Howler1204april

The Howler

Volume 17, No. 4 Issue No. 187

April 2012 Founded 1996

TAMARINDO COSTA RICA www.howlermag.com THE HOWLER Ced. Juridica: 3-101-331333

Publisher, editor and production David Mills

Howler • Mono Congo

Two reviews from Tamarindo: Pachanga, serving authentic Italian cuisine; and Kahiki, for spicy Mexican dishes.

CONTRIBUTORS

Openings, closings, parties, music. The Gold Coast has it all, and bar-hoppin’ David is in the groove.

14 Around Town

JEANNE CALLAHAN JESSE BISHOP MARY BYERLY CYNTHIA CHARPENTIER ROBERT AUGUST

Deadline for May: April 15 Howler advertising

The Howler offers a wide range of advertising sizes and formats to suit all needs. Contact David Mills • dmills@racsa.co.cr

Advertising rates & sizes

1/8 1/4 1/3 1/2 Full

8 Dining Out

dmills@racsa.co.cr Tel: 2-653-0545 ELLEN ZOE GOLDEN TONY OREZ TOM PEIFER JEFFREY WHITLOW MONICA RIASCOS KAY DODGE

Size

FEATURES

Dimensions (cms) Width Height 9.4 9.4 19.2 6.3 9.4 19.2 19.2

x x x x x x x

6.15 12.70 6.15 25.80 25.80 12.70 25.80

15 Surf Report

The Circuito Nacional Olympus 2012 was won by Diego Naranjo at Playa Hermosa, the beach where he learned to surf.

18 Life’s Little Lessons

There are many lessons to be learned when living in this unique culture.

Long-time resident Kay shares some of her experiences.

30 Surviving Costa Rica

Our columnist comes up with some entertaining excuses to explain why he didn’t submit his usual column.

31 Feedback Fans the Flames

Starting with the Woodstock rock festival, Tom explains how feedback, both positive and negative, affects our daily lives.

Price $ 75 120

DEPARTMENTS 9 Slice of Life

24 Yoga

150 210

10 CD Review

26 Doctor’s Orders

400

11 Book Review

28 April Forecasts

12 August Odysseys

29 Parents’ Corner

16 Word Puzzle

32 Sun & Moon

20 Slice of Life

35 Tide Chart

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).

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: Special design of bikini for surf, modelled by Catalina Vega Cover Photo: Luis Guillermo Muñoz Cover Design: David Mills

JyG Furniture

Spectacular Furniture from Reclaimed Wood

W

hen the lumber workers have cut their choice pieces of wood from a dead tree, Jaime Esquivel steps in and takes what is left to make some spectacular, individual furniture. Fissures and burn marks add character to the shelves, tables and armchairs on display at his J y G Exclusive Furniture store in Huacas.

All furniture is of hardwood, the very heavy woods for which Costa Rica is well-known. Believe me, the dog will not knock over the coffee table.

Using cocobolo, Guanacaste, almendro, ron-ron, tempisque and other spectacular woods, Jaime sculpts one-of-a-kind masterpieces;

JyG Furniture

you will not see your new table in someone else’s parlour. All wood is reclaimed from dead trees or trunks; one spectacular piece was dragged from a river in Avellanas (left), where it had lain for years.

After drying and cleaning, the object is studied for its best aspects, and cut to show its unique grain or markings. The imperfections are what give the piece its character, and come from a variety of causes: weather, fire, age, lightning strike, insects and other wildlife. After sanding and varnishing the piece takes its place in Jaime’s showroom.

2653-8519.

Visit J y G Exclusive Furniture in Huacas, opposite SuperCompro, or call Jaime at

H

ere we are again at Semana Santa, the unofficial end to the High Season, but businesses – hotels, restaurants and tour companies - have been booming since Christmas and still predict good business for the next couple of months. Indicators in the United States show growth increases suggesting that the “recession” is behind us, so let’s hope for continued tourism in the coming Low Season.

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Costa Rica has been subjected to many “incendios” (brush fires) this season, not an unusual occurrence, but this year more than ever due to the high winds that have blown stronger and longer than usual (strongest in thirteen years according to the weather people). A recent drive to Flamingo was made between curtains of fire on both sides of the road, fortunately only grass and shrubs, so no real threat to traffic. But in the central mountains and around Puntarenas six thousand hectares of forest have been destroyed by fires.

Recently, a new tax was imposed on electricity bills, the proceeds to go to the construction of 30 fire stations around the country. In addition, President Laura Chinchilla has promised she will buy a helicopter to help with fire-fighting.

A few years ago an ex-pat resident of Tamarindo bought a fire engine in the States and tried to bring it to Tamarindo. As an emergency venicle, taxes would be waived, but with a condition: the government would decide where it would be deployed, and probably not in Tamarindo!

Now, fire engines must come from Santa Cruz – at least 40 minutes away - or Cartagena, a little closer, if they come at all. Often, when they arrive, there is no water available; maybe they pump water out of nearby swimming pools. Give the local population distribution here, it would make sense to locate a fire station in Huacas, more or less equidistant from Tamarindo, Playa Grande, Potrero and Flamingo.

Barbara’s Pet Stories Where’s Pinky?

n my “family” there are two small dogs: a beagle mix of six months, Toby, and a chihuahua with four months, Pinky. Both are the best of friends. As I live in a place with a big garden and a lot of plants, in which my two little ones like to play, I need to bathe them every week.

So they know when I take out my plastic bowl, fill it up with water, about ten gallons, and take the bottle with shampoo into my hands, both are already waiting, as each wants to be the first one to be bathed.

I was just about to start, but I got a phone call, so I told them to wait. Right away they started to romp around, jump on each other, nipping on each other’s ears…as usual. All of a sudden it was quiet. No noise, no sound…I finished my call, went out to the patio to look for them. Toby, the bigger one, was sitting next to the plastic bowl. But no signs of Pinky, the Chihuahua. “Pinky, come here, it is time for your bath. Pinky, where are you?” Nothing. “Toby, go and look for Pinky. Toby, go and bring Pinky.”

Toby looked at me, like…what? All was still quiet… “Pinky, come here…Pinky, please, where are you?” I got worried…this tiny dog, just three pounds of weight, only about four inches tall. “Pinky”. My heart started to beat faster… “Pinky…” Then I heard a high-voiced “Woof”: Pinky already sat inside the water bowl, trying to keep her head above water. I have no idea how this little one was able to get into the bowl.

I looked at Toby, as she likes to carry things around and then hides them somewhere….but she looked back at me, innocent as always…

I

talian Mauricio Celpa (Icho) opened Hotel Mamiri in 1993 and leased the restaurant to a succession of operators until recently, when Kahiki moved back into its original premises, rebuilt after a fire. At that point Icho made the decision to operate the restaurant himself and reopened La Pachanga, where he serves authentic Italian meals. His dishes represent the Italian cuisine with selections from all over his country.

Appetizers include bruschetta; calamari in a spicy marinara sauce or fried; mussels with white wine sauce; antipasto of prosciutto, salami, capicollo, provolone, dulce picante, olives, artichokes, mushrooms and tomato; We chose caprese salad, delicious combination of mozzarella, tomatoes, basil and tomatoes; and mussels a la diabla, twenty succulent plump bivalves in tomato, garlic and white wine sauce.

Salads are available mixed, Caesar, with chicken filet, pear or spring salad.

Fish choices are seabass, served with creamy mustard Dijon sauce; with salsa Livornese; or Mediterranean style. My partner had corvina with a shrimp sauce, served with fresh-cooked veggies.

Of course, there is a pizza menu, no less than 17 choices.

There is a pizza promotion on Tuesdays.

Pasta are permutations of spaghetti or tagliatelle with various sauces: tomato, pesto, Bolognese, carbonara, puttanesca, Amatriciana, gorgonzola, smoked salmon, seafood, shrimps, clams or porcini – something for everyone. Homemade ravioli comes with spinach and ricotta; smoked salmon and ricotta; and my choice, shrimp and ricotta.

Meat dishes include beef tenderloin with gorgonzola, or balsamic vinegar, or bacon and mushroom sauces. Two veal scallopine dishes are with wine or lemon sauce.

Chicken appears a la pizzaiola; with brandy and mustard sauce; or rolled with gorgonzola sauce.

All herbs used at Pachanga are home-grown at Icho’s garden in Playa Grande. Icho invites you to Café Pueblo in Playa Grande, where Alessandra Fernandez offers live music on Fridays.

La Pachanga is in Hotel Mamiri, Tamarindo, 100 meters east of Super 2001. Credit card service expected soon; hours 5-10 p.m., closed Monday. Tel: 8347-7001.

A

management shift at Kahiki Restaurant in November put Luke Levitt into the operation of the evening restaurant, while George Vanengelen continues to preside over the breakfast and lunch operations.

Luke is no stranger to Kahiki, having operated it very successfully as Breakfast Grinds until the building burned down a few years ago. He then worked as bar and restaurant manager at Nogui’s Restaurant. Luke brings to Tamarindo its only real Mexican restaurant.

The menu comprises appetizers of chips with salsa and guacamole; mixed salad; tuna sashimi; and our choices jalapeño poppers, cheese stuffed peppers deep fried in batter, mildly hot and very tasty, served with a refried bean dip; and blackened tuna salad, the fish served in a fried tortilla with tomato, pepper, avocado, rice and peas.

Main dishes are nachos, taquitas, enchiladas, tostadas, quesadilla and chimichanga, all served with beef or chicken; beef, chicken, shrimp or fish tacos; fajitas of pork, fish or chicken; pork & pineapple burrito; and cheese or chicken burger with fries. My companion took fish fajitas while I ordered a beef burrito. This came with a green, mild sauce and a very hot red sauce. On the side were a couple of other sauces, and a bottle of Schmidty’s Hot Sauce, a blistering hot Tamarindo product of Zack Schmidt.

We finished up with brownies and ice cream. All our selections were delicious, very spicy and enough for lunch the next day. We were entertained by Brian Dale’s fine guitar; there is live music various nights and occasional art events. Four large screens bring all the sports games. Sunday brunch specials are huevos rancheros with Bloody Mary.

Kahiki, on Langosta Road in Tamarindo, is open daily from 7 a.m. to 1:30 for breakfast and lunch, then 3:30 to 10. Happy Hour is 4 to 7 with 2-for-1 drinks. Credit cards accepted. Tel: 2653-4263. Website is kahikitamarindo.com; e-mail eat@kahikitamarindo.com.

CD Review Having a Swinging Time Tony Orez

C

riollo music actually originated in Peru, and was quickly absorbed

by Venezuelan and Argentinean musicians. But swing criollo with its tico flavor had its genesis here in the Sixties with a merger of American Swing music and a Latin style of music from Colombia called cumbia. Initially, it was frowned upon, considered an uncultured, even crude, style of music to a point where in the seventies in San José, there were many signs at dancehalls and clubs proclaiming, “Swing Dancing Forbidden”. But the style continued and grew, both in popularity and refinement over the next forty years. Last 30 November, Costa Rica’s president Laura Chinchilla and Minister of Culture Manuel Obregon officially declared swing criollo “one of the expressions of dance of the intangible cultural heritage of Costa Rica”.

Now, here to usher swing criollo into official credibility is another merger: Bernardo Quesada and Rumba Jam, with their new CD, “Donde Te Espera mi Nombre”. Rumba Jam is an eight-piece band made up of graduates of University of Costa Rica, the National Institute of Music and the National University. They recently participated in the Festival de Artes Turrialba 2011 and the Tegucigalpa Jazz Festival 2011 in Honduras. They have also worked with the popular San José jazz band Escats. Rumba Jam is a brassy band of piano, bass, percussionists and a deep section of trumpet, sax and trombones.

Bernardo Quesada is a household name in the music business in Costa Rica, recognized as a performing musician with two CDs, “Cuervo Blanco” in 2000 and “Mas Cerca de mi Corazon” in 2007. He is an established producer, working with Editus, Malpais, Ruben Blades and more recently with Perrozompopo from Nicaragua. In the past few years he has been touring the U.S., Mexico, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Brazil and Colombia.

The result is a very nice marriage of a fine composer and conductor working with a slick band. It’s obvious from the first song on the album, “Pa Curubande’ Yo Voy” that these guys are a nice fit and enjoy playing music together. Bernardo is a clever lyricist and has constructed songs to fit around the musical concept of the album; Rumba Jam does the rest. The music, which also includes Costa Rican Salsa, jumps right off the disc, directing the listeners’ feet to the dance floor. The title song, “Donde Te Espera mi Nombre” has a snappy, almost hypnotic staccato beat that is definitely infectious. Other standouts on the album include “De Tu Boca” and “Congoli Shango”, two very danceable tunes. The final song, “Salsa Marinera” is another tune with a mesmerizing beat, a nice send-off that should leave the listener anticipating the next project by Bernard Quesada & Rumba Jam. Papaya Music, one of Costa Rica’s premiere recording labels, has decided to distribute the CD, a vote of confidence that should give this CD excellent exposure. The CD is available at the Jaime Peligro book stores in Playa Tamarindo, Quepos, and Nuevo Arenal, where they will gladly sample the music for their customers.

Book Review The Prequel Sequel Tony Orez

T

he Spanish author Carlos Ruiz Zafon is having a love affair with Barcelona, his city of birth.

Modern Barcelona is beautiful, an historic cultural center of Europe, and it is that historic Barcelona that seems to have captured Zafon’s infatuation, a Barcelona of a century ago, in the early Twentieth Century, when newfangled inventions like electricity and cars were literally changing the landscape there.

Don Carlos began his writing career in 1994 with his first novel, “The Prince of Mist”, which won the Edebé literary prize for young readers. His following three novels were also targeted for young adults. In 2001, his first adult novel, “Shadow of the Wind” catapulted Ruiz into the international literary scene, selling millions of copies worldwide and garnering critical and literary acclaim. This work has been published in forty-five countries in thirty different languages. It tells the tale of a boy who grows up in his father’s book store, becomes a member of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books Society, becomes an author, has monumental love affairs and discovers hidden secrets about everyone’s past, while venturing through a modern Barcelona of 1930 and delving into its clandestine history. Zafon has done nothing less than resurrecting fiction written in the true Romantic style.

The author’s follow-up novel is titled “The Angel’s Game”, written as a prequel to the first novel and taking place in Barcelona fifteen to twenty years prior to “Shadow of the Wind”. Because it is not a sequel, it is not necessary to read the first novel in order to understand this one. The plot revolves around David Martin, a young man who has been abandoned by his mother, orphaned by his father, and finally taken into the protective surroundings of a book shop owner. He becomes an author of dime novels, has his heart broken and is then approached by a mysterious man, a publisher, who offers him riches, fame and happiness in exchange for becoming this dark figure’s scribe.

And that’s the set-up: it gets even more intriguing as Martin attempts to fulfill his writing obligations and remain a good person as he peels away each semi-transparent onion skin of intrigue surrounding the Dark Man, a cryptic book he has discovered and the history of the abandoned mansion where he has been living. Along the way, Zafon offers a Gothic tour of the Barcelona of a century past, including the citizenry’s fixation with daring, modernistic architecture, art and culture in general and their transition into a truly modern (at the time) world of electric trams and elevators, the advent of commercial flying and telephones.

As with “Shadow of the Wind”, it is the writing that delivers the storyline and keeps the readers’ interest and Zafon has delivered again, and he’s enriched his arsenal with even more lush descriptions and mildly satiric wit thrown in as a spice to his work. “Angel’s Game” was translated seamlessly by Lucia Graves, the daughter of poet Robert Graves; this is a critical step in reaching a wider audience that often goes overlooked. The author has recently revealed that these initial two novels will be the first two installments of a four part series, which beckons the questions: What’s next – a post prequel? A pre-sequel? Only the author knows for sure.

August Odysseys

Robert August

Where Were You When...?

I

have been told that there are three events in a man’s life that define his memory, events which you can always remember clearly for many years. The first is when and where you first saw “Endless Summer”, as it was the first definitive surf movie, at a time when there where no surfing movies outside of community, civic or High School auditoriums. Many people, on meeting me for the first time, remark something to the effect that “I remember where I saw that movie, whom I was with.” Much of its popularity, even to people with no interest in surfing, was due to its travelogue content in days when very few people travelled to places more exotic than Europe or the Caribbean. “Endless Summer” took people on an exciting trip around the world.

The second defining moment was, of course, the Kennedy assassination. Anyone of that age can tell you where they were when they heard of the shooting. In my case, I was in Cape Town, South Africa, during the shooting of “Endless Summer.” We were getting ready to drive the next day to Durban, and the locals had put on a goodbye party for us. Lots of booze, lots of fun. In those days there was no television in Africa, just radio, which aired some local programming and news. Sometime during the hilarity someone turned on a radio looking for music and suddenly announced “Bad news: President Kennedy has been shot! It seems he is all right, though.” Then the radio switched to something else, no further details, and we returned to the fun. An hour later the news returned on the radio: “U.S. President John Kennedy was shot today in Dallas and is dead.” Again no further details.

My first reaction was “Who is the Vice-President?” We knew the name Lyndon Johnson, but nobody knew anything about him.

For the rest of the trip we were a little in shock, partly because we were so out of touch and uninformed about happenings back home. There was no international telephone, either; the transatlantic cable could carry about eight or ten calls at a time.

Kennedy had been a very popular president, well-liked around the world (unlike some since then) and everywhere we went on our trip we received sympathetic comments and condolences.

We even met Peace Corps kids, working at projects in India and Africa. The Peace Corps was a Kennedy initiative. They were amazed to meet us, a gang of travelling surfers, but it was good to have people with whom we could speak English.

Tamarindo residents are protesting the erection of cell phone towers in residential ares. Cell towers in residential areas create a health hazard, destroy Tamarindo’s beautiful scenery and lower nearby property values.

How can you help?

Call the Defensoría de los Habitantes to report your concern; the more that call the better. Tel: (506) 2666-3837 (506) 2258-8585.

The third event you can always remember is when you first got laid, but the prudish editor refuses to let me elaborate on that.

First-Aid and Lifeguard Program Across the Guanacaste Region TIDE Academy (Total Immersion of life through Dynamic Education), a recent addition to Tamarindo’s school system, is working on a Lifeguard and First-Aid program for the beaches of Playa Tamarindo, Playa Grande and Playa Avellanas and, in time, many others, to increase beach safety for tourist and locals. TIDE Academy wants to invite everyone in the community to participate in this collective act to save lives on some of the most popular beaches in the Pacific side of Costa Rica. The school has received help from high-school students at other schools such as La Paz Community School who are joining in the effort to increase beach safety.

The motivation to start TIDE’s Lifeguard and First-Aid program stemmed from an incident last June where a 15-year-old boy passed away due to inadequate medical attention after being bitten by a shark. Kevin Moraga was in Playa Grande surfing with friends when a shark bit his upper leg. Moraga was later transferred to a hospital in San José, the capital of Costa Rica, in a coma. Four days later the teenage boy passed away due to massive blood loss and a large build-up of fluids in the brain.

By starting the Lifeguard and First-Aid program, TIDE and Witch’s Rock Surf Camp (WRSC) plan to give both local high-school students and interested community members the opportunity to get certified in CPR and Lifeguard safety. All necessary courses will need to take place before the program is able to start and anyone who is volunteering as a Lifeguard will need to be certified. The courses, at Witch’s Rock Surf Camp, began in mid-February. For anyone who is interested in becoming certified the combined courses cost $75 per person.

The second part of the beach safety program includes assembling large first-aid kits that will be equipped for almost anything that could happen while on a beach surfing or swimming. Some of the many items that are going into the kits are Band-Aids, antiseptic pads, gloves, tourniquets, antimicrobial topical ointment, spinal board and much much more. TIDE Academy initially plans to put the First-Aid kits in three different areas and to eventually grow in time. In Playa Tamarindo the kit will be located at Witch’s Rock Surf Camp; another will be located at the entrance to Playa Grande and the third will be accessible at the entrance to Playa Avellanas.

Founder of TIDE Academy, Chelsea Lisauis recently explained the goal of the program - “Since Tamarindo is such a popular tourist destination it is vital we have first-aid kits readily available, members of our community CPR certified and a dependable lifeguard program.

This will not only improve the safety of our beaches, but will increase the community involvement as well.” TIDE Academy hopes that everyone will be able to help in one way or another to come together and improve community safety and save lives. The school hopes that the Lifeguard and First Aid Program will be up and running by the end of February. TIDE Academy would also like everyone to know that they are still in need of donations to create better lifeguard stands and to have the money to be able to buy necessary equipment and re-stock the first aid kits when needed.

by Kylie Carter

AROUND TOWN Gold Coast Learning Center is helping to organize an Earth Day festival at Witch’s Rock Surf Camp on Earth Day, April 21st, from 2 pm-10 pm.

The event will raise funds to maintain the small children’s park in front of Witch’s. For information contact markvsluzky@yahoo.com.

Honda has opened a new showroom in Huacas, one click towards Tamarindo, for motorcycles, scooters, quads and light machinery. See ad on page 19.

Need a rancho, repairs to an old one or rancho materials? Call Waldir in Lajas de Matapalo. See ad page 17.

Tired of the low-tide doldrums and hassling with the crowds? Well, look no further than Costa Rica Tow, located in Playa Grande. They will have you up on your feet towing before the wave even breaks. Great for beginners and the experienced; for more info contact Jake at 8353-1275.

Happy Garden offers day care for children from 1 to 5 years. Days and hours at your convenience. Teacher Krisbel Vargas also gives early teaching. See ad page 21.

Restaurant Pachanga has reopened in Hotel Mamiri, where Icho serves authentic Italian cuisine. See “Dining Out” and ad page 13.

Café Colibrí and Indigena Boutique have opened next to the Alfaro bus station. Hours are from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; free Wi-fi and frequent buyer smiles.

Bistro Langosta has reopened after a March vacation. Alejo Capdevila and Mariana Quinn invite you to enjoy their new menu with a new menu.

See ad page 13.

Doña Lee is now serving Prime Rib of beef, specially imported from Iowa, Friday nights only. Supplies are limited so call for reservation 2653-0127.

Bar Tuanis serves breakfast from 8 a.m., and features Karaoke Saturdays 9 p.m. See ad page 20.

Floristeria Cristal has express service for all events around the country.

See ad page 20.

Local Legend rock band is available for your event. Contact them on Facebook at local.legend.rock.

Andrea Pizzaro makes beautiful and comfortable bikinis for surfing at Del Toro Bikinis in Commercial Center Arlinka in Huacas. See ad page 33.

Hidroclear has water purifiers and softeners using the best technologies.

See ad page 5.

Guaymy Restaurant and Pizzeria offers a free beer or soft drink with every large pizza. In Huacas 200 meters west of SuperCompro.

Surf Report

N

ew young talent like Esterillos’ 19-year-old Carlos Muñoz, and Pavones’ 15-year-old Noe Mar McGonagle continue to shine in both international contests, I mean after all, didn’t Muñoz just come back from Hawaii with the Todd Chesser Hard Charger Sportsmanship Award at the Volcom Pipeline Pro for his “perfect 10” wave in that competition? And Noe Mar is the Latin American Quiksilver King of the Groms.

However, at the opening of this year’s Circuito Nacional Olympus 2012, presented by Banana Boat, the annual nationwide surf competition, it was experience that ruled the day. The contest, which took place in Playa Hermosa in waves of 1 to 1.5 meters, was won by local Jaco surfer Diego Naranjo (photo right), who took home the trophy on February 26. This championship was a déjà vu for Naranjo, who has won at this beach the last 4 of 6 times the contest has taken place here, the last time in 2008. In addition, the 31-year-old surfer, took the national championship in 2007.

Naranjo learned to surf at Playa Hermosa, which attributes to his comfort at the beach, and certainly to his familiarity with the waves, and ultimately his wins.

Regardless, with a final heat in February that featured Muñoz, McGonagle and another kid named Ramon Taliani of Malpais, it was a challenge that the experienced master had not expected.

“The youngsters are very good and that means the level in Costa Rica keeps growing, but I know I have enough talent and level to keep competing against those kids, or against pro surfers around the world,” Naranjo explained.

In his final heat, he earned 7 points with a radical left that went up on the scoreboard to give him a total of 11.83 to beat out the lesser experienced surfers. Coming closest was Noe Mar with a 11.77, but it was not enough.

“Noe is a very good surfer, and I think he has a brilliant future, but in this heat, it was about choosing the best wave, so I was very sure that the place that I chose to take my wave was the best and in the end I was correct,” he said. “By the terms of the waves, I knew that tactic was what I was going to do to take a win, and then I put all my experience into play. Thank God I won the event.”

As to Muñoz, Naranjo is also the surfer’s coach and works with him in the off time improving his competitive skills. Muñoz excelled on Saturday and because of this ended up in the final heat. However, not winning on Sunday did not mean he hadn’t put energy into the heat, as Naranjo said he had a “good vibe” the whole time, just no luck with the waves.

Ellen Zoe Golden Last time, Naranjo won a National Championship, he said that he had it in his mind from the first date of the competition after he won. From this date, he gets 1,500 points for the four stars and the #1 ranking. I asked him if that was something he was thinking about now, having put a W in the right column in Hermosa.

“Well that’s a really good question, because it was not in my mind since this year I am more focused on international events like the WQS (Association of Surfing Professionals [ASP] World Qualifying Series) and the Latin Tour (ALAS), and working for Carlos (Muñoz) as coach. But now that I won this first date of the Circuito, I don’t know what to do, but I think I’ll just go with the flow.”

After the Circuito, Naranjo flew to Peru to do a performance camp for young surfers between the ages of 10 and 15, as part of his sponsorship with Red Bull International. He is a Red Bull Latin America High Performance Coach, and going to Peru was his first job with the company in 2012. The surfer has been sponsored by Red Bull for years.

In addition, Naranjo is a Billabong team rider and his Costa Azul Surf Camp in Jaco is a Billabong Camp.

According to Diego, being a Billabong surfer “means a lot, confidence, motivation and also means that you are one of the best and not just one more average surfer.”

Not bad for a guy who started surfing when he was nine years old, and, in his first competition in 1991, came in last place!

Up until 2009, after the Federacion de Surf de Costa Rica put on the Billabong Photo: Johan Pacheco World Surfing Games in Playa Hermosa, Naranjo not only competed in the Circuito Nacional, but he worked behind the scenes helping to make decisions that affected the outcome of surfing in the competition and in the country.

Although he is now focusing on the competition on the international level, he always keeps coming back to the Circuito.

Why? “Well, the Circuito means a lot because it keeps me pushing my surfing to the next level because there are a lot of good surfers in Costa Rica.”

One of those surfers who pushes him in his free time is his wife, Lisbeth Vindas. She is the 8-time national women’s champion surfer.

Another surfer who made a name for himself at the Circuito Nacional (continued

page 29)

Word puzzle Rivers

All words from the list below can be found in the word block on the right.

Answers may be forward, backward, upwards, downwards and diagonal. abitibi amazon athabasca bravo colorado columbia danube darling dnieper ganges grande irrawaddy limpopo loire

mackenzie mekong mississippi moldau murray platte rhine severn shannon stlawrence tagus tempisque thames tombigbee

Some Like It Hot osta Rican food, while delicious and generally healthy, is not known for its fire. For those who enjoy highly spiced food it is necessary to add from the many herbs and spices available here. Almost every soda offers a jar of encurtidos caseros, pickled vegetables highly spiced with hot chili (chile, chilli) peppers, a bottle of homemade hot sauce or maybe pickled jalapeños. All contain hot peppers.

C

Peppers go under the general name of chilis, whether they are sweet bell peppers (chili dulce) or the many hot varieties such as habaneros, jalapeños, tabasco, cayenne, or Scotch bonnet (just typing those names breaks me out in a sweat!). All are native to the Americas and were propagated around the world after Columbus discovered them on his voyages.

What makes pepper hot ?

The active ingredient is capsaicin (8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide). When eaten it activates the pain receptors in the mouth and throat, sending a message to the brain.

The brain raises the heart rate and increases perspiration.

How hot is it ?

Peppers are rated on the Scoville scale of heat (SHU), bell peppers being mildest at zero, through red chile at 500, jalapeño (8,000), Serrano (23,000), cayenne (50,000), habanero (350,000), to the hottest ever, the Trinidad Scorpion at 2 million.

Commercial pepper spray is rated at 5 million.

Nutritional Value ?

Peppers contain high content of Vitamin C and Carotene, and some B vitamins. They are also high in potassium, magnesium and iron.

Hot peppers are sometimes available in supermarkets but, for a good selection, try one of the local ferias, or farmers’ markets, such as in Santa Cruz on Saturdays.

Life’s Little

S

ure, you have heard about the wonderful things in Guanacaste, that’s why we are here. You also have heard about the down side - long bank lines, government red tape, driving and the tráficos.

However, there are other sometimes simple, sometimes complex things learned after living a while in Paradise.

Toilet paper Although the plumbing is improving in Costa Rica. It is courtesy to put the “paper” where it belongs when using bathrooms.

Do not flush it without permission, and use the basket when told. With a history of small gauge pipes and clogged drains it is important to learn proper bathroom etiquette.

b e d s t i a h t i h w w t

Worms Most of us know enough to worm our cats, dogs and horses, but what about worming ourselves. We live in the tropics and there a lot of parasites that also share our paradise. It is important to worm ourselves once a year. Several years ago, I thought I was having an appendicitis attack, and in fact, those critters were having a party in my digestive tract. Long-term residents will give this advice: “take your pills every year”. Check with your doctor or pharmacist.

M t c k p t o

Leaks in the roof In Michigan, a leak in the roof during a storm is a major problem, soggy carpeting, wet wood floors, and falling plaster.

In Guanacaste, although a concern, with cement block walls, tile floors, just sweep out the water, mop up and a quick trip to clean the clogged gutters solves most leaks during the annual aguaceros, or downpours.

M a m y t

Farm Gates It is always important to ask owner’s permission to enter or cross his property. You never know when there are bulls in the field - or worse. But when you do enter a farm, always remember: if the gate is open, leave it open; if it is closed, close it after you enter.

C a p e c f

Here are samplings of some of Life’s Little Lessons learned living in Guanacaste... sometimes the hard way!

Visiting a Guanacasteco at home When approaching a Guanacaste house it is important to announce yourself. It is important to allow occupants to collar their dogs and come out to receive you. Although it is foreign to us foreigners, Guanacastecos shout out “whoopee, whoooopee” to announce their arrival and, of course, smile. Many Guanacastecos visiting you will not get out of their cars, just honk, having an acquired fear of biting dogs.

Breakdowns Last month on a return trip from San José, on the road between Puntarenas and the turn to the new bridge, the left front wheel of our car began to make the most awful squeal. Stopping to check it, the metal part of the wheel was hot. Of course this was the time we were on a schedule to get home for a tour. As we limped to the next turnoff, it was shortly before noon. Driving slowly toward a small town we stopped several times to ask about a mechanic in the area. “Down the road about a half a kilometer,” was the answer. After passing the house once, we backtracked and found a man and his family sitting on a porch, mechanic’s tools scattered around the porch. Being “precious lunchtime” I wasn’t encouraged. Esteban talked to him, and his wife invited me to sit in one of the rockers on the porch. I pulled out my

T a 1 w b c

P r G a s j s

S t l

Lessons Kay T. Dodge book, preparing for a long haul. Then I watched in amazement as he effortlessly disassembled the wheel laying everything on a rag in the dirt. Wheel bearings….sounded bad! We needed parts. The mechanic said he would take Esteban to the main road and he could catch a bus to Puntarenes about 25 miles back to get the parts. They left, I settled into my book. Soon the mechanic’s wife brought me ice for my coke and a piece of cake. About an hour later, the two returned. Esteban had paid him to taxi him to get the parts. At least we knew they were the right ones. As the mechanic settled into repacking the wheel bearings, it amazed me how efficient those grease-stained hands were. He had us back on the road in less than three hours total. In the States we would have waited for a tow, waited days for an appointment, then waited for a hefty bill. Our Guanacaste mechanic charged us $14 for the work and $15 for the taxi ride; we paid for the parts.

Most mud does not stain, but bananas and mangos do! During the rainy season, mud is a given. However, the Guanacaste mud does come out with the phosphate-laden detergents, particularly if my house keeper tackles the job. But watch out! When picking mangos, bananas, platanos, or our favorites, quadrados, don’t get any of the juice from the stalk on your clothes. The ugly dark brown stains never come out, even with the expert stain killers.

Monkeys don’t make good or any other kind of pets After raising an orphaned howler monkey and getting her back to the wild, I learned many monkey lessons. The absolutely do not make pets. They are years of commitments and become dangerous when adults. I know they are cute…but don’t even think of it.

Cutting and Planting Very quickly I learned that what I thought was an old wives’ tale is not. In Guanacaste, it is important to cut and plant in the right moon. Laugh as you will, but check out the difference in the posts cut in the right moon with those insect-eaten ones cut in the wrong moon. Check with your local farmer or gardener for expert advice.

Tipping & Bargaining Every country has its own system of tipping and bargaining. I learned early, Costa Ricans don’t tip taxi drivers and 10% is added to food bills in most restaurants. If you want the waiter or waitress to get anything you better leave a little something. Although bargaining is not common, as in other Latin American countries, you can always ask for a discount, especially when using cash…Try it.

Planting a Garden Traveling with clippers in the car during the rainy season saves trips to the nurseries to buy plants. Most folks in Guanacaste will be happy to share clippings of their abundant house and garden plants. Just clip them and stick them in the ground. Even some trees and many tropical plants “pega, pega” or take root when just a woody branch or cutting is planted. Come to the ranch; I always share my garden plants.

Speaking the language If you make the decision to live here, at least try learning the language, it is very important and Costa Ricans will love it when you try.

A Slice of Life Where’s the Beef?

David Mills

B

ill and Gary arrived at my house for a couple of sundowners. Bill had just arrived from San José where he had been collecting some new paint for his business and had brought me some office products. This was way back in the days when Tamarindo had one small supermarket and just about nothing else in the way of stores. Every trip to Saint Joe was an expedition with shopping lists from half the people in town.

We chatted about the usual things, and I reported how I had recently been robbed. Someone had broken into the house by removing the celosias (jalousies) from a window, and had stolen a VCR (ancient form of TV recorder, for you kids) and a few other unimportant things. “Why didn’t the dog keep them away? Isn’t that why you keep a dog?” asked Bill, a non-dog person. Gary had the answer immediately: “She’s a Lab. Labs are not guard dogs. She probably licked him all over then watched as he ripped you off. Be careful, though. Often, after they steal from you once, successfully, they come back again.”

After the sun set in its usual blaze of glory, they left for home, Bill to his wife in Santa Rosa, Gary to his soltero pad in Villarreal.

The next day I went to the car to distribute The Howler to its adoring readers, and was surprised to see, on the roof of the car, a plastic bag containing a kilo of ground beef. “Uh-oh,” I thought, “they’ve been here again.”

It was, in those days (and probably still now) common for ladrones to throw poisoned meat into a garden, and wait while the dogs died an agonizing death so they could have free range of the property.

“Damn these bastards!” swore I. “They have been back.” But why would they leave the bait on the car? All I could think was that they had been surprised by the dog before they could concoct the deadly potion. Still furious that someone would try to kill my beautiful dog (all Labradors are beautiful) I boiled up the meat to destroy the poison and threw it away beyond the fence where the dog couldn’t reach it. “Good girl, Boca,” I patted her head and let her know how impressed I was at her guard performance.

Later that day I had a phone call from Gary: “David, do you have the meat that Bill brought from Price Smart? It’s the best ground beef you can get. I think I left it at your place after I took it out of Bill’s car.”

Volunteering in Costa Rica “The problem is the kids don´t want to learn” a phrase I conjured up, mid-cigarette after a lesson of uncontrolled mania and eye-watering humiliation from a group of warm-hearted eleven year olds. However this is untrue. Of course the kids want to learn, otherwise they wouldn’t show up. The key is working out how to get around either their pride or their love of laughter and games. If by chance you crack this enigma and you come away knowing that sometimes even just one or two have really learned something, it makes it all worth it.

Of course some groups are easier to teach than others. My group of four ‘little angels’ who love to giggle and to dance also have a huge willingness to learn with a degree of perfectionism and good behavior that makes teaching a breeze. As well as teaching English classes, a considerable chunk of our time here has been to work with five lively kids – three sisters, a brother and a friend. Sponsored through CEPIA by Octavio, a big-hearted Chilean living in New York, they come to CEPIA almost every day. Our main task of helping with basic reading, writing and a little English is often thwarted by their skills at prolonging their ‘recreo’ of mango collecting, football, ‘combate’ and ‘cabollito’ where a kid of up to 13 leaps on your back shouting “Faster! Faster!”

Although these may seem like menial activities we have learned of their importance as a way of connecting and engaging with the interests of these kids in order to build up a relationship.

The impact you have as a volunteer depends entirely on your own willingness to contribute. We’ve found, throughout our time here, that in order to avoid finding yourself simply being ‘that’ person with the badge, lingering around waiting for jobs to be allocated your way, you have to put the effort in to get involved. But perhaps even more importantly you have to have faith, faith that you can help make a difference, faith that these kids want to learn and are learning and faith in yourself. As with repairing Claudia’s house it’s one plank at a time, even if we’re amateur.

Joe & Amie

The Village Community Center

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

The Village Community Center, between Huacas and Brasilito, is newly renovated and seeking new proprietors along with the support and involvement of the local community.

Currently The Village Community Center is home to: - The Beach Nuts Theatre Company under the direction of Paul Belanger. Presently the Company is rehearsing for the March production of “Alice in Wonderland” presented at the Diria Amphitheater.

- Soul y Paz and Dance Studio, Dori Thomson and Gregory Casillas are currently offering classes of yoga, dance and aerobics.

- Cecile’s Bakery. In operation 6 days a week by Cecile Trudeau.

- Music Academy and Recording Studio by Charles Augustine, a junior at CDS. His studio is open for practice, lessons and recording sessions.

- ReMax Beach Realty, owned by Randy Toltz and Terry Thompson.

Specializing in sales and rental properties around the area.

- Music Together is a new children’s music program for this area and is owned by Valeria DeCastro.

- Maison de Madeleine Café, owned by Julie Carrozzi, opening in April. Maison de Madeleine is a stylish café serving specialty coffee drinks, beverages, homemade breakfasts and desserts.

The Village Community Center strives to provide a “sense of community”, while offering a safe and enjoyable place for kids of all ages to gather together, to offer a place to connect through music, arts & crafts, dance, food and wellbeing. Events like a weekly Farmer’s Market, Yappy Hour for dogs, a Taste of Guanacaste with local restaurants, art openings and movies/concerts on the beautiful central courtyard are currently being discussed. The master plan includes a playground, walking/bike trail, skate park and basketball hoops.

Already happening are: Flea Market every month with entertainers, food vendors, buyers and sellers along with plenty of activities to keep the kids occupied. Please be sure to reserve your space at the Flea Market.

A Speaker Series is beginning in March, each Wednesday, hosted by professionals such as Monica Riasco, Heather Allenby, Dr. Andrea, Marcela Martinez, Dr. Jutta Heinz and Mary Ann Augustine. The open-air outdoor Salon has been used recently for community events like Bingo Night and a Middle School Movie Night and is open to all kinds of possibilities.

The Beach Community Church will be hosting its annual Spring Festival on Saturday, March 31st.

We are also planning a Pre-Owned Car Lot for the months of May, June and July. The cars will be maintained and on display for sale with an attorney readily available to do the paperwork.

The Village Community Center is asking for your ideas and input on future events and possible rental spaces. If you or someone you know has an interest in joining our village by renting a space or volunteering, please contact Pam at info@conchalvillage.com.

Ar

rld

nd the Wo u o

J

osé Uriel Delgado Corrales (Chepito to his friends) celebrated his 112th birthday at TGIF in Escazú. The oldest person in Costa Rica, he is in good health and eats a fruit breakfast every morning and takes a stroll in the afternoon.

A 28-year-old woman with 38KKK breasts claims that her hooters save her life when her car crashed into a tree. She was not wearing a seatbelt and says that the breasts acted as an airbag and cushioned the impact.

Scientists have discovered 165 million-years-old fossilized fleas in China, two centimeters long, ten times the size of regular fleas.

Instead of pestering dogs and cats, they lived on and sucked the blood of dinosaurs.

The heart of St. Laurence O’Toole has been stolen from Christ Church cathedral in Dublin. O’Toole is the patron saint of Dublin and was its archbishop from 1162 to 1180. His heart has been preserved in the cathedral since his death.

A man in Philadelphia, PA, has been using a transmitter to jam cell phone calls on the #44 bus route. He claims that cell phone users are “extremely loud, no sense of privacy. I am proud of what I’m doing.”

A Swiss pastor became the oldest woman to give birth, when she delivered twins. She is 66 years old.

“Hustler” magazine executive Larry Flynt is offering one million dollars for evidence of sexual impropriety by US politicians.

A Frenchman is suing Google for invasion of privacy after it published on the Internet a photo of him taking a pee in his garden. He lives in a tiny village where everyone knows him, and claims that the photo made him an object of ridicule.

A tine village in Spain plans to rent out its fields to a pot-growing organization that promotes the therapeutic use of marijuana.

A Massachussetts hockey dad who tried to help his daughter’s team by shining a laser in the opposing goalie’s eyes during a school game faces criminal proceedings. The daughter’s team, Winthrop, won the game 3-1.

Now Begins the Study of Yoga

A

Shoulders Part II

long with the stretches in last month’s column, here are three more ways to bring flexibility into this key area of your body.

When healthy, our arms are capable of a great range of motion.

If not healthy, it is important to work carefully to improve your mobility and strength. With that in mind, these movements are to be done with a balance of ease and effort. If you feel a lot of tightness or tension in your shoulders to begin with, do these first in a very easy and gentle manner. If you ever start experiencing pain, stop and consult someone who can help you find what will work to help your shoulders, and not cause any further pain.

1. Arms up and Back Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold a strap or pole between your hands in front of your body. Inhale and lift your arms up, exhale and bring them back behind you. Do this ten times. You may find that taking your arms back is harder. Keep your hands wide, breathe into your shoulders, and keep releasing your shoulder blades down towards your waist. Let the tops of your shoulders be as relaxed as possible.

2. Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend) with a strap or pole Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold the strap or pole behind your back with your palms facing behind you. Inhale and activate the muscles of your legs, exhale and fold forward, raising the strap or pole up and over as far as you can, while keeping your elbows straight.

Stay for 3-5 breaths and then inhale to come up as you lengthen your tailbone, lifting through the pit of your abdomen.

3. Gomukhasana (Cow Face Pose) Arms Stand or sit with your spine tall and extended. Take the left arm overhead then bend the elbow, bringing your palm into your upper back.

Take your right arm behind your back, bend your elbow and bring the back of your hand up your spine. Join the fingers or hands together. If that is not possible use a strap between your two hands. Take the right shoulder back and down and point the left elbow up. Ground down through your feet if standing, through your sitting bones if sitting, and then lift up through both side bodies evenly. Soften your front ribs, tongue, and eyes. Stay for 5-10 breaths, and then switch sides.

Making the poses from this and last-month’s column a regular practice will help to combat the hours spent on computer, or from whatever makes your shoulders tense. They can help you stand up straighter, breathe deeper, and improve digestion.

Namaste, Mary

Mary Byerly is one of the owners and the yoga teacher at Panacea.

An oasis of tranquility and health 10 minutes from Tamarindo.

Discover Paradise and Bring a Peace Home www.panaceacr.com • 2653-8515

Doctor’s Orders Jeffrey Whitlow, M.D.

I

have written many times here as to what constitutes healthy versus unhealthy food. Although my diet is not 100% perfect, it is pretty good, so I thought it would be helpful to lay out my dietary routines here as an example for those people who are still unclear on this matter.

Last month I began to describe my routine diet as an example for healthy eating. My example is valid, in my opinion, since I lost over fifty pounds over ten years ago and have kept it off ever since.

Medical studies have proven that only five percent of people who lose ten percent of their body weight can maintain that weight loss for five years, so that makes my case fairly unique. Also, I don’t suffer from any chronic disease or medical condition, even though I am now fifty-two years of age. In this column, I will describe some of my favorite healthy dishes for home dining.

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I don’t eat breakfast often though, as I have noted that since I lost weight, if I eat two or more meals a day consistently, then I start to gain weight back. I am known among my family and friends for my scrambles and benedicts. For example, if I have some asparagus and shrimp left over from last night’s dinner, I will combine those with eggs, cheese, mushrooms, etc., for a delicious egg scramble. I partially roast some tomato halves that I’ve sprinkled with olive oil. In a separate baking dish, I combine crab meat with sour cream, sweet relish, and cheese and partially bake that mixture. Then I top the tomatoes with the crab mixture and place them back in the oven. While they finish roasting, I make my own Hollandaise sauce from scratch by mixing melted and cooled butter with egg yolks, lemon juice, and paprika or cayenne pepper. When I have finished roasting the crabmeat-topped tomatoes, I cover each one with a poached egg and hollandaise sauce for a Crab Benedict.

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Breakfast is also a good time for a fruit salad. Grapes, pineapple, mandarin oranges, cherries, and watermelon, but honeydew, cantaloupe, apples, and navel oranges are good choices. Fruits are an excellent source of fiber and roughage, much more so than the artificial cereals that are touted to be so good for your digestion.

Going back to lunch and dinner, I like to combine salad fixings like lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggs, and carrots with meats like bacon, ham, and/or grilled chicken to make a Cobb Salad. Or you can combine those veggies with lobster, crab, and/or shrimp to make a seafood salad. I’m not a big red meat eater, as it seems to clog up my digestive tract, but I will eat a steak occasionally. When I do, I will make my own Bearnaise sauce from scratch. The difference between a Bearnaise and a Hollandaise is that the Bearnaise uses champagne or wine vinegar instead of lemon juice. By the way, the secret to making these sauces is to allow the melted butter to cool to room temperature before combining it with the egg yolks. If the butter is still hot, it will cook the egg yolks and ruin the sauce. I will also make BBQ Ribs or pork chops with sautéed onions and mushrooms.

Next month we will continue this discussion, focusing on what to eat when dining out.

WHAT ARE WE DOING COSTA RICA? Cynthia Osborne Charpentier

Jehovah’s Witnesses Why? It is the desire that you become better acquainted with them. You may have met them as neighbors and fellow employees or in other daily affairs of life. You may have seen then on the street, offering their magazines to passers-by. Or you may have spoken briefly with them at your door.

Actually, they are interested and you and your welfare. They want to be your friends and to tell you more about themselves, their beliefs, their organization, how they feel about people and the world in which all of us live.

In most ways Jehovah’s Witnesses are like everyone else. They have normal problems: economic, physical, emotional. They make mistakes at times, for they are not perfect, inspired or infallible.

“Religion is not an obligation and there are many religions you want to think to believe. I don’t think I am with them. So many things that I have heard, I do not feel together. I think about parts of things” - Marja.

They are dedicated to God to do his will. They believe the Bible is God’s Word. There are some 6,000,000 Witnesses in over 230 lands. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe in Almighty God, Jehovah.

“Absolutely nothing with religion. I don’t get involved, neither with politics” - Mariana.

In their family life and in contacts with others, the Witnesses sincerely try to do the things that they advocate.

Questions often asked by interested people: - If God is love, why does he permit wickedness?

- I would like to believe in an early paradise where people live forever, but isn’t that too good to be true?

- How can I learn to answer questions on the Bible?

- Do the Witnesses believe that their religion is the only right one? “ I don’t want to talk to them; that’s a waste of time and added stress. They insist too much” - Catherina.

We have these people coming to Potrero, Huacas and some other places. Let’s try to understand what they are doing, and to not judge if we don’t know.

by Jeanne Callahan

October Forecasts April Forecasts

Aries: 21 March - 20 April

Visit Jeanne’s site at CelestialAdvisor.com

Libra: 23 September - 23 October

This month’s vibe for you still has a signature of liberation, revolution and abrupt change. Your ruling planet, Mars, will be going into direct motion, giving you a better sense of where you want to direct your energy after the 14th.

That, along with the Sun in Aries and Mercury’s ingress back into Aries on the 16th, increases your power. Wait until after the 24th to solidify plans. Your power days are the 18th and 19th.

This month could be very challenging as stresses come in your fourth and seventh houses which could disrupt your home life and your partnerships. Something needs to change so you really can’t prevent some kind of breakdown from happening. Make sure you are deliberate in your actions but not vengeful or passive aggressive. Days that will be helpful are the 5th and the full moon on the 6th will mark a turning point.

This month should be a great boost to your creativity, social life and wealth in general. Those bulls who are looking for relationships will find more opportunities after the 14th when Mars goes into direct motion. Information or people from the past will possibly contact you bearing some disturbing news. Finances could take a dip around the 10th but don’t let it get you down. Your best days are the New Moon on the 21st and Earth Day on the 22nd.

With your ruling planet, Mars, still retrograde until the 14th, you have limited power to fulfill your desires. In fact, you could be following a false course or just wasting some energy on a fruitless tree. Your workplace and neighborhood is under some kind of change or disruption this month, so just learn to roll with the punches when things come up. Lock your doors. The 7th and 8th are days to push for your agenda.

Taurus: 21 April - 21 May

Scorpio: 24 October - 22 November

Gemini: 22 May - 21 June

Sagittarius: 23 November - 21 December

Cancer: 22 June - 22 July

Capricorn: 22 December - 21 January

­

The beginning of the month may feel completely out of control, with many miscommunications, lost messages and dropped calls. Your ruling planet, Mercury, will be going direct on the 4th so things do start to gel after that date. Go with the flow and let things change as they need to. Venus will be going into your sign on the 4th so relationships and finance will be of interest and improve after the 10th. Lunar aspects favor your interests on the 23rd, 24th and 25th.

This month will help clarify what direction you want to take with your income possibilities and your creativity.

There’s more than a bit of romance around you, too, if you want to pursue a relationship. Your health can improve this month and you regain your enthusiasm for life, work and play. Taking a trip somewhere after the middle of the month would serve you in all ways as you need to get your mojo back! The 9th and 10th are days of grace for you.

Leo: 23 July - 23 August

With Pluto in Capricorn going retrograde on the 10th, you will have the opportunity to become less rigid in your body and spirit. Uranus in your fourth house of roots and real estate may bring abrupt changes into your personal home life. Control won’t work, so just let things settle at the end of the month before you take action. There is potential for a healing about hoarding or greed so open up to feel what’s underneath that behavior. The 11th, 12th, and 13th are your power days.

Virgo: 24 August - 22 September

The vibe this month is about family members and subconscious patterns being transformed into more authentic conscious actions. There’s a lot of happiness in your home and if would be a good thing to have a social event or party there, after the 4th. People need a distraction and your home’s energy will be the perfect place for people to lighten up and enjoy themselves. Give them some space, but don’t shut them out. Good days are the 14th and 15th.

The challenges for you this month come in your professional and partnership areas. Keeping up the status quo will no longer work and you will find that circumstances create a need to liberate you from some long-held partnership, bond or professional obligation. Let it go, and don’t attempt to fill the void immediately. Friends will be helpful to you so surround yourself with people you trust and can relax with. Best days are the 1st, 26th and 27th.

Your professional life has some definite upside this month as Venus and Jupiter grace your midheaven bringing an abundance of opportunity. There may be challenges in your daily routine or some health problem that needs to be taken care of, so don’t ignore any symptoms that persist.

Be careful if you are traveling abroad as sudden changes may bring distress or danger around the 13th and 14th. Your power days are the 2nd, 28th, 29th and 30th.

With your ruling planet, Mercury, in retrograde till the 4th, and Mars, retrograde in your sign till the 14th, you are in the position to confront old patterns, situations, and people from the past to re-pattern yourself for liberation from longterm programs. The 13th and 14th are days to rest. After that time you will have the ability to move your energy in ways more helpful to you. The 3rd and 4th are days you should dance a little…or how about a lot!

Aquarius: 22 January - 19 February

Pisces: 20 February - 20 March

This month could provoke a change in your finances with one source closing and another new one opening up. Don’t freak out-- let the changes happen, observe the situation and be ready to take positive action after the 14th. Things have a way of working out, if you have faith and go with the flow.

That’s how things work for Pisces. Family members are loving and supportive as are people in your neighborhood and general community. Best days are the 16th and 17th.

Namasté

Parents’ Corner Understanding Adolescence

A

s parents we are challenged every day by the different new situations that we have to face as our children grow older. One such challenge is adolescence, the period of development between the onset of puberty and adulthood, characterized not only by physical, but by psychological changes. Based on the stages of emotional development, teenagers have to solve the key conflict between building an identity and experiencing role confusion. No longer a child, but not yet an adult, the teenager navigates in a transitory stage, life becomes more and more complex, and responsibilities start to have a whole new meaning. Until now, development mostly depended on what was done to us; as teenagers development depends on what we do… To build his own identity, the teenager will have to discover who he is, separate from his parents, and as a member of a wider society; he will have the need for his own philosophy of life, mostly characterized by idealistic thinking. This is the period in life where people create the most meaningful relationships, and loyalty is a common strength.

In addition to the psychological changes, there are dramatic, biological changes taking place during this time and they have an important impact on teenage behavior. The rapidly increasing levels of hormones are responsible for their sometimes extreme emotional response. Hormones also cause the emotional “rollercoaster”, going from feeling incredibly happy, to terribly sad, within a very short period of time. The visible physical changes go hand-in-hand with an increased sexual curiosity that is too often misguided through social pressure, which can lead to feelings of guilt and shame.

The teenage brain, also, is changing… we know now that the human brain is “under construction” until the end of the adolescent period. Neurons and neurological connections are being perfected during this time, and the areas of the brain responsible for impulse – control, decision-making, planning and organization are the ones that suffer the biggest changes during teenage years, not reaching their full maturity until approximately age 25!

Considering all of the above, if you have a teenage son or daughter, it is important that you: 1. Modify and/or adapt current rules and responsibilities to this new stage. Responsibilities should be challenging enough to prepare the teenager for the upcoming life as a young adult, and rules should be ageappropriate, aiming at protecting the teenager from the potential risks of our society, while enabling him to demonstrate that he can be trusted to make smart decisions.

2. Do not react to teenage emotional outbursts with an emotional response. Deal with the problem (big or small) once emotions have calmed down, and a dialogue can take place.

3. Listen to your teenage son or daughter, and support his or her attempt to make sense of life and of this world.

4. Share your experience, but don’t impose your vision.

“Young people need models, not critics” - John Wooden

Msc. Mónica Riascos Henríquez Psychopedagogist – Member of ASOLAP – Code 2024 consultariascos@live.com

Surviving

C hapterless

COSTA RICA

Dear Editor and Publisher of the Howler Magazine, As it is now way past the deadline for this month’s submission it is my sad duty to have to inform you that circumstances beyond my control have prevented me from fulfilling my journalistic responsibilities. Its not that I didn’t try.

I had actually gone through my columnpreparation morning routine consisting of several large glasses of Johnny Walker Black and prune juice, turned on the ol’ word processor thing and began composing what I was pretty sure would be my masterpiece column of all time for The Howler… and that maybe just this once I might bask in your (sic, the editor’s) approval.

I got so caught up in my prose that I failed to “save” the piece periodically and after about seven hundred or so words of what, to my humble opinion, was sheer genius, the electricity went off and stayed in that condition for the rest of the day. I was left staring at a blank screen with my masterpiece now floating out there somewhere in the computer nether world.

I didn’t want to let you (the editor) down so I reverted to an almost-forgotten form of communication left over from the previous millennium called “hand writing” which involved searching for a “pencil” or “pen”. Fortunately I had plenty of white glossy 21st Century printing paper to work with so I began to laboriously re-create my article from memory; a memory somewhat affected by my aforementioned “prune juice” regimen, and the lack of any kind of spell-check or thesaurus from which to indicate our terminology.

Relearning how to work the pencil took a little time, as well as having to look up the spelling for the “big words” in

Letter to the Editor

our eight-pound Merriam Webster’s Deluxe Dictionary, made the going excruciatingly slow, but after another six hours or so I had a finished product of the required 950 or so words that, if not the profound work that had been lost to cyber space, was at least suitable to fit my journalistic obligations.

Clutching the eleven pages of painstakingly handwritten copy I ran outside to show my wife my accomplishment, whereupon a freakishly strong gust of wind came out of nowhere and tore them out of my hand and into the stratosphere once again. After a harried pursuit I found all eleven pages floating in a neighbor’s pool two blocks away, totally unreadable. It was now late afternoon and to our surprise and delight the electricity came back on giving me another shot at providing you (the editor) with the product you require.

I’ve never written anything “serious” in the afternoon or evening; my artistic process functions best in the morning with its JWB and prune juice (or sometimes with cocoa) routine. But I had to write something. I know the whole Howler extended staff and family depends on me, so I gritted my teeth, consumed half a bottle of Flor De Caña Siete and plowed into my third article in a day.

This time I remembered to use “save” every couple of sentences and, after the required word length, I was reasonably sure that it fulfilled the Howler’s minimum standards. Spell check took another hour or so and then I was ready to e-mail it to you (the editor).

Once again the sinister forces of nature intervened as the wind gust of all wind gusts hit at just that moment causing the electricity and everything else to go off.

This time it came back on almost immediately. However my fossil of a computer didn’t, or wouldn’t. It was now eleven

Story by Jesse Bishop

at night but in my desperation to get to the article now trapped in my comatose computer and send it to you on time I called and woke up my Argentinean computer whiz who took pity on me and said I could bring it by that night.

I hastily unplugged all the cables and tubes and carried the ailing machine to our car and set out on a treacherous windswept nighttime journey from Langosta to Tamarindo. At a spot just past Capitan Suizo I encountered a huge Guacimo tree that the wind had blown down and was now blocking the entire street, rendering it impassable.

It has now been several days and the street is still blocked. People here in Langosta are running out of food and water and society as we know it here is on a verge of total collapse.

So David, whom I hope is still my friend, I’m sorry to inform you that I won’t be sending you this month’s article, but if I’m still here next month I promise to do better.

Love, Jesse Editor’s Response While some of the above letter may border lightly on the truth, a lot of the content is questionable: for instance, during the “several days and the road is still blocked” excuse I had cause to drive the Langosta Road past Hotel Capitán Suizo four times, and saw no evidence of a fallen tree. So easy to claim: “my article, my friend, is blowing in the wind” wihout proof.

Perhaps if you had enclosed the unused half-bottle of Flor de Caña Siete with this letter, I would be more disposed to overlook this transgression.

Regards, David

Feedback Fans the Flames Tom Peifer

I

There must be some kinda’ way outa here, said the joker to the priest. There’s just too much confusion, I can’t get no release…

f you were among the half-million who attended Woodstock in 1969, you hardly need a primer on the phenomenon known as feedback. Jimi Hendricks’ epic rendition of the Star Spangled Banner was more than sufficient to leave a lasting impression in all but the most catatonic observers. Jimi favored souped-up amplifiers and forged an art form out of the previously undesirable squawking of guitar-amplifier feedback.

In fact, I’d wager a guess that, for most of us, audio feedback--the howling sound that occurs when a microphone is placed too near a connected speaker—was for a long time the most familiar use of the term. In point of fact, the principle of feedback is vital in understanding the way the world works.

From electrical engineering and economics to ecology, social systems and climate science, reality is often much more complex than the square corners and straight lines that are so much easier to both draw and think. Feedback underlies the working of supply and demand curves in economics and the fluctuations of individual species in predator-prey interactions of population ecology. There are dozens of examples from the science of climatology. It’s not too much of a stretch to state that feedback makes our planet livable.

Positive feedback, as in Jimi’s classic guitar riffs, reinforce or strengthen the original input and is sometimes referred to as a self-reinforcing loop.

The climate system is characterized by strong positive and negative feedback loops between processes that affect the state of the atmosphere, ocean, and land. A simple example is the ice-albedo positive loop whereby melting snow exposes more dark ground (of lower reflectivity—or ‘albedo), which in turn absorbs heat and causes even more warming which causes more ice to melt.

Graphic depictions of the feedback loops that involve biological components of the climate system might resemble the coiling, convoluted and visually confusing sketches by the late Dutch artist M. C. Escher. In the millions of acres of the western United States which are affected by pine bark beetles, the story goes something like this: Warmer winter temperatures kill fewer of the beetles which bore into pine trees. The pine trees die, begin to take less carbon out of the atmosphere and as they rot, they release more carbon through decomposition. More carbon results in ever-warmer winters, causing even lower die-off of the pest species. Worst-case scenario, the forests are subject to massive fires that release mega-amounts of CO2 almost instantaneously. Here in Guanacaste we have been pigging out on feedback for almost a month.

Now I’m no expert at the munitions used in historic military engagements, but I guarantee you that the fires at Fort Sumter, memorialized in the National Anthem that Jimi Hendricks played at Woodstock, couldn’t hold a candle to the wind-whipped flames that raced through our valley in the past several weeks.

The strength and duration of the winds this dry season have blown the minds of most long-term residents. Nobody remembers it being quite this bad—for this long. Wildfires, a problem in normal years, have become a big, big problem. The scorched earth statistics in our 13,000-hectare valley most assuredly surpass a couple thousand

hectares. Who knows how many individual trees and animals have perished in the flames. One day I saw the sky darken with vultures, heading for the hills to scout out the morsels of ‘bush meat’ charred to perfection by the advancing maelstrom. Since most people empathize with the soft and cuddly ambassadors of biodiversity, rather than, say, the fungi that are arguably the base of the whole ecosystem, I might also add that at least one small spotted fawn dragged itself into a neighbor’s yard, badly burned and beyond saving.

The millions of kilos of CO2 released into the sky above the Nandamojo River Valley during the last month is a drop in the proverbial bucket in terms of annual carbon emissions worldwide.

The atmospheric feedback from our fires would be like comparing Tiny Tim’s mandolin to the blasting pyrotechnics of Jimi Hendricks.

Nonetheless, here at ground zero, feedback may be a bit more obvious—and immediate.

The effects on our local hydrology at the very least will be interesting to observe. As anyone familiar with the wildfire-landslide correlation in the chaparral covered hills and canyons of coastal California can tell you: first it burns, then it rains and then it slides down the hills.

OK, things are different here. The fires are much lower temperatures, the soil is usually not ‘glazed’ and “hydrophobic’ due to the extreme high temperatures of sagebrush-fueled fires. All the same, in many areas, the vegetative ground cover is non-existent.

The multi-story canopy that normally buffers the kinetic energy of incoming rainfall is severely thinned out or completely eliminated over hundreds of hectares. I will also hazard a guess that much of the ‘seed bank’ of the lowest strata of plants that grow fast and cover the ground has been depleted.

The way these, and other effects, ‘feed back’ into our local climate is that they provide the mix of a perfect recipe for increased runoff and decreased infiltration. The hills get drier, there is less growth, less shade in the dry season leading to more evaporation and heating of the air masses moving through the valley which again leads to more drying out and sets the stages for more fires the next time “the winds begin to howl.”

In truth, the whole picture is more complex, a flow chart depicting all the environmental effects—both positive and negative feedbacks--of the recent fires would resemble one of the Escher engravings mentioned above.

Fact: the conversion of biomass to ash provides readily available nutrients for the next flush of growth when the rains come.

Fact: some seeds do need fire to germinate.

Fact: Wind blown and bird transported seeds are being dropped into nutrient rich areas even now and when they sprout, they will have less competition for both nutrients and sunlight in the wake of the fire.

The conundrum is the old “ known unknowns and the unknown unknowns,” Rumsfeld’s famous phrase from the Iraq War. (continued

page 28)

Feedback... (from page 27)

Koen Boogaard

O

Tamarindo Pioneer

n March 8, 2012 Koen Boogaard lost his battle with cancer at the age of 78. Koen moved to Costa Rica from the Netherlands with his wife and daughter in 1979.

Planning to retire he bought a h o u s e in the then quiet little beach town of Tamarindo. Retirement went out the window when he became one of the first people to realize Tamarindo's potential.

He sold land with the promise that if the buyer did not like it he could give it back, no one ever did. In later years he became an involved member of the Dutch community in San Jose, hosting many a tennis tournament. He was the consummate business man and stayed active until just a few weeks before his death. A memorial will be held in June in his hometown of Gorinchem.

A p r i l ( a l l

t i m e s

2 0 1 2 l o c a l )

Sun

1st - rise 5:40; set 5:54 15th - rise 5:33; set 5:54 30th - rise 5:26; set 5:55

Full: Last quarter: New: 1st quarter:

Moon

6th 13th 21st 29th

1:19 p.m.

4:50 a.m.

1:18 a.m.

2:57 a.m.

We know that one of the effects of climate change is that the severity of rain “events” is increasing.

My neighbor Ray Beise recorded four inches in 45 minutes about two years ago. What we don’t know is what the first rains will be like. There is no knowing for how long we’ll get mellow rainfall that permits the ground to open up and begin to infiltrate, how long before the ground cover plants germinate, grow and begin their magic of protecting the surface and holding the soil in place with their roots.

Historically, civilizations grew in areas with fertile soil.

As populations expanded they were driven to deforest and cultivate hillsides and mountains, often setting off negative feedback loops that affected ecosystems, agricultural productivity and ultimately the “carrying capacity” for the human inhabitants. An impressive number of modern cities in Asia are now literally sinking into the mud that has accumulated from careless agriculture on sloping lands upstream from the flatter areas near coastlines.

The “problem” with complex systems—like the human/ ecosystem/climate interaction—is that the participants don’t often see what exactly is going on, or are prevented by other forces in the mix to take the steps necessary to reverse the momentum of change before it spirals beyond any feasible measures of control.

Locally, the good news is that farmers in Guanacaste never had to plow up to the mountaintops to eke out a living. Costa Rica developed enough of a manufacturing and service economy to provide employment elsewhere. The bad news is that the global economy still doesn’t place enough value on the “goods and services” produced by the forested hills in our valley to prevent them from taking a sizeable hit to the net worth of their portfolio.

Ironically, after looking more closely at the interaction of supply and demand, some economists began to abandon the linear perspective of “negative feedback” in favor of a more complex approach involving what is known as chaos theory to more accurately explain the behavior of financial markets.

The bottom line: Climate is fairly chaotic, non-linear and difficult to predict even with the help of a vast array of surface and orbital monitoring stations networked into the most sophisticated computers imaginable. At this point in planetary history we need to be very concerned with reinforcing the feedback loops that enhance climate stability---not the other ones. The bored adolescents, who reportedly sparked the conflagration that is still burning as I write, have no idea—and will likely bear zero responsibility—of their contribution to the maelstrom of feedback that will in all probability haunt them as adults.

No reason to get excited, the thief he kindly spoke.

There are many here among us, who feel that life is but a joke.

But you and I we’ve been through that, and this is not our fate.

So let us start talk softly now, the hour’s getting late.

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, permaculture and development. http://www.elcentroverde.org/

Surf Report (from page 15) Olympus 2012 is newby from Santa Teresa Jason Mora. In the last minutes of the heat, he let off a reverse, and overcame Noe Mar for the win. Jason’s combination totaled 11.86, with Noe Mar only pulling a 9.20.

Look for the next date of the Circuito Nacional Olympus 2012, presented by Banana Boat to take place in Palo Seco de Parrita on March 24 and 25. It will be 4 stars.

Just a week later, Carlos Muñoz was back on top in a BIG way at the ALAS Reef Classic in Playa Carman de Santa Teresa. Look, there’s no simple way to say this, the kid is bloody amazing. At the international contest, he achieved the three highest combinations of the event with 18.17, 17.20 and 16.84 in the eighth, quarterfinals and the semifinals. In addition, he scored the best 3 waves of the contest with a perfect 10, 9.86 and an 8.83 in all three rounds, and as you would expect won the whole shebang taking home a tidy $5,600. It’s important to remember that Carlos is only 19 years old and accomplishing all this greatness.

As I noted earlier, Costa Rica’s youth are really to be reckoned with. They dominated the Reef Classic. Coming in 2nd in the Open was Anthony Segura with Jason Torres 3rd (both of Jaco). Good ol’ Noe Mar won the Junior, and Nataly Bernold of Jaco returned to victory with the Women’s title. Jaco’s Anthony Flores copped the Longboard win.

Circuito National Olympus Playa Hermosa, February 25-6, 2012 Open 1. Diego Naranjo (Jacó) 2. Noe Mar McGonagle (Pavones) 3. Ramón Taliani (Malpaís) 4. Carlos Muñoz (Esterillos)

Boys (Under 15) 1. Noe Mar McGonagle (Pavones) 2. Manuel Mesén (Jacó) 3. Bruno Carvalho (Jacó) 4. Leonardo Calvo (Barranca)

Women’s 1. Daniela Ciminero (EE.UU.) 2. Lisbeth Vindas (Jacó) 3. Emily Gussoni (Jaco) 4. Jill Jepich (EE.UU)

Minigrommet 1. Aldo Chirinos 2. Dan Vandewalle 3. Malakai Martínez 4. Sage Guinaldo

Junior 1. Jason Mora (Santa Teresa) 2. Noe Mar McGonagle (Pavones) 3. Jean Carlo Mendoza (Pavones) 4. Manuel Mesén (Jacó)

Longboard 1. Anthony Flores (Jacó) 2. Cristian Santamaría (Nosara) 3. Paco Peria (Francia) 4. Pablo Bolaños (Jacó)

Women’s Junior 1. Leilani McGonagle (Pavones) 2. Selena Moberly (Nosara) 3. Emily Gussoni (Jacó) 4. Maia Velarde (Playa Negra)

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

3T

4W

5T

03:23 09:54 15:53 22:18 04:27 10:57 17:00 23:23 05:28 11:55 18:01 00:20 06:23 12:46 18:56 01:12 17:13 13:34 19:45

1.8 6.7 2.1 6.8 1.7 7.0 1.7 7.1 1.3 7.6 1.1

6F Full Moon 7S

8S

7.6 9M 0.8 8.3 0.4 8.2 10T 0.2 9.1 -0.3

02:01 08:01 14:21 20:32 02:47 08:48 15:07 21:19 03:34 09:35 15:54 22:06 04:22 10:22 16:41 22:54 05:10 11:11 17:30 23:44

8.8 -0.4 8.7 -0.9 9.3 -0.9 10.2 -1.4 10.6 -1.1 10.4 -1.5 10.7 -1.1 10.3 -1.4 9.5 -0.8 10.0 -1.1

APRIL TIDE CHART

11W

06:01 12:03 18:22

9.2 16M -0.4 9.4

12T

00:36 06:57 12:59 19:19 01:33 07:58 14:01 20:23 02:36 09:04 15:12 21:32 03:45 10:14 16:26 22:43

-0.5 8.7 0.2 8.7 1.0 8.2 0.8 8.1 0.7 7.8 1.3 7.6 1.1 7.7 1.5 7.4

13F Last Qtr 14S

15S

17T

18W

19T

20F

21S New Moon

04:54 11:20 17:35 23:48 05:56 12:18 18:34

1.2 7.7 1.4 7.4 1.2 8.0 1.1

00:44 06:49 13:07 19:23 01:32 07:34 13:50 20:04 02:14 08:13 14:29 20:42

7.6 23M 1.0 8.2 0.8 7.8 24T 0.9 8.5 0.5 8.0 25W 0.7 8.7 0.3

22S

02:53 08:50 15:05 21:17 03:30 09:25 15:40 21:52 04:07 10:01 16:16 22:27 04:43 10:36 16:52 23:03 05:21 11:13 17:29 23:40

8.2 0.6 8.8 0.1 8.2 0.6 8.8 0.0 8.2 0.6 8.8 0.0 8.1 0.8 8.6 0.2 7.8 1.0 8.3 0.5

26T

06:00 11:52 18:09

7.7 1T 1.2 May 8.0

27F

00:19 06:41 12:36 18:52 01:02 07:27 13:24 19:41 01:50 08:18 14:19 20:38 02:44 09:15 15:20 21:40

0.8 7.5 1.5 7.6 1.1 7.3 1.7 7.3 1.3 7.2 1.8 7.1 1.5 7.3 1.7 7.1

28S

29S 1st Qtr 30M

2W

3T

4F

5S Full Moon

03:43 10:15 16:24 22:43 04:43 11:13 17:26 23:43 05:42 12:08 18:23

1.4 7.6 1.4 7.3 1.2 8.1 0.9 7.7 0.8 8.7 0.3

00:39 06:38 13:01 19:16 01:32 07:30 13:52 20:07

8.2 0.3 9.2 -0.3 8.7 -0.1 9.9 -0.8