A Wider View of Solarium

This is a wider view of the entrance to Solarium from the main road.  The landscaping lines the road, and across the road to the left is the entrance is the international airport just west of Liberia, the largest town in Northwest Costa Rica.

The proximity to the airport was a major reason for the location of Solarium.  The mixed use project includes a Hilton Garden Inn that is the most convenient place to stay for people who arrive late at night or are leaving on early morning flights.  All of the flight crews stay there as well.

Tomorrow we will go to the entrance of Solarium, and I will show a few of the businesses that are located there.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing photos of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea.  It is the former capitol, but has been destroyed by volcanic eruptions several times.

Solarium

Today I will start a little series that is different than the photos of nature and the beach that I usually show.  I will show some photos of Solarium, a multi-purpose commercial, industrial and residential development that is located right across the street from the international airport outside Liberia, about an hour northeast of Tamarindo.

The expansion of the airport to add non-stop international flights a little more than a decade ago created the real estate and resort boom in Northwest Costa Rica.  It also led to development opportunities such as Solarium, which unfortunately came onto the market just as the 2008 recession hit.

I will show more of this during the coming week.

This week we have underwater photos from our recent trip to the Galapagos Islands posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Diria Statue

This is a wider view of the statue that I showed yesterday.  The grounds of the Tamarindo Diria Resort are landscaped beautifully and are accented by reproductions of pre-Columbian statuary.

This week we have underwater photos from our recent trip to the Galapagos Islands posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Welcome Home Statue

When walking home to our condo at the Diria Resort, this statute greets us, welcoming us home and, I presume, keeping away any evil spirits.

This week we have underwater photos from our recent trip to the Galapagos Islands posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

"Exterior" of Patagonia Restaurant

I put the word "exterior" in quotes in the title of this post, because, every restaurant in Tamarindo, the Patagonia restaurant does not really have an exterior. There are no walls, except around the kitchen.

All of the restaurants in Tamarindo are open air on the sides because it is warm, but not too hot, all year around.

This week we have underwater photos from our recent trip to the Galapagos Islands posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Patagonia Argentinian Grill and Restaurant

The restaurant I sbowed yesterday was the interior of Patagonia, an Argentine restaurant that is only about 1/4 of a block from our condo at the Tamarindo Diria Resort.

When you think of Argentine food, of course you think of steak, and perhaps empanadas.

Kate correctly guessed that the restaurant was an Argentine steak place, based on the fact that they featured Malbec wine, which pairs well with steak.  Although Malbec is best known for being produced in the Mendoza region of Argentina, which Sharon of Phoenix Daily Photo, Julie and I visited several years ago), we have noticed Malbec now being featured by some California wineries also.

This week we have underwater photos from our recent trip to the Galapagos Islands posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

What type of restaurant do you think this is?

This is one of the many fine restaurants in Tamarindo.  A major reason that my wife and I decided to buy a condo (and later a second condo) in Tamarindo was the choice of many excellent restaurants.

I will reveal the type of restaurant that this is tomorrow.

A big hint is that if you enlarge the photo you will be able to read that the sign above the bar advertises the availability of wine by the glass, and most of the wines featured are Malbec.


This week we have underwater photos from our recent trip to the Galapagos Islands posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Frog with big red eyes

The colorful frogs of Costa Rica are a delight to find in the rain and cloud forests.

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 undersea life of the Galapagos Islands.  We took a trip there during the holidays two weeks ago.

A waterfall through the jungle

Here is another glimpse of a waterfall in the jungle.

This week we have photos of a very old section of Rabat, Morocco posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Downstream through the jungle

This is another view of the stream as it cascades through the jungle in La Paz Waterfall Gardens in the mountains above San Jose.

This week we have photos of a very old section of Rabat, Morocco posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Fuscia Orchid

Wild orchids add color to the rain forest, which is welcome on cloudy, misty or rainy days, such as the scenes that I have been showing the last few weeks.

Of course if it were not for the cloudy, misty, rainy weather, there would not be wild orchids.

This week we are showing some photos of a very old district of Rabat, Morocco on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Water finding a way to slice through the jungle

As its name implies, La Paz Waterfall Gardens has a lot of scenes in which water cascades down the ravine and through the jungle.

This week we are showing some photos of a very old district of Rabat, Morocco on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Who has been eating this leaf, and why are they so neat about it?

The straight lines of these holes evidently made by insects struck me a s strange.  It looks like someone took the leaf, folded it over a bunch of times, then used a hole puncher.

Somewhere there is a mother insect who has taught her children to be very neat and careful when eating.

This week we are showing some photos of a very old district of Rabat, Morocco on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Jungle through the mist

Although the rain was a bother at the time, I think I liked photographing La Paz Waterfall Gardens in the mist more than if we had a bright sunny day.

This week we are showing some photos of a very old district of Rabat, Morocco on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Coati

As we strolled along the walkways of La Paz Waterfall Gardens, we noted that this coati was walking along side us as well.

He was not in an enclosure.  He must live in the jungle near the La Paz Waterfall Gardens and then drifts in during the day to forage for feed.

He is a relative of the raccoon.

Today is Sunday, wo we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week are showing photos of a very old district in Rabat, Morocco.

Ox Cart

After the photos of the oxen that I have shown the last two days, it should not be a surprise that I am today posting a photo of yet another elaborately painted traditional Costa Rica ox cart.

On one of our trips that takes us to the San Jose area, we would like to make a side trip to Sarchi, which is the town where the tradition of highly stylized ox cart painting remains an art form today.

This week we are showing some additional photos from Ethiopia on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Detail of Ox Yolk

This is a close photo of the yolk of the oxen that I sowed yesterday.

The ox cart is pulled by two oxen who have the yolk lashed to heir horns.  My guess is that this method works for oxen who are pulling an empty load.  If the ox cart were full of coffee beans or other agriculture produce, I would think that it would give the oxen a headache to have to pull an ox cart from the head or neck rather than their shoulders.

This week we are showing some additional photos from Ethiopia on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Oxen

Ox carts are very traditional in Costa Rica, as I have shown in the past.  It wa therefore no surprise that they had a farmer with an ox cart walking around the grounds of the La Paz Waterfall Gardens

This week we are showing some additional photos from Ethiopia on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

New Year's Eve Party

This is an even closer view of one of the dancers at last year's New Year'sEve party at the Tamarindo Diria Resort.

It looks like some girls from the audience have joined the dancer on stage.

This week we are showing some additional photos from Ethiopia on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Are you ready to party tonight?

There is always a banquet followed by a concert and party on New Year's Eve at the Tamarindo Diria Resort.  Thi is a view with my telephoto lens looking down from the balcony on our condo to the stage of he amphitheater where the dancers performed with the rock band at the concert on New Year's Eve last year.

It was nice t be able to enjoy the concert from the comfort of our condo.

This week we are showing some additional photos from Ethiopia on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Giant elephant's umbrella leaf

This is a view from one of the walkways at La Paz Waterfall Gardens looking down on the canopy of the forest below.  It provides an unusual perspective on the giant leads of the elephant ear plant.

This week we are showing some additional photos from Ethiopia on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Cute Frog Profile

This is a cute frog with large, bright red eyes.


Today is Sunday, wo we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week ware showing photos of our recent trip to Ethiopia.

A tender blossom in the rain forest

The tiny spindly elements of this blossom int he jungle attracted my eye, but were difficult to photograph.  This is just one example of how scouting for photographs makes one more observant of the details of nature.

In keeping with the holiday sprint, we are showing photos of the spirituality of the people of Nicaragua.on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Spotted leaf

It looks likes a bug must be eating this spotted leaf in the cloud forest.  I am sure that it plays a small role in the circle of life for whatever is this role of this type of plant and inect causes

This week we are showing photos of the spirituality of the people of Nicaragua on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Christmas Decorations on Condo Balconies

This is a photo of Christmas decorations on some of the balconies of our condo building at the Tamarindo Diria Resort

This week we are showing photos of the spirituality of the people of Nicaragua on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Santa arriving

A giant Santa is scaling the wall of the International Hotel in Escazu, a suburb of San Jose.

Chimneys are rare in Costa Rica, of course, so I guess Santa has learned how to reach good little girls and boys without using a chimney.

This week we are showing photos of the spirituality of the people of Nicaragua on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

More Christmas Frogs

this is another type of Christmas frog that is used as a decoration in downtown Tamarindo.

I have not seen frogs used to illustrate Christmas in other settings, but I think that they are appropriate for Costa Rica.

This week we are showing photos of the spirituality of the people of Nicaragua on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Christmas decorations in Tamarindo

This is a photo of some of the Christmas decorations in the main part of Tamarind.  The neon fogs on the street light poles ad a festive atmosphere.

This week we are showing photos of the spirituality of the people of Nicaragua on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Christmas Shopping in the Mall

This photo of the main shopping mall in Escazu, an upscale suburb of San Jose, could be anywhere, in m opinion.

There are lots of American retirees and ex pats who live in this area, and I am sure tha they feel right at home in the mall.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  In keeping with the holiday sprint, we are showing photos of the spirituality of the people of Nicaragua.

Looking down on another waterfall

This is another of the views looking down the ravine on one of the many waterfalls at La Paz Waterfall Gardens.

This week we have photos of the people of Ethiopia posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Looking down on a jungle river

This is part of the view from the walkway along the edge of a ravine that I showed yesterday.  We looked down on the dense jungle and a river.

It would have been impossible to walk in the steep, wet terrain without the walkways built by the La Paz Waterfall Gardens, such as the one I showed yesterday.

This week we have photos of the people of Ethiopia posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

A walkway along a jungle ravine

I have been showing some photos of waterfalls recently, and this is part of the walkway from which I took some of those photos.  Julie took this photo of me during a break in our walk around La Paz Waterfall Gardens.

It was certainly a convenience to be able to walk through the cloud forest and see the plants and waterfalls from a walkway such as this.  It would otherwise be extremely difficult to walk on the very steep terrain in damp conditions.

This week we have photos of the people of Ethiopia posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

A ginger bud

Ginger and heliconia plants add red accents to the jungle, as this ginger bud shows.

My high school debate partner from my youth in St. Louis County in the 1960's has a ginger farm in Costa Rica.  It is a coincidence that we have both become property owners in Costa Rica decades later.

This week we have photos of the people of Ethiopia posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

A tree isolated with a waterfall in the jungle

This is another view of waterfalls in the jungle at La Paz Waterfall Gardens above San Jose.

If you are a follower of Beyonce's Tumblr account, you would have recently seen photos of her posing in a "Smile Costa Rica" tank top at the base of a Costa Rican waterfall, as reported in this item from the Tico Times newspaper.

She was on vacation in Costa Rica, and also posted photos of her zip lining and posing with a traditional Costa Rican ox cart.

No.  I did not see anyone looking like Beyonce at any of the waterfalls I have been showing recently.

This week we have photos of the people of Ethiopia posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

A ribbon of a stream

Here is a ribbon of water streaming down the jungle during  our walk on a rainy day in La Paz Waterfall Gardens.

This week we have photos of the people of Ethiopia posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

A Christmas Frog in Lights

The Holiday Season in Tamarindo brings decorations on the street lights in the center of town.  I love the unique, Costa Rican tropical flair to the streetlights.

I have shown some real frogs during the past week, and the holiday lights in Tamarindo are in the shape of frogs wearing a bonnet with a flower with a smiley face at its center.

I like the happy holiday spirit that is shared with these colorful and unusual holiday decorations.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing some photos of the people of Ethiopia taken during out visit there last month.

Waterfall dropping through the jungle

This is another view of the setting for  the La Paz Waterfall gardens in the mountains above San Jose.  There are trails through the cloud forest jungle.  This is looking down on the top of another waterfall that cascades down into a ravine.

This week we are showing photos of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

A Green Camouflaged Tree Frog

This tree frog seems to be hiding its toes.  Maybe he or she is bashful because its toes are not red like the red-eyed leaf frog that I showed the day before yesterday.

Although partially hidden by its hind legs, the sides of this frog have a pattern that varies from the solid color of its back,  This color variation is typical of some species of tree frogs.  By hiding the pattern, the frog is better camouflaged on a solid green leaf.

This week we are showing photos of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Camouflaged Costa Rican Frogs

Yesterday I showed a cute frog, so here is a much less attractive frog, although they are well camouflaged for rocky surroundings.

This is part of the frog exhibit at the La Paz Waterfall Gardens.  Most of the frogs there are kept in an enclosed area where visitors can walk in an enclosed ranarium so people can find the frogs amidst the rocks and leaves, rather than in small enclosures the way frogs are typically displayed in zoos.

There are guides to help point out the location of the hidden frogs, and to make sure that none of the frogs hitch rides on the backs of the visitors walking out of the frog enclosures.

This week we are showing photos of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Red-Eyed Tree Frog Clinging to a Leaf

Here is one of the quintessential cute frog photos for which Costa Rica is well known.  The red-eyed tree frog is appropriately named, as they have large red eyes, highlighted by color coordinating their toes to match their eyes to make sure that we notice their eyes.

Some tree frogs spend their entire lives in the forest canopy.  They have toe pads that operate like suction cups to help make sure that they do not fall as the jump among the leaves and branches.

This week we are showing photos of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Looking up to the top of the waterfall

During the last two days I have showed photos looking down a waterfall, and then out through the waterfall.  That leaves looking up the waterfall as the remaining direction, which I am therefore showing today.  This is a photo of a waterfall as it emerges from the cloud forest and crashes down the canyon at La Paz Waterfall Gardens outside San Jose.

This week we are showing photos of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Looking through a waterfall

Yesterday I showed a view looking down a waterfall.  Here is a view from a path so close to the waterfall that we could look out from behind the edge of the waterfall down stream.

This week we are showing photos of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Looking down a waterfall

The trails at La Paz Waterfall Gardens get very close to the waterfalls, including this trial that allows visitors to stand right next to where the water rushes down and crashes to the pool below.

You can tell that the rain the fed this waterfall was very recent, as there is a slight, darker hue from soil runoff in the left top of the photo.

The power of this small waterfall illustrates how Costa Rica, a country of about 4 million people, can get almost all of its electricity from clean, renewable hydro power.  Costa Rica is on track to be the world's first carbon neutral country within about 10 years.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing some additional photos of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco.  Two weeks ago we showed the main prayer hall and the exterior facade.  This week we are showing the basement fountain/feet washing area and some of the people enjoying a visit to the mosque.

Tiny green poison dart frog

The Costa Rican rain forest is habitat for 8 species of poison dart frogs.  They are tiny, growing no larger than 2 inches (5 cm).

I have seen trail guides pick them up and show them to visitors, warning only that people should not touch them if they have an open cut on their hands.

At places like La Paz Waterfall Gardens, which have exhibits where visitors can walk among the frogs in simulated rain forest habitats, the frogs lose their poisonous qualities.  They get their venom from the ants and termites that they eat, and if their diet is different, they are no longer poisonous.

World Cup News:  Yesterday the pairings for next year's World Cup soccer/football tournament were announced.  Costa Rica is one of the 32 teams qualifying for the tournament, to be held in Brazil.  Only 8 countries have ever won the World Cup, and Costa Rica drew a pairing that makes them the only team that will have to face three teams that have won the championship in the past.

Costa Rica will be in a bracket with England, Italy and Uruguay.  Costa Rica has never played England, has lost to Italy 1-0 the only time they have played, and have lost to Uruguay 6 times and tied twice.  Uruguay is ranked no. 6 in the world, Italy no. 7, England no. 13, and Costa Rica is ranked no. 31.

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

Giant leaves in the cloud forest

At the La Paz Waterfall Gardens it is possible to look down on the cloud forest as it plunges into the ravine through which the river and waterfalls slice through the jungle.

This is similar to the views of the cloud forest available from canopy walks in places like Monteverde.

A couple of weeks ago I showed a photo of the giant leaves of the elephant's umbrella plant.  This photo shows how the plant is well adapted to compete for the rain and sunshine with the blanket of other jungle plants that cover the forest floor.

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

Waterfall

Yesterday I showed a stream in a location that is just above this waterfall.   La Paz Waterfall Gardens has several waterfalls on their property, with trails through the cloud forest jungle in the mountains above San Jose.  We were there on a rainy day and the streams and waterfalls had a lot of water.

The weather in the northwest Costa Rican province of Guanacaste where Tamarindo is located is much different than the weather in the Central Valleys.  We have a long dry season from November to April.  The rain in the Central Valleys is sufficient for Costa Rica to generate more than 95% of its electricity from hydro power.

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

Heading towards a waterfall

The photos I have been showing the last week or so have been from La Paz Waterfall Gardens, in the mountains above San Jose.  As its name discloses, there are waterfalls there.

This is a view down a stream towards a waterfall.  This would be a real bad place to swim, as I will show in the days ahead.

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

Julie keeping the camera and herself dry

Following upon yesterday's photo, this is a photo of Julie taking a picture of a heliconia in the rain.

Julie has a little rain cover for her camera, so her camera can stay as dry as she is, yet she can still see and operate the camera's controls.  I also have equipment that lets me keep the camera dry while taking photos.  It is called an umbrella.

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

Julie taking toucan's photo

After I get the photos that I want to take, I will sometimes turn my camera on Julie while waiting for her to take photos.

Here you see that it was a rainy day while we were at La Paz Waterfall Gardens in the mountains above San Jose.  We bought a poncho in the gift shop, which Julie used to keep dry while following a toucan around in pursuit of more photos.

Julie usually takes longer to taker photos than me because she always uses a DSLR, and virtually never on automatic.  I will sometimes use a DSLR, but often I will use a semi-automatic camera with a lens that has a range from macro to 42x zoom.

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

Theme Day: Looking Out -- Toucan's Eye

The December 1 worldwide City Daily Photo theme is "Looking Out."    I am therefore posting this photo of a toucan's eyeball.

The toucan aviary at La Paz Waterfall Gardens allowed an opportunity to get close enough to toucans to get photos such as this, if you have a good telephoto.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing some photos from our recent trip to Ethiopia, featuring the people.

To see how other City Daily Photo bloggers have interpreted the theme of "Looking Out," please check this link.