Independence Day Special Report

My Health Update & The Culture Report

Sep 15 Independence Day Costa Rica

Every year the entire country flies flags and marches in parades to celebrate their independence from Spain and I’ve missed only 3 of the parades here in Atenas because I was in the Caribbean during this week. And was about to miss another for the same reason, but once I changed my trip this year to October, I thought I would again photograph the parade, but with the main part of the parade being from 10 to 12 during some of the hottest sunshine of the day and my right knee hurting, I decided to miss the parade on purpose this year. But I’ve posted links at the bottom of this post to the 6 parades I did photograph, plus I wore my Costa Rica National Soccer Team shirt (red, white & blue) to my usual breakfast out at Restaurant El Fogon Campesino and not only was the staff dressed patriotically but they had a marimba band playing on the terrace near where I always eat. So that was my celebration today! 🙂

Marimba Band at Restaurant El Fogon, September 15, 2024, Atenas, Costa Rica

For those who don’t know Spanish, “el fogon” is the Spanish word for “the kitchen wood stove” and “campesino” is “peasant” or “poor farmer.” Everything in this place is cooked on an old fashion wood-burning stove just like one of my grandmothers. They are mainly a lunch & dinner place, but have breakfast on Saturday & Sunday mornings and are the only place here with “Avocado Toast” and other breakfast dishes with guacamole! Yummy! 🙂 They of course have the traditional Costa Rica breakfast of eggs with Pico de Gallo (beans & rice), the best pancakes in town, a great omelette, and even a Breakfast Nachos for the young at heart! 🙂 But I’ve narrowed down my favorite to the Quesadilla with guacamole & picadillo on top and a side of bacon! 🙂 The only time I eat breakfast out other than on trips and a weekly treat for me!

Update on My Health

The public health system here is simply great and they are monitoring me in more ways than I ever would have on my own with private doctors, providing a specialist for nearly everything. Most of the specialists are in either San Jose or Alajuela and my driver, Walter, goes in with me as translator when needed, especially with the fast talkers! 🙂 “Hablo despacio por favor.” 🙂 But many speak English and nearly all the younger ones do, so no problem! But thankful for Walter!

Last week my geriatric doctor found that I had a little high blood pressure. She immediately put me on a blood pressure medicine and sent me back to my local clinic here in Atenas for my local GP doc to monitor me. There they wanted me to come in regularly to check the blood pressure or get a machine and check my own every day at home (or at a local farmacia that will check it daily for free). I chose the convenience of my own machine and will report back to Dr. Zuniga (my GP) with a month’s worth of BP numbers and it will tell if the current med is working or if I need something else. And I expect he will discuss my diet and exercise with me also. 🙂

Nothing alarming and I feel fine and the BP has already been back in the normal range one day. I think it was some little temporary thing, but we will see. And my oncologist says there is no trace of any cancer anywhere now. Plus I’m sleeping great with the new CPAP Machine the Costa Rica Social Security bought me! Costa Rica spends its money on its people and not on an army and constant wars! 🙂

¡Pura Vida!

¡Feliz Día de la Independencia!

Photo Galleries of Earlier September 15 Parades

¡Pura Vida!

There is a pleasure in the pathless woods

There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more,
From these our interviews, in which I steal
From all I may be, or have been before,
To mingle with the Universe, and feel
What I can ne’er express, yet cannot all conceal.

– Lord George Gordon Byron, 1813

9 more photos below . . .

Continue reading “There is a pleasure in the pathless woods”

2024 Oxcart Parade

I finally got all those photos sorted, culled, and processed to create a nice gallery for this year’s Oxcart Parade, my first since 2018! You can click the image below of the first page of that gallery or go to this address . . . https://charliedoggett.smugmug.com/PEOPLE/2024-08-11-OXCART-PARADE

CLICK IMAGE above to go to the gallery.

Or below is one sample photo from each category gallery . . .

Continue reading “2024 Oxcart Parade”

Oxcart Parade Today . . .

. . . my first to see in 5 years now and hopefully I will be able to handle the heat and sunshine if it’s as hot as yesterday! I’m planning to find a place to sit on the steps of La Tribunal near the point where the parade first enters the Central Park area, so I can leave as soon as over or earlier if it is too hot. Wearing my wide-brim hat, taking an umbrella and yes, smearing myself with that awful sunscreen, 50 SPF! My oncologist requires it! 🙂

Annual Oxcart Parade, Atenas, Costa Rica

It may be another day or two before I get to posting photos of this Oxcart Parade, but below are links to the three previous parades I photographed before Covid. I missed 2015 & 2019 and then it was canceled for 2020 through 2022 during the Covid Pandemic and last year they moved it from April to August and I did not get the word, so glad to try and see it this year. I’m posting my usual nature blog posts a few days ahead, so there will still be one of those today and again on whatever day I post today’s photos! 🙂 And for now, here’s 4 more photos from the past . . .

Continue reading “Oxcart Parade Today . . .”

Xandari 2024 GALLERY Completed

I consider my group of galleries titled Costa Rica TRIPS to be my best group of photo galleries, because they cover my trips to all my favorite nature places all over Costa Rica, now numbering 120 including day trips! Though I share some good photography from home here in Atenas, including my garden, the exciting stuff is usually from the trips! 🙂

And the newest one is from last week’s little 2-night trip to Xandari Resort on the edge of my provincial capital of Alajuela, Alajuela with their surprising private rainforest with waterfalls, all kinds of trees and wildlife, along with their gorgeous gardens near the rooms, restaurant, spa and their farm. A great little jungle island near a big city! This gallery is labeled 2024 June 11-13 — Xandari Resort, Alajuela (linked to the gallery) or you can click the image of the first page of the gallery below to get there . . .

CLICK this first page of Gallery to go there.

If you are one of my readers in Costa Rica and want to check out Xandari, which has greatly reduced prices during rainy season, go to their website at Xandari Costa Rica! (Pronounced shaun-dar-ie) It is the Costa Rica location of a chain of resorts based in India, all focused on nature and local culture and people.

Now I will start catching up on some blog posts from my garden that I made before Xandari. 🙂 And my next trip is in July to Maquenque Eco Lodge where I’ve photographed more birds than any other location! 🙂 Plus I will celebrate my 84th birthday there! 🙂 Always something to look forward too when you live “Retired in Costa Rica!”

¡Pura Vida!

Fountains Added to Central Park

With the very slow remodeling of Atenas Central Park being done totally by city employees and not an outside contractor, this multi-year project keeps surprising people and this one was not in the initial architect’s drawings of the remodeled park. For the new southwest corner entrance to the square block park, there is now a pair of modern fountains with a hint of historical reflection on the Stone Spheres of Costa Rica (Wikipedia link) and even though the sidewalk is still not completed, the two fountains have been dedicated and are functioning, though you can’t enter the park through this entrance yet! 🙂 Here’s 3 of my cellphone photos plus someone else’s night photo from the dedication I didn’t know about. And to my friend who was hoping they would add a fountain to the park, you got two! 🙂 Though I realize you were wanting an old fashion fountain like in the center of Alajuela’s Central Park. But hey! We have prehistoric stone spheres spritzing water like no other park in Costa Rica! 🙂

Stone Sphere Water Fountains, Atenas Central Park, Costa Rica
Continue reading “Fountains Added to Central Park”

Wildness Disappearing

Well, at least close to towns like Atenas or anywhere within an hour or two from San Jose. But from my porch, or terrace they call it here, I zoomed in on one of the hills nearby that looked undeveloped. The only sign of humans seems to be one small or moderate-sized house at the end of a dirt road, which could be a cool place to live! 🙂

Zooming in on a Nearby Hill, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

Of course Costa Rica has more than 25% of all land protected as wilderness national parks, reserves, or wildlife refuges, but in the more populated Central Valley or anywhere near the capital of San Jose, development is growing rapidly. I am very much aware of how many more cars are on the streets and highways now than just 10 years ago! Plus there seems to be construction work somewhere all the time, even in little Atenas! So it was fun to zoom in on one of the Atenas hills and see only one small house! 🙂

See more of my Roca Verde Terrace Views in that gallery.

¡Pura Vida!