7-15 June, 2001

After a day or two at home, Steve and Keith decided to take a roadtrip. Since we only had a few days, we decided to stick to the northwest area of Costa Rica. Beebee had to stay home and work. Bummer.

Day one took us from the San Jose area out towards the most active volcano in Central America- Volcan Arenal. We took the long and winding route, and explored a few backroads along the way, so we didn't make it to our campground until just before sunset. But what a sunset it was!! Throughout the night we enjoyed watching the occasional truck-size glowing boulder roll down the side of the mountain. We were so close that we could literally feel the volcano erupting throughout the night.

Day two we drove up a supposedly impassable road (toughest part was a 3ft water crossing) up to Monteverde to see the Cloud Forest. The drive was spectacular but long. One of the highlights was watching a hawk catch a lizard and eat it in a tree. Too far and fast to photograph well, unfortunately, but awfully neat just the same. Steve is now seriously thinking that it would be fun to run off-road tours in Costa Rica. If you are interested, drop us an email and we'll see what we can work out.

On day three we woke up to a beautiful day and took a hike that included climbing up into a great strangler fig tree. The surrounding forest was also incredible. Keith couldn't stop mumbling about ways to move down to Costa Rica. After the hike we made our way to the coast at Flamingo and enjoyed some spectacular real estate, a very nice family-run campground where we watched some cheesy 80's TV movie before we headed out to a really funny bar scene that included a handful of American boys who were boasting about the $700 they had spent at a strip bar in San Jose (a fool and his money...). Day four we had a great drive down the coast and found our way down the coast to the surf mecca of Tamarindo, where we caught up with Jason and Seth- some guys Keith had met on the plane coming down. We all went out for a few drinks together that night, but seeing as how each of us was either exhuasted, married, engeged to be married or some combination of the above, the bar scene just didn't hold our attention very long.

Day five we (now accompanied by Seth who needed a ride back to SJ) had a great drive off of the main roads back to the capital. Along the way we hunted down an iguana farm (near Ocosingo) that we had read about in the guidebooks. We were really hoping to try an iguana-burger, but it turned out that the place has taken on a more environmentally responsible attitude and no longer serves iguana meat. A culinary bummer, but the beautiful Red Macaw parrots that they raise there more than made up for the lack of eating a threatened species. After seeing three pairs of Macaws up close (they ate Keith's shoelace) we watched another fifty or so arrive to roost as the sun went down. Spectacular. There is no other word for it.

The very nice lady at the iguana farm suggested that we might enjoy a nice "tipico" (typical) meal at her daughter's restaurant, so we stopped there on the way home. Wow!! The food, service, and setting were fantastic. Steve has enjoyed plenty of good Central American food, but Keith and Seth were really fortunate to enjoy such a wonderful example of typical Costa Rican food. Pity that so many people come to and leave CR without ever even experiencing "real" Tico culture. We made it back home pretty late on account of winding roads, and Beebee was a perfect hostess- she didn't bat an eye when she found out we were putting Seth up for the night. We all turned in late after a few beers and a lot of fun conversation. Morning rose beautiful but came too soon and we were sorry to see Keith (and our new friend, Seth) leaving.

Day one of the trip was nice in the morning but by midday fog and rain were the rule.	A goat tied by the roadside just isn't that uncommon around here.	By sunset the clouds lifted to give us this spectacular view of Volcan Arenal.	Steve couldn't resist posing with Sandy and the sunset.
Driving up the "impassable" road to Monteverde.	Traditional farmer-types in a typically lush green valley.	Pension Santa Elena, near Monteverde. Great (cheap) traveler's digs.	Brian, from Idaho, fun guy to whom we gave a ride.
Steve climbing up the inside of a living strangler fig tree.	Keith climbing up the roots of that same fig tree.	A nice little family of bats that lives in the tree.	Keith climbing back down the fig tree.
Beautiful Motmot bird, pretty common on the Nicoya Peninsula.	This real estate is for sale- not bad if you don't mind a 270º ocean view.	This is a fine example of Central American electrical code(note the bare 240V wires!).	Main street, Tamarindo. Notice the ubiquitous Coca Cola sign.
Keith really got a kick out of the leaf cutter ants (Beebee really likes em too).	A fine example of what $3 will buy you in many parts of Costa Rica.	No iguana, but good food and a great glass of Tamarindo juice.	Seth and Keith bought the restaurant out of their honey and cookies.

But like all good things, Keith's visit had to end. This shot of us at the airport is a little blurry- but so were we. 7 a.m. departure times may look good on paper, but we are sure hoping that the next person leaves at about 10 or 11 instead. Thanks for visiting, Keith!! We sure had fun with you.

16 June, 2001

With Keith gone we are mostly just chillin at home, more of the same ol same ol. After Steve figured out how to get the two laptops to share on internet connection AND managed to convince the guy at the computer store that we really did want a "cable with different wiring on each end" (a crossover cable and a complete mystery to the computer-shop guy), Jocelyn and Steve no longer fight over one computer. Now we just fight a little over the who gets to use the faster computer vs. the slower computer.

"fixing" the computers	a little friend we found in the shower	a field near the apartment in Escazu	waiting for the bus to downtown San Jose (Costa Rica)

17 June, 2001 to 6 March, 2002

Sorry we've been gone for so long! I think we became a bit tired of recording our daily trifles. Steve would have it that we write about each day since our last entry, but he's at work, so I'm doing it my way!

The short of it is: we drove back to the States quickly, from CR to Texas took us less than 7 days of driving. After crossing the broad expanse of *nothing* that is called Western Texas we dropped in on Roswell New Mexico, Flagstaff, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada before continuing up to Mammoth Lakes, California to visit Dana, then up to Tuolumne to see J's dad. Next stop, (San Francisco) Bay Area where we've been ever since.

View from the road approaching Papantla, Mexico	Tattered, but still in use. Granada, Nicaragua

We did a brief stint at Kate's in Santa Cruz, but moved up to Newark and in with Steve's sister Karyn, her husband Randy and their almost-1 year old baby. "Newark?" You ask? "Where is Newark?" and more importantly, "Why?" Well, because of Ky and Randy's generosity and patience for one, and for two, we both took jobs in Palo Alto.

We thought we'd be leaving in January for parts unknown, but as it turns out our plans changed.

I know, I know, you don't believe it. But really, they did! We've applied to teach English in Japan for a year. We are super excited and hope (read: plan) to be accepted. Hence, we are (for the time being) living in an apartment in Redwood City and will be hanging around the States until at least April, but probably July.

And yes, I did mention that we are both working. Beebee as a "bead babe" at The Bead Shop and Steve as a sales monkey at Wolf Camera. Bb loves her job, as all the other bead babes (this is what the owner calls us!) are degreed artists pursuing their dreams, (Seriously. It's the most amazing retail store in all of California, I'm sure) and the owner is super thoughtful; A serious contrast to the corporate mumbo jumbo that poor Steve is fed daily by Wolf. Steve is enjoying the chance to spend all day thinking/talking about photography or camera gear.

We do find that jobs cramp our nomad existence a bit and are relishing getting back on the road, but for now, we are happy and adjusting relatively well to life in the US. Steve has decided to pursue his photography on a more professional level and my jewelry is doing fairly well. I just finished a class in small metal working/jewelry and now know how to work with sterling. Yeah! I've also got a trunk show coming up at the end of March in Carmel, California (email beebee for info) So between seeing family, playing with friends, our retail jobs and turning our hobbies into businesses, we are busy to say the least.

So we don't promise that we'll update regularly, as there is just not much to tell compared to Quetzales at sunrise, Nicaraguan lobster cuaght and cooked by a local fisherman and eaten on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific, or three-hour border crossings; but we do wish all of you a warm, safe and happy spring.

6 March, 2002 to 1 April, 2002

Katielynn, Beebee, Dyna

Well, we're still here and still working retail, but more seriously planning our next adventure! Beebee's trunk show went well and she is gearing up for a jewelry party or "home show" at the end of this month. Her jewelry site has changed to an easier to remember www.jocelynbroyles.com and now has a fantastic logo and business cards thanks to her incredibly talented and generous friend, Dyna. A million thank yous to you, d!

Steve is working hard and generating a very good portfolio of images. When he's not at work, he's off shooting, and that is the hardest part of any art -- starting up and motivating yourself to produce enough work to show off to the world. I'm very proud of him.

In other great news, we just moved again! Okay, quit your laughing. We were presented with the opportunity to housesit a gorgeous home for really great people complete with two puppies in the Santa Cruz foothills. We checked out the house and the dogs and just couldn't pass it up. We moved in a week ago and will be here through May and into June. The owners are off tromping through South Africa and then Italy -- we're jealous, but not too much, as their home is so lovely. It's got a bit of acreage, vistas of mountains and the reservoir, redwoods, wildflowers, a beekeepers hive, wood-burning stoves and DSL! What more could we want? We spend all of our time outdoors -- it's sunny and warm during the day -- in the high 70s -- when we're not working. We've been on vacation the last 10 days, so we are feeling the itch to be gypsies again even more than usual. Which leads me to our future plans: we are either going to Japan, Alaska, South Africa or Australia and then back to Costa Rica. We've got it really narrowed down as you can see!

We are actually hoping to help a couple drive from Boston to Alaska. That's our first choice by far, so hopefully in a couple of weeks, we can update and tell you we're headed north!

Our new puppies, ready to go somewhere! Kiwi is in front, Ginger in back	The beautiful coastal hills on Los Laurales grade between Salinas and Carmel, CA	A market off Southbound Highway 101 north of the Monterey Peninsula exit with GREAT sandwiches

5 April, 2002

Always tough to go back to work after a few days off...

Last week we flaked on our plans to go to Moab because Sandy's clutch/transmission is complaining (lots) and we thought that 3,000 miles might be too much. Seeing as how sitting beside some desert road in Nevada with a broken truck isn't our idea of fun, we opted to stay closer to home. We did still get a great trip up to Beebee's dad's house in Tuolumne (and a great sunset there) and later in the week we had a great lunch at Aldo's in Santa Cruz, where Steve managed to move a few rolls through the camera and have an all-around great day.

The Dogs

Ginger (about 2 years old) is on the left, she is a sweetheart but doesn't like strangers very much. LOVES the Landcruiser and seems to take it personally if we so much as re-park without letting her jump in. Kiwi (very much a puppy at 8 months) is on the right, he is bit of a lummox (appears to have no idea at all of where his rapidly growing body begins nor ends) and has a penchant for chewing up anything that he gets his maw on (including Jocelyn's glasses) but he is trying really hard to learn to behave and his overwhelming enthusiasm EVERY time he sees us (even if it has only been 20 seconds) is awfully endearing.

23 April, 2002

Boy time sure does fly! Everything is going just great here, there are the usual ups and downs, but not much has changed since the last time we updated. Perhaps most notable to our "daily grind" is that Steve has changed his work schedule to four days a week and Bb is leaving her retail job to concentrate entirely on jewelry design. Big scary step for Bb... but we are feeling like it is now or never as we are financially stable and geographically stable for a little while longer.

One of the highlights of the last few weeks has been taking the dogs to the beach. Not only do they have a blast, but they get nice and tuckered-out so when we get them home later they are really calm and actually sleep through the entire night with minimal barking. Except when deer come into the yard. Boy does Kiwi love to stand inside the laundry with his head poking out the doggy door, barking at deer! Our bedroom is, of course, right over the garage, which acts as a great acoustical amplifier for Kiwi's barking.

Steve is also very excited about his newest lens- he finally bucked up and bought the 105mm Micro-Nikkor that he has been wanting. Prepare yourselves for a dramatic increase in close-ups!