Surfing Nosara

2008-08-14T09:18:00.000-07:00

I would like to extend a very warm welcome to a new family in our community! Brandon, Daina and Neko have officially made the move to Nosara, and we are thrilled to have them.

Dinner at La Luna with (l-r)Andrew, Daina & Neko, Brandon, Erik, Sarah & Kemper

Brandon is joining the Surfing Nosara team; with his photojournalism and computer skills, he will be a perfect addition to the team. His outgoing and likable personality make him a great addition to the community. PLUS Sarah and Kemper have new friends! Daina and Neko are quickly becoming some of our closest friends. Neko is now 11 months old- and her energy and spunk rival that of Kemper.....I think we're in for a fun ride with the two of them!

The boys....

A candid shot of the girls....

We have also been blessed lately with some unusual wildlife viewing; in the past two weeks I have noticed three new bird species. Unfortunately, our camera was not handy at the time of the birds' visits- but I will share photos gathered from the internet (thanks Wikipedia!) to explain what we have seen.

The first encounter was with a bare-throated tiger heron, who was gracefully walking down the end of our street. Unlike the egrets and other herons that we have come to be familiar with here in Nosara, this beauty had a rich, dark coat, and a wide throat covered with mottled feathers. I would guess that if I could have stood next to him, his head would have reached my mid-thigh. He was a big and beautiful bird.

The next encounter was with a bird that the locals call "Chichiron". I was sitting in the Oasis having lunch with friends, when we were all drawn out of our seats and away from our food in search of the bird that made the loudest, most distinct call that I have ever heard. It took us a few moments to locate the bird- we caught a glimpse of the long tailfeathers, and I thought for a second that perhaps it was a Magpie Jay.....but the call was louder and more sonorous. If you have ever heard a Magpie Jay (in the blue bird family)- then you can understand how loud the 'Chichiron' is! We found him after a few minutes hopping along the ground. He was a large deep-fawn colored bird with a very lovely blue head. I tried to snap a photo, but he kept moving further and further away....He reminded me of an oversized pheasant.

Here is a photo of a grey-necked wood-rail....this photo most resembled the bird that we saw.....

The last encountered happened yesterday as I was sitting in our lawn using the internet (no....we cannot get a clear enough signal from the satellite indoors...ugh). Anyhow, once I stopped paying attention to the very loud and ever present Howlers, I noticed a gorgeous tiny blue tanager on a branch of the Pichote tree right above me. What a cute little songbird!

We were also graced with the presence of this 'momma spider' in our bathroom last night. Erik was kind enough to capture and release her outdoors (my maternal feelings are in overdrive lately....I couldn't bear the thought of slaughtering a mother and her newborns, no matter the species!)

Kemper playing with her best buddies, Mirian and her daughter Maria Jose:

Our house is coming right along....walls are up- roof should start early next week! We are very impressed with the progress- good work Pablo!

The walls are being covered with their first rough-coat...

Kemper says, "this is MY house!!"

2008-08-14T09:02:00.000-07:00

I took these photos a while back when our mangos were in season....enjoy!

This little guy was such a ham for the camera!

2008-07-20T13:54:00.001-07:00

We are going through some exciting changes of late:

*The NCA has been hard at work near our house for the past week, repairing a portion of road that has been eroding for the past six months. They did a great job repairing the road (if only the government would come and grate our main road!)

Finished product...thanks NCA!

*After many months of designing a floor plan, three months of waiting for final permits, and weeks of choosing a builder, we have finally broken ground on our property!

We already have our framework in place!

JUST KIDDING! This is the storage bodega which will house our building materials, as well as one worker who will remain on-site.

On Tuesday, the land was cleared. On Wednesday, the digging began! Chandy, our back hoe operator, has been hard at work for the past three days clearing away tree stumps and carving a flat buildable area on the bottom of our property. We have two more days of dirt moving planned....

Our builder, Pablo Carillo, (in blue t-shirt) has been overseeing the moving of the terrain at every moment. He has been easy to work with thus far, and very accommodating to our wishes.

Kemper explaining (or instructing) the back hoe operation.

Hanging out at the job site!

*And most importantly of all of the changes, our second baby is growing healthy and strong. Just look at that 19 week old mug!

2008-06-28T08:30:00.001-07:00

Flying from Liberia and looking for a nice side trip? You've got to visit Rincon de la Vieja....more specifically...you have to stay at the Hotel Borinquin. It is a little peice of heaven.

Last week, Erik's mom, Kelly aka GmK, came down to visit us. We love you and miss you GmK! Erik was forced to work a lot during her trip, so we collectively decided to take a mini-vacation to a new destination at the end of her trip. We had never visited Rincon before, and decided to check it out. (I was pleasantly surprised that Erik agreed to a vacation away from the beach!) We looked into our hotel options, and narrowed it down to two choices: the Hacienda Guachipelin or Hotel Borinquin. Hacienda Gauchipelin is a hotel/motel on an active horse ranch. I was drawn to this option b/c Kemper loves horses- plus, there were several short hikes that we could take starting at the hotel which would lead us to either waterfalls, mud pools, or fumaroles. It was the more budget friendly of the two options, and we decided to give it a shot.

After a 14 km drive down a powder-like dirt road (that much resembled a moonscape) we encountered the 'ranch'. It had been a longer than expected trip, and at 1:30, no one had eaten lunch....we were all starving! We checked in and were asked to put on our 'bracelets'...that was turn off #1. The hotel also serves as an 'adventure center' for big tour groups- I suppose they wanted to distinguish us as hotel guests.

Our room was not ready....turn off #2, so we headed to the restaurant (the only one on site) for some lunch. We walked in to find a large buffet, and our spirits were momentarily lifted....until the waitress handed us our menus. The restaurant was asking $18/person for the small lunch buffet. Forget about it! We scanned our other options, only to find that we were in a tourist trap! $15 for a plate of arroz con pollo?! That was it! Turn off #3. Erik made the executive decision to leave the Hacienda and upgrade us to Hotel Borinquin.

Through all of our hunger and exhaustion from the trip, the next hour in the car was the best investment that we could have made. The 25 km trek off of Calle 1 is pleasantly paved, and upon arrival, we were awestruck with the beauty of the land of the hotel. It was a 180 degree difference (from the 'ranch') upon approach. The high road in gives you a bird's-eye view of the valley and grounds of the resort- you first see a fumarole (large steam pocket) with the hotel villas beyond.

The entire property is lined with paver stones. At the hotel reception building, I relaxed in an oversized rocking chair with Kemper as Erik approached the counter- the friendly receptionist explained the resort and our private villa (room) options, as well as the on-site spa, mud pools, swimming pools, restaurants, horse back riding and canopy tours. She explained that each villa (room), is its own private building set apart from the rest, and because the villas are apart from each other, the restaurants and other attractions, we could simply dial reception for a golf cart to be sent to our door. The resort is pretty much on par with my idea of paradise.

Views from our patio of the other villas:

A view of the restaurant and grounds below from the reception building:

The food at the restaurants (one for breakfast and lunch, a formal room for dinner) was incredibly delicious, as well as affordable. By day two, the wait staff knew us by name and treated us like family- they brought out our favorite drink orders without prompting. Unfortunately, Erik and I were hit by a bad stomach virus for the next day and a half. Thank goodness for GmK! She took care of Kemper 100% and allowed us to rest and rebuild our strength. Thank you Kelly!

On our last afternoon, we felt much better....and just in time. We called for a golf cart, and indulged in the 'mud treatment'. I've got to give you details b/c it was such a unique experience.

At the base of the volcano Rincon de la Vieja, there are pockets of space where steam escape in large burst, called fumaroles.

There are also naturally occurring hot springs and bubbling mud pools. The Hotel Bourequin captures this natural beauty; above a hot spring, they built a natural sauna. To indulge in the full 'mud treatment', first, you bask in the sauna to open your pores. Next, you spread the smooth, soft mud collected in pots that morning from the mud pools all over your body.

The mud is known to be a natural, mineral-rich cleanser. Once the mud has dried (or as long as you would like to relax), you rinse in a warm outdoor shower.

From the shower, there are three hot spring pools of varying temperatures in which you can bathe....

the first was too cold for our liking, the last was too hot for my pregnant belly....we opted to relax in the luke warm tub for thirty minutes or so. By this time, Kemper had awoken from her nap, and joined us in the warm tub.

After our mud treatment, we took Kemper to the pool to play.

From there we walked on the twenty minute trail to see the petroglyphs, ancient rock carvings. The resort is unclear of the age of the drawings (and fears that the government might cordon off part of their property if they allow them to do research.) The pictures don't really capture the beauty and intricacy of the drawings- they were quite a sight!

The Hotel Borinquin is the place to go if you are looking for a quiet getaway full of natural beauty. I anxiously await our next trip!

We figured, we are so close to the Nicaraguan border....let's go and explore. Erik didn't his surfboard in tow, so we decided to make a trip to Granada- the nearest large city north of the border. We hired a guide to help us....here is more about our first experience crossing over the border.

Exiting Costa Rica is a pain in the rear- nothing is clearly marked. When driving north past Liberia on Calle 1, there are no signs denoting how close you are to the border. We were meeting a guide on the Costa Rican side of the border to help us transition through, and we were unclear how far away we were from the 'frontera'. FYI, once you hit Penas Blancas, you are there. You first will encounter a line of semi's- we asked a driver if we had to wait, or if we could pass them and enter the gate- he steered us ahead. (This unmarked gate opened automatically for us, we figure it is the station which regulates/searches the goods crossing the border.)

After driving a short street lined with trucks,

we encountered the 'Migration' offices of the Costa Rican border (I was too nervous about the crowd of onlookers to snap any more photos). Of course, nothing is clearly marked, so we weren't even sure we were there until the mob of people directed us. We parked directly in front of the office (and endless line) waiting for our guide. We were at once bombarded by offers of 'help' and money exchange into Nicaraguan currency by delinquent-looking guys in dirty t-shirts, even a few beggars peeked inside our tinted windows and tapped on the glass asking for donations. The place made us feel uneasy at once. We accepted three exit papers from a guy- we soon found out that you need to fill out the paper (like you do at the airport), which they will keep when they stamp your passport.

Our guide met us shortly thereafter, and informed us of the procedure. Unfortunately, Erik needed to stand in the long line of people to have his passport stamped, but I was escorted to the front of the line (with the other women with small children and the elderly). I was shown in shortly and waited in one of the two the 'Salida' lines. All in all, it took us around three hours to exit Costa Rica. Had we known what to do ahead of time, it would have been a lot smoother. We made two mistakes- we attempted to let our guide have our passports stamped for us (he refused to pay the government the $10 they were unlawfully requesting per passport, and was given a hard time), and then we followed someone's advice- I tried to pass Erik's passport into the window with mine when I was escorted to the front of the line (which many people had told me often works)- the worker asked for Erik to return with his passport (meaning he had to wait in the line). By the time Erik had joined the line, two big bus loads of people had just arrived. Poor Erik got stuck in the rain, and then had to wait an extra hour for the workers to return from lunch. Had he known better, and joined the line as soon as we arrived, I expect that our total time at the border would have been around one hour.

Simple Rules to follow at the border
1. Don't exchange your money at the Costa Rican border- there is a BAC bank (as well as a Western Union) as soon as you cross into Nicaragua. (FYI, US dollars are widely accepted- we only exchanged our Costa Rican colones into cordovas- Nicaraguan currency, and held onto the rest of our US $$.) One of the big businesses on the border is money exchanging. You will see men with wads of cash willing to exchange your dollars or colones into cordovas. These men are notorious for either taking your money and running, short-changing you, or handing you false money in return.
2. Hold onto your passport. Many people will offer to take your passport and have it stamped for you....who knows if you will ever see it again! Wouldn't that suck?!
3. Try to avoid hitting the border at lunch time- the wait is long enough without standing through someone's lunch hour!

After getting our stamp, we drove our car down another short road, where we found a secure parking lot (they will guard your car in a fenced lot with a full time guard for $6/day). From the lot, we walked five minute with our bags until we encountered another Costa Rican official who checked our passports for stamps. Our guide then escorted us to his car, where he drove us a short distance to the Nicaragua immigration office. He took our passports in, with the $7/person fee to enter Nicaragua, and took care of our paperwork and stamps for us. (Without a guide, I think you just walk the short distance from the CR official to the Nicaragua immigration office, fill out an entrance paper and pay the $7 fee yourself.) Entering Nicaragua is a better run business than leaving Costa Rica...we waited less than 10 minutes for our guide....and then we were off!

The drive into Nicaragua is charming- the roads, well maintained, and the landscape scenic. On our right we enjoyed views of Lago de Nicaragua and its volcanic islands- we were informed that the volcano on the left, "Volcan Concepcion" is active, whereas the volcano on the right, "Volcan Maderas" is inactive. We were told by our guide that in the valley between the volcanoes lies a little hotel, "Villa Paraiso". Supposedly, fishing is good on the lake....we considered spending a night on the island early on in the trip (but after settling in in Granada, decided to postpone our island-stay).

The first town we encountered, Rivas, was our guide's hometown. He informed us that it is the oldest city in all of North America- it was inhabited and established before St. Augustine, Florida. Rivas center was lazy on Sunday afternoon, but you can get a feel of the difference between Costa Rica and Nicaragua immediately by driving down the shop-lined, paved streets. Even on Sunday, with most of the shops barred closed, there was a strong police presence on every corner. The commercial center is well maintained, with adequate sidewalks outside the colorful store fronts. Horses are a common sight- in Rivas, most of the horses were pulling small wooden carts. We stopped at an ATM and the pharmacy (I was in desperate need of Calamine lotion! I must have an allergy to the minerals in Rincon!) and then proceeded on our drive to Granada.

Driving into Granada, you enjoy the views of a cloud-shrouded mountain in the distance, while small simple vender markets line the streets in front of you. The city is full and colorful- as you drive in you will pass down a street with walls on either side. The wall on the left signifies the Indian heritage, the wall on the right, the Spanish. The history of Granada is one riddled with invasions and hostile take-overs....you can see the different influences clearly in the architecture.

Many of the oldest cathedrals are now out of service, but stand as strong landmarks in a city with a unique (and battle filled) heritage.

We stayed in the Hotel Alhambra, one of Granada's finest, in a room with a picture-window looking out into the central park.

Kemper enjoyed sitting in the window, watching the venders and horse-drawn carriages below. We ate dinner in our hotel (the cuisine was similar to what we could find in CR) and enjoyed the music from the cultural center next door. The performers were practicing the music (played on old fashioned guitars and a large wooden marimba) and dances (in traditional full skirts and colorful head scarves) they were to perform in the park center later that evening; unfortunately the rain kept us away.

The next morning we ate at a small cafe, Kathie's Waffle House, just two blocks from our hotel. The food was good, and it was nice to get a touch of home (USA) amidst our trip to another land. Walking back towards the hotel, we encountered several women balancing large baskets of fruit atop their heads, transporting their goods to their small stands to sell for the day.

They like to carry things on their heads in Nicaragua!

From there we decided to hire a horse-drawn carriage to take us on a tour of the town.

Our driver was quiet, but after some prompting, shared some interesting facts with us about Granada. In our limited spanish, we learned that William Walker dominates the history of the town- when he took over, he required all churches to convert to Christianity- if they refused, he burned them to the ground. (I look forward into doing some further research online when we return home- I'll keep you informed.) On our thirty minute tour, we discovered that Granada is much wider spread than it first appears, and that the historical district nearly borders the large Lago Nicaragua (where you can take boat tours of the many small surrounding islands). We stopped and visited a fort from the 1700's, and touched the remnants of adobe walls left standing for centuries.

We witnessed a funeral procession: two black horses, adorned with hand-sewn lace gowns, drew an intricately carved black carriage with glass windows which housed the casket. A small procession of friends and family followed on foot behind the carriage. The tour was enjoyable, as well as comfortable. At one point all three of us were nearly asleep- perhaps we felt at home bouncing around in the carriage, it reminded us much of the bumpy roads in Nosara. Overall, it was a good tour for a mere $10.

I had heard about a little artist's market in Masaya (30 mins away)....Erik surprised us the next morning with a guided tour of the Masaya volcano and then shopping at the market. On the drive to the volcano, Erik asked our tour guide about the history of Nicaragua, and how the current president is regarded- from talking with him, and several other locals during the remainder of our trip, you really get a sense of the tension and unrest that Nicaraguans feel toward their political system. They have a three-party system, and somehow, their current president, Daniel Ortega, was elected with only 38% of the popular vote. Their leaders tell them, "When you support the government, you are acting as a true, proud Nicaraguan. When you voice an opposing viewpoint, you are selling Nicaragua to the foreigners"....that doesn't leave a person much room to have an opinion!! The more people we talked to, the more uncomfortable we felt about the widespread presence of the local and national police....maybe they weren't just there to prevent crime? Perhaps preparing for unrest? A few tidbits about Nicaragua (from CIA.gov- world factbook)

Background:
The Pacific coast of Nicaragua was settled as a Spanish colony from Panama in the early 16th century. Independence from Spain was declared in 1821 and the country became an independent republic in 1838. Britain occupied the Caribbean Coast in the first half of the 19th century, but gradually ceded control of the region in subsequent decades. Violent opposition to governmental manipulation and corruption spread to all classes by 1978 and resulted in a short-lived civil war that brought the Marxist Sandinista guerrillas to power in 1979. Nicaraguan aid to leftist rebels in El Salvador caused the US to sponsor anti-Sandinista contra guerrillas through much of the 1980s. Free elections in 1990, 1996, and 2001, saw the Sandinistas defeated, but voting in 2006 announced the return of former Sandinista President Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra. Nicaragua's infrastructure and economy - hard hit by the earlier civil war and by Hurricane Mitch in 1998 - are slowly being rebuilt.

Economy - overview:
Nicaragua has widespread underemployment, one of the highest degrees of income inequality in the world, and the third lowest per capita income in the Western Hemisphere. While the country has progressed toward macroeconomic stability in the past few years, annual GDP growth has been far too low to meet the country's needs, forcing the country to rely on international economic assistance to meet fiscal and debt financing obligations. In early 2004, Nicaragua secured some $4.5 billion in foreign debt reduction under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, and in October 2007, the IMF approved a new poverty reduction and growth facility (PRGF) program that should create fiscal space for social spending and investment. The continuity of a relationship with the IMF reinforces donor confidence, despite private sector concerns surrounding ORTEGA, which has dampened investment. The US-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) has been in effect since April 2006 and has expanded export opportunities for many agricultural and manufactured goods. Energy shortages fueled by high oil prices, however, are a serious bottleneck to growth.

Since I've got the page open, may as well post what the CIA.gov has to say about Costa Rica-

Background:
Although explored by the Spanish early in the 16th century, initial attempts at colonizing Costa Rica proved unsuccessful due to a combination of factors, including: disease from mosquito-infested swamps, brutal heat, resistance by natives, and pirate raids.* It was not until 1563 that a permanent settlement of Cartago was established in the cooler, fertile central highlands. The area remained a colony for some two and a half centuries. In 1821, Costa Rica became one of several Central American provinces that jointly declared their independence from Spain. Two years later it joined the United Provinces of Central America, but this federation disintegrated in 1838, at which time Costa Rica proclaimed its sovereignty and independence. Since the late 19th century, only two brief periods of violence have marred the country's democratic development. Although it still maintains a large agricultural sector, Costa Rica has expanded its economy to include strong technology and tourism industries. The standard of living is relatively high. Land ownership is widespread.

(*a note from Sarah- It's like Erik and I always say! There are barriers to entry when you want to move to Costa Rica!)

Economy - overview:
Costa Rica's basically stable economy depends on tourism, agriculture, and electronics exports. Poverty has remained around 20% for nearly 20 years, and the strong social safety net that had been put into place by the government has eroded due to increased financial constraints on government expenditures. Immigration from Nicaragua has increasingly become a concern for the government. The estimated 300,000-500,000 Nicaraguans estimated to be in Costa Rica legally and illegally are an important source of (mostly unskilled) labor, but also place heavy demands on the social welfare system. Foreign investors remain attracted by the country's political stability and high education levels, as well as the fiscal incentives offered in the free-trade zones. Exports have become more diversified in the past 10 years due to the growth of the high-tech manufacturing sector, which is dominated by the microprocessor industry. Tourism continues to bring in foreign exchange, as Costa Rica's impressive biodiversity makes it a key destination for ecotourism. The government continues to grapple with its large internal and external deficits and sizable internal debt. Reducing inflation remains a difficult problem because of rising import prices, labor market rigidities, and fiscal deficits. Tax and public expenditure reforms will be necessary to close the budget gap. In October 2007, a national referendum voted in favor of the US-Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).

Back to our Masaya volcano tour: the Masaya volcano was unique in that you can actually drive up to the crater and peer inside. It is an active volcano, most recognized by the constant stream of sulfur smoke that continually pours from the crater. Fortunately, the gods were smiling on us, and kept the wind at our backs....we climbed the 160 steps to the top observatory.

The cross (recently renovated) represents the exact location that Father Francisco Bobadilla placed a cross at the beginning of the conquest. (From http://www.nicatour.net/en/Nicaragua/volcanmasaya.asp) During the Conquest, the Spaniards baptized the active Volcano "LA BOCA DEL INFIERNO" or "THE MOUTH OF HELL". They then planted a cross, "LA CRUZ DE BOBADILLA" (named after Father Francisco Bobadilla). It was placed on the crater lip in the 16th century in order to exorcise the Devil.

View onto the lava fields and lagoons in the distance from the top of the observatory (note my growing pooch!):

Kemper's favorite part was running back down the steps!

The largest eruption in the volcano's history took place in 1772, the latest eruption in 2005- our tour guide informed us that the week prior to our visit, at 3pm in the afternoon, visitors to the crater felt what to be a small earthquake. One minute later, rocks were thrown from the crater- it was a small eruption, and no one was injured. How exciting, eh?! In general, we had a nice time at the park. The information center was very informative, with information about the volcano's history, the landscape and species living in the area, as well as general information about volcanoes. (From wikipedia.org) In 1979, Masaya became Nicaragua's first National Park, named Masaya Volcano National Park (Parque Nacional Volcan Masaya). The National Park has an area of 54 km² includes two volcanoes and five craters,[1] as well as a range of elevations between 100 and 630 meters above sea level. It is the only volcano in the western hemisphere where you are able to drive to the rim. In the park is an underground tunnel which was formed by lava flows, one can find bats and look inside and observe the glowing lava in the dark crater mouth of the volcano.[1]

Compared to the volcano, the Masaya handicraft market was lackluster. In my mind, I had envisioned local artists with small booths peddling a wide variety of homemade goods. What we got was more like a flea market- most of the vendors sold identical wares. I was able to barter with a vendor for a cute little green dress for Kemper for ~$3.50...I was happy b/c the same dress was sold next to our hotel in Granada for $8....I felt like I got a bargain. We also picked up a new piece of artwork- we found out that the key was to shop around a bit- where one shop would sell a piece for $200, another would sell a similar piece for $50.

Our guide took us to lunch at a restaurant that overlooked a blue crater lake. The food was good- but unfortunately clouds shrouded our view into the water. Here is the brief view we got between the haze:

By day three, we were all exhausted and ready to return home. We arranged a cab to pick us up early that morning, and started our eight hour voyage home. Our overall first impression was that Nicaragua is good for surfers, but bad for families. Our next Central American family vacation will be back to Bocas del Toro, Panama, for sure!

Crossing back into Costa Rica was about as much fun as leaving. Our first stop, passing out of Nicaragua, was no trouble- we paid an additional $2 to the city, and $3/ person to the border to leave.
Approaching the Nicaraguan side of the border:

It is frightening, though, b/c it is hard to tell if you are being pandered to, or charged an official fee. We made sure to keep the receipts from our entry fee so that we weren't double charged- and we did confirm that the exit fee was legal. From Nicaraguan immigration, we walked back to find that our car was exactly as we had left it! (We had been a little nervous that someone could have broken a window or taken our tires....but all was well!) We jumped in our car, blasted the A/C, and took deep sighs of relief.

I had a plan to help us through immigration into CR....some of you may not know, but I am now four months pregnant. I asked Erik to hold Kemper as I pushed out my little pooch. We walked to the 'people with young children and the elderly' line- the guard looked at me quizzically until I placed my hand under my belly- he allowed both Erik, Kemper and I to wait in the 'faster' line. I can't call it the 'fast' line, because nothing about CR immigration is fast....we still had to stand for at least forty minutes while the one (yes, ONE) 'Entrada' agent took a break. (I suppose that no matter what time you reach the border, you should expect to wait at least an hour!) I cannot tell you how relieved we were to get back into our car and start the drive home!! On a side note, be sure to use the facilities at the border- there are no rest stops for over an hour as you drive towards Liberia.

The drive was uneventful, and we are all nice and relaxed...finally!

Talk to you all soon!

2008-06-10T10:15:00.000-07:00

What a weekend! Congratulation Sarah and Kerwin Deese on a fun-filled and beautiful tropical wedding in Nosara this past Saturday. We hope that your lives together will always reflect on the incredible way that you chose to sanctify your union.

The festivities began Saturday morning at 10 am with a ladies-only brunch at the Harmony Hotel. We toasted the bride, shared great stories, sipped on mimosas, and indulged ourselves in the scents of all of the bride's gifts (the invitation read: 'Candles and Perfume are her pleasure- bring her something that she'll treasure'). Kemper was invited and especially enjoyed the monkey shaped lollipops at each place setting.

The afternoon activities continued at the Guilded Iguana, where the majority of the group met to play bocee ball and lounge poolside midday. After an afternoon nap, we all met at La Luna in Playa Pelada for the wedding ceremony and reception.

I was awestruck at the beauty of the ceremony. A large tent (lined with sheer fabric- softening the lighting above) was erected in the lawn of the La Luna restaurant, which housed bamboo chairs-outfitted with fans and bubbles- for the guests.

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The bride walked down the rose-pedal strewn aisle lined with tiki torches with her father, to the beat of a talented three-piece mariachi band.

A closer look at the exotic flowers on the alter...

Caroline & Josh Harrison with Andrew...

Kemper took the ceremony very seriously...

After a touching, twenty minute ceremony performed by a Costa Rican attorney, the guests were invited to cool down with wet hand towels (nice touch!). A champagne toast, pictures, delicious buffet and open bar paved the way for a fantastic, dance-filled evening. It was a night to remember.

Former St. Augustine crew: Erik, Josh Dixon, Josh & Caroline Harrison, Andrew, Sarah & Kemper

The bridal party's dinner table
(each place setting was fitted with a card informing the guests that a donation in their honor had been made to the 'Save the Howler' fund- helping to prevent and treat howler monkeys disfigured by 'hot' power line injuries)

I will find out the name of the couple's wedding coordinator- I never met her, but I was so thoroughly impressed with the event that I want to give her credit!

Congratulations, again, to the happy couple. Sarah & Kerwin, thank you for choosing our town to celebrate your marriage. Way to go! Nicely done! We wish you all of the happiness that the world has to offer. We look forward to spending the rest of the week with you.

2008-06-04T10:16:00.000-07:00

We now participate in family yoga....

2008-06-02T11:10:00.000-07:00

Whew! Did you guys hear about the major storm that we endured last week?! I'm happy to announce that we have both our power and water back- a day without running water makes you really appreciate the advances we've made as a society. I can do without power, but man! give me water!

Being without power can be good for the soul. It forces us to take a break and enjoy each other's company. For us, it was an excuse to barbeque, dust off the guitars, and play with bbguns. The guys, Erik, Andrew & Mike Motley (from good 'ole St. Augustine), spent the afternoon playing the classic game, "Beer before Cock"....I'm not too keen on the details, but they seemed to enjoy themselves (so much so that they burnt the chicken on the grill.) What can you do?! Beer can sometimes take precedent over food. (Before you get too excited, the game requires the participant to finish their beer before cocking the bbgun...)

So our friends who were just in town visiting us (Motley, Mike Herchel & his fiance Tammy Beard) got the short end of the stick when it came to the weather in Nosara. The 'tropical wave' that hit us pretty much put a damper on their 'sun burnt' beach dreams....but we made up for it in plenty of ways! We enjoyed some terrific food (Dolce Vita, we love you!!), took some interesting hikes, and got really lucky in La Fortuna. The two day side trip to visit Volcano Arenal was a definite highlight....and the volcano put on quite a show for us.

We were a bit nervous about traveling to Arenal in May- the weather can be hit or miss...but we lucked out! On both days, we caught perfect volcano views. We like to stay at Volcano Lodge, which has a nice volcano view from each room (plus, the patios are equipped with rocking chairs!). From the rooms, you see a part green/ part grey- lava burnt volcano- with occasional lava spewing from the side (bring your binoculars). On this trip, we decided to venture beyond our hotel and search for a new view- I will NEVER forget what we saw! After a fifteen minute drive after sunset on a very bumpy road (follow the signs toward 'Arenal Observatory'), we saw a natural firework show. Watching lava 'drip' down the volcano was a natural wonder that will stay with me for a lifetime! Pictures just don't do justice to what we witnessed (plus, I didn't have my camera in tow- so I haven't included any lava shots).

On the trail of the hanging bridge tour...

To see more pictures from Arenal, taken by Mike Herchel, visit http://herchel.com/costa

We love you Costa Rica. We love you with or without power. We love your natural beauty and wonder. We love that we live in a place that isn't 100% predictable- it makes us appreciate what we have, when we have it. Thank you, Costa!

2008-05-14T13:36:00.000-07:00

We're back!!!

For all of you who are tired of looking at the picture of our dogs (I hear you Aunt Cindy!), here are some new snapshots on which to feast your eyes. It has been so long since I have blogged- I fear that if I start from the beginning I will never reach the present topics.....so.....I'll start with the most current news and work backwards.

Life has been both hectic and calm at the same time these days. The town is wonderfully vacant right now- nothing against all of you vacationers....it's just nice to see the faces of our friendly neighbors once in awhile (they seem to get lost in the crowd when the town is full). Perhaps Nosara feels unusually quiet these days, also, because we have just lost two of our families. The McGraw family (Chip [of Coldwell Banker], Monica, Fitch & Cooper) have returned to their home state of Florida. The Alexander/Salinas family (Steve & Yogi [doctors, founders of Projecto Ninos], Nikia, Kekoa & Kikko) are beginning a grand adventure in Beijing China. Both of these families will be sorely missed by all of their friends. Although it is hard to say goodbye, if I have learned one thing, it is that this world is much smaller than we make it out to be! I know that our paths will cross again in the future!

On the hectic side of things, Erik has taken another challenge under-wing and opened his own office! The Surfing Nosara office is located in the brand-new plaza on the main street in Guiones, (down from Cafe de Paris), directly next to the new medical building and pharmacy. Stop by and say hello when you are in town! There you will find Erik & Andrew (when they are not surfing), a comfy couch and some ice cold AC. I am trying to coordinate the purchase of a fridge, also, so that we can soon offer you some cold drinks & snacks.

I've been keeping busy as well. For the past two weeks I have been working as a substitute teacher at the new Del Mar Academy. I am filling in for Ms. Karen, who unexpectedly lost her husband recently. Our hearts go out to you Ms. Karen. I was grateful to be able to step in and lend a hand to Ms. Aidi (co-teacher to Ms. Karen)....it would be hard to manage twenty 3-6 year olds single-handedly! All in all, the children are fantastic, and I am excited for Kemper to one day attend the DMA. I hope to teach there in the future, as well.

As you can clearly see from the photo, the kids were extremely well-behaved for me. hehe! We did have a lot of fun together (my favorite was making cookies together for mother's day- yum!) See you soon, guys!

Kemper loves to get into everything these days.....here is the evidence of her mid-morning snack (today she had cream-cheese & crackers).

Another 'cheesy' photo

We recently attended our first wedding ceremony in Nosara. Congratulations Zac & Tatiana! The ceremony was held at sunset on the northern point of Guiones beach. The reception at Tierra Magnifica was magnificent.

Looking for shells while awaiting the ceremony

Kemper running towards the happy couple (Zac in white, holding Tati in blue in the background of the photo)

"Slick Eric" & daughter

Kemper making new friends- here with Kati, Gaia & her momma.

Another reason that I have been offline for some time is that Erik surprised me!! He brought my parents down to visit us!! Erik and my dad have been in cahoots since January trying to pull the trip off....what a success! They let my mom in on the secret two weeks prior to the trip (my dad knew she would be furious if she didn't have enough time to prepare items to spoil her granddaughter with!!) And spoil her they did! It was a phenomenal ten days that flew by way too fast. I will save the details for another day....

Kemper helping make a cake for Gram.

Although Erik gets all the credit for Kemper's looks.....maybe we are all wrong! Look at how closely Kemper resembles her Gram in this picture (Sarah's mom).

Lastly, I will leave you with some photos of our farm friends.

Nessie and her baby Lina

2008-04-15T07:39:00.000-07:00

The boys...hard at work!

Our flying fish....

Whether at the beach, the neighbors pool, or the kiddie pool in our yard- we are surrounded by water. For this reason, we started giving Kemper swimming lessons. In the past few months, she has progressed from a frog-like double leg swim, to a fully-extended alternating leg paddle. She can jump in from standing on the wall, submerge, and kick her way to the surface to reach us- without drinking any water. We are teaching her to hold onto the wall independently, and to call for us before she releases her grasp.

Granted, we have a long way to go, and we won't be leaving our 15 month old unsupervised near any water source in the near future- but it makes us feel good knowing that we are starting to enable her- we are introducing her to skills that will not only make her more confident and athletic, but may also save her life. (Plus...it is a lot of fun!)

2008-04-08T08:28:00.000-07:00

We are indulging in Costa Rican culture this week....so far we have visited a local soccer match and hosted a tamale-making party.

The soccer match was held in the Esperanza field. Three games were scheduled...we stayed for the first two. (Note- dog walking across the playing field!)

In this picture you can barely make out that the goalie is being carried off the field (into the crowd just a few feet from the net). The primary goalie from the Esperanza team was taken off due to a leg injury. The back up goalie was carried off the field on the very next play due to a broken pinkie (yes, he was carried off of the field!) This called an end to the first game....the team ran out of goalies!

We were all getting a little tired from the heat, and bored by the sloppy soccer playing. I didn't pay much attention during the second game...but these kids playing in front of us sure were interesting to watch!

A few days later, we invited our friend Tammy and her son Oliver over for some tamale making. We were instructed, and assisted by our friends Mirian and her daugher Maria Jose, Mirian's sister Miriana, and her daughter Mirianita.

Kemper and Oliver get along famously...

Mirian and Tammy cutting down 'hoja's'...

Oliver helping me carry firewood...

Tammy and Miriana hard at work...

...while Kemper steals the ingredients!

Pots full of goodness...

And at last we are rewarded! All of the hard work sure is worth it!

2008-04-02T08:44:00.000-07:00

This past week has been an inevitable one for a parent- our child's first injuries. Since returning from the states last Wednesday, Kemper has been put through the gambit: On Wednesday she stepped on a dead bee- I pulled a nice sized stinger out of her foot. On Friday she climbed out of her crib (for the first time) and landed forehead first on the concrete floor. Thankfully she only had a little scrape from the incident. And yesterday, my poor little girl was stung by a scorpion on the palm of her left hand.

Here is a picture of the offending parties. They got what was coming to them. The 100 colone piece is roughly the size of a quarter.

From these three injuries, she only cried for the fall. We have one tough kid! Note the small red bruise between the bubbles....

Our little model...

In a way, we are happy that this week has finally come. We discovered that our daughter is neither allergic to bees nor scorpions, and that she won't break when she takes a hard fall. We learned that the local remedy for insect stings is sugar- ingest a half a teaspoon of raw sugar- it numbs (or distracts) from the pain.

Hopefully the old adage that bad things happen in sets of three holds true for us. We don't want to see our little girl hurt again!

2008-03-28T10:10:00.000-07:00

We're back! On a whim, Team Antonson decided to escape from the 'Semana Santa' crowd in Nosara (the busiest week in town- we are the destination for both spring breaker's of the US as well as the entire country of Costa Rica!) to visit Erik's sister, mom, and step dad.

The trip began in Atlanta, where we were greeted by Gramma Kelly and Grandpa Bob. Thank goodness they brought us fleeces to borrow because we may have frozen in place outside the airport doors before getting to the car- it would have been a very short trip! Here is a little video of Kemper thanking her feet for getting her through the airport...

We indulged in March Madness and grandparent time for our first two nights while in Thomson GA, just outside Augusta. On Friday we hopped in the car with GmK (Gramma Kelly) heading to Charleston SC, where we met Aunt Amy (Erik's sister).

Out on the town Friday night with Boo, Amy, Amelia, Rhett, Erik, Katherine, and Sarah (L-R)...

Erik's sister, whom we know as Amy, is known in her circle of friends and colleagues as Adrienne. Amy is an extremely talented artist- the main purpose of our trip was to attend a fashion show that she had coordinated. Amy's event hosted several stores and private designers, all of whom had runway models to show off their wares. The headliner, of course, was Amy's company, Spinster.

The show was held in a large store location on King Street. The had hoped to draw ~300 people to the event....they ended up turning away over 100 people! They ran out of space! The event was a huge success- and a lot of fun for everyone who attended. I don't know if we enjoyed the deejay's, the models, the drinks, the tap dancing half time show, or the videos on the walls more! We are so proud of Amy. Here is a link to a video of Amy's portion of the event (the highlight!)- Amy's company is Spinster- she designed the clothes and brought in a professional to train her models. They did a fantastic job (very sexy!)
spinster uncut:

Kemper sported a spikey mohawk for the fashion show. She was a big hit!

Katherine (Erik's neighbor growing up), and GmK- all dolled up for the event. Miss Lucansky also drove up from Gainesville to see the show!

A view of the event from the VIP section...

We stayed in Charleston until Easter Sunday- and the Easter bunny found Kemper in our hotel (thanks GmK!!). Kemper had a blast finding all of the eggs. By noon we were on the road, returning to Georgia. For the next few days, we relaxed, acted as consumers, and soaked up precious family time. We love you all, and are looking forward to our next trip back to see you again.

Kemper enjoying a 'real playground' in Thomson...

It didn't take her long to desire the 'big slide'! Our child is fearless- which fills us with fear...

Some of Bob's pretty posies

Kemper is 'certified organic'

On the drive to the Atlanta airport, the outside temperature clocked in at 33 degrees F.....

...coming back to Nosara we were blasted with a heat of 37 degree C (upper 90's).

Whew! Talk about a climate change. We cherished the time we were able to cuddle under a down blanket together in Georgia....but after a week of being back in steamy CR, our bodies have readjusted to the heat.

2008-03-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

Hello folks- thought I'd share some more interesting info with you today. As I was clearing out our bodega yesterday, I found this 'adorable' bug under my luggage. We call them 'cave dwellers' here....but that was not enough for me- I wanted to learn more.

After some digging (on the web- gotta love wikipedia and the site 'whats that bug'), I found what I was looking for. My little friend is a Tailless Whip Scorpion, or to be more specific:

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Amblypygi

Amblypygids are also known as tailless whip scorpions (see also whip scorpion). The name "amblypygid" means "blunt rump", a reference to a lack of the telson ("tail") carried by related species.

As of 2002, approximately 5 families, 17 genera and 136 species have been described. They are found in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Some species are subterranean; many are nocturnal. During the day, they may hide under logs, bark, stones, or leaves. They prefer a humid environment.

Fun Facts:

* A tailless whip scorpion makes an appearance in the movie Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, as the Death Eater, Barty Crouch Jr, while impersonating Mad-Eye Moody, uses in a demonstration of the Unforgivable Curses (whereas in the book he uses a spider).
* A tailless whip scorpion was also the organism consumed on the 10/19/2005 episode of Fear Factor and referred to on the program as an African cave-dwelling spider.

I had heard that our 'cave dwellers' were harmless, but I feel much more confident now knowing that he will not attack me! I will leave him in the bodega to feed on our other strange, and still unidentified, bugs.

2008-03-14T07:07:00.000-07:00

FYI- If you are looking to call anywhere in Costa Rica on or after March 20th, every number is changing. For land lines (homes, businesses, etc.) , add a '2' before the number, and for cellular phones, add an '8' before the number.

For Example:

Within Costa Rica, an OLD office number may be 682-0000 NEW 2682-0000
Within Costa Rica, a OLD cell phone number may be 841-0000 NEW 8841-0000

Calling Internationally, OLD land line 011 (506) 682-0000 NEW 011 (506) 2682-0000
Calling Internationally, OLD cellular 011 (506) 841-0000 NEW 011 (506) 8841-0000

This seems very funny to me! In the states, we are used to an additional area code, or new first three digits. I recently learned that Costa Rica could not expand the area code because (505) is the area code for Nicaragua....and (507) is the area code for Panama!

I also learned that ten years ago, telephone numbers here were only six digits long...and twenty years ago they were only FIVE digits! It is such a small country! I love it!

2008-03-13T10:31:00.001-07:00

The product of yesterday's surf....

The surf buckled Andrew's board in two places, and tore the fiberglass completely off the back of the front section. I also met a man yesterday with a big patch on his leg- he put his fin through his calf.
I am surprised that the guys don't come home with more bumps, bruises, and broken boards....with how they surf several sessions daily! I consider myself a 'surf widow' because of the time the surf steals my husband away from me....I pray that I never truly become a 'surf widow'.

2008-03-13T07:20:00.000-07:00

Check out this cocoon that we found in the corner of our carport yesterday!

It has a firm outer shell...but if you squeeze it the lower section twitches (I'm sure the insect does not appreciate that....) Soon we will have a pissed off butterfly in our yard!