charliedoggett.net
Translation of the above art: “Give Jesus more room in your life.” And my post title “DiosArte” is simply Spanish for “GodArt.”
My young friend Jason Quesada liked this FB page (DiosArte) and I liked the interesting and youthful art made by a Catholic young person here. Creativity is used in many ways in Costa Rica! Check out his colorful Facebook Page:
¡Pura Vida!
By using my new 600mm telephoto lens instead of my usual Samsung Phone Camera for a vista from the hilltop resort Xandari, I zoomed in on the Alajuela Cathedral with Central Park to the right and the bigger surprise, at top edge of photo is an American Airlines plane landing or taking off at the San Jose International Airport in Alajuela! Luck of the timing on the plane and sorry that the blog template crops off part of the plane, not so in my original photo (see in gallery).
Below is another shot in same direction from the same restaurant with my phone camera to help you see how much I was able to zoom in and crop a little! 🙂 The cathedral is on the left side of the city that you see between the restaurant and the mountains. My last day at Xandari, Wednesday, Walter picked me up and we got my internet order package 5 blocks east of the Cathedral, ate lunch 2 blocks north of the Cathedral, then drove 24 km (15 miles) west to Atenas where I live. My small world! 🙂
¡Pura Vida!
See my Trip Photo Gallery: 2018 Xandari Resort
Xandari costa rica (their website)
 |
| Paraíso Parroquia Nuestra Señora de la Limpia Concepción del Rescate de Ujarrás Paraiso, Costa Rica |
 |
| Iglesia de Loaiza de Cachi Cachi, Costa Rica |
 |
| Iglesia de Cachi Cachi, Costa Rica |
 |
| Iglesia Catolica Palomo de Orosi Orosi, Costa Rica |
 |
| Iglesia de San José de Orosi (1767) Orosi, Costa Rica |
 |
| Steeple of Iglesia de San José de Orosi (1767) Orosi, Costa Rica |
 |
| The Oldest Church Building in Costa Rica, built 1580 – A National Historic Park Las Ruinas de Ujarrás, Costa Rica |
 |
| Political Cartoon in one Online English Newspaper |
Sad because Christianity (especially evangelicals) already has the reputation of being bigoted people who hate other people who are different from them. I believe that attitude along with Trump and the horrible Republican Party is destroying the United States from the inside now, with obvious help from Russia!
 |
| Farming Hills Surround Zarcero Zarcero, Costa Rica |
 |
| Farming Hills Surround Zarcero Zarcero, Costa Rica |
 |
| Farming Hills Surround Zarcero Zarcero, Costa Rica |
 |
| Church & Central Park Topiaries are in Center of Town Zarcero, Costa Rica |
 |
| They were setting up for a carnival/fiesta this day Zarcero, Costa Rica |
 |
| Repaving Main Street Zarcero, Costa Rica |
 |
| Cogwheel or Assassin Bug (Arilus carinatus) on Steps of the Church If I had a side view, the dotted line on his back would be the top of a half-cogwheel. Cool! Zarcero, Costa Rica |
 |
| Iglesia de San Rafael Zarcero, Costa Rica |
 |
| Iglesia de San Rafael Zarcero, Costa Rica |
 |
| Iglesia de San Rafael Zarcero, Costa Rica |
 |
|
Iglesia de San Rafael
Zarcero, Costa Rica
|
 |
| Iglesia de San Rafael Zarcero, Costa Rica |
 |
| Iglesia de San Rafael Zarcero, Costa Rica |
 |
| Iglesia de San Rafael Carnival Setup Zarcero, Costa Rica |
“Trip Gallery” now on my gallery site: 12 October – Zarcero
 |
| Basilica of Our Lady of the Mercedes The primary Catholic Church in Palmares, Costa Rica One of very few in Costa Rica of stone, built 1894-1914 |
 |
| Basilica of Our Lady of the Mercedes Palmares, Costa Rica |
 |
| Palmares Central Park is Partly a Tropical Garden Palmares, Costa Rica |
 |
| Unlike a lot of towns’ central parks Palmares, Costa Rica |
 |
| But also has the traditional sidewalks, benches & band shelter Palmares, Costa Rica |
 |
| Some high school kids came dressed for a church festival Palmares, Costa Rica |
 |
| Including their band! Palmares, Costa Rica |
Palmares is a 50 minute bus ride north from Atenas over one of the most winding mountain roads near us and a beautiful drive through something like the Appalachian or Ozark Mountains to this cowboy town where the biggest Tope (horse parade) happens once a year. It is much bigger than Atenas with 31,000+ plus people.
 |
| Terminal Buses Carbachez Palmares, Costa Rica |
This reminded me of the nice one I used in Turrialba. There are many competing bus companies in Costa Rica and they build their own terminals, not shared with other companies. Think of the old competition between Greyhound and Trailways in the states. This station is for Carbachez buses. Had I come here on one of our CoopeAtenas Buses, I would have gone to a different terminal that is not as nice. And I left from a third terminal to go to Alajuela. It was clean, but smaller and not as nice as the one above.
I did a Trip Gallery with these photos and two are also in my Costa Rica Churches gallery
 |
| Garden Art by Anthony |
This morning at about 4:00 I said goodbye to my next door neighbor Anthony who has been a special friend this last year, as he was when he lived on the other side of me during my first few months in this house (before he traveled to Spain & Morocco for 9 months). He is the single artist guy, about 8 years younger than me, who is still driven to create. He did my garden art sculpture I’ve shown before and a painting I promised not to publish. You will have to visit me to see it – another contemporary bird!
Though Costa Rica is a great atmosphere for creativity, it is not the easiest place to get lots of different art supplies, especially for his clay and tile work. So he is moving back to the states, not to his native Indiana, but to an art community in Chicago where he can get everything he needs to create including many customers which he also needs at this particular point in his life. And he plans to take classes in a world renowned tile art school there. So I wish Anthony the best of life in lakeside Chicago and a fabulous new career as an artist in the states.
The house he was in, next door in this same compound, has already been rented and soon I will meet my new neighbor and see what adventures that will bring! And very soon I could be greeting a new landlord, as the whole compound is for sale. I met one lovely couple moving here from Houston who are considering the purchase. They are originally from Louisiana and we hit it off when they visited as “fellow southerners.” It seems that people know immediately when I speak that I’m from “The South.” Wonder why?
We will see what happens. My current French Canadian landlords will still be in Atenas part time in a smaller house, with their main house being built on a Pacific Coast beach north of Jaco. And the now vacant house on the other side of me (Richard’s casita) has a couple moving in for two months that I met through my blog and the local evangelical church, Iglesia Biblical. Change is maybe the most consistent part of life! And it always brings new experiences and new friends! Pura vida! 🙂
The Greatest Threat to the Church Isn’t Islam – It’s Us
Hoping non-subscribers to Christianity Today can get to this linked article by a Nigerian Christian. In many ways Africa is where Christianity is strongest today and there are many things Americans could learn from our African brethren! This article is a good example.
 |
| Iglesia de Barrio Mexico San Jose, Costa Rica |
 |
| Iglesia de Barrio Mexico Inside San Jose, Costa Rica |
 |
| Iglesia de la Merced San Jose, Costa Rica |
 |
| First Baptist Church San Jose, Costa Rica |
 |
| El Carmen Iglesia San Jose, Costa Rica |
 |
| El Carmen Iglesia San Jose, Costa Rica |
 |
| El Carmen Iglesia San Jose, Costa Rica |
 |
| Catedral Metropolitana San Jose, Costa Rica |
 |
| Catedral Metropolitana San Jose, Costa Rica |
 |
| Parroquia Nuestra Senora De La Dolorosa San Jose, Costa Rica |
 |
| Parroquia Nuestra Senora De La Dolorosa San Jose, Costa Rica |
 |
| Iglesia de la Soledad San Jose, Costa Rica |
 |
| Iglesia de la Soledad San Jose, Costa Rica |
With some backtracking this was probably more than 6 kilometers of walking on the hot sidewalk and even with good shoes and two pair of socks, my feet were hot when I returned. I also photographed some other beautiful old building and one colorful modern art painted building. I will share these another day and maybe some people or other shots. Now I collapse. Tired.
My Photo Gallery of Costa Rica Churches has more church photos if interested, and the San Jose gallery has more photos of San Jose.
 |
| Hotel El Convento, León, Nicaragua My one night in León was in what was one time a convent. The courtyard. |
 |
| The atmosphere of an old Spanish Colonial Catholic Convent was evident throughout. |
 |
| An old prayer altar? |
 |
| Convent is adjacent to San Francisco Church with this Entrance Sign. Church is pictured in the church post. |
All of the hotels Tours Nicaragua has arranged for me have been excellent in every way. They are the only way I will ever travel in Nicaragua!
 |
| San Ramon is higher in the mountains than Atenas, meaning it gets much colder and rains more. It rained this morning & in 50’s. |
 |
| San Ramon’s beautiful Catholic Church facing the Central Park, like every town in Costa Rica. |
 |
| They also have a boyero or oxcart driver monument like Atenas. I like our Atenas metal one better. This one is on church grounds. |
 |
| Like every town’s Central Park, you will find children playing, old people talking, teens texting, talking or smooching, and a generally happy, tranquil place. There is a band-shell for musical programs. |
San Ramon is quite a bit larger than Atenas with more businesses and traffic, something in-between Atenas and Alajuela. I do not like it as well as Atenas because of the weather (colder and wetter) and the more crowded conditions. They do have a University campus which is a plus and a couple of museums we don’t have, but I think I will stick with my more walkable small town. Both are very “Costa Rica” in nature with wonderfully friendly people. They have a few hundred expats living there where we have over a thousand in and around Atenas.
The other post today about healthcare tour has more photos of San Ramon and yesterday’s short post has photo of tour group in front of Mural on La Posada Hotel where I stayed.
