Nature – Page 6 – Happier Than A Billionaire

EYE TO EYE WITH A COATI

By Nadine Hays Pisani| 2018-04-15T18:19:33-04:00 February 24th, 2012|Categories: Nature|Tags: car battery, coati|

Costa Rica Cost Of Living Update: New Battery for Car—$152

It’s one of those days. My electricity went out and when I try to drive to the bakery to get a cup of coffee…the car won’t start. I’m in a bad mood. The type of mood that only happens when I have been decaffeinated for over 15 hours.

But when I’m just about to go on a tangent on how unreliable the electricity is, or how crumby the car mechanics are….this guy comes my way. An adorable coati who walks straight up to me, gives me a sniff, and continues on his path.

This often happens to me. Right on the heels of a tantrum, a magical moment occurs. And after it passes, I can’t remember for the life of me why I was in such a bad mood in the first place.

It’s easy to forget your problems when a coati looks you straight in the eyes.

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MY HAIRY ALARM CLOCK

By Nadine Hays Pisani| 2018-04-15T18:19:35-04:00 December 21st, 2011|Categories: Nature|Tags: howler monkeys, marchamo, monkeys|

Costa Rica Cost Of Living Update: Car insurance/registration- $190/year

It’s one of the hardest decisions to make when moving to Costa Rica. Would you rather live in the mountains or at the beach? Stare out across a green valley of rolling hills or at a turquoise sea? (more…)

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THE TURTLES ARE COMING…THE TURTLES ARE COMING

By Nadine Hays Pisani| 2018-04-15T18:19:35-04:00 December 3rd, 2011|Categories: Nature|Tags: olive ridley, playa ostional, turtles|

Costa Rica Cost Of Living Update: 15 chicken eggs- $3.15

I look out at the sea and notice hundreds of heads popping in and out of the waves. They are scattered throughout the horizon, uniquely positioned like a cunning naval offense. It’s that time of year—the turtle invasion has begun.

Thanks to our friend Rolf at Hotel Luna Azul in Ostional, we were alerted to their arrival. He is the area’s turtle whisperer, “The big “arribadas” has started,” he writes. “You do not want to miss this.”

I glance down the beach and see many have already laid their eggs in the sand. Some are dragging their exhausted bodies back to the sea; each step a struggle, their bodies not designed to maneuver in this terrain. Their appendages dig into the sand and push, inch by inch, towards the ocean leaving what looks like tire tracks in the sand. They let out deep
breaths and rest for prolonged periods of time. It’s taking every last bit of their energy to return home. (more…)

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Baby Monkeys Outside My Window

By Nadine Hays Pisani| 2018-04-15T18:19:36-04:00 October 31st, 2011|Categories: Nature|Tags: internet, monkeys, phone|

Costa Rica Cost Of Living Update: Price to fix my phone/internet line-???????

The rain is here and the once peaceful skies have transformed into a stormy battlefield. Maybe it’s just my imagination, but even the shape of the clouds look menacing: dragons and daggers pierced by fierce bolts of lightning. It casts a shade of gray on everything below; it’s easy to want to hunker down and stay inside.

Along with the bad weather come a number of unpredictable issues. I have no phone or internet and the prospects of getting it fixed anytime soon looks unlikely. The phone company (which is also the internet and electric company in most areas of Costa Rica) claims their line is good. I foresee many trips to the internet café and the phone company’s office in the future. (more…)

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HECKLE & JECKLE IN MY BACKYARD

By Nadine Hays Pisani| 2018-04-15T18:19:39-04:00 June 30th, 2011|Categories: Nature|Tags: bird|

Costa Rica Cost Of Living Update: Packet of 8 Hot Dogs-$2.70

I love to share pictures of the amazing wildlife in Costa Rica. At times, living here feels like a scene in a Disney movie: cute birds flying overhead, their tweets soaking the morning air with a renewing freshness.

But this bird —this beautiful bird— is a real S.O.B. His personality is aggressive, surly, and brazen. I want to smack that feather right off his head. And I would if I didn’t fear losing an eyeball.

He swoops down every morning and attacks my dog. He also shows up at restaurants, stealing food right off my fork and tearing sugar packets open with the ferocity of the Hulk. He’s not only a jerk but a show off as well.

He’s a White-throated Magpie-jay. (Coincidently, Heckle and Jeckle were magpies.) He’s on my watch-list. I always thought my first rumble in the jungle would be with a jaguar or venomous snake. Not with a bird that looks like he’s wearing a French military hat.

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EYE TO EYE WITH A COATI

MY HAIRY ALARM CLOCK

THE TURTLES ARE COMING…THE TURTLES ARE COMING

Baby Monkeys Outside My Window

HECKLE & JECKLE IN MY BACKYARD

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