Atenas
Blog 2: Monkey Business
Our last writing, Blog #1, Vamos a Central America, shared our interesting move from the States to Costa Rica.
Jan and I and our two pups are in our new home in Atenas, Costa Rica. A few bags are still unpacked, but lots going on.
Our New Home
Our new casa is a three-year-old furnished home with three bedrooms (one is my office), two baths, an electric stove, washer and dryer, refrigerator, microwave, on-demand hot water, Internet, and lots of ceiling fans (no AC needed). Although our motorhome was huge by RVing standards, our new place feels pleasantly massive.
Our walk-out patio deck borders a grove of bamboo, a stand of deciduous trees, and a streaming river with a waterfall.
Bird Feeder Birds
A variety of birds live close or nearby, and many like to frequent our bird feeder out on the deck. We had a couple in town build the feeder for us, and it is a constant focus of entertainment.
Here you can see my camera set up just a few yards away from the action.
Jan fills our bird feeder each morning just before dawn, and we usually get a nice variety of birds to eat the fruit—they like the papaya, love the bananas, but oranges and other fruit, not so much.
Here are a few customers: Motmots, Baltimore oriole, Hofmann’s woodpecker, keel-billed toucan, and more.
Lots more birds will be coming in future blogs.
Monkey Business
We have been wonderfully pleased with some of our deck visitors (and again you will see more in the future), but at the top of our entertainment list (that goes for Jack and Toby as well) are monkeys. We have two different types of monkeys with some basic similarities and a few big differences.
White-faced capuchin monkeys (normally called white-faced monkeys) seem to be the most common. What a treat! With no warning, the leaves start to tremble and branches start to bow as these seriously looking mammals zig-zag across the canopy in perfect Tarzan choreography. We have seen them in groups of two to seven, eating leaves and coming quite close as they swing through the bamboo.
The second type is the Howler monkey. Howler monkeys are commonly called “Congo monkeys” in Costa Rica.
Wonder why they are called “howler?” Click here for a clue.
As you probably have guessed, you can hear these guys coming. In fact, the common reaction of people the first time they hear this howl is: “Holy Moly! What is it? Are there bears in Costa Rica! Where can I hide!” For example, the normally fearless Toby stops in his tracks, and cautious Jack, well, he acts cautiously.
Driving in SJO
Our first day driving in a new city and in a new car was good—we only got honked at twice and flipped off once! I’ve done a little big-city driving, and this had all the similar attributes—speed limits considered just recommendations, tailgating seen as a sign of professional know-how—but another big consideration here is the quality of the roads. In many cases, the roads are the worst: narrow, rocky lanes ending with no warning, initially smooth roads turning into cow paths, and San Andreas-fault wannabes waiting around a bend.
Later, after we had time to reflect, we’ve arrived at the following Key Points and Recommendations for Driving:
In the next blog, I’ll introduce you to some new critters I think you will like and maybe share an experience or two.
Pura Vida!
Jan and I and our two pups are in our new home in Atenas, Costa Rica. A few bags are still unpacked, but lots going on.
Our New Home
Our new casa is a three-year-old furnished home with three bedrooms (one is my office), two baths, an electric stove, washer and dryer, refrigerator, microwave, on-demand hot water, Internet, and lots of ceiling fans (no AC needed). Although our motorhome was huge by RVing standards, our new place feels pleasantly massive.
Our walk-out patio deck borders a grove of bamboo, a stand of deciduous trees, and a streaming river with a waterfall.
Bird Feeder Birds
A variety of birds live close or nearby, and many like to frequent our bird feeder out on the deck. We had a couple in town build the feeder for us, and it is a constant focus of entertainment.
Here you can see my camera set up just a few yards away from the action.
Jan fills our bird feeder each morning just before dawn, and we usually get a nice variety of birds to eat the fruit—they like the papaya, love the bananas, but oranges and other fruit, not so much.
Here are a few customers: Motmots, Baltimore oriole, Hofmann’s woodpecker, keel-billed toucan, and more.
Lots more birds will be coming in future blogs.
Monkey Business
We have been wonderfully pleased with some of our deck visitors (and again you will see more in the future), but at the top of our entertainment list (that goes for Jack and Toby as well) are monkeys. We have two different types of monkeys with some basic similarities and a few big differences.
White-faced capuchin monkeys (normally called white-faced monkeys) seem to be the most common. What a treat! With no warning, the leaves start to tremble and branches start to bow as these seriously looking mammals zig-zag across the canopy in perfect Tarzan choreography. We have seen them in groups of two to seven, eating leaves and coming quite close as they swing through the bamboo.
The second type is the Howler monkey. Howler monkeys are commonly called “Congo monkeys” in Costa Rica.
Wonder why they are called “howler?” Click here for a clue.
As you probably have guessed, you can hear these guys coming. In fact, the common reaction of people the first time they hear this howl is: “Holy Moly! What is it? Are there bears in Costa Rica! Where can I hide!” For example, the normally fearless Toby stops in his tracks, and cautious Jack, well, he acts cautiously.
Driving in SJO
Our first day driving in a new city and in a new car was good—we only got honked at twice and flipped off once! I’ve done a little big-city driving, and this had all the similar attributes—speed limits considered just recommendations, tailgating seen as a sign of professional know-how—but another big consideration here is the quality of the roads. In many cases, the roads are the worst: narrow, rocky lanes ending with no warning, initially smooth roads turning into cow paths, and San Andreas-fault wannabes waiting around a bend.
Later, after we had time to reflect, we’ve arrived at the following Key Points and Recommendations for Driving:
- Study a real map ahead of time just to get some grounding if things go south. (Don’t even think about traveling without a travel app, such as Waze or Google.
- Road signs are nice…when they are there and IF they are accurate.
- Really try to drive a 4WD, as they handle potholes and dirt paths much better.
- When Waze (the most popular travel app) says turn in 100 meters, you better be ready.
- Ignore the motorcycles/motor bikes (because they ignore you). The drivers must be on missions from God or on the way to someone who tips really well for on-time delivery for the crazy risks they take.
- If your app says one hour, plan on two, and be ready for three. Hence, pee early, bring extra water, a snack might be nice, and audio books are good as well.
- Watch for and use hand signs to conspire with other drivers. For example, the “I’m coming anyway" command or “come quick and I’ll let you in" signal, and so on.
- Tolerate tailgating—that’s just what they do.
- Don’t drive at night—park it and text Uber.
- Use relaxation therapy before leaving.
- Mild, non-impairing drugs might be an OK option.
- Be calm and be kind.
In the next blog, I’ll introduce you to some new critters I think you will like and maybe share an experience or two.
Pura Vida!
Blog 1: Vamos a Central America
Welcome past readers of my Motoring Across America blog, and a tip of the hat to everyone else joining as we share our journey moving to glorious Costa Rica.
Our Last Situation
Jan and I and our two pups were booked to fly from North Carolina to Costa Rica to start a new life journey. However, by airline rules, our big guy, Jack, must endure this five-plus-hour international flight in the cramped, hot, stinky cargo bay. This is bad enough, but if the air temperature the day of the flight reaches 85 degrees, he is evicted and cannot fly at all—bad situation at best. But what can we do?
Lucky Break
Doing some online research, we found the answer to our Jack-in-the-Box dilemma.
Picture this, dog lovers: As you sip your champagne and nibble on lobster and caviar in your executive chair on your private charter jet, your pampered pup sits on your lap or in nearby seat grazing on Florida shrimp and nibbles of Gouda cheese. You fly to your destination with your pup receiving constant attention and continual comfort. You and your pup exit the flight relaxed and welcoming the day. No issues. No fear…no terror…no separation anxiety (well, except for the anxiety of a wholesome sum of money separating from your wallet!). The name of our savior in the skies? Perro Air. (Note: I may have embellished the description above just a tad!)
We immediately contacted Perro Air and committed to having Jack and Jan fly with them when available. Hey, it’s only money.
The challenge is that Perro Air only flies to/from certain airports in certain Costa Rica cities to certain airports in certain US cities on certain dates. Of course nothing aligned with our hopes, but beggars and choosers, as they say. So, we built our new travel schedule around theirs. Now things started to get interesting. The Perro Air decision had a significant impact on our travel plans. Take a look:
Original Plan: Easy-Peasy
New Plan: Lots of Moving Parts
OK, there you have it: not pretty, not easy, not inexpensive, but doable.
Bright Spot: Scouting Trip
Adopting the Perro Air plan freed up 10 days for us. Hey, we already had bought tickets. It sure would be nice to have a place “ready to go” when we brought the Pups to their new home. So, keeping to our original dates, we dropped off the Pups at Cousin Chris’s and headed for the airport. Along with two roller-board suitcases, my briefcase, and Jan’s big purse, we had five containers, each with 50 to 75 pounds of our remaining worldly goods.
We flew to SJO airport to look for houses in the Central Valley, which seemed to be the best fit for us.
We had booked First Class seats, as it allowed more baggage, and it was a pleasant and uneventful flight. A porter at the baggage claim helped us get our luggage through security and over to the parking area where we met an employee of the car broker whom I worked with to get our purchase of our 4WD Hundai Santa Fe Car.
Thursday (the next day)
With the realtor's help, we visited four different homes in the Valley. All had some attributes, but none stuck out. So, it was a great learning day, but we left the day a little bummed.
Friday
On Friday we met up with a very nice, very sharp realtor in the town of Atenas. Within five minutes we were at a house for rent, and within two more minutes, Jan was saying in her outside voice,“This is it! This is the one I want!”
I am sometimes a little slow but never a dummy. From then on, I just listened and solemnly nodded my head.
This was the place that Jan saw online weeks earlier and loved, but thought it might have been rented out already. Jan negotiated a few things, and within a couple of hours we had worked out the details, agreed to the terms, and put down the deposit. The manager kindly agreed to allow us to store our four bins at our property, which was a big relief. All good.
On a Roll: Our Good News Continues
I scanned the Perro Air website to see if there were any updates—I was hoping they would not cancel Jan and Jackson’s flight. It was all a go, but I also saw that Jack and Jan’s flight was not sold out. Was this an opportunity?
Fingers crossed, I dropped them a note asking if there might be room for little Toby on the flight, and if so, could I buy him a seat? That would potentially save a lot of hassle. I was doubtful that they would agree, or if they did, they would want big bucks. But the kind folks responded that an extra 12 pounds was not an issue and he could come along at no extra charge. Gotta love Perro Air! The stress relief was immediate.
Next Steps
Jan and I returned to North Carolina. We arranged appointments and health certificates for the Pups (at the cost of $1,100), worked out any remaining travel glitches, and then a few days later, Jan and the Pups took an Uber to the Ft. Lauderdale Executive Airport, where they jetted directly on Perro Air to Liberia.
My two-stop flight got in within three hours of them. We spent the night at the Hampton Inn near the airport, resting up for our drive the next morning. After a very tasty breakfast (Hiltons do a nice job), we headed out early, and within three hours we were back in Atenas, fueling up with gas, and then fueling up with groceries before stopping at our new home. We spent a few hours unloading, moving, shuttling, stacking etc. before signing papers and officially committing to our lease.
Wow, holy moly, saints be praised, pass the sausages…we did it!
My next blog will introduce you to our new home and share what it is really like here in Costa Rica. You will be introduced to some serious monkey business, peak inside an X-rated Iguana experience, and meet Jesus Christ in action (for real!).
Pura Vida!
Our Last Situation
Jan and I and our two pups were booked to fly from North Carolina to Costa Rica to start a new life journey. However, by airline rules, our big guy, Jack, must endure this five-plus-hour international flight in the cramped, hot, stinky cargo bay. This is bad enough, but if the air temperature the day of the flight reaches 85 degrees, he is evicted and cannot fly at all—bad situation at best. But what can we do?
Lucky Break
Doing some online research, we found the answer to our Jack-in-the-Box dilemma.
Picture this, dog lovers: As you sip your champagne and nibble on lobster and caviar in your executive chair on your private charter jet, your pampered pup sits on your lap or in nearby seat grazing on Florida shrimp and nibbles of Gouda cheese. You fly to your destination with your pup receiving constant attention and continual comfort. You and your pup exit the flight relaxed and welcoming the day. No issues. No fear…no terror…no separation anxiety (well, except for the anxiety of a wholesome sum of money separating from your wallet!). The name of our savior in the skies? Perro Air. (Note: I may have embellished the description above just a tad!)
We immediately contacted Perro Air and committed to having Jack and Jan fly with them when available. Hey, it’s only money.
The challenge is that Perro Air only flies to/from certain airports in certain Costa Rica cities to certain airports in certain US cities on certain dates. Of course nothing aligned with our hopes, but beggars and choosers, as they say. So, we built our new travel schedule around theirs. Now things started to get interesting. The Perro Air decision had a significant impact on our travel plans. Take a look:
Original Plan: Easy-Peasy
- We take two weeks to sell the Jeep for a good price in Charlotte, North Carolina.
- A relative would drive all of us the 40 minutes to the Charlotte airport.
- We would fly direct from Charlotte to the San Jose airport in Costa Rica (4 hours and 20 minutes).
- We would rent a car, and then drive the 30 minutes to our new home.
New Plan: Lots of Moving Parts
- Find something productive to do for a couple weeks.
- Drive Jeep from Charlotte to Savannah.
- Drive to Ocala and stay with a friend.
- Visit friends in Ft. Myers.
- Drive to Ft. Lauderdale. Sell our Jeep to Carvana and have them pick it up at our hotel.
- Alex and Toby: Along with a full suitcase, a 70-pound container, and a cage for Toby, Alex and Toby Uber to the airport, fly to Atlanta, switch planes and fly to Liberia, Costa Rica. Alex would have in his pocket $200 in tens in case bribes were required if Toby started trouble.
- Jan and Jack: Casually Uber to the airport, and then fly to Liberia in style. Late afternoon we would all meet up at the hotel by Liberia airport and spend the night. The next day, we would drive five hours across the country to SJO, and then drive to our new home.
- Rest for 10 days—have groceries delivered.
OK, there you have it: not pretty, not easy, not inexpensive, but doable.
Bright Spot: Scouting Trip
Adopting the Perro Air plan freed up 10 days for us. Hey, we already had bought tickets. It sure would be nice to have a place “ready to go” when we brought the Pups to their new home. So, keeping to our original dates, we dropped off the Pups at Cousin Chris’s and headed for the airport. Along with two roller-board suitcases, my briefcase, and Jan’s big purse, we had five containers, each with 50 to 75 pounds of our remaining worldly goods.
We flew to SJO airport to look for houses in the Central Valley, which seemed to be the best fit for us.
We had booked First Class seats, as it allowed more baggage, and it was a pleasant and uneventful flight. A porter at the baggage claim helped us get our luggage through security and over to the parking area where we met an employee of the car broker whom I worked with to get our purchase of our 4WD Hundai Santa Fe Car.
Thursday (the next day)
With the realtor's help, we visited four different homes in the Valley. All had some attributes, but none stuck out. So, it was a great learning day, but we left the day a little bummed.
Friday
On Friday we met up with a very nice, very sharp realtor in the town of Atenas. Within five minutes we were at a house for rent, and within two more minutes, Jan was saying in her outside voice,“This is it! This is the one I want!”
I am sometimes a little slow but never a dummy. From then on, I just listened and solemnly nodded my head.
This was the place that Jan saw online weeks earlier and loved, but thought it might have been rented out already. Jan negotiated a few things, and within a couple of hours we had worked out the details, agreed to the terms, and put down the deposit. The manager kindly agreed to allow us to store our four bins at our property, which was a big relief. All good.
On a Roll: Our Good News Continues
I scanned the Perro Air website to see if there were any updates—I was hoping they would not cancel Jan and Jackson’s flight. It was all a go, but I also saw that Jack and Jan’s flight was not sold out. Was this an opportunity?
Fingers crossed, I dropped them a note asking if there might be room for little Toby on the flight, and if so, could I buy him a seat? That would potentially save a lot of hassle. I was doubtful that they would agree, or if they did, they would want big bucks. But the kind folks responded that an extra 12 pounds was not an issue and he could come along at no extra charge. Gotta love Perro Air! The stress relief was immediate.
Next Steps
Jan and I returned to North Carolina. We arranged appointments and health certificates for the Pups (at the cost of $1,100), worked out any remaining travel glitches, and then a few days later, Jan and the Pups took an Uber to the Ft. Lauderdale Executive Airport, where they jetted directly on Perro Air to Liberia.
My two-stop flight got in within three hours of them. We spent the night at the Hampton Inn near the airport, resting up for our drive the next morning. After a very tasty breakfast (Hiltons do a nice job), we headed out early, and within three hours we were back in Atenas, fueling up with gas, and then fueling up with groceries before stopping at our new home. We spent a few hours unloading, moving, shuttling, stacking etc. before signing papers and officially committing to our lease.
Wow, holy moly, saints be praised, pass the sausages…we did it!
My next blog will introduce you to our new home and share what it is really like here in Costa Rica. You will be introduced to some serious monkey business, peak inside an X-rated Iguana experience, and meet Jesus Christ in action (for real!).
Pura Vida!