A Day at Zoo Ave

Wednesday, March 6

Today we took our first "field trip" out of Atenas. We hopped on a bus for Alejuela and got off a few miles outside the city at Zoo Ave (pronounced zoh ah-vey). This zoo is touted as "the best zoo in Costa Rica". And it is more than a zoo; it 's also a rescue center for injured wild animals, a preserve for rare and endangered species, and a breeding and release program for rare and endangered birds, such as Scarlet Macaws.

We arrived around 11:45 and entered through security gates into an outdoor reception area that included rest rooms, a small food stand, and a small gift shop. Ahead was a grassy area, and the first animals we saw were a group of peacocks that roamed free throughout the zoo. One male seemed insistent on blocking the path until we took a picture of him. Handsome devil!

Peacock at Zoo Ave, Alejuela, Costa Rica. (Photo by Bob)

 

We counted at least five male peacocks and three peahens. The males put on quite a display for the hens (and for us)!

Peacock during a courtship display, from the rear. Zoo Ave, Costa Rica. (Photo by Bob)

 

The zoo is spread out over many acres of forest. Walkways fan out into the zoo area in many directions, but all lead back to the entrance. Exhibits are spread out and well labeled, though most of the information is in Spanish, with some translations. Some birds and other animals are in cages; others are in large enclosures. All are in situations that closely match their natural habitat. In many cases, it felt as though we were walking through a natural tropical forest and just happened on these animals. (Although there were a few animals, such as ostriches and tortoises, that are not native to Costa Rica.)

The first area we visited housed the big parrots - Scarlet Macaws, large Green Parrots, and more.

Scarlet Macaws. Zoo Ave, Costa Rica. (Photo by Bob)

Giant Green Parrots. Zoo Ave, Costa Rica. (Photo by Bob)

 

After visiting this section, we stopped for lunch back at the entrance area, and then continued our walk through the rest of the preserve. One of the first areas we saw housed the reptiles. We saw two boa constrictors in a cage, one sleeping and one quite active. We saw one large crocodile (asleep in the sun) and a smaller caiman (submerged in a small pool). There is a large aquatic area that contains two mute swans, some small brown pelicans, carp in a pond covered with water lilies, and dozens of turtles, many sunning themselves on any open branch or log they could find.

Turtles sunning themselves. Zoo Ave, Costa Rica. (Photo by Bob)

 

We saw this large iguana in an enclosure, and we saw another one very much like it out free and ambling down the walkway behind us. Almost too close for comfort - he must have been at least four feet long, maybe longer!

Iguana. Zoo Ave, Costa Rica. (Photo by Bob)

 

The vegetation we saw along the way was almost as interesting as the animals. This tropical forest contains a lot of very large old-growth trees, many covered with vines and epiphytes. There were also palm trees of various sizes and types, and also pine trees. And the biggest surprise to us were the stands of Giant Bamboo we passed along the way. When the wind blew through them, they made a rattling sound that was almost like music.

Stand of Giant Bamboo at Zoo Ave, Costa Rica. (Photo by Bob)

 

We saw many interesting animals that we did not get to photograph: agoutis, coatis, peccaries, deer, fox, cougar, mountain lion, margay, desert tortoises, and more. We saw birds of many types, including parrots, hawks, owls, toucans...

Toucan eating melon. Zoo Ave, Costa Rica. (Photo by Bob)

 

... And even emus, and two ostriches.

Pair of ostriches. Zoo Ave, Costa Rica. (Photo by Bob)

Ostrich hunting for insects. Zoo Ave, Costa Rica. (Photo by Bob)

 

We also saw monkeys - Spider Monkeys and White-face Monkeys (Capuchins) - no Howlers. We watched the Spider Monkeys for a long time. They were active and very funny. One in particular did a whole routine of aerial artistry using a piece of cloth suspended from a rope. It was as if he could tell that he had an appreciative audience, and did several encores.

No photos, unfortunately. This is the best we could do:

Monkey Business. Zoo Ave, Costa Rica. (Photo by Bob)

 

We were there over three hours, covered almost all of it, were getting tired, and needed to catch the three o'clock bus out of Alejuela heading for Atenas. It was a lovely day. I had been longing to see some of the famed flora and fauna of Costa Rica, and this, as Bob would say, "scratched my itch."

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A Visit to Kay's in Atenas

Tuesday, March 5

This morning we walked to the other side of town to have breakfast at Kay's - a gringo hangout. It is a simple building - one large room with a small kitchen at the back. Some of the walls are open to the outside and others are bookshelves lined with books. Kay's has become a wifi cafe and lending library. People donate books and also borrow them freely at no charge. More exactly, this is a book exchange, not a library.

Bob at Kay's, Atenas, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)

 

Breakfast is simple, but delicious. Kay's is known for its home-baked goods. My apple muffin was delicious, and some brownies and cookies are going home with us.

The wifi signal here is strong - unlike the one at our apartment - and I am happily blogging, posting, and checking email.

Breakfast, books, and blogging all in one place. What more could anyone want?

 

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A Clear Day in Atenas

Monday, March 4

We awoke this morning to the noise of traffic and to a surprise - it is sunny and clear today! This was not in yesterday's weather prediction and is an unexpected gift. We can now see almost all of the mountains to the north. Where before they had so much cloud cover that we could not tell where they ended, today only a small ridge of cloud cover remains, and we have our best view yet from our balcony. (Yes, the wires can be distracting. We are learning to look past them and ignore them.)

View from the balcony of the Rodrigo Urena guest apartment, Atenas. (Photo by Connie)

We learned today that the mountains we are looking at are volcanos. The one just to the right of the pole is Poas - a popular tourist destination. The one to the right of Poas is Barva. They are closer than we thought they would be. We are planning to take a trip to Poas at some point.

Later this morning, we take a walk around town. First stop, Musmanni - the coffee shop and bakery that reminds me of Dunkin Donuts. After that, we visit the two bus stations in town. The one across the street from Musmanni is the local bus station. Another one in the next block is the one where we would catch the bus for San Jose or Alajuela. We are planning a trip to San Jose on Wednesday with our new friends, Diana and Phil, who will be joining us for lunch today.

Our walkabout this morning included these sights:

K

Street scene in Atenas. El Balcon Cafe is on this street, just before Gollo. (Photo by Bob)

Palacio Municipal, Atenas, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)

Parque Central, Atenas, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)

Our new friends, Diana and Phil from Iowa, came into town to do some shopping and we met up for lunch. We went to Balcon del Cafe y Bistro - a place we had tried once before and is our friends' favorite spot for lunch. Over lunch, we had a long and lively discussion about the American health care system in comparison to the one in Costa Rica and other countries. Costa Rica has a universal health care system and services are free to all residents. How they pay for this is still unknown to us. But we did bat around some ideas about how we Americans might devise ways to make health care affordable to all, including the government. (This could be a blog post all of its own.)

Diana, Bob, and Phil at El Balcon, Atenas, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)

 

We four have planned an excursion into San Jose by bus for Thursday. None of us have done this trip by bus, and this is an exploratory venture. I am a little nervous because of the reputation San Jose has for petty thievery, especially at the bus stations. I think Diana is too. But the guys want to see for themselves, and we are being brave and going too. The reward will be visits to a few tourist spots, especially a museum or two or three. More about this after Thursday.

 

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A Walk in the Park

Monday, March 4

In Atenas, as in most Costa Rican towns, there is a park in the middle of town and across from that park is a large and impressive church, sometimes a cathedral. This park is called Parque Central or - as in New York City - Central Park.

This park occupies a large city block. It is planted with Royal Palms and other lovely trees and tropical shrubs. A large path runs through the park on a diagonal.

Path through Parque Central, Atenas, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)

 

As we walk through the park, we notice that on several of the trees along the path are signs that contain quotes from famous people from all over the world - Emerson, Freud, Che Gueverra come to mind. Here is one that intrigued us:

Sign in Parque Central, Atenas, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)

Seamos realistas y hagamos lo imposible by Che Guevera. "We are realists and we do the impossible."

 

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Sunday in Atenas

Sunday, March 3

I awake the first time to the sound of a rooster crowing. In the patio of the lawyers office across the street, there is a rooster running about. No other chickens in sight. Is this a pet rooster? There is no evidence of any other farm-like activity there.

Law office across the street. All gates were closed when rooster was in courtyard. Atenas, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)

 

Being Sunday, and still early, the street is pretty quiet. The houses and businesses facing us along our block all seem to be closed. We go back to sleep, and the next sound I am aware of is church bells. There is a large church about two blocks from us, across the street from the Central Park. Bells ring out a little before seven, and again at eight.

Church, Atenas. (Photo by Connie)

Later in the morning, Bob and I walk by the side of the church and stop to listen to the music - a man singing folk-song style and accompanied by guitar, drums, and keyboard. They play this song for quite a while as people walk down the aisle to take communion. All this we can observe through a few open doors along the side of the church. The music is very sweet.

Side view of church, Atenas. (Photo by Connie)

The weather this morning - and all day - is cloudy, very windy, and on the cool side - about 70 F. It has been like this since we arrived three days ago, except that the wind is stronger now. In fact, it was so strong that it blew the chairs on the balcony around and we finally had to bring them inside. During the day, there were also a few sprinkles of rain, but not enough to wet the sidewalks. We Google the weather for Atenas, and the results indicate that this is the weather we will have for the foreseeable future. We begin to surmise one of two things: it is either like this all the time or this is the very beginning of the rainy season. It remains to be seen if either of these hypotheses is true.

We head out to find coffee around 8:30, and it appears that the shops, businesses, and restaurants are closed. But a few blocks from us, up by the bus station, we find an open coffee shop, and it is another Musmanni - the same coffee shop Bob had discovered and loved back in Filadelfia, on our trip to Palo Verde. He is delighted, though we both can't help but notice the similarity to Dunkin Donuts. Perhaps this chain IS owned by Dunkin Donuts? It's possible. Down the street, there is a big store called Pali's. According to Hisano, this store - also a chain in Costa Rica - is owned by Walmart. (Ugh!)

We take a nice walk around town. It is small, but we still haven't seen everything. There will be more to explore another time. For brunch, we head back to our neighborhood favorite place, Antano, where we enjoy a delicious meal and to which we also return for dinner. (We still haven't done a grocery shopping trip that would provide us with lunch and dinner fixings, though we do have the bare essentials for a light breakfast of granola and yogurt or milk.)

It's been a quiet day in Lake Woebegone....

 

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Day Two in Atenas

Saturday, March 2

We awake at 7:00am, somewhat refreshed from our exhausted state of last evening. The first sounds we hear outside are not the sounds of birds and monkeys, as in El Coco, but the sounds of cars, trucks, and motorcycles driving past. We do not live on a major thoroughfare and the traffic is not constant, but some vehicles - especially motorcycles - seem to love to rev up their engines on this street. (I would say that the only complaint we have about this lovely place is the traffic noise.)

Hisano arrived at 9:00 am with a Mac laptop that she is renting to us for the month for $25. After she set it up for us and we tried out the password and wifi connection (which is good here - much better than we had in El Coco), she invited us to return with her to her Casa a few miles out of town. The drive took maybe fifteen minutes on a curvy, narrow mountain road. The views of the mountains along the way were lovely.

We arrived at her place - Casa Megumi - and passed through a tall set of locked iron security gates. There is a small casita on her property that is currently rented to a single woman from Canada. Further on, we reached the Casa Grande, where Hisano and her family live. Here there are two more rental suites available. There is also a lovely courtyard with a small swimming pool and a gorgeous view of the mountains.

Courtyard and pool at Casa Megumi. (Photo by Bob)

 

We were introduced to a couple from Iowa who had stayed in our current apartment in town for the previous two months and were now staying in a suite (The Orchid Room) in Hisano's Casa Grande. We found an instant rapport with Diana and Phil from Des Moines and enjoyed coffee and conversation with them for over an hour. We all have plans to take the bus into San Jose next week and do some exploring.

We took a local bus back to town from Hisano's Casa. It made several stops, took 40 minutes, and cost 350 colones (about 70 cents) each. The road was paved, but very curvy, steep, and narrow, barely allowing two big trucks or buses to get by each other, with deep drop-offs in some places and no guard rails. Bob observed that had we gone off the road at certain points, we would have gone through the roof of a house - it was that steep. Yet, none of the local people on the bus seem to give it a second thought.

All this brings up the subject of worry and fear (mine). I am doing some self-examination on this topic. I do not alway feel safe in this country, especially when riding in a taxi or bus on some of these narrow, rough roads or in situations where I feel vulnerable to being robbed. Am I too fearful? Do I worry too much? When I am in the hands of another driver - whether it is Bob or a taxi or bus driver or an airline pilot or anyone else - I have no control, so do I let go of worry and fear regardless of how scary it might seem? When I walk around on the streets or in places like bus stations in a country that is widely known for its petty thievery and muggings, can I still let go of worry, and trust that I will be alright? When does taking sensible precautions morph into a negative energy that can actually attract the things we fear? I want to live La Pura Vida - the relaxed, don't worry, be happy life. How can I re-program my thinking in order to do this? I seem to worry more than Bob does about these things. I am trying to let go of this excess worry. This is one of my big lessons for this trip. We'll see what I come home with.

Back in Atenas, it is lunchtime and we try a cafe called El Balcon. It is located on the second floor, with open -air seating, and we sit at a table overlooking the street. The food is good, and watching the activity on the street below is endlessly fascinating.

Bob at Cafe El Balcon, Atenas, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)

View of Cafe El Balcon, Atenas, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)

View of street from Cafe El Balcon, Atenas, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)

 

During lunch, we had a lively discussion about our impressions of Atenas, and of Costa Rica, to date. It was clear to us that we were each seeing this place through different lenses and were forming different perceptions. This discussion was long and complex and will be the subject of another blog post. But, in general, it seems, Bob comes at this experience from a cultural-economic-political perspective and I come at it more from an aesthetic and a relational perspective.

Dinnertime brought us back to the small restaurant around the corner - Antano. Here there is a wide selection of Costa Rican style food, well-prepared, nice atmosphere, reasonable prices. We will be having many meals here during our stay in Atenas.

It is Saturday night in Atenas and it is noisy. Traffic in front of our place is occasional but often loud with souped-up engines on everything from bicycles (!) to motorcycles, cars, and trucks. In addition, there is loud music and voices coming from a party or bar nearby. And, it is also very windy - so windy that we can feel the concrete building shuddering. It all seems very foreign at the moment, and a little disquieting.

 

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Moving from El Coco to Atenas

Friday, March 1

Today was a BIG day, and a LONG day! Today we left our condo in Playas del Coco, where we have been staying since January 29th, and moved to our newly rented apartment in Atenas, where we will be staying for the month of March.

Our new friend and condo neighbor, Colleen Kelly, saw us off, asking, "Will you be coming back next year?" All we could answer was, "We don't know; we're still thinking about it." But we probably won't come back to El Coco or to any Pacific beach town. We - especially Bob - just found the weather to be just too hot. (Colleen told us that the predicted high for El Coco today was 104 degrees Fahrenheit!) Yes, WAY too HOT!

We awoke at 5:00 am and finished our packing and other projects in time for our 8:00 am pickup. We had hired a driver to take us to Atenas through Coco Tours, based in the Las Palmas development in Playas del Coco. We were delighted to find that Giovanni, the owner of the tour company, was our driver and guide. He is a delightful and knowledgable guide and companion, speaks English very well, and knows the Atenas area very well. We certainly lucked out with this transfer!

The first stop we made was in the nearby town of Sardinal where Bob wanted to take some pictures. We were there for maybe 20 minutes.

We made three stops other along the way - all for food and drink of some kind.

First, we stopped at the German Bakery (newly renamed as the Europa Cafe) on the road between El Coco and Liberia. Here we had coffee and a pastry ( all delicious).

About an hour later, we stopped in Las Juntas (?) for a smoothie. We had stopped here once before, on the way home from our day trip to Monteverde about ten days ago, and Bob loved the smoothie he had gotten here before. We each enjoyed a cool, refreshing, fruit smoothie on a day that was already getting too hot.

And then, for lunch, a couple of hours later, we stopped in Caldera, a port town just south of Puntarenas, at the restaurant in the Hotel Costa del Sol.

Connie at entrance to Hotel Costa del Sol, Calderra, Costa Rica. (Photo by Bob)

 

We had seats overlooking an estuary near the ocean. We watched shore birds - scissor-tailed gulls, regular gulls, and a lone Tricolor Heron, and scanned the water for crocodiles (though we did not see any). The ambiance of the restaurant was lovely, but Bob and I both found the food too salty for our tastes. We did enjoy relaxing and enjoying interesting conversation with Giovanni.

Bob and Giovanni at the Costa del Sol, Caldera, Costa Rica. (Photo by Connie)

Connie lunching at Hotel Costa del Sol, Caldera, Costa Rica. (Photo by Bob)

 

After lunch, we drove the last leg of the journey to Atenas, about an hour away. This part of the drive took us from sea level in Caldera up into the hills to an altitude of about 2,200 feet in Atenas. We were on Route 27, "the new highway" and the views were beautiful. The sky got cloudy and a little dark, and we had a few sprinkles of rain along the way - the only rain we had seen since we landed in Costa Rica over a month ago.

Finally, we arrived in Atenas, and with Giovanni driving, we quickly found our apartment. First, we followed a map supplied to us by the rental agent, Hisano Bell:

Schematic map of Atenas, Costa Rica. Our apartment is located in the upper right quadrant. (Provided by Hisano Bell)

 

Then, we looked for signs advertising the dental clinic above which we would be living. This clinic and the apartment are owned and run by Dr. Rodrigo Urena Bogantes, who is our landlord.

 

And, finally, we arrived at the place that will be our home for the month of March. The apartment occupies the entire second floor. The entrance to the dental clinic is to the right.

Rodrigo Urena Guest House, Atenas, Costa Rica.

 

Bob in living room of our Atenas apartment. (Photo by Connie)

 

We are welcomed by Hisano Bell, who has been waiting for us and greets us warmly. She orients us to the apartment, which is newly decorated in a tasteful contemporary style. It is a spacious apartment with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a laundry area, and a living room-dining area-kitchen combination leading to a balcony overlooking the street and the hills and mountains beyond. The apartment also has a dressing room off the master bathroom that provides more space for clothes than what we have at home. What a luxury!

Soon after, we meet our landlord, Dr. Rodrigo Urena Bogantes. He, too, welcomes us warmly and asks us to address him simply as Rodrigo. He will be working in the space below us, but the soundproofing seems to be very good. There is a garage below part of the apartment, and if we were to rent a car, we could keep it there. The entrance to our apartment is through the garage, and when we open and close the heavy metal doors using a remote control, the doors close with a heavy clanging sound remindful of prison doors closing. These doors turn our place into what feels like a fortress.

Hisano takes us for a short ride around town, showing us some important places such as the park and church around the corner, the three banks in town, the supermarkets, and some good local places to eat. The best restaurant in town, she says, is just around the corner from our apartment, and that is where we end up eating supper tonight - Restaurante Antano. ( And it IS very good, and reasonably priced. I know we'll be going there often.)

Our favorite restaurant in Atenas, almost our second home! (Photo by Connie)

 

The nearest, and largest, supermarket - Coopeatenas - is about two blocks away. We made a quick trip there in the late afternoon, just to pick up a few things. Then we came home and unpacked before going out to dinner.

After dark, the view from our balcony is magical. We can see lights on all the surrounding hills and valleys. To the east, in the valley, we can see the sprawl of Alejuela, which is about 25 Km away. To the north are the volcanic mountains of Poas and Barva. The lights below them are from a series of villages and towns, including Grecia. We also saw some lightning in the sky this evening, though as yet there has been no rain.

It is the end of a long day, with many new events occurring. We are two tired pups, longing to hit the sack. Good night!

 

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