Paul and Marg's Adventures

We spent the day in Santa Ana and Escazu doing some business and taking in the Multi-Plaza (Mall). We have been in Costa Rica a total of 7 1/2 months and finally drove over to see it. I spent about 15 minutes figuring out that what they have, I don’t need or want. It’s just another big American style mall – I hope that is the last time I ever have to do that!!!

I don’t know if there is anything special about February 29th or not but since it only comes every 4 years, I wanted to publish some pictures today just in case. Some of these were taken over the last couple of days. The ones at the end of the series are from the sunset over the Central Valley on February 29, 2012.

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It was a beautiful day for a drive through the country, especially when you get to a high point and can see the whole valley. This is the dry season and it has been even drier than usual – it hasn’t rained since December. Instead of the land being brilliant green, it is golden brown.

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Friday night (24th) our friend Andrew invited us to his family’s dance lesson (in Spanish). We didn’t “get” much of the instruction but Marg and I just filled in the blanks and followed the “bouncing ball”.

Sunday (26th)  We haven’t had many great meals here. We tend to try and buy typical Costa Rican dishes which are generally not all that exciting, but today we decided to try one of the better restaurants in the (upscale) La Garita.

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Just catching up after a few days of a hectic schedule. Here are some of the moments we took time to capture…..on this amazing adventure.

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We came down to the beach to visit old friends (the best way to spend a special day) and pick up Dan who will return with us to Atenas. A trip to EO wouldn’t be complete without dinner a Los Almendros (Karen’s Place as we call it). Great meal and great company (John and Dan).

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Two of the better local tourist sites are”ZOO Ave.” and “The Butterfly Farm”, both only 20 minutes from Vista Atenas (our place). John loved it and so did we …..the pictures speak for themselves.

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We have been traveling around the country with Margaret and Greg showing them more of Costa Rica. Today, we are heading down to Esterillos Oeste to attend the opening of  Colaborarte (Art Gallery) which our friend, Ozzie Hoppe has created. Check his story out at: www.thisiswisdom.com

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Chris and Kristina and baby Gilbert returned from their trip to Monteverde and San Jose today. We went to Cafe del Casita which overlooks the valley for a great afternoon lunch together before they head home early tomorrow.

Today, was a day of working on “This Is Wisdom” but about half way through the afternoon we all took a break and went for ice cream. The guy that served us (owner) looked familiar. Eventually, I recognized him as a local magician….we got him to entertain us for awhile.

A little shopping in the market……the weather was “perfect” – it’s what Atenas is famous for!

Christopher loves to cook so after a visit to the outdoor market we had a great meal prepared in the rancho……

On Sunday we drove to Manuel Antonio (National Park) making some strategic stops along the way.

Today, unintentionally became the “coffee day”. We started by going for a walk through a nearby coffee plantation. Later, we went for a drive and ended up in the mountains and near an organic coffee plantation which we had thought about visiting….so we went in and took the tour. Very interesting non-certified (by design) organic coffee – anyway here are the pictures.

We have only been to San Jose once since we came to Costa Rica (including last year). It is a big city with 1.5 million people which in itself does not appeal much to either Marg or me. Our friend Tracey had to make a trip in to see her lawyer and she wanted us to meet him. Fernando proved to be worth the trip….a great guy whom we are pleased to know and now call our friend. We also had the opportunity to have lunch at the famous, “Cafe Mundo” – wow was that good!!!

Such a beautiful day to just relax, lay back and enjoy the vista……

I decided to make a few photos to illustrate the beauty of this place……amazing!

Today there was a Tope (horse parade) in Barrio (neighborhood) Jesus which is nearby. The Costa Ricans love their horses and everybody comes out to the parade and then stays for the more serious fun…bull riding. We watched and enjoyed the parade, although I did take a few pictures of the people who make this one of the most friendly and fun places in Central America.

Had a busy week interviewing people for the “This Is Wisdom” radio and podcast program (www.thisiswisdom.com) and enjoying a great week of life in Costa Rica. We have been also working on our Spanish a lot more as well…although we are about 3 month olds – we appear to be listening, we smile and we don’t speak….anyway it is fun learning.

Here are some recent pix……

Fred and Brigitte Schutter always have a wonderful costume party on New Year’s Eve. This year, the theme was “Aliens on Earth”. Judging by the costumes, these aliens were certainly superior beings. Judging by the other (uncostumed partiers), the aliens did not find intelligent life on Earth on this particular visit.

We spent some time on New Year’s day saying good-bye to our friends before heading back to Atenas (in the mountains). Along the way, we had lunch at the “Backyard” on Hermosa Beach – one of the nice restaurants on one of the great surfing beaches on the Pacific Coast.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAYLI!!!!

We have been enjoying being back in Atenas. The ocean was great – the mountains are also great. Looking forward to New Years Eve “Aliens on Earth Party”. Marg and I have been working on our costumes…..gonna be interesting. Here are some of the shots I have taken in the last few days.

We traveled from Atenas to Esterillos to celebrate my birthday and Christmas with the friends we met last year in this wonderful beach town. Costa Ricans celebrate Christmas and then start their summer vacations right after by going to the beach. The place was alive with people. We spent most of our time at Eleanor’s (we rented a house from her last year) and with Tracey. We got to celebrate my birthday and Christmas with all the people we got to know and love last year…it was a great time!! We also got to take in the premier play of a new theatre recently built in Jaco (nearby)….which our friend Bri was heavily involved in – lots of fun!

Seemed appropriate to do a Sunday afternoon drive and poke around the countryside much like we do in Canada. I checked the map and picked a little community only a few km from our place. We were less than 20 km from Vista Atenas, but with gravel roads and a new vista around each corner, it took a couple of hours to do the trip. After, we went to our favourite restaurant, Casita del Cafe, which overlooks the valley. This was the first place we came to in Atenas last year and it still remains a favourite – always a warm, amazing breeze coming up from the ocean.

There was an amazing sunset over the ocean tonight. You could see the Nicoya Penninsula really clearly. I just hung in there and kept shooting looking for that one shot that would be better than all the rest. (pick your favourite and let me know)

Later, Atenas had its Christmas parade which we decided to take in…the sunset was better in my humble opinion.

Dale and Linda left yesterday after 4 days of cloud and rain (longest in the 5 months we have been in CR). Today, it was beautiful again – sunny and warm – so we went to the market downtown and poked around buying stuff and looking in the stores. Very relaxing…..Marg has been cooking and I am planning for 2012.

Tina Newton of Su Espacio (Your Place) runs a Christmas Party for kids. Margaret and I  were delighted to participate. She played music and since I couldn’t find some drums I took pictures…here are a few pix from the shooting. BTW Tina’s story is a great one….you can hear it at: www.wisdom-radio.com on January 23, 2012.

Dale and Linda Bolton have been visiting us and we’ve had the opportunity to do some traveling around the country. A few days ago, we went to Casita Del Cafe which is the first place Marg and I visited in Atenas last year – a beautiful view and an awesome gentle breeze coming up the valley from the ocean…amazing place to have lunch.

On Monday, we went to the hot springs in Termales Del Bosque high up in the mountains. The springs were located in the cloud forest but were still in the jungle. We walked into this amazing place and spent the afternoon going from pool to pool talking and enjoying the wildlife and the beautiful ambiance of the jungle. This could become my favourite place to visit…it certainly is up there.

I have been waiting for the right time to take this series of pictures from a new deck which is being built outside of our casita – what an amazing view of the Central Valley! Now that is is almost completed, I took these pictures of ‘the view’ we have every evening from our living room and bedroom. I never get tired of looking at it. Tonight, there were fireworks off in the distance and we regularly see the planes land at the San Jose Airport.

We traveled into Santa Ana and then went on to Heredia to connect with our friends, Albert and Dulia who were getting dental work done (it is much cheaper here and very professional).

We looked around…just another big city. Sorry, I am never impressed with cities and so you can see I didn’t take many pictures. Getting around the city is a real challenge especially since they don’t mark many of the streets. Thanks to Fred and Yvonne (from Seattle) for their kind hospitality.

We rented a car and instead of Dulia and Albert (from Prescott, ON) coming up here we went to Puntarenas for the weekend. Dulia and Albert used to live in Puntarenas but now spend most of their winters in Panama. Puntarenas is a harbour/beach town so the seafood is awesome….for more about Dulia and Albert visit: www.wisdom-radio.com.

We have been walking in the neighbourhood and finding some interesting stuff. These photos are from yesterday’s walk down the mountain.

This is also the anniversary of Costa Rica disbanding its army – December 1, 1948. One of the great models for the rest of the world.

This morning we decided to explore a nearby coffee plantation which is adjacent to the property our house is on…..here is what we saw.

We’re lovin’ it here – the house, the beautiful climate, the property, the quiet and the awesome view! We even have SKY TV (Latin America Version) which lets us enjoy  “The Dog Whisperer” every day (one of the great  psychologists of our time).

This morning I walked some of the property and enjoyed a few of the great places to sit and ponder the world from afar. I recently read, “Confessions of an Economic Hitman” which spawned a great deal of thought about the condition of the world and how I/we can make a positive contribution to those who need help or will need it soon.

I am hoping to settle down to some serious work this week.

Some pictures of our new place…..tomorrow the other side of the property.

Happy Birthday, Melissa!!

We got moved into our new digs (pictures coming tomorrow) and around sundown, we renewed our old tradition of picada – a light snack (guacamole this time) and a drink. The night lights of the valley were so amazing! We ended up turning out all the house lights and watched the valley sparkle like a jewel.

We woke to an amazing vista from our bedroom window as the sun broke over the mountains around 6 am. I was inspired to breakout the tripod and got to work making some pictures.

Today, we packed up and prepared to move to a new and more suitable place. We are excited about the change since the new place is so very beautiful. Hank, the owner of the property we are going to, has lent us one of his vehicles to help us with the move. I realized that I had not taken any pictures of the house in barrio Oasis so I went around and took some pictures just before we left, so we have a record of our 2 weeks here.

We’ve been busy the last few days finding a new place to “hang our hat”. The place we rented turned out to be quite unlike its description and therefore unsuitable for our purposes. Tomorrow, we are moving to a new place atop a mountain with an amazing view and all the things we hoped for (we’ve seen it first this time). I think the pictures from the “penthouse” (our name for it) will be truly amazing. Check out the first ones from several days ag0….inspiring!! IN the meantime here are a few pictures from our last day in Barrio Oasis.

This neighbourhood (Barrio) of Atenas has some of the highest places and the best views. Andrew (a friend) took us up to a few of the best places to look at the surrounding countryside. You can see 60 KMs in either direction….

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.