Tag: 2017

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Tambor Tropical Friday to Wednesday

Tambor Bay, Nicoya Peninsula, Pacific Coast
Where I will be for 5 nights this Christmas, 22-27 Dec.
Tambor Tropical Resort
A small boutique luxury hotel on beach of the calmer water bay of the Pacific Ocean
on southern end of the Nicoya Peninsula (Guanacaste) west of Puntarenas.
Catering to birders, nature lovers, adventurers and yoga people.
Tambor Bay, Costa rica
Not only is the hotel on the beach, but adjacent to a river with multiple birding/hiking trails.
This is my kind of place! I can hardly wait to get there! Birding guides to 2 reserves plus
maybe a boat trip to Tortuga Island along with the ever-present river tails above! And beach!
Plus most reviews rank the food and other services very high. A great vacation!
Tambor Bay, Costa Rica
Birding tours and bird photography tours they advertise on their site have package trips here for 3  to 4 k. (Paying for 2 or 3 leader’s ways usually) I will have pretty much the same experience with my own private guide for a small fraction of that cost. And more time to relax and enjoy the beach and resort. 5 nights will make it a perfect trip!
And so you may think it is weird to go birding Christmas (like I did last Christmas) well, here is a cell phone snapshot of my living room Christmas Tree, a leafless tree limb loaded with artisan birds from all over Latin America and a backdrop of bird photos. It’s a perfect Christmas for me! And another cool way to spend my son’s inheritance!  🙂   Enjoying Retirement in Costa Rica!

 

Bird Christmas Tree  (Click for close-ups of some of the birds.)
The leafless tree in the corner is sprayed with gold paint and has hanging on it 33 hand-made art birds from
every country in Central America made of wood, cloth, pottery, beads, gourds, etc.
I like it so much I have kept it up since last Christmas and probably will again all this year.
Charlie’s Living Room
Atenas, Costa Rica

I expect to give daily reports of my adventures at Tambor Tropical on this blog, so keep reading for my idea of a Merry Christmas and Feliz Navidad! Birding in Costa Rica!   🙂

My trip gallery for this trip: 2017 Christmas Week Tambor Bay 

And the hotel website:  Tambor Tropical Resort

-o-
 



Expats in Costa Rica most often feel safer than in the U.S.  Article in Live in Costa Rica Blog

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Small Town Commercial Christmas Decorations

Nativity in Central Market Courtyard
 Atenas, Costa Rica

City Hall Christmas Tree
 Not one in park this year like in past.
 Atenas, Costa Rica

Small Local Clothing Store  
 Atenas, Costa Rica

Largest Supermarket  
 Atenas, Costa Rica   

In Parking Lot of Largest Supermarket
Atenas, Costa Rica

Many Small Shops have Scooters & Bikes Lined up out front!
 Atenas, Costa Rica

And for this shoe store, a sign was enough for them!
 Atenas, Costa Rica

This Chain Bakery a sign and some inside garland.
 Atenas, Costa Rica

A favorite Gift & Office Supply Store has this tree + garlands
 Atenas, Costa Rica

This Soda settled for ceiling garlands. 
And a Gift Shop with an English sign! Oh no! Gringos?
 Atenas, Costa Rica

For these and other Christmas photos, see my gallery: Christmas in Atenas 2017

And I think the big catholic church waits until Christmas Eve to set up usually 2 nativities, one inside and one outside. Neither are up yet! And baby Jesus doesn’t go in manger until Christmas Day!  🙂  I will miss it this year since I’m gone during Christmas week. More on that tomorrow. 

In case you missed the Alajuela Public Tree posted earlier and

Two of the Alajuela City Mall Christmas Trees also posted earlier.

Or the disgustingly early BEFORE HALLOWEEN Walmart Christmas Decorations also in Alajuela.

CHRISTMAS IS BIG HERE! Many businesses will be closed the week between Christmas and New Years and I will have no maid or gardener that week. Home with families!


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Earthquake Here Last Night

Image result for Nov 11, 2017 Earthquake Costa Rica maps, photos
The epicenter of a 6.5 Earthquake was about 40-50 miles southwest of where I live in Atenas.
The house shook violently for about 30 seconds around 8:30 pm and then an aftershock a minute or so later.
Only damage for me was pictures hanging on wall are crooked now.  🙂
In Jaco grocery store shelves were emptied.

READ ABOUT IT IN:

EarthquakeTrack.com

Costa Rica Star English Online News

Earthquake Facebook Page

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Atenas Easter Processional

The Altar Boys & Girls Lead from the Church
Atenas, Costa Rica

The Band is already in the street. They join parade behind Jesus statue.
Atenas, Costa Rica

Men in Biblical Costumes
Atenas, Costa Rica

Atenas, Costa Rica

Atenas, Costa Rica

Real flower petals prepare the way.
Atenas, Costa Rica

New Priest flanked by Little Angels
Atenas, Costa Rica

The Risen Christ  
Atenas, Costa Rica

Atenas, Costa Rica

Atenas, Costa Rica

Atenas, Costa Rica

Some of the congregation join in the procession
that circles Central Atenas, about 8 blocks back to church
Atenas, Costa Rica

Photo Gallery of these same above photos, Easter Processional 2017 

This year it was held at end of the 4:00 PM Mass, meaning around 5:30 as it is starting to get dark and threatened rain this time. The last time I watched it was two years ago after the 9 AM Mass. And last year I was in Nicaragua and observed two Easter Week processionals that were really different. Here are links to those posts:

Easter Week 2016 in Nicaragua: First Night (1 photo) and Second Night (1 photo)