Owner: Nomadic Narrative URL:www.nomadicnarrative.com Join Date: Mon, 19 May 2008 10:05:32 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: Spontaneous narratives highlighting slow and responsible travel for contemporary nomadic women. Site statistics:Click here
Tourism et cetera 2008-06-01 21:03:00 Until tropical storm “Alma” hit a few days ago, I had planned on spending the weekend on a rural community tour. As a side-note, Alma is the first tropical storm ever to originate in Costa Rica’s Pacific waters…global warming? The storm brought heavy rains for three days flooding many areas of the country and causing landslides which blocked roads such as the Interamericana highway, which Read more:Tourism
Community-based rural tourism 2008-06-01 20:29:00 When people mention Costa Rica, you hear words like ecotourism, sustainability and now geotourism. Traveling around the country, these terms become muddled as you wonder if dangling from a zip-line as you shoot over the treetops is really eco-friendly, or at all part of sustainable development. With that said, there is a new type of tourism developing here that does seem to fit the above definitio
Hairdresser Hell 2008-06-03 21:37:00 Going to the hairdresser can either be like going to a massage therapist, or a dentist. Sometimes sitting in that black leather chair is the most relaxing thing in the world. At other times, I clench the arm rests obsessing about how much hair they might be cutting. Unless you’ve been going to the same hairdresser for many years, you always wonder how clearly you’re communicating your ideas.
Pill pushers 2008-06-06 18:52:00 In just a three-block radius from my house, there are about a half dozen pharmacies. This is not just my neighborhood. Pharmacies dot the entire country of Costa Rica. Interestingly, prices vary greatly from place to place. In my area, the fancy Fischel Pharmacy charges up to 50 percent more for the same product that can be found at the pharmacy that is part of the gas station. What I might be spe
Holy Pothole 2008-06-07 17:11:00 Costa Ricans are well-known for their positive outlook. In a sea of cynicism, this is refreshing. The criticism is that this attitude sometimes leads to putting up with the absurd. A friend the other day told me about a comedy skit they saw on TV recently. A family was driving down the road when their car fell into a pothole. Trapped inside, the family decided that they would just make the best of
Holy Pothole (part 2) 2008-06-10 12:04:00 For those who might have thought I was exaggerating about the potholes in the capital city of San José, Costa Rica, check out the screenshot below taken from today's Diario La República newspaper. Holy potholeS!The paper says it visited seven neighborhoods around the city. The paper also says it contacted the government agency responsible, but didn't get a call back.
Chastity belts and grillz 2008-06-11 19:15:00 Some people think it’s boring to go to museums. While some museums have certainly left me yawning, I love it when I find something that makes me hunch over and squint into the glass case. I have a vivid memory of this happening when I visited a museum just outside of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Strolling through the dusty exhibit, a silver tube topped by what looked like a sea urchin caught my eye. Read more:grillz
Watching lava flow from Arenal Volcano 2008-06-17 12:06:00 I’m not much of a thrill seeker. I won’t go sky diving or bungee jumping. Coming from someone who has done things like spend three days on a cargo boat traveling from the Riau Archipelago, across the Strait of Malacca and up the Siak River to Sumatra, Indonesia, believe it or not, I tend to think that the risk outweighs the fun. When it comes to travel, I love adventure, but at the same time Read more:Watching
, Volcano
Bug bites bug 2008-06-24 23:53:00 A few months ago, someone asked me if there were a lot of bugs in Costa Rica. I half-jokingly said that I fought bugs, in particular mosquitoes, more in the capital city of San José than anywhere else in the country (read previous post). Since living here, I’ve also told people how I haven’t had any of the usual allergy inconveniences that I’d get in southern California. As I sit here nur Read more:bites
Driving in Costa Rica 2008-06-19 18:20:00 All I can say is that I’m glad I made it through the weekend with my new friendship intact. Except for meeting two, cute professional snowboarders at the Dollar rental agency in the San José airport, everything else related to the car was not off to a shining start. When the car rental agents finally showed up, we were shuttled to a nearby location with a family of Germans carrying about ten Read more:Driving
, Costa Rica
And then, there were friends 2008-07-11 18:43:00 After several weeks of planning, my friend was finally scheduled to arrive. I woke up at the crack of dawn to catch a bus from San José to Liberia—a 4 ½ hour trip. From Liberia, I caught another bus a few blocks away to the airport (which I recently learned was a former airstrip created by Ollie North in his battle against the Contras). Now it’s an international airport described in many gui
Private security guards in Costa Rica whistle while they work 2008-07-06 16:08:00 To make up for the lack of police presence in the country, many neighborhood streets pay private security
guards to patrol. The security service comes complete with a small kiosk. Unequipped and untrained, these guards find creative ways to feign effectiveness. The other day, we received a letter from the company that provides this private security. The owner vehemently denied accusations that on Read more:Costa Rica
, Private
Have car, got taxi 2008-07-04 23:55:00 I arrived at the Pullmitan bus station pretty late the other night. I usually don’t like to arrive back in the city after dark, but sometimes it can’t be avoided. The Pullmitan station is where buses leave to and from San José and Liberia. Depending on which area of the country you are travelling, there is a different bus terminal. These mini-terminals can be found in every nook and cranny of
Thinking outside of the box 2008-07-01 21:58:00 Since the swelling has gone down, it’s been a busy couple of weeks. I feel like I’ve been on a bus more than in my bed. After a whirlwind trip with my travel buddy, Diane, around the La Fortuna area of Costa Rica, I returned to explore some interesting findings. Just outside of the more touristy area of La Fortuna, there is a monstrous sustainability project called Rancho Margot. This place
The search for inner harmony and peace 2008-07-29 22:07:00 On a whirlwind tour of Costa Rica with my visiting friend, we’ve done a variety of activities from sitting through a mediation “attunement” class to zip lining across the rainforest canopy. In between, we’ve made the most spectacular discovery. I know, you’re waiting for something transcendental. And, in many ways it is, and can be moving forward. We have discovered the “PASSION FRUIT
Tracey and Beverly’s top 10 do's and don'ts in Monteverde and Santa Elena, Costa Rica 2008-07-24 20:47:00 1Do tour the Monteverde Cloud Forest with an unofficial local guide (non-green coat) and get the whole scoop. Don’t tour the Monteverde Cheese Factory with the guide with all of the bling in his ear and a Wisconsin accent. Also, cheese lovers beware: you will curdle at seeing whey scooped out of vats and added to plastic, trash-like cans.2 Do drink the TreeHouse mojito, the most delicious rum Read more:Tracey
, Beverly
, Santa
, Elena
, Costa Rica
The art of relaxing on the road 2008-07-20 22:50:00 I’m sitting here more than relaxed sipping what is my first non-chilled glass of wine. I just took two dips off of the Nosara coast in shore-breaking surf that sweeps you 50 meters north by the time you dive under your first wave. Sitting on the beach, the sky opened up just enough to show a sliver of blue sky on the horizon. The caramel sand displays massive driftwood sculptures, some from th Read more:relaxing
Olive ridley sea turtle politics 2008-07-18 18:30:00 After a bus ride that parted herds of cattle and a 4-wheel drive taxi trip that crossed two, door-level rivers, we made it in time for the first arribada of the year at Playa Ostional. The arribadas mark a special time of the year between the months of July and November, during the last quarter of the moon, when the olive ridley sea turtle
swims ashore to nest. The olive ridley is the smallest spe Read more:Olive
, politics
And then, there were friends (part 2) 2008-07-17 18:47:00 “Hey Bev, is this the part where I rough it in Costa Rica?” Making our way from Playa del Coco to Tamarindo to Samara, we found ourselves in some rather comfortable accommodations—triple-digit thread counts, that is. While we sat poolside in Samara the other day, we discussed stepping it down a notch and staying in some more budget traveler haunts. We wanted a place with character that cou
Pedicures and prostitutes 2008-08-13 22:19:00 I had the best pedicure ever at the beauty salon just up the street from my house last month. I relaxed in a Zen-like environment in a fluffy chair while soaking my feet in a wooden basin. I like this so much more than the jet saunas which are hard to keep clean. I also got a cacao exfoliating and hydrating treatment which left my feet as soft as butter. When I came home that day with pampered re
Forget milk! Got gas? 2008-08-12 20:59:00 Prices keep rising in Costa Rica. Inflation is at 14%. I looked back at a previous post to see exactly how much some of my favorite items have gone up. I was surprised. Considering higher gas prices, I was surprised to see that the Concha y Toro wine I mentioned before (read previous post) has actually gone down in price from 3300 colones to 3220. It’s just a tiny decrease, but a decrease none
Musical buses 2008-08-10 18:32:00 Back in 1992, after three days of crossing the Riau Archipelago and the Strait of Malacca and then up the Siak River to Pekanbaru, I wanted off that rickety, two-story wooden boat smuggling rice and electronics! Once on land, I hopped onto a public bus and headed to Bukittinggi. What I remember more than anything about that first bus ride was the music blasting as we sped down the road. I was al Read more:Musical
Changuinola or Almirante 2008-08-06 23:33:00 For the adventuresome, the best way to get to Bocas del Toro, Panama is by bus, and then by boat. If you’re coming from Costa Rica, you’ll cross at Sixaola, a tiny border town separated from Panama by a wide, milk chocolate brown river. The best part of this crossing is finding your steps as you cross a 100 year old bridge. Long planks lay on top of what were once railroad tracks. Nowadays, gi
The search for inner harmony and peace (part 2) 2008-08-05 21:41:00 You can eat your way to enlightenment, can’t you?It’s been a non-stop journey across Costa Rica and Panama after the perfect passion fruit inspired recipe. Needless to say, I’ve been a little distracted. We have eaten salads topped with the juice and the seeds of this tangy fruit. We have eaten cheesecake covered with a jello-like version. Finally, it was in Bocas del Toro, Panama where
The art of traveling dazed and confused 2008-09-02 21:25:00 A nomadic friend who has been on the move for over a year emailed that he is suffering from "long-term travel disorientation." This often sets in when you're traveling from place to place never really having to be anywhere. I know it. I hate it. I love it.What can be so great about being lost in time and space is that you can't help but focus on the present. This is such a refreshing feeling compa Read more:confused
Comforting chaos 2008-08-28 17:37:00 It all started when I realized I was wearing my house slippers as I was jumping into a taxi on my way to work. I ran back into the house, put on appropriate footwear, and left without grabbing my umbrella, after all that. (read previous post)I always tell the taxi driver that I want to go via the carretera when they ask the route I’d like to take. Most taxi drivers take me exactly as I explain.
Health tips for nomadic women 2008-08-27 21:28:00 Well, the last post was a little TMI, I admit. On a more serious note, it's extremely important for nomadic women to stay healthy. If you're traveling solo, staying fit not only means staying on your toes, but it also means being able to fully engage with your surroundings.More than just worrying about bug bites, what is often most exhausting is the fact that routine doesn't easily set in when you Read more:Health
Itchy boobs 2008-08-26 10:41:00 These insidious mosquitoes show no mercy. I’ve been bit on my butt, between my toes, on the bottom of my foot—the only place I failed to coat with repellent—as close to my eye as an insect could get, and now, my left breast. In general, it’s hard to discreetly itch. When you do, people always want to offer you Benadryl or something. What now, would you like some Benadryl for you boob? Read Read more:Itchy
Don’t leave home without it! 2008-08-26 10:14:00 It’s so warm out today. Until about noon, it was summer hot yesterday, too. Yesterday was the first time in a while that I broke what is a steadfast rule here in Costa Rica—do not leave home without an umbrella. I opened the door, looked into the clear blue sky and thought—today, I’m gonna risk it! In a dress, flat shoes and the one thing I rarely leave the house without, sunglasses, I
Chewing on sustainability 2008-08-21 19:58:00 Two letters to the editor in this week’s Tico Times refer to the section I write for called “Exploring Costa Rica.” One letter gives praise to the Borucan women’s artisan group and to my story about how they are looking to tourism to rescue their fading culture. Yes! The other letter argues that there is “nothing eco-friendly about beef and shrimp.” I’ve written two of the last thr Read more:Chewing
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