Tag: costa rica

by jad

Costa Rica on 35mm

It seems wildly fortuitous that I get these scans back from @glazersphotolab on World Photography Day, as this kind of portrait has become a bit of a minor tradition of ours as well, having started it in Priest Lake two summers ago. It’s touristy and twee, but it means a lot more to me than you could possibly imagine, so doing it in the waters home to Costa Rica’s “Salsa Brava” just takes the ritual to another level. Here are the very first and last shots I took on this waterproof Fujifilm Quicksnap, connecting the Carribean to Lake Washington, with … Continue reading “Costa Rica on 35mm” →

by jad

Costa Rica: Day 9

After another full day of travel with the usual modern inconveniences of bare minimum offerings for exorbitant prices, constant gate changes and delays, topped off with the most sour-faced boarding pass attendant who probably got her customer training as a prison warden (it was Texas, after all), we’re finally home. And it’s good to say “home.” While I’m not ready to return to real life, I’m happy to be back. This wasn’t my first trip as an American citizen, but, as Christine insightfully put it on our way to the airport, this was my first trip as an American — … Continue reading “Costa Rica: Day 9” →

by jad

Costa Rica: Day 8

Today’s our last full day in Costa Rica and if it hasn’t become disgustingly obvious to you, it is very much clear to me how spoiled we’ve been here. It almost breaks my heart to feel this refreshed and renewed. This is where we’re spending our last few nights. How is this our life? It isn’t — this is only temporary. And yet, what is life but temporary? Is this disassociation, or is this mindful presence? It’s both. It’s the shoreline of our dual realities, sometimes lapping, sometimes crashing, always churning and changing — life’s metabolism. The creation myth of … Continue reading “Costa Rica: Day 8” →

by jad

Costa Rica: Day 7

Today’s the last long driving day when we make our way back to Guanacaste, where we’ll spend a couple more days before heading back to Seattle. So this feels like a good enough time as any to post this random frame I took using Christine’s camera on our most epic moving day when we shuttled back and forth between SLU, SODO, West Seattle, and Madrona. This is where we parked our car when we picked up the U-HAUL. I just love how the light leak that came through after accidentally opening up the back a bit too early actually elevates … Continue reading “Costa Rica: Day 7” →

by jad

Costa Rica: Day 6

I was punched in the gut and slapped on the face by the humidity and heat when we first arrived in Puerta Viejo, and I wasn’t sure I was going to survive the simulated jungle shack experience in our “boutique” accommodations where everything is always a little damp and the “sounds of nature” are part of the fun—there are no windows so you don’t have a choice but enjoy a million cicadas buzzing, a hundred howlers howling, and dozen geckos chirping, day and night. But I was now king of the pivot, and by the second night I had acclimatized … Continue reading “Costa Rica: Day 6” →

by jad

Costa Rica: Instax Moment

Fujifilm had the right idea with their “don’t just take, give” brand philosophy for Instax, encouraging their users (“a generous generation”) to give away more prints instead of being precious about the once-and-done instantness of instant photography. It’s why I started looking into Instax cameras after borrowing a Polaroid Now for a few weeks (and why Christine surprised me by getting me one for my birthday). I brought it with me on this trip on the off chance that I’d meet someone I’d want to give a portrait, instead of just take, and in Cartago, I instantly “clicked” with this … Continue reading “Costa Rica: Instax Moment” →

by jad

Costa Rica: Day 5

Today I hope to dip into the Carribean for the first time, but here are the last of the captures from the Quepos side of the Pacific. The great thing about this national park is that the forest paths all lead to the beach, so almost everyone on our tour opted to stay there at the end of our walk. We had places to be, so we left with our guide who couldn’t help but point our every mangrove and every fern he saw on our way out. Swipe to see a slo-mo sloth sequence. Pray for my laptop. It’s … Continue reading “Costa Rica: Day 5” →

by jad

Costa Rica: Day 4

I’m typing these words under a mosquito net in a cabin by the Caribbean, but we started our day in Cartago, the historical capital. We were there to visit Our Lady of the Angels, also known as La Negrita, the patron saint of Costa Rica, on this day, her feast day, a major national holiday. We knew it was going to be big, but we didn’t realize just how big it would be until we switched on the local news last night and saw a live broadcast of the Basilica’s plaza already full of pilgrims who kept streaming in all … Continue reading “Costa Rica: Day 4” →

by jad

Costa Rica: Day 3

I’m posting these pictures from the suburbs of San Jose, but we started this morning walking around with our necks craned trying to spot monkeys, birds, and sloths high up in the coastal jungle canopy. I found the spectacle of it all just as entertaining as the carefully curated experience of manufactured adventure itself. Our guide’s enthusiasm for every species of any kind we encountered — from fluorescent lichen to the national tree of Nicaragua — was infectious. You couldn’t help but get carried away with everyone else. Swipe to the very end to see two very cute subjects of … Continue reading “Costa Rica: Day 3” →

by jad

Costa Rica: Day 2

One of the surprisingly (but not too shockingly, for anyone who knows me or my star chart) difficult things for me is to let go of autonomy and self-direction, all the more so halfway across the globe. It’s been years since I had to follow someone else’s schedule and itinerary, so I mentally prepared myself for the self-discipline of letting go, and did everything I could to set myself up for success by asking for what I needed well in advance and packing things that would maximize my comfort. But things happen, as we saw with my Ricoh, so we … Continue reading “Costa Rica: Day 2” →