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I will be sleeping in a boys dorm for 7 nights with the mission team from Nashville on this leafy children’s home campus this week. Not sure yet about Wifi or internet. Atenas, Costa Rica
New Horizons for Coming Mission Team
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| Photo sent to mission team this morning as encouragement for their flight here tomorrow–Thursday. Sunset over Pacific Ocean while flying along west coast of Costa Rica in March. |
New Bromeliads + A Favorite Road
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| Bromeliad Pink in a Shady Area of My Garden I think it will do very well here & I have 6 of them! Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Bromeliad Red which I really liked, but as you see it gets some sunlight thus I hope it makes it. I got only 1 of these. Bromeliads prefer shade. Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Road behind Banana Azul Hotel in the Caribbean of Costa Rica The photo & quote that I shared with the mission team today + a Scripture verse with their’s. Photo made in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Costa Rica |
¡Pura Vida!
Triquitraque or Mexican Flame Vine
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| The Triquitraque is in 2nd period of blooming just in time for my visitors coming this week! Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Just sorry that most of my others are not blooming this week. But this is colorful! Atenas, Costa Rica |
CR’s Trump-like Candidate Soundly Defeated
In the Costa Rica Presidential Election yesterday the candidate most like Donald Trump, whose only platform was to stop gay marriage at any cost, was defeated 60% to 40% of the votes. Earlier polling showed it to be a closer race than that. Again Costa Rica is proving to be smarter than the U..S.
¡Felices Pascuas! – Happy Easter!
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| ¡Felices Pascuas! – Happy Easter! Scarlet Macaw flying above Tambor Bay, Costa Rica this past Christmas. |
Note to those not on the mission team coming here this week: I am sharing one of my Costa Rica photos with an inspirational Scripture verse each day in an email during the last week before they get here this Thursday. 9 old friends from Nashville First Baptist Church. This is the photo/verse I share with them today. Happy Easter to you also! He is risen!
Charlie Doggett
Retired in Costa Rica
¡Pura Vida!
And for more photos of life here, see my gallery Charlie Doggett’s COSTA RICA.
Physical Education Last Week
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| A class lines up for Physical Education activities last week. This week there is no school, many businesses closed, and many on vacation trips. Atenas, Costa Rica |
All of the usual activities I pass by daily during most weeks aren’t happening this week, Holy Week, in a quiet little town with many on vacation. Tomorrow is Easter AND Election Day!
Article on tomorrow’s Presidential Election (Things are changing in Costa Rica.)
My photos of past Easter Processions (but none tomorrow because of election):
¡PURA VIDA!
Good Friday Silence
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| As I walked to town, the streets were empty! Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Even around Central Park Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Every store is closed except Supermarkets & the Gasolinera that will close early. Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Many homes had added new, bigger decorations. Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Even the Catholic Church added a similar new decoration. Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| And people will be coming and going from the catholic church all day (all week!). The only activity. Atenas, Costa Rica |
And you might ask, “What about the non-religious?” Well, they are the ones filling the public beaches this week and fishing on the lakes and other “vacation” activities. One family I know is spending the whole week at the nearest beach. Semana Santa or “Holy Week” or “Easter Week” is not the best beach time for tourists, though most locals try to use different beaches and try to avoid tourists, but not totally possible, especially at Jaco, the closest big beach town to San Jose.
The smaller number of evangelicals and protestants in Costa Rica have a less dramatic emphasis on Easter and some expats, like the “new community” here at Iglesia Biblical have special activities they did back home. Ours did a Maundy Thursday Lord’s Supper or Communion Service Thursday night and some will meet at a member’s house at Sunrise Easter Morning for a Sunrise Service – which will be a good excuse for not attending the Spanish Language Easter Service at the church later.
Hotel restaurants have to be open on Easter, but not many others will and even the supermarkets will have very limited hours on Easter. But this year will not have the usual Easter pageantry in the streets by law, since the first Sunday of April is Election Day and no public activities are allowed to compete with voting (only worship inside a church building). Meaning that many people will leave their church of whatever variety and go straight to the voting places where the unqualified, anti-Gay presidential candidate (an evangelical gospel singer) is expected to narrowly win the election in this conservative Catholic country.
Read the article Holy Week the Costa Rican way
Felices Pascuas
Poner toda la carne en el asador.
¡Pura Vida!
Pre-Easter Yellow
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| And for one week only – this particular tree. Seen from my terrace as is the photo below. Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Behind my “Cow Pasture Neighbors” Houses Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Even the silhouetted Chachalaca seems to be admiring the yellow flowers. In my Guarumo/Cecropia Tree Atenas, Costa Rica |
¡Pura Vida!
My House is Untouched By Fire
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| The fire was much closer than I like, the next hill over. It could have climbed our hill, but firemen stopped it. And that house in photo I think is okay, though probably got a lot of smoke even if windows closed. Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
After the scary post yesterday afternoon I wanted everyone who reads blog to know that the wonderful firemen (bomberos) put the fire out with rakes, hoes, machetes and shovels (had no water).
I came back after dark and all was okay last night. Most of the smoke was blown away by the high winds but still no internet, thus delay in report until this morning (Tuesday). Then internet was out again before I could add the above photo until afternoon. Both the electric company and the cable company have had several trucks out here all day. Right now all is good
This is the bad part of the “Dry Season” that the tourists like so much – fires! Rainy Season starts in May and some of us call it the “Green Season” which to me is prettier and more enjoyable! And I don’t have to water the gardens! 🙂
Now 4 cropped, improved cell phone photos from yesterday that show fire better than shots posted yesterday:
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| My First Sighting from My Terrace – Scarry! Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Firemen Were on it Pretty Fast, But Had No Water They used rakes, hoes, machetes and shovels to fight fire. Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| At One Point Here It Seemed to be Coming Up Our Hill! Strong Winds! Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| And the Bigger View From a Distance Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
¡Pura Vida!
Living with life as it comes!