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Esquinas Rainforest Lodge – “The Wind in the Trees”
The subtitle comes from a quote of Thomas Merton:
Nothing has ever been said about God that hasn’t already been said better by the wind in the trees.
“Pitahaya” is not a Spanish word but rather a word from the indigenous people of Costa Rica and what everyone calls this unusual fruit or flower growing on a cactus plant. It is used most popularly in bebidas or fruit drinks like American Smoothies and the fruit is called “Dragon Fruit” or “Pitaya” in the states. The inside is gelatin like and pink in color with tiny black seeds and very sweet.
The photo is of one David brought to Spanish class the other day and I thought I would share another one of out unusual foods here in Costa Rica (and all over Latin America and in Asia). Read about it on Wikipedia (en español) or in English as pitaya/dragon fruit.
¡Pura Vida!
Life is made up of small pleasures. ~Norman Lear
Photo of flower Costa Ricans call “Once de Abril” (11th of April) to commemorate the only war and battle Costa Rica ever fought and of course won with the heroic help of Juan Santamaria (name of San Jose Airport). It is so delicate with such tiny blooms like Santamaria was just a boy.
See more tiny pleasures in my photo gallery Flora & Forest.
¡Pura Vida!
The other day I only had a photo of one bloom. Here is what the whole plant in a pot looks like. It is a nice pot plant for the terrace and has been blooming almost constantly during the rainy season. I won’t expect that during the dry season. It likes the morning sun.
My morning walk today surprised me with this simple little flower – What a joy flowers can be!
Just living is not enough… one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.
~Hans Christian Andersen
Just one bloom on a potted desert rose plant is a joy and mine has been loaded with blooms this year during rainy season and maybe because I moved it to the side of house for morning sun – my gardener’s suggestion! Later I will show a photo of the whole plant with multiple blooms, but somehow the only photo of the total plant is in my January 12, 2018 Post about this particular flower, though it was not as loaded in flowers as it has been recently.
“A morning-glory at my window satisfies me more than the metaphysics of books.”
― Walt Whitman
For my gallery of Costa Rica Flowers+ see: FLORA & FOREST
In a Blur – How I feel 2 days after surgery – but all is well – saw doc today. Physical Therapy starts soon. And photo from my garden yesterday is a red ginger with background blurred. Happy day to you!
If you count the unofficial paths and trails there are possibly 5 miles of walking/hiking ways within the Xandari property. And I think I have walked over every portion except a little section that dead ends along the river. Around the villas and through the gardens is paved while through the farm and to the waterfalls is dirt paths, sometimes muddy this time of year! I came back to my room with muddy shoes every day! Just a sampling of trails and I did not include some grass-covered paths. Trails are a great way to immerse yourself in nature!
¡Pura Vida!
See my Trip Photo Gallery: 2018 Xandari Resort
Xandari costa rica (their website)
A sampling. To see more go to the 2018 Bocas del Toro gallery.
See my “Trip Gallery” at:
2018 Tranquilo Bay, Bocas del Toro, Panama
My favorite birding group here now is a Tico Facebook group called: Asociacion Ornitologica de Costa Rica
The one photo I posted there from my Arenal trip was this Keel-billed Toucan that I also used on the cover of the book about Arenal Observatory.
Several comments were made but the most interesting was from Diego who said,
Las flores han de ser hermanas de las aves..!!
ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
The flowers have to be sisters of the birds..!!
It is possibly and old saying or even a quote from some writer (though my Google search did not find an author), but I thought it so interesting and true especially with some of the many colorful birds here in Costa Rica and I appreciate Diego’s comment!
Toucans are difficult to photograph even with the tower at Arenal putting me up on their level! But they certainly are a lot like flying flowers! 🙂