The Howler
Volume 17, No. 6 Issue No. 189
June 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
CONTRIBUTORS
After thirteen years greeting tourists, Playa Grande’s favourite dog is arrested by Minae under the new turtle protection law.
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JEANNE CALLAHAN JESSE BISHOP MARY BYERLY CYNTHIA CHARPENTIER ROBERT AUGUST
Howler advertising
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Olympic Games 2012
London plays host to the Olympic Games, which will, of course, spark a lot of political and other controversy.
Deadline for July: June 15
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dmills@racsa.co.cr Tel: 2-653-0545 ELLEN ZOE GOLDEN TONY OREZ TOM PEIFER JEFFREY WHITLOW MONICA RIASCOS KAY DODGE
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Avellanas - Grandes’ Dog Captured
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Around Town
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Surf Report
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Yuca - the delicious tuber
Openings, closings, parties, music. The Gold Coast has it all, and bar-hoppin’ David is in the groove. Local surfers and Cepia organize a fun event, Surf for Youth Guanacaste, to bring surfing to local children. A staple around much of the developing world, the homely yuca plant is used in many recipes in Costa Rica.
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Surviving Costa Rica
Safe at home in Costa Rica, Jesse reminisces about his early car trips from Texas which were far from safe.
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Dry Times Ahead
The rains have returned early after a dry summer, but our weather guru warns of depleted rain and droughts ahead.
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DEPARTMENTS 10 CD Review
29 Parents’ Corner
11 Book Review
32 Sun & Moon
12 August Odysseys
32 Rain Gauge
24 Yoga
33 Word Puzzle
26 Doctor’s Orders
35 Tide Chart
28 June Forecasts
All comments, articles and advertising in this publication are the opinion of their authors, and do not reflect the opinion of Howler Management.
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Cover Caption: GoBuggy on tour in Potrero (see page 21) Cover Photo: GoBuggy Cover Design: David Mills
Softening Your Water Most water contains more than water. Almost all of the water found in nature is hard water. Hard water is water that is contaminated with dissolved minerals, like calcium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, lead and limestone, that can have a negative effect on your health and your pocketbook. Depending on where you live, contaminants, sewage, industrial waste and agricultural run-off can also seep into your water supply. Hard water produces scale. If there are stains or buildup on your sinks and bathtubs; if you have to use large amounts of soap to clean dishes or wash your hair; if your water tastes or smells odd, you probably have hard water. Left untreated, the minerals in hard water will cause yellow stains on plumbing fixtures and be deposited as scale, eventually clogging plumbing and shortening the life of appliances like washing machines, water heaters, coffeemakers, humidifiers and dishwashers. Scale deposits not only cut down the efficiency of these appliances, they cost you money, increasing both energy and maintenance bills. Water softeners eliminate the effects of hard water. They soften the water by removing the calcium and magnesium found there, extending the useful life of appliances and plumbing systems by as much as 30 percent.
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new tax came into existence last month, a thirteen percent increase in the cost of many products, It will not affect too much the cost of an average Tico shopping basket, though it certainly will affect the cost to tourists, restaurants and discriminating residents. The items subject to the hike include all the better cuts of beef and pork, lobster, salmon, jumbo shrimp (though small shrimp are exempt), oysters and exotic fruits such as plums, cherries, kiwi and peaches. Many items considered essential food products are exempt: ground beef, pork chops, beef and pork ribs, variety meats, chicken, tripe, pig and beef tails, sausages, beans, rice (except for paella or risotto), all native fruits and vegetables, pastas, canned tuna. Also exempt are educational tools such as notebooks, pens, dictionaries and crayons.
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Congratulations to Christophe Mueller, who has been cycling from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego. He finally arrived at his destination, Ushuaia, after 13 months and 33,000 km, leaving a report of his experiences and a huge gallery of photographs from 13 countries. The Howler has followed his trip with frequent articles, and we are awaiting his final report for an upcoming wrap-up.
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In the last week of April a number of residences up Calle de la Montaña were without water for seven continuous days, awaiting the replacement of a pump. Another outage, of two days and affecting much of Tamarindo, followed a week later, then two more two-day outages in mid-May. I never thought I would say this, but I believe we were better off with Beko!
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Congratulations, also, to another cyclist – Costa Rican Andrey Amador – who, at time of writing, has performed well in the gruelling Giro d’Italia, coming third in the twelfth stage and first in Stage 14.
David Mills
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well remember the excitement that accompanied the Olympic Games in London in 1948. The Games were welcomed around the world as a symbol of peace, as it was the first Games for twelve years, the hiatus being imposed by World War II. As many of the participating countries were struggling to recover from the war, the selection of London, one of the most badly damaged cities, was a boost in confidence and optimism for the future.
The 1948 games were also symbolized by political complications: Germany and Japan were not allowed to compete; the facilities were built by German forced labour; the Soviet Union declined to participate rather than risk losing to the United States. The host country won 23 medals, 3 of them gold; U.S. won the Games with 84 medals (38 gold).
Sixty-four years later the Games return to a vastly changed London, very much rebuilt and thriving. Running from July 25 to August 12, the Games comprise some 26 different sports competed by 10,500 athletes from 204 countries (59 in 1948), including 154 from Costa Rica. For transportation, high-speed “bullet” trains will shuttle spectators and athletes between venues and a cable car across the River Thames will carry 2,500 passengers an hour. Security will cost 553 million pounds. There has been a lot of controversy about some features of the Games; the official logo is described by Iran as racist; it has been likened to a swastika; some say it spells “Zion”; doctors say it can cause epileptic seizures; and other descriptions unprintable in a family magazine. The two oneeyed mascots have been called Cyclopean; The Orbit Tower is described by its engineer as “a curve in space”; though critics have called it ‘the Godzilla of public art”, a “turd on the plaza”, a “roller coaster gone bad” and a “giant squiggle”. Whatever the controversy, the whole world will be watching and rooting for their individual favourites. Go Costa Rica!
Avellanas
Grande’s Beach Dog Captured
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vellanas, the Playa Grande beach dog, was recently captured by the Baulas park rangers as she habitually escorted tourists on their beach walk. According to the new “no dogs on the beach” regulation, dogs will be captured and owners fined. Other regulations, such as the orange bathing cap rule for swimmers and the designated surfing and swimming areas, have yet to be defined and implemented. Avellanas was born in 1999 in Playa Avellanas. She soon after adopted Las Tortugas Hotel in Playa Grande as her home and eats and sleeps there. She is a heartworm and tick fever survivor and has been spayed three times by previous part time owners. She doesn’t really trust the hotel staff who, she fears, will be the perpetrators of her next visit to the operating table. For that reason she tags along with her favorite vacationers instead of giving her heart away again to a potentially seasonal local. Over the decade she has delighted thousands of tourists and their children with her sweet nature and accompaniment. She has her own web page (Avellanas Fan Club) on the hotel web site with pictures and accolades since 2002. Unfortunately her health has declined in recent years as her hearing and eyesight have waned. Arthritis now dictates daily “liftings” up and down the hotel stairs to get to her bed and food. Her 13th birthday party this year was attended by Pato, Snarly, Lulu, Panda, Billy, and Lupo, as well as a handful of human friends and admirers and marks a milestone as one of the longest full-time residents of Playa Grande. Her incarceration as an act of sacrificial martyrdom for the betterment of the park is overshadowed by the arbitrary nature of the park rules and approach to conservation. While her fellow canine cronies are being rounded up for days of chained confinement and possible execution, the netting and long-line fishing operations stretching across the mouth of the bay are killing untold numbers of nesting leatherback turtles each year with impunity. Divers in the bay ply the reefs day and night with illegal spear guns and hammers for crushing the rock structures. There are new landfills and construction in the estuaries with sewer systems directly in the wetlands in some cases. Motorboats and jet skis continue to endanger the estuaries and nesting habitats. Fences are erected in the sanctuary whose boundaries have never been marked in its nearly thirty-year history and ancient trees are cut and burned. Overhead, planes and light aircraft tours drone incessantly all day long. Located directly in the center of the Baulas Marine Park, Tamarindo is defined by unbridled development and its consequent pollution. Even the lighting in Tamarindo now goes unrestrained. Surprisingly, Tamarindo old timers remember when the leatherbacks nested there every night. The ever more dangerous population of crocodiles is increasing around the estuary mouth and in the lagoons along the beaches. Tourists and local pets are inexplicably disappearing. Offshore in the park, commercial fishing boats decimate the fish and turtle (continued page 29)
CD Review Cajita de Musica
Tony Orez
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argely overlooked by the global music scene, Central America is diverse and rich in its musical genres. Luckily for the music listener, there are people dedicated to exposing this treasure trove. Central American Music Box 2 is the second release contributed by Moka Discos in Nicaragua, Stonetree Records in Belize, Costa Norte in Honduras and Papaya Music in Costa Rica, under the collective name Central American Music Network. The first installment came out in 2010 and laid the groundwork in exposing both traditional and new, cutting-edge musicians from this area. The new twelve-song CD is a welcome companion, expanding the list of bands and musical styles. The album opens with “Si tú no quieres” by Yomira John from Panama who sings a style of Afro-Latin and indigenous music, mixed into her own unique style, which was captured by Ivan Duran, founder of Stonetree, in his Belize studio. Also from Panama is Cienfue, with “Cosita Linda”, a song that blends traditional and folk music from that country, meshed with straightforward Rock. Honduran Guillermo Anderson turns in a nice version of “La noche y su canción” with his sweet voice accompanying his clean guitar work in his trademark, upbeat Caribbean style. The touching “Canta Mandolina” by Malpais from Costa Rica reminds us of how lucky we have been to experience the artistry of Fidel Gamboa. Another highlight on the album is “Ineweyu” by Aurelio Martinez, who has carried the Garifuna banner since the passing of Andy Palacio. Aurelio is another discovery of Ivan Duran, who was responsible for mixing the entire album. Nicaragua is well represented by Katia Cardinal with her passionate voice and Perrozompopo with his equally passionate delivery, which was also recorded by Duran. I enjoyed hearing The Calypso Limón Legends doing their song “Stop”, with their authentic stamp of calypso in the whimsical lyrics. The Garifuna Collective play the spellbinding, “Weiyasu”, a reminder of the AfricanArawat culture that is rapidly fading. And I believe this is the goal for these music boxes: to preserve musical styles before they disappear and to present new sounds from the area and make them both available to the entire world. Lloyd Augustine from Belize seems married to these two ideas with “Chatuye” a song that gives a nod to his Garifuna roots while incorporating new vocal harmonies and guitar work. New to me is Malacates Trebol Shop with their song “Todo se pagara”, a Guatemalan rock band with four albums under their belt, well-known in their country for their uninhibited lyrics, and an impressive contribution to this collection. And I was happy to see Sonambulo included in the new Central American Music Box with “Bolero Carabali” from their new CD. They are a signal of a new direction in the area, with their infectious “psicotropical” music, and deserve this recognition. Central American Music Box 2 is the perfect progression from its predecessor, unveiling new and traditional music for a global audience. The result is a highly enjoyable serving of Central American music in all its diversity. The CD is available at the Jaime Peligro book stores in Tamarindo, Quepos and Nuevo Arenal.
Book Review
Tony
Orez
Wealth Magnetz
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K, I admit it: I judged a book by its cover. Or by its title, actually. Yes, it’s true – when I picked up a copy of “Wealth Magnetz” by Regina Ruf, I immediately assumed it was another “Think and Grow Rich” book. But I heard that Regina was living in the Tamarindo area, so I decided to give it a try. Boy, was I wrong! By the third page, she had taught me just how wrong I could be. The book is a guide for “abundant living”, including monetary wealth, but really focuses on taking responsibility for your life and propelling it toward your own set goals. The book is composed of short, manageable chapters in alphabetical sequence, from A through Z, and each chapter opens with a short affirmation, which I found inspirational. The sequencing also makes the book easy to use as a constant reference once you’ve read through it, to go back and touch on points that are pertinent to you at the moment. Some of the points and practices are things I already do, but they’ve been encapsulated in the book in a way that was new to me. Regina told me the book “came out fairly quickly, after about four or five months’ work writing it”. Her inspiration came in a seminar she attended by Mark Victor Hansen, who said that everyone had at least one book in them. She knew at that point that “Wealth Magnetz” was hers to write. She also told me that her motivation to write the book is her love for people and indeed, she continually espouses the rewards for giving back in this book. She is good at making her points clear, with her “inspirational pushes”, what I called her timely bluntness and she refers to as “loving kicks in the butt”. I also like her style of presenting a concept, then demonstrating it with plain simple examples. An example of her examples: If someone said they’d pay you a million dollars to cross the same road a thousand different ways, you would get creative and come up with that many ways, right? The book is a source of positive reinforcement and success through repetition, conviction and belief in self-worth. She is a great coach, if a person is willing to enlist her. Here again, it is the individual’s call to commit. I also like the parts where she talks about living in the moment, the only true gift of life we have, and experiencing life through unfiltered, exuberant eyes, not unlike those of a child. Toward the end of the book she writes about aspiring to move to the tropics. When I read that and knew she had followed through, I knew we were kindred spirits, of a sort. Regina told me she is considering a second book, that there is a potential there and she is playing with the idea. I hope she writes it so I can read it! Until then, “Wealth Magnetz” is available through her website at: www. wealthmagnetz.com. Regina will also be signing copies of her book at Jaime Peligro book store in Playa Tamarindo on Saturday, June 9, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
August Odysseys
Robert August
The Perfect Wave
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t was ‘way back in 1962 and I was travelling through South Africa with the crew of “Endless Summer” looking for waves and surfers for the movie. We had seen some awesome beaches and terrific waves, all empty as there were almost no surfers in that whole huge continent, until we met some surfers in Cape Town and included them in the movie. We heard that there was a small community of surfers in Durban, a few hundred miles to the north so we set out to look for them. The road ran along the coast about five miles inland, with many side roads cutting off towards the ocean. Some were dead ends; we followed others to find remote beaches, no population, no accommodation, no food, just glorious beaches and waves. On one side road we reached the ocean on an incredible beach, empty as were all the others. Alongside the road were huge sand dunes. In the distance we saw a standing wave, but we could only see the back side of it. Mike Hynson somehow saw something more to this wave, so he grabbed his board and took off to become almost certainly the first person to ever surf this perfect standing wave. I joined him and we surfed all afternoon, maybe five hours, with Bruce (Brown) filming away happily. Then Bruce had an idea: Let’s have you guys come running down the dunes with your boards as if you had arrived that way and we’ll include it in the film. We dutifully obeyed the director, climbed up those virgin dunes from the far side and ran down to the water while Bruce shot the sequence. “Great,” he said, “but I’d like to do it again. Come down in a different place so we don’t get your earlier footprints in the shot.” At that point I mutinied: “Look, Bruce, I’ve been surfing for five hours, I’m tired and starving, I’m not getting paid for this, and you want us to run up and down those stupid dunes again!” I walked off the set and he gave up the idea.” After “Endless Summer” was distributed those beaches really took off and the developers arrived. Years later, while filming “Endless Summer II”, we revisited that beach and found miles of condominiums and the “Endless Summer Hotel.” The owner invited me to visit any time. “Everything’s on the house,” he said, “accommodation, food, drinks, as long as you stay.” I never took him up on his offer, but Bruce did and had a wonderful stay.
Volunteers in Action 175 children are participating in after-school program today, which consists of weekly classes. Caroline Ruiz trains 15 girls from Brasilito in contemporary dance, offering these girls ways to improve their artistic talent and physical skills as well as their self-confidence and social relationships. Grettel Solorzano and Sue Kallis succeeded in training 15 children and teenagers to become great swimmers. One of the girls is joining national competition! Javier Abad and Cristina Martin offer art, craft and photography to many children in Brasilito, allowing the kids to develop their creativity, as the public schools in our area do not offer this important opportunity. Octavio Suarez has successfully supported children of Huacas in their educational difficulties and we are hoping some volunteers will continue his great work. Royman Caravaca and Walter Augustine give soccer classes to the Huacas kids, to practice and enjoy sports and group activities instead of hanging out in the street with no purpose. Julian Brito offers teenagers from all surrounding villages computer instruction and sport classes, stimulating the teens’ desire to reach further. The volunteers of Abriendo Mentes are doing an amazing job in teaching English to all the public school students of Brasilito in coordination with CEPIA. Our partnership shows how organizations can reach much more by working together in a very professional and devoted way. Our new volunteer Ashli Simpson has started English classes in Huacas showing us that with perseverance a lot can be achieved. The children are delighted by her passion for teaching. Gwendolyn Moore and Diane Waterhouse enjoy teaching English to the children of Villarreal, becoming very popular teachers according to the kids! Mary Byerly and Debbie Marcos have been working with CEPIA since its beginnings, showing the Kindergarden children and the benefits of yoga. Cathy Deweer has succeeded in improving the health of women in Huacas through yoga as well. Daantje Bras and Andrea Diaz are starting the English and surf classes respectively. Trina Pittman just concluded, thanks to her perseverance, the haircutting course for women creating a microbusiness. Carolina Varela took over from Trina in order to add massage to the women’s training. Ashley Javogue is successfully guiding women to create eco-jewelry in collaboration with RecliclArte, becoming the next microbusiness of local women in the area. Tracey Young continues the work of Barry Jacobson in the community of Portegolpe, bringing English courses to this village that asks for more. Kenia Chaves is guiding the art course for women in Huacas, whereas Cecilia Leiva continues supporting women in art and crafts in Villarreal. Yanela Vallejos volunteers as a social worker visiting families in need in order for us to know who is really suffering. Kim and Randy Toltz are bringing movie nights to a different community every month. Jeanne Cordes and Ingrid Harrison are getting weekly food for the kids in Capitan Suizo and Nibbana, an important duty. We could not do it without Heike Kulzer, our lawyer, Laura Murillo and Johnny Quesada, our accountants who provide free professional services to the organization. We need more volunteers to teach and share their passion in villages like Santa Rosa, El Lanito and Matapalo. Please contact cepiacostarica@racsa.co.cr to join our team! Thanks to Gerardo Brenes, Magno Duarte, Simona Daniele, Michael Garcia, Olivia Benavides, Van Salcedo, Courtney Borquet and Laetitia Deweer for their dedication on the Board of Directors. We want to apologize for overlooking Marlin del Rey sailing in our last article as they have supported CEPIA over the last years, with heart and soul. Supercompro Tamarindo has as well proved to be a special supporter.
AROUND TOWN GoBuggy Adventures, featured on this month’s cover, offers exciting dune buggy tours around the countryside, and will custom-design a tour to suit your preferences. See ad on page 21. Restaurante El Coconut, closed during May, will reopen with its usual delightful cuisine on June 5; El Coconut Beach Club in Potrero will reopen June 8. Bar One’s new owner, Jon Phillips, invites you to visit the bar, on the third floor of Plaza Tamarindo (above ABC Real Estate) and enjoy the selection of brews, special martinis and delicious sushi, freshly made on the spot. Look out for the live music selection. On June 9, from 1 to 5 p.m., Regina Ruz, of Las Vegas, will be signing her new book “Wealth Magnetz” at Jaime Peligro’s bookstore in Tamarindo. Read the book review on page 11. Winter is bug season. BugBusters will destroy termites, spiders, ants, mosquitoes, vermin and ticks. See ad age 21. La Laguna del Cocodrilo Restaurant is under new management. William David Jones, who bartended at the restaurant, has taken over ownership and will continue to serve the same delicious Costa Rican Fusion cuisine. See the ad on page 17. Aloe Spa, in Hotel Pasatiempo, offers a wide range of services, including a Day Special, which includes two hour treatment, lunch with wine and pool access. Monday- Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Rancho Coyote, halfway between Tamarindo and Villarreal, is available for rent for private events. Tel: 2653-1525. Dorado Jet Ski offers tours to Catalina Islands for snorkelling and to enjoy the turtles, rays and other marine life. See ad page 20. Congratulations to Witch’s Rock Surf Camp, which has been chosen to host Radio Dos’ program every Friday night from 5 to 7 p.m. The program will invite local personalities on air to talk about Tamarindo’s attractions and businesses, and will give tourism a boost, as it is broadcast on 99.5 all over Costa Rica. To promote your goods and services call Joe Walsh at 2653-1238.
On air with Evan Luck and Joe Walsh
Surf Report
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n May 5, former national champion Andrea Diaz put on a surf event that brought members of the surf community together to help the less-fortunate kids of the area. Called Surf for Youth Guanacaste Surf Series, Diaz partnered with CEPIA to create a surf contest and activity-filled day that would allow pro surfers to give back to the community. The contest took place in beautiful waves of approximately two meters in a spot kept secret to respect the locals, while about twenty CEPIA kids worked on crafts and played beach games. The surfers would complete their heats, and then join the children in their activities. In addition, the pros brought bags of donations, including leashes, hats, surf trunks and bathing suits, which were distributed to CEPIA a few days after Surf for Youth was finished. According to Diaz, the entire day was based on the premise that through surfing, you can live your dreams. “It was amazing,” recapped Diaz. “This was a super epic contest and there was a lot of communion, brotherhood between the surfers, and the surfers and the kids.” Carlos Muñoz, who won First Place Open and $500, was particularly glad to be involved with Surf for Youth. He and brother Alberto were raised in Esterillos by a single mother and could empathize with what some of the kids have to live with on a daily basis. He was particularly glad to be taking part in a contest that drew talent the likes of Gilbert Brown, Diego Naranjo, Lisbeth Vindas, Isaac Vega, Jair Pérez (photo above), International Surfing Association (ISA) World Masters Surfing Games gold medal winner Craig “Tequila” Schieber and, all the way from Nicaragua, Rex Calderon. Sponsors were aboard as well. Diaz’s Waves Costa presented along with Tiki Hut Bar and Restaurant, with Marbella Real Estate, Carton Surfboards, Marbella Surf Inn, Skullcandy and Quiksilver contributing to help put the contest on. Best Western Tamarindo Vista Villas donated rooms. Everyone knew that something amazing was going on when it came to the final Open heat and the surfers were of the highest caliber. With 20 minutes of spectacular showmanship, it was a barrel battle between Brown, Vega, Naranjo and the winner Muñoz. For once, it was difficult to see who the clear winner was, with Brown answering every other tube that Carlos spit with one of his own. Even Vega and Brown saw the inside of waves, as they were barreled at least once in the heat. However, Muñoz had the top two scores. Brown was 2nd, Vega 3rd with Naranjo taking 4th. They all walked away with a little cash prize. Even the Women’s Open was a surprise. Although our champion Lisbeth had a great opener with her trademark power surfing, she was unable to find a second wave of equal or greater caliber. The winner was Daniela Comenero, a newcomer to competition, and hopefully someone we will see on the Circuito Nacional. With the waves so large, it was quite a sight to see the little Grommets head out in the swell with their coaches, and then there were those who went out without any extra help. They were all very brave. Even though
Ellen Zoe Golden (ellenzoe@aol.com) he had to prepare for his upcoming heats, Brown was still in the water coaching little 7-year-old Lia Diaz. “This is the beginning of a huge project where we are going to teach the CEPIA kids and every kid from the community who can’t afford lessons,” explained Andrea. Scott Kadowaki will be helping with the lessons when they get started on Saturdays beginning this month in Tamarindo. The idea of the surf lessons to the youth, according to Diaz, is to develop a surf association that will feed young talent into the Circuito Nacional de Surf. Speaking of the Circuito, some surfers speaking on the condition of anonymity were very upset with some of the new guidelines implemented this year. The major sore spot was the elimination of the Grommets category, and the limiting of the number of surfers who can compete in the Mini-Grommets, as well as the combination of Mini-Grommets girls and Mini-Grommets boys. There was such an uproar at the first date, when only the top ranked surfers were guaranteed a place among the eight spots who could inscribe, that by the second date, the Federacion de Surf de Costa Rica (FSC), who run the Circuito, had stretched the number of entrants to twelve. Still, some of the pros feel that by taking away the opportunity for Grommets to compete, and limiting the number of Mini-Grommets to one category with twelve surfers, it is going against the premise of the Circuito itself, which is to bring up new talent. Many times I talked to Jose Ureña, the previous President of the Federacion of Surf, and he was proud of the fact that some of today’s champions like Open leaders Jair Perez, Carlos Muñoz and Nataly Bernold started on the Circuito when they were young. Perhaps new President Randall Chavis has a different game plan.
Surf for Youth - May 5, 2012
Open: 1. Carlos Muñoz 2. Gilbert Brown 3. Isaac Vega 4. Diego Naranjo
Groms Chicos: 1. Sean Foster 2. Tiago Carrique 3. Jame Carteel 4. Sage Guinaldo
Mujeres: 1. Danielle Ciminero 2. Lisbeth Vindas 3. Tal Saporta 4. Evie Johnstone
Masters: 1. Marcel Guinaldo 2. Craig “Tequila” Schieber 3. Forest Folger 4. Jeffrey Allen 5. Jeffry Mars
Groms Chicas: 1. Liliana Guinaldo 2. Lia Diaz 3. Sorya Folger
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Turtle Watchers Randi Raymond
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nyone who has ever been lucky enough to witness a twohundred-pound turtle come ashore, in a ritual as old as time, to lay her eggs, has seen the miraculous Mother Nature at her best. However did you know that there are people in town who have made it their life’s work to study and protect these turtles? Many of you have seen them around or have heard stories of the people who work late into the night to help the turtles lay their eggs and escort the babies out to sea when the time is right. This group of turtle helpers is led by Marc Ward who has been traveling to Costa Rica over the last ten years to help save the declining species of our own native green turtles. With the faithful help of a few locals, like Joseph Beshore and William Aguilar, and many volunteers from around the world Marc and his team have been able to do a lot of good work for us in a place most of us can’t see and so often goes unnoticed and under-appreciated. So far this year this group has helped protect 78 green turtle nests and still has three months to go in the season. They have seen the hatch of over 900 Olive Ridleys and 1,400 green turtle babies and watched them make their arduous adventure from the nest into the surf. Last year they were able to protect 157 nests from illegal harvesting allowing the turtle population a chance to increase its size. Every little bit helps in the efforts to help endangered animals. Protecting the nests and studying the turtles is a great way to help protect and preserve this amazing species we share our beaches with. However we can do more. According to research at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in conjunction with a Korean Oceanographic Institute, the number one threat to turtles, all marine life and eventually humans is the consumption of plastics. Every year millions of tons of plastics are dumped into the ocean. These bits of plastic break down over time in the currents and the swells and become magnets for other toxic chemicals, such as PCB’s & DDT’s known carcinogens. Thanks - or no thanks - to global ocean currents much of the world’s wasted plastic ends up in our front door as Punto Pargos is one of the farthest western points in Costa Rica and we are right in line with the eastern intercontinental currents. What this means is that many of our beaches (including the water, sand and plant life that grows along our coast) contain a great deal of these harmful plastic contaminates. Also, these bits of plastic have become a snack food for the marine life, accumulating in their system and then, as we consume local sea food it accumulates in our system as well. Over the last three years Marc has made it a personal mission to clean up the reefs here in Punto Pargos in order to restore the natural “nursery” for young sea life of all species. Since removing over 30,000 pieces of plastic trash and 10,000 monofilament balls from the Lagartillo reef there has been a recent resurgence in young turtles, sea anemones, lobsters, baby fish and other tide pool critters. Some local lobster fisherman are even saying it has been the best year ever which makes sense now that the lobster babies have somewhere cleaner to grow up. Why is all of this important? It is important to be aware how the damage that is done in a land far away can have a direct effect here at home. Also it is important to see that the work and energy of just one person can motivate so many and can make a positive change right where we need it most.
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Barbara’s Pet Stories Baby Coatimundi
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uch! What was that? I have no idea where I am, I cannot see, as my eyes are still closed because I am so young. And I tell myself, do not move. Wait what will happen next. I have to introduce myself: I am a tiny Coatimundi, and I just fell out of the nest high up in a palm tree. My Mom gave birth to me and five more coatimundi a week ago. Some minutes ago she started to clean the nest, arranged the leaves and by mistake she pushed me out. Now I am here on the ground, far, far away from my Mom and my siblings. I am so afraid. I am hungry, I am cold and I want to cuddle up to Mom. A noise comes closer...ahhh, something coolish is touching me. Oh please...what is this...ahhh. Then I hear a voice: “Come here, yes...good dog.” Now I can hear steps coming towards me. The cool snout disappears. Someone picks me up. Very gentle, and I can feel a soft hand. A finger pets my head. As I mentioned before, I cannot see yet, but I can smell and this smells good and feels good. I push myself a bit deeper into this warm hand, please do not drop me back to the ground. Ahhh, ok, a second hand is put around me, I feel safe now. Then I can hear the voice again: “Oh look at this...” and we walk to the patio. My hands sit down and a soft thing is put into my mouth...some drops come out of it...that tastes good, so I suck a bit and more drops are coming out; oh yeah, this feels good. So I cuddle into this hand, I can relax and all of a sudden, I doze off. Some time later I wake up. I can feel that I am kind of wrapped into a towel inside of a small basket. I am hungry again, so I squeak a bit, and, of course, this warm hand takes me out of my “bed”, I am petted and cuddled and I can drink my milk again, hmmm! So I learned my first lesson: just a squeak and I am treated like a king! to be continued...
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Yu
The Delicio
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s the Costa Rican tour bus wound through the old back road through the mountains on its way to Lake Arenal, the visiting tourists observed the changing landscape and different crops being planted in the lush tropical highlands. They saw coffee, acres of tropical house plants, organic strawberries and black beans. Then, as they came closer to Fortuna, they saw a strange sight which their guide jokingly called a stick farm, large fields with orderly rows of sticks. Soon they saw what these sticks would soon become, field after field of a crop many had never heard of – yuca. And yes, it is yuca, not yucca. Dig it up, peel it, boil it, fry it! The Costa Rican kitchen offers up many tasty specialties from one versatile commodity - yuca. A large brown root tuber, the yuca is an important food source for many cultures from the jungles of Brazil to tables of South East Asia, from Hawaii luaus to dessert puddings in the USA.
The yuca (jew-ka) plant is sometimes confused with the fibrous desert yucca (yuck-a) used to make rope or planted in desert gardens. Yuca is an important source of carbohydrates world wide and is known by many names – cassava, manioc, tapioca and of course, here in Costa Rica, yuca. Yuca, a true American crop, has been cultivated for hundreds of years and is no longer found in the wild, according to plant biologists. Two important centers of early cultivation were in Brazil and Southern Mexico; however, now, it is a common crop throughout the tropical world. Yuca (manihot esculent) is popular because it is very droughtresistant and can be grown in very poor soils. It is a short-lived shrub that ranges from 1-5 meters high and can be either grown from seed or, the choice of most cultivators, vegetatively. Just plant a stick in the ground. The large brown elongated tubers arise from the roots and range from six inches to over two feet long, weighing up to four pounds. The white starchy center may be streaked with purple lines and is surrounded by a brown to reddish-brown skin, peeled off before cooking. The older tubers may be more yellow and fibrous with a more bitter taste. Each plant can produce up to ten of the starchy tubers. In old Guanacaste yuca, along with quadrados, platano, bananas and another tuber, tiquisque, were cultivated in the back yards to be harvested for making soup and other typical dishes This backyard horticulture was much like that practiced by the indigenous people inhabitating the region for thousands of years before the European settlers. When in season, the Guanacaste cook would also add squash and baby corn. Dishes were seasoned with cilantro coyote (wild variety) and oregano, also cultivated in the yard. Years later, when the vegetable trucks began coming from the mountains, other vegetables such as potatoes, cabbage, onions, celery and carrots were added to the pot. (continued next page)
uca
ous Tuber Today, yuca remains an important part of the Guanacaste diet. Peeled and boiled, it is cut into pieces and added to the typical “vigorón”, which is cabbage salad topped with fresh tomato, onion and cilantro mixture and pork “chicharrones” and a couple of pieces of boiled yuca. Vigorones are popular finger foods at the food booths at local fiestas. Pieces of potato-like yuca are commonly added to soups to help thicken the broth and add a distinct flavor. They are also made into a type of cheese-filled empanada. And my favorite: yuca frita. The starchy yuca is boiled, cut in strips and fried till crisp. Then salted and dipped into frijoles molidos, ground black bean dip, and served as bocas/ appetizers (recipe follows). In other parts of the world, yuca is eaten raw, washed, ground and processed into flour for making manioc breads common with the indigenous peoples of the Amazon. Yuca plants produce more calories per acre then potatoes, rice or even corn and it is high in vitamin B, phosphorous and iron but very low in protein. Traditional cooks use yuca powder as a starch used to thicken dishes as you would use corn starch. One of the major producers of yuca in the world is Indonesia where, according to M. Hansen of the University of Kentucky, the processed yuca is heated on iron plates causing it to agglutinate into small balls called tapioca. Many of us remember a funny pudding with little translucent balls of “something” called tapioca. The majority of the world’s tapioca is imported to Europe and the US for use in desserts and confectionaries. And, those of us lucky enough to be invited to a luau, a Hawaiian fiesta, may have sampled the traditional poi, also made from yuca, known there as cassava. Whether it is called yuca, cassava, or manioc, the tuber is the same. And remember: look for yuca in the produce section of the grocery store and spiny yucca in the garden department. For your first taste, try yuca frita with frijoles molidos on the appetizer menu, or make them at home, and enjoy!
Yucca Frita
Select one or two firm yuca tubers. They are coated in wax to help preserve them. Peel with a potato peeler and cut into large 3-4 inch chunks. Par-boil until the large pieces start to get tender, but not soft. Rinse in cold water and let the pieces cool and cut along length into “French fry” pieces, then remove any central hard fibers and fry in hot oil until crisp. Salt and serve hot with Frijoles Molidos (ground black beans) and fresh salsa. Canned Santa Cruz or other prepared black beans are quick and a traditional taste. Make your Fresh Salsa with 2 cups of chopped ripe tomatoes, 1 cup of chopped onion and ½ cup of cilantro finely chopped. Mix and add a ¼t. of salt and ¼t. lime juice. Another favorite dip for the yuca is Salsa Rosada – ¼ cup of mayonnaise, 1/8 cup of catsup, ¼ t. black pepper, mix and dip.
Story by Kay T. Dodge kaydodge@racsa.co.cr)
WHAT ARE WE DOING COSTA RICA? Cynthia Osborne Charpentier
Senility (senile dementia)
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enility was once considered an inevitable consequence of aging. However, we now know that is a physically-based disease, and in fact it is not very common. It is a condition in which brain function, or certain aspects of brain function, decline to the point that mental disability results. Forgetfulness, fearfulness, depression, agitation, difficulty absorbing new information, and loss of emotional responses are typical. The disorder usually gets progressively worst. Complications that may occur include injuries (primarily due to falls), inadequate nutrition, constipation, and a variety of infections. Dementia can be caused by several diseases affecting brain function. It can also result from nutritional deficiency, especially if chronic, or long-term alcohol or drug use. Many people diagnosed as senile actually suffer from pseudodementiasymptoms that mimic dementia but that are actually caused by depression, deafness, brain tumors, thyroid problems, liver or kidney problems, the use of certain drugs, or other disorders. A thorough medical and psychological examination by a qualified professional, preferably a specialist in the field, is necessary for an accurate diagnosis. Dementia is considered incurable. However, the proper diet and nutritional supplements can help: - Garlic: Enhances brain function, helps to reduce stress and anxiety. - Melatonin: Aids sleep, helps maintain equilibrium, and strengthens the immune system. - Vitamin B12: Needed to prevent anemia. Also prevents nerve damage and may assist memory and learning. - Vitamin C: Reduces blood clotting, improving cerebral circulation. - Vitamin E: Improves cerebral circulation and boosts immunity, which declines with age. Eat raw foods, along with seeds; drink plenty of liquids, even if you are not thirsty - as we grow older, our “thirst system” does not work as well; move the bowels daily - oat bran, rice bran, and a high-fiber diet are important; keep active. Exercising, walking, engaging in mental activity, and doing things you enjoy, like pursuing a hobby, are important; seek out companionship and new experiences. Some people withdraw and keep to themselves as they get older because it seems easier and/or safer, but this can lead to loneliness and depression; have a complete physical examination to rule out the possibility of illness as a cause of symptoms. It thus seems logical that many cases of dementia may be prevented by “stroke reduction” measures - not smoking, controlling high blood pressure, pursuing chelation therapy to remove toxic metals from the body. Toxic metals in the body can produce symptoms similar to those of senility.
Turtle... (from page 16) When I sat down and spoke with Mark for this article I asked him what the average person can do to help and he had a few suggestions. One is to always pick up trash when you see it at the beach no matter whose it is and whether or not it’s plastic. Also the old saying “reduce, reuse, recycle” is not enough. It is definitely a step in the right direction but if we are going to really clean up our collective mess we need to refuse the further use of plastic and styrofoam. This will take some time to get used to but if there is ever an opportunity to refuse the use of plastic please do so. Some simple suggestions are to bring your own to-go containers, reuse shopping bags or get some cloth ones, avoid plastic straws and when given a choice buy goods that have the least amount of plastic wrapping. For more information or to donate to the cause go to www.seaturtlesforever.org or follow them on Facebook. As a healthcare provider in this area I must recommend a multi-organ cleanse to everyone who comes in contact with these contaminates; to view the entire cleanse you can stop by Kore Organic Market in Playa Negra, email me at randiraymond@gmail.com or see my website vidaskincareforlife.com.
Letter My wife and I were interested in your article regarding the need for firefighting equipment and fire prevention, and in Kent Carthey’s response in the May issue. I was a firefighter and my wife and I were EMTs for 17 years on Vashion Island in the State of Washington. Twenty years ago we built a home in Playa Potrero and we recognized the need for fire suppression and emergency aid. Vashion Island donated an excellent pump truck for Costa Rica. Getting it into this country was cost-prohibitive due to the import taxes. The Melia Conchal paid the $8,000 to transport and bring it into Costa Rica. Our fire district in Washington also provided bunker gear and air-packs for the firefighters. In addition, I trained employees at the Melia in firefighting techniques. On one occasion we responded to a brush fire and saved a home and helicopter in the Flamingo area. An hour-and-a-half after the fire was extinguished the Brush Truck from Filadelfia arrived on location. The firefighters from Filadelfia were amazed at the equipment we had. Several days later the Melia was notified that they could not respond to fires outside their property because they were not Costa Rica-trained and firefighter employees. Our district also made available a one-ton ambulance that was fully stocked. No one, including Cruz Roja, would pay the duty to bring it into the country so the ambulance went to Mexico. They were very grateful to receive it. What is wrong with the thinking of this government? Passengercarrying helicopters and water buckets are not compatible and would also be cost-prohibitive.
Jim and Lynn Selig
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Surf Report (from page 15) Speaking of excellent waves, there were loads of them at the third date of the Circuito Nacional de Surf (actually called Circuito Nacional Olympus 2012 for the camera sponsor this year). Copa Coastal Supremacy, presented by Cushe Footwear, took place in Esterillos Oeste. According to Carlos Brenes, the voice of the FSC, these were the best waves of any of the Circuito going back two years, and there were about 1,000 people on the beach to witness. Of course, the pros ripped them up. In a final heat that featured our young hero Noe Mar McGonagle, Maikol Torres and veteran Gilbert Brown, it was the radical air of Jair Pérez that helped send him flying to 1st place from the bottom of the pile. That wave, which scored 7.33 was added to his 6.40 for the win at 13.73. McGonagle had a 8.33 and 4.40 for a total of 13.03 and 2nd place, with Torres earning 6.33 and 6.47 totaling 12.80 for 3rd, and Brown got 6.67 and 4.93 to round out the heat at 4th. You will notice that this was an historically close final in terms of scoring. “Every final I’m always blessed with excellent competitors, the truth is they have a lot of merits, and they compete well and are very experienced,” said Pérez. “I congratulate them for the battle that resulted, but I did everything really well, and I won the date for which I set a goal to win.” About that winning air, he continued: “I usually look to make good points in waves by surfing safe, but I got it in my head to have to take a risk or lose. I was prepared to do something amazing, and I waited for the wave, did a ‘slob’ and completed it perfect.” (A slob is a fake rotation where your body doesn’t rotate, but your board does.) This win is the first time since this year’s Circuito began, that Perez reached the winning podium. In order to grab the national championship title, he will have to at least place in finals for two of the four remaining dates in Dominical, Jacó, Santa Teresa, and of course, the Gran Final in Playa Hermosa. Good news for new mom and 8-times national champion Lisbeth Vindas: She won her first date of the Circuito Nacional Olympus 2012. Faced with two foreigners, Eve Johnstone and Tal Saporta - who also happened to compete at the Surf for Youth contest, and the 12-year-old Emily Gussoni - who made her debut at the ISA Junior World Surfing Games - Vindas was in rare form as she took her once-familiar 1st place. “My first two results were not very good, but I was trying to re-focus, have good faith prior to entering the water and turn the tables to find results that are worthy and would put me straight on the final ranking,” said Vindas. The next date of Circuito Nacional Olympus 2012 is presented by Banana Boat in Dominical, for the Quiksilver Cup in front of the hotel Tortilla Flat, on May 19 and 20. (continued page 33)
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young couple were both shot, he in the hand, she in the leg, when he accidentally discharged the .45 handgun he was handling - while attending a firearms safety class!
A new law will mandate the microchipping of dogs in England. All newborn puppies will have a microchip, paid for by the state, inserted between the shoulder blades. A postcard mailed from Chicago in 1959 has just arrived at its destination in Daytona, Florida, 53 years after it was posted. Sent by a woman on vacation to her son, who is now 71, it contained the sentence: “We’ll probably be home before this gets there.” The Guinness Book of Records has confirmed the biggest wave ever ridden by a surfer as recorded in Portugal in November 2011. The monster wave, estimated by experts at 24 meters (78 feet), was ridden by Hawaiian Garret McNamara. A cemetery in East Hanover, New Jersey, offers soft music and light shows to soothe visitors. It has now installed 1,000 solar panels to power the mausoleum, saving $2,300 per month on electricity costs. Los Angeles officials are considering laws on skateboarding to keep down the speed to 25 m.p.h. and penalize them for breaking traffic rules. Two teenagers have died while skateboarding this year. Fort Lee, N.J. police said they will begin issuing $85 jaywalking tickets to pedestrians who are caught texting while walking, in response to three fatal pedestrian accidents this year. “It’s a big distraction. Pedestrians aren’t watching where they are going and they are not aware,” said Thomas Ripoli, chief of the Fort Lee Police Department. After measuring 1,200 Indian volunteers for size, surveyors have agreed that the average Indian’s penis is three to five centimeters shorter than the international standard used in condom manufacture. Trying to get into an Iowa bar an underage student, Steven Fiorella, offered the bouncer a stolen ID, only to find that the ID had been stolen from the same bouncer a few months earlier. The student is charged with theft.
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
Now Begins the Study of Yoga Salamba Sarvangasana or Shoulderstand I think of Shoulderstand as the quintessential yoga pose. It has one of the longest lists of physiological benefits, and is often referred to as the Mother or Queen of all poses because it is so important in a regular practice. Some of the benefits of this pose are: brings fresh blood to the thyroid and parathyroid glands, helps to stimulate your kidneys, digestive and elimination systems, soothes your nervous system, and gives you a chance to see things from a new perspective! As children, shoulderstand was probably something that we did as part of playtime. Going upside down in your yoga practice is called inverting, with Shoulderstand often being one of the first inversions we learn. As adults, with the right set-up and precautions, this pose is a great part of your regular practice (if this were a prescription drug ad, in small print I’d also add: If you have neck or shoulder injuries, headaches, or high blood pressure, talk with your teacher about how to do this pose safely). In the March and April Howlers, I showed a number of ways to move and stretch the shoulders to get ready for this pose. I teach this pose using blankets to support the natural curve of the neck as you end up supporting your body weight on your neck, upper arms and shoulders. Bridge pose is a good alternative to work with your shoulders and begin to bear some weight on these areas if it is not wise for you to do Shoulderstand at this time. I found the wall was my best friend when first doing Shoulderstand. With the wall, you can use your legs to support some of your body weight, especially if you don’t yet have good shoulder flexibility and the strength to safely lift yourself into the pose. As the picture shows, your body gets into the right position without having to bring your arms to your upper back. Use the wall until you build up your core strength and shoulder flexibility for the full pose. Plough pose is also used to help you get used to the feeling of being upside down. Remember doing this one as kids? Welcome back to it as an adult – when it is valuable to help us stretch our hamstrings and low back before going up into or coming down from Shoulderstand. Although there are many variations of this pose, the one-legged variation of Shoulderstand is shown here, as a nice one for working with your legs while in this inversion, and a fairly easy variation to try once you feel comfortable going upside down. Enjoy your Shoulderstands & Namaste’.
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. jwhitlow82159@gmail.com
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his month we will continue our discussion on how to make healthy choices when dining out. We have already discussed what to choose when ordering appetizers at full service and fine dining restaurants. The next category on the menu is usually salads. Most people assume that all salads are healthy, but that is not the case. Most salads are good choices, but the same general rules that we have discussed here before apply. You want to order a salad with no croutons or breaded products like “boneless wings” or breaded chicken breasts or pieces. You should dress the salads with a low-fat or fat-free dressing. This is the case not because of the calories necessarily, but because regular salad dressings are almost invariably made with soybean oil. Soybeans contain estrogen-like substances or chemicals that mimic the chemistry and actions of the female hormone estrogen. These substances cause breast enlargement (gynecomastia) in men. and weight gain and fluid retention in women.
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!
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When it comes to choosing an entrée, first apply the general rules, those being no breaded products, no pre-packaged frozen or prepared products, and no sugar or flour-laden foods. So if you are at a seafood restaurant, you want to order the grilled seafood rather than the fried. At Italian spots, you should order protein-based entrées, such as a steak, unbreaded veal or chicken parmesan, or a chicken cacciatore. At Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants, order entrées that don’t use tortillas, or cut open the tortilla or tamal and eat what’s inside. Indian restaurants have many excellent choices for entrées, as very few Indian dishes are breaded or loaded with sugar. French food is also very healthy and flavorful. Now some might argue that French food is loaded with saturated fat and cholesterol, but the French paradox, i.e. the fact that the French have much lower rates of heart disease and high blood cholesterol than other populations in spite of their diet, is a scientific fact. In my opinion, this is the case because the fats in the French diet are healthy natural fats like cream and butter, rather than nasty artificial fats like margarine and soybean oil. Asian cuisine is generally a poor choice, because most of the menu items are breaded or loaded with sugar. Moo goo gai pan, broccoli chicken, or shrimp with lobster sauce are some healthy choices here. When it comes to classic American fare, choose grilled rather than breaded and fried options. Steaks and chops are better than pasta. Barbecued meats are okay, but not as desirable because of the sugar in the barbecue sauce. For side items, avoid French fries, not because they’re fried, as most would assume, but because they are a frozen dead food that is far removed from the natural potatoes they once were. Avoid rice, because it is a grain, it has no nutritive value, and because it forms acid in the body when digested in the same way that flour, sugar, and corn meal do. Vegetables, fruits, and potatoes are all good choices, but potatoes are the worst of the three because the potatoes are higher in calories and lower in nutritive value than the others. When it comes to desserts, the only good choice is some type of fruit. The other choices will be loaded with sugar and/or flour. This completes our discussion on what to eat when dining at home or dining out. Please feel free to e-mail me with any and all questions or comments.
My Tamarindo Trip
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fter so much searching, asking around and using Google, I decided to pick Tamarindo, Costa Rica, as my upcoming surf trip to take it to the next level (since I’m still learning surfing). I was not disappointed upon my arrival and couldn’t wait to enter the warm water once I checked in. I stayed at The Tamarindo Diriá Hotel and had already spoken to some of the hotel employees before my arrival, since I had many questions regarding amenities and surfing. Rolando at the tour desk was a huge help, loved him, really sweet & polite, he always smiles. I was treated so nicely I obviously didn’t want to leave when my departure date came... I had tears in my eyes when I got in the car, as I was leaving the hotel on my way to the airport. I love these type of trips, to these type of locations; they allow me to realize what’s important in life, they ground me and make me appreciate the best things out of life. They remind me how great it is to be simple and humble.
Hanging out with the locals - all surfers: Eymhus, Alex, Oscar, Carlos, was the highlight of my journey in Tamarindo. I learned not only about surf, but also about the beach, the water, the town, the way they speak, their expressions. It was a blessing for me to have met them all, specially my instructor Henry, who is talented, unique and super cool! He’s a great description of what a surfer is. I also heard funny stories that got me laughing for minutes!!!! The Costarricenses have so much charisma and energy, and they love to help. I was very happy with everyone I encountered customer service-wise. Especially Sasha at the Voodoo Lounge Restaurant, also Olivier and Mickael at Langosta Beach Club. Wherever you go, everyone always responds “con gusto” and they mean it, that’s beautiful! I felt free and connected with nature, with the sea. I can’t wait to come back and learn more about the ocean, surfing, and about new places. I made sure to enjoy the sunset every afternoon, cause they were unbelievable, they seem as if they were hand-painted to exaggerate the colors - truly lovely. I used “The Howler” magazine to get familiar with local stuff... I was given two issues & enjoyed them very much. The last three days were the best! Henry made me ride the best and biggest wave I had in my ten days’ vacation... He told me it was about 5 or 6 feet tall, and that made my day. I was so happy I was actually screaming while on the surfboard riding that wave, I even got thumbs up from another surfer. It felt like a huge improvement, and it made me proud of myself. All the pain, hard work, the surfboard hits on my body & the tiredness were worth it. I can describe my trip in two words: “pura vida”! Losmir (la Venezolana)
by Jeanne Callahan (jeannecallahan007@gmail.com)
October Forecasts June Forecasts
Aries: 21 March - 20 April
Visit Jeanne’s site at CelestialAdvisor.com
Libra: 23 September - 23 October
Taurus: 21 April - 21 May
With Saturn Rx till the 25th in your first house, you have had to pull back a bit to figure out a new game plan. Serious stuff, yes, but this month there’s some cosmic helpers in your ninth house giving you a new take on an old problem. Yes, relationships are still a problem but when Saturn and Venus go direct at the end of the month, a solution presents itself more clearly. Career breakthroughs are likely after the Solstice on the 20th, signifying an increase in stature. Best days to pursue your interests are the 26th and 27th.
Gemini: 22 May - 21 June
The Gemini stellium occurs in your eighth house. Hmmm…. this could be a very complex month for you as Saturn Rx in your twelfth house makes you reclusive and less inclined to deal with issues directly. While you do need extra rest at this time, you have to dress up and present to the world on a daily basis to address some of these issues. Mars in your eleventh house gives you an edge with associates. Good days for that are the 1st, 2nd, 29th, and 30th.
Cancer: 22 June - 22 July
With a stellium of planets and the Sun in your seventh house of partnership you may be hearing from old lovers, exes and people from your past this month. While it’s never a good idea to get seriously involved with someone when the planet of love, Venus, is in retrograde motion, you can at least entertain a flirtation! The full moon lunar eclipse on the 4th has you contemplating changes in your appearance or persona. Good days for you are the 3rd and 4th.
Leo: 23 July - 23 August
It’s a busy work month for you as the Gemini stellium loads your sixth house. Saturn Rx in your tenth house says you are checking in with contacts from your past to see if you can engage them in new ventures. For starting a new venture, wait till Saturn and Venus are in direct motion after the 27th. The solstice highlights relationships for you so make time to stay connected with your partner. The 5th and 6th are good days for a time out or mini-vacation.
The month’s energy is very dynamic with major activity in your third house of short trips, communication and learning. Expect changes in your routine to unfold and increase after the 11th when Jupiter enters Gemini, too. Good month for promoting your talents. Relationships fare better at the end of the month when Saturn and Venus turn direct, creating a bridge for understanding what it is you truly want. Best days are the 12th and 13th. Even more than usual, you will be concerned with finances and increasing your income stream as three planets and the Sun are in your second house of values, money and possessions. No worries, as Jupiter the planet of abundance and opportunity will enter Gemini on the 11th, bringing in more choices and activity. Venus will go direct on the 27th, giving clarity of direction. Lunar aspects favor you on the 14th and 15th.
This is a month full of choices and activities, though be aware that overbooking yourself is quite possible with Jupiter entering your sign on the 11th! A strong focus on communication and self-promotion will pay off over the next year and a half so don’t be afraid to try something new. The full moon lunar eclipse on the 4th will give you insight on your next endeavor. Excellent days for you are the 17th, 18th and the new moon on the 19th. You are sorting out some personal issues this month as planets in your twelfth house of solitude indicate you need to retreat inward. With Saturn going direct on the 25th in your fourth house of home and roots, you will make a decision about changing something in your existing home or moving to a new location entirely. With the Solstice occurring on the 20th, you are ready to embrace a new beginning. Good days are the 20th and 21st.
This is a very social month for you as three planets and the Sun are in your eleventh house of friends, business associates and income from your profession. Be careful what you ask for with this dynamic stellium! You have extra charisma going on so you can talk anyone into almost anything! Be sincere and generous with your comments to others as this aspect will have long range effects in your professional life. Good days to get your way are the 22nd and 23rd.
Virgo: 24 August - 22 September
Your mojo increases this month as Mars in your first house revs you up and Jupiter at the top of your chart brings in abundant energy and opportunities again. Personal relationships can be testy though as the Venus Rx squares Mars bringing in some confrontations and friction. Neptune in Pisces goes Rx on the 4th, making one very sensitive to the vibes out there so keep your antenna up for the undercurrent story. Best days for progress are the 24th and 25th.
Scorpio: 24 October - 22 November
Sagittarius: 23 November - 21 December
Capricorn: 22 December - 21 January
Aquarius: 22 January - 19 February
This is a good month to have a little fun for yourself by taking a trip or some time off from your daily routine. Life still offers some surprises if you shift a few things to accommodate change. The stellium in Gemini in your fifth house will be bombarding you with opportunities so just say yes! With Saturn going direct on the 25th, possibly a pilgrimage to a sacred site would be in order. Whatever you decide, just do it! The 7th and 8th would be great days for action.
Pisces: 20 February - 20 March
Neptune goes Rx in your first house making you a bit spacey or forgetful this month. You might find yourself tearing up at the slightest things, too. This is a super sensitive time for you so take care and avoid loud noisy places and big crowds. With the Gemini stellium in your fourth house of home and roots, you may want to have a party or a celebration in your home; that way you control the environment. Best days for that would be on the 9th or 10th.
Namasté
Parents’ Corner Emotional and Cognitive Effects of a Natural Learning Space
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e all know from personal experience that we feel and perform much better in a place that we like: we design our homes according to our personal sensorial preferences and, if possible, will also arrange our working place in a very personal manner. Without any doubt, our environment has a direct impact on our general wellbeing and our productivity, and that is particularly true when it comes to learning. Studies show that the way a learning space (school, classroom) is designed will influence the learning climate and learning results in multiple ways. “Specific structural characteristics influence cognitive processes, from visual and acoustic perceptions, via attention to the model, to processes of comprehension and reflection. Aspects of the design of the learning space also modify the interaction among students and between students and their teacher.” (Arndt, 2012). Natural components inside the classroom seem to have a relieving influence in mental resources and children’s attention to learning increases in natural environments. A well-balanced illumination that allows daylight to come into the room, windows that give view to a natural scenery (garden, woods), the use of wooden components and plants, as well as direct access to the outside and having long periods of learning outdoors can make a difference in the way students process information, and also how they feel about what they are learning. Learning spaces need to respond to age-related needs. Preschool and Primary classrooms are ideally “a home away from home”, providing an environment that is both safe and stimulating for the senses. Natural components are especially important for this age group, as there seems to be an inborn visual preference for an environment that is close to nature, at least until the age of 8. After that, but particularly during adolescence, the environmental needs vary from that of younger children, and from adults, “accordingly, involving youths in the planning of learning spaces would seem to be desirable instead of putting forward the aesthetic preferences of adults” (Hinton & Fischer, 2008). In an emotionally and cognitively sensitive environment teaching methods will also prefer natural ways of learning. Children learn best through trial and error or through models by observing and imitating. “In both cases, the child must become active: An action is performed, the result is verified, mistakes are corrected, and future performances are bound to be more successful. When an action is successful and the desired result is achieved, the brain’s reward system is activated” (Bargh, 2009). When the child is actively involved in the learning process, information is more likely to be not only retained, but also applied in future problem solving situations. There are many different ways to support learning processes so that they are close to natural forms of learning. Architectural structure, interior design and landscaping, as well as classroom composition and teaching methods can make a difference in the way our children learn, and most importantly, how they feel about learning. “If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” Marcus Cicero consultariascos@live.com Msc. Mónica Riascos Henríquez Psychopedagogist – Member of ASOLAP – Code 2024 consultariascos@live.com
Avellanas...
(from page 9)
populations. Arguably questionable scientific research and so-called conservation programs continue even though the nesting population of leatherbacks has dwindled from several thousand to dozens in fifteen short years. This hostile human environment is not the place Avellanas came to know over a decade ago. We are hoping for the best for her and her canine companions (especially the homeless ones) in the coming months with MINAET’s aggressive campaign to implement the “no dogs” regulations in spite of dubious facilities and little animal management experience. To be fair, the new dog regulations are a national mandate for Costa Rica’s national parks. On the other hand, many Playa Grande locals believe that the “park” is a marine park by law and that the beach is legally the Tamarindo Wildlife Sanctuary as it has been for almost three decades. Sanctuaries traditionally include input from the local communities and have strict buffer zones. The Playa Grande community shares an interest in humanely managing the local dog population on the beach, but so far they have not been included in the dialogue. It will be interesting to see how the program unfolds without community enthusiasm. With the dog menace now successfully curtailed, the turtles only have to worry about the long-lines and nets, pollution, motor boats, nesting habitat management, and plastic bags. Oh yeah, and those strange looking primates with the silly orange bathing caps bobbing in the surf.
Surviving
C hapter DCLXVI
T
COSTA RICA
he third time we drove down from Texas to Costa Rica through Mexico we decided we’d try a different route other than the one hugging the Gulf coast, then crossing through Oaxaca to the Pacific side. This time we decided to go through the center of Mexico just for a change of scenery. This turned out to be a bad idea. We knew we didn’t want to go through Mexico City, a sure bet to be robbed if not killed, but didn’t realize that our detour put us driving through the countryside in the “state” of Mexico, which was just as bad. We were soon met by a couple of rural law enforcement types in an old beat-up sixties police cruiser who informed us we didn’t have a sticker for our camper shell and were in big trouble. A couple of hundred dollars later we left the cops behind us only to run into two more a couple of miles down the road. They informed us that we were driving on the wrong day for our license plate and we were in big trouble. That night, having put as much distance as possible between the State of Mexico and us, we ended up in a small hotel in the mountains of Oaxaca that we shared with a group of truck drivers who partied all night. It’s true that we did stupid things liking driving from Texas to Costa Rica mostly for the adventure of it. This particular adventure wasn’t really what we’d hoped for. We got back on the road after a night of very little sleep and headed out of the mountains into the state of Chiapas, which at the time was having one of a series of recurring Indian revolts that go back to the time of Cortez. About eleven that morning we were pulled over to the side of the road along with all the other southbound traffic while miles and miles of a Mexican Army convoy full of brandnew Humvees passed by, bristling with machine guns and manned by sixteenyear-olds.
The Leals
The procession went on and on so we started checking out our fellow travelers. About three cars behind us was a Pathfinder with Nicaraguan plates in which we met Roberto and Maria Leal, with whom we struck up a conversation. Don Roberto was probably in his mid-seventies and Maria was age-appropriate; they were driving back from visiting their kids in California and had made the journey between Los Angeles and Managua many times. We asked if we could follow him until we got to Managua and he agreed, making things much easier for us. We spent a couple more hours waiting for the army column to pass and made it to the Guatemalan border by late afternoon. By that time the Leals had taken us under their wings and helped expedite our way across the border into Guatemala. Don Roberto seemed to carry a lot of clout, definitely out of the “Padrone” mold and we were now part of his entourage. He had enough energy for all of us and seemed to enjoy life, as did his wife, although a little more reserved. It was getting dark so the Leals suggested stopping in the next big town, Quetzaltenango, and staying the night at a hotel they knew, which turned out to be a semibunker that you pulled your car into. Very secure. The Leals were excited to be back in Central America and took us to the local ”Pollo Campero” for some fried chicken, a treat for them after having to put up with American cuisine for the past few months. We made good time following the Leals through Guatemala and then El Salvador and at dusk we again followed their advice and stayed at a Catholic compound outside of Sonsonate that was part nursing home, part orphanage and hospital and part motel. The rooms were very clean, they were formerly hospital rooms, and there was no hot water. The next day we again followed the Leals through El Salvador. Don Roberto liked to
Story by Jesse Bishop (owlhumm@hotmail.com)
stop on the side of the road and disappear into the booths set up next to the highway where he would search out vendors of the raw oysters on the half-shell and consume a couple of dozen. He referred to them as his Viagra and wanted to know if I wanted any. To be honest I was a big fan of raw oysters back in Texas but, alas, I shied away from the idea in El Salvador, and probably missed out on the real thing. Our last night with the Leals was spent in another fortified motel, this time in Honduras on the outskirts of Choluteca. We pulled our cars in and had adjoining cabins with the Leals and all seemed peaceful, though we thought the ample security force seemed a little tense. About two o’clock in the morning we were woken by the very nearby sound of gunfire, which needless to say was an extremely unpleasant and scary happening event. Even the Leals seemed a little spooked. We gathered in our room and got up the nerve to peek through the window to see the security crew walking around and firing their shotguns in the air. Don Roberto said they we’re probably warning off some local thieves, which turned out to be the case. We got out of there as quickly as possible and were soon crossing into Nicaragua. The Leals invited us to their finca on the outskirts of Masaya where Don Roberto showed us his pride and joy; years before he had purchased a surplus US Navy ship’s pressure cooker. It must have been from a large ship and meant for cooking for several hundred men. Don Roberto explained that he made all the eating condiments, catsup, mayonnaise, hot sauce etc., for the Nicaraguan Army. Duly impressed we bade the Leals adios and the next day we were in Costa Rica. That particular trip we also drove back to the US stopping at all the same places on the return journey and I still have dreams about oysters in El Salvador.
Dry Times Ahead Tom Peifer (peifer@racsa.co.cr) And it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard rain’s a-gonna’ fall.” Bob Dylan
S
ure enough, Mr. Dylan, the venerable minstrel and onceupon-a-time inspiration to rebellious youth worldwide, sang in Costa Rica on the 5th of May, just about coinciding with the onset of our rainy season. I’m not sure if “Hard Rain” was included in the repertoire, but any ‘poets who died in the gutter’ of San José would have been stranded up the proverbial creek and ingloriously mired in the 100-odd tons of trash that comes out of the storm drains monthly. At any rate, given the timing, Bob’s accuracy in the weather forecasting department may be slightly off this particular year. (Hint: I got the inside scoop.)
I recently met a guy from California who is helping a local developer with his road grading on a rolling piece of land. He explained that he was doing a nice job with all the roadside drainages to get the water off the land as neatly as possible. At the risk of repetition ad nauseum, the smart approach in a seasonally dry area is not to get the water off the land, into a stream and into the ocean as ‘cleanly’ as possible. The smart thing, as one web site puts it, is to “slow it down, spread it out and sink it in.” That way, it adds to the groundwater available next dry season—quite possibly a dry, dry season—when you want to get water out of your wells.
First of all, everyone knows how gossip works. Somebody tells you something really juicy and then tells you not to tell anyone else. Hey, the ‘juiciness’ factor just went up by the power of ten. Good luck, that tidbit is way more likely to launch into circulation, as if it were propelled by some Atlas-Centaur booster rockets.
I would wager that few reading these words were even here during the multi-year drought during the ‘80s. I happen to remember a fierce ‘veranillo’ of the mid-‘90s that lasted for a solid six weeks and put a serious dent in my own landscaping efforts at the time. A friend had planted some 40,000 teak trees and was frantically hand-watering with buckets in a futile effort to stave off a total loss. Old-timers can tell you about the disastrous effects on cattle herds caused by the big drought back in the 1980s. While we may have reason to be skeptical about weather forecasting in general, there’s no denying that, even after heavy rainy seasons, our area is beset by seasonal water shortages. A ‘water-wise’ approach to land use here makes sense even in the best of years. In a bona fide drought, my hunch is that there simply won’t be enough buckets to save a lot of the landscaping that has been installed along the Gold Coast.
Ditto with a ‘for internal distribution only’ memo, sent to me by a certain friend inside a certain agency—not the Instituto Metereológico who are the official weather guys. Nope. This ‘certain government agency’ is also very concerned about the weather patterns. Of course, sworn to secrecy as I am, I wouldn’t think about divulging my sources. It can only be said that this agency has to plan ahead based on medium-range weather patterns to ensure that maximum water levels are kept behind large dams that are the source of most of Costa Rica’s electrical generation capacity. Honestly, the memo was way over my head. Surface water temperature in the Eastern Pacific, La Niña going into a neutral phase, El Niño Southern Oscillation likely, based on historical patterns and probabilities. I wrote my ‘deep throat’ source secreted within the unnamed agency and asked what the hell it meant. Short and sweet, but remember, don’t tell anybody: “Anyways, El Niño in Guanacaste next dry season means probably a very dry, dry season, and perhaps drought.” Long-time readers of The Howler are probably rolling their eyes right about now, thinking to themselves, “Oh, no, here he goes again, more doom and gloom about the water situation, and just now when it’s raining and everything has finally greened up.” I realize most people with any land at all are sharpening their machetes, breaking out their weed whackers or buying herbicides. This time of year you’re more likely to be battling rampant growth than worrying about your sprinkler systems. Nonetheless, forewarned is forearmed, as they say. In addition, it never fails to amaze me that people tend to forget that we live in the wet-dry tropics and that the first rule of rainwater management is to do everything you can to soak it into your land.
Sparing the reader, I won’t delve back into the myriad techniques of how to ‘slow it down, spread it out and sink it in.’ Long-time Howler devotees can go back into their archives and revisit: “Rain Gardens: An Oasis of Hope,” The Howler, Jan. 2006. Visitors are always welcome to drop in and see these and other techniques that I’ve worked on for almost 20 years both garden-scale and in a small development. But, now that I’m on a roll, let me make another pitch, and let a picture spare the reader the one thousand proverbial words. Pictured at the end of the article is the simplest way in the world to ‘kill a bunch of birds with one stone.’ The plant assembly is the above-ground part of a “sub-surface flow wastewater treatment wetland.” In goes the septic effluent. Instead of ‘leaching’ into the groundwater—and your wells--or seeping into streams and out into the ocean, the yucky liquid that comes out of the septic tank goes into a plastic-lined trench that is filled with rocks and covered with gravel. The area is then planted with all the varieties that love to be wet and well-fed. In the photo you can see Alocasia, Banana and Heliconia, just a few of the species which (continued page 32)
Dry... (from page 27)
thrive in these wetlands with no need for water, or fertilizer, even in the dog days of our 6-month dry season. And the other good news is that these systems depend completely on gravity flow to function--unlike some other very efficient systems that require electricity to both oxygenate and pump the wastewater.
RAIN GAUGE
4.5 4.0
c m s
For those with a little insight into how things work, it is not hard to imagine that, in a real drought, with falling reservoir levels and diminished generating capacity, the term “rolling brown outs” might acquire an entirely new meaning in any number of locations.
RAINFALL - May/June 2012
3.5
Maricle Meteorological Observatory
3.0
La Garita
2.5
Total rainfall: 13.8 cm (5.4 inches)
2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 0.0
16
20
25
31
5
May
10
15
June
Rainfall May/June 2012: 8.2 cm 2011: 8.2
Year-to-date 2012: .0 cm 2011: .1
Tom Peifer is an ecological land use consultant with 16 years experience in Guanacaste. 2658-8018. peifer@racsa.co.cr El Centro Verde is dedicated to sustainable land use, permaculture and eco-development. www.elcentroverde.org/
J u n e ( a l l
t i m e s
2 0 1 2 l o c a l )
Sun
1st - rise 5:21; set 6:02 15th - rise 5:22; set 6:07 30th - rise 5:26; set 6:09
Full: Last quarter: New: First Quarter:
Moon
4th 11th 19th 26th
5:12 a.m. 4:41 a.m. 9:02 a.m. 9:30 p.m.
¡¡Your Own Special Day!! When your birthday comes around and you are being celebrated by all your friends, remember the humbling fact that, on your own special day, nineteen million people are celebrating their birthdays!
Surf Report (from page 22)
At the last date in Esterillos Oeste, Noe Mar McGonagle won the Juniors again. McGonagle was coming off a sensational showing at the ISA World Junior Surfing Championship in Playa Venao, Panamá, April 14 to 22. Never faltering from the main rounds of the Boys (Under 16) - he didn’t end up in repercharge - McGonagle surfed and won all the way to the Open Finals, where he earned third place and a bronze medal. This historical placement and medal is only the second time that a Costa Rica surfer has earned a medal in the World Surfing Games. Of course, Tequila won the gold medal for Grand Kahuna (Over 40) in last year’s World Masters Surfing Games. With Noe’s points, Costa Rica, as a team, came in eleventh, one place higher than last time. Recapped Noe: “I just stuck to my normal surfing. I did do some airs throughout the event, but it came down to power surfing in the end to make it through a lot of heats. As a competitor, I always want to do my best and, in this case, win the gold. But the best waves didn’t come my way during the final. I was still very stoked to make it as far as I did, and it was an amazing experience to win the bronze. I feel very proud and honored for the opportunity to surf for my country.”
COPA COASTAL SUPREMACY Esterillos Oeste - April 28, 29, 2012 Open 1. Jair Pérez (Jacó) 2. Noe Mar McGonagle (Pavones) 3. Maikol Torres (Esterillos Oeste) 4. Gilbert Brown (Puerto Viejo)
Boys 1. León Glatzer Williams (Pavones) 2. Noe Mar McGonagle (Pavones) 3. Manuel Mesén (Jacó) 4. Juan Carlos Hernández (Jacó)
Women’s 1. Lisbeth Vindas (Jacó) 2. Eve Johnstone 3. Tal Saporta (ISR) 4. Emily Gussoni (Jacó)
Minigrommet 1. Malakai Martínez (Tamarindo) 2. Aldo Chirinos (Playa Negra) 3. Sage Guinaldo 4. Charllie Ditullio
Junior 1. Noe Mar McGonagle (Pavones) 2. Manuel Mesén (Jacó) 3. Juan Carlos Hernández (Jacó) 4. Enoc Santana (Barranca)
Longboard 1. Cristian Santamaría (Nosara) 2. Paco Pería (FRA) 3. Anthony Flores (Jacó) 4. Esteban Leitón (San José)
Junior Women’s 1. Chelsea Roett (BAR) 2. Leilani McGonagle (Pavones) 3. Emily Gussoni (Jacó) 4. Skye Chaves
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.
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. almohada blanquear bleach buscar cepillo desnudar disparage divest felicidad fuerza hairbrush happiness herramienta instrument jubilacion
kidnapping kingdom monarquia montana mountain newspaper periodico pillow priest repollo retirement sacerdote search secuestro strength
1F
05:06 11:35 17:53
2S
00:10 06:06 12:32 28:50 01:08 07:05 13:29 19:46 02:03 08:01 14:22 20:39 02:57 08:56 15:15 21:30
3S
4M Full Moon 5T
1.0 6W 9.0 0.5 8.2 0.7 9.4 0.0 8.6 0.3 9.8 -0.5 9.1 0.0 10.1 -0.8 9.5 -0.2 10.2 -0.1
7T
8F
9S
10S
11M Last Qtr
03:49 09:50 16:07 22:21 04:41 10:43 16:58 23:11 05:33 11:37 17:51
9.7 -0.3 10.2 -1.0 9.8 -0.2 9.9 -0.8 9.7 0.1 9.5
00:02 06:25 12:30 18:44 00:52 07:18 13:25 19:38
-0.4 14T 9.4 0.4 9.0 0.1 15F 9.1 0.9 8.4
12T
13W
JUNE TIDE CHART
01:44 08:12 14:22 20:34 02:38 09:07 15:21 21:33 03:33 10:03 16:21 22:33 04:29 10:58 17:19 23:32 05:25 11:50 18:12
0.7 8.7 1.7 7.8 1.2 8.4 1.6 7.4 1.6 8.1 1.8 7.2 1.9 8.0 1.8 7.1 2.1 8.0 1.6
16S
17S
18M
19T New Moon 20W
00:26 06:17 12:39 19:00 01:15 07:06 13:24 19:44 02:00 07:50 14:07 20:24 02:42 08:33 14:48 21:03 03:22 09:14 15:28 21:41
7.2 2.1 8.1 1.4 7.4 2.0 8.3 1.1 7.7 1.8 8.5 0.9 7.9 1.7 8.7 0.6 8.2 1.4 8.8 0.4
21T
22F
23S
24S
25M
26T 1st Qtr
04:01 09:54 16:08 22:18 04:39 10:34 16:47 22:55 05:17 11:15 17:27 23:34 05:56 11:57 18:08
8.4 1.2 8.8 0.3 8.6 1.1 8.8 0.3 8.7 1.0 8.7 0.4 8.8 1.0 8.5
00:13 06:37 12:41 18:53
0.5 30S 8.8 1.0 8.3
27W
28T
29F
00:56 07:22 13:30 19:41 01:43 08:11 14:23 20:35 02:35 09:06 15:21 21:36 03:33 10:05 16:24 22:41 04:37 11:08 17:28 23:46
0.7 8.8 1.1 8.0 0.9 8.8 1.1 7.8 1.0 8.8 1.1 7.7 1.2 8.8 1.0 7.8 1.2 9.0 0.8 8.0
1S July
05:43 12:11 18:30
1.0 9.2 0.4
2M
00:50 06:47 13:11 19:29 01:48 07:48 14:08 20:24 02:43 08:44 15:01 21:16 03:35 09:38 15:52 22:05
8.4 0.8 9.5 0.0 8.9 0.5 9.8 -0.4 9.4 0.2 10.0 -0.6 9.7 0.0 10.0 -0.7
3T Full Moon 4W
5T