STL DPB On The Road - If 6 Was 9

Now if 6 turned out to be 9
I don't mind, I don't mind . . .
Dig, 'cos I got my own world to live through
And I ain't gonna copy you.

Jimi Hendrix, 1967

A memory of being young on my sixty-ninth birthday. The first two lines are profound if you think about it a bit. I've had a privileged life that lately has seen some, uh, physical wear and tear. Walking on sand with a cane is not advised. (Maybe there are snowshoe-like canes?)

Went into town to look for a place for a drink with sunset views. Bingo. Way better compared to the condo, which has nothing interesting in the foreground. Still, I had to throw in a Playa Langosta picture with Mrs. C. doing the beachcomber thing.

STL DPB On The Road - Tough Day In Paradise

Shot almost nothing yesterday. I feel too much like I did in France last year - weak, sleeping way too much. Many pharmacies here have a physician attached to them so if I don't get better soon I'll check one out.

Got down to the pool before sunset and tried to take some handheld shots. They were awful. This one is tolerable. Lots of people go down to the beach for the show. We will try to get down there today, where there is always something to shoot.     

Endless Summer

It feels like that when you are a repeat visitor from the north but it is not really so. There are two seasons here, hot and dry and hot and wet. Nobody comes to Costa Rica to get soaked.

Very little shooting yesterday. Since I'm moving slowly, it took a while for us to repack and get out of the hotel in Samara. Then a couple of hours drive to Tamarindo, condo not ready so go look for lunch (click over to Facebook for the most famous part of the menu). It took twice as long as it would in the US but we're on Tico time. Go with it. It's good for your blood pressure. Then the usual supermarket run. Later, down to poolside to meet new people and say hello to old friends. 

The only shots I got were from the beachside edge of Eat At Joes. The group under the tree is a surfing class. All young, muscular and beautiful.             

STL DPB On The Road - Catch of the Day

Given my walking limits we thought a boat ride would be nice. The hotel signed us up for a 3.5 hour trip out of Playa Carillo east of town. It is a sweeping crescent of powder and nearly empty. Our guide, Esteban, told us there were always plenty of dolphins and if we were lucky we might see some whales.

It was the other way around. A female and two juveniles stayed around the boat while we tried to keep a respectful distance. Esteban said this was unusual since these humpback whales only have one calf at a time. His guess was that something happened to one of the mothers and the other was allowing both of the young ones to nurse.

This was a very lucky shot. I could not stand for more than a couple of seconds when the boat was out on the water so I sat on a bench and tried to twist around. The photo gods bless the patient. 

And not a dolphin to be found. Over to Tamarindo today.           

STL DPB On The Road - They Told Me To Take It Easy

And what choice do I have? I get around but standing and walking are limited. Sitting and lying are not so off we go.

We're not crazy about Samara. It's okay and has what you need but access to the main beach is isn't easy. It is beyond the shoreline development and parking is tough. Tamarindo has lots more options. On the advice of the hotel, we took a look at Playa Camaronal west of town, which was pretty empty. I don't sit on a beach since I'm as white as they make 'em but it was pretty and peaceful. The caretaker, though, has an attitude about you and your best friend.

Since I can't hike we are taking a boat ride to look for dolphins this morning. Might do me some good to get into the water.

Today's traveling with a handicap note: Ticos, as the locals call themselves, have been ever-gracious about my limitations. It's the Americans that can cause problems. This is a new issue to me. We were entering a restaurant last night that had a single person wide step from the street into the entrance. One of my countrymen stood there and stood there while I was bent over my cane, blocking my way until I barked at him, "Excuse me, sir. I need the step." A fair number of Americans don't see me or just look through me. The Ticos never do that.

       

STL DPB On The Road - Pura Vida Una Vez Más

Greeting from our more-or less home from home, the northwest coast of Costa Rica. If you have ever visited, you know that the national slogan, pura vida, means much more than pure life in English. It's a pervasive attitude, a way of life.

Yesterday was a tough travel day. Those of you who know me personally know that my spine and joint problems have been up and down over the last year and at the moment they are really UP. We usually spend a week near the busy town of Tamarindo but we started this trip with three nights down the coast at the much smaller town of Sámara. This is out in the sticks and impossible to navigate in the dark. The hotel clerk recommended a few restaurants, none of which we could find (we got pretty lost on the dirt roads). We chanced by what looked like a Mexican restaurant and tequila bar. Ho hum, but we were tired and hungry. And so we went into La Catrina, which was a blast. Wonderful people, wonderful food. In our opinion, best margarita and daquiri we've  ever had.

Maybe I could say more later, but for now let me note that they have a miniature pet pig named Simone, who loves to squeal loudly. 

Because It's All I Got

Hanging from the ceiling in our DFW hotel's restaurant, which was surprisingly good. And the art in the room is unusual, early 20th Century American style. One looks like a Depression-era WPA painting that might show people gathering or looking for food.

The model above is a fantasy. No engine, bizarre tail, strange gun top center,

We like the hotel. The staff has been very nice in letting me practice my Spanish with them.

Central America this afternoon.