Linear view vs. Masonry View

Archive for ‘Observations’

Muchas Lluvias!

Thought I’d share a bit of the recent downpour, taken from my front porch. They aren’t kidding around about this being the rainy season. The pattern this week out here on the Nicoya Peninsula has been sunny mornings followed by wet evenings.

The rain does cool things down a bit which is much appreciated. The temperature only hits the low 80s (with humidity in the 90s) but somehow the sun down here feels hotter. And this is coming from a girl who grew up in Tucson and just spent the past summer living on the Texas Gulf Coast.

The rainy season may not be a tourist’s delight but the locals love it, especially the plants. This is a dry tropical forest, meaning that when the dry season starts in December plants will respond by dropping their leaves to conserve water. The lush greenery that surrounds me will soon turn brown and be coated in dust. Hard to fathom right now.
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My Lucky Day!

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Flotsam Colones, Santa Teresa, Costa Rica October 2019

Wow – what a great day! Not only was the weather absolutely perfect for a long beach stroll but the ocean gifted me with a bunch of colones. Up until now, I’ve mostly been finding small coins (roughly equivalent to our US penny). I’ve been using the change to buy my daily banana from the market on my way to the playa (about ten cents).

Today I headed north for a longer than normal jaunt, eager to explore new territory. Rounding a bend I noticed a bunch of colorful rectangles mixed in with bits of plastic debris. The odd shape warranted a closer look and I’m so very glad I did!

At the current exchange rate, 57,000 colones equals $100 USD – that’s a lot of bananas! Thanks, ocean.

On another note: Aren’t colones pretty? They are mostly made of plastic and each denomination features an iconic native animal.

 
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Water Dwellers

So, this is what might happen if you own three cameras. You “might” forget to import the media from one of them because you forgot which ones you had with you at the time. Because, honestly, who would take all three cameras with them at once? I mean, obviously, two is plenty…cough.

The following short videos are from my boat ride to Isla Tortuga a couple weeks ago. It was a treat to spend a bit of time with these charismatic creatures!

 

Note: As you can hear in the video, I was fascinated by their white bellies (and yes, I’m aware that I sound like I’m 12). The white belly is actually a pretty unique feature, as humpback whales in the southern hemisphere sport white bellies (unlike their northern counterparts who have black bellies).

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Negative Ions Rock!

Thought I’d share a few seconds of Montezuma Falls with you. My new friend Ricardo led me up the slippery trail to these falls last week. It was a wonderful way to spend a hot and muggy afternoon.

In case you didn’t know, crashing/splashing water releases negative ions into the nearby air. Which, according to studies, are really good for you (in spite of their adverse name). That mood boost you feel from walking on a beach or hiking to a waterfall? It isn’t just from the beautiful scenery, as negative ions are known to increase people’s levels of serotonin.

Sorry, watching this video won’t give you the same effect, but I hope you enjoy it anyway.
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Muchos Perros

Dogs with Friend
Me Petting a Friendly One

In my Costa Rica adventuring I’ve encountered a lot of dogs. While they are free ranging, they aren’t strays. Most of them sport collars or bandannas of some sort and I have yet to see any that look unhealthy. Many Ticos (the term locals call themselves) have at least one. I was told that the country recently increased the penalty for anyone caught intentionally harming or abusing animals. Sounds like a good policy to me!

The dogs roam the streets and beaches, often coming over for quick pet, game of fetch, or sometimes even accompanying me on my long beach strolls. They will also join you at the soda (local term for small diner), in hopes of scoring a few yummy morsels.

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Dog, Wishing the Soda Would Open

 

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Isla Tortuga

Our Boat
Captain Rudy, Chef Clemente
Looking Back Down the Coast
Brown Pelican on Alcatraz Island
View from Isla Tortuga
Green Sea Turtles Mating

My new friend, Karen (that I met in Montezuma) convinced me to take a boat ride out to Isla Tortuga a few days ago. The eight of us were an eclectic group of travelers from all over; Switzerland, Germany, Spain, North Carolina, and another girl also from Texas (her Longhorn logo hat was a dead giveaway). I admit to having second thoughts when I saw our small boat but I’m so very glad I went ahead with it!

Our captain, Rudy, handled the boat like he was born on it. On the way out his watchful eyes found humpback whales and a pod of bottlenose dolphins for us. No photos of those, sadly. I was being ever so very cautious with my phone since last week I watched a friend drop hers in the water during our booze cruise fundraiser. As difficult as that was for her in the states, I can only imagine how lost I would be here in another country trying to manage without mine!

Roughly an hour later we reached our island destination in the Nicoya Gulfo and over the side we splashed for a bit of snorkeling. I found a small outcropping of rocks and spent my time floating with the current among a school of colorful Grunts. Below me I watched the occasional King Angelfish, and other beauties that I could not identify, flit by.

An hour later we pulled ourselves back into the boat for the quick jaunt over to Isla Tortuga where Clemente had lunch ready for us: delicious fresh fish, rice, watermelon, and pineapple all washed down with a cold Pilsen. After a stroll along the beach I found a partially shady spot to spread out my towel and promptly dozed off – it was that relaxing!

Our return trip yielded a few sea turtle sightings, including a pair of green sea turtles that were mating. It felt a bit voyeuristic to watch them yet it was also weirdly fascinating (and truthfully, they didn’t seem to mind). Overall, it was another wonderful day in paradise. Pura vida!

 

 

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Pura Vida!

Kitchen/Dining Room
Bathroom
Bedroom
Hammock on Porch
Papaya Outside My Door

Thought I’d share a few photos of my temporary little home. It has all the basic necessities of life (like a fridge, hammock, and wifi), is only a five minute walk to the beach, and there is a papaya tree outside my front door with fruit that will soon be ready to harvest. What more could a girl need? Living the simple life or as they say down here, pure vida!

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Say Yes!

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My friend Lindy gifted me this keychain recently and I had to laugh because it matches well with my motto for 2019, which is “Say yes!” My mantra was a challenge to myself to be more open to new experiences, to dare more, and to live closer to the edge.

So far, this mental shift has served me fairly well, though there have been a few hiccups along the way. Case in point, my gig to volunteer at a wildlife rescue down here in Costa Rica fell through for a variety of reasons this week. So much for best-laid plans! Thank goodness for technology as I was quickly able to rent an affordable casita near the beach in Santa Teresa.

The little hardships, inconveniences, and disappointments have been softened by the kindness of new friends, the sound of the ocean, and the incredible scenery. All of which I would not be here to experience if earlier I hadn’t said, “Yes!”

Sunset in Flight
View from Ferry
Hammocks at Hotel
Montezuma View
Beach Bar!

 

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Belt Sander Racing

The Gaff, a fun little dive bar in Port Aransas, has several claims to infamy* but perhaps the most interesting is that belt sander races originated here. It began in 2005 after a couple guys argued over whose belt sander was faster/more powerful. What better way to decide the disagreement than to build a special racetrack and pit them against each other? Yet another great example of, “Here, hold my beer…”

I was delighted to finally catch one of the biweekly events. The competitors are fierce, the belt sanders are decorated and named, and the crowd is enthusiastic.

The excitement was palpable, we gripped our beers, and waited breathlessly to see who would win this heat…yeah, okay, maybe not (but we all did have a beer in our hands). Octopoke won!

*Sadly, I have not yet attended Chicken Bingo at the Gaff (picture a large Bingo card on ground, a chicken in a cage over the card, and where the sh*t falls determines the winner). Definitely something to look forward to!

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