Howler1406june by Howler Media Holding, Inc.

The Howler

Volume 19, No. 6 Issue No. 212

June 2014 Founded 1996

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

FEATURES

Publisher, editor and production David Mills

Tiki Seaside Grill is right on Brasilito Bay, with great sunsets, Happy Hour and good food.

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 LYNDA ESPADA

ELLEN ZOE GOLDEN TONY OREZ TOM PEIFER JEFFREY WHITLOW BARBARA DEPPE SUSAN SMITH

Deadline for July: June 15 Howler advertising

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www.tamarindohomepage.com

15 Surf Report

Noe Mar McGonagle victorious again at Playa Hermosa; International SUP tournament in Nicaragua.

The Guanacaste Kitchen

The old-fashioned ways are often the best, says Kay, as she shows us the traditional cooking utensils and methods still in use.

World Cup Layout

As we enter the month-long tournament, the enclosed layout may add to your enjoyment as you follow the games.

Surviving Costa Rica

A trip to southern beaches to watch a cowboy tournament; then a visit by bus to Nicaragua.

Growing Pains.

Our local climate is changing, challenging gardeners to make good use of rain, as El Niño wanders around the Pacific.

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 9 Dharma Corner

25 Poetry by Diana Renee

10 Music Review

26 June Forecasts

11 Book Review

27 Word Puzzle

12 August Odysseys

28 Yoga

23 Doctor’s Orders

32 Sun & Moon

24 Slice of Life

32 Rain Gauge

Cover Caption: World Cup Brasil 2014 Cover Photo: 100x100fan.com Cover Design: David Mills

Shape Up! Aquabiking

a Fun, New Trendy Fitness Craze

Lynda Espada

quabiking is a fun, trendy fitness activity open to all fitness levels. Aquabiking, originally from Italy as physical therapy for injured athletes, is underwater stationary bikes going mainstream. It’s your standard cycling class, with all the rows of stationary bikes, upbeat music, peppy and fun instructors. Then submerge the whole set-up in four feet of water. Instead of a control knob that makes pedaling more challenging, riders simply pump faster and let the water provide more resistance. The natural massage from the water pressure reaches the deeper muscles of thighs, calves and buttocks that are tougher to stimulate on land. And depending on the cardio intensity, you can burn up to 800 calories in one 45-minute session. The class helps to eliminate cellulite, increase lung capacity and improve blood circulation. Classes are led by an instructor who simulates a race with climbs and descents, telling you when to pedal standing up or sitting down depending on whether you’re on a sprint or a gentle ride.

Aquabiking is on the fitness class schedule at Revive Wellness Center at Langosta Beach Club. I contacted owners/founders Jackie Hartnett and Mike Sassorossi of Revive Wellness Center for more information on this class. They invited me to give the Wednesday morning class a try. Led by local fitness instructor, Laurence de Ridder (Lolo), this class is taught outdoors. Lolo, owner of Tamarindo Aquabiking, also offers classes at other sites in the area. Lolo enthusiastically taught our class to upbeat music including familiar ‘80s music that had the class singing along. Similar to indoor cycling, she instructed us to pedal both sitting and standing. At one point, we were told to keep our feet strapped into the pedals, but position our bodies behind the bike, and let go. If it’s hard to imagine how someone stays afloat in such a contortion, let me tell you, it’s even harder to pull off. The position forced us to tread water with arms giving the upper body a workout. Next, we were instructed to position our bodies behind the bike, grab hold of the seat and extend our legs behind us, a complete series of leg exercises to target inner and outer thighs and glutes. In another position, we strapped our feet underneath the handlebars, laid across the seat, and cranked out sets of crunches to target the abdominals. We definitely felt the burn. A series of exercises both gentle and intensive at the same time, without putting excess strain on our joints thanks to the support of the water activity. For more information: Laurence de Ridder, www.tamarindoaquabiking.com Revive Wellness Center at Langosta Beach Club, www.revivewellnesslangosta.com

June 21 at 4:51 a.m. is the Summer Solstice, when the sun reaches its most northerly position of the year, 23 degrees above the Equator. •

•

So, we are into the low season, and already the rains have started and the countryside is greening up. However, since the lovely downpours we received in the first two weeks of May, there has been no more rain since May 12 (as of writing May 20). So maybe young Tom Peifer is right again (article page 31). •

•

Many businesses tell me they had a great season; others claim the opposite. One thing is sure, though, that in Tamarindo several restaurants or bars have closed their doors, for diverse reasons. Included are El Pescador, That’s Amore, Laguna, Oveja Negra, Fisch and its short-lived successor Macao – and several others. In a town this size we have a plethora of dining establishments, from typical sodas, hamburger joints, food fairs to elegant fine dining establishments, so it seems that competition is having its way and Darwin’s “survival of the fittest” is changing the culinary fabric of Tamarindo. Now, going into the five-month low season (except for a brief “veranillo”) restaurateurs must woo the locals with better product, better service and better prices. Happy Hour is a good attraction, and there are several establishments that offer it, with varieties of product and prices. Remember: look after the locals. For the next five months we are all you have. •

•

Ticos are eating more healthily, according to the food distribution organization CENADA. A recent study shows, over the past ten years, a 14.5 percent increase in consumption of fruits; fish - 34 percent increase; vegetables - 16.4; and seafood 50 percent.

Raising the Roof

he community itself has shown it values the work CEPIA is doing and has invested in its improvement. The village association of Huacas has donated land for the new community center and, while we have started building, we still lack funding for an important part of the center - the roof! We need at least $5,000 to construct the roof on the building that will allow us to care for more children, train more teenagers, and support more families in our community. Additionally, we will be providing a space where all civil groups are welcome and able to meet for community, educational, nutritional, and other activities. We have been working to create this center for the past two years and are so close to our goal. Help us raise the roof and change lives of families in Guanacaste! If we do not raise $5,000 then any funds raised will be put towards purchasing the materials needed for building the roof. Donate $100 - We want you know how much this money will help us for the final goal; every contribution is important for us...To thank you for your donation, we will list your name on the special “Thank you” page on our Facebook: CEPIA Costa Rica and our website: http:// www.cepiacostarica.org Donate $250 - In return for your sizeable help, we will send you a video from our new Community Center with a dedication from our kids. You will also receive all of the above. Donate $500 - This is a lot for us, 10% of our goal! Thanks a lot. For you to know how happy we are, we will send to you a special gift, your name will be on our sponsors’ page, and you will have all the perks above. Donate $1000 - Thank You!! Your generosity and your compassion needs to be acknowledged and appreciated! You will receive all the perks above and a book about Guanacaste. Donate $5000 - With your generosity alone, we have reached our goal. That’s AMAZING! We are eternally grateful! We will send to you with pleasure all of the above and an art gift by a local Costa Rican artist.

Tiki Seaside Grill has had several incarnations, and has even moved across the road, in Brasilito right on the beach. It is operated by Terry and Maureen Thompson, who also run the Beach House in Potrero. Chef is Nicholas, recently at Green House. “We provide seaside dining in a fine atmosphere, with great service,” says Terry. “We have a good Happy Hour during which there is a terrific sunset across the bay.” Appetizers are ceviche; potato skins; coconut shrimp; chicken vegetable spring rolls; fried broccoli; nachos; and seafood soup. We opened with fried calamari and a Green Goddess Shrimp salad. Other salads are mixed and grilled chicken Caesar. A burger menu offers Cheeseburger in Paradise; smokin’ bacon cheeseburger; veggie burger; fish or chicken tacos; and chicken burrito. Other sandwiches are Italian; schnitzel on a bun; chicken parmesan; turkey avocado club; chicken wrap; chicken or fish.

excellent service.

Entrees comprise shrimp basket; sea bass; salmon; mahi-mahi; ribeye steak; chicken pesto; shrimp or Tuscany pasta. We had a tuna dinner with all the trimmings and a pork schnitzel with spaetzel and veggies. Our selections were good and plentiful, and we enjoyed the meal and the

A Tico menu offers casados of chicken, beef or fish; arroz con pollo or con camarones, and there is a kids’ menu with all the favourites. Desserts are Tiramisú; passion fruit cheesecake; caramel fudge pecan cake. Tiki is open daily from 11 a.m. All credit cards accepted. Live music monthly during the high season. Tel: 2654-9062; FB: tikiseasidegrill; costaricamom@gmail.com.

Dharma Corner

Sue Smith

Things be A-changin’

cientists tell us that the universe is expanding at an even higher rate than once thought. There are constantly stars being born and stars dying. Things.....they be a changin’.

But what does that have to do with us?? Well, actually, everything, since we are a part of the universe and we (yes, each of us) are also constantly changing. The you of today is not the same as the you of yesterday, or even the you of this morning. Cells have died and new ones have formed. Words have been spoken and things have happened since this morning or last hour which have changed your perspective or your karma in some way because that’s just how it works. Nothing is permanent.

Impermanence is a fundamental truth. Some find that idea a little scary. But, no matter how much we grasp at and hang on to ideas, things or even emotions, their nature is to change. It is the grasping and hanging on to that causes us to suffer. Trying to hang onto youth, holding a grudge, prolonging grief, being fearful are all ways in which we try (consciously or unconsciously) to grasp and deny change. Even being stuck on opinions and ideas are examples of grasping and clinging. And they all cause suffering. So doesn’t it sound a lot more fun to acknowledge that every thing is impermanent? Just release and let go. It is truly liberating to contemplate the depth of the meaning of impermanence. When we live conscious of the principle of impermanence we see that we have power over our world; we can decide how we want things to change. How we respond to change, positively or negatively, is how we shape our lives. Being open to impermanence (change) allows our lives to flow more naturally. So, take a few moments to think about ways your mind grasps and clings - denying impermanence. Is it stuck on ideas or opinions? Is it denying aging? Holding a grudge? Over-valuing material things? Great!!! Now you’ve shown the light on these things, release them and let go. The principle of impermanence is empowering. So, whether you perceive that your day is going well or not, one thing is for sure: it will change. And with that awareness, you can make the change be either positive or negative. Only you have the power. MAKE it a great day!!!

Namaste

Music Review

Tony Orez A Milestone for Putumayo Records jaimepeligro.tamarindohomepage.com Forty years ago, Dan Storper traveled to Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia to experience first-hand the countries he had focused on for his degree in Latin America studies at Washington University in St. Louis. He found himself enamored of the culture and opened a small South American clothing & handcraft shop in NYC, called Putumayo, after a river and a region in Colombia. The shop quickly garnered a reputation for its uniqueness and Storper soon found himself supplying forty other shops. In 1993, while in San Francisco, Storper happened upon an African band named Kotoja performing in Golden Gate Park. It was an inspirational moment, the moment when World Music was coined. With the help of his friend Michael Kraus, the music label Putumayo and its first two recordings were launched the following year. This year, Putumayo celebrates two decades of growing the label and its image. The theme of any given disc can be regional (South African, Asia, Caribbean) or a musical style (Reggae, folk, jazz) or other bonding threads, as with the new Putumayo Kids division. The label now boasts more than two hundred titles, has offices in twelve different countries and has sold more than fifteen million CDs worldwide. It is not uncommon for an album of Reggae or Salsa music to offer fourteen songs by artists from fourteen different locales. The artwork for all the Putumayo CD jackets is done by Nicola Heindi. Her style is a collage of traditional, folkloric and modernistic which, I think, exemplifies one of the Putumayo goals, which is to unite traditional and contemporary music and musicians. Another aspect of the label that sets it apart from most others and helps define the brand is the fact that every album sale supports a benevolent cause, usually defined in the liner notes in the album’s jacket. Every album is designed with a booklet written in English, French and Spanish as well, with an introduction explaining the theme of the album, then a blurb on each performing artist. This album design has become a mainstay in the current CD market, but it was Putumayo that initiated the concept of supplying the customer with an abundance of information. To celebrate their twentieth anniversary, Putumayo has returned to its roots to release “Music of the Andes”, which includes Argentinean guitarist Suni Paz offering his rendition of “A la Huella”, a tribute to folkloric dance from the northern region of the Andes. Bolivia’s Punto Nazca perform the folk tune “Linda Boliviana” and Marta Gomez sings her way through haunting flutes in her original tune, “Carnavaliando”. In total, there are fourteen different Andean artists represented on the album. In typical fashion, Putumayo is pledging one percent of the sales of this CD to Whole Planet Foundation in support of their microcredit initiatives in Peru, Colombia and Ecuador.

Book Review Two Weeks in Costa Rica

Tony Orez

jaimepeligro.tamarindohomepage.com

(from page 10)

earching for a guide when visiting a new area generally falls into one of two categories: a travel guide and a travelogue. They both serve their own purpose and I tend to buy at least one of each. The first offers general travel information for buses, restaurants and lodging, broken down into a variety of price ranges. I honestly find them a bit sterile. And travelogues give a lot of personal information about the cultural climate, the feel of a place but generally do not supply the reader with a lot of travel agenda details. I’ve just finished reading “Two Weeks in Costa Rica” by the husband and wife team of Matthew Houde and Jennifer Turnbull. The couple has done a masterful job of incorporating the information of a guidebook with the personal flair of a travelogue. He recounts their third visit to Costa Rica, so they were not novices when they arrived to some of their locations, which I think helps with the book’s credibility as a guide book. Jennifer and Matt are natives of New England and harsh winters are in their heritage. Matt, in fact, works as a private landscaper whose responsibilities in the winter include plowing snow from the driveways of his clients. One of Matt’s employees, Roy, was a Tico and his stories about his home country captivated the couple and actually inspired them to visit Costa Rica their first time. I believe that equally intriguing and inspiring was Roy’s relaxed and positive attitude. So, the book opens with Matt scraping driveways, ready to get out of the cab of the tractor and the rat-race and head back to Costa Rica. The couple flies into San Jose and right away the book’s authors offer invaluable, first-hand information about navigating not only in the airport but in the country’s capitol as well. The couple ventures to the Nicoya Peninsula and the Cabo Blanco Nature Preserve near Montezuma. Their personal experiences on public buses and taking the ferries, their grasp of local terminology and culture are all very helpful. Nearly the entire expedition takes place on the western side of the country. I have lived here for twelve years and I learned a few facts about the area that were new, valuable little gems for me. Most importantly, “Two Weeks in Costa Rica” has a common thread running through it about grasping and then embracing the concept of “pura vida” and the allure it offers to travelers. I’m not big on Appendices or Afterwords but I would also like to commend the couple on theirs: it is concise and informative while retaining the personal feel of the rest of the book. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would recommend it to newcomers and long-time residents alike. For more information, visit Jennifer and Matt’s site: twoweeksincostarica.com. The book is available at the Jaime Peligro bookstore in Playa Tamarindo.

August Odysseys

Robert August kristenmattoxbrown@gmail.com

Gone to Hawaii

t was 1953 and the LAX airport did not exist. My parents and I were headed off on our first trip to Hawaii. Instead of traveling via a ship, which was what most people used, we decided to fly. We had to fly out of Burbank airport to San Francisco, and from there it was a fifteen-hour propeller plane ride to Oahu. Fifteen hours of vibration. It was terrifying, and the noise was constant. For years they used to joke about airplane food, and boy they were right. It was warm and gooey stuff. But we ate it. I can remember trying to lie on the floor to sleep and the vibration was so radical that I couldn’t sleep. It certainly was an adventure. There was not that much tourism in Hawaii back then. We stayed in Waikiki in a little apartment and the only hotel on beach was the pink Royal Hawaiian. There were a couple of guys renting boards and giving lessons, and even fewer surfers out in the water. What a dream! I surfed Waikiki with great waves and hardly any surfers out, and I had a blast using my board that Greg Noll made in his mom’s garage in Manhattan Beach. My mom took videos of my dad and me surfing with an outrigger canoe. It was amazing, with warm tropical water, compared to the cold water at Seal Beach where I grew up, and you could ride wave at Waikiki for 100 yards. It was a fantastic trip for a young kid. Not too long after that they started flying jets and leaving from LAX, a mere five-hour flight. Fortunately enough, I visited Hawaii frequently to visit my sister, whose husband was drafted into the Navy in Hawaii. Lucky him; because he was a lifeguard in Seal Beach, his tour of duty was a lifeguard in the officer’s pool. And lucky me, I got to surf Waikiki and Ala Mona twice a year all day, every day!

dmills@racsa.co.cr

he summer season of Costa Rica football ended May 10, with a face-off between perennial enemies Saprissa and La Liga. Unlike playoff and final series in North American sports, where they have learned to exploit the business side of the games with “best of seven” series, Ticos play a “best of two” series, the games being termed la ida and la vuelta. After la ida was scoreless, the series was decided in la vuelta when La Liga scored the only goal. Unfortunately for Liguistas, it was an autogol (own net) so Saprissa took the title. So here we go into the month-long World Cup tournament, played at numerous venues in Brazil. Costa Rica has qualified, and in the group stage will face Uruguay, England and Italy, a pretty formidable round. This is La Sele’s third visit to the World Cup, their first being in 1990 when they advanced through to the Round of 16, where they lost to Czechoslovakia and were eliminated. In 2002 and 2006 La Sele was eliminated in the Group Stage. At press time, the selection to visit Brazil comprises 30 players, a large number of whom are currently playing for foreign teams.

Go Sele! Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler. Albert Einstein

AROUND TOWN A fundraising event will be held June 21, at 5 p.m., to raise funds for the Abriendo Mentes Spay and Neuter Clinics. The evening, at Oasis Restaurant in Hotel Brasilito, will feature live music, a 50/50 raffle, live auction and a load of fun. Tickets are $20 in advance at Hotel Brasilito, Coldwell Banker and Krain Real Estate in Surfside, or $30 at the door. Donations for the live auction may be dropped off at these locations. Contact Adrian at 8401-7511 for information. Congratulations to the graduates at Country Day School, a bumper crop this year. See photo page 3. Please mark your calendar. Saturday, June 21st, is the Seventh Annual International Surfing Day fundraising event hosted by the Tamarindo Chapter of Surfrider International. The event will take place at the Langosta Beach Club and proceeds will go to the beach cleanup program. If you are interested in volunteering or donating an item to the silent auction, please contact Mike Clifford at 8841-9130 or mwcl4d@hotmail.com. Garage Sale. Everything must go! Please send me an email if you are interested in anything and I can send you the price list. We will also be selling lots of books, clothing, picture frames, electronics, etc. at the garage sale at Country Day School on June 7th. That event will be open to the public and there will be many vendors and lots of treasures. sarahmorocco@hotmail.com For details, click on http://share.shutterfly.com/action/ welcome?sid=8BYt2zduyaKLYA Revive Wellness, at Langosta Beach Club, offers Aquabiking, a new fun exercise, and Costa Ricaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first Surfset Fitness program. See ad page 7. A cycling event will be held June 29 at 8 a.m. at Hacienda Norma, bike race is Â˘4,000 adults registration, 25km track; free for kids. Prizes for cyclists, raffle. For details, visit info@paradisecostarica.org. Art Retreat Tamarindo offers Collage Classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, plus 5-day Workshops. See the ad page 13 or visit www. artretreattamarindo.com. To follow all the games of the World Cup, try the entertainment at: Higher Ground, above SuperCompro in Tamarindo, with free pool, darts, fussball and big plasma screen for all the games. Se ad page 19. Surf Shack just off Tamarindo Circle - has $1 sliders, $3 chips and guacamole, plasma screens. See ad page 19. Restaurant Nibbana has 14 large screens to enjoy all the World Cup action. See ad page20.

Surf Report Ellen Zoe Golden ellenzoe@aol.com

o we ever get tired of hearing about the accomplishments of Noe Mar McGonagle from Pavones? Well, now the youngster adds a big win at the Reef Classic Pepsi Costa Rica 2014 presented by Kölbi. He took the trophy in pretty decent waves at a break he is well familiar with—Playa Hermosa near Jacó. The path to the finals was not easy—he had to beat Costa Rica’s best international surfer Carlos Muñoz (Esterillos) and the highest ranked Tico surfer in this Asociación Latinamericana de Surfistas Profesionales (ALAS) circuit, Jason Torres (Jacó), as well as a former Latin American champion, Gabriel Villaran. “It has always been my dream to win a big event in Costa Rica with all my people and the public support as well,” explained McGonagle. “I’m so happy to get this win and now I’ll continue working on all the rest of the dates this year.” McGonagle (photo below) pocketed $5,000 and earned 5,000 points to climb up the ALAS Open rankings to #8. And, just because he could, Noe Mar placed 2nd in the Juniors in Hermosa as well. The Brazilian Caina Barletta won 1st place. In this division, McGonagle ranks at #4.

Over the years, longboarder Anthony Flores has really moved into a leadership role among Costa Ricans, repeatedly winning his division on the Circuito Nacional Olympus 2014 presented by Adrenaline Rush and traveling with the various Costa Rica National surf teams to represent the country internationally. However, Flores added an important win at the ALAS date in Hermosa because he beat the current Latin American Longboard champion, Venezuelan Ronald Reyes.

Reef Classic Pepsi Costa Rica 2014 presented by Kölbi Playa Hermosa - May 2

Junior Open 1. Noe Mar McGonagle (CRI) 1. Caina Barletta (BRA) 2. Noe Mar McGonagle (CRI) 2. Rafael Pereira (VEN) 3. Lucca Messina (PER) 4. Luan Wood (BRA) Women 1. Dominic Barona (ECU) 2. Leilani McGonagle (CRI) Longboard 3. Lisbeth Vindas (CRI) 1. Anthony Flores (CRI) 2. Isidro Villao (ECU) 4. Danielle Ciminero (CRI) 3. Ronald Reyes (VEN) 4. Mario Gambelini (CRI)

Hermosa, Costa Rica.”

Flores commented: “I’m happy to win at home; the waves are super-good, as was expected. I managed to grab it right, and did the maneuvers that I have been training and gave everything out there. Thanks to Reef for doing an event here at home in Playa

The Costa Rica National SUP surf team made its debut together last month at the 2nd edition of the International Surfing Association (ISA) World SUP Championships, which took place in two Nicaraguan locations. On May 4 to 6, competitors rode waves in Playa La Boquita de Man, and on May 8 to 11, the distance races took place in Lago de Nicaragua, exiting from Granada. The athletes who competed were gleaned from the results of the Circuito Nacional de Stand-Up Paddle SURFTECH en 2013, which took place in various beaches around Costa Rica. They were: SUP Surfing (waves) Brian Sandoval (Nosara); Dennis Picado (Jacó); Jenny Kalmbach (Jaco) Technique Jenny Kalmbach; Rolando Herrera (Jacó); Erick Zamora (Playa Potrero) Distance Edith García (Mal País); Rolando Herrera; Erick Zamora Of particular note was SUP surfer Jenny Kalmbach (photo above), a Costa Rican who grew up in Hawaii, and trained on those beautiful waves. Kalmbach’s performance in Nicaragua was the best of the team, especially acknowledged by the bronze medal she won in the SUP Technical Paddle on Lake Nicaragua. It wasn’t too bad either that by the time she placed 4th in the semifinal repercharge of the waves surfing, she had earned a ranking of #8 in the world for Women’s SUP waves as well. On the Lake Jenny qualified to the finals, facing 11 rowers from Canada, Australia, Brazil, United States, United Kingdom, Spain, France, Venezuela, Mexico, South Africa and Denmark. The track was 4.5 kilometers in short circles around buoys. In the end, Australia’s Shakira Westdorp, who medaled in 3 different disciplines during the championship, won the Gold Medal in a time of 31:27. The Aussie defeated Canada’s Silver Medalist Lina Augaitis (31:33), Costa Rica’s Bronze Medalist, Kalmback (31:46), and USA’s Copper Medalist, Shae Foudy (33:33). “I was super happy to have achieved this result. I prepared very well for this World championship; however, the girls involved are wellrenowned rowers, which gives me a lot of pride because personally it was a goal. What I have done is an honor for my country, “ Jenny said. “My strategy was to get out as fast as possible from start to position myself first and then try to maintain that place, but both the Australian and Canadian were very strong. Merely to raise your flag on a world championship podium is a great honor, regardless of the outcome.”

(continued page 20)

The Guanacaste Kitchen Steeped in Tradition

Kay Dodge de Peraza

isps of smoke gently rise through the palm roof, as flames lick around the superheated clay comal. As the white corn tortillas bake on the clay plate, the scent of the fragrant corn blends with the rich scent of chicken, vegetables, and a variety of spices, slowly cooking in a large metal pot. From the Amazon basin of South America to the land of the Mayas in the Yucatan Peninsula, women traditionally used similar cooking methods to prepare family meals. Too hot to cook in the house, the outdoor kitchen of Guanacaste became a practical adaptation to tropical living. Although most new houses in Guanacaste have modern kitchens with electric or gas stoves, many women still opt for outdoor cooking of traditional dishes, claiming they taste better over firewood.

charles/carlos/chucky i didn’t know you can’t love you didn’t know you want to you thought i knew agreed / i didn’t never agreed that you won’t / didn’t / ever you really don’t / won’t ever know now how much i did written by Geretta Geretta

Sheltered from the sun and rain, the tropical kitchen was covered with simple palm or clay tile roofs. The traditional outdoor kitchen of Guanacaste had three basic structures which are still an important part of rural kitchens today. First, the fogon, which is a raised bed constructed of wood and filled with sand. On the fogon are two or three hornillas or cooking surfaces (made from formed mud and horse manure or more “modern” ones from cement blocks), that hold the leña or firewood and support the cooking pots or clay comals. Water, with ash added, is splashed on the fogon to protect the wood from burning. The second is the lavatorio, the wooden table used to prepare the dishes, wash vegetables or chop the meat. The working-height table had channels for washing down after use. The third, the molidero, was used to grind corn on the stone metate. A short distance from the main kitchen area, some homes would have a larger horno, or clay oven, with its own roof, and used for special baking projects. The large round ovens are also made from mud mixed with horse manure, a glue-like liquid extracted from the guacimo branches soaked in water, then formed over a structure of vines. Older kitchens might also have a smoke rack above the fogon to dry or smoke a variety of foods from meats and fish to cheese and chilis. During the 7.6 earthquake September 2012, most of the outdoor ovens, including ours, collapsed because the internal supporting structure is burned away. Other kitchen basics included the chorreador, or “coffee maker”, a simple wooden stand with a “cotton sock”. Finely ground coffee would be added to the sock, then boiling water is poured through to produce the rich, fragrant brew. Hanging from the roof would (continued page 21)

Dharma Corner

Special Delivery

Sue Smith

Things be A-changin’

cientists tell us that the universe is expanding at an even higher rate than once thought. There are constantly stars being born and stars dying. Things.....they be a changin’.

Namaste

The wildlife rehabilitation program at Monkey Park Foundation

ike many deliveries, this one came in the form of a beat-up cardboard box. Unlike most deliveries, when this box was opened four small eyes were staring back. The eyes belonged to two juvenile pacific screech owls born just a week or so earlier, and the package was hand-delivered by the MINAE (Ministerio de Ambiente, Energía y Mares) to the staff at Monkey Park wildlife rehabilitation and release center in Portegolpe. The owls were found in the hollow of a recently felled tree and, after approximately three months of rehabilitation, they will be Pacific Screech Owl released back into the forests of Guanacaste. Monkey Park is where many of the Tamarindo area’s wild animals go when they are found in need of rehabilitation. During its operation as a wildlife rehabilitation and release center since 2005, the staff at Monkey Park have successfully treated and released many species of Chestnut-mandibled Toucan animals including howler monkeys, white-tailed deer, coatis and several species of Guanacaste’s birds. Wildlife is brought to the park by both MINAE officials and community members. After receiving any necessary veterinary care and, once they are in stable condition, the animals are cared for in a hands-off approach that staff members use to help keep the animals wild. When it is determined that the animals can once again survive on their own, they are released where they were found, or in a national park or another suitable location. Monkey Park also receives wild animals that were illegally kept as pets or other animals with extensive injuries that are unable to survive in the wild. These animals are rehabilitated and live in enclosures within the park. Presently the park has over twenty species of resident animals including spider monOcelot keys, howler monkeys, two species of toucans and an ocelot. Guests are invited to visit the park and view and learn about the park’s animals. The entrance fee that guests pay, and private donations, are the only sources of income for the park and pay for the rehabilitation of wild animals as well as the food and maintenance of the park’s resident animals.The park is open to the public daily from 8-4. To learn more or make a donation, visit http://monkeyparkfoundation.org/. Contributed by Vincent Losasso, Wildlife Rehabilitator Monkey Park Foundation vincent.losasso@gmail.com

GROUP A Jun 12 • 2

BRAZIL

CROATIA

Jun 13 • 10 MEXICO

CAMEROON

Jun 17 • 1

BRAZIL

MEXICO

Jun 18 • 4

CAMEROON

CROATIA

Jun 23 • 2

CAMEROON

BRAZIL

Jun 23 • 2

CROATIA

MEXICO

WORL 20 ROUND OF 16 GAME 49 • Jun 28 • 10

1st A 2nd B GAME 51 - Jun 29 • 10

1st B 2nd A GROUP B Jun 13 • 1

SPAIN

NETHERLANDS

Jun 13 • 4

CHILE

AUSTRALIA

Jun 18 • 1

SPAIN

CHILE

Jun 18 • 10 AUSTRALIA

NETHERLANDS

Jun 23 • 10 AUSTRALIA

SPAIN

BRA

Jun 23 • 10 NETHERLANDS CHILE

QUARTER FINALS

GAME 57 - July 4 • 2 W 49 W 50 GAME 58 - July 4 • 10 W 53 W 54

SEMI FI

GROUP C Jun 14 • 10 COLOMBIA Jun 14 • 7

C. D’IVOIRE

Jun 19 • 10 COLOMBIA

GAME 61 W 57 W 58 GAME 62 W 59 W 60

GREECE JAPAN C. D’IVOIRE

Jun 19 • 4

JAPAN

GREECE

Jun 24 • 2

JAPAN

COLOMBIA

Jun 24 • 2

GREECE

C. D’IVOIRE

ROUND OF 16 GAME 50 - Jun 28 • 2 1st C 2nd D GAME 52 - Jun 29 • 2 1st D 2nd C GROUP D Jun 14 • 1

URUGUAY

COSTA RICA

Jun 14 • 4

ENGLAND

ITALY

Jun 19 • 1

URUGUAY

ENGLAND

Jun 20 • 10 ITALY

COSTA RICA

Jun 24 • 10 ITALY

URUGUAY

Jun 24 • 10 COSTA RICA

ENGLAND

W 61

WORLD CU July 13 • V

THIRD PL

LD CUP 014

GROUP E Jun 15 • 10 SWITZERLAND

ECUADOR

Jun 15 • 1

FRANCE

HONDURAS

Jun 20 • 1

SWITZERLAND

FRANCE

Jun 20 • 4

HONDURAS

Jun 25 • 2

HONDURAS

Jun 25 • 2

ECUADOR

ECUADOR SWITZERLAND FRANCE

ROUND OF 16 GAME 53 - Jun 30 • 10

1st E 2nd F GAME 55 - July 1 • 10

1st F 2nd E

AZIL

GROUP F Jun 15 • 4

ARGENTINA

BOS & HERZ

Jun 16 • 1

IRAN

NIGERIA

Jun 21 • 10 ARGENTINA

IRAN

NIGERIA

BOS & HERZ

Jun 25 • 10 NIGERIA

ARGENTINA

Jun 25 • 10 BOS & HERZ

IRAN

Jun 21 • 4

QUARTER FINALS

GAME 59 - July 5 • 2 W 51 W 52 GAME 60 - July 5 • 10 W 55 W 56

INALS

July 8 • 2

July 9 • 2

PORTUGAL

Jun 16 • 4

GHANA

USA

Jun 21 • 1

GERMANY

GHANA

Jun 22 • 4

USA

PORTUGAL

Jun 26 • 10 USA

GERMANY

Jun 26 • 10 PORTUGAL

GHANA

ROUND OF 16 GAME 54 - Jun 30 • 2 1st G 2nd H GAME 56 - July 1 • 2 1st H 2nd G

UP FINAL • 1 pm W62

LACE

GROUP G Jun 16 • 10 GERMANY

GROUP H Jun 17 • 10 BELGIUM Jun 17 • 4

RUSSIA

Jun 22 • 10 BELGIUM

ALGERIA REP KOREA RUSSIA

Jun 22 • 1

REP KOREA

ALGERIA

Jun 26 • 2

REP KOREA

BELGIUM

Jun 26 • 2

ALGERIA

RUSSIA

Surf Report (from page 15) Concluded ISA President Fernando Aguerro during the Closing Ceremony: “The 2014 ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship has been a total success, with the largest number of competitors in history. The event has grown from about 150 last year to nearly 250 in just one year, and it is now officially closed. “I am very happy about our host, the government and people of Nicaragua, and the private sector, who have done an amazing job on making this the most memorable ISA SUP and Paddleboard World Championship ever! It’s never easy to leave a place that has treated you very nicely, so I’m sad that we’ll be leaving tomorrow, all as ambassadors of Nicaragua. Hopefully, we’ll be coming back soon to beautiful Nicaragua, the place where the offshore winds never stop, and where the water and air are always very warm.”

Overall Team Results

1. Australia 2. USA 3. Brazil 4. Spain 5. France 6. Mexico 7. South Africa 8. Peru

16,750 13,100 10,667 10,501 9,532 9,398 9,032 8,671

9. Venezuela 10. New Zealand 11. Nicaragua 12. Great Britain 13. Guatemala 14. Canada 15. Denmark 16. Costa Rica

8,266 8,261 7,527 7,360 6,234 6,180 5,053 3,870

Let’s revisit a competition that took place a couple of months ago in Playa Hermosa de Jaco. This was the Circuito Nacional Master & SUP. We already know which of the SUP winners ended up at an international championship, but I don’t want to forget to give a shout out to the older surfers who did this circuit. These include Gustavo Castill (Jaco), Geancarlo Loria (Jaco), frequent WSG medaller Craig “Tequila” Schieber (Limon) ,and Dennis Picado (Jaco), who won the Masters, Grand Masters, Kahuna and SUP, respectively. When the Costa Rica National Masters surf team is put together for the World Surfing Masters Championship this August in Peru, look for these names to be among the competitors. Said Castillo: “I would like to thank the Federation for giving us this space to surf as the Masters, as we are the oldest surfers in the country, but we are still active in this sport. I’m happy to be a National Masters Champion again and ready to face off against the world once more.”The Circuito Guanacaste de Surf is in the books. Finishing up the premier year of surf contests around the area in Playa Negra, it’s safe to say that the organizers accomplished their goals of promoting local talent as well as Guanacaste beaches. Over in the Circuito Nacional Olympus presented by Adrenaline Rush, surfers competed in the 5th date of the nationwide contest. The COPA Unit, which took place in Santa Teresa’s waves of nearly ten feet, saw Maykol Torres of Esterillos pull out a barnburner in the finals, earning him a second win this year on the tour—the first taking place in Bejuco. He’s now sitting pretty at the top of the Open ranks and if he maintains his high level of surfing in the last three dates, he could see his first national championship. (continued page 29)

The Guanacaste Kitchen

(from page 16)

also be a variety or cooking pots including the two-handled casuelas made of clay or metal and the sartén, a frying pan. Before plastic, cooks used huacales de jicaro, the gourd-like fruits of the jicaro tree as bowls and dippers. The jicaro is also known as the cannonball tree, a small tree common along fence rows in Guanacaste. Pre-colombian Indians traded clay pots and cooking vessels throughout the Americas. With the introduction of metal ware, the large ollas would become a prized possession of the Guanacaste cook. The valuable cooking pots often were passed from mother to daughter. Today, many of the large cooking pots come from Nicaragua and are sold in the central markets, along the roadsides or hawked house-to-house in the small rural towns. I gave one to my son, our family chef, as a Christmas present a couple of years ago. When they checked his luggage going back he had to do a little explaining. The best Guanacaste cooks are fussy about the leña or firewood used to cook their special dishes like tamales, olla de carne (slow cooked soup), or arroz con pollo (chicken and rice). The favored wood is from the Guacimo or Nance trees, because it burns clean and produces less carbon ash. Guacimo is a common, medium-sized tree found in pastures. Wood from Madero is also a favorite, but is more valuable for fence posts. However, old posts with heartwood are commonly collected and cut up for leña. The traditional kitchens of Guanacaste can be seen the backyards of many small towns. Women meet around the fire, exchanging gossip and teaching young girls the old ways. But not all the kitchens were outside; some were attached to the main house in large haciendas. Visitors to Guanacaste Conservation Area can visit the kitchen in La Casona of Santa Rosa. It had a larger fogón to prepare meals for the many peons on the hacienda, long before it became the site of the famous battle of Santa Rosa, which drove the invading army of William Walker back to Nicaragua. Many agree that when Guanacaste cooks prepare main dishes and tortillas the old-fashioned way, the food tastes better because it was cooked in a traditional Guanacaste outdoor kitchen. I have tried to cook the same meals inside, and it’s just not quite the same. In the small-town fiestas, local women often don their aprons and cook traditional dishes for all to sample. If you want a traditional lunch when you are in Santa Cruz, stop at the Women’s Cooperative or La Tortillara, and choose from one of the tasty dishes and fresh juices. You can watch the women busily preparing the fare for the day the traditional way.

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!

Modern Dance Group Visits Playa Flamingo

he month of April was incredibly lively for the modern dance group Inquieta RES, as they toured throughout Costa Rica performing Una Babel Feliz: Fumando Un Cigarillo. Sponsored by Sembra Artist Residency, and with the support from La Paz Community School, the eight talented dancers made their way to Playa Flamingo, Guanacaste, to share their artistic talent and dedication for dance with the community. The day started with a twohour workshop at La Paz, where students and parents learned the importance of stretching and warming up before practice. Led by Inqueita RES artistic director, Pablo Marín, the dancers conducted a series of basic dance movements with the students and worked together to create a dance routine by the end of the workshop. The performance was held at La Paz that same evening, free of charge and open to everyone. The performance Una Babel Feliz: Fumando Un Cigarillo is inspired by the biblical story of the Babel Tower, where the people decided to build a tower that would reach the heavens, only to be interrupted by a sudden change of different languages and confusion that divided the groups into different parts of the world. When discussing the idea behind the piece, Marín explained that the performance is focused more on diversity than adversity. What was considered a perplexity of languages, and separation from society at the time, turned out to be a blessing in disguise as the difference in language resulted in different cultures, beliefs and ideas. That itself, Marín noted, should be a triumph and a reason to celebrate. Special thanks to Sembra Artist Residency for hosting Inquieta RES and providing opportunities for artists to integrate contemporary art to the community of Guanacaste. Thanks also to La Paz Community School for opening their school for the dance workshop and public performance. Story by Raquel Mendoza

Doctor’s Orders Jeffrey Whitlow, M.D.

jwhitlow82159@gmail.com

Cancer VIII

his month we will conclude our discussion on the so-called “uncoventional” treatments for cancer, focusing on another pioneer in immunological treatments, Stanislaw Burzynski,

Ph.D. Like Dr. Burton, Dr. Burzynski theorized that the human body produces substances that can kill or slow the growth of cancer cells. At first he used blood, but then he focused on the patient’s urine. He isolated several protein components that caused tumor regression and clinical improvement when they were administered to the cancer patients he was treating in his private practice in Houston, TX. He named these substances “antineoplastins”. Unfortunately for him though, Houston is the home of one of the largest cancer centers in the U.S., the M.D. Anderson Institute. It must have been very embarrassing for the establishment clinicians at the Institute to learn that an upstart at a private hospital was having such great success with a method that was completely unknown to them. They pressured Dr. Burzynski’s hospital, Twelve Oaks, to withdraw permission for him to treat his patients with antineoplastins. Dr. Burzynski’s response was to open his own clinic and laboratory. However, since his treatment was not FDA-approved, and since there was no way to obtain FDA approval without going through the establishment, he was stuck in a Catch-22. It was only a matter of time before the establishment would move to shut him down. In 1983, the American Cancer Society (ACS) added Dr. Burzynski’s antineoplastins to its list of unproven methods, a move which essentially shuttered his clinic, since his patients could not use their insurance anymore to receive treatment there. It took almost six years for Dr. Burzynski to persuade the FDA to allow him to test his techniques on humans. However in the meantime, his method has been accepted in many other countries, including Switzerland, Poland, China, and Japan. I highly recommend Dr. Burzynski’s treatment to anyone who suffers from advanced cancer. And so concludes this series on cancer prevention and treatment, and so concludes my tenure as medical writer for The Howler. Now that my wife and I have moved to Guanacaste, we will be starting a business. Advertising that business in The Howler while writing a medical advice column in the same magazine will create a direct conflict of interest that will violate the ethical canons that guide and bind all physicians. I have so enjoyed writing this column for these four years, and I thank you for your kind attention to it. For all of you with questions, concerns, or the need for advice, please feel free to write me at jwhitlow82159@gmail.com. Pura vida.

Barbara’s Pet Stories

A Slice of Life

Mama Waschi

female raccoon, her name is Waschi, lives with me for about two years now. I raised her from babyhood. You may remember my stories with her, when she was dumping the toilet paper rolls into the sink, when she was hanging together with a cat on a bursting tree? Here is my next episode. Waschi is good friend with my dogs; they all play together and they eat together from the same bowl. But she has a special dog - her name is Cleopatra - with whom she is close. Whenever Cleopatra sits on our old sofa on our patio (in the nighttime) Waschi sat next to her and both cuddled and cuddled. For a long time, every night. All of a sudden it stopped. Waschi only came in to eat, to drink and play with the water in the bowls. I could pet her briefly, then she left again. Some weeks ago I had seen her on the roof playing with other raccoons, so I thought, well, it is time for her to go back into the wild...but, as mentioned, she still was around for food. About a week ago she came more often and spent more time with us again. Hmm, what had happened, did her boyfriend leave her? Or are the other female raccoons too mean to her? (I had seen Waschi fighting with another female). Or, is she pregnant? Each time Waschi was close to me, I tried to touch her belly, but each time she snapped after my hand...I could pet her head, but not the belly. Waschi walked around all over the place, she went into the bodegas, she climbed on the shelves; it looked to me that she was checking out the places.

Last Saturday night she was very nervous: into the bodega, out again, into the sleeping room, out again, onto the roof and down again; she was gone. Sunday afternoon I heard some noises I did not know right away what they were...not a squeak, not a scream, something in between. I followed the sound, and, there she was: my Waschi, sitting in a box in the bodega, and five babies, five little raccoons around here, Waschi busy trying to keep them all near her. Mama Waschi!! barbara.s.animalrescuecenter@gmail.com

Hunting Pussy David Mills

n my previous life I lived in a small row house, two floors plus basement. I decided to put an apartment into the basement, maybe for extra revenue, maybe not, but it would certainly raise the value of the house. In the bathroom I had installed the tub and was in the process of boxing it in, leaving just a small access hole at the tap end so I could finish the plumbing. I drywalled and mudded it, then sanded and finished the job. My friend came over and brought her kitten. I asked why she had brought the kitten. “Because I’m going away for two weeks and I want you to look after him,” she answered. I refused, telling her that my monstrous ginger tomcat was very protective of his domain and wouldn’t tolerate another male cat. Well, we introduced the two moggies and they seemed to be OK with each other. So off she went for her vacation. No sooner had she turned the street corner than all Hell broke loose and, yes, it looked exactly like in the cartoons – just a blur with claws flashing in a big ball of fur. The kitten took off from my living room and dived for cover into the basement, while my cat strolled outside, his job finished. In the basement was no sign of the kitty, but eventually I located him – inside the bathtub enclosure. Getting the little bastard out was almost impossible. Bowls of food would draw him out, but he always was able to dive back to safety before I could grab him, and I was very reluctant to trash my drywall job. Time for a bright idea! I fitted up a little sliding trap-door over the access hole, supported by a stick. From the stick I ran a long thread up to the ground floor, then continued it to my living room on the second floor. In the basement I fitted a motion detector lamp, but added an extension wire where the bulb should be, then ran the wire upstairs to the living room where I connected the bulb. I positioned the detector near the food dish – and waited. Success! While watching television I saw the bulb flash, so I pulled the string and heard the trap-door close. Going to the basement I found the little guy hiding in a corner, unable to get back into the bathtub enclosure. My life was saved.

Selected Poems from “Tell me about the telaraña” by Diana Renee

i will heal my aching ears with night sounds, now where the ranas and gallinas sing to the stars

puma te morderé como la puma te dejaré manchas en el cuello los brazos, moretes en la panza te haré que me recuerdas que salte tu corazón al oir mi voz que mi cara se te quede grabada con fuego te lamaré los ojos como la puma te alimentaré con leche te cazaré animalitos que corretean en la noche

sweet fat poems hang on my branches like august peaches over-ripening i am breaking under their wasted weight I am crying for a storm To shake them loose From me

“Tell Me About the Telaraña” is available at Jaime Peligro’s Bookstore in Tamarindo.

That’s My Business “You must be rolling in money”, said an acquaintance. “A couple of us were looking at all the ads in The Howler and we agreed that you are really raking it in.” Well, you know, my business is my business, not yours. But if you choose to poke your nose in my financial affairs then, at least, get the facts right. Sure, anyone can add up the number of ¼-page and ½-page ads, multiply by the price per ad, and Bingo! That’s David’s monthly revenue. I wish! The flaws in this kind of deduction are many. I took time to explain to the nosey person that several of the ads – in the current issue seven 1/4-page ads (subtract $840 from my huge revenue) - are placed in exchange for the writing of an article by a regular contributor. Some ads and articles are public service, and bring in no revenue, but I believe it’s my duty to help local causes. Examples are: Robert August Surf ‘n’ Turf; CDSG Beach Challenge; Ruta la Paz; Amigos de la Educación; Have a Heart; Volunteer Firefighters; Cepia; Abriendo Mentes; CDSG Shelter Squad; and others. Some of these articles occupy a half-page or so, a $210 value each. The Around Town column gives free promotion to many local businesses; the Dining Out restaurant review, free publicity to the restaurateur, usually costs me around $100 for dinner for two, except occasionally when the owner kindly comps the meal, or part of it. So those are some items for which I do not receive a cent. Add those businesses that close down without notice owing me advertising payment; the restaurant operator who claimed he received no extra business from the free Dining Out article, so wouldn’t pay for his ad; the Flamingo restaurateur who owes me $640; a “green” developer ($960); and others. Every Bingo night there is a prize of a free ¼-page ad in The Howler. I am happy to donate it, and Doña Lee certainly needs prize donations to keep Bingo going and, of course, there’s just the hope that the winner will continue to advertise. I use a couple of real estate ads as “space available” fillers. This is property owned by a friend who is out of the country, and if it sells I receive a commission. In the past four years - nada. And if I need more fillers I use self-promoting Howler ads. Now - what about expenses? Do you think my printer does the monthly job for free? Well, of course not! It costs between $3,000 and $4,000 per month depending on the size of the publication ouch! My car’s fuel bill in 2013 was ¢1,848,061 (about $300 per month), almost all of which was used on Howler business. On top of that are car maintenance, insurance, marchamo, accountant fees, income and corporation taxes, Imperials, etc. So now you know more than you ever needed to know about my business. I much prefer the scenario where I am rolling in money but, what the heck.

Your Stars in June

Aries: 21 March - 20 April

Libra: 23 September - 23 October

Taurus: 21 April - 21 May

Scorpio: 24 October - 22 November

Gemini: 22 May - 21 June

Sagittarius: 23 November - 21 December

With your ruling planet, Mars, now in direct motion after beginning retrograde for about twelve weeks, you are motivated to take action for a new direction in your life. Whatever was stalled can now be restarted. Begin things before the 7th when Mercury goes retrograde. Mars is a trigger planet so be careful during the last week of the month as there is some accident-prone energy around you. The 20th and 21st are stellar days for getting your way. Your ruling planet, Venus, will be moving through your sign until the 25th, so make the most of this dignified energy. You can sway people to your point of view during this time as your value is enhanced by the light of Venus shining on you. Watch for the tendency to overindulge in all things pleasant. There’s support from Jupiter also during this time so be generous with others and it will return to you very quickly. The 22nd and 23rd are your best days. Your ruling planet, Mercury, will make its second retrograde period of the year beginning on the 7th at three degrees of Cancer, backing up into its home sign, Gemini on the 18th until it goes direct again at twenty-four degrees on July 2. This retrograde will create the opportunity to revise a strategy started around the 24th of last month. More information will be available to you and you can implement it into round two of your master plan. Best days for you are the 24th and 25th.

Cancer: 22 June - 22 July

With Jupiter still transiting your sign this month, you have some protection and blessings around you and your family. Mars, now direct in your solar fourth house, could create the conditions for an interior revision or some kind of home improvement. Your career is still not quite what you want it to be but wait until early July to make any big changes. Venus is helping you connect with others who favor you so make sure you accept all social invitations. Your best days are the 1st, 26th, 27th and 28th.

With Mars finally direct in your sign, you can correct some of the imbalances of the last twelve weeks of the Rx period since March 6. And with your ruling planet, Venus, transiting the sign of Taurus you can summon up the sincerity and charisma to repair any damaged relationships from that time period. Were you really that big of an ass?….probably. So just suck it up and do it right so you can finally gain some headway again in the world. The best times for those acts of contrition are the 7th and 8th.

With your ruling planet, Mars, now in direct motion, you can start to clear up some confusion about your actions over the last twelve weeks while it has dipped back into your twelfth house of karma, the past, hidden enemies and how you sabotage yourself…read Libra message above for more enlightenment. Over the next two months you will have opportunities to make amends and get the people you need as allies on board again. Be sincere in your apologies, with the best days for you being the 9th and 10th. With Jupiter moving ahead in the sign of Cancer, it is helping you sort out some financial details with the family and with end-of-life matters. It’s a good time to make a will, review your insurances. There’s a good possibility of some lucrative work coming your way with Venus moving through your sixth house and Mars in your eleventh. Say yes, and get on with the tasks at hand. You may be making a trip home in the next six weeks. Your best days are the 11th and 12th.

Capricorn: 22 December - 21 January

Business and money start to get rolling again after the long hiatus with Mars in Libra. Your ruling planet, Saturn, is still Rx in Scorpio but that is helping you do research about the company you keep. During this cycle, certain people and groups will have less appeal to you as you switch gears to appeal to people more in alignment with your values. Mars, in your solar tenth, gives you the power to start something new within the next two months. Things go your way on the 13th, 14th and 15th.

Leo: 23 July - 23 August

Aquarius: 22 January - 19 February

Virgo: 24 August - 22 September

Pisces: 20 February - 20 March

With your ruling planet, the Sun, now moving through your solar eleventh house, you can make some significant financial gains through your business and prepare the way for more gains in July by networking with the right people. If you have an opportunity to speak before any group you are trying to cultivate, this would be a great time. Listen to feedback so you can hone your message to be more direct and appealing to future audiences. The 2nd, 3rd, 29th and 30th are your most fortunate days. This month has some forward motion for you but also some revision of details as your ruling planet, Mercury, takes its second retrograde spin of the year from June 7th. While this won’t completely stall your actions, it should have you double-checking the details of all documents, contracts and the work you put out there. Jupiter is in the favorable eleventh house so it is an excellent time to make positive connections with others. Great days for you to do that are the 4th, 5th and 6th. by Jeanne Callahan jeannecallahan007@gmail.com

With Saturn, your ruling planet, in your tenth house of profession, you are still in the process of revision a long-term strategy. Mars, finally direct in your ninth, gives you a broader perspective of who this will appeal to and how to do it. It’s possible that you might do some traveling over the next two months for research and connections. Relationships should go well as long as you share your resources and self with your significant other. The 16th and 17th are your days of power and growth. Neptune, still in your sign and about to go retrograde on the 9th gives you a wonderful glamour as you shine forth with good will to all during this time. Very inspirational with Jupiter in Cancer too, making for the luv fest around you. Do take a break to attend to financial matters as some important paper work got either lost or misplaced. Do so before the 7th if possible, as Mercury will go Rx and that tends to screw up communication details quite handily. Best days to communicate clearly are the 18th and 19th.

Namasté Visit Jeanne’s site at CelestialAdvisor.com

Word puzzle Mountains

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. aconcagua annapurna ararat bennevis blanc chimborazo chirripo cotopaxi erebus etna everest fuji godwinausten gransasso kanchenjunga

kilimanjaro kosciusko logan matterhorn maunakea mckinley olympos popocatapetl rainier robson shasta snowdon table washington whitney\

Now Begins the Study of Yoga Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand) Do you remember playing when you were a kid, and doing things like cartwheels, somersaults, and handstands? It seems as though I wasn’t nearly as concerned about falling over backward then! Doing handstands is a fun way to bring back the playfulness we had as children and there are ways to work towards this energizing pose as adults, so that we don’t cause injury. Handstands require our upper body to be strong and flexible. Our arms and shoulders will be bearing our body weight, and the arms also need to rotate externally enough to bring our shoulderblades into our back and towards the waist. We can practice this in poses such as plank and downward facing dog (Adho Mukha Savasana). It is important to develop arm and wrist strength, as well as shoulder flexibility in these poses before going into handstand. If you notice that your arms want to bend at the elbow, or that your hands want to rotate in towards each other, you have tightness in shoulder muscles. With your arms extended out in front of you in line with your shoulders, place a strap snugly above the elbows on the upper arms. When you place your hands down on the floor and begin to bear weight, you then will try to move your elbows

lightly in towards each other rather than pushing into the strap. In any variations of handstand, the arms work in the same way: hands shoulder width apart, spread your fingers and if your shoulders are tight rotate your hands slightly outward. Ground down into the base of your fingers, especially the first finger and thumb. Then draw up from the first finger and thumb into the inner armpit. Move your elbow creases towards the same direction your fingers are pointing – if this is tough, again rotate your fingers outwards a little more. Work with this in the preparatory poses first. Once your arms are able to be flexible and strong, use a chair to start to work on this pose. This intermediate version of handstand as well as putting your legs on the wall in an inverted staff pose, are great variations if it takes you a while to build more strength and flexibility. Lastly, you will be ready to kick up into full handstand. Once you are comfortable doing this at a wall, venture into working on balancing away from the wall. The benefits of this pose are a feeling of increased energy, strengthening in your wrists, arms, and shoulders, and good work with your balance. As always, finding a teacher you are comfortable working with can help you find your best path towards this energizing and fun pose!

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 20) In Playa Teresa, he defeated Ramon Taliani and Enoc Santana, as well as newcomer to the podium Michael David Zaugg, all but Enoc locals of the area. “The waves here in Santa Teresa are so good that anyone could win in that final,” Torres recounted afterwards. “Enoch, Ramón, ‘Miki,’ all got there with good surfing and opened me up, so that I knew I needed the wave and to have more confidence and win again.” Our 10-times national women’s surf champion Lisbeth Vindas had not looked nearly as guaranteed in her bid for another championship. That’s because this year she has been challenged hard by Leilani McGonagle and Emily Gussoni, and once again that was the case when all of these ladies ended up in the final in Playa Teresa. But Lisbeth pulled it out, earning her 4th win in 5 dates this season. Lookin’ good now, Lisbeth! The next date of the Circuito Nacional moves to Jaco for the COPA FOX on May 17 and 18. It will take place behind Morgan’s Cove. Results Copa Playa Negra May 10 - 11, 2014 Open 1: Leo Calvo 2: Jason Torres 3: Isaac Vega 4: Sean Foerster

Mixed Groms 1: Malakai Martinez 2: Tiago Carrique 3: Dean Vandewalle 4: Salassie Quijada

Junior 1: Aldo Chirinos 2: Leo Calvo 3: Dean Vandewalle 4: Sean Foerster

Dolphins 1: Katie Herrman 2: Surya Folger 3: Kalani Abrahao 4: Finnegan Bean 5: Charlie Herman 6: Isaih Dawson

Women 1: Merary Jimenez 2: Emily Gussoni 3: Serena Nava 4: Zulay Martinez Junior Women 1: Emily Gussoni 2: Lilly von Treuenfels 3: Serena Nava 4: Zulay Martinez Boys 1: Aldo Chirinos 2: Dean Vandewalle 3: Malakai Martinez 4: Sean Foerster Girls 1: Emily Gussoni 2: Lilly von Treuenfels 3: Serena Nava 4: Zulay Martinez

Masters 1: Christian Boos 2: Ian Bean 3: Marcel Guinaldo 4: Forest Folger Longboard 1: Choco 2: Forest Folger 3: Adolfo Gomez 4: Juan Diego Airshow 1: Jason Torres 2: Aldo Chirinos 3: Leo Calvo

Champions Circuito Guanacaste de Surf 2014 Open 1) Isaac Vega 2) Luis Castro 3) Angelo Bonomelli 4) Jorge Quedo

Boys 1) Malakai Martinez 2) Dean Vandewalle 3) Tiago Carrique 4) Sean Forester

Mixed Groms 1) Malakai Martinez 2) Tiago Carrique 3) Dean Vandewalle 4) Salassie Quijada

Junior 1) Aldo Chirinos 2) Dean Vandewalle 3) Malakai Martinez 4) Tiago Carrique

Junior Women 1) Zulay Martinez 2) Serena Nava 3) Coral Wiggens 4) Christine August

Dolphins 1) Luke Guinaldo 2) Kalani Abrahoa 3) Finnigan Bean 4) Surya Folger

Women 1) Selena Nava 2) Zulay Martinez 3) Chelsea Lisaius 4) Coral Wiggins

Girls 1) Serena Nava 2) Coral Wiggens 3) Christine August 4) Katie Hermann

RESULTS COPA Unit April 26 - 27 Playa Teresa Open 1. Maykol Torres 2. Ramón Taliani 3. Enoc Santana 4. Michael Zaugg

Boys 1. Sean Forester 2. Dennis Picado 3. Lorenzo Córdoba 4. Leiner Mendoza

Women 1. Lisbeth Vindas 2. Leilani McGonagle 3. Emily Gussoni 4. Taylor Alsaguer

Minigrommets 1. Dean Vandewalle 2. Samuel Reidy 3. Jacob Kelly 4. Darshan Antequera

Junior 1. Manuel Mesén 2. León Glatzer 3. Martín Artavia 4. Juan Carlos Hernández

Minigrommet Girls 1. Valentina Resano 2. Paulina Summer 3. Killi Mo’e 4. Surya Folger

Junior Women 1. Emily Gussoni 2. Leilani McGonagle 3. Paula Duarte 4. Arsiha Griotti

Longboard 1. Anthony Flores 2. Alex Gómez 3. Carlos Rojas 4. Adolfo Gómez 5. Brent Newell

Postscript to last month’s article on violence at Playa Grande, from our legal advisor: “The alternatives will depend on the facts and type of violence that occurs. It is possible to file a claim in the Juzgado Contravencional de Menor Cuantia and request an ‘injunction’ or ‘medida cuatelar’, an order issued by the judge to stop that person from being around you, go to your work, house etc…. In the meantime the claim or lawsuit is resolved. If you don’t obey the court order then court can file charges against you for not obeying their order.”

Surviving

C hapter LX

COSTA RICA

osta Rica’s a great place to just take a day or few off and go do something interesting. On a recent Sunday the local magazine publisher and I took the coast road south at 27 de Abril heading for the cinta in San Juanillo, not a really bad road, while my Costaricaphile companion pointed out items of interest along the way, like the high water marks way up on the church wall in Río Seco. This particular pueblo might consider a change of name. Carrera de Cinta is a horseman team sport and fits right in with the Guanacaste macho lifestyle and is easy enough for Gringos such as myself to understand. The team that gets the most points wins. This, after a half-hour discourse on cricket, its rules and why it’s not remotely like baseball, and how some games last several weeks... But I digress. Each local pueblo has its own cinta team of at least seven cowpersons, each with distinctive matching cool shirts and matching attitudes. The event kicks off with each team member being announced to the crowd, the San Juanillo team being the obvious hometown favorites. There are seven teams competing and everyone gets their moment of glory under the em-ceeing of Casimiro, the “Jay Leno of Guanacaste”, after which everyone gets down to business, which is galloping full blast on their specially trained horses holding a piece of wood a little smaller than a chopstick and trying to stick it through a ring that is suspended ten feet off the ground from a cable that’s been stretched across the road. It’s that simple! We were rooting for the Tempisque Semillas, a team from our neck of Guanacaste of which our buddy Esteban Peraza is a prominent member, and it is kinda like rooting for the Dallas Cowboys against some pitiful team like the San Francisco 49ers. But, again, I digress. So, anyway, after the first few runs the Tempisque team is clearly gonna win the thing hands down; a guy who was probably

Adventures in Paradise

the youngest guy on the squad had already garnered an almost unheard of four rings and the well-attended event cheered him on while feeling not so bad themselves. We left into the fifth, out of seven, heat so we’d be sure to visit some my editor friend’s favorite waterholes, my favorite being a stop at a real pleasant spot in Playa Junquillal, a picture-perfect fishing village that still featured bocas with a beverage of choice, a dying tradition these days. A safe return to Tamarindo that night only added to the pleasures of the day. Headed North Against the advice of a plethora of experts I decided to leave the country for the seventytwo hours needed to renew my passport visa and headed to San Juan del Sur, a beachtown in southern Nicaragua, with my wife Susan, who needed a respite from the rigors of painting. A bunch of different friends had told us it was a pretty cool place to check out, and since Susan and some of her buds had visited Granada several months ago and had a blast, we decided to check out a new spot. Getting there wasn’t so bad if you leave out the miscommunications between the bus ticket guys and us, which left us in Liberia on a Sunday morning with a few more hours to kill than we’d planned on. Still, we were on a bus to the border by twelve noon and, after the usual waits on both sides, we were in Rivas by two, the closest town in Nicaragua, grabbed a taxi for a forty-minute ride (for eight bucks) to San Juan del Sur. We stayed in the suite at the Hotel Casa Blanca that had a balcony overlooking the beach, a fun place that was well air-conditioned and had cable TV, but no hot water, a luxury we really didn’t need too much. It’s safe to say that it’s the really, really, really slow time of year in Playa del Sur and, since my wife and I weren’t necessarily looking for a wild time, it was just fine. We spent a day exploring the town and toured several of the hundred-yearold-plus houses that front the beach and

Story by Jesse Bishop owlhumm@hotmail.com

learned a bit of local history. The Costa Rican troops that participated in the battles that drove the American filibuster William Walker out of this neck of Latin America in 1859 embarked and returned by ship out of San Juan del Sur. We noticed that the FMLN, the Sandinistas, were big in local politics. Dona Rafaela, the lovely woman who owned the hotel, was a passionate Sandinista, even though she was obviously from a well-educated and wealthy Nicaraguan family. Too many well-off Nicaraguans seem to miss the good ol’ days of Somoza, while her son was the first Sandinista ambassador to Washington DC, until Ronald Reagan downsized its relations with Nicaragua to consular level. His proud Mom told us he’s now a justice on the Nicaraguan Supreme Court. Dona Rafaela herself was a recent newlywed and her husband BJ flew Lancaster bombers for the RAF in WWII before emigrating to the US fifty years ago, and has a fabulous mustache. Fun people. However, the mood of the trip changed dramatically on our back into Costa Rica. To no one’s surprise everyone on the bus had to lug out their luggage and open it up for the customs inspectors. We noticed the inspectors were seriously giving the business to a woman who had been caught smuggling into this fine country: Cheese! Bad cheese, I bet. Let’s face it, this part of the world is light years behind the more advanced cultures in the area of quality cheese. You know, a Cheddar that will make you wink, or a bleu that will make your wife cry. And here this woman is trying to bring yet more bad cheese into the country! Thanks to the diligence of the Peñas Blancas customs inspectors this smuggler of bad cheese was discovered. And eventually let into the country after a lot of words in Spanish, with her cheese. Boy, was she mad, as she declared to the entire bus that she’d been taking cheese into Costa Rica for years and had never been hassled. Pura Vida!

Growing Pains Tom Peifer peifer@racsa.co.cr

As you sow, so shall you reap.

y early June, as the reader leafs through the glossy pages of the magazine you hold in your hands, the rainy season of 2014 may be well under way.

Not so at this point, mid-May, as yet another prediction by the national weather service fails to deliver the ‘early onset’ of the rains in Guanacaste. Now, for local farmers and those foreign transplants who thrive on getting their food fresh and their hands dirty, all eyes are on the skies. In spite of a few promising downpours, and the rapid leafing out of native trees and plenty of the ephemeral species that tend to sprout, bloom and set seed quickly just in case, the weather lately has been more like a dose of summer. Offshore winds, sunny skies, low humidity and back to the daily grind of watering to keep things alive. For quite some time, my rule of thumb has been to wait till the locals start planting corn in earnest. OK, I cheated in a few areas where I have drip irrigation as a fallback. But it’s just not the same, you’re constantly on edge, watching and waiting. There’s a huge constraint on planting with reckless abandon, knowing that your fruit trees and landscape plants will be basking in the glow of optimum conditions, that you‘ve made a great leap towards enjoying the fruits of your labors. This year there are a couple of extra reasons for adding a dose of caution to your standard list of gardening inputs. Scientists have been tracking the development of that big “patch’ of warm water in the Pacific Ocean that gives rise to the ‘El Niño’ phenomenon. It’s a periodic phenomenon, first noticed by Spanish sailors, and, given the size of the Pacific, the ‘patch is actually thousands of miles wide; the El Niño affects climate—and weather--globally. California for example, currently undergoing the earliest and worst fire season in its history, may well emerge from the massive drought that has turned the state into a tinderbox, into a ‘water world’ fraught with massive downpours, flash floods and the kind of disastrous mudslides that commonly occur on the fire-savaged slopes.

As mentioned above, we can expect global effects on climate, and ditto for growing conditions. Tofu aficionados can breathe a sigh of relief, because conditions for that crop are expected to be better than normal. Ominously, however, “corn, wheat, and rice yields are all expected to fall overall. Farmers that will be hit the hardest include wheat and corn growers in parts of the United States.” You all remember that basic law of economics. Supply goes down, demand remains the same and price goes up. Combined with the ongoing drought in California, looks like a double whammy for food prices in this, the latest chapter in the ongoing saga of “As the world burns.” The most likely effect on food prices locally would be an increase in the imported yellow corn that forms the basis of all concentrated feed for livestock production. Eggs, poultry, pork and beef prices are likely to be affected just as they were when massive amounts of US corn started being brewed into ethanol some years ago. As to the probable effects for gardeners and landscapers here in Guanacaste, a combination of past experience and a bit of informed conjecture will have to do. During the last big El Niño, the Agriculture Ministry actually alerted farmers to reduce the size of their herds. I was helping install the landscaping at a newly-opened hotel and we were suddenly beset with a ‘veranillo’ that lasted about 6-8 weeks. Hot, strong, offshore winds turned our best efforts into an exercise in futility. Closer to Playa del Coco a friend had managed the planting of 40,000 teak trees which shriveled in the heat in spite of frantic efforts to hand water with buckets. And (continued page 32)

Growing Pains

Alcoholics Anonymous Schedule of Meetings

Flamingo

Tuesdays: 5:30 - 6:30 pm (open) Fridays: 5:30 - 6:30 pm (open)

remember, we’re not yet officially “in” the El Niño situation. That’s predicted for late this year and 2015. So if this year continues relatively dry, it could be a good chance to practice for the real test.

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

For those who follow the specifics of global warming science, you are already familiar that most of the accumulated ‘extra’ heat has gone into the oceans, and much of that into the very deep layers, say, below 500 meters. As it turns out, the ocean has 5-10 times the heat storage capacity of the atmosphere. Scientists have maintained for a while now that things could get real ‘interesting’ when currents start to ‘stir it up’ a bit. Well, that is part of just what is going on with that “patch” of warm water already bonking into South America and heating up the air directly over it (see map page 31).

Contact: Ellen - 2-653-0897 / Steve - 8377-1529

J u n e ( a l l

t i m e s

2 0 1 4 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

1st quarter: Full: Last quarter: New:

Moon

5th 12th 19th 27th

So, 2015 could well turn out to be hottest year on record globally and the super El Niño could locally be a replay of the one seventeen years ago. Construction turned out to be a smarter use of time than landscaping. The good news is we’ve got time to get ready.

2:39 p.m. 10:11 p.m. 12:39 p.m. 2:08 a.m.

I’ll spare the regular readers of The Howler with yet another regurgitation of the rainwater management advice that have been an ‘ad nauseum’ feature of my articles over the years. The basics are “Slow it down, Spread it out, Sink it in,” the techniques are all on line, in books and even videos. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist, just someone who can relate to the words of the philosopher who wrote, “In times of change, learners inherit the earth.” And, I might add, your gardens will stay greener.

RAIN GAUGE

2.0

RAINFALL - April/May 2014 Mills Meteorological Observatory

c m

(from page 31)

Tamarindo Total rainfall: 4.6 cm (1.82 inches)

1.0

s 0.0 16

Apr

Year-to-date 2014: 4.6 cm 2013: 3.4

30 1

May

Rainfall April/May 2014: 4.6 cm 2013: 3.4

Tom Peifer is an ecological land use consultant with 19 years experience in Guanacaste. 2658-8018. tompeiferecv@gmail. com El Centro Verde is dedicated to researching and promoting sustainable land use, permaculture and environmentally sound development www.elcentroverde.org/