My morning walk today surprised me with this simple little flower – What a joy flowers can be!
Just living is not enough… one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.
~Hans Christian Andersen
Morning Walk Surprise!
A Simple Pleasure: Desert Rose Bloom
Just one bloom on a potted desert rose plant is a joy and mine has been loaded with blooms this year during rainy season and maybe because I moved it to the side of house for morning sun – my gardener’s suggestion! Later I will show a photo of the whole plant with multiple blooms, but somehow the only photo of the total plant is in my January 12, 2018 Post about this particular flower, though it was not as loaded in flowers as it has been recently.
“A morning-glory at my window satisfies me more than the metaphysics of books.”
― Walt Whitman
For my gallery of Costa Rica Flowers+ see: FLORA & FOREST
In a Blur
In a Blur – How I feel 2 days after surgery – but all is well – saw doc today. Physical Therapy starts soon. And photo from my garden yesterday is a red ginger with background blurred. Happy day to you!
Trails & Sidewalks at Xandari
If you count the unofficial paths and trails there are possibly 5 miles of walking/hiking ways within the Xandari property. And I think I have walked over every portion except a little section that dead ends along the river. Around the villas and through the gardens is paved while through the farm and to the waterfalls is dirt paths, sometimes muddy this time of year! I came back to my room with muddy shoes every day! Just a sampling of trails and I did not include some grass-covered paths. Trails are a great way to immerse yourself in nature!
¡Pura Vida!
See my Trip Photo Gallery: 2018 Xandari Resort
Xandari costa rica (their website)
Flowers at Tranquilo Bay
A sampling. To see more go to the 2018 Bocas del Toro gallery.
Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama
See my “Trip Gallery” at:
2018 Tranquilo Bay, Bocas del Toro, Panama
The flowers have to be sisters of the birds..!!
My favorite birding group here now is a Tico Facebook group called: Asociacion Ornitologica de Costa Rica
The one photo I posted there from my Arenal trip was this Keel-billed Toucan that I also used on the cover of the book about Arenal Observatory.
Several comments were made but the most interesting was from Diego who said,
Las flores han de ser hermanas de las aves..!!
ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
The flowers have to be sisters of the birds..!!
It is possibly and old saying or even a quote from some writer (though my Google search did not find an author), but I thought it so interesting and true especially with some of the many colorful birds here in Costa Rica and I appreciate Diego’s comment!
Toucans are difficult to photograph even with the tower at Arenal putting me up on their level! But they certainly are a lot like flying flowers! 🙂
If I had to choose, I would rather have birds than airplanes.
~Charles Lindbergh
Arenal Tropical Flowers & Plants
This is just a small sampling of many more photos in Arenal Observatory trip gallery:
Flowers & Tropical Plants. Arenal Observatory Lodge grounds are a Botanical Gardens!
Flowers & Tropical Plants. Arenal Observatory Lodge grounds are a Botanical Gardens!
-o-
And if you like tropical plants but live “up north,” check out how you can go tropical in your house, year-around, 16 Tropical Plants to Grow Indoors. A reader wrote and suggested this.
Top 10 Most Welcoming Countries for Expats
An online article by Expat Organization InterNations
They put Costa Rica at #6.
New Bromeliads + A Favorite Road
 |
| Bromeliad Pink in a Shady Area of My Garden I think it will do very well here & I have 6 of them! Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| Bromeliad Red which I really liked, but as you see it gets some sunlight thus I hope it makes it. I got only 1 of these. Bromeliads prefer shade. Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| Road behind Banana Azul Hotel in the Caribbean of Costa Rica The photo & quote that I shared with the mission team today + a Scripture verse with their’s. Photo made in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Costa Rica |
¡Pura Vida!
Pre-Easter Yellow
 |
| And for one week only – this particular tree. Seen from my terrace as is the photo below. Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| Behind my “Cow Pasture Neighbors” Houses Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| Even the silhouetted Chachalaca seems to be admiring the yellow flowers. In my Guarumo/Cecropia Tree Atenas, Costa Rica |
¡Pura Vida!
El Copal Nature & Happy Valentines Day!
 |
| A Valentine from Nature Photographed along a road or trail in the El Copal Area, Costa Rica |
 |
| Or maybe you prefer an Exotic Wild Flower for Valentines El Copal Area, Costa Rica |
 |
| Reventazón River Valley El Copal Area, Costa Rica |
 |
| One of Many Tributaries El Copal Area, Costa Rica |
 |
| My Guide Cristhian Ureña Martinez El Copal Area, Costa Rica |
 |
| More FlowersEl Copal Area, Costa Rica |
 |
| More Flowers El Copal Area, Costa Rica |
 |
| More Flowers El Copal Area, Costa Rica |
 |
| Mosses and Ferns of the Cloud Forest El Copal Area, Costa Rica |
 |
| A Horse Farm Where We Found Birds El Copal Area, Costa Rica |
 |
| A Horse Farm Where We Found Birds El Copal Area, Costa Rica |
Nature is the art of God.
¡Pura Vida!
This exact same set of photos in my TRIPS photo gallery: El Copal Area Scenery
And related is the gallery El Copal BIRDS in this same TRIPS gallery below
Or see all of my Orosi Trip photos in the TRIP Gallery: 2018-February 6-10–Orosi/Tapanti
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
TINY SERENDIPITIES KEEP ME SMILING
On the bus to Alajuela Monday a Tica mother with little girl about a year to 18 months old sat down in the seat next to me. The little girl kept looking at me and finally reached out and touched my arm and smiled. (Yes I had already said “Hola” and smiled at her, but she was slow responding.)
Later after mother and child got off the bus, an older man in the seat in front of me began playing his harmonica and quietly singing a beautiful, tranquil song in Spanish. ¡Pura vida!
The greatest self is a peaceful smile, that always sees the world smiling back.
Bryant H. McGill
~~~~~~~
JURASSIC PARK?
ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWS ARTICLE:
 |
| Isla del Coco, Costa Rica |
This is our island in the Pacific Ocean that is similar to Galápagos Islands of Ecuador without
tourism. It is a national park and research center and many say is more significant scientifically than the Galápagos Islands. (Darwin missed it!) It is also the island that the fictitious dinosaur project was on in the movies of the Jurassic Park. See this brief YouTube video of THE REAL JURASSIC PARK for a 57 second glimpse of the real island.
An Expensive Charter Scuba Diving Yacht trip to the island (See their cool video!)
The island is 300 miles offshore and you sleep on the yacht and scuba dive around the island in the largest colony of sharks in the world! They let you on the island for brief day trips from the yacht but no nights there. Not a regular tourist spot! It costs 3 to 5 k per person for a minimum number of people on different boats for 7 days and just the shore excursion to the island costs $250 to $500 depending on which boat you are on! Cost includes bus from San Jose airport to Puntarenas dock.
A Costa Rica Journeys Article about the island
UNESCO World Heritage Site I would love to see it, but doubt that will ever happen!
¡Pura Vida!