Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Calamari



Normally you only get to see these on your dinner plate, so I thought I would share. Pass the sauce please!

Monday, September 27, 2010

Giant Things


Moving to a new place provides you with the opportunity to see many new things. One visited last night, the Giant Toad (aka Pet Killer). One lick off the back of this toad will kill a large dog, the toxin is even strong enough to kill a human. The extended sacks behind its head contains the toxin. Just one more reason to keep the pets inside at night as these things roam around your living room finding things to eat.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Feeding Time



It is truly amazing sometimes. Although it is a little cloudy today it allows the birds to come out in force and feed off the fruit that is ready for the picking. Today about two dozen green parrots are feeding off the small avocados while making a tremendous amount of noise. Not only where they feeding, but also the toucans and Oropendola’s. It was kind of like a big breakfast for 30 or 40.



Once they have had their fill, they move on and everything is quiet again.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Things around the House

Here are a few shots from around the house while sitting in our living room. Jana and I took these (mostly Jana) while sitting in the comfort of our chairs over the past couple of days. No we did not go to the zoo, we LIVE in one!!












Thursday, September 16, 2010

Dia de Independencia (aka Jana's Birthday)



Wednesday was a picture perfect day in Puerto, no clouds, nice cooling breeze from the water and lots of people out enjoying the indpendance day free time lounging at the beach. Since it was also Jana's birthday we grabed our snorkel mask, washed off the mold and went to Punta Uva for some snorkeling. This is about the only place in Costa Rica with live reefs still around. The Banana Plantations though are trying thier best to kill off the rest of them. Since they come in and clear cut so much land the sediment that runs off enters the oceans and covers up the reefs. I found large banana palm lying on the beach the other day that had washed up, even a stock of green bananas.



Since we do not have fins we couldn't go out very far. Now this is our new quest for the next trip is to go to the dive shop in town and rent some. This will enable us to go out further in the more calmer water and hopefully more fish. There are all sorts of sizes, colors and shapes of fish that live within the reef. As you can see in the picture the reef is right there, you just walk out and wham you're there. So I think we will buy some fins on our trip back to the states to bring back.




This part of the beach is about 10 kms south of Puerto so it is within biking distance too. Pura Vida!

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Some not so quiet times

Well it has been a while since my last post, been busy trying to get the name changed for our electrical service. Sounds simple doesn't it? Nope, not exactly. Since it will be put into the name of our corporation we first obtain a Certificacion de Personeria Jurdidica from the Registro Nacional located just a few miles away in Limon. Once we get that it is good for only 30 days when it expires. When we obtained our corporation my passport was about to expire so I renewed it and when you do that you get a new passport number. Well it does not match the old passport number so as of now I can not use this for business without Jana coming along since her passport number is the same. Minor glitch. Next you have to go to the ICE office which is also located just a few miles (klicks) away in BriBri. Once there you are informed that there is a bill outstanding that needs to be paid before that can accept our solicitation for the name change. Back to Puerto to pay the bill and get a receipt. Since I was short of cash off to the bank to stand in line for the ATM. Back to pay the bill. Pick up Jana and head back to BriBri to the office again. Once we get there we wait about a half hour while the person in charge of the electricity accounts is helping people with cell phones......

After a while they take our paperwork, make copies and hand us a notice saying that this is a receipt por la solicitud. Al respecto le estaremos comunicando el resultado lo mas pronto posible. So now we wait and see if we can get the name changed. All this took was 3 and half hours to accomplish. Had this been San Jose it would have taken all day.

On a not so quiet note, last Thursday an American was shot and killed while sitting alone on the beach. The police have no suspects and probably will never find the person who did this horrible thing. Residents and tourists alike continue to worry about crime and their safety after the senseless murder of Steven Edelson last week at Playa Chiquita.

Edelson, a retired psychiatric counselor who lived in Novato, California, and his life partner Marsha Wachs, had visited Puerto Viejo several times before and enjoyed the laid back atmosphere, never feeling unsafe before. “We would take cabs, rent bicycles, hitch-hike, walk,” Wachs said. “We never ever felt there was a danger there.”

With the crime still under investigation as a presumed robbery, Edelson’s companions said they were struggling to make sense of the act. Edelson was apparently robbed of a backpack containing sunscreen, a water bottle and a beer, they said, while a watch, ring and other items were left behind.

In a small community such as Puerto Viejo, any act of violence is felt by everyone. This is beyond reason why someone would think that life can be taken this easily knowing that they would probably never be caught. Costa Rica has a long way to go to make sure not only it's citizens are safe but others as well.

This does not change my attitude toward moving here, the event was very unfortunate and hopefully not to be repeated. Everyone here lives here for a reason and cannot tolerate this kind of behavior.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Quiet Times



It is kind of odd not to be able to hear the ocean breaking on the shore, but as you can see from the picture you would be hard pressed to call this an ocean, more like a lake. It is the quite time of the year in the Carib, except for the neighbor’s two dogs who just had to bark all night long. So just who is sleeping now? Hopefully it is not a repeat performance tonight.

While the big Navy ship was parked in Limon, lots of people with health care were treated for free. Go figure, why can't the Navy provide free health care to the people who pay their wages and really don't have a health care system that will take care of them? I know that this was a humanitarian mission to promote good will, but hey lots of folks back in the US have no jobs, no health care and need some hugs too!

When their mission was done, everyone had three days shore leave. Each day a huge glob of buses would show up and unload hundreds of sailors and shore patrolmen. With all the sailors gone, the town seems unalive. During the three days of shore leave the place was packed, wall to wall haircuts, long lines at the money machine and many beers were consumed. I am sure they had some too. Each night the pumpkin would haul them back to the ship. Needless to say, the business people here really got a huge boost in their pocketbooks.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

I hear ya knockin'



These guys don't come around often and kind of brings to mind the Orkin commerical you see on TV (not here). You know the one bringing the pizza?? Well this time there is no pizza only mister big bug. At least he can't fit through the screen, and oh yea it is nice to have screens!!




This other guy lives out in our bodega and has been there for about 1 week now. I think it is called a house gecko but it's about 6 or 7 inches long and moves like lightening. We have all sorts of things living in our bio-sphere here.

Also today we saw 4 new birds we had not seen before as they came by looking for things to eat. Mostly bugs so you know we like that. Anything that reduce the bug population is welcomed. Maybe as we approach our dry month most of these bugs will go away for a while.

Well I am off to the beach with the dogs, they have a feeling for what time it is.

Riteve Sucess

One of the important things about Costa Rica is "Hacer Cola", make a line. Not ever been to Riteve before I had no idea what to expect. I even made an appointment for 9AM, did little good, they just marked my name off a list. If you are lucky enough to find a place to park you go into the office to show your paper work for the car and pay the fee (about $19). You get your slips of paper get in you car and get in line.



Once in line they do a quick inspection of your lights, doors, windows, seat belts, tires, etc. Then you move along as each car goes into the building for additional tests.



Once inside they test your emissions while reving the engine at 2500 RPM. You see a read out on the computer screen. Then they bounce all four wheels to check your shocks and struts. You see a read out on the computer screen, my left two were at 61% and my right two were at 100%, hum odd. Then they check your brakes, after that they look at the under carraige to make sure your muffler is there, your steering is not loose, etc. Then you go park again and come back to the little window to receive your prize. Pass or Fail? I did pass and now have my sticker for another year, they guy who was a couple of cars ahead of me was not so lucky as he had a list of things to repair before they would pass him.



September 15 is "Independance Day" and to take advantage of Tico Pride, hockers are out selling flags. We will probably get one and you can bet that we will be outside singing the "Himo Nacional" using our very best spanish when the time comes.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Birds



About 6 of the birds showed up yesterday to feed in the trees around the house and I think they are back this morning too. You keep catching a moving object up in the trees as they forage for food.

Yesterday I made an appointment to get the car inspected, the closest place is in Limon. Gives me a chance to go shopping at Mas x Menos for things you can't find here.

Yesterday was full of new things, about 4:30 in the afternoon my chair started rocking back and forth. It only lasted about 3 seconds but you know what is was, chairs just don't do that by themselves. This is a very active tectonic country, just yesterday there were 3 small shakes on the pacific side.