To Work or Not to Work -- That Is the Question

Ten laps in the pool yesterday, seventeen today. Now that’s progress. So far I am making good use of that luxurious feature of our new home. We’ve been told that, just as a view becomes “wallpaper,” after awhile so do swimming pools become another unused element of a property. We plan to avoid that outcome and concentrate instead on swimming as a valuable exercise as well as the delicious sensation of warm sunshine on bare skin. Yes, we are using plenty of sunblock.
      Now once again the thunder is rumbling in the distance and the clouds are moving in so we have brought in the wash from outdoors before the afternoon rains. Only a few days have failed to bring at least light showers and on many days, the downpour is torrential. We are adjusting well to life in the rainy season.

      On Tuesday we caught an early bus into Alajuela, transferring there to the Heredia bus for a meeting with the publisher of The Costa Rica News, an online English-language newspaper. During the summer while we were still in the States, I had noticed an ad on the site saying they were looking for regional correspondents. I emailed a letter to the editor outlining my experience as a former publisher, my education and links to a few of my online travel pieces, as well as this blog URL. The editor quickly responded, saying they would love to have me as a freelancer. But the pay structure, based on advertising sales, made me hesitate a day or two as I considered whether I would want to work that way. Before I could respond, however, publisher Daniel Y. called me from Costa Rica to discuss the possibility of my working with them not as a freelancer but as a staff member in some capacity. Needless to say, having been unemployed for over a year in the U.S., I was flabbergasted to so quickly have a job opportunity here in Costa Rica. We agreed that when Layne and I returned, we would pay a visit to his office to talk further about a possible role for me with the paper.
      As I perused The Costa Rica News over the rest of the summer, I was in all honesty unsure that I wanted to join the company. While the website is well designed and the writing is generally good, the content is slow to change. Although the paper bills itself as a weekly, not a daily, there still is a need for fresh articles in order to retain the sophisticated Internet visitor. Week after week, The Costa Rica News front page offered much of the same material, often with only one new item. Obviously, the effort to recruit regional reporters, if successful, would help bring in more news but meanwhile, the paper seemed a bit stale.

      On the other hand, Layne and I liked the editorial philosophy of the paper and the selection of news. The content focuses on progressive topics such as the environment, eco-travel, information for expats and retirees, “green” businesses and thoughtful metaphysics. So we could see the potential for a simpatico relationship with this small newspaper and an opportunity to help it develop.
      But there’s a hitch -- actually, a couple of them. One involves Social Security. For Social Security recipients who live overseas and like me, have not yet reached full retirement age, there are stringent reporting requirements if you work or own a business. The rules state that you must report to Social Security any work you do outside of the United States, whether it is part-time or even if you are self-employed. Some examples of the kind of work you must report are: “work as an apprentice, farmer, sales representative, tutor, writer, etc.” Notice “writer” is one of the examples. That would be me. The rules go on to say that if you own a business, you must notify Social Security “even if you do not work in the business or receive any income from it.” Interesting, huh?
      Furthermore, failure to report your work can result in a penalty that “could cause the loss of benefits.” And indeed, benefits are withheld for “each month a beneficiary younger than full retirement age works more than 45 hours outside the United States in employment or self-employment not subject to U.S. Social Security taxes. It does not matter how much was earned or how many hours were worked each day.” In other words, if I worked more than 45 hours a month, I would lose some of my Social Security benefits. How much is unclear.

       And this is just part of the problem of taking a job in Costa Rica. Immigration rules here are quite strict in limiting the kind of employment that non-residents can pursue. Expats are welcome to set up a new business in the country and hire Ticos, but taking a job that a Tico could do is forbidden. And since we do not yet have our status as legal residents, we certainly don’t want to do anything to jeopardize that process or risk our position once we get residency. It may be true, as I had thought, that the potential job with The Costa Rica News would be one that a Tico could not do, given my unique skills in English and journalism. But at this point that is by no means certain.
      So it was with mixed feelings that Layne and I traveled to Heredia to meet with Daniel, hoping for a positive result but not sure how I could take a job if it were offered. But whatever may come of our job interview, we were both quite wowed by the young publisher. A handsome Venezuelan, Daniel is dynamic and visionary, articulate and passionate about his many projects. Possessed of a vibrant entrepreneurial spirit, Daniel seems to have many irons in the fire, from his publishing venture to a blossoming business in biofuels. He explained in great detail the promise of a particular plant native to Costa Rica and Central America, Jatropha, a fast-growing tree that yields a vegetable oil that can be added to diesel fuel, which he is developing through his company United Biofuels of America. More on Jatropha and United Biofuels in future blogs as we learn more ourselves.
      In the meantime, we look forward with anticipation to our attorney Monika’s appointment with Immigration on Monday, the 13th, to take the next step toward residency. If all goes well, maybe then I can take that job. Wish us luck!

Oh, Give Me a Home Where the Wild Monkeys Roam!

September 4, 2010

It’s Saturday and we’ve been invited to our new landlord’s birthday party up by the swimming pool in the shelter of the rancho. We’re all settled in with bags unpacked, groceries bought and our complex address memorized for use in calling taxis. Try this on for size: Barrio Los Angeles, Calle Capre Verde, tres cientos metros norte, mano izquierda. It translates something like: Los Angeles neighborhood, Capre Verde Street, 300 meters north, on the left. For us it translates into a resort-like home with a friendly neighbor upstairs and helpful and generous owners up the hill.

         Moving day on Wednesday was an adventure from beginning to end. Our friends from Pure Life Development, Gerardo and Nelson, picked us up and somehow stuffed all our bags into the back of their SUV. Upon our arrival, landlady Odie met us and provided the important information: our new phone number, garbage days, the cleaning lady’s name, schedule and cost ($10) and her own phone numbers. Odie is a highly educated woman who speaks fluent English and runs a Spanish language school in Atenas called Spanish Immersion. Her husband Eduardo is a charming Tico who is working on his English as we are working on our Spanish. We’re told he loves to sing and dance so we look forward to his birthday fiesta later today.

         Wednesday afternoon Odie kindly offered to drive us in to San Jose to PriceSmart, a Costco-type membership store, where we could purchase a few things we needed to set up house-keeping. At the last minute, our Texan neighbor Linda decided to join us and in a light rain, we all set off, chattering as we got acquainted. Shopping went well until Odie ran up to us, with alarm on her face, saying she had just discovered that somehow in all the bustle of our arrival there, she had not only locked her keys in the car but had left the car motor running! After a few phone calls and an hour or so wait, we were on our way back home, laughing at the small calamity. That evening, Linda fueled a celebration in our new home with a bottle of Spanish champagne and lively conversation.

         On Thursday, Layne and I set out to test the theory that we were within walking distance of town. It turned out to be a half-hour hike each way but we made it to the large grocery, Coopeatenas, and picked up a few things before heading back down the gentle slope to Los Angeles. Not too bad. The biggest challenge is our own street, Calle Capre Verde, a muddy, rocky lane with trenches cut across it by rain runoff. On our trip to PriceSmart, we learned from Odie that neighbors had chipped in to do the necessary gutter work along the sides of the road in preparation for the city to come in and lay down caliche topping to improve the street. But in a scenario all too typical of Central America, after the pipe work was done, they were informed by the authorities that the city had no money, so the road remains unimproved.

         There are other challenges to life here. One rather delicate issue is that of the septic systems and the disposal of toilet tissue. In hotels we’ve stayed at including the recent Vista Atenas B&B, many restaurants and even our current modern abode, visitors are asked to refrain from flushing toilet tissue. We have been told that the septic systems can’t handle the paper. Instead, we must dispose of tissue in a trashcan, a habit that takes some getting used to. We find it hard to understand such a limitation in septics, but nonetheless, when in Costa Rica, we do as the Costa Ricans do.

         Still the pleasures far outweigh the difficulties, in our opinion. On Thursday evening sitting on our front porch, Layne noticed a large odd-looking bird moving in the tall grasses below. With its long pointed beak, blue-grey feathers and stubby tail, to us the creature resembled a wild chicken. A Google search suggested we were not far off. The fellow is a Great Tinamou or Tinamus Major, also called a Mountain Hen. According to Wikipedia, it lives in tropical and subtropical jungles, rain forests and cloud forests, making its nest at the base of a tree where it lays beautiful blue-green eggs. According to Linda, these are the creatures that make a noisy ruckus in the jungle just downhill from our apartment.

         But Friday night’s nature presentation exceeded our imagination as to what this new home might offer. Not only were there fireflies flitting about (how long since you’ve seen a firefly?), but out in the big trees just yards from our porch we watched a half a dozen or more capuchin monkeys frolicking in the branches, stopping here and there to nibble on some tidbit and leaping across huge swaths of air from tree to tree. Often hidden by large leaves and limbs and moving fast, they were difficult to capture photographically. Still, even at twelve-time zoom with my hands shaking from eager excitement, my new Panasonic did a good job of snapping a usable shot. What a thrill to watch those creatures in their own environment and to know we can look forward to many more evenings of such wildlife entertainment.

         It’s now Sunday and I’m only just returning to this post after a wonderful afternoon yesterday at Eduardo’s festive birthday party. We had a fine time meeting new Tico amigos, learning new Spanish words and dancing to Eduardo’s hot DJ music. Too bad he was unable to dance because of minor knee surgery on Friday, but it didn’t stop him from entertaining us with his vibrant karaoke songs. What a great voice he has! The group included Jennifer, Odie’s business partner in Spanish Immersion, and her husband Rob, and several of Odie and Eduardo’s long-time amigos, Anna, Roseanna, Memo and his wife Annie. Proving himself to be a karaoke pro, Layne even chimed in on the Elvis Presley song, “It’s Now or Never” in English, joined by Memo on the mike.

         To finish off the evening, we “crashed” Linda’s family get-together upstairs, meeting her simpatico son Dillon and daughter-in-law Anna who live here in Atenas with their two young children, as well as her visiting sister and cousin. What an excellent end to a fine day of Costa Rican Pura Vida.

         Now the thunder is booming around us and heavy afternoon rains have begun, but not before I had time for a lovely swim in our pool under sunny and warm noontime skies. As the steady downpour rustles the trees and lightening flashes across the valley, we understand why the “green season” here is so very green. 

(Just a reminder: You can click on photos to enlarge them.) 

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.  

Last Fling in Chicago ... On to Costa Rica!

We have made the rounds here in Chicago, seeing old friends, meeting new ones and enjoying that famous Chicago deep-dish pizza. With our suitcases loaded for bear after cutting down to three bags, leaving one large duffle bag, golf bags and much extraneous clothing, toiletries and other “stuff” in Portland.

         Our early morning flight to Chicago’s O’Hare Airport via Salt Lake City was pleasant enough. Thank goodness for a couple of Atkins Protein Bars; Delta offers very little in the way of snacks. After arriving at the Quality Inn near the airport, we enjoyed a delicious late lunch at the Bella Sera restaurant inside the hotel. I would have enjoyed my grilled chicken panini more if we weren’t trying to stay lo-carb. As it was, I scraped off the yummy pesto dressing and left most of the bread behind. Volumes could be written about trying to stay lo-carb on the road.

         Saturday offered an introduction to the subway and bus system here in Chicago, adding a layer to our growing knowledge of public transit around the world. After a hotel shuttle ride to the airport, we wandered through several doorways then down an elevator to a lower floor where we encountered a maze of ticket machines. Despite our ignorance, we were able to help a foreign visitor with the mysteries of a credit card machine: insert the card and remove it quickly for the reader to work. Voila! In the process, we learned how to buy a ticket ourselves and at least one of the riders waiting behind us thanked us for the impromptu educational experience.

Then it was down an escalator to a still-lower level where four tracks held waiting Blue Line subways. Off we went on a ride that seemed much like the Bay Area’s BART trains, bumping and rumbling alongside dark walls, yellowish lights flashing by in rhythm, then emerging into sunlight and city views. A few stops later we got off at Jefferson Park to catch the #92 bus. With seemingly perfect timing, we soon saw our bus pull in through one of the portals and we stepped onboard. Like a Costa Rican local, this one stopped at almost every corner. Finally, we arrived at our meeting place to hook up with an old friend, Jill C., my roommate in graduate school and former longtime girlfriend of Layne’s, a dear friend to us both. Jill drove us to her beautiful apartment in the Gold Coast, that famously upscale area of Chicago overlooking Lake Michigan. There we enjoyed a glass of wine and a couple of hours of delightful reminiscing and updating each other on our life paths.

After much laughter and many hugs, we headed out for dinner. Jill’s good friend Terri lives in Highland Park and the 45-minute drive north took us through tree-lined streets with glimpses of ornate mansions set back from the street. At Terri’s lovely home, surrounded by large trees and only steps from the lake, we were greeted by a loud chorus of cicadas screeching their hallelujahs to the world. There we met three of her friends: feisty Elizabeth, originally from Poland, and Bill and his partner Arturo, who is from Puerto Rico and still has family there. Over bottles of Chianti, we discussed the pros and cons of Costa Rica vs. Puerto Rico for retirement, which Bill and Arturo are considering. While Costa Rica has a complex residency process (as we have discovered!), as a United States territory, Puerto Rico requires no paperwork for U.S. citizens to live there. And while Layne and I will still be liable for U.S. income taxes, Puerto Rico residents are not subject to the Internal Revenue Service, only federal payroll taxes such as Social Security and Medicare plus Puerto Rico income taxes. But then, Puerto Rico has much more poverty than Costa Rica and lies within the Atlantic hurricane paths, while Costa Rica is spared those devastating storms and has a literate and large middle class. After all the debate, Layne and I remained content with our decision.

         Finally, the group headed out to a “Jewish Mexican” restaurant they had all been wanting to visit. And for good reason! La Casa de Isaac served some of the best Mexican food we’ve enjoyed all summer. The salsa was perfectly picante, the guacamole was as good as my own and the enchiladas Layne and I shared were spectacular. Plus, our waiter Bernardo was attentive but patient with our raucous laughter, fueled by outrageously good margaritas. Fortunately, we were seated outdoors in the warm evening air so our good times didn’t disturb other customers. An aspiring photographer, Bernardo pointed out his excellent photographs on display inside the restaurant and we were impressed with the gorgeous colors and composition.

         The rest of the crew returned to Terri’s house but Jill, Layne and I had other plans for the evening. My good friend, Candye Kane, blues diva extraordinaire, just happened to be performing in Chicago that night. (Photo credit: Alan Mercer) For months, I had been following Candye’s worldwide tour schedule via Facebook, wishing our paths would cross. Then I saw her post that she was in Edmonton Friday night and would be at Fitzgerald’s in Chicago on Saturday. What an opportunity! I quickly emailed her that we were in town and she responded with a generous offer to put us on the guest list.

         With the sometimes-confusing help of Ilsa, as we call our German-voiced GPS, Jill drove us across town with a persistent foggy windshield blurring her view, despite Layne’s best efforts to locate the defroster button. We could have been in the cockpit of a 747 with the complex array of red-lighted icons on the Audi dashboard. But eventually we landed at the nightclub and were whisked inside just after Candye’s set had begun.

         What a great time we had! Candye is an eye-popping brunette beauty with charisma oozing out of every pore. Plus-size and proud of it, she is a survivor of pancreatic cancer and in between belting out the blues, she urged her audience to enjoy and appreciate every moment of life, to love our bodies including the parts we like the least and to cherish our friends and family. She is such an inspiration, not to mention a world-class talent, having been nominated for four National Blues Foundation Awards for the BB King Entertainer of the Year award, Best Contemporary Blues CD for Superhero, and Best Contemporary Blues Female of 2010, to name only a few of her many honors. Adding so much to the band’s excellence was Laura Chavez, the lead guitarist, whose soulful interludes were much appreciated by the crowd, which showered her with applause after each solo.

         At the end of Candye’s set and a short visit with her stage-side, we left to make our way back across town. Gosh, Chicago is HUGE! Eventually, between Ilsa’s directions and Jill’s knowledge of the city, we made our way to a Blue Line station where Jill dropped us off for our trip back to the hotel. Like I say, Chicago is big and with a lengthy wait at the airport shuttle stop, it was almost 3:00 a.m. when we finally dropped groggily into bed. Ah, but what a night!

         And now… on to Costa Rica! Hasta la vista, amigos!

Crawfish Tales and a Great Blue Heron!

August 15, 2010

         Like Costa Rica, every place has its own unique flora and fauna, which brings the color and vibrancy of the environment and the ecology of the area to life. Geology, biology, geography, resources, elevation and climate all play a part in the natural history of a locale. Here in Portland, Oregon, where we are spending our final week in the States, the natural world has been greatly influenced by the city’s proximity to the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers and the numerous smaller streams that feed into those two majestic waterways. A jewel of the Pacific Northwest, Portland lies between the Cascade Mountain Range to the east and the Coast Range west along the Pacific Ocean. It enjoys a “marine west coast” climate of warm, dry summers and temperate but rainy winters. The beautiful and fertile Willamette Valley just south of the city produces an abundance of vegetables, berries, grass seed, greenhouse and nursery stock as well as vineyards, which produce highly prized pinot noir and pinot gris wines.

Portland also boasts an amazing number of distinctive birds and wonderful trails from which to view them. According to the Audubon Society of Portland, some 500 species of birds migrate through Oregon during part of their life cycle and over 200 of these travel through the Portland Metropolitan Region annually. Layne and I had the incredible good fortune to see one of the most remarkable of those birds on our walk yesterday: a Great Blue Heron! The enormous creature was sitting on a log in the middle of the Fanno Creek, a 15-mile tributary of the Tualatin River, which flows into the Willamette.
Along the part of the creek that runs through Tigard, the small Portland suburb of Layne’s youth where his family still lives, the wetlands attract a variety of wildlife as the trail meanders behind new apartment buildings, crosses streets, then wanders back into dense riparian woods. Layne and I have made a habit of walking through this park each morning as he points out places of interest from his childhood. Today we passed under the roadway that Layne remembered as the site of crawfishing in the Fanno when he was young and he pointed out parts of his old newspaper route. We lost the trail briefly then found it again as we headed back to our car parked at Tigard City Hall. Just as we approached the turn into the parking lot, we noticed the large bird sitting out in the creek, quietly watching for prey. As I crept slowly and silently along the back of the building to snap a few pictures, he turned his great beak my way as he observed my movement, but he didn’t stir from his perch. He must have been three feet tall with gleaming blue-toned wings and a pale breast. Even from our distant viewpoint, the heron was a splendid and dignified being.

         Three days later: This may be a case of time flying when having fun because we have definitely had fun here in Portland, but I suspect it’s more a case of the mad dash to the finish line in a race against time. In spite of my best intentions to get this posted, there has simply not been time in the last few days. First, we were focused on getting our Subaru Outback ad up on Craigslist, a task we thought we had completed on Saturday. On Sunday, however, we discovered that our ad had been filtered out by the Craigslist gremlins due to our use of commas separating the description of features on the car rather than listing them in a column. Having lost a day, we re-submitted the ad, then held our breath to see if it would appear online. Fortunately, it did. Still, it was Monday before any calls came in. As we soon realized, it only takes one buyer and that buyer showed up Tuesday morning and we completed the deal today! One more big thing to check off the list.

         Monday night found us chowing down on local seafood at Jake’s Famous Crawfish restaurant in downtown Portland, as guests of Tom G., a friend who lives nearby. Although the crab and shrimp cakes were not the best I’ve tasted and Layne’s Crab Louis was disappointing, the ambiance and the 118-year history of the place were distinctive. Perhaps we should have tried the crawfish! But Tom is always a fun conversationalist with his endless supply of anecdotes and stories of his world travels and our sampling of the local pinot wines was excellent, so dinner was still delightful.

         Last night we went off with Layne’s sister Annie to her regular Tuesday evening “Sex and the City Girls,” as Layne has dubbed this lively group of women. Much like the stars of the television show and movie spin-offs, Annie and her pals meet at a local bar to dish up the latest news on family, friends, men and memories, of which they have many from their long years of acquaintance. Last night was no exception as the six of us laughed over cocktails or club sodas, with Layne and me sharing tales of Costa Rica and them with hilarious boating dramas from thirty years ago.

         Our Costa Rican news included a last-minute report from our real estate friends yesterday that our charming chalet up the hill from Atenas was not available to us after all. Our landlady Hazel was fortunate to find a year-long tenant and had returned our deposit. But the good news is that Dennis of Pure Life Development has a few places for us to look at next week, including a nice-sounding apartment with a pool, a “rancho” for grilling outdoors and views of the Central Valley. Plus, it’s within walking distance to town, something we had wanted when we moved there. So we look forward to getting back to Atenas and finding the next cool place to live. We take it in stride: it’s all just part of our big Costa Rican adventure! 

Up the Columbia River Gorge to a Spokane Family Interlude

So here we are in Spokane, Washington, hanging out with Layne’s son Jess and his family -- wife April and children Sierra, a stunning seventeen-year-old beauty, and their adorable son Orion, now nine. Our six-hour drive here from Portland yesterday was unremarkable except for the trip through the Columbia River Gorge. Traveling through that geological marvel is a phantasmagorical jaunt back through eons of time. The 80-mile canyon forms the border between Oregon and Washington State and has provided a navigable sea-level route through the Cascade Mountains for thousands of years. In more modern times, hydroelectric power has been generated through a series of dams along the huge river, which spans a mile wide in some places. But the real thrill of traveling along Highway 84 as it winds its way alongside the majestic Columbia River is the awesome scenery, the dramatic waterfalls and the layers and layers of geologic history embedded in the sheer walls of the gorge, rising in places to 4000 feet. (Thanks to Bonneville Power Administration website for photo.)

         Human history as well is carved into those walls. Archeological evidence shows that humans have traversed this waterway for at least 13,000 years, including the Folsom and Marmes people who crossed the Bering land bridge from Asia. In 1805 explorers Lewis and Clark traveled down the Columbia from its main tributary, the Snake River, all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Native Americans have fished these waters for salmon for at least 10,000 years. One of the favorite fishing sites was Celilo Falls, a tribal fishing area just east of the Cascade Mountains where a series of cascades and waterfalls offered native fishermen a perfect site for dipnet fishing. Sadly, in 1957 with the completion of The Dalles Dam, Celilo Falls was completely submerged and native fishing there ended with the tribes accepting financial compensation for the loss.

         As we left the Columbia River Gorge behind and entered Washington, the terrain shifted dramatically. Instead of rugged basalt cliffs and lush green Douglas fir forests, we drove through miles of windswept but luxuriant agricultural land, filled with rows of corn and alfalfa and vineyards but with hardly a tree in sight. The rolling hills and dry ravines are part of the Columbia Basin, one of the highest lava plateaus in the world and which provides the drainage area for the Columbia River. Formed by repeated volcanic lava flows millions of years ago, the Basin now is home to numerous small lakes in which fossils, petrified wood and animal bones have been found. Nearing Spokane, which is situated at an elevation of about 2000 feet, the terrain changed once again, with pine and fir trees appearing as if by magic at this altitude.

         Still, the lava rock is never far below the surface as we found today in Lincoln Park, a lovely tree-filled urban retreat with a long asphalt walkway leading uphill to a small pond, filled with lily pads and cattails. Gigantic lava rocks and basalt boulders lined the steep trail and covered the ground at the top. The park is obviously a popular spot for dog owners. Just as we approached the water, behind us came the sound of doggie paws thundering on the roadway. We turned to see an exuberant yellow lab barreling for the pond, his eyes fixed on a few ducks paddling around. Undaunted by the failure to nab his prey, he soon leaped from the lake and ran off to shower his owner with water.

         Last night after our arrival, we all enjoyed a yummy barbeque of steak and chicken kabobs plus the requisite bottles of wine. Layne stayed up late with Jess and April, laughing and talking into the wee hours. Today's activities involved a little golf practice, a trip to the park for Orion and tonight will be another evening filled with good food, good wine and much laughter. It’s truly a joy to spend time with our family but Costa Rica is never far from our hearts and minds. As we search for shoes or glasses or some item of clothing in our luggage, we look forward to leaving this vagabond life and settling in again to La Pura Vida.