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My Spanish line is ready for the San Jose bus station in the morning.

Necesito el bus a Upala, saliendo en Bijagua. Favor de por entrada de adulto mayor.

I need the bus to Upala, exiting in Bijagua. A ticket for one senior adult please.

It pays to be over 65 here (adulto mayor), giving me discounts on all buses and national parks, museums and theaters, etc. 

I emailed my self the Spanish line so I can open it on my phone and read it if needed. Or more likely I will wing it! The first sentence is easy now, and the second can be shortened to “para un adulto mayor” as I hand him/her my cedula and gold card.

The bus trip is part of the adventure!  🙂
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Tree-trimming the Quick Way!

Whack! Whack! and Drop the Machete!
All before I can turn on my cellphone & photograph it!
2 limbs of my Guarumo Tree were banging against roof in the wind.
My yard, Atenas, Costa Rica

Photo gallery of My Home Gardens

And for anyone planning to drive a car here in the near future, Ruta 27 will get a little faster next week and the La Patina Bridge repairs & widening is to be finished by April 30 according to this article in Tico Times. And it will speed up the buses to San Jose also!

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Seeing Costa Rica by Public Bus

Looking out my bus’ front window at others waiting for different buses.
Coca Cola Bus Station, San Jose, Costa Rica

For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.

Robert Louis Stevenson

I’ve already mentioned that I am traveling to my next adventure destination by public bus. For fellow travelers here or you in other countries planning to travel here on a budget, let me share one more help for this kind of travel. It is a Facebook Group Costa Rica by Bus. It is a free, public group but you have to join to be notified of postings. 

The Robert Lous Stevenson quote above in on that group’s heading and possibly typical of the many young adults who like to travel all over Costa Rica. 

I just posted a statement of how I changed my plan for this week, learned from Juan, my new helper at the bus station here in Atenas. Here it is  in case you don’t see it there: 

I learned a new trick today to make my bus traveling maybe a little easier, thanks to Juan at the Atenas Bus Station. I’m going to Tenorio Volcano National Park, closest town Bijagua. The online scheduler had me going from Atenas to Orotina, then on to Baranca where I catch the pass-through bus to Upala after a layover. Juan suggested that even though “back-tracking,” it would be easier, maybe quicker, and surer to go to San Jose where the Upala Bus starts. When I’m on that bus (seat guaranteed if early) I never have to get off or worry about missing a connection or waiting for a bus or having a seat. Since the Atenas & Upala stations in San Jose are close, I’m going to try that this trip. Any comments or suggestions? Or something I or Juan didn’t think of? 


And I think I already shared the site where you can plan a schedule in English online:
 http://thebusschedule.com/EN/cr/   To have it show my revised schedule above, I just add in the box “By way of” the words San Jose. And we will see if anyone comments on paragraph above. You can learn a lot from fellow-travelers! 

There are many bus companies in Costa Rica and we have one in Atenas:  http://www.coopetransatenas.com/


Most Atenas buses are nice modern vehicles like this Mercedes-Benz
But most are not air-conditioned which really isn’t needed here.
This one is German-made, others Korean or Chinese – all imported.
Buses to very rural areas are sometimes old school buses.

And if you want something else to ride a bus to, try San Jose’s Fiesta de Gallo Pinto. 



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Passion Flowers

Red Passionflower
On a vine covering a neighbor’s wall, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica
Note the three stages here, bud, open flower, and spent flower.

Passionflower
Monteverde, Costa Rica
This one is like the ones I used to photograph in Tennessee.

See photos of some of the many varieties of Passionflowers in Costa Rica


I never cease to be amazed at the huge variety of flowers here. Though not the main focus of my photography, you might want to see the few I have photographed in gallery Flora & Forests
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The Lost City of the Monkey God

Nope, not my next trip! The Lost City of the Money God, A True Story is a book I’m reading right now on my Kindle Fire and it is fun! It is mostly about the 2012 and 2014 explorations of a totally uninhabited rainforest in eastern Honduras mostly to see if there really was a “lost city,” “White City” or “City of the Monkey God” of legends and what they discovered just might become the largest of all pre-Columbian indigenous cities in Central America. It will take years to know. It will certainly rival the Mayan city of Copán now attracting tourists to western Honduras.

Here’s the National Geographic summary story by the National Geographic writer who also wrote the book with photos by the Nat Geo Photographer who traveled with him.

Or here is a different summary by CBS News online

And some additional bits on the National Geographic Website with a little video

This is in one of my neighbor countries now and really interests me. The new Mayan city discovered in Guatemala is suppose to be the largest one yet, though this one is sounding like a possible rival and it may not even be Mayan. They don’t know yet what culture.

This also interests me because the jungle there is so like the jungles here that spark my sense of adventure and exploration. Their encounters there with a Fer-de-lance Viper like one I found dead on my street as starters. And I look forward to another new adventure this coming Saturday, Tenorio Volcano Park and Canon Negro. Though I do hope the vipers keep their distance!   🙂

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Yellow Corteza Tree!

Corteza Tree or Tabebuia ochracea
On the hill just opposite by house
Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica

 

Seen from my Living Room
Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica
And seen from a walk today over the hill.
The big yellow tree on right is same as other photos. Look carefully to see 3 other yellow trees & a light lavender one.
My house is left of center, the small orange roof below or to right of the big orange roof with solar panel (landlord’s).
Cellphone shot, Atenas, Costa Rica

This Corteza Tree is not to be confused with what I call “Yellow Bell Tree” or some call Yellow Trumpet Tree that bloomed earlier here and which I have in my yard. Earlier this dry season on the same hill above was a beautiful orange blooming tree, called the Oro Tree and I shared a photo on my blog when at the apartments, follow the link. But can’t find one made on this hill.

In the last month and currently are also some pink blossom trees called Roble de sabana or Pink Trumpet Tree which I also showed a photo of when at the apartments. There will also be a few lavender trees and some with white blooms too.

Why do so many trees bloom in the dry season? They defoliate or lose their leaves and the new growth starts with blooms that turn to leaves that will soon be nourished by the coming rainy season which is also called the green season here! I’m ready for rain! It usually starts in May.

See also my photo gallery Walking in Atenas for more trees and flowers around town.

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Another Trip Planned Ahead Today – For September

Hotel Banana Azul,  Puerto Viejo de Talamanca,
South Caribbean Coast, Costa Rica

Popular or “good” hotels and lodges stay booked sometimes up to a year ahead, so even though I live in Costa Rica, I too have to plan ahead even in the “off season” which most say includes September. Though I have also read that the best time to visit the Caribbean Coast and its year-a-round rainy season is August and September when they have the lowest amount of rain all year. Thus my last two trips to the Caribe have been in either August or September and I’m staying with that plan for this year too. Both of the other times I studied hotels and wanted the Banana Azul Adults Only Hotel and they had no vacancy. Well, this year I planned far enough ahead and got in! And don’t let the adults thing confuse you. Not XX adult, just peace & quiet adult. Most hotels in CR emphasize families and lots of families come! And often dozens of kids dominate the space and the sound waves. So this will be interesting! And maybe quiet, though they do allow age 16 and older.  🙂

They have already, within 2 hours, put me in contact with a local guide service that will take me to some new and different birding locations not seen last year. So I’m hoping for more new species! The Caribbean side of CR is not as popular as the Pacific beaches, with fewer tourists, smaller hotels, and a much quieter, calmer beach and jungle to explore. My kind of place! And snorkeling is better but not surfing.

And I have my public bus schedule printed out already. I will be traveling to three of my next four locations by public bus, really cheap as a senior adult. And even my small plane trip to Drake Bay is cheaper than a rent car. Even though I now have a CR Driver License, I will rarely rent a car. And I’m so glad I did not buy a car! You can literally go anywhere in the country on a bus! And for my local friends or others who may want to see Costa Rica by bus, you need to know about this website for bus schedules in English:   http://thebusschedule.com/EN/cr/   or “Travel Planner” as they call it. Cool! Easy! You pay before boarding bus. Of course it helps to know a little Spanish, since most drivers speak little or no English, but they are exceptionally helpful and will do everything possible to get you to your destination. Lots of brave foreign travelers tour the country by bus, especially young singles and us old singles!  🙂

My birding trips scheduled for balance of 2017 now:

MARCH: Tenorio Volcano National Park with Celeste Falls and visit to Caño Negro, Rio Frio.
MAY: Drake Bay and Corcovado National Park Rainforest + island visit for snorkeling
JULY: Return visit to Rancho Naturalista near Turrialba Volcano, east of Cartago.
SEPTEMBER: Puerto Viejo on the South Caribbean Coast and rainforests.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER: Not planned yet. I’m debating with myself about either returning to Tortuguero (North Caribbean) or exploring some new places on the Nicoya Peninsula or another National Park southwest of Cartago, called Tapanti. So much to see and do!

A lot of trips? Yeah! Isn’t that what retirement is suppose to be? A continuous vacation!   🙂

KIND OF FUNNY: Most of you know that I have geckos living in all of my rooms now as my free pest control service – eating virtually all of my insects! I rarely play a CD but tonight I played the one I have of a Costa Rica Rainforest sounds with birds, insects, waterfalls, etc. It really excited the geckos!  🙂

See all my Costa Rica Photo Galleries at:
Charlie Doggett’s COSTA RICA

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A Saint in the Market

I am not sure, but maybe the Archangel
San Rafael, Patron Saint of Atenas &
maybe they added the fish, a pitcher of oil,
and the two geese. Need research!

He looks out over the Atenas Central Market Courtyard.
An enclosed circle of indoor shops or vendors surrounds the courtyard.
Straight ahead behind the big tree and two rows of vendors is the bus station.
The last row of vendors are all places to eat on bar stools. Most called sodas
where you can eat a meal for $2.
Mural on Central Market Wall

Mural on Central Market Wall

See my photo gallery of Public Art & Graffiti in Atenas

Or the general gallery on Atenas,       or    Walking in Atenas (flowers),

Or the People & Fiestas of Atenas

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Commercialism Creeping In!

Construction has begun in a large vacant lot behind one high school.
And they cut down at least 8 large trees! Sob, sob! Sign enlsrged below.
Atenas, Costa Rica

Basically a Membership Health Club focused on Triathlon Athletes
 It appears to be mainly a large swimming pool and track for running and bicycles.
Atenas, Costa Rica
We have other public and private parks/gyms/pools in town but this looks like it will be the nicest and of course the newest! The title “Academia Just4Fun” in English sounds like a chain of businesses and maybe North American with that English name. I expect to learn more in time. It is only about 400 – 500 meters from my house.

CULTURAL RAMBLING:
We are slowly becoming more than a sleepy little farm town, good or bad. At least there are no typical U.S. fast food places yet! Welllll . . . Atenas does have a POPS Ice Cream Parlor which is owned by Pops Costa Rica, but it is something like a franchise from General Mills USA and modeled after the Pops Ice Cream Parlors in Virginia, but locally owned like the franchised McDonald’s in the bigger cities (and tourist towns) of Costa Rica.

My observation is that Fried Chicken and Ice Cream are possibly the two top comfort foods in Costa Rica and it interested me to see that all the stand-alone McDonald’s in San Jose and Alajuela have two separate windows and lines for nothing but their soft-serve ice cream! And there is nearly always two ice cream lines waiting from around 9:30 or 10:00 in the morning when they quit serving much breakfast. Ice Cream Rules! Although there are a lot of KFC’s in the cities, they have more competition than McDonald’s with many Latin American Fried Chicken (el pollo frito) franchises. There are major fried chicken chains from Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Mexico. So the Colonel has to work harder here!  🙂   And yes, the traditionally thin Costa Rican (Tico/Tica) is beginning to get heavier, though not as fat as North Americans. And the popularity of hamburgers (hamburguesas) is growing with several local Tico restaurants having them! And they are good! And pizza is following!

See also my general Atenas photo gallery, People & Fiestas,  Public Art & Graffiti Atenas, and/or my Flora & Forests Walking in Atenas photo galleries. I live in a very nice little coffee farming town in the Central Valley, 45 minutes to an hour from the capital that I am afraid is getting too popular with expats from the north. Too many gringos can destroy the local culture. Especially some from the states who try to make everything be “like America.” If you want that, stay there! 🙂