grocery prices

The price of these huge bags is the equivalent of about $10 U.S. Dollars.

The answer to my little question yesterday about the price of groceries in a local market is that our total bill came to about $11 U.S. Dollars. That is obviously a lot cheaper than similar products would have cost in the USA.

The grocery store where we bought the products was in a town that is about a half hour inland from Tamarindo, not in an with tourist facilities or attractions. It has what locals refer to as "Tico prices." The supermarket in Tamarindo, which carries many food products imported from the USA, and caters to foreign visitors and international residents, has higher prices.

We are featuring the style of Sweden this week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Cereal

Here are two close up photos of some of the large bags of cereal that I showed yesterday.

I would have liked the top bag when I was a child, but nothing looks less appetizing to me now that sugary cereal with lots of artificial colors.

Here is a little tease about the price of groceries in a local grocery store. On this trip on our way to awildlife river trip, we bought 2 cut up chickens (to feed to the alligators), a bunch of bananas (to feed to the monkeys), 2 batteries, 2 bottles of Coke, and a lighter (so my brother-in-law could smoke a Cuban cigar).

How much do you think the price was for the total of all of those items? The answer, of course, will be tomorrow.

We are featuring the style of Sweden this week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

bulk cereal bags

In the grocery store in a town of locals, not foreign residents and tourists like Tamarindo, here is a photo of a different section of breakfast cereal than the aisle I showed yesterday.

These are large quantity, bulk bags of generic cereal. One must need a large family to eat the amount of cereal in these bags before it would spoil.

We are featuring the style of Sweden this week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Grocery store cereal aisle

In the past I have shown photos of the large, modern supermarket in Tamarindo that caters to foreign residents and visitors. Here is a photo of a grocery store in a local town that caters to locals.

While this part of the cereal aisle looks like what you might see in an American supermarket, tomorrow I will show you a different cereal section that is quite different.

We are featuring the style of Sweden this week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Surfer chasing a wave, and a bird

As fast as the surfer in this photo must feel that he is going, the bird at the top right zoomed past, more agile, graceful and swift.

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

A stroll along the beach

I wonder who is enjoying Tamarindo beach more, the person walking or the dog lying in the sand in this photo. The fishing boats in Tamarindo bay await tourists wanting to enjoy the adventure of deep sea fishing.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site. This week we are showing some photos of the style of Sweden.

Theme Day: Favorite Photo of 2010

The worldwide Daily Photo theme for Jan. 1 is the favorite photo of the year. This is my favorite photo because it shows the intimacy of a meeting between man and monkey.

If Michelangelo had visited Costa Rica to take a wildlife or eco-tourism vacation, do you think he might have painted a scene like this in the center of a frescoed ceiling of a church? OK, I know. That was a stretch.

We are showing photos of the holidays in Santa Fe, New Mexico this week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

To see the favorite photos of the year for other Daily Photo bloggers,
Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Youth looking forward to the new year

Tomorrow starts the new year, so I thought I would show a photo of a young villager. His subtle smile shows the confident optimism of youth. He has a lifetime of experiences to look forward to achieving and enjoying.

I hope that 2011 gives him, and all readers of this blog, reasons to smile just as this boy is doing in this photo.

I took this photo in the village that I have been showing for the past week or so. In fact, I took this photo just a few moments before the cattle came rumbling up the main street of the town.

As you can see, I also took the photo just after the child had enjoyed a snack, but a moment before he wiped his mouth and chin.

We are showing photos of the holidays in Santa Fe, New Mexico this week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Cattle herded on the right side of the road

The cattle finally moved to the right side of the road, so others, including the pedestrian and bicyclist that you see here, can share the road and pass on the left.

If you look carefully on the left side of the street, you will see that there are some villagers chatting with each other where their trailers are parked, and someone has their horse tied up in the street.

Costa Ricans in small towns are proud of their rural, agricultural traditions and some of the them still own livestock even if they have a day job in a larger town. The people in this village, however, likely do not work in the tourism industry because it is about an hour from the Pacific coast resorts. Most probably still earn their living from their family farms.

This is the final installment in my little series of the cattle drive through town, but I will show a few more photos from this village.

I had several questions in the comments yesterday from some of the treasured readers of this blog. To answer Brattcat's question, yes, the cattle are used for meat. Our northwest Pacific region of Costa Rica was divided into large cattle ranches during the Spanish colonial era. To answer Kate's question, yes, these sights are common. I have seen cattle being driven through the middle of Costa Rican villages in the area east of Tamarindo on many occasions, primarily in the late afternoon when it is time for the cows to come home.

We have photos of the holidays in Santa Fe, New Mexico this week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Cattle passing on the left

I don't know what the protocol is for cattle drives through the heart of town, and whether they should move to the left or the right to share the road with others, but these cattle moved to the left and walked down the left side of the street, even though in Costa Rica we drive on the rigth.

We have photos of the holidays in Santa Fe, New Mexico this week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Cattle drive through town

Returning to my little series of photos of the cattle drive through a town about an hour east of Tamarindo, here is a photo of the cows as they continue down the street. You can see villagers, cars, bicycles, a motorcycle and pedestrians in the background.

Will the herd of cows negotiate their path or trample over those in their way? The answer, of course, will be shown tomorrow.

We have photos of the holidays in Santa Fe, New Mexico this week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Tamarindo beach

From the spot where I took yesterday's photo, swinging around to the north rather than looking out to sea, here is a photo from the southern end of Tamarindo beach across Tamarindo bay to Cabo Velas, the point of land at the far northern end of the bay.

This photo gives a perspective for how long the broad stretch of beach is at Tamarindo. We are blessed with a classic, long, gently sloping, crescent shaped tropical beach.

We have photos of Santa Fe, New Mexico on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week.

Isla Capitan

With this photo I am returning to the beach at Tamarindo, after showing photos of a typical Tico town inland about an hour from Tamarindo. This photo shows the Capitan island at the southern end of Tamarindo Bay.

This island and the reef that stretches between the island and San Francisco point provides shelter from the ocean's waves for the southern end of Tamarindo bay.

I have not been out to this little island, although it does not look like it would be too difficult to swim out there. There is not much there, however.

Please check out our photos of winter in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Adult Jesus Christ Lizard

For Christmas Day, here is an adult Jesus Christ Lizard. The are so named because the young lizards are so light and so fast that they can actually run across the surface of the the water. I once saw a Jesus Christ lizard walk on the water on Christmas Day, but it moved too fast to photograph.

When they run across the water they do so upright on their hind legs, which adds to comparison of Christ walking on water. How do the do so? They move their legs so fast that the resistance of their feet hitting the surface of the water pushes them up and forward and their next step pumps up so quickly that they generate greater upward force on the surface of the water than the force of gravity downward.

This lizard was lounging in a tree. Adults get up to 1 meter (3.3 ft.) long, including the tail.

The official name for this species, is basilik, and in Spanish they have two common names -- lagartija Jesucristo and chisbala, which means flying bullet. Jesus Christ lizard and flying bullet seem to be somewhat incompatible nicknames for the same thing.

I think this is a male Jesus Christ lizard because the characteristic long, continuous crest running down the head, back and tail is very prominent in this lizard, whereas female and young of the species have smaller crests.

This week we are showing photos of Dubrovnik on the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Catle drive making a left turn

This photo shows cattle making a left turn and the main intersection in the town. This is the far side of the same corner where people had gathered on their bicycles to chat with freinds, which I showed a couple of days ago.

I think that the cattle were quite familiar with walking through town because they made the correct turns with very little direction from the cowboys who accompanied them.

This week we are showing photos of Dubrovnik on the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Cattle drive through town

In small towns in our area of Northwestern Costa Rica, it is not unusual to see ranchers leading cattle through town on their way from their pastures outside of town to the stables or other place where they keep their cattle for the night.

This photo shows some cattle walking right by the central square of the small town that I showed in my photos the last few days.

We have photos of Dubrovnik on the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia this week on on our travel photo site, Viva la Voyage. It is a charming place and if you have not been there, you should enjoy the preview on our website.

Hanging out on the corner

Here is a photo of some villagers who have gathered to chat with friends in the shade on a warm Sunday afternoon. As this photo reflects, bicycles are a popular form of transportation in rural Costa Rica, even on roads that are not paved.

The intersection where they have gathered is a corner of the town square football (soccer) field that I showed yesterday.

Tomorrow and the following days I will show you what happened next, which is a something that would definitely not happen in the middle of a town in the USA, Canada or Europe.

We have photos of Dubrovnik on the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia this week on on our travel photo site, Viva la Voyage. It is a charming place and if you have not been there, you should enjoy the preview on our website.

The village center

At the center of most Costa Rican villages are two elements of the community: (1) a Catholic church, and (2) a football (soccer) field. Almost always, the church is located across the street from the football field, as is shown in this photo.

On Sunday, many people attend church in the morning and then there is often a football game in the afternoon.

Tomorrow and on the days that follow, I will show another example of village life in the typical Costa Rican village in which I took these photos, about one hour inland (east) from Tamarindo.

We have photos of Dubrovnik on the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia this week on on our travel photo site, Viva la Voyage. It is a charming place and if you have not been there, you should enjoy the preview on our website.

Villager on his horse

Here is a closer photo of the villager with his horse. He did not feel quite right when I first took his photo, as I showed yesterday, because his hat came off when he mounted his horse to pose for my photo. He was content with this second pose.

This little episode with the villager and his horse and house illustrates the friendliness of the Costa Rican people. I think there are a lot of countries where people would resent or view with suspicion a foreigner like me stopping and taking a photo of their house. This gentleman came out of his house to add to the photo. He felt that if I was taking a photo of his horse and his house, then he should be on his horse.

We have photos of Dubrovnik, a gem on the Dalmatian coast of Croatia, posted this week on our travel photo site, Viva la Voyage. Come take a look.

Man and his horse and house

The villager who saw me taking a photo of his horse and house came outside because he evidently felt that if there was a photo to be taken of his horse and house, he should be in the photo.

He mounted his horse and posed for me, without me even asking him. There was one problem, however. There is something wrong with this photo. This gives me an excuse to stretch this series out to tomorrow.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our travel photo site, Viva la Voyage. This week we are showing photos of Dubrovnik on the Dalmatian coast of Croatia. It is a charming place. Please come take a look.

The curious homeowner

After I stopped to take a photo, the owner of the house came outside. In some places, the owner might be suspicious or angry that someone has stopped their car and is taking a photo of their house.

Tomorrow, of course, I will show you what happened next.

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

Tico horse and house

Continuing with a little photo series about a drive in the countryside near Tamarindo, I noticed this beautiful palomino horse waiting in front of a small house. I decided to stop and take a photo.

Costa Ricans, commonly called Ticos, are proud of their tradition of small family farms. People who have jobs in the tourism industry may still live in a rural village and still have some farm animals.

That pride was demonstrated in what happened after I took this photo, but of course you will have to log in tomorrow for the rest of the story.

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

Guanacaste tree

I will continue with a series of photos of my little drive in the country, if that is OK with you.

Here is a guanacaste tree, the national tree of Costa Rica. Our northwestern province of Costa Rica is named Guanacaste. These trees have adapted to the long dry season that lasts from December until April. Some of them have branches and leaves that grow all the way to the ground like a giant umbrella.

Only 2% of the original dry forest area is still forested, as the Spanish cleared the land for cattle ranches, such as this pasture. Costa Rica has preserved 25% of its land as national parks and nature preserves, more than any country on earth. The country is planting 5-7 million trees each year to reforest many areas as part of its goal to be the world's first carbon-neutral country.

Our province of Guanacaste, by the way, used to be part of Nicaragua, but voted in the 1820's to be part of Costa Rica instead. That was a smart move, as Nicaragua is a troubled nation, and there are disagreements between Costa Rica and its northern neighbor. Costa Rica does not have any military and has had a stable democracy since 1949. The same cannot be said for Nicaragua.

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

Motorcycle racer

After the crowd of ATV racers zoomed past me, I thought I could get back in my car and resume a relaxing drive on a country road. I was wrong. Shortly thereafter along came a wave of motorcyclists. I was able to snap a photo of only this one.

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

ATV Racer

Here is a closer photo of one of the ATV racers who roared past me. He has a striking uniform, whose black and gray color scheme seems to make him one with his ATV.

Many rural roads in Costa Rica are unpaved, and he looks like he is prepared for breathing and looking through the dust that is kicked up by the ATV racers.

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

ATV Racers

Here is a closer view of the some of the ATV racers that I showed yesterday. When I was out for a Sunday morning drive in the country side on my way to Palo Verde national park to view some wildlife, ATVs roaring by certainly is not what I expected to encounter. I guess even people who live in a quiet, rural area at times feel the desire for noise and speed.

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

Off to the Races

When I stopped my car to stand by the side of the road to take photos of the papaya grove that I showed yeserday, I heard a loud roar of engines coming toward me. I turned around, looked down the road and this is what I saw.

Fortunately, I had my camera already in hand and I was able to snap a few photos of people zooming down this country road on their ATVs. It was a Sunday morning, and I later passed a check point on the road, so there was some kind of a race or road rally going on. I will post a few more photos of some of the riders closer up during the next few days.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site. This week, we are showing photos of Norway, including the fjord country, and a powerful sculpture park in Oslo. Come take a look!

Papayas hanging on a tree

This is a closer view of a papaya tree, with a load of fruit hanging. Papaya trees have a single stalk and can grow as high as 6 meters, or nearly 20 ft.

I stopped along the side of a rural road to take a few photos of these papaya trees. Tomorrow I will show you what happened next and why I was very glad that I had gotten out of my car at that time and place.

We are showing photos of wildlife in the Serengeti plain of Tanzania this week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Papaya grove

This is a photo of a papaya grove in the plains about a half hour east of Tamarindo. Papaya trees are native to Central America and Mexico and grow in the wild in the Pacific lowlands, such as the terrain around Tamarindo.

These papaya are not growing in the wild, but are part of a plantation that is near a Del Monte packing plant.

This week we are showing photos of the wildlife of the Serengeti in Tanzania on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Green Iguana

On the same wildlife boat trip in Palo Verde National Park that encountered the monkeys and bird that I showed during the last few days, we also saw many iguanas, of course. The green iguana in this photo seemed to be posing for us.

This week we are showing photos of the wildlife of the Serengeti in Tanzania on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Boat billed heron

This is a photo of a boat billed heron who was lurking near the monkeys that I showed during the last few days. I expect that you can tell that this bird is nocturnal. Look at the size of its eyes. These birds grow to 51 cm (20 in.) in length.

The jungle holds a wide array of wildlife. Costa Rica has more species of birds than all of the USA and Canada combined, even though it is the size of West Virginia or Switzerland.

This week we are showing photos of the wildlife of the Serengeti in Tanzania on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Mealtime for monkeys

If you want a closer encounter with monkeys than seeing them swinging around in the trees like I showed yesterday, bringing a banana to offer the monkeys will certainly bring the monkeys out of the trees and closer, as shown in this photo.

This week we are showing photos of the wildlife of the Serengeti in Tanzania on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Monkey swinging in the trees

During the last few days I have shown some aerial photos of the coast and jungle. Let's take a closer look. What would you expect to see if you went walking in the jungle?

Monkeys swinging on trees, of course. I photographed this white-faced Capuchin monkey in Palo Verde National Park.

This week we are showing photos of the wildlife of the Serengeti in Tanzania on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Aerial view of the Coast

This is a closer view of one of the beaches in the coastline that I showed yesterday. It is comforting to know that there are still stretches of coastline that are in such pristine condition.

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 wildlife of the Serengeti in Tanzania.

Coastline

Here is an aerial photo of the coastline on the approach to a landing at the international airport in Liberia, Costa Rica. On flights from the USA, the airliners approach from the north, swoop along the Pacific coastline of southern Nicaragua and northwestern Costa Rica, and then bank eastward to land.

As I have recommended before, a window seat on the left side of the plane (facing forward) provides a nice view of the coast.

As you can see in this photo, the coastline in this area is a series of coves and pocket beaches, shaped like the edge of pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. In Tamarindo, our coast has long beaches and fewer inlets.

This week we are showing photos of the Amazon Jungle and the Nazca Lines of Peru on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Aerial view of Tempisque RIver headwaters

This is a photo of the Tempisque River as our airliner was about to land at the international airport in Liberia, about an hour northeast of Tamarindo. The airport is in a plain near the Pacific Ocean on the west side of Liberia. This makes the airport especially convenient to the resort area along the Pacific beaches, such as Tamarindo.

Although the Tempisque River at this point is only about 5 km (3 miles) from the ocean, it does not flow into the nearby ocean. There are coastal hills that separate this plain from the ocean. Instead, the Tempisque River flows south about 60 km (40 miles) to form a delta as it flows into the Gulf of Nicoya, which farther south opens up into the Pacific.

The river is small at this point, but it becomes about four times this wide as it nears its mouth. The wildlife photos I have shown in the past from Palo Verde National Park, including crocodiles, monkeys and water fowl, are located in this same Tempisque River.

We are showing photos from the Amazon Jungle and the Nazca Lines in Peru on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Surfer

Here is the young woman I showed yesterday waiting for a wave. She did indeed get up and ride the waves.

I took this photo in the calmer, southern half of Tamarindo beach. The waves are bigger in the northern half of the beach, in the direction shown in this photo.

Several people yesterday commented about the angle of the photo and the appearance that the surfer was higher than the photographer. I took these photos with a little waterproof camera. I walked out into the surf to get some photos of surfers, rather than taking photos with a telephoto shooting from the beach into the afternoon sun.

This week we are showing photos of the Amazon and Nazca Lines in Peru on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Theme Day: Time

Today's worldwide Daily Photo theme for December 1 is "time." How should I portray time in Tamarindo? Should I show people waiting at a red light? No. We don't have any traffic lights in Tamarindo.

Tamarindo is most widely known as a surfing town, so I am posting a photo of a surfer waiting for the next wave at Tamarindo beach.

Do you think that she caught a wave? The answer, as usual for this blog, will be posted tomorrow.

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.

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

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.