Caiman, caiman, wherever you are

Posted on by stanleyobando

I first came to Costa Rica when I was seven, and remember almost nothing from the whole trip. (That’s why I figure it’s ok that the pandemic is eliminating our travel spending this year, when my daughter is that same age: if she’s like me, it would have been a wash anyway, memory-making-wise.)

What I do remember very clearly, however, is seeing faces like this one as we floated through the canals of Tortuguero. It blew my Michigander mind. I haven’t been back to Tortuguero since, and I hope to remedy that in the coming years.

Do any readers out there have childhood Costa Rican travel memories – whether you visited Costa Rica from another place, or remember trips around Costa Rica as a kid? I’d love to hear them.

Happy Thursday.

I’m a writer in San José, Costa Rica, on a year-long quest to share daily posts on inspiring people, places and ideas from my adopted home as a kind of tonic during a rough time in the world. Sign up (top right of this page) to receive a little dose of inspiration every weekday in your mailbox; tell a friend; check out past posts; and please connect with me on Instagram or Facebook! If you want to learn more about how to support Costa Rica during the crisis, visit my COVID-19 section – or for ways to enjoy Costa Rica from afar, visit Virtual Costa Rica.

Daily Boost, sideways and hopeful

Posted on by stanleyobando

Today’s Daily Boost was a video once more – and thanks to some unexpected construction vehicles that came to watch, it started out sideways. But here it is, for the record, with my tales of baby bird drama and the incredible things happening in La Carpio and at Sibú Wildlife Sanctuary in Nosara. Tune in next week to see if I’m fully upside down!

Virtual Costa Rica: A walk on the wild side

Posted on by stanleyobando

Ok: this is a cool one. I mean, they all are. But you know, this one’s got monkeys.

You can now purchase a ticket for a 13-minute virtual tour of Sibú Wildlife Sanctuary in Nosara, on Costa Rica’s northwestern coast. As someone who has had the good fortune to take a tour of Sibú in person, I can tell you you’re in for a treat. It’s a place where wild animals in dire need of care roam in comfort in an ethereal setting, safely observed by lucky humans who stroll through breezy structures that feel like giant treehouses set into the side of a hill. It’s truly a place I’ll never forget.

Now you can view it in a short format perfect for your next coffee break, or your next “OMG my kid needs to see something truly amazing NOW or we are all going to lose our minds” moment. Your ticket will support the refuge’s continuing work with animals, which, like so many nonprofits’ work around Costa Rica and the world, is at risk because of the lost income from cancelled tours. And you can choose from a wide range of tour times.

Join me in buying a Sibú ticket at their Amigos of Costa Rica fundraising page! And join me tomorrow for a little Daily Boost Live over coffee at 8 am CR time/10 am EST.

I’m a writer in San José, Costa Rica, on a year-long quest to share daily posts on inspiring people, places and ideas from my adopted home as a kind of tonic during a rough time in the world. Sign up (top right of this page) to receive a little dose of inspiration every weekday in your mailbox; tell a friend; check out past posts; and please connect with me on Instagram or Facebook! If you want to learn more about how to support Costa Rica during the crisis, visit my COVID-19 section, updated regularly – or for ways to enjoy Costa Rica from afar, visit Virtual Costa Rica.

Virtual Costa Rica: Park your kids in front of the Sloth Ironman

Posted on by stanleyobando

If you’ve never sat down to watch the Sloth Ironman, a delightfully whimsical sloths-doing-slothy-things video series from the Toucan Rescue Ranch in Costa Rica, now is most definitely the time.

Events like the 1-Meter Dash, the Poop-Off, and Hibiscus Eating actually have a purpose: they showcase whether these rescue sloths have mastered abilities they’ll need if they are to be reintroduced into the wild. What’s more, donors vote during the Games to raise money for the nonprofit project that takes care of these animals. However, the videos are also just very cute and immensely watchable. Here’s the trailer for the 2019 Games:

So just subscribe to The Toucan Rescue Ranch YouTube channel, cue up any of the orange-labeled Ironman videos (the others on the channel are really cool, as well), and put yourself and your kids in front of it for awhile to enjoy Costa Rican wildlife. If you like what you see, consider donating to support the Ranch’s mission of rescuing, rehabilitating and re-releasing wildlife. They’re open and active but will surely be affected by COVID-19, since educational tourism and volunteers are an important part of their model. Connect with them and help them continue to take care of sloths, toucans and other animals!

I’m a writer in San José, Costa Rica, on a year-long quest to share daily posts on inspiring people, places and ideas from my adopted home as a kind of tonic during a rough time in the world. Sign up (top right of this page) to receive a little dose of inspiration every weekday in your mailbox; tell a friend; check out past posts; and please connect with me on Instagram or Facebook! During the COVID-19 crisis I’m focusing on slices of Costa Rican life that people can enjoy virtually during these tough times. If you see a great Costa Rica cam, FB Live, online class, photo series or other gem being shared from Costa Rica, let me know!

Give yourself a hug like this today

Posted on by stanleyobando

All I can manage today is a baby sloth, so I figured I’d make it an extra-cute one.

If you’re frazzled, as I am (and/or reading too much about politics, as I have been), please join me in figuring out how to wrap some arms around yourself like this today – whether they are someone else’s, yours, or a fluffy blanket.

Photo by Henner Damke via Shutterstock.

I’m a writer in San José, Costa Rica, on a year-long quest to share daily posts on inspiring people, places and ideas from my adopted home as a kind of tonic during a rough time in the world. Sign up (top right of this page) to receive a little dose of inspiration every weekday in your mailbox; tell a friend; check out past posts; and please connect with me on Instagram or Facebook! Each month in 2020 has a monthly theme, and March’s is women’s rights, so stay tuned for posts focusing on this issue.

If this is your facial expression today, be proud

Posted on by stanleyobando

This week was nuts: in U.S. news, in Costa Rican news, and even in my house. A certain Very Big Girl went off to first grade with all the fanfare, nerves, and “Oh my God, Mom, no more PICTURES!” that such a milestone implies.

So at the end of it all, this is the facial expression I’m wearing. And you know what? That’s good. Our capacity to be shocked, horrified and disappointed by current events is something to be valued. It means we still expect something better. And what we expect, we tend to get – or so I heard somewhere.

Wear that gobsmacked facial expression with pride, cry into a cocktail over the state of our political lives if you want to, and maybe disconnect a bit this weekend. Or climb onto a tree branch and let loose with your best howler-monkey-inspired roar. We’re still alive. Still feeling something. When we don’t care and don’t even have the energy to throw our poop at each other anymore – that’s when we’re really in trouble.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

I’m a writer in San José, Costa Rica, on a year-long quest to share daily posts on inspiring people, places and ideas from my adopted home as a kind of tonic during a rough time in the world. Sign up (top right of this page) to receive a little dose of inspiration every weekday in your mailbox; tell a friend; check out past posts; and please connect with me on Instagram or Facebook! You can also find me churning out small, square poems on any topic under the sun (here on the site, on Instagram or Twitter).