Cafe Ole

Brenna and Molly 

This is Brenna's neighborhood. It is incredibly nice, and  so is her huge house. One team family member is irritated that the girls are paying $400 less for this large home with an exquisite view than she is paying for her small apartment.

The beach at Casa de Frida (This is not a great picture. It's much  prettier and exotic-feeling than this photo shows.)

Today we had quite the experience getting a rental car. Brenna had planned and researched and made arrangements, but even her expertise is thwarted sometimes here. You have to be flexible in Latin America. There is a shortage of cars this week and one car was not returned. The one we were to have. "Wouldn't you like this nice pick-up truck instead?" Um. No. So Jim and I Skyped and called and found the last 6 passenger car in the country. The people at the rental agency were so kind and nice. They picked us up at our hotel, took us to their business site, and led the way back to our hotel in another car so that we wouldn't get lost. (And we SO would have!!) Streets don't really have names on them here. Instead the locals say, for example:  "Do you know the street that goes to Santa Tecla? Yeah, well, you take that and turn at the tire shop." I love being in situations where I have to use my Spanish, and I love being in really small out-of-the way, villages where tourists never go. Speaking another language is like magic. You make strange sounds, and magically (if you do it right) the other person understands you. It's so fun. So getting the rental car was right up my alley. 

Then we took our 1992 four-wheel drive Montero to a coffee plantation on the volcanoe. There was a beautiful view and great food, and we just sat and talked and enjoyed the scenery. Sigh. I'm so happy here. (You can click on the images to make them big.) 

Molly and Kelly at the Coffee Plantation

Jim, Molly, Matt, Brenna, and Kelly