bonsai for sale
from a creative salesman who clearly always finds a way
in la fortuna, costa rica
i so admire his dedication and out of the box thinking.
—
“how you sell is more important than what you sell.”
-andy paul
Jul28
Category Archives: Life
Jul26
transition forest.
air plants, leaf-cutting ants, army ants, red macaws, giant caterpillars, fungi, great kapok trees
all live here together
—
another magical hike
into yet a different kind of forest
the only transitional forest in central pacific,
where dry and humid forests converge
Carara National Park – Garabito/Turrubaresis
—
“i would say that there exist a thousand unbreakable links between each of us and everything else,
and that our dignity and our chances are one.
the farthest star and the mud at our feet are a family;
and there is no decency or sense in honoring one thing, or a few things, and then closing the list.
the pine tree, the leopard, the river, and ourselves –
we are at risk together, or we are on our way to a sustainable world together.
we are each other’s destiny.”
-mary oliver
Upstream: Selected Essays
Jul25
quietly floating through the cloud forest.
crossing the continental divide
into the pacific region
for a visit to canto del rio and a hike into the cloud forest
one of the most unique environments in the world
surviving on costa rica’s mountaintops
incredibly quiet and powerful
the cloud forests are formed by a combination of wind and geography.
—
“in the cloud forest the fog is taken into the plants, thus ever clearing the air and feeding the streams. these forests are sacred, for they both bring flowing water to the ecosystem and hold the earth in place during the rains.”
-angela abraham
Jul23
up in the canopy and so lucky.
it was a very lucky day
to wake up and look out my window
to see the high clouds had cleared
revealing the top of the volcano at last
then a hike up and into the tree canopy of the arenal rainforest
amidst many highly specialized flora and fauna that very rarely live in other places.
it’s estimated that no less than 1/3 of all tropical species are found in a rainforest canopy.
it was such a lovely way to end the day
to see these skies when returning in the early evening
after a day spent up high in the canopy
a very lucky day indeed.
“the forest is for me a temple-
a cathedral of tree canopies and dancing light.”
-dr. jane goodall
Jul23
volcano and waterfalls.
my new view at arenal volcano
fortuna de san carlos
hope to see the top tomorrow
discovering a waterfall while hiking around the volcano.
—
“zeal is a volcano, the peak of which the grass of indecisiveness does not grow.”
-khalil gibran
Jul22
like white water for chocolate.
white water rafting on the sarapaqui river
sometimes a puma will check out the action on the river
local cacao farm (costa rica chocolate – sarapaqui)
to learn about the process
the history of the family’s story and growing cacao here
so much amazing tasting
sometimes these little poison frogs will help the farm by eating the mosquitos.
“life is like the river, sometimes it sweeps you gently along and sometimes the rapids come out of nowhere.” – —-emma smith
“when it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.”
-regina brett
Jul21
going through.
a welcoming walk through the rainforest
in the sarapiqui region
beauty everywhere
bravery on the hanging bridge
over the roiling river
finding a lock of love
magnifico.
“the clearest way into the universe is through a forest wilderness.”
-john muir
Jul20
notice it.
coconut treats and medicines
poison dart tree frogs
the caribbean
giant green sea turtles
laying eggs in the sand
covering them up for safekeeping
under a dark and stormy sky
monkeys, iguanas, sloths and caimins
in their jungle home
“llfe is full of beauty. notice it.
notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. smell the rain, and feel the wind.
live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.”
-a. smith
Jul19
pura vida.
my home away from home
in the rainforest on the caribbean side
water, more water, water from the sky
crocs, orchids, trees, coconuts, mangoes, sloths, monkeys, birds
rice, beans, fish, bananas, coffee, veggies, guava, papaya,
calm
pura vida
—
The term “Pura Vida” is an expression of happiness, optimism, and living life to the fullest. It is impossible to visit Costa Rica without hearing this phrase continuously.
As a question, it is equivalent to “how are you?” As a response, it means “very well.”
Curiously, the person does not necessarily have to be very well — the greeting arises automatically because, deep down, its meaning is: “I’m glad to see you and that makes me happy”.
it is also used to say goodbye:
it is the equivalent to saying “yes” to any question and used to say “you’re welcome” or “it’s nothing”.
regardless of the context, Pura Vida is always expressed with enthusiasm, sympathy, gratitude and motivation, because it emerges from the soul.
Pura Vida is an expression so embedded in the culture of Costa Ricans that no one would suspect that it may have arisen from a 1956 Mexican movie with the same name. The phrase is used by the protagonist throughout the film to refer to good people and beautiful things or situations.
Ticos (people native to Costa Rica) adopted the term, morphing it to a distinct meaning yet with varied manifestations. It is now so ingrained that it is used by different generations and is part of Costa Rican mainstream culture and identity. More than just a term, it’s a lifestyle.
Jul17
azul.
el azul me hace feliz
—
“blue makes me happy”
(on first day in costa rica)
I didn't have my glasses on.... 