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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! 🙂
“Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.”
¡Pura Vida!
@
This trip gallery: 2019-September 13-21–Cristal Ballena, Uvita
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
Nice extras for lunch! 🙂
The only thing I shall want for a rainy day will be my umbrella.
– Agatha Christie, Nemesis
-o-
Costa 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
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! 🙂
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!
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.
🙂
Retired in Costa Rica
¡Pura Vida!
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!
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 VersionCock 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!
🙂
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!
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
“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!
“Just Hangin’ Out” or “Chilling” is a good thing when it’s such a cool place!
Sometimes you gotta just chill. You gotta chill your thinking process. ~Ghostface Killah
¡Pura Vida!
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.
And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.
¡Pura Vida!
Today is a rainy day but I went ahead and visited the Sloth Sanctuary in Cahuita, Costa Rica and really glad I did! We had light rain the first part of the canoe trip and thus I did not take out my big camera until near the end, missing a lot of birds, but I have all of them from other places and enjoyed someone else paddling the canoe! 🙂
The canoe trip is to see where the sloths live in the wild before we go into the building to see the rescued sloths. We saw howler monkeys & lots of birds but no wild sloths. A VERY EXCELLENT TOUR that I highly recommend to anyone in this area! I sure learned a lot about sloths!
Banana Azul provided transportation to the sanctuary, about 15 minutes away. It is just as good as the Jaguar Rescue Center in Puerto Viejo and the Ara Project Manzanillo I had already visited here in the South Caribbean. I highly recommend all three! They all do great work saving animals and our environment! Part of the culture of Costa Rica! 🙂
🙂
¡Pura Vida!
I know – it is not like “Hyper Charlie” to just sit or lay on a beach for any length of time when there are things to chase with my camera – but I did after deciding to postpone my trip to the Sloth Rescue Center until tomorrow. The hotel is not full (low season) and the big group here went white water rafting today, so only me and one young couple on the beach and one bored young hotel waiter from whom I ordered a Strawberry-Pineapple-Mango Smoothie and talked for an hour or more about birds, sloths, and his old beat up Hyundai. He was glad to have someone to talk with. 🙂
I also read about three chapters in my latest Agatha Christie mystery, so a nice afternoon chilling out, watching the ocean and I even got these photos! 🙂
Now it is raining again and so refreshing . . . as I sit on my big deck with my computer! Next is a great dinner tonight! 🙂
- An ocean breeze puts a mind at ease. …
¡Pura Vida!
These 4 species of birds were finding their breakfast as I ate mine on the patio of Hotel Banana Azul in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica this morning. How fortunate I am to live and travel in such a beautiful, peaceful little country! ¡Pura Vida!
“The sky’s gone blue: azure, the ocean bluer: cerulean, the trees are swirls of every hella freaking green on earth and bright thick eggy yellow is spilling over everything.”
― I’ll Give You the Sun
🙂
¡Pura Vida!