Volume 19, No. 11
November 2014
Issue No. 216
Founded 1996
THE HOWLER Ced. Juridica: 3-101-331333
FEATURES
Publisher, editor and production David Mills
dmills@racsa.co.cr Tel: 8323-2795
8 Dining Out
Cala Moresca at Cala Luna serves fine food in a quiet setting, free from traffic noise and fumes.
14 Around Town
CONTRIBUTORS
Howler • Mono Congo
JEANNE CALLAHAN JESSE BISHOP MARY BYERLY ROBERT AUGUST KAY DODGE LYNDA ESPADA
ELLEN ZOE GOLDEN TONY OREZ TOM PEIFER JEFFREY WHITLOW BARBARA DEPPE SUSAN SMITH
Deadline for December: Nov. 15 Howler advertising
The Howler offers a wide range of advertising sizes and formats to suit all needs. Contact David Mills • dmills@racsa.co.cr
1/8 1/4 Banner 1/2 Full
Dimensions (cms) Width Height 9.4 9.4 19.2 9.4 19.2 19.2
x x x x x
6.15 12.70 6.15 25.80 12.70 25.80
Price $
400
Ads must be submitted on CD or e-mail attachment, JPG or PDF format at 266 dpi, at the appropriate size (above). All comments, articles and advertising in this publication are the opinion of their authors, and do not reflect the opinion of Howler Management.
www.tamarindohomepage.com
Ronald Muñoz is featured in the Hurley Pro at Trestles in Californa; Noe Mar McGonagle shines at Negritos, Peru.
18
What’s Developing?
Just outside Tamarindo is the new development Rancho Villa Real, with condominiums and large lots for single family dwellings.
30 Surviving Costa Rica In “The Fog Goes to Nashville” we learn how a small rock band comes to be recording in Country Music Heaven.
Humid October Blessings
The rain-starved terrain of Guanacaste is given a brief, but welcome, respite by some torrential rains in October.
100 140 140 230
Discounts For 6 months, paid in advance, one month is deducted. For 12 months, paid in advance, two months are deducted.
www.tamarindobeach.net
15 Surf Report
31
Advertising rates & sizes Size
Openings, closings, parties, music. The Gold Coast has it all, and bar-hoppin’ David is in the groove.
DEPARTMENTS 5 Shape Up
29 Poetry by Diana Renee
10 Review
30 November Forecasts
11 Book Review
32 Yoga
12 August Odysseys
36 Sun & Moon
17 Dharma Corner
36 Rain Gauge
28 Slice of Life
37 Tide Table
Cover Caption: Tamarindo Panorama Cover Photo: David Mills Cover Design: David Mills
Shape Up!
Stand Up and Stretch
Lynda Espada
B
een sitting at your computer or watching TV for thirty minutes or longer? Then whether you are 30 or 60 years young, you need to get up and stretch your body. We often only think about stretching and flexibility as a necessary before or after a workout or sports activity to avoid injury or as a warm-up or cool-down. Yes, stretching the body before and after exercise is important to avoid injury, but a regular daily stretching program has many other benefits. It helps improve flexibility, increase circulation, increase range of motion, reduce stress, and help alleviate lower back pain. Unfortunately, I had to learn the hard way how important daily stretching really is for the body. Being a fitness professional for over 20 years, I taught all types of cardio and strength classes in addition to having full-time desk job. While there were many benefits to the fitness side, the downside of having a job with many hours spent sitting at a desk, eventually led to tight lower back muscles, hip flexors and back and knee pain. I now see a massage therapist on a regular basis to help stretch and realign my shoulders and hips, and I do a variety of stretches a couple of times a day to help alleviate lower back pain. It is slow recovery. Stretching benefits people of all ages, and is intended for the young as well as the elderly population. Stretching is the deliberate lengthening of muscles in order to increase muscle flexibility and joint range of motion. Good flexibility is important for maintaining health of the joints in the body. If muscles are tight they can cause abnormal stresses on a joint. For example, tight thigh muscles can cause abnormal strain on the kneecap leading to knee pain. Maintaining flexibility can help prevent injuries. If muscles are stretched and exercised on a regular basis they can react better if forced to react quickly. For instance, if someone slips on a patch of ice, a muscle or joint with good flexibility may react to avoid injury such as a pulled muscle. Other benefits of stretching exercises include reducing muscle soreness after activity and exercise. Stretching exercises can also help reduce aches or pains from prolonged activities such as riding in the car for a long time. Finally, taking time to perform a regular stretching routine can help with relaxation and reduce everyday stress. Stretching can be as simple as getting up out of your chair every hour and reach your arms over head and bending forward to touch your toes or doing a Google search on your computer for stretching routines. There are many highly skilled personal trainers and physical therapists with online videos. You can also check with your local fitness center for a stretch or a slow or restorative yoga class. Live a more comfortable daily life, increase your flexibility and alleviate stress and pain just by doing a few simple stretches everyday.
Please note the cell number for The Howler is 8323-2795, Look out for our new landline number in the near future. •
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By now vacation time is over for all of us, as the new season starts up again. All those businesses opened, or reopened, ready to accept an influx of tourists. Hotel owners tell me it will be a good one, with heavy advance booking. And The Howler is ready for new advertising, which shows very great promise for next month. Remember, the season is shorter this year, because Semana Santa happens early April, so get your advertising in good time. The vibes are throbbing again with activity in restaurants and bars over town and its outlying areas, and by the time you read this a goodly number will have reopened ready to cope with the new flights that are scheduled for Liberia Airport. •
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We are looking out for the howler monkeys in Tamarindo, with articles about care and attention for injured monkeys, and a big sign on the approach to town. We need to take care not to molest them; they are subject to our ongoing development and are also an asset to our tourism.
Cala Moresca at Cala Luna For many years Cala Moresca has been serving good food, in a quiet secluded atmosphere. No traffic noise or fumes, no loud boomboxes, quite a change from the usual Tamarindo establishment,. The Chef is Edgar González, who has 20 years’ experience in Mexico and the United States and two at Cala Luna. His philosophy is simple – good local ingredients cooked to perfection. Many of his vegetables come from the restaurant’s own garden – tomatoes, chiles, arugula, even honey is produced here. There is a mixture of organic and inorganic foods. A specialty of the house is the flambée, cooked over alcohol stoves at the table. Appetizers are Caesar salad; salad caprese; Arugula salad; octopus salad; curried cream of Pejibaye; lobster tart; crepe of Langosta with asparagus; tropical ceviche. We shared a salad of shrimp with garlic and chiles, and a Portobello mushroom with goat’s cheese. Main dishes are Spaghetti with seafood; ravioli with ricotta cheese; fettuccini with lobster; spaghetti with smoked trout; fish with banana leaf; costrican trout; fish soup; lobster with chardonnay sauce; and jumbo shrimp with jasmine and leeks; chicken Moroccan style; chicken Caribbean; chicken Indian style; grilled tenderloin; tenderloin with gorgonzola; tofu tempura; Quinoa with papaya. We each had fish of the day (mahi-mahi) with capers and butter, and with curry-papaya sauce. Dessert were passion fruit and chocolate; chocolate ginger truffle tart; crème brulee; cannoli siciliani and ice cream cup. We had ginger chocolate. A very enjoyable evening with fine dining far from the madding crowds. Cala Moresca is available at 2653-0214; www.calaluna.com. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Review
Tony Orez
A New Swell at Tide Academy
W
hen I moved to Tamarindo more than a dozen years ago, the area was bustling and the vicinity was becoming a melting pot of ex-pats from all over the world, not just the U.S. Some people came with their children and some families already existed but Tamarindo was not considered a family community. I believe Country Day was the only private school in the area. Fast-forward twelve years: the area now has no less than six alternatives to the national public school system. One of the newer schools available is TIDE Academy, owned and operated by Chelsea Lisaius. A graduate of Skidmore College in Vermont, Chelsea moved to the area in 2008. She launched TIDE Academy in 2011, teaching her first three students from her home. Chelsea’s vision, her goal, has always been to offer an alternative school for students and families with non-traditional lives; there was no educational system in the area that provided such a program. It appears she came to the right place. The fourth year for TIDE (an acronym for Total Immersion through a Dynamic Education) commenced earlier this year with more than forty students in attendance. Maximum attendance at the school is slated for sixty students. “Any more would compromise the mission of providing personalized and flexible education; TIDE would no longer be providing the education we have promised to the students and parents,” she explained. Chelsea told me that part of her motivation to open TIDE was because she “wanted to create a personalized and flexible schooling program that promotes extra-curricular activities and one-on-one education.” There are now more than ten people providing their services and collective expertise at TIDE, as the school grows and diversifies. The academy is also community-conscious. They have been working with CEPIA in Huacas to create murals that are designed by the children in the area, then combined into a collage design and painted onto twentyfive foot sections of walls in Villarreal. The next mural will begin in March of next year. All supplies are donated by members of the community or purchased by TIDE. Another project that has grown exponentially has been a summer surf series called “Surf the TIDE”, which provides a fun, recreational learning experience and surf competition for local children between the ages of four and eighteen years of age. This year, TIDE Academy will also be assisting at this year’s Circuito Guanecasteco de Surf (CGS), which begins next month, in December. I can speak first-hand about TIDE because I now have a child attending the school, after initially being enrolled in another nearby private school that simply did not meet his needs. I have since met parents of students at TIDE who faced similar challenges with their children at other local private schools. The change, the blossoming of my child, has been incredible to witness. This is just one of the reasons TIDE is now being referred to as “the alternative to the alternatives”. If you would like to learn more about TIDE’s curriculum and/or community projects, contact Chelsea at tideacademy@gmail.com .
Book Review
Tony Orez
Remember Me
D
onald Ruetz felt as if his dreams had come true. He’d met Cynthia, the woman who was his perfect mate. They’d married and had two sons, Jack and Justin. He decided to retire two years early as Police Captain of Culver City in Southern California after serving on the force for thirty-two years. He and his family moved to Flamingo Beach in Costa Rica and started their new lives together. Life was blissful in Paradise. And then the unthinkable happened. Donald’s wife and two sons perished, along with a friend and his son, when the plane in which they were flying plunged into the ocean near Catalina Island.
This is where Donald’s memoir, “Remember Me: A Father’s Story of Tragedy Turned into Triumph in Costa Rica” opens. Ruetz becomes despondent, in shock, shortly after the incident that leaves him completely alone in Costa Rica. In fact, he comes very close to ending his own life. One cannot imagine the degree of loss, of despondence and even guilt at such a loss unless it is experienced first-hand. But Don does a very good job describing this and the motivation he has to continue. Eventually, Don completes a yoga center that Cynthia had been developing and dedicates the building to her. He completes a skate park that he dedicates to his sons’ friend and his dad, who also died in the crash. And he dedicates an indoor basketball court at his gym to his two sons whose lives ended so early. Don found strength and courage by turning to a spiritual path. He began hearing voices and having visitations from his sons and wife on the Other Side. He felt conflict between Don, the “just the facts” policeman, and the new Don, looking for answers. He consulted a medium and found answers that truly satisfied him and is now able to perceive the messages from the Spirit. He knows that he has been given a goal and is being helped by his departed loved ones. I don’t think it is necessary to believe in communicating with deceased relatives to read this book. It is truly a story about healthy grieving, about faith and perseverance, and most importantly about the power of love. Certainly, it was a cathartic exercise for Don to write this book. It is also Don reaching out in an effort to help others with their loss. He told me that he also wrote the book to keep the memory of his family alive. The third reason Don wrote the book was to benefit La Paz Community School in Playa Flamingo, which he has been a part of since its inception. All proceeds go to La Paz. The book is now available in English as well as Spanish “Recuerdame: La Historia de un Padre que convirtio la Tragedia en Truinfo en Costa Rica” and can be viewed at www.remembermethebook. com . It is also available at Jaime Peligro book store in Playa Tamarindo.
August Odysseys
Robert August kristenmattoxbrown@gmail.com
Sharks!
W
ay back in the dim mists of history, we were shooting “Endless Summer” and had just driven from Cape Town to Durban where, to our surprise, there were surfers; well, maybe only 10 or 15, but that was a lot compared with our experiences in Cape Town. And they were excited to see surfers from somewhere else. The surfing was OK, but the whole city limits of Durban were cordoned off in the ocean by nets, the shark population being quite considerable – and hungry. The locals told us that the breaks outside of town were awesome, but we were apprehensive of the sharks. Asking around, we were told that “nobody has been attacked recently”, so we took a chance. The breaks were, indeed, awesome, and we got some of the best waves I had ever surfed. And we had an audience! The locals all sat on a nearby bluff (maybe this should have clued us in) and watched, applauding every time we rode a wave. So there was this constant, noisy accompaniment to our fun. At one point, the noise got a lot louder for no apparent reason but, when I looked at the peanut gallery, they were shouting excitedly and pointing up the beach. We saw two large – 2 to 3 feet high – fins moving steadily towards us. I headed for the shore, and have never paddled so fast; I was flying over the water.
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We joined the locals on the bluff and watched as two huge sharks cruised past, clearly visible in the crystal water where we had been surfing. The larger was about 15 feet, about a yard across. They continued along the coast and disappeared. Our fans asked us if we were going back in for more surfing. “No, guys, we are going back to Durban.” So now we knew why they had steel nets around the beach. Nowadays, they run trips where the tourist sits inside a metal cage to watch the huge monsters bashing their heads against the cage.
dmills@racsa.co.cr
It’s Official Following the World Cup, FIFA/Coca-cola has completed its evaluation of teams, and Costa Rica is 15th out of 208 teams! The fifteen top teams are Germany 1765 Argentina 1631 Colombia 1488 Netherlands 1456 Belgium 1444 Brazil 1291 Uruguay 1243 Spain 1228 France 1202 Switzerland 1175 Portugal 1150 Chile 1100 Italy 1068 Greece 1052 Costa Rica 988 Not a bad ranking for our little country.
Copa Centroamericana Costa Rica captured a record eighth Copa Centroamericana TIGO USA 2014 (CCA) title on 13 September, overcoming a one-goal deficit to register a 2-1 victory over Guatemala in the final at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday night. By virtue of the win, Costa Rica also qualified for the 2016 Centennial Cup America (Copa America), which will also be played in the United States. 1. Costa Rica 2. Guatemala 3. Panama 4. E Salvador. 5. Honduras 6. Nicaragua 7. Belize.
AROUND TOWN Party time is here with a Grand Black and White Party at Cala Luna, to benefit children and families of Guanacaste, November 28. Organized by CEPIA, tickets $40 at Lola’s, Matos Surf Shops, Blue Water Properties and Nimbú Salon, or at the door. See ad page 9. Massage for two? Karen Reyes gives all kinds of massage on the beach at Palapa, see ad page 25. Need a sign? A mural? Or your house painted? Call Rafa at 8361-3912. See ad page 31. Luxury Investments that make sense? See Playa Conchal Real Estate on page 21. Do you want a nice afternoon with canopy tour, of ten stages, through the wilderness. See howler monkeys, iguanas and many types of bird. Then complete your day with a barbecue dinner served in the open. Eco Park is at Black Stallion Hills, ad page 20. Looking for property? ABC Real Estate has a wide range of inventory. See ad on page 3. Arenas Blancas has horseriding and quadracycle tours along the Guanacaste coast. See ad on page 21. Elizabeth offers massage for you on the beach or at home or at your hotel. See ad on page 13. Problem with water leaks? Dr. Leak has the solution. See ad on page 24. Looking for a home? An investment property? Check out Rancho Villa Real for quality real estate. See article page 18. Double your internet revenue? WorldReachSEO will show you how, on page 21. Want anything painted, a wall, your van? For airbrushing, woodwork call Tony at 8974-7945. See ad page 16.
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Surf Report Ellen Zoe Golden ellenzoe@aol.com
T
he biggest event in Costa Rica’s surfing news is the participation of Carlos Muñoz at the 2014 Hurley Pro at Trestles in California. You may recall he received the honor to compete after a massive landslide win in video trials set up by the ASP to place a wildcard in the Hurley Pro. With the support of Costa Rica, some international surfers and even members of the Costa Rica national soccer team as well as those from other countries, Muñoz took out the likes of Patrick Gudauskas (USA) and Dusty Payne (Hawaii) with record numbers of votes. Carlos is the first surfer from this country to enter an Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Championship Tour (WCT) contest and at just 21 years of age, and at the time of this writing the dynamo from Esterillos was put up in his first heat against WCT #1 ranked Gabriel Medina (Brazil) and Adam Melling (Australia). Of course, should Muñoz pass his first heat at the
ASP: Your whole country was behind you, even the soccer team. What was your reaction to that? Was there anyone whose support surprised you the most? CM: It’s a long story. Because in my country they are supporting surfing a lot, so they’ve been following me on the tour, every time I go to a QS (Qualifying Series) event, they [cover it in] the newspaper. They focus on how I do in contests; they follow me in the news, the radio, everything. It’s a really small country, we have 4 million people. Everything that you put in the news, or you put on the radio, everybody sees it. Also, the people there love surfing, and they’ve been behind me for the past three years. When they gave me this chance, everybody was voting for me. What was really surprising was I checked it out on the Facebook [profile] of Joel Campbell, one of the new players for Arsenal in England. He posted the Hurley Pro to vote for me. The other was a soccer player from Switzerland. He put it on Facebook, too. So a lot of people voted for me, and I’m happy. From the United States, people in Hawaii, people in Europe, everywhere. I feel so special and thankful. I’m going to try my best and give them my 200% for sure. ASP: With all of this support, suddenly you are going to be under a big spotlight in the Hurley Pro at Trestles. Do you have any fears going into the contest?
Hurley Pro, he may find himself faced with other extremely talented surfers including the indescribable Kelly Slater (#2, USA), Joel Parkinson (#3, Australia) and Mick Fanning (#5, Australia). Muñoz will not be alone in California. A contingent of Costa Rican media, various Tico surfers and members of the Federación de Surf de Costa Rica have flown out there to show the youngster support in this historic moment. Seems like a lot of pressure riding on Muñoz’s rides. The ASP press officer had the chance to catch up with him just after the win in the video trials. Here’s what he had to say: ASP: What inspired you to throw your trunks in the ring for the Hurley Pro Video Trials? Carlos Muñoz: How can I start? It was an idea from my friends first, at Gallo Pinto. Gallo Pinto TV is a website that makes videos from Costa Rica. And they sent all the videos; they asked me before they did — we’re friends, we always film stuff. Everything happened so quickly that I don’t even know what to say. I’m so surprised, so happy.
CM: Fears? I don’t have any fears. Lowers is a perfect wave. I’ve got a lot of confidence with my surfing and I believe in my surfing. I just hope that I can get the best waves and rip. With my whole country behind me, I hope I can get to the Final. I’m going to go, enjoy, surf, try to surf smart, and make heats. I’ve competed against CT guys, and I’ve beaten a couple guys, so I’m excited. ASP: Your debut at the Hurley Pro this fall will be the first time a Costa Rican surfer has competed in a WCT event. Why haven’t there been other Costa Ricans on the Tour? What do the surfers there need to succeed, and what would have helped make your path easier? CM: Costa Rica doesn’t have too much of a history in surfing. Now everybody has started liking surfing in Costa Rica. Also, the support in Costa Rica wasn’t that great for surfers. I got lucky that I got sponsored by Volcom, and Super, and Red Bull since I was little, and I’ve had the chance to go out for Costa Rica and compete. That would make the difference between me and others. But I think Costa Rica has a lot of love, and in the next couple of years there is going to be a new generation of a lot of us surfers.
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Caught!
Tamarindo thief gets nine months
I
t was a normal Wednesday morning, except for my 9:30a.m. wakeup time. As I dragged myself into our living room I thought I caught a glimpse of someone just outside the wall that surrounds the property. Still a bit hazy from my extended snooze I didn’t think much of it – until someone unrecognized appeared just outside the window strapping on a gray camera case. I opened the door a crack and hollered, “Señor!” No reply. I grabbed the phone and told my wife Hollie not to return from her Yoga class – that there was a suspicious looking character around. “Don’t come home. Keep on driving.” She had just pulled in so I told her to hurry into the house, hoping she would not be confronted by the burglar.
heartache i know my heart is too big for my britches but where do you find a tailor who broken hearts restitches?
written by geretta geretta from “Pardon me while I eat my young” a collection of 100 poems and verses
I told her about the guy and said my camera was missing – it had just struck me that I had forgotten to retrieve it after sunset the night before. I’ve often heard friends and neighbors here in Tamarindo say that companies selling security systems specialize in using “scare tactics” in order to sell security systems. For my part, I experienced the confirmation of the sense of sound security planning - the system wasn’t armed at the time. Had the alarm been set while I slept in, the perpetrator would probably have been scared off and possibly apprehended at least for trespassing. For a moment of levity I shoud mention that our dog Roxy was at the “beauty parlor” totally unaware of anyone worth barking at. Back to business: the security system is worthless if you don’t use it. At about 9:45 A.M. I received the phone call I’d hoped for “We’ve got him,” I was told. “You caught him?” “Not yet but we’ve got him.” The next call I got was from Mr. Segura. “I need you to come to the police station now to identify your property. Come right now.” Ten minutes the phone rang again. “Now. Right now.” I later learned that the police often don’t have the enforcement power or follow-up capabilities needed to maximize their effectiveness. “Right now” was essential. I arrived at the police station and during my time there, I found them to be compassionate, polite, and helpful in every way possible. This was professionalism in complete contrast to what I can now only describe as bogus and irresponsible comments by uninformed locals and visitors to Tamarindo. If anything I think the police are frustrated by the public’s unwillingness to get involved to help with conviction. I was told that I had to go to Santa Cruz to file the report and go before a judge in order to secure the perpetrator’s fate – possibly a year in jail. He was charged with what is called a “flagrancy,” loosely translated as a flagrant, obvious crime during which the property was found in possession of the perpetrator and identified by its owner. I have often heard the police described as uncaring because they release prisoners when the crime is deemed “insignificant” or not important enough to prosecute. This is a false notion. But when
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Dharma Corner
T
Sue Smith
Peace is the Way
his week I have been on retreat in the Grand Teton National Park outside of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The days have been filled with long trail rides on horseback into the hills and mountains with amazing vistas and along crystal clear rivers and streams. We have seen elk, bison, hawks, blue birds and moose. It has been a smorgorsborg of nature at her best. There is not Internet connection or television where we stayed. No news of the conflicts that seem to plague our world at this point in time. I have enjoyed this time and the word “Peace” has come to mind many times. The word Peace gets bantered about a lot whenever there is conflict in the world, especially armed conflict such as exists in the Ukraine and in the Middle East. Politicians start talking about peace negotiations and citizens of the world ask themselves what can be their role in ending the conflict. Many people begin “Peace demonstrations” which are good ways to express the desire for resolution and might influence the political process. However, too often these demonstrations become demonstrations of anger, not demonstrations of the Peace which is supposed to be the desired outcome. Peace can only come from peace. Peace is the way, not just the objective. I have certainly noticed during this time away from electronics and the media that my own mind is much quieter, more peaceful. The “mind monkeys” that sometimes plague my meditations are all but gone. It is easier to think positive, even peaceful, thoughts. And, that is where The Venerable Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh teaches us that Peace in the World begins…within each of us, one person at a time. We have to be peace before we can have peace. And, how can we be Peace when we constantly consume violence in the form of the media we watch, games we play and even the negative people we surround ourselves with? That is nothing more than watering our negative seeds. We must be aware, aware of watering the positive, peaceful seeds in ourselves and those around us. And, in doing so, it will spread. We can also do things such as write letters to politicians encouraging the use of Peaceful dialogue over the use of guns and war. We can demonstrate peacefully. But, first of all, the peace must begin within. As Ghandi said “ Be the change you want to see in the world” Namaste Pura Vida Sangha, a sangha in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, meets on Mondays at 4:00 PM. For information contact meditationcostarica@gmail.com
What’s Developing “A Touch of Country Just a Breeze to the Beach” is our motto, and it is true. This gated community offers the benefits of country living and is just seven minutes to Tamarindo and all it offers. Tamarindo has retained its quaint feel while developing into a full service beach community with clinics, medical centers, a wide range of restaurants and bars and a multitude of services that make for convenient coastal living. Within a few miles are furniture stores, schools (some with North American affiliation) auto repair facilities, and hospitals are within an hour’s drive. While the project may be just a breeze to the beach it wasn’t such a breeze for anyone to work through the world economic period which is now showing signs of recovery. Fortunately Charter Building (the Canadian developer who also brought our community El Tesoro de Tamarindo) had the resources to make continuing improvements to the project in anticipation of better times which, based on recent sales activity and assisted by promotional pricing, have arrived! The infrastructure is completed with underground utilities there is a completed water treatment plant, a paved road system a trail system and a completed clubhouse. Rancho Villa Real is an ecologically responsible low density community. The site consists of 132 acres and offers a gross density build out of 2.46 units per acre! This is quite amazing given that it is a mixed community offering condominium development sites, ½ acre residential home sites and estate home sites with a minimum area of 5,000 m2 (1¼ acres). The Location Rancho Villarreal is located one hour’s drive from the new Liberia International Airport, between popular resort communities, but offering considerably lower prices. The community is gated, with a gatehouse and twenty-four hour security. A clubhouse, available to all residents is in place, with pool, Jacuzzi, fitness facilities, lounge area and bar, with spectacular views over the surrounding countryside. The local town Villarreal has a couple of shopping plazas with a choice of goods and there is good shopping in Tamarindo. The location is in the center of everything, and is ideally sited for a variety of purposes. The main market town and local center of administration, is Santa Cruz, situated 35 kms away on a modern road, There are numerous beaches within a half-hours drive, with excellent surfing, two world-class golf courses, and every type of tour available from the organizers in Tamarindo and Flamingo. The properties There are three choices of site. The flatland is gently wooded and has space for condominium units; there are homes on ½-acre lots, separated by green buffer areas;
the upper woodlands, called Escondido, has lots with a minimum area of 5,000 square meters for single-family homes starting at $58,500. These are well-wooded and separated so that homes will not have views over their neighbors’ property. The main feature of the development is the space allocated to each home. There is also a height restriction of two storeys. All services – electrical, water, storm drainage, utilities (phone, TV cable and internet) are underground. There is a sewage treatment plant that will recycle water for irrigation. Sewage systems are provided for the flatland areas. Within the next few weeks Charter Building expects to announce a completed agreement for the construction of the first condominium project within the development. In addition several homes will be constructed on the ½-acre residential lots and will be offer for sale in the coming year. We feel that the time is right for investment in real estate, and that Rancho Villa Real offers the quality you have been waiting for. The future looks good. For further information on Rancho Villa Real contact: Coldwell Banker Tamarindo Realty Tony DiMaggio | Sales Manager Mob.+506-8815-1200 | Office +506-2653 1919 Toll Free +1-877-272-3747 | tony@cbtamarindo.co
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resident Luis Guillermo Soliz has declared a national emergency in Northern Guanacaste due to drought. Last time, we spoke about our meeting with Yeimy Cederno Solis, who represents ACT and MINAE. This month, a trip to Nosara’s “The Refuge For Wildlife” proved to be a very informative adventure. Brenda Sue and Randy Bombard have dedicated their lives and beautiful home to the Howlers and other wildlife. Almost all of the injured monkeys from Tamarindo and surrounding areas are taken to their facility. In July alone, seventeen monkeys were treated here. Loopie, Tamarindo’s most famous survivor was severely burned from electrocution. Our hardworking Yeimy has some additional recommendations from last month’s article in case you encounter an injured monkey. After calling a professional: * Do not manipulate the monkey. They can bite you and transmit different diseases * Provide information such as exact location, GPS if possible. Sight description, forest cover, vegetation, river near, food availability, etc. * Number of monkeys down, male or female, juvenile or adult; are there babies * Cause of accident and try to describe what happened * If electrocution obtain post number and company (ICE or Coopeguanacaste). During our Educational Visit and Refuge Tour with Brenda we learned that 98% of injuries are due to electrocution or dog attacks. We observed the monkeys and facilities firsthand, witnessed the care, feeding, and the attention to detail that it takes to rehabilitate and eventually release injured, orphaned, and displaced animals. We learned what monkeys eat and about their digestion. They travel in a five-mile radius and disruptions in their corridor can force encounters with other troops. Fights and conflicts may then occur. If a baby Howler’s mother dies no other mother will take it in, resulting in death. We also learned that monkey bridges must be higher than electrical wires as monkeys will always take the highest route. Even without drought and habitat destruction only 30% of the 15 to 20 monkeys per (continued page 22
T
Eco Park The Ultimate Adventure
he most fun thing you can do in Guanacaste! The Eco-park is 33 acres of pristine Guanacaste nature, with three mountain tops with 360o ocean views. A canopy tour which is exclusive and private, handling only small groups.
There are ten lines and nine platforms, using Petzl equipment, the best available, and with professional guides whose number one priority is your safety. You will fly across the mountain tops, through large prehistoric trees, sharing them with howler monkeys, iguanas, and exotic birds.
Another activity is the horseback ride on our well-behaved horses, into creeks and wild untouched jungle to the mountain top for its 360o views. Here are no traffic, no cars, just pristine jungle trails. And when your tour is over, dine at our ranch-style barbecue buffet under the stars of Guanacaste. Enjoy BBQ chicken, ribs, steak, pork and veggies, washed down with beer or wine. We are proud to be rated number one on Trip Advisor, from the scores of restaurants in Tamarindo. Black Stallion Hills, only ten minutes from Tamarindo. Call 8869-9765, e-mail us at blackstalliononline@yahoo.com. or visit our website www.blackstallionhills.com.
AROUND TOWN (from page 14) In Tamarindo Soda La Marimba in Plaza Conchal serves a daily Plato del Día with fresh drink at ¢2,200, and a big menu. Open 7am to 10pm. See ad page 11. November 27 Doña Lee serves the usual Thanksgiving traditional diner with all the trimmings from 3:30, call for reservations. See ad page 23. Higher Ground has a hostel downstairs, a bar upstairs. With a/c rooms & dorms, free pool, wifi, darts, ping-pong. See ad page 5. Treatment for the appearance and health of your feet. For special pedicures, callouses, cracks, fissures and nail problems, help 4 your feet. See ad page 31. Bring the ad (page 23) in to Beach House on Potrero Beach and receive an order of onion rings free.
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Lightning Putter
t’s that time of year again here in Costa Rica. The refreshing and replenishing rains have returned to fill our wells with our nutritious mineral water. It’s a time of year when all the locals enjoy a break from the high season rush and get to lay back and truly enjoy all the cool weather? After six months of no rain, we all love a good soaking! We also enjoy a good thunderstorm and love to share our scariest tales of near-death experiences. I have been privy to my fair share of storms over the past 20 years, a few resulting in direct hits at my house. We all can remember times when your house was getting hammered by lighting and thunder and having to hunker down. I remember one big storm in the summer of ‘99 that was just brutal. If was late in the afternoon and a storm was bearing down on my house. The lights had just gone out and I was running around between flashes trying to unplug all my electronics. Then, BOOM!! A direct hit. I recall the deafening roar and then I saw the craziest thing! A blue flash came out of the light sockets and a few of the lights that were plugged in lit up!
But I didn’t give up. I had to try and save my most precious electronic device! My putting machine. That’s right, my auto putter. I had brought down an auto putting machine on my last trip to the States and set it up in my living room. It was a modern marvel at the time. I could sink a 20-footer and have that baby pop out the ball right back to me. I couldn’t even fathom having to walk up and actually bend over and pick the balls out. I could take losing my modem. Yes, phone modem, remember those days? I would survive that. I had a fresh backup. I could buy new light bulbs. I could fix the hole in the roof. But I couldn’t replace the auto putter. Its was soooo nice! The type of luxury we all enjoyed when Guanacaste, Costa Rica, was truly laid back and tico time was tico time. A time when any of life’s little bonuses were welcome out here in the boonies. So, I got to the wall socket and pulled the plug right as another crack hit and the blue lighting came flying out again! I retreated to the center of the room waiting for the final blow that would end it all! As I am writing you today, you can deduce that I survived the storm. Unfortunately, the auto putter was dead. It must have gone out on the first salvo. I was too late to save her! She was gone and I had to face the facts. I went thru all the stages of grief. Acceptance finally coming when I took it to a gadget guy in Santa Cruz and he scratched his head and gave me one of those looks like it was from another world. He pulled the guts and the whole thing was fried. Even in the land of McGiver, there was no hope of a recovery. I took her home and was resigned to my fate. I was going to have to retrieve my own putts. To this day I haven’t replaced her. But now I think I know what I want from Santa this year. Uh, oh, here comes another storm. Gotta run and save the coffee maker! Pura Vida.
John Lahoud Jr.
(from page 19) troop survive in the wild. We must help prevent injury and maintain the population. Keep the canopy going by planting trees. The mango and almendro de congo trees grow quickly and are among monkeys’ favorite food. Ninety-eight percent of their diet is leaves. Patricia Sterman, co-founder and vice-president of Salve Monos and tireless advocate of the Howlers reports that their fund-raiser in August raised over $3,000 with a portion going directly to The Refuge for Wildlife. Patricia’s latest endeavor is a wonderful billboard at the entrance to Tamarindo, more will follow. Patricia and her husband, Larry, work closely and even received training from Brenda. “She taught me everything I know!” says Patricia. Both are coordinating with all government agencies to reach their goals. A recent meeting at Capitan Suizo was very productive. Please come by our “Tamarindo’s Original Residents” table at The Tamarindo Feria each Saturday for information and ways to help, donate, and volunteer. We need bridges and transformer boots, green zone replanting, and donations for rescuing and rehabilitating. We need donations to Salve Monos and The Refuge for Wildlife. Upcoming Events: Educational Visits to “The Refuge for Wildlife” as well as fundraising events in January 2015. We will be recruiting all of you as helpers! Be aware. Contact info - salvemonos.org / Salve Monos, Tamarindo FB info@refugeforwildlife / www.refugeforwildlife nancycobb13@yahoo.com / owlhumm@hotmail.com
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Paradise Lost
awoke early this morning and stepped onto the patio. The first thing that struck me was the absolute silence that seemed not peaceful, but oppressive. Normally, the first thing I would have heard would have been the howlers heralding the dawn, followed shortly by local roosters vocalizing, birds trilling, frogs chirping. Today however, merely silence. Being a Texas native, I’m accustomed to drought, and water restrictions. Here’s the difference, this is the tropics. Nature’s own nursery, if you will. Costa Rica is in a real sense, the canary in the coal mine. If climate shift has this sort of effect here, then what chance does the rest of the world have? And yet the construction continues by foreign investors who neither know, nor care what the long-term effects are, as long as there is a buck to be made. When I first arrived here in late 2005, the town still retained much of its original flavor, but soon after you could spot Yankee builders and developers holding business meetings in local restaurants and bars, quietly discussing the manner in which they would fleece the local rubes, and in some cases, each other. I believe, based on the best empirical evidence available, that we have created a permanent heat island in Tamarindo by the removal of green spaces in deference to large, condominium complexes, more paved commercial spaces, and a general indifference to nature. Folks, water is the commodity of the future, and in this case, the future is now. I believe that change occurs only when those with the will and determination to make it happen, speak with one voice. There exists in our community a substantial pool of financial resource, as well as talent. If we intend to preserve this place in its natural state, which we all profess to love, then that passion must be backed up with action. Now here are some viable alternatives to our present unmanaged circumstances, given the fact that in many respects Tamarindo has been written off by the local Municipality, which may actually be a blessing in disguise. 1. Better watershed management (A uniform code for water usage and collection) 2. Reforestation/replanting of former, and abandoned construction sites 3. Introduction of mandatory green spaces to be incorporated into any and all commercial projects 4. Introduction of drought resistant plants (Indigenous varieties only) 5. Watering restrictions (Drip irrigation for residential properties, and watering schedules for commercial and residential properties) 6. Effective landscaping and terracing plans geared toward greater water retention in high slope, or mountainous areas 7. Mandatory water catchment on an individual and collective basis. (This is key) 8. Creation of a governing board comprised of local land, private residence, and business owners. In short, it’s time to step back from the brink for a moment, and consider the larger picture. For those who view Costa Rica as simply an investment opportunity, preservation and conservation equate to sustainable value. For those motivated solely by monetary worth, protect this place or it won’t be worth a plugged nickel.
Concerned resident and home owner
Surf Report (from page 15)
The only thing we need is support. Support from the companies in our own country, from private industry in Costa Rica. And also from the surfing industry to look at us, and look for the young surfers from Costa Rica coming up, and try to help them. ASP: Who would you be the most excited to surf against during the 2014 Hurley Pro at Trestles? CM: Anyone would be welcome. The Hurley Pro at Trestles took place between September 9 and 20. To get the results, go to http://www.aspworldtour.com/ events/2014/mct/708/hurley-pro-at-trestles Muñoz, who really does shine when he’s on, has performed a little less than his full potential in his last two WQS showings. Passing one round and falling to 4th in the next one at Sionals Pantin Classic Glacia Pro in Spain, the a first round 3rd place in his first heat at the Sata Airlines Azores Pro in Portugal has him down 11 places to #65 in the WQS rankings. However, he has much more potential than demonstrated in those two contests as his record shows. Noe Mar McGonagle of Pavones (photo), who has been doing the odd WQS date here and there, performed very well in the Lanacau Sourez Pro in France in August. Not only did he make his way to 9th place in the Junior event, but he surfed even better against the big guys in the Open, making his way all the way to 5th place.
“Thank you France for everything,” McGonagle said. “I’m very happy with my 5th place in the 5 star WQS. Thank you all for your support.”
(continued page 33)
Caught!
(from page 16)
victims don’t want to take the time to report and prosecute a crime, prosecution is impossible. If nobody goes to Santa Cruz to press charges, the police can’t hold the bad guys and they go free to ruin someone else’s day – or worse. There was at one time an apparently poorly publicized movement to establish an office in Villarreal or Huacas, an office manned by clerks trained to get the forms filled out and the cases referred to a judge - quickly. This is enough to hold the perpetrator until the trial can take place. There “wasn’t any money” available for this facility, the citizens were told. Maybe it’s time to measure the cost of lost tourist dollars, business taxes, and other government revenue streams against the insignificant expenditure that would result in victims being much more willing to follow up in an hour or two versus a half day or more lost in the Santa Cruz scenario. After a relatively painless wait I was called in to testify. Once again I was greeted and treated with the utmost respect, and not with the “who cares about the rich gringos” attitude so often and erroneously described. Mr. Segura served as my interpreter as I experienced yet another reason to take improving my Spanish more seriously than I have so far. After a series of questions were answered I was dismissed and allowed to leave. Security systems are only as valuable if you use them. Having grown up in the jewelry business I should have known better and put together a cohesive security plan for our home. But like just about everyone else, I was complacent. So the next time you hear that a security company is “just trying to scare people” into buying security systems, remember that security services at some level are as essential in a world that is not always as splendid as our hopes and dreams have us believe. There are unfriendly forces in the world. It’s all about following through, doing the right thing, and keeping quiet when you don’t know all the facts. Having been victimized by two very preventable crimes of violence growing up in Los Angeles I know whereof I speak. The police in Tamarindo are our friends – those who think and speak otherwise are perpetrating a falsehood and putting themselves and others at risk. We need to find the money to open that office nearby so people who are here for a week or a year or more don’t have to spend an entire day reporting a crime and we can all sleep – and look out our windows - a little more comfortably. Our thanks go out to the police and judicial system for their hard work and professionalism – oh, did I mention that the cops stopped the bus on which the guy was escaping? Informed quickly by Mr. Segura the police stopped and boarded the bus to grab the bad guy. Way to go, gentlemen. The guy goes to jail for nine months. Now let’s all rethink our obligations to each other and the opportunities to make Tamarindo a more peaceful and safe place for us all.
Ralph Joseph Tamarindo, Costa Rica
The Streets of Tamarindo by Jeffrey Whitlow
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s we discussed in the last issue of The Howler, I have taken it upon myself to initiate a pilot program of modeling, mentoring, and food support for the homeless and/or underprivileged people of Tamarindo. I did this because I could not, in good conscience, allow anyone to live in that condition without extending my hand to help. With the encouragement of Hans-Juergen Wulf, of La Colina, and Russell Wenrich, I started a program of food distribution to the needy. With food offered by Mike Finch at Sprout, Jason at FTs, and my wife Lynda, I go to Sharky’s and wait for the people to come for their meals. You see, a person who doesn’t know where his next meal is coming from is an angry and desperate person. Food support is the essential first step in bringing that person up from the depths to which they have descended. Most people who live in the street do so because they have lost their sense of humanity. When a more successful person shows up in their life every day and gives them love and compassion, it gradually restores their lost sense of humanity. That is modeling. The model then provides advice and helps the lost person form a plan that will take them from the streets back into a more stable life. That is mentoring. At first I had just a few people to feed, the homeless I had come across here and there, but I soon extended it to others. I had been observing the behavior of the street people. They were very aggressive and obnoxious. Some of the them would run at cars and taxis, shouting at the occupants. Others would sit in front of Nibbana, selling trinkets and drugs and yelling obscenities at the tourists if they didn’t stop, or if they refused to buy. There was even a confrontation in front of Nibbana that got so bad that the street people threatened to kill one of the owners. I have been threatened and occasionally assaulted by street people, but most of the people here who know what I have been doing have gone out of their way to thank me, but I have a few critics as well. Those critics usually say, “Why are you helping those people? They are trash.” To that, I say this. First of all, I’m a black person from the United States. White Americans, in the main, have treated me like a piece of trash all my life. I’m not a piece of trash, I’m a human being, and so are the street people of Tamarindo. Everyone deserves to be treated like a human being. Why did I start this program and why will I continue this program until no one wants or needs a meal anymore? I did it for all of us, especially for the beautiful and wonderful women of our community. Women like my wife Lynda, Kandice, Sally, Leora, Margaret, Pat, Joy, Judy, Elizabeth, Carla, Jacquie, and all of the other flowers who beautify our town and make it the best in the world. The streets were unsafe, and to me that was an unacceptable situation. Now the streets are much more tranquilo, and everyone knows it, including my critics. Tamarindo is a better place, and I would again like to thank Chef Mike at Sprout, Jason at FT’s, Russell, Hans, Patrick of Witch’s Rock, and all of the other people who have provided material support and/or encouragement to this effort. God Bless you all, and God Bless Tamarindo and Guanacaste. We are living in Paradise...
Recipe of the Month Classic New York Style Cheesecake Every once in a while we like to make this classic New York style cheesecake at Sprout because it is hard to find a true slice of cheesecake in Costa Rica. What you will find in our recipe is that the cheesecake itself is very traditional in its density and richness but the crust is different in the fact that it is a granola crust instead of graham cracker. Graham crackers are hard to find here and since we are not fans of packaged products at all we decide to use granola which actually is even tastier than the other option. We hope you enjoy this yummy recipe! Ingredients: 2 1/4 cups granola 3/4 stick unsalted butter (melted) 4 blocks cream cheese (Philadelphia style is always best) 1/3 cup refined baking sugar 5 large eggs 4 limes (just the juice) 1 vanilla pod (seeded) or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract Method: Preheat the oven to 160°C or 310°F and grease, with a little butter, a 24cm (9.5”) spring-form baking pan. Place your granola into a food processor and blend until you have really fine crumbs, then mix in your melted butter. Spread the granola mixture around the base of your greased pan, making sure you get it right to the edges, then press it with your hands to pack it down. Place the tin on a baking sheet and set in a refrigerator while you make the filling. Note: if you don’t have a food processor you can use some crumbled cookies or graham cracker from the store by crumbling them up or beating them by hand in a bag. Whip the cream cheese in a mixer or food processor until smooth, then gradually add the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one. Pour in the lime juice and vanilla seeds or extract and blend again until just combined. This process can also be done by hand in a bowl with a whisk if you don’t have a mixer or food processor. The mixture is supposed to be quite thin. Pour it over your chilled granola or cookie base, and bake in the oven for around 50 to 60 minutes – you want the cheesecake to have a slight loose wobble. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly. Your topping can be virtually anything you want. We like to make chocolate or fresh fruit toppings the most. The one in the picture is a fresh berry glaze.
By Chef Mike @ Sprout
Barbara’s Pet Stories The police,
A Slice of Life I Can’t Remember Her Name Rick Casorla
Dear friends, neighbours, people from this area: I do facebook, and in between rescue posts and comments a man called me an Animal Rights Protector. A women made a comment, saying I should stay that critical as I am right now. This words make me feel a bit better, as seeing all this starving animals, that were and are left behind from unresponsible owners, make me so sad. So please, if you are considering about getting a pet, does not matter if it is a dog or a cat, think about this: as puppies they are all so cute and funny to watch. They all can get an age of 10 to 20 years, so it is not just for some months, like a toy...if you do not like it anymore, dump it. No, all animals have a heart, they feel the pain like we do, they need love and care, like we want, too. The need food and water, they can get sick and will need treatments. Think about this, before you add a four-legged member to your family. And please adopt do not buy -- the shelters and rescue facilities are loaded with animals. Right now three dogs were dropped off at my place, that were found abandoned at a gas station, on the side of a road and in front of a super market. All three are just fur and bones, they all have tick fever, anaemia and are hungry for some loving. Come and visit me, have a look at these poor souls, then you may understand what I am writing about. Any donation is highly appreciated. Any hand for helping me like dog walking is very welcome. Barbara’s Animal Rescue Center, 40m south of BCR , Playa Flamingo.
barbara.s.animalrescuecenter@gmail.com
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n adventure? Let’s go to Spain! Dave and I got to Palma de Mallorca to “visit my grandmother”, then quickly off to the other islands.
A midnight sail to Ibiza, crossing the Mediterranean on a full moon night, and in 1968 this island was one carnivorous place. There was a sexual hunger in the streets, dancing and parties and music from every corner of the known world and everyone wearing very bright colors everywhere and when people found out we were from San Francisco? Locals tried to impress us...with anything and everything... We met a girl from NY, who said her friend was taken the night before by the police, beaten up and deported! Just because he had long hair. Franco, the Dictator, was in power and young men with long hair were being deported. I looked in the mirror and all I could think was, “uh, oh!” Let’s go to Formentara! It was a much smaller island. Dave said no he was scared and he was going back to wait at my grandmother’s, he said “be back in Palma in four days or you will miss your flight”. Formentera! I went into a bar where they were throwing darts. No bull’s eyes, The targets were pictures of Nixon and Chairman Mao, cool! As I turned to leave, there she was, the girl from Ibiza. We spent two or three very drunken evenings at parties then slept under the moon on the beach, things you can only do when you are eighteen. Saying goodbye to her I realized I lost my passport, probably on the beach! No way to get back to the states with out it, or get my flight, etc. She said, “if you can get back to Ibiza I will leave you money at the Amex office so you can get to Mallorca to catch your flight home”. As I watched her sail away I wondered what was my life was going to be like now? I had a little money left so I decided to go to one of the shacks on the beach, that sell wine and bread. The man behind the bar said “Oh, I believe I have something of yours.” It was my passport! He had found it on the beach! So back to Ibiza I rushed to get the money she left me just in time to catch my flight! On our stop over in NYC I called to thank her, But I sensed things were different on the phone, sort of “that was then”...she was distant and had no real desire to see me, even so. I’ll never forget her, and I’ll probably never remember her name either.
Selected Poems from “Tell me about the telaraña” by Diana Renee
the last love poems were for you the last storm bending boughs to the ground was you, the last witch’s brew of words worked
i am falling down between your lips crumbling away slowly by a rising tide the wall caves the moat fills not one trace will be left of this fortress
i kiss you where the glowing shallow sea wets our feet the moon is black above us we can see orion watching
“Tell Me About the Telaraña” is available at Jaime Peligro’s Bookstore in Tamarindo.
Howler Tel: 8323-2795
Your Stars in November
Aries: 21 March - 20 April
Libra: 23 September - 23 October
With both Pluto and your ruling planet, Mars, in your tenth house of public image and profession you are likely to have a lot of activity in that part of your life. You will also find yourself dealing with end-of-life issues, wills, legacies, and insurance issues; the not so pleasant stuff of life. Remember to take advantage of any invitations for social occasions as life is for enjoyment too. Good fortune and positive connections come from those events. The 4th and 5th are your best days.
This month might be a bit of a financial challenge as three planets along with Saturn (who has been there for 23 months) move into your second house of money, assets and values. Mars and Pluto in your solar fourth house gives some problems in your home too as some deteriorating situation needs immediate attention. On a positive side, Jupiter in your eleventh house gives you support from friends and business associates. Think of them as your guardian angels! Days to post some gains are the 17th,18th and 19th.
Partnership issues are up for some discussion and review this month as the Sun, Venus and Mercury cruise through your seventh house, joining Saturn who’s been there for the past 23 months. Time to figure out exactly what terms and conditions will work for you. Jupiter in your fourth house finds you reluctant to leave the house much as you are so comfy there. It would be good to have a gathering at your house so you don’t drop off the social radar. Good days for that event are the full moon on the 6th and 7th.
With your ruling planet, Mars, moving into a conjunction with Pluto on the 11th, you might take extra care with your communication during the first two weeks when the situation is volatile. Its next connection is a square with Uranus which is known as an accident-prone aspect. Heads up and be careful out there. You are going to be naturally cautious with Saturn in your first house but just sayin’, it is a time when weird things could happen. The 20th and 21st open things up and give you some breathing room.
Work and health concerns take up a lot of your time this month as well as some financial issues that need attention. Good communication is critical to your success this month as you are making some course corrections due to last month’s Mercury retrograde snafus. Remember to be light-hearted, have some fun and take care of your children as well as your inner child. The 8th and 9th are special days for you, so take advantage of the good vibes.
Cancer: 22 June - 22 July
Jupiter, your ruling planet, is still giving you a boost this year with its position in the fire sign of Leo and your ninth house. Time to formulate some new plan for your future! This is also a fortunate time for travel, higher education, publishing and anything to do with foreign cultures. Well, maybe next month as four planets transiting your twelfth house make you not feel like leaving home. Still, you can do research and make some plans! The new Moon on the 22nd and the 23rd are days when you gain favor.
Leo: 23 July - 23 August
This is a month to use some caution in the first two weeks as Mars moves into a conjunction with Pluto in your first house possibly making you tense, agitated and explosive in temperament. Your ruling planet, Saturn, along with the Sun, Venus and very soon, Mercury, sits in a favorable house, the eleventh, for making powerful business connections. You have definitely have the motivation and courage to strike out in a new direction this month. The 24th, 25th, and the first half of the 26th are positive days for action for you.
Virgo: 24 August - 22 September
Saturn, transiting your tenth house, will give a boost to your reputation and public image. Don’t blow it by being too pompous or arrogant with your superior knowledge as that can alienate the people you want to engage for support. Neptune Rx in your second house of money and values, still leaving a lot of confusion about keeping a steady cash flow stream coming. This gets better after the 16th as Neptune goes into direct motion. The last half of the 26th, the 27th and 28th are your best days.
Taurus: 21 April - 21 May
Gemini: 22 May - 21 June
Scorpio: 24 October - 22 November
Sagittarius: 23 November - 21 December
You may find yourself seriously considering a romantic involvement with someone this month. It’s time so go for it, just don’t sign any partnership agreements until after the middle of the month when Mars moves beyond Pluto’s placement in your seventh house. It’s still a pretty dicey month for any big commitments, however. Jupiter is in your second house of money, assets and values so you can make headway with that part of your life all year. The lunar vibes favor you on the 10th and 11th.
Capricorn: 22 December - 21 January
With Jupiter in your sign all year you are enjoying a sense of optimism and generosity you haven’t felt in a long time. This is a good time to invite others into your home to enjoy your hospitality. Do take care of your health this month as you could have some problems with inflammation or joint problems. Take extra care when handling sharp objects around the 9th -12th as Mars is making an aspect with Pluto that can cause problems. Your days to shine even more brightly are the 12th, 13th and 14th.
Aquarius: 22 January - 19 February
Now that your ruling planet, Mercury, is in direct motion you can correct any misunderstandings about money, values, and assets that got off course last month. You will have plenty of opportunity to communicate with siblings and neighbors as four planets in your third house require attention. Don’t take any unusual risks during your off-duty play time as Mars makes an aspect with Pluto that can be a bit dangerous. Your best days are the 15th and 16th.
Pisces: 20 February - 20 March
by Jeanne Callahan jeannecallahan007@gmail.com
This month shows a continued focus on work, discipline and your health. Neptune going direct in your first house on the 16th will give you a better idea on ways to improve yourself. While there is a desire for foreign travel, Saturn’s presence there makes you more practical with your choices. Careful about ruffling your business superior’s feathers the first two weeks of the month as Mars’ conjunction with Pluto makes interactions more intense than necessary. The 1st, 2nd, 29th and 30th are your most positive days.
Namasté Visit Jeanne’s site at CelestialAdvisor.com
Equine First Aid Expert to do two Clinics in December Help, my horse just got into a barbed wire fence and is bleeding … what should I do, the vet can’t come until tomorrow? If you own a horse, it is not if, but when, you will be faced with an emergency. You can be that vital step between discovering the emergency and the arrival of the vet… that just might be the difference between life and death for your horse. We love our animals and need to know the basics of equine First Aid, especially living in an area where the vet is not always available. What should we do as horse owners or horse lovers? Sandy Bell, of Chinook Communications, is a certified first aid instructor. She has given several workshops and clinics at Casagua Horses and will return in December to do two Equine First Aid clinics, one for adults and the other for children. Equi-Health Canada is the Canadian National Organization responsible for providing high-quality equine first aid training to horse enthusiasts of all ages, abilities, and disciplines. Equi-Health Canada is the sister organization for Equi-First Aid USA. The two clinics we will offer are the full-day basic first aid for adults and kids over 12, and the popular “Can I Help”, horse first aid for children. Even the most experienced horse person will learn something new! Space limited. The one-day Equine Health and Emergency First Aid Course covers what your vet needs to know, vital signs, lacerations, punctures, colic, choke collapse, casting, puncture wounds, hoof issues, pain source identification and more. All attendees receive a certificate of completion, first aid manual and more. The course is $149 and will be held at Finca Casagua, December 12, 9 am-4 pm. Lunch included. Discount for two or more participants from one family. The half-day, I Can Help! Horse First Aid for Kids ages 5-11. The 3-hour kids’ program includes safety and basic first aid in a fun, hands on environment. There is even a recipe for horse cookies in their manual and they will get a certificate of completion suitable for framing. No horse experience necessary! The cost is $59 and will be held at Molly’s Equestrian Center in Playa Negra, 9-1pm, drinks and snacks included. Second clinic may be arranged at Casagua. For brochures, more information or to register, call 2653-8041 or email casaguahorses@yahoo.com.
Now Begins the Study of Yoga In Memory of B.K.S. Iyengar poses to use therapeutically for numerous conditions, with a particular emphasis on the nervous system.
This past August, one of the most influential yoga teachers of our time, B.K.S. Iyengar passed away at the age of 95. Although I never studied with Guruji personally, my teacher was a certified teacher in his lineage, and had studied with him in India and on his trips to the US. His work has strongly informed and guided me, as it has for millions around the world.
B.K.S. Iyengar wrote a total of 14 books on yoga, with the first one in 1965, titled Light on Yoga. Light on Yoga has been called the Bible of yoga – with 600 photos and details on how to perform over 200 postures, it was the source book of yoga enthusiasts around the world. This book gave an explanation on what yoga was, based on Iyengar’s foundation in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. Iyengar yoga today is one that continues to emphasize the precision of alignment, balance of strength and flexibility for each individual. His alignment principles are used in many other schools of yoga, and anytime you hear a teacher talking about alignment or lines of energy, these principles are rooted in Iyengar’s work.
Mr. Iyengar began studying yoga at the age of 15 with his brother-in-law, T. Krishnamacharya, and always credited yoga with helping him heal from the effects of an influenza outbreak when he was born, as well as the malaria, typhoid fever, malnutrition, and tuberculosis that he contracted in his youth. B.K.S. utilized yoga to strengthen his body, through this developed a style of yoga that emphasizes the alignment of each person’s individual body along with breath work (pranayama). In working with people with all different body types and health conditions, Mr. Iyengar used different props (blankets, blocks, weights, benches, ropes, walls, chairs, and anything else that was handy) to help his students in doing the postures (asanas) in the way that best supported them. Many of the props we use today were of his invention. The use of these props is a hallmark of Iyengar Yoga, making the postures accessible to all students. Based on his codified sequences of Iyengar Mr. research and experiences,
In 2005, Iyengar published his last book, Light on Life. This book contains the wisdom of his life long practice of yoga. The depth of his work is reflected in the richness of this tome: “You do not need to seek freedom in a different land, for it exists with your own body, heart, mind, and soul.” Thank you, Mr. Iyengar. I am on this path in large part because you shined your light on it.
Namaste, Mary
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
Surf Report (from page 24)
Noe Mar now sits at #107 out of 727 athletes on the WQS rankings. Both Muñoz and McGonagle took a break from the international stage to join up with their brethren on the Asociacion de Latinamericana Surfistas Profesionales (ALAS) circuito in Latinoamericano de Surf 2014 Talara Tierra de Olas early this month in Playa de La Draga, Negritos, Perú. In big, perfect waves, Noe Mar came in 2nd behind Peru’s Lucca Mesinas who had McGonagle as his houseguest during the contest. The champion said: “I was quite nervous because I didn’t want him to pass me.” The Tico added: “So stoked to get 2nd in the Open on the 5th stop of the ALAS Latin tour in Peru. I’m very happy for Lucca Mesinas he surfed very good and won. Pura Vida.” Noe Mar is now ranked at #4 on the ALAS chart. Keep a watch for Anthony Filligim (Jaco); he sits at #1 right now. In a lesser-known contest, the Puerto Viejo Open Pro had its 2nd stop last August in the namesake town. Congratulations to Ronald Brown (photo) in the Open, Carol Wiggins in the Women’s and Lorenzo Cordoba in the Juniors.
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
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.
Tamarindo
Saturday: 10:30-11:30 - Open General Meeting Monday: 5:30 - Open Meeting Wednesday: 10:30 - Open Meeting Thursday: 5:30-6:30 - Open Meeting Location: Behind Pedro’s Surf Shop Contact: Ellen - 2-653-0897 / Steve - 8377-1529
Surviving
C hapter MXMLXX
A
COSTA RICA
few years back, (and this will tell you how far back) I received a “cassette” in the mail of the album my old band The Incredible Fog had recorded in Nashville in 1970. Better late than never . Though I had heard the single “Princess of a Fool” which was released later that year to less than deafening success, it did make it to Number 14 on the Knoxville, Kentucky charts. I had never heard any of the other ten cuts that we recorded that summer so it was quite a trip down memory lane.
The Fog Goes to Nashville
They were nice guys but we soon found out they were not the “A” team. They would be recording most of the tracks except for “The Single” which was handled by the main man himself, Fred Carter. Fred was really old, at least in his late forties, and although he was friendly enough he came on as “the coach” and insisted and got things done the way he wanted.
We showed up in Goodlettsville which was definitely a small southern town of that era that didn’t seen too promising to a bunch of big city hippy types that we claimed to be. It wasn’t like we were being asked to cut our hair or anything but the vibe was still very “Old School South” and were relieved to meet the assistant producer and his buddy who would run the mixer board who were somewhat older than us (old guys probably in their mid-twenties) who sported the essential long hair and freaky duds associated with our kinda music.
years hindsight I think that it could have been recorded and mixed a little better than it was, but hey, that’s the way things go. I did enjoy the recording of “Sweet Smellin’ Woman”, a song I had written during my Junior year in high school about a classmate who indeed did smell good, “She’s the Wife of Bath”. It featured a lot of Chuck Berry riffs and a Barber Shop Quartet style ending. Our producer and mixer dude were probably some of the hippest residents of Goodlettsville and had recently moved into an old funeral parlor that had what was apparently a welldeserved reputation as being haunted, having run off a number of previous tenants before our guys moved in. Towards the end of the recording session they invited the band over for a party. They showed the slabs in the basement where bodies were kept etc., and indeed the place had a very scary unappealing vibe. A couple of guys in the band got so freaked out that they had to leave the party.
With a name like The Incredible Fog you probably have guessed that we weren’t a country band and wonder how we ended up in Nashville, Tennessee, the country music capital of the world. We had signed a contract with Rodell Records with a Music Industry heavy at that time named Fred Carter who, along with a multitude of other kudos, had been a session man on many of the Simon and Garfunkel recordings of that era. Rodell Records was actually based in Goodlettsville, right outside of Nashville, which is where we headed in the band’s faithful VW Bus from the Washington DC suburbs of Northern Virginia nonstop to Tennessee with a little (or maybe a lot) of help from large black pills known as “Black Beauties”. We were wired and ready to go.
Story by Jesse Bishop owlhumm@hotmail.com
He picked out what would be the “a” side single that would be the record to be released first as a single and correspondingly the most commercial. It was a ballad written on piano by the group’s keyboardist John Carpenter and was definitely a pretty if non-psychedelic tune. Our bluesy power house vocalist gave a very low-keyed melodic interpretation, just the way Fred told him to, and he gave me, the heavy head psychedelic rock dude, a very simple arpeggio that I played throughout the song on a Hammond B3 Organ. Come over to my house sometime and I’ll play the song for you. We didn’t see much of Fred after the single was recorded, leaving the rest of the album in the hands of the “B” team, who proceeded to record the remaining songs in a very yeomanlike fashion. I have to admit that in thirty-five
The guys than decided to put on “Blood Sweat and Tears” latest album featuring a very creepy version of “Sympathy for the Devil” during which a loud racket from the downstairs basement caused everyone to exit the house in a terrifying rush, going straight through the doors without opening them. The noise turned out to be the two members who had previously left who snuck in below and just about scared us to death! The band returned home not too long after. The single came out but we never heard anything more about the rest of the album. The Incredible Fog stayed together for another couple of years and most recently got back together for our Fortieth High school Reunion back in 2010, covered dutifully in the Howler. Time marches on!
Humid October Blessings Whiskey’s for drinking, water is for fighting over.” Mark Twain
F
or several months it seemed like we were starting to become acquainted with a Guanacaste version of one of those Zen questions that has no real answer:
“What do you call a rainy season when there is no rain?” From about June on it was pretty apparent that “normal” had taken a vacation. The meteorological experts seemed to waver back and forth around whether or not it was a de facto “El Niño” year, or if it was some other condition at work. Personally, in addition to reading what the ‘experts’ have to say, I pay attention to the planting dates of local farmers. In this neck of the woods, almost no one even dared to plant the ‘primera,’ the first corn crop. Taking a clue from them, and observing the increasing flow of ‘camiones cisterna’—tanker trucks with potable water— lumbering over towards the drought-stricken coast, it was a safe bet to postpone the planting of a few dozen fruit trees that were all ready to go in the ground. Fortunately, after the unusually dry months of June, July and August, September sailed in with a refreshing spell of rains. One local ‘rain man’ reported that by the 20th of September we had received more in one month than the combined totals for May through August. Neighbors started planting corn. My own wells finally started rising. And the phone started ringing off the hook. Suddenly everyone was in a frenzy to plant. Landscapers, trying to get root systems established before their plants would need irrigation. Farmers with their “postrera’, or late season corn crop. Banana aficionados who’ve tasted any of the varieties I smuggled in 20 years ago. And, as always, homeowners and developers suddenly aware of ‘problemitas’ when their dream designs, normally sketched out on the forgiving canvas of the dry season landscape, suddenly don’t hold up under the incessant bombardment of a bona fide tropical deluge. Three weeks ago today, Matt Rosensteele, the director of our local watershed group, sent me a frantic text message that he had just measured a half-inch of rain in 7 minutes. The word torrential doesn’t even come close to describing it. Longtime Howler readers might recall an article years ago when I did a bit of the math—using the convenient metric system—to help put the numbers into perspective.
A half-inch—12.5 millimeters—gives you 12.5 liters per square meter, which, conveniently enough weighs 12.5 kilos. Under those conditions, a hectare of land receives an “incoming” barrage of 125 tons of water. Multiply out to the 45 minute, 4-inch barrage of similar intensity measured a few years back by Ray Beise, another neighbor and rain measurement aficionado, and you get 1000 tons per hectare. As I tell my students and clients, water may be a relatively simple molecule, but it is not stupid. Humans might forget the law of gravity, but H2O knows just where to go. When water hits an impermeable surface it goes with the flow—downhill. Anyone in the19 cantones in the Central Valley where flooding just occurred, knows it. Shopkeepers in the business district of Tamarindo know it. And, as mentioned above, people who ignore this basic reality of our area learn it sooner or later, as do those living downstream from their misguided efforts. Thanks to the near catastrophic downpours of a few weeks back, the 1-900-Erosion Busters hotline started ringing off the hook. There was a brief flurry of activity around here as people tried to keep their land on their own land and not make unwanted contributions to their downslope neighbors. Plants, site visits, consulting, tromping through mud that could have been avoided with a bit of foresight. The bottom line is that the “better late than never “ approach just doesn’t cut the mustard. Suddenly, after all the hustle and bustle in September, it was like somebody put on the Credence Clearwater song, “Who Stopped the Rain.” October came sailing in with sunny skies, healthy offshore winds, surfers saying “oh yeah” and plenty of others saying, “uh-oh.” October seems to be the month when the Atlantic hurricane season tends to send low pressure systems close enough to the ‘other side’ of Costa Rica for them to suck warm, moisture-laden air from the Pacific right over us on its way across the isthmus. That’s when it unleashes the aforementioned tonnage, especially right here along the coastal strip. As it turns out however, only sometimes.
(continued page 36)
....
November 2014 ( a l l
t i m e s
Humid October...
l o c a l )
Sun
1st - rise 5:34; set 5:20 15th - rise 5:38; set 5:18* 31st - rise 5:45; set 5:19
The National Meteorological Institute (IMN) did an analysis several years back which basically divided our rainy season here into three types: Rainy, Normal and Dry. As it turns out, the dominant feature that characterizes a “dry year,” is that it rains less in October than in September.
* earliest sunset of year - 16th at 5:17 Full: Last quarter: New: 1st quarter:
5.0
4:23 p.m. 9:15 a.m. 6:32 a.m. 4:06 a.m.
A couple of strong gusts of offshore wind dislodged that tidbit of information from some forgotten recess of my memory in a hurry. Any number of farmers worried aloud that “this is the end of the rains.” And that would have been an ominous portent for the availability of fresh water supplies for the coming tourist season.
RAINFALL - August/September 2014
c 4.0
s
6th 13th 22nd 29th
RAIN GAUGE
6.0
m
Moon
The second week of October has so far held out some hope that we won’t be bone dry from now till next May. While I don’t have the figures, reasonable amounts of rain have continued to fall, and we have yet to see the return of the dry offshore winds that send the clouds off to their demise and suck the moisture out of the ground. Cautious optimism would seem to be the order of the day as of this writing.
Howler Meteorological Observatory Tamarindo
3.0
Total rainfall: 21.7 cm (8.5 inches)
2.0 1.0 0.0 16
20
31 1
25
August
10.0
September
RAINFALL - September/October 2014
c 8.0
s
15
RAIN GAUGE
12.0
m
10
5
Howler Meteorological Observatory Tamarindo
6.0
Total rainfall: 32.4 cm (12.2 inches)
4.0 2.0 0.0 16
20
25
September
Year-to-date 2014: 72.9 cm 2013: 78.7
30 1
5
10
October
Rainfall Aug/Oct 2014: 54.1 cm 2013: 23.2
15
Even a rainy October will not be enough to take the edge off the water wars that will continue to dominate the future---and not only the future of Guanacaste. Close to home, both Grécia y Aténas are fighting over access to groundwater in the central valley. California and other states affected by the persistent drought in the Southwestern US are becoming virtual battlegrounds between conflicting demands of agriculture, urban population and the increased use of water required by the energy sector due to the boom in hydraulic “fracking”. Internationally, struggles over river rights are affecting countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia…ongoing proof of the sardonic but accurate words of Mark Twain spoken more than a century ago. From the irrigated sugar cane and golf courses in Guanacaste to the fracking and almond groves in California, the bottom line is as often as not a struggle over whose part of the economy gets rewarded with the biggest gulp of a diminishing resource. It’s hard not to foresee that Mr. Twain’s words will ring true as long as we live in an economy so completely out of synch with its resource base.
Tom Peifer is an ecological land use consultant with 19 years experience in Guanacaste. 2658-8018. tompeiferecv@gmail.com El Centro Verde is dedicated to researching and promoting sustainable land use, permaculture and environmentally sound development http://www.elcentroverde.org/
Word puzzle Miscellany
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. alianza beginning blackboard cirujano confederacy conjugar cordillera crumb desarrollo development entity esplendida flea hambre ketchup
machine maquina mayonesa obsequioso pizarra porcelain precipitate principio pulga redondel substance servitude surgeon surroundings unpunctual