Yesterday I was walking along the beach here, in Montezuma, Costa Rica, and I came upon a turtle hatchery just as they were hatching baby turtles! This was not a tour, or a tourist attraction, just a hatchery doing their conservation work.

There was a handful of people hanging around as they pulled the baby turtles from their sandy birth hole, and we were given the opportunity to hold them.

All I can say is that this was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen and done.

(more images to follow)

I’m in Costa Rica!

I spent my first 10 days in Tamarindo with a friend. I used the time to unwind and release any remaining stresses of city and office life and create a routine to take and appreciate each new day as it comes.

My days have looked like this:

Wake up between 6-6:30am. Get up, drink a cup of coffee and a fruit shake before heading to the gym for a workout.
My gym looks like this:

After an amazing HIIT workout (either on our own, or with Nick Holt Fitness) in the sun and sand, take a dip in the ocean to cool off and head home for a shower and tasty breakfast of eggs and bacon, with fresh local fruit and veggies. Then spend the day doing some work, maybe a photowalk, an afternoon snack of tacos and a cerveza (or two?) at Kahiki (total cost $6), or a stop at El Pescador for one (or four?) of their ridiculously delicious piña coladas, or one of the other beach bars for a refreshing glass of sangria.

Sometimes our friend “Steve” makes an appearance in the estuary next door, we’ve seen him quite a few times. Apparently he has a couple of friends that live there with him as well. Steve looks like this:

If we haven’t (accidentally?) been sucked in to the awesomeness of sangria happy hour, we may head home for a dip in the pool and a nap before going to a 5pm Spanish class. After class, its home to cook a deliciously healthy dinner with all fresh ingredients and, of course, a cocktail or two (cuz really, whynot?)

By the time 10pm rolls around there’s not much fuel left in the tank and it’s time for bed.

Sleep. Repeat.

Yup, they were rough days in Tamarindo… I’m dreading my return there toward the end of my trip… ; )

Costa Rica has all kinds of wildlife. So far I’ve seen some beautiful birds, howler monkeys, an iguana, squirrels, geckos, all sorts of bugs, and the most amazing thing I’ve seen is a CROCODILE!!!

Before coming here, I had heard that there are crocodiles in the estuary in Tamarindo. There was even an attack in the bay off the beach here last week. But I never thought that it would be so easy to see a crocodile and there we were, taking a stroll on the beach, and as we walked through the small stream from the estuary into the ocean, we looked over and saw this guy:

He was probably about five feet long, nose to tail. I was about 20 feet away when I took this photo, and I was not about to get any closer. Crocodiles can run up to 17km/hour, and you can see here that he’s got some pretty big teeth. I was thinking it might be nice to keep my arms and legs, so I kept my distance. Next time I go for a stroll I’ll be sure to bring along my zoom lens!

Over the past week, I’ve been walking around Vancouver appreciating the amazing weather and taking in the stunning views that I will soon be missing. So I thought I would share some my images that I’ve taken in the past several years in our beautiful city.

Thank you Vancouver for your amazing beauty and for 12 wonderful years! I’ll miss you!

BC Place, Vancouver, Canada – © 2013 Mariska Richters Photography

False Creek, Vancouver, Canada – © 2013 Mariska Richters Photography

The 2010 Winter Olympic Cauldron – © 2013 Mariska Richters Photography

Gastown, Vancouver, Canada – © 2013 Mariska Richters Photography

The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden – © 2013 Mariska Richters Photography

Chinatown, Vancouver, Canada – © 2013 Mariska Richters Photography

An Evening at Robson Square, Vancouver, Canada – © 2010 Mariska Richters Photography

Summer Solstice Sunset at Jericho Beach, Vancouver, Canada – © 2011 Mariska Richters Photography

A Morning Walk in the Woods at Lynn Canyon, Vancouver, Canada – © 2011 Mariska Richters Photography

Moon Rise Over Vancouver, Canada – © 2012 Mariska Richters Photography

 Thank you Vancouver, I’ll miss you!

Last weekend I took a little road trip to Kelowna in BC’s Okanagan to support my friends as they competed in the Ironman Challenge in Penticton. I took this opportunity to do a wine tour at Quails Gate Estate Winery (cuz it’s wrong to visit the Okanagan in the summer without stopping in at at least one winery…)

I headed to the winery with my friend Bruce around lunch time. I had heard that their food was incredible and their patio was amazing, so I wanted to see for myself.

We started with the Wild Coast Mussels and Clams (shallots, garlic, parsley, tomato broth, grilled crostini), and then I moved on to the delicious Albacore Tuna “Tartine” (confit tomato, egg, potato salad, pickles & olive house made focaccia, anchovy vinaigrette), and Bruce had the Yarrow Meadows Duck Leg Confit (quinoa and cabbage salad, sprouted beans, carrot, cilantro, cucumber, mirin dressing). We paired our meals with a bottle of the 2012 Chenin Blanc, and it was a party in my mouth! See more of the menu here.

After lunch we took a walk around the vineyard and took a little afternoon break to take in this gorgeous view:

From there (after dreaming of never leaving), we headed into the tasting room and tasted their delicious wines. Having had the Chinin Blanc with lunch, we tasted the Dry Riesling, the Rose, and the Quails’ Gate Old Vines Foch. I have to say that I enjoyed the whites and the rose more than the red, but all were excellent!

Then, of course, we couldn’t leave without doing a little shopping! (I might have left with half a dozen bottles of fermented goodness…)

If you’re a lover of food and you appreciate good wine, I would highly recommend visiting the Quails’ Gate Estate Winery in Kelowna. I can’t wait to get back to the Okanagan to sample some of the other wonderful wineries! Who’s coming with me?? : )

Which Okanagan wineries have you visited? Please share your experience and recommendations in the comments below.

Earlier this summer I was trying to come up with a fun idea as a 40th anniversary gift for our parents. Since they have everything, I thought a generational family portrait, including the grandchildren would be the perfect solution. So, my siblings and I have been working on this idea for the past month, coordinating secret photoshoots behind their backs, hehehe. The final photo turned out awesome and they absolutely LOVED it! We gave them the final print in the same frame that we are all holding in the photos.

To create your generationally layered family photo, first take photos of each person holding the frame you will be using to put the final print in. You don’t need to include an image inside the frame, as you will add these with Photoshop later.

This is what the original images looked like:

Once you have all your photos taken and edited to your preference:

1. Open Photoshop and create a path with the pen tool the inside of the frame on each image.
   For more info on how to use the pen tool, click here.
2. Turn your path into a selection by clicking “Load path as a selection” on the Path palette. (If you do not see the Path Palette, go to the Window menu to turn it on.)
3. Select the Select menu at the top of your Photoshop window and click Inverse to select everything OUTSIDE of the frame.
4. Copy this selection, and then paste it right away into the same window.
5. Paste the first photo into the first image BETWEEN the background layer and the new layer (Layer 1) that you just created.
6. Use the Free Transform function (Edit menu > Free Transform) to manipulate the size and image location so that it fits perfectly into the framed area.
7. Save the image as a jpeg.
8. Repeat these steps and paste the new jpeg you just created into the next frame, until you have all your images.

If you have questions, or anything is unclear, please comment below, or send me a message and I’ll be happy to answer any questions.

Yesterday I went to another place I’ve never been. Although I had committed to this project as a weekend thing, it seems to have spilled over into the weekdays and I’m loving it. It feels great to be making the most of the summer and this amazing weather we’ve been spoiled with.

The original plan was to hike up to Lynn Peak at Lynn Valley, but due to traffic issues, we decided on a change of venue and ended up heading to hike Hollyburn Moutnain.

It was an easier hike with a few tougher bits that Roxie found to be a challenge and needed some coaxing (and lifting?) to overcome them, but she did it! (Good Doggie!)

I would definitely recommend bringing bug repellent if you plan to do this hike, the mozzies were brutal! Lucky for me, I’m never a mosquito’s first choice on the buffet when there are other people around, so my hiking companion got the brunt of it. So yes, bug spray and a long sleeved shirt for times when it becomes unbearable are recommended.

When we arrived at the top, it was nearing sunset and these were the views we were rewarded with. Simply beautiful!

More images will soon be available on Flickr.

(These are just iPhone shots for now, stay tuned for updated images.)

The countdown is at 206 days and I’m finding myself thinking more and more about Sochi!

I spent the weekend playing tourist in Whistler over the  past weekend, which included a little photoshoot at the 2010 Olympic sites. I figure I should collect some fun images for when I head to Russia next February to use on my social media profiles. So here are a couple of images, and I’ll be collecting more over the coming months, as the countdown continues…

I’ve been to Whistler more times than I can count, but this weekend my aunt was visiting from the Netherlands, and I spent the weekend being a tourist in the Whistler area. So, after meeting up with my family on Friday afternoon, we headed out to the Nairn Falls provincial campground, near Pemberton.

It had been a while since I had camped, so this was a treat, especially since I had never been to Nairn Falls before. My aunt and I (and Roxie too, of course) took a walk to the falls and I was once again amazed by the beauty of nature and this amazing place we live in. Wow!

The last few times that I’ve been out for walks and hikes in the forest, I have been reminded of the beauty that surrounds me. It’s so easy to get distracted and forget while living in the city. I have been inspired to get out of the city more and get back to more hikes, walks, and trail runs in the woods. More nature. More camping. More fresh air. We are so lucky to live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, and summer is the perfect time to get out and appreciated more of it!

Other local favorites: the trails and swim holes at Lynn Valley, Pacific Spirit Park, the beaches at Spanish Banks, the Grouse Grind, the Chief in Squamish, Rathtrevor Beach in Parksville.

I’d love to hear about some of your favorite places to hike, walk, camp, and reconnect with the beauty of nature. (local or otherwise) Please feel free to share them in the comments, and if I haven’t seen them yet, I may add them to my list!

This summer I’ve been truly appreciating this beautiful place that I live in. As a result I’ve have been inspired and made the commitment to explore a new place every weekend.

This began with Canada Day long weekend. I didn’t exactly explore a new place that weekend, but rather a new craft. Per my previous post, it was a double birthday weekend extravaganza and I was on cake duty. Being more of a pie baker than a cake baker, I took on the project of creating unforgettable birthday cakes for my nephew and my dad. Here are the results:

The second weekend in July started out with a beautiful Friday evening sunset with a new friend in Horseshoe Bay. Although I’ve been to and through Horseshoe Bay countless times to catch the ferry, actually sitting and appreciating a sunset with a glass of wine was something I had never enjoyed before.

Then Saturday brought me out to Chilliwack. Chilliwack has always been a place I’ve driven through, and maybe stopped for gas, on my way to camping in Manning Park or the Okanagan. I had never actually stopped and explored or appreciated that area. A friend invited me to stay at her family’s cabin on the Chilliwack River that weekend. It was so beautiful there and I had such a wonderful relaxing time walking along the river, enjoying a campfire and relaxing at Chilliwack Lake! Thank you Deanna, it was a quickie road trip to remember!

And so my summer of #ExploreBC shall continue with at least one new adventure each weekend until Labour Day and beyond!