Fran Cameron, a friend of mine who has lived in Costa Rica for more than two years, was celebrating her 55th birthday at the beautiful and magnificent La Terraza Guest House B&B here in Grecia, Costa Rica. The party was scheduled for 3 pm on January 11—a warm and beautiful Saturday afternoon. Tezzy and I were among the first guests to arrive and found a few other early arrivals sitting at a stone garden table on this lovely property chatting with Jeanetta Owens, one of the owners of La Terraza, and her son Charles. Two couples vacationing from California and Florida sat with Jeanetta and Charles, all were friends. One of the attendees, Jerome, had been coming to Costa Rica since 1969, and he and his esposa (wife) are now considering relocating here after he retires. When I asked him what he liked most about Costa Rica, his answer was something that I’d never heard before. He’s into natural healing and an organic lifestyle and told me that Costa Rica embodies the five elements of the Universe: water, wood, metal, earth, and fire. Now, that’s a little over my head and something I’ll have to look into, but somehow it made sense and sounds believable.
A few other party guests began arriving, so we moved our small group to the main party area, where tables covered with white linens and chairs had been set up all around the pristine grounds. And now we greet Fran, the birthday girl chatting with other guests. We became intoxicated by the aroma of savory Costa Rican chicken BBQ, pasta, baked beans, lasagna, and an assortment of different salads as well as numerous other delicious dishes prepared by Cristina, her niece, and a few helpers. A small bungalow/apartment served as the staging area for all these amazing Costa Rican dishes and mixed drinks. During dinner, the DJ cranked up the music with notable R&B hits by Marvin Gaye and James Brown, among others. That’s when the party really started! I don’t know how many people attended, but it was off-the-hook and included expats living in Costa Rica from the United States and Canada, vacationers staying at La Terraza, and a host of locals from Costa Rica.
About 7 PM, Tezzy and I jumped into an Uber and headed home, but I later heard that the party was still going strong at midnight. It was definitely a blast, and we are looking forward to Fran’s 56th birthday celebration. Pura Vida!
(Written Before Covid – 19 Outbreak)
