Adventure-MAX

Finally had a chance to get out and about in San José yesterday. Parque Central (Central Park) was just one of 6 stops. More pics to come! © 2024 Lee Roth / Have Cameras, Will Travel for Adventure-MAX

PLAIN ON THE OUTSIDE, SCRUMPTIOUS ON THE INSIDE‼😲😇

The somewhat unassuming exterior of the Iglesia San Juan Bautista de Tibas opens to a gorgeous, detailed interior, complete with chandeliers!

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SAN JOSE, SAN JOSE PROVINCE, COSTA RICA: The Parish de San Juan Batista de Tibas was established in 1865. The original church was destroyed by an early morning fire on September 26, 1897. Church records date back to 1837. Photographed in San Jose, Costa Rica on February 13, 2024. © Lee Roth / Have Cameras, Will Travel for Adventure-MAX

Decided I should give you a better view‼👀

VOLCÁN MIRAVALLES, AUAJUELA PROVINCE, COSTA RICA: Collared aracari toucan in a cecropia peltata tree near Volcán Miravalles in Auajuela, Costa Rica on January 12, 2024. © Lee Roth / Have Cameras, Will Travel for Adventure-MAX

PIZZA LOVERS UNITE‼🍕

A nice benefit of being back in a city is that there are so many food options. I came across this little bit of bites for lunch yesterday in a nearby deli, bar. and restaurant. I was craving a burger at the time, but beef is not in most Costa Rican diets, so it's very expensive. As an alternative, I decided to try a pizza instead. I was not disappointed‼🍕👀😍 © 2024 Lee Roth / Have Cameras, Will Travel for Adventure-MAX

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FOR THIS, I COULD HAVE STAYED IN LOS ANGELES‼😳

Arriving in San José at 4pm may not have been the best plan. Just like in California, they even allow split-lane for motorcycles. 🏍

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SAN JOSÉ, SAN JOSÉ PROVINCE, COSTA RICA: Arriving at 4pm in San José, traffic is as congested as in any major city, in the capitol city of San José, San José Province, Costa Rica on January 29, 2024. © Lee Roth / Have Cameras, Will Travel for Adventure-MAX

The scenery along the drive to San Jose was great. We stopped in Puntarenas, which was a little fishing village when I was there last in 1989. It's now a major seaport, and many cruise ships stop here.

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GULF OF NICOYA, PUNTARENAS PROVINCE, COSTA RICA: The port of Puntarenas was just a sleepy little fishing village when visited in 1989. Today, it is a hub of commerce with a seaport that hosts major cruise lines and cargo ships on January 29, 2024. © Lee Roth / Have Cameras, Will Travel for Adventure-MAX

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GULF OF NICOYA, PUNTARENAS PROVINCE, COSTA RICA: A statue portraying a mythological mermaid of the sea stands overlooking a bay on the Gulf of Nicoya in Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica on January 29, 2024. © Lee Roth / Have Cameras, Will Travel for Adventure-MAX

Yesterday's lunch on the way to San José.

CAMARONÉS Y ARROZ o ARROZ Y CAMARONÉS⁉🦐😋

PUNTARENAS PROVINCE, ESPIRITU SANTO, COSTA RICA: At Tábaris restaurant, you may order Camaronés y Arroz (Shrimp and Rice), or Arroz y Camaronés, the difference being the amount of shrimp. This is the former, with enough shrimp for every bite of rice in Puntarenas Province, Espíritu Santo, Costa Rica on January 29, 2024. © Lee Roth / Have Cameras, Will Travel for Adventure-MAX

BAGACES, GUANACASTE PROVINCE, COSTA RICA: After Europeans brought cholera to the community, Señor Caralampio arrived and cured the sickness. He was later declared a Saint for his actions. Iglesia San Caralampio, the community celebrates peoples of the world in Bagaces, Guanacaste, Costa Rica on January 26, 2024. © Lee Roth / Adventure-MAX

Back to El Pueblo for dinner with a view last night after the performance in the park ended.

BAGACES, GUANACASTE PROVINCE, COSTA RICA: A night in Parque Central Medardo Guido offers relaxing music performed by local musicians in the gazebo in Bagaces, Guanacaste, Costa Rica on January 26, 2024. © Lee Roth / Have Cameras, Will Travel for AdventureMax

BAGACES, GUANACASTE PROVINCE, COSTA RICA: Cordon bleu con pollo (Cordon Bleu with Chicken) accompanied by a salad and vegetables served in a restaurant in Bagaces, Guanacaste, Costa Rica on January 26, 2024. © Lee Roth / Have Cameras, Will Travel for AdventureMax

As long as I'm making changes, the internet has become unstable in the house I'm currently in, and I have an event to work on Tuesday night. 😤

Sooooooo ... the next leg of Adventure-MAX begins MONDAY. This is what I mean by ... Have Cameras, Will Travel‼😲🎉

NOTE: The photo below is of a secluded pool above the waterfall and off the path. We had it to ourselves. It was so peaceful‼😇

BAGACES, GUANACASTE PROVINCE, COSTA RICA: Catarata Llanos del Cortés (Llanos del Cortes Waterfall) is a beautiful park maintained by the Municipality of Bagaces. There is a nice pool for swimming and a good sized beach for relaxing just 3km from Bagaces, Guanacaste, Costa Rica on January 9, 2024. © Lee Roth / Have Cameras, Will Travel for AdventureMax

Well, unfortunately I spent most of last night removing all of my AdventureMax and Red Carpet Photo Archives content from Pond5. Serving primarily filmmakers, a comparatively small, niche user base, it's just not a workable platform in today's market.

Adventure-MAX photos are in the process of being submitted to Adobe Stock with a much more modern system and significantly larger user base available to all Adobe Creative Cloud subscribers. Licensing will be available soon at much lower fees. Yes, I'm now headed for volume licensing over individual sales.

I've also been working on my luggage for the next leg of my adventures, starting February 1. Stay tuned‼🎉

I don't think I've ever seen two colors of bougainvillea on the same plant‼😲

BAGACES, GUANACASTE PROVINCE, COSTA RICA: Bougainvillea spectabilis adorn many yards and gardens in Bagaces, Guanacaste, Costa Rica on January 19, 2024. © Lee Roth / @ Have Cameras, Will Travel for AdventureMax

Breakfast was so good at Soda La Fuente, I had to go back for dinner‼😋

BAGACES, GUANACASTE PROVINCE, COSTA RICA: A traditional Costa Rican mean, called casado, consists of a protein (chicken, beef, pork, or fish), a fresh salad, black beans, rice, and plantains served at Soda La Fuente in Bagaces, Guanacaste, Costa Rica on January 22, 2024. © Lee Roth / Have Cameras, Will Travel for AdventureMax

How about a new tag ... ⁉🌞

VOLCÁN MIRAVALLES, AUAJUELA PROVINCE, COSTA RICA: Magic hour sunset views near Volcán Miravalles in Auajuela, Costa Rica on January 12, 2024. © Lee Roth / Have Cameras, Will Travel for AdventureMax

This is Rinner Roberto Chévez Ordóñez, who drove us up to his property by Volcán Miravalles. He owns Miravalles Volcano House Quinta Las Quebradas, a great house if you want a remote stay in a truly beautiful setting. It's available via AirBnB.

Rinner, thanks for taking us there, and to the fantastic Restaurante Y Bar Borrego Negro. That was such a great meal, I'm still raving about it‼😲😝

© Lee Roth / Have Cameras, Will Travel for AdventureMax

So this is my other tree hugging friend, María ... but I call her Magdalena. I didn't ask, but I think it's because of witness protection‼😝

As well as being one of the proprietors at Souvenir Bagaces, Magdalena also works with the National Parks here in Costa Rica. She is such a wealth of knowledge about the history of the area, as well as the plants, birds, animals, lizards, and anything else that moves around here.

This is the woman who may my volcanic day possible, and so informative. I can't possibly thank her enough‼😍💖💖💖

© Lee Roth / Have Cameras, Will Travel for AdventureMax

My tree hugging friend Irma. She gets me‼🌳😝

More from the Volcán Miravalles trip. The first photo, without trees in the foreground, was taken only 5 minutes before the other two photos. Notice the difference in the amount of steam being released. This is an active geothermal area and a lot of power for the region is generated at a local geothermal power plant.

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VOLCÁN MIRAVALLES, AUAJUELA PROVINCE, COSTA RICA: Natural views of Volcán Miravalles (Miravalles Volcano) in Auajuela, Costa Rica on January 12, 2024. © Lee Roth / Have Cameras, Will Travel for AdventureMax

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BAGACES CANTON, GUANACASTE PROVINCE, COSTA RICA: With numerous geothermal pools in the area, the Miravalles Geothermal Power Plant generates renewable energy for Canton Bacages in Guanacaste, Costa Rica on January 12, 2024. © Lee Roth / Have Cameras, Will Travel for AdventureMax

MY GROWING COSTA RICAN FAMILY‼💖

GUAYABO, GUANACASTE PROVINCE, COSTA RICA: (Clockwise from L) Lee Roth, Irma Herrera, Magdalena Alvarez, Rinner Chévez Ordóñez, and Isabel Duarte enjoy a fantastic dinner at Restaurante Y Bar Borrego Negro in Guayabo, Guanacaste, Costa Rica on January 11, 2024. © Lee Roth / Have Cameras, Will Travel for AdventureMax

New private label coffee this morning from my friends Doña Magdalena y Don Rubén at Souvenir Bagaces tastes soooo rico! But they are probably mad at me now for adding leche‼☕😝 © 2024 Lee Roth / Have Cameras, Will Travel for AdventureMax

THE BEST MEAL I HAVE HAD IN COSTA RICA‼🍽😍😋🥰

When arriving at Restaurante Y Bar Borrego Negro (The Black Sheep) restaurant, a couple from Poland who spoke perfect English, was just exiting. Completely unprovoked, they immediately said we had to try the shrimp prepared in Jack Daniels whiskey, and the rib eye steak.

Normally, I don't order beef in Costa Rica because it is much leaner that that found in The States, so it has a "rangier" flavor than I am accustomed to. However, the proprietor, Alvin, is a master chef from Germany who traveled the world by sea before settling in Costa Rica 40 years ago. He is also a butcher who is very knowledgeable about cuts of meat and its freshness. He mentioned that all the steaks served here are fresh and locally cut.

As I've been craving a good steak since I arrived in-country nearly 4 months ago, I decided to give it a try. And was I seriously not disappointed!

Along with the steak was a German sausage made in-house, and Cajun(!) french fries. When I asked Alvin who was Cajun here, he smiled and said he had visited New Orleans on several occasions while at sea.

A true master chef, Alvin made it a point to visit and talk with each table full of diners, stopping at our table multiple times to ensure we were enjoying our meals. When I ordered the rib eye, medium well, he had a big grin on his face saying, "That Polish guy ordered his well done!" and grimaced!

Thank you Alvin for literally, the best meal I have had in Costa Rica‼🍽😍😋🥰

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GUAYABO, GUANACASTE PROVINCE, COSTA RICA: Rib Eye steak dinner with German sausage, Cajun fries, fresh salad, bbq, relish, and mango salsa at El Borrego Negro Restaurant in Guayabo, Guanacaste, Costa Rica on January 12, 2024. © Lee Roth / Have Cameras, Will Travel for AdventureMax

Yesterday was a good day. And no, that's not a cloud at the top of the volcano. That's steam‼🌞⛰

VOLCÁN MIRAVALLES

VOLCÁN MIRAVALLES, GUANACASTE PROVINCE, COSTA RICA: Natural views of Volcán Miravalles (Miravalles Volcano) at Volcán Miravalles in Bagaces Canton, Guanacaste, Costa Rica on January 12, 2024. © Lee Roth / Have Cameras, Will Travel for AdventureMax

VOLCÁN MIRAVALLES

Visited a volcano today. Found a toucan. This one is not ceramic‼😝 More tomorrow, it's late here! © Lee Roth / Have Cameras, Will Travel for AdventureMax

CATARATA LLANOS DEL CORTÉS

So the other fun thing I did yesterday was a walk to Catarata Llanos del Cortés. Proyecto Eco-Turístico-Municipalidad de Bagaces (Llanos del Cortes Waterfall) con mi amiga Irma Herrera.

Irma is an esthetician. See? Even in a different country, when I'm not even looking, I find people to add to my photography team! 😉 She is also a licensed massage therapist. I haven't told Irma about my back yet (well ... until now I guess!), but I did tell her I wouldn't hit her up right away! 😝

We hired a local guide who took us to the top of the waterfall, and on the way down, he showed us an upper pool with no one around. It was so peaceful to just sit there and listen to the water! 😇

And after my little tumble yesterday (that's gonna leave a mark!), she probably has a good idea that I'm not as stable as I might seem. No wisecracks people ... I mean physically‼😒

For those who don't know, starting in September 2019, I had a series of 7 surgeries, through March 2021. The last one was for a crushed vertebrae caused by snow skiing in my 20's. I heard something about a pandemic. I wouldn't know. I missed it‼😲

So yeah, I'm not as stable on my feet as I used to be. And I'm still getting used to that fact of life. Another fact, this all has a lot to do with why I left Los Angeles and have decided to travel for at least the next few years. That's where Adventure-MAX.Com comes in.

Life is just too short to spend it stressed out while stuck in in LA traffic‼😝🌎😍

-- More pics to come! 📷📷📷

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BAGACES, GUANACASTE PROVINCE, COSTA RICA: Catarata Llanos del Cortés (Llanos del Cortes Waterfall) is a beautiful park maintained by the Municipalidad de Bagaces. There is a nice pool for swimming and a good sized beach for relaxing just 3km from town in Bagaces, Guanacaste, Costa Rica on January 9, 2024. © Lee Roth / Have Cameras, Will Travel for AdventureMax

Another bit of history from Soda La Fuente ...

INAGUARACIÓN DEL AVIÓN EL GUANACÁSTECO, 1948

BAGACES, GUANACASTE PROVINCE, COSTA RICA: Photo of the Inauguración del avión El Guanacásteco, 1948 (Inauguration of The Guanacaste plane, 1948), a Douglas Aircraft Company DC-3 propeller-driven airliner jointly operated by Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) and LACSA Airlines inside Soda La Fuente in Bagaces, Guanacaste, Costa Rica on January 6, 2024. (Original Photographer Unknown) © Lee Roth / Have Cameras, Will Travel for AdventureMax

#1948

While at Soda La Fuente yesterday, I noticed they had some Bagaces history on the wall. This is the same location of the church I have been photographing here in town.

IGLESIA (CHURCH) BAGACES, GUANACASTE 1915

BAGACES, GUANACASTE PROVINCE, COSTA RICA: Photo of the Iglesia (Church) Bagaces, Guanacaste 1915 inside Soda La Fuente in Bagaces, Guanacaste, Costa Rica on January 6, 2024. (Original Photographer Unknown) © Lee Roth / Have Cameras, Will Travel for AdventureMax