Category: Travel

Posted on

Extraordinary Moments from My Past

In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary.

~Aaron Rose

🙂

When I searched my old photos, all made before moving to Costa Rica in 2014, I quickly chose 125 photos without even going through all and decided to stop looking. Then I made cuts down to 40 photos that had “the right light” and I considered “extraordinary” and still too many! 🙂 I arbitrarily told myself “No more than 20!” (hopefully fewer) and the last cuts were the most difficult! 🙂 So forgive me for doing a post with 20 photos, but the chosen ones are all below in a gallery where you can click an image to see it larger. The feature photo in the header is my favorite Clouded Leopard shot from Nashville Zoo and this sample below for the email recipients (who have to click “Read More” to continue) is one of many extraordinary shots from 2 safaris in the Masai Mara . And these are not necessarily favorites but seem to fit in these two locations. 🙂

African Elephants taking their Children to bed for the night, Masai Mara Reserve, Kenya.
Continue reading “Extraordinary Moments from My Past”
Posted on

Slowing Down

“There is more to life than increasing its speed.”

– Mohandas K. Gandhi

So what does an old man “Retired in Costa Rica” do with his time? Especially since cancer and the dreaded cancer treatment forced a slowdown? In short, I have slowed down! And those who know me well may find that hard to believe. 🙂 It is easier said than done for the hyper-active little boy who is sort of who I am. So this blog post will be My “Essay on Slowing Down” or more accurately on “what it is like for me to slow down.” I have now learned to “Enjoy the Moments” here in Costa Rica and hopefully I can share the joy of living slow in Costa Rica! 🙂

My Terrace Where I “Enjoy the Moments” Daily
Continue reading “Slowing Down”
Posted on

REVISED BOOK: Bosque del Cabo

When I saw what the photos looked like printed on plain paper, I decided that I could not let my photos go out looking that bad. The other book is no longer available in my Bookstore, replaced by this more expensive book printed on Premium Lustre Gloss Photo Paper for a totally different visual experience! Generally the public does not buy any of my photo books, but rather I order them to give to the lodges or to individuals as gifts. But just in case someone orders one, I want my simple photos to look their best! 🙂 And yes, you pay for it! 🙂

You may see a Free Preview of every page at this address or by clicking the cover image below: https://www.blurb.com/b/10815951-bosque-del-cabo

Click book cover above for Free Preview.

¡Pura Vida!

Posted on

Bosque del Cabo – THE BOOK

Like with most of my trips I have created a photo book of the experience with an experimental change this time to make it a less expensive book. Like my recent “Experiencing Nature” book I chose the plain paper trade book in 6X9 inch format paperback rather than my usual 7X7 photo book with high quality lustre finish paper that makes the photos look better. This may be my last time to do this with a photo book but I like to experiment from time to time. 🙂 It is interesting that the same day I published this I received my copies of the “Experiencing Nature” book which is the same size and format and with the plain paper the photos all look too dark to me. So if the photos look too dark in this book too, I will probably not use this trade format again, unless I write a words-only novel! 🙂 Not likely! 🙂

Enjoy the free preview which looks great electronically by clicking the cover image below or going to this address: https://www.blurb.com/b/10813354-bosque-del-cabo-rainforest-adventure

My Photo Report of July 2021 visit to Bosque del Cabo Rainforest Lodge.

¡Pura Vida!

Posted on

Resilience

From my “Merriam-Webster Word of the Day” email today:

resilience – noun | rih-ZIL-yunss

  • the capability of a strained body to recover its size and shape after deformation caused especially by compressive stress

  • an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change

    • And this is the effort or goal of my body right now, much longer after the radiation treatment than I expected, as my trip the last week of July showed.

    For the rest of the year I have only 2 trips, both very relaxing places that I have already explored, so I plan to truly “take it easy” in September on the Caribbean or Atlantic Coast of Costa Rica in maybe my most relaxed hotel here, Banana Azul. I have reserved “The Howler Suite,” like a tree house on the second floor with a large private deck overlooking the forest and the beach where I plan to hangout more this time, with my “hikes” limited to beach walks and I may even use room service for some meals in my room and use the in-room Jacuzzi this time! 🙂 I was “too busy” the last time there! 🙂 Maybe read two books this time!

    Christmas week I’m back on the Pacific side at another favorite hotel, Cristal Ballena in Uvita, overlooking the bay of whales and the “Whale’s Tail Beach” (feature photo at top) along with a lot of birds right outside my room and with even better food! As much as I love where I live, I function better with a change of scenery every couple of months or so. And I believe both these places will help me immensely with my continued efforts of “Resilience” after cancer! 🙂

    Two Trees beachside at Banana Azul Caribe say “resilience” to me.
    And “Feature Photo” at top is a Pacific View at Cristal Ballena, Uvita.

    “The oak fought the wind and was broken, the willow bent when it must and survived.”

    ― Robert Jordan

    🙂

    ¡Pura Vida!

    Posted on

    White-nosed Coati

    Definitely the most seen animal at Bosque del Cabo and maybe all over Costa Rica, this tropical cousin to the raccoon (and there is a Crab-eating Raccoon here also) was seen scurrying around the lodge facilities and in the rainforest along all the trails. He digs in the ground looking for grub worms and other little goodies to eat. 🙂

    White-nosed Coati

    And this was the only mammal other than the monkeys already shown that I got photos of, though I saw a Peccary and a Tamandua Anteater (bad photo). I was surprised to not see any Agoutis and had hoped to see a Tayra. Check out these 5 shots in the below gallery . . .

    Continue reading “White-nosed Coati”
    Posted on

    Playa Pan Dulce

    One of several beaches below the rainforest lodge last week, this one is the “Surfing Beach” or where the surfers hang out. The beach name translates to English as Sweet Bread Beach, which I won’t try to explain now. 🙂 I liked Matapolo Beach better because the Scarlet Macaws hung out there! Or the hotel’s beach at the end of Pacific Trail shown earlier.

    Playa Pan Dulce

    I’ll just do a slide show of the 5 shots of Playa Pan Dulce . . .

    Continue reading “Playa Pan Dulce”
    Posted on

    Unique Insects

    I didn’t actively search for insects on this trip, but as in any rainforest you can’t help but notice some unique ones! Here’s three:

    • Unidentified with some kind of ants on a Heliconia flower.
    • A rarely resting Blue Morpho Butterfly in closed -wings camouflage.
    • Golden Orb Spider on back of bar stool in the “Internet Lounge.”

    ¡Pura Vida!

    Posted on

    A Variety of Birds in the Osa Rainforest

    Though I was not fully recovered from my cancer treatment, was low on energy & strength, and simply an 81 years old man with weak knees, I still got shots of 18 species of birds while at Bosque del Cabo Rainforest Lodge, Matapolo, Costa Rica last week. With better health and strength for more hiking, I’m sure I would have gotten more species photographed. Notice that about half of these were photographed off the lodge property and that is because my guide knew that birds are easier to photograph from an open road than in the dense rainforest. But even then, half of these were photographed on lodge property! 🙂

    Spectacled Owl on Manakin Trail, Bosque del Cabo Rainforest Lodge.

    That’s one sample photo, now go below to the full post and gallery of 18 bird species, two of which I include both male & female because they are so different . . .

    Continue reading “A Variety of Birds in the Osa Rainforest”
    Posted on

    “King on the Mountain?”

    If you are anywhere near my age you may remember a childhood game where, usually boys, would claim a high-spot in the land or an object as “The Mountain” and one boy stand on it, declaring himself “King of the Mountain.” And though there may have been rules, it was usually brute strength that made you ‘king.”

    Yellow-headed Caracara on top of tree being attacked by a Fiery-billed Aracari.

    That is exactly what was going on between this Yellow-headed Caracara and Fiery-billed Aracari. In this photo (overcast day & bad light) the Aracari is diving at the Caracara with his much bigger bill. And though the Aracari took over the top perch of the tree at one point, the Yellow-headed Caracara came back with his much stronger claws or talons (much like a Hawk’s) and remained the dominant “King on the Mountain!” 🙂

    Though not one of my highest bird count locations, even on the Osa, I did get photos of 18 species of birds and will do a post later today or tomorrow featuring them with just one shot of each. And if I go there again, I’ll make sure I’m healthier and able to actively search for more birds! 🙂

    ¡Pura Vida!

    See my Yellow-headed Caracara Gallery.

    See my Fiery-billed Aracari Gallery.