Category: Uncategorized

Shot on cell phone from my terrace. Atenas, Costa Rica

Shot from behind my landlord’s house on cell phone. Fired headed our way – lots of smoke! Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica

Will go back after dark and hope I still have a house!

First ever post by my phone.

Official Photo with water returning. Poas Volcano, Costa Rica

My 2015 Photo of Active Volcano I think the same place as their photo OR is the lake they are talking about the one below? Poas Volcano, Costa Rica

My 2015 Photo of the inactive crater, a blue-green Lake Botos but I think they are talking about the active cone, don’t know if this one went dry too. Poas Volcano, Costa Rica

It is a positive sign that the lake is starting to reappear which I hope means the park will be opening again soon. Read the article at:
https://news.co.cr/lake-poas-volcano-costa-rica-reappears-rainfall/69998/

Another “official” photo of Poas erupting August 24, 2017 One of several eruptions, mostly gas and soot but not lava like some. It has been closed for more than 9 months now and no longer active. Poas Volcano, Costa Rica

Me at Poas.2015

Poas Volcano on Wikipedia

Research Center For possibly humorous reasons, named “El Cohombro,” the cucumber.  Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Resort & Nature Center  San Ramon, Costa Rica

Research Center   Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Resort & Nature Center   San Ramon, Costa Rica

Research Center   Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Resort & Nature Center   San Ramon, Costa Rica

Guide & Researcher at Research Center   Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Resort & Nature Center   San Ramon, Costa Rica

One of Many Trails in the Reserve   Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Resort & Nature Center   San Ramon, Costa Rica

Research Center Helps Maintain Educational Trails  Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Resort & Nature Center   San Ramon, Costa Rica

National Geographic has done research here and they show some of their films made here. And of course many universities use the research facilities for research in the cloud forest here. Interesting!

My trip gallery: 2017 Villa Blanca

My reviews of other Costa Rica Lodges & Hotels  if exploring this fun country. Note that at Drake Bay I stayed at the sister hotel of Villa Blanca, Aguila de Osa – both are Greentique Hotels.

The Central Park in this little town is made up of mostly topiaries created over many years. Here is a double row of arches leading to the main church in Zarcero (see tomorrow’s post). Zarcero, Costa Rica

Dinosaur   Zarcero, Costa Rica

Bust of Alberto Lizano Hernández   “. . . for your altruism, nobility of your heart and humanitarian spirit “.  Zarcero, Costa Rica

Elephant   Showing park literally in the center of town.  Zarcero, Costa Rica

Faces   Zarcero, Costa Rica

Boyero with 2 Oxen   Zarcero, Costa Rica

Bird   Zarcero, Costa Rica

Modern Art Head?   Zarcero, Costa Rica

This sculpture large enough to walk under.    Zarcero, Costa Rica

You Tell Me?!  Bull fighter?    Zarcero, Costa Rica

Shapes Reflecting the Surrounding Mountains   Zarcero, Costa Rica

The Arches Looking Away from the Church   Zarcero, Costa Rica

Chicken?   Zarcero, Costa Rica

Welcome to the Park!    Zarcero, Costa Rica

Two Guys Greeting? Playing a Game?     Zarcero, Costa Rica

To be honest, I was not overly impressed by Zarcero, but glad I finally made a visit. Tomorrow I share photos of the church which inside is especially beautiful, and then the next day the town/area like an alpine village. The surrounding hills and farms are more beautiful than the village but hard to photograph from the winding mountain roads.

I’m also starting my “Trip Gallery” now on my gallery site: 12 October – Zarcero

-o-

The Latest Language/Technology Challenge

I made this visit to Zarcero by bus Thursday, but when I got home to do this post I had no internet. Cable Tica has a limited number of technicians who can speak English and I never got one after many calls over 3 days and finally Saturday morning stumbled through my plea for help in español. She was never able to get it to work through my Wifi router, so we bypassed it for direct internet into the computer. I have a tech scheduled from my favorite computer store for my house on Tuesday to bring a new router (ditching my old one from BestBuy in TN) and starting all over with a new home Wifi. Modern technology is so wonderful when everything works correctly, but frustrating when not! Plus my language problem (I learn too slow!) made it even more difficult to get help for more than a day. But, as usual, it all worked out in time and with the help of a friendly tech who put up with my baby spanish to communicate our way through limited success! And by Tuesday I will be back in the Wifi world! 

¡Pura Vida!


-o-

And a Sunday Ballet . . . 

Tomorrow I travel to San Jose on a van with a small group of gringos to see a Cuban Ballet performance of “Swan Lake.” I will hold my report for two more days or after the Zarcero posts are finished. It is a part of the “Cuban Culture Festival” this week and is starred by students from the Cuban National School of Ballet Fernando Alonso (largest in the world) and the Costa Rica Ballet. There’s nothing like a little culture in the tropical jungles of Central America!  🙂  But swans are birds, so I guess I’m still bird-watching.  😉

The rain just won’t stop!

Now about our constant rain in Costa Rica through the weekend with flash flooding and mild winds. It started off the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica near Tortuguero, one of my fave places to visit, as a tropical depression. As it built up speed it slowly moved north hitting our neighbors Nicaragua first, then Honduras with much more wind than we have and more rain, constant rain, which means lots of flash flooding. It is up there now, maybe at Honduras, gaining speed and strength to become Hurricane Nate by the time it hits Cancun, Mexico. Then it continues to strengthen over the weekend, heading directly for New Orleans by Sunday, but of course can affect Texas to the Florida Panhandle.

The weather people say it may stay just a Category 1 or 2 hurricane which is not as bad as the more recent hurricanes. But this is unusual to have one start as a tropical depression off the coast of Costa Rica! First to my knowledge. Since the 1800’s we have simply not had hurricanes here. Climate change is real!

Here’s a cool video on Weather.com about the hurricane that started in Costa Rica, headed to New Orleans.

Here’s NPR’s tracking of Nate. 

And a good video showing some of the lowland flooding in Costa Rica  Click the Video Arrow on image to see one of our San Jose TV station’s (7) video of flooding in Cartago, south San Jose, and parts of Guanacaste.

HOW IT IS EFFECTING ATENAS (where I live)
Atenas is a mountain town and I live on a hill overlooking other hills, so we don’t get the lowland flash flooding, though some of our streets have some flash flooding and maybe the yards of some lower level houses.

It has been raining a lot all week, but starting yesterday morning (Wed) the heavier rain and winds started from Nate and have not stopped day and night! It is still raining and predicted to through the weekend. My power went out around midnight last night and was not repaired until about 11 this morning. Other than that, I’m fine and just staying in out of the rain. I plan to visit some more nearby interesting towns like I did Palmares the other day, but not until after the rain slows down!  🙂  Next week will probably be a more normal rainy season week with afternoon showers (I hope!).