Do you ever wonder if Jeff and I are telling the full story of life in so-called Paradise? To be honest, there may be more to the story that we keep to ourselves.
For example:
Here's a romantic picture of Jeff in his new office: In the background are stately tropical black walnut trees mixed in with other tropical hardwoods. The hills in the background give a wonderful dimension to the panoramic view. As he sits at the hardwood table in the shade on the veranda, working on business-consultant-work things, the outdoor temperature reaches up to about 85 degrees and tropical birds continually call out to one another as they dash from tree to tree.
What a way to retire! What a way to travel! Livin' the Life!
Oh yeah, there's a bit more to the story that the photograph and the carefully selective writing has left out:
The reason that he's on the veranda is because the house is an OVEN. The living room has two HUGE skylights that act as solar magnifiers, creating exactly perfect circumstances for a solar dehydrator - but it's our house. Our only hope for it to cool down is when the tropical afternoon rains begin and dissipate much of the heat.
So he had to carry that exceptionally heavy hardwood table outside and deal with the glare on his computer screen in order to be able to get any work done. And in spite of wearing a hat and applying bug repellent, he ended up with a new batch of bites to nurse. Although when he works indoors he also risks getting bitten up because the huge sliding glass doors - that provide such a nice view - don't have screens on them. If the doors are kept closed during the day, we totally cook. If the doors are kept open during the day, the mosquitoes invite themselves in.
And that lovely hillside adjacent to us? There's a huge rock quarry on it. From sunrise to sunset trucks and rocks are tumbling, dropping, and rolling in a low grade, never-ending crash-rumble.
Yes, the place is BEAUTIFUL. However the experience of surviving in a tropical climate is multi-layered.
The expats that survive and thrive in the tropics are a tough lot. I admire them and am proud to be counted as one.
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| A vintage coffee hopper, pickers dump their sacks into the hopper, truck drives under, chute opens. |
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| Remember riding in the back of pick-ups in the '50's? |
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| Glamour shot. |
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| All bets are off unless you figure out a way to stay fit and functional . . . Rip 60: never leave home without it. |
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| . . . fit, functional, and funny. |
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| Josey tells us the story of his cacao finca: Chocorica: 11 acres with a Tico home - $172,000. Interested? |
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| True "Criollo" type red cacao pods. Some say they're the best. |
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| Portrait of a cacao fanatic. |
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| This is Casa Botania, Kata and Pepe's unique B&B in San Vito. |
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| The evening sun goes down at Casa Botania. |
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| "I deserve this". |
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| The misty "neblina" clouds hug the forested slopes. |
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| Haven't I met you somewhere? |
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| Starr checks her notes in the Casa Botania dining room. |
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| Pepe and Kata are wonderful hosts. |
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| Buffet breakfast and Belgian crepes from the kitchen. |
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| Let me in! |
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| Gail used her retirement to develop the 17 acre Cantaros botanical garden and gift shop where she sells indigenous crafts. |
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| Jesus loves me. This I know. |
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| Gail shows off her solar clothes dryer. Actually I think husband Harry might have had something to do with it. |
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| In all probability, the most elegant Eucalyptus on earth. |
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The Cantaros area has been inhabited for over 30 years by archeologists.
Human habitation started about 3,500 years before that. |
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| The picturesque highland village of San Vito de Coto Brus was founded in 1951 by Italian coffee grower, Vito Sansonetti. |
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| Cecilia, daughter of Vito, sitting on the founder's fender. |
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| Picnic and picture day for the founding families. |
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| Camila's a good girl, and a skilled watchdog. |
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| I think he likes me. |
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| These lovely docile beasts do the work of 20 men. |
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| The oxen drag the logs up steep muddy slopes. The men turn them into lumber. |
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| Another layer of Paradise. |
Remember: All that glitters is not Gold - although it IS the experience of a lifetime and we wouldn't do it any differently.
