Sharon's Souvenirs

Monday, January 17, 2022

Janu-Rica: Part 2

Day 10

Dominicalito beach.

Day 11

Toucans like to feed and groom each other.

Day 12

Certain Dark Things from my favorite author: Silvia Moreno Garcia.

Day 13

Day 14

Our favorite dive bar: Jolly Rodger. We always get the Suyo pizza.

Day 15

A nest of seashells.

Day 16

The soundtrack is on repeat, with cicadas and toucans chirping constantly in the hills. Sporadically, howler monkeys gargle like a mouthwash commercial, and Oropendolas emit a zippy-giggling sound, as they dip on tree branches in a gymnastic mating display. Blue Morpho butterflies float through the air, and it isn't hard to imagine that you are staring in a James Cameron sequel to Avatar.

Waves crash on the shore.

We crash at our favorite jungle cabana.

Monday, January 10, 2022

Janu-Rica

Day 1

Marvelous Miami from mid-air. Do you see the container ship arriving to port?

Day 2

Day 3

This wasp is 2-3 inches long. The biggest I've ever seen.

Day 4

Mr. Chestnut.

Day 5

Aracari.

Day 6

A salamander we discovered under a chaise cushion.

Day 7

Every night, a Jesus Christ lizard skims the surface of our little pool, hunting.

Day 8

Day 9

Afternoon drives are spent chasing waterfalls, the ones that pour down the mountain along the highway, almost hidden inside the jungle maw. Mornings are spent bird watching, but not counting. I would need the math skills of Alan Turing. Nights contain bugs aplenty, some that tickle the ears and others that drone with extreme velocity. The in-betweens are filled with papaya and mango tastings, tide pool testing, and sand extraction from tender parts.

Just the usual jungle stuff. Stay tuned....

Monday, January 3, 2022

Dominicalito at Sunset

I feel like I can breathe again; I'm back in Costa Rica.

This is where I'm me.

As soon as we started climbing the mountain to our rental, it was real: scampering monkeys in the jungle canopy, rainbow-colored butterflies and birds filling the air with enchantment and song, an aggressively planted landscape as thick as Grizzly Adam's beard, and air like a warm bath filled with jasmine scented bath salts.

Next week I’ll post new photos. This was last year...

A forgotten beach toy.

I love this photo.

Stay tuned!

Monday, December 27, 2021

Duluth: Part 3

I'm ending 2021 with a post set in my home state of Minnesota. We traveled to many destinations over the past year, and yet, Duluth remains a highlight. I love the chalky colored, pebbly shores of Lake Superior, the meandering basalt lined rivers, and scenic, rocky hiking trails. This year, we enjoyed unseasonably warm weather, instead of brisk lake breezes. We watched the Midwest's best firework display from our hotel window, biked through towering rock formations along the Willard Munger trail, and dined at all of our favorite up-north restaurants. Melt-in-your-mouth wild rice meatloaf with a buttery homemade brown gravy? Yes, please. We've already booked 2022!

Follow me into the new year...