Saskatchewan Gypsies

Well, it had to come to an end.  Today is our last day at the beach and tomorrow we head for San Jose.  Tuesday at 7:15 AM we take off for home – well at least as far as Calgary and Dustin’s home.  So I’ll begin this last post with a wish for a Happy Easter and a great spring.  When one thinks of spring, one thinks of flowers.  Maureen has asked me to put up some more photos of flowers so here is the first.  I haven’t got a clue what these are called.  They are huge flowers on trees here.

Here is a second flower, one we found in La Fortuna.  It doesn’t grow on trees like the other one, rather it grows on large plants that are suitable for flower gardens in one’s yards.

Of course, taking photos of flowers often finds Maureen in the photos.  She definitely loves flowers.  As everyone likely knows, roses are her favourite flowers.  Roses are that common here.  Those that we have seen have obviously been imported.

Of course, since I am putting up the blog and taking the photos, it only figures that I would include some wildlife in the photos as well.  Here is a green iguana.  So far I have found about four different kinds of iguanas as well as a number of different species of other lizards.

And, what is a blog post without photos of birds.  This interesting guy is a woodpecker that has found a feast of discarded fruit.  He is sure surprised to find food beyond his wildest imagination.  Okay, birds don’t have an imagination.  I’m the one who gets a bit carried away.

This is actually a small bushy tree in flower.  It reminded me of trees in China.  We have noticed that some trees that were flowering when we arrived here are still in flower.  Some others began to flower a few weeks ago and look as though they will stay flowering at least until the rainy season starts.  Once that season starts, I have no idea what this place will look like.  Maybe that should be a project for a different year – Costa Rica in the rainy season – not!

Behind this iguana coming down from the tree is the Copacabana Hotel that is next to the beach.  We pass this place every morning that we go for a walk to the beach then down the length of the beach.  We found out that the return walk is actually nine kilometres in length.  Obviously we have been getting our exercise while here.

Some of the birds we see are actually rather strange such as this bird.  It is a gorgeous bird and only looks strange when one looks at the eyes.  Red eyes ringed with black.

About a block from our villa is a park that is filled with flowering plants and trees.  This interesting flower is representative of some of them.  Obviously I can’t post them all as I have to leave you wanting to come and see for yourself what there is to see here in Costa Rica.

This little guy decided to pay a visit to our villa and parked himself only a few metres from where we sit to enjoy the cooler night air.  We did get to see his cousin while walking on the beach in the daytime.  There has to be zillions of crabs here with at least billions of different species to find.

This is the fruit of a cashew (the cashew is on the bottom of the fruit).  We pass by one of these trees on our way to the beach each morning.  We have noticed that the Scarlett Macaws love eating this fruit.

Since I keep mentioning the beach, I decided to give you another look at the beach.  I took this in the late afternoon.  You can’t exactly see it in this photo, but the crests of the waves have been reaching up to eight feet.  This has made surfing become even a hotter activity on the beach.

For Maureen and I, surfing is a spectator sport.  Even then,  as soon as the sunset arrives, we turn our attention there.  I was lucky to have another sunset aficionado offer to take our photo with the sunset.  His buddies warned us that we were in trouble as he took horrid photos.  Well, in our opinion, he did a great job.

Well, this brings to an end, our time in Costa Rica.  So for now, we say bye to all here.  But, have no fear.  We will again return to this web site to tell our stories when we again travel to new places in order to discover the wonders of our world.

We decided to go to see the second most active volcano in Central America, Arenal Volcano.  We left Jaco in the morning and stopped in Liminal for a rest stop where we got to see a lot of Scarlet Macaws hanging around for some free food.  Yes, these guys are wild!

We also got to see a Green Macaw while at the rest stop and a few other birds that I won’t post here for now.   We’ve been lucky being able to always find something new as we travel.

When we finally got to La Fortuna the sun had disappeared.  This is cloud forest and rain forest country.  Apparently this is normal.  We made arrangements to see the volcano at night hoping to see lava.  

When we got to the site we found out that we would be hiking about an hour up the volcano slope as darkness was descending.  Of course that meant we would have to come back down in total darkness.

Needless to say, I was VERY nervous about the whole thing.  The first part was to cross this bridge then head up a muddy and slippery faint trail.   Obviously I didn’t fall over the edge of the trail in the darkness on the way up or down.  We did see a couple of flashes of red and heard the volcano bellowing and rocks falling.  It was some experience.

This is Arenal Volcano as we saw it when we woke up the next day in La Fortuna.  We could actually see the volcano, something that isn’t exactly a normal experience.

We had decided to take a walking tour on the hanging bridges of the rain forest on some hills to the north of the volcano.  The tour was to take the whole morning, so we knew we were in for a good hike on trails and over bridges in the rain forest.

On the way to the hanging bridges we got to see this howler monkey near the road’s edge as well as this strange looking animal that is related to North American Raccoons.  Hopefully I will find out what it is called before heading home so that I can let you know what it was.

There, I finally worked in a photo of the two of us on the hanging bridges, again proof that I was also on this trip.

Not all of the animals we saw were “safe” ones.  Take this snake for example.  It is actually quite deadly, an Eyelash Pit Viper.  To get a decent photo of this little guy, I actually got VERY close making our guide do a double take.  We saw a much larger one but the photo quality wasn’t the best so I decided to go with this one.  I didn’t get too close to the bigger snake.

As we drove in the mid afternoon to again see if we would get a decent look at the volcano and lava, I managed to get this photo of a Toucan.  Thank goodness for a good telephoto lens.

Waiting for the sun to set from our observation point after a good hike to some waterfalls, we were able to watch the rocks coming out of the volcano as they skipped down the side of the volcanic mountain.  When it got dark enough, the rocks traced red paths as they bounced and broke apart.  We finally got what we came for – seeing a real volcano as it does its thing.

The next morning we got to view the volcano as it blew off gases and sent more rocks down its slopes, from our balcony at the hostel.  It’s neat how good breakfast coffee goes with an active volcano in the background.

But all good things come to and end.  It wasn’t long before clouds built up around the volcano and hid it.  We lucked out.  We became part of the minority who actually got to see it crystal clear.  Most leave disappointed, cold and wet.  Memories of a lifetime for us.

This is a look at El Rancho Biblico, a missionary project that is designed to help the children who live in a small shanty town at the edges of Playa Jaco.  The shanty town is found on the banks of a dried up river on the south end of town.

When walking around town as a change from walking the beach we had walked down this road up to this point, where the road ends and the river bed begins.  We thought that beyond this point we wouldn’t find anything of interest, so we always turned back to follow a different road.  Well, today we learned differently.

This is April, a young woman who lives just a few doors down from our villa.  She belongs to a group called Christian Surfers, a missionary group that in inter-denominational.  April has been in Jaco for nine months and will likely be here for another year and a bit as part of the small missionary team that works year round here.  After a number of chats together, we decided to go with her to check out her work.  She took us to the river bed and then drove down the river bed through a straggly shanty town where families had built all kinds of homes on the banks of the river.  They were squatters and as such, they had rights to build where they wished on government land until that land was needed.   The guy with April is the mission’s minister.

Almost as soon as we arrived, we volunteered to work on backfilling a retaining wall.  As you can see, one little guy soon became interested in working alongside of Maureen.   The area we worked on was to be later covered with a cement slab so that another area would be ready for use by the mission in their after school program as well as the work with the community’s mothers.

Of course I wasn’t allowed just to take pictures of the work and so did my fair share as well.  It wasn’t long before some others came to join in the work, a group of missionaries down for six days of helping out from Alabama, U.S.A.

The group were all dressed in matching red teeshirts.  It was good to see so many people who wanted to do something useful for others.

Here is a look at the housing on one side of the river bed.  The amount of people living on this short stretch of river bank was actually quite surprising.

This community has over sixty little children and it is the children that the mission focuses on.  They have created and after school program that helps with homework; as well, the mission helps sponsor kids going to school by paying for school uniforms and for school books.  Sad to say, not all of the kids go to school.

Before the planned activity of crafts that would be appropriate for the kids, the missionaries planned on giving out free teeshirts to match those worn by the missionaries from Alabama.  When the kids found out, they came running from their homes like these two little guys.

This little girl is proudly wearing her new teeshirt and waiting for the group to settle down and get on with doing crafts.

Another little girl sits on one of the tables set out for doing crafts not really aware of what is going on.  The activity around the giving away of teeshirts lasts quite some time and soon some of the kids are crying while others are running around and laughing.  With all of the kids now having a new teeshirt, the missionaries then give out free teeshirts to a number of the adults.  I have to admit that the idea of free teeshirts has worked to create a festival atmosphere in this tiny community.

There is no doubt in my mind that the teeshirts are going to be well worn.  These people are poor beyond any measure we would want to make back in Canada and the U.S.A.

Since it was going to be quite a while before they actually got around to doing crafts, we decided to head back home for our lunch, making plans to return a few more times to do what we could to make a small difference.  This last photo shows the tiny community from the road entrance.   Thanks to April for showing us a hidden face of Jaco.

This is where we stayed on our trip to the mountain town of Santa Elena at the edge of the Cloud and Rain Forest Monteverde National Park in the north central part of Costa Rica.  Our room was incredible with a TV, fridge and separate bathroom, as good as any decent hotel room in Canada.  It looks sunny in the photo, a rare moment while we were there for three great days of discovery.

This is the view from the balcony in front of our room.  As you can tell by looking at it, rain is not a rare event as this place is very green.  It reminded us of Vancouver Island.

We did manage to see a number of birds in these trees even though it was raining, as in this photo of a colourful bird.  To tell the truth, not only was it wet, but it was quite cool.  It was a good thing we had our sweaters and long pants which we wore to get on the plane in Calgary when we left Canada.  It was windy as well.

This is a typical mountain road, a rough rocky affair that was narrow.  This photo doesn’t show how during most of the ride through the mountains both going and returning, the edge of the road simply disappeared into canyons hundreds of feet deep just inches off the edge.  The drive was suspenseful indeed as the bus would often stop to inch around corners or to struggle over very bumpy sections.  We were lucky that it wasn’t too often that we would have to hug the stone walls while letting another vehicle pass us going in the opposite direction.

With a bit of sunshine on our second day in Santa Elena we went for a walk down through the outskirts of the town into the farming region.  We got treated to a beautiful rainbow as the clouds retreated.  

Then we were off to take a walk through one of the two major environmental reserves on the mountain, through a cloud forest.  It was a long climb up the mountain by a local taxi van to reach the park.  Before we got to the park, the sun had disappeared and the rain had returned.

In the park I was able to get a photo of this beautiful black and blue hummingbird.  I had seen this bird in Jaco as well but had been unable to get his photo.  Oh well, success at last.

Believe it or not, this thing that looks like a tree is a huge, gigantic fern plant.  The centre of this cluster of fiddleheads was bigger than our four fists put together.

We also found different versions of the Heliconia flower in the forest with this, the biggest one, standing out in contrast against the wet leaves.  One of the problems of being in a rain/cloud forest is the problem of good lighting for photos.  I did manage to get a decent number of photos in spite of the rain.

The forest itself was incredible with all kinds of trees, many of them with thick vines which reminded us of Tarzan movies where he swings on vines through the forest.

A few birds were found in the forest, not as many as I would have liked, but enough to make the trip fruitful in terms of adding to the various species we have found and photographed.  Of course we have seen quite a few others that never got their picture taken, but that is to be expected.  At least we got to see them.

This was an interesting little fellow that made it difficult to get a photo.  He had a problem sitting still, definitely a candidate for ADHD.  Good thing I am patient with a camera in my hand as I was rewarded with a few decent photos of this crested little guy.

Maureen’s eyes were sharp as she walked ahead of me on the trail as she spotted this huge catepillar-like bug on the root of a tree.  It was a BIG bug!

Our hike through the mountain forest took us passed many small waterfalls and creeks.

Well, that should do for letting you experience through words and photos, our trip to Monteverde.  Our planned extension to see the Arenal volcano was cancelled because of weather which meant that we wouldn’t have been able to see the volcano.  Everyone who we met that had come from there had reported the same thing – no sightings of the volcano because of dense clouds and rain.

I have other photos from our trip but they will have to wait until we get back home for those interested in seeing more.  Until the next post, we will continue enjoying “la Pura Vida” here in Costa Rica.

This is the boat we used to cross from the mainland to the peninsula area where we went to the island I am standing on to take this photo.  In the background you can see one of the rocks off the island where we did our three hours of snorkelling.

This is the beach I am standing on as I took the first photo.  The sand was beautiful, and the island was basically empty of people except for our small group that came on this boat.  The island is inhabited and has one small area set aside for incoming groups of snorkellers who leave by 3:30 in the afternoon in order to make it back to the mainland before darkness,

Another look at the beach in the opposite direction.

Before heading out to snorkel, we took time out to enjoy a feast of fresh fruit after the boat ride which was an interesting trip with waves and swells making it feel like we were riding a horse.

On the island, there is a small tourist shop with a Scarlet Macaw hanging out where there is free food.  It gave Maureen a chance to get up close and personal with the beautiful bird.  They made a good pair – beautiful woman with a beautiful bird.  And I was the lucky one to record it for history.

Here is a better photo of the bird.  We saw other birds and some wildlife on the island as well including this small wild pig who had been fed too much by incoming tourists.

I wandered around for a while taking photos of the birds and scenes while waiting for the boat to head out for some snorkelling.

This pair were busy with courtship procedings and took no notice of the humans watching the performance.

And nearby, this black buzzard was keeping an eye on chickens, turkeys and a peacock who were wandering around the area, all on the look out for a free meal.

The next three hours were spent off the island as we snorkelled in two different locations.  Wow!  The colours of the fish and the sheer quantities and varieties of fish just amazed us.  Our new snorkel gear worked perfectly.  Since we brought our own gear, we ended up being the first in the water and the last out at both snorkelling locations.  Now this is a hobby worth having.  I did notice that one other guy had a case for his camera that let him take it into the water for taking pictures.  I’m going to see if I can get one for Mom’s camera for use in the future.  For now, no underwater pictures.

Once back from snorkelling, it was time to get some needed liquid into our bodies.  While quenching our thirst, we watched as this guy was busy taking the husks off of coconuts.  Little did we know at that time that we would be getting some more refreshments using the coconuts and other liquids.

While relaxing and visiting with the rest of our small group, the captain and his small crew were busy cooking us up a great meal.  Here is the finished appearance.  Not only was the meal going to taste good, it had to look good as well.  Three hours in the water makes a person very hungry indeed.

And this is our esteemed captain dishing out his masterpiece.  We enjoyed a tasty salad, beverages of choice as well as this main course.  Naturally some people needed to have second helpings of this great Costa Rican meal.

While the crew did the clean-up work, we got to do some more wandering, playing in the sea and generally enjoying the last hour on this idyllic island.

We made a few good friends while participating in the group.  Our guide, Manuel was a great young man who was definitely working hard at being a good host.  A young married couple on their honeymoon lost all track of time and ended up with interesting shades of pink and red on their bodies.

A young guy from Montreal was very nice and friendly and a good sport, even trying the trick of diving off the rocks, a feat that was repeated many times by an young American man who was visiting his father in Costa Rica.

Sometimes, it pays to go along with others for an activity rather than just going out and doing it on your own.  You get to meet interesting people and hear interesting stories.

The return trip across the strait was rougher than our outward journey.  The boat bounced quite high slamming into the big troughs between the crests of the waves.  Naturally, Maureen and I sat at the front of the boat to get the most of the action – by choice.  After all, you don’t want to miss out on anything.  And so ends another adventure in this Costa Rican paradise.

A couple of days ago, Maureen and I decided to walk down to the Farmer’s Market to see what we could buy.  Of course, I took the camera along.  While walking to the market, I decided that it would be a good idea to take some other photos so that you could see a different Jaco, not the tourist playground, but the town which is home for ordinary Costa Ricans.

The first photo above shows the women’s centre.  In a place where there is a lot of American money courtesy of a gazillion single for the moment men, there is bound to be a lot of issues for women, a place for them to get the help they need.  Near the centre we found the local soccer pitch.  We’ve seen the field in use a few previous times when we passed the location,  And this photo shows a free day care centre for local people.  The place is sponsored by an organisation of expat women, an organisation that Maureen has joined while we are in Jaco.

We finally made it to the farmer’s market which was located by the local hospital.  An interesting aside, all the taxis that we’ve seen so far have all been red, even in San Jose.

In the market we ended up buying some fresh fruit and a loaf of homemade whole wheat bread.  Now that was a real treasure.  I have the feeling we will visit this place every Friday that we are here if only for the bread.

There are at least three different police stations that I have seen here.  This one is focused on policing the highway.  A second one is found on the beach tucked between a few hotels and beach bars.

We finally found the local post office.  We heard about it, but these days of Internet communications, we don’t seem to use post offices much anymore.

Across the main street, not far from the hospital and the day care centre, is the local church.  Now this is a church with a difference – an open air church.

And this building is the home of the municipal offices.  Across the road, where I was standing when taking the photo was the town shop with the usual collection of materials and vehicles needed to meet the needs of the town.  In the photo you might notice the paddy wagon, the police vehicle in which bad guys are held until they can be dropped off at the local jail.

There are two ambulances at the Costa Rican Red Cross station on Jaco’s main street.  This ambulance driver was glad to have his photo taken, obviously proud of what he does.  So far, Jaco looks like it has all in place for the well-being of residents and visitors alike – a hospital, a few medical clinics, a dentist’s office, and even a place to take care of vision needs.

This is where we buy most of our groceries.  It is the second biggest grocery store in town.  This is a chain store sort of like Superstore in Canada.

And this is another grocery store (Mega Super), a smaller store that is closer to our villa.  So far we have found about five good sized grocery stores.

Of course, as to be expected in a tourist town, KFC, Quiznos Sub, Pizza Hut, and Subway are easy to find.  Surprisingly, there is no Macdonalds here in Jaco.  I guess they decided that a restaurant every few feet on main street and on most side streets wouldn’t make for enough customers to make the effort of competing worth the effort.

I hope you enjoyed a small tour of our town here in Costa Rica