The Howler
Volume 15, No. 7 Issue No. 166
July 2010 Founded 1996
TAMARINDO COSTA RICA www.howlermag.com THE HOWLER Ced. Juridica: 3-101-331333
FEATURES 8 Dining Out
Publisher, editor and production
Under new management, Langosta’s Mystic Restaurant serves fine food in an elegant and intimate atmosphere.
David Mills
dmills@racsa.co.cr Tel: 2-653-0545
14 Around Town
Openings, closings, parties, music. The Gold Coast has it all, and barhoppin’ David is in the groove.
15 Surf Report
CONTRIBUTORS ELLEN ZOE GOLDEN TONY OREZ TOM PEIFER JEFFREY WHITLOW MONICA RIASCOS
JEANNE CALLAHAN KAY DODGE NINA WEBER JESSE BISHOP
18 Going Underground
29 Politics, Fantasyland and Pura Vida
Howler advertising
The Howler offers a wide range of advertising sizes and formats to suit all needs. Contact David Mills • dmills@racsa.co.cr
Dimensions (cms) Width Height
1/3 1/2 Full
6.3 9.4 6.3 9.4 19.2 6.3 9.4 19.2 19.2
x x x x x x x x x
6.15 6.15 12.70 12.70 6.15 25.80 25.80 12.70 25.80
Given Costa Rica’s popularity with celebrities, Tom suggests some ways by which the stars can contribute to the country.
30 Surviving Costa Rica
Once Tamarindo’s hottest hot spot and birthplace of The Leatherbacks, Hotel Pasatiempo is in the hands of the bank
Advertising rates & sizes
1/12-page 1/8 1/6 1/4
17 Give Them a Chance
Local ex-pats Dawn and Sid Scott have dedicated their lives to care and support of the area’s dogs and cats. A short drive from the Gold Coast is Barra Honda, where 40 mainly unexplored caves await the visitor.
Deadline for August: July 15
Size
Assistant manager at Best Western Vista Villas is Jonathon Muir, a valuable resource to Tamarindo surfers.
Price $ 50 75 90 120 150 210 400
Discounts
For 6 months, paid in advance, one month is deducted. For 12 months, paid in advance, two months are deducted. Ads must be submitted on CD or e-mail attachment, JPG or PDF format at 266 dpi, at the appropriate size (above).
DEPARTMENTS 5
Child Psychology 22 Student Voices
10
CD Review
24 Word Puzzle
11
Book Review
25 Tide Chart
12
Yoga
26 June Forecasts
13
Soccer
28 Doctor’s Orders
21
Slice of Life
32 Rain, Sun & Moon
All comments, articles and advertising in this publication are the opinion of their authors, and do not reflect the opinion of Howler Management.
www.tamarindobeach.net
www.tamarindohomepage.com
Cover Caption: Descending into caves at Barra Honda. Cover design: Malinda Bravo Cover photos: Fabián Sánchez
Early Childhood Stimulation The Windows of Opportunity
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he Sciences have long established, beyond any doubt, that the human learning ability is unlimited, and that this ability does not only depend on genetic (inborn) factors, but more so on the complex interaction between the structures we are born with and the experiences we have, particularly during the first years of our lives. The interaction between genetic structures and environmental experiences is a vital factor in our general development and in the way we learn. Today we know that the human brain has a superior plasticity and assimilation capacity during the first 3 to 5 years of our lives; a condition that starts to decrease after this age. Based on this particular neurologic disposition we can establish critical periods for learning experiences, also called “windows of opportunity”, during which the impact of environmental factors will be dramatic and specific in the child’s development. In the following table you can see the different areas of a child’s development, and the periods during which the stimulation of these areas will produce the best results.
According to the critical periods for learning, the best time to learn a second language, for example, would be between birth and age 6. During this period children are “programmed” to learn how to speak in any language that is being used to communicate with him or her, as the brain cells responsible for language development absorb and process all language input. This process of language acquisition is based on inborn cognitive structures of the child’s brain and is quicker and more efficient than it will ever be in any later period of life. Vision needs to be stimulated during the first year for it to develop fully. This is obtained by providing the baby with an environment rich in colors, contrasts of light and dark, shapes and movements, in a way that the use of vision to communicate with the environment is promoted and reinforced. The lack of proper visual stimulation could delay vision development, or even cause its atrophy. If you want to promote musicality in your child, it’s important that music becomes part of his or her daily environment, even before birth; without going into the much discussed Mozart Effect, common sense will tell you that if your child grows up listening to music, he or she will have a special bond with it. However, if you want your child to learn a musical instrument, the best moment to do so would be between age 2 and 6. Why is that? This is the period where the areas of the brain in charge of processing and coordinating auditory perception and discrimination are fully developed and the neurons that make these areas are ready to be used. The brain cells that are stimulated in this particular period will respond much quicker and with greater efficiency than later in life. This doesn’t mean that you cannot become a talented musician later on, but the learning process will require a bigger effort and it will be slower. (continued page 7)
EE d d ii tt o o rr ’’ s s N N o o tt e e
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uly means veranillo, the “little summer” and, we hope, a new influx of happy tourists from North America and Europe, where the school holidays have just started. Also, Costa Rican schools take a two-week break this month. Local businesses see this time as the “last kick at the cat” before we settle down for the slower winter months. The annual menace - dengue - is in season. While waiting for official action, you can help reduce its effect by taking some simple measures. See the article on page 16. Footnote to the “Margie in the Morning” article in our March issue about RadioDos – 99.5. A reader called the station from Tamarindo to pass on a weather update and request a song. She didn’t give her name. Her taped message was played on air, and as soon as the song finished she received a phone call – from her brother in Chihuahua, Mexico, who had recognized his sister’s voice while listening to the station on his computer. RadioDos certainly gets around! The long-awaited Langosta Road paving job has fallen flat again. After months of work had been done to prepare the road, construction came to a halt just in time for the first rains to trash the whole thing. Concurrent with June 5, World Environment Day, the Ministry of the Environment announced that, in Costa Rica, a new species is discovered every two days. Costa Rica boasts 95,000 distinct species of life, most of them being insects, at 77 percent of the known world species; and plants, at 12 percent. Facebook addicts, some of whom occasionally make public details of their personal lives on the site, are nonetheless up in arms about (allegedly) a Tamarindeña who has been publishing local gossip and personal rumours on Facebook. There have always been Tamarumours here. Now, it seems, they have been dragged into the on-line arena. Read it at your peril! You may be in there.
Early Childhood Stimulation
(from page 5)
Early childhood stimulation aims at using this unique learning capacity and adaptability of the brain to support intellectual, emotional, physical and sensorial development of the child during his first three years of life, providing him with stimuli that benefit the development of these different areas. This stimulation will have a dramatic effect in the way the child will relate with his environment in the future, particularly in all kinds of learning situations. As a parent you can follow some very simple steps that don’t require a major investment or a lot of time, but that will produce important results if followed consistently. 1. Speak to your child even before he/she is born, and even more so after birth... speak to him/her all the time. Read stories, sing, rhyme. Always make sure that your eyes are at the same level as your baby’s (always make eye contact), and try to speak with your body, too: use gestures, facial expressions, movements; exaggeration is allowed, and desirable! 2. Play with your child! A child learns best by playing, and playing needs to occupy the biggest portion of his day. You can turn any daily task into a game: taking a bath, shopping for groceries, cleaning up. When a child plays, he/she is learning social roles, codes and behaviors, how to make decisions, resolve conflicts, etc. 3. A child doesn’t need expensive toys or sophisticated tools... a box, a cloth, a string or a ball are wonderful objects for a child that is discovering the world. The simplest objects awaken his curiosity and activate his imagination, hereby promoting higher-level thinking skills. Buy simple toys! As a matter of fact, all items listed before should be in a child’s room: a box that is easy to turn over and move around, where you can store different color and types of yarn or string, two balls in different sizes, some blocks, rocks (not too small), crayons, papers in different colors, picture books, wooden figures... a magic box! 4. Use rhymes or songs along with actions that you want to teach your child (e.g. brushing teeth). Sound and movement are ideal learning agents, they make learning fun and exciting, and they create very strong associations that facilitate skill acquisition. 5. Allow your child to move freely, to touch and taste the things around him, as long as you provided for a safe environment to do so. Different sensorial experiences stimulate cognitive development and help build mental structures that will serve as a foundation for future learning experiences. Early childhood stimulation is not a method to accelerate the child’s development and to turn the child into a “genius”, but it is an opportunity to help our children discover themselves and the world around them in a natural way. Stimulation needs to be always positive, based on love and respect, therefore it should never be forced on the child, nor should the child be pushed to reach a goal. Early Childhood Stimulation is about supporting your child during his learning process, making sure that this process takes place under the best conditions, and hopefully during the ideal time period. Consultorio Psicopedagógico Mónica Riascos Msc. Mónica Riascos Henríquez Psicóloga – Psicopedagoga Tel. 8-358-9550 - consultariascos@live.com
New Money A new generation of banknotes is to be issued starting next month, August. The first, of a new ¢20,000, will be released in August, followed by a redesigned ¢2,000 in October, and others of ¢1,000, ¢5,000 and ¢10,000 by year-end. A new ¢50,000 has been designed, but will not be put into circulation until acceptance of the ¢20,000 has been evaluated. The obverse of each note will feature a person who has benefited Costa Rica in the past. The reverse shows an icon from each of Costa Rica’s ecosystems.
Dining Out
David Mills
Mystic Restaurant Playa Langosta
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e took the lovely smooth road to Langosta – no, seriously, it had just been graded and was in excellent condition – to Mystic Restaurant, the reincarnation of Bistro Langosta. Mystic is now under management of Jean-Claude Darrodes, from Tarbes in the Pyrenees. Jean-Claude, also the chef, has 35 years’ experience in the restaurant business, in France and the island of Guadeloupe in the Antilles. We arrived in the middle of a blackout, the power having forsaken us again, and the restaurant was nicely lit with candles for the first half-hour of our meal. The restaurant is elegant and comfortable. A nice start was the waiter arriving with a jug of iced tap water, rather than forcing an unwanted bottle of Cristal on us, and the warm bread was excellent. In contrast to many restaurants which baffle you with an eighteen-page menu, Mystic keeps it simple with a few selections of each course. In addition to the main menu, there is a selection of tapas – scrambled eggs du chef; fresh veggies with garlic dip; prosciutto on home-made toasted bread; and a small pizza. I chose a bruschetta with tomato and basil on the same delicious bread. My companion had Caesar salad. Appetizers include chicken or lobster salad; shirred egg with basil cream; and Tahitian-style marinated fish.
Casagua Horses The greatest variety of tours and riding experiences for all ages, featuring spectacular countryside, howler monkeys, colorful small towns and fun-filled fiestas. Cantina Tour - Nature Tour Fiesta & Tope Rental - Old Tempate Trail Tour Located near Portegolpe on the main road, opposite the Monkey Park, just 20 minutes from the beach.
Phone us at: 2-653-8041 • kaydodge@racsa.co.cr www.paintedponyguestranch.com The best horses on Guanacaste’s Gold Coast!
The main menu is short but interesting: salmon steak with wine sauce; fresh local fish with black olive coulis; sautéed jumbo shrimp with vanilla sauce; breast of chicken with Mystic sauce. We chose the corvina filet in butter sauce and beef tenderloin with mushroom sauce. Both were good-sized and delicious. Desserts include tarte tatin (French apple pie); sabayon of mixed fruit; fresh pineapple with caramel sauce. We enjoyed two chocolate selections: quenelle and liegeois. The wine list again is short but with something for everyone, selections from Argentine, Chile and France. We much enjoyed the meal experience at Mystic, and will be going again; it’s worth the drive. A dinner special offers appetizer, entrée and dessert for $25. Happy Hour is from 6 to 8. Mystic Restaurant in Langosta (hang a right at the “Y” and go 400 meters). Hours 3 to 11 p.m; closed Sunday. All credit cards accepted. They will cater your party, large or small. Reservations: 2-653-4224.
CD Review Party Latin Style Tony Orez
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hen it comes to parties, no one does it better than people of the Latin culture. Spirits are high and conversations are animated but, best of all, the food is always delectable and the music upbeat and very danceable. None of these factors was lost on Putumayo Music when they released their new album, appropriately titled “Latin Party”, a compilation of twelve modern, up-tempo songs from a varied reach of Latin regions and influences. Latin people are very proud of their heritage and I think this CD demonstrates how new musicians pay homage to their musical Latino roots, while putting their own spin on it. The album kicks off with “Big Apple Boogaloo” by Brooklyn Funk Essentials, a band that got its start in the early Nineties as a studio jam band that evolved into a group doing world tours, with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie sitting in, which adds a lot to your credibility. Another artist from Spanish Harlem, Luis Mangual offers his song “Son de Nueva York” for this album. Luis is a legendary sideman from the Sixties. And the group Yerba Buena, also from NYC, perform “Electric Boogaloo”, from their 2005 album “President Alien”, recorded with Venezuelan producer André Lorin, who has also worked with David Byrne, Tina Turner and Marisa Tome, so you know he can put the funk right in your face. Cuban son is well represented here, with Raul Paz playing “Buena Suerte”. Paz, who has played alongside Rubén Blades, really rips it up on this song. Another Cubano band with a French connection is Mas Bajo, a cool mix of French, Cuban, Chilean and Mexican musicians who reflect their Afro-Latin ties. The band began playing cover tunes but has graduated to writing and performing their own material, including “Rico Montuno”, the song on this disc. Anything but conventional, Ska Cubano is obviously having a good time playing “Yri Yri Bon”. The band came into existence when London ska artist Natty Bo went to Havana to record. He inadvertently met Beny Billy, a former boxer, who quickly became the frontman for the new band Ska Cubano. The music is infectious and I see it as a standout on this album. No Latin party disc would be complete without Colombian cumbia. Fruka y Orquesta has been at it since the early Seventies. On this compilation, he offers an updated version of “Cumbia Del Caribe” by fellow Colombiano Edmundo Arias. And the Quantic Soul Orchestra presents “Regi Bugaloo” an instrumental from their 2007 album Tropidelico. From Bogotá, the thirteen-member band Orquesta Lo Nuestro does their number “Ni Tilingo Ni Titingo”, a moving cumbia number with a salsa twist. Also from Colombia, Coffee Makers, who have generated a reggae underground uprising in that country, play an instrumental ska reggae original, “Las Calles de Medellín”, from their 2005 debut, “El Camino”. Rounding out the Party are a song from Peruvian singer Cecilia Noël and The Wild Clams, doing what she calls, “hard core salsa” with the song “Asi Se Compone Un Son” and the Corpus Christi band Kombia Kings, with bassist A.B. Quintanilla, the sister of Selena, with their composition “Mi Gente”. I’d like to hear more South American and Central American contributions. Is this a set-up for Latin Party Dos? Did I say a Latin Party wasn’t complete without good food? Well, at the end of the liner notes (in English, Spanish and French), there are recipes for scallop ceviche and Cleriquot, a white sangria. Latin Party is available at the Jaime Peligro bookstores in Tamarindo, Quepos and Tilaran, where they will gladly sample the music for their customers.
Book Review A functional Field Guide Tony Orez
B their information as well.
e suspicious when someone tells you that size doesn’t matter. On the contrary, when it comes to field guides, for example, the size of the book is a determining factor toward how well it will serve the customer. For example there are several beautiful coffee table books whose subject matter is the wildlife of Costa Rica. But I wouldn’t want to treat that book like a field guide, put it in my backpack and go into the jungle in search of its subject matter. Likewise, there are pocket guides that provide concise snapshots of the most common species of wildlife in Costa Rica, concise being the operative word. Pocket guides are handy but are limited and compact in
Recently a field guide has appeared that fills this void in that it is compact, travels well and is a fountain of pertinent information. Simply titled “The Wildlife of Costa Rica”, this field guide is a collaboration of four experts in their respective fields. Fiona Reid is a biologist from Cambridge who has written more than a dozen books on mammals, including “A Field Guide to the Mammals of Central America and Southeast Mexico”; Jim Zook is an ornithologist who has lived and worked in Costa Rica for twenty-two years, coming here originally as a volunteer of the Peace Corps to teach environmental education; Twan Leenders is a biologist from The Netherlands, specializing in Animal Ecology, especially among amphibians and reptiles; Robert Dean has been studying and painting neotropical birds for a dozen years, including the artwork he did for the highly acclaimed “The Birds of Costa Rica: A Field Guide”, which is considered The Bird Bible among the serious bird watchers here. This two-hundred-and-fifty page book, in daypack size, is presented in five main sections: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and arthropods, each with a nice introduction. It also offers a very good glossary and an index of scientific and common names of each species. One very distinguishing attribute that I enjoy about this field guide is the presentation of twenty-four natural history vignettes interspersed throughout the book. Each vignette offers text that, accompanied by a photograph of the subject at hand, portrays general points of interest, describing in greater detail the given species and the natural history and ecology of their habitats. With forty color photos and more than six hundred detailed color illustrations, this functional field guide exposes readers to the animals and other wildlife one is most likely to see in Costa Rica. All measurements in this book are being relayed in both metric as well as inch/foot terms. I find the overall presentation of “The Wildlife of Costa Rica” - the layout, the language and the flow of information to be very user-friendly, especially for the inquisitive, non-scientist, such as myself. To be sure, there is a plethora of scientific information in this guide, which has adeptly been made digestible for the average reader. The guide is published and distributed by Zona Tropical, a Costa Rican company who, I believe, saw a need, filled it, and hit a home run in doing so. And a home run is a home run, no matter the size, and don’t let anyone tell you any differently. “The Wildlife of Costa Rica” is available at the Jaime Peligro book stores in Playa Tamarindo, Quepos and Tilaran, where they will gladly let the customer browse through their open copy of the book.
TAMARINDO - LOTS 1,200 TO 4,000 M2 Fully titled, water and electricity Very quiet location 5 min. from Tamarindo and beaches 3 min. from Hacienda Pinilla Golf Best prices, below the Bank’s appraisal!! Financing available!
Lot 2B: 1201 m2 - $42.000 Lot 12A: 1322 m2 - $46.000 Lot 9A: 1601 m2 - $51.000
Lot 3A: 1734 m2 - $60.000 Lot 3B: 2044 m2 - $71.000 Lot 22: 4000 m2 - $84.000
Web Site: www.fincaarwen.com Email: finca.arwen@gmail.com TEL: 8885.8706
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 !!!
A Little Yoga History
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hile the exact date is unknown, most agree that yoga started some 4,000 to 8,000 years ago in India. It evolved with time, and the concept that the mind, body and soul were one cosmic entity was introduced with Hinduism. Yoga for meditation and relaxation is growing in popularity in the west while it has maintained its living tradition in India. A Yoga For Everyone There are several types of yoga, but the following four are recognized to be the main yoga. Karma Yoga: Selfless Work Bhakti Yoga: Love and Devotion Jnana Yoga: Knowledge and Discernment Raja Yog: Meditation Asana. Generally speaking, this word is used to refer to yoga positions. It is a state of being where you are physically and mentally steady, calm, quiet and comfortable. In raja yoga, it only refers to the sitting position, but in hatha yoga, yogasanas also include opening the energy channels (or chakras) to increase awareness. Chakras. Chakras are energy centres located throughout your body. There are seven major chakras and several smaller ones. Chakras can be opened or closed to rebalance the flow of energy within yourself. Dhayana: Meditation aimed at connecting yourself with the universal consciousness.
For more information email me at nina@tamarindoyoga.com. www.tamarindoyoga.com
Mantra: This Sanskrit word means speech. A mantra is usually a word or series of words that are repeated in order to focus the mind. Namaste: It is very common in the world of yoga for meditation and relaxation and it means “I honour the light within you.” Niyamas. These are disciplines or “mustdo” items. Examples include: cleanliness, contentment, austerity, study of self and devotion to God (doesn’t have to be God per se, could be devotion to your spiritual quest). Prana. Vital energy that is the equivalent of chi in Chinese culture and Feng Shui. Pranayama. Breath control. Some breath control exercises will be posted here shortly. Samadhi. Liberation where a total balance exists. You have achieved one with the universal consciousness. Yamas are restraints similar to the “Ten Commandments”. The five most common yamas are: non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, abstinence and non-greed. Yoga is a word from the Sanskrit language, one of the 22 official languages in India. It means union with the universal soul by integration of body, mind and spirit.
World Cup 2010
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y the time you read this, all the Group of 16 games will be over and the victorious teams can be entered into your Sharky’s Chart on page 9. The Quarter-finals start July 2; the final takes place Sunday, July 11, at noon, so go to church early. Some of the early games were dull and boring, ending in scores of 0-0, 1-0, 1-1, not good for enjoyment of the game. Once every hundred years or so the governing body, FIFA, makes subtle changes to the rules. Maybe now is the time for some revisions. My suggestions: Loosen up the wimpy foul and carding laws. After all, it is a contact sport. This would add to a smoother, more continuous game. Get an injured player off the field as quickly as possible and keep him off for the remainder of the half. This should reduce drastically the number of “injuries”. How often do we see a player carried off on a stretcher, only to dash back on a few seconds later after his 15 seconds of fame. Change the timekeeping so that the clock counts down as in hockey. Stop the clock when there is an injury or infraction. Makes for a much more exciting game when you know how many seconds are left. Widen and/or raise the goalmouth to reflect the improvements in goaltenders’ athletic ability over the years; this would allow the possibility of higher scores. Fine players for overacting! Place a limit – 6? – on the number of times a player can roll over after being tripped. These suggestions will be submitted to FIFA so you can expect a far more viewer-friendly World Cup in 2014. By now you will know more about the teams’ performance than I do at writing, but it seems that many people in Tamarindo are represented by some pretty good teams – Holland, Argentina, France, Italy, England, Germany. Right now, the Argies are doing fine and will qualify, bringing happiness to half of Tamarindo’s population. Local Stuff The annual shuffle of Tico teams has resulted in San Ramón being relegated to the second division, while Limón rises to play against the big boys.
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or something different in light dining, try La Creperia, near Licorera Cristal opposite Pacific Park. Christine Clemençon serves healthy French crepes with a wide choice of sweet and savoury fillings, as well as natural fruit juices and cider. Open every day except Monday for lunch, and for dinner Thursday to Saturday. Indigo Home welcomes you to its new showroom at Centro Comercial La Fuente, Unit 6, in Langosta. Tel: 2-653-2846 / 8-340-1200 Mystic Restaurant in Langosta will cater any event – birthday, wedding, baby shower, baptism – for any group, large or small. Call 2-653-4224. Mystic also offers a dinner special – appetizer, entré and dessert for only $25. See review on page 8. Fantastic World is a fun park of attractions halfway between Villarreal and Huacas. All-day pass (¢3,900) gets access to water slide, huge pool, obstacle course, magic castle, dragons... Birthdays catered. Call 2-653-7029. All the World Cup games may be watched on a big screen at Willy El Coyote, just outside Tamarindo. Beers are 2 x ¢1,500 and you get bocas, too. Need to send or receive money from elsewhere? Western Union is in Tamarindo, next door to El Corcel Negro in Plaza Conchal. Restaurante La Vita Bella has reopened under new owners Tom Bales and Marianne Pratt, from Angel Fire, New Mexico. They plan to keep current menu favorites, adding new dishes to round out the restaurant’s international theme, plus new desserts and an expanded wine list. Tom and Marianne say they have great food and the best view and staff in Tamarindo! Dinner Tuesday-Sunday, 5 p.m. till close, happy hour 5-7. 2653-0147. Elevations Café has reopened as Aroma, using both floors of the tienda just south of Super 2001. The “Mountain Howler”, offspring of “The Howler” serving the Central Valley, has morphed into a high-quality online magazine appealing to educated and sophisticated readers who will enjoy the in-depth and provocative articles. Visit www.neotropica.info Golf addicts!! Finally the dream of having a Golden Tee machine in Tamarindo has been realized. As of yesterday Sharky is fully equipped with a Golden Tee complete Arcade! 29 courses.... man, this could be bad for some addicts!
www.howlermag.com
Surf Report
In the Beginning
Robert Darmsted
Story: Ellen Zoe Golden
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was reading some reviews on Tripadvisor.com the other day and I noticed that the guests at Best Western Tamarindo Vista Villas were particularly happy about the service they received from a surf guide named Jonathan Muir who works over there. Nearly every other review on this all-important site, which in fact helps people decide whether to book hotels or not, was raving about the surf tips that Muir doled out to them during their stay at the hotel. Muir, at 34, is a soft-spoken, humble man with a wealth of surf knowledge. He not only runs the surf shop at the Tamarindo Vista Villas, he is the assistant to the owner of the hotel, Alejandro Berkowitz. Even with all his time devoted to work, he makes sure to get into the water around the area as much as possible because, after all, “that’s why I live here.”
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he next time you fly Sansa from Tamarindo to San José, or arrive in your wide-body jet from overseas, spare a thought for the pioneers who overcame great odds to bring commercial aviation to Costa Rica. The development of air travel in Costa Rica, and indeed in Central America, was different from that in the United States only in that it was a decade behind, because the industry relied on aircraft that became obsolete and sold for a fraction of the cost of new equipment. In the 1930s Central America had in service a mixed lot of aeroplanes, few in number, obsolete in the United States and with names not now remembered, offering limited, sketchy service within national boundaries. The production of the Trimotor Ford, commonly called the “Tin Goose”, provided the airlines in the United States, for the first time, with equipment suitable for nation-wide coast-to-coast pas-
His story begins in Pinabes de la Coma la Urca, where Muir was born and brought up. He was a city boy. The skateboard was Jonathan’s thing; he didn’t even learn to surf until he was 18 even though he was exposed to the sport much earlier. “I had a cousin that surfed. When I was 12 I would go with him to the beach. That was it; I wanted to change from skateboarding to surfing,” Muir recalls. Finally after high school, he started making the trek from the city to Jacó and Avellanas on the weekends with his friends to surf. He realized he was so taken with the sport that he had to move to the beach because “I couldn’t surf in the city.” Muir chose Tamarindo to make his home in 1997. He was 23. A year later he went to work at the Tamarindo Vista Villas in the reception area. But it was his knowledge of surfing that kept him busy while not booking guests in and out. He was so helpful to guests who needed to know where to go, what were the best times to surf, what boards to use, that the then surf shop operator called him whenever possible to help out. Jonathan also got to meet Robert August, the legendary surfer who helped put Tamarindo on the map. August turned out to be a big mentor to Muir, helping him in ways that were unexpected. For example, when Jonathan wanted to go surfing in California August helped make that happen. August was also able to help Muir with getting some local property. As to surfing in general, he’s been a great asset.
(continued page 23)
The Old “Tin Goose” over Alajuela senger, mail and freight service. This plane was the backbone of the industry from 1930 to 1936, when it was replaced by the muchsuperior Douglas DC-3, and to a lesser extent, by the Lockheed 18. The Lockheed was inferior to the DC-3 as it carried only 14 passengers against 21. The DC-3 remained in airline service until late in World War II and, until recently, was still in daily service with Sansa. Its military version, the C-47 (Army) and R3D (Navy) was produced in the thousands. The replaced Trimotor Fords were sold to Latin America and, in spite of several serious defects, provided domestic and some international service. It was the first plane available in substantial numbers, a replacement for the hodge-podge of equipment then in service. The Trimotor did the job but with some difficulty, as it was not pilot-friendly. It lacked trim tabs, which allow the pilot to adjust the attitude of the plane to account for load placement, so the pilot had to “fly” the plane using the controls to stay straight (continued page 31)
Dengue Alert You can help combat it
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ith most of the rainy season still ahead of us, it is appropriate to warn readers about the incidence of dengue, which has already claimed lives this season in Costa Rica. With over 7,000 reported cases nation-wide to the end of May, the Ministry of Health warns that illness due to dengue has increased fourfold this year. Dengue symptoms vary widely, but include headache, fever, skin rash and muscle pain. The pain in joints and muscles has given it the nickname “breakbone fever”. There are four types of dengue virus, so a person can be affected several times, but an attack gives lifetime immunity to that strain of virus. A severe form is hemorrhagic dengue, which causes bleeding in various parts of the body – gums, nose or skin. This strain of dengue can be fatal. Dengue is transmitted to humans by a bite from the mosquito Aedes Aegypti. The adult mosquito has an array of white spots, giving it a striped appearance. One bite by a mosquito which has bitten an infected person is enough to cause the disease. Dengue is not contagious and cannot be spread between people without the intermediate mosquito. The aegypti mosquito breeds in wet places and needs very little water to incubate its eggs. The Health Ministry insists that people eliminate nesting areas as much as possible, saying that the very low incidence of the disease in 2009 has led Costa Ricans to relax their vigilance against the mosquito. Any receptacle which can contain water – plant pots, old paint cans, tires, etc. – should be disposed of, and eavestroughs cleaned of dead leaves and debris. Even pets’ drinking water should be changed daily to prevent the hatching and growth of the mosquito larvae. Seguro Social offers the following guidelines to dengue prevention: Keep all water vessels capped; keep boats upside down when not in use; Fill in holes in trees, flowerpots, cement blocks and others; clean and recycle plastic, aluminium, glass and tires; bury coconut shells and other organic substances; fumigate inaccessible places around the home – closets, wardrobes, laundry area; use repellent, especially at dawn and dusk. As we go to print, we see a blog has been posted at: http://tamarindodengue2010.wordpress.com/2010/06/19/tamarindo-dengue-2010/ to keep track of dengue in Tamarindo, share experiences of the disease and find ways to combat it. For further information, visit also www.ccss.sa.cr.
A
Give Them a Chance
second chance is something most people would agree with, especially for our four-legged friends. For the dog wandering the streets of Huacas with severe burns from boiling water thrown on him, to the puppy with more blood-filled ticks than spots on his tiny body, the number of starving and hurting dogs is growing daily. Many cats, often more resourceful than their canine friends, become feral and are no longer pets. But there has been a handful of local folks trying for years to give them a second chance through the efforts of the spay and neuter clinics in our area of Guanacaste. Initially, without a formal name, the clinics were held in small communities along the Gold Coast with vets from San José, foreign vet volunteers and vet school students under the close eye of Dawn and Sid Scott of Flamingo Beach. The clinics would spay and neuter from 60- to 100-plus cats and dogs in a marathon weekend. Before long, locals were asking for Doña Alba (Dawn Scott) and signing up for her next clinic. But it wasn’t just a clinic, but a more comprehensive job of finding animals, some times house-to-house, getting permission from owners, enlisting vets, doing followup care and education including antibiotics and food. Most of the dollars came from the Scotts’ pockets, with a small fee paid by pet owners and the work of many volunteer workers and drivers. Through
by Kay T. Dodge and friends of SANA-CR
the ensuing years the clinics grew into Costa Rica Pet Care program which gave a new life to over 8,500 dogs and cats. A few were put out of their misery, but most given a second chance at life. Because one couple cannot do it alone financially, even with a team of hard-working volunteers, it was determined that it would be most effective to start a not-for-profit organization to continue to address the spay and neuter needs in our area of Guanacaste. A great deal of money is raised in San José; however, in Guanacaste, we needed an organization along the Gold Coast to raise funds and organize more clinics for out local communities. Thus, SANACR is being organized in a more formal way to allow fund raising. In the near Waiting his turn future, there will be fundraising events to help underwrite future clinics, but more volunteers are needed now, and of course any donations to sponsor clinics. There aren’t enough words to describe the dedication of Dawn Scott and her husband Sid, but the following true story from a volunteer in the spay and neuter efforts sums it up as well as I ever could. (continued page 22)
Going Und
Caving at Barra Ho
J
ust over an hour’s easy drive from Ta m a r i n d o i s Barra Honda National Park, known for its vast network of underground caverns cut out of the rock by the ow of water, and grotesquely decorated by water dripping through limestone to form stalactites and stalagmites. The terrain around Barra Honda is unusual in the Nicoya peninsula because it is built on limestone, whereas most of Guanacaste is made of volcanic rock and granite. Above ground, a wide network of nature trails leads in all directions around the area. The region contains some of the last tropical dry forest in the world. The visitor can climb a mountain and enjoy some superb views of the Tempisque valley and the Gulf of Nicoya from the 442-meter Cerro Barra Honda. Wildlife abounds, the area being home to howler and capuchin monkeys, deer, pizotes, peccaries, anteaters, raccoons and kinkajous. A wildlife protection program has resulted in an increase in the local fauna in the past few years. But the main attraction of the park is the system of underground caves. The park boasts over 40 caves ranging from a few meters deep to 240 meters (800 feet). Over half the caves are unexplored, and only a few are accessible to visitors. Due to the natural inaccessibility of the caves, many having vertical entrances and sheer sides, the interiors are well-preserved and undamaged by tourism. Some caves are home to bats which roar out of the caves by thousands at dusk. Pre-Columbian relics and
derground
onda National Park skeletons found in the caves suggest that they once were used as shelter by ancient tribes.
To take a caving tour, be at the ranger station between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. Visitors should be physically fit to cope with rope ladders and rock climbing. The tour takes about 4 hours and costs $45, including equipment rental. Advance permission to visit the caves, caving equipment and a guide are mandatory. In the caverns you will see elaborate natural formations made from calcium carbonate which drips from the roof, creating stalactites above and stalagmites below. Some formations have been given fanciful names, such as dragon’s head, grapes, terraces, curtains, soda straws, mushrooms, organ and popcorn. (Cave mnemonic: stalactite comes from the ceiling; stalagmite from the ground). To find Barra Honda from the Gold Coast, bypass Santa Cruz and Nicoya heading for the Puente de la Amistad. A few kilometers after the turnoff at Mansion, take a left turn and follow the well-signed paved road to the park. There is a hotel with bar and restaurant near the entrance, and cabinas may be rented inside the park for overnight stays. Park entrance fee is $7. For information call 2-659-1551.
Thank you to guides: Jenny Baltodano and Yow Cárdenas
T
he IX International Robert August fundraising tournament July 29-August 1st is all about the kids of Guanacaste, Costa Rica, sponsored by Hacienda Pinilla, Lola’s restaurant, Best Western Vista Villas, Marlin del Rey, Quicksilver, Restaurant Nibbana and Koi Sushi.
T
Anexion
his month Costa Rica in general, and Guanacaste in particular, celebrate Anexion on July 25. What is Anexion?
Many people, Costa Ricans as well as extranjeros, believe that Guanacaste used to be a part of Nicaragua. But this is not the case. Before anexion, Guanacaste – the area west of the Rio Tempisque to the Pacific and north to Lake Nicaragua - was an autonomous territory called el Partido de Nicoya whose administration, such as it was, was handled by the CaptainGeneral of Guatemala. It did not belong to Nicaragua nor Costa Rica. However, it had strong commercial ties to its neighbors, Puntarenas, Cañas and Esparza. When Nicaragua declared independence from Spain in 1821, Guanacaste was obliged to decide whether its future would be better under Nicaraguan or Costa Rican rule. While Nicaragua suffered from many internal problems, business relations between Guanacaste and Costa Rica were favorable, so the inhabitants decided on the latter and signed the Acta de Anexion on July 25, 1824.
Thanks to this fundraising event CEPIA - the Costarican nonprofit organization born in 2005 - can support and help hundreds of children and teenagers in need. The goal is to give yearly school supplies to 300 children; English, art and sport activities (surfing, swimming, dance...) for 400 children a year; train high-risk youth for their own life project; open the first public library in the coastal area; raise environmental awareness and more! Lets show the public that your enterprise is socially involved and invest in your image: • Sponsor a hole at the golf field of Hacienda Pinilla for only $200 (banner and more on the golf course and golf house) • Expose exclusively your logo on the event T-shirts for $2,000 • Donate an item for the silent auction or the raffle • Be a Prime Sponsor from $1,000. If you are interested in participating, please contact cepiadirector@racsa.co.cr or Visit www.cepiacostarica.org and www.robertaugust.com!!
The Belgian Ambassador in Costa Rica, Gregoire Vardakis, officially visited the CEPIA community centre, impressed by the work done with high-risk youth. Special thanks to the Guanacaste Chamber of Tourism (CATURGUA) and Paradisus Playa Conchal for their support with this visit.
A Slice of Life Buttonholed David Mills
I
n one of my many jobs, working for an appliance store, I was driving my Ford 10 van through town. As I slowed to stop at a traffic light, I caught a glimpse of a man in a flapping raincoat on my right running rapidly towards the intersection. As I stopped, I heard and felt a loud “thump” at the rear of the van, followed immediately by loud shouting. Through the van’s tiny rear windows I couldn’t see anything, and my side mirrors showed no traffic behind me. But the shouting got louder and very forceful, and was accompanied by heavy banging. Now I could see a face distorted with anger as fists pounded the rear doors. I put the van into gear, ready for a swift getaway (as swift as allowed in a Ford 10) when the light changed. For reasons best known to him, the madman didn’t run to the driver’s door to get at me. Several things happened all at once. On the cross street a bus shot through the light as it changed to red, my light turned green, and, just before I could make a Formula One start, my persecutor took off running to the left and jumped onto the bus. Stunned and bewildered, I pulled to the side to ponder the happenings. Fortunately a bystander solved the mystery: The guy in the raincoat was running for the bus. As he passed behind me the door handle on the van, a T-shaped affair, went through a buttonhole on his raincoat, and he was screaming at me not to drive off as it could have had serious consequences. When the handle came free of the coat he lost interest in me and continued running for the bus. Do you have a short anecdote, weird, interesting or funny, to share with our readers? Please e-mail to dmills@racsa.co.cr
We will either find a way, or make one! Hannibal 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 La Caracola Contact: Ellen - 2-653-0897
STUDENT VOICES Through Orangutan Eyes
T
he little time I’ve spent on Earth, Has been an ever-changing road, I’ve watched the leaves turn young to old, And the summer warmth turn oh so cold. With the changes of the day, The sun and the moon they fade away, And they all but disappear, But it is something we cannot steer. This changing is just like a dance, It will put you in a trance, It’s so beautiful I can’t sleep, But only memories I get to keep. I thought that what was there would never leave, I never though I’d be deceived, But then there came the day, When I realized that this happiness could never stay.
Betrayed and alone I was left, Her life was taken with a theft, There was no one to guide me through the night, There was no one there to help me fight. I gave in to my misery, My world has changed into a sea, A sea of monsters and treachery, Why did this happen to me? I never did anything wrong, I promise I tried to be strong, They took away my mother, And left me with nothing but a shudder. Now I watch the leaves turn old, I feel the summer breeze turn cold, But all this I do, Behind the bars of a zoo. Sometimes when I dream, I can still hear her scream, I think I wish I was dead, Something my mother would not have said.
And without mercy they hit, All the forest with fire they lit, Killing everything in sight, Against them we couldn’t put up a fight.
Sometimes I remember, A time in early September, When everything was alright, When everything had a glowing light.
My hand stretched out to catch her, To grasp onto her fur, But so swiftly she fell, It broke my spell.
I get this feeling I can’t explain, It sets a tingle through my brain, I can never get this feeling to last, The feeling of happiness in the past.
Never again would I see my mother, They left me here with no other, All alone in that tree, The forest was no more to be.
So now you have seen, All that I’ve ever been, All of it destroyed by human lies, You have seen this through orangutan’s eyes.
By Nia Demming Grade 7 - Country Day School
Give Them a Chance (from page 17) A Night with Dawn by Mindy Gumb “A few weeks ago, Dawn asked me to help her track down an injured dog in Huacas. She had received a call from a woman telling her about a dog who was starving to death and had been severely burned by someone throwing boiling water on it. Dawn had been in the village a couple times that day looking for this dog without any luck, but had just received a call from someone saying they had seen it. It was after dark when we pulled into Huacas. The family that called had actually captured the dog for us, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that if Dawn said she was coming, that she would come. The dog, an un-neutered male, was in horrible shape. He was complete emaciated – based on his size, he probably should have been about a 40-pound dog. In reality, every bone in his body was visible – the lower back/hip area was bared two inches across . His head, neck and left shoulder was severely burned as were three of four legs. The burn area was raw, dirty and infected. The family carried the dog out to my car and we loaded him into the dog carrier. He didn’t even whimper or struggle. Driving him back to Dawn’s house in Flamingo was difficult. The poor dog’s wounds were so infected and the smell of rotting flesh was so strong it was beyond description. At Dawn’s house, we unloaded the dog and loosely tied a leash around its neck. Hard to do, since the dog’s neck was completely raw, but we needed some way of containing the dog while Dawn tended to his wounds. Despite the pain and suffering this dog had gone through, it accepted whatever we did to him without a whimper, growl or snap. I talked to the dog as we were getting him ready; he responded by wagging his tail and moving toward me...unbelievable, given what had happened to him. We washed the dog in water, then set about the task of putting on rubber gloves and washing him down with anti-bacterial soap. The dog stoically accepted it all. Dawn pulled off pieces of dead fur and skin and scrubbed him again and again. I washed him and gently wiped him off with a towel. After he was dry, we applied antibiotic cream to his skin. The dog wanted some companionship, so I tried to find a spot to pet him – and had to settle for rubbing his nose since it was one of the few places that weren’t burned. Dawn fixed a special dog meal for this guy which contained some antibiotics and pain medication, which the dog happily ate. He stood around for the longest time, and it took me a while to un(continued page 33)
Surf Report (from page 15)
In 1999, August recruited Jonathan to get involved in an event that brought legends of surfing such as Mark Martinson, Paul Straub, Maureen Drummy to surf with then-newcomers Kassia Meador and Alex Knost to Tamarindo, and subsequently the Best Western. “That’s one of the reasons I like surfing,” Muir says. “It keeps you young, and happy and healthy. And you get to meet a lot of cool people.” For a year, Jonathan left the Tamarindo Vista Villas and was a Surftech sales representative for Central America. This job had him traveling to sell surfboards to all the stores in that wide area, sponsoring surfers, doing marketing with magazines, and following the Circuito Nacional de Surf. Armed with this expanded surf knowledge, he brings what he learned back to the Best Western to the surf shop he is operating there. At the Best Western Tamarindo Vista Villas surf shop, he offers rentals, lessons, guided trips, surf break orientation, surf report - “anything a beginner or advanced surfer really needs.” “People are always asking, ‘What’s the best way to spend their surf vacation without getting hassled?’” Muir adds about his services. And things are about to get a little more exciting at the Tamarindo Vista Villas surf shop. In July, when August is down in Tamarindo for the next Robert August Surf and Turf, the week-long golf and surfing party, he will be meeting with Jonathan to talk about expanding the services of the surf shop. It looks like, according to Muir, after all these years of August going back and forth from Costa Rica and the United States, he will be sticking around Tamarindo for a significant amount of time. This will give him an opportunity to really get involved with the surf shop. Some of the tentative plans August, Muir, and Alejandro Berkowitz—the owner of Vista Villas—have include the possibility of some high-end surf lessons with the legend himself. In addition, Jonathan has been in touch with his previous employer at Surftech, Randy French, about getting those high quality boards into the shop for sale and for rent. (continued page 28)
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Sales Office: (506) 2-654-4919 Cel: (506) 8-392-9237 E-mail: coronadelcabo@gmail.com
Word puzzle Miscellany
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. aircraft altimeter appliance chowder connection electrical equivocate flashgun happiness individual lecture natural overseas pocahontas popular
potato powerful pseudonym relaxation residence seventeen slippery square supermarket surrealism tactical trigger tropical uranium vision
David Mills
1T
06:00 12:01 18:11
8.6 1.4 8.2
6T
2F
00:14 06:39 12:42 18:52 00:52 07:19 13:24 19:34 01:32 08:01 14:10 20:21 02:15 08:46 15:00 21:13
0.9 8.5 1.5 7.8 1.2 8.3 1.7 7.5 1.5 8.1 1.9 7.1 1.9 8.0 2.0 6.9
7W
3S
4S Last Qtr 5M
8T
9F
10S
03:03 09:36 15:54 20:10 03:57 10:31 16:52 23:10 04:57 11:29 17:51
2.1 7.9 2.0 7.0 2.2 7.9 1.9 6.9 2.2 8.1 1.6
11S New Moon
00:10 05:58 12:26 18:47 01:06 06:57 13:21 19:39
7.2 2.0 8.4 1.1 7.7 1.6 8.8 0.6
14W
12M
13T
15T
JULY TIDE CHART
01:58 07:53 14:13 20:28 02:48 08:47 15:04 21:17 03:36 09:38 15:53 22:04 04:24 10:28 16:42 22:51 05:12 11:18 17:31 23:38
8.3 1.0 9.3 0.1 8.9 0.5 9.6 -0.3 9.5 0.1 9.5 -0.7 9.9 -0.2 9.9 -0.8 10.2 -0.3 9.8 -0.7
16F
06:01 10.2 12:09 -0.2 18:22 9.5
21W
17S
00:26 -0.4 06:51 10.0 13:02 0.1 19:14 9.0 01:17 0.1 07:44 9.6 13:57 0.5 20:11 8.4 02:11 0.7 08:40 9.2 14:57 0.9 21:12 7.9 03:10 1.3 09:41 8.7 16:02 1.3 22:19 7.5
22T
18S 1st Qtr 19M
20T
23F
24S
25S Full Moon
04:15 10:45 17:10 23:27 05:24 11:49 18:15
1.7 8.4 1.4 7.4 2.0 8.3 1.4
26M
00:32 06:30 12:49 19:12 01:29 07:28 13:41 20:02 02:18 08:17 14:28 20:44
7.5 2.0 8.3 1.2 7.8 1.8 8.4 1.0 8.1 1.6 8.6 0.7
28W
27T
29T
30F
03:01 09:01 15:10 21:22 03:40 09:40 15:49 21:58 04:17 10:17 16:27 22:32 04:52 10:53 17:03 23:06 05:27 11:30 17:39 23:40
8.4 1.4 8.7 0.5 8.7 1.1 8.8 0.4 8.9 1.0 8.7 0.4 8.9 0.9 8.6 0.5 8.9 1.0 8.4 0.7
31S
06:02 12:06 18:16
8.8 1.1 8.1
1S August
00:14 06:37 12:45 18:54 00:50 07:16 13:26 19:36 01:30 07:58 14:13 20:25 02:17 08:48 15:07 21:23
1.0 8.6 1.3 7.7 1.4 8.3 1.5 7.3 1.7 8.1 1.8 6.9 2.0 7.9 1.9 6.8
2M Last Qtr 3T
4W
October F orecasts July F orecasts
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
You will continue your progress if you have recently ventured into something new. However, there will be some necessary backtracking after the 22nd when Jupiter goes retrograde in your sign. Use this energy for a status update and correct your course if necessary as the new developments indicate. Best days are the 3rd, 4th, 30th and 31st. This month’s energy will be very dynamic in the areas of beliefs, higher education, your siblings and immediate surroundings. You will be confronted with information that overturns what you have previously believed to be true. Don’t get stubborn with this change, assimilate it and move forward. Most favorable days are the 6th and 7th.
Gemini: 22 May - 21 June
Partnerships are supportive now but some adjustments to agreements are required after the 22nd. The eclipse on the 11th is in your tenth house of career and public image so you will be redefining that part of your life in the next six months. Your health is unstable at the end of the month so some time off may be necessary. The 16th and 17th will be positive days for you. The solar eclipse on the 11th is in your ninth house of higher consciousness, education and foreign cultures. You will most likely experience an event that will alter your beliefs in a significant way in the next six months. A shakeup like this is ultimately good as you gain wisdom from such experiences. Good days for calming yourself are the 18th and 19th.
The solar eclipse on the 11th marks a kind of financial turning point for you with both the second and eighth houses involved. New ventures and new partnerships are indicated as well as changes to your residence. The end of the month has some accident-prone energy present so don’t take a lot of physical risks at that time. Your most positive days are the 8th and 9th.
Sagittarius: 23 November - 21 December
With the solar eclipse on the 11th in your sign, you can expect a wild ride this year. You will most likely experience a change in how you view yourself and how you view relationships. The energy continues to develop over the next six months so if you are involved with someone now, the dynamics of the arrangement are likely to undergo radical change. Good days to nurture yourself are the 10th and 11th.
Capricorn: 22 December - 21 January
This is a confusing time for you as on one hand you want to roar and boss a lot of people around but your inner sense is that you don’t really have a handle on what’s truly going on. So use your critical thinking skills to assess the situation before taking action. The end of the month provides more information about how to correct your course of action. Best days are the 12th and 13th.
Aquarius: 22 January - 19 February
Cancer: 22 June - 22 July
Leo: 23 July - 23 August
Virgo: 24 August - 22 September
With Venus entering your sign this month you are getting a little reprieve from the long “to-do” list that is a Virgo’s life. Enjoy yourself a little--take a vacation--get pampered--go somewhere exotic! I know it’s not really your style to be that extravagant but why not just go for it! Work will always be there for you and you know you need some rejuvenation. The end of the month energy is unstable so book early! Your most positive days are the 14th and 15th.
Money, assets and resources are going to be the hot topic on your calendar this month. Get the advice of a professional as to how to proceed with any insurance, estate, or trust issues. Your career gets busier this month but don’t stretch yourself too thin at the end of the month as tempers could easily flare and a relationship severed. The 21st and 22nd are your most favorable days. This month has the eclipse on the 11th falling into your seventh house of partnership, indicating some changes are coming in the next six months. You might be reevaluating the nature of your involvements and the unspoken agreements involved. Good time to clear up any misconceptions with those concerned. Avoid foreign travel at the end of the month as the vibe is unstable. The 23rd and 24th are your most positive days. The solar eclipse on the 11th falls into your sixth house of health, employees, work and habits. This indicates that some changes need to be made in the next six months to improve your well-being. Some disturbing information may come to light at the end of the month causing some financial problems. Keep your wits around you if traveling at the end of the month as the energy is volatile. Your best days are the 16th and 27th.
Pisces: 20 February - 20 March
Expect some interesting information in the next six months about your children as the solar eclipse happens in your fifth house of creativity and children. Matters concerning partnership are also in focus this month but a situation could deteriorate at the end of the month with the energy getting unstable for you. Good time to let go of baggage this month. Your best days for clarity are the 1st, 2nd and 29th.
Namasté
28
Le Jour du Gloire
France’s
Bastille Day July 14
B
astille day is celebrated on July 14 in many countries around the world with various festivals, and by law in France. In Milwaukee, WI, a mock Eiffel Tower is erected as centerpoint of a four-day celebration which includes a reenactment of the original event. New York and San Francisco hold large fiestas, while Minneapolis and other cities use the date for lavish festivals of French gourmet food and wine. In several Australian cities official receptions are held for French consulate staff. In France, the Bastille Day celebrations on the Champs Elysees take a very military form, as befits the original event in 1789. Motorized battalions and air force flypasts are augmented by participation of other nations’ forces in a huge military parade. The Storming of the Bastille was a protest against the oppressive rule of Louis XVI. The Bastille was a military fortress and prison in which were held many political prisoners. Though only seven inmates were incarcerated there on the fateful day, the revolutionaries wanted to get their hands on the large store of arms and ammunition in order to overthrow the tyrranic monarchy and replace it with a democratic republic. On July 14 – “le quatorze juillet” – a crowd attacked the fortress, which was defended by French and Swiss troops. When it became obvious that the Bastille would fall its commander, hoping to avoid much bloodshed, opened the gates to the attackers. About one hundred attackers and a handful of defenders died. Shortly afterwards, feudalism was abolished and a Declaration of Rights proclaimed.
“Prise de la Bastille” - Houel
Doctor’s Orders
Surf Report (from page 23)
Jeffrey Whitlow, M.D.
I
n my last column, I talked about the differences between natural and unnatural foods. In this column, I will talk more about unnatural foods and their deleterious effects on your body and your health. Unnatural foods are foods that are created by man. Although these foods can be tasty and satisfying to the appetite, they lack the essential essence of life that would allow them to be seamlessly incorporated into the body. The main component of most unnatural foods is some type of grain, usually corn, wheat, soy, or rice. The reason for this is that grains are much cheaper and easier to produce than true natural foods like fruits and vegetables. Rome, Italy was the first city to have over a million people, way back in ancient times. Before the population became so concentrated, people lived off of the land, producing and consuming natural foods. Once cities became as large as Rome, it was no longer possible to live that way. So grains were pressed into service to keep the population fed and happy. Now with modern technology, these grains can be made into creations so tasty and appealing to the senses that most people would rather eat these fake foods than the real thing! So how does the consumption of unnatural foods affect the body? Think back to the story of my friend’s dog who suffered the skin ailment from eating a grain-based dog food. Now think about all of the things going on with our bodies that we consider “natural”, such as body odor, heartburn, gray and thinning hair, and the like. Can you now begin to see that these conditions are not “natural” at all, but rather are the direct result of eating unnatural foods. For instance, the odor we associate with dirty feet, i.e. the smell of month-old corn chips, is actually caused by the consumption of grain and sugar. When I was younger, I had horrible foot odor, athlete’s foot, and body odor, but since I changed my diet to no grain and very little sugar, all of those conditions have cleared up. Furthermore, the consumption of grain and sugar promotes an acid condition in the body. The acid has to be neutralized, as the normal functions of the body can only occur at a neutral pH. So your body pulls calcium out of your bones and teeth, as calcium is basic and so will neutralize the excess acid. There is an extremely high correlation between the amount of soda pop a person drinks and the number of dental problems they have. Similarly, most women who suffer from osteoporosis have a lifelong history of soda consumption. To digest sugars and grains, the body must use certain proteins. Unfortunately, those proteins are also crucial to the proper functioning of the immune system, and the body contains a limited supply of these proteins. Acne and other skin infections are the direct result of the consumption of grains and sugars. The immune system lacks the necessary proteins to control the bacteria that would otherwise be harmless colonizers of our skin. In my next column, I will continue this discussion of the deleterious effects of unnatural foods.
Given all the time it takes to run the surf shop, and the work Muir puts in at the Best Western office assisting Berkowitz, does he still get out there and surf? “Everyday there are waves I go out to surf,” he answers. “That’s what makes me happy. Surfing keeps me 100 percent in touch with the surf community and it’s also fun.” Jonathan Muir would like to thank Surftech’s Randy French, Robert August, Russell Wenrich, and Tamarindo Vista Villas Alejandro Berkowitz for all their support over the years.
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.
Taberna y Restaurante
El Rinconcito de Doña Elda Restaurant Local and International Cuisine Delicious Bocas Catering Service
Tavern available for
Parties • Meetings Concerts • Weddings Live Music • Wide Screen • Dance Floor Opposite Gas Station Oasis in El Llano Tel: 8-842-2635 / 8-356-1370 It is not our job to forgive Osama Bin Laden; it is God’s. Our job is to arrange a face-to-face meeting. General H. Norman Schwarzkopf
Politics, Fantasyland and Pura Vida
Tom Peifer
One of the greatest lessons of history is that nobody learns the lessons of history - Hegel
D
id you catch the latest chapter in the saga of Hollywood’s infatuation with Costa Rica?
To refresh the collective memory, Costa Rica provided the de rigueur jungle backdrop for the blockbuster-hit Jurassic Park. Apart from providing lush scenery and a tropical ‘ambience’ to fit the occasional script, it is easy to see why Hollywood types would gravitate to Costa Rica. Who wouldn’t want to flee from the hordes of paparazzi dogging your every step? Not to mention escaping the humiliation of gonzo journalists digging through your trashcan to come up with yet another tabloid exposé based on some slipshod analysis of your weekly garbage. Other stellar excursions to our environs include the recent Pitt-Jolie visit and of course the headline-grabbing purchase of land near Nosara by Mel Gibson. (See “Dear Mel,” The Howler, August, 2007) Hacienda Apocalipto has apparently served as a sanatorium of sorts for at least one stressed-out refugee from the rigors of life in the fast lane of the Hollywood Freeway. The beaches of Guanacaste were just what the doctor ordered for none other than Britney Spears. Word has it that a bit of tropical R&R was called for in the wake of some pesky problemitas of a psychological nature that were interfering with the ‘career’ of the blonde-haired diva. Seeking escape to Pura Vida from the bright lights and the constant glare of publicity is nothing new for the denizens of Hollywood. The June visit of Steven Seagal to Costa Rica garnered a surprising amount of national coverage; in part, because he wasn’t hiding from the press. Au contraire, it appears that the man in black had arrived, out of the goodness of his heart, to offer training to the ‘special’ branches of Costa Rican security forces. The visit was apparently facilitated by an out-of-work bootlicker in the national power elite who had somehow gotten the bright idea that reality is, you know, just like stuff you see on TV. Honestly, and pardon me if I make a mishmash of my martial arts knowledge, but the first image that came to mind was the Big Guy in Black training a gymnasium full of Costa Rica’s finest, complete with loudspeakers blaring a cumbia version of “Everybody was Kung-Fu Fighting.” The more I thought about it the worse it got. The second photo of Big Steve in the national press was a side shot that left more than a few wondering if he is beefing up for a career transition from Karate Kid into Sumo wrestling. On the actor-turned-expert theme, one Costa Rican journalist tossed out the possibility of getting some of the stars of the Grey’s Anatomy TV series to provide consulting to the Ministry of Public Health. I would go one further. Let’s resuscitate the entire cast of the classic David Lean movie,
“Bridge over the River Kwai,” to help with some of the nagging infrastructure issues on the nation’s roads. After all, the sky’s the limit, might as well go for broke! As George W. Bush convincingly demonstrated, the possibilities are endless when your beliefs, actions and national policy are not constrained by the bounds of reality. Reality, meanwhile, is completely oblivious to both the growing takeover of human perception by the ‘media’ and the cult of hero-worship that it fosters. Assuming that Mr. Seagal does indeed possess marketable skills beyond the scope of the silver screen, it would seem that he could find ample opportunity to help with ‘security’ issues closer to home. As I write, the shores of the homeland are anything but secure. They are, in fact, under siege, a multi-pronged invasion by nobody-seems-to-know-how-many millions of gallons of crude oil. Upwards of 40 million Americans are on food stamps and several million more are facing an end to unemployment benefits. Plenty of insecurity right there to deal with, huh? Or hey, here’s a good one, maybe Steve could get involved in the real action, the ongoing organized mayhem taking place over there in Iraq and Afghanistan. Never underestimate the possibility of star power to help pull the US out of its endof-empire nosedive into the strategic quicksand of Central Asia. Let’s accept at face value the notion that Mr. Seagal sincerely seeks to help end the spiral of violence which has engulfed many countries in Latin America. Anyone with a smidgen of insight can provide a simple breakdown as to the causes. Much of it is drug related. If your response was “No, duh,” I won’t be offended. The small stuff—bonking you on the head and stealing your purse on the street, breaking into your house, etc--is generally addicts needing quick money or something to fence in order to score their next fix. The medium level battles -- drive-by shootings, “four killed in bar shootout,” that kind of thing--are small skirmishes over local control of turf for dealing or the settling of scores for deals gone bad. The big battles—and the massive corruption of governments and police—are for control over the highly profitable movement of bulk quantities of merchandise to the Mecca of drug consumption. The richest market on earth, with an insatiable demand and the wherewithal to pay: The U.S. of A. Mister Seagal, take a hint from a life-long gardener: If (continued page 32
Surviving
C hapter MMMCCLVI
I
COSTA RICA
t is my sad journalistic duty to report the demise of one of Tamarindo’s finest cultural and spiritual institutions, the Hotel Pasatiempo. Or just “Pasatiempo” to those of us who frequented the exalted joint over those many years. Pasatiempo rented its first room on Feb. 3, 1993. Ron Stewart, the owner-buildermanager-den-mother and head Guru till 2007, still has that first dollar. Those were rugged times to be living in Tamarindo. During the slow season, at that time roughly February thru December, people used to gather together for a friendly game of darts while simultaneously bailing out the dining area and the roads were so bad that it was like driving to Langosta last week. Ron also had the first Satellite Dish in Tamarindo, celebrating its inauguration with the ‘96 Olympics. Actually Ron’s major competition and nemesis at the time, The Resort (now Babylon), had its own dish also which, in the finest of Costa Rican traditions, didn’t work. There were still only these two bars to watch North American Style Futbol when I first started showing up around 1997. The Resort had three TVs going, each progressively fuzzier. Pasatiempo was a tad more refined, the bartenders were required to wear shirts, and I soon began spending most of my Football Sundays there. The Pilsens were always consistently wet and Ron’s Buffalo Wings were about the best in the world. It gradually turned into quite a scene with a list of celebrity appearances over the year. Ron’s favorite was Woodie Harrelson, who liked the place and told him so. Ron replied “Thanks, you fit in here perfectly; you look like the rest of us derelicts”. Paris Hilton showed up one night, as did Queen Latifah, all in various forms of “incognito”. But Pasatiempo was really known for its music scene. A friend of mine who had visited Costa Rica in 1994 told me about the jam session he had participated in at some funky club in a place called Tamarindo. He was a fabulous drummer but had ended up playing on various pots and
The Rise and Fall of Pasatiempo
pans and having a great time. On my first trip here in 1995 I wanted to go and check it out. We were staying with friends in Flamingo and one Tuesday night I borrowed their pickup and drove to Tamarindo. It took about fifty minutes. Sure enough the place was jumping with lots of different acts on and off the stage. Glenn Stuart, local Canadian-Surfside musical entrepreneur, was there playing an acoustic bass guitar with some local blues enthusiasts and I also met Matthias Weidel of the German persuasion, who would end up playing bass with me for six years. I did an acoustic solo set and then ended up playing with another local stalwart David Robert, from North Carolina. It wasn’t too long till I was “here” more than “back there” and ran into a bunch of local musicians who loosely played under the name of “The Leatherbacks”. Sometimes it was with a German guitar player named Michelle or one of several dozen local harmonica divas who, if going in order of increasing bizarreness would end with a certain “Smiling Dog”, a man now lost to Tamarindo legend though there is a Taco Restaurant that he built, and named after him! By that time if there was a “Leatherbacks” there was a Nick on guitar (to this day), bass players that came and went, Matthias, Danny, yours truly and Pedro, and JJ on drums. Jean Jacques was the only one in Tamarindo who owned a drum set, hence the only drummer. He used to work as a handyman for Ron which provided a dry place to store his drums while JJ slept in a tent. There’s no doubt that JJ could play the drums; he stayed in the band for seven years. If band practices ever got a little hot under the collar with whatever current bass player threatening to kick JJ’s ass, JJ would stand up from his drum stool, take out his false teeth and shout “here, take these..... what else do you want”? It sure makes me appreciate my own Jesus freak practically sober drummer. There was even a time when the band announced it was changing its name
Story by Jesse Bishop
to “Whiskey For Indians”, adding Steve “Conejo” on vocals and Alex on guitar for a more “Punk” sound, which had a short lifespan, possibly due to the mosh pit fights breaking out among their Italian fans. The Leatherbacks regrouped, added Brian on guitar, Roy on congas and Brad on sax, initiating the Golden Era of Pasatiempo, big crowds every Tuesday with as high a quality of music as anywhere with a long list of visiting musicians. For many of those years I’d start the nights off with an hour or so of acoustic music, often performing with Jerry Flener, a longtime Tamarindo musical stalwart and blues enthusiast. Then the band would come on. The scene from the bandstand was always pretty exciting and sometimes it was hard for the band to concentrate on the music while taking in the show. There was the occasional naked person on the dance floor, usually surrounded and covered up by the ogling crowd and there always seemed to be someone not willing to wait his turn to play, although Nick only remembers once actually physically kicking one particularly obnoxious harmonica player off the stage. Right at the peak of the Tamarindo building boom Ron was approached by a group of Israeli-American investors and paid Ron what he was asking to sell the place, closing the deal Dec. 3, 2007. Right as they commenced to raise all the bar and restaurant prices, fire all the surly Argentinean waitresses and hassle with the band about how much they get paid, the near collapse of the world economy kicked in. Ron got out just in time. Pasatiempo limped on for a few more years but Tuesday night was much more subdued with the Leatherbacks eventually quitting for less stressful gigs. Pasatiempo went out with a whimper after so many years of roaring. One day the bank took it back, the doors were all locked and Tuesdays in Tamarindo became a lot less exciting.
In the Beginning
(from page 15)
and level. In addition, the Trimotor was sluggish and responded slowly to the controls. More important, it was hard to control with one engine out, hardly the answer to small, primitive airstrips and mountainous terrain. Successful flights were made only with the help of God and, at times, He was not aboard. In spite of its shortcomings, the Tin Goose put Central American air transport on a solid footing. For the first time, many isolated pueblitos had access, short of walking, to the outside world, and a means of getting products to outside markets. The Trimotor truly unified, internally, each of the Central American republics.
aviation employed many French pilots and, in Colombia, Germans dominated as they had since World War I.
With the termination of the war thousands of military C-47s, and the now-obsolete DC-3s which were being replaced by the next
Most airstrips were built in the Trimotor era by the airlines, either by TACA airlines or by large land owners. All that was required was a level stretch of land 100 feet wide by 2,000 long – more if possible. TACA had a caterpillar tractor which could be disassembled, flown to the nearest strip, reassembled and driven through the forest to the construction site. In Costa Rica there were about 50 grass landing fields and 3 hard strips. In those days you did as you damned well pleased as there was no government bureaucracy to impede progress.
Proper pilot training was slow to come to this part of the world; most pilots flew by the “seat of the pants” and resisted training programs. Following World War II a flood of retired or inactive pilots arrived in Central America. These were young, well-trained, and accustomed to flight deck discipline, and carried impressive war records. Soon, pilot training programs were in operation – some difference.
It was on that base that the airline industry developed into what it is today. The few who are left from those days cannot forget the too-many passengers and crews that were lost against mountains, or buried in the rain forest, unfound for years... The New Douglas DC-3 generation (DC-4 and Lockheed L- series) became available cheaply ($7,000 to $10,000 apiece). Many C-47s were modified at Servicios Aerotecnicos Latino Americanos at La Sabana, San José, the site of the international airport at the time. The aircraft was noted for being the most pilot-friendly aircraft, was agile and flew well with an engine out, and was easily maintained. It was well-suited to small unpaved landing strips, any accidents being due mostly to pilot error rather than equipment failure. The DC-3 remained in service until construction of the roads we know today. These years in Central America were dominated by Gringo pilots, some of whom had reason to avoid returning to the States. Mexican
Robert Darmsted lived in Costa Rica from 1946 to the ‘90s. He worked for TACA Airline during the pioneer days of flight in Costa Rica. Don Roberto passed away in California in 2007.
Don’t have sex. It leads to kissing and, pretty soon, you have to start talking to them Steve Martin
Politics, Fantasyland... (from page 29) control a bunch of noxious weeds, go for the root of the problem. A detailed study by the Associated Press recently concluded that the 40-year “War on Drugs,” launched to great fanfare under President Nixon, has been a total failure, a waste of money—we’re talking many billions--and has ruined the lives of millions more who were incarcerated for non-violent drugrelated offences. The ‘tough guy’ policies gained favor, got politicians elected and kept money flowing into the arms industry.
RAIN GAUGE
30 25
c m s
In retrospect, what a convenient moment in time, just as things were becoming all quiet on the eastern front. Remember? The Cold War was winding down. The casting call went out. Find us a new bad guy. Latin surname a plus. Hollywood stepped up to play its role as star propaganda pitcher for the new game in town. In retrospect it seems like a mere blink of an eye before all the Slavic-accented villains, clad in somber overcoats and lurking on foggy bridges with poison-tipped umbrellas were exiled to the anonymity of film storage vaults.
RAINFALL - May/June Miller Meteorological Observatory La Garita
20 15
Total rainfall: 73.9 cm (29.1 inches)
10 5
N/A
0 16
20
25
31 1
5
May
Year-to-date 2009: 43.8 cm 2010: 73.9
Rainfall May/June 2009: 34.9 cm 2010: 73.9
J u l y ( a l l
10
June
t i m e s
2 0 1 0 l o c a l )
Sun
1st - rise 5:26; set 6:09 15th - rise 5:29; set 6:09* 31st - rise 5:33; set 6:07
* latest sunset of year - 12th at 6:09 Last quarter: New: 1st quarter: Full:
Moon
4th 11th 18th 25th
8:35 a.m. 1:40 p.m. 4:11 a.m. 7:37 p.m.
15
Lush mountain estates in the higher-altitude tropics offered up the new crop of bad guys, sun-ripened just in time for the next Hollywood harvest. Cameras began rolling and voice coaches perfected the requisite Latino accents for the drug lords and their evil henchmen who sported guayaberas and Panama hats and seemed to spend a lot of time lolling around pools with bikini-clad vixens. Meanwhile, the good guys were slipping into Kevlar vests, pulling down facemasks, strapping on ankle holsters and availing themselves of an increasingly sophisticated armory of automatic weapons. We’ve come a long way baby, since Superman stripped down to his red, white and blue skivvies and flew off to do battle for Truth, Justice and the American Way. And the ever-gullible entity known as Joe Q public never once questioned the sudden switch in villains, never wondered about the slight details of CIA involvement in drugs to finance programs that wouldn’t fly with Congress. Not to mention having a clinically certifiable case of historical amnesia regarding the slight detail that Prohibition against alcohol didn’t work either. But, sure enough, Hollywood had also been able to make the most out of the failed “war on alcohol.” The clandestine distilleries of the bad guys made the perfect grimy backdrop as the good guys with Tommy guns blazed away from the running boards of long sedans. Eliot Ness, and the TV series “The Untouchables,” took center stage in the limelight of the primordial struggle against evil. Maybe it’s high time to “just say no” to the simple-minded solutions cooked up by veterans of a career where mistakes end up on the cutting room floor. Let’s find a way to ensure that their bloopers end up in the trash bin, not scrawled in blood, wasted lives and strategic blunders all across the pages of human history. Tom Peifer is an ecological land use consultant with 16 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/
Termites
Stealth attackers W
hen you see long brown tubes of mud running along or up the walls of your house – look out! You have termites!!
Termites are tiny but voracious insects which, if unchecked, can literally eat you out of house and home. Travelling by the thousands, they will find every piece of edible wood in your house and chomp it into dust. To prevent termite attention, keep all wooden structures away from the ground. If a pillar is touching the earth, termites can burrow into it and eat it from the inside, leaving no telltale signs until the structure collapses. Termite nests may be underground, on the ground - or in a tree, looking for all the world like a sleeping howler monkey. The insects can travel long distances, mostly underground, to get to your juicy lumber. Above ground, they are very susceptible to dehydration and predation by other insects, so they build tunnels of mud and faeces to protect their bodies. In exposed or light-coloured locations, these tunnels are very visible, being about one centimeter wide and dark brown, but they also employ stealth tactics, often running under a decorative lip or moulding or inside hidden structures such as pump or laundry rooms. They may even use the wiring conduit to travel throughout the house. If you see these signs around your house, there is no need to panic. The beasts will not chew up your framework in a day or two. A quick remedy is to destroy their travel tubes with a trowel or knife, then spray the exposed insects with Baygon or similar. They will die instantly. A day later, check out the location; they may have rebuilt their tubes, so treat them again. After a few days, they usually tire of the game, but be careful – they may just be attacking you in some other location. For longer-term protection, check with your local ferreteria or garden center; they will usually know the preventive steps to take, such as sprays or bait. There are also some local professionals who specialize in pest control.
Give Them a Chance (from page 22) stand that lying down meant lying on his burns. After a bit, he did circle around to lie down and found a semi-comfortable position. If not for Dawn, this dog would have died a long, slow, painful death. It was already starving to death, and the burn wounds only compounded its state. I know the work Dawn does in the community and have helped her in the past – but never with something as serious as this. I don’t know where the strength comes from being able to deal with this kind of trauma – but would guess that rather than see an animal suffer, she is willing to do almost anything. I’ve been in the villages with Dawn as she’s conducted clinics, or responded to call about an injured animal. The people love her – they literally line up when they see her car – and start asking questions, advice and wanting to know the date of the next clinic. They are her people, and she is theirs. The dog? It has now been over a week. The daily bathing continues because it removes the dead skin and promotes new growth. The skin is starting to heal, and the dog is eating and gaining weight. The dog has moved from sleeping in the pila to following Dawn’s husband around the house all day long. He’s still not comfortable lying down – but should anyone sit down, the dog gladly walks over and puts his head on your leg so that you can rub his nose. This dog has heart – given to him by someone with an even bigger heart – Dawn Scott.” There are few of us who have not seen the pathetic dogs with ribs sticking out and full of ticks or other parasites on the streets of Guanacaste, or a starving female trying to get enough food to support the puppies she obviously has had. Some are street animals, but many have homes, and the clinics help not only the animals, but help educate their owners. There is a way we all can help. Volunteer or give, which ever you are able to do. Help Dawn and her small army of volunteers to continue to provide free or low-cost clinics in our community. And, I am glad to report the burned dog now with healed scars has found a home and has a second chance. Update on Spot (the burned dog) from Dawn. “We found him a home with Luz and her husband. They are kind people and José works in the fields behind where they live - Spot goes out every day with his new owner, ‘helping’ with the field and cow work. He is now a busy happy dog with a family who cares for him. We adopted him out fixed, vaccinated, and with a big soft bed and food!” Call Dawn at 2263-6001 or 8814-4775 to help “give them a second chance.
Life is what happens when you are busy making plans John Lennon