Water and Weddings in Atenas

AyA workers in our roadway

The last week or so has been challenging here in Santa Eulalia and in other parts of Atenas as well. AyA, as the water company is known, is replacing pipe all along the main road from Atenas to Grecia and as a result, we are often without water for much of the day. Usually, it comes back on at night so things could be worse, but it has been quite inconvenient now and then. Last Friday night, for instance, when Marcial and Seidy were to join us as usual for dinner and conversation (in English and Spanish), the water was still off at 6:00 p.m. and I was in a tizzy trying to figure out how to cook our favorite fish dish, lightly browned Corvina (Sea Bass) in a Ginger-Green Onion sauce. In addition, I was suffering more than usual from a return of the eczema that plagues me now and then so finally, with apologies, I called Marcial and cancelled dinner. Predictably, the water came back on within the hour and Layne and I enjoyed the fish, albeit later than planned.

On Saturday, as we were heading out to a friend's wedding we found the AyA workers practically at our doorstep, with a trench several feet deep cut across the asphalt drive leading down to our house. 

Right across our driveway

Does this signify "good watermelon"? 

As we awaited the arrival of the bus, made late by the construction, our landlord Isaac brought out big slices of watermelon as a refreshing treat for the workers. One fellow in particular was more than happy to have his photo taken enjoying the fruit. Now that the work has passed our block on its way to Grecia, we are hopeful that the worst is over.

The wedding was a joyful celebration of love between two of our friends: our hairdresser Mariana and her Gringo beau Calvin. As expected many of our Atenas pals were there. This is because one of the first places most Gringos land when they arrive in Atenas is Kay's Gringo Postre, the meeting place/restaurant/lending library hosted by Kay and Tom Costello, expats from South Dakota who have been community leaders here for ten years or more. At Kay's you can get reliable advice on everything from the best residency attorney, to a good dentist to... yes, the best place for a haircut. That would be Mariana's. So the happy couple took their vows at her home in front of many of her clients who, like us, have come to adore this charming, vivacious Columbian woman.

The minister was obviously a good friend as well because in his homily to the couple on their matrimonial duties, he took certain liberties. Standing beneath the purple and white decorated porch, he began by saying to Calvin: "I don't know how you managed to get her, Calvin. You're a lucky man." Calvin turned to the crowd with a devilish smile and gave a thumbs-up sign, eliciting a laugh from the audience. Turning to Mariana, the minister sighed, "You could have done better, Mariana," whereupon Calvin again turned to us, this time with a shocked frown causing still more laughter. 

Calvin clowning for the crowd

Kay Costello toasts the happy couple

Mariana and Calvin cut their cake

Then there was champagne with gracious toasts, food, music and dancing and eventually they cut the beautiful cake. All in all, it was a lovely wedding and we wish them every happiness.

Check out Layne's book "Moral Turpitude," available for only $2.99 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. Sample or purchase at --https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/159570 

Big Birthdays and Baby Back Ribs

If there's one thing the Santa Eulalia Gang, aka The 10:27 Club, knows how to do, it's celebrate a birthday. And it was with festive spirits and grateful hearts that we all gathered last week to wish an enthusiastic Happy Birthday to our honorary leader and dear friend, Marcial Artavia, aka The Sausage King, aka Costa Rica Dundee. As his 62nd birthday approached, his adorable wife Seidy took charge. Keeping it simple, she decided on typical Tico fare of rice, red beans, yucca, home-baked bread, chicken simmered in a spicy sauce and a beautiful salad adorned with a pink plumeria from her garden. Eroca provided one of her now-famous desserts, Pineapple Upside-down Cake. 

Feast for a King

The rest of us contributed a few appetizers, plenty of beer and wine and Marcial's favorite indulgence, J&B scotch whiskey. It was a feast fit for ... well, a Sausage King! With his family all there, including his mom Haydee who did the honors of blowing out the single symbolic candle, and the entire Santa Eulalia gang gathered around him, it was sure to be a fun evening for Marcial as indeed it was.

Eroca, Marc, Sue, Marcial, Seidy & Stephen (Layne's hand in foreground)

Plumeria from the yard

Eroca presents the birthday cake

A birthday hug from Mom...

A birthday kiss from Seidy

Since most of the female members of the Santa Eulalia Gang were in attendance (all but Carmen), the event gave us a chance to take a photo together wearing the stunning earrings that Marcial and Seidy's oldest son Felipe makes. They feature a Dream-catcher design in your choice of colors and use coconut shell as a frame. Felipe is making these to sell in an effort to earn tuition money for college. 

Showing off our earrings

The "official" Santa Eulalia Gang earrings

Felipe hopes to study architecture at a private school here in Costa Rica but the cost to register is pretty steep. So he is offering these beautiful earrings at only 5000 colones a pair, or about $10, as a way to save enough for tuition. If you want to wear the official Santa Eulalia Gang earrings and help this young man get into college, send me an email at mailto:pksunlove@gmail.com and I'll put you in touch with Felipe.

As usual the rest of our week and weekend was busy with our regular trips to the gym, hikes around the neighborhood and the community fiesta that is every Friday's feria. We always see dozens of people we know there. On Friday night Chris and Sue and Marcial and Seidy came to our house to enjoy some of Chris' amazing North Carolina barbequed baby back ribs. Oh, wow, were they juicy, falling-off-the-bone delicious! Slow-cooked in the oven for a few hours then slathered in Chris' homemade sauce for a final browning on the charcoal grill, they were some of the best I've ever had. (Unfortunately, we were so busy cooking and eating, we forgot to take photos.) Along with his cole slaw and my baked beans and potato salad, we were completely satiated by the end of the evening. No wonder Layne and I have trouble losing weight, despite all our exercise. But with food this good, who can resist? Certainly not me! Pura Vida!

P.S. Thanks to my wonderful loyal readers, this blog is about to hit the 50,000 all-time page views mark! Thank you so much for your continued readership, support and encouragement.  

Check out Layne's book "Moral Turpitude," available for only $2.99 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. Sample or purchase at --https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/159570 

  

Paddle-boarding With Crocodiles on the River Baru

On the long, hot bus ride back from Dominical last Friday, I felt a little like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, tapping her heels together, closing her eyes and chanting: "There's no place like home. There's no place like home." Although I love the beach life at this southern zone surfer's paradise, the climate was too hot for comfort this trip. As we left Dominical in our non-air conditioned (but otherwise comfortable) bus, the digital display above the front window said 38 ºC or about 100 ºF. Holy Hotcakes! That's West Texas weather! By the time we reached Atenas four hours later and two thousand feet higher in elevation, the temperature had dropped to 27 ºC or 80 ºF. No wonder Atenas is touted as having "the best climate in the world!"

 

Villas Rio Mar gardens

Dominical continues to lure us, nevertheless, because of its laid-back, low-key lifestyle and of course, our favorite hotel, Villas Rio Mar, where we enjoy comfort, good service and great food. The two sea bass dinners I had - one with garlic sauce, the other in almond sauce - were just outstanding.

Without a car for most of our trip (we rented one for the last day), Layne and I got in a short hike each day as we walked from the hotel to the beach area and back. Strolling along the beachfront road is a feast for the eyes, as you pass one vender stall after another filled with colorful beach towels, sundresses, shorts, tee shirts, bikinis, jewelry and handcrafts. We stopped at one lady's booth for a glass of delicious freshly squeezed orange juice. As you can see from her smile, Ticos are not shy about photographs.

On our trek back to the hotel, we looked out at the River Baru and noticed three people standing up paddling along on surfboards, apparently unconcerned about the signs warning of crocodiles in the river. Let's just hope they kept their balance as a dip in those waters might invite some unwelcome company. 

On the same hike Layne glanced across the river to the jungle beyond and suddenly stopped in amazement. Clearly visible through the trees was a very large airplane. How it got there we have no idea, although we later learned that it serves as a restaurant and sits alongside the road to San Isidro de General, so perhaps they managed to tow it into place. But the sight sure surprised us.

 The third and last night of our trip we joined dozens of locals on the beach to watch the sunset and meditate on the beauty and awesome power of the ocean. Layne and I had abundant opportunities to experience that power in our daily beachside trips, watching fearless surfers conquer 8- to 10-foot waves that then crashed mightily into us as we jumped breakers in knee-deep water. With the strong rip tides and undertow at Dominical, one must have great respect for the ocean and never turn your back on the rolling surf. A couple of big ones washed over us and had us scrambling to regain our footing before the next one hit.

As the sun's rays disappeared behind distant clouds, Layne and I walked over to our other favorite restaurant, Tortilla Flats, for dinner. While we were enjoying our meal, a deaf mute young Tico approached our table with a card explaining that he could make a number of different items using a palm frond. Our waiter confirmed that he did very good work and so we chose a basket. One can never have too many baskets, right? 

Watching the young fellow at work was amazing as he quickly but carefully wove the long green leaves into a lovely container. He only charged 3000 colones or about $6 but I gave him 5000 and considered it a bargain at that. 

As it dries, it will harden

Our waiter confided to me that the man gets depressed at times because of his disability, but he has been encouraged by his success in visiting local restaurants and crafting handmade artwork on the spot. We wish him well.

So it was good to be back in Atenas after our fun excursion to the beach. We fantasize renting a beach cottage in Dominicalito, an even smaller village just south of Dominical, and sharing our time between Atenas with its perfect climate and great friends and the Dominical area with its seductive beach ambiance. Pura Vida!

Check out Layne's book "Moral Turpitude," available for only $2.99 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. Sample or purchase at --https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/159570 

  

A Costa Rica Eco-Hike or Eco Tico

Yesterday was a beautiful day for a hike: blue skies with spongy white clouds scattered overhead and a light refreshing breeze. But instead of taking off for hidden trails and picturesque rivers, the Santa Eulalia Gang, aka The 10:27 Club, donned gloves, grabbed big plastic bags and headed down the main road picking up rubbish. Our goal was to clean the ditches and gutters of detritus and in the process hopefully inspire our neighbors to be more aware of where they toss their trash.

As proud residents of such a naturally beautiful country, Ticos are rather casual about throwing things on the ground. It seems as though they think, "out of sight, out of mind," not realizing or choosing to ignore the fact that all those plastic bags, candy wrappers, cardboard boxes, soda bottles, computer cases and other garbage don't magically disappear. Alas, when the rainy season arrives, it all gets pushed down the ditches and into the rivers and ultimately into the ocean, where trash from around the world now forms a huge toxic plastic "island" known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Estimates on its size range from twice the size of Hawaii to twice the size of the state of Texas. As it leaves countries on the Pacific Rim -- from Japan and the Philippines in the east and from all along the West Coast of the United States -- debris is caught up in the North Pacific Gyre, a clockwise movement of four prevailing currents in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean, where it slowly breaks down into even smaller polymers that provide a deadly soup for the ocean life there. Since the Gyre comprises the largest ecosystem on Earth, some 20 million square kilometers, we're talking some serious ecological damage.

So the Santa Eulalia "Drinking Club with a Hiking Problem" decided to take matters - and trash - into our own hands, literally. We knew we couldn't save the world but we might be able to save our little pristine corner here in Costa Rica. A little disorganized in the beginning (as we are wont to be), the gang soon developed a system: Stephen was Plastic Man, Layne and Carmen were talking Trash, Sue carried the Aluminum and Glass bag and I was in charge of Paper goods. Marcial, Bonnie and Chris had primary pick-up duties, delivering the goods to the appropriate bag handlers and occasionally taking on bag-handling duties as well.

It was slow going; we were amazed at just how much "stuff" there was to pick up, especially in front of and across the street from the local high school where the kids convene between classes to munch on candy and sodas and often drop the packaging where they sit. Along one stretch of concrete gutter we discovered a sludge-like liquid in the bottom in which plastics and other debris were immersed. We couldn't face picking that up as the sludge smelled of sewage so Stephen dragged most of it out with a stick so at least it could dry - and perhaps send a message to the litterers as well as the household with the poor septic system.

As the road leveled out near Bonnie and Stephen's house, they decided to call it quits for the day; it was hard work! The rest of us had every intention of going on but once we took a break for a few bites of delicious mango that Marcial had found, we concluded we had done enough for one day and it was time to relax. Our neighbor Juan had donated the bags and was coming in his pickup truck to take them for appropriate recycling but when he arrived with a bottle of tequila, limons and salt in hand, it was time for a Tailgate Party, Tico style!

Now that's a Tailgate Party!

This puppy fell in love with Sue - and she with it!

Our plan for the next clean-up hike is to bring along a sign as a means of public education: Let's Keep Santa Eulalia Clean! ¡Vamos a mantener Santa Eulalia limpio!

Check out Layne's book "Moral Turpitude," available for only $2.99 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. Sample or purchase at --https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/159570