Orchid Show, Grecia

Today we went with friends Diane and John to the Décima Exposicion de Orquideas - Grecia (Tenth Orchid Show - Grecia) held in the Centro de la Cultura de Grecia. The building is easy to find - near the church and park. Only 1000 colones each to get in. It runs from November 30 through to December 2 so you still have time to go tomorrow.

As usual with orchid shows, it was amazing. Beautiful displays of so many orchid species, all flowering. How the exhibitors manage to have their orchids flowering in time for a show is a mystery to me. We wandered around with me drooling. I had to leave my orchid collection behind in Vancouver so I can't resist starting another one here. There are more than 1,400 types of wild orchids growing throughout the rain forests of Costa Rica so we've moved to the right place.

Fortunately, orchids were for sale and I purchased a flowering sized miltonia for the incredible price of 4,000 colones (about $8 CAD/USD). I paid around $25 CAD/USD for a similar miltonia in Vancouver - actually, Lance paid as it was a gift from him to me.

On the way out, I saw a familiar face - that of Jennifer who writes the great blog "A New Life in Costa Rica". Jenn was at the orchid show with her family and friends. We have never met but I've been reading about their move to, and life now, in Costa Rica since before we moved here ourselves. I felt like I already knew them - I certainly recognized them.

It was so wonderful finally meeting Jenn, her daughter and her husband in person. She is just as friendly and outgoing as her posts indicate she must be. 

For lunch, we went to Cafe Delicias, near the park. I ordered a ham and cheese croissant and a lemonade - very good. The others chowed down on a chicken pita, turkey croissant and a green salad that had way, way more stuff in it and with it than just green lettuce.

Oh yes, before lunch Diane and I went into one of the Ropa Americana stores after sending the menfolk to go sit in the park. For 6,000 colones ($12 CAD) I scored three all cotton shirts. Go to the Ropa Americana stores if you want to experience Costa Rica - they are fun, crowded, noisy and you will learn patience and get to practice your Spanish a bit too. By the way, if your better half thinks that spending more than 5 minutes in a clothing store is inexcusable, then you should invite them to stay home.

All in all, this was a five star day! Here are some photos taken today:

This is not an orchid from the show. It is one of mine and finally flowered. It originally had two flowers but something ate one of them. It is labeled "Guarianthe Aurantiaca".

Orchids from the orchid show.

This is my second most scary bridge in Costa Rica so far - it's on a short cut road from Grecia to Atenas.

Scary, but saves about 15 to 20 minutes travel time from Grecia to Atenas and one toll booth.

Three rivers converging into one under the bridge.

Geez, you can see the roaring river through the wood on the bridge.

The Rat Race

I got my mitts on a North American style women's magazine this week. You know the type (if you are a woman) - "favorite family dinners", "easy decorating ideas, "15 ways to avoid colds and flu", numerous articles on style, family, health, food - it never ends. This and many other similar magazines come on the market every month, if not more - and they aren't cheap.

It was exhausting reading it - so much so that I was thinking about it while trying to get to sleep last night. I used to enjoy reading these magazines but never was able to achieve everything they told me I should be doing or saving or creating or wearing or baking or decorating or gardening or entertaining .... and so I always felt a bit as if I never measured up to what I was supposed to be.

And that is truly dreadful. Imagine believing that magazines should tell us how to be and how to live our lives. They are fine for the odd recipe or cleaning tip now and again or just for amusement when sitting in the dentist's office waiting for your appointment.

So I started thinking about how my life now in Costa Rica differs from my life in Canada. I buy clothes at Ropa Americana, a few things at the Multi-Plaza in Escazu, and I've also ordered clothing on line, which has worked out well. And I get family and friends to mule me down things we need.

I need bathing suits and shorts, cool tops, nice sandals, pretty cotton dresses, but not the latest suit design. I don't need winter clothing, spring clothing, fall clothing. I don't have access to actual English magazines - they are available in Spanish but I'm not up to that level yet and that's a good thing in this case.

I brought a few cookbooks with me, and bought a Costa Rican cookbook here, so I can make just about anything that is tasty and healthy. Not hard to do with the food available here. On line recipes number in the millions I think so no lack there if I want to look up Asian recipes. Oh, and by the way, I can buy my beloved Asian ingredients in San Jose.

Our rental house is furnished and clean, we have banana trees and mangoes, fabulous neighbors. I take Spanish lessons once a week and yoga/pilates/pool exercises twice a week. We have friends from all over - some are already here, some are on their way down, quite a few are Ticos. We have friends here from Germany, Canada, the USA, Brazil and Bolivia. The weather is terrific. Many social activities are available - our friends in San Ramon organize Beach Days.  Lots of local and excellent restaurants. It's fun to shop in Atenas and interact with Ticos and Ticas. My ears are becoming used to hearing more than just the English I grew up with. I am learning about different customs and foods.

My point? I don't have to live the trumped up life of magazines any more.

Grecia and Sarchi

Today our fellow Canuck friends took us to Grecia and Sarchi to check out these towns'  Ropa Americana stores. I found a nice pair of pale yellow Jones Wear cotton shorts and a soft Indian cotton camp shirt with grey, green, rose and yellow flower patterns. Cost was ¢2,000 each, about $8.00 CAD total.

Expats in Costa Rica know all about shopping at Ropa Americana - you never know what treasures will be unearthed.

We had lunch at Restaurante La Finca in Sarchi. The setting is lovely, overlooking hills of coffee plants. I ordered the three sauce sea bass and it was excellent. Portions are large and mine included rice and salad, plus I had two frutas mixtas (natural mixed fruit drinks) which I just can't get enough of.

Entrance to La Finca

View from our table

An afternoon thunderstorm started on the drive home and the air smelled so wonderful, earthy and warm.

The Previous Couple of Weeks

Just thinking back over the last few weeks:

We are now transitioning into the dry season and can expect more winds coming from a different direction - the north or the north northwest - which pushes the humid air coming from the west and southwest offshore. Already, we have experienced far less rain than we did in late October. My tomato plants suffered during those weeks but have bravely ripened a few tomatoes for us. I'll reseed again soon.

Halloween is a non-event in Costa Rica, which suited me fine. I had grown weary of buying overpriced, teeth rotting candy in Cloverdale and watching Genny being scared by the constant ringing of the doorbell. The young tykes are really cute and they finish trick and treating early but when the 16 year olds start showing up, it's time to shut the lights off and lock the door.

Instead, All Souls Day on November 2nd is observed with Catholic masses and Ticos head to cemeteries to pay respects to departed loved ones. Here in Atenas, all the crypts in the graveyard were covered in flowers. One of my taxi drivers drove me by so I could see. By the way, if anyone is interested in what happens to one after death in Costa Rica, go here to The Real Costa Rica and you'll get all the info.

We bought some moisture absorbing bags at WalMart, $22 CAD for a box of three. They are supposed to last 60 days but here is what they look like after two weeks so I guess we had a lot of moisture in our clothes cupboards. The crystals at the top absorb moisture which drips down into the bag at the bottom.

We discovered a new mall in Heredia - Paseo de las Flores - and our friends John and Diane picked me up one day and we went shopping. I bought Lance some badly needed clothes and I found some stuff for me also. The food court was enormous. I have to go back again soon so I can see all of the shops. It really is a big, big mall. Heredia is the capital city of the province of Heredia, and it is home to one of the largest colleges in Costa Rica, the National University of Costa Rica.

I also recently went shopping at one of Atena's Ropa Americana shops and found three cotton shirts for me. I should have listened to the shop keeper who suggested I try them on first. One is way too small (the tag says "petite", didn't notice it), one is too large but I like it because of the color and the larger fit lets the breezes in, and the third one fits more closely. So two out of three ain't bad. Final cost: $20 CAD.

Had another fabulous Beach Day this past Monday at Playa Dona Ana. About 25 like-minded souls showed up. We bobbed in the ocean, yakked, ate our lunches, fed the monkeys. If anyone reading this wants to join us, let me know.

That is Lance on the left.

I cut down a really big bunch of bananas from one of our trees. It must have weighed 50 lbs. at least or so it felt. Dragged it down the hill to our house and we hung it from one of the roof rafters outside. All the bananas are ripening amazingly fast, we can't eat enough of them to keep up. Our gardener Luis took some home with him today and I've set up two bird feeding stations in our lime tree where the over-ripe bananas are going. We are attracting birds we've never seen before.

So, as the sun sets gently tonight in Costa Rica and the air is filled with tropical scents, I wish everyone a peaceful night.