Dirreciones? Go 8 blocks, then go left, down the hill, then ask someone else...

Wow. Today was a long day. Not necessarily a bad day, just a long day.

We started this morning like we´ll start most mornings. We went to the bus-stop and waited for the bus. We´re still not sure when exactly the bus comes...there is about a 10 minute time differential accross the last 3 days. At least 10 minutes. And it was raining, which isn´t a surprise anymore. At all.

Well, the last time we went to Naranjo, someone from the office of orphanages and other not-so-good situations drove us to the orphanage. Dirrections in Costa Rica are hit and miss, as you will soon see. For example, the directions to (and actual translated address of our house) are:

Costa Rica, Alajuela, San Ramon. Park, 50 blocks east and 50 blocks south of the dental clinic, on the right-hand side, the house with the light-green color inside.

No Joke.

We were driven to the orphanage on Wednesday.
Today, we thought we would remember how to get there.

We didn´t.

Turns out that you take a right at the Muebleria, not go straight. As a result of this little error, we spent the next hour and a half walking around (still in the rain) trying to find our way to wherever it was we were supposed to be. Turns out that asking for directions is about as hit-and-miss as stepping outside and hoping to stay dry. We asked 6 people for directions. The first five over the course of an hour and a half had very helpful things to say:
-¨Go a block that way and ask someone else.¨ Well, we were just that way.
-¨Go to the other side of town, you cant miss it.¨ Well, that was the office building that we were at the day before, which we only realized after walking accross town and reaching the top of a very steep street.
-¨Go 8 blocks that way, and then go right.¨ This was from a taxi-driver. After 6 blocks in the designated direction, we ran out of street, out of buildings, and out of town. So that was a big miss.
-¨Go to the end and turn left.¨ This was from an elderly gentlemen who was on his front porch. At the end of the street (from whence we had just come) and to the left was a large puddle of mudd and some bushes. We then asked the nearest stop-sign where to go, and it proved more helpful than anything else we had previously asked.

Finally two gentlemen told us to go down the only street we hadn´t been down yet, and behold, the orphanage appeared. Victory.

The orphanage was good, although it continued to rain the entire time (which is supposedly because of Costa Rica´s proximity to Hannah right now). Then more events:

My recently purchased (like, yesterday purchased) umbrella broke, which I decided to string back together with thread from Gretel (mama-tica´s) supplies. BUT when we arrived home after this long morning, we were informed that something was wrong with the water supply, so the water wasn´t working. At all. This was perhaps the most puzzling thing to me thus far today. The mere thought that we are indeed suffering from a water SHORTAGE of all things is mentally staggering.

Then my sunglasses broke. Not like I´ll need them, I guess.

So, that was the long day. But we rebounded quickly, found some 2-dollar flip-flops and good bakery-goodies, and got to email and check up on all of you. Kristen even got to talk to her parents for a while, which was encouraging for both of us. (Mom and Dad: this is not a guilt trip for not answering the phone. I know you love me very much, and rest assured that I still love you too.)

As for tonight, we´re going to find something in english to watch on tv, or a movie to rent. Then we´re going to eat a dinner of something, depending on the water shortage situation (????). Then Kristen and I will play some Cribbage, read and write, then fall asleep.

Tomorrow, more orphanage. But nowwe know where it is. Along with everything else in Naranjo.