Volume 20, No. 6
June 2015
Issue No. 223
Founded 1996
THE HOWLER Ced. Juridica: 3-101-331333
FEATURES
Publisher, editor and production David Mills
dmills@racsa.co.cr Tel: Office - 4702-5771 Celular - 8323-2795 Howler • Mono Congo
8 Dining Out
At the top of Tamarindo is the new Pura Vista restaurant, serving international food.
14 Around Town
CONTRIBUTORS 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
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 1/8 1/4 Banner 1/2 Full
Dimensions (cms) Width Height 9.4 9.4 19.2 9.4 19.2 19.2
x x x x x
6.15 12.70 6.15 25.80 12.70 25.80
Openings, closings, parties, music. The Gold Coast has it all, and bar-hoppin’ David is in the groove.
15 Surf Report
Circuito Guanacaste de Surf comes to an end with Copa Hotel Playa Negra; Leilani McGonagle wins in Brazil.
34
Surviving Costa Rica
Driving in Costa Rica is the topic this month and we have unearthed a hidden manual on how to do it correctly.
35
Better Late than Never
When will the rain start is a perennial question. Do we plant early and chance losing it, or late. Only El Nino knows.
Price $ 100 140 140 230 400
Discounts For 6 months, paid in advance, one month is deducted. For 12 months, paid in advance, two months are deducted.
DEPARTMENTS 10 Book Review
30 June Forecasts
11 Music Review
32 Yoga
12 August Odysseys
36 Sun & Moon
17 Dharma Corner
37 Shape Up
26 Word Puzzle
38 Tide Table
Ads must be submitted on CD or e-mail attachment, JPG or PDF format at 266 dpi, at the appropriate size (above). All comments, articles and advertising in this publication are the opinion of their authors, and do not reflect the opinion of Howler Management.
www.tamarindobeach.net
www.tamarindohomepage.com
Cover Caption: El Sabanero Hotel & Casino Cover Photo: El Sabanero Cover Design: David Mills
Happy Father’s Day - June 21 New Flights Southwest Air will commence direct daily flights from Baltimore to San José. And, starting Oct. 31, Alaska Airlines will fly from Los Angeles to San José on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, returning the same day. From Nov. 1, they will leave Los Angeles to fly to Liberia every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, returning the same day. •
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Costa Rica occupies the fourth position in Latin America in the level of Tourist Competitive 2015, behind Brazil, Mexico, and Panama, according to the World Economic Forum. It is also position 42 globally. At the global level, Spain has the first position, followed by France and Germany. Costa Rica’s strengths are its richness in natural resources, which place it fifth in the world. However, it needs to improve in the areas of infrastructure, competitive prices, health and hygiene and the availability of information and communication technology. The forum says “Costa Rica is one of the principal references for tourism in Central America; however, it needs to correct certain ills which affect its productive ability, such as an effective road system and a public system which does not respond to the necessities of business and its citizens.” •
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A variation of the orchid Cattleye Dowiana has been developed in Turrialba.
Service on the beach, in your hotel, in our store “your well-being is our promise” PACKETS 90 MINUTES RELAXING MASSAGE - SCRUB - FACIAL SPORT MASSAGE AND COMPRESS - 1hr WAXING DEPILATION FACIAL
$30
10% discount 10% discount 10% discount
Pedicure spa with paraffin and color
$25
Manicure spa - chocolate coating - color
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PERMANENT EYELASHES - COLOR
$40
REFLEXOLOGY HANDS & FEET CLEANING AND COLOR OF NAILS
$40
SPECIAL PRICE FOR STUDENTS AND LOCALS Find us on Facebook: SPA Natural Tamarindo
We dined at the long-awaited Pura Vista Restaurant in the Hotel Esplendor, a very pleasant experience despite the fact that the restaurant was almost empty on a Saturday evening. This was low season, but considering the restaurant is a five-minute drive from Tamarindo, there should have been more customers. Service was, of course, excellent and the food was great. The hotel, one of a chain of twenty-six Argentinian hotels, sits at the peak of the hill overlooking Tamarindo, with spectacular views to the west and north and a pictureperfect sunset. The chef is Rodolfo Cárdenas, whose objective is to provide an international cuisine. The restaurant serves American Breakfast buffet-style for only ten dollars from 6:30, then snacks through the afternoon till 5. Appetizers are: shrimp cocktail; camembert with bacon. We had the mixed ceviche and breaded calamari with tartare sauce. Salads are salmon; bacon & avocado; Caesar with chicken; Caesar with shrimps; we shared a huge Niçoise with salmon and all the trimmings. Tenderloin with grilled vegetables & rice; sautéed vegetables; chicken roll with green cream; beef milanesa with fries; burger with shrimps; fillet of salmon with asparagus; lobster tail, steak and shrimp; lobster tail with vegetables. We had dorado encrusted with sunflower seeds, and fillet of salmon with asparagus. Cooked to perfection and delicious. The dorado came with a mysterious ‘green cream’, which was very good and turned out to mashed potatoes flavoured with arugula. Spaghetti; penne rigate with choice of five sauces; fettucine with shrimp butter. Flan; fruit salad with ice cream; ice cream; brownie with ice cream; cheese cake. Pura Vista restaurant in Hotel Esplendor, reservations 4700-4747; all credit cards accepted. Open daily 12 noon to 9 p.m. We invite the locals to come and enjoy our food. Happy Hour 5-7 and the best sunset in Tamarindo. Up the hill from Tamarindo Gymnasium.
Music Review
Tony Orez
Mario Ulloa coaxes the Sunset Growing up on the outskirts of San José, Costa Rica, in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, television sets were a rarity, the exception to the rule. So people improvised. For Mario Ulloa, entertainment came in the form of music: around the age of ten, he simply picked up one of his mother’s guitars and learned to play, much as she had done in her youth with one of her father’s guitars. For Mario, having uncles who also played, brothers of his mother, was probably a big help as well. Mario recalls that they all “played and sang all night for entertainment”. After fifteen years of training in classical music, Ulloa moved to Brazil and started teaching at the School of Music in the city of Bahia, where he has resided for the past sixteen years. Recently, the city of Bahia bestowed on him a Medal of Honor, for his “cultural contributions to the city”. He has toured and performed live in over twenty countries in North and South America and Europe. He recorded an album in 2001 of his interpretation of J.S. Bach scores and another in 2006 of the music of Caymmi. And he has always thought about his Costa Rican roots, with the plan to some day pay homage to them. Last September, he participated in the Festival of Guitars in San José and stayed in his home country to record an album with the national Orquestra Filarmonica. It was during this time that Ulloa reunited with Manuel Obregon, the president of Papaya Music. Sr. Ulloa is no stranger to Papaya. He performed on “Al Pie del Balcón”, a CD compilation of romantic Guanacaste songs, recorded in 2005 with Obregon and various members of the popular band Malpais. His project fit right into the scheme of the Papaya mission statement of preserving traditional Central American music while furthering the collective scope of contemporary local musicians. They went straight to work. The end result, “Tardes de Alajuela” does a very sincere job of allowing Ulloa to interpret the work of his mentors by playing his versions of their songs. The ten-song CD contains selections from six songwriters spanning more than one hundred thirty years. The album is completely instrumental, strictly Mario Ulloa and his acoustic guitar. I have to admit that the overall sound and feel of the music remind me of an afternoon of dimming light in a place and time far less hectic than our own. The musical direction on this project was overseen by Edin Solis, a friend of Mario and the songwriter/ arranger/guitarist for the three-time Grammy award-winning Costa Rican band Editus. Ulloa does an incredible version of the Ray Tico classic, “Eso es Imposible”, and four songs by Ernesto Alfaro, including the title track. Mario Ulloa’s “Tardes de Alajuela” and all Papaya CDs are available at Jaime Peligro in Playa Tamarindo, Quepos and Tilaran where they will gladly sample the music for their customers.
Book Review
Tony Orez
The Borrower
W
hat is Lucy Hull doing working in the children’s section of the public library in Hannibal, Missouri, of all places? Ms. Hull is, after all, an attractive twenty-something daughter of a well-to-do family in Chicago, with a Masters Degree in Education. But she bailed from all that and here she is, incredulously, in Hannibal, MO, culturally distended and leagues from Chicago. I’ve just finished reading “The Borrower” by Rebecca Makkai, and believe me: the physical distance between Lucy and her family is the least of her worries. The male in her life is Ian, an eleven year old who shares her passion for books. The problem is that Ian’s possibly anorexic, conservative mom has set restrictions on Ian’s reading list: nothing about witches. Or Goblins. Or magic or evolution. Or Halloween. Then mom enrolls Ian in a weekly Christian camp to rid him of his gay tendencies, since being homosexual is a choice. Mom’s trying to help, in her own way. You get the idea. Lucy frets about all this until the Monday morning she comes to work early and discovers Ian, slumbering as only a child can, in his sleeping bag in the library. He’s run away from home. Lucy follows her Logical Instincts, puts Ian in her car & locks up the library. His directions home meander and Lucy allows it, thinking that he is buying time, thinking that she can go to the local police station if he doesn’t eventually give her the directions home. She’s trying to help the kid, let him sort things out. Ultimately they drive past the city limits, a collaborative escape, a joint kidnapping, if you like, and the novel takes off. The Borrower is Rebecca Makkai’s first novel and she took a lot of chances with it. I admire her for that. There is the moral dilemma, obviously, about who gets to say What Is Right & What Is Not. Heady subject matter for a novice. But Makkai handles it well, nearly objectively, with subplots to lend to the intrigue about why Lucy would go along with being kidnapped. Ian has told her that he will fabricate a story about her making him spend the night with her at the library. As an adult, Lucy knows she can easily disprove this allegation, her neighbors as witnesses. Yet she chooses to leave with Ian to explore and break the rules, regardless of the consequences. Why? And so the plot thickens and with any good fiction, the story is intriguing because of the way it is told, with the reader left as judge and jury. My own judgment is that this is a novel every parent or aspiring parent should read. It has been said that everyone has a good novel in them. My joke is that unfortunately, too many writers who should have stopped there continue anyway. I hope this is not the case with Rebecca Makkai because I found “The Borrower” to be well-sculpted and entertaining, a joy to read. “The Borrower” was brought in used to Jaime Peligro bookstore. Regular visits there will give you an opportunity to discover books like this.
August Odysseys
Robert August kristenmattoxbrown@gmail.com
Don’t Mess With Texas
L
ast month I headed to Texas to attend the reopening of the Texas Surf Museum in Corpus Christi, Texas. Wait, a surf museum in Texas?! Yes! Believe it or not, I have had so many friends in Texas for so long. When I visit, I usually don’t plan on getting surf because the Texas shore line is on the Gulf of Mexico, pretty flat water. However, every once in a while, you can get lucky and get some fun waves. But, the water is usually real brown because of the Mississippi River and the wind blows silt from the river. Texans joke, “We are gonna surf the chocolate chamber!” Well, the surf contest that was being held in conjunction with the re-opening festivities was cancelled because there were no waves. Not even one foot! But, I had a great time with Wingnut and my daughter Christine, hanging out with friends in the surf business. The Texas Surf Museum re-opening was great; the museum shows all the surf history of Texas. In addition, the whole The Endless Summer exhibit was brought in from San Clemente: Bruce’s camera, my passport from the trip, etc. Wingnut and I hung out all weekend and had a lot fun and met a lot friends. And guess what? The event was such a hit that there will be another one at end of July. It will be a sit-down dinner to benefit a rehab center in Corpus Christi. We are gonna help some people! My heart also goes out to Suzye; Barry was the nicest man you could meet. He helped raise money for such a good cause. I used to enjoy playing in the Have A Heart Tournament and I even had his phone number in my pocket on my way to Costa Rica last month as I was gonna call him to see how I could help for their next fundraiser.
“Las arrugas solo deben indicarnos dónde es que han vivido las sonrisas”
Marc Twain
FIFA Women’s World Cup June 6 Edmonton 4 Canada China PR 7 New Zealand Netherlands June 7 Ottawa 11 Norway Thailand 2 Germany Ivory Coast June 8 Winnipeg 2 Sweden Nigeria Vancouver 5 Cameroon Ecuador Winnipeg 5 United States Australia Vancouver 8 Japan Switzerland June 9 Moncton 11 France England Montreal 2 Spain Costa Rica Moncton 2 Colombia Mexico Montreal 5 Brazil Korea Rep June 11 Ottawa 2 Germany Norway Edmonton 4 China Netherlands Ottawa 5 Ivory Coast Thailand Edmonton 7 Canada New Zealand June 12 Winnipeg 3 Australia Nigeria Vancouver 5 Switzerland Ecuador Winnipeg 6 United States Sweden Vancouver 8 Japan Cameroon June 13 Moncton 11 France Colombia Montreal 2 Brazil Spain Moncton 2 England Mexico Montreal 5 Korea Rep Costa Rica June 15 Winnipeg 2 Thailand Germany Moncton 2 Ivory Coast Norway Montreal 5 Netherlands Canada Winnipeg 5 China PR New Zealand June 16 Winnipeg 3 Ecuador Japan Edmonton 3 Switzerland Cameroon Vancouver 6 Nigeria United States Edmonton 6 Australia Sweden June 17 Ottawa 2 Mexico France Montreal 2 England Colombia Moncton 5 Costa Rica Brazil Ottawa 5 Korea Rep Spain June 20 - 23
Round of 16
June 26 - 27
Quarter-finals
June 30 Montreal July 1 Edmonton
Semi-final Semi-final
July 5 Vancouver
Final.
Saprissa plays Boca Juniors of Argentina on July 4 in the Estadio Nacional.
On the deck outside Aqua Disco
AROUND TOWN In Playa Flamingo is a new Casino – Paradise Casino – in Hotel El Sabanero, just uphill from Mariner Inn. Try your luck at Texas Hold ‘em, Blackjack, Caribbean Poker, and all the slots. See article on page 20. The best treatments for cellulitis, stress, acne, blotches and more. You will find them all at Pacific MediSpa, in Playa Tamarindo and at CIMA Carrillo. See ad page 21. For a wonderful meal, luxury surroundings and the best ocean sunset in town, try Pura Vista, the restaurant at Hotel Esplendor. Happy Hour 5-7. Locals welcome. All the way up the hill from Tamarindo Gym. See ad on page 29 and the review on page 8. The Surfrider Foundation Tamarindo Chapter is hosting its annual International Surfing Day Fundraiser June 20th at the Langosta Beach Club, please contact Mike Clifford at mwcl4d@hotmail.com if you want to donate. For all your spa treatments, call Sea Escape. All types of massage in air-conditioned private room, and they have special packets for one or two people. Behind Mr. Tom’s in Tamarindo Plaza in Tamarindo. See ad on page 27. Want a stress-free family vacation in Playa Tamarindo? From June 22 to August 14, ISLS Summer Camp will be held there. There are camps for Spanish Daycare, Children’s, Teen, Adult Spanish & Surf. See the ISLS ad on page 18. Floristería Ocasiones at the crossroads in Huacas, for all your decorative needs. We will decorate your hotel, restaurant and home for any event. Call Martha Sanchez at 8822-1603 or 6122-8378. Uniforms with logo embroidered - caps, polo shirts - at Capricho Creativo, Huacas, 175 east of Communal Salon. Call Kenia Chavéz, 8820-3339.
Surf Report Ellen Zoe Golden ellenzoe@aol.com
T
he Circuito Guanacasteco de Surf came to the close of its second year, and did so with much success. Even though the overall champion for the 2014-15 season actually hails from the Central Pacific rather than this province, the presence of winner Jason Torres of Jacó indicates the attraction of the CGS to the professionals around the country. Jason was 1st place in Avellanas and Santa Teresa, but was on the podium in other positions for each contest.
However, the original intent of this Circuito’s founders was to develop the talent of Guanacaste and promote the beaches of this province, while rewarding the winners with cash prices. That goal was well met this year. And an added bonus in Negra was Tomas King. Tomas grew up in Tamarindo, had been living in California, and completed his First World Surfing Leagues Qualifying Series (QS) in Martinique where he respectfully placed 49th. He returned to local competition in triumph, taking the 1st place trophy in the Open Finals at the Copa Hotel Playa Negra. When the tallies were made for the year’s winners; Torres was crowned champion. There were a couple of local standouts in the final rankings including Dean Vandewalle who took 1st in Boys, 3 in Juniors and 4th in Open. And he’s only 13. Meanwhile, there are a lot of girls who are geared up for bigger play after winning their 2014-15 divisions. Serena Nava is a name that we’ve seen a lot this year on the CGS. Her final placement was Girls 1st place, Junior Women’s 2nd place, and Women’s Open 1st place. “My strategy was just to always be confident in myself and just have fun out there. Catch waves and just surf graceful like I always have,” Nava asserted. Also, Coral Wiggins placed 3 times in the overalls: Girls 2nd, Junior Women’s 1st, and Open Women’s 4th. We’ll be hearing a lot more from these girls in the future.
Results Copa Hotel Playa Negra May 9 & 10, 2015 - Playa Negra OPEN 1) Tomas King 2) Jason Torres 3) Jose Lopez 4) Leo Calvo
GIRLS 1) Emily Gussoni 2) Coral Wiggins 3) Serena Nava 4) Kirra Williams
OPEN WOMEN 1) Leilani Aguirre 2) Baily Nagy 3) Emily Gussoni 4) Serena Nava
MIXED GROMS 1) Orion Eshel 2) Tiago Leao 3) Aaron Ramirez 4) Lia Diaz
JUNIORS 1) Jade Morgan 2) Leo Calvo 3) Aldo Chirinos 4) Dan Vandewalle
DOLPHINS 1) Kalani Abrahao 2) Kai Williams 3) Isaiah Dawson 4) JT Dawson
JUNIOR WOMEN 1) Leilani Aguirre 2) Zulay Martinez 3) Emily Gussoni 4) Coral Wiggins
LONGBOARD 1) Choco (Alex Gomez) 2) Eddie Enriquez 3) Noldan Zuniga 4) Keiner Lopez
BOYS 1) Malakai Martinez 2) Sean Foerster 3) Aldo Chirinos 4) Sage Guinaldo
MASTERS 1) Christian Boos 2) John Osborne 3) Ian Bean 4) Joey Beshore
2014-15 Champions of the Circuito Guanacaste de Surf results on page 33. Outside Costa Rica, our guys and gals are back on the internatlonal surf stage. I’m happy to report that Tiago Carrique of Playa Negra took 1st place in the RipCurl Grom Search in France, which is the European leg of this challenge. Just last month, our girl Leilani McGonagle from Pavones won her division in the International RipCurl Grom Search, which took place in Marisias, Brazil, and was hosted by world champion surfer Gabriel Medina, who is from that area. Leilani began this event as a wildcard by her sponsor RipCurl, and had to surf and win extra rounds in order to appear in the main event. She did it, winning every heat through the end, which was man-to-man with Jalessa Vincente of Australia. It bodes well for Leilani that four of the previous winners of the Women’s Grom Search have gone on to compete in the World Surf League (WSL) Competitive Tour: Tyler Wright (Australia), Alana Blanchard (Hawaii), Tatiana WestonWebb (Hawaii) and Nikki Van Dijik (Australia).
(continued page 28)
Dharma Corner
H
Sue Smith
Are You Sure?
ow often do we speak in a day where we are passing on information that just might not be exactly correct? Information that is based on gossip, information read in a newspaper, a statement about something we “believe” or possibly just an opinion based on our own perception of a person or situation. How often do we stop to ask ourselves Are you sure?? Most often our perceptions of people, places and situations are simply colored by our belief structures. But where do our belief structures come from?? For most people, they come from our upbringing and this may include parental influence, religious influence, cultural influences, etc.....even the things we read and listen to. But just how often do we take time to question our “beliefs” and fact check? Not too often, I’m afraid. It’s just easier to assume something is correct because it was in print, on the news, a friend said it was so or the minister said it was so from the pulpit on Sunday morning. But none of those things make something the truth. The truth can only be known when we know it for ourselves, experience it and/or check it out personally. That’s when and how to know for sure. And why is this so important? Because it effects how we live our lives. What we believe is truth effects the moral decisions we make, the decisions we make about ourselves and others, what we say and what we do. So, as we can see that the “Are you sure?” question is really important. Unfortunately too many people plow through life without ever stopping to ask themselves why they hold the beliefs that they do. We need to slow down and mindfully question ourselves. Question our perceptions of others, of situations, question our fundamental beliefs…where do they come from and why do we believe what we do. We need to have discriminating minds and not just believe what anyone says or writes. In the Kalama Sutra the Buddha taught a group of students “not (to) believe anything, even if it is recorded in the sutras or is taught by a famous teacher. Whatever you hear, you should use your intelligent and critical mind to examine it carefully, and then put it into practice for yourself. If you apply it and you are helped you will see clearly that it is indeed the truth, and then you can believe it”. May we all take time to be mindful of our thoughts, perceptions and beliefs and ask ourselves..Am I sure?? And then, investigate, fact check and decide it for ourselves. Pura Vida Sangha is a Buddhist Sangha in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. The Sangha meets for meditations every Monday at 4:00pm at the CEPIA Building in Huacas. For info contact meditationcostarica@gmail.com.
Sistemas de Riego
Irrigation Systems
The Super Facial March 2, 2015
For the Clinic or Spa
The Spa at Four Seasons, Toronto, now offers Pollogen OxyGeneo 5-in-1 Super Facial treatment, the most advanced facial technology in the market. The Pollogen OxyGeneo technology is a cutting-edge anti-aging solution that redefines cosmetic treatments. So gentle and so effective, OxyGeneo Super Facials simultaneously provide the essential skincare treatments: exfoliation, natural skin oxygenation, and infusion of revitalizing nutrients. “we immediately recognized that OxyGeneo is an advanced anti-aging facial technology in the market that offers a gentle treatment with immediate visible results� - Todd Hewitt, Senior Spa Director. Introducing geneO in Costa Rica. ProVell Soluciones Medicas offers you the Training, Clinical Advice and Technical Service. www.provellcr.com. Tel: 8937-0397 - Heredia, Costa Rica.
El Sabanero and Paradi
Playa Fl
Dr. Herbert Weinman, MD, MBA thedoctorisinsharkfm@gmail.com
Medical Specialists Everyone knows that a medical doctor is a professional who has had years of training to understand the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease. The basic training of a physician includes four years of college education and four years of medical school. Additional training (called a residency) for specialty certification can take another 3-6 years depending on the specialty. The process most widely used by physicians to determine the state of health is to ask questions about a person’s medical history. This is usually followed by physical examination to determine how well the body is functioning and whether there are signs of disease. Doctors also use a variety of tests to evaluate health. Some of these diagnostic procedures (for example cardiac catheterization, CAT scans, biopsy of body tissues) are very complicated. They call for many years of training in order to use them safely and accurately. The complexity of the body structure and the way it functions calls for a high level of skill and understanding of body systems and knowing the effect that each system has on the whole. Specialists are doctors who concentrate on certain body systems, specific age groups, or on complex scientific techniques developed to diagnose or treat certain types of disorders. Specialties in medicine developed because of the rapidly expanding body of knowledge about health and illness on the constantly evolving new treatment techniques. A subspecialist is a physician who completed training in a general medical specialty and then takes additional training in a more specific sub-area of that specialty. This training increases the depth of knowledge of the specialists in a particular field. For example, cardiology is a subspecialty of internal medicine, pediatric surgery is a subspecialty of surgery, and child and adolescent psychiatry is a subspecialty of psychiatry. Specialty boards certify physicians as having met certain published standards. There are 24 specialty boards recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and the American Medical Association. In order to be certified as a medical specialist by one of these recognized boards a physician must complete certain requirements. The ABMS also arranges for the publication of a list of certified specialists/subspecialists in directories. Member boards of the ABMS provide assurance to the public that a certified medical specialist has successfully completed an approved educational program and evaluation, including an examination process designed to assess the knowledge, experience and skills requisite to the provision of high-quality patient care of that specialty. Recertification is now mandated by most medical specialties every 6 to 10 years depending on the specialty.
E
l Sabanero Beach Hotel, located in Flamingo Beach, is a dream gettaway due to its amazing geographical position; perfect for any plan or activity that you may want to fulfill.
New management and improved renovated installations accompanied by our incomparable service and attention makes our guests feel like part of the family. Enjoy our most spectacular million dollar view! Available to each of our 48 rooms, 28 of which have been completely remodeled and outdoor friendly. El Sabanero Beach Hotel is hidden in the Flamingo hills and invites our guests to enjoy our succulent dishes at our international cuisine restaurant. On weekends we offer exquisite Mexican style breakfasts, true and original Mexican flavors thanks to the origin of our new admistrators. In addition the complex holds three bars equipped with the best wines and high-end liquors. One in the lobby, another on the terrace and the third is located on the second floor inside the Hotel Discoteque and casino. Our incomparable view and totally air conditioned installations are a gem unique to the Guanacaste zone. Swim in our refreshing pool, while sunbathing surrounded by a 180° view of Flamingo Beach,
Beach Hotel ise Casino
lamingo
Potrero and the Famous Catalina Islands. El Sabanero Beach Hotel offers exclusive access to its beautiful beaches which form a bay, to be enjoyed safely by guests of all ages at no risk. Contemplate the most awesome sunsets from our terrace or sundeck located over the rocks of the bay, while enjoying the sound of the waves and feel relaxed and overwhelmed by true beauty. Our gazebo provides the most breathtakingview of all Guanacaste and is a perfect location for any dream wedding or romantic date as well as any of our terraces or event halls. For fun, El Sabanero Beach hotel offers Ladies’ Night every Wednesday from 8 till 10 p.m. accompanied by concerts played by local bands or various rhythms such as reggae, salsa, merengue, etc. With the objective of having a fun, happy and spectacular night. Also we recently inaugurated our Hotel Casino where you can play with our slot machines, Black Jack, Tute, Caribbean Poker and Texas Holdem, where our specialized staff attends like in any of the best casinos in the world. Come and enjoy all this and much more at El Sabanero Beach Hotel. We await your visit and look forward to pampering your evey whim! El Sabanero Beach Hotel, A Hidden Paradise that has it all!
Flamingo, Guanacaste, 100 mts. North of Flamingo Marina Resort Tel: (506) 2654-4322 / (506) 2654-4311 www.elsabanerobeachhotel.com
The Streets of Tamarindo by Jeffrey Whitlow
O
ne of the biggest reasons why I moved to Tamarindo was to get away from the racism that is endemic to America. But, to my great and utter surprise, the racism here is far more open and far worse than the situation that exists in modern-day America. I feel like I have been teleported to the ‘70s. I have said it here before, and I will say it once again, for emphasis. Just because you have more money than others does not mean that those others have to serve you. There is a word for that belief, and that word is “colonialism”. It’s a sickness, and those that suffer from that sickness need help, and they need it in the worst way. Frankly, I am sick of it, because I have lived with it for 55 years. From the days of my youth, when the drunk rednecks used to sic their dogs on me when I would pedal by their porch with my bag full of newspapers, to this day, when the drunk rednecks spread unfounded rumors against my friends who live and hustle in the streets, nothing has changed, and it makes me extremely angry and sad. To all of you, and hear me well and attend me when I say this, the guys on the street don’t have weapons, they haven’t stabbed anybody, they haven’t shot anybody, so quit spreading rumors to the contrary. If the people who have would give what they can to the people who have not, our community would be much the better for that. David has graciously given me this space, and I have used it to deliver this message, but to no avail. You
people would rather throw your extra food in the garbage than to give it to those in need. To me, that’s a sickness. I’m not even going to chalk it up to laziness. It’s malicious, and it’s the essence of colonialism. I have heard it from your own lips. “I come here. I run a business. I pay taxes. They don’t.” News flash, people! You came here, for a reason. Your country didn’t want you, or you didn’t want your country. Either way, how dare you come here with that attitude?!? You should be grateful to come to such a wonderful place, and you should go out of your way to help the people to whom this country really belongs. That means mentoring and modeling. That means providing a positive image. My best story in this regard is this. I was taking my wife to Irazu and we were driving through Cartago. I missed a stop sign and almost drove in front of a tica lady. She screamed from her car, “You f#@$%&* foreigners! You think you own everything!” She could have said anything. She could have said, “You black son-of-ab%$#@”, like most white people do as soon as they get angry with me or any other black person. She could have said anything else, but that’s what she chose to say. I have spent a lot of time with the natives here, and they pretty much all feel that way. They hate colonialism, as much as I hate racism, and basically those “isms” are one in the same. I am asking all of you who suffer from this malady to look inside your hearts and cleanse yourselves of this sickness, for the sake of us all.
“For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.”
Es mejor ser rey de tu silencio que esclavo de tus palabras”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
William Shakespeare
Surf Report (from page 15)
Reported Leilani (photo below): “This achievement means a lot to me because almost all the previous champions have gone on to surf on the world tour of WSL. This puts the flag of Costa Rica on par with a new title.”
Brother Noe Mar McGonagle just pulled out a great 3rd place win in the Quiksilver Pro in Squarema, Brazil. (This was indeed a better situation than the 1st round lost in the previous QS at Lower Trestles in California. Carlos Muñoz, who was with him there, also dropped in the 1st round) But, it seems Noe Mar is on a better track now and he has nothing but gratitude for those who helped him in this experience: “Today was such a good day! Thank God for letting me be good in my heats. Thanks to Quiksilver for such a great event! Thanks to everyone for all the support, all week, all the good vibes and messages. All the people in Brazil are so friendly and very supportive.”
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.
Another guy who is really making a name for himself in the Costa Rican surf world is Angelo Bonomelli from Puerto Viejo. He’s been competing for many years, and now, has earned his first victory in the Circuito Nacional Kolbi presented by Adrenaline Rush, In April, he came 1st in the finals for the Copa ISAW in Santa Teresa. This win boosted Bonomelli from #6 to #2 in the rankings for the Open (behind Jason Torres who is #1). “I have over 10 years competing in the Circuito Nacional and winning for the first time is inexplicable how it feels,” he said. “For me, it would be a dream to be national champion and if I have the chance to fight for this, I will be.” And, of note, Lisbeth Vindas notched her 2nd win of the season in Santa Teresa besting in a finals that included Leilani McGonagle. Lisbeth, however, remains at #2, with McGonagle holding onto the #1 spot in the Women’s division rankings.
Phone us at: 2-653-8041 • kaydodge@racsa.co.cr www.paintedponyguestranch.com The best horses on Guanacaste’s Gold Coast!
(continued page 37)
Guanacaste Bienestar Emotional health center Guanacaste Bienestar is an emotional health center dedicated to providing professional help in the area of mental health, through psychotherapeutic support and coaching. Our objective is the internal balance of people in a warm and efficient way. GB has different services, all closely linked to the emotional health of the individual: Clinical psychology Life Coaching and Team Coaching Youth Group Leaders Art and Music Therapy (Mandalas and Guitar) Languages Clinical Psychology is dedicated to mental health care with counselling for different health issues. Coaching is a methodology that helps get the best of you professionally and personally, generating deep changes in a short term. The coaching department provides Life Coaching, Team Coaching and training. GB also has’ ‘Young Leaders’ specializing in training young community leaders to make social awareness, emotional management and community work in favor of disadvantaged groups and persons. Art Therapy is a guide to self-discovery through music and mandalas, used as stress relief, fears and other communicational problems. Finally we offer intensive language classes to improve their communication. We are at your service. Contact us without obligation and we will attend you with pleasure. http: //www.guanacastebienestar.com Facebook: GuanBienestar
English spoken
Life coaching • Team coaching • Training
A Slice of Life Lolita
I
David Mills
arrived one Sunday afternoon at the Artful Dodger and took a seat with some friends on the patio. The waitress who approached was new to the place, very young, very pretty. I asked her name.
“Lolita” she replied. “Pleased to meet you,” I said, “I’m Humbert,” I added, wittily. She looked surprised. “What’s your last name?” she asked. “That’s Humbert, too,” I replied, “Humbert Humbert.” She stared at me in disbelief. Finally she said “I’ve only been working here a few days, but half the customers are called Humbert Humbert.” Shaking her head in disbelief she walked off to get the drinks, as we chuckled behing her back. Maybe one day she’ll read the book.
Word puzzle Miscellany
All words from the list below can be found in the word block on the right. Answers may be forward, backward, upwards, downwards and diagonal. alcantarilla erroneous mensual sasquatch utilizar carpenter gonfalon parada sluice wirecutter cotidiano homenaje parasol sustainable ecotourism
incipient patagonia sybarite cascabel leather payaso terremoto didactic manhandle pedagogue terrestre elevator mennonite propaganda universidad
CCTT Updates Camara Comercio y Turismo Tamarindo Erratum In the May 2015 Howler CCTT notes we published the date of May 18 as the meeting with the Ministry of Security. This should, of course, have been April 18.
Water Service in Tamarindo and Langosta. Since 2014, the year recently passed, an integrated commission was formed in Tamarindo by Mr. Alonso Jimenez, Mrs. Argieri Cordero and Mr. Hernan Imhoff to manage the public infrastructure of Tamarindo and Langosta. One of the problems to resolve has been the service of potable water to both these communities. Mr. Jorge Jiménez, director of Hotel Barcelo, met in August 2014 with Diputado Juan Marín and Mrs. Yamileth Astorga, president of AyA who said they are trying to find solutions to this problem. They had an important meeting in the community of Lorena on 8 September to address the areas of possible solutions. On 17 April a connection was made with a well of ASADA in Villarreal to help the supply. Though the well was of low volume, for the moment it has improved the service.
ADI Security: The Association of Development of Tamarindo (ADI) sent a letter to the police chiefs to remember the promises about maintaining the police presence until the new police station is built. ADI is analyzing several private security proposals that will have to work together with the police. Lifeguards: After several months of work the lifeguard tower is finished. ADI thanks Patagonia Grill & Restaurant and Witch’s Rock Surf Camp. Thanks also to the firm LSD Architects for their hard work and the Hotel Capitan Suizo for their collaboration in logistics, to Luis Seitur for his volunteer work coordinating the Committee of Tamarindo Lifeguards and Martin Salerno for bringing together the tower`s construction. Oneida Park: A meeting was held to present the project to reform the Oneida Park at Pangas. A team of neighbors and members of ADIT are already working on this project. A craft fair was performed on Saturday, May 9th, where community members sold their handicrafts. Environment: The recycling program will take place on Tuesday June 2 from 9 to 12 noon in front of the National Bank of Costa Rica. Events: On May 21 a salsa lesson was held to benefit the community. ADI thanks Alejandra Parody for her time, Maluco for lending the space and you for participating. To continue working for these and other projects for our community, ADI needs your contribution and / or donation. Please contact us at email: aditamarindo@gmail.com or call tel. 8319-4015. Follow our progress on Facebook: Asociación de Desarrollo Integral de Tamarindo or on our website www.playatamarindo.org
Don’t Be a Statistic
Learn to Identify Rip Currents We deeply thank you for your support for our annual fundraiser: The Robert August Surf & Turf Challenge”, 2015. Your donation and support have been very important to make this event successful! $29,500 was raised and will allow us to buy all the materials, equipment and transportation we need for arts, sports, English and Computer classes for 850 children for 1 year in 15 communities of our coastal area. We will also be able to buy a photocopy machine for the new Community Center as well as a router-internet system for the 20 computers in the new computer lab at our center in Huacas. The computers are used by 60 students weekly at this time.
R
ip currents are the leading surf hazard for all beachgoers. They are particularly dangerous for weak or non-swimmers. Rip current speeds are typically 1-2 feet per second. However, speeds as high as 8 feet per second have been measured--this is faster than an Olympic swimmer can sprint! Thus, rip currents can sweep even the strongest swimmer out to sea. Over 100 drownings due to rip currents occur every year in the United States. More than 80% of water rescues on surf beaches are due to rip currents. How to Identify Rip Currents Look for any of these clues: a channel of churning, choppy water an area having a notable difference in water color a line of foam, seaweed, or debris moving steadily seaward a break in the incoming wave pattern None, one, or more of the above clues may indicate the presence of rip currents. Rip currents are often not readily or easily identifiable to the average beachgoer. For your safety, be aware of this major surf zone hazard. Polarized sunglasses make it easier to see the rip current clues provided above. Never swim alone. Be cautious at all times, especially when swimming at unguarded beaches. If in doubt, don’t go out! Whenever possible, swim at a lifeguard protected beach. Obey all instructions and orders from lifeguards. If caught in a rip current, remain calm to conserve energy and think clearly. Don’t fight the current. Swim out of the current in a direction following the shoreline. When out of the current, swim towards shore. If you are unable to swim out of the rip current, float or calmly tread water. When out of the current, swim towards shore. If you are still unable to reach shore, draw attention to yourself: face the shore, wave your arms, and yell for help. If you see someone in trouble, get help from a lifeguard. If a lifeguard is not available, have someone call 9-1-1 . Throw the rip current victim something that floats and yell instructions on how to escape. Remember, many people drown while trying to save someone else from a rip current.
NOAA
Selected Poems from “Tell me about the Telaraña” by Diana Renee
be still and i will teach you the ways of water i will build you castles of this sand, fly you flags and bring you horses you shall be the king and i the court magician making children from the sunshine, making wishes on the clouds no soy yo la que buscan los zopilotes no estoy muerta yo solo descanso mirando las nubes ángeles como aves, te visitarán te llevarán a árboles que conocen a nidos que hacen a lugares secretos que tú has visto pero solo en sueños. “Tell Me About the Telaraña” is available at Jaime Peligro’s Bookstore in Tamarindo.
Wil-mart Supermarket in Playa Grande open every day 7:30 to 9:00
Your Stars in June
Aries: 21 March - 20 April
Libra: 23 September - 23 October
This will be a busy month for you as your ruling planet, Mars, is in the sign of Gemini, which brings in many opportunities for short trips, communications, dealing with siblings & neighbors, and lots of different activities. Try to prioritize what you want to accomplish this month. Be careful not to communicate with hostility as Mars sometimes makes rash and angry assumptions in this sign without thinking through the consequences. Your best days are the 10th and 11th.
With Venus, your ruling planet, traveling in your tenth house of career and professional image, you would be wise to get new photos taken or make some public appearances to satisfy this transit. Next up is your eleventh house of friends, networks and income from your professional so the $$ is soon to land as well. Pay attention to your belief system and get more disciplined about a spiritual practice. Taking the high road is a good plan. Good days for you are the 24th and 25th.
Money, business, and contracts will occupy a great deal of your attention this month as Mercury, the Sun and Mars spend most of the month moving through your solar second house. Things won’t straighten out until after the 12th when Mercury is direct. Expect changes and don’t get frustrated by this process. Your ruling planet, Venus, is in the sign of Cancer, which is a positive placement and then enters Leo. The 12th and 13th are great days to be out in the world and make your mark!
Saturn goes back into your sign at the 29th degree on the 17th, bringing in some issue from December of 2014. Your ruling planet, Mars, is still passing through your eighth house of death, wills, taxes, your partners assets, and psychological hangups, so you best be prepared to deal with the dark side of life now. On a positive note, Venus moves to the top of your chart enhancing your charisma and bringing you more professional gain as she joins Jupiter who is already there. Best days are the 26th and 27th.
Taurus: 21 April - 21 May
Gemini: 22 May - 21 June
Scorpio: 24 October - 22 November
Sagittarius: 23 November - 21 December
With your ruling planet, Mercury, in its retrograde phase until the 11th, you will find yourself having too many tasks and too little time to do them during the first two weeks of the month. This won’t last forever but it will take until the end of the month to establish your new direction. With Mars in your sign there might be a tendency of being quick to anger so just be aware that you can be triggered this month. The 14th, 15th, and 16th are days where you can focus your energies effectively.
This month has a major focus on business and personal partnerships with the Sun, Mars and the Mercury retrograde happening in your solar seventh house. Try not to react with anger about things that don’t appear to be going your way. You could be misunderstanding the situation completely. Your ruling planet, Jupiter, is in your ninth house so take the high road and be generous in attitude towards those who are not as wise as you are. The 2nd, 3rd, 29th and 30th are your best days.
This month would be a great time for you to take a vacation or retreat by the ocean or some body of water that you’ve been to before. With three planets transiting your solar twelfth house there’s a need for deep introspection and a return to somewhere familiar where you feel safe to dig deeply into your psyche and clear up some issues from your past. Issues with your children could also come bubbling up to the surface at this time. The 17th and 18th are your best days for healing to occur.
Work, health, habits, pets and your employees are a major concern this month as you realize you have possibly over-extended yourself and are suffering some consequences of this overwork. You could come into some money later in the month that will greatly help the situation. Nonetheless, do make some changes to enhance your quality of life as well as improve your health. Don’t get caught up in the drama of the 4th. Best days to make positive changes are the 4th and 5th.
With Jupiter still in your sign all month you will feel upbeat and positive throughout, even though some changes will take place with friendships. Who ever needs to leave your life will do so at this time. All ends on a positive note by the end of the month when Venus joins Jupiter’s degree in Leo and you feel like celebrating something! If it’s possible to have a family reunion or visit to an ancestor’s home, this is a perfect time to make that trip. The 19th and 20th are excellent days for you.
This could be a fun month for you as three planets traveling through your solar fifth house of fun, romance, creativity and children bring some opportunities to experience those aspects of life. If you are considering taking a trip to a foreign country, the end of the month would be a fortuitous time. Your ruling planet, Saturn, moves back into Scorpio on the 16th, creating a need to deal with some issue from the end of 2014 that wasn’t quite resolved. Best days for that are the 6th and 7th.
Cancer: 22 June - 22 July
Leo: 23 July - 23 August
Virgo: 24 August - 22 September
The month begins with three planets transiting your solar tenth house of career and public image meaning lots of activities coming your way. I know you like all details to be in proper order but this just won’t be the case this month so you have to learn to adapt. Of course pay attention to the details and don’t sign or buy anything major until after the 12th when Mercury is once again in direct motion. Best days to make your point are the 21st (the Summer Solstice) the 22nd and most of the 23rd. by Jeanne Callahan jeannecallahan007@gmail.com
Capricorn: 22 December - 21 January
Aquarius: 22 January - 19 February
Pisces: 20 February - 20 March
Neptune in your sign goes into its retrograde phase on the 13th at 9 degrees, going back to 7 degrees before it resumes direct motion in mid-November. Expect to revisit events, issues and creative concerns form March, April and May of 2015. Water will be part of the global concerns this phase. With three planets in your solar fourth house you are very involved with your home and may even be doing some construction or remodeling at this time. Good days for things to go your way are the 8th and 9th.
Namasté Visit Jeanne’s site at CelestialAdvisor.com
Now Begins the Study of Yoga Office Sun Salutations Many people these days work in offices where they are sitting at their desk typing on a computer/laptop all day long. Recent news reports state this is contributing to everything from back problems to cancer to early death. We all know instinctively that sitting in one position for too long just doesn’t feel good, however, we do have to pay our bills. If your job involves sitting all day long, at least you can find ways to incorporate some healthy movements into your day that don’t take very long, and can help you feel better physically as well as help your brain get more focused. I suggest doing a variation of the classic yoga warm up using your chair or your desk. These easy movements will take your spine forward and backward, stretch out the front and back of your legs and torso. Here is how to do it: 1. You will need a chair that can stay still (no wheels) or use the surface of your desk. If using your chair, turn it so that the back rests against your desk, wall, or door, and that it will not move. If you can, take your shoes off and allow your feet to reach into the floor while doing these movements. 2. Stand, facing your chair seat or desk. On an exhale, tuck your chin and elongate the back of your neck. 3. Inhale and raise your arms overhead. 4. Exhale and fold from the waist, placing your hands on the chair seat or desk top. Inhale and lengthen the back of your legs and spine. 5. Exhale and step your right foot back, stay on the toes and ball of the foot, step your left foot a little forward. Inhale
in this position, drawing your tailbone down and the pit of the abdomen lightly back and up. 6. Exhale your left leg back into a plank position, lengthening your spine through the crown of your head and through your tailbone. Your hands should be under or a little in front of your shoulders. 7. Inhale and lower your hips toward the chair seat or front of your desk while lifting through your sternum and crown of your head into a modified Up Dog. Keep your abdomen lightly firmed and your inner thighs lifting so that you don’t crunch your low back. 8. Exhale and lift from the pit of the abdomen and sit bones, descend the heels to the floor into a modified Down Dog. Stay here for 3 – 5 breaths, again elongating the back of your legs and torso. 9. On an inhale step your right foot forward into a modified lunge, remember tailbone down, pit of the abdomen back and lightly lifting. 10. Exhale and step your left foot forward, coming into a forward bend. 11. Inhale to standing, arms overhead. 12. Exhale hands down by your sides. You can do these movements as instructed here, or pause in the ones where you want to allow the legs, shoulders, back and front body to get more stretch. Doing these movements, add a side stretch and seated twist to give your body a great break from sitting all day. Return back to your work with a happier body and a more focused mind!
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)
Results de la COPA ISAW April 18 & 19 - Santa Teresa Open 1. Angelo Bonomelli (Pto. Viejo) 2. Jason Torres (Jacó) 3. Olman Morales (Sta. Teresa) 4. Jean Carlos Méndez (Jacó)
Boys 1. Sean Forester (Sámara) 2. Dean Vandewalle (Tamarindo) 3. Aaron Henkel (Sta. Teresa) 4. Malakai Martinez (Tamarindo)
Women’s 1. Lisbeth Vindas (Jacó) 2. Leilani McGonagle (Pavones) 3. Camila Summers (Pto. Viejo) 4. Valentina Resano (Nicaragua)
Grommets 1. Malakai Martínez (Tamarindo) 2. Oscar Urbina (Pto. Viejo) 3. Dean Vandewalle (Tamarindo) 4. Tiago Carrique (Playa Negra)
Juniors 1. Sean Forester (Sámara) 2. Tiago Carrique (Playa Negra) 3. Leonardo Calvo (Barranca) 4. Esteban Chaves (Sta Teresa)
MiniGrommets 1. Darshan Antequera (Jacó) 2. Samuel Reidy (Pavones) 3. Aaron Ramirez (Jacó) 4. Axel Castro (Limón)
Junior Women’s 1. Leilani McGonagle (Pavones) 2. Paulina Summers (Pto. Viejo) 3. Paula Duarte (Jacó) 4. Charlie Meek (Dominical)
MiniGrommets Girls 1. Valentina Resano (Nicaragua) 2. Candelaria Resano (Nicaragua) 3. Paulina Summers (Pto. Viejo) 4. Ki’lli Mo’e (Montesuma)
2014-15 Champions of the Circuito Guanacaste de Surf OPEN 1) Jason Torres 3690 pts 2) Angelo Bonomelli 2963 pts 3) Leo Calvo 2520 pts 4) Dean Vandewalle 1923 pts
GIRLS 1) Serena Nava 3545 pts 2) Coral Wiggins 3442 pts 3) Lia Diaz 2515 pts 4) Kirra Williams 2408 pts
OPEN WOMEN 1) Serena Nava 2930 pts 2) Zulay Martinez 2830 pts 3) Emily Gussoni 2345 pts 4) Coral Wiggins 2340 pts
MIXED GROMS 1) Orion Eshel 3690 pts 2) Tiago Leao 3545 pts 3) Josh Dawson 2830 pts 4) Luke Guinaldo 2815 pts
JUNIORS 1) Leo Calvo 3170 pts 2) Malakai Martinez 2830 pts 3) Dean Vandewalle 2608 pts 4) Aldo Chirinos 2545 pts
DOLPHINS 1) Kalani Abrahao 3690 pts 2) Kai Williams 3545 pts 3) Isaiah Dawson 2985 pts 4) Charlie Herman 2660 pts
JUNIOR WOMEN 1) Coral Wiggins 3190 pts 2) Serena Nava 3130 pts 3) Zulay Martinez 2975 pts 4) Emily Gussoni 2545 pts
LONGBOARD 1) Alex Gomez 3690 pts 2) Noldan Zuniga 2745 pts 3) Keiner Lopez 2460 pts 4) Adolfo Gomez 2443 pts
BOYS 1) Dean Vandewalle 3180 pts 2) Sean Foerster 3180 pts 3) Malakai Martinez 3015 pts 4) Aldo Chirinos 2700 pts
MASTERS 1) Red Guzzardo 3378 pts 2) Christian Boos 3245 pts 3) Ian Bean 3245 pts 4) Jeff Allen 2460 pts
I’m sure that CEPIA will give us the details of the Robert August Surf & Turf which took place in April in many locations around the area. They raised about $29,500 for CEPIA, and it is one of the primary ways that the organization funds its various important activities helping those underprivileged kids and families of the area. In addition, a portion will go to help pay for the Tamarindo lifeguards. However, just a quick note about the Witch’s Rock Team (photo on right), who won the surfing part at Avellanas. The lineup included former national champion Isaac Vega (can you say ringer?), Niki Hurren, Cesar Rosales and Ryan Waldon. The contest was arranged by Chelsea Lisaius (who organizes a lot of the local competitions with professionalism), and the 4-man teams spent the day surfing with legends Robert August and Wingnut. Ryan wrote later: “As the tide came up and the wind continued howling offshore, the WRSC surf team felt confident heading out into perfectly groomed, 3-4 foot Avellanas. From the moment we paddled out, the swell was pulsing through with non-stop action from all of us. Cesar and Niki grabbed the longboards for some fancy footwork as Isaac and I went tube-hunting on our shortboards. After 20 minutes, (and about 20 ridden waves) team WRSC left the water in high spirits knowing we had performed at our highest level.”
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 CCLXIX
COSTA RICA
D
riving in Costa Rica has certainly been covered in the Howler before; volumes could be dedicated to just this one aspect of life, and death, here in paradise, so it was with eager anticipation when it was revealed at a recent Howler editorial staff summit that one of our deep moles planted in MOPT headquarters in San José had uncovered an English translation of the official Costa Rican Driving Manual, never before seen by the extranjero community. Since the manuscript is over nine hundred pages long we have only selected sections to share with you. Once again we’d like to thank our imbedded secret agent at MOPT, known only to Howler staff as “Speedy” for providing the information at great risk to his life; he had to drive there. Section 1 - General Directions for Driving in the Republic Citizens are advised to operate their vehicles at maximum velocity at any given time so as to insure that no other citizen will be able to pass them, eliminating the need for four-lane highways. Citizens are however advised to drive as slowly as possible without stalling their engines if ascending into mountains or changing children’s diapers. Large trucks and buses are recommended to drive up the center of the highway at this speed if they suspect anyone may attempt an unauthorized “passing”. Subsection 1 - Truck Drivers Only Before truck drivers are handed the responsibility of operation vehicles weighing forty tons it is suggested the drivers visit the local Palí Supermercado to purchase a driver’s license and are also requested to practice driving their rigs in circles in the parking lot for at least seven minutes before operation on the highways.
Driving
Truck drivers should be advised that even though they’re the biggest things on the road there is no real need to pay close attention to other traffic as it’s their fault if they didn’t get out of the way. If descending a mountain highway truck drivers need not obey the obligatory “slow” rule of section 1 paragraph A, and instead are advised to apply el pedal to el metal in any available lane. Taking out ambulances or tourist rent-a-cars on the way down is optional. Section 33 - Parking Citizens of the republic operating machinery powered by the internal combustion engine have the right to park (stop) whenever the occasion arises. The best conditions for parking (stopping) can usually be found at busy intersections or areas of massive congestion (see paragraph 12 subsection 27b, downtown Tamarindo). Areas on the side of the streets should be avoided for parking (stopping), as it would hinder pedestrian traffic avoiding sidewalks. Subsection 78, paragraph 43c. It has come to the attention of MOPT that certain members of the foreign (extranjero) community have been mimicking Costa Rican parking (stopping) practices on their own and are starting to surpass native skills. They should be congratulated for their assimilation to local customs and should be awarded the coveted “Honorary Tico” medal. Section 112 - Traffic Police For your protection the well-dressed legal arm of the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation will be stationed every 50 km along important roadways armed with large highly inaccurate radar guns. Any citizen who has not noticed the blinking headlights of ap-
Story by Jesse Bishop owlhumm@hotmail.com
proaching traffic will have the opportunity to explain his or her traffic transgressions to the officer in person. The transito (or trafico) will courteously hold out his palm in the international symbol of friendship and it is suggested any fines be paid on the spot as to relieve the officer of the taxing process of writing a ticket. Subsection 672, paragraph 112c. One of the main duties of your traffic police force will be to protect the roads from the dangerous presence of surfers (aka. kids from California) in rented Korean sports utility vehicles. It is officially felt that visitors on Costa Rican highways who speak little or no Spanish must be informed by the fluent detaining officer of the fines involved in such activities and the immediate collection of said fine without documentation is best for all parties involved. Section 931 - Accidents Every citizen with a legal and current drivers license will be required to participate in some form of traffic accident at least once every two years, although drivers in San José are allowed one every couple of weeks if the circumstances require so. To insure conformity it is suggested drivers occasionally drive with their eyes closed while talking on a cell phone and yelling out the window at attractive Argentinean women (or men). In Conclusion We here at The Howler corporate office wish it were possible to print the entire Costa Rican Driving Manual, however it would fill the next three years of the magazine, an option the editor and CEO deems fiscally unacceptable. Instead interested readers may visit our special website created specifically for the literary masochist at www.fifteenpoundmanuscript@ howlermegamedia.com.
Lifthan Never Better Late Tom Peifer Tom Peifer (peifer@racsa.co.cr) tompeifercv@gmail.com
“Listen to the rhythm of the falling rain, telling me just what a fool I’ve been.” Ricky Nelson
A
bout six weeks ago I went to a conference on drought management in Guanacaste. Seemed like there might have been a lot to learn from the assembled panel of experts representing a cross-section of prestigious national institutions. In retrospect, the food was tasty but the presentations lacked the kind of ‘hands on’ approach that makes me sit up and take notice. There was one notable exception. Irina, a Russian-born and -educated climatologist and meteorologist, gave a great explanation of the El Niño phenomenon, coupled with predictions for its effect on our weather for this year. Even though I’d heard of the El Niño effect—basically warm waters off the equatorial coast of South America--for decades, Irina covered plenty of new ground. As you may know, the ‘trade winds’ favored by mariners in both the Atlantic and the Pacific, tend to blow from east to west close to the equator. That’s why Columbus left the Iberian Peninsula and headed down to the Canary Islands, before venturing out to attempt his transatlantic crossing. In the Pacific, it turns out that all that wind blowing across the 11,000 mile-wide expanse of ocean, piles up a ‘bump’ of water off the coasts of Australia and New Guinea. In normal years, that warm water heading west is replaced by the upwelling of the cold, nutrient rich waters from the Pacific depths that nourish the renowned fisheries off the South American coast. But, the atmosphere is complex and there are different cycles. Occasionally it is like someone threw the switch on the east-west trade winds and the ‘bump’ of water actually flows back across the ocean until it runs into South America. And that, amigos, is precisely why we’ll all be watching the skies in Guanacaste for the foreseeable future. Ditto for weather on the entire planet. You know, if you’re sitting in the sand, piña colada in hand, watching the sunset, you only see a few miles out. You just don’t grasp (I admit I had to look up the numbers) the immensity of the mass of water out there. A third of the
whole planet, room to spare for all of the continents and, pardon the repetition, 11,000 miles wide just a few degrees latitude to the south of where we are. So, when they talk about a ‘patch’ of warm water, it’s a big, big ‘patch’, with a lot of heat and it packs a lot of wallop. If you studied physics, or have taken a warm shower in Guanacaste at night even without using a water heater, you may recall that water stores about four times the heat of air. In fact, it has recently been demonstrated that much of the global warming that has occurred over the last few decades, has gone into, and become temporarily stored, precisely in the deeper zones of the oceans. (Here I extend my sincerest apologies to the US Senate, the Governor of Florida, and all the other climate change deniers out there.) As it turns out, some of that stored heat may be involved in turning the present El Niño into a really strong one, worse than the big one in 1998. For those readers who weren’t here, the rainy season that particular year started off pretty normal. We had decent rains in late May and early June. Lito Fernandez, owner of Hotel Playa Negra, decided to continue with the landscape plantings that we had started the previous year. We went to the nursery, stocked up on plants and got to work. Suddenly the rains stopped, the hot offshore winds started up, transplants began to wilt and before long, I was out of a job. It went on like that for a solid six weeks, smack dab in the middle of the rainy season. Another friend had it much worse. Rodolfo had contracted to plant some 40,000 teak trees in a Canadian’s farm somewhere inland from Playas del Coco. He got everything organized to take advantage of the promising start to the rainy season. You see, in normal years, if the planting stock is in the ground early, it gets established before our first ‘veranillo’—a break in the rains that comes shortly after the summer solstice. After a week or two, the rains usually resume with the familiar pattern of dry, sunny mornings and afternoon cloudbursts. When the veranillo lasts for a solid six weeks, you don’t need a Ph.D. in hydrology to understand the difference between (continued page 36)
J u n e ( a l l
t i m e s
Better Late than Never
2 0 1 5 l o c a l )
(from page 35)
Sun
1st - rise 5:21; set 6:02 15th - rise 5:22; set 6:07 30th - rise 5:26; set 6:09
Full: Last quarter: New: 1st quarter:
Moon
2nd 9th 16th 24th
3.0
RAINFALL - April / May 2015
2.5
Howler Meteorological Observatory Huacas
2.0
Total rainfall: 19.0 cm (7.5 inches)
m 1.5 s
10:19 a.m. 9:42 a.m. 8:05 a.m. 5:03 a.m.
RAIN GAUGE
3.5
c
twice daily irrigation of a couple hundred plants at Lito’s with a handy garden hose, and the daunting challenge of watering 40,000 teak trees with buckets. As I tell my friends, time to forget planting and start surfing.
1.0 0.5 0.0 16
20
25
30 1
April
Year-to-date 2015: 6.2 cm 2014: 4.6
5
10
May
Rainfall April/May 2015: 6.2 cm 2014: 4.6
15
In practice and on the ground, the predictions of a ‘monster El Niño’ for this year have several implications for those of us who plant and grow stuff here in Guanacaste. As a rule, I typically wait to do anything until my neighbors start planting corn. Last year most people simply didn’t plant in May/June and simply waited till the usually more reliable rains of September/October. This year, one of my more industrious neighbors got all emotional with the first rains and planted in early May. But just a bit, in case he lucked out. Call it hedging your bets or “not putting all your eggs in one basket,” it is definitely a smart approach for this year bearing in mind that at any time until about the second week of August you may have to irrigate to keep plants alive. You can put a triple emphasis on those ‘words to the wise’ for any high-value plants such as fruit trees, specimen plants in a new landscaping, etc. Have a reliable irrigation system, a dependable well or the hose very handy. In the years to come, growing in Guanacaste is only likely to get more and more challenging, but some or us find it way more interesting than, say, playing chess. As dry years alternate with supercharged wet years the smart landscape strategy was elaborated in an article many years ago. “Infiltrate all rainfall as close as possible to where it hits the ground, but be prepared to deal with massive overland flow.” And keep your eyes on the heavens and a wet finger to the wind, just as humans have been doing for millennia. Tom Peifer is an ecological land use consultant with 18 years experience in Guanacaste. 2658-8018. peifer@ racsa.co.cr
Alcoholics Anonymous Schedule of Meetings
Flamingo
El Centro Verde is dedicated to researching and promoting sustainable land use, permaculture and environmentally sound development. www.elcentroverde.org/
Tuesdays: 5:30 - 6:30 pm (open) Fridays: 5:30 - 6:30 pm (open)
Location: Hitching Post Plaza Unit 2, Brasilito Contact: Don H. at 2-654-4902
Tamarindo
Saturday: 10:30-11:30 - Open General Meeting Monday: 5:30 - Open Meeting Wednesday: 10:30 - Open Meeting Thursday: 5:30-6:30 - Open Meeting Location: Behind Pedro’s Surf Shop Contact: Ellen - 2-653-0897 / Steve - 8377-1529
Yo me siento orgulloso de ser costarricense y cuando me pongo la camiseta del Real Madrid me siento orgulloso de representar a mi país”,
Keylor Navas
Shape Up!
Dangerous food ingredients in seemingly healthy food
Lynda Espada
E
veryone knows to keep an eye out for calories, fats, and carbohydrates when they are browsing the supermarket aisles. But are you paying attention to the little known, flavor-enhancing, often lab-generated chemicals that manufacturers are pumping into your food to cut costs and keep you hooked? Ever feel not well after eating a meal prepared at home or at a restaurant? Most of us don’t think of the food we eat as poison, but some of the ingredients commonly found in processed foods can be considered toxic. By toxic, I mean chemicals or highly processed ingredients that aren’t good for you or can cause harm to your health. Any food that has been canned, dehydrated, or had chemicals added to it, is a processed food. If you look for only nine ingredients the next time you go shopping for food, make them these. PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED OIL - Manufacturers like it because it reduces costs, increases shelf life and stabilizes flavor, but it’s a lose-lose for consumers. Avoid foods containing trans fats, including margarine, vegetable shortening, crackers, cookies, baked goods, salad dressings, breads and chips. MSG - This processed flavor enhancer ingredient goes by many different names…monosodium glutamate, maltodextrin, sodium caseinate, autolyzed yeast, autolyzed vegetable protein, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, yeast extract and even citric acid. It’s often found in canned soup, diet beverages, an array of popular fast food, packaged sausages and frankfurters, beef stew, instant soups, salad dressing and some packaged vegetarian foods. BHA and BHT - BHA and BHT are antioxidant preservatives used in cereals, potato chips and chewing gum to keep them from going rancid. SODIUM NITRATE and SODIUM NITRITE - These additives are used as colorants and to preserve the shelf life of meats like hot dogs, bacon and sausage. You can protect your health by always choosing fresh, organic meats. SODIUM BENZOATE and BENZOIC ACID - These additives are used in some fruit juices, carbonated drinks and pickles to prevent mold from growing. HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP - Though chemically similar to table sugar, this cheaper alternative is a highly processed form of glucose converted into fructose. One thing is certain, too much sugar will harm bodily processes in countless ways, including increasing risk for diabetes, obesity and other metabolic disorders. POTASSIUM BROMATE - This additive, used in breads and rolls to increase their volume and produce a fine crumb structure, is possibly carcinogenic to humans. FOOD COLORINGS - Turns out, following the rainbow as far as processed foods are concerned is a pretty bad idea. Red #3, used in candy, baked goods and desserts, has demonstrated chromosomal damage and thyroid tumors. Your best bet is to opt for foods that use natural dyes like beta-carotene or annatto, or those that are dye-free.