Learning as we go…The language barrier isn’t easy…

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Tom was walking in the yard. We’re in Alajuela, the canton with mountains surrounding the Central Valley, and the yard has many elevations.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

For several hours, this bird family hung around in the yard. It’s easy to tell who the parents are.

Yesterday, our new driver, Henry, picked us up promptly at noon to take us to the health food store. Tucked away in a difficult to find a location, luckily, our property manager Marian had carefully explained to Henry in Spanish where Macrobiotica Atenas is located in the tucked-away location.

The owner of the Macrobiotica Atenas spoke a little English, and with my few words of Spanish, we managed to communicate well enough for me to find US $35 (CRC 20,095) worth of products.

I was so excited to find almond flour, Himalayan salt, baking soda, and raw nuts that the high cost didn’t make either of us raise an eyebrow. Unfortunately, they didn’t have organic apple cider vinegar (with the “mother,” the stringy residue adding to its medicinal value), but I didn’t complain. That’s one product we definitely won’t find here.

Bird of Paradise, commonly found in the tropics.

Now I have all the necessary ingredients to make those delicious low carb, grain, sugar, and starch-free hamburger buns I raved about while we were in Henderson, Nevada. (The recipe may be found at this link). 


My mouth waters, thinking about these buns to use with the grass-fed “mince” (ground beef) we purchased at the market at our next stop. We’ll be making hamburgers and these buns later in the week when we finish a delicious casserole we made yesterday.

When our property owner Bev explained we wouldn’t be able to dine out in most Costa Rican restaurants (based on my way of eating), we decided to make delicious meals in this fabulous well-equipped kitchen. With every pot, pan, bowls of varying sizes, and utensils, cooking is so easy here, and I’m enjoying it more than I have in most countries.

Gorgeous purple flowers are blooming in the yard.

The tricky part is finding ingredients to make our favorite dishes when so many everyday items are hard to find. So, after the Macrobiotica store, we asked Henry to take us to MaxiPali, a Walmart-owned small warehouse type store with household goods and groceries.

Since my flat iron had died a few days earlier, shopping at this store instead of the Supermercado Coopeatenas was the logical solution for this week’s groceries. If anywhere in the small village had such an appliance, it would be there. 

Upon entering the MaxiPali, with hardly a car in the parking lot, compared to the commotion and crowds at Coopeatenas last Wednesday, I was a little worried we wouldn’t be able to find any of the items on our grocery list, let alone a flat ceramic iron.

This appears to be a Zinnia.  Any comments?

Since no one spoke English in the store (why would they?), I used my hands to show the female cashier what I was looking for. It didn’t take her but a second to know exactly where to send me…to the electronics department where all small appliances were kept under glass and lock and key. There was one such item, and I didn’t hesitate to acknowledge that I wanted to buy it. 

The young man behind the counter wouldn’t let me put the item in the cart. So instead, he took it to the cashier, who’d hold it until we checked out with our groceries. It was priced at US $34.83 (CRC 20,000), not too different than the Remington brand would have been priced in the US.

From there, Tom and I perused the remainder of the store, looking for items on our list.  I’d hoped we’d find whole natural cream, but each time we’ve asked for “crema,” we were directed to the powdered Cremora in the coffee aisle. No thanks. 

Double garage below the screening room. The maintenance man and groundskeeper, Ulysses, has an apartment to the left of the garage. Otherwise, there are only the main living quarters where we’re living.

Since we arrived in Atenas last Tuesday night on August 1st and grocery shopped on Wednesday and then again on the following Monday, we’ve already spent (including the flat iron) US $460.33 (CRC 264,307.68).

We have enough food on hand to last another week or even a little longer, especially if we head out on Friday to the farmers market to fill in on fresh veggies, which never seem to last longer than about a week anyway, especially those that are directly from the farm without the use of preservatives and other chemicals. 

After all the bugs I’ve picked off the produce when washing it so far, I don’t expect pesticides are frequently used in this area. From the uneven look of most of the crop, it doesn’t appear that any chemicals were used, except on what seems to be imported (from Mexico) tomatoes. 

Another entrance or exit to the main quarters.

Most tomatoes offered at traditional markets in the US are also imported from Mexico and are highly processed, resulting in a bland taste and uniform look. Maybe we’ll do better finding tomatoes at the farmer’s market on Friday. Talking to Henry, the driver was tricky. He spoke no English at all.  


We attempted to exchange a few words to no avail. The awkward silence in the car was an oddity for us when usually, we become very friendly with our drivers throughout the world, chatting on and on about local customs and our mutual adventures. But, unfortunately, that’s unlikely here in the Central Valley. 

Sure, we can say enough to get general information across but engaging in a full-fledged conversation is difficult. Although, when Isabel, the cleaner, was here, she and I managed to find out a little about each other with my few Spanish words. We had quite an enlightening “conversation” that made me smile, and I’m looking forward to her return on Saturday.

This flower has the shape of an Iris but is a bright reddish-orange.

After all, we’re in “their” country, and it’s up to us to learn the language. Because I know French reasonably well, I’ve managed a few words in Spanish and Italian, which have some basic similarities. 

After spending three months in Boveglios Tuscany, Italy, beginning in June 2013, where no English was spoken, we realized we could manage for extended periods in non-English speaking countries.

Many travelers may scoff at our discussions of language. However, when staying in hotels and resorts that cater to tourists for a one or two-week vacation/holiday, where most staff members speak English along with their native language, it’s an entirely different scenario. 

Living in a vacation home with a staff that speaks no English and shopping in the same markets and shops the locals frequent presents a different situation in trying to communicate. Indeed, it is equally frustrating for them that we aren’t able to speak their language.

Usually, after 2:00 pm, the skies become overcast with low-lying clouds.

No matter how many times a day we look up words on Google Translate or an app on our phones, we’re only going to learn a handful of words in this short period without a structured classroom environment. 

I even contemplated taking an online course, but with the hours I already spend sitting at my laptop each day, I can’t get myself motivated. So in the interim, we’ll figure it out as we go.

Tomorrow, we’ll include photos of the property’s interior, which has some exciting and unusual features we’ve fallen in love with!

Have a fabulous day!  We plan on it!

Photo from one year ago today, August 8, 2016:

A coconut stands in Phuket, Thailand. Neither of us cares for the liquid, but the meat is delicious. For more Phuket photos, please click here.

Magical moments…Early morning wonders including some scary things…

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Before sunrise, we captured this cloudy scene

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

These low-lying clouds were our first sighting from the veranda this morning.

If we never left this property, the exquisite La Perla de  Atenas, but had the views and wildlife surrounding us as we do here in the Central Valley, the canton/province known as Alajuela, we’d be content.

Each hour that is something magical occurring, whether it’s two or three vultures soaring overhead, referred to as “Zopilotes” by the Costa Ricans, or a flock of colorful parrots gently landing in a nearby tree only to disappear before I can stand with the camera for a shot.

This morning we were both up and out of bed well before 6:00 am. Within minutes, I grabbed the camera for stunning views of the mountain’s low-lying clouds, reminiscent of the clouds we discovered while living in Campanario, Madeira, Portugal, beginning in May 2014. Click here for one of the links illustrating the unbelievable clouds rolling in from the sea.

Costa Rica is just like we imagined;  lush rainforests, many birds and wildlife, and rapidly changing climates.

At times, the sounds of the birds are almost deafening, which we couldn’t appreciate more. Then, silence for a moment, only to have it begin again. We can’t stop smiling.

At first, we didn’t notice many insects. As the days pass, we find many ugly-looking creatures slithering on the floors or up the walls, some venomous, most not. 

As was the case in Africa, it pays to watch where one walks, whether it’s on a wet slippery floor on the stone of the veranda from the most recent daily rain during this rainy season or the presence of venomous centipedes, spiders, or other insects, comparable to those we regularly encountered in Africa. One can’t be too careful. 

It’s surprising to see how low the clouds settle in the rainforests.

Over these past years, our apprehension and fear of insects have dissipated to one of sensible caution and respect for the protective poisons some insects and animals possess as a means of protecting their survival. In most cases, leaving them alone is sufficient in avoiding a trip to a hospital after a potential life-threatening bite.

Costa Rica has many venomous creatures, including colorful frogs, such as the Poison Dart Frog, the dreaded Fleur-de-Lance snake, the Eyelash Viper Snake, and the Brazilian Wandering Spider, all of which may be seen at this somewhat playful site with warnings of a variety of dangerous creatures in the country.

The scenery from the veranda is breathtaking, often changing within minutes. I attempt to keep the camera nearby at all times, although at times, it’s across the room, and I can’t get to it quickly enough for the sighting.

This centipede was moving so quickly I was hardly able to get a photo, let alone a decent shot.

As for sightseeing which we plan to do soon, we’ve discovered a solution based on the suggestion of our house managers, Aad and Marian. We can rent a car for around US $32 (CRC 18,386.72) a day which includes all fees, taxes, and insurance, or, if booked for several days (five or more), includes free delivery and return from the villa.

This way, we can plan all of our outings for the days when we rent the car. This is much more cost-effective than paying outrageous car rental fees and the cost of booking tours we can essentially do independently.

This upcoming week will be busy with tax stuff, business, financial matters, and future bookings. Once completed, we’ll be free to sightsee at our leisure. In the interim, we relish the outstanding scenery and exciting sights and sounds directly witnessed from the villa.

Have a blissful day!

Photo from one year ago today, August 6, 2016:

Across and down the street from our villa, a woman washed her face outside near the road. We wondered if perhaps she didn’t have running water. For more photos, please click here.

Trip into town…Interesting market..SIM card giveaway…Adaptation…

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There’s a cafe in front of the Supermercado Coopeatenas. We shopped on Wednesday, and the store was busy.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

Most likely, this is a Common Tody-Flycatcher we spotted sitting on the railing.

Once we’re unpacked and settled, we must do the first thing in most countries to go grocery shopping. I know this topic may not be of interest to some readers, so we ask those of you to bear with us. 

Many travelers dine out for most of their meals when they’re on a vacation or holiday for a week or two. For tourists, there’s no point in spending money on kitchen staples and ingredients to make meals as we do each time we move to a new country.

This is the Atenas Central Park located in the center of town.

Each country offers its challenges on the availability of certain foodstuffs based on their local diet. We discovered that the largest market in town, Supermercado Coopeatenas, doesn’t carry several items we use regularly. Why would they? They don’t necessarily cater to the whims and desires of foreigners when most visitors rarely grocery shop.

The ex-pat population living in Atenas is:

“Out of a population of approximately 27,000, in the central valley, an estimated 1,500 international ex-pats live in Atenas full-time, most of whom are retired.”

As we drove down the road toward the shops, we realized it is comparable to many towns in many places we’ve lived over these past years.

This small percentage (5.5%) makes no sense for the grocery stores to carry products used by those from other countries. We wandered through the good-sized market at a loss in attempting to find many of the items on our list.  We expected this.  We’ll adapt.

As a result, as is often a necessity in many countries, we’ve had to adapt to the local food and culture. As an example, there was no whole natural cream for our coffee. I decided to give up coffee while we’re here since I don’t care for it without cream. Tom is less picky and drinking it black.

Driving o one of the main streets in town.

There are no choices of “natural” products that work for me, such as coconut flour, almond flour, unsweetened coconut, or ground flax seeds, items we often use for various recipes. Marian told us there’s a health food store in town that we’ll check out on Monday. 

There’s no deli, no Italian sausage in the supermarket, and only one option for bacon, a fatty variety we purchased anyway. We won’t be making many of our favorite dishes here, such as our low carb, grain, starch, and sugar-free pizza, and others.

The roasted chickens were small and overcooked, appearing to be covered in a sticky-sweet sauce. Instead, we purchased two raw chickens cooking them in the modern oven with a suitable pan we were thrilled to find in the cupboards. We decided on roasted chicken one night and chicken salad the next (stuffed into an avocado for me). We’ll adapt.

Motorbikes aren’t as prevalent here as they are in many other countries.

A staple of my diet is sour cream (which I use to make salad dressing) which they carry but its runny consistency and taste entirely different than the sour cream we’ve purchased throughout the world. I mixed it with mayonnaise, seasoned it well, and we’ve used it with hand-shredded cabbage, diced carrots, and celery to make coleslaw. That works here and has worked in many other countries when there’s no bagged cabbage.

As we’ve discovered in many countries that don’t consider a lettuce salad an essential side dish to lunch or dinner, the options were limited to small, wilted clumps that, once cleaned and prepared, would result in less than a tiny salad. We’ll see what we can find next Friday at the farmer’s market.

Lukas, a surf and casual attire shop.

Before shopping at the supermarket, we stopped at Goya, the appliance and furniture store, to purchase a SIM card for my phone. We don’t need one for each of our phones since we’re always together. And, if I grocery shop with the driver leaving Tom behind, I can call him on the house phone. 

We have no idea how much data or calling is available on the SIM card which the employee gave to us at no charge. Indeed, we’ll find out soon enough when it runs out when we’ll add more. 

There are plenty of aisles in the market, mainly with Costa Rican and imported processed foods and goods.

The language barrier could be challenging for some. None of the locals speak English, not the lovely cleaner Isabel, who was here for seven hours yesterday (big house, lots to clean), not the taxi driver, not the employees in the shops, the banks, etc. 

Today, I downloaded an English to Spanish translation app that, when shaking the phone, will allow me to speak in English to translate into spoken Spanish. This should do the trick, at least enough for us to get by. Here again, we’ll adapt.

We weren’t able to find “organic” laundry soap.  Instead, we chose a bottle of Tide.

We’re still looking into sightseeing options. So far, the cost for about a three-hour outing is expensive at US $200 (CRC 114,917). At nearly US $70 (CRC 40,220.95) an hour for the two of us, we need to consider other options, which may require renting a car for some time. 

We love this exquisite property, the scenery, the sounds, and the wildlife easily finding ourselves bird watching throughout the day. The local people are friendly, and somehow we manage to communicate.  Adapting to a new environment is part of the joy we experience as we travel the world. It stretches us, challenges us, and opens up new worlds we never imagined we’d explore at this time in our lives.

May new worlds open up for YOU! Happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, August 5, 2016:

Lots of motorbikes are parked at the beach in Phuket, Thailand. For more photos, please click here.

Atenas, a small village, rich in culture and history…

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A church across the valley.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

The sunsets behind the mountains, viewed from the veranda. It gets dark very early in the evening with no daylight savings time in Costa Rica.

There’s no question; we always prefer to live in less-populated villages, far from the typical tourist communities. With a population of around 5000, Atenas does attract some tourists, and several ex-pats live here.

With plenty of opportunities for sightseeing within a two-hour drive, it couldn’t be more ideal for our needs. We’re in the process of booking our first sightseeing tour with Aad and Marian, the property managers and tour company.  

The hazy afternoon before the rains come.

Here are a few details about the region in Costa Rica from this site:

“Atenas (ah-TEN-names) is the capital city of the canton of Atenas in Alajuela province in Costa Rica. It is also the name of the distrito (district) that includes the city.
The district of Atenas covers an area of 8.93 km² and has a population of approx. 27,000 inhabitants. The city of Atenas itself has about 5,000 inhabitants. Its name means Athens (Αθήνα), the capital of Greece.
The city lies at an elevation of 698 meters above sea level on the western edge of the Central Valley (Valle Central), 25 kilometers southwest of the provincial capital city of Alajuela, 20 kilometers from Juan Santamaria International Airport, and 35 kilometers from the national capital city of San Jose. (Continued below photo).
Tomorrow night we plan to cook in the outdoor kitchen.

The town is surrounded by mountains and coffee plantations. It is located in a prosperous agricultural area that hosts a weekly farmer’s market on Friday mornings. The town center features an immaculate white church and a picturesque park lined with palm trees. There is a community health center, pharmacies, doctors, dentists, tennis court, fitness center, swimming pools, parks, banks, shops, bed-and-breakfasts, and restaurants.

Atenas is a popular place for North American and European retirees.  There are four major real estate developments with existing homes and building lots: Roca Verde, Vista Atenas, Lomas Al Paraiso, and Hacienda Atenas. There are other real estate developments in various stages of completion.

In mid-October 2011, a major landslide occurred on the Atenas exit of the Autopista del Sol. The exit has since re-opened, improving travel time to San José, Escazú, and Pacific beaches.
It is popularly said that Atenas enjoys the ‘best climate in the world’; the reason for this attribution is that climatic factors like temperature and humidity are stable all year round, with temperatures ranging from 19 Celsius at night (66F) to 34 Celsius (92F) during the day with a yearly average of 26 (79F) Celsius.
It also has varied sets of altitudes starting at 300 meters above sea level in the Balsa and the Rio Grande areas ascending to 1,200 meters above sea level in the San Isidro area. This broad spectrum of heights provides to marked and well defined climatic subregions within the greater Atenas area.”
One of many varieties of plants thriving in the yard.

Some have asked why we don’t stay in larger cities where activities, restaurants, and nightlife are abundant. From time to time, we do, when the town offers what we need at that point in our travels.

Over the next few days, we’ll be pinning down a hotel booking for Buenos Aires, a city with a population of over 15 million. In this particular case, we’re searching for convenience when we’re only staying for one month and need a hotel where we can leave most of our luggage for the immediately following Antarctica cruise.

Valley side of the property.

A vacation homeowner won’t be able to accommodate keeping our luggage, nor would we feel safe leaving it in a private home in the big city. A hotel will be the best option for these particular circumstances. Once we select a hotel we’d like, we’ll contact them to inquire about the luggage storage before we book it. 

As for the city of Atenas, we are currently located in one of the above four mentioned gated communities of Roca Verda, which has a guard at the main gate 24/7. The house itself is gated, but the area is known as safe, and we aren’t worried about crime, although, as always, we’re sensible when traveling into town. 

The yard and gardens are amazing, definitely on a smaller scale to Bev ad Sam’s stunning property in Kauai, Hawaii, a former botanical garden. We can see their personal touches in the gardens and the interior of the vacation home.

As for this fabulous vacation home, we continue to appreciate all of its good features.  Bev and Sam left no stone unturned when they renovated and stocked this property a few years ago, and we’re taking advantage of its many amenities.  There will be more details on the property as the days continue.

Again today, we’ll stay put with considerable research required to wrap up somewhere to live in Buenos Aires. Hopefully, we’ll be back with our final decision over the next few days.

Have a blissful day!

Photo from one year ago today, August 4, 2016:

A fishing boat tied to a tree at the beach in Phuket, Thailand. For more photos, please click here.

A little life almost lost!…Yesterday afternoon’s bird experience… Closet space…

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When we arrived on Tuesday night, this fruit and wine platter were awaiting us. Tom is working on the bananas, and tonight I’ll have half of the avocado stuffed with the chicken salad I’m making today. I cut up the pineapple for Tom, who’s off low carb until the fruit is gone.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

This is the parrot after she/he was knocked unconscientious after hitting the glass wall of the veranda. There is a bird deterrent on the glass, but this poor bird slammed so hard into the glass we assumed it was dead.  It was so sad to see this happen.

We never knew that the first colorful bird we’d see up close in Costa Rica would be a parrot after it flew into the glass wall of the veranda and fell unconscientious on the veranda’s walkway toward the lower level staircase.

As a result of yesterday afternoon’s scary bird experience, we again decided to incorporate a feature comparable to the “Sightings on the Beach in Bali,” now aptly named “Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica.”

We’d been searching for colorful birds and didn’t expect the first one we saw on our first day to be knocked out and possibly dying. Instead, after about 20 minutes, the bird sat in this position for about 10 minutes, not moving.  Would it recover?  We continued to hope it would.
While comfortably situated on the veranda, we expect to spend most of our days and night (perhaps in part, in preparation for spending all of our days outdoors in Africa, upcoming in six months). So we don’t want to miss a thing.

The house is exceptional, with several inviting areas to work on our laptops and/or lounge. But, we can’t resist spending all of our “at home” days outside, fearful we’d miss something, whether it’s a soaring bird, cattle or sheep grazing in a pasture, or even a wildly unusual insect.

The “sightings” and subsequent photos may not always be exciting.  After all, we’ll be here until November 24, 2017, a total of 114 days. So we can’t expect a stunning photo every day, although we’ll do our best to present interesting or unusual subjects of our photo ops as they present themselves. 

We wondered if her/his little left leg was broken. If so, surely it would die.
There will be days we’ll have to search for a suitable photo for the next day, and there will be other days they’ll magically appear almost as in a “safari luck” manner that allowed us to see the “Big 5” in the first 10 hours on safari in the Masai Mara in 2013. Thanks to our equally fantastic guide, Anderson, please click here for the story and photos about that impressive feat.

Today’s first “Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica” will be slightly different from those that will follow over the remaining months.  In this particular case, the situation, as shown above, resulted in a series of photos, all of which were important to share. Thus, the series continues in the main body of the post and under the “Sightings…” heading below the main photo.

After 30 minutes had passed suddenly, the precious Parrot stood up and moments later flew through the bars in the railing, hopefully back to her/his life in the tropics—a happy ending to what could have been very sad to witness.

Please bear with us, if some days, the photo is only a pretty flower or a passing butterfly (we’ve never seen so many butterflies in a location in the past). But, as our long-term readers know, we’ll always do our best.

Yes, we do plan to get out sightseeing sometime in the next few weeks. On Monday, we’ll begin doing our 2016 taxes (we got an extension when our package with the necessary documents was lost in the snail mail in Australia and later found) and booking the month we’ll spend in Buenos Aires, which we’ve yet to accomplish.

In the master suite, there are two spacious walk-in closets with plenty of hanging space and drawers.

Last night after dinner  (we shopped yesterday), we lounged in the plush “screening room.” After a hectic day with almost 10,000 steps on my FitBit without trying, I had trouble staying awake during the few shows we watched. Tom kept waking me up, knowing if I slept through a show, I wouldn’t sleep well during the night. He was so right. I ended up with a good night’s rest.

Today, we’re hoping to try the pool if it doesn’t rain. Yesterday afternoon, we put on swimsuits only to change our minds when thunder and lightning radiated through the skies. 

We ended up sharing one closet for our clothing and the other for shoes and odds and ends.

Yep, there are many insects (no mosquitos, yeah!), some heat and humidity with no AC, except in the TV room, which we doubt we’ll ever use. But, it’s beautiful, there are screens on the doors and windows, and the property is divine. It’s the rainy season now in Costa Rica, but we don’t mind at all. We’re comfortable, content, and loving the sights and sounds of Costa Rica.

May your day find you comfortable and content as well.

Photo from one year ago today, August 3, 2016:

Overall, the neighborhood in which we were living in Phuket, Thailand, has newer single-family homes. However, the area contains several modest living and working environments, such as this property, which we passed on the way to our villa. For more photos, please click here.

More than we expected…Costa Rica dream property…Already unpacked and settled in…

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Tom is as content as he could be at La Perla de Atenas

Last night around 9:30 pm, we arrived at La Perla de Atenas (The Pearl of Atenas), our vacation home for the next 3½  months. Our mouths were agape in sheer wonder. 

The bed and bedding in the master bedroom are very comfortable. More interior photos are coming soon.

How did we get so lucky to have landed this exquisite home after making friends with owners Bev and Sam in Kauai?  We met the lovely couple at a Full Moon Party and who later invited us to their stunning property in Kauai for dinner and again for their monthly “movie nights.” 

In most cases, we stay in vacation homes with water views. But, the valley and mountain views in Atenas are all we need right now.  

As it turned out, Bev and Sam were in the process of purchasing this Costa Rica property while we were there, later spending enormous time and funds to update it to its currently blissful state of being. 

The massive grounds are landscaped and maintained to perfection.

At the time, we had no intentions of revisiting Central America when we’d already spent 2½ months living in Belize and visiting Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Guatemala via three cruises in 2013. With so much world left to see, none of these countries struck us as high on our list at this point.

However, when we booked the Antarctica cruise upcoming in January, everything changed.  We needed to work our way toward South America. A stop along the way in Costa Rica might be perfect. And, from our perspective thus far, we were right.

We’ll be spending many hours bird watching from this location, and at the National Park, we’ll soon visit.

Yesterday’s two flights were relatively easy, including immigration and customs, when we arrived in Costa Rica. The layover in Houston was short. The only delay was getting onto the flight when United’s (duh!) cleaning people had to vacuum the plane’s interior a second time when the supervisor wasn’t happy with how it had been done after the last flight. We waited in line no less than 30 minutes in the hot, steamy tube.

Lush vegetation and greenery on the grounds surround us in the mountains, hills, and valleys. We’re located at an elevation of approximately 4000 feet (1219 meters).

Finally, we were on our way and the three hours whizzed by.  After we’d collected our luggage, our property manager Aad was waiting for us, holding a sign with our names. It took 35 minutes from Juan Santamaría International Airport to La Perla.  

Although it was only a 13-hour travel day from Las Vegas, Nevada to Atenas, Costa Rica, no doubt we were a little pooped.  Even today, after a decent six hours of sleep in the very comfortable bed, we’re still a little sluggish.

It looks like we won’t have trouble finding grass-fed beef in Costa Rica if these skinny cattle are any indication. The meat from grass-fed cows is tough but so much healthier. We’re less inclined to purchase steaks instead of focusing on ground beef and slowing cooking cuts.

This morning after perusing the stunning views and reveling in the sounds of birds, roosters, and cows, we unpacked everything, hanging our clothes in the two walk-in closets and ample drawer space in the master suite.

Our suitcases are now tucked away in one of the other bedrooms. The only other task on today’s agenda is a trip to the phone store to purchase a SIM card and the local market, which Aad pointed out last night as being behind the gas station. 

With thick cushions to use for these chairs, we’ll undoubtedly get our daily dose of Vitamin D.

Once we become more familiar with local markets, we have no doubt we’ll find most of which we’ll need to enjoy cooking in the modern kitchen. For today, we might go for “easy” and buy some already roasted chickens if they’re available.

We’ll be taking many photos of our breathtaking surroundings and share them tomorrow. Enjoy your day!

Photo from one year ago today, August 2, 2016:

Although we were in Phuket this time last year, we were nearly finished posting the final photos of our Vietnam and Cambodia tour via the Mekong River. Camera in my hand while Tom carried our little insulated bag with chilled bottled water as we exited the boat for a time. For more photos, please click here.

We’re ending 67 days spent in the USA…Now back out to "The World."…

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A cloudy day, water, and mountain scene.

We got some sleep last night. Maybe after almost five years of world travel, we’re finally able to get some sleep the night before we depart a location for new land. 

In years past, neither of us was able to get in more than a few hours. I tossed and turned for about an hour around 4:00 am but nodded off for a final solid hour, feeling considerably better upon awakening around 6:00 am. Tom did the same, and now as I sit at my laptop in the guest room of Richard’s home, Tom’s chomping at the bit to pack my computer and for us to be on our way. 

Common Barrel Cactus.

Saying goodbye and heartfelt thanks to Richard, we were out the door of his home by 8:30. The airport is only 15 minutes from Henderson. The traffic was light. 

We’d decided to finish today’s post at the airport while we await our 11:25 am flight on United Airlines. Ugh!  Now, as I continue the post, I’m seated in “chairs” close to the entrance to McCarren International Airport, waiting for Tom to return after dropping off the rental car. 

I zoomed in on these cactus flowers. Wow! They’re amazing!

Within about 20 minutes, Tom returned, and we headed to the tram to distant gate 55D. This is a huge airport, and everything seems so far away. After the tram ride, we walked quite a distance to our gate, and now, we’re comfortably situated at a table and chairs at a Starbucks near the entrance. 

Even Tom, who’s usually stressed on travel days, seems quite content, especially with the TSA pre-approval we had on both of our tickets. We breezed through security without having to take off our shoes. That was nice. 

Yesterday, we prepaid our three checked bags, and today, they were weighed and checked in curbside by a United skycap. There were no overweight fees this time. A few days ago, we made a trip to Goodwill in Henderson, dropping off more odds and ends clothing that was old and we didn’t expect we’d wear over these next few years.

The skycap noted on his computer screen that we’re changing planes in Houston and that we’re going on to Costa Rica. Good thing we’d booked that flight to Nicaragua that occurs 89 days after our arrival tonight in San Jose, or we wouldn’t have been allowed to take the second leg of the flight from Houston to San Jose.

Another commonly seen cactus.

Costa Rica requires an exit ticket purchased before arrival in their country to ensure we’d be leaving. They don’t allow visitors into their country with a one-way ticket or if they plan to stay longer than 90 days. Our exiting ticket was satisfactory.

There will be no suitable meals available for purchase for me on either of the two flights. With only about an hour layover in Houston, there won’t be time to dine in a restaurant at the airport. A few minutes ago, I brought along a few low-carb protein bars and purchased a small bag of mixed nuts for $7.50. 

Susan’s dog Owen always sat up like this when I visited.

In 40 minutes, we’ll board the plane and be on our way. It’s funny, but this leg of our journey feels as if it’s a crucial stretch toward our travels over the next few years. First, we’ll travel from Central America to South America, and then after that to Antarctica, we’ll be heading back to Africa. I can’t believe how quickly this all came up.

We haven’t yet decided where we’ll go after our last booked cruise on March 24, 2019, and the next shorter-this-time return visit to the US. However, after we have spent a year in Africa in 2018 and part of 2019, we’ll have a better idea of what’s on the agenda from there.

A view of the condos at The District in Green Valley Ranch.
In essence, good health providing we have all the time in the world to make those decisions. But, one thing we know for sure, again good health providing, we look forward to continuing on and on and on.
We’ll be back tomorrow morning from Atenas, Costa Rica, with photos of our amazing new villa. Please check back soon.  Have a wonderful day whatever you may decide suits you the best!
Photo from one year ago today, August 1, 2016:
Tuk-tuks come in all shapes, sizes, and colors in Thailand and are used commonly by tourists as opposed to rental cars or taxis, which are much more expensive. Please click here for more Phuket photos and a few from our previous trip to Vietnam/Cambodia.

Final expenses for 25 days in Nevada…Back out “to the world tomorrow!”….A new normal…

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Mountain view on a rare cloudy day.

This morning I packed my one suitcase of clothing and collected items for our supplies bag. My bag weighs well under the 50 lb maximum (23 kg). Indeed today, I’ll find odds and ends to get me up to the 23 kg maximum allowed by the airlines.

In a way, it’s bittersweet, packing and leaving the US once again for the next two years when once again we’ll return to visit family. Next time, we won’t stay quite as long, most likely for a total of one month between Minnesota and Nevada, giving us plenty of time to be with family and friends.

Here are our total expenses for the 25 nights in Henderson, Nevada:

 Expense   US Dollar 
Housing (Richard’s home)   $                       –  
 Gifts & Misc.   $                  299.00
 Airfare    $               1,137.00
 Rental Car & Fuel  $                  926.00
 Groceries   $               1,245.30
 Dining Out   $                  402.52
 Supplies & Pharmacy   $                  609.32
 Entertainment   $                  310.25
 Total   $               4,929.39
 Avg Daily Cost 25 days   $                  197.18

Now, as we pack and make the necessary preparations to continue our world journey, we’ve further discovered that this nomadic life we live is our “new normal.” 

There’s no way we can envision living in one place, renting a condo somewhere, and returning to a life of owning “stuff,” shopping among the crowds, waiting in traffic, and considering times to go out based on when “rush hour” ends. That’s no longer who we are.

We ask ourselves, “Was that ever us anyway?”

Two Mallards are sharing a rock in the pond at the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve.

As we’ve melded into life in the convenient Henderson, Nevada location, over these past 25 days, we’ve realized how far removed this easy life is from our reality. Living in constant temperature-controlled comfort, with nary an insect in sight, little wildlife, and nature surrounding us, we’re starving to be living in a challenging environment.

To be surrounded by nature, including the good and not so good, and the occasional discomforts that remind us of our humanness and vulnerability, is where we long to be.

One of eight ponds in the preserve.

That’s not to say that living in a luxury villa in Costa Rica will be tough. It will be easy in most ways. But, we’ll be surrounded by expansive views, varying temperatures and climate, and some of the finest wildlife in the world. 

Costa Rica is a country rich in unique and colorful inhabitants, both human and animal. Yes, modern conveniences will be enjoyed and appreciated but never taken for granted. Our goals will still be to focus on that which always appeals to us the most.

Is this a weather ball I shot from a distance?

We have a plethora of tasks to complete while in Costa Rica, including tax stuff, visa extensions, trips to a dentist (we’ve both lost a few fillings), other financial “paperwork,” and beginning the process of preparing for the Antarctica cruise which requires medical certifications and tons of forms to complete.

We hope to get as much of this “work” completed shortly after we arrive to leave us ample time to focus on our interests in culture and take photos of the extraordinary scenery and wildlife that Costa Rica offers in abundance.

Today, we’ll complete the packing, make a quick trip to the market to replace any paper products and supplies we used while living in Richard’s home (he doesn’t expect this but, that’s just us), and fill the little white car with fuel. 

Mountains surround the Las Vegas valley.

Tonight, we’ll all dine on the leftover pizza which I made yesterday with a new salad I’ll make today.  Overall, with as much as we’ve already completed, the day won’t be much busier than most. Thanks, Richard, for an excellent stay in your beautiful home!

Tomorrow, we’ll post from the airport while we await our flight. We’re leaving for the airport at 8:30 am, although our flight isn’t until 11:25 am. Returning the rental car is far from the airport and requires a 10 minute or more ride in a shuttle to return to the airport where I’ll be waiting for Tom.

Tom feels more comfortable leaving for the airport earlier rather than later. I’m OK with that since it is an international flight after all, and I’ll have more time to upload a new post while we’re waiting.

We’ll be back tomorrow with some favorite Nevada photos and our goodbyes once again to the USA as we continue on our “new normal.” We can’t stop smiling.

May your day bring many smiles!

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

One of two long piers in Chalong Bay. At that time, I was still recovering from the spine injury in Bali occurring on June 1, 2016, and I couldn’t make the long walk on the pier. Now, I wouldn’t have thought about it twice.  For more photos, please click here.

Last night at the Las Vegas Strip…Dinner and movie…Two days and counting…

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Tom, walking toward the Palms entrance, one of the less exciting casinos in Las Vegas located off the Strip near the Rio.

Last night, we joined Richard and friends for one last night at the Las Vegas Strip. Since most likely we won’t have access to English-speaking movies in theatres for some time, we all decided to see the famous war epic, Dunkirk would be a good choice.

Choosing to see it in an IMAX theater may not have been the perfect decision. The sound was ear-splitting, and although we sat a distance from the massive screen, it felt as if we were too close.

We walked through the casino after dinner to the IMAX Theatre to see Dunkirk.

As for the movie itself, I probably liked it the most. Tom’s not a fan of movies that ‘jump around” from one segment to another and this movie, although visually stunning in many ways, did precisely that. 

Nonetheless, Dunkirk was worth seeing and was, for us, most likely, the last movie we’d see in a theatre until we return to the US in 2019 for another visit. With Costa Rica, Argentina, and Africa on the horizon over the next few years, going to movie theatres won’t be on our agenda.

The Sports Book at the Palms.

Of course, we often watch movies on Amazon Prime and those we download using Graboid (monthly payment of $19.99) that we’ve continued to use over these past many years of world travel. By using this app and others, we’re able to see most US and British TV shows and movies.

The IMAX theatre is located in The Palms, a lower-priced resort, hotel, and casino located off the Strip near the Rio. We were disappointed by the dining options available prior to the movie but its didn’t make sense to go to another casino for dinner. As a result, we dined in the casual and somewhat mediocre spot not far from the theatre.

McDonald’s bright lights in the food court.

In any case, we had an enjoyable evening, our last time out and about in Las Vegas. Yesterday, during the day, I visited with my dear sister Susan for most of the day, saying our final emotional and tearful goodbyes.  The many times we spent together over these past 23 days will remain in my heart until I see her again during our next visit to Nevada.

Using Skype, Susan and I speak often, and we never feel quite so far away. Once we’re settled in Costa Rica, I’ll call her, and once again, we’ll catch up as we always have, which means so much to both of us.

The large oval bar was found upon entering the Palms.

Today, we’re staying in, packing a few odds and ends. But tomorrow will be our packing day when we’ll organize, fold and put together our “stuff” before leaving early on Tuesday morning.

Also, today, we’ll make one more round of our favorite pizza. Once we leave the US, it’s never quite the same when we can’t find authentic spicy Italian sausage. We’ve asked in every country we’ve visited, and even in Italy, it wasn’t comparable to the sausage we’ve used in the US. We’ll continue to make our favorite low-carb, grain/starch/sugar-free pizza using whatever sausage we’re able to find.

Tom’s Reuben sandwich with fries.

With only two days remaining until we leave the USA once again, we’re grateful for the quality time we’ve been able to spend with family and friends but, we’re incredibly excited to return to our nomadic lives of world travel. 

Enjoy your Sunday or Monday if you’re on the other side of the International Dateline, where we’d spent almost the last two years before returning to the US.

The bright light from the Luxor Sky Beam with 42.3 billion candelas, as we entered Highway I215 to return to Richard’s home after the evening ended. The light is visible by aircraft from a cruising altitude of 275 miles (443 km).

Photo from one year ago today, July 30, 2016:

Although we were in Phuket one year ago today, we continued to share photos from our Vietnam/Cambodia river cruise. Kong, our tour guide, encouraged kissing in front of the Huynh Thuy Le Ancient House, where the movie, The Lover, was filmed in Sa Dec, Vietnam, in 1992. We had no trouble cooperating!  Please click here for more photos.

Our cell phone’s SIM cards ran out…No more phone calls, maps or data on our phones…Three days and counting…

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See below for details on this cactus. I shot all of today’s photos at the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve, including the blooms on this cactus.

As it turned out, the T-Mobile SIM cards for our phones with calling and data ended a few days ago. At that point, with only four days remaining until we leave the US, we saw no reason to add more calling or data at the cost of $80 for one more month.

As a result, we used our Skype account to make the multiple calls we needed to handle yesterday. With no charge using our Nevada phone number on Skype ($5 a month), we could make all the calls on my computer at no additional cost because all the calls were to toll-free numbers.

Opuntia pinkavae, common name Bulrush Canyon Prickly-pear is a species of cactus that originated in northern Arizona and southern Utah.

When making calls to non-toll-free numbers, we pay a minimal charge of $.023 per minute and can call any phone number, cell phone, or business anywhere in the world. 

If we talk for 60 minutes, the entire cost is $1.38, and fees are subtracted from funds we prepay into the account as needed.  If we run out of funds, Skype reminds us to add more money to the account. Thus, we don’t get a “bill” in the usual sense.
 
Of course, if we call another Skype account, there’s no per-minute charge. All Skype to Skype calls are free from anywhere in the world. Only the calls directly to cell phone numbers or landlines result in the $.023 per minute rate. (As an aside…if Skype is installed as an app on a smartphone, free calls may be sent and received using the app if both parties are using Skype).

What a lovely spot to stop and enjoy the views.

Without a working SIM card in our phones, we no longer have “maps” or any driving navigation when we’re away from Richard’s home. While inside the house, we can use the house’s Wi-Fi on our phones for a connection. It’s only when we leave that we no longer have a connection.

This may seem complicated for some world travelers who insist on having a cell phone contract. Our rationale? Why pay $100 to $200 per month or more for US phone contracts for both our phones and data when we can purchase SIM cards in any country, never paying more than about $20 a month?

Mountains are surrounding the entire Las Vegas valley.

In reality, who do we need to call? When we don’t have a rental car, we need SIM cards to contact our driver to pick us up and deliver us back to our vacation home or other locations. It’s not as if we’re calling Dominoes for “pizza to go” or calling family and friends talking for extended periods. We save those conversations for free Skype-to-Skype calls or when using our $5 a month Skype phone number to call phones at $1.38 an hour.

If Tom and I separate for a few hours while we are shopping or run an errand, we can call one another on our respective phones using the appropriate SIM cards installed. 

There’s nothing quite as stunning as water and mountains to create an astounding scene.

Also, we’ve found that using SIM cards prevents us from potentially spending huge sums when calling friends and family members from our phones while utilizing a cell phone contract or using data on our phones. It causes us to be mindful of how we use our SIM cards and how easily we can chat with anyone from our computers.

In most cases, we have a decent Wi-Fi signal that allows for an apparent conversation. In most cases, we find the person to whom we’re speaking having signal issues when they’re out of range, not us. 

Who knew the desert so close to Las Vegas could be so beautiful?

For example, I tried to speak to my friend Chere last night using our Skype number to her cell number. She and her husband were driving to Wisconsin, and the signal was so poor on her end we had to cut the call short until such a time as she’d be able to get a good signal. Even in the US, cell service is yet to be perfect.

Yesterday, having postponed my visit to sister Susan until today, once I upload this post, I took off on a few errands, one to pick up VSL3 Probiotics (in pill form) when a kindly pharmacist at a Smith’s Market agreed to special order them for me. 

I prefer the powdered product, which has a much larger number of bacteria at 450 billion, but he could not get this high dose in the US (on this over-the-counter product) compared to the pills at a paltry 120 billion. Based on this dose, I’ll take a minimum of two capsules per day. 

These two Mallards found rocks on which to stand close to each other.

I have enough pills in my possession to last for the next four months with my current supply. Once we’re settled in Costa Rica, I’ll check and see if I can find more for when we head to Africa in less than seven months. Certain products aren’t available in some countries.

That’s it for today, folks. We’ll be back tomorrow with more.  Today, I’ll say goodbye to my dear sister Susan which no doubt will be emotional. Tonight, we’re heading out to a movie and dinner on the Las Vegas Strip with Richard and friends, our final night out on “the town.” 

Enjoy your evening wherever you may be! We’ll be thinking of you!

Photo from one year ago today, July 28, 2016:

Check out the size of the fish and steak portions from the groceries we purchased in Phuket, Thailand, at a warehouse-type market. The brats in the bottom right of the photo are gluten, grain, and sugar-free.  Using this app to convert the Thai baht (THB) to 3,803.25, we discovered we’d only spent US $109.38 for all this!  In the US, this much food would have been at least twice as much. For more details, please click here.