San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

While I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Costa Rica, I visited neighboring Nicaragua with my wife (then girlfriend), who was visiting me from the U.S.

My wife’s father is from Nicaragua, so we went to see the extended family in the capital of Managua. Before going to Managua, we visited the coastal town of San Juan del Sur.

While Costa Rica and Nicaragua are similar in many ways and also have a little rivalry going (both claim to be the creators of the “gallo pinto” dish), I never did see women carrying things on their heads in Costa Rica, but saw this many times in Nicaragua!

We had a memorable trip and I look forward to visiting again and seeing more beaches, such as Miramar on the Pacific, or Corn Island on the Caribbean side.

Currently I’m working on a painting of a sunset over the water in San Juan del Sur.

Potomac River Hiking

The other day we went for a walk along the nearby Potomac River. After a cold winter, Spring is in full bloom here.

I got a few photos that I’ll also soon be painting!

Adventure in Playa Panama, Costa Rica

Playa Panama is in the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica, along the northwest Pacific coast.

It’s a tranquil alternative to nearby Playa Hermosa, a popular beach among locals and tourists.

A few friends and I visited both beaches, and took an adventuresome route from Playa Panama nearly all the way back to Playa Hermosa a couple miles away. We decided to walk/climb/crawl along the waters edge between the two beaches.

…..and here I am as a Costa Rican Ocean God:

Soon I’ll be finishing a painting of Playa Panama, which is currently in progress.

By the way, did you know that the province of Guanacaste is one of the places with the most centenarians in the world?