Sunscreen applied

Sorry to leave you hanging yesterday. But you can relax. This guy did not leave an "X" glob of sunscreen on his wife's back.

It is important to apply sunscreen when Americans, Canadians and Europeans vacation on the beach in Costa Rica because we are closer to the equator and the sun is more intense.

I once went on a snorkeling trip on a Tamarindo boat excursion, and my wife was not feeling well so she cancelled. I knew I would get too much sun floating on the top of the water looking down. A lady on the boat volunteered to put sunscreen on my back, but I thought that would be too personal and an imposition so I declined her kind offer. I later regretted that decision. What would you do? Allow a stranger to rub lotion your back? I now have a diver's shirt to wear when swimming or snorkeling so I will not have that problem again.

We have photos of the Nazca lines in Peru on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week. If you have not been there, you owe yourself a look at one of the most amazing sights on earth and a remarkable and puzzling achievement of man centuries ago.

"X" marks the spot

Here is a photo of a couple carrying out a common beach ritual, applying sun screen. What struck me a curious, however, is the pattern that he applied. Why would he start with applying sun screen in an "X" pattern? If he leaves the sun screen in that pattern, she will have a strange looking back.

I will show you how this situation was resolved. Tomorrow, of course.

We have photos of the Nazca lines in Peru on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week. If you have not been there, you owe yourself a look at one of the most amazing sights on earth and a remarkable and puzzling achievement of man centuries ago.

Shell

I confess that do not post very many macro photos, unlike my wife who does spectacular macro photography, as readers of her Scottsdale Daily Photo website know.

So, with Julie's encouragement but without meeting her standards, here is a macro photo of a shell on Langosta Beach.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site. This week we have a special treat -- aerial photos of the Nazca lines in Peru, one of the most amazing sights on earth and a remarkable and puzzling achievement of man centuries ago.

Beach time

What could be a more relaxing way to spend some time on vacation than for a couple of friends or siblings to have a talk while laying in the warm sand while the waves at the gentle south end of Tamarindo beach take turns cooling them.

Cabo Velas across Tamarindo Bay is in the distance.

We have photos of Bellagio, Italy, on the shores of Lake Como, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week. If you have not been there, please take a look. It is an enchanting part of the world.

View from our Diria condo

Here is one more photo from our Diria condo in the middle of Tamarindo. I realize that I have posted photos frequently of the sunsets into the ocean from our Langosta Beach condo, but I have not shown many photos of our Diria condo, so I am sharing this photo today from our balcony.

It is difficult to choose between our two condos. Whichever condo is rented at the time, we are happy to stay in the other one.

With the lush trees and vegetation, it is not apparent that this is the middle of town. The beach in the distance in Playa Grande, part of Las Baulas National Marine Park and the main nesting site for the endangered Pacific leatherback tortoises.

We have photos of Bellagio, Italy, on the shores of Lake Como, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week. If you have not been there, please take a look. It is an enchanting part of the world.

Room with a view

This is the view from the bed int he master bedroom of our condo at the Tamarindo Diria Resort. It is a nice view to wake up to in the morning.

My discussion over the past week about the importance of making sure that a condo project will be finished before paying a down payment also applies to people who are renting condos for vacations in Costa Rica. It is obviously cheaper to rent a condo in a half-finished project not right by the beach, such as the project that I showed in Playas del Coco the past few days.

Vacations are precious, in my opinion. It makes sense for people to be careful to make sure that the condos they select are in quality projects, in good locations. We love the convenience of our Diria Condo, with resort amenities and being right in the middle of town and at the best part of the beach.

We have photos of Bellagio, Italy, on the shores of Lake Como, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week. If you have not been there, please take a look. It is an enchanting part of the world.

Diria Resort condo pool

After several days of photos of unsuccessful condo projects, here is a change of scene. This is a view of the swimming pool at our condo at the Tamarindo Diria Resort. The ocean is on the other side of the hotel units in the other side of the pool from the condos.

This illustrates my comments yesterday about the importance of making sure that a condo developer will finish the improvements of a project if you are putting down money to purchase a condo.

Yes, that is a swim up bar and snack bar.

We have photos of Bellagio, Italy, on the shores of Lake Como, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week. If you have not been there, please take a look. It is an enchanting part of the world.

Unfinished condo driveway

As if yesterday's photo did not look bad enough, here is a photo of the same driveway, looking up rather than down. Obviously no on is going to buy one of the condos at the top of this driveway until this driveway is paved. If the developer has run out of money to pave the driveway and finish the condos, the people who put money down on these condos will not be enjoying their condos for years.

My wife and I bought both of our condos in projects developed by the Tamarindo Diria Resort, the largest hotel in Tamarindo. We felt that there was security in the confidence that the buildings would be finished because the developer had substantial assets and a reputation to protect that would ensure that the projects were developed successfully.

I apologize that this series has taken a turn to show the unpleasant consequences of the U.S. recession on the Costa Rican real estate market for vacation properties. I will return to happier subjects tomorrow.

On our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week we are showing one of our favorite places -- the town of Bellagio on the shores of Lake Como, Italy. It is much more beautiful than the Las Vegas casino that it inspired.

Unfinished condo driveway

Several days ago I showed a photo of the elaborate entrance to a housing development. The reason the developers spend such large amounts on the entrance is to create the impression that they have enough money that they will not abandon a condo project leaving driveways looking like this.

This is the driveway that leads up to the condo buildings that I showed yesterday. This is obviously much too steep a road to leave unpaved. The developer evidently thought it was a good idea to build a road this steep to get to a spot where he could build condos with a magnificent view. I am sure that today he wishes that he had not done so.

On our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week we are showing one of our favorite places -- the town of Bellagio on the shores of Lake Como, Italy. It is much more beautiful than the Las Vegas casino that it inspired.

Unfinished condos

I took yesterday's photo from this spot. The condo buildings I showed yesterday had been completed and occupied. Further up the hill, however, were these condo buildings. They are empty shells, with sidewalks built, but the driveways were not paved.

There was no sign of work being done on these buildings recently. It looked like the developer ran out of money, and it will take a real change in the market for someone to come in a finish the project.

During the boom years for Costa Rican vacation properties before the U.S. recession, it was common for developers to sell many of their units pre-construction, with one-third down, one-third when the roof was built, and one-third at closing. I do not know if and what the terms were for these condos, but I fear that there are purchasers who have their money tied up in a project that will not be finished anytime soon. Developers are not the only ones hurt.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site. This week we are showing one of our favorite places -- the town of Bellagio on the shores of Lake Como, Italy. It is much more beautiful than the Las Vegas casino that it inspired.

Hillside condo development

With so many Americans and Canadians falling in love with the idea of a vacation or retirement home or condo in Costa Rica, a lot of people bought raw land cheaply, preferably with a view of the ocean, and then built condos to sell.

Here is a condo development outside of Playas del Coco. It does not have a view of the ocean, but it does have a nice view of the hills. Unfortunately, the market for condos softened when the U.S. economy went into a recession, and in the next few days I will show you sad scenes of what happens when a condo developer does not have the money to finish a project.

We are showing photos of the architecture of Budapest, Hungary, one of Europe's magnificent capitol cities, this week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Housing entrance statuary

This photo is the left half of the housing development entrance statuary that I showed the last two days. Yesterday, I mentioned the lack of authentic pre-Columbian structures and statues. There is a notable exception, however.

In Costa Rica there are large stones that were rounded into large, granite spheres between 400 - 1,000 A.D. There is an example of one at the entrance to the international airport in Liberia. I will stop and take a photo of it some time. Movie fans may remember the large, round stone spheres from the opening scene of the first Indiana Jones movie.

As I mentioned a few days ago, housing development entrances such as this give the impression that the developer has a lot of money and therefore will be able to finish the project. Unfortunately, in today's down economy in the USA, that is not always the case, as I will show in the days ahead.

We are showing photos of the architecture of Budapest, Hungary, one of Europe's magnificent capitol cities, this week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Housing entrance statuary

This is the right half of the housing development entrance statuary that I showed yesterday. It has a pre-Columbian theme, which is enchanting for the foreigners to whom these houses are intended, but Costa Rica lacks a strong pre-Columbian culture.

The indigenous population of Costa Rica was nearly wiped out by the Spanish due to disease, enslavement, and other tragedies. Moreover, Costa Rica is too far south for Mayan ruins and too far north for Inca ruins. (More on this, tomorrow.)

We are showing photos of the architecture of Budapest, Hungary, one of Europe's magnificent capitol cities, this week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Housing development entrance

This photo is the entrance gate to the housing development that I showed yesterday. As you can see, it is very elaborate.

This housing development begins with a street made of brick pavers, a fancy gate, and a wall with statuary on each side, leading to the little circle drive around a fountain that I showed in yesterday's photo.

I presume that a purpose of such fancy and expensive entrances, in addition to being enjoyed by the residents, is to give the impression that the developer has a lot of money and will be able to complete the housing project and build the rest of the amenities.

An important factor for foreigners buying houses and condos in Costa Rica is to be sure that the development will be finished, particularly in current market conditions. I will discuss this further and show the statues on each side of this gate in the days ahead.

We are showing photos of the architecture of Budapest, Hungary, one of Europe's magnificent capitol cities, this week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Housing development on a hill

This is a photo from the entrance of a housing development looking up to the houses in the hills near Playas del Coco. People like houses in the hills to give them a view of the ocean.

I took this photo from the gate at the front entrance. I could not drive up closer to the houses because this development is gated. Tomorrow I will show the gated entranceway.

We are showing photos of the architecture of Budapest, Hungary, one of Europe's magnificent capitol cities, this week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Supermarket shopping center and condos

This photo shows more of the shopping area in Playas del Coco that I showed yesterday.

Up on the hill are the Pacifico condos, which have a view across the town to the ocean.

This photo shows the AutoMercado supermarket, although the sign is covered in part by the palm trees. We have an AutoMercado in Tamarindo as well. It carries foods from the USA as well as Costa Rica, with lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, and a large wine selection.

In the future I will post some photos I took of a grocery store that caters to locals, with prices lower than the AutoMercado that is popular with foreign residents.

We are showing photos of the architecture of Budapest, Hungary, one of Europe's magnificent capitol cities, this week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Shopping Center in Playas del Coco

From the photo of the main street in Playas del Coco that I posted about a week ago, you probably did not imagine that this is what a shopping center would look like in a small Costa Rican beach town.

This photo is the shopping center where the Robb & Stucky store that I showed during the past two days is located.

I will show more of this area tomorrow.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site. This week we are showing photos of Budapest, Hungary, one of Europe's great capitol cities.

Robb & Stucky Furniture store

The photos I showed during the past two days were from this Robb & Stucky furniture store in Playas del Coco. Who would think that you can furnish a house in Costa Rica using the same furniture store as the USA.

We did not use a tropical decor for our two condos. We wanted a clean, modern design. We used a French interior decorator in Tamarindo, and she went to the Capitol of San Jose, 4 hours away, to find furniture for our condos.

Ironically, when my wife and I bought our house in Scottsdale, Arizona, the previous owners had the entire house furnished by Robb & Stucky in a tropical decor. They even had an artist paint murals of jungle scenes with toucans in the cutouts in the walls. There were even floor to ceiling palm trees, 16 feet (5 m.) tall, in the master bedroom. We felt guilty to have them painted over, but the tropical motif simply did not go with our furnishings from China, Tibet, Mexico, Native American cultures, and more.

We are showing photos of the Roman ruins in Merida, Spain, and some photos of Seville, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Furniture store

Here is the bedroom section of the home furnishing store that I showed yesterday. I have been in some Costa Rican houses of "Ticos," as local are called. I have never seen furnishings or a bed like this in a Tico house. This store clearly caters to the foreign market.

Tomorrow I will show you the name of the store. I think you may be surprised. Or, maybe not, if you are an experienced shopper.

We are showing photos of the Roman ruins in Merida, Spain, and some photos of Seville, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Furniture store

Does this look like the type of home furnishing store located in the Costa Rican beach town that I showed in yesterday's photo? It is.

Most of the furniture is of a tropical motif, which is popular in the homes and condos of foreigners who have vacation or retirement homes and condos in Costa Rica.

But what about furnishing the bedroom? Answer, as you guessed, tomorrow.

We are showing photos of the Roman ruins in Merida, Spain, and some photos of Seville, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Main street, Playas del Coco

This is another view of the main street of Playas del Coco. It has the look of a traditional Costa Rican beach town.

Here is a question for you. Suppose you own one of those houses or condos overlooking the ocean. Where do you think you could buy furniture for your place in a small beach town such as this?

For the answer, you will have to come back tomorrow.

We are showing photos of the Roman ruins in Merida, Spain, and some photos of Seville, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Beach front school at Playas del Coco

I mentioned a couple of days ago that the beach front at Playas del Coco did not have a strip of shops, restaurants or condos. This school yard is located right where the main street reaches the beach. My back is to the beach as I took this photo.

This is a charming location for a school yard. As an American, is strikes me as odd, and as a sign that the town was laid out before there was a tourist industry in Costa Rica. After all, would you expect to see a school yard at the main intersection of Miami Beach, Atlantic City, Waikiki, Huntington Beach, or other beach locations? Of course not.

If it were not for building restrictions on beach front land on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, I would think that it would be only a matter of time before some developer approaches the school and says, "Have I got a deal for you. How would you like a new school a few blocks away as a trade for your beach front land that looks like God created to be the perfect spot for a hotel, condos, etc."

On our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week we are showing photos of the Roman ruins in Merida, Spain, and some photos of Seville.

Playas del Coco boats in the harbor

This photo shows a closer view of the boats in the harbor at Playas del Coco. The boat in the foreground is used for parasailing. My wife and I love to parasail. It is quiet, and you float over the sea and have a birds eye view of the coast.

The ship in the distance is strange. It looks like it is left over from one of Columbus's voyages, except Columbus landed on Costa Rica's Caribbean Coast, of course, not the Pacific. I think the ship is used for tourist excursions.

This week we are showing photos of the the Roman ruins of Merida, Spain, and some photos of Seville on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Condos in the hills over Playas del Coco

This photo shows condos climbing the hills above Playas del Coco. These condos are set back about 1 km (.6 mile) from the ocean, so the view of the ocean and bay is from a distance.

In a few days I will further explore the subject of hillside condos.

Hillside homes are in the news because of the tragic mudslides in the central valley near San Jose, which have buried some houses and killed at least 20 people within the past few days. That area is 4 1/2 hours from our area along the Pacific Coast.Right by the beach in Tamarindo, we do not have the rivers and big drainage areas that could cause mudslides, as our area has gentle hills and the rainfall flows into the ocean or estuaries.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site. This week we are showing photos of the Roman ruins in Merida, Spain, and some photos of Seville.

Ocean view homes at Playas del Coco.

There are not homes and condos for tourists right by the beach in Playas del Coco, unlike Tamarindo. In the Playas del Coco area, people have built houses in the hills to take advantage of the views of the ocean, as you can see in this photo.

Sadly, I must report that sometimes building houses in the hills can have tragic consequences, although I certainly do not think that would happen with the the hillside houses overlooking the beach at Playas del Coco.

Just after midnight on Thursday there was a horrific mudslide/landslide in Escazu, a mountainside suburb of San Jose in the central valley area of Costa Rica. The newspaper yesterday reported that 20 people are dead and 10 are missing. The nation has declared its highest level state of emergency and is mobilizing is disaster relive resources.

Costa Rica has a National Emergency Commission. It and the police, firefighters and Red Cross have mobilized to search for people trapped in homes that have been buried in mud. Costa Rica does not have any military. In other countries, the army comes out with helicopters and other resources to assist, but Costa Rica does not have an army with helicopters to deliver relief supplies during catastrophes such as this. Neighboring countries and the USA sometimes help. Costa Rica has a national disaster relief fund to help in these situations.

The mudslides were caused by 161 mm (6.3 inches) of rain on Wednesday night from a tropical storm. Yesterday was scheduled to be the national Social Studies Exit Exams for all high school students in the country, but the Education Ministry suspended the exams for the entire country so that people can focus on this emergency.

Tomorrow, I will show an example of the type of condos that are popular in this area.

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

Playas del Coco town

This is a photo of the main street in "downtown" Playas del Coco. The town is a mixture of businesses that cater to tourists, such as the sport fishing shop you see on the right, and small shops and restaurants that cater to locals and visitors.

Another difference between Playas del Coco and Tamarindo is that in Tamairndo the main street runs along the beach, whereas in Playas del Coco the main street runs perpendicular to the beach, where it stops. There are very few businesses along the beach, in Playas del Coco. In fact, there is a school yard and some houses were local people live along the beach in Playas del Coco, whereas in Tamarindo there are condos ranging in price to more than a half million dollars (U.S.) near the beach, with virtually no Costa Ricans left. The condos in Playas del Coco are set up in the hills, overlooking the ocean.

This week we are showing photos of the fjords of Norway on our travel photo site, Viva la Voyage.

Beach at Playas del Coco

Here is a photo of the northern half of Playas del Coco beach. Similar to Tamarindo, it is is a broad, gently sloping beach. What is different is that Tamarindo Bay is much broader and longer and has waves perfect for surfing.

The area around Playas del Coco has more hills than the area around Tamarindo, so there is more area for homes and condos to be built with views of the ocean. I will explore that issue in the weeks ahead.

We are showing scenes of the Norwegian fjords on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Beach at Playas del Coco

Here is a photo of the southern half of the beach at Playas del Coco. I was there on an overcast morning, so there were not many people on the beach.

This photo shows how the bay at Playas del Coco, which makes a sheltered harbor for boats, also causes the waves to be very small.

We are showing photos this week of a very different coastal area, the Norwegian fjords, on Viva la Voyage, our travel photo site.

Ox cart

Here is another view of the ox cart I showed yesterday. A traditional ox cart would be made of wood, with a large wooden wheel without spokes, and fancy painting all over it. To see my previous posts of the beautifully painted ox carts, check out this link.

This is a working ox cart, made of metal, with automobile tires for wheels. The ox cart was being driven along the main highway that runs from Liberia, the provincial capitol, to Santa Cruz, the largest town near Tamarindo.

The highway is in good condition, but it is not limited access. I never speed on it. It goes through villages and towns, and at times you may encounter livestock, dogs, people riding bicycles, or, in this case, a family on an ox cart. I leave myself a full hour to drive from Tamarindo to the international airport in Liberia

We are showing photos of the Norwegian fjords this week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo website.

Ox Cart Transportation

The traditional form of transportation in Costa Rica is the ox cart. Today's first-day-of-the-month of the month world-wide Daily Photo Theme is "public transportation," so I thought I would post a photo of an ox cart in use.

The Eyewitnesss Travel Guide for Costa Rica accurately describes traditional ox carts as "the quintessential symbol of Costa Rica." Costa Rica is proud of its rural tradition of small family farms. Farmers used ox carts on their farms, and many of them would load the ox carts with with large canvas sacks of coffee beans and haul their harvest for days out of the mountains and valleys down to the coast to sell their coffee harvest for export.

In the mid-1800's farmers started painting their oxcarts with elaborate floral designs. I have shown a few of those ox carts in the past, although they are now used for decoration. The town of Sarchi is known as the center for ox cart painting. To see my previous posts of the beautifully painted ox carts, check out this link.

The photo I am showing today is not an artistic ox cart. It is one still in use, although this day its only "cargo" was a small barefoot child. How do I know he was barefoot? Look at the horns of the ox on the right.

This week we are showing photos of the fjords of Norway on our Viva la Voyage daily photo site.

To see how other Daily Photo bloggers have interpreted today's theme of public transportation, Click here to view thumbnails for all participants