charliedoggett.net
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| Cimarrona (small band) Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| This time the band was paid to play for this politician who was talking to people and giving out literature. An election is coming up soon in Atenas, Costa Rica |
Definition of a Cimarrona on Wikipedia
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| Soccer Fields are the most defining thing of a community in Costa Rica even along a dirt road among farms out in the country! Necessary! Calle Nueva Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Calle Nueva Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Calle Nueva Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Calle Nueva Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Mango Tree Grove Calle Nueva Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Lots of Purple and Yellow Flowers if you look close Calle Nueva Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Calle Nueva Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Calle Nueva Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Calle Nueva Atenas, Costa Rica |
After the walk we had a late lunch in a little Soda in the village of Rio Grande on the river of same name and our expressway Ruta 27 where there is an Atenas exit just south of Atenas. In this same little village is a chicken processing plant (low-pay jobs) owned my Walmart and a small air conditioner plant, both on the expressway. We road the local bus back to Atenas Central which went by these two job sources locally. And back in town a political experience which I will share tomorrow. See the Photo Gallery Walking Calle nueva – PS: WARNING! I learned later that two days before this walk an expat man from Canada was walking this same road solo (as I often go) and he was robbed at knifepoint by two young men on motorcycles, supposedly Nicaraguans, which is who most Ticos blame crime on. This is highly unusual in little Atenas, but of course can happen anywhere. It is more common in parts of the big city of San Jose.
International Living magazine again ranks Costa Rica the #1 Place to Retire!
The USA Today article on Costa Rica, the Country Without an Army & the Happiest Country
“Blessed is the Costa Rican mother who knows her son at birth will never be a soldier.”
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| A pastoral vista like this sometimes requires a trip far away from a busy town, yet I found this one maybe 500 meters from my house as the crow flies and maybe twice as far walking the streets to this spot. Calle Nueva, Atenas Costa Rica |
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| The cow pasture across the street from my house. A stream runs under that row of trees on opposite side. On the other side of the stream and to the left is a little known street, Calle Nueva, Atenas Costa Rica |
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| First I walk into town on Avenida 8 and turn left on Calle 1 making another left turn at next street, Avenida 10 for 2 blocks where I walk past our technical high school above. The pavement stops just past the school and I’m on a gravel road called Calle Nueva, Atenas Costa Rica |
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| It is so cool to suddenly be in the country! Past Roca Verde it becomes a dirt road going on to Rio Grande village. Calle Nueva, Atenas Costa Rica |
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| After 200 or 300 meters on a rise you see Roca Verde up ahead, those roofs. Before I saw this, I saw the pastoral scene photo above, my opening photo. Calle Nueva, Atenas Costa Rica |
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| Then down that hill to a bridge behind the Roca Verde duplex facing the pasture. That house is about one block from my house! But seen here from behind on Calle Nueva, Atenas Costa Rica |
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| The little stream opposite the cow pasture in front of my house. Which the above bridge crosses over behind the duplex. Calle Nueva, Atenas Costa Rica |
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| At the foot of the bridge I snap this shot of the cow pasture in front of my house from the backside. The duplex and two single family houses are to the right of those shrubs, all facing the cow pasture. Calle Nueva, Atenas, Costa Rica |
–JOHN MUIR, US naturalist, 1838—1914
If it the link works, here is the Google Map showing where I walked:
And I was having so much fun on my anniversary day of December 24 that I forgot to mention it in the blog post that night or celebrate. You may remember that I had Christmas Eve Dinner Around the Pool with Friends. It was that night three years ago that a taxi brought me and 5 suitcases from San Jose Airport to Atenas (late plane meant arriving after dark) to Hacienda La Jacaranda Apartments where I lived my first 4 months in Atenas Costa Rica. On this anniversary I was too busy to even think about it! 🙂 “The past is prologue!” Maybe I will have a celebration when I’ve been here 5.5 years on my 80th birthday. 🙂
And earlier that same happy day I saw my first King Vulture in the wild and got a photograph! Along with a juvenile King Vulture and other birds and wildlife on what my guides called “Raptor Ridge” on a hill above the Tambor Bay beach resort where I was staying. It was a great day! And the day before I got to release 12 baby Olive Ridley Turtles into the Pacific Ocean, so why would I think about it being my 3-year anniversary of living here? 🙂
Well, a lot has happened in three years and I’m quite at home here now, loving life in a little mountain coffee-farming town, learning to speak Spanish, though very slowly! Trying to have as many Tico friends as gringos and maybe more now!
My passion is finding and photographing some of the over 900 species of birds here along with other nature photography and the thrill of traveling Costa Rica. I have learned to travel as the locals do on buses to anywhere in Costa Rica, though I am a sissy old man who sometimes goes to the far away places on a little local plane, Sansa or Nature Air. Some of my Tico friends say I’ve seen more of their home country than they have and I probably have. I try to go somewhere new every month or two and of course report on these trips in progress on my blog (here) as well as in photo galleries in what I call Charlie Doggett’s COSTA RICA. And I even have a series of photo books on many of the birding lodges and national parks I have visited. I can’t get rid of the desire to create something! It is fun to me! And I do none of it for money (it actually costs me) but as my fun hobby.
I have Pensionado Residencia with the government health plan called CAJA (better than Medicare) and I am settling in for the rest of my life here with paperwork done for my body to be donated to the University of Costa Rica Medical School. I am not active in church but attend a little Bible Church here some, trying to avoid the right-wing Americans that also attend some, most only on the one Sunday a month with English translation. My goal this year is to attend mostly on the Español only Sundays.
I have volunteered service to the Angel Tree project, three schools, my language school, and most recently led an after school club at one high school which I talked about 2 blog posts ago. I am trying to integrate into the community without becoming a catholic or marrying a Tica! 🙂 That is quite feasible.
I am overall healthy for a 77 year old (though walking a lot slower now believe it or not). I get plenty of rest and exercise walking everywhere. One of my best decisions was to not buy a car! Good for my health and budget! I eat well, sleep a lot, and I am very happy in my new home. So with this little summary, I place a marker down at my three-years point of living in Costa Rica. None of us know how long we will live, but I’m expecting many more years of adventures in Costa Rica! ¡Pura Vida!
🙂
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| My Conversational English Club at a local high school. Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Genuine Tico Food cooked on a Wood Fire El Fogon Campesino, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Jason’ Quesada’s “Selfie” of Us Eating Here Today Our late lunch or early dinner for my two-meal day Jason is my Spanish language tutor, practicing español at El Fogon Campesino, Atenas, Costa Rica |
And my new word of the day is buenísimo, meaning “really, really good” or “the best.”
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| A Delightful, Homey, Family-Run Restaurant One of my favorite places to eat now! El Fogon Campesino, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| The city recently thinned out the trees & painted bases & benches. Atenas Central Park, Costa Rica |
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| Catholic ChurchSouth Side of Park, Facing North, (which doesn’t match stories about Costa Rica churches facing west so worshippers face east to Jerusalem) Atenas Central Park, Costa Rica |
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| La Cafeteria – The Coffee Shop Plus 3 other shops in corner building across from church Atenas Central Park, Costa Rica |
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| Tribunales de Justicia, Court House Atenas Central Park, Costa Rica |
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| Photography Shop Atenas Central Park, Costa Rica |
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| Discount Groceries (Chinese store) This is in location of what was the largest Bar/Restaurant in Centro But a lack of business and illegal activities closed them down. Atenas Central Park, Costa Rica |
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| A Dress Shop Atenas Central Park, Costa Rica |
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| A busy Bakery on left + 3 little shops Bakery is only place to get coffee at 5 AM + Bus Stop is there! Atenas Central Park, Costa Rica |
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| And the next corner is an expensive Young Adult Clothing Shop Atenas Central Park, Costa Rica |
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| POP’S Ice Cream & Bar Punga Atenas Central Park, Costa Rica |
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| Unknown Office Building & Shoe Repair Shop Atenas Central Park, Costa Rica |
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| Mattress & Bedding Shop Atenas Central Park, Costa Rica |
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| A Lunch Only Soda Atenas Central Park, Costa Rica |
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| Florist Downstairs & Apartment Upstairs Atenas Central Park, Costa Rica |
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| Banco Nacional – My Bank The other 2 banks are about a block away and notice the long line at the ATM at left, typical everywhere here. |
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| Pizzeria Olivera – The most popular Pizza for Ticos. Most expats prefer the thin crust pizza at La Finca a block away. Atenas Central Park, Costa Rica |
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| City Hall Atenas Central Park, Costa Rica |
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| I think it is an addition to the City Hall – Brand New! Atenas Central Park, Costa Rica |
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| Women & Children’s Clothing + Fabrics & Patterns to Make Your Own Atenas Central Park, Costa Rica |
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| University Extension Classes Here Atenas Central Park, Costa Rica |
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| Clothing Store & Pharmacy The center of town at Calle 0 and Avenida 0 Atenas Central Park, Costa Rica |
One block down that street above to the right is the other big commercial area with the Central Market, Bus Station, 3 furniture stores, hardware store, 3 super markets, many clothing shops, gift shops, office supply, and our best discount store El Rayo, like a big dollar store in the states with cheap Chinese stuff. There is actually more shopping going on there than around Central Park. Maybe a post on that someday.
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| Atenas Centro Central Park and the big church are at about 11:00 Below that is a white bldg that looks like eyeglasses (2 courtyards) is Primary School The group of several white buildings is the Technical High School seen smaller in next photo. And lower right corner of photo points toward my house in the next photo. |
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| My House Circled in Red This side of the roundish cow pasture. Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Sunrise Over Tambor Bay You don’t expect a sunrise over the Pacific, but it depends on angle of peninsula or bay! When no clouds on horizon, you see the big orange ball at the end of that point on right. See below. Tambor Tropical Resort, Costa Rica |
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| My House for a Week! (downstairs) Tambor Tropical Resort, Costa Rica |
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| My House at Night this Week (the downstairs part) Tambor Tropical Resort, Costa Rica |
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| My Room, bath on left and kitchen on right Tambor Tropical Resort, Costa Rica |
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| My Dining Room this Week Tambor Tropical Resort, Costa Rica |
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| Looking towards ocean from dining area Tambor Tropical Resort, Costa Rica |
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| Our grass and brown sand beach Tambor Tropical Resort, Costa Rica |
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| The Hammock I Never had Time to Use But I did get a massage one day in the Spa! Tambor Tropical Resort, Costa Rica |
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| Scarlet Macaw Several families literally lived on hotel property with 3 nest boxes. It could easily be called the “Scarlet Macaw Hotel” 🙂 Tambor Tropical Resort, Costa Rica |
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| Scarlet Macaws always in trees around cabins and pool! Tambor Tropical Resort, Costa Rica |
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| Interesting People Too! Last night a family from Nashville checked in with their Tico relatives! Small World! Tambor Tropical Resort, Costa Rica |
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| And Beautiful Flowers!
Tambor Tropical Resort, Costa Rica |
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| Sunrises are different each morning if you get up early enough! Tambor Tropical Resort, Costa Rica |
They host several birding tours a year plus the Cornell annual bird count and it is known as a good place for birders with an on-property nature trail and 3 public trails along the river beside the hotel. And now the “Tambor Turtles” volunteer program takes place on the beach by the hotel with opportunities for guests to collect eggs or release babies at the right time of year.
This is my blog post about the hotel and I hardily recommend it as a hotel and the area for both birding and relaxation! I just spent 5 nights and can’t imagine staying fewer! You need time to get to know a place and benefit from it! 4 or 5 nights is my minimum stay almost anywhere in Costa Rica!
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| Roadside Hawk Juvenile Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica |
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| Double-striped Thick-knee Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica |
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| Green Kingfisher female Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica |
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| Pale-billed Woodpecker Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica |
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| Lineated Woodpecker Yes it is different from the one above! Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica |
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| Spotted Sandpiper Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica |
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| Brown-crested Flycatcher Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica |
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| Cattle Egret Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica |
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| White-tailed Deer Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica |
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| Common Basilisk “Jesus Christ Lizard” We watched this one “walk” run across the stream. Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica |
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| Variegated Squirrel Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica |
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| One of the Heliconias I’ll Name Later Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica |
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| Unknown Tiny Lizard Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica |
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| Crab-eating Raccoon Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica |
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| Baby Raccoons with above mother Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica And yes, we saw a lot of Coatis and one Agouti, just no photos |
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| What a Wildlife Refuge Looks Like Here! Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica |
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| Guide Ruth & Driver Larry Curu Wildlife Refuge, Paquera, Costa Rica |
The website of the wildlife refuge (1st one in Costa Rica): http://www.curuwildliferefuge.com/