2015, One Year Anniversary in Beautiful Costa Rica

We have now been in Costa Rica a full year. It went fast with so many new experiences, new friends, two homes (one a rental plus our new home in the mountains), new foods, new ways to live, learning a new language, and much more.

When we first came to Serenity Gardens we were the only residents along with Aldemar. Soon Steve came along, then Shannon. So for awhile it was us and 3 guys along with the workers. Soon afterwards Diane Gill showed up so then we had 2 women here along with a bunch of guys. Many new houses were built in SGEV during 2014. Now we have several more families living in Serenity with others soon to come. What an interesting year and adventure in our village.

 

Steve, Di Gill and little Lily along with a fish

Dry Season Has Returned

The dry season has returned along with tourist high season. We wake up to 60s at 6am, soon the temps are in the 70s. Mid day might get into low 80s here on our mountain home. The lower lying towns can get high 80s with the coastal towns and beaches into the 90s. We might get an occasional rain but it is pretty much dry.

We are looking forward to 2015 and new adventures. Our residency will be official soon and we can pick up our cedulas. That will be a great feeling as there are pluses to have your cedula. We won't have to make border runs, we will receive health care benefits, it is easier to carry than our passports and proves to any officials we are more than tourists.

Playa Ventanas—The Beach with the Caves (or in Spanish Ventanas means Windows)

Playa Ventanas is an unusual beach with a large beautiful cove for swimming but its claim to fame are its caves. It is best to check out the tidal charts on-line so you can walk inside the caves. We got up at 5am on a Sunday morning & gathered all that were going, to get to the beach during low tide.  It was pretty impressive. There were two caves we could walk in & a third we could see down the coast

 

a bit but by that time the tide had started to rise and getting to it was not practical. The caves we walked in were around 300 feet long, pretty long caves for a beach.

Our day at Playa Ventanas was special because we got to go with several Tico families from our mountain along with the Gills. Breakfast & lunch were packed up and cars filled so we could spend the day together. Our group of friends picnicked under the coconut palms; nice shade and gentle breezes with the beach just beyond the palms.

Next to us at the beach was a group of young people who have come to Costa Rica to enjoy life in the tropics, free to come and go at they please. We enjoyed talking to them and hearing about their travels. One of the guys climbed up the coconut palm to harvest his food and drink. I offered some of our food to him but he would only take some pineapple, seemed pretty happy that there were plenty of coconuts and coconut water.

 

 

 

Rascals! Car Eaters!

We were visiting a farm and these horses were very interested in our car. The horse on the right, tried to eat our car and took paint right off the hood! Rascal!

Horses in Costa Rica, especially to mountain Ticos, are more than a hobby.

 Their horses are transportation and help with work. 

 

We appreciative how much of life here in the Southern Zone Mountains is similar to our childhoods in the 60s.  We think it is pretty neat.  But everywhere you look you see Ticos with their smart phones and satellite TV at their houses so there is modern technology thrown in.