TANAGERS

With some heavy humid rain storms this afternoon and even some hail, the after affect reminded me of Costa Rica steam. Warbucks sent this to me, a clip he filmed of green headed tanagers of the balcony during out stay. 

 

Order is everything.

RAINFOREST

 

These are more of my un-used pictures from my trip in Costa Rica. Mostly from around Manuel Antonio, Arenal, Monteverde and Corcovado National Park.   With more than a quarter of the country's total land comprising of national parks, reserves and refuges, it is no wonder then that this country's greatest national treasure is it's plethora of natural diversity. I was really surprised by how much I loved it.  Very secluded, many days we didn't see anyone except at the lovely hotel. Great service and we even had massages. Having been through this pandemic now, I think I could easily live there. It was not uncommon in the morning to have coati's, monkeys, or exotic birds on the deck, and the hotel is mostly all open air, with the ability to be closed up for bad storms. It too,  was not uncommon, to see birds and small lizards breeze through. I shared many of those on my insta. Home to some of the most colorful and exotic flora and fauna on earth, and one of the most bio-diverse regions in the world,  yet this tiny country is the habitat of some 10,000 species of plants and trees. It's lush and verdant, and steamy. A good place for the avid nature lover. The scenery can't be beat, and you'll see some of the most pristine and secluded jungles that play host to a varied cast of huge insects, mammals,  retiles and birds. And Warbucks got a great picture of me from above at one of the many waterfalls, one of my favorite pictures to date. I miss this place. And we had an outdoor shower.

Arenal Volcano

The Ruins of Ujarras. Once considered of the oldest churches in the country. The ruins are a good relaxing point when hiking.

La Bruja waterfall

COSTA RICA

I'd have to say, Costa Rica was by far one of my most different vacations I'd had. It was far more insolated then I would normally be. Most of the trip was in the deep rainforest  of Manual Antonio, Arenal, and Monteeverde. The only thing in the area most times WAS the hotel. Your pretty isolated in the rainforest. So it was good to have a guide. We did however spend some time in Cartago. I loved the random fruit stands. This one above was in Manual Antonio. So frickin fresh and flavorful. I think during this pandemic I could easily quarantine here. These are two sights we saw in Cartago.

Las Ruinas de la Parroquia was a pretty cool thing to see. It is now the ruins of a church that was built in 1575 as a shrine to St James the Apostle. It was destroyed by the 1841 earthquake, rebuilt a few years later if I recall, and then destroyed again in the 1910 earthquake. Today only it's outer walls remain, but the inside now houses a pretty garden, a good spot to see birds, stroll and people watch. Legend has it that the ghost of several priest wander the grounds. 

While I'm not religious by any means, I'm fascinated by church architecture. the Basilica de Nuestra Senora de Los Angeles is a Roman Catholic church in classic Byzantine style, located in Cartago. It was built  in 1639.  Yet again, it was partially destroyed by an earthquake and series of aftershocks that followed kept it crumbling and incomplete. In 1912 , it got a new architect and took 12 years to finally complete it. Each August over 2 million pilgrims make a spiritual journey to the basilica, many on their knees, coming from various parts of Costa Rica.  The interior was very intriguing, I was especially drawn to the elaborate design of the ceiling and little skylights. 

I often wonder how our guide Benico is doing. I often think of him. He really gave us a bang for our buck. Even cooked us a great dinner one night.

The Market he took us to,  to get provisions for dinner.

 This was one of the stands. Look at all that goodness. The man could cook. And some of you may recall he looked damn fine in a speedo. You may also recall how I told him it was customary in American culture that the tour guide had to carry around the youngest of the group. He didn't buy it, but he was  a very good sport putting up with my shenanigans.

Ah good times. 

COSTA RICIAN BLISS

When most people ask me what I thought of Costa Rica, I say it was like Puerto Rico on steroids!!! It was by far one of the more interesting and memorable of trips, as it introduced me to a whole new kind of locale..and one I most certainly would go back to again. On this final post of the trip , are three different things we visited.

You have definitely heard about Witch’s Rock if you are a surf enthusiast or have seen the famous surf movie, Endless Summer. Our guide Bencio took us to Witch’s Rock, a surfing destination located in the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica. Known for its excellent waves, exotic beaches and verdurous rain forests. It is a small, mysterious place which is as interesting as its name. The mystical name, Witch’s Rock, is derived from a legend of a witch living in the island. The rock is located right off  Playa Naranjo beach. I found it very interesting, and no I did not surf. I enjoyed the scenery and watching the hot boys do all the work. We did hit a private beach spot though and had excellent nachos.

This was some kind of shark I think. I didn't plan on getting in anyway!

Daddy Warbucks captures another as I strike a pose! Vogue!

Thank goodness this was after the above picture.

This was more my speed....men watching!

And we can't forget Bencio....it was hard not to look at him. I asked to be just carried around. I told him in the US it was customary to carry the youngest of the tour group. He didn't buy it.

Another day found us in Cartago.Cartago is the country’s first capital and one of the oldest communities in Costa Rica. It was founded by Spanish settler, Juan Vasquez de Coronado in 1563. Although dubbed by Coronado as the most beautiful valley he’d ever seen, throughout history, the city would become faced with unforeseeable destruction. In 1723, the Irazu Volcano erupted and destroyed the city. In 1823, Cartago suffered from losing a civil war. In 1841 and 1910, the city experienced the ruins of two large earthquakes. But even though Costa Rica is not known for much architecture, it was still a nice respite from the  locale we had been in for a week and a half. Some of our points of interests.

.The Basilica de los Angeles  in Costa Rica, located in the city of Cartago and dedicated to the Virgen de los Pardos, officially known as Virgen de los Ángeles. The basilica was built in 1639 and was partially destroyed by an earthquake. 

The basilica has since been restored and constitutes a unique mix of colonial architecture as well as 19th century Byzantine style. As with Argentina, you know I love my churches.

Ruinas de Cartago. This now-ruined church was built in 1575 as a shrine to St James the Apostle. It was destroyed by the 1841 earthquake, rebuilt a few years later and then destroyed again in the 1910 earthquake. Today only the outer walls remain, but ‘the ruins’ are a pleasant spot for people-watching, bird watching and the views are beautiful. Legend has it that the ghost of a headless priest wanders here. It was quite tranquil and one of my favorite places.

I was loving the birds!!!!

I know we have seen these cuties before in other posts They are called Coati's. They would be similar to our racoons, rabbits and such. They could get very close. I wanted one in the worst way.

And the Central Market in San Jose was an interesting must.Costa Rica’s Central Market is a well-known place, where many tourists experience the real daily Costa Rican life.Costa Rica’s Central Market is not just a commercial place; in fact, it has a life of its own. From sunup to sundown, it has a particular bustle that attracts over 20 thousand people a day. It’s a place to experience Costa Rica’s culture and food and crafts. The market is a meeting spot where people gather everyday to greet and discuss current national affairs.

The same day later while eating at a eatery, this was in the window next to me. YIKES!

I TELL YOU I'm still itching! And yes...it was that big!!!!! That was the biggest bug I ever saw. Looks alien like right>>>>moving on......

Americans, the only culture offended by cock.It was unbelievably cool how many places had these. I bought about 10 sets. Can one really have to much cock?

The last two days were spent back in Manual Antonio to just soak it up while we could.

Our last brunch.

Heres is Camila!!! 

She was greeting us every morning. She's the one I wanted to take with me.

I don't know. I think I'm ready to go back. Any of you peeps game?

And a huge thank you to the  wonderful staff at  the Hotel Rio Celeste Hideaway for such stunning accommodations, service and excellent food and cocktails.  I highly recommend a stay here.