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After experiencing toilets with so many features (including music), I was surprised to discover squat toilets in a few places. Not so cool as the others and certainly not so good for a guy with bad knees. We are in our last two days of our visit to Japan. We had a fun-filled weekend with … Continue reading »

Forgive me but I seem to be fascinated with Japanese toilets. This one below has a washing sink where the water flows before filling the toilet tank. What a cool idea….as opposed to ours back home which are a solid tank top. How nice to be able to wash your hands or get a drink … Continue reading »

It is so great to finally visit Sean and Makiko and Julian in Japan and to experience this fascinating culture. They have lived in Osaka for six years but our time in Africa kept us from visiting. Now we get to enjoy connecting with them on their turf. Osaka, like most of Japan, is a … Continue reading »

We arrived in Japan last night (May 17 in Japan, May 16 in Canada). Sean, Makiko, and Julian were waiting for us. Marilyn and I were a bit tired and everyone was hungry so we ate at the airport. Yes, that’s a Subway but they have some interesting Japanese preferred items. We are heading to … Continue reading »

This ‘spoon billed stork’ was so close it almost doesn’t look real. This blog is mostly about our trip to Cano Negro which is a large designated national park full of birds. We actually saw more than 150 different species. The big bonus was that we traveled with three professors and 4 students from the … Continue reading »

One week from today, we will be flying back to Canada. This has been an amazing time for us and we have come to know so many ‘Gringos’ and ‘Ticos’ during the past four weeks. We continue to do lots of jobs around Gary’s B&B as the renovations near completion. We got the hot tub … Continue reading »

Two weeks from today, we will be flying back to Canada. We have now been in Costa Rica for 23 days. Each day unfolds with a great deal of fun and laughter but we are also on a ‘working holiday’ as we help Gary with his new B&B. “Angel Valley Farm B&B” has truly become … Continue reading »

Costa Rica has a diverse landscape. On our first visit in 2000, we went to the southern part of the country along the Pacific Coast. This time we are in the mountainous cloud forest not far from active volcanoes. One thing consistent about the geography, however, is the number of designated national parks throughout and … Continue reading »

Amy left this morning for her flight back to Canada but not before we had several amazing days exploring the Costa Rican countryside and its people. Last Friday we went to the San Ramon farmer’s market and stocked up on an array of fruits and vegetables – all locally grown. The area we are in … Continue reading »

An update on Saskatchewan We painted at our house in Hanley right up until we left for Toronto on our way to Costa Rica. We got the kitchen, livingroom, hallway and one bathroom finished and are ready to hang pictures when we return. Once again Marilyn has picked and combined colours to make our new … Continue reading »