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editor’s note As we go to print, important news of a Sala IV decision. See page 31 for details. What a great start to the season! Hotels and restaurants full to overflowing, tour companies doing good business. Let’s hope that it will continue; we desperately need the business. MOPT places full-page ads in national newspapers. “The way for Costa Rica is progress”. The ads, which cost ¢6,000 per day, boast about an $850 million loan secured for investment in infrastructure. “Our promise is to improve the quality of life and safety for all road users in the country.” Meanwhile, Dr. Arias’ three promises in our area – Tamarindo to Langosta; Veintesiete de Abril to Villarreal; and Veintesiete to Paraiso - are still pie in the sky. Ironic that on publication day of the January Howler, Dec. 31, with the article on banks, many banks were closed and all ATMs – BN and BCR - between Tamarindo and Flamingo out of money. Thousands of visitors here for the biggest party of the year couldn’t get cash. The situation continued for several days, a negligent fiasco that probably cost local businesses a lot of money. I accepted the e-mail offer of BAC San José to pay my marchamo in monthly instalments, and faxed the documents on December 22. They never delivered the marchamo as promised, then the bank closed until January 5, leaving me to drive illegally (fine ¢10,000 and possible removal of licence plates). Some service! Snow in New Orleans – 3 inches. Below zero in North Carolina, worst snowfall ever in Vancouver, Europe freezing all over...So why do they call it “Global Warming”? Brrrrrr! My fax having bit the dust, I used the internet café in Plaza Conchal to fax a 3-page document to San José. The bill - ¢1,500!!! A dollar a page. This is extortion! Parking my car opposite Nibbana one evening, I was told, by two taxistas, that the space was reserved for San Jorge taxis. These are illegal “pirate” taxis. I refused to move, telling them that there are only two licensed taxis in Tamarindo – red ones. “Well, don’t be surprised if there are a few dents in your car when you get back”, they threatened. Nice guys! The tragic earthquake in Costa Rica’s Central Valley was well publicized internationally, but fortunately the Pacific Coast was completely untouched by damage or casualities. Tamarindo and the other beautiful beaches are still very much open for business. By the time you read this, the first issue of The Mountain Howler will be at the printer. The Howler’s scion will serve the towns of Grecia, Sarchi, Atenas, Naranjo, Palmares and San Ramon with its own editorial staff local to that area.
February 2009
The Howler Since 1996
FEATURES 8 Dining Out
A new Mediterranean-style restaurant is open amid the pastureland of Cañafistula just a few minutes from Tamarindo.
9 Guanacaste Cultural Quiz
Test yourself to see how much you know about the language and culture of rural Guanacaste.
13 What’s Developing?
A new company in town, Costa Vision Eco Development, offers a wide array of “green” products and advice for your ecological home.
14 Around Town Openings, closings, parties, music. The Gold Coast has it all, and bar-hoppin’ David is in the groove.
15 Surf Report
Despite the puny waves, Tamarindo’s very popular Witch’s Rock Torneo 2009 is a big success.
16 Between Heaven and Earth
Local equestrienne plans a horse-based extravaganza in Alajuela to raise funds for Cepia.
18 Have a Heart
The Ninth Annual Golf Tournament takes place at Hacienda Pinilla on Valentine’s Day.
30 Surviving Costa Rica
The recent victim of a local entrepreneur burglar, our columnist offers his advice to local ladrones.
31 Dawning Awareness
With the inauguration of America’s first black president, do we see hope or gloom for the future?
Cover caption: Puerto Viejo’s Alejo Pacheco styles his homemade kayak through the shorebreak at Playa Negra. Cover design and photo: John Lyman Photos www.johnlymanphotos.com
DEPARTMENTS 10 CD Review 11
Book Review
12 Yoga 17
Slice of Life
23 Word Puzzle 25 Tide Chart 28 February Forecasts 32 Sun & Moon
The Learning Experience
N
o matter how you feel, a foreigner to this country, about living here, you have to admit that it is a learning experience. When I arrived here after many decades of living and traveling in many countries, I thought I knew all there was to know, but I can’t believe how much more I have learnt since then. Living in Costa Rica requires that you get your hands dirty, literally and figuratively, as you solve the myriad problems and challenges that confront you. Sitting back and waiting for someone to do a repair job is often not an option. First you have to ask around and find the person who has the ability, and the inclination, to help you. If you are lucky you may get the job done, but often the repair guy won’t show on time – maybe never – so you have to take matters into your own hands. I have learnt to ignore the experts and do it myself. That way I know it will be done. I believe that I spend more time repairing things than using them – everything from dog collars, pressure cooker, washing machine, stove ignition system – everything including the kitchen sink. Many of us have had houses built here, and have watched, day by day, as the concrete block climbed out of the ground to form a recognizable structure. Next comes the infrastructure – electrical wiring, water pipes, septic and drainage systems... Then the finishing off, carpentry, windows, cabinetry, bathroom and kitchen fixtures. You pay close attention to the process, because some day you will have to fix something and it helps to have watched the muchachos when they built it. I have never had experience with concrete houses, but now know a lot about the process, and have replaced water pressure tanks, pumps and hot water elements and installed lamps, doors, intrusion detectors and deadbolt locks. I have also built acceptable cabinetry just from watching my Nica carpenter or copying his work. Most people are either “dog people” or “cat people”. Back in an earlier life
The Howler David Mills
I was a “cat person”. I admired these neat animals, their independence, their acceptance of attention as if it was their right, their total indifference if they didn’t get it. But a cat, standing in the driveway saying “meow” to unwanted visitors doesn’t have quite the deterrent of a growling 120-lb rottweiler so I, like many others here out of necessity, have become a “dog person”. Dogs are like children, very complicated and demanding. I know how to identify the symptoms of parvo, hip dysplasia and ehrlichia and have watched as my dogs were separated from their testicles and ovaries. I can fumigate my house and garden against ticks, and administer dose after dose of antibiotics to unwilling dogs with a bad attitude and big teeth. Skills I never wanted or needed in my past life, and I have paid dearly for these lessons. I have learned to locate the vital artery when all else fails, to hold her in my arms as the light fades from her eyes. The quality of local roads, the unavailability of spare parts and the long wait at the shade-tree repair shops, dictate that everybody become a mechanic. People who once could barely change a tire can now tell you in minute detail how to connect jumper cables for a flat-battery start or rebuild a constant velocity joint on a ’88 Trooper. Gardening is another learning discipline, as we find out, by trial and error, when, where and how to plant tropical species never previously heard of, what will grow and what will not. I can discuss the pros and cons of quinze-quinze-quinze fertilizer against diez-veinte-diez. The Guanacaste soil and climate is very picky. Whereas in Britain and Canada I could grow every vegetable imaginable, here I have had zero success with even lettuce or tomatoes. A problem here is often of stopping things growing rather than making them grow; my garden is full of heavily-fruited citrus trees that (continued page 26)
Founded in 1996 Vol. 14, No. 2 - February 2009 Issue No. 149 Editorial Office: Casa Equinox, Playa Tamarindo Guanacaste, Costa Rica Ced. Juridica: 3-101-331333 Publisher, editor and production David Mills howler@ice.co.cr • howler001@gmail.com www.howlermag.com Tel/fax: 2-653-0545 Contributors: KAY DODGE TOM PEIFER JOHN LYMAN ELLEN ZOE GOLDEN CYNTHIA CHARPENTIER JEANNE CALLAHAN JESSE BISHOP NINA WEBER TONY OREZ
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Dining Out OooLaLa in Cañafistula
e wrote a restaurant review of El Sabanero a couple of years ago. The restaurant, now OooLaLa, has undergone a thorough renovation under the new management of Danny Badran, who co-owned Bistro Langosta, so we drove to Cañafistula to enjoy a dinner and the wonderful surroundings. OooLaLa is perched on a hill above the Avellanas turn-off from the main Villarreal-Santa Cruz road at Cañafistula, a ten-minute drive from Villarreal. By day, the view is beautiful, looking out over the sabana to the wooded hills behind Los Ranchos; by night, the sky is brilliant with stars in the absence of street lights. An upper observation deck is perfect for parties, and there are plans to instal an astronomical telescope for viewing the sky. Badran, from Lebanon, is well-travelled internationally and has operated a number of restaurants in Orlando and around Florida. OooLaLa is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and features an infinity pool just off the restaurant, a great setting for a lunch party.
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To start, there is a variety of salads – Greek, Caesar, Tabouleh, House and Potatoes & Spinach. Or try bruschetta, calamari, hummus, baked goat cheese or bocadillo. We shared a Caesar salad and bruschetta, both very tasty with interesting dressings. Platos fuertes include filet mignon served with mushroom sauce; mahimahi pan-seared with a hot red curry sauce; pasta provençal with olives, artichoke heart and Romano sauce. We chose sea bass, breaded with a beurre blanc sauce and sumac chicken with glazed onions and pita wedges. The sole dessert was fruit-filled crepe with pomegranate glaze. For diners who want to indulge well there are cabinas for rent. For further convenience transportation will be provided free with meal purchase. OooLaLa is open seven days a week from 6 a.m. “until the last diner leaves.” All credit cards are accepted. Tel: 2-653-2793 for information and reservations.
Guanacaste Cultural Quiz K. T. Dodge
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here are things we observe daily as we drive along Guanacaste roads though villages and ranches that are symbols of Guanacasteco Culture. Whether a resident or visiting tourist these colorful bits of culture are an interesting part of Guanacaste life, past and present. Some of these cultural symbols arose from the indigenous cultures that were here long before the European settler, others from the more recent ranch and hacienda traditions. Here are a dozen to match to test your A. Long rope used by cowboys to lasso bulls, handmade in the past from strips Guanacaste Cultural prowess. of leather. B. The traditional Guanacaste cowboy also referred to as a Vaquero. C. The special stone used first by the indigenous residents to hand grind corn to make the masa for tortillas and other corn dishes. D. The large “Y” shaped tree trunks in the middle of corrals in ranches to tie horses to for rustic training or to dominate bulls to work with. E. A gourd made from the fruit of the Jicaro tree used as a container to carry water or other liquids in the past by cowboys, and now carved to make decorative items for tourists. F. A soft piece of deer skin used to cover the rustic Guanacaste saddle, used in the bull ring to lure the bulls away from fallen riders, or to lie on the ground when a cowboy was napping or courting. G. A gourd of the Jicaro tree cut in half to be used as a dipper or bowl used by the indigenous residents and now used in the pilas (traditional stone sink) to wash clothes and dip water. H. The traditional Guanacaste raised cooking surface with three areas to slow cook rice, beans and meat dishes in large iron pots, with a clay comal plate to make tortillas. I. The colorful, and some times risqué, limericks shouted out in Topes and fiestas, describing Costa Rican life and relationships. J. The traditional flat Guanacaste saddles made from rough cut leather, a tree of river reeds and wood, with fancy stirrups with long fringe. Also included are a pechera (breast piece) and grupero (tail piece), tapa ojos (fringed forehead leather piece) and gameron (rope halter). K. A large, raised clay oven found in the back yard of most old Guanacaste homes, used to make traditional rosquillas, sweet tortillas, and other traditional baked sweets. It is made from a combination of clay and horse manure and fueled with firewood. L. The large clay pots made by in indigenous residents in Guanacaste used as containers for water, grains, and general storage, now popular items from Guaitil made for house and garden decorations. Answers: 1-D, 2-B, 3-J, 4-L, 5-A, 6-E, 7-H, 8-K, 9-F, 10-C, 11-G, 12-I.
1. Bramadero 2. Sabanero 3. Albarda 4. Tinaja 5. Soga 6. Calabazo 7. Fogón 8. Horno de barro 9. Vaceta 10. Piedra de Moler 11. Guacal 12. Bomba, Bomba!
CD Review Souvenir Tony Orez
J
ust one glance at the cover artwork for the new Santos & Zurdo CD, “Souvenir”, should be enough for anyone to understand that this is not an album of typical or traditional Costa Rican music. The front jacket depicts the body of a multicolored iguana adorned with an implanted quetzal’s head, a pimento-stuffed olive in its beak in a bizarre mesh of images. The music on the CD reveals why this duo is one of the Central American “it” acts of their generation. The CD presents ten of the musicians’ original selections of what the band has proclaimed to be “contemporary electronic world music (of) sitar grooves over electronic beats with sounds of the Costa Rican atmosphere”. Granted, that’s a mouthful, but the entirely instrumental music on this CD truly is hard to nail down with words. I definitely hear the Middle Eastern influence; hard to miss, with a sitar (played by Santos) as the main instrument. The programming (done by Zurdo) gives it a lounge-sound and the keyboards and guitar work, also by Santos, seem to fill the music out and give it a unique ambience that is neither Middle-Eastern nor Lounge music. I am also very impressed that the tabla, a drum from India, is used as the main percussion instrument on the album. Santos and Zurdo have been busy lately. They recently completed their role as programmers on the new Editus CD, “Electronica 360”. Anytime a triple Grammy Award winning band asks for your help, you know you are doing something right. Santos & Zurdo also recently appeared on the new Monteverde Music Festival compilation CD, which is an excellent representation of the new generation of diverse Costa Rican musicians who are now coming into their own. The duo have recently taken a liking to Playa Tamarindo, appearing nearly weekly (on Saturday nights) at the Voodoo Lounge. These two musicians have been playing together for six years and it is easy to sense their familiarity with each other when they are performing live. Papaya Music has recently taken on a secondary role as distributors for local, independently produced albums. They were quick to recognize the talent (and marketability) of Santos & Zurdos’ premier disc and to add it to their stable, allowing more exposure for this young, up and coming act. If I have a knock on the “Souvenir” CD it would be in the packaging and aforementioned artwork. I am pretty sure I understand and appreciate the idea of the collage, but I also think the execution was amateurish and sadly lacking. I am surprised, in fact, that Papaya did not have them revamp the entire package. That being said, the studio work itself is very professional, recorded and well mixed at Synthbio Studios in San Jose. Along with Amigosintimos, Amarillo Cian y Magenta, and Bernal Villegas, Santos & Zurdo present an impressive new league of Costa Rican musicians. The Santos & Zurdo CD, “Souvenir”, and all Papaya Music CDs are available at Jaime Peligro Book Stores in Playa Tamarindo and Tilaran, where they will gladly sample the music for their customers.
Book Review Gods Behaving Badly Tony Orez
I
n their heyday, the Greek gods literally ruled the universe. As civilization here on the planet Earth progressed, however, humanity explored new philosophies and extended its spiritual boundaries. As this happened, the gods found themselves in a constantly weakening and rapidly decaying state until ultimately, they were all living in a shabby flat in London in the TwentyFirst Century, where no one even recognizes them. This is the premise for Marie Phillips’ first novel, “Gods Behaving Badly”. Aphrodite (goddess of beauty) is working as a freelance phone sex operator, while Dionysus (Dion) owns a trendy nightclub where he serves only his own homemade wine. Meanwhile, Zeus has become senile and is banished to the attic, while Artemis (goddess of hunting) has a dog-walking service. Since they have always been literally waited on hand and foot, the gods’ shared apartment is in a shambles. In other words, the gods are slumming. And it’s a hoot. As always, the gods view human beings as mere playthings and about as evolved as slugs. “Their lives are so short,” laments Eros (god of desire), who is trying to convert to Christianity. He appreciates the sentiment in the story of Jesus, but can’t fathom following the teachings of a mere mortal and “that other god”. The plot thickens when it is jointly decided that they need a human housekeeper. Enter Alice, with whom Apollo (god of the sun) is immediately smitten, mainly because these sentiments have been conjured up in him as a prank by the other gods. It’s a nice little reminder that, throughout their lengthy history, the gods really did a lot of backbiting amongst themselves. Alice can’t believe the dilapidated condition of the apartment or that this handsome TV psychic is giving her so much attention. Neil, her wannabe boyfriend, is not at all enthralled with this turn of events, creating a lopsided love triangle and a crisis that beckons a new hero. At this point, the novel comes perilously close to becoming a chick book, but I grimaced and grinned to bear it and continued reading. All the big name players from Greek mythology make an appearance, including Hermes, Styx and Hades during the aspiring hero’s sojourn into the underworld, via the London subway system. Phillips, who studied anthropology at Cambridge, manages to keep the reins on the smarmy slant of the story enough to keep it entertaining for those readers who prefer to stay away from true romance novels. And her droll British wit definitely keeps the pages turning. I liked her using the recurring theme of eternity being a bore at times for the gods as well as for all the souls in the underworld. The story also has a nice message toward the end that wraps the saga in a positive package and endows the book with some redeeming value. Authoress Phillips also works as a researcher for BBC, so maybe we’ll see this Modern Greek Tragedy in thirteen parts in some upcoming television season.
By Nina Weber Certified Yoga Instructor
at the beach The Role Yoga can Play in Our Lives
Tina Soucie and her family have recently moved to Tamarindo this past summer. She and her family were looking for a different experience of life in the tropics, with its slower pace and more peaceful and simple lifestyles. The Soucie family have found the Tamarindo environment to be pleasant, the location to be unbeatable, and most importantly the people to be warm and welcoming. They are all happy to be here! Here is her story: As a child, I watched my adored father devote his attention to mastering and teaching Hatha Yoga and dedicating large amounts of time to extensive intense daily meditation and advanced yoga postures. My dad was, and still is, a devotee of Swami Satchidanada, and the Integral Yoga Studio of Boston served as my second home. I clearly remember what I still consider some of the best times of my life, spending countless hours by my father’s side chanting ‘Kirtan’, performing ‘Satsung’, listening to lectures from my dad’s guru, sitting quietly while the adults were in meditation, and practicing yoga myself in a daily kids’ class. I distinctly remember practicing the ‘animal poses’ in class one day and having Swami S. (as we kids called him) come in and be overjoyed by my demonstration of the yogic seal pose and chuckled at the way I accompanied the pose with my best imitation of a seal bark “Ort...Ort...Ort”. This was a glorious day for me, because I knew how much my dad admired this man. Being a kind of apprentice/mascot in my dad’s yoga and meditation classes did not necessarily predetermine me for a life filled with yoga. But I can say that there was a seed planted deep inside me that taught me for certain that love is all around and is inherent in our true nature. As a child it was easy to adopt the philosophies of the Ashram, like having respect for all people and their chosen paths to God. Swami S.’s motto is “The Truth is One, The Paths are Many.” I was taught that the same spirit expresses itself in many names and forms. We should not and cannot divide ourselves in the name of God and religion. I was eight years old and just evolving into my place as a young yoga apprentice when
YOGA AT CASA AZUL Overlooking the Pacific Ocean Open Yoga Classes Mon • Wed • Fri 7:30 a.m. Contact Nina, Tel: 2-653-0294 nina@tamarindoyoga.com www.tamarindoyoga.com the Integral Yoga Institute of Boston was closed down due to the people’s lack of understanding toward yoga at that time. Our lives slowly, and without too much notice, gravitated toward the ways of the world and yoga became a distance memory from the past. I was left with a knowledge from my childhood that I was sure of but couldn’t quite express. All I knew for certain is that the burning desire for inner peace I longed for didn’t seem to be shared from what I was seeing from the world. Eventually my father and I became disillusioned and disappointed. I didn’t realize at the time that we were both looking in all the wrong places. I continued to spend my time on spiritual studies and internal searching, but in a lot of ways my allegiance in my 20’s had turned more toward growing my chosen career as a professional hairstylist. I found myself stuck in a dog-eat-dog industry that was emotionally and physically exhausting. It took me many years of experimenting with truths and soul-searching for me to find my true self (my true thoughts, my true words, my true face). But I will always think that the shining light that guided me through this path was the presence of yoga in my childhood. Yoga, per se, has not made my body flexible or given my exterior self the long sleek muscles that it is renowned to do, but the fundamental practice of the thought system that is the guiding truth of yoga has literally set me free. The wisdom I can share from my experiences is that working toward knowing your mind and keeping it clean and calm will set you free. The Course in Miracles says, ‘If you can’t trust your own mind than what can you trust? If you are unhappy it is because of this.’ I am now serving as an ordained Interfaith Minister with a background as a chaplain in Hospice and my father has returned to live and work full time in Swami Satchidananda’s Ashram in Yogaville, Va.
What’s developing?
David Mills
Costa Vision Eco Developments
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osta Vision Eco Developments is a full-service development and construction company, providing all types of ecological systems and consulting. Costa Rica was chosen as headquarters of the company because of its policy towards conservation and protection of the ecology. With a team of experts from Costa Rica and the United States in the field of design, construction and the various “green” disciplines, Costa Vision will design, manage and build your project from start to finish. “Many people talk green, but don’t deliver. We don’t just talk green; we are green,” says Jeff Howell, president of the company. “We have researched the solutions to ecologically friendly techniques in the areas of land development, solar systems, natural cooling, water catchment and composting. We can provide the products and materials to fit into our sustainable development concepts, and will provide education and assistance for these programs.” The four major areas which are addressed are: Solar systems. The program will calculate the area of solar panels needed for a project, and can design wind power systems. Toilets. Costa Vision is an authorized dealer
of Envirolet Composting Toilets, which eliminate the need for septic systems, making this solution very cost-effective compared with septic systems. Options are low-water or waterless systems. The end-product
can be cleanly used as fertilizer. Water. The most important thing to consider in the home is water, its supply and storage. As Howell says: “You should not assume that public water utilities will service a property you are buying.” The company can supply roof water catchment, filtration and storage in barrels and bladders. Associated equipment provided includes gutters, downspouts, diverter valves, filters and bladders from 100 to 50,000 gallons. Cooling. The natural whole-house cooling systems are very efficient and ecologically friendly, at lower cost than a full air-conditioning system. For further details on environmentally conscious development, contact Jeff at 8-379-7733, or visit the web site at www. tamarindobay.com.
A ro T o u w n n d
by David Mills
Petit Paris Hair Salon has moved to Commercial Center La Plaza in Flamingo, in front of Marie’s Restaurant. The new phone number is 2-654-5971. The salon’s new hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Sunday. Petit Paris offers color, haircuts for men, women and children, highlights, hair treatment, perm, straightener, blower, ironing, special hair-do etc.
In the meantime, Janet and Caroline, the two estheticians, will attend you with massages, face and body treatments, manicure and pedicure. How about A True Fine Dining Experience for only $25? El Coconut, on the Main Street of Playa Tamarindo is offering 2-course dinners, starter & main course or main course & dessert, for only $25. Nowhere in town can you get this level of ambience, service and food for such a low price! El Coconut is open Tuesday thru Sunday 5 till 10 pm. For reservations call 2-653-0086. Paseo del Mar has finally opened just outside Huacas on the road to Brasilito. Stores include Super Salon, for beauty supplies, tel: 2-653-6761; Spa Nimbu, tel: 2-653-6443; and Huacas Depot for office supplies, tel: 2-653-6969. La Laguna del Cocodrilo Restaurant has a mixed bag of live music – rock, jazz, pop - every Friday, and gives a generous 20 percent price discount for locals. Rhonda Lageyre’s new hotel The Breeze just opened in Tamarindo behind Kahiki Restaurant. Visit www.thebreezetamarindo.com for info.
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Located inside Wild’s Restaurant (old Stella) 150 meters east of Pasatiempo.
Surf Report Story: Ellen Zoe Golden
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hen the Torneo Witch’s Rock date of Costa Rica’s Circuito Nacional de Surf (CNS) DAYSTAR 20082009 presented by Coca Cola Zero was finished, it seemed, on the surface, a mild-mannered day. Perhaps it was the “conservative” surfing, as President of the Federacion de Surf de Costa Rica José Ureña termed the restrictive stances afforded the competitors because of the traditional January Papagayo winds that blew hard offshore both days.
“I feel very well physically and mentally,” said Torres. “The National title is something that I yearn for very much while competing, and if that finally comes to me this year it would be one of my great dreams. Now comes a vital part of the Circuito in Nosara and Playa Carmen. These are two very important dates where all the surfers are going to worry about going as far as they can so I’m going to have to try more than ever not to lose my concentration.”
“Fortunately, because of those winds, we got something out of the surf, otherwise it would have been glassy,” Ureña said of the small conditions which also hindered the capacities of the top athletes in the country. “However, I think it was a great event because it was super hard, and the surfers worked super hard even with surfing conservative to make enough points to make a good heat. It’s always nice to come to Tamarindo. We had a lot of people on the beach and a nice contest and everyone was happy.”
The rivalry between Costa Rica’s top two Women surfers was in full effect this weekend at the Torneo Witch’s Rock. Yet, it turned out the 6th-best Women surfer in the world, according to the ISA, as Nataly Bernold (Jaco) was able to outdo the 6-time Costa Rican Women‘s Surf Champion Lisbeth Vindas (Jaco). Bernold won 1st place while Vindas came in 2nd.
For Torres (Jaco), with the third date of the CNS finished, and 50 percent of the countrywide route of the annual tournal also completed, he has now won his second consecutive CNS date, the other last month in Jaco. Though the winds limited Torres’ aerial arsenal, he rallied playing it close-to-the vest, and at less than two minutes managed a nice right with his trademark 360 tail slide before exiting with a broken surfboard nose. The competitors ranked closest to him prior to Tamarindo left the competition in the semifinals and quarterfinals. Only previously 9th ranked Carlos Muñoz (Esterillos) ended up in the finals. With a 3rd place win in the Torneo Witch’s Rock, Muñoz does not pose a threat at the moment for Torres. The finals of the Open category featured surfers Torres, Muñoz, Tamarindo’s own Federico Pilurzu, and Jaco’s Juan Carlos Naranjo, who ran one of the most thorny heats in the history of the Circuito. The contest had also suffered from a lack of swell, and fortunately the winds afforded what waves there were with perfect peeling shapes, but no size—they were about 2-3 feet. In addition, the trick to catching these waves was positioning behind the sandbar, a feat that Torres and Pilurzu managed, and subsequently beat the push to get off their maneuvers. The latter came in 2nd place. Torres, with a 2nd place, a 1st, and 1st, in the three dates of a 5-, 4-, and 4-star corresponding events, certainly allow for him to be the first contender for the National title this year. However, it’s important to note that with 4 stars, 1,500 are allocated, and with the upcoming remaining dates of the 5-star (2,000 points) of Copa Balance Natural in Playa Nosara and Torneo Day & Night in Playa Santa Teresa, and the 6-star (2,500 points) Gran Final Terrazas Reef in Playa Hermosa, some other surfers still have a chance.
Bernold yesterday showed a fluid surfing style despite having to fight those same offshore winds and poor conditions. However, perhaps because she herself spent several of her formative training years living in Tamarindo’s nearby town of Villarreal and surfing in these very parts she had the advantage for the win. Ana Herrera of Quepos deserves special note, because she doesn’t not usually compete in the Circuito and this weekend managed to find herself all the way in the finals and 4th place. An upset occurred in the Boys división, when Noe Mar McGonngle (Pavones) surprised everyone and took the trophy over established surfers Muñoz and Jordan Hernandez (Jaco). McGonngle earned his trophy at only 12 years of age, while Muñoz and Hernandez have 15 and 16 years, respectively. Prior to the Torneo Witch’s Rock, Carlos had not lost so far this year in the Boys Category (nor in the Juniors, in which this time he didn’t even make the finals. As discussed, he was in the Open finals.) Monitoring the Torneo Witch’s Rock this weekend was the ISA’s Managing Director Stephanie Keith, who arrived in Tamarindo on Friday after a couple of days of FSC meetings including a full contest site tour at Hermosa’s Terraza del Pacifico, where they reviewed the beach and the infrastructure including contest layouts, two podiums, website and VIP areas, as well as all the logistics for the ISA Billabong 2009 World Surfing Games this August. “What I saw looked great,” Keith explained. “I had dinner with the mayor and two representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and we discussed what the city is going to do to boost the economy, clean up and how they are going to get people (continued page 22)
Between Heaven and Earth A spectacle of horses, dancers, and art Isabelle Vandevelde has been “horsing” around her entire life. As a certified horse instructor recognized by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), she has been teaching adults and children at Finca Shambalah Equestrian School in Playa Lagartillo, as well as in her native Belgium. She has done voluntary work for CEPIA, a non-profit organization geared toward helping children and teenagers in risk situations, giving classes to children in Guanacaste, training for dressage and jumping competitions or just going for a ride on the beach. But her real dream is to incorporate her passion for horses with her love of the arts. “I would like to bring art, culture, and horses together in an event such as Costa Rica has never seen”, says Isabelle. She calls her vision “Between Heaven and Earth”, an equestrian show that hopes to raise money for CEPIA Isabelle is a member of the board of directors and has great concern for the future of CEPIA. “Non-profits are the first to feel it when the economy slumps and CEPIA is in desperate need for funds In the past, Isabelle helped produce a very successful fashion show which helped to raise over $8,000 for the organization. This time, however, she wanted to produce an event that would tap into Costa Rica’s deep-rooted equestrian cultural background. “I wanted to present the horse in a new way, to Costa Rica. Anywhere you go you can see people on horses, whether it is a tope, farmers herding their cattle, or as basic transportation - but I wanted to show the horse as an artist.” The show - the story of a young woman and a unicorn, travelling the world in search of life messages, adventure, friendship and love - portrays a tale of travel and will introduce cultural aspects from Japan, India, Africa, Europe and Costa Rica. “I want people to be able to travel the world for one night - without leaving Costa Rica”. “Between Heaven and Earth” will feature performances from contemporary dancers, acrobats on fabrics, musicians and projection technicians, as well as equestrians. The brilliance will be in the coordination of riders and performers with authentic dance and costumes from around the world. “This idea has been growing in my mind for several years” says the 33-year-old wife and mother of a 4-year-old. “It’s just a matter of taking the creative idea and finding the team to help me cultivate it.” When Isabelle needed help bringing the concept to life and turning it into a one-and-a-half hour performance, she called up a longtime friend and Director/ Coordinator of Cultural events in Belgium, Jennifer Robert Malumba. Jennifer spent the month of August in Costa Rica in order to help put together the show’s artistic vision and develop a marketable business plan. She has since returned to help choreograph and train the dancers, as well as to continue to organize logistics and sponsors. Isabelle says that “one of the biggest challenges is getting people involved. Because this is a fund raiser we don’t have high salaries to lure people. They have to want to work on it because they love the concept or want to support their community. It is amazing how
Molly Niederberger
much work goes into putting a concept together in order to inspire others to get involved and donate money or time.” A big part of the show is the interaction between artists, dancers and horses. “Although I spend hours training my horses, a lot more goes into training them to perform in an event like this” says Isabelle. Recently she found a partner who helps run, train, and teach at Finca Shambalah. Molly Allen Niederberger is a horse trainer who moved to Paraiso two years ago and will be training horses as well as performing along with Isabelle. “I spent my life competing in horse shows and I know how much work goes into training a horse to go to different show grounds and compete well,” says Molly. “However, training for this is like nothing I have ever done. We have to work with the horses so that they will perform their job while faced with many distractions such as lights, music, other performers and props!” “We will incorporate some of our students as well as kids from the community that is part of CEPIA. There are a lot of talented equestrians riders in Costa Rica and this is a unique opportunity for them to showcase their skills.” Many equestrian stars will be performing for this show: eight horses from Finca Shambalah; that is Isabelle ‘s two very elegant, pure blood Andalusians, a graceful Costarricense de paso, some privately owned and school horses, as well as famous people like: Manuel Trigo, a horse trainer, instructor and owner of “El Caballo Rey” in Jaco, nationally and internationally famous for his show of “alta escuela” on pure-blood Andalusians and Costarricense de paso. Gretchen Luttmann, owner of “Gecko’s farm“ in Barva de Heredia, one of Costa Rica’s top dressage riders, will also be performing with her world class Hanoverian “Warm Blood”. Originally the show was going to take place in Guanacaste; however, many of the Francophone embassies have agreed to be partners with the event in San Jose in conjunction with ”Los Dias de la Francafonía” events; a cultural celebration of the French language which includes 15 foreign embassies in Costa Rica. Pachavi Equestrian Centre in Alajuela has graciously donated the venue for the event. They have a 25 x 65-meter covered arena with ample space for the performance and spectators. “The stage is set, so to speak and now we need support in the form of time and money donations to bring the other elements such as advertising and promotional merchandise, lighting, travel expenses, and others together” says Isabelle. “Between Heaven and Earth” will be held at the Pachavi Equestrian Centre, ”Las Vueltas de la Guacima”, not far from the international airport, on Friday March 27th and Saturday March 28th. Tickets are available at www.shambalahproductions.com. For sponsorship or information on how to get involved please contact Isabelle at 2652-93-72; Sylvia at 8323-30-44; Jennifer at 2652-94-57 or at her cell 8811-05-53.
A Slice of Life Cotton Pickin’ in Ontario
O
ne of the benefits of living in Southern Ontario is the bountiful harvest – admittedly, a little earlier than in places further south, but most prolific for the fruits and vegetables which run a very short season between April and September. Any small garden in town will reward the grower with bushels of tomatoes, asparagus, peppers, salad stuff... an amazing cornucopia of vegetables and fruits but, if you are not green-fingered, or live in an apartment, one pleasant alternative is the pick-your-own. Just out of Toronto are vast farmlands where a customer can spend an afternoon, with the whole family, picking and eating the produce. Eat all you want; you just pay for what you take out. One of our favorites was a strawberry patch near Brampton. We arrive and take our place in the row of pickers, working along the berry rows, eating our fill at first, then concentrating on filling the baskets. The next day would be spent cooking, jamming and freezing the harvest. Every fifteen minutes or so, as the row is picked out, the flagman steps over and calls out “O.K., next row! Move along now.” And we slide over a few feet and start on the untouched row. After a while the realization set in. The pickers, crouched down under the burning sun, were all white, Canadians and Europeans, while the flagman, a large black man in a wide straw hat, stood at the end of the row holding his stick with a flag on the top, giving the orders. I’m sure he saw the irony, too. Do you have a story to tell? This page is available for your “Slice of Life” - any incident of your life which readers may find interesting or amusing. E-mail to dmills@racsa. co.cr to submit your story.
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Ninth Annual “Have a Heart” Charity Golf Tournament
T
he 9th annual “Have a Heart” Charity Golf Tournament will take place on Saturday February 14, 2009 at the Hacienda Pinilla Golf Course in Guanacaste. The golf registration fee is $125 per golfer and there will be four-person teams. This fee includes golf, cart, breakfast and an awards luncheon. Tee-off time is 8:30 am and trophies will be awarded to the top four teams. The event, organized by Amigos de le Educacion, will include a silent auction and raffle with fantastic prizes from local and national businesses and artists. A welcome cocktail party will be held Thursday, February 12th at 7 p.m. at Villa Alegre Bed and Breakfast in Playa Langosta, where golfers can register to play in the tournament. However, the number of player/team spaces is limited and pre-registration is recommended. For more information, or to sponsor, volunteer or register to participate in the golf tournament please contact Barry and Suzye Lawson (English) or Cassandra Rauser (Spanish and English) by phone at 2653-0270 or email at AmigosEducacionCR@gmail.com. All proceeds will go to the non-profit association Amigos de la Educación, which was formed nine years ago by longtime philanthropists Suzye and Barry Lawson in response to the academic and infrastructure needs of the public schools in the region. The association supports and promotes education for children from kindergarten through the university level in Guanacaste by awarding scholarships to students “in need” based on academics, attendance and sociability and by improving and expanding the schools’ infrastructure. Amigos has worked with the Liceo de Villarreal, Colegio Tecnico 27 de Abril, Escuela La Garita Vieja, Escuela de Matapalo, Escuela La Delicias, Escuela de Matapalo, Escuela Portegolpe, Escuela La Garita, and also with CEPIA and the La Paz community school. Last year, the association was able to construct four new classrooms, including one for special education, at the Liceo de Villarreal, and provided nine scholarships to students at various schools. However, the needs of these schools and their students continue to grow. The goal of Amigos is to continue to meet these needs through their annual fundraising events, including the “Have a Heart” charity golf tournament and the Villa Alegre and Credomatic Classical Concerts at Sunset music festival. Amigos de la Educación is also committed to expanding their programs and developing evening adult education and English as a second language programs for local community members working in the tourism industry.
And some appropriate quotes on Golf 1. Winston Churchill: “Golf is like chasing a quinine pill around a cow pasture.” 2. Jack Benny: “Give me the fresh air, a beautiful partner, and a nice round of golf, and you can keep the fresh air and the round of golf.” 3. Chi Chi Rodriguez: “The first time I played the Masters, I was so nervous I drank a bottle of rum before I teed off. I shot the happiest 83 of my life.” 4. Unknown . “Golf is not a game, it’s bondage. It was obviously devised by a man torn with guilt, eager to atone for his sins.” 5. Hank Aaron: “It took me seventeen years to get 3,000 hits in baseball. I did it in one afternoon on the golf course.” 6. Paul Harvey: “Golf is a game in which you yell “fore,” shoot six, and write down five.” 7. Jimmy Demaret: “Golf and sex are about the only things you can enjoy without being good at.” 8. Jack Lemmon: “If you think it’s hard to meet new people, try picking up the wrong golf ball.” 9. Unknown: “Fifty years ago, 100 white men chasing one black man across a field was called the Ku Klux Klan. Today it’s called the PGA Tour.” 10. John Updike: “Just how childlike golf players become is proven by their frequent inability to count past five.” 11. “Silk Stockings” TV Show: “The people who gave us golf and called it a game are the same people who gave us bag pipes and called it music.” 12. P.G. Wodehouse: “The least thing upsets him on the links. He missed short putts because of the uproar of butterflies in the adjoining meadows.” 13. Chi Chi Rodriguez: “After all these years, it’s still embarrassing for me to play on the American golf tour. Like the time I asked my caddie for a sand wedge and he came back ten minutes later with a ham on rye.”
Tamarindo Reef
P
icked up Bob at the airport in Liberia and headed south towards home through a thunderstorm serving notice: You’re not in Orange County anymore. Water flooding across the Pan-American Highway amid thick, vertical bolts of lightening; the rain was a lead curtain from behind which hurtled trucks and buses not evidently under control. Welcome to Costa Rica... Since moving down here, the buddies I left back in California frequently make it over for their late mid-life continuing series of epic surf adventures. And Bob? He’s every surfer’s best buddy, the guy who sees your every ride, shouts “Turn and go!” on every set wave and hoots for every takeoff. Once, with a national amateur ranking in the top ten and hands-down the best surfer I’ve ever hung out with, his life is following the familiar pattern, a decades-long struggle with the house, wife, kids, job, all the congruent questions and showing the wear. Cheerful, positive and with tremendous energy, when he finds his groove he works waves flawlessly and with fluid grace. We surfed Southern California together for maybe 20 years until I retired to Central America, a bit more than two years ago. He’s back for his second visit. So for the next week we’re off in my 4WD Toyota Longbed, surfing Esterillos, Malpais, Caldera, travelling through the greengreen countryside. We’re staying at some pretty nice places,
Jim Hurt
eating, drinking and talking about what became of the kids we once were, the energy and intensity we once had. We’re at the Beatle Bar, flanked left and right by Dominicana and Nica hookers. We’re watching the twilight show at Playa Carmen, as the sun sets on the high tide and the shortboard crew performs amazing aerials. We surf by day, then have sushi and plum wine at night in the jungle, serenaded by a chorus of howlers. Scarlet macaws in the almond trees, dazzling beaches...We talk. Our final stay is four days in the old and lovely Hotel Diriá, on the beach in Tamarindo. From the dining area you can check out Tamarindo Reef, a flat outcropping maybe 60 yards offshore, with well-shaped waves breaking off both sides, and we’re logging up to three sessions a day. I’m surfing mostly inside the reef, and sometimes off the shoulder outside. And I’m watching the reef crew, similar to the Caldera locals from where I normally surf when at home: Thin and nimble with coffee-toned skin and dreadlocks, riding beaten, cast-off thrusters. They own the reef. Not to say they’re riding flawlessly...Many rides begin with a fearless takeoff in the teeth of the wave as it explodes off the reef, followed by a series of so-so maneuvers and ending with a hapless fall-off. But I saw many terrific rides, including some extended tubes, with a fully covered Tico beautifully highlighted inside the back-lit wave. And I saw at least one guy get launched on takeoff, falling fully six feet to land on his back on dry rock. The consequences were real enough. After one morning session, shower and breakfast, I was leaving the surf shop across the street when I encountered a painfully limping specter with a badly swollen ankle. Asked him what happened and he said he hit the reef. Sure enough at second look I could see the chevrons left by lacerations on his chest, shoulders and back. He indicated he was hungry, hadn’t eaten... Yeah, I know these guys are penniless and live only by fringe methods and means in a pretty expensive corner of Costa Rica. They’re not featured in any videos or magazine covers. No sponsors - they’re not marketing any watches or boardshorts. And they must feel a mild hatred and contempt for old white longboarders with blue Hotel Diria wristbands, paddling around their reef. But I see the way they sit and chatter in a tight circle just outside, how each in turn will wedge right on the rocks and commit to another impossible takeoff, amid shouts of encouragement, covered in glory and foam. And how the shouts and hoots only continue as the ride is recorded in the collective memory. And if it ends well enough, I hear the drawn-out crescendo of commemoration by all those next in line, happy, heartfelt, ecstatic, communal. So in the end it’s time to take Bob back to the airport, home, to the challenge and the grind. Maybe he’s gotten closer to his groove; I hope so. The new Infinity in his board bag has a crushed nose, where he kissed the reef after a takeoff. Me, I’m thinking about those days in Tamarindo and some other sunny, joy-filled days surfing Doheny way back before they built that damned harbor, the chatter, shouts, clear clean water. Of course, there were a hundred guys out and we weren’t getting tubed or landing on rocks. The connection is in that pure stoke, which we’ll say again, is the essence of surfing. Have to find a way to hold on to that.
Small-town Gossip, Great Deals
R
emember back in grade school, 100 years ago, gossip ruled in school yards, locker room, homeroom, boring poetry and art classes? Even the local gossip rag with headlines like Alligator Boy, I gave birth to an alien, Elvis works at Burger King – all these amusing especially at the underdeveloped seventh age. Cheerleaders with no panties, teachers dating college-age kids, who’s smoking weed or cigarettes in the bathroom, who’s dating who and I know the things you did last summer! Things funny and acceptable in those years but, after a while you realize not important and stupid; you have your own life and it’s just fine. Now up-to-date, real time mature, don’t give a shit, successful in business, live well, romantic life in full swing, so who cares about Little Miss Fashion Statement’s little sweet nothings about last night’s escapades. What goes on behind closed doors amongst adults is just their thing. Anyway, it’s just the same old “who’s sleeping with whom”, “who’s gay”, wife-swapping, infidelity, crack, coke, ecstasy, booze, money laundering and take back the beach, know
and Local Advice
Esteban
your neighbor committee, goodwill ambassador, fund the roads and cops, save trees and monkeys, our condos meet the height requirement and rebar codes and, no, they are not on turtle nesting grounds and, yes, they are more than 50 meters from the beach. For a real earful just go to any of the local eateries especially at breakfast or maybe get to witness the Walk of Shame. Lunch time is really mellow people or still hungover or resting before the next frat party. So, because you’re my friend let me tell you about this great land deal, 1,000 square meters for pennies and, yeah, there will be water there in a few years. Then there’s that house far up on the hill, cheap, great view, hardly any water, power, thieves get to see when you’re coming and going, and when it rains it is one big mud bath just like on the Extreme Olympics. Or you could buy my 12cylinder 4x4 that’s been stolen four times. I’ll give you a great deal! (continued page 29)
Surf Report
(from page 15)
T
he organization CEPIA wants to extend a prosperous New Year 2009. We want to thank, from the bottom of our heart, all the people, companies, volunteers and sponsors that shared with us the dream of a strong and positive community. We wish you a year of plenty of blessings for all and remember that “in life all the battles serve to teach something to us, included those that we lose, and a warrior cannot give up, because if he does, he will lose sight of the horizon of his dreams” (Paulo Coelho).
The Christmas celebration for 300 children was celebrated December 20th in Huacas! We are thankful for the special participation of HSBC bank
This year 2009 is a different year for the organization CEPIA. The global economical crisis affects people and organizations with fewer resources like CEPIA. Our main sponsors have cut their donations towards the social sector. Losing big support is a hard stroke and means big changes inside the organization. We are deeply sorry to announce that the organization will not be able to continue paying the professional services of Noldan, our beloved computer teacher, and Erick, our beloved educational psychologist. Max (office manager), Ana (psychologist) and I (Laetitia) continue working full-time for CEPIA. The computer classes for teenagers dropped out of school will continue, but the sixth graders of our schools will not receive computer instruction this year. Single mothers in extreme poverty, teachers and children with learning difficulties will not receive the professional support of Erick, but we will do our best to refer them. Last, CEPIA puts for sale its van (Hyundai Starex 98) because it generates too much costs. The extracurricular classes offered by volunteers, the distribution of 400 packages of school supplies, the permanent available psychological support and the program ‘train teenagers into the future’ will continue with lots of energy and dedication. They are important actions that we have to keep active, alive and dedicated to the children of our communities. We are sorry for this news but due to uncontrollable factors the organization has to survive with fewer resources this year. The important thing is that we keep fighting for the organization and for a better quality of life for children in our area. Sincerely, Laetitia Deweer, Board President
to the host city. And we talked about the government, police, fire department, working with hotels. We also reviewed, in Jaco, where the Parade of Nations will march and where the Opening ceremony will take place in the new park. We got a lot done.” “This is the first event with Billabong, an international sponsor, and we are excited to take the World Surfing Games to the next level,” she added. “This is a big deal. In essence, this is the premier of the ISA’s biggest event ever.” Keith than moved to Tamarindo to monitor the Torneo Witch’s Rock in order to get a sense of how the FSC run a surf contest. Overall, she says, she was pleased—“Costa Rica is very organized”—and will be back in April for a follow-up visit. Saturday night, Witch’s Rock Surf Camp hosted a party where they donated a portion of the proceeds to the building of sidewalks in Tamarindo. The Circuito Nacional de Surf also premiered its first DVD to the crowd. The next date of the Circuito Nacional de Surf DAYSTAR will be the Copa Balance Natural in Playa Nosara on February 6-8, 2009. It will distribute 2,000 points to the winners of each category. This date will be the final one that will determine the next National selection of the Juniors (less than 18 years of age) who will attend the World Games in Salinas, Ecuador between March 27 and April 5, 2009. The CNS DAYSTAR 2008-2009 presented by Coca-Cola Zero Sponsors are: 69 Slam, 911 Groovy Radio, Balance Natural, Banana Wax, Banzaii Surfboards, Billabong, Carton Surfboards, Christian Surfers, Coca-Cola Zero, Day & Night Beach Club, DAYSTAR, FCS, Gimnasio Platinum, Gorila, Hotel Backyard, Hotel Terraza del Pacífico, Ibarquero Design, Jass Surf Shop, Mango, Powerade, Quiksilver, Quique, Redbull, Reef, Roca Bruja, Surfos Magazine, Surftech, Witch’s Rock Surf Camp, WOW Surf Shop. For more information on the Circuito Nacional de Surf DAYSTAR 2008-2009 or the Federacion de Surf de Costa Rica, please go to the webpage at www.surfingcr.net. (continued page 27)
Alcoholics Anonymous Schedule of Meetings
Flamingo
Tuesdays: 5:30 - 6:30 pm (open) Fridays: 5:30 - 6:30 pm (open)
Location: Hitching Post Plaza Unit 2, Brasilito Contact: Don H. at 2-654-4902
Tamarindo
Saturday: 9-10 a.m. - Closed - Chicas 10:30-11:30 - Open General Meeting Thursday: 6:30-7:30 - Open Meeting Location: Behind Restaurant Fiesta del Mar Contact: Ellen - 2-653-0897
Word puzzle World Rivers
All words from the list below can be found in the word block on the right. Answers may be forward, backward, upwards, downwards and diagonal. abitibi amazon athabasca bravo colorado columbia danube darling dnieper ganges grande irrawaddy limpopo loire mackenzie
mekong mississippi moldau murray platte rhine severn shannon stlawrence tagus tempisque thames tombigbee wabash zambesi
A Newcomer’s View of Paradise Nancy Sims
A
llow me to give you some background along with my observations; hopefully I’ll thus establish some credibility with Howler readers: My husband and I are managing a boutique hotel here in Tamarindo for ten weeks. A beautiful place on the beach, along with a welltrained, loyal Tico staff to match. We arrived “cold turkey” from the US where we own a B&B. Not really knowing what to expect, we were most pleasantly surprised to find our digs truly lovely and comfy. How fortunate we are to be living in such a beautiful home surrounded by a gorgeous garden facing the magnificent Pacific! But... • My new perfume is called OFF! yet my body is covered in red, itchy welts. Are the bugs immune? Or is it me? • The dust from the road blows in and lingers in my nose, eyes, throat, and lungs. Coughing has become an ever-present channel of communication along with my quite broken Spanish, • My antiperspirant seems to fail daily; never knew I could produce that much sweat! My lovely yoga teacher says I’m getting rid of toxins. Hopefully those nasty excess pounds will go along for the ride. • My drugs of choice are cold showers and generous applications of Benedryl lotion afterward. AHHHHH! But, like most drugs, the effect feels wonderful for about one hour, then—GONE!
High Speed Internet
We have found that many of the restaurants here in Tamarindo serve excellent food. However, as we’re on a tight budget, (especially with the uncertainty of the future world economy), we must ensure that our U.S. dollar stretches as far as possible. To that end, we cook at home most of the time. Still, sticker shock abounds for us at both Gringo and Tico mercados and shops.
Legally now available Pura Broadband S. A. Certified Wi-max Technology Non Satellite - Non Telephone Line - Non ICE
And of course a comment on the roads is de rigueur for a newby. We hear nearly every day that the road to Langosta will be paved very soon, “maybe mañana they will begin,” we are told. I am impressed and amazed that the local residents are actually raising private funds to pay for this project: undoubtedly a grass-roots activity worthy of much pride.
Amazing Wi-Fi systems also available for all applications
This willingness to participate in improving the infrastructure compels me to realize that the local ex-pats here are truly invested on many levels in this Garden of Eden. From surfers to merchants to snowbirds, even to hangers-on, everyone who’s been here through at least one dry and one rainy season professes great pride in Tamarindo. I’ve actually heard more than one person defend the rutted, muddy, dusty roads. Even with the high tourist prices (not to mention the theft), 99.9% of the ex-pat locals I have informally interviewed tell me they LOVE it here and wouldn’t want to live back in the States or in Europe.
larry@purabroadband.com 2658-7130 8385-8744
Looking for Long-Term Rental? 3-bedroom, 3 bath in main villa; in Hernandez Looking for the right people and we’ll give a great price Call John at (508) 760-4060 or e-mail jdcapecod1@comcast.net
I’ve concluded that this phenomenon is perhaps akin to my living in L.A. for 25 years; most people from elsewhere say, ”How could you live in LA?” As my dear hubby says, “Well, one doesn’t need to reconcile the entire city; one is often able to pick and choose the good parts and let the rest fall away.” I believe the same is true for the ex-pats here. Most have cheerfully embraced the good, the bad, and the merely uncomfortable. So, I salute you for your tolerance, patience, and the simple yet elegant lifestyle you’ve created for yourselves. PURE VIDA!
FEBRUARY TIDE CHART 1S
2M First Qtr 3T
4W
5T
00:25 06:34 12:32 18:56 01:08 07:16 13:15 19:40 01:56 08:07 14:04 20:34 02:54 09:09 15:05 21:39 04:01 10:22 16:18 22:52
0.5 8.0 0.5 8.8 0.7 7.6 0.8 8.5 1.0 7.3 1.2 8.2 1.2 7.0 1.5 8.0 1.3 7.0 1.6 8.0
6F
05:14 11:38 17:35
7S
00:04 06:25 12:47 18:47 01:09 07:26 13:47 19:50 02:07 08:20 14:40 20:45 02:59 09:10 15:28 21:35
8S
9M Full Moon 10T
1.2 11W 7.3 1.5 8.2 0.7 7.8 1.0 8.7 0.2 8.6 0.4 9.2 -0.4 9.3 -0.2 9.5 -0.9 9.8 -0.6
12T
13F
14S
15S
03:47 09:56 16:14 22:22 04:34 10:39 16:59 23:08 05:18 11:22 17:42 23:52 06:03 12:04 18:26 00:36 06:48 12:47 19:10
9.7 -1.1 10.1 -0.8 9.7 -1.1 10.1 -0.7 9.4 -0.8 9.9 -0.4 8.9 -0.3 9.4
16M Last Quarter 17T
18W
19T
0.1 20F 8.3 0.4 8.7
01:22 07:35 13:31 19:58 02:12 08:29 14:21 20:51 03:09 09:31 15:20 21:53 04:17 10:42 16:32 23:01 05:28 11:52 17:46
0.7 7.6 1.1 8.1 1.3 6.9 1.8 7.4 1.8 6.4 2.4 7.0 2.1 6.2 2.7 6.8 2.1 6.4 2.6
21S
22S
23M
24T New Moon 25W
00:06 06:29 12:50 18:47 01:01 07:19 13:37 19:36 01:48 07:59 14:17 20:18 02:28 08:36 14:53 20:55 03:06 09:10 15:27 21:31
6.9 1.8 6.7 2.2 7.3 1.4 7.2 1.7 6.8 0.9 7.8 1.2 8.1 0.5 8.3 0.7 8.4 0.2 8.7 0.2
26T
27F
28S
1S March 2M
03:42 09:44 16:01 22:06 04:17 10:17 16:35 22:42 04:53 10:51 17:10 23:19 05:30 11:28 17:48 23:59 06:10 12:08 18:29
8.6 -0.1 9.1 -0.1 8.7 -0.2 9.3 -0.2 8.7 -0.2 9.3 -0.2 8.5 -0.1 9.2 -0.1 8.2 0.2 8.9
3T
4W First Quarter 5T
6F
7S
00:42 06:54 12:52 19:16 01:32 07:47 13:45 20:13 02:32 08:52 14:51 21:22 03:42 10:08 16:09 22:40 04:59 11:26 17:30 23:54
0.2 7.8 0.6 8.5 0.6 7.4 1.0 8.1 1.0 7.1 1.4 7.7 1.2 7.0 1.6 7.6 1.2 7.3 1.4 7.8
Learning...
(from page 6)
came unbidden from the dregs of a sunset rum drink tossed into the garden. My 30-foot mango tree, produce of a pit thrown away, gives a juicy harvest and has even had a baby sapling from its own seed. I know to tie slices of kitchen foil into the guayaba tree to crackle in the breeze and save the fruit from the squirrels. Securing oneself from crime is a skill permanently needed here. Best to learn to be a burglar, to look at your property and ask “How would I break into this?” Be creative – they are. I have learnt a lot about insects, much of it fascinating but useless; some definitely useful. I can identify termite tunnels up a wooden pillar, as the greedy little bastards enter my roof to munch on its framework. A few days of hacking away the tunnels with a machete and anointing them with Baygon usually weakens their determination and sends them to the neighbour’s house. Of, course, the ultimate learning experience is gaining command of the Spanish language. This can be a tough assignment, coping with genders, strange letter sounds and the infamous irregular verbs, but it is definitely worth while if you want to get the most Costa Rica has to offer. And the lesson is continuous; you never stop learning. David’s Seventh Corollary to Murphy’s Law states that the chance of something breaking is directly proportional to its distance from the repair facility, so many things that elsewhere would work flawlessly will fail here with depressing frequency. And not just the day after the warranty expires. Because somewhere in tiny print in the warranty is the dreaded phrase “only in the United States and Canada.” So, when my top-of-the-line Canon digital went kaput after 22 days of use and I mailed it (registered) to the repair shop in Illinois, I was told “we cannot accept packages from outside the U.S. It will be returned unopened.” I have now also learned not to send anything valuable via Correo Costa Rica. And when all is said and done, the more I learn the more I realize just how much I don’t know.
The only publication seen in all beaches of the Gold Coast, from Playa Potrero to Playa Junquillal, plus Santa Cruz and Liberia is
We also have the best advertising prices. Advertise with us and maximise your business dollar Tel: 2-653-0545 howler@ice.co.cr
Surf Report
(from page 22)
Results of Torneo Witch’s Rock Circuito Nacional de Surf 2008-2009 DAYSTAR January 10, 11 Playa Tamarindo Open 1) Jason Torres 2) Federico Pilurzu 3) Juan Carlos Naranjo 4) Carlos Muñoz
MiniGrommets Girls (under 12) 1) Arisha Grioti 2) Leilani McGonagle 3) Paula Rodríguez 4) Marta Fillingim
Women’s 1) Nataly Bernold 2) Lisbeth Vindas 3) Liz Block 4) Ana Herrera
Masters (over 35) 1) Cassio Carvalho 2) Marcelo Matos 3) Mauro Sergio Oliveira 4) Craig Schieber
Junior (under 18) 1) Anderson Tascón 2) Roberto D’mico 3) José Calderón 4) Ramón Taliani
Grand Masters (over 40) 1) Cassio Carvalho 2) Craig Schieber 3) Carlos Velarde 4) Mario Rodríguez
Junior Women’s (under 18) 1) Nataly Bernold 2) Avalon Esterak 3) Maia Velarde 4) Marcela García
Longboard 1) Cedric Auffret 2) Anthony Flores 3) Adolfo Gómez 4) Alexander Jimenez
Boys (under 16) 1) Noe Mar McGonagle 2) Jordan Hernández 3) Carlos Muñoz 4) Tomas King
Novice 1) Francesco Dagapiti 2) Itai Hagage 3) Carlos Guido 4) Carlos Mejía
Grommets (under 14) 1) Josué Rodríguez 2) Manuel Mesén 3) Noe Mar McGonagle 4) Leonardo Calvo
Bodyboard 1) Johan Matarrita 2) Reymar Ramirez 3) Richard Marín 4) Reiner Montenegro
MiniGrommets (under 12) 1) Leonardo Calvo 2) Gabriel Muñoz 3) Sean Forester 4) Carlos Brown
Bodyboard Women’s 1) Jimena Calvo 2) Jennifer Torres 3) Michelle Rodríguez 4) Verónica Quirós
That’s all I’ve got. Looking forward to hearing what you think. Keep those emails coming at EllenZoe@aol.com. Send your comments, information, errors or praise, because I can’t do this column without you, the real surfers.
Flamingo Equestrian Center Riding School - Boarding Facility Lighted Indoor Arena - Jump Course Year-round Customized Horse Camps and Clinics flamingohorses@gmail.com www.costaricahorses.com 8-828-6879
October orecasts F ebruary F F orecasts
by Jeanne Callahan
Aries: 21 March - 20 April
This month’s energetic signature for you involves inspired, effective communication as your ruling planet, Mars, enters the fixed air sign of Aquarius where he will join Jupiter, Neptune and Mercury as they, too, transit this sign. Look for opportunities to network with likeminded others and for public speaking opportunities to get your message across. Remember to be patient with those who are slower to grasp the forward thinking concepts you are putting out there. Best days to shine are the 26th and 27th.
Taurus: 21 April - 21 May
You need to continue to focus on developing new opportunities in the career/public image sector of your life. Accept all invitations for additional instruction and also, later in the month, to speak about what you know and what you can do. While it may not seem to have much effect at first, like a pebble’s ripple in a pond, the vibration you put out there will deliver in the coming months. Keep showing up. The 1st and 2nd are your best days.
Gemini: 22 May - 21 June
Your ruling planet, Mercury, will go into direct motion on the 1st, bringing with it much clearer thinking about your next steps in the realm of higher education, career and your home. You may consider working out of your home to generate an additional stream of income. Utilize your refined communication skills to great effect this month as you will be inspiring to listen to—and now there will be an audience for your message. The 3rd and 4th are days of blessing.
Cancer: 22 June - 22 July
The energetic focus for you involves matters concerning partnerships, regeneration, legacies, death, and taxes. This is an excellent time to put your house in order with regard to these matters so you can stop worrying so much about long-term security. You get very threatened and fearful when you don’t know what’s going to happen next but if you really examine that concern—no one ever really knows what is going to happen next. It could all be gone in a blink of an eye. On that note, use the beneficial lunar energies of the 6th and 7th to get a relaxing and rejuvenating massage.
Leo: 23 July - 23 August
This month has your relationship/partnership house under scrutiny as four planets and the Sun are moving through Aquarius this month. The full moon/lunar eclipse on the 9th also happens here foreshadowing changes for that part of your life in the next six months. What isn’t working will come up to clear or be eliminated. Compromises and cooperation need to be discussed in light of what issues surface now. The 8th and 9th are your best days.
Virgo: 24 August - 22 September
Maintaining good health habits are your main concern at this time. Get medical checkups, start a diet and exercise routine and get a strategy for managing stress this month. Your tendency to micro-manage everything in sight is part of your problem right now. Take some time off for relaxation and enjoyment in the early part of the month. The 10th and 11th are your good fortune days.
Visit Jeanne’s site at CelestialAdvisor.com
Libra: 23 September - 23 October
There is abundant support for you with four planets moving through the air sign Aquarius this month, particularly in regard to creative self-expression, writing, theatre, amusements and affection. Spending time with your children and expressing love and affection gives extra benefit this month as does energy put into your home. Something hidden within you wants to emerge this year—participate in this expansion of self. The 12th and 13th are favorable.
Scorpio: 24 October - 22 November
The energetic emphasis is in your base of operations—your home and that which is hidden in the depths of self. While there may be feelings of conflict about not being heard or understood, keep after it as you are in the process of gaining momentum for future success. Pay attention to matters of property and real estate as well as your siblings and neighbors. Some short journeys may also be necessary this month. The 14th and 15th are your best days.
Sagittarius: 23 November - 21 December
Money matters are your primary concern now with some lack or additional expenses coming up. Be frugal now and delay unnecessary purchases. Things could be a little unstable in your career but that vibe is improving as the month proceeds. Clear up any misunderstandings of the previous month and focus on precise communication with others. This is a good month for writing out your goals and aspirations or even just starting to journal your inner thoughts. The 17th and 18th are very supportive days.
Capricorn: 22 December - 21 January
You are focused on your own personal self, your looks, your possessions and finances. This is a formulation time as you review the lessons of the past while looking ahead to the future. Be clear within about what you want and what you will do to get it. You are in a positive of power to control the outcome if you proceed with integrity and certainty. Clear up details from last month’s Mercury retrograde at this time. The 19th and 20th are your best days.
Aquarius: 22 January - 19 February
This is a power-packed month for you as four planets proceed in your sign. Future plans are being set in motion and even the most far-out concepts may have value in some way. This is a cosmic brainstorming session so keep your aspirations high and network like crazy to find like-minded others. Watch out for angry outbursts at the end of the month as you are impatient with others and want progress now. Chill out on the 22nd and 23rd to regroup your energies.
Pisces: 20 February - 20 March
This is a month to retreat a bit from the world and go within. Consider taking a vacation by the sea to make the most of this solitary vibe. You are seeking inner peace at this time and need to honor this process. Partnerships are difficult at this time and someone important may leave your life. Let them go. The new moon on the 24th and the 25th are peaceful days for you.
Namasté
28
VIDA Foundation
C
Bringing vital help to Costa Rican women
osta Rica finds itself on the frontline of the battle against breast cancer. Breast Cancer is the number two cause of death for women in Costa Rica with 28.3 new cases per 100,000 population compared to the United States that reports 26 new cases per 100,000. So what can be done to reduce the casualties of this disease in Costa Rica? Enter the VIDA Foundation, www. vidafoundation.com, a non-profit organization founded by breast cancer survivor Vilma Monge Hondroulis, to improve the lives of women by addressing one of the most serious health challenges of women worldwide – breast cancer. “ In 2008 Mrs. Hondroulis was diagnosed with breast cancer. Early detection played an important role in the successful outcome of her surgery and treatment. This personal experience with breast cancer brought a new sense of determination to provide the same early detection opportunity that was afforded to her, to other women in Costa Rica. “Twenty-two thousand women in Costa Rica are currently on a waiting list to get a mammogram. Early detection is a key survival factor of this deadly disease, I am living proof.” said Mrs. Hondroulis. “I want VIDA to provide the same
Gossip, Deals and Advice
(from page 21)
So take my advice. I know, I lived here when Smilin’ Dog was still roaming around and beers were ¢500, before the road, before dengue and crack and Euro trash. Let me tell you what you should really do. Trust me, I know, I didn’t invest my money with The Brothers or buy some cracked condo. You should open a suntanning salon, maybe sports fishing tours. Hey, I got it! A language and culture center to bridge the gap. Maybe a restaurant school or a lingerie and evening gown store with lots of really high heels for all of these special Grand Openings of the next strip mall or disco. So let me give you some advice, I know, I’ve seen it all. You buy containers, load them with German sports cars and really big highway touring motor cycles and monster trucks with giant gas guzzling motors. Then you sell everything and make a house out of the container. Trust me, I know. Let me give you some advice. Pura vida, ma’e...
early detection opportunities to the women of Costa Rica that were provided to me, that In essence saved my life. Many women find themselves unable to make the trip to one of the many metropolitan areas for screening due to lack of transportation, family responsibilities or other obstacles. Therefore, the Vida Mobile Clinic will visit women in their own community and workplace. By working with local clinics and governments, Vida will make scheduled yearly trips visiting these areas to screen and educate. VIDA’S goal is to facilitate the design, equipping and management of a mobile mammogram screening program in Costa Rica. This program will make screening accessible to women in all regions of Costa Rica. Mrs. Hondroulis said, “ The Vida Mobile Mammography clinic will bring a potentially life-saving exam right into the community and provide education and screening, to reduce wait time and give women a fighting chance of survival through early detection.” For further information about VIDA, to get involved in this life-saving project, or to help them reach their goals, contact Brandon McCullers at 8-305-1919.
Surviving
C hapter LXVII
N
COSTA RICA
ow that you’ve decided to try your hand here in Tamarindo we’ve put together a little guide book that we hope will help in your endeavors in stealing all you can from our small community. We’ll present a few do’s and don’ts that will facilitate the fine art of appropriating that which is not yours. The following should cover all the bases and basics. First off, don’t be greedy. Some thieves come to Tamarindo and immediately start stealing everything in sight, flip-flops, sunglasses, lap tops etc. This will only make it harder for others when it’s their turn, possibly causing bad relations among the ladron population and maybe even ending up with you as a victim as well. Please remember that there’s plenty to go around for everyone. There are several ways to be a successful robber here in the Greater Tamarindo Metropolitan Area which we will now explore. The Beach It is recommended to practice your beach thieving during the daylight hours as the copious sunlight facilitates a clearer view of the situation. You will notice that the beach population here is basically divided into three groups, those who live here generally referred to as “Costa Ricans” and those who don’t, most often called “tourists” and those who actually live in Tamarindo, most of whom are not members of the indigenous population and who refer to themselves as “locals”. Robbing the “Costa Ricans” of course is permissible but not very lucrative, and is probably the reason you’re here and not back in San José. This group tends to hang in large family groups with the larger male members surrounding the group in a defensive stance making them hard, though not impossible to infiltrate. Unless this type shows up in a brand-new Prado it’s suggested to steer clear of them. Because let’s face it, you came here for the tourists, and the beach is where they’re at. In many cases your robbery may be facilitated by the local hotel staffs who have
A Thief’s Guide to Tamarindo
advised the “tourists” that the safest place for valuables is in a back-pack left on the beach while swimming. These staff members can be a big help in your undertakings and remember, they too could be ripping off the tourists but have sent them your way instead, so it’s only good manners to tip them later. The prime tourist target is the North American Gringo, most recognized by his impressive girth and distinctive smell of wealth. Even if he/she hasn’t left the wallet and Rolex on a beach towel there is still the likelihood that he’s left a $200 pair of sandals unguarded. The locals that you find on the beach are generally poorer than you are and not worth the effort. The locals worth robbing are found in our next category. Casa Robbing, or The Fine Art of Burglary Tamarindo and its satellite community of Langosta can be the crowning achievement of your thieving ventures during your stay in our lovely town and, if done right, could send you home with a plentiful bounty. Even the most fortress-like abodes can be cracked with the right approach. One of the successful methods involves recruiting the local gardeners, construction workers, maids, guards, taxi drivers and crack dealers to keep an eye out for the right opportunity. It helps if the lookouts are family members as they require less of a tip. Eventually the homeowners, usually “locals” but occasionally even “residents”, have to leave their house for, say, going to church or attending a community meeting about the rise in house robberies. Chances are he (or she) will have forgotten to deadbolt one of the fifteen or so locks, so all that is needed for a quick easy entry is a check of each doorknob. If the homeowner has neglected to leave a door unlocked there is always an open window that a skinny thief should be able to navigate, although borrowing an even skinnier six-year-old to help out is always an option. Some proprietors have been rude enough to install bars on the windows These can usually
Story by Jesse Bishop
be pulled off, possibly by your helpful six-year-old. Don’t be discouraged if, for some strange reason, the bars have been well constructed as there is no shortage of bulldozers around and all that is needed is a sturdy chain and all that’s inside is now yours. It is possible that within thirty to forty minutes of your successful entry the local police force will have raised enough money to buy gas for their scooters to investigate the break-in. There is no hurry to get your loot properly stashed as the last time a thief was caught and punished in Tamarindo was 1997. Remember, the police are your friends and not to be feared. In fact the chances of your being caught and jailed in the Municipalidad of Santa Cruz are very slim as the jail is currently full with the local mayor and his cronies. Miscellaneous and Extra Credit One must not just dwell on the more established forms of theft; there is plenty of room for improvisation and new ways to rip off are being developed in Tamarindo daily. The almost new fleet of yellow taxis is a shining example of not quite highway robbery, charging 6,000 colones for a three-minute ride to wherever. Driver’s licenses are an optional nuisance for these intrepid four-wheeled thieves, none of whom actually lives here. Nor do the self-appointed car parking attendants who make a living charging you to park in the town you live in. Ever wonder what happens if you don’t pay? Sadly, the really successful thieves in Tamarindo are not the hard-working homegrown types. The really successful ones are building large concrete structures featuring balconies that dissolve in the rain and then selling them to the previously mentioned North American Gringo before disappearing. We hope this guide book will make your pillage here in Tamarindo a successful experience and you can leave our fair city knowing that not only do you leave enriched but you’ve also impacted others with an unforgettable vacation.
Dawning Awareness Tom Peifer Wake up and live y’all, wake up and live.....Bob Marley
S
unset watching is a favorite sport along the coast during the summer months. In many areas it serves as the social focus for hatching the evening’s plans. Where to eat, which dance or fiesta to attend, whatever. In Junquillal you get to see the old familiar faces, check out the new arrivals and try to figure out who is with whom, for tonight anyway. There does seems to be an ongoing disagreement about the exact nature of the green flash. One local insists it is because everyone’s corneas are so fried from staring at the glaring orb that no wonder they see things when it slips below the horizon. Even though I catch my share of sunsets, for me dawn is the more cosmic time of day. In the forest, dawn starts around 3 a.m. That’s when the neighbors’ roosters begin to vocally stake their territorial claims. Not long after, the nearest troop of Howler monkeys follows suit. Then the ones behind my house have to assert themselves. Depending on the season, currents of cool air wash down out of the nearby quebrada and rustle the curtains. In the rainy season there is often a brief shower, possibly due to the sun’s rays hitting the clouds high overhead, long before they reach ground level. Lightning over the ocean at that hour almost always indicates a good rainfall later in the day. Birdsong brings in the next choral component of the growing symphony of sound. At first it appears as isolated chirps and twitters, but with the growing light, sooner or later a boisterous cluster of wrens unleashes an a capella chorus on the rooftop and the transition to day is complete. The word “dawn” has strong symbolic connotations as well. As I write, the throngs assembled along the railroad to Washington DC are enthusiastically greeting the next president of the US. Many, not only in the US, are hoping for a “new dawn” in the wake of the disastrous years of the Bush presidency. Most are aware that the challenges faced by Obama are enormous. Any rays of hope are obscured by clouds of doubt, debt, indignation and the ruins of the imperial ambition of the days and years gone by. By any reasonable assessment, the future hangs over us heavier than the bursting thunderheads of an October temporal. As someone who has often waxed pessimistic in these pages, I’m trying to put into practice the recent words of a good friend. Much like me, she frets, worries and generally freaks out about all the negative trends that seem to be coming together and gaining momentum. But her husband, she recounted with
admiration, only sees an expanding range of opportunities. The worse things get the more possibility to do good, to help people, the environment and set a desperately needed example of positive directions at a moment in history when business as usual is going in the toilet and ‘the experts’ who charted the course have been proven so wrong. As destructive as the current crisis may become it also represents the dawn for many new efforts, organizations and ways of thinking. The most hopeful thing I have read recently was both short and sweet: Seeds will still sprout in the springtime of 2052. For a gardener and saver of seeds this has special meaning. Focus on the near and now and cultivate a future that bears fruit in spite of the vagaries of the prevailing climate, be it economic or otherwise. As one writer observed, “hope begins in the dark.” The birds know it, the monkeys know it, and I can assure you that dawn is a great time for planting seeds.
Tom Peifer is an ecological land use consultant with 13 years experience in Guanacaste. Phone: 2658-8018. peifer@racsa. co.cr El Centro Verde is dedicated to sustainable land use, agriculture and development Web site: http://www.elcentroverde.org/
T
Sala IV stops all Tamarindo Development
he Supreme Court of Costa Rica voted in January to suspend indefinitely all development permits for Las Baulas Marine Park and a zone extending 500 meters from its borders, which includes most of Tamarindo. Many homes and businesses lie within the affected zone; the ruling means that owners will not be allowed to make any changes to these properties. The vote (document 18529-08) requires that the ban will remain in effect until completion of a technical study on the impact of development on the surrounding areas. The entities SETENA, AyA and Municipality of Santa Cruz have been given six months to complete this study. During this time, no building permits will be issued. The study must take into account the effects of noise, lighting, waste water and human presence on the local ecosystem, particularly the nesting practices of the leatherback turtle, and will have the power to recommend the demolition of structures within the noted area.
February ( a l l
t i m e s
2009 l o c a l )
Sun
1st - rise 6:06; set 5:48 15th - rise 6:03; set 5:52 28th - rise 5:58; set 5:54
1st quarter: Full: Last quarter: New:
Moon
2nd 9th 16th 25th
5:13 p.m. 2:49 p.m. 3:37 p.m. 7:35 a.m.
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WHAT ARE WE DOING COSTA RICA?
Cynthia Osborne Charpentier
New Year 2009 “The world from my couch”. Why? I fell down, broke my leg. I got up. We need a break to appreciate life. Everything becomes different; life changes. Scared of changes? Every human being learns different fears. “Cambia, todo cambia” - Mercedes Sosa. “Pain makes you feel that you are alive” - AC. December: Diversion, risk, pain. Fiestas, Improvised bullfighters. Collective desire to show off. A Costa Rican tradition. “I don’t think about being dead, because for me it doesn’t exist, it is a transcendental change, a material change” - G. Many people suffer to think about death; the only things we have left are memories and it’s called energy. “See new things, few good people, a lot of bad people. You have to see through a magnifying glass. We have to love this world”. (Fer). Then: liquor and cars a tougher “Transit law”. “Go and see your corpse”. (German Marin, Transit Director). We are going through stages. Citizens’ education, fines, crime and applying the law. “There are both political and economical interests to this law” - Franz Korte, Transit Judge. New Year? Solidarity! Earthquake. Nature shows its force. It brings us grief, restlessness, isolation, fright, death. Breakdown in electricity, water, food and communication. Camps, Help, cold, isolation. Avalanches, destruction, disaster. “We are scared, because we cannot control nature” - Mariana. Situations like this one, the earthquake creates different reactions in human beings. Panic is the first one; no one understands totally nature’s emotions. Many people buried alive... Damages in infrastructure, lives and ecology.
But what is life? Everything is life. Another reaction is fear. You get scared when you don’t understand something that you cannot control. Somehow, we are weak. How do you not scream when the mountains are falling and the earth is opening under your feet? Even the Poas Volcano got hurt. Some animals can feel when something from nature is going to happen and they look for protection, some others can not. We human beings cannot feel like those animals and when nature wakes up (in different ways), we just have to face it. The most important thing is to be positive and go on, whatever happens. The most beautiful thing is to listen the orchestra in the morning: birds and monkeys. The most amazing: the ocean, wakening and sunsets. The best is to help people. The best is love! I found out that the choppers were helping tourists first. Of course they pay. But what about hurt people waiting for help? One Costarrican hurt and desperate man pays $400 to go to the Hospital. No house, no food, family waiting, but he paid. The reason: the Goverment decided to take the tourists first (some of them aggressive) because, that way, Costa Rica wouldn’t have a “bad reputation” in other countries. They were staying at one hotel while injured people were in the mountains waiting and waiting. I am mad that they put reputation and money first? Many people died waiting, others just cried looking at the choppers and the hope for a rescue. Pain. What is pain? “Pain is a corporal or emotional reaction to something that makes you suffer” - Mariana. Pain is part of us; the way we treat it is the answer. Some people scream, others get aggressive, others cry. What are tears? Rain from your soul. And the best relief to clean your pain or to feel happy? “Cry, you will feel better” - Sixto Porras, Enfoque a la Familia. Let’s cry then, but forget the past and live today, it is the only thing we have. Let’s live this day like it is the last one. Let’s be strong with our emotions. Let’s be like the tide, let’s be like the sun who gives life, let’s be like the moon and the stars, let’s have peace.
Good Vibrations with Aqua Massage
I
David Mills
must admit that, when I was offered a free Aqua Massage, I wasn’t overenthusiastic. I mean, who wants to lie on a water bed with a few bubbles tickling your back? “Oh, just another gimmick,” I thought, but these are good customers so I took a halfhour out of my dynamic schedule and went for the massage. Aqua massage is a treatment designed to relax the muscles, reduce stress, improve blood circulation and a host of other benefits. It operates by forcing jets of water upwards to impinge on the body as you lie supine on a water bed. Let me dispel two misconceptions. You do not get wet, and you do this fully clothed. I lay down in the darkened room, earphones feeding me ethereal music “because it can be noisy” says Kyla, the attendant. A hand control allows the user to adjust the pressure of the jets and speed of the cycle and select various parts of the body for attention. I chose the full-body cycle. I am not given to exaggeration, but the word that came to mind immediately was “awesome”! This is not a few bubbles tickling my back! This is a very forceful vibration as the jets started at my ankles and worked their way up to the head, then back down again, the complete cycle taking about two minutes. The noticeable differences between Aqua Massage and a conventional massage are that the action takes place underneath the body, and that a much wider area of the body is treated at one time. At full pressure the sensation is like being pummelled by a dozen pistons all over the back, neck, calves, a very enjoyable feeling. My aqua treatment took 20 minutes until the pressure slowly died away and I was left lying there, more relaxed than I had thought possible. From being a sceptic, I am now convinced that Aqua Massage delivers the benefits it claims. Whether or not, it’s quite a trip! I’ll be back for more. Aqua Massage is located on the main road opposite Best Western Vista Villas in Tamarindo. A 20-minute session costs $15, and there is a range of packages at lower prices (see ad on page 25 of this magazine – try the free massage coupon). Conventional hand massage is also available.