It often feels like “Groundhog Day” here. For those of you who have not seen the 1993 movie, Bill Murray plays a weatherman stuck in a time warp where the same day (Groundhog Day) is repeated ad infinitum. Because only he is aware of the situation, he initially takes advantage of the situation, but eventually he finds the true meaning of love and breaks the cycle. For us, the Groundhog Day syndrome only applies to the temperature, but it is definitely happening to us. Day in and day out, the temperature doesn’t change. It is hard for us to believe that it is close to the middle of October. We are missing the clues that nature gives us back home, like the changing of the leaves.
Nevertheless, every day is not the same. Last evening we were watching TV in our bedroom when all of a sudden the bed started shaking. At first we thought it might have been the wind since we have had howling winds here the last few days. But then the bed started shaking big time and the windows started rattling. As we realized it was an earthquake, we waited for it to end, but it seemed to just keep going and going. It felt a little like an amusement park ride, except it seemed to grow in intensity and there was no way of knowing when it would end.
This was the third earthquake we have felt since we arrived. In the middle of September, Jim had felt a 5.1 while at work. He vividly remembers the ceiling mounted TV’s swaying along with other noises. The four gringos in the room (including Jim) had eyes like saucers, while the Ticos remained calm and quickly checked their web enabled phones for the epicenter and intensity information. They soon announced that they considered it only a tremor.
But the quake last night got their attention because of the intensity and duration. The USGS registered it as 5.9 on the Richter scale, with its epicenter about 20 miles north of our house under the Poas volcano. Even though there was no damage to house or belongings (our house is made of cement covered steel reinforced concrete blocks) and no reported damage in the news, we would just as soon not have a repeat experience.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
Enough Already!!!
We heard on the radio this morning that “tropical depression #16 in the Caribbean is causing the unusually heavy amount of rainfall for San Jose and the Pacific Coast” and that “in a day or two we’d be back to our normal ‘rainy season’ rain”. I guess my first clue should have been when I dumped 4.1 inches of rain out of our rain gauge this morning. How’s that for a great way to start off the day.
Then, I read this newspaper headline in La Nacion: “Fenomeno climatico extendera aguaceros hasta enero” (Hint: the last three words are “showers until January”). What this means for us is that the rainy season may extend three extra months this year. This is a little reminiscent of our first winter in Minnesota with a record-breaking 100 inches of snowfall, including 10 inches on April 30. We’re guessing we’ll get that in rain here for the 12 months we’ll be here.
“Winter” has really hit Costa Rica. The Tico’s are freezing. They are all dressed up in coats and scarves. They are also sick. We’ve seen plenty of people who have major colds. “Winter” has also made us “turn the heat on” at night; aka closing the bedroom window. We have enjoyed the side benefit of a quieter night. We no longer hear the dogs, trucks, roosters or river. Jim went to work yesterday in his usual garb, pants and a short-sleeved polo shirt. He was sitting in a meeting when his boss looks at him and says, “You know that it is winter, now.” I also had fun telling my Spanish teacher (who was wearing a fleece in the 70 degree open air room) what “real” winter temperatures are like.
So, now the September weather report. We had a whopping 21 inches of rain. And over 7 inches in the last five days.
On a positive note, on Tuesday Jim and I picked up our Costa Rican cedulas. These are our official ID cards. We now have proof of our residency and I believe (but I’m not quite positive) that we are officially finished with all of the rig-a-ma-roll that started in the middle of March.
Then, I read this newspaper headline in La Nacion: “Fenomeno climatico extendera aguaceros hasta enero” (Hint: the last three words are “showers until January”). What this means for us is that the rainy season may extend three extra months this year. This is a little reminiscent of our first winter in Minnesota with a record-breaking 100 inches of snowfall, including 10 inches on April 30. We’re guessing we’ll get that in rain here for the 12 months we’ll be here.
“Winter” has really hit Costa Rica. The Tico’s are freezing. They are all dressed up in coats and scarves. They are also sick. We’ve seen plenty of people who have major colds. “Winter” has also made us “turn the heat on” at night; aka closing the bedroom window. We have enjoyed the side benefit of a quieter night. We no longer hear the dogs, trucks, roosters or river. Jim went to work yesterday in his usual garb, pants and a short-sleeved polo shirt. He was sitting in a meeting when his boss looks at him and says, “You know that it is winter, now.” I also had fun telling my Spanish teacher (who was wearing a fleece in the 70 degree open air room) what “real” winter temperatures are like.
So, now the September weather report. We had a whopping 21 inches of rain. And over 7 inches in the last five days.
On a positive note, on Tuesday Jim and I picked up our Costa Rican cedulas. These are our official ID cards. We now have proof of our residency and I believe (but I’m not quite positive) that we are officially finished with all of the rig-a-ma-roll that started in the middle of March.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Pitangus sulphuratus
This cute little bird is the most common bird in Costa Rica. We see and hear them everyday around our house and as you can tell they are quite easy to see because of their bright yellow chest. We have also seen them when we have been on either of the coasts.
The second week we were here, Jim asked at work what the name was of this bright yellow- breasted bird. One of Jim’s co-workers looked at him and said, “I don’t know what you are expecting but we call them yellow-chest.” We have since learned that they are also commonly called Kiskadee.
The second week we were here, Jim asked at work what the name was of this bright yellow- breasted bird. One of Jim’s co-workers looked at him and said, “I don’t know what you are expecting but we call them yellow-chest.” We have since learned that they are also commonly called Kiskadee.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Where Was That Again?
We have lived here almost 4 months. We have received one piece of mail not counting the water and electricity bills that get slipped under the door. I thought we would receive our second delivery a week or so ago.
My American Express card was set to expire in October. Anticipating a delay in receiving the replacement, I called Amex and asked to have the new card shipped to our house in Costa Rica. They willingly accommodated my request, paying close attention to the strange foreign address. A few days after the expected delivery date, I called Amex again because I had not received it. They confirmed the address and gave me the name of the person who signed for it.
Nancy wandered up to the condo office and guard house to inquire if anyone recognized the name of the signer. Through her vastly improved Spanish, she learned that they did not recognize the name. And that they would have called. Or that they would call. Or that they called. Or that we should call American Express. And that it was their pleasure to serve us.
Being ever paranoid about stolen credit cards (well, since April 17, 2005 anyway) I called Amex yet again to cancel the card and request another replacement. This time I gave them the address of our plant in Alejuela (we have a plant in Heredia too). I had considered work delivery previously, but figured that it was more likely to get lost amongst the 2000 people at the plant rather than in the neighborhood where everybody knows our name. OK, just one of the guards knows our name, but he is here all day every day and very friendly.
So, again I gave Amex careful instruction, which they dutifully read back and gave me the expected delivery date, September 22. On the 21st, the lone administrative assistant at the plant stopped by my office to drop something off. At the end of our conversation, I mentioned that I was expecting a package – and before I could say “tomorrow” she said “oh, someone in HR was just asking what to do with a package – let me go check.” Shortly thereafter she brought it to my office, and sure enough, it was the Amex card. The first one. With most of our home address listed. Yet here it was a work.
What I had failed to anticipate was that because the card was for business, “Boston Scientific” was written above “James Mark Broge” and the rest of the address. Rather than bothering with the written address, DHL knew where BSC was, so they delivered it to the plant. Furthermore, the plant receiving office did not know who “James Mark” was. They know me as Jim Broge, and did not realize that Jim was short for James or that Mark was my middle name rather my father’s last name. They ignored what they thought was my mother’s last name. Thus, the package ended up in HR.
I received the replacement replacement the next day.
My American Express card was set to expire in October. Anticipating a delay in receiving the replacement, I called Amex and asked to have the new card shipped to our house in Costa Rica. They willingly accommodated my request, paying close attention to the strange foreign address. A few days after the expected delivery date, I called Amex again because I had not received it. They confirmed the address and gave me the name of the person who signed for it.
Nancy wandered up to the condo office and guard house to inquire if anyone recognized the name of the signer. Through her vastly improved Spanish, she learned that they did not recognize the name. And that they would have called. Or that they would call. Or that they called. Or that we should call American Express. And that it was their pleasure to serve us.
Being ever paranoid about stolen credit cards (well, since April 17, 2005 anyway) I called Amex yet again to cancel the card and request another replacement. This time I gave them the address of our plant in Alejuela (we have a plant in Heredia too). I had considered work delivery previously, but figured that it was more likely to get lost amongst the 2000 people at the plant rather than in the neighborhood where everybody knows our name. OK, just one of the guards knows our name, but he is here all day every day and very friendly.
So, again I gave Amex careful instruction, which they dutifully read back and gave me the expected delivery date, September 22. On the 21st, the lone administrative assistant at the plant stopped by my office to drop something off. At the end of our conversation, I mentioned that I was expecting a package – and before I could say “tomorrow” she said “oh, someone in HR was just asking what to do with a package – let me go check.” Shortly thereafter she brought it to my office, and sure enough, it was the Amex card. The first one. With most of our home address listed. Yet here it was a work.
What I had failed to anticipate was that because the card was for business, “Boston Scientific” was written above “James Mark Broge” and the rest of the address. Rather than bothering with the written address, DHL knew where BSC was, so they delivered it to the plant. Furthermore, the plant receiving office did not know who “James Mark” was. They know me as Jim Broge, and did not realize that Jim was short for James or that Mark was my middle name rather my father’s last name. They ignored what they thought was my mother’s last name. Thus, the package ended up in HR.
I received the replacement replacement the next day.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Wildlife
A Roseate Spoonbill This funny looking bird uses his large bill to stir up the mud to find shrimp. Eating the shrimp gives it a pinkish color. 
Find the wildlife in this picture. It is a Common Potoo, which is also commonly referred to as a "stick bird". This was 100 ft. up in a tree. This is the second one that Jim and I have seen and they always seem to be sleeping.
A Basilisk Lizard. Also known as a Jesus Christ Lizard because it runs on the water.
Find the wildlife in this picture. It is a Common Potoo, which is also commonly referred to as a "stick bird". This was 100 ft. up in a tree. This is the second one that Jim and I have seen and they always seem to be sleeping.
A Northern Jacana
This bird was walking around on the watercress in the canals.
National Geographic Live!!
Tortuguero National Park offered us a spectacular glimpse of biodiversity. We traveled there this weekend to see the green sea turtle complete its nesting cycle. We saw that and quite a bit more.
The trip to Tortuguero was turtle like, requiring a four hour bus ride across the eastern volcanic mountain range and through the coastal plain and an hour and a half of boat ride north along the inter coastal waterway of the Caribbean coast. The bus ride followed a gravel road through a massive Del Monte banana orchard, where we were able to view the packaging operation during a break. Despite the long travel time, we were interested to learn that the highway across the mountains did not open until 1986, and Tortuguero did not have electricity until about 1975 when the park opened. Even to this day, there is no road here – and no cars. All transportation is by boat or plane.
We enjoyed seeing a plethora of flora and fauna covering the entire spectrum of the rainbow. Red eyed tree frogs, blue herons, black iguanas, green lizards, roseate spoonbills, white faced monkeys along with trogans, kingfishers, anhingas, jacanas, caimans, spider monkeys and howler monkeys.
The highlight of the weekend was the turtle tour. We saw a giant sea turtle lay hundreds of eggs, cover them up and crawl back to the sea. While echoes of lightning flashed across a backdrop of the Milky Way complete with shooting stars.
We met our guide at 7:40 pm. We were not allowed to take any cameras or other electronics. Then we proceeded to a waiting place just off of the beach. There our eyes adjusted to the darkness and we were treated to a star-filled sky. (This was definitely a treat, since we have only seen the moon and a few stars a total of 5 times in the three months that we have been here.) They don’t allow the spectators to see the turtles digging their holes. Once the turtle starts to lay, we are allowed to view the “ping pong” looking eggs being laid. This was when we first got a glimpse of the size of the turtle. Her shell was 1 meter in diameter and she supposedly weighed about 300 pounds. She lays about 100 eggs in the nest. She then started to cover her eggs with her back flippers. After, the eggs are covered she camouflaged the hole with her front flippers and then crawled back to the sea. It takes her about 10 minutes to make the 30-yard long trip. According to our guide, she will then be greeted by a bunch of male turtles, that are ready to mate and in 14 days she will repeat the process. The following day we visited the beach, where you could see hundreds of turtle tracks.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Odds and Ends
• We had a total of 13 inches of rain for the month of August, with the majority coming in the last ten days. We had a whopping 1.8 inches on the last day of the month and almost all of that fell in one hour. Once again, we had rain coming under our front door. Last week, the Tico Times reported that “La Nina” is affecting Costa Rica’s weather and that we should expect heavier rainfall in the next two months.
• Watching “Cielo Octubre” in Spanish can be quite humorous. Just hearing “amigos” connected with the names like Roy Lee and Homer just made us laugh. There also was no southern accent when they spoke.
• If you order a hamburger, you first need to tell them whether you want “carne” or “pollo” (meat or chicken). Then when it arrives, it will be complete with a slice of ham.
• You know you are living in a Spanish speaking country, if during Bible Study someone replies, “I wonder if the word “you” is usted or ustedes.”
• Sheet sizes are Twin, Matrimonial, Queen and King.
• “Diario de Greg” is the Spanish name for the popular kids book “Diary of a Wimpy Kid”.
• Watching “Cielo Octubre” in Spanish can be quite humorous. Just hearing “amigos” connected with the names like Roy Lee and Homer just made us laugh. There also was no southern accent when they spoke.
• If you order a hamburger, you first need to tell them whether you want “carne” or “pollo” (meat or chicken). Then when it arrives, it will be complete with a slice of ham.
• You know you are living in a Spanish speaking country, if during Bible Study someone replies, “I wonder if the word “you” is usted or ustedes.”
• Sheet sizes are Twin, Matrimonial, Queen and King.
• “Diario de Greg” is the Spanish name for the popular kids book “Diary of a Wimpy Kid”.
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