Daily

Get up at 0600 or whenever. Make the bed. Contend with temperamental shower running hot then cold.

Feed the cats. They purr differently first thing in the morning.

Drag the garden hose to the balcony and water the plants. Slap on the sandals and carefully walk down the steep, damp terrace to turn on the sprinkler. The cats follow.

Desayuno. Tea. Muesli. Fruit. Birds chirp.

Fire up the laptop. Check online. Study Spanish at duolingo.com for about an hour.

Notice a new life form – yesterday it was a circling flight of Swallow-tailed Kites.

Almuerzo (lunch)

[Do something, or not.] Read. Cats usually want attention. They get their kibble.

Cena (dinner)

Read or Netflix.

Lights out. Toads croak.

Often

Walk to town, past the lush manicured fincas of the wealthy, the grazing horses, lazing dogs, strutting roosters, uniformed schoolkids heading to the colegio, gardeners and cleaning ladies waiting for the bus. Hola!

Backpack full of groceries from the supermarket or the mercado, back of my shirt soaked from the walk back up the slope.

Power outages. Generators rumble into action all over town, but there is none at the house. I read more.

Gardener Miguel hacks away at the garden, housekeeper Maria cleans. I stay out of their way and help when needed. Vegetation and dirt never stop. Air BnB guests get a brief chat. Laundry.

Social time: Twice-weekly yoga, then après-yoga coffee. Running. Happy hour Fridays at the Golden Frog Inn with the expats. Saturday capoeira workouts. Monday street cleaning.