Christmas Eve

 I was actually up and dressed at 6 am yesterday, which is a first. I sat outside and read a little and knitted a little.  By the time Matthew was up, about an hour later,we'd decided to try to get to Manuel Antonio, a popular park and reserve about 45 k from here.  Unfortunately,by the time everyone was up and ready, we called and it was already full to capacity.  We decided to go to the reptile park where they have many venomous snakes and lizards and other lovelies.  We were there on feeding day, so got to watch the little white rats get swallowed up by many snakes in various colors and sizes.
 After spending time there, we drove in a new direction for us, but got about halfway over the mountain and decided San Isidro looked too big and maybe too far away to get to, so we stopped midway at a restaurant on the top of the hill with a beautiful view of the valley and river running through it for lunch. 
The food was great, and I ordered something--shrimp and vegetables with mashed potatoes--that could tide me over till dinner.  We'd made reservations at Citrus,which we'd seen the sign for down the hill in Dominical.  They were offering a 7-course dinner for $39 each and allowed us to reserve a table without their usual 1/2 deposit since when Matthew called, we were out near the pool without our credit card handy.
  The reason I mention this is we left here with plenty of time for our 7pm reservation, but when we got to the sign and read the fine print below, it said Citrus was actually in another town 32k from there...about 20-25 min.  We thought we'd be 5 min early, but after missing the turnoff as we raced down the highway, we were 35 min late.  The owner was extremely gracious and welcoming and the dinner was phenomenal. 
  Every one of the 7 courses were perfect--and we each had a choice of either shrimp or beef.  I had the latter and it was excellent and perfectly cooked  with a reduced sauce with cranberries.  Other courses included tuna tartare with mango carpaccio, warm vinegrette salad with goat cheese on toast, pate with carrot jam, and strawberries with a wonderful sauce for dessert.   I wish I'd asked for a menu because there was more to each plate.  Portions were large for a tasting menu and we were happily stuffed when we left. 
 Today is our last day in Dominical....Matthew and I are going to try for one last short hike before showering and packing....