Gearing up to head back to AZ

Hard to believe that it is already time for us to return to Arizona. We've got a Sedona wedding to attend in October followed by the traditional family holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas. So here we go again, "rainy season proofing" the house in Costa Rica. Of course, the native trees and plants will take care of themselves, but we've got several varieties of hot peppers as well as tomatoes, arugala, tarragon and some assorted medicinal herbs growing in planters that we need to supply water to. So, here you see Gordie, using his Costa Rica adaptation of a "ladder" to install a rain catchment/plant irrigation system for the planters. We've tested it and it looks like we should come back to some fresh veggies after all.

Not to be neglected are the plants we have in window boxes. We've got them all grouped and positioned in an open spot in the yard so I am also hoping they will be ready to hang back up when we return.

Next we will get to see what effect the long Arizona summer has had on our fruit trees and miscellaneous plants up there. Always something to look forward to.

Can you see the animals???

For every animal we spot there are probably dozens that we have passed by. On the way to Tortuguero last weekend we saw crocodiles in the long grasses by the side of the river (can you see him in the first photo?). Our guide pointed them out. I'm sure I would have passed right by them without noticing. This weekend we went to a Medicinal Plant Workshop in a placed called Punta Mona - near the Panama border and about 5.5 km south of the last road in Costa Rica. In addition to the plants we saw toucans (can you spot him in the trees) and and very skinny snake in a palm frond - Gordie pointed that one out to me. No way would I have spotted him. Makes you wonder just what else is passing you by.

Punta Mona

A couple of weeks ago we had an opportunity to participate in an all-day Medicinal Plant Workshop at Punta Mona. In addition to the course material, the meager cost of $30 included a 30 minute boat ride there and back as well as lunch. I have always wanted to visit this 85 acre permaculture farm that’s about 5.5 km beyond the end of the road in Manzanillo. Normally it would require a hike through the jungle for a few hours to get there. So the boat ride sounded really good to me.

We were met at Punta Mona by our instructor, Sarah Wu. She and the founder, Steve, showed us around the farm before we began learning all about 35 different medicinal plants which are readily found in this area. Punta Mona is an “off the grid” sustainable community. They grow more than 100 tropical fruits, vegetables, herbs, and medicinal plants for their own consumption on the farm. Conservation of energy and reduction of waste are practiced daily complete with composting toilets. Solar panels provide electricity and rainwater is collected for drinking and washing. They even have solar internet! Lunch was delicious and included a salad made with numerous greens from the various plants and trees that grow there. The information was great and even greater were the cuttings of several different medicinal plants for our own gardens. I’m watching every day and hoping for lots of potent greens.

100 eggs and counting

I was determined not to leave Costa Rica this time without seeing the amazing spectacle of giant sea turtles laying their eggs. Due to bad timing and previous commitments we had missed the turtle laying season in nearby Gandoca earlier in the summer. So, when ATEC, a non-profit eco-tourism association in Puerto Viejo that promotes local, sustainable travel in this area (http://www.ateccr.org/), offered a 2-day trip to watch the Green Turtles nest along the beaches of Tortuguero National Park, we jumped on it. We arrived at the dock in Moin, outside of Limon, early Thursday morning, for our 4-hour guided tour to the small village of Tortuguero on Costa Rica‘s northeastern Caribbean coast. The waterway we traveled ran parallel to the ocean and consisted of natural rivers and connecting canals which had been built years ago by the banana companies to bring their products down to the Port of Limon for shipping. Although our group of 12 represented the countries of Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine and the US, everyone spoke either Spanish, English or both, Our bi-lingual guide, Ricardo, pointed out crocodiles, caiman, monkeys, sloth, and an amazing number of bird species along the way. Half way there we stopped at an outdoor restaurant on the river bank and enjoyed a delicious family-style fried chicken lunch. Then back to the river and on to Tortuguero.

Our lodge, All Rankin’s Family Lodge, was a few kilometers north of the village. The lodge had its own riverside restaurant, bar and hammock patio, and each couple had their own cabina with a cozy porch. After a brief rest at the lodge, Ricardo brought us back - by boat, of course - to the small village of Tortuguero where we had a couple of hours to explore on our own. Even without turtles, this charming village would be worthy of a trip. Then it was back to the lodge and a fantastic marlin dinner (there was actually a choice of meat, chicken or fish but how could we pass up fresh marlin). And now it was time to see if we could spot a Green Turtle nesting on the beach.

The beach at Tortuguero National Park is the most important nesting site of the endangered Green Turtle in the Western Hemisphere. It now includes over 46,000 acres and protects 22 miles of nesting beach. It is impressive, and heartwarming, to read the story of the Green Turtle’s near extinction in the 1960s and the conservation efforts that followed, especially the work with local townspeople to help them see the sustainable value to their community of having the live turtles on the beach rather than exporting them for food and other uses. (50,000 plus tourists visit the area annually). The results are evident with 50,000 plus tourists visiting the area annually. Many villagers go through a government sponsored training program and are issued permits authorizing them to guide tourists on nightly turtle watching excursions. Our guide, Eddy, was one of them and the pride and professionalism they show is evident.

Every precaution is taken to ensure that the nesting turtle is not disturbed. We were in a group of 9 and there were 3 additional groups of about the same number in our designated area on the beach. Each area had a designated “ranger” who radioed to the individual guides when a turtle was spotted moving up to dry land. If the turtle senses something is wrong, sees a flash of light, hears an unusual sound, or anything suspicious, she will turn around and go back out to sea. Therefore, only the ranger and the guides are allowed to have flashlights - with red lights. And, no cameras are allowed at all (thus my turtle story features crocodile photos). Once the turtle is on land, finds a suitable spot to lay her eggs, digs a large hole and begins to actually lay her eggs, then the guide will bring the tourist groups by to watch this amazing act of nature. We has 2 different turtles dig their nests near us. Our 3 groups took turns going up to the nesting hole to watch this process. We then watched as the giant turtles covered their 100 plus eggs with sand, packed it down and moved their way out of the nest hole and back to the ocean.

As if this were not enough, after a hearty breakfast the next morning, Ricardo brought us for a 2-hour boat ride through the twisted canals of Tortuguero National Park, pointing out even more birds and animals. Before we knew it, it was time to return to civilization, the huge turtles, the quaint village, the adventurous boat ride, interesting people, all but a memory - until next time.

For more information about Tortuguero I suggest you try this link: http://www.tortugueroinfo.com/usa/sea_turtles_tortuguero.htm

Never know what you’ll run into ‘round here

A couple of days ago we were riding the motorcycle back home after a day at the beach. The road to our house, Carbon Road, is beautiful with lush jungle on both sides and occasional houses along the way. Gordie spotted some “critter” in the road and stopped. To our delight it was a 3-toed sloth who was just starting his way across the road. Lucky for me he was slow as it gave me time to find my glasses and my cell phone so I could take his picture before he went back up a tree for another week.

Today on the way home from the beach I had an encounter of another kind. We stopped at the local hardware store in Hone Creek to pick up a handle for a shovel. As we approached to door I noticed a car from the Jaguar Center, a local rehab shelter for lost and injured jungle animals. The gal from the center had a 1-year old Congo (howler) monkey with her. When I went over to talk with her, little “Angela” climbed out the car window and sat on my head with her tail around my neck - a breathtaking experience. Guess you could say we were not fast enough with the camera, so the photo you see here, a few moments AFTER the perfect photo op, was taken when her “daddy” came out of the hardware store. To say the least “Angela” was very excited and couldn’t wait to go see him. Fortunately I did stop her from leaping off my head and promised to go to the Jaguar Center to visit sometime soon.

Puerto Armuelles

Since we are not yet residents of Costa Rica, the immigration law requires that we leave the country for 72 hours every 90 days. My time was just about up, so it was time to hop on a bus to the Panamanian border, walk over Rio Sixaola viia the old railroad bridge, hop another bus to Changuinola and from there catch the bus to David, on the Pacific side of Panama. David is Panama’s second largest city and was our “home away from home” for 3 days. We stayed a the Hotel Occidental this time. In addition to a perfect location across from Cervantes Park, there was air conditioning and a spacious balcony overlooking the Park. We had heard that WiFi was now available - for free - throughout most of Panama - true. On the second day we decided to take a day trip to somewhere new. We picked Puerto Armuelles, a small Pacific coastal town of 25,000 people that is about 60 miles from David. Puerto Armuelles is just 5 miles from the Costa Rican border as the crow flies. For humans it’s a little further, 21 miles to Paseo Canoas. The $3 bus ride from David took about 2-½ hours and brought us through several smaller towns including the border town of Paseo Canoas, which quite frankly looks a lot like many of the US/Mexico border towns.

We arrived at the Malecon, or seaside park, just in time for lunch. Across from the Malecon was a charming little restaurant with patio dining, Restaurant & Pizzaria Don Carlos. We were greeted by the owner, Alberto, son of the late Don Carlos, who spoke perfect English and gave us a little history about the restaurant, the town and the Malecon, even sharing pictures he had taken through the years. For $6 each we enjoyed delicious whole red snapper (pargo entero), with sides.

Puerto Armuelles was once a thriving banana port with a separate deep water port for oil. Yes, oil. I found out from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Armuelles,_Chiriqu%C3%AD) that in response to the oil embargo in the 70s, crude oil was shipped by super tankers to Puerto Armuelles where it was loaded onto smaller tankers that would fit through the Panama Canal to cross over to the Atlantic and on to the refineries of Texas and the Gulf Coast. Then in 1982 a pipeline was built crossing from Puerto Armuelles over the mountains to Chiriqui Grande on Panama’s Caribbean coast (the destination of our next trip to Panama). A feasibility study for building a $7 billion refinery in Puerto Armuelles is currently being completed by Occidental. So, the economic future of this little seaport town may be changing in the years ahead.

Payback

This past month has gone by very, very quickly. As a matter of fact, the past 3 months have flown by. I am waiting for a bus to take me to Panama to meet my 90-day visa requirement. Even with the recent changes to the immigration laws in Costa Rica, it is still necessary for North Americans to leave every 90 days. 90 days. I can’t believe I have been down here that long already.

While we were in the States a “beach” friend of ours from Puerto Viejo, made sure all of our utility bills were paid and paid on time, while another , a “jungle” friend from Carbon Uno aka Hone Creek, kept an eye on our house in the jungle. So, when we came back down it was “payback” time. The beach friend went to the States for 6 weeks to visit family and the jungle friend became ill and left for a month as well. As luck would have it, these times overlapped so Gordie spent his time at the beach watching a house with 2 dogs and I spent my time in the jungle watching 5 dogs. We'd meet during the day and enjoy a swim and sometimes lunch, then back to our respective "jobs." Both friends are back now so it's back to “normal” in our lives as well. So, you can expect to see more stories in the days to come. It is so nice to have friends you can count on. We consider ourselves blessed.

Who's afraid of a poison-dart frog

There is an amazing botanical garden on the way into Puerto Viejo that we like to visit called Jardin Botanica La Isla. We went there this past Sunday to buy some new plants for our window boxes. Luckily I brought the camera with me because there was an abundance of tiny red Poison-dart frogs hopping throughout the bromelaids, just waiting to have their photos taken. I was so fascinated by these little guys that I borrowed a book from a neighbor, A Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica, Twan Leenders, published by Distribuidores Zona Tropical, S.A. copyright 2001. I have summarized the following details from my research for those of you that find the whole topic of Poison-dart frogs fascinating. For those that who hated biology you may want to stop reading now and just enjoy the photos. Here is what I have found out about these tiny frogs:

There are 133 species of frogs and toads in 8 families found in Costa Rica. The Poison-dart frogs are in the Dentrobatidae family. The Dentrobatidae family includes 8 species in 3 genera: Colostethus (3 species), Dendrobates (3 species) and Phyllobates (3 species). The Poison-dart frogs made famous by Hollywood movies are from this latter genera, a South American species called Phyllobates terribilis. The toxin on the skin of this species is the strongest animal toxin known to biologists and is sufficient to kill 10 adult humans. It is this toxin that is used in blowguns used by indigenous people from the Choco region of Columbia for hunting (for monkeys, sloths and other food - quite sure they don't hunt people although I am sure it could be tempting). The secretion from the frog's skin contains a strong neurotoxin. They cover the darts and arrows with this secretion. When the dart or arrow pierces or even grazes the skin of the target animal the neurotoxin can cause total paralysis, or even cardiac arrest, within minutes. The book, A Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica, goes on to state that recent studies have indicated that the source of the chemical compounds (alkaloids) responsible for the toxicity of the skin secretions may be from the TINY ANTS that make up a large percentage of the frog's diet.

The frogs at Jadin Botanica La Isla that are in my photos are also known as Strawberry Poison-dart frogs but they are not the ones used by the Columbian tribes in their blowgun darts. These adorable creatures are from the same Dentrobatidae family but are from the species Dendrobates pumilio. They are found throughout the Caribbean lowlands of Costa Rica. Although they are very small measuring from 3/4 to 1 inch (19 to 24 mm), their bright red-orange coloring and smooth skin makes them hard to miss. They lay their eggs in the concave part of a leaf or shallow depression in the ground, which explains why the ones at the garden were romping throughout the bromelaids. Their diet is largely comprised of tiny ants and they can reach 5 to 6 years of age. Their skin toxin is not deadly to humans but the author of my research book gave an anecdotal account of an encounter he had after touching their skin. After he had handled one of the frogs, he wiped the sweat off his face with his hand and thinks he must have accidentally ingested some of the toxin residue as he he had trouble swallowing and breathing for the next 30 minutes.

I hate tiny red ants. They bite me. It hurts for days. Nothing stops the itch. I am thinking about adding lots of bromelaids to my yard. I believe there are benefits to having a yard full of tiny red Poison-dart frogs instead of tiny red ants.

Exploring the interior

I've always wanted to visit the indigenous communities in the Talamanca Mountains on Costa Rica's Caribbean side. Saturday, June 12th, afforded us the opportunity to one of them, The community of Bambu, which is sometimes labeled as Bratsi on maps, was holding their first Feria Organica to celebrate the success, personal and financial, of the community's transition to organic farming. We took the 9:30 AM Sixaola bus out of Puerto Viejo with plans to hope on the next bus out of BriBri heading for Bambu. Thirty minutes later we were in BriBri only to find out the next bus for Bambu would not come until noon. Anyone who has ever been to BriBri can tell you there is just not a whole of to do there. But luck was with us and we found a pizza-internet restaurant to hang out in. Restaurant Terrible, yes, that's right. However there is an accent mark in Spanish and the pronunciation is slightly different. Terrible is what the locals call the owner, an expat named Terry. Swapping tales and sampling their pizza, macaroons and brownies made the time fly by. On to Bambu.

Unlike the cushioned buses that come in and out of resort towns like Puerto Viejo, the bus to Bambu was very basic with hard resin seats. The 30 minuten trip was fun as we followed along the riverbank of the Suretka River (we actually thought it was Rio Sixaola at the time) opposite Panama. After passing the very, very small community of Chase (or Shasse) we began an uphill climb, over 3 flowing streams and onto the Bambu Cultural Center. The Center consists of a large traditional thatched-roof structure which housed most of the produce and artesians. There was also a small all-purpose grocery store, a bar-meeting hall, a public restroom and another small thatched roof building which was being used to cook tamales. There were gigantic organic avacados, lots of organic plantains and bananas, organic cocoa made into chocolate milk and all types of delicious homemade foods. We tried quite a few items and came home with some organic chocolate (no sugar). The pork tamale was one of the best I've tasted anywhere. The return bus came by at 3 PM and it was back to civilization for us. Wonderful way to spend a day.

Putting your best foot forward... Flip Flops or Tevas.

It's one of those questions
I ask myself each morning.
In the Caribbean region of
Costa Rica, especially in
beach towns like Puerto Viejo
and Cahuita, everyone -
no exaggeratiopn - everyne,
wears flip flops. Walking, riding bicycles, driving motorcycles or scooters. In dresses and bathing
suits. Doesn't seem to matter. Everyone wears flip flops. Well, I do a lot of walking and it's not all
beach walking. We live in the mountains a few miles from the beaches so I often walk down the
dirt road to take a bus. Sorry, but I haven't seemed to master the fine art of "hiking" in flip flops
on mountain roads and have selected Tevas as my shoe of choice. The sole is much sturdier
and the straps guarantee that the sandal is still on my foot when I've made it to the bus stop. 
I was convinced that Tevas were the way to go. Until today. Today the sole came off of my
second pair of Tevas in two weeks! The only explanation I can think of is that it is too drastic
for shoe glue to go from the 0% humidty of Arizona to the 80% humidity here. I 've now glued
them back on using Costa Rican approved and produced glue. I'm trying to adjust to flip flops
while they dry but my feet aren't cooperating. Apparently there are special toe muscles that help
you keep them on your feet while you walk. Another set of muscles I am lacking I guess!

Revisiting Cahuita or A Day at the Beach

This story is more about the pictures than the words, so let me begin. It was a beautiful, sunny Saturday morning. Laundry was done. Banana tree chopped down. Nothing left to do but head for the beach. Since we also had a hankering for Chinese food (yes, Chinese), our decision was easy. We headed for Cahuita National Park. A gorgeous yellow sand beach with changing rooms, shower facilities and conveniently located next to a Chinese food restaurant. The water was perfect - green, clear and warm. The food was great, portions large accompanied by cold beer. After lunch we took a short stroll around a few side streets we had never explored - the flower was on one of these. What could be better than this? Well, to our amazement and delight, the howler and capuchin monkeys were out playing in full force just inside the park. This is very unusual, particularly for the shy howler monkeys, who are more often heard than seen - especially this close up. Whole families. Wow.

Discovering Hone Creek

I remember when we started to look at properties on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. most of the properties near the beach, were out of our price range. The ones that seemed most affordable seemed to be located in a place called Hone Creek. Trouble was, we couldn't even find Hone Creek on the map! Sometimes we would find a place called Hotel Creek, sometimes a Home Creek, but very rarely Hone Creek. So here it is, 3 years later, and Hone Creek is turning into one of the "hottest" areas in this part of the Caribbean. The epi-center, if you will, is at a "Y" in the highway. One fork leads to the north to Limon and San Jose, the other fork leads to BriBri and Panama, and the last one leads to the beaches of Puerto Viejo and the Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge. Buses are frequent in all directions along this route and taxis are becoming plentiful as well. This strategic location has made Hone Creek the perfect spot for the area hospital/clinic, large grade school, 2 large grocery stores, and a modern, well-supplied hardware & building supply store. This was all here when we left in October. Now, 6 months later, there is a multi-bay service station (see ohoto), an internet cafe (that's Gordie sitting outside using their WiFi), there is a bakery, a new soccer field with adjacent restaurant, a clothing boutique, and a delivery Ital-Tico pizza place. There is now also municipal water available to the homes along Carbon Road (our road). So, although we will probably keep our water connection to the mountain spring, we plan to hook up to the municipal water as well so there will always be a water source. Now that's what I call progress.

On my way to San Jose

On Monday I had planned to leave for San Jose to meet Gordie's arriving flight from the US. I was able to purchase a ticket for the 11 AM direct bus in Puerto Viejo a few days in advance - quite a bargain at less than $10 for a 4-1/2 hour ride. Shutters closed, bag packed and off I went to walk down to the bus stop. I really love the walk down our road. It's peaceful, lush green, birds and animals chirping and whistling along the way. Great way to start another pleasant day. About half way down the road I came upon a neighbor and her daughter. We continued walking as we exchanged "bueana dias" and "como estas." As I turned to face forward I realized I was on a collison course with a young boy on a bicycle. Before I knew it I was flying over the top of his bike and heading straight for the road below. My face hit the dirt and the blood started rushing down. I will leave the gory details to your imagination to focus instead of the outcome. The mom called her brother, a taxi driver, who was there in nothing flat. They took me down to the clinic where I was rushed right in to the doctor. No one asked my name. No one asked about my insurance. The only question I was asked was about existing conditions that might affect my treatment. The nurse came and cleaned my would. The doctor, who spoke perfect English, came in and stitched me up. After I was patched up I was sent out to fill out paperwork. I showed them my passport and asked if I couldn't come back on Wednesday as I was trying to catch the bus to San Jose. No problem. My new taxi driver friend had waited for me and drove me to Puerto Viejo - for free - so I would catch the bus on time. Believe it or not, this whole ordeal, from accident to delivery at the bus stop took only 45 minutes. I made it to San Jose on time. Gordie arrived, 2 hours, using a cane. What a great couple we make!

By the way, I did go back on Wednesday to finish the paperwork and get my perscriptions. The total bill was about $60 usd, which included the emergency room, doctor, 7 stitches, 2 perscriptions (an antibiotic and a pain pill) and the follow up visit for removing the stitches. At least accidents are affordable here.

Whole lotta shakin goin on

I wake up each morning to the sounds of howler monkeys. It's wonderful and ordinary. But yesterday morning was a little bit different. They were much louder. Much longer. Far more talkative. Other than that, the day was pretty ordinary. Until 4 or so in the afternoon, that is. I was brewing up a pot of soup when all of a sudden the whole house began to sway back and forth. Now, I'm not from California but even an Arizona girl like me knows when there's an earthquake going on. It seemed to last forever – probably 10 long seconds – then it was over. Nothing fell. Nothing broke. Apparently the earthquake was in the Pacific about 30km southwest of Quepos (which is near Manual Antonio National Park). Perhaps I've been in the jungle too long, but I think the monkeys knew it was coming.

The shaking brought to mind an article I read a few years ago about home construction considerations in earthquake prone areas. From what I remember, the article mentioned that building a house on stilts would allow for more movement without structural damage. It also mentioned that wood was preferable to concrete as there was more give, and, in the event of a collapse, there was less chance of being crushed. This was also mentioned in regard to roofing material. If a tin roof falls on you your chance of injury is far less than if it had been tile or wood. Remembering this article made me feel far safer about living in a wooden house on stilts with a tin roof. Then I also remembered that I had researched all of the fault lines throughout Central America before I ever moved here...just in case. So, the monkeys are still very talkative today. Maybe it's mating season, or perhaps this time they are just discussing yesterday's quake. As soon as I master Spanish I will have to learn monkey, it would certainly come in handy around here.

It's soooo GREEN and red and yellow and...

It never ceases to amaze me just how GREEN and LUSH Costa Rica is. I have read that there are somewhere in the neighborhood of 2,500 plant species here which may account for the 600 species of birds that call Costa Rica home (an additional 250 species stop by on their way south each year). Some days I think they are all living and growing in my yard. About 25% of the country is protected through national parks, biological and maritime reserves and other conservation areas. Pretty impressive for such a small country. So, once again, I have filled my camera with shot after shot of flowers, red, yellow, orange, purple...no birds yet, they're still a little too fast for me but I'm working on it.

Looking for a house in the jungle?

As many (make that all) of our friends in Arizona know, we decided to sell our "little house in the jungle" and move to the very far end of Costa Rica. We bought a lot in Manzanillo which is literally where the road ends. It's a very small town. Close to the beach but still in the jungle (there were monkeys in the trees over our heads when we looked at the property). It's about the same distance from the "major" resort town of Puerto Viejo as we are now just in the opposite direction. And far fewer buses to get there but we'll deal with that when the time comes. We'll be starting from scratch - assuming all of the paperwork goes through - this is sometimes a challenge down here. I will keep everyone posted - until then we will continue to enjoy our great neighbors, quiet surroundings and continuing adventures here outside of Hone Creek. Wish us luck!!! Oh, we're asking $45,000 for the house, furnished, in case you're looking for a relaxing place to vacation or retire to.

A military “Welcome Home”

Military? Costa Rica? Everyone knows that Costa Rica disbanded their army in 1948. Well, that was their army of MEN. The Costa Rican Army Ants are still going very strong, thank you. Locals and expats alike will advise you to just leave your house for a few hours and let them “do their thing.” You won't find a trace of any bug bits or debris when you return, they guarantee it.

So here I am. Home for 2 days. Alone. At night. As pitch black as only the jungle night can be. No car. No problem - I think. Just enjoying a peaceful evening in paradise. Fearlessly I walk into the kitchen only to stop short in my tracks. At least 50 or so army ants are marching along my lattice windows. Yes, these are the Caribbean-style windows with no glass or screen. I have no flashlight so my escape plan is limited - the best I can do is keep moving from room to room till they're finished and hope they don't decide to clean more than one room at a time. I go back to the safe haven of the living room only to find there is now a brigade of ants passing by on that window sill. Yikes! I wonder if they'll look under the covers for me? I wait. I hope. I pray. Ten minutes go by. I check the living room window again. No army ants. Now to the kitchen. Again, nothing. Miraculously, ALL of the army ants have left without a trace. I can only hope that this was not a scouting party. Safe, at last, until they come again.

New place to stay by Juan Santamaria Airport

For what ever reason, it seems that all flights I take to Costa Rica arrive at night and all flights that leave Costa Rica have early morning departure times. Since it's a 4 hour mountainous drive to my house, these schedules require an overnight in San Jose. As the capitol city, San Jose offers a wide price range of accommodations but I usually prefer to stay close to the airport (which is actually in Alajuela). I'm either tired from traveling all day or the departure time is so early I can't risk getting stuck in city traffic and missing my flight. Of course, staying by the airport usually means paying top dollar as well, so I am always on the lookout for a reasonably-priced hotel. The one I found this time around is a real gem. Casa Antigua is literally minutes from the airport, just 800m east of the Casino Fiesta (where the much higher priced Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn Express are located). The local bus stops outside of it's door making the trip to downtown San Jose all of 80 cents – a taxi will cost about $25.

The decor throughout this hotel is amazing. From the plush lobby to the elaborate paintings adorning the floors this place is NOT ordinary. There are hand-crafted and painted tables, stools and walls. Bold, colorful and ornate textiles dress the lobby, restaurant and garden hookah lounge. Yes, there is a hookah lounge with large cushioned chaises to relax on in the garden. By now you're probably wondering about the “things” that most people go to hotels for. The rooms. Clean and comfortable with cable television. The service. Friendly and efficient. The extras. There is a computer in the lobby with internet hook-up that customers can use at no expense. And, they start putting food at before 5 AM so anyone with an early morning flight can still have some coffee, toast, fresh fruit, cereal or sweet breads before leaving. All is included in the cost, which for me (single) was only $49 plus tax. I already plan to stay there when I meet Gordie at the airport later this month. Only this time I may arrive early and try out that hookah lounge!

Fairy tales do come true...

Be honest, haven't you always wanted to live in a castle? I know that I have. Perhaps it was too much Disney growing up. Anyway, when I came across pictures of The Blue Cave Castle in Negril while planning our Jamaican trip I just couldn't pass up this “dream come true.” And it was within our budget of $60 per night. There it sits on the cliffs of Negril overlooking the clear Caribbean sea. Each room is different, each very private and each intriguing. I selected the Deluxe Room #2. Right outside of our door was the staircase descending into ocean and the Blue Cave. How convenient is that? We were only able to stay two nights but took every opportunity to snorkel. There was also an excellent small cafe and free (yes, free) coffee and tea available each morning. Another place I would definitely return too.

On to the beach...

Next stop for companion and I was Mariner's Negril Beach Club. We were not expecting much. Our budget for this trip was $60 per room per night. My pre-trip research showed most of the other resorts in Negril to be many times this amount. To be honest, I wasn't even sure if this resort was ON the beach of just NEAR it. Either way, we didn't care, we would be there and the price was right. As we pulled up I noticed the exterior of the resort showed its age. Ditto for the lobby. What a surprise when they brought us up to our room! Beautiful, polished, hardwood floors leading into a living room with a modern sofabed, side chairs, coffee table, ceiling fan and a large flat screen TV. The next room was the bedroom with a king size bed, large bureau and wardrobe closet, and a wall of wooden shuttered doors leading out to the balcony with table and chairs. A walk from our room through the landscaped grounds brought us to a perfect – yes, perfect, Caribbean beach. Soft, soft, white sand and perfectly smooth, warm, clear turquiose water. Turns out there was also WiFi in the lobby, 2 “mini-mart” type stores on site, a pool, a spa, a beach bar, a restaurant, and several small boutique stores. WOW. Not bad for $60 a night.

The long way home...

From Tonto Basin to Phoenix to Costa Rica via Jamaica. Guess it's not exactly the most direct route, but, after all, my nephew was getting married in Jamaica. So off we went on the 5 AM SuperShuttle to Phoenix Sky Harbor. The flight was uneventful and food-less so by the time we hit Miami International we were HUNGRY. Since we were also facing a 5-hour layover in Miami, it just made sense to leave the airport to eat and explore. On the advice of an airport “info” person, we headed to an area called Bayside. There found numerous cafes featuring every type of seafood imaginable, but nothing on the menu that would appeal to my vegan traveling companion until we spotted a Chili's Restaurant with outside dining on the second floor overlooking the marina. Good food, great views. And judging from the size of the fish the boats were unloading, this is a top notch area for sport fishing. After lunch we still had a little time to explore the numerous shops around Bayside, and decided that the Miami area would make a great destination point for some future trip. Good thing we made this decision before getting back to the airport just in time for a 2-hour delay. Getting to paradise can sometimes be a struggle.

Hanging out in history...

Hanging out in history...
Our first two nights in Jamaica were strictly a family affair. The bride, groom, parents of each, siblings, aunt and cousin. Ten of us total in a luxurious 5-bedroom villa in Montego Bay. A little background on Villa Monzon: it's in a private community of seven homes and was formerly part of the Royal Windsor Family of England's Plantation. This property was presented to Sir Winston Churchill in 1946, after the end of World War II. Historically, the original "Content" estate was 300 plus acres. Later, Winston Churchill's niece, Lady Sarah sold off parts of the estate which now comprises this seven home community. The original Content/Churchill estate is on 16 acres next to Monzon and on the other side is the "Drambuie" estate on 75 acres.

Our first day there we hit a local beach with the largest starfish I have ever see. Warm, clear water, just the way I like it. We then stopped by a small local thatch-roof restaurant for some soup (shrimp or conch soup) and cold Red Stripes – the local beer which was actually quite good. But nothing could surpass the outstanding lobster dinner we had that evening back at the Villa – an end to our introduction to Jamaica. Yum. And to think some people live like this all the time!!!

Been here before...time to move on

Hard to believe it's been 6 months since we returned to Arizona, crutches and all. The knee has healed nicely. Barely a visible scar. The holidays with family and friends have been memorable. Shuffleboard tournaments, navigating across a swollen Tonto Creek, 2 different jobs and lots of mud shoveling have kept me very busy. But now it's time to return to the jungle and the sea. As you can see from the photo, Gordie is BACK on crutches. This time a broken ankle from a car accident. Deja vu. Sadly he won't be able to join me until the end of the month, but he should be able to make some great comparisons between medical care in the US and that in Costa Rica. Well, back to last minute packing. Six months of clothing and supplies is being crammed into one suitcase. Always a challenge. Adios desert. Hola jungle.