As the
snow and sleet once more hit the Upstate, several of our planned playgroups
were cancelled and rescheduled. Somewhat desperate to get out of the house last week we
headed to the zoo.
Many of the animals were hiding indoors from the cold, but a few were enjoying the fresh air and with a stop at concessions for hot chocolate it was a very pleasant afternoon.
The alligators and snapping turtles cuddling in the cold weather
The
grand opening of the South American Aviary exhibit was a couple weeks ago, just
before the first of the cold hit. On our visit zookeepers were busy
trying to catch the sun conures to move them indoors to warmer quarters where
the other birds were already waiting. The redesigned exhibit offers a much
larger space for the eight different species of birds, and gives visitors a
taste of what is to come this year in the South American department.
What
was formerly the elephant exhibit will make its debut as the South American mixed-species
exhibit this summer. Construction is well underway on the area that will
feature giant anteaters, rheas and mara, as well as plants and grasses native
to their South American home.
Another
recent development is the new Nature’s Nook play area located adjacent to the aviary.
What used to be a bear sculpture and a couple of picnic tables is now an
unstructured play area for kids. Featuring exploration tables, musical
instruments and the building blocks I wrote about a while back, I can imagine
this area will be a big hit once the weather warms up. Nature’s Nook was made
possible through a grant from the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund and the
Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), who announced last September that
Greenville Zoo was granted AZA accreditation.
Many
of the animals are used to warmer weather and were hiding indoors, such as the
orangutans and most of the other primates. Bob, the baby Bornean orangutan
(actually born in 2006) left us in December for his new home at the Oregon Zoo
in Portland, Oregon as part of the Orangutan Species Survival Program breeding
program. We're happy Bob is getting along with his new friend Kumar…
Meanwhile
the Amur leopards were loving the cold weather and patchy snow. I have rarely
seen them moving around as much as during this colder weather.
Yesterday
we woke to an inch of snow, and as the morning zoo trip was cancelled we headed
to Falls Park with a sled borrowed from the neighbors. The weather forecast for
this evening calls for more snow; I don’t want to jinx it, but we could sure
use another few inches… Warm wishes to all of our friends at the zoo, we’ll be
back to see you soon!
When
we got married a bunch of our friends chipped in and bought us a boat. I’m
totally serious, Roberts and I are boat owners. We’ve got one of those floating
keyrings and everything. That the fishing boat is currently in Michigan, the
Great Lake State is a big fish story for another day, but my point is, our friends knew
something about us. And that’s that we love to fish.
A Gaŗezers musky
Of
course there’s been less fishing the last years, but that doesn’t diminish the
feeling of a tug on the line after a perfect cast. Roberts used to keep a
tackle box in the trunk of his car “just in case.” And my best present to him
while I was living in Georgia and working for the Fish & Wildlife Service
was knowing which local lakes and ponds were likely to be hottest on opening
day. For me it was more about the solitude; I loved having an excuse to get out
on the lake in the early morning hours with a travel mug of coffee and a cooler,
taking advantage of the coolest temperatures of the day and watching the fog
rise from the lake. Which is probably a good thing, as I never caught much.
Me with a rare catch - a Piedmont NWR largemouth bass
It’s
been a no-brainer to hand a fishing pole to the boys during our summer trips to
Gaŗezers, and they’ve already spent
hours out on the pier with vecmamma Aija
and their cousins, patiently practicing their cast and even catching a few
fish. These days Lauris is proudly wearing the kids fishing tournament t-shirt I sent my
godson Imants back when I was working for the Fish & Wildlife Service, which has traveled the full circle and now fits him perfectly. I expect that I’ll have another fisherman in
Vilis, as he’ll want to join his brothers as soon as he can wobble after them.
In fact, I look forward to the days when the boys are old enough (know how to
swim and can bait their own hook) to take fishing trips as a family.
So
what brings about this trip down memory creek? This weekend bass fishing’s
famous Bassmaster Classic was in town! The 2015 Geico Bassmaster Classic (presented
by GoPro) started Friday, with a daily launch on Lake Hartwell, the expo at the
TD Convention Center and a daily weigh-in at the Bon Secours Wellness Area. The
weather made for some interesting fishing, as cold temperatures, rain and sleet
delayed start times and provided unusual conditions. After Sunday’s weigh-in
Upstate native Casey Ashley emerged victorious with a total weight of 50.1
pounds – four pounds (and $255,000) more than runner-up Bobby Lane.
We
didn’t make it out to Anderson for the morning launch, but we headed to the
expo on Saturday. The place was packed, traffic spilling out onto Pleasantburg Rd.
and people lining up for trials and freebies. Honestly, it was pure madness
navigating the expo with the boys, but on the other hand they scored some great
new gear to try out this summer.
We had
the best of intentions to attend one of the daily weigh-ins, but skipped it
upon seeing the crowds waiting for the doors to open. From the online pictures
it looks like the place was packed and we made the right choice. However, the
Classic has reminded me how much I miss all of it: being out on the water, the
thrill of that first tug, releasing the catch and watching it swim away… As the
temperatures warm up I’m already researching a few places to try our luck, and
Roberts will soon get the assignment of sorting out the boys’ poles and gear – as
I know he’s got his ready to go!
With
Presidents’ Day on Monday and inclement weather holidays yesterday and today,
Greenville kids have gotten a little winter mini-break.
On the
other hand, most of our plans this week have been cancelled due to hazardous
driving conditions. So hello, stir-crazy.
Dad
waited until the roads were safe to head to work yesterday, and we had a couple
of hours to explore the frozen milieu with him in the morning.
Luckily
there was little wind in our neck of the woods, and so other than a branch or
two our big trees are still intact and power remained on.
My
hyacinth came up a little early this year, I don’t think it will make it. And
the carrots, radish and salad that have been slowly but surely producing for us
all winter are probably goners. But oh, it was gorgeous outside – our own
Frozen.
I was
amazed at the vibrant colors magnified by the ice.
Even
our lawn had been transformed, with delicate Chihuly sculptures emerging from
the ground.
The
boys were less enthralled with the world of ice, as what little wasn’t too hard
to play with soaked their gloves in an instant. So we took it all in and then
headed indoors for hot chocolate.
Because
that’s what snow (ice) days are all about, aren’t they? Hot chocolate.
1. Aldi
is coming to our neighborhood! We’re in a bit of a grocery dead zone, hence the
excitement. The new store will be located on Pleasantburg near the Home Depot.
About the brand - Karl and Theo Albrecht founded Aldi together in Germany, but
a disagreement in 1960 over selling cigarettes caused a split; the stores north of the Rhine & in part of Europe would become Theo’s Aldi Nord, and Karl’s Aldi
Süd would be in southern Germany, the U.K. and Ireland. Today both companies
operate in the U.S., Aldi Süd as Aldi, and Aldi Nord as Trader Joe’s. And I
bring this up because both companies sell French and European products that we
grew to love while living in France. For those curious as to what a French
expat living the US would buy at Trader Joe’s, please read French Girl in
Seattle’s Trader Joe’s 10 Best French Finds.
2. The
new trolleys officially have their new route and now their new signs indicating
trolley stops. We’ve not taken the trolley since last year, but look forward to many
future trips. To download the map showing the trolley route and stops visit the
Greenville City website here. Now if only they had an app utilizing GPS, showing
potential riders where the trolleys are located at any given time…
Photo on left courtesy of the Greenville Police Department's facebook page
3. We
had to reroute our usual way to the library due to a giant sinkhole! The
picture on the left is from the Greenville Police Department's facebook page, I didn’t get to
it until repairs had begun – picture on the right. I’m not bringing this up
because of having to reroute to get to the library, instead it’s the nature of
sinkholes that gets me; one day a giant chasm just opens up! Luckily this one
didn’t swallow any cars (that I know of).
4. The
Children’s Museum of the Upstate has brought back the blue blocks. I was hardly
able to write that, much less say it! (brought back the blue blocks, blought
black the brue bocks…) The boys are happy, I’m happy. The Simple Machines exhibit
is an introduction to engineering teaching children to recognize and understand
six types of simple machines (levers, wheels and axles, pulleys, inclined
planes, edges and screws) as they design and build structures of their own. The exhibit will be in Greenville until May 17th.
5. On
a more somber note, our neighborhood butcher Mr. Parker has passed away. Reading
his obituary told me so many things I didn’t know about the kind man who always
welcomed us into his store with a smile and hearty hello. Mr. Parker was
originally from Mississippi and served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Afterwards
he lived in Detroit and was a decorated officer of the Detroit Police
Department for 17 years, also attending Wayne State University. Having moved to
Greenville in 1970, Mr. Parker founded Parkersway Food which has served
customers in the North Main area since. I’m embarrassed as to how little I knew
about a man that was always so kind to us, always took the time to tell me he
valued our business and was happy to see us. Mr. Parker taught me that here in
the South a spatchcocked chicken is called a ‘split chicken’ and his freshly
ground beef always beat the stuff to be had at the big chain. Even during his illness
he always had a smile for the boys. My condolences to the family… He will be missed.
We had
one final adventure awaiting us in the mountains of Costa Rica: La Paz Waterfall Gardens. The morning excursion up to the rim of Poás volcano had
ended in foggy (non)views and I was worried that the cloud cover and rain would
make for an uncomfortable afternoon at the famous attraction. To reach the
northeast slope of the volcano from the Poás National Park we had to drive
south all the way to Poacito, then east, and then north. The gardens opened in 2000, and are
adjacent to the Peace Lodge, deluxe accommodations complete with Jacuzzis,
fireplaces and waterfalls in room; they are also booked months in advance. We
made the short trip back up the slope of the volcano and entered.
The
main attraction of the 70 acre park is the series of five waterfalls connected
with a 2.5 mile trail, but there is no shortage of amazing exhibits and museums.
We started at Trout Lake, walking behind the man-made waterfalls and admiring
the view.
The
Aviary is a sanctuary for rescued birds that cannot be released back to the
wild, similar to the Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary we had visited on the south
coast. Wildly colored macaws, grosbeaks and tanagers flitted about in the
enclosure, and Lauris and I even had the pleasure of meeting a toucan, face to
face.
The
butterfly observatory contained over 20 different species and included a
station allowing visitors to follow the lifecycle of a butterfly. Although
beautiful, I found it sad that these outrageously colorful creatures were
enclosed, and there seemed a disproportionate amount dead. I would much rather
visit the Roper Mountain Science Center butterfly garden…
In the
monkey exhibit we met spider monkeys, white faced monkeys and white tufted
eared marmosets.
The
hummingbird garden was rather unbelievable. The brochure boasts that “this is
the only documented place in the world to find 26 hummingbird species” and
although I can’t say how many different species we saw, I do know that despite
the rain and cold the garden was alive with the humming of tiny wings and the chirruping
as they chased one another around from feeder to feeder.
It was
a quick glance at the Serpentarium with its thirty snakes before entering the
jungle cat exhibit. It was depressing to see these cats pacing their
enclosures, although interesting to see animals we will never see in the wild: jaguars,
pumas, ocelots, margays, jaguarundis…
There
was a beautiful orchid garden – I found my photographs did not do the display
justice.
The
frog exhibit was pretty cool, with poison dart and leaf frogs hiding throughout
the house. It was actually pretty tricky to find them, although we did spot a
handful.
One of
the most interesting exhibits was Casita de la Paz. The reproduction of a rural
farm was built using only tools available to the average farmer a century ago,
and actors in period costume were on hand demonstrating various farm chores. A
hand-painted carreta was the tool
once used to transport coffee beans; it was in the 19th century when
the custom began to paint the cart in bright colors with geometric designs. Metal
rings were added to strike the hubcap and chime when in motion, and the
spokeless wheels are bound with a metal belt.
And
then it was on to the waterfalls. The five waterfalls are El Templo (85ft), Magia
Blanca (120 ft), adjacent Encantada
(65ft) and Escondida (15ft) and
finally La Paz (110 ft). The trail is
constructed in such a way that there are multiple viewpoints for a majority of
the waterfalls, and with Templo we
took in the view from in front of the falls before crossing the river and
having a look from a different perspective.
The
usually unimpressive view of a waterfall from the top (in this case Magia Blanca) was rendered indisputably
astounding with a backdrop straight out of the movies.
Each
waterfall seemed more breathtaking than the previous, and as the sun came out
for the last portion of our hike, the experience became simply magical.
Magia Blanca waterfall (look for the boys for scale)
The
area gets on average 14.5 feet of
rainfall per year. Because of the change in elevation and aspect, the trail
covered both cloud and rainforest. I thought it interesting that the La Paz
river flows east to the Caribbean, but rainfall on the other side of the
volcano flows west, towards the Pacific.
Encantada & Escondida with Magia Blanca visible in the background
One of
the most ingenious design aspects of the trail construction is that it is
mostly downhill, and a shuttle takes you from the end of the trail back up to
park reception. (That way you can save your strength for other important
things, like 40th birthday celebrations.) We opted to retrace the
shuttle bus route once in our rental car in order to drive all the way down to
the bottom of La Paz waterfall, as the only view afforded by the trail was from
the top.
The La
Paz Waterfall Gardens were an incredible addition to our Costa Rican
experience. The opportunity to see five such magnificent waterfalls in such
close proximity with the ease of a paved trail and stairs connecting the lot was not one to be passed up, especially when combined with the chance to see
more native animals close-up with the facilities at hand to make the rainforest
a little more comfortable for a family with small children. On our trip back to
the cabin we reflected on the previous week and realized that despite the end
of clean/dry clothes to wear and the wet/rainy weather, the gardens were the
crowning event of our Costa Rican adventure.
Our
first Costa Rican volcano experience was with Arenal – the 5,358 foot giant
that was among the most active in the world until 2010. The lodge we
stayed in those first days boasted “the best volcano view” in the region, and this might have
been the case, but we never saw it as the rain and fog had us socked in
for our three night stay. I can’t
complain too much as it did clear up enough to see Lake Arenal, the 33 square
mile reservoir which is the largest lake in Costa Rica. But I also should have
known better than making plans to stop at Poás Volcano during the last days of
our trip.
Grand views on our way up to the Poas National Park
Poás
is 8,884 ft tall, part of the Poás National Park which encompasses 14,000 acres
of the Central Valley Mountain Range. Easily accessible from San José, the park
is Costa Rica’s most visited park; most of its visitors probably like us,
making the trip, paying the fee, hiking in and seeing absolutely nothing due to
the rain and fog!
From
the little town of Poasito where we were staying it’s an incredibly scenic 6
miles to the park. Views appeared and disappeared, coffee fields and dairy
pastures providing beautiful views along the winding road. A rather steep
entrance fee later we parked in the lot and walked ten minutes along a paved
path to reach the rim of the crater.
According to DK Eyewitness Travel “a
viewing terrace grants visitors an awe-inspiring view down into the heart of
the hissing and steaming caldera, which is 895 ft deep and a mile wide. It
contains an acidic turquoise lake, sulfurous fumaroles, and a 245-ft tall cone…
On clear days, it is possible to get magnificent views of both the Caribbean
Sea and the Pacific Ocean.” After sticking around in the wind and rain for over
thirty minutes, the clouds parted for about 7 seconds for this view…
I’m
curious as to the ratio of clear to cloudy days on the summit of Poás. Of the
two days we attempted both were cloudy, as is to be expected in the cloud
forest, despite it being morning and the dry season - as suggested by all the
guide books. As a comparison, here is the view on a clear day as seen on Wikipedia.
The
park is well known for the 80 species of birds that reside within its forests,
among them the rare resplendent quetzal. Overheard on the rim of the crater was
a group of tourists whose bus driver had stopped on the road to the park “because
there was some bird on a branch, a pretzel bird – it was pretty cool.” We did
not see the elusive pretzel bird, but did stop at the visitor center to learn
more about the region, the volcanos and the history of eruptions.
On
both trips up the volcano we stopped at the same restaurant, one with fantastic
views (despite the clouds), delicious milkshakes and friendly staff. I highly
recommend eating lunch at Quieres? instead of the Poás National Park cafeteria.
Finally,
strawberries. The slopes of Poás are famous for their rich volcanic soil,
supporting numerous coffee plantations, flower farms, dairy pastures (Costa
Rica’s famous white farmer’s cheese is from the region) and strawberry farms! For
a foodie post on all the regional delicacies to be had you can read this post,
but we can attest to the strawberries; they were juicy and fresh, as luscious
as they were red and beautiful, and you have your choice of vendors on the
roads leaving Poasito.
Although
disappointed in the cloudy view of the crater, our trip to the La Paz Waterfall
Gardens later that afternoon turned out more memorable than we could have hoped
for. The day was a wonderful 40th birthday celebration for the
husband, and the final hoorah on our Costa Rican adventure.
