Out of the snow and into the heat

So funny, I get to work, prep all the animals breakfast, feed the turtles.  Yep, I got bit hard, razor sharp teeth.  Then, I’m walking back to the kitchen and almost step on a humongous iguana. He was mad and whipped his tail at me. Ouch!  Quite a day today at the refuge centre. This is a lot of hard work in 100 degree heat all day working. Reminds me when I had a job.

Taking care of Nino right now is the tough case.  He’s an injured Capuchin who was missing one toe. He now has eaten his whole foot off and won’t stop.  Thankfully, the vet comes weekly and the two biologists onsite do what they can. He’s in quarantine and depressed. He breaks my heart. They’re hoping for surgery and amputate his leg to get him to stop.

 

 

Here’s me funny pics of me feeding the three Capuchins.  They are so smart. You cannot turn your back on them for an instant. All three can remove a padlock in under 30 seconds. My co-worker/biologist took these pics today. I will share a few here now.

These monkeys make my day all worth it.

All said and done, at the end of the day I’m very dirty and exhausted…but I love the work.

I applied to the animal refuge sanctuary as a volunteer to take care of the animals. I thought maybe 4 hours max a day, but crapola, a full 8 hrs. in 96 degree heat on my feet all day.  It’s going to take some getting used to for sure.

I don’t have pics with the monkeys but I’m going to ask my co-worker Brian the biologist from Baltimore if he will.  Those Capuchin monkeys are so funny. I go into the pen and feed them in the AM, btw, they eat better than I do. They climb all over me 3 at a time and want that human connection so bad you can see it. They pee, too, whenever, so I got it today while one was on top of my head. I didn’t say it was glamorous work, but necessary.  I have the time for now while I’m waiting for the dentist appointment which is right around the corner.

It’s so funny, the wild ones, lie in the tree napping it’s so flipping hot. It was only 96 today.

He’s about 2 yrs. old and was someone’s pet.  It is illegal to own any wild animals in Costa Rica and people get them as small babies, then they grow and their too much so they come here. He will live in this cage forever because he has no pack, doesn’t know danger, how to get food.  It’s sad. Don’t get monkeys as pets. The owners pay big fines or even jail for owning a wild animal here.

 

 

Another adventure very close to my home I finally had the nerve to visit today.  Why not, I had to take advantage of having the car, so I visited the The Congo Trail and Refuge Centre today in Nuevo Colon.  Wow, another awesome day. Another incredibly bumpy road, another wrong turn.  I’m so good at taking the wrong turns, but to my defence, the signage is terrible everywhere. Just 15 minutes away, but it took about an hour. Hey, I get to see a lot of countryside.  I had to cross two arroyos in my little Nissan. I highly recommend a 4×4 for this trip. There’s a fork in the road, and nothing to say which fork I was supposed to take.  One road leads to the Refuge Centre and the other to Dante Beach.  Folks, take the high road, I did not. Poor car took a beating, but along the way I saw this beautiful Jaguar on the same road, so I thought, sure I can do it, too. That guy was crazy to drive his beauty on this road. Heck, even my car was too nice to be on this road.  Every other car I came across was a 4×4, smart people.

I brought along a couple of bananas with me since I knew I would be in monkey land. I learned it’s not necessarily a great match monkeys/bananas.  I guess only in the cartoons. The capuchin  monkeys were all over me. They loved the bananas because these monkeys will eat anything and everything. Brings back a memory of a capuchin stealing my sweetener for my coffee in Africa once.

I really wanted to see the refuge, but my main goal was to conquer my fear of heights. So, I signed up for the zipline . There are two. Small and extreme. You can guess which one I signed up for. I thought it was one zipline, but it was 14 on the “small” course. It was really hot today upwards of 98 degrees. Lots of hiking, ugh!  What a blast!! So worth it. I don’t know why I was so afraid of hanging by a cord 100 feet off the ground before.

The refuge centre is small, but important to the well being of the animals they keep.  They all have a story and I had a great time talking with the biologist on site about them. Next thing I know, I’m asking for a job. I want to help take care of these animals. Lots of snakes, turtles, monkeys, lamb and sheep, ducks, chickens and roosters, bunnies, and a burro, all with sad stories and need to stay in the safety of the refuge.

Tomorrow I meet with the head biologist for my interview, but I’m sure they will welcome my help. This will be very interesting, as everyone speaks Spanish. I hope I can learn quickly being absorbed in the language. I think it will be beneficial to the refuge, too, to have someone there who speaks full English.

Most of my adult life I have taken care of people; families in crisis, teenagers, teenagers and their guardians, teens within the court system and most recently geriatric disabled adults.  So, now it’s time to take care of the other species. Everyone knows I love animals and would do anything for them. I think my dogs Maggie and JoJo would approve from heaven.

These are some of the “wild” capuchins who ate up my bananas. The far left picture is a momma and baby on her back. They were so awesome, got on my lap, and I fed them the nanas.

Following are some of the animals inside the refuge, hence the fences. The spider monkeys blew me away as they walk so upright, just like humans.  Unfortunately, this time I wasn’t able to capture this. But here’s some of the animals I hope to be taking care of while I’m here.

I didn’t take pictures of the snakes, not my favourite creature. I didn’t get a picture of the baby lamb, either because she kept following me and I just couldn’t get the shot.  The baby bunny is two months old. The turtles will eat your finger so I didn’t get too close to them either. All the animals were well taken care of and the biologists are fantastic in their knowledge of a balanced diet for each animal. Great day of firsts.

In loving memory of my pooches.JoJo and Maggie,  I hope they approve of my efforts from heaven.

I came home today to find my beautiful pool boy getting the skimmer out of the room.  What are you doing?  It was quitting time, what was Nadir doing?  He saw the first growth of early mangoes in the yard and used my pool skimmer to catch them before the squirrels could get to them.  I’m told they’ll be ripe by Easter.  I have no idea when that is, but I’m sure I’ll find out.  Heck, I don’t even know what day it is. Thank goodness for my fitbit to tell me.  It was funny watching them so I had to grab a couple of photos.

 

This is my neighbourhood. It’s lots of condos and just to the left is the path to the beach. Never mind the Caldwell Banker sign.

Got up early this morning and headed to the nearest waterfalls near my home. Llanos de Cortes, doesn’t fall short. It was awesome.  Although very difficult to find the cutoff, it was worth it.  It should’ve taken an hour, but I kept getting lost. There’s a theme here. Always lost. Follow the directions exactly. When it says turn off the main highway at the piedres bridge, do it.  It is so easy to miss.  Very bumpy tough road, says 4×4 necessary, but my Nissan made it through.  The road is very bad. The signage to the turn is obscure, that’s why I say follow the directions exactly. It was an adventure being lost, it’s amazing how many people you meet while trying to find your way. Smile say Hola, and you will get the warmest greeting back right at you. The fruit stands are numerous along the highway and the town of Bagaces, is again, very friendly and helpful.

So good to finally arrive. My mind, soul, and body needed this today. I spent the day here as people came and went. Too awesome not to take full advantage of this beautiful waterfall. It’s so close to Coco, that if you see only one waterfall while in Costa Rica, this is the one.  You can relax in the pool and lay on the beach, or if you’re daring walk carefully behind the falls, and dive in. Awesome, did I say that?

 

I love this town.  It’s busy, it’s loud, it’s touristy, it’s really crowded, but it is home to some of the best people I’ve ever met. It’s got a vibe, I can’t exactly put into words, you have to feel it.

Last year Josh and I visited Tamarindo on my first trip to Costa Rica.  We stayed on the beach at a pretty lush resort.  Yeah, it was really nice and comfy, but while walking the beach, I saw this quirky little hotel  next door that I’ve not forgotten about since that first visit.

It’s the Hotel Villa Amarilla, right smack in front of the waves in the heart of town. It has the best hosts and for some reason the best guests, too.  If you ever come to Guanacaste, it’s a must stay, If you can get a room. The host, Cende, (and TJ), greet you as family before you even get inside the lobby.  Such a warm invitation and hospitality.  Service #1, above and beyond girl. I didn’t get to meet TJ, but he’s the other part of this great team.

Meeting Byron and Kaitlin, (guests this particular night) was pure joy for me.  Remember, I’m a solo traveler in a foreign country who doesn’t know anyone or the language.  These two guys, are just great. We spent hours talking and eating. BTW they hate ceviche I found out.  It was pretty funny, I guess you had to be there.  Anyway, they’ve been in Tamarindo for years, check out their blog, it’s a wealth of information. DiscoverTamarindo.com. Anything you need to know, they know as they’ve absorbed themselves in the culture.  Anyway, I miss it already even though, I just left yesterday.

There are three dogs on site and one little kitty. Bacardi, the Rottweiler was supposed to be my bedmate that night.  I bribed her with food, she loves ceviche.  She loves any food. She came in ate, rested a bit and then had the urge to go on “patrol” for the night.  She was knocking on my door first light. When I checked out, she was still crashed out in my room. I love that dog. Thor and Frankie”stein” are the other two dogs who go with Cende at night.

It’s a bit of a contrast to my current home in Playas del Coco, but I think I will be calling Tamarindo my home in the near future. Coco is great, only 18 minutes to the airport, a bit quieter, a few more gringo expats, and safe. It’s a lively town, too, but it’s easy to get to the quiet, if that’s what you are looking for.  The beach is more calm and a bit smaller. If you want to surf Coco, it’s easy to get a water taxi to the breaks. It is a great paddle board spot, but I can’t find one anywhere. Funny.

So much to think about…

 

 

 

 

Off to see the waterfalls today with a couple friends.  Looks beautiful and will post pics when I get back.  Short drive to Bagaces from here, so why not? The article says I need a 4×4 but can’t a Honda pass?  I hope so.  This is last night’s sunset from Playas del Coco as I arrived back “home”.  Not nearly as pretty as a Tamarindo sunset, but…

I’m still waiting for the dentist and have the car for one more day.  Tomorrow a place called Rio Celeste looks awesome, but it’s quite a hike…and it’s still so hot I hope I can make it. The water is so turquoise and hard to describe.  Will post if I can make the hike.

Wow, it’s hot here.  Just left 12 feet of snow and 4 degree temperatures to 95 degrees here. Being in the northwest corner of Costa Rica’s Guanacaste region, humidity isn’t much of a factor.  We will see what it’s like in the rainy season which is right around the corner.

It kind of looks and feels like San Jose del Cabo (where I lived once long ago), except for the animals and the language. I don’t think there are any cactus here, either. I know enough Spanish to get by, but Costa Rican Spanish is a lot different and I have difficulty understanding the tico’s (what they call the locals) unless they slow it down.  I’m studying this dialect, but having an old brain, it’s not easy.

These first days are spent acclimating to my surroundings.  Every time I leave my apartment, I get lost getting back home.  I’m a block off the beach and about 2 km. from the “main drag” where all the action is, so I’m told. I haven’t ventured out at night since I’m still unsure of my surroundings.  So, I go in the daytime and finding my way back has been almost impossible. The thought of walking out at night is terrifying and not getting home. Thankfully, I’ve been invited to dip in pools of my neighbours to cool off.  Thanks Stefano, you saved me yesterday until I could find my home. Did I mention it’s hot?

There are a lot of ex-pats here so I feel relatively safe and although descriptions of the town say it’s a young people’s paradise and NOT quiet, I have found the opposite to be true…oh, but the doves, they are an alarm clock beginning at 5AM till dark.  They talk more than me!! Still not as loud as the stellar jays at home, whom I’m sure are missing me right about now.

I’m currently living in a small fishing and sailing village, but when walking to the Supermercado, it seems huge and can’t find my way back easily.  The streets have no names.

Almost rented a golf cart yesterday to get around and out of the heat, but relented.  I will rent a car as I have to go to Liberia tomorrow to meet my dentist.

There is a drought going on down here, sound familiar Californians? The water goes off a lot during the day to conserve.  Costa Rica is all about conservation and healthy living, protecting the land, beaches, and animals. It’s all about being outdoors.  The activities are many, more than I have money to see all these great places.  In time, I hope to visit Arenal for a few days…and return to Tamarindo to take up surf lessons again. So much to see and do.  Costa Rica is not cheap. I think they like it that way.

My biggest surprise was at the bagel shop. I ordered an egg sandwich and it was so good, but the cost was US $10.  Ouch. But beach towels are only $6.  Go figure.

Oh my, I just got the Tahoe snow report for today, 2 ft. of snow fell yesterday into the night. As I sit here writing this I’m so flipping hot, it seems crazy and so far away.

I couldn’t stay away from my favorite surf town Tamarindo for long. I headed there today as I was feeling much better from the antibiotics. But…on the way I made a wrong turn and ended up here in Playa Grande. A tiny, quirky place with this only shop, so I had to stop. This is the best surf shop I’ve come across in all of Costa Rica.  They have the best gear for the big waves, so many things I’ve never seen before. So I had to get these flip flops

The directional signs aren’t the best, so it was easy to make this wrong turn  I’m so glad I did, because I discovered this place which I know is popular with locals and die hard surfers.  It is so out of the way.

 

I left after a while, too long so I could get to my favourite surf town Tamarindo. Tamarindo has it all, and I just had to take the venture while I waited for the dentist.

That’s Marty whom I met at LAX while waiting for our connection.  Never thought I’d see him again, but…

Finally arrived in Tamarindo. It’s such a popular spot and quickly becoming the go to spot for visitors. Crowded, narrow streets, but the most beautiful people you’ll find here. It’s only 57 Kilometres from my home base in Playas del Coco. Tamarindo has been calling me back since my first visit. Even though it’s crowded, it has everything. The best restaurants, the best quirky hotels, and some nice people.  I did find that my home in Coco is more friendly, I love Tamarindo.