Category: Costa Rica

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Finishing My Caribe Report with Galleries

For my last morning’s sunrise I watch fishermen go out. And . . .
Below are four categories of my photos not shown yet
all linked to sub-galleries in this trip gallery with
more bikes, birds, nature and culture photos.
Caribe Bicycles
The Major Mode of Transportation
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

Masked Tityra
Samasati Reserve
Actually we walked down a rural road in front of the reserve.
Near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

3-Toed Sloth
Cahuita National Park 
 Near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

Interesting Signs
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Costa Rica

These all represent things I found interesting in the Costa Rica Caribe and made a lot of photos of each. The linked title takes you to a sub-gallery on that subject with most birds in the Samasati gallery. Or to just thumb through my whole Caribe Trip, go to the trip gallery:

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Hotel Banana Azul

Too many clouds for a traditional sunrise this morning, but I thought this shot to left of the sun was okay.
Hotel Banana Azul, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Costa Rica

 

The Garden I face from the Dining Room  —   Bird feeder off to the right
Hotel Banana Azul, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Costa Rica

 

This morning I decided to not keep posting so many photos on the blog, thus began my trip photo gallery for this experience where you can find lots of photos! Since this was to be the hotel post today, I will give links to three sub-galleries on the very relaxed and enjoyable Hotel Banana Azul:

 

 
Or for the whole trip, go to my trip photo gallery called
2017 Sept 4-8 — Caribe Banana Azul Puerto Viejo
including my visit to Cahuita National Park & Samasati Reserve
 
And/or check out the Hotel Banana Azul Web Page
And plan ahead! They stay booked solid much of the time,
even in the “off season” which it is now.
This new caribe gallery is the latest of my “TRIPS” Photo Galleries
where I am working backwards to document my Costa Rica trips
and neighboring countries’ trips in my bigger CR gallery:
At the time of this posting, I’m back to July 2015
and the trips started in January 2015!
Almost finished! Travel with Kevin is next!
¡Pura Vida!
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Slowing down . . .

Before Sunrise this morning, I had to leave for birding hike before it rose, so maybe get it tomorrow.

Atlantic Ocean/Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean Sea from Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica.

I’m still working on photo posts for the first day plus Cahuita yesterday and now Samasati today! So I will not try to get them all while on the trip. SLOWING DOWN! Tomorrow I stay at hotel the whole day! No trip or hike! Then Friday go home where I will finish my photo work. Internet is sometimes slow here. 

How about Costa Rica and the world cup playoffs? We beat the U.S. and tied Mexico last night until the last seconds of the game. We are not out yet! Close counts in soccer playoffs!  🙂

¡Pura Vida!
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Puerto Viejo — THE CARIBBEAN TOURIST TOWN

I think it is officially called “Puerto Viejo de Talamanca” because it is at the foot of the Talamanca Mountains and nearest town to some of the Indian reservations. It is also called “Puerto Viejo de Limon” because it is in the Limon Province and near the larger port city of Limon, also a symbol of the Caribbean for Costa Rica and where they have the Caribbean and Reggae festivals and big parades like Mardi Gras. Another reason for the extension on the name is there is another town called Puerto Viejo which I have also visited on the Caribbean slope, but inland next to the mountains. It is called “Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui. It is on the Sarapiqui River. Well, a few shots of buildings in the Caribe Puerto Viejo which you could call “Rasta Town” or a hangout for some American youth who see themselves as new hippies or rasta or whatever labels are used today. Colorful but not highly appealing to me.

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A 6 mile Beach Walk

I arrived early yesterday before my room was ready and so I decided to walk to the Caribbean town of Puerto Viejo from the hotel by way of the beach and back. My odometer showed it to be nearly 6 miles round trip, counting a walk around town. The next post will be about the interesting town. But here’s a few shots from the beach walk:

I walked from those blue hills around the bay to this town beach.
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

The bend in the bay before getting to the town.
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

I get to cross this stream coming into the bay and
see the one-lane bridge on the road running parallel with beach.
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

Approaching town there are runners & this abandoned barge.
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

Near every hotel is this standard sign warning of undertow.
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

A faster way to get to town?  🙂
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

Great Kiskadee
One of six species of birds seen along the beach walk.
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

Semipalmated Plover
For birders, yes, similar to Wilson’s Plover except
this one has orange legs & orange on base of bill (click to enlarge)
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

Non-breeding Western Sandpiper
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

Breeding Western Sandpiper
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

Whimbrel  
 Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

Brown Pelican
Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

Great-tailed Grackle male 
 Puerto Viejo, Caribe, Costa Rica

I was high-energy yesterday and did more than I should probably, but doing very little today to make up for it!  Thus I have a lot of photos still from yesterday to share and may do another post tonight. Every new place is an adventure and full of photo-ops!

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The Adventure of Small Planes

Our 12-passenger plane from San Jose to Limon
Costa Rica

Sansa Terminal in San Jose
Costa Rica

I sat in the back this time to get off first in Limon.
3 of us got off and 5 more got on for the journey on to Tortuguero
Costa Rica

Taxiing off on the San Jose Runway
Costa Rica

Flying over the San Jose Passenger Terminal
Costa Rica

Farms outside of San Jose
Costa Rica

Flying over the mountains & national park
Costa Rica

Caribbean Farms, mostly Bananas, Pineapple
Costa Rica

Outskirts of Limon
Costa Rica

Oil Tankers keep these filled as our main source of gasoline
Costa Rica

One of several big docks in the Port of Limon
Costa Rica

Typically Tin-roofed house in the very poor, mostly black, Limon
Costa Rica

Limon Airport is a strip of pavement along the Atlantic coast
Costa Rica

And the very nice though small Limon Passenger Terminal
Costa Rica

This is all I can share about today (Monday) but I did a lot more with reports later. I walked 6 miles up and back the beach from hotel to downtown Puerto Viejo. Quite interesting. Photographed a lot including 4 or 5 different species of birds. Didn’t get in my room until 2 because last guests were late checking out. Got a massage on the beach to help me relax before my gourmet dinner of Sea Bass +. Exhausted and going to bed by 8 with a 6:30 AM bird hike before breakfast, then a slow day tomorrow.  🙂

My hotel is Banana Azul  which is very nice and almost always full.

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Walking the Hills & Valleys of Atenas, Costa Rica

Looking down on Central Atenas & the Central Church
Atenas, Costa Rica

But just the hills on the backside of my neighborhood are a “Feast for My Eyes!”
Early morning fog reminds me of the presence of the Holy Spirit. What a place to walk!
Atenas, Costa Rica
A couple of cellphone shots made this morning on my walk over the hill in Roca Verde. Stay tuned for a change of scenery as I fly to the Caribbean Coast tomorrow morning. ¡Pura Vida!
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Home Business: Veterinarian

I can’t say for sure that the vet lives in the same house he cares for animals, but it is a house!
And across the street is David & Corinna’s house where they both live & have language classes
as their place of business. In their case, one rent is better than two rents! 🙂
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Forests . . . the revelation of their harmony.

Bribri Yorkin Reserve, Caribe, Costa Rica

The full quote:

Gustave Flaubert

“I tried to discover, in the rumor of forests and waves, words that other men could not hear, and I pricked up my ears to listen to the revelation of their harmony.”

Gustave Flaubert


Two summers ago on my first visit to the southern Caribbean in Costa Rica with the photo club, I got to spend three nights in the indigenous people Bribri Yorkin Community. I just now completed a Yorkin Trip gallery for that trip. Check it out! especially the forest! This is near where I’m going next week, even though I will not be roughing it this time while in a nice hotel on the beach! But when I saw this photo for the gallery, I couldn’t find that I had shared it before, so here it is! Soon I will have all of my Trip Galleries finished and will announce it here. But you can start looking now if you like with more than two years of trips in Costa Rica already completed. Most recent trips are at the top. 

See also my Flora & Forest gallery. 
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From Behind the Big Rock: African Tulip Tree!

From behind the big rock at Roca Verde entrance
you see the red-orange flowers of our African Tulip Tree.
Atenas, Costa Rica

African Tulip Tree
Zooming in on another tropical tree that blooms for about one month.
Atenas, Costa Rica

I walk about half a mile up a steep hill to Chef Dan’s house 2 or 3 times a week for one of his gourmet meals for dinner. Monday I had Shrimp Alfredo with side salad and Italian bread. Tonight I walked up the hill for Curry Chicken Salad Wrap with side salad and mango chutney. I eat pretty well most of the time to be living in the rainforests of Central America!  🙂

I begin my ascent at this big rock near the front gate and of course come back by it on my way home for this view. The front side of the rock is often covered in moss, thus the name “green rock” (roca verde).
This big tropical flowering tree is by the guard house at the front gate but you see it better from behind the big rock! It is a native to Africa but planted in many tropical areas including Costa Rica as an ornamental tree. The scientific name is Spathodea campanulata or commonly called African Tulip Tree. What’s really neat about all the tropical trees with beautiful blooms here is that they nearly all bloom in different months, so that we almost always have some tree blooming somewhere in Costa Rica! What will I see next week in the Caribe?

For other blooming trees in Atenas, see my Walking Atenas photo gallery

Or for the whole country, see my larger Flora & Forest photo gallery

-o-
PEAK OF RAINY SEASON
Rainy Season, el invierno, winter, or “Green Season” is at its peak in Central Valley in September and October when we get the most rain, typically 6-8 hours a day, mostly in late afternoon and evening. Great for sleeping! November is the “shoulder” month or when it tapers off and by December no rain for 6 months! Sad to me. I prefer the rainy season! Not only is it greener and cooler, but fewer American tourists!  ¡Tranquilo!   🙂

Another interesting phenomenon in rainy season is that while Sep-Oct are the heaviest rains in Central Valley, it is also the time when the Caribbean gets the least amount of rain! Thus I always plan my trips there in Sep-Oct!  🙂   Also note that both coasts are coastal rainforests which get rain year around, even when it is not rainy season here. I would like living there for that but not for the always hot and humid condition of the beaches. (Though the NW corner called Guanacaste is the desert area and pretty dry year around.) So I think the Central Valley is the best place to live with easy access to the whole country and the best overall weather! In fact the PR slogan of Atenas is “el mejor clima del mundo” or “the best weather in the world.”

One realtor’s take on it: 
And the Canary Islands also claim the best weather in this interesting video:
But that is the other side of the world! Different continent!