Going For A CT Scan

 Recently one of my doctors ordered a CT scan. The reason why is not important for this post, which is just to provide what I hope is useful information for others in this situation.

My doctor said there are no clinics in Grecia that offer this service but there are in Alajuela city or San Jose. Lance did an on line search for me and found this clinic, Desconocido Centro Médico, City Mall, Alajuela, which is closer to us than San Jose. I contacted them and received a prompt reply via WhatsApp. My appointment was for the next day at 11:00 am.

They Whatsapp’d me a form to fill out detailing my medical history, etc.

Although City Mall is only 33 km from our house, the traffic can be heavy and slow. We didn’t want to be late so we decided to hire our friend Alec to drive us. He drives a taxi and a bus and knows all the shortcuts. He picked us up in good time. Away we went, with a short stop for water bottles. 

Centro Médico is on the parking level, where all the medical clinics are located. We arrived in good time and checked in. Because Alec is Spanish speaking, he was a great help with translating for us. In due time, we were called into the patient waiting area. Normally only one patient assistant is allowed in but I got to bring in both my guys!

Then I had my BP taken and handed over my CT scan requisition that detailed what my doctor wanted done. Again Alec was very helpful. It wasn’t long before I was ushered into the scan room. A very nice bilingual technician assisted me onto the table, told me what I would experience and exited.

I thought the CT scanner might be scary but it wasn’t. During the process, a voice came on (in English) telling me when to hold my breath and when to release it. The whole process took maybe 10 minutes.

Back to the patient waiting area where Lance and Alec were both drinking cups of freshly brewed coffee! The clinic has a coffee machine that will make whatever sort of brew you want. They also offer tea bag varieties and water bottles. Alec made me a cup of excellent coffee.

Time to head home. The clinic will send me the results in one or two days via Whatsapp.

Cost: 170,000 colones, approximately $470.00 CAD.

Wedding Anniversary Getaway

Click on images to enlarge.

On February 12, 1982, we were married at the courthouse in Vancouver, British Columbia.

So, forty two (!) years later …. we decided on a little getaway to explore an area of Costa Rica that we had not yet seen. We chose Hacienda La Isla (on this link you can select your language preference on the top right bar), a unique lodge in the foothills of the Braulio Carrillo National Park.

We decided to rent a vehicle from Adobe Car Rental here in Grecia as our Subaru needs the front brakes worked on and we are waiting for the parts to arrive from Japan.

Here is our driving route (in blue) with the red pin being Hacienda La Isla. 

Although this is a road with lots of tight turns (some of them hairpin) it is a well paved and marked route. It straightens out more after La Virgen. Beautiful scenery. When we stopped to change drivers, we saw these fantastic plants - Gunnera, or “poor man’s umbrella”.

We were using WAZE (free navigational app) but it let us down towards the end of our trip. It told us to turn into a laneway that supposedly led to our lodge but this was wrong. The road was terrible and led to nowhere. Back to the highway and we made a few more wrong moves. Finally I saw a sign that read “Hacienda La Isla Restaurante” so we decided to try this road. The sign was not large and was easy to miss, which we had done a couple of times.

It’s a dirt road and very narrow. I’m glad we didn’t meet a vehicle coming towards us - there was only one area to pull over and let a car pass. 

Hacienda La Isla is a unique place with beautiful gardens and walking trails. There is a swimming pool. The buildings are traditional Spanish colonial style. Our room had a king bed. There is no air conditioning and I thought that would be a problem but the large ceiling fan made it more than comfortable and at times almost too cool at night. We could sit outside on the two chairs provided with a table. There was a small safe in a cabinet. Good internet. Bring your own shampoo/conditioner.

Outside our room:

We met the people next to us … they were from Holland.

Temperatures: we were in the rain forest. The first day seemed quite humid. After that we were more comfortable. But it does rain and moisture drips from the trees. Many trees and plants we had never seen before. Same with the bird calls. What I believe was a gray-necked wood-rail strolled by one morning. 

Restaurant: breakfast is included and is a typical Costa Rican meal. Food service starts at 7:00 am. There is no menu - but you are asked how you want your eggs prepared. The coffee was terrific … strong! The fresh fruit drink was amazing … made from their own fruits. Dinner starts at 7pm.

The owner of Hacienda La Isla is on site (he is from Belgium) and we met him during breakfast. He greets everyone who arrives using any number of different languages. This is a popular place for European travellers.

Photos from our stay here:

The open air dining area.

The lagoon beside the restaurant.

Ceiling patterns in our room.

Up top there is a room with a balcony.

The lush growth.

On our last day here, we were treated to the appearance of a howler monkey and I was able to make a video:

For our trip home from Hacienda La Isla we decided to plot a different route as shown on the following map:

Coincidentally, and despite a significantly shorter driving distance, the driving time indicated on the route shown is precisely the same (2 hr 23 min) as that indicated for our trip to Hacienda La Isla. This is because much of the trip was through heavily populated areas including the cities of Heredia and Alajuela. However, our actual driving time was substantially greater. We ran into bad traffic conditions, bad weather conditions and bad WAZE conditions.

We chose the route shown because we understood that it would include some spectacular mountain scenery on a part of National Route 32 which is the main highway between the capital city of San José and the port city of Limón on the Caribbean coast. However, almost immediately after we turned onto Route 32 we came to a dead stop at a bottleneck (B1 on the map) which seemed to include more semi-trailers, buses and other large vehicles than it did automobiles. There we sat for 15 to 20 minutes.

When we began to move, traffic was very slow at first but eventually separated and began to speed up and reach normal speeds. But, this did not last long. Roughly within the circled region on the map there was a dramatic change in the weather. As we climbed up into the mountains it became cloudy, then it became foggy, then it began to rain within the fog - and at times it began to fog up within our car. So much for spectacular scenery - everybody had to slow down.

The next dead stop (B2 on the map) came about 100 meters after we exited the Zurqui Tunnel. There we sat for at least a half hour. There was no oncoming traffic. I have no doubt that traffic behind was backed up not only through the 600 meter length of the tunnel but well further on the other side of the tunnel before the entrance.  The reason for the bottleneck never became clear - road maintenance, a traffic accident or whatever.

Ultimately, we exited Route 32, the skies opened up, and the road ahead was clear - or so we thought. Trouble is that my Smartphone pooped out. Somehow, it failed to become fully charged despite having been plugged in all night the night before. Consequence: no connection with WAZE and no ability to navigate through unfamiliar territory. Solution: Park, charge the Smartphone from our vehicle power outlet to get more directions from WAZE and repeat as necessary. We had to repeat 3 or 4 times before we entered familiar territory near the city of Alajuela. We then required no more directions from WAZE to get home.

LESSON: If you are going to go on a trip which relies on WAZE (despite the various foibles that it has), make sure you include your Smartphone (or iPhone) charger within your luggage and that it can be usefully plugged into a compatible power outlet provided by the vehicle you are driving.

Eyes on Costa Rica and Weather Records - October 2022 / Covid-19 Update

During October, visits to this blog were received from the following 17 countries:

The total number of countries and non-independent jurisdictions from which visits have been received remains at 135. Of this number, 13 are non-independent jurisdictions such as the Isle of Man, Hong Kong, Puerto Rico, etc.

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

We were mildly sideswiped by hurricane Julia as it crossed Nicaragua late night on October 8 continuing well into the day on October 9. With a few short breaks, we had a steady and persistent drizzle of rain totalling about 2 3/4 inches (~ 70 mm). But, the winds were relatively light. Overall, the situation was not nearly as torrential as in some areas of Nicaragua. 

With the rain from Julia, there was also a lot of fog. The result was a record low daytime high temperature for us during all our time in Costa Rica - a mere 64ºF (17.8°C).

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Covid-19 Update

The following table updates information which appeared in my blog entry posted on October 9, 2022:

With regard to the Death Rate Trend, the rate has fallen by 0.04% in Costa Rica but has risen by 0.01% in Canada. As indicated, the United States remains unchanged.

If you want to see how some other country is doing in comparison to Costa Rica, then visit the website of Worldometer. Numbers for populations, reported cases and reported deaths can be obtained from that site. All that is then needed is some simple math to calculate the percentage death rate for the other country and the death rate in that country compared to Costa Rica.

After a hiatus, Worldometer is again reporting U.S. population numbers, cases per million and deaths per million on the same web page as other Covid data. Thus, unlike the last while, it was not necessary to obtain population data from an unrelated Worldometer web page to determine cases per million and deaths per million for the U.S.

Click on images to enlarge.

Eyes on Costa Rica and Weather Records - September 2022 / Covid-19 Update

During September, visits to this blog were received from the following 9 countries, 1 unidentified European country and, for the second time in the last two months, 1 totally unidentified country (Europe, Asia or otherwise):

The total number of countries and non-independent jurisdictions from which visits have been received has risen to 135. Of this number, 13 are non-independent jurisdictions such as Hong Kong, Puerto Rico, etc. The latest country is Guyana located in South America. The visit came from Georgetown, Guyana's capital city.

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

Temperatures during September were moderate and relatively unremarkable. The real story was rainfall. Except for a single day, there was at least some rain every day - ranging from 0.01 inches (25 mm) to over 5 inches. The total rainfall for the month was the most we have ever encountered during any single month since our arrival in Costa Rica in 2011 and, with 3 months to go, the total rainfall this year to the end of September has now exceeded that during the full 12 months of any previous year. 

Despite the amount of rain, most days in September were marked by several hours in the mornings by broken clouds and no rain.

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Covid-19 Update

The following table updates information which appeared in my blog entry posted on September 5, 2022:

With regard to the Death Rate Trend, the rate has risen by 0.01% in Canada, but has fallen by 0.01% in Costa Rica and the United States.

If you want to see how some other country is doing in comparison to Costa Rica, then visit the website of Worldometer. Numbers for populations, reported cases and reported deaths can be obtained from that site. All that is then needed is some simple math to calculate the percentage death rate for the other country and the death rate in that country compared to Costa Rica.

Click on images to enlarge.

Dim Sum in Sarchi, Alajuela, Grecia!

I had read good reviews about Bar Restaurante Sabor Oriental in Sarchi, a town about a 20 minute drive from our house in San Roque de Grecia. So we decided to drive there and try it out for ourselves.

Map of our drive:

When I looked at their menu on line, I discovered that they served dim sum, one of our favourite traditional Chinese meals. All prices indicated are in Costa Rican colones.

We ordered the ha koa, the siu mai, the lao won bao and the empanadas chino al vapor (steamed not fried), aka gyoza.

The traditional drink to have with dim sum is tea but we opted for frosty cold Imperial beers.

When the food arrived, I was so busy eating it that I forgot to take pictures but did remember at the last moment and so here we have a photo of two of the items we ordered:

The dim sum was excellent. We will definitely be going back here for dim sum. It’s so much closer then driving to the Asian restaurants in San José.

We made a dash cam video of our drive to Sarchi:

Click on images to enlarge.

Lunch - Rejn’ Asian Fusion Restaurant, Grecia Costa Rica

Monday, September 12, 2022 - Today we had lunch at Rejn’ Asian Fusion restaurant in our town.

 

They don’t have a liquor licence so no sake but the cold coffee lattes were very good:

We started with the gzoyas, steamed (al vapor) - excellent, served piping hot and lots of flavour. They can be ordered fried but that doesn’t sound very good to me:

Next came the camaron (shrimp) and the salmon nigiris. One order includes two nigiri. Sorry, we ate the shrimp nigiri before I remembered to take a photo but here are the salmon nigiri. The raw seafood is very fresh. Nigiri is served on top of sushi rice:

And the final order was red tuna sashimi - also very fresh - and generous portions:

Rejn’ also has an extensive listing of various kinds of rolls. We will definitely be returning here soon. Highly recommend.

Click on images to enlarge.

Eyes on Costa Rica and Weather Records - August 2022 / Covid-19 Update

During August, visits to this blog were received from the following 9 countries, Hong Kong and 1 unknown country:

The total number of countries and non-independent jurisdictions from which visits have been received remains at 134. Of this number, 13 are non-independent jurisdictions such as Hong Kong, Puerto Rico, etc.

Purely speculative, but perhaps the unknown country was somebody on an aircraft using a satellite connection with the internet.

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

The hottest temperature during the month was on August 1 (87°F / 30.6°C) and this was higher than any day in July. However, it was not uncomfortable. The humidity was only 36%. This is unlike the Pacific and Caribbean coasts where temperatures can be much the same as the interior of Costa Rica but with uncomfortably high humidities. At our elevation in the interior we have found absolutely no need for indoor heating or air conditioning.

With regard to rainfall, there were a number of days where we got deluges. But they were usually short lived and normally in the afternoon. Where we live, a typical "green season" day begins with broken clouds lasting till about noon. With or without rain, the sky becomes overcast in the afternoon. Mornings are the best time to get shopping or other things done.

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Covid-19 Update

The following table updates information which appeared in my blog entry posted on August 8, 2022:

With regard to the Death Rate Trend, the rate has fallen by 0.02% in Costa Rica and the United States but, as indicated, remains unchanged in Canada.

If you want to see how some other country is doing in comparison to Costa Rica, then visit the website of Worldometer. Numbers for populations**, reported cases and reported deaths can be obtained from that site. All that is then needed is some simple math to calculate the percentage death rate for the other country and the death rate in that country compared to Costa Rica.

** On its Covid web page, Worldometer continues not to provide numbers for the U.S. population, cases per million, or deaths per million. However it does report total cases and total deaths. As well, on a web page unrelated to Covid, it reports on the U.S. population. In the above table, the U.S. cases per million and deaths per million were calculated from the total cases and total deaths as reported on its Covid web page and the U.S. population as reported on its unrelated web page.

Click on images to enlarge.

Saturday Shopping - Grecia, Costa Rica - July 23, 2022

A couple of days ago we made a dashcam video of a little driving trip we took to go shopping and run errands in and around Grecia.

We left home and drove Hwy. 107 to Grecia then on to Masxmenos (a supermarket chain owned by Walmart) for some groceries. Back to Grecia to the DHL office to pick up a courier envelope, then to the Banco Nacional utility payment location to pay our asada (water bill). This is located on Av. Centra Leon Cortes Castro, across from the bank itself.

Last stop was Super Rosvil - Liceo for more groceries and then home.

Some people may find it interesting to see what Grecia looks like on a weekend with all the vehicles on the streets and people going about their weekly shopping. Wondering why we pass the church and park so many times? It’s because of all the one way streets!

Here’s our route to Masxmenos from our home and back again:

Here is my YouTube video:

The date and time on the video is incorrect - we have not yet set up those parameters on the camera.

Eyes on Costa Rica and Weather Records - May 2022 / Covid-19 Update

 During May, visits to this blog were received from the following 7 countries:

The total number of countries and non-independent jurisdictions from which visits have been received remains at 134. Of this number, 13 are non-independent jurisdictions such as the Isle of Man, Hong Kong, Puerto Rico, etc. Seven countries are less than average.

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May is the first full month that we were settled in San Roque de Grecia. Here is a summary of the weather for the month and a summary from the day we arrived until month end:

Compared to May 2021 when we lived in Hacienda El Paseo (a short distance southwest of Grecia), the average overnight low temperature in San Roque was about 1.5°F (0.83°C) lower. Somewhat surprisingly and despite being at a significantly higher altitude the average daytime high in San Roque was virtually the same as last year in Hacienda El Paseo.

Rainfall comparisons are a different matter. For us, 25.51 inches (648 mm) in a single month is a record for any month of any year in any place where we have lived and kept records in Costa Rica (firstly Vista Atenas; secondly Hacienda El Paseo; and now San Roque). Also, we have never before encountered 28 days of rain in a single month.

The nice thing about the rain is that on any given day it is often preceded by mornings with light or broken clouds and usually does not begin until early afternoon. Often, it only lasts for 2 or 3 hours or less. This serves to keep everything green and fresh. Thus, we have the so-called green season in Costa Rica.

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Covid-19 Update

The following table updates information which appeared in my blog entry posted on May 6, 2022:

Overall, the death rate in Costa Rica is down 0.05% since my last post. That in the United States is down 0.03% and that in Canada is up 0.01%

If you want to see how some other country is doing in comparison to Costa Rica, then visit the website of Worldometer. Numbers for populations, reported cases and reported deaths can be obtained from that site. All that is then needed is some simple math to calculate the percentage death rate for the other country and the death rate in that country compared to Costa Rica.

If you want more up to date information and statistics on the situation in Costa Rica, including various locales in Costa Rica, then the web site of the Costa Rican Ministry of Health ("Ministerio de Salud") is a good source. If you do not understand Spanish, then you should enable translation features on your web browser if they are available.

Click on images to enlarge.

Eyes on Costa Rica and Weather Records - February 2022 / Covid-19 Update

During February, visits to this blog were received from the following 9 countries:

The number is down from the same period last year. I have no way of knowing, but I would not be surprised if it is somehow connected with the current situation in the Ukraine. Many who might otherwise contemplate a visit or a move to Costa Rica may now have other priorities.

The total number of countries and non-independent jurisdictions from which visits have been received remains at 134. Of this number, 13 are non-independent jurisdictions such as the Isle of Man, Hong Kong, Puerto Rico, etc.

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

February 2022 had cooler overnight lows and hotter daytime highs than February 2021. The average low was about 2.6 °F (1.4 °C) cooler. The average high was about 1.3 °F (0.6 °C) hotter.

As is characteristic of February during the dry season, there was no rain. Also, many days were accompanied by fairly strong trade winds. These two factors when combined with a barren property of land under development led to numerous dust storms day after day. The dust went everywhere both inside and outside our house and presumably will continue to do so long as the trade winds continue or until the property is more fully developed. The following is a satellite view (annotated in yellow) showing the location of the house relative to the property:

The yellow star indicates where on March 6 Lance and I drove onto the property and took the following ground level photo (looking west to east):

It may be noted that the yellow star in the satellite view is adjacent to a green area. But, that is not so anymore. Subsequent to whenever the satellite view was taken, that area has also been filled with brown dirt and graded just like the rest of the development.

The name "Condominio Corteza" in the satellite view caught our attention and led Lance and I to a web page of Fusion Inmobiliaracr. Amongst other things, the web page shows a planned layout of roads, lots and costs of building a home. The plan is ambitious and will hopefully come to fruition sooner rather than later. We do not want another season of dust storms like the present. The advertised costs of buying a lot and building may come as an eye opener to some who live in Canada and the USA (and maybe elsewhere).

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Covid-19 Update

The following table updates information which appeared in my blog entry posted on February 6, 2022:

It appears that the Omnicron variant with its lower mortality rate has now taken full hold in Costa Rica. Once again, it seems that if you are inclined to catch any version of Covid-19, then you may have a better chance of survival in Costa Rica.

Overall, the death rate in Costa Rica is down 0.09% since my last post. It is unchanged in Canada and up 0.02% in the U.S.

If you want to see how some other country is doing in comparison to Costa Rica, then visit the website of Worldometer. Numbers for populations, reported cases and reported deaths can be obtained from that site. All that is then needed is some simple math to calculate the percentage death rate for the other country and the death rate in that country compared to Costa Rica.

If you want more up to date information and statistics on the situation in Costa Rica, including various locales in Costa Rica, then the web site of the Costa Rican Ministry of Health ("Ministerio de Salud") is a good source. If you do not understand Spanish, then you should enable translation features on your web browser if they are available.

Click on images to enlarge.