April 2, 2008

A Wonderful weekend at Punta Coral

Dear Dad,

It had been far too long since David and I went to Punta Coral.  We both were looking forward to a relaxing weekend, and that is just what we had.

The ride to Puntarenas was wonderful.  David’s Nissan rides like a limo and best of all the air-conditioning works perfectly.

Knowing it was too late to ask the Calypso kitchen for ceviche, David stopped at a local restaurant in Puntarenas and bought two ceviches to go.

After a short meeting in the kitchen with the cooks, we walked to the Calypso dock and there waiting for us was Mario, the Captain of the Amapola.

We rode across the gulf in and  true regal style crossing the beautiful blue water that reflected the puffs of white clouds in the sky.

Approaching Punta Coral I saw that the Flor de Mayo, (white frangipani) was beginning to bloom covering the tips of the tall trees with tiny clutches of tiny bridal bouquets of the fragrant white five petal flowers.  This is a sure sign that the season is changing.

The closer we got to our oasis; we could see how much green our piece of paradise is compared to the rest of the area.  The Coconut Palm trees waved to us as we approached, their giant green boughs swaying gently in the soft breeze.

Waiting on the dock was Juan Jose and he and Mario carried our bags into the casona.

As soon as we walked up the ramp David and I could see the beautiful green lawn, now all completely filled in. It has taken four years of dedication and is worth it.

Since I had not been to Punta Coral in a while, as soon as I put down my bag, I walked to the back of the property heading toward the mango grove to hug my favorite Royal Palm tree that now stands majestically like a guard at the edge of the Tropical Dry Forest.  The tree is so big around now that when I hug it my hands no longer touch.  The tree hugs me back. J

I could see that the same grass we planted in the front and have also planted near the public bathrooms has a whisper of green color.  The season is defiantly changing.

Misael was not there; he left the afternoon before and as soon as they could, the other three workers left too.

 Mario and Juan Jose both paddle home in a kayak.  Mario paddles to the fish house where he takes the kayak out of the water, and then gets on a bicycle and peddles 45 minutes into the town of Paquera. 

Juan Jose paddles in a different direction and likes to fish on his way home, trolling with a line stretching out the back of the kayak.  Almost every day he catches something. He had a string of good sized Red Snapper he was taking home that he caught on his way to work earlier in the day.

Delfina, who usually cleans the house for us, had not been able to do so and to my surprise I saw that it was spotless, which I like, the bed upstairs was made with fresh sheets too.  I love that.

Before we put the groceries away, David took my hand and led me to the yellow blooming Frangipani that had been transplanted two years ago and was finally blossoming. 

This is a cutting taken from a friend who lives in Manuel Antonio.  One year he and David stopped along the highway on the Aguacate Road (Avacado Road) and took some cuttings from a big tree that had branches hanging over a tall wall.  Our cuttings never took, but Bill’s has tall trees and when we went to visit him we took a cutting from one of them.

Near the bar is another Frangipani tree with pink flowers that now stands about seven feet tall and on each tip of the branches is a bouquet of the wonderful smelling flowers.

The Christmas Palms were full of red berries and there were seeds on the ground a sign that a bird or birds had feasted on the delicious red fruit, about the size of a thumb nail, that grows on the outside of the seed.

After a walk around the gardens, David fixed two dishes of the ceviche he bought in Puntarenas. We only ate one portion because it was enough for the two of us.  He added avocado and tomato and we sat down to a feast.  It is the perfect food to eat in the tropics.  Every cook has their own recipe. I really prefer Calypso ceviche, but the one we bought was good too.

About an hour before sunset we saw the white Patrol Boat come close and stop near two fishing boats that were anchored in front of the property next door.  What was going on?

The boat has a 50 caliber gun on its deck. 

David and I sat in chairs in the rancho and watched the uniformed guards put a small rubber boat in the water and motor towards the fishing boats.

For then next four hours we watched and even though it was dark we stayed in the rancho. Yes, we were spying on them all.

The small boat kept making runs between the Patrol Boat and the fishing boat.  Since Costa Rica is between Columbia and the US, we have a lot of problems with drug trafficking.  Sometimes small blocks of the drugs, we call them square grouper, wash up on the shore when a drug boat tosses them overboard when they think they are going to get caught.

We figured that the fishing boats were being searched.  The Patrol Boat also passed a spot light on the shore looking for……….? Anything.

As soon as the Patrol Boat, really our Coast guard left,  we went to bed and read until neither of us could keep our eyes open and both of us fell into a deep sleep.  The bed has memory foam on the top of the mattress and is more comfortable than the bed in San Jose.

We woke early to the plop - plop sound we heard.  The Multiple Palm has a seeds too and is a favorite of the birds.  They are early risers and had been busy since dawn eating and dropping the seeds and this is what was falling on the metal roof waking us up.

Since we were awake it was time to make coffee and welcome another beautiful day.

We sat having coffee and breakfast and watched a sail boat in the distance.  It took a while, but soon it was in front of Punta Coral.  To our surprise it was someone we knew.

David spotted Mike on the deck and waved and invited him on shore.  He had a new girlfriend with him.

We have not seen Mike in a while, but were talking about him the night before because when he brought his sail boat ( a different one that he sold) from Ecuadora few years ago, he had a parrot on board.  Since he didn’t want to put the parrot in Quarantine, he asked if we would keep it at Punta Coral for a few days while he cleared immigration and he would return to get it.

Later that same day, other friends – boat builders - arrived with about 8 uniformed Coast Guards.  They were testing two boats that our friends had sold to the government.  This is the first and only time any of the Coast Guards came ashore.  Wouldn’t you know it; here we were trying to help a friend and if the guards knew what we were doing all of us would have been in trouble.

Anyway, while watching the boats the night before David and I commented that we had not seen Mike in years and wondered what happed to him and then he showed up the following day.

David and Edgar had been busy all morning cleaning the pop-up sprinklers and saw Mike when he anchored his sail boat in front of the property. It took a while to clean all the sprinklers but soon they were all working again.  We had watched Edgar watering the lawn earlier using the hose and when David asked him why, Edgar told him that it was because the sprinklers were not working. Once a year they need to be cleaned of dirt and rocks that falls into them and clog the hoses keeping them from popping up and watering the lawn. As soon as the job was finished the four of us went for a walk.

In single file we walked the flagstone path that leads to the trails. On our way, we stopped and looked at the new building that is almost finished, that once the roof is finally put on, will be the area where we turn organic material into compost. We also stopped at the new well that is being dug.  Yes, by hand.  It will be 5 meters deep and hopefully will give us more needed water to keep the gardens green. 

It is really more of a cistern than a well and ground water that collects.  I still think we have an ojo de agua or spring someplace and we  just need to find it.

It was hot but it is always nice to walk the trails getting a little exercise. It took 40  minutes and all of us were sweating when we finally returned to the front of the property. After a big drink of cold water, I served the other portion of ceviche we had not eaten the night before..

We had a nice visit and after a while, Mike and Erica left.

David and I went for a swim to cool off.  At the end of the day, we watched proudly as Manta Raya passed by with a full group and then waved as our workers got into their kayaks and paddled home.

We had another wonderful sunset and spent an hour watching the stars in a beautiful clear sky.

On Sunday we had more visitors, John and Sue who live on Cedros, the island in front of Punta Coral.  They live in the US and spend a few months here.  It was their last day in Costa Rica.

Misael had returned from a few days off and he and David were busy installing a cooling system in the dining area that a friend gave us to try out. 

Narrow tubes hook up to a garden hose and about every half meter there is a tiny nozzle where a soft spray of water comes out. Installing it in front of the dining area, the wind carried the mist to the tables and cooled the area.  When we turned on the overhead fans the mist carried the spray further – the length of the dining room.

It was pleasant; but because of the humidity, the floor was getting wet even though they spray was a fine mist.  It needed an adjustment and David was going to ask his friend if there was a way to make it work better.

Sue and John brought new neighbors to meet; a nice couple from Norway, who have left their homeland to live here.  They want to start a sea kayak rental business and maybe sport fishing too. 

The young couple just got married and want to have a reception for friends and family at Punta Coral.  It is so much work for me that I have raised my prices. I am only going to do wedding or receptions if there is a large profit.  I served ice cold delicious Hawaiian pineapple and after a few hours they left.

Our quiet weekend was full of visitors. Both of us brought reading material and David and I spent the rest of Sunday reading and relaxing.

I forgot to mention that the small islands in front of Punta Coral are as white as snow; tropical snow we call it here.  The Magnificent Frigates have made the area their nesting homes and the rocky islands are covered in bird poop. 

Thousands of birds are living on the islands now.  They look like prehistoric pterodactyls floating on the updrafts.  Did you know they have only one lung?  They also have the longest wing span for their weight in the world, truly a wonder of Mother Nature.  The males have a red pouch under their beaks and during mating season the pouch is inflated to the size of an orange to attract the females. 

Monday morning I went for a walk.  I was not alone but followed by three body guards.  Not ordinary guards, but three Magpie Jays, a beautiful grey colored bird with a top feather on his head – similar to what a quail has on top of their heads.

A few years ago, five Magpie Jays were born in a nest in a Christmas palm that grows near the bar.  We watched them for weeks until they were able to fly and fly away they did. Since then they stay in the trees around the house and when I go for a walk they follow me around.  It is funny.  I had to stop and talk to one of them that wouldn’t stop squawking until I stopped and had a conversation – bird language.

We have a new resident at Punta Coral.  A small male monkey has been living alone in the giant mango tree behind the casona or big house.  Misael said he has been there for three weeks.

Usually a male will reach adult hood and leave the troop.  Each troop of monkeys has one dominate male.  When a young male feels ¨grown up enough¨ he will leave the main troop but follow it and try to lure one or more females away and join him, making a new troop. This monkey was still alone.

 All too soon it was time to leave Punta Coral and head for San Jose and home.  Before we left Misael brought me a 3 pound giant mango, perfect for eating.  Mangoes are definitely the fruit of the gods and a special treat.  This year has been exceptionally great for the delicious golden colored fruit. Mangoes vary in taste and some can be stringy and tiny, the size of a tangerine.  The fruit is very sweet and almost tastes like a peach, but much better.

Punta Coral has a lot of mango trees, but the monkeys eat more of the fruit than we do.  We have two varieties but there are many more - like apples - but we don’t have the giant mangoes.

All too soon, David and I were on board the Captain’s Launch-Amapola and heading back to Puntarenas and civilization.

 Every minute we spend at Punta Coral is special and we should go out there more often.  It is truly a paradise.

This is the news update for this week.  Hope you are well and happy.

I love and miss you.

Besitos,  Cecs