This blog was originally for friends and family with hopes that a few who are considering retirement in Costa Rica might find it and learn a little bit. Well, one of those is Ed Fair, a professor of law at the University of Texas in Austin and a bigger birder than me. Thus we met through him reading the blog and contacting me and we have corresponded off and on. He wants to retire here maybe next year and do the same sort of things I do He is here now for 6 weeks with two week-long birding trips planned and checking out what it is like to live here. That’s interesting but not the miracle yet.
Tuesday I gave Ed a walking tour of Central Atenas and we had breakfast in a little Tico Soda. He was carrying his camera in his hands rather than his backpack and when he missed it later we both thought he left it in the little soda. But alas, when we went back it was not there. (He didn’t leave it there but on sidewalk wall in front of a shoe store we later learned.) Ed was numb and sad and the loss of his one camera was going to affect his birding experience and he wasn’t sure he wanted to buy one here. I of course told him about losing 3 cameras in Puntarenas.
We went our own ways yesterday (Wed) and had planned to ride a bus to the beautiful vista restaurant La Casita del Cafe up a mountain outside Atenas. We missed one bus and after an hour and a half wait on another one we gave up and called a taxi, and were later getting there than intended (providential?).
Seated at the bar overlooking the vista was a young American couple we started talking with who lived nearby in Barrio Jesus and just came at this time to get away from their 10 & 15 year old boys for a cappuccino. Earlier we would have missed them. He works over the internet and can live anywhere and chose here. In all the things we talked about, somehow photos came up and Ed commented, “Well, since I just lost my camera, I won’t have many photos this trip.” And Walter casually responded, “Oh don’t worry Ed, I have your camera at my house.” Ed and I were stunned. Walter then asked Ed if he has a daughter or granddaughter named Ashley and of course he did. (Camera had folder of photos labeled Ashley) Then he asked Ed if he took a lot of bird photos? Bingo! It had to be Ed’s lost camera. Walter was advertising it as found on multiple Atenas Facebook groups, hoping he would find the owner. But none of us expected this little miracle meeting! Praise God!
We road in their car with them to their house and got his camera and admired their house with a big yard. Then walked down the highway to Jalapeno Restaurant for a taxi back to Atenas central. Now the chances that we would meet the way we did with the person who found his camera has to be a one in a million kind of miracle! Guardian angels? Sorry I can’t say it is an answer to my prayer because I did not pray for it to be returned. I even told him he would never see it again. Oh me of little faith!