Mar 15 Met at Tambor 7am for Bird Walk. Pootoo and others, including Melodious Blackbird, Rufus-naped Wren,Barred Antshrike, Bar-throated Tiger Heron, Boat-billed Heron, Yellow-crowned Night- Heron, Anhinga,White-collard Seedeater,Blue-black Grassquit,Common Black Hawk, Great Black Hawk, Groove-billed Ani, and of course, the Clay-colored Robin, national bird of Costa Rica.
Sailed with Tjiske and Arno from Tambor to Paquera.
Lovely sail (no motor), conversation, and lunch of homemade bread and gazpacho prepared by Tjiske. Then we caught a nice Sierra Mackerel on the troll line – a great simple pleasant day for us all! Anchored near the beach in front of Tjiske and Arno’s house. Went ashore and climbed 246 steps to their house. This about 4 in afternoon, humid, hot weather. Wow, what a surprise for sailors after three months at sea!
WHAT A HOUSE! – all handcrafted out of native woods, cut on the property where the house stands, to minimize its footprint. From the water and the hillsides, only the blue roof is visible. Simply unique and lovely, an impressive work of art. Designed and built by Arno, an architect friend, and local crafts people. Great views of much of the Gulfo from atop the hill. Dinner there, Grilled the mackerel, conversation late into evening.
Arno Ambrosius, an economist by training, worked in creation of sustainable development and community building for the Netherlands government and Embassy, around the world. He is now a an independent consultant in programs close to his heart in Costa Rica. He was a leader in the reforestation of native, dry temperate rainforest, and establishing community based initiatives, in the Nicoya Peninsula, in the 1990’s. Arno is a wealth of information and nimble ideas, with a magnetic personality.
Tjiske is a family-practice physician from Amsterdam. She and Arno met in southern Africa, some years ago working on projects in Madagascar, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Tjiske’s specialty is Epidemiology. In Costa Rica she works in volunteer positions reviewing and writing health protocols for the medical and education sector. She has the reserve and intensity of a scientist and the spark of an adventuress. Both Tjiske and Arno are well informed of the problems and danger of economic inequality in the global society. Inspiring to spend time with folks who are living their convictions in creating a more just world. Indeed, we had lots to talk about, special moments of sharing connectedness in a remote location, and lots of laughs.
Climbed down 246 steps, very careful not to tumble headfirst, in pitch dark jungle, with monkeys howling all around us. That was a good adventure in itself! Turned the dinghy around, now the tide was high, and motored back to Kievit, anchored off the beach.
March 16 – Monday Breakfast at Arno and Tjiske's about 8. Hung out there most of the day. Good conversation again and finally Tjitske had to go upstairs to work for a few hours. Arno brought us some information on the organizations he works with. He also shared a fabulous book documenting an exhibition of indigenous clay and rock sculpture inspired by local birds and other fauna. It must be mentioned; we lounged in hammocks, overlooking the bay, in this beautiful house that feels like a magic place in the jungle! Lunch, again enjoying Tjiske’s bread and ceviche from the Sierra mackeral.
Back to Kievit for the afternoon, as our hosts had to work, and we had to digest the amazing 36 hours we had spent in such extraordinary company.S/V Koza had come into the bay and anchored nearby. We took Carolla and Jim back up the steps to meet Arno & Tjiskes’ for drinks at 4. Our hosts had just returned from a memorial service of a prominent member of the little village. They told us about the service and other customs that originate around the little Catholic Church, down the road. Lots of stories from Carolla and Jim to be shared, as well. Dark again when we started down the steps, though we had brought a flashlight. The sun sets at 6pm after a short sunset in the hills. The four of us back to our boats in Koza’s dinghy. Though we all expected to meet up in a day or two, we didn’t see Carolla and Jim until a month later when they arrived in El Salvador.
March 17 Met Arno at 6:30 am for birding walk into his reserve, a property he purchased in the 90’s, up the hill from his house. Interesting and beautiful, wild area with a spring that provides a safe area for many species. A local farmer/rancher guided us through his property, which adjoins Arno’s Reserve, as he was on his way to feed his cows. We didn’t see many birds, maybe we travelled too fast. Lots of howler monkeys. Arno showed us where they had the electric company make a kind of insulation bridge on the over- hanging wires, in the village, so the monkeys wouldn’t be electrocuted. We pushed the dinghy off the beach with the feeling we will return.
PICTURES IN GALLERY OF TREE HOUSE