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| New at one end of the skateboard ramp in Sports Park I don’t know the new cartoon characters, so this one unknown! It seems to be a good fit with the Primary School across the street. |
I’m in Central America — Not on an Island in the Caribbean! :-)
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| Think of us as near the Panama Canal! And South America! |
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| We are between Nicaragua & Panama. Only Panama separates us from Columbia, South America. And there is a big Colombian influence here including 1 airline, restaurants, and my barber! 🙂 |
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| And there are 5 totally different worlds between us and Mexico! And only Panama separating us from Columbia and South America! |
Costa Rica is NOT Puerto Rica, an island in the Caribbean sea just south of Florida USA. (This seems to still be a point of confusion for a lot of my American friends who are geographically challenged!) So I was nowhere near the Hurricane Irma that just ravaged the Caribbean Islands and Florida. There was also a smaller hurricane and earthquake that hit Mexico. I am 5 countries south of Mexico, so no where near their recent hurricane and earthquake either. (But thanks for the prayers anyway!) For more on our location with maps, see Costa Rica on Wikipedia.
Now, for the last week I’ve been talking about my visit to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica because our east coast is on “The Caribbean Sea” which is really a part of the Atlantic Ocean I think, and I’m right near where ships move from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean through the Panama Canal. Again study the above maps. Sorry if my visit last week to our Costa Rica “Caribbean” confused you! And by the way, Sept-Oct are the two driest months in our Caribbean and I had no rain there, though I flew back through rain clouds to San Jose where the central valley is in its two rainiest months now! The opposite of our Caribbean coast. So I travel where the weather is good! 🙂
¡Pura Vida!
Leaves As Art
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| Many Dead Leaves were on the path walking through Cahuita National Park and I decided they were beautiful, even “underfoot.” Cahuita National Park, Caribe, Costa Rica |
I forgot to share another category of photos made on this week’s trip. And I know, I pick strange things to photograph sometimes, but I think you might like this little sub-gallery in my trip gallery:
A Photo Gallery
And yes, they were underfoot on the trail through the Cahuita Park. Since I wasn’t seeing many birds, I started noticing the different kinds of fallen leaves and even one flower which I have since learned is called a “Beach Hibiscus.” So that flower and this collection of leaves are a part of my memories of Cahuita National Park on the Caribbean Sea in Costa Rica!
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| Beach HibiscusCahuita National Park, Caribe, Costa Rica |
And see the full trip gallery called:
Simply enjoying life and
the great pleasures that come with it.
~Karolina Kurkova
¡Pura Vida!
Finishing My Caribe Report with Galleries
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| For my last morning’s sunrise I watch fishermen go out. And . . . Below are four categories of my photos not shown yet all linked to sub-galleries in this trip gallery with more bikes, birds, nature and culture photos. |
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| Caribe Bicycles The Major Mode of Transportation Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica |
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| Masked Tityra Samasati Reserve Actually we walked down a rural road in front of the reserve. Near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
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| 3-Toed Sloth Cahuita National Park Near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
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| Interesting Signs Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Costa Rica |
These all represent things I found interesting in the Costa Rica Caribe and made a lot of photos of each. The linked title takes you to a sub-gallery on that subject with most birds in the Samasati gallery. Or to just thumb through my whole Caribe Trip, go to the trip gallery:
¡Pura Vida!
Retired in Costa Rica!
Hotel Banana Azul
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| Too many clouds for a traditional sunrise this morning, but I thought this shot to left of the sun was okay. Hotel Banana Azul, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Costa Rica |
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| The Garden I face from the Dining Room — Bird feeder off to the right Hotel Banana Azul, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Costa Rica |
This morning I decided to not keep posting so many photos on the blog, thus began my trip photo gallery for this experience where you can find lots of photos! Since this was to be the hotel post today, I will give links to three sub-galleries on the very relaxed and enjoyable Hotel Banana Azul:
Or for the whole trip, go to my trip photo gallery called
2017 Sept 4-8 — Caribe Banana Azul Puerto Viejo
including my visit to Cahuita National Park & Samasati Reserve
including my visit to Cahuita National Park & Samasati Reserve
And/or check out the Hotel Banana Azul Web Page
And plan ahead! They stay booked solid much of the time,
even in the “off season” which it is now.
And plan ahead! They stay booked solid much of the time,
even in the “off season” which it is now.
This new caribe gallery is the latest of my “TRIPS” Photo Galleries
where I am working backwards to document my Costa Rica trips
and neighboring countries’ trips in my bigger CR gallery:
At the time of this posting, I’m back to July 2015
and the trips started in January 2015!
Almost finished! Travel with Kevin is next!
¡Pura Vida!
Slowing down . . .
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| Before Sunrise this morning, I had to leave for birding hike before it rose, so maybe get it tomorrow.
Atlantic Ocean/Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean Sea from Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica. |
I’m still working on photo posts for the first day plus Cahuita yesterday and now Samasati today! So I will not try to get them all while on the trip. SLOWING DOWN! Tomorrow I stay at hotel the whole day! No trip or hike! Then Friday go home where I will finish my photo work. Internet is sometimes slow here.
How about Costa Rica and the world cup playoffs? We beat the U.S. and tied Mexico last night until the last seconds of the game. We are not out yet! Close counts in soccer playoffs! 🙂
¡Pura Vida!
Puerto Viejo — THE CARIBBEAN TOURIST TOWN
I think it is officially called “Puerto Viejo de Talamanca” because it is at the foot of the Talamanca Mountains and nearest town to some of the Indian reservations. It is also called “Puerto Viejo de Limon” because it is in the Limon Province and near the larger port city of Limon, also a symbol of the Caribbean for Costa Rica and where they have the Caribbean and Reggae festivals and big parades like Mardi Gras. Another reason for the extension on the name is there is another town called Puerto Viejo which I have also visited on the Caribbean slope, but inland next to the mountains. It is called “Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui. It is on the Sarapiqui River. Well, a few shots of buildings in the Caribe Puerto Viejo which you could call “Rasta Town” or a hangout for some American youth who see themselves as new hippies or rasta or whatever labels are used today. Colorful but not highly appealing to me.
A 6 mile Beach Walk
I arrived early yesterday before my room was ready and so I decided to walk to the Caribbean town of Puerto Viejo from the hotel by way of the beach and back. My odometer showed it to be nearly 6 miles round trip, counting a walk around town. The next post will be about the interesting town. But here’s a few shots from the beach walk:
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| I walked from those blue hills around the bay to this town beach. Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica |
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| The bend in the bay before getting to the town. Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica |
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| I get to cross this stream coming into the bay and see the one-lane bridge on the road running parallel with beach. Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica |
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| Approaching town there are runners & this abandoned barge. Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica |
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| Near every hotel is this standard sign warning of undertow. Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica |
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| A faster way to get to town? 🙂 Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica |
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| Great Kiskadee One of six species of birds seen along the beach walk. Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica |
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| Semipalmated Plover For birders, yes, similar to Wilson’s Plover except this one has orange legs & orange on base of bill (click to enlarge) Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica |
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| Non-breeding Western Sandpiper Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica |
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| Breeding Western Sandpiper Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica |
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| Whimbrel Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica |
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| Brown Pelican Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica |
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| Great-tailed Grackle male Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica |
I was high-energy yesterday and did more than I should probably, but doing very little today to make up for it! Thus I have a lot of photos still from yesterday to share and may do another post tonight. Every new place is an adventure and full of photo-ops!
The Adventure of Small Planes
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| Our 12-passenger plane from San Jose to Limon Costa Rica |
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| Sansa Terminal in San Jose Costa Rica |
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| I sat in the back this time to get off first in Limon. 3 of us got off and 5 more got on for the journey on to Tortuguero Costa Rica |
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| Taxiing off on the San Jose Runway Costa Rica |
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| Flying over the San Jose Passenger Terminal Costa Rica |
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| Farms outside of San Jose Costa Rica |
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| Flying over the mountains & national park Costa Rica |
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| Caribbean Farms, mostly Bananas, Pineapple Costa Rica |
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| Outskirts of Limon Costa Rica |
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| Oil Tankers keep these filled as our main source of gasoline Costa Rica |
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| One of several big docks in the Port of Limon Costa Rica |
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| Typically Tin-roofed house in the very poor, mostly black, Limon Costa Rica |
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| Limon Airport is a strip of pavement along the Atlantic coast Costa Rica |
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| And the very nice though small Limon Passenger Terminal Costa Rica |
This is all I can share about today (Monday) but I did a lot more with reports later. I walked 6 miles up and back the beach from hotel to downtown Puerto Viejo. Quite interesting. Photographed a lot including 4 or 5 different species of birds. Didn’t get in my room until 2 because last guests were late checking out. Got a massage on the beach to help me relax before my gourmet dinner of Sea Bass +. Exhausted and going to bed by 8 with a 6:30 AM bird hike before breakfast, then a slow day tomorrow. 🙂
My hotel is Banana Azul which is very nice and almost always full.
Walking the Hills & Valleys of Atenas, Costa Rica
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| Looking down on Central Atenas & the Central Church Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| But just the hills on the backside of my neighborhood are a “Feast for My Eyes!” Early morning fog reminds me of the presence of the Holy Spirit. What a place to walk! Atenas, Costa Rica |
A couple of cellphone shots made this morning on my walk over the hill in Roca Verde. Stay tuned for a change of scenery as I fly to the Caribbean Coast tomorrow morning. ¡Pura Vida!