Of the Marvelous – Trip Book

Sorry there were two posts yesterday, the old man gets flustered on the computer sometimes and makes mistakes! I intended for one of those today and this one for tomorrow, but here it is anyway! 🙂

I think this is one of my best books yet on travels around Costa Rica, this one about my week in Uvita on the southern Pacific Coast, whale-watching, many birds and other wildlife, sunsets, a river trip and visiting one of the most beautiful waterfalls I’ve seen yet in Costa Rica, Nauyaca Waterfall, my 27th waterfall to photograph here!

You may see or “Review” every page of the book electronically for free without having to order. Enjoy another one of my tropical adventures in Costa Rica!     ~Charlie

The book:     https://www.blurb.com/b/9678019-of-the-marvelous

Or click the book cover image:

Click to PREVIEW this book online for free

“In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.”
~Aristotle

And for even more photos see my “Trip Gallery” 2019 Cristal Ballena, Uvita

¡Pura Vida!

Birds at Cristal Ballena

Here are photos of 20 species of birds I photographed around the grounds of Cristal Ballena Hotel, about a third of them just outside my room! It is a good birding hotel! I actually photographed more species here than on the Mangrove Boat Tour!  🙂   And I will record all of them on my eBird page, even though I got no new species this trip – but I did get several better photos of some species which is always another goal! Enjoy and as always CLICK image to enlarge or start a slideshow.

Cristal Ballena Hotel BIRDS

See my BIRDS Photo Gallery and

This trip gallery:  2019-September 13-21–Cristal Ballena, Uvita

“Some birds are poets and sing all summer.”

~Henry David Thoreau

¡Pura Vida!

Rio Sierpe Mangrove Tour

Wednesday of my visit to Uvita I took a taxi back close to the Palmar Sur Airport I flew into for the Mangrove Boat Tour on Rio Sierpe – my sixth place to do a Mangrove or River Tour in Costa Rica which always provides a lot of birds and other wildlife to photograph. This one did not disappoint! (Not my best, but very good!)

A Couple of Coincidences

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Carlos Gonzales

The big surprise for my solo boat tour with a captain and guide was that Carlos Gonzales was the guide – the same guide I had in Drake Bay at Aguila de Osa Hotel in 2017. He is one of the few “older” guides I’ve had in Costa Rica with the majority looking like they are fresh out of college. Carlos is 71.

Plus the funny coincidence was that the boat captain was also named Carlos and my name in Spanish is Carlos!   🙂   Tres Carloses!

Birds

 

Other Wildlife

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River Scenes

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“Oh, Eeyore, you are wet!” said Piglet, feeling him.
Eeyore shook himself, and asked somebody to explain to Piglet what happened when you had been inside a river for quite a long time.”
― A. A. Milne

🙂

¡Pura Vida!

 

Another Nature Adventure arranged by  Hotel Cristal Ballena!

This trip gallery:  2019-September 13-21–Cristal Ballena, Uvita

Morning & Night Make a good Day!

I planned to post the report on Rio Sierpe Boat Trip today but still not finished – so just a quick glimpse at today, another nature day!    🙂

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A Roadside Hawk at hotel on my 5:30 AM Hike.
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This morning moon reminded me of what a beautiful world we live in.
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Another rainy-cloudy sunset tonight colored my daily dreams living in nature – beautiful!

 

“Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.”     – Edgar Allan Poe

¡Pura Vida!

Cristal Ballena Hotel, Uvita

This trip gallery:  2019-September 13-21–Cristal Ballena, Uvita

Rainy Day Wildlife

Dateline: CRISTAL BALLENA HOTEL, UVITA, COSTA RICA, 15 September 2019

I got here late morning and by the time I got settled in my room and the map figured out for  my bird walk before lunch, it started raining (like it is suppose to this time of year). Well, I got my tours lined up for the week with Whale Watching tomorrow morning, then went for a little light lunch in the rain.

From the restaurant, in the rain, I got photos of 8 birds and one sleeping sloth. Not bad!   🙂  Also overlooking the Pacific Ocean at Marino Ballena National Park.

This trip gallery:  2019-September 13-21–Cristal Ballena, Uvita

Rain Birds and Sloth

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Nice extras for lunch!   🙂

The only thing I shall want for a rainy day will be my umbrella.

– Agatha Christie, Nemesis

-o-

Costa Rica Celebrates Independence Day Today

Costa Rica Flag MapCosta Rica’s Independence Day is celebrated on September 15th. It commemorates the independence of the entire Central America from Spain, which took place in 1821. The news of the country’s independence reached the nation’s people about a month after the declaration of independence that occurred in Guatemala.

Following the independence, the first constitution of the country was soon embraced. The celebration of the first elections in Costa Rica was held in December, 1821. The first elected Chief of State was Juan Mora Fernández, whom did much for the advancement of his country and people, as well as promoted industrial and commercial development.

The Independence Day of Costa Rica has been declared an official national holiday in the country and is celebrated with much joy and cheerfulness. The national holiday is marked by raising the National Flag, patriotic parades and the singing of the National Anthem.
Even though September 15th is Costa Rica’s official Independence Day, festivities begin on the 14th, with the reenactment of the notification of Costa Rica’s liberation carrying the ‘freedom torch’. At precisely 6:00 p.m., national TV and radio stations broadcast Costa Rica’s National Anthem, as the entire country sings along in a burst of patriotism. Following the anthem, the popular ‘faroles’ parade begins – homemade lanterns symbolizing the original freedom torch. Children in traditional costumes perform typical dances and then the fireworks begin.

Another important parade takes place on the morning of the 15th. School bands march along with children wearing traditional dresses, dancing at the beat of drums and lyres. During the vibrant and colorful processions, Costa Ricans, young and old alike, sit on sidewalks and enjoy the parade in a peaceful, friendly and family oriented environment.

There is typical Costa Rica food for sale in stands along the roads, such as arroz con pollo (rice and chicken), tamales, fried yucca, black beans and rice, fried plantains, rice pudding, coconut flan, and tres leches (three milk cake.)

Independence Day activities at commercial centers and other communal places are also very popular and free to the public, offering folkloric shows, typical dancing, great music and more.       ~copied from Google

PuraVidaBandera

Preparing for Sunday the 15th

All the Schools Prepare for Independence Day Parade

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Escuela Central, the large main Public Elementary School’s band practices for Sunday’s parade. 

The high school bands have been practicing too with the same monotonous drum beat that it seems all the bands use. Note in the photo above two interesting facts that tell about the culture or a small town:   (1) The band director is almost a kid himself, first job out of college as a low-paid music teacher in rural elementary school.  (2) All the girls play a xylophone and all the boys play a drum, either snare or bass.   🙂   I regret that I will miss this year’s parade, but I’ve seen it several times!   🙂

My Friday Night Treat

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Every Friday night I have my one steak a week at Parrillada Androvetto which has a big platform deck overlooking the surrounding hills and the Public Cemetery above. Tonight the clouds hung low on the hills, but still no rain. Yes, it is now a semi-drought for rainy season. Met a nice young couple at Androvetto from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. I like the “Small World” effect of living in Costa Rica!

Whale-Watching Starts Sunday

Sunday morning I fly to Palmar Sur and check in to the Cristal Ballena Hotel  in Uvita for the week where I will go Whale Watching on Monday for the first time in my long life and if satisfied (get whale photos) I will use the rest of the week to photo birds and a very special Nauyaca Waterfalls one day.  I drove through Uvita on the 2014 Relocation Tour and have flown over its famous “Whale’s Tail Beach” in my photo below from a Carcovado trip.

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My hotel is in this little South Pacific town and the whaling boat will probably deport at Dominical, a nearby larger town. The waterfall is up the mountain & birds everywhere!

🙂

Retired in Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Cock-A-Doodle-Doo

Yes – I wake up each morning to the crowing of multiple roosters in the neighborhood, though so used to it that I hardly notice now.

This one is across the street from our Roca Verde Entrance Gate (about 2 blocks away) plus we have two roosters at the gate along with chickens that give our guards some eggs.

I know of no one inside Roca Verde with chickens but many of the homes in our adjacent neighborhood of Boquerón outside our gate have chickens. The roosters will not allow me to get close enough for a good photo with my cell phone which is all I have when walking through Boquerón, thus these grainy shots I cropped in tight. Fun color in the ‘hood!

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Rooster across the street from Roca Verde Entrance Gate – one of many!

The children’s nursery rhyme use of “Cock-A-Doodle-Doo” to describe a rooster crowing started in 1606 in this archaic poem says “the Web”:

“Cock a Doodle Doo”
Original Version

Cock a doodle do!
What is my dame to do?
Till master’s found his fiddling-stick,
She’ll dance without her shoe.

Cock a doodle do!
My dame has found her shoe,
And master’s found his fiddling-stick,
Sing cock a doodle do!

Cock a doodle do!
My dame will dance with you,
While master fiddles his fiddling-stick,
And knows not what to do!

https://allnurseryrhymes.com/cock-a-doodle-doo/

🙂

  Or see the Wikipedia Version of Cock-A-Doodle-Doo

And for more of my culture photography: My Atenas galleries or the People, Fiestas & Arts galleries – photos from where I live.

¡Pura Vida!

Tranquilo Banana Azul

The latest trip book is completed, a short & simple photo book of 36 pages for only $19 which is low price for a photo book + order by 10 September and get 40% off with discount code:   SEPTEMBER4T

Banana Azul is maybe my most relaxing hotel in Costa Rica or certainly the Caribbean, thus I focused on the tranquility of nature there with several sunrise photos along with birds and other nature!   🙂   Click this link or the cover image below to see a FREE PREVIEW electronically of all pages of the book. As always, full screen mode is better for photos!   🙂

https://www.blurb.com/b/9637630-tranquilo-banana-azul

Tranquilo Banana Azul

 

“Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth.”   ~ Henry David Thoreau

¡Pura Vida!

Around the Hotel

“Just Hangin’ Out” or “Chilling”  is a good thing when it’s such a cool place!

Wildlife Today

 

Flowers

 

Sometimes you gotta just chill. You gotta chill your thinking process.         ~Ghostface Killah

¡Pura Vida!

Walkin’ the Beach Road

This morning before going to the organic botanical gardens in Puerto Viejo, I walked a ways down the beach road behind Banana Azul along Playa Negra or Black Beach because of some black volcanic sand in places. Its a forest walk or drive and the trees are as impressive as the beach. Here’s a few shots.

Beach Road Walk

 

And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul. 

John Muir

¡Pura Vida!