JOY IN COSTA RICA

View
to my first overseas trip in a decade 
 Costa Rica
'Rich Coast'


Joy in Costa Rica, Friends, Creatures, Flowers, Scenes, Art


PURA VIDA!

Self Portrait 
on the shiny front wheel of a tour bus.
Joy Krauthammer ©

I truly had a good time visiting Costa Rica. Located in Central America with Nicaragua to the North, Panama to the South, the Pacific Ocean to the East, and Caribbean Sea to the West.

After the substitute airplane landed, everything else went smoothly and joyously.  I wanted to be on holiday for R&R in nature around animals and flowers and water and this was fulfilled.  I'd survived the stress of house water pipes bursting with too many plumbers and repair people around with consequences, and I needed to escape from the mess. I finished my taxes! This wasn't a trip for museums, theatre and history or archeology as other past loved trips.  I didn't want to be buying tshotshkahs and I didn't. I promised myself I could have one new t-shirt from Costa Rica and that is ALL I got for myself when I found the pink tie-dye with butterflies, and a few gifts for others from the land of coffee-- which I don't drink. Ah, a couple seashells on the beach I was happy to find.  It barely rained and was so hot barefoot on the sand at high noon at the equator that I got good and sun burnt when I didn't pay attention to the sun beating down on me at the ocean when I'd forgotten sunscreen on some body parts. oy. I had so many tubes of sun screen with me and hats for my head and sun clothing for my arms. I should have also put on all the bug stuff I'd carefully bought at REI.

I had a brand new passport, and I was fortunate to travel with my dear soul sister AriellaShira and her husband, Michael. Our planes were cancelled in LA after we got boarding passes, and even boarded. My pals were sent to another country before landing in Costa Rica, finally, but I fared better at least arriving late the same day after being rerouted to a more distant city to change planes. Met some lovely people along the way, especially Eileen and Bruce, shop keepers from British Colombia. You'll see them all in my photos. I love photographing friends and I did! Already sent tons of photos to lots of people in the photos. I really enjoyed the Israeli master travelers as seat mates on my way home, and loved their impressive stamp-filled passports.

Only two things I didn't get to do which I had desired, was go kayaking which I love, and to visit a shul especially on Shabbat. No shuls. Timing and location did not work. AriellaShira and I made sure to have a song and prayer-filled Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh. No place to go safely kayaking. I remembered the one time I went out into the Pacific Ocean and needed to be rescued, so I played it safe and denied myself the thrill and serenity.

I did get to meet a teacher's family in Costa Rica, unplanned before leaving, and that was fun although brief. Hello Tamar! I'm grateful that we met in Guanacaste at the Marriott especially since we didn't meet in LA as we had hoped for last year. I was smiling the entire trip except for when my new camera battery died (every afternoon), and the binos broke, and when I was locked out of my fancy room twice with non working card keys. That was when I met Tamar when I had a frown on my face, locked out. I guess batteries die after a couple hundred shots which would have been several rolls of Kodak film. I only took 1,300 shots because each afternoon I was cameraless. Actually I was not even upset and just recharged it each night.

That's me in photo holding the camera up while the battery charges in it connected to a restaurant outlet in the high ceiling, oy vey. Charger needs 4 hours, so this did NOT do it.

I thought the t-shirt (a hand-me-down from my daughter) was good to wear since we were on a river boat watching egrets and herons.

Just for the record, I did NO journaling on my holiday, thus fotos and feelings won't be all identified. Enjoy. (I did rent a few computers along the way to say hi.)

Ah, I'll show you my favorite unexpected shot which really pleased me. I had a gig in Costa Rica at the Marriott. I loved it that the Bizouro Moderno musicians had a REMO drum head although it didn't look like a Remo drum. I wrote Remo and told him I saw his drum in Costa Rica! (He is used to seeing his drums all over the world.) I played percussion afternoon and evening for a 300 person gala, and changed costumes along the way.

This was a fun highlight for me. 
Even the waitresses recognized me the next day!

L > R

Dovid, Ze' Cule, Joy Alegria Krauthammer, and Melissa Barquero Lopez
 (Melissa wearing a long spiral sea shell in each ear.)

Bizouro Moderno (Manganga) band, hors d'oeuvres time.
AriellaShira ©

Bizouro Manganga Band, Dinner Time  

Doug Fabel  ©

Here's my music site.

http://joys-music.blogspot.com/

&

The band's terrific U Tube "Alegria del Lago"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9QbD3dATr0

HERE'S JOY

Here's some of the earthy and watery places I encountered when my camera battery worked, 

and asked strangers if they would take my picture. 

You know I like to drum, and on my first day met this guy, from a tribe of Shamans.

photo by AriellaShira ©

Cloud covered Arenal volcano on a drizzly morning.
Middle of the night I had witnessed red glow at top, the nocturnal pryrotechnics.
I'd gone swimming night before in warm pool in the drizzle.
photo by Eileen Holmes  ©

photo by Jose Castillo ©  

I made it to the Nicaragua border by boat!

active Poas Volcano or is it Arenal Volcano?

A hike on Hanging Bridges, suspended
in lush topical rainforest.
photo by Carol Caughey ©

Met this colorful macaw when I got off Hanging Bridges.
It was a long and high hike and I didn't see anyone for a long time.

Learning to drink coffee in Tortuguero, in a land of coffee.

I luckily found some hot cocoa in a land of cocoa bean pods.

You know I love the purple house in Tortuguero.
I loved wearing my Hawaii turtle t-shirt
where turtles live in the Tortuguero river.

Tortuguero surrounded with water and NO vehicles.  Amazing.
River on one side and Caribbean on the other and they meet!
Mar Caribe
photo by AriellaShira ©

Poas Volcano on a clear day. Elevation summit 8, 871 feet.

Lev Eisha travels with me.  Volcano in background

UL. Joy, Pacific Ocean, Quanacaste Coast

LL. Joy, Cafe Britt Coffee Plantation, Barva de Heredia, on slopes of extinct Barva Volcano.

Here, I actually learned to like and appreciate the exacting coffee bean process.

R. Joy, Baldi Volcanic Hot Springs  92*+, Arenal. Volcanoe behind me. 92*

photo by Jackie Bowles ©

Traveled Path

Costa Rica Tour

.

which map is more clear of these bottom 2?

which should I delete?

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FRIENDS

It was fun being on buses and boats and dining with the tour group.
Below are shots of happy traveling people with whom I enjoyed sharing the week.  - Joy

AriellaShira Lewis

Tortuguero rustic cabin with walk in shower and a bedroom fan.

 No A/C, no phones, no radio, no alarm, and no glass windows.

AriellaShira and Joy by the Ocean

Joy, Eileen & Bruce Holmes
Tortuguero River ride

Eileen & Clemente D'Allesio and Joy

They are ARTS loving New Yorkers!

Tamar and sun burnt Joy

We met with her family my last night at the Marriott.

AriellaShira & Michael Lewis

upon arrival from LA via Guatemala-- not planned.

Grateful to be traveling with them, 
I appointed myself their personal photographer.

Exotic fruits hang for sale in street shops.

I purchased the boiled fruits in a grocery.     

AriellaShira, Belinda Bridwell

Dance lesson last night in Costa Rica

Carol & Mike Caughey

Vickie & Roger Wilson

Eileen & Bruce Holmes
Plaza de la Cultura, Avenida Centrale

Last night, in Costa Rica, in city of San Jose.

I bravely toured my new Canadian friends by foot with a map and a compass.

There are no addresses and NO mailboxes outside the city, in the countryside,

so seeing this very large, Correo, Post Office is ridiculous.

Golden Arch, McDonalds, serves gorgeous large chunks of carrot cake and had security guards.

We found our way back intact in the dark narrow alleyways of rush hour San Jose!

TOUR GROUP

That's me, Joy, in the white jacket on lower right side of staircase.

AriellaShira & Michael, top middle.

Linda Finkus, behind me on left.

Clemente D'Alessio, upper right. (Thanks for NY memories.)

Roger & Vickie Wilson, upper left. (Thanks for 'babysitting' while I went body surfing.)

Belinda & George Bridwell, center last row. (Thanks for foto.)

Linda Weaver and sister, Janet Sullivan, center.

Michelle & Frank Munsky, center front. (Thanks for seashells.)

Eileen & Bruce Holmes, hidden right rear. (Thanks for being best tour pals.)
Jackie & Robert Bowles and sister Dale Bowles. (Thanks for photo.)
Judy & Douglas Fabel. (Thanks for photo.)
Jose Castillo, bottom right corner. (Thanks for being a great guide.)

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CREATURES

Welcome to the world of animals and critters I loved seeing in Costa Rica.

All photos and collages by Joy Krauthammer ©

I call her Mango MONKEY. 

The river guide on our small rocking boat called her Blondie, the only golden monkey in Central America. An aberration (genetic mutation) and thrown out of the tribe at age of maturity, two, and later adopted by another tribe. Now 8 years, this very fast moving, berry-eating creature has a ten day old baby clinging to its body. First baby disappeared. Blondie is beautiful.

More HOWLER Mantled MONKEYS, Allouata palliata

I heard the roaring rumbling growl from the distance, early and late in the da.

SPIDER Monkeys who use their tale as a 5th hand and shake branches to be scary.

Tortuguero National Park, 47,000 acres, is known for Leather Back and Green sea TURTLE conservation, 

but these are smaller river turtles. 

I love saving turtles and swimming with turtles as in Hawaii, but not in these rivers of the National Park.

Aren't these guys adorable!

CROCS & CAIMANS

Mangrove reserve, Tarcoles River

First live CROCS I'd ever encountered. I stayed in the boat.

Being safe near these guys is not a croc. They are about 12 feet long and mean looking.

Why are rubber crocs called Crocs?

Costa Rica CROCODILES or are they Caimans?

Not cute underbelly!  /\

Cute underbelly!  \/

With an expensive new small powerful flashlight, I went out in the dark 

searching for this cute Red-Eyed Green Frog.

Tortuguero, Costa Rica

A Costa Rica Manoa hotel reception security guard showed me this palm-sized frog on the ground.

Found on the ground in the dark, this Bull Frog in Tortuguero.

These lovely Emerald Basilisk LIZARDS run between ground and trees, especially when crocs appear, or people.

 The body is about a foot long, and the thin stripped tail even longer. 

Sometimes I got close to them in a tree where they might sit hoping I'd go away.

Aren't these Costa Rican lizards amazing!

Similar but different Emerald Basilisk Lizard

EMERALD BASILISK LIZARD

Costa Rica

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There were dozens of IGUANAS perched high in a tree.

Through a window on moving tall bus on higher road than the land below, I shot the iguanas.

Wish we could have stopped.

ANHINGA Bird

Tortuguero

More Costa Rica beautiful Water Birds

Cano Palma wildlife reserve's reflecting waters.

UR. UL. Anhinga

L. Northern Jacana.

BIRDS of Costa Rica

UR. Boat-billed Heron.

UL. Great Egret.

LL. LR. Snowy Egret and 300 bird species in Tortuguero.

LM. Tri-colored Heron.

MR. Willet.

MIgratory Birds, Rio Frio, runs through Cano Negro wildlife refuge.

Scarlet MACAW - Ara Macao

Blue and Yellow MACAW - Ara Ararauna

Blue and Yellow MACAWS

This is a bird I really wanted to see in the wild in Costa Rica.

PEACOCKS

Peacocks walk quickly out of camera range.

MONTEZUMA OROPENDOLA

builds a hanging woven nest of fibers and vines, high in a tree in Tortuguero.

One male for dozens of females who nest in tree.

 BUTTERFLIES / Mariposas at butterfly garden.

BUTTERFLY COCOON, chrysalis and emergence
UR. Monarch chrysalis.
These are several types of butterfly cocoons, even the brown ones have life inside.
Some looked like pearly colors.
They are removed from the leaves where found and pinned up to the stick.
(Locally at Wild Wings, I've seen them glued to holders.)

These BUGS were open-hand sized!
Are these what bit me?

Proboscis BATS - Rhynchonycteris naso (long or leaf nosed bats)

SLOTH
or IQUANA?
Truth is that I knew the sloth was in a tree and from very far, I saw a dark bulge and took the shot,
never knowing what Sloth looked like. Sloth is arboreal, tree dwelling.
Sloth and Anteater are related in the Pilosa family.  Hmm, think this is an Iquana.

GIANT ANTEATER
or is it a COATIMUNDI, a tropical raccoon?
I saw this fast guy when I came down from the Hanging Bridges when I was wandering alone.

I have had fun creating the collages using fonts
that I thought looked closer to the creatures than other fonts.
I used mostly green backgrounds because Costa Rica was so green.

All photos and collages by Joy Krauthammer ©

I have 1,300 photos to process (organize and edit) and will add more landscapes and scenes of Costa Rica.
Please return here for another visit and maybe I'll be finished.

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