22 April, 2003
We apparently offended
some of our friends with our antiwar message last week - not because
we are antiwar, but because of 'baseless' accusations of U.S.
lies leading to the war. In an effort to back up our statements,
we have included articles from reputated news sources: Reuters
and the New York Times. Please feel free to review
them and then draw your own conclusions!
OK...now on to more important things!
Hello
again from the land of Pura Vida - where we really could not be
happier to be HERE at this time!
It has been a long 2 months since we have given you a sign of
our existence. It's not that we don't want to keep in touch, but
rather that time flies when.....and we had no clue it had been
that long. Meanless to say, this page will be a long one with
lots of great pictures and some stories.
How's the House?
We are happy to report significant progress on the home construction.
The roof(s) have all been completed...and despite the great weather
we've been having, they have been tested a few times with a few
tropical downpours. There are no leaks!
The
walls on the ground floor have all been put into place. We used
a relatively new technique: styrofoam! It's earthquake resistant,
sound proof and supposedly sturdier than most other materials.
Cement was placed over the styrofoam and we have begun painting
(colored cement) this past week. The next site update should include
pictures of the house with COLORS (reds and yellows)!
The
ground floor cement has been poured and the steps coming into
the house as well. The steps run the length of the house, both
on the front and the back side, although we are having a tough
time deciding which is the front and which is the back - we may
never know!
The
bathroom and kitchen are almost done. All the plumbing is in,
and we have begun tiling. The tiling of the ground floor will
take place at the very end.
We
have continued to work on the landscaping...often going on hikes
and scavenger hunts for wild bromeliads, orchids or other interesting
plant life. Maya has a keen eye for the bromeliads and usually
spots them before us. She gets all excited whenever she sees one
on the ground or in a tree. The weather has been unusually dry...and
believe it or not, we've had to water the plants. Many people
in the region have had their wells run dry...however, we've been
fortunate to have a continuous flow of PURA VIDA AGUA. (Hey, that
sounds like a good marketing name!!!)
The
Endless Road?
You've been told that the road was finished!
We've since been told that a road is never finished...it is constant
maintenance...and indeed...we are confirming this fact.
Last
November, we did complete carving it and then placing the gravel
on it. Since then, many cars and trucks have used the road with
minimal problems. But because of the steepness of the road in
some areas and the upcoming rainy season, we have decided to cement
parts of it. This will significantly reduce wear & tear and
erosional problems for the future, thus reducing the long term
maintenance costs. The process is long and hard. We are placing
two strips, each a meter wide and at least 5 inches thick, reinforced
with steel and thick wire mesh. Then, grooves about 1 cm deep
are carved into the drying cement to wash the water off the road
and allow a good grip for tires. We have thus far only poured
60 feet, and have had trucks weighing over 20 tons drive over
them...without a break!
The
fruits (and vegetables) of labor
It is our intention to eventually grow and produce as much food
from the finca (property) as possible. So far, we have begun to
enjoy several pineapples, quite a bit of tomatoes, limes, peppers,
coconuts, herbs and a few guava. On the way are guanabana, breadfruit,
starfruit, mangosteen, black pepper, passion fruit, bananas, lychees,
mangoes, cas, arazca, water apples, chocolate and much more. Our
most successful crop so far is the pineapple. We have harvested
3 of them...and they are truly some of the best we have ever tasted
- VERY sweet! We have approximately 30 in bloom right now, and
eventually hope to have a fresh pineapple to eat every 2-3 days.
Charlotte's
Web
So what do the Pintos do for entertainment at night? Yes, we do
go out and visit friends, go to parties, the restaurant, reggae
concerts, etc. No, we do not watch TV - don't have it. But when
we do stay home, we have our own entertainment in the form of
nature! The jungle comes to life at night. All sorts of mammals
run around on the branches and make funny noises. Bats come out
by the millions - and you can see them! And there is always a
newly undiscovered insect that decides to stop by and introduce
himself. But if all else fails....we have Charlotte!
Charlotte
is a Golden Thread Spider. Her web is made of - gold! She is about
2-3 inches long (not including legs!!!) and is not known to bite
- though we have not tested her! She has been living on our porch
between two columns for a few months now. We often shine a bright
light to her web and attract flying insects to her. We have even
on occasion, retrieved bugs of all sizes and shapes and types
for her to taste. The catch is that the bugs have to be alive
for her to eat them!!! It is a greater show than National Geographic
to see Charlotte prey on insects all night long. She has been
seen attacking insects much larger than her - and she so far has
never lost!
Maya and her friends
Maya has been in her new school now for 2 months and she loves
it! She has made lots of friends and they often trade coming to
each other's houses or going to the beach together in the afternoon
after school. Her new friends are Simona, Julia, Alain, Lily,
Laurel, Thomas, Nicola, Mickey Dean and more. But she still asks
when Jake, Morgan. Max, Charles and Belen are coming to visit!
Maya
is now fully conversational in French and English and quickly
picking up Spanish at an amazing rate. School is taught in Spanish.
Festival
de Musica Caribe Sur
The Costa Rican Caribbean coast is well known for it's Afro-Caribbean
cultural influences - and every year there is a music festival
held at Playa Chiquita. This year, we heard great live music from
different reggae bands, world music, R&B and old classic calypso.
The festival is very kid friendly and invites all kids to participate
- dancing, singing, watching or playing. The kids from Playa Chiquita
have learned to play the drums...and put on an amazing show! Not
to be missed next year!
OuiOui
Marley!
Oui Oui has sadly never returned - nor been seen by anyone. However,
Marley came along, and has been adopted by the family. He was
actually given to us by Maya's school teacher. Her dogs had pups....and
so we are the lucky new parents! Marley is a Cocker Spanial and
loves to play. Maya gets along just fine with him...feeds him
and take shim out every morning. Marley has a twin brother - whose
name is Ziggy...and he is now also part of the family! Yes, we
were a family of 3 not long ago, but now are 6 (with Christian)!
Certainly more pics of this situation coming soon!
CaribeSur
Real Estate
Every region in Costa Rica except the Caribe Sur region has a
real estate office! So...now we have one...and Emmanuelle is the
person most in demand at this time. We have put together a site
offering properties from the region. The site is also very instructional
for those wanting to learn about the pros and cons of investing
in Costa Rica and how to purchase land. Manuel has been promoting
the site on the internet - and so far excellent results are coming!
Do a search...and odds are you'll find us at the top! Emmanuelle
has been busy meeting with the many property owners wishing to
offer their properties for sale. She expects to put approximately
5-10 new properties per week over the next few months. So....if
you ever want to move down....you've got the best source for information
and real estate!
Check
it out!
www.caribesur-realestate.com
| Archived
Writings: |
| February
12, 2003 |
House
taking shape
Maya in Miami
Getaway in San Jose
Maya begins school |
| January
11, 2003 |
Happy
New Year
Tree Trimming
Waterfall Adventure
Beginnings of a Garden
OUI OUI Update
Moved Again |
| January
10, 2003 |
Construction
Full Speed Ahead |
| November
28, 2002 |
Maya's
Graduation Day |
| November
22, 2002 |
Jake
visits Maya |
| November
05, 2002 |
Well
Well Well - the well is well
We have a road - or does it have us?
Home construction begins
OUI OUI Update |
| October
30, 2002 |
Gisele
and Marlene's Vacation |
| October
4, 2002 |
Building
plans are in
Snake in the yard
OUI OUI Update
Welcome Christain
New Wheels
Manuel in Miami |
| September
21, 2002 |
The
trucks are rolling in
OUI OUI Update
Where's the water? |
| September
14, 2002 |
Bridge
is finished |
| September
7, 2002 |
Jeep
birthday
A
new Arrival
A
day on the waters
|
| September
4, 2002 |
The
NONI plant |
| September
1, 2002 |
August
in a Flash |
| August
10, 2002 |
Tornadoes and Earthquakes |
| July
11, 2002 |
The
Road Begins....and ends |
| July
9, 2002 |
The
Container |
| July
1, 2002 |
We
Made It |
| June
1, 2002 |
We're
Moving! |
|
