Paul and Marg's Adventures

The mornings are about as perfect (weather) as anyone could imagine so we have been spending our time walking and enjoying this small town – looking around and taking a few pictures of whatever pleases us. Afternoons we work…..here are a few pictures from yesterday and today.

Today we went up the mountain with a friend to see the whole central valley and to visit his friend’s house. I think it is pretty spectacular….the pictures really don’t communicate the awesomeness of this place – but they help.

Today was market day and we enjoyed the morning poking around and buying some veggies and fruit. Later we went downtown and bought a few things just to check out the stores and the vibe. Marg is making a sign for “Kay’s” (a local ex-pat hangout) to help find the equipment we need for the Film Fest in January. We also found a German pastry shop and cafe where I was able to buy homemade sausage and some sauerkraut. Should be good…..

The weather has been absolutely the best – sunny and warm (not too hot) with a nice shower to cool things off in the mid to late afternoon. We did breakfast at “Kay’s Gringos Postres” (dessert). We pitched the Film Festival for January – now all we need is the equipment.

We walk every day and I try to take a few pictures but I feel out of the “pocket” since I haven’t been taking any pictures in the past 8 months…..things will get better.

Tracey, our friend and neighbour in Esterillos last year, visited us in New Hamburg in October before she headed back to Costa Rica. The day we arrived, Tracey was in Atenas to leave for Panama for a month so we had the good fortune to be greeted by a familiar face and to have a wonderful dinner out on our first night back in Central America.

We have only been doing the basics like unpack, answer email, and do some shopping. We both have been enjoying the rest…I think it could go on for a few more days…. it’s great!

Haven’t really got into taking pictures yet but here are a few to whet your appetite….

We haven’t posted much about our busy lives while we have been in Canada, but most of our time was spent this summer expanding our film festival, writing and presenting a new seminar called, “Living an Authentic Life”. The biggest part of my time has been in the launch of a new 1/2 hour weekly radio program and podcast called, “This is Wisdom”. The program features world-class pioneers and visionaries (forerunners) who are going double-or-nothing on their dreams of changing the world. Check it out at: www.thisiswisdom.com

We will be traveling to Costa Rica on Nov. 13 and will be there for 5 months. We spent last winter in Esterillos Oeste near the Pacific Coast highway not far from Jaco. This year, we will be nearer San Jose in a wonderful town called Atenas. It is up in the mountains and has “perfect weather” according to National Geographic.

We hope to put on our Forerunner Film Festival in a few locations in CR, teach and develop more seminars, and do a lot of writing. There is an Arts and Cultural Centre which is being developed in the Esterillos area so we will help where we can with that.

We also have been working on developing a sustainable community called: The Forerunner Living and Learning Community. Marg and I are evaluating some available land and working on the early stage development of the community. It will appeal to people who want to live out of the box and make a contribution by mentoring youth using their skills and talents. We also hope to update our website and tell the Forerunner Project story better.

We will continue to post our pictures here and write about the adventure we are living in Central America. We will be going to Bocas Del Toro (awesome – Panama) and traveling throughout Costa Rica, Panama, and Nicaragua. Just bought a new camera so I hope the pictures will be even better than the past……please stay in touch with us as we really enjoy hearing from you!!!

Blessings,

Paul and Marg

This is the end of one of the most amazing trips we have been on. We were enchanted by Costa Rica and its beauty, lush foliage and abundant wildlife. However, the people were the best part of this trip without question. Esterillos Oeste is a quiet surfing and fishing village where people from every nationality have come to enjoy nature and live far from the hustle and tension of 1st world city life.  If there is a representation of the Garden of Eden on the earth today, it would be Costa Rica. It is lush, unspoiled (mostly) and incredibility beautiful.

When we were preparing to leave we were asked many times “when are you coming back”. I sure hope the answer is “Soon!”  because the people were so sincere, friendly and genuine. It was all about the people on this trip….!!  We miss them already…..

Brian and Melissa take one last swim before we left for the airport....

Today is the last full day here in Esterillos Oeste. We packed and went down to the ocean and played in the surf.

We also gave away all the rest of the food and then went to Los Almendros (Karen Young’s) Restaurant for one final meal to celebrate the end of a great adventure (the best food in Costa Rica) …..a great way to finish a great trip.

With only 2 days left of our 15 week adventure, we planned a waterfall trip today (Wednesday) with Melissa and Brian and a bit of time in the Ocean. Our directions were a little weak and we ended up on a road which eventually became impassable. We turned back, got directions, and had a wonderful time at one of the waterfalls in the area (Tres Pillas).

Melissa and Brian have returned from the Nicoya Peninsula and we have been busy preparing to return to Canada. We have been making a point to connect with some of the many people who we have met here.

Marg and I decided to take in the surfing competition at Playa Hermosa today (Saturday). Some amazing surfers and some big swells…..a very popular event for gringos and ticos alike.

The Butterfly Sanctuary was amazing. CR is one of the best places to see butterflies. Melissa and Brian did the longest zip-line in CR – 13 links, the last one was over a kilometer long. About noon we headed down  the mountain to Puntarenas (on the ocean). Just when I thought I had seen the worst roads, we took it up to the top level. The road down was gravel, rough, and without ANYTHING to protect you from the 300 metres (1000 ft) drop. We coasted at about 10kms/hour all the way to the bottom. The best way to handle the situation I discovered is to not look over the edge and keep my eyes on the road. The vistas were awesome but I couldn’t stop to take pictures.

One nice thing about the high country is the breeze and cooler air. We slept last night with a blanket. Today, we are driving to Santa Elena and booking our tickets for Selvatura (zip-lining and butterfly park). The drive is only a few kms but at 10km/hr it takes a while. The road is a challenge for even the best vehicle and drivers. I am getting used to driving in the mountains on roads with boulders and pot holes that you need a ferry to cross.

Today we left the Pacific Coast and headed up to Mount Arenal near the Nicaragua border. Arenal is an active volcano (last eruption 1968). The journey to the high country took us through the Central Valley (north-west of San Jose). This is where most of the agriculture production is based in the high plains of C.R. – very pretty.

We hung around the house and the pool just enjoying the sun and then went to Jaco for lunch (at a soda) and to do some shopping. Later we went to the very upscale development “Los Suenos” (The Dream) and Herradura Beach; and then on to watch the sunset at Villa Caletas at their amphitheatre at the top of the mountain over looking the Pacific. Pretty classy day but the views were priceless.

We went to the market in Quepos and then on to the National Park in Manuel Antonio today. There was lots of wildlife and we swam on some remote beaches. We ended with a drink at the “Airplane Bar” (El Avion) overlooking the ocean…..a goood day!

We had a good day showing Melissa and Brian around Jaco. We went up a mountain to overlook the city and then went to Hermosa  to watch the surfers and the sunset.

Today we took a drive through the mountains on our way to pick up Melissa and Brian at the airport in San Jose. These are just some of the pictures from that 4 hours in the mountains.

Happy Birthday Lil

Did a little wandering and shopping in David before catching the bus to the border and then driving back home. Took a little side trip to San Isidro – on a beautiful road which winds through the mountains.

We hired a car for the morning to drive us around the area and show us some sights. Later he drove us back to David where we spend the night before returning to the border.

David is a city of about 120K but not all that interesting so we decided to take the bus up to (you can’t take a rental car across the border) Boquete for one day – an area known for its coffee, tourism, indigenous peoples and temperate climate.

Costa Rica has a 90 day visa so for people who want to stay longer you have to go out of the country for 72 hours and then re-enter. We were only staying 21 days over but the problem was our driver’s license was invalid so we did our “visa run” to Panama’s Pacific coast. The first city in is David then we went up into the mountains to Boquete which is known for its culture and it also has a large retirement community because of its warm days and cool nights.

Today we have been here for 3 months and to celebrate we went for a drive up to Orotina near San Jose. We always take the scenic route when we can and stopped by the Crocodile and Bird Tours place, some remote beaches, and on the way back, we climbed a 1200 foot 1.5KM mountain to a 5 star resort for a drink and a sunset…..cool place, very scary road. One and half lanes with unguarded edges that drop off hundreds of feet on both sides in some places…..but the view was worth it.

Did some shopping and Jaco and then took some pictures at Playa Hermosa (Beach) on the way home….

Happy Birthday Paul – this is a big one (60)

We have been excited about presenting a digest version of our seminar  “The Pleasure Principle” on giftedness, and “Living an Authentic Life” on finding purpose, for a group of about 30 young people here in Esterillos Oeste. Dennis and Kyle Leon and the surfers of Pura Vida Church were our host. Both Marg and I were very impressed with the respectful, interested, intelligent and  mature participants. Dennis and Kyle are doing a terrific job helping these young people grow and become leaders in their country.

El Vago Restaurant and Pizza (Steve and Margoth) who also hosted our film festival very generously provided pizza for everyone…..they have been amazingly kind and generous….A BIG THANKS to you both! Other individuals from the community contributed funds to provide rice and chicken, cookies, watermelon and soda (these kids can eat) to help make this an amazing day.

Marg and I hope this is the start of a great friendship!

A couple of years ago I was looking at Costa Rica on Google Earth and noticed this interesting looking bay and town called Golfito. I Googled it and found that it was one of those off the tourist trek cruisers (sailors) destinations with a promised of a bit of sub-culture.

We decided to indulge our curiosity and see more of the country by driving down to the border (Panama) on the Pan-American Hiway (not what you might be imagining) and also see Golfito. The trip was awesome (especially Uvita), the border was a bust, but Golfito proved to be what I thought it would be – interesting (it’s not only what you see, its also who you meet.)

Our car rental (for 1 month) started today so we drove down to Quepos and Manuel Antonio which are ocean side tourists towns about 40 minutes from here. It was a nice day but probably the worst light for taking pictures since we arrived. I took a few but it was a struggle.

Happy Birthday JT…..

from Mom and Paul!!!!!

A few photos from today…..

Happy FIRST Anniversary Tye and Maria

Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy

Feliz cumpleanos Brenda!!!

Eleanor is away right now and her dog Buddy is terrified of thunder. Last night it was a bit noisy and Buddy came down to our house and hid in our shower. In the morning we went for a walk through the farm at the end of our road…..always amazing stuff to see.

Today we made the trip into San Jose and took the scenic route on the way home from dropping Eleanor at the airport. We also stopped to see the crocs as well.

More pictures from the Parrita Fair….Bull Riding Cowboys!

Cody and Matt decided to go to Parrita to the “Fair” and asked us to join them. We got there fairly early in the day while people were enjoying the music and the rides. The highlight was the bull riding competition – first time for me. I enjoyed taking pictures….hope you enjoy looking at them.

Earlier this week I woke up to the sound of something moving around outside our house. When I looked out the window I saw our friend Karen’s horse standing in our front yard.  Apparently they don’t bother tying them up. The horse was here earlier in the week and came back to look around. She walked right up to the house and then looked all around eventually meeting up down the street with another horse she was out-and-about with. I didn’t get a picture since it was 2:30 am.

This morning we had another visitor. She came down our sidewalk and along one side of the house to the backyard. She nibbled the grass looked around and decided we weren’t very interesting and climbed the stairs to the carport as if this was really just an everyday event. Costa Rica has its own rules!!!

(got the picture this time)

Happy Birthday Mom!! (would have been your 98th)

I am writing everyday but still taking a few pictures and having fun doing the film festival every Wednesday. Marg is writing music and playing some of her songs with Bri…..other than that we just eat, sleep, go for a walk and swim.

Happy Birthday Auntie Hilda – I miss you!

Interesting thing happened on the way to the pool today. A white nosed Coati appeared through the hedge. We looked at each other in surprise, the Gorobo (Lizzy) darted for her hole, and Coati slipped back through the hedge in a matter of 30 seconds. But it was the highlight of my day. I consider it a “gift” to see an animal that only lives in Central America.  Here is what they look like,,,,they are part of the raccoon family.

White Nosed Coati

Happy Birthday Brenda!!!

A few more pictures I shot over the weekend……

A FEW MORE PICTURES FROM THE PREVIOUS SHOOTINGS.

We have been busy writing and working on other projects and haven’t been touring around and taking pictures. We are planning to rent a car for a few weeks and do some extensive “touristing” soon. There should be some good pictures from that period. In the meantime here are a few of the recent pictures I have taken that I like.

Sometimes I wonder why we are so blessed to have so much fun, meet such cool people, and all of this in an amazing paradise – don’t pinch me!

I have been busy writing and haven’t done a lot of picture taking. We met James on the beach one of the first days we were here. He talked about his life of adventure and all the things that he had done….Marg and I were knocked out by his lifestyle and love for adventure. Even his story of how he came to CR is an amazing intersection of circumstances. After a year here he is now going back to the Colorado. Going to miss this dude…….so we all got together and partied for him (hosted by Tom and Sheila).

P.S. -  we’ve been working on our Spanish but it is not easy…..been feeling kinda left behind until we saw this in the local newspaper Ad for a boat tour – “no high hills allowed”. Sad, but somehow it made me feel better about my Spanish.

We go to Jaco (hoc-ko) about every 10 days to get some food and fish and some things that are not available here in Esterillo Osete. I need a haircut but I thought I would let Bob be my “canary in the mine shaft”. Good thing he wanted it short…I took a pass on the haircut in favour of Margaret taking a run at it…..

Something for you beauty lovers…….be inspired!

On Tuesday afternoon my computer went to heaven. Not sure what caused it but it died a rather sudden death. One minute it was “healthy” and the next minute I came back and it was DOA. I have been trying to write and transfer some of the stuff I had backed up to a small computer we had also brought with us. Will get back to posting some pictures soon for those of you who are enjoying the beauty of Costa Rica while they wait out the winter.

Usually we spend the afternoon in the pool but today we decided to do like the locals and go to the beach. This is their summer vacation, and a busy time at the beach as you will see from the pictures. Later we had a Spanish lesson with our neighbour Tracy (from BC) which was very helpful. Now we just have to learn what she taught us – that is tomorrow’s work.

We got a chance to go to Los Suenos (The Dream) in Herradura. This is one of the most up-scale developments in the country. We got invited because Eleanor and Bob knew we would like the boats. For those who want to dream…. http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/sjols-los-suenos-marriott-ocean-and-golf-resort/

Happy Birthday Brian!!!

I’ve been busy writing and working on other projects the last few days but I did take a few pictures of things that caught my attention.

Been busy working on the writing projects (currently working on The Forerunner Film)  – been making some good headway. Saturday we did shopping, walked on the beach at sunset and spent some time with Cody and Matt at the DVD Centre talking about revising our web site. Sunday we had a slow day – swam in the pool and had Tracey, Eleanor and Bob over for dinner. We are starting to act like we live here. The weather has been about as near perfect as you can get with temperatures around 27 with a light breeze. It has been so nice you just want the day to never end – but they do, usually with a blaze of colour or like tonight with a rainbow.

P.S. Did I mention we are doing a film festival here…..see the poster below.

Chris Allerton, 1947-2011

Today is the celebration of the life of Chris Allerton, a friend, artist, father, husband, and naturalist. Chris was a part of our community and a man whose ideas and perceptions always contributed to the growth and stimulation of those around him. We will miss you greatly. Farewell, good friend.

Paul & Marg