WHAT AN INCREDIBLE START TO 2022!

After a few years of what seemed to be a never-ending line up of challenges, we could not have scripted a more exciting first few months of 2022. The INSANITY of the Rockstar tournament, to the incredible fun of the Rooster Rodeo and Iconic Pescadora Tournaments, Presidential Elections, Super Bowl, Gran Fondo de Andre Amador have brought more energy and life to MPV than we have ever seen before, and the year is JUST GETTING STARTED. March is keeping the pedal to the metal in terms of fun, activities and some more action-packed tournaments.

SAILFISH SLAM, March 5th

This one-day sailfish shootout is one of the new tournaments which are bringing both the newcomers and the world best anglers together in some amazing fun formats that people just can’t get enough of. The event provides a team award to the boat which gets the most RELEASE points, which are awarded for each sailfish, caught and released in the event. It is a GREAT way for friends, family, coworkers, or even random groups of individuals to come together to enjoy some amazing fishing and fight for the top boat. There are also awards for the Top Junior Angler, (16 years and under), Top Female Angler (some of the best in the world are from or frequent this area) and First Time Angler Award. This last prize is in recognition of just how many first-time fishermen and women we have joining in these events and prizes go to the most releases by a first timer. Get your team, sign up, and don’t miss this epic shootout. 

PELAGIC PURA VIDA BLUE MARLIN, March 24-27

After the record-breaking success for the 2022 Rockstar Tournament, the team from Pelagic have added another HUGE event to the 2022 calendar. The Pura Vida Blue Marlin event is going to bring together the top Blue Marlin anglers from around the world to crown the top Blue Marlin angler and team. This magnificent fish is the KING of all billfish, and this is the first and only tournament to focus on what is the most highly regarded gamefish in the world. Unlike most tournaments, this inaugural event limits the typical “fishing fences” allowing boats to run over 100 miles offshore with a focus on finding, catching and releasing these stunning species. Like the Rockstar, the Pura Vida Blue Marlin is going to be a record-breaking event and will also be the first Tournament of its kind with a Sonar and No Sonar division. Groundbreaking in every way, this is an event you will not want to miss.
 

MOVIE NIGHTS, Wednesdays

Our free movie nights under the stars are back and it couldn’t have come soon enough. What began as a fun way to kick of the weekend has become part of our community culture here at Marina Pez Vela during the dry season. Whether you are here on vacation or a local looking for a unique way to spend the evening with a selection of dining options and a classic under the stars, this is a great option. Every Wednesday night at 6:30pm, you can pull up a seat, toss down a pad or lay out on the “lawn” and enjoy a free movie on Costa Rica’s largest outdoor screen. You can check out the Marina Pez Vela website or Facebook page for the lineup of movies and we will see you soon for our version of the drive in!

Filed under: Marina Pez Vela, What's Shaking? @ Marina Pez Vela
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Bienvenidos…Welcome to Quepolandia, we are here to make sure that you have an unforgettable adventure. The weather is PERFECT, so shed those layers and forget about your snow shovel and enjoy being away from the freezing temperatures. Whether you are hiking one of our incredible National Parks or just chillin’ on our beaches don’t forget to drink lots of water (not cervezas) and keep hydrated and sunblock, sunblock and more SUNBLOCK. World Wildlife Day is March 3rd so get out and explore all Costa Rica has to offer.

In addition to the fleet of boats waiting to take you sportfishing for your record Marlin or sightseeing our beautiful coastline, Marina Pez Vela offers air conditioned shopping, great restaurants, and fantastic tours (Brisa Elegante and Sunset Tours). The fishing has been remarkable and so was the Rooster Rodeo tournament. MPV will be hosting two fun filled tournaments in March for the entire family. The Sailfish Slam on March 5th and the Pelagic Pura Vida Blue Marlin, March 24-27th.

Movie Night Under the Stars is a great evening out for the whole family. Watch your favorite movies on the big screen in an open-air environment and enjoy some of the best gelato at Gelateria Amorosi. Make sure to catch one of spectacular sunsets from the all NEW Ronny’s Place and make sure to try his famous Sangria and enjoy the view—It’s Alive!

Need a Covid test? Check Costa Rica Health Medical Center. Having their own lab, you can get your results in as little as 4 hours.

We would like to welcome our new advertisers this month, Costa Rica Health Medical Center, Divina Vida, Eilyn Pastrana, and Maral Farmacia. We are also offering a new QR Code Directory for easy access to our advertisers.

We also want to thank Naturalist Tour Guide Manuel Cabalceta Mendez (Manuel’s Tours) for the amazing shot of the illusive puma, this is his 4th cover shot for Quepolandia and we look forward to #5. So, send us your best shots for future covers.

We hope you enjoy our magazine and it helps guide you through this paradise we call home. You can always follow and share us here or on Facebook/Quepolandia.

Peace and Enjoy…D

Filed under: Dave Bolger, Qué Pasa en Quepos
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Brisa Elegante is a 100’ gulet, a traditional two-masted wooden sailing ship built on the southwestern coast of Turkey in the coastal towns of Bodrum, Fethiye, and Marmaris.

BE relaxed

Enjoy a cruise or an overnight charter on a Blue Cruise, also known as a Blue Voyage. This expression stands for a recreational cruise along the Mediterranean coast of Greece and Turkey. These cruises are typically a week-long trip aboard the local gulet schooners, where families and friends are relaxing on board, enjoying their company, food, wine, the warm water, clear sky, and the sun.

BE inspired

Why Blue Cruise? The color blue symbolizes both, the sky and the sea, and is associated with open spaces, independence, intuition, imagination, inspiration, and sensitivity. 

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Filed under: Manuel Antonio Spanish School, Spanish Sucks
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Let’s welcome our hot season with a light and crunchy salad whose dressing is pure umami, also great for repurposing leftover steaks or other proteins.

Here is a simple and interesting steak marinade if you’re not using leftovers.

Steak

• 400 grams or 1 lb of tender beef (tenderloin or sirloin)
• 8 cloves of garlic
• 4 cleaned cilantro roots
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons of oil

Salad

• Lettuce
• Cherry tomatoes, halved
• Sliced cucumber
• Small thinly sliced red onion
• Handful of coriander and mint leaves
• Chopped peanuts for garnish

Dressing

• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons of lime juice
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
• Fresh chili peppers to taste

Instructions

1. Finely grind the garlic, cilantro roots, pepper and oil and marinate steaks for 20 minutes.
2. Grill to medium rare and thinly slice, allow to cool.
3. Assemble salad, top with sliced meat, pour dressing over and garnish with peanuts.
4. Serve immediately.

Filed under: Chef's Corner, Desiree Brassert
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Somewhere between 15,000 and 10,000 years ago we humans decided that we were superior to Mother Nature and were no longer subject to Her laws. As our intellect grew, so did our ability to harness energy and bend it to the exclusive use of our own species. Our numbers burgeoned while countless other living beings on Earth paid the toll. Few humans in this day and age realize that we are still, and always have been, subject to the whims of Mother Nature. In the wilds, species that become too numerous or that capture too large a share of the available resources eventually become victims of some sort of calamity that extinguishes their numbers entirely or severely reduces their population. It is obvious that humanity has been capturing a grossly disproportionate share of the earth’s resources for the exclusive use of our own species and continue to invent methods to capture an even larger portion. One day we will add that proverbial last straw that broke the camel’s back, and Mother Nature will unleash her power on humanity. At the moment she is just setting us up. She is smiling while we turn ourselves into a bunch of weaklings. Let me illustrate with a couple of examples.

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Filed under: Jack Ewing, Nature and Local History Stories
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Hi, This is Dani – your spokeskid for Kids Saving the Rainforest—or KSTR! 

First of all, I want to wish a very Happy 23rd Anniversary to KSTR! It was started in February 1999, by two 9 year old’s, Janine and Aislin, and Janine’s mom Jennifer.

Next, I want to wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day!

Today I am going to tell you about why the rainforest is so important for our planet, and our animals—and not JUST the ones in the rainforest. In addition to all the beauty that exists, and animals that live in the rainforest, the rainforest also does a lot to help our environment stay healthy and clean.  

The rainforest has many big trees and lots of plants that take in tons of Carbon Dioxide and put out clean air. If the earth’s atmosphere contains too much Carbon Dioxide, it will raise the temperature of the earth by changing our greenhouse gasses, and will harm animals that rely on the temperature, like Polar Bears, Penguins, and other animals that live in cold environments.

I’ve talked about this before, how we can limit our carbon footprint—like eating less meat/dairy, walking, biking, or skateboarding instead of driving, and not using so much energy by turning off lights when you’re not using them. The rainforests we have now absorb about 50% of the Carbon Dioxide we make—and it’s important that we keep the rainforest trees and plants healthy so they can help save the environment and the temperature on earth stay great for all its inhabitants!

Did you know that KSTR has planted over 17,400 trees over the past 22 years? Pretty amazing, right?

Here is a picture of 2 of the Co-founders Janine and her mom, Jennifer, planting a tree. It was taken 17 years ago!
At KSTR, we work hard to keep all the trees and to build our sanctuary around them—for example, we use natural fallen wood for the enclosures we build and the enrichments we put inside them! We’d love to see you at the sanctuary for a tour and we can tell you all about what we’re doing to save the rainforest.

Check us out at kstr.org.

Filed under: Kids Saving the Rainforest
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Marina Pez Vela brought in 2022 with some AMAZING experiences, energy and most importantly hope for a great year to come. There is tremendous energy at the Marina right now, some amazing new tenants, Costa Rica’s biggest Sport fishing tournament ever and February is going to bring more success stories and life to our community. We are so honored to be part of the reactivation of our community, to be creating a public space to share with locals and tourists alike. To be helping to demonstrate how we can all work collaboratively to create SAFE spaces where health protocols and security can allow us to share and create lasting memories in this beautiful part of the world. Movie Night Under the Stars are back every Wednesday night at 6:30. This is a great weekly tradition that brings together our local community and visitors to share in some magical sunsets and a weekly feature on Costa Rica’s largest projected outdoor screen. Check the Marina’s website for the weekly feature films. Superbowl LV is also on the big screen at MPV so you won’t miss any of the action.

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Filed under: Marina Pez Vela, What's Shaking? @ Marina Pez Vela
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Whether it is your first surf trip or your 50th, it is important to plan where and when you want to go. You do not want to get skunked or find waves too big for your comfort level. You need to have the right boards to ride. You want to maximize your time surfing, and not driving around looking for waves. And you want to make sure you are safe and comfortable when you are not in the water. In the next few articles I will discuss each factor and provide tips on how to have the best time surfing in Costa Rica

Check the Season and Tides

Most travelers know Costa Rica has two weather seasons—rainy season from May to November (rainiest in October) and dry season from December to April. But there are also wave seasons. Swells from the South hit the Pacific coast from mid-March to mid-October. Some Northwest swells hit the Pacific from December to March. And East swells hit the Caribbean coast from December to March. 

If you want a better chance of catching bigger waves, travel between late March and early June to the Pacific side, and mid-January to mid-February on the Caribbean. There are other good months on the Pacific, but the later in the season you go the more chance it will be rainy and the winds won’t be in your favor. May is my favorite month on the Pacific since the first rains make everything greener, and it is no longer high season so there are less surfers in the lineup, but before summer when families go on vacation. 

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Filed under: Greg Gordon, Surf CR
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Fun Facts

Brisa Elegante has now been sailing in Quepos’ waters for some three months. Many of our readers have seen her cruising along the beach of Manuel Antonio, or lying at anchor in the bay off Playa Tulemar. Her silhouette with her solid hull, her two masts, and sleek bowsprit, together with the sails, are making her distinctive. She is a Gulet and built in Turkey in a traditional shipyard in Fethiye. Ships have been built there for more than 2000 years, so it is safe to say that the ship carpenters over there know their trade.

Did you know that Brisa Elegante is larger than Christopher Columbus’ Santa Maria? With 100ft in length, Brisa Elegante exceeds Santa Maria by 40ft, and with a beam of 22ft, she is 4 ft wider than Santa Maria. Just imagine crossing an ocean to an unknown destination on a vessel of this size! One has to appreciate the courage and bravery of the sailors these days. By the way: if you find a new continent on your cruise with Brisa Elegante, please let us know. We will feature this in one of our future editions of Quepolandia.

Brisa Elegante has a good spirit who is protecting the vessel. Her name is Raquel, and you can find her under the bowsprit. She is the figurehead of our cruiser, and always observing our course and protecting us from harm and misfortune. Raquel is carved out of one solid piece of wood and a piece of art. Make sure you don’t miss her when sailing on Brisa Elegante.

The cruise on Brisa Elegante takes you along rocky island off Manuel Antonio and the National Park. Observe the birds sitting on the islands and escorting us on our cruise. Especially the Brown Boobies are very curious and fly around the bowsprit. Quite often, dolphins can be seen playing under the bowsprit. It seems that they are observing us on the vessel. When surfacing, they have fun spraying water at us through their blowhole. We are sure that we have seen them smiling at us!

A really cool thing is the water toys on board! Next to the snorkeling gear, there are stand-up paddleboards, kayaks, surfboards, and a floating mattress. Snorkel to the reefs nearby our anchor spot, and observe the thousands of colorful reef fishes, octopuses, and lobster. Test your skills on the paddleboard, it is more challenging than it appears. Float on the water mattress and enjoy a Mojito or two. These are the moments where you feel that you really are on vacation!

Contact us at info@sailcr.com
More information at SailCR.com

Filed under: Brisa Elegante
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I have been writing since I can remember. I was first published in second grade for a poem I wrote about a cat named Scat, that I didn’t even own nor did it exist. My Buffalo, N.Y. family never had pets, nor am I big fan of them today as I like to travel regularly and to be free of responsibilities. Truth be told I have owned an outdoor cat since I moved here in 2000. The original one died and then one short term renter of my house took the liberty of adopting a kitten which she left behind. So be it. Like animals, writers seem to come and go. I admire a man by the name of Matt Cassidy who used to write an article titled Crazy From The Heat for this very periodical. He used to bake the finest of cookies and bread in a time not so long ago when we did not have proper grocery stores here in MA. In 2022 his article would get censored, it used to go “too far”, and was wonderfully cringe worthy and dynamic, like the author himself. Cancel culture was still in the womb being cultivated. He can still be found in the marina at 2Costa Rica Real Estate if anyone is looking. His article would pick out classic tourist behavior and in my mind define sociology at its finest. A mentor to me. I believe it is still ok to say anything you want and I promise to not be offended. Then you must listen to my opinion and not be offended. Fair enough, yes? Stop reading now, you have been warned.

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Filed under: Memoirs of a Masseur, Todd Pequeen
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This is the easiest carrot cake recipe ever! The only equipment needed is a food processor, a Bundt pan, and of course, a hot oven.

Ingredients

• 1 large carrot, peeled and then cut into chunks
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups of sugar
• ½ cup oil
• 2 cups of flour
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• Soft butter and 1\3 cup flour for greasing pan

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Prepare Bundt pan with soft butter and 1/3 cup of flour
3. Sift the 2 cups of flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside
4. Place the carrot chunks, eggs, oil, and sugar into the food processor. Process for 2 minutes until the carrots are well grated and the texture is creamy.
5. Mix the sifted flour together with the carrot mixture and pour into pan.
6. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until a knife comes out clean and the edges are golden

This cake is very moist and can be served plain or glazed. Here are some ideas:

Butter-rum: 2 cups of sifted powdered sugar, 1/2 cup of melted butter, 3 tablespoons of rum, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Orange: 2 cups of sifted powdered sugar, 1/2 cup of melted butter, 3 to 4 tablespoons of orange juice, orange zest
Caramel sauce: 1 cup of light brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter, 1/2 cup of milk, 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract 

Filed under: Chef's Corner, Desiree Brassert
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Filed under: Manuel Antonio Spanish School, Spanish Sucks
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I had lived and worked on Hacienda Barú for 23 years before sighting my first bare-throated tiger heron, so called because of the featherless, yellow skin on its throat. Today, 30 years later, with much more natural habitat and less hunting, we see them on a daily basis.

First day out of the nest

Earlier this year, Diane and I noticed that a pair of tiger herons were carrying sticks, twigs, and other nesting material to a tree near our house, but the branches were so thick that we couldn’t find the nest. About two months later, a ball of white fluff could be seen moving around in the part of the tree where we suspected the nest was located. It grew rapidly to near adult size, molted, and one day fledged, now with the speckled plumage of a juvenile. I took lots of photos that first day as the young heron explored its new world. I had seen adult tiger herons in many different positions, hunched over, stretched up, neck twisted or arched, or feathers ruffled, but this youngster took the tiger heron’s shape-changing ability to extremes. The photos tell the story.

Adult with a big snake

Trail cameras are lots of fun because when you insert the memory card from the camera into your computer, you never know what is going to pop up on the screen. About a year ago a camera near the house captured an image a large adult tiger heron, wings spread, with a snake’s head in its mouth, and the body dangling down in an S-shaped curve all the way to the to the ground. I stared in amazement at the photo. Herons can’t chew, and I doubted it could swallow a snake that size 60 to 70 cm (25 inches) and as big around as a broomstick. “Maybe it’s just killing the snake”, I thought, “and is going to leave it for the scavengers”. Then it occurred to me that maybe I had it backwards. Maybe the snake was biting the heron. The photo wasn’t clear enough to be sure. I posted it on Facebook, and a couple of the viewers thought the snake had bitten the bird just above the beak and gotten its fangs stuck. “We’ll never know for sure,” I decided.

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Filed under: Jack Ewing, Nature and Local History Stories
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Welcome to the February instalment of That’s Fishing, we are so pleased to have you in the area and hope that you can spend some time on the water whilst you are here.

January provided some simply incredible Fishing here in Quepos with a wide-open Marlin bite and some of the best Marlin fishing experienced in recent years. Many of the Quepos charter boats managed to have some excellent days releasing multiple Marlin, a shout out to boat Frenzy who released an amazing 10 Marlin during a single day’s fishing in January. Simply incredible! The Dorado fishing was also excellent during January with plenty of 25-30lb dorado showing in addition to some great Tuna fishing and a few surprise Wahoo.

OFFSHORE FISHING

The excellent Fishing looks set to continue during February and Anglers can expect greater Sailfish numbers in what is now the peak time of year to target Sailfish here as they arrive in great numbers for the next couple of months. Our Sailfish average 70lbs and regularly exceed 100lbs and with the sheer numbers of fish we get here, Costa Rica is most certainly one of the best places on the planet to target Sailfish. It’s what brings Anglers flocking from near and far and you have most certainly come to the right place! Sailfish are targeted during Offshore trips in addition to Yellow Fin Tuna, Marlin and Dorado/Mahi Mahi.

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Filed under: Benn Gilmour, That's Fishin'
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