Escape to the Beach!

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Beautiful Beaches, Playa San Miguel Costa Rica, Wild Weekly Photo Challenge - The Beach, WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge Escape

Leaving the house before sunrise often rewards me with an amazing show of color!  Rarely am I disappointed;  instead all of my senses awaken as I rejoice in total immersion in nature.

Pre Sunrise – Playa San Miguel, Costa Rica

Do you agree that Playa San Miguel is surely one of the loveliest beaches in Costa Rica?   I escaped from my slumber and trekked down the beach in anticipation of dawn.

This post is for  two challenges:  Let’s Be Wild’s The Beach as well as WordPress’s Escape.

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Sandy Beaches of Latin America

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Cruzita Ecuador, manta ecuador beaches, Playa Rosada Nicaragua, Playa San Miguel Costa Rica

Playa San Miguel, Costa Rica

Playa San Miguel in Guanacaste Province/Costa Rica is often described as one of Costa Rica’s most beautiful beaches. Very little new construction has been allowed there, so the essence of its spirit remains intact.  You’ll find no intrusive towering condos or gated communities,  though the property owners and the municipality continue with years of dysfunction.  The rules continue to change, and recently most of the (few) restaurants, hostals and hospitality-related businesses have been closed and/or ordered to be torn down because they were too close to the line or were not given permission for construction or did not have the correct concession.  Unless one visits during the holiday season, they will experience the beauty of solitude.

Cherishing Our Beaches & Marine Life

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Declining Sea Turtles, Marine Conservation. Pretoma, Olive Ridley Sea Turtle, Playa San Miguel Costa Rica, Where's My Backpack Beaches, Why are sea turtles dying

Dawn – Playa San Miguel Costa Rica

Ailsa’s theme for this week is beaches, and I am blessed to have spent a large part of the past dozen years along the beaches of Central and South America.   This post reflects the rewards of visiting the beach in the magical hours at the beginning and end of each day.

Dawn reveals the history of the night; many locals still raid turtle nests along the Pacific Coast.  (Playa San Miguel Costa Rica)

Playa Rosada Nicaragua – Thieves raided this turtle nest as well.

The ocean often tosses more than driftwood on the beaches.

“Pelagic Sea Snake”

Turtles die from boats trawling too close to shore with illegal shrimp nets. This is wrong.

During one rainy season at Playa San Miguel Costa Rica, the resident marine biologist flagged me down about an hour before sunset, “Lisa! There’s a turtle nesting!”  

Sunrise – Early-Bird Rewards!

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Classic Sunrise, Hermit Crabs, Let's Be Wild Photo Challenge - Sunrise, Playa San Miguel Costa Rica

The Early Bird Gets the Image!

Let’s Be Wild nudges us outside to record the beauty of the sunrise.   We are in the rainy season here in Ecuador, and the rain trumps the sunshine for the first hours of each morning!    I am reaching back to share a memory of an amazing sunrise at Playa San Miguel, Costa Rica.   Later that day, my friend Marie said, “I came by your house early this morning, and you were gone!”

These images illustrate the rewards of leaving home in the pitch-black darkness in hopes of finding unique sunrise moments.

New Beginnings

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Let's Be Wild New Beginnings, Olive Ridley Sea Turtle, Playa San Miguel Costa Rica, Pretoma, Wild Weekly Photo Challenge - New Beginnings

An Olive Ridley Sea Turtle Egg;  What are its chances of survival?

Happy New Year, everyone!  I am so honored that one of my images won Let’s Be Wild’s ‘Exploration’ category.   See the image HERE.  This week’s photo challenge (ending today!) is “New Beginnings.”   Let’s go once again to Playa San Miguel, Costa Rica and watch the olive ridley sea turtles’ new beginnings.

While the female turtle is in her egg-laying trance, the biologists record data then transfer the eggs to a nursery.

The eggs are buried the same depth as the turtle’s original nest.

In 40 to 60 days, the magical awakening begins, and the hatchlings quickly find their way to the surface and follow the call of the ocean.

A Sea Turtle’s First (New!) Day

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hatchling sea turtle, Olive Ridley Sea Turtle, Playa San Miguel Costa Rica, Where's My Backpack NEW

A NEW DAY – Dawn at Playa San Miguel, Costa Rica

These images show olive ridley sea turtle hatchlings experiencing the dawn of their first day of life.    The little one below has just emerged from its nest at a nursery at  Playa San Miguel, Costa Rica.

WAKE UP WORLD, IT’S A NEW DAY!

It’s fascinating to watch the little ones emerge from the sand; they immediately turn to the sound and aroma of the ocean and follow its call.

Oh So Soft, (but what is it?)

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Playa San Miguel Costa Rica, Where's My Backpack SOFT

I am not real sure what this sea creature is, so I will hold my hypothesis and hope for a true identification from one – or many- of you!

Yippee! Two for Two: Let’s Be Wild – Challenge #2 – Weather

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Let's Be Wild Photo Challenge Weather, Playa San Miguel Costa Rica

Pre Sunrise Tides & Weather

The Let’s Be Wild website included one of my photos in their winners’ circle for their second photo challenge:  Images of Weather.    See the seven winners here:  http://www.letsbewild.com/photo-challenge-winners/challenge-2-weather/

Many of you will recognize Barbara Beachman (www.salmonfishingqueen.wordpress.com) as the People’s Choice winner.   Congratulations, Barbara and the rest of the winners!

Morning Bus Between Mindo and Quito 

I hope that many of you will join the new challenge of “Escape,” which will be open for entries through Tuesday of next week.   I am presently traveling with friends in Ecuador’s Andes mountains, and will be sharing images of my escape soon!

See you at Let’s Be Wild! Lisa/Z

Morning – Jake’s Sunday Post

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Jake's Sunday Post Morning, Morning quotes, Playa San Miguel Costa Rica, Republic of Panama, Sunrise

Predawn eclipsed moon – Setting over Samara Costa Rica

The anticipation of dawn often nudges me outside, where daylight slowly permeates the twilight hours.  My essence drinks in the delicate softness as the day slowly awakens.   Basking in its freshness, I embrace the early morning and attune my senses to the beauty of nature.   Frustration rarely taints my day if the mornings are devoted to a silent conversation with nature.  

Why I creep outside before sunrise!

Morning; Jake tossed us a delicious morsel to ponder for this week’s Sunday Post Challenge.  Thoreau wrote, “Morning is when I am awake and there is a dawn in me.”

Costa Rica 7.6 Temblor

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7.6 temblor costa rica, Playa San Miguel Costa Rica

Playa San Miguel, Costa Rica

GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador

Hey all!

My dear son Chris always writes when he reads about a temblor in Latin America.  He once asked, “Mother, this might seem like a crazy question, but where are you?”  (That temblor was in Chile!)

Aerial Map Playa San Miguel/Nandayure/Guanacaste/Costa Rica  Map copyright Lisa Brunetti

I was not surprised to find his email waiting when I logged on to find out more about the temblor that rattled Costa Rica this morning.    While having lunch with the staff from ESCoffee, I heard the television announcer say, “…Costa Rica… Nicaragua.. Panama…” and I immediately turned to see why those countries were suddenly in the noticias.   “Oh my,”  I said, “I have many friends in that area…”

http://news.yahoo.com/powerful-earthquake-reported-costa-rica-150424668.html

There will surely be more information soon, but as my loved ones and I have always said, “No news is good news.”

To my friends in Costa Rica, I hope that your houses are intact, your water lines unbroken, and that everyone is fine.      Suffice to say that I’m sending you my love and energy, though I suspect there’s no electricity for you to touch base with the world!

Sorry, this is hurried.  Will be back online tonight!

Z