Did you know an Iguana has two....!!!???

Picked up at 7:30 a.m. on Monday, February 4 by Doug Monge from Tierra Pacifica Vacations and the Welcome Center. 

Doug is the ultimate story teller, and during our day together, we learned...

• pasture posts become living fences
• oxen carts cause traffic jams
• where to find coffee from a cooperative
• bike paths transport horses, cows, pigs, turkeys
• some history of Costa Rica
• the location of restrooms that are "Sheri" approved
• fires that clear the underbrush for the sugar cane harvest
• iguanas are well-endowed for their harems
• how to identify birds and animals from Doug's field guides
• family-style lunch at Palo Verde beats all
• many generations create beautiful pottery
• where to find Triple Sec for cocktail hour
• about the harvesting of turtle eggs  
• speaking Spanish endears you with the locals
• "old chickens make better soup"

Sunsets, Crocs and Margaritas

Watched another spectacular sunset sink into the ocean. Drove to the point to watch the space station make a 4 minute flight across the star filled night sky. 
Rode down a bumpy road in the back of Michaels truck for Patacones and Margaritas at Latinos. Saw a whole teak forest along the way. Snorkelled in a bay at Avellanas Beach. Got caught in a riptide and was pulled out to sea. Remembered to swim across the current. Saw the 6th generation of CRicans haul clay from the mountains and make beautiful pots. Communed with crocs and White-faced monkeys on the Palo Verde. Finished the day with a 11 pm skinny dip!

How was your boring day?? :-))

The TLHC Souls Sisters are Blogging again!

Nestled on the west coast of Costa Rica like an oasis at the end of a bumpy, dusty road, the Villas Las Ventanas is the location of the latest adventure for TLHC, soul sisters since 1966!
  Villas Las Ventanas, when literally translated from Spanish, means ‘village of windows’. Ella Wheeler Wilcox once said, “Let there be many windows to your soul, that all the glory of the world may beautify it.”
I’m happy to report that our souls have been beautified in so many ways….
…. through:


FOOD (always a #1 priority when we get together)

The amazing restaurants nearby with fabulous, fresh food:

Bar Latinos – patacones and shrimp skewers… yum! …and the ‘best margaritas I’ve ever tasted!’ 

Mondo Milo – incredible pumpkin soup, fresh fish served in a wind storm with grace and good humour!

Lola’s – ceviche…so fresh! ... at another beautiful beach just down the road.

The Fish Truck – local fishermen bringing fresh shrimp and sea bass steaks right to our door!

Mangos, pineapples, watermelons, and… lovely limes picked from the tree!

ACTIVITY (a commitment we’ve made to always do something to replenish our bodies and souls)

Exercising – walking every morning on the 4km black sand beach, swimming in the salt water pool.

Relaxing – Lying in the hammocks, lounging by the pool listening to the waterfall, watching the magnificent sunsets sinking into the Pacific Ocean.

PEOPLE (the bonus for us when we share our fun with those we meet along the way)

The helpful, friendly, accommodating staff at Villas Ventanas,

The community of regulars (owners and guests) who are eager to help every visitor discover the wonder of Playa Junquillal,

The friends that meet here year after year with warm greetings and prolonged good-byes,

The four of us who delight in each other’s company for a brief time every year, creating more memories to share the next time we meet again!

 Merle Shain said it best…

“Friends are like windows through which you see out
into the world and back into yourself.
If you don't have friends you see much less than you otherwise might.”

Villas Las Ventanas is so much more than a ‘village of windows’.  It has given us the pleasure of rejuvenating our souls with the beauty and friendship it offers while seeing and experiencing much more than we expected!

The Gals Acronym for COSTA RICA

Can you imagine generous lashings,
Of dedicated friendship... amidst
Surf, sand and sun
Tangled delightfully... with
A wicked Marguerita and....
 
Roasted prawns,
 In a certain paradise... that
Colludes, to leave us stunned
And dazed, with the joy of it all!

Costa Rica - top 10 girlfriend getaway!

Costa Rica - top 10 girlfriend getaway!

Lynnie, Smither, McT,  & Helicopter hiking the Alberta Rockies.

Costa Rica has been named one of the top ten girlfriend getaways.  

Look out Cost Rica, and get ready 'cause the Lonely Hearts Club is on its way.  We are high school girlfriends with a history of forty years of friendship behind us.   Over the past 10 years we have spent a summer weekend together; hiking in the Canadian rockies, kayaking off Salt Spring island, cycling the Kettle Valley railway and relaxing at a cabin on Lake Okanagan.  This year we are Costa Rica bound; staying at Villas Las Ventanas - where they promise that paradise is not a myth - it's a destination.

Stay tuned, we'll post pictures, reflections and stories of our hijinks.

“Don't grow up too quickly, lest you forget how much you love the beach.” -- Michelle Hel,

I know of no place better to act like a kid than on a beach, best try the long stretches of sand of Costa Rica's warm pacific shores. 

Just ask Richard and Peter, two retired pilots who were seen flying a remote controlled airplane on Playa Junquillal this week. Peter found the joy of living in Costa Rica years ago and spends most of his time in the cooler climate of the central valley. He also enjoys time spent surfing and flying his creations on coastal beaches. Peter's friend Richard was introduced to villas las ventanas thru condo owners Gerhardt and Kathy, a bermudian couple who always make time to in their busy schedule to visit us. 


Peter's enthusiasm for remote controlled airplanes prompted him to lovingly re-created a scale model of the de Havilland Hornet. Here's the link to watch the historic flight.  Flight Video

Beach, Sun, Yoga and now... Zumba!!!

Every year when I return to Costa Rica and Villas Las Ventanas, I look forward to the next couple of months of sunshine, friendships, and great food. I also look forward to my practice of yoga. 

We are very lucky , not only is the facility open air,  surrounded by lush gardens, you can also hear the howler monkeys. It is so close you can walk there , of course you have to deal with the dusty roads. Rosalia, our teacher makes it easy for the beginners and also has a more intense class for those who are advanced. For those of you who want the cardio, Zumba has come to Junquillal. We had our first class this past saturday, December 1st 2012. It was the most fun, not only did we get a workout, we laughed and even felt like we could dance. Lucky no mirrors were there. Daniella our instructor is such an enthusiast and more energy then all of us put together. If you have difficulty on the dance floor, no problem , this zumba is for all. Each day brings something new, a walk on the beach, watching early morning sunrise or evening sunsets , its all good. Pura Vida. 

Namaste, Barby