not all who wander are lost.

Friday, February 27, 2009

HOMBRE GRANDE

I am sick. Sick sick sick. Hacking cough, congestion in my head, nose and chest, and total delirium. I have been slamming tea, water, vitamin c, tons of fruit, and chicken soup. I bought this kickass medicine in town for my cough, which works wonders, but unfortunately leaves me feeling exhausted, dizzy, confused, and to put it bluntly...I just feel fucked up. Like I´m high or wasted or something. Bah. So after the discovery that this medicine makes me wacky, I now just save it for the evening and try to just suffer through during the day.

Callen and Franklin made me Hombre Grande tea yesterday. Hombre Grande (BIG MAN) is a tree that grows in costa rica. The bark is chewed on and made into tea for healing just about everything from headaches to stomaches to cancer. With that said, it is THE MOST DISGUSTING thing that you will EVER taste. Your body rejects it, wanting to throw it back up the second it goes down. Unforunately, Hombre Grande doesn´t seem to be doing the trick, so today the boys are hunting and gathering some wild ginger and lemongrass to make me some kind of local healing tea with lemon and honey as well. Hopefully this will cure me. I cannot take much more of this. When I´m sick all I want is my couch, a movie, and some peace and quiet. I´m not going to get any of that while living in Costa Rica, with Lara, at Tortilla Flats.

Shawn left a few days ago, and Dad and Pablito left today. Lara is only in town for 2 more days so I´m going to stay with her until she leaves. Then I´ll be back at Bills? I believe. Who knows, in Costa Rica you cannot make plans.

Hung out with my friend Taylor yesterday who owns the bar QUE NIVEL in town. When she heard it was my birthday coming up this Tuesday...I´ll be 22!!!....she said that we MUST have a party. My friend Brittany, a jersey girl who lives here in town, has a bday on march 5th, so we are having a joint birthday fiesta sponsored by Que Nivel. I cant wait! Live band, cake, and dancing!

Gotta go now...walking to the top of the hill to hit up the bank and buy some cough drops, vicks vapo rub, water, oj, and more vitamin c.

pura vida.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

the wedding singer.

im a wedding singer.
ha.

my friend taylor, whom owns the bar QUE NIVEL here in dominical, asked me if i was available to play for a wedding party this week. i said okay. and it turned out to be amazing. i had met half the people(of the 35 total) in attendance of the wedding on the horseback riding Nauyaca waterfalls tour the day before. Good people...funny and nice and fans of alcohol - whats not to like? anyways, we couldnt track down a PA system or even an amp, so i sat barefoot on the bar and just played my guitar and sang for an hour. it was totally awesome, and i made a 100 bucks. woohooo. pura vida.

today shawn, dad, callen, franklin, and billy went spearfishing today. i took the board out, and lara took a kayak out. her friend crystal was our moral support via the beach. we had a TON of fun, got too much sun, laughed til we cried and the boys caught a bunch of fish and oysters and conchs. woohooo. we are having a big margarita, fish taco fiesta tonight.

mmm costa rica. i love you.

xo cailin

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Kula-Secco

Kula-Seco.
It literally translates into DRY ASS.
In Costa Rica, someone saying you have a kula secco is an insult.
In the United States, if someone says you have a fat ass its an insult.
Ha...how very different the cultures are.
I'm proud to say that I don't have a Kula Seco.



Yesterday Mom, Dad, Me, Lara and Lara's friend Crystal all went on the Don Lulu's horsebackriding tour to Nauyaca Waterfalls. I did this last year and it was amazing. This year was even better. Our group of five broke off from the big group and were with Eddie, one of the guides. I laughed til my face hurt, and ran on my horse until I thought that my fat ass was broken. We were fed breakfast and lunch, and half way through the day we hiked down to the Nauyaca falls. It is the biggest waterfall that I have ever seen. I jumped off it. I climbed UP the waterfall and then jumped off. My legs continued to tremble throughout the day. It was terrifying. Amazing, but so scary. I closed my eyes and it felt like a decade before I hit the water. We all had a blast, and Lara got some AMAZING photos. I cannot wait to post them...but due to the crappy connection here it will have to wait until I get back to Esterillos.

Shawn is arriving today. This evening. And leaves on Tuesday. Mom leaves tomorrow, and Dad's moving into town. I cannot believe that Paul and Dad have already been here for almost a month, and that they are leaving soon. Bah. I never want to leave Costa Rica. Well...atleast not anytime soon....

Heres a photo from when Suzanne was visiting and we were at the waterfall in Dominicalito. The one I jumped off of was 4 times this size. BAH.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Maracatu Music Mayhem

Lara Pappas is in Dominical. Look out. I found her sitting out front of Tortilla Flats drinking a beer yesterday around 3pm. I met Lara last year during my time in Dominical. She was staying in town for one month, studying spanish at the school in town. She is doing her residency now in California...a pediatric oncologist. Serious shit. Anyways, she swam around with my mom while I surfed, then I waved goodbye to the crew and headed back to Lara's place. She has a friend in town for the first week, a surgeon, Crystal. We showered up and then headed to Tortilla's for a beer. Met up with some old friends from town who I haven't seen since I've gotten back (I've been a hermit up on Bill's hill and haven't gone out once). We caught up, told some good surf stories, and then the girls and I headed to MARACATU for Open Jam Night. I played for about an hour and a half. There were 10 djembes, and a ton of musicians in the house. It was a great time to hear songs that I've been playing for so long sound completely different than they normally do. We played some fooseball, I had two more beers, and was asleep by midnight. Got up at 6am and headed down to the beach...perfect timing -- the crew had just arrived. We had an awesome surf session, ate breakfast at Soda Nanyoa (obviously...where ELSE would we eat!?) and then came back to Bill's. Did some yoga, hung out by the pool, and have been glued to my book (The pillars of the earth) since we got back. We are packing up the car now to head in for our sunset session. Woohooo. Pura Vida.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

a few posts...

This is a blog I wrote the other day, but we didn't have the computer in town:
My mom is in Costa Rica. We arrived back at Bill's after a few hours of phenomenal surf, and there was mom...walking out of John and Mary's house next door. I had no idea. None. I almost fell over. BAH. Apparently she is here for 10 days..which is great, because now I can't get in trouble for not updating my blog enough or for not sending her enough emails. Ha. Because now she will be HERE, in COSTA RICA. WTF?! Ha. It's awesome. Poor shawnie. Wish he was here with us, but he will be here soon enough. March 13th my dear!

Anyways...been surfing a TON lately. The waves have gotten much better, and dominical has been firing. So much fun.

Just finished a world-domination Gin-Rummy game with Franklin. I only spoke in spanish, all night, and I actually make sense. I'm gettin good!! WoohooO!! Anyways, he beat me by 15 points....15 damn points. 600 to 615. Motherfucker. After a big reunion dinner (which was after a super-long surf session) with John, Mary, Kris, Jeff, Callen, Franklin, Paulie, Dad, and Me (mom was asleep), we've all just been hanging around. I'm a bit depressed about my loss to franklin, so I'm typing my blog up on dad's computer. We are listening to Jose Gonzalez. Paul is finishing a book a lent him, Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, which is one of my TOP ALL TIME FAVORITE BOOKS. Callen is beside him reading Tucker Max's autobiography, which is the most appalling, disgusting, and disturbing bits of "writing" that I have EVER encountered, and Franklin just ran out the door to join the tico construction workers who live next door for coverage of the futbol game. They all started whooting and hollering, and franklin was out the door in a flash. Ha.Gotta go now, we are waking up at 5am for surf. Woohooo.



Here's one that I started in my head yesterday in the surf: It was croweded beyond belief, with 80% of the people not knowing what they are doing. The few who kindof had a grasp had ZERO wave etiquette. I was dropped-in on more times than I'd care to recall, and was almost seriously hurt twice. So here it is....

Cailin's SmartAss (but ONE HUNDRED PERCENT SERIOUS) Guide To Surfing:

1. Paddling for a wave is like crossing the street, you need to LOOK...BOTH WAYS, before paddling for the wave.

2. Surfing is like a sport (more of a lifestyle than a sport, but this is a whole other blog in itself). If you played basketball, and you weren't very good, they wouldn't put you out on the court at game time. Practice makes perfect, and until you practice practice practice you need to stay on the sidelines (or in the case of surfing, surf down the beach or at a whole other beach completely).

3. If you don't know what you are doing, you are dangerous. You are dangerous to yourself, to every other person out in the water, as well as for to the person who is going to have to swim out and save your ass when you're hurt or drowning. Just repeat this mantra: If you don't know what you are doing, you are dangerous.

4. There are all sorts of breaks. Beach break, reef breaks, point breaks, "girly-breaks", etc. There is nothing wrong with riding a small, mushy wave when you are beginning. It's the best thing to learn in. Do not move on to bigger, stronger, heavier waves until you really, I mean really know what you are doing. Again, an unexperienced surfer in an advanced surfing spot is dangerous. Dangerous. DANGEROUS.

5. It's not okay to get off your board, with it dangling from the leash 10 feet behind you, and swim out to the break. Unacceptable.

6. If you forget rule #1 and you didn't look both ways, the person already riding the wave will either whistle, shout, or do something to indiciate to you "Hey fucker, you didn't look both ways, this is MY wave, you are about to drop in, so don't even think about it". SO, if you hear someone whistle, they aren't trying to encourage you into the wave. Most people in the water are softies, goddamnit I know I am, so usually if you drop in on them they will smile and be like "well....its okay". But some day you will get somebody who does mind, who isn't all roses and teddy bears, and you will get a board up your ass or worse. So...I'm further reinforcing rule number one.

7. Last is the best bit of advice I can give to ANY surfer...beginner or advanced. Matt Vecere told me when I was 14 and making my first trip out to the surf capital of the US, San Clemente, for a surf trip. I cannot stress this enough...

EVERYONE IS WATCHING YOU.

Yes, everyone in the water is watching you. Your FIRST WAVE is the most important wave of the session...because everyone is watching you, and judging your skill level. If you have a shitty first wave, guess what -- surfers will have taken note, and your chances of getting another one are slim to none. If you have a good wave, you earn respect and your spot in the lineup. So on your first wave, before you paddle, a) make sure that you are in position, b) make sure that you are definitely going to catch the wave, and c) dont mess it up.

With all that said...surfing is supposed to be FUN. So have fun. The "guidelines" above are only so that everyone in the water can have fun, and not get hurt or burned. Pura Vida.




Valentine's Day:

Today is VDAY. It's been a while since my last blog, and an even longer time since I posted the blogs I've typed above. We are only in town for a short while, and usually I would get out of the water early to have some internet time - but the waves have been good good good, and I usually have to be drug out of the water for dinner. Damn. I've been on. Surfing has never felt so good, so natural, and so effortless. So enjoyable. The water is amazing. Refreshing. Beautiful. I'm so thankful for the ocean. MmMm, I just want to eat it all up. Me Gusta Costa Rica. It's been really great having Mom here too...we've been having a quality time. We have been doing dawn-patrol sessions, and when we get back I head down to have a cup of coffee and some fruit with John, Mary and Mom (john and mary own the big big house next door, where mom and dad are renting their little cabina). When I'm not surfing, out fishing, doing yoga or hanging with Mom I have been reading Ken Follett's THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH. And GODDAMN...its PHENOMENAL. I can't put it down, and I dream about it at night. My naps have been replaced with this 10 pound book. YOGA has been treating me really well lately also. I had a few 'sessions' with Callen, and its really crazy how teaching a 'class' can really change the overall effect. It's been really awesome. I'm so glad to share something I'm so passionate about with someone who is really into it. Franklin couldn't get into it, and when I ask Paul he just gives me a funny look. The past two days I've been yoga-ing solo (callen and franklin are getting ready for school, and we have two new guests staying at bills house). These past two days I have had the BEST two yoga sessions that ive EVER HAD. My whole body and mind, down to the core, just feel....sublime. I fell like I owe a big thanks to BONOBO for that. And really, I guess I owe Ozzie a big thanks. He turned me onto the band Bonobo. It really helps me relax into yoga and clear my mind, which was something I had been struggling with.

Had a refreshing surf session at 6am today. After that the boys went spearfishing. I was in charge of the bug bags (these are the bags with buoys that they put the pesca/langostas/ostras in). I wasn't a very good bugbag girl though because there were some waves rolling through our secret spot so I was busy surfing. Ha. We didn't come up with our usual catch because the water was really cloudy but thanks to Callen and Franklin we got a bag full of oysters, 2 lobsters and a parrotfish. Dad is in the kitchen right now cooking up some Seafood Soup (of course!). He is boiling the two lobsters and then is going to use the meat from them and the fish in the soup. The oysters will be an appetizer. What can I say....the man can do soup. That's for sure. We aren't going to have the soup until tomorrow I believe....it tastes better the day after.

Just had one (of the two) mindblowing, humbling, feel-good-all-over yoga sessions. Sipping some green tea, and typing away. I was so peaceful I fell asleep for a few minutes in the corpse position. Ha. Anyways, resting up for a bit and then heading in for an evening surf session. My friend Lara Pappas, whom I met LAST year in Costa Rica, will be arriving in Dominical around 6 tonight. I think we may meet up for a few drinks, but nothing too late because guess what...surf tomorrow morning!! HA. I love the routine. It's a keeper.

Pura Vida.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

La Ola Del Dio es MIO

We woke up at 5am for an early morning surf.
The swell has been firing lately.
Overhead, fast, heavy, fun beachbreak.
This morning I took off on the bomb set. And made it.
Solid 8 foot (paulie and franklin said 8 to 10, so ill downplay and say 8).
I took off deep, pulled in, and fired across the wave, hearing the intensity of the wave inches behind me.

I love surfing. I want to surf all day every day.

Pura Vida.

ps...MOM IS HERE: i almost fell over when i saw her yesterday. so did dad.what a surprise!! christ almighty.

Monday, February 9, 2009

ESTERILLOS en DOMINICAL

So, I´m very very excited because my esterillos crew is HERE, in DOMINICAL!! Suzanne drove down yesterday with Pat, her friend Brian, Larry, and John. And shortly after arrived Jeni and Fabrizio. We hung at the beach for a bit, had a beer or two as the sunset, and then I took Jeni with me back to Billy´s house, while the rest found a place in town. Jeni joined LP, Dad, Billy and I for dad´s famous Lobster Soup which we had with some really fantastic red wine, good garlic bread, and an avocado and tomatoe salad with homemade balsamic vinagrette. Before dinner we snacked on some of my hummus with carrots and some manchego cheese. BAH: heaven. After that we showered up and LP, Jeni and I headed back into Dominical to meet up with the rest of the Esterillos crew. We went to the Rum Bar to see the Tropi'Cowgirls play. Two women, in their 40s-50s...one on guitar, wearing a miniskirt and con´s, and on playing the fiddle. Saw them play a few times last year, and even shared the stage with them a few times. They are great...talented and wonderful entertainers. There I ran into the fiddle'players husband, whom looks like jerry garcia. He invited me and the crew to a huge FULL MOON PARTY in Uvita tonight (monday)...so tonight we are gonna load up the car, and I´m even gonna drag Dad and Billy along.

Today we woke up, Jeni and Dad went snorkeling and Billy and I paddled around. Then we had some breakfast, went for a swim, and headed back into town to meet up with the crew. Right now everyones sitting around the pool at the SunDancer, snacking on some pineapple, mango and watermelon, waiting for the next great adventure....which I believe will be the waterfall in Dominicalito.....

Pura Vida.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Comida y Mas....

Split pea soup. It's all I've been thinking about for the past week. A can of Campell's green pea soup, with asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, peas, and spinach added... plus some cayenne pepper, ground flaxseed, and some good sea salt. MmMm. Don't know why it's stuck in my mind, and stomach, but they certainly don't have Campell's Green Pea in the Supermercado here.

Food. Comida. We have been puttin down some food at the Casa de Guermillo (that's spanish for "bill"), most of which has been provided by Callen, Dad, and Franklin - our fabulous tico friend, whom we now consider family. Him and Callen have been best friends since the first grade. They have killed things together, surfed together, gotten into trouble together, and beaten the crap out of eachother for many moons now. Franklin has been teaching me some words (halabra's) in spanish (espanol) pertaining to the ocean (mar). Here's some of my new vocabulary:
arresife: reef
ostras: oysters
hilo de horo: jellyfish
cambute: conch
pescador: fisherman

Here are some words and phrases that I have learned to say TO the boys:

NO mas chistes! : No more jokes!
SE AMBLE: Be Nice!
Madure! : Grow up!

And something I've learned to say to make fun of myself for missing the wave of the day is Puta Pendaja which is Cissy Bitch. Hahaha.

Last night we ate a meal fit for a king (rey). It was by far, hands down, the best meal that I've EVER had in Costa Rica and it definitely goes to the top of the list as one of the best meals I've ever had in my 21 years. BAH. DONE - TO - PERFECTION. Started with oysters that were steamed then sauteed with garlic and onions, placed on a thin wheat cracker as appetizers. We had lobster tails, sauteed parrot fish and grouper, curry rice, fried plantains, and fresh tomato slices. Washed it all down with some muy muy perfecto red wine. It was simply the most perfect meal. And the company was just as wonderful. Franklin is starting to feel more comfortable speaking a tad bit of english (we are trying to get him to say something aside from "fuck, motherfucker" which he learned from Dad one night when he drank one-too-many gin and tonics. nice dad...and him and lil paul just wrestle around like two prepubescet teans calling eachother motherfuckers), and we are all still having a grand ol' time butchering the hell out of the beautiful spanish language. Anyways, in true Paul Callahan fashion, he boiled all the lobster heads and carcasses to make a lobster soup which we will have for dinner tonight. We (paul, frankie, callen and i) planned to go to the disco at Roca Verde last night - and I don't think that the huge feast we had worked in our favor. We figured that we would mix it up a bit, maybe stay up later than 730, have a beer or two. Ha. So much for that. I fell asleep by 730, and the boys got ready and then fell asleep around 10pm. So much for a fiesta night...

Woke up this morning and did yoga, then made some coffee for the boys. Figured we should start off the day with another big feast considering there are only a few days when we don't have to leave for surf by 6am. SO, I made scrambled eggs (huevos), bacon (tocineta), rice and beans with chorizo sausage (gallo pinto con chorizo), fried plantains (platanos), and toast.

The boys are loading up the truck now to head down for another kill-fest. I'm not going to go today -- the sun is HOT. Hot hot hot. Super-scorcher. And I don't feel like floating around the rocks on my surfboard melting away as warm shark bait. Started doing the Fluid Yoga for Surfers II DVD the other day, so I think I'll just stay at the house, clean and do some yoga. MmMmM. Maybe have a brownie as a special treat (thanks to Kris, Callen's mom)! Brownie's make me happy. I think I may wash it down with an Iced Vietnamese Coffee. HA! Goddamn, life's good. By the way Shawnie...to celebrate my belated birthday when we get back to the States, I want scrapple for breakfast, vietnamese for lunch (iced coffee, green papaya salad), and then a big venison feast for dinner at Mom and Dad's! WOOHOOOO.

BAH. I do think about other things aside from food....hmmm...I think....

Suzanne and Pat are coming to visit soon (my fabulous friends from Esterillos). Today I think. Maybe tomorrow? Not so sure, everyones on Tico Time here. I'm kinda hoping it's just the two of them, that way they can stay at Billy's house with us, but if there are more they will have to stay in town. No matter what, we will have a good time. I'm thinking about taking them on this great horseback riding tour we did last year up to the Nayuca Waterfalls, taking them snorkeling, taking them to SODA NANYOA (of COURSE) and having Callen take us all on a tour/trek of his property (they have an amazing jungle of a backyard, waterfalls included). I miss Suzi!! Loved Soda Mary, but it was nice once I discovered a fellow female friend to hang out with. I'm going to stay with her when I get back to Esterillos. Woohooo.

The boys just left. Dad was yelling his new favorite spanish phrase "El pescado del dia es MIO" ("the fish of the day is mine"). He also uses this phrase when he is bragging about his surfing, which is rather constant "La ola del dia es MIO" ("The wave of the day is mine!"). OH man, he's always good for a laugh.

On that note, I'm going to start my cleaning, yogaing, and brownie-eating! Hopefully I will get into town later to post this. Pura Vida.

ALSO, big thanks to Atenas' OZZIE for hooking me up with some fabbbbuuulous new tunes: Bonobo, Bonnie Prince Billy, Kings of Convenience, The Cinematic Orchestra, DJ Shadow, Erin McKeown, Fujiya and Miyagi, Kalyanji Anandji, The Octopus Project, Ravi Shankar, Ray Barbee and for filling me in with a bunch of Thievery Corporation tunes. BAH. Wonderful. Eargasmic. I love music as much as I love food, which is as much as I love surfing... Which is pretty damn serious...

Saturday, February 7, 2009

catch the trade winds

Billy is a quiet man. A simple man. He keeps to himself, eats humble meals, likes to surf solo. He cant sit still, always putzing around in the garden, fixing a car, or building a shelf. Well…we have come in and turned his world upside down. There are people sleeping in every room, on every floor – on every couch and blowup mattress. We are having feasts every evening…feeding atleast 8 people. Everywhere we go is like an expedition. When we are at the house, music is serenading from the stereo, the boys are watching movies, people are in the rocking chairs reading, and someone is always in the kitchen fixing themselves something to eat or drink. Its a wild world that we now force Bill to live in, simple simple Bill, but I think that hes enjoying the mayhem. He hasnt said much, but hes always smiling and letting out the occasional chuckle. We all are happy as clams. What a beautiful life it is.

So as I promised, here is some tidbits that I got from Laird Hamilton´s book that I really enjoyed. He understands the meaning of a full, beautiful life. So perhaps we could all try to follow his lead…


The key to happiness is maximizing each day. If youre unhappy, Live Harder.


Natures genius is everywhere, and though it might sound obvious, all of us could do a better job of appreciating it.


Our days are meant to be fun. Once you lose that thread, youve lost the essence of the whole deal.


If you cultivate something in your mind, you give it a life. Its that simple.


Karma: if youre stressed, youll get stressed. If youre satisfied youll be given satisfaction.


And he also added in this quote…


TWENTY YEARS FROM NOW YOU WILL BE MORE DISAPPOINTED BY THE THINGS YOU DIDN’T DO THAN BY THE ONES YOU DID DO. SO THROW OFF THE BOWLINES. SAIL AWAY FROM THE SAFEHARBOR. CATCH THE TRADE WINDS IN YOUR SAILS. EXPLORE. DREAM. DISCOVER. –mark twain


Pura Vida everyone. Go exploring.



ps...went fishing today. the boys caught 9 lobsters, a handful of oysters, and some big parrot fish. mmmm.

Friday, February 6, 2009

MmMm Surf. Sun. Killing things.

Getting to the internet has been a chore.
Been surfing some awesome awesome waves at la punta.
Bah. Sooo good. My days are spent so well here. Every second.
Yoga. Espresso. Surf. Eat. Surf. Nap. Kill things. Big dinner with the crew. Movie. Bed. And reading in between everything.

Just read Laird Hamiltons book the other day. It's kinda cheesy and somewhat repetitive, but the man has some wisdom. I wrote down my favorites, which I'll share with you when I (remember) have my notebook.

Missing everybody, home - crew - family - friends - and esterillos.

xo pura vida.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

LAS OLAS GRANDE

Today I surfed big waves.

BIG WAVES.

Big.

I had the wipeout of the day...I air-dropped 8 feet, landed with one foot on my board, didn't catch my balance quick enough - so the wave swept me up, threw me over the falls, and drug me about 200 yards underwater.

I missed the wave of the day. I was too far outside, too far by about 2 paddles. I missed a 15 foot wave. Damnit. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise?

I also had the best waves of the day. Longest, biggest, and best.

Goddamn, I love Costa Rica.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Thank God for FOOD.

Thank god for food, otherwise I'd lose my mind...



There is nothing that tears my world apart like a shitty internet connection. I know how a crack addict feels now when he hasn't gotten high in a while, because that is the irritable, desperate feeling that comes over me when i cant get to the internet, or WORSE, i HAVE the internet but its slower than a slug. I spent 2 hours, and over 30 minutes this morning to check one email. ONE email, I didn't even get to reply. And the Skype here doesn't work, even though they advertise it. I love love love simplicity, but I simply cannot go without the internet. I'm a feign, foaming at the mouth. BAH. I want to call my boyfriend, I want to post my photos to facebook, I want to blog every day about all of my adventures, I want to check the swell, and I want to keep in touch!!! Is that SO much to ask?? To upload 5 photos onto facebook today took me almost 15 minutes, 15 WHOLE minutes. That's practically a decade in the internet-world.

Anyways, not to harp on the downside, lets look at the brightside: a delicious oyster feast for dinner!!! In linguini with oil and garlic, and some yummy garlic bread. With the intensity that crap-ass internet connections drag me down, food has the ability to bring me up that much higher.So thank god for my Dad's equal love of eating and his desire to have massive meals every evening. Monunmental feasts. Cocktails too! We've been hitting his famous gin and tonics pretty hard lately, but tonight I'm going to make some homemade margaritas. MmMmM. Food. It makes me so happy. SO happy.

On that note, gotta go - headed to the store for some oranges and limes to make my magnificent, mouth-watering margaritas.

ciao.

john steinbeck

i started reading some john steinbecks short stories...a book ive picked up along my journey. the first one ive read is tortilla flat. i finished it this morning and i LOVE it. i cant wait to read on. charming. steinbeck is so clever and charming and sincere in his writing. heres a clip from the book:

"time is more complex near the sea than any other place, for in addition to the circling of the sun and the turning of the seasons, the waves beat out the passage of time on the rocks, and the tides rise and fall as a great clepsydra".


pura vida.

bahhhhh

This has been my day: wake up at 5am, yoga til 6am, then a Bialetti of course. By then the rest of the house begins moving around and drinking some drip coffee. We pile into the car, head for a surf, surf for about two hours, then everyone goes to Soda Nanyoa for breakfast (I opt not to eat breakfast, I use that time to go to the internet). The internet is super slow, so I have usually gotten out about one email by the time that everyone is done breakfast...and then they wait around, pacing around me, for about 15 minutes before I finish off my second email. Ha. Then we hop in the car, come home, and get ready to kill things. Dad bought a speargun today, as opposed to the hawaiian sling he had been using, and what a difference it made. Callen had been smoking him in their "world domination fish-offs", but today Dad got the biggest and the first, winning the competition (for those of you who aren't familiar with the callahan fishing rules its based on the FIRST, BIGGEST and MOST). After we kill things, we head back to the house - have a nap, snack, read, listen to music, swim in the pool...whatever. Then we rally for an evening surf session, heading home once the sun sets for some homecooked dinner. Watch a movie then go to bed. I've been missing the movie, instead reading a page or two before passing out (around 730, 8pm). Thus far we have had two big fish frys and one pasta night. Today Franklin caught a ton more 'ostras' (oysters) so tomorrow we are going to slice up the steam oysters and put them into a oil and garlic pasta linguini. MmMmMm. Franklin is a GOD to me, because in my life, I've decided that costa rican oysters, steamed and with a touch of butter and salt is my favorite seafood in the whole world. I told him that I love them, so today he loaded up. I don't participate in "killing things", but I do paddle my board out there to be a part of the crew, and I drag the 'bug bags' (these are the mesh bags that our catch is loaded into) around I offer encouragement. hahaha. I also get a kickass tan while I'm out there.

Today when we got back from killing things, we all went for a nice swim in the pool (john and mary's pool...their house is next door, they aren't here, and they are friends of the family). It was so refreshing...today is freaking HOT HOT HOT. Tonight we are going to fry the fish in PANKO (japanese) breadcrumbs, and serve em up with some coconut steamed rice and sauteed veggies. I've definitely been saving a lot of money since I've been here - no rent (staying at billys), no breakfast (need to go to the internet, and my ride doesn't understand my desire to stay connected via the world wide web), no lunch (i sleep thru it) and dinner is provided by Dad, Callen, and Franklin (well, Paulie did catch one little fish today...).

It's 4pm and Dad is steaming the OSTRAS so the whole house smells like the bottom of the ocean. But damn are they delicious.

Shawn is a wonderful boyfriend and a very understanding, sympathetic man - SO, I am staying in Costa Rica now until March 22nd. Looks like I'll be celebrating my birthday here once again. Once again, without family or close friends. But I'm excited to be staying. Shawnie will come down for his spring break, we will surf some epic waves, then I'll be flying home with him. Back to reality. Need to find a job - so PS...anybody know of any freelance graphic design jobs, or KICK ASS waitressing jobs, like going to make money hand over fist, then LET ME KNOW. Cause lord knows that I am desperate for some mooooolah. Gracias Shawnie! I love you!!

So, that's it for now. I'm typing from Dad's computer, with zero-internet access at Billys house. I'm going to bribe Paulie to drive me into town later so that I can get on the internet and post this. Don't these people here understand that the internet is like AIR for me? I NEED it. Ha. Ciao!!!

Spanish word of the day: "hilo de horo" (eel-o day oar-o) which means Jellyfish...those fuckers....



today is tuesday, and paulie didnt get me in to use the internet last night. everyones breathing down my neck, so i gotta go. sorry to everyone i am losing touch with. the internet isnt as easily accessible as it was in esterillos. xo cailin

Sunday, February 1, 2009

I'm writing from Billy's living room right now. It's 5:30pm on Saturday January 31st. We don't have internet here, but my dad has WordPad on his computer, so I'm typing - saving - and then posting whenever I get back to the internet. It's definitely a bit of a headache getting to the computer in Dominical, that's why the posts have not been as thorough or as frequent as before.

The boys went hunting again for fish today, and again were very successful. Franklin even got some conchs and a ton of oysters. Dad's in the kitchen cooking it all up right now, and I made some homemade salsa and gucamole for my world famous Fish Tacos that we'll have for dinner tonight. Callen and Franklin can't get over Dad's obsession with food. All he talks about is food...everything he see's reminds him of food, and he always has a story about food. Hahahaha. I guess that's who I get it from. We all went surfing this morning for a few hours. I got lit up by jellyfish again. They hate me. I still have welts on the back of my arm from the jellyfish the other day, and now I have welts around my wrist and both of my ankles. Damnit. After that we went to Soda Nanyoa for breakfast, then back to the house. I passed out. Out cold. I'm back on my 5am wake up, starting yoga at 5:15am and going until 6am. Right about when I'm finishing some people start moving and waking up. My body has been beaten to hell lately. Long surf sessions, little sleep, and lots of walking have left every muscle in my body overworked. Today when we got back I slept for over 2 hours. Two hours of sound sleep. When I woke up, everyone was gone -- out hunting for fish. A bit of our crew went out for an evening surf session, but I figured that I'd let my body rest a bit ore, and I opted to start slicing and dicing and prepping for dinner - and joined my dad for one of his world famous gin and tonics of course!!!

Did I mention that my body is sore? Bah. Reading Laird Hamilton's book about his life, his passion and his discipline - and I feel like shit that I'm so outta shape. Gotta get with the program. Laird is a god to me.

That's all for now. I'll update later, and then update you all with my updates once I get to a computer.

Pura Vida.



SUPERBOWL SUNDAY, Dominical, 10am:

Just had a great surf session in Dominical. Got a solid 10 for quite a distance, HA take that Dad!!! Going to go back to the house and have a banana leche, surf later, and then tonight Dad, Callen and Billy are going to go hunting for big big big SHRIMP. MmMmM. THey have certainly been the providers around here. WIthout them we would starve to death.

BY the way, watched TOURISTAS last night...BAD IDEA. I didn't sleep a wink.

Write more later. Ciao.