Day 145 - Thanksgiving

Date: 11/22/12
Location: Costa de Oro, Costa Rica

Word of the day:Acción de gracias - Thanksgiving
Turtle Fact: On a Sea Turtle's shell there are strange markings. A lost culture has believed they could tell when the end of the world could be by reading the marks.

Wake up 6am. Check hatchery for babies. Find babies in one of the nest and release them (3). Morning check. I walk the beach with an audio book in my ear. I am in listening to the last couple chapters of "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed. On my walk I come across poached nests  SQ as well as a dead baby turtle and bird.

When I returned back tot he house, I dig out some of the holes in the hatchery from previous exhumations to remove the "dirty" sand.

As I think about what to make for breakfast, I remember it's THANKSGIVING! So I begin making turkey shaped pancakes detailed with caramel, condensed milk and syrup. Yum.

This morning we were getting picked up my Drew (owner of Hotel Laguna Mar) and transported over the Hotel, where we will spend the day celebrating Thanksgiving. So after a little outside work, I gather my belongs and we ride over to Javilla (city of hotel).

Once there we are greeted with a gratis beverage and some pizza from the neighboring pizza tree establishment. I get in touch with my roots and watch the Detroit Lions football game that is currently being shown on the TV screen. Moving over to pool chair, I watch the game from afar and doze off - what a life. When I awake, I see our friends from Corozalito and San Miguel project sites, entering the hotel to join the festivities. After some time of hanging out by the pool, I head up to Courtney's hotel room to shower and get all spiffy for dinner.

During this down time, I catch up with a couple family members via Google voice. After taking a HOT shower and actually putting on clothes, I join the growing population of friends and expats.  Before you know it dinner is served. A traditional Thanksgiving meal is staring me in the face. After a generous first round is consumed, a second was brought to a table - how sweet is this? A restaurant giving you seconds! Now only if I could come back tomorrow for the leftovers

We spend the next couple of hours catching up with other people discussing out plans (or lack of) after our respective projects are over. Some how I can conned (did not have to twist my arm that badly) into take a la cucaracha shot with a mix of people... interesting.

We eventually get a ride home from Paublo (Hotel Laguna Mar chef) who luckily lives on our area. That would have been one hell of a walk.

Sleep.


Lesson: The reason food seconds are named after seconds is because that is how long it takes you to devour it.

Food: Turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes and green beans
 
Animals: Dogs, Birds, Spiders, Flies, Ants, Crabs, Mosquitoes

Something I am thankful for: Celebrating Holidays. Ironic enough, its though yearly traditions that are great placeholders and checkpoints you look forward to each year.

Something I don't want to admit: Due to miss communication I brought home (to Costa de Oro) a dog, that should have otherwise been left at the hotel - ohhh don't worry its not at the house anymore and actually has made it way back to its original origin.

Total Nest I have saved: 48
Total Nests Poached on my Patrol:46
Total Turtle Eggs I saved: 5102
Total Baby Turtles I Released: 1,100
Days of Rain: 87/141