Category: Places

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Aloe Vera Blooming?

Aloe Vera with Bloom
My Garden, Atenas, Costa Rica

This particular aloe plant was one of only 2 or 3 plants in my garden when I moved into this house 3 years ago this April. When I planted my big garden I moved this into a big pot, first on my terrace and then here at the end of the sidewalk of my wrap-around garden, the punctuation mark if you please! First the pot was here, then it outgrew the pot and I placed it in the ground and so maybe that is why it is blooming; it likes the ground better than a pot? Or it drains better and they do prefer dry soil. Anyway, I thought this was interesting because I have had aloe plants most of my adult life in TX, TN & FL and this is the first I have seen bloom! Reminds me of a cactus bloom and it may be a type of cactus. Of course it is also important to me as part of my medicine cabinet, my source of treatment of all burns, both physical and sunburn. There is nothing better on the market! And I have another aloe plant not quite this big, plus this one is growing babies! Stop by for a baby aloe!


an interesting article in

Joy Us garden

garden. create. make the world a more beautiful place.

¡Pura Vida!



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Yellow Warbler

Yellow Warbler Migrant Male
In my Garden
Atenas, Costa Rica

Yellow Warbler Migrant Male
In my Garden
Atenas, Costa Rica

The Yellow Warbler is common here, both the migrant from the states and Canada and our own Resident Yellow Warbler with the female being identical but the resident male having a rufous or rust-colored head making him quite unique. See him on Tarcoles River at:  
Or a larger image of one made in Nicaragua at: 
Or all my Costa Rica gallery Yellow Warblers beginning with this other image from my garden and use right arrow to see about 3 or 4 other Yellow Warbler images.  
“the time of the singing of birds is come”
Song of Solomon 2:12
-o-

NATIONAL MULES FESTIVAL

When I lived in Tennessee I marveled at nearby Columbia, TN Mule Day as probably the only place in the world to celebrate the mule. Well, I just learned that Costa Rica has one too!  🙂
is every year in February in Parrita, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
I don’t plan to go, but it is interesting!
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SEP7IMO DIA – NO DESCANSARÉ – “I WON’T REST”

Cirque du Soleil
It is impossible for a cell phone on the back row to capture all the mind-blowing visuals, acrobatics, music
Just a hint here!

One outside sign seen as we were leaving.

Cirque du Soleil took a week or more to install the huge theater tent, with Porta-Potties outside.

Of course we entered through a smaller tent with plenty for sale to eat, drink, or remember your experience!

SEP7IMO DIA – NO DESCANSARÉ

SEP7IMO DIA – NO DESCANSARÉ

SEP7IMO DIA – NO DESCANSARÉ

SEP7IMO DIA – NO DESCANSARÉ

SEP7IMO DIA – NO DESCANSARÉ

SEP7IMO DIA – NO DESCANSARÉ

Like Cirque du Soleil has done in the states with Elvis, The Beatles, and Michael Jackson, they have here developed a documentary/remembrance music/acrobat show about the greatest of Latin American Rock Bands in the 80’s and 90’s, Soda Stereo in Argentina. Since most Americans and other foreigners cannot possibly understand the significance to Latin Americans, an excellent description in English is provided by Cirque du Soleil in their FASCINATION NEWSLETTER.  In short, it is about a young man who thirsts for meaning and social justice and dreams of a better world, feels trapped. When he plugs into the music of Soda Stereo, he is whisked away to an inner world and is set free. Most adult Ticos here know the significance and know the songs, singing along with the performances. Moving and powerful!

For official photos and great videos of the performance see the Cirque du Soleil Website. 
And of course I have a TRIP Photo Gallery: SEP7IMO DIA – NO DESCANSARÉ
¡Pura Vida!

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Churches in Orosi Area

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
I sought to hear the voice of God and climbed the topmost steeple, 
but God declared: “Go down again – I dwell among the people.

~John Henry Newman
See all of my Orosi Trip photos in the TRIP Gallery: 2018-February 6-10–Orosi/Tapanti

Or my gallery Churches – Costa Rica          

The above is my last post from the Orosi trip.  
And a month before the next trip!  🙂  

                                                                            -o-


I’m not a big fan of Nadine, the Happier than a Billionaire younger girl and her husband who moved here about a year before me and her making money off books about living here, but she has some interesting posts!. The above link is to her latest blog post and a “free” chapter from her next book. It is about “dawn” and includes a beautiful (if oversaturated) photo of a sunrise. Someone considering a move here might enjoy her blogs and website and even the books that are somewhat humorous tales of the couple adjusting to pura vida, changing locations, building a house, etc. 

-o-
THE TRUMP OF COSTA RICA? SAD!
It is getting harder for us Democrats to get away from Trump in Costa Rica!  🙂   The leading candidate for President here is another hateful Trump-type person, with his main platform being Anti-Gay Marriage and he is an Evangelical revival preacher! Sad! 
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! 

And yes, I hold NRA-financed Republicans responsible for the school shootings because of their continued refusal to pass basic gun controls and gladly allow a teenager to walk into a gun store and buy a military machine gun (unlike any other developed country in the world). The U.S, is the most violent and dangerous of all the developed countries in the world. No where in the world are people daily in danger of gun violence like in the states, and it continues to get worse. There are more legally owned guns in the states now than there are people! That is scary!
Nor are the immigration rules and attitudes as bad anywhere as in the states. Republicans will have a lot to answer for to God on judgement day! The U.S. is a very broken nation! Sad! Sad! Sad!

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Mirador de Orosi

View of Village of Orosi 
Mirador de Orosi, Costa Rica
View of Reventazón River 
Mirador de Orosi, Costa Rica

 

Mirador de Orosi, Costa Rica

 

Mirador de Orosi, Costa Rica

More photos of Mirador de Orosi

 
Or see all of my Orosi Trip photos in the TRIP Gallery: 2018-February 6-10–Orosi/Tapanti
 
 

¡Pura Vida!



Tomorrow afternoon (Sunday) I go to a special
Cirque du Soleil Musical Show in Alajuela

 

Read about it at https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/sep7imo-dia (with photos & videos) It will be one of the few Cirque du Soleil shows in Spanish and honors or remembers the most popular of all rock bands in Latin America, Soda Stereo of Argentina. Think of it as similar to the shows Cirque du Soleil did on Michael Jackson, The Beatles and Elvis. I saw the one honoring the Beatles and it was really good! So hope this will be too! Different and colorful anyway! That’s for sure!  🙂


-o-


And meanwhile in Atenas people are getting ready for the “Festival of Life” in March:
https://www.facebook.com/atenasfestivaloflife/
Partly to raise money for the children’s home my Nashville friends are coming to work in:

 

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Mirador de Ujarrás

My Favorite View from Mirador de Ujarrás
Ujarrás, Costa Rica

View of Orosi from Mirador de Ujarrás
Ujarrás, Costa Rica

A Large Patio with 180° + View of Valley
Ujarrás, Costa Rica

Large Parking Area for Mirador de Ujarrás Tourists!
Ujarrás, Costa Rica
Or see all of my Orosi Trip photos in the TRIP Gallery: 2018-February 6-10–Orosi/Tapanti

Tomorrow: Mirador Orosi

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

INTERESTING NEWS ARTICLES IN ENGLISH: 

No Easter Parades this Year! Presidential Voting Runoff takes Precedence.

I’m sorry because the colorful Easter celebrations is one of the things I love about the Catholic Church here.

AND SPECIFICALLY ABOUT ATENAS
Canadian Sets Example for Costa Ricans by Cleaning Community Park (& link to TV News Video) Or some of us see him as the weirdo Canadian with goatee & eyebrows dyed to match the color of his short shorts that day and he hangs out in the Atenas parks half-naked picking up trash. His friendliness with little children and his lack of clothing makes him look like a “pervert” to some of us, especially in this conservative society where most men always wear long pants. So I have mixed feelings about the positive publicity the local press gives him, but granted, he is interesting and has done this for years on his “Snowbird” winter vacations here. And hopefully his ecology message will pay off.  

Historic Shipwreck in Caribbean Must Return to Ocean because CR has no facilities to preserve it out of water. Scuba divers should like that!

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Las Ruinas de Ujarrás

Las Ruinas de Ujarrás, Orosi, Costa Rica
THE OLDEST CHURCH BUILDING IN COSTA RICA, BUILT IN 1580+
Las Ruinas de Ujarrás, Orosi, Costa Rica

Las Ruinas de Ujarrás, Orosi, Costa Rica

Las Ruinas de Ujarrás, Orosi, Costa Rica

Las Ruinas de Ujarrás, Orosi, Costa Rica

Las Ruinas de Ujarrás, Orosi, Costa Rica

Las Ruinas de Ujarrás, Orosi, Costa Rica

Las Ruinas de Ujarrás, Orosi, Costa Rica

Las Ruinas de Ujarrás, Orosi, Costa Rica

Las Ruinas de Ujarrás, Orosi, Costa Rica

Las Ruinas de Ujarrás, Orosi, Costa Rica

Las Ruinas de Ujarrás, Orosi, Costa Rica

Las Ruinas de Ujarrás, Orosi, Costa Rica

Las Ruinas de Ujarrás, Orosi, Costa Rica

Las Ruinas de Ujarrás, Orosi, Costa Rica
Las Ruinas de Ujarrás, Orosi, Costa Rica

Las Ruinas de Ujarrás, Orosi, Costa Rica
Las Ruinas de Ujarrás, Orosi, Costa Rica
This exact same set of photos in my TRIPS photo gallery:  Las Ruinas de Ujarrás
Or see all of my Orosi Trip photos in the TRIP Gallery: 2018-February 6-10–Orosi/Tapanti




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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. 


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. 

UNESCO World Heritage Site          I would love to see it, but doubt that will ever happen!

¡Pura Vida!
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Tapanti Park & Scenery

Tapanti National Park
It is one of the larger parks including most of the Mountain of Death
Tapanti National Park, Costa Rica

Rio Macho 
Tapanti National Park, Costa Rica

A Bridge we crossed before entering the park 
Tapanti National Park, Costa Rica

A Huge Exotic Forest of Color and Contrast 
Tapanti National Park, Costa Rica

Great Forest for Birding 
Tapanti National Park, Costa Rica

Ferns 
Tapanti National Park, Costa Rica

Nest of the Red-faced Spinetail Bird (see bird in my birds post yesterday)
Tapanti National Park, Costa Rica

One of several Trails We Hiked 
Tapanti National Park, Costa Rica

Green! 
Tapanti National Park, Costa Rica

Balance in Nature! 
Tapanti National Park, Costa Rica
Balance is not something you find, 
it’s something you create.
Jana Kingsford

¡Pura Vida!


This exact same set of photos in my TRIPS photo gallery:  Tapanti Park & Scenery

And related is the gallery Tapanti 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


                                                                             -o-


Sometimes I share an interesting English Language Newspaper article, but today they all look interesting!  🙂

Updates from

Costa Rica Star News

Costa Rica News

In the 02/12/2018 edition:


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Back Home Buses

Orosi Scouts in Cartago (through a dirty bus window)
These five teens are Scouts from Orosi who rode the bus with me to Cartago, for an event I imagine.
Girls and boys are all in the same Scout program here, wearing bright blue shirts & navy pants + scout neckerchiefs.
But note the two girls and one of boys have on jackets because it was in the 60’s farenheit this morning.
And yeah, that is very cold here! And they got off the bus earlier than me is why the bus window shot.
Cartago, Costa Rica

“Coca Cola” Bus Station in San Jose
It is on the site of an old Coca Cola bottling plant and thus the name.
I waited only about 10 minutes for this bus to load and no wait in Cartago!
But the bus from Cartago went to the Lumaca Station and I took a taxi to here
which was another 10 minutes!  Note the row of pay phones, a disappearing sight, even here.
San Jose, Costa Rica
Most working people in Costa Rica travel by bus rather than by car (only rich people have cars) and thus it is a good way to get to know people and culture here, not to mention the language! I used my rough Spanish a lot this week since not too many in Orosi cater to English-only North Americans. 
It has been a good week and both bus trips were good and fairly easy. My biggest learning experience on this trip was that I will try to avoid B&B’s in the future. First because I prefer to have a “built-in” restaurant and/or close to good restaurants. Second, she had 3 big dogs and 2 cats and thus almost no birds and the animals hovered a lot when I was out of my cabin, wanting my attention. Plus she did not mop the bathroom the whole 4 nights I was there and provided only one hand towel and the one knife in the kitchen was not sharp enough to cut the peeling on all the fruit she provided for my breakfasts. Not my favorite lodging in Costa Rica, but the birding and local tours were great and I have a lot of photos! The Orosi area is a beautiful and great place to explore AND bird!
¡Pura Vida!