99 Days and X Marks the Spot

We are under 100 days........YES !  Seems like only yesterday we were walking the beach on Zancudo ,  dreaming of our life in the small southwestern Costa Rican beach town...............NO it does not seem like yesterday , not at all.........the wait for life on Playa Zancudo to start has dragged along , fraught with anxiety , several small bouts with alcoholic drinks........No Not Me and endless hours of conversations , speculating on how life will be , or so we think  it will be .   The one amazing thing is that our friends believe we will survive and make a beautiful home for all to enjoy.

Below is a picture of Playa Zancudo looking south from the northern point where the Rio Coto River meets the Golfo Dulce and the red X marks the location of our home approximately 3 miles from the northern point .

Are we there yet.........who hasn't heard the chant .  I have been keeping track of the weather over the past several weeks ,  as we have mentioned in a previous Blog ,  the "WET SEASON" has started .  Forecast for the next 2 weeks in Zancudo ............ RAIN ,  RAIn ,  RAin , Rain and more rain.  It is somewhat of a fact that about 9 feet or more of rain will fall from the first of September through October .  I have already informed Sherry  there might be a trip back to the farm sometime around the 3rd week in September next year just to dry out........We will wait and see . 

Seems as though we have met our goals , downsizing our belongings , selling our vehicles ,  and saving the money for the repairs to our Zancudo home with a little extra cash left over for some furnishings .   There will be stories to share in Januarys' weekly Blogs and needles to say they should be hilarious .  Don't forget we have the old roof to remove and put back on a new one .   We are just wondering what has been living up under the old roof.............as I forgot to mention that back in February when we had the house treated for termites a 5 inch long scorpion was found dead on the dining room floor the next day.........should have taken a picture but we didn't really want to be reminded........wonder where his family went ?

Enjoy the picture of our feathered inhabitants of Playa Zancudo and forget about those nasty old scorpions.........Hey , don't they eat those in some countries?  Bon Appetit!

Pura Vida !

Costa Rican Time

I have already been informed that we did not post last week and what was going on with that ?

Well, you could say we have eased into living on Costa Rican Time............Oh No, so far from it!

We had our final yard sale on Saturday of the Labor Day weekend and it took 2 days to prep for.......... OMG ..........where did all of the stuff come from since we already had 2 previous yard sales of fine collectables and antiques .    One mans trash is another mans treasure or is that our treasures are another mans trash, anyway...........Our daughter moved back home and that meant she had things to sell ,  and my parents  got caught up in thinning out some things they had overlooked several years earlier when they downsized or as my mother says, "Cleaned Out", so we had extra  "treasures" to unload.   Made some cash, Yea.......that means we can get a washer and dryer for our casa.   Took us 2 days to recuperate, not kidding.........what was left went to Goodwill.......NO MORE YARD SALES.

So, the rest of the week should have been a breeze...........WRONG,  it was time to sell our beloved gas guzzling truck........and as my wife has so graciously pointed out on more then one occasion that I may suffer from OCD or in my case CDO  ( all the letters are then in exact order )...........the truck has got to be CLEAN before I sell it.  Spent 2 days waxing detailing and listing it on the Internet and local sale magazine along with putting a For Sale sign in the window and parking it along the  highway on Thursday morning...........SOLD in one day............what were we thinking.  Here we had suffered days of anxiety over asking price,  is it going to sell,  are there people out there in this tight economy with money..........Yes to all of the above .

Are we happy..........Oh Yeah .  Now we are hitting the home stretch with 106 days left , so you know what the title of next weeks post is going to be,  "Our Last 100 Days".  Our focus now is to refine our packing lists,  see our doctors one more time to make sure we don't really need those straight jackets,  get our licenses renewed and just BREATHE ! 

This picture is Sherry taken on our morning walk on Playa Zancudo this past February .  This morning we had breakfast at the beach in Ocean City, Maryland and walked along looking out over the Atlantic pondering our morning walks along our beach in Zancudo, our journey is within reach .  Pura Vida

Earthquakes, Hurricanes and Only 122 Days To Go!

Oh what a week this has been, an Earthquake on Tuesday, a Hurricane on Saturday, moved our daughter Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday..........with only time for a few thoughts of life in Zancudo .  I will tell you , Costa Rica does have Earthquakes,  but Playa Zancudo does not get Hurricanes.  Hurricanes cannot develop below latitude 10 and we are at latitude 8.............well that is one less thing to worry about.  Oh, except we can get a  TSUNAMI............I am packing my water wings just in case.  

So, today is clean-up day here at the farm from hurricane Irene .  Looks like there will be quite a few bon-fires this fall from all of the branches and tree limbs we will be picking up .  We were very fortunate and blessed to be spared any major destruction .   This weeks blog is going to be short thanks to Irene. 

I have attached a couple of pictures below to keep our thoughts on our life and journey in Zancudo.

Sunrise

On The Beach

Sunset

Always On Our Mind, Pura Vida !

Do Those Straight Jackets Come In Tropical Prints

NUTS........or as Sherry says, "We are on the Crazy Train again this week."  We checked with our airline carrier Saturday morning about  baggage fees since we had purchased our one way tickets back in April.  Little did we know that there will be a fee for each carry-on (overhead storage) and a fee for each checked bag.  NOTE: The checked bag weight limit is 40 pounds with each and every additional pound coming at a premium price.........Got the scale out and now we are  "Downsizing our Luggage". 

Contemplating doing the Tarzan and Jane lifestyle and clothing line,  one large clam shell used as the soap dish, ice cream scoop, coffee cup, soup latel or bowl, back scratcher and mint dish, along with one loin cloth used as our towel, napkin, blanket, or a tablecloth when we're using banana leaves for our informal jungle themed dinner party .   I can hear monkeys laughing.

Our one-way tickets have become somewhat of a problem .  When traveling to Costa Rica you must have a return ticket or a ticket out of the country within 90 days as a tourist and we will be considered perpetual tourists .   So, we have to get a roundtrip airline ticket to Managua, Nicaragua and be out of Costa Rica for 72 hours on or about March 28, 2012 .  It really isn't that bad since we will be living about 30 miles from the Panama border, and Panama is where we will go every 90 days for our 72 hours out of the country .  A "Big Plus" to this is, Panama has everything we have here in the US.  David, Panama is about 1 hour and 45 minutes from our Playa Zancudo home and there if we want, we can shop at Cosco, Wal-Mart, eat in American restaurants or see an American movie at the cina-plex.........I don't think so, there are some sleepy little towns up in mountains or along the Pacific coast of  Panama just waiting to be explored .  Our journey is that of simple needs and not of wants, just being together enjoying our life in a most amazingly beautiful place . 

The photo is of the "Passion Flower" taken on our trip across the Gulfo Dulce to the Peninsula de Osa and our inspiration to move forward.

This week we want to say, "Thank You" to our new friends Carol and Paul, for their encouragement and for taking wonderful pictures of our house and property on their visit to their Playa Zancudo home several weeks ago.   Also, "Thank You" to our Zancudo friends, Elena, Sue and Carlos for their encouragement and support, keeping us focused.   Pura Vida!

Just The Facts Please

We have read so many Blogs about life in Costa Rica that I am now thinking,  let's find another country to retire in..............Not Happening!   As you can see from the picture below, the "SOLD" sign has been posted on our property..........8 months after purchase.

Just breathe and live, no need to be in a hurry, we are on Costa Rican Time!  So, here are a few facts on why we still find this country to be so amazing;
Costa Rica is  #1 in the World for Satisfaction of Life
Costa Rica is the only "BioGem" Country on Earth
Costa Rica is the  1st country to be Carbon Neutral,  and
Costa Rica has the only butterfly in the world that roars.
Want to know more, here  is the link that explains the facts above and several other facts that we found interesting.

http://www.costarica-discover-it.com/costa-rica-facts.html

Through all the research on expate blogs, travel blogs, and retirement blogs we have gained an amazing amount of information,  "Good  &  Some Not So Good."  The  "Good"  has by far out weighed the  "Not So Good."    For now we wait and enjoy life here with our family and friends knowing there are just 135 days left before the journey begins.  Oh!  I forgot to mention our 2 favorite facts;

Ants are everywhere in Costa Rica and they out number us by about a zillion to one with only 2 real choices, spend about all of your entire life trying to kill them all.......or just realize they will be part of your diet!  The tiny ones are said to be flavorless and less protein while to bigger ones CRUNCH !

And, you will see a LOT of folks carrying machetes.....those really long, sharp knives.  The machete is the Costa Rican equivalent of Duct Tape.   It is used for everything, chopping down trees, cutting your grass, opening coconuts, beheading a repitle or two and even carving up the Thanksgiving Turkey, but almost never as a weapon........so relax!

Yeah, that's me with my duct tape!  Pura Vida!

Four Little Letters, H O M E

Home is where you hang your hat, so they say......or soon.... in our case, where we slip off our Flip-Flops!   We have been doing alot of thinking about our new HOME and how different it will be from our home here at the farm.   One thing is for sure,  NO More Heating Bills!  

Got some information from our friends in Zancudo this week that the  Zancudo Lodge was selling off some used furniture from renovations and updates, so we are keeping our fingers crossed that we can pick up a dining table and four chairs and some other odds and ends until we can figure out what we will need.   At  least we would be able to sit at a table............I just hope that we will be able to get the refrigerator and stove to store and prepare the foods that will go on the table!

This time for sure, we are going to live by the motto, "Less is More", along with White Plastic Chairs really do look nice sitting on a red tile floor!   So, during the past 7 months I think we have made great progress in understanding,  "Need vs Want" and.........when it comes right down to it,  all you need is the beauty that surrounds you.

The picture is of  "Parrot Flowers"  that grow wild throughout Central America.  Who needs artwork for their home when all you have to do is step outside.


Sherry and I enjoy writing this Blog and really look forward to the adventures we will share with you when we get to Zancudo.  It has helped us maintain our sanity and keep our course for our journey.  So, I have been waiting for the right time to share a link to YouTube and some amazing videos from Susan and Andrew and others who live and visit Playa Zancudo.  A glimpse into what life is like in Playa Zancudo.  Pura Vida!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQKLPG5yhuM

One Month Till The "ER's"

Almost to the home stretch.......we just need to get through August and we hit the "ER's".  September, October, November and finally 28 days of December.

Sorry for the delay on this weeks post.......a Trojan took down our computer on Friday.  Even living the simplist life off the grid, we will need our computer.   In Zancudo our computer will be our telephone, our mail service, our television, our means to pay bills and most important a way of seeing our children, grandson, family and friends through Skype!  So, now I have to remember to do a back up every month on my external hard drive just in case of another Trojan attack..........I'd rather face the crocodiles of the Rio Coto!

On the brighter side, we celebrated our 35th Wedding Anniversary on Sunday, July 31, 2011.  A few tears of joy and a few tears from anxiety and again, I bring this up.........changing a lifestyle certainly isn't as easy as just getting on the plane with your packed bags.  This week our list grew once again........both of our drivers licenses expire in 2012 and we were lucky since you can renew 6 months before your birthday.  Sherry just made it under the wire by 14 days.  Is it worth it......I question myself.....day after day..... and the one thing that always stays constant is our support for each other on our journey and the life on Playa Zancudo, Costa Rica.  It should be somewhat of a very colorful life as you can tell from the picture below........

No,  someone did not spill several different colors of paint on the Eucalyptus tree.  It is a variety that grows in the rainforest of Central America.  We took this picture at a botanical garden outside of San Vito,

Costa Rica in February of this year.  It is amazing how colorful the bark of this tree is. 

Pura Vida!