comunity in the US in your prayers. In the last week a diocesan director had a sudden heart attack, feel, injurded his brain and died days latter as well as another office closed. I recieved an e’mail with the suject “new direction” and knew the bad news before the note was opened.
CORRECTION
sloth the sin is pereza
sloth the creature is peresoso or perezoso
THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS
So after waiting an hour in the wrong spot for the bus yesterday, I made my way to the right parada (bus stop). Asked the woman behind the bar if I was in the right spot. “sí” bearly looking up from here text messaging. I asked when the next bus was and she just waved me away. Bought a malted beverage from her with hopes that I hadn´t missed the last bus of the day.
Finally a bus came. I told the driver where I was going and paid. It was pitch black out. I couldn´t find the cord to pull to single a requested stop, and i had no idea what it would look like if i could signal. My hope was the drive would just stop.
As we drove it became clear that the tarain had chaned, I was thinking I missed the stop. My panic look gained the attention of the man across the aisle. He asked where I was going. I told home. Yes, we missed the spot. He looked at his watch and said once we got to Límon there would be one more bus going the other way. Just to be safe he asked the bus driver about hit. The driver said he would help. Then with in 30 second there was a bus coming the other way down the road. He flashed his lights. The exchanged a few words and I jumped form one bus to the next.
There really are nice, kind people all over the world. We are so blessed. It happened so fast I never got to ask my angle on the bus.
BOAT TRIP
I was up at 545a to hop in a canoo with Cali to go exploring. For two hours he paddled up and down the Río Estrea. We enoutered many birds (tocans in the wild, he called it a blessing because they live at higher elevation), crabs, howling monkeys (who produce the most amazing sound), and a sloth.
After the boat ride I had breakfast. Freshfruit, omlet, beans and rice, and toast with jam. Then it was on to the sloth education center. I saw a shot vidoe called “The Sloth Ballet”. It was narated by a wacky british man who sang a song about all the things a sloth could do (such as right play and conqure the world) if only he moved a little faster. The video show the easy the move in the trees, the clumsness on the ground, and the gracefulness of them swimming. (Yes sloths swim. Who knew?)
The facilty is a sloth rescue. I recieved a tour. Saw the sloth who where going to be nursed back to health and released as well as the ones who will never be able to (mostly because they we resuced before maturety, meaning they were never taught how to be a sloth. I never got to hold a sloth, but did get to pet a few. Met both the two toed and three toed.
It facility is the only sloth resuce in the world and they are doing important reserch in to how to help both two and three towed as they face the growing encrouchment of man. (Image a sloth trying to cross a road, not perrty).
Fun facts:
* sloths have full ecosystem in thier fur, including moss growing which camfloges them and moths who eat the moss
* sloths main forms of defense are stealth, thick hids, and being still
* they also service becasue of thier abiltiy to are able to heal from major wounds, included fall of 90 feet and having thier hearts stop because of drownding for as long as 14 minutes.
* two twoed are ominvours (three twoed herbavors) eating leaves and slower moving animals (though I can´t image what those would be)
* they can live 30 years
* they only come out of the trees once a week to deficate
* they sleep 18 hours a day
* they are able to matabolizethe mostiure out of leave, there for never need to drink water
RAIN RAIN IT´S OKAY
It is the rainy season. Today it has rained most of the day. It is 65 and perfect. I love the rain. Have a hat and rain gear for the heave stuff, which seems to come for about five minutes every hour. Today waited in the rain for 25 minutes to take the bus into town. It is nice to be in such a lush wet place. If anything it keep th heat down. Maybe because I grew up in a place with out rain it is such a treat.
REST OF TODAY
The rest of the day is going to include food at Cha Cha Cha´s, so reading, a strool on the back sand beach, a nap, and packing.
TOMORROW
bus to san jose then to montverde few a few days in the cloud jungle.

The plan was to sleep in a little and catch a 10am bus to the coast. I managed to get to sleep about 1230a (which was 230a body time, it is Moutain time here). I awoke at 5am. Tried to get back to sleep. Tossed and turned for about 25min. Then dicieded to jump on the 6am bus.
It turned out to be a good choice. The bus wasn´t crowed and it got me to my destination by 10am.
LITTLE FRIEND
As I dashed in and out of the bathroom this morning I saw a little movment on the floor. It was a lizard. Small enough that its body would have fit on a quarter.
BREAKFAST
Breakfast was chicken empenda. Dough wrapped around chicken an cooked. I was frustrated in my order. I was saynig the right words, but my pernucation was so poor it took three or four time. Yes hand held chick pot pies are the breakfast of champions.
THE RIDE
The bus ride to the coast was very nice. As I said yesterday, I had no idea what the land looked like coming in so late. Green green green. From the grount to 60 feet in the air everything is green. Ever shape. Every serface. The road system here is much like driving through West Verginia. There is not a straight road in the place. As we made our way to the coast we slowly left the moutain for the banana fields before getting to the coast. This was about two hours of driving. Sun was up by 6am so it was a wonderful way to start the day and introduced to the country. A genlty swaying bus with sleepy pasengers and the break of a new day in a new place.
We then turned south down the coast on a simple road. Banana trees to the left and ocean to the right. Road bearly wide enough for our bus, much less on coming trafic. Lots of dodging pot holes.
SMALL VICOTIRES
The bus driver spoke no English. I was able to comunicate in one try that I need the bus to stop 11km short of our final destination and just drop me on the side of the road. Noramlly I wouldn´t concider being dropped in the middle of nowhere in country I have never be in. It was my desire. Post lunch drink, was able to orded in spanish. Opions explained. Special request made. Small victories. Sitting here as I type this I was just asked to serve as translator between the woman who runs the net cafe and a German tourist at the request of the Costa Rican. To weird.
PEREZA
Tonight and tomorrow I am staying at Aviarios bel Caribe a small bed a breakfast out side of Cahuita. Besides being a cool little place off the beaten path that is a wield life preserve, it is also a sloth(pereza) rescue.
I arrived at 10am and my room wasn´t ready. The staff scrambled with this odd frenetic sense for a group of people who live on the beach to prepare my room. While I was waiting I got out my binoculars and just watched all the bird. In 5 minutes I must have seen 20 differnt types. In blacks, reds, yellow, and blues. For a moment I felt a little sad for the birds of the great plains. They have nothing but brown and sage to blend into. Not vibrant colors. Even the ones that look grey at a distance has intrecite color. A number of lizard run in and out of the bushes. Ranging from 1 to 4 feel long.
As I was looking at the birds I noticed to platic bins on the table next to me. At first it looked like rags, but it turned out it was three baby sloths napping in the friesh air. One of them opened his eyes and looked at me for a while. I got a neat little video of him rubbing the cobwebs fom his eye. I will post when I get home.
Tomorrow I am going to do the boat wildlife tour at 6am. Then meat the sloths up close.
CAHUITA
The B&B I am at is only that, breakfast. So I need to head into town to get some food. There was no taxi to be found. SO once again the staff started scambling to get me a ride. Running here and thier. The daughter of the owner (and her 3 year old) drove me into town. This mad rush to get me to a sleepy beach town. My goal in town was to eat. Sit by the beach and read (book review to come after the trip). Get on line to let me family know I am alive. No need to rush. What ever.
Lunch was some caribian chicken and beans and rice at Miss Ester´s.
Rest of the day will be walking the beach, eating a little more. Catching the bus back (hopfully once again explaining where I need to get out). A second cold shower (it is a little warm and moist here).

The old APeX saying holds true, `better late than Newark`.
Two hours late because the sun was shining or something like that. May be it was because I flew on a day that ended in a y.
I am here, safe, and sound.
It is odd being in a new city for the first time at night. I have no real sense of what is it like. That will be a gift of the morning.
Tomorrow I am up early to catch a bus to the coast (seems like the logical place to start in the contry of Costa Rica)

Fly to San Jose, Costa Rica today.
Details of adventures to come daily(ish).

When we pray, it is not just order we cast into the heavens, but something we must own. Here is a prayer shared by my friend Carole at the meeting I a currently at.
Response: Hear the cries of your people, O God.
God of Mercy, hear our prayers for all those still burdened by unimaginable losses from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and their chaotic aftermath. We pray: R
God of Comfort, hold our anguish in your heart. We have heard of the devastation of whole neighborhoods empty and still lying in rubble. Give your people comfort. We pray: R
God of Challenge, wake up our government officials and let them feel our frustration over their empty to these forgotten people. We pray: R
God of the Forgotten, compel those who are responsible for the lingering devastation to respond again and again to the disaster on the Gulf. We pray: R
God of Justice, forgive our blaming. We know you understand our blaming is rooted in our own distress over what is still undone. We pray: R
God of Unconditional Love, forgive us for insulating our lives from the ongoing suffering of the people living on the Gulf and for embracing normalcy instead of compassion. We pray: R
God of Healing, we ache for those who are still homeless or displaced and have no hope for a homecoming. We pray: R
God of Welcome, bless the displaced with a hospitable host wherever they have found themselves and help them to feel “at home” with a new community of faith. We pray: R
God of the Suffering, teach us to share abundantly with our traumatized brothers and sisters. We pray: R
God of Sharing, may we continue to remind those with whom we work and live that the Gulf still needs our attention. We pray: R
God of Action, find the means to fill the empty trailers that stand in rows and rows a few miles from the devastation so that those living in tents have better protection against the rain and wind. We pray: R
God of Caring, may the survivors find a dry and comfortable place to live until their homes and repaired and readied against the next storms. We pray: R
God of Justice, stop the waste, the fraud, the inflated prices and rampant abuse by opportunists who prey on the lives of the traumatized survivors of the storm. We pray: R
God of Comfort, heal the memories of heartbreak and death and tumbling lives. We pray: R
God of Mercy, may our brothers and sisters on the coast receive the hope and help we offer. We pray: R
God of Restoration, may they experience the care of thousands of us in the years to come so that they are not alone as they rebuild and repair. We pray: R
God of Justice, remember the uninsured and the underinsured who now rely on our charity to assist them in rebuilding. We pray: R
God of Greatness, may the survivors know that we reach out to serve the in Your name, as a response to You and not for our own gratification. We pray: R
God of Protection, keep the new storms abated as we enter the next season of winds of fury so that the devastated people of the Gulf coast have respite from terror. We pray: R
God pf Peace, still the anger and ease the confusion of a battered and traumatized people. We pray: R
And so we pray. So much has been given and so little has been done. May our storm ravaged brothers and sisters of the Gulf recognize the gifts we offer are not the end but the beginning of our pledge to never forget them. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen