pura vida en costa rica

the meaning of 'pura vida'

2011-01-26T17:12:00.000-08:00

Pura vida is the unofficial motto of Costa Rica. The phrase literally means "pure life". You hear it all the time. You see it all the time, on everything from t-shirts to artwork to bodies to just about every tourist item you could think of. It's said to have originated from Mexico through movies in the 50's. The poster below is from a recent Spanish movie named after the motto.

I noticed several gringos walking around with "pura vida" tattooed on their body. It's about as original as getting barbed wire around your bicep. One guy had it written in big block letters going down his whole arm. I bet he'll regret that once he gets back home.

Pura vida can be used to express many things. The popular Costa Rican handshake among young men is a hand slap in which you quickly pull back to do a fist bump.
You can then say pura vida for hello or goodbye. It's pronounced poo-rah vee-dah. Not "pure-ah".

Other meanings:
I'll worry about it later. ( Oh well now I'm totally broke, pura vida!)
Goodbye. (See you later, pura vida!)
Who cares? Pura vida!
Chill out....pura vida.
That was a great wave, pura vida!
This is great! Pura vida!
Don't worry about it.....(an example: I told my taxi driver sorry for having to wait so long and he responded "be quiet, pura vida")
Relax...pura vida. (this one used by a yoga teacher)
This ganja is amazing! (Pura vida!)
I'm late but time doesn't matter here. Pura vida!
No thanks, I don't want anything. Pura vida.

What is my definition of pura vida? I take it to mean accept life as it is and enjoy it, no matter what you have or don't have or how much money you make.
Others think it reflects the Costa Rican society's habit of taking forever to do something or not worrying about important things like finances and business. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. We stress about small things way to much in our fast paced money and material obsessed society. After I got back I experienced brief culture shock getting reacquainted with the drama and stress we love to put ourselves through as Americans.

Here's a video of a popular local music artist filmed on the beach literally outside my apartment in Puerto Viejo on the southern Caribbean coast in Costa Rica, near Panama. It has a very distinct reggae and Rastafari culture.

coming to America

2011-01-18T16:41:00.000-08:00

I decided to book a trip home rather than pay another month's rent and risk running out of money.
My job selling rooms for the hostel paid just enough for a few meals every week. I still hadn't found a restaurant or store that would be willing to hire an illegal(me). I would have worked on a banana plantation if that's what it took to stay but there weren't any nearby.
When I told the hostel owners I was leaving, which happened to be on the very last day I was there, they were like "Oh, well I was just about to tell you we need someone to sell tours." I wanted to cry.
They had mentioned it briefly before but it had been over a month so I figured they didn't need anyone.

The previous tour seller was being investigated for murder, an American, sadly, from South Carolina. He allegedly killed his girlfriend and fled back to the United States after stealing a few thousands from another tour booth. There's a big long story about that but I'll save it for another entry.

The commission I would have received for selling tours would have paid better than some jobs here. For example, booking a $500 fishing tour would get you 80 bucks. All you do is call the company that actually does the tour and book it for tourists. And as busy as Tamarindo had been in the few days after Christmas, I imagine I could have sold quite a few. Oh well. If I go back it will definitely be after Christmas. I went way early.

I skipped visiting San Jose for the 4th time and instead stayed in Alajuela. Sarah and I rode back on a shuttle and met another traveler, a surfer from Sweden named Richard. He had been there since November working for a hostel in exchange for food and shelter. It was his third time in Costa Rica. He told us about this nice little hostel in Alajuela he was staying at so I canceled my reservation for the hostel in San Jose took a cab with him to this other one. It worked out better because a shuttle or cab ride from San Jose is at least 20 dollars. From the hostel in Alajuela, the city where the San Jose International Airport actually is located, cab fare was just 3 bucks.

The hostel itself was actually really nice. Small and cozy with clean beds and hot water, which was desperately needed since even our cold water hadn't been working at the apartment for our last week there. Had I known there were hostels like this actually near the airport I would have stayed there instead of San Jose 3 times. The city of Alajuela, from the little I saw, seemed nicer than San Jose.

There was nothing interesting about our flights home so I won't bore you with a ton of details. We left at 7 am for Denver then had a 7 and half hour layover at Denver International. We arrived to DFW at 10:45 pm.
My bags were searched by both Costa Rican security and American. The Costa Rican officer took out a pair of scissors and a wine opener. The TSA agent made me put all the shampoo and cologne bottles and toothpaste into a zip lock bag. He then screened my acne body wash for explosives. Of course it tested positive and I was subjected to the infamous TSA pat down/groping.
Luckily he found nothing suspicious anywhere on my person, and believe me he definitely felt everywhere. The explosive acne body wash was returned and on we went.

Before that we had to walk past a dog named "Awes"(short for "Awesome") to smell our bags. The little beagle would bark the alarm if he sensed drugs or food. Our luggage passed the sniff test, though others were not so fortunate and had to give up their bananas, roast beef sandwiches, and cookies to the TSA agent. She placed the contraband in a bag around her waist.

Upon arriving in Denver, something strange happened to my body. The change in humidity, going from dense wet ocean air for 3 months to dry mountain weather, caused my skin to feel extremely dry and itchy. I could not stop rubbing my nose. My scalp was covered in snowflakes yet it had not been snowing in Denver. I felt these symptoms for about a week upon returning but the first night was the worst.
It's interesting how the body adjusts to the environment. When I first went down to the Caribbean jungle in October, I was constantly sweaty and oily for the first week. My skin was always wet and feeling dirty even after a shower. I felt hot all the time even though it was only in the low 80's and cool at night. Gradually my body adjusted, toned down it's sweat and oil production, and before long I was dry and comfortable even with no a/c.

The west coast was not as humid but the temperatures can climb higher and it doesn't get nearly as cool at night so many places do have a/c. It's also just a wealthier and more developed area.

Returning does not spell the end for this blog though. I have many more stories, experiences, and pictures I have yet to share like going to the animal rescue center in Puerto Viejo.

clearing up some common misconceptions about Costa Rica

2011-01-12T15:12:00.001-08:00

I'm dedicating this entry to clearing up some common misconceptions many people have about Costa Rica. Everything you see on here is from a question I've been asked at one point or another, all from Americans.

It's somewhat understandable. We are hardly taught much about the rest of the world and its history in school. Mainly we learn about our own history and about or own states and government. A few times we may have to do a report on one country outside North America, but it's usually relatively large like China or Australia.

Costa Rica is very small. Put New Hampshire and Vermont together and youll have Costa Rica, or about the size of West Virginia.
Costa Rica is NOT an island! I've gotten asked this many times. It's connected to Nicaragua up north and Panama down south, with the Pacific on the west coast and Caribbean on the east. It does have a large peninsula, the Nicoya Peninsula, on it's Northwestern side. I lived there in Tamarindo.
Costa Rica is nothing like Mexico! The culture is very different. The government is different. The people look different since their ethnic backgrounds are different. The same language is spoken, but in a much different dialect. Easier to understand if you ask me. Less rolling of the r's, much clearer and slower than Mexican Spanish. Based on my conversations, Ticos did not generally have a favorable opinion of Mexico.
Costa Ricans do not celebrate "dia de los muertos" or "day of the dead" like Mexico. They do celebrate Halloween.
The food is not spicy and again, nothing like Mexican food. You will have a very hard time finding anything spicy or heavily seasoned. Cheese is rarely included with any meals. Grilled chicken, beef, and sausage with white rice and black beans are common cuisine served with salad featuring only lettuce and fried plantain(like banana).
Costa Ricans do not drink margaritas or drink tequila. Another Mexican thing. Rum and beer are much more popular. Cacique or "guaro" is a native Costa Rican liquor that's also quite popular. Tastes and looks like vodka except made with sugar cane so much sweeter and less alcohol content. There is only one legal brand that's manufactured by the government to cut down on bootleg distilleries.

There are many beautiful women in Costa Rica. That is true.
Costa Rica has nothing to do with Puerto Rico! The two countries are commonly confused. People ask me about going to Puerto Rico, I guess because the names are a little similar.
The United States does not own Costa Rica. Yes, I have been asked this.
Every country has violence and bad parts in big cities, but Costa Rica is not dangerous, especially compared with other Central American countries that have more poverty and civil unrest. I felt very safe everywhere in my travels through the country. There are more parts of Fort Worth and Dallas I would feel unsafe in at night then the entire country of Costa Rica.
In almost 3 months of being in Costa Rica, I never once saw people physically fighting. Sure I saw people yell back and forth or insult one another, but fist fights and shootings are MUCH more common here in America. I had only been back for just three days before I saw two people drunk people fighting here in Fort Worth.
They do drive dangerously in Costa Rica. Vehicles will pass dangerously close to one another on winding roads. "Alto" does not always means "stop". Stop signs often serve no purpose. The speed limits are slower than ours however. Riders on scooters and motorcycles drive wherever they please, down the middle of the lane, on the shoulder, wherever they can fit by. Drivers will only honk at you to get out of their way and most likely not put on their brakes, unlike in America, where the the pedestrian always has the right of way.
Costa Rica is NOT a third world country. While there is poverty in some parts, CR is like a gold mine compared to neighboring countries due to tourism. Most citizens have cell phones and some even run on a recently added 3G network. All cellular towers are owned by the government agency "ICE". Wireless internet is widely available in any developed town. Electronic stores are common. Cell phones are very expensive compared to here. There are no "two year contract price" or free phones with a contract. You pay the full price for the phone. Cable TV and satellite television are also very common.
CR has a literacy rate of 96% and is ranked is ranked 62 out of 169 in the United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Index.
Costa Rica is a democracy, one of the world's 22 oldest, and runs on capitalism. The country has a female president.
Christopher Columbus was the first European to discover CR and did so in September 18, 1502. He named it Costa Rica or "Rich Coast".

Well I hoped this helped for some people. If not, oh well, pura vida!

movies, newspapers, and periodicals

2011-01-09T20:10:00.000-08:00

I've gotten a few questions asking about movies and newspapers in Costa Rica.

Yes there are movie theaters. I haven't been to one but there is one right down the street from my apartment. It's small and only has like one showing a night, but it does have a popcorn machine. I'm not sure if he plays the movies in English or Spanish. He plays the movies on his laptop which is connected to a projector.

From what I've heard his laptop has hundreds of movie downloads and he accepts requests.

There are several nationally distributed newspapers.

The Tico Times is their English language newspaper.

La Nacion is their big Spanish newspaper.

There are also many local newspapers in various cities.
In Tamarindo, there are two monthly periodicals, The Howler and The Pothole.

The Howler is just for fun though it does have ads and tide info. All its new articles are fake.
For example, one was Jack Kevorkian winning the Nobel Peace Prize.
Another was about a surfer who became so cool his ego became so large it outgrew his body and became a floating cloud.
The articles are written seriously as if the story was fact.
The Pothole features local news articles and has a section of pictures from different events in the city. I'm not sure but I think there may be more editions in other cities.

The nationally tabloid alDia is a favorite read among taxi drivers. It usually features a thong clad woman on the front page. From what I could tell most of the articles were about sports and entertainment.

SoHo is like Colombia's version of Playboy. I see these wrapped in plastic near the checkout line at the grocery store. Costa Rica has their own editions. It allegedly has a warning that says "Prohibido para mujeres" - prohibited to women.

Recently, Costa Rica and Nicaragua were having a border dispute. Nicaragua didn't like Costa Rica's small passenger airplanes or boats going into the disputed territory. Diplomacy is the only option here since Costa Rica abolished its military in the 60's. The Nicaraguan government did however send some soldiers to the disputed land. I believe the case is going to be heard before a world court.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T19:00:00.000-08:00

A very hot and humid Christmas it was today here in Tamarindo! Probably the hottest day since I've been here.
According to accuweather.com, the high was 84 degrees Fahrenheit, but the heat index was 94 degrees.
The normal is around 82-86 but the lack of wind today and humidity around 88% made it feel much hotter.

I usually sit in the sun on purpose when outside at a restaurant, to tan, but today I had to move out of my seat because I was so hot. Sarah and I looked far and wide for an open restaurant. I really did not want to have another ham and cheese sandwich, especially on Christmas. I've had enough of those.
Spaghetti with ground beef, scrambled eggs with cheese, and ham and cheese sandwiches have pretty much been my diet lately. I really need to expand on my cooking. It would help having a grill though. The stove in our apartment takes about 20 minutes to get hot enough to cook on even turned all the way up. It's frustratingly slow even when hot.
So everything I make ends up tasting nice juicy and tender due to being "slow-cooked" but if you know me, and know my appetite, I would much rather have the food cooked fast and sacrifice some taste.

We finally found an open restaurant on the beach, a seafood place. The prices for the main dishes were expensive but I asked if they had cheeseburgers and to my surprise the waiter showed me the very back of the menu. I've only had about 5 burgers since I've been in CR so I felt like Christmas would be ok to reward myself for eating healthy.
I chose the "especial" burger. Get ready for this:
2 beef patties
2 slices of cheese
2 slices of thick bacon
2 squares of ham

and of course the buns and dressing. I know what you're thinking, "that sounds disgusting", but it was absolutely delicious plus I "split" it with Sarah. It was very nice to feel like a full, fat and happy American again. I don't get that "I'm stuffed" feeling too much anymore. Couldn't be happier with our Christmas meal.

For dinner I made scrambled eggs with cheese(again), but threw in a curveball this time, and toasted bread in the frying pan to make scrambled egg sandwiches. yum.

Nothing too Christmasy going on here, every now and then we hear fireworks going off, but that's about it, no parades or Christmas carols unfortunately.

I hope everyone back home had a nice and cold Christmas. Enjoy the food and family.

Update on the rodeo festival last week: Two Canadians staying at Blue Trailz where I work went the day after Sarah, the Canadian couple, and I went. Unlike us though they decided to get in the ring with the bulls after a few beers. They got daring and decided to go up and slap the bull on the rear end a few times.

They got away with it but a few moments later the bull charged them and gored one of the guys in the stomach, flinging him up 6 feet in the air like a ragdoll. The horn didn't puncture but he woke up with a huge swelling bulge in his stomach, signs of internal bleeding. He had to be flown back to Canada to have emergency surgery. Why fly all the way back to Canada when the medical care is good here I wondered?
Because Canadian's govt funded health care only applies in Canada.

Last I heard he's doing fine and expected to make a full recovery.

Hope every has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Downtown San Jose earlier this month.

tico rodeo

2010-12-19T00:17:00.000-08:00

Sarah, another couple from Canada and I went to a local bull riding contest held at the nearest town Villareal located a few kilometers north. The first mention we heard of this event it was mistakengly referred to as a bullfight. Even then I was still interested in going just to check out the local culture but Sarah was horrified that I even would consider it. We were relieved to find out it was just bullriding.

In many ways much different than the rodeo held during the stockshow in Fort Worth every year that I'm familiar with but in other ways very similar.

Held in a flat grassy field in the middle of town, there were many concession stands selling the carnival staples: caramel apples, cotton candy, fried chicken, beer.

Plenty of fun things for the kids to do as well, bumper cars, bounce houses, obstacle courses, a trampoline.

I saw just about everyone from Tamarindo there and when we got back earlier than everyone else Tamarindo was eerily silent for a Friday night. That didn't last long though.

The bullriding contest was a thrill to watch. It's full group participation., There are big fences constructing a ring that people sit on and climb on. Many people went into the ring during the rodeo. Mostly teenagers or young men but some women and kids too. Costa Rican cowboys aren't much different from the ones back home. The cowboy hats are rounder and smaller and sometimes fold down instead of up. They still wear the big buckles, jeans and boots.

The rider comes out of the gate trying to stay on for 8 seconds while the people scatter about. Once the rider gets off two cowboys come out to rope it and get it back out of the ring. This can take a bit of time, and the bull doesn't seem to be having as much fun as everyone else. The locals run past him, touch him, taunt him, make noises at him. A few brave souls attempting to be amateur bull fighters were even waving around leather flags the bulls would charge at.

I didn't see anyone get hurt but there were a few close calls. Some guys were out there running around in flip flops or barefoot. At one point some very small kids were out there playing in between the action. Sarah was horrified but the kids left before the bull came out.

Our Canadian friend Matt wanted us both to go in and I considered it but the two females with us overruled our testosterone with their estrogen. It might have been for the best though, I have a strange feeling the bull would have sniffed out the two gringos in the ring and charged them specifically.

There are big wooden bleachers constructed around the ring for people to sit on. We stood by the fence close to the action. There was a small band in the stands that played something similar to what you would hear at a college football game every time the bull came out of the gates. It was hilarious.

Still I missed the funniest part of the evening when I went to get food and left the others behind.

Apparently Matt, this goofball from Victoria, British Colombia, decided it would be funny to throw a "Langosta" on his girlfriend Liz. Langostas means lobster but it also what the locals call the huge bird-like grasshoppers.

Typical Langosta. Wings and stomach are bright red underneath.

He picked one up while Liz wasn't looking and launched it in her direction, and as if on cue flew directly to her face landing right near her month.

She screamed and furiously brushed it off. Judging by her reaction she didn't think it was funny. Matt came up to apologize and she threw her beer all over his face and shirt then stormed off.

All this happened while I was getting food but by the time I came back they were off from the rest of the group and he was consoling her, apologizing profusely for her traumatic insect encounter I'd imagine.

A few moments later they returned ok, her eyes red and cheeks wet from crying, his shirt soaked in beer.

Can't believe I missed it.

Giovanni and I joked about how our girlfriends would have kicked our asses had we done that to them.
His girlfriend Marisela is built just like Sarah, short and muscular. She's also a surfer. She's very friendly to me but I wouldn't want to get on her bad side. All it takes is one look from her to let Giovanni know he's out of line.
Luckily for the Canadian guy Matt, Liz is a sweet, polite, tall, skinny, fair skinned girl going to nursing school, I don't think it's her nature to lash out with violence. There's something about the short ones, fuses always half lit.

island snorkeling

2010-12-14T00:35:00.000-08:00

first, let me apologize for lack of updates; on Friday, the property manager decided to rearrange the internet routers because his internet connection wasn't fast enough for his liking on his computer located on the second floor opposite side of me. While his signal may be better, 3 of us on the 1st floor had no connection at all the whole weekend while he was screwing around with it, making me a not so happy camper. I use the internet daily for email, blogging, and most importantly, watching the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Cowboys play online via live web streams. Today he finally moved a router back over here so we have internet connection again. I didn't complain but let the owner know I really rely on the internet. Luckily the Cowboys game was national night game so I watched it on NBC, entertaining game despite the loss.
now onto the blog...

yesterday I accomplished a goal I've had since day 1 in Tamarindo: swim to the little island and back. It's maybe 200 meters from the beach at low tide. Swimming against the waves it felt much longer. I discovered you can swim quite far with just snorkeling gear since the snorkel allows you to maintain air in your lungs consistently, keeping your body afloat.
Later on as I was walking on the beach after the swim I realized I had forgotten one very important piece of snorkeling equipment: FINS!
I swam all that way without fins. Good thing I have big feet. I do not recommend this technique at all, even if it does burn more calories. Using fins would have cut the time of swimming by at least half.
It took about 30 minutes to reach the island and 15 back, swimming alongside the waves to a group of rocks on a piece of shore closer by.
I swam through some very cold dark water, probably meaning it was very deep, how deep I'd rather not know, but when I looked down through my mask all I saw was a deep blue abyss.

Getting on the actual island upon arriving was a chore all to itself. Strong waves pound through the shallow canals of hard rock and corral, then flow just as hard right back out, creating strong little currents.
Some of the rocks or coral have little pockets where these nasty spiky little plants live. I assume the hard needles are there to protect itself from predators. I landed on one surfing one time and had to pluck the needle out from the bottom of my foot.
These little plants make it hard to get a firm grip or footing on the rocks you need to hold onto to avoid being pummeled into the rocky land mass by the waves. I chose to get a few scratches from hugging the rocks rather than risk my head being slammed into a boulder.

I finally made it to the island and walked around on the seashell, rock, and sand filled land. I was told by Steve it was a good place to find big seashells so I found a nice big white conch shell, put it in my one pocket on my bathing suit and brought it back to Sarah.

The snorkeling was amazing for the Pacific. Great clarity, which can be rare. I could see clearly to a depth of at least 20 feet. When I first arrived in Tamarindo, with all the rain and the clouds over the Pacific, I couldn't see a few feet with a mask on. Conditions were perfect. Clear sun, no rain in quite some time, great snorkeling.

I saw all kinds of fish, small neon blue ones, flat grey and yellow ones, schools of light blue sparkley fish with sharp looking tails that swam right by me, black fish with yellow highlighter tipped tails, and one fish that really stood out, a fat bright yellow fish with small fins. It reminded me of the Beatles' Yellow Submarine.
The experience was almost like snorkeling in the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean.

After about a half hour of avoiding being pounded into hard corral I decided to swim back. I picked perhaps the unfriendliest piece of land to get back on; a tide pool of rocks and large crashing waves. In between waves I made several steps/swim strokes to a larger rock, grabbed it and braced for the wave to come in and rip out, then repeated. This whole process took about 20 minutes. Quite a workout.

I told some of the locals about swimming there and they thought I was crazy. I've heard of people paddleboarding and arm boarding out there before but not swimming. I'm sure plenty others have though.
Paddleboarding is like standing on a huge surfboard with a paddle. Arm paddling or whatever it's called is like being on a long skinny torpedo shaped surfboard which you kneel and use you arms to row your way.

I've seen some locals go around the river mouth and come back with lobsters. This is my next goal. Diving for lobsters. What could get better than a free fresh lobster dinner you caught and cooked yourself???

On the way to the beach Sarah and I ran into some Iguanas. He was by far the largest I've seen since I've been here. Looked like a tiny Kimodo dragon. He stuck around long enough for us to take some snapshots of him.

His smaller friend.

Sarah made some friends while I was snorkeling.

They liked to play fetch with a coconut.

Playa Langosta

2010-12-10T19:42:00.000-08:00

Sarah and I arrived around 9:30 last evening to Tamrindo on the "chicken bus" or public bus. 6 and a half hour trip squeezed into a bus seat. My ride in to San Jose was much nicer in the back all by myself in a Toyota Land Cruiser. That trip only took 4 hours.
I took Sarah for a 3 kilometer walk up the coast from Playa Tamarindo to Playa Langosta, a smaller, prettier beach with bigger waves. She didn't enjoy the walk too much, as she kept sitting down and pouting "can't we just relax for a second?". No. Must get to the beach. She loved it once we got there as I knew she would.
She especially had fun watching the dogs splash around the ocean. They LOVE to play tag on the beach with one another, and love to jump into the waves just like people do. The waves were so big there, but sadly I had no board with me and there was nowhere to rent one. I will bring one next time for sure. The water was freezing today but I got in anyway.
Here's some pics taken today. Thanks to mom dad and sister for sending down a new digital camera with the care package via Sarah. Click pics to enlarge.

Beautiful Playa Langosta

Sarah about to embark on the grueling 3 km trek to Playa Langosta

Christmas card?

Local walking her dog

Near the river mouth at Playa Langosta

Playa Tamarindo

wannabe surfer with no board

Very tall palm trees in Tamarindo

Playa Tamarindo

Dog party at Playa Langosta

Hill on the way to Langosta

Dusk at Langosta

mucho frio!

2010-12-07T20:48:00.000-08:00

it's so coooooold here in San Jose valley! 60 degrees right now and a strong breeze. My group came from the hot beach wearing flip flops, t shirts, shorts, and beach jewelry. I'm sure we looked ridiculous walking around the DMV of Costa Rica. They were getting their driver licenses. Huge line. I took a cab to my hostel. All the locals had on winter attire, jackets, boots, scarfs.

I sat upstairs watching the mavs game on my laptop and about froze my hootananny off. I did bring winter clothes with me to Costa Rica, two flannel shirts, some jeans, and a sweater, but left them in Tamarindo of course thinking I wouldn't need them.
When I came to San Jose for the first time, it was warm enough to swim during the day and we had the fan on full blast at night.
The second time, a little cooler that we didn't need the fan, just the windows open to let in a cool breeze.
This third time, the windows will be shut and if the room had a fireplace I would definitely use it.
First time in Costa Rica my teeth have been chattering and my body shivering.
I only brought shorts and short sleeves shirts here. I'll know better next time.

Sare bear comes in tomorrow at 12:46. I arranged for me to ride with the shuttle to pick her up.
Then we will stay one night here in San Jose, after that get the heck out of here and head back home to the hot humid beach that I'm really missing right now!

heading to San Jose

2010-12-06T23:35:00.000-08:00

three hours from now I will be one of seven people packed into an SUV headed to the capital of Costa Rica.

My reason for going is different from theirs though. Steve and the others are going to get supplies and stuff that are cheaper and more readily available there and heading back the same day. 9 to 10 hours of driving for them, I think that's crazy. And it's not like a 9 hour drive from Fort Worth to South Padre going 70 mph the whole way. It's going around 40-55 and around potholes and stuck behind trucks on two lane roads and crossing one lane bridges.

My reason for going is to pick up Sarah from the international airport Wednesday. I decided to stay for two nights and show Sarah the hostel and some parts of San Jose I'm familiar with. It's weird, this will be my third time there. Many locals don't go there for years.

It has a really bad rep. You certainly don't want to be in the wrong part.

The beautiful architecture of San Jose.

There are casinos. Gambling is legal in CR.

Prostitution is also. The "working girls" creep out on the street corners once the sun sets. In a taxi with the windows down, they will call out to you when stopped at a light.

At one stop when I was on the way back to the hostel with my friend Andy the Swiss, and we were stopped at a light next to a group of hookers.

I heard one of them call out "How are you doing tonight?" in a less than feminine tone.

He said something like "those girls looked very strange" to which I replied "those weren't girls, man."

Experiences like these is why many choose to avoid San Jose all together. The city is rather ugly, all paved with slums and barbed wire everywhere.

I like going out in the day, walking through the crowded foot paths along the many stores and seeing all the Costa Rican professionals go about their business.

The crowd in San Jose is almost like one you would see in America.

Blonde hair, red hair, blue eyes, green eyes, are all common. Strong European influence here. I once had a cab driver here in Tamarindo with light blonde hair and eyes bluer than mine, 100% Costa Rican from Costa Rican parents.

The locals on the coast look quite different and I'll get into that some other time.

I had some really good fajitas on my first visit to San Jose, first and only time I've had them here, served wiht no tortillas or anything like that.

There's Burger Kings, McDonald's, Wendy's...even a Denny's.

That's a picture I took of the view from the top of the hostel I always stay at in San Jose. Not in the best area of town but is surrounded by fortress like walls and thick barbed wire. It's the number one rated hostel in San Jose by Lonely Planet and for good reason. Very clean, has a pool, restaurant, dance club, bar, computer lounge. The doors to the rooms even have key cards like a real hotel. All for only 13 dollars a night, for a dorm room.

The rooftop bar. Most travelers that stay here have just flown into Costa Rica for the first time, so the staff is very knowledgeable and helpful. I might as well mention the name of the place by now, Hostel Pangea, owned by two Costa Rican brothers and run exclusively by Costa Ricans.

The "solar heated" pool. Kind of cold. San Jose isn't as hot as the coasts and gets pretty cool at night.

First person I met in Costa Rica, Andy from Switzerland. Nice dude. Offered me a ride in his rental car to Puerto Viejo since he was going there too. He's back in his homeland working at a ski resort right now.

Here we are enjoying a couple of Imperial beers and jagerbombs. Seriously this is all we had after dinner on our walk back to the hostel. It looks a lot crazier than it was.

We had some really good in depth conversations about the differences in our cultures back home. He had only been speaking English for two months but we were still able to communicate.

He taught me a few words of German but I only remember one: Probst! (cheers)

I was 210 lbs when this was taken. I weighed myself at the gym today and I'm right at 200 even after whatever muscle I've managed to put on lifting weights again.

I didn't realize how only 10 lbs can affect the way you look until I saw this picture.

Surfing, biking, walking everywhere, and unfortunately having to eat much, much smaller portions have led to a healthier and happier lifestyle.

I would, however, kill someone for a bowl of queso from Uncle Julio's right now.

visit from the howlers

2010-12-05T20:57:00.000-08:00

the other day after I came back from lunch there was a troop of howler monkeys hanging around the trees in the apartment complex. I counted 8, more than I've ever seen at one time in the wild here so far.
I laid on my hammock for awhile and watched them move about. Very acrobatic and nimble, these guys are.
Remember the movie 'Crouching tiger, hidden dragon'? Remember the part when they walk and balance on those thin branches....that's what the howlers remind me of.

They will crawl all the way out on these long really thin branches until they bend as far as they can go. They love to eat the leaves on the tree and move from one to another.
The way they transfer from tree to tree is fun to watch. The monkey wraps its tail around the branch being leaped from while jumping to the other limb.
I suppose the anchoring of the tail is like a safety harness in case the branch breaks. I have however seen some of the braver ones just do a flying spread eagle leap from one tree to another.

They don't seem to mind humans, I've walked up to them within 10 ft. That's about as close as they'll let you get before scurrying away. Sometimes if you make noises in their direction they'll answer back with a little howl.

The mothers carry around the babies around their stomach until they're old enough to move around on their own. Seeing a baby howler follow its mother around from limb to limb is one of the cutest sights one will ever behold Sometimes the mother will move at a much quicker pace onto another part of the tree, and the little baby will get nervous and make little chirping noises. So far I've always seen them able to make it up where their mommy is even if it takes them awhile.

I was able to recruit a Norwegian couple to the hostel I work for on my second attempt to the bus stop. Glad to get the first one out of the way, I was mad though that five guys from the same bus walked in afterwards. I would have made a lot more money since I get commission based on how many people and how long they stay. The ones I brought are only staying til tomorrow, the others a week I think.
Oh well, it's getting busier so I should be able to pull some more in. Still I was happy to get the first one done.

Sarah flies in to San Jose on Wednesday! First visitor here in Costa Rica. The owners of Blue Trailz happen to be going in to San Jose on Tuesday so I will be riding in with them, saves me like forty bucks and 3 hours sitting on a bus.

Sarah in South Padre, TX

They, like many others, refuse to spend a night in San Jose. I'll be there for two nights, I actually like going in to San Jose. A lot of travelers skip it all together by either flying in to Liberia or just hopping on a bus straight from the airport. I'll cover what I like about San Jose in the next entry.

Cowboys won another game and the Mavericks have been on a tear recently. Still watching all the local sports down here.

just what i did tonight

2010-12-03T01:50:00.000-08:00

I met up with only one bus today to recruit guests for my hostel, after I got the schedule from the bus office. Only eight backpackers got off and all had reservations elsewhere. There was a local waiting at the bustop trying to sell rooms also, a known cocaine dealer. He didn't seem to mind me being there though. My friend Giovanni from the hostel I work at tells me these locals will try to intimidate me and that if I don't stand up to them it will just get worse.
So far, I haven't had any problems, all of the locals have just been friendly.

I've started reminding a few of them that bug me everyday to buy pot that I don't smoke, and they need to remember that. They reply with 'oh sorry, don't remember, the party is at so-and-so see you there later'.
After being here over a month I really don't understand how they can't remember the same gringo that walks the street daily and says no to buying weed every single time, but we're talking about guys that start drinking around noon, start smoking weed probably earlier than that. Local surfers that get by financially on this.

My boss invited me to hang around the hostel tonight and later to a sports bar in Playa Langosta to play foosball and ping pong. Before we left the hostel, he told a group of Canadians and me about a backpacking experience he had in Vietnam in 2006. It did not have a happy ending. Maybe someday I'll retell it, but it is so unpleasant and gory I'll refrain for now.
I never planned on visiting Vietnam, but after his story, I'm absolutely positive I will never visit that country and its corrupt government. If they treat a Canadian the way they did him, I can only imagine what they would do to an American. Screw that, don't care how pretty the land is.

At the bar, almost all American men playing poker. Gambling is legal in Costa Rica.
My friend Giovanni and I played foosball instead. Only seven balls, so whoever gets to 4 first wins.
I won the first, he swept the last two. Costa Rican foosball tables are ridiculous. They have little ashtrays by the score and are really low to the ground. The ball kept getting stuck. in the corners.

Gio is one of the best surfers in Tamarindo, he rides a short board and has been surfing for six years. He does tricks on the top of the waves and all that. Front side spins, 360s. I'm still at riding through a barrel swell all the way to shore.
You would think his good coordination on the surf would translate to the ping pong table but apparently not. After he beat me at foosball I challenged him to a best of 3 series in table tennis...the guy could barely make contact with the ball. I won the first two by 10+ so there was no need for a third.

My boss came later and played a few games with his wife and some travelers staying at the hostel.
He said "why don't you and Giovanni be on a team?" and I replied "because we would win every game." this is true...if there's two bar games I'm good at, it's foosball and ping pong.
Pool and darts, I'm terrible.
Later he asked his wife for 100 colones to play a game and challenged me. He said "I hate to do this to you, Jeff."
Whatever. I beat him by a point. Completely opposite styles...his was finesse and precision and mine was all power and spinning. I couldn't help but think this is resembles the Canadian vs United States culture.
He even pointed out he was the tortoise, slow and steady, and I was the hare.

I won now buddy, ay?
It's hard to talk crap to them because anywhere else in the world takes everything literal. As a country, the USA is the most sarcastic and mocking country in the world. That's something I've really had to adjust to. If I joke about something it has to be good-natured or else it's considered rude, no matter how funny.
Honestly, I wish we were more like other countries in this regard. We mock and make fun of each other way to much, it's unhealthy socially.

I think I'm repping our country well so far. Almost every traveler I meet has a negative opinion about United States' foreign policy.
One traveler tonight in the group sharing traveling stories talked about how the Americans dropping Agent Orange in Vietnam is still causing cancer and birth defects in babies born there, and how he saw the pictures in the war museum.

These moments of negativity directed towards American foreign policy are common and usually I just let them go. There is really no use arguing our case and in some instances, we were wrong.

Also, apparently we are about to start World War III in Korea, and backpackers are advising each other not to go there, whether North or South.

scorpion encounter

2010-12-01T21:02:00.000-08:00

so as I was just sitting here on my bed about to make a blog about the howler monkeys that visited the trees in my complex today, a big scorpion turns the corner out of the bathroom and starts walking along the wall by the bed. He hid behind a water bottle and I grabbed a can of Raid.

I give him a thorough dousing and he didn't move for a few seconds then scurried a few more inches before he was swimming in Raid.

Apparently Raid for cockroaches works on scorpions too. In Texas I had only seen one scorpion alive ever, so this was a bit of a surprise. I have no idea how he got in, all the windows are shut and they all have screens anyway. The only thing I can think of is the drain in the shower, it's just an open pipe a couple inches wide!

Good thing I wasn't in there taking a shower like I thought about.

I don't really know anything about scorpions or how aggressive they are or what their sting does to you but don't want to find out the hard way.

here's a picture I found on the internet of someone else holding one from costa rica:

new job

2010-11-30T18:04:00.000-08:00

I got a job recruiting backpackers and tourists straight off the bus to to the hostel I stayed at for a little more than two weeks here in Tamarindo. The compensation is purely commission, based on how many travelers and how many nights they stay. It's not much but should help me bridge over to peak tourism season when I can hopefully wait tables again or something.
Also, I may help with selling tours inside the surf shop and on the street. The commission for that is much higher so hopefully I'll get started on that soon.

I kept in touch with the young Canadian couple that owns Blue Trailz surf shop and hostel, dropping in to say hi after my daily walk searching for work. They told me I could work for them if I couldn't find anything else last week, and I still haven't. Most businesses are still slow and tell me to come back in a couple of weeks or after Christmas.
Previously my friend from Quebec had been doing this job for them, but he was just here on a surfing vacation.

Convincing backpackers to stay here shouldn't be too hard, since it's much closer to the beach than any others and much nicer. It's the #1 rated hostel on tripadvisor.com in Tamarindo, and I knew that months before I even came to Costa Rica.
Check out their website: http://www.bluetrailz.com/
They do all sorts of cool stuff, they even have a boardwalk that leads to a small outdoor yoga studio. The surf shop is in the front and has sand for flooring. I miss staying there, meeting new people all the time and hanging out. Don't get me wrong though, I love my apartment and it's a definite upgrade.

With this job I'll be able to meet new people from around the world and hang out there once again! Very excited about that.

There's the the front.

I'm watching the clamation Christmas classic "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer". The Christmas songs sound a little out of place blended with the hum of the a/c and howls of the monkeys.

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looking back on puerto viejo

2010-11-29T19:49:00.000-08:00

Puerto Viejo is a funky little town in the province of Limon on the Caribbean coast near the Panamanian border.
It's south of the town of Limon, a port city, which has the distinction of being the ugliest part of Costa Rica I've seen. Limon is where all the shipments of supplies come in and go out, so there's trailers and warehouses everywhere. The streets are filled with trash and litter, and they just burn big piles of it on the side of the street.
Burning piles of excess foliage is very common on the Caribbean coast but this was the only place I saw trash piles. Limon is the only place Cruise Ships can dock. That may contribute to the bad rep many tourists have of the Carribean coast in Costa Rica. Some things are true, others exaggerated. The crime is worse and there are more drugs, but if you take the proper precautions you'll be fine.

I lived in Puerto Viejo for 10 days or so. Time kind of stands still there so I lost track. I really mean this, time passes by at an extremely slow pace. No one is in a rush to do anything really. Most of the locals have Jamaican blood, their ancestors were shipped in to work in the banana fields long ago. Jamaican flags fly everywhere along with Rasta colors. You can find images of Bob Marley on anything and everything. He is a God there.

Racial segregation laws quarantined this part of Costa Rica until the 1960's, so it is still relatively poor and isolated compared to the rest of the country. The indigenous Bri Bri tribe live in the jungles way back behind the coast and are actually the voting majority. I never met one or took a tour to see them, but I wish I had.

The smell of marijuana is ever present. Just walk through the one main street in town and you are guaranteed to get at least one whiff of wacky tobacky. There is more supply than demand, you will be asked several times a day if you would like buy some. It's smoked openly and non-discreetly. Cops walk right past people doing it. Technically it's illegal, but so prevalent in the culture, and there's much bigger problems to worry about, so they just let them smoke. I'm not a smoker, but I don't mind those that do, and I would love to see the US adopt the same policy. Alcohol is a much more dangerous drug.
I didn't see any violence, but there were guns here. One night out at a bar on the beach, the bartender came out to fire off a few rounds into the air letting patrons know it's time to leave.

Men and women both have some of the gnarliest looking dreadlocks you'll ever see.
Reggae music is played everywhere, and I saw some really great live entertainment. There is a big party going on every night along the clubs that line the beach in Puerto Viejo.

Further south, 13 kilometers, is Manzanillo, home of some of the prettiest undisturbed beaches in Costa Rica. Crystal clear turquoise water, jungle that goes all the way to the whitish-sand beach, a living coral reef. I went snorkeling there and its an experience I will never forget. Neon multicolored fish, beautiful and unusual looking coral.
Its too bad afterwards my Swiss friend and I returned to find his rental car broken into. My iPhone, locked in the glovebox, was stolen, along with his camera and his laptop. I've since learned, traveling rule #1 : never leave anything valuable in a car. Ever.

The weather was a wet jungle humid climate. I mean really humid, Houston has nothing on this place. Everything you touch is wet. Usually there it would be sunny with several showers in the afternoon or evening.

One night I experienced torrential rain like I've never seen. Literally a wall of water coming down at once, you couldnt see a foot. Nothing like I've seen even in the worst Texas storms. My roof leaked onto my bed that night.
Puerto Viejo and Tamarindo are so different. There's no a/c there, just fans on the floor. The only place I found with a/c was the bank. I LOVED going to the ATM for this reason. As I've said before I adapted to the extreme humidity after awhile, but still, I prefer a/c. The first few days I was covered in sweat.
It does get cooler there at night then it does here though. Several nights I'd wake up cold, and actually turn my fan off!
Puerto Viejo is a hippie's paradise and a great place to visit, I wouldn't want to live there but definitely should be a destination for any Costa Rican backpacker.

Below are several pictures I took before my iPhone was stolen and then several others from an Australian girl I met in Tamarindo who visited several days after me. Remember you can click on the picture to enlarge.

Front door and patio to my first apartment. Thick jungle in the background.

Path to the community sink for the cabinas.

The main street in town, lined with vendors, sodas, and bars.

An abandoned barge that a lot of the local kids jump and fish off.

Near the bus station and town map.

The police station where my friend and I went after getting robbed.

Local fruit vendor.

Fishing boats.

Some native flora.

Welcome sign to Manzanillo.

Beach near Manzanillo.

Manzanillo beach. I went snorkeling just beyond here.

The waves break very close to the steep shore on this coast. This beach is Playa Negra, named for the black sand. My cabina was about 50 meters behind it.

More of Playa Negra.

They like to paint the trunks of the palm trees bright colors.

This is right in front of where I was staying.

An island off of Playa Cocles, a beach good for surfing south of PV. If I had stayed longer I planned on snorkeling out to that island.

Playa Cocles...my favorite hangout spot there. Luckily it was much sunnier when I visited.

Howler monkey in a tree. You never want to stand directly underneath one, because they poop their own weight by the hour. I got to hold a few of these guys at an animal refuge. I'll make a separate entry on that experience soon.

Rasta!

Paradise.

Tasty waves cantina! Great place for smoothies, tacos, and cocktails run by a nice couple from San Diego, California. They would stay open late every Tuesday and have performers come do fire shows with flaming sticks.

The cops would come by to ask about the "noise" , usually one armed with an MP-5 machine gun strapped around his shoulder. Give them all Cokes and everything was cool.

I love these beautiful birds. A few have even let me pet them.

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2010-11-28T19:21:00.000-08:00

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thankful stuff

2010-11-25T18:28:00.000-08:00

hope ya'll enjoyed your TURKEY and stuffing and everything else while I had two HAM sandwiches!
Turkey, like other things, is like gold down here. I could have paid 25 bucks to have a small
"thanksgiving meal" at an upscale restaurant but opted not to. There's just ham in Costa Rica...you can get ground beef....roast beef is really rare and expensive like turkey. pumpkin pie? ha, forget about it. cranberries...maybe...though a bottle of cranberry juice is 16 bucks at the grocery store. so be thankful for having thanksgiving food!

stuff I'm thankful for:

the winter clothes I brought for no reason. when I first got down here, I was like "well that was dumb, i loaded up my backpack with 2 flannel shirts and a sweat, why did I do that?" but now,
since I HAVE NO SHEETS and there is nowhere that sells them withing a 20 mile radius, I use my winter clothes as sheets.

You may think if it's so hot why would you need sheets? well you just do. Try sleeping without a blanket sometime...pretty difficult. Plus it does get cool some nights, around 68 degrees. Not as as cool as the Caribbean but cool enough to need a blanket.

Raid(the bug spray). Cockroaches and ants are in no danger of being extinct so I don't really care how many I kill. Both of my apartments were infested when I first moved in, but thanks to a healthy dose of Raid, are now insect free. Raid is plentiful and cheap down here(thank you GOD!)

THE INTERNET. most important thing on this list. I would be totally isolated and bored without it. Keeps me in touch with friends and family via email, skype and facebook as well as this blog.

My Laptop. There are internet cafes with computers but they are expensive so thankfully I have a laptop and WiFI is everywhere. I can watch cowboys and mavericks games, play DVD's. Again thanks to my sister Amy for graciously donating it to me. Since I lost my iPhone I don't know what I would do without the laptop.

Air Conditioning. Yeah I learned to live without it for two weeks in the jungle but once you have it back...you realize how much you missed it. Being covered in a constant inch thick layer of sweat will keep you cool but will definitely make you and your clothes stink, forcing you to take more cold showers. Also...it makes other people stink and they really dont care. On the Caribbean everyone had dreadlocks anyway....if you're not washing your hair why was your body?

my family and friends who have been great keeping in contact with me down here. It's not always easy traveling solo, since friends come and go as quick as the weather changes in Texas. Some friends from home were really interested when I first got down here, yet seem to have forgotten about me since. for those that haven't, thanks! You're more than welcome to a spot on my futon in my cabina only a 5 minute walk from the beach!
special shoutouts to the Mahaffey family, my mother and father, sister Amy, cousins Kim n Katie, Uncle David, Maria Valdez, and Jewel Jefferies any anyone else I forgot to mention for reading my blog daily.

Last and not least, the warm weather and beautiful beach. Who else went surfing on thanksgiving?
Many people here don't even know what Thanksgiving is or care to know, but I wished them a happy one anyway.

Something I am not thankful for....google AdSense disabling my account. That's why you are not seeing any ads. I violated the terms and violations by asking for clicks, so there goes my $300 dollars in earnings for the month of November. That money was to be directly deposited into my bank account in December, so I'm pretty down about having lost all that.
I filed an appeal, but google is not known to overturn their decision. Soon I'll have ads from a new sponsor up, but won't be seeing any of that money for at least 60 days. Until then, if you're feeling thankful for the info I've provided or in the Christmas spirit, there is a PayPal link at the end of this blog for any donations. I really don't expect anyone to do this but it doesn't hurt to have it there....30 peeps giving 10 bucks each and I'd have that money back.

This blog has been a success, already 1,162 views coming from multiple countries:

United States
1,037
Costa Rica
79
Canada
17
Germany
12
Switzerland
8
Egypt
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Thank you so much for your support!

beetle encounter

2010-11-22T20:52:00.000-08:00

And I'm not talking about Ringo.
Tonight I went to the local internet/phone center to make a call home and walked out on the balcony to find this:

It looked exactly like this one except bigger! He was slowly crawling alongside a table. This thing was way bigger than any roach or beetle I'd ever seen in Texas. I couldn't resist not poking him so I did. The shell on his back was real thick and felt like an acorn or something.
This was the first time I'd ever seen one of these things living, at the Jaguar Rescue Center that had several dead ones preserved in jars.
I asked the lady in the store how to say this beetle's name and she said "escarabajo". I looked it up and it means beetle, I tried to find a more scientific name for it online but all I can come up with is "escarabajo de jardin" or "garden beetle". She was even nice enough to pick it up for me and show me what it looks like from underneath. I didn't ask her to....but thanks anyway I guess? It had this yellow ribbed stomach with all these furry appendages wiggling about. Its face had these little round eyes I'm guessing and some kind of fuzzy mouth.

The locals seem very accepting to the insects here, no matter her big or gross. Even to those grasshoppers, if one starts causing trouble and flying into people's faces, someone will just pick him up gently and toss him over the fence.
Quite different than back home! I imagine we'd have sprayed every gallon of cancer causing chemicals to rid our land of these creatures. I have yet to see someone squash a bug. Maybe it's because of the huge mess it would cause and they don't want to clean it up? Imagine all the juice and guts inside one of those things....eck.

So that was the highlight of my day. Another insect on my list to see is the RHINO BEETLE. Check out this bad boy:

They are in Costa Rica but hide during the day. If you disturb one they'll hiss at you. The guide at the rescue center said he only saw one once, when a little local boy captured one and was going around showing it to people on the beach for a dollar. He said the boy had red marks on his arm from the rhino beetle pinching him with its horns!!
These things can get HUGE and can fly so I only hope it's me that discovers them and not the other way around.

Tamarindo sunsets

2010-11-21T21:39:00.000-08:00

(click to enlarge)

Finally I got a real picture to put up. This was taken by my friend Francis from Quebec on his iPhone while we were hanging out at the beach last night. I get treated to these beautiful sunsets almost every day. I'm a much bigger fan of sunsets than sunrises. In Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean coast, the sunrises were said to be beautiful but I never felt like waking up at 4:30 am to find out.
On the right side of the bay there are two small mountains on the piece of land that juts out and separates Playa Tamarindo from Playa Grande. The land on the left as seen in the picture is nothing but rocks. Further South is Playa Langosta. Langosta means lobster. I've only seen one lobster here in the Pacific waters, a very small baby lobster that washed up on the top of my surfboard while I was out waiting for a wave. I would have liked to have taken him home and eaten him as a light snack, but lucky for him I don't have any pots yet.

One drawback about the Pacific Ocean is its lack of underwater visibility. You can only see a few feet, opposed to the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean. I did get a chance to snorkel through a living reef during my time on the Caribbean Coast, and will make a blog entry on that great experience later.
I've heard there is some good scuba diving here, all kinds of marine life to see like the huge leatherback turtles and other unique marine life. Scuba is an expensive hobby....just to get certified is over 300 dollars, a temporary permit can be purchased for 65. I would love to try it while I'm down here.

Some friends from Australia I met here in Tamarindo are now in Dallas. They've been all over the place, from Florida to Costa Rica to Dallas then on to Austin before leaving from Houston. While they were in Florida they encountered a bull shark while snorkeling, one of the 3 shark species most likely to attack humans.

Bull sharks are known for their aggressive behavior and swimming in shallow waters near shore. Unlike other sharks, bull sharks can tolerate fresh water and have been known to swim up rivers. They have been known to travel as far up as Indiana in the Ohio River and Illinois in the Mississippi River.
While I hope to encounter some big fish when I go snorkeling or scuba diving again, I think I'll pass on a shark encounter. I'm sure it's a big adrenaline rush and all, but.....no thanks.
Maybe a giant sting ray like this would be cool:

The sport fishing is supposed to be great here. That's another expensive hobby. You can pay to go out on a boat and use their equipment but it will set you back several hundred. Unfortunately there are no docks or piers to fish off of. Once I get some work I plan on taking one of these fishing tours. I'd love to catch a big mahi-mahi, sailfish, or roosterfish. As thrilling as it is to reel in a 4 pound big mouth bass, I imagine it's nothing compared to fighting one of these beasts. Hopefully soon I will know.

Costa Rica has a lot of rules regarding construction on the beach. There's only legal marina I know of, and that's in Jaco, further south on the Pacific Coast. Another one was planned on the Caribbean coast in Puerto Viejo, a huge marina with many slits and plans for businesses. As of right now the plans are dead due to local protests. The marina would take up almost the entire beach in the city. I'm not so sure this would be a bad thing though, as the beaches in town aren't that nice anyway and most people choose to visit the bigger cleaner beaches on either side of town.
Also the marina and resorts that would follow with it would bring so many much needed jobs for the local economy, lessening the local economy's dependence on dealing drugs to tourists.
I completely understand their side though, Puerto Viejo has a very chill, laid-back, time stands still, Reggae-Rasta-Jamaican type of vibe that the locals do no want disturbed.

Cowboys won two in a row!? Crazy. Shows you how bad Wade Phillips was as a coach.
I forgot the game was at noon and missed it, but glad they own and excited for the Thanksgiving Day matchup against the Saints. Hopefully I can find somewhere to eat Turkey down here without spending a fortune...

another friend leaves, and more 'small world' evidence

2010-11-21T03:53:00.000-08:00

tonight I went out because my friend from Quebec leaves tomorrow. I've been hanging out with him since I arrived in Tamarindo late October. Now he leaves at 9 this morning to Santa Teresa in search of better waves. Santa Teresa is a town further south on the peninsula, facing west on the very tip. He's been here in Tamarindo two weeks longer than me, so I can't blame him for wanting to move on before he leaves in December.
It's kind of sad, really. Since I've been here I've had a buddy to hang out with. The first being 'Andy' from Switzerland, we spent time together in San Jose twice and the whole time I was in Puerto Viejo was mostly palling around with Andy. He had a rental car, which was awesome for me.

Blue Trailz hostel is kinda dead at the moment. No new travelers to befriend and introduce the town to like several did to me when I first arrived. Blue Trailz is the hostel I stayed for a little more than two weeks.

Something very interesting did happen tonight before I went out. Three girls, all native Costa Ricans yet fluent English speakers, got off a bus at the hostel.
One asked me, "Where are you from?"
I replied. "Texas, Fort Worth and a little time in Austin."
She laughed. Apparently her dad was an engineer who got a work visa for the US while she was growing up, and attended both RIDGLEA HILLS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL and MONNIG MIDDLE SCHOOL.
What a small, small world. I attended both. She enrolled 3 years after me.
She had also lived in Austin for a short while. Me too.

I've met several people with Fort Worth or Texas connections here in Costa Rica.
The first, my neighbor in Puerto Viejo. His parents lived right across from "The Canyons" apartments on River Park Drive, where I used to live.
The second was a couple from Spokane, Washington I sat by on the flight to Houston from Denver, Colorado on my way to San Jose, Costa Rica. They were originally from Russia but their English was very good. Somehow, after two weeks on a separate coast, I managed to run into them at a small restaurant in Tamarindo, on the west coast.
We had each traveled up and down the opposite coasts, yet somehow managed to meet as the only customers to dine in a local Tamarindo restaurant.
Then tonight. What are the odds I meet a native Costa Rican girl who attended the same elementary and middle school as me?
Crazy stuff.
Her English is flawless, she lived in Amsterdam before moving to Texas and attending school as a first grader all the way to seventh.. Her family was one month away from acquiring citizenship before her dad's engineering contract expired.

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eating and costa rican cuisine

2010-11-20T01:49:00.000-08:00

The food is usually rather tame as far as seasoning. In contrast to Mexican dishes, there are no jalapeños or spicy peppers of any kind really. Salt and pepper seem to get the job done. Every now and then some place will get fancy and add some lime juice. I can't find anything spicy.

The "salad dressing" is just some kind of juice.

If you've read my earlier blog entries you'll know the typical Costa Rican dish is "casados". That's basically their only trademark dish. Many places have chicken empanadas too.

Casados includes white rice, black beans, small "salad", choice of fish, beef, chicken or pork, and fried plantain. Looks exactly like this:

After being here a month now, I can't imagine eating the way I did back in Texas, even though I started indulging in soft drinks again here(fanta orange and fresca made with real sugar is just too good to resist!).

Looking back, the portions in America are just ridiculous. No one needs that much food! Unfortunately I always felt the need to finish everything that's on my place or I feel like I'm wasting it.

It's interesting, even if I have a small portioned meal here, the satisfaction after finishing the plate is still the same. We're just conditioned to wanting more and bigger is better. The only thing we love more than food is a good bargain.

I've noticeably lost weight in month I've been here. The size 36 shorts are starting to become loose. My facial bones are starting to become noticeable again as well as my abs as the layers of fat disappear. I've gone back to having just one chin.

When I first got here went to the local gym and weighed 210 lbs, I'm going back tomorrow to work out again and will weigh myself again. I'm guessing and hoping I'm under 200 now.

The energy for all this walking, biking, surfing, and blogging has to be a great calorie burner. I'm no longer just replacing the burned calories with Taco Bueno, Jack in the Box, Whataburger, any pizza buffet....even though I would kill to get a Taco Bueno here.

Or a pizza buffet. OR RANCH DRESSING.

Oh man I miss ranch dressing! I haven't seen a drop or bottle since I've been here! I'm sure they have it at the Auto Mercado(biggest supermarket) here just outside town but I'd bet it's an American brand and at least 10 dollars a bottle. Mayonesa(mayonaise) and mostaza(mustard) are plentiful thankfully as well as ketchup.

Another helpful thing for my diet is the lack of fried anything in Tamarindo. There are no fried chicken or fried fish restaurants here!! It's very strange, considering these are all over the place elsewhere in Costa Rica, especially fried chicken! Walk down the foot streets in San Jose and you will see soda after soda with fried chicken sitting under hot lamps. Everywhere here in Tamarindo sells pizza. You can't take two steps without walking past a pizza restaurant. Other than that it's casados, the Costa Rican lunch dish, white rice, black beans, small "salad", and choice of pescado, pollo, bistecca, or chuleta. There's also a couple of Mexican restaurants and few nacho/burrito places. Two Asian food places I know of. Organic food, fruits, and sushi is popular too.

If I had the money to invest in a fried food restaurant here I would, and probably become the richest man in Tamarindo.

Tonight I went to dinner with two Canadians, one from Quebec and one from Vancouver.

I find it funny two fellow countrymen have trouble communicating. The guy from Quebec speaks French and doesn't know much English.

Smoothie places are everywhere, and one in particular "Mandarina" makes the best smoothies I've ever had. Fresh everything, all kinds of fruits, cut straight from the fruit and blended right after you order it. So refreshing on a hot day after a surf session.

They also have huge coconuts for only 500 colones. The top is chopped off and a straw put in. Perfect, nature's own little beverage.

The town sometimes runs out of strawberries. I have yet to see any grapes anywhere here.

There was rain most of the day. I rented a bike and went grocery shopping. I bought more than planned so the trip back going uphill on a bike with 3 bags of groceries hung on the handlebars was an interesting test of balance.

The packages of ham and cheese got caught in the spokes and fell out of the grocery bag into the mud. Luckily the packages didn't tear. Just a little smushed.

I was hoping nobody saw it happen but of course the lone person I encountered on my trek home comes walking out of a gate nearby.

The water was off in the city for most of the day, and even after it was turned back on my apartment complex had to wait for the tank to fill back up to get any pressure.

That meant no way to wash dirt and mud off your hands, clothes, all over my legs, and somehow my arms.

It seems there is always at least one utility down at all times. The electricity goes out at times, the internet at others, today the water, sometimes the phone. That's just Costa Rica.

The power lines are just strung through the trees. Sadly many monkeys get electrocuted crossing on them. Sometimes a mother will drop her baby and keep going rather than risk going to the ground to retrieve it.

I met some of the lucky ones that made it to the Jaguar Rescue Center, an animal rehabilitation center in Puerto Viejo. My visit there was a special trip. I hope to make a blog on it soon.

I'm going to go make a sandwich.

thongs everywhere

2010-11-18T19:09:00.000-08:00

And I'm not talking about flip-flops.
Since nothing worth writing about happened today, I guess it's time to finally make the long awaited, much anticipated blog entry on the local beach attire. I've been dreading it since my friends parents, family, and even my grandmother read this but I'll try to keep it as PG as I can.

In Tamarindo it is almost unusal not to see a girl wearing a thong bikini on the beach.
The locals almost always do and the tourists soon pick up on the trend and buy one themselves. It's not like the kind you think of, not just a string, but starts out like a regular swimsuit thick at the top then gradually disappears into a cheek sandwich.

Even the more modest surfer girl bikinis are still cut to show more cheek than almost anything you'd see at your local pool or lake in America. It's just not that big of a deal here. I've been told it's the Brazilian style that's made it's way north to Costa Rica. It's no big deal for European or Australian girls either.
At first it was a bit of a shock to see all these exposed sandy buns on the beach and in the streets but like anything, after awhile you get used to it.
There's even one lady that goes around selling necklaces all day in her black thong swimsuit. She has a very large rear end, one can't help but notice. I guess she thinks it helps with sales. For me, no gracias, please don't walk up to me like that por favor no matter how cool your jewelry is.

Women of all ages wear them, from teenagers to 40's.
I haven't seen any topless sunbathing here, but I did on the more secluded beaches of the Caribbean everyday since it's less touristy and the beaches less populated. I'm not sure what the local laws are, but I do know locals frown upon hippies skinny dipping at an unofficial nude beach in Montezuma, a town located on the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula. Tamarindo is about 4 hours to the northwest.

The local guys are of course much more modest, no banana hammocks or speedos here. Long bright colored board shorts with wild patterns is what's popular. I bought one myself....even though it was relatively expensive, well worth it.
To be honest I felt out of place wearing my plain white and black with a drawstring and stretchy-waistband bathing suit. The pair I bought is black and grey at the top that fades into an oceany turquoise. No stretchy waistband, no lining, goes well past the knees, perfect.
How can you ever hope to have respect as a surfer if you look like you're about to go to Hurricane Harbor?
Real boardshorts don't have lining because it only gets in the way when you're surfing, not comfortable. Besides, this is the ocean and not a public pool. The big waves have a way of trying to eat your bathing suit right off you so it's important to keep it tied tight. The bikinis have bungee cords on the side to help stay fastened. The boardshorts have thick laces.
The size I bought was 36, but since I've been here my size 36 shorts are becoming much looser. Walking or biking everywhere, surfing, and not eating fast food or big portions equals less body fat.
I'm hoping my suit will still stay on as long as I tie it real tight even if my waist does shrink back to the 34 inches I was for years. All the suits sit dangerously low on the waist and I'm quickly losing the necessary fat and belly to hold it up.
I'll happily take the sleeker bod though even if it means having to buy another swimsuit.

The ocean's color is turning that deep Pacific blue now since it hasn't rained in so long. The sky was cloudy and the waves make the ones in the Gulf of Mexico look like tsunamis. Here's to hoping for more sun and bigger waves, as well as some trabajo!!!

bedding, pots and pans

2010-11-18T00:19:00.000-08:00

Are like gold here. There is no place to buy them close to me. The closest place is a big supermarket on the outskirts of town. I'm going to have to pay a cab like 20 bucks to get there and back but I have no choice.

My bed has no sheets. Right now I'm using a large bathroom towel I bought in Puerto Viejo. It works but I haven't been getting the best sleep. There are two well worn pillows furnished by the complex. They don't smell the freshest but I didn't come here expecting luxury. I have not seen box springs since I've been down here. The mattresses are very thin and firm. Some so thin I can feel the bed frame on the other side.
Fortunately the one at my new place is the thickest I've slept on since being here.

I have plates, cups, and silverware but no pots or pans to cook. I'd really love to get started cooking so I can save money and not have to go out for every meal. I have no idea what pots and pans costs here. Some things are unusually expensive here.

My fridge is very nice...even has a good sized freezer at the top, but as of now only has milk and orange juice.

Sorry for the boring entry but there's not much else to report on today. Still looking for work.
Thanks again for the ad click support. I made 33 dollars yesterday. I'm now over the 100 dollar threshold required for payment. I should receive the first deposit at the end of December.

By then I'll either have found another source of income, returned home, or living under a palm tree spending my days begging tourists on the street for money, coconuts, or food scraps.

bright moon on a clear night

2010-11-16T23:19:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not, tonight was the first night I walked on the beach out of three weeks. I've always been somewhere else at night. After drinking a few Imperials at the old Blue Trailz hostel with some old friends and new faces, I decided to take a slight detour on my way back home and walk across the beach.
The sky was completely clear. This is not always the case, as there is usually some cloud coverage or something blocking the view of the stars. Not tonight.
The stars shined bright even with the moon's ultra bright glow. I'd guess it's about a quarter away from a full moon.
I could see as far out into the ocean to spot the anchored boats, small island, and mountains that surround the bay, all of which are hundreds of meters away.

Amazing how high the tide comes in late at night. Almost all the way up to the buildings on the shore. During the day, and at low tide, the waves only come in at least 100 meters away.
It was so bright out tonight, you could probably have surfed if you wanted.

The rest of the walk was not so peaceful and serene. A walk that took 20 minutes and ended with a long climb uphill. I think I may have misjudged the walking distance since the first times I came here were on a bike. Pedaling a good pace takes about 5 minutes.
It's clear I will have to succumb to buying a bike, as much as I don't want to. They're a luxury here and costs just as much as they do back home. A new Costa Rican brand bike will set you back 125 dollars. It works but isn't the greatest quality. A used Trek will run you at least $200.

There's always the option to take a taxi, but most will charge you 2,000 colones(4 dollars) to anywhere in town. I know now you can get a ride for 1,000 colones (2 bucks) , depending on the driver. Some will accept this, others won't budge.
The group of drivers playing cards tonight nearby the hostel decided to pass on my offer of two bucks. That's fine, I'd rather walk. It's really not far enough to pay four bucks.

I met a Norwegian girl named something I can't remember, Luisa I think, on my walk back. The roads are dark but there are guards patrolling condos on every corner.
She is here staying at one of the Spanish schools to learn the language. Her English was very good, as is most Norwegians. Funny they seem to speak the best English out of all non-English speaking countries. They tell me they grow up watching TV in English, movies, and learning it in school. Good for them. Some Canadians from Quebec can't even speak it as well.

I don't have much room to talk, however. My Spanish is very weak. I can understand more than I can speak, surprisingly. Usually more than my European friends(there are exceptions, I've met a few that are fluent in Spanish, English, and whatever country they're from). They look to me sometimes to ask what a local said. I guess I know some basics from growing up in Texas.
Keep in mind though, the Costa Ricans speak slower and with better known words when talking to a foreigner.
I just know the numbers and a few very basic phrases.
Some locals shake their head at my attempts to speak their language, especially when they speak mine. I've now gotten to know several here, they recognize me finally.
They know I'm here for awhile. They know I don't want to buy any marijuana or cigars or take surfing lessons, finally, after saying "no, gracias" a hundred times.
Having a sense of fitting in, albeit slight, provides a bit of comfort and familiarity.

There's a pic of Playa Tamarindo to the right, the river mouth on the left. After you cross the river mouth, you can walk along a mountain to get to Playa Grande.

the new digs!!

2010-11-15T17:57:00.000-08:00

Just finished getting all settled in my new apartment. It's much, much nicer than my first one!

Mine is on the bottom floor, last one on the right.

It has a strong cold a/c unit instead of just one fan on the ground.
The door closes all the way and seals shut.
The windows close all the way.
It has curtains over every window and door.
There are shelves throughout each room.
There is a built in stove on the kitchen counter.
The TV reception is much clearer and there are way more channels. I have HBO, Cinemax, TNT, ESPN, FoxNews, CNN, CBS, NBC, Fox, discovery channels, animal planet, national geographic, and more.
Can't say honestly I missed TV, but it's nice to have at night when there's not much to do.
The floor is brown reddish clay color.
There are ceiling fans in the bedroom and living room with 3 long blades and 5 speeds. The highest speed is very powerful.
There's also lights everywhere, my first place here only had two!
I have a nice big patio in front and already bought and hung a Rasta colored hammock.
My fridge is only about a foot shorter than a standard one.
It's nice having a futon in the living.
The door has a spot for a master lock besides the main lock, the windows also have metal bars across them.
So for only 25 dollars more, I moved up into a much much nicer apartment. This place could easily go for 400 or more in the high season. I'm glad I grabbed it now.
It doesn't, however, had pots and pans or a kitchen table, but otherwise it's a huge upgrade.

The only drawbacks, it's further from the beach. I will need a bike to get here an back. It's up a hill too.
It doesn't have the jungle behind it or nice flowers and plants in front like the first.
I like that it's far enough away from the main road away from the loud traffic, construction, and other noise. Nice and quiet out here. I can finally unpack my huge heavy backpack(first time all trip!), spread out, throw my stuff around without worrying about getting in anyone's way, really get settled in.

It's starting to get a little busier, the dry season is now here, it never rains and is hotter. The busy season is just around the corner, and hopefully a job.

On a side note, my cousin Kim started her own blog at http://katiefightsleukemia.blogspot.com
detailing my her sister's and my cousin's battle with acute leukemia. I hope she doesn't mind me posting the link but I think it's good.

I just stepped outside to talk with my neighbor and we watched as a raccoon came right up and grabbed my box of leftover casados con pollo with both hands. He just lifted it right up and walked away, only like 5 feet away from us. He then opened it with his hands just like a human and began to eat. He must really have been hungry.
The raccoons have more black in them than I remember the ones at home. Some places list "raccoons" as "wildlife" you can see. I find that funny since they were so common growing up at LMRA.
A brochure will say "see toucans, macaws, alligators, tree frogs, and raccoons!"

It's a cool night tonight. I'm out on the hammock as I type this.