Worth a Thousand Words

While I Was Sleeping

2012-01-25T20:47:00.000-08:00

While I was sleeping on the third and last day in Tortuguero, my husband and a handful of our fellow Pachira Lodge guests woke up early and crossed the canal to the beach, where we were yesterday, to hopefully find baby turtles going to sea. This all came about when one of the guests told us and showed the video he captured of the baby turtle's amazing trip from the nest all the way to the sea. Hubby was kind enough to share his photos. Here are what I missed while I decided to sleep in.

You would find that the baby turtle has a lot of hurdles to face before finally reaching the sea. The hubby was constantly shooing the dog from devouring the poor little turtle.

To the Beach and the Village

2012-01-18T23:09:00.000-08:00

On the second day, our itinerary was full (the boat ride on post below happened after lunch). After breakfast we went across the canal to Tortuguero Village. This time we had Mariano as our guide, and Julio went with the Spanish-speaking group.

We walked along the banks and watched fire ants carry blades of grass.

Then we headed to the beach for some education about turtles.

Come quickly hubby said I spotted something.

Lecture on the ways of the turtles.

This beach is part of the national park system and sanctuary for turtles. Hence very limited access

It's a dead baby turtle, that's what we spotted in the sand. The poor guy didn't stand a chance with the heat.

When they hatch, they need to be able to leave the nest and get into the water before the sun is high. This one must have been caught in the heat, didn’t have a chance. Apparently the baby turtle has to hurdle many challenges for its survival. Predators like birds and dogs and other animals, people who still didn’t get the memo. Then from its nest it has to make sure it reaches the ocean before the sun gets too hot. Also we were advised not to pick up turtles, especially live ones, as they have sensors in their belly/feet that senses and memorizes the path they take from the nest to the ocean, which will be very helpful if and when these babies grow up and mature to lay eggs in this very beach.

Remember the tree that fell on the canal? Let nature be.

I wished I was wearing flip flops then I could easily have cooled my toesies. It was hot and the sun was in full force.

A few of the things we saw on the beach:

The insects were bigger than normal.

While the beach was gorgeous and the occasional breeze was refreshing, I was glad that Mariano was leading us away from the beach to the village. I was ready to get out of the sun.

THE VILLAGE:

There is a paved path – should I even consider it road even when the only transportation that uses it is a two-wheeler bike – that goes straight parallel to the canal. Facing the village with our backs to the canal, we decided to walk to the right where both sides of the path are lined with stores and eateries and accommodations all housed in structures painted in vivid colors. We entered a few stores and bought turtle earrings for gifts and then continued our walk. My strength was dwindling mainly due to thirst and heat. I was able to finish a bottle of water immediately after we entered the village, but that doesn’t seem enough. I was still thirsty and at the same time worried that I might need a bathroom, which is a problem.

We spotted a cart vendor pushing coconuts – he was in demand – and my hubs and I split one coconut between us, which tide me over. And so I continued to shoot.

"So that in future will not see only silhouettes."

I believe he sold all his coconuts that day.

PEOPLE WATCHING:

I'm guessing they're courting.

Looks like it's about time for siesta as we headed back to the other side of the canal to our lodge.

We came back here when the sun had gone down that night for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The beaches of Tortuguero are famous for the turtles (Green Sea, Leatherback and Hawksbill). They lay their eggs on these beaches from July to October.

To see experience this, the tour cost $30. It's so worth it. You are given 2 hours to see or not see depending on whether there is turtle that came to lay eggs that night. We got lucky under the full moon. Unfortunately, absolutely no recording device was allowed, no camera, no video, no phone. We all followed the rules to the letter because we were told that they were enforced strictly. The guide will be penalized and license revoked. We don't want to be responsible for someone losing his/her job.

This is what I wrote on my journal:
What I thought was going to be a lazy walk on the beach by moonlight was the opposite. The minute we all got out of the boat and the guide introduced herself, we were off like we’re running away from immigration officers. Brisk walking, meet Maria. It was a tough walk to the beach. We passed by the village then onto the dimly lit portion of the beach to a waiting station. The rangers don’t want a mob descending on the beach during this time when the turtles are just coming out of the water. The waiting station which was totally in darkness is a ways off. The beach area is divided into stations and a runner/ranger would be scouring the beach for turtles. When they spot a turtle and find where it goes and begins to dig, the runner would then go to the waiting station and informs the guide where to direct the tourists.

We waited for a long time in the station, which was good because I was able to catch my breath. There were hushed conversations among us, but in general the quiet and the dark were a potent combination for relaxation – if I wasn’t dog tired from that almost running we just did. I was so horrified at how poorly I performed at brisk walking. How could I be so out of shape – nope don’t answer that.

When the runner came, he said something to the guide who then herded us to backtrack because apparently we overshot our target spot, the turtle chose to lay eggs closer to the village.

Another long brisk walk, I was crying (figuratively again!) I drank like a gallon of juice and water over dinner and though I was sweating profusely, my tee-shirt was soaked, I felt the need to pee.

We found the section that we were told to go but nothing was happening. Apparently, we had to wait for another runner to tell us when to approach. While we were waiting on the beach, I was imagining how romantic this scenario would be under different circumstance. All of a sudden, we spotted a turtle coming out of the water to the beach to lay an egg. I thought that was our turtle. I was wrong. Our turtle was already in the beach, digging furiously and was about to lay eggs. This whole tour is 2 hours long. Whether or not the group sees a turtle the tour ends after 2 hours. And so our time was spent mostly waiting and waiting. An hour and 30 minutes into the tour, a runner approached us as we were sprawled on the cool sand and told us where to go to see the turtle.

The long hike on the beach and the seemingly endless wait on the beach dissipated upon the sight of this once-in-a-lifetime experience. The turtle was huge. You know even bigger than a paella pan. She was in the process of laying eggs, they could lay about a hundred eggs if my memory is correct and once they start laying eggs they go on a trance. We were really quiet, but awestruck at how amazing a sight this is. We let the other group – there was another one – to peek, then it was our turn again. This time the turtle was done and she was covering up the eggs with sand. She takes breaks in between; she must have used up most of her energy laying all those eggs.

We didn’t stay to see the turtle eggs get fully covered in sand, because we’re on a time limit and another set of tours is about to commence. They have two tours daily during the laying season from July to September, 8 and 10 pm.

The couple from Baltimore was complaining how vigorous the walk was and they are regular walkers; they walk daily for an hour. The woman even said the tour guide’s plump appearance belied her physical conditioning.

Full moon on 9/13/11.

What We Saw When We Took the Boat Out To the Canals Part 2

2012-01-15T19:42:00.000-08:00

Have you been to the Disneyland ride to the jungle? This is a thousand times cooler and better. But having ridden both rides, I must say Disney had it right on target, but nothing beats the real thing.

We continued floating by the canals, went into a smaller canal, which if my memory is correct is one of the man-made ones. These jungles are home to three different monkeys – howler, spider, and white faced. We saw all while staying in Pachira.

What a thrill! I cannot explain the pulchritude of the place or how affected I was of its serenity, beauty, power, and strength. If allowed I would not mind taking this boat trip every single day. So many things to see and hear and experience. Jaguars are said to live here, we didn’t see one that day. I wonder if they would come closer to the water. My guess is that they would stay deep in the forest.

Birdwatching is excellent, although there weren’t many birds. We saw enough to satisfy us.

Caiman.

A nocturnal bird that was hiding in the thicket.

Anhinga?

Preoccupied with shooting the caiman.

Looks like somebody spotted some monkeys.

Friendly competition on who saw it first.

As we were nearing dock, I looked back at the canal and this is what I saw.

This is my entry for this week's WATERY WEDNESDAY.

What We Saw When We Took the Boat Out To the Canals Part 1

2012-01-11T21:52:00.000-08:00

Included in the Pachira Lodge package was a boat ride thru the canals giving us a close up view of the rainforest vegetation and wildlife. On our itinerary this activity was slated on the morning of Day 2. Instead, it got switched with another activity. We went boating in the afternoon instead. I was afraid that the weather would be too hot to cruise, but the conditions were perfect.

Let me tell you this is my fave experience in Costa Rica (even surpassing watching a giant green turtle lay eggs).

3:00 pm was the time the jungle cruise/boat ride began. As usual we were split into Spanish speaking and non-Spanish speaking/English speaking groups. On our boat we had Julio as our guide. Ronnie was our driver.

We sailed quietly, the hushed surroundings lent itself to a little meditative moment but we weren’t here to float aimlessly. We were here to see and hear and experience jungle. Parts of the jungle/national park can be explored by foot, which we did yesterday. Most of them can only be explored through the canals. There is an impressive canal system both natural and man-made that offers the best experience.

A tree fell into the canal and it stays there. I asked Julio why the tree wasn't removed, it would cause some trouble to boats especially in the dark. I was told that they leave everything in place. They don't mess with nature. People would just have to work around Nature.

Our driver had keen eyes. While the other boat passed us by because there was no activity going on, he spotted some curious lizards on the branches, by the bushes. He’s very good.

My apologies for this blurry image (so difficult to capture him). This is what they call in Costa Rica a JESUS CHRIST lizard. Why? Because this little critter moves so fast that it appears he's walking on water.

Can you see him?

.......to be continued

Of Birds and Butterflies

2012-01-08T14:35:00.000-08:00

Up the tree branches, the monkeys were not the only ones that were getting a lot of attention from two-legged camera-toting humans. The birds, particularly the toucans, were very much the attraction, especially in the early morning up to after breakfast.

So I beg your indulgence if I allot a whole post for just birds and butterflies.

Can you see me? I camouflage well :)

Take your shot now or I shall fly away!

Sitting in a tree ... K.I.S.S.I.N.G!

I asked why we never sighted the parrots and the macaws, equally colorful birds, in the vicinity. I was told that these birds mostly live in the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. We are in the Caribbean side.

This looks like a woodpecker to me. Any one can confirm this?

Surprises definitely come in small packages, a sweet wren is spotted.

This one I totally have not seen before.

Got lucky with capturing the hummingbird as it feeds.

The wrap-around balcony was the spot where I took most of the butterfly images. I loved my "me" time shooting at the butterflies. As I look back, I can't remember why I had a "me" time.

And as a bonus, I found another shot of the land crab. Here it is.

Isn't it cute?

Last Sunset of 2011

2012-01-04T22:47:00.000-08:00

I'm really thankful that husband suggested we drive to Berkeley and take sunset shots to remember the last day of 2011, a year filled with so many ups and downs. I was ready to just chill in my jammies and wait for the ball to drop in Times Square while hanging out with my friends, Jack Daniels, Sarah Lee, Ben & Jerry and maybe even Dom Perignon.

We're having a very mild winter so far, but that day was chilly and quite breezy. We drove up to Euclid and found to our delight that there were street parking available. This is the same exact spot that fills up easily on July 4th. This is a prime spot either for enjoying the sweeping vista of the San Francisco Bay or watching fireworks in July.

Across the beautiful bay is the city where Tony Bennett left his heart.

Closer look.

A little to the right of the first two images is the view of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Here is another shot of the famous bridge.

We took many shots until I was shaking uncontrollably. I always dress wrong for the occasion. This time I was wearing a very light sweater - not Berkeley appropriate attire. FYI it's always cold in Berkeley even in the summer time. Especially in the hills.

When we left the hills I thought we'd go straight home, I was hungry at this point, but we took a little detour to Berkeley marina where we shoot some more.

From the Berkeley marina this was the scene last few hours of 2011 - SF cityscape festively lit.

Closer look.

The Berkeley pier where people fish and go crabbing.

And before we left for home and some home-cooked dinner, we took a shot of Emeryville's cityscape. Emeryville is city across the bridge from San Francisco. It is also the home of PIXAR.

This is my entry to this week's SKYWATCH. Skywatch is a weekly gathering of sky lovers and sky watchers. Join us.

I Heart Pachira Lodge

2012-01-02T14:13:00.000-08:00

I thank my lucky stars that the travel company billeted us at Pachira Lodge. It is the perfect spot for a combination of eco-tourism and R&R.

Pachira Lodge has 88 rooms, there are 4 rooms in each lodge. We were housed in the first lodge, rooms 1-4 for our group. Ours was #2. Rooms 1 and 2 face the entry.

Let me show you our accommodations during our stay in Tortuguero.

The entry to Rooms 1 and 2

The side view. The first 2 windows on the left belong to our room.

Wrapped around balcony. I spent a lot of time from this spot shooting at butterflies.

The traditional Costa Rican rocking chair didn't get much use from us - too many activities to do.

Night shot of our little lodge.

Would you believe that I had almost no picture of the interiors of the lodge?

In between activities, we found time to walk around the perimeter and followed the paved pathways.

There were plenty to discover just following these pathways.

I rediscovered my love of flowers:

This was high up and was shooting at it from the ground. I don't know if this one's an orchid.

Dainty with regal bearing.

A weed with the most charming little white flower.

The heliconias were ubiquitous, so were the ants.

The Dona Aurora (and Dona Luz) were also everywhere.

And so are these member of the ginger family.

Won't be a tropical paradise without hibiscus.

Not sure what these are or they the same "berries" we have here in the states that come every fall.

I feel love everywhere I look :)

The pool area. Behind the chairs is the jungle.

A favorite spot to while away those brief precious moments between activities.

Only in Pachira Lodge did I learn that there are species of land only crabs. Here's one that's annoyed at the attention he's getting. They burrow near the roots of trees. We found them burrowing where the roots are big and are coming up from the ground.

All meals were buffet setting.

The bar is festive at night.

Two thumbs up for Pachira Lodge. I highly recommend it.

Simian Sightings

2011-12-28T09:19:00.000-08:00

Tortuguero is the land of turtles and turtles - the giant green turtles - were the reason we had this leg of our tour here. We got to see the giant turtle ONCE, but the monkeys living in the trees around the lodge gave us company day and night. They even became our alarm clocks when they jump onto the roof making a whole lot of clatter at 5 am. Watching them swing from branches to branches is fascinating and memory card beware!

He was the first one we saw sleeping atop a bough on our arrival. We were just depositing our luggage in our room when all of a sudden there he was.

In our entire time there we spotted a family of monkeys, here you see the baby being carried on the mom's back.

He's probably used to humans shooting at him.

I spent a lot of time looking up craning my neck and using up a lot of memory space. Hubby took this pic.

He's letting it all hang out.

In the lodge we saw 2 kinds of monkeys, one more plentiful than the other.

He is very cooperative.

The little baby trying it on his own.

Close Encounter With the Three-Toed Sloth and A Jungle Walk

2011-12-23T16:22:00.000-08:00

Following our arrival and the free cocktail, we were given our assigned room. Our group was assigned one lodge (four rooms), the closest to the reception area. A buffet lunch followed. The lodges/hotels/inns in Tortuguero offer all-inclusive packages, since there are very few restaurants in the village. Our case too is that we have to cross the canal to reach the village.

The 3-day 2-night package included the transfer/pick up from our hotel in San Jose to Tortuguero, the breakfast in El Ceibo restaurant and the luncheon on our departure day, all the meals in Pachira Lodge, and three guided activities/tours. The first one was about to commence after a brief respite from lunch.

Pachira Lodge boasts of its propinquity to the jungle, part of the national park. Just a few yards from the pool is the entry to the jungle. While the jungle/rainforest is massive and majority of it can only be accessed by boat, there is a small portion that can be explored by foot. Luckily this portion is a stone's throw away from our lodge, basically inside the lodge's backyward.

The trail was short, unfortunately, but it gave us an overview of the diverse flora and fauna found in Costa Rica. Did you know that Costa Rica has a greater biodiversity (considering its size) than Europe or North America? That it's geographical location between North and South enables both plants and animals from both continents to establish themselves there? That the diverse habitats (lakes and rivers, cloudforests and low land tropical rainforests) encourage biodiversity? That the government's ecological policy ensures the propagation of the species?

Pachira Lodge has 88 rooms and all of us went to what they term as jungle walk. It basically is a stroll under the trees with well worn paths, albeit unpaved. We were divided into 2 groups, Spanish-speaking and non-Spanish speaking. The Spanish speaking people went with Mariano - the other guide. Us poor non Spanish speakers went with Julio, the same guide who picked us up in San Jose and who conducted the narrated tour from San Jose to Tortuguero earlier in the day.

Let's begin the walk.

Julio spotted a sloth up in the trees where they live. Costa Rica is home to two types of sloths: 3-toed sloth which is a diurnal animal, which means it's active chiefly during the day time and the 2-toed sloth who is nocturnal and rarely seen. With the distance Julio couldn't tell. Plus, he's guessing it's a 3-toed sloth because it looks active and it's still daytime.

We proceded along the path and was careful of our surroundings. Out here one must really be conscious of what one's stepping into or what what we're about to destroy as we go along our way. We saw a few spiders in their webs. Julio said something about this particular spider. I wasn't listening.

Julio explains something about the heliconia. Growing up, we call this plant BIRDS OF PARADISE. In fact my mom has a plant in our yard that blooms profusely.

Does it feel like jungle to you? It was dark inside, tough to photograph anything.

Julio called this palm the "walking tree" Read about them here.

So many interesting things to see, up and down.

And then there are the epiphytes - "Epiphytes, plants which live on trees in order to reach the sunlight, also abound in these forests, adding to the water-gathering ability of the trees. The epiphytes aren't parasites; they feed off water and dust and nutrients which accumulate around their roots."

My husband and I and another couple were lagging behind because hubby was taking photos when all of a sudden he saw a sloth on the ground. Sloths come down on the ground once every 9 days or so to defecate. Excitedly we alerted the group who were a few yards away from us to come back and see what we found. Julio in all his years of guiding tours has never seen a sloth on the ground before. The slow movement of the sloth should have given me ample time to take great shot, except that under the canopy where light is scarce there was only so much I can do. It was an amazing experience. Everyone was thanking the hubby for his keen eye.

When the tour ended, we all rushed to our rooms, changed into swim wear and spent the rest of the afternoon in the pool downing cold ones. From this vantage point, we were watching the sloth just sit on top of the tree.

It was one heck of a first day in Tortuguero, a sightseeing bus ride from San Jose, a delicious breakfast stop in Guapiles, a narrated boat ride in the canals and a jungle walk punctuated with a close encounter with a sloth. Mighty fine day for a first day.

Merry Christmas!!!

2011-12-18T17:03:00.000-08:00

Peace on earth will come to stay,

When we live Christmas every day.

Tortuguero Canals and The Boat Ride

2011-12-14T14:03:00.000-08:00

We finally arrived at the edge of the canal. The Tortuguero canals have been called the Costa Rican version of the Amazon. The canals are extensive system of natural and man-made waterways used for transportation and for exploration of the jungle. Thru these canals or by plane are the only ways one can reach Tortuguero.

As much fun as the picturesque bus ride from San Jose with changing landscape was, the narrated boat ride to the canals was truly fascinating with scenic views of the Tortuguero National Park, which is a jungle, and varied wildlife and plant life. Incredible indeed. I have seen a flower that I haven't laid eyes on in years. I have smelled the familiar tropical air and the refreshing splash of canal water in my arm. I have enjoyed skywatching from the boat and knew I was lucky to be there seeing all these. While the wildlife was interesting, I also found so much pleasure in watching the locals go about their daily business.

Our transportation.

Other travelers in another boat.

Man's bestfriends taking a nice ride.

I spotted a CAMIA along the banks. It's a reunion of sorts, haven't seen it with my own eyes for more than a decade. I wished I was close enough to smell it. Camia is a member of the ginger family if I remember correctly.

The jungle which is also part of the Tortuguero National Park, most of the park is only accessible by boat.

BIRD WATCHING:

Anhinga.
From wiki: The Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga), sometimes called Snakebird, Darter, American Darter, or Water Turkey, is a water bird of the warmer parts of the Americas. The word "anhinga" comes from the Brazilian Tupi language and means devil bird or snake bird.

Unlike ducks, the Anhinga is not able to waterproof its feathers using oil produced by the uropygial gland. Consequently, feathers can become waterlogged, making the bird barely buoyant. However, this allows it to dive easily and search for underwater prey, such as fish and amphibians. It can stay down for significant periods.

When necessary, the Anhinga will dry out its wings and feathers, with the resemblance of the semicircular full-spread shape of its group of tail feathers while drying them out, to that of true meleagrine males lending the name "water turkey" to it. It will perch for long periods with its wings spread to allow the drying process, as do cormorants. If it attempts to fly while its wings are wet, it has great difficulty getting off the water and takes off by flapping vigorously while 'running' on the water. Anhinga will often search for food in small groups.

Black-necked stilt.

Roseate spoonbill

Cranes?
I knew we were nearing our destination when on both sides of the canals we were passing houses and lodges and hostels.

Looks like the roof is buckling under the weight of the satellite dish.

This is the main canal and flanked on both sides by lodges.

This is Tortuguero village, immediately across the canal from our accommodation.

Our lodge's dock.

We have arrived! (this is the seating area for the lodge's bar.)

And the welcome cocktail is all poured out!!!!

Enroute

2011-12-11T21:42:00.000-08:00

According to the itinerary we were leaving at 6:15 am. But Julio our guide was ringing our room at a little before 6 am to say it's time to go. Apparently, there's a change of plans. This would set the tone for the rest of the trip. Costa Rican cannot be faulted for tardiness. The fact is they are strict with time and even commence the tours earlier, not ever late.

Thankfully our hotel serves breakfast from 5:30 am, which meant that we were able to partake of some sustenance before our trip to Tortuguero.

There was a good spread at the buffet breakfast, but I found out that day that my stomach isn't awake before 7 am, so this is all I could manage to ingest.

At the lobby we met our group – 7 of us. A couple from Baltimore, a couple from Sacramento and his mother from OC, and us. Just 7. Our friends from Philly attempted to sign up for this same trip, same group and was told that the trip was fully booked. 7 people and this trip is fully booked. Interesting.

A big tourist bus was waiting outside the hotel, which means we were’nt the only ones going to Tortuguero. Our suspicion was right because after they loaded us and a few others in front of our hotel, we drove around San Jose picking up more passengers from different hotels and hostels, which wasn’t a bad thing. It was sightseeing for free as I saw it. Nice to see the city streets not crowded in the early morning hours and the city waking up.

I like watching people go about their daily business.

The trip took us up and over the Continental Divide between the Pacific and Caribbean watersheds and thru the spectacular Braulio Carillo National Park. We saw changes in landscapes and vegetation. We were going down to the Caribbean coastal area and Tortuguero.

Our guide was Julio, he was pretty good with his spiel. I was not listening the whole time. I was letting my eyes drink in the passing scenery. Verdant lush green treetops, dense wooded areas, part of a forest/jungle also a national park, houses along the highway. Difficult to get some shots, some parts of the road were curvy and I was getting a little dizzy. I don’t get car sick, but the airconditioning was weak and the bus was full. I wanted to sip water but I was afraid I’d pee. From the looks of it, there wasn’t any place for pit stop.

A soda is a local restaurant where locals eat and where we had most of our meals as well.

Around 10 am we were pulling up into a gated compound. Beautiful garden filled with tropical plants and flowers and trees and ferns, all so green and colorful. We stopped at El Ceibo restaurant in Guapiles, midway from San Jose to Tortuguero. This breakfast – our second breakfast, we’re hobbits – was again buffet style and was part of the package. Filled in on eggs and ham and rice and beans.

We gobbled down our food rapidly so we can have time to explore the surroundings and make a stop at the restrooms. It’s so beautiful out there, clean air, butterflies fluttering about and birds singing and other unidentifiable bugs chiming in to the symphony of tropical sounds. Then another sound was distinct. There was running water somewhere. A little creek runs behind the restaurant, we got to take a peek. The orchids are simply adorable and are everywhere.

Apparently everyone in the bus with us would all be going to Pachira Lodge and we were loaded again after breakfast. I was so glad to be back to the comforts of the AC bus after that brief exploration of the garden because the sun was bearing down at full force and it’s not noon yet.

The rest of drive to Tortuguero was more enjoyable for me, the sights of real Costa Rica. Houses along the way have their front doors wide open – which reminded me how we have them back in our province. I told my husband how the minute my mom wakes up in the morning, she would open our front door and then go to the kitchen and cook. That front door will not be closed again until we go to bed that night. Same holds true for everyone’s house in the neighborhood. Oh how I miss those times, how safe we all felt.

We passed by banana plantation where we stop briefly to watch a guy pull bananas for packaging. We also passed by a pineapple plantation. We saw grazing lands and beautiful landscape. The road was unpaved and we were crawling at about 15 km an hour.

A drive by can you believe it!

Oh just a few short hours and we'll be in our destination for the day: Tortuguero or the land of turtles.

Touchdown San Jose

2011-12-07T09:17:00.000-08:00

We arrived in San Jose late afternoon; it was pouring rain. As we cleared immigration, I experienced a bit of trepidation at whether there would be someone outside the airport to meet us and take us to our hotel. This is after all a foreign country, and my anxiety was brought by a bad experience from a Cancun trip where the guy who was supposed to meet us did not show up at all and we had to arrange for our 30-minute ride to the hotel by ourselves. We had been reimbursed by the hotel later on, but the grief that brought us was traumatic. However, the setting was the same, late afternoon arrival and pouring rain – déjà vu.

But not this time. The minute we stepped out of the airport to the open gates, we immediately saw a guy holding a cardboard with the name of our travel group/agency. We approached him and he checked us off his list and handed us folders for our itinerary. That was the “aha moment” when I knew this was going to be a good trip.

The 20-minute ride from the airport to the hotel offered very little sightseeing moments. It was pouring you see and the windows of the van were all fogged up. Plus we hit rush hour traffic when the workers were on the way home from work.

We were dropped off at Crowne Plaza, which also houses the convention center and a casino, both can be accessed through the lobby.

The lobby alone was telling me that this would be beyond my price range – given my pecuniary difficulties. The friendly reception lady made our check in very smooth and painless. We rode up the elevators to our 3rd floor room – very elegant, a junior suite. Plenty of room for a one-night stay.

It had gotten dark by the time we have freshened up and ready to eat. Off the reception area is a full service restaurant and there is also a separate lounge bar near the casino entrance. We don’t want those choices. We were told there is a grocery store across the hotel. We just have to cross the busy street, and boy was it busy. And the drizzling continued.

Ice cream flavors. Prices in colones. Exchange rate at that time was $1 = 500 colones. I could never get used to using many zeroes.

We ordered one blended coffee - much like the mocha freeze they offer at Costco. When asked if I wanted some cream with it, I said okay. And so she poured powdered milk in my coffee :) Not bad though, a bit funky.

(tamale on right, rice combo with chicken dish on left)

My first taste of Costa Rican food reminded me of how much it tastes like Filipino food. The chicken dish that I had with my rice tasted like afritada – same tomato based sauce with minor differences in spice combination. That was a very illuminating detail that pleased me. I knew I wouldn’t have trouble with food – not that I have any by the way. Still, the taste of the food gave me comfort and a sense of familiarity.

Another bit of information that I really appreciated. The vendors disclose whether the food was freshly cooked or made earlier in the day. The coffee above was blended earlier in the day and I was asked if that was okay, because it wasn't fresh :) The same thing with the chicken dish. I thought that bit of honesty was a pleasant puff of fresh air.

With the long day at the MIA behind us and another long day of travel ahead of us, we called it a night and slept peacefully anticipating the start of our Costa Rican adventure with unabashed excitement.

The Adventure Begins

2011-12-03T00:44:00.000-08:00

After our Art Deco venture we wind down our time in Miami by having dinner at the Beer Garden in Coral Gables. As of this writing, I was told that the bar had closed its doors.

We were flying out of Miami the following day at 2:55 pm. Originally, our plans included a half day of sightseeing and maybe shopping in Miami. However, we had to be in the airport by 8:30 am. Why? Because of some lousy fine print.

Here is why you should read the fine print. We purchased a voucher for one day car rental for $12.50. What a great deal isn't it? This is the voucher that was offered by Travelzoo I think.

When we collected the rental car, we paid for the amount, which according to the voucher was 50% off the regular price. Knowing that we had a late departure the following day, we asked if we could keep the car until about 12 noon the next day and just pay for a second day. When the transaction was complete, the credit card was swiped, and the hubby was to sign the merchant's copy, the total was more than $100. So my husband asked it didn't add up even if we get to pay the regular price for the next day. Here's where the fine print can get you if you don't ask. The first day for the rental was a steal at $12.50. The second day would cost $73. Yap.

Therefore, we rose early the next day, departure day, to be at the rental car office by 8:30 am, which means we had the whole day to spend inside the airport. Fun, eh?

All American

The floors were marine theme.

It must be due to the ongoing renovations of the airport but it was a hassle to go from one wing to another because one needs to go outside in the suffocating heat to reach the other side.

Why can't all airports be like Changi?

What did we do in all those hours? We had coffee at Starbucks while I attempted to write my journal. We walked and walked and window-shopped and saw a little place to eat whose sign says they have the best cakes according to Oprah, so we stopped to get a piece of pie, not cake. One guess what kind of pie. This being Florida of course we got the Key Lime Pie. And it was good too.

Must be the lack of sleep and exhaustion, but I wasn't interested in taking photos during take off. This one's courtesy of my hubby. The flight to San Jose took 2.5 hours.

[Note: I had been so excited to blog about this vacation when I returned from it. But the massive amount of photos to sort out wet blanketed the whole excitement. In addition, I got busy with extra-curricular activities that got me more sidetracked.]

Everything-But-Black Friday

2011-11-25T22:54:00.000-08:00

Today is Black Friday here in good ole US of A and as such people came out in droves to shop for super deals. Not me. Nothing against shopping, but I don't have the stuff that makes the hardcore Black Friday shopper. Instead, every Black Friday I find something to do where I could avoid the malls. On past years, I opted for staying home and/or watching a movie. I know the vampires can wait another week so I did this instead. I went for a drive to Napa Valley and Lake County. This drive reminded me how scenic Highway 29 is, which may mean that our leaf peeping drive each may be a little closer to home.

Here is my very scenic road trip. Round trip was roughly 300 miles.

Now that I've indulged in fall color photography, I'm off shopping tomorrow :)

Be Thankful (author unknown)

2011-11-19T23:37:00.000-08:00

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire.

If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don't know something,

for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations,
because they give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you're tired and weary,
because it means you've made a difference.

It's easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who
are also thankful for the setbacks.
Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,
and they can become your blessings.

[all photos are from my garden this summer]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Whether you're celebrating Thanksgiving or not, surely everyone has something to be thankful for.

Art Deco

2011-11-16T14:14:00.000-08:00

I can't remember how or why or even when I got interested in architectural designs. I have no background in either architecture or engineering. I do however have a passion for photography and doors and windows are some of my favorite things to shoot. I suppose that's where it all began. And looking at all the pretty pictures online, that too.

Afer leaving the beach, we took a leisurely stroll along the length of Ocean Avenue in order to see up close all the bars, restaurants, cafes, hotels, and gift shops and photograph the ART DECO buildings were the activity that followed. This side of the street was where people watching was at its best. However, I didn’t indulge in people watching as much as I wanted to. It was hot and humid and the combination was getting the better of me and my mood. I needed a little AC/cooling and some sustenance to power me up for the rest of the evening.

Walking around and peeking at the menus, we found nothing that we liked to nibble on. Exasperated, I made an impulsive choice. I entered this one restaurant/bar that boasts Cuban food in their menu.

The waitress asked if I wanted to eat outside – sidewalk by Ocean Drive – or inside, I chose the latter. Who would say no to AC after the walk on the beach?

But the minute we got inside and was seated, we knew we made a big mistake. All we wanted was a little bite to tide us until dinner where we have already made advanced reservations.

The place was fancy, nice table setting, vibrant color scheme, very Hispanic/Latin, Gloria Estefan on the wall, nice cozy alcove seating area. The hubs looked at me and I looked back and we both say. Okay, we’re not paying $40 for this little snack are we? We definitely did not pay just $40.

Curious about what we ordered? I had a little Cuban appetizer that was a mashed up plaintain made into a ball and fried and there’s something else in it. This particular appetizer is a miss for both of us. Then we ordered a Cuban sandwich that included a side of french fries. Both the sandwich and the fries were hits. Worth the price. A bottle of beer and a glass of sangria completed our meal, one that wasn’t $40. I overpaid for AC. My bad for not showing the food pics here, it was intentional as I have many pics to post.

Art Deco is an eclectic design that originated in Paris in the 1920s. Eclectic because it's a combination of different architectural/artistic designs. It is the mutt of architectural styles.

The Miami Beach Architectural District (also known as Old Miami Beach Historic District, and the more popular term, Miami Art Deco District) is a U.S. historic district (designated as such on May 14, 1979) located in the South Beach neighborhood of Miami Beach, Florida. The district is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Sixth Street to the south, Alton Road to the west, the Collins Canal and Dade Boulevard to the north. It contains 960 historic buildings. ~ Wikipedia

Miami Beach

2011-11-12T22:55:00.000-08:00

When we were preparing for our few hours in Miami I penciled in Art Deco district as my must-see. The hubs on the other hand had Miami Beach/South Beach as his - which didn't raise an eyebrow. Who would have thought that both spots were located in the same neighborhood. We got a two-fer here, saves so much time in our already limited stay in this hop-pening city.

It was a substantial distance away from our hotel in Doral, although we enjoyed the drive. The hubs and I felt a Vegas vibe while we were cruising the city roads/freeway of Miami. At one point, we both say to each other how that exact scene in front of us reminded us of Vegas so much.

The traffic crawled painfully as we neared the end of this road and the road turned into Ocean Drive - one side is the beach and the other is a line of shops, restaurants, bars, cafes, hotels, etc. This is is the place to be if one wants to imbibe the local color.
Patience was the key here. The vehicles that crammed the entire length of this one-way avenue were inching their way into I don’t know where. While I was all bug-eyed looking out the window, I was also peeking at any available street parking spot. More minutes passed and as we continuously inched our way down the road, I spotted a car leaving its spot. We swooped in and we knew we got lucky.
We parked the car. Paid the parking meter and mapped out our plan to see this place. First we need to take a gander at this beach famous all over the world for beautiful people and good time.
The heat was unrelenting but the beach was full, lovely beautiful people who doesn’t need Jenny Craig’s guidance sunning themselves, playing, swimming, walking. The beach area was massive, never seen a beach this wide before. The sand was white, is this how Boracay’s sand looks like?

Impressive beach scene. The heat won and I had to concede defeat. I cannot stay out under this scorching rays any longer and the stomach was grumbling. Nothing to eat after McDonald’s breakfast after leaving the airport and munching on the drive to Everglades this am.
~ to be continued~

Florida's Natural Beauty

2011-11-08T14:11:00.000-08:00

Preface: This post begins my documentation of my September 2011 ecotourism vacation to Costa Rica. We had to fly out of Miami so we alloted a day for sightseeing in Florida/Miami.
You just missed the tram tour. There's another one in one hour. That's what we were told as we paid our entrance fee to the Shark Valley entrance - the closest one from Miami. The next one is another 1.5 hour drive away we were told. That wouldn't pan with our plans. We weren't planning on spending most of our 34 hours stop in Miami driving around. No sir. We wanted to see as much of Miami as we could before embarking on our Central American vacation.

By missing the 10 am tour, we had an hour to stretch our legs, visit the loo, load up on the necessities which were readily available at the gift shop - things like bug spray and full size sunblock. You're asking why we didn't buy one at home? Post 9/11 as you know liquid items are restricted to 3 oz on carry on bags.

The hour seemed long when waiting as you all know, which gave us time to look around the parking lot and visitor center and its surroundings and photograph everything.

It was hot - as could be expected - although the humidity didn't factor into my total mood yet - just wait *grin*.

There is a canal just off the visitor center where lotus plants were growing. We spotted different fishes, one of them the "enemy" Florida gar. I could identify that one because its image was on the signage.

At some point during the wait, I had to step into shade because the sun was bearing down really hard on me. Although if you look at my pictures, I didn't look miserably hot. Yes, pictures do lie.

Florida Gar

They are not the rounded platter shape, but heart shaped, which I have only seen here for the first time.

The tram, very airy.

A woman named Sylvia introduced herself to us and asked us if we could sit on the benches. She proceeded to give us the background of Everglades National Park, which you can read here. Midway through her intro, the 10 am tram was inching its way back to the parking lot. I guess that was the signal for Sylvia to commence her own tour.

The Shark Valley Tram Road is a 15 - mile long paved loop. The slow speed of the tour gave us access to the subtle landscape, different wildlife including migratory birds and alligators. We stopped several times where Sylvia went down the tram to point out something of interest or pick up an algae to show what she's been lecturing on.

It was a peaceful ride, looking out in the vast flat landscape with bushes and shrubs and occasional trees and grasses galore.

Borrow Pit

Saw anhinga for the first time. We saw plenty in Costa Rica afterwards.

Crane? She stands out anywhere.

Yes the place used to be where they dug/explored for oil.

A baby gator in one of the borrow pits.

Midway through the loop, we stopped to visit the Observation Tower which is equipped with bathrooms. Lonely Planet describes this as, "Halfway along the Shark Valley trail is the 50ft-high Shark Valley Observation Tower, an ugly concrete structure that offers dramatically beautiful views of the park."
I have to disagree with Lonely Planet because I don't find this tower "ugly" per se, even though I can't say that it's a thing of beauty either. But I am one with Lonely Planet in saying the views from up there are truly dramatic. You can see for miles in a flat landscape. I saw walkers and bicyclists. We passed by many bicyclists along this road for there is a bike rental in the visitor center. I'd love to bike here, but may be around 6 am would be the ideal time to explore this massive place.
A few feet before reaching the tower we spotted an alligator blocking a walking trail. We were instructed not to go around a gator, sleeping or not, just so one can hike that trail.
The bug spray was useless as mosquitoes were having a picnic atop the observation tower, which made me cut my time up there. I wonder why I wasn't bitten on the ground where I'm closer to stagnant water?

This trail is closed by a gator.

We continued with the tram tour and I was definitely thanking my lucky stars that took me here. I wasn't keen on visiting Florida. Nothing against the state, because someday I really really would love to go see the Harry Potter spot in Universal Studios. However, the heat is really a deal breaker for me, most of the times.

He's got lunch between his beaks, can you see?

What a lovely way to start our Florida/Miami sightseeing. Next stop: find the hotel and get checked in and wash away the bug spray, sunblock and sweat off my body.

Next time btw, I'd take this airboat ride. It looks fun. It's the one you see on tv when they show the Everglades.

I'm linking this post to Lesley's SIGNS, SIGNS.

People Watching: Random Shots

2011-11-04T14:35:00.000-07:00

I'm picking up with the series, People Watching, while I sort out photos from my September vacation.

Showing true colors. FYI I want one of these for Christmas!

To each his own.

Waiting for the WALK sign.

Every day city sight.

Girlfriends are necessities of life.

Curious about what she's reading.

Yellows, Browns, and Reds

2011-11-01T23:00:00.000-07:00

As I found out late in October, the leaf peeping season is a couple or so weeks away from its peak. But I already drove the 250 miles to get to my leaf peeping spot and by hook or by crook I was going to get me some fall color shots.

The explosion of colors in the hillside was nowhere to be found, the trees lining the streets were still verdant, but the lady at the local pizza restaurant where my husband and I and four other tourists in this quaint town of Quincy - the seat of Plumas County - told us to head out to the fairgrounds as there were some trees that had changed colors.

We found some yellows, browns and sprinkling of reds along the way too. Times like this I wish I live somewhere north where one can truly enjoy the changing of the season.

This is my fall color post for this year. I will try to take some photos of the trees in my neighborhood when they change colors. Right now they are very green still.

How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days. ~John Burroughs

Happy Fall season everyone!

On Cruise Control

2011-10-29T21:34:00.000-07:00

Websites and those in the travel industry have advised prospective SF travelers to see the city by the bay from the bay as the water offers spectacular sights of the city they referred to as Baghdad by the Bay. Despite all the recommendations from tourism authorities, I stayed away from this touristy activity.

Until one day when an email from Travelzoo made me stop and say I'd like to see the city from the water. Travelzoo is an online resource providing spectacular deals from the companies. And in this case, the deal was for a cruise around the bay - skirting by Alcatraz, to the beautiful waterfront of the city, under the Bay Bridge and to the ballpark - the SF Giant's home, AT&T Park and then back to Pier 39.

The cruise started boarding at 6 pm on 9/03/11. It was breezy and foggy as you can see. It was called the HAPPY HOUR cruise. A spread of appetizers - cheese and crackers and chips and dips - along with choice of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverage was included in the price.

Come and join me as we see this beautiful city peering through the fog that envelops it while cruising this charming bay.

The boat leaving Pier 39.

We passed by the sea lions.

Got a close up look at Forbes Island, a restaurant where a water shuttle would ferry you from Pier 39 to the restaurant. Pretty cool eh?

Coit Tower.

Fog makes Alcatraz mysterious.

I really love how the fog enhances the eerie beauty of Alcatraz.

The beautiful San Francisco waterfront.

The Ferry Building Clock Tower. It's the first thing that greets the visitor to the city who comes in from the water. So picturesque.

Sts Peter and Paul Church.

The Transamerica Pyramid almost drowned by the fog.

A typical sight.

Crossing under the Bay Bridge.

We are nearing AT&T ball park. The Giants were playing that day. We could hear the roar of the crowd from the bay.

The water outside the ballpark is named McCovey Cove after Willie McCovey - first base Hall of Famer, very popular spots for kayakers and boaters.

Time to go back.

Lands End For An Afternoon

2011-10-23T16:33:00.000-07:00

Land's End is San Francisco's rockiest and wildest coast and is part of the Golden Gate National Park. It's a good place to take a little walk and people watch.

Let's begin our little walk - take the stairs down.

Beautiful cypress trees.

We'll take that trail.

The ruins of Sutro Baths

If you are planning on visiting San Fran someday, I suggest you include Lands End in your itinerary.

I heart SF. Now I see a sign that SF hearts me too, can you see it?

Spanish Tapas and A Mission Walk

2011-10-19T14:29:00.000-07:00

My birthday this year fell on a Saturday. While I never celebrate my birthdays with parties, I do go out to eat. It's a good excuse to try out restaurants.

This year I chose to have a late lunch (2 pm) at Esperpento in the Mission District. I first heard of the restaurant from a local foodie show. I am already a big fan of Spanish tapas so this was a wise choice.

The restaurant is named Esperpento - which later after a google translate session I found to mean EYESORE in Spanish.

It is anything but an eyesore. The aim of the restaurant in my mind is to put you in a Spanish frame of mind. There is one clock on the wall that tells the current time in Spain.

And now for the food.

The bread and butter basket that comes for free.

I got a glass of sangria while it was Spanish beer for the hubs.

I was really excited to taste ESTOFADO DE CONEJO, rabbit stew. First time to taste rabbit. And yes, it does taste like chicken. The seasoning was perfectly balanced.

A must when going to tapas place is the patatas brava or spicy potatoes. This would be the first tapas place where they cut the potatoes chunky.

Gambas ala plancha or grilled shrimps. Very good, but not even close to the one in Barcelona :)

Now this one's very interesting. ESCALIVADA is its name. It's roasted eggplants, pepper, and onion and really tasty.

The jamon serrano canape is another must have when going to a tapas place. However, this one's not my very fave.

The CAZUELA DE PESCADO CON ALMEJAS or snapper and clams cooked in spanish sauce was really good.

We ended up getting a side of rice to eat all those tapas, which in the end turned out one whole big meal.

After the meal we thought we'd walk off a bit of the calories and see Mission by foot. Mission District is one of the funnest places to go visit in San Francisco. If you drive by Mission Street you would feel like you are anywhere but San Francisco.

We were limited to a few blocks of Mission because the weather was getting chillier and little drops of rain start to come. We managed to enter a few shops to browse and also for my camera to work a little bit.

Part of the Mission Street.

This very nice building is a parking lot?

I find this funny, interesting and so San Francisco - different cuisines coexisting happily.

There is an alley in the Mission that's filled with graffiti, it has been covered by many blogs. I wanted to see it for myself, but this ain't it.

As we were walking back to the car, I noticed that CHARANGA is here. It's a Costa Rican, Cuban and Puerto Rican restaurant. Will wait for another birthday to come here :)

Couldn't help but take another pic of restaurant as we were rounding the block to get to the car.

When we left the Mission we drove to Chinatown to buy something. I thought it was only right to go inside OLD ST. MARY'S in Chinatown to say a little Thanksgiving prayer for another birthday.

Foggy August day in the city, what else is new.

When our errand was completed I felt the call of nature. But you know Chinatown, they have no public restrooms. All establishments have this sign that restrooms are only for customers. So we went inside this bar and while I went to the little ladies' room my husband ordered me a drink.

This drink.

And then we went home. The End.

Fillmore Jazz Festival

2011-10-16T20:32:00.000-07:00

Fillmore Jazz Festival is one of the mainstays of the SF street festival annual lineup and until this year I haven't been in one, which dumbfounds me truly since I make sure that I go to a street festival at least once.

And so when we found ourselves without any plans on this year's 4th of July weekend, we readily penciled in a visit to this very popular festival that draws about 90,000 people every year.

The festival is along Fillmore Street between Eddy and Jackson.

There were a lot of people, especially since the weather cooperated. It was nearly 80s that day, which is rare in SF in July.

We were there for the music and stages were set up at different intersections. We found one that was setting up for show so we stayed there and listened to the music from Latin group.

And while I was swaying to the Latin rhythm, people watching was too compelling to pass, so I let my camera work overtime.

So many beautiful people to photograph.

Man's bffs were there too.

It was a fun festival. Didn't taste any of the food, just the beer, because we were dining somewhere after the festival.