Ambling Along —

Tags

azul plata cumbia, brown wood rail, costa rica, Ecuador, living with nature, Panama, Slow Internet

A frustrated Long-tailed Mockingbird – near Portoviejo, Ecuador

A very contented Toucan in Panama…

A deer in my friends’ yard in Costa Rica…

A very-rare Brown Wood Rail in the yard at the Poza Honda Ecuador house!

From Dictionary.com : Amble “verb (used without object), ambled, ambling.
1.    to go at a slow, easy pace; stroll; saunter:
He ambled around the town.

2.   (of a horse) to go at a slow pace with the legs moving in lateral pairs and usually having a four-beat rhythm.
noun
3.an ambling gait.
4.a slow, easy walk or gentle pace.
5.a stroll.

Ambling along a shady road with Marie in Costa Rica….

“We ought to take outdoor walks, to refresh and raise our spirits by deep breathing in the open air.” — Seneca

Don’t forget to look up when walking! – Costa Rica

Variegated Squirrel in the park near the Municipality Office – Nandayure Costa Rica

In the past three weeks I’ve been from Ecuador to Costa Rica and back via a stopover in Panama to visit my friend Barb.   These were quick-but-very rewarding  visits that combined ‘business’ with pleasure.  Comparing the three countries, I definitely give Costa Rica and Panama the top scores for quality of internet!

Panama wins on shopping opportunities as well as the dramatic skyline contest… 

A-typical Thanksgivings

Tags

costa rica, Hurricane Otto, Nicaragua, thanksgiving in Ecuador

Tent Community between Jama and Playa El Matal (Ecuador)

Greetings to all on this USA day of Thanksgiving.    In strong contrast to those affected by world-wide unstable weather, I spent the early morning helping with finishing touches on a mural-painting “minga” near Mindo’s central park.   Students, teachers and artists worked in easy harmony over the past few days while all-but perfect sunny skies smiled upon us.

Although the experience filled me with gratitude for these lovely people who embrace foreigners into their culture, my thoughts have also been tweaked to equally-loving people in Central America who are and will be affected by Otto’s late-November visit to the area.

Late-November Otto & Central America

Tags

costa rica, Nicaragua, Tropical Storm Otto

Thinking of all of you that are affected by Otto’s late-November surprise.

When I scan maps of Central America, I always spot that large Lake Nicaragua- Cocibolca (Ometepe is home to Debbie and Ron, who – ironically- were in New Zealand and experienced the recent 7.8 earthquake…)  Then I look due south to find the Nicoya Penisula where many of my friends live…. and now due east to Barra Colorado on the north-east border with Nicaragua, where my friend Dan has Rio Colorado Lodge.   Hang in there everyone…  Many will be watching from afar.

Kris out of Panama posted an update on weather in the David area. ‘Otto is Soaking Us”

(To anyone with internet there, updates are appreciated…)

Lessons to all:  Keep your homes well stocked – disasters seem to be surprising people world wide….

Love,
Z

When I Grow Up…

Tags

central america, childhood dreams, costa rica, daily prompt, Ecuador

Nandayure/Guanacaste/ COSTA RICA

“Everyone on earth has a treasure that awaits him. We, people’s hearts, seldom say much about those treasures, because people no longer want to go in search of them. We speak of them only to children.   Later, we simply let life proceed, in its own direction, toward its own fate.” Paulo Coelho – The Alchemist

Years ago while I was visiting with expat friends and their on-vacation friends in Costa Rica, someone asked, “Did you ever dream when you were growing up that you’d live somewhere like this?”

Turning back time: Costa Rica – After the Competition

My mind peddled backwards, and within seconds I recalled a wanderlust dream from grammar school. I smiled wistfully and answered, “When I was in 5th grade, I wanted to live in Argentina and raise quarter horses.”

S is for Sonrisa! (Smile!)

Tags

costa rica, Ecuador, happy people, madres, mothers day, Panama, Smiles, sonrisas

Break time from kitchen duty! Doesn’t she have a genuine smile?

There are many great words that start with S in Spanish.  After I typed an assortment of words in the “New Post” page, I pondered the many photo options for those words.

Most people don’t particularly care for images of snakes; the word for a poisonous snake is serpiente. (Otherwise it’s culebra – correct me, Spanish speakers, if I’m wrong!)

I usually sign my emails and notes with the word siempre, which means always.

Sandia – watermelon would make a fun pictorial, as would sapo – toad.  (A frog is called a rana.)

Other helpful words are Sabor-Taste,   Sed-Thirsty, Salud-Health, Salud-Cheers, and Salud-Bless You! Last year I was walking down a quiet sidewalk in Cruzita, and two men were walking on the other side of the street.  One sneezed, and I automatically stated, “Salud!” and kept walking.  They looked over at me, were shocked to see an ‘outsider,’  and they chuckled – as did I!

Shunning all of the above, I present to you an assortment of sonrisas in honor of Mother’s Day! (The photos were taken in Ecuador unless otherwise noted.)  Enjoy!

The Wanderlust Breed

Tags

costa rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Mark Knopfler Wanderlust, Nicaragua, Republic of Panama, Travel in Ecuador, Wanderlust, Wild Weekly Challenge Wanderlust

Thanks, Let’s Be Wild, for selecting the image of “Little Bit” Iguana in last week’s winner’s circle.  This week’s theme is Wanderlust, a perfect topic for the life of the Zeebra!

When I was about ten years old, our class studied about Argentina’s  pastoral Pampas grasslands.  The images of horses and cattle affected me, and I dreamed of living in faraway Argentina.

Oops.. This is Nicaragua – We haven’t made it to Argentina yet!

Mark Knofler’s song Wanderlust makes a perfect backdrop for this post, and the video is paired with images from Ecuador.    Enjoy the song while scrolling through these images of Latin America.

EXPLORATION

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costa rica, Destructive Forces of Nature, Let's BE Wild Photo Challenge Explore, Playa San Miguel, Rip Tides

HIGH TIDES – Playa San Miguel, Costa Rica

The Let’s Be Wild photo challenge for this week is EXPLORATION.

Many of you might remember this view of classic Playa San MIguel, Costa Rica. Powerful waves and high tides hammered this stretch of coastline for several weeks a few years ago. I explored the beach each morning at sunrise to record the changes.

Peer Closer Through Macro Photography

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Butterflies, costa rica, Ecuador, Green Iguanas, Hermit Crabs, Insects, Let's Be Wild Photo Challenge Macro

The foliage thief nibbled himself too fat to squeeze back through the fence!

I’m honored that the image of a flaming sunset at Playa San Miguel was selected as one of the top five for last week’s Let’s Be Wild competition.  This week’s competition is for closeups.  Although my tough little Lumix camera doesn’t have macro accessories, it has a big heart and usually lassos the subject without much fuss.

Here are a few of my favorites.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Happy Circles!

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costa rica, Ecuador, happy people, Nicaragua, Republic of Panama, WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge Happy

“I LOVE MY JOB!” Mueso Cancebi – Manta Ecuador

WordPress updated gallery options for sharing images and asked us to test them.  *For this post, I am attempting to put each image in a circle of a spotlight.   Visit the WordPress DailyPost Home Base to see posts from all over the world!

Thank you, WordPress for the great weekly challenges.   Thanks, everyone, for your incredible feedback on last week’s Post on Solitary.  I hope to have a follow-up story on that old man as soon as I can retrieve more images trapped in an old hard drive!  

Thanks, also, for your support for the Inspirational post about my nephew Don.      I am blessed to have so much positive feedback and support.  He seems genuinely baffled that we think he’s a very special and unique person!

WordPress community: YOU ROCK!    I hope that these images make you smile!

Dreams & Freedom – Weekly Image of Life

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costa rica, Costa Rica Independence Day, Guanacaste, Nandayure, Playa San Miguel, Pueblo Nuevo de Bejuco, Weekly Image of LIfe, Weekly Image of Life Dreams and Freedom

Many of the Central American countries celebrate Independence Day each year on September 15th.   In Costa Rica, the communities gather at sunset  on September 14th and watch the schoolchildren light their lanterns and sing the national anthem.

Sunday Post: SILENCE (Shhhhhh!)

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costa rica, Guayaquil Botanical Garden, Guayaquill Malacon, Howler Monkeys, Jake's Sunday Post Challenge Silence, Lisa Brunetti, NATURE, PENCIL DRAWINGS, Playa San Miguel Costa Rica, Silence, Solitude

Guayaquil (Ecuador) Botanical Gardens/Malecon

Ah! To bask in silence!     A serene setting wraps its loving arms around us and cocoons us in delicious silence!  Libraries offer comforting slices of silence, as do museums; parks and botanical gardens provide visual balms for the soul and reconnect us with nature.  Silence allows our minds to grow quiet, and our senses awaken.   

For Jake’s Sunday Post Challenge of “Silence,”  here is an essay that I wrote when I lived “immersed in nature” in Costa Rica.

Weekly Image of LIfe: Breathtaking 2

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costa rica, Ecuador, Iguana, NATURE, Rattlesnake, Sea Snake, spotted skunk, Weekly Image of LIfe, Weekly Image of Life: Breathtaking

Hang tight, baby monkey!

Here is a second round of images that depict “Breathtaking” in honor of the Island Traveler’s Weekly Image of Life.  

Let me know if any of the photos took your breath!

Weekly Photo Challenge: CREATE

Tags

Art in Ecuador, costa rica, Cruzita, Ecuador, El Matal, i can do this painting workshops, Jama, Lisa Brunetti, Post-Painting Competition, Weekly Photo Challenge, Weekly Photo Challenge: Creative, WordPress Post a Day

As I prepared to leave Cruzita for a long weekend at home (aka to build a goat-proof fence!) I saw this week’s Photo Challenge:  Create.

The query asked, “Have you snapped a picture of something you’ve created, or something someone else has created? ‘

I chuckled! What have I NOT photographed lately that wasn’t related to being creative?   I smiled, decided that the ‘next’ bus out of Cruzita would be just fine, and I began the arduous task of deciding which photos to share! (Or deciding which ones NOT to share!)

Solstice Eclipse – December 2010

Tags

costa rica, lunar eclipse

Parts of the Americas will soon observe the December 10th lunar eclipse, but those of us in Ecuador will miss it.  Drats!

I really should not complain; last year’s Solstice Eclipse was spectacular, and my friends Hank and Marie Groff invited me to watch it from their perfect vantage point in Costa Rica.