the howler

The greatest variety of toursand riding experiences for all ages, featuring

spectacular countryside, howler monkeys, colorful small towns and fun-filled fiestas.

Cantina Tour - Nature Tour Fiesta & Tope Rental - Old Tempate Trail Tour

Located near Portegolpe on the main road,opposite the Monkey Park,

just 20 minutes from the beach.

Phone us at: [email protected] www.tamarindo.com/casagua

The best horses on Guanacaste’s Gold Coast!

Casagua Horses

- The Howler - September 200930

TilingWeldingDrainagePlumbingCarpentry

RemodellingLandscapingRefrigerationRoof RepairWater TanksSeptic TanksWater PumpsCement WorkElectric Gates

Air ConditioningAppliance RepairElectrical Services

We also listened to stories about how the locals deal with army ants when they invade homes. They leave – period.

In the neotropics there are about 150 different species of army ant from the southern United States to northern Argentina, usually below 2,000 meters altitude. The large colonies, ranging typically from thirty thousand to more than a million, are carnivores, consuming prey like wasps, ants, cockroaches, spiders, scorpions and other arthropods. At times they will consume small lizards and disabled vertebrates. The raids are “comparable to a wolf pack, but with fifty thousand miniature wolves, the epitome of group predation,” according to researcher C.W. Rettenmeyer. With their large numbers and complete coverage of an area, these predators can kill most of the arthropods in their paths with their large, stinging mandibles and return with the booty carried beneath their bodies. They are the ultimate “clean sweep.” The bivouacs are underground or beneath logs or hollow trees. The colony is composed of polymorphic (different

sizes) near-blind workers, soldiers and a queen. The fertile winged males are found only for two or three weeks during the mating season. The ants communicate and travel using distinct scent trails and pheromones.

The colonies typically emerge at dawn and soon create a distinct column away from the nest, forming a raiding party. The raids last for a couple of hours before the prey is returned to the nest; until then, it is stored in caches along the way. After 5 or 6 hours the raiding party may be 50 meters from the nest. The front swarm may be

3-15 meters wide, and specially adapted ant birds and other predators take advantage of the fleeing victims, catching insects and other prey running or flying away from the raiding party. The ants move not only along the ground, but up lianas to the top of the highest tropical forest trees. The fast-moving ants attack the prey with sheer numbers, the large-jawed soldiers killing the prey and the smaller workers bringing it back to the nest.

The entire colony, though made up of different sizes of ants, is the same age, and if the queen is killed the colony will die or merge with another colony. Sometimes new nests are formed, and the queen and larvae are moved to the new location under cover of night. The army ant is one of the most specialized and highly adapted colonial insect species. Many other insect and bird species have co-evolved to not only live with them, but also depend on them for their own survival. Yet another amazing story of tropical forest adaptation.

And now back to my tale. When Esteban arrived home an hour later, he laughed at my story and told me more about the way Ticos handle the invading army. His grandmother called the ants guerradoras or warriors, and always packed up and left during their raiding parties. Army ants are carnivorous and do not eat “people food”, but act like natural fumigators, killing unwelcome insects, spiders and scorpions in the house – natural Raid! Later, I felt bad that I had stomped on and killed one wing of the raiding party, but was glad that they didn’t set up their bivouac in my house. I concluded that, now I have made my home in the tropics, I should learn to live with them, too.

Killers...(from page 7)

Contact: Don H. at 2-654-4902

Flamingo Tuesdays: 5:30 - 6:30 pm (open) Fridays: 5:30 - 6:30 pm (open)

Location: Hitching Post Plaza Unit 2, Brasilito

Alcoholics AnonymousSchedule of Meetings

TamarindoSaturday: 10:30-11:30 - Open General MeetingMonday: 5:30 Open MeetingThursday: 6:30-7:30 - Open MeetingLocation: Behind Restaurant Fiesta del Mar

Contact: Ellen - 2-653-0897

- The Howler - September 2009 The Howler - September 2009 -

editor’s note

4

Well, we all expected a dead July and August, but it some-how fooled us all, and local businesses have had a blast! Tamarindo has been busier than usual for this time of year.

But we also know it won’t last past Labour Day. We are now deep into the global recession, and into our own unique Tamarindo annual slump. Now is the time for us to support each other, to help us get through to the other side. The all-knowing (ha! ha!) U.S. Treasury has given the official news that the recession is about over (but what do they know? They are the ones who started it!!) Let’s hope they are right. As an incentive to businesses who wish to advertise, The Howler is offering free artwork and great discounts for ads. Contact [email protected] for details. And support other businesses which respect locals.

Although the last couple of years have seen some unusual weather patterns, this year they have been true to form, with a nice 6-week veranillo de San Juan, the “little summer” which gives us a dry, hot period in July and the first half of August. Well, I was right!! I pre-dicted rain on the 15th and, boy, did it rain? Maybe the opening that day of boutique Rain Dolls with their flashy umbrellas had something to do with it.

No, this issue was not intended as a Trip Down Memory Lane, but it seems so. No sooner did I write my article about three old (sorry, elderly) people in my life, coming together after many decades without meeting, than columnist Tom Peifer sent me (late, as usual) his sub-mission about bonding with his Mom. Each article covers a fifty-year timeframe. But, as his article has a surfing touch, and mine doesn’t, I’m sure his will be better read than I.

But, you know, we are all getting older, faster than you think, and you kids should be preparing for the later years because, believe me, they will be here before you can blink. As John Lennon (who, you ask) said: “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”

A few months ago I watched, in Tamarindo, the 1966 movie “Endless Summer”, while its star, Robert August, stood at the bar and gave a narrative of the story behind the movie. On the screen was a 21-year-old Californian hunk traveling the world while doing awesome things with boards and waves, while a grizzled, sixty-something guy pointed out other characters in the film who just happened to be in the audience. So weird! I’m sure my Zen amiga would have a phrase to describe my feelings. And the awesome “RA” still surfs daily.

Suddenly, you are seventy, wrinkled and leathery, and can barely re-member what you had for breakfast – or with whom – yet you know every detail of a conversation you had with an army buddy fifty years ago, what motorbike you rode, how much it cost to dance to The Silver Beatles in a Saturday night hop just outside Liverpool (half-a-crown - and they were not too good then)...So much water has passed under the bridge since then. Where did it go? What did you do with it???

Here we go into the real RAINY season. Enjoy it.

29

Flamingo Equestrian Center

Riding School - Boarding FacilityLighted Indoor Arena - Jump Course

Year-round Customized Horse Camps and Clinics

[email protected]

8-828-6879

But at my back I always hearTime’s winged chariot hurrying near - Andrew Marvell

It is 4 a.m., and Doña Paola Cedeño is at work, cooking thirty gallinas (boiling fowl) over a fire of leña in her garden and on a comal in the kitchen. While the birds are bubbling joyfully away for several hours with a secret selection of vegetables and herbs, Paola and her daughter make eighty tortillas, slapping the cornflour mix into flat disks and baking them on the stove.

Doña Paola, who has lived in Villarreal all her 74 years, performs this ritual twice a month.

Together with boiled potatoes and onions, the cooking lasts until noon. The finished product is sold around

Villarreal and Tamarindo (Hotel Capitan Suizo has a standing order for 7 packages). “They all go,” she says. “I could make more if I had the space.”

The Howler guarantees that the gallinas are delicious.

Gallinas to goDavid Mills

- The Howler - September 2009 The Howler - September 2009 - 28

The HowlerThe HowlerSince 1996

FEATURES

Since 1996September 2009

15 Surf ReportThe World Surfing Games in Playa Hermosa have come to an end, with Costa Rica scoring seventh place of over 30 countries.

27 Independence On September 15, Costa Rica celebrates 188 years of independence from Spain. Read the strange tale of how it came about.

8 Dining Out Inside Hotel Conchal in Brasilito, Papaya Restaurant serves fine food all day.

14 Around TownOpenings, closings, parties, music. The Gold Coast has it all, and bar-hoppin’ David is in the groove.

9 Italy - A Family ReunionAfter hiding away from his family for decades, our editor steps back fifty years to renew old acquaintances.

25 Bodysurfing With MomOur columnist retraces his life with fond memories of his recently deceased mother, who taught him to surf.

DEPARTMENTS

CD Review

Book Review

Yoga

Soccer

Puzzle

Tide Chart

August Forecasts

Sun & Moon

Rain Gauge

Christopher Howard

10

11

12

13

19

21

24

28

28

30

Cover Caption: Examples of glass art from Gold Coast artists Andrea Ruffo and Carol Rosenblatt. Both artists have galleries in the Los Pargos/Playa Negra area. Cover design: John Lyman Photos: Barbara Runcie and John Lyman Photos

5

Rainfall July-August2008: 28.8 cm2009: 18.7Year-to-date

2008: 137.1 cm2009: 99.4

26 Surviving Costa RicaFollowing an alleged directive from Howler Headquarters, Jesse finds only good news to write about.

September 2009( a l l t i m e s l o c a l )

1st -15th -30th -

rise 5:34; set 5:53rise 5:33; set 5:44rise 5:32; set 5:34

Sun

Full:Last quarter:New:1st quarter

4th

11th

18th

25th

10:03 a.m.8:16 p.m.

12:44 p.m.10:50 p.m.

Moon

Remodelling& Home Repairs

Carpentry • Block WallsStonework • Ceramic Tile

Drywall • ConcreteAny Work Undertaken

Free estimatesRex Barnes - Tel: 2-653-1432

stop for decades. Their adventures included the South Pacific, the Caribbean, back and forth across the Atlantic, Greek islands in the Aegean and hippos crossing their wake in rivers in West Africa.

My one attempt at crewing along with the intrepid duo was an exercise in learning my own limits. A night of minimally rough weather off the coast of Mauritania convinced me that I lacked the sea legs for the 70-foot moving mountains of the North Atlantic that my 60-year-old mother had taken in stride. I stayed in Africa for the surfing. They sailed off into the sunset, across to Brazil.

Twenty-five years later I took my last boat ride with Mom, in the inland waterways of Washington State. She and Jack had spent another decade plying the waters of the Pacific Northwest, watching killer whales cavort and feasting off the bounty of the pristine sea and shorelines. It is in those waters where her ashes were immersed last month, uniting her in perpetuity with the watery element that had both energized and molded her time on this planet.

Now, I’m not exactly the cosmic type who feels like I’m ‘communing with her essence’ every time I dive into the pounding beach break at Playa Junquillal. Furthermore, the currents may well head the wrong directions so that it takes a few millennia before any of mom’s earthly presence ends up in our neck of the woods. At the same time, I do remember the words of an Indian saddhu, or holy man, on the rooftop of an ashram on the banks of the River Ganges. I was trying to explain to him how cosmic it is to be inside the tube of a breaking wave. The guy in the orange robe got the picture right away. Speaking with the serenity and wisdom of a lifetime of meditation he observed: “What you are experiencing is truly the roar of OM.” I can live with that.

Thanks to Mom I continue to enjoy the exhilaration and cosmic-ness of the ocean’s soothing roar. In its almost incomprehensible vastness and the enormity of its power, the ocean provides us all with an opportunity to learn the ultimate lesson: “to see you’re really only very small and life flows on within you and without you.”

Tom Peifer is an ecological land use consultant with 14 years experience in Guanacaste. Phone: 2658-8018. [email protected] El Centro Verde is dedicated to sustainable land use, agriculture and developmentWeb site: http://www.elcentroverde.org/

Bodysurfing With Mom(from page 25)

c

m

s

July August

4.5

4.0

3.5

3.0

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

0.016 20 25 31 1 5 10 15

RAIN GAUGE

RAINFALL - July/AugustMiller Meteorological Observatory

La Garita

Total rainfall: 18.7 cm (7.4 inches)

- The Howler - September 2009 The Howler - September 2009 -

Founded in 1996Vol. 14, No. 9 - September 2009

Issue No. 156

Editorial Office:Casa Equinox, Playa Tamarindo

Guanacaste, Costa RicaCed. Juridica: 3-101-331333

Publisher, editor and productionDavid Mills

[email protected] • [email protected]

Tel/fax: 2-653-0545

Contributors:

TONY OREZTOM PEIFERJOHN LYMAN

ELLEN ZOE GOLDENJEANNE CALLAHAN

JESSE BISHOPNINA WEBER

The Howler

All comments, articles and advertising in this publication are the opinion of their authors, and do not reflect the opinion of Howler Management.

www.tamarindobeach.netwww.tamarindohomepage.com

Howler advertisingAdvertise in the Howler and

improve your business. The Howler now offers a wide range of advertising sizes and formats to suit all needs. Please contact: David Mills - 2-653-0545

[email protected] - [email protected]

Discounts:For 6 months, paid in advance, one month is deducted.For 12 months paid in advance, two months are deducted.

Ads must be submitted on CD or e-mail attachment, JPG format at 266 dpi, at the appropriate size (above).

Size

1/8-page1/4

1/3

1/2

2/33/4Full

Dimension (cms)Width Height

9.4 x 6.15 9.4 x 12.719.2 x 6.1512.7 x 12.7 6.2 x 25.8 9.4 x 25.819.2 x 12.712.7 x 25.819.2 x 19.319.2 x 25.8

60100

150

180

200 250 350

Price ($)

Advertising rates (color)

6

Deadline for October: September 15

27

In 1821, Cartago was the capital city of Costa Rica, with a population of 15,000 out of the country’s 60,000. But it was a

quiet and poor city. A traveling Englishman, John Hale, said of Cartago, “the place, the houses and life itself are notoriously poor; the people friendly and courteous.”

At that time, Costa Rica formed the south-ernmost part of the Kingdom of Guate-mala, but was a very distant province, totally isolated and in a very primitive state. It had been described as “the poorest province in the entire Spanish Empire”. Communication was by road, and roads were poor in summer, impass-able in winter. There were no newspapers (and few people could read anyway), no currency (often, cocoa beans were used as

money), no doctors or medicine.

Centra l Amer ica had been visited by Christopher Co-lumbus on his last voyage in 1502, as the first European to make landfall here, and settlement started in 1522. For the next three cen-turies Spain admin-istered the whole region as part of the Captaincy General of Guatemala under

a military governor.

In September, 1821, unknown to Costa Rica, a group of influential persons met in Antigua, Guatemala, to discuss the Kingdom’s independence from Spanish rule. On September 15, the Act of Guatemala

was signed, declaring total independence from Spain.

Now came the task of informing the far-flung provinces of Nicaragua and Costa Rica; a horseman set out from Antigua on September 16 to spread the news.

On Sep- t embe r 27, the courier arrived in León, seat of government of Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Leon’s relations with Guatemala were strained, and the city fathers resolved not only independence from Spanish rule, but also absolute and total independence from Guatemala. The Act of Guatemala, with the added resolution from León, continued to Cartago by way of San José.

The documents arrived in Cartago on Oc-tober 13, at noon, prompting a meeting in the city square. Most of the population attended to hear the reading of the Act, which “fell like a bomb in the deadly quiet of the old metropolis”, according to Ricardo Fernandez Guardia in his book “La Indepen-dencia”. The unexpected news “caused a terrible shock to the townsfolk, who were unprepared to receive it.”

The newly independent territory was required to determine a new form of government. The city elders signed a proclamation an-nouncing their acceptance of independence from Spain, and the decision to support

IndependenceWhy Costa Rica celebrates

September 15David Mills

On September 15 Costa Rica,

along with three other Central American countries, celebrates its independence, in 1821,

from Spain. The separation was peaceful, almost sleepy. The country had neither asked for

independence, nor even knew about it until weeks later.

the Mexican Empire. In the meantime, León had accepted the declaration from Guate-mala and had declared total independence from Spain.

Civil War

The status of Costa Rica was still unde-cided, due to groups within the country

with widely differing views. Two years after independence from Spain, Costa Rica was split between two factions: Cartago and Heredia, who supported the Mexican ruler Agustin Iturbide; and San José and Alajuela, who favored

the Federal Republic of Colombia under Simon Bolivar.

On April 7, 1823, the Constitutional Con-gress decreed that Costa Rica be ruled by Colombia. This angered Cartago and Heredia, who favored alignment with the Mexican Empire to continue power from Spanish rule.

A rm ies f rom both sides met at Ochomogo, near Cartago, and when the excitement died down (San José lost 17 men, Cartago 4) Car-tago was on the run; thus, the government passed f rom Cartago to San José.

Unknown to the two factions, the Iturbide rule fell in Mexico, a few days before the battle at Ochomogo.

Oscar enjoys a good surf session.Oscar is the Menkings’ dog in Tamarindo

Photo: Megan Boone

Sports FishingHikingPackagesSunset Sailing & Snorkelling

Canopy ToursTransportationNational Park Excursions...and much more

Take the stress out of your vacation - let us book your adventures for youTour Operator and Booking Center, Tamarindo Tourist Center

Located in Tamarindo at Plaza Conchal II suites 6 & 7


In a massive shift in editorial policy here at corporate headquarters of Howler Mega Publishing S.A. the editor/pu-

blisher/security guard has decreed that from now on our writing will be nothing but good, positive, wholesome stuff without any unwelcome irony or sarcasm. The results were massive resignations and/or firings, and when the dust finally cleared only yours truly and a couple of those do-gooder yoga types are still around.

For the sake of job security I submit the following:

Everything seems to be going great here in Playa Tamarindo, the jewel in the crown of Costa Rica’s fabled Gold Coast. New rainy season statistics show a huge decline in sun stroke and the availability of concrete is at an all-time high.

And speaking of high, the colorful local drug dealers abounding on our streets have showed a little initiative by forming a cooperative to further their ambitions. CO-OPENARC members can now be found en masse in front of Tamarindo’s newest tourist mall where they are guaranteed to accost any fifty-seven-year-old matron from Ohio happening by. Of course when you really need a fix they’re nowhere to be found.

More really good news is the MOPT final solution for the road to Langosta.

After a recent Playa Pinilla summit, pre-sidents from seven Latino nations signed a treaty allowing the People’s Republic of China, in conjunction with a consortium of MOPT senior officials as well as se-veral ex-presidents, to begin a four-lane underground tunnel to Langosta. This will protect and preserve the above-ground original road which was recently declared a “National Treasure” by outgoing Presi-dent Arias.

Tunneling construction is set for the be-ginning of October when engineers have

determined the best drainage conditions. Locals are asked to bear with the minor inconvenience of several very low yield nuclear devices being used to “hasten” construction during the month-long tun-neling process and local papers have been promised a completed tunnel by an as-yet-unnamed Tourist Season in the “near future”. In more good news about the “Langosta Tunnel” MOPT officials have also stated the toll fee for using the tunnel will only be “about several thousand” colones, also to be determined later. The new project will be wide enough to accommodate even the largest tractor trailer available, and in a generous gesture to future development the seventeen families that actually live in Langosta have submitted a petition to the Costa Rican Supreme Court (Sala IV) asking that the trucks be exempted from paying.

New Gold Coast Chamber of Commerce figures just in show that there is absolutely no reason why North Americans shouldn’t visit Costa Rica.....immediately! Those “Liquid Sunshine” days of Sept-ember and October are right around the corner. Come and experience thrilling amphibious rescue operations, stand outdoors and get really wet or find out how contracting Dengue Fever makes you feel even more “like a local”. Local ATV operators are offering special rainy season “no insurance, no guide” rates that will satisfy anyone’s need for speed and danger, and the municipality recently issued a moratorium on drunk driving for the months of September and October in an effort to stimulate sales for both gasoline and alcohol, chronically low this time of year.

Investors, developers, money lenders, contractors - now is the time to return and take your rightful places back in the Ta-marindo community. In the good ol’ days you could walk off a plane from anywhere,

Ireland fer instance, and within days be on the front page of a local newspaper being proclaimed as the next big thing. (Don’t laugh, this actually happened). Municipal planners recently spent $137,000 on a study focusing on how to bring these fo-lks back after their swift and unexplained departures last fall.

The panel of planners has planned to complete a complex plan of proposals planned to bring back the missing movers and shakers. A forty-year moratorium on paying taxes has been favorably received, as has special “three for one” building per-mits and suspended three-year safety ins-pections. Sadly the local health inspectors have done away with the traditional pig slaughter held in the mayor’s office after successful business arrangements.

There seems to be just one catch to all this. The aforementioned investors, de-velopers, money lenders and contractors all are going to be Chinese.

In another bit of good news the new Immigration Laws, known locally as “the latest laws from the latest government” will make it much easier for North Americans to become residents. It will still not be as easy as the “have a pulse” requirement enjoyed by Nicaraguans. North Americans are now required to submit naked pictures of themselves along with a 12,000 colones money order made out to “The Central Government”. We still here at the Howler congratulate the government for this bold new approach to this problem. As it turns out that even at our advanced years we (and this includes wives and significant others) still got what it takes.

There are contingency plans for those who fail to make the cut. All undesirable (ugly) types will be put on buses and driven to Panama where they will be forced to play golf. Hey, don’t get me wrong, this is very good news!

Story by Jesse Bishop

CSurvivinghapter CCXVIIICOSTA RICA

Only Good News!

The night was quiet. The din of insect night sounds which normally fills the

darkness somehow fell to silence shortly after 8 p.m. I had just taken a welcome shower after one of our Cantina Tours and Esteban had left for the supermarket to pick up supplies for the next day. I was alone in the house, except for our Doberman, a 120-pound Weimaraner and a sleepy puppy. Changing into shorts, I walked barefoot into the kitchen to get a drink. I noticed large black ants swarming around the kitchen door leading to the pilas. Intending to get the broom and insect spray from the closet on the porch, I opened the door and stepped onto the porch into an unbelievable mass of large and small ants! They surrounded me and began to bite my feet. I was stomping my feet as I rushed to the closet to get the broom. I frantically brushed my feet and the floor as I made a path back into the house. The dogs also ran from the invading ants, yelping as they shook their heads and retreated into the darkness. The vicious ants clung to my feet and the bites stung like those of wasps. Back in the house, I ran to the shower to clean off my feet and put on socks and cowboy boots.

Charge!! I must have been a sight, stomping on the ants in my cowboy boots as I swept the invading columns from the kitchen back into the pilas and onto the porch. Sweeping and stomping, I made my way to the Raid and commenced to spray the door jambs and floor between the porch and house trying to drive the invading horde back towards the pilas. The black piles moved in all directions, as they lost their scent trail – thousands and thousands of disoriented soldiers.

The ants moved in columns sometimes inches wide, as much as a foot up the walls and over everything stored in the pilas. As I made my way out of the house to the driveway, I saw the main column which was more than five feet wide. They looked like a flowing river with all types of small branches spreading from the main body. I knew I couldn’t do anything about the large river of ants, so I retreated into the house to push out and trample the few that made their way inside. I had heard a lot about the famous tropical army ants and had seen columns of them in the wild, but it was my first experience in my house.

Thirty-five years ago, on my first visit to Costa Rica, the ecology units we taught included a study of leaf-cutter ants and army ants. We learned about them first-hand on several of our field outings. The fungi-growing leaf-cutters even had a bivouac in the yard of the school located in the Sabana in San José, and were denuding the tree right outside the front door.We had seen lines of raiding army ants at several national parks.

Costa Rican Army Killers

Kay Dodge de Peraza

(continued page 30)

- The Howler - September 2009 The Howler - September 2009 - 8 25

We are about 20 meters from Brasilito’s main drag, but it feels like the middle of the jungle. Surrounded by green and serenaded by howler monkeys, we are insulated from the outside by foliage but still able to watch the spectacular sunset over Playa Brasilito as we dine in an elegant three-storey rancho at Papaya Restaurant inside Hotel Conchal. The restaurant is on the second floor of the rancho. Above is a lounge area with armchairs and hammocks, ideal for a pre-dinner cocktail. This place is a hidden treasure.

Simon Preston and Hilda Ro-driguez have operated the hotel and restaurant for four years, and bring an eclectic selection – Asian, Spanish, Costa Rican, Mexican, European, sea-food - of dishes for dining pleasure at breakfast, lunch and dinner. “Our menu changes every day,” says Simon, “depending on what produce is available locally. Mainly, we specialize in seafood, and most of that comes from the fishing boats in Brasilito – couldn’t be fresher. Our aim is to provide healthy, fresh food at afford-able prices.”

Today’s menu includes seven pizzas, mostly with a seafood theme – even lobster. Appetizers are guacamole, bruschetta, tuna & shrimp ceviche and coconut shrimp. We had salmon carpaccio in a tomato and pepper sauce and calamari a la Romana.

Main dishes included shrimp linguini with salad, ahi tuna, romero chicken with roasted garlic and potatoes and lobster. A fixed-price menu offered a choice of coconut shrimp, Thai

curry – chicken, fish or vegetarian – and mango sorbet dessert; or guacamole and mahi-mahi and shrimp tacos with coriander rice. A kids’ menu is also avail-

able. We chose chicken fajitas with veggies and rice and coconut

mahi-mahi in a tropical sauce. All se lect ions were delicious.

We also like the “10% off for locals” initiative. Other businesses should remember that, while business may be good right now, for the next few months the locals will be your only business. Look after them, and they will look after you.

Papaya Restaurant, in Hotel Conchal, 200 meters south of the bridge in Brasilito. Open every day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. All credit cards accepted. Tel: 2-654-9125; e-mail: [email protected]

Papaya RestaurantBrasilito

Dining OutDavid Mills

p

[email protected] / 2-653-6282 / 8-354-1041

In Memoriam, Helena S. Vincent. May 1918—June 2009

Bodysurfing With MomFifty years and counting

Tom Peifer

Fifty years ago this summer our family headed out of a 4-year exile in the desert. Crossing the infernal heat of the Sonora Desert in a ’58 Chevy Impala,

we probably made it faster than the Hebrew tribes led by Moses on their exodus. But we were definitely headed for the Promised Land.

California beckoned to its native-born sons and daugh-ters with a strength that had been tempered in the blazing Arizona sun during four long years. In the service of the military industrial complex, my dad had been sent by Douglas Aircraft to work at a new plant near Tucson. My mom, sister and I—the Californians of the clan—went along with the program. In spite of the parched surroundings, thanks to Mom we never strayed from our status as water lovers first and foremost. Swimming lessons, pool clubs and the occasional visit to the rivers in summer had us more than ready for our born-again baptism in the blue Pacific.

It is impossible to capture the profound relief of leaving the desert behind. We’re talking pre-interstate highways, pre-air-conditioned cars. After hours of searing mo-notony, we ascended a winding two-lane road through a boulder-strewn wasteland out of Borrego and crested the mountains near Alpine. Given the altitude and the vast expanse of ocean pushing cool air up against the hills, it is no surprise that the weather suddenly had a different feel. From there on it was downhill all the way to a refreshing dip in that primal and oh-so-soothing saline solution.

With the desert and Douglas aircraft in our collective past, Dad looked for a new job and a house. Mom took matters into her own hands. Before school started there was something more important to learn. She taught us how to ride waves.

She was a beach bum from way back. In the ‘30s, the automobile industry had yet to systematically dismantle urban public transport in the U.S. My mom used to hop the Red Car trolleys which crisscrossed LA and plopped her down at the wide stretch of sand at Hun-tington Beach. A good competitive swimmer in school, she thought nothing of swimming solo around the 300-yard-long pier, or simply heading straight out to sea, once even bumping into a seal before heading back. She learned to body surf back then. Nothing fancy, they didn’t use fins or ‘shoot the curl’. They rode straight in from the outside break at Huntington all the way to the sand and swam back out for a repeat.

She started us in the second break, after the outside waves reformed and broke over an inner sand bar. Like training dogs, it took a lot of patience and repetition on her part, but before school had started, I had the basic skills—and a love of the sea—which stuck for life. All thanks to Mom.

In the sports-conscious, adolescent pressure cooker of puberty, I was a nonentity on the playing field. But I excelled - and developed an independent identity - in a different domain. By age 13, I was riding 8-10 foot winter swells through the pilings at Huntington pier and getting hoots from guys 3 times my age. My original mentor became our trusted chauffeur, stoking the flame of passion for the turbulence of the impact zone that she herself had sparked.

It is said that the best teachers cultivate students capable of going much further with the skills they ac-quire. In my case I graduated from bodysurfing to knee boarding and then to short boards when the weight and maneuverability of wave-riding equipment became more of a help and less of a handicap. My mother meanwhile transitioned from the surf to the far wider horizons of-fered by the open sea.

In the company of my stepfather, Jack Vincent, she progressed from 14-foot sloops in Newport Bay to overnight trips to Catalina and the Channel Islands off Santa Barbara. Once they learned to harness the wind and get from A to B on the mariners’ maps, they didn’t

(continued page 28

The Howler - September 2009 - 32 9

Aries: 21 March - 20 AprilAt the beginning of the month you may be adjusting your living arrangements because of career changes. While this feels quite disruptive it is going to be beneficial in the long term. You are confronting outmoded systems that are no longer fruitful so you are forced to let them go. Allow yourself the rest of the month to process what your needs are as Mercury is retrograde from the 7th to the 29th. New plans work out in mid-October. Your most positive days are the 6th and 7th.Taurus: 21 April - 21 MayThe energy of change is again impacting your best-laid plans this month. Be prepared to wing it as people you thought you could count on also have their own changes to deal with. Center and do your best not to get flustered, particularly between the 7th and 29th as Mercury will be retrograde in your sixth house of health and mundane work. You could get sick if you let it get to you. On the plus side, your creative juices are flowing so write down all your ideas. Days of inspiration are the 8th and 9th. Gemini: 22 May - 21 JuneYour ruling planet, Mercury, is in retrograde motion from the 7th through the 29th so your plans will be disrupted most of the month. You are well equipped to handle changes, as Geminis do enjoy variety. If you keep your sense of humor you’ll flow with it better than most. Your home and family life will undergo the most change but Venus will enter the fourth house on the 21st smoothing things out. Rise above these bumps in the road by being consistent with your spiritual practices. The 10th and 11th are days to get your way.Cancer: 22 June - 22 JulyYou have a lot of energy this month but will have to deal with some frustration and anger left over from the end of August. You may need to re-negotiate a contract so use the month to work out the details but don’t sign anything until after the 29th when Mercury is in direct motion. Issues with taxes or insurances need to be looked at so consult with a professional for advice after the 29th. There may be disturbing news about one of your siblings or neighbors but let that work itself out. Nurture yourself on the 13th and 14th—get a massage!Leo: 23 July - 23 AugustThis month has some rather intense situations as you have some financial situations that require detailed scrutiny at a time when Mercury is Rx and there is mental confusion. You won’t be able to grasp all the details of the problems which puts you at a disadvantage. Your frustration could burst forth as extreme anger at those who are actually trying to help you. Don’t shoot the messenger--you would be wise to listen to your advisors. Your best days for progress are the 15th and 16th.Virgo: 24 August - 22 SeptemberWith Saturn slowing making his way through the end of your sign you are really damned sick of it all. Well, there will be a shake-up of all stalemated situations this month as Saturn opposes Uranus again creating conditions of upheaval and change. Chal-lenging to say the least but it might be comforting to know that everyone’s in the same boat. All you can do is roll with it and know it will start improving around the 21st when Venus enters your sign. Your best days are the 17th and 18th.

Libra: 23 September - 23 OctoberYou may experience rather dramatic changes with your career with Mars energizing the action at the top of your chart. Pluto at the bottom may force a change of residence that won’t necessarily be easy. Expect some chaos all month and just roll with it as all situations will smooth out by mid October. Keep your Libra cool and work at keeping others around you calm. Remember, you’re the best at that and people count on it! Best days to renew yourself are the 19th and 20th.Scorpio: 24 October - 22 NovemberThe drama accelerates this month as you find there are some limita-tions with certain professional contacts that leave you feeling un-certain about the future. You may need to cultivate a new direction in your career which will be bear fruit in October. Add energy to your spiritual practices this month to dial down your fears. Mercury is Rx from the 6-29th reinforcing the vibe of change. However, the lunar position and Venus are favorable to you on the 21st and 22nd. Make the most of that positive vibe.Sagittarius: 23 November - 21 DecemberYou have some professional concerns this month as you may be asked to decrease your hours or take a pay cut. Some problems with taxes, your mate’s money or insurance may come up. You will have the big picture in October but it might be best to start looking around for another way to earn income on the side. Your home could be disrupted by some unexpected event or occurrence. Keep active to calm your mind and know things will straighten out in mid-October. Days to make a good impression are the 23rd and 24th.Capricorn: 22 December - 21 January If you have been diligently working all year which is your basic pattern you will experience the month’s planetary disruptive cycle as just a little blip on the radar—more of an opportunity that anything thing. Money is still good for you but partnerships will remain difficult for the next two months. Challenges come from your neighbors, siblings and short trips so be extra careful driving this month. The Mercury Rx happens at your midheaven then moving back into your ninth house of higher consciousness so you might want to do a little soul searching this month. The 26th and 27th are favorable.Aquarius: 22 January - 19 FebruaryThis month’s cosmic vibe has a health signature for you so you must take measures to improve your diet and overall general habits. No slacking off from your routine. You will also have to address issues involving taxes, insurance, wills etc., so make sure everything is what you want it to be. You have the protection of Jupiter in your sign but it is weak right now until the end of October. The 1st, 2nd, 28th and 29th are positive for progress in all areas.Pisces: 20 February - 20 MarchThis month has you feeling lonely and wondering if there’s ever going to be an opportunity for a good partnership. Now is not the time to even look out in the world for that...your time is better spent looking inward and what your needs are and how you seek to get them met. Pisces are sensitive and vulnerable but many times have trouble speaking up for themselves and end up getting taken advantage of. Use the positive vibes of the 4th, 5th, and 30th to gain clarity in regards to your unconscious actions

28

Oct

ober

For

ecast

sO

ctob

er F

orec

ast

sS

epte

mber

For

ecast

s by Jeanne Callahan

Namasté

Visit Jeanne’s site at CelestialAdvisor.com Italya family reunion

Mike’s e-mail read: “It’s AJ’s 50th Wedding Anniversary on July 11. I’m going over there (Italy) and I think it would be great if you came, too.”

To acquaint you with the Cast of Characters: Mike is my younger brother who lives in London and AJ (Aneata June) my older sister, who has lived in Italy for 50 years. Age-wise we are a very close family, three kids in just over three years, but in any other respect we are the opposite. I had not seen either of my “hermanos” (I don’t know why, but Brits don’t use the perfectly functional word “sibling”) since August 1990, when I took a vacation in London and met Mike (after 17 years that time), then flew to Italy and stayed in AJ’s hotel in the Abruzzi Apennines for two weeks. Since that memorable trip we had communicated about twice a year.

On receiving the e-mail my initial reaction was negative: It’s too soon; I can’t afford it; it will disrupt the Howler schedule - and I don’t know these people! I wrote a brief note to that effect, and was not surprised not to receive a reply in protest.

After a while I reconsidered the invitation. Hell, I thought, a 50-year anniversary is a rare event in anyone’s life, and I was best man at the wedding in a small English village half-a-century before. Also, I love Italy, having traveled there extensively in the ‘60s before mass tourism spoiled the fun. And it’s low season – let the readers wait a little for The Howler. And, on a more morbid note, given that we three had touched together, casually and accidentally, maybe ten times since I was 18, this would probably be our last opportunity to see each other.

The trip.After an overnight stay in San José my TACA flight took me, in great comfort, to Caracas, Venezuela, where, under huge posters telling us what a fantastic job Chavez is do-ing, the airport was total chaos, not a direction sign to be seen, long serpentine lines everywhere. No information or even porters to ask advice of. Just a huge mess.

Eventually I found the check-in booth – about the size of a dog kennel with a cardboard sign with Air France written in felt marker – and, in the fullness of time, off we went into the wild blue yonder in a superb 747. TV for every

seat with a remote bringing a hundred movies, TV sitcoms, video games, and a real-time view of aircraft speed, position, outside air temperature and ETA. All very wel-come on a ten-

hour flight. The food – afternoon meal with wine, dinner with wine, breakfast – was as good as it can be on a plane, and the Air France ser-vice was ter-rific.

We overtook the night (or did it overtake us) and arrived in Paris in early morning, to more chaos, but even worse than Caracas! I found my connection and within two hours was in Roma.Met at Fiumicino by my brother and nephew Andrew, I was whisked off to the mountains on spectacular new autostrade, diving into tunnels and floating high over valleys on viaducts, to the village of Scai, where I met the happy couple – AJ and husband Andrea – and enjoyed a memorable reunion, the first time my brother, sister and I had been together in 35 years. What a close family!

Let me make it clear that this estrangement was not planned. I don’t believe any of us said “I’ve got to get away from these two” – it just happened. After an enjoy-able childhood in Wales, then teenage years in England, I joined the Royal Air Force and was bounced from base to base in the U.K. Then Mike joined, too, and spent most of his time in the Far East. While we were Fight-ing on Freedom’s Front, AJ got a job in Italy, fell in love and married her Italian fiancé. After I escaped from the service, I landed a steady job and stayed home. On his release, Mike went to visit AJ and took a teaching job in Italy, where he stayed for years. I eventually moved to Canada where I lived until those Canadian winters drove me to Costa Rica. Meantime Andrea and AJ had built and operated a 110-room hotel in the Appennines and, of course, that kept her too busy to travel. So most of our lives have been spent apart. I guess that’s not too different from many families.

It was fun discussing our old childhood days back in Wales, and exploring the “family jewels” – memorabilia salvaged from our parents’ house after they passed away – such as the photo of the “Little Angels” (above) some 65 years ago.

During my stay in Scai, I think each meal included pork somewhere, supported by pasta, melon, cheeses, fruit and salads. Every meal was a two-hour feast, and the moment the dishes were cleared away and washed, cooking began for the next meal.

(continued page 16)


CD Review

David Robert Leads a Double Life

Tony Orez

Armando is a young Tico boy who has lived his entire nine years with

his family, just a stone’sthrow from Playa Real on the Pa-cific Ocean in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. He’s a smart kid with an active curiosity and Playa Real has continually offered him an abundance of different ways to explore and learn. Upon his re-quest, Armando’s father allows him to spend the night alone on the beach on the evening of his ninth birthday because Armando wants to witness the phenomena of the Baula turtles coming ashore to lay their eggs. What transpires on that night has a huge impact on Armando: he does, indeed, see a Baula lay her eggs. In fact, the turtle intro-duces herself (Yes! She speaks!) as “Annabella”, or Bella for short, has quite a story to tell the impressionable Armando.

This story is the premise of “Armando and La Baula”, the new, self-published book by David Robert. The story line moves right along, guaranteeing to keep young readers’ interest. There are more than a few good lessons concerning ecology, honesty, the value of a promise along the way, making it well worth it for the parents to read along with their children. Or even to read it alone for their own good: there is information in the book about both the life cycle of the Baula turtle and some of the species-threatening problems they are currently expe-riencing that I was not aware of. The chapters have been separated by the wonderful watercolor illustrations of Ellie Cox, helping the young reader to visualize Armando and his surroundings through the various phases of his adventure. It is a story that succeeds on a few different levels at being worthy of any young reader’s collection. Along the way, there are wonderful geographic descriptions and folkloric stories, all playing a part in the story line.

The plight of the Baula turtle and many other species of Costa Rican wildlife is not a new development. But teaching people at an early age about it seems like a positive step to help come up with a solution. And David Robert’s book certainly makes the message easily digestible for a new generation. In fact, the story points toward a few viable answers and alternatives, with the potential for the young reader to become his parents’ teacher.

For more than a decade, David Roberts has split his time between his place on the beach in Guanacaste and his “other life” near Chapel Hill,

23

Surf Report(from page 20)

That’s all I’ve got. Looking forward to hearing what you think. Keep those emails coming at [email protected]. Send your comments, information, errors or praise, because I can’t do this column without you, the real surfers.

FINAL TEAM RESULTS:

GOLD United States – 14910 pointsSILVER France – 13280 points BRONZE Australia – 10996 points COPPER Hawaii – 10856 points Team 5 South Africa – 10666 pointsTeam 6 Peru – 10180 pointsTeam 7 Costa Rica – 9650 points

INDIVIDUAL FINAL RESULTS Open MenGold: Jeremy Flores (FRA) Silver: Cory Lopez (USA) Bronze: Gabriel VIllarán (PER) Copper: Ben Bourgeois (USA)

Open WomenGold: Courtney Conlogue (USA) Silver: Rosanne Hodge (RSA) Bronze: Pauline Ado (FRA) Copper: Sage Erickson (USA) Longboard Gold: Antoine Delpero (FRA) Silver: Harley Ingleby (AUS)Bronze: Tony Silvagni (USA) Copper: Ben Skinner (GBR)

ALOHA CUPGold: AustraliaSilver: FranciaBronze: PeruCopper: Tahiti

COSTA RICA RANKINGS OpenJason Torres 7thCarlos Muñoz 13th Gilbert Brown 21stLuis Vindas 33rdWomen’s Lisbeth Vindas 15thNatalie Bernold 21stLongboard Anthony Flores 29thDiego Naranjo 33rd


Book Review

(from previous page)

Tony Orez

Enquire about special rates for residents

North Carolina, where he has established the now legendary nightclub called Cat’s Cradle. The nighterie has played host to a plethora of local, national and international touring acts. Somehow, David has also been able to record five albums, one of them dedicated to his life in Costa Rica, titled “Tamarindo Sunset – Postcards from Costa Rica”. And it rocks. The songs were written over a period of several years and the disc was recorded at Moonlight Records at Chapel Hill. You could say that David got his inspiration for his songs during this life and put them together at his other life. He was ably assisted on the album by a variety of notable friends, including Robert Friel, the owner of Moonlight Records, who coproduced the CD as well as playing piano, organ, synthesizer and pro-viding some background vocals. Friel has worked in the past with such luminaries as Levon Helm (of The Band), Dr. John, and a guy named Bruce Springsteen. Friel also lent his talents on the “knobs” on this nearly one hour long project, doing the recording, mixing and mastering. The entire production on David’s album has a feeling of camaraderie.

Also coproducing and appearing on the album is Andy Church, providing his guitar, bass, synthesizer and percussion work. Church is obviously multi-talented, as are most of the other major players on this disc, but Andy is primarily a guitarist, a gunslinger, made evident on his own new solo project, titled “Sleeping in the Van”.

David describes his Tamarindo Sunsets album as “snapshots of a pic-turesque land filled with warm and friendly people”. Some of the songs poetically describe the picturesque surroundings of the area and some songs delve into personalities and local color. Kicking the album off is “Driving North (To Guanacaste)” a humorous look at the voyage from San José to here and that feeling of comfort and release that accompanies it. “Under the Stars of Tamarindo” and “Sunset House” depict the tran-quility, bordering on breathlessness, that Guanacaste can enhance. The ode to surfing, “Walking on Water”, is a real tribute musically to Dick Dale’s and the Surfaris’ twangy surf guitar style, including the recogniz-able bass line. Other standouts on the disc include “Leo Loco”, with its sweet interlude, “Mama Rosa’s” and “The Girls of Guanacaste”, a song about the remarkable beauty of so many of the women in the area. The CD closes, appropriately, with “(Just Say) Pura Vida!” And that just about says it all. The songs on “Tamarindo Sunsets” are all songs about the local gentry and places. In fact, with both these Costa Rican projects, it is clear to me that David is a people person, sharing his positive attitude and genuine passion for his life, in both locations. It might be said that David gets his inspiration in Costa Rica and does the execution of his ideas Up North, hence the “double life”. But being a successful musician includes roving, so his second persona could be perceived as that of an author, as well, one that he has lived up to with his first publication: “Armando and La Baula”. He’s offering a good read for the kids and good music for their parents.

In Playa Tamarindo and in Tilaran, signed copies of Mr. Robert’s book “Armando and La Baula” and his CD, “Tamarindo Sunset” are available exclusively at Jaime Peligro book store.

From July 30th until August 2nd Tamarindo received very important visi-tors. Around 80 contestants came to participate in the famous Surf & Turf

Tournament by Robert August.

It was an awesome event filled with fun, sportsmanship and lots of solidarity. During the first day, the contestants were hanging loose at Avellanas, pulling out their talents on longboards and shortboards alike. The following day, the surfers exchanged their boards for golf clubs at Hacienda Pinilla. The weekend

included dinner at Laguna del Cocodrilo and a sail in the Marlin del Rey catamaran.

CEPIA will use the proceeds from this event to continue supporting Guanacaste’s youth. CEPIA’s programs are destined to offer better op-portunities to children and teenagers, through educational, physiological support and by providing valuable space for extracurricular activities. CEPIA wants to dedicate this space to specially thank all of the sponsors that made this event a success:Golden sponsors (>$ 1,500): Rick Fail, Siplast Company raised over $2,500 in donations in the United States for the tournament and Cliff Mitchell, Prisma Company sponsored the 140 polo shirts for the golf tournament.Platinum: BNI Costa Rica sponsored the award ceremony, Los Altos de Eros Spa, Lola’s Restaurant donated $1,000 of profits from the surf competition and sponsorship and Sugar Beach Hotel sponsored the party on Saturday.

Special thanks to: Laguna del Cocodrilo, Marlin del Rey and Hacienda Pinilla. Sponsors of golf holes: Prisma, BNI Costa Rica, Altos de Eros Spa, Edward C. Zigo, The Breeze, Villa Deevena, Steve MacKnight – Tierra Pacífica, Alexander Remy, Nogui’s, Las Catalinas, Gabriel Borel and Lola’s.

Silent Auction donations: Capitán Suizo Hotel, Shankha Spa, Bue-naventura Ferreteria, Natalie Lynn, Reciclarte, Margaret Nevins, Seabird Sailing Catamarán, Isabelle – Finca Shambalah, Voodoo Lounge, Los Altos de Eros Spa, Flamingo Beach Resort, Robert August, Mauna Loa Hotel, Seasons Restaurant.

Of course CEPIA deeply thanks Robert August and Sam August for or-ganizing this event every year and donating the profits to the Tamarindo community.

To Alexander Remy, Caroline Lemaire, Max Chaves, Isabelle Vandevelde, Julián Chaves, Sandrine Tcherniack, Oliver Besombes, Janine Gurbasze-wski, Ana Graciela Mejía and Olivia Benavides - thank you so much for helping out in the organization of the event.

Robert AugustSurf & Turf


By Nina WeberCertified Yoga Instructor

on the BeachYOGA AT CASA AZUL

in Tamarindo Beachfrontprovides a combination of Dynamic * Challenging * Inspiring * Encour-aging and Relaxing Yoga * Small groups and individual adjustments *Most important.: Yoga is fun !!!

For more information email me at [email protected].

www.tamarindoyoga.com

The Yoga journey of Nancy Goodfellow

From my first Yoga class I knew that I had found something special, something that immediately sparked my curiosity and intrigued me in a way I hadn’t experienced be-fore. I was only 21 years old but I began practicing with earnest and zest, starting at 5 a.m. everyday. I was very fortunate to have found a gifted and compassionate teacher who guided me in the Ashtanga Vinyasa method for my first 2 years. It was then that I moved to Costa Rica and began a very personal and disciplined self-practice.

At the urgings of friends, I began teaching a small group of students and shortly after-wards traveled to Bali where I attended an intense 2-month teacher training course.Yoga had become a way a life; it created an ability to listen deeply within and I found sources of strength and sensitivity that I hadn’t previously been aware of. After 15 years of Ashtanga practice, I was introduced to the Anusara method, which immedi-ately opened me up to a whole different perspective.

The Sanskrit word “Anusara” means to be flowing with Grace and is a heart-based practice rooted in Tantric philosophy. Through the Universal Principles of Alignment one is able to increase pranic energy flow and profoundly open the body. With the practice of balanced action between self-effort and surrender, the student connects to the innate goodness and beauty present in us all.

I have been studying and practicing the Anusara method for almost 4 years now and have nearly com-pleted the certification process. I believe whole-heartedly in Yoga...as an art form and a science for self-discovery.

Soon my family and I will be open-ing our newest Yoga retreat center, Pranamar Villas and Yoga Retreat, in Santa Teresa on the Nicoya Peninsula. The Yoga shala faces the ocean and can accommodate 70 students. We will be offering daily yoga classes, workshops and retreats to both locals and visiting Yogis. Our web site will be up and running soon atwww.pranamaryoga.com

SEPTEMBER TIDE CHART7.12.47.51.67.51.97.81.28.01.48.20.98.50.98.50.68.90.58.70.3

00:3306:3412:4619:0301:2007:2313:3219:4302:0008:0314:1320:2002:3608:4014:5020:5403:1009:1515:2621:27

1T

2W

3T

4FFullMoon

5S

9.20.38.80.29.30.18.70.39.40.18.50.49.20.38.30.69.00.67.9

03:4309:4916:0021:5904:1710:2416:3522:3204:5011:0017:1123:0705:2611:3717:4823:4506:0512:1818:30

6S

7M

8T

9W

10T

1.08.60.97.61.48.21.37.31.77.81.57.21.97.71.57.51.77.91.18.1

00:2706:4913:0519:2001:1707:4214:0120:2002:1908:4815:0721:3303:3310:0313:2122:4904:5311:1917:3323:58

11FLastQtr

12S

13S

14M

15T

1.18.40.6

8.80.59.00.09.5

-0.19.3

-0.410.0-0.69.6

-0.710.3-0.89.7

-0.7

06:0512:2518:36

00:5807:0713:2219:3001:5008:0014:1420:1902:3808:4915:0121:0503:2309:3415:4621:48

16W

17T

18FNewMoon

19S

20S

10.3-0.89.5

-0.410.0-0.59.10.09.50.08.50.68.90.67.9

1.38.21.27.3

04:0610:1816:3022:3104:4911:0117:1423:1305:3211:4417:5923:5606:1612:2918:47

00:4207:0313:1719:39

21M

22T

23W

24T

25F1stQtr

2.07.51.86.92.57.02.16.72.86.82.26.82.76.92.17.12.37.21.8

01:3307:5714:1220:4002:3408:5915:1721:4903:4610:0916:2622:5705:0011:1617:2923:5406:0012:1218:21

26S

27S

28M

29T

30W

7.61.87.61.48.11.28.01.08.60.78.30.79.00.28.60.49.3

-0.18.70.2

00:4106:4812:5919:0301:2107:2913:4019:4101:5808:0714:1820:1602:3308:4314:5520:5103:0809:1815:3121:26

1TOct

2F

3S

4SFullMoon

5M



the surfing circuit, having just won the U.S. Open of Surfing in Huntington, and earlier this year scoring the silver medal at the ISA Junior Championships in Ecuador. Of her gold medal win, she said: “To be surfing in front of all these people is amazing. It’s been such a great event. To be in the final I had to put it all on the line,” she said. “The condi-tions were really good out there--it’s just really been such a fun journey so far.” O f cou rse , t he 10,000 or so people on the beach were really excited for the day’s Open final comprising two surf-ers from the United States—Lopez and Ben Bourgeois, Pe-ruvian Villaran, and Frenchman Flores. The skill set was so high, it showed just how advanced surfing has become throughout the world. Even though Lopez opened up the heat with a selection of waves featuring precision turns and lots of spray it was the continued confidence of Flores that rose above the four com-petitors. He was determined, and surfing like a man possessed. Earning a pair of 8-point rides that the other competitors couldn’t touch—not or want of trying—Flores’ lightning fast style scooped up the gold medal. From the podium, Flores shouted: “Pura Vida Costa Rica!” Afterward, he reflected on bringing home the gold medal: I haven’t won too many contests, I’ve always done well, but I hardly ever seem to win. For me this is huge. This was more than a victory for me. I never win anything--I can’t believe I just won. Winning the gold medal for my country is the best feeling I ever had in my surfing career.” For Costa Rica, the Billabong ISA World Surfing Games was bigger than its 7th place finish. It was a chance to show ev-eryone in the surfing community just how amazing our surfing is. Organizers estimate that during the week approximately 50,000 passed through the contest area. We can only guess at the number who watched on the internet.

All in all, I’d say this was a great success for Costa Rica surf-ing.

(continued page 23)

TAMARINDO - LOTS 1,200 TO 4,000 M2

Fully titled, water and electricityVery quiet location

5 min. from Tamarindo and beaches3 min. from Hacienda Pinilla Golf

Best prices, below the Bank’s appraisal!!Financing available!

Lot 2B: 1201 m2 - $42.000Lot 12A: 1322 m2 - $46.000Lot 9A: 1601 m2 - $51.000

Web Site: www.fincaarwen.comEmail: [email protected]

TEL: 8885.8706

Lot 3A: 1734 m2 - $60.000Lot 3B: 2044 m2 - $71.000Lot 22: 4000 m2 - $84.000

David Mills

The Road to South Africa

The Road to South Africa hit a potholey stretch August 12, when Costa Rica lost its sixth game of the elimination series, away at Honduras, by 4 goals to zero, in what the national press called

“a humiliating defeat”. To be fair, all four goals were scored against substitute goalkeeper Ricardo Gonzales after La Sele’s superb portero Keylor Navas went off with a fractured nose after a collision with a Honduras player. No excuse, though, the whole team played badly.

Fortunately, due to the United States’ loss to Mexico the same day, Costa Rica maintains its first-place position in the group, with six games played, four to go.

Also on August 12, Trinidad & Tobago beat El Salvador 1-0, leaving the group standings at:

Costa Rica 12 points Honduras 10 United States 10 Mexico 9 El Salvador 5 Trinidad & Tobago 5

The top three teams will go to South Africa for the World Cup tourna-ment in June, 2010. Fourth place will play against a Conmebol (South America league) team, the winner also to qualify for South Africa.

Upcoming Schedule:

Sept. 5 Costa Rica - Mexico U.S.A - El Salvador Honduras - Trinidad/Tobago

Sept. 9 El Salvador - Costa Rica Trinidad/Tobago - U.S.A. Mexico - Honduras

Oct. 10 Costa Rica - Trinidad/Tobago Mexico - El Salvador Honduras - U.S.A.

Oct. 14 U.S.A. - Costa Rica Trinidad/Tobago - Mexico El Salvador - Honduras

In a worst-case scenario (Costa Rica loses all its remaining games), the national team would play a Conmebol team for a trip to the World Cup. A more realistic scenario would see Costa Rica in the top three, guaranteeing a trip to South Africa and a lot of excitement next June.

Go, Sele!!!!

Jason Torres

Photo: Fábian Sánchez


I omitted to credit Fla-mingo photographer Ca-

terine Milinaire for the great photographs accompany-

ing “Flamingo Mystics” in the Au-gust issue. Well, actually, the credit

was there, but it ended up on the wrong page. Sorry, Caterine. Now check out her

website of fiestas around the world at www.globalfiestas.com.

Gabriela, of Panes in Huacas, has opened a new cakery in Plaza Vista Verde, opposite El Castillo in Potrero.

Remember “Fé de Agua”, the movie we featured in our March 2009 issue? It is now in pre-production, with a guerrilla release planned for September 12. On that day a copy of the trailer will be given to many of the bars in and around Tamarindo for a spontaneously synchronized showing at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. The producers are seeking an additional $5,000 to fin-ish and screen this year. Any establishments who would like a copy of the trailer and would like to participate, please contact [email protected].

Still on films, Guana Productions is pleased to announce the dates of the inaugural Tamarindo Film Festival. The dates are set for 24th - 27th March, 2010. More details will be released onto the website www.tamarindofilmfestival.com in the first week of September. Guana productions believes that this festival will become a regular date in Tamarindo’s calendar. Tamarindo is the ideal place for such a festival with a great variety of hotels, restaurants and bars as well as stunning surrounding scenery giving visitors another reason not to miss out on the region. Any individuals or businesses wishing to be involved should contact [email protected].

Beautiful hand-made custom jewellery by Divina is now avail-able at El Coconut Restaurant. Drop in and check out these one-of-a-kind treasures.

Need a decorated cake for that special occasion, or a tray of canapés for a baby shower or business meeting? See Magaly’s ad on page 7.

Where and when are the sports games on TV? Check the monthly schedule in Sharky’s new ad on page 18.

Aro

und

Town

by David Mills

14

www.howlermag.com

antagonistantediluvianavellanaballoonempanizadaepiglottishermosahierarchyinnatejerarquiamalinchenaturalmentemandiblenevadaordinary

pendienteperipateticproletariatprovocarrotundsimilarsuperciliousterremototortuguerototalmentetwiceunisexunitedutilizarviejo

All words from the list below can be found in the word block on the right.

Answers may be forward, backward, upwards, downwards and diagonal.

Wo r d p u z z l eMiscellany



“It’s really hard to surf against some of these guys. We (Team Costa Rica) have worked so hard to get here,” explained Torres afterward. “I thank God for us being here.” With a 7th place finish in these Billabong ISA World Surfing Games Costa Rica 2009, the Costa Rica team assures itself a place in the Aloha Games, the Tag Team participation in the next World Surfing Games, which is likely to be confirmed for Peru this next October 2010.

With Costa Rica out of the Games, it left six other countries to battle it out for the gold, silver, bronze and copper. Ultimate-ly, team USA took the overall gold medal over France—and beating Australia who has won the past two

times. This was a particularly significant moment for the North Americans as they hadn’t won an overall gold medal since the 1996 World Surfing Games in Huntington Beach. Although they looked to be the winners from the very start of the Games they were, according to the ISA, “committed and focused” competing against all the other countries. At the end, they placed 5 of their 8 team members in 3 finals. “We had good surfers and what we did was to stay very con-centrated,” said Coach Ian Cairns. “This is a long event and it was very important to preserve your energy. I am really very happy. My goal was to come here and win. But also I wanted to establish a different personality for American surfing. I didn’t want to make a lot of noise until things were happening. We built the support, the calmness and we focused on being together and concentrating on doing things well. Later, at the final, we went to the beach to wave the flag.”

Winning the silver medal for second place were the French, led by the amazing Jeremy Flores who won the gold medal for open surfing. They also received the gold medal for Longboarding going to Antoine Delpero. Australia, who were soothing their wounds for not winning the gold medal in the overall contest this year, won the ISA Aloha Cub Tag Team event. The Tag Team features the best 8 teams from the last World Surfing Games—yes, Costa Rica was in it, but didn’t make the finals. Five surfers from each team take turns competing for waves. A highlight of all the finals came in the Women’s category when 16-year-old Courtney Conlogue outsurfed her competition, mostly backside on lefts all the way to gold. She is a star on

(continued page 20)

It was Jason Torres of Jaco who was the last Costa Rica battling it out, when he finished up his run in the final of the repercharge rounds on August 7. With that, Costa Rica took

leave of the Billabong International Surfing Association (ISA) World Surfing Game Costa Rica 2009 at Playa Hermosa. In doing so, they finalize their appearance in what has become known as the Olympics of Surfing with a 7th place finish, a position that the Federación de Surf de Costa Rica were more than happy with considering the star power of surfers that has attended this year’s event. Because the competition was scheduled in between the WCT tournaments, these World Surfing Games had among the teams the likes of Sofia Mulanovich, the 2004 ASP Women’s WCT Champion and 2004 World Surfing Games gold medalist; France’s Jeremy Flores, the 2006 WQS champ who has been on the WCT for 2 years and is a Top 10 in the world right now; Mick Campbell of Australia who is #13 on the WCT and a 1998 gold medalist from those World Surfing Games; Cory Lopez, surfing for the United States who been a WCT competitor since 1997 and finished third on the WCT this year; and even the U.S.A.’s 16-year-old Courtney Conlogue, who just won the U.S. Open the week before the Billabong ISA World Surfing Games Costa Rica 2009. “Overall it feels good,” said José Ureña, President of Federación de Surf de Costa Rica and head of the Technical Body of the Costa Rica National Surf Team. “We learned a lot. They tried a lot of new things like sports psychology, physical therapy and it was a whole new level with a personal trainer. To be honest, they did even better than it seems because of the level of surf-ers who showed up and the quantity of teams. I’m super proud of them. They did a good job and it makes me feel good for the future.” Earlier in the morning, Esterillos’ Carlos Muñoz, had entered Round 7 of repercharge in another semifinal facing Frenchman Flores, Brandon Jackson of South Africa and Austin Ware of the USA. The 16-year-old held his own in the swell, which had picked up to 4- to 6-foot barrels, even going first, and extreme in a right barrel, but for want of a better second wave, he remained in 4th place. 1st place went to Jackson and Flores took 2nd with Ware placing 3rd. “I’m sad, but happy,” Muñoz said. “In the next World Surfing Games I’m going to do better.”

He was underestimating his place in these World Surfing Games. Muñoz closed a brilliant week of surfing that saw him advance through three repercharge heats to reach the final 16 of the Open. A highlight of his run included double heats on Wednes-day which saw him pull interferences in both of them and come back with spectacular surfing resulting in high scores and first place wins. The announcer said: “It’s nice to see a surfer who not only wants to win, but who entertains the crowd.

First thing in the morning on that final day of Costa Rican surfing, Torres surfed the qualifier round 5 and lost 4th place to Lopez at 1st, 2nd to Gabriel Villaran of Peru and 3rd to Joel Centeio of Hawaii. He went to repercharge. Torres, however, put on a spectacular show in repercharge. Faced again by Flores, he gave the public a dose of adrenalin when he overtook the Frenchmen in the last minutes. Accord-ing to the ISA: “Throughout the event, Torres has been ripping apart the peaks with seamless fluidity. Running on all cylinders and throwing some jaw-dropping fins-free whips and punts, throughout his heats, To be blunt, this kid is impressive.” In repercharge Round 9, the finals, Torres surfed hard as well, but this time lost to the Frenchman Flores and Jackson, who came in 1st and 2nd, respectively. Torres was 3rd. As a matter of fact Flores, who went on to win the Open cham-pionship gold medal, faced Torres on four occasions, where he beat him three of those times.

Surf Report

Story: Ellen Zoe Golden

(continued page 18)

- The Howler - September 2009 The Howler - September 2009 - 16 17

The day before the anniversary party we drove to a pig factory where, simply speaking, herds of pigs strolled in the front door and a fleet of trucks, laden with prosciutti, salami, pancetti, mortadella and other tantalizing delights, left from the rear. We collected a whole pig, boned and rolled ready for roasting. On party day, it held pride of place alongside a two-gallon pot of trippa (tripe stew, a local favourite).

That week the eyes of the world were focused on L’Aquila, just a few kilometers to the south, where presidents and prime ministers were holding a G8 summit amongst the ruins of the beautiful antique city devastated by an earthquake earlier this year.

On party day Mike and I were instructed by the boss (AJ) that we needed to erect a large tent in case of rain. We found three bags of poles, pegs, canopies and ropes from three different tents, no instructions, nada, like assembling a model aircraft from three mixed kits, not knowing whether it had one or two engines, monoplane or biplane. But it was fun to realize that this was the first time ever that Mike and I had worked together on anything! We slaved away enthusiastically, trying every combination, until the boss called out “We don’t need that; it’s not going to rain.” Saved, because that damned tent wasn’t about to go up.

Food, wine, food, wine and more food, as I remade 50-year-old friendships among the extended Italian family. Eventually the guests left, promising to attend the 75th anniversary, and my sister called us all to dinner!

All too soon it was time to leave, and I said arrive-derci to AJ and Andrea, reasonably sure that we will not meet again – on this side anyway. My nephew Andrew, heading home to Malaga, drove Mike and me into Roma where we lunched at Maccheroni, owned by yet another nephew, where Michelle Obama had dined a week earlier. After more farewells, I was on the train to Fiumicino, and my plane home.

Italya family reunion

(from page 9)

A recent poll, which takes into account such factors as life expec-tancy, happiness claimed by inhabitants and a small environmental footprint, has judged Costa Rica to be the “Happiest Country in the World” out of 143 countries.

Major developed countries fared badly, with the United States in 114th place and Britain at 74th. Of the developed countries, only Australia did well, coming in at third place, the only non-Latin American country in the top ten.

The poll, by the New Economics Foundation, a private British group, found that Costa Ricans have a life expectancy of 78.5 years, and 85 percent of inhabitants claim to be happy and satisfied with their lives. In addition, the county’s small “ecological footprint” – the effect of its population on the world’s resources – was enough to place it in the top place.

Other factors where Costa Rica scored well are its fifth-lowest human poverty index in the developing world, although one-tenth of the population lives on under $2 a day. The poll found that 99 percent of Costa Rica’s energy comes from renewable sources, and forests now occupy 20 percent more of the land than 20 years ago.

It’s OfficialCosta Ricans are happy!

Pura Vida!

the howler

Documents