By Jack Ewing

Portalón

I used to think of geology as the study of rocks and geologists as scientists who sit in laboratories looking at rocks with a magnifying glass.  Sound boring? I used to think so until found out how much geological events have influenced my life. One day I got interested enough to dig a little deeper and found that geology, rather than being boring can be fascinating, especially when we consider how much certain geological features of the region around Dominical have affected the way that the area has developed. I am referring primarily to coastal ridge, that small mountain range that parallels the coast from the Savegre River to the Térraba River. In the not too distant past — less then 100,000 years ago — a collision between two tectonic plates caused the earth’s crust to buckle and jut up 300 to 500 meters in the air. This probably wasn’t a cataclysmic event that took place one afternoon. It was more like a series of relatively small collisions that took place over several thousand years. Nevertheless, in geological terms we can consider that it happened in the blink of an eye.

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Filed under: Jack Ewing, Nature and Local History Stories on May 26th, 2010
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By Katreena

Life at Escondida Beach here in Manuel Antonio is magical. It is unique, special and free to all who wish to encounter such a magnificent paradise.

Whether looking up in the trees to see daily monkey crossings or down at the sand at iguanas or colorful crabs, the same magical experience is shared by all. Clear indications of this wonderfully enriching experience are smiles of joy and happiness. And of course, everyone running to get their camera to take photos to capture the moment.
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Filed under: Katreena, Life's a Beach on May 26th, 2010
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By Jim Parisi

It’s a funny thing about music: it does not recognize the imaginary boundaries men have drawn on maps or in the ground. Put simply: music transcends borders.  It travels into the ear of its listeners then, hopefully, into their hearts as well, no matter where they live. And music does not need a passport to accomplish this. That is part of the appeal of World Music for aficionados from anywhere on the globe. We have had a plethora of Euro café discs, Middle Eastern lounge CDs and Indonesian trip-hop fusion albums while, regretfully, Central American music has been nearly unheard during this wave of international awareness. Until now. A joint venture by the four most popular and progressive recording labels in this part of the world has begun to fill that void with the release of La Caja de Musica Centroamericana, the Central American Music Box.

This compilation of sixteen songs showcases musical styles that ignore the borders of places we call Nicaragua, Belize, Honduras, Guatemala and Costa Rica. The Garifuna music represented here from Ivan Duran’s Stonetree label from Belize is a good example. The Garifuna culture was spawned nearly four centuries ago when survivors from two sinking slave ships began cohabitating with the indigenous Carib tribes, including the Arawaks on the islands of Saint Vincent (in the Lesser Antilles), Dominica and Santa Lucia, as well as with other escaped African slaves. Later, under British domain, they were relocated to the Honduran island of Roatan and from there they migrated to the surrounding countries in Central America. The resulting music is unique, mesmerizing, and anything but Latin.

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Filed under: Jim Parisi, Music Review, Uncategorized on May 24th, 2010
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By Bruce Zabov

When it comes to creating salsas, it’s a cook’s opportunity to let the imagination run free, and to be as imaginative and creative as you like. Let your own food preferences be a guide and you can’t make a bad choice!

For myself, I’m fond of the clear, light, clear taste of cold cucumbers, and the fresh brightness of ripe pineapples and mangoes and they often appear in salads here. And if you like certain fruits and vegetables in salads, you will probably enjoy them in a fresh salsa, too.
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Filed under: Bruce Zabov, Cooking Corner on May 22nd, 2010
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Filed under: Luciano, Potty Time on May 21st, 2010
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My name is Trevor. I am a volunteer animal rehabilitator working with Kid’s Saving the Rainforest’s veterinarian, Pia, performing rescue, rehab and release techniques for the many sick, abandoned or injured animals that come into the clinic everyday. More recently however, I’ve also taken on the title ‘tour-guide’. That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, Kid’s Saving the Rain Forest now has a tour! I know what you’re thinking, “Oh, great, another tour in Quepos/Manuel Antonio…”. Well I’m here to tell you that this tour is a little different than the average tour you might find around here.

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Filed under: Kids Saving the Rainforest on May 21st, 2010
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By David Seyhun

So about three month’s ago, I decided I’m going to Quepos for a nice extended stay.  There’s nothing going on in the states and some years before I had visited the area and told myself I’d be back to do more exploring.  So here I am, with my dog  Apollo.

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Filed under: Guest Writer on May 21st, 2010
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