Roadtrip to Vegas

As I looked out the window upon descending into Salt Lake City, I was partially shocked to feel a unique sense of thrill, excitement and an "arriving home" feeling...It's always been difficult for me to accept Utah as my "home." I've flown in dozens of times and this was the first time I ever remember feeling this happy to have arrived! I was on the brink of tears when I first saw Michael. He was totally blown away seeing me too and we had so much to talk about! My lack of sleep eventually caught up to me around 8PM and I crashed.

Mt. Timpanogos looking majestic upon my descent to the valley

I couldn't wait to make this! First dinner with the hubby: I made him cucumber noodles and marinara and had the leftover marinara as a soup for myself with a few noodles on top!

We left the house by 9:15AM...Vegas or bust! I decided to face a major fear of mine: driving a stick shift. It had been over a year since my last attempt and I really wanted to give Michael a break from driving me around everywhere. [My last attempt was on our road trip to Texas last Christmas. I stalled the car about 15x in the middle of an intersection of a town and was balling my eyes out from the stress. It was a very scarring experience.] Deeeep breathes. You know how to do this. Between Orem and St. George I managed to only stall it twice!

Michael took over driving for me after St. George so he could navigate the scary canyon

Vegas was in the high 60s during the day, which felt cold to me but was warm enough to lay out for Michael. We got there around 3PM and headed straight for a buffet. I made myself bottomless salad [1 plate of melon, 4 plates of salad] and ate up!
We were staying the night at the Excalibur [south side of the strip] and walked all the way down to the Venetian Hotel. There is always a lot to see and hear walking down the strip, and we had fun bouncing in and out of casinos and stores. The fancier hotels like Caeser's Palace and the Venetian were much less offensive in their stank of cigarettes and grungy-ness, but we could barely stand to breathe inside most of the others. You know it's bad when you are rushing outside to breathe "fresh" air of city fumes.

Monday Night in Vegas and it's still bumpin'

We had a good night of walking and talking, shopping and sight-seeing, partially on my behalf to get some new clothes and partially on Michael's behalf to get out of Utah. Today we don't have much on the schedule: laying out for Michael, some more walking and shopping and a trip to a juice bar/Whole Foods for me, then visiting with some friends in St. George. I get back to work on the farm on Wednesday.

This is for Danielle: I'm doing my 100 squats while waiting for the Bellagio water show

Full moon tonight

Back in the USA

[I've got to keep this entry short and sweet seeing as every moment I spend blogging detracts from the already less than 6 hours of sleep I am hoping for tonight.]
Right now I just feel extremely grateful to my sister and her family for being so hospitable to me during my 16 hour layover in Houston. I didn't sleep very well last night as there were constantly people leaving for the airport at all hours. When I did wake up for good I ate a breakfast of mango and pineapple and finished packing my bags. I left for the airport around 11:30AM and caught a 3:00PM flight to Houston where I called my sister Kate to say "I'm here!" to here her reply, "You're coming today? I thought you said Sunday!" It all sorted itself out because waiting for her gave me time to call Michael and really talk to him for the first time in a long time. When we got back to Kate's house she requested that I cut her and her kids' hair, which I was willing to do with the saddest pair of sewing scissors she had on hand. I was embarrassed to even claim such a haircut as my own work [I usually won't touch anyone's hair unless I'm using my professional shears], but I knew she was extremely thankful to have me do the service.

Me and my adorable nephew Dan the Man

Kate with her 3 kids, Jane, John Rex, and Dan

The face of misery: Dan hated the snipping sound the scissors made

When the hair was cleaned up and the kids were in bed, Kate and I headed out to HEB, the local grocery store. I had eaten 9 insanely sweet granadia on the plane, but the hunger had long caught up to me and I was wanting my volume meal for the day: a big salad!

Michael also informed me last minute that we are driving to Las Vegas on Monday...surprise!...he is desperate to get out of Utah and go someplace warm. I am always down for a Vegas trip, but I knew I would need to plan ahead and have fruit on hand.

Kate and I had fun perusing the aisles and although the selection was anything but what I had experienced 24 hours previous, I had to keep reminding myself that it was better than what I was going home to in Utah. I bought some grapes, peaches, apples, and mangoes with iceberg lettuce, celery, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, kale mix, and chives. 

This is my sad mango face. Low quality, imported mangoes: 2 for $3. In Costa Rica I could buy a kilo of the best mango for a dollar or less

Suck it up, Dot. You're not in Costa Rica anymore. The days are only getting longer and warmer, and you missed the worst of it. This is what I keep telling myself. Still...

I made myself a big bowl of baby kale salad when we got back, with chopped tomato, celery, chive, avocado, and a mango-celery dressing [just like back in Rio Chirripo!]

My first meal back in the USA

Tomorrow [today now I suppose...] my flight leaves at 9:30AM for the last short stretch to Salt Lake City, UT. I have a roof over my head, a bed to sleep in, and bags full of decent produce to bring back to snow-packed Utah...I have a lot to be grateful for!

Goodnight, ya'll! [That's the Texan in me.]

  

A Long Drive and the Alajuera Market

It felt surreal watching the sun creep over the Chirripo mountain range for the last time today. My bags were already packed and I was ready to go. I had a light breakfast of watermelon, we took our group photo, and  we all slowly migrated to the where the bus was parked, delaying some goodbyes for as long as possible.

Saying farewill to Christie. Her, Ryan, Jerome, and Katy are staying an extra week to surf on the coast

We stopped 30 minutes into our drive in San Isidro to run an errand to the bank, drop Israel off, and...fix a flat tire. After 3 more hours of driving, we stopped at a souvenir shop to eat lunch and buy a few gifts, and then packed in again to our taxi-van for a semi-miserable 3 more hours to Alajuera/San Jose. We got stuck in traffic which is what made the trip extra long, and there was no escaping the fumes of the city air while in a stand-still van on the highway. I wanted to gag myself; that would have been a pleasant alternative to breathing in such small amounts of actual oxygen. Blegh.

Flat tire in San Isidro

Where we stopped to eat lunch of extra mangoes and bananas

When we finally got to Hotel Aeropuerto, we dropped our stuff off and got straight back on the bus because the driver had agreed to give us a ride to the nearby market. This was the same market that I visited on my second day here, except this time instead of it being torture, it was HEAVEN [since I wasn't fasting]. There were performers, sounds, smells, sights, and tastes like I've never experienced before. The market is 90% fruit and vegetables and free samples are abundant. The pineapple is the most deep golden color, perfectly ripened in the world's best soil. In the back was a stand with over 5 types of avocados, some that were tiny and rich, and others that were gigantic [imagine a small melon] and water-rich. I tasted my first sugar-cane juice...or "crack" as Danielle calls it. Straight sugar to the blood. I had a plum the size of cherry, cherry-tomatoes that exploded in your mouth, coconut water that refreshed me head to toe, and bought lots of granadia for tomorrow. I bought the biggest head of organic butter lettuce I could find and devoured some of Danielle's celery that had the best crunch to it. I tried abiu, similar to star apple, except sweeter and creamier. There was one vendor selling over 7 kinds of my absolute favorite fruit: mango, each variety having its own peculiar shape, color, and taste. It was a fruit-lovers dream.

About 75 cents USD for this coconut. Gosh I will miss these prices.

My favorite mango stand. So many varieties!

Street performers

Danielle and I, remembering to do our squats before dinner! Who cares if people stare?!

We had basically been grazing on food for 2 hours, but I had been careful to still save room for a savory salad. I brought the butter lettuce back and the hotel restaurant staff kindly washed it for me. Danielle and I both shared ingredients and mixed up our meals in our own bowls. Great ingredients = great food. 

As the night has gone on more and more people have had to drift away to the airport...namely Danielle. I can't believe I am saying "goodbye!" already! Although she does work for FoodnSport so I know I'll be seeing her again. Goodbye's are never ever fun.

Pura Vida - Last Day

So the title is a little misleading...I actually have all day today and tomorrow in Costa Rica, my flight leaves Saturday afternoon...but today IS my last day at Rio Chirripo. We make our way to San Jose/Alajuela bright and early tomorrow morning.

I can feel my time here is slipping away.You know a place is starting to feel like home when you grow accustomed to the sounds at night, and you wake up and no longer have to think, "where am I?"

 The idea of leaving is disheartening and at the same time tempting. I desperately miss my husband, but more than going to him, I wish I could bring him here. Another part of me is ready to get back in a routine and structured daily life of adult responsibilities. Wait, did I really just say that? Weird.

I have learned more in the last two months about anatomy and physiology, the science of human health, and most importantly, my own body than ever before in my life. I know I barely made a dent in the iceberg that is Natural Hygiene and I'm looking forward to the next 4 years in the CLC program. As sad as it is to leave, I know I will be back this time next year to intern on this very same property; that thought brings a smile to my face. Rio Chirripo, you are never far from my heart!

 I woke up not wanting to walk very far, which made today the perfect day for the hot springs! It is a short 30 minute walk from where we are, and considering what I would now classify as a "hill," it was relatively flat ground. There were two magical pools, shaded and in the sun, nicely cemented in and naturally flowing with warm water from the earth. It was the perfect bath temperature, and felt amazing on my sore muscles...which were about to get more sore. Most of our group congregated at the top pool, but I stayed back with Dr. Graham and did some aquatic exercises in between blissful relaxation. It was also a great opportunity to ask him any questions before I return home; it is a rare opportunity indeed when he doesn't have a line of people wanting to talk to him. I appreciated the 1 on 1 time and got a real sense that he cares about every single attendee, and is looking forward to seeing me grow and mature as I continue to learn about health creation.

Everyone enjoying themselves in the hot springs

Lunch was banana-ice cream-sundaes with a mango sauce and date-carob sauce options. After spending the morning in the warm water and hot sun, it was perfect.

Nanner perfection

At 4PM we met by the rocks to "put away" the rock gym, which meant putting them all in pile. That didn't take all too long, so we of course did some chest press before dinner. 

Mangoes are in their prime right now. Succulent, juicy, ripe, sweetness

Dinner was a mix of all the leftovers we had...fresh local Irwin mangoes, a beautiful tomato gazpacho, and...sloppy joes! Katy took all the leftover veggies [celery, cabbage, carrot, red pepper, tomato, zucchini, cilantro], food processed them up, and then squashed them into patties to warm in the dehydrator. Served in lettuce and tomato slices, it was the perfect last dinner meal.

Eating vegetables is so not a chore for me.

After dinner we all watched a slideshow of our before and afters, ooo-ed and aaaaah-ed for a nice little while, and then went around the room saying briefly what this event [the last 2 weeks of the Walking Tour] meant to us. It was very touching to hear everyone's contribution and made this trip all the more unforgettable.

Chirripo Or Bust

Last night Danielle and I were debating the pros and cons of walking with Dr. Graham's group, or doing our own thing for today's hike. We were told ahead of time that the hike today would basically be "how far can you get up Chirripo before 10:15AM?" We decided we were going to reinstate the A- Group for a day, skip breakfast and leave 45 minutes before the others at 7AM, and just go for it. We joked that Dr. Graham's group would probably catch up with us on the 1km marker, but we didn't care.

Me at the 0km marker trail head

7AM was the perfect time to start; we missed the heat of the sun as it was still creeping up over the mountains, and by the time it was up we were deep in the jungle forest and well-shaded. We huffed out the first kilometer up the mountain [one of the steepest parts]. We kept going...and going...and going...2km...3km...4km...5km. Still no sign of the A group! We were approaching the 6km marker when we heard Katy's voice behind us. Danielle and I both froze, stared at each other, then booked it. Phew. It took it all out of me. Katy started shouting, "I'm gunna catch you!!" and she did, right before 6km. It was nearly 10AM and Danielle and I weren't planning on going any further, except I was parched and all out of water. Katy enthusiastically said, "Guys! You're so close! At 7.5km there's ice cold water!" AHH! We pushed on, and made it in just under 20 more minutes. Best. Water. Ever.

The first kilometer sucks!

Me and Danielle feeling strong and empowered, "We got past 1km!" 

3km seemed to come quickly thereafter...

Well, we made it to 4km, let's try getting to 5km!

Ok, that was tricky. My legs are going to feel this for days

6 km, let's turn around now

Just kidding! Let's go past 7km and fill up our water bottles! So worth it!

Inspiring message on the trail

Insanely beautiful trees all over the place

We enjoyed a choir of birdsong the entire walk, and saw all sorts of new animal life: snakes, butterflies, insects, and even a tolomoco [It looks like a cross between a dog, cat, and monkey. Very strange animal that makes 13 different bird sounds to hunt it's prey.] 

 Katy, Ryan, and Grant were all waiting for us at the water station. Turns out Dr. Graham's group only made it to the 5km marker and then walked down a different way. After we recouped, Katy ran on ahead and the four of us trekked back down, down, down. By the time we got to the main road, my feet were killing from the pounding. The worst part of the whole hike was the last few kilometers from the trail head back to the Retreat Center. The road is extremely rough and rocky and my feet were screaming at me. We tried to hitch a ride, but it was noon and everyone was eating lunch, enjoying the afternoon siesta, so no cars were on the road. By the time we jogged into the Retreat Center, hunger was starting to kick in big-time. I couldn't help but sing, "Food, glorious food! What more can you ask for??" from the musical "Oliver" as I greeted everyone at lunch. Mmm. Bananas. As Danielle and I chugged our smoothies she looked at me and said, "100 squats." Ohh my. We both started laughing. I'll be doing mine in sets of 10 today.

Incredible views on the mountain

Total we did 12 miles round trip, with a climb in elevation of 4,600 feet. A few days ago when we walked to the 1km marker and back it took 3 hours...on our walk today up and back to the 7.5km marker, it took 5 1/2 hours. That's a huge improvement!

My feet were not happy with me

Danielle and I both tanked after lunch. We went back to our room to shower and nap just as the clouds rolled in and it started to rain. I woke up to go to the 4PM workout session, more to show heart than anything else. Thankfully, Dr. Graham was prepping dinner tonight and wanted that time to check his emails. He said, "We both walked over 5 hours. Let's rest today." Ahhh. Yes. "Ok! I just didn't want you to give me any crap for not showing up!" ...and went back to my room to rest.

Pineapple anyone?

The dinner bell rang and I was ready to EAT. The first course was my favorite smoothie of mango, orange, and the secret ingredient: vanilla bean. The second course was mango pits! Extras from the smoothie. The third course was delicious stuffed mushrooms. And the FOURTH course was an insanely simple but savory celery-cucumber slaw that had the exact texture of risotto. It was dressed with avocado-lemon marinade and fresh/sun dried tomatoes. I'll be sleeping like a baby tonight!
Pura Vida!

Ant Hills and Cow Trails

I had all of the intention in the world to do both walks, before and after breakfast this morning, but Danielle and I ended up talking late into the night so when her alarm went off at 4:45AM, we both grunted and went back to sleep. Turns out Dr. Graham led the early walk, Grant was leading the 8AM walk, so there wasn't really an A or B option today. The walk was of course not on flat ground, although it was truly as flat as flat can get around here. We walked on the pasture hills adjacent to the Retreat Center, on paths that were basically created by cows. There are a few problems with this:
1. Cows don't always walk the same roads everyday, so it can be confusing which way to go
2. They certainly don't discern the most convenient/driest paths around them
3. Property lines can change every year, meaning new unexpected barbed-wire fences can come up, not all of which were cross-able
There was a large group of us walking so we stopped quite a bit to look around at the beautiful scenery. At one point I was standing still and started feeling the most uncomfortable pin-pricking sensation happening all over one of my ankles. I looked down and started jumping uncontrollably, slapping dozens of tiny ants off my foot. They had already gotten into my Vibram shoe, so I had to hop around on one foot until I could get the situation under wraps. Grant is infamous for his extreme care of insects and ran over to me to make sure I was being gentle enough not to kill any of the pesky beasts. I had to laugh. Of all the creatures to save, ants are not my priority, especially when they're chewing on my skin.
 Lesson learned: Don't stand still in the forests of Costa Rica without first looking to see if you're disturbing an ant hill. And don't ever let Grant see you kill an insect.

This was a kind part of the trail

Me, Christie, and Anastasia at a particularly beautiful outlook point

See that far away mountain in the middle? That's Chirripo, the tallest peak in Costa Rica. Goal: hike Chirripo next year. 

This picture doesn't quite do the mud justice

We got turned around a few times on the trail [or lack thereof] which would randomly dead end or be un-walkable. When we finally found where we were supposed to be, there was a barbed-wire fence that we couldn't find our way around. Grant non-challantly said, "Well, this wasn't here last year." We had already gotten turned around a few times, walked through a giant pasture of mud, and gotten lots of tiny burs and scratches from the weeds and tall grasses around us, so without a word, there was a general consensus that it was time to head back.
We found a spot on the river where it was deep enough to actually dive in and I took full advantage of that. There was an hour before lunch was served, so I fit in some tanning and a shower as well.

After lecture I went down to the river and started knocking out my 100 squats. Israel joined me right at the tail end of my set [about 15 minutes before the 4 o'clock rock session] and wanted to show me new forms/positions to hold my legs to work different muscles. He had fresh legs and mine were basically shot, but I kept doing them as much as I could. When I couldn't, Israel handed me the jump-rope and said, "Now you jump. 100 times at least." Okay? I smiled and went a long with it; I could tell it was entertaining for him to play the role of personal trainer. Finally, I had to say, "Israel, I already did 100 squats. I'm dead." He replied, "That do not matter. Some girl works harder than you, looks better. You need finish strong! You don't quit before me!" "...But, you don't understand..." "No! Me comprende!" "But...I have to save energy for working out with Dr. Graham..." "NO! That is bad excuse! You 'save energy' you LOSE! I 'save energy' in boxing match, I get knocked down. Every moment I pretend is last round!" OK OK OK. SI SI SI. I squatted my heart out, pumping out at least another 100 reps before Dr. Graham relieved my legs for more...chest press, push-ups, and hand stands. Glorious.

Danielle and I guzzling our coconut water pre-dinner meal

Dinner was a delicious papaya-mango-orange smoothie con coconut water on the side, another variation of the mango soup that is insanely popular, and an incredible tabbouleh salad. 

Having the best ingredients combined in the best ways ready-to-eat at meal time is definitely one of the things I will miss the most about this place. And the people. And the sunshine. And the greenery. 

My First Acro Experience

I thoroughly enjoyed myself this morning, resting, relaxing, and reading a la solo in the sunshine. With only a few days left, I am trying my hardest to even out my tan lines; I do not want to go home with a shorts/shirt tan. Maybe that's vain, but whatever. This tan needs to sustain me until April/May when I can lay out again...

I knocked half of my squats out of the way before lunch, the other half before the 4 o'clock workout. The afternoon workout was 30 minutes of abs, 30 minutes of...acrobatics! The abs routine was the first of its kind post-fast. It was me and Dr. Graham again, kicking the other person's straight legs [emphasis on the straight] down and having them bring them back as fast as possible. Oh my. Dr. Graham has such impressive core/hip-flexor muscles that his legs sprung back into place almost faster than I could kick them away, and with such force that it was an arm workout for me to push them down.

Keeping your knees locked is a lot easier said than done

For the acro half of the workout it was great balance/flexibility/stretching for the person on top, and a strength workout for the person on bottom. I surprised myself by being able to do leg presses straight up with Grant [160 lbs.] sitting on my feet. Just holding someone up in any given position required a lot more muscles than a machine at the gym since you had to think about balance and coordination. Another acro move required the top person to launch themselves into position by doing a handstand that fell into a back-bend that landed them on the bottom person's legs...I don't recall in recent memory having ever done a handstand, so I had a mental barrier to break before I could do it. Dr. Graham yelled at me, "Just do it! I'm waiting!!" GAH! Alright. After a few false attempts, I did it! Unbelievable [for me]. The whole workout was very awe-inspiring! All you need to do it is a trusting partner...I'm sure that's not the last time I'll do acro!

Look ma! No hands!

Israel, in the final position getting his spine adjusted. This was the position that required a hand-stand/back-bend move

First course of dinner was super-scrumptious papaya mango smoothie. The second course was a mango tomato soup with chayote squash rice. Perfecto! The third course was a repeat of our two favorite parts of the party-meal from the Fasting and Feasting event...cucumber cups and kale wraps! nom nom.

Second course

Third course

Tomorrow there is an early 5AM walk again which I am debating whether to go on. Dr. Graham wants me on his walk, which he claims is "flat." Ha. I asked Danielle [she's been here before and knows the trails] and she actually confirmed that besides the initial hill, it is relatively flat. Maybe tomorrow is a two-fer for me?

The Herradura Horror and Foraging for Food

If you read my last entry, then it is no surprise that I woke up this morning feeling sore. I didn't feel the need for a full day off, but I knew I wouldn't be walking with the A Group today. The B Group, led by Grant, left shortly after the A Group at 8AM, an hour ahead of our normal schedule. Once we got to the top of our driveway, 2 people in our group decided they wanted to rest for the day and turned around. Me, Grant, Nandor, and his 2-year-old daughter Lilly were all that was left. Partway down the road, Lilly insisted on walking and so Nandor told us to just go on without him.
Grant and I walked [up, of course] to the village of Herradura. I'm so glad it was just the two of us! He's such a gentle giant [super-smart, super-nice, ultra-marathoner athlete] and he also runs the education program at FoodnSport, so I had all morning to pick his brain about the CLC program. He paced me pretty well, slowing down when I needed it and pushing on when he knew I could handle it. We came to a fork in the road and he said, "We can either walk through Pine Forest which is kind of hilly, or do that steep driveway right there with an amazing view at the top." I chose the steep way. Why not. He warned me that it was comparable to "La Chispa" and I grunted in defiance. I had already spoken so we began our hike. When it started getting really steep, he mentioned, "Oh yeah. Doug calls this trail the 'Herradura Horror.'" Great. It was no walk in the park, that's for dang sure, but we seemed to be at the top in no time! We enjoyed the view for a little while before trekking back downwards.

Me at the top of the "Herradura Horror" trail

See that little squiggly line on the mountain? That was the "Herradura Horror" trail. Straight up.

Back on the main road we walked to the local soccer field. Grant said, "This is where we do the 'Herradura Hundred'...when we do as many pull ups on the goal posts as we can until we can't, then sprint to the other side and do pull-ups to failure again, and keep going back and forth until we do 100 pull-ups." I nodded and said, "that's cool." ...silence... I'm trying to avoid making eye contact with Grant...silence...I look up at him and he's smiling at me like, come on! "Grant. No way." He grinned at me and said, "Ready to sprint?" Aw goodness. Ok. We did about 10 sprints total, and stopped at either end to do something: planks, crunches, bicycles, pull-ups, squats, lunges. I should have known better than to think I would have gotten out of fitness stunts because I wasn't in the A Group. I walked away feeling accomplished and glad we did it.

Crazy looking spider I found

 I assumed we would call that a day, but then I remembered that we had left an hour early, so we had extra time to kill. Grant didn't tell me that we would be doing both trails today, he just let me choose which one came first...sneaky. We passed Dr. Graham's group on the next trail and I instantly felt bad for them...they had the worst hill and the Herradura Hundred to do still. Phew, so glad that was over for me.

The next trail was a steady incline, but doable. We kept stopping every few feet because there were berries everywhere. We found 3 different kinds, moraberries [local specialty, super tart], blackberries [not many ripe ones, but very juicy and sweet], and LOTS of thimble berries [my new favorite, taste and texture exactly like a cross between a raspberry and strawberry]. It is often said in the 80-10-10 community that we are trying to eat like we would in nature: embracing simplicity. In nature we would find berries and just eat berries until we were satisfied, just like we did today. I had never seen these berries before in my life, but I intuitively knew exactly which ones were ripe and which ones weren't just by looking at them.

It doesn't get more fresh than this, unforgettable thimble berries

Grant and I at the top of our second hike before lunch

Grant foraging blackberries 

We took so much time berry picking that we were going to be late for lunch. We jogged back down the trail because we both wanted to take a dip in a swimming hole on the way back. It was so nice to only have two of us walking; no one else was slowing us down or speeding us up. Grant was the perfect tour guide and conversationalist. 

I 100% was not planning on going to the 4 o'clock workout. I was starting this blog entry at 4 and when I looked at the clock and it said 4:30 I groaned to myself and walked down to the Flinestone's Gym. I knew I could put in 30 minutes of whatever it was they were doing... more chest press?!? After all of those push ups? Of course. I only got in 3 sets, but I maxed out every time. I also knocked out my 100 squats for the day. 

Giant fern we saw on the trail. Grant guessed that it was at least 80 years old

Dinner was heavenly. The third course I had requested that Katy re-do because I saw the interns eat it after I broke my fast [but I was still just on watermelon]. It was a "sandwich bar!" The buns were made of zucchini shells warmed in the dehydrator, there were slices of partially dried mango and papaya with fresh tomato and romaine and 2 delectable sauces [sweet and savory], The entire dinner table of 28 people was nearly completely silent while eating, a sure sign that it was delicious. 

Tomorrow calls for sleeping in and a day off from the walk for me. My muscles are tired, but more than that, the bottoms of my feet need to recover. The rocky roads can bruise your feet quite easily, especially in Vibrams. The hot tub calls my name.