Memoirs of a Masseur May/June 2023 – Todd Pequeen

Washing sheets is one of my favorite daily activities. Washing machine, dryer (21 years after moving here I finally purchased a dryer as I previously hung my laundry), folding and putting away. Why? You ask. Washing sheets directly correlates to the number of massages (work) I had on that day, or on days previously. Yes—massage therapists are professionals at laundering their linens and removing stains—mainly blood, dirt (from feet), and occasional excrement or red wine. I’m not kidding nor am I rattled by anything left on my sheets, it is simply part of the job. Sometimes it is emotional baggage that is left behind. I have 20 sets of sheets in total, mostly white, however some are a powder blue, I even have a grey set. I like to keep them white but experiment with deals on Amazon or the newest of “bamboo” or “thread count” magic. White represents many amazing concepts to humans. Sometimes my wife takes charge, she is an expert at folding. I’ll admit I lack the discipline of a fine crease and a square or rectangular result. I am not militant in any way shape or form other than accepting massages and giving results, other than that I have quite the free spirit surfer attitude that I moved here with 23 years ago. I enjoy washing my regular clothes as well, just not as much as sheets and face cradle coverings, and the hand towels I wear on my shoulder to wipe sweat as a professional does not drip on their clients. Washing sheets also give me time to think about my clients and about the session, what could have gone better, both in my day and with my clients.
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Welcome to the May & June edition of That’s Fishin’.

OFFSHORE FISHING

April produced some fantastic Marlin fishing for the Quepos fleet as good numbers of Blue Marlin in the 150-250lb range were released. There were a few big black Marlin caught over the Offshore Reefs as well as a few striped Marlin out deep.

April produced some big bull Dorado and we saw the first schools of baby Dorados of the season, which are almost certainly the Offspring from last year’s peak Dorado run in November. We love seeing lots of baitfish and small juvenile fish out there, showing signs of a healthy ocean and fishery. There have been lots of groups of Tuna about over the past few weeks, however, they have been pretty tough to catch on some days. Bonito livebaits have been the #1 bait but blue runners and some artificial baits have been working too. Marlin, Sailfish, Tuna and Dorado should all still be present as we move into May/June and the Wahoo should make an entrance as the seasonal rains begin and the water temps drop. Our Offshore reefs are the #1 place to catch a Wahoo and May to August is the best time here to do so. Offshore deep drop bottom fishing can also produce some excellent results with Grouper, Snapper, Tilefish and more at this time of year also.

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What’s Shaking @ Marina Pez Vela

WHAT AN AMAZING START TO 2023!  The first months of this year have meant so much to the family at Marina Pez Vela and our local community. Certainly, the highlight of the first trimester of the year has been the overwhelming return of our friends, families, and tourism industry which has surpassed the expectations of even the most optimistic projections. At the Marina, from the record setting RockStar Tournament in January right through to the Marina Pez Vela Open and Offshore World Championships in late April, it has been amazing to see the energy, passion, smiles, and absolute love affair which our new and returning guests are enjoying with our community and facility. While May and June used to signal the end of a high season, they are now a welcomed transition into the refreshing first rains of the year and what promises to be a busy summer travel season.

The Marina continues to celebrate our community and this destination with some great events, celebrations and some incredibly fun tournaments to keep on your schedule.

Summer Solstice Shootout, July 1

The Summer Solstice shootout is a one-of-a-kind tournament that everyone should find a way to participate in if possible. Unlike most tournaments which are focused on either one species (Dorado Derby) or are Billfish-focused, the Summer Solistice Shootout is all about diversity and time. Anglers and teams have all day to try to capture as many species as possible in a day. The event is really a celebration of the diversity of our rich marine environment and an opportunity for big and small boats, along with anglers of all shapes, sizes, and experience levels to enjoy fishing inshore, offshore, trolling, and bottom fishing with up to 20 available qualifying species. Do not miss a chance to participate and create some unforgettable memories in this year’s Summer Solstice Shootout.

We Are MPV

While we will always be sharing news and events in this newsletter, we will also be featuring one of our tenants, charter operations, or departments to being to share with you all a glimpse of all of the people and teams who make this project so amazing. This month we highlight Marsha Bennet and Quepos Tackle Shop.

It is quite simply impossible to think about the Sportfishing industry and history of Quepos without highlighting the fingerprints of Marsha Bennett, owner/heart and soul of the Quepos Tackle shop. Marsha, operated her iconic The Runaway Grill restaurant that has fed so many of our families with love, passion, stories, and laughter. Marsha is a world class angler and has been a part of the growth of the Sportfishing industry here from day one. It is fitting that her Quepos Tackle shop, located right on the waterfront is now equipping our fleet of boats and visiting anglers with everything that need to continue setting record, catching memories, and building the lore of the very industry she helped to put on the map. Whether you are an experienced veteran or preparing for your first trip out on the water, don’t miss the chance to visit Marsha and her team at the Quepos Tackle Shop.

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We are celebrating our One Year Anniversary! We have never had a storewide sale before. So this IS IT! Honestly, EVERYTHING in the store’s showroom is on sale. EVERY DAY we will have very special unique items for sale at 50% off the regular price, ONLY for that day. The next day we will change the special items that are 50% off. Which be the way, are BELOW our cost (wholesale price paid, shipping from the US, Europe or Asia, 30% import tax paid to the Costa Rican government…) You MUST come into the store to see that day’s 50% off items (no phone calls.) All other items in the store are listed below, and their percentage off.

Many of these items are either one-of-a-kind or there is only one or just a few left. Once they are gone, they are gone.

We just received a new 40 foot container shipment a couple weeks ago, containing: 3 new styles of sleeper sofas, exciting home décor, amethyst and quartz crystals, 5 new ‘gear’ clocks (all styles sold out within weeks last shipment!), new floral and greenery, 7 new side tables, sofa tables, coffee tables, new art, 5 new faux (yet, lifelike) coral décor, agate and marble décor and so much more… ALL ON SALE NOW!

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Bye-Bye Mosquitos

Many years ago, before we had electricity, I had a small fish tank. I couldn’t use an air pump to oxygenate the water, so I had to struggle to keep everything in balance as best I could. Fish need oxygen, which is produced by green plants, which need nutrients, which are provided by fish feces, which comes from fish that eat everything from green plants and fish food to mosquito larvae. If you feed the fish too much, the excess food will lie on the bottom of the aquarium and decompose, a process which depletes the oxygen. You need just the right amount of each thing, fish, plants, and fish food. Snails are important too. They clean the algae off the glass. My fish were common guppies. A couple of tiny tree frogs also found the tank to their liking and added their presence to the mix. Plants, water, and mosquitos. What else could a frog want. This added a new twist to the balancing of the tank. Guppies like frog eggs and tadpoles, and tadpoles eat mosquito eggs, larva, and pupae. Is it any wonder that I failed to create a perfectly balanced aquarium and had to empty it out and start over a couple of times? It was quite a challenge which I never got exactly right, but I learned a lot about nature and especially about the dynamics of aquatic ecosystems.

That fish tank was the beginning of my understanding of mosquitos. After 53 years of living in the tropics, where mosquitos thrive, I’ve learned a lot. When Hacienda Barú was engaged in rice farming we had hordes of mosquitos. I remember one night when I had to wear a jacket, leather shoes and gloves, lather my face with repellent, and sleep under a mosquito net to keep from being ravaged. When we quit farming rice, and spraying insecticides all over the fields, the mosquitos diminished. In addition to the insects that damage rice, the insecticides kill a lot of other things, some of which prey on mosquitos, including dragonflies, spiders, frogs, geckos, and fish.

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Thai Tom Kha Soup – Desiree Brassert

This creamy, fragrant, soul-warming soup is hard to beat. Let the red curry paste work its magic even if some aromatics are unavailable. Here is the chicken version. A few easy changes can make it vegan.

Ingredients for 8 to 10 servings

• 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
• 1 small white onion, finely sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 small fresh hot pepper, preferably red, or to taste
• 1 lemongrass stalk, closest to roots, leaf blades discarded
• 1 knob of ginger
• 1 knob of galanga
• 4 kaffir lime leaves or a small piece of lime rind
• 3 tablespoons of Thai red curry paste
• 2 tablespoons of lime juice
• 4 tablespoons of fish sauce (soy sauce for vegan version)
• 4 cups of chicken stock (vegetable stock for vegan version)
• 4 cups of unsweetened coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons of coconut sugar or brown sugar
• 1 whole boneless chicken breast cut into small cubes
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced
• Chopped cilantro leaves for garnish

Directions

1. Heat coconut oil in a soup pot and add onions, garlic, pepper, lemongrass, ginger, galanga, kaffir lime leaves, and curry paste.
2. Fry until fragrant for 5 minutes then add the chicken stock.
3. Simmer for at least 30 minutes, preferably one hour.
4. Strain the solids and return the stock to the soup pot.
5. Add coconut milk, chicken breast and remaining ingredients except for the cilantro.
6. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked.
7. Adjust the seasoning to your taste by adding more curry paste, fish sauce, lime juice, or sugar.
8. Garnish with cilantro before serving.

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Kid’s Camp – Fun in the Ocean

Here at the dive shop we are always about inspiring new people to come exploring the ocean with us. One of our primary goals with the new administration is to build our involvement in the local community as part of this. One of the most exciting projects that we started over Xmas and then again, this past Semana Santa was running some kid’s conservation camps to get younger members of our community involved and learning all about the ocean.

Did you know that children can get the PADI junior open water certification card as young as 10 years old? Participants need to be comfortable in the water and a good basic swimmer but they can start exploring the local ocean and reef from that age.

But, did you know as well, that they can start scuba diving, in a pool environment as young as 8?! The program is called the PADI seal team, and whilst you cannot see real fish in the pool, you can certainly have an adventure there.

Taking these programs as our first camp basis we created two different types of conservation camps. Each including an element of conservation and whilst introducing the children to the importance of their local environment, we are hoping to inspire all of the kids into becoming ECO warriors.

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Bienvenidos …Welcome.

I have written 27 paragraphs and shaved it to 9. But only 4 fit and Paul is waiting to put HIS baby to sleep. So I am saving it for July. Our Birthday I mean EVERY TOURIST, EXPAT, and Tico who ever touched a QUEPOLANDIA CELEBRATE and if you see Paul buy him a drink, he has earned it.

Change stimulus our very being.

We look forward to what’s ahead, 25 years of publication done. Website almost 1,000,000 views. Did that too. (Updated website soon.) So how can we beat the last 25 years of sharing this enchanted paradise we all call home? Change, you never know what is coming—but with a Positive Attitude and “Pura Vida” success is achieved by those who try. Thank you so much Ana.Your Dream. Keep trying. Pat, well we all love you and your soul is in every issue. I just deliver them and Paul makes me look good. So kind of a tough act to follow but we aren’t following we are just pausing putting a flag in the ground to mark HISTORY. My first QUEPOLANDIA Flag was 23 years ago. It is not only a flag but I still have it. We’ll let you know in July. We are taking on the challenge of a repeat season with a new look, website, too early to talk about but our nonprofit has hatched. Change—never—we will always begin with Ana’s first word. We will always start with Bienvenidos …Welcome.

We just added Gracias and to everyone, especially all the advertisers that trusted us every single month to get magazines to a newsstand near you by the first of the month Thank you. We ALL do. You and Paul made it happen without either, never. Thank you both. Please take a bow.

We want to Thank Lorena Rojas with the coveted not final cover. But this is history, grab one quick and no selling them on eBay. It least until 2048. That will be another good flag time to look back. I really hope WingPeopleUnited is flocked together and we made a positive change—to Mother Earth For future generations. STOP. LOOK UP. Conservation of Mother Earth and all that live with her. The next 25 years we need to improve and we have a plan. A change.

And Ana Ana could have also started with just 2 words, PURA VIDA.

As always, please share your comments on [email protected] from our first 25 years and we hope to share them in July Quepolandia.

Gracias A Todos
Peace and Enjoy…Q. Mike Drop…Get ready for Our Encore, we ARE.

See you all at sunset July 1 to “Make a Wish’

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SAY NO TO SLOTH EXPLOITATION!

Don’t visit any facility, in any country, that allows you to touch, feed or take a photo with a sloth. Sloths in these situations are being exploited for money and do not contribute to their conservation. In Costa Rica, this practice is illegal because it is not in the best interest of the animals. In countries like the US this practice is unfortunately legal, but you will find that the facilities that allow this often purchase baby sloths directly from the wild to train them for these practices. This often leads to their death from poor diet at a young age and always leads to their direct lack of freedom to support this industry.

SLOTHS ARE NOT PETS!

This should go without saying, but sloths are wild animals that belong in the wild and only want to stay there. Never purchase a sloth to keep for yourself. They would not be happy and would likely die from an improper diet and stress.

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All About Nudibranchs

Whilst we may not boast the giants of the Galapagos or Isla del Coco, those of us that dive and snorkel the waters around Manuel Antonio know there is still plenty to see. Sometimes you just have to get down and dirty. For that reason, this month, we are going to have a look at some of our lesser known, but still incredibly beautiful residents, the nudibranchs.

What is a nudibranch I hear you say?

It is a type of slug but not your garden variety, eat your vegetables garden slug. These guys are amazing and we are going to tell you about why they are amazing and an important part of our marine ecosystem.

Nudibranchs live in the ocean all around the planet. Mostly on coral reefs and in seagrass but some do float around in the wide ocean. For a quick bit of biology, they have exposed gills, head tentacles, rhinophores (tentacles that are considered to be organs to smell on the back of their head or neck) and are mainly carnivorous—see you learnt something!

Many of our divers and visitors have never even heard of one, and once you spot them underwater you are enthralled. They vary in size, with the smallest only being about 4mm, and the largest can grow to up to 600mm. Here around the Manuel Antonio National Park, they are on average 100-300mm.

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THE JOY OF BOREDOM – Todd Pequeen

In my past I have lived out of a van. My tent has also been my home next to a lazy Colorado River. In my future I hope to again have my bed, kitchen, and living area in five meters of space. For the bathroom I had to exit and walk to an old-school out house, a simple hole in the ground. Other than that, everything I needed was in that van, or set up, around my tent. Upon my return to Manuel Antonio my house, car, and possessions weighed me down. I don’t mean they bummed me out, I am thankful for the material things I have. Rather, I feel my time spent dealing with everything, organizing stuff, requires time away from something I grew fond of while on the road…boredom. Amazing boredom. I mean exactly that, boredom became a comfort and with luck, will be a friend for life after my final adventure. I am no monk but for my almost fifty-two years simplicity, peace, and contentment come to me easier through the release of material items, responsibilities, and “to-do” lists. Tedious repetition of nothing exciting can cause uncommonly vivacious results.
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