Want to Toss, Pitch or Throw a Shoe?

There is a NEW Game in town and it is called HORSESHOES!  The crew at Costa del Sol has carved out a little spot in the park under the big shade tree, sunk some good strong stakes in the ground, hauled in some sand and built a really nice horseshoe pit.  What better way to spend a sunny hot afternoon than cooling off in the shade with a nice cold drink listening to the clang of horseshoes on the iron stakes!


It is not unusual to hear shouts of "Ringer!" as the teams pair up 2 against 2 to toss the shoes for a point or two.  

Young, Younger, Short or Tall . . . there are no restrictions on who can play.
Any day, Everyday.... Come what may.  
Thursdays is tourney day they say!
So if you see a game in play come join in the fun. 
It is a perfect pastime out of the hot sun.
Just look at the stake and aim for what you see...
and try not to hang it up in the tree!

A set of horseshoes will be stored in the office for the use of all.  
Just sign them out and return them by nightfall.
And as we all know the Golden Rules....  Clean Up any trash or debris to keep our park clean for the next visitor.


Then there is the matter of the "Rules" if you are so inclined to play by them...
The rules shown here are based on the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association of America's official rules.  Use them if you would like or make up your own!  It's all for fun and sport so get on up there and TOSS, PITCH or THROW those shoes!  And may the best team win!

The Rules

1. Each player pitches both shoes followed by the opponent's two shoes.
2. In pitching a shoe, the player may not cross the foul line.  A foul line is marked 3 feet in front of each stake. Thus, the resulting throwing distance (foul line to opposite stake) is 37 feet. For Female, Junior, and Elderly contestants the foul line is 27 feet from the opposite stake.
3. When playing teams, half the team throws from one stake and half throws from the other.
4. Games can be played to 40 points in a point limit game or 40 shoes in a shoe limit game. In the shoe limit game the player with the highest points wins. If a tie exists then each player can take a half win or a two inning tie breaker can be thrown.

Scoring

1. Any shoe must be within one horseshoe-width (measured across the outside of the open end of the shoe) of the stake to be considered for points. (Official rules call for 6 inches max).
2. The closest shoe to the stake gets 1 point.
3. If you have two shoes closer than any of your opponent's, you get 2 points.
4. Ringers are worth 3 points each and must completely encircle the stake so the ends can be touched with a straight-edge without touching the stake.
5. If you have the closest shoe and a ringer, it's 4 points.
6. If your opponent throws a ringer on top of yours, they cancel and no points are scored.
7. Leaners are worth 1 point and are considered closer than any adjacent shoe except ringers. 

  COLORFUL GOLF CARTS OF THE PLAYERS

NO....  IT'S NOT GOLF, BUT IT IS A GREAT WAY TO GET THERE!

 

BEAUTIFUL MOONRISE AT THE END OF THE DAY!

CLICK HERE

TO ENJOY MORE PICS OF SOME 

HORSESHOE FUN!

...AND WE WILL SEE YOU IN THE PIT!

Semana Santa in Costa Rica!

Holy Week which is called Semana Santa in Spanish is a major religious holiday in Costa Rica.  
The celebrations begin on the weekend before Easter Sunday for a full week of music, singing and prayer.  Almost all businesses are closed during this week in honor of the celebration.  Daily processions celebrate Christ's path, including his death on Good Friday and resurrection on Easter Sunday. It is not unusual to see many processions where church groups dress in red and purple robes, carry large crosses or crucifixes, statues of the Virgin Mary and palm fronds and march through the streets.  These processions are taken very seriously with spectators lining the streets in mourning and prayer.


Having a full week off from work and school, the Ticos depart the city scene and head for a relaxing vacation at the beach!  It appears that Playa Bejuco is a very popular place.....in a matter of just a few days it filled up and changed from a quiet relaxing natural setting into a campground and tailgate picnickers haven!


The tables that were set up all along the beach road with beautiful lace cloths, the picture of Jesus, flowers and candles were an amazing site and these alters of remembrance and love invited you to  pause for a moment of reflection.  It was not unusual to see them tending to the flowers of their displays to make sure they were fresh and made a lovely presentation. 

The Cruz Roja (Red Cross) also expected a crowd and were set up on the beach to assist in rescue of anyone that might find themselves in distress.  They were called the "Bay Watch of Costa Rica"!

  

Feliz Semana Santa to all 
and may you enjoy a beautiful and blessed
Easter with your loved ones!

And as the Semana Santa holiday comes to a close and  Playa Bejuco 
returns to it's usual quiet, peaceful tranquil place for escape 
we will enjoy our memories of these wonderful people that are always 
there to greet you with a smile and hearty welcome to come 
and enjoy their beautiful country that they are so proud of. 

Sunday Sunset on Bejuco Beach!

 

 

 

 

Wouldn't you love to have this beautiful setting to end your day?

You Can!

Costa Del Sol ~ Playa Bejuco

Our feathered friend returns for a visit!

In a previous post "A Birdwatchers Paradise"

I shared with you a story about our feathered friend that showed up in our bedroom!

Well I think she liked us!

She came back!

Catch of the Day! ~ Mahi Mahi

While out running some errands in Jaco we had some time to kill before we could complete our chores so we took a ride north in search of something new and interesting.  Riding around on the wonderful dirt pot hole filled  roads in Costa Rica can stir up an appetite and we just happen to be near La Fiesta Del Marisco so we decided to stop and have some ceviche and enjoy the cool ocean breezes off the water. 

This open air restaurant overlooks the entrance into the Nicoya Gulf and there is always several fishing boats anchored out in the water or beached on shore.

While we were enjoying some ceviche and fish sopa de pescado a boat pulled in and they started unloading his catch of the day. And a great catch he had! We were amazed at the number of fish that they flung into the large plastic crates and toted up to the pescaderia. We think the final count was about 10 crates and the majority of the catch was big beautiful Mahi Mahi! 

 

And of course I could not resist going around to see where they were taking this fisherman's proud deposit.  Once they got the fish inside they were rinsing them down on the floor and loading them into large coolers.

 

The moral of the story is.......

THE FISH ARE BITING!

So all you fisherman start making your plans to come to beautiful 

Costa Rica and try your rod at this fine sport!

Good Food, Good Friends and BEJUCO BEACH!

The saying     " It just don't get better than this!" rings true when a Sunday afternoon impromptu gathering of friends in Costa Del Sol heads out for some relaxation and good food on Bejuco Beach!  Load up the golf carts and cars with beach chairs, hammocks, a Tico charcoal grill and some ice chests filled with your favorite beverage and you are good to go! 

The menu of choice on this day?  Grilled chicken and fish tacos!   This group just happens to be blessed with some fine grilling chefs  and the wonderful Tico grill that was a gift from a local Tico makes the beach grilling experience even finer!  Throw in a few favorite appetizers, and secret sauces and you are in for one of the finest dining experiences that you will find in beautiful Costa Rica!

There is just something so relaxing about the break of the surf on the sand, the hot sun, the cool shade under the palm trees topped off with refreshing ocean breezes and sipping on a cold beverage while listening to great stories with friends.  

 

And what better way to top the day off than with a 

beautiful Costa Rican Pacific sunset!

Yep.....they were right when they said....

"It just don't get better than this!"

Pura Vida from your friends in

Costa Del Sol!  

A Great Place for Dinner at Playa Bejuco!

offers you one of the finest dining experiences you can find in Costa Rica without even leaving your own neighborhood!

The Delfin is a restored Costa Rican landmark offering air conditioned rooms with balconies overlooking the beautiful Pacific ocean. 


The open air restaurant and bar overlooking the lush tropical pool and gardens offers some of best cuisine that is lovingly prepared for you by their Chef Bob who being from Louisiana specializes in delicious Cajun dishes.


Some of his mouth watering dishes have been:

•  Tomato & Corn Bisque with Fresh Sage
  

• Pan Sauted Fillet of Corvina (Sea Bass) with Seven Pepper Salsa or Lime Butter Sauce

• Grilled Breast of Chicken with Papaya  and Fresh Oregano Salsa

• Cajun Fried Large Shrimp with Cocktail sauce

Well you get the idea.....
The menu changes regularly and Chef Bob is always willing to accommodate special diet needs.


And whatever you have you must remember to try the Creole Banana Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce and Tropical Lime Cheesecake!

And to go along with your fine dining experience you will be graciously served and catered to your every need by the warm and friendly bartender Minor who makes one of the best Pina Coladas I have ever tasted!


So while you are enjoying you visit in Costa Del Sol be sure and plan an evening at the Delfin!  You can take the car or the golf cart but if your going for lunch you might just want to enjoy a nice walk.  You could not ask for a nicer place to dine so close to home!  Not only will you enjoy a great meal you will probably find a fun night of great entertainment conversing with other visitors to the Delfin that love to just "hang out" for an little Pura Vida.  It is not unusual to find Eddie McGehee the owner, a good ole boy from Georgia,  joining in to mix and mingle.  Eddie is also a motorcycle enthusiast so he may share a story or two with you about some of his biking trips around Costa Rica!
 

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE DELFIN

PLEASE VISIT THEIR WEBSITE

DELFIN BEACH FRONT RESORT

 

 

 

 From Jaco: Drive south approximately 30 kilometers (20 miles). After you pass Esterillos, Monterey and Del Pacifico, you will see signs on your right for the entrance to Playa Bejuco. Drive down to the beach and take a left. Welcome to paradise, Delfin Beachfront Resort.
From Quepos/Manuel Antonio: Drive north approximately 30 kilometers (20 miles). After you pass the town of Parrita, the entrance to Playa Bejuco is approximately 13 kilometers on your left. Drive down to the beach and take a left. Welcome to paradise, Delfin Beachfront Resort.

Buen Apetito

An Elegant Aerial Ballet!

One of the most exciting things about living in Costa Rica is that the simplest outing to the bank and grocery store can turn into an afternoon of the most engrossing entertainment!  Of course when you are as adventuresome as we are you tend to stray off the beaten path to explore for new and interesting sites.

On this day as we were taking care of those daily tasks we came upon a group of Pelicans in the bay at Los Suenos.  I had actually ventured over to take a photo of the beautiful cove and the waves crashing on the rocks.  And there they were....these massive birds with their long beautiful bills gracefully sitting on the water.  They did not sit long and as they lifted up my first thought was that they were going to fly away.  And then the show began...........

They would fly in a circular pattern with the grace of an elegant aerial ballet and then pause midair and plunge down into the water.  After resting there momentarily they would repeat the show again and again!  It was so fascinating that I could not stop watching and clicking away!  We watched for quiet a while and I wondered just how long they could continue this intriguing pattern of flight.  I assume that they were feasting on the fish of the sea with each swoop.

FOR BETTER VIEWING CLICK PHOTOS TO ENLARGE.

 

 

 

 

There is just something so peaceful about a bird in flight.  

I hope that you enjoyed the "dance" as much as we did!