Empata Cruz Azul 1-1 en su estadio ante Marathón de Honduras, que logra la anotación de la igualada a cuatro minutos de finalizar el encuentro

Cruz Azul no pudo tomar revancha de la derrota sufrida contra el club hondureño Marathón y apenas empató 1-1 en partido de vuelta de la Liga de Campeones de la Concacaf, disputado en el Estadio Azul.

El conjunto celeste se había puesto adelante en el marcador con tanto de Javier Orozco al minuto 13, pero ante su falta de manejo de partido, Marathón le empató con gol de Erick Norales, al minuto 85.

Con la igualada, el cuadro hondureño continúa de líder del Grupo A, de manera momentánea, al arribar a siete puntos, mismos que el conjunto "cementero", en el segundo lugar y a la espera del duelo entre Deportivo Saprissa de Costa Rica (6) y DC United de la MLS (0).

El conjunto "cementero" buscó desde el arranque del partido la revancha de la derrota de 0-2 sufrida el pasado 17 de septiembre en San Pedro Sula, pero se encontró con un rival que planteó un encuentro defensivo tratando de hacer daño en el contragolpe.

Pese a ello, el conjunto de Benjamín Galindo se encontró con el gol de la ventaja al minuto 13, cuando, a pase filtrado por la izquierda, Orozco entró por esa zona y venció con tiro cruzado a poste izquierdo al arquero visitante Ángel Obelar, para tomar la ventaja.

Por su parte, Marathón buscó hacer daño mediante disparos lejanos, pero la buena ubicación del arquero local Alfonso Blanco impidió que sus avances progresaran.

A pesar de su trabajo defensivo, el cuadro "catracho" estuvo a punto de recibir un par de anotaciones más, pero la buena actuación de Obelar y su zaga, que estuvo en todo momento atenta a cualquier imprevisto, evitaron el tanto celeste.

Para la segunda parte, la "Máquina" salió un tanto relajada y esto lo aprovechó el conjunto visitante para inquietar la meta de Blanco, quien se tuvo que emplear a fondo para evitar la caída de su marco ante la débil marca de los defensas.

La única oportunidad clara del cuadro celeste en este periodo la tuvo en sus pies Miguel Sabah, quien en un rechace del arquero Obelar tuvo para meter el balón, pero lo dejó en las manos del arquero.

Esta situación provocó que, al dejar la cancha en cambio al minuto 68, Sabah fuera despedido entre abucheos por el escaso público que se dio cita en el Estadio Azul para apoyar a su escuadra.

El dominio del conjunto hondureño, que en esta segunda parte vino a más, vio cumplido su objetivo al minuto 85 con un servicio para Norales, quien de remate con la cabeza venció al arquero Alfonso Blanco ante la floja marca de la zaga celeste, para hacer el 1-1 definitivo.

Ante su falta de entrega, los aficionados abuchearon al conjunto "cementero" al final del encuentro, ya que no ofreció el futbol al que los tenía acostumbrados, así que fueron despedidos de la cancha como anteriormente le sucedió a Sabah.

El trabajo del árbitro guatemalteco Carlos Batres fue regular, amonestó a Gerardo Lugo, Javier Orozco y Sabah, mientras por Marathón mostró cartón preventivo a Jerry Palacios, Astor Shermon y Oscar Armando Bonilla y expulsó a Juan Carlos García por doble amarilla, al 83.

fuente NOTIMEX

Full Transcript here

(FYI, I supported Obama from the start of the campaign) I agree with him that health care is a "right" for everyone. I agree with him that alternative energy is essential in reducing our energy consumption. I agree with him that we need to seek diplomatic solutions first working with our allies in dealing with foreign threats like Iran and North Korea. Most importantly, I agree with him in providing 95% of the middle class tax cuts because they suffer the most and they are crucial to our economy. 

The only thing I agree with McCain is on his policy of providing "moral support" for Georgia and other post-Soviet Union countries. 

Any-who, enough politics, I don't really care that much. I was in downtown San Jose today again (and will be for days to come due to necessary commute to Santa Ana), and when I was walking, I heard many conversations in Cantonese, which was very interesting because I only heard it once at a store down my street. This is why I LOVE languages, I can understand so many people without them knowing. There's an inner urge to connect with people who speak the language we speak in a foreign country. I see this a lot, and it happens everywhere, even right here at the Casa, both of my French housemates hang out with French friends (haha...sounded like French Fries) studying or working here (If you're reading this Cecile or Anne-Laure, just want you to know I love it). This occurs mostly by meeting friends through friends but it is true. For me, on the other hand, I only really "connected" with a few of my Cantonese friends. Most of the time when I meet someone and learned that they speak Cantonese or Mandarin I still use English, unless they ask me specifically. Just like when I'm asked where I'm from, I just say California and leave it as that. And when they ask me specifically my origin, then I would say Hong Kong. I do that to avoid all the stereotypical questions that (some) people asks, not that I care or am offended by it, it just annoys me. Well, that's that.

On another note, commuting to Santa Ana SUCKS, it takes 2 hours to get there without traffic and 3 hours with. The seats on the buses are damn tiny and it gets hot as hell when it's raining and all the windows are closed. The only good thing about commuting is the walk down Avenida Central (sometimes Avenida 1 depends on my mood at the time), and occasionally a pretty Tica sits next to me on the bus to and from Santa Ana (Yes I'm shallow, deal with it). After next week though I won't need to go to Santa Ana since the new location of my school will be opened in Barrio California. 

Oh, and uh, listen to Brett Dennen, he's great.

Cheers!

Cada dia que pasa nos damos cuenta de que la calidad de vida que tienen aqui, no se podra conseguir jamas en España. Aqui no hay un estilo de vida, sino una filosofia de vida diferente, donde lo primero es la naturaleza, y ver como la viven es alucinante. Aqui todo el mundo tiene libros de insectos, aves, plantas, etc, con los que salen a pasear casi a diario. PURA VIDA!

Los amigos de aqui son la ostia. Nos han acogido como si fueramos de su familia, nos cuidan, nos ayudan a todo, nos llevan a caminar por el bosque, a visitar cascadas, sitios donde solo la gente de aqui sabe llegar y conoce, y mil cosas mas. Anoche sin ir mas lejos, Chancho nos llevo a su casa a conocer a Angi, su mujer, y a su bebe, y nos prepararon autentica comida tica, que estaba buenisima!! Luego se vinieron todos los demas, y esta noche, todos nos estan preparando una cena de despedida!!!

Esta es nuestra ultima noche aqui, y nos vamos con mucha pena, sabiendo que dejamos aqui en Monteverde a unos grandisimos amigos. Este post esta dedicado a todos ellos, Oscar, Chancho, Hector, Cris, Gabriel, Angi, Miha,.. y a todo Monteverde!!

I decided this time to visit the four for one combination outdoor world/ BASS Pro shop. Divers Direct/International Fishing Hall of Fame in Hollywood which I had wound up bypassing on my Seminole Hard Rock cafe hotel casino complex (all built on the proceeds of decades of bingo) trajectory the day before.  First however I had to cover my tracks and visit the gardens and greenhouse of the American Orchid Society (where I discovered the Bottle Nose Palm from Madagascar and the Chenille plant from Malaysia with a hot dark pink fuzzy streamer of a blossom among other varieties of flora too numerous to mention ).

When i got to the everything about the great outdoors complex tucked behind a Tri-rail station and adjacent to a Marriot Courtyard Hotel I chose to go to the International Fishing Hall of Fame where I caught the feature legnth documentary 'Sharkwater" by the young Canadian Diver, photographer, adventurer, and shark savior Rob Stewart (who is in tip top no body fat shape and does a mean athletic free dive into the depths to swim with great predators).

Here I saw what seemed funny in Hong Kong (shark fin soup everywhere) unmasked as tragic (ninety percent of the worlds' sharks have been killed in the last few years to provide this delicacy which the Chinese believe has curative properties).  Only two real havens for sharks remain (the Cocos Islands off of Costa Rica and the Galagapos) and even these are threatened.  This movie presents the evidence and the information and has begun to help to turn things around.

Afterwards this itinerant blogger had dinner at the Islamorada fish company restaurant (fried tuna in wasabi sauce), tried on a couple of thick wetsuits, saw a magnificent sunset, and turned around to watch the presidential debate between Barack Obama and John McCain.

Made it back in time to watch the debate saw the opening slavos and fell asleep.  Then stayed up for Dancing with the Stars night three and then was off (as I have failed to mention) as I had at every morning and evening oppurtunity to loosen up my back muscles and thus breathing with the pulsating jets of the the hot tub and starlight as I did yoga moves in the aquatic atmosophere of the  swimming pool gazing up at the heavenly bodies.

I took the early flight out of San Jose to Golfito, down the Pacific coast towards the border with Panama. It was an overcast morning - it has been raining torrentially every afternoon and evening - but I took these photos anyway. Due to the absence of sunlight, the photos don't do the scenery justice. The 14-seater aircraft flies over my favorite slice of Costa Rica, an area that (thankfully) remains largely undeveloped.

The plane first has to leave the Central Valley of Costa Rica, flying over the volcanic mountains that separate it from the coast.

The ocean soon comes into view. Humpback whales come here to mate in the dry season.

It's impossible to make it out because of the trees but this is my favorite beach - Playa Ballena. It is inside a national park encompassing both land and sea. As many as 50 species of birds nest on the large rock in the sea (Isla Ballena). The small ones are known as the Three Sisters.

Here we are approaching the airstrip in Golfito. The small town threads its way along the coast for a few kilometers. Sometimes you feel as if the hills are going to fall on top of you; landslides do, in fact, occur. The town was built and maintained by the United Fruit Company for nearly 50 years.

There was even a reception committee waiting for me when I arrived...

I read some more about the coming US election, and toward the end of the day I found a link to a podcast about how the future looked to Americans starting in 1947, related to flying saucers, the Cold War, movies and other things.
It is called Welcome to Mars, and I found it through Boing Boing, where everything wonderful can be found.
The only problem with the dowloaded podcasts is with the file names. They lack leading zeroes, and number 5 is missing an underscore as well. Renaming them took just a moment, and listening to the shows is very entertaining and educational.

Now I remember, something did happen yesterday. When I started up my computer, my mouse didn't work. I wiggled the plug and restarted, still no go. I called our in-house tech support guys, left a message describing the situation, and they never called back. I went over to their area and got someone's attention, described the situation. He came to look at my computer, wiggled the plug and restarted the computer, then went and got me a different mouse. He plugged it in, and it didn't seem to work. He said I would need a new motherboard. We restarted and finally, it worked.

I took a few pictures from the patio before I left work yesterday. It was a beautiful day without much rain.

All photos taken with Motorola L6i cellphone

Hace un año no creo que nadie se imaginara que todavía un año después este TLC no iba ser aprobado y para peores ¡nisiquiera se sabe para cuando va estar listo! pero que curioso, ya un año después a la mayoría de gente le importa muy poco lo que suceda con ese tratado, Costa Rica ha cambiado.

Me alegra haber podido vivir ese ambiente (el de hace un año exacto) que si bien es cierto no pude votar despertó mi amor por la patria como creo ningún ancontecimiento pudo hacerlo antes. Me acuerdo de muchos que trabajamos tanto para convencer a los demás de votar por nuestra preferencia, ¡que felíces nos sentíamos cuando lo lográbamos! pero bien el país escogió su camino y de la mejor forma: la democrática.

Hace un año le demostramos al mundo como un pequeño país tiene absoluto derecho a elegir lo que crea que es mejor, no de forma violenta y militar... Y aunque para muchos no fue el resultado que esperábamos, el 7 de octubre del 2007 va ser el día que recordaremos como ganó la democracia y los valores nacionales.

Viva Costa Rica...

Costa Rica is a country of extremities.  A place of constant change and movement, and that's what makes it so intriguing.  We began our trip were we usually do, at the office finishing up some project prior to our departure flight.  This trip somewhat snuck up on us - not that we forgot that we were going, just everything seems to be taken care of for us - so kudos to our trip planning partners Costa Rica Nature Adventures / Pacuare Lodge.  Actually kudos to the Pacuare Lodge for making this trip so incredibly wonderful.

We flew into San Jose during a rain storm and according to the locals and our cab driver it had been raining for days.  Everywhere we looked there was a flurry of activity from the pummeling rain, to the annoyed travelers stuck outside, but what struck me the most was the barrage of cabbies and visitors standing outside the airport trying to get first pick of the tourist coming off the plane.  So tip of the day - plan for your hotel to pick you up from the airport.  If you can speak Spanish with ease and enjoy haggling your way through about 100 soaking wet cabbies, then go for it - but I much preferred a little white sign with my name on it. 

As part of our trip we needed to spend one evening in San Jose, our journey to the Pacuare Lodge began at 6 am, so a comfy bed, a hot tub and a strong cocktail were our requirements for our evening lodging.  We found them all at the Hotel Grano de Oro (or the Grain of Gold in english - and that it is my friends). 

The hotel, an old tropical Victorian, breathed history.  Grainy black and white photos lined the halls and around every corner you found a courtyard or a tiny fountain filling the air with sounds of rushing water.  You could feel merchants from years past walk down the same halls, however I'm pretty sure they were not toting an Imperial beer in one hand, with the other hand desperately grasping for the waist-slipping towel on their way to the hot tub, but who knows. A juxtaposition in itself the exterior and lobby area was incredibly modern and slick, and fit into the old Victorian perfectly.  Actually they played off each other quite well and gave the surrounding neighborhood a glimpse of a cultural and architectural revolution.  As our exploration of the hotel came to a close and the night wore on, we lifted the windows and let the cool night breezes soothed us to sleep.  I'm not sure what I dreamed or if i dreamed at all, but the next few days began one of the great adventures in my life and because of this I now know that I am a traveler by passion and trade.

Part 2 the Lodge is next...

The response from McCain has been typical. He got ugly, just as he did Monday in New Mexico when he ranted against Obama. He increasingly talks about “honor,” respect, commitment and such. When an ad was run in North Carolina attacking Obama for associating with Rev. Jeremiah Wright, McCain said that “it’s not the message of the Republican Party. It’s not the message of my campaign. I’ve pledged to conduct a respectful campaign.”

Well, I guess it has held true as long as he felt he was in the race. Now that the numbers have turned against him, it’s a completely different story. His pledge is now about as true as his statements that he has been a lifelong enemy of Wall Street. Yesterday, John McCain put out a new TV ad where Obama is called “dangerous” and accuses Obama of being “dishonorable.” The ad says, “He says our troops in Afghanistan are just ‘air raiding villages and killing civilians.’ How dishonorable!” McCain has called Obama’s judgment into question. Well, lest we forget:

John McCain was accused of improperly aiding his political patron, Charles Keating, chairman of the Lincoln Savings and Loan Association. The bipartisan Senate Ethics Committee launched investigations and formally reprimanded Senator McCain for his role in the scandal -- the first such Senator to receive a major party nomination for president. The Senate Committee “deplored” his error in judgment.

At TicosLand.com and all over Costa Rica, we are keeping a close watch on the United States presidential election because we know that it will directly affect the Costa Rican economy.

El mundo vive su peor terremoto financiero en años y aquí en Costa Rica parece que la persona promedio ni se entera.

La caída de los grandes monstruos de inversión de Wall Street –cuyos dos únicos sobrevivientes, Merrill Lynch y Morgan Stanley, se refugiaron en la banca universal— tendrá graves repercusiones para la economía global, asediada desde mucho antes por los precios altos del petróleo y los alimentos básicos.

Cuando los habitantes del país más rico empiezan a padecer desempleo y desalojo de sus viviendas por falta de pago de sus hipotecas, la pregunta que todos los demás debemos hacernos es ¿qué nos espera a quienes vivimos de los productos o servicios que vendemos ahí? Es improbable que la crisis no termine “pringándonos”.

De momento, el entorno comienza a cambiar para los ticos y conviene que afrontemos lo que está por llegar. El sistema financiero está cerrando la llave del crédito ante lo que se avecina.

El Banco Central recién anunció un aumento de un punto en la tasa básica pasiva (el promedio de la tasa de interés que pagan por nuestro ahorros). Esa tasa es el referente que utilizan los bancos y otras entidades financieras para fijar el precio que cobran por el crédito.

Solo para tener una idea de lo que esto implica para los usuarios del crédito, en mayo la tasa básica pasiva llegó a su nivel histórico más bajo al caer a 4,25%. En ese momento, todo el mundo hacía fiesta con el crédito; a ese nivel era demasiado tentador pedir prestado para comprar casa, carro, moto e inclusive para consumir.

Hoy la realidad es muy distinta. La tasa subió a 10,25% y la sonrisa se nos borró a todos los que tenemos la etiqueta de “deudor” estampada en la frente.

Usualmente los bancos y entidades financieras conceden sus créditos a tasas variables, es decir, la tasa básica pasiva más un porcentaje adicional. Por ejemplo, si una familia tiene un crédito de vivienda a la tasa de referencia más 8 puntos, pasó de pagar 12,25% en mayo a 18,25% a partir de este mes.

Si ese crédito fuera por ¢20 millones a 20 años, en términos pecuniarios esa familia pasaría de pagar una cuota mensual de ¢223.713 a un desembolso de ¢312.516.

Se trata de casi ¢89 mil que tendrán que destinar para hacer frente al pago de la deuda. El espacio aquí es reducido para repasar qué podríamos hacer para salir bien librados de una situación, así que tendré que hacerlo la semana entrante.

I am sorry to announce the death of my camera - I have dropped it one time too many and the battery compartment has been taped for awhile but now the batteries aren't lasting as long and, well, it's time.  I'm on my way the the U.S. of eh? tomorrow, the land of the free and the golly gee these days - and will have to buy a camera while I'm there.  I feel very bland on my blog without photos - it took me awhile to learn how to post them, but once I did, well, I was having fun.  Now I'm just about the words, and that's great and all, but the pics are half of what inspires me to write.  As my friends have found out, if the camera takes a good pic, then you'll probably make the blog.  And I now try and remember to ask people if they don't want their full name on the blog, those who want to keep living in relative obscurity, and keep it first names only with little bits of tape across their distinguishing features in the pics.  HA! As if we can really hide.

A week ago I wrote some articles - one for the Tropical Forests UK website, which was chopped down significantly since I hadn't asked how many words they wanted and, well, I'm wordy. The other went to Quaker Monthly and I haven't heard anything from the editor to know what she is going to do with it.  I spend a lot of my time on the internet, sending press releases, contacting media folk, and seeking out places to get reviews done.  I'm most disappointed with the local media specifically the Hamilton Spectator and CH Television.  I mean, I just don't think there are that many authors in Hamilton that they couldn't do a little piece about Walking with Wolf.  But I keep trying and maybe I'll find the right hook to get their attention.

Tomorrow I start a roadtrip with my friend Shirley.  The purpose of the trip is to go to Olney Friends School in Barnesville, Ohio for their Homecoming weekend.  Wolf and I are presenting the book next Saturday night - he and Lucky are coming up from Costa Rica.  I'm so excited to be doing this, but extremely happy to spend some time with them.  I know there will be many Guindons there as well as the families of the students who are presently enrolled. Wolf and Lucky are pretty well-known alumni and so this weekend, bringing Wolf's book back to his alma mater, is bound to be quite emotional. That is what has kept me busy this last week, reworking the power point slides and choosing what to read.  A small problem is that I've had a seriously big frog croaking in my throat for a few days.  I've been trying not to talk too much but, well, that's a hard one for me.  And even sitting here at home alone working on the presentation, I'm talking as I read aloud, timing the images with the talk.  I'll have to try harder and keep quiet and let Shirley do the talking in the car.  I'm not sure if it is bad air quality here in Hamilton or some kinda weird bug, but there it is. Hopefully I'll be fine by Saturday, but if not, that's what they make microphones and amplifiers for.

We are driving down to Virginia first to go visit some of Shirley's family.  Shirley wouldn't do the drive herself and so I offered to take her there, kind of on our way to Ohio.  The thing we'll be looking for the most is the deer on the highways.  I've driven at this time of the year to Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas - well, anywhere going through Ohio and Pennsylvania and West Virginia it is shocking with the amount of dead deer carcasses and blood puddles on the highways.  It's a slaughterhouse out there.  It makes it unwise to drive at night which I generally don't mind doing. It isn't worth the risk, when those poor crazed deer come leaping across the fences out of the dark shadows. I think it's happening at this time of the year because of hunting driving the deer out of the woods - they just run onto roads as they try to escape. I guess the other possibility is that it is mating season and they are all love-crazed but I tend to think it is the first thing that is causing the vehicular slaughter. 

A few days ago I went up to the Guelph Arboretum to the launch of a new book called Growing Trees from Seed (Firefly Books).  It was a project started a few years ago by a wonderful man by the name of Henry Kock.  I knew Henry when I went to the University of Guelph in the early 80s and we were both on the board of the OPIRG (one of Ralph Nader's Public Interest Research Groups).  I also knew his sister, Irene.  Well, these two people were some of the most dynamic, hardworking, committed individuals in Ontario.  Irene was an anti-nuke activist throughout her adult life.  She died tragically in a car accident on New Years Eve about six years ago.  Then Henry, this outstanding human being, larger than life, developed brain cancer and he died a couple of years ago on Christmas Day.  I'm sure the Kock family doesn't look forward to that week at all anymore.

Henry was known for his love of trees. He started the Elm Recovery Project, to aid in the renaissance of the elms that were wiped out years ago by disease in southern Ontario.  He had a thumb so green it was emerald and a passion for nature that energized all those who knew him.  He started this book before the cancer was diagnosed but at some point couldn't continue with it, so three of his friends and co-workers at the Arboretum, Paul Aird, John Ambrose and Gerald Waldron, continued with the book. It is a coffee-table-book-sized practical guide to growing native trees, vines and shrubs and is a must have for anyone who is interested in growing themselves an arboreal garden. Or even one really beautiful tree from scratch.

Also related to Henry, I went with my friend Lynda Lehman, to see the breathtaking textile art of Lorraine Roy.  Well, as a person who has worked with fabric all my life, sewing my own clothes when I was younger and then working as a furniture re-upholsterer for years, I have a natural interest in anything made of fabric.  Lorraine Roy makes these textile canvases that are compositions of tiny pieces of materials laid out and sewn, quilted in a way, into intricate designs - some abstract but many of them inspired by the lifecycle of trees.  She met Henry when she went to the University of Guelph and was moved by his passion which blended with her own love of nature.  She has done several series of these masterpieces that feature seeds, trees, ovulation, and much more. Go to her website, (Lroytextileart.com) and take a look. The delicate power of her work is awe-inspiring.  There is an incredible amount of detail that results in muted landscapes and still lifes which are not still, but living, organic creations. Her colour sense is musical. I wish I could afford to own one of her pieces, which I don't even find that expensive, but that won't be happening for awhile. But...wow.

The last little item that lingers in my head is watching the debates last Thursday night.  Here in Canada, we have a federal election next week and the candidates for prime minister sat around a table with a moderator and had a very lively discussion. I quite liked the style of the round table which allowed for lots of real interaction. Proudly, the person who seemed to be announced the "winner" by much of the media was Elizabeth May, the head of the Green Party.  I've known her from afar for many years and always known that she was a very intelligent spitfire.  She had to fight her way into the debate, as there was disagreement about the Greens being there at all.  There was a public outcry and so the other parties relented and she was allowed at the table.  As it turned out, she was the hottest on many of the issues, especially hot on Steven Harper's case. Good on you, Elizabeth, this Canadian woman was all substance, style, spit, and smarts.

The other debate that night was the infamous vice-presidential debate between Joe Biden and Tina Fey's less intelligent double, Sarah Palin. I know this woman must be intelligent to have got to the post of governor of Alaska, but her hokey manner, frequent winking and subterfuge of her very right wing values made me crazy. She kept trying to sound like a mild conservative and either stayed away from answering the questions or contradicted herself.  I spent the whole time with my remote, flipping between debates whenever one made me squirm or scream. My take on the Republicans is that I find them wholly irresponsible and arrogant to have put a person of so little experience and sophistication into the (hopefully not so) possible position of being the president. IF McCain were to be elected and IF something bad were to happen to him, she could be the leader of the so-called free world!  It seems to me that they were more interested in choosing someone for the ticket who would appeal to the lowest common denominator of the electorate, to the religious right and perhaps (though I'm not sure how) who would appeal to the women who wanted Hillary. I am appalled that they would have put this woman in this position.  What I do see is that Palin would appeal to the same folks who voted for that other hokey guy, George W.  I can remember seeing an older woman from Kansas in an interview during the last election who I suspect spoke for a certain part of the population when she said that she was voting for Bush because she thought she'd like to sit and drink a pot of tea with him and couldn't imagine doing that with John Kerry.  Well, that's all very nice and fine, but do you really want this guy as your president? I mean, is feeling comfortable in the tearoom really a prerequisite for being presidential? I mean, is anyone really surprised at what is going on in the US and the world today because of Bush's presidency.  I mean, really???

If you want to invite the woman to go moose hunting, well, go for it, but please don't put the rest of the world at the risk of being run by Palin and her muddy morally-maverick mind (and the Republican powers-behind-the-Palin). Now that is truly scary.

The 700 billion dollar government bailout package was approved and signed into law Friday after two weeks during which traders appeared to be counting on it as a way to avoid a market meltdown. Well, then came Monday, and the Dow went down more than 800 points at its worst point during the day, which is an intraday record. The stock market tried to rally in the afternoon and finished down 390 points at 9.955.50.

There was a global meltdown well on the way before Wall Street even got into the fray. The Nikkei in Japan lost more than 4%. The losses came west with the sun. In Europe, the FTSE-100 in the United Kingdom lost nearly 6%, The German DAX lost 7%, and France’s CAC-40 limped in at a 9% loss.

At TicosLand.com and all over Costa Rica, people are watching the markets closely and wondering how much these market meltdowns will affect us.

Από το περιοδικό ΑΓΙΟΣ ΚΟΣΜΑΣ Ο ΑΙΤΩΛΟΣ ΘΕΣΣΑΛΟΝΙΚΗΣ, τεύχος Απριλίου - Ιουλίου 2008 μεταφέρουμε το παρακάτω άρθρο για την Ορθοδοξία στη Κόστα Ρίκα.

Πριν ένα μήνα με ευλόγησε ο Κύριός μας με την εις Διάκονον Χειροτονία του εκ Κόστα Ρίκα μοναχού Σίλα.

Μέχρι πρότινος ο μοναχός αυτός εβίωνε τον μοναχισμόν εις την Ιερά Μονή Βατοπεδίου στο Άγιο Όρος. Ως Επίσκοπος νέου ιεραποστολικού αγρού έχω την ύψιστη Χάρη από τον Θεόν και την Εκκλησίαν Του να εκπροσωπώ την Ορθοδοξίαν μας σε χώρες κατά πλείονα λόγον ρωμαιοκαθολικές.

 Και μέσα στα τελευταία έντεκα χρόνια αφότου ανέλαβα τα καθήκοντα του Επισκόπου σε αυτόν τον Ιεραποστολικό χώρο, μου χάρισε ο Θεός πολλές και ευλογημένες, συνταρακτικές εμπειρίες χειροτονίας νέων κληρικών.

ΟΛΟΙ ΠΡΩΗΝ ΡΩΜΑΙΟΚΑΘΟΛΙΚΟΙ ΚΑΙ ΠΡΟΤΕΣΤΑΝΤΕΣ, οι οποίοι με χαρά και προσμονή αγκάλιασαν την Ορθοδοξία, ως τη μόνη που μπορεί να επουλώσει τον πόνο να θεραπεύσει τα ελλείποντα και να δώσει την σωτηρία της ψυχής.

Στη περίπτωση αυτή αναφέρομαι στον άρτι χειροτονηθέντα μοναχό Σίλα. Γεννήθηκε και μεγάλωσε στη Κόστα Ρίκα, βαπτισθείς στον ρωμαιοκαθολικισμό. Άνθρωπος των γραμμάτων έλαβε τέσσερα πανεπιστημιακά πτυχία, της Θεολογίας, της Φιλοσοφίας, του Αρχιτέκτονος και του Πολιτικού Μηχανικού. Μορφωμένος και φιλομαθής, όπως ήταν, τον έστειλαν οι ρωμαιοκαθολικοί στη Ρώμη για να ολοκληρώσει τις θεολογικές σπουδές του προκειμένου να αναλάβει στη Κόστα Ρίκα σημαντική θέση στον ακαδημαϊκό χώρο του ρωμαιοκαθολικισμού.

Να, όμως που άλλα ο Θεός κελεύει. Μέσα στην αναζήτηση της αλήθειας και την μελέτη του,άρχισε να γνωρίζει καλύτερα τα κείμενα των Αγίων Πατέρων της Ορθοδόξου Ανατολής. Τον απασχολούσε πολύ η προσωπική επαφή του με τον Θεό. Τον ενδιέφερε να γνωρίσει καλύτερα τον τρόπο ζωής και γνωριμίας με το Θείον. Στην Χριστιανική Δϋση του έλειπε η εμπειρία αυτή. Κάπου, σε ένα από τα κείμενα διάβασε την προσευχή της καρδιάς :  Κύριε, Ιησού Χριστέ, Υιέ του Θεού, ελέησόν με τον αμαρτωλό. Και άρχισε να χρησιμοποιεί  στις κατ' ιδίαν προσευχές του.Όπως ομολογεί και ο ίδιος, η προσευχή αυτή  τον γέμιζε. Αισθανόταν ότι ουδέποτε άλλοτε εις τη ζωή του ησθάνθη. Έσπευσε στον     " πνευματικό" του, ρωμαιοκαθολικό ιερέα, και του ενεπιστεύθη αυτή τη νέα εμπειρία. Με χαρά του ανέφερε ότι με την προσευχή αυτή ένοιωθε πιο κοντά στο Θεό. Να,όμως, που άλλα πρέσβευε ο ρωμαιοκαθολικός " πνευματικός "  του. Αντί να τον ενθαρρύνει, προσπάθησε να τον αποθαρρύνει. "  Δεν χρειάζεται αυτού του είδους τις προσευχές. Ήλθες στη Ρώμη να εμπλουτίσεις τις γνώσεις σου". Ούτε λίγο ούτε πολύ του συνέστησε να επιδοθεί στα μαθήματά του και να μην ασχολείται με θέματα που δεν θα τον βοηθούσαν στην ακαδημαϊκή του καριέρα.

Ο τότε ρωμαιοκαθολικός μοναχός, όμως,με το όνομα Γουάν Ραμόν, ήθελε να ζήσει μια πνευματικότερη ζωή. Όσο περνούσε ο καιρός δεν ανεπαύετο με τον δρόμο που είχε διαλέξει. Ζητούσε να γνωρίσει τον Μοναχισμόν της Ανατολής. Όσο μελετούσε τους Πατέρες της Ανατολής, οσο προσευχόταν την προσευχή της καρδιάς, άλλο τόσο δεν αναπαύονταν με τη ζωή που είχε μπροστά του.

Ήταν τυχερός. Τον είχε διαλέξει ο ρωμαιοκαθολικισμός να σπουδάσει στο κέντρο της εκκλησίας του, στη Ρώμη. Πόσοι δεν θα τον ζήλευαν! Ποιος είναι εκείνος που δεν θα ήθελε την ευκαιρία να σπουδάσει στη Ρώμη ;

Ο μοναχός, όμως εκείνος δεν αναπαύονταν. Ανικανοποίητος από τη ζωή που ζουσε, άρχισε να αναζητά ολοένα και περισσότερο την Ορθόδοξη Ανατολή. Και έτσι μια μέρα, αποφασισμένος να γνωρίσει καλύτερα τον Θεό, και πιστεύοντας ότι τούτο θα επιτυγχάνονταν ΜΟΝΟ ΜΕΣΑ ΣΤΗΝ ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΙΑ, κυριολεκτικά τα παράτησε και γύρισε στη Κόστα Ρίκα.

ΕΚΕΙ ΑΡΧΙΣΕ ΝΑ ΨΑΧΝΕΙ ΜΕΣΑ ΣΤΙΣ ΒΙΒΛΟΘΗΚΕΣ ΚΑΙ ΣΤΟ ΔΙΑΔΙΚΤΥΟ ΟΤΙ ΜΠΟΡΟΥΣΕ ΝΑ ΒΡΕΙ ΓΙΑ ΤΗΝ ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΗ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑ ΜΑΣ. Τελικα έμαθε πως  στη Κεντρική Αμερική το Οικουμενικό Πατριαρχείο είχε ιδρύσει νέα Ιερά Μητρόπολη. Ψάχνοντας, βρήκε το τηλέφωνο της Μητρόπολης και ζήτηση να μου μιλήσει. Δια τηλεφώνου μου ανέφερε την αγωνία του και την επιθυμία του να γνωρίσει την Ορθοδοξία.Όπως σε παρόμοιες περιπτώσεις,τον παρακάλεσα να έρθει στο Μεξικό να τον γνωρίσω. Ήθελα να τον γνωρίσω για να μάθω κατά πόσο ήταν σοβαρός άνθρωπος και κατά πόσο ήταν ειλικρινής στα όσα μου ανάφερε. Για μερικούς μήνες μετά δεν άκουσα τίποτα. Μέσα μου ενόμιζα ότι δεν ήταν σοβαρός.Τον είχα σχεδόν ξεχάσει. Αλλά τηλεφώνησε μια μέρα και με ρώτησε πότε θα μπορούσε να με επισκεφτεί και ορίσαμε ημερομηνία.

Όταν έφτασε, είχε μαζί του μια βαλίτσα. Τον ρώτησα : " Πόσο καιρό θα μπορέσεις να μείνεις μαζί μας ; "  Και τι μου απάντησε ;  " Σεβασμιώτατε, εγώ παραιτήθηκα από την εργασία μου, αποχαιρέτησα τους γονείς και τους φίλους μου και ήλθα να θέσω τον εαυτόν μου και το μέλλον μου στα χέρια και την κρίση σας. ΔΕΝ ΦΕΥΓΩ ! " , μου είπε. Να σημειωθεί οτι ο άνθρωπος αυτός δεν ήταν από πλούσια οικογένεια. Παρά τη μόρφωση και τα πτυχία του, ο μισθός του στη Κόστα Ρίκα ήταν πενιχρός. Όπως μου εξήγησε κατόπιν, άργησε να μου τηλεφωνήσει, γιατί έπρεπε να τακτοποιήσει κάποια χρέη και να συλλέξει το χρηματικό ποσό που ήταν απαραίτητο για να ταξιδέψει από την Κόστα Ρίκα στο Μεξικό. Και εφ' όσον δεν είχε τα χρήματα να έλθει αεροπορικώς, ταξίδευσε με λεωφορείο και χρειάστηκε 4 μέρες για να έλθει από την πόλη του στο Μεξικό.

Όσο περνούσε ο καιρός αντιλήφθηκα ότι είχα μπροστά μου ένα διαμάντι. Ένα άνθρωπο με βαθιά πίστη και αφοσίωση στο Θεό. Ο ίδιος μου ζήτησε να γίνει άγαμος κληρικός και , εφόσον ετοιμαστεί καταλλήλως, να τον στείλω πίσω στη χώρα του να εργαστεί ιεραποστολικά προσφέροντας την ευκαιρία σε όσους θέλουν να γνωρίσουν την Ορθοδοξία. Όπως, λοιπόν, και σε άλλες παρόμοιες περιπτώσεις, αποφάσισα να τον στείλω στην Ελλάδα για να βιώσει σε ένα Μοναστήρι την Ορθόδοξη πνευματικότητα και να ετοιμαστεί κατάλληλα για το δρόμο που επιθυμούσε.

Και ήλθε το πλήρωμα του χρόνου. Καρείς μοναχός στο Άγιο Όρος και λαβών το όνομα Σίλας, πριν ένα μήνα χειροτονήθηκε διάκονος στο Ναό Αγίου Ελευθερίου Σταυρούπολης. Συγκινημένος έθεσε τον εαυτό του στην υπηρεσία της Εκκλησίας και τη διάθεση του Μητροπολίτη του... Επιστρέφει τώρα στη χώρα του με την ελπίδα ότι θα τον βοηθήσουμε για την ανέγερση της πρώτης Ορθόδοξης Εκκλησία στη Κόστα Ρίκα. Ο νέος αυτός Ορθόδοξος Ιεραπόστολος και η καινούρια αυτή Ορθόδοξη Ιεραποστολή χρειάζονται τη βοήθειά μας...

Ο Μεξικού Αθηναγόρας

Φέτος, λοιπόν, με την χάρη του Θεού, αρχίζει η Ορθόδοξη Ιεραποστολή στη Κόστα Ρίκα. Καλούμαστε να ενισχύσουμε με τις προσευχές τη νέα αυτή προσπάθεια, την οποία οδηγεί το χέρι του Θεού. Καλούμαστε να βοηθήσουμε τον Ορθόδοξο Ιεραπόστολο της Κόστα Ρίκα π. Σίλα με προσευχές και με το υστέρημά μας. Παντού σε όλο το κόσμο, το Άγιο Πνεύμα οδηγεί ανθρώπους στην Ορθοδοξία , χωρίς να υπάρχουν Ιεραπόστολοι! Οι Ορθόδοξοι Ιεραπόστολοι, χωρίς μέσα ( εκδοτικά, ραδιοτηλεοπτικά, οικονομικά ) οδηγούν τους ανθρώπους στην Εκκλησία  του Χριστού. Ας κάνουμε το χρέος και ο Θεός θα ευλογήσει και θα αυξήσει...

Όσοι επιθυμούν να στηρίξουν οικονομικά το έργο της Εξωτερικής Ιεραποστολής στη Κόστα Ρίκα μπορούν να καταθέσουν τη βοήθειά τους σε έναν από τους παρακάτω τραπεζικούς λογαριασμούς του Ιεραποστολικού Συνδέσμου Άγιος Κοσμάς Αιτωλός Θεσσαλονίκης, Λαγκαδά 190, Σταυρούπολη Θεσσαλονίκης.

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Artistas se unieron por María José

Sábado y domingo: Más de 10 artistas estuvieron en el Paseo de las Flores para recolectar dinero y apoyar a finalista en Latin American Idol

El fin de semana, la herediana María José Castillo capturó , otra vez, la atención de los costarricenses.

Esta vez no fue con sus presentaciones, sino con las de más de 10 artistas costarricenses que se reunieron en el Paseo de las Flores para recolectar dinero y así poder enviar la mayor cantidad de mensajes de texto al 43657. ¿El objetivo? Que María José se convierta en la nueva ídolo latinoamericana.

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El sábado, José Luis Castillo y María Eugenia Gutiérrez, papás de María José, así como unos 18 familiares más corrieron para atender a las personas que se acercaban a dar su aporte, saludarlos y alabar el talento de la participante tica en el reality Latin American Idol .

Los padres de la joven dijeron estar sorprendidos y agradecidos por el apoyo que la gente y algunas empresas le han brindado a su hija. La locura por María José es tanta que un grupo de chicas ya trabaja para crear un club de fans.

La actividad ayer empezó a las 3 p. m. y contó con la animación de dos locutores de Los 40 Principales: Vicky y Tavo .

Danny Solís fue el primero de los artistas en subir al improvisado escenario y empezar a motivar a la gente. Entre los presentes había niños, adolescentes, adultos y personas de la tercera edad, aunque a esa hora no había tanta gente.

Luego se acercaron a cantar los integrantes de En Voz de 2 (Alfredo Flores y Yeison Carvajal) y Marco Navarro, quien se ganó la simpatía del público.

Alrededor de las 4:45 p. m., el humor de La Banda Pili llegó para animar al ya numeroso público y fue el preámbulo para escuchar cantar a Cristina Gutiérrez, tía de María.

Escats estuvo a cargo del cierre de presentaciones de ese día. Mientras los artistas hicieron lo suyo, las alcancías se llenaron con monedas y hasta billetes de ¢10.000.

Una revista Perfil con María en la portada por ¢1.000 (dos votos) o camisa de apoyo a María por ¢4.000 fueron algunas de las “promociones” que ofrecían los animadores de la actividad y los familiares de la joven para recaudar dinero.

El despliegue artístico a favor de María José continuó ayer con las presentaciones de Cristina Gutiérrez, María Marta López, Kika Pol, Nel López, Marco Navarro, LuisGa y Marta y Los del Barrio.

Caravana. Las actividades para apoyar a María José se extenderán hasta el próximo jueves. De hecho, hoy arrancará la caravana Un millón de votos por María José .

Esta saldrá a las 12:30 p. m. del Grupo Q en La Uruca y seguirá la siguiente ruta: Teletica (1 p. m.), Repretel (1:30 p. m.), Pavas y Rohrmoser (2 p. m.), Hipermás Escazú (4 p. m.), Autopits Escazú (5 p. m.) y Autopits Santa Ana (6:30 p. m), informó José Luis Castillo.

El martes, la ruta será: Grupo Q (7 a. m.), Los 40 Principales (8 a. m.), Autipits San Pedro (10 a. m. ), UCR (12 m.), La Nación (2 p. m.), La República (3 p. m.), Más x Menos Tibás (3:30 p. m. ), Hipermás San Sebastián (5 p. m.).

Esta caravana continuará el miércoles y el jueves.

Fuente | Nacion.com

Caminar entre las extensas plantaciones de cafetos, involucrarse con comunidades que viven de esa actividad, así como conocer los beneficios del aromático y disfrutar de un ambiente campirano, son sólo algunos de los atractivos que ofrecen las distintas rutas del café en América.

Hoy, Guatemala, Costa Rica y Colombia, cuentan con rutas dedicadas al aromático, que incluyen visitas guíadas a fincas, recorridos por cultivos y algunas hasta una cata de un buen café.

Guatemala

Considerado el terecer país productor de café del mundo tiene dos zonas que reciben a los turistas que buscan conocer el mundo del aromático.

Se trata de Sololá, donde se encuentra la cooperativa Voz que Clama en el Desierto y la Asociación Unidos para Vivir Mejor.

Voz que Clama en el Desierto es un lugar en que los viajeros conviven con comunidades de la etnia Tzutuhil. Además de admirar los plantíos y el beneficio del grano, hay senderos de interpretación de la naturaleza y sitios para disfrutar vistas panorámicas del lago Atitlán.

La Asociación Unidos para Vivir Mejor se ubica en Santa Clara de La Laguna, lo interesante de este sitio es que se trata de una cooperativa de indígenas K’ichés. Como valor agregado a los tours por los cafetales ofrecen artesanías de la región.

Además según los guías de estas fincas, no hay turista que después de recorrerlas tome una taza de café sin antes disfrutarla al máximo, pues su sabor y aroma le recordarán la experiencia de haber estado donde nace y crece esa planta con propiedades estimulantes.

Costa Rica

En este país hay dos rutas para conocer a detalle el proceso de elaboración del grano. En la provincia de Alajuela esta Doka Estate un complejo turístico privado que ofrece al visitante la posibilidad de admirar las plantaciones y el proceso de café. La familia Vargas realiza una visita a la plantación se puede apreciar la siembra, la forma natural en que se recolecta y como diversos se conjugan para producir un café de buena calidad.

En Mercedes Norte, en la provincia de Heredia, está la compañía cafetalera Café Britt, ofrece tours para aquellos viajeros interesados en la producción e historia del café en Costa Rica.
El recorrido incluye un paseo por los cafetales, la visita a la planta tostadora, un pequeño teatro, una cata y el restaurante Don Próspero, cuya especialidad son las fantasías de cáfe y un menú de comida costarricense a base de productos orgánicos.

Los turistas son guiados por expertos en temas cafetaleros, que a su vez son actores profesionales, convirtiendo el tour en un espctáculo educativo sobre el café y algunas de ls tradiciones costarricenses, relacionadas con el cultivo del grano.

Colombia

El Eje Cafetero de Colombi está conformado por los departamentos de Caldas, Risaralda y Quindío, localizado al este de Bogotá.

Uno de los atratactivos de esta ruta es el Parque del Café, ubicado en el municipio de Montenegro, en el departamento del Quindío, a 25 km de Armenia.

Paso a paso, los visitantes conoen de cerca ls beneficios del café, las variedades tanto nacionales como internacionales, de flora nativa de la región.

Cuenta, además, con un museo del café, sendero ecológico, un área boscosa donde hay un teleférico, montaña rusa y una estación del tren.

Tamariendo wasn't anything super fabulous. I went there about 2 weeks ago. A lot of people sold drugs there, and I got offered too many times. However, inside my group I had fun and I did enjoy the place overall. It was a nice beach and nice hotels to stay at very close to the beach. However, it was very similar to Manuel Antonio.

(friends at the beach of Tamariendo

Panama I went to last weekend. The destination was Bocas del Turo. That was amazing and I highly suggest anyone go there if they can. In fact, I wish I would have taken classes here. Not that I don't enjoy Costa Rica. However, It was so sunny and pleasant there, it was hard to return. In the end though, Costa Rica is another home and always will have some familiarity attatched to it. I was able to do snorkeling in the caribean waters, see dolphins, and go to the red frog beach there. Everything was a lot cheaper to buy there too than in Costa Rica. Additionally, they accepted  American dollars too! In all, a very relaxing vacation and makes me want to see Nicaragua as well! After the first class of Spanish: basic 2 was over. Now, I'm in Intermediate Spanish 1, with 2 the next month.

(Danielle and Me at Costa Rica to Panama Crossing, the bridge was pretty dangerous)

The first week of classes were amazing. I signed up for an ecological photography class that combines ecology, photography, and adobe photoshop into one nice class. We are going to take pictures and use photoshop to enhance or change our images. Along with this, we will learn more about the environment and have 2 field trips for taking pictures. On the Spanish side, I have an easier to understand professor who isn't rushing through class as fast as my last. I love them both, but atleast I feel more comfortable this time around and it helps my development in spanish.

To this weekend, I went to Arenal and Monte Verde. Arenal was special because of its volcano that is currently active. It's crazy to see in person. When you are in the nearby town or Arenal, you have to tilt your head quite a bit just to see it through the clouds (if you can see it). We were able to swim in the hot springs of the waters of Arenal that are heated by the volcano. On the bad side of this, it was pouring rain while we did. Nonetheless, it was fun and we had a nice dinner afterward. The next day we left for a waterfall fortuna in Costa Rica. This was a huge waterfall, and I felt like I was actually experiencing an authentic, costa rican, tropical environment. Most people swum in the pool around it, however, I took a lot of pictures and just admired the beauty. Later we went to Monte Verde.

On our trip to Monte Verde, we all took a "Jeep-Boat-Jeep" tour to the location. In this journey, we were able to see the vast, hilly countryside of Costa Rica with all tropical places adorning the remoteness. It was serene, and very relaxing. Upon our arrival across the lake. We took jeeps on a pretty treacherous incline on gravel roads. However, it was all part of the adventure. When arriving, we were able to see a place that looked like the Zakopane mountains in Poland with a much more misty atmosphere. We spent most of that night hanging out and talking and eating later at a nice "tree house" restaurant. The next day we were able to do some ziplinning across some of Monte Verde's finest scenery. I couldn't believe the lush, emerald country we witnessed while zipping across vast valleys. Not to mention, being able to do a Tarzan swing that was really funny to see peoples' reaction to when you drop first before swinging. In all, it was a great trip. The trip was well worth the expense for the amount of traveling, eating, and accommodating. Now, I have to work more on future plans post-Costa Rica even though it is far away. Not to mention, I need to transfer my new photos and get some sleep! Night, and thanks for waiting for the update! Lastly, I have Taekwondo tomorrow and Soccer. I hope to get a Taekwondo belt before I leave as well! I think this could become a reality too! I absolutely love it. Night all.

With love.

Here's some pictures:

(Costa Rican country-side)

(Waterfall Fortuna)

(Our Hotel in Monte Verde)

From my book..."07/12- (Day 193) At San Juan del Sur. 6 AM temperature was 79 degrees. Bud looked into and decided to take a Spanish Class. It is for five days, four hours a day, with one-on-one instruction, for only $95. (He really needed it! J) Because of Bud's school, we have decided to stay through next weekend and not depart until next Monday, July 19th. While he was in school, I did all sorts of odds and ends/routine maintenance. In addition, I went to an internet place and wrote a scorching e-mail to the Costa Rica Tourist Commission about the way I was treated at the border crossing last week. I requested they transmit a copy to both the President of Costa Rica and the Minister of Tourism. It will be interesting to see what kind of a response I get, if any at all. It was a glorious day, cloudy with a light breeze, a HIGH of ONLY 81 degrees and ONLY 81% humidity. It may be one of the most comfortable days of the whole trip! It was so WONDERFUL to have some relief from the constant 95-105 degrees (those are in-the-shade degrees!) and 95-100% humidity! Most of the time the heat and humidity make me so lethargic that I have no ambition to do anything that resembles work. All part of the cultural experience! A delightful happy two hours at Ricardo's Bar, with a great sunset. It's off-season right now and there are not a lot of people here, but those who are here are from countries all over the world. It's kind of neat to meet fellow travelers, most of who are most intrigued by our journey."

Note...San Juan del Sur is a surfing beach and maybe the most popular tourist destination in Nicaragua. We saw fewer tourists in Nicaragua than any of the other seven countries we visited. We liked it so much, we spent 10 days here. Nicaragua rates as my most favorite country of the entire trip. Pretty scenery, friendly people and inexpensive!

All material Copyright - Jim Jaillet 2008
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://www.panamaorbust.com

Ya tenemos amigos nuevos, y esta vez no son extranjeros, son de aqui, "ticos". La primera noche cenamos en una pizzeria, donde Oscar, uno de los dueños, se sento con nosotros, y al final pasamos toda la noche hablando sin parar. A la mañana siguiente nos llevo a visitar un sitio que no aparece en las guias, una ruta que al final se escala un arbol de mas de 30 metros por su interior, ya que esta hueco y es como una escalera natural, ¡las vistas son indescriptibles! y el sitio un pasada.

Aqui en Monteverde hay mil cosas que hacer, y estamos en ello. Hemos visitado la Reserva Bosque Nuboso Monteverde, que es un bosque espectacular, con rios y cascadas, el mas visitado de Costa Rica. Tambien hicimos una ruta nocturna con guia buscando animales e insectos, y otra diurna por puentes colgantes, que vas por las copas de los arboles, ademas de un canopy impresionante, rapel, tarzan, que es parecido al puenting pero mas pequeño, y en vez de subir y bajar, te balanceas, ¡casi nos cagamos!

La pizzeria es nuestro punto de reunion, es un sitio donde siempre tienes a alguien con quien hablar y pasar un buen rato, es casi una comuna. No son amigos, son casi hermanos, y eso se nota en el ambiente. Anoche sin ir mas lejos, despues de cerrar, nos quedamos dentro todos, y bueno, creo que no existen palabras suficientes para describir como lo pasamos, casi nos morimos de la risa. Fue superautentico, o como dicen por aqui, "PURA VIDA"!

This was a big day at our church in Cot as well.  They had an extra long Sunday School service for the kids.  The Sunday school teacher and some older children dressed up clowns do a play for the kids.  It was about a clown that was trying to get to heaven.  The clown tried all kinds of funny things to try to fly to heaven.  He learned that the only way to heaven was to ask Jesus to clean your heart and accept Him as your Saviour.  He had to learn that it was by grace that he could go to heaven and not by his works and good efforts.  He went from having a black heart to a nice clean white heart.  The kids loved it.  And afterwards the kids got hot-dogs for lunch and cake!  It was quite a surprise for us.  We did not realize that the celebrations were such a big deal.  It was a lot of fun.  At the end of the worship service Francisco called all of the kids to the front of the church and each of the kids got a package of toys.  The girls got plastic bracelets and jewelry and the boys got toy trucks and bubbles!  It was such a neat day.  The kids had such a great time.  The small gifts were so special to them.  It reminded me of these words of Christ in Matthew 7:11"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him! "  God is so good, all the time.  Times are tough and confusing for some right now.  However, the Lord is still there and still giving us all more than we deserve in His continual grace.  We must not loose sight that the Lord is always the same and is always doing what is best for His glory.  He celebrates and rejoices in His children when they turn to Him and rely on Him for their needs, when they reflect His light and fruit of His Spirit.

Here are some pictures from the day that we celebrated our kids at church in Cot...

Things continue to go well overall too!  My family continues to surprise me by just how caring and hilarious they are.  We could be having a kinda serious conversation about politics or famliy and then Beti will burst out with this funny story about the time this or that happened to her.  She will look at Preti for a reaction and he will chime in with an ever-so-slightly inappropriate comment that will make Beti huff "Oye, Preti!" and give him a little smack on the arm.  But that is when he turns to me and I can't help but complement his chuckle with a gringa giggle.  They are good people. 

Okay, I have to get to work now.  Les quiero, mucho!  I love you all lots!

~~Libstar