The Howler
Volume 19, No. 1 Issue No. 207
January 2014 Founded 1996
TAMARINDO COSTA RICA www.howlermag.com THE HOWLER Ced. Juridica: 3-101-331333
FEATURES
Publisher, editor and production David Mills
Tortuga Restaurant in Brasilito has an advantage - its own fisherman, who brings fish to the table straight from the ocean.
dmills@racsa.co.cr Tel: 2-653-0545
14 Around Town
Openings, closings, parties, music. The Gold Coast has it all, and bar-hoppin’ David is in the groove.
CONTRIBUTORS
Howler • Mono Congo
JEANNE CALLAHAN JESSE BISHOP MARY BYERLY ROBERT AUGUST KAY DODGE
ELLEN ZOE GOLDEN TONY OREZ TOM PEIFER JEFFREY WHITLOW BARBARA DEPPE SUSAN SMITH
Deadline for February: January 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 Size Bus Card 1/8 1/4 Banner 1/2 Full
Dimensions (cms) Width Height 6.4 9.4 9.4 19.2 9.4 19.2 19.2
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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.tamarindohomepage.com
15 Surf Report
First two dates of the newly-formed Surf Creatures took place in Tamarindo; Independence Surf Pro Barbados competition.
22
Stand-off!
In days of yore, a LACSA pilot refuses to fly his airliner to the United States carrying a dangerous criminal to justice.
30
Guanacaste Tree Quiz
How much do you know about the trees around us? This short quiz will test you and give you some good information.
38
Surviving Costa Rica
Our columnist publishes his updated guide to Costa Rica, full of valuable hints and warnings about life in Paradise.
39
What to expect in 2014
Tom drags out his crystal ball to predict the awesome happenings that will enrich - or plague - our lives in the coming year.
230
Discounts For 6 months, paid in advance, one month is deducted. For 12 months, paid in advance, two months are deducted.
www.tamarindobeach.net
8 Dining Out
DEPARTMENTS 10 Music Review
32 Slice of Life
11 Book Review
33 Poetry by Diana Renee
12 August Odysseys
34 January Forecasts
19 Barbara’s Pets
36 Yoga
29 Dharma Corner
40 Sun & Moon
31 Doctor’s Orders
40 Rain Gauge
Cover Caption: Beach House Restaurant, Potrero Cover Photo: Maureen Thompson Cover Design: David Mills
B
y the time you are reading this, the Holy Season will have come and gone. Except that “the Holy Season” is a misnomer; maybe wholly gross season would be a better description. As I sit here typing at two in the morning – because sleep is rendered impossible thanks to a very loud party at a nearby open-air bar – I realize just how far we have strayed from the traditional atmosphere proclaimed in the songs of the season. With the influx of holiday-makers from cold foreign lands and locals from San José and Liberia comes traffic chaos, crime, reggae raves, bombetas exploding at 4:50 a.m., inflatable sound stages on the beach bombarding the town with deafening music. Of course, music has its place during the festive season. Even at Jesus’ birth crib in the stable a little drummer boy stood by to serenade him, according to a popular song. And there are loads of traditional Christmas Carols played non-stop on every radio station around the universe. But, on the plus side, there are such really meaningful gems as “Grandma got run over by a reindeer”, “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth”, “Boogiewoogie Santa Claus”, “Christmas at Ground Zero”. Much more appropriate. And, of course, “The Christmas Song” by the great satirist Tom Lehrer, who shares my sentiments on this season: “Kill the turkeys, ducks and chickens, Mix the punch, drag out the Dickens, Even though the prospect sickens, Brother, here we go again”. “God rest you merry merchants, may you make the Yuletide pay...” “Hark, the Herald Tribune sings, advertising wondrous things…” And that, of course, is what it is all about – money. During the crazy December week most businesses collect enough colones and dolares to pay their expenses throughout the low season. So I guess that, as usual, I’ll put in the earplugs, pour a copious rum punch and read, once again “A Child’s Christmas in Wales.”
Newly opened in Brasilito is Tortuga’s Restaurant, operated by Christine and Javier Cantellops, kitchen presided over by Alex Sandovar. After shifts as a US Ranger in Afghanistan and Iran, Javier operated a restaurant. The style is seafood, Tico and American. Tortuga’s is right on the soccer plaza with a great view of the sunset over Brasilito Bay. Appetizers are ceviche; Chef ’s shrimps; chicken wings; chips with sauce or guacamole; house salad; seafood soup. We chose shrimp salad, delicious pinkies on a bed of lettuce; and patacones (pressed plantains) with black bean sauce. A sandwich menu offers hamburgers; pulled barbecue pork; chicken salad; BLT with fries; ham and cheese; tacos – chicken, fish, shrimp, beef or vegetarian. There is also a kids’ menu – hot dogs; cheese/fruit sandwich; chicken fingers. A big plus at Tortuga’s is that Javier’s brother runs El Dorado Tours, and all the fish served is fresh-caught on his boat. The description “of the day” could mean wahoo, parrot fish, doctor fish, mahi-mahi, snapper – a wide variety of fresh fish. Platos Fuertes are whole fish; today’s catch; shrimp casado; arroz con camarones; whole lobster with salad and platanos; whole snapper; vegetarian salad; octopus; garlic shrimp or lobster. My companion had the filet of dorado. Despite the fish selection, I chose the barbecued ribs, marinaded in Jim Beam bourbon, succulent and very tasty, served with steamed vegetables. Tortugas is good, tasty and fresh food at reasonable prices. Open daily from 7-ish to 8 p.m. Credit cards not accepted at present. Tel: 8780-6391 or 8780-6497. Facebook: Tortugas beach side; free wi-fi. E-mail: tortugasbeachside@ gmail.com.
Music Review
Tony Orez
Local Musician Update jaimepeligro.tamarindohomepage.com
I
have not done this for a while, so let’s see what our favorite local musicians are up to these days. Jesse Bishop, resident guitarist, singer and all-round entertainer and good guy has been having Open Acoustic Mike sessions on Saturdays at Hotel Pasatiempo. Jesse was wise enough to start these sessions at 7:00 p.m. and they generally run until 10:00 p.m., unless everyone is just having too much fun, in which case, the entertainment continues until whenever. Jesse also plays solo gigs around town, so look for his name when you are out carousing the town. Jesse, as always, has other outlets and venues, including The Hot Mangoes, a duo collaboration between Jesse and saxophonist Joe Hrbeck. They’ve been playing at the Langosta Beach Club on Friday nights, again starting at 7:00 p.m. But look for flyers with them playing other dates and places. These guys do a great job playing off each other. The other Open Mike at Pasatiempo, hosted by The Leatherbacks, occurs on Wednesdays, generally starting at about 9:00 p.m. It’s nice to see Brian Burback return from his visit to Canada. The band has a nice, full sound now, with Nick playing guitar as well and Mauricio on keyboards, Pedro on stable bass & vocals, José on drums & vocals, with Roy occasionally contributing his incredible percussive talents as well. This band really rocks and can pretty much play any request and play it damn well. They also play on Saturdays in Potrero at the Coconut Beach Club, playing there occasionally on Sundays as well. These guys have been together for more than a decade and have a great CD of original compositions that is an incredible album. Brian Dale is also back from Canada, playing originals and requests at Kahiki on Sunday nights, as well as various other gigs around town, including at Sharky’s Sports Bar, usually on Fridays. Brian is a walking Rock & Roll encyclopedia and has a repertoire of literally more than one thousand songs. He’s also got the sweetest singing voice and a catalogue of his own, original work, too. We haven’t heard from guitarist, vocalist and harmonica player Maicol Leroy lately but I happened to bump into him recently and he explained that he is working in his home studio on a new album, his third. He plans doing a live, direct to disc recording of all new songs, penned by him. Maicol told me that about half of the songs are sung in English and the other half in Spanish. He was very enthusiastic about this new project, telling me he thinks that this new group of songs is his best work yet. I look forward to hearing it and I am sure that once it is completed, Maicol will be promoting it with live performances throughout the area. So, there you have it, live music with options for every night of the week in the area. Now, get out there, support the local musical community and enjoy it!
Book Review Nobel Costa Rica
Tony Orez
jaimepeligro.tamarindohomepage.com
(from page 10)
O
n December 1, 1987, Oscar Arias had been in office as the elected President of Costa Rica for nearly one full year. The Nobel Prize was awarded to Arias that year as well, but on the first day of December, the announcement had been made but the ceremony had yet to take place. On December 1, 1987, Costa Rica was celebrating its thirty-ninth anniversary of democracy. And this is where Seth Rolbein, a young reporter from the United States, begins his book, “Nobel Costa Rica”. The initial chapter focuses on the aforementioned day of celebration. It is a symbolic passing of the baton from Don Pepe Figueres, who had actually proclaimed Costa Rica a democratic nation and abolished the Army nearly four decades earlier, to Arias, his political godson. After the speeches, including one by Cardinal O’Connor, Arias leads the parade of admirers through downtown San José. Oscar mingles with the crowd, shaking hands and even stopping nonchalantly to purchase an ice cream to eat as he continues his mile-long stroll among the throng. Jim Wright, then a U.S. congressman and Speaker of the House, comments incredulously to a nearby aide, “How sad it is that we cannot do that in our country anymore. Seeing the President walk out of the church and into that crush of people, then take to the streets is simply remarkable to me”. Rolbein freezes the scene here, moving on to Chapter Two, basically a synopsis of the history of Costa Rica, since the arrival of Europeans. Yes, much of the history can be found in other historical guides to Costa Rica. But the author’s perspective and timing are impeccable to put it all in the perspective of this important moment for Arias and his country, that it merits being told. There are also some interesting tidbits; I had not been aware that the first coffee beans were reportedly introduced to Costa Rica in 1808 from Jamaica as a present from a merchant ship’s captain to a local, Caribbean, governor. Nor did I know that when Mora returned from thwarting William Walker and his filibusters, he brought with him cholera, wiping out ten percent of the Costa Rican population. The author takes the train to Limón, with plenty of descriptive observation, along with his take on the history of the United Fruit Company. I was in awe that he devotes two pages of his book to Manuel Monestel, the Calypsonian, a man I have come to meet and whose music I admire today. Then it is off to Quepos to witness bullfights and the production of palm oil, then to Liberia, the capital of Guanacaste, where a television show was being taped in front of a live audience. Rolbein than visits two transplanted farmers from the U.S; John Hull, a former Air Force pilot, who may or may not have taken bribes from both the Sandinistas and Somoza in exchange for use of his airstrips; and the Quaker group who relocated to Monteverde and started their cheese production there. Again, Rolbein’s timing was impeccable for these two notable events, more than a quarter-century ago. Ultimately, the author returns to San José, sees Arias depart for Oslo to receive his Nobel Peace Prize, then has time to pause and reflect, wrap things up as it were. Dated as the work is, I still think it remains pertinent today, well worth the read.
August Odysseys
Robert August kristenmattoxbrown@gmail.com
Santa, Please Send Gifts to New Zealand
O
ne of our stops while filming for “The Endless Summer” was in New Zealand. In comparison to Australia, from whence we had just travelled, and South Africa, New Zealand was a very quiet country. In both Australia and South Africa we surfed good waves and did just a little bit of partying, but not much was going on in New Zealand. However, the countryside was as pretty as you ever have seen. We did a lot of driving from coast to coast and it was such pleasant scenery. The rolling, beautiful green-grassy hills makes the countryside look like a really nice golf course, but with a lot of sheep instead of golfers! With all the driving we did, we found some fun things to do besides surfing and partying. There are a lot of mud hot springs in New Zealand where you can stop, hop in the springs, and then shower off at a hotel nearby. We also happened to surf the wind chop in a lake we encountered during all of our driving. But it was so quiet that even the sheep started to look cute! Thinking in the “endless summer” mentality where you could spend your whole life in summertime just by crossing the equator, we thought that the weather would be nice and the water temperatures would be warmer. Well, the weather was nice but the water was freezing cold! One day during our trip we surfed Ragland, a super-long left, but we were freezing because we did not have wetsuits back then. The waves were really nice in the morning, but Bruce wasn’t filming because it was overcast and ugly-looking out. Just when the sun came out, Bruce started filming, but then the wind was a little onshore. After a long day of surfing Ragland, without seeing hardly anyone all day, we went to get some food and sleep. Out in the middle of nowhere, Bruce realized it was Christmas. We were so busy during out trip looking for waves and traveling that we had completely forgotten what day it was. Plus, there was not much going on in New Zealand as far as celebration went. We just rented a room, said “Merry Christmas” to each other, and went to bed. A few days later, we headed back to the airport in Auckland to head to Tahiti.
A morning-glory at my window satisfies me more than the metaphysics of books. Walt Whitman
dmills@racsa.co.cr
A
Teams Ready for Mundial in Brazil
ll qualifying games have been played and the thirty-two successful teams now have their tickets to the World Cup in Brazil. The tournament will run from June 12 to July 13, 2014. Qualified teams are: Africa: Algeria, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana. Asia: Australia, Japan, Iran, Korean Republic (S. Korea). Europe: Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Switzerland. Concacaf: Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, United States. Conmebol: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Uruguay. Oceania: No team qualified, the group winner, New Zealand, losing in repercharge against Mexico. Almost all games in the Mundial will start between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Costa Rica time, a bonus for bars and restaurants. The Draw. Fate frowned on Costa Rica when teams were drawn. In Group D, La Sele plays against Italy and England, two very strong teams, and Uruguay, who kicked Costa Rica out of the Mundial in repercharge in 2010. La Sele’s fixtures are: Uruguay June 14; Italy June 20; and England June 24. Go Sele!
The best way to cheer yourself is to try to cheer somebody else up. Mark Twain
AROUND TOWN Amigos de la Educación is expanding its “Have a Heart” fundraiser to include three days of fun for all ages. Starting Friday, February 7th, at Hotel Cala Luna, is the silent auction and cocktail party, followed Friday, February 14th, by the first “Cena Con Amigos” gourmet dinner at Villa Alegre B&B providing local chefs the opportunity to showcase their talents. On Saturday, February 15th, is a Mini-golf Tournament with lunch and prizes at the new Bolas Locas miniature golf course next to Dragonfly restaurant. The day will include a street party with food, entertainment, music and activities for all ages. For more information contact Amigos office at 2653-1945 or email: infoamigoseducacion@gmail.com. General Dentistry Clinic in the heart of Tamarindo Beach with an amazing Ocean View. Dra. Alicia Serrano is located on the 3rd floor of Aqua Discotheque & That’s Amore restaurant on Tamarindo’s main road. Lightning strikes can be disastrous. Protect your property with the correct equipment and advice from SegElectrica. See ad page 11. La Meridiana in Huacas offers two and three bedroom luxury condos with 80% financing and only 8% interest. See ad page 17. Laguna Lounge (ex-ElChef’O) is serving great seafood and meat dishes, at the French Bakery in Tamarindo; also Happy Hour from 4 to 7 p.m. See ad page 17. Punta Playa Vistas has beautiful home sites and condos on a hillside overlooking Pirate’s Bay on the Pacific. See ad page 20. Tamarindo Farmer’s Market is open Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon, with organic produce, goat cheeses, flowers, baked goods and local art. See ad page 22. Astrologer Peter Williams had such a successful visit here last year that he is here again, with his famous personal forecasts. See ad page 9. Bistro Langosta has reopened as Lilly’s, for fine dining and live music nightly. Francis Bey, ex-personal chef to Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, has just returned from catering the wedding of an Arabian princess. See ad page 25. Tierra Pacifica, in Junquillal, has a special deal on their beautiful landscaped lots with a finished pool and recreation centre. See ad page 35.
Surf Report Ellen Zoe Golden ellenzoe@aol.com
S
tarting locally, we begin reporting on the Circuito Guanacasteco de Surf Creatures, which has successfully completed its first two contests, both in Tamarindo. Having been at the very crazy, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants premier dates of the Circuito Nacional back in 1999, I have to say that Andrea Diaz, Chelsea Lisaius and Tony Vandewalle have really organized and executed two very professional tournaments. Yes, there were a few kinks, but by the second event, many of those had been ironed out. The Circuito Guanacasteco can only get better as it goes along each month at the beaches of this province throughout May. Both of the first two contests took place in Tamarindo, with challenging surf, for the most part, small waves and with little to no faces for the surfers to make those significant maneuvers. And, it’s important to note, that while there were many experienced, older surfers in attendance, the real stars of the Circuito Guanacasteco were the children who are just now honing their skills in a competitive situation. After all, that is the goal the organizers set when the event was conceived. And indeed, the kids showed their moves, working hard to breakout in some space that would impress the judges. Standouts included Aldo Chironos, Dean Vandewalle, Malakai Martínez, Serena Nava, Zulay Martinez and Katie Herrman—all under the age of 13. Many of these kids competed in more than one category, a grueling task even for adults. In December Copa Pangas/Las Mareas date, Malakai made everyone take notice when he won Boys and Mixed Groms and placed 2nd in the Open, facing off in that division against excellent elder statesmen, Isaac Vega, Luis Castro, and Angelo Bonomeli, the Italian visitor who won the weekend. During the Witch’s Rock-sponsored event the month before, Malakai was in and out of the water for a fight in Juniors, Boys and Mixed Groms. The son of two surfing parents, he is one of the fortunate Tamarindo kids who have been able to make the trek to the CNS, winning the Groms championship for two years in a row. Although Martínez admits that the CNS brings out a higher level of talent, including some pros, he found the debut dates of the Guanacasteco Circuito to be professional and accommodating to a new crop of talent in the province. “There are some good guys out there and I try to do my best here and there (in the CNS),” Malakai explained. “I’m stoked to be surfing here because it brings attention to Guanacaste and we can get more sponsors. There are a lot of kids who can’t afford to travel to the Circuito, and it costs, my mom says, about $500 a weekend to travel. The Guanacaste Circuito allows kids to get noticed and then companies will start to sponsor kids from Guanacaste who will then be able to advance to the next kind of competition.” While acknowledging the terrific work that Malakai did, Diaz was also pleased to see other youngsters get a shot, particularly in the new Dolphin category where budding surfers under twelve can compete
with an adult pushing them into waves. “To see those groms surfing was quite a spectacle,” she said. Just who exactly stands out in her mind? “Aldo has amazing talent and could very easily be #1 in Costa Rica,” she observed. “He is a beautiful human being, very sensitive and humble. He is a very innovative and radical surfer with a solid backside attack.” Then there’s Zulay Martínez, Diaz pointed out, whom she described as a very focused young woman determined to improve her surf skills by training very hard. Not to miss “Neva, who surfed amazingly and was very aggressive in the water, Tiago Carrique was killing it and Dean was impressive.” Another one of those little ones was Katie Herrman, all of nine years old and already surfing for two years. With the coaching of her dad Jeff, she has competed in four categories: the push-in Dolphins, and the paddle-ins Mixed Groms, Mini’s Chicas, and Junior Chica. “I feel like I’ve been doing pretty good. I just used to be going down the line, but my turning is better now; I do turns and go off the top. Yeah, I’m going to be the next champion from Tamarindo”.
Copa Pangas/Las Mareas December 7, 8, 2013 • Playa Tamarindo Open 1. Angelo Bonomeli 2. Malakai Martínez 3. Luis Castro 4. Isaac Vega Junior 1. José Joaquín 2. Tiago Carrique Dean Vandevalle 3. Dean Vandewalle 4. Jorge Quedo Boys 1. Malakai Martínez 2. Tiago Carrique 3. José Joaquín 4. Dean Vandewalle Groms 1. Malakai Martínez 2. Selasie Quijada 3. Tiago Carrique 4. Dean Vandewalle Dolphins 1. Tiago Leo 2. Luke Guinaldo 3. Sean Tomen 4. Kailani Abrahoo Katie Herrman 5. Kamille McKillican 6. Diego Ellen
Open Women’s 1. Serena Nava 2. Coral Wiggins 3. Manue Ltel 4. Chelsea Lisaius Junior Women’s 1. Zulay Martínez 2. Coral Wiggins 3. Katie Herrman 4. Christine August Mini Chicas 1. Serena Nava 2. Coral Wiggins 3. Christine August 4. Sofía Longboard 1. Adolfo Gómez 2. Alex Gómez 3. Nolden Zuñiga 4. Ismael Coto Master 1. Freddie Wiggins 2. Christian Boos 3. Alex Gómez 4. Adolfo Gómez
(continued page 24)
This business-card ad will reach thousands of readers along the Gold Coast of Costa Rica from Potrero to Guiones, and in Liberia & Santa Cruz at a cost of ¢15,000 ($30) For details, e-mail: dmills@racsa.co.cr
The GEA Foundation (Fundación GEA) The year 2013 has been a prosperous and propelling year for the GEA Foundation. Set to break ground on a new campus in 2014, the Foundation has made strong advances in the local, national and international levels. Working with internationally recognized programs such as; LEEDs (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), GEMS (Global Experience Magnet School), ACI (International Congress on Sustainable Design) and Earth University, the GEA foundation is preparing to start a new year, beginning with the construction of a new campus for the Guanacaste International Academy that it homes. The high performance buildings will house the first carbon-neutral and LEED certified school in Central America. The term “high performance” signifies a building that integrates and optimizes all major high-performance building attributes, including; energy efficiency, durability, life-cycle performance, and occupant productivity. It’s the GEA Foundation’s vision of a self-sustaining, carbon-neutral building built from recycled materials, that is utilized as a school as well as community center that sets it apart. Participation in the voluntary LEED process demonstrates the GEA Foundation’s leadership, innovation and its commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility. Creating buildings that will educate future global citizens requires thoughtful consideration of the environmental impacts in each step of the building process. The GEA Foundation’s new campus goes beyond innovative and environmentally mindful architecture; it also has an innovative philosophy for education. The Foundation’s goal is to give the brightest minds of Costa Rica a place to develop their interests and to reach their full potential. During the day the buildings will house Guanacaste International Academy, an individualized performance-based educational system that gives extraordinary students from working families a chance at a worldclass education. After regular school hours the building will house a community center offering classes, sports teams, a public library, theater, animal farm and organic gardens. Recently The GEA Foundation has been selected for a number of exciting programs. In June, the foundation’s project was selected as a case study for the International Congress on Sustainable Design in San Jose. ACI-Costa Rica is a volunteering and cultural exchange program that brings European volunteers to Costa Rica. It selected the GEA Foundation as the only project in the North Pacific. The first volunteer arrived this past September. Earth University has also chosen the GEA Foundation’s new
(continued page 27)
Barbara’s Pet Stories A Night Rescue
I woke up, I thought I had heard a noise, like a cry…and again, it sounds like a cat, a young cat. And then it does not sound like a cat. More like a bird. I stood up, switch on the lights, looked at my watch. Oh dear... 3 am, and this noise again. I put on my jeans, my garden shoes, grabbed my torch and went into the garden…miiek, I really cannot explain how it sounds…I told my dogs, who were surrounding me, to be quiet and again “miiiek”. I looked behind the fence where I thought it came from, and, yes, of course in the middle of the bushes with cactus around it, I saw a bird, looked like a bird of prey, or something the like. Mmiiieek. OK. I got gloves, a cloth and a ladder, then I climbed with this onto the fence, sat down on the fence, pulled the ladder to the other side of the fence, then climbed down there. Uiih, dry leaves, almost knee-high, what all can be in there, snakes, scorpions…aehh…but I made it to get close to the bird. I dropped the cloth from behind around his body, so that the bird could see what was done with him…back to the ladder, nothing bit me, over the fence, into the house, on the kitchen table. I carefully took off the cloth, then I saw that the bird was caught in a net…it was half-way around his legs and around one wing. The bird held still while I cut it all off…OMG…how much time was it like this already; when was the last time it had food? I took my eyedropper and I put some drops of water with it into the beak; the bird drank very greedily…I held a small bowl in front of it and it drank and drank….I had some ground meat in the fridge, I warmed it up and again carefully I wanted to put a ball of it into the beak, wau…the bird just grabbed it all out of the bowl, like it had not eaten for weeks…I did not give too much meat, not to upset the stomach. Then I wrapped the bird into a big towel, put it into a cat carrier, in which the bird was safe. Put this box on top of the fridge, so the dogs could not touch it and I went back to bed. That morning I went outside to the fence with the box, opened the door and in a heartbeat the bird took off. It was a Caracara, one of those beautiful black and white birds you can see at the sides of the roads looking for food.
barabara.s.animalrescuecenter@gmail.com
Stand
A
Pilot refuses to fl
common saying about extranjeros in Costa Rica is that they are “either wanted or not wanted”. Many fugitives from justice elsewhere have found safe haven here, often living the high life with their victims’ money. One of the many notorious characters in Costa Rica’s history was Melvin “Rusty” McKinney, fugitive from justice in the United States, where he had run a very lucrative business selling feed grains to California farmers. Collect the sale price he did, but pay the farmers he didn’t, and eventually found himself in jail. His bail was set by an accommodating judge and was posted by a bail bondsman, Pat Shelley by name. Thoughtfully, McKinney had stashed away the ill-gotten gains in a safe box in the form of $500 and $1,000 bills. On his release he retrieved the cash, drove to a San Francisco airport, chartered a small plane with pilot and flew to a small airport in San Diego near the Mexican border. He then loaded his baggage into a cab and left for Mexico. To that point he had stiffed the farmers out of $150,000, a bail bondsman for $30,000 and a pilot for the cost of a round trip to San Diego. Eventually he arrived in Costa Rica in 1963, obtained resident status, and cemented his legal position by marrying a Tica. He immediately drew attention when he tried to cash $500 and $1,000 bills. Neither the banks nor the money changers would touch them at any price; however, he had no trouble attracting a sizeable entourage anxious to be of help. Soon, the United States requested his extradition for various crimes. As well as the California thefts he was wanted in several mid-western states for more serious criminal behaviour. La Nación, on August 6, 1963, had the report “Estafador yanqui localizado aqui” (Yankee swindler located here). The report noted that the FBI had been searching for him, as well as the Servicio de Inteligencia. Some search! McKinney could have been picked up at the Soda Palace any morning at about 10 a.m. With those fists full of $500 and $1,000 bills he was popular. For a month or two, his attorney was able to keep the Costa Rican government from extraditing him but, when these efforts started to fail, Rusty went into hiding, part of which was spent in Tortuguero. The next headline appeared in “La Hora” in large black type: “Situado en su barco el Señor McKinney.” (McKinney under siege on his ship). The ship was the George Martin, a 110-foot motorized landing craft that was at anchor at the port of Limón, with United States registry, home port Los Angeles, and flying the U.S. flag. A probate court had ordered the ship held at anchor in Limón. A caretaker was employed, and lived on the vessel until McKinney, with a show of arms, forced him off and took possession, warning that anyone approaching the George Martin would be shot. It was well known that he had the means to do this, as he had two Winchester carbines and a sidearm, at least. However, he did allow two newspaper reporters aboard, and explained that he was on United States property - the U.S.-flag-flying George Martin - and could not be extradited by the Costa Rica government. This point was argued in the newspapers for most of the month of December, 1963. In fact, the government was not anxious to confront McKinney, as he was now considered to be more than an exciting daily news item: desperate,
d-off!
fly with criminal
Robert Darmsted
dangerous, armed. One of the reporters who interviewed him described McKinney as “...a man intent on killing anyone who approached him, of elevated stature, weighing 220 pounds, and muscular.” Not a man to be crossed! Moreover, the crime for which he was to be extradited did not take place in Costa Rica and, in that country, is not high on the list of criminal behaviour... Then bail bondsman Shelley arrived and, through the U.S. embassy, demanded action. Unless McKinney were returned to custody in California he would lose his $30,000 bond. In a decree published in the official paper La Gazeta, President Orlich ordered McKinney extradited, and charged Seguridad Publica with the task. Little did they know! Under cover as reporters, two Seguridad officers told McKinney that they wanted to pursue the matter of the sovereignty of the George Martin, and were allowed on board where the pseudo interview took place on the pilot’s deck. Unsuspecting, Rusty was grabbed and disarmed, but could not be controlled, and a fight followed with McKinney winning - except that he lost his balance, fell over the handrail and onto the steel deck below. Stunned, but otherwise uninjured, he was overpowered and taken into custody. A reservation was made to return him to Miami on the 6 p.m. flight. Under guard, but not otherwise restrained, he was led to the top of the boarding ladder but refused to enter the plane, bracing his hands and feet against the door jamb and the guards unable to break his hold. McKinney was removed from the ladder, placed in handcuffs, and in this condition was returned and seated in company with a full load of passengers. Pan American was cleared to taxi but did not go far. The pilot returned the plane to the tarmac and told the tower that he would not proceed with this man on board. The answer, from President Orlich, was “you will not leave without him.” With this, the pilot relented and prepared for departure only to have the passengers demand to be removed from the plane: “We will not fly on this airplane with this man on board! Allow us off!” The four-cornered argument continued until midnight - the passengers refusing to stay on, the crew refusing to take him, McKinney raising hell, and the president of Costa Rica demanding that the whole mess leave his country. The stand-off was resolved when Orlich gave in and ordered the prisoner returned to jail. The next day, a Lacsa C-46 with cargo configuration was directed to take McKinney to Miami. To avoid difficulties, and without the usual courtesy shown to its passengers, the prisoner was lashed to the cargo rings in the prone position. This time, lessons having been learned, all went well and McKinney was delivered to the authorities, certainly to the pleasure of the bondsman. The George Martin remained at anchor at Limón while the probate court in Los Angeles decided ownership. Before the matter was resolved, and not long after McKinney’s removal, the vessel disappeared. It was speculated that it had been hijacked by one of several exile Cuban groups known to be in the region, supported by the Kennedy administration, and preparing another forced entry into Cuba. The $150,000? All those $500 and $1,000 bills?
Surf Report (from page 15)
Copa Witch’s Rock November 16, 17, 2013 • Playa Tamarindo Open 1) Isaac Vega 2) Luis Castro 3) Aldo Chrinos 4) Yorjanni Ruiz Junior 1) Aldo Chironos Aldo Chironos 2) Tiago Carrique 3) Malakai Martinez 4) Jorge Quedo Boys 1) Sean Forrester 2) Dean Vandewalle 3) Malakai Martínez 4) Tiago Carrique Women’s 1) Zulay Martínez 2) Serena Nara 3) Chelsea Lisaius Malakai Martínez 4) Marcela Garcia Junior Chicas 1) Zulay Martínez 2) Christina August 3) Coral Wiggins 4) Katie Herrman
Mini’s Chicas 1) Serena Nara 2) Katie Herrman 3) Coral Wiggins 4) Christine August Mixed Groms 1) Malakai Martinez 2) Tiago Carrique 3) Dean Vandewalle 4) Salasse Quijado Dolphins 1) Luke Guinaldo 2) Katie Herman 3) Christina Rojas 4) Diego Ellen Longboard 1) Ryan Rankin 2) Luis Castro 3) Paco Vega 4) Juan Diego Masters 1) Christian Boos 2) Freddy Wiggins 3) Adolfo Gomez
Look for everyone to be out in full force at Avellanas on January 18 and 19, when the next date of the Circuito Guanacasteco de Surf Creatures takes place. The waves of Tamarindo were also busy last month with the second edition of the Federación de Surf (FSC)’s Junior Surfing Camp. Over 100 children from the surrounding areas were given lessons and because of them were able to ride waves for the very first time. Once again, instructors from local surf camps guided the kids through the basics of surfing, showed them forms of stretching for the sport as well educating the youngsters on the risks and precautions required. Now, with two camps completed, over 200 underprivileged kids who might never had the opportunity to learn one of the greatest sports, have indeed done so. Over in Hawaii, in a history-making performance, Carlos Muñoz is surfing in the Billabong Pipe Masters. He was able to compete in the three Hawaiian contests, which also include the Reef Hawaiian Pro and the Vans World Cup of Surfing, that have already been completed. In the Reef Hawaiian Pro, Carlos struggled in his first heat, in the group of 128 surfers. He was only able to come in 3rd behind the Hawaiian Seth Moniz, who was 1st, and the Spaniard Gony Zubizarreta who was second. (continued page 37)
Country Day School announces New Tuition Plan
C
ountry Day School Guanacaste (CDS-G) today announced a new simplified tuition plan that will make quality university preparatory education more affordable for families in the Tamarindo area. The new streamlined plan: • Reduces tuition rates by up to 26%. • Provides a convenient monthly payment option. • Provides greater access to quality education in Guanacaste. The new tuition rates, which come into effect for the 2014-2015 school year, will also apply to transfer students entering CDS-G for the second semester starting January 15th, 2014. Under the new plan, parents may elect to pre-pay and take advantage of a 10% discount, or opt for a convenient monthly plan, as in the table below. Parents with more than one child at Country Day School Guanacaste receive 10% discount on additional tuitions. According to Bruce McKillican, co-chair of the parent-led board of trustees, the school’s lower tuition and monthly payment plan will make it possible for many more families in the community to access quality education and put their child on a path to a good US college. “Country Day School Guanacaste has just become a more attractive alternative for local families who may want to consider an American college in the future”, McKillican said. “Country Day’s definitive curriculum, American Diploma and flexible Advanced Placement courses will create options for a wide range of students with varying GPAs, not only the over-achievers with an “A” average and an SAT score above 2000”. According to McKillican, the new tuition plan is integral to CDS-G’s vision of becoming known throughout Costa Rica as Guanacaste’s College Preparatory School. The move is expected to increase tuition revenues by over 50% in the coming year, he says, providing additional resources to support continuous school improvement.
2013-14 2014-15 Grades Tuition Tuition Change$ 9-12 $10,500 $7,800 2,700 6- 8 8,650 7,800 850 1- 5 6,998 6,690 308
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!
Change% -25.7 - 9.8 - 4.4
2014-15 Monthly $780 780 669
The Country Day School was founded in 1963 as a private, Englishlanguage, co-educational, non-sectarian day school in the central valley of San José. The purpose and standards of the school are comparable to select U.S. independent and college-preparatory schools. For over 40 years the school’s mission has been to inspire in students a passion for learning, giving them the skills, values and courage to become responsible leaders in their communities. Today, Country Day School Guanacaste is successfully transitioning to a not-for-profit association. The parent-led board of trustees remains committed to: • Connecting US College Readiness Standards to CDS-G classrooms • Providing students with core academic and 21st century global skills • Nurturing students’ character development and personal wellbeing • The continuous improvement of Country Day School Guanacaste. For further information, please contact: Sarah Haun, Principal, Country Day School Guanacaste 2654-5042 ext. 6100 / sarah.haun@cdsgcr.com
GEA Foundation...
(from page 18)
campus to send professionals to aid in the reforestation and agricultural components. Bloomfield School District GEMS program in Hartford, Connecticut, has joined with the Guanacaste International Academy for cultural exchange. Students from the GEMS program will be arriving in January, 2014, for a two-week experience. The students and teachers from Guanacaste International Academy will then travel to the US to complete the exchange for this year. These exciting honors will bring professionals and visionaries that will help the GEA Foundation further its efforts in strengthening the young minds of our community. The GEA foundation is preparing for another exciting and successful year. The not-for-profit foundation, based in La Josefina, has been recognized for its dedication to the local Guanacaste community. The Foundation has dedicated itself to the three pillars of change; social, educational and environmental. These goals have garnered the help of companies and individuals from across the globe. The new campus, set to break ground in September, encompasses this vision and invites you to join us in “the evolution in education”.
2014/thought a million miles ago i thought it would all be so much better richer brighter the future was right there burning like the sun reach out grab it we said it’s yours anyone who gives up is dead bury me bury me im ready it’s raining the future marched past a million lives ago
Gerretta Gerretta
Dharma Corner
Sue Smith
A New Year’s Resolution
S
o, as you read this, we have passed into the New Year, 2014. A time for beginning anew...new resolutions, new opportunities. But just what does that mean...beginning anew? For many people it is a time for making “New Year’s resolutions”. The problem is that these resolutions are often forgotten long before even January is past. Old behaviors creep in, along with self-doubt, irritations and other negative energies. So, what is there to do about this? In the Plum Village tradition of Buddhism there is actually a Beginning Anew ceremony. And while it is mostly tailored to relationships, the principles can be adapted for just about anything. According to Thich Nhat Hanh “to begin anew is to look deeply and honestly at ourselves, our past actions, speech and thoughts and to create a fresh beginning within ourselves and in our relationships with others”. Notice that the first thing is to create that new beginning within ourselves. Looking deeply... at past actions, speech and thoughts...meaning at the possible ways we sabotaged last year’s resolutions or abandoned them. While it is important to look deeply at the “why” we may not have kept a resolution or are making a new resolution, it is important to accept the situation as something that just is. It is important to express any regrets or hurts (if another person is involved), but not to beat one’s self up over it. The past is the past. So, water the good seeds. Find positive aspects about yourself or the other person and be grateful for them. By watering the good seeds - one’s positive things - the weeds will begin to wither. As we begin anew we are more likely to succeed if we focus on the positive (watering the good seeds). Rather than vowing to lose ten pounds, vow to eat healthy and mindfully. Instead of resolving not to argue with someone, resolve to find something good about that person each day and compliment them on it. It’s really about training our minds to focus on the good, the positive. So as we begin anew in 2014, whatever your New Year’s resolutions may be, take a moment to really look at them and possibly reword them into positive “will do” affirmations. You can’t ever go wrong in focusing on the good in yourself. And, when you do, you will begin to see the good in others and then it spreads...those positive resolutions take on a whole life of their own! Happy New Year!! Namaste
Guanacaste Tree Quiz Kay Dodge de Pereza, Ph.D From the list below, choose the tree that fits the questions (trees may be used more than once). a. b. c. d. e.
Cocobolo Strangler Fig Roble Guanacaste Pochote
f. Kapok g. Gmelina h. Zandal/Carao i. Teak/Teca j. Cortez Amarillo
k. l. m. n. o.
Malinche Tempisque CaĂąafistula Cenicero Mahogany
1. Known as the elephant ear tree, it is the national tree of Costa Rica. 2. Plantations of this non-native tree produce toilet paper and lumber. 3. Prized for furniture, this tree has pink flowers and is also known as a Tropical Ash. 4. Seed pods filled with cotton used for life vests, pillows and mattresses. 5. Guanacaste’s major river is named for this tree. 6. Tree with large thorns on the trunk. 7. Introduced SE Asia species favored for reforestation and ranchos. 8. The peach-colored flowers are actually pink and yellow and it produces large, long seed pods high in iron. 9. Known as the flowers of May, this ornamental produces spectacular orange to red orchid-like flowers. 10. Prized hardwood used in furniture, also known a Caoba. 11. Produces brilliant yellow flowers on Guanacaste hillsides just after the first rains at the end of the dry season. 12. Also known as the matapalo or chilamate, it is a ficus. 13. Slow growing hardwood with dark and light wood, used for wood carvings and bowls. 14. Our province is named for this tree. 15. Also known as Costa Rican Rosewood.
16
17
18
19
20 Answers on page 35
Doctor’s Orders Jeffrey Whitlow, M.D.
jwhitlow82159@gmail.com
Cancer III
T
his month we will continue our discussion on the available treatments for cancer, and the politics that surround those treatment options. In the next few columns, I will be writing about the so-called “unconventional” treatments for cancer; that is, those treatments that don’t involve surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy. Most of these treatments are not approved for use in the U.S. Patients who want these treatments have to go to Mexico, Central or South America, or Europe, in most cases. The most well-known, well-studied, and most controversial of these “unconventional” treatments is the natural substance known as Laetrile. Other names for this compound are amygdalin or Vitamin B17. This substance is found in the seeds of apricots, peaches, and other fleshy fruits. The exact mechanism of action of this substance against cancer is thoroughly discussed in the book World Without Cancer, by G. Edward Griffin. To summarize that discussion, Laetrile is metabolized into cyanide in the human body. Normal cells in the body are able to bind and remove the cyanide before it harms them, but cancer cells lack the necessary chemicals and enzymes necessary to bind and excrete the cyanide, so it builds up within those cells and kills them. Sounds pretty simple, right? Actually it is way too simple for the American Cancer Society, the FDA, the AMA, and all of the other established medical organizations that depend on the profits from patentable drugs and treatments. In fact, Mr. Griffin and others who believe in Laetrile firmly believe that once the medical establishment figures out a way to patent Laetrile the drug will then become a standard treatment for cancer. Laetrile is not used alone, but rather is used in combination with a natural diet along with enzyme and vitamin supplements. As my readers know full well, establishing and maintaining a natural diet is the best way to build up your immune system. Since a compromised immune system is the most important factor in developing disseminated cancer, the treatment course prescribed by the “Laetrileists” is a logical approach to the problem. Dr. Robert Janker of Germany has the most clinical experience with this substance, and his results have been documented to be effective by the German medical establishment. There is an extensive literature in regard to the use of Laetrile, as there are many clinics that have been using this treatment for many years, but the FDA has chosen to ignore and/or demean this research, and the U.S. stands alone among developed countries in its stance against this treatment. As a responsible physician, I highly recommend that those with advanced disease that conventional physicians have deemed untreatable or terminal seek out this treatment option. From my study of the literature, this treatment is the least toxic and most effective for advanced or “terminal” disease. Google “Laetrile clinics”, and you will be able to get more details about available providers, but Dr. Janker’s clinic is the best and most well-known, for those who can afford the trip to Europe and the related expenses.
A Slice of Life The Big Spliff David Mills
A
s the stewardess opened the aircraft door in Montego Bay, a mist of hot, humid air swept into the cabin, a huge contrast to the below-zero air we had left behind in Toronto a few hours ago. Entering the terminal building from the tarmac we saw a very welcome sight. Immediately inside the double doors was an Appleton’s booth, so we celebrated our arrival with a complimentary 141-proof glass of rum - may have been two. Collecting our baggage and following a guide out to our hotel bus, we were stopped a couple of times by taxi-drivers who wanted to sell us ganja – and we were not even out of the airport terminal. This was to be an enjoyable vacation. Fast-forward a couple of weeks, and we were back in the terminal, heavily tanned but sad to be leaving. A woman – let’s call her Colleen, because that’s her name - who had become friendly with us during the trip came over and joined me, also on her way home to Toronto. Colleen was a beauty – six feet tall (and most of that was legs), long black wavy hair, perfect figure, she was a model and dancer. “So sad we’re leaving,” I said, “it’s been a great vacation.” “Never mind,” she answered, “I have a little something in my purse that will make the flight a bit happier – a big spliff.” “Don’t be an idiot,” I told her. “You are exactly t h e kind of person these customs guys are looking for. Do you want to end your vacation in a Jamaican gaol? Get rid of it.” Ignoring my advice, she walked over to the customs desk and plonked a wrapped pair of large machetes in front of the officer. “Sorry, miss, you can’t carry these on. You have to check them as baggage.” She disappeared to check the machetes, then ten minutes later returned to the desk. “Morning, miss,” the officer said. “Can I see your purse?” Colleen went white as a sheet and broke into a sweat – a dead giveaway. I watched, horrified, as he picked up the purse, examined every pocket, and gave it back. “Have a nice flight,” he told her. Still sweating, she sat next to me as we awaited boarding. “You scared the hell out of me,” I told her. “What happened?” “After the business with the knives I panicked a bit, remembered what you told me, and flushed the joint down the toilet.” Whew!
Selected Poems from “Tell me about the telaraña” by Diana Renee
everything is quiet at the birth of night. the buzzing things in trees have hushed and in the houses, women are collecting kindling. day birds are folding up for sleep and night birds are awakening. the sun is most silent of all sunken behind the trees leaving only a luminescence in the bellies of clouds. the night is medicinal, born of the heat of the sun and the laughter of stars. it is honey and aloe and milk on our skin, in our eyes, for our blood. el teléfono es mi enemigo lo espero y como mal marido nunca cumple paso la noche mirándolo sospechoso de que esté tragando la señal que entra y entra haciéndome aguantar (te esperé anoche juré no dormir pero soñé con sopilotes)
i have noticed the laughter of trees caught their giddy giggle from the tickling squirrels “Tell Me About the Telaraña” is available at Jaime Peligro’s Bookstore in Tamarindo.
Your Stars in January
Aries: 21 March - 20 April
Wow, pretty exciting stuff as the new year starts out with Mars in Libra opposing Uranus in Aries and squaring Pluto and the Sun in Capricorn, making this a rather explosive and tense time. There’s a bigger picture power struggle that has been percolating for a while now and it’s no longer being hidden. Get ready to redefine yourself, personally and professionally. Do your best to contain your own anger and not get swept up in fear-based behaviors. Best days are the 7th and 8th.
Taurus: 21 April - 21 May
There’s major energy passing through your solar ninth house of belief systems, the law, gurus, large enterprises and mind expansion. Events may challenge your current world view, toppling long-held mental constructs about how things are. It may be difficult to let go of these old beliefs but it would be wise to open up to new ways of seeing and doing things. People from your past will contact you this month. Your best days are the 9th and 10th.
Gemini: 22 May - 21 June
With five planets moving through your solar eighth house of wills, legacies, death and rebirth, taxes, secrets and the occult, you are likely to experience an upheaval within those aspects of life. Being prudent with money would be wise during this time as unexpected expenses can come up with transits like this. In any event, you’ll be learning more about hidden strengths of your being at this time. Days to be light-hearted are the 11th, 12th and 13th.
Cancer: 22 June - 22 July
Partnerships will be under scrutiny at this time with the stellium of planets going through your solar seventh house. Negotiations can be quite heated at this time so know where your bottom line is and and what you absolutely will not compromise on. Women from your past may come in to offer assistance to you. It’s just temporary but it may be a nice respite from the turmoil. The 14th and 15th are your best days.
Leo: 23 July - 23 August
Health and work are the areas you need to focus on this month as there is major energy passing through your solar sixth house. Take care of your pets as they, too, could be affected by this blast of energy. It’s a good month to see the doctor or develop a new health regime regarding diet, exercise and physical stamina. Allow yourself to get enthused about this and not look at it as a restriction. You’ll end up feeling and looking better! And all Leos love that! The 16th, 17th and 18th are great days to start something new.
Virgo: 24 August - 22 September
Your children, creative projects and how you have fun are the focus of attention at this time. You really need to allow yourself to unwind and relax more as the mental stress you put yourself through has to stop sometimes. Money could be a little unstable at the beginning of the month but there’s more coming in after the 15th. But the key here is you learning to balance that keen focus with fun. The 19th and 20th are great days to take a mini-vacation.
by Jeanne Callahan jeannecallahan007@gmail.com
Libra: 23 September - 23 October
This month has some major stress involving your home, real estate, and family as the line-up of four planets in Capricorn demand that you pay more attention to those areas of life. One of your parents could also need some extra support at this time. Balance is required but you are being pulled in four directions at once. Set priorities and boundaries during this time. Remember, this too shall pass. Good days are the 21st, 22nd and 23rd.
Scorpio: 24 October - 22 November
This is a very dynamic but serious time for you as the energy building in your solar third house of siblings, short-distance travel, communication and writing commands much of your attention. It’s a good time to repair and heal relationships with family members. Watch your health carefully during the next six months as Mars in your twelfth could stir up some trouble if you aren’t careful. Get out and exercise more to diffuse all the tension you are carrying within. The 24th and 25th are your best days.
Sagittarius: 23 November - 21 December
There’s a major focus on money this month as you explore new ways to acquire a bigger income stream. There’s a high probability that an inheritance or legacy will come into your life this year as Jupiter transits your solar eighth house. There is some disruption around your home over the next couple of months so do be aware of your surroundings. Changes in your business life and social networks are up for review over the next five months. The 26th and 27th are good days to see and be seen!
Capricorn: 22 December - 21 January
Four planets in your first house will have you commanding a lot of attention and attracting people wanting your opinion. There’s some disruption of the status quo that goes along with this but you will be solidly there and ready to take a leadership position on the next move. This is the time you’ve been waiting for. While it won’t be necessarily easy, it will be worthwhile. Money concerns straighten out next month. The 1st, 2nd, 28th and 29th are great days for you.
Aquarius: 22 January - 19 February
You might require some solitude this month as a retreat from daily demands would be good for the soul now. Your health needs some attention in the way of fortifying the physical with better nutrition and more water intake. With your ruling planet, Saturn, at the mid-heaven this is a time of great respect and responsibility for you, professionally. Stay disciplined and with your eye on the prize. The 3rd, 4th, 30th and 31st are your stellar days.
Pisces: 20 February - 20 March
With the stellium of planets in Capricorn gracing your eleventh house of hopes, wishes, friends and income, you will enjoy the fruits of your labors of both love and work. Some woman from your past will contact you for a short time but will fade off the radar pretty much by March. Finances could be a little erratic for you and your mate, but new opportunities will come in shortly. Your hopeful and buoyant nature will attract what you want in your life, trust it. The 5th and 6th are your best days.
Namasté Visit Jeanne’s site at CelestialAdvisor.com
Guanacaste Tree Quiz (from page 30)
Answers: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
d g n f l
6. e,f 7. i 8. h 9. k 10. o
11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
j b a d a
16. 17. 18. 19. 20.
d e m e c
0-5 Correct: You are a tourist, you arrived recently, or you stay on the beach most of the time. 6 -10 Correct: You enjoy seeing the trees, but they all look alike, or you just can’t take tests. 11-15 Correct: You like to observe nature and have been here some time. 16 -20 Correct: You are a visiting botanist, own a farm and plant trees, or are a native.
Now Begins the Study of Yoga Savasana (Corpse Pose) Happy New Year! Now that you have got through the holidays, enjoyed ringing in the new year, here is a pose that can help you feel refreshed and ready for 2014. Savasana, or corpse pose, is typically the final pose in a yoga routine. This pose, while looking like it is easy to do, can actually be one of the most difficult to master. Indeed, there are those of you (and I know who you are!) who feel as though this pose is a “waste of time”. I can almost hear the guys from the Mel Brooks movie sneer “We don’t need your stinkin’ corpse pose!” I beg to differ. I believe this pose to be the deepest yoga pose known.
The pictures here illustrate a number of ways to do savasana. You can simply lie down on the floor. Allow your legs to relax, let your arms be either by your sides, or stretched farther away from your body. If your back is at all uncomfortable, lightly lift your pelvis and elongate your low back, then slide your legs back out straight. If this didn’t help, use a support, such as a rolled towel or blanket, bolster, or chair under your legs to help your back feel comfortable. Use supports under your upper back and head to help your neck and shoulders completely relax. If your eyes do not relax easily, use an eye pillow.
I can’t describe in this short column why this pose is so important. Let it suffice to say that this pose is one great way to de-stress. You can lie down without anything for support, or get into the superdeluxe version, either way, just do it. I typically advise my students to do this pose for at least ten minutes, fifteen if possible. Your heart rate will slow down, your breathing will become smoother, fatigue or other stressrelated symptoms will be less or go away, and it will help to soothe your frazzled nervous system, bringing calmness to your mind.
Once you have the right supports for your body, progressively relax all of it. I find that many of my students are so used to carrying stress in their bodies that they do not even feel that they are holding this tension. So take many deep breaths, exhaling deeply, perhaps even sighing, to release any hidden pockets of tension. Let go and release into the ground. Feel the profoundness of being this corpse, “dying” to the self that your mind has created, and allow yourself to melt into the beautiful, profound depth of your consciousness.
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
Surf Report (from page 24) However, he improved in the Vans World Cup of Surfing claiming 1st place in Round 1 of 64 excellent competitors. He bested Hawaiian Hank Gaskell (2nd), United States’ Nat Young!! (3rd) and Australia’s Mitch Crews (4th). Round 2 he did it again, taking 1st, over Hawaii’s Sebastian Zietz, Ian Walsh, and Makuakai Rothman, 2nd, 3rd and 4th respectively. It was only in the quarterfinals that he faltered, only making it to 4th place, with Frederico Morais of Portugal besting him at 1st, and Hawaiians John John Florence taking 2nd, and Ian Gentil scoring 3rd. In the latter contest, his finish was still 13th overall in the contest. As of this writing he was busting it out in the Billabong Pipe Masters. And he jumped up 3 spots to #42 in the Association of Surfing Professional (ASP) rankings. Amazing! A look-in on Noe Mar McGonagle, who had a spectacular finish in the Independence Surf Pro Barbados Festival in November. This was an ASP event, so it featured a slew of international pros in the November PRO and the Caribbean Junior Championships called the Soup Bowl Junior Pro. Finishing at 2nd behind Jonah Carter, McGonagle scored the highest wave of the contest…in the last 5 seconds. “Stoked to get 2nd!” he exclaimed. Sister Leilani tied for 6th place in the Open Women, as well as 3rd in the Junior. And then, our boy Noe Mar became the Central American Open Champion in the waves of Playa Venao, Panama. Costa Rica won the whole shebang for the 8th consecutive time—which is as many years as the Central American Surfing Championships have taken place. “Happy to get a title that I did not have,” said Noe Mar. This year the results I’ve got have been good and this is very special to me because it gave good points to my team that we needed to become Central American surf champions. The work of all Costa Rica was amazing here in Panama.” In addition, Ticos scored 16 of 22 possible medals including 4 gold for Noe Mar Open, Leilani Junior Women’s, Anthony Flores Longboard and Jefferson Bustos Bodyboard. Results in next column. For the past few years, the Masters have competed outside the Circuito Nacional de Surf, going up against each other during the Metropolitan Triple Crown. However, this year, with the addition of a Standup Paddle division that needed its own national competition, it made sense that those surfers over 35 years have their contest with the SUPs, so that a fully organized and manned event could take place. And that’s just what happened in Santa Teresa last month, when the Circuito Nacional Masters in Santa Teresa de Cóbano went
The winning team Open Jair Pérez (Jacó) Noe Mar McGonagle (Pavones) Anthony Fillingim (Santa Teresa) Danny Bishko (Esterillos Oeste). Women’s Lisbeth Vindas (Jacó) Paula Duarte (Jacó). Junior (Under 18) Manuel Mesén (Jacó) Josué Rodríguez (Jacó) Kevin Montiel (Nosara) Bruno Carvalho (Jacó). Boys (Under 16) Leonardo Calvo (Barranca) Aldo Chirinos (Playa Negra) Malakai Martínez (Tamarindo) Oscar Urbina (Puerto Viejo).
Junior Women’s Leilani McGonagle (Pavones) Emily Gussoni (Jacó). Longboard Anthonny Flores (Jacó) Alex Gómez (Sámara). Master Geancarlo Loría (Jacó) Gustavo Castillo (Jacó). Bodyboard Jefferson Bustos (Quepos) Yazdany Castro (Quepos).
Medal for Nations 1. Costa Rica 16,548 pts; Panama 13,963; El Salvador 12,733; Guatemala 11,495; Nicaragua 8,789. Individual Medal Open Longboard 1. Noe Mar McGonagle (CRI) 1. Anthony Flores (CRI) Junior Bodyboard 1. Juan Carlos Gonzales (PAN) 1. Jefferson Bustos (CRI) Boys Women’s 1. Jaxi Obando (NIC) 1. Samanta Alonso (PAN) Master Junior Women’s 1. Gary Saavedra (CRI) 1. Leilani McGonagle (CRI) off. At the end of the day, Israeli Amit Londer won the Masters. Unfortunately, since he is not a native Tico, he will be ineligible to fill out the Costa Rica National Masters Team that will travel to Panama in March for the International Surfing Association (ISA) World Masters Surfing Games. Same goes for Jason Senn from the United States, who secured the premier win in SUP in conditions that pushed to shoulder-high waves. The World Surfing Games for Stand-up Paddle takes place in Nicaragua this May. The FSC hopes to put together a team from the SUP circuit. Costa Rica represented well and is likely to see its Masters team augmented by frequent ISA medalist Craig “Tequila” Schieber of Puerto Viejo as well as Gustavo Corrales of Jacó, and Veronica Quiros of Santa Teresa, all of whom grabbed the top spots in the Grand Masters (over 40), Kahuna (over 45) and Masters Female, respectively. The next date of the Masters & SUP Circuito is set for January 11 and 12, at a beach to be named .
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.
Surviving
C hapter XII
A
COSTA RICA
s the new season is now upon us The Howler has been asked to update its hugely popular guide for those seeking information on visiting and possibly living in Costa Rica. The last guide came out in the very early years of the current millennium, a different and much simpler time. Items such as “what to do when a car drives by” and “one or two things that might happen after sunset” have been removed and many newer aspects of the Greater Tamarindo Metroplex lifestyles have been updated with an emphasis on the collective knowledge and experience of many on the Howler staff that have lived here for many years. For those of you who are visiting for the first time we’d like to point out a few of the “Basics”. Language: Many recent North American arrivals find communicating with the national population to be extremely difficult unless they’re accompanied by a tourist industrytrained interpreter. This is because literally 100% percent of the population here speaks the Spanish language which is completely different from English, except for words like “iPhone” and “Rolex”. However it should be noted that the Spanishspeaking folk in San José, the capital, known somewhat affectionately as “Chepes”, can barely understand the local Tamarindo dialect known as “Guanacasteco”, a sorta kinda Spanish. Currency: The monetary situation has become much easier in the last few years and the only real factor involving the Colón, Dollar, Euro or Yuan is that you have as much of them as you possibly can. Banking: (For those of you now living here, having failed to heed the aforementioned sage advice from staff). There are a great number of private financial institutions to choose from for your banking needs, although care must be taken to update their
New Updated and Revised Guide to Costa Rica
current name and national affiliation. For instance, Newfee Bank, the New Foundland Banking conglomerate, recently was purchased by a Columbian firm “Escobar Ltd.” and changed its name to FARQBANK, only to be purchased seven weeks later by the Hong Kong based “Moo Goo Bank of Celestial Harmony and Loans” and is now called “The Wong Kong Bank”. Those of you who enjoy long lines and security pat-downs can also visit one of the two National banks, as long as you remember to bring your passport, five years of tax returns and current shot and dental records. A Brief History of Costa Rica: Christopher Columbus, along with Ferdinand Magellan, first discovered Costa Rica back in 1642 when they took a wrong left (starboard) turn at Guantanamo, Cuba, and named the new territory after his pet seadog Costarica. As it turned out, there was no gold to be found and very few Indians to convert and/or enslave, so, after depositing a few colonists, Columbus went on to discover California. Several centuries later the good folks in Guatemala informed the Costa Ricans they were now a free country, after which elite Costa Rican military forces conquered the Nicoya Peninsula in the famous Six-Hour War with Nicaragua. The discovery of the banana in 1876, and later the coffee bean in 1883, was to forever change the culture and soon it became famous as a “Coffee Republic”. Statistics: At last count there were over forty seven million people living in Costa Rica, earning the highest gross per capita income in the Northern Hemisphere and having an average age expectancy of 93. It must be noted that an increasing number of death-prone North Americans has brought this number down from 97. Things to do: If you’re visiting Costa Rica for the first time and are now wondering what to do we’d like to offer a few suggestions.
Story by Jesse Bishop owlhumm@hotmail.com
Get Warm: This applies to anybody coming from where it is no longer warm and in many cases very much the opposite. Take off that parka and put on as few clothes as you feel comfortable with. Get Energetic: We must apologize for a lack of information on this subject as we were unable to locate a Howler staff writer with enough energy to cover it. Get Wasted: Costa Rica has very liberal laws concerning consumption of alcohol which is enthusiastically dispensed just about anywhere. As in most civilized countries, drugs are outlawed here, although if you go down to the circle and ask for One-eyed Pedro and tell him “el Viejo loco” sent you, you might be able to circumvent any legal obstacles. Get Romanced: What better place to bring someone you love. You can get married here, have a honeymoon here or just hang out till someone comes along. And if that doesn’t work it should be pointed out that the world’s oldest profession is alive and well and perfectly legal. Once again you may want to talk to Oneeyed Pedro. Quaint Customs: In the Lake Arenal region in the central mountain plateau the locals hold a yearly Volcano Festival where the area’s most beautiful woman is chosen to be thrown into the Volcano to appease Pele, the local non-Catholic Deity. We hope this new updated guide will help you understand and enjoy life here on the Pacific Gold Coast and its adjoining rest of the country. In next month’s Howler we will discuss the implications of free market economies on Costa Rica’s fascination with both futbol and soccer and how the upcoming World Cup has also been affected.
What to Expect in 2014 Tom Peifer peifer@racsa.co.cr ‘To know your future you must know your past.’ - George Santayana ‘History repeats itself, the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce’ - Karl Marx
W
ell, if the past is any guide to the future, it’s going to be a rough ride, but more funny than a barrel of monkeys. Of course it helps if you have a twisted sense of humor and an appreciation of profound irony. On the serious side, however, I’ll wager we’ll see the following developments as the year 2014 unfolds before us. Let’s start with the really key local issues. 1. I think the price of beer will go up. Face it, it’s been hovering around 1,000 colones in the local bars for quite a while now, at times much more stable than the dollar. Look for this in the first half of the year. After the January fiestas but before Semana Santa. 2. The Santa Cruz fiestas will feature a number of bullrelated injuries. This is a certainty. On some related topics the crystal ball is a bit hazy these days. Something to do with the changes in the ambient humidity as the dry season gets going. I can’t predict with certainty that the gorings, tramplings, dislocations and contusions will set a record. Nonetheless, we can expect to see around a 7.5% increase in the numbers of truckloads full of empty bottles leaving the Ciudad Folclorica in the wee hours of dawn after the previous night’s debauchery, up from the fifty per day last year. Finally, there will be a spike in the local birthrate just about nine months after the conclusion of the fiestas. 3. The road from 27 de Abril to Tamarindo will be finished. Si Dios quiere. Elsewhere in the country, we will see a direct relationship between the intensity of the coming rainy season and the increase in the deployment of Bailey bridges. This will continue at an exponential rate until planners, politicians and infrastructure experts go back to school and learn that water runs downhill. (Side note here: hopefully some local developers attend the same remedial courses.) 4. We will have sufficient electricity during the dry season to keep all those air conditioners humming away in all those concrete, heat-retaining monoliths that are unlivable when the power goes off. Lake Arenal is filling nicely. It’s too early, however, to make a call for the next rainy season. My deep-throat sources with the in-house meteorology crew at ICE have not come through with their latest predictions. Turns out that global weather patterns are not as easy to predict as they used to be.
At the national level, the current presidential race makes weather forecasting seem like child’s play by comparison. In the face of massive popular discontent with the presidency of Laura Chinchilla, more voters than ever are either turning to new parties, or just tuning out on the whole electoral shebang. Still, let’s throw a few darts here and see which ones turn out to be ‘on target’ over the course of the year. 1. No clarity, sense of national unity or blueprint for a better future as a result of the elections in February. The stagnant economy, increasing poverty, crime and general malaise continue as definite trends. 2. As in many countries with a sizeable national debt and large public payrolls to maintain, new and higher taxes are imposed on everything possible---and even some things heretofore deemed impossible. 3. Increased interest in domestic petroleum and natural gas exploration, from the mapped-out lease-blocks off both coasts to the interior reserves of ‘shale gas’. 4. Increased involvement of China in infrastructure projects, from the refinery in Limón, to the widened highway running across the breadth of the country, also, coincidentally to Limón. 5. A continuation of the balancing act between historic ties with the US and the geo-political-economic reality that China, flush with cash, is ready to build a transoceanic canal in Nicaragua, sees Central America as a land-bridge towards future energy supplies both here and in Venezuela. Look for this high-wire act to get more and more perilous as the competition sharpens among these rival empires. On the global front, several of the following predictions could be pulled out of the hat by any neophyte at this normally daunting task. 1. Worldwide carbon dioxide emissions—you know, the ones causing increasing climate disruption, acidifying the oceans, and a long list of etcetera’s--will set a new record in the measuring station at Mauna Loa. (continued page 40)
What to Expect...
Alcoholics Anonymous Schedule of Meetings
Flamingo
Tuesdays: 5:30 - 6:30 pm (open) Fridays: 5:30 - 6:30 pm (open)
2. Costa Rica will still keep proclaiming its goal to become “carbon neutral” by 2020, even though it is failing to stay on track, according to most observers.
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 Wednesday: 10:30 - Open Meeting Thursday: 5:30-6:30 - Open Meeting Location: Behind Pedro’s Surf Shop
3. Governments will keep meeting and agreeing to all kinds of voluntary emissions reductions and smiling for the cameras and agreeing to meet again, but when the rubber meets the road, it’ll continue to be powered by petroleum. Fossil fuels power something like 80% of all economic activity and 2014 won’t be different enough to fool Mother Nature.
Contact: Ellen - 2-653-0897 / Steve - 8377-1529
January ( a l l
t i m e s
Sun
4. Edward Snowden will release some more interesting stuff on the NSA spying. The latest news, that they even snooped into the users of on-line video games, didn’t raise that much of a fuss. I’m predicting that some of the 99% that has not yet been released contains some juicy tidbits. Just as a for instance, detailed credit card reports of shopping habits could be passed on to businesses to help them selectively target potential customers. After all, “knowledge is power,” as the saying goes, so why not put it to good use and turn a profit.
2014 l o c a l )
1st - rise 6:01; set 5:33 15th - rise 6:05; set 5:41 31st - rise 6:06; set 5:47*
* latest sunrise Jan. 26th - 6:06:24 New: 1st quarter: Full: Last quarter: New:
1.8 1.6 1.4 c 1.2 1.0 m 0.8 0.6 s 0.4 0.2 0.0
Moon
1st 7th 15th 23rd 30th
5:15 a.m. 9:40 p.m. 10:53 p.m. 11:21 p.m. 3:40 p.m.
5. I’m going to make a cautious prediction for the return of good old-fashioned common sense. C’mon, after 40 years of the failed War on Drugs, Uruguay just legalized marijuana. CNN seems to have suddenly started reporting on climate change, and linking it to human activities rather than an act of God, as one republican from Texas just claimed. Any number of countries is beginning to tell the US to stop preaching about freedom and justice and start putting the money where the mouth is. You know, like not blowing up women and children with drone strikes, like not planning on invading Syria on chemical weapons charges that are unraveling as I write. Like not jamming free-trade agreements down countries’ throats and then acting all surprised when collapsed economies provoke waves of illegal immigration.
RAIN GAUGE RAINFALL - Nov/Dec 2013 Maricle Meteorological Observatory Villarreal de Santa Cruz Total rainfall: 4.4 cm (1.7 inches)
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(from page 39)
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Like I said, I’m cautiously optimistic on this prediction, fully aware of what Mark Twain said on the topic,” Common sense is a very uncommon thing.” I also know that old habits are hard to break. Tom Peifer is an ecological land use consultant with 19 years experience in Guanacaste. 2658-8018. tompeiferecv@ gmail.com
Year-to-date 2013: 104.2 cm 2012: 178.4
Rainfall Nov/Dec 2013: 4.4 cm 2012: 1.3
El Centro Verde is dedicated to researching and promoting sustainable land use, permaculture and environmentally sound development http://www.elcentroverde.org/
The great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving. Oliver Wendell Holmes