Costa Rican Suburu owners: A new online forum

Hey!  A new forum in Spanish, BUT, you can also write in English if you like.  It is a site for the owner of the older Subaru who may be looking for parts, service, and other things related to older Subarus in Costa Rica.  As a Subaru owner for 31 years, the forum owner has seen the need for a central place where one can look for parts, put up photos, ask questions, etc. related to Subaru.  They don't plan on meetings, races, picnics, show offs (except for the photo section)... just a place for ideas and help.  If you are a lucky older Subaru owner or even a wannabe... Welcome, sign up and see what can be accomplished:
http://es.groups.yahoo.com/group/subarusviejasdecostarica/

A brief and personal history of ICE’s Kolbi 3g Internet service.

(Editor's Note:  A slightly different version of this article was originally published at http://www.top10costarica.com/)

Never confuse movement with action.   Ernest Hemingway

          When I was first told of the availability of the then new Huawei 3g Data Card/Modem from ICE to be used with their 3g network for internet only service, I did not hesitate to sign up (this was just before Christmas last year).  It was explained by ICE, and understood by me, that this service was new, so there were still bugs to be worked out.  That was even the reason given for a low introductory price.  It was understood that the speed would be better within a month or so of initial release, and that the cost and speed would be go up together.

          The increase in speed did come, but much later (not until late April) than our local office had verbally told me, and it was not automatic.  I had to go in person to their office, after I learned that a higher speed was available, and formally request the higher speed, at which time, I began to pay a higher price as well.

          Since its inception, the connection speed has very rarely, and only for short periods of time, ever reached the originally promised 1.0Mbps speed.  Worse, the upload speed is still atrociously slow, and the overall connection is too dirty (too much ‘jitter,’ for one thing) to allow one to do some of the tasks normally expected over the internet (like, especially VOIP phone calls).  The operative word here might well be inconsistency, because the signal has never been stable.  Nor am I the only one with a problem.  Recently, there was a letter to the Editor of AMCostaRica.com online newzzine, that was seconded by yours truly and another user down in the Osa area.

          Last week, after talking with some neighbors about how much worse things had been for the two weeks prior, I went to the local ICE office, where I spoke with Yurbin, a very nice young man (one of two front desk persons), to inquire about why the connection has been so bad of late.  He admitted to me that there was a problem with the Huawei equipment located in the local tower.  He stated that ICE’s technicians had already done all they could, and now they (ICE) were waiting for representatives from Huawei to come to town to address whatever problems are extant.  He didn’t know, but thought someone might come within the next two weeks.  He was unable to address the question of a possible refund to those of us who pay for the top tier of service, and who are not receiving same.  He did offer (and, this was not the first time that an ICE representative has made this offer to me) to change my account to the lower tier, lower cost, but did not understand why this is not acceptable to me (I can’t seem to make them understand that it is inconvenient to have to make two trips to their office to affect what should be done over the phone.  Nor can they understand the concept that maybe a company that gave a damn about its customers might voluntarily do something like this).

          Then, two days ago, I resolved to make yet another attempt to reach ICE’s tech support by phone (193 didn’t work, but the live person there was able to refer me to 115, where I pretty much got lost in the system of pre-recorded and very much disembodied voices that kept giving me teasing options).  I should note that I had already tried this once or twice before.  On one occasion, a techie was able to get me back online, by guiding me to change some settings in my software.  Then, the day before yesterday, I finally cut a techie off, and hung up after becoming frustrated by her attempts to have me do what had already been done, and her inability to address my specific concerns.  Those specific concerns had and have to do with the fact that the service has been even worse than usual over the last three weeks, and a (to ICE) strange desire to want to actually receive that which I am paying.

          Yesterday, while waiting online for yet another techie, I idly connected my Zoom Modem to the PC, and went online.  All of a sudden, after weeks and months of it not being there, I had a fast, steady connection!  A full 1Mbps per the most stringent speed test that I know, and that test gave me - for the first time in months of testing - three green lights signaling that I actually had a good enough connection to allow a VOIP call (not necessarily good enough for a video conference, you understand, but Skype should have worked).  I was amazed.  I tried out my Slingplayer program, and it was actually working for the first time in months, with a good download speed approaching 500Mbps (this is the minimum speed that Slingmedia software and equipment needs in order to function.  And, this is a phenomenon of the slingmedia concept:  Even when the internet speed test hits as high as 1Mbps, the slingplayer software drops that down to half, or less, thus rendering the software useless).  But, alas, this good connection was all too short lived.  It fell back to the normal, slow, unstable connection that I have come to hate these last months, within about fifteen minutes.

So, yesterday, while in town on other business, I made it a point to go yet again to the local office of ICE.  On this occasion I actually spoke to the local Gerente, Mario Murillo.  I asked him if maybe somebody had been working on the tower the day before, maybe during that brief time that I experienced the short lived good connection.  He did not know, but he did acknowledge that there is some sort of problem with the Huawei equipment in the local tower, and ICE is expecting someone to come to town within the next week to address whatever issue is present.  He also made me that same (in my opinion) empty offer to change my plan to the lower speed, lower cost tier.

So, here we are.  Living in paradise, far from the madding crowd, as it were, but also far from so many things that I used to take for granted.  Of course, in this case I am only crying over the lack of a high speed internet connection.  I think the frustration is that I made the mistake of believing the ICE was actually offering me a real alternative to dial up (OK.  It is a real alternative, but it is still too slow to be properly called broadband).  Who knows if or when they will get whatever is wrong fixed, but I figure they have come a long way to finally admit that there is an equipment problem.  But, you probably did notice that, true to ICE form, they are still not accepting the responsibility for any failure, since they are blaming Huawei’s equipment.

Meanwhile, a new problem has arisen.  For the last few mornings, when I first turn on my PC, I now notice that my internet connection is gone (I have a router that is on 24/7, mostly from habit, but actually for my Skype phone, which I can rarely use, anyway).  So, as soon as the PC boots, I have to reset the router each and every day.  Yet another cause for frustration..........And, so the continuing saga of my disillusionment with ICE and this Kolbi system goes on.  Stay tuned.

Come join a New Online Forum About Costa Rica

I would like to invite any and all interested to join a new online forum about, for, and involving living in Costa Rica as a non-citizen, but legal resident.  This group is being formed after years of frustration with existing forums that are too heavily moderated, politically slanted, exclusive of many who can be of help, and generally too much full of gossip, innuendo, and rumor.  This forum will exist for a free and open exchange of ideas and information about how to get here, what to do after getting here, and so forth.  Take a peek.

Group home page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CRRealists

Group email address: CRRealists@yahoogroups.com

John

Who’d a Thunk it?

"TANSTAAFL" (There ain't no such thing as a free lunch – from The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, by Robert A. Heinlein, 1966)

My favorite author is/has been/always will be Robert A. Heinlein. He was considered the "Dean" of America's Science Fiction writers for much of his lifetime, and you can easily find that title still in common use. He actively wrote from around 1939, starting out in the pulps, with mostly short stories, up until his death in 1988. He also wrote under a number of pseudonyms . I first became aware of his work sometime in the 50's, before I reached my teen years. This happily coincided with a period during which he concentrated on writing mostly juvenile SF novels. The above quote did not necessarily originate with Mr. Heinlein, but his writing certainly helped to popularize the concept, which, of course pre-dates his use of it by at least a hundred years. For those who may not be aware of it, back in the 19^th century, bars used to provide a "free lunch" that was designed to entice drinkers into the bar, so as to whet their real appetite, which was expected to be for more and more beer, or other liquid refreshments. The practice, long dead in the states, lives on in Latin America, and is known as a botana in Mexico, and a boca (or boquita) in Costa Rica. Obviously, the quote refers to the thought that, despite the advertised 'free' lunch, sooner or later one is going to have to pay something for that free thing.

Now, all of that is neither here nor there, but simply a prelude to what I wanted to talk about today. As I said, I have read Heinlein for many years, and I think I have a copy of just about everything he ever wrote. I saved all of these books with the express purpose in mind that I was going to read them all over again, now that I'm retired. So, after more than a year here in paradise, I started in on Heinlein's books last week. I have my books arranged on the shelves alphabetically, by author, but I had forgotten that some of Heinlein's books are in a back row, and most of them are in a front row. Forgetting to look at the back row, which began with Assignment in Eternity, I instead began with Have Spacesuit Will Travel. Early on in this 1956 or so juvie, I noticed a reference to a book being read by the main character's father. The writer of that book was given as Jerome K. Jerome, and the book named was Three Men On A Boat. Now, I have to make a confession, and that leads to a very important discovery on my part.

All of the years that I have read Heinlein I have always assumed his mentions of obscure writers, philosophers, mathematicians, scientists, theories, books, and so on, were just padding of a sort, to help lend credence to his stories. I know that many of his referenced things were provided with dates that were yet to come, so I always assumed that he made up names, and so forth, just to add to his stories. This time, for some reason, I wondered, "What if there really is/was a Jerome K. Jerome? What if he really did write this book?" So, I did what I have by now learned to always do when seeking more information about anything. I went to Google. And, guess what I found? There really was a Jerome K. Jerome, and he really did write a book called Three Men On A Boat. It was published in 1889, and it describes a trip on the River Thames taken by these real life men. What's more, it is a truly delightful book, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading. Just google it, and you will even find copies of it available online, for free!

    So, now I have another reason to re-read all my Heinlein books. I intend to mine them for whatever other treasures he left for me, that I ignored for all these years. Who knows what I am going to find? I will keep you posted.

A Quote is a Quote is a Quote……

(Being a generally rambling discourse on pretty much nothing……………)

 

Have you ever observed that we pay much more attention to a wise passage when it is quoted than when we read it in the original author? - Philip G. Hamerton

 

For the inquiring minds out there, Philip Gilbert Hamerton (September 10, 1834 – November 4, 1894) was an English
artist and art critic and author. Editor's Note: Evidently, more of a critic and writer than an artist himself, because according to Wikipedia, he first tried painting, and then switched to writing.

 

You may have noticed that I try to insert at least one quote at the top of my various posts. I got the idea of doing this from a combination of things. One, it is pretty common practice in literature to see quotes as part of the preface to a book; Two, it's just kind of cool to see whether somebody way smarter than I might have said something sort of appropriate (and, that is not hard to do) to whatever rant I want to talk about, and; Three, iGoogle always has three quotes of the day on their site, and I have been saving them for a while OK, I suppose I could put a fourth reason here, and say 'cause I can put whatever I want since it's my blog! Oh, wait! I also have a collection of quotes that I found one day (on the 'net; where else?) specifically dealing with stupidity, and I just like to share.

    Well, when I saw this quote on iGoogle the other day, it actually gave me pause. First, I wanted to know when this was originally said, and in what context? Because it did occur to me that this might well be truer today than, say, ten or fifteen years ago. And, I say that because I believe that we (OK, I) see excellent famous and not so famous quotes from famous and not so famous people much more often today than ever before, simply because of the internet.

    But, my first thought was that this is simply not true, at least not for me. You see, I am a voracious reader (fiction for entertainment, mostly), and have been for all of my life. And, I cannot recall how many, many times I have interrupted my reading to cogitate on a particular passage, or statement that the writer has placed there (maybe just for me, who knows?). A very significant, poignant passage will cause me to put whatever book I'm reading aside for a period of time just to reflect on what I've just read. And, yes, to appreciate what has been written. This is actually one of the great pleasures of reading. You never know when you might just come across a gem, a sparkle, an idea so significant (maybe only to you, but that's OK) that you have no choice but to just look at it, pick it up, hold it a different angles, and downright admire it for what it is.

     And, now that I think about it, maybe this has a lot to do with how I've decided over the years who some of my favorite authors are. They're the ones who provided me with those sparkling gems, those ideas that moved me, that inspired me, that made me think more deeply. And, they're the ones whose words I remember longer, and take to heart. They are also the ones whose writing in one book hit me so strongly that I had to go out and find more things written by them, just so I could seek to repeat that experience by attempting to find even more gems. And, you know what? I have rarely been disappointed in that search. And, that explains why, if you look at my sparse book shelves, you will see a lot books written by the same few authors.

    So, I guess I wind up with this conclusion: the statement may be very generally true, because so many of us like to single out good quotes for use like I do on this Blog, but for me, I'll stick with my first reaction (usually a very good practice), and say that a great writer (or, sometimes, a great speaker) will inevitably sprinkle some gems over the material that he/she has written (or spoken) that will live longer than the whole of whatever has been written.

A Hobbit In Mirkwood Woods

I am happy to announce that today's post has a guest writer. I hereby proudly introduce my 13 year old grand daughter, Tristen, who attends school in Arlington, Texas, with a poem she has written based on her reading of J. R. R. Tolkien's famous classic, The Hobbit.

 

A Hobbit In Mirkwood Woods

By

Tristen A. Dungan

 

Forest…..forest……forest.

Nothing but pitch dark forest.

Above the trees were big, black butterflies.

But below in the pitch dark,

Was nothing but eyes, eyes, eyes.

 

Firelight in the pitch dark,

Cobwebs clinging to the bark,

Swords stinging spider after spider,

Dangers getting wider and wider.

Hobbit and dwarves searching for food, 

Wood-elves looking for truth. 

Who will win and who will lose 

Let's hope it's not the tree fungi's ooze.

Las Orquidias – Costa Rica’s Best Kept Secret

(Note: This article was originally posted on Monday, May 10, 2010, and has been edited for this update).

"If the divine creator has taken pains to give us delicious and exquisite things to eat, the least we can do is prepare them well and serve them with ceremony".
(Fernand Point – (1897–1955) was a French restaurateur and is considered to be the father of modern French cuisine).


I have mentioned my favorite restaurant in the world, on other websites. Years ago, like at least five, maybe more, I remember posting a report on the guest list for Pura Vida Hotel, in Alajuela, about this restaurant. (Which, by the way, is another very special place; check it out: http://www.puravidahotel.com/info.html ).
Now, Ticos have told me for years that the best cooks in Costa Rica are Colombians. I do believe this, based solely on our experience at this place. The owner, chef, headwaiter, and all-around very nice guy is Don Alfonso Restrepo, who has been at the same location for as long as I've been coming to Costa Rica. And, he is from Colombia.
As I hope you already know, we live between the village of Aguacate de Tilaran, Guanacaste, and the small town of Nuevo Arenal, on the highway (highway is a very overblown term for this little road, but it is designated as such – actually, Ruta 142 – by the highway department of Costa Rica) that runs around the north side of Lake Arenal, between Tilaran, county seat of the Canton by that same name, and La Fortuna, Alajuela, county seat of another Canton, in that other province. Off this highway is a side road, that goes right up the mountains, over them, and down again, to the town of San Antonio de Guatuso, Alajuela. After the first 50 meters of cement, this road is mostly rocks - big ones - and at certain times of the year, a lot of mud, as well.
About 8 or 9 kilometers up this road is the village of Cabanga, a really interesting place. At one time Cabanga was noted for leather work, with at least two different families operating little store fronts, with saddles, belts, hats, just about anything you could ask for made of leather. It also had some renown for wood work, and one of the best native cabinet makers around is still there (Danilo, the guy who did our kitchen cabinets and all of our doors, plus my bread making table, and Blanca's sewing desk). There is, of course, a small pulperia, and one bar, Napos, a real rustic, less than sanitary place, that rarely has more than one or two beers in the whole place, and maybe one general gaseosa (soda pop), besides mostly the local guaro (cheap cane sugar liquor, refined much less than rum). (Ed Note: There is now a second bar, on a side street, off to the right about 250 meters, very close to the soccer field).
There is a town salon (like a ball room/meeting place), the requisite soccer field, a small school, and a number of Tico houses scattered about. And, of course, there is Las Orquidias, a restaurant bar that is on the main road, and reached by walking through the car port of the owner's home, down to the back. The restaurant features two levels, open on the west side, and the north, to a truly panoramic view, that, on a clear day, allows you to glimpse Nicaragua, way off in the distance to the north. The north wall of the upper level is screened, with a large variety of orchids placed all over the screen. The lower level is overflowing with potted plants, now featuring a wide variety of African Violets. The bar features a beautiful wood bas relief depicting a typical Costa Rican scene, and a surprisingly extensive selection of booze.
As to the menu at Las Orquidias, usually there isn't one. I think the only times I have ever been offered a menu have been those occasions when he was not there. The routine we have followed for some years is this: As we enter, we greet any and all who might be present. This being Costa Rica, that does not usually mean very many people. If there are customers present, we usually seat ourselves. If not, then we go straight to the kitchen door, and greet Don Alfonso, his wife, Yadira, and her mother, whose name I don't remember. If he is busy, then, a bit later, as soon as he gets the chance, he will come to our table, and we will exchange abrazos, and expressions of good will, bonhomie, and generally nice things. If he has run out of my favorite beer, he immediately begins to apologize, and lets me know what is available that day. I can even drink Imperial, as long as it is very cold (poured over ice), and as long as it is served by him.
Once we have our beers, he comes back to our table, where we visit for a bit, before we get down to business. This means, it is time for him to tell us what he has available that day. Generally, he can offer beef (best would always be the Filet Mignon, with a mushroom sauce guaranteed to go right to work creating more plaque in your arteries), pollo (chicken), usually grilled, but he does one of the world's best Cordon Bleu's, with another sauce that makes my mouth water, just thinking about it, and usually either Tilapia or Corvina that he can bread and fry, or grill, with a garlic touch. I still remember a shrimp dish he prepared for me one time that had my mouth watering for weeks afterward (a sauce that I just knew had gone straight to the walls of my arteries, but what a journey). He almost always will suggest a preparation method, or an entrée that is just a bit different from the normal, and his suggestions are usually well worth listening to, and even heeding. He also makes a great ceviche, usually with tilapia, but shrimp is also available.
Beyond the simple fact that his food is always exquisite, Don Alfonso's old world manner, and his charm are guaranteed to impress you. He always makes our dining experience special, with his welcome, and his concern for our pleasure. We make it a point to take all of our visitors up there, and we try to get up there more than once a month, whether we have visitors or not. You should know that I have seen him handle a group of 14 people, with total aplomb, not allowing the sheer numbers to upset him in the least, and his skill is so great (long practice, no doubt) that he timed the preparation of all those different requests, so that everything was delivered to our table at the same time, with universal acclaim. That's not to mention that every single plate was thoroughly cleaned by all and sundry.
The reality of eating out in Costa Rica is that most places are comparable in price to eating establishments in the states (i.e., not really cheap any more), so it should be no surprise that a meal for two, with at least two beers does run about $25-30. However, what we get for that with Don Alfonso is the pleasure of his company, the opportunity to watch a master chef at work, a spectacular view, and some of the best food anywhere. More important, Alfonso and his wife, Yadira have become our friends. (I have told you about our first 'date' in another post about a live music event in December of 2009).

Now, for the bad news: The ongoing, and now, long-standing, financial crisis has begun to take its toll on this fine establishment. In years past, despite the truly awful road up to Cabanga, some few people did manage to trek on up this way. Now, however, Don Alfonzo tells us that people just are not coming up the mountain. Business has fallen off so much that he has found it necessary to take a job in a restaurant in nearby Guatuso, meaning that he is no longer able to be present in his own place most of the week. The food is still great, but there is now a very real danger that he may have to close his doors, and/or move his operation to Guatuso. This would be a very serious loss to those of us who like good food. So, if you are within driving distance of Cabanga, please go see these nice people, and enjoy a great meal in their presence – before it is too late!