Friday February 5th

Today I spent the morning doing paperwork. In the afternoon I walked around town with Jorge. We went to the market. As I was taking pictures a guy walked by and said "I don't want any fat ugly gringo taking my picture" I was bummed because fat is one thing, fat AND ugly, depressing.

The food that is pictured is breakfast and lunch. Breakfast was gallo pinto (rice and beans), scrambled eggs and two tortillas with ham on them. Delicious! Lunch was something called Picadillo something - I will ask tomorrow and put it in tomorrow's entry. They take the inside (under the bark) of the palm plant and chop it up and add onions, cilantro etc. It was ok.

Today I focussed on getting pics of different styles of houses.

Gabe came today to stay with me. The family of Milagro treated him like their son. The dad gave him a very special gift - I long carved stick. I am touched by how kind his family is being to him and how kind Luis's family is being to me.

Tomorrow (Saturday) we are Gabe and I are going to San Josè to stay with Jorge and his wife Lucy and two daughters Laura and Melissa. Presidential elections are Sunday and they are a BIG deal here with huge parties in the streets and lots of hoopla. The Green and white flag on the car (cars don the flags of the political party) and that Jorge is holding is of Laura Chinchilla, a female candidate. She is expected to win if she does she will be the first female president in Costa Rican History.

There are pictures of Luis' wife getting the children's uniforms ready for the new school year that starts on Wednesday. It is a white collared shirt, dark blue pants, black socks a belt. She has to have the school emblem sewed on each shirt. The shirts should last the whole year.