the may cocktail hour: our final month in costa rica

May 31, 2026: Welcome to our May cocktail hour. Let’s have a nice spring cocktail like a Vodka with SanPellegrino Peach & Clementine (Mike’s concoction). If we’re lucky, we can venture outdoors as the weather has been warm, breezy, and mostly sunny with some clouds tossed in; some days it has been rainy and windy but still warm. Maybe we’ll be lucky enough to see one of the month’s two full moons: The Flower Moon or the Blue Moon. You can meet our son Adam, who came for a short visit. You’re welcome to come along on our last short trip to Hacienda Guachipelin where you can soak in the Oropéndola waterfall or the Río Negro thermal pools; you can also watch the Montezuma Oropendola build and tend their lantern-like nests or enjoy a relaxing massage. You can come along with us to the Desfiles de Boyeros (oxcart parade) in Tierras Morenas or simply relax at the pool. Sunset is now at around 5:58 every night and we can mingle on the balcony and sip our drinks while watching painterly skies at sunset.

I have a variety of soda, seltzer water, or bebida de aloe for those of you who don’t drink. I also have some kombucha made by my friend Farida. Mike can also whip up some excellent smoothies. Thanks for joining us in our escape into a peaceful corner of the world.

May marked our twelfth and last month in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Even though our last month was quiet, it was still lovely just to enjoy our temporary home for our last month in the country.

The last few days of Adam’s visit to Costa Rica

The first of May was our last day with Adam in Costa Rica. We took him to the Subasta Ganadera Tilarán (Tilarán Livestock Auction) as he had never been to a cattle auction before. Sadly, we took our sweet time going there, so we missed the auction because of a new law that requires all cattle to be tagged on both ears; many cattlemen hadn’t had time to properly tag the cattle under the new rules, so the auction had been short because there weren’t many cows. He still enjoyed seeing the set up.

On our way back from the auction, we stopped at Lake Arenal Brewery to have a few brews and play some pool.

Later that evening, we went to Tilatacos where Adam was able to meet Mike’s swimming buddy Ivan.

Mike drove Adam back to the Nicaraguan border on the 2nd and he made his way slowly to his lonely house on Ometepe.

A short overnight escape to Hacienda Guachipelin

On Wednesday the 6th, Mike and I drove to Hacienda Guachipelin Volcano Ranch Hotel & Hot Springs, not far north of Liberia. We went for a one night stay. We visited the Oropéndola Waterfall on the Río Blanco, taking a short walk over hanging step bridges and then dipping in the refreshingly cool water.

After the waterfall, we went to the Río Negro Hot Springs where we soaked in hot pools, cooling off in the river between the steaming soaks. It was hot and humid in this area, so we enjoyed the cool river best. Though there were two tour groups there when we arrived, they eventually left and we had the whole hot springs to ourselves.

We enjoyed a lovely dinner at Nekajui Restaurant at the hotel.

On Thursday morning, we had coffee on our front porch and watched the Montezuma Oropendolas building and tending their lantern-like basket nests. Then we enjoyed relaxing massages at Simbiosis Spa. We showered, hung out by the hotel pool for a bit, ate lunch at the cafe, and were on our way back home.

Homebody stuff & Mother’s Day

We missed the Flower Moon on May 1 because it was too cloudy to see. We spent much of the month with me finishing up this blog and continuing to book our Scandinavian trip. We played Scrabble five times with Mike winning three times and me two.

I got sick with a bad head cold on Saturday night before Mother’s Day on May 10, so I was miserable all day on Sunday. I had a long and sad chat with Adam who was depressed as no progress was being made toward reconciliation with Maria. Sarah also called and we had an upbeat talk. As a mother, I always feel deeply for whatever my children are feeling, so I was depressed talking to Adam and then cheerful after Sarah’s call. Mike had gone for a swim with Ivan in the cove on Sunday morning and I stayed in bed sick. Mike cooked all the meals for the day, making a nice dinner of tilapia with green curry sauce, rice and shredded fresh veggies.

I got another round of lowlights on my hair with Sofía Barrientos on Wednesday the 13th while Mike went to the dentist for a filling. On Thursday, I had a turquoise pedicure with Paulina Miranda of S.O.S. Beauty Center for the last time; she has done all my pedicures in Costa Rica.

And we finally ran into Cilantro Man, the deaf-mute man from Tronadora who sells fresh cilantro in front of the MegaSuper; we hadn’t seen him in about a month and were happy to find he was okay. He was happy to pose for a picture with Mike.

I finished 6 books in May bringing my total to 27/48. I especially enjoyed Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, The Makioka Sisters by Jun’ichirō Tanizaki, and The Places in Between by Rory Stewart. We watched four movies: a silly Italian movie called Buen Camino and the adorable movies Je m’appelle Agneta, Remarkably Bright Creatures, and Faraway, set in Croatia. We started watching a couple of new series or new seasons of old series: Thank You Next (Kimler Geldi Kimler Geçti) (S3) and Imperfect Women. We finished watching Big Mistakes (S1), Love Life (S1), Lincoln Lawyer (S4), and Wallander (S1). We continued watching Finding Ola (S2); To Love, To Lose; Made with Love; Love Life; Virgin River (S7); Your Friends and Neighbors (S2); Grantchester (S5); Wallander (S2); Love Life (S2); and Paradise (S2).

Dining Out

Friday night the 8th, Darrell and Farida came by our house where we enjoyed beers and wine and then we drove to Nuevo Arenal to have dinner at Restaurante Tinajas. We have only ever been there at lunchtime, and it was a bit strange being there at night because we were almost the only patrons there and our lake view was obliterated by darkness. Still. It was fun as always.

Once we got the deposit for the car from Suzanne on Thursday morning the 14th, we felt relieved of a huge burden. To celebrate, we went out to lunch at El Corral just to get out of the house and away from our worries. I had shrimp with rice and Mike had a grilled chicken fajita-style.

On Saturday night we drove to Nuevo Arenal to try one of the few remaining restaurants that we’d never tried, Restaurante la Casa de Doña Celina. What a pleasant experience. For one, the weather was refreshing and breezy. The Costa Rican family who ran the restaurant was super friendly and the food, though typical Costa Rican food, had little twists that gave it a one-up on most comida tipica.

We met our friend Bruce for dinner at a place he recommended but we’d never tried. We wanted to say goodbye and thank him for all the help he gave us when we first arrived and when we lived in Buena Vista Condos. He said he enjoys helping people; his parents taught him that if he could help other people, he should “get off his lazy ass” and help them. We had lunch at Lava Lake Cafe in Tronadora to enjoy “American food at American prices” (according to Anne), and said goodbye to Eden. Finally, we went out to dinner with Darrell and Farida at Ginger Indian Restaurant, where, as usual, we shared a lot of laughs.

On Monday the 25th, Memorial Day in the U.S. but nothing special in Costa Rica, we went with our friend Carol to Restaurante Tinajas for lunch, where we talked about grandparenting duties and boundaries. Carol told us about a boa imperator that got into her house and slithered over the “Whispering Skulls” puzzle we had given her. On Tuesday, we went to Pop’s for an afternoon ice cream cone. On Thursday the 28th, we met Farida and Darrell at Moya’s Place. And on Saturday the 30th, we had a pizza at Gutierrez Family Pizza.

Drives, walks and local explorations

We took a 3-mile walk up from Sabalito on Sunday the 3rd. On Tuesday the 12th, we walked up from Sabalito and saw the cows lining up for their morning milking. On a cloudy, windy and humid Saturday (16th), we walked for what I told Mike would be my last walk on the gravel road up above the pickleball courts, near Cinco Esquinas (Five Corners). On the 21st, we walked once again from Sabalito. On Tuesday the 26th, we walked our final walk on Peninsula 1 in Tronadora. On Saturday the 30th, Mike swam in the cove while I walked a 3.12 mile loop around Tronadora. And on Sunday, our last full day in Costa Rica, we walked uphill from Sabalito and then back down, around 3 miles, seeing some calves and some final beautiful views.

Selling our 2014 Mitsubishi ASX Outlander Sport

Most of the first half of the month was spent trying to sell our car before leaving Costa Rica. Mike got the DEKRA inspection, on Monday, May 4, which we passed, and replaced brakes and brake pads, as well as the battery. He posted the car for sale on Saturday, May 9. I was feeling a bit stressed about this as that only left us 3 weeks to sell the car!

Luckily, Carla, the manager at Lake Arenal Condos, had put us in touch with a woman from Colorado, Suzanne, who is planning to live in Lake Arenal Condos beginning in late July. She was looking to buy a car for her 1-2 year stay in Costa Rica. Mike and Suzanne have been in touch frequently; during this time, Mike gave her a lot of information about the car, general car prices and comparisons in Costa Rica, what the DEKRA entailed, everything that is known about our car, and so on. Being a finance guy, Mike is very detailed and thorough in these kinds of transactions. He had numerous online face-to-face conversations with Suzanne.

Finally, on Thursday the 14th, we agreed to the terms of the deal and she gave us a decent deposit on the car. At first, we had hoped to get Suzanne to give a POA to Carla so we could close the deal before we left, but we found out that for someone in the U.S. to give a power of attorney to a Costa Rican for Costa Rican legal matters, they must do it in a Costa Rican consulate. As Suzanne lives in Denver, where no consulate is nearby, that plan of action was impossible.

On Wednesday the 20th at noon, we met with Ximena Sánchez Castro, an attorney who lives right next door to us in Lake Arenal Condos. She had drawn up a special power of attorney in which Mike and I granted power to Carla Alexandra Rojas Murillo, the manager at the condos, to finalize the sale of our car for us. Carla will be here on July 29, after we are long gone, and will sign in our stead to turn over the car to our buyer from Colorado, Suzanne.

Until the car has actually been transferred to Suzanne in late July, I will feel a bit uneasy, although I think Mike and Suzanne have established trust for one another. It’s hard to buy a car sight unseen, but we did it when we arrived in Costa Rica (or at least we committed to it with a deposit before arriving). And we didn’t have even a fraction of the information that Mike has provided to Suzanne.

Traditional Desfile de Boyeros (oxcart parade) in Tierras Morenas

On Friday at noon, we went to Tierras Morenas, not far from our condo, to see the traditional Desfile de Boyeros (oxcart parade). The celebration combines faith, culture, and agricultural work, and represents one of the most vibrant expressions of the canton’s rural identity.

Tierras Moreas is a rural community where agriculture and livestock have been the foundation of the local economy. The oxcart parade tradition is celebrated as part of the patron saint festival of San Isidro Labrador, the patron saint of farmers, usually around May 15. Residents pay homage to their patron saint, giving thanks for the harvest and blessing the animals that have been part of their daily work.

An afternoon at the condo pools

After the Desfile de Boyeros in Tierras Morenas on Friday, we hung out by the pool at the condos and enjoyed playing around with the friendly resident iguana (by splashing water on it, which it didn’t seem to mind), dipping in the cool pool, looking out over the lake, and reading our books. I was reading the interesting Japanese book, The Makioka Sisters by Jun’ichirō Tanizaki.

My Spring BINGO card

This month, I completed a few more things on my Spring BINGO card.

• Book Finland: Tampere (✓), Vaasa (✓), & Turku (✓)
• Book Norway: Bergen (✓), Cruise with Hurtigruten from Bergen to Svolvær (✓), Hotel in Svolvær (✓), Ferry from Svolvær to Bodø (✓) (Do the rest in June)
• Book Sweden: Malmö (✓)
• Sold our car (part 1 with deposit on Thursday, May 14) ✓. Final transfer to take place at end of July.
• Celebrate Cinco de Mayo (sort of) ✓
• Finished our “Succulent Plants” puzzle ✓
• Overnight trip to Hacienda Guachipelin ✓
• Dentist appointment ✓
• Pedicure: Bright Turquoise ✓
• Tried the third of 3 new Costa Rican restaurants” – Restaurante la Casa de Doña Celina ✓ as well as a 4th, Marisqueria Guayo ✓
• Try a new ice cream flavor at Pop’s: Crema con almendras (cream with almonds) ✓
• Read six books: Small Acts of Resistance: How Courage, Tenacity, and Ingenuity Can Change the World by Steve Crawshaw; The Places in Between by Rory Stewart; Anxious People by Fredrik Backman; Pachinko by Min Jin Lee; My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry by Fredrik Backman; and The Makioka Sisters by Jun’ichirō Tanizaki. ✓

Family Happenings

Here are a few pictures of the family with some great photos of little Allie. I can’t believe we will be home to see her soon. Alex and Jandira’s third anniversary was on May 18.

This was a busy month for the Nicaraguan family. Adam & Maria’s third anniversary was on May 13. Luckily we felt some relief as Adam called us on Monday the 11th to let us know he and María had finally had a two-hour talk with their mutual friends Manja and Horacio moderating. It was the first time they’d talked face to face since they separated three weeks before. He said it was very emotional and that Maria wants to return home but Cristy said there was no way she would move back.

On the 13th, their 3rd anniversary, Adam, Maria and Mikey spent time at the beach and Adam said it went very well. On Thursday, Adam said he and Maria had a good talk with the girls. Little Mikey turned two on May 15. On the 15th, Adam sent videos of Mikey’s birthday party with friends and family. The family got together for a cookout with Adam’s friend John and Adam on the last week of May after Adam and María had another two hour talk with Manja and Horacio. As of Sunday the 31st, the entire family has moved back in and so far, things seem to be going well. Keeping fingers crossed.

On my Costa Rica blog, you can find my weekly recaps of our lives in Costa Rica for the month of May:

• final days in nicaragua & bringing adam to costa rica {week 48/52}
• may days: car stuff, a dentist appointment & a stay at hacienda guachipelin {week 49/52}
• may days: selling our car (step 1) & the desfile de boyeros {week 50/52}
• rainy may days: legal matters, shedding food & possessions & sharing meals with friends {week 51/52}
• bidding adieu to costa rica {week 52/52}

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I hope you’ll share how the year is panning out for you, and what plans you have for the spring.

How did your May go? Did you have any special family gatherings? Have you welcomed any new additions to your family?  Did you celebrate any birthdays or anniversaries? Have you read any good books that can inform your worldview, seen any good movies, binge-watched any television series? Have you planned any adventures or had any winter or holiday getaways? Have you dreamed any dreams? Have you gone to any exotic restaurants, cooked any new dishes? Have you been surprised by anything in life? Have you created a Winter Bingo Card or dream list? Have you made any new friends? Have you learned anything new, taken any classes or just kept up with the news? Have you sung along with any new songs? Have you undertaken any new exercise routines? Have you marched or otherwise participated in political protests? Have you been battered, or alternately, uplifted by any news?

Please share your May with me by giving me the plot below, or a link to a post in your blog that tells about your month.