Raccoon at night

I think of raccoons as forest animals, not beach animals, but we do see them walking around at night.

I used a flash for this photo, and the eyes of the raccoon reflected the light of the flash.  The same effect occurred with the eyes of the gecko that I posted yesterday.  It must be due to the size of the pupils to be able to see at night.

This week we have photos of the people of Guatemala posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Gecko at night

This photo illustrates some of the differences between geckos and baby iguanas, which I have shown on this website and which are often mistaken for geckos.

If you look closely, you will seen that this gecko has round pads for his toes, whereas iguanas have claws.  Also, his eyes are adapted to the dark, where as iguanas have slits for pupils.

And, even more fundamentally, geckos are nocturnal.  This photo was taken at night, with the gecko hanging upside down on the ceiling of out balcony/patio.

This week we have photos of the people of Guatemala posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Tiger Heron

The striping on the neck is the source of the name for this tiger heron.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posed on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are posting photos of the people of Guatemala.

Palm Trees Swaying in the Breeze

After yesterday's odd shot while being lazy,  I thought I should try to redeem myself.  But I was only slightly more energetic.  For this photo I had to get up off the couch and walk to the patio/balcony of our Diria Resort condo.

But I was rewarded with the refreshing ocean breeze, as is evident from the palm trees in this photo.  Cabo Velas across Tamarindo Bay is in the background.

This week we have photos of the National Archeological Museum in Guatemala City posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Patterns on the ceiling

OK.  Sometimes I get tired of taking photos of sunsets, waves, beaches, wildlife, surfing, people in swim suits on the beach, and other typical scenes around Tamarindo.

So, while sitting in my living room one night, wondering what I can possible shoot the following day, I contemplated the ceiling of our condo at the Diria Resort.  With the main lights off, the indirect uplighting, barrel-vaulted ceiling shape, and ceiling fans created this pattern.

This is perhaps not worthy of being posted, but it was what could involve less effort that taking a photo while reclining in one's own sofa.

This week we have photos of the National Archeological Museum in Guatemala City posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Modern art at the Diria

This is rather unusual, but it is decoration in one of the outdoor corridors in a section of the Tamarindo Diria Resort.  The Diria uses a pre-Colombian theme, as I showed yesterday, but the resort expanded a few years ago to take over the resort next door.

The Diria upgraded the rooms, grounds and facilities, as the Diria is the leading resort in the area, but they kept some of the different design elements, such as this colorful hallway accent.

This week we have photos of the National Archeological Museum in Guatemala City posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Diria Pool and Statuary at Night

This is a night scene from a portion of the large lagoon pool just below our condo at the Tamarindo Diria Resort. There are islands, coves, beach-type sides, statues and fountains in the pool.

The decor features statuary with a pre-Colombian theme, as you can see here, but tomorrow I will show quite contrasting decor.

This week we have photos of the National Archeological Museum in Guatemala City posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Langosta Beach Wedding

This is another view of the wedding that I showed yesterday.  Langosta Beach is not crowded at all.  People can get married without being bothered by swimmers or others intruding into their special moment.

Destination weddings seem to have become more popular in recent years.  Perhaps it is because people from different places are often getting married and it is a good way to avoid having the wedding at the location of only one of the families, and to make the wedding more memorable and unique.

This week we have photos of the National Archeological Museum in Guatemala City posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

A wedding on the beach

There is a popular spot for weddings on Langosta Beach about a block from our Langosta condo.   The Diria Resort, where we have our other condo, is also popular for weddings.  

I have seen an increase in the number of people who rent our condos who are coming to Tamarindo either to get married or to attend the wedding of a friend or family member.

The beach at sunset is a perfect spot for a wedding.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posed on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are posting photos of the National Archeological Museum in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

Oceanside relaxation

This couple was enjoying relaxing in the last rays of the sun on the beachfront lawn at the Diria Resort.

This week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site we are showing photos of the Great Synagogue of Budapest, Hungary.

An iguana in the tree

Yesterday I showed a photo of a baby iguana in the bushes that it is easy to overlook.  Today I am showing that it is easy to overlook adult iguanas resting up in the trees.

Iguanas spend most of their time in trees.  That is fine with me.  They don't bother people, but it is better for them to have their own space up in the trees.

This week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site we are showing photos of the Great Synagogue of Budapest, Hungary.

Stare down with a baby iguana

Here's looking at you, kid.  This baby iguana kept a close eye on me as I walked on the short path from our Langosta condo to the beach.

It is easy to overlook the adorable creatures with whom we share habitat.

This week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site we are showing photos of the Great Synagogue of Budapest, Hungary.

Langosta Beach and Condo

This photo illustrates why we love Langosta Beach and our condo on the beach.  That is our condo building poking up above the trees.

Langosta is a quiet beach, perfect for nice long walks or, as the couple tucked away in the trees in this photo is doing, just laying out and relaxing, listening to the waves and enjoying the ocean breeze.

The first 50 meters of the beach is public property, which makes it possible to walk along the beach and also keeps a buffer of trees and bushes between the beach and the houses along the ocean.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing photos of the Great Synagogue of Budapest, Hungary.  It is a unique, amazing building.

Red flower cluster

There are trees along the beach in Tamarindo and in town that have dense clusters of red flowers.  I don't know what kind they are.  This is a zoomed in photo of one of the flower clusters.  What could be better to accent a beach than splashes of color?

This week we are showing some underwater photos from the Sea of Cortez on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site, including several photos of sea lions swimming underwater with us.

Isla Capitan

This is Isla Capitan, a tiny island at the southern end of Tamarindo Bay.  The island is barely visible at high tide.  It serves an important function, however.

It shelters the southern part of the bay, which allows fishing and tour boats to be moored in the bay.

Cabo Velas at the north end of the bay is in the background.

This week we are showing some underwater photos from the Sea of Cortez on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site, including several photos of sea lions swimming underwater with us.

Tamarindo Beach

This is a view from the southern end of Tamarindo beach north towards the main part of town.  It shows how wide and gently sloping the beach is. The Pacific Ocean is comfortably warm all year round.  This seems close to perfection.

This week we are showing some underwater photos from the Sea of Cortez on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site, including several photos of sea lions swimming underwater with us.

Squirrel profile

This red squirrel was in a tree right outside our Langosta beach condo.  I think of squirrels as northern animals rather than tropical animals, but we do have squirrels and raccoons in the neighborhood.

His nose seems to be a little more rounded that I remember of the squirrels in the Midwest and Eastern USA where I previously lived.

This week we are showing some underwater photos from the Sea of Cortez on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site, including several photos of sea lions swimming underwater with us.

Tweet! How do you like my necklace? Chirp!

This bird seems to be asking whether we approve of her necklace.  I think she is well accessorized, as the necklace does match her feet and hat

This week we are showing some underwater photos from the Sea of Cortez on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site, including several photos of sea lions swimming underwater with us.

A metaphor about the sky and soccer

The symbolism in this photo may be a stretch, but I had to find something to accompany a few observations about Costa Rica's glorious World Cup Football (soccer) team.

The country was justifiably excited and very proud.  Although the team lost in an overtime shoot-out on Saturday, the crowds in the streets in San Jose nevertheless celebrated after the game.  People were proud of the team and the country, even if the remarkable winning streak had come to an end.

So, today's photo is not a typical sunset beach-and-ocean shot, of which I have posted many.  This photo shows a mixture of foreboding skies, yet there is glorious beauty, and reflection brings tranquility.  Perhaps that is how people view Costa Rica's World Cup team.

This week we are showing some underwater photos from the Sea of Cortez on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site, including several photos of sea lions swimming underwater with us.

Riding the crest of a wave

This surfer is slicing across the top of a wave.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing some underwater photos from the Sea of Cortez, including several photos of sea lions swimming underwater with us.

Bird perched on a walking root.

This bird seems to be enjoying the strong perch of the walking roots of this tropical tree.

This week we have photos of Majorica posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Beach view

This is another photo of part of our view form our Lnngosta condo.  Two days ago I posted the view to the north, and this is part of the view to the west and a little south.  

One of the things we like is that the sound of the surf is constant, rather than waves hitting the shore intermittently.

This week we have photos of Majorica posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Theme Day: Celebratng Summer

The worldwide theme for Daily Photo bloggers is "Celebrating Summer."  I thought this beach scene, with a cruise ship off shore and some people enjoying the water, captures a mood for celebrating summer.

This scene is actually in San Juan del Sur, the main Pacific beach town across the border with Nicaragua.

This week we have photos of Majorica posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.