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

Boats in the bay at Playas del Coco

Yesterday Sharon and Glenda posted comments about the aerial photo of boats in the bay at Playas del Coco. Here is a photo of the boats in the bay from the beach. They are a mixture of fishing boats and boats intended for tourists.

I will show a few more photos of the boats and Playa del Coco in the week ahead, after the first of the month theme day photo.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site. This week we have posted photos of the fjords of Norway.

Aerial Photo of Playas del Coco

Here is another aerial photo of Playas del Coco, from a different angle and closer than yesterday's photo.

Several things are apparent in this photo. First, there is not a lot of development or buildings right on the beach. The main commercial street runs perpendicular to the beach.

Second, there are not many condo buildings. Unlike Tamarindo, there are no condos that are 7 or 8 stories high near the beach. Most of the buildings are small houses.

Playas del Coco is very different than Tamarindo for an additional reason. Most of the people who live in Playas del Coco are Costa Ricans. Most of the homes, shops and other buildings are for locals, although there are some tourist businesses as well. In Tamarindo, almost everyone is a foreigner.

Many of the condos and houses for foreigners have been built on the hills in this area to capture views of the ocean, which is very scenic, as you can tell in this and yesterday's photo.

I will show some ground and beach-level photos in the days ahead.

We are showing photos of the red rock scenery of Sedona, Arizona, this week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Playas del Coco from the air

This is a view of Playas del Coco from the airliner on our approach to the international airport in Liberia. I have mentioned before that I always get a window seat on the left side of the plane to provide the best view of Costa Rica's Pacific Coast when flying into Liberia.

Playas del Coco is about 45 minutes north from Tamarindo. The coast in this area is different than Tamarindo. There are more bays, coves, and islands in this area, but the beaches are much shorter and do not have the surf or waves of Tamarindo and Langosta. This area is scenic, with beautiful ocean views, but long walks along the beach are not possible, which we enjoy doing in Tamarindo and Langosta.

I will show some additional photos of Playas del Coco and nearby areas in the coming weeks.

We are showing photos of the red rock scenery of Sedona, Arizona, this week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Surfer; the end of the run

Yesterday Sharon of Phoenix Daily Photo left a comment expressing concern that the surfer in yesterday's photo might bump into the two women who were talking in the surf.

Sharon, to alleviate your (and perhaps others') concerns, I am showing this photo of the surfer at the end of his run. He managed to stay up riding his wave all the way to the beach, as you see in this photo.

It is a good thing that he kept his balance, as at the time of this photo he was surfing in water that is about ankle deep. He was able to step off the surfboard onto the sand at the end of his run. Most surfers end their run before this so that they can head back out more quickly to catch the next wave.

The sandy beach in the background is Playa Grande, the main nesting site for the endangered leatherback turtles.

This week we are showing photos of the red rock scenery of Sedona, Arizona on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Surfing

Yesterday I showed a sign for surfing lessons on Tamarindo Beach. Here is a photo of a guy surfing at the north end of Tamarindo Beach. He looks like somewhat of a novice, based on the way he is concentrating on his balance while on a relatively small wave.

The two women in the foreground appear not to be swimming, but are instead . . . talking. I know better than to comment about that.

This week we are showing photos of the red rock country of Seona, Arizona on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Surf lessons on Tamarindo Beach

Tamarindo is a popular place for people to learn to surf. This is a photo of the beach in front of the Tamarindo Diria Resort, where one of our two condos is located. There are surf shops offering lessons on the beach front road and surf lesson advertised right on the beach.

If you are going to advertise surf lessons, what better signage than to plant a sign shaped like s surfboard and plant it in the sand?

We have photos of the red rock formations of Sedona, Arizona, this week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Clean energy in Central America

I was surprised on my last airplane flight's approach to Liberia, Costa Rica, to see a wind farm on the shores of Lake Nicaragua, a little north of Costa Rica. In Costa Rica, almost all of the electricity comes from hydro power.

I think it is wonderful that Nicaragua is generating electricity from wind power.

This gives me an opportunity to share some excellent environmental news from last week. I was surprised to open the daily newspaper at our home in Arizona last week and find an Associated Press story on page A2. News of Costa Rica is not often carried prominently in the USA.

The news is that Costa Rica will receive $56 million of loan forgiveness and grants because of its environmental protection. The assistance is to help Costa Rica achieve the goals of the U.N. Convention on Beiodiversity by 2015. Costa Rica will be the first developing nation to do so.

Costa Rica will increase its world-leading percentage of land set aside for national parks and nature preserves, from 25% to 26% and will triple the amount of ocean area under protection. The U.S. is forgiving $27 million of Costa Rica's foreign debt in exchange for Costa Rica using the funds for conservation. This is a significant amount, as Costa Rica's foreign debt is $77 million.

The $56 million of assistance for Costa Rica includes $20 million of grants from private environmental groups, such as $9 million from the Nature Conservancy. It is gratifying, and appreciated, that environmental groups and other countries, particularly the USA, recognize and support Costa Rica's leadership in achievements in environmental protection.

This week we are showing photos of the red rock scenery of Sedona, Arizona, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Berry on the beach

This is a photo of a berry of some kind on the beach at Playa Langosta. I do not know what type of berry it is. It looks like an apple, but it is the size of a grape. The bushes on the beach have these berries on them, and a few of them drop and roll onto the beach.

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 red rocks of Sedona, Arizona, which is much closer to our permanent home in Scottsdale than the photos that we usually show.

Children's basketball court

Basketball, anyone? Tamarindo is a small town, with no traffic light. There is a small park for children that I have shown in at he past. Here is a photo of of the basketball court in the park.

This provides an easy opportunity for older children to pretend that they are tall enough to dunk the basketball.

have shown the past. Please check out the photos of Montenegro on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week.

Papagayo Peninsula from the air

For a change of pace from the beach photos I have been showing, here is a photo the of the entire length of the Papagayo Peninsula from the air. The Four Seasons Resort is in the narrow saddle of the peninsula, and the fairways of the golf course are visible on the higher land beyond it.

Unless I am arriving at night, I always get a window seat on the left side of the plane when flying in to the Liberia Airport so I will have a view of the coast as the plane loops from the north and makes its approach over the coastline into the Liberia Airport.

The coastline of this area north of Tamarindo is very scenic, as you can tell from this photo. There are not as many beaches, however. The houses and condos have dramatic views of the ocean. Julie and I prefer being right next to the beach for long walks along the ocean.

Speaking of views of the sea, please check out the photos of Montenegro on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week.

Horseback rides available

Here is a photo of the man offering his horse for horseback rides that I have described during my posts this week. When I took this photo he was trying to solicit some business by riding his horse around town.

The building in the background is our condo on the beach in the Playa Langosta area of Tamarindo.

There are also stables in the area where people can go to have horseback rides.

Speaking of horses, a gentleman from Argentina who works for the property management company that manages and helps to rent our two condos got married about a year or so ago to a woman who is veterinarian exclusively for horses. She graduated from veterinary school in San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica. Although she has lived in in Costa Rica for more than 10 years, she is from Vermont.

Please check out the photos of Montenegro on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week.

Horseback rides on the beach

This is a photo of the horse that was being offered for horseback rides. The woman in the white bikini I showed the other day was getting a "test drive" on the horse, and she made an appointment to have a regular horseback ride later in the day.

The man offering his horse for rides explained that riding horses on the Tamarindo beach is not allowed, except for a very short distance just to get a photo and to experience riding on the beach. They want to keep the beach clean, which I agree makes sense.

There are plenty of roads and trails around without much traffic, so there are good places to ride, without riding on the beach.

This photo also provides a nice view from the north side of Tamarindo Beach across Tamarindo Bay to Cabo Velas.

Montenegro is the subject of photos this week on our travel photo site, Viva la Voyage.

Guy on the beach

Why is the guy in this photo smiling? The answer is obvious from the photo I posted two days ago.

He is watching his wife or girlfriend in a white bikini riding a horse on Tamarindo beach. Could life get any better?

Montenegro is the subject of photos this week on our travel photo site, Viva la Voyage.

3 guys on the beach

These three guys came walking towards the woman in the white bikini riding the horse, who I showed yesterday. Which one of them do you think is the companion of the woman in the white bikini?

The answer will be shown tomorrow.

This looks to me to be similar to three gunslingers walking down the main street of a western town, except in Tamarindo they are walking bare chested up the beach, in swim trunks.

Several people commented yesterday about riding a horse in a bikini, barefoot. As I will explain in a post the day after tomorrow, the woman was getting a short "test ride" on the beach and she made an appointment for a real ride later in the day. I assume she will be dressed in more appropriate riding clothes for the real ride.

Montenegro is the subject of photos this week on our travel photo site, Viva la Voyage.

Woman in white bikini riding a horse

After several days of showing stormy weather, it is time for a change. How about a photo of a woman in a white bikini riding a horse on the beach? Is that enough of a change from a few days of photos of stormy seas?

Longtime, faithful readers of this blog will know that I am gender neutral and I try to balance out photos such as this with photos that might appeal to the other gender. Tomorrow's photo will have a connection to this one, but it will appeal more to the ladies.

Why would I post a photo such as this? I have noticed several people landing on my site by doing Google searches for bikini horseback riders. I am posting this photo only as an accommodation for them in order to drive more traffic to this site. (This is what I will tell Julie.)

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our travel photo site, Viva la Voyage. This week were are showing photos of Montenegro, moving a little south from last week's photos of Crotia.

Crashing wave

This is a photo of a wave crashing onto the volcanic rocks on Playa Langosta when the sea was turbulent.

I love the sea during all of its moods.

When it is sunny and calm it, its tranquility is soothing. When it is sunny and the surf is up, it is fun and lively. When it is stormy, it is dramatic and entertaining.

Tomorrow I have a special treat (at least for the guys) of a photo taken on the beach a day or two before this photo was taken.

This week we are showing a very different sea at the island of Hvar on the coast of Croatia on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Stormy sea

I usually show photos of Tamarindo in nice weather, which is most of the time. November to April is sunny and clear almost all the time, with virtually no rain.

At other times of the year, it is usually nice as well, but sometimes we get a tropical shower and sometimes the Pacific can kick up some waves. This is a photo of the turbulent sea off Playa Langosta. I will show another photo from this same storm tomorrow.

Supplement: In the comments to today's photo, I have answered a question from Brattcat about taking this photo. I used a 15 times zoom telephoto to shoot up the beach, which exaggerates the haze and cloudiness. It was not raining when I took this photo.

This week we are showing a very different sea at the island of Hvar on the coast of Croatia on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Family on the beach

Back to the beach for this photo, where a young mother attends to the needs of her small children. They have their toys to play in the sand, the sound of the waves surround them, the warmth of the sun caresses their skin, and the ocean breeze cools them. And the toddler's mother is there to help if sand gets in her eyes.

They are undoubtedly enjoying their vacation on Langosta Beach.

We are showing photos of the island of Hvar, Croatia on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week.

Hooray! The Miners Are Being Rescued!

I was trying to think of a photo to symbolize the joy as the Chilean miners are being rescued. I decided to use this photo of a monkey jumping for joy.

As I write these words, 5 miners have been rescued and 28 more are yet to come up. We shall hope that all miners and rescuers are safe.

This is a white-faced Capuchin monkey. On a wildlife boat cruise on in Palo Verde National Park, a group of moneys started to play on the roof of our boat and a boat that pulled up along side us. The monkeys enjoyed the roof of the boats, I presume, because they are flat, smooth, and the fiberglass canopy had a little bit of give to it. The monkeys also seemed to enjoy making a thumping sound as they landed from their jumps.

For monkeys living in the jungle, a flat surface like the roof of the boat is a novelty. In the jungle they do not have anything like the roof of the boat on which to jump or play.

If the monkeys could know that the Chilean miners are being rescued, I am sure that they would jump up and down for joy.

Costa Rica does not have mines. The early Spanish explorers named Costa Rica, which means the "rich coast," because they saw natives wearing gold. But the Spanish soon discovered that the gold came from elsewhere, not Costa Rica, so Spain largely ignored Costa Rica during the colonial period. The indigenous population was almost wiped out by the introduction of European diseases and by the enslavement of Costa Ricans to take them to work in the mines of Peru.

My grandfather, who I never met as he died of tuberculosis in about 1930, had worked as a coal miner in Ohio. Let us share in the joy of the rescue of the Chilean miners and reflect on the sacrifices of miners everywhere, and the miners who have lost their lives in their dangerous work.

Please check out the photos of the island of Hvar, Croatia on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week.

Langosta Beachfront House

This is the house of one of our neighbors on Langosta Beach. There are a row of beachfront houses in Langosta that the local real estate agents advertise as "millionaire's row."

I took this photo from the beach, as I obviously would respect the private property of the owner and not walk on his land. This house has a nice view of the beach and ocean.

I have shown a few of these houses in the past. Some are very modern. My favorite, which was designed by the same architect who designed both of our condos, Abraham Valenzuela, is Moroccan in its design. This house has a tropical motif, which is popular for interior furnishings in resort properties in Costa Rica.

We are showing photos of the Island of Hvar off the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Surfer

This is a typical Tamarindo/Langosta scene. This surfer is walking along the Langosta estuary.

Tamarindo is best known as a surfing town, and there are lots of surfers in town. It is now much more than a surfing town, as there are many other activities and many condos and resorts cater to a broader spectrum of visitors than surfers. My family loves Tamarindo, even though none of us surf.

We are showing photos of the Island of Hvar off the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Sea shell sun glasses

OK. I know. This is goofy. Did early native Americans wear these type of sun glasses made from shells? I don't think so.

On Langosta Beach we do have a type of shell that, over time, looses its top and is shaped like a little volcano. Here is a photo of my brother-in-law using the shells in jest for sunglasses.

Tomorrow, I will show you a photo of what he might have been looking at.

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 Island of Hvar off the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia. If you have not been there, please click on the link and take a look. I think you will like it.

Flower in bloom

This is a photo of the same type of flower that I showed yesterday when it was just a flower bud. It has now unfurled into a circle of color. These flowers are very popular with butterflies.

Nature is a remarkable architect. For a look at man-made design, we invite you to take a look at this week's photos from Copenhagen on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Flower bud

This is a another photo from the flower gardens of our condo building in Playa Langosta. This flower bud looks tightly packed, ready to explode.

Tomorrow I will show the flower in bloom.

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

Costa Rican wood bowl (2)

This is a photo of a typical Costa Rican wood bowl in a Tamarindo souvenir shop. Bowls and other household items made from tropical hardwoods are popular souvenirs from Costa Rica. The wood grains are rich, and the wood often has both light and dark areas, as is shown in the bowl in this photo.

Fortunately, Costa Rica plants 7 million new trees per year as part of its reforestation programs and to meet its goal of being the world's first carbon neutral nation by 2021.

This week we are showing photos of Copenhagen featuring Danish design on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Isla Capitan

This is a photo of Isla Capitan, or Captain Island, at the southern end of Tamarindo bay. Cabo Velas at the northern end of the bay is visible in the distance.

Isla Capitan almost disappears at high tide. I took this photo at low tide. You can see volcanic rock above the water line, and a narrow strip of sand and a few bushes peeking on the right side of the island.

This island is very beneficial for Tamarindo, as the southern end of the bay to the right of this photo is protected from the full force of the Pacific Ocean's wave. It is this sheltering from the island and reef that allows fishing boats and excursion tour boats to be moored in Tamarindo Bay.

This week we are showing photos of the Danish flair for design on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

This week we are showing photos of the Danish flair for design on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Surfing wipeout

This photo shows a young woman as she crashes into the surf while falling off her surfboard. I was swimming and standing out in the surf on Tamarindo beach when I took this photo as she wiped out while surfing past me.

This photo shows how gently sloping is Tamarindo beach. From the vantage point of the camera above the surf, you can tell that the water is less than waist high. I am standing at the point at which the waves break, yet I am still quite a distance from shore.

This week we are showing photos of the Danish flair for design on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Beginning surfers

This photo of the silhouettes of surfers against the afternoon sun reveal that they are beginners in the calmer part of Tamarindo Bay. This is an ideal place to learn to surf, and then to challenge yourself by riding some of the larger waves in the rest of Tamarindo beach.

I apologize for the quality of this photo, as I was using my little point-and-shoot waterproof camera and took it out with me while I was swimming.

This week we are showing photos featuring the flair for design of Copenhagen, Denmark on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Surfing

Tamarindo is most known for surfing, and here is an example why. There are areas with large waves, and areas with medium or modest waves. Thre are lots of surfing schools and places to rent surf boards.

Sadly, I am not a surfer. It looks like lots of fun, and I enjoy watching the surfers. When I was a child, I lived near the beach in Coronado, California and Ewa Beach, Hawaii, both popular surfing areas, but I was a little young (ages 6 - 12) and my parents never gave us the opportunity to surf.

I would like to try surfing, and I have no excuse and can no longer blame my parents. I feel like a person who lives in Aspen or Vail, Colorado who has never been skiing.

Today is Sunday, and we have posted photos showing the flair for design in Copenhagan, Denmark on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site. Two of the photos will show what I am sure you will agree is a most unusual wall in a hotel room.

Animal graffiti

This is a photo that I had considered posting for yesterday's theme day of "graffiti." This could be considered graffiti, Tamarindo style, which is left on the beach by an animal, combining two of the best features of Tamarindo -- the beach and animals.

I believe that this footprint was made by a raccoon.

We are showing photos of the architectural details of London this week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Theme Day: Graffiti

Graffiti is the world-wide first of the month theme for Daily Photo sites today. This is a painting on the side of a police station right next to the beach in Playa Hermosa, a beach town north of Tamarindo.

Fortunately, we do not have much graffiti. This is not unauthorized graffiti, of course, but an outdoor painting providing a storybook image of a policeman helping some children, framed by the mountains and the colors of the Costa RIcan flag.

There was somewhat of a graffiti scandal in our area of Costa Rica a few years ago. Graffiti with a painted skull and cross bones above the word "Gringo" appeared along the roads. Newspaper articles reflected concerns of the communities that this graffiti would be offensive to tourists, who are crucial to the economy.

An investigation finally caught the people doing the graffiti. They were not locals who resented tourists. They were several young Americans who were advertising their tee-shirt brand, which was called Gringo.

We are showing photos of architectural details of London this week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

To see how other Daily Photo bloggers have interpreted the graffiti theme, Click here to view thumbnails for all participants