Category: Atenas

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My House Location

My House Location  (Red arrow)
The big orange roof above & to left is my landlord from Montreal.
Little orange to right & down is Anthony of Indiana. Big gray house is Richard from England.
Towards mountains is downtown Atenas, white church steeple seen, top center-right.
I walk this whole valley almost daily, one great advantage of not owning a car!
Life in a rural small town. Pura vida!

Note that it is the end of dry season which is therefore the wildfire season, But we are starting to get some rain. Had a shower early this evening. Happy days are here again! (Rainy Season! May-Nov.)
Note to my relatives in Warren, Arkansas (Where I was born): Atenas is the same size town as Warren with about the same population (6,000 +/-), farming community, county seat, 4 supermarkets, 2 or 3 hardware stores, and only small shops for other needs with a 45 minute drive to Alajuela or hour drive to San Jose for big shopping and hospitals. Small towns are a lot alike around the world! Though we have a different kind of immigrants here than does Warren. Never thought I would be an immigrant in a small farm town! Life is full of surprises! And I did not consciously have this in mine when I chose Atenas. 
Check out the “official” video on Atenas, just 2 1/2 min.
See my photo gallery of Public Art & Graffiti in Atenas

Or the general gallery on Atenas,     or    Walking in Atenas (flowers/trees),

Or the People & Fiestas of Atenas
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Atenas Easter Processional

The Altar Boys & Girls Lead from the Church
Atenas, Costa Rica

The Band is already in the street. They join parade behind Jesus statue.
Atenas, Costa Rica

Men in Biblical Costumes
Atenas, Costa Rica

Atenas, Costa Rica

Atenas, Costa Rica

Real flower petals prepare the way.
Atenas, Costa Rica

New Priest flanked by Little Angels
Atenas, Costa Rica

The Risen Christ  
Atenas, Costa Rica

Atenas, Costa Rica

Atenas, Costa Rica

Atenas, Costa Rica

Some of the congregation join in the procession
that circles Central Atenas, about 8 blocks back to church
Atenas, Costa Rica

Photo Gallery of these same above photos, Easter Processional 2017 

This year it was held at end of the 4:00 PM Mass, meaning around 5:30 as it is starting to get dark and threatened rain this time. The last time I watched it was two years ago after the 9 AM Mass. And last year I was in Nicaragua and observed two Easter Week processionals that were really different. Here are links to those posts:

Easter Week 2016 in Nicaragua: First Night (1 photo) and Second Night (1 photo)

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Tope Tonight

Washing a Horse in the street . . .
That, cowboy hats and boots, means it is “Tope Time!”
A tope is a horse parade & this year at night, 1st in 3 years!

It is suppose to be about horses, but is mostly about partying & beer!
Lots of beer!

The last time Atenas had a night Tope was three years ago (before I came) and the story is they trashed downtown Atenas so much they had to take a 3-year break. The later it gets the drunker people get I’ve been told and it is not pretty. 

I had an early dinner downtown with Anthony and got just these two “pre-Tope” shots before we walked back home. I am not participating in the Tope tonight. I went to the afternoon Tope in Mercedes two years ago and it was pretty bad in the daylight! So I chose not to participate tonight. But I am hearing the music, noise, band, and an announcer from my house. I may sleep with ear plugs tonight. 
And an announcement about Anthony, my artist friend who lives next door: He is moving back to the states the end of May. He cannot get the art supplies and support he needs here and is missing some of the opportunities he will have living in Chicago. He is retired from a corporate job, but does not want to retire from being a professional artist which he can simply do better in the states! (And he never learned to speak Spanish!) Living in Costa Rica is not for everyone! Pura vida!
And on top of that I just learned today that my landlord has put his house or compound up for sale of which my house is a part. I have to wait and see who buys it to know what happens to me. Possibly nothing will change. Or the new owner could want my house as a guest house or “Mother-in-law Apartment.”  Either way, life goes on.  🙂  And maybe some new adventures.  🙂  ¡Tenga Paz!

Stay tuned for the continuing saga of “Retired in Costa Rica.” Every day an adventure!

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Nance Tree Bloom

Nance Tree bloom from this orange to yellow
It will later become little yellow berries eaten here.
My Home Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica

Americans: Please don’t let your government de-fund public broadcasting & Nature! 

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Atenas, Costa Rica – A Photo Book!

New Photo Book About Atenas
Click image or this caption to go to a PREVIEW of the book online.
You can thumb through the book page by page for free.
Just keep clicking the pages.

Now that I have finished it, I just realized I left out the Farmers’ Market & Central Mercado. Oh well, I guess every book has to be imperfect!  🙂  Enjoy anyway! And I will do more!

And check out the “official” video on Atenas, just 2 1/2 min.