Poco de Belleza
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Bye for Now... Hasta Pronto y Gracias
Though we are still having amazing adventures (hanging bridges on a fantastic visit with my sister and her family!) and finding beautiful things (does a washed ashore moray eel count as beautiful?) every day, we seem to have stopped writing about them. There are other projects on the go and our writing and storytelling seems to be focused elsewhere. Rather than carry the guilt of a languishing blog or pester the kids to continue posting, we've decided to quietly set the blog aside, at least for now. It has been a true joy sharing this incredible journey with you.
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Meditation
I think the serene, mindful Nosara (or maybe the serene, mindful visiting cousin Mike) is rubbing off on Maeve. I found her like this in the living room a few minutes ago. She said she was meditating.
Monday, February 16, 2015
Prints
[Editor's Note: I began this post this morning, when the day had just begun. Hours later and I nearly deleted it as the kids were demonstrating their very best sulking and immaturity. Ah, but they've recovered, are humming in the hammocks and I'll keep 'em. And the post.]
A Few Surprises by Maeve
Yesterday evening, Mama, Daddy, Sam and I went to Playa Pelada. We were met with surprises. There were thousands of pelicans in the air and then a thousand more in the water and perched on the rocks. I'm really, really not exaggerating much at all. When I went swimming, I saw lots of little, brown fish. I think that might be why there were so many pelicans. Also, there are fewer people at Playa Pelada and so maybe the pelicans like the peace and quiet! It's no problem to swim there even with the pelicans. They float on the water quite a ways out. It's so cool watching them fly through the air and then dive zoom down headfirst to gobble a fish.
That same day, when we were walking along the beach, we saw a group of vultures all huddled around something. Sam went over to see what it was and he came back with a confused expression on his face. He said it was a turtle nest! I went over and decided he was right. Turtles don't nest very often at this beach so I was pretty surprised. I was sad that the nest had been destroyed. We learned today that the arribada (when thousands of mama sea turtles come at the same time to nest) began again last night a few kilometres down the ocean at Ostional. Maybe one of the turtles landed here instead by accident. We are going to check out the arribada in the morning. I wonder if there will be surprises there.
That same day, when we were walking along the beach, we saw a group of vultures all huddled around something. Sam went over to see what it was and he came back with a confused expression on his face. He said it was a turtle nest! I went over and decided he was right. Turtles don't nest very often at this beach so I was pretty surprised. I was sad that the nest had been destroyed. We learned today that the arribada (when thousands of mama sea turtles come at the same time to nest) began again last night a few kilometres down the ocean at Ostional. Maybe one of the turtles landed here instead by accident. We are going to check out the arribada in the morning. I wonder if there will be surprises there.
Monday, February 9, 2015
The Most Biologically Diverse Place on Earth: Part III, by Sam
[We didn't take many photos on the way home, so these are from the hike too.]
After the boat dropped us ashore, we watched the same boats being loaded with mattresses piled high, on their way to the eco lodges. Then, we headed up the road for ice cream and to wait for our lift back to the hostel. We spent the rest of the day playing crib, eating delicious spaghetti (the sauce made from their own vegetables!), and reading in the hammocks and getting some sleep before heading home.
We had to take a bit of a detour on the way home as we had to go to San Jose to pick up our Costa Rica license plates for our car. We traveled through the Southern Mountains. The temperature quickly dropped from 31 to 10 degrees! The roads were steep, windy and had lots of switchbacks and they and the scenery reminded me of Guatemala and there were even pine trees which reminded me of Canada. Along the way, we bought some local strawberries from someone at the side of the road. We dipped down into San Jose but didn't stay long as we were wanting to get back home that night. We decided to stop in Nicoya for some pizza and arrived just in time for their tope! A tope is a horse parade and several of them happen all over the country this time of year. We observed some dancing horses with their singing cowboys and cowgirls. We played at the park and ate pizza which was delicious but I couldn't eat that much because of my very loose tooth which came out later that night (Jiri lost a tooth on this trip too!)
We returned home just before Maddy and Jiri who were a little later because Maddy had a recurrence of his ear infection and had to go to the clinic. While we were away, it seems like a giant redwinged grasshopper and catydid had made themselves at home in our living room. We escorted them out with our bug catcher. The trip was long but it was so AWESOME. I hope to live on the Osa Peninsula someday, as a conservationist and photographer. It is the most amazing place.
Our guide helping us get a better look at the crocodile. |
The Fer-De-Lance!! |
We had to take a bit of a detour on the way home as we had to go to San Jose to pick up our Costa Rica license plates for our car. We traveled through the Southern Mountains. The temperature quickly dropped from 31 to 10 degrees! The roads were steep, windy and had lots of switchbacks and they and the scenery reminded me of Guatemala and there were even pine trees which reminded me of Canada. Along the way, we bought some local strawberries from someone at the side of the road. We dipped down into San Jose but didn't stay long as we were wanting to get back home that night. We decided to stop in Nicoya for some pizza and arrived just in time for their tope! A tope is a horse parade and several of them happen all over the country this time of year. We observed some dancing horses with their singing cowboys and cowgirls. We played at the park and ate pizza which was delicious but I couldn't eat that much because of my very loose tooth which came out later that night (Jiri lost a tooth on this trip too!)
The boat being loaded up with mattresses. |
The Most Biologically Diverse Place on Earth: Part II, by Sam
The hanging bridge on the way to the beach. |
All aboard the boat to Corcovado! |
My first sighting of a tapir in the wild!! |
- one Tapir (the largest land mammal in Central America)
- one Fer-de-lance (the most poisonous snake in Costa Rica)
Can you spot the tamandua? - five Scarlet Macaws (near the ranger station)
- one Crocodile (lazing in the river)
- all four species of monkeys (Howler, Spider, White-faced Capuchins and even endangered and rarely seen Squirrel monkeys
- a grunting wild turkey (called a Great Curassow)
- an anteater (actually called a Tamandua and it was foraging for termites high up in a tree!)
- incredibly interesting and super tall trees (including my favourite, the strangler fig)
- and much, much, more!!
Dad's good friend, the hermit crab. |
One of the endangered squirrel monkeys. |
The Most Biologically Diverse Place on Earth: Part I, by Sam
Breakfast before heading out. |
One month ago, I was looking at the Costa Rica guide book, and dreaming about going to the Osa Peninsula and Corcovado National Park. One month later, we've returned from our trip to that same fantastic place. And, we got to do it with friends! Lynette, Mark, Maddy and Jiri joined us on the adventure.
See the Julia Butterfly drinking the croc's tears? |
Fiery-billed Aracari in Dominical |
One of the abandoned hotels or "economic rooms." |
When we awoke the next morning, we got some breakfast at the hostel (I got a fruit cup and banana bread - other than that, there was a WHOLE LOT of beans and rice on this trip.) As our car rolled out of the parking lot, our departure was delayed because of a flat tire. The source of this turned out to be a really big screw. Dan and Mark put the spare tire on while the rest of us went in search of the book store and ponchos (in case it rained in the Osa Peninsula.) The ponchos were a success, and the bookstore was not as it turned out to be closed. After the tire was changed, we headed to Uvita where we could get the original tire patched up. Then, we were finally off to Drake Bay!
One of the beautiful Scarlet Macaws |
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