Rock me amaryllis

Greetings Falco fans!

There's little point to this post other than to gloat about my very lazy green thumb skills.

Above is the amaryllis currently in bloom in my living room. I bought the bulb back in October, potted it, and it bloomed nicely at Christmas. The flower and stalk died in early January. The bulb then sat in my dining room's south-facing window with no water until about a week ago, when I noticed another shoot and blooms emerging from the pot. With very little help, save for a bit of H20, these flowers appeared a few days ago. Not bad for absolutely no effort, huh?

So next year, go out and buy yourself an amaryllis bulb. They're about $8 and they're "blooming" good value (I even made myself groan at that one).

Costa Rica 2012

Hola!

Part of the reason for my absence on this blog is because I was away for part of February. I travelled to Costa Rica for the first time, to enjoy some much-needed sun and relaxation.

We flew into Liberia, then headed towards the northwest coast, to a surfing town called Tamarindo. Our resort had a great beach and pool, where we escaped the humidity. It was afro city for me most of the week!

Here are a few pics of the trip.

The beach wasn't great for swimming, due to the waves and rocks. But it was perfect for surfers.

Some interesting shells.

And beautiful sunsets. The sun set in about 90 seconds past the horizon line. I guess due to the proximity to the equator? (don'tunderstandhowgeographyworks)

Another sunset. Best enjoyed with a beer.

This is how I "took" the sun most days. It was hot! The kind people at the resort kept pointing out my whiteness, so I guess my technique worked.

Luckily the pool was great for swimming. And there was aquafit too, that usually ended in some weird group massage. I swam away for that part of the class.

The grounds at the resort were beautiful.

Pointsettas growing in the ground!

We took a boat trip in Paolo Verde park to see some animals.

We got a bit close to this croc for my comfort. No zoom on the camera needed!

And monkeys too! This white-faced one came on the boat to eat bits of banana.

There howler monkeys hung out in the trees around the hotel, with generally more energy than I had.

If you like heat, good coffee, and lots of adventure travel, then Costa Rica should be for you. The people were exceptionally friendly, very proud of their country -- and rightfully so. I miss the sound of the surf already....