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EDITORIAL
Billy Cox John B. Quam
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Contact Terry today! (506) 4701-5942 terry@howlermag.com Publisher / Editor-in-Chief John B. Quam CR Office: (506) 4701-5942 Sales and Marketing Manager Terry Carlile Graphic Design, Art Director & Rock Star Adriana C. Zerpa The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors in this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of Howler organization or its advertisers. The Howler Magazine does not assume responsibility for the content of its advertisements. Images not credited are acquired from stock photography services.
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10 Waterfalls in Costa Rica
Story by Karl Kahler
I
n a country that ranges in altitude from 12,533 feet to sea level, and where some regions get 7 meters of rain per year, you can expect a lot of fast water flowing down steep hillsides. Costa Rica was created by tectonic uplift and volcanic activity, so it’s full of craggy mountains and towering bluffs. And it’s besieged by tropical rainstorms from two oceans that dump prodigious amounts of water, all of which has to go somewhere.
COOL PLACES
So when down-rushing water meets sheer cliff, what happens next? Some of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world. Visitors to Costa Rica can choose from a huge variety of stunning places to see, ranging from golden beaches to cloud-shrouded volcanoes to dense rainforest trails. But it’s worth taking the time to visit at least one of the country’s great waterfalls. This is no secret to Ticos, who will often pack a picnic and make a day out of a visit to a catarata, especially those with swimming holes at the bottom. The water is cool and refreshing, the view is awe-inspiring, and in places you’re treated to the spectacle of local daredevils leaping from dizzying heights.
In addition, just getting to some of these waterfalls is a worthwhile adventure in its own right. Access to some falls involves an invigorating hike through the jungle, and in places you can get two adventures in one by riding to the waterfall on a horse or an ATV. H AV E F U N B U T B E C A R E F U L Be aware of the potential dangers of cliffjumping, or even of trying to swim in the turbulent pool directly underneath a big waterfall. A long jump that ends in a belly flop can be fatal, as can a slip-and-fall while trying to climb up the side. And at some falls, the power of the water creates a maelstrom at the base that can suck you underwater and spin you around like a sock in a washing machine until you drown. Yet for jumpers, the pools at the base of most big waterfalls have a built-in safety feature, thanks to centuries of erosion: The power of the pounding water usually carves out a deep, obstructionfree pool where they don’t have to worry about hitting underwater rocks or a shallow bottom. Watch where the experienced locals jump, and ask lifeguards or tour guides about potential dangers.
Here — in no particular order — are our picks for the 10 greatest waterfalls in Costa Rica.
1
Nauyaca
2
This two-tiered wonder near Dominical has an upper fall measuring 45 meters and a lower fall of 25 meters, with a total height of about 230 feet. The real action is at the bottom, where the water cascades beautifully over a broad cliff face. Cliff-jumping into a deep, swimmable pool is allowed, but it’s best to have a guide. Access is by a 2.5-mile trail from the highway, which you can do on foot or (highly recommended) on horseback.
La Fortuna
3
Just a few miles from La Fortuna in Arenal, this stunning 230-foot waterfall is visited by up to 100,000 people a year. You have to walk down about 500 steps to get to the bottom (and then you have to walk back up), but with its swimmable pool and the cool mist from the powerful torrent, it’s worth it. No cliff-jumping, please, and swimming too close to the base of this fall can be dangerous.
Montezuma
This waterfall is not just something to do while visiting Montezuma, it’s a reason to go there. An easy walk from town, the swimmable pool at the bottom is always full of tourists and locals, including daredevils who scale the cliffs and jump from dizzying heights. The lower fall is 98 feet, and it’s almost impossible to jump from the very top and live. But higher up, there’s a 39-foot jump that even New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has survived.
4
5
Río Celeste Río Celeste (“Sky-Blue River”) is famous for its bright blue color, which is caused by aluminosilicate particles suspended in the water that reflect sunlight only in blue. This spectacular waterfall is the centerpiece of Tenorio Volcano National Park (between Arenal and Rincón de la Vieja). Park visitors are not allowed to get wet here, though locals sometimes hike in from downriver.
Llanos de Cortés
Located near Bagaces, just off the freeway between Liberia and Cañas, Llanos de Cortés is a big, broad waterfall that would have pride of place in any beauty contest among cataratas in Costa Rica. The broad pool at the bottom is swimmable and popular with locals and visitors alike, and there are rugged trails that lead to the top.
Read more!
February International Emag Highlights • • • • • • • • •
Kicks from Costa Rica Coffee Nauyaca Waterfall Manuel Antonio Easy as Pie in Cost Rica Allan Murillo Drawing What Comes Naturally Park Changers Even You Can Have a Healthy Lifestyle Exit Permit Requirements for Minors Feel Good from the Inside Out
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Your Life
TRAVEL & ADVENTURE
FINCH Story and photos by Tom Schultz
WHEN A FINCH IS NOT A
A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME … OR WHY I HATE BIRD NAMES!
I CREATURE FEATURE
f you come to Costa Rica, count on eventually becoming attracted to the beautiful birds here. With over 900 to see, it can become a serious hobby. As a photographer first, I developed my love for birds here. There is just one problem that irks me: I hate bird names! The major reason for bird name confusion in the “New World” dates back to European immigrants, mostly British, who basically invented birdwatching. Each new bird discovered in the Americas was named for the way it appeared to these birdwatchers, with reference to familiar European birds. Then after quickly running out of these common names, they turned to obscure homonyms and multiple names to describe the same bird.
Take the tody-flycatcher, for example. What is tody? Where did that come from? “Tody,” if you look it up, is Middle English for small. So why not name this bird the small flycatcher? And Middle English? What about the plumbeous kite and semi-plumbeous hawk? Plumbeous is Latin for gray. (The word “plumber” also originates with the grey color of lead water pipes from Roman times.) So why not just call it a gray hawk? Well, because that name was already taken by the so-called gray hawk species. And don’t even get me started on the scarlet and hepatic tanagers! Both are red. Blood red tanager — seriously?
Yellow-thighed finch
FINCH IMPOSTERS Most people from North America or Europe are familiar with the little birds that are finches. The Europeans, including Charles Darwin, started giving the name to little birds that looked like finches to them. The most famous are the “Darwin finches” he described as part of his Origin of Species. We were recently lucky to travel to Cocos Island to see the Cocos finch, one of the Darwin finches. The male is a nondescript little black bird that does not really look like a finch, nor does it behave like a finch. It looks more like a sparrow, and feeds in a similar way to a really interesting bird in the upper elevations of Costa Rica — the slaty flowerpiercer. Thankfully, this bird is correctly named for its feeding habit of ripping open the bottom of flowers to feed on the nectar and insects.
Tawny-capped euphonia
Slaty flowerpiercer
CREATURE FEATURE
There are other birds named finches here in Costa Rica. Among them are the large-footed finch (he actually has big feet) and the yellow-thighed finch (they actually have yellow-thighs). There is one problem, however: none of these birds are real finches! DNA studies have totally upended the bird world, and many birds are not what they seem. It turns out that the Cocos finch does belong in the same bird family as the slaty flowerpiercer, along with the large-footed and yellow-thighed finches. But they are tanagers, not finches. It turns out Darwin, and others, had been wrong in calling them finches.
Large footed finch
Male Cocos finch
RIGHT BIRD, DIFFERENT NAME So are there any real finches here in Costa Rica? Yes, there are! They are just not called finches. They are members of the euphonia family. Euphonia means “clear sound,” describing their calls.
Golden-browed chlorophonia
Golden-browed chlorophonia
The euphonia species in Costa Rica include some wonderfully beautiful and colorful birds. Many of them are a combination of blue and yellow, distinguished by the location and amount of blue or yellow on their heads and throats. Two totally spectacular examples are the elegant euphonia, found mostly on the Pacific side of the country, and the tawnycapped on the Caribbean side. A second group of birds in the same finch family is called chlorophonia. The golden-browed chlorophonia is an amazingly beautiful little bird found in the upper elevations of Costa Rica; it is a wonder to see. So, if you see something called a finch in Costa Rica, chances are it is not a finch. But if you come across any birds with a euphonia or chlorophonia name, they are finches.
Elegant euphonia
Scrub euphonia
Confused? That’s understandable, which is why I try to ignore some of the silly bird names. Just enjoy the beauty of these special birds and so many others you can see here in Costa Rica.
MOON PHASES
FEBRUARY TIDE CHART
FEB 4
3rd Quarter
DAY
HIGH TIDES
LOW TIDES
HIGH TIDES
LOW TIDES
Mon 01
05:14 9.19 ft
11:19 −0.49 ft
17:40 9.48 ft
23:46 −0.12 ft
Tue 02
05:58 9.01 ft
12:01 −0.36 ft
18:23 9.46 ft
Wed 03
00:32 −0.02 ft
06:44 8.68 ft
12:46 −0.09 ft
19:10 9.28 ft
Thu 04
01:22 0.23 ft
07:34 8.25 ft
13:35 0.31 ft
20:02 8.98 ft
FEB 11
Fri 05
02:17 0.56 ft
08:30 7.79 ft
14:30 0.78 ft
21:00 8.63 ft
New Moon
Sat 06
03:18 0.87 ft
09:36 7.41 ft
15:32 1.20 ft
22:05 8.34 ft
Sun 07
04:27 1.05 ft
10:47 7.25 ft
16:43 1.45 ft
23:15 8.22 ft
Mon 08
05:39 1.00 ft
12:00 7.38 ft
17:57 1.44 ft
FEB 19 1st Quarter
FEB 26 Full Moon
SUNRISE FEB 1 FEB 28
6:01 am 5:53 am
SUNSET FEB 1 FEB 28
5:44 pm 5:49 pm
HIGH TIDES
Tue 09
00:23 8.31 ft
06:46 0.73 ft
13:05 7.74 ft
19:05 1.19 ft
Wed 10
01:24 8.54 ft
07:44 0.36 ft
14:02 8.21 ft
20:04 0.83 ft
Thu 11
02:19 8.79 ft
08:35 0.01 ft
14:53 8.65 ft
20:55 0.49 ft
Fri 12
03:07 8.99 ft
09:20 −0.25 ft
15:38 8.99 ft
21:41 0.24 ft
Sat 13
03:52 9.06 ft
10:01 −0.37 ft
16:20 9.17 ft
22:23 0.13 ft
Sun 14
04:33 8.99 ft
10:40 −0.33 ft
16:59 9.18 ft
23:03 0.17 ft
Mon 15
05:13 8.77 ft
11:17 −0.13 ft
17:37 9.04 ft
23:42 0.34 ft
Tue 16
05:52 8.42 ft
11:53 0.21 ft
18:15 8.75 ft
Wed 17
00:20 0.62 ft
06:31 7.96 ft
12:29 0.65 ft
18:53 8.37 ft
Thu 18
01:00 0.97 ft
07:12 7.45 ft
13:07 1.15 ft
19:33 7.94 ft
Fri 19
01:43 1.36 ft
07:56 6.92 ft
13:48 1.67 ft
20:17 7.51 ft
Sat 20
02:31 1.73 ft
08:48 6.47 ft
14:36 2.13 ft
21:09 7.15 ft
Sun 21
03:28 1.99 ft
09:50 6.17 ft
15:34 2.46 ft
22:10 6.95 ft
Mon 22
04:33 2.06 ft
10:59 6.15 ft
16:43 2.55 ft
23:16 6.99 ft
Tue 23
05:39 1.88 ft
12:05 6.43 ft
17:53 2.32 ft
Wed 24
00:19 7.27 ft
06:38 1.48 ft
13:00 6.95 ft
18:53 1.83 ft
Thu 25
01:13 7.73 ft
07:28 0.94 ft
13:48 7.60 ft
19:45 1.18 ft
Fri 26
02:01 8.25 ft
08:12 0.36 ft
14:31 8.30 ft
20:31 0.50 ft
Sat 27
02:46 8.76 ft
08:54 −0.19 ft
15:12 8.97 ft
21:14 −0.13 ft
Sun 28
03:28 9.17 ft
09:34 −0.64 ft
15:52 9.52 ft
21:57 −0.61 ft
HOWLER MAGAZINE
SURF
G
COSTA RICA
SURF SPOT
This is an excellent place for your first surf lesson!
MANUEL by Jenn Parker
ANTONIO M
anuel Antonio National Park is basically the poster child park of Costa Rica. It is the smallest but most visited national park in the country. When most people think about Costa Rica, an image similar to Manuel Antonio’s rainforest and beachscape likely comes to mind. HOW TO GET THERE Getting here is easy! The fastest route is to fly into Quepos on a Sansa flight and then drive or take a shuttle or taxi to Manuel Antonio. There is a lot to see and do in this area, so you will likely want to spend a couple of days. If you are road tripping around the country, you can get to Manuel Antonio by driving north or south, depending on where you are coming from, along highway 34 and then just follow the signs to Quepos and Manuel Antonio. The beach where you surf is just outside of the national park to the north. The beach is actually called Playa Espadilla, but the main surf spot is called Playa Manuel Antonio. WHERE TO SURF Playa Manuel Antonio is a surf-friendly beach break for all experience levels. Most of the time the waves are in the chest-high
Photos courtesy of Manuel Antonio Surf and Camp
or smaller range and quite gentle. This is an excellent place for your first surf lesson! When there is a bit more swell in the water, more advanced beginners and intermediate surfers will find the waves really fun here. Playa Manuel Antonio is located just north of the Manuel Antonio National Park entrance. About a kilometer further north is Playitas. This rocky-bottom beach needs a bigger swell in order to produce rideable waves. Playitas is also a beach break but can be a bit less crowded than Playa Manuel Antonio. LO C A L CO M PA N I E S If you are new to the sport of surfing, it is a good idea to take a lesson. While Manuel Antonio is not reputed to be a surf town, there are certainly some opportunities to learn how to surf. Manuel Antonio Surf School with stellar reviews is an excellent choice. After all the surfing, fun in the sun, and nature walks you will definitely want to grub out and refuel. Try Emilio’s Café, El Patio de Café Milagro, El Mirador Bar and Restaurant or Cuba Libre Restaurant and Bar.
CR BIZ
Feel Good
FROM THE INSIDE OUT by Joanna Blanco
H
appy February, everyone!
ENTREPRENEUR CR
I got the sense that January passed fast, and some of the objectives that I had in mind got stuck in time. For many of you, and certainly for myself, 2020 was a challenging year. We needed a break from it … at least to believe 2021 would be a better year. So, instead of focusing on what we need to do, let’s take a moment to think about ourselves. As an Integrative Nutrition Coach, I look at five essential areas of a person’s lifestyle: how they eat, how they exercise, how are their relationships affected, how work affects their life, and how connected they are with the divine. In January, I completed the following self-checks, and now am hoping you might try the same. As a business owner, I need to have the best energy to focus
Keep this journal for one week. Then, please give it a rest.
on my work and deliver the best results to my clients. So, I invite you to make the following checklist and keep a journal for one week: 1. How do you feel when you wake up in the morning? Do you feel energized or unrested? Our sleep is a priority. Pay attention to what you eat or drink before bedtime. Check how many hours you are sleeping. Check the ambient elements: bed, pillow, darkness, temperature and other variables that can affect your sleep. 2. Are you doing any exercise to make your body move and sweat? How does your body feel every night before sleep? Do you feel any sign of discomfort? How many times per week are you exercising? How do you feel right after exercise and at night when you have exercised earlier in the day? There are many benefits of exercise, so if you are not doing anything for your body, maybe it is time to find time and give it a try. Walking, running, biking, yoga, pilates and crossfit are good examples, but any physical activity is valid if it suits your routine and health condition. 3. How do you eat? What percentage of your meals do you prepare at home? If you are eating away from home, what kind of food? Is it healthy or just anything that you happen to find available? Read more:
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