Editorís Note
W
e have almost completed a full calendar year of recession, and so far it hasn’t been too bad. Sure, some businesses have closed and people left town, the sorting of the wheat from the chaff, but some of the remaining businesses have done well. Now we move into what should, traditionally, be the High Season. Some businesses tell me of advance bookings well into February and March. Let’s see how we fare in these new and changing times.
Costa Rica has been announced the world’s fourth-largest exporter of high-technology products, after the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore. According to Cinde (Costa Rican Development Initiative Coalition), the country sold almost $300 million of high-tech products last year.
Tamarindo Beach was a very popular place on 29 September, when a bale of cocaine washed up containing, allegedly, twenty-five bricks. For the next several weeks heavy police activity was noticed around town and on the routes out of Tamarindo, even to searching of cars.
Depositing money at a Banco Nacional branch, I noticed that the exchange rate, previously 585, was now 577. The dollar has been taking a beating on the Costa Rica exchange market over the past month. This, unfortunately, affects those of us whose income is mainly in dollars and, of course, will affect the attraction of the country to tourists. And a weaker dollar adversely affects the export of goods. Nonetheless, the value of the dollar is, as any commodity, worth whatever the buyer will pay for it.
It is Guayaba time. Trees hang low with these delicious fruit; vendors sell them from the back of pick-ups; seems like a bumper Guayaba year. Looking like a rough apple, guayaba has its own individual flavour. Every second year, my tree gives a big crop, which are soon eaten by squirrels and insects. Alternate years, though, the fruit stays untouched until I pick it. Don’t know why, but this is the good year!
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
The report on Playa Grande compiled by Geocad Ambiental Studies after the six-month moratorium, is a vast tome, through which I have briefly surfed. It contains a new set of regulations to “protect the leatherback” which we know is a crock, because the overriding threat to the turtle is at sea, not on Playa Grande. Nevertheless, you may not display lights on your property that shine towards the ocean; all garden lights must be lower than two feet from the ground; if you have windows that face the sea, they must be curtained; pets outside one’s property must be on a leash, no more than two meters long; if a pet dies, you cannot replace it; and blah, blah, blah...Just more regulations to not be enforced.
The Howler Since 1996
November 2009
FEATURES 8 Dining Out
For Guanacaste country cooking, try Taberna y Restaurante el Rinconcito de Doña Elda, just over the hill in El Llano.
9 Student Voices
We feature the school works of Country Day School seventh, eighth and ninth graders.
13 What’s Developing? On a mountaintop across the bay from Tamarindo is the ecological development Corona del Cabo.
14 Around Town Openings, closings, parties, music. The Gold Coast has it all, and bar-hoppin’ David is in the groove.
15 Surf Report
The fourth edition of the Central American Surf Championship took place last month in Playa El Sunsal, El Salvador.
16 Ten Years Later An ex-resident who left Tamarindo ten years ago returns for the first time and comments on the differences a decade can make.
25 Gardening at 60
Dig a garden and live longer and better. Tom Peifer gives advice and hints on gardening in Guanacaste.
26 Surviving Costa Rica
The view of the United States is very different from the inside than it is from the rest of the world.
26 Gunpowder, Treason and Plot
This month Britain celebrates the failure of a dastardly plot to blow up the House of Lords.
Cover Caption: Day’s end at the mouth of the Tamarindo Estuary. Cover design and photo: www.johnlymanphotos.com
DEPARTMENTS 10
CD Review
11
Book Review
12 Yoga 13
Soccer
19 Puzzle 21 Tide Chart 24 November Forecasts 28 Sun & Moon 28 Rain Gauge
The Howler Founded in 1996 Vol. 14, No. 11 - November 2009 Issue No. 158 Editorial Office: Casa Equinox, Playa Tamarindo Guanacaste, Costa Rica Ced. Juridica: 3-101-331333 Publisher, editor and production David Mills dmills@racsa.co.cr • howler001@gmail.com www.howlermag.com Tel/fax: 2-653-0545 Contributors: TONY OREZ TOM PEIFER JOHN LYMAN ELLEN ZOE GOLDEN KIDS OF COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL JEANNE CALLAHAN LEE DAVIDSON JESSE BISHOP NINA WEBER
Deadline for December: November 15
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David Mills
Dining Out
Taberna y Restaurante El Rincincito de Doña Elda El Llano
J
ust about every driver along the Gold Coast knows, and has done business with, Gasolinera el Oasis in El Llano, so finding this restaurant will not be a problem, as it sits opposite the bomba and a hundred meters to the east. A new structure about a year old next door to the vivero, it opens at 8 a.m. for breakfast and continues through lunch and dinner, good food at very reasonable prices. Its full title (above) being such a mouthful, it is better known as Doña Elda’s. Its slogan is el sabor de la comida criolla - the taste of country cooking. The restaurant, on the ground floor, is open, fresh, nicely tiled and decorated (I could live without the artificial flowers on every table, but I’m told “that’s a Tico thing”), large, clean washrooms. Upstairs is the taberna, open from 4 p.m., with dance floor and a large screen for videos. This room is ideal for parties, baby showers, wedding receptions, business meetings, etc. The menu is extensive, featuring for starters seven salads, many appetizers such as chicken, beef and shrimp brochettes, plus a choice from 21 bocas – platano, fried chicken, breaded shrimp and fish, beef kebabs, hamburger... For main dishes, choose from pastas with the standard sauces; several rice dishes with emphasis on seafood; an amazing seventeen pork dishes, though some were permutations of each other; four lomito dishes including rib-eye churrasco or parrilla plus beef kebabs; chicken with curry, mushrooms or brochette; many fish dishes, most of which were corvina (probably the fish in season right now) in butter sauce, pejibaya sauce, eneldo, stuffed with cheese, a la plancha, in garlic or pesto sauce, with mushrooms..., and more; shrimp, picante, in garlic or buttered. In all, something for everyone. Contact Doña Elda’s at 8-842-2635 or 8-356-1370.
Under the Stars It must have been autumn because the smell of burning oak and crisp leaves lingered through the air. Autumn is so special because of the new-found energy it gives you. This season, and the setting, makes this memory I am about to share so special. Lauren, from Atlanta, Georgia, was, and is to this day, my best friend. This memory I am thinking of revolves around our friendship. It was autumn and very late in the evening. This wind was dancing through our hair and our bodies were bundled under plenty of layers of clothing. We were on my driveway with our faces to the night sky. The sun had just set and the stars were trying to peek through the now-fading, colorful clouds. “Lauren, look. That little red dot is Mars”, I pointed out.
S T U D E N T
“What? Uh.... I do not see it... I really can not tell one dot from another”. “THEEERE”, I shouted. Lauren squinted and suddenly her eyes flew open. That made me laugh, Lauren always made me laugh. My teeth were chattering. I could feel the new winter breeze come along. I tried capturing my body heat beneath those layers, but mostly failed. The night went on, and we must have been there for a good couple hours. I told the stories I knew about constellations and Lauren listened eagerly. Come to think of it, we must have looked a little strange. We were two people pointing at the stars, on a driveway in the pitch black. We did not care though. We laughed and talked. That night was my favorite memory with Lauren. Just me, her, and the stars.
Alex Bonham • English 9 CDSG
V O I C E S
The perfect school year In a school there are 3 important points: the teacher, the student, and the classroom. I hope that this year, my teacher, I and my classroom/fellow students will keep in mind that the year is better if everybody makes efforts to ameliorate it. An outstanding teacher has to like the subject he teaches so that he can come up with fun activities, projects, assignments, and have a fun class. He should also respect the students and shouldn’t pick favourites; that is a very important point. Having energy, being smiling and funny, and helping his students goes in having a positive attitude. A great teacher shouldn’t give too much homework. And he should organize field trips. The perfect student would respect himself or herself, other students, school materials and equipment. He would also partcipate in all the activities and make a lot of effort. But to learn your subject you also have to complete your homework and assignments. But that’s not all. You have to listen and pay attention in class so that you can understand your homework. And you have to be responsible to bring your homework home. All these qualities would make a perfect student. And finally the classroom. To be a good student you have to be comfortable in your classroom. And your classmates shouldn’t be disturbing. In the perfect classroom there should be a positive attitude. The students should work together and get along well. In the classroom, there should be A/C and fans. The chairs should be comfortable so that when you have to read or work, you are comfortable and concentrated. The classroom should have resources in it so that students can find their answers by their own. And finally it should be organized, nicely decorated and have high-quality materials. This is how the perfect school should be. The teacher, the student and the classmates can make the school year much easier. And I think my school year is going to be like that because it started really well. Let’s hope it’s going to continue like that.
Amelia Lamontagne • 7th CDSG
My Name My name is like the color pink or a flower. It means blooming I’m glad he didn’t because I think Thalia fits me better. in flowers. My name is also the name of the Greek muse of comedy. I can sort of connect it to my personality because I My dad has always called me T’s but I don’t really know where that can be funny but most of the time I am shy. came from. TT has also been one of my other nicknames because of my initials. Sometimes people will call me Torres but it’s not really I like the name Thalia because it is unique and I have only a nickname. met one or two people with the same name. I wasn’t named after any one. My parents named me because they liked the Over all I like my name because I can relate to the meaning in a way. meaning. My dad told me he thought of naming me Alana but It is also unique. I like my name and I would not change it.
Thalia • English 8 CDSG
CD Review Amigosintimos Tony Orez
W
hen Alice stepped through the looking glass, one of her first observations was that “things are not what they seem to be”. Lewis Carroll’s fairytale was written as a double-edged sword: a bright and cheery surface story, with an underlying cynical twin meaning. The rock duo who call themselves Amigosintimos have taken this theme and extrapolated on it with their debut CD, “En el Pais de las Maravillas”. There are direct references to Carroll’s work, including a song titled “Alicia” and a quote from Edgar Allen Poe in the lyric book which is included in the CD package. Salvadoran Keren Mizrahl and Costa Rican Marco Arias met in 2002 and started making music together less than two years later. The concept for this disc has been evolving since then. The music is a collaboration between the two, with Keren writing most of the lyrics, singing lead and back-up vocals, and playing piano and acoustic rhythm guitar. Marco handles most of the music composition and guitar work, as well as some piano and vocals on the project. The songs are playful and bouncy, with bright, lilty vocal harmonies. The duo is ably assisted by producer Edu’ Olive on Fender Rhodes and Hammond organs, lending a circus/fantasy motif, which is depicted in the album artwork as well. The irony lies between this Twenty-First Century Pop music on the surface and the serious political and social issues addressed in the content of the lyrics. The music certainly makes the message more digestible, especially in the songs “Amnesia” and “Voz de Guerra”. It also creates the possibility of a broader audience, verified by the album’s huge radio support from both 94.7 and Radio U. Not unlike the hippie movement forty years ago, some of the main issues center on loving more and shedding the warm coat of apathy. The sentiment is genuine and the music is infectious. “We’re not considered politically correct,” muses Arias. An incredible job was accomplished on the slick mixing and mastering by twotime Grammy (Ruben Blades, “Tiempo”) recipient Oscar Marin. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Beatle’s “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” was a major influence on the production of this LP. Studio guitar ace Bernal Villegas is all over the CD, playing on nearly every song. Even Hector Murillo, from Blues Latino, shows up for a cameo accordion appearance on one song. It’s an impressive legion of peripheral help, as we observe Amigosintimos “get by with a little help from their friends”. The self-produced project was picked up for distribution by Papaya Music and given co-founder Manuel Obregon’s stamp of approval with a nice quote on the back of the jacket. The packaging is pure Papayan, too: nice, bright inks for the sleeves, an extensive booklet and a fold-out, eco-friendly jacket. The label has already backed a live promotional push for the band and the unveiling of its new CD. And given Papaya’s success and approval ratings, we should be hearing a lot more from Amigosintimos in the future and on the radio. In Playa Tamarindo, Tilaran and Quepos, Amigosintimos is available exclusively at Jaime Peligro bookstores, where they will gladly sample the music for their customers.
Book Review American Prometheus Tony Orez
E
very biography is written objectively, with the writer’s personal opinion of the subject coming through; it is as simple as that. And most biographies are being told on a positive slant – unless one is writing the biography of Adolf Hitler or Charlie Manson, of course. That being said, Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin are to be commended for “American Prometheus”, a bio of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the “Father of the Atom Bomb”. To be sure, Oppenheimer is honored in the book, but the authors take painstaking measures to present the life of this controversial scientist from a variety of viewpoints, including those of his adversaries. A frail, lanky youth, Robert Oppenheimer was a nerd. But he astounded those around him during his teens when he took to horseback riding and camping in the rough New Mexico terrain, which became a lifelong Mecca for him. And it was because of this infatuation that the Los Alamos atomic research center would later be located in that very area. Mathematics came naturally to him and he had a knack for being able to speak to groups and help them solve their problems. But he had little patience for fellow professional physicist who failed to comprehend his new theories. And unlike most textbook nerds, Robert could quote classic poetry and literature and collected Monet and Cezanne paintings. The guy taught himself Dutch in a two-month span so he could read the works of an author from Holland in his native language. In short, he made everyday, run-of-the-mill geniuses look a bit daft. Oppenheimer truly emerged from his shell while teaching Physics in Berkeley. A fan of Roosevelt and the New Deal, he had seen his country entrenched in an economic depression, watched in dread as Hitler took command of Germany, and supported the communists during the Spanish Civil War, something that would haunt him for the duration of his life. Robert Oppenheimer was never a card-carrying communist, but he associated with Americans who were and supported their push against the Nazis. This part of his history was reviewed by a security panel when he was considered and ultimately selected to head the United States’ team of atomic physicists in a race to create the first atomic bomb, which they succeeded in doing. After World War II, however, Oppenheimer campaigned to share information with scientists from all over the world, in an attempt to keep the Cold War at bay through open communication, rather than the clandestine testings that ensued on either side of the Iron Curtain. During the McCarthy witch-hunts, Oppenheimer was stripped of all his security ratings and basically used as an example by the reactionary senator. This sent a shock wave throughout the science community, where they perceived the message from the government as harshly dictatorial and completely adverse to the concept of democracy, where one is allowed to speak his opinions. Robert Oppenheimer never really recovered, living in a self-imposed exile on the tiny island of St. John in the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. He passed away at the age of sixty-two and upon his request, his ashes were spread upon the island. American Prometheus, which won a Pulitzer Prize, does an excellent job of presenting the man inside the lab coat. It’s a big book, an extensive endeavor, and well worth the read.
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on the Beach By Nina Weber Certified Yoga Instructor
YOGA AT CASA AZUL in Tamarindo Beachfront provides a combination of Dynamic * Challenging * Inspiring * Encouraging and Relaxing Yoga * Small groups and individual adjustments *Most important.: Yoga is fun !!!
Lotus Pose Padma-asana
For more information email me at nina@tamarindoyoga.com. www.tamarindoyoga.com
Padma-asana
How to do it
The Sanskrit word padma means lotus. Besides the obvious reference to the similarity of the folded legs to lotus petals, the lotus holds special significance in reference to Yoga and Meditation. Though rooted in the mud, the lotus blossom rises above to blossom in the sun. Although it grows in pools of water the leaves of the lotus always remain dry. The symbolism of the lotus points to the purity of consciousness and the journey of transformation from ignorance to awakening. The Lotus Pose is a classic Yogasana and, even outside the yoga community, one of the most recognized poses. However, it is an advanced pose that should be done with caution. Even though Lotus Pose is largely regarded as a meditative posture, beginners may not feel comfortable in it.
Sit on the floor with the legs stretched out straight in front. Bend the right knee and grasp the right foot with both hands and place it on top of the left thigh bringing the heel as close to the navel as possible. Bend the left knee and grasp the left foot with both hands and place it on top of the right thigh bringing the heel as close to the navel as possible. Both knees should be on the ground and the soles of the feet are pointed upward. The spine is held straight but not rigid.
Benefits of the Pose Relaxing effect on the nervous system. Decreased muscular tension. Reduces blood pressure. Coccygeal and sacral nerves are toned. Stimulates digestive process. Measured stability and steadiness. Mental and physical peace.
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In the beginning, only hold the pose for a few seconds and quickly release. Padmasana is a “two-sided pose,” so be sure to work with both leg crosses each time you practice. Gradually add a few seconds each week to your pose until you can sit comfortably for a minute or so. This pose is the sitting asana par excellence, but it’s not for everybody. Experienced students can use it as a seat for their daily pranayama or meditation. New-to-yoga students and students with injuries may need to use other suitable positions. There are many modifications possible. Your teacher will help to find the most suitable position for your body’s needs.
What’s developing? Corona del Cabo Playa Grande
O
n a mountaintop with the most amazing views of half of Guanacaste is the eco-development Corona del Cabo. Immediately overlooking Playa Grande a couple of kilometers away, the views extend out to Playas Avellanas, Negra and further south to Junquillal; and in the north to Nicaragua. Cerro el Almendro is the large mountain – 256 meters, 840 feet - seen from Tamarindo looking due north, to the right of Cerro Morro at Cabo Velas. Corona del Cabo is a gated community accessed from the main road to Playa Grande about two klicks out of Matapalo. The site has its own natural security. The gate at the main road is the only access to the property, short of a major rock-climbing enterprise up the jungle and cliffs of the craggy mountain. “Corona del Cabo is arguably the most naturally defended development on the coast,” claims developer Dan Harrington. There are 37 lots available so far on the mountain, ranging in size between 1,000 to 10,000 square meters, and priced between $125,000 to $3.3 million. The highest lot is at an altitude of 216 meters. Building of the first house will start in January, 2010. Electricity is on site on two sides of the project, and underground lines and communication will be completed this year. Water is provided by six wells, administered by the ASADA of Corona del Cabo. “Our water system will as soon as possible go off the grid, powered by wind and solar, and will become the only ASADA in Costa Rica to do so,” says Harrington. Roads are lastre and in pretty good condition after seven years. It is planned to pave them with stone.
The entire rugged mountain is a haven for wildlife, being mostly inaccessible and remote. There are ancient trees (one monster estimated at 1,400 years old) in the untouched forest, homes to a vast number of birds – jay, caracara, wild turkey, various hawks – and animals – white-tailed deer, anteater, howler, kinkajou, tepezcuintle. The only vegetarian spider in the world lives here, along with stingless honey bees. Conservation ideas have played a large part in the development of Corona del Cabo. Seventy percent of the project will remain green zone. There is a three-year-old 10-hectare organic farm with a wide variety of fruit trees, trails throughout the property with interpretive signs identifying indigenous species and a 1,400 cubic meter rainwater catchment pool. “I am building my own house from recycled wood,” says Harrington, “mostly trees we had to cut to make the roads and lots. For each tree we cut down, we planted several more.” The long-term goal of the Corona del Cabo project is to co-exist within a semi-pristine environment. The interior lighting will be subdued parasol lighting that will be motion-activated and solar-powered, the objective being to eliminate any unnecessary light contamination. The guard rails along the road will be made of hardwood that has been recycled from fallen trees. All irrigation within the project is provided by drip emmiters. All blackwater systems will recycle 90% of grey water for irrigation purposes. Ozone and ultra-violet light will be used in the place of chlorine for water purification. The project architect is Javier Rojas. For information, contact Dan Harrington at 8-392-9237 or coronadelcabo@gmail.com.
S
mash open those piggy banks!!! Starting October 1, 2009, the coins of Costa Rica currency value ¢20, ¢10 and ¢5, of silver colour, will be progressively taken out of circulation. Until December 31, they will be accepted as currency at stores and other businesses; they must not be returned into circulation, but deposited to any bank. After January 2, 2010, they will be accepted only at the Banco Central. Raft-up is back, with a load of sailing and beach fun for all on November 22. Same deal as last year: Boat Ride, T-Shirt, Lunch, Live Music and fun with locals for a good cause! Tickets are on sale at Sharky’s or people can call Jeff for info at 8-375-0802. See announcement on page 14 in this issue. After almost two years of monthly recycling days, Tamarindo Recycles is happy to report that, with the support of the Municipality in Santa Cruz, we now have regular pick-up at businesses and the 5 public sites around Tamarindo. Nov. 14th will be the last Saturday recycling day. After that date, households should drop off their recyclables at the sites around town For more information contact.”tamarindorecycles@gmail. com. Need a quiet night at home, and there’s nothing on TV? Rent a movie from Veronica Castro’s Video Linea de Estrellas. They have 11,000 titles, suiting every genre. Playa Grande at only $25 per night. Cabinas Waikiki is on the main road to Grande in quiet natural surroundings. The all-new Yellowtail Bar will open November at Angelina’s Restaurant in Flamingo. Enjoy Tico dancing and karaoke at Tuanis Bar in Huacas. Elevations Café in Tamarindo offers a 10% discount for students. Thursday & Friday it is Tapas Fine Wine and Martini Bar, 5-10 p.m. For a great Estuary Tour, contact Beneditt at 8-339-0474
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Surf Report Story: Ellen Zoe Golden
T
he fourth edition of the Central American Surf Championship took place in Playa El Sunsal in La Libertad, El Salvador, on October 24 and 25, but at time of writing the results were not known. It is here that Costa Rica’s National Surf Team went to defend its title, which they have secured for the past three years. Previously, Costa Rica has won the trophy in 2007 in Panama in 2008, Guatemala 2007, and Costa Rica in 2006. Costa Rica faced off in these waters against National Teams from Panama, Nicaragua, Guatemala and, of course, El Salvador. Last year, when the Central American Surf Championships took place in Panama, officials integrated the categories Longboard and Bodyboard (masculine and feminine) to the competition, providing all of the divisions now that are eventually represented in a contest of the International Surfing Association (ISA). As of last year, the format calls for all teams to bring 14 surfers in the following conAnthony Fillingim figuration: 4 Open, 4 Junior, 2 Women, 2 Longboard and 2 Bodyboard. To comply, the Federación de Surf de Costa Rica has announced the folPhoto: Fábian Sánchez lowing Costa Rica National Surf Team to compete at the 4th annual Central American Surf Championships: Open: Josymar Fuentes (Jacó), Isaac Vega (Tamarindo), Jair Pérez (Jacó), and Jason Torres (Jacó, 2008 Central American Surf Open Champion). Junior: Carlos Muñoz (Esterillos), Jordan Hernández (Puerto Viejos), Anthony Fillingim (Jacó), and Anthony Segura (Jacó). Substitute: Maykol Torres (Esterillos). Women’s: Mariana Samudio (Jacó) and Nataly Bernold (Jacó, 2008 Central American Surf Women’s Champion). Longboard: Anthony Flores (Jacó) and Cristian Santamaría (Nosara). Substitute: Alexander Jimenez (Jacó) . Bodyboard: Richard Marín (Jacó) and Reymar Ramirez (Jacó). According to José Ureña, President of the Federación de Surf de Costa Rica and Technical Director of the delegation that will be traveling to El Salvador, the factors that were used to deter (continued page 18)
Ten Year
A
s the airplane made its approach to land at Daniel Oduber airport in Liberia, I pressed my face against the window, trying to pick out familiar landmarks in a landscape I had not viewed for ten years. One familiar aspect was the overwhelming lushness of the vegetation; I have never been to Ireland, but cannot imagine The Emerald Isle could possibly display a broader spectrum of green than the northwest coastal region of Costa Rica. I was to spend the next ten days revisiting places and people I came to know well during the two-and-a-half years I lived in Tamarindo, but had not seen since a rainy afternoon in September 1999 when I boarded a shuttle bus bound for San José along flooded roads, which I later learned were closed as impassable shortly after my departure. By contrast, although the same time of year, I was returning on a sun-drenched September morning and, during my ten day-stay, experienced only sporadic late afternoon/early evening showers - and one four-hour afternoon spate – nice weather for this turista, but I was sympathetic to the residents’ lament that the lack of precipitation during this year’s “rainy” season would have dire consequences once the dry season arrived. During my first 24 hours, my sensory, mental and emotional circuits were overloaded as I soaked up the smells (a pervasive sweetness in the air, which I was never able to identify, but immediately recalled as it drifted through the open car windows en route from Liberia to Tamarindo), sounds (musica tipica wafting from various tico bars as we drove by) and sights (Spanish words on signs which, much to my surprise and delight, I had not completely forgotten), all of which triggered ten-year-old memories of hours spent cycling along bumpy, dusty backroads through tiny villages, stopping to refuel with an Imperial con hielo for the return ride. Ten years later, my sight-seeing was being done from the comfort of a four-wheel drive SUV (with air conditioning!) along paved roads - perhaps not quite as “interactive” an experience, but certainly less punishing on a body one decade older! As I gradually became acclimated to the environment, culture and pura vida lifestyle, the intervening years seemed to disappear and my surroundings felt as familiar as though I’d never left – except ten years later, my beach runs on playa Tamarindo were now beach walks! Yes, the proliferation of development which had taken place during my absence was obvious but, as much as I had anticipated being appalled and saddened by what I was forewarned to expect, with the exception of a few out-of-scale (not to mention unfinished and unoccupied) monstrosities, I found the new structures “fit” within the context of both the landscape and neighbouring buildings. Moreover, I could certainly appreciate that the plethora of services (banks, pharmacies, clinics, grocery stores) now available to the residents made their lives easier - ten years ago, stocking the refrigerator entailed a major expedition to
rs Later
Lee Davidson
Santa Cruz or Liberia, the most arduous part of which was the 20-minute drive out of (and back into) Tamarindo along “the road from hell” – now paved, it may indeed be less “quaint”, but the hours saved, not to mention the colones formerly spent on car repairs, could instead be spent quaffing a few Imperials at Bar Villa Costa in Villarreal now just a five-minute drive away. Ultimately, however, the focus of my return visit was on reconnecting with people, rather than on making an assessment of the positive vs. negative effects of the development which had taken place and its resulting impact on the environment and culture. For the record, from what I experienced during my recent stay, the beach is just as clean and beautiful as I remembered and troupes of howler monkeys serenaded me every morning at 5 a.m. just as vociferously as they did ten years ago. Regardless, no matter how beautiful one’s surroundings, it is the people who make the place one inhabits desirable and the highlight of my visit was reuniting with some of the people who made my years in Tamarindo so meaningful. Regrettably, I didn’t have the occasion to see long-ago friends Natalie (who used to read my tarot cards), Kay and Esteban (who initiated me into the world of cantina tours) or Giselle who, as I sadly learned a few months ago, lost her battle with cancer. However, I was fortunate enough to spend not one, but two evenings with friends Jesse and Susan. Unfortunately, Jesse wasn’t playing any gigs while I was in town, but I took him back to Toronto on CD, along with one of Susan’s beautiful works of art, a parting gift from my long-time friend David with whom I worked on the very first issue of “The Howler” in May 1996 and who is to be congratulated on the impressive and sophisticated newsmagazine he continues to publish 13 years later. And, happily, I made some new friends during my visit! Malinda, whose hands of steel gave me a glorious massage after my last beach walk (sheer decadence) and whom I wish I had known ten years ago as I know my Spanish would have improved more quickly! And warm, welcoming Ursula at whose eponymous restaurant I savoured delicious pizza margarita several times during my stay, including the night of my “last supper” – lastima. As I felt the airplane wheels leave the runway in Liberia the morning of my departure, my view was as blurred as it was that rainy afternoon ten years ago – this time by the tears in my eyes rather than a rain-streaked window. Rather than sadness, however, they were tears of gratitude for having experienced ten wonderful days in such a beautiful place with very special people. Muchas gracias to all who made my visit so memorable - I hope to have the opportunity to return before another ten years slip by!
Surf Report (from page 15)
mine the Costa Rica National Surf Team included not only their performance during the past year’s Circuito Nacional de Surf, but the level these surfers are at today. Torres and Bernold were chosen to defend their titles. “The team that goes to El Salvador has some alternative names, but several of them have already been through the process of steep competition via the National Selection in the past. Nevertheless, the level that Costa Rica will face in the Central American Surf Championships is very high and we know that they will have a great competition against other countries of the Isthmus,” said Ureña. Jair Pérez In the Junior category, however, Costa Rica features its top talent, the same names that went to the World Junior Surfing Games in Ecuador last April. At that time, the Costa Rican National Surf Team, all aged under 18, Photo: Fábian Sánchez managed to place in the Top 10 countries in the world, and Carlos Muñoz, at the time, made a new Latin American record. Among the fourteen surfers that Costa takes to El Salvador, three have been champions there: Pérez was the Central American Junior Champion in 2007, and of course, Torres was the Open winner last year, as was Bernold for the Women’s. In addition, among this team, eight surfers have already participated in a Central American Surf Championship in the past. The beach where this year’s Central American Surf Championship took place is considered the most popular right of El Salvador. El Sunsal is a point break that offers good waves about 300 days a year, reason enough to believe that the contest will have the best conditions. Just as the Federación de Surf de Costa Rica has garnered tremendous sponsorship within Costa Rica, ranging from Banco Nacional to Coca Cola Zero, for the Central American Surf Championships a new, great opportunity has availed itself. In a recent encounter between the director of the chain of hotels Decameron and Ureña, they agreed to study the strong points of Central American surf and how the two business bodies could benefit from them. Decameron already offered solemn support to the Costa Rica National Surf Team and its Technical Body during their trip to El Salvador. All during the days of the festival of surf, the tourism agency of Decameron Explorer will be in charge of visits to different recognized surf breaks, showing the participants the attractive west Salvadoran coast. (continued page 20)
Word puzzle Wildlife
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. boaconstrictor caiman capuchin caracara coatimundi crocodile cuckoo frigatebird garza harpyeagle howlermonkey hummingbird kingďŹ sher kinkajou kiskadee
grackle iguana leatherback macaw motmot pelican pizote quetzal sandpiper terciopela tern toucan twotoedsloth vampirebat zopilote
David Mills
Surf Report (from page 18) According to an oficial press release serviced on behalf of Decameron to the Federación de Surf de Costa Rica on where they would be going: “Siguapilapa is a large beach and with fast, tubular waves that break on a sand bottom; Mizata was formed by impressive cliffs and offers a fast tubular wave and a fast right that finishes in a table plane; K59 and K61 are two rocky points of a river that offer a fast right wave with a long ride; El Zonte is a point with a right wave with long rides that sometimes tube off; El Sunzal, the most popular wave in El Salvador, allows a wave to travel 270 meters; La Bocana offers a fast, substantial left, tu- Josymar Fuentes bular wave that is strong and exciting; San Blas is a rocky point that forms a left that can be surfed all the way to the beach, finishing in a tubular wave; El Cocal, a point break that is wide and rocky but Photo: Fábian Sánchez forms a fast and tubular right wave, sometimes disconnected in sections with several tips in small areas, very funny; Punta Roca without a doubt one of the best waves in the world—fast and releases tubular.” History of Central American Surf Championships 2006, Costa Rica – Playa Esterillos Campeón: Costa Rica Open: Federico Pilurzu (CRI) Mujeres: Lisbeth Vindas (CRI) Junior: Jason Torres (CRI) 2007, Guatemala - Playa La Empalizada Campeón: Costa Rica Open: Federico Pilurzu (CRI) Mujeres: Lisbeth Vindas (CRI) Junior: Jair Pérez (CRI) 2008, Panamá - Playa Venao Campeón: Costa Rica Open: Jason Torres (CRI) Mujeres: Nataly Bernold (CRI) Junior: Rex Calderón (NIC) Longboard: Wilber Alvarenga (SAL) Bodyboard Masc.: Edilberto Navarro (PAN) Bodyboard Fem.: Jimena Calvo (CRI)
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.
1S
2M Full Moon 3T
4W
5T
01:16 07:30 13:43 19:36 01:55 08:09 14:23 20:17 02:35 08:49 15:04 20:57 03:15 09:30 15:45 21:39 03:57 10:12 16:28 22:24
8.6 0.7 8.0 0.9 9.1 0.2 8.4 0.6 9.4 -0.2 5.7 0.4 9.6 -0.4 8.8 0.3 9.7 -0.4 8.9 0.3
6F
7S
8S
9M Last Qtr 10T
04:41 10:56 17:14 23:12 05:29 11:44 18:04
9.6 11W -0.3 8.8 0.4 9.2 12T 0.0 9.6
00:04 06:22 12:35 19:00 01:03 07:21 13:33 20:01 02:08 08:26 14:36 21:07
0.7 13F 8.8 0.3 8.5 1.0 14S 8.3 0.7 8.3 1.3 15S 7.9 1.0 8.3
NOVEMBER TIDE CHART 16M New Moon
03:19 09:36 15:42 22:14 04:30 10:46 16:49 23:16 05:35 11:49 17:49
1.4 7.7 1.2 8.4 1.2 7.7 1.1 8.6 0.9 7.9 1.0
00:13 06:33 12:46 18:44 01:05 07:24 13:37 19:34
9.0 19T 0.6 8.2 0.8 9.2 20F 0.3 8.4 0.7
17T
18W
01:52 08:11 14:24 20:20 02:37 08:54 15:08 21:04 03:19 09:35 15:51 21:46 04:00 10:15 16:33 22:28 04:41 10:55 17:15 23:10
9.4 0.0 8.6 0.6 9.5 -0.1 8.7 0.7 9.4 -0.1 8.6 0.8 9.2 0.1 8.5 1.0 8.9 0.3 8.3 1.3
21S
22S
23M
24T 1st Qtr 25W
05:23 11:35 17:58 23:53 06:06 12:17 18:43
8.5 26T 0.6 8.1 1.6 8.1 27F 1.0 7.8
00:39 06:52 13:00 19:30 01:28 07:41 13:47 20:19 02:22 08:35 14:37 21:11
1.9 28S 7.6 1.3 7.6 2.1 29S 7.2 1.7 7.5 2.3 30M 6.9 1.9 7.4
1T Dec
03:19 09:33 15:30 22:04 04:17 10:32 16:24 22:56 05:12 11:27 17:17 23:45 06:03 12:18 18:07
2.3 6.8 2.1 7.5 2.1 6.8 2.1 7.8 1.8 7.0 1.9 8.1 1.4 7.3 1.6
00:33 06:51 13:07 18:57
8.5 5S 0.9 7.7 1.3
2W Full Moon 3T
4F
01:19 07:38 13:54 19:45 02:06 08:23 14:40 23:00 02:52 09:09 15:26 21:22 03:40 09:55 16:14 22:12 04:28 10:42 17:03 23:03
9.0 0.4 8.1 0.9 9.4 0.0 8.6 0.6 9.6 -0.4 8.9 0.3 9.8 -0.6 9.2 0.2 9.8 -0.6 9.3 0.2
Open your eyes, open your heart
W
e all work for the development of Guanacaste’s coast, fighting for the Blue Flag or against the decision of the Sala IV, wishing that many tourists will choose our destination for their vacation and provide us a good income for our beautiful life under the sun. Unfortunately, tourism does not bring happiness in all local homes. Some people are suffering from the consequences of tourism, particularly young people under 18. Sadly, Costa Rica has become a sexual destination for some tourists. Because of a high percentage of poverty in our area, because of a male dominant culture in this country, because of family violence, abuse or abandonment, because of insufficient protection, among others, children and teenagers are very vulnerable and easily victims of commercial sexual exploitation. These teenagers are not prostitutes or “putas” because a 14-year-old girl does not prostitute herself. She does not want this, she is abused, exploited and a victim. Who exploits them? The client is the one that pays for sex. A procurer recruits them, then an intermediary establishes the contact with the client. Mostly, the intermediaries are taxis, tour operators, travel agencies, bartenders and hotel staff, among others. Who cares? The non-profit organization CEPIA cares. At the end of October, 608 children of Villareal, Huacas and Matapalo and 550 students of the Villarreal high school saw a theater show about sexual exploitation to teach them how this can happen and how to defend yourself. Who else cares? YOU! As a citizen and as an adult you must care and be aware of commercial sexual exploitation, especially when it happens around you. And please, fight against it, don’ t be afraid to denounce it; it is a crime, it is illegal. If you are too afraid to denounce, contact CEPIA (2-653-8533/2-653-8365) for help. A new tourist season is about to start, let’s act together and win a better future for our children!
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: 10:30-11:30 - Open General Meeting Monday: 5:30 Open Meeting Thursday: 6:30-7:30 - Open Meeting Location: Behind Restaurant Fiesta del Mar Contact: Ellen - 2-653-0897
October Forecasts November Forecasts
by Jeanne Callahan
Visit Jeanne’s site at CelestialAdvisor.com
Aries: 21 March - 20 April
Libra: 23 September - 23 October
Taurus: 21 April - 21 May
Scorpio: 24 October - 22 November
The major focus for you this month with your ruling planet, Mars, now in the sign of Leo, is to get physically busy. No more slouching around feeling victimized—find a creative project or something to benefit children and devote your ample energy to it. This will lead to greater connections and contacts which will eventually bring money to your door. The 27th and 28th are your power days. Your home is the setting for many changes in the next seven months as Mars in Leo brings action and energy to the fourth house of your solar chart. You might consider working out of your house for those months as an option for additional cash flow. Saturn moving into Libra will give you the discipline to make it all work if you cooperate by doing the work required The full moon on the 2nd is particularly powerful for you.
Gemini: 22 May - 21 June
Pay attention to your siblings and the neighborhood in the next 7 months. You will be very busy and involved which will be stimulating on all levels for you. There is also a focus on your beliefs, higher education and foreign cultures during the next few months as you deepen your connections in those areas. Saturn moving into Libra gives you a desire to create art. The 4th, 5th, 29th and 30th are all positive lunar days for you.
Cancer: 22 June - 22 July
Saturn enters your sign for a tour of duty for the next 2.5 years. During this time you will re-evaluate almost everything in your life as to its ultimate value and contribution to the quality of your life. Saturn is exalted in Libra and so can bring long-lasting benefits to you and your relationships. Use the positive vibes on the 12th and 13th to your benefit. Focus your attention on your career this month as proving yourself indispensible now will keep you on the payroll through the winter and spring when Mars goes into its retrograde period. Keep a positive attitude while gathering allies in all branches of the organization. Your intense determination to succeed will get you noticed. The 15th and the New Moon on the 16th are your best days.
Sagittarius: 23 November - 21 December
You might consider taking a long trip or getting some additional education at this time as Mars is energizing that part of your chart. Career-wise look for new partners and alliances to help you establish a new area to focus on. With Saturn in Libra for the next 2.5 years you need to communicate more effectively what makes you excellent in your field. The 17th and 18th are the best times to self-promote.
Capricorn: 22 December - 21 January
With Saturn in Libra at the top of your solar chart you are preparing for a new chapter of achievement in the next 2.5 years. This is not without substantial challenges but you are never afraid of the work required to get to the top. Money, taxes and insurances will require some expert advice as the rules are changing in the next 6-8 months. The 19th, 20th and 21st are great days to begin the new chapter in your life.
Money and assets are a major focus for you in the next 7 months as well as an increased involvement within your home. You may consider moving into a smaller, more efficient, space as you feel a need to downsize your monthly expense. Taxes and insurance issues may occupy a good deal of your time this month too as financial security con- Aquarius: 22 January - 19 February cerns are top priority now. Use the 6th and the 7th to calmly With Jupiter in your sign and your ruling planet, Saturn, evaluate your needs. now in Libra your attitude should be improving as you will Leo: 23 July - 23 August not feel so out of the loop as you have been feeling. Strive You are feeling at the top of your game now with Mars in for a balanced routine in your daily life so you feel more your sign for the next seven months. Focus all that charm in control of the small stuff. Mars is energizing the house and energy into a worthy humanitarian cause. Get your of partnership so you may find your mate requires more partner involved with your interests at this time too, or attention than usual. Watch out for angry words that you expect tension at the beginning of the year as you will be don’t really mean. Use the lunar energy of the 22nd and 23rd pulled in two directions. The 8th and 9th gives you ample for rest and relaxation. energy to attract the attention you want. Pisces: 20 February - 20 March Virgo: 24 August - 22 September This month holds energy around work and health as you With Saturn finally out of your sign and into Libra (well, it become aware of some of the ways you are blocking your does retrograde back in mid April-early July) you will start own progress. Saturn in Libra for the next 2.5 years will feeling like you can enjoy the pleasures of life again. Prog- have you focusing on long-term planning with some tax or ress will be slow but steady as you now see new interests and insurance issues coming to the forefront. Expansion or proavenues to explore. Taking some time off during the next motion is possible next year so think about what more you seven months would be good for you—consider a spiritual want in your life. The 24th and 25th are your best days. retreat near water. The 10th and 11th are beneficial days Namasté
28
Gardening at 60 Tom Peifer If you want to live a long life, grow a garden ---Chinese Proverb
T
he mirror has become my personal public enemy number one of late. Implacable, merciless, unforgiving, offering up an unremitting daily dose of feedback from the laws of physics. Time flies and it don’t come back. The Colombian writer Garcia Marquez observed, “When a man looks in the mirror and sees his father, he knows he’s getting old.” Leave it to a novelist to hit the nail squarely on the head. And leave it to another novelist to help me orient my personal approach to another milestone on the road to the headstone. Voltaire wrote the short novel Candide in the mid-19th Century. At the risk of grossly over-simplifying one of the great works of western literature, it is a brutal attack on much of the prevailing thought of the era, but in particular, Voltaire takes aim at ‘positivism’, the optimistic perspective of Candide’s mentor, forever captured in the expression: “the best of all possible worlds.” Among other things, Candide’s eroding optimism was confronted by catastrophic events such as the Seven Years’ War and the disastrous Lisbon earthquake of 1755. A friend and former neighbor in California, Dominique, expressly recommended this book to me. As it turns out, I can relate to the main character. In spite of constant reminders from friends and well-intentioned types to “don’t worry be happy,” my own efforts to put a happy face on things continue to face the crushing juggernaut of unfolding current events. Without mentioning the “Seven Years’ War” of our era, currently unfolding in central Asia, it was recently predicted that the Arctic Ocean would be ice-free in a decade and that Lake Chad, in Africa, would completely dry up and cease to support the 20-30 million people who live around it. Add these to the present 11 million refugees in Africa. Top off with the certainty that climate change is going to continue hitting the poorest the hardest. Add in the seemingly endless bickering and fruitless efforts to achieve concerted action on addressing the causes and effects of global warming. As Voltaire put it succinctly: “Men argue, nature acts.” Candide, after a thorough sampling of the brutality of nature—both human and non-human—adopts as an antidote the bucolic life of tilling the soil with no philosophy other than “we must cultivate our garden.” Among other things, Voltaire was apparently emphatic in his correspondence that gardening was a great pastime for keeping busy and avoiding boredom. Fast forward a couple of centuries. Switch hemispheres and consider the words of a leading expert on relocation to Costa Rica. “Expats need to find something else to do besides sitting around and drinking. I have seen too many people move here, become alcoholics and drink themselves to death.” OK, so gardening can keep you busy and out of
the bar. But there is also a universe of learning and wisdom to be discovered when you really decide to ‘dig in.’ In my experience, gardeners from temperate climates find dry season gardening to be the most similar to what we are used to back home. Soil preparation, seeding, watering and weeding, the same routines as summer gardens in the U.S. In addition, you are spared the pounding downpours, localized flooding and rampant problem with fungal diseases that complicate matters for vegetable gardens from May through November. Let me share a few tips with aspiring gardeners. Even within Guanacaste there are huge variations in the problems one encounters. One commonality however, is the need to keep ‘all creatures great and small’ from getting to the fruits of your labors before you do. The damage done by a herd of cows, a couple of hungry pigs or a flock of chickens, will turn all but the truly dedicated back into the perennial search for the nearest six-pack. Bottom line, you need a fence. Bug problems vary widely and there is no magic recipe. There are hundreds of on-line resources and you will have to decide what, when and where to apply products to repel or kill your arthropod invaders. One reminder, healthy soil makes for healthier plants, less attractive, more resistant and able to outgrow insect attack. I have consciously tried to maintain nesting sites for breeding pairs of rufous-naped wrens within ‘striking distance’ of my vegetable beds. These voracious insect eaters regularly patrol the plantings in search of bugs. Their morning chorus is a joy in itself. Start small, and start with easy varieties. A success in one container on your porch is far more likely to generate enthusiasm than a weed-infested failure from ‘biting off more than you can chew.” Cherry tomatoes are easier than big ones. Ditto for small varieties of watermelons. Okra will take the heat in stride as will black-eyed peas and mustard greens. We have several types of perennial greens that are like having year-round hedges of spinach. Location, location, location: you are far more likely to succeed if you can see your plants from your kitchen window. This is especially true for seedlings, which don’t cry when they feel neglected or stressed, they just wilt and die. You have to be able to differentiate between dirt and soil and learn how to build healthy soil with locally available materials. It is impossible to overstate just how crucial this is, and just how bad most of the soils are in our area. By now almost everyone has heard of compost. Make it—or buy (continued pag e 28
Surviving
C hapter LII
I
COSTA RICA
bring you greetings from the United States of America where I currently sit in a kitchen in a small town in Texas providing literary cannon fodder to satiate Don Howler’s demand for more product. You can only go to Nicaragua so many times, so when our obligatory every-three-month vacation came up we opted for a trip back to our country of origin, known to most of you non-Gringo types as The Great Satan! For a country dominated by the sinister forces of evil we actually found it much easier to get into than, say, Costa Rica at the Peñas Blancas border crossing, and it’s always a pleasant surprise to actually understand what officials are saying. Upon landing in Houston we made the mistake of commenting how smoothly the trip had been going. Of course once we got to our final departure gate we found the plane would be three hours late due to bad weather. This gave us a little time to re-acquaint ourselves with various national beverages while watching The Dallas Cowboys demonstrate their ability to barely beat one of the worst teams in the NFL. Time Out Now about this Great Satan stuff, or Babylon for you Rasta types. Perhaps I’ve been living among a predominately non-“100% All-American USA Population Base” for too long, and I’m starting to believe all the terrible stories I read on the “Al Jazeera” website and “AM Costa Rica”. In the great struggle to come up with something original that will pass muster with the editor I had originally planned a scathing expose about what has happened to my country in the years of my absence and how a once-great country has fallen so far. Like I say, I’ve been hanging out with way too many Europeans. But one man’s “Babylon” is a another man’s “Port Aransas, Texas”, and I find no evidence of excessive Satan Worshipping and just about everybody here seems to wear Imperial Beer T-shirts. About the only thing people here are guilty of is over-eating.
Babylon and Back
Back to our Story We did eventually make it to our final destination in the aforementioned Port Aransas, Texas, situated on one of the many barrier islands off the coast. My good friend Butch Findley had just killed and cooked two javelinas (feral pigs) in celebration of our arrival, enough food for about fifty people and way too much for the ten or so people present. Over the following days we had; pig sandwiches, pig tacos, pig etouffé and finally a gigantic pot of pig chili. As I sit here typing the pot sits before me on the stove merrily cooking away. Butch is one of the most-sought-after fishing and hunting guides in this part of Texas so there’s always plenty of fresh fish around as well as the occasional javelina. His wife Julie is a school teacher who my wife Susan, a former teacher, claims is the smartest person in the world. Julie and Butch come down to see us in Costa Rica every year; she and Susan disappear in our Bego for days at a time while husband Butch, also on vacation, does what he loves to do. He fishes. Speaking of pigs, what we do best when visiting our old stomping grounds is..... eat! What we really start to miss after living in the developing world is Mexican Food. Good old “Tex Mex”, and we’ve found ourselves just about every day at the Tacqueria San Juan, where for breakfast you can get two eggs, two pancakes and two strips of bacon for $2.99. Butch is there every morning along with just about everyone else on the island and there’s just as much local business done there as there are arteries clogging. It must be said that Butch is pretty much rail-thin, an anomaly amongst the patrons. We’ve also given them lunch and dinner business including some great Margaritas, optional for breakfast. Last night we made it to the “Crazy Cajun”
Story by Jesse Bishop
where they dumped a bubbling bowl of steamed Cajun spiced shrimp, crab, sausage, corn and potatoes on your butcher papercovered table; you then eat from the table with your hands. We also ordered Jambalaya which, you etiquette-minded types will be glad to hear, was eaten with forks. We have found time to do something between meals. A bunch of us old-timer music types did a gig at the Tarpon Ice House where I got as many musical friends on the stage as I could. Between the eight of us we came up with enough three-chord songs to fill three hours and the owner made enough money to cover the band tab. Susan brought five paintings for the Island Center for the Arts, in time to participate in the annual Art Walk that includes ten local galleries and artist studios. Susan has been showing at the “Art Center” for a number of years and the trick is finding the right paintings for the Texas Crowd that might not appreciate a painting of an oxcart. There was also a Reunion of Seventies and Eighties residents, that began on the beach and ended up at “Shorties” an authentic semi-biker institution that featured its famous Pig Roast. This part of Texas is hard on pigs. I definitely fit the profile; I lived in “Port A” between 1976 and 1998, when we headed south to Costa Rica. There were a lot fewer yuppies back then and I do remember having quite a good time playing lots of Rock and Roll and being a lot younger. I can actually remember several of those years. The reunion was a lot of fun but sadly was noted for the number of friends missing in action. By the time you are reading this I’ll be back amongst you. I’ll be easy to spot; I’ll be jogging on the beach trying to lose the fifteen pounds of deadweight I brought back to Costa Rica.
David Mills
The Road to South Africa
T
he hopes of Costa Ricans ran ecstatic for one hour on October 14, as La Sele led the great United States in the final game of the “hexagonal”, a game which would determine whether Costa Rica would be packing its bags for a trip to South Africa next June. Running concurrently, the other contender, Honduras, was playing El Salvador. A tie or loss by Honduras would send Costa Rica to the World Cup, irrespective of the Costa Rica-U.S. result. A win by Costa Rica would have the same result. After Brian Ruiz scored twice, La Sele led the game 2-0 until half-time. In the second half, the United States scored and La Sele led 2-1 until the end of regular time and into a five-minute injury time. Unfortunately, with 30 seconds to go, elation turned suddenly to gloom as the U.S. tied the game at 2-2, while Honduras beat El Salvador, to win the vital third place in the tournament. Costa Rica’s only hope now is repercharge, when they play Uruguay November 14th and 18th, the winner going to South Africa. Final group standings are: United States Mexico Honduras Costa Rica El Salvador Trinidad & Tobago
20 points 19 16 16 8 6
The final games in the repercharge round are: Nov. 14 - Costa Rica Nov. 18 - Uruguay
v Uruguay v Costa Rica
Go, Sele!!!!!
Gardening... (from page 25)
RAIN GAUGE
4.5 4.0
c m s
it on, and more and more every year. Bad news: it breaks down continually in the soil and the hotter and wetter, the faster it goes. Good news: if you want to improve your soil permanently, add charcoal. It is all the rage in agricultural and climate change circles because, unlike compost, “bio-char” will be locked up in the soil and working wonders for centuries to come. Bio-char is more of a conditioner than a fertilizer. You can expect better water infiltration, a better response to fertilizers and fewer soil disease problems. Making your own charcoal is not rocket science. You burn plant debris or scrap lumber and then put out the fire before it all becomes ashes. The finer it is, the easier to work into the surface layers of your garden, thicker pieces can be buried deeper.
RAINFALL - September/October Miller Meteorological Observatory La Garita
3.5 3.0
Readily available materials that serve to improve most soils in Guanacaste are coffee grounds, pulverized eggshells, charred and crushed shells from the beach as well as manure from penned animals—from chickens to the toros for the fiestas. The usual recommendation is to compost manure before using, or to mix it thoroughly into the soil and wait a few weeks before planting.
2.5
Total rainfall: 28.7 cm (11.3 inches)
2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 0.0
16
20
25
30 1
September
Year-to-date 2008: 314.1 cm 2009: 150.3
5
10
October
Rainfall Sept-Oct 2008: 94.1 cm 2009: 28.7
Hopefully this cursory overview will provide some useful hints and maybe a bit of motivation for more people to take a stab at ‘growing their own’ here along the Gold Coast. With all due respect to Voltaire, planting, harvesting and consuming food you have raised is far more than a way to keep your mind and body occupied and out of the cantinas. To use a Native American expression, gardening is “a path with a heart.” It is also the embodiment of that old eco-slogan, think globally, act locally. For me it affords a daily dose of ‘grounded’ sanity in an otherwise questionable world. It affords a refreshing antidote to the depressing feedback from the mirror. You get a daily involvement in the miracle of growth, a positive reaffirmation of life processes and natural cycles. An optimistic transition from preoccupation to pragmatism, in a ‘sphere of influence’ where you do have a degree of control over outcomes.
November 2009 ( a l l
15
t i m e s
l o c a l )
Sun
1st - rise 5:34; set 5:20 15th - rise 5:38; set 5:18* 31st - rise 5:45; set 5:19
Your garden in some ways is the true “mirror, mirror on the wall”, the closest measure of your impact on the world reflected in your immediate surroundings. It is where you can do your part to restore the bountiful Eden in which mankind came to be. And given the all-encompassing concerns with the world economic situation, let me put it another way. As we age, our gardens can help insure that we are leaving a healthier ‘portfolio’ for those who inherit the earth.
* earliest sunset of year - 16th at 5:17 1st quarter: Full: Last quarter: New:
Moon
2nd 9th 16th 24th
1:14 p.m. 9:56 a.m. 1:14 p.m. 3:39 p.m.
Tom Peifer is an ecological land use consultant with 15 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/
Gunpowder, Treason and Plot or, Who is this Guy, Anyway?
N
ovember 5 is, to Brits, the equivalent of the Fourth of July, because that is our Fireworks Night. We do not celebrate independence from a foreign power, the overthrow of a monarchy or storming of a symbolic castle but, rather, a failed assassination. For that was the day, in 1605, when a dissenting revolutionary, Guy Fawkes, tried to blow up the House of Lords – the upper house of parliament – with barrels of gunpowder buried in the cellars. After his exploit, his name was used to denote an evil person, but has since become the commonly-used word for any man. Guy (or Guido as he liked to be known after having served as a soldier in Spain), belonged to a group of Roman Catholic restorationists who wanted to displace the Protestant rule by blowing up Parliament while King James I, and many of the aristocracy, were inside. Over the previous months, Fawkes and his cronies had smuggled no less than 36 barrels of gunpowder into the cellars. An anonymous tip-off just before the dastardly deed led to a search of the cellar, and Fawkes was caught there guarding the gunpowder. He was arrested and thrown into the Tower of London, whence he was taken to be hanged at the public gallows. A song of the time commemorated the event: Remember, remember, the Fifth of November Gunpowder, treason and plot. I see no reason why gunpowder treason Should ever be forgot. And forgot it was not! Fawkes’ arrest has been celebrated ever since by large bonfires being burned all across the country on that night. For months beforehand, children collect - scrounge, beg, borrow and steal – scraps of wood, tree branches, etc. to throw on the community bonfire, of which there may be dozens in a town. An effigy of the villain (called, of course, a guy) is made from rags and cushions and carried through the streets on a cart, while the children call out “penny for the guy, Mister?” The money collected is spent on fireworks, which are set off around the bonfire. story by David Mills
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