JOY IN COSTA RICA

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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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