A Dull Roar

Thank Goodness It's Morning!

2012-02-13T06:13:00.000-06:00

Now I can finally get some rest. Last night was a perfect storm of disturbances that conspired to keep us awake most of the night. First, Lily, our little Tica dog went ballistic with barking at something she heard outside. She completely disregarded our pleas to use her "house voice", a command she knows well. She could not be quelled, so we let her out to run the perimeter for intruders.

At least her barking substituted for what seemed like constant high-pitched whining from 2 or 3 mosquitoes right in my ear, which I'm sure were taking shifts annoying me. At least they didn't draw blood and I finally got at least one of them with a good self-inflicted whack to my head.

To top things off, just before dawn we had a 5.8 quake that shook for quite a while, maybe 30 seconds or more. Usually they are hit and run, but this one rocked and rolled and seemed it would never stop. Actually, since I was in bed it felt not unlike being in a massage bed.

Finally, dog asleep, mosquito R.I.P., and the earth quiescent again I could doze off for a few more Zzzzzs. No sooner do I drift off than "gnyaaaagnyaaagnyaaa" goes the alarm clock!!

First Trip to the Big Lake - Part Final

2012-02-04T15:06:00.003-06:00

The slow, but long hike at Hanging Bridges whetted our appetite for some lunch and the German Bakery looked even more inviting in our minds' eyes than it had when we'd passed it up in Nuevo Arenal. So, we headed back that way, passing the wood carving gallery again, but making a mental note to double-back for a visit after our anticipated post-prandial satisfaction.

At trail's end we had time for a couple more photos, one of a beautiful Amapola blossom and another of a butterfly with a perfect picture of an owl under its wings. Actually, two owls, with the one on the left doing a pirate imitation (click to enlarge).

Sean and I had grabbed some cookies on our way out of the bakery and were happy to sit in the car once we got to the gallery to enjoy our dessert while Tamara poked around in the gallery, which from outward appearances seemed not terribly interesting. After about 10 minutes, however, she came back to the car insisting that we come inside.

The pictures that follow are just a tiny sampling of what's on display. These pieces are quite a bit different than what we've usually seen in roadside galleries and I was impressed. Part of the reason they are different is that they are made from rare tropical woods (such as Cocobolo heartwood), which have been submerged for years, maybe decades beneath Arenal Lake.

About every five years or so the lake level will drop low enough that some of this wood can be "harvested" by the artist for his sculptures.

But, of course, these pieces strongest characteristics come from the work of the artist, Ronal Sibaja, himself. He is self-taught and has been making these pieces for many years. They have such an originality and flair that even if you don't like them, you can find them compelling just the same.

No, we didn't buy any this trip, but Ronald's work is definitely on our minds and we will make a point of visiting his small gallery on our next trip to Arenal. If you are intrigued by his work you can contact him at dkako09@hotmail.com or +506 8928-0262

First Trip to the Big Lake - Part II

2012-01-31T12:32:00.002-06:00

The drive to the other end of Lake Arenal from Tilarán is steeped in scenery on both sides of the road. It's narrow and winding, but generally in good condition. Being a tourist area there is substantial traffic, so the driver can't spend too much time gazing at the sights. The road, the weather that day, and the ubiquitous rental cars brought back memories of my visits to the island of Kauai where there is but one road upon which you pass back and forth as you explore the island.

We passed several interesting looking waysides including a Swiss hotel and restaurant and the turn-off to the Venado Caves. Those we reserve for the next trip to the area. We did stop on the way back in Neuvo Arenal at the German Bakery/Restaurant. The food alone is well worth the stop, not to mention a pleasant atmosphere and outstanding service. My wife makes better cinnamon rolls than they do, though!

The main destination that day was the Hanging Bridges trail complex, just before you cross the dam. Though there were many cars and small tour buses in the parking lot the trails were very sparsely populated. We felt like we were the only hikers for most of the walk. The entrance fee seems a bit steep ($24/adult), but for once we were able to utilize our residency cedulas to get a 50% discount (yay!).

The concrete block trails meander through many acres of primary rain forest. The suspension bridges with aluminum grating for the walkways span vegetation cloaked ravines of depths to nearly 200 feet in some places. It's like a walking version of the ubiquitous forest zip lines, though more peaceful and more time to observe the forest and birds.

'Twas was a very pleasant way to spend 3 hours or so before we headed back towards Tilarán, on the way stopping at the aforementioned German restaurant.

After lunch we made a short double-back to stop at a wood carving gallery we'd noticed, but had already passed by twice. A blip along the road, it didn't look like much from the outside. Inside however was a different story, which I'll relate in the next lake trip posting.

First Trip to the Big Lake - Part I

2012-01-28T15:50:00.001-06:00

Back in late October when we visited Keko Diez (TI5KD) in Alajuela so that Sean could take his ham radio test, we met Rich (TI7/AA2UP) and his wife Penny who invited us to plan a trip up to their part of Costa Rica for a visit some time. Before Sean's summer vacation ran out this month we took them up on their gracious offer and headed north to Lake Arenal.

We chose the Costanera route for our trip because of the good road and to avoid the Central Valley traffic. Not counting a couple of short breaks it's about a six hour drive to Rich and Penny's place up on the slope where they have an absolutely gorgeous view of the lake to the southeast.

It's a stunning location not only for the views, but also for the contrast to our La Zona Sur. The hillsides remind me a lot of northern California in the U.S. with open grass interspersed with wind-bent oak-like trees, not the patchwork of plantations we're used to here. Lake Arenal offers yet another Costa Rican micro-climate, too. Despite the lower elevation compared to our finca, the air was quite cool thanks to the nearly constant breeze, which can whip up strongly at any time. The birds were definitely not our birds, Magpie Jays, Oropendolas, and Swifts are common.

Penny and Rich made us feel right at home in their spacious home, which they built just a few years ago. It's quite a change from their native upper New York acreage and they love it. It's always fun to see and hear how others have adapted to the country and the unforeseen changes. Despite some friction with one neighbor they appear to have found their niche and couldn't be happier taking time for themselves after decades of running their own printing business. Their dog, Topaz, was equally welcoming. She was very happy to have found more "victims" for a game of fetch and we humored her generously.

Our hosts offered us many options for sightseeing, guiding us around the ubiquitous tourist traps, and we settled on going to the Hanging Bridges, very near to the eastern end of the lake dam. The drive there is good road, though narrow and winding. It's a lush and tranquilizing drive.

Not far from our destination I saw a couple of Coatis coming out of the woods and I stopped the car to take a photo. As soon as I rolled down the window one of them made a beeline for me, its nose held high.

It must've been the scout as no sooner did it reach the car than the entire family began emerging from the woods across the road! We counted nearly 20 of them, an entire tribe. They'd obviously associated tourists with food a long time ago but we resisted giving them any tidbits and they were soon on their way to continue the hunt.

We continued our trek to the Hanging Bridges, which I'll cover in a separate post soon. For now I'll just say that it couldn't have been a better choice for a hike. We were especially glad that they didn't allow "somoking" there. ;^) To be continued ...

I've got nothing to say, but it's OK, ...

2012-01-15T06:27:00.002-06:00

Good morning, good morning, good morning, ah. - Lennon/McCartney.

Dawn is here, lifting Night's cloak with slender hands, asking her if she would like to take a load off, sit by the fire, and warm herself with a cup of hot rompope before dozing off for the day. The street lights across the valley are just starting to extinguish themselves one by one. The usually clear blue morning sky is mottled this day with gray-stained clouds hovering over the central mountains, but we're certainly in for continued dry weather now that summer has taken a firm hold. With Lily curled up near my feet (her usual place, my lap, taken by that infernal machine on which her master tips and taps), I'm rousing my neurons with my habitual brew of chocolate and ginger-laced fresh coffee. I sit in the old oak rocking chair on the northern balcony enjoying the view as the birds, insects, and the farmers meet another day in their own innate ways.

You know, when you are reduced to the topics of weather and complaining about taxes, that you don't have a lot to say. That's just the way things are now. Nothing specific going on of general interest. Summer vacation means far fewer trips to town, more time for chores and pleasure around the farm, trying your best to knock off a few projects on the long list you made as summer approached, catching up with friends and taking some time to watch the world go by. And go by it will.
Life's ebb tide took our closest neighbor's grandfather last week. He had been in declining health for some time and finally succumbed to a heart attack. The funeral service was held in their church (a converted open-air warehouse) Saturday afternoon. The entire congregation showed up, around 400 people, for evangelical music and passionate sermons and their chance to console the grieving family. We were honored to be the only non-Ticos who were invited. Yesterday we had a chance to sit down with our neighbors for afternoon coffee and cake. Of course, sadness still clung to the air around us, but we also enjoyed sharing pictures and stories of their newest grand-daughter; life's tide rising back up the shore.

Recently, we've made new friends, a couple originally from Romania who settled in Canada for the last 15 years until the combination of a job loss and the husband's passion for Costa Rica brought them and their two kids here to Pérez Zeledón. Whether they'll stay is not finally settled yet. Clearly the wife has reservations (and still a job to return to up north), though the husband is busy starting a small business in game arcades. The children seem as happy as children can be and are quickly adapting as only children can.

Unexpectedly, especially for this early in the season and without a protracted struggle, the city has some to our edge of civilization to repair our roads! Almost before we knew it they'd graded the road from our local village, Matasanos, all the way to the Pan-Am highway and even the 2 kilometer branch from the village to the river, our main way out. Not only did they grade it, but without precedence, they even compacted it, so it's about as smooth as a rock road can possibly get. Unfortunately, the city has let the permit for their quarry lapse and until that's reinstated we won't have a fresh layer of lastre, the mixture of heavy rock and earth used for paving, until later this summer. As long as they get that on before the rains begin anew we'll be OK, however.

We had grandiose plans to make a long trip either north to Nicaragua or south to Panamá this summer, but with time running out we're trimming that ambition back to a few days near Arenal volcano where we have friends met as a result of my ham radio hobby. We've only seen Arenal from afar, one of the several areas of the country we have yet to explore. After that I'll have a real post about something more specific than these laconic summertime ramblings, replete with photos. Until then, it's time for a refill of the coffee cup and for the laptop to yield its place to the family's favorite brown dog.

President Chinchilla's Christmas Gift

2012-01-11T18:34:00.005-06:00

Two days after Christmas 2011, La Presidénte Laura Chinchilla gave many people in Costa Rica a belated present. She signed into law yet another tax. This one is aimed at a long-standing tradition here for protecting one's assets, namely Socieadades Anonomias, in English, corporations. The use of corporations, especially inactive ones, is quite common among those who wish to protect assets in this country. Usually, it's your house and cars that need some protection from lawsuits and most of these corporations have no other purpose than holding such assets. One for each car, one for each house, etc.

I really have no idea what proportion of Ticos use corporations in this manner, but it is routine for the gringos. They are also used to establish yourself as a "person" to the government, which, sans residency, allows you to set up bank accounts, get utilities, etc. This is what's known as a Persona Juridica.

The C.R. government often sets its sights on us, since we are, in general, more affluent than the majority of the population, and of course we can't vote. Their assumption that we are a bottomless well of booty ignores the probability that as C.R. piles on scheme after scheme to garner some extra cash from the gringos (e.g., the "luxury home tax", which was a complete disaster) that poco a poco they make their country a little less desirable to prospective foreign residents, who bring in a lot of much needed capital, which gets distributed to local populations in many ways much more efficiently than government programs.

The tax itself (about $360 per active corp., half that for inactive corps, per year) may not seem like a lot but if you have 3 or 4 of these it adds up. What do we get for that money? Supposedly, it goes for additional "security" programs, which includes security details for domestic Presidential trips, by the way.

The good news this year is that since the law can't take effect until April 1st they can only charge 9 months worth in 2012. You have 30 days to pay. You have 90 days after April 1st to dissolve any corporation to avoid the tax. The Colegio de Abogados (equivalent to the Bar Association) recommends that the minimum fee to dissolve one's corporation be $150. This year, at least, you really can't win money-wise.

I'm not convinced at all, however, that one can't do 90% of the job of corporate dissolution oneself and just pay for getting the Notary stamp on the documents. Also, one question the article did not address is what happens if you just blow off the tax (at least on any corp. that you'd dissolve anyway)? I mean, it's not you personally who owes the tax. It's the corporation. So, who cares if there is a fine on a corp. you're not going to use anyway. I'd like to explore that option a bit more before committing to that idea, of course.

Ñampi

2011-12-28T15:03:00.004-06:00

There are but a small handful of words in Spanish that start with its 15th letter of the alphabet. Literally, you could count them just using your fingers. Ñampi is one. In English, we call it Taro. Every culture that uses this remarkable food plant seems to have its own common name for it. Cultivation of the plant was done by the ancient Romans, though it appears to have originated in India, from where it quickly spread both east and west, finally to the Americas. It's a staple food in some parts of the world and quite common here in Costa Rica.

The plant above grows at the back of our vivero (greenhouse) and we have several planted on the property here and there. They are ideally suited to places with lots of rain and like rice and lotus can be grown in flooded areas.

The leaves (or petioles) end in a corm, which branches into several tubers. Just one plant, when harvested, yielded us a 5 gallon bucket full of tubers. They take about a year to grow.

The tubers clean up easily and taste very much like a white potato. They are prepared in all the same ways that potatoes are, fried, boiled, baked, etc. I'm not sure how the nutritional qualities compare, however. The leaves are equally edible with a little cooking.

One caution however: both the leaves and tubers contain calcium oxalate, which contribute to kidney stones. So, before cooking they should be soaked overnight in cold water and/or have a pinch of baking soda added to the cooking water.

Christmas Festivities

2011-12-26T13:53:00.001-06:00

We hosted a potluck afternoon dinner Sunday with friends and neighbors to celebrate Christmas Day. Dishes included fresh homemade pizza, tropical salads, pejibaye dip, pumpkin pie, and an assortment of other desserts, including rice pudding, and a fabulous carrot cake made by my sister Tandra. I had a collection of 40s/50s Christmas music mixed with tracks from Linda Rondstadt's Canciones de Mi Padre playing all afternoon.

Including the kids, there were about 20 guests in attendance. There was lots of news to catch up on amongst all of us and discussions of new year plans.

Magaly and Salvador are nearly done with their new house on the river near Rivas, Billy and Elisia are busier than one-armed paper hangers with a full hotel, and Luis' family continues to develop with the eldest at-home daughter on the cusp of starting her first year at university.

The weather cooperated beautifully, no rain, partly cloudy and random sun breaks bathing the nearby cliffs in warm summer light. Everyone's anxious for summer to start, and it looks today as if it really is here.

The kids played board and video games nearly the whole time when they weren't chowing down. Just an overall relaxing day with good company and plenty of Christmas spirit to spread around. As is customary, all the ladies (and me I might add) chipped in on the clean-up, so that we could relax after the last guest had departed. Thanks ladies!

Don't Worry Honey, It's Only a Flesh Wound!

2011-12-24T14:01:00.000-06:00

Except for this little glitch my Christmas Eve has been going pretty well. For weeks now I've been trimming brush on our unforested one hectare. I never work more than one tankful of fuel a day, which equals 2 or 3 hours depending on which blade I'm using. Today I was finishing the last of it when this happened. Apparently I hit a piece of old wire and in an instant it passed through the underside of my forearm, in one hole out the other. It bled like a stuffed pig, if you'll excuse the gory simile, but surprisingly to me it didn't hurt much at all, though that didn't stop me from using it as an excuse for a 4-finger G&T!

Meanwhile, Christmas Eve rolls along. Last minute gift wrapping, food preparation, and late invites to afternoon dinner on Christmas Day. Lily is the presents guard.

There's zero chance of a white Christmas here, that you can take to the bank. We are hoping that unlike the last 3 years that the rain holds off tomorrow, however. The season is definitely changing, so I think the chance of a dry Christmas is a good one.

We are just about out of ripe bananas, and the ones we have are saved for the birds, which are returning to our feeder, sometimes with their young'uns, in greater numbers now. New bananas are on the way as you can see.

The surrounding fields and hills are gradually being covered by the daisy-like yellow flowers of the Quitirrí (aka Ira) trees. Many trees choose to bloom this time of year after the winter solstice, including this one to the left. It appears to be some kind of mimosa though my Costa Rican field guide doesn't show this exact species with it's tender moppish flowers.

The green bananas that we do have don't go unused until they are ripe. Boiled, they make a good imitation of a potato, starchy and bland and absorbent of the other flavors in whatever dish in which you use them. They are often found in the local Tico soups. Tamara used some today in preparing a traditional Ukrainian dish called Olivia. I love how she's adapted many of her dishes to what's available in the Tropics. Uke-Tico fusion!

Here's hoping that your Christmas Eve is a pleasant and peaceful one, without any skin piercing traumas to interrupt it. Tonight we open our presents, tomorrow we check out what Santa left in the stockings (hung on the stairs banister). We'll have a small gathering of gringos and Ticos alike for a pot luck and prognostications for the coming year!

Merry Christmas to All!

Sean Reaches a Milestone

2011-12-16T14:43:00.003-06:00

No, Sean didn't suddenly skip 6 grades and graduate High School. To those of us brought up in the States, however, the formality pictured above could give you that impression. This is 6th grade graduation, Tico style. I don't really speculate too much about these kinds of things, I just relax and enjoy it. Since few decades ago many people here didn't go beyond the 6th grade (my neighbor is one example), that perhaps that is an explanation for all the folderol, though in general Ticos do seem to have a more formal culture in other ways, at least compared to the States

In any case, we enjoyed the ceremony, the songs, the speeches, the refreshments, and seeing Sean in his cap and gown. Sean's adaptation to the school system here and his now fluent Spanish (not to mention his good grades) are certainly something to celebrate and of which to be proud.

The school he graduated from, Del Valle, also has a Colegio (equivalent to Junior/High School), but whether he continues there is up in the air at the moment. In just 3 short years the tuition - thanks to 10%/year increases and a drop in the dollar - has increased by 50% for us and that is putting a strain on our budget. We know of six other kids in his class of 15 who will be attending Colegio at other schools for the same budgetary reasons.

Tamara, ever resourceful, is trying to work out a trade with the school, mosaics for tuition, and I think she has a good shot at it. We won't know if she's successful until late January when the board of directors meets again. She already has the support of the school principal and the owner of the property, however.

In the meantime, I enrolled him in the nearby public colegio (Colegio Ambientalista - Environmental School) since that window opened and shut this week and it is only 20 bucks to enroll. That's the "back-up plan", though I'd actually prefer that he go to the latter as it also has classes in horticulture, which Del Valle doesn't offer. This year Colegio Ambientalista also turns into a 6-year technical school, which means a higher degree than he'd achieve at his current school.

We still have one other option to consider, a new private school in town that we've heard charges half the rate of Del Valle. All will be settled at the end of the summer break in early February one way or the other.

The Casamata Slide on the Pan-American Highway

2011-12-14T09:13:00.002-06:00

Months ago there was a huge slide about midway between San Isidro and San José on the Pan-American highway. It has made travel between these two parts of the country's interior unpredictable since they don't post any signs on the highway itself about closings, so you don't know if it's closed unless you ask someone along the way. When closed the only way through is by long, winding, easy-to-get-lost-in detours through the surrounding mountains, which add at least an hour to your trip (the scenery is fantastic, however!).

The latest good news in La Nación is that soil studies have returned results that will allow them to build a solution in much less time than originally thought. If you look at the picture above, basically all the portion in pink is what slid away. Before the slide the roadway was at the level of the black car. The repair is going to consist of injected concrete beams to support a higher roadway and to stabilize the soil to prevent further sliding. It's not a trivial task since they also have to make the construction to withstand seismic shocks.

Apparently they have now stabilized a lane wide enough for semis to pass through and we hope they can keep it open continuously while they work on the permanent solution.

Change of Seasons

2011-12-05T16:51:00.001-06:00

As Fabulista de Costa Rica (Kat Sunlove) notes in her most recent blog posting, Costa Rican Spring is here. We're already noting an increase in the butterfly population up here in the mountains, the rain is tapering off, and inspirational sunsets are more frequent. It's also time for a change of routine as Sean is now out of school on "summer" break until early February. No more twice or thrice daily drives to town but we have to endeavor to keep him constructively engaged at home!

The weekend after classes ended, but before his graduation ceremony (covered in a later post), nearly the entire classes and parents went on a 3-day/2-night excursion to an all-inclusive resort hotel in Puntarenas up on the central Pacific coast. Graduating sixth grade here is a big deal and this was the parents' way of rewarding the kids.

This place wasn't exactly my cup of tea, but, hey, I didn't have too much trouble putting up with all-you-can-eat buffets, free cocktails, and acres of pools and beach. I didn't actually try the swim-up bar, though. It was almost surreal there, as if you were a prisoner, forced to relax. The borders of the resort extended to the beach, where, if you wandered too far in either direction, a friendly uniformed guard intercepted you to show you a notice on a clipboard that the "beyond" area (completely deserted) was too dangerous and if you insisted on crossing the imaginary border you had to sign a release.

I felt a little like I was in The Truman Show or that if I tried to swim away that I'd be captured by one of those big rubber weather ballons alá The Prisoner.

Forced relaxation is probably a good prescription for me as I tend to get too wrapped up in projects on the finca and one week melds into another without break.

Curiously enough, Sean and I found that the kayak shack on the beach was going practically unused so we "reserved" a tandem model for the next afternoon. The reservation consisted just of telling the attendant that we wanted one and would be back at 4 the next day. We probably needn't have bothered as no one else appeared to have dibs on them anyway. I've always found it quirky in Costa Rica that most Ticos, at least the inland ones, don't seem to go in much for water sports here, surrounded by warm water.

Getting through the first row of surf guaranteed that we had our sunscreen washed off, but we had a great time and the sunset was spectacular. We synch'd perfectly with the surf coming in, gliding to a stop back on the beach.

The next morning we took out single seaters. Pelicans, gulls, and Frigate birds surrounded us. We watched their spectacular kamikaze dives into the water just short stones throws away. The water was filled with silver flashes bubbling to the surface. Those were sardines, which nearby fisherman were hauling in by nets and which explained the abundance of birds overhead and in the water.

While we were kayaking, Tamara came across a group of large lizards sunbathing.

Monday night we had a group dinner with all the kids and parents. The children soon after dessert headed for the hotel Teen Club, which has video games, a pool table, table tennis, etc.

We found out at dinner for the first time that one of the boys' parents, the dad, speaks fluent Russian as he studied in Ukraine for 8 years! Wow.

Tuesday, late morning, we headed back home via San José and the newly installed Caldera Highway, so that I could stop at the post office in Zapoté, which was holding up (pun intended) some packages in Customs. We managed to get all the packages out of hock and for a pittance. We were the lucky ones in the crowd there. We only waited an hour and a half, whereas most of the folks had come before us and were still biding their time. A lot of very displeased folks.

As you can imagine the hotel itself was pretty devoid of wildlife (not counting drunk Ticos); the lizards and the squirrel below being the notable exceptions. The resort was probably not a place we would have gone on our own, but we're glad we did nonetheless. I'm definitely hooked on kayaking now (canoeing was my specialty in Oregon), so we're keeping our eyes peeled for a couple of those. I hope that we won't need a forcing function to get us out to other new-to-us parts of Costa Rica, and maybe beyond the borders, this summer.

Winter's Last Slosh

2011-10-13T17:53:00.000-06:00

We have had a terrific tropical winter this year, really pleasant. There I said it. I'd studiously avoided commenting on how enjoyable this winter's weather has been for as long as possible in order not to jinx it. But the jinx is in now, so it doesn't matter.

October is typically the cruelest month (with November not far behind) of the rainy season that runs roughly from June until mid-December in this part of Costa Rica. October got off to a late start but the last week it has been in top form. The rain starts before noon, lasts all day and into the night. Sopping wet.

The rain is "different", too. Not the torrential downpours accompanied by knocks-you-off-your-chair lightning. Just a steady, constant drumming and dripping, foggy, and cool. Even in town, which is generally warmer than up here on the mountain, I've been comfortable in a double layer of T-shirt and flannel long-sleeve shirt on top.

Knowing that the next month or so is the last gush of the season and reflecting on how quickly this winter has gone by (versus going nuts by July last year ...) makes it more tolerable. As I've probably said already a hundred times, this brand of rain reminds me so much of our native western Oregon.

By the way, I ran across a terrific weather site that allows you to create many flavors of maps and run sequences for the last several hours or days. Try it out.

No More Rain Dash

2011-10-02T06:11:00.002-06:00

One would think that after living here for nearly three years that we’d have a sixth sense about when the rain will start each day during our winter months. It’s not exactly a random occurrence after all. About 2 o’clock plus or minus two hours the raindrops begin most days. From our vantage point you can see it coming miles away. Yet, inevitably, it’s only when the first drops hit the metal roof that we suddenly remember there are clothes on the line, probably dry or nearly so, and we sprint to the back yard to save them.

In my role as family engineer I often note as we are folding the rescued clothes that we need a mechanism to avoid this mad “rain dash”. An obvious (to me) solution would be to extend the roof over the back patio. No dice according to the family architect. Tamara sees that as an architectural slippery slope down which the typical Tico house careens with its series of willy-nilly shed roofs, one for each new expansion.

I’ve come up with a few other solutions, one of which would support the clothesline on a long pivoting arm, hinged to a corner post with a wheel on the far end that could be rolled under the existing roof (wow!). I’ve plenty of other projects to keep me busy, however, so I never tried too hard to push these ideas. The rain dash continued.

Well, (bwahahaha) now the architect's away for a month, so, sans further consultation, I constructed what you see in the photo, a compact, portable clothesline with transparent roof. It holds more than a full washer load. Two people can move it with ease.

I predict she will love it when she gets back (it dries faster, too), but even if she doesn’t I’m sure I could re-purpose it for something else. One project off the to-do list (he says, dusting of his hands!

Checkmate!

2011-09-28T21:44:00.000-06:00


A key to chess success is concentration

It’s not always easy keeping up with your kid’s school activities. That seems to be especially true of Sean’s school. I’m not sure if it’s the language difference that keeps us off-balance a little, or their seeming disorganization (couldn't be mine!). No doubt it’s a combination of the two (or three). In any case, I didn’t receive the notice of the Regional Chess Finals until Monday afternoon (and what happened to the semi-finals anyway?).

The tournament was today, Wednesday. Why I would care is that Sean’s school chess club is one of the six schools that participated and Sean's the best player in his club. It promised to be exciting, but not wanting to project any tension on him, the only (and best) advice I gave him was to "have fun!".

The tournament was way out south of San Isidro in a town I'd never seen before, Santa Elena. The event is small town stuff, but the Ticos make the most of it. National songs, dances in full costume (see video below the break), and endless speeches by various school dignitaries. Start time on the memo was 8 AM, but actual play didn't commence until nearly ten o'clock.

The room was divided into two parts, one for teams and one side for individual matches. The 4-kid teams play individual matches, too, but somehow their scores are merged. Sean and one of his classmates from Del Valle Escuela were designated as individual players. There were five rounds in all with a lunch break in the middle, so about 4 hours of play in total.

I could see that Sean had a formidable first opponent. About 15 minutes into his match Sean loses his queen, ouch. Shortly thereafter there is a big imbalance in the number of captured pieces, not in Sean's favor. Sean's not the kind to throw in the towel however. Badly outnumbered into the end game he managed to force the other player into making a big mistake and Sean pulls out a stalemate. He has done that to me on several occasions.

His second round goes badly but it's over quickly. Sean was in checkmate in about 5 minutes. I love how he took it in stride, complementing the other player's skill. There's a long break after that round before he comes back for three more.

For the third round Sean plays against a classmate. Watching the two of them I predict that Sean will prevail based just on body language. Sean is still and focused, the other kid is fidgeting and slumped. Sure enough, Sean grabs his queen and it’s downhill for his opponent from there. Checkmate in under 15 minutes.

Sean's final two matches were his toughest. There are only six individual players at his level and they are all good. The first of these two matches was a grind-it-out war of attrition. Look at the solid wall of white pieces he made in the picture above, which guaranteed hand-to-hand combat. Sean fell behind in the capture piece tally, but he persevered. Finally, he got his opponent's king in a vise and worked it from there for a win.

The final match was by far the toughest. Now Sean's body language was showing how hard he was working. By the halfway point they were the last match of the tournament so had a small crowd of onlookers. He couldn't quite go tit-for-tat with captures and was losing ground. He seems to shine on his end game, however. Outnumbered again he backs the other guy's king into a corner and squeezes him for another checkmate! One of the chess instructors complimented him on his skill in the final moves.

Sean's total for the day: draw, loss, 3 wins. That garnered him 2nd place overall.

The Del Valle school team also got second place.

The Del Valle Escuela Chess Tournament Team

The Costa Rican traditional dancing. Part of the opening ceremonies.

Bachelors On The Mountain

2011-09-20T19:16:00.002-06:00

Early Sunday morning (as in 5 AM) I drove Tamara up to Juan Santamaria airport and saw her off for a month-long trip to visit family in Ukraine with a swing back through Chicago at the end where she'll meet her girlfriends. She had a loooong trip over via Bogotá and Frankfurt with two 7+ hour layovers (hey, the price was right!). I waited until her afternoon today to give her a call knowing she'd be sleeping late. Her return trip will be much more relaxing I'm sure.

The day before she departed we had a 1-week early birthday party for Sean with a few friends over and a surprise visit from his two best friends who live up in San Gerardo de Dota. He is now (well, not now-now, in 4 more days) a teenager with all attendant signs thereof. Actually, he is a pretty mature 13 year-old in my opinion, but I'm not fooling myself about what lies ahead!

Left to my own devices I'd serendipitously arranged a trip just the day before to the little slice of radio heaven that belongs to Costa Rican ham radio operator Keko Diez, TI5KD, who lives very close to the S.J. airport as it happens. He runs a small getaway for the most serious radio contestors and has a very impressive, all home-brew, station and antenna "farm" on his small plot of land. It was nice to take a day off and chat radio all day. The weather was great, we had a pleasant lunch, and I hope to bring Sean up on the next visit so he can sit for his U.S. radio license exam. Sean couldn't make this trip as he'd returned with his friends to their place up in the mountains.

Monday afternoon I returned to the highway to make the one hour trip back up Cerro de la Muerte to pick up Sean. The weather was already turning rainy by then, but we waited in the cabin for it to clear up so we could visit Ryan and Tammy's trout ponds to do a little fishing.

We brought back a couple whale-sized rainbow trout for our first dinner without wife/mother to share it with us. I prepare it by rubbing it inside and out with fresh-crushed garlic, salt and pepper and a little lemon juice. Baked until just cooked through they were delicious with rice and steamed veggies. Looks like we'll have enough for cold trout sandwiches for a couple of days.

Sean is on a week long school vacation now, but come next Monday I'll be in full swing as chaffeur, laundress, chief bottle washer, plus I have a long list of projects to accomplish (some surprises) while Tamara is away. Not only do we look forward to seeing her again when she gets back, but we know she will bring at least one checked bag full of goodies from the States, some of which I'd already ordered and had shipped to Chicago. Until then, we manage as we can <grin>.

Today - Costa Rican Independence Day

2011-09-15T10:48:00.001-06:00

September 15th, 2011. The 190th year of Costa Rican independence from Spanish rule is celebrated across the country today. It is not like a typical holiday in the States, quite. Many people attend what are called Acto Civicos today. Sean must attend school where students and parents go to a mega-assembly, which lasts most of the day, filled with music, speeches, good times.

Since Independence Day fell on a Thursday this year and next week is a traditional week off from school, no one less than Costa Rican Presidente Laura Chinchilla has delcared that Friday will be a school holiday. I know Sean appreciates that extra day off!

As far as the topic of Costa Rica's Independence, I think I covered that pretty well exactly two years ago and really have nothing to add. I like how the Ticos seems to always put in a little something extra for their holidays and the generally non-commercial nature of them.

Congratulations Costa Rica!

Las Vigías - lookout!

2011-09-13T07:50:00.000-06:00

One of the more subtle cultural aspects of living in Costa Rica (and I'm sure many other countries in the world share this) is the Vigía, or the Lookout/Watchman. In America, if we had them, we'd probably call them freelance parking attendants. Frankly, at first I found these guys (haven't seen a female vigía yet ...) a little annoying. Like, why do I need someone to help me park, put a piece of cardboard on my window and then expect me to tip them (a whole 20 cents!)?

Soon, though, you get used to it and come to appreciate them. They all have their own "territories", usually a single block, and they are there all day. Pictured above is our favorite vigía, Luis, who works the block orthogonal to the street on which Sean's school is located. Luis has a quick and easy smile, likes to joke around. My sister Tandra introduced him to the fist bump so we have added that to our greeting ritual. I am happy to hand this guy his 100 Colones, and he has no problem if I'm out of change some days... mañana!

Luis has a very good street to work as you can see, lots of cars. This abnormally wide street is right next to the core downtown not-free parking zone, so it's popular.

Not all vigías are so diligent and friendly as Luis. On the street where the farmer's market is, there was a change of vigías about a year ago. The new guy, how shall I put it, ... sucks. He is not helpful, but he is right there in your face with his hand out as soon as he sees you heading to your car to leave. I now avoid parking on that street hoping to starve him out. It seems to me that others agree as there are always plenty of spaces on market day there.

There is one other vigía we regularly see on a busy cross-street in the middle of a busy commercial area. He has his work cut out for him. The street is narrow and parking requires some deft handling of the car. He will guide you into your spot, but more importantly he stops traffic when you are trying to thread the needle backing out.

The watchman aspect is not so vital down here where street crime is rare, but I suppose in a place like San José that could be important. I'd think, however, that in SJ you would have to wonder if you needed a vigía for the vigía, etc. Up in SJ I've had obviously drug-crazed kids try to panhandle 100 Colones off me as I headed back to my car who had done absolutely nada with regards to my car. At least they didn't break into it!

Life Imitating Art ... Again

2011-09-08T12:28:00.000-06:00

In the moist tropics, a place where life thrives rampantly, it's hard not to take note of it, to record it, to marvel at it. That's my story, anyway, as to why I'm posting more bug pictures, and I'm sticking to it!

I thought it a good omen when I went out on the patio for my morning cup of Joe today and saw this Atlas moth artistically complementing the mosaic below it. It's still there and will be all day, it's what they do. The goodness of the omen, if it was one, vanished quickly in the next 10 minutes, but I'll defer that bad news until we've finished with the bugs.

Beetles abound, one of Nature's more successful genres. They range from the minuscule to the gigantic, the benign, like this fellow on the right, to the obnoxious and shrill. The smaller ones seems to specialize in the artistic look with various patterns and colors. There is one, which we saw at Monteverde, which looks exactly as if it were dipped in gold.

This moth, however, looks as if it were dipped in candy sprinkles. Else, it may be a refugee from the pond around Mr. Burns' nuclear power plant (Amazing! There is a Wikipedia post for everything ...).

Scary though it may appear, it is gentle as a lamb. I'm not sure if I were an animal considering whether this was food or not, would I find the appearance unsavory or appetizing.

Well, enough of the bug fun. Today is imitating our mood, grey and overcast. Earlier this morning, just before Tamara and Sean were headed to the school, my sister came up the driveway in an anguished state, cradling one of her cats who had just been mauled by the neighbors' dogs. There was a mad scramble to get in the car and rush to the vet, but before they even left the carport it was clear that the cat was gone. I am sure the neighbors will be quite saddened by this event as well. They are our friends after all. It's a sad fact that most dogs here, especially in the countryside, run free, and that it's a hard place for cats, not just because of dogs. Realizing that just doesn't take out the sting of losing a pet, however. That's life's "dull roar" reminding us the underlying fragility of our existence, that change is the one constant we can depend on.

Feriados Tipicas

2011-09-04T17:22:00.001-06:00

Translation: Traditional Holidays. I'm only a month and a half late in posting these pictures of this year's Noche Tipica at Sean's school back in July following on the heels of the national holiday celebrating the annexation of the Guanacaste region to Costa Rica (basically the whole NW corner of the country).

It was shortly after the Central Americans countries declared their independence, early in the 19th Century, that a referendum, of sorts, in the region took place asking the residents if they wanted to stay with Nicaragua or become part of Costa Rica. Some ill-humored Ticos still try to get in a dig on Nicaragua over this event even today (get over it!).

Every year at the school they celebrate one evening close to this holiday with a fiesta for the kids and parents. Parents and teachers prepare traditional dishes and desserts and help sell these treats to raise money for the school.

Tamara chipped in her help this year serving up the Carne con Salsa over by the bleachers with the other sixth grade moms.

The dances by the different grade levels are really the highlight of the evening for me, though I pigged out on most of the food wares as well (it was a restless sleep that night for me).

The costumes and choreography are lovely, colorful, and dynamic. I remember taking some videos of the dances, but where they went I know not!

We were late to the party this year, which was just as well, since the early program is usually some long-winded speeches (we have perhaps the country's most loquacious school principal).

It was too bad that we couldn't have left a little early, too. The final half hour or so was taken over by a big brass salsa band, which was fun except that they play at an ear-splitting volume level, which gets uncomfortable after a short time, especially for these rock'n'roll damaged eardrums!

World's Smallest Hummingbird?

2011-08-24T18:27:00.001-06:00

You've got 16 seconds. What is it?

The first time I saw these here, I would have sworn it was a hummingbird (colibrí in Spanish). But the size throws you off, you cock your head to one side and try to take a step closer without scaring it off. It's fast, it darts left, right, up, and away. Finally it hovers for more than a second at one flower and you get an up close look!

OMG! It's some kind of insect, not a bird at all! You feel a slight chill of revulsion run up your spine. Your mind is set on one thing and it turns out to be another. Not quite so bad as the time I was watching a spider an inch from my face that was on the other side of a window, ... until I suddenly realized it was actually on my side of the window!

My grimace quickly turned to a smile, however (we're back on the hummingbird bug now, not that spider...), at the incredible mimicry of this moth, yes, a moth! Specifically a White-banded Day Sphinx Moth (Aellopos titan). The flight behavior, the penchant for Fox Tail nectar, the markings, you can even swear there's a long beak there, too, until your near enough to see the antennae. Wow.

I'll let the zoologists tell me if this is parallel evolution or defense mechanism, but it's amazing to me that two creatures from totally separate Orders could come up with such remarkable similarities.

Those goo-goo googly eyes!

2011-08-23T14:21:00.000-06:00

Light on!

This guy (gal?) came to visit one evening, laconic and seeming a bit lost. Harmless enough as long as you could look past the homeliness as he plodded along our floor.

Then he wandered into a less lit area under the stairs and I thought I saw something strange, a faint glow from those dots on either side of his/her head.

Light off!

Maybe we should dub it the Clapper Bug? Vertical headlights, which I suppose are for attraction of the opposite whatever, since he'd need a serious re-alignment if he wants to use them to see where he's going.

Not much else going on at the moment. I've been busy with yet another ham radio project (YAHRP!) and Tamara is in sort of a lull between jobs, though there's always gardening and socializing to catch up on.

Our residency renewal is just a couple of months away so we went, with the help of a couple in the know, down to the new Caja (Caja Costariccense de Seguiridad Social - CCSS) offices in Pérez this morning to apply for health insurance, which is a new requirement for residents. Tuesdays always seem a good bet when doing the bureaucratic thing and this one was exceptional. We were first in line (for those applying, not for those with some other issue) and out of there in pretty short order, including one hurried trip to a nearby copy shop for some extra xeroxes. After that one must go to the hospital to get the "carnet", which, along with your latest payment receipt gets you medical attention there or at your local clinic.

One glitch (of course). They wanted proof that Tamara and I are married, which is not something I ever carry around, and if I did it wouldn't be in Spanish, so completion of her final step is pending finding such a document. Cost? $62.50 per month for the three of us. For that you get free (as in no co-pay, 100% covered) doctor visits, hospitalization, and prescriptions. For small stuff we'll very likely depend on the free doctor advice at the pharmacies, for stuff that we need done quickly, private doctors, but if we're pinched for cash or it's really big, the Caja is there for backup.

Moms should get a real holiday!

2011-08-14T20:56:00.000-06:00

Until this, our third year here, I didn't realize that Costa Rica's Día de Las Madres is a full-fledged holiday. I knew it was unusual (maybe unique?), since they celebrate Mom's Day on August 15th, undiluted by sliding the date back and forth to force fit it into a 3-day holiday as is modern day custom in the States. But, in our first two years here it fell on a Saturday then a Sunday, so it didn't dawn on me until this year that it's a real national holiday on par with C.R. Independence Day or El Día de la Vírgen de los Ángeles. They close up shop! The banks are closed, the P.O. is closed, and who knows how many stores (probably not so many I suppose, since capitalism must have its due)?

As it should be (a real holiday I mean, not capitalistic priorities...)! One might think that the women here get enough respect already given that in March they have International Women's Day, and, American ex-pat or not, any woman here could claim the traditional maternal May Sunday holiday in the States as their own (we poor men(boo hoo) only get our one day in June). Well, go ahead, try that angle on your own Mom, spouse, significant other. Let me know how that works out for you.

Mothers deserve a celebration, and not just on one or two (or three) special days a year. Who has a more special role in our lives, the person we knew first, before and after birth, who nurtured us in our most defenseless times, gave us haven in a new world flooded with foreign sensations, our anchor in a wondrous fresh sea of experience?

Without the mother's tireless efforts born of love and her skills as provider, psychologist, counselor, educator, nurse, disciplinarian, confidante and so much more, would our early, adolescent, and adult lives be distinctly narrower and more brittle? Probably. Give moms and all women the appreciation they deserve Monday, whether or not it's an official holiday where you are. You'll both feel better for it!

My Mom, age 21

Not for the squeamish!

2011-08-13T12:55:00.001-06:00

I hope you didn't just have lunch, eee-ewww!

What look like one of Nature's crueler jokes, a perverse cross between an earthworm and a maggot, these, errrr, things are on the move, en masse. It's hard to tell when you watch the video but they are making slow progress in one direction. Migrating? Procreating? Someone surely knows.

I've run across one of these worm balls before and just like this one they were on an open roadway and indubitably taking the shortest path across the road, at a right angle to its length (how do they know?!).

I can only hazard a guess as to why these creatures travel in this slimy ball fashion. It wouldn't seem like a great way to avoid predators, but perhaps it's necessary in order that they keep each other moist or it's very important that they don't lose one another. It certainly seems a very inefficient mode of travel considering how painstakingly slow their journey is.

Feria Scientifica de Escuela Del Valle

2011-08-06T11:38:00.000-06:00

But first, time out for a shot of last night's inspiring setting of the sun ... !

Per our usual modus operandi, Sean and I finished up his project for the school's Science Fair at the last minute. We pulled it off even despite one glitch with his smaller catapult that required I make an emergency run to the hardware store to fetch some special glue.

All such school events happen in the open-air gymnasium. Sean, the only sixth grader to participate, was amongst 18 projects this year. The quality of the projects seemed better to me this time, but I thought some of the obviously professional/commercial banners were a little over the top. I'll suggest they have a rule about that for next year, more concentration on the science, less on marketing.

Sean displayed two types of catapults, a small Mangonel (which uses torsion for propulsion), and a larger scale model of a Trebuchet (energy from gravity). His poster had an excellent overview of the history of the catapult and covered other varieties, their advantages and disadvantages, etc. His catapults were both working models for which he used a small plastic ball as the payload.

Although he didn't win a top prize (the one that got first place didn't even have a correct concept model!), he did have a great "day off" explaining and demonstrating his project to all the attendees. The other boys in his class were rightfully impressed by his weapon making skills, which among teens can only add to your cred, right? If we actually implement the ideas we have for improving the power of the Trebuchet, he can use it to throw water ballons long distances for his next at-home party, which is guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser!

Test Shot

On the way home we threw around a lot of ideas about what to present next year, his first year of Colegio. I'm sure that our inventive fever will wear off quickly, procrastination will again be our steady companion, and we'll be scrambling to put something together next year in the final week before the fair. But, the important thing (to us) is the entire creative, conceptual and implementation process, and the ability to communicate what you did, all of which are essential to developing a good scientific mind.

On that basis I congratulate Sean on a job well done!