And so it was that the core
"10:27 Club" (minus our fearless leaders Marcial and Seidy) celebrated
with a small holiday dinner last night. As we sat around the table with these
good friends, we counted our blessings in having shared so many good times
together this past year. Words can hardly do justice to our sense of good
fortune in making amigos with
this amazing group of expats.
Chef Chris focuses on his platano
Stephen supervises
Chef Chris and Sous Chef Sue
Cubano Pork...
...And Black Beans
Layne and I are
grateful for every one of these friends and for the many others in and around
Atenas who have made our life here so rich with fun adventures and fond
memories.
Wherever life leads us from this day forward, we will always
treasure these times and these friends. Thank you and Happy New Year!
I am pleased to announce that Layne's novel, "Moral Turpitude, Book One of The Ange Parker Series," is now available on Amazon.com in Kindle format for just $4.99. Five star reviews! High adventure with corporate intrigue, danger and romance; from the exotic jungles of Borneo and Costa Rica to the erotic jungles of San Francisco. A great read! Pick up your copy here -http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HI25M1K/
Boy, have I been crazy busy since we returned to Costa Rica
one short month ago! When we arrived back from a two-month visit to the States,
there were the inevitable reunions with friends like Marcial and Seidy, who brought
me a gorgeous orchid as a welcoming gift when we resumed our regular Friday
night dinners. Then there were health issues with our dog Winston --
non-contagious mange, which required weekly shots and time-consuming baths as
well as daily cream applications, plus conjunctivitis in one eye, which meant
applying drops 2 to 3 times a day. Fortunately, he is recovering nicely and
requires less medical care now.
Lighted Bomberos' (firefighters) trucks in the parade
Within a week of our return, we found ourselves hosting
Thanksgiving dinner for ten people, which was a wonderful celebration but a lot
of work for Yours Truly. Almost as soon as the plates were cleared from that
party, we were preparing for the visit of a very dear friend, Philisse, who had
planned her trip to coincide with Layne's big 75th birthday week. To introduce
her to a taste of our lives here, we took her into town the very first night
for the Atenas Festival of Lights, where she enjoyed the parade and the
colorful array of Ticos, children and vendors in the park.
That Sunday afternoon brought together some two dozen
friends to celebrate Layne's birthday, a festive pool party at Bonnie &
Stephen's place, complete with a yummy carrot cake baked by Jan & Tom of Buen
Pan and lots of delicious food from
everyone. Toward the end of the day, Layne offered up hilarious (if slightly
inebriated) entertainment by singing a rollicking version of "Pecos
Bill" to Daniel's guitar accompaniment. Philisse enjoyed meeting our
friends and began to understand why we love our life here so much.
The gang at the pool
Philisse and Layne are all smiles!
Even Nelson, our taxista, and his family were there
Layne blows out his one big candle as Tom looks on
But the busy times were really just beginning. The very next
day Layne, Philisse and I - plus Winston! - were off to Esterillos Oeste for a
two-night stay at Rancho Coral, that cozy, pet-friendly beachfront hotel run by
our friends Wilburth and Eva. There things slowed down just a bit as we laid
out in beach chairs just yards from the surf, took strolls along the sand and
watched Winston play with the other dogs.
Winston, Layne and Philisse enjoy the beach
Winston, the Wonder Dog, enjoys dinner with friends
We even found a pet-friendly
restaurant, Los Almendros, where we enjoyed some excellent Caribbean and
Thai-style seafood while Winnie snoozed quietly beneath our table. The
proprietress has promised to send me her recipe for Fish Cakes with Red Pepper
Sauce. It was outstanding!
Layne and Philisse at Casa Inspiración
But with the dawning of the third day, we were heading back
to Atenas just long enough to unpack, re-pack, drop Winston off with our
long-suffering dog-sitter friends Chris and Sue and leave the next day for the
cloud forests of Monteverde. There we stayed at our friends Veronica and Alex's charming vacation rental, Casa Inspiración,
a rustic cabin perched on the side of the mountain with views across to the
Gulf of Nicoya. Quite a stunning setting with quiet, peaceful gardens and a
friendly dog Schnookie to keep us company.
Sunset at Casa Inspiración
Alex and his surprisingly mature
young son Stuart greeted us with delicious bocas prepared by a Tica neighbor
Gisell and her lovely daughter.
The next day Philisse and I were off to Sky Adventures for
a bird's-eye view of the cloud forest on the Sky Tram. With blue skies as a
backdrop and a strong wind whipping our hair, we savored the slow ride up to
the top of Costa Rica's Continental Divide, to about 5800' elevation. Our guide
Daniel said the winds were probably around 80 kph, or some 50 mph, and it felt
like it! But the tram was stable and secure and we soon hopped out onto the
observation platform to take a leisurely look at the dramatic scenery,
including a glimpse of Arenal Volcano and distant Lake Arenal. After our return
to the lower level, Daniel invited us to take a walk through their Hummingbird Trail,
where many exotic species of the little aviators abound along with a number of
stunning trees, plants and flowers, including some tiny orchid species that
would have gone unnoticed but for Daniel's commentary.
Amazing views from the Sky Tram
Philisse on the observation platform
Such beautiful flowers!
Such vivid colors!
Philisse shoots a "Hot Lips" flower
Daniel poses with "Elephant Ears"
Philisse goes for just one more photo!
And yet again, it was soon time to leave Monteverde and
return to Atenas for Philisse's final few days with us. We had such a great
time showing off our beloved Costa Rica to our old friend. We can only hope
that she had as good a time as we did, and that now she understands what we
mean when we say: Pura Vida!
Check out Layne's novel "Moral Turpitude," Kindle edition now available for only $4.99 at Amazon.com. Five star reviews! High adventure with corporate intrigue, danger and romance; from the exotic jungles of Borneo and Costa Rica to the erotic jungles of San Francisco. A great read! Pick up your copy here -http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HI25M1K/
Our two months in the States is over and here we are back in
beautiful Costa Rica. It is absolutely wonderful to be here again! But I do
face a challenge in trying to summarize for you all the joys and sorrows,
adventures and misadventures we had in our travels.
Our first two weeks were spent with my mom in San Angelo in
West Texas, where some of the all-time best barbeque can be found. And find it
we did, rather often. Our favorite place was Bodacious Barbeque where the
chopped brisket and baked beans are a standout.
Chili Relleno at Henry's
But we also wanted some
Tex-Mex, chock-full of the spices and chilies that we miss in Costa Rican food.
Armenta's, Los Panchito's and Henry's all fit the bill; we enjoyed enchiladas,
tacos, chili rellenos and nachos to our heart's content.
One of the main attractions for us in San Angelo is Sealy Flats Blues Bar and Diner, where live music is on stage most every night. Lucky
for us, my old friend world-class blues diva Candye Kane was playing there just
a week into our stay. With help from her outstanding band, featuring that
killer lead guitarist Laura Chavez, Candye brings the house down every time she
steps on stage decked out in one of her sparkly, spangled costumes. We made it to the club for two of the three nights she performed and loved every minute.
Candye and Yours Truly
But it was soon time to head for Portland where much less
happy duties awaited us. With Layne's sister Annie in the last stages of cancer
and suffering as well from Alzheimer's, we knew that her time with us was
limited, and indeed, she passed away only days after our arrival. Then the sad
task of planning her memorial service fell to us and a few other loving
relatives, culminating in a beautiful and remarkably celebratory event honoring
her life of love and devotion to family and friends.
Fun in the cold!
Our work in preparing and conducting the memorial service
meant canceling our trip to California to see my son Damian and grandson Kai, a
missed contact that we deeply regretted. But we did manage to drive to Central
Oregon for an overnight visit with Penny and Joel, very dear friends from our horseback-riding
days in California. Although the weather was a bit chilly for Layne and me,
accustomed as we are to the tropics, Penny served up delicious food as always, and Joel
entertained us with his wry humor. It was as if we had been together only the
day before.
Upon our return to Portland, we found time for a few walks
enjoying the beautiful fall colors and watching a family of muskrats gamboling
along Fanno Creek trails.
But soon it was time for us to return to Texas where we
planned to spend most of our two-month stay helping my mom with some of the
projects around her house and getting the upstairs in shape for our eventual
residency there next spring. Now that my mom is a woman "of a certain
age," Layne and I feel that we need to be with her to make her life a
little easier. She's a very independent person and we respect that, but we also
know that some things have become difficult or painful for her so we plan to
step in to ease the load a little. Besides, it's free rent!
Even in the last days of our trip, we managed to squeeze in
a very brief, but utterly wonderful visit to rugged and scenic Big Bend
National Park in southwest Texas. Our good friends Sally and Leonard, expats we
met here in Costa Rica a few years ago, last spring decided to return to the
U.S. They bought a luxurious big RV and are now serving as volunteer hosts at
national parks around the nation, feeding their unquenchable taste for
adventure. It was our good fortune that they had just begun a gig at Big Bend
and when they invited us to visit, my mother urged us to go. She had visited Big Bend some years ago and she assured us it was not to be missed, especially
with well-trained hosts to guide us. And by Texas standards, it was not all
that far away: only a four to five hour drive!
So we rented a car and drove across the boring West Texas
landscape to Big Bend, which turned out to be a stunning park of amazing
geologic formations and extravagant desert vistas. Our first afternoon there,
with Sally doing volunteer work in the Visitor's Center, Leonard drove us for miles around
the huge park, all the way down to the Texas-Mexico border of the Rio Grande
and Santa Elena Canyon, a truly astounding panorama of vertical cliffs running
along the shallow meandering river channel.
Our guide Leonard points out the geology
Solitary hiker at Santa Elena Canyon: Mexico on the left, Texas on the right
The next morning all four of us
made the drive up to Chisos Basin, a magical valley at 5400' elevation held in
the embrace of huge rock formations and monstrous volcanic peaks such as Casa
Grande, which towers over the Basin at 7300 feet. As we enjoyed the breakfast
buffet and the view through the "Window" to the desert far below, we
had the good luck to see a mother black bear and her two cubs scrambling down
the side of a nearby hill. Unfortunately, the battery on my camera was dead and
Sally's shots on her phone didn't quite work but what a thrill it was to see
these animals in their own habitat and to enjoy spectacular Big Bend National
Park.
Soon it was back to San Angelo and last preparations for our
return to Costa Rica and the happy reunion with our adorable puppy Winston. No
longer the little insecure fellow we left in the excellent care of our friends
Chris and Sue, now he's all grown up and well deserves his nickname: The Moose!
Check out Layne's novel "Moral Turpitude," Kindle edition now available for only $4.99 at Amazon.com. Five star reviews! High adventure with corporate intrigue, danger and romance; from the exotic jungles of Borneo and Costa Rica to the erotic jungles of San Francisco. A great read! Pick up your copy here -http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HI25M1K/
Happy Independence Day, Costa Rica! Layne and I are missing
the parades and festivities today, preparing for our departure on Wednesday,
but we share an appreciation of the freedoms with which this nation is blessed.
Those of us who live in a democracy with fundamental rights guaranteed and a
voice in our government should count our blessings every day and recognize our
good fortune as compared to many others around the world. (Here are local students practicing their parade routine without the blue, red and white banners they will carry in today's Independence Day parade.)
Yes, I know I said my most recent post would probably be my
last for a couple of months but our life with Winston just demands a short
piece today. We are so very grateful to our friends Chris and Sue for agreeing
to provide him a loving foster home while we're away but we do dread leaving
the little guy behind. He adds such delight to everyday things. Just a short
walk around the neighborhood can turn into a special moment.
Yesterday I took him out to practice his "heel,"
"sit" and "come" commands, hoping to leave a more
well-mannered doggie with Chris and Sue. After a little refresher course under
our carport, he and I headed down a quiet road nearby that has few loose dogs
or fast cars to bother us. Toward the end of this street is a house with a
bunch of dogs behind fences that always set up a clamor of barking as we walk
by. As made our way up the next hill, I looked behind us to see the Tico
gentleman of the house following us with a little bundle in his arms. As he
approached, I realized he was carrying two very small puppies.
The man has often greeted us on our walks, calling out
"buenos dias" and shushing his pack of hounds for our benefit,
occasionally coming out to the road to chat with us in Spanish. So yesterday I
stopped and held a curious Winston in check while he came up the hill toward us
with his arms full of puppy.
And adorable puppies they were, so small, hardly a few weeks
old, I would say. He explained that their mother had been killed on the road
only one day after they were born and of the five puppies left orphaned, only
these two had survived. He showed me their docked tails, a natural trait he
said, and shared their Spanish names, which I didn't understand, of course.
Counting these two, he said he now has ten dogs! Yikes!
It was then I realized what a cool photo he and his pups
would make so with his permission, I took a couple of shots and showed them to
him, gaining a big smile for my trouble. As he walked back to his house, he sat
the puppies down on the road and encouraged them to "venga," or come along behind him. It made a very cute
scene.
Winston and I soon turned around and hiked back toward home.
When I heard a pickup truck behind us we stepped off the road so it could pass,
but instead, it stopped and the old gentleman asked me to show his friends the
photos I had taken. He then asked if I could print copies for him, which I
readily agreed to do, hoping I would find time to get them back to him.
Yours Truly with our own puppy Winston
So this morning Layne, Winston and I retraced our steps from
yesterday, stopping by his house
with the prints. He invited us in, got the
puppies again and showed them to Layne, fairly beaming with pride as he told
the story of saving their lives, finding a way to feed them, keeping them warm
with an electric pad. He thanked us for the pictures and we bid him and his pups
adieu until we return in November.
And now, once again, I bid you adieu as well. Pura Vida!
Check out Layne's novel "Moral Turpitude," Kindle edition now available for only $4.99 at Amazon.com. Five star reviews! High adventure with corporate intrigue, danger and romance; from the exotic jungles of Borneo and Costa Rica to the erotic jungles of San Francisco. A great read! Pick up your copy here -http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HI25M1K/
It's time to get packing, as they say. Layne and I head for
the U.S. in a little over a week, so I expect this will be my last post for a while.
Between planning and packing what to take and what to store, last minute doctor
and dentist appointments, a few dinner dates to keep and the arrangements still
to be made for Winston with his foster parents Chris and Sue, I don't expect to
have much time for writing.
The next two months will find us scurrying from Texas to
Oregon, to Washington then down to California to see our two sons and their
families, before returning to spend the last few weeks with my mom in West
Texas. There will likely be adventures to relate along the way, such as a
possible trip to Kilgore, Texas, for my 50th high school reunion, so check back
from time to time but don't hold your breath waiting on my next post.
Of course, it's hard to leave Costa Rica and all our
adventures and fun outings here. Just in the last week we've enjoyed a big
Labor Day BBQ at Chris and Sue's and a "cedula celebration" at Joni
and Mike's. As mentioned in my
last post, my cooking assignment for the BBQ was to prepare baked beans for
a crowd. Using home cooked red beans, leftover black beans made with Marcial's
sausage and a few cans of Goya vegetarian and jalapeno beans, all seasoned with
onion, green pepper, garlic, brown sugar, catsup and mustard, topped with a
layer of bacon, I managed to fill a big Pyrex pan. And in all immodesty, I must
say it was a popular dish - there was just barely enough. The rest of the meal
was equally splendid, with yummy contributions from everyone.
Pineapple as pretty as Seidy!
Seidy and Daniel relax after all that good food
And of course,
Chef Chris does know how to burn some ribs. With his excellent homemade BBQ sauce,
it was just perfect. The only glitch came in the form of the predictable
afternoon downpour, which did put a damper on plans for pool volleyball. Boy, can it rain here!
But we didn't care. We just hung out
in the huge main room at Chris and Sue's place, eating, talking, laughing and
listening to music.
On Wednesday we taxied up to Joni and Mike's spectacular
rental in the mountain village of Plancillo in Mercedes. What a view! What a
house! A big modern four-bedroom home with a casita behind, situated on a huge
piece of manicured land, partly covered in mango trees. It is really quite a fabulous
place. The party was to celebrate their
achieving legal residency here in Costa Rica, definitely a milestone worthy of
a fiesta. Sitting out in the large
covered veranda overlooking a panoramic view of surrounding mountains with
Atenas in the distance, we enjoyed visiting with the "regulars" and
meeting some new friends while we sipped wine and nibbled on great hors
d'oeuvres. The crab dip was especially delicious and of course, we all love
bite-sized pieces of Marcial's sausage. To crown the day, which happened to be Sue's birthday, Joni had bought a splendid chocolate cake. Only the cake maker had somehow put "Happy Birthday, Zoe" instead of Sue across the icing. When we all sang Happy Birthday to her, the last line came out as "Happy Birthday, dear Zoe," which prompted a big laugh and the inevitable comment: Pura Vida!
So for now we must say adios to our pleasant life here in "paradise" and head for northern
climes but we look forward to seeing family and friends in the States. No doubt
there will be some good times there as well. Hasta luego, amigos!
Check out Layne's novel "Moral Turpitude," Kindle edition now available for only $4.99 at Amazon.com. Five star reviews! High adventure with corporate intrigue, danger and romance; from the exotic jungles of Borneo and Costa Rica to the erotic jungles of San Francisco. A great read! Pick up your copy here -http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HI25M1K/
The life of a semi-retiree is not easy, no matter what you may
have heard. First of all, there are all those books to read. And don't think
reading is just a luxury of time on your hands. Hardly. For instance, it was
important for me to read Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson in advance of our trip to Galveston with my mother later this month.
How else to understand and really appreciate what that city went through in
September of 1900 when a massive hurricane struck the totally unprepared
island?
And then there are the dinner parties to prepare for or
attend. Last night, for instance, with Darlene and Glynn coming over, there was
chicken to marinate, cucumber salad to prep and garlic toasts to cook for
dipping in hummus. Then tonight we'll be entertaining Marcial and Seidy, as we
do most every Friday night. So today I face preparing a salad, working on
a new baked French Fried Potato dish and shaping the hamburger "steaks"
not to mention frying the bacon to go on top. But even then, I'm not done, for
tomorrow is another big Santa Eulalia gang aka "10:27 Club" bash, a Labor
Day BBQ at Chris and Sue's house. For that, I have to cook enough baked beans
for 14 people. I'm thinking of offering my services to "Iron Chef" on
the Food Network!
What a thrill to see a humpback breach! (Photo courtesy of NPS.gov.)
Keep in mind I'm not a completely retired individual. I
still work hard at my travel writing, especially taking those great mostly-free
trips that Layne and I enjoy so much. A few days after our friend Brittany
left, Layne and I headed out to Dominical, one of our favorite beach towns here
in Costa Rica, to stay again at one of our favorite hotels, Villas Rio Mar, a comfortable and
affordable eco-lodge. It was Villas Rio Mar that invited us back, this time to
take a complimentary whale and dolphin watching tour. It seems they got such a good response from my
last story on their hotel in The
Costa Rica News (TCRN) that they wanted me to write another piece, this
time focused on the upcoming whale season, when hundreds of humpback whales visit
the shores of Marino Ballena National Park just down the road from Dominical.
Watch for my story on that trip in this Sunday's edition of TCRN.
Then there's our puppy Winston. Yes, he is indeed a great
source of joy and his antics make for some funny scenes, but raising a young Lab
is not all fun and games. There's his training, for example, which I'm happy to
report is now going very well since the addition of "treats" to our curriculum.
Boy, does he pay attention to me NOW when I say "heel." He's improved
so much we even felt comfortable taking him out with the gang for a hike last
weekend, him in a borrowed harness and extendable leash. He loved it!
Hiking through El Pueblo
Sniff, sniff. And what is THIS?
So many
good sniffs to be had, so many new sights to see and so much trouble to try and
get into. But with Layne and I heading to the US in a couple of weeks, we have
been desperate to figure out the best place for him to stay while we're gone
for two months.
"The gang" at lunch after the hike L to R: Kat, Darlene, Layne, Sue, Chris, Glynn, Bonnie & Stephen (is he asleep?!)
In a major test of one such option, we took Winston up to
Chris and Sue's last Monday for a trial run to see how he would get along with
the two dogs, Turley and Lola, who live next door. They actually belong to
Carmen and Roberto but with them out of the country, Chris and Sue are providing
foster care. Another reason for the visit was to try out some of Chef Chris'
fabulous homemade pizza. I even got a turn at "working" that dough,
per Chris' instructions. And the end result was oh so good.
Yours Truly "doughing" it
Might not be pretty but sure was good!
Winston seemed to have a great time, too, once Turley
stopped "attacking" him as the interloper he was. But they soon discovered
how much fun it could be to have a playmate and they spent the rest of the
afternoon running and playing all over the large property.
Those blurs are dogs, Winston the dark one
We are cautiously
optimistic that Winnie will be happy there with our good friends and his new
doggie pals. Layne and I have been majorly stressed over this issue. Well, Layne
doesn't "stress" about much; I do the stressing for both of us. We
are so grateful to our friends Darlene and Glynn who cared for him when we went
to Dominical, although there were a few problems in his house-training. Now we feel pretty
good about him staying with Chris and Sue while we're away.
So if you think we're just hanging out down here in Costa
Rica, laying on the beach, reading books, enjoying good dinner parties and
hikes... well, you're right. But it ain't easy having so much fun!
Check out Layne's book "Moral Turpitude," now available for FREE at Smashwords.com. High adventure with corporate intrigue, danger and romance; from the exotic jungles of Borneo and Costa Rica to the erotic jungles of San Francisco. A great read! Pick up your copy here --https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/159570
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.
