Bill Dollear lives in Del Webb but travels extensively. This is from his last trip when he was in Costa Rica.
It was time to pack for my sixth trip to Costa Rica. I had to make sure I had everything I needed:
• Faded blue jeans with holes all patched up and horrible drawings on them.
• A very, as in VERY, loud wig with yellow, red, green, and orange colors.
• Cap with large ears that flip up on command.
• Magic tricks including the old faithful: my special coloring book, along with the special crayons that go with it.
• Thumb lights.
• Rubber nose. Two, in case I lose one.
• A list of unfunny corny jokes in Spanish. Check.
As you probably surmised this was not a typical tourist trip to a nice White Lotus type resort with pina coladas available on demand. The favorite beverage here was going to be bottled water, which we carried with us everywhere.
(Photo provided)
When I say we, I mean us clowns. Missionary caring clowns with the Patch Adams organization. The official name is the Gesundheit Institute. But it is easier to write Patch Adams. He accompanied us on all the previous trips I have been on since 2020. But not this one. I have been on 22 clown trips.
There were about 15 clowns for this trip of 7 days. The first day, Sunday, we met and socialized and laid out the plans for the week. Which I have learned almost always changes at the last minute. But we are clowns! We are flexible!
I needed help with a part of my costume. I had faded, patched up old blue jeans that needed pictures drawn on them. I drew some.
One clown, Judy, said she could draw a monkey on them. On my butt, while I wore them. I stood perfectly still while she drew. I have to admit she did not have much room to work with. But she drew a wonderful monkey on my blue jean butt.
Our first trip was to a senior center that was large and artful and welcoming. One man did not have use of his hands. He painted beautiful paintings with a brush using his mouth. It was amazing meeting him.
See also
Clowning around Costa Rica and other intellectual adventures
Whether he’s putting on a red nose or writing playful stories for children, Sun City resident Bill Dollear is known for his remarkable storytelling. Read more
We don’t usually perform for crowds. We mingle. But the place had a large group of people already in an auditorium. So I took the stage and went into my schtick. Magic. I do a trick where I make a crystal ball (okay, I’ll admit it’s not a real crystal ball. It’s an aluminum ball. But that’s the only secret I am divulging) rise on its own. Then I did some more magic and we turned on loud music and suddenly we were dancing and throwing balloons and busting bubbles.
Interestingly, there was a local news station there interviewing one of the doctors or administrators. I tried to photobomb and get on camera. But they were not interested in an international group of clowns visiting.
International we were. Some were from Switzerland, France, Colombia, Texas, etc. I was the only Huntley clown.
Whenever it’s time to leave, Dario, our leader, yells, “Clowns on the bus!” It’s fun to count how many times he has to say it before we actually listen to him.
The next day was to a familiar, fun place also: Asiso, a day school for adults with disabilities. I have been here every time I have come to Costa Rica, as have other clowns. One great, loving clown, Rob developed a special relationship with one patient who at first curled up into a ball to avoid all contact. Through loving patience Rob has brought him out of himself. Rob knew he liked to play with plastic bottle tops and collected them and together they created their own games.
I found a large tricycle in the hallway. It had a sort of wagon attached to it on the back. Being a clown, I rode it into the room we were all gathered in and dancing in. My riding was fine until the bike suddenly came to a complete stop. I could not pedal any further. I turned and saw that one of the students, a large female student, decided to give herself a ride on the wagon part. The problem was that the engine part (my legs) puttered out. Someone pushed and we all had a ride.
Then a local university band came and serenaded everyone. This was El Dia de los Ninos (Day of the Child). The band came every year on this special day. It was the perfect ending for this visit.
The next visit was to a school for ‘potential’ troubled teens. It was located in a neighborhood known for drugs and violence. This school encourages theater and the arts.
The clowns made paper bag puppets with younger students. Then we put on a puppet show not for but with the students. It was all improv.
Next, we visited the high schoolers in a large auditorium where again there was dancing and throwing of balloons. After everyone calmed down and sat down the high schoolers performed a drama they wrote themselves. It was about families and communication.
After this it was on to a women’s prison. Since the day before was Day of the Children, there were many children there. They live with their mothers until about three years old. We played musical chairs with the women and I performed my magic since I had a captive audience.
After we were frisked and the guards looked through all our things, I thought our visit was going to be canceled. A large fight broke out in a field. Two female guards locked their guns in boxes and then ran to the field. Everything calmed down and we were able to enter the concrete sort of gym. There we played and mingled.
The following day we visited three places. I’m used to visiting one. First on the list was a public school. At the appointed time the kids were let out of their classrooms and sat in groups with their teachers. Two Costa Rican clowns performed a story for them. Then they stood up and we took over. The speaker was set up and the music followed. We played games and danced and moved all around. It was fun clown chaos.
From there we went to a large beautiful place with flowers and trimmed lawns. Here there were only a few two-year-olds. Actually, we had too many clowns but we did not overwhelm them. We gently played and made music.
Then we went to San Jose’s version of a Ronald McDonald House. But for this special day the patients were there with their families. The families and children were welcoming and appreciative. One clown painted faces. One had a balloon blaster and one (me) did magic. One girl, Briana, scrutinized my magic tricks trying to figure them out. I gave her my thumb trick. I can still see her large, wonderful smile.
The following day we went to a rock and dirt covered lot. It was gated. There was a large bus that had shower facilities for the homeless, a medical clinic and a kitchen that was giving out snacks and offering meals.
They told us to lock our valuables in a truck that was there. The people here looked like they had rough, difficult lives. Some of my magic tricks went well with them, others not so much. There was a line of chairs in front of the shower bus. A clown passed down a large balloon for those waiting to give to the person next to them. It looked like fun until one man purposely popped it. That ended balloon play.
Before lunch was served, they had everyone (except the clowns) step outside the gate. While they were on the other side, a small church group turned on loud music with a powerful speaker. Then they turned the music off and a woman preacher preached. And preached. And preached. She was replaced by a man preacher who preached. And…you get the idea.
Then the homeless were allowed to return and given lunch.
The final day of clowning was spent in a Nicaraguan area called El Carpo. High school students and university students joined us. They were all dressed as clowns.
We paraded on the sidewalks and onto the streets. Many families and children watched and waved to us from their homes. Many were on second floors. Some children were allowed to come down and see us more closely, while others were not. We gave stickers, candies, and blown-up balloons to those we could reach. Magic on the move is difficult. But I still managed to perform a couple of tricks. The entire neighborhood came alive in a good way.
Thus, another clown trip concluded. We left laughter and love, magic and merry mayhem. We showed everyone that there are people who care about them. And that always leaves me with a great feeling in my big, clown heart.
