Click and review every page and every photo for free online electronically:
Or see my photo gallery on the trip: 2107 Christmas Week Tambor Bay
“Nature As Art” Business Card
I still have my “Enjoying Retirement” business cards but these are for a select few wanting photos:
NOTICE: I introduced a NEW BUSINESS CARD in September 2018 with one of my bird photos.
Okay, I’m not resurrecting my old photography business in the full sense, but a few persons have asked about getting my photos, so using what is already online, my photos are available for order through three websites I already use. Those sites produce the items and make the money with a small % to me.
- For Wall Art the Smugmug Shop has good options (click “BUY” at bottom of enlarged photo) and my new favorite is the wall art photo printed on metal in the glossy format.I’ve ordered several for my house walls here in Costa Rica – birds of course! 🙂 There are several other items available with any of my photos printed on them under the headings of “Keepsakes” and “Phone Cases” and the best part is there are more photos to choose from on my Smugmug gallery!
- The Cafe Press shop THIS SHOP CLOSED was set up years ago with Tennessee + USA photos you can still order if you like and one old Costa Rica Birds Calendar. I am slowly adding new Costa Rica photos here and items not available on my newer Smugmug Shop like T-shirts and calendars. See the direct link to Costa Rica Birds T-Shirts below. I plan to add some new bird calendars soon, then other items. Slowly! I’m retired! 🙂
- My Bookstore is another animal! I mainly make the photo books for my own personal enjoyment and a way to show some of my photos to other people here locally. One of each is available to see in my Living Room. And all are available for purchase and include more than just reports on trips. I have even put a lifetime of scrapbooks together photographically in a 4-volume biography set of books for family history buffs. And yeah, there may be a fifth volume eventually about my retirement in Costa Rica. 🙂
The business cards were recently ordered and will be used locally when someone here asks about buying my photos. But you guys in the states have the same access to internet orders with less expensive shipping and no import tax, so maybe they are a better deal for you! 🙂 Enjoy!
Nature As Art
Costa Rica Style
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| Though I have this wall too full (cluttered), here are examples of both metal and canvas wall art photos. Atenas, Costa Rica |
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THIS SHOP CLOSED
Costa Rica Birds on T-Shirts(CLICK title to see all 30+ choices)
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| Squirrel Cuckoo Men’s Classic T-Shirt |
If you like birds and like having them on T-Shirts, here’s 30+ choices of birds you can wear on a very high quality T-Shirt from my CafePress.com store. (More to be added) In another section of that store you can find more birds on T-Shirts that I photographed earlier in various places in the United States including the Florida Everglades & Nashville Zoo. And also other products like calendars, coffee mugs or canvas tote bags. Fun!
MEN & WOMEN’S T-SHIRTS INCLUDED ON ALL 30+ BIRD CHOICES!
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| Sunbittern Women’s Classic T-Shirt |
Wear Nature!
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Interesting news article and video: Amazing Encounter of Tourists with Baby Humpback Whale
¡Pura Vida!
Retired in Costa Rica
Pattern of the Crowded
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| Pattern of the Crowded Flying out of San Jose Airport in December I snapped this shot of a very crowded neighborhood. Should I have titled it “Pattern of Poverty?” The roofs don’t say except that they are very close together. San Jose, Costa Rica |
Photos like this remind me that the world is packed with people and not all live beautiful or happy lives, even in Pura Vida Costa Rica. Though I think poor people do better here than in maybe most other places. The First Baptist Nashville group coming here on mission trip to Hogar de Vida will be serving beautiful children who were removed from their parents because of severe abuse or other problems, maybe from a neighborhood like this one.
See my photo gallery on San Jose which includes the prettier sites.
Light Beneath the Elephant & the Monster
Both photos by Samsung Cell Phone:
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| Elephant Ear or Tarul In the Roca Verde gardens of Charlie Doggett Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Monstera deliciosa In the Roca Verde gardens of Charlie Doggett Atenas, Costa Rica |
Okay. So now you know it has been a month since I’ve been on a trip or very far from home, meaning more photos in the garden. And that is fun too! Trying something different here from behind or beneath 2 large leaves and I’m fascinated by leaves! The Elephant is among my heliconias and gingers in the larger flower bed out my backdoor, while the monsteras have recently replaced ornamental grasses behind and above a garden wall (a ledge) behind my house and an extension of the garden, giving a jungle look from the bathroom ceiling window (dormer-like above shower) and helps maintain the garden walk around two sides of my house on a tile walkway. I like it! And in one week I’m in Orosi Valley & Tapanti National Park for some fresher photos! 🙂
See also my photo gallery: FLORA & FOREST
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Costa Rica Ranks low in Central America Homicides for 2017. Our rate is similar to Panama’s
with only Nicaragua having a lower rate (you surprised?). The most danger for homicides are in El Salvador and then Honduras.
And if you add in the rates for all Latin American and Caribbean countries, then the safest or fewest homicides is in Chili with the most in Venezuela. And Jamaica is the 3rd worst after Venezuela and El Salvador. Mexico? Hey, they are right in the middle of the list of Latin American countries, worse than Costa Rica, but a long way from the worst! Sorry Trump! Mexico is not so bad! See the charts and maps in the above linked article.
Interesting. And again, I feel safe in Costa Rica, especially in a little central valley farm town away from the big city of San Jose where almost all murders take place or maybe in port towns of Limon and Puntarenas. Choose your location carefully. ¡Pura Vida!
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Costa Rica is getting ready for Electric Cars. Another interesting English-language article. It is logical for a “green country” but also requires infrastructure and “power stations.” Money!
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New Graffiti/Mural at Sports Park
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| They are replacing all the old graffiti murals that were on this sidewalk wall. This is first one completed. The whole wall was painted black first, then tags (below), now this over one of the tags, a turquoise scribble. Atenas, Costa Rica |
For a year or more this is what was in the above spot:
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| Last year in the same location. |
Then early in January these “tags” were painted with the bright turquoise at far right being where the current cartoon mice reside. I hope the other tags are overpainted too. I like the mice!
My photo gallery: Public Art & Graffiti – Atenas
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Unfortunately we have Polluted Rivers in the “Green” country of Costa Rica too. Click the link for an online English newspaper article prodding the government to do more. Sad for me that this is about the Tarcoles River, the closest birding river for me and of course dangerous for the birds. The Tarcoles has tributaries coming from the big city of San Jose which is one of the problems. Be sure to see the video in the article showing all the plastic bottle caps and other junk found in the stomach of a fish. Shocking!
Bus Schedules
The two most important, most used for me are to Alajuela & to San Jose, at Atenas Bus Station:
CLICK TO ENLARGE
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| These printed schedules can be changed easier than the old painted ones. I go to Alajuela for Aeropost, Pricesmart, Walmart, movies, restaurants, mall But can’t stay too late, last bus back is at 10:30 pm! 🙂 Past my bedtime! 45 minute ride station to station either way |
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| I go to San Jose less often for lawyer, US Embassy, government offices and sometimes museums, concerts, other cultural events. It is also the hub for buses to anywhere in Costa Rica. Next month I will go through San Jose to get to Orosi, Costa Rica. 1 hour ride station to station either way except rush hour is longer |
I keep copies of these inside my closet door in case I’m going at an irregular time. The schedules are also posted on the website www.coopetransatenas.com Click “Horario” and then the dropbox down arrow to click the town you want to go to. “Buscar” after choosing the town will give you a full week schedule like the above. In Costa Rica thousands of people use buses every day to go to work or take care of business, medical appointments, shopping, etc.
TRANSLATIONS:
SALE = to leave or go out of
L aV = Lunes a viernes or Monday to Friday
SAB Y FER = Sábado y ferias or Saturday and holidays
DOM = Domingo or Sunday
FOR BUS SCHEDULES BEYOND ATENAS you English speakers are lucky that there is one in English available at http://thebusschedule.com/EN/cr/index.php in which you fill in the form for where you want to travel, the date and time of day and they will give you a bus itinerary for your trip and often several options. It is what I use to plan my trips. It couldn’t be easier, but some Americans are still afraid to try the buses which go to almost every town in the country. This is the way local people travel! And yes, it is slower than going in your car but at an enormous savings and I would say generally safer plus more social with more cultural experiences and certainly more relaxing than driving. Where I do spend the money (still cheaper than a car) is to avoid some long bus rides I will take one of the local airlines to more distant places. Lazy old man!
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| One of the Coopetransatenas Buses leaving the Alajuela Station In San Jose there are lots of other bus companies to other towns and most have similar equipment, from Germany, China or Korea usually |
¡Pura Vida!
Captured at Home This Week
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| Desert Rose Is becoming a favorite while it blooms! Home Garden, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Heliconia Home Garden, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Heliconia – Fewer of these blooming now. Home Garden, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Red Ginger My most faithful year around bloomer! Home Garden, Atenas, Costa Rica |
My photo gallery FLORA & FOREST
Interesting Public Art in Alajuela
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| On 6-lane boulevard between Walmart & City Mall (mall behind trees & billboards) is this contemporary art. A metal man pushing a red metal wheel? Concentric Circles with philosophical meaning? Or just something to break up the monotony of occasional bumper to bumper traffic along here? Alajuela, Costa Rica |
I photographed this Monday after Spanish Class and my bus ride to Alajuela, picking up a package at Aeropost, taking taxi to Walmart, then walking the half mile to the City Mall for lunch and a couple of items in shopping. I usually ignore this particular public art, but somehow it struck me today. On this same boulevard past the Mall is a red letter “a” (the little A) and the word “Alajuela” under it, which reminds me of the large red letters in Juan Santamaria Park spelling out “Alajuela” and that someone is trying to coordinate at least some of their public art. Interesting! ~Charlie
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Aerial Video of Atenas
And back in Atenas, someone flew over Atenas in plane or helicopter at different times of day with video of the roof tops of central Atenas. Nothing is labeled or explained so not a very useful video, but if you want to see Atenas from the air: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzqT-gEbuBc
I guess anyone can put something on youtube.
And in the right column on this blog page is a link to the most current Atenas PR Video I highly recommend!
My Calendars in Spanish
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| My Favorite One was free from the local Cooperative Supermarket Featuring Atenas Coffee Farmers who make up the Cooperative. Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| My “Store Bought” Calendar from the mall yesterday is “Caminos y senderos” Backroads and trails of Costa Rica of course! I have been on the above road. It is along the Caribe beach, Banana Azul, Puerto Viejo. A Costa Rica Produced Nature Calendar Hard choice of trails, trees or animals! I chose trails! |
I am a very slow learner of spoken Spanish and need to surround myself with as much as possible and little things like calendars are a little help and help define where I am. Likewise I try to do most of my grocery list in español, count in Spanish, all greetings and as much conversation daily as I possible. That means avoiding gringos, especially Americans who only speak English.
Did you know that Spanish is the second most spoken language after Mandarin Chinese? Yes more people speak Spanish than English around the world and it is the second language of the United States.
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An Older Slide Show of Atenas Scenes/Places
Someone walked/drove around Atenas with a video camera showing lots of people and places a few years ago. Two of the restaurants have changed and one completely closed, so definitely not current, but it is little of the local flavor of Atenas if that is what you are looking for :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcTX45N4S3o
And in the right column on this blog page is a link to the most current Atenas PR Video I highly recommend!
Poas Lake Reappearing – Maybe Park Open Soon
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Official Photo with water returning.
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| My 2015 Photo of Active Volcano I think the same place as their photo OR is the lake they are talking about the one below?
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| My 2015 Photo of the inactive crater, a blue-green Lake Botos but I think they are talking about the active cone, don’t know if this one went dry too.
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It is a positive sign that the lake is starting to reappear which I hope means the park will be opening again soon. Read the article at:
https://news.co.cr/lake-poas-volcano-costa-rica-reappears-rainfall/69998/
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| Another “official” photo of Poas erupting August 24, 2017 One of several eruptions, mostly gas and soot but not lava like some. It has been closed for more than 9 months now and no longer active. Poas Volcano, Costa Rica |
Reopening the park is important to the Park Services budget as one of the most visited parks and to all of the local people who depend on the area tourism. The nearby La Paz Waterfall Gardens has remained open all this time and continues to be a popular tourist site.
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| Me at Poas.2015 |
Did you know? Poas Volcano has the second largest volcanic crater in the world: vacationscostarica.com
I have taken more than one visitor there and not been able to get in because of cloud cover, especially during January-April. In fact my only visitor who got to see it was Kevin Hunter, so consider yourself lucky Kevin! The second largest volcano in the world to visit and the most popular in Costa Rica.