To San José and back.

On Thursday, myself, Blue and JJ, headed to San José first thing. We had to leave the Land Rover in for some repairs, before meeting the Explorer group that evening. The Explorers are Venturers who are just doing the second and third phases of the expedition. It was funny going into the Land Rover garage and being surrounded by Land Rovers that are made in Birmingham.

With nothing in particular to do, we wandered around the shops picking up bits and pieces that we needed. Despite telling my bank that I'd be in Costa Rica, they blocked my card when I tried to withdraw cash, and made me phone an 0845 number from Costa Rica for the privilege of getting access to my cash. Ho hum.

After a nap in a park and some food shopping for the Explorers, we headed to the airport. Once we'd found most of them, I was sent in a taxi to the British School where we were staying that night. It was grand and I managed to muster up some organised fun. Blue and JJ arrived a while later with the last Explorer.

Not sure of the extent of The Beatles involvement
with this chain of sports stores.

Pretty sunset on the way to the airport.

Up at 5am the next day, we headed back to Fieldbase. I went back on the bus with the Explorers. It was grand. I spent the day catching up with some blog stuff. A girl on one of the teams emailed her mother to say she'd written a blog. Mummy started bombarding Head Office in London with phonecalls and emails asking why her angel's blog hadn't been published. We only received it the day before. Ho hum.

When I was waiting for copy to be approved, I helped the Logistics and Admin teams with some bits. I made sure to shave and shower last night - with changeover the following day, I'd be busy and the returning Project Managers would be more in need of a shower than me!

Plans for a banana and mango crumble were thwarted by a power cut at Fieldbase. We all went to bed early, which in reality was no bad thing. We all knew that changeover would be chaos.

I got up at stupid o'clock to help the Logs team, did a bit with blogs, and then the teams started arriving back, so I've spent the afternoon hugging people, helping with lunch, helping with the shop, hugging people, and frantically trying to sort out two blogs a Project Manager told me had been sent. They'd been put in a folder, but nobody told me they were there. Ho hum.

It's been a busy but productive and fun few days. It's been really nice catching up with the Project Managers. I've been continuing reading The Chimp Paradox which has given me lots to think about.

I've noticed in myself that I'm not nervous about doing things that I've never done before, like trying to get a group of people into the gym of a school with security men who don't speak English, or climbing about on top of a Land Rover securing bamboo with tarpaulins and bungee cords. It reminded me of when I was in Scouts - going off to camp somewhere I'd never been, but there was never any fear. It's probably something to do with youth that somehow dwindles when you get sucked into and get used to a life of no excitement or adventure.

Anyway, Project Managers' breakfast tomorrow morning. Should be good pup-free fun!

Pura Vida!