Playa Flamingo beach

Here is another photo to orient you to the bay at Playa Flamingo. This is a view up the coast to the north from the spot where the photos were taken that I posted on the last three days.

This beach is sheltered by the peninsula that creates the bay where you saw some of the resorts in the photos that I recently posted. There are other beaches in the area where the ocean waves crash on the shore. This beach is well suited for children, as there are almost no waves.

This week on our Viva la Voyage travel site we are showing photos of the great Mayan pyramids and ruins of Chichen Itza in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico.

Playa Flamingo bay

Here are some of the boats moored in the bay at Playa Flamingo. You can see some of the islands that dot the coast in this area. The islands provide sheltering waters for marine life and are popular spots for snorkel and scuba diving trips from Tamarindo.

Yesterday I talked about plans to develop expanded marina facilities at Playa Flamingo, including a cruise ship pier, which is on hold. An upgraded marina might enable people to dock their boats in a slip at a pier, rather than moored in the bay for access from a small shuttle boat.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on Viva la Voyage, our travel photo site. This week we are showing photos of Chichen Itza, the most famous of the Yucatan Mayan sites.

Playa Flamingo

This is a closer view of the main part of the bay at Playa Flamingo. The peninsula that you see here provides shelter for boats. The main part of the beach extends to the left from the other side of this peninsula.

There was a proposal to build a cruise ship pier at Playa Flamingo, and a large hotel complex. The winning bid was a $90 million proposal by a group with financing from the USA. As sometimes happens with government contracts, the losing parties filed bid protests, and the delay caused by that challenge and a court ruling that said that they have to re-bid the project. In the meantime, the world-wide downturn in the economy has reduced the market and demand for such large scale development projects, and seem to have caused this project to stall indefinitely.

A cruise ship pier for Playa Flamingo was a rather controversial project. As you can see in this photo, Playa Flamingo is not a large place. There would not be a lot for cruise ship visitors to do right in Playa Flamindo, although they could go out and make the beach very crowded, depending on the size of the cruise ship.

It is more likely that cruise ships would generate lots of business for people who run excursions, as the cruise ship tourists would probably buy shore excursion packages for zip lines, wildlife river trips, etc. Tamarindo would be the nearest town with shopping and other resources that cruise ship visitors frequent. I am sure that the business would be welcomed by many, although my impression of towns that are flooded with cruise ship visitors is that they often have lots of shops selling t-shirts and trinkets, and do not necessarily bring more desirable amenities.

This week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site, we are showing photos of Peru, including photos from an area that is very remote.

Playa Flamingo

Playa Flamingo is a little farther up the beach from Brasilito, about 20 minutes from Tamairndo. Flamingo is more developed than Brasilito, but a lot less developed than Tamarindo.

Flamingo has a nice, protected bay, as you can see in this photo. There are lots of fishing boats moored there. There was even a proposal to build a pier to accommodate cruise ships.

Tomorrow, I will show you more of FLamingo and tell you what happened to the cruise ship terminal development.

This week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site, we are showing photos of Peru, including photos from an area that is very remote.

Brasilto

Although I think that Tamarindo beach is near-perfect, there are lots of other beaches in the area. I will give you a tour of a couple of them during the next couple of weeks.

This is the beach at Brasilito, which is only about 15 minutes north of Tamarindo. Brasilito is a very small town with a few guest houses or small lodges, restaurants and shops. It is not developed like Tamarindo and still has the feel of a Costa Rican beach town, rather than a resort town with hotels and condos that cater primarily to foreigners.

This week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site, we are showing photos of Peru, including photos from an area that is very remote.

The sun drops into Tamarindo Bay

This is the same sunset that I showed yesterday, a little later as the sun started its drop into the ocean. Even though there was a marine layer of clouds, the sun penetrated the soft layer of clouds to bathe the beach with a golden glow and to paint the sky.

This week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site, we are showing photos of Peru, including photos from an area that is very remote.

Tamarindo bay sunset

Yesterday I showed a rather muted sunsel, whose primary interest was in the shape and outline of the clouds. This is a more classic sunset photo, showing the fishing boats in Tamarindo Bay. This is same sunset that I showed yesterday, but is just earlier in the sunset's descent into the ocean.

This week we are showing photos of Peru, including some rather remote areas, on our www.VivalaVoyage.com. You may click on the icon a the left to reach that website.

Sunset

Usually the sunsets that I show have fiery red colors. Here is a sunset from the balcony of our Langosta beach condo on a very cloudy day, with muted colors. Even on cloudy days, there is the potential for sunsets that have certain character and flair, courtesy of the clouds.

Please take a look at the photos of Peru that we are posting this week on ww.wVivalaVoyagecom. A link is at the left.

Ginger flower

This is a ginger flower in bloom, similar to yesterday's pink ginger bud.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos on our travel photo site, VivalaVoyage.com. This week we are posting some photos of Peru. Coe take a look by clicking on the link at the left.

Ginger flower bud

We have lots of tropical flowers in Costa Rica Here is a pink ginger bud getting ready to bloom.

Check out our photos of Tanzania at the link on the left to VivalaVoyage.com

Chiropractor

If you hurt your back while surfing, there is a chiropractor in Tamarindo. Here is her office. I think I would feel better just walking through her front gate and relaxing amidst this lush tropical vegetation.

Her back yard is even better than the front yard. Right behind this home/office is the beach.

If you don't need a chiropractor but would like someone to massage your back, there are several day spas in Tamarindo where therapeutic massages are available for about half the price of what you would pay for a massage in the USA. In fact, there is one that I have seen advertised for sale on the Century 21 website, so if there is anyone out there experienced in the spa business who wants to live in a little beach resort town, there is an opportunity for you in Tamarindo.

This week we are showing photos of the children and animals of Tanzania on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Cala Luna lobby at night

This is the lobby of the Cala Luna Resort. This is typical of the open air lobbies of the hotels and restaurants in the area.

The Cala Luna is not right on the beach, but it is a short 1 or 2 minute walk on a path get to the beach. The accommodations at the resort are individual bungaloes, which are also available for purchase. It is in Langosta, a quiet, upscale residential area of Tamarindo, about 2 blocks from our Langosta condo.

This week we are showing photos of the children and animals of Tanzania on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Sushi at the Cala Luna

Sushi is not what I would have expected to eat in a Costa Rican beach town, but there are several restaurants in Tamarindo that serve sushi, including the Cala Luna Resort.

One of the things that is nice about Costa Rica is that Americans and Canadians can eat the food and drink the water, even the tap water, without problems.

There are very few countries that are considered the developing world where I would eat sushi. In Tamarindo, I eat the full range of food that I would eat back in the USA.

Probably the sickest that my wife has ever been was after she ate a shrimp and avacado salad at a roadside cafe in a remote area, with no town around several hours south of Lima, Peru. She fortunately she recovered just in time for our departure to go into a remote area of the Amazon, as we did not want to go into a remote area while she was very ill.

This week we are showing photos of the children and animals of Tanzania on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Cala Luna Resort for dinner

This is a view of approximately the same scene as yesterday. The Cala Luna Resort serves dinner at poolside.

The bright light by the bar area across the pool from the restaurant is a TV set. It was on because there was an important football (soccer) game at the time. The team from Liberia, which is the capital of the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica where Tamarindo is located, was playing in a crucial game in the capital of San Jose. We ate in the lounge over by the bar. Tomorrow I will show you what we had for dinner.

This week we are showing photos of the children and animals of Tanzania on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Cala Luna Resort pool

The pool provides an inviting backdrop for lunch at the Cala Luna Resort. Most of the tables are covered, but some are out by the pool. At the far end of the pool is the bar and lounge. At night, you can eat dinner either at the restaurant on the side of the pool shown here, or over at the bar.

This week we are showing photos of the children and animals of Tanzania on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Cala Luna Resort grounds

This is a walkway and driveway on the grounds of the Cala Luna Resort, which is about two blocks from our Langosta Beach condo. We walk down this lane to go to and from the resort for lunch or dinner. The driveways on each side of the lane lead to bungalows where guests stay.

We like having hotels and resorts nearby, as they provide very good dining choices and a variety of venues. The grounds of the Cala Luna are a lush tropical oasis, as you can see from this photo.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site. This week we are showing photos of children and animals in Tanzania.

Squirrel, up close

This is a close view of the squirrel that I showed yesterday. The reason I think this is a variegated squirrel rather than a red squirrel is that his reddish color is on his belly, and red squirrels most widely have red tails and backs, which is the opposite of his coloration.

This squirrel was in a small tree about two blocks from our Langosta condo when we were walking back from lunch at the nearby Cala Luna Resort.

On our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week we are showing photos from a recent visit of mine to the Hotel Del Coronado in Coronado, California. Come take a look at the Victorian charm and ideal beach weather.

squirrel

There are two types of squirrels in Costa Rica, the red-tailed squirrel and the variegated squirrel, which means that they come in a variety of colors. In Spanish, they are known as ardilla.

That would be pronounced "ar-di-ya," of course, except in Argentina, where it would be pronounced "ar-di-zsha." (My older son lives in Buenos Aires, and when he visits me in Costa Rica people think he is Argentine rather than a Norte Americano, which makes me proud that his Spanish pronunciation must be very good if his Argentine accent is stronger than his American accent.)

On our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week we are showing photos from a recent visit of mine to the Hotel Del Coronado in Coronado, California. Come take a look at the Victorian charm and ideal beach weather.

Red flowers, up close

This is a closer view of the flowering bush that I showed yesterday. The Ixora flowers are only 4 cm (1.5 inches) long. They have four petals and are symmetrical.

I would like to share with you some news from Costa Rica. Last Saturday was the inauguration of the first woman President in the country's history, Laura Chinchilla. She won the election last year in a landslide. She was Vice President under the outgoing President Oscar Arias. Dr. Arias finished a second successful term as President, as he was also President in the 1980's, when he won the Nobel Peace Prize for brokering a peace in Nicaragua.

Presidenta Chincilla is devoted to public service, as she is the daughter of a high government minister. She is a centrist. She is not a crusader on what some people consider to be women's social issues. She emphasizes economic issues and measures to combat crime, even though crime is not a particular problem.

On our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week we are showing photos from a recent visit of mine to the Hotel Del Coronado in Coronado, California. Come take a look at the Victorian charm and ideal beach weather.

Red flowers

This flowering shrub, ranging from one-half the 3 meters high (about 20 inches to 10 feet) is called a cruz de Malta, or flor de fuego, or jazmin rojo. Its scientific name is ixora coccinea.

We have these shrubs in the garden of our Langosta condo. This shrub is known to provide a good habitat for butterflies, and we do indeed have lots of butterflies around the garden.

There are two types of Ixora that are native to Costa Rica, but this type of plant is native to India, but widely cultivated from Mexico to Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay, the West Indies, Africa, South Asia and some Pacific Islands.

On our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week we are showing photos from a recent visit of mine to the Hotel Del Coronado in Coronado, California. Come take a look at the Victorian charm and ideal beach weather.

Cattle in a pasture

Although the cattle chute shown during the last few days is no longer in use, that does not mean that cattle ranching no longer occurs in the area. This pasture was close to the location of the cattle chute that I showed during the past few days.

Cattle ranching is still a major part of the economic and cultural life of Guanacaste, the northwest region of Costa Rica where Tamarindo is located.

On our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week we are showing photos from a recent visit of mine to the Hotel Del Coronado in Coronado, California. Come take a look at the Victorian charm and ideal beach weather.

Cattle chute with termite mound and birds

I would not think that the rail of a cattle chute would be a good place for termites to build their mound, as it is quite exposed to the elements. Usually termite mounds are located in the shade of a dense forest.

Perhaps the termites like this location because it is so close to the rotting wood of the old cattle chute.

Perhaps the birds like to perch on the cattle chute rail because it would be easy to see and eat the termites as they enter or exit from their nest. At least I hope that the birds eat the termites. Someone needs to eat them.

On our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week we are showing photos from a recent visit of mine to the Hotel Del Coronado in Coronado, California. Come take a look at the Victorian charm and ideal beach weather.

Iguana living under the cattle chute

This iguana had a little burrow under the tire in the front of the cattle chute that I showed in the cattle chute in yesterday's photo.

I had stopped to take a photo of the cattle chute, walked up to take a closer look, and was startled when this iguana scurried by my feet to go into a hole under the tire.

In Costa Rica, it should not surprise me to see an iguana anywhere.

This cattle chute also provided habitat for other animals, as I will show tomorrow.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site. This week we are showing photos from a recent visit of mine to the Hotel Del Coronado in Coronado, California. Come take a look at the Victorian charm and ideal beach weather.

Cattle chute

I posted a photo of a cattle chute in the town square of Villareal a couple of weeks ago. Here is another cattle chute, but this is out in the country, not in a town square.

This cattle chute is obviously not being used any more either, just like the one in Villareal. At least it is not being used by cattle. It is being used by something else with four legs, as I will show tomorrow.

This week we are showing photos of Tanzania on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site, including some of the wildlife on a photo safari. Come take a look.

Michelangelo's Pieta in Tamarindo

No series of photos about statues in Tamarindo would be complete without a photo of this marble copy of Michelangelo's Pieta. This is the only marble Pieta throughout all of Spanish speaking Latin American. (There is one on Brazil, which of course speaks Portugese.)

It is amazing to me that in a hemisphere with the grand architecture and boulevards of Buenos Aires (the Paris of Latin America), and the grandiose plazas and statues of Mexico City (the world's third largest metropolis), tiny Tamarindo, population about 3,000, alone, has a marble Pieta.

This is due to the generosity of Frank Barnyak and others from the USA and Canada who contributed the funds to build a church in Tamarindo. St. Mary's Church is only a year or so old, but they imported marble statues, granite tiles for the floors and walls, and mosaics.

I remember as a child my parents took me to the 1964 New York World's Fair and we saw Michelangelo's Pieta in the Vatican Pavilion. As an adult, I have seen it several times in St. Peter's in Rome, although it is now behind glass due to a deranged person's attack on the statue with a hammer. If you cannot go to the Vatican to see the original Pieta, come to Tamarindo and admire this reproduction.

This week we are showing photos of Tanzania on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site, including some of the wildlife on a photo safari. Come take a look.

Shopping Center Horse Statue

I think these shopping center horses also qualify as a statue for my series on statues in Tamarindo. This is a little cafe at the entrance to the Plaza Conchal Shopping Center in the center of Tamarindo.

I never really thought of tiny Tamarindo as having very many statues until I started to think of photos for the May 1 theme day of statues. I now realize that Tamarindo has more statues than it does paved streets!

Tomorrow I will conclude my little series on statues with a statue that will amaze you, as it seems out of place for a small beach resort town.

This week we are showing photos of Tanzania on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site, including some of the wildlife on a photo safari. Come take a look.

Fountain

This is another part of the entrance to the Tamarindo Heights housing development, in addition to the giant stone feature with Buddha statues that I showed yesterday. As you can see in this photo, the development is gated, so I have not been up the hill past the security guard house that is behind the fountain in this photo.

These statues look more pre-Columbian in imagery than the Buddha statues that are across the street, but I could be wrong.

By the way, I did not touch up, enhance or alter the color in this photo at all. Yes, it really is this lush and green in Tamarindo.

This week we are showing photos of Tanzania on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site, including some of the wildlife on a photo safari. Come take a look.

Costa Rica Buddha Statues

While we are on a little series about statues, here is a puzzling bit of architecture to ponder. If you did not know this was a Daily Photo blog about Costa Rica, where would you think this photo was taken?

Probably the Far East, I would expect. What are giant stone Buddha statues doing in Tamarindo, a Costa Rican beach resort town?

The answer: helping to sell lots and houses. This is part of the entrance to the Tamarindo Heights development which, when finished will have a boutique resort and spa, and many other amenities. The lots are up the hill from the beach, rather than being right on the beach, which gives idyllic views overlooking the ocean, estuary and hills.

I presume that the developers believe that a huge, grandiose entrance like this projects an image of style, substance and stability behind the development. That is obviously a prime concern in the down market caused by the U.S. recession.

Tamarindo is on the Pacific, so I guess these Buddha statues do remind us of what lies on the other side of the ocean upon which we gaze at sunset.

The Garden Plaza Shopping Center, with the Auto Mercado Supermarket that I have shown in the past, is across from this entrance.

This week we are showing photos of Tanzania on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site, including some of the wildlife on a photo safari. Come take a look.

Diria Resort pool

This is a wider view of yesterday's statue. As you can see today, it is on an island in the large, free-form pool next to the condo buildings and garden hotel units at the Tamarindo Diria Resort. The pool is 10,000 square feet (929 square meters) and has a swim-up bar.

The pool also has sides like a beach were you can just walk in, which is very popular with children, as they can wade into whatever depth is comfortable for them. The pool is also popular with adults, as it is large and has secluded coves so that you can find peace and quiet even if there are children down at the other end of the pool.

At the far right edge of this photo you can see a portion of the amphitheater where the Diria Resort sometimes has concerts, including a New Year's Eve Party that we attended on our first trip to Costa Rica in 2005 when we stayed at the Diria, fell in love with Tamarindo and bought the first of our two condos here.

This week we are showing photos of Tanzania on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site, including some of the wildlife on a photo safari. Come take a look.

Statue by the pool

Here is my second choice for yesterday's monthly Daily Photo Theme of statues. It is another pre-Columbian figure on the grounds of the Tamarindo Diria Resort. I took this photo peeking between two palm trees in the vegetation surrounding the pool.

The Diria Resort has many statues of pre-Columbian figures on its grounds and it uses yesterday's statue as its logo.

Tomorrow I will show more of this scene of which I am giving you only a peek today.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos, this week of Tanzania, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site. Come take a look.

Monthly Theme - Statue

This first day of the month Daily Photo Theme is "statue." Tamarindo is a small resort town of only about 3,000 people. There are not grand boulevards and public buildings with statues.

I decided to show one of the outdoor statues right in front of my condo on the grounds of the Tamarindo Diria Resort, which is the largest resort in Tamarindo.

Because of today's theme, I want to tell a little story about statues -- or the lack of them -- in Costa Rica. Please bear with me, because Americans, in particular, need to learn the bit of history explained below.

Costa Rica is the only Latin American country where you will not find a statue -- usually equestrian -- of a great liberator who is considered the father of the country by winning freedom from Spain by bravery on the battlefield. Costa Rica never fought for its independence. Spain largely ignored Costa Rica, as there was no gold, and when Nicaragua obtained its independence, Spain simply abandoned Costa Rica also.

Costa Rica did not even know that it was no longer a Spanish colony until weeks later, when a messenger arrived from Nicaragua and informed the people that they were on their own.

Without a liberator to honor with statues, Costa Rica needed a national hero to develop its sense of national identity and pride. Its national hero is Juan Santamaria, an illegitimate son of a peasant who led a charge in 1856 to defeat an invading army of U.S. adventure seekers and mercenaries led by William Walker, who had conquered Nicaragua and who was attempting to establish a Central American nation that would be ruled by slave owners from the American South seeking a place to continue slavery. Juan Santamaria, who was just a teenager when he rushed the American position and set fire to it. The Costa Ricans rallied to win the battle, Walker retreated, and was later defeated and executed.

There are statues to Juan Santamaria in San Jose. Ironically, and I believe inappropriately and insensitively, there is a statue of William Walker in his native Nashville, Tennessee. The statue to him there honors him as the only resident of Nashville who has achieved the position of the ruler of a country. To me, this communicates that the people of Nashville regard the William Walker invasion as having established a legitimate Central American nation. As an American, I am saddened by such callousness and disrespect shown to the people of Costa Rica, who fortunately welcome Americans to their country with friendliness despite our past transgressions.

To see how other City Daily Photo bloggers interpreted the theme of statutes: Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Our photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week are some underwater close-up photos that I took of the inside of iridescent clams in Aitutaki, in the Cook Islands of the South Pacific. If you have not seen them, I respectfully submit that it is worth a visit, as they are unique.