Category: Culture

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Thankful I Live in Costa Rica

Costa Rica Coronavirus Updates from TICO TIMES online English newspaper:

AND

The following opinion article was copied from the Live in Costa Rica Blog:  (Stats not as up-to-date as Tico Times articles above, but expresses much of my sentiment.)

Day by day, I am thankful for living in an underdeveloped country like Costa Rica.

  • Where after one week since the outbreak of the first case of coronavirus already the schools mechanical engineering and physics at the University of Costa Rica have prototypes of ventilators they produced;
  • where the Clodorito Picado Institute, thanks to many years of development and production of antidotes for venomous snake bites, is now conducting experimental trials with plasma from patients who have already recovered;
  • where the National Institute of Apprenticeships INA (a type of trade school) is using its facilities to make robes, sheets, towels, and other hospital supplies;
  • where in a matter of days one hospital has been retrofitted with cutting edge technology in order to increase the number of hospital beds;
  • where a Costa Rican woman, living in Germany, invented an APP to make paperwork easier, so that senior citizens can get help from the comfort of their homes;
  • where the Costa Rican government (CCSS) chartered a plane to bring medical supplies all the way from China.
  • where only two patients have died from this epidemic in the whole country;
  • where nobody is denied medical care, even foreigners and tourists;
  • where supermarkets make their products available for the most needy like senior citizens with special schedules;
  • where health care workers, and law enforcement have sacrificed their vacations to help; and where our farmers work incessantly to fill the shelves of our grocery stories and cupboards demonstrating that indeed we are self-sufficient.

We produce milk, rice, meat, vegetables, beans, fruit, cereal and everything else we need. Basic services are accessible to everyone.

We even send medicine to the most needy by mail. Even without an army, our police force maintains order. Even in the most remote corners of our country small medical clinics (EBAIS) and schools can be found to serve the population.

Today a number of infected people in the US, Spain, Italy, for example, cannot afford to purchase a test to see if they test positive for coronavirus.

Today I ask myself , Really, how UNDERDEVELOPED is our country versus those who say they are developed? Today I feel proud of my country and its people.. ? ??   ~Christopher Howard

 

Retired in Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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“There’s No Place Like Home”

Or almost no place better for birds than my home in the Roca Verde Neighborhood of Atenas, Costa Rica. My long-time intentions to do a photo book of birds photographed at home just got fulfilled!

Roca Birds Book
For preview, click image or address below:

Check out the free preview of this book of 80 photos of more than 40 species of birds found in my garden and neighborhood. Plus this book is bigger than my travel series books, a full 8 x 10 inches, making it acceptable as a “Coffee Table Book.”   🙂    The hardcover edition is printed on a higher quality of lustre photo paper, though the paperback edition is nice on standard paper. Enjoy!   🙂

 

https://www.blurb.com/b/10034408-roca-verde-birds

 

In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.

~John Muir

¡Pura Vida!

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Moving furniture

When you are forced to stay home I guess it is normal to change things in your house as well as to play on the computer!   🙂

For the 5 years I’ve been in this house I’ve always had my breakfast table at the left or NW corner of my terrace (best mountains vista) and the two rockers at the other end, nearer the driveway, SE corner. Since I’ve gone to sitting in the refinished rockers a little more now, I decided to move them to the left with a better view of the mountains beyond Atenas. Next I will ask my gardener to replace that old-looking plant in the frog pot. Of course I’m old-looking too, but don’t replace me just yet!   🙂

Rearranged Porch or Terrace

 

 

You will notice on the photos title I used “porch” which is what I grew up calling it in south Arkansas, while later, by my Tennessee days, I called it a “deck” and now here in Costa Rica it is called a “terrace” or la terraza en español, maybe because most floors are made of tile here? And I evolve with my surroundings!   🙂

Coming eyeball to eyeball with a hummingbird on my terrace is as exciting to me as any celebrity I’ve met . . .

~Lesley Nicol

¡Pura Vida!

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Widening our bridge

One of the things that drives perfectionist Americans crazy about Costa Rica is the multitude of one-lane bridges all over the country even in the cities! Look no further than right outside the main gate to Roca Verde Housing Development! Our entrance gate is on Avenida 8, better known by the little bario (neighborhood) there as Calle Boquerón. Just outside our gate going towards central Atenas you cross the little rainy season stream that goes by the cow pasture in front of my house. And of course on a one-lane bridge! Don’t know why or who influenced it, but the city of Atenas is widening that little bridge.

The concrete tubing for water flow has already been extended and fill dirt and rocks added around it and as I photographed Monday they were pouring concrete for maybe a base to something or a wall? These two school kids out of school for Coronavirus will probably soon be joining the city construction team as they sit here and learn how easy it is to build a bridge over a concrete pipe.   🙂

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Walking from town, the bridge is just before Roca Verde gate on the right.  Note also on the right the pedestrian sidewalk & bridge built by volunteers a few years ago.

 

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School’s out and these two boys are learning how a bridge is built here over a big pipe!

 

“If Rome had been built in a day we would have used the same contractor.”

¡Pura Vida!

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Sports Park Roofs

I have been reporting on the very slow progress the city of Atenas is making on the renovation of our Central Park, but have not mentioned they are working a little faster on an improvement of two areas of the Sports Park in front of Escuela Central (the elementary school). They are installing roofs over the child-sized football (soccer) field AND over the adult-sized basketball court. I guess these shields from both sun and rain will help both sports to be used more by both school and the community at large.

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The child-sized football field is getting posts for its roof!
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The beams that will hold up the roof over football field.
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In the opposite corner of park behind graffiti-clad skateboard ramp is basketball court.
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The super-structure is up for roof over basketball court.

 

“Do you know what my favorite part of the game is? The opportunity to play.”    -Mike Singletary

¡Pura Vida!

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Dental Emergencies Only

Monday I returned to my dentist to see if the infection was gone so they can finish my root canal, stuffing it with something they get from a tropical tree. Unfortunately it still had infection though improved a lot and not painful, but I need more antibiotics and time. I wait 2 more weeks for it to be completed. Patience!

And when I arrived I witnessed this new sign (feature photo) taped to the front door that they now accept only emergencies, but they assured me that my infection is included in what the government accepts as “emergencies.” So I do get to go back in 2 weeks for what I hope is the last time!   🙂

Everything is different now with Coronavirus! The whole world is in a state of change!

They must often change, who would be constant in happiness or wisdom.

~Confucius

¡Pura Vida!

 

And if the virus caused you to cancel your Costa Rica vacation, try this very short 1 minute “Virtual Vacation”  video clip. ¡Pura vida!

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Saturday’s BIRDS!

I got usable photos of 19 species of birds from my little one-hour walk yesterday morning, 6-7 AM, in the neighborhood on Calle Nueva, the little country gravel/dirt road that separates Roca Verde neighborhood from the adjacent farmland. Nineteen is not bad and as good as some longer walks I take when at expensive birding lodges!  🙂   PLUS, if my identifications are correct, I got 3 new species, “lifers,” for me, though I may get corrected by an eBird expert reviewer after I post them on eBird.   🙂   The new ones are Giant Cowbird, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher and a Yellow-green Vireo.

This road and my own street uphill above my house always yield a lot of birds early in the morning. And I have another neighborhood further away that I intend to try for even different birds, a place my birding friend Margaret found to be good.

Saturday AM Birds

 

 

“Every bird, every tree, every flower reminds me what a blessing and privilege it is just to be alive.”
― Marty Rubin

¡Pura Vida!

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Costa Rica’s Prepared for Virus

Like Costa Rica’s emblematic Sloth, the people here are always smiling and prepared for come what may – even Coronavirus! Feature photo is by the Sloth Rescue Ranch, not me, and from Tico Times. Read on to see how better prepared little Costa Rica is than the big ol’ USA and thus we will get over it quicker too!   🙂

Thursday’s Tico Times edition reminded us of how better prepared we are than a lot of bigger countries for the pandemic, like our great university is already making emergency respirators for when/if needed at only $140 each! (You think the U.S. would ever do that?) People are ready to sacrifice financially for the 25 days we are closed to all outside tourists (and it will be much longer before tourism is back to normal–like by next winter we hope). Here are the specific articles this week in Tico Times about the pandemic’s affects on Costa Rica:

Costa Rica now has 201 cases of COVID-19   (as of Thursday past)

UCR Develops Emergency Respirators for $140 each!

Zero Tourists allowed here for 25+ days!

Beaches & Parks Remain Closed

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Empty Airport at Liberia, our smaller international airport in Guanacaste. No photo of SJO.

 

Read why Christopher Howard is glad he lives in Costa Rica during this world-wide pandemic:  The Best Place to be in the world before, during and after COVID-19    I agree with him!    🙂

 

“A problem is a chance for you to do your best.”

– Duke Ellington

 ¡Pura Vida!

And for photos of why I like Costa Rica so much, see my gallery:

Charlie Doggett’s COSTA RICA

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Taking the kids for a walk?

Well . . .  that is sort of what it looked like this morning on my return home from birding on Calle Nueva (our nearby country lane). Birding was great but I still don’t have all the wild bird photos processed, so here’s the domesticated ones I saw!   🙂

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There were more kids than this but in spite of Mom’s efforts, they were scattered afar!

 

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And their strutting father.

Chicken Joke

¡Pura Vida!

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“New” Chairs

Okay . . . not really new, but like new to me as my 5 year old rockers on the terrace had become faded by the sun to nearly white in color and the old cushions were dirty, ugly and too small. I threw the old cushions away and hired one of my very skilled gardeners to sand (even in the little grooves of the carvings) and re-varnish the two chairs on his own time (he had earlier painted 3 of my flower pots much to my satisfaction). I am very pleased with his work on these two matching chairs and their “new” look now.  🙂

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Sometimes when you are “quarantined at home” the little things make a big difference!   🙂   Social distancing from my house in tropical Costa Rica . . .

I enjoy the small things.

~Michael Buble

🙂

¡Pura Vida!

See also the photo galleries of my house:

P.S.   I’m writing posts 2 or 3 days ahead now, but decided last night to add this postscript note that I hope to get up at 5:30 this morning and go walking for birds again on Calle Nueva, so look for that birds post in 2 or 3 days! A friend walked it yesterday morning and saw a parrot and a trogon. Hope I’m as lucky!   🙂    I am so blessed! Retired in Costa Rica!