Lunch - Monsoon Asian Bistro, Atenas

Recently we met our friends Tony and Rose Mary for lunch at Monsoon Asian Bistro.

When we lived in Vista Atenas, Tony and Rose Mary were our neighbours. Here are the happy couple:

Monsoon has an extensive menu. They feature Indian, Indo-Chinese, Vietnamese, Indonesian and Thai cuisines and also offer Italian pizzas - just my sort of restaurant. You can view their menu with the link provided above to their website.

Garlic naan bread from the tandoor oven and margaritas:

Lance ordered the chicken biryani:

I decided on the spicy Goan fish curry:

Tony and Rose Mary both ordered the chicken curry (I think). Portions are large and we took quite a bit of it home. All the food was delicious. Definitely returning to this restaurant to try some other cuisines.

From the guide Best Restaurants in Atenas, Costa Rica:

“Owner of Monsoon: David Mander was born in Scotland and moved to Canada with his parents. David’s Mom taught him authentic cooking skills during his entire childhood. In 2002, David opened the very first Indian restaurant in Costa Rica and after years of success, he moved back to Canada in 2016 to pursue his career as an airline pilot.

After the Covid-19 pandemic, David was laid off from his job so he returned to Costa Rica and officially opened Monsoon Asian Bistro and Pizza on July 4, 2021. Monsoon’s chef Ganga Singh (from Uttarakhand, India) is passionate about cooking, and David’s restaurant is open all year round from Wednesday-Sunday, even during major holidays!”

Click on images to enlarge.

Breakfast Sandwiches, Pierogies, Cabbage Rolls and Library Books

Yesterday - Saturday - we decided to drive to Atenas for breakfast. We went to El Fogon because we have had their breakfasts and lunches in the past and they were always good.

We both ordered breakfast sandwiches and fresh fruit drinks made with mora, a type of blackberry. We have a mora bush in our yard.

As you can see, the orders came with a side of fresh mixed fruit. The sandwiches were loaded - egg, ham, cheese, tomato, lettuce, a sauce - have I missed anything?

We had two additional reasons to drive to Atenas - stop at Pequeña Polonia Café and Restaurante to order two meals to go and to take advantage of their free lending library. Pequeña Polonia was formerly known as Kay’s Postres when we arrived in Costa Rica in 2011.

We met the then owners, Kay and Tom Costello, who always welcomed new arrivals. Time moves on and so did they. The present owners are Ania and Tom, who are from Poland by way of Canada. Their menu includes Polish items so you know that they are authentic. By the way, they no longer serve breakfast but are open for lunch and dinner.

We ordered two classic Polish dishes -  pierogies with sauerkraut and mushrooms, bacon on the top, and cabbage rolls with tomato sauce and mashed potatoes. Also included were a cucumber salad and a carrot salad. Don’t you wish you were eating these tonight?

The cabbage rolls, mashed potatoes and two of the pierogies have been devoured. The rest of the pierogies are for dinner tonight, along with a coleslaw that I made.

While waiting for our meals to be prepared, we selected a number of paperback books to take home. There has always been a free lending library at this restaurant. It’s based on the honour system. So we are set for the next few months with reading material. Nothing is better then being in a hammock with a good mystery/detective/murder story book.

We also met one of our former neighbours when we lived in Vista Atenas. It was so great to see Leticia again and get caught up on the local news. Atenas is a small town which is one of its advantages - you get to know your neighbours and townsfolk.

Click on images to enlarge.

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 - January 2020

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

There were no new countries and the overall total since November 2012 remains at 129 countries.

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

Compared to January 2019, January temperatures this year were a mixed bag. Average overnight low temperatures were a bit higher. Average daytime high temperatures were a bit lower. However, the hottest daytime temperature this year was lower than that in 2019 and the coldest overnight low temperature was lower than that in 2019. In fact, the coldest overnight low temperature (56°F, 13.3°C) in January 2020 was a record low for all the time we have exclusively lived in the Central Valley of Costa Rica in Vista Atenas near the town of Atenas and in Hacienda El Paseo near the city of Grecia.

With regard to rainfall, the amount in January this year was minimal and consistent with the so-called "dry season". However, there were 3 days of measurable rain (which is good for Costa Rica). Compare this with 0 days in January 2019.

January 2020 was also marked by continuing strong Papagayo winds - strong enough to blow down trees and throw around loose objects on patios, etc. These winds are nowhere near hurricane force but they are something that should be reckoned with.

Weather Report, Vista Atenas, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica - March 2018

When measured by average overnight lows and average daytime highs, March was the hottest month so far this year in Vista Atenas (near Atenas). Not uncomfortable in the mornings, but approaching uncomfortable later in the day unless you have a shaded, well ventilated house.

Currently, the season is the "dry season". A lot of the greenery has turned brown and many leaves have fallen. This will change in a month or two when the "green season" begins. Then, because of changing weather patterns bringing more clouds and rain, average overnight lows will be higher and average daytime highs will be lower.

This will be the last weather report from Vista Atenas. The next will be from our new home in Hacienda El Paseo (near Grecia). We do not expect much difference because the new home is virtually at the same altitude as the old home in Vista Atenas. Altitude is a critical factor when deciding where to live in Costa Rica.

Weather Report, Vista Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica - February, 2018

Compared to January, temperatures were a bit cooler overnight and a bit warmer during the day. In the early mornings, sweaters or jackets were the norm. There were two days when rainfall was high - more like the "green season" in Costa Rica (May to November) as opposed to the "dry season" (November to April). According to many locals, the February rainfall was abnormally high.

Warmer daytime temperatures were mitigated by low humidities. For example there were 3 days when the daytime high reached 88° F (31.1° C). Corresponding humidities ranged between 23% and 32%. Resulting "feels like" or heat index temperatures ranged between 84.8 °F (29.3 °C) and 86.1 °F (30.1 °C). In our current house in Vista Atenas indoor high temperatures (though not measured) were quite a bit cooler than outdoor "feels like" temperatures because the house has a tile roof and is shaded by a number of trees.

The result is that we never felt any need for heating or air conditioning in Vista Atenas. We are expectant that the same will be true in our new house near Grecia. Like the current house, the new house is distant from the coast and at about the same altitude. Altitude can be critical. It should not be too low or too high. If you are too low, then you may be uncomfortable without air conditioning. If you are too high, then you may be uncomfortable with cold morning temperatures.

Moving in Costa Rica

We are moving, not back to where we came from (Canada), but from Vista Atenas near the small rural town of Atenas to Hacienda El Paseo near the larger town or small city of Grecia.

The distance is not very far (about 12.5 km as the crow flies). The following map shows the shortest route in blue. This route is probably the most scenic route. But, if you are uneasy with steep switchbacks and narrow bridges along the road, then you might prefer the longer (gray) route along highways 3 and 1. In driving time, the difference is about 15 minutes.

The new place near Grecia is at about the same altitude as the old place near Atenas. So, unlike hot, humid temperatures on the Pacific and Caribbean coasts we should remain in our comfort zone. Like Vista Atenas, the new place should not require air conditioning or indoor heating.

We decided to move for various reasons. First and foremost, we wanted a larger house at reasonable cost. The new house includes 3 bedrooms and 3 1/2 baths. This allowed one bedroom for ourselves, an art studio for me, and an office for Lance. Perfect! The house happens to be in a gated community, but that was not one of our prerequisites.

By the way, it appears that the community largely consists of ticos (native Costa Ricans). Our objective has been to assimilate and this should help.

The house does not have its own swimming pool, but there is a community pool a short distance down a winding street. That's all we need. Looking after a private pool wears thin after a while.

When we move in, we may very well be the only people in the community whose native language is English as opposed to Spanish.

Speaking of languages, the real estate agent who we dealt with in Grecia was Chris Schoo. He is Dutch and speaks at least 5 languages (English, Spanish, Dutch, French and German). He did a first class job introducing us to the community and the services in and around Grecia. His web site is 

here.

Atenas and Vista Atenas are great. We have innumerable friends and acquaintances in that area. But, Grecia and Hacienda El Paseo near Grecia will be a new adventure and we welcome one and all to visit us.

Weather Report, Vista Atenas, Atenas, Costa Rica

Compared to January 2017, January 2018 tended on average to be milder overnight and cooler during the day. There were significantly more clouds and overcast in January 2018. Although not accompanied with very much rain, it compares with absolutely no measurable rain in January 2017.

Weather Report for Vista Atenas, Atenas, Costa Rica - and Happy New Year!

Here is the weather report for December, 2017, for the area we live in - Vista Atenas. Compared to December 2016, December 2017 was noticeably cooler, drier and windier.

Happy New Year to everyone - this is our sixth January 1st spent in Costa Rica and we look forward to many more. We are also looking forward to some changes in 2018. Come April 1st, we hope to be in a new home and we are considering different areas in which to live. We may not necessarily stay in the Atenas area. Now that we have a vehicle, we are free to explore other towns and cantons. I’ll post on where we explore and what we find.

Mr. Pura Vida Pura Vida

We are house sitting at Pica Flora, one mountain ridge over from our house, until early next week. This morning we drove to our house to feed the foster cat and wait for the fish man, because I wanted to buy shrimp from him. He hits Vista Atenas (where we live) early every second Saturday. Bought the shrimp, fed the cat, and went back to Pica Flora. No, that's wrong - fed the cat first.

When the fish man showed up some hours later at Pica Flora - he took one look at me and laughed and laughed. What are you doing here? Where are señor and señora?

So we got all that sorted out. I call him Pura Vida Pura Vida, because that's what he always says when I ask him how he is.

 

Scruffy and Barney

We are house, dog and cat sitting for a week at our neighbors. Every morning, we take Scruffy the dog and Barney the cat for their morning constitutional walks here in Vista Atenas, Atenas, Costa Rica.

Here is a video I made of one of our morning walks.

 

Scruffy and Barney from Diana Miskell Turlock on Vimeo.

 

Weather Review - 2015

Here is a temperature chart and a rainfall chart which illustrate weather conditions over the course of the last year in the Atenas region of Costa Rica. More particularly, and except for a brief period in early October, they illustrate the conditions where we normally live in a neighborhood called Vista Atenas which is a short distance west of the town of Atenas. For the brief period in October, we were house and cat sitting at the home of friends in a neighborhood called Las Cumbres – a short distance east of the town. The significance of east v. west is revealed by the temperature chart.

As the crow flies, the Las Cumbres location is about 3.7 miles (6 km) from our Vista Atenas location. But, the elevation is about 560 feet (170 m) lower. In Costa Rica, lower altitudes are generally reflected by higher daytime high temperatures and that is borne out by the temperature spike circled in red on the above chart.

As I think I have said before, Costa Rica is a country of microclimates. A few miles one way or the other and a few hundred feet up or down can make a significant difference. If you choose to live in Costa Rica for any length of time, then you should carefully choose the location. Where we live in Vista Atenas, the year 'round daytime highs and overnight lows are comfortable. Neither heating nor air conditioning is required. On rare occasions, heat and humidity can combine to produce a marginally uncomfortable "feels like" temperature. In 2015, that may have happened three or four times.

 

Costa Rica has two seasons: a wet or “green” season and a dry season. In our area, the dry season normally extends from about mid November of one year to late April or early May of the next. The above chart shows virtually no rain until late April and, excluding an exceptional one day deluge, almost no rain in December. However, in 2015, the wet season was drier than normal. Total rainfall was about 10 inches less than 2014. If the December deluge never happened, then the shortfall would be almost 13 inches less. It must be el niño at work – or maybe even climate change.

 

Volcano Trouble in Costa Rica

It appears that the Turriabla volcano in Costa Rica is acting up. It can be found on Google Earth.

I have been hearing complaints ranging from swimming pools being dusted with a bit of ash, to farmers concerned about their crops and livestock being endangered if the situation becomes more serious.

Today (March 12) my husband Lance had his own complaint. He often works in his outdoor patio office as opposed to his indoor less laid back office. But, for the first time and over the span of a few hours, his computer keyboard and mousepad have been continuously speckled with a very fine grit which could be ash from Turriabla. Lately, the winds have been in the right direction for this to occur.

As the crow flies, we in Vista Atenas are only about 43 miles (69 km) from the Turriabla volcano. The situation is not particularly serious for Lance (poor boy – he might have to move inside the house), but for others closer to the volcano the economic consequences could be devastating and that is sad – especially if the volcano really blows its top. For a current update from "The Tico Times" go here.

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Atenas Weather - Year 2014 in Review

For those concerned about the weather in Costa Rica, the charts and comments below about the weather in "Vista Atenas" may be of interest.

 

It is important to note that the temperatures were measured in Vista Atenas near the town of Atenas at an altitude of 2760 ft. (840 m.). Drop a few hundred feet and temperatures are often noticeably warmer. Go up a few hundred feet and temperatures are often noticeably cooler.

The average daytime high was 83.9 °F (28.9 °C). The hottest daytime high was 92.1 °F (33.4 °C) on March 30. The average overnight low was 66.9 °F (19.4°C). The coldest overnight low was 61.0 °F (16.1 °C) on February 4.

All the above temperatures are actual air temperatures. They do not reflect the effect of humidity which, as shown in the next chart, can produce "heat index" or "feels like" temperatures different from the actual air temperatures. Usually, especially during the "green season" with higher humidities, heat index temperatures are somewhat higher than actual air temperatures. - but not dramatically so as can happen in Eastern Canada and the USA during the summertime. On occasion, especially during the "dry season" with lower humidities, heat index temperatures can be less than actual air temperatures.

 

 

In 2014, the maximum "heat index" or "feels like" temperature was 94.1 °F (34.5 °C). It occurred on two days during the year (April 29 and July 15) with corresponding humidities of 61% and 64%. The air temperature highs on these days were 87.3 °F (30.7 °C) and 86.7 °F (30.4 °C).

The minimum humidity during 2014 was a desert-like 11%. This occurred on April 2 and resulted in a "feels like" temperature of 86.5 °F (30.3 °C) - a number actually less than the corresponding air temperature high of 90.7 °F (32.6 °C).

Generally, daytime highs in Vista Atenas were accompanied by relatively low humidities. Overnight lows were accompanied by relatively high humidities. But, these result are not characteristic of Costa Rica as a whole. In the Pacific and Atlantic coastal regions, daytime highs are often accompanied by relatively high temperatures and high humidities. "Feels like" temperatures can easily exceed 100 °F (38 °C) even though actual air temperatures may be less.

 

 

The wet (or green) and dry seasons can seen on the above chart. From January until near the end of April it was dry with virtually no measurable rain. On April 19 and April 25 there were dribbles. Then, on April 26, came the first deluge – over 2 inches (5 cm) in a short period of time. From May to November, several other deluges occurred, the most dramatic being on August 23 – 3.8 inches (9.7 cm).

Total rainfall during 2014 in Vista Atenas was about 74 inches (187 cm). Some parts of Costa Rica got less. Other parts got much more.

 

 

 

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A Red, White and Blue Week

It's a red, white and blue day today in Costa Rica as the Netherlands faces the mighty Costa Rica futbol (soccer) team. In our town of Atenas, flags and banners are everywhere. Taxis are driving around with flags waving from them. People are dressed in Costa Rica t-shirts and the anticipation is palpable. Banco de Costa Rica has a big screen TV with the soccer games on so we can wait for our turn at the teller without missing anything. Everyone is very proud of how far this little country has come in the World Cup.

Even Scruffy is wearing his Costa Rican colors. His colors were also appropriate for Canada Day (July 1st), minus the blue. The Canadian flag is red and white.

 

Scruffy was also dressed appropriately for yesterday's American 4th of July celebrations.

Baron's Resort, #59 Vista Atenas, very kindly hosted a 4th of July BBQ. Guests brought a dish and Baron's provided the BBQ'd hamburgers, hotdogs and condiments. We had a great time, meeting old and new friends and enjoying all the food offerings. Thank you, Jerry. The setting is fantastic with amazing views.

 

Just one of the almost 360 degree views from Baron's Resort.

The glassed in pavilion.

 

Baron's Resort is in the same area we live in (Vista Atenas).

I decided to make red, white and blue strawberries to bring to the BBQ. Neighbor Rose Mary kindly drove me to the new AutoMercado on the Autopista (highway 27). White baking chocolate was nowhere to be found in Atenas but I found two packages at the AutoMercado. Strawberries were no problem ... they are so plentiful in Atenas. I bought 6 pints from the berry vender at 1 mil for 3 pints ($2.00). They were large and ripe.

The plan was to dip a red berry in melted white chocolate, then dip the bottom third in blue sugar. Cool, no? Well, the white chocolate package directions said I could melt it in the microwave. Guess what? White chocolate has a very low burn point and it reaches that in the microwave long before it has melted. There was no saving that first bar. I rigged up a double boiler and managed to get the second bar melted, but it never got to a really liquid stage. I made the blue sugar by mixing white sugar with blue food coloring - here it is called "colorante azul".

I used Lance as a taste tester for the first berry and I had one also. He said it tasted good, then said go look in a mirror at your tongue. Yup - all bright blue. No way we could serve these to anyone. Plan B - just dip the berries in what remained of the white chocolate and forget about a flag theme.

Here's what I ended up taking to the BBQ.

They were almost all gone by the end of the evening so all's well that ends well.

 

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Peace in the Valley

It will be a week tomorrow when the 7.6 quake hit Costa Rica. We didn't feel any aftershocks in the area around Atenas where we live but I know others have and it must have been scary. Our thoughts go out to those who suffered injuries, damage to homes and buildings or worse.

To mark this post-earthquake week, here are some photos I took which I hope you will find soothing.

The beautiful sunset last night.

Lychees are in season!

Lance took this photo of a lizard at the pump house.

More sunset - looking towards the Vista Atenas ridge from the Picaflora ridge.

A Busy Day

Up at ten to five this morning, not an unusual time for us. I thought I could see sheet lightning in the sky but Lance thought it was the airport beacon rotating. I think he is right because the "lightning" was so regular.

Today's weather was reversed from the usual - rain this morning and then sun this afternoon.

Thursday is exercise day and off I went at 8:00 a.m. with my two exercise companions to climb Mount Vista Atenas (at least, it feels like that) to where the classes are held. We allow half an hour to get there but I think the climb may becoming a wee bit easier.

No pool exercises today because it felt cool but we practiced breathing (that is really hard, most humans are shallow breathers), balance exercises, stretching and so on. At the end of the hour and a half, I know I felt like I had had a good workout.

Then my Canuck friend Diane picked me up and off we went to Vivero Central La Garita, a very large garden shop. I bought a selection of herb plants and almost bought some more orchids but have decided to wait until an orchid show where I can buy named varieties.

Next stop: Pequiño Mundo in Alajuela. I love this store. You never know what you will find there and I got a whole bunch of stuff on my list for a total of $50 CAD. The only items that have to be returned are two pairs of exercise/swim shorts - I should have tried them on.

Lunch: very important. We went to Princesa Marina in Alajuela. Sorry, I cannot find a website for them but here is the address: Costado Norte de la Iglesia, Bo. San Jose, Alajuela. I like this place a lot - they specialize in seafood. I ordered fettuccine with shrimp in a white sauce - very good and they don't skimp on the shrimp or the serving size - enough for take-away. Diane opted for a chicken Caesar salad with shrimp and it was very generous (super ensalada), with all kinds of fresh vegetables in it. Two mora con aqua drinks rounded out the meal.

A perfect day in a great country.