the wedding was unique, heartwarming and most memorable. b and i have been to several weddings with m&l, so we were well aware of matt’s propensity to cry at any and every wedding… but i’ve never seen tears like the ones he cried throughout their ceremony. lisa too – and almost everyone in attendance, tied to each other via the multi-colored ribbons stemming from a central pole stuck in the sand. they promised to travel the world together, always be each others big and little blinds (had to have at least one poker reference)… they had friends sing, parents speak, even sliced the top off a bottle of champagne. the sun set as we snapped pictures on the beach and wondered down the beach to the party.
the reception was full of surprises. danny and the team at luz de vida did a wonderful job – it was the perfect setting for the lineup only m&l could plan:
- gordon kent from the banana cafe & piana lounge in dc performed – his version of tupelo honey was breathtaking, and his “shake it” rocked.
- l&m choreographed their own first dance to brett dennon’s “she’s mine” - so charming it was ridiculous.
- after dark, we circled around some interesting looking guys playing bongos and drums – and then watched a woman maneuver up, down and around a long swath of fabric that hung down from the trees above – and then 2 women dancing while swinging chains with balls of fire – sparks flying and creating fiery trails of light, illuminating their faces as they jumped and wove their way around the crowd. It’s hard to do them justice with words. the pounding rythms and ecstatic shouts were purely tribal and exhilarating. under a sky of stars – amazing. pics are still on matt’s camera… i’ll post them when they’re back.
- fireworks exploded in the sky above the palm trees. it’s not a party until someone brings the fireworks.
- dj kramer had us all tribal dancing with his tunes. high energy late into the night – dancing barefoot in the sand – others in the pool. shorts, bathing suits – the crowd thinning a bit.
- hoopgirl, christabel, showed us all how a hula hoop should really be used. again – hard to do her justice with words. will post the pics when I get them.
- b and i crashed around 3:30am or so.. a couple hours short of the sunset goal
in costa rica, you hear a lot of “pura vida” and “mucho gusto” – it all comes down to celebrating and enjoying life. our friends m&l absolutely know how to do that, and invited us all to costa rica to do the same. we all long to have more of what we experienced there in our lives – all week we would chit chat about buying property there, starting a local restaurant or hotel – packing up and selling out…but realistically, we can’t give up our houses, suv’s, high salaries and modern lives for the dream. what would happen if we did? six months into it, would we start to lose sight of the perfect palm trees and crystal clear stars? would we no longer see the hummingbirds or the hermit crabs on the beach? if we lost power for 2 weeks because of a small storm, would we be able to deal? could we realistically be comfortable without local hospitals, shopping malls, movie theaters and reliable utilities? i commend all the mal pais transplants who took a chance to challenge themselves and find out. i doubt we go that far but i’m still happy to take a few weeks each year to discover places like mal pais.
a few final thoughts on costa rica…
nothing but goodness. connecting with friends I haven’t seen since college. alone time with B. the ocean so warm and clear, strong tide. full moon. bright stars. hungry black flies. pretty hummingbirds. playful iguanas. yummy plantains, beans, rice, Israeli treats. pilsen. pooltime & cannonballs. geckos. wicked beautiful sunsets ;)
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