The Hard Life of a Costa Rica Retiree

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 

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 

  

Dominical Dreamin' - Part II

Main St., Dominical

In my last post we took a trip to Playa Dominical, down the Pacific Coast past Quepos, with our friends Marc and Eroca in celebration of Layne's birthday. The first two days were filled with sun and surf, laughter and good cheer, the evenings with leisurely dinners of fresh fish and wine. But the third morning Layne and I got up early, enjoyed the great breakfast buffet at Villas Rio Mar where we were staying, then headed down the highway to play a round of golf.

Affordable public golf courses  are few and far between in Costa Rica so we were delighted when we discovered a 9-hole course located just a 40-minute drive south from Dominical. As a travel writer, I had been fortunate to score a free round of golf so Layne and I managed to bring our bag of clubs along, even though it crowded our Toyota Yaris rental car.

Yours Truly tees up

And what a beautiful course it is! Nestled deep in the jungles of the Southern Pacific zone, San Buenas Golf Resort is part of a planned condominium and residential community still in the early stages of construction. Only the first 9 holes of the 18-hole course are completed so far but that was enough for Layne and me to get our "golf fix." With not another soul on the fairways, other than a few maintenance workers, we literally had the place to ourselves. Riding along the tidy gravel golf paths, we delighted in gorgeous views all around, from misty mountain vistas to the unexpected sight of a tall white bird - a heron, perhaps? - standing just off the green on the fifth hole.

 

It had been a while since Layne had had his hands on a club and it showed in his game: I came within one stroke of beating him! We usually play what he calls "match play" golf, where we only keep track of who wins hole by hole, not the overall score. On the match play scorecard, I won four holes, he won four holes and we tied one. Of course, neither of us would brag about our overall scores.

Layne takes his best shot

The course is as green and lush as one expects a golf course to be but we were pleased to learn that San Buenas is committed to the ecology of the local area and employs sustainable practices in the golf course as well as the residential area. For example, the course uses a particular kind of grass on the fairways which is saltwater tolerant. So when weeds appear, they simply water the course with saltwater, killing the weeds but not the grasses. The management of San Buenas is also providing "green" leadership in the local town of San Buenaventura, helping set up a plastic, glass and aluminum can recycling program using their trucks, employees and volunteers. To protect the town from flooding during the rainy season, San Buenas is working to lower the banks of the river near the course so that overflow will run onto low areas of the golf course and not into town.

The company is likewise committed to helping build the local pueblo by providing jobs to as many local people as they can employ, offering education and job training as needed. As we rode around the course, we could see the results of this policy: despite the empty fairways, there were employees watering the greens by hand, spraying foliage with fertilizer or blowing and raking leaves. For us it was a great morning of golf; for the town of San Buenaventura, it promises a brighter future.

Layne and I returned to Villas Rio Mar, tired but happy. After sharing a tasty plate of nachos with Marc and Eroca, it was back to the playa for more sun and hopefully a beautiful sunset over the ocean. 

With signs warning of "strong rip currents" and a prohibition on swimming on the main Dominical beach, we contented ourselves with hanging out watching surfers and chatting with other beachgoers. Eroca and I engaged a stunningly beautiful young brunette in conversation and learned that she was there from Brazil with her boyfriend, who was out surfing. As I tried to chat with her, we found that since I knew no Portuguese, her native tongue, and she knew little English, my native language, we ended up conversing in Spanish, which neither of us knew very well. We both found it rather amusing that we could carry on a friendly chitchat in our second languages.

Eroca strikes a meditative pose

Another woman we met was Canadian like Eroca and a true "snowbird," with homes in both British Columbia and Dominical, spending the good season in each one and utilizing house sitters as caretakers when absent from each house. Another potential retiree we met was in Costa Rica for a month, her and her husband's third such "due diligence" trip. They were quite taken with Dominical and were thinking of buying property. Only that morning her husband had expressed second thoughts after reading a book that advises renting before buying. We agreed that we think that is the best approach to moving here as well. Not everyone can make the adjustment.

Dominical wardrobe

As the afternoon ebbed we gazed out at the surfers silhouetted against the setting sun, the beauty and peacefulness of the place intoxicating. Eventually we strolled back to the main street area for dinner at a popular hangout, Tortilla Flats. After we shared a plate of excellent Fried Calamari, I opted for Fish Tacos, which were extravagant in size and flavor, and we all enjoyed some first-rate margaritas.

With only one more day before us, I played my "travel writer card" and urged our little group to make the short drive south to Marino Ballena National Park, which would give me one more cool thing to write about. They were easy to persuade and when we arrived at this picturesque beach, they were quite happy they came along. 

What a stretch of magnificent coastline, ultra-tropical scenery and the trademark "whale's tail"-shaped coral reef offshore. Simply beautiful.

Short hike to Playa Ballena

Eroca takes in the view

Marc takes in the view too

Beach as far as you can see...

... in each direction

We could have easily spent an entire day there instead of the two hours we had. But in that time, Eroca and I walked down the beach to an area we'd been told was home to Scarlet Macaws. And indeed, perched high in the trees were numbers of the bright red birds, flapping at each other indignantly and squawking their distinctive caw. It was quite a thrill to see so many in their native habitat.

But soon it was time for the drive home, a quieter group than on the trip down as we all enjoyed the memories of our outstanding holiday in Dominical. ¡Vamos a regresar! We will return!

          

Dominical Dreamin' - Part I

"Downtown" Dominical

From our first stop at Playa Hermosa to our last day out at Marino Ballena, our trip this week to Dominical to celebrate Layne's birthday could hardly have been better. If a funky little surfer paradise is what you're looking for, Dominical is the place to go. What a step backwards to a hippie-style laid-back beach lifestyle. I fell in love with it!

After a predictable drama with the rental car (why is insurance so complicated here?!), we drove off Monday morning with our friends Marc and Eroca for a four-day holiday of sun and sand. Marc had made his semi-famous tuna sandwiches so when lunchtime came we pulled off at Playa Hermosa. This quiet beach serves as the backdrop for one of the scenes in Layne's novel, Moral Turpitude, so we thought we should check it out in person. The black sand beach framing a turquoise ocean was the ideal beginning to our adventure.

Marc and Layne at Playa Hermosa

Eroca waves from the shore

Three hours later we approached Dominical. Immediately upon turning off the nice paved highway, we were hurled back in time to a quaint Tico village with a rocky dirt road for a main street and barefoot children riding bikes in the middle of the road. Surf shops, beachwear stores, a couple of real estate offices, a few restaurants and a lone yoga studio made up the whole of downtown. "Main street" consists of rows of wooden stalls where beach towels, pareu skirts, colorful dresses, jewelry and other crafts are sold.

Our hotel, Villas Rio Mar, was a real find: an eco-lodge nestled in the jungles along the River Baru, where signs warn of crocodiles. We kept a wary eye out but never saw one of the hungry reptiles, although locals told us dogs are regularly lost to the beasts. 

A bountiful buffet

The hotel seemed safe enough, however, each secluded casita a haven of privacy and comfort surrounded by tropical gardens.  The staff was friendly and helpful, the rooms were clean and well appointed and food in the restaurant was excellent. In fact, the breakfast buffet, which is included in the room price, was the best Layne and I have had and we've sampled quite a few now. Fresh fruit, gallo pinto (the national dish of savory rice and beans), scrambled eggs, sausage links, hash browns, pancakes, French toast, coffee, juice -- all of it delicious.

Our open-air living room

This first day being Layne's actual birthday, we decided to spend the afternoon lounging by the pool with margaritas for refreshment. When our poolside waiter learned it was Layne's cumpleaños, the birthday boy got a free drink. 

After an idyllic couple of hours swimming and relaxing, we cleaned up for the birthday dinner, Eroca's treat. Following this festive repast, we hung out at the pool table then retired for our next full day of fun.

Marc, the Shark

After a leisurely breakfast we were off to the beach to frolic in the waves and take in the scenery. As the "high season" had not yet started, we found the playa all but deserted, with just a few beach walkers and locals wandering around. Dominical's oceanfront is a long wide expanse of sand littered with a few large pieces of driftwood, one of which made a good "sofa" for us to sit on. Eroca and I headed for the water -- deep blue and luxuriously warm. The waves were just right for giddy jumping to avoid a face full of salt water and occasionally big enough to require diving beneath the curl as it broke in front of us. We laughed our heads off.

Eroca shows off her new dress

Soon enough Eroca and I, along with Marc, decided to wander down the road for some shopping. Only about 100 yards away was at an open-air store run by a delightfully friendly Tico who told us his name was Eddie. "You know, like Eddie Murphy!" he said, laughing. The brightly colored dresses hanging in front of the shops were hard to resist, at least for Eroca. Eddie's wife makes all the clothing and most of the jewelry, some of which she designs from coconut shell cut into star shapes or heart shapes, painted and bejeweled. Eroca found a lovely green embroidered dress with earrings to match. I chose a new beach towel and a colorful backpack with room for all my "stuff," which I'd been searching for. When Eddie's wife showed us the clever pareu skirt clips she makes from coconut shell and which make ten different ways to use the skirt, we both had to have one.

Eroca and Marc took off to meander through town and perhaps find something for lunch while Layne and I stayed behind to watch our things. Petty theft continues to be a problem in Costa Rica, particularly around tourist towns like Dominical, although this beach was so deserted I was hardly concerned. We watched as surfers began to paddle out and dogs with their owners romped on the sand. This pair of German Shepherds tossed a stick around and greeted beachgoers as they awaited the return of their surfer owner.

Finally, the surfer  has returned

Sesame Tuna - Yum!

Instead of going out for dinner that night we enjoyed another splendid meal at Villas Rio Mar. The dinner special was irresistible: Caesar Salad, Sesame Tuna over steamed vegetables alongside creamy mashed potatoes and Peach Melba for dessert -- all for $16. We agreed it was an outstanding meal. Afterwards we retired to our patio "living room" for wine and some jovial conversation.

The next day was off to the golf course for Layne and me. Watch for that upcoming report!

(Click on photos to enlarge.)