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| How the Heliconia looks today! |
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| The same one posted on July 27 – Just a bud! |
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| And one of the first flowers I see when I walk out my garden door. |
My almost wasted Friday!
It was the first week of July when the CAJA set up my next appointment with my assigned doctor who was not there then for my initial physical. They scheduled it for September 12 with lab work on September 2 and for me to go to Alajuela for a EKG in that larger clinic, which I put off.
I had two different prescriptions for these two free testings, but filed them away and forgot about them. Last week I went to the clinic in Alajuela and told them I was supposed to get an EKG. They can’t do it without a prescription from a CAJA doctor. Well, I’ll tell Doc on the 12th, figuring I didn’t have one.
This morning at 7 was my appointment at the clinic lab for my blood work. I’m there by 6:30 (walking) and wait an hour to get to front of line where they tell me they can’t do it without a prescription. I walk back home and dig through my CAJA folder and sure enough, there it is AND the prescription for the EKG! I’ve become a FORGETFUL OLD MAN! Tired and sweaty by now after the two mile round trip walk, I call a taxi and take both prescription (I’m going to Alajuela after the lab and finish this stuff today!)
I’m back at lab by 8 and with my blood given and out by 8:30. Walk to bus station and in Alajuela’s Clinica Marcea Rodriquez with my prescription for a EKG by 10:00. I’ve about got this testing licked I thought! I’m escorted to the cardiology waiting room of musical chairs where I’m only 3rd in line. Good prescription they tell me but you must have a cita, an appointment! So after several minutes on her computer she tells me my appointment is 26 December at 11! My helper who walked me over there said, “Oh! You’re lucky! It’s this year!” 🙂 Well, I have an earlier EKG from a private doctor, so I’m not worried and it is no skin off my new doc’s back! Go with the flow and learn the system!
Part of the Pura Vida spirit of Costa Rica is having a “What? Me worry?” attitude. All of this kind of stuff is seen by so many people here as God’s will and you just take it as it comes! But it would have helped a whole lot if I had remembered that I had prescriptions and where I put them!
I ate lunch at Taco Bell in Alajuela (we have no fast food in Atenas) and bus had me home by 1:00 – very tired!
Exotic Flowers Hiding in My Garden
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| In the back corner of my garden beyond the big Heliconias and behind these Red Gingers are some tall green, leafy plants, not flower-like. |
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| If you get close, you see they kind of look like tall, leafy stalks, similar to corn, but that is not a corn cob in the back! It is the flower! |
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| If I stand on the hill above my garden and look down 1 of 4 is peaking out. |
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| This is one full-grown Maraca or Shampoo Ginger Flower |
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| Another Maraca or Shampoo Ginger |
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| And a Baby Maraca or Shampoo Ginger |
In my pre-move travels all over Central America I saw these unique tropical flower and always thought they were the most unique. Thanks to my gardeners and especially Alfredo, I now have a plant that has grown well and spread in my garden. I can now walk out my back door and see them, well, with a little searching! 🙂 They are somewhat rare and not available in all the Veveros (plant nurseries), but my good gardener Alfredo found one in his uncle’s yard for me! Be nice to your gardener and he will be nice to you! 🙂
I’m just starting my garden photo gallery but it has quite a few photos already!
Old Man’s Joy: Having Gardeners!
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| A team of 6 young men come every two weeks to cut grass, edge beds, weed, and trim shrubs, flowers or trees as needed. That’s Cristian above. 6 guys swooping over my yard in an hour. Neat! And at just $50! |
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| They save my back and other potential aches and pains as well as time, and they do it fast and very well. I am fortunate! And they are my friends! This is Alfredo above. |
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| My back garden is still the centerpiece, but the whole yard is a garden! I love living here among the tropical plants with doors/windows always open! |
I’m just starting my garden photo gallery but it has quite a few photos already!
Grasshopper Dinner Plate?
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| This Grasshopper, like the Leaf-cutter Ants finds my garden to be a cafeteria or at least a dinner plate! |
See my “Other Insects” Photo Gallery
New Unknown Moth
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Unknown Moth
Inside My House, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica
NOTE how the different light seems to change his color.
All four shots are different colors in my eyes, especially with back-light.
And to tell the truth, the one above one is dead while the others are alive. Some die in my house nearly every night this time of year. Many butterflies/moths only live a few days naturally. |
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| Unknown Moth Inside My House, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Unknown Moth Inside My House, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Unknown Moth Inside My House, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
I am calling it a moth because the antennae have no little ball on the end like butterflies. The other characteristic is a “furry” body which is hard to tell in these photos but looks like it could be, especially in the top photo. Plus I cannot find it in my new most complete butterfly book for Central America and none of the brown butterflies or moths online match it, so I call it “unknown moth” for now.
And by the way, my computer is working fine right now! Maybe it was the heat and humidity of the coast that caused it to keep turning off every few minutes. Who knows?! Computers!
See my photo gallery of Butterflies and Moths found in Costa Rica and neighboring countries at 53 species now!
More Beaches & Another Sunset
I’ve already shown the main beach at Flamingo Beach. (Click to see again.) It ties with Hermosa as the two best or prettiest beaches seen. I was not excited about our Tiny Hotel Paradise Beach we walked down the cliff on steps to get to which is down the road from the real Flamingo Beach above. Here’s THREE OTHER BEACHES WE SAW:
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| Tamarindo Beach was my least favorite, yet it had the most people and was the biggest and busiest beach town with most housing, shops, restaurants. There were a lot of surfers here who I guess go out beyond those rocks or at a different spot. This is where we saw possible rent houses, but the last I heard from John, he is probably not going to buy one. |
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| Playa Hermosa or “Beautiful Beach” The one in Guanacaste – there are 3 or 4 in Costa Rica with this name! I think it is prettier than the bigger one in Flamingo, just not as long. |
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| Coco Beach (As sun is setting) North of Flamingo and Hermosa with brown sand but more recreational. It is the “Central Park” of the local community with big Catholic Church across from it and the big soccer field. There is a long boardwalk (sidewalk) along the whole beach with children’s playgrounds, skateboard ramp, volleyball, basketball, and many restaurants and bars right on the beach, plus statues, showers, water fountains, flower gardens, etc. The best beach for local people and children! |
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| Coco Beach Restaurant/Bar We sat in this restaurant for a drink and watched Tico families walk by with little children on tricycles or running and playing beyond those flowers. Further down teens were skateboarding or playing volley ball and a few were on the beach. Sorry I didn’t make more photos! A people place! Then back to Flamingo Beach . . . |
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| Another Flamingo Beach Sunset We went back to our favorite restaurant for dinner, Coco Loco & sunset! |
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| Flamingo Beach Sunset Changes Color! Watching the sun set while eating a great seafood meal is the perfect way to end another day of adventure in Costa Rica! And I found another A+ restaurant! I would even consider living on the beach just for these scenes if it were not SO VERY HOT, VERY HUMID, VERY EXPENSIVE! So I am sticking with my mountain sunsets, perfect weather, and lower costs. 🙂 |
I am thankful that John invited me to go with him to the beaches and the jungle boat ride! I got to see a whole new part of Costa Rica this week and it is as cool as all the other parts I’ve seen. Plus seeing several condos and how people live there compared to Atenas was fun and educational. Of course my favorite part was the boat trip on Rio Tempisque in Palo Verde Park! My next trip is the end of September to Manzanilla on the southern Caribbean coast where I will stay in a luxury safari tent hotel on the beach adjacent to a wildlife reserve. Hoping for more new birds and experiences. I got two new birds photographed this trip! (Crested Caracara & Crane Hawk) Now here’s one last photo from this trip, shot through the glaring windshield on our way to Palo Verde:
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| A Tamandua Anteater ran across this road as did an Agouti, but sorry, no photos! 🙂 |
For more beaches and other scenery, see my VISTAS Photo Gallery.
Or go directly to my total Costa Rica Photo Gallery called Charlie Doggett’s COSTA RICA
Some Other Animals of Palo Verde Park
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| White-faced Capuchin Monkey Eating Fruit Tempisque River, Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica |
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| White-faced Capuchin Monkey People Watching Tempisque River, Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica |
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| Mantled Howler Monkeys – Part of a family of 9 Tempisque River, Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica |
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| Mantled Howler Monkeys – Zoomed in on 3 Tempisque River, Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica |
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| American Crocodile Tempisque River, Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica |
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| Green Iguana male in mating orange color Tempisque River, Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica |
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| Proboscis Bat Tempisque River, Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica |
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| Brahma Cows on road with cowboy directing them Near Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica |
We also saw a Northern Tamandua Anteater and a Central American Agouti without getting photographs. And this trip we saw no sloths or coatis, which is unusual.
See my photo gallery of OTHER WILDLIFE IN COSTA RICA
Or all my BIRDS OF CENTRAL AMERICA for all my wildlife photos while in Costa Rica
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Tourists Photographing Monkeys
Tempisque River, Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica
In this case, it was the White-faced Capuchin after our boat left the same spot.
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The Birds of Palo Verde Park
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| Groove-billed Ani
Tempisque River, Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica
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| Crane Hawk
Tempisque River, Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica
This is my first sighting of this bird.
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| Black-crowned Night Heron
Tempisque River, Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica
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| Bare-throated Tiger Heron
Tempisque River, Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica
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| Crested Caracara Juvenile (or young adult)
Tempisque River, Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica
This was a “first sighting” of this guy. It’s usually Yellow-headed Caracara.
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| Spotted Sandpiper
Tempisque River, Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica
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| Little Blue Heron
Tempisque River, Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica
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| Boat-billed Heron
Tempisque River, Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica
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| Mangrove Swallow
Tempisque River, Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica
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My computer is working properly again! And I haven’t even taken it to the shop yet! Maybe it is the weather here it likes better! 🙂 So I was able to upload these photos! Of course I have many more and we did not see as many birds as might have been possible because it was windy the whole time we were on the river. (Birds don’t fly much when it is windy! They hide in the bushes!) We also saw some other animals which I will show tomorrow. Below is a photo of the kind of boat we floated on, though only the two of us plus our guide and boat captain.
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| There are several tour boat companies here like at Rio Tarcoles & Rio Frio. Tomorrow I will show the above boat passengers acting like tourists. 🙂 |
Had it not been windy, we would have seen more smaller birds including hummingbirds, but weather is just part of life! Pura Vida!
See my photo gallery of BIRDS OF COSTA RICA
Or all my BIRDS OF CENTRAL AMERICA for even more!
Atenas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2mvaHgyGjQ
Link to a video about Atenas, where I live, by CATUCA, the “Chamber of Commerce” type organization here.
I’m having computer problems and can’t post my trip photos right now. It may be a long time before I get it fixed, so don’t know when! I’ve never been happy with the ASUS Computer that Best Buy in Mt. Juliet TN sold me and I may have to look for another one here in Costa Rica – grrrr!