Category: Costa Rica

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Front Drive & Back Neighbors

Front Drive from My Balcony – Fountain by Manager’s House & Pool

Today I stayed home and did laundry except for a training meeting for volunteers at the Atenas Chili Fiesta tomorrow. It started as a small chili cookoff by expats here in Atenas 8 years ago to raise money for Hogar de Vida, a Christian children’s home (orphanage) for abandoned and abused children just one block from our apartments. How neat!

Because I don’t speak Spanish well enough to work booths requiring communication, I was put on the Security Team. We will be posted around the perimeter of the Sabana Larga (bull fight arena and fair grounds facility). The only ones who showed up for the “training” was me and 5 teen boys from the New Summit Academy which is located directly behind our apartments. I hear their music and chatter some evenings but always before their 10 PM quiet time. I have often wanted to meet them or find out more about the school. I did today! 
It is a great special needs high school for just 30 students, all from the states, and I’m sure at a significant price for the parents. It is kind of a follow up school for wilderness programs like Outward Bound (as it was called in my day) and they are quite involved in the local community by volunteering like this and at places like Hogar de Vida. Those who know my relationship with special need schools know that I am excited to live next door to another really good one. Me and the boys will have fun being security together for tomorrow’s fiesta. Here’s the view of New Summit Academy from my back balcony or kitchen window and bedroom window. Now I’ve met these neighbors! And I already like them! 
Some Roofs of New Summit Academy behind My Apartment
seen through our Bamboo Forest & Where I Photograph Birds!

Another good day in Atenas, Costa Rica, where I keep finding good things happening in the land of Pura Vida! Pure Life!

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Barrio Fatima

Our apartments seen from our neighborhood – Barrio Fatima.

Our apartments are on a large piece of property with a river on one side and some large property with no house visible on a second side. But the other two sides have houses as part of our Barrio (Spanish for neighborhood) called Fatima. This intrigues me because in West Africa the Mandinka usually named their first daughter Fatima. Their use is from the Arabic meaning “captivating” or “the shining one” and the name of the prophet Muhammad’s favorite daughter, Fatima Zahra. 

One Catholic website says that daughter of Muhammad, Fatima, converted to Christianity and that the Virgin Mary made an appearance in Fatima, Portugal, named after Muhammad’s daughter. Interesting! I think I will take “the shining one” until I learn the story of the neighborhood’s name. 
When I tell people in town where I live, many will say, “Oh yes, the large yellow apartments on the hill.” Shining light? The building is just 2 1/2 years old.

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Poro Tree

Erythrina Poeppigiana tree, commonly called Poro Extranjero, Poro Gigante, or Mountain Immortelle

This beautiful flowering tree on my left horizon beyond the tennis courts was commonly planted on Coffee Plantations where coffee grew well in their shade. Atenas is coffee plantation land. The orange blossoms can come anytime between December and April. I’m thankful that I can see one from my house but be aware that I zoomed in on it with a 300 mm lens. It is across the river in someone else’s yard! In Costa Rica we have to settle for views like this while you guys up north enjoy your snow!  🙂 Today is partly sunny and 77° in Atenas. 

I’ve got to be by trees, otherwise I get claustrophobic.

Liam Gallagher
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“We are changing the road map of Costa Rica.”

‘Men At Work”
From dirt ditch to a new spillway from road down to our River Cajon,
a new waterfall for us during rainy season.

Moving on past the apartments

“We are changing the road map of Costa Rica” is what one of the construction work signs says on the road in front of our apartments. Or actually “Estamos cambiando el mapa vial de Costa Rica.”

They have been repaving the road, improving the drainage ditches and other infrastructure for weeks now between us and downtown. So my sandals and shoes have sticky tar and my face wrinkles from all the smiles as I walk past the stopped cars waiting their turn through the one lane of traffic. I smile and say “Buenas!” which is the new shortened version of “Buenas Dias!”

Well, today it begin to pass our place and will soon be up the hill toward Mercedes and we will be less aware of the “changing road map!” But I really like the improvements and especially the big concreted drainage channel by the bridge to the river along side our apartments! In rainy season, a fifth waterfall for us!

There are too many cars for such a small town – the price of progress I guess – and that makes me even more glad I am walking!
Live simple and enjoy life! – My new mantra!

All photos by my cellphone. Click on the image to enlarge. 

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Eating Very Well!

View from my table at Gelly’s for lunch one day last week. 

Today I had a most wonderful (and different) Chicken Salad for lunch at El Mejor Clima del Mundo (The Best Climate in the World) Bar & Restaurant while a friend had a drink and we talked. ($6) The other day I ate with two of my Canadian friends at Bella Italiano and found a second place for a great pizza! Would you believe, there are at least 4 pizza places here, though Bella Italiano also has pasta and other foods. Sunday I ate at La Carreta for their special “Hamburguesa” that includes the works plus ham and two cheeses!  I can eat lunch for $5 to $6 easily, but sometimes splurge for more. Deserts are still my downfall! And these wonderful “Batidos” or Smoothies like guanabana, pineapple, mango, papaya, strawberry, blackberry! Always made with fresh fruit in a blender.

Not always, but most days I eat lunch out with breakfast and dinner at home. I do not cook much, but eat healthy. Breakfast is a bowl of fruit and nuts with some healthy cereal. I have many different things for dinner with Dagwood sandwich, fruit plate, and loaded omelet three of my favorites plus the homemade soup I’ve made once. I always have in my frig several fresh fruits like pineapple, papaya, some kind of melon, some kind of berries, apples, bananas and I buy bottles of pulp to make my own guanabana and mango smoothies. I’ve gotten some whole mangos that were ripe, but it is still a little early for the big harvest. I eat well!
Starting to get into a fairly regular routine, slowing down, and reading a lot! I’ve read two books on living simple, two spiritual books, started my 2nd John Grisham novel and my 3rd Chronicles of Narnia book. Yeah, I usually am reading multiple books at one time which gives me a lot more variety in life. I still don’t watch TV much just like back in TN. I do have Netflix with VPN so I can get all the stateside titles, but have only watched 2 movies so far. Birds and sunsets are more fun!
Stay healthy and be happy! Pura Vida!   -Charlie

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How I Know I’m in Costa Rica

Peacock photographed at Rescate Animal Zooave – More about it tomorrow.

ELEVEN REASONS I KNOW I’M IN COSTA RICA

  1. The first week I used the washing machine and microwave with my Spanish-English Dictionary in one hand!
  2. People write emails of concern when I go 4 days without a blog post. (And Thanks!)
  3. I use Google Translate to write out questions and directions for bus drivers and taxi drivers before I leave for a trip! And still they don’t always understand me!
  4. Then when I still get lost or have trouble finding my bus stop there is always a friendly Tico to help me out. Like today a worker from Zooave stood out front with me to make sure I got on the right bus back to Atenas – Then when the bus zoomed by without stopping, he called the cab for me since after an hour I was tired of waiting. Still don’t quite have Tico patience yet!
  5. I’m averaging about 5 miles of walking per day with much of it uphill and feeling great!
  6. Have I mentioned that everything is in Spanish and I am still in Beginner 1.1 Spanish? Unlike the tourist towns where it pays locals to know English, a farming community has no motivation to learn English. (Can you imagine a farming community in Tennessee learning Spanish because a few migrant workers live there?) So communication is still the biggest challenge!
  7. I’m eating more fresh fruit and veggies than ever in my life and feeling great!
  8. I’m in shorts and T-shirt all day every day while sleeping under a comforter with the windows open at night.
  9. I already have two visits from Nashville scheduled on my calendar and I’ve only been here 4 weeks! And I’m excited about both! Though a little nervous about the first group that includes two Nashville restaurant owners who want me to take them to one of my little farm town restaurants. But . . . I think they’ll like it!   🙂
  10. The word I hear most often from the maintenance man here is “manana.”
  11. Today a letter was slipped under my door addressed to “Senor Charles Doggett, Apartado #3.”
I gave up on my Iolo System Mechanic support for my latest malware problem and went online to Geek Squad (since my new computer came from Best Buy with the geek service – I used Live Chat since calling them even with an 800 # is an international call.). They were wonderful! The poor guys spent 3 hours on my computer but everything is back to normal again. Think I wills stay with Geek Squad! And renew after my one year free subscription expires!
I’ll catch you up some more tomorrow and hey! Life is still good!