Category: Places

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Dinner Guest

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Inside on my kitchen window screen, Roca Verde
Atenas, Costa Rica

I had Anthony over for dinner (with “to go” dinners from Chef Dan I’ll tell you about later). As we were about to sit down for dinner and TV News this little guy flew in and landed on the kitchen window. I partially opened the screen expecting him to fly out but that kind of trapped him between glass and screen. So after dinner I helped him get loose and he flew out the sliding class doors that are always open and where he flew in.

My photo gallery of BIRDS has hundreds of species of birds now.

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Rainy Season Garden

Rain Makes the Garden Grow! Thicker & More Lush!
Note that I replaced my Lantanas flowering border with red caladiums which will get fuller soon.
The other taller plants shaded the Lantanas and they require sun to thrive and bloom. New color in the shade!
The Maraca or Shampoo Ginger plant
has multiplied and grown very tall with
several blooms.
Heliconia
Across from the door I added a row of 20 of the small Heliconias with
little bright red & orange flowers that will bloom constantly
year-around when they mature. They help the “tropical look.”
One of the little Helconia up close,
like adding little jewels to my garden!

I’m always trying to improve my garden and during the rainy season is the time for new plants as the rain helps them to take root and thrive. Life in the tropics just keeps getting better!  🙂

¡PURA VIDA!

More flower photos in my FLORA & FORESTS GALLERY which is still under construction. 

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Masked Tityra Approaches My House!

But that is not as bad as it might sound! He’s not a bandit but a bird! And a nice one!

Masked Tityra
My Home Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica

Masked Tityra
My Home Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica

Maybe he is wearing a mask early for Halloween. No? This is the first I’ve seen in my garden, but I did see one at the Rio Chirripó Retreat near Chirripó National Park.

And my BIRDS PHOTO GALLERY include many more!

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Water Truck Saves the Day!

Municipal Water Truck Goes Down Every Street Every Day
when the public water system is “down”
Here it is across the street from La Carreta Restaurant.
Those palm trees are at the Central Catholic Church at the Central Park.

Our public water comes from the same source as Grecia’s over a mountain or two from Atenas. It is pumped through large water mains (big pipes) through the mountains, over rivers and deep canyons to Atenas. Sometimes the water main breaks or something stops the flow. This time, for more than week now they have supposedly been trying to fix a broken pipe that goes over a canyon on a little bridge that was broken when a huge tree fell during a thunder storm. It has become a real problem for some homes and businesses that must have water – well – all must have! And most are asking “Why is it taking so long?” One article said they are waiting on parts to arrive from overseas.

Fortunately my housing development has wells and our own water system. And we are helping the neighbors outside the development with a water tap near our gate on the main road from town. And I have let a friend living in Atenas Central who comes over to my house and takes a shower when needed. Friends help each other.

Even in developing countries we depend on water! And the water truck is like a pied piper with a crowd constantly with it. It is beginning to remind me of Africa around here! We were regularly without water in The Gambia and I always kept large bottles of water “just in case.” You adapt! 🙂

Newspaper articles today (Thursday 6 October):



It is actually more of an infrastructure problem in Costa Rica everywhere but Guanacaste, the very dry northwest portion of the country. There is plenty of water elsewhere in Costa Rica but you have to get it to the people in drinkable condition! And I write this while it is pouring down rain outside!  🙂   And I am fortunate to live where there is really good well water with our own well on property! In nearly 2 years I have never been without water here, though I was for a short time once while in the apartments. 
But even if we sometimes have water problems at least one realtor here is expecting many Americans to move here based on the November 8 election outcome! 

Well, if you are a Trump supporter, I hope you find another country to move to! I will not personally welcome you to Costa Rica!

My Costa Rica Photo Gallery:  Charlie Doggett’s COSTA RICA

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Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo

Jaguar Rescue Center is located on the south side of Puerto Viejo,
not far from my hotel in Manzanillo. No Jaguars here! It got its name
from the first animal the founder actually rescued, a baby Jaguar whose
mother had been killed and would have died otherwise.
Photo on above entrance sign is of a one-eyed monkey.

Nice Little Cafe and Gift Shop at the entrance, but
not as big or as developed as Zoo Ave in La Garita!
And you can only visit on a schedule with a tour guide, so get times ahead!
On website: Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

NOTE: I am not repeating the photos of a Northern Tamandua Anteater and a Red-eyed Tree Frog that were shot here but shown in earlier posts. Click links to see again.

Brown Pelican with a broken wing
Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

Unidentified Hawk, similar to Gray and Gray Lined,
but those are not in the Caribbean and our group was
too large for me to constantly ask the name of animals.
Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

Baby Possums whose mother was killed. They will raise and try to
introduce back into the wild.
Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

Groove-billed Ani
Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

Keel-billed Toucan

Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

Hoffman’s Two-toed Sloth

Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

Red-lored Parrot

Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

Spectacled Caiman

Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

To learn more about Jaguar Rescue Center, click link for their website where you can read the history, find out when there are tours and how you can volunteer. It is operated mostly by volunteers!

And for more of my Costa Rica photos, see my gallery: Charlie Doggett’s COSTA RICA & SCROLL DOWN

Or more specifically my BIRDS PHOTO GALLERY   or

My  OTHER WILDLIFE PHOTO GALLERY

¡Pura Vida!
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Ara Project Visit in Manzanillo

Great Green Macaw
On property of Ara Project
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Great Green Macaw
On property of Ara Project
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Great Green Macaw
On property of Ara Project
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Great Green Macaw
On property of Ara Project
Manzanillo, Costa Rica
Macaws mate for life!

 

Great Green Macaw
On property of Ara Project
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Black-mandibled Toucan
On property of Ara Project (and probably stealing Macaw food!)
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

The Endangered Species Great Green Macaw (birdlife.org) (or an easier article on Wikipedia) is listed in my Costa Rica Bird Guide as “rare” or “uncommon” in just a few spots along the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica.

The Ara Project is one of the main reasons this endangered species is returning to Costa Rica. Click the Ara link to read about what they are doing in the Manzanillo area of Costa Rica with the Endangered Great Green Macaw and the less endangered larger population of Scarlet Macaws on our Pacific Coast. Habitat loss is the problem for both species and they help by providing Macaw housing in trees along the Caribbean coast. They have a hospital for injured birds or orphaned babies, but the others are all free and wild but come back “home” in Manzanillo for socializing, food that is provided, and some still use the tree houses or even hollows in trees here because it is a community of Green Macaws.

They exist in 3 other Central American countries and 2 in South America, but endangered throughout their habitat and rare or uncommon to find with fewer than 1,000 total left on earth. So I am thrilled about getting many photos here! The guided tour is set for the same time every afternoon when they are feeding which guarantees you photos. My guide was a Bribri young man named Duaro who is so knowledgeable about the birds and their services there and also speaks very good English! His Uncle Alex was my guide the next day to see birds in the Bribri Reserve (another post coming on that).

 

 

And of course there is my BIRDS PHOTO GALLERY with 200 species from Costa Rica now!
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Manzanillo Beach

View from My Beach-side Hammock  (3-pix panorama)
Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica

 

Looking to the Left
Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica
Looking to the Right
Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica
Dangerous Currents – No Swimming!
Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica
Yeah! They had a sign in English too, but this one more interesting!  🙂

 

Maybe Dangerous, But Fun Waves for Many!
And many swim anyway and/or try to surf – “At Your Own Risk”
Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica

 

Multiple Caution Signs Protect the Hotel
And are probably required by their Insurance Co.
And “No Life Guards” is indicated at check-in
Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica
Barefoot Beach Futbol (Soccer)
Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica
And by the way, ALL BEACHES ARE PUBLIC in Costa Rica! There are no private or hotel only beaches.

 

Local Boys – Not Tourists!
Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica
Tourists Walk By, Watching the Soccer Game
Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica
American, Canadian, European, South American? All nationalities here!
Though Asian visitors seem to be mostly on the Pacific side and inland. 
And Someone Kayaks By Our Beach
Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica

 

Sundown Mist One Evening
Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica
This beach was not positioned right for the
sometimes beautiful Caribbean sunrises
Like this one at Tortuguero
and on wrong side of country for sunsets! 🙂

I am not a “Beach Person” as some people call themselves, not liking to swim in the ocean at all! But I do love to visit and walk on the many beautiful beaches here. Some friends ask me to compare the Atlantic and Pacific beaches and that is difficult.

It is almost down to specific beach compared to specific beach. In general the Caribbean (or the Atlantic beaches) are less developed with more wildness and more natural things than much of the Pacific, though the Osa Peninsula or Corcovado National Park is a big exception on the Pacific side as are some other “South Pacific” beaches. In the north or Guanacaste there are a few pretty beaches but overall I think it is over-developed and I thought the famous Tamarindo Beach was ugly and overcrowded! Jaco is pretty but also overcrowded, especially on weekends as the closest beach to San Jose. South of there at Manual Antonio National Park there are two gorgeous beaches that are very crowded, both the one in the park and the one outside the park.

I still have a lot of exploring to do before I even think about ranking beaches. Then there is the important reason or purpose! Are you a surfer, swimmer, sunbather, fisher, or photographer? Each beach is different for each purpose. And there are a lot of choices! If you believe travel articles, here is one on “The Best Beaches” by “Costa Rica Experts.”  You will not find Manzanillo listed though it is one the nicer ones I have visited and least crowded! Then here’s an article on “Costa Rica’s 6 Most Stunning Beaches” by TicoTimes, the online English language Gringo newspaper. And travel sites like TripAdvisor rank the ones that hotels and resorts pay them to rank best, so don’t believe everything commercial sites say. For example Tamarindo is promoted as one of the best, but after my visit there, it is one of my least favorite, remembering that I do not like crowds, commercialism and a lack of nature. So maybe that is why I favor the Caribbean beaches more than most people.

See also my VISTA GALLERIES for Caribbean Beaches  and  Pacific Beaches

 

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Safari Hotel – Almonds & Corals Manzanillo

My Room, a large wall tent on platform.
Almonds & Corals Hotel, Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

 

Two Four-poster Beds
Almonds & Corals Hotel, Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Aff Hammock for daytime resting
Almonds & Corals Hotel, Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Sink, toilet & Shower beyond the Hot Tub
Almonds & Corals Hotel, Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

The “Hallways” between Room, Dining, Beach
Almonds & Corals Hotel, Manzanillo, Costa Rica
Covered Outdoor Dining Room
Almonds & Corals Hotel, Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

And Short Walk to the Beach
Almonds & Corals Hotel, Manzanillo, Costa Rica
Wood Carving of a Toucan by Office
Almonds & Corals Hotel, 
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

Note that this property is right on a beautiful beach which I will show in a separate post. AND many of the photos of animals were photographed right here on the hotel property in the jungle! It is truly living in the rainforest of South Caribbean Costa Rica. The beaches and towns on the Caribbean side are smaller, less crowded, more rustic and more natural than the much more developed Pacific Coast. And less expensive! But both sides have a lot to offer! And the reason I live in Central Valley instead of either coast is that both coasts are very hot and humid year-around and more expensive. But from the Central Valley I can easily visit both coasts and live in “The best weather in the world!”  🙂

 

PURA VIDA!

 

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Other Animals at Manzanillo

Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth
Kekoldi Bribri Reserve near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
Cool! He was at eye-level right along-side the hiking path.
Closest I have ever been to one in the wild like this.

 

Central American Spider Monkey
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Mantled Howler Monkey
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Central American Agouti
Manzanillo, Costa Rica
Northern Tamandua Anteater
Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
In field outside entrance to Jaguar Rescue Center
Sand Crab
Manzanillo, Costa Rica
These guys were all along the board walk between my tent & the beach.

 

Black-mandibled Toucan
Manzanillo, Costa Rica
Flying over the Ara Project grounds
Forgot him on the birds day! 🙂

See my galleries of birds, insects and other animals + people/places in my new galleries:

Charlie Doggett’s COSTA RICA  & scroll down for the folders of gallery categories.
PURA VIDA!

TOMORROW I will show you my unique safari tent hotel in Manzanillo and the following day photos of the beautiful beach right outside my tent. And finally, three days of reports on the three institutions I visited while in the South Caribbean: The Ara Project (Green Macaws), Jaguar Rescue Center, and the Kekoldi Bribri Indigenous People Reserve.

I expect to explore the Caribbean every September which is the month this rainforest area of Costa Rica has the least amount of rain and thus less hiking in mud! (Interestingly September is the month the rest of Costa Rica has the most rain.) My favorite spot in the Caribe so far is in the north Caribbean coast, Tortuguero National Park. It is a favorite place to take guests from the states, so I will go there any time of the year and hope to make it there sometime when the turtles are laying their eggs, March-May for Leatherbacks and July-October for Green Turtles. So I will never run out of something to do in the Caribbean of any other part of Costa Rica with so many parks and places I am yet to visit! The adventures continue! What a retirement!