Sea turtle

After my story about a daring rescue of a baby whale off the coast, I am posting this photo of a sea turtle lounging in the ocean off shore from Tamarindo.

Sea turtles nest all along the beaches near Tamarindo. This appears to me to be an olive ridley sea turtle, which are common in our area. The are the smallest of the sea turtles, although they can weigh 200 lbs. (45 kg.) and can be 2.5 ft. (70 cm.) long. They average 50 years in the wild.

They do not get a much attention as the very endangered leatherback tortoises. The leatherbacks nest on Playa Grande, which is the northern half of Tamarindo Bay. We have a nice view of Playa Grande from our condo at the Tamarindo Diria Resort. The beach at Playa Grande and the waters off Tamarindo are protected as part of the the Las Baulas De Guanacaste National Marine Park.

A major point of controversy is the issue of preserving the beach for the leatherback turtle nesting site on Playa Grande, as lights from houses or guest houses in the area can confuse or bother the turtles. During the winter months National Park rangers lead small groups out onto the beach at night to quietly, and in the dark, wait to observe the turtles coming ashore to lay their eggs.

On our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week we are featuring photos of Uluru, which is also known as Ayers Rock, in the Australian Outback.

Baby whale rescue story

Yesterday I began the story about a fishing boat that found a baby whale with a fishing net wrapped around its head. The fishing boat summoned help by cell phone and marine radio and many others gathered near the baby whale in distress and the two parent whales.

One of the dive boats that came to help pulled along side the baby whale and two crew members jumped from the ocean and grabbed onto the net that was being dragged by the baby whale. The frightened whale continued swimming and struggling and dove. One of the men had his mask knocked off and was no longer able to help.

The second man hung on to the end of the 40 meters of net that was being dragged through the water behind the baby whale. This man managed to pull himself forward to reach the whale while he was being dragged through the ocean. With a knife, he cut the net to free the whale.

The baby and two parent whales then swam out to sea, and all of the people on the boats that gathered around the scene applauded the skill and bravery of the men who freed the whale. Congratulations and praise for all involved is certainly well deserved.

The full story can be found at this link to the Guanacaste Jounal article about this amazing rescue. I am using one of my dolphin photos to illustrate this story. Some guests who have stayed in our condo have said that they have seen whales swim by from our balcony.

Today is Sunday, so on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site we have posted new photos. This week we are showing photos of Uluru, formerly known as Ayers Rock, in the Australian Outback.

A remarkable ocean rescue

The local newspaper recently carried a story about a remarkable rescue of a baby whale. Since I finished my series on Julie's "rescue" by a lifeguard with a kayak yesterday, I thought I would tell the story of the baby whale rescue that was in the Guanacaste Journal recently.

I don't have a photo of a whale to illustrate the story, so I will use this photo of some jumping dolphins off the coast of Tamarindo, as it is the closest I have to a whale.

Recently a fishing boat on a half day charter out of Playa Flamingo, which is about 15 minutes north of Tamarindo came across a group of humpback whales near the Catalina Islands, which are some very small rocky islands just off shore. They are popular spots for snorkeling.

A 40 foot humpback whale breached completely out of the water very close to the fishing boat. A full breaching whale is usually a sign of distress. The fishing boat captain then spotted a newborn baby whale tangled in a fishing net wrapped around his head and dragging 40 meters of net and floats behind the whale. The fishermen tried to grab the net to free the whale, but it was hopelessly tangled and struggling.

The captain of the fishing boat used his cell phone and marine radio to call for help. Nearby dive boats answer the call and soon there were a group of small boats gathered to try to help, with the baby whale crying and two adult whales circling around in obvious concern.

I will conclude this story tomorrow, which I know is rather cruel, so I will at least let you know that there is a happy ending to this story.

In the meantime, if you have not yet checked out this week's photos on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site, come take a look at our photos this week showing the Mezquite Cathedral in Cordova, Spain and the Escorial outside Madrid.

Julie's "rescue" is complete

Julie is happy to be back on the Tamarindo/Langosta side of the Langosta estuary. With a nice tip, the lifeguard is off to kayak back to his lifeguard station and tell his buddies about his rescue of the short-sighted blond American who took a long walk down the beach and forgot about the high tide.

Julie has left comments to this series of posts justifying her apparent helplessness that caused the lifeguard to rescue her by saying that she did not want to get her camera wet.

I should therefore point out that I swam back across the estuary, and obviously I had my camera with me, as my photos of Julie's rescue prove. I held my camera in a small pack up out of the water with one hand as I swam across, keeping the camera dry above the waves. When I reached the other shore, my son reached out so I could hand him the camera while I climbed out of the water.

You can guess what happened next. The camera dropped into the ocean. It was not a waterproof camera, but we grabbed it so fast that the water did not penetrate the pack, and the camera was fine, as these photos attest.

Having finished this "rescue" series, tomorrow I will tell a story that was in the newspaper recently about a rescue at sea near Tamarindo that is absolutely remarkable.

On our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week, we are showing photos of the Mezquita Cathedral in Cordova, Spain and the Escorial outside Madrid.

Thank you for the ride, Mr. Lifeguard

Fortunately, Julie had some money inside her back pack when we took our long hike along the beach so she was able to give a nice tip to the lifeguard who paddled across the mouth of the estuary to pick her up and bring her back across to the side of Langosta where our condo is located.

Julie is a conscientious and generous tipper. I am sure that she was as relieved that she had her wallet with her as she was that she was able to attract the attention of the lifeguard.

I will conclude this little series tomorrow.

On our Viva la Voyage travel photo site we are showing photos from Spain this week.

The lifeguard paddles Julie across the estuary

Here is a photo of the kindly lifeguard paddling the kayak to bring my wife across the Langosta estuary.

I mentioned during the last few days that my wife getting picked up by this lifeguard in a kayak is an example of what my son will describe as "playing the blonde card." Another example occurred occurred a month or so ago.

Julie was pulled over by a policeman for driving a little too fast in Scottsdale, Arizona. She told the officer that she did not notice her speed because she was distracted because she was admiring the pretty blue sky. Although in Arizona we have blue skies 89% of the daylight hours, the officer let her go without giving her a ticket.

Julie contends that being a blonde had nothing to do with the policeman letting her go and that she has been pulled over by police more often because of her blondness, but my son and I are not buying that contention for a minute.

Tomorrow I will show Julie thanking the lifeguard for his efforts in rescuing her.

On our Viva la Voyage travel photo site we are showing photos from Spain this week.

"Let's go this way."

I mentioned yesterday that Julie is a type-A personality, and she shows that trait here. This lifeguard was kind enough to rescue her from a situation in which he would have been fully justified in thinking that she was foolish and lacked foresight.

Yet as soon as she got into his kayak, she somehow thought she needed to point out where she wanted him to take her. He paddled across the estuary to pick her up, and he was obviously fully capable of knowing that he should bring her right back across the estuary mouth to the other side. Duh.

If Julie told him, "Please take me to the other shore over there," do you think he might have been tempted to reply, "Gee, ma'am, I had planned to take you to 5th Avenue and Central Park South." I am sure he was very polite however, as Costa Ricans treat tourists and visitors very well.

I will continue with more of this story tomorrow.

If you have not yet checked out the photos of Spain this week on our travel photo site, Viva la Voyage, please come take a look.

Julie gets a kayak ride

Julie was "rescued" from the other side of the estuary by this very helpful man, who you see in this photo shoving off to take Julie back across the estuary.

How did Julie find a kayak and man to take her back? On the side of the estuary mouth near where our condo is located is the Barcelo Resort, and this man is one of the lifeguards of the resort.

He saw Julie standing on the other side of the estuary by herself, not wanting to swim or wade back across. So he got into one of the nearby kayaks and paddled across to pick her up. Julie is a very self-confident, type-A personality professional, but she is not above taking advantage of being a 6-foot (1.83 meters) tall blonde and accepting the assistance of kind people in situations such as this.

After Julie got in the kayak, what do you think she did next? Answer tomorrow.

Please check out our travel photo site, Viva la Voyage. We have posted photos of Spain this week.

Rescue for the damsel in distress

Yesterday I showed my wife on the other side of the Langosta estuary, unwilling to swim or wade back across. This is a wide angle shot that makes the estuary appear wider than it is.

Yesterday Brattcat left a comment guessing that Julie used her initiative to find another way back. She based that guess on Julie being an independent and resourceful person, as Julie has demonstrated herself to be through her posts from slot canyons and other places on her Scottsdale Daily Photo site.

Susie of Arabia guessed that Julie was rescued. Susie was right. As my son would say, Julie "played the blonde card."

Julie obtained a ride across the estuary in a kayak. I realize that even if you click on this photo to enlarge it, the kayak rescue is barely visible. I wanted to show the overall scene first, and tomorrow will show a closer view taken through a telephoto, and explain how she found a kayak in which to ride.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site. This week we are showing pictures of Spain. We hope you find them of interest.

A damsel in distress

Upon our return from a long walk down Langosta Beach, my son and I crossed the mouth of the Langosta Estuary, as I showed yesterday. At low tide, we could wade across about waist high, but on the return trip at a very high tide the water was up to our necks at the center of the channel and we had to swim across that part of it (with me holding my good camera up out of the water).

My wife, however, did not want to wade and swim across as we did. Here you see the photo I took with her on the other side of the estuary.

How do you think Julie made it across? Do you think that she waited for low tide to return? Did she swim across the mouth of the estuary? Did she swim out into the ocean and then swim back to the beach on the other side of the estuary mouth? Did she have me drive around and pick her up, which would take about a half hour? Did she have me come back and carry her piggy back across the estuary? What would you have done?

As regular readers of this blog know, I sometimes like to tease you by leaving you hanging. I will show the answer tomorrow.

On our Viva la Voyage travel photo site, we are showing pictures this week of Portugal.

Crossing the Langosta Estuary at High Tide

Today I will continue this little series on our hike down Langosta Beach. This photo illustrates a lack of foresight on the part of me and my family. We paid no attention to the tide. during our walk.

These photos are from a couple of years ago, during one of our first walks south of our condo, across the mouth of the Langosta Estuary, and then we took an exceptionally long walk down the beach. It was easy to wade in the ocean across the mouth of the estuary when we started the hike.

On our way back, however, the tide was much higher and the mouth of the estuary was much wider. This photo shows one of my sons wading out to cross the mouth of the estuary. My wife, however, did not want to do so. She found a different way to make it back. I will show you what she did tomorrow and the days that follow.

On our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week we are showing photos of Portugal.

Theme Day: The Tenin Technique

Today is a special theme day for the Daily Photo bloggers around the world. This is the 5th anniversary since Eric Tenin started Paris Daily Photo, which led to hundreds of others, including myself, first admiring his work, and then starting other Daily Photo sites in our communities.

Because imitation is a sincere form of flattery, our tribute to Eric today is to post a photo the imitates the techniques that he often uses, which include ground level perspectives and tilted angles.

Here is a ground level, tilted shot of a leaf cutter any carrying a leaf across the parking lot of our condo building. I am sure that Eric has not had the opportunity to photograph any leaf cutter ants in Paris, but if he were in Costa Rica, I imagine that this is the type of photo he would take.

Leaf cutter ants are remarkable. They carry the leaves back to their underground nests not to eat the leaves, as you might think. They feed the leaves to a fungus, and eat the fungus. They know the type of leaves that the fungus likes and select only those leaves to carry back.

I would like to broaden the theme of this tribute to Eric by extending my appreciation and admiration for all of the Daily Photo bloggers and to the people who operate the City Daily Photo site that keeps us linked and coordinated.

Tomorrow I will resume the series of our return from our hike down the Playa Langosta beach.

This is a fun theme day to see what everyone did with the various techniques. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

This week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site we are showing photos of Portugal.

Mouth of the Langosta Estuary

When started this hike south along Playa Langosta, I mentioned that we waded across the mouth of the Langosta Estuary. We were not paying attention however, and during our long walk the tide had risen quite a lot.

As you can see in this photo, there was a lot more water at the mouth of the Langosta Estuary upon our return. We had to cross the mouth of the estuary again to return to our condo.

I will show you how we did it in my upcoming posts. My wife chose a different method that I did.

This week we are showing photos of Portugal on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Pelicans flying in "V" formation

While walking along the beach, it is easy to be preoccupied with the waves, sand, vegetation and wildlife along the beach and to miss the view of what is flying overhead. Here is a flock of pelicans flying in a classic "V" formation that I saw on the same hike down the beach that I have been showing during the past week.

Tomorrow, I will show the first of several photos of a problem that confronted us as we neared the completion of our return.

If you have not done so already this week, please come take a look at the photos of Portugal that we are featuring on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Hacienda Pinilla Golf Course

Here is another view of the Hacienda Pinilla Golf Course. Even if you do not have a good round, how can it be a bad day on the golf course if you get to enjoy the views, breeze and aroma of the ocean?

I like to play golf, but I play only once every couple of years. It takes a lot of time, is expensive, and I usually play only when there is a special occasion or when there is a business reason to join others on the golf course.

I have not played golf at Hacienda Pinilla. I took these photos when I was on a walk along the beach and I took a detour to get a few shots of the golf course.

This week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site we are showing photos of Portugal, including some of the architecture and ceramic tile of the Lisbon area. If you have not been to Portugal, please take a look. If you have been to Portugal, you should recognize some of the photos.

Hacienda Pinilla Golf Course

Farther down the beach, but still before the J.W. Marriott Resort, is the Hacienda Pinilla golf course. Several of its holes run right along the ocean.

It was in the afternoon that I took this hike, so I apologize that I was shooting into the sun in taking a photo that shows the golf course and the ocean in the background. I will have to go back some time in the morning to photograph the golf course in better light conditions.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos on our travel photo site, Viva la Voyage. This week we are featuring photos of Portugal, including some of the use of ceramic tiles in Portuguese architecture.

Bare-throated tiger heron on the beach

Here is a bare throated tiger heron on our walk south along Langosta Beach. I much prefer sharing the beach with birds and iguanas than noisy people kicking sand. Fortunately, we have a beach with lots of wildlife and almost no people.

On our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week we are showing sunrise photos of some of the monuments of Washington, D.C.

Beach iguana

I promised yesterday that I would show a photo that illustrates that we are on a Costa Rican beach, so here is a beach iguana.

It is nice to be able to combine a beach walk with wildlife viewing. At times we can see and hear howler monkeys in the trees that light the beach.

By the way, this is completely unrelated to the subject of today's post, but U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is paying a visit to Costa Rica to meet with the incoming President, Laura Chincilla, who was elected last month to be the first female President of Costa Rica.

This week on our travel photo site, Viva la Voyage, we are featuring photos of Washington, D.C., taken during the special light of sunrise.

Langosta Beach point

We are close to the far point that I showed in yesterday's photo. And, no, I have still not caught up to my wife, who is a dot in the center of this photo. When Julie gets up to speed on a power walk, it can be difficult to catch up if I am taking photos.

The reason this beach is so pristine and uncrowded is that it is separated from the main part of Tamarindo and Langosta by the Langosta estuary. It is part of the master-planned 4,500 acre Hacienda Pinilla development. It is a gated area and only residents or guests of the J.W. Marriott or other guest accommodations are allowed to drive into the area on the inland road, but anyone can walk along he beach. All beaches are public property in Costa Rica. There are not very many houses and condos in the development and the area along the beach is not developed.

From our condo in Langosta, we can walk north along Langosta Beach, which has some condos and houses but is not crowded, and can walk around the point to the north to the main part of Tamarindo. If we walk south, we can wade into the water and walk across the mouth of the Langosta estuary and reach this undeveloped, pristine beach.

In the next few days I will show some scenes along the walk that will remind you that this is, after all, a Costa Rican beach.

This week on our travel photo site, Viva la Voyage, we are featuring photos of Washington, D.C., taken during the special light of sunrise.

A walk down Langosta Beach

This is the same stretch of Langosta Beach that I showed yesterday. My wife and I like to walk along this beach. We can walk for miles and not see another person. The person in the distance of this photo is my wife, as Julie did not wait up for me while I was stopping to take photos.

Tomorrow I will show a view from farther down the beach and explain why this beach is so uncrowded.

This week on our travel photo site, Viva la Voyage, we are featuring photos of Washington, D.C., taken during the special light of sunrise.

Southern Langosta Beach

This is a stretch of Langosta Beach south of the Langosta Estuary and north of the J.W. Marriott resort that I showed a few days ago. It is a classic, pristine, tropical beach with hardly anyone there.

This view is from a boat, of course, but for the next week I will take you on a walk down this beach. This series will feature sights typical of Costa Rica. It will also conclude by showing what happens when you lack planning and foresight for such a walk.

This week on our travel photo site, Viva la Voyage, we are featuring photos of Washington, D.C., taken during the special light of sunrise.

Monthly Theme - Passageways

Today's worldwide Daily Photo theme is "passageways," so here is a Costa Rican passageway. We do not have alleyways between old stone buildings the way they do in Europe or other old cities. We have walkways through the forests, such as this one in Rincon de la Vieja National Park.

This is the path that leads from the densely wooded cloud forest area down to a lower elevation where there are bubbling mud pits and steaming geysers that release geothermal energy. Rincon de la Vieja is a large volcano, not active, about 90 minutes northeast of Tamarindo.

To see how other Daily Photo bloggers around the world have interpreted the March 1 theme of passageways, Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Marriott Resort from the sea

Yesterday I showed the J.W. Marriott Guanacaste Resort from the air, so today I am showing a photo of the resort from the sea. I apologize for the quality of the photo, but I was out on a fishing boat several miles away on a somewhat hazy day, so this was the best I could do using a 12 times zoom.

I am showing this to give a perspective on how much green, open space remains in the area, even though major hotel developments such as the Marriott, have come to the area. The Marriott is located as part of the 4,500 acre Hacienda Pinilla property, which is a master-planned area that will leave much of the land in open space and much of the coastline undeveloped.

Tomorrow is the monthly Daily Photo Theme Day. For the several days thereafter I will return to a little series about the beach between Langosta and Hacienda Pinilla, and I will show what happens when my family exhibited some lack of foresight and planning and how my wife solved the problem that confronted us.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site. This week we are showing sunrise photos of some of the monuments of Washington, D.C.

J. W. Marriott Guanacaste Resort

Yesterday I mentioned the J.W. Marriott Guanacaste Resort, which is located as part of the Hacienda Pinilla development across the Langosta Estuary from Tamarindo/Langosta. It has been open for about a year or so.

My son took this photo during his gyrocopter ride last year. I think that the major hotel chains that have located along the "Gold Coast" of Costa Rica's northwest Pacific area, of which Tamarindo is the main resort town, are good for the area. They provide jobs, and the upscale development add to the image of the area.

I also think that the fact that major international chains such as Marriott and the Four Seasons, have located here give reassurance to foreign visitors that the area is a worthwhile place to visit.

I have benefited directly from the Marriott in at least one respect. I have guests staying in our condo soon who are coming to the area for a business conference at the Marriott, but are extending their staying the area by renting my condo. Thank you, Marriott.

This week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site we are showing photos of three locations on the Riviera Maya: the Mayan ruins of Tulum, the eco-park of Xelha, and a resort on the beach in Cancun.

Mouth of the Langosta Estuary

This is the mouth of the Langosta Estuary. The beach chairs are property of the Barcelo Resort. People can walk across the estuary mouth during low tide and walk for miles on a very uncrowded beach, as you can see in this photo.

The beach on the other side of the estuary is part of the Hacienda Pinilla property, a gated, masterplanned community of 4,500 acres. The J.W. Marriott Guanacaste Resort is a couple of miles down that beach. You can walk along the beach there, but if you drive from Tamarindo it would take about 20 minutes, and you would have to talk your way through the guard at the gate.

In Tamarindo and Langosta, there is a road that runs along the beach, but it is only 2 - 3 miles (3 - 5 km) long because there is the Tamarindo estuary on the north side of Tamarindo and the Langosta estuary on the south side of Langosta. There is no road across either estuary because the estuaries are left as mangrove forest wetlands and wildlife habitat.

To go from Tamarindo to beaches south or north of town by car, you have to drive inland, then take a road either north or south and then drive back to the coast. It is only about 15 minutes or so, but it is much quicker so simply walk or swim across the mouth of the estuary, as you see in this photo, and reach the same area in about 30 seconds.

This week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site we are showing photos of three locations on the Riviera Maya: the Mayan ruins of Tulum, the eco-park of Xelha, and a resort on the beach in Cancun.

Green iIguana Profile

Here is a green iguana captured in some brown rather than green vegetation so that he is easier to see. I like this photo because of the contrast in color with the background and the full profile view show his features well.

The characteristic features of a green iguana include the sickle shaped scales running down his back and the banded tail, both of which are on display here. He looks prehistoric. Iguanas are usually motionless up in trees. They eat leaves, although teenage iguanas prefer insects.

I apologize that I have not been able to respond to the comments left on this site during the past two weeks. I was away in Tanzania with very limited internet access. I was able to log on with my Blackberry to check the site, but was unable to acknowledge the comments, which, as always, I appreciate very much.

This week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site we are showing photos of three locations on the Riviera Maya: the Mayan ruins of Tulum, the eco-park of Xelha, and a resort on the beach in Cancun.

Tamarindo bay and fishing boats

Here is a view of Tamarindo Bay and some of the fishing boats waiting to to out to find some fish.

Before Tamarindo was an international resort, and before it was a surfing village, it was a fishing village. I am sure that the few local fishermen who lived in the area did not have modern boats like these.

I don't know if it is true or not, but I was told by one elderly gentleman that in addition to being a fishing village, in the old days Tamarindo was a place where rich men from the capitol of San Jose kept their mistresses. I am sure the man believed that to be true, as he told me that in church, and I am sure that he would not be telling me a falsehood in church.

This week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site we are showing photos of three locations on the Riviera Maya: the Mayan ruins of Tulum, the eco-park of Xelha, and a resort on the beach in Cancun.

Langosta Beachfront House

I have shown some photos of condos on Langosta Beach, so here is a photo of one of the ocean front houses. It is a little hard to see behind the trees.

I assume that these owners want some privacy, judging by the amount of vegetation that they have planted to shield the view of the house from the beach, and judging from the "Private Residence" sign that faces the beach, where I was standing while I took this photo.

I don't blame them. If I had a house on the beach, I would not want people staring from the beach up into the back yard. Houses in Tamarindo are much less expensive per square meter (or foot) than condos because it is so much easier (and less costly) to take care of condos than houses for people who are not there all the time.

This week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site we are showing photos of three locations on the Riviera Maya: the Mayan ruins of Tulum, the eco-park of Xelha, and a resort on the beach in Cancun.

Surfer

OK, yesterday I promised the female readers of this blog that I would show another photo of surfing form. This surfer has obviously just emerged from the water, as his hair and shirt are still wet.

It looks like he is trying to decide whether he should go back out to catch some more waves, go join the beach volleyball game that is in progress in front of the Barcelo Resort on Langosta Beach, or maybe he is checking out some of the other surfers.

This is an example of how being a Daily Photo blogger causes one to take more photos of everyday surroundings than one would ordinarily take if it were not for the necessity to post a new photo every day. I guarantee that I would not have taken this photo if it were not for my estimation that there might be some viewers of this blog who would be interested in the seeing the photo.

This week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site we are showing photos of three locations on the Riviera Maya: the Mayan ruins of Tulum, the eco-park of Xelha, and a resort on the beach in Cancun.

Sufing

This guy looks to be a good surfer. Good form. He is ahead of the break of the wave on Playa Langosta, just a few steps down the beach from our condo. I figured that because I showed some surfboards not in use yesterday, I should show a surfboard being used properly today.

Gals, tomorrow I will show another surfer who you might find has good form. I will express no opinion on the subject.

Today is Sunday, so that means there are new photos on our
Viva la Voyage travel photo site. This week, we are showing photos of three locations on the Riviera Maya, the Mayan ruins of Tulum, the eco-park of Xelha, and a resort on the beach in Cancun.

Traffic jam -- Tamarindo style

For all of those who struggle in traffic and have frustration trying to find a place to park your car in big cities, here is a Tamarindo traffic jam. The most stressful part of your day may be deciding where to place your surfboard on the beach?

Why would there be a crowd of surfboards at this spot on the beach, you might wonder? There was a volley ball game on the beach nearby, so people who came to surf were playing volley ball instead.

We have photos of Santa Fe, New Mexico posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site. Tomorrow is Sunday, so we will be posting some new photos for you to enjoy.

Cattle in the church yard

This photo shows a boy driving his cattle through a church yard in a Costa Rican village. While the church was under construction, the church yard was apparently a short cut between the house and stables of this boy's family in town and the pasture where the cattle graze during the day. I took this photo several years ago, so the church may be finished today.

If you have not done so already this week, please take a look at the photos of Santa Fe, New Mexico, which we are sharing on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Tico school

This is a typical elementary school in a Costa Rican village. This is in Guaitil, a village of pottery artisans, located about a half hour inland from Tamarindo.

As I have mentioned before, Costa Rica abolished its military in 1949 and allocated the military budget instead on education and health care. The result is that today Costa Rica's literacy rate and measures of public health are equivalent to the USA.

There is an emphasis in Costa Rica on teaching children English because so many jobs are in the tourist sector of the economy and, in the Central Valley around San Jose, the high technology manufacturing sector. English is helpful for workers in both industries.

While we are on the subject of learning a language, I would like to take this occasion to comment about all of the Daily Photo bloggers around the world who post their photos and exchange comments in English when it is not their first language. They have my admiration and appreciation.

This week we are sharing some photos of Santa Fe, New Mexico on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Santa Cruz town square

Santa Cruz is the nearest large town to Tamarindo. It is about 20 minutes away. Typical of Tico towns, the town square has a shade structure that is similar in function to a gazebo that you might expect to see in other town squares. Santa Cruz is know as a center for folklore and festivals, so this shade structure comes in handy.

Unlike Tamarindo, which is a beach resort that caters to foreign visitors and residents, Santa Cruz is a town of Costa Ricans. It is the second most important city of the Guanacaste province, with 15,000 residents.

Tamarindo is not incorporated as its own town, and Santa Cruz is actually where the town government is located that governs Tamarindo. There are buses that bring people from Santa Cruz to Tamarindo to work in jobs in the the hotels and restaurants.

There are disadvantages to having a town government that is 20 minutes inland. Some people think that Tamrindo contributes much more in taxes to Santa Cruz than the amount that is spent in Tamarindo. It should not be surprising that the politicians would pay more attention to the Costa Rican people who elect them, than to foreign residents in Tamarindo who do not vote.

There have been improvements to Tamarindo from the public pressure on the government in Santa Cruz. Lifeguards for the beach and the addition of a police station are examples. The road to Tamarindo was repaved about two years ago, and the documents have recently been signed to pave the last little stretch of unpaved road from from Tamarindo to Langosta, and to pave the loop road that runs all around Langosta.

Santa Cruz Church

Of course you would expect to see a Catholic church in the center of any Costa Rican town, and Santa Cruz is no exception. The tower peeks through the trees in the park across the street from the the church.

Santa Cruz is know for being a commercial center for the cattle ranches of Guanacaste. It has rodeos and other festivals celebrating the ranching tradition. The second week of January is the time of the main fiesta and rodeo.

Lots of the workers in the hotels, restaurants and Sadly, three blocks of the center of town burned down in a fire in 1993.

I mentioned yesterday that there is an issue that the town government of Santa Cruz also governs Tamarindo and much more money is raised in taxes from the tourist industry in Tamarindo than amount that the Santa Cruz government spends for improvements in Tamarindo.

I think that is OK to a reasonable extent. After all, nearly every area with a tourist industry tries to make some money to lessen the taxes on the local population. Towns in Italy charge fees for tour busses to drive into the towns and drop of their tourists who spend money in the shops and restaurants. When you rent a car at the airport in Phoenix, Arizona, you are paying for the construction of the wonderful football stadium, as local voters would approve a tax on airport rental cars because locals don't rent cars at the airport, of course.

This week we are showing photos of Santa Fe, New Mexico on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site. Come take a look.

Great egret

I have posted a fair number of iguanas and crocodiles lately, so I should show some birds. Here are two in the same photo. A great egret is in the foreground, but I cannot make out the species that is in the background.

Costa Rica has more species of birds than all of the USA and Canada combined, so it is not surprising that it is possible to get two different species of the heron family in the same photo.

An article in the local newspaper just reported that biologists have recently discovered 5 additional bird species in Costa Rica not previously cataloged as present here.

This week we are showing photos of Santa Fe, New Mexico on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site. We think you will enjoy them.

Happy Valentine's Day sunset

Happy Valentine's Day with this view of the end of a Tamarindo sunset. I don't know what it is about sunsets that conjures romantic moods and imagery, but I thought it would be fitting to use this sunset series as a build up to Valentine's Day.

I have a confession to make. I am not a particularly romantic type of guy because, after all, men don't have to be in touch with our feelings. During our wedding ceremony, I read a poem that I composed, and during part of it I got down on one knee and asked my wife to change her political party registration. She said no, but gave a proper affirmative response later in the wedding.

Today is Sunday, so that means there are new photos on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site. This week we are sharing photos of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Anatomy of a Sunset 5

The sun has about disappeared. The bottle of wine is about done.

Our nightly ritual of watching the sunset from our balcony is calm, quiet and relaxing. Have you been to to the nightly sunset watching festivities at Mallory Square in Key West? It is the opposite of our mellow sunset observances. In Key West people gather, with street performers, music, dancing, and all kinds of fun.

On our travel photo site, Viva la Voyage, we are showing aerial photos this week of an active volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii. Tomorrow is Sunday, so we will have new photos from somewhere else in the world.

Anatomy of a Sunset 4

The sun is descending into the sea. I am sorry that I cannot share with you on this blog the sound of the waves, the cooling effect of the ocean breeze, the smell of the salt air, or a taste of the wine.

If you live in a cold climate, I hope that this helps warm you with thoughts of summer.

On our travel photo site, Viva la Voyage, we are showing aerial photos this week of an active volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Anatomy of a Sunset 3

The sun is about to make contact with the water. It is about time for a second glass of wine.

I don't know what it is about the sunset that brings a calming end to the day. Costa Rica is only one hour ahead of the time back at our home in the Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona area. By the time of the sunset, we can hopefully relax even if we have been on the phone to the office and working on our computers during the day to conduct business as usual back in the USA even when we are in Costa Rica.

On our travel photo site, Viva la Voyage, we are showing aerial photos this week of an active volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Anatomy of a Sunset 2

Here is a closer view of the sun while it is about to descend in to the ocean. We prefer some clouds over the ocean rather than a clear day, as the marine layer of clouds in the distance adds a marbling effect to soften the intensity of the sun.

The colors I am showing throughout this series of sunset shots are 100% natural. I have not photoshopped or otherwise edited the photos in any way. What you see is exactly how the photos were captured by the camera and is the color that wee see many evenings.

It is no wonder that the Tamarindo area of Costa Rica is referred to as the "Gold Coast."

On our travel photo site, Viva la Voyage, we are showing aerial photos this week of an active volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Anatomy of a Sunset 1

We have a nightly ritual of watching the sunset from the balcony/patio of our Playa Langosta condo in Tamarindo. By mid afternoon, we start to assess what type of sunset we think in might be.

When the sunset color starts to develop, that is usually the time to open a bottle of wine and bring out some cheese and crackers.

At the risk of being a little repetitive, I plan to walk you through the stages of the same sunset during the next few days.

On our travel photo site, Viva la Voyage, we are showing aerial photos this week of an active volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Getting ready for sunset

When it is late afternoon, it is time to start anticipating the sunset. Hmmmm, what type of sunset will it be? Are there any clouds out to sea? Will the clouds enhance or obscure the sunset?

Hmmmm, which bottle of wine should we pick to accompany the sunset? Which restaurant shall we walk to for dinner after sunset? (There are about 40 restaurants in Tamarindo.)

Here you see some of the chairs on the balcony/patio of our Langosta beach condo. I am sorry that you are not visiting Costa Rica so that we can meet and talk in person, and you could pull up a chair and enjoy the sunset with us. I will try to do the next best thing on this Daily Photo blog.

From the comfort of your chair and computer, please join us for a sunset, which I will share with you in a series during this week.

On our travel photo site, Viva la Voyage, we are showing aerial photos this week of an active volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Tamarindo bay

This is a view of Tamarindo Bay from the southern side of Tamarindo beach, looking north.

The southern end of the beach is protected from the full waves of the ocean by an island and reef, which is why the waves are small here and there are boats moored in the bay.

Tamarindo was a fishing village, but there is no dock or pier. There are fishing boats and excursion boats that take tourists out for snorkeling and other trips. To reach the boats, they will bring rafts up on the beach and shuttle the tourists out to the boats through the waves.

This is a late afternoon shot, as you may be able to tell by the sun hitting the boats and waves. After the late afternoon, you know what comes next, of course. I will begin a series tomorrow to share that with you.

Today is Sunday, so that means that we have posted new photos on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site. This week we are taking you across the Pacific Ocean from Costa Rica to Hawaii to show you something that we also have in Costa Rica -- an active volcano. (We do not have active volcanoes in the part of Costa Rica near Tamarindo, however.)

Pacific Park condos

About two weeks ago I showed an overview of Tamarindo from the top of a hill overlooking the town, with a new large condo dominating the skyline rising above the trees in the middle of town. I followed that with a photo of the back side of the condo with some surf shops in the foreground. This is a photo of the front side of the Pacific Park condos up close.

This is the building that advertises that it has brought "New York Style" to a Costa Rican beach. Well, I am pleased to report that the road in front of this condo is scheduled to be paved very soon.

The local government in Santa Cruz has signed all of the contracts necessary to pave the road in Tamarindo that leads to Playa Langosta, and this condo is located at the beginning of that road. After all, if this building is emulating New York Style, at least it should be located on a road that is paved. The last time I was in New York, the streets were paved.

I apologize for the telephone lines in the foreground of this photo, but, unlike New York, Tamarindo does not have underground wiring. I took this photo a few months ago, and there was still some construction activity going on. Although large buildings are somewhat controversial in Tamarindo, this building does make the community more upscale. These are elegantly designed and furnished condos located at a major intersection in town. This project replaced a group of old shacks that provided hostel accommodations for surfers at a few dollars per night.

On our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week we are showing the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia. If you have not been there, please check out the our website this week. You are in for a treat.

Bats on a tree (2)

If you look closely, you will see that there are bats on this tree trunk. They have chosen a tree that camouflages themselves very well. This looks like a tree with bark that has scales. What looks like scales on the underside of the tree are bats hanging upside down. Their little faces are looking right at you.

It is not common to see bats on trees in Ccosta Rica. But, of course, I have no idea how many times I have not noticed them but they are there.

On our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week we are showing the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia. If you have not been there, please check out the our website this week. You are in for a treat.

Argentine mate

Here is another take on the "wood theme" for the Daily Photo bloggers. Those of you who have been to Argentina must be thinking, "Hey, what is this guy in Costa Rica doing showing a mate gourd on his website?" The answer is that this is a photo from the Tango y Grill Restaurant, which features Argentine food and ambiance.

I would not be familiar with mate if it were not for my older son who lives in Buenos Aires. Mate is similar to tea. People put the leaves in a gourd container, as you see here, then pour in hot water and let it seep. The metal straw that you see is closed on the other end with little holes in it so that the liquid passes through the straw but the mate leaves do not.

In Buenos Aires, it is common to see people going to work with a thermos of hot water and their mate leaves, gourd and straw. They even make little leather backpack for carrying mate and thermoses.

Although many of the shopkeepers and restaurateurs in Tamarindo are European, there are also Argentines in Tamarindo, including the owner of a computer service store and the gentleman who handles many of the arrangements for the property management company that manages our two condominiums. I sometimes wonder how it is that people who grow up in one country end up living and working in a distant place. My own son has done that, as he is quite at home in Buenos Aires with several businesses there, after growing up in Arizona. When he visits Costa Rica, the people there think he is Argentine because he speaks Spanish with a Buenos Aires accent.

On our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week we are showing the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia. If you have not been there, please check out the our website this week. You are in for a treat.

Bamboo

Carrying the theme of wood to a new extent, here is a bamboo motif tee shirt that I bought at the Bamboo Groove shop in Tamarindo. Instead of a plastic bag, the shirt was wrapped in a little bamboo basket, as shown in the photo.

The Dutch woman who owns the shop told me that she used to sell shirts made from bamboo fibers, but they held moisture more than cotton.

A long time ago I posted some photos of the Bamboo Groove shopkeeper's dog, a beautiful yellow Labrador retriever, who has sadly has passed away from his illness. The shopkeeper's husband is a well known architect, Irwin Shuster, who uses bamboo as a building material to design and build houses in Costa Rica using metal panels from used shipping sea containers, bamboo beams to support a peaked roof, and glass.

On our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week we are showing the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia. If you have not been there, please check out the our website this week. You are in for a treat.

Costa Rican wood bowl

Here is my runner-up selection for yesterday's Daily Photo theme day of "wood." I mentioned yesterday that artisans in Costa Rica make bowls and other decorative objects from the tropical hardwoods. Here is an example.

These items make excellent gifts. We bring back bowls, wood trivets, wood holders for desk items and other objects from Costa Rica for the people who work in our office in the USA.

On our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week we are showing the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia. If you have not been there, please check out the our website this week. You are in for a treat.

Theme Day: Wood

The worldwide Daily Photo Theme for Feb. 1 is "wood." Costa Rica has lots of tropical hardwoods. Here is an example. I took this photo on a hike on a trail in Rincon de la Vieja National Park, which is about 90 minutes from Tamarindo. It is a transitional area with higher elevations and more moisture extending up the slope of a volcano. That changes the vegetation to taller and denser forests than is typical of the hills and plains along the Pacific coast.

Costa Rica planted 7 million new trees last year as part of its efforts to become the world's first carbon neutral country, which it is scheduled to do in 2021.

Costa Rica has excellent artisans who make beautiful bowls and other objects from the tropical hardwoods. I will show an example tomorrow, as I will continue this little wood theme for a few days.

On our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week we are showing the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia. If you have not been there, please check out the our website this week. You are in for a treat.

To see how other Daily Photo bloggers are interpreting the theme day of wood: Click here to view thumbnails for all participants