Received a call from SR today. He is still in Costa Rica - with his friends now. They rented a car and drove around for a week. They took a Canopy Tour - I didn't know what that was either. Apparently you sit in a small seat and tour the rainforest from 5-600 feet above the ground. Here is a link if you want to find out more:

http://www.monteverdeinfo.com/canopy/tour.htm

They once again visited a volcano, which was bubbling. They also went into Santa Elena Monteverde three days after the bank robbery - the story below - thank heavens they were 3 days AFTER this horrible news story. He said the bank was all shot up by bullets and nearby stores had the glass shot out. You can read the whole story at www.ticotimes.net:

"Monteverde Massacre
Stuns Nation Failed Bank Robbery In Mountain
Community Leaves 9 Dead, 17 Injured

By Robert Goodier and Rebecca Kimitch
Tico Times Staff

SANTA ELENA, Monteverde – This usually peaceful, tourist-filled town turned into the site of one of the most tragic hostage situations in the country's recent history this week, as nine people were killed and 17 injured during a failed bank robbery.

The bloody standoff at Banco Nacional began Tuesday afternoon and ended 28 hours later when the last assailant, Erly Hurtado, a Nicaraguan in his mid-20s, surrendered to police.

Among the killed are Mario López, a Red Cross worker who was in the bank as a client, and officer Oscar Quesada, 44, who worked for the police special intervention unit.

Five other bank employees and clients were killed, as well as two of the assailants.

“We were waiting in line to do a transaction and I looked at the door. A guy was saying ‘alarma, alarma,' and the door guard looked scared. There was lots and lots and lots of gunfire,” said Dorothy, a U.S. citizen who was in the bank during the failed robbery attempt and told the The Tico Times she preferred not to use her last name.

“Immediately when we saw the guns we dove on the floor and didn't look around,” she continued. “We heard gunshots, a lot of gunshots. Workers and clients were killed.”
While the hostages inside the bank lived the nightmare, Costa Ricans around the country clung to live TV news coverage to watch the drama unfold in this rural community, renowned for its conservation efforts and cloud forest. Despite its characteristic peacefulness, this was the third attempt to rob the town's only bank in the past 10 years – the others were June 14, 1995, and Jan. 20, 1998 – and the second time people carrying out the assault were killed, according to Roberto Méndez, director of security for Banco Nacional.

Méndez said he believes the bank in Monteverde is more prone to robberies because it is in a mountainous region, presumably making escape easier."

He is planning to fly back to Canada in a week or two (to go snowboarding in the Mountains).

Soccer News: (Of course, this will stop once SR is back home, unless I know of others who want to be up-dated). FA Cup this weekend. ManU and Arsenal both made it to the semi finals; ManU winning over Southampton 4-0 and Arsenal winning over Bolton Wanderers 1-0.