Friday, June 22

Fighting Mother Nature

It's a losing battle but we all try. My grand plan was to live like I liked and correct it all with plastic surgery. Little did I know they don't do necks or knees! NO ONE wears turtlenecks anymore, especially here in hot, hot, hot Jaco. Pants are out of the question except maybe at night. I had every intention of having cosmetic surgery here in Costa Rica (it's cheap) but after a little research ( I watched how they do it), I decided to wear my wrinkles proudly, at least for now.

I see others contest Mother Nature in other ways. They construct houses on sides of mountains, in flood areas, stupid stuff like that (CR newbies). Every time I pass by this one house planted on the side of the mountain in Jaco, I look up to see if it's still there. The real hard 'rains' haven't even started yet. Click onto photo to enlarge and you'll see what I'm talking about. Where are the trees above the house going when their foundation erodes? It can be wicked rough here.

I've listened to a backhoe for about a month now down on the beach near my house. I have watched the river take ALL the boulders that were paid for and put there only for the guy to do it again, and again. When 'the rains' came two years ago, the river took out the entire hotel parking lot. JUST GONE, overnight. The owner is still fighting to keep his property from vanishing into the Pacific. Before, there was nice, soft sand in the ocean in front of the river. Now, all of the boulders have been swept out there and it's hazardous to surfers. My beach is a surfing beach. The river is my sun-spot and watch post. My most peaceful times in Costa Rica have been right there at that river, my chair positioned just right with the river passing under my chair and over my feet.

Two weeks ago, the beach was laden with debris from the river. I was totally shocked to see all the wood piled for the length of the beach. Today, it's almost all gone. Swept to sea. Watching the ocean has convinced me, you can't fight Mother Nature and win too often.

June 26th Postscript: I guess the hotel owner mentioned above is expecting 'the rains' to come hard really soon. The backhoe was working way pass 10 pm last night using his lights. It's pretty fascinating to watch the skill of the dozer operator placing those big boulders. I'll update photo as to progress of retaining wall reconstruction later. They were back at it today early, early and still going....

6 comments:

Blog Bloke said...

Nice pics. Is that your house (the red one)?

Tica Macha said...

No, that's not my house but I could write a book on "things not disclosed" here. Buyer Beware.
I live at the base of a mountain so when 'the rains' really come, I have a mini-river running through my property. Can't divert it. I just go with it. I did fill that area with river rock and it helped. I bought my house during the dry season. A newbie.
I'm from flat country. I'd never live on a mountain. Especially hung out on the side of one.

The Patients Advantage said...

Great blog! Thanks. I recently has lasik surgery and by accident I stumbled upon www.thepatientsadvantage.com. They are based in San Diego.

I used them when looking for a lasik surgeon. What I liked the most was that my profile remained anynomyous until I was ready to decide what to do. I received replies from four surgeons that met all the things I was looking for. I liked having that complete control without the sales pressure that some of these places can be known for.

If you are going to go down the cosmetic surgery road...better to be safe than sorry. Check them out.

Blog Bloke said...

It was always my dream to live on a mountain until I saw pictures of houses either falling over the cliff or being washed away. Then I thought of a house on a beach until I saw the tsunamis come in. And if that don't get you then the earthquakes will. Then I thought I should moving inland until I saw the tornadoes carry away the houses. Crikey, is there any place safe to live these days?

Tica Macha said...

You left out hurricanes (I'm a Florida girl). Mother Nature rules. That's why Costa Rica is the "Pura Vida" country of the world. It's possible to have practically all the natural disasters in Costa Rica. Two small tornadoes passed to the north of me and to the south. My house was in the middle and completely untouched. Pura Vida.

Tica Macha said...

I would feel a little like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz traveling to CA for plastic surgery. My dermatologist in Naple$, FL trained in Costa Rica. For years, CR has been the spot for dental treatments and plastic surgery. It's cheap (compared to the States) and people return from their vacation...fresh. I know CA has the best surgeons but I wonder how many of them received some of their training HERE. Thanks for the link Brian...I'll still check it out although I don't expect to go under the knife anytime soon.
As Sally (A Broad in Costa Rica.com) once commented "If my jawls drop to my knees, only then would I consider doing it again". Her quote is embedded in my memory.