Mooning the Howler Monkeys

“In sickness and in health” took on a whole new meaning this week as Layne and I have both been under the weather with cold/sinus infection blues. Feeling tired and stuffed up offers no incentive for writing, that’s for sure.

But as Lady Gaga might say, “The show must go on.” Did you see her terrible fall from the piano bench during her Houston show recently? Goodness, the woman is a real trooper to keep on singing after a tumble like that. Even if she was lip-synching, as some cynical commenters charged, it was still amazing that she got back up and kept performing.

Katia at Apartotel LaSabana

So I’ll try to buck up and offer a brief report on our recent (pre-snuffles) travels with friends from Oregon, Sue and Christine. We met them at our San Jose home-away-from-home, Apartotel LaSabana, the comfortable inn located just far enough from downtown to feel safe and secure but close enough to be convenient to museums, parks and restaurants. Although Layne and I arrived quite early, our two-bedroom suite was all ready for us so we had time to lie around the pool. One of the best things about Apartotel LaSabana is the helpful staff so while we awaited Sue and Chris’ arrival, I got some friendly advice from desk clerk Katia regarding the bus schedule for the next morning -- destination: Paquera on the Nicoya Peninsula by ferry from Puntarenas.  After due consideration, we opted to take a later ferry rather than push our jet-lagged friends on to the early bus to Puntarenas.

Puntarenas Ferry Terminal

Following the relaxed and delicious Tico breakfast at Apartotel LaSabana, we headed to the bus station for the two-plus hour ride to Puntarenas, a rugged port city that stretches out along a narrow peninsula into the Gulf of Nicoya. As we dropped down from the Central Valley toward the Pacific coastline, the weather changed from fresh and comfortable to muggy, hot and humid, a dramatic illustration of the microclimates in this small country.

Vigdis, our lovely hostess

Humidity notwithstanding, the short ferry ride to Paquera was delightful as sea gulls, pelicans and frigate birds sailed the ocean breezes around us while we nibbled on leftover lamb from dinner the night before and sipped Costa Rican beer. Soon enough we pulled into the dock and were met by Vigdis Vatshaug, a captivating sun-tanned beauty who with her husband Thomas Jones runs Bahia Rica, a fishing and sea kayaking lodge just a few minutes drive over rough road from the ferry terminal. With her vibrant smile and sun-bleached hair, Vigdis presented the perfect beach welcome to us weary travelers.

One of the many exotic birds 

Relaxing on the veranda

Vigdis and Thomas are charming Norwegians who met via the Internet and have successfully fulfilled their dream of running a fishing company and bed-and-breakfast business in the heart of the tropics. Located at the top of a large hill with views of the Gulf is the lodge, a unique pole-built structure constructed by the Dutch owner to European standards, offering three large rooms with a queen and a single bed in each. Rising two stories up into a jungle of trees, with long open verandas on each level, the lodge brings guests into close contact with wildlife all around.

A View for the Monkeys

And boy, was there some wildlife! Colorful exotic birds and a variety of butterflies flitted through the trees on the second floor where we stayed and howler monkeys moaned their distinctively fearsome calls only yards away. Situated between two sleeping rooms, the upstairs bathroom was an open-air arrangement, which we shared with our Atenas friends Sally and Leonard who had arrived earlier by car for this two-night stay at Bahia Rica. Showering with howler monkeys watching from their treetop perches was quite a bizarre experience!

It was a treacherous path down the steep hillside 

that led to Vigdis and Thomas’ rustic beachfront cottage, set in a clearing full of mango and cashew trees and adorned with tempting hammocks at the water’s edge. Sally and Leonard opted to make the extreme climb back uphill to the lodge but Layne and I, along with Sue and Christine, only managed the vertigo-inducing hike down.

All the meals prepared by our hosts were delightful, including Norwegian breakfasts of homemade bread, light meats, cheese, sliced tomato and cucumber. Vigdis showed cooking creativity the first night by adding mango to chicken quesadillas. Delicious! The second night we enjoyed fresh-caught mackerel that Thomas had snagged on an outing with sport-fishing clients, then cooked for us himself. It was truly the best fish I’ve ever eaten, just lightly breaded and sautéed, served with salad and mashed potatoes. 

The happy kayakers! 

Our morning sea-kayaking excursion was adventuresome and strenuous fun as we paddled our way out into the Gulf, along the way watching schools of leaping black tuna feed on sardines in the surface waters. We circled nearby Jesuito Island and stopped for snacks at a secluded beach inhabited only by a family of Ticos. Frolicking in the shallow water was a small girl who shyly befriended me and pointed out her house at the top of the surrounding cliff. I enjoyed a leisurely swim in the incredibly warm waters until it was time for us to move on and reluctantly make our way back to Bahia Rica. Along the way we were suddenly bombarded by an aerial feeding frenzy as dozens of large black frigate birds, with their scimitar wings and forked tails, began diving headlong close to our kayaks, grabbing some of the sardines away from the tuna. An amazing sight!

At noon we crowded into Sally and Leonard’s SUV and headed into the little town of Paquera for lunch. Talk about a step back in time. It felt like Hawaii in the 50’s with kids riding along dusty roads on bicycles, mangos hanging in clusters from the trees and bougainvillea lining the yards. Our lunch at Mapi’s, a small hotel and restaurant run by a Tico family, was excellent and inexpensive.

One very virile monkey!

As we lounged on the verandas that afternoon, a whole family of howler monkeys paid us a noisy visit -- a mother with a baby on her back who kept her distance, a big male with enormous pink testicles which drooped down below the branches where he sat arrogantly observing us and several others leaping through the tree limbs. Although we have heard the sound of howlers now and then even here in Atenas, we had never before seen them. Being so up-close and at their level in the treetops was a thrill.

And yet this wonderful two-night adventure was just the beginning of our travels with Sue and Christine. As we waved goodbye to Sally and Leonard in Puntarenas following the ferry ride back across the Gulf, we headed off to Lake Arenal for still more exciting activities. Stay tuned! 

Kids, More Kids and Orchids

Layne and I have been in a pretty celebratory mood since last Thursday. That’s when we got word that his brain scan had come back normal. Yippee! No mini-stroke! Now that’s something to celebrate. So when we got a last-minute invitation to a little boy’s one-year-old birthday party on Saturday, we were delighted to accept. Plus, some old friends from the United States would be there, grandparents of the birthday boy. We go back many years with Karen and Joe, including playing dress-up at a series of hilarious Halloween parties with Karen’s sisters, Penny and Ruth, both of whom are also dear friends of ours. With the prospect of seeing Karen and Joe, renewing acquaintance with their son Greg and his wife Amanda and joining little Lincoln for his first birthday, we happily packed our swimsuits and got ready to hop on the bus from Atenas into San Jose.

But once we arrived at the downtown San Jose bus station, ironically known as Coca Cola because of its former function, we wondered how we would know which bus to take to Escazu, where Greg and Amanda live. The directions to their condominium complex were typical for Costa Rica: two hundred meters past World Gym on the old road from Escazu to Santa Ana. Not very helpful for getting around by bus and we had no idea what a taxi might cost. But as luck would have it, as soon as we exited our bus from Atenas, a bus pulled in under the Santa Ana sign and in the window was a small placard reading “Calle Vieja.” Old Road! I stepped up to the driver with map in hand and began trying to ask if he stopped near our destination but he sharply ordered me to “Pase! Pase!” -- move out of the way of other riders getting onboard. This was not your typical friendly Tico. He seemed to be having a bad day. Fortunately, as has so often happened for us, a young Tica came to my aide and we learned from her that indeed the bus would stop a block away from our destination. With her help, we arrived with no difficulty and had a wonderful time at the birthday shindig, indulging in Amada’s great bean dip and guacamole, Greg’s delicious grilled shish-ka-bob and laughing as the kids smacked the piñata.

A great breakfast!

Apartotel LaSabana pool area

Before leaving Atenas, Layne and I had checked the return bus schedule and to avoid a late bus ride home, we had decided to stay overnight in the city at our favorite small hotel, Apartotel LaSabana Conveniently located near downtown and with an English-speaking staff, we always enjoy our stays there, especially the fabulous Tico breakfast buffet included with the room charge.

We had heard there was a big orchid show that weekend and being the orchid-lover that I am, I had hoped to attend. Our impromptu trip into San Jose gave me that opportunity. So on Sunday morning we stowed our bags with the hotel staff and headed off for the day’s adventures, catching a bus along Paseo Colon and noting our progress on our GPS, fondly known as “Ilsa” for her Germanic directives.

After the final bus stop, we set off on foot, counting on Ilsa in pedestrian mode to help us find the way. As we wandered along we soon noticed musicians setting up onstage in the Parque Morazon amid signs announcing a Festival de Verano, or Festival of Spring, and the further into the central park we went, the more activities we discovered. Eventually we made our way to Parque Espana where even more festivities were in evidence: huge play structures for the kids, plus dozens of vendors with clothing, jewelry, decorations made of recycled plastic, hand puppets, leather goods, artwork and even furniture made from old computer parts. Then there were the dancers -- the women dressed in traditional colorful full skirts, the men flashing their red and blue bandanas. It was all in perfect harmony with our happy feelings of gratitude for our joy in being together and our good health. Pura Vida!

Eventually we pulled ourselves away from the outdoor festival and entered the grand hall of Antigua Aduana or Old Customs, now known as the Centro del Arte y la Cultura, the Center for Art and Culture where the Asociacion Costarricense de Orquideologia was hosting their show. What a splash of color greeted us! Hundreds of gorgeous orchid blooms were displayed in charming little environments, each designed to show off the majestic blossoms to best effect. As we wandered along the roped off area with dozens of other attendees, the flowers simply amazed us. From the grandest purple cattleyas of high school prom fame to a stalk of the tiniest pink flowers imaginable, the variety and beauty of orchids is simply breathtaking. And of course, here in Costa Rica, the national flower is an orchid by the name of Guaria Morada. As we finished the exhibits and entered the sales area, it was difficult for me to resist buying a plant or two. But with a bus trip ahead of us, it seemed too risky. Besides, orchid plants are for sale each Friday at our feria and it is probably safer to buy one locally. 

Tired but satisfied, we taxied back to the hotel to collect our bags then on to Coca Cola for the trip back to Atenas on the 1:30 p.m. bus. Only the 1:30 bus didn’t show up until after 2 p.m. Even then, the trip back home was unusually lengthy. It seems the powers-that-be had decided to close part of the main road where a bridge is under repair and detour traffic through side streets. It took over a half hour just to get out of San Jose. But that’s why we like riding the bus. As I read my book and Layne took a nap, we stayed tranquilo all the way home. No problema! 

(Remember you can click on any photo to enlarge it.)

Apartotel LaSabana

Festive Gringos and Abandoned Dogs

Saturday, April 3, 2010

(Click on photos to enlarge)

Our hopes for serving as a magnet for visitors to Costa Rica is off to a great start with our long-time friends Penny Cash and Joel Glenn’s arrival last week. On Wednesday, Layne and I hopped on the trusty autobus for the 45-minute ride into San Jose where we met them at our favorite bed and breakfast, Apartotel La Sabana, along with Penny’s older sister Karen and her fun-loving husband Joe. After Penny and I did our “happy dance” greeting, the six of us were off to Karen and Joe’s son Greg’s house in Escazu, an upscale suburb of San Jose. As noted in my last post, Greg and his wife Amanda are the proud new parents of a little baby boy named Lincoln so Karen and Joe are here doing the grandparent thing with great enthusiasm.

         Greg and Amanda are Peace Corps veterans, Greg now retired from that role and starting a new job soon at the US Embassy while Amanda has moved into a management position with the Corps. Both of them are still passionate about the program and committed to continuing its good work in other capacities. Working as a Peace Corps volunteer is an unfulfilled dream of mine so I appreciate their dedication to work that serves the poor around the world.

         The Embassy provides these young people with some pretty snazzy housing in a beautiful gated community. Their large two-story home happens to be right next to the pool. How handy is that!? Naturally, after the well-deserved oohs and ahhs over little Lincoln with his over-sized feet (that boy may be tall!), all of us, except for the new Mom, headed for the pool house with a round of beers. One round led to another and soon we had a table full of “dead soldiers,” plus a very festive group of grown-ups laughing our heads off at one funny story after another. Greg was delayed in joining the party by a car alarm that refused to shut up. But his trip to the auto repair shop was successful and inexpensive: only $10 to fix it. Following a pizza dinner with way too much wine generously supplied by Joe, we finally said goodnight and headed back to the hotel by taxi.

         After enjoying La Sabana’s delicious breakfast the next morning, P & J rented a car and the four of us headed for Atenas, finding remarkably little traffic on the roads because of Semana Santa (Easter Week), a major holiday here when the entire country basically shuts down and heads for the beach. We even found our local neighborhood festooned with bougainvillea-garlanded crosses on our walk today, apparently placed there yesterday in honor of Good Friday.

         Penny and Joel were suitably impressed with our little chalet and we had a lovely evening with cocktails on the patio watching the sunset, then Chifrijo for dinner. What is Chifrijo, you might ask? It’s a basic Costa Rican dish that I’ve adapted somewhat: rice in a bowl, topped by seasoned red beans, sprinkled with a fried meat (in our case spicy sausages), all covered with a lime-dressed cabbage slaw. It’s pretty yummy!        

         After P & J drove off yesterday headed for tourist adventures in the rain forest and on to the beach, a couple of bedraggled puppies appeared in our compound, both thin enough to slip through the metal bars of our gate. Desperately under-nourished, we can only assume that they were dropped off and abandoned. What a problem! We clearly cannot adopt the pups since we’ll be leaving in May and we are confident our landlady would not appreciate our leaving two stray dogs on her property. It is an all-too-common situation, unfortunately. Costa Ricans simply do not see companion animals with the same loving eye that most Americans do. Many are tied up and just fed now and then. Others roam the streets, un-neutered, thus producing still more strays. 

         After a consultation with our neighbor who has two small dogs herself, we decided to call our local animal rescue friends, Frances and Bruce, who live down the road. Regular readers will recall our meeting them at the school fund-raiser a few weeks ago. Since then, Layne and I have paid them a visit on our morning walk and met the house-full of 18 dogs and 5 cats that they care for. Frances has built a splendid clinic space in their home where local vets come and provide shots, spay and neuter services and emergency care at reduced costs, most of which Frances and Bruce pay for out of their own pockets. Their operation is called Lighthouse Animal Rescue and they truly do amazing good work here in Alto de Monte, providing valuable services to the local animals. Lighthouse is in the running for a $1000 prize through the Animal Rescue Site and I would very much appreciate all my blog readers taking a moment to visit that site and cast a vote for them every day, if possible. (You first click on the “Click here to give - It’s Free” purple button; on the next page, click at the top on the “Vote Today” banner. Then in the search space, type in Lighthouse and choose Costa Rica. When Lighthouse comes up, just cast your vote, then confirm it on the following page.) It’s easy! And we really want them to win that money!

         So Frances said if we could care for the dogs until Sunday when she has a spay and neuter clinic scheduled, we could bring them and the vet will treat them for worms and hopefully neuter them, if they are old enough and if their poor health will allow. After that, we don’t know what will happen. Stay tuned!