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
Jul23
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.
Jul18
gold and coffee.
indigenous gold figures at the museo del oro precolumbia
san jose
britt coffee farm in the afternoon rain
central valley
“trust that the treasure we look for is hidden in the ground on which we stand.”
-henri j.m. nouwen
Jul17
azul.
el azul me hace feliz
—
“blue makes me happy”
(on first day in costa rica)
Jul16
the last straw.
after much trial and error
and lacking strong spatial skills
i shifted to a 3-d jigasw puzzle approach
and was finally able
to fit everything
for my two-week trip
to a country
with twelve micro-climates
into a carry-on bag
that met the weight and size limits
however
i was not able to fit one more thing
as this sad q-tip having to be left behind would illustrate.
—
“on a long journey even a straw weighs heavy. “
– spanish proverb
Costa Rica’s 12 micro climates vary from the exotic volcanoes to the cool cloud forests, from the dense jungle to the tropical dry forests and golden beaches to the secluded waterfalls and rivers.
Jul15
new places.
today
my journey begins
heading
to costa rica
at long last.
adios!
—
“i want to travel across the world and breathe the air of new places.”
-author unknown
Jul14
music is a moral law.
50+ years as a band
los lobos
came to town
blocked off the street
set up
for a free concert
on a sunny afternoon
first time for my grandson
everyone
loving
their unique brand
of rock, blues, country, and rhythm and blues
from the first chord
there was dancing in the street.
—
“music is a moral law.
it gives soul to the universe,
wings to the mind,
flight to the imagination,
and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.”
-plato
I didn't have my glasses on.... 