Clink, clink, CRASH! There goes another one!
Tile floors and glassware just do not mix! I love tile floors for so many reasons, but there is just that one thing that I would like to be different. One little bout of fumble-fingers, and your glass is toast. Then you have to wear shoes around the house for a few days while the glass slivers overcome their shyness.
The fortunate thing is that we got over any sentimentality long ago - glasses are just glasses. When we run low, we make a run to the store and stock up again.
And we do run low - I think my record is three broken glasses in two days. One glass made it through a single pouring of wine before it cracked. We still have one glass from our original batch, but I'm thinking of getting a pool going for it's crash date...
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
Paradise Redeemed
Most of this week, it has been colder than aich-ee-double-toothpicks! ehm, in the Nordic sense, that is. But today! Ahhh today! Paradise has redeemed itself! The air was soft again, the sun was out, and my sweater found its way into my carry bag and stayed there.
On top of all that lovely-weather-ness, my day was pretty much paradisaical from a "what's happening" point of view too :-). My morning was slow - trying experiments with showers, coffee, breakfast, etc to try to break some nasty headache / acidic stomach issues. Not so lovely, but the great thing is that we have the ability to actually try these different things - not possible in our old life...
Then, while I'm waiting for my bus, my fellow bus-waiter and I start chatting... in Spanish, and I'm holding my own! Turns out, we are heading to nearly the same place - and it's two buses away! So, we sit together, talking more, then walk to our next bus, still talking, then ride out... Ultimately, I'm speaking Spanish with someone, making more sense than not, understanding almost everything, for almost 2 hours - I feel all warm and fuzzy :-).
Next, I catch my 3rd bus of the morning, alone this time, but with my new French book. I make it through a couple of pages before my stop (hmmm, that's half an hour, if you're wondering how fast I can read). I absorbed more summer sun for a few minutes, then my paint-buddy picked me up, we went back to her house, had an *excellent* lunch, and then painted for the afternoon!
I finished (and signed - very important to do) my canvas, a collage of flowers, then started on a new project. I'm trying out acrylics on broadcloth - I plan to stitch it to some vanes, and have my very own hand-fan; just in time for summer :-)
The weather held all afternoon and into the evening - I caught my return buses without too much delay (I suppose I've just gotten used to my neighborhood bus being perpetually late - sigh). Rick had some wine chilling, so we got caught up over a nice glass or two, had dinner, watched a couple of TV shows, and relaxed! Oh yeah, brownies for dessert! :-D.
Does it get much better than that?
On top of all that lovely-weather-ness, my day was pretty much paradisaical from a "what's happening" point of view too :-). My morning was slow - trying experiments with showers, coffee, breakfast, etc to try to break some nasty headache / acidic stomach issues. Not so lovely, but the great thing is that we have the ability to actually try these different things - not possible in our old life...
Then, while I'm waiting for my bus, my fellow bus-waiter and I start chatting... in Spanish, and I'm holding my own! Turns out, we are heading to nearly the same place - and it's two buses away! So, we sit together, talking more, then walk to our next bus, still talking, then ride out... Ultimately, I'm speaking Spanish with someone, making more sense than not, understanding almost everything, for almost 2 hours - I feel all warm and fuzzy :-).
Next, I catch my 3rd bus of the morning, alone this time, but with my new French book. I make it through a couple of pages before my stop (hmmm, that's half an hour, if you're wondering how fast I can read). I absorbed more summer sun for a few minutes, then my paint-buddy picked me up, we went back to her house, had an *excellent* lunch, and then painted for the afternoon!
I finished (and signed - very important to do) my canvas, a collage of flowers, then started on a new project. I'm trying out acrylics on broadcloth - I plan to stitch it to some vanes, and have my very own hand-fan; just in time for summer :-)
The weather held all afternoon and into the evening - I caught my return buses without too much delay (I suppose I've just gotten used to my neighborhood bus being perpetually late - sigh). Rick had some wine chilling, so we got caught up over a nice glass or two, had dinner, watched a couple of TV shows, and relaxed! Oh yeah, brownies for dessert! :-D.
Does it get much better than that?
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Too Cold to be Paradise?
*Everyone* is talking about the cold weather this week! Yesterday, the temperature broke a 15-year COLD record here in Costa Rica - It was 50 (FIFTY) degrees in the central valley!
Yeah, yeah, I know - you folks in the states and Europe are laughing in a puzzled manner, rolling your eyes so far back into your heads, you're getting a headache...
I would be too, except that I'm *here!* Costa Rica is not set up for this - we don't have insulation, no central heat (or *any* heaters, for that matter), *and* our houses are made for maximum ventilation - those super leaky windows that are great in warm weather don't serve too well this week. We don't have parkas, gloves, or snow boots. The lucky few who suffered before and remembered, have sweatsuits and slippers (yay!).
Thankfully, giving baked goods is something of a tradition at this time of year. I'm taking full advantage of that. Yesterday, the inside temperature upon waking, nose peeping out of quilts and thermal blankets, was 66 degrees F. We went out for lunch and supplies (biting wind and total-sun-blocking clouds added to the cold). Then, yay! I baked all afternoon - brownies, zapote cake, and ginger snaps. Peak inside temperatures (outside the kitchen) made it all the way up to .... 76 degrees!!!!
Overnight temperatures inside plunged again - 65 degrees. Fortunately, I have a looooong list of things left to bake. I already started on the cornbread, and have plans for more brownies and cookies...
Yeah, yeah, I know - you folks in the states and Europe are laughing in a puzzled manner, rolling your eyes so far back into your heads, you're getting a headache...
I would be too, except that I'm *here!* Costa Rica is not set up for this - we don't have insulation, no central heat (or *any* heaters, for that matter), *and* our houses are made for maximum ventilation - those super leaky windows that are great in warm weather don't serve too well this week. We don't have parkas, gloves, or snow boots. The lucky few who suffered before and remembered, have sweatsuits and slippers (yay!).
Thankfully, giving baked goods is something of a tradition at this time of year. I'm taking full advantage of that. Yesterday, the inside temperature upon waking, nose peeping out of quilts and thermal blankets, was 66 degrees F. We went out for lunch and supplies (biting wind and total-sun-blocking clouds added to the cold). Then, yay! I baked all afternoon - brownies, zapote cake, and ginger snaps. Peak inside temperatures (outside the kitchen) made it all the way up to .... 76 degrees!!!!
Overnight temperatures inside plunged again - 65 degrees. Fortunately, I have a looooong list of things left to bake. I already started on the cornbread, and have plans for more brownies and cookies...
Zapote Cake - Improving!
My first experiment with a zapote cake was pretty good, but I felt it could be improved :-). I felt that the pecans overwhelmed the cake, as did the rum sauce, and the zapote flavor was lost. I made a few changes (underlined below) - this cake is *amazing!* I had thought about adding some spices, but am glad I resisted. The carambola adds a bit of tartness that brings out the zapote, and the coconut and raisins add just enough "other" flavor.
Zapote Cake with Carambola Sauce
Mix in a large bowl:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1/4 cup flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 Tbs powdered whole milk
Mix in a smaller bowl:
- 2 Tbs melted butter
- 2 cups Zapote pulp*
- 1 tsp vanilla
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry, then add:
- 1/2 cup grated coconut (unsweetened)
- 1 cup raisins
Pour batter into 2 loaf pans, and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees (F) for 70 minutes. The cakes should be very moist, but with a hard surface. Cool slightly in the pans, then refrigerate, turn out and slice.
Serve with warm Carambola Sauce spooned over (microwaving for 10 seconds works great).
Carambola Sauce
Mix in a heavy saucepan:
3/4 cup Carambola pulp**
1/2 cup sugar
Combine and heat on low, stirring constantly, until thickened (stop just before it boils). Let cool, serve while still slightly warm.
* for zapote pulp, blend pieces of peeled zapote with enough water to facilitate movement. It will be creamy and fluffy.
** Carambola is a tart tropical fruit, also known as starfruit. For pulp, dump clean, chopped fruit pieces into a blender, add enough water to facilitate blending. Blend, then strain. No need to peel or seed the fruit first.
CAUTION!!! If you take statins (or other medications), check with your doctor - like grapefruit, carambola can significantly increase the effective dosage within the body.
Zapote Cake with Carambola Sauce
Mix in a large bowl:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1/4 cup flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 Tbs powdered whole milk
Mix in a smaller bowl:
- 2 Tbs melted butter
- 2 cups Zapote pulp*
- 1 tsp vanilla
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry, then add:
- 1/2 cup grated coconut (unsweetened)
- 1 cup raisins
Pour batter into 2 loaf pans, and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees (F) for 70 minutes. The cakes should be very moist, but with a hard surface. Cool slightly in the pans, then refrigerate, turn out and slice.
Serve with warm Carambola Sauce spooned over (microwaving for 10 seconds works great).
Carambola Sauce
Mix in a heavy saucepan:
3/4 cup Carambola pulp**
1/2 cup sugar
Combine and heat on low, stirring constantly, until thickened (stop just before it boils). Let cool, serve while still slightly warm.
* for zapote pulp, blend pieces of peeled zapote with enough water to facilitate movement. It will be creamy and fluffy.
** Carambola is a tart tropical fruit, also known as starfruit. For pulp, dump clean, chopped fruit pieces into a blender, add enough water to facilitate blending. Blend, then strain. No need to peel or seed the fruit first.
CAUTION!!! If you take statins (or other medications), check with your doctor - like grapefruit, carambola can significantly increase the effective dosage within the body.
Monday, December 6, 2010
French Student Party
Thursday, the Alliance Française in Costa Rica threw a year-end party for all the French students - what a blast! Everyone was "encouraged" (we weren't *actually* threatened) to dress up as something that started with either "A" or "F" - in French, bien sûr!
Then the students had a little "show" and contest - the "artichoke / artichaut" won for the "A's"
The "cheese / fromage" won for the "F's"
And the "Black Angel / Ange Noir" won for (darned if I know what the third group was!)
I went as "l'Abondance," and carried a jazzed-up cornucopia, wore a harvest crown, and (of course!) carried a glass of wine! :-)
My teacher and her fiancé came as a flower and martial artist...
I found some friends from previous classes too!
And caught some candids...
Oh yes! One other thing - there was a raffle, and I won a gift certificate to a *very* nice French restaurant - Le Monastère. Sounds like I'd better pass my finals...
Then the students had a little "show" and contest - the "artichoke / artichaut" won for the "A's"
I went as "l'Abondance," and carried a jazzed-up cornucopia, wore a harvest crown, and (of course!) carried a glass of wine! :-)
My teacher and her fiancé came as a flower and martial artist...
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Exploring South
Jim came to visit last week! He has a finca (farm or acreage) in Ojochal that he needed to check on, and invited us along for the ride - what an interesting whirlwind that was!
We met him at the airport, went and got his rental car together, and headed out of town - Friday afternoon traffic struck, as did the rain, but we still got to Ojochal in 4 hours. Ojochal is on the Pacific coast, a little over an hour South of Quepos. It's up the hill, about 700 feet, and the sea breeze keeps everything very comfortable (of course, the air conditioned car didn't hurt :-D ).
After all the recent heavy rains, we were lucky that the roads were all open. Several places had restrictions while the road was being worked on, and we could see the remnants of quite a few mudslides. We got to Ojochal a little after dark, had dinner, and went on to our hotel. Diquis del Sur is run by a charming Québécois couple, Renée and Pierre.
The next morning, we relaxed over breakfast and enjoyed the view while Jim met with his property manager. After a while, we packed up and headed out to the finca. We drove up a dirt road, pulled to the side, and got out. Alongside the road was a river, about 25 feet wide and 2 feet deep - and yes, the finca was on the other side! Fortunately, I had on shorts and water shoes, and the water was simply refreshing :-). Unfortunately, the water washed off all my bug repellent! I ended up with about a dozen bites - the fire finally banked after about 5 days. Aside from that, tramping around the finca was fun - we saw some of the new fruit trees and pineapple plants that had been planted - even brought home a big bunch of bananas (ripening as we speak on my back terraza).
We originally were going to spend the rest of the day at the beach, and another night in Ojochal, but decided to explore a bit farther - we had never been in the area, so *everything* was new! So, the plan was to go on to San Vito, near the Panama border, stay the night, then drive back to San José through the mountains and San Isidro de El General. Well, we were all set to drive off, when someone mentioned that the buses to San Vito were coming along the coast road - that could only mean one thing - the inland road between San Isidro and San Vito was closed or very restricted. Hmmm. Time for plan B (or is that C now?).
We decided to spend a little time in San Isidro. A couple of hours and several road restrictions later, we were hunting for a hotel. We drove past a few, looked in at one, and ended up at the Hotel Diamante Real (2770-6230 / 2770-6232), a decent, somewhat generic hotel, pretty close to the center of town. We walked around, had dinner, and found out that San Isidro has a lively music scene! Our restaurant ("gato" something, near the hotel) turned into a jazz club after 8:00 :-).
The next morning, we walked around a bit more, then took off for San José. I had heard about this road - horror stories! It passes over Cerro de los Muertos at about 11,000 feet, and very near Cerro Chirripó, the highest point in Costa Rica at 12,228 feet. I know now what it looks like above the timber line in Costa Rica - glimpses of shrubs between banks of fog... :-D BTW, the horror stories are all about the fog, slick roads, and steep drop-offs - don't take the name (los muertos = the dead) to mean that ghosts stalk the unwary traveler :-).
A bit over 3 hours later, we were relaxing at home in San José, eating a late Sunday lunch. We have a number of places to return to, and a lot of things to do when we do return!
Driving directions from San José (the airport) to Ojochal, Playa Tortuga, South Pacific, Costa Rica:
We met him at the airport, went and got his rental car together, and headed out of town - Friday afternoon traffic struck, as did the rain, but we still got to Ojochal in 4 hours. Ojochal is on the Pacific coast, a little over an hour South of Quepos. It's up the hill, about 700 feet, and the sea breeze keeps everything very comfortable (of course, the air conditioned car didn't hurt :-D ).
After all the recent heavy rains, we were lucky that the roads were all open. Several places had restrictions while the road was being worked on, and we could see the remnants of quite a few mudslides. We got to Ojochal a little after dark, had dinner, and went on to our hotel. Diquis del Sur is run by a charming Québécois couple, Renée and Pierre.
The next morning, we relaxed over breakfast and enjoyed the view while Jim met with his property manager. After a while, we packed up and headed out to the finca. We drove up a dirt road, pulled to the side, and got out. Alongside the road was a river, about 25 feet wide and 2 feet deep - and yes, the finca was on the other side! Fortunately, I had on shorts and water shoes, and the water was simply refreshing :-). Unfortunately, the water washed off all my bug repellent! I ended up with about a dozen bites - the fire finally banked after about 5 days. Aside from that, tramping around the finca was fun - we saw some of the new fruit trees and pineapple plants that had been planted - even brought home a big bunch of bananas (ripening as we speak on my back terraza).
We originally were going to spend the rest of the day at the beach, and another night in Ojochal, but decided to explore a bit farther - we had never been in the area, so *everything* was new! So, the plan was to go on to San Vito, near the Panama border, stay the night, then drive back to San José through the mountains and San Isidro de El General. Well, we were all set to drive off, when someone mentioned that the buses to San Vito were coming along the coast road - that could only mean one thing - the inland road between San Isidro and San Vito was closed or very restricted. Hmmm. Time for plan B (or is that C now?).
We decided to spend a little time in San Isidro. A couple of hours and several road restrictions later, we were hunting for a hotel. We drove past a few, looked in at one, and ended up at the Hotel Diamante Real (2770-6230 / 2770-6232), a decent, somewhat generic hotel, pretty close to the center of town. We walked around, had dinner, and found out that San Isidro has a lively music scene! Our restaurant ("gato" something, near the hotel) turned into a jazz club after 8:00 :-).
The next morning, we walked around a bit more, then took off for San José. I had heard about this road - horror stories! It passes over Cerro de los Muertos at about 11,000 feet, and very near Cerro Chirripó, the highest point in Costa Rica at 12,228 feet. I know now what it looks like above the timber line in Costa Rica - glimpses of shrubs between banks of fog... :-D BTW, the horror stories are all about the fog, slick roads, and steep drop-offs - don't take the name (los muertos = the dead) to mean that ghosts stalk the unwary traveler :-).
A bit over 3 hours later, we were relaxing at home in San José, eating a late Sunday lunch. We have a number of places to return to, and a lot of things to do when we do return!
Driving directions from San José (the airport) to Ojochal, Playa Tortuga, South Pacific, Costa Rica:
- Head North from the San Jose airport (towards Alajuela-Puntarenas)
- Continue driving for 11 kilometers
- You should see a sign pointing right (La Garita, Atenas)
- Exit the highway to the right and make a left turn (direction Atenas-Quepos)
- Continue driving on the main road for 2.5 kilometers
- Turn left towards Turrucanes
- Continue driving for 3.5 kilometers, passing under the highway, and turn left in downtown Turrucanes. Maneuver the two rotundas to get onto the highway (autopista) Caldera in the Caldera direction.
- Continue driving on the highway until you see the exit for Jaco
- Continue driving on the main road, signs are pointing to Quepos 103 kilometers and Jaco 37 kilometers
- Continue driving straight; go past Jaco, towards Quepos
- Continue driving through Parrita
- Before Quepos you should see a sign pointing left (Playa Dominical 43 kilometers)
- Continue driving on the main road
- Drive straight from the police checkpoint, drive past Dominical on the right
- Continue driving on the main road for 34 kilometers
- You will see the entrance to Ojochal on your left. The road is not paved.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Roller Skating?!?!
Roller Skating?!?! You bet! I went roller skating this afternoon! I haven't been since I was a teenager, but guess what? Nothing much has changed - same music, same games, same smell :-S. Nostalgia is strange sometimes.
I went with a couple I met through my French school, so we had a very nice conversational mixture of Spanish, French, and English. It was a workout for my brain as well as my legs! Speaking of legs... It did take me a while to find my "skating legs" - I was a windmill for at least the first half. But then I found my balance, and even started to get the hang of the cross-over turn. Spinning, squatting, and skating backwards will have to wait. I got a little cocky, and so I fell twice. I'm not going to count all the times I grabbed at other skaters - a very common occurrence for nearly everyone - all in all, not too bad.
Some details: the rink is in San Pedro, just across the circunvalacion from the Mall San Pedro. Skate times are at 1-3:30, 4-6:30, and 7-10. Entry and skate rental is c2000 (about $4) at the 4:00 time slot. You can choose between in-line or traditional skates. Skate are in USA sizes. Shoe (etc) check runs c150, but some people keep a small backpack with them for that instead. Sodas are c500. I did not hear any songs from KC and the Sunshine Band, but there were definitely others from that "original" era of skating.
I went with a couple I met through my French school, so we had a very nice conversational mixture of Spanish, French, and English. It was a workout for my brain as well as my legs! Speaking of legs... It did take me a while to find my "skating legs" - I was a windmill for at least the first half. But then I found my balance, and even started to get the hang of the cross-over turn. Spinning, squatting, and skating backwards will have to wait. I got a little cocky, and so I fell twice. I'm not going to count all the times I grabbed at other skaters - a very common occurrence for nearly everyone - all in all, not too bad.
Some details: the rink is in San Pedro, just across the circunvalacion from the Mall San Pedro. Skate times are at 1-3:30, 4-6:30, and 7-10. Entry and skate rental is c2000 (about $4) at the 4:00 time slot. You can choose between in-line or traditional skates. Skate are in USA sizes. Shoe (etc) check runs c150, but some people keep a small backpack with them for that instead. Sodas are c500. I did not hear any songs from KC and the Sunshine Band, but there were definitely others from that "original" era of skating.
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