Costa Rica 6, Twenty-Fourth Day In Monteverde

I woke up early, around 3:45, but I already had six and a half hours sleep and I felt rested, so I got up and got started, spending a lot of time on drawing and colouring and also spent some time reading CBC online, only just enough to keep me informed but not enough to get me angry or worried. Shortly after I was up, a beautiful jewel scarab came flying into my room through the open door. These are a local beetle that is a gorgeous metallic gold colour. They look like elegant cufflinks. Somehow, this visitor seemed to feel like a blessing, so I did a little search online and here's what I found: "In general, when you encounter jewel beetle symbolism, it is a reminder that life is unexpected moments of joy and beauty, in the smallest of packages. Thus this insect teaches us to find beauty in everything. When we focus on this aspect of our lives, we will come home to the joy we were meant to live. Alternatively, like the iridescent hummingbird, jewel beetle meaning is a reminder that all of your dreams are possible and that you can manifest them now." I went to mass after breakfast with Rafael and Luz-Mery, Esteban's parents. It was quite enjoyable and the little church was packed, I think, with almost three hundred worshipers. A little kid in front of me was twisting and twitching and squirming like a restless squirrel and ended up almost kicking me as he stuck his leg behind him and I had to stop his leg with my hand, saying "Cuidado" or careful. His mom turned around to apologize and he looked at me and I gave him a big smile to assure him it was no big deal (actually, I thought it was funny and the little boy respnded with a big beautiful smile, and suddenly we were friends. Luz-Mery was sitting next to me and she was just cracking up with laughter. Afterward there was a food event just outside and the street was also closed to vehicle traffic for a car-free day or also known as Monteverde Sin Humo, or Monteverde without smoke. A couple of guys visiting from Quebec asked if any of us speak English, and I replied that I do sometimes, which is very true, and they wanted to know some things about the food event, so I asked Luz-Mery, then translated for them. When I asked them how they liked Costa Rica so far, they replied that it's full of tourists, and they didn't seem too pleased when I replied that, well, we're tourists too, aren't we? Maybe I should learn when to keep my mouth shut. Or maybe not. I think they needed to hear that. There was also a machine spewing out tons of iridescent bubbles. Can you imagine how a cat would go absolutely nuts looking at that? After we returned from church I went for a walk and sat for a while in the Cafe Monteverde and enjoyed chatting wth one of the staff there. He plays violin cello and is already performing publicly with an orchestra. I think he's just in his early twenties. Then I walked back to Santa Elena, the street party was still in full swing and there were ladies folk dancing in beautiful swirling and billowing taffeta gowns in brilliant solid colours: bright yellow, sapphire blue, orange, magenta, scarlet and crimson and purple. i stopped for a bite to eat in a pizza and burger joint nearby. I asked the waiter how his brother is, who lives in Chilliwack, just near Vancouver. He replied that they're both going through a difficult time because their father just died last week. I offered my condolences, and it's also a good reminder that we never know what other people in our contact might be going through in the moment. The four mile walk back was fairly uneventful, outside of two, likely American. young people, a man and a woman, jogging on the high narrow trail above the road, which is dangerous, because it is so narrow that people can't even pass each other and a lot of people, including children, walk on it. So I gave them both royal shit for their ignorant behaviour, they tried to ignore me and I called them pendejos (look it up) For local people, I will cut tons of slack, but when Gringos start throwing their weight round, best that you don't let me anywhere near them, because my inner dad is going to be on the loose..