Miscellaneous Goings On

It’s official - I’m an honourary Tica! Hernan Agustin Carazo gave me this certificate. Although we moved to Costa Rica sight unseen, we did plenty of research beforehand and were prepared to fully embrace a new culture.

Soleida, our housekeeper, gave me this Schlumbergera cactus and it is loaded with blooms:

This article on the best places to retire in 2024 details several countries. Costa Rica is rated #1 and is at the end of the article. What interested me about all the countries listed is the high quality of health care available in each one.

ARCR (Association of Residents of Costa Rica) has recently published the 2024 November-December issue of its EL RESIDENTE magazine. Lance and I are members of ARCR.

The magazine contains many articles and references which may be of general interest or to those planning a visit or move to Costa.

By the way, and for quite some time, the right hand sidebar of my blog included a widget that identified worldwide locations from which visits to the blog were being received. Sometime yesterday it stopped doing so. No rotating globe or other information appears in the panel below the heading "VISITS SINCE 9/29/2016".

The ongoing source of the information was revolvermaps and I now have a message that the website is "down for everyone" and not just me. It appears they have failed to renew their HTTPS security certificate. If the problem is not fixed, then I may try something different.

Eyes on Costa Rica and Weather Records - October 2024

During October, visits to this blog were received from the following 16 countries:

Each country is followed in brackets by the total number of visits received since records first started to be kept in November 2012.

From the time I started to keep track, the total number of countries and non-independent jurisdictions from which visits have been received remains at 136. Of this number, 13 are non-independent jurisdictions - e.g. Guadeloupe, an Overseas Department and Region of France from which 2 visits have been received.

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The following is a summary of weather for October in the area where we live:

In the late morning on October 12 (about 11:43 a.m. to be precise), the alarm on our rain gauge sounded to indicate that a rain event had begun. But there was nary a drop of water falling from the sky. Instead, there was a magnitude 6.2 earthquake taking place just off the coast in the Pacific Ocean near Tamarindo:

The distance from the earthquake epicenter to our house in San Roque de Grecia is about 129 miles (208 km). We felt vibrations from the quake for several seconds but they were small and of no consequence except to trigger the rain guage to falsely register the first 0.01 inches (0.25 mm) of the day.

Information on current and recent weather conditions, climate change and more in various parts of Costa Rica can be obtained from the website of IMN: Instituto Meteorológico Nacional de Costa Rica (Spanish) or National Institute of Meteorology (English). IMN also has a Facebook page which may be of interest.

Hear! Hear!

Last Wednesday morning, I woke up with a spinning sensation in my head. When I tried to sit up I just flopped back down like a rag doll. Eventually I was able to stand up and walk without falling. The sensation gradually eased off during the morning.

The same thing happened on Thursday and Friday. On Saturday, the dizziness did not ease off at all and we decided I needed to see a doctor. Our Ebais is not open on weekends. We could have gone to the Grecia hospital but it can be chaos there, especially when one’s Spanish is not up to medical terminology standards.

We decided to call our Costa Rican friend, Minor. He is an EMT (emergency medical technician) and bilingual. I Whatsapp’d him and he replied within a very short time. Minor agreed that I needed attention soon and suggested we go to Clínica Médica Sanchez in Grecia. He knows Dr. Sanchez. Minor even called the clinic and got an appointment for me that same day.

This clinic is very impressive. The waiting area has super comfortable seating and there is an indoor atrium. The nurse came to get me to take my weight, height, blood pressure and heart rate. Back to the waiting area and soon Dr. Sanchez came for me and we went with him to his office. A plus - he is bilingual.

History and examination completed, Dr. Sanchez determined ear blockage was the cause of the vertigo. He wrote me up three prescriptions, one being ear drops. I was taken to a room that had two hospital beds and a really comfy recliner. Into the recliner I went, hooked up to an IV, covered with a blanket, lights dimmed and told to have a nap. Of course that didn’t happen.

About an hour later, I was unhooked from the IV. Instructions: no driving, no gym, back in a week for ear irrigation, and rest. The vertigo meds helped quite a bit but by Tuesday the continuous dizziness had returned. Back we went to see Dr. Sanchez.

This time he irrigated both ears and the results were fast. I was still dizzy but could hear much better and the pressure in my head had improved a lot. It took a few days to feel 100% back to normal.

I’m going to the gym tomorrow and driving myself there.

I highly recommend Clinica Medica Sanchez.

By the way: when you see a price such as 40,000 colones on the Clinica Medica Sánchez Facebook page, that currently translates to about USD $78.00 or CDN $108.00. In Canada, the rub is that it does not allow a public (Ebais) system plus a private (e.g. Sanchez) system to co-exist.

Eyes on Costa Rica and Weather Records - September 2024

During September, visits to this blog were received from the following 13 countries:

Each country is followed in brackets by the total number of visits received since records first started to be kept in November 2012.

From the time I started to keep track, the total number of countries and non-independent jurisdictions from which visits have been received remains at 136. Of this number, 13 are non-independent jurisdictions - e.g. Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.

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The following is a summary of weather for September in the area where we live:

Information on current and recent weather conditions, climate change and more in various parts of Costa Rica can be obtained from the website of IMN: Instituto Meteorológico Nacional de Costa Rica (Spanish) or National Institute of Meteorology (English). IMN also has a Facebook page which may be of interest.

Miscellanous Photographs/El Residente Magazine

Click on images to enlarge.

Here is the gym I go to twice a week:

I go early in the morning. It’s about a 7 minute drive from our house - and that was one of the reasons I chose it. If I had to drive half an hour or more each way I’m pretty sure I would not have stuck with the routine. 

Across the road from the gym, there are tall dirt banks bordering on sugar cane fields. Some creative person carved these images into the bank:

We see some pretty amazing morning skies from our house:

That’s an orchid.

Speaking of orchids, I have several in bloom right now:

We had breakfast recently at Victoria Cafeteria. They are situated in a typical wooden Costa Rican house. We always eat outdoors - it’s the nicest setting.

Walkway from the house.

Just down the road from the restaurant is a large soccer field and this day a game was on.

The palm trees along the road were painted in the colours of the Costa Rican flag. September 15th was Independence Day.

ARCR (Association of Residents of Costa Rica) has recently published the 2024 September-October issue of its EL RESIDENTE magazine. Lance and I are members of ARCR.

The magazine contains many articles and references which may be of general interest or to those planning a visit or move to Costa Rica.

Eyes on Costa Rica and Weather Records - August 2024

Click on images to enlarge.

During August, visits to this blog were received from the following 12 countries:

Each country is followed in brackets by the total number of visits received since records first started to be kept in November 2012.

From the time I started to keep track, the total number of countries and non-independent jurisdictions from which visits have been received remains at 136. Of this number, 13 are non-independent jurisdictions - e.g. Curaçao, a Netherlands Constituent in the Caribbean, from which 6 visits have been received.

By the way, I have come to the conclusion that the number of PAGEVIEWS which appear in the right hand sidebar of my blog are a total fiction. On August 17, the number of PAGEVIEWS recorded by the blog app I use was recorded as "1342". I doubt that my blog contains 1342 pages. Concurrently, the number of visits recorded by the RevolverMaps app that I also use was recorded as "6".

Frankly, I think the PAGEVIEWS numbers are significantly inflated. I expect they are the result of automated Web scraping and do not represent the actual number of pages viewed by real persons.

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The following is a summary of weather for August in the area where we live:

The daytime high temperatures are shade temperatures. Both the average high in August this year and the average overnight low were slightly higher than August last year.

Concurrently, the total rainfall in August this year was about 2 inches (25 mm) less than the amount last year. Nevertheless, the year to August month end total was about 11.5 inches (291 mm) higher than for the same period last year. This is a good thing. Otherwise, the water reservoirs for Costa Rica's hydroelectric dams could drop dangerously low and that could lead to power blackouts.

Information on current and recent weather conditions, climate change and more in various parts of Costa Rica can be obtained from the website of IMN: Instituto Meteorológico Nacional de Costa Rica (Spanish) or National Institute of Meteorology (English). IMN also has a Facebook page which may be of interest.

Miscellaneous Happenings - In and Around Grecia

 Click on images to enlarge.

One common occurrence in Costa Rica is people arriving at the gate of one’s house with something to sell. I have bought pens, a home made apron, etc., and last week Steven arrived. He has been here before selling baked goods that he and his wife make and sell. He’s really nice, as they all are.  He was carrying two large bins of different products. Steven’s English is virtually flawless. 

Regarding English speakers in Costa Rica. This seems to becoming the norm here. Since the time of our arrival in this country in 2011, the fluency of locals in English has improved far beyond our fluency in Spanish. I think this reflects that English as a second language is now being emphasized in Costa Rican schools.

In my view, the most important languages any child might be taught in school are English, Spanish and Chinese. I do Duolingo Spanish lessons every day but will never be fluent because of age. It’s a different story with young folks.

He actually had biscuits made with no sugar so I bought those. They are very good paired with my morning coffee. Also bought some flaky sweet rolls for Lance. He asked me to share his info wherever I can and I promised I would. So give him a call - he will deliver. Here is his info:

His contact information.

Sugarless biscuits on top, sweet buns on bottom.

Recently a neighbourhood cat has been visiting us. I don’t know exactly where her home is but it must be close by. She is in fine shape and obviously someone’s pet. This is not unusual in Costa Rica. Pets are often free to roam around and have a particular route that they follow and people that they visit.

She’s a lovely Siamese.

I have four orchids in bloom right now.

Guarianthe Aurantiaca (I have two of these).

Two phalaenopsis, different colours.

I finished a painting - “Hare Today, Gone Tomorrow”. Acrylic and Prismacolor pencils on Daler board, 24x18 ins. Photo reference courtesy of Terence Porter.

You can see more of my artwork here.

We had breakfast this morning at Victoria Cafeteria, a five minute drive from our house. This photo shows the view just a very short drive away from the restaurant.

I’m Back in the Hammock Again

Click on images to enlarge.

When I injured my left knee well over a year ago, I was unable to use my hammock. I could get into it but not out because I could not put much weight on that leg.

So my beloved hammock has swung back and force with the breezes all this time, empty and ignored.

I decided the other day that I could safely exit it if I was careful. It needed a good scrubbing. Out came the cleaning tools:

It was a nice sunny day so I put it down on the grass, hosed it down and started scrubbing. Here it is before the wash:

Then I hung it over a railing in the sun to dry for a couple of days. Here it is back where it belongs:

One of my favourite things to do is get into this hammock with a book or a crossword puzzle and just relax. Which is exactly what I did today. The stand was made for me by a fantastic iron worker who lives in Atenas.

There are men who walk around the towns carrying and selling these hammocks, as well as floor mats. Really good value.

Off topic, I recently made a video of some early morning clouds with lightning flashing through them. This was from our house around 0500 or so.

Eyes on Costa Rica and Weather Records - July 2024

Click on images to enlarge.

During July, visits to this blog were received from the following 12 countries:

Each country is followed in brackets by the total number of visits received since records first started to be kept in November 2012.

From the time I started to keep track, the total number of countries and non-independent jurisdictions from which visits have been received remains at 136. Of this number, 13 are non-independent jurisdictions - e.g. the Cayman Islands, a self-governing British Overseas Territory from which 11 visits have been received.

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The following is a summary of weather for July in the area where we live:

The daytime high temperatures are shade temperatures. The average high in July this year was slightly lower than July last year. The average overnight low was slightly higher.

Concurrently, the total rainfall in July this year was almost double the amount last year. This was good news because increased rainfall serves to top up water reservoirs behind Costa Rica's hydroelectric dams. Earlier this year, water levels had dipped to a point where circulating power blackouts became a serious risk (see my blog post on June 9, 2024).

Information on current and recent weather conditions, climate change and more in various parts of Costa Rica can be obtained from the website of IMN: Instituto Meteorológico Nacional de Costa Rica (Spanish) or National Institute of Meteorology (English). IMN also has a Facebook page which may be of interest.

Shifting Mindset

Click on images to enlarge.

On May 29, 2023 and June 4, 2023 I did two posts regarding my injured left knee and how it was being treated by my orthopaedic surgeon here in Grecia -  Dr. Baltodano.

One of his recommendations was physical therapy which I still continue with to this day, only once a month now.

By March of this year I decided to see Dr. Baltodano again because the knee had improved to some degree but now I was experiencing pain in the right knee and right shoulder.

Physical exam followed, along with lab work, x-rays and ultrasounds. The results: “I just received your lab work results and effectively we are dealing with an important inflammatory response with a metabolic syndrome. It is imperative to consider the habit change recommendations since this condition is the cause of chronic medical conditions including arthritis”.

Dr. Baltodano spent an hour with me explaining how he arrived at his diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. This is the chart he drew for me as he was explaining:

Notice the sad face for triglycerides (bad fats) and the happy face for colesterol (good fats)! The habit change recommendations he mentioned were included in a five page document that he created. An anti-inflammatory diet: foods to avoid and foods to increase consumption of - low carb, no sugar. Very much like a Keto diet. Physical activity - weights/bicycle/swimming, etc. Avoid stressful situations. I also take various medications and supplements. Also regular IV infusions of vitamin C, xlipic (lipoid) acid and glutathione.

DO NOT change your diet or exercise program without approval from your health care provider. This is what is working for me and my cluster of medical conditions. It may not be right for you and in no way am I recommending any of this for anybody else. I’m writing this to give encouragement to people and let them know that they have the ability to make positive changes to their health.

My last blood work two weeks ago showed significant improvements. I am no longer pre-diabetic. Total colesterol is within normal limits, same with triglycerides. I’m hoping to put the rheumatoid arthritis into remission.

I have also joined a gym for strength training, which I really enjoy. It is close to our house, has modern equipment and trainers that know what they are doing.

I am more than impressed with the quality of health care in this country, both private and within the socialized medical system.

Dr. Baltodano sent me this WhatsApp message: “There’s still some things to improve. You’re on the right track. Sky is the limit. My total congratulations! And I applaud you. You are amazing. Step by step you’ve taken control of your health and you’ll keep on doing it. I exhort you to keep up the good work”.

And I will! With this kind of help and encouragement from my doctor and also from my husband, I can reach my health goals.

And so can you!

Hidden Gems

Click on images to enlarge.

Costa Rica is a country of roads that will take you to places that you never knew existed, even when you live close to them. Take any side road and see where it leads you.

I belong to a lot of different Costa Rica Facebook pages. They can be invaluable when searching for information and everyone is happy to share. 

Recently someone posted that they had found a new brunch restaurant not far from where we live. We’re always ready to try new restaurants. This one is named Briselas Brunch & Pizzeria. It is located on Calle Corinto, San Isidro, and is just 3.5 km from our house.

But wait! There’s more! The restaurant is across from Tennis-Gimnasio Webb. I have been looking for a good gym for a while. It had to have modern equipment, an on-site instructor and be close to our house and this place checked all the boxes. So I signed up and had my first session yesterday. Some light cardio and weights for strength training. The monthly rate is reasonable.

There’s still more! There’s a tennis court, a small wedding chapel and an event hall. I knew there were tennis courts because I saw their sign when we have driven down this road but never imagined what else was there.

Back to the restaurant. I took fotos of the menu but the first page came out blurry. Here is page two:

I ordered the limonada clásica:

And Lance chose a cafe latte.

Our meals - for me it was the huevos rancheros. The cast iron pan was sizzling hot:

With lightly toasted bread on the side, good for dipping in the ranchero sauce:

And Lance decided on the burrito desayuno:

The portion was extremely generous and we ended up taking half of the burrito home for breakfast the next day. Both meals were excellent.

The restaurant has gorgeous views:

In the field below us, workers were cutting sugar cane manually with machetes. This is hard, hard physical work.

Some interior views of the restaurant:

And …. on the driveway into this complex, I saw this:

It’s an outdoor aquarium complete with live fish!