I think this is one of the greenest countries I’ve been in. And I don’t mean ecologically green, as is touted all over the place, yet they still provide plastic bags at the grocery stores. I mean the color. You’ve seen from some of the photos I’ve posted, the amount and size of plants. I’m also enamored of the hill and country side. It’s rolling and eye popping green.

I thought of the Alps and Switzerland and Ireland. Not that I’ve been to Ireland to know whether that’s an apt comparison.

We left sunny/rainy Arenal this morning for Monteverde cloud forest. It was pure sun as soon as we decended from Arenal. Along the way we took a side trip to Cataratas Viento Fresco. There are four waterfalls to hike to after a grueling drive on a very narrow one lane, potholed, twisty, steeply banked, rutted road. It was exhilerating, too. The first is Catarata Rio Serena.

The second is Catarata Escondida.

Another 200 meters gets you to Catarata Arco Iris. This fall plunges into a shallow pool, which you can enter. It’s about 2-3 feet deep and refreshingingly cool. There is also a strong wind generated by the falls. Standing in the water, a rainbow forms in a perfect arc in front of you on the water from the sun refracting the mist. The energy of this place made me laugh and shout for joy.

The last, Catarata El Tobagan, is quite a steep hike downhill – another 250 meters. The water glides over a wide swath of rock, slipsliding down. Here I received a great water shoulder massage. If water had fingers this is what it would feel like.

Important! If you find yourself going to Cataratas Viento Fresco, know that you must have cash. And if you’re a gringo, preferably dollars, $16.00 a head.

Thank goodness for 4 wheel drive. It came in handy on the drive from the waterfall area to Santa Elena, our town for the next few nights, outside of Monteverde. That drive was almost as bad! More potholes, but slightly wider, but not paved. Dusty! Can’t fault the beauty of the drive, though.

The hike, the water, and the drive wore me out. Hoping to get a spot on a zipline tomorrow. I wonder if I’ll be able to manage photos while careening through the forest on a cable. Stay tuned.

After rain on Monday and Tuesday barely a drizzle yesterday and – Sun today! And a pretty good view of Volcan Arenal from the Arenal 1968 private reserve. I’ll start with a photo of that. We were so excited to see it and it looked promising that the clouds surrounding the tip might clear off, but in fact it got cloudier. But first, a few photos of the volcano.

A relaxing, casual 2.5 mile walk through jungle and over the lava flow from the 1968 eruption. In New Mexico, we’d call this the malpais. And in NM it does look more bad ass, bad lands. Here, with all the rain, the lava is softened.

At the park entrance are the usual restrictions, prohibitions, and list of creatures you might see: snakes, spiders, birds, caymans, sloths, howler monkeys. We saw birds – two different herons on Lago Pato – which is also where the caymans purportedly were. I very diligently kept still and peered up into foliage looking for sloths and monkeys. Nada. We did hear the howlers, but they sounded quite far away. Yesterday, at Mistico Hanging Bridges, we saw howlers, but did not hear them. I may have mentioned that we heard them on the trail through the woods near our casita. They are loud! We were informed that the males have an Adam’s Apple three times larger than a human’s. Thus they are able to amplify their calls.

We elected to take a guided tour at Mistico and were very happy we did. The guide was knowledgable and equipped with flashlight, binoculars, and a scope for ease of viewing. We saw a tarantula living in a hole in the side of the earth, just waiting for prey to happen by. We saw some birds through the scope we would not otherwise have been able to witness with such clarity.

Alonzo, our guide went through a solid month of training to be a guide here. Misitico is privately held land – 600 acres – that the family opened to the public 20 years ago. It must have taken 20 years before that to prepare it. The paths are paving stones; there are handrails; the system of suspended bridges is extensive. We marveled at the team of engineers it must have taken to create this wonder: civil, geo-physical, ecological… Workers are out cleaning leaves from the walkways at various points – not too many to be intrusive. Then there is the training and equipment that the guides have.

Following are some photos from the walk.

Charlie takes a lot more photos than do I, so go to his post for more.

I started out writing about today, so here are a few more photos from our leisurely hike.

Erg. I published and then went to check and my last paragraph was not saved. I may also have had a final photo. Is it WordPress or is it my Bluetooth keyboard?

I did want to report that I swam in Lago Arenal. Under the sun it was a clear green and cool, but not cold. And so clean! I was reminded of days by Lago Atitlan in Guatemala.

Got to watch the sun set behind the trees tonight and the bats come out. What a symphony of insect sounds surrounds us tonight. It’s nice enough to sit and write on the patio. It smells sweet and fresh. We are enjoying the just right amount of humidity. Even with all the rain, it’s not suffocating. I have been comfortable night and day. It’s clear why people would want to relocate here. And by here, I mean here in Arenal – for now. We’ll see what the rest of the country brings…

Hasta mañana. Big hugs.

After rain on Monday and Tuesday, barely a drizzle yesterday and – Sun today! And a pretty good view of Volcan Arenal from the Arenal 1968 private reserve. I’ll start with a photo of that. We were so excited to see it and it looked promising that the clouds surrounding the tip might clear off, but in fact it got cloudier. But first, a few photos of the volcano.

A relaxing, casual 2.5 mile walk through jungle and over the lava flow from the 1968 eruption. In New Mexico, we’d call this the malpais. And in NM it does look more bad ass, bad lands. Here, with all the rain, the lava is softened.

At the park entrance are the usual restrictions, prohibitions, and list of creatures you might see: snakes, spiders, birds, caymans, sloths, howler monkeys. We saw birds – two different herons on Lago Pato – which is also where the caymans purportedly were. I very diligently kept still and peered up into foliage looking for sloths and monkeys. Nada. We did hear the howlers, but they sounded quite far away. Yesterday, at Mistico Hanging Bridges, we saw howlers, but did not hear them. I may have mentioned that we heard them on the trail through the woods near our casita. They are loud! We were informed that the males have an Adam’s Apple three times larger than a human’s. Thus they are able to amplify their calls.

We elected to take a guided tour at Mistico yesterday and were very happy we did. The guide was knowledgable and equipped with flashlight, binoculars, and a scope for ease of viewing. We saw a tarantula living in a hole in the side of the earth, just waiting for prey to happen by. We saw some birds through the scope we would not otherwise have been able to witness with such clarity.

Alonzo, our guide went through a solid month of training to be a guide here. Misitico is privately held land – 600 acres – that the family opened to the public 20 years ago. It must have taken 20 years before that to prepare it. The paths are paving stones; there are handrails; the system of suspended bridges is extensive. We marveled at the team of engineers it must have taken to create this wonder: civil, geo-physical, ecological… Workers are out cleaning leaves from the walkways at various points – not too many to be intrusive. Then there is the training and equipment that the guides have.

Following are some photos from the walk.

Charlie takes a lot more photos than do I, so go to his post for more.

I started out writing about today, so here are a few more photos from our leisurely hike.

We also learned from Alonzo, yesterday, that sometimes what looks like a flower is actually a showy leaf, meant to attract pollinators and the flower comes out of it. Here’s an example.

And I’m over and out for the night, folks. Oh, I will report that I did swim in Lago Arenal; it was coolish, and comfortable. And very clean!

Tomorrow we are off to Monteverde cloud forest. It’s reported to be quite a bit cooler. And more lush, if that’s possible. We are enjoying the cool humidity. It’s not too hot and not too cool. It’s baby bear just right, even when it rains. Good night, Goldilocks.

I don’t know what’s gotten into us, besides the obvious, given the title. It started on our first day here in Arenal. We stopped at Soda Herrera/Panaderia Tutu. Tutu had fresh baked emanadas. I bought a bag of 7. My they were good with coffee in the morning – slightly sweet and flaky and buttery.

On day two here we stopped at a local bakery and bought a chorizo empanada and a frijol y queso empanada which we ate for breakfast this morning.

That afternoon we stopped at the German bakery (20 years! is how they advertise on street signs) and got black bread, and three pastries.

In addition, as I wrote earlier, our host left us a full size banana bread.

We don’t usuall go off the rails like that. I blame it on the rain.

Why I felt the need to write about this is a mystery. Or maybe it’s a confession. At any rate, we’ve enjoyed every morsel. The birds however are not interested in bread crumbs; they’ve got banana every morning from our host. And we get a variety show of birds to accompany coffee and breakfast.

Tonight is our last here. I’ll miss it.

I am feeling like life is sweet on me right now. Altough there was more rain today, yes, too much to hike in, making me a liar cuz yesterday I said “hike tomorrow, rain or shine”, but when we arrived at Arenal 1968 (so named for the Arenal volcanic eruption in 1968 and the resulting lava fields that one can explore within this preserve) it was pouring down like an overturned giant bucket of water, it seemed stupid to spend $60.00 or more to hike without seeing anything and so despite all that, today was sweet.

I did tell Charlie/Ed as we headed out, Tabacón hot springs if rain prevents a hike. So that’s what we did. Truly, it is neither hot nor a spring. It is a warm, raging river and you have to be careful not to be swept away in the swirling turbulent current. It was heaven. I found my way under several waterfalls for the best natural massage available.

Driving along post river massage we noted some clearing and views of the lake so we pulled into Le Bistro/La Mansion, a restaurant and guest cabanas overlooking the water. We knew the view would come with a price, so we weren’t surprised to see everything in dollars with figures just like stateside. We settled in for a drink and appetizer and some photos.

Still overcast and drizzly, but pleasant. I will swim in that lake before moving on from here. And that I will do rain or shine – wet is wet.

Just a piece up the road I pulled in to a drive way that I’d noticed with a sign advertising caña y pipas – sugar cane juice and coconut water – frias. Yes, nice and cold and refreshing. The man selling them said he gets lots of business – not many others selling fresh squeezed caña and pipa fria. He said he was planning to build a restaurant there under his scrappy palapa, serving comida tipica. I’d go. It was pouring again or a photo would accompany.

Not far from our casita

there is a paved path through the foresty jungle. It leads to some houses with beautiful properties and lake views.

The path itself is short and so green and brimming with life that we walked it three times.

Following are some photos taken from a walk along our road. I think it’s worth all this rain to have such a profusion of color and bright growth.

Daylight came to an end with the first dazzling sunset we’ve seen in Costa Rica.

Finally, I leave you with flight. This is how our mornings here begin.

Observing the birds, I have noticed that the small ones alight first to partake of banana. Then bigger ones fly in and off scoot the diminutive creatures. Before long, the larger birds have ceded space and the little peeps are back. The dance alternates.

May you always have enough and enough to share.

Good night sweet friends.

I awoke in the night, it was raining. I awoke in the morning, it was raining. It rained on and off all day, sometimes a light gentle rain, other times full-on sheets of rain, the kind of rain that makes me laugh, because we so seldom get that in New Mexio.

The morning was lovely, sitting on the patio and watching the birds. Such a variety: though right now the only one I can identify is the red rump tanager. It’s black is such a sleek black and the red so brilliant. A yellow breasted peeper with a blue back lit upon the table to peck at some banana while I was sitting right there. Some sort of toucan practically ate banana out of the hand of our host. Sorry not to have a photo of that. But I do have photos of the birds:

This property puppy came right in while I was practicing yoga this morning.  No, I don’t know her name. She is a she, but I did see her mount the older male dog from behind – spunky! Or just conghayfused?

Around mid-day we headed out to find the free hot springs in Tabacón. There were lots of cars and lots of people. This is high season. And given the overcast day, I reckon folks decided it was a good option. It was raining buckets so we thought we’d check out La Fortuna town and go to the springs on the way back. The springs are actually a river. At least that’s how it’s described and what photos show. The water is warmed geothermically.

The drive to La Fortuna was quite winding and curvy and up and down. It’s a narrow two lane road, often without even a single line dividing the lanes. The driving rain made it more of a challenge, as did the several crazy drivers going too fast and at times cutting it too close for comfort as they came over the center. Hair raising! It seemed like a long time gettin there.

Although La Fortuna hasn’t much going for itt, we ended up staying longer than expected. We needed some provisions and it just takes twice as long to find anything in a new grocery store. And we did stop for a local craft beer and a bite. So, it was getting late, it was foggy, and raining and I didn’t feel like driving back in the dark – either as the driver, which I was – or as passenger. It gets dark around 6 pm here and the road sure does not have street lamps. Curiously enough, the drive back seemed much faster. Familiarity?

Oh, in La Fortuna I happened upon this amazing spider.

Hoping tomorrow is a bit clearer, though we have learned not to expect too much. While Costa Rica in general has a dry season, the cloud forest areas can expect rain any time, though it’s supposed to be a bit dryer than rainy season.

Back at the homestead we found a gift of banana bread awaiting us with a note saying sorry for the rain and here’s hoping the banana bread, made from their garden bananas, would sweeten our day. It did. And truly, the rain did not dampen our spirits one bit. We have time and we’re just taking the days as they are. Tomorrow we plan on hiking in Arenal 1968 private reserve – rain or shine. Although if the sun shines, I may have to opt for hanging bridges walk and zipline. Que será, será.

May the flow be wtih you.

Hi, there. Let’s see how this goes tonight. I see that last night I also lost a bit about the artist that I featured in the post.

Tonight we are in Arenal, looking forward to hiking and ziplining and swimming in the next few days.

We had a positive start to the day upon pick up of our rental car. We got two upgrades! We are sitting posh in a Toyota Fortuner 4×4. It all went very smoothly, including the drive out of the city. As I was the driver, I did not take many photos today.

Initially, driving on the highway was swift and smooth, with it going from two lanes to one and back again many times. Before too long, it changed to one lane only and a bus kept forward movement to stop and start as it picked up and dropped off, taking up the entire lane. Finally, I was able to pass it. From there on driving was sweet. Well, except for the narrow, winding, steep, pot holed, slick section in the rain. But that was fairly short. And it was beautful – verdant and bright on an overcast day.

Here are a few photos from the petit patio of our air b and b.

Weather changes so quickly here! By the coast it was sunny, hot, and blustery. As we gained elevation, the wind stayed with us and the rain came. Not heavy, but steady. Here at our casita, it has been windy, calm, rainy, sunny, cloudy, cool, warm. And now it is dark, the insects are singing amidst the trees and bushes. It sounds as though there is a waterfall in the distance. As I sat on the patio earlier, hummingirds buzzed and swooped and chased one another, moving too fast for a good look.

And DANG if we didn’t forget our binoculars. D’oh.

Had a late delicious lunch at Soda Heladeria on a patio in the fresh air of Arenal. There is a deal here called casado, literally, married man. I guess it was what a husband could exprect his wife to prepare. It’s composed of rice, beans, a meat of choice (chicken, beef, fish), a small salad, and a drink. I had it with chicken which was slighly charred; drink of tamarindo. It was so good, I ate way more than I should have. There’s something about honest food, simply prepared – and eaten in a foreign country.

I bid you adieu. May your taste buds be tickled.

There is something about being away from home and “on vacation” even when no longer working. There is a different quality and energy to life lived elsewere, other than home.

I had written a paragraph related to the thought above, but it got disappeared and now it’s late, my patience is wearing thin, and so I’m letting it go.

His style is vibrant and colorful. He paints scenes of Costan Rican life: in parks, social events, and bailongas. Sometimes it was quite disturbing. I bet Charlie has posted at least one of those with comments, so I’ll let it be.

I just have to say right now, that Word Press is acting quite differently tonight than it did last night, so if this post ends up being wonky in format, that’s why.

We had lunch at Soda Tapia. A soda is a low cost diner. The french fries and beef were good, but the queso fundido was not. Think Velveeta, but with a wierd aftertaste. However, next time I’m near a Soda Tapia (yes it’s a chain we determined later) I’m going to try the arreglado Tapia, a sandwich type meal but the “bread” is layered like a puff pastry and made of corn. 

After our pitstop rest stop in the room and the arduous process of research for the next few legs of the trip, we had worked up a thirst. I had also researched craft beer in San Jose. Off to Wilk we traipsed, in a neighborhood, barrio Escalante, new to us. Formally, the evirons of the wealthy, the large homes were now being converted into bars, restaurants, and lodging. It is a happening scene, as they said in the 60s.

At Wilk we found quiet and a good selection of brew. We met a Dutch guy from London in town for work. We met a man from Uruguay, in town to meet up with his son who is currently in Medillin. They are going to Monteverde on Monday. This guy is also an avid bicyclist and plans to do a crazy race from Banf, Canada to Antelope Wells, NM in June 2021! He wanted to go this year, but his wife reminded him that he would be gone for their 25th wedding anniversary. So instead he’ll be going to Machu Pichu with her. Tant pis. Too bad, huh?

After Wilk we went to the Costa Rica Beer Factory. It had atmosphere up the yingyang, but no IPA. I tried a shot of the national liquor, Guara, made from sugar cane, with chile spices in it. Tasty. Then I had a keto Collins which was delicious with lots of fresh fruit.

Here are a few photos of the place.

Getting here took a little time. Fortunately we have that. A 7 hour layover in Atlanta actually went by pretty quickly. The airport has lots of art to visit with, ponder, and appreciate. Lots of it was Haitian. Just an exhibition, we wondered or is there a direct flight to Haiti? We also walked quite a bit as it is a large airport. We stopped at a round bar for a beer. A couple of military guys sat and we heard the sorry saga of delayed flight, flight turned back, and more delays. They had actually flown Atlanta to Texas and then had to return.I have come to appreciate Delta as an airline. Long time since I’ve flown them. The Airbus 321 has comfortable seats and pretty good leg room. Also good snack selection. We did not pay extra to have seats assigned in advance. And it worked out fine and even especially well for the Atlanta-San Jose leg as we were assigned seats in the emergency row which always has great leg room. Plus! Movies on the seatback of the seat in front. No free beer or wine though on this international flight. I guess it’s too close.Oh, here is a photo from the Atlanta airport.I thought it tender and clever to find a way to pray in private.We arrived to our guest house after 10 pm, by which time the train that I had read about being noisy, was no longer running. Unfortunately, a local nightclub took over for the noise pollution. And while I thought sleep would take me quickly, as we were up at 4:45 after going to bed at midnight, no such luck. The incessant pounding of a barely existent beat (do I sound like my parents?!) kept me awake for awhile.It’s much cooler here, at least today, than anticipated. The variably overcast sky and a near constant breeze kept us comfortable – and even a bit chilly toward late afternoon and into the evening.We visited a couple of churches. I appreciate the wide variety of architectural styles and the unique touches that each church community brings to their place of worship. They are also quiet refuges from city hubbub. Taking a moment to sit quietly with thoughts of others and of gratitude provide a peaceful break. Here are a few of Iglesia Nuestra Senora la Merced.Above from door panelsThis head covering took me back to my childhood. It was forbidden for females to ener the Catholic church without a head covering. I rremember having to dash into the drug store across the street to purchase a “doily” last minute when I’d forgotten.This image of The Last Supper from Iglesia Soledad gave me pause. Is the “ghosted” figure on the left meant to portray Judas?Here are Mary’s hands with the very best blingy bracelets ever. Well, best looking whilst giving blessings. Which is about all you can do while wearing them.Here are a few images from Parque Espana. The little boy and his siblings were having a blast with this sculture.I found this enchanting scene in the park to be worth gazing into; so much to see. Just a gem, with a table and bench just there for a relaxing chat with friends or for solo relfection.San Jose is not a particularly attractive or historic or quaint city. There are few buildings of architectural interest asides from the churches – the post office and the Teatro Nacional, being the most prominent. The lore behind the Teatro Nacional is that a renowned opera singer on tour bypassed San Jose as it lacked a suitable venue. The city political fathers and business barons got together to put up the money to create one. It is the smallest of its kind that I have seen, though with all the requisite features that one expects – guilding, marble, velvet, murals mirrors, sculpture – the whole gamut. Unfortunately, there are no espectaculares scheduled while we are here.An unusual feature of this theatre is that the seats orchestra level can be removed. The floating floor can be raised to the level of the stage to create one large space for balls or other gatherings.Later in the afternoon, after a repast of comida tipica at the Mercado Central, I mentioned to Charlie that I’d read that craft beer was available of late in San Jose and that we’d have to do a search. A moment later, we turned a corner and Lo! I saw a sign. Pub Piso 3. Up to the 3rd floor we bounded to find a comfortable space with a table by an open window overlooking the peatonal – and a decent IPA!Here is a simple way to make a chandelier:The peatonal with the Post Office in the background:And finally, I’ll leave you with this:I sure wish that I had been taking photos of bathrooms and bathroom doors more assiduously throughout my travels. I think it would make a terrific bathroom book. Don’t steal my idea!Good night.

Wow. Well. We’ve been back in NM for 10-11 days now. It feels as though I just left the last days hanging and the end of the trip, er un-ended. Could be that I didn’t want it to end. Once I got in the groove after my moment of panic I didn’t look back. Or forward, really, except to find the next place to stay. I was content to be in the space, place, and time in which I was. I was going to write “… in which I found myself.” It’s the “found myself” part that stopped me. In one sense it refers to the literal sense of the locale and time period in which you are. In the more abstract, one might even say ‘woo-woo’ sense, it refers to the realization of coming to terms with who you are. Funny, as I write this, I accept both as being true to my experience.

As if you care a jot.

I last posted about the Iguazu Falls. I still get a tingle up my spine when I recall the power and majesty and mist of being so close to the immensity of that natural wonder.

I wrote a bit about the journey from Puerto Iguazu to Santa Fe, but not about Santa Fe. However, Charlie did, so I’ll just add a few of my impressions. It was comfortable. Small enough to not feel overwhelmed. Large enough to have the amenities you want: good food, good drink, banks, nice places to walk. There was one museum that looked interesting, but we missed it. When discovered, it was closed and closed the next day, our last, as well.

We did find this Main Street with a central tree lined median. I was enthralled with the shape of these trees. They also look quite threatening with large knobby bits that have a pointy thorns sticking out of them. Yet, they have a delicate flower. 

At this restaurant we found an alternative to the usual offerings: Tacos! The soft flour tortillas held copious amounts of shredded beef, perfectly seasoned. With the traditional condiments of guacamole, pico de gallo, and sour cream, we enjoyed a small taste of home. We also liked this artwork.

One cold, drizzly afternoon we sat in the hotel lounge warming ourselves with a whiskey. It was comforting and cozy to sit in the window reading, and pausing periodically to watch the passers-by.

Returning to BsAs went smoothly once our 45 minute late bus arrived. That was an unusual occurrence in our experience thus far. Buses were generally spot on or not more than 5-10 minutes off. Charlie was about ready to book another bus. Cooler heads prevailed.

Being back in BsAs felt good. We stayed in Recoleta barrio, more upscale than San Telmo, so cleaner, but also lacking a certain distinctive ambiance. After staying in a series of smaller cities, the hum and rush of a large one was energizing. The recognition that these were to be our last days in Argentina lent a nostalgic feeling for all I was leaving behind; for all of the spaces we had stayed; for all of the people we had met, connected with, and then parted from.

Attending Rigoletto at the Teatro Colón on our last night provided us with the best farewell I could have wished for. Here is a photo from Google Images.

Here are my photos of the theatre.

Yes. We were pretty high up. When we purchased the tickets on-line they looked like good seats; not nearly so elevated. A combination of their website and using a cell phone misled us. Still, while quite a distance from the stage, the sound was not affected. I have a renewed appreciation for opera and will endeavor to attend more – but only in these beautiful old buildings specifically made for that art form.

I’m thankful to be back home. I’m full of gratitutde for the time away.