Musicians on the street at night

After dinner, we found ourselves walking back to our condo behind the musicians who walk from restaurant to restaurant serenading diners.  So, naturally, I had to try taking a photo.

The musicians must color coordinate their outfits, as they all wear the same color at the same time.  Their cowboy style outfits continue the tradition of the singing cowboys of the rancheros in northwest Costa Rica.  The outfits seem rather hot to wear in our warm climate, however.

This week we have photos featuring the cathedral and street scenes of Grenada, Nicaragua, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Guitar player

This is the guitar player of the troubadours who walk from restaurant to restaurant in Tamarindo playing requests for tips.

It can be a challenge to photograph them because I prefer natural light to flash, and of course the clarity of photos with a slow shutter is compromised.

This week we have photos featuring the cathedral and street scenes of Grenada, Nicaragua, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Musicians at Seasons by Shlomy

About two weeks ago I showed a photo of a group of musicians walking along the beach.  Here they are serenading Julie at dinner.  They walk from restaurant to restaurant all over town performing for tips.

I took this photo during dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in Tamarindom -- Seasons, by Shlomy.  Shlomy is an Israeli chef, and his restaurant has Mediterranean influences.re

This week we have photos featuring the cathedral and street scenes of Grenada, Nicaragua, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Sunset over Tamarindo Bay

I usually show photos of the sunset from Tamarindo or Langosta beaches, but every once in a while we like to go up to the heights above Tamarindo and watch the sunset from there.

This is a view of Tamarindo bay, with San Francisco Point at the southern end of the bay, and Playa Langosta around the point to the left.

This was high tide, as Capitan Island is barely visible in the middle of this photo.  The island and a reef shelters the southern end of the bay.  You can see some of the boats in the sheltered part of the bay.

This week we have photos featuring the cathedral and street scenes of Grenada, Nicaragua, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

A surfer heading in at sunset

This is a more traditional scene at the end of the day at Tamarindo than the bicyclists I showed yesterday or the bride and groom the days before.

I guess this surfer was too tired from day of surfing to carry the surfboard home, and decided to drag it along the beach instead.

Today is Sunday, so we are showing new photos on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are featuring the cathedral and street scenes of Grenada, Nicaragua.

Bicyclists on the beach at sunset

Some people use Tamarindo Beach as the main street for the town.  And why not?  It is more pleasant to walk down the beach than down the street.

I don't think I would ride a bicycle on the beach, however.  I would think that sand would get on the chains and sprockets.

This week we are showing photos of Ronda, Spain, a charming town perched on the edge of a gorge, posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Where's the threshold?

This groom looks like he is ready to carry his bride over the threshold, but he took a detour to the beach instead.  And why not?  A Tamarindo sunset on the beach is a good spot for a wedding or to spend time on one's wedding.

As this photo reveals, the bride is on the beach without shoes.  I guess typical shoes for a wedding would not do well on the sand.

My older son got married on a beach in the Caribbean, and the minister was barefoot.

Tamarindo is a popular place for weddings and honeymoons, and I have rented our condos to quite a few people who are in town for their weddings or honeymoons.  My younger son spent his honeymoon in Tamarindo about a year ago.  My older son wanted to do so, but both of our condos were already rented during the time he chose for his wedding and honeymoon.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing photos of Ronda, Spain, a charming town perched on the edge of a gorge.

Wedding couple on Tamarindo beach

Back to the beach in Tamarindo, I saw this couple enjoying some time on the beach just after their wedding.

If you are wondering what type of shoes a bride would wear for walking on the sand in a wedding dress, come back to check the photo posted for tomorrow.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing photos of Ronda, Spain, a charming town perched on the edge of a gorge.

Rodeo Street Art

This mural is on the outside of the building next to the rodeo grounds in Santa Rosa.   I don't see much street art in Costa Rica.  Maybe there is more in San Jose, but in the resort town of Tamarindo and in the surrounding small rural towns there is not much graffiti or street art.

This mural was painted with the rodeo grounds in mind, as it shows a bull rider and someone who has apparently been thrown off a bull.

This concludes my little series on Santa Rosa, a typical Tico town.  Tomorrow we will return to the beach.

This week we are showing photos of Ronda, Spain, a charming town perched on the edge of a gorge, posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Tico house

Here is another Tico house, although this was on the road outside of Santa Rosa, where the family has a larger property than the houses in town.

Costa Ricans cherish their small farm agricultural traditions, and many people have small farms even if they have a regular job doing something else.

This week we are showing photos of Ronda, Spain, a charming town perched on the edge of a gorge, posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Pink Tico House

After showing the town soccer field, church and school in Santa Rosa, I thought I would show a few houses in the village.

This is typical of Tico houses.  Small, simple, but colorful.

This week we are showing photos of Ronda, Spain, a charming town perched on the edge of a gorge, posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Kindergarten Classroom Door

This photo shows the door to the kindergarden classroom.  Besides the turtle welcoming the children, there is a schedule for the children for different days of the week.

The school grounds were completely fenced in, so I had to take all of these photos from the sidewalk, and used a telephoto to see what was on the door.

Kinder, of course, means children in German.  In Spanish, it means kindergarten.

This week we are showing photos of Ronda, Spain, a charming town perched on the edge of a gorge, posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Classroom building

This is another of the classroom buildings at the school in the small town of Santa Rosa.  I took this photo during a school vacation, so it was not in use and someone put some logs outside the door.

I mentioned yesterday that Costa Rica redirected its military budget to education and health care in 1948.  It has not, however, maintained the same high level of funding for education, as there are so many infrastructure and other public needs.

Costa Rica still does better than other countries with its income level, and families place a high priority on education.  The physical facilities of school buildings in rural Costa Rica can be modest, although learning can still occur in modest buildings.  It is to the country's credit that it can achieve literacy and health care comparable to the USA despite the fact that its resources are so much less.

This week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site we have photos posed of the remarkable street art of Valparaiso, Chile.

School building

This is one of the classroom buildings at the school in Santa Rosa.    The literacy rate in Costa Rica is about the same as the USA, and is higher than other countries in Central America and much of the developing world.

In 1949 Costa Rica abolished its military and redirected the military budget to education and health care.  Its health care system is rated about the the same as the USA as well.

This week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site we have photos posed of the remarkable street art of Valparaiso, Chile.

School Postings

This is a closer view of the front of the school building that I showed yesterday.  I don't speak Spanish (I know, that is a shame and I need to learn it), but I think that the artwork near the door greets the children with a message to the effect that "my rights are your rights also."

This week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site we have photos posed of the remarkable street art of Valparaiso, Chile.

Santa Rosa School

This is the front entrance to a school that is across the street from the soccer field in the center of Santa Rosa.  I think it is nice that it has a covered walkway to keep the children dry in the rain and to provide shade as the walk from the street to the school building.

I will show more of this school in the coming days.

This week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site we have photos posed of the remarkable street art of Valparaiso, Chile.

Santa Rosa Church

Every Costa Rican town has a Catholic Church, of course, and this is the church in Santa Rosa.  Many of the towns have what I would call mid-20th Century architecture.

This one needs a repair to the cross on the top of the little bell tower.

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 street art of Valparaiso, Chile.

Santa Rosa Soccer Field

I will start a new series today, moving inland from the beach to a typical Costa Rican village, Santa Rosa.

Like most Costa Rican small towns, right in the middle of town is a soccer, or football field.

Santa Rosa is about 10 minutes away from Tamarindo.  It is not on a main road, so it does not experience the traffic of tourists going to and from the beach.  The rodeo grounds that I showed a few months ago are also in Santa Rosa.

During the next week or two I will show some of the other typical things to seen in this rather typical village.

This week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site, we are showing photos of the outstanding street art of Valparaiso, Chile.

Musicians going to work along the beach

Not everyone on the beach is in a swim suit like the women taking photos and the surfers who I have shown during the last couple of weeks.  When it is close to dinner time, you can usually see musicians who go from restaurant to restaurant to play requests for trips.

They continue a tradition of troubadour cowboys in Northwest Costa Rica.  We always look forward to hearing and seeing them.  In the near future I will do a post of the singers serenading Julie at dinner.

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 street art of Valparaiso, Chile.

Wipe Out

This is the same surfer as yesterday, taken a few moments later, as you might be able to tell from the pattern on his swim trunks.

Maybe he spotted me on shore taking his photo and it distracted him, as it looks like he is waving for the camera.

Oh, well, at least the water in Tamarindo is a pleasant temperature all year around.

This week we are showing photos of the colorful tanneries of Fez, Morocco on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.