So the Santa Eulalia Sunday party gang punked out on us
today, can you believe it? We were all scheduled to take the 8:20 a.m. bus into
Atenas and then hike down to Barrio Los Angeles to the soccer field on the off chance
that we might catch a "futbol"
game there. But at 8:05 this morning Marcial called to say that Bonnie and
Stephen had decided not to go and that in fact, he and Seidy were still in bed
as well. With Chris and Sue back in the States for a couple of months gathering
the paperwork for their residency application, our Sunday hiking plans were
off.
After a pretty strenuous evening for both couples last night
I suppose a more generous hearted correspondent might say one could hardly
blame them. Bonnie and Stephen had spent last night watching the third game of
the World Series, rooting with great enthusiasm for the Giants. (Of course, we
know how exhausting that can be!) Marcial and Seidy had gone with us to the
Halloween party at Kay's
Gringo Postre, where we danced the night away in our imaginative costumes:
a Rasta couple for them and Ernest Hemingway and Mae West for Layne and me.
Ernest and Mae make a lovely couple!
But since I am not such a generous hearted journalist, I
hereby officially shame them for their slovenly ways. Layne and I are obviously
the hardcore couple in this neighborhood. Since we were up and dressed, ready
to catch the bus, we decided to get our exercise alone. So off we went,
arriving in town to find that the Fiesta Patronales (see last week's post
for more on Fiestas Patronales) was
still going on in the Parque Central and along the street in front of the Catholic Church. As we wandered by
the food booths we listened to the melodious sounds of some sort of xylophone,
as Ticas prepared tortillas on an open burner for people waiting in line. Had
it not seemed so "touristy," I would have taken a video of the scene
because it was a classic look at Tico life.
Monumento de Boyero
But onward we hiked down the familiar route we used to take
when we lived in Barrio Los Angeles, remembering the noisy traffic along the
main road before taking the turn off at the Monumento de Boyero, which commemorates the historical route of the
oxcarts and marks the entrance to the community of Los Angeles. (See this post
for more on oxcart history.) After stopping for short rests at a couple of bus
benches, we eventually arrived at the soccer field. A worker was mowing the
grass and coach-types were just starting to put up the game paraphernalia but
when we asked what time the game would start, we learned that it was still more
than an hour away. So after a pleasant break, Layne and I headed back toward
Atenas, stopping off for a few groceries before calling a taxi for the ride
back up to Santa Eulalia.
So here we are with a Sunday afternoon to ourselves. But
alas! We have no Internet! So who knows when I'll be able to post this blog? We
have suffered intermittent problems with our broadband the last few days. On
Thursday we thought it had been fixed after our landlord went to ICE (the
electric company that handles our Internet service) to report the problem and a
worker promptly came out to reprogram our modem. It seemed to be working until
yesterday when once again it dropped off and we've been unable to revive it
since. We're definitely experiencing withdrawal symptoms, so reliant are we on
that technological connection to the world.
Of course, we feel a bit dragged out after a night of Halloween
festivities ourselves. Though the crowd was much smaller than last year's event
at Kay's, the zealous attendees more than made up for their low numbers with
high energy as they danced to the oldies, drank wine and toasted each other's
costumes.
Seidy as da Rasta gal
Star Trek Commander Leonard and Rasta-mon Marcial
Trekkies Sally and Leonard
Hostess Kay danced every dance!
When the judges of the costume contest began their deliberations, there was little doubt of the eventual winner. Decked out in a sequined flapper dress, a lengthy strand of pearls draped round her neck and armed with a long black cigarette holder, Francis easily carried away the 10,000 colones ($20) prize. Although I missed getting a really good shot of her, this pose will give you some idea of her pizzazz. With her dedicated work rescuing animals here in Atenas, we know that prize money will be put to good use at the Lighthouse Animal Shelter. Congratulations, Francis!
Francis takes the prize!
Well, a couple of hours later and the Internet is magically
alive again so I'll try to get this posted before it fades away. Pura Vida!
Sprawled out on the grass halfway through another splendid
Sunday outing with the Santa Eulalia gang, our friend Eroca, newly returned to
Costa Rica from Canada where it was minus four degrees, asked me: "How can
you possibly describe a day like this in a blog?"
"You really can't," I replied. "Pictures
help," I added, while shooting this photo, "but mere words can't
really capture the magic of a day like today."
We were relaxing on the lawn after an extravagant Tico
lunch of tamales, some kind of rich soup, picadillo, rice, beef loin and tortillas, now awaiting our
mini-van to pick us up and haul us to our next stop in this wild tequila-fueled
day. Behind us were hundreds of Ticos on the plaza in front of the Catholic
Church in downtown Zarcero, a
charming mountain town about forty minutes up the slope from Atenas and a few
thousand feet higher elevation. They were gathered there for the Patronales
Fiesta, another religious celebration in
this oh-so-Catholic country, in which Ticos from local barrios parade through
town carrying their community's own saint statuette into the big church, there
to pay tribute to the higher level saint, in this case San(to) Rafael, patron
saint of Zarcero, and by the way, of Atenas as well. Although religious in
nature, for some Ticos it's a good excuse to party, with live music, food and
craft vendors, caballeros on
horseback, kids dressed up as angels, buxom young women in fancy clothes and
high heels, carnival rides and a cattle auction.
Little fellow awaiting his Fate
This excursion was a variation on the regular Sunday hike
and after-party that we've been enjoying in recent weeks. Our fearless leader
Marcial had come up with the idea to hire a mini-bus for the day and take a
drive up the mountain visiting several of the surrounding cities, fitting in
our mandatory trek along the way. Our first stop was Zarcero, where we arrived
earlier in the day just as the parade was starting up, marchers and saints
blocking our way. So we all hopped out of the van and joined the sidewalk crowd
as they watched parade participants stroll by.
Besides the beautiful surrounding mountain landscapes, Zarcero's main attraction is the incredible topiary gardens of Francisco Alvarado Park. Carved continuously since the 1960's by artist Evangilisto Blanco from conifer cypress that thrive in the crisp high altitude with its foggy mornings and frequent rains, the trees have been transformed into all sorts of fantasy creatures, from dinosaurs, elephants and birds to monkey faces, turtles and two enormous Alice-in-Wonderland archways leading toward the huge church. It is quite a stunning display of landscape artistry.
Sir Layne against the Dragon
Monkey faces all in a row
Yours Truly in Wonderland
A Green Bird in the gardens
Looking back at Zarcero
We gathered for a picnic breakfast provided by
Marcial and Seidy of coffee, French roll and local natilla or sour cream, at a table in the park then wandered
off to take photographs, peek into the big church or shop at vendor
booths.
A hillside of farmland
But Marcial's plan for our hike was to take us further up
the mountain so we soon headed up the road passing some spectacular scenery
along the way: pastoral views of the bulky black-and-white dairy cattle for
which the area is famous, patchwork hillsides with agricultural produce in
every possible shade of green and small red-roofed Tico houses with horses,
goats and chickens running around.
At my request for a bathroom, we stopped at a bar which at
first glance appeared to be closed but Marcial worked his magic and we were
soon inside where the barista was just setting up for business. Now since it
was my need for the baño that had landed
us there, I got the blame (or the credit?) for all the craziness that followed
but I swear I was hardly the instigator. When I exited the bathroom, I found the whole
gang bellying up to the bar for shots of whiskey or tequila!
The 10:27 a.m. toast!
Laughing at the spontaneous display of decadence, Sue said,
"I can't believe it's only 10:30 in the morning and I'm having
tequila!" Her husband Chris quickly corrected her: "Oh, my dear, it's
only 10:27!"
Unable to resist the mass insanity, I joined in and was soon
enjoying a salt-rimmed shot of tequila followed by a pucker-inducing suck on a limón. And since one was so good, most of us had another!
Soon Eroca, rather cheery on her second tequila, had dragged our tolerant (and
sober) driver onto the dance floor for a little salsa and Layne and I were
quick to follow.
The friendly black stallion
As you can imagine, we were all by now laughing hysterically
at ourselves but the day's exercise still lay ahead so thanking our hosts for their
kindness, we headed out for a leisurely hike down the mountainside through a
lightly misting rain. Along the way we petted this beautiful stallion who
seemed to want to join us happy humans in our freedom and indeed could have almost stepped over the low wire fence. Looking at the
roadside fields in cultivation, we consulted with Seidy on the crops there:
broccoli, cabbage, radishes, carrots, all abundant and lush. The operative
word, we decided, was fecund -- a bountiful land producing lots of healthy
foods.
After a mile or so of walking, someone said they were
thirsty and within minutes we had conveniently come upon another bar where we
were again welcomed by a friendly bar staff. Without delay we proceeded to add
to our tequila quotient with a couple more shots, followed by a beer chaser.
Does the word "festive" come to mind? Oh yeah, we were feeling mighty
festive.
Boarding the bus after our visit to the cantina, we next
stopped at a dairy farm where Marcial talked our way into an
up-close-and-personal tour of the place, including the milking room, where poor
Marcial got an unplanned spray of cow urine from one of the cows who chose that
moment to relieve herself.
Chris (l) and Marcial in harm's way
Off we went once again, this time heading back to Zarcero
for lunch but our first stop in town was at an unusual helado (ice cream) shop -- basically just the front step of
a home -- for an unlikely but delicious appetizer before our upcoming meal.
Yours Truly enjoying helado
The
Zarcero area is known for its excellent dairy products, especially natilla, the ubiquitous sour cream served with gallo
pinto, the national dish of seasoned rice
and beans. The lady proprietor of the ice cream shop makes her own natilla and uses it in some of her ice cream specialties,
including the fabulous strawberry version I had. Then, as if Fate had planned
out our debauched day, she brought out a tray of shots of an utterly decadent
homemade liqueur for all of us to try. After indulging in one more jigger of
booze, Eroca and Layne demonstrated their inebriated state with this classic
pose, which got an enormous laugh from everyone.
Eroca and Layne after one too many!
Following lunch at the Salon Parroquial , we headed back towards Santa Eulalia but not
before one more stopover at still another bar, this time with some food to
accompany our tequila or beer. Although the ceviche and nachos were less than
spectacular, the joy of being in the company of our friends was wonderful. We
all recognized what an amazing day it had been and none of us wanted it to end.
Unwilling to part company just yet, everyone except Eroca
(who wanted to return to her sweetie Marc) got off the van at Sue and Chris'
house for one last hour together. It was a very special day, one we will never
forget. Fun and fellowship, laughter and happiness with good friends along with
a little -- or a lot! -- of tequila thrown in for good measure sure make for a
magical Pura Vida memory. (And remember, dear readers, you can click on any photo to enlarge it and sort of join the fun!)
Despite our love of the country, Layne and I would likely
not be in Costa Rica if it weren't for the Internet. "How's the
Internet?" has been one of the first questions we ask when looking for
housing over the last two and a half years. Speed and reliability are
critically important to us both. Thanks to the plethora of news websites, we
stay in touch with world events, United States politics and other news. With
email we communicate with friends and family around the world. Signed up now
with USTVNow, we can watch U.S.
programming such as the presidential debates, baseball playoffs or just the
Food Network. With Google and other search engines, we are able to look up
virtually anything, offering us a far broader range of research sources than
even the largest public library. With Skype or Magic Jack I can call my
mom every week just as I have for many years and we can chat with friends by
video or voice. All in all, it's a mainstay of our happiness and contentment
here.
The other day I had occasion to feel like I was ON the Food
Network as I faced a basket of disparate items and a goal of making a dinner
out of them, a la the cooking program "Chopped." Somehow
we had ended up with way too many beets in our organic order for our normal
consumption as well as some goat cheese that was close to going bad. In town
that day thinking of hamburgers as a backup plan for dinner, we had picked up
some ground beef. So there I was with three ingredients in a less than obvious
combination for a meal. How was I to use all that?
Off I went to the computer, entered "hamburger, goat
cheese, beet recipe" in Google and up came a predictably weird recipe but
one that now, having made it, I would count as a new favorite. The subtle goat
cheese flavors in the ivory-colored garlic cream sauce along with the addition
of fresh herbs in the meatballs, both topping the crazy red spaghetti, makes
for a colorful and tasty dish. I didn't think to take a photo of my version of "Goat
Cheese Meatballs, Beets and Spaghetti" but I'm sure Diane, the author
of Created By Diane, the blog
where I found it, won't mind my use of her shot. I encourage you to give it a
try if you like beets and goat cheese and if you need a vegetarian version,
just omit the meatballs! The cream sauce is a sure winner.
And speaking of food, there's a nice new restaurant in town
-- Cafe Cultura. Well, it's not actually new, just under new management and the
changes are welcome. The earlier effort at Cafe Cultura could claim some good
food but the service was marginal. Once Layne ordered French toast and it was
delivered to the table sans butter or syrup! Plus, there was no whole wheat
bread and the food was sometimes served cold, among a few other limitations. The
new and improved Cafe Cultura still offers delicious Eggs Benedict and the
standard Tico breakfast of Gallo Pinto and eggs but also lists Smoothies, croissant
sandwiches and lots of other goodies on the menu. Pleasant outdoor seating
provides a lovely fresh-air dining experience.
The new owner is putting in
gardens in the back where he plans to grow his own organic veggies and herbs. Apparently
the ambiance suits one shelled reptile that surprised us with a stroll across
the lawn.It made an entertaining video and I'm sure he was going at top speed as he eyed the dangerous humans nearby, but let's hope we never have Internet as slow as this turtle!
The old saying "Time flies when you're having fun"
certainly seems to fit our lives here in Costa Rica. In the week and a half
since we returned, we have 1) joined a gym and gone now four times, 2) had
friends over to watch the presidential debates last week, 3) seen the
chiropractor twice, plus the acupuncturist once for Layne and the physical
therapist once for me, 4) traveled to Alajuela by bus to shop at PriceSmart and to
the clinic there for x-rays of my feet (cost: $22), 5) shopped at the feria
last Friday and picked up organic produce on Saturday, 6) had breakfast with
Marc at Kay's Gringo Postre, 7) had Bonnie over to watch some of the baseball
playoffs yesterday, and (8) joined the Santa Eulalia gang for a hike Sunday
morning and a potluck by Bonnie and Stephen's pool that afternoon. I could go
on but you get the point. Our dance card always seems to be full here in Costa
Rica!
The new gym in town is called VGym and bills itself as
"mas que un gimnasio," or "more than a gym." The "more"
is the petite owner whose name is Vigie (not sure of the spelling but it is
pronounced V-G). She is trained in physical therapy, used to work at LA Fitness
in Los Angeles, California, and obviously relishes her role as personal trainer
to everyone who walks in the door. In excellent English, she asked us questions
and took down notes on all Layne's and my little aches and pains, old injuries
or current problems, such as the chronic tendonitis in my shoulder and Layne's
occasional sciatica issues, then designed a workout program tailored to our
individual needs and our exercise goals. (As usual, Layne is focused on
improving his golf swing.)
Like a mother hen, Vigie watches over us and the other
patrons as we do our workouts, being sure we maintain good form and avoid any
risk of injury. Unlike the other two gyms in town where some of our friends go
and where I've taken a salsa aerobic class or two, VGym isn't rocking with loud
music or stuffed wall to wall with massive exercise equipment. But the
apparatus she has is more than adequate for her current clientele: a treadmill,
free weights, yoga mats, a number of stationary bikes, large and small rubber
balls and a variety of weight-lifting machines. With a senior rate we each pay only
12,000 colones (about $24) per month and Vigie even offers a weekly rate for
out-of-towners wanting to stay in shape, so if your vacation plans bring you to
Atenas, be sure to check out VGym, located across from the gas station.
The Sunday hike was a lovely if damp excursion, with an overcast sky and occasional mistiness cloaking us as we followed Marcial down a side street, through sugarcane and coffee fields, negotiating over rocks to cross a small stream and finally back up through another local neighborhood to the main road. It was especially joyous for Marcial and Seidy as Marcial's oldest son Gabriel and his wife and two adorable little girls were along with us, having just arrived the previous week from Germany where they live. They have rented a small house here in Santa Eulalia and will be staying for a few months so we will enjoy their company on many future outings, no doubt.
Marcial leads the way
The Santa Eulalia "gang"
Marcial shows the ripening coffee beans
After everyone had returned home and cleaned up, we
reconvened at Bonnie and Stephen's charming rancho by the pool. They have
lucked upon such a wonderful and inexpensive rental, spotted by Stephen through
Craigslist while still in San Francisco. It offers the small 2-bedroom,
Tico-style house where they live, but is overlooked by their landlord Dave's
beautiful home up the somewhat treacherous stairs near the pool. Since Dave is
gone so much of the time, Bonnie and Stephen also have access to the larger
home and well-equipped kitchen when needed.
Chris and Sue
Stephen, Layne chat with Bonnie as Felipe takes in the view
Stephen enjoys the gang
So it was there that I warmed up my
Creamy
Chorizo and Chicken Soup (made, of course, using Marcial's excellent spicy Italian sausage) and Chris re-heated his stuffed baked potatoes.
Along with Chris' tasty shrimp dip, Stephen's excellent beans slow-cooked with
pork ribs and abundant fruit from Seidy, we had quite a feast. The children
played in and around the pool while the grown-ups laughed and talked and
enjoyed the splendid view from the rancho. Even the sun came out to warm the
day and make us all realize just how fortunate we are to share this Pura Vida.
Muchas gracias, estimados lectores! (Thank you very much, dear readers.) It is indeed
good to be back in Costa Rica. Despite this being the height of the rainy
season, the sun is shining for us today as if in greeting. The palm fronds are
waving hello and the cattle across the valley are faintly lowing, welcoming us
back to our little Santa Eulalia paradise.
This year has found us out of Costa Rica almost as much as
we've been in the country. First, there was the three-and-a-half month sojourn
to our old home in Northern California to make repairs, renovations and
refinance; then, almost as soon as we returned to Costa Rica I learned that my
mom in Texas was sick and needed my help. So off I went for a five-week trip to
nurse her back to health and help with projects around her house. Layne joined
me for the last two weeks and we returned just last night.
Darrelynn, Tom and Yours Truly
Although most of the trip was devoted to caring for my mom,
there was still time for a short weekend trip to visit old friends outside of
Austin and San Antonio. My dear friend Darrelynn from high school has recently
married a delightful gentleman named Tom and the two of them now live in his
lovely home overlooking Horseshoe Bay, filled to overflowing with collectibles,
artwork, unusual knickknacks and other beautiful furnishings. Layne and I spent
a pleasant afternoon with them talking over old times and learning about Tom's
fascinating career fighting fires in Kuwait and elsewhere alongside the likes
of Red Adair, the
legendary Texas oil well firefighter.
Philisse, Anastasia & Agatha
(Aurora was taking her "beauty sleep")
Philisse and Layne at the Blue Star
After a drive down to San Antonio we met the next morning
with Philisse, an old San Francisco friend who has transplanted to Texas to be
near her daughter Agatha and granddaughters Anastasia and Aurora. Layne and I
have known Agatha since she was scarcely a year old, so seeing her with her
young family is truly a joy.
Soon with Philisse and Layne in the "pilot
car" and me trailing in our rental car, the three of us took off for
brunch at the Blue Star Brewing
Company Restaurant, located next to the meandering San Antonio River, a
trip through freeway traffic that turned into a major expedition with lengthy detours
off Interstate 10 as we made our way to the Brewing Company. Ironically, we
later learned an overturned beer truck was to blame for our delay!
A young caballero
My stay in Texas overlapped with Costa Rica's Independence Day
on September 15th, a date celebrated along with other Central American
countries for their joint declaration of freedom from Spain in 1821. With San
Angelo's large Latino community, there were plenty of celebrations to attend,
from the dances and food fair at the Paseo de Santa Angela to a horseback
riding and roping demonstration by Mexican caballeros on the big parade grounds of Fort Concho. Although only a small crowd
was in attendance, the efforts by the riders and their horses were well
appreciated, particularly those of the smallest young cowboy and his pony.
Fort Concho itself is an interesting attraction in this West
Texas town, a national historic landmark noted as the best-preserved 1880's fort
in the United States, with most of the former U.S. Army post and some
twenty-three original or restored fort structures still standing. (See my blog
post on Fort Concho history here.)
In her younger days my mom was an active volunteer at the
Fort, working in archive preservation and serving as an informed docent. She
still spends many a Sunday afternoon greeting visitors in Officer's Quarters #1
and sharing her vast knowledge of the Fort's history, legends and ghost
stories. One of the most entertaining and nostalgic evenings Mother, Layne and
I spent while we were there was watching an old video that I made some years
ago of Christmas at Old Fort Concho, a fabulous three-day living history event
that featured Indian dances, military drills, rowdy cowboys on horseback,
campfire poetry readings, ladies-of-the-night as well as laundresses and other
more "respectable" women working their crafts in dozens of tents set
up across the parade grounds. The finale was a grand entrance by the Fort
commander Colonel Grierson and his family in their horse-drawn buggy coming to
attend a Christmas party. Sadly, these festivities have been discontinued and
Christmas at Old Fort Concho now consists only of a more commercial event with
vendors selling their wares in some of the buildings. But in the video my mom
was a fetching sight in her stunning turquoise taffeta and lace officer's wife dress,
dancing the Virginia Reel along with other officers and their wives as they
enacted a typical Christmas celebration in the 1870's and 1880's.
Travel adventurer, organic foodie and cultural explorer, Kat Sunlove hopes to make her way to hidden jewels around the world and report her findings to you.
