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| Variegated Squirrel Hogar de Vida Campus, Atenas, Costa Rica |
This is the most common squirrel all over Costa Rica, but there are two other kinds of squirrels and I have photos of all three of them. See this search of squirrels on my gallery:
Both Bizarre and Common Insects
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| Dobsonfly Hogar de Vida Campus, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Common Grasshopper Hogar de Vida Campus, Atenas, Costa Rica |
To read more about Dobsonfly: Wikipedia in 5 languages, but not Spanish!
To read more about Grasshoppers: Wikipedia in 5 languages, but not Spanish!
There are 11,000 known species of grasshoppers in the world and with more than 300.000 insect species in Costa Rica there has to be a lot of different kinds of grasshoppers here! 🙂
¡Pura Vida!
Rufous-naped Wren
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| Rufous-naped Wren Hogar de Vida Campus, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Rufous-naped Wren Hogar de Vida Campus, Atenas, Costa Rica |
This noisy and aggressive little bird is the most numerous at my house and seemed to be likewise at Hogar de Vida during our week of living there. I shared a different shot than these in the photo book for the participants. To read more about this Central American bird, see:
Neotropical Birds where you can learn the most, see a locations map & hear them sing
Wikipedia where you can read about them in 10 languages and learn that the bird’s name in Spanish is Ratona de nuca rufa
And a search for my photos of this wren at my house, if interested. The only bird that flies inside my house. Click an image to see it larger.
Though wildlife was not the emphasis of the mission trip last week, I have a few animal shots that I will share the next few days from both the campus and the tourist day trip.
¡Pura Vida!
Cloudy Afternoons with Rain
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| We seem to be entering the “Rainy Season” ahead of May. Atenas, Costa Rica |
So what will my May trip to Arenal be like? We will see. I will expect and prepare for rain! 🙂
Already it is greening here! The “Green Season!”
¡Pura Vida!
Postscript: You may wonder if I will advertise a photo book about the mission trip to Hogar de Vida Children’s Home. I have already completed it and it is available for purchase by invitation only because the faces of the children cannot be shown on the internet in this blog, Facebook, or anywhere else. The team members have been invited already. If you are interested and I consider you “safe” I will invite you if you email me and request the link. It is a 50-page book, 7×7 inches square with 87 photos, available in softcover for $20.99 and in hardcover for $35.99. Email me at charlie@charliedoggett.net
Thanks to Nashville First Adults for Bringing Rain!
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| The First Adult Mission Team from First Baptist Church Nashville, Tennessee on my terrace after lunch last Sunday. Photo by Jason Quesada on Pam’s phone. Me back center in blue shirt. Atenas, Costa Rica |
The national bird of Costa Rica is the Clay-colored Thrush or Yigüirro in Spanish. It is a rather plain brownish robin-sized bird to be a national bird – BUT – the story is that it’s singing in April (mating season) is what brings the rains in May. Well, this year the rains started in April (the day the Nashville group arrived), so we don’t know whether to credit that to the little thrush or the First Adults! 🙂 But whatever – it’s been raining ever since! Each afternoon. ¡Muchas gracias!
¡Pura Vida!
A Day with Helen!
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| Helen (seated) at Hogar was our helper, translator, and inspiration today – another great day! Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
Also today I walked some of the group to town for a look around and the walk was too much for some of them, but we enjoyed seeing the Central Mercado, Central Park and Catholic Church.
Saturday at Hogar de Vida
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| We scraped trees in preparation for painting the bottoms. Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Team members sharing stories.over morning coffee. Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
Sorry, but we are not allowed to share photos of the children on the internet for security reasons.
First Full Day at Hogar
| Sorry, but we are not allowed to show children’s faces on the internet! My best photos!
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| Sign at Entrance Gate Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Matt gives team tour of campus (3 team members not in photo) Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| 8:30 AM Devotional for those not in school Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Rene painting in one of houses |
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| Welcome sign for team at San Jose Airport for Thursday. Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
Triquitraque or Mexican Flame Vine
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| The Triquitraque is in 2nd period of blooming just in time for my visitors coming this week! Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Just sorry that most of my others are not blooming this week. But this is colorful! Atenas, Costa Rica |
Good Friday Silence
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| As I walked to town, the streets were empty! Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Even around Central Park Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Every store is closed except Supermarkets & the Gasolinera that will close early. Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Many homes had added new, bigger decorations. Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Even the Catholic Church added a similar new decoration. Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| And people will be coming and going from the catholic church all day (all week!). The only activity. Atenas, Costa Rica |
And you might ask, “What about the non-religious?” Well, they are the ones filling the public beaches this week and fishing on the lakes and other “vacation” activities. One family I know is spending the whole week at the nearest beach. Semana Santa or “Holy Week” or “Easter Week” is not the best beach time for tourists, though most locals try to use different beaches and try to avoid tourists, but not totally possible, especially at Jaco, the closest big beach town to San Jose.
The smaller number of evangelicals and protestants in Costa Rica have a less dramatic emphasis on Easter and some expats, like the “new community” here at Iglesia Biblical have special activities they did back home. Ours did a Maundy Thursday Lord’s Supper or Communion Service Thursday night and some will meet at a member’s house at Sunrise Easter Morning for a Sunrise Service – which will be a good excuse for not attending the Spanish Language Easter Service at the church later.
Hotel restaurants have to be open on Easter, but not many others will and even the supermarkets will have very limited hours on Easter. But this year will not have the usual Easter pageantry in the streets by law, since the first Sunday of April is Election Day and no public activities are allowed to compete with voting (only worship inside a church building). Meaning that many people will leave their church of whatever variety and go straight to the voting places where the unqualified, anti-Gay presidential candidate (an evangelical gospel singer) is expected to narrowly win the election in this conservative Catholic country.
Read the article Holy Week the Costa Rican way
Felices Pascuas
Poner toda la carne en el asador.
¡Pura Vida!