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Sunday, January 30, 2011

Lusty Iguana Love!

The old saying “Time flies when you’re having fun” sure seems to fit our lives here. Or at least that’s the excuse I’ll give for my limited posts of late. The days seem to whiz by, full of big and little adventures. Take this morning’s walk, for instance. As we strolled along a side street of modest Tico houses, just ahead of us I saw a large crested iguana apparently basking in the sunlight on a concrete driveway. We had stopped so I could snap a photo when I noticed another smaller iguana in the culvert beside the driveway looking up at him. Quietly we moved to the other side of the street so as not to disturb them. As we stood watching, we noticed the big guy exhibiting unusual behavior: bobbing his head and seeming to preen himself. Suddenly we got it! It was “iguana love” in action. His movements were clearly directed at his lady friend below, who eyed him adoringly, if such an emotion can be attributed to iguanas. I started to take a video of their activities but a Tico on a bicycle rode by and scared them into the gutter beneath the drive.
 
Another reason I’ve been blogging less is that much of my writing time and energy has been devoted to a weekly column on retirement in Costa Rica which I started doing for an English-language website, http://TheCostaRicaNews.com. Although unpaid, the project does provide me with motivation to research some of the issues facing expats who are considering relocating here. In addition, I am compiling information for seminars Layne and I hope to offer next summer when we are in the United States. At least we plan to do a few “pilot project” versions of workshops on “Retiring in Costa Rica on Social Security,” which, of course, is what we ourselves have done. If you or someone you know might be interested in coming to a seminar, drop me an email and we’ll notify you of the schedule when we figure it out. You can find my email at the top of this blog page.

One of my recent columns in The Costa Rica News was on the numerous micro-climates in Costa Rica. We feel like Atenas has just about the perfect one for us -- warm enough to welcome a swim or to sunbathe but breezy enough to be refreshing. If we get out early for our walks, the air is invigorating and pleasant and the evenings cool down so that I often need a light jacket if we stargaze from the front patio. But just up the mountain from us are several other towns with sizeable expat communities. Grecia, Sarchi, Naranjo and San Ramon are larger cities that are only a thirty-minute to an hour drive away from Atenas but all have considerably cooler climates. Some friends here in Atenas moved from San Ramon for just that reason; they found it to be much too chilly, cloudy and during the rainy season they felt utterly drowned by the heavy downpours. Even now, looking from our front yard up the hill toward these towns, there are clouds hanging over the higher elevations while here we are enjoying gorgeous blue skies.

Yesterday I had occasion to travel up the mountain to Grecia, the closest to Atenas, where a meeting of expats was being held. The U.S. Consul General Paul Birdsall was scheduled to appear to answer questions and explain what the U.S. Embassy does and what services it offers to Americans living here. Our friends Sally and Leonard were interested in attending and they have a car so off I went with them to listen and take notes for possible use in my TheCostaRicaNews.com column. It was being held at the Galeria Restaurant, a few blocks from downtown, and a place well known for fine food. Some thirty-five to forty Gringos were present, including several of us from Atenas. Although Mr. Birdsall’s prepared remarks on the structure of the Embassy, numbers of personnel, services offered and such, were somewhat dry, the discussion livened up once he opened the floor to questions. From complaints about the grammatically-challenged signage at the Embassy and questions regarding the new Costa Rican immigration law, to uncertainties about the effect of the U.S. health care reform legislation on citizens living abroad, queries about changes in the tax law and concerns about the dispute with Nicaragua over the northern border of Costa Rica, the dialogue ranged over many issues of interest to expats. We were glad we went!

On the return trip, Leonard stopped the car so I could take pictures of the gorgeous orange and yellow trees now in bloom around the countryside. We are told the orange-blossomed plants are not native to Costa Rica but they have certainly made themselves at home as we can see acres of them in bloom across our distant view.




Not only is the weather perfect here today but we are also being serenaded by some live and lively Latin music from up the hill at the pool and rancho. Our landlords are having a little party and the bongo drums and enthusiastic male voices are a delightful accompaniment to our sunny afternoon. Although I’m sure we are welcome to join them, so far we are staying down in our apartment to allow them the undisturbed use of their entertainment area. However, since Eduardo did extend the invitation this morning as he gathered limons for the fiesta, perhaps later in the afternoon we’ll grab a beer and join the festivities. Pura Vida!

Friday, January 21, 2011

How Do I Love Thee, Costa Rica? Let Me Count the Ways

After three weeks in the United States, traveling from California to Texas on sad personal duties as well as enjoyable visits with family and friends, my recent return to Costa Rica has reminded me all over again just why I love this place. Walking back down the driveway with my husband one night last week after locking the gate behind the departing taxi from the airport, I stopped and listened as the sounds of my adopted land serenaded my heart: the sweet rustle of palm fronds in a strong tropical breeze, the steady hum of a million busy insects, the occasional chirp of a bat. Holding hands, we looked up at the stars shining brightly between scattered clouds in a crystal clear sky and the silver moon smiling down on us in the balmy evening air. What a glorious land!

Today my appreciation of the sheer beauty of this country has only intensified as I awoke to sparkling sunny skies and a brisk wind dancing through the jungles around our apartment. A few clouds drift overhead, the sun is warm, birds are singing in the trees and I am grateful to be here.

Yet for all its natural splendor, what I most appreciate about Costa Rica is the people, their friendly open smiles, ready offers of help and genuine joy of life. In the United States, I was painfully aware of how reticent people were to make eye contact with a stranger or to offer a spontaneous “hello.” In contrast, as soon as I walked off the airplane, I caught the eye of a Tico worker in the jetway and immediately he and I smiled at one another and exchanged “Buenas noches” greetings. Although I had many pleasant experiences reconnecting with old friends on my journey, much of their conversations were related to the stresses of financial problems, the difficulties in finding a job, stories of cruel and thoughtless actions by professed friends or former lovers, the cost of living, the worries they face about the future. The “squeeze” they find themselves in from a bankruptcy, the loss of a good job, a home, a loved one, all combine to cast a gloomy pallor over their everyday lives.

While I was in Texas, the dreadful violence unfolded on Saturday, January 8th, in Tucson, Arizona, in which Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was critically injured, and six others were killed, including a federal judge and a 9-year-old little girl. As my friends and I discussed this tragedy and the senseless loss of innocent lives, we bemoaned the negative, even hostile, political atmosphere that has consumed America in recent years. With a Masters in Political Science and many years working in progressive political causes, including a decade as a First Amendment lobbyist, I have spent much of my career devoted to having a positive influence on political affairs and policy decisions in the U.S. But as the tone of American politics devolved into that of a bully in the schoolyard or worse, I found that I had little stomach left for my life’s work. The antagonistic mood and hateful speech which colors American politics and kills all civil discourse offers another contrast with life here in Costa Rica where political campaigns seem to be more a festive, if animated, dialogue on policy than a winner-take-all struggle for power, and the historical pattern of government seems more focused on caring for the overall citizenry than accumulating wealth to individuals.

So as we pondered our approaching retirement a few years ago, it was not a difficult decision for my husband and me to consider this Central American haven. Not only is the climate appealing, the cost of living attractive and the health care top-notch, but also living among Ticos with their delightful “Pura Vida” philosophy is unmatched for discovering a life free of stress and anxiety. The opportunity to downsize our lives, to shed our load of “stuff,” to abandon the North American focus on consumerism has all been a boon. The possibilities for engaging in meaningful volunteer work, of helping to preserve and appreciate the magnificent environment and ecology here and learning a new culture and language are advantages we did not really imagine when we arrived at the decision to make our home here. But now that we are here, we can see that retirement in Costa Rica was one of the best moves we ever made! 

Friday, January 7, 2011

Farewell to an Old Friend, Carrots to the New

It has been a tough holiday season for me, needless to say, having to put down my beloved Morgan horse, Indiana Mojave, two days after Christmas after more than 23 years of riding the trails together. That, plus the continuing worries about the health challenges of my family member has robbed me of any inspiration for writing a blog post. Traveling from Costa Rica to California, where I loaded up my suitcases with “stuff” we need in Atenas, then flying on to Texas to be with my mother has also tested my endurance as a traveler. The new airline rules on luggage fees, weight limits, change fees and such are really Draconian. Oddly enough, I found the easiest way around one of those issues is simply to cart your second bag to the gate and let them check it there. Although it would have cost an additional $35 had I checked my bag at the check-in counter, at the gate it was checked onboard at no charge. How silly is that?!

Another trick I used took advantage of the fact that Continental does not charge for the first bag. So, on the trip from Costa Rica on Continental, I put my one packed bag inside a bigger bag, the larger bag intended for the more heavily loaded return trip. (We have tons of stuff we would like to bring to Costa Rica, so every trip we load up).

The flight to California was a sentimental journey. On final approach into San Francisco International Airport (SFO), the big jet crossed over the Bay and circled downtown Oakland, giving me a nostalgic view of both the Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge. Lots of fun times there and people I love. However, even though I miss much about the San Francisco area, I wouldn’t trade its cool foggy weather, traffic congestion and high prices for my tranquilo life in Costa Rica.

Although I arrived on Christmas Eve, the expected holiday crowds at airports or on public transportation never really materialized, I’m happy to say. Riding on BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) on Christmas Day as I commuted from my San Francisco airport hotel across the entire metropolitan area to Antioch, it was only me and a few other lone travelers for most of the ride. In San Francisco proper there were crowds between some stops but for the most part, it was a quiet trip.

The same cannot be said for my journey to Texas on the day before New Year’s Eve. Loaded down with two bags, the larger one now filled to its 50-pound limit, an overnight bag carrying two laptop computers, my purse and a coat, I was lucky to board the BART train at its initial station in Pittsburg/Bay Point or I might not have had a seat at all. Lugging those heavy suitcases around SFO and Dallas-Fort Worth Airport (DFW) taxed me physically, especially when the shuttle driver at DFW (which is a city-size monstrosity!) dropped me off at the wrong entrance for check-in, necessitating an exhausting trek through baggage claim areas to the American counter then back the same direction to my gate -- the farthest one, naturally! I was very glad to finally arrive here in San Angelo, Texas.

Officers' Row at Old Fort Concho
My mother’s home is located only a few blocks from historic Fort Concho, an old Army post from the late 1800s, and on my first morning walk I bundled up and headed toward the fort grounds to get some exercise in spite of the icy cold air. Located on the plateau where the North and Middle Concho Rivers join, Fort Concho is the best preserved of the Indian-era forts, with its original officers’ quarters running along one side of the huge parade grounds and the enlisted men’s barracks along the other, both built mostly of native limestone. Covering some forty acres and now designated as the Fort Concho National Historic Landmark, the old fort was home to Company “A” of the Tenth Cavalry, one of two all-black Army regiments known as “Buffalo Soldiers,” which helped patrol the frontier in the late 1800’s.
Well-preserved Officers' Quarters Three
The ruins of thick limestone walls 
Headquarters Building, across the Parade Grounds
The Post Hospital
Fort Concho Schoolhouse

Margie, the "Schoolmarm"
For many years my mother has served as a docent at the fort, leading tours of Officers’ Quarters Three and the Post Hospital in particular, and is extremely knowledgeable about Fort Concho history, the culture and practices of frontier life and the museum artifacts housed there. One of the colorful events held at the fort each year is “Christmas at Old Fort Concho,” a three-day living history panorama featuring period entertainment, artillery demonstrations, children’s workshops, military drills on horseback, shopping at numerous vendors booths and the Winter Rendezvous, where hundreds of costumed re-enactors at campsites across the parade grounds illustrate life in the Wild West of the 1800s. For her part, my mother dresses in a gorgeous teal green dress, modeling the clothing of an officer’s wife or at other times, in a modest long skirt and white blouse to serve as schoolmarm for “Frontier School,” an educational program for local fourth-graders. If you are ever in the West Texas area near San Angelo, a visit to the fort should be on your itinerary as it is a very special piece of American history.

On that first chilly hike, I wandered around the fort buildings and soon made my way toward the stables, where I knew I might find horses or mules housed. During public events, the animals are hitched to wagons or saddled for riding and used as part of the living history demonstrations. If I was lucky, I thought, I might find some equine residents at home. And indeed I did. Two very large jack mules, Mack and Joe, were standing by the fence as I approached that first day. Cautiously, I scratched and petted one and then the other through the fence, trying to make friends as they looked me over carefully. The next day I took carrots and the following day apples. As you can imagine, by now they look forward to my visits and welcome my attentions. As I look in their beautiful dark eyes, I am reminded of my sweet Mojave and know that I was lucky to have had him in my life. I hope he is galloping joyfully in green fields forever. Pura Vida, Mojave!