Traffic

There is no through traffic in Tamarindo.  It is the end of the road towards the ocean. But there is local traffic as people run errands or drive to and from the beach, even though most people can walk to what they need in town or are within walking distance of the beach.

I hate to see people riding in the back of a pickup truck, especially riding sitting on the edge.  My guess, and hope, is that these people were going only a very short distance.

Surfboards are a very common cargo in Tamarindo.

We have new photos of Ireland posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week.  We are showing photos of Galway and the Cliffs of Moher.

Mother and daughter on the beach

This young mother was enabling her very young daughter to experience the waves lapping gently on the beach.

I neglected to post a photo for Mother's Day in Costa Rica, which was August 15.  It is a national holiday.  This is a belated tribute, as every day should be mother's day.

We have new photos of Ireland posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week.  We are showing photos of Galway and the Cliffs of Moher.

Pelican

When walking along the beach in Tamarindo and Langosta, it is common to see pelicans flying along the beach, either one at a time or a flock.

Most of the photos are similar to this one.  By the time I see the pelican, then turn my camera on, take off the lens cap, point it in the right direction, focus and shoot, the pelican has flown past and is heading away, such as in this photo.

We have new photos of Ireland posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week.  We are showing photos of Galway and the Cliffs of Moher.

Why did the monkey cross the road?

This momma howler monkey and her  baby scurried across the street where our Langosta condo is located.  They were traveling with a group of about 10 monkeys who were headed from the trees in front of some condos to a small wooded park along the beachfront.

The park is left as woodlands and provides habitat for birds and foraging grounds for monkeys, even though it is in the middle of town.

We have new photos of Ireland posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week.  We are showing photos of Galway and the Cliffs of Moher.

Beginning Surfer's Wipeout

Yesterday I showed a surfer who was very good.  Today's photo with a little point-and-shoot camera is not very good, but I am posting it anyway because it shows the opposite extreme of surfing experience.

On the left of this photo are the arms and legs of a surfer who has just fallen off his surfboard, which is visible just in front of the tiny wave.

Surfing is probably like riding a bicycle.  It is likely harder to keep one's balance while barely moving than it is when moving more quickly.

Every surfer has to start sometime, so I am not criticizing the beginner in this photo.   He is to be congratulated for trying and for beginning a fun and thrilling sport.

We have new photos of Ireland posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week.  We are showing photos of Galway and the Cliffs of Moher.

Surfer on the crest of a wave

I haven't shown a surfer in a little while, so here is surfer on the crest of a wave on Langosta beach.   This surfer has just made a quick cut to his right, as evidenced by the spray of water to his left.

We have new photos of Ireland posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week.  We are showing photos of Galway and the Cliffs of Moher.

Baby iguana

Yesterday I showed what I consider to be a rather unattractive brown iguana.  So today I am showing a baby iguana.

This is not a gecko, although some people mistake baby iguanas for geckos.  We have geckos, also, but they come out at night.

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 Cliffs of Moher and Galway, Ireland.

Brown iguana

When I walked up to the old, abandoned cattle chute that I have showed the last two days I looked  down and next to my feet was this large, brown iguana.

I like the green iguanas better than the brown iguanas.   The green iguanas have attractive features and coloration.  The brown iguanas simply look like they are left over from the dinosaur age.

We have new photos of the architecture of Grenada, Nicaragua posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week.

Birds sharing a fence rail with a termite mound

Yesterday iI showed an old cattle chute.  I stopped on the side of the road to take a photo of it.  Upon walking up to it, I was surprised to see a termite mound right on the fence.  I have seen this deep in the forest, but never out in the open.

Perhaps the two birds perched on either side of it were also surprised.  Maybe they found it a good spot to forage for bugs to eat.

The biodiversity of Costa Rica was also illustrated when I looked down near my feet, as I will show tomorrow.

This week we are showing photos of the Spanish colonial architecture of Grenada, Nicaragua on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Old Cattle Chute

This is an old cattle chute along the side of the main road the leads through the Nicoya Peninsula, which comprises much of the northwest province of Costa Rica of Guanacaste.   I took this photo not far from the town of Nicoya.

I am showing this photo to follow up to the comment I made about a week ago about President Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua declaring that he would challenge the 1824 vote by which Guanacaste voted to be part of Costa Rica rather than Nicaragua.

Today in the town of Nicoya the President of Costa Rica, Laura Chincilla, cabinet ministers and ohter politicians will participate in a march and rally to protest the provocation by Ortega against the people of Guanacaste and the soverignty to Costa Rica.

It is particularly ironic that Ortega would threaten Costa Rica because when his Sandinista forces originally took power in Nicaragua in the 1980's and the USA wanted to arm the Contras to overthrow the Sandinista government, Costa Rica refused to allow the USA to use Costa Rican territory for training bases for the contras.  The USA retaliated against Costa Rica by cutting its aid, undermining the economy.

Instead of yielding to pressure for military tactics, the then-President of Costa Rica, Dr. Oscar Arias,  personally nogitated a peaceful solution to the crisis in Nicaragua, and he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize as a result.

Today's photo also has a tie-in to the little series I have beenrunning about biodiversity during the last few days, as I will show tomorrow.

This week we are showing photos of the Spanish colonial architecture of Grenada, Nicaragua on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Pinuelas plant

Pinuelas plants are a relative of the pineapple, but they are not edible because their fruit is sour.  The fruit that grows in the central portion of the plant, similar to a pineapple, has the segmented exterior similar to a pineapple, but it is not in the neat, compact shape of a pineapple.  

This week we are showing photos of the Spanish colonial architecture of Grenada, Nicaragua on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Barnacles on a Tree?

Continuing with my little series on biodiversity, here is a photo of a tree that has what appears to be barnacles on its truck.  I don't know the type of tree this is or why it has this adaptation.  In North America, it might be to discourage bears from climbing the tree, but we don't have bears in Costa Rica.  We have sloths and monkeys that climb trees.  This would make an ideal tree for a bear to scratch his back.

This week we are showing photos of the Spanish colonial architecture of Grenada, Nicaragua on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Monkey Ladder

I have had a few posts in the last few days about biodiversity, so here is a photo of one of the unusual plants in Costa Rica.  It is called a monkey ladder, and with good reason.

The turning shape of the vines that lead from the canopy to the ground provide excellent hand holds for monkeys to climb up and down.

This week we are showing photos of the Spanish colonial architecture of Grenada, Nicaragua on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Biodiversity: 49 new bird species

I chose this bird photo to commemorate the National Commission on Biodiversity's new addition of 5,000 more species to the flora and fauna documented to exist in Costa Rica, including 49 additional bird species.

That is impressive in view of the fact that there were already known to be more bird species in tiny Costa Rica than in the USA and Canada combined.

Costa Rica contains 4.5% of the planet's biodiversity, with 92,000 different plant and animal species.   That is remarkable for a country the size of West Virginia or Switzerland.

The National Commission on Biodiversity is developing a plan to maintain the country's biodiversity despite the challenges of development, population growth and global warming.  This is a commendable effort for a developing country.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.   This week we are featuring photos of the Spanish colonial architecture of Grenada, Nicaragua.

Biodiversity: 650 New Mushroom Species

Costa Rica is justifiably proud of its biodiversity.  The National Commission for Biodiversity Management has just added 5,000 additional species of plants and animals that have been documented in Costa Rica and are now added to the inventory of species found here.

Among the additions are 650 additional species of mushrooms.   That is why I am showing this photo of some mushrooms from a hike in the forest at Rincon de la Vieja National Park, northeast of Tamarindo.

I will explain more about the new flora and fauna tomorrow.

This week we are showing photos from Tanzania on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site, featuring photos of elephants and giraffes, including some teenage elephants fighting.

A channel through the volcanic rock

On Playa Langosta, the volcanic rock that forms the bottom of the ocean at low tide has a lot of fissures and channels that connect the tide pools.

Here is some strange news.  For several years Costa Rica has been pressing a case in the World Court in The Hague because Nicaragua has occupied an island that belongs to Costa Rica.  Nicaragua has more recently interfered with navigation on the border river and has attempted to sell off shore oil rights to Costa Rican territory.

In a bizarre additional provocation, this week Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega threatened to challenge the 1824 vote by the people of the Northwest province of  Guanacaste to join Costa Rica rather than Nicaragua, which was accepted by Nicaragua in a treaty in the 1850's.   Guanacaste is our part of Costa Rica.  The average income of Costa Rica is about triple that of Nicaragua.  Costa Rica has had 60 years of stable democracy since it abolished its military.  That is a very different civic culture than Nicaragua.

This week we are showing photos from Tanzania on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site, featuring photos of elephants and giraffes, including some teenage elephants fighting.

Diria Oceanside Pool

I recently showed a series of photos from the Diria Resort, but neglected to show a photo of the ocean side swimming pool.  This is an early evening shot, with the ocean in the background reflecting a little light.

The guests at our Diria condo get to use the amenities of the Diria Resort, which is a major benefit.  The Resort asks that condo guests use the big pool near the condos, rather than the much smaller ocean side poo, so it is not crowded for guests in the nearby hotel rooms.  That is fair enough.

This week we are showing photos from Tanzania on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site, featuring photos of elephants and giraffes, including some teenage elephants fighting.

Low tide and volcanic rocks

This is a photo of the mixture of volcanic rock, sand, and tide pools that exposes itself at low tide along Playa Langosta.  All of these rocks are covered at high tide.

This week we are showing photos from Tanzania on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site, featuring photos of elephants and giraffes, including some teenage elephants fighting.

Peet's Especial Coffee from Costa Rica

Costa Rica is know for its premium coffee.  It is sometimes called the "Golden Bean."  Farmers can earn a living on a smaller plot of land growing coffee than other crops.  Costa Rica has historically had a lot more small family farms than other Latin American countries because of its coffee crops.

In earlier times, coffee farmers would load up their production in large burlap sacks, load the sacks into ox carts, and then travel several days to a Pacific port, such as Puntarenas, to sell their coffee for export.

Today's photo is an example of Costa Rican coffee marketed in the USA.

This week we are showing photos from Tanzania on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site, featuring photos of elephants and giraffes, including some teenage elephants fighting.

A large baby monkey hitching a ride on his mother

I mentioned yesterday that we have banana trees in the area, and we also have monkeys.  It is not often that you seen them right in town, but these monkeys were on the guard house for the condos across the street from our Playa Langosta condo.

This baby howler monkey seems rather large to still be hitching a ride on his mother's back.  I would think that the mother should tell him that it is time to swing and jump from branch to branch on his own.

I guess this is yet additional evidence of the theory of evolution, as teenage monkeys can be lazy, too.

This week we are showing photos from Tanzania on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site, featuring photos of elephants and giraffes, including some teenage elephants fighting.

Surf or Sleep?

I showed a surfer wearing a Banana Surf shirt yesterday, so I thought I would post a photo of one of the Banana Surf Shops today.  This is on the main beachfront road in Tamarindo.

As you can see, in addition to selling and renting surfboards, they have a selection of hammocks for sale.  I guess this shop caters to people who can't decide if they want to surf, or take a nap in a hammock.  Or maybe they plan to do both.

I don't know why a surf shop would be called Banana Surf.  We do have banana trees around, and Costa Rica was the original banana republic in the late 1800's, as what is now the United Fruit Company of Chiquita Banana fame planted banana plantations on the land the government gave them in exchange for building a railroad connecting the central valley to the Caribbean.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing photos from Tanzania, featuring elephants and giraffes.

Surfer with a long board

This surfer has a long board, and a water shirt from the Banana Surf School, which is one of the many surf schools that offer lessons and rent boards in Tamarindo.

From what I understand, and I have never tried surfing, long boards are easier to get up on and catch a wave than short boards because they are more stable.

This is the opposite of what I would expect based on my experience snow skiing.  Long skis are more difficult to maneuver, but are faster.

This week we are showing photos from Waterford, Ireland, the home of Waterford Crystal, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Leaf Cutter Ants

Red leaves are a favorite food for red leaf cutter ants.  When there is a red leaf on the ground, I usually stop and watch to see if it moves.  Usually it does. Then I look for the direction of travel and often there is a stream of red leaves as the ants follow each other.

As I have pointed out in the past, leaf cutter ants do not actually eat the leaves.  They feed leaves to a fungus underground, and the ants eat the fungus.  The ants know which types of leaves the fungus prefers.

Who knew that fungi were picky eaters?

And speaking of animals, yesterday there was an article about Costa Rica on the front page of the U.S. edition of CNN website, which is unusual indeed.  It was a news report of a plan by the government in Costa Rica to outlaw all zoos.  The environmental miniserr said that no animals should br confined in cages and should be observed in heir natural habitats.  Years ago Costa Rica banned circuses that include animal acts.

This week we are showing photos from Waterford, Ireland, the home of Waterford Crystal, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Red leaf

Whenever I see a little red leaf on the ground by itself, not clustered around other red leaves, I know that there is an explanation, which also involves the color red.

I will explain, tomorrow.

This week we are showing photos from Waterford, Ireland, the home of Waterford Crystal, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Red blossoms in trees

I don't know what these trees are called, but lots of the trees in and around Tamarindo have these red flowers to add an accent color to the lush green of the forest and the trees along the beach.

This week we are showing photos from Waterford, Ireland, the home of Waterford Crystal, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Corridor at Our Diria Condo

The morning sun imprints the patter of the railing on the corridor that leads from our condo in the Tamarindo Diria Resort down to the elevator.  After breakfast on the balcony overlooking the ocean, this walking down this corridor is a nice way to start the day and head out to run some errands or take a walk along the beach.

This week we are showing photos from Waterford, Ireland, the home of Waterford Crystal, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Diria Resort Restaurant

As the afternoon draws to a close, and sunset settles over Tamarindo Bay, the Diria Resort Restaurant becomes even more inviting as a place to enjoy a drink or dinner.

This week we are showing photos from Waterford, Ireland, the home of Waterford Crystal, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Dira Resort Beach Front Lawn and Palm Trees

This is the beachfront lawn of the Tamarindo Diria Resort.  It provides a pleasant place to enjoy the sun, sea, and fresh air blowing in from the Pacific.

And you can rinse the sand and salt water off after swimming and have a drink or a snack so that you feel more refreshed while lounging around.

The ability to enjoy the amenities of the Tamarindo Diria Resort help make our condo there very popular with renters.  It is much more pleasant to enjoy the resort than to stay in nearby condos that do not have access to resort amenities.

My property management company tells me that my two condos are rented more often than any of the other 180 condos that they manage.  The Diria beachfront facilities and location are a big reason for that.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing photos of Waterford, Ireland, the home of Waterford Crystal.

View of Playa Grande, and a comment about turtle conservation

This is a closer telephoto view of Playa Grande, across the mouth of the Tamarindo Estuary.  The protection of the endangered Pacific Leatherback turtles who travel from the Galapagos Islands to nest here is critical.

There was a controversy recently because a person who was convicted of poaching turtle eggs was convicted, but the Judge reduced the sentence so that the man has to serve only 3 years of probation, without any jail time.   The person was arrested with 200 turtle eggs.  Conservation groups have bee pressuring the government to take stronger action against poachers.

Taking turtle eggs is illegal throughout all of Costa Rica except for a stretch of beach in Ostional, which is in our region of Guanacaste in northwest Costa Rica.  An agreement between the government and local citizens in that area allows about 200 people to harvest and sell turtle eggs from one part of the beach in exchange for the locals protecting the remaining 7 km of beach in that area.  The turtles who nest in that area are olive ridley turtles, which are not endangered.  In fact, they lay about 10 million eggs each year in our region.

The locals in Ostional are complaining, however, that the public campaign against poachers and to promote protection of sea turtles is also causing people not to buy the turtle eggs that they legally harvest and try to sell.

My niece is finishing up her Ph.D. in Marine Biology, and she got a fellowship to spend a year researching how turtle conservation programs are impacting local populations in various parts of the world.

This week we are showing photos from Cabra Castle, a castle-hotel northwest of Dublin Ireland, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

View of Tamarindo Bay and Playa Grande

This is a telephoto view from our Diria condo across the southern part of Tamarindo Bay to part of Playa Grande.  There are a few houses on the hillsides and there are others tucked behind the trees.

The preservation or development of Playa Grande is very controversial.  This beach is the main nesting site for the endangered Pacific leatherback tortoise.  They swim here from the Galapagos Islands to lay their eggs.  If there is more development, the lights from buildings will confuse and deter them from nesting here.

The beach at Playa Grande is part of the Las Baulas National Marine Park.  My wife went on tortoise watching outing with a park ranger.  They take people in small groups out on the beach at night, with red night lights, and wait for tortoises to come ashore to lay eggs.  None came the night she went there.

This week we are showing photos from Cabra Castle, a castle-hotel northwest of Dublin Ireland, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Theme Day: The Sun as a Street Light

Today's worldwide Daily Photo theme is street lights.  I have taken liberties with the theme because the street lights in Tamarindo are not photogenic.  Tamarindo is a small resort town, but it does not have a lot of urban infrastructure.  In fact, there are only a few paved streets.

The focal point of Tamarindo is the beach.  The sun each evening drops into the Pacific like a huge street light, so I am using this photo for the street light theme.

When I think of street lights, I think of my late father talking about how when he was a young child his father had a rule that he had to be in before the street lights came on.  And my father also remembered the beating he received the one time he disregarded the rule.

This week we are showing photos from Cabra Castle, a castle-hotel northwest of Dublin Ireland, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Here is a link to the City Daily Photo website that displays the Theme Day posts.