Free falling

In Costa Rica, the people don't ask, "How did you sleep?" but "How did you wake up?" And on Wednesday, I woke up especially well.

I bounced into the kitchen and gave my host family a hearty "Buenos Dias," which was returned with the suggestion that I take the day off to go on a little trip with them. No classes? Okay!

So, my host sister, Liliana, her baby, Andreina, and I loaded into the back of my host dad's SUV, which used to be an ambulance but is now a miniature school bus. My host dad, Millo, was taking two guys up the mountain to a no-man's-land place called Tres Colinas. The men were going there to install solar panels, and Liliana, Andreina and I were going along just for the ride.

My host mom packed me a lunch of rice and beans, gave us a bag of local bananas and sent us on our way with sweatshirts and a blanket for the baby. I thought to myself as we bounced up the rocky mountain road that Millo's car sure was tough. I'd not once seen it break down or even sputter.

I hate it when I speak too soon. We had almost made it to Tres Colinas when steam starting pouring out from under the hood. We'd overheated, and despite all of my host mom's preparations, we didn't have a drop of water.

I started up the mountain, and my host dad went down it, while Liliana stayed in the car with the baby. One of the guys we were transporting walked up the mountain with me and eventually got a signal on his cell phone. A rubber-booted man from Tres Colinas arrived within 30 minutes with two big jugs of water.

But my host dad was long gone down the mountain, so we tried starting the car without him. The motor wouldn't even turn over. All we got was that annoying click click click. The solar-panel guys put their solar-panel gear in the rubber-boots guy's car and headed up the mountain with him.

Liliana and the baby and I just waited in the car until finally we spotted Millo coming with help. On a horse. The horse belonged to a Tico name Kenneth, of all names, who lives alone in a sparse little house on the side of the mountain.

With me in the driver seat working the breaks and steering wheel, we managed to get the dead former ambulance turned around and heading in a down-the-mountain direction. Then we climbed in and rolled down. We stopped off at Kenneth's house to use the bathroom (which was not the kind with actual plumbing) and have our lunch. It was beautiful on the side of that mountain.

Eventually, with the help of a tractor that passed by, and later a truck that passed by, we made it back home.

I don't know what ever happed to the solar-panel people. They may still be stuck on top of that mountain. I'm sure the whole thing was a real inconvenience for them, but for me it was a great adventure. And because I never got to see Tres Colinas, my host family promises they will take me again some day.