October 31, 2025: Welcome to our October cocktail hour. Let’s have a Río Celeste Guaro, an icy blue drink that mirrors the blue waters of the Río Celeste in Parque Nacional Volcán Tenorio. We can enjoy breezes and sunset views over Volcanoes Tenorio and Miravalles, and maybe we’ll be lucky to see or hear some of the 17 birds I’ve added to the Merlin app this month, including a Yellow-throated Toucan, Summer Tanager, Bananaquit, Piratic Flycatcher, Buff-throated Saltator, Scarlet-rumped Tanager, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Great Antshrike, Bright-rumped Attila, and Tody Motmot. We invite you to celebrate my 70th birthday with us at Celeste Mountain Lodge near Volcán Tenorio. You can even come along vicariously on our return home to Virginia for two weeks, go to the pumpkin patch with the family, celebrate our granddaughter’s second birthday, stroll through Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, and sip wines at a winery.
I have a variety of soda, seltzer water, or bebida de aloe for those of you who don’t drink. Mike can also whip up some excellent smoothies. Thanks for joining us in our escape into a peaceful corner of the world.
October marked our fifth month in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. It was in most ways a busy month and in some ways a laid-back, homebody-type month.
A two-week return to the US for Allie’s birthday & other business
We flew out of Guanacaste Airport in Liberia on the first of the month. Our friend Bruce drove us to the airport and there, we met Adam and his friend Jon, who happened to be flying on the same flight as us to Miami. Adam had called us the night before to tell us he was returning to the U.S. for a job, and we were all surprised he had happened to book on the same flight. What a nice alignment of the universe.
In Miami, Adam and Jon flew on to Washington State, and we flew onward to Reagan International in D.C., where we arrived close to midnight.
Family Affairs in Virginia
On Friday night, our daughter Sarah came up to our house from Richmond to spend the weekend with us. We were thrilled to have her. She always adds so much joy to every occasion.
Temple Hill Farm and Barnhouse Brewery
On Saturday, all of us went to Temple Hill Farm for a pumpkin patch, games, drinks, and hay rides. It was hotter than I would have liked, but we had a good time anyway.
After our time at the pumpkin patch, we went to Barnhouse Brewery for some craft beers.
Allie’s 2nd birthday
We celebrated Allie’s birthday on Sunday, October 5, with everyone in attendance, including Aunt Sarah and Great Aunt Barbara. Sarah and Alex made a delicious frittata based on Sydney’s “Omelette” from The Bear because Sarah knew I loved that Boursin cheese omelette topped with Sour Cream & Onion potato chips. They also made sausages, blueberry pancakes and mimosas. They brought out a cake with birthday wishes for Allie (2) and me (70 – although my birthday wasn’t until the 25th).
Allie got lots of gifts and was of course the center of attention in her little princess dress.
Meadowlark Botanical Gardens
On Sunday, October 12, Jandira had to work, so we went with Alex and Allie to Meadowlark Botanical Gardens. Allie got to climb on the gazebo and see the Korean statues, the bell tower, ponds and flowers. She especially loved the butterfly bench.
Babysitting Allie
Sunday night we babysat Allie while Alex and Jandira went out to dinner at Tsunami Sushi. We had fun listening and singing to songs, watching Bluey, eating dinner, and putting together gear puzzles and blocks.
Old Farm Winery at Hartland
On Monday, October 13, (Indigenous People’s Day), our last full day in the U.S., Jandira had the day off so we all went to Old Farm Winery in Hartland. We had pizza, pita chips and dip, a bottle of Viognier and a Cabernet Sauvignon. Allie had fun running around in her leopard print dress and “leather” jacket, a birthday gift from her Aunt Sarah.
Dining out in Virginia
We dined out while we were in Virginia, some new places as well as some old standbys. Our first night back, on October 2, we took the family to Bear Branch Tavern, where Allie was well behaved and we were warmed by a fire pit outdoors. On the night of the Hunter’s Moon, we met our friends Karen and Michael at Lantern House Kitchen & Bar, an Asian fusion place we’d never before tried. Mike and I went to one of our favorites, Mazadar in Fairfax, where we lounged on pillows and shared a bottle of wine.
Homebody stuff in Virginia
We had booked the tickets home at the same time we booked our tickets to Costa Rica, mainly to be home to celebrate our granddaughter Allie’s 2nd birthday. We spent a lot of time hanging out around the house with the family. Mike and I also had various doctor and dentist appointments, voted a straight Democratic ticket for governor of Virginia and other statewide offices, and got our COVID and flu shots. I had a haircut and pedicure and a couple of trigger point massages while I was there, and I had to see the dentist three times, once for mouth pain I was having, once for a cleaning, and once for a filling. I took some of my familiar walks in northern Virginia. Mike and I also accompanied Alex to Big Blue Swim School for Allie’s weekly swim lesson.
Returning to Costa Rica via Miami
On Tuesday the 14th, we got up at 2:30 a.m. to catch an Uber to Reagan National outside of D.C. for a 5:00 a.m. flight to Miami. After a 3-hour layover, we flew home to Costa Rica. Our trusty neighbor Bruce picked us up in our Mitsubishi at the Guanacaste Airport in Liberia at 11:45 Costa Rica time. After a 1 1/2 hour drive, we opened the house, which was like a greenhouse after being closed up for two weeks. As we waited for it to cool off, a huge thunderstorm let loose overhead and our power went out for about an hour.
We unpacked all the stuff we brought from Virginia, including over 30 books.
Dining out in Costa Rica
Upon arriving back in Costa Rica, we went to Soda El Nilo on a foggy night with birds in Tilarán making a cacophony of noise; there we learned of the famous Leche dormida (sleeping milk). Darrell and Farida invited us to their house for smoked chicken, corn, smashed potatoes and lots of Chilean wine which they generously shared from their recent trip to Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. One rainy day we went to Sodita El Mercado, a local Tico spot in a food court in Tilarán. After protesting at a NO KINGS protest in Nuevo Arenal, we went with Darrell, Farida, & Carol to Los Platillos Voladores (“Flying Saucers”), EatAlienFood, where we enjoyed pizzas, lasagna and ravioli. Mike and I had a lunch out at Soda Doña Chila in Trondaora.
On Thursday the 30th, we had what I would liken to a fall day in Virginia. My personal trainer Nela texted me a frozen grimacing face and we saw Costa Ricans wearing parkas. Meanwhile, I was still wearing shorts and it seemed the perfect day to me. We went partway around the lake to Café & Macadamia, a place we hadn’t visited since shortly after we arrived here in June. It was sunny and breezy and we enjoyed magnificent views over the lake. I got a tall lemonade with fresh basil that tasted a bit like pesto; Mike had a tamarind juice. I had a lasagna with chicken and white sauce while Mike had a special we’ve been looking forward to trying: Pastel de Yucca, or Yucca (Cassava) Shepherd’s Pie stuffed with beef and tomato sauce. It was a rather heavy lunch so when we returned home, I relaxed and read a book I was trying to finish by month-end: At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon.
A NO KINGS protest in Nuevo Arenal
I got a message the week we returned from someone in our yoga group about a NO KINGS protest being organized in Nuevo Arenal for Saturday morning, October 18 at 11:00. We let our friends Carol, Darrell and Farida know about it and told them we planned to go if they wanted to attend as well. Darrell and Carol came to our house first where we drew up some quick posters and then drove together to the meeting point at Tracy’s house. We got a bit lost so we were a little late for the largest of two gatherings, this one of about two dozen people. We all chanted “This is what democracy looks like!” Then we met a few others in front of the gymnasium in Nuevo Arenal where cars driving past could see our protest.
My 70th birthday celebration at Celeste Mountain Lodge & Parque Nacional Volcán Tenorio
On my birthday weekend, October 24-26, we drove about 1 hour 45 minutes north to Bijagua, where we stayed at Celeste Mountain Lodge for two nights. Bijagua is near Parque Nacional Volcán Tenorio 🌋, home to an inactive but huge volcano that covers much of the area north of Lago Arenal.
We stopped just south of Upala at the Colibrí Organic Chocolate factory, PilHio, where owner Giovanni gave us a little tour of the factory after suiting us up in hair nets & brown shirts and having us leave behind our watches, bags and jewelry. He showed us where they ferment and dry the cacao beans, where they dehydrate pineapple and other flavors they add to the chocolate, and where they mix the chocolate, put it in molds and package it.
While in that area, we ate a lunch in Upala at Bajo Mundo where I had the typical pescada de la plancha and Mike had Mexican tacos. We also had Imperial and Pilsen beers.
We arrived at the beautiful Celeste Mountain Lodge at around 2:30. The lodge’s decor revolves around an open-air concept, where guests feel the outdoors is enveloping them in a magical cocoon. Painted corrugated iron is used to great effect in decor and light fixtures. We had wonderful couples massages at 4:00.
Friday night we had drinks and dinner at Celeste Mountain Lodge, where once again the French chef outdid himself. We had a cold appetizer of Ceviche of Water Squash (chayote), a Tilapia filet with Lemon-Piperacia (wild bush) sauce, and Mike had Beef tenderloin Chimichuri. Mike had a blue dessert, Río Celeste: Lemon and ginger cream & Curaçao. The sleeping was good in our blue room with fall-like breezes wafting in through the window slats.
Saturday morning, we did a 3.7 mile hike that was partly strenuous due to steep climbs and descents and wet slippery rocks and mud. The rest of our hike at Rio Celeste, the blue river, took us to the blue pools, the bubbling sulfur pools, and bridges across the blue river.
Lunch at YeYe’s Restaurante brought a few treats. Mike mentioned to the owner Jorge that today was my birthday, and we were surprised when the family brought out a plantain desert with a candle and sang “Happy birthday” to me.
We enjoyed a fabulous birthday dinner at the lodge. I sipped wine & Mike a Scotch while talking to the French owner Joel, who has been in Costa Rica for 18 years. He has a beautiful house on the hotel property as well as a house in San Jose where his Brazilian wife and daughter live. He’s from the Loire Valley but is also a Canadian citizen. We commiserated about the orange menace in the White House, and it was great to hear the Canadian perspective.
I ate Tilapia with dill sauce, accompanied by scalloped potatoes and a squash soufflé with caramelized onions. Mike had Chicken with a Passionfruit Sauce. The staff brought out a mousse fringed with flower petals and everyone in the restaurant sang a rousing “Happy Birthday.” The food at this restaurant is superb and is prepared in a spotless open kitchen by the long-time French chef there.
What a wonderful atmosphere in which to usher in my next decade.
Drives, walks and local explorations
We took a walk down Peninsula 1 one day, and another walk on the gravel roads behind the pickleball courts where we encountered some of the local animals.
Tilarán’s Friday Cattle Auction
Every Friday in Tilarán there is a cattle auction just outside of town called Subasta Ganadera Tilarán (Livestock Auction). On Friday (Halloween) we finally decided to go and see what it was about. When we arrived we strolled over the walkways to inspect the cattle and then shared a lunch and some beers. The whole affair was fascinating to watch; the cattle were pushed through a chute onto a stage/scale in front of the auctioneer, they were poked and prodded to make them turn to and fro like models on a runway, and then they were rushed off the stage through another chute where they were set aside for buyers to take home in their red, white and blue cattle trucks. The auctioneer spoke so fast, we couldn’t understand a word he was saying, but the identifying number, price, and the weight of each cow were displayed for the audience to see. Sitting in the audience, I was afraid to move in fear we might go home inadvertently with a whole herd of cattle. 🙂
Homebody stuff in Costa Rica
Once back in Costa Rica, I had my hair straightened. I know a different product was used, so I’m not sure about the longevity of the treatment, but time will tell. I also had an appointment with Dra. Jessica María Ugalde Rodriguez at Alma Wellness & Dental Care who couldn’t find a lesion in my mouth but gave me an order for a tomographia (tomography) to be done in Liberia, which I’ve scheduled for the first week in November.
On Monday the 27th, I met Nela, a personal trainer at Monster Gym, for an assessment of my health and physical well-being. She said I’m in great health and did better on the assessments than some of her younger clients. I had misunderstood the cost of her training, and when I found out how much she charges I was flabbergasted. I don’t know how long I’ll work with her, but I will at least do five days of training before we leave for Panama on November 9.
I finished 2 books in October, bringing my total to 38/48; this really puts me behind schedule to reach my goal. Of the two I read, I enjoyed the quirky novel by Jan Karon, At Home in Mitford. We watched one movie, Limpia (Swim to Me) which was just okay. We finished watching Toxic Town and Long Bright River, both of which we loved, as well as Togetherness and If Only. We finished a season of Fisk and Diary of a Ditched Girl. We continued watching Younger, Seinfeld, Platonic, Angela,Unforgotten, The Morning Show, The Diplomat, and Pernille. We also started the mini-series Adolescence, which is intense and addictive from the first moment.
Family Happenings from afar
The weekend of the 18th-19th, Mía got silver medals at a gymnastics competition in Managua. Andrea also won five gold medals! Adam had originally been hoping to return to Nicaragua for this event, but he was still in California working. He made it home to Ometepe on Friday the 24th.
The family in Virginia went to Flying Ace Distillery & Brewery in Lovettsville, VA. Mike and I have been to this place before and loved it; one time we took Alex with us. Both Alex and Jandira are struggling with shoulder pain so they almost didn’t go out, but when they forced themselves to go anyway, they had a marvelous time. Another day the family went to Meadowlark Botanical Gardens. We love when the family sends pictures. It brightens our days here considerably.
The Fall Bingo Card
I checked off quite a few things on my Fall Bingo Card in October. Some I checked off in Virginia, and some in Costa Rica. During our time in the U.S., I checked off the following:
- Paint toenails coral
- Take a scenic fall drive in Virginia (well, it wasn’t THAT scenic – too much traffic!)
- Family time: Allie’s birthday, see Alex, Jandira and Sarah (& Mike’s sister Barbara)
- Have two trigger point massages at Massage Therapy Works
- Get 2026 calendar and bring back 2026 bullet journal
When we returned to Costa Rica, I checked off:
- Try an open water swim in the lake. Now that I have a bright neon buoy to make myself visible to boats, new goggles and a swim cap, I feel much more comfortable swimming in the cove off Lake Arenal.
- I didn’t have the NO KINGS protest on my Bingo Card, but I should have!
- 70th birthday at Celeste Mountain Lodge, Río Celeste, and Massage
- Put together one puzzle: “Hummingbirds”
- Spa Day & Massage – I had two trigger point massages in the U.S. and Mike and I had couples massages at Celeste Mountain Lodge.
- Make 2 bean soups: a black bean soup and a garbanzo & chorizo soup with spinach.
- Find 10 new birds in Costa Rica on Merlin. Over the entire weekend, I added 17 new birds, as well as 2 on September 27. Some of the birds from Celeste Mountain Lodge and Río Celeste included: Yellow-throated Toucan, Summer Tanager, Bananaquit, Piratic Flycatcher, Buff-throated Saltator, Scarlet-rumped Tanager, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Great Antshrike, Bright-rumped Attila, and Tody Motmot. I love the names of these tropical birds! We heard most of these from our corner room at Celeste Mountain Lodge.
- Cattle auction Friday (10/31)
- Wearing one of my cowboy t-shirts (of which I have 11 + a cowboy scarf!)
- I read 4/13 books.
Completing our 1,000 piece “Hummingbirds” puzzle was an accomplishment – and quite addictive!
On my Costa Rica blog, you can find my weekly recaps of our lives in Costa Rica for the month of October:
- a return to virginia to see family & a granddaughter’s 2nd birthday {week 18/52}
- a week in virginia: a swim lesson, family time, meeting friends & taking care of business {week 19/52}
- a winery visit, returning to costa rica after two weeks in the u.s., dinner with friends & a NO KINGS protest {week 20/52}
- celebrating my 70th birthday near volcán tenorio (& a hair straightening & dentist appointment) {week 21/52}
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I hope you’ll share how the year is panning out for you, and what plans you have for the fall and the rest of this year.
How did your October go? Did you have any special family gatherings? Have you welcomed any new additions to your family? Did you celebrate any birthdays or anniversaries? Have you read any good books that can inform your worldview, seen any good movies, binge-watched any television series? Have you planned any adventures or had any autumn getaways? Have you dreamed any dreams? Have you gone to any exotic restaurants, cooked any new dishes? Have you been surprised by anything in life? Have you marked off activities on your Fall Bingo card? Did you get spooky on Halloween? Have you played new games or put together puzzles? Have you made any new friends? Have you learned anything new, taken any classes or just kept up with the news? Have you sung along with any new songs? Have you undertaken any new exercise routines? Have you marched or otherwise participated in political protests? Have you been battered, or alternately, uplifted by any news?
Please share your October with me by giving me the plot below, or a link to a post in your blog that tells about your month.
~ wander.essence ~ 
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