charliedoggett.net
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| What I see when standing at the kitchen sink looking out the window. My home, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Rufous-tailed Hummingbird Inside on my kitchen window screen, Roca Verde Atenas, Costa Rica |
I had Anthony over for dinner (with “to go” dinners from Chef Dan I’ll tell you about later). As we were about to sit down for dinner and TV News this little guy flew in and landed on the kitchen window. I partially opened the screen expecting him to fly out but that kind of trapped him between glass and screen. So after dinner I helped him get loose and he flew out the sliding class doors that are always open and where he flew in.
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| Green Thorntail Hummingbird Female (pretty sure) My garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Great Crested Flycatcher (most likely?) My garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
And my online photo gallery for more BIRDS
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| Rain Makes the Garden Grow! Thicker & More Lush! Note that I replaced my Lantanas flowering border with red caladiums which will get fuller soon. The other taller plants shaded the Lantanas and they require sun to thrive and bloom. New color in the shade! |
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| The Maraca or Shampoo Ginger plant has multiplied and grown very tall with several blooms. |
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| Heliconia Across from the door I added a row of 20 of the small Heliconias with little bright red & orange flowers that will bloom constantly year-around when they mature. They help the “tropical look.” |
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| One of the little Helconia up close, like adding little jewels to my garden! |
I’m always trying to improve my garden and during the rainy season is the time for new plants as the rain helps them to take root and thrive. Life in the tropics just keeps getting better! 🙂
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| Masked Tityra My Home Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Masked Tityra My Home Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
Maybe he is wearing a mask early for Halloween. No? This is the first I’ve seen in my garden, but I did see one at the Rio Chirripó Retreat near Chirripó National Park.
And my BIRDS PHOTO GALLERY include many more!
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| Municipal Water Truck Goes Down Every Street Every Day when the public water system is “down” Here it is across the street from La Carreta Restaurant. Those palm trees are at the Central Catholic Church at the Central Park. |
Our public water comes from the same source as Grecia’s over a mountain or two from Atenas. It is pumped through large water mains (big pipes) through the mountains, over rivers and deep canyons to Atenas. Sometimes the water main breaks or something stops the flow. This time, for more than week now they have supposedly been trying to fix a broken pipe that goes over a canyon on a little bridge that was broken when a huge tree fell during a thunder storm. It has become a real problem for some homes and businesses that must have water – well – all must have! And most are asking “Why is it taking so long?” One article said they are waiting on parts to arrive from overseas.
Even in developing countries we depend on water! And the water truck is like a pied piper with a crowd constantly with it. It is beginning to remind me of Africa around here! We were regularly without water in The Gambia and I always kept large bottles of water “just in case.” You adapt! 🙂
Well, if you are a Trump supporter, I hope you find another country to move to! I will not personally welcome you to Costa Rica!
My Costa Rica Photo Gallery: Charlie Doggett’s COSTA RICA
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| Jaguar Rescue Center is located on the south side of Puerto Viejo, not far from my hotel in Manzanillo. No Jaguars here! It got its name from the first animal the founder actually rescued, a baby Jaguar whose mother had been killed and would have died otherwise. Photo on above entrance sign is of a one-eyed monkey. |
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| Nice Little Cafe and Gift Shop at the entrance, but not as big or as developed as Zoo Ave in La Garita! And you can only visit on a schedule with a tour guide, so get times ahead! On website: Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
NOTE: I am not repeating the photos of a Northern Tamandua Anteater and a Red-eyed Tree Frog that were shot here but shown in earlier posts. Click links to see again.
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| Brown Pelican with a broken wing Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
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| Unidentified Hawk, similar to Gray and Gray Lined, but those are not in the Caribbean and our group was too large for me to constantly ask the name of animals. Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
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| Baby Possums whose mother was killed. They will raise and try to introduce back into the wild. Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
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| Groove-billed Ani Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
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| Keel-billed Toucan Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
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| Hoffman’s Two-toed Sloth Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
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| Red-lored Parrot Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
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| Spectacled Caiman Jaguar Rescue Center, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica |
To learn more about Jaguar Rescue Center, click link for their website where you can read the history, find out when there are tours and how you can volunteer. It is operated mostly by volunteers!
Or more specifically my BIRDS PHOTO GALLERY or
My OTHER WILDLIFE PHOTO GALLERY
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| Great Green Macaw On property of Ara Project Manzanillo, Costa Rica |
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| Great Green Macaw On property of Ara Project Manzanillo, Costa Rica |
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| Great Green Macaw On property of Ara Project Manzanillo, Costa Rica |
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| Great Green Macaw On property of Ara Project Manzanillo, Costa Rica Macaws mate for life! |
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| Great Green Macaw On property of Ara Project Manzanillo, Costa Rica |
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| Black-mandibled Toucan On property of Ara Project (and probably stealing Macaw food!) Manzanillo, Costa Rica |
The Endangered Species Great Green Macaw (birdlife.org) (or an easier article on Wikipedia) is listed in my Costa Rica Bird Guide as “rare” or “uncommon” in just a few spots along the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica.
The Ara Project is one of the main reasons this endangered species is returning to Costa Rica. Click the Ara link to read about what they are doing in the Manzanillo area of Costa Rica with the Endangered Great Green Macaw and the less endangered larger population of Scarlet Macaws on our Pacific Coast. Habitat loss is the problem for both species and they help by providing Macaw housing in trees along the Caribbean coast. They have a hospital for injured birds or orphaned babies, but the others are all free and wild but come back “home” in Manzanillo for socializing, food that is provided, and some still use the tree houses or even hollows in trees here because it is a community of Green Macaws.
They exist in 3 other Central American countries and 2 in South America, but endangered throughout their habitat and rare or uncommon to find with fewer than 1,000 total left on earth. So I am thrilled about getting many photos here! The guided tour is set for the same time every afternoon when they are feeding which guarantees you photos. My guide was a Bribri young man named Duaro who is so knowledgeable about the birds and their services there and also speaks very good English! His Uncle Alex was my guide the next day to see birds in the Bribri Reserve (another post coming on that).
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| View from My Beach-side Hammock (3-pix panorama) Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica |
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| Looking to the Left Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica |
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| Looking to the Right Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica |
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| Dangerous Currents – No Swimming! Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica Yeah! They had a sign in English too, but this one more interesting! 🙂 |
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| Maybe Dangerous, But Fun Waves for Many! And many swim anyway and/or try to surf – “At Your Own Risk” Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica |
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| Multiple Caution Signs Protect the Hotel And are probably required by their Insurance Co. And “No Life Guards” is indicated at check-in Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica |
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| Barefoot Beach Futbol (Soccer) Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica And by the way, ALL BEACHES ARE PUBLIC in Costa Rica! There are no private or hotel only beaches. |
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| Local Boys – Not Tourists! Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica |
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| Tourists Walk By, Watching the Soccer Game Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica American, Canadian, European, South American? All nationalities here! Though Asian visitors seem to be mostly on the Pacific side and inland. |
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| And Someone Kayaks By Our Beach Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica |
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| Sundown Mist One Evening Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica This beach was not positioned right for the sometimes beautiful Caribbean sunrises Like this one at Tortuguero and on wrong side of country for sunsets! 🙂 |
I am not a “Beach Person” as some people call themselves, not liking to swim in the ocean at all! But I do love to visit and walk on the many beautiful beaches here. Some friends ask me to compare the Atlantic and Pacific beaches and that is difficult.
It is almost down to specific beach compared to specific beach. In general the Caribbean (or the Atlantic beaches) are less developed with more wildness and more natural things than much of the Pacific, though the Osa Peninsula or Corcovado National Park is a big exception on the Pacific side as are some other “South Pacific” beaches. In the north or Guanacaste there are a few pretty beaches but overall I think it is over-developed and I thought the famous Tamarindo Beach was ugly and overcrowded! Jaco is pretty but also overcrowded, especially on weekends as the closest beach to San Jose. South of there at Manual Antonio National Park there are two gorgeous beaches that are very crowded, both the one in the park and the one outside the park.
I still have a lot of exploring to do before I even think about ranking beaches. Then there is the important reason or purpose! Are you a surfer, swimmer, sunbather, fisher, or photographer? Each beach is different for each purpose. And there are a lot of choices! If you believe travel articles, here is one on “The Best Beaches” by “Costa Rica Experts.” You will not find Manzanillo listed though it is one the nicer ones I have visited and least crowded! Then here’s an article on “Costa Rica’s 6 Most Stunning Beaches” by TicoTimes, the online English language Gringo newspaper. And travel sites like TripAdvisor rank the ones that hotels and resorts pay them to rank best, so don’t believe everything commercial sites say. For example Tamarindo is promoted as one of the best, but after my visit there, it is one of my least favorite, remembering that I do not like crowds, commercialism and a lack of nature. So maybe that is why I favor the Caribbean beaches more than most people.
See also my VISTA GALLERIES for Caribbean Beaches and Pacific Beaches
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| My Room, a large wall tent on platform. Almonds & Corals Hotel, Manzanillo, Costa Rica |
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| Two Four-poster Beds Almonds & Corals Hotel, Manzanillo, Costa Rica |
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| Aff Hammock for daytime resting Almonds & Corals Hotel, Manzanillo, Costa Rica |
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| Sink, toilet & Shower beyond the Hot Tub Almonds & Corals Hotel, Manzanillo, Costa Rica |
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| The “Hallways” between Room, Dining, Beach Almonds & Corals Hotel, Manzanillo, Costa Rica |
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| Covered Outdoor Dining Room Almonds & Corals Hotel, Manzanillo, Costa Rica |
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| And Short Walk to the Beach Almonds & Corals Hotel, Manzanillo, Costa Rica |
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Wood Carving of a Toucan by Office
Almonds & Corals Hotel,
Manzanillo, Costa Rica
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Note that this property is right on a beautiful beach which I will show in a separate post. AND many of the photos of animals were photographed right here on the hotel property in the jungle! It is truly living in the rainforest of South Caribbean Costa Rica. The beaches and towns on the Caribbean side are smaller, less crowded, more rustic and more natural than the much more developed Pacific Coast. And less expensive! But both sides have a lot to offer! And the reason I live in Central Valley instead of either coast is that both coasts are very hot and humid year-around and more expensive. But from the Central Valley I can easily visit both coasts and live in “The best weather in the world!” 🙂
PURA VIDA!
