We noticed these bead-like strands in trees in Hawaii during our eight-month stint in 2014/2015 on four islands; Oahu, Maui, Big Island, and Kauai.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

Tom captured this unique cloud formation. The progression continues below.

Cloud formation is evolving before our eyes.

Finally, it wafts away, losing its shape.

We’re over it; the plumbing problems in the three kitchen sinks, the power and Wi-Fi outage; the car rental fiasco in San Jose; the lack of availability of necessary prescriptions in Costa Rica. It’s all relative.

When we watch news stories of the loss of lives, injuries, loss of homes, and livelihood, our minor issues are but a blip on the radar, hardly worth mentioning compared to what has transpired in Texas and the other US gulf states as a result of Hurricane Harvey.  

Peacock was strutting along the grass.

For many, it will be months, if not years, until they recover from the loss of their homes and businesses and a lifetime of sorrow for losing their loved ones and from suffering severe injury.  How sad this is.

In a perfect world, the inconveniences of our lives, free from such horrors as Hurricane Harvey, would remain paltry and inconsequential in how we see the world. 

Unusual blooming flower.

But we’re human. And, although most of us possess varying degrees of empathy and compassion for the losses of others, we tend to stay stuck in our little worlds. 

Today, tears will be shed worldwide for losses that in no way compare to Hurricane Harvey’s rage across the gulf coast of the US or other disasters that strike people’s lives throughout the world.

Houses close to the road as we drove along the highway.

In today’s world, one may cry over a lost set of keys, a wine stain on a favorite article of clothing, or a sad scene in a TV show or a movie. We were thinking about the losses of others at such times does little to put an end to our whimpering and momentary sensation of failure for even the most insignificant of things. It’s all relative.

We always say, “If we’re safe and healthy, we don’t have a complaint in the world,” as we live this life of world travel. But, we’re not exempt, no matter how hard we try, from getting ruffled by the most meaningless of scenarios.

A popular garden store near the Zoo Ave rehab center.

Who cares if, for some reason, eggs are hard to peel in Costa Rica? Are they hard to peel because they’re so darned fresh from the farm? Who cares if the whole cream we finally found won’t whip due to a lack of emulsifiers added to make it possible?  Is it possible Costa Rica puts less “junk” in many of its products?

Who cares if we can’t find decent imported cheeses or smoky-tasting bacon? Costa Rica is not known for either of these products. They use their queso (cheese) for their meals. They don’t need a fine quality Dutch Gouda to line their deli cases and fill their refrigerators. 

Pretty blooming plants for sale.

Who cares if at night we spot cucarachas (cockroaches) running along with the kitchen counters, which all but disappear during the day? After all, we are living in the rainforest.

Who cares that we find gecko poop on the floors, counters, and furniture. With a quick flick, it’s gone.  Who cares that we can hardly find an English-speaking person in a local shop or market with whom we can have a conversation? It’s their country, not ours. They don’t need to learn our language. We need to discover theirs. (We’re trying).

Pineapple for sale at a farm stand.

Who cares about the loud music wafting through the air at night when we’re trying to sleep? It’s their culture, not ours, that inspires them to celebrate life. Above all, who cares that it rains each day without exception, giving us a reprieve and sunlight for a few hours most mornings when every day the temperature is comfortable with no air-con needed?  We came here in the rainy season based on our schedule, not for some pre-planned sunny vacation.

Who cares about a less than half-day power outage, a temporary plumbing problem, or a ripoff car rental? In the realm of things, these are merely inconveniences that are easily forgotten in no time at all. 

These hedges were trimmed into letters.

Sure, I cringed when a cucaracha ran up my arm when I slipped my hand into a kitchen oven mitt. I got over it. Now, I shake the glove before slipping my hand inside. It’s all relative.

Remain well and safe, dear readers.

Photo from one year ago today, August 31, 2016:

Colorful shrine in front of a property in Phuket, Thailand. It was on this date one year ago that we posted the final expenses for Thailand. For more details, please click here.

Statue in a roundabout on our way toward San Jose, known as Rotondo de las Garantias Sociales Zapote.

“Sighting from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

Cattle grazing at a distant pasture.  We can hear them mooing all day long but can’t always see them.

This morning, we’re rushing a bit to get the post uploaded early to head out the door for a bit of sightseeing before it starts raining. We’d considered waiting to do today’s post until we returned later in the day. But, as our long-time readers know, I prefer to get to work on it first thing in the morning to have it uploaded by noon our time.

We were up at the crack of dawn after a fitful night’s sleep, anxious to get the day started so we could be on our way. At the moment as I write it’s 7:30 am and I have one hour to get this done and uploaded after I’d already added the headings, photos, captions and the “one year ago photo” earlier this morning.

We were surprised to see a mall with many American chain stores.

Yesterday, for the first time we drove ourselves to the market for the week’s groceries. Tom waited outdoors at the cafe while I shopped with a watchful eye on the registers so he could dash indoors and help load the items. (There’s no moving belt).

But, in many ways, Costa Rica is modern and updated, more so than we’ve seen in many countries throughout the world. Indeed, tourism has been highly instrumental in inspiring this country to become more appealing to tourists from all over the world.

The easy and relatively short flight from the US (it was six hours with one stop for us from Las Vegas, Nevada but is only three hours from Houston, Texas) with many non-stop flights from certain large cities making it highly appealing for those who like to go international without spending days of travel time.

Most likely, the large malls are frequented by expats and tourists.  With high tourist prices on many items, we imagine the locals shop in the locally owned stores.

Our perception had been that Costa Rica was wild and relatively uninhabited. This is the case in most parts of the small country, fantastic, untamed, rich with wildlife and rain forest, rife with adventurous activities for those seeking thrills in its many remote locations.

But, for many, the hustle and bustle of city life can be found in a few of its major cities including San Jose,, the capital with its population of 333,000, and other cities such as Alajuela with a population 293,601 (including surrounding towns in the valley). 

A pond along the highway on our way to Curridabat.

Here are some demographics about Costa Rica from this site:

“Demographics Of Costa Rica

With the country’s almost 5 million residents, including many expats and foreigners with year-round and seasonal homes, it’s a much busier place to visit than we’d expected.

Church along the highway.  I couldn’t get much a photo of this colorful building. But, we did our best with GPS and no places to stop for pictures with the problems we were having with GPS.

Fortunately, for us, we’re located in the quiet area of Atenas which is located in the Alajuela Valley. Its charm and old-world feel make it especially appealing to us. Had we stayed close to San Jose, we surely would have been disappointed by the traffic and the hustle and bustle. 

We had enough of that while in the USA for nine weeks, which, now that we’ve been here for over three weeks is rapidly becoming a distant memory. But, of course, the time we spent with family and friends was meaningful and memorable.

We were driving through a town.

Tom and I both feel most at home in the more remote locations.  Other than the month we’ll spend in Buenos Aires, Argentina beginning on December 23, 2017, our upcoming year or more will be precisely what we strive to achieve…quiet locations with abundance culture, wildlife, and vegetation.

Sure, there’s a price to pay to live in remote areas usually centering around lack of availability of specific products and foods; often a lack of air conditioning and, of course, the constant presence of a variety of ugly insects, some venomous, some not and the likelihood of snakes, again, some venomous and some not.

The towns along the highway had numerous shops, many of which we had no idea what they offered for sale.  This sign translates to, “Welcome to low prices.”

Wherever we travel, we find each location to have its pluses and minuses. Whether it’s sand flies on a pristine beach as shown in the “year ago photo” below or there is a greater risk of pickpockets when sightseeing and visiting local venues. 

As they say, “there’s no free lunch.” As much as any one of us would like to believe in Paradise, one only need watch an episode of “Naked and Afraid” to see the realities and harsh conditions in many parts of the world.

It was cloudy, as often is the case, impeding good shots of the surrounding mountains.

We have no desire to be stranded in the rain forest or the bush for 21 days but living in remote locations gives a but a peek into the challenges that Mother Nature can present, both divine and terrifying, in many parts of the world. It’s this very mix of good and not-so-good that keep us reeling with the challenge and the excitement.

As matter of fact, we’ll be back tomorrow with some photos that hopefully will provide our readers with a more “inside look” of what Costa Rica is really about, beyond the cities, the malls, the tourist traps, and the MacDonald’s restaurants.

Have a beautiful day. We’re out of here!

Photo from one year ago today, August 23, 2016:

Talk about a pristine sandy beach! in Phuket, Thailand! This was Chalong Beach, a popular tourist destination. For more photos, please click here.