Stranded!

I decided that it was time to drive further than 2 miles from our home base here in Nosara, so the kiddos and I loaded up the Honda with our snorkel gear and headed to San Juanillo, about 18 km north of here - about 11 miles.  Not far.  At home, it would take about 11 minutes to go 11 miles.  Here, however, it took about 40 minutes of driving on some crazy dirt roads with hills so steep that my tires started slipping and I had to shift into a low gear.  I also drove through 2 rivers, a first for me and my SUV!  I was really nervous about this, and was second guessing my "brave" idea to go on this little adventure.  However, as I was sitting and pondering how many crocodiles were in this insanely deep river, I saw a tiny little 2 door sedan drive through the river with no hesitation.  The car was probably 4 inches off the ground.  I think the driver smirked at me, thinking I must be a tourist.  I decided that I was being a wimp, after all I was driving a Honda Pilot which has 4WD and is MUCH higher off the ground.  Off we go!  Into the river and through the woods!

San Juanillo is worth the crazy drive to get there.  The beaches are beautiful!!  The beaches are protected from the waves so lots of local people were out snorkeling and swimming.   It has been really windy here, so the water was pretty murky but we did see tons of cute blue fish and 2 freaky looking eels.  Rumor has it that there are two tasty restaurants in town that serve greek food, and we were really excited to try the vegetarian one - testing it out for Nana!  It closes at 4:00 though, and we just missed it.  Super sad kids, they were hungry!!  So we'll have to go back, and eat lunch there next time.

On the way home, we drove back through the two rivers.  Just past the second river, which I zipped right through this time, there was a photo I just had to stop and take of the farmland and sunset beside the road.  I had to take the keys out in order to do this, because the camera was safely stored in my rocket box on top of my car.  I took some pictures, including this one here:

Which was fine, although not an awesome picture and definitely not worth what came next...I got back in the car, and turned the key.  NOTHING.  Dead.  WHAT??  I've been here for 2 weeks, Geoff is out of town, I'm the furthest away I've been from "home" and my car dies???  On the side of the road, and its going to get dark any minute.  Seriously??  I try calling my husband and I CAN"T because I'm in Central America on the side of the road with no wifi!!   Poor kids started crying and were so scared!!  I called one of the 4 phone numbers that I have programmed into my phone of local people.  People I barely know.  Elizabeth answered, first try!!  She said she'd be right there.  She had to drive probably 20-30 minutes out of her way (each way) to rescue someone she just met a few days ago.  She didn't hesitate at all, and we are so grateful to her.  So we repaid her by then having dinner at her house that same night.  :)  I guess she figured I was too traumatized to cook for my kids or myself.

So what is wrong with my Honda, that has never caused me any grief?  At first I thought it was the river I drove through.  I must've gotten something important wet.  But that didn't make sense, the water wasn't deep enough.  It jump started just fine.  Then I turned it off and tried to start it again, and nothing.  Dead. ???  All the lights had just been on, working fine!!  What is wrong?  Then we went to jump it again, and the cable connecting the battery to the car was actually NOT connected at all.  It wasn't screwed on.  So, in conclusion, we figured out that the battery had rattled itself loose on these bumpy nasty roads, and had probably not been screwed on at the port here in Costa Rica when we shipped it.  Nice.  At least it was simple.  This time.  On the plus side, at least my car didn't start on fire in the parking lot at school (which did happen to someone!!).

Well, as they say here: Pura Vida!