Costa Rican Turtles: Trials and Tributes

Well, I am quite delinquent in my posting schedule, with more than a week having gone by without a report here. But it’s hard to write when one is dealing with sad personal issues. For me that included the tragic news that a dear family member is facing terminal cancer and is now counting her weeks here on earth. She has good friends and family to help her and is still enjoying some of her favorite things but hers is a poor prognosis. My heart is heavy indeed when I think of losing her.

About the same time, I began facing a tough decision of my own: It may be time to put my elderly Morgan horse down. His aches and pains are much worse during the California winter when the cold wind, rain and sometimes snow add to his discomfort. In spite of all the expensive medicines he takes and the good care he receives in his retirement home, the truth is he is not as mobile as such a magnificent creature deserves to be. For an animal whose joy in life depends on mobility, it is unkind to keep him alive, only able to walk slowly, not trot or gallop around the pasture on strong legs. So I’m heading to California soon to make that hard decision in person. He deserves no less from me after all the wonderful miles we’ve shared and the more than 23 years he’s been a part of my life.

So forgive me if I’m less than my typical upbeat self. It’s a sad season in spite of the sunshine and the holiday cheer all around here.

But we have had some fun times, including the Atenas Art Show and Auction on December 4^th and 5^th. Part of the profits from sales of the artwork were to benefit a local Tortuga Leatherback conservation program, an important effort here in Costa Rica as development has intruded on turtle nesting areas and poachers and predators cut into the survival rate of newborns. Estacion Las Tortugas is located on an undeveloped stretch of the Caribbean Coast. There, under the guidance of founder Stanley Rodriguez, staff and volunteers work to prevent the extinction of these magnificent creatures, the largest reptiles remaining on earth. Scientists predict the species could be extinct in less than three decades if poaching, long-line fishing, development and pollution continue unabated. A local artist and art teacher, Mary Parks, had created a striking picture featuring an underwater scene with a large Leatherback in the center, which was to be auctioned off with proceeds to go to Estacion Las Tortugas.

Included on the event schedule was an artists’ reception for Saturday evening, featuring the wines of our favorite importer Shannon, whose delicious Argentinean products were offered at our own little wine-tasting event a few weeks ago. Layne and I had wanted to find some traditional-style Costa Rican art to liven up the décor in our apartment so the reception seemed like the perfect opportunity to shop for local art, enjoy some wine and cheese and do our part to help the Tortuga program.

Our beautiful painting, entitled "Atardecer" or "Sunset"

And we were not disappointed. Not only were there dozens of attractive watercolors, oils, sculptures, photographs, lampshades and garden art by local artists, many of them students of Ms. Parks, but also we met a local young artist whose vibrant colorful scenes of Costa Rican life were exactly what we had been hoping to find. And since Layne’s birthday was coming up the following Friday, we invested in a painting that adds so much to our home.

 "Casa Frente al Lago" or "House in Front of the Lake"  

Darwin and Kat

Only 19-years-old, with the unlikely name of Darwin Romero, this young artist should have a bright future. His work features the exotic wildlife and flora of Costa Rica, from macaws, parrots and chickens to orchids and coffee fields. The brushwork is meticulous in detail, stunning in deep rich colors and innovative in the use of local materials. Our upstairs neighbor Linda bought a large painting in which Darwin had utilized sand, coffee beans and even eggshells to create a three-dimensional effect. Just stunning! Darwin’s older brother Jose, who spoke good English and served as salesman for the collection, said the young man had only been painting for five years. If he enjoyed good sales at this event, proving he could make money with his art, Jose he felt that their mother would allow Darwin to attend an art school in San Jose. We hope our purchases encourage her to permit him to study art and we certainly wish him the best of luck!

(For larger images, click on the photo.)

A Few of Our Favorite Things -- in English!

When will I learn? Always, always carry the camera! Yesterday when Layne and I headed out for our walk, I realized I had forgotten to bring my Panasonic but it was a little too far to go back and since we’d walked that way several times before, I figured that it was unlikely we would see any new sights. And for most of the walk, that was true. But we needed eggs so we continued on a block beyond our street to the little neighborhood pulperia (small grocery store). As we were paying for our items, a group of school children queued up behind us, giggling as kids will do. When I smiled and greeted them with “Hola,” the five girls of eight or nine years old and one younger boy responded with shy “Hello’s” in English. They exited the store while we were rearranging our bags but when the Tica store clerk called out something to them in Spanish, apparently reminding them of their manners, they all turned back to say a polite “Goodbye” to us. Then as we followed them out, they struck up a conversation with us, obviously proud of their language skills and anxious to impress us Gringos.

“What is your name,” the friendliest and most confident little girl asked. We all shared names. Then it was, “What is your favorite color?” “What is your favorite subject?” “Your favorite animal?” They were quite exuberant in their questioning, the girls laughing, poking each other and answering all the questions in English, pushing the small boy to join in. They told us they were learning English in school, which they pointed out as the Catholic School across from the pulperia, and claimed to really like their teachers. When I said, “Vivimos en Calle Capre Verde,” explaining that we live on Capre Verde Street, the apparent leader of the group looked surprised and merrily said they did too. So we all strolled down our dirt road, continuing to converse in our two diverse languages. I think we have some new friends! If only I had had my camera, you could have seen what a charming and attractive group they were. Perhapsnext time.

But I have had my camera on duty recently learning to use the video function. We have a large resident lizard that comes to sun on our front steps occasionally, eyeing me suspiciously when I step too close. Here’s a short video clip of his antics on the rock wall along our parking space.

OK, it didn't work. I'll keep working on it. Bummer!

On yesterday’s walk, I spied a rather sizable cactus frond growing in the mossy ditch beside the road. It was just one of those determined plants that had sprouted from a fallen chunk shed from a larger cactus, possibly even pushed down the ditch by the recent hard rains from somewhere up the road. As Layne shook his head at my resolve, I managed to extract it from the muck and carry it home with nary a sticker prick. Now it’s happily planted alongside my robust vegetable collection, which is soon to be transplanted into our “community garden” up the hill behind our landlord’s house.

I also captured some images of a recent double rainbow, which stretched all across our eastern sky late in the afternoon following a heavy rain and during a still light misting of precipitation. It was amazing! These shots don’t really do it justice but at least you can get some idea just how grand it was.

And finally, here is a collection of butterflies and flowers - just a small sampling of the incredible array of flora and fauna in this beautiful country. Pura Vida!

A Gringo Thanksgiving in Costa Rica

What a week! Starting with a wine tasting party, followed by two major shopping trips into San Jose and Santa Ana in preparation for overnight guests and the big Thanksgiving meal, then a second dinner party on Friday night, the departure of our company and a day of extensive cleanup yesterday. Whew! What happened to that tranquilo life we so enjoy?

Our upstairs neighbor Linda and I had been planning the wine tasting for several weeks, timing it for when her friend Barb was still here. Back in California Barb is a “wine educator,” teaching winery visitors which foods to serve with which wines. Linda herself worked in a winery in the Napa Valley, which is how the two met some years ago. In addition, Linda’s son is a vintner in Napa so these women bring a wealth of experience and knowledge when it comes to good wines.

Linda, Shannon and Yours Truly 

Linda and I had become acquainted with wine importer Shannon and her partner Keith at the food festival back in early October, where they had offered samples of their Argentinean wines. It was there we learned that if we provided the hors d’oeuvres and invited about a dozen people, they would bring wines for our guests to taste, in the hope, of course, that they might sell some of their product. After hours of deliberation, the food choices were made, with me preparing Caesar Dip with Crudités, organic goat cheese with basil on French bread and mildly spiced chipotle chicken cubes. Linda contributed ginger-soy grilled tuna and a fabulous chocolate cake while Barb came up with a delicious roasted red pepper Focaccia pizza. It sounds like a lot of food but it was all in bite-size pieces to go with each of the lovely wines that Shannon had brought. With a full moon shining across the swimming pool and our friends nibbling, drinking and socializing in the rancho, the event was a festive success. The hardest part was limiting our guest list to only 12 people; it’s amazing how many friends we have made in our short time here in Atenas.

One of those new friends is Jeannette, whom we met through our landlady Odie. A Canadian, Jeannette first met Odie and Eduardo just as we have: as a tenant. She rented an apartment from them when they still lived in San Jose and later bought the house she lives in here in Atenas from them. With company coming to spend a night, Layne and I were getting desperate to locate a few items for their comfort. In particular, we needed a Shoji screen to create a passageway through our bedroom to the one bathroom at night. None of the stores in Atenas had such a product but Jeannette thought that she knew of one in San Jose that might. We also needed twin size sheets for the foam pads, which would serve as our guest beds on the living room floor, and I had been hankering for a few kitchen items. So on Monday off we went in Jeannette’s car to Yamoni, a large upscale department store in San Jose, where we found the perfect screen at a bargain price. The screen barely fit into Jeannette’s small Chevy Tracker, but by leaning it over my head forcing me to hunker down in the front seat, we managed, then headed to PriceSmart for the rest of our shopping. PriceSmart is a Costco-type membership store which features bulk items in a warehouse environment. Layne and I bought a $30 membership so we can benefit from the good prices on things like paper towels, laundry detergent, olive oil and such. We squeezed all the bags in the back of the car but decided there was no room for any further shopping that day. On Wednesday, however, we once again drove with Jeannette to AutoMercado, a large grocery store for the last of our holiday supplies.

The new Shoji screen

Of course, Thanksgiving is not a tradition here in Costa Rica. Ticos have no history of Native Americans and Pilgrims sharing a meal, or of roasted turkey with all the trimmings and pumpkin pie. In fact, Layne and I were worried that we would be unable to even find a turkey locally but with the large expat population here in Atenas, some stores cater to the Gringo community by offering imported turkeys and other ingredients needed for the holiday. Americans who live here seem to find ways to celebrate our holidays even as we enjoy immersing ourselves in Costa Rican culture. 

Still, cooking for Thanksgiving was a challenge for me, spoiled as I have been to a great kitchen, big chopping block, free-range fresh turkey and all the organic foods I wanted back in California. Here we had to settle for a frozen Butterball turkey and I had to make do in the tight confines of my small kitchen, even mixing my own poultry seasoning from individual herbs. But it worked. Our friends Kate and Gilberto drove over from their mountain village La Estrella, and Jeannette and Linda joined us for a grand dinner served on our back patio, with our dining table and patio table pushed together to seat the six of us. Our charming landlady Odie also stopped by for a glass of wine and a few hors d’oeuvres before dinner. We apparently had such a good time, we all forgot to take pictures!

On Friday, Kate and Gilberto and Layne and I relaxed for some hours up by the pool, swimming then sunbathing with a good book. Gilberto pulled out his dominoes and challenged Layne to a match. Those two play cutthroat, as the occasional yells of dismay from the rancho confirmed, but eventually Gilberto triumphed over his Gringo opponent. 

That evening, I found myself preparing for still another dinner party as we had promised Gilberto a taste of the excellent bacon-wrapped filet mignons we buy at PriceSmart, cooked on the grill in the rancho. Since Gilberto speaks little English, we wanted him to have an opportunity to meet Eduardo, our Tico landlord, who also has limited English, so we invited Odie and Eduardo to meet us by the pool for dinner. Then it turned out Linda could also join us and offered to prepare some potatoes to grill. At one point, we even thought Odie and Eduardo’s son Estevan would be coming as well. As the guest list began to grow, my stress level began to rise, as I hastily added items to the menu and hurried to fix a salad. But it all came together in a pleasant evening of good food, good conversation and lots of laughter. It was a welcome return to Pura Vida! 

Jaco Highway Blowout!

How to change a bus tire!

We seem to be learning about the bus system here in Costa Rica the hard way, through trial and error or occasionally accident and blowout. Trial and error is when you take what you thought was the San Jose bus from Atenas, only to find yourself heading into Alajuela. That happened a week ago when Layne and I were going into the city to see my dentist and to have my new computer glasses adjusted. Instead of making the turn onto the Panamerican Highway, which leads directly into San Jose, we kept going straight toward the city of Alajuela. Since we had an appointment with my dentist and the shuttle driver was due to pick us up at a particular bus stop, Layne and I looked at each other in dismay, wondering if we had boarded the wrong bus and might be late for our ride. But no, as we soon learned from another rider, the 11:00 a.m. San Jose bus is the only one that makes such an unexpected swing through Alajuela. Live and learn! Fortunately, we made it on time for our shuttle, with a few minutes to spare.

        

Yesterday, the excitement was even more dramatic. Along with our upstairs neighbor Linda and her friend Barb, who is visiting from California, we had gotten up early to catch the 7:30 a.m. Jaco bus for a day at the beach. As we headed up the hill out of Atenas, suddenly there was a huge bang from beneath the rear of the bus and once again, Layne and I turned to each other with an “uh-oh” look in our eyes. Blowout! But with double axles all around, there was no detectable swerve, just a gentle slowing down as the driver realized what had happened and began to pull over. He exited the vehicle, followed by several helpful (or curious) Ticos, and soon we heard the clatter of tools being hauled out and the noise of men getting to work. Linda, Barb and I got out to watch the action and take a few pictures and found that the Quepos bus had stopped behind us and that driver was now helping to change the tire. Fortunately, it was an exterior tire but unfortunately, the lug nuts were on tight. It took some time but with a “cheater” length of pipe for extra leverage and a couple of beefy Ticos giving it their all, we were soon back on the road. Of course, a blowout was nothing compared to the minor crash we lived through last spring. (See blog report for April 14, 2010) So we just roll our eyes at the occasional vehicular adventures and keep counting the money and stress we save by not having a car.

        

Our day in Jaco was a blast! After arriving at the bus station on the main drag of Jaco shortly before 10:00 a.m., having met with no further incidents, we bought our return tickets, then set off by taxi for breakfast at our favorite beachfront hotel, the Hotel Cocal and Casino. Layne and I have stayed there several times and always enjoy the grassy lounge area shaded by tall palms overlooking the ocean as well as the poolside bar with the petite bartender Claudia serving us afternoon cocktails. As we settled in for breakfast, Linda and Barb were delighted with the picturesque ocean view from the dining area. Our charming waitress Katiana was attentive and friendly, practicing her English on us as we returned the favor in our broken Spanish. Linda ordered Huevos Rancheros, Barb opted for Banana Pancakes while Layne and I chose the “Typical” Tico Breakfast of eggs, cheese and Gallo Pinto. Linda couldn’t resist an order of the Jalapeno Poppers to share with us all, but she soon found that her Huevos were hot enough to satisfy her “picante” tastes. The cafe con leche was deliciously strong and our cups were refilled with alacrity.

The Hotel Cocal has an interesting history, having been one of the first oceanside inns in Jaco, built long before the more recent influx of tourist-oriented hotels and surfing shops and knick-knack stores. So far I haven’t managed to fit in an interview with the hotel manager to learn more of that history but when I do, I’ll certainly share the information with you readers.

With the day still young, we headed out to the main street for a little shopping: some souvenirs for Barb, holiday gifts for her family for Linda and a pareu swimsuit cover-up for me at a cost of less than $6. Back to the hotel for a couple of hours relaxing in the shade of the palm trees and watching the surfers try to catch a wave. Our “thirst” soon demanded attention and refreshing cocktails were not far behind. Claudia makes a mean Mojito!

As we enjoyed the afternoon, vendors offering cigars and horseback rides and ceramic vases wandered by and soon a smiling young woman named Joanne stopped with some stunning handmade jewelry. Unable to resist at least a look, we three women joined her at the fence and were soon seduced by the gorgeous amethyst and turquoise, coral and pearl that she presented and claimed to have made herself. I opted for a spectacular turquoise piece, featuring a large oval pendant. Soon after, an older woman came by with similar offerings, which made us question the originality of the ones we had bought. But it turned out, upon questioning her, that Joanne was her niece and that, indeed, the family members had made the jewelry. I completed my ensemble with matching turquoise drop earrings from Joanne’s aunt, the entire set costing only $26.

But the grand finale to our day was an outrageous seafood feast at a sidewalk restaurant called, of all things, Pancho Villa. Unsure where to have dinner before our late afternoon bus ride home, we wandered along the main street, reading menus posted outside the restaurants. At Pancho Villa, a courteous maitre ‘d approached us pointing to a 2-person seafood platter on his menu, assuring us that he could make it for four and that we would love it. He was so right! What an incredible platter of delicious seafood we enjoyed, from a large lobster tail for each of us to mahi-mahi, jumbo prawns, calamari, clams, langoustines alongside mashed potatoes and perfectly steamed vegetables plus a delicious salad. We even had a wandering minstrel serenade us. The price? Less than nine thousand colones, or about $18 per person. Pancho Villa’s was a winner and is definitely on our list for a return trip. As you can see, we all wore our new jewelry to dinner! 

(Remember, you can click on photos to enlarge.)

Make Dance, Not War!

It’s Veterans’ Day there in the U.S. of A., and I understand Wall Street is open for business. Says a lot about how much the capitalists think of our troops, doesn’t it? “Just keep America safe … for our profits,” I suppose would be their motto.

Here in Costa Rica, my thoughts are on the men and women in uniform all around the world, visualizing their safe return to their families and an end to all the conflicts, and I’m remembering my father who fought in World War II with the Navy Seabees. As much of a pacifist as I consider myself to be, I was reminded this morning of the importance of Costa Rica’s friendship with the armed nations of the hemisphere when I saw headlines stating: “U.S. Willing To Help In Costa Rica - Nicaragua Dispute If Asked” and “Canada Offers Costa Rica Military Aid.”  It seems that the disagreement with Nicaragua over just where the international border between the two nations lies is not yet over. Nicaragua is accusing Costa Rica of “expansionist pretensions,” while Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla calls the San Juan River dredging by Nicaragua “the invasion of one nation [by] another.”

Apparently, the river has changed its course over the decades since the Cañas-Jerez  treaty of 1858  established the meandering waterway as the official dividing line between the two nations. In that agreement, Costa Rica’s northern boundary was identified as the southern bank of the river, with Nicaragua owning the river itself but granting Costa Rica unrestricted use of the waterway. An area known in Costa Rica as Isla Calero, but as Isla Portillo in Nicaragua, is now the contested part of a vast network of lagoons and water channels that makes up the eastern mouth of the San Juan where it empties into the Atlantic. And in an almost comical twist to the tale, Costa Rican media is blaming Google Maps for the confusion because it shows Isla Calero as being in Nicaraguan territory. Although Nicaragua denies that it relied on the maps, Google officials are scrambling to correct what they say was an “inaccuracy” in their online service. (Image courtesy of Search Engine Land.) 

In an effort at peace-making, the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) has recommended that all armed forces leave the disputed area on the Rio San Juan and that the two countries cooperate to clarify and demarcate the boundary. So far, Nicaragua has refused to remove its troops, arguing that they are on their own national soil, not trespassing on Costa Rican land. In fact, on Wednesday afternoon, the entire Nicaraguan National Assembly, which is ordinarily divided and squabbling along partisan lines, held a special legislative session in a local gym on the banks of the San Juan to send a unified message of defiance to Costa Rica and the OAS. But this is not the first time these two countries have argued about borders and it likely won’t be the last. Evidently, Nicaragua holds an historical grudge for Costa Rica’s annexation of the northern province of Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula 186 years ago, following a democratic vote by residents there to join the nation to the south instead of Nicaragua to the north. Time to get over it, boys!

Meanwhile, life here in Atenas, many miles away from Rio San Juan, seems unaffected by the quarrel. We are yet to hear any of our Tico friends discuss the situation and the regular Friday feria or farmers’ market has been busy as always. Unfortunately, the organic feria has been suspended indefinitely because the recent heavy rains ruined much of the crops and transportation problems related to washed out roads has prevented deliveries. But the children’s dance festival was held last weekend as scheduled and it was a festive affair indeed, with homemade food dishes and desserts for sale and cars parked in every available space near the Catholic Church community center.

Billed as “Una Hora Para Bailar” or An Hour For Dance, it was put on by Su Espacio (Your Space), an activity center and dance studio that offers ballet classes, English and Spanish classes, Pilates and aerobics, volunteer services and more. An annual event under the direction of Su Espacio owner Tina, the festival has been in the works for weeks. In fact, for a few of those weeks, I served as a volunteer dance instructor in the children’s ballet classes and watched as they perfected their routines for the event.

As usual for community affairs here in Atenas, the turnout was large and enthusiastic. Many local schools were represented, each putting forth costumed dancers to fill the stage with color and energetic movement. Cheering clusters of kids in the audience made it clear which team they supported and parents and grandparents beamed their pride. For about $3 per person, Layne and I enjoyed an evening of youthful dance in a lively atmosphere that truly captured the spirit of Pura Vida!

A Sad and Soggy Weather Report

You’ve heard of “Trial by Fire”? Well, this week has been “Trial by Flood” for Costa Rica as the nation has endured an incredible and seemingly endless deluge, partly due to the effect of Tropical Storm Tomas. The rains have literally poured down over most of the country and Atenas was no exception. Fortunately, our town has been spared the worst of the storm’s fury, which triggered deadly mudslides in the San Antonio de Escazu area, on the southwest side of the capital city of San Jose. 

[Photo courtesy of TicoTimes.net] 

There, according to news reports, at least 20 persons are dead, including several children, and as many as 30 more are missing in a series of devastating landslides that sent mud and rocks into homes below the Pico Blanco hillside in the middle of the night. Now schools are closed all around the country and roads and bridges are washed out, leaving many communities stranded and in need of supplies.

In Quepos, along the central Pacific coast, the hospital is inaccessible and now is having water supply problems. The asphalt highway, which connects Quepos and the popular Parque Nacional Manual Antonio has been undercut by the floodwaters and is impassable, requiring repairs that will take many days. [photo courtesy of A.M.CostaRica.com]

The entire country is under a “red” alert and President Laura Chinchilla has declared a national emergency. According to news reports, there are 27 emergency shelters in operation, including one here in Atenas, housing up to 1400 people and many residents report homes still full of mud and floodwaters. Even our erstwhile friends, the Nicaraguans, have offered to provide assistance to their neighbors to the south, despite the fact that the San Juan River dispute continues on with the Organization of American States now involved. (See my post on the quarrel with Nicaragua here.)

And this is November already, which usually marks the start of the dry season! No wonder Ticos are almost universally convinced of the growing impact of global warming. They can see first-hand the destructive results of climate change. According to the Costa-Rica-Guide website, Atenas averages a total of only 5-6” of rain in November but, in fact, we had over 6” in just one night this week. A.M. Costa Rica newspaper, quoting a reader, said a location on the central Pacific coast had logged 32.7 inches through 6 a.m. on Thursday. And it’s more now because the rains have continued through today. We trust the downpour will taper off shortly and we sincerely hope those affected by the storm will be able to put their lives back together soon.

Of course, as our landlady Odie often says, it’s the rain that makes things thrive here, as well as the sun, and grow they do! On our recent trip to Turrialba, when we took the butt-bruising excursion by Jeep into the deep jungles where Ginnee and Phil have their huge permaculture, organic farm, Phil pointed out a leafy plant to us, which he said cooked and tasted just like spinach. Well, we love spinach so he broke off a couple of short limbs, instructed us to let the stubs dry a week or so, then just “stick it in the ground.” We must have made an amusing sight, two Gringos toting those branches back with us on the bus, along with another gift, a fruit vine in black plastic, plus our suitcases. But we made it, then promptly forgot about the limbs, leaving them for a couple of weeks laying out on the front porch. Finally, I got around to planting them a week or so ago in the soil just below the porch and lo and behold! they have already sprouted new growth.

An even more amazing example of the fertility of this land is the tree trunk pictured in these two photos, which Odie and Eduardo cut down a couple of months ago because it was blocking the view from their home up the hill from us. It wouldn’t be so surprising that the stump which is still embedded in the ground should sprout new growth but the section cut off, now a tripod on the earth, is also putting out leaves and branches. At this rate, Odie will soon have two trees to cut down!

My veggie seedlings are also doing well but would certainly benefit from some sunshine, as would I. Nevertheless, we have been most fortunate through this soggy season of heavy rains. Our little apartment is probably 50 yards uphill from the small creek that now rages as a rushing brown river below us and the property here seems quite stable. We are comfortable and dry, if slightly stir-crazy. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the less fortunate residents across the Central Valley from us in Escazu. Let’s hope their trials are soon over. 

Beware Nicaraguan Cow Killers!

We’ve had some military drama over the last couple of weeks here in Costa Rica, a nation, you’ll recall, with no military. So when a neighboring country, in this case Nicaragua, starts to step on toes, it does make one a little nervous. From news bulletins, we learned that the Nicaraguans had started dredging the eastern end of the San Juan River, which forms the international border between the two countries, and was dumping the resulting sediment onto Costa Rican soil. According to a farmer whose property was being damaged by the dumped materials as well as by the unauthorized clearing of trees on his land, the man in charge of the dredging project is none other than Eden Pastora, formerly known as Commandante Cero (Commander Zero) during the Sandinista Revolution and later a Contra rebel leader. Interestingly, Pastora spent eight years in exile in this same area of Costa Rica, after breaking with the new Sandinista government in the early 1980’s.

 

Marco Reyes, the owner of a large farm on the Costa Rican side of the river, claims that the trouble started earlier in October when a number of armed men led by Pastora entered his land, informing him that the land belonged to Nicaragua. When Reyes objected and stated he was in Costa Rican sovereign territory, the Nicos, as Nicaraguans are known, harassed his workers and killed several of his cows.

        

As the situation has developed, it appears that Nicaragua was hoping to carve a new channel for the San Juan in order to open the river to more tourism, but in the process, chopping off a piece of Costa Rica for themselves. Naturally, Costa Rica lodged a protest with the Nicaraguan ambassador to Costa Rica and sent some 90 members of the National Police, a sort of army-lite, to a small village just south of the disputed river area. A Tico Times report says the police force was dressed in military fatigues and carried M-16 assault weapons, but apparently most of their duty involved periodic flyovers of the area to assess environmental damage. As of last Friday, the dredging had been moved to the Nicaraguan bank, according to one report, on the direct order of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, but a number of police were still stationed in the small town of Barra de Colorado as diplomatic efforts to settle the dispute dragged on. The river has served as a border between the two countries since a treaty in 1858 but has been a point of contention on many occasions. It’s times like these when it is nice to have a big, strong friend like the good old U.S. of A.

And it’s Halloween weekend in the States and although Costa Rica considers that a “foreign” holiday, they still find a way to celebrate. It seems to be a part of the Pura Vida lifestyle here to celebrate for just about any reason and since kids of all ages love to dress up and hide behind masks, Costa Rica has its own Día de la Mascarada Costarricense. A decree in 1997 made the fiesta official but masks have been part of the cultures of indigenous people such as the Boruca and Bribri Indians since pre-Columbian times. So Sunday will see parades full of colorful masks and costumes in cities across the country, along with dancing and music in the central parks. In Aserri, the party will last all day with a Feria de Tamal (Tamale Market) and fireworks in the evening.

But there’ll be no masks for Layne and me as we join the festivities at Kay’s Gringo Postre for a Halloween dance party tonight. Putting a costume together here just seemed beyond us this year. The best I could do was to buy a lovely seed necklace from an elderly Tica in a small home along our walk the other day. That, along with a yellow  hibiscus in my hair, will have to suffice to turn me into a “Sweetie from Tahiti,” as my beaded capri pants and top will attest. Layne says he plans to go as “a Gringo.” How’s that for creative? Just as we left the woman’s house, we encountered this spirited horse and rider, a typical Costa Rican high-stepping steed. But the caballero was cooperative enough to stop and pose for my photograph.

 

As we enjoy the music tonight, we will remember fondly the many great Halloween parties at our friend Ruth’s home in Auburn when we adults all dressed up in the most outlandish costumes and half-scared the kids who came to the door for candy, unprepared for crazy costumed grown-ups. Happy Halloween to all! 

Progress Report: Eyeglasses ✓ Hair Dryer ✓ Swimsuit ✓

         Two hours ago I was lying in the sun, occasionally swimming laps in the pool in my new hot pink swimsuit. Now there’s a torrential downpour with raindrops as big as grapes pounding through the jungle outside my office window and occasional sharp claps of thunder in the near distance. But as our landlady Odie says, the October rains are important for the rice and bean crops. Plus, that’s why things are so green here: lots of sunshine and lots of rain. Life in the tropics!

         At least Layne’s cold has improved enough that we went for a walk earlier this morning while the sun was shining. Along the way we met a Gringo couple from Chicago and their little Beagle dog, who moved to Atenas only three weeks ago after living a couple of months up the mountain in San Ramon. Although they found that town to be too cool and too large for their taste, they are quite enamored of Costa Rica in general. Like us, they are working on legal residency and have achieved the “active file” status. We got their contact information and hope to get together soon to cultivate our new friendship.

         Our big outing this week was in search of new eyeglasses for me. In Spanish, they are called anteojos, which is so amusing to me because “antes” means “before” and “ojos” means eyes. So literally, it means in front of the eyes! I’ve been wearing the same scratched up, out-of-date prescription lenses for at least three years so I was overdue. And since part of the reason for this blog is to inform my readers what life is really like in Costa Rica, I will describe in some detail my search for new spectacles.

          Last summer in California, I got glasses made while still covered by Kaiser Permanente insurance but the result was unsatisfactory so I returned them. With only a few days before our departure for Oregon, however, it was too late for Kaiser to make another pair so I got a refund and took my prescription to Lenscrafters, where they can produce glasses in an hour or so. But we were shocked to find that they wanted more than $500 for a new pair, even using discounted frames. At that point, we decided prices would surely be better in Costa Rica and we held off until our return to Atenas.

         A few weeks ago, we stopped by a local optician’s office with my prescription and were quoted a price of one hundred seventeen thousand colones or about $235, using my same frames but with top-notch progressive lenses. They warned us that although we could have glasses made for much less through CAJA, the Costa Rican universal health insurance which we have, they would not be of the high quality that I am used to. Apparently, CAJA keeps their costs down by using lower quality laboratories for such items.

         But the price seemed rather high to us so I put off making an appointment until I could talk with our trusted landlady about it. When I did, Odie frowned and shook her head no. That was too much, she said. And besides, she didn’t really trust the level of competence and knowledge of the company here. Better I should go in to San Jose to a store she could recommend. Since we needed to visit the U.S. Embassy to give Social Security our new address anyway, we headed out on the 9:00 a.m. bus last Thursday. After the brief stop at the Embassy, we walked a few blocks to Plaza Mayor shopping center where I found a great deal on that pink vestido de bano, or bathing suit, in a shop just across the from the optometrist’s office. We found it curious indeed that the cigar kiosk in the center of the aisle was filled with colorful hookah pipes since drugs such as marijuana are quite illegal here.

         Optica Vision was sparkling clean and high-tech, the doctora (female doctor) was in, the staff was friendly and with no other customers around we got quick service. Using my old frames, I was quoted a price of ninety thousand colones ($180), which sounded pretty good compared to the Atenas or U.S. prices. But after I mentioned that we were getting our pensionado status, they tacked on a 10% discount, dropping the total to about $165. They offered to have the glasses back within two days and even gave me a free pair of contact lenses to use while I would be without glasses. We picked the anteojos up yesterday and once I tried them and found the result so excellent, with the progressive lenses sharp, the anti-reflective coating clear and the prescription apparently perfect, I inquired about getting some single-vision computer glasses. I spend a lot of time at my computer and the drugstore pair I use can cause eyestrain. How delighted we were to find that for a simple prescription like that, they offered a “promocion” of only twenty thousand colones ($40) including the frame and the lens! Needless to say, we ordered a pair of those as well as a pair of reading glasses. Now I’ll be set for all my vision needs.

         On our return to Atenas by bus, we stopped by to check on my hair dryer repair, the one that was supposed to take only two days but which, at that point, had been over a week in the shop. I am happy to report that we did indeed retrieve it, fully repaired and for only 2000 colones, about $4. That’s the good news since there’s no way you could have a hair dryer repaired for that low price in the States. Thus, back home one would just sigh and head out to by a new one. Here, the new one would cost quite a lot but the repair is cheap. The bad news is that it took so much longer than I had expected. Each time I went to pick it up, the clerk on duty was unable to locate it, to the point that I had begun to worry that it was actually lost. Apparently the repairman had placed it high up on a shelf out of easy sight, leaving the other workers at a loss as to where it might be found. Finally, I happened in when the repairman was there and it was quickly returned to me with sheepish smiles and apologies for the delay.

         On a final personal note, I would like to thank all you readers for your loyalty to this blog. My page views are now well over 2600 and my audience just in the last week has included visitors from China, New Zealand, Australia, Finland, Slovenia, Denmark, Djibouti and of course, the United States and Costa Rica. Thank you so much for coming to visit this page and keeping up with our adventures in the land of Pura Vida!