Tag Archives: Costa Rica

Writing Life

When I first decided to write a blog, I queried fellow writers on the Internet Writing Workshop and searched online for information as well. One of the toughest decisions I had to make was what to write about. Most advised … Continue reading

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My body, my battleground

When I found the lump, I began to regard my left breast as my enemy. I really didn’t want to look at or touch it. Until forced to acknowledge the appendage as mine, I’d ignore it. I discovered the intruder … Continue reading

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A healthy balance on the credit side

Life has taught me to be a little nervous when I’m really happy. I want to knock wood, or refuse to speak of it for fear the feeling will disappear.  I remind myself of the Chinese peasant in The Good … Continue reading

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¡Boy oh boyero!

What’s a boyero? I wondered, when I saw a notice for the Día National del Boyeros, a festival held in San Antonio de Escazu, in the Central Valley.  A boyero, it turns out, is a man who drives an oxcart.  … Continue reading

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A stench in the ear

When I lived in the six hundred block of Federal Street, in Philly, I needed air conditioning— not because of the heat, but because of the noise. At night, the racket from car horns, radios, and drunk pedestrians often robbed … Continue reading

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Crossing the border

For the myriad expats who have to cross the border every ninety days, here are several ways to get to Nicaragua from San Jose. Those who can afford the price may fly, at a cost of over five hundred dollars. … Continue reading

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Incursions into the bureaucracy

Like most other incursions into the bureaucracy here, acquiring a driver’s license in Costa Rica can be an adventure. My first encounter with the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes, (MOPT), was not horrible, if you don’t count getting lost … Continue reading

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Feed them and they will come

The hummingbird feeder on the tiny veranda in front of our house was empty when Jack and I sat down to chat. A solitary Rufous-tailed Hummingbird perched on the clothesline nearby. It flew in, chirping loudly, and hovered near the … Continue reading

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Up Above the Clouds

Monteverde is one of the most popular destinations in Costa Rica. Good, albeit expensive restaurants abound; there are lots of folksy artisan emporiums for shoppers; and for the adventurous and athletic there are zip-lines, suspension bridges, sky-trams and horseback riding.  … Continue reading

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Derby Daughter

The concept of Roller Derby never crept into my consciousness until my daughter, Bonnie, told me she was going to try out for a league in Sydney, where she lives. “Roller Derby!” said my brother, George. “Do you know what … Continue reading

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