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Research Center at Villa Blanca

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.
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Zarcero – The TOPIARIES

First of 3 posts on Zarcero: Topiaries, Church, and Town/Area

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.  😉
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Costa Rica’s Hurricane headed for New Orleans.

First, an apology for the email recipients of this blog since the Google Map did not stay embed in the yesterday post as an email, but you can see it on the blog online. I think it more clearly shows the difference in location of Costa Rica and Puerto Rica for those still not sure.

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!).

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Great Southern White

Great Southern White Butterfly or Ascia monuste en español
My Home Garden, Atenas, Costa Rica

You may be interested in my Photo Gallery of Costa Rica Butterflies & Moths  (65 species!)
“Well, I must endure the presence of a few caterpillars 
  if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies.” 
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince
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New Sidewalk Is Exciting for a Walker!

Looking West Toward Town
Atenas, Costa Rica

Looking East Toward Colegio Gym
Atenas, Costa Rica

And Down Near the Corner
It will go around corner for another
full block, then right to Colegio Liceo
Atenas, Costa Rica

Like governments everywhere, they seem slow about getting things done and of course funds are not always there. But finally I do not have to walk in the street around “Dead Man’s Curve” or a blind curve between my house and downtown Atenas. And I imagine they hope the high school kids will use it. They now flood the streets around the school before and after school, slowing car traffic. 

My favorite place is whichever sidewalk is beneath my feet because I am just constantly fascinated by walking and looking and learning.
~Danny Meyer
And you will see much of my looking and learning from walking in my photo gallery called: 

¡Pura Vida!
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Frogs at Rancho Naturalista

Blue Jeans Frog
La Mina, near Rancho Naturalista, Costa Rica

Blue Jeans Frog
La Mina, near Rancho Naturalista, Costa Rica

Probably one of the Forest Toads or Rain Frogs
Rancho Naturalista, Costa Rica

Probably one of the Forest Toads or Rain Frogs
Rancho Naturalista, Costa Rica

See my photo gallery of Costa Rica Amphibians

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English Festival Speech & Conversation Competition

First to Fourth Place Winners of Casual Conversation
Liceo de Atenas, Costa Rica
Winner of the Formal Speech Contest
Liceo de Atenas, Costa Rica

One of the students delivering her speech before us judges.
Liceo de Atenas, Costa Rica

Recognition of the Blind Student who participated in the speeches.
Liceo de Atenas, Costa Rica

Pulling Judge Charlie into the festival picture frame
Liceo de Atenas, Costa Rica

For the second day in a row this was a delightful experience with some of the nicest people I have met or worked with anywhere in the world! We had fun and though all could not win first place, all the kids were winners! And they do English better than I do Spanish! Being old is my excuse!  🙂

The teachers say they will expect me to help next year and Zaray is going to get me an invitation to judge in the regional contests. 
One of the boys in his speech talked about the diversity of nature in Costa Rica and mentioned his Dad was a bird watcher. Afterwards I gave him my business card and he gave me his dad’s facebook address where he posts bird photos:   https://www.facebook.com/arnoldo.garciaj
At the time I did not know that I had already discovered his Dad’s Facebook page and was already a “Follower.” He is one of the best nature photographers in Costa Rica. I must learn to speak Spanish to relate to guys like this! In a post on his page I referenced my Birds photo gallery, not as good as his but not bad!  🙂

https://www.facebook.com/liceodeatenas/


Photos of Liceo de Atenas on the web  (Google Image Search)

And a cool locally made video about Atenas  from local Chamber of Commerce type organization

My ATENAS photo galleries:
Vistas  (Click Roca Verde, My House and La Jacaranda)
Walking in Atenas (flowers mostly)
Atenas is quite a wonderful place to live as you will see above.  🙂
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Birds at Celeste Mountain Lodge

Golden-hooded Tanager
Celeste Mountain Lodge, Bijagua, Costa Rica

Clay-colored Thrush
Celeste Mountain Lodge, Bijagua, Costa Rica
The National Bird of Costa Rica

Great Kiskadee
Celeste Mountain Lodge, Bijagua, Costa Rica

Barred Antshrike Female
Celeste Mountain Lodge, Bijagua, Costa Rica

Kiskadee, White-ringed or Social Flycatcher
Celeste Mountain Lodge, Bijagua, Costa Rica

Blue & Gold Tanager
Celeste Mountain Lodge, Bijagua, Costa Rica

Sepia-capped Flycatcher Maybe
Celeste Mountain Lodge, Bijagua, Costa Rica

Yellow-faced Grassquit
Celeste Mountain Lodge, Bijagua, Costa Rica

Passerini’s Tanager Female
Celeste Mountain Lodge, Bijagua, Costa Rica

Passerini’s Tanager Male
Celeste Mountain Lodge, Bijagua, Costa Rica

Black-cheeked Woodpecker
Celeste Mountain Lodge, Bijagua, Costa Rica

Yellow-throated Euphonia
Celeste Mountain Lodge, Bijagua, Costa Rica

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Celeste Mountain Lodge, Bijagua, Costa Rica

I saw several other birds and a couple of others I got bad photos of, but these are the ones I’m willing to share!

Most of these are repeats for me but I’m always looking for a better photo of every bird! The new species for me here at the lodge are the Barred Antshrike Female, though I got a male in Nicaragua; the Yellow-faced Grassquit and the Sepia-capped Flycatcher.

Of course you can also see my photo gallery titled Costa Rica Birds for more!
Or for all of Central America, go to Birds
Later after this trip I will share some photos of the flowers and insects seen here plus what the lodge’s rainforest trail looked like. But birds come first.  🙂

Or you might want to see the lodge’s website for more about their services, great food, etc.
Happy International Day of Happiness!  March 20   🙂
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No computer for a week

Therefore I will go a week without making posts since I can’t post photos from my Kindle and don’t know how from phone. Then a lot of catching up with parade tomorrow and 5-day trip to Caribe Friday. Be back the 20th! When computer is suppose to be ready. ?

I will be checking email.

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Whats a VPN?

What is a VPN? It stands for Virtual Private Network and the link is to a detailed Wikipedia definition. But the short answer and why I would want one here is to “trick” the internet to thinking I am in the United States instead of Costa Rica when I surf the web, and particularly when I use my digital download subscription to Netflix. The movie producers in Hollywood (not Netflix) won’t let a movie be shown in a country unless it is licensed for that country. Most that I’m interested in are not licensed yet for Costa Rica.

So I have a subscription to My Expat Network which means I can get anything from Netflix that I could get in Tennessee. Funny thing is that I hardly use it because I’m too busy enjoying real life in this neat new country. But I will probably use it more in rainy season and it is good feeling to “be connected.” There are other reasons like security and limiting some marketing efforts over the internet, but Netflix was my main reason to get a VPN.

I get same movie titles available in the states with a VPN internet connection.
Including a lot of junk! But I have more choices this way. 

UPDATE: VPN No Longer Works Here for Me!

Netflix somehow detected I was using one and knocked me down to their fewer titles Costa Rica version. At first I just canceled them, then decided it was still better than paying for TV channels here which I no longer subscribe to. And rarely watch Netflix now, though I like some of their nature documentaries.

And here’s a video someone asked me to add here:

¡Pura Vida!