Casa de Carolina - El Remate

For anyone who has been to our home in Jennings Lodge, Oregon (Portland) -- you know that we live on a busy street, with lot's of noise from traffic.  It is only in the late evening that the traffic dies down and we can hear all of the natural sounds around us.

The house that we are renting in the village, Casa de Carolina, is located 3 blocks off the the main road that runs through the village.  This 3 blocks is all up hill -- at the corner you turn right and go downhill to the house that is on the left side of the road.  The lot is completely treed so there is a lot of shade.  There are other neighbors on the street further down and downhill.  This street connect to another street that takes you to the properties located at Lago Sal Peten.  My friend, Anne's house is 2 blocks from this one.  Sonya, who does my laundry and makes our tortillas is 2 1/2 blocks (across the street from where our house will be on our lot when it is built), and Dona Betty and her tienda of groceries is one more block.

There is very little traffic in front the Casa de Carolina.  Most of the traffic is by foot with the very occasional motorcycle and the one neighbor who has a quad that he uses to get around the village and to carry wood, groceries, etc.  So, unlike our home in Portland things are very quiet here in one way and noisy in another.

It is afternoon here, as I write and it is very quiet.  There are the neighborhood dogs that bark -- but really other than that there isn't a lot of noise.  It is that time of the day when all of nature seems to be taking a nap and staying out of the warm tropical sun.

In the evenings the jungle-bosque-forest comes to life with sounds.  Different varieties of crickets, owls, frogs, and a host of other insects begin a nightly symphony.  It is amazing how it lulls you into relaxation and when it is time to go to sleep, a deep sleep.  The sounds change during the night as various insects and animals change who is active and who is asleep.  As the night begins to turn to day, the morning sounds include chickens, rosters, and a bird that sounds a little like a chirping alarm.