Folks,
Clara and I got back from Manuel Antonio on Wednesday, and she left on Thursday. We had (another!) bank holiday on Sunday, Culture Day, so it's a long weekend.
Manuel Antonio
-------------------
I've been to Manuel Antonio more often than any other place in the country. It's so beautiful down there, with a wonderful beach, and it's also just beside the Manuel Antonio national park.
The only problem is that it's well-established on the tourist map. However, that wasn't so much of a problem on this trip, because we're off season now so it was quite quiet.
Rain
------
We're at the height of the rainy season now – October should be the wettest month. At the start of this season we were told it would be even worse than last year, because of the La Niña weather phenomenon.
But it's been nothing like last year. Last year, we didn't have one dry day in October. This year, we have had some lovely sunny days. It's quite hot too - we've the fan on in the apartment most of the time. There have only been 9 named storms this season, with 5 of them minor hurricanes. The season isn't over until the end of November, but this compares with last year when there were 28 storms, with 15 hurricanes, including Katrina, Rita and Wilma.
American apologies
------------------------
When we were a bar in Manuel Antonio, during (ironically, given my comments above) a really heavy tropical rainstorm, the group at the next table sent us over some shots from a bottle of rum they had. Two were locals, and the third was a guy from California called Casey. He came over and talked to us. About two minutes into the conversation he told us that he needed to make clear that although he was American, he didn't support the Bush government or their policies – I'm from California. We're very liberal. I've never voted for Bush and I don't support this administration. I just want you to know that.
It's something I see again and again here, and find also working with so many Americans. There is a need to apologise and disassociate themselves with their government. It's terrible to be abroad knowing a government that is hated internationally controls your country. It's a sweeping generalisation, and apologies to Americans reading if I'm not correct, but it seems to me that the pro-Bush Americans don't travel. And the people who travel, in particular to work somewhere poor like Costa Rica, are bearing the brunt of it.
Farewell night
------------------
With Thursday being a holiday, and because we don't work on Friday, we decided to go out on the razzamatazz on Wednesday, Clara's last night. The razzamatazz means that it was similar to most nights when we go out after work. We went to Mulo.
Clara got on very well with the teachers, some of whom she'd met before. The bar officially closes at 12, but we had a lock-in and didn't leave until after 1.30.
A few of us decided to come back to the apartment for a few more beers to finish the night off. It ended up being a long one. We got to bed about 7am, and our guests left us the next day at about 2pm.
Photos
--------
I'm moving my photos to the web address picasaweb.google.com/eamon.mcdonagh. So far, there are just the photos of Clara's trip, and a few from Ireland in July. But over the next few weeks I'll be putting more up.
------
Well, that's it for another week. I'm taking it easy this weekend. Even though it's a long one, the funds are down having done so much travelling recently. So until next week …
Pura Vida,
Éamon
Sunday's headline from La Nación: 61% of professionals graduate from private universities.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Clara's Visit
Folks,
Apologies for the radio silence last week. My sister Clara had arrived the previous Wednesday, then we were away for the weekend, and then it was into a really busy week in work with the mid-term evaluations. Apologies also to people who have sent me emails and have got no reply. I hope to catch up next weekend.
Arrival from Cuba
---------------------
Clara arrived last Wednesday week, following a 3-week holiday in Cuba. She had an amazing time there and really loved it. She arrived here on the Wednesday. She had had a stopover in El Salvador, which she hadn't expected. She was most impressed with the views of what she thought was Costa Rica when landing. All was sorted out, however, at the baggage belt, when her luggage didn't arrive and she was redirected to the queue for the flight to San José.
Arte Vive
-----------
We went to Puerto Viejo last weekend. I love this laid-back Caribbean town, and our trip was made all the more memorable by co-inciding with their Arts Festival. We had marching bands, live music and a fire show.
On the Saturday, we decided to hire bikes and cycle to Manzanillo, a beautiful beach 13km south. It was a great journey. An easy flat cycle, and we stopped for a beer in an eco-lodge, which the lady American owner tried to sell to us. The lodge, not the beer. A snip at $350,000.
As we approached Manzanillo itself, the heavens opened and we were drenched in a tropical rainstorm. Even though we were soaked, myself and Jack went for a walk on the beach, leaving Clara happily in the bar. Jack tripped over a tree and broke his flip flops, so it was difficult for him to walk in them. Then on the way home he got a puncture. So he had an inoperable bike and unwalkable flip flops. He had to walk most of the way home in mine, which were way too big for him.
Mr Lava Lava
----------------
This weekend, myself and Clara headed up to La Fortuna for the Arenal Volcano. We met a hostal owner when we got off the bus, called Mr Lava Lava (slogan: Feel the Heat). He was a wonderful find. The hostal was cheap and clean, and he dropped us to a wonderful hot springs for the afternoon. For the price of the hot springs entrance he'd drop us there, collect us, bring us to the volcano, and drop us back for an evening in the springs. He said that if we still hadn't seen the volcano, he'd collect us at 10pm, and bring us back to the volcano.
The springs were fantastic. They weren't the same ones I'd been to before, but it's the height of luxury to bathe in hot springs sipping your cocktails. I've been to La Fortuna three times now, and we had the best view I've seen of the volcano from the town during the day. But you can only see the lava at night. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be that night. For our trips at 7pm and at 10 there was really low cloud, and we didn't see a thing. It's amazing that we could get a great view of the beautiful full moon that night, over 380,000km away, we couldn't see the volcano only 1km away.
Manuel Antonio
------------------
After the disappointment of the volcano we decided to head to Manual Antonio, my favorite village on the Pacific Coast. It's off season, so quite a bit quieter. But we had a a really beautiful relaxed day today, just lounging on the beach, reading, and popping in for a swim in the very powerful waves every now and again. I saw the lifeguards have to go into action several times.
Clara got dreadlocks in her hair earlier, so now, after a few beers on our hotel balcony, we're off to have a meal in the old Oliver North plane smuggled into Costa Rica to help the contras during the civil war in Nicaragua.
-----
I have a couple of days off, Monday and Tuesday, and Thursday is the Culture Day bank holiday, so I've an easy one-day-week ahead. So until next week,
Pura Vida,
Éamon
Sunday's headline from La Nación: Alterra (airport development contractors) confirm that they don't have funds to pay the banks
Apologies for the radio silence last week. My sister Clara had arrived the previous Wednesday, then we were away for the weekend, and then it was into a really busy week in work with the mid-term evaluations. Apologies also to people who have sent me emails and have got no reply. I hope to catch up next weekend.
Arrival from Cuba
---------------------
Clara arrived last Wednesday week, following a 3-week holiday in Cuba. She had an amazing time there and really loved it. She arrived here on the Wednesday. She had had a stopover in El Salvador, which she hadn't expected. She was most impressed with the views of what she thought was Costa Rica when landing. All was sorted out, however, at the baggage belt, when her luggage didn't arrive and she was redirected to the queue for the flight to San José.
Arte Vive
-----------
We went to Puerto Viejo last weekend. I love this laid-back Caribbean town, and our trip was made all the more memorable by co-inciding with their Arts Festival. We had marching bands, live music and a fire show.
On the Saturday, we decided to hire bikes and cycle to Manzanillo, a beautiful beach 13km south. It was a great journey. An easy flat cycle, and we stopped for a beer in an eco-lodge, which the lady American owner tried to sell to us. The lodge, not the beer. A snip at $350,000.
As we approached Manzanillo itself, the heavens opened and we were drenched in a tropical rainstorm. Even though we were soaked, myself and Jack went for a walk on the beach, leaving Clara happily in the bar. Jack tripped over a tree and broke his flip flops, so it was difficult for him to walk in them. Then on the way home he got a puncture. So he had an inoperable bike and unwalkable flip flops. He had to walk most of the way home in mine, which were way too big for him.
Mr Lava Lava
----------------
This weekend, myself and Clara headed up to La Fortuna for the Arenal Volcano. We met a hostal owner when we got off the bus, called Mr Lava Lava (slogan: Feel the Heat). He was a wonderful find. The hostal was cheap and clean, and he dropped us to a wonderful hot springs for the afternoon. For the price of the hot springs entrance he'd drop us there, collect us, bring us to the volcano, and drop us back for an evening in the springs. He said that if we still hadn't seen the volcano, he'd collect us at 10pm, and bring us back to the volcano.
The springs were fantastic. They weren't the same ones I'd been to before, but it's the height of luxury to bathe in hot springs sipping your cocktails. I've been to La Fortuna three times now, and we had the best view I've seen of the volcano from the town during the day. But you can only see the lava at night. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be that night. For our trips at 7pm and at 10 there was really low cloud, and we didn't see a thing. It's amazing that we could get a great view of the beautiful full moon that night, over 380,000km away, we couldn't see the volcano only 1km away.
Manuel Antonio
------------------
After the disappointment of the volcano we decided to head to Manual Antonio, my favorite village on the Pacific Coast. It's off season, so quite a bit quieter. But we had a a really beautiful relaxed day today, just lounging on the beach, reading, and popping in for a swim in the very powerful waves every now and again. I saw the lifeguards have to go into action several times.
Clara got dreadlocks in her hair earlier, so now, after a few beers on our hotel balcony, we're off to have a meal in the old Oliver North plane smuggled into Costa Rica to help the contras during the civil war in Nicaragua.
-----
I have a couple of days off, Monday and Tuesday, and Thursday is the Culture Day bank holiday, so I've an easy one-day-week ahead. So until next week,
Pura Vida,
Éamon
Sunday's headline from La Nación: Alterra (airport development contractors) confirm that they don't have funds to pay the banks
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