Silvia
Megan and I were startled from our beds by a knocking on the door. We looked at each other and laughed. We'd overslept. Megan hurried to open the door for Ines, who stood there smiling. She walked in, not caring we were in our undies. She lugged her suitcase behind her, then sat at the little table.
"We have a lot of driving to do, ladies. Please get dressed. We can pick up some breakfast on the way out."
I couldn't get mad at her. We did oversleep. So Megan and I quickly got ready to go. We dressed, threw our things into our luggage, used the bathroom, and were ready in less than ten minutes. I think Ines enjoyed watching us scramble because she sat with a smile on her face the entire time.
I realized later that a standard tour guide wouldn't have walked in on us to wake us up in the morning. How we bonded the night before with Ines broke down that relationship, so we became more familiar. Maybe that was the personal touch I read about and liked that was outlined on their website.
We'd barely known Ines for a day, and here she was watching us dress, and neither Megan nor I were complaining.
When we had our acts together, we headed to the lobby area and grabbed coffee, pastries, and fruit from the continental breakfast. Ines checked us out of the hotel, by just handing back our room cards.
We loaded up in her minivan, and to my delight, my darling Megan offered me the front seat. I thanked her but let her ride there because she and Ines had such a good time the day before. I loved seeing how they interacted, plus Megan could work on her Spanish.
The trip would only take about two and a half hours, but our goal was to get there before the day's heat. Megan and I needed to get acclimated after coming from thirty-degree temperatures. Of course, my doll was anxious to see birds.
We were heading to San Gerardo de Dota, a tiny town at the bottom of the Talamanca mountain range. Ines said it's not very touristy, and we'd see quite a few birds for Megan to photograph.
We ate and sipped our coffees while Ines drove. Megan was reasonably quiet, probably a little hungover from the night before. But I could see her excitement building once she ate and finished her coffee.
She asked Ines about the trails, the jungle, and the lenses she should pack. I sat back and enjoyed the scenery listening as Ines answered all Megan's questions. When the questions were exhausted, Ines started another Spanish-language session with Megan. This was more than individual words and rolling their Rs. Ines helped Megan form sentences and explain how they were put together.
The girls were giggling and smiling as they talked. I concluded that Ines was just a tactile person who liked to touch, which I don't think we often see at home because of Covid and social norms. Megan didn't mind, so I let it go.
About an hour into our drive, the minivan quieted down. Megan was slowly nodding off, the lack of sleep finally catching up with her. So, I took that opportunity to ask Ines how she got hooked up with the tour company.
She smiled at me in the rearview mirror and said it's a long story. I smiled back, telling her I had time. I'm not going anyway. She giggled and began her tale.
The company started maybe twenty years ago. Her uncle was a professor at one of the universities here in Costa Rica. Her aunt was an ex-pat from the states. They met, she forgot how, and got married. Joy, her aunt, had that American drive and went into real estate, focusing on Americans who wanted vacation homes down here. Uncle Julio was a birder and would take people birding in his spare time. They came up with the idea of offering tours and places to stay since her aunt had access to houses whose owners left them vacant most of the year.
They started slow, but after word got out, they had to hire people, and the business eventually grew to what it is today.
I asked, "How did this one-on-one tour thing we're doing come about?"
Ines laughed, "It was one of my cousins. She thought doing this would be a more special experience a few years ago. We have some extended families here, so they tried different things, and with all our cousins and relatives, we can cater to just about anyone. I know it's only been one day, but are you and Megan enjoying me and the trip so far?"
I smiled as she looked back at me again, "We are. It's very different. I know Megan likes you, and I do, also. You're very entertaining."
Ines grinned, "I like that word, 'entertaining' my family has other words that aren't as flattering, you might say."
I laughed, “I won't ask.”
She looked back again, "Oh, I forgot to mention it, but my cousin, Triana, will meet us at the house where we'd be staying. She'll follow us and do the cooking, laundry, and whatever at our houses. She's in one of the better culinary schools in San Jose. It's a chance for her to get practical experience and for you and Megan to eat delicious meals made just for you."
I had thought we were staying in hotels the entire time. Having a personal chef sounded terrific.
I replied, "That sounds wonderful, Ines. I wasn't aware we were staying in houses and not hotels."
She giggled, “I think you and Megan will love the houses too. You won't have to sleep in the same bed.”
I laughed, “Yes, two weeks of me snoring would drive Megan crazy.”
Ines laughed, “It might.”
Another lull set in as we approached the town. We ended up parking near a ranger station close to the trailhead. Megan woke up; her eyes lit up as she scanned the trees, looking for birds.
My priority was a bathroom. Ines and Megan got their things together. Ines handed Megan a list of birds we'd likely encounter. When I finished, Megan took her turn, followed by Ines. With that completed, we headed into the jungle.
We walked down the trail, with me following the true birders. Megan had too many camera things to handle, so she passed off her phone with a bird ID app. Within a few seconds, it seemed I was picking up many bird songs. I watched it display the names and began looking for them. Ines and Megan continued scanning the canopy with Ines using binoculars. When Ines would find one, she'd make a slight sound to get Megan's attention, then whisper to her and point. Megan would point her camera and rattle off a few shots. We continued at a snail's pace deep into the jungle. I was happy with my little app looking up and finding the source.
We paused now and then for water and for Megan to check birds off her list. She was having the time of her life.
Stopping for lunch, we talked about other animals we might encounter. Ines mentioned Panthers, but that rarely happened. However, she mentioned sloths, which were easy to spot and get pictures of because they were so slow.
After lunch, we began heading back on a different trail. We saw butterflies and other insects, along with more birds. The highlight of my day was seeing a sloth in one of the trees. Megan must have spent ten minutes getting a picture of it, hoping it would move and give her a better angle. But she never got the 'perfect' one.
The ride to the house we would stay at was reasonably brief. We'd visit a different area tomorrow and spend a second night where we were.
When we did pull up to the house, I was delighted. It was huge, and as Ines mentioned, I'd get my bed. Inside, Triana greeted us in her chef uniform with some tasty hors d'oeuvres. I don't know what they were, but I loved them.
Triana was adorable, dressed as a chef, and very professional. She was a tiny bit shorter than me, maybe five foot two. Her hair was a light brunette tied into a ponytail; her eyes were a much more golden brown than her cousin Ines. Her smile was as infectious, and her voice was sweet to match her smile.
We went into the living room to relax before unloading our suitcases. As we lounged, Triana talked to us about food and her duties. She handed us a list of meals she was planning on and asked if they were alright. They all sounded good to Megan and me, which delighted Triana. When all her questions were answered, she headed to the kitchen to finish fixing our dinner.
Megan and I used our free time to tour the house with Ines. I didn't know what it would cost back home, but it would probably be nearly two million dollars.
After the tour, Megan and I lounged around, waiting for dinner. At about seven, Triana announced it was ready. So, we took our seats and the massive dining room table. Triana served us, poured our wine, then joined us. After a few minutes, she asked how we liked our chicken enchiladas. Megan swooned, which made us all laugh. Triana smiled and thanked her. I told her they were the best I'd ever eaten, which made her very happy.
After dinner, Triana and Ines wouldn't let us help with the dishes. We both forgot we were the guests. However, Ines, with some urging from Megan, turned on the hot tub so we could relax. About five minutes into soaking, we heard Ines and Triana giggling. We turned to see each holding two glasses of wine and dressed in their bikinis, asking if they could join us.
When Triana was in her chef outfit, she was shapeless. In her bikini, oh my god! Her breasts practically burst out of her bikini top. I didn't notice any boobs when she was in her uniform, and now they were on display and hard not to see. I made a comparison in my mind of Ines and Triana. Ines was more beauty pageant material, whereas Triana was more girl next door cute if that makes sense. I don't think she was too much older than Megan, maybe twenty. I've noticed as I've gotten older, it's harder for me to figure out young people's ages.
Ines handed Megan her glasses to get in the tub, and Triana gave me hers. We thanked them for the wine as Ines sat nearer to Megan and Triana to me. We spent the next half-hour answering Triana's questions and us asking her questions. She was delightful, just like her cousin Ines, but more subtly. Triana did seem to blush frequently when Ines made jokes about their family, and she looked adorable when she did.
When my glass was empty, Triana asked if I'd like another. They'd neglected to bring the bottle, but she'd gladly refill my glass. She also asked Megan, who declined, then Ines. Ines and I said yes. So, with three empty wine glasses, Triana stood up.
She must have stepped on one of the slick spots on the bottom of the hot tub because she lost her balance. Luckily, I had my elbows on the tub ledge and caught her before she fell into the tub, injuring herself and maybe breaking the glasses.
I blushed this time because she landed with her boobs in my face as I caught her at her waist. I looked up from her breasts to see her blushing deep red. She giggled and apologized as I held her, waiting for her to regain her footing. Megan was the first to help out. She stood, ensured Triana had sound footing, then took Triana by the waist and gently pulled her off me.
Ines watched and was on her feet to help also if we needed it. Poor Triana kept apologizing as she handed Ines the glasses and exited the tub. When she was outside the tub, she took the glasses back and headed to the kitchen.