Where to go next  - Follow my heart or follow the money?  10/30/07

    I have been in San Jose for almost a month and I am anxious to get out to the beach. I have accomplished most of what I needed to do here and my car seems to be ready. So where to go?
    Among the interesting people I met at Casa Roland was Doug, who owns The Sanctuary, a beautiful resort on the Pacific coast, in the state of Guanacaste. He invited me out to see his place and consider doing some art work there. I took the four hour drive in Doug’s big Toyota SUV with Doug, his Russian girlfriend and a couple from California, who own a winery.
    Doug is a former LA cop who left, after being injured on the job, and invested in Costa Rica. The couple were his childhood friends. They had all been raised by parents in the “California biker” culture. In fact, at age six, the winery owner had actually seen his parents shot to death right in front of him and his little brothers! The Russian is a beautiful, former model who has traveled the world, landed in Costa Rica, and met Doug playing poker in San Jose. I had fun with this wild crew! One night Doug had his waiters bring us a candelight dinner, under the stars up on the roof, overlooking the ocean and we danced to ‘80’s rock and roll.
    This is the “white” version of Costa Rica. People with money come in and build their own private world, taking advantage of (formerly) cheap land and very cheap labor. They listen to American music. Many never need to learn Spanish. They drink and indulge in their tropical vacation pardise.
    I am glad to have seen some of the Pacific coast and gotten a feel for it. The famous surfing town of Tamarindo was near by. It has it’s share of multi million dollar homes and high rise hotels, not far from the little hovels where the service workers live. From what I have been told, other places on the Pacific are far more developed, with American money just pouring into them. Along with that comes environmental problems, strip malls selling all the conveniences that the Americans require and more crime.
    I came up with some nice ideas for the use of my art work to enhance Doug’s hotel and he liked them. Trouble is, he only wanted to do a straight trade. No pay for me. My pay was to get to live in a $500.00 per night cottage and eat in a five star restaurant, while I was there. He flew me back to San Jose via TACA (a Central American airline). That little 30 passenger plane ride was just too much fun! I loved the 45 minute flight. People asked if the flight was bumpy, as they sometimes are. I replied that the flood ravaged roads, driving out there, were much worse. Costa
Rica has recently experienced more rain and flooding than it has had in 26 years!
    Back in San Jose I mulled over the idea for a few days. People encouraged me to take the job, as I would have the opportunity to make many contacts for more (hopefully paying) jobs. At first I decided yes, I will do it. There would be benifits of a trip to Nicagaragua, a stay at another hotel in Nosara and horseback riding, too. I would like to go to the Caribbean, but that will have to wait. I felt like crap after that, for the next few days. I need to work, I need to make more contacts - but all the contacts would be on the Pacific side. Yes, there was more money there, from the wealthy Americans and Canadians who were building multi million dollar homes. Wait a minute - isn’t that what I just left in Whitefish?????
     As soon as I decided to turn down that job and follow my heart I felt good again. That is when I called my friend, Gina, in Puerto Viejo, the place on the Caribbean where I spent last February. When I placed the call, Gina just happened to be with a friend who needed a house sitter for a few weeks and that is where I am now, writing this. I am in a sweet little jungle house, with monkeys and tucans in the trees around me. But not without trials and tribulations getting here. I’ll tell you next time, about  my “falling in love and getting stupid!”
 

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