howler1103march

The Howler

Volume 16, No. 3 Issue No. 174

March 2011 Founded 1996

TAMARINDO COSTA RICA www.howlermag.com THE HOWLER Ced. Juridica: 3-101-331333

FEATURES

Publisher, editor and production David Mills

dmills@racsa.co.cr Tel: 2-653-0545

8 Dining Out

The beautiful Coconut Beach Club in Potrero serves a huge cook-ityourself barbeque with T-bones, ribe-eye and sirloins.

12 Reading the Trees and Colors of Guanacaste

CONTRIBUTORS ELLEN ZOE GOLDEN TONY OREZ TOM PEIFER JEFFREY WHITLOW DIANE MADSEN

JEANNE CALLAHAN KAY DODGE JESSE BISHOP MARY BYERLY CYNTHIA CHARPENTIER

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15 Surf Report 18 Los Heroes

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14 Around Town

Openings, closings, parties, music. The Gold Coast has it all, and barhoppin’ David is in the groove.

The Circuito National opened its 2011 season with the Torneo Britt Iced in Playa Jacó, won by local surfer Luis Vindas.

Deadline for April: March 15

Size

Guanacaste’s trees are changing with the seasons. Kay tells us how to recognize trees from their flowers and leaves.

Price $

Tucked away near Lake Arenal is the Swiss hotel Los Heroes, where a home-made tarin takes you to a revolving restaurant.

27 The Keys to a Greeener Valley

Climate changes are causing disruptions in lifestyles world-wide. Our columnist and friends are taking care of their little valley.

30 Surviving Costa Rica

Meditating during a drive from San José, Jesse realizes that life in Costa Rica is not too bad after all - as long as you play Bob Marley.

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Doctor’s Orders

26 Yoga

10 CD Review

28 March Forecasts

11 Book Review

29 Parents’ Corner

21 Slice of Life

32 Sun & Moon

22 Word Puzzle

35 Tide Chart

All comments, articles and advertising in this publication are the opinion of their authors, and do not reflect the opinion of Howler Management.

www.tamarindobeach.net

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Cover Caption: Nature’s beautiful web designer at work.

Cover design & photo: David Mills

Doctor’s Orders Jeffrey Whitlow, M.D.

W

e discussed how the over-consumption or under-consumption of certain foods would affect the musculoskeletal system. Here we will continue the discussion, but this time we will focus on the skin, hair, and nails.

The skin is composed mainly of protein and fat. The thinner upper layer, the epidermis, is mainly protein, while the thicker lower layer, the dermis, has a higher concentration of fat, especially in women. Our skin protects us from parasites and disease-carrying bacteria and viruses. It also plays a primary role in regulating our relatively constant body temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, by generating cooling sweat when we are too warm, and by bunching up into “goosebumps” when we are too cold.

Since the skin is composed of protein and fat, the consumption of healthy fats and oils and an adequate amount of protein is crucial to maintaining healthy skin. The “dried-up” withered skin that we consider a natural process of aging is not natural at all, but is rather a manifestation of life-long protein starvation, compounded by the under-consumption of healthy fats and oils, and the over-consumption of foods that form an “acid” condition in the body.

So, to maintain healthy skin, we must consume 1-3 pounds of protein a day in the form of eggs, chicken, or seafood. Beef, pork, lamb, and other forms of red meat are acceptable, but they contain more saturated fat than eggs, chicken or seafood, so they are much harder for the body to digest.

For vegetarians, beans and peas are excellent sources of vegetable protein.

When we consume foods that contain refined sugar or flour, we strip the skin of the oils that keep it moist and pliable, so we must avoid all of the products that we have discussed in the previous chapters, i.e. baked goods, bread, pasta, and condiments made from high fructose corn syrup.

Most of the skin conditions that we use patent medicines for are caused by our bad diets. For instance, athlete’s foot, “jock itch”, vaginal yeast infections, razor bumps, and other superficial fungal infections are the direct result of the excessive consumption of flour and sugar. Fungi are normally colonizers of our skin and cause no disease. However, in people who consume excessive flour and sugar, the white blood cells are deprived of the proteins they need to keep the fungi in check, so infection results.

Similarly, the hair is composed of protein, so the same rules that apply to the skin and the musculoskeletal system apply to the hair. So-called male pattern baldness is nothing more than a perfectly predictable physiological response to the life long consumption of excessive amounts of acid-forming foods, i.e. flour and sugar. Premature graying of the hair is also caused by these bad dietary habits. If you don’t believe me, think about the animal kingdom. Only our pets and animals in the zoo that are fed unnatural diets turn gray, animals in the wild do not. And no wild animal goes bald, as far as I know.

Finally we consider the nails. The nails are a very complex structure, composed of a specialized protein similar to the chitin that composes the hard outer shell of insects. Because the nails are such a complex and unique structure, they provide a special insight into the dietary habits of an individual. A person with ridges in their nails, or excessively thick nails, consumes too much sugar and/or flour. A person with soft and/or easily broken nails doesn’t consume enough protein.

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sociacion Pro Mejoras de Tamarindo is planning a town fiesta in Tamarindo from July 15-18 to raise funds for the Fuerza Publica police station. It will be held at Parque de la Independencia (front of Witch’s Rock Surf Camp).

Anyone interesting in helping organize the fiesta should contact Leiden Briceño at 8824-4001.

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It seems that every move or innovation in this town is a cause of contention. Looks like a storm is brewing between surfers and stand-up paddlers. Some in town are concerned that the growing popularity of the new sport will destroy Tamarindo’s attraction as a surf destination. Can’t say I see the contention. Surfers make use of a tiny margin of the ocean, which leaves a huge area of space for the stand-up paddlers who do not need breaking surf for their sport. As long as the SUPs keep away from the surf breaks, there should be no problem. Is this too simplistic? Or is it more a question of business competition rather than practicality?

I constantly receive requests for free promotion from various organizations, some calling themselves “non-profit”. Well, much as I like to promote a good cause, I am also in danger of becoming a non-profit organization. As a free magazine, I depend 100% on advertising revenue to bring this quality publication to you. Isn’t it time people started to support it instead of wanting something free?

The “Have a Heart” golf tournament enjoyed a great turnout on Valentine’s Day, a total of 86 players competing. Proceeds go to local schools.

The tourist season is rockin’ along, lots of people in town, everybody claiming that it is much better than the last few years. One B&B operator, in business 20 years, told me it is her best January ever!

We can still use more of your submissions. Send your photos, articles, or even cover shots to dmills@racsa. co.cr. Don’t worry about your writing skills or grammar; we will fix that.

March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day, time for boiled beef and cabbage and ugggggh - green beer! Look out for some Irish humour in these pages.

Casagua Horses The greatest variety of tours and riding experiences for all ages, featuring spectacular countryside, howler monkeys, colorful small towns and fun-filled fiestas.

Cantina Tour - Nature Tour Fiesta & Tope Rental - Old Tempate Trail Tour Located near Portegolpe on the main road, opposite the Monkey Park, just 20 minutes from the beach.

Phone us at: 2-653-8041 • kaydodge@racsa.co.cr www.paintedponyguestranch.com The best horses on Guanacaste’s Gold Coast!

Dining Out David Mills

B

each Clubs are all the rage on the Gold Coast. From Pinilla to Avellanas to Langosta these outdoor leisure gardens are springing up. The latest is El Coconut Beach Club in Playa Potrero, where one can spend a wonderful carefree afternoon enjoying the ambience, sampling the appetizers, swimming in the ocean or lounging in the pool with a cool beverage and finishing off with a gourmet meal.

El Coconut is the offspring of Anne-Katharina Hjelset’s excellent and very popular Restaurante El Coconut in Tamarindo, with a similar menu, but with a new feature: the Cook-it-Yourself Barbeque. Available only at weekends, the barbeque is a 6-foot-long wood burner, where you can choose your cut of beef, pork, fish or chicken, and cook it to your preferred level.

The menu offers numerous appetizers, mostly with a seafood accent. We chose avocado stuffed with shrimps and a cold cucumber soup, just right for a hot afternoon on the beach.

A pasta menu has fettuccini with seafood and topped with lobster; Mediterranean spaghetti with mussels; shrimps el diablo with spaghetti; and Pasta Alfredo.

Chicken dishes include filet with jumbo shrimp; or with sauce of mango and shrimp, or curry and peach.

The seafood offerings include several shrimp and lobster dishes plus catch-of-the-day with various preparations.

Meat dishes are surf & turf deluxe, lobster and filet mignon with a garlic, butter and mushroom sauce; tenderloin with a choice of sauces; filet mignon with mushroom sauce.

For our main dish we couldn’t resist the barbecue, choosing a one-pound T-bone and sirloin steak, both nicely marbled with fat. Cooked exactly to your pleasure these are served with a choice of side dishes. Both steaks were excellent.

The food, location, service and ambience make this a wonderful way to spend a beach afternoon. An international wine selection completes the experience. Spoil yourself.

El Coconut Beach Club, on Playa Potrero just west of El Castillo. Open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., closed Mondays. Reservations, call 2654-4300 or e-mail katharina@elcoconut-tamarindo.com.

Robert August

F

or those that aren’t aware, surf legend Robert August has permanently relocated to one of his favorite places on the globe: Tamarindo - Costa Rica. The weather is amazing, the winds are offshore, the waves are fun, and the water is always warm.

His journey continues to have endless fun in life and he figures what better place than here and what better people than you and your friends to share this with. He has put together all-inclusive private adventure tours that has something for everyone to ensure an unforgettable adventure and a once in a lifetime opportunity! This includes: transportation, food, lodging, equipment, signed “Endless Summer” poster, Pictures of your private tour, Robert August.

Contact: sarahlong.robertaugustcr@gmail.com Robert also continues caring about the children from low-income families in the area of Tamarindo. The annual Robert August Surf & Turf Tournament brings together a hundred surf and gold players to share their passion for sport, nature and helping others. The event, July 1st and 2nd, 2011, is a non-professional golfers’ and surfers’ event, with dinners, parties, auction, raffles and FUN ! Hold this date and invite your friends to come down to Costa Rica.... !

All proceeds of the tournament are managed by CEPIA (www.cepiacostarica.org) and benefit directly the children of this community through sport, dance, art and English classes. Teenagers are kept off the street and involved in education and training. A public library stimulates children’s development. Children and teenagers in need get a scholarship to prevent them from school exclusion.

The legend continues shining in many hearts...

Muldoon lived alone in the Irish countryside with only a pet dog for company. One day the dog died and Muldoon went to the parish priest and asked, “Father, my dog is dead. Could ya be saying a mass for the poor creature?”

Father Patrick replied, “I’m afraid not - we cannot have services for an animal in the church. But there are some Baptists down the lane and there’s no tellin’ what they believe. Maybe they’ll do something for the creature.”

Muldoon said, “I’ll go right away Father. Do ya think £5,000 is enough to donate to them for the service?”

Father Patrick exclaimed, “Sweet Mary, Mother of Jesus! Why didn’t ya tell me the dog was Catholic?”

CD Review Lucky Thirteen for Costa Norte Tony Orez

M

ax Urso is a busy guy, a tireless visionary.

He started his recording studio and label, Costa Norte Records, in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, in 1998. After hearing a rough cassette tape of Honduran singer/songwriter Guillermo Anderson performing he perceived a real need for a recording studio in the country. Both Guillermo and Garifuna singer Aurelio Martinez were recently included in the Central American Music Box CD, a compilation album demonstrating the musical diversity of this region. It is an accomplishment that all three of them are very proud about and happy to be a part of.

Max is now building a new recording studio “from scratch” and is hoping it will be ready in the near future. The new studio is also in San Pedro and will actually be next door to his house there, so when inspiration arrives, he will not have far to walk! He is also keeping the original name: Tarantula Studios. Sr. Urso already has plans to record the premier albums for two young, very talented local singer/songwriters, Rodrigo Cervantes and twenty-four-year-old phenom Sonny Moran, who is already receiving notice for his single “Misterio”. Sr. Urso also informed me of a new Guillermo Anderson CD in the works for 2011, his twelfth in as many years for Costa Norte. Guillermo is the label’s best-known artist, with fans all over the world. It looks like Urso’s new recording studio will be busy as soon as its doors open.

Max Urso was a member of Khaos, the second Rock ‘n’ Roll band to form in Central America. He now plays in The Khaoticos, who have the distinction of being the only Central American group to be invited to play on “Strummer”, a tribute CD to The Clash. The band has been steadily recording new material and they would like to have enough material and time to record a new CD (their third) this year, too. Urso is also very proud to have had the opportunity to work with Joey Ramone, on a record Max produced in New York more than a decade ago for an Italian band called Senzabenza. He should be very proud of what he has created at Costa Norte Records, too.

We talked about how musical influences fail to recognize man-made borders, how musical styles like calypso and Garifuna have equal influences up and down the Caribbean, regardless of the name of the country. Certainly, both these styles of music that stretch along the entire eastern shoreline of Central America are well represented on the Costa Norte label. I know that one of Urso’s goals is for the music of Honduras and of all Central America to be heard on a further-reaching scope.

So, now Costa Norte is a teenager! Max’s new recording studio should help the musical styles here to get the recognition they deserve. It may also serve as an incentive for musicians outside the area to come to Honduras to record, creating a whole new level of interplay. And that can only be a good thing for everyone involved. Happy birthday, Costa Norte!

Book Review That Falling Sensation Tony Orez

T

he Bellwether Prize for fiction was established by author Barbara Kingsolver ten years ago and is awarded every evennumbered year to an author for their unpublished work promoting social responsibility. The logistics of publishing and distributing the work generally takes at least a year. Heidi W. Durrow won the award in 2008 for her first novel, “The Girl Who Fell from the Sky”. She deserved it. The novel has just been published in paperback, so it should become more available and she deserves that, too.

I admit that after reading the title, I thought it was another case of marketing cashing in on a current craze, a la “the girl with the dragon tattoo who played with fire while kicking the hornet’s nest”. I could not have been more wrong. Heidi Durrow is not a fat, dead Swede and her novel is not pulp fiction. Her novel is based on a newspaper article she read some fifteen years earlier about a single mom in Chicago who takes her three small children with her to the roof of their tenement building and together they jump off. One of her daughters survived the fall.

The writing style was critical in the telling of this story and I believe Heidi pulled it off. A good writer writes about what he or she knows, so Ms. Durrow had the surviving girl biracial, as is the author and it is relating what it is like to “survive” in the U.S. as such that is one of the key elements in the novel. I never really thought much about the difficulties of being a “blue-eyed mulatto” as the author describes it: neither black or white and largely rejected by both races. It was also an awakening to read that Europeans are a lot more accepting of mixed marriages than Americans are. The most compelling aspect of the novel was in discovering the “mystery” to what would compel or provoke a mother of three to come to such a literally ultimate decision as to hurtle herself and her children from a rooftop. The story is delivered in chapters, each from the point of view of one of six major characters, and Durrow does an exceptional job with the different voices from these separate points of view.

Heidi Durrow’s literary influences are apparent: Toni Morrison, Barbara Kingsolver and the Harlem Renaissance writer Nella Larsen who, like Durrow, was also the product of Danish and Afro-American parents.

But Ms. Durrow has designed her own, distinctly engaging style. She does a very good job of building a supporting cast around the main character and provides commendable descriptive work of locations, primarily Chicago and Portland in this novel.

The author is a graduate of Stanford University, Colombia University’s Graduate School of Journalism and Yale Law School. She is a former practicing lawyer and personal trainer to professional athletes. She started this novel fifteen years ago and retooled it until she was completely satisfied with the results. Winning the Bellwether Prize should confirm to her that she completed this task and has discovered her calling. Let’s hope she has chosen writing as a profession and that her second novel will not take as long as the first one.

Reading the Trees and Colors of Guanacaste

Kay T. Dodge, Ph.D

W

hen I was returning from a two day trip to San Jose, I was reminded on the drive how amazing are the tropical trees of Guanacaste. When I first moved here I was confounded by the maze of trees lining the roads and covering the hillsides. Growing up in Michigan I learned to recognize the maples, oaks, pines and spruce trees, but here, everything was new. Esteban, my husband, was very familiar with the tropical trees of Guanacaste and could spout out the common names and characteristics of each tree as we sped by. Becoming familiar first with the many trees on the ranch, then, adding one by one the others by shape, leaves, and flowers, I now am able to read many of the unique Guanacaste trees.

Normally, the colorful display of dry forest blooms, are in a predictable sequence, however, as we drove through the hills of Nicoya the second week of February, the clusters of bright yellow flowers of the Cortez Amarillo dotted the hills and roadsides indicating that there were recent rains in the area. The blooming Cortez display usually occurs after the first rains and signals the start of the rainy season in Guanacaste.

Guanacaste’s dry tropical forest exhibits dramatic changes during the three distinct seasons – the dry season, December to April; the green season, May to September; and the rainy season – September to November. These changing climatic conditions are in direct contrast to the more uniform climate of Costa Rica’s wet tropical forests and cloud forests. The dry season is not just dusty and dry; look closely and you will be treated with a rainbow of color - the flamboyant flowering of the dry forest semi-deciduous trees– the yellows of Ziano and later, Poro-Poro, Cortez Amarillo and Cañafistula; the various pinks and white of roble; and the orange of malinche also known as flamboyant. The dry fields, rocky hills, and roadside fence rows are dotted with bare trees sporting pink, yellow and purple flowers set against bright blue cloudless skies. The colorful blooms attract wandering bees and bird pollinators insuring the seed crop for the next rainy season and abundant food for other dry forest inhabitants.

The dry season begins by providing a bounty of colorful citrus fruits – oranges, limes, grapefruit, and other local tropical favorites, mangos and jocote, arriving later in the dry season. Bright green parakeets with splashes of yellow, orange, and red, feed in noisy flocks in the crowns of the dry forest trees, often heard, but camouflaged, until they burst from the tree tops. Pairs of parrots, olivaceous trogons and turquoise-browed mot-mots are more easily seen as they flit from tree to tree during the dry season. (continued page 25

Cafe La Ventana, Vida Wellness Center and Kore Organic Market in Playa Negra are having an evening of fun and wellness on March 12th from 5-8pm. Come enjoy art, live music and tapas. Check out Negra’s new organic market and enjoy some delicious favors from La Ventana Gourmet Cafe. Call 2652-9197 for more information.

Peace Retreat Center in Playa Negra is hosting a day of yoga and wellness lectures Wednesday March 30th 8:30am-2pm.

Included in your day of relaxation and well being is a gourmet healthy lunch, lectures on a variety of health related topics, lounge around the pool time and a chance to check out the new yoga studio! One day admission is $30, space is limited so contact vidawellness2@gmail.com for more information or to make reservations.

Steak eaters! Mad Jack’s Steakhouse serves the best meat, broiled to yout preference at very reasonable prices. See ad on page 16.

Home School Beach Academy will hold its First Annual Interschool Surf Competition, as part of Surf Fest 2011, in front of Witch’s Rock Surf Camp on March 19 and 20. Contact Shannon at 8827-2759 or Kimberley at 8390-2442 for details.

Horsepeople! Two events this month. Cerro Grande Combined Training Farm’s First Annual Horse Show - March 26th from 12 - 3 just past the entrance to Hacienda Pinilla inside Cerro Grande Estates. Contact Amanda at 2653-2472 or 8819-3610 for details.

It’s Luna y Mar time. A parade of two hundred caballistos will leave Tempate at 6 p.m. on March 19 for a two-hour night ride to Playa Potrero, where they will party to celebrate the full moon of March. It is a tradition from times long past when the tides and the full moon of March predicted the success of the upcoming agricultural season, and farmers’ families would trek to the beach in ox-carts. This is a blast!! A once in a lifetime ride!!! For details, call Kay at 2653-8041.

For great food and one of the best views along the Gold Coast, try Lights From Heaven, at Hotel Palacio del Sol, just north of Potrero. See ad on page 21.

www.howlermag.com

Surf Report Story: Ellen Zoe Golden

T

he Circuito Nacional de Surf Ocean by DayStar 2011 opened its 11th season with Luis Vindas defending his current Costa Rica national championship title. That’s how it went with the Jaco surfer winning the Torneo Britt Iced in Playa Jaco in the Open final, surpassing the likes of Carlos Muñoz (Esterillos), Maikol Torres (Esterillos) and Jason Torres (Jaco) before 500 people.

In front of the facilities of Hotel Morgan’s Cove, the action of day two warmed up once the tide began to rise near noon. The waves reached about 4 feet and broke in a way that the 10 categories that ran their 20-minute finals offered quite the spectacles. The Open final, of course, culminated the show, with both Vindas (photo) and Jason killing it from beginning to end. Of course, Muñoz and Maikol did a worthy job adding variety to the heat, so much so that Maikol placed second, even though he was all of 18 years old.

However, Vindas accomplished his win in a way not seen in a final recently—by putting a check to his three Photo: Fabián Sánchez opponents in the first 8 minutes with the highest wave of Torneo Britt Iced with 9.50 and combined it with another of 7.27 to total 16.77, the highest average of the date as well.

No matter how hard the other guys tried, they were simply out of the race. For the rest of the finals, Vindas dedicated himself to practicing maneuvers that he may not have typically used, knowing that victory was already in the can.

“The truth is, it was complicated to win this date because I worked very late at my surf school and I didn’t have time to train. But since Jaco is my home, I know the wave very well, which gave me the confidence necessary to get to first place,” affirmed Lisbeth.

Carlos Muñoz, who once again did double duty in the Open and Junior, found his way to the top of the heap in the Junior division. He faced his rivals, Anthony Filligim (Malpais), Noah Sea McGonagle (Pavones) and Leon Williams (Jaco), but ruled supreme. He did not run waves in the first 10 minutes, however, but chose two waves in the end that added up to 15.83.

The Torneo Britt Iced was the first of the Circuito Nacional de Surf Ocean by DayStar 2011 that will take place in the Central Pacific.

The next time will be in Palo Seco de Parrita on February 26 and 27 in front Hotel La Isla.

Torneo Britt Iced January 22 & 23, 2011 Open Luis Vindas Mailkol Torres Jason Torres Carlos Muñoz

16.77 11.24 11.00 7.23

Longboard Christian Santamaría 11.34 Diego Naranjo 11.32 Gerardo Montoya 9.33 Alex Gómez 7.33

Junior Carlos Muñoz 15.83 Anthony Fillingim 12.26 Noe McGonagle 10.87 Leon Williams 10.46

Women’s Lisbeth Vindas 13.00 Jordan Hundley 12.67 Nataly Bernold 11.13 Ana Herrera 4.70

Boys (under 16) Bruno Carvalho Leon Williams Manuel Mesén Leonardo Calvo

10.70 7.87 7.30 6.73

Junior Women’s Jordan Hundley 12.37 Leilani McGonagle 6.86 Emili Gussoni 5.36 Elissa Bonomelli 5.03

With the win of Torneo Britt Iced, Vindas places on top of the rankings with 2,500 points of the 12,500 total that are given in the season for 1st place. The rest of the four dates, will like this contest, have 6 stars.

Grommets (under 14) Bruno Carvalho 13.00 León Williams 10.17 Dilan Campos 6.13 Callen Campos 5.47

Grommet Girls Emily Gussoni 13.83 Paula Duarte 12.33 Leilani McGonagle 9.93 Selena Moberly 7.03

Luis’ sister, Lisbeth Vindas, overcame everything in the end, and won her Women’s final. The Jaco surfer was up against another surfer who showed an important evolution in her skills, North American Jordan Hundley, who is in her second year of the Circuito Nacional, and she is always giving Lisbeth and Nataly Bernold (Jaco) a challenge in their heats.

Minigrommets (under 12) Sean Forester 7.70 Alex Calero 6.80 Jared Bono 4.34 Malakai Martinez 4.13

Minigrommet Girls Leilani McGonagle 13.50 Emily Gussoni 8.07 Paula Duarte 5.40 María Paula Oliveiros 3.87

Maikol, thinking better of the situation, knowing defeat was at hand, dedicated himself to earning 2nd place, a valuable spot in the fight for a Circuito Nacional position.

“I entered motivated, went with tactics that included looking for a good left because the others are regulars and they paddled away to run right, which gave me a good left, one that allowed me to make enough good combination of maneuvers and points to win this first date,” said Vindas.”

In the Women’s final, it looked like Hundley was going to win, with everything going her way, until Lisbeth in the last minutes scored with a wave of 8.33 to take 1st place and put down Hundley and Bernold.

(continued page 23

Costa Rica’s Los Altos de Eros Hotel Named by TripAdvisor as # 8 in “Top 25 Hotels in the World”

Alcoholics Anonymous Schedule of Meetings

Flamingo

Tuesdays: 5:30 - 6:30 pm (open) Fridays: 5:30 - 6:30 pm (open)

Location: Hitching Post Plaza Unit 2, Brasilito Contact: Don H. at 2-654-4902

Tamarindo

Saturday: 10:30-11:30 - Open General Meeting Monday: 5:30 Open Meeting Thursday: 6:30-7:30 - Open Meeting Location: Behind Restaurant La Caracola Contact: Ellen - 2-653-0897

STEAKHOUSE NOW SERVING DINNER EVERY NIGHT 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.

8 oz RIB EYE or NEW YORK STEAK ¢4,500 Fully Air Conditioned

Daily Specials

7 oz FILET MIGNON ¢6,000 Ice-cold Beers

Games for the Kids

16 oz T-BONE STEAK ¢7,500 Flat Screen TVs

Free Pool Table

GRILLED PORK CHOP ¢4,000 ALL MEALS INCLUDE COMBINATION OF SIDES MADE DAILY

¢1,000 IMPERIAL • PILSEN • ROCK ICE KIDS UNDER 7 EAT FREE (SPECIAL MENU) Located in the Plaza with Gil’s Place & Tamarindo Gym Tel: 2653-1423

Guanacaste, Costa Rica - Los Altos de Eros was chosen as a “Triple Award Winner” by TripAdvisor® in its 2011 Travelers’ Choice® awards. Now in its ninth year, the annual TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice awards honor the world’s best hotels, earning their distinction from those who know them best – real travelers.

Los Altos de Eros, located 20 minutes from Tamarindo, won awards in three of the 2011 categories. In Central and South America the hotel won exceptionally high honors in both the “Service” and “Spa/relaxation” categories. The prime award, however, was the naming of Los Altos de Eros as # 8 in the “Top 25 Hotels in the World”.

Guests who stay at Los Altos de Eros have an opportunity to write a candid review of their experience at the hotel on the TripAdvisor.com website. Almost 100% of the guest reviews for Los Altos de Eros are “5-Star”.

“With the help of millions of travelers around the globe, TripAdvisor is thrilled to recognize the world’s most outstanding hotels for the ninth year of the Travelers’ Choice Awards,” said Karen Drake, senior director of communications for TripAdvisor. “From the best bargain hotels to best luxury hotels, remarkable service, value and quality are the hallmarks of our Travelers’ Choice winners.”

Los Altos de Eros is a 5-room boutique hotel offering unequaled service, relaxation, romance, and exquisite cuisine.

Check out Los Altos at www.losaltosdeeros.com.

For information, Contact: Nicole Loria

info@losaltosdeeros.com 8850-4222

Tourist in a rental car in Ireland comes against a flooded road.

Not knowing how deep it was he asks Farmer Seamus.

“Oh, it’s not deep. Ye’ll get through fine,” says Seamus.

Minutes later the tourist climbs out of his stalled car, water up to the windows. “You told me the water wasn’t deep!” he exclaims.

“Sure, an’ it only comes half-way up me ducks.”

Los H

Swiss Gem

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n December of 2010, while touring with my sister and spouse visiting from Canada, my husband and I truly discovered “Los Heroes Restaurant and Hotel”. Indeed, we had passed it several times in the past while enroute to or from Volcan Arenal/La Fortuna - even had lunch there once - but never explored what it had to offer. In November I had bumped into information about them online and became very interested.

Consequently, in December we booked two nights there.

This Swiss-Costa Rican establishment, situated on the shores of Lake Arenal, offers some of the most unique features I have ever encountered: • a tourist train that winds through tunnels and over trestles up the mountain-side to a revolving restaurant (included in the cost of your room) • a revolving restaurant capable of accommodating up to 180 diners, situated at an altitude of 800 meters, that affords views of the valley, mountains, lake and (in clear weather!) even Volcan Arenal • a dairy farm that raises its own cattle, the breeds all brought from

Switzerland - Simmental, Swiss Brown and Red Holstein • a stunningly beautiful chapel with an altar, stained glass windows, a clock tower and bells • all these in addition to a delightful Swiss chalet hotel and restaurant complete with a pool and jacuzzi.

We had to learn more about this “diamond-in-the-rough”, so we asked questions of the owners, Franz and Silena Ulrich. It was a treat doing this as both of them are totally involved in the operation of their “Pequeña Helvecia” and love to talk about it.

The year was 1963, Franz Ulrich of Switzerland answered an ad to come to Costa Rica to work in the exporting of coffee. In 1977 Franz married Silena Moncada, obtained a home in Alajuela where they lived and raised two children. But Franz was not pleased with the climate there for the dream farm he intended to start, so in 1987 they purchased 190 hectares of land on the east shore of Lake Arenal, near Nuevo Arenal, moved to the new location and began the dairy operation.

In 1989 he expanded from dairy only to build a hotel. The restaurant was added in 1991.

Heroes

m of Arenal

Story & Photos Diane Madsen

Franz thought a railroad would be nice so he designed one, and with the help of two workers, built it.

“What about the revolving restaurant?” I asked.

“I designed it too.” Franz answered.

I wondered “Did you have an engineer to help – or bring in builders?”

“No, I and the two workers built it” was the reply “When they saw the round track, they asked me what are we doing here?”

Franz told them and they “looked at each other, shook their heads and went back to work” he joked. (This resourceful man had been selected and invited to Canada in the 1950s to take engineering and remain as an engineer in

Canada, but his father had other ideas for him. It would seem that is Canada’s loss and Costa Rica’s gain!).

I could go on and on about this charming couple and their small piece of paradise, but I must leave you readers the challenge of personal discovery.

If you love being a part of nature, being outdoors, seeing birds and flowers and possibly deer, as well as a real-life farm atmosphere, you will love “Los Heroes”. Hotel rooms are lovely, rates are reasonable, meals are delicious, and a guest’s sense of being extended family make for a wonderful experience.

We are not the first to discover this enchanting “jewel”. They have been featured in a German publication, Coop, in 2005 and 2009; Costa Rica’s La Nación, in April, 2006 and the Tico Times, May, 1999 and March, 2006. But, I have encountered no one else here in the Surfside, Flamingo, Tamarindo area that has had the full pleasure of this unusual facility. I am hoping this article will do its part in changing that.

To find them, they can be reached by telephone at 2692-8012 or 2692-8013. E-mail is info@pequenahelvecia.com. Website is www.pequenahelvecia.com.

WHAT ARE WE DOING COSTA RICA? Cynthia Osborne Charpentier

Golden Citizens - Adultos mayores Because we were born from a mother and a father, and because of them we have grandparents. We have to be connected with our parents, they gave us our life. Now, not only our parents, any gold citizen deserves respect. With the passing of the years they go to the stage of old age. It is a custom to have tolerance for the elderly and to respect them despite the deterioration and sickness from getting old.

Q: Does this country really respect them?

“More or less” - Gustavo, Costa Rica.

“I think that they don’t treat them with the respect they deserve from many years’ experience and understanding. People don’t respect them, they cannot walk well, they cannot see well - Juan Carlos, Colombia.

“Golden Age, these people have gold. That’s why I call them Golden Age, because they have been working all their life and they have gold.

So youngsters think you should rob old people, because the young don’t have any money. I have gold for ‘working’ forty years” - Norman, United States.

“Most people treat them as if they don’t have their capacities; others go in for activities, do things in the house for themselves, to exercise the body and mind” - Angelita, 16 years old.

“To me good, ‘pura vida’. Tranquilo. I go and come. They treat me so well everywhere. One day someone asks me about my aura, and women and men who don’t know me, they treat me well” - Facundo.

“Very good, very well, treat me like family” - Ron, Canada.

Q: “What do you think about men’s old age crisis, why they like younger women?”

“Because young ladies are more beautiful, and have more capacity in their movements, and ways to do things. They have more facility to learn, they don’t forget things and they can help the older ones to remember” - Angelita.

“I don’t. But the others have a car, a motorbike and all that. They feel good even though they are ‘viejitos’. Even though they don’t hold their hands, a car is enough. But the young ladies are after money. Maybe it is because they ‘can not’ anymore, but some ladies still want money.”

There are institutions to provide services for elderly people. Here are a few: AGECO (Asociacion Gerentologica Costarricense) is an institution that developes activities and promotes and teaches leadership, resources, different courses, English, Tai-chi, Computers, and 90 more skills.

They have instructors for free, installations, materials.

They are not government. They are getting a pool for them.

UCR, Universidad de Costa Rica.

I take lessons at the University: Swimming lessons, popular dance, rhythm and movement. Plus aerobics close to my house. I have to pay my registration and my Social Security” - Mariana.

Services: There have been complaints with the buses, lines for gold people, they are slow in banks and farmacies. But there are some markets with discounts and National Parks for free.

CONAPAM (Consejo Nacional para Adultos Mayores). This institution has worked for more than eleven years. They work for the Republic.

Assists in cases of abandonment, helps residence for old people, social entities, programs about the law.

Social workers give you information about the politics for institutions, for example: CCSS (Social Security in Costa Rica), Health Ministry, Education Ministry, JPS (Social Protection).

Now, and this is important to me and gold foreign citizens: Residency.

They should have the same laws as Costa Ricans. Everything!

This is the law for gold people: #7935.

My friend lives here for 15 years, all his papers are right to became a resident.But after four years at Direccion General de Extranjeria, all papers submitted, and nothing. Another 2 years, and nothing, 75 years old. Waiting and waiting? The counselling is available regionally in Liberia, Guanacaste.

But do they speak English?

Gold Coast Women’s Club

T

he Gold Coast Women’s Group held their first 2011 event on February 5th at Katharina Hjelset’s new beautiful Playa Potrero location of El Coconut Restaurant.

The event was kicked-off by Ivan Granados of GM Attorneys who spoke about Costa Rican Will Law. Corynne Bean of Frijoles Locos Surf & Spa spoke about the benefits of massage and was joined by Dane McFarland who gave insights to better eating and Gregory Casillas who demonstrated the health benefits of Yoga. Terry Anderson of Force One Security & Access Control concluded the morning by discussing the finer points of personal and home protection. The ladies were treated to a buffet lunch while they watched Patricia Sterman’s (Azul Profundo) Costa Rican Style Show. The beautiful, sizzling models were none other than some of the Gold Coast Women: Jean Capezza, Eva Koranyi, Laurie Lawson, and Eva Wagner. They were escorted center stage by Horacio Sterman. The event concluded with a wine tasting provided by Jorge Granados of Jorgan Wines. Throughout the day the ladies were able to take advantage of personal services provided by: Caralee Burton, Laeticia Deweer, Caroline Heaviland, Sandra Nino and Dr. Edwardo Villalobos. For more information about the Gold Coast Women’s Group please contact Anne Scalf at annescalf@gmail.com.

A Slice of Life Pimping Pot in Tamarindo David Mills

A

European visitor new to Tamarindo wasted no time in telling us he was God’s gift to women. He was on a world pilgrimage looking for the most beautiful women, sampling a few here and there. He has just left Tamarindo, finding the women here “artificial and snobbish”, headed for Nicaragua, where the chicas will be “more down-to-earth, honest and appreciative of what I have to offer.” There, he will live in a beach house and have all the local beauties come in and clean and cook for him, etc... He will also learn Portuguese there, so later he can go to Brazil and sample the Cariocas.

One morning at a Tamarindo café he made eye contact with a cute 22-year-old Canadian girl. “I could see that she was sexually attracted to me so I invited her to a bar for lunch. As things went on I could see that she wanted me, so I invited her to my apartment.”

She agreed, adding that to smoke a joint first would add to the enjoyment, and did he have any. “No, I don’t,” he answered, “and don’t know where I can get some at short notice.”

“Don’t worry,” she said, “I can help. Wait here half-an-hour and I’ll be back with it.”

Checking his e-mail in the wi-fi bar, he received a Facebook message from his new love: “How much do you want?” He figured $20 would get the job done.

A while later a guy walked up to him at the bar and said “I have what you want. Do you have the $20?”

Our Lothario paid up and received the baggie. As the dealer was leaving, our guy asked him “But where’s my girlfriend?”

“No,” he answered, “she’s my girl friend.”

Word puzzle All words from the list below can be found in the word block on the right.

Answers may be forward, backward, upwards, downwards and diagonal. bagaces belen brasilito canas comunidad ďŹ ladelďŹ a guaitil hatillo junquillal lacruz lagoarenal laguardia lamansion liberia limonal

marbella matapalo nancite pandeazucar paraiso pasotempisque playaconchal playadelcoco potrero sanjosedepinilla sardinal santacruz tenorio tilaran tronadora

Surf Report (from page 15) Former Costa Rica national Women’s surf champion Andrea Diaz has moved her Waves Costa Rica surf camp from Playa Hermosa to Tamarindo and to the Best Western Tamarindo Vista Villas. This is the only Roxy/Quiksilver surf camp in Latin America.

When Andrea was first competing on the Circuito Nacional, winning her national title in 1999 and 5th place in the Pan American Surfing Games in 2000, she drew the attention of Roxy who invited her to become a team rider. From there she went all around the world doing surf photo shoots, while continuing to compete.

Eventually, Andrea decided she wanted to take her love of surfing and teach others how to do it. She trained in CPR and aquatic rescue. Got certified by the International Surfing Association (ISA) and Australian coaching. Quiksilver and Roxy agree to lend their name to the venture, certifying that the school and camp would be of the highest standards.

For the preliminary years, Waves Costa Rica operated successfully out of Playa Hermosa.

But Andrea longed for a partner. That partner came with Best Western Tamarindo Vista Villas. So she moved the camp to Tamarindo and set up in the new location.

The new location affords Waves Costa Rica access to many surf breaks at one time. Tamarindo for the beginners. Surf guides take advanced surfers to Playa Grande, Langosta, Avellanas, Negra and Marbella. And of course, there are trips to Witch’s Rock and Ollie’s Point.

Diaz believes it is important to be environmentally conscious, and to give back to the world. Once a year, for Un Dia Muy Especial, she brings the athletes of the Special Olympics to the beach to surf and enjoy themselves.

Along with her sponsors Roxy/Quiksilver, they have participated in the Roxy Cleans Your Beaches event. Last year, with the camp in the Central Pacific, the event took place in Jaco. First, Waves visited private schools in San Jose and asked the students to write an essay on how to make their school more aware of the environment. These essays were judged and 30 winners were brought to the beach for a day of surfing and pilates. Park rangers were there to show how the biggest polluters were people who live in the city. This year, Roxy Cleans Your Beaches will take place in Tamarindo.

Since moving to Tamarindo, Waves Costa Rica has already arranged its first surf trip with Quiksilver and Roxy team riders. Around the Tamarindo Vista Villas, inside Andrea’s Roxy/Quiksilver surf camp van and then seen on the waves of Marbella and surrounding areas were Quiksilver’s Alberto Muñoz, Manuel Mesén, Isaac Vega and Tomas King and Roxy’s Nataly Bernold.

Behind the lens, Tony Roberts, official Quiksilver shooter.

“They were all super stoked with the waves. They were 4- to 6-feet super clean conditions. It was two days. The first day they were all offshore tubes, left and right hand. The kids surfed so much. Andrea started at 6:30 a.m. and at noon the kids were still surfing and Andrea was whistling trying to get them out for lunch. They were surf freaks,” Juan Jose Rodriguez, Waves Costa Rica Operations Manager clearly remembers.

That’s all I’ve got. Looking forward to hearing what you think. Keep those emails coming at EllenZoe@aol.com. Send your comments, information, errors or praise, because I can’t do this column without you, the real surfers.

My Sister Karen

Karen Dressner Boom November 3, 1953 to January 25, 2011 I could tell you so many things, Share so many stories and memories about my sister Karen, But it would take me a lifetime.

You all knew her in your own ways, so I just want to tell you about what kind of sister Karen was.

Many people go their whole lives without experiencing the kind of love that we had for each other.

There were ups and downs, as there are in all relationships, But beyond all that, Karen and I loved each other without condition, And I think that’s rare.

We were each other’s safe spot in this world.

She was my fierce protector, and I was her home.

I wish that she could have seen herself through my eyes, And seen her incredible beauty in all its forms.

Karen knew how much I love her And I know that I couldn’t have been loved more.

I am overwhelmed with gratitude for having Karen as my sister.

I can’t imagine a world without her.

Held within the depths of my sorrow is a profound Joy for Karen For her life, For our love And for her Peace.

Susan Curtis

Guanacaste... (from page 12 As the rivers and once-flooded fields dry up, water birds can be easily observed in the remnants of wetland as they feed in the shrinking ponds and wet fields. In the dry season, tourist birdwatchers “flock” to the fringes of the mangroves along the Pacific coast, estuaries and the islands of the Rio Tempisque to look for exotic birds such as the wood stork, brown pelican, glossy ibis, tiger heron, boat-billed heron and the primitive hoatzins. The anhinga, also known as the snake bird, because of its habit of swimming with its body under water and head emerging like a snake, can be seen perched on the mangrove trees with wings extended to dry in the sun. In the dry tropical forest the mangroves and inland swamps are limited in size by the disappearance of year-round fresh water streams due in part to deforestation.

The fresh water is essential to mix with salt water to support the rich mangrove ecosystem. From the large swamp ecosystem of Palo Verde National Park, to the small puddles of “charcos”, the seasonal wetlands of Guanacaste provide a living laboratory for natural history observers. In the past these seasonal wetlands drew duck and waterfowl hunters from all over the world. Now most hunters arrive with cameras and binoculars.

In the fresh water wetlands, the roseate spoonbill can be seen feeding on bottom life with its specially flattened spoon-like bill. The herons, ibises, and egrets have evolved a variety of bill modifications and body and leg sizes, adapted to feed in specific wetland niches. The family of herons, including the tall great blue, the common green-backed and the little blue can be seen frozen waiting for a passing fish or frog.

The snowy egret, with its showy white plumage and black legs and bill, is similar but smaller than the great egret with smoother white feathers and yellow bill. Flocks of fast flying cattle egrets can be seen following cattle feeding on ticks and other insects. During the breeding season the males sport yellow on their head, chest and back.

In the evening large groups of cattle egrets can be seen flocking to favorite trees to perch for the night.

The old network of oxcart trails that lead from town to town in Guanacaste provide a wonderful opportunity to observe wildlife, both in seasonal wetlands and tree-lined old pastures. One of my favorites is the old road from Cartagena to Santa Cruz which passes through lowland swamps and rivers. The entry is about a half mile west of the entry to Cartagena and is passable by car from January to August.

Many of the other trails are easily accessed on horseback or on foot, abounding with life early morning and late afternoon.

In an otherwise dry and dusty dry season environment from February to April, look closely and you will be treated to colorful flowering trees, tropical birds, flitting butterflies, noisy troupes of howler monkeys and an array of flowers planted around the homes of the native Guanacastecos. Although most of us appreciate the improved and paved roads and shopping malls, we often rush by and don’t really see the beauty that is around us. The old adage, “stop and smell the flowers” is a good piece of advice. Pull your “sense of wonder” out of your back pocket and take time to enjoy the wonderful world we live in.

Now Begins the Study of Yoga

I

n our practice of the physical postures of yoga (the asanas), understanding where Sanskrit names of the poses came from helps us to take the pose beyond just a physical practice, bringing forth the wholeness of yoga on and off our mat.

Take, for example, the Warrior poses.

In Sanskrit, these poses are called Virabhadrasana, for the warrior Virabhadra. Virabhadra was created by Shiva, one of the major Hindu gods.

Shiva’s wife was humiliated by her father, who hadn’t invited her or Shiva to a big sacrifice. So Shiva’s wife threw herself into the fire and died. Angered by his wife’s suicide, Shiva tore a lock of his hair from his head and threw it to the ground. From his action arose the fierce warrior, Virabhadra, with hundreds of arms carrying many types of weapons. Virabhadra took revenge on those in-laws, using all of the weapons at his command.

Violent imagery for a supposedly peaceful art, yes. However, think of Virabhadra in symbolic terms. Think of him as a spiritual warrior doing battle with what is considered in Hinduism to be our greatest enemy, our ignorance (avidya), the ultimate source of all of our suffering. Our ignorance is rooted in seeing ourselves as the personality we form, rather than our true nature.

In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras he recommends the eight-limbed path of yoga to get back to knowing and living from our true nature. So in our working

Mary Byerly is one of the owners and the yoga teacher at Panacea.

An oasis of tranquility and health 10 minutes from Tamarindo.

Discover Paradise and Bring a Peace Home www.panaceacr.com • 2653-8515

with these Warrior poses, our whole body, mind, and spirit are involved in using our weaponry for stripping away the layers that keep us from our true selves. For this battle we need the strength, courage, endurance, and steadiness embodied in each of the three poses of Virabhadra.

In Virabhadrasana I we work with balancing different actions in each leg, lengthening our spine, lifting our eyes, arms, and heart while rooting our lower body to the earth. Through our arms, we raise our heart and mind to the heavens, asking for our actions to be right and wise.

In Virabhadrasana II we root to the earth with our legs, we lift through the crown chakra, or top of our head, and we balance ourselves with our arms extended, and our torso staying steadily balanced on top of our pelvis.

We take our weapons in each arm to cut our attachments to past or future, so that we can stay present, finding our true nature in the here and now.

In Virabhadrasana III we balance on the strength of one leg, extending back with the other leg, meeting our future with the sword of discernment in our arms, slicing through all that is not real.

So when you are ready to bring yourself back to your true self, find the warrior within and strike a pose!

Namaste

The Keys to a Greener Valley Tom Peifer

We’ve got the tools and we’ve got the talent—Ghostbusters

Here’s a challenge.

Try convincing a visitor to coastal Guanacaste that it rained 13 feet from last April through November. These days, it’s hard to know who suffers most; the sand-blasted roadside foliage or the survivors of those fun-filled four-wheel excursions on the coastal road from Tamarindo to Junquillal and back. It wouldn’t come as much of a surprise to learn that some off-roaders get waved into deeper levels of inspection in US airports, given the suspicious white powder permeating every pore.

Sure, you say, we’re in the wet-dry tropics. And so far this ‘summer’ as they say, absolute temperatures are lower that the blistering heat of last dry season. Nonetheless, what happened to all the rain that fell? Why did the streams and rivers dry up so quickly and the wells and aquifers seem to go down faster and earlier than usual?

The fact is that no one knows everything for certain. Weather is so complex, involving so many interrelated phenomena, that it gave rise to a new approach to scientific understanding called “chaos theory.” On the other hand, facts on the ground, from Australia to Pakistan and Sri Lanka to El Salvador, tend to confirm what climate change scientists have predicted since the ‘80s. The rains are going to get harder and the droughts are going to get drier.

Describing the catastrophic flooding in his own country, one Salvadoran activist recently declared, “We are in a new historical context. If we don’t change how we live, we aren’t going to last very long, no matter how much money we have.”

Segue to recent developments in the crime-wracked province of Limón. Community groups in a couple of neighborhoods have tired of government inactivity, incompetence, lack of interest or whathave-you, and taken matters into their own hands in dealing with local delinquency. The take-home lesson: don’t wait for central governments to save your butt when times get tough.

A century ago, the valley I call home was blessed with year ‘round streams and rivers flowing through a majestic forest with abundant wildlife. The soils produced enough to sustain a growing population, the surplus exported by boat to Puntarenas. Decades of degradation—clear-cutting, overgrazing, uncontrolled burning and poorly planned developments—have taken their toll on land and water resources and left an economy and food production that is foraging for the crumbs off the table of globalization.

Unless you’re blessed with the insight of a genius or just happen to have a crystal ball real handy, it takes time to tease out the con-

nections. Ultimately, things are so interrelated, at times it’s hard to figure out where and how to start trying to clean up the mess we’re in. Let me provide some examples.

Last November, the widespread flooding in the wake of tropical storm Tomás stranded many of my long-time friends-gringos and guanacastecos alike--in the dark of night, terrified as the raging waters surged around, in and through their homes. Let’s put some human faces on the nocturnal drama. Rosa, the talented cook at Lola’s watching her stove and refrigerator bobbing around in the flooded downstairs of her home by the creek in Los Pargos. Mary, after a sleepless night, awoke to years of landscaping and property value swept away into the nearby estuary. Alex, a kid I’ve known since he was in school with my son, stepped out of bed to see his stereo, CPU and a laptop all submerged in the swirling mess.

My own conflict is that I happen to be friends with the guys whose hillside farms and developments lie directly upstream from these unintended victims. I know what was done--and what was not done-- on the land that released the runoff that affected the lives of these folks. I also know that given the current slowdown in lot sales, few owners have the extra cushion to invest in remedial measures at this point in time. What’s a guy to do?

Fortunately, in our valley there are a lot of people already at work putting together pieces of the puzzle. We have groups working to preserve the majestic mangrove of the Rio Nandamojo, patrolling the beaches and educating in the schools to save the endangered marine turtles. Monkey bridges have been built across some highways. Developers have embarked on massive tree planting and erosion control projects. Still, there’s a bigger picture out there, a kind of symphony waiting to be orchestrated, that embraces the individual instruments and choral groups and sketches out a harmonious melody that resonates with our common future.

Honestly, I had intended to provide a step-by-step guide to restoring a bit of paradise. A kind of “globally/locally” pizza recipe with all the usual ingredients. Longtime readers of The Howler can probably recite them in their sleep: --Infiltrate rainfall as close as possible to where it falls, stop erosion and plant native trees wherever possible --Build better soil by incorporating organic material, charcoal and compost, to increase fertility and the ability to store more water.

--Support local growers by buying meat, dairy, bananas, whatever, and engaging with them to move to more sustainable practices in their agriculture. (continued page 32)

October March F Forecasts orecasts

by Jeanne Callahan

Visit Jeanne’s site at CelestialAdvisor.com

Aries: 21 March - 20 April

Libra: 23 September - 23 October

Taurus: 21 April - 21 May

Scorpio: 24 October - 22 November

With Jupiter already in your sign and Uranus about to reenter it on the 12th you are ready to take bold and major action. You are venturing into new territory in your life, as something you expected to bear fruit just didn’t work out like you envisioned, hence the decisive move this month. While it may take a few months to work out the details, the point is you are moving forward with your life. Bravo! Best days are the 6th and 7th.

This is a good month to network with your professional groups and business friends so you can advance within your occupation. There is support out there but you have to take action to connect with it. Not everyone is your champion so move away from those who seem lukewarm to your ideas. Use your natural charm and grace to your advantage. The 8th, 9th and 10th are your most favorable days this month.

Gemini: 22 May - 21 June

There’s a lot of professional activity and gain in store for you this month as your expertise and knowledge are sought after by many. Make the most of the next three months of such activity as the gains will be great. There’s luck around public speaking for you so don’t be shy if you are asked to make a presentation for some new group of people. Now is the time to make new associates and friends. The lunar vibe favors you on the 11th and 12th.

Cancer: 22 June - 22 July

This month kicks off a brand new energy in your 10th house of career as you prepare to start something new and exciting in your life. You will make your decision around the middle of the month and spend the next 2-3 months putting the pieces in place. Don’t let your desire for security prevent you from making a change—hesitation is not the favorable stance now. Use the positive vibes on the 13th and 14th to guide you.

Leo: 23 July - 23 August

Financial matters are still a major focus for you but there may be an opportunity to take a trip abroad as a distraction. This is a good idea as something will stimulate your passion and bring rewards into your life. There’s a cause out there waiting for your energy and support. The 15th and 16th are excellent days to begin that journey.

Virgo: 24 August - 22 September

A theme for you this month is about creating a better work environment so you can generate more income and appropriate partnerships. This can mean love or business partnerships as both will be on your mind. You are energized to make changes now and don’t want to settle for less than ideal conditions for yourself. This doesn’t mean you get into a hyper perfectionist drive, just make the choices that best suit your style. The 17th and 18th favor Virgos.

This month Uranus will re-enter your seventh house of partnership indicating some upheaval and change in store for you. If you are married look out, as there’s some air that needs to be cleared for the partnership to productively more forward. Change and growth are on the horizon, so don’t hide from the facts. Saturn in your first house is also asking you to review your actions and make amends if needed. The 19th are 20th are your best days The vibes for you this month are primarily about creativity, your work environment, your health and your home. There could be some major changes required in regard to your health habits so don’t procrastinate in making them. The changes will be extremely positive in the long run. If you are thinking of improving your home, this is a good month to start. You are on fire with new ideas now too. The 21st and 22nd are good days to begin a new project.

Sagittarius: 23 November - 21 December

With Uranus re-entering Aries on the 12th and joining Jupiter and Mercury in your fifth house of creativity, you get a major blast of good fortune vibes. Don’t hesitate to act on the opportunities that are presented to you. You also might begin a home improvement project, as something needs attention in your home now. It should also be a good month for social activities...say yes to those too. The 23rd, 24th and 25th are your best days.

Capricorn: 22 December - 21 January

With your ruling planet, Saturn, retrograde at the top of your chart, you have to complete something left undone in the past. Money is available for you so this is not about you having to forfeit a profit. There are many errands or activities you need to participate in, too, so get adequate rest to be at your best. If you are considering moving to a new home, this could be the month you find what you are looking for. The 26th and 27th are stellar days for you.

Aquarius: 22 January - 19 February

Venus enters your sign this month which will bring in tender moments with women and a general light social vibe to your being. You may have additional expenses this month, particularly if you decide to take a trip. There is lots of additional activity in your neighborhood, or one of your siblings may need a lot of your attention now. Be as generous and supportive as you can be. The 1st, 2nd, 28th, 29th and 30th all favor Aquarians.

Pisces: 20 February - 20 March

Mars is in your sign all month, creating some upheaval in your general calm nature. Change is trying to wake you up into taking some action to better your financial situation.

Be bold but not blind in your words and actions this month.

If it is possible to spend a little time away by a body of water, do so. You will need a little TLC by the time the month is over. Best days are the 4th, 5th and 31st.

Namasté

Parents’ Corner The Importance of Friends

P

sychologist Erik Erikson looks at human development as a series of stages, each one containing one key conflict between opposing situations, that the person needs to resolve in order to be able to successfully move to the next stage. The stage corresponding to adolescence is characterized by the conflict between identity and role confusion, being the main task in this stage “finding out who we are as individuals separate from our family of origin and as members of a wider society”. Friends play a key role in this process. For a teenager, his friends are the ones who understand him best, and who give him a much needed sense of belonging.

Here are some guidelines that may be helpful when dealing with your child’s friendships: 1. Know your child’s friends. Invite them to your home, offer yourself to drop them off and pick them up, organize parties at your house... keep them close, create a connection ... by getting to know them better, you will also achieve a better understanding of your son or daughter.

2. Promote time and space for friends. By allowing your daughter or son to organize gatherings with friends, going out with them and following up on their wellbeing, your child is learning social skills. It allows the adolescent to think beyond him or herself and become more aware of other people’s needs and desires.

3. Talk to your son or daughter about friendship. Share your own experiences in this matter and help your child understand that, as important as friends are, it is more important to resist peer pressure and make your own decisions. Help your child understand the concept of INTEGRITY. 4. Teach your son or daughter how to handle compromising situations.

Having a “ready to use” response can help a teenager out when being pressured to break a rule, i. e. drinking or taking drugs. You need to be practical and remember that it is not easy to deny a friend’s request. By offering your child realistic alternatives on how to deal with this type of situations, you will help him feel more confident.

5. Supervise your daughter’s or son’s activities with friends. This may not make you very popular, but that should not concern you... you are a parent, and it is your responsibility to know where your child is at any time, and who he is with. Don’t hesitate to say NO if you consider an activity inappropriate or too risky.

In any case, your child’s friends are part of your family... let them in, and open your hearts and minds to them, and you will be opening your hearts and minds to your child.

“Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.”- Anais Nin Msc. Mónica Riascos Henríquez Psicóloga – Psicopedagoga Tel. 83589550 consultariascos@live.com

Surviving

C hapter LXVII

S

COSTA RICA

ometimes it’s easy to take life for granted here in paradise, and after a while you can start to lose track of why you’re living here and maybe complain just a little too much about how things could be better. I confess that on occasion I’ve found myself in this category, sometimes known as the “Costa Rica itch to bitch” or “Talking like a North American”, (that’s right, even some Canadians find it too hot, while Mexicans complain that there’s not enough violence).

I have just returned from San José, most of the time wondering what I would write this month to satisfy my editor’s e-mailed demand for product, each one using a larger and bolder font to emphasize his consternation.

Suddenly I became aware that the countryside I was passing through, which I had also been through the previous day in the opposite direction, was incredibly beautiful and somewhat soothing. I wouldn’t exactly call it an “epiphany” but I really started to appreciate that my adopted country was just so naturally fun to drive through with its border-to-border scenery, not to mention the mental challenge of pitting yourself against a national police force while dodging large diesel semi-trailers piloted by crazy men.

I wouldn’t be having this life style if I were back in the states, where without a doubt things function on a much different level. I start to recall all those reasons we had for coming to Costa Rica in the first place, which were basically ones involving getting away from something we were way too used to, to try and figure out if we could get used to something we were entirely unused to. Does that make sense?

As I continue through the Guanacaste Pampa, now in all of its brown hues of summertime, I again start to appreciate the fact that the weather here as a

Several Good Reasons to want to Live in Costa Rica

general rule is a lot nicer than the stuff they’re getting in the good ‘ol USA, or Europe, or Australia, or Sri Lanka etc.

The coldest I think I’ve ever experienced here in Costa Rica was probably in the mid-fifties Fahrenheit. (Okay; for my European and younger Canadian readers we’ll convert our Fahrenheit temperature to Celsius by multiplying it by 6.18 and then adding half the amount again after which you multiply it by the square root of pi). Good luck!

I probably don’t need to tell you that down here it’s summer and starting to get about as hot as it ever gets, and even that’s not so bad. I spent most of my adult life in Texas and it’s a heckuva lot hotter.

It doesn’t hurt to practice local cultural affectations such as “siestas”, a time-honored tradition enabling one to sleep off a three-cerveza/martini lunch conveniently during the hottest time of day. For me we’re talking one p.m. to about sunset.

I’m able to enjoy the breezes that start up about dusk during another nightly tradition known as “walking the dog” which involves being led through all the “good smelling” places while being attached to a fifty-pound Shar-Pei and by the time the dog has done his thing it’s night time with even nicer weather to enjoy.

If I were in my twenties and living here in Tamarindo I would probably not even bother with the day and just wake up when the sun is going down and begin preparing myself for hitting “the spot” about twelvish and maybe catch a sunrise wave or two before the sun gets too high. I’m basing this on personal observation as well as dim memories.

But even a geezer like me stuck in the daylight hours can enjoy the weather and can only appreciate it more thanks to the miracle of cable TV where every

Story by Jesse Bishop

night the nightly news programs report incessantly on what we’re missing.

Here in Costa Rica there are no rules, a very good reason to live here. That is to say, the one rule is; there are no rules.

Oh, sure, they have books available in San José government buildings where various laws and regulations are kept, but one never has a chance to enforce them before new ones are legislated.

This has made things very fluid for those coming here for financial advancement.

It used to be very easy to obtain building permits so that you, too, could put up a ten-storey condominium; all you had to do was “talk” to the “right people” and for a nominal fee you were in business.

The downside to this arrangement was it became harder and harder to get a permit as it became necessary to visit the “right people” in jail.

You can come down here and do or be anything you want. Buy a restaurant, claim to be famous movie star, change your name to something Latino sounding like Raoul. Want to sell real estate?

Be a realtor, you don’t need a stinkin’ license.

Want to play music? This is one of my main reasons for being here, because you can! Not only that but I’m noticing a change in the demographics at a lot of my gigs; there are a lot more of the lateforty to early-seventies types coming out for live music. I am no longer the oldest guy in Witch’s Rock Surf Camp by a long shot, and don’t forget that certain members of both the Beatles and the Rolling Stones are currently septegenarians.

There is however one deep set rule if you are going to play music in Costa Rica: You gotta play some Bob Marley!

Musica on the Gold Coast Pikin y Nueva Setima Jim Surfer

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Music has returned to the Gold Coast after a drought of a couple of years. Now, new groups and venues are starting up, and the hills are alive with the sound of music, and we can enjoy Rock ‘n’ roll, blues, jazz, Latin, marimba, ranchera and, of course, the ubiquitous mariachis.

In Tamarindo, the weekly roundup looks like this: Voodoo jazz with Groove Syndicat Voodoo Latin Night with Pikin y La Nueva Setima Kahiki Jesse Bishop Voodoo Open Mike Night Le Beach Indigo Witch’s Rock Jesse Bishop Best Western Ladies’ Night Witch’s Rock Banana Kings

At Caracola you can hear afternoon blues, Saturdays at 4 p.m.

Jesse Bishop

In Flamingo and Potrero, the schedule is looser. Marie’s Restaurant will be hosting a music event once a month on a Friday, but not always the same Friday. Maxwell’s will be hosting music nights with the Banana Kings.

El Coconut Beach Club in Potrero will also have music nights, events to be announced.

Groove Syndicat

Indigo

S o come on out and support your local artists.

The Keys to a Greener Valley (from page 27) --Recognize that preserving local culture goes beyond bullfights and ballerinas to seeking out and strengthening the economically productive aspects of land use—healthy underground water supplies, food, lumber, etc.

In fact, there’s no ‘one size fits all’ approach. And the symphony analogy might be out of tune with current realities, social, economic and environmental. I’m thinking more like an ongoing, improvisational marimba concert. The underlying rhythm to be put forth by accelerating discontinuities in all we’ve assumed as normal in the past.

The mission, like that facing any musician, is to constantly seek out and engage with other players, inventing and synchronizing in harmonious riffs that keep the show alive and draw more spectators in to join the dance.

We’ll know that we hit the right keys when an inspired youngster jumps up out of his seat and shouts “BOMBA!”

Special this Month! $1.90 per square meter

There once was a bit of heaven We worked so hard to preserve it We planned and planted, Took nothing for granted Now we’re reaping our rewards, we deserve it.

(For the uninitiated, A ‘bomba’ is a rhyming couplet, usually bawdy in content, that is shouted out during a break in the marimba piece ‘Punto Guanacasteco.)

Tom Peifer is an ecological land use consultant with 16 years experience in Guanacaste. Phone: 2658-8018. peifer@racsa. co.cr El Centro Verde is dedicated to sustainable land use, agriculture and development. http://www.elcentroverde.org/

March ( a l l

t i m e s

2011 l o c a l )

Sun

The priest said, “Confess your sins and be forgiven.”

1st - rise 5:58; set 5:54 15th - rise 5:50; set 5:54 31st - rise 5:41; set 5:54

New: 1st quarter: Full: Last quarter:

Moon

4th 12th 19th 26th

Mary Murphy went to Confession. Upon entering the confessional, she said, “Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.”

The young woman said, “Last night my boyfriend made mad, passionate love to me seven times.”

2:46 p.m.

5:45 p.m.

12:10 p.m.

6:07 a.m.

The priest thought long and hard and then said, “Squeeze seven lemons into a glass and then drink the juice.”

The young woman asked, “Will this cleanse me of my sins?”

The priest said, “No, but it will wipe that smile off of your face.”

Around the World ( a news digest)

N

ovelist Vladimir Nabokov of “Lolita” fame, was also a curator of butterflies at Harvard. His 1945 theory about butterfly evolution has just been proven correct by a Harvard researchers using DNA evaluation.

A Tucson restaurateur has retracted his earlier announcement that he will be introducing lion tacos to the menu, along with other exotic meats. Many threats of violence from animal activists changed his mind. “I cannot put my family members in harm’s way,” he said.

A 300kg grand piano suddenly appeared on a sandbank off the coast of Miami. Turned out to be the idea of teenagers who wanted to get rid of it.

Just after midnight, January 28, all Internet connections to and from Egypt were broken, cutting the country off from the world.

It is believed that the government wanted to stop protestors demonstrating against President Mubarak. Experts say it is impossible for that to happen in the U.S. A baseball team has to get rid of its bats! The stadium at Port Charlotte, Florida, where Tampa Bay Rays will do spring training is infested with bats.

Humans: 70 million; Sharks: 6.

Researchers say that 79 people were attacked worldwide, six killed, by sharks in 2010, the highest number in a decade. Red Sea beaches in Egypt were closed after a series of shark attacks killed tourists.

By contrast, humans kill between 30 and 70 million sharks.

A storm of small comets crashed into the sun between December 13 and 22nd, according to the solar observatory SOHO. Each about the size of a house, 25 comets plunged into the sun and disintegrated.

Experts think this may presage a large comet on the way past the earth. Many people believe that the Comet Elenin, heading here in July, will turn out to be the “biggie”.

A news item on China’s CCTV announced the introduction of a new fighter, the J-10, and showed it shooting down a target ‘plane with a missile. The scene is a direct steal from the U.S. hit movie “Top Gun,” according to the Wall Street Journal, which released a side-by-side identical comparison of the two scenes.

South African president Jacob Zuma asked citizens to twitter and Facebook him to tell him whaat is wrong with the country. Result was a $3 million project to fix potholes in the streets. So, what are we waiting for?

Father O’Flaherty answers the phone.

“Hello, is this Father O’Flaherty?”

“It is!”

“This is the Inland Revenue. Can you help us?”

“I can!”

“Do you know a Ted Houlihan?”

“I do!”

“Is he a member of your congregation?”

“He is!’

“Did he donate £10,000 to the church?”

“He will.”

1T

2W

3T

4F New Moon 5S

00:09 06:30 12:48 08:56 01:07 07:23 13:39 19:46 01:55 08:06 14:22 20:28 02:36 08:43 14:59 21:05 03:13 09:18 15:34 21:39

7.4 1.3 7.4 1.6 7.6 1.0 7.8 1.2 7.9 0.7 8.2 0.8 8.2 0.4 8.5 0.5 8.4 0.2 8.8 0.2

6S

7M

8T

9W

10T

03:49 09:50 16:07 22:13 04:24 10:22 16:40 22:46 04:58 10:54 17:13 23:20 05:32 11:27 17:46 23:55 06:08 12:02 18:22

8.5 0.1 8.9 0.1 8.5 0.1 8.9 0.1 8.3 0.3 8.8 0.2 8.0 0.5 8.5 0.4 7.7 0.8 8.2

11F

12S 1st Qtr 13S

14M

15T

MARCH TIDE CHART 00:33 06:46 12:40 19:01 01:15 07:30 13:25 19:48 02:05 08:24 14:19 20:47 03:04 09:30 15:26 21:56 04:12 10:40 16:40 23:08

0.8 7.3 1.2 7.8 1.1 6.9 1.6 7.5 1.4 6.6 1.9 7.2 1.6 6.6 2.0 7.1 1.6 6.8 1.8 7.3

16W

05:20 11:47 17:50

1.2 7.4 1.2

21M

17T

00:12 06:21 12:44 18:51 01:09 07:15 13:36 19:45 02:01 08:05 14:25 20:35 02:49 08:53 15:12 21:23

7.8 0.7 8.2 0.5 8.3 0.0 9.0 -0.3 9.1 -0.6 9.8 -1.0 9.6 -1.1 10.3 -1.5

22T

18F

19S Full Moon 20S

23W

24T

25F

03:37 09:40 15:58 22:10 04:24 10:26 16:45 22:58 05:12 11:13 17:33 23:46 06:02 12:03 18:23

9.8 -1.4 10.6 -1.6 9.9 -1.4 10.5 -1.5 9.6 -1.0 10.1 -1.1 9.1 -0.5 9.5

26S Last Qtr

00:37 06:55 12:55 19:17

-0.5 8.5 0.2 8.7

30W

27S

28M

29T March

01:32 07:53 13:54 20:17 02:33 08:59 15:01 21:25 03:42 10:10 16:17 22:37 04:54 11:19 17:31 23:44 05:59 12:19 18:32

0.2 7.9 1.0 8.0 0.9 7.3 1.6 7.4 1.4 7.1 1.9 7.1 1.5 7.1 1.9 7.1 1.5 7.4 1.6

31T

1F April 2S

3S New Moon 4M

00:41 06:51 13:08 19:20 01:28 07:34 13:49 20:00 02:09 08:11 14:26 20:36 02:46 08:45 15:01 21:10 03:22 09:18 15:34 21:44

7.3 1.2 7.7 1.2 7.5 1.0 8.1 0.8 7.8 0.7 8.4 0.5 8.1 0.5 8.7 0.2 8.2 0.4 8.8 0.0