Howler1511nov

Volume 20, No. 11

Nov 2015

Issue No. 227

Founded 1996

THE HOWLER Ced. Juridica: 3-101-331333

FEATURES

Publisher, editor and production David Mills

dmills@racsa.co.cr Tel: Office - 4702-5771 Celular - 8323-2795 Howler • Mono Congo

8 Dining Out

We dine at Paradise Dream Hotel, for good international and Costa Rican dishes.

14 Around Town

CONTRIBUTORS JESSE BISHOP MARY BYERLY LYNDA ESPADA SYLVIA MONGE ROBERT AUGUST JEANNE CALLAHAN

HERBERT WEINMANN ELLEN ZOE GOLDEN SUSAN SMITH TOM PEIFER KAY DODGE TONY OREZ

Deadline for November: October 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

Advertising rates & sizes Size

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

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

15 Surf Report

Gilbert Brown and Leilani McGonagle win Claro Latin Pro Costa Rica at Loca Roca: the World Adaptive Surfing Championship.

34

Surviving Costa Rica

Jesse tells us why he is in love with his Stratocaster, which has a long history about how it is different from most Stratocasters.

35

High and Dry

Our columnist discusses the ethics of issuing building permits when there is not enough water, and what will happen when we run out.

Price $ 100 140 140 230 400

Discounts For 6 months, paid in advance, one month is deducted.

For 12 months, paid in advance, two months are deducted.

Ads must be submitted on CD or e-mail attachment, JPG or PDF format at 266 dpi, at the appropriate size (above).

DEPARTMENTS 8 Dharma Corner

32 Yoga

10 Book Review

36 Sun & Moon

11 Music Review

36 Rain Gauge

20 The Doctor is In

37 Shape Up

30 November Forecasts

38 Tide Tables

31 Word Puzzle

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 Facebook: the howler magazine

Cover Caption: Paradise Dream Hotel and Casino.

Cover Photo: Paradise Dream Hotel.

Cover Design: David Mills

The Super Facial Pacific MediSpa Tamarindo and Pacific Plaza - Carrillo

Pacific MediSpa in Playa Tamarindo and Pacific Plaza - Carrillo - now offers Pollogen OxyGeneo 3-in-1 Super Facial treatment, the most advanced facial technology in the market.

The Pollogen OxyGeneo technology is a cutting-edge anti-aging solution that redefines cosmetic treatments.

So gentle and so effective, OxyGeneo Super Facials simultaneously provide the essential skincare treatments: exfoliation, natural skin oxygenation, and infusion of revitalizing nutrients • Skin rejuvention and firmed complexion • Visible results from the first treatment • Can be utilized also for hands, chest and shoulders.

For women and men • Special packets for weddings.

El más avanzado tratamiento para el cuidado de la piel: exfolia, infunde y oxigéna. Puede utilizarlo tambíen en manos, escote y espalda.

Para mujeres y hombres • Paquetes especiales para bodas.

Rejuvenece y reafirma la piel Visibles resultados desde el primer tratamiento.

La tecnología tripollar de Pollogen se ha convertido en un estandar para la industria estetica en la reducción de arrugas y el rejuvenecimiento facial • Ofrece resultados seguros, sin dolor, inmediatos y a largo plazo.

For more information contact us: Dra. Paula Ávila Leiva Médico Cirujano Estético - Cod 11619 medicallasercr@gmail.com.

Playa Tamarindo above Super Las Olas 3 floor, Tel: 7286-9440 Pacific Plaza Carrillo, Tel: 2667-0767.

GeneO es distribuido en Costa Rica por www.provellcr.com • Tel 8937-0397 • Heredia

High Season Here we go into the High Season again, and we feel that it will be a good one. The government has released ICT figures that show an increase of 23,429 tourists in the first six months of 2015.

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It certainly was a happy experience to see so much happening at Plaza Garden last September 25th, with the opening of the art gallery, Plego, a fiesta by Antica Sapori, and an event by Educarte, more energy than the plaza has ever seen. There were hundreds of kids, a crowded restaurant, a busy gallery and a live band.

And the very welcome rain gave the kids some fun with the water slides.

Plaza Garden, which has been formerly underused except for Automercado, has made some renovations to interior design and parking which is intended to move customers toward the back of the plaza and discover the other stores such as Alegria Soaps, a gymnasium, Botti Italian foods and others. See our article on page 20.

In addition to the recent events, Plaza Garden will hold an art festival from November 27th to 28th, from 4 to 9 pm, with free admission, children’s events, interactive mural art, and live music from Andreas Fernandez, Rodrigo Fonseca, Jesse Bishop and others.

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Costa Rica will celebrate British Week 2015, 31 st October to 8th November, with the inauguration of Thomson Airways flight from London Gatwick to Liberia on November 2nd. Also the latest Bond 007 movie “Spectre” will be shown a week earlier than its opening in Britain; a Shakespeare play “The Taming of the Shrew” at the Espressivo Theatre; a raffle of a new MG car (tickets $50).

Be especially nice to any Brit you meet, at least this week - and maybe at other times, too.

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It seems that the sequia is over, with some awesome thunderstorms in October, including one that dumped 13 cms of rain in one evening. We can hope that these are not too late to replenish the acquifers.

La inspiración existe, pero tiene que encontrarte trabajando Pablo Picasso

On the deck outside Aqua Disco

Dharma Corner

Sue Smith

Gratitude As we prepare for American Thanksgiving and the holiday season, it seems like a good time to take a look at what it means to be grateful.

The Buddha taught us “You have no cause for anything but gratitude and joy”. And, most days it is easy to find more to be grateful for than not. But what about those off days when nothing seems right... days when it is gloomy out, ill feelings prevail, the bills are piling up and just every thing seems wrong? Well, those are the days that it is most important to seek within an attitude of gratitude. Just the fact of waking to another day is something to be grateful for. Why? Because it is another opportunity to live life and live it full out. And, if it doesn’t immediately seem that way, then be grateful for another opportunity to change your thinking, change your circumstances and make things different. Every moment is another opportunity.

It is so easy to fall into the habit of negativity. So, recognize those negative thoughts and change them. Catch yourself and see how you can change that thought to a positive one. Before long it will become a habit to think more positive, or at least catch yourself when you don’t. Or, if you find yourself surrounded by negativity, smile and start looking around for all the things you can, in that moment, be grateful for... the air to breathe, the sun, the cloud, Mother Earth, your ability to see, to hear, to smell, to taste... The more you focus on your gratitude, the faster the anger, jealousy, greed or fear will disappear. It is impossible to hold those negative feelings in the same space with gratitude. Don’t believe it? Try it!!

An attitude of gratitude also changes the energy in your body. As a result of this energy change, the fight or flight hormones subside and the physiology in the entire body changes. This makes calm, rational thinking easier. Creativity is enhanced and perceptions are more likely to be positive ones. Try this experiment... For the next week, each morning either before you rise or with that first cup of Joe, list ten things that you are grateful for. You don’t have to write it down but you certainly can if you want. See how this changes your thinking pattern for the rest of the morning (maybe, even, the day).

Gratitude begets things to be grateful for.

And when all else fails, remember this quote from the Buddha...

“Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we did get sick, at least we didn’t die, so let us be thankful” In gratitude...

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

Dining out at the Paradise Dream Hotel as we waited for the casino to open. The service was impeccable, and the food excellent. The hotel is under new management and serves, as well as the hotel guests, an influx of locals who come in to enjoy the facilities and to play at the casino.

Appetizers consist of avocado and shrimp salad; Caesar with chicken, fish or shrimp; house salad; satsifi salad; classic Nicoise salad; cold cream cucumber with dill and fotacche cheese; fish ceviche; ceviche de la casa. We had Caribbean ceviche with red onion, mango, tomatoes, coconut milk, very delicious and plenty of it.

For the main dish there is sea food soup; sea food with cream; crema de camaron; arroz con camaron, pollo or pulpo; casado; typical food – chicken, beef, fish, pork chop; Fish of the day; pargo entero; filet de corvina with marisco sauce; mahi-mahi in curry sauce; filet mignon; lomito with Argentine chimichurry; filet of corvine with garlic; and a seafood mixed plate for two. We had pollo in maracuya BBQ sauce, lots of olives and jalapeños for a very spicy dish; and jumbo flamed in cacique.

The hotel is open to the public, and also offers two day passes with full use of the facilities, one at $30 with a wide choice of menu items, the other at $18 with a more limited menu.

The restaurant hours are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The hotel offers two Happy Hours, at 11a.m. – 1 and 5 - 7 p.m. Every Sunday there is a pool party, with a free shuttle bus leaving Agua Discotheque in Tamarindo at 2 p.m., Huacas 2:30 and Don Brasilito’s at 2:45.

Paradise Dream Hotel – tel: 2654-4322, 2654-4311. www.paradiseflamingobeach.com

Paradise Dream Hotel & Casino

and a private beach.

The recently renovated Paradise Dream Hotel has something for everyone. It sits on a hill overlooking the beautiful Potrero Bay and the Pacific Ocean, and its 42 rooms all have ocean views. A restaurant serves fine dining or casual meals and there are three bars. In addition, there is a casino, a wide open pool Rooms All rooms have ocean view, cable TV and A/C. Direct pool access rooms feature one king size bed; pool & ocean view feature two queen size beds; ocean room view feature two queen size beds. There is free WiFi in lobby, pool area and terrace.

Pool Swim during the day in our nicely located refreshing pool, while taking the sun with a view of 180 degrees overlooking Playa Flamingo, Potrero and the Catalina Islands.

Weddings For us a dream wedding takes place in a gazebo surrounded by the blue Pacific Ocean with a view of 300° over the sea. Every bride’s fantasy wedding can be portrayed in our grounds. We’ll plan all details. We offer specialized menus, all accommodations, special rates for wedding guests, flowers, bands, etc; every single detail will be taken care of. Our specialized wedding adviser will help you plan your dream wedding in paradise.

Beach If your visitors enjoy the beach and the sea, Paradise Dream Beach Hotel offers private access to its black sand beaches which form a bay, from the smallest to the largest where they safely can enjoy the sea without risk.

Events Finding the perfect place for the company’s strategic meetings can be daunting; well, look no further. At Paradise Dream Hotel & Casino your company will enjoy the best atmosphere, surrounded completely by nature.

Team building, party time, you name it! We offer special corporate event rates, specialized menus and more.

Our administrative staff will hand guide you every step of the way.

Casino You work hard, you play hard!

Come and get the time you deserve in our Casino open every day starting at 7 p.m. We have Roulette, Black Jack and scores of slot machines.

Fishing We will be more than happy to customize a fishing adventure package to suit any angler’s desire, from inshore offshore. For offshore fishing, you can expect to catch Marlin, Sailfish, Tuna and Dorado ….. and inshore there is Roosterfish, Snapper, Bluefin, Trevaly, Crevalle Jack, Corvina, Amber Jack, Rainbow Runner, Grouper, Sierra Mackerel, Barracuda.

Permit and Pompano. In addition, fishermen will have the ability to select their tackle of choice, from ultra light to fly.

In addition the hotel has three bars with the best wines and liquors, strategically placed within the hotel lobby, another on the terrace and a third close to the Discoteque of the hotel, which, as well as having an exceptional view, is totally air-conditioned.

On Sundays there is a pool party for partiers from Tamarindo. A free shuttle bus collects them from Agua Discotheque at 2 p.m., with stops at Huacas and Brasilito. Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30 to 7:00 there are Zumba fitness classes.

For couples who are looking for a wedding location or simply to enjoy a romantic date, the hotel offers a gazebo with the best view of Guanacaste, allowing the event to be held in the open air, on one of the terraces or in the climate-controlled hall.

For this and more Paradise Dream Beach Hotel & Casino awaits to delight you with its excellent facilites and service.

Paradise Dream Beach Hotel & Casino, the hidden paradise that has it all!!!

Flamingo, Guanacaste, 100 mts. North of Flamingo Marina Resort Tel: (506) 2654-4322 / (506) 2654-4311 www.paradiseflamingobeach.com

Music Review

Tony Orez

The Return of Kevin “El Borracho” Kevin Falkenberg is a troubadour, a naturalborn wandering minstrel. He grew up listening to his mother’s and father’s recordings of Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson. His parents are not musicians, simply aficionados, but they bought him his first guitar for his nineteenth birthday. They must have known something.

Kevin’s only knowledge of any musicians in his family is a distant great-uncle who played guitar to entertain his squadron while he was in the Army.

But music is in Kevin’s blood. I can attest to that. The first time I saw him perform was at the Tamarindo Farmers Market when it was young and still at its original location in the parking lot of Edificio Las Olas. Kevin was playing & hollering his version of the John Phillips song “Me & My Uncle”, which immediately caught my ear. And I’ve been a fan of “El Borracho” ever since. He also does a great version of “I Walk the Line” and “A Boy Named Sue” along with a few other classic songs by The Man in Black. Kevin also covers songs by John Prine and John Mellencamp in his arsenal.

Kevin has named his current guitar “Beck”. It is a unique instrument, one of a kind, built for him by a friend in Vancouver and it suits Kevin and his persona. Come to think of it, Kevin suits Tamarindo, too; he is self-taught on the guitar so everything you see and hear is pure Kevin. After an extended stay in the Tamarindo area, Falkenberg departed to ramble around & perform in France, Germany, Switzerland and Belgium before heading to South America to travel and play his music in Colombia. “But I couldn’t wait to get home to Tamarindo,” he told me recently. And now he is back – The Return of El Borracho!

Kevin has also been using this time to record his sophomore album of original songs, “A Sunny Place for Shady People” which can be purchased at any of his live shows. Look for a review of that CD in this column in an upcoming edition of The Howler. He is currently playing Wednesday evenings from 7 – 9 at Longboards in Tamarindo and on Friday nights from 7 to 9 at Seven Cave Bar & Grill in Playa Grande. “El Borracho” (I didn’t give him the nickname) promised me that he will be showing up again at the Saturday morning Feria, the Tamarindo Farmers Market, as frequently as he can and also assured me that he will be planting himself again on the steps in front of Jaime Peligro Book Store whenever he can.

Kevin loves to perform live and he can really growl out a song, giving it his own signature.

He told me that he is eager to fill out his calendar. Any interested businesses or individuals can contact him at thedimescanada@gmail. com or by calling him up 8439-0013. Expect an entertaining conversation if you should choose this method. Anyone can follow Kevin and sample some of his original music at www. facebook.com/canadakevin.

Book Review

Tony Orez

A Goldfinch in Our Midst

T

heo Decker is a thirteen-year old New York kid whose father left his mother and him a year earlier. It’s probably for the best, since his dad drank too much so he and his mom had to regularly navigate between his binges and his hangovers. They are in the New York Museum of Modern Art when an explosion rips the building and Theo’s life apart at the same time. His mother, just a hundred feet away, is killed immediately. Amidst the rubble, the dust, the fire and live electric wires, Theo crawls toward an opening, escape. He is given a ring by a dying man, along with instructions about where to deliver it. Theo also takes a small painting by an obscure Dutch painter, Fabritius. His intent is to save the painting from destruction. The painting is titled “The Goldfinch”, which is also the title of the new novel by Donna Tartt.

Theo escapes with his life and the painting, which he has bundled up, and is soon taken in by the wealthy family of his good friend Andy.

The novel then follows Theo (and the stolen painting) through the next fifteen years of his life, working and living in an antique furniture store, falling in love, reuniting with his father and eventually accompanying his talisman painting into the criminal underworld and an ever-tightening, narrowing, dangerous circle. The authoress does a wonderful job describing Theo’s navigation through a landscape of post-trauma disorder, the jarring loss of his mother and the awkward way the people around him deal with his losses.

“The Goldfinch” has been described as being a modern Charles Dickens novel and I can see how and why this comparison has been made. Certainly, this tome is an epic novel, filled with descriptive detail and renders something of a coming-of-age story. But I think Tartt’s novel deserves to remain unique and not be overshadowed with allusions to authors dead now for more than two centuries. To be sure, Tartt presents a morality play in the novel. I also enjoyed her depictions and obviously her opinion of modern romantic love. My favorite section occurred toward the end of the novel, with the main character reflecting on Life and Death and his observations about Art dodging the Grim Reaper, himself.

Donna Tartt is an American author who published her first novel, “The Secret History” in 1992. Her second novel, “The Little Friend” appeared a decade later. “The Goldfinch”, Tartt’s third novel, was published last year, eleven years after its predecessor. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. It is obvious that Donna is meticulous about her work; her attention to detail is astounding, her analogies artistic. She has been described as dark and haunting but I think Donna falls into a category of writing that I like to refer to as “Twenty-First Century Writing”. I look forward to reading her next novel even if I have to wait another decade to do so.

Hopefully, the wait will not be quite that long. In the meantime, I am going to search out her first two novels and read them, too!

August Odysseys

Robert August

My Son Sam

W

hen my son Sam was growing up, I encouraged him to try whatever activity that he was interested in. Given that I was a pretty good surfer and Sam’s mother was athletic as well, Sam was a natural athlete. He soon gravitated to playing football, basketball, baseball, and of course was a good surfer.

One day, when Sam was about fourteen, I got tickets for the Padres-Detroit World Series game down in San Diego. Our seats were right behind first base and I believe the final score was 13-9. The whole experience was so exciting. After the amazing game, on the car ride home, I vividly remember Sam saying to me, “Dad, I made up my mind. I am going to be a pro baseball player.” Chuckling, I replied back, “Sure, as long as we are aiming high, when I grow up I want to be an astronaut.”

Well, a little while after that game, Sam really started to concentrate on baseball. He gave up basketball and football, and hardly would go surfing with me anymore.

Most of his free time was spent at the ballpark practicing with his friends. As a result, he developed into a really good baseball player, excelled in high school and his team even won the State championship.

The next thing I knew, a couple of years later, Sam was headed to spring training with the Houston Astros. I remember standing at the airport saying goodbye and getting kind of weepy! I travelled to watch him play in places I probably never would have visited, like Sarasota, Florida, Asheville, North Carolina and Jackson, Mississippi. Sam played baseball for ten years, was the starting pitcher, and after three elbow operations decided to stop playing. As a father, I am sure glad that I let Sam follow his passion!

Podrán callarnos, pero no pueden impedir que tengamos nuestras propias opiniones Ana Frank

Don’t Be a Statistic

Learn to Identify Rip Currents

R

ip currents are the leading surf hazard for all beachgoers.

They are particularly dangerous for weak or non-swimmers. Rip current speeds are typically 1-2 feet per second. However, speeds as high as 8 feet per second have been measured--this is faster than an Olympic swimmer can sprint!

Thus, rip currents can sweep even the strongest swimmer out to sea.

Over 100 drownings due to rip currents occur every year in the United States. More than 80% of water rescues on surf beaches are due to rip currents.

How to Identify Rip Currents Look for any of these clues: a channel of churning, choppy water an area having a notable difference in water color a line of foam, seaweed, or debris moving steadily seaward a break in the incoming wave pattern None, one, or more of the above clues may indicate the presence of rip currents. Rip currents are often not readily or easily identifiable to the average beachgoer. For your safety, be aware of this major surf zone hazard. Polarized sunglasses make it easier to see the rip current clues provided above.

Never swim alone.

Be cautious at all times, especially when swimming at unguarded beaches. If in doubt, don’t go out!

Whenever possible, swim at a lifeguard protected beach.

Obey all instructions and orders from lifeguards.

If caught in a rip current, remain calm to conserve energy and think clearly.

Don’t fight the current. Swim out of the current in a direction following the shoreline. When out of the current, swim towards shore.

If you are unable to swim out of the rip current, float or calmly tread water. When out of the current, swim towards shore.

If you are still unable to reach shore, draw attention to yourself: face the shore, wave your arms, and yell for help.

If you see someone in trouble, get help from a lifeguard. If a lifeguard is not available, have someone call 9-1-1 . Throw the rip current victim something that floats and yell instructions on how to escape.

Remember, many people drown while trying to save someone else from a rip current.

NOAA

AROUND TOWN El Super Facial is available now in Guanacaste. The best anti-wrinkle and rejuvenating treatment, in Pacific MediSpa in Tamarindo and Carrillo. Call 7286-9440 for details; see ad page 5.

Try the benefits of Misting in your restaurant, home, business, for comfort and savings on electricity. Check out ProtechMisters at 8565-5405. See ad page 23.

Cepia presents its fifth annual Black and White Party, November 27. See ad page 27.

Diamante Eco-adventure Park offers the longest oceanview zipline; loads of activities; an animal sanctuary. See ad page 27.

Try on new clothes at Chismes new boutique, and have a coffee and pastries while you decide at the coffee shop. See ad page 37.

Do you need property management services? Do you have property to rent short- or long-term? call Holy Spirit Property Management at 8517-3228 or 8919-3752 in Garden Plaza.

See ad on page 11.

Paradise Dream Hotel and Casino awaits you for lunch or dinner, casino nights and a pool party on Sundays. Enjoy the most beautiful views in Flamingo. See page 9.

In Plaza Garden Local #6, Candelas y Mรกs for your gifts and Christmas decorations, Monday - Saturday 11am to 7 pm.

See ad page 29.

Stores to rent in Huacas centre. Information at 2653-9005.

Pueblo Dorado Hotel is under new management, with new lower prices. Almost right on the beach. See ad page 25.

Now in Do-it Center in Carrillo all the necessities for Hydroponic Culture. Pachamama Indoor Farming Culture at www. costaricahidroponics.com, page 19.

Western Union, now in Plaza Tamarindo above ABC Real Estate, tel: 4702-1641. It will soon open in Huacas next to Farmacia El Cruce.

Architecture - Design and Construction Services by Flomor Construction, Paseo del Mar, Huacas, Tel: 4701-9812. www.flomorconstrucciones.com. See page 7.

Surf Report Ellen Zoe Golden ellenzoe@aol.com According to former Costa Rica surf champion Diego Naranjo, who is a board member of both the Federación de Surf de Costa Rica and the Jacó Surf Association, without his efforts the Asociación Latinamericana de Surfistas Profesionales (ALAS) Latin Pro would have been in big trouble this year.

This circuit was founded in 1998 by the El Salvador Association to promote the sport in Latin American countries. Yet, coming into August, ALAS had only launched 3 dates—1 in Peru and 2 in Ecuador. Normally, by that time, there would have been 6 or 7 contests.

Naranjo and the Jacó Surf Association stepped in and offered to put on two events in Costa Rica, the first of which was completed at the end of August in Roca Loca (between Jacó and Hermosa), with the second one set to take place this month, November 19-21 in Playa Hermosa.

The first date, Claro Latin Pro Costa Rica, went off spectacularly in the booming waves of Roca Loca. Naranjo said it was, so far, the best ALAS date this year, and although he may be a little biased, the theater of performances seemed to collaborate that claim.

The event was staged in what Naranjo called a “natural amphitheater.” Tents, judges and spectators were perched on the cliff above the ocean, and the competitors walked down the hill to reach the water.

“We chose Roca Loca because it always has waves. Surfers always give the excuse why they don’t do well saying ‘there’s no waves’. Roca Loca has big waves. We were lucky as well with the swell,” said Naranjo.

And in these waves, no one does better than Gilbert Brown, who is actually from Puerto Viejo but has made Jacó his home for many years now. Brown won the Open with his distinctive power surfing, a style mandatory to cut through at Roca Loca. Notably, this contest was his ALAS debut.

“Brown defines power surfing,” explained Naranjo. “And here you have to go back to those basics of power surfing: good bottom turns, lots of spray, good maneuvers. Gilbert is such an amazing surfer if he can catch good waves in every heat he can win. That’s what happened.”

Midday on Sunday, the finals were extended to 40 minutes in order for the competitors to have more opportunities in the complicated conditions. Rising to the challenge and joining Brown were ALAS Open ranking leader Sebastian Alarcon from Peru, Carlos Muñoz who we all know from Esterillos, and Martin Passeri from Argentina. Brown was able to score 14.33 points for the 1st place, followed by Alarcon in 2nd, Muñoz in 3rd and Passeri in 4th.

“I feel comfortable surfing waves with strength,” Brown said afterwards “Roca Loca is a wave that has a lot of mass and my strategy was to use a surfboard two inches longer and a half-inch thicker than I normally use, which gave me the advantage while paddling and when the waves got fatter at high tide. I was very focused on winning. I saw a very tough opponent in Cali (Muñoz), and I fought in semifinals and finals. But, I thank God for giving me the waves so I could win. I dedicate my victory to my girlfriend Rebecca—she is the person who has always been with me through thick and thin—and my baby Emma.”

The women who competed had more of a challenge at the Claro Latin Pro Costa Rica. That’s because most of the girls in the final hadn’t surfed Roca Loca before even though all four of them were Ticas. But, as Naranjo noted, their surfing level was very high so they were more than able to rise to the occasion.

At the time of the final, the conditions they were not ideal, but Pavones’ Leilani McGonagle found two good waves for a total 12.50 to win the Women’s category. In 2nd place was Jacó’s Emily Gussoni, 3rd place was Jacó’s Lisbeth Vindez and 4th Tamarindo’s Zulay Martinez.

The current leader of the ALAS women’s ranking is Carolina Thun of Peru. Although she did not make the finals in Roca Loca she remains #1 in the standings.

After the final Leilani said: “My first series of waves were very good, but the final was difficult because of the tide.

Anyway, we all had to surf in the same conditions and thank God I could win. Too bad that this time there weren’t many surfers from outside the country, so the local girls could see their levels. We learn many tactics and techniques from each nationality.”

“Leilani was ripping. What can I say? She was amazing,” noted Naranjo.

The Claro Latin Pro Costa Rica served two purposes—1) it was the first Latin Pro date this year in the country and 2) It was the premier contest of the Costa Rica Pro Surfing 2015 circuit, a tournament arranged by the Jacó Surf Assocation which will reward the winners with cash prizes. In addition, these top-tier Latino events draw surfers from all over the Latin American map, which, as Leilani pointed out, helps raise the level of the locals who get to compete against more experienced athletes.

(continued page 24)

The Broad Spectrum of Cepia

F

ounded in Huacas in 2005, CEPIA has had a Mission Statement for more than a decade of helping those in need, helping underprivileged families and individuals in Guanacaste. I’ve lived in this area nearly fourteen years and I have tried to support CEPIA in any way I could during that time, including writing articles for The Howler to help promote them and to make people aware of who they are and what CEPIA does for the community. We also have a clothes drop-off station at the shop, Jaime Peligro book store, for those who would like to donate their used clothing articles.

Nearly four years ago I was involved in a custody hearing with Corte Familial in Santa Cruz that ended with the judge granting me custodial rights for my son, who was 3½ years old at the time.

The entire process took more than 14 months to be resolved. It was very stressful; I have always thought that I do a good job of being stoic and do not “wear my emotions on my sleeve”. Apparently, I was wrong.

Laetitia Deweer, the founder of CEPIA came discreetly into my book store one afternoon. She had obviously recognized my symptoms better than I had. “I know you are going through a lot of difficult situations right now,” she confided. “I want to offer you the services of Ana Rosales, our family consultant”. At the time, honestly, I believed that seeing a counsellor would be a good thing for my son. And I was right because it has been very beneficial for Sam; the end result is that it has also been very helpful for the two of us as a family and for me as a parent, too. I am not an expert at being a father and Ana’s observations and suggestions have been invaluable. For me to simply talk with someone about my concerns has been a relief. And the benefit Sam has gained has been truly amazing.

Our meetings with Ana have always been conducted in three sections of time: 1) Sam and me together, followed by 2) time for Ana and me to speak in private and 3) Sam’s personal time with Sra. Rosales. Initially we came to visit every two weeks. I could see an immediate positive change in both my son and me. With time, we began to lengthen our time between sessions to three and then four weeks. We now make appointments with Ana when Sam feels a desire to speak with her.

Seeking professional help does not make a person weak or ill. On the contrary, I believe it demonstrates that you are strong and trying to stay well. I cannot praise the help my family has received from CEPIA. It has truly become a foundation that embraces the needs of the entire community.

If you are interested in setting up an initial consultation with Ana Rosales, or if you would like more information about CEPIA, I suggest you contact Laetitia Deweer at cepiacostarica@gmail.com .

Tamarindo Lifeguards

E

ven though the Tamarindo Lifeguards have nearly a year working on our beach, it is only recently that the town has begun to really support their efforts with money, benefit activities and equipment donations. But, honestly, these contributions have come from only a handful of people and businesses, and so much more is needed in order for the lifeguards to continue their rescues.

And just how important is all this? In September alone, the Tamarindo Lifeguards—2 full-time and 1 volunteer working from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day—rescued 14 people and attended to 5 injuries. One of the biggest success stories was the rescue of a 7-year-old Costa Rican girl visiting from Playas del Coco with her family. She was swimming with another little friend in the water at the south end of the Tamarindo beach near Nogui’s, and the other girl kept pulling her down until she was drowning. According to head lifeguard Victor Nuñez Ramirez, he received a call from one of the masseuses who works on the beach that there was a problem. He got to the child immediately.

“When I got there she was dying, really,” he recalled. “I did CPR. One of our guys had arrived with our equipment, so I gave her some air, and she came back.” The next move for Victor was to escort the child and her family to Dr. Luis Diego Herrera, located in Plaza Conchal, where he stayed and assisted as needed. “She got better and better.”

Stories like these are not uncommon among the lifeguards. Having the experience to rescue and resuscitate people, especially tourists, is key to keeping our beaches safe and allowing tourism to propagate.

No one wants to hear that someone drowned in Tamarindo; the loss of life is serious business.

Victor is particularly pleased that one of the local businesses has donated an automated external defibrillator (AED) to the Tamarindo Lifeguards. This $1500 piece of equipment is a lightweight, portable device that delivers an electric shock through the chest to the heart.

Now, not only can the lifeguards resuscitate via breath, but they can revive a heart. The implications are endless as they are now equipped to attend to heart attacks, repercussions from drowning, severe reactions from insect bites such as bees, and basically anything to do with the heart.

“We can really do a lot with that,” Victor added. “It’s easy to use and automatic. Right now we have the best one in the area.”

On a final note, the Tamarindo Lifeguard Committee of the Asociacion Desarrollo Integral de Tamarindo (ADI) have four important goals they are working toward: 1) To ensure that Tamarindo’s lifeguard program exists indefinitely with 3 full-time lifeguards from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. 365 days a year 2) To improve Tamarindo’s security by coordinating efforts with local paramedics, police, fire department and Red Cross 3) To obtain a Blue Flag certification for quality and safety 4) To empower and strengthen the Tamarindo community.

For donations, assistance and information, email tamarindolifeguards@gmail.com and find us on Facebook.

Que es la hidroponía?

What is hydroponics?

La palabra hidroponía deriva de dos palabras griegas - hydro (agua) y ponos (trabajo), es decir - trabajo con agua.

The word derives from two Greek words - hydro (water) and ponos (work), that is to say - working with water.

Es una rama de la agricultura que utiliza el agua como medio para la siembra. Esta siembra usualments se realiza en interiores tales como: salones, cuartos, casas de habitación, bodegas, sótanos, invernaderos, entre otros.

It is a branch of agriculture that uses water as a growth medium.

This growth usually occurs indoors such as: salons, rooms, living spaces, storage rooms, basements, greenhouses, among others.

La hidroponía permite sembrar en otros sistemas distintos al suelo, ya que utiliza diferentes medios de cultivo inertes (inactivos), que imitan las condiciones del suelo como sustrato para que las plantas tengan protección y anclaje, desarrollen raíces, crezcan y que generen frutos.

Algunos de estos sustratos pueden ser: fibras, turba, arenas, espumas, piedras, geles, lanas, aserrín, arcillas y cascarillas.

Esta tecnología imita las mismas condiciones que se presentan en una siembra convencional (la cual se hace el aire libre), pero presenta la gran ventaja de que estas condiciones son completamente controladas.

De esta manera, se puede “jugar” o manipular factores básicos para el buen crecimiento de cualquier cultivo, como por ejemplo la cantidad de alimento (fertilizantes) que las plantas requieren, la cantidad de agua a consumir, la humedad en el ambiente, el grado de acidez y alcalinidad (pH de agua), la temperatura deseada, y las horas luz diarias (fotoperiodo).

Se elimina el riesgo de muerte de las plantas que puede ocasionar la exposición del cultivo a eventos extremos, tales como el exceso de agua (lluvia), falta de agua (sequías), vientos fuertes, plagas, enfermedades, etc; lo anterior incide directamente en los rendimientos de cosecha que se pueden esperar, y por lo tanto en las ganancias que se pedan obtener.

Ventajas: Uso más eficiente de insumos • Retorno rápido de inversión • Menores riesgos de erosión y contaminación • Uso más racional del agua • Mayor precocidad de las plantas • Mayor producción de cosecha en menos espacio • Reducción de plagas y enfermedades • No requiere el uso de maquinaria agrícola.

PACHAMAMA Indoor Farming Culture Carrillo - Do-it Center - Tel: 2667-0882.

San Pedro Tel: 2234-7884 / Santa Ana Tel: 2203-5307 E-mail - info@costaricahydroponics.com

Hydroponics allows the growth in other systems than soil, and uses different media of inert material which imitate the conditions of soil as substrate by which the plants have protection, anchorage, develop roots, grow and produce fruits.

Some of these substrates can be fibres, peat, sand, foam, stones, jellies, clay, wool, sawdust and husks.

The technology imitates the same condition found in a conventional outdoor growing space (fresh air), but presents the great advantage that the conditions are completely controlled.

In this manner, one can “play” or manipulate the basic factors for the best growth of whatever plant, as for example the quantity of food (fertilizer) that the plants require, the quantity of water consumed, the humidity of the surroundings, the degree of acidity or alkalinity (pH of water), the desired temperature and the hours per day of light (photoperiod).

All the above factors together produce in less time than the conventional agriculture, in a minimum of space, plants more vigorous and healthy, optimizing the use of consumibles during the life of the product.

It also eliminates the risk of death of the plants which can happen due to exposure to extreme conditions, such as excess of water (heavy rain), shortage of water (drought), strong winds, pests, sickness, etc. the above facts bear directly on the quantity and quality of the expected harvest.

Advantages: More efficient use of consumibles • Faster return on investment • Less risk of erosion and contamination • Better use of water • Better harvest in smaller space • Reduction of pests and sickness • No need for agricultural machinery.

Dr. Herbert Weinman, MD, MBA thedoctorisinsharkfm@gmail.com

Urine Tests

Urine analysis is the complete analysis of the physical and chemical properties of urine. It can provide important information about how the body uses foods, reacts to stress, and processes medications. It can also indicate the presence of diabetes, kidney disease, and other medical problems.

The color of urine may vary from pale to dark yellow. Urine is usually darker in the morning because the body reabsorbs water during sleep and the urine is more concentrated. Fever, liver, or gallbladder disease can also cause darker urine. A red tinge could be due to bleeding in the urinary system or the result of eating beets.

Urine is usually clear, but may be cloudy due to infection, excess mineral content, mucus from the urinary tract lining or the result of stale sample.

The odor of urine also may vary. Certain foods, such as asparagus, result in the excretion of compounds with a notable characteristic odor. Multivitamins can produce a sharp medicine-like odor. Offensive odors also increase with an increase in concentration of urine.

Urine is usually composed of more than 95% water with the remaining consisting of by-products of cell activity, traces of drugs and minerals. Abnormal substances could indicate disease or temporary conditions caused by diet or exercise. Sugar in the urine is most commonly caused by diabetes which is the inability of the body to properly use carbohydrates. It can also be due to fever, stress, pregnancy and eating excessive carbohydrates in a relatively short period.

Ketones usually indicate diabetes but are also seen in patients on starvation diet and occasionally in pregnant women.

Protein in the urine reflects kidney disease when found in several samples over time. A temporary rise in urine protein can be the result of strenuous exercise.

Bilirubin may be normally present in small amounts but large amounts that indicate gallbladder or liver disease.

Urine sediments, when examined with a high-power microscope, can confirm the presence of kidney disease. Sediments can contain red blood cells, white blood cells, crystals and casts (tiny structures formed from a gel of protein in the urine).

A fresh specimen, analyzed as soon as possible after passage, is best for almost all tests. Other specimens are usually worthless and can give grossly false results. When specimens are collected for analysis at a later time they should be refrigerated (but not frozen).

Simple urine test strips can be obtained from most pharmacies or medical suppliers.

A

Garden Tamar

s you enter the town of T can’t be missed. This awa tion in 2005 and opened The 7,900m2 building is an open Balinese finishings and statues, c thatched roofing, it offers relaxin ing water feature that fills the cen of Tamarindo Heights, a stunning front homes, brick roads and stun make this residential community center Garden Plaza one of a kind

Thirty store fronts are located on 60m2 plus a 30m2 mezzanine the s date any operator’s necessities, ye help get through the slower rainy s are also located on the first floor, these are strategically placed near shoppers a chance to relax in the fr a cold beverage while the young o mid-afternoon heat.

Garden Plaza has made a strong pr attracted many interested operator or expand existing ones. Today th from Cross-fit studios, jiu-jitsu an gourmet products. Tamarindo’s m home management company RPM the others, artisanal soaps and beau falls right into place next to our alt as well as Costa Rica’s most prod This alone brings hundreds of sho

Being the only plaza in Tamarind underground parking we provide a of being able to use this facility yea or shine, with 115 parking spaces newly constructed parking lot, find and visit us again for the first time

Contact info for rentals: ad Tel: (506)

n Plaza rindo

Tamarindo, Garden Plaza’s presence ard-winning structure began construcd its doors to the public early 2008. n-air shopping center, designed with coralline-decaled walls and beautiful ng garden area seating and a cascadnter with a soothing ambiance. Part g private gated community with lake nning ocean view lots, these features Tamarindo Heights and commercial d.

n the first floor. With an average of space is ample enough to accommoet, at the same time, cost-efficient to season months. Three restaurant sites , open-air dining with garden views, r the children’s play area. This gives resh shaded spaces, grab a bite or sip ones entertain themselves during the

resence in the recent months and has rs looking to open new concepts and here are several functioning locations nd a full gym, fine Italian pizzas and most popular real estate and luxurious M have found themselves amongst uty product. Cuisine of the Americas ternative medicine and health center. digious super market, Auto Mercado. oppers to the mall on a daily basis.

Garden Plaza Nov 27/28 - 4 to 9 p.m.

Art Festival

do and its surrounding areas to offer all our renters and clients the luxury ar round, no matter the weather. Rain below ground and another 50 in our ding room will never be a factor. Come e.

dmin@tamarindoheights.com ) 2653-1676

Free admission Children’s activities Live music 20 artists interactive mural painting

PLEGO

Live music performed by: Andreas Fernandez Rodrigo Fonseca Jesse Bishop DJ Ciro Briceno Flamenco Experimental with Roy and Tony Special Guests Garden Plaza Tamarindo Presented By:

Selected Poems from “Tell me about the Telaraña”

by Diana Renee Angels like birds, will visit you. they will carry you to trees they know to nests they make to secret places

you have seen but only in dreams

el cielo no es suficientemente grande para la luna e el cometa nos jalan como hermanas peleando por munecas

esta es mía

no, es mía nos despeinamos todo y se nos cae la ropa

bajo el mosquitero me duemo segura

a small worm in

my cocoon me escondo de la windy starry night afuera, están los coyotes the scorpions bichos and cats

i forecast rain sniff the air; there is the smell of dampened earth run, children a storm comes off in the distance too far to see but the ground trembles “Tell Me About the Telaraña” is available at Jaime Peligro’s Bookstore in Tamarindo.

Mystery Marathon

Tamarindo Again Taken by Storm Tamarindo was once again taken by storm when the Mystery Marathon came to town on September 12.

Misting

Make Your Outdoor Space the coolest place to be

Okay, so I’m a freak: it’s 4 am, coffee is brewing, the computer loads up for typical Saturday morning, except - wow! There sure is a lot of traffic for this hour. A few gulps of java and the cobwebs begin to clear. Ah yes, the Tamarindo Marathon is in town again. My neighbors are up early preparing to experience the 5 a.m. opening spectacle from the roadside. Transito motorcycles roar, sirens scream, bombas and fireworks explode as the race begins. Hundreds of blinking lights flash on running shoes. Thousands of pounding feet thump rhythmically on the pavement. Police sirens wail as spectators and participants shout encouragement, grunting, groaning, and whistling. The marathon is on!

The Tamarindo Marathon begins with a relatively quiet storm of preparation early in the week. It develops abruptly into a raging hurricane on Saturday morning, rapidly subsiding into a tropical depression by Saturday afternoon, and, just as quickly as it began, it fizzles into . . . nothing. Arriving like a thief in the night, it “steals” the town, and then completely disappears after it has taken care of business.

The Tamarindo Marathon does take care of business. By all indications, it is an extremely well-organized event. Extensive behind the scenes preparations begin weeks ahead of time. A few days before the race, welcome signs and sponsor advertisements are everywhere; yet there is nothing about starting times or road closures on any of them. Many residents are left confused. In fact, it seems like nobody really knows anything about the marathon, except those directly involved, or the few who are apparently contacted by the organizers. Yes, there is a website, and yes, the event is on Facebook, but the reality is that for most of us the Tamarindo Marathon remains a mystery.

On race day, roads are closed and hundreds of employees wonder how they will get to work. While employers try to figure out ways to deal with the situation, tourists are forced to alter their plans. Transportation comes to an abrupt halt, and local residents are stranded for several hours. But all is not lost! Hotels, and rentals fill up, restaurants and other tourist establishments welcome the much-needed slow season business. And, as an added bonus, some long overdue, very mysterious roadwork gets done.

Every year, the Tamarindo Marathon steals the town for a morning in September. The thief is extremely quick, efficient, and cunning - here and gone before most residents can even blink - but hey, maybe that’s the plan: a stealthy storm, the Tamarindo Mystery Marathon.

Misting is a quality service every home owner, business operation, commercial developer and agricultural producer is choosing to have as an investment as part of their day-to-day operations or life.

How do you get all the information of what we can do in this article? We can`t. But what we can do is ask you to visit our web site and or our Facebook page as they will answer all your questions. If you are not able to find the answers, I am available for your calls or emails.

Q. Water, water water…………how much?

A. Typical home misting for 5 to 6 hours will use the same water consumption as a shower.

Q. Biggest benefits of the misting systems are?

A. 1: Warrantied and guaranteed.

A. 2 : being able to sit in comfort on your patio any time of the day enjoying the views .

A. 3: is the savings on electrical monthly costs.

A. 4: mortality rate in agriculture is decreased.

Q. What else can ProTech Misters provide?

A. Along with our misting systems that are used for residences, industrial, commercial, agricultural, marine vessels we are also experts in Irrigation Installations and repairs. Understanding water restrictions is key and knowing how and when to maximize the water available is what we do for our clients.

My name is Steven Faux and I am the owner of ProTech Misters and my family and I are in your community.

Much Gracias and Pura Vida

Tel: 8565-5405

www.protechmisters.com protechmisters@gmail.com

Surf Report (from page 15)

Up-and-comer Joseph Mendez from Jacó, who has already found this process helpful in his competitive action, not only made the Junior finals in Roca Loca, but he won the division with a score of 12.67. He defeated James Hogan from the U.S., José Lopez of Venezuela and Tamarindo’s own Malakai Martinez, also his inauguration in an ALAS event.

“This is my third ALAS event, only previously making it as far as the Semifinals in the Open and Junior,” explained Mendez. “When the good competitors come, I learn from them and feel I get more experience. I could apply that education today and I could get by here in my own backyard. If God lets me keep this up on the remainder of the tour this year, and I do my best to move forward, it is possible I can be Latin American champion. “ Veteran surfers from Latin America hit the water earliest in the day, and Passeri from Argentina was able to win the Masters category with a total of 14.17 points. He was followed by Jacó’s Alejandro Monge, Peru’s Karin Sierralta and Jacó’s Enrique Pacheco, who won 2nd, 3rd and 4th, respectively.

Claro Latin Pro also featured a fight in the Longboard division, which was won by Brazil’s Caio Texeira with 13.33, Jacó’s Andres Rojas in 2nd, Uruguay’s Julian Schweizer in 3rd, and Pacheco, 4th.

At the end of the day Sierralta, who is also the ALAS President, felt that the Claro Latin Pro 2015 was a terrific success. ““Congratulations to all the winners!” exclaimed Sierralta.

“It was a great weekend, very good vibes, great waves and an ideal climate. To see great surfers compete in such good waves as Roca Loca is a real pleasure. I thank Victor Arce, Carla Gallardo and Diego Naranjo for their great contributions to the professional surfing in this country and Latin America, all the sponsors without whose contribution this great event would not be possible and all Costa Ricans for their kindness and hospitality” You know, times were that you’d never see a Costa Rican participate in contests outside of the country, unless it was one of the International Surfing Association World Surfing Games events, and even those were difficult to fund. Then Tamarindo’s Federico Pilurzu broke the barrier with a multiyear run of the QS.

(continued page 33)

Costa Rican Surf Brand Acquires Landmark Hotel in Tamarindo Witch’s Rock Industries S.A. recently acquired Tamarindo’s historic Hotel Pueblo Dorado. In an effort to build a stronger more sustainable tourism base, hotel management immediately slashed hotel rates. The hotel aims to attract international and local tourists who desire to spend their vacations and holidays in the famous beach town but who also struggle to keep up with Costa Rica’s growing costs.

Witch’s Rock Industries owns and operates Witch’s Rock Surf Camp, Volcano Brewing Company, and the El Vaquero Beach Bar and Restaurant. The founder of Witch’s Rock Industries, Joe Walsh states, “I’m excited about the purchase of the Pueblo Dorado Hotel. It will be a great compliment to our organization adding much needed space for our surf programs and for customers not necessarily looking to come to the area to surf.

This hotel will keep with our mission to offer a great quality of family-friendly, clean, and affordable rooms. Our brand of hospitality always includes service with a smile and the Pueblo Dorado will adopt this tradition of warmth and care.”

Joe Walsh began Witch’s Rock Industries 15 years ago after

driving a school bus to Tamarindo from California, renting a shack on the beach, and opening Witch’s Rock Surf Camp.

“Tamarindo was a much different place back then, a lot smaller, but regardless of the town’s growth we have always been 100% committed to Tamarindo and our core values of giving back to the community will always remain the same” Walsh said. “The addition of Hotel Pueblo Dorado will offer critically needed additional jobs for the community. Currently we employ over 80 employees, with the new hotel this number will significantly increase” Walsh stated.

The Pueblo Dorado Surf Hotel (http://pueblodorado.com) has 29 rooms, a pool, free WIFI, cable TV and air conditioning in every room and is located a short distance from Tamarindo Beach. The hotel helps to maintain a beautiful nature trail that leads to the beach that is located directly across the street from the hotel. Tamarindo area residents receive 10% off all Pueblo Dorado and Witch’s Rock purchases with a valid Skeleton Key (available for free at the Witch’s Rock Surf Shop). Contact Pueblo Dorado today for more information and a full list of services. info@pueblodorado.com

A Slice of Life Tatiana

David Mills

T

he story takes place in 1996, before the Santa Cruz bus line known now as the Folkloricas was running late-model Volkswagens, and the few buses they had were heaps of junk. One of them, known as Tatiana, had holes in the floor through which the mud spattered over the passengers. She wore a three-pointed Mercedes-Benz badge on the front, but that was the only piece of M-B equipment on the whole bus.

We waited in line at the station in Santa Cruz for the last bus home, and it was a fiesta day, so of course it was in heavy demand. When it came in the orderly file disrupted into chaos, pushing and shoving, no sign of constraint or respect for fellow passengers, and we ended up standing in the aisle with our backpacks of groceries on the floor for the two-hour trip to Tamarindo.

We had one more stop to make before leaving Santa Cruz – at the gasolinera, where we needed a fill-up with diesel. The gas station then was half-way down the Calle Principal, opposite Banco de Costa Rica, so we pulled in there.

Now this bus had been chopped, patched, and reinvented many times in its long life, and somehow had gathered an extra hole in its bodywork where the old filler cap had been, so the attendant pushed the nozzle in and clicked it to full flow, and started chatting with the driver.

The smell of diesel was stronger than we expected, and we suddenly realized it was flowing around our ankles – gallons of it! The nozzle lay on the floor, pumping diesel at full blast. Amid screams, the entire bus emptied in a few moments until the attendant switched off the flow, leaving gallons of diesel swishing back-and-forth on the floor.

The driver hosed the bus down and pronounced it serviceable. Being the last bus of the day – 7:30 – we had no choice but to get on and endure the smell. The fact that our purchases were ruined was of no interest to the driver.

Just another adventure in Costa Rica!

La vida no es para encontrarte a ti mismo. La vida es para crearte a ti mismo George Bernard Shaw

In Group B of the eliminations for the World Cup, Russia 2018, La Sele plays: 2015,

2016,

November 13 - Haiti; November 17 - Panama; March 25 - Jamaica; March 29 - Jamaica; September 2 - Haiti; September 6 - Panama.

Other qualifying Concacaf games in November are: Nov. 13 - Canada Haiti 13 - Mexico El Salvador 13 - Jamaica Panama 13 - Guatemala Trinidad & Tobago 13 - United States St Vincent/Grenadines Nov. 17 - Honduras Mexico 17 - El Salvador Canada 17 - Haiti Jamaica 17 - Trinidad/Tobago United States 17 - St Vincent Guatemala

The FIFA Under-17 World Cup is in progress in Chile from October 17 to November 8. In group E Costa Rica faces Russia, South Africa and DPR Korea.

Español Mistakes will be made…as expected.

T

he single biggest barrier to learning a second language for an adult is embarrassment. Throughout our educational process teachers and parents have chastised us for making mistakes.

We have all heard the Thomas Edison quote where he failed a gazillion times before his first light bulb turned on but when it comes down to it, mistakes feel a lot like failure. Fortunately, Mr. Edison and every scientist, inventor, musician and all-round great person knows that the road to greatness is paved by embarrassing, gutwrenching mistakes. The more mistakes you make the harder you are trying and the farther you will go.

Mistakes are the spice of an otherwise mundane life! They are to be acknowledged, celebrated and learned from. They are signs of your own effort and desire to live. I know I am shmearing it on thick but I cannot express the absolute necessity for making mistakes, laughing at yourself and being gracious with other people’s inadequacies, in learning a second language. It simply cannot be done without a litany of errors and gaffes. There is a polyglot (cool name for people who knows more languages than you thought possible) who said in order to learn another language you should be making an average of fifty mistakes a day. That is a lot of mistakes for the average José and it gives you a wide berth and excuse to screw up daily.

The thing is this; making mistakes means you are pushing yourself past your comfort zone, it means you are going into unknown territory and exploring the world again. What atrophies the human brain? Monotony; the lack of needing to make new connections, learn and experiment. When you stop making mistakes you starting getting old, that image of old and drooling we all fear so much. On a neurological level, when you stop making mistakes and learning you stop creating new neural pathways and your super-efficient brain will start turning off or atrophying sections of your brain that is not being used, like when you turn off the lights to save electricity. Scared yet! Good!

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Luckily learning another language can kick-start your brain to start engaging, connecting and even growing. What neuroscience has taught us in the last thirty years is that the idea that we only use 5% of our brain is not a rule of thumb but a bad habit. Whole brain learning is possible. That means you can start activating dark recesses of your brain by learning a second language. Why, you ask?

Because, when you learn another language you have to not only create a new database of words but connect those new words to every part of your brain. Whole brain learning! It’s like a brain massage, brain yoga or a brain work out. The muscle gets used; it’s clumsy at first and then starts getting stronger and stronger until you are finally feeling comfortable in your new tongue.

Learn that language you have been putting off, make as many mistakes as you can, laugh at yourself the whole time and finally understand what everyone means by “Pura Vida”!

Sylvia Monge runs Spanish for Expats (spanishforexpatscr.com) and has 20 years’ experience in the classroom, teaching children and adults language and to embrace their mistakes!

Your Stars in November

Aries: 21 March - 20 April

Libra: 23 September - 23 October

With the south node at 0 Degrees of Aries, you are finishing up a pretty major cycle here and letting go someone or something is a big part of that.

So is everyone else for that matter as 0 Degrees of Aries is a really big deal for astrology and it happens somewhere in every person’s chart. But for you, it is a pivotal time. So shake off the regrets and sadness. Payoff for recent lessons learned begins at the end of the month when the Sun goes into Sagittarius. Your best days are the 21st and 22nd.

With the North node at 0 degrees of Libra, there’s a certain feeling of destiny and direction change in the air. Relationships that have faltered or proved to be unfruitful fade out and a new understanding of what your foundational needs really are germinates within. You get a boost from both Venus and Mars in your sign this month so there’s lots of invitations and social events in store for you. Show up, smile and have some cake!

The 7th and 8th are a positive turning point.

There’s a significant amount of creative energy available to you this month with three planets in your solar fifth house so get out there and have some fun with that! Your ruling planet, Venus, is debilitated in Virgo, so some things will go array, possibly in your love life, but it all get better after the 9th when Venus goes into Libra, a sign she rules and loves to be in!

Relationships straighten out at that point, with new boundaries, however.

Stellar days for you are the 23rd and 24th.

This month promises lots of activities and significant opportunities with your professional life and colleagues. Money is swirling on the horizon but you will have to be very accountable and frugal with luxuries for the next year. This is a good time to look back at your life, acknowledge past mistakes and put a different course of action in place to achieve success.

In other words, sock it away and not spend it! The 9th, 10th and 11th are your best days this month.

Taurus: 21 April - 21 May

Gemini: 22 May - 21 June

Scorpio: 24 October - 22 November

Sagittarius: 23 November - 21 December

Your ruling planet transits the sign of Scorpio for most of the month so look for intrigue, depth and intensity to spark most of your interactions with people. There’s a kind of finality in the air with this energy. When Mercury enters Sag on the 21st, you are at a disadvantage so make things count before that day. Lots of energy in your higher education ninth house so if there’s a possibility of taking a class or attending a seminar, do so.

The 25th and 26th are excellent days for you.

Three planets in your solar tenth house gives you an opportunity to increase your professional reputation, if you are so inclined to take that stand. Saturn will be in your sign for the next two years now in the first house, so you are being asked to be the wise elder in every area of your life. So now is the time to make a choice about what kind of business or legacy you want to create! Make it fun, work can be enjoyable you know! The 12th and 13th are fortunate for you.

The month begins with three planets in your solar fourth house, indicating a deep connection with family and your roots. In addition to that stellium, by the end of the month you will also have three planets in your sixth house of work, duty, employees, health and pets so you have your hands full of areas to focus on! It would be a great idea to entertain in your home at the end of the month (think Thanksgiving) as the Libra vibe makes for a friendly social gathering. The 1st, 27th and 28th are your days to shine.

With Saturn now firmly transiting in your solar twelfth house of karma, retreat and how we screw things up for ourselves, you have the next two years to review and rejuvenate. At the same time there’s positive action in your ninth house of higher consciousness and wisdom so you will gain lots of insights and knowledge with the introspection. This will also translate into positive business expansion towards the end of the month and into December. Keep your eye on the prize! Best days are the 14th, 15th and 16th.

Cancer: 22 June - 22 July

Leo: 23 July - 23 August

Capricorn: 22 December - 21 January

Aquarius: 22 January - 19 February

Your life gets a bit busier this month when Mars enters your third house of communication, the “hood”, neighbors and siblings. Lots to do but there could be misunderstandings or grievances aired too. Use the positive Venus energy after the 9th to smooth any ruffled feathers, real or perceived.

With three planets in your solar fifth house of children and creativity after the 21st, you are longing for a creative endeavor or a visit with the kids.

Let your generous nature prevail. Great days are the 2nd, 3rd, 29th and 30th.

You are best served by paying attention to wise use of your resources as well as your partner’s by reviewing your insurances, investments and estate plans. There’s a serious vibe about money and how you use it this month and for the next year. There will be enough to go around, no worries, however, there will be a change in whom you will get money from in your professional life. Work hard to protect your reputatione. The 17th and 18th are good days to market yourself.

With Jupiter, Mars and Venus still in your sign, at least at the beginning of the month, you have lots of enthusiasm for your work, your reputation, organizing and health habits. No need to become a hypochondriac with this much perfection energy, just put it to good use. There’s a blast to the past or at least a search for your ancestral roots at the end of the month with three planets in your fourth house. The holidays feel more important to you this year. Best days are the 4th, 5th and 6th.

With the south node entering your sign this month, you will have more connections with people from your past over the next year and a half. Your professional life gets a boost this month but with that also comes additional responsibilities, not a bad thing at all. Your partner will also have some interesting gains and opportunities throughout the year. Things are setting up for a fruitful if busy time. Best days for you are the 19th and 20th.

Virgo: 24 August - 22 September

by Jeanne Callahan jeannecallahan007@gmail.com

Pisces: 20 February - 20 March

Namasté Visit Jeanne’s site at CelestialAdvisor.com

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. aircraft altimeter appliance chowder connection electrical equivocate flashgun happiness individual lecture natural overseas pocahontas popular

potato powerful pseudonym relaxation residence seventeen slippery square supermarket surrealism tactical trigger tropical uranium vision

Now Begins the Study of Yoga Strong Foundations When we look at the physical shape of a posture, we build it from the ground up, just like you construct a building. In the three poses shown this month, we strongly ground from the feet up through the legs and into the hips, to support the upper body’s work. Learn the foot position of one, and you have learned it for all three.

First stand on your mat facing the long side. Step or jump your feet about 3 feet to a meter apart. Turn your left (L) toes in about 30 degrees and turn your right (R) foot out to face the short end of your mat. Now look at your feet, and line your R heel up with the arch of your L foot. This is the foot position (as seen in the photo) that each one of these poses uses.

Now check that your R knee lines up with your center toes. Keep grounded in that foot though, and don’t let the inner edge of it lift off the ground. Keep your back foot grounded as well, especially the outer edge of that foot, while lifting up through the inner arch. Holding this solid foundation, allow your upper body to orient to the long side of your mat. Keep your legs strong, and feel that power lift through your upper body and crown of your head. Bring your arms up to your sides on an inhale, and on the exhale extend your R side over your leg. Let your R hand rest on the ground, a block, or your leg and lift the L up to the sky. This is triangle pose (Trikonasana). Can you find the triangles in the picture of this pose?

To go from here into Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II), simply inhale your body up to standing, then exhale as you bend your R knee. Stop when your knee is right above your R ankle. If your knee goes beyond your ankle, walk your R foot farther in front, to get the ankle under that knee. Your upper body stays upright, so make sure you balance the reach in your L arm with that in your R to keep your torso on top of your pelvis.

From Warrior II go into Extended Side Angle (Parsvakonasana). On an exhale, bring your R elbow to your front knee, or if you can go deeper in the pose, bring your R hand to the floor. The picture here shows the elbow to knee variation.

In each of these poses, feel the strength of your legs grounding to help bring strength to your upper body as well!

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

Namaste, Mary

Surf Report (from page 24)

Today, sponsors are more willing to pay for a Tico to make a go at the World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series (QS). Our guys and gals are all over the place! Here’s a quick update of the action around the world.

SUPer Valeria Salustri enjoyed her first Pacific Paddle Games in Dana Point, California, in October. She went to California on scholarship in October through the middle of November to the SUP Paddle Acadamy, where she studied paddlesports traditions, lifestyle and culture through mentoring in a group environment.

After four years doing the Circuito Nacional de Surf here, Emily Gussoni decided to participate in the Copa El Salvador Impresionante Women’s QS, which took place in Punta Roca, La Libertad, in early August. At this QS 6000, she moved out of Round 1 for the third QS this year, but got struck down in Round 2. This drops her 8 spots to 84 out of 263 on the WSL QS leaderboard.

“Participating in the QS was the best thing that happened to me this year,” Gussoni told me. “I could open my eyes and see the true level there and I realized I must train harder in and out of the water. I have to improve and learn more maneuvers as well as the importance of discipline, nutrition, exercise. I have to have the desire to improve every day.”

Tomas King of Tamarindo is starting to make a little commotion away from home as he, too, embarks on a few of the dates of the QS tour. Back in the middle of August, King participated in the Vans Pro QS 3000 at Virginia Beach, Virginia.

King’s appearance was actually pretty spectacular, ripping like a seasoned pro in this arena. He passed all the way to Round 5 before a takedown, all the while passing excellent surfers from the U.S., Brazil, and other locations. Now, at #230 out of 911 ranked QS surfers after only two contests, we need to keep an eye on him for the rest of the season.

In late August, over at the Pro Anglet in the Chambre d’Amour of southwest France, both Leon Glatzer (Pavones) and Anthony Fillingim (Malpais) went at it in this QS 1,500 event. Fillingim was able to advance to Round 3 before taking 3rd place, while the internationally inexperienced Glatzer didn’t make it out of Round 1. These guys have a long climb up to reach the coveted Top 10: Fillingim sits at 299, while Glatzer is way down at 738.

To recap, we have two other surfers on the Open rankings. These include Carlos Muñoz at 24 and Noe Mar McGongale (Pavones) at 35. McGonagle passed one heat at Allianz Billabong Pro in Portugal last month.

The 2015 ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championship presented

by Challenged Athletes Foundation, Hurley, Stance and the City of San Diego welcomed Ismael Araya from Costa Rica among the 69 athletes from 18 countries who competed in La Jolla, California.

The newly crowned Gold Medalists were Bruno Hansen (DEN) in Prone, Jesse Billauer (USA) in Assist, Mark “Mono” Stewart (AUS) in Stand and Fellipe Lima (BRA) in Upright.

Our boy Ismael (photo above) from Puerto Viejo was able to compete in Upright division and after two heats came in 19th out of 35 in this category. He has limited use of his legs due to a motorcycle accident that put him in the hospital for six months.

“It was an excellent experience, a dream come true,” Araya said. “For me it’s a real honor to represent Costa Rica for the first time on this special event with amazing people from all over the world.”

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.

Surviving

C hapter CXXXIV

COSTA RICA

First, a little Background: The Fender Stratocaster Electric Guitar was designed By Leo Fender in 1954 and, along with the Gibson Les Paul, also named after its designer, are by far the most famous models around.

It’s totally okay to prefer to them as “Strats” and they have been the signature guitar for Buddy Holly, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughn………. and your humble scribe.

Ask any guitar player to rank his main priorities between his wife, his dog and his Strat and you’ll probably cause his divorce and his dog leaving him.

How my Stratocaster Came To Me: This coming from way back in the late Eighties, or maybe the very early Nineties. We don’t want to go into the many reasons, mostly bad, that cause this lack of clarity.

I do remember that I was living in my previous address of Port Aransas, a barrier island off the coast of Texas with a well-deserved reputation as a cool place to vacation and possibly doing a lot of partying.

If this also seems to describe Playa Tamarindo so be it, back then I was of an age to lead the festivities whereas now I’m more prone to napping.

At some point I had run into a very nice fellow who had recently moved to PA and was now living on a sailboat in the city marina where he pursued a career writing stuff. Oddly enough somehow through the haze I can recall his name as William…. or maybe Bill. We had struck up a friendship and he told me he‘d like me to come by his floating abode and mentioned he had something he’d like to give.

Back then it would have been highly probable that what he had for me was more of what has probably caused the aforementioned specific memory loss. To my surprise and extreme delight he pulled out a gorgeous late model white cream colored American made Fender Stratocaster and handed it to me saying it was a gift! He went on to explain that although he didn’t play guitar himself he had always liked guitars and apparently had a history of buying really nice instruments, keeping them for a while, and then giving them to whomever he felt would appreciate the gift.

Stratocaster Mystery Solved

Which I did and I promised that whenever I would run into him around town I would buy him a beer for the rest of his life, which I did until he mysteriously moved on several months later.

The Mystery Stratocaster: By this time in my life I had already owned a Strat back in the Seventies so I was no stranger to the axe (i.e.

Slang expression for a well-regarded electric guitar) and my gift was like no other Stratocaster I have ever seen then or now.

Indeed it had all the original Fender trademarks and serial numbers indicating it was an American made E series Strat made in 1983; as opposed to a Fender Stratocaster made in Japan, or Mexico, or Indonesia, or South Korea or, of course, The People’s Republic of China.

I’m not allowed to be a snob on too many things but I need an American Strat ‘cos that’s what Jimi played.

My new guitar had some major design changes, the most obvious being it was a “hard tail” a term that came up later to describe Strat that didn’t have the standard tremolo vibrato bar, a complicated device standard on the guitar’s body that involves multiple springs and gadgets to move the strings up and down creating the early surf sounds and, when later combined with nine foot tall amplifiers and echo boxes, created sounds that are still traveling through the solar system probably approaching the beautiful dwarf planet of Pluto, The other strange thing was it only had two knobs, volume and tone, as opposed to the normal issue of three, a volume and two tones.

None of these design changes really affected my playing and if nothing else it was easier to deal with just two knobs as

Story by Jesse Bishop owlhumm@hotmail.com

sometimes three was just too much for my somewhat limited guitar capabilities.

I’ve been playing my Strat for a long time and it has always served me well and I have strived to keep it in good playing condition.

It used to be in almost immaculate physical condition until one night about nine years ago when, at an alcohol-fueled practice session out in Josefina with The Banana Kings the guitar slipped out of its strap and hit the concrete floor causing a pretty big time booboo. I cried for days, The thing is, there are always tons and tons of books and magazines featuring all the special Stratocasters made over the years; special editions, signature models, anniversary editions etc. and in none that I ever encountered was there ever a mention or photo of a 1983 American E-series hardtail with two knobs. It was like an instrumental version of the Twilight Zone.

Finally I decided to Google 1983 Fender Stratocaster hardtail just to see what I’d get.

As it turns out in 1983 the now Leo Fenderless company was experiencing a loss in the electric guitar market so somebody decided to introduce some new models to maybe stimulate some sales and my guitar was one of these. As it turned out it was not very good idea as the buying public preferred the “standard” types my model was discontinued after one year having been deemed a failure.

Now, thirty-two years later the few hardtail Strats that are out there are highly prized for slide guitar players (which I am not), and the fact that they were made for only one year makes them very rare, though not particularly extremely valuable.

Still I do love my Strat, and my wife and dog.

HighLif and Dry Tom Tom Peifer Peifer tompeiferecv@gmail.com tompeifercv@gmail.com

Only when the well runs dry do we know the value of water Benjamin Franklin

A

s the saying goes, “ Sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.” Turns out, I got mine in spades.

Twenty-some years ago, during the exploratory trip of my vision quest seeking out where to live happily ever after, I picked Paraiso in Guanacaste, rather than Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean side. I actually wanted to live and work in an area with seasonal water challenges, like my native Southern California. Being a novice devotee of the land management practices in the Permaculture movement, I was convinced that there were all kinds of neat things that would help remediate regional water issues and let me feel like I was contributing in some small way to address global problems at the local level. Now, after almost ten months of irrigation and the sound of air bubbles from the pump in the well, I wonder sometimes if I bit off more than I can chew.

Notwithstanding a decade of articles in this august journal, often as not dedicated to the whole interrelation of water, development and ‘sustainability,’ the current drought---and the ominous predictions for overall desertification of our region---brings on a day of reckoning that a ton of personal effort has amounted to little more than the proverbial drop in a bucket.

As some might recall, during the war in Iraq, one of the luminaries of the Bush administration sagely uttered: “There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns. These are things we don’t know we don’t know.”

When you see a line of tanker trucks clogging the main thoroughfare of a bustling tourist metropolis by the bay, at the height of the busy season, with peak demand for water, you know you have a problem.

When the wells start sucking salt water into the underground aquifer that supplies said city with the wherewithal to wash up, hose down, do the laundry and keep the cash registers ringing, ditto, you know you’ve got a problem.

Now it turns out, there are in fact a few problems with problems.

One is that not everybody recognizes there is in fact a problem.

As the writer Upton Sinclair wryly noted, “It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.’’ (Hat tip here to readers who recognize how pertinent this is to recent revelations about Exxon having thoroughly

studied, understood and then covered up what they knew about fossil fuels and climate change since the ‘80s.) On the local front, the head in the sand regarding the problemita of the ‘viability’ of the aquifer that is supposed to quench the growing thirst of Tamarindo and environs would belong to the Municipality of Santa Cruz. But building permits generate fees, increased property values generate increased tax revenues, ergo appearing to lend credence to Sinclair’s sarcastic observation made almost a century ago.

As I understand it, SENARA, the national water authority, recommended suspending the issuance of building permits. You know, like don’t put more straws into the margarita when you’re already sucking bubbles. They want to give the aquifer a ‘rest’, and hope that it recovers a bit. OK, typically after an El Niño period, we do get a resumption of more normal rainfall and subsequent groundwater recharge. But, in the face of an agreed-upon ‘drying out’ of our area due to climate change, the ‘known unknown’ is just how much that period of rest for the aquifer is akin to the doctor telling you to take two aspirin and call him in the morning. As luck would have it, just a few days ago I got a firsthand look at an example of what kind of ‘development’ the Municipality of Santa Cruz is rubber stamping in order to keep its own coffers flush while at the same time, undermining any future replenishment of the aquifers in our area.

I had to downshift into first gear as I crawled up the cement-covered incline high in the hills of the hundred-lot development just outside Villarreal. The good news: the owners of a house under construction were planting deep-rooted vetiver grass to ensure that their dream home stayed put on its pad notched high up into the hillside. The bad news: Somebody, make that plural, is either living in a parallel universe or is completely clueless when it comes to the whole concept of best management practices in terms of rainfall management, especially in times of scarcity and depletion of aquifers.

Our local watershed project recently had a chance to wash away these ‘unknown unknowns’ for two groups of visiting students from La Paz Community School. Using a simple ‘runoff model’ of angled, impermeable zinc sheeting, and a series of differently permeable surfaces, they were able to both observe and measure the infiltration of water and the amount of time it takes to work its way through the soil, downhill and into the aquifers and streams of any valley. It’s not rocket science. (continued page 36)

High and Dry

November 2015 ( a l l

t i m e s

l o c a l )

(from page 35)

Sun

1st - rise 5:34; set 5:20 15th - rise 5:38; set 5:18* 31st - rise 5:45; set 5:19

The rainfall infiltrating up in the hills, as it does under a healthy stand of vegetation, works its way slowly down through the soil layers into the streams and into the vast lakes of underground water that we call aquifers. If you pave over the hills, as the students at La Paz School can explain to you, less water goes in, more runs off immediately, the streams dry up sooner in the year and the recharge of the aquifer is reduced. Furthermore, when infiltration is optimum, all those tons of water stored high up in the hills, help to generate the “hydrostatic pressure” under the ground that keeps the salt water from getting sucked into the wells.

* earliest sunset of year - 16th at 5:17 Last quarter: New: 1st quarter: Full:

4.5 4.0 3.5 c 3.0 2.5 m 2.0 1.5 s 1.0 0.5 0.0

Moon

3rd 11th 19th 25th

6:24 a.m.

11:47 a.m.

12:27 a.m.

4:44 p.m.

RAIN GAUGE RAINFALL - Aug/Sept 2015 Howler Meteorological Observatory Huacas Total rainfall: 14.0 cm (5.5 inches)

16

20

25

31 1

5

August

4.5 4.0 3.5 c 3.0 2.5 m 2.0 1.5 s 1.0 0.5 0.0

Coming from the politicians and assorted regional movers and shakers are proposed solutions for our local water crisis that run the gamut from a Chinese offer to provide desalinization plants, a leftist Congresswoman proposing a ban on golf courses, robbing water from other aquifers and a sort of “grand canal” to bring more water from a new dam somewhere over by Bagaces. As is the case with the mega-drought in my home state, responses to the emergency based on short-term thinking often lead to worse problems over the long haul.

10

15

September

RAIN GAUGE RAINFALL - Sept/Oct 2015 Howler Meteorological Observatory Huacas Total rainfall: 26.2 cm (10.3 inches)

16

20

25

September

30 1

5

10

15

October

Completely off the radar, firmly encoded in the collective “unknown unknowns’ of the powers that be, would appear to be the range of techniques, and the successful track records, often in much drier areas of the world, of what is known as watershed restoration. Rivers ‘reborn’ in India, semi-arid wasteland in the plateaus of China recuperated for productive agriculture, 35 million hectares of marginal land in Ethiopia restored to form the base of a flourishing agricultural economy. Beavers swimming back into formerly dried-up streams in Arizona. It’s not rocket science, and, as the eager beaver kids from Escuela La Paz can explain to you, we need to “slow it down, spread it out and sink it in.”

Water, that is, “the driving force of all nature” in the words of da Vinci. The sine qua non of all the concrete and steel, the bustling tourist economy, the net worth and the Pura Vida lifestyle. Now that we know what an empty bucket is like, hopefully we’ll figure out how to pay heed to some ancient, Eastern wisdom: “To protect your rivers, protect your mountains.” Emperor Yu We’re doing it in our valley. Just ask the kids from La Paz School.

Or visit us virtually at (http://ourwatershed.org/).

Year-to-date 2015: 68.1 cm 2014: 72.9

Rainfall August/October 2015: 40.2 cm 2014: 54.1 Tom Peifer is an ecological land use consultant with 20 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/

Shape Up! Healthy Eating Basics 101 The Kitchen Pantry

Lynda Espada

W

ay before the word “foodie” become fashionable, I was a foodie. I was the child most parents dreamed to have at the dinner table as there were very few foods I would turn my nose up. As a teenager, I loved to read cook books and prepare meals for my family.

My favorite classes in both middle school and high school were home economics. And as an adult, I have taken many cooking classes in both professional and recreational schools. But as a result, my obsession with food was also a constant battle with weight. But as an adult I have found stocking a kitchen pantry is the first key to a healthy lifestyle.

When it comes to cooking and preparing food, no matter our good intentions, we often fall back on fast food or take-out.

However, it is also used too readily as an excuse, and with a few exceptions, you are better off preparing your own food and being in control of the contents of the food going into your body. With a little knowledge, a little planning and a little creativity, you should be able to quickly and easily put together a balanced meal in minutes.

The key to stocking a healthy pantry lies in carefully avoiding most of the overly processed, ready-made foods that are heavily marketed as timesavers. Such foods tend to be made of low-quality, refined ingredients, and offer reduced ratios of most nutrients and fiber. They also tend to be high in added sugars and fats, including unstable, rancid oils and unhealthy trans-fats. Moreover, the chemical additives and preservatives included to extend the shelf life of these types of foods represent real nutrition and health compromises.

The trouble is, when most people think of pantry stocking, these are too often the first foods that come to mind.

Items to keep in the pantry should include cooking oils, vinegars, condiments, spices, stocks and broths, canned beans, tomatoes, garlic, onions, rice, potatoes and pastas and of course, salt and pepper, sugar and flour. Do a Google search for kitchen pantry basics lists that you can print and take to the store with you. Remember to only buy food items you will eat and to replace food items as needed.

Keeping a well-stocked pantry of kitchen basics is a must.

By shopping strategically and stocking your cupboards and fridge even when there is “nothing to eat in the house,” you can make not only a healthy and satisfying meal, but one that is quick and tasty too. If you have a well-stocked kitchen pantry, you will need to make fewer trips to the store, spend less money, and always have options for making healthy meal choices at home.

Fashion, food and friends come together at Chismes Now open in the ICE Building just south of Reserva Conchal, Chismes Clothing Café invites ladies to shop for the latest in imported fashions, enjoy fresh-made foods and spend a little time chatting and relaxing on their beautiful covered outdoor patio.

Visitors to Chismes will discover a large selection of both casual and dress wear for women. “We really wanted to create a place where women could find stylish, quality imported clothing, have a bite to eat and enjoy each other’s company,” says founding partner, Cindy LeBlanc.

Fresh-made foods include an assortment of salads, sandwiches, light entrées and desserts. Also available is a selection of beverages including fruit smoothies, coffee, cappuccino, lattes and herbal teas.

Those who spend a little too much time shopping may choose to take home a selection from Chismes Grab & Go offerings.

The word ‘Chismes’ means ‘Gossip’ in Spanish and is meant as a tongue-in-cheek call for women to gather and share a story and enjoy a laugh in the company of good friends.

For further information, visit their website at: www.ChismesCC.com