Category: Costa Rica

21st of July, 2015 Costa Rica

What happened this morning at my “jungle house” is unbelievable……..Dur, the dog of the neighbour, who lives here during the day, was barking from a spot I didn’t recognize. So I went with the camera and Nela and Blue, the other dogs, towards the noise. Dur was on the other side of the river and couldn’t cross over. He probably never learned how to swim. I never saw him going into the jungle before and he must have heard or smelled something, which made him cross the river on one of the stoney spots. While I was waving to him, which must have looked hilarious, Nela was running around nervously. Once I told Nela to help Dur, he jumped in the river and swam towards Dur and from that moment on, I couldn’t believe what was happening…… Nela showed Dur how to cross the river. She more or less taught him, which rocks to take! I immediately started taking pictures, from the moment I saw Nela trying to help his little friend. Here and there are the pictures a little bit blurry, because of all the excitement! I wish I had made a video, but I was so surprised about what was happening, that I just thought about the pictures………..

July, 2015

This is my second week in Sabalito, Tilaran area in Costa Rica and it seems the rain never stops! Well, now and then and on those moments I am running with the dogs on the hill top and trying to enjoy every break in the clouds. The birds are still singing away and the crickets are members of different orchestras; the noise is overwhelming! A few different group of toucans came to visit me and one morning I saw two toucans going in and out a hole in the tree of the front garden, assuming that they have a nest there, but the next day they were gone. According to the gardener, they are not nice birds, as they steal the eggs of other birds. Ah well, I got a chance to see them from a short distance, as most of the time they are high up in the tree!

It is too bad that I can’t enjoy the beautiful sights around the area, as Volcan Arenal and the National Parks. I can’t leave the dogs more than 4 hours alone, as they have to be “locked up” and many of the sightseeing spots are around two hours driving. That leaves no time to explore anything once you are there. I went to visit Tilaran and Nuevo Arenal via a nice, curvy road along Lake Arenal. I had to go back twice for some banking issues and here in Costa Rica that takes a lot of time, as for a new banking card they need multi copies of everything, affirmations of passports, filing it into the computer and tons of signatures. So if you have two people in front of you, you know the waiting time is long! Also, once you are in one of those small towns, you better do some shopping, as in Sabalito there is only a small grocery (a kiosk).

One day, I had some real Tico food in one of the restaurants on my way back. A little bit of everything!

The dogs are fun to be with and the neighbouring dog from “up the hill” is visiting every day and by now he more or less lives here. He even joins for walks now, although it means that he has to walk up and down the hill an extra time! He is extremely protective for me, loves me dearly and goes home after he joined for supper in the evening. He waits until it is nearly dark and then walks up the steep hill again.

One late afternoon, I got unexpected visitors. I thought I got my first guests for one or a few nights, but this was a friend of Johanna’s, who wanted to show her family the property. When they wanted to head back to their village, the car didn’t start. So the neighbour was called with starting cables. No luck either. Then the friend, who owned a tourist VAN was called. While waiting for his arrival, I got the beer and the wine out of the fridge and the cookies and chips out of the cupboard. I was glad I had done some shopping the day before! The friend arrived in the dark and they all went home with the promise to collect the car with a service company the next day. I was just going to my casita around 8.30 and the VAN arrived back. Well, when you don’t expect anybody and suddenly a car drives down the steep hill, you are “on alert” and the dogs were also! Finally, it turned out that one of the cables of the battery was disconnected!!!. Next  evening, again the same VAN came down in the dark……There was the whole group again, including wine, beer and chips! They stayed for a few hours and then went to have a very late supper, while I was heading for bed, as my mornings are very early!

Another day, one of the neighbours (well, living a few km away) came down the hill to ask me, if I had seen his bull! Yes, I had seen it the day before on the main road, but not (yet) on the property. Today, I went with the dogs in the car to the “campo”, a few miles further up the road and also there they had a “cow ” problem; several escaped and their owner was running after them. I had to change my route, as I didn’t want the dogs chasing them further away. Other countries, other problems!                          

The howler monkeys came to visit me again; suddenly, there was this terrible noise, without any warning! I only saw two of them sitting together very quiet and after half an hour or so, there were around 10 or more, going towards the banana plantation of the neighbours. It is very hard to take a picture of them, as they go fast and always covered by the leaves of the trees. They looked at me, while I was taking pictures and I was glad there were no coconuts growing here!

The garden is full of flowers and there is always something special to see………..even insects………..

                                                   

I finally get a lot of computer work done, which is good, as in Merida, Mexico (my next stop) I will not have so much time for it. There is so much to do and see, so much culture in Merida, that I will be “on the road” a little bit more than here in Sabalito. A few more days to go and the traveling starts again. I will take the bus from Tilaran to San Jose, a 4 hour drive with one stop on the way, stay for an overnight at an airport hotel and fly the next day via Mexico City to Merida, for the next adventure.

The 3rd of July, 2015

After quite some years of absence, I am back in beautiful Costa Rica, this time arriving in Liberia, Guanacaste. I will be going to the tiny village called Sabalito, where I will meet Johanna, the proud owner of a Retreat Center, called “The Living Forest” at Lake Arenal. It is arranged that I will be collected from the airport and I am grateful that Jorge is waiting patiently at the airport, as I have a one and half hour delay. After a quick lunch, we head out on the dusty road, with endless construction, towards Canas. It is hot and very windy and Mother Nature didn’t put her attention on this part of Costa Rica; just a flat and dry piece of the country, although I heard that the coast must be amazing beautiful. After Canas, the curvy road gets into the lower mountains and the scenery changes. Too bad there is a windmill park on top of the mountain………

Jorge takes a short-cut and suddenly Lake Arenal is in front of us, with the lower mountains wrapped around it. Just before Sabalito, he drives into the long and very steep driveway to the entrance of the “Living Forest”.

Indeed, you see the jungle right in front of you and the main building and the cabana’s are tucked away in a very sheltered area, with a gorgeous tiny river, complete with small waterfalls, lingering through the back garden. What a special place this is! The sound of the water is soothing and the monkeys are there to welcome me. I am exhausted, but after a glass of wine, some food and nice chatting with Johanna, I feel revived.

The next day, Johanna tells me all about the daily schedule, the care of the two sweet dogs, Nela and Blue and what to do if guests are coming. She drives me around in the area, shows me some small stores in the neighbourhood, the “soda” places (small cafe’s), where to walk the dogs and finally we have lunch in a very nice out and indoor restaurant, called Macadamia, with a beautiful view over the lake and great local food. It brings memories back of the 80th’s, when I was backpacking through Costa Rica and Nicaragua……….

Later, Johanna lets me drive the steep driveway up and down and driving myself is less frightening than sitting beside the driver!

On Sunday morning, we do our Yoga exercises on the enormous “dance floor” together, with soft music in the background and the view of the jungle and river in front of us; how beautiful and relaxing……

I go to the local Farmers market on my own, while Johanna is packing for her trip. A small market, close to Tilaran, where Ticos, as well as foreigners who are living here, are offering their produce. I buy some yoghurt in a plastic bag, some goat cheese and pork meat, papaya (my favorite), bread and some other things. It is not cheap and I am spoiled with Portugal, where the prices are way lower!

On Monday I bring Johanna to the bus station in Tilaran, where she will catch the bus to San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica. I will do the same thing, when I am leaving on the 23rd. It is a 4 hour drive, but with a stop of 20 minutes halfway.

On Monday a group of 5 green Parrots is spending the whole morning around the property. Their green color is blending in with the green of the leaves, but thanks to my new 50X  zoom camera, I can take a reasonable picture of them. I haven’t seen the howler monkeys anymore after Saturday, but I can hear their sound everyday! Today, I see the Morpho, the blue butterfly. I was so lucky to see it in Panama also, but they are hard to catch on the camera, as they fly very quick and go up and down. They are always in the vicinity of water, so I do hope to see them again during my stay. Their color blue is glittering in the sunlight and I always have to think about the movie “The Blue Butterfly” with William Hurt. A beautiful movie…….

It rains so much in the night and for most of the day also at the moment and you wonder when it will ever stop. The river is running faster and faster and today it is even wild! I haven’t gone for a swim yet but I will soon, with Nela, the dog.

Yesterday evening, I was listening to the sound of a bird and I walked slowly with my camera to the cabanas, to get a better view. I even went through my knees, to catch a better glimpse of what was in the tree. The dogs are always following me, wherever I go and I saw that Blue was watching something with his eyes wide open and very alert. He stood totally still and I turned my head to see what his eye caught. On half a meter from me, this enormous snake just found its way down to the garden. I was in shock, but still alert enough to grab the camera, which was hanging around my neck. Just this morning, I saw that somebody from Costa Rica put a picture of a similar snake, not yellow and black, but white and black, on Facebook. It took me some hours to recover from the shock, but according to Johanna, this isn’t a dangerous one. She saw it last week also at the same spot. I am from now on more alert to what’s going on, on the ground and not only watch the trees!

Today, Wednesday, the howler monkeys paid me a visit again. Gosh, they make so much noise! It is like the heavy barking of a big dog, who has a cold…….The parrots also were there again; they are here nearly every day now!

Although my days are starting very early here (at 5.00 or 5.30 I wake up and the dogs also), my bedtime is very early too (9.00 p.m.) and I feel every day more revived and all the small pains and aches are starting to disappear……….