Singing in the Rainy Season

August 31, 2010

         It’s packing day here, getting ready for our move tomorrow. But I’ll take a break to draft this post and bring my devoted Followers up to date. We found our “almost perfect” apartment on Saturday. It turned out to be the very one that Dennis had mentioned before we arrived but then thought was already rented. Apparently, it was just miscommunication with the owner, so that a week later it was available after all. Just as we did last spring when we saw Hazel’s chalet, we fell immediately in love with the place. It has everything we wanted except for that second bedroom, but the “great room” is large enough to accommodate a futon for guests, there is a small office, and the rest of the place is simply delightful. All new and modern construction with lovely furnishings, it has a wonderful kitchen with a gas stove, which will make dinner parties a pleasure to prepare. There’s a big covered rancho a few steps away with a gas grill for cooking outdoors. And… ta da! … a gorgeous swimming pool. All this for $640 per month, including utilities -- not quite a Tico price but affordable. The landlords live in a beautiful home uphill on the sizeable property, which has a citrus orchard adjacent as well as acres of jungle and views of the mountains beyond. We can’t wait to move in tomorrow and finally unpack from our long summer of vagabond life.

         The day we were scheduled to go out with Gerardo and Nelson to look at housing options, there was a torrential downpour, a blustery drenching that we feared might delay the trip. In the midst of the storm, we heard a huge boom of thunder nearby and promptly the electricity went off, increasing our concern of a canceled tour. But shortly before our 2 p.m. appointment, the rain slacked off and soon our intrepid guides showed up. Still, the rain had taken its toll; as we neared town, we encountered a large dead tree fallen across the main road, requiring vehicles of all sizes to detour carefully around it. But by the time we returned to Vista Atenas two hours later, the authorities had already cut it back to allow passage and the electricity was back on, proving that sometimes things can move quickly and efficiently here.

         On our shopping trip into Atenas on Friday, we wandered through the farmers’ market and were delighted to find jalapenos, something we longed for all spring but never found. Contrary to what many people assume, Costa Rican food is quite bland in general and picante peppers are hard to find. With plenty of room for container gardening at our new apartment, I plan to grow my own jalapenos, tomatillos, basil, mint, tomatoes and turnip greens from organic seeds I brought from the States. Our new landlords seem to share our appreciation for organic foods, as well as other values such as recycling. The charming landlady we met, Odie, even mentioned her plan to get some chickens. How lovely to have fresh eggs!

         Friday night we called a taxi and headed up to El Mirador, the discothèque we frequented last spring, for an evening of karaoke and dancing. Our friend the owner seemed delighted to see us and Lenny, a Tico gentleman we remembered from earlier visits, came rushing over to greet us, a huge smile on his face as he pumped our hands in welcome. Unfortunately, the new D.J. had no English language songs or I’m sure Layne would have been on the floor, mike in hand, crooning old Eagles or Sinatra melodies. As it was we sipped our Imperial beers and enjoyed watching Lenny and others perform.

         On Saturday night, celebrating our success in finding a new home, we went downtown to Kay’s Gringo Postre for the monthly dance party. This time it was in celebration of Kay and Tom’s seventh wedding anniversary and the place was pretty packed with Gringos and Ticos alike. Not shy when it comes to dancing, Layne and I were on the floor more than most and when ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” came on, we had center stage to ourselves, flamboyantly improvising and giving expression to the lyrics. When the music ended, the crowd applauded our duet, with one man saying “I’d pay to watch that!” As the evening wore on, one of the Ticas approached Layne, inviting him to dance with her, a high compliment to his terpsichorean skills. He was flattered and delighted, reveling in the honor even after we returned home.

         The monthly dances are just one of the reasons that Layne and I feel we will settle in the Atenas area where we’ve learned the stores, made friends and know our way around. So yesterday we stopped in at the post office, or Correos, to rent a mailbox for a permanent address, only to learn they have none available until next March, when renewals come due and many will abandon their boxes. In the meantime, we’ll settle for General Delivery. No problema.         

         While we were there a Gringo entered carrying a big package to mail and struck up a conversation with us, asking how long we’d been in the country. As we chatted, he offered all kinds of cautionary notes to us newbies, from warning me not to wear fancy jewelry (what fancy jewelry?), saying thieves will “cut your hand off” to get a diamond ring, to urging us never to carry a computer in view. Although he allowed that Atenas is relatively safe, Alajuela and San Jose, like large cities the world over, are less so. There the criminals are willing to hurt you to get to your valuables. Indeed, already in our brief visits to San Jose, which have totaled only a few days, we experienced a near miss on a purse snatching while sitting at a sidewalk cafe, foiled only by the loud warning shouts of a nearby elderly Tica, so we are distinctly cautious anytime we visit the city. But I would feel the same way in Oakland, California, where drive-by shootings and random violence are so prevalent. Here in Atenas, we feel no such fear, comfortably exploring this charming pueblo and gradually becoming an accepted part of the community.

         (Drafted yesterday but unable to post due to Internet problems and photo transfer issues. Enjoy -- and look for another post soon now that we are moved into our new place.)

Return to Costa Rica - The Hunt for Housing

         Flying back to Costa Rica on a Continental Airlines jumbo jet, I had a chance to try out my new Panasonic Lumix ZS7 camera and wow! it’s a real winner, offering a wide-angle Leica lens and a 12X zoom. My blog photos should improve dramatically.

         Upon our arrival, we breezed through customs and Immigration, easily found our driver and were soon back in Atenas. But the next day when we called Dennis Easters at Pure Life Development, we learned that the apartment we thought we might rent was no longer available. Rentals here are going like wildfire through dry grass -- this, even though it is technically the “low season,” the time of year when fewer tourists are arriving. So it seems there will be no early end for us to the vagabond life. Still, we are confident we’ll soon find just the right place. Tomorrow we will go with Dennis and his partners Gerardo and Nelson to see several other places and perhaps one of them will be the little paradise we want.

         Meanwhile, we’ll spend a few more days here at Vista Atenas Bed & Breakfast while we continue looking. As you can see, it’s not as if we’re stuck in some dumpy hotel. Vista Atenas is located near the top of a hill just outside of town in an area called Sabana Larga, or Long Savannah. The breakfasts prepared by owner Vera and her charming associate Jonathan are superb: fresh pineapple, watermelon, tomatoes and cucumbers, all plated artistically; delicious local coffee, a few slices of smoked sausage and eggs seasoned with fresh herbs. Perfection!

          Being the dedicated bus riders that we have become, on our first morning here Layne and I walked down the long, very steep hill to the bus stop, learning the hard way just how unaccustomed our downhill muscles are. Yesterday and today, we have endured stiff sore calf muscles and tight gluteus maximus muscles, a testament to the extreme terrain. Hopefully, we’ll have loosened up by tomorrow night as we plan to attend the monthly dance party at Kay’s Gringo Postre.

         As we wandered through town Wednesday morning, we were surprised to hear our names called out by a woman emerging from a car ahead of us. It was Lee Cortes, the owner of El Mirador, the cool discothèque up the mountain where we used to go dance or listen to karaoke. After hugs and laughter, we learned that she’s just reopening the club this weekend. Good timing for us! We waved goodbye, promising to come dancing soon and continued on to Banco Nacional to withdraw colones. Inside the bank, once again we heard a woman’s voice call out to us. It was Carmen who works with Genevieve running the organic farmers’ market. What a small town it is and how lovely that in our short two-month stay here last spring, we made some buenos amigos.

         Our real estate tour on Wednesday afternoon was lengthy and, although we saw several places that were attractive in some way, none really appealed to us immediately, as Hazel’s little chalet did last spring. For example, one three bedroom, two bath house up the hill in Santa Eulalia was very attractive at first glance, with a well-kept lawn, flowers along the porch and a large backyard with a great view. The living room was expansive and the ceramic tile floors beautiful. And the price was great -- only $300/month, plus utilities -- but the kitchen was awful. In fact, toward the back of the house, the appearance of the rooms deteriorated. Plus, there was very little furniture. With the right décor, it could be made into a real jewel of a home, but to do so would be a major project, costing us most of the savings in rent. And after we bought all those furnishings, what would we have? More stuff!

         The search for housing took us to a number of different neighborhoods in the area, from a brand new apartment at the bottom of our hill here in Sabana Larga to a choice of three oddly-configured apartments just out of town to a stunning cabin on a big coffee plantation in Morazon, fifteen minutes up the hill above Atenas. The largest of three cabins on the property, it had views to die for and a front patio as big as a living room. At $650/month, including all utilities (even broadband Internet), it seemed like a good deal and we were ready to take it. Unfortunately, we learned the next day that the owner of the property is living there and has apparently decided not to rent that cabin. There remains a chance that he’ll change his mind but at this point, it’s not an option.

         However, our criteria became clearer with each stop. We know we need to be close to a bus line or within walking distance of downtown or at least a small market. We prefer two bedrooms and hopefully two bathrooms so that we will have a comfortable space for guests. I am determined to have a well-appointed kitchen since I enjoy cooking and hosting dinner parties. Ideally, we would have a view since this country is so amazingly picturesque. In a perfect world, we would even have a swimming pool to enjoy. And of course, price is very important to us since we are on a fixed income now. Like a housing search anywhere, there are trade-offs. In San Francisco, where our son Damian lives, he chooses to rent a smaller apartment, which is more affordable, but near the beach since he loves to surf. Here we have to balance the priorities of price and location against the desirable features we want. Lucky for us, there are some real bargains in Costa Rica if you look for them. So that’s what we plan to do.

         Now the rain is rattling through the trees as it does most every afternoon here during the summer rainy season. Mornings often dawn bright and sunny with everything washed clean by the night’s downpours. Only in the afternoons do the thunderheads build and the steady showers begin. Our little cabin here at Vista Atenas has a large front patio facing into the jungle, offering a sense of quiet privacy. The hammock is tempting even during a rainstorm. As I look out my louvered window with the breeze coming in, I can see a bright green hummingbird, undaunted by the rain, still flitting from purple to pink flower, offering a model of Pura Vida: patience and persistence will pay off in the sweet honey of a good life.  

Oxcarts on Parade!

Monday, April 19, 2010
(Note: Click on photos to enlarge)

         This was Climate Fair weekend here in Atenas, the town National Geographic once proclaimed has the “best climate in the world.” That’s quite a reputation to live up to but for the most part, in our limited experience, it has. So with two days of fair activities scheduled, the central park alive with vendors setting up their turquoise-canopied booths and an oxcart parade on the agenda, Layne and I had every intention of spending much of the weekend at the fiesta. But Mother Nature has her own ideas on these things and it is April, after all, the beginning of the rainy season. So when we arose on Saturday ready to catch the 10 o’clock bus into town, we were disappointed and a bit amused to find it was raining with no indication of stopping any time soon. Some perfect climate! Of course, we were not just disappointed for ourselves but also for the many participants scheduled to present events outdoors in the park: an exercise class, a dance performance by some children, other dance workshops, a magician and much more. So Saturday found us ensconced in our mountain chalet, Layne working on his novel and me reading, doing laundry and watching the rain come down.

         In early afternoon, the phone rang - if you can call the timid sound our phone makes a “ring.” More of a tinkle which we can barely hear. The call was from Leigh, a Tica friend we met on the dance floor a few weeks back at Kay’s Gringo Postre's monthly party. It was Leigh’s beautiful daughter and her boyfriend who set the house on fire that night with their skillful and passionate salsa dancing. Since Leigh knew we love to dance, she was calling to invite us to opening night at her new discotheque, El Mirador (The Lookout). As I struggled to understand the directions through her strong accent, I deduced that the location was somewhere just up the road from us. 

         But the rain had cleared by late afternoon so at the appointed hour we called a taxi and headed uphill with no clear idea of where we were going. Remember, there are no addresses here and since it was a new club, the taxi driver did not know the place either. But after a couple of miles of dark deserted highway with Layne and I giving each other a questioning eye, we saw the lights and cars at El Mirador and made our way inside. What a beautiful facility! Situated on the very edge of the mountain (with no doubt a fabulous view in the daytime), the restaurant and bar offers several levels of outdoor terraces and a large dance floor surrounded by countertop bar seating. More remote tables offer a quieter experience. And what tables they are! Clear glass tops affixed to huge - I mean really huge! - gnarled tree trunk bases. With pulsing salsa beats coming from the DJ booth, Layne and I soon joined other dancers with our own style of Latin boogie. It was a great evening.

         On Sunday Atenas dawned bright and sunny, warm and breezy, exactly as the guidebooks promise. After a short bus ride into town, we walked to the park and found it filled with colorful booths and happy Ticos wandering from one display to the next, nibbling on ice cream or sipping cold drinks. In the middle of the park was an exercise group, headed by a muscular guy on the small stage, pedaling away on their stationary bikes with the bright awnings of vendor stands radiating out to all corners from the central plaza. As we wandered along under tall palm trees snapping photos of the crowd, we saw children learning origami or getting their faces painted; we chatted with our own organic vendor, Genevieve, who had baskets of vegetables for sale, and Tom the organic baker, cooking up barbequed pork burritos alongside chocolate chip muffins; we stopped to watch artisans at work designing lovely creations with rock (yes, rock!) or fabric or wood; we inhaled the rich odor of chicharrones cooking in a monster pot and the sweet smells of blended fruit drinks. For much of the day, we simply enjoyed the smiling faces of adults and children alike. At one booth offering beautiful jewelry made from exotic woods, we bought a few gifts for friends and family, pleased with the high quality and low prices. We laughed at the makeshift electrical wiring running overhead through the trees and along the ground, commenting that in the U.S., strict regulations would prohibit such improvisation. Uniformed policia were apparent in the area but they seemed to have little to do besides chat with Ticos and look at the displays.

         When we heard the approaching fire engine wail, we realized the parade of boyeros (drovers) and oxcarts was about to begin so we found a place across from the main viewing stand where spirited Latin music had been blaring from giant speakers all morning. In loud and rapid Spanish, the announcers began introducing the passing parade participants, enthusiastically praising the size and beauty of the animals as well as the intricately painted designs on the carts.

         Atenas and neighboring towns are recognized for their role in the nation’s history as the pathway of the original oxcart trail created in 1843 for transporting Costa Rica’s famous coffee many miles down to the port cities of Puntarenas and Limon for export around the world. Although more modern transportation is used nowadays, the skills of training and working with these magnificent animals have been preserved along with the artistry of painting the beautiful carts. Even the children get into working with the massive animals and one little fellow seemed very much in control of his smaller pair. This young boy’s size and competence drew cameras all around him, slowing the parade until he could calmly make his passage through. In a few cases, the oxen (and some uncastrated bulls!) seemed to have a mind of their own, eagerly pushing forward despite the boyero’s efforts to slow them down with a gentle tap on the nose or a skillful application of the long drover’s stick many of them used lightly across their broad backs. Layne and I had to wonder if there had ever been any wild romps through town when an ox team decided to ignore the boyero’s instructions and literally “bulled” their way through! Not today, in any event, as the fair’s entertainment continued on into the evening’s dance without mishap. But having danced our quotient the night before, Layne and I soon headed back to our little hillside retreat for a quiet dinner and time to start blogging about what was a most enjoyable festival.