new job

I got a job recruiting backpackers and tourists straight off the bus  to to the hostel I stayed at for a little more than two weeks here in Tamarindo. The compensation is purely commission, based on how many travelers and how many nights they stay. It's not much but should help me bridge over to peak tourism season when I can hopefully wait tables again or something.
Also, I may help with selling tours inside the surf shop and on the street. The commission for that is much higher so hopefully I'll get started on that soon.

I kept in touch with the young Canadian couple that owns Blue Trailz surf shop and hostel, dropping in to say hi after my daily walk searching for work. They told me I could work for them if I couldn't find anything else last week, and I still haven't. Most businesses are still slow and tell me to come back in a couple of weeks or after Christmas.
Previously my friend from Quebec had been doing this job for them, but he was just here on a surfing vacation.

Convincing backpackers to stay here shouldn't be too hard, since it's much closer to the beach than any others and much nicer. It's the #1 rated hostel on tripadvisor.com in Tamarindo, and I knew that months before I even came to Costa Rica.
Check out their website: http://www.bluetrailz.com/
They do all sorts of cool stuff, they even have a boardwalk that leads to a small outdoor yoga studio. The surf shop is in the front and has sand for flooring. I miss staying there, meeting new people all the time and hanging out. Don't get me wrong though, I love my apartment and it's a definite upgrade.

With this job I'll be able to meet new people from around the world and hang out there once again! Very excited about that.

There's the the front.

I'm watching the clamation Christmas classic "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer". The Christmas songs sound a little out of place blended with the hum of the a/c and howls of the monkeys.

Your Ad Here

looking back on puerto viejo

Puerto Viejo is a funky little town in the province of Limon on the Caribbean coast near the Panamanian border.
It's south of the town of Limon, a port city, which has the distinction of being the ugliest part of Costa Rica I've seen. Limon is where all the shipments of supplies come in and go out, so there's trailers and warehouses everywhere. The streets are filled with trash and litter, and they just burn big piles of it on the side of the street.
Burning piles of excess foliage is very common on the Caribbean coast but this was the only place I saw trash piles. Limon is the only place Cruise Ships can dock. That may contribute to the bad rep many tourists have of the Carribean coast in Costa Rica. Some things are true, others exaggerated. The crime is worse and there are more drugs, but if you take the proper precautions you'll be fine.

I lived in Puerto Viejo for 10 days or so. Time kind of stands still there so I lost track. I really mean this, time passes by at an extremely slow pace. No one is in a rush to do anything really. Most of the locals have Jamaican blood, their ancestors were shipped in to work in the banana fields long ago. Jamaican flags fly everywhere along with Rasta colors. You can find images of Bob Marley on anything and everything. He is a God there.

Racial segregation laws quarantined this part of Costa Rica until the 1960's, so it is still relatively poor and isolated compared to the rest of the country. The indigenous Bri Bri tribe live in the jungles way back behind the coast and are actually the voting majority. I never met one or took a tour to see them, but I wish I had.

The smell of marijuana is ever present. Just walk through the one main street in town and you are guaranteed to get at least one whiff of wacky tobacky. There is more supply than demand, you will be asked several times a day if you would like buy some. It's smoked openly and non-discreetly. Cops walk right past people doing it. Technically it's illegal, but so prevalent in the culture, and there's much bigger problems to worry about, so they just let them smoke. I'm not a smoker, but I don't mind those that do, and I would love to see the US adopt the same policy. Alcohol is a much more dangerous drug.
I didn't see any violence, but there were guns here. One night out at a bar on the beach, the bartender came out to fire off a few rounds into the air letting patrons know it's time to leave.

 Men and women both have some of the gnarliest looking dreadlocks you'll ever see.
Reggae music is played everywhere, and I saw some really great live entertainment. There is a big party going on every night along the clubs that line the beach in Puerto Viejo.

Further south, 13 kilometers, is Manzanillo, home of some of the prettiest undisturbed beaches in Costa Rica. Crystal clear turquoise water, jungle that goes all the way to the whitish-sand beach, a living coral reef. I went snorkeling there and its an experience I will never forget. Neon multicolored fish, beautiful and unusual looking coral.
Its too bad afterwards my Swiss friend and I returned to find his rental car broken into. My iPhone, locked in the glovebox, was stolen, along with his camera and his laptop. I've since learned, traveling rule #1 : never leave anything valuable in a car. Ever.

The weather was a wet jungle humid climate. I mean really humid, Houston has nothing on this place. Everything you touch is wet. Usually there it would be sunny with several showers in the afternoon or evening.

One night I experienced torrential rain like I've never seen. Literally a wall of water coming down at once, you couldnt see a foot. Nothing like I've seen even in the worst Texas storms. My roof leaked onto my bed that night.
Puerto Viejo and Tamarindo are so different. There's no a/c there, just fans on the floor. The only place I found with a/c was the bank. I LOVED going to the ATM for this reason. As I've said before I adapted to the extreme humidity after awhile, but still, I prefer a/c. The first few days I was covered in sweat.
It does get cooler there at night then it does here though. Several nights I'd wake up cold, and actually turn my fan off!
Puerto Viejo is a hippie's paradise and a great place to visit, I wouldn't want to live there but definitely should be a destination for any Costa Rican backpacker.

Below are several pictures I took before my iPhone was stolen and then several others from an Australian girl I met in Tamarindo who visited several days after me. Remember you can click on the picture to enlarge.

Front door and patio to my first apartment. Thick jungle in the background.

Path to the community sink for the cabinas.

The main street in town, lined with vendors, sodas, and bars.

An abandoned barge that a lot of the local kids jump and fish off.

Near the bus station and town map.

The police station where my friend and I went after getting robbed.

Local fruit vendor.

Fishing boats.

Some native flora. 

Welcome sign to Manzanillo. 

Beach near Manzanillo.

Manzanillo beach. I went snorkeling just beyond here. 

The waves break very close to the steep shore on this coast. This beach is Playa Negra, named for the black sand. My cabina was about 50 meters behind it. 

More of Playa Negra. 

They like to paint the trunks of the palm trees bright colors.

This is right in front of where I was staying.

An island off of Playa Cocles, a beach good for surfing south of PV. If I had stayed longer I planned on snorkeling out to that island. 

Playa Cocles...my favorite hangout spot there. Luckily it was much sunnier when I visited.

Howler monkey in a tree. You never want to stand directly underneath one, because they poop their own weight by the hour. I got to hold a few of these guys at an animal refuge. I'll make a separate entry on that experience soon.

Rasta!

Paradise. 

Tasty waves cantina! Great place for smoothies, tacos, and cocktails run by a nice couple from San Diego, California. They would stay open late every Tuesday and have performers come do fire shows with flaming sticks. 

The cops would come by to ask about the "noise" , usually one armed with an MP-5 machine gun strapped around his shoulder. Give them all Cokes and everything was cool.

I love these beautiful birds. A few have even let me pet them.

Your Ad Here

test

Your Ad Here

thankful stuff

hope ya'll enjoyed your TURKEY and stuffing and everything else while I had two HAM sandwiches!
Turkey, like other things, is like gold down here. I could have paid 25 bucks to have a small
"thanksgiving meal" at an upscale restaurant but opted not to. There's just ham in Costa Rica...you can get ground beef....roast beef is really rare and expensive like turkey. pumpkin pie? ha, forget about it. cranberries...maybe...though a bottle of cranberry juice is 16 bucks at the grocery store. so be thankful for having thanksgiving food!



stuff I'm thankful for:

the winter clothes I brought for no reason. when I first got down here, I was like "well that was dumb, i loaded up my backpack with 2 flannel shirts and a sweat, why did I do that?" but now,
since I HAVE NO SHEETS and there is nowhere that sells them withing a 20 mile radius, I use my winter clothes as sheets.

You may think if it's so hot why would you need sheets? well you just do. Try sleeping without a blanket sometime...pretty difficult. Plus it does get cool some nights, around 68 degrees. Not as as cool as the Caribbean but cool enough to need a blanket.

Raid(the bug spray). Cockroaches and ants are in no danger of being extinct so I don't really care how many I kill. Both of my apartments were infested when I first moved in, but thanks to a healthy dose of Raid, are now insect free. Raid is plentiful and cheap down here(thank you GOD!)

THE INTERNET. most important thing on this list. I would be totally isolated and bored without it. Keeps me in touch with friends and family via email, skype and facebook as well as this blog.

My Laptop. There are internet cafes with computers but they are expensive so thankfully I have a laptop and WiFI is everywhere. I can watch cowboys and mavericks games, play DVD's. Again thanks to my sister Amy for graciously donating it to me. Since I lost my iPhone I don't know what I would do without the laptop.

Air Conditioning. Yeah I learned to live without it for two weeks in the jungle but once you have it back...you realize how much you missed it. Being covered in a constant inch thick layer of sweat will keep you cool but will definitely make you and your clothes stink, forcing you to take more cold showers. Also...it makes other people stink and they really dont care. On the Caribbean everyone had dreadlocks anyway....if you're not washing your hair why was your body?

my family and friends who have been great keeping in contact with me down here. It's not always easy traveling solo, since friends come and go as quick as the weather changes in Texas. Some friends from home were really interested when I first got down here, yet seem to have forgotten about me since. for those that haven't, thanks! You're more than welcome to a spot on my futon in my cabina only a 5 minute walk from the beach!
special shoutouts to the Mahaffey family, my mother and father, sister Amy, cousins Kim n Katie, Uncle David, Maria Valdez, and Jewel Jefferies any anyone else I forgot to mention for reading my blog daily.

Last and not least, the warm weather and beautiful beach. Who else went surfing on thanksgiving?
Many people here don't even know what Thanksgiving is or care to know, but I wished them a happy one anyway.

Something I am not thankful for....google AdSense disabling my account. That's why you are not seeing any ads. I violated the terms and violations by asking for clicks, so there goes my $300 dollars in earnings for the month of November. That money was to be directly deposited into my bank account in December, so I'm pretty down about having lost all that.
I filed an appeal, but google is not known to overturn their decision. Soon I'll have ads from a new sponsor up, but won't be seeing any of that money for at least 60 days. Until then, if you're feeling thankful for the info I've provided or in the Christmas spirit, there is a PayPal link at the end of this blog for any donations. I really don't expect anyone to do this but it doesn't hurt to have it there....30 peeps giving 10 bucks each and I'd have that money back.

This blog has been a success, already 1,162 views coming from multiple countries:

United States
1,037
Costa Rica
79
Canada
17
Germany
12
Switzerland
8
Egypt
7
Moldova
1
Uruguay
1

Thank you so much for your support!

beetle encounter

And I'm not talking about Ringo.
Tonight I went to the local internet/phone center to make a call home and walked out on the balcony to find this:

It looked exactly like this one except bigger! He was slowly crawling alongside a table. This thing was way bigger than any roach or beetle I'd ever seen in Texas. I couldn't resist not poking him so I did. The shell on his back was real thick and felt like an acorn or something.
This was the first time I'd ever seen one of these things living, at the Jaguar Rescue Center that had several dead ones preserved in jars.
I asked the lady in the store how to say this beetle's name and she said "escarabajo". I looked it up and it means beetle, I tried to find a more scientific name for it online but all I can come up with is "escarabajo de jardin" or "garden beetle". She was even nice enough to pick it up for me and show me what it looks like from underneath. I didn't ask her to....but thanks anyway I guess? It had this yellow ribbed stomach with all these furry appendages wiggling about. Its face had these little round eyes I'm guessing and some kind of fuzzy mouth.

The locals seem very accepting to the insects here, no matter her big or gross. Even to those grasshoppers, if one starts causing trouble and flying into people's faces, someone will just pick him up gently and toss him over the fence.
Quite different than back home! I imagine we'd have sprayed every gallon of cancer causing chemicals to rid our land of these creatures. I have yet to see someone squash a bug. Maybe it's because of the huge mess it would cause and they don't want to clean it up? Imagine all the juice and guts inside one of those things....eck.

So that was the highlight of my day. Another  insect on my list to see is the RHINO BEETLE. Check out this bad boy:

They are in Costa Rica but hide during the day. If you disturb one they'll hiss at you. The guide at the rescue center said he only saw one once, when a little local boy captured one and was going around showing it to people on the beach for a dollar. He said the boy had red marks on his arm from the rhino beetle pinching him with its horns!!
These things can get HUGE and can fly so I only hope it's me that discovers them and not the other way around.

Tamarindo sunsets

(click to enlarge) 

Finally I got a real picture to put up. This was taken by my friend Francis from Quebec on his iPhone while we were hanging out at the beach last night. I get treated to these beautiful sunsets  almost every day. I'm a much bigger fan of sunsets than sunrises. In Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean coast, the sunrises were said to be beautiful but I never felt like waking up at 4:30 am to find out.
 On the right side of the bay there are two small mountains on the piece of land that juts out and separates Playa Tamarindo from Playa Grande. The land on the left as seen in the picture is nothing but rocks. Further South is Playa Langosta. Langosta means lobster. I've only seen one lobster here in the Pacific waters, a very small baby lobster that washed up on the top of my surfboard while I was out waiting for a wave. I would have liked to have taken him home and eaten him as a light snack, but lucky for him I don't have any pots yet.

One drawback about the Pacific Ocean is its lack of underwater visibility. You can only see a few feet, opposed to the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean. I did get a chance to snorkel through a living reef during my time on the Caribbean Coast, and will make a blog entry on that great experience later.
I've heard there is some good scuba diving here, all kinds of marine life to see like the huge leatherback turtles and other unique marine life. Scuba is an expensive hobby....just to get certified is over 300 dollars, a temporary permit can be purchased for 65. I would love to try it while I'm down here.

Some friends from Australia I met here in Tamarindo are now in Dallas. They've been all over the place, from Florida to Costa Rica to Dallas then on to Austin before leaving from Houston. While they were in Florida they encountered a bull shark while snorkeling, one of the 3 shark species most likely to attack humans.

Bull sharks are known for their aggressive behavior and swimming in shallow waters near shore. Unlike other sharks, bull sharks can tolerate fresh water and have been known to swim up rivers. They have been known to travel as far up as Indiana in the Ohio River and Illinois in the Mississippi River.
While I hope to encounter some big fish when I go snorkeling or scuba diving again, I think I'll pass on a shark encounter. I'm sure it's a big adrenaline rush and all, but.....no thanks.
Maybe a giant sting ray like this would be cool:

The sport fishing is supposed to be great here. That's another expensive hobby. You can pay to go out on a boat and use their equipment but it will set you back several hundred. Unfortunately there are no docks or piers to fish off of. Once I get some work I plan on taking one of these fishing tours. I'd love to catch a big mahi-mahi, sailfish, or roosterfish. As thrilling as it is to reel in a 4 pound big mouth bass, I imagine it's nothing compared to fighting one of these beasts. Hopefully soon I will know.

 Costa Rica has a lot of rules regarding construction on the beach. There's only legal marina I know of, and that's in Jaco, further south on the Pacific Coast. Another one was planned on the Caribbean coast in Puerto Viejo, a huge marina with many slits and plans for businesses. As of right now the plans are dead due to local protests. The marina would take up almost the entire beach in the city. I'm not so sure this would be a bad thing though, as the beaches in town aren't that nice anyway and most people choose to visit the bigger cleaner beaches on either side of town.
Also the marina and resorts that would follow with it would bring so many much needed jobs for the local economy, lessening the local economy's dependence on dealing drugs to tourists.
I completely understand their side though, Puerto Viejo has a very chill, laid-back, time stands still, Reggae-Rasta-Jamaican type of vibe that the locals do no want disturbed.


Cowboys won two in a row!? Crazy. Shows you how bad Wade Phillips was as a coach.
I forgot the game was at noon and missed it, but glad they own and excited for the Thanksgiving Day matchup against the Saints. Hopefully I can find somewhere to eat Turkey down here without spending a fortune...

another friend leaves, and more 'small world' evidence

tonight I went out because my friend from Quebec leaves tomorrow. I've been hanging out with him since I arrived in Tamarindo late October. Now he leaves at 9 this morning to Santa Teresa in search of better waves. Santa Teresa is a town further south on the peninsula, facing west on the very tip. He's been here in Tamarindo two weeks longer than me, so I can't blame him for wanting to move on before he leaves in December.
It's kind of sad, really. Since I've been here I've had a buddy to hang out with. The first being 'Andy' from Switzerland, we spent time together in San Jose twice and the whole time I was in Puerto Viejo was mostly palling around with Andy. He had a rental car, which was awesome for me.

Blue Trailz hostel is kinda dead at the moment. No new travelers to befriend and introduce the town to like several did to me when I first arrived. Blue Trailz is the hostel I stayed for a little more than two weeks.

Something very interesting did happen tonight before I went out. Three girls, all native Costa Ricans yet fluent English speakers, got off a bus at the hostel.
One asked me, "Where are you from?"
I replied. "Texas, Fort Worth and a little time in Austin."
She laughed. Apparently her dad was an engineer who got a work visa for the US while she was growing up, and attended both RIDGLEA HILLS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL and MONNIG MIDDLE SCHOOL.
What a small, small world. I attended both. She enrolled 3 years after me.
She had also lived in Austin for a short while. Me too.

I've met several people with Fort Worth or Texas connections here in Costa Rica.
The first, my neighbor in Puerto Viejo. His parents lived right across from "The Canyons" apartments on River Park Drive, where I used to live.
The second was a couple from Spokane, Washington I sat by on the flight to Houston from Denver, Colorado on my way to San Jose, Costa Rica. They were originally from Russia but their English was very good. Somehow, after two weeks on a separate coast, I managed to run into them at a small restaurant in Tamarindo, on the west coast.
We had each traveled up and down the opposite coasts, yet somehow managed to meet as the only customers to dine in a local Tamarindo restaurant.
Then tonight. What are the odds I meet a native Costa Rican girl who attended the same elementary and middle school as me?
Crazy stuff.
Her English is flawless, she lived in Amsterdam before moving to Texas and attending school as a first grader all the way to seventh.. Her family was one month away from acquiring citizenship before her dad's engineering contract expired.

 Feel free to comment or subscribe.

eating and costa rican cuisine

The food is usually rather tame as far as seasoning. In contrast to Mexican dishes, there are  no jalapeños or spicy peppers of any kind really. Salt and pepper seem to get the job done. Every now and then some place will get fancy and add some lime juice. I can't find anything spicy.

 The "salad dressing" is just some kind of juice. 

If you've read my earlier blog entries you'll know the typical Costa Rican dish is "casados".  That's basically their only trademark dish. Many places have chicken empanadas too.

Casados includes white rice, black beans, small "salad", choice of fish, beef, chicken or pork, and fried plantain. Looks exactly like this:

After being here a month now, I can't imagine eating the way I did back in Texas, even though I started indulging in soft drinks again here(fanta orange and fresca made with real sugar is just too good to resist!).

Looking back, the portions in America are just ridiculous. No one needs that much food! Unfortunately I always felt the need to finish everything that's on my place or I feel like I'm wasting it. 

It's interesting, even if I have a small portioned meal here, the satisfaction after finishing the plate is still the same. We're just conditioned to wanting more and bigger is better. The only thing we love more than food is a good bargain.

I've noticeably lost weight in month I've been here. The size 36 shorts are starting to become loose. My facial bones are starting to become noticeable again as well as my abs as the layers of fat disappear. I've gone back to having just one chin.

When I first got here went to the local gym and weighed 210 lbs, I'm going back tomorrow to work out again and will weigh myself again. I'm guessing and hoping I'm under 200 now. 

The energy for all this walking, biking, surfing, and blogging has to be a great calorie burner. I'm no longer just replacing the burned calories with Taco Bueno, Jack in the Box, Whataburger, any pizza buffet....even though I would kill to get a Taco Bueno here.

 Or a pizza buffet. OR RANCH DRESSING.

 Oh man I miss ranch dressing! I haven't seen a drop or bottle since I've been here! I'm sure they have it at the Auto Mercado(biggest supermarket) here just outside town but I'd bet it's an American brand and at least 10 dollars a bottle. Mayonesa(mayonaise) and mostaza(mustard) are plentiful thankfully as well as ketchup.

Another helpful thing for my diet is the lack of fried anything in Tamarindo. There are no fried chicken or fried fish restaurants here!! It's very strange, considering these are all over the place elsewhere in Costa Rica, especially fried chicken! Walk down the foot streets in San Jose and you will see soda after soda with fried chicken sitting under hot lamps. Everywhere here in Tamarindo sells pizza. You can't take two steps without walking past a pizza restaurant. Other than that it's casados, the Costa Rican lunch dish, white rice, black beans, small "salad", and choice of pescado, pollo, bistecca, or chuleta. There's also a couple of Mexican restaurants and few nacho/burrito places. Two Asian food places I know of. Organic food, fruits, and sushi is popular too.

If I had the money to invest in a fried food restaurant here I would, and probably become the richest man in Tamarindo. 

Tonight I went to dinner with two Canadians, one from Quebec and one from Vancouver. 

I find it funny two fellow countrymen have trouble communicating. The guy from Quebec speaks French and doesn't know much English. 

Smoothie places are everywhere, and one in particular "Mandarina" makes the best smoothies I've ever had. Fresh everything, all kinds of fruits, cut straight from the fruit and blended right after you order it. So refreshing on a hot day after a surf session. 

They also have huge coconuts for only 500 colones. The top is chopped off and a straw put in. Perfect, nature's own little beverage. 

The town sometimes runs out of strawberries. I have yet to see any grapes anywhere here.

There was rain most of the day. I rented a bike and went grocery shopping. I bought more than planned so the trip back going uphill on a bike with 3 bags of groceries hung on the handlebars was an interesting test of balance.

The packages of ham and cheese got caught in the spokes and fell out of the grocery bag into the mud. Luckily the packages didn't tear. Just a little smushed. 

I was hoping nobody saw it happen but of course the lone person I encountered on my trek home comes walking out of a gate nearby. 

The water was off in the city for most of the day, and even after it was turned back on my apartment complex had to wait for the tank to fill back up to get any pressure. 

That meant no way to wash dirt and mud off your hands, clothes, all over my legs, and somehow my arms. 

It seems there is always at least one utility down at all times. The electricity goes out at times, the internet at others, today the water, sometimes the phone. That's just Costa Rica. 

The power lines are just strung through the trees. Sadly many monkeys get electrocuted crossing on them. Sometimes a mother will drop her baby and keep going rather than risk going to the ground to retrieve it.

I met some of the lucky ones that made it to the Jaguar Rescue Center, an animal rehabilitation center in Puerto Viejo. My visit there was a special trip. I hope to make a blog on it soon. 

I'm going to go make a sandwich.

thongs everywhere

And I'm not talking about flip-flops.
Since nothing worth writing about happened today, I guess it's time to finally make the long awaited, much anticipated blog entry on the local beach attire. I've been dreading it since my friends parents, family, and even my grandmother read this but I'll try to keep it as PG as I can.

In Tamarindo it is almost unusal not to see a girl wearing a thong bikini on the beach.
The locals almost always do and the tourists soon pick up on the trend and buy one themselves. It's not like the kind you think of, not just a string, but starts out like a regular swimsuit thick at the top then gradually disappears into a cheek sandwich.

Even the more modest surfer girl bikinis are still cut to show more cheek than almost anything you'd see at your local pool or lake in America. It's just not that big of a deal here. I've been told it's the Brazilian style that's made it's way north to Costa Rica. It's no big deal for European or Australian girls either.
At first it was a bit of a shock to see all these exposed sandy buns on the beach and in the streets but like anything, after awhile you get used to it.
There's even one lady that goes around selling necklaces all day in her black thong swimsuit. She has a very large rear end, one can't help but notice. I guess she thinks it helps with sales. For me, no gracias, please don't walk up to me like that por favor no matter how cool your jewelry is.

Women of all ages wear them, from teenagers to 40's.
I haven't seen any topless sunbathing here, but I did on the more secluded beaches of the Caribbean everyday since it's less touristy and the beaches less populated. I'm not sure what the local laws are, but I do know locals frown upon hippies skinny dipping at an unofficial nude beach in Montezuma, a town located on the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula. Tamarindo is about 4 hours to the northwest.

The local guys are of course much more modest, no banana hammocks or speedos here. Long bright colored board shorts with wild patterns is what's popular. I bought one myself....even though it was relatively expensive, well worth it.
To be honest I felt out of place wearing my plain white and black with a drawstring and stretchy-waistband bathing suit. The pair I bought is black and grey at the top that fades into an oceany turquoise. No stretchy waistband, no lining, goes well past the knees, perfect.
How can you ever hope to have respect as a surfer if you look like you're about to go to Hurricane Harbor?
 Real boardshorts don't have lining because it only gets in the way when you're surfing, not comfortable. Besides, this is the ocean and not a public pool.  The big waves have a way of trying to eat your bathing suit right off you so it's important to keep it tied tight. The bikinis have bungee cords on the side to help stay fastened. The boardshorts have thick laces.
The size I bought was 36, but since I've been here my size 36 shorts are becoming much looser. Walking or biking everywhere, surfing, and not eating fast food or big portions equals less body fat.
I'm hoping my suit will still stay on as long as I tie it real tight even if my waist does shrink back to the 34 inches I was for years. All the suits sit dangerously low on the waist and I'm quickly losing the necessary fat and belly to hold it up.
I'll happily take the sleeker bod though even if it means having to buy another swimsuit.

The ocean's color is turning that deep Pacific blue now since it hasn't rained in so long. The sky was cloudy and the waves make the ones in the Gulf of Mexico look like tsunamis.  Here's to hoping for more sun and bigger waves, as well as some trabajo!!!

bedding, pots and pans

Are like gold here. There is no place to buy them close to me. The closest place is a big supermarket on the outskirts of town. I'm going to have to pay a cab like 20 bucks to get there and back but I have no choice.

My bed has no sheets. Right now I'm using a large bathroom towel I bought in Puerto Viejo. It works but I haven't been getting the best sleep. There are two well worn pillows furnished by the complex. They don't smell the freshest but I didn't come here expecting luxury. I have not seen box springs since I've been down here. The mattresses are very thin and firm. Some so thin I can feel the bed frame on the other side.
Fortunately the one at my new place is the thickest I've slept on since being here.

I have plates, cups, and silverware but no pots or pans to cook. I'd really love to get started cooking so I can save money and not have to go out for every meal. I have no idea what pots and pans costs here. Some things are unusually expensive here.

My fridge is very nice...even has a good sized freezer at the top, but as of now only has milk and orange juice.

Sorry for the boring entry but there's not much else to report on today. Still looking for work.
Thanks again for the ad click support. I made 33 dollars yesterday. I'm now over the 100 dollar threshold required for payment. I should receive the first deposit at the end of December.

By then I'll either have found another source of income, returned home, or living under a palm tree spending my days begging tourists on the street for money, coconuts, or food scraps.

bright moon on a clear night

Believe it or not, tonight was the first night I walked on the beach out of three weeks. I've always been somewhere else at night. After drinking a few Imperials at the old Blue Trailz hostel with some old friends and new faces, I decided to take a slight detour on my way back home and walk across the beach.
The sky was completely clear. This is not always the case, as there is usually some cloud coverage or something blocking the view of the stars. Not tonight.
The stars shined bright even with the moon's ultra bright glow. I'd guess it's about a quarter away from a full moon.
I could see as far out into the ocean to spot the anchored boats, small island, and mountains that surround the bay, all of which are hundreds of meters away.

Amazing how high the tide comes in late at night. Almost all the way up to the buildings on the shore. During the day, and at low tide, the waves only come in at least 100 meters away.
It was so bright out tonight, you could probably have surfed if you wanted.

The rest of the walk was not so peaceful and serene. A walk that took 20 minutes and ended with a long climb uphill. I think I may have misjudged the walking distance since the first times I came here were on a bike. Pedaling a good pace takes about 5 minutes.
It's clear I will have to succumb to buying a bike, as much as I don't want to. They're a luxury here and costs just as much as they do back home. A new Costa Rican brand bike will set you back 125 dollars. It works but isn't the greatest quality. A used Trek will run you at least $200.

There's always the option to take a taxi, but most will charge you 2,000 colones(4 dollars) to anywhere in town. I know now you can get a ride for 1,000 colones (2 bucks) , depending on the driver. Some will accept this, others won't budge.
The group of drivers playing cards tonight nearby the hostel decided to pass on my offer of two bucks. That's fine, I'd rather walk. It's really not far enough to pay four bucks.

I met a Norwegian girl named something I can't remember, Luisa I think, on my walk back. The roads are dark but there are guards patrolling condos on every corner.
She is here staying at one of the Spanish schools to learn the language. Her English was very good, as is most Norwegians. Funny they seem to speak the best English out of all non-English speaking countries. They tell me they grow up watching TV in English, movies, and learning it in school. Good for them. Some Canadians from Quebec can't even speak it as well.

I don't have much room to talk, however. My Spanish is very weak. I can understand more than I can speak, surprisingly. Usually more than my European friends(there are exceptions, I've met a few that are fluent in Spanish, English, and whatever country they're from). They look to me sometimes to ask what a local said. I guess I know some basics from growing up in Texas.
Keep in mind though, the Costa Ricans speak slower and with better known words when talking to a foreigner.
I just know the numbers and a few very basic phrases.
Some locals shake their head at my attempts to speak their language, especially when they speak mine. I've now gotten to know several here, they recognize me finally.
They know I'm here for awhile. They know I don't want to buy any marijuana or cigars or take surfing lessons, finally, after saying "no, gracias" a hundred times.
Having a sense of fitting in, albeit slight, provides a bit of comfort and familiarity.

There's a pic of Playa Tamarindo to the right, the river mouth on the left. After you cross the river mouth, you can walk along a mountain to get to Playa Grande.

the new digs!!

Just finished getting all settled in my new apartment. It's much, much nicer than my first one!

Mine is on the bottom floor, last one on the right.

It has a strong cold a/c unit instead of just one fan on the ground.
The door closes all the way and seals shut.
The windows close all the way.
It has curtains over every window and door.
There are shelves throughout each room.
There is a built in stove on the kitchen counter.
The TV reception is much clearer and there are way more channels. I have HBO, Cinemax, TNT, ESPN, FoxNews, CNN, CBS, NBC, Fox, discovery channels, animal planet, national geographic, and more.
Can't say honestly I missed TV, but it's nice to have at night when there's not much to do.
The floor is brown reddish clay color.
There are ceiling fans in the bedroom and living room with 3 long blades and 5 speeds. The highest speed is very powerful.
There's also lights everywhere,  my first place here only had two!
I have a nice big patio in front and already bought and hung a Rasta colored hammock.
My fridge is only about a foot shorter than a standard one.
It's nice having a futon in the living.
The door has a spot for a master lock besides the main lock, the windows also have metal bars across them.
So for only 25 dollars more, I moved up into a much much nicer apartment. This place could easily go for 400 or more in the high season. I'm glad I grabbed it now.
It doesn't, however, had pots and pans or a kitchen table, but otherwise it's a huge upgrade.

The only drawbacks, it's further from the beach. I will need a bike to get here an back. It's up a hill too.
It doesn't have the jungle behind it or nice flowers and plants in front like the first.
I like that it's far enough away from the main road away from the loud traffic, construction, and other noise. Nice and quiet out here. I can finally unpack my huge heavy backpack(first time all trip!), spread out, throw my stuff around without worrying about getting in anyone's way, really get settled in.

It's starting to get a little busier, the dry season is now here, it never rains and is hotter. The busy season is just around the corner, and hopefully a job.

On a side note, my cousin Kim started her own blog at http://katiefightsleukemia.blogspot.com
detailing my her sister's and my cousin's battle with acute leukemia. I hope she doesn't mind me posting the link but I think it's good.

I just stepped outside to talk with my neighbor and we watched as a raccoon came right up and grabbed my box of leftover casados con pollo with both hands. He just lifted it right up and walked away, only like 5 feet away from us. He then opened it with his hands just like a human and began to eat. He must really have been hungry.
The raccoons have more black in them than I remember the ones at home. Some places list "raccoons" as "wildlife" you can see. I find that funny since they were so common growing up at LMRA.
A brochure will say "see toucans, macaws, alligators, tree frogs, and raccoons!"

It's a cool night tonight. I'm out on the hammock as I type this. 

cowboys won a game

and I was happy to see that. I was so sick of Wade Phillips and all those ugly faces he made when the team made a stupid mistake. Randy Galloway said "His face looks like someone just told him Luby's ran out of meatloaf." 

Obviously this team rallied around Garrett and decided to play this week and beat a very good Giants team at their own place. The game was really bizarre wasn't it? Lights going out, weird turnovers, strange stats and calls.

Very entertaining stuff and I'm lovin me some Dez. Kitna is such an upgrade over Brad Johnson. He was making throws today right on the money.

That's about all I did today. Not much to report on. It was beautiful out again today, hotter than normal but great beach weather, so I hung out there til the Cowboys game. I debated whether or not to enjoy the beach or watch the Cowboys lose, but was curious about seeing how the team responded to Phillips departure and Garrett's promotion. I was pleasantly surprised. 

Nothing else to report on really. I had some tuna fish pizza for dinner. It was actually really good. I found this little place with 9 inch personal pizzas for 4 bucks, and been going there a lot lately with people from the hostel. 

It's a much better deal than the tiny personal pizzas from pizza hut that are more than 8 bucks. One of the guys that worked there picked up a massive grasshopper and shook it by the legs. Apparently that makes them flap their wings and he just held it there as it flew in place like a wind up toy. A very scary toy. I have yet to see anyone smush one of those things but I can't imagine its a pretty sight. The grasshoppers have a tendency to end up where they're not wanted, like a girls bathroom or in a kitchen. The locals just pick them up gently and release them elsewhere.

I move into my apartment tomorrow and it couldn't come at a better time. I'm ready for some privacy and room to spread out. I will miss meeting people at the hostel but I'm sure they'll still let me come hang around. 

There's a yoga group that's been staying here. They're very "New Age" like. They hum and listen to weird music. They're overlyfriendly and happy. They wake up at 6 to do yoga and are very noisy before they get started. There's only one guy in the group and I think he's hooking up with the teacher. They're sitting right next to me right now and he's stroking her hair as she rubs his back. She just said "you're my gift" to him. So corny and gross. I will not miss them. 

the downside of downtime

living here in Costa Rica, time already passes by so much slower than what I'm accustomed to. Life is just lived at a much slower pace. There's a lot of waiting involved. Waiting for food, waiting for a wave, waiting at the bank, waiting for the bus, unfortunately for me not yet waiting for tips.
It can be a blessing or a curse. Tonight for example it is a curse. My three friends, two girls from Australia and one girl from England that hung out together, have traveled onward to the volcano, leaving me here at the hostel with a sleeping American, a sleeping guy from somewhere, and my friend from Quebec who spends his nights using the WiFi at Pizza Hut to call his girlfriend. I miss the girls, they were fun and crazy, with very interesting accents, phrases, and words.
I've always been a night owl so going to bed around 8-11 is not an option for me.
That leaves me with
a) get on my laptop and kill time online
b) go out to a sketchy bar or nightclub
c) write a blog
d) walk around town aimlessly
e) study and work on my Spanish
I've done a through d, have yet to explore option e but probably should.
I do option a every night, I really have no idea what I would be doing without my laptop(thanks again Amy), especially since I lost my iPhone.
I use the laptop for skype(like a video chat), facebook, watching sports via live online steams, research, and craigslist. Many sites are copyright restricted here, for example hulu.com. I can't watch the latest 'The Daily Show' or 'Saturday Night Live', even 'Jersey Shore', which may be a good thing. Some youtube music videos won't play here either.
Option b I've tried once, and it's just not for me, not the safest thing or the cheapest.
Option c I do every night but it only keeps me busy for so long.
option d just makes me more bored.
That's one of the drawbacks of living here and a rather small one compared to all the fun I have during the day. Night begins around 5, shops start closing, the sun starts setting, people go eat and then go back out around 10. Another big drawback is constantly having to make new friends. I've met many people here from all over the world but they always leave to return home or travel onward. I've got a couple of local tico friends here, but they stay busy with work and go home at night.
I wish I was busy with work as well, so far still no luck. I may have to just keep waiting til the busy season, which begins in a couple of weeks but doesn't really start peaking til January. I've decided to stay put here, already paid the deposit and signed a 3 month lease on an apartment. Hopefully I made the right choice. My other options were to move on to Panama as recommended by several travelers, fly to the very expensive US Virgin Islands in hopes of having a better chance of landing a job as a citizen, travel around Costa Rica until my funds are dry, or just return home with some money left.
I decided to keep trying to look for a job in Costa Rica and figured Tamarindo would be my best shot. I brought too much stuff to be traveling around with anyway since my plan was to immediately get settled in one location and stay there rather than trek across the country.

What I've learned about seeking jobs abroad: there is always a demand for chefs/cooks. If you can cook, you can find a job anywhere.
Computer repairs. The guy working as a "leasing agent" named Mario at the apartments I'm moving into is a computer repair guy. He can take them apart and fix them. He grew up here but lived in Boston for 18 years, learned English, and holds dual-citizenship because his dad was American and his mother Costa Rican. He told me he prefers Boston but had to move back here for whatever reason. All the books on software and programming are in English he says. Mario tells me he has more work than he can handle, that he's always traveling around this area of Costa Rica to fix people's computers.

There was a surfing contest held on the beach today. The waves forgot to show up.

Another interesting fact about howler monkeys I read from an article featured on yahoo's main page today: They are the loudest land animal on Earth. I don't doubt that for a second. When they howl, even from way up 50 ft in a tree, it sounds like they are sitting right by you howling into your ear. They can be heard up to 10 miles away!
There was more fun with mutant grasshoppers tonight, I'll talk about that later.
I've also seen a few of these guys around the streets and trees: