Friends, Animals, Fiestas. . . and a dentist visit

Our former short-term "pet", a hooded mantis

It's been an entire week since we last posted an update!  We have been slacking but there's been plenty going on for sure.  Even though we've been here now three months, there is no paucity of new critter sightings.  The same day we released the scorpion, we found this great hooded mantis on our patio.  He was our pet for a night and then posed for some pictures the next day after he was released.  

Without a doubt, one of the highlights of the week has been a visit from Valerie and Dan, friends from Portland.  Though sometimes we feel adventurous for moving here, our brave friends actually drove here from Oregon, on their way to Panama!  Their trek sounds amazing and they've clearly had a great time.  We've been enjoying their company for the last few days but Sullivan seems especially smitten, making special artwork just for them and repeatedly asking to play Legos in their fantastic van with Dan.  Somehow they've managed to cheerfully endure the chaos that comes along with visiting our clan.  

Valerie and Dan living it up

It turns out that Las Fiestas Civicas, the biggest event of the year here in Nuevo Arenal, is also this week.  We'd heard about these traditions in many of the towns here in Costa Rica.  Here, all the celebrations started Thursday evening and are ending tonight, Monday.  And, to our delight, they haven't disappointed.  

Sullivan takes a ride in front of the Plaza de Toros

The events include bull riding, something like bull chasing (where lots of young men try to take a bandana from an angry bull's horns), musical performances and the Gran Tope, a horse parade demonstrating the national horse step, the Paso Fino.  For us, not only were the events exciting but it was really great to socialize with folks we'd met over the last three months.  Though we don't feel like we've made any close friends yet, we ran into a bunch of people we are getting to know.  

We were welcomed to the fiesta by a friendly man wearing a bike jersey for an organized ride that took place Saturday.  I jokingly asked him why he hadn't ridden in it and he humbly told me that he was one of the organizers of the ride and had to help with the logistics.  It only came out later that he is a former Costa Rican mountain bike champion from 15 or so years ago!

Large, angry bull just prior to being successfully lassoed

The bull riding itself was entertaining but the people watching was equally so.  A lot of folks were decked out and looked lovely.  We ran into several of our kids' classmates and their families, including this super-cute kindergarten compañera of Sullivan.

Sullivan's classmate (he refused to pose, of course)

Better be quick!

We'd been told that there has never been a history of killing or harming the bulls in Costa Rica.  This tradition may be limited to Spain.

An impressive singer and horseman, singing in a traditional Mexican style (I think)

The evening was a great experience overall.  It should also be mentioned that Erica and I each helped to raise money for Madeleine's 6th grade class by manning the table next to the bathrooms for an hour.  We helped to collect money from fiesta-goers in need of the facilities, which is a common way for classes to raise money, in addition to selling food.  The going rate was 200 colones, or about 40 cents.  Toilet paper included.

Love is in the air, at least on the outside of our house

We'd heard much about the Gran Tope, a large horse exhibition slated for Sunday at noon.  Our sources tell us (you know who you are) that this is apparently a civic tradition in many cities and towns here.  The weather gods, again so kind, provided yet another perfect day.  We finally hooked up with some friends we'd been trying to meet up with for a couple of weeks and had a really nice time talking, both in Spanish and English.  We did our job supporting the local economy by consuming snacks for the kids and beers for the adults.  Hydration is important.

Cristian (blue shirt) and I threaten to help sell churros and cotton candy

Amazing young girl with impressive horse-handling skills

Though the official start time was noon, the first three hours or so were spent setting up and warming up.  The horse parade began around 3 pm.  There was some grousing from the kids about the heat and the waiting but the parade itself was just fantastic, with a couple of hundred horses showing off their steps. Though this was not meant to be a very serious competition, the winner is typically quite valued and provides serious money in stud fees.  For this reason, nobody held back in front of the judges.  The Paso Fino is maybe best described as a fast, almost dance-like step even when the horse is not actually going anywhere.  

Beautiful animals

What's he thinking?

Though I never imagined I'd be comfortable riding one of these horses, I never dreamed I'd look so out of place.  Is that a UFO on my head?

Another of Sullivan's buddies from school

The little guys run off some more energy

Each of our kids, at some point in time, was hot, grumpy and complaining during the five hours we were at the Tope.  But I'm pretty sure the warm memories of friends and the festivities will last.

In contrast to the exciting Fiesta, there's also been plenty of domesticity as well.  Madeleine and Henry both have a week of exams starting tomorrow, so there's been a respectable amount of studying recently.  There are two extremely sweet neighborhood girls who have come over a couple of times to study with Henry.  Of course, some games of Escondido (Hide and Seek) follow along as well.

Hard at work

We'd noticed that Sullivan's kindergarten communication notebook that came home on Friday had a little paper with an appointment today for him at the health clinic for a dental exam.  Turns out every kid in kindergarten has a free checkup and fluoride treatment at the local clinic.  What a great idea!  We saw some of his buddies, yet again, though this time at the dentist.  The older kids all get checks and fluoride treatments once a year in school as well.  I like this approach and am looking forward to learning more about the health system here.  For what it's worth, the dentist told me that there is a fair amount of fluoride naturally occurring in the water in Costa Rica and that no other fluoride supplementation is needed. 

Que valiente! 

Indigenous pottery, Playa Pan de Azucar and scorpion visit

Playa Pan de Azucar

Since our last post, we have filled our week with school, homework, Spanish, Legos, feeding and cleaning up after 3 kids, plus a bit of local exploration.  Sullivan’s teacher told Nik last week about a sometime-island in Lago Arenal where there are many old indigenous pottery shards.  We wasted no time in going there to check it out.   Since we are now in the midst of the dry season, the lake is low, so there is a land bridge to the island.  It took a bit of exploring to find the correct road to access the island.  It so happened that a road crew was grading this road, so at first it looked impassible, due a huge mound of dirt and a bulldozer.  One of the workers assured us that we could pass.  Nothing is impossible in Costa Rica.  We made it past, and drove as far as we could, then walked onto the island.  The center of the island was tree- and grass-filled, and we did not want to venture there in our shorts and sandals.  We circumnavigated the island, finding many pottery shards, as well as lots of old horse poop.  Looks like many pottery hunters come on horseback.  Our little collectors filled their pockets and hats.  Of course we had some ethical concerns, but if Sullivan’s Kindergarten teacher told us we could collect things, we thought we were ok.  Also, the huge number made us feel ok about taking some with us.  Some of the pottery shards had simple designs, and Madeleine found one piece shaped like a monkey head.  Nik chatted again with the road crew on the way out, and one of our new friends said that a piece he found was 500 years old.  Seems like a reliable source!

Table for five

Sully's Lego land

Island collection trip

View from the "island"

Last week we also had the pleasure of hosting an overnight visit for the Kindergarten turtle pet, Princesa.  She was a very good guest and enjoyed wandering around our yard, cooling off with a hose bath on the driveway and eating lettuce and carrot.   Henry and Sullivan also collected some tiny fish from our local pond to keep for a while for observation.  

Princesa explores our yard

Sully admires our guest

This past weekend it was time to go on another weekend adventure, and we never seem to go wrong with the beach.  For out last beach day we attempted to go to Playa Pan de Azucar (sugar bread) but ended up at Zapotal.  This time we were armed with directions to the hotel on Playa Pan de Azucar, Hotel Sugar Beach, and we found it with no trouble.  On the way, we went past Brasilito and Playa Flamingo, where we stayed back in October.  Familiar sights, only drier this time of year.  We were completely delighted with Hotel Sugar Beach.  It is low key and gorgeous and reminded me of Asilomar in Monterey, CA, except with iguanas.  The beach is very secluded and quiet, with rocky areas for exploring at low tide.  We got our fill of playing in the surf, digging in the sand, corralling hermit crabs, dipping in the hotel’s pool and snorkeling at low tide Sunday morning.  Perfect.  

Beach crew

Boys at sunset 

Iguana on the hotel grounds

Hermit crab tracks

Tiniest crab

Lovely pool at Hotel Sugar Beach

Playa Pan de Azucar

Plenty of breathing room

After returning last evening and de-sanding and getting kids to bed, I was displeased to discover a scorpion on our kitchen floor.  Ugh!  This is the first we have seen in our house, and hopefully this is not a trend.  Maybe now we will finally get in the habit of checking our shoes, clothes and beds before getting in.  Nik effortlessly captured our scorpion friend in our critter observation chamber, which will be his home until we decide his fate.  Tomorrow Sullivan plans to take him to school to show his friends (which his teacher agreed to, to my amazement).

So grateful for Costa Rica's biodiversity…

Adios, Granada!

Our final day in Granada was appropriately filled with color and beauty, with occasional reminders of the challenges faced by contemporary Nicaraguans.  We met a very friendly local gentleman, Jorge, who was born in Granada but who was sent off to Houston with family during the struggles of the early 1980s.  His English was a testament to the veracity of his story.  He tugged at our heartstrings, explaining how he came back to his home country and started his own business giving boat tours of the 365 isletas in Lake Nicaragua just off the coast of Granada.  Because the price was right and we were looking to check out the isletas anyway, we hopped in a cab with Jorge down to the beach.

Walking the plank

Ever-friendly Jorge

It turns out that all of the isletas were formed by a large explosion of nearby Volcán Mombacho tens of thousands of years ago.  Nearly all are now privately owned, several by some of the wealthiest families in Nicaragua and foreigners from all over the world including a vacation home owned by the King of Spain.  It's ironic that the most iconic modern representative of the Conquistadors still vacations here.

Mombacho

Part of the King of Spain's complex.  We weren't invited in, though.

Apparently no trip to the isletas is complete without a trip to "Monkey Island", which apparently was originally stocked by an American veterinarian.  Lucy, a sweet and pregnant 5 year old spider monkey, even hopped onto our boat for a quick visit and a pet.  And nobody was bitten!

We love Lucy!

Erica stops to smell the national flower, Sancuanjoche.  Apparently a type of Plumeria and quite fragrant.

La Casa de Tres Mundos (house of three worlds) was our other adventure for the first part of the day.  Our expectation was that of a museum with some petroglyphs, but an art academy was more of the reality.  We were greeted by a (not visible) horn version of "The Girl from Ipanema" and four dancers in a class in courtyard.  Strolled through the grounds, finishing up with a large number of drawings and paintings for sale by students and local professionals.  Some were stunning and would have been tempting if we were in a collection phase of our lives.  And we didn't break anything!

A local beauty on the grounds of La Casa de Tres Mundos

We had a late lunch at a (not so) fast food but sit-down restaurant called "Tip Top".  This place could have been anywhere in the world, with its french fries and play area, but the fact that Toña was served clearly identified it as Nicaraguan alone.

Yes, gerbil-like play tubes even in Nicaragua

For all the beauty and modern conveniences, there is no paucity of reminders of poverty and other challenges faced by Nicaraguans at this time in their history.

A tired-looking horse waiting to work

Plenty of potential hazards on the sidewalks and streets

Plenty of lovely buildings

During another afternoon swim and siesta I finally managed to take a peek at the temperature:  97 degrees.  This is apparently pretty typical.  We celebrated our trip with a dinner at a locally famous and relatively fancy restaurant, Las Colinas.  Interestingly, it had very nicely raked dirt floors.  But, we came for its Guapote, a reportedly aggressive fish found in Lake Nicaragua (as well as Lake Arenal close to home in Costa Rica).  This particular guy was exceedingly tasty and the kids insisted on taking its upper jaw, full of teeth, home with us.

Tasty guapote with its toothy grin

After another good night's sleep, we gave the local economy just a little bit more support and then took a cab back to the Costa Rican border.  It was a great day for a cab ride, as several of the buses we saw were completely packed, sometimes with several folks hanging on the outside.  Possibly because it was Sunday?  There were no glitches during our return, though we waited an hour or so in the immigration line getting back into Costa Rica.  In line we met some Nicaraguan men coming back into Costa Rica to work after having had to return to their home country for visa reasons.  Though we'd left Costa Rica for the same reasons, there's no doubt we are in a much better situation, so fortunate to have been born in the US and to have had the opportunities we've had.  We decided to share a little good fortune with these men as a gesture of our thanks.

Arriving back to the lush environs of our house, it felt like we were home again, at least for now.