After our last breakfast at the B & B, we said goodbye to the proprietors. I hope that we return here.
We made good time driving, stopping for gas and a quick bite at a Tim Horton's.
Before leaving Canada, we stopped again at the patisserie and got 4 croissants and a baguette. We got two of the croissants and the baguette for Jane and Norman.
We decided to go through the small crossing at the Derby Line and.....it never fails, we did not make it through the U.S. border without being stopped. (This is due to Mark having lost his passport when we lived in England over 20 years ago.) But, it was not a long stop this time.
We drove over to Norman's and dropped off the pastries and then drove home to N.H.
A really, really good trip.
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
July 17 - Gatineau Park, Wakefield, Art Museum
Another hearty breakfast to start our day. We chatted with the owners of the B & B, including Marina, John's wife who gave me some good ideas about communicating with grandchildren. John also talked art - they have collected beautiful art in the B & B. At the dinner this morning was a retired pro baseball player and we got his signature for Hank. He pitched for the Milwaukee Braves in the 1959 and 1960 seasons. It was hard to read his name, so....not sure yet. Anyhow, he was charming and spends half his year at a home in Miami.
After breakfast we drove over to the massive Gatineau Park across the Ottawa River. We walked down to Pink Lake, a lake that does not circulate oxygen like normal lakes. It is supposedly more green colored in the summer than normal lakes, but it was rather overcast today, so it just looked like a lake to us and certainly not pink as it can evidently look at some times during the year. After driving around, we drove along the river to the little artsy-crafty village of Wakefield, a place recommended to us by Cassi. We couldn't find a place to eat that appealed to us, so we drove back into Ottawa and went to the National Gallery of Art.
The National Gallery is beautiful. The building was built since we lived there, so it was all new to us. We first saw an amazing 100 foot long, double-sided installation. It represented five decades of history and consisted of 16,000 photos cut out from Life Magazine. Each photo was mounted on a separate bamboo-like stick. The sticks were anything from an inch to several feet tall. It was mesmerizing and staggering to think of the work that went into it. We wandered in the impressionist area as we love the Impressionists. After that, we went down a level and took in the Group of Seven, Canadian artists painting in the 1920s and 30s. We really enjoyed this and contemplated buying a print, but talked ourselves out of it as we prefer to buy originals and try to buy from people we actually know.
By then, we were way past lunch time and hungry. We tried to eat at an Ethiopian restaurant in "our" neighbohood, but it was closed. We ended up at Shwarma Palace where we had - shwarma. I had chicken shwarma and Mark had beef. We also had salad and hummus. It took us back to our time in Egypt. And, it was Eid, so also fitting. (The end of Ramadan.)
We went back to our wonderful B & B and read the rest of the day away. By this point, it was also raining. I took a wonderful soak in the jazuzzi gazing up at the rain falling on the skylight above me.
Another wonderful day in Ottawa and we have really relaxed here and totally gotten away.
After breakfast we drove over to the massive Gatineau Park across the Ottawa River. We walked down to Pink Lake, a lake that does not circulate oxygen like normal lakes. It is supposedly more green colored in the summer than normal lakes, but it was rather overcast today, so it just looked like a lake to us and certainly not pink as it can evidently look at some times during the year. After driving around, we drove along the river to the little artsy-crafty village of Wakefield, a place recommended to us by Cassi. We couldn't find a place to eat that appealed to us, so we drove back into Ottawa and went to the National Gallery of Art.
The National Gallery is beautiful. The building was built since we lived there, so it was all new to us. We first saw an amazing 100 foot long, double-sided installation. It represented five decades of history and consisted of 16,000 photos cut out from Life Magazine. Each photo was mounted on a separate bamboo-like stick. The sticks were anything from an inch to several feet tall. It was mesmerizing and staggering to think of the work that went into it. We wandered in the impressionist area as we love the Impressionists. After that, we went down a level and took in the Group of Seven, Canadian artists painting in the 1920s and 30s. We really enjoyed this and contemplated buying a print, but talked ourselves out of it as we prefer to buy originals and try to buy from people we actually know.
By then, we were way past lunch time and hungry. We tried to eat at an Ethiopian restaurant in "our" neighbohood, but it was closed. We ended up at Shwarma Palace where we had - shwarma. I had chicken shwarma and Mark had beef. We also had salad and hummus. It took us back to our time in Egypt. And, it was Eid, so also fitting. (The end of Ramadan.)
We went back to our wonderful B & B and read the rest of the day away. By this point, it was also raining. I took a wonderful soak in the jazuzzi gazing up at the rain falling on the skylight above me.
Another wonderful day in Ottawa and we have really relaxed here and totally gotten away.
July 16 - Dinner with friend we met in Costa Rica
We started with another hearty breakfast; today everyone at the table was a teacher or former teacher. A couple from Montreal taught French and science; a couple from N.Carolina taught English and math. Good conversation, needless to say.
We did more reminiscing today - drove to a dam where the Rideau River flows into the Ottawa River where there is a globe that we used to visit with David when he was little. We drove along the Ottawa River in the big park there up as far as the Air Museum and by Rideau Hall.
For lunch, we again relied on Mark's research and ended up at Hatha Rothi, a Sri Lankan restaurant. Just a hole in the wall with only 2 tables. Again, we almost walked out when we saw that it was just a fast food restaurant, but again, we trusted our instincts and had a fabulous, fabulous lunch. We were the only ones there and the owner/chef chatted with us and gave us free papadoms along with our meal. Mark had melt-in-your-mouth Butter Chicken. I had three different vegetables in different curries - all delicious - green beans, sweet potatoes and....?(forgot). Mark had freshly made Naan bread. It was all fabulous and...incredibly cheap.
We read the afternoon away.
Then, we went out to meet a friend we made in Costa Rica. Christine is a marine biologist who works for the government of Canada. She is also an avid birdwatcher and plans to retire in Costa Rica. We met her in Atenas, our first stop in Costa Rica. We met at Union Restaurant known for its Southern food. We all ordered the same food - fried chicken and cole slaw. We had such great conversation. Christine takes annual trips, for example, to Newfoundland where she gets data on killer whales. She goes for almost 3 weeks by helicopter to Sable Island where she monitors grey seals - thousands and thousands of them. She is smart, funny and gutsy and quite fearless - a camper and kayaker who does not let having to go places alone stop her at all. Another lovely evening in Ottawa!
For lunch, we again relied on Mark's research and ended up at Hatha Rothi, a Sri Lankan restaurant. Just a hole in the wall with only 2 tables. Again, we almost walked out when we saw that it was just a fast food restaurant, but again, we trusted our instincts and had a fabulous, fabulous lunch. We were the only ones there and the owner/chef chatted with us and gave us free papadoms along with our meal. Mark had melt-in-your-mouth Butter Chicken. I had three different vegetables in different curries - all delicious - green beans, sweet potatoes and....?(forgot). Mark had freshly made Naan bread. It was all fabulous and...incredibly cheap.
We read the afternoon away.
July 15 - We fight City Hall, bike and see old friends
A perfect day! We had so much fun from start to finish.
The day started with a lovely breakfast at the B &B. (eggs Benedict). The two other couples were very nice; one of them, from the Netherlands were here to see their two sons play field hockey for the Brazilian national team at the PanAmerican Games in Toronto. (She was Brazilian.) We also got to know John, the older owner of the B &B, as well as his son, Kevin and Kevin's wife, Cassi. Kevin and Cassi are in the process of buying Kevin's parents out of the B & B. Kevin is a computer coder and Cassi is a therapeutic yoga therapist who works with brain damaged accident victims.
Afterwards, we parked at the Byward Market and walked to City Hall to appeal our parking ticket. It was amazingly easy. We were third in line and got right in. After we told our story, an agreeable young man erased it all. We expected maybe a reduction in the fine, but were pleasantly surprised to have it totally expunged. Yay! "We fought the law and...we won!"
Then, we rented bikes underneath the bridge by Parliament and we rode the Rideau Canal as far as the first lock and then around Dows Lake and back the other side. It was probably about 10 miles. The weather was perfect for biking - sunny, but cool breezes. It was so reminiscent of our summer in Ottawa as we biked everywhere, but especially along the canal and to Dows Lake. Fun!
Afterwards, we went to Atari, another restaurant Mark found on Yelp and near to Byward Market. We had another delicious meal. We wanted something light as we were not particularly hungry after our huge breakfast. We both had tuna tartare with Asian dressing. It was amazing.
Then, we walked the market and got some flowers to take to Michelle and Jason.
For dinner we drove to Orleans where Jason and Michelle live. We knew them when we all taught together in Cairo. Jason and Michelle were right out of college and part of the group we hung out with. They now have children in middle school! (Sean is just starting middle school and Tiaran is already there.) Jason is the head of the music department at a performing arts school in Ottawa and Michelle teaches at the middle and high school in their neighborhood which their children attend. We had a lovely reunion; they made a terrific surf and turf meal of salmon and pork with grilled veggies etc. We so enjoyed seeing them again.
The day started with a lovely breakfast at the B &B. (eggs Benedict). The two other couples were very nice; one of them, from the Netherlands were here to see their two sons play field hockey for the Brazilian national team at the PanAmerican Games in Toronto. (She was Brazilian.) We also got to know John, the older owner of the B &B, as well as his son, Kevin and Kevin's wife, Cassi. Kevin and Cassi are in the process of buying Kevin's parents out of the B & B. Kevin is a computer coder and Cassi is a therapeutic yoga therapist who works with brain damaged accident victims.
Afterwards, we parked at the Byward Market and walked to City Hall to appeal our parking ticket. It was amazingly easy. We were third in line and got right in. After we told our story, an agreeable young man erased it all. We expected maybe a reduction in the fine, but were pleasantly surprised to have it totally expunged. Yay! "We fought the law and...we won!"
Afterwards, we went to Atari, another restaurant Mark found on Yelp and near to Byward Market. We had another delicious meal. We wanted something light as we were not particularly hungry after our huge breakfast. We both had tuna tartare with Asian dressing. It was amazing.
For dinner we drove to Orleans where Jason and Michelle live. We knew them when we all taught together in Cairo. Jason and Michelle were right out of college and part of the group we hung out with. They now have children in middle school! (Sean is just starting middle school and Tiaran is already there.) Jason is the head of the music department at a performing arts school in Ottawa and Michelle teaches at the middle and high school in their neighborhood which their children attend. We had a lovely reunion; they made a terrific surf and turf meal of salmon and pork with grilled veggies etc. We so enjoyed seeing them again.
Ottawa - July 14 - Parking ticket day!
We drove across the border at the small crossing at Derby Line and made a bee line for Les Vrais Richesses, a patisserie where we each had a croissant. (Jane and Norman recommended it.)
Then, we drove to Ottawa. Our Garmin did not work, however, as I erroneously just assumed that Canada would be included. Luckily, we saw a Tourist Information Center on the highway and stopped in and got directions to our B&B on Besserer Street as well as a good map.
Mark got to Benner's B&B very easily. Our first impression was that it was a bit further away from where we thought it would be, but we quickly changed our minds. Our room was one of the three that is rented and is the only one with a little balcony on the street. Our bathroom is down the hall, but exclusively ours. The tub is very sunken and also a Jacuzzi. Everything - very clean.
We were between lunch and dinner and really hungry, so Mark checked on Yelp for good, inexpensive food. We ended up at The Manx, a pub on Elgin Street. We almost walked out as it is subterranean and dark and only a few people were there. But, we trusted our research and were very glad we did. The food was creative and excellent. Mark had chicken salad and I had crab cakes. Both very good.
But when we got out, we found, to our dismay, that we had a $100 parking ticket! We had read the meter carefully which indicated that parking was free after 3:30. But, what we didn't see in our haste to park and to eat, was a sign that said there was NO parking from 3:30 - 5:30 because of rush hour traffic. (It was 3:40) As it happens, a meter maid came by and saw us staring at the ticket and the meter in puzzlement. She was not the one who gave us the ticket and, when we explained it all, she recommended we go to City Hall the next day and fight it. We were skeptical, partly because it seemed it would take a big chunk of our day.
We then drove around reacquainting ourselves with our old haunts from when we lived in Ottawa in the Glebe in 1986. We found the street (Fairbairn) where we had lived, but were a little sketchy on picking out the exact house. We also drove around our own neighborhood, found the Byward Market (open air market) and parked the car in the space the B & B has at a nearby apartment building.
We got some fruit etc from a market and went back to the B &B, ate and read.
Mark got to Benner's B&B very easily. Our first impression was that it was a bit further away from where we thought it would be, but we quickly changed our minds. Our room was one of the three that is rented and is the only one with a little balcony on the street. Our bathroom is down the hall, but exclusively ours. The tub is very sunken and also a Jacuzzi. Everything - very clean.
We were between lunch and dinner and really hungry, so Mark checked on Yelp for good, inexpensive food. We ended up at The Manx, a pub on Elgin Street. We almost walked out as it is subterranean and dark and only a few people were there. But, we trusted our research and were very glad we did. The food was creative and excellent. Mark had chicken salad and I had crab cakes. Both very good.
But when we got out, we found, to our dismay, that we had a $100 parking ticket! We had read the meter carefully which indicated that parking was free after 3:30. But, what we didn't see in our haste to park and to eat, was a sign that said there was NO parking from 3:30 - 5:30 because of rush hour traffic. (It was 3:40) As it happens, a meter maid came by and saw us staring at the ticket and the meter in puzzlement. She was not the one who gave us the ticket and, when we explained it all, she recommended we go to City Hall the next day and fight it. We were skeptical, partly because it seemed it would take a big chunk of our day.
We got some fruit etc from a market and went back to the B &B, ate and read.
July 13, 2015- off to see Norman and Jane in Newport, Vt.
But, on July 13, we traveled to Vermont to visit with Norman and Jane. We all went to Seymour Lake, about half an hour away, to visit the camp that Jane rented for two weeks. Her family has rented on Seymour Lake for over 18 years. It is the largest lake entirely within Vermont's border. The camp is a modest cabin - pump the water, which is no potable. It is nice to see that these old camps still exist and that not everyone has to modernize and upscale. We had a nice lunch there and then floated around the lake on inner tubes and, when a storm threatened, we sat on the screened porch and watched the rain and chatted, chatted, chatted. Afterwards, we went back to their house where we had a lovely pork tenderloin dinner and watched the U.S. Women's Soccer Team on a tape of their win in the World Cup over Japan, a match we had not seen. It was a lovely, lovely day.
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Reflections on our trip to Costa Rica
This was a very different trip to us as we generally visit museums, castles, historic sights, sit in cafes..... We usually visit several countries and cities. This trip was nature, nature and more nature. A month in one country. Many people go to Costa Rica to do zip lines, white water rafting and other adventures. Neither of us likes to sit at the beach either. We knew that we weren't going to do those things. Frankly, I worried that we might be bored or that I would be freaked out by the creepy-crawly things.
But, it was a wonderful vacation, exceeding our expectations. For one, we were in four, quite different climate environments which made it interesting. The central valley was spring-like, the cloud forest was cold and remote, the northern Pacific coast was hot and dry and rather 'touristy' and the southern Pacific coast was hot and wet.
This was probably one of the most relaxing vacations we have ever had, but we were NOT bored. The birds were interesting every single day of the trip and we frequently consulted the bird books we brought with us. (Thanks to Willy) We hiked, but never too strenuously. (With the exception of Santa Elena, I guess) We ate well. We did a lot of reading. (The Age of Acquiescence and Richard Ford's Bascombe Trilogy) We met incredible people, some of whom, I think will be friends forever. We hope so. The Costa Ricans were unfailingly friendly. When we first arrived, it felt incredibly foreign, but, by the time we left, it felt familiar. The roads were a challenge, but Mark rose to it. I was a coward and "let" him drive the entire trip. I guess it would be more accurate to say that he let me be a passenger!
There were some creepy-crawlies, but they were not an issue. Mark said that I stepped over a tarantula, but I never saw it. We did not see any snakes, nor did we look for them! We saw one dead scorpion. We heard and saw monkeys, but they kept their distance. My fears were completely unfounded, although Mark did kill some pretty good-sized spiders at the house in Monteverde.
We were cut off from the internet a lot which was both good and bad. We were frustrated not to be able to do the blog daily or keep up with the news, but it was also nice to be unattached. We did not miss television at all.
Both of us were very relaxed by the end of the holiday and both of us wanted to stay a little longer, a very good sign.
We are both open to a return visit, although there are SO many wonderful places in the world to see that I don't know whether we will. Life is short. But, getting to Costa Rica is not a long trip, especially from Florida, so maybe we will. We do want to see some of the friends we made again, that's for sure.
If we go again, we might consider using more taxis and maybe even going without renting our own vehicle.
We were very pleased that we chose to stay in a lot of bed and breakfasts because you meet people at them especially if you stay for a number of days. People do not mingle nearly as much at big hotels and resorts, nor do you meet as many people if you rent an apartment. We will definitely continue to stay at bed and breakfasts.
I was worried about the food a little bit because I don't really eat rice and beans, although Mark loves them and did eat quite a few of those dishes. But, it was not a problem for me as there was almost always good fish and fresh vegetables and fruit. Neither of us put on weight which was also a nice surprise.
Taking up birding made the trip have more dimensions to it than it would have had otherwise. Hiring guides was wise as they spotted things we never would have seen and also identified them. If we had gone to Costa Rica before taking up birding, it would have still been a good vacation, but birding has opened up a new world to us. Birding people are almost unfailingly nice to know, so birding has also meant meeting a lot of great people.
But, it was a wonderful vacation, exceeding our expectations. For one, we were in four, quite different climate environments which made it interesting. The central valley was spring-like, the cloud forest was cold and remote, the northern Pacific coast was hot and dry and rather 'touristy' and the southern Pacific coast was hot and wet.
This was probably one of the most relaxing vacations we have ever had, but we were NOT bored. The birds were interesting every single day of the trip and we frequently consulted the bird books we brought with us. (Thanks to Willy) We hiked, but never too strenuously. (With the exception of Santa Elena, I guess) We ate well. We did a lot of reading. (The Age of Acquiescence and Richard Ford's Bascombe Trilogy) We met incredible people, some of whom, I think will be friends forever. We hope so. The Costa Ricans were unfailingly friendly. When we first arrived, it felt incredibly foreign, but, by the time we left, it felt familiar. The roads were a challenge, but Mark rose to it. I was a coward and "let" him drive the entire trip. I guess it would be more accurate to say that he let me be a passenger!
There were some creepy-crawlies, but they were not an issue. Mark said that I stepped over a tarantula, but I never saw it. We did not see any snakes, nor did we look for them! We saw one dead scorpion. We heard and saw monkeys, but they kept their distance. My fears were completely unfounded, although Mark did kill some pretty good-sized spiders at the house in Monteverde.
We were cut off from the internet a lot which was both good and bad. We were frustrated not to be able to do the blog daily or keep up with the news, but it was also nice to be unattached. We did not miss television at all.
Both of us were very relaxed by the end of the holiday and both of us wanted to stay a little longer, a very good sign.
We are both open to a return visit, although there are SO many wonderful places in the world to see that I don't know whether we will. Life is short. But, getting to Costa Rica is not a long trip, especially from Florida, so maybe we will. We do want to see some of the friends we made again, that's for sure.
If we go again, we might consider using more taxis and maybe even going without renting our own vehicle.
We were very pleased that we chose to stay in a lot of bed and breakfasts because you meet people at them especially if you stay for a number of days. People do not mingle nearly as much at big hotels and resorts, nor do you meet as many people if you rent an apartment. We will definitely continue to stay at bed and breakfasts.
I was worried about the food a little bit because I don't really eat rice and beans, although Mark loves them and did eat quite a few of those dishes. But, it was not a problem for me as there was almost always good fish and fresh vegetables and fruit. Neither of us put on weight which was also a nice surprise.
Taking up birding made the trip have more dimensions to it than it would have had otherwise. Hiring guides was wise as they spotted things we never would have seen and also identified them. If we had gone to Costa Rica before taking up birding, it would have still been a good vacation, but birding has opened up a new world to us. Birding people are almost unfailingly nice to know, so birding has also meant meeting a lot of great people.
Home, April 6, 2015 - Right into Town Meeting!
We got home on the 2:45 boat after doing some typical shopping along the way. The car was filled "to the gillens" as Jecca used to say when she was little.
We arrived home to a wonderful new bathroom upstairs! We are thrilled; it doesn't feel like it's our house. After being agog at the bathroom, we hauled our weary bodies to Town Meeting where there was a vote to see if funding for a new school could be on the ballot. Surprisingly, it passed without even a discussion! But, it was a very personal and intense town meeting with a lot of zoning articles that mean a lot to the people in the various neighborhoods. Most discussed was the proposal to develop the land known as Glowacki's Pit. It failed. The result will probably be more development which is too complicated to explain in our travel blog. The town also voted to put a new firehouse on the ballot. We went for all three nights of Town Meeting, quite grueling. The second night was important because it had to do with the town tampering with the pensions of town employees. Town employees were out in force and the article was defeated. Another emotional discussion concerned the banning of lighter-than-air balloons which threaten sealife and the beaches. It was very personal because it is the livelihood of Tammy Bunting King, a former student, who has delivered balloons since she was a teen. The article, however, passed. And, the other very personal issue concerned a nonprofit funeral home, proposed by Catherine Flanagan Stover. She proposed it be built next to Newtown Cemetery on land that the Cemetery Commission wanted for new burial sites, which made it a complicated vote for me as a Cemetery Commissioner. At any rate, it passed.
The next week the town voted to override proposition 2 1/2 so that a new school and firehouse can be built.
At any rate, it is good to be home, although we are both COLD!
We arrived home to a wonderful new bathroom upstairs! We are thrilled; it doesn't feel like it's our house. After being agog at the bathroom, we hauled our weary bodies to Town Meeting where there was a vote to see if funding for a new school could be on the ballot. Surprisingly, it passed without even a discussion! But, it was a very personal and intense town meeting with a lot of zoning articles that mean a lot to the people in the various neighborhoods. Most discussed was the proposal to develop the land known as Glowacki's Pit. It failed. The result will probably be more development which is too complicated to explain in our travel blog. The town also voted to put a new firehouse on the ballot. We went for all three nights of Town Meeting, quite grueling. The second night was important because it had to do with the town tampering with the pensions of town employees. Town employees were out in force and the article was defeated. Another emotional discussion concerned the banning of lighter-than-air balloons which threaten sealife and the beaches. It was very personal because it is the livelihood of Tammy Bunting King, a former student, who has delivered balloons since she was a teen. The article, however, passed. And, the other very personal issue concerned a nonprofit funeral home, proposed by Catherine Flanagan Stover. She proposed it be built next to Newtown Cemetery on land that the Cemetery Commission wanted for new burial sites, which made it a complicated vote for me as a Cemetery Commissioner. At any rate, it passed.
The next week the town voted to override proposition 2 1/2 so that a new school and firehouse can be built.
At any rate, it is good to be home, although we are both COLD!
Friends and Family, Easter Weekend, April 3-5
We had an uneventful, but long drive, from Washington, D.C. to Westport, Massachusetts where we stayed with good friends, Ted and Bev for a night.
We left Washington before 6 a.m. as we did not want to hit traffic around NYC, especially as it was Good Friday. We made amazing time. Thanks to the directions of the Garmin, we avoided two traffic jams, one just before crossing the George Washington Bridge and one shortly thereafter. We pulled off the highway to get gas and, by sheer good luck, wandered into Branford, Connecticut (Exit 54) where we found an excellent delicatessen, Shoreline Deli, which we intend to remember for future trips. (Hence, writing it down in our blog!) They had a great salad bar and sandwiches made to order, too.
We had a nice late afternoon with Ted and Bev who are recovering from having to put their beloved Scottie dog, Molly, to sleep. We went to the Bayside for dinner, a tradition with us and had yummy fish dishes.
The next day, we drove to Concord to be with Jecca, Willy, Otis and Henry for Easter. We were amazed to see how frozen the ponds still are and the heaps of dirty snow that are still very evident. Jecca and Willy went out to dinner with a friend, so we got to hang out and make dinner with the boys, which is always a treat. The next day, Easter, we all went into Cambridge to go through Harvard's Museum of Natural History which has the amazing glass flowers collection. Afterwords, we walked to a vegetarian restaurant in Cambridge. Then, we split up. Jec and family went to a nice playground the kids had memories of and Mark and I got lost going to Newton in hopes of finding the museum where I gave a talk in January and where I left some copies of my Cyrus Peirce book which need to be picked up. After wandering lost, we did eventually find it, but it was closed, no surprise it being Easter.
Later we had a great Easter dinner made by Jecca. Steak on the grill and ratatouille made with a lot of the vegetables they are getting through their CSA. Then, after dinner, Willy treated us to a slide show of his amazing trip to Peru. Wow. His shots of birds were amazing and his tales of the adventure were entertaining. Macchu Pichu looked very impressive. His journey was way too rugged for us, that's for sure. Long, long hikes in high altitude, roads closed due to landslides, boating down a tributary of the Amazon, fairly primitive lodging.....fascinating. A trip of a lifetime, really.
Then, we had a real treat. We went with Willy and Otis to watch the woodcocks doing their quirky courting displays. We went to a field at dusk. Luckily, Willy has sharp eyes and picked out the woodcocks and was able to shine his flashlight so we could see them. They also make interesting little hiccups during their process. It was very special as Mark and I have never seen them do the display.
We left Washington before 6 a.m. as we did not want to hit traffic around NYC, especially as it was Good Friday. We made amazing time. Thanks to the directions of the Garmin, we avoided two traffic jams, one just before crossing the George Washington Bridge and one shortly thereafter. We pulled off the highway to get gas and, by sheer good luck, wandered into Branford, Connecticut (Exit 54) where we found an excellent delicatessen, Shoreline Deli, which we intend to remember for future trips. (Hence, writing it down in our blog!) They had a great salad bar and sandwiches made to order, too.
We had a nice late afternoon with Ted and Bev who are recovering from having to put their beloved Scottie dog, Molly, to sleep. We went to the Bayside for dinner, a tradition with us and had yummy fish dishes.
The next day, we drove to Concord to be with Jecca, Willy, Otis and Henry for Easter. We were amazed to see how frozen the ponds still are and the heaps of dirty snow that are still very evident. Jecca and Willy went out to dinner with a friend, so we got to hang out and make dinner with the boys, which is always a treat. The next day, Easter, we all went into Cambridge to go through Harvard's Museum of Natural History which has the amazing glass flowers collection. Afterwords, we walked to a vegetarian restaurant in Cambridge. Then, we split up. Jec and family went to a nice playground the kids had memories of and Mark and I got lost going to Newton in hopes of finding the museum where I gave a talk in January and where I left some copies of my Cyrus Peirce book which need to be picked up. After wandering lost, we did eventually find it, but it was closed, no surprise it being Easter.
Later we had a great Easter dinner made by Jecca. Steak on the grill and ratatouille made with a lot of the vegetables they are getting through their CSA. Then, after dinner, Willy treated us to a slide show of his amazing trip to Peru. Wow. His shots of birds were amazing and his tales of the adventure were entertaining. Macchu Pichu looked very impressive. His journey was way too rugged for us, that's for sure. Long, long hikes in high altitude, roads closed due to landslides, boating down a tributary of the Amazon, fairly primitive lodging.....fascinating. A trip of a lifetime, really.
Then, we had a real treat. We went with Willy and Otis to watch the woodcocks doing their quirky courting displays. We went to a field at dusk. Luckily, Willy has sharp eyes and picked out the woodcocks and was able to shine his flashlight so we could see them. They also make interesting little hiccups during their process. It was very special as Mark and I have never seen them do the display.
Back to the U.S.A., March 25, 2015
We had breakfast at our hotel, the Hampton Inn. We felt like we were already back home as the hotel is just so American. We got the shuttle to the airport which was a short ride. Our flight was slightly delayed, but it was no problem. Once again, we were happy to have paid a little extra for roomier seats, plus it meant that we boarded early, also nice.
The flight was smooth and we got great views as we flew over Cuba which looked very green with barrier islands. I hope that we get to visit and to go birding there some day.
The airport scene in Fort Lauderdale was TERRIBLE. We waited in useless line after line and the staff seemed as confused as the passengers were. The first long line was passport control. As usual, we were questioned longer than most people because Mark lost his passport back in the 90s when it flew away when we were in Exmouth, England. The next snafu was getting our luggage. There was confusion which carousel it was on because another plane landed at the same time. We actually went back and forth between two carousels as the airport personnel also had no idea which one our flight was using. It took well over half an hour to get our luggage. It turned out that the bags from our plane were sitting in the middle of the floor. We gathered that and waiting in an even longer line to go through customs. All of this took longer than the entire almost-three hour flight!
Finally, we were outside. I called the hotel (Cambria Suites) where we left our car. They said it wouldn't be long. Well, it was about an hour before we got our car and headed toward Lake Worth to stay with Michael and Nancy. Our plane landed around 4 and we got to their house after 9. Not impressive.
But, it was nice to be at Michael and Nancy's and it was great to have them both feeling much better health-wise than when we last saw them.
The flight was smooth and we got great views as we flew over Cuba which looked very green with barrier islands. I hope that we get to visit and to go birding there some day.
The airport scene in Fort Lauderdale was TERRIBLE. We waited in useless line after line and the staff seemed as confused as the passengers were. The first long line was passport control. As usual, we were questioned longer than most people because Mark lost his passport back in the 90s when it flew away when we were in Exmouth, England. The next snafu was getting our luggage. There was confusion which carousel it was on because another plane landed at the same time. We actually went back and forth between two carousels as the airport personnel also had no idea which one our flight was using. It took well over half an hour to get our luggage. It turned out that the bags from our plane were sitting in the middle of the floor. We gathered that and waiting in an even longer line to go through customs. All of this took longer than the entire almost-three hour flight!
Finally, we were outside. I called the hotel (Cambria Suites) where we left our car. They said it wouldn't be long. Well, it was about an hour before we got our car and headed toward Lake Worth to stay with Michael and Nancy. Our plane landed around 4 and we got to their house after 9. Not impressive.
But, it was nice to be at Michael and Nancy's and it was great to have them both feeling much better health-wise than when we last saw them.
Friday, June 26, 2015
The Trip Home, March 30 - April 3
We had a good trip home, although the weather got colder and colder!
Our first stop was in Savannah where we stayed at a mid-town hotel. We got in early enough to enjoy the city. We tried to contact Nicci Aguiar who is a junior at SCAD, but we didn't give her enough advance notice. (We didn't know how long it would take us to get there). Mark checked out Trip Advisor and we went to Sweet Spice, a little Jamaican restaurant to eat as it had such a high rating. It was a little hole in the wall with just a few tables. But, wow, was it delicious. We both had jerk chicken with a bunch of sides. (I had plantains, having gotten very fond of them in Costa Rica.) And, they had a delicious lemonade with ginger. We had time to then stroll the waterfront which was a lot of fun. We bought the grandchildren in Concord some chocolates from the candy store there. We really enjoyed our visit to Savannah, brief as it was.
Our next stop was Emporia, Virginia - just a stopover. But we had a very delicious late lunch in downtown Emporia at "The Bank" restaurant, converted from an old time bank. As we were between meals, we were the only customers. The food was fantastic. I had a seared ahi tuna salad which was as good as we had in Costa Rica. It had a cucumber sauce made with a touch of wasabi. Mark had .....
It is a good idea to go into the towns off the major highways and not just eat at the standard Denny's or Cracker Barrels.
Next up - two days in Washington, D.C. We stayed in Alexandria at a dreadful Days Inn. All that can be said for the tired, dingy place was that it has a good location. We had to stop in Washington because the digital copy of the Cyrus Peirce petitions that we got at the National Archives on our way to Florida got destroyed. Mark left the flash drive in a pocket and I washed it. But, going back to Washington is never a hardship for us as we love the city. The cherry blossoms were in bud, but only a few were blooming.
The first night we met Meaghan Lynch, a former student and now an employee of the Defense Intelligence Agency. It was a very special evening. We went to Willow Restaurant in Alexandria where Meaghan has worked since her undergraduate days at Georgetown. Meaghan picked us up at the hotel and also insisted on picking up the tab. Dinner was excellent. I had ahi tuna again - I sense a pattern here and a lingering vacation feeling from Costa Rica. Great conversation and just an overall wonderful time. It was just so nice to see such an accomplished and wonderful young woman.
The next day we got up early and went to the Archives. Mark parked right across from the Natural Science Museum in the smallest possible parking space. He had onlookers, it was so amazing. We easily copied the petitions and then we wandered for a while in the Art Museum. Then we drove to G Street where we at at Absolute Thai for lunch, the same place we ate on our last trip as it was so delicious.
Then, we tried a new museum to us - the National Building Museum. The building is amazing. It was built in the 1880s to house the records of the Civil War Veterans. It has a huge middle area with four stories of balconies and has been used for many inaugural balls. The stairs were made very wide and short to make it easier for all the disabled veterans. (The money ran out before they could add elevators, although the shafts were put in.) As everything was paper records, they had ingenious ways of moving paper in baskets along wires and dumbwaiters. The exhibitions were interesting, too. We saw prints by architects of the Art Deco age which envisioned buildings in cities. They were full of social commentary about the rise of cities, railroads.... Very striking. We also went through an interesting exhibit about buildings being able to surviving disasters such as floods, storms, earthquakes, fires. And, we saw models of fanciful buildings, some built, some not, from around the world, many from Copenhagen, interestingly.
That evening we picked up another former student, Lizzy Skokan. She is doing an internship with Senator Jeanne Shaheen of N.H. and really enjoying it. We went to a restaurant in her part of the city, called Dumku, a Scandinavian restaurant, although the food seemed more Hungarian to us. It was another very good meal and another delightful evening with a competent, intelligent young woman. Her descriptions of what she has learned and who she has met were wonderful. She said that a lot of familiar politicians are so much shorter than they look on television.
The next day, we drove back to New England, having had another nice trip home, one with good driving weather, although it was a bummer to abandon our shorts and sandals and have to dig out long pants, jackets and gloves.
Our first stop was in Savannah where we stayed at a mid-town hotel. We got in early enough to enjoy the city. We tried to contact Nicci Aguiar who is a junior at SCAD, but we didn't give her enough advance notice. (We didn't know how long it would take us to get there). Mark checked out Trip Advisor and we went to Sweet Spice, a little Jamaican restaurant to eat as it had such a high rating. It was a little hole in the wall with just a few tables. But, wow, was it delicious. We both had jerk chicken with a bunch of sides. (I had plantains, having gotten very fond of them in Costa Rica.) And, they had a delicious lemonade with ginger. We had time to then stroll the waterfront which was a lot of fun. We bought the grandchildren in Concord some chocolates from the candy store there. We really enjoyed our visit to Savannah, brief as it was.
Our next stop was Emporia, Virginia - just a stopover. But we had a very delicious late lunch in downtown Emporia at "The Bank" restaurant, converted from an old time bank. As we were between meals, we were the only customers. The food was fantastic. I had a seared ahi tuna salad which was as good as we had in Costa Rica. It had a cucumber sauce made with a touch of wasabi. Mark had .....
It is a good idea to go into the towns off the major highways and not just eat at the standard Denny's or Cracker Barrels.
Next up - two days in Washington, D.C. We stayed in Alexandria at a dreadful Days Inn. All that can be said for the tired, dingy place was that it has a good location. We had to stop in Washington because the digital copy of the Cyrus Peirce petitions that we got at the National Archives on our way to Florida got destroyed. Mark left the flash drive in a pocket and I washed it. But, going back to Washington is never a hardship for us as we love the city. The cherry blossoms were in bud, but only a few were blooming.
The first night we met Meaghan Lynch, a former student and now an employee of the Defense Intelligence Agency. It was a very special evening. We went to Willow Restaurant in Alexandria where Meaghan has worked since her undergraduate days at Georgetown. Meaghan picked us up at the hotel and also insisted on picking up the tab. Dinner was excellent. I had ahi tuna again - I sense a pattern here and a lingering vacation feeling from Costa Rica. Great conversation and just an overall wonderful time. It was just so nice to see such an accomplished and wonderful young woman.
The next day we got up early and went to the Archives. Mark parked right across from the Natural Science Museum in the smallest possible parking space. He had onlookers, it was so amazing. We easily copied the petitions and then we wandered for a while in the Art Museum. Then we drove to G Street where we at at Absolute Thai for lunch, the same place we ate on our last trip as it was so delicious.
Then, we tried a new museum to us - the National Building Museum. The building is amazing. It was built in the 1880s to house the records of the Civil War Veterans. It has a huge middle area with four stories of balconies and has been used for many inaugural balls. The stairs were made very wide and short to make it easier for all the disabled veterans. (The money ran out before they could add elevators, although the shafts were put in.) As everything was paper records, they had ingenious ways of moving paper in baskets along wires and dumbwaiters. The exhibitions were interesting, too. We saw prints by architects of the Art Deco age which envisioned buildings in cities. They were full of social commentary about the rise of cities, railroads.... Very striking. We also went through an interesting exhibit about buildings being able to surviving disasters such as floods, storms, earthquakes, fires. And, we saw models of fanciful buildings, some built, some not, from around the world, many from Copenhagen, interestingly.
That evening we picked up another former student, Lizzy Skokan. She is doing an internship with Senator Jeanne Shaheen of N.H. and really enjoying it. We went to a restaurant in her part of the city, called Dumku, a Scandinavian restaurant, although the food seemed more Hungarian to us. It was another very good meal and another delightful evening with a competent, intelligent young woman. Her descriptions of what she has learned and who she has met were wonderful. She said that a lot of familiar politicians are so much shorter than they look on television.
The next day, we drove back to New England, having had another nice trip home, one with good driving weather, although it was a bummer to abandon our shorts and sandals and have to dig out long pants, jackets and gloves.
Florida - Cal's 91st birthday
We spent two nights at Michael and Nancy's in Lake Worth. We had a lovely time, including a nice bike ride at Okaheeli Park.
Then, we spent three nights in Vero Beach with Mark's parents, Cal and Alice. We had a nice birthday party for Cal. Mark made a heap of sea scallops, roasted vegetables and Cal's favorite mashed potatoes. Nancy made a delicious cake. We also invited Terry Wells, Cal's apprentice in clock making, a very nice guy from Canada who keeps a close eye on Cal and Alice and runs errands for them when necessary. And, Mark's cousin, Noreen came up with Michael and Nancy to help celebrate, so it was a nice gathering.
Then, we spent three nights in Vero Beach with Mark's parents, Cal and Alice. We had a nice birthday party for Cal. Mark made a heap of sea scallops, roasted vegetables and Cal's favorite mashed potatoes. Nancy made a delicious cake. We also invited Terry Wells, Cal's apprentice in clock making, a very nice guy from Canada who keeps a close eye on Cal and Alice and runs errands for them when necessary. And, Mark's cousin, Noreen came up with Michael and Nancy to help celebrate, so it was a nice gathering.
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
From Hacieda Baru to the airport outside of San Jose, March 24
We got up early and took a nice walk to watch the birds. Then, we had breakfast at the restaurant, packed up and headed out.
The ride was pretty uneventful and Mark made good time overall. We went via Atenas as we wanted to eat there at La Carreta as we had not eaten there last time we were there. We got a trifle lost trying to find it, but were laughing at recalling how foreign Atenas felt on our first day in Costa Rica, but felt familiar and comfortable today. We had a lovely lunch. I had ceviche and Mark had a really good burrito. I had my last pineapple smoothie - made with only water and pineapple. I will miss them; maybe I will learn to whip up my own.
We also went to the Cooperative Mercado there and I got some of the peach tea that they make here which I also really like and want to take home with me. And, Mark got some more coffee, too, to take home.
We are now at a nondescript Hampton Inn. We could be anywhere in the world. I am not saying that it is not nice, but it does not feel at all like the adventurous and funky and quirky places we have been staying. And, naturally, the internet works here like a charm.
We returned our Hyundai Tucson very easily which was quite surprising. We were relieved to get rid of it because it never felt reliable and did stall on us a few times while chugging uphill.
The ride was pretty uneventful and Mark made good time overall. We went via Atenas as we wanted to eat there at La Carreta as we had not eaten there last time we were there. We got a trifle lost trying to find it, but were laughing at recalling how foreign Atenas felt on our first day in Costa Rica, but felt familiar and comfortable today. We had a lovely lunch. I had ceviche and Mark had a really good burrito. I had my last pineapple smoothie - made with only water and pineapple. I will miss them; maybe I will learn to whip up my own.
We also went to the Cooperative Mercado there and I got some of the peach tea that they make here which I also really like and want to take home with me. And, Mark got some more coffee, too, to take home.
We are now at a nondescript Hampton Inn. We could be anywhere in the world. I am not saying that it is not nice, but it does not feel at all like the adventurous and funky and quirky places we have been staying. And, naturally, the internet works here like a charm.
We returned our Hyundai Tucson very easily which was quite surprising. We were relieved to get rid of it because it never felt reliable and did stall on us a few times while chugging uphill.
Monday, March 23, 2015
What a last day at Hacienda Baru! Fabulous. March 23
What a fabulous last "real" day in Paradise! We LOVE Hacienda Baru.
We had a fabulous bird walk at 6 a.m. with 25-year-old Olman. He was our best guide yet. All the guides have been very knowledgeable, gracious and proud of their country and birds, but Olman was also joyous and had no sense of ego about it at all, happy when others spotted things first, making sure everyone got a good look through the scope. The other two couples were also great - a pair of doctors from Berlin and a pair of retired people from Switzerland. (He had been a diplomat in Washington DC for almost 5 years.)
After the walk, the doctors and Mark and I had breakfast and chatted for well over an hour.
Then, Mark and I had a lazy day of reading, reading the bird book, sitting by the pool and savoring our last full day of holiday. We had a lovely meal at the restaurant here. (Mark - rice, beans, chicken as a typical dish for tonight and mahimahi for me. Yummy.
There was one sad note. The baby potoo that we have been watching since we arrived was killed by a predator. He did not yet know how to fly and was vulnerable sitting motionless on his stump. Olman found feathers. The reserve is sad because they have never had a potoo nest and had been watching the bird develop every day.
This is what we saw, again coordinated with the bird book so that we can look these up and enjoy them later.
A short-billed pigeon (calling, too) 86
Cherries Tanagers (frequent sightings - we LOVE this beautiful bird. And, it is endemic to
this area.
Great-tailed Grackles 317
Cattle Egrets - flying in a lovely flock. 22
Charming hummingbirds 125 (Just gorgeous!)
Variable seed eater....294
Red-Crowned Woodpecker.....157. Note: There are no red-bellied woodpeckers in Costa Rica
Chestnut-sided Warbler....258
Inca Doves (What we thought at Manuel Antonio were Inca Dolls!)....88
Great Kiskadees....all calling "Kis - da- dee!" .....210
Boat-billed Flycatchers.....210
Summer Tanagers....284
Orange-chinned Parakeets - saw some chattering and flying over, but later, finally got to see
one perched.......94
Bananaquits.....276
Clay-colored robins.....250. This rather drab bird is, remarkably, the national bird of Costa Rica. But,
evidently, it is the birds many lovely songs that have endeared it to the country.
Rufous-tailed hummingbirds......128
Palm Tanagers....290
Ruddy ground dove....I couldn't find this in the book, so may have misheard the name. It is
not easy writing them all down!
Black mandible Toucans (formerly called Chestnut Mandible) We got great looks at these birds
today and even saw one in its nest, poking its great bill out. Unbelievably, it nests by the
restaurant, so we could have seen them every day. These birds' bills are so heavy that they
do not fly long distances, but fly from tree to tree. They also keep their bills open to cool
themselves off, a behavior we got to observe closely. 154
Yellow Warblers, now called Mangrove Warblers here......258
Red-legged Honey Creepers....p 292. This was a real highlight for us and Mark got a good photo, too.
A gorgeous bird.
Roadside Hawks...42.
Spot-crowned Euphonia - endemic to the area. The Euphonias were real highlights for us, too.
p 326
Fiery-billed Aracari 155
Riverside Wrens.....240
Broad-winged hawks....42
Piratic flycatcher.....192
Yellow-crowned Euphonia...endemic and endearing.....326
Yellow-throated Euponia....326
Golden-hooded Tanager.....288. Another amazingly gorgeous bird
Streaked flycatcher....212
Tropical Kingbird....212
Brown Jays...230
Grey-capped Flycatcher....94
Other things:
variegated squirrels. There are 15 squirrel species in Costa Rica
White-nosed Coati (Wow)
Spiney Cedar Trees - prickly.
No native trees can legally be cut down in Costa Rica. They planted teak from Asia to cut.
Leaf cutter ants - very specialized. They have soldiers to guard them, cutters, cleaners, nurses etc etc. They use the leaves as compost and plant a fungus which they eat. Very impressive to watch.
We had a fabulous bird walk at 6 a.m. with 25-year-old Olman. He was our best guide yet. All the guides have been very knowledgeable, gracious and proud of their country and birds, but Olman was also joyous and had no sense of ego about it at all, happy when others spotted things first, making sure everyone got a good look through the scope. The other two couples were also great - a pair of doctors from Berlin and a pair of retired people from Switzerland. (He had been a diplomat in Washington DC for almost 5 years.)
After the walk, the doctors and Mark and I had breakfast and chatted for well over an hour.
Then, Mark and I had a lazy day of reading, reading the bird book, sitting by the pool and savoring our last full day of holiday. We had a lovely meal at the restaurant here. (Mark - rice, beans, chicken as a typical dish for tonight and mahimahi for me. Yummy.
There was one sad note. The baby potoo that we have been watching since we arrived was killed by a predator. He did not yet know how to fly and was vulnerable sitting motionless on his stump. Olman found feathers. The reserve is sad because they have never had a potoo nest and had been watching the bird develop every day.
This is what we saw, again coordinated with the bird book so that we can look these up and enjoy them later.
A short-billed pigeon (calling, too) 86
Cherries Tanagers (frequent sightings - we LOVE this beautiful bird. And, it is endemic to
this area.
Great-tailed Grackles 317
Cattle Egrets - flying in a lovely flock. 22
Charming hummingbirds 125 (Just gorgeous!)
Variable seed eater....294
Red-Crowned Woodpecker.....157. Note: There are no red-bellied woodpeckers in Costa Rica
Chestnut-sided Warbler....258
Inca Doves (What we thought at Manuel Antonio were Inca Dolls!)....88
Great Kiskadees....all calling "Kis - da- dee!" .....210
Boat-billed Flycatchers.....210
Summer Tanagers....284
Orange-chinned Parakeets - saw some chattering and flying over, but later, finally got to see
one perched.......94
Bananaquits.....276
Clay-colored robins.....250. This rather drab bird is, remarkably, the national bird of Costa Rica. But,
evidently, it is the birds many lovely songs that have endeared it to the country.
Rufous-tailed hummingbirds......128
Palm Tanagers....290
Ruddy ground dove....I couldn't find this in the book, so may have misheard the name. It is
not easy writing them all down!
Black mandible Toucans (formerly called Chestnut Mandible) We got great looks at these birds
today and even saw one in its nest, poking its great bill out. Unbelievably, it nests by the
restaurant, so we could have seen them every day. These birds' bills are so heavy that they
do not fly long distances, but fly from tree to tree. They also keep their bills open to cool
themselves off, a behavior we got to observe closely. 154
Yellow Warblers, now called Mangrove Warblers here......258
Red-legged Honey Creepers....p 292. This was a real highlight for us and Mark got a good photo, too.
A gorgeous bird.
Roadside Hawks...42.
Spot-crowned Euphonia - endemic to the area. The Euphonias were real highlights for us, too.
p 326
Fiery-billed Aracari 155
Riverside Wrens.....240
Broad-winged hawks....42
Piratic flycatcher.....192
Yellow-crowned Euphonia...endemic and endearing.....326
Yellow-throated Euponia....326
Golden-hooded Tanager.....288. Another amazingly gorgeous bird
Streaked flycatcher....212
Tropical Kingbird....212
Brown Jays...230
Grey-capped Flycatcher....94
Other things:
variegated squirrels. There are 15 squirrel species in Costa Rica
White-nosed Coati (Wow)
Spiney Cedar Trees - prickly.
No native trees can legally be cut down in Costa Rica. They planted teak from Asia to cut.
Leaf cutter ants - very specialized. They have soldiers to guard them, cutters, cleaners, nurses etc etc. They use the leaves as compost and plant a fungus which they eat. Very impressive to watch.
March 22, a Day in the Jungle
We woke to a lovely day......nice and early. The noises in the night were quite amazing. At dusk, the insect noises were ear-piercingly loud and shrill.
Then, off to a lovely al fresco breakfast with our fellow French mates in our area of the reserve. All the cabins (6) are full, but the inhabitants are all on morning hikes, so we have not met them yet. It is incredibly peaceful and beautiful here - a true garden of paradise. We went to see the baby potoo this morning and he was as still as he was last night. He looks like part of the stump and quite reptilian, rather than avian. Evidently, his mother drops by to feed him, but we have not seen her.
We had planned a waterfall hike in the morning coolness, but found out that is is quite strenuous and over 4 kilometers each way. Plus, it is closed on Sundays. We could still go because the reserve here can get us in, but we opted out. There is no point in pushing Mark's knee like that.
Instead, we took one of the reserve trails and walked through the rain forest to the beach. We saw truly amazing trees and vines and flowers. At times, it was fragrant. The tallest trees are ceibos and guanacastes. We also were fascinated by a calabash tree with large fruit used by the pre-Columbians as drinking gourds. The beach is wide, sandy, huge and ferocious...way too dangerous for swimming. We saw a beautiful whimbrel, snowy egret and some brown Pelicans. We also think we saw a black eagle, but are not positive and Mark's photo may be too far away.Afterwards, we showered as we were drenched in sweat with the humidity. I think it was a 4 shower day!
We drove to Uvita, about 10 miles south. It was not much to see, rather strung out along the road. But the beach area in between, Playa Hermosa, (yes, another one), was beautiful and we stopped for a while. We met an interesting man who told us he was one of the original Italians who settled in San Vito in the mountains. About 140 families immigrated here in the early 1950s. He was only 2 at the time, but grew up speaking Italian and Spanish and holds both passports.
Then, we went back to Pescado Loco for a late lunch and had the delicious fish tacos. Again.
A sloth-like afternoon for us, after a scare at losing our room key which also has the key to the room safe where we keep the passports. After searching the car and our backpacks more than once, we walked to the office to get help, and, lo! the security guard had found them in the parking lot next to our car after we had pulled out. Whew!
The wildlife is amazing. Hummingbirds, iguanas, lizards, tanagers, flycatchers, wrens....and lots we cannot identify.
We hung out at the restaurant tonight having a pineapple drink (addicted to), doing Internet and sharing a meal when an agouti wandered by, a strange looking animal....some sort of large rodent. Look one up.
We had planned a waterfall hike in the morning coolness, but found out that is is quite strenuous and over 4 kilometers each way. Plus, it is closed on Sundays. We could still go because the reserve here can get us in, but we opted out. There is no point in pushing Mark's knee like that.
Instead, we took one of the reserve trails and walked through the rain forest to the beach. We saw truly amazing trees and vines and flowers. At times, it was fragrant. The tallest trees are ceibos and guanacastes. We also were fascinated by a calabash tree with large fruit used by the pre-Columbians as drinking gourds. The beach is wide, sandy, huge and ferocious...way too dangerous for swimming. We saw a beautiful whimbrel, snowy egret and some brown Pelicans. We also think we saw a black eagle, but are not positive and Mark's photo may be too far away.Afterwards, we showered as we were drenched in sweat with the humidity. I think it was a 4 shower day!
We drove to Uvita, about 10 miles south. It was not much to see, rather strung out along the road. But the beach area in between, Playa Hermosa, (yes, another one), was beautiful and we stopped for a while. We met an interesting man who told us he was one of the original Italians who settled in San Vito in the mountains. About 140 families immigrated here in the early 1950s. He was only 2 at the time, but grew up speaking Italian and Spanish and holds both passports.
Then, we went back to Pescado Loco for a late lunch and had the delicious fish tacos. Again.
A sloth-like afternoon for us, after a scare at losing our room key which also has the key to the room safe where we keep the passports. After searching the car and our backpacks more than once, we walked to the office to get help, and, lo! the security guard had found them in the parking lot next to our car after we had pulled out. Whew!
The wildlife is amazing. Hummingbirds, iguanas, lizards, tanagers, flycatchers, wrens....and lots we cannot identify.
We hung out at the restaurant tonight having a pineapple drink (addicted to), doing Internet and sharing a meal when an agouti wandered by, a strange looking animal....some sort of large rodent. Look one up.
Sunday, March 22, 2015
March 21 - Our first toucan and potoo In Hacienda Baru
We are creatures of habit and we often return to restaurants where we have had good meals. So, we ate breakfast again at Emilio's - good food, great coffee, fabulous views. What could be better? And, we realize that we have only eaten breakfast out twice during this entire trip - and both were at Emilio's. Otherwise, we have been at bed and breakfasts or we made our own. (With the possible exception of a token breakfast at the internet cafe in Santa Elena, but just to justify sitting there doing our internet. We had already had our own, proper breakfast)
We drove less than an hour south to a game reserve where we are in a largish room. It is called Hacienda Baru and it is outside Dominical. It is really jungle. After checking in, we went to Dominical, a little, funky surfing town where, by a stroke of luck, they were having a national surfing competition. Wow...what waves and an eclectic crowd of all ages with a surprising number of youngsters surfing. It was carnival-like and festive.
We ate at Pescado Loco, a little open air fish and chip shop run by a young American couple from Alaska. I had a fish taco and Mark had fish and chips. Then, we went to a supermarket to have dinner at our little cottage which has a fridge.
We then sat around the pool with two French couples and....saw four Capuchin monkeys in a nearby tree, plus a chestnut mandible TOUCAN! Yay! Our first. The birds and flowers on this private reserve are quite amazing. How often can a person sit Ina swimming pool and watch monkeys playing, see hummingbirds, flycatchers, tanagers....and a toucan? And, the insects are actually quite deafening! We are very, very lucky...even if there is no air conditioning and limited wifi only at the restaurant! And, just before we headed to bed in our cabin, a baby potoo was pointed out to us....on a tree stump, very still. You'd never know it was there. (It was pointed out to us by a security guard.)
Saturday, March 21, 2015
March 20 - A lazy, wonderful last day in Manuel Antonio
We ate breakfast at Emilio's which was very good and we wished that we were here for a few more days to try a few other meals there, but settled for breakfast. Then, we read by the pool all morning. For lunch, we returned to Falafel for a repeat meal of hummus (me) and schwarma (Mark). Then, we read by the pool. (We watched the antics of Cherrie's tanagers) For dinner, we could not resist a return to Raphael's Terrazos as I really wanted to have the tuna that Mark had two nights ago, as he claimed it to be the best tuna he'd EVER had, a really big compliment.
Friday, March 20, 2015
Manuel Antonio National Park, March 19
Today, we got up early and drove to Manuel Antonio State Reserve. And, it was good we did because, when we left in mid-morning, it was mobbed. We hired a guide, Wilbur and we are also very glad that we did that, as he found things that we never would have seen in a million years, plus was knowledgable about the plants and other animals. We paid for a group tour (which could have been up to 20 people). But, as we were there before the park even opened, we ended up paying for a group, but having a private tour as it was just the two of us.
We walked (a very easy walk) for about an hour or two and then, he left us at the beach. Again, there were few people there when we arrived and we had a lovely swim.
No denying that it is hot and humid here, but there was some cloud cover today, which made it better. Mark has had an allergic reaction to sunblock and has a rather vivid red rash on his cheeks and forehead, so we are being very careful in the sun.
For those not interested in the birds, ignore the following! Again, it is paginated to the bird book we are using.
The first birds we saw on a wire, Wilbur called "inca dolls" but we cannot find them in the book.
-Band-tailed pigeon 87 (could have been short billed?)
-Cherrie's Tanager 287 (We also saw this by the pool yesterday)
-Ruff-sided hawk - I could not find this in the book and may have misunderstood him
-A flock of Crimson-fronted parakeets. (Later, we heard Orange-fronted parakeets, but did
not see them. p 95
-Tropical Kingbird p 213 (gorgeous!)
-Lesser Nighthawk, p113. This was so blended in resting motionless on a branch and is such a
small hawk, although, we understand that, in flight, the wings are long. This is one of the birds
Mark and I would NEVER have noticed. A great bird.
-Chestnut-sided Warbler, p259. Beautiful.
-Riverside Wren (lovely song)
-Great Crested Flycatcher p 209. The guides were all very excited by this sighting as this bird
has not been seen here much of late.
-White necked Puffbird, p 151. Another great bird! We were excited to see this one.What a beak...
-Hummingbirds: Violet headed, and one he called stripe throated, but I cannot find that one in
the book.
-Black-hooded Antshrike p 177 - endemic to this area
Other things we saw:
A golden orb spider in its web,
Two, very motionless blobs of hair - otherwise known as the 2-Toed Slothb
Two gorgeous, large blue Morpho butterflies
White faced Capuchin monkeys
Heard Howler Monkeys in the early morning at the apartment, plus making a racket in the park.
Wilbur heard other birds, but I will not list them as we did not see them. We really, really, really wanted to see a toucan and the closest we came was a glimpse of wings that was a Fiery-billed Arcari. Boy, did we wish we could have seen it to really see it, but it was not to be. Yet.
We were tired and hot when we were finished, so came back to 11Up, where we are living, washed our clothes, took cold showers and a rest, plus looked up the birds that we saw.
For lunch, we went just up the street to Falafel, which was the name of one of our favorite restaurants in Cairo. Mark had schwarma and I had a hummus plate; both were fantastic. We chatted for a long time with two British couples who were very interesting; they met at a hotel in Gatwick 42 years ago, both having just been married that day and en route to their respective honeymoons. They have remained close friends and travel together frequently - to China, Thailand, Australia and three weeks here.
After lunch, we ventured into Quepos to get some aloe and just look around. There was not much to see as it is a rather busy, rather poor town and, unfortunately, has polluted its beach.
Then, a dip in the pool and later, to dinner at Agua Azul which is rght by our hotel. It was very busy and we both had interesting dinners. Mark had tuna with a ginger aoili dressing and I had a "plantain tower" - which was rather like a salsa in layers. It was delicious.
For lunch, we went just up the street to Falafel, which was the name of one of our favorite restaurants in Cairo. Mark had schwarma and I had a hummus plate; both were fantastic. We chatted for a long time with two British couples who were very interesting; they met at a hotel in Gatwick 42 years ago, both having just been married that day and en route to their respective honeymoons. They have remained close friends and travel together frequently - to China, Thailand, Australia and three weeks here.
After lunch, we ventured into Quepos to get some aloe and just look around. There was not much to see as it is a rather busy, rather poor town and, unfortunately, has polluted its beach.
Then, a dip in the pool and later, to dinner at Agua Azul which is rght by our hotel. It was very busy and we both had interesting dinners. Mark had tuna with a ginger aoili dressing and I had a "plantain tower" - which was rather like a salsa in layers. It was delicious.
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