It has been an interesting couple of weeks here in Puerto Viejo. Two weeks ago the government decided that it was time to go forward with enforcing an order that was initiated in 1993 to demolish two hotels in our area. It had been determined many years ago that both of the hotel had been defying the environmental laws and had contaminated both the ocean and the rain forest around their areas. Due diligence allowed them to remain open for years. However, all appeals ran out early this month and the bulldozers arrived to raze the hotels – accompanied by 200 or so policemen from around the country. Before the police arrived, blockades were set up (by cutting down trees to fall across the road) so that the bulldozers could not reach their destination. It was an exciting few days here in our laid back little town and the controversy will go on for some time as to who is right or wrong. Tom and I will continue to take everything with a grain of salt on both sides………….
A friend of Tom’s from the University of Idaho came to visit last week. He is a law professor from UI who came to Heredia in the central valley to teach a course on how the laws in different countries complement (or don’t) each other. He finished his classwork last week so came over to our side of the country of a few days of R&R. It was such fun to meet him and hear of his experiences. He is not a novice visitor – he has been here many times – but this was his first visit to Puerto Viejo. He definitely was enjoying himself and we are hoping that he and his wife will decide to come back for respite in the next couple of years 
Other than than that we have been tending to our amazing garden, snorkeling whenever the ocean is calm, and trying to catalog new birds that come into our yard. 
Oh – and watching Sofi grow up. She is almost six months old!!!
The first bananas from our very own yard!
Our newest batch of Heliconias
Ditto
Iguana hanging out in our tree
Looking at the house from the backyard
Hummingbird on a Heliconia
Costa Rica Dog Lover 
Jana, which hotels? Wow, 200 cops!
Do you know the variety of those bananas? Somehow they look a little different than the ones over here. Also, ours usually start ripening at the top of the bunch, interesting.
Tamara says hi!
Casey – the hotels were the Las Palmas and Hotel Surerre. It was pretty exciting here for a few days!!
I will ask the gardener if these are a different variety from the ones they have on the pacific side. That is interesting that they ripen so differently.
Hi backatcha to Tamara – and Sean! I loved the entry in the science fair. I am thinking that could come in useful sometimes 🙂