What's So Great About Costa Rica as A Tourist Destination?

[caption id="attachment_2669" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="Poas volcano Central Valley Costa Rica"][/caption]

Thinking about taking a vacation to a warm tropical place where sunshine abounds and lots of outdoor nature orientated activities are available.  Costa Rica has the mountains, rain forest,  pristine beaches,  wild rivers,  colorful birds, monkeys, and well almost everything except giraffes,  rhinoceros, lions, and elephants.  The are lowland dry forest, low land rain forest,  cloud forest at the high elevations.  River rafting from a river float to a class IV rafting.  You can sleep on the river banks and feel like you are living in the jungle.  The many wildlife reserves provide sanctuary for hundreds of species of tropical birds. As well as three species of monkeys, the howler, the spider, and the white face.

Costa Rica has set aside over 20% of its land surface for National Parks and Wild life Reserves.  Quite an accomplishment so such a small country about the same size as out state of West Virginia.

Costa Rica has the Poas Volcano National Park in the Central Valley, the Arenal Volcano Nationl Park in the northern zone, and the Irazu Volcano National Park just east of San Jose near the smaller town of Cartago.  The most visited and the most exciting is the Arenal which spews fire and hot rocks from its crater several times a day.

The two coast of Costa Rica, the Pacific and the Atlantic (Caribbean are distinctively different)   read about the differences by clicking         http://costaricalearn.com/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=2226

Most beach lovers choose the Pacific coast of Costa Rica because there is consistently more sun there, all year round.   And in certain areas there are long stretches of beach with no rocks and waves good for surfing.

Also there is the jungle destination of the Osa Peninsula, where the low land primary rain forest are just gorgeous and full of wildlife.  Development has not yet reached this pristine area because it is very inaccessible.  No roads to speak of so you have to take a boat or small plane to get there.   Many small eco lodges are here but it is not inexpensive because of it's remoteness.

Costa Rican Don't Throw Things Away, They Fix It

This is a short story but has a long  meaning.  I was in Alajuela one day and spotted a sign "Watch Repair- Don't despair" "We fix them all"   I had a watch which was very dear to me and it had stopped running and I had taken it to a repair shop in the states.  They said the battery had corroded the insides of the watch and it was hopeless.  The watch was so pretty.  Had a gold plated stretch band and around the face were clusters of diamonds.  Well, they were real diamonds but to me they were just as pretty.  So with much saddness I gave up.  Until I spotted that sign!

I hurried into the repair shop and pulled my watch from my purse.  The watch repairman took into his small hands, opened it up and it looked  awful inside,  corroded indeed.  But he smiled and said,  "Leave it with me a few days."

I returned after five days and the watch repairman was still smiling.  He handed me the watch and I could hear it ticking and sure enough telling me the correct time of 10:15 a.m.  I felt so lucky and told him in my limited Spanish.  Muchas Gracias!

So I had my  beautiful watch back and working and it cost me only $10.

Repair shops of all kinds still exist in Costa Rica.  Somewhere there is someone who can fix most anything.

The Quetzal can be Found In Monteverde, Costa Rica

[caption id="attachment_2647" align="aligncenter" width="853" caption="Quetzal Monteverde Costa Rica"][/caption]

On your travels to Costa Rica are you planning to go to Monteverde?  If so you may be lucky and see the most beautiful bird in the rain forest, the resplendent Quetzal. Yes, Quetzals can be found deep in the Monteverde Cloud Forest reserve.  They make their nests in holes in the trees.  The female lays two light blue eggs. Then both she and the male take turns sitting on the eggs to incubate them.

The quetzal is found in the highland cloud forest from Mexico all the way down through Central America.   To the Mayas and the Aztecs, the quetzal was sacred.  They used the tail feathers from the male in their headdresses.  Guatemala's  monetary unit is called the quetzal.

In was in the month of August that I was very lucky and spotted a Quetzal  not long after I started my hike into the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve.  What a sight!  It was a male with his long tail feathers, seeming about two feet long.  Our guide said we were extremely lucky because this bird is reclusive and very hard to spot.

Thinking of vacationing in Costa Rica? You would love a copy of our Costa Rica travel video (DVD) "Costa Rica a Travel Adventure Spectacular" Video. You will see first hand the 10 most popular tourist destinations in Costa Rica, including the Monteverde Cloud forest.  Go to the home page of costaricalearn.com, then to the top of the page and click on "buy our Video" There You can view a 3 minute preview and also instructions on how to purchase the video.  Three years in the making , filmed and edited by Ken Creed, a National Geographic veteran and Ann Cabezas Creed, travel writer and Costa Rica Travel Agent.

A Great Day Outing, Irazu Volcano National Park, Costa Rica

[caption id="attachment_2631" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Irazu Volcano and Crater Lake"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2632" align="aligncenter" width="280" caption="Location of the Irazu Volcano in the Central Valley"][/caption]

If you have a free day while vacationing in Costa Rica and you are in the central valley of San Jose, be sure to see Irazu Volcano National Park, located about one hour out side San Jose. You can purchase a day trip from one of the local tour operators in the San Jose Area.  There are many, just check with your hotel and they will recommend one.

The ride up to the Irazu Volcano is beautiful.   On a January morning, we  left very early,  around 7 a.m.  We could hopefully get to the volcano summit before the clouds covered the top.  We got to Cartago and stopped for coffee and asked for directions to the volcano summit.   As we ascended,  beauty unfolded before our eyes.  The rich fertile soil of the volcano grows may vegetable and most of the farms are small ones, not big corporate farms like in America.  There were potatoes, cabbage,  carrots,  all those cool weather vegetables because at 4,000 feet the air is cool and crisp.  Perfect for the dairy farms, the cows love the cool air and thick green grass.

After around one and one half hours  we reached the summit, and it looks so much like the surface of the moon.  The day was completely clear with lots of sunshine.   The view to the central valley was perfect, we could see the sky line of San Jose and the out lying smaller cities.  The Irazu Volcano has several craters and one is filled with blue green water, captured from the heavy rainfalls.  A few scrubby scorched trees dot the landscape.  Not much life here, except an occasional hummingbird.

Presently Irazu Volcano is a dormant volcano but in 1964 it violently erupted throwing ash over  Cartago, San Jose, and the central valley.  And continued off and on for  two years.  I lived in Alajuela in an old wooden house and remember when the small earth trimmers came the ash from the Irazu would fall from between the cracks in the ceiling.

Today, it is a quiet picture perfect monster hovering over the central valley.

If you have a rental car, its an easy drive to the Irazu Valley from the areas of San Jose and Alajuela.  Go to Cartago and stop and ask anyone how to get to the summit.

To see more beautiful photos such as the one above go to  anywhereincostarica.com

Travel Tips: What's the Weather Like at Arenal Volcano National Park June, July, August, September?

If you are planning to travel to Costa Rica Arenal Volcano National Park or take a vacation to that area, in the months of June, July, August, and September what kind of weather can you expect?   The Arenal Volcano is located in Costa Rica's San Carlos Valley in the Northwest.  This is the "bread basket" of Costa Rica and receives a large amount of rainfall all year round.

These months you can get nice sunny mornings and rainy afternoon.  However I have been there in these months and experienced  a full day of sun.  You should get up very early, and do your outdoor activities in the morning.  Also you have a better chance of seeing the Arenal Volcano early in the morning since clouds cover it later in the morning.

We  like to stay at the Arenal Observatory Lodge since it has the best view of the volcano.  We  like photography and start around 9 p.m. photographing.  Sometimes earlier if the Volcano is fully visible.   We  rent a boat and so out on Lake Arenal where the possibilities for photography are very nice.  The view of Arenal from there is beautiful and many marine birds are active early in the morning.

The Arenal Volcano National Park has nice trails and I used to be able to hike to the old lava beds, but recently I was there and the park ranger said this part is closed because the volcano was very active that day.  This area of the old lava bed is great for photography.  The lava bed have hugh black lava rocks and you can hear the volcano huffing and puffing.

Around the Arenal Volcano Lodge are many beautiful  birds.  Early morning around 6-6:30 a.m. is the time to see these.  If you have a telephoto lens for your camera-well that even better to get close up of these gorgeous birds.

The Tabacon Hot springs has a wonderful botanical garden filled with flowering tropical plants, great for photography.

If you are planning a vacation to Costa Rica you would love our Costa Rica travel video, "Costa Rica a Travel Adventure Spectacular"  This full length DVD takes you  first hand to the 10 most popular tourist destinations in Costa Rica, including the Arenal volcano.  Three years in the making, Ken Creed, a National Geographic veteran and Ann Cabezas Creed, a travel writer and Costa Rica Travel agent,  and one year spent editing...they have created a beautiful 58 minute film.  Just go to the home page of costaricalearn.com..then to the top of the page and click on "buy our video"  This takes  you to a 3 minute preview of the video and also instructions on how you can order it.

Some More Costa Rica History: Revolutions

 

[caption id="attachment_2623" align="aligncenter" width="150" caption="Costa Rica's flag"][/caption]

A Plurp of Costa Rica's History

Costa Rica today is a social democracy with presidential elections held every four years.  The present constitution was adopted in 1949, and provides for a set of checks and balances.  At that time the military was abolished and a civil police force was formed.

But has Costa Rica ever had any revolutions?   In 1917  Federico Tinoco  (1883-1919)   over threw the government and took over the presidency under a new constitution.   In 1919 revolutionaries ousted Tinoco.  Julio Acosta  (1872-1954) became the new leader and under him  and his successors,  for many years Costa Rica  was  a democratic and orderly Central American Republic.

Otilio Ulate won the presidential election in 1948 , but the national assembly refused to allow him to take office.  Colonel Jose Figueres led a revolt to support Ulate and took over the government.  In 1949 Ulate was inaugurated as president.

In the 1950s Costa Rica nationalized its banks and began to develop land and industry with government assistance.

Travel Tip: I'm a Tourist Traveling to Costa Rica. Can I Get My Medication There?

If you are a tourist traveling to Costa Rica and  you are on certain medications.  Of course you are going to take your medicines with you.  But, it case you loose them, what can you do?

Pharmacies are located in all the tows  in Costa Rica, and usually more than one pharmacy.  A pharmacist is on duty at the pharmacy and you ask for a pharmacist consultation.  You don't need a prescription from a doctor to get your medication, unless it is a narcotic.  The pharmacist will sell you the medication, which is  less expensive in Costa Rica than in the US.

If you feel strongly that you want to actually get a doctor to write you a prescription, all small town have a clinic and you need only to inquire with the locals.  In Escazu there is the large Hospital called Cima Hospital.  American who live in Costa Rica use this hospital as well as Clinica Biblica located downtown San Jose.  Here the doctors speak English.

Medical care in Costa Rica is very good and it is easy to get an appointment with a  private doctor.

I can tell you about my experiences.  My doctor's office is located at the doctor's building at Cima Hospital.  He is an internist and speaks perfect English.   Usually I  get around 30 minutes of his time.  He sits at his desk and is not running in and out of several rooms seeing multiple patients at one time like here in US.  He types on his own computer what we discuss, and then we go to the exam room where he takes a lot of time listening to my symptoms and exams me without getting in a hurry.   There are no nurses or other medical personnel involved here, just me and my doctor.   The visit cost me around $60.

Now, what its like to see my doctor here in the US.  I'm put in a room where a nurses aid comes and takes my B/P and body temperature, asks me why I'm here and writes on the chart.  After around 10 -15 minutes the doctor comes in and spends 10 minutes, quickly asking me my symptoms etc.  I don't get a an examination,  just verbally tell me what is bothering me.  The doctor seems to be in a hurry , guess a dozen other patients are waiting.  This cost me around $45.

So there is a big difference in the time a doctor spends with a patient here in US vs. the time a doctor spends with  a patient  in Costa Rica.

We at costaricalearn offer travel tips which will help you have a more pleasant vacation in Costa Rica.  Questions please click on no comments at end of this article and you can  reply.

What's the Weather Like in Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica in June, July, and August?

[caption id="attachment_2613" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="White sand beaches at Manuel Antonio"][/caption]

Travel to Manuel Antonio National Park, located on Costa Rica's mid-Pacific coast line, approximately three  and one half hours by car from the San Jose International Airport.  The months of June, July, and August fall within the rainy season here in Costa Rica.   The areas around Manuel Antonio will get a lot of rain during these months, however you could get many sunny mornings and around 2-3 p.m. in the afternoon a heavy thunderstorm.  These thunderstorms are exciting to watch if you have a nice view to the ocean.  The  lightening is like watching a fire works show  on the 4th of July.

So don't let the weather stop you from coming on down to Manuel Antonio during the months of June, July, and August.  Plan to go down to the National Park early in the morning.  It opens at 7:30 a.m.  Anyway the animals and birds are out at that time of the day so take your binoculars.  The marine birds are flying high  along the edge of the beach.  Also the white face monkeys are more playful early in the morning.  The iguanas are scurrying under the trees and along the beach.  You may be luck and see the sloth which makes it's home within the park.

The waters of the Pacific seem to be a deeper blue color early in the morning and is great fun to take a dip, then leisurely lie on the warm sand and take in the tropical sunshine.  Watch your backpack.  The white face monkeys love to grab it and run!

We usually take a sack lunch  and bottled water  (in our back pack) with us and spend the entire morning, hiking,  swimming, and just laying on the beach relaxing and watching the monkeys and birds.

Within Manuel Antonio National park there is no place to purchase food or bottled water, so take it with you.

Before lunch we decided to hike up to Cathedral Point,  (a hiking trail within the park) quite a long hike and it's going up all the way.  The view of the ocean from there is lovely. By the time we got back down we decided we had had our work out for the day.  Took us about one hours to go the entire route.

I highly recommend  if you are taking a vacation in Costa Rica to visit Manuel Antonio, at least for a couple days.  Very nice place to relax and enjoy the sandy being-white beaches and blue water of the Pacific.  We at costaricalearn.com  strive to make your vacation a more relaxing one by providing you with travel tips which help you plan your vacation time here in Costa Rica.

So contact us if you have any specific questions, just click on no comments at end of this article and write to us in the reply column.

Guayabo National Monument, Costa Rica

[caption id="attachment_2606" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Ceremonial Platform, Excavated at Guayabo, 1968"][/caption]

If you are traveling to Costa Rica and have a special interest in archeology,  take some time and visit Guayabo National Monument,  near the town of Turrialba, located  east of San Jose.

This is not yet a tourist destination and the infra structure to get there is not very good, but the Costa Rican department of Culture is very interested  in improving this and the first step it is taking is to construct an elevated walkway the entire length of the monument.

The first major scientific excavation done here was in 1968, and the National Museum directors tell us that the objects excavated are now in storage.  Not much work is going on there now as far as further scientific work.

Here we find the ruins of an ancient city named Guayabo, inhabited from around 1000 BC to around 1400 AD, when it mysteriously was abandoned.  Perhaps as many as 10,000 inhabitants lived here.  What we see are stone paths, aquaducts,   and circular platforms with carved stone designs.  The prehistory  and significance of this monument is not well known.

In 2009 Guayabo was declared an International Historic Civil Engineering Land Mark by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Costa Rica's Rain Forest , Our Precious Trees, Necessary for Human Survival-Save the Rain Forest!

[caption id="attachment_2597" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Green Macaw Master of the Tropical Forest"][/caption]

A Moment in Science Class

The process in trees (and other plants) which uses carbon dioxide and makes oxygen is called photosynthesis.

In photosynthesis, plants use light energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into sugar (glucose) and oxygen.

The carbon dioxide is obtained from the atmosphere and the oxygen is released into the atmosphere. The process of absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen is called gas exchange (or gaseous exchange).

Molecules of carbon dioxide enter the plant, and molecules of oxygen leave the plant, by a process called diffusion.

So,  the destruction of our precious trees on the earth's surface interferes with this process!

What does this have to do with Costa Rica? Costa Rica's primary rain forest are under protection by the Costa Rican government in the form of National parks and Wildlife Reserves.  In fact over 20% of Costa Rica's territory is preserved  in these parks and reserves.   Costa Rica is a member of the Rain Forest Coalition conserving tropical rain forest to improve poor people's lives while at the same time contributing to greenhouse gas reductions.  (the trees take in carbon dioxide, thus reducing these gases accumulation in our earth's atmosphere).

Oscar Arias, Costa Rica's distinguished President is in New York this week attending the Meeting of the United Nations.  His speech to the members focused on these precious rain forest preserves in Costa Rica and how they can be used to lessen the accumulation of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere.  A noble cause for Costa Rica!

Let's take this opportunity to call on President Arias to live up to his philosophy  and  to use his up most influences on behalf of the Costa Rican government to stop open air metal (gold) mining in the northern regions of San Carlos, Costa Rica.   If it is not stopped this will become the largest open air metal mining in Central America.  This kind of mining is very destructive:  It means cutting the last remaining tropical  forest,  disfiguring the land, and landscape,  destroying the natural habitat and unique ecosystems.  The birds and wildlife are driven from their homes.  Additionally, the water could  be polluted with harmful chemicals lasting hundreds of years.

So President  Arias,  Remember Costa Rica's Noble Cause!  Save the Rain Forest1

we at costaricalearn.com would like to hear you comments.  go to end of the article and click on "no comment"

Rural Costa Rica Has Many Faces, What Most Tourist Don't See

Rural Costa Rica has many faces.   The rural beauty of the  Costa Rica’s countryside is hard to explain.  The mountains and the valleys, the rivers and the streams.  From the plains of Guanacaste to the vast primary rain forest of the Osa Peninsula.  Each place is different and each place has its own distinct personality.  One has to experience it for oneself.  It is a part of Costa Rica that few tourist experience.

I would like to share with you some of the faces of Rural Costa Rica, where life is simple and the pace is slow and easy.  Where people live to be a ripe old

[caption id="attachment_2584" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Rural Church, San Isidro Costa Rica"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2585" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Rural School, Grades one thru six"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2586" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The Simple Life And Long Life"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2587" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Rural farmers market"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2588" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Medicine Man, Central Market Nicoya"][/caption]

age and children stay close to their parents and care for them when they are old.

Costa Rica Spotlight: The Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica, Which Zip Line Tour Should I Take?

[caption id="attachment_2581" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Ready? Go! Zip line tour, Arenal"][/caption]

Zipping over the top of the rain forest, Arenal

Sky Tram Arenal

The Arenal Volcano with  the Arenal volcano National Park is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Costa Rica.   What is the Arenal Volcano like?  It is a hugh cone shaped volcano which almost constantly spews lava, hot gases,  and hot molten rocks from its summits.    But these are small eruptions.  Not big enough to cause danger to the surrounding  areas.

Tourist come here from all over the world to experience this unique ecosystem created by this vast volcano.  The Arenal sits in the middle of a vast rain forest, home to hundreds of colorful birds, giant trees and colorful flowering plants.  Also the howler and spider monkeys live here.

When did the Arenal Volcano have it's last major eruption?  In the early morning of July 29, 1968 the Arenal violently erupted and buried the small village of Pueblo Nuevo, located at the base of Arenal's north face, killing 86 people.

The Arenal Volcano National Park and the surroundings of La Fortuna have become almost like a Disneyland in these tropical rain forest.  Soft and hard adventure activities are offered by two major tour companies,  Sunset Tours  and Desfios Tours.   One of the most popular is the Canopy Tour, offered by two different tour companies.  so it's hard to decide which one to take.

First,  the company called Costa Rica Sky Adventures. You get into a sky tram and are lifted up through the rain forest to a platform.  Here is a lovely view of the Arenal  Lake and a walking trail through the rain forest which takes around thirty minutes.  Then you get strapped into the zip line gear and off you go!  From tree top to tree top.  It's great because you see both the Arenal Lake and the rain forest tree tops as you swing through the trees.   Upon return you can take a walk through a butterfly sanctuary and learn about the life cycle of butterflies.

Second, the company named Arenal Mundo Adventura  has a  canopy tour with eleven zip lines!  And believe me they are high above the rain forest canopy.  Great fun!  I saw a flock of toucans near by one of the platforms.  After the zip line you go to the Maleku Indigenous Spiritual House.  Witness a spiritual ceremony and also have an opportunity to purchase  their beautiful art work.

Both of these zip line are great fun so I don't have a favorite.

learn more:  www.costaricaskyadventures.travel This shows the zip line in Monteverde as well as the one in Arenal.

learn more about arenal mundo adventura for the zip line tour:  go  to google and type their name.  I was unable to access them by searching their address any other way.

Bringing your Favorite Pet In and Out Of Costa Rica

[caption id="attachment_2554" align="aligncenter" width="453" caption="Just don't bring too many at one time!"][/caption]

If you are planning to travel to Costa Rica for a vacation or for any other reason and want to bring you pet with you, then you need to know about a very informative web site which can provide you with a world of information that you need to know about bringing you pet along. (see below)  Costa Rica is a dog friendly country and that means dogs are welcome.   Cats too.  But they aren't seen as much in Costa Rica as here in the US.

But you need to check with your hotel to see if they allow pets or if there is a surcharge for the pet.

Dog owners in Costa Rica tend to keep their dogs outside, and yes the dogs bark a lot, seemingly at each other, especially at night when we want to get a good nights sleep.

We see a lot of dogs just roaming around in the streets  in Costa   they look fairly under nourished.  These are strays without a home, wandering around looking for food. We  have no way of knowing if these dogs have been vaccinated against rabies, so don't try to pet them.

German Shepherds seem to be one of the most popular dog breeds in Costa Rica,  often being used as guard dog.

The following is a blog post by by Angela  Passman from relocationcr.com

Taking A Pet to Costa Rica

Posted on July 27th, 2009 by Angela Passman

Taking a pet to Costa Rica has it’s upside and downside depending on how you go about doing it.  It you want to travel with your pet on the same plane it is a relatively simple process.  But during the summer months and going back into the United States this gets a little more difficult.

The TSA has made it impossible for an individual to book one’s own pet on a flight entering the US as manifest cargo which is the only way pets that are over 70 lbs (crate and pet’s weight combined) can travel.  They must use a licensed broker or a registered and licensed IPATA agent to book the flight for them.

If you have a smaller pet and the temperature is not over 85 degrees at any point of your travel or in the winter months below 40 degrees you can take your pet as checked baggage.  Provided of course it does not exceed the weight limit.

If you take a pet into Costa Rica as manifest cargo and you are NOT on the same plane, you have a whole other mess if you have not taken efforts to get an import permit well in advance of your pets arrival.  It is guaranteed that your pet will spend at least one night in the customs warehouse (off-site of the airport) in wait of an import permit.

Then there is the paperwork that is required to enter and exit Costa Rica.  Government approved and state USDA/MAG stamped and sealed paperwork.

Taking a pet into or out of Costa Rica is not as simple as taking a child.  Do not take this lightly or your pet will be the one to suffer and you will be unduly stressed with the process.

Please go to Angela's web page to learn more about bringing your pet into Costa Rica.   Go to the top of her first page and click on Pet Transportation.  www.relocationcr.com

Jo Stuart, Author of "Butterfly in the City" lives in San Jose, Costa Rica

 

[caption id="attachment_2542" align="aligncenter" width="320" caption=""Butterfly In The City" by Jo Stuart"][/caption]

Artist in Costa Rica-Jo Stuart is a writer who lives in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Jo Stuart is an American writer who lives in San Jose, Costa Rica.  Her weekly column in AM Costa Rica is  about the “good life in Costa Rica” from a woman’s perspective, and has a wide readership.

Also she has written a book  Butterfly in the City about the  Good Life In Costa Rica, and her positive experiences while living in San Jose.

The following are quotes from  her book.  “When I told my friends that I was going to visit Costa Rica, they asked, Aren’t you afraid of the communists?”   “No, that’s Nicaragua.

“Is that an island in the Caribbean?”  “No, that’s Puerto Rico.”

“I wanted to visit this tiny country in Central America.  A peaceful country that abolished it’s army in 1948.  It’s President Oscar Arias was awarded the Nobel Peach Prize  for his work in 1987 on the peace plan which ended the conflict in Central America ( Nicaragua).”

“Costa Rica and it’s inhabitants who call themselves Ticos charmed me and I walked around with a smile on my face.”   “Just a little country of fewer that four million people whose power to influence the world does not come from it’s riches, but simply from it’s ability and desire to be a model for peace.”

“Two years later I packed my bags, moved to Costa Rica and settled into San Jose and began to write about my wonderful experiences of living in the city.

Excerpts from Jo’s Book “Butterfly in the City”

“More and more people seem to be considering moving to Costa Rica.  Some to retire, those who see it as an easy and affordable place to live.  Others, unhappy where they are and are looking for a place where war and consumerism are not priorities.  Any move to a new country is not easy and culture shock soon sets in.   I enrolled in a Spanish class and rode the public bus to school.  The view of the beautiful surrounding mountains made me feel peaceful.”

To order Jo's book you may contact her at jostuart@amcostarica.com

Best Place to See Iguanas in Costa Rica

[caption id="attachment_2524" align="alignleft" width="640" caption="The Brown Eyed Iguana"][/caption]

The Green iguana farm located on the Southern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica is the best place to see iguanas.  Here  they are protected  and breed and then released back into their natural habitat of the forest.

Also known as the Kekoldi Iguana farm for the family who runs it.  The Kekoldis are part of the Bri Bri Indigenous people who populate this region.

Iguanas are hunted for food, and also for the pet trade.  Which is a growing trade especially in the US.  Do Iguanas make good pets?  Well, I have heard different stories.  In Florida some friends of mine have a "pet iguana"  I'm not so sure that he is exactly a pet.  Although he is not aggressive and will let you rub his back, but I did not venture to pick him up.  He walks freely around the swimming pool  and the grassy lawn.  At night he has  a cage where he sleeps.   And for breakfast he has an over ripe banana, from Costa Rica.

Iguanas are actually lizards, big lizards, although we do not like to think of them as such.  And they love the sunshine which warms their  bodies because they are cold blooded.

In Costa Rica, Iguanas come in all sizes and colors.  I have seen them in Manuel Antonio National park where they seem not to be afraid of the tourist, letting you walk close  and photograph them.   Once I was in a very rustic ecolodge on Playa Grande in NW Pacific Guanacaste and two large iguanas were in my room.  One under the bed and the other on the window sill, but they ran off as soon as  I made a lot of noise, like screaming.

You may contact Willie's Costa Rica Tours in Cahuita on the Southern Caribbean Costa if you would like to take the Iguana Farm Tour.

Costa Rica's Rain Forest

[caption id="attachment_2511" align="alignleft" width="320" caption="Giant fern tree in Costa Rica's Rain Forest"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2513" align="alignleft" width="320" caption="Sunlight Peekiing thru Rain Forest Canopy"][/caption]

Costa Rica is famous among tourist as having beautiful rain forest where hundreds of species of plants and animals live.   The best place in Costa Rica  for a tourist to see a primary rain forest, one that is hundreds of years old and has never been cut,  is  Corcovado National Park in the Southwestern Pacific coastlines.  You have to take a boat or a small plane to get here.    Also in Monteverde is the Monteverde cloud forest reserve which is a primary rain forest.  There is some very beautiful rain forest in the Arenal area of which part is primary.   Also there is a vast primary rain forest in  South Central Costa Rica but the infra structure to get into this forest is very limited.

It always rains in a rain forest.  Sometimes up to 260 inches a year.  The average temperature during the day is 77 degrees F. and around 64 degrees F at night.

Tropical rain forest have many names, among them is "jewels of the earth" and the "world's largest pharmacy"  One quarter of our medicines come from plants within the rain forest. And one half of the world's plants and animals live here.

Today only 6% of the earths surface is covered with rain forest due to deforestation.  40% of the earths oxygen comes from these forests.

Trees are the earth's lungs.  They take in  carbon dioxide and give off oxygen.    So every time you  cut a tree, you are interfering with this cycle.

When a tree within a rain forest is cut down,  the plants and animals who live there have to look for a new home.

Fortunately, in Costa Rica a large percentage of the primary and secondary rain forest are under preservation in the form of National Parks and Wildlife Reserves.  Tourist  have the opportunity to enjoy these parks and see the animals, birds, and plants living there.  Thank you, Government of Costa Rica for having the vision to preserve these natural  wonders.

Squirrel Monkeys are found In Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica

[caption id="attachment_2516" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="A Troup of Squirrel Monkeys"][/caption]

Squirrel Monkeys are found in Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica.  This is a lowland primary rain forest  located on the southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica , with few roads and almost no development of the land and little invasion by man.  Tourist come here to Corcovado National Park  but not in large numbers because it is inaccessible except by water or by air ( small airstrips where single and twin engine planes land).

These squirrel monkeys are small, but the  funny thing is the males gains weight during their breeding season, up to 20% of their body weight.  It seems that the females are more attracted to the heavier males.  Opposite from us humans, right.

Squirrel monkeys like to eat small bats and small birds and bird eggs.   And large snakes like to eat the small squirrel monkeys.  They live and travel in large groups, sometimes in the hundreds, and have vocal sounds which warn against impending predators.  To mark their territory they rub their tales and bodies with their own urine.

Captured for the pet trade, these small monkeys are favorites for gaining big profits.   In Costa Rica we don't see them being captured and sold, but in other countries such as South America these cute little monkeys can be seen in cages in large central markets in the big cities.

These monkeys are very cute with a white mask of fur around their eyes and and dark brown coloration  around their mouth, looking like a beard.  Their strange looking ears are large and pointed and protrude outward.   They playfully jump from limb to limb in the tree tops and hardly ever come down to the ground.

Costa Rica's White Face Monkey, One of Most Intelligent in the Rain Forest

[caption id="attachment_2489" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Don't think too hard!"][/caption]

Which is one of the most intelligent monkeys in the rain forest of Costa Rica? If you guessed the white face monkey you are correct.

White faced monkeys use tools.  They beat snakes with sticks to protect themselves. They use hard surfaces such as trees to crack nuts for food.  They can be seen probing sticks into holes to explore what is inside.  These monkeys are trained to assist paraplegics  and also for roles on TV shows.

White face monkeys actually eat the beautiful bromeliads we see in the high up canopy of the rain forest.  And drink the water stored in the bromeliad’s leaves.  And they love mangos, bananas, and palm date nuts.  Don’t let one of them steal your backpack or all you belongings inside will be gone.  They are looking to eat your bananas.

White faced monkeys are seen in many areas of the rain forest in Costa Rica.  Especially in the Manuel Antonio National Park area.  The park rangers tell you not to feed them , but despite that the white face  has learned that we tourist carry food around so they become very friendly and hang our near by, and if you turn your back-well...the white face loves to grab the backpack and run to the top of the tree with it.

Destruction of the rain forest due to development of roads, hotels, and condos and man intruding into the white face monkey’s natural habitat.has been harmful.  Many less have been seen in the Manuel Antonio National park in the previous years.

If you Could Be a Monkey, Which One Would You Be?

If  I could be a monkey, I would be a Howler Monkey and live in the rain forest of Costa Rica, and my name would be Curious George.  I would pick a very tall tree and live in the  top so I could eat the young tender leaves, and I would never go down to earth.   I would be a handsome black male Howler so I could make a lot of noise with my super sized vocal chords and every morning I would awaken the life in the forest with my loud howls.

This howling is  to mark my troupe's  territory.  My guy and gal friends in the troop number around eight.  And we want to make sure no other Howlers

[caption id="attachment_2483" align="aligncenter" width="290" caption="Curious George"][/caption]

trespass into our tree tops.  So we playfully swing from tree to tree, eating green leaves and if they is any fruit  around that's an extra treat.

My girlfriend howler is pregnant with little howler and in around six months we'll have a new addition to the troupe.  We are all very excited about it.   And in a short four years he will no longer be little howler.  He will be grown up  and  become big howler.

So you people out there,  help protect and preserve our natural habitat.  That means please do not cut  the trees in our rain forest to build your big houses and your big hotels.  It takes hundreds of years to grow them back, and we Howlers only have about twenty years here in the tops of our beautiful trees.

You can join our "Keep the Howlers Howling Club" by spreading the word.   Save just one tree at the time, and soon you will save the whole rain forest.   Thanks,   Curious George and all the Howlers.

costaricalearn.com welcomes your comments,  just go to the end of this article and click on "no comments"

Medicare Insurance will Not Cover in Costa Rica

[caption id="attachment_2472" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Cima Hospital, one of Costa Rica's Private Hospitals"][/caption]

If you are traveling in Costa Rica and need go use your Medicare insurance to pay for medical care, will it cover?  No, Medicare's coverage does not extend  abroad.  Coverage is provided only in the US.   Only option is to purchase an international insurance plan or  a travel insurance  policy that covers medical care in Costa Rica.  Or simply pay in cash for your medical care, which is much less expensive than in the US.

There are very good private hospitals in the capital city of San Jose.    Cima hospital  is located in Escazu, a San Jose suburb.   And Clinica Biblica hospital is located in downtown  San Jose.

Doctors in Costa Rica are very well trained and many speak English.

So why is it that the Costa Rican citizens seem quite healthy and live to a ripe old age?  Is is because they are  covered with basic health care provided by the socialized health care system run by the government?  Perhaps this is part of it, but Costa Ricans live a very different life style than we do in the US.  First, they don't create so much stress in their daily life.  They live more simply  with  less materialism.  The family unit is strong, sticking together and helping  each other.

The Costa Rican government offers their citizens  a socialized health care system which is not free.  Each citizen of Costa Rica pays into the system according to their income levels. Usually there are lines and wait  lists for some medical procedures.

Also,  the choice is available to buy private health care insurance by  the Costa Rican citizens.  Which of course costs more than the socialized health care plans.

Travel Tips: Eating in Costa Rican Restaurants

[caption id="attachment_2468" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Great homemade Costa Rican deserts"][/caption]

Are you planning on traveling to Costa Rica?  And are wondering on how much should you budget for eating in restaurants?   The least expensive way to eat out is the Costa Rica Soda .  This is a small family run eating establishment, not fancy but clean and offers typical Costa Rican food often cooked by the women who own the places.  Service is good and prices are modest because this is where mostly the Costa Rican locals eat.  The best thing to order is the "casada" or plate of the day consisting of a meat, 2 vegetables, cabbage slaw, tortillas, and a natural fresh fruit drink.  Also the sodas serve sandwiches, sometimes even hamburgers and french fries.  And also you may find a soda  and other Costa Rican restaurants that have  a buffet for a reasonable price.

What other restaurants are in Costa Rica?  Locally owned and operated restaurants from the moderate priced to the gourmet restaurants which of course are very expensive.

What is moderate priced?  $10-12 and up for lunch and dinner, not including alcoholic beverages.

Gourmet prices?  same as in the US-expensive!  But first class service,  wonderful food, and an extensive wine list.

And then there are  restaurants in all the above categories located in the high tourism areas.  These  often  are overpriced for what you get.

Fast food in Costa Rica? There are the McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger King, and Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell  with same price as US.

Street Venders:  Make sure the food is well cooked, don't eat raw vegetables or salads from street venders.  Peel the fruit before eating it.

In general what is the food like in Costa Rica?  Lots fresh vegetables and fresh fruits.  Meat is beef, pork, chicken, and if you are on the coast very fresh seafood.  Shrimp and lobster is very expensive.  Food is not hot and spicy like in Mexico.  Although garlic is used extensively in Costa Rican cooking.

In tourist areas you can find restaurant from all over the world- Italian,  Chinese, Japanese,  Mexican,  and French.  Great freshly baked  bread and pastries from German and French bakeries.

To make the long story short,  Costa Rican food is very good and very nutritious because it is fresh and locally grown, and usually freshly prepared.

Should I drink the water?   Costa Rica has good water and plenty of it,  the water source is usually from a vein high up on the side of the mountain.  Pure when coming out of the earth.  However, I have had tourist who want to drink only bottled water and that is OK also.  Bottled water is readily available everywhere  in Costa Rica.

Other tips:  Costa Rican beer is very good and not expensive.  Imperial is my favorite.  Costa Rica makes its own rum which is good but to me not as good as the Cuban rum or Puerto Rican or the rum from Haiti.

Wine:  Costa Rica does not make it's own wine.  The soil and climate is not suitable.   However, one can find wine from all over the world.  A lot of very good  wine from Chile can be purchased at reasonable prices.

Patience:  We are accustomed to fast food establishments here in US  where we order and the food comes in five minutes.  Well, in Costa Rica that is not the case, unless of course you are eating at McDonalds.   Service sometimes, according to our standards, is slow.  But that is the culture.  Costa Ricans don't rush around all the time, looking constantly at their watches.

Keep all receipts if paying by credit card so when you return home you can double check that the correct amount was  charged.  Also check the bill  before  you sign it for accuracy, and cross out any blanks.   The bill will be in colones (the Costa Rican monetary unit)  so you will need to know the exchange rate on that day to convert it to dollars.

Tipping in restaurants and sales tax that is added to your bill:    You bill will have 10% for tips already added to it when your see the TOTAL on your bill.   The bills are designed so you can see a column for tax and tips.  You could add some to that for very good service-if you wish.    Also there is a 13% tax (you will see it on the bill)  This is a sales tax.

Remembering Costa Rica's history on Independence Day, September 15th.

[caption id="attachment_2446" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Costa Rica School girl with National Flag-Independence Day"][/caption]

Well, today September 15th is Independence Day in Costa Rica and celebrations are in every town.  Let us take a moment and reflect on the history of Costa Rica.


Summary of How Costa Rica Was Settled

Costa Rica,  is a small tropical jewel located in what is known as “Central America.”  Nicaragua is its northern neighbor and Panama is it’s southern neighbor.
In the year 1502, Christopher Columbus on his 3rd voyage to the new world,  landed on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast near by the present day  town of Limon in search of gold.  However, this search to  enrich the Spanish crown failed.  Columbus instead  encountered the rough terrains of raging rivers, rugged  mountains covered with dense rain forest , and a native population of people who looked upon the white man with distrust and suspicion.  And there was very little gold.
Columbus, however,  was in awe of the immense natural beauty of this land and named it Costa Rica meaning “rich coast”
What was the life really like here in 1502 , when white man first put foot on these beautiful palm tree draped beaches, towering mountains, and dense rainforest .. home to  hundreds of species of birds, animals, and plants?
Small non unified groups of Indians with diverse languages and culture were scattered through out  this land.  They hunted, fished, and lived off the land by growing crops of corn and yucca .  They were enthusiastic traders , exchanging ceramics, jade and gold as far north as Mexico and south to Ecuador.
However; despite the cruel hardships encountered in this mountainous rainforest the Spaniards continued to cross the vast Atlantic Ocean to explore  this new land,  clear it  for their crops and raise their families.  Soon small settlements grew into larger settlements and trade was begun with the Indians.
By the early 18th century, more and more settlers had arrived from Spain.  The indigenous population had died of diseases or been killed, and those remaining fled to the mountains for refuge.  The Spanish settlers worked the land with their own hands, without slaves,  Thus, the great democratic tradition (for which Costa Rica is famous) began with the independent yeoman farmer working his plot of land in the hills, creating  a spirit of pride and independence.
Wealth did not come to Costa Rica until around 1840 when coffee became a big business.  The rich soil and mild mountain climate was perfect for the production of coffee.

Land was granted free by the government to families to grow coffee, and soon large quantities were being exported to England and to Europe.   These wealthy Costa Ricans wanted more and traveled to Europe and sent their children to be educated there.
Soon,  this European influence began to be seen the in architecture of the homes, churches, office buildings.  The wealthy Costa Ricans adopted a more gentile way of life, built beautiful homes  in the European style,  and employed servants.  The women brought their elegant wardrobes from Europe, and the National Theater in San Jose was constructed to house operas for a sophisticated audience.

This article is meant to be a very brief summary so the reader can understand more about the Costa Rican people and their culture.   1. What language is spoken in Costa Rica?  Spanish is the mother language because the first white people to settle Costa Rica came from Spain.   2.  What is their religion?  Primarily Roman Catholic, brought by the Spanish immigrants from Spain.   3. Culture?  Latin in nature.  Costa Ricans are laid back, do not live  by a clock,   are family orientated,  friendly and they genuinely like people from other countries.

All Costa Ricans attend school to at least age 16 so the literacy rate is high.   Health care is provided through a socialized system which is not free. Participation requires paying monthly into the system.  The government is a social democracy with elections every four years.  Costa Rica prides itself in it’s democratic tradition.  Most Costa Ricans, even the most modest income levels own their home and a small plot of land.   In the rural areas you still will find the proud farmer who tills his small plot, raising the basic necessities for his family such as a cow, pig,  and vegetable garden.

Above photo was taken by  anywherecostarica.com

What do you think of this article?  We  welcome comments and questions.  Just click on “no comment” at end of this post.  We  learn from your questions and comments

Costa Rica's Independence Day is September 15th!

Independence Day in Costa Rica is celebrated every year on September 15th.  Costa Rica declared it's independence from Spain on September 15, 1821.

[caption id="attachment_2430" align="alignleft" width="124" caption="Costa Rica's flag, symbol of patriotism"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2433" align="alignleft" width="210" caption="Independence Day Celebration, high school marching band"][/caption]

Since it is a national holiday  people do not go to work and there are parades in all the towns with children dressed in the red, white , and blue typical campasino dress.  Bands play and all the town folk line the side walks to see the brightly decorated floats, high school bands , and pretty girls passing  by.  There is typical Costa Rica food for sale in the stands such as arroz con pollo (rice and chicken) tamales, usually reserved for Christmas,  fried yucca,  black beans and rice, fried plantains, and cabbage slaw.  And of course rice pudding, coconut flan, and tres leches (three milk cake.)

A Little Bit About Costa Rica. By international standards Costa Rica is characterized as a third world country or a developing country.  However, on first impression it does not appear so.  You don't see the cardboard shanty towns that dominate the landscape of other developing countries.  The people are well dressed. The homeless and street people are not as evident as in other Latin American third world countries.

Costa Ricans are essentially democratic, benevolent and peaceful, well mannered,  friendly and helpful.   They are basically shy  and non aggressive and will go to any length to avoid an argument.  They tend to agree with you when sometimes actually deep within they really don't agree.  (This characteristic is one that is hard to get accustomed to)   And many times they will not answer your question with a direct answer, as we are accustomed to in our Anglo Saxon culture.

Small town life in Costa Rica:  In the small towns of Costa Rica there is a connectedness, a community  unity.   People care and help each other.  The most important thing to them is the family unit and families tend to grow up and live close to one another.  It is not unusual to see a family compound where the parents build their home and also a home for each of their children.  These are often completely enclosed by a tall concrete wall.  The Costa Rican is fundamentally a campesino  and feels more at home in an agrarian  rural setting.   However, in the larger cities such as San Jose and Alajuela  people seem to live more separately, very characteristic of life in a big city.   In the cities  everything  moves fast and stress becomes a part of daily life.

Costa Ricans welcome foreigners.  The government has set up tax incentives to start a new businesses or  work in an existing business,  or  retire here  and enjoy the beautiful natural environment.

The North American culture has had a great influence on Costa Rica.  Costa Rican kids watch movies and TV programs produced in Hollywood,  they know the names of actors, musicians, and politicians, and especially are in love with pop music from North America.  Fashions trends are fast to reach the youth of Costa Rica from the US.

Costa Rica has a complex ethnic  makeup. When Christopher Columbus reached the shores of Costa Rica in 1502,  on his third voyage to the new world,  he found indigenous tribes living here,  and they engaged in trade with Columbus and his followers .  As more and more people immigrated from Spain,  some of them mixed with these indigenous people  and produced a race of "mixed blood"  Although some of the Spaniards remained segregated and married only among their own.   In Costa Rica today you will see these white skin, blue eyed people.  And also you will see the "mixed blood" who have olive skin, dark hair and eyes.

As time passed the Spaniards tried to enslave the Indians, and they rebelled.  Many were killed or died from new diseases brought over by the Spaniards.  A small number of them survived and they  fled into the mountains to hide.

Certain areas of Costa Rica have  a distinct population:  for example on the Atlantic coast is a large population  from African descent who came to Costa Rica from the Caribbean Islands, mainly Jamaica and the West Indies.  They came to work on the  cacao (chocolate) plantations and the banana plantations.  They also helped to build the railroad from San Jose to Limon  (no longer in service).  They speak both English and Spanish.

The province of Guanacaste, Northern Costa Rica: this area was once part of Nicaragua so the people have darker skin, are short in statue,  and resemble their Nicaraguan neighbors in manner and accent.

There is also a small Chinese population in Costa Rica, which seems to be mostly in  the Limon areas and in San Jose.  These people came to Costa Rica to help build the railroad from the central valley to the Atlantic coast.  Many stayed, married Costa Ricans,  and started small family businesses.

Italians came to Costa Rica to work on the railroad, and  remained.  Many of them live in an area called San Vito in the southern part of Costa Rica.

Indigenous People of Costa Rica: When Columbus first arrived to Costa Rica there it is estimated that approximately 60,000 Indians lived in different regions of Costa Rica.   Columbus was looking for gold and the first Indians he encountered wore gold necklaces and told stories of gold along the coast on the southern Pacific of Costa Rica.   However,  Costa Rica was not to become  a "rich jewel in Spain's crown".  In fact it turned out to be one of the poorest of Spain's  American colonies.   When new settlers came from Spain they found life  very oppressive.  They had to endure very hot weather, impenetrable forest, floods, raging rivers,  impassable mountains, swamps, and diseases.   By 1506 expeditions from Spain were landing throughout the Atlantic coast.  They captured Indians and shipped them to Hispanola (Dominican Republic) as slaves to the large land owners.  These exeditions brought small pox, influenza, and other plagues to the region and many of the Indians died from these infections.  Immigrants from Spain forced the Indians into labor without compensation and the Indians rebelled, many of them fleeing into the dense forest of the mountains of the Talamanca regions (today a small number of them still live, isolated from the outside world).  The Indian revolts, the shortage of food, and lack of gold imposed continuous hardships on the new settlers. And by 1560 the number of  new Spanish settlers decreased.  By this time few of the Indians remained.

This caused the settlers to have to do all of the work themselves. So they planted and gathered the crops with  their own hands,  and  endured  this desperate struggle to exist  in a wild wilderness land.  Historians point to this period of Costa Rica's history to explain the character of today's Costa Rican.  They cherish independence, love peace and liberty. Perhaps this was the beginning of their strong democratic tradition of the  independent yeoman farmer working his plot of land in the hills.  The rich vs. poor social classes did not arise and there were no groups of strong and powerful land owners.

During the second half of the 19th century immigrants began to arrive in large numbers.  They were attracted by the promise of prosperity generated from the developing coffee industry.  Also the Costa Rican government had as open door policy. There were German and English settlers who started businesses  in import-export.  Other businesses were started by Lebanese, Turkish, and Polish Jews, who became powerful merchants.

Starting around  the year 1840, when Costa Ricans discovered that they could grow coffee,  things changed, both economically and socially.  Coffee became a big business, creating on oligarchy of coffee barons who rose to positions of wealth and power.   A distinct social class emerged of rich  plantation owners.  They built large and grand  homes and sent their  children to Europe to become educated in  European manners and a gentile way of life.  Today, we see beautiful buildings designed by European architects, best example being the National Theatre in San Jose.  Built around the turn of the century it is a copy of the Paris Opera House.  It is host to  operas,  ballet, and other classical performances as well of pop concerts.  Also scattered around Costa Rica are beautiful churches reflecting European influence and designs.

Since the 1960s Costa Rica laws favoring North American and European retirees, have led to the establishment of a large number of Americans and Europeans in the central valley and surrounding smaller towns.  They come to enjoy the warm tropical climate and relaxed way of life.  Some start new businesses.  Others just retire and live a simple life,  eat natural vegetables and fruits, enjoy the unspoiled beaches, and even take some Spanish lessons.  Time for them is to be savored..one day at a time.

Costa Rica's Humpback Whales are the "Songsters of the Sea"

[caption id="attachment_2403" align="alignleft" width="144" caption="acrobatic humpback whale costa rica"][/caption]

Costa Rica's humpback whales are performers and have been nicknamed “Songsters of the Sea”. That’s because they sing.  It’s the male that sings when he  is calling for a mate.  Yes, these male humpback whales sing during mating season when they are in warm tropical water. They migrate here from the colder polar waters, traveling up to 3,000 miles.

Their songs are long erie beautiful songs.  The sounds they make are a combination of squeaks in a sequence making a unique rhythm.  Sometimes they sing for twenty minutes and can be heard from long distances away.  It’s a puzzle as to how they can sing, since they do not have vocal chords.

Humpback whales in Costa Rica are acrobats.  They use their powerful fins to flip themselves up and out of the water.  Their large bodies come up gracefully  and their wide tail fins are the last thing you see when they go back under the water.  It’s quite a show!   Then unexpectedly, they poke their heads up out of the water and spray water several feet high.

Tourist love to go on whale watching tours and Costa Rica tourist are no exception.  At Marino Ballena National Park located on the southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica is where you can certainly see these amazing creatures.  Best time of the year is mid December thru mid April when they have migrated to  these warm tropical waters.

To learn more about Marino Ballena National Park  click on           www.costaricalearn.com/whale-watching-in-costa-rica-marino-ballena-national-park

Humpback Whales Can Be Seen in Costa Rica!

Traveling to Costa Rica’s South Pacific coast of Drake Bay and Corcovado National park  during the months of January through mid April?   Well, you might get lucky and see the humpback whales.  These giant whales migrate to these warm tropical waters from the colder polar waters.   They come here for one purpose and that is to breed.

Whales have always fascinated us humans.  Actually whales are mammals, like us.   But, they are marine mammals.   But like us, they  breathe air, give birth to their young, and the mother whale nurses her baby, sometimes sixteen pounds of milk per day!  Mother whale protects her baby, lets him swim by her side, his fins touching hers.

The mother whale carries the baby in her whale wound for twelve months.  The baby whale is born tail first and quickly swims to the surface of shallow waters, helped by the mother with her flippers, and learns to swim on its own.   Mother and child whale stay close for about one year. They touch their fins together, showing affection.

They migrate together some three thousand miles to the colder polar water where they eat.  While in the warmer tropical waters the mother lives off  her blubber and the baby off the mother’s milk.

But the whale must grow up and be on its own.  At around seven years he reaches puberty and adulthood at around fifteen years.  And can live to the ripe old age of fifty.

Humpback Whales are considered an endangered species.  We don’t think about this when we travel to remote areas such as the south Pacific of Costa Rica to see them

Man has polluted the whales habitat in the vast oceans!

1.Their habitat of the vast oceans have become polluted by run off from contaminated rivers.    These contaminants are land based from factories, agricultural, and urban.
2. Whales have  become trapped in hugh nets placed by man in the oceans.
3. Ozone depletion's is especially harmful to the whale,  due to the increased levels of ultra violet B radiation which destroys their ocean’s food supply.  This is results of man burning  fossils like coal to produce the massive amounts of energy we consume.
4.Commercial whaling has been resumed.

How can I see these beautiful creatures in Costa Rica? You can travel to the South Pacific of Costa Rica in the months of January through mid April to perhaps Drake Bay or Corcovado National Park and hire a boat to take you out to see them.  There are many wilderness lodges in this areas which provide this service.  Look for the lodges on google.

Learn about Marino Ballena National Park in the Southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica where you can see humpback whales:  Click on:

http://costaricalearn.com/whale-watching-in-costa-rica-marino-ballena-national-park

You can learn more about what you could do to help save these endangered creatures.  Go to www.savethewhales.org

Rancho Margot, A Self Sufficient Working Ranch near the Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica

[caption id="attachment_2369" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="bungalow for tourist at Rancho margot"][/caption]

Rancho Margot located near the Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica is home to one of the most exciting development projects in the country.  It is the brainchild of Juan Sostheim who came to Costa Rica from Chile to retire, but instead created Rancho Margot,  a self sustainable, self sufficient working ranch.  Juan has opened it to tourist to come and see how all this is done and  enjoy the peace and tranquility of the rain forest setting.  There are fourteen bungalows where you sleep and enjoy the gorgeous views from your own front porch.  Then you get a guided tour of the ranch, take a guided hike into the rain forest,   or take a horseback tour to the highest peak to see the mighty Arenal Volcano  erupting .  The lovely open air restaurant serves typical Costa Rica food which is fresh and delicious, most of it grown organically right there on the ranch.

At Rancho Margot electricity is produced by water driven turbines.  There is a very swift river running right down the middle of the property surrounded by thick jungle rain forests filled with monkeys and colorful tropical birds.  Dairy cows are raised for cheese and milk.  Orchards and organic gardens are sown for the fruits and vegetables.   Chickens are raised  for their eggs.  Biodigestors convert animal waste into energy.   Cell phone and internet service is all there because  Juan installed several satellites around the ranch in order to get the service.

Juan is very active in the local community.  He has reforested hillsides, purchased shuttle buses, hired English teachers for the local school children.   He built an animal rescue center on the ranch with a veterinary clinic.

Rancho Margot welcomes researchers, horticulturists, students, volunteers, backpackers and high-end tourists as well.

Also there is a yoga center built built on stilts overlooking the beautiful river.

Transportation is provided from La Fortuna.

Mimi, the tiny spider monkey (shown in the above photo) was brought into Juan's rescue center after having been injured.  He was treated by the vet and now after two weeks is doing well.

You can learn all about Rancho Margot at www.ranchomargot.org

We at costaricalearn strive to inform you of unique tourist destinations in Costa Rica which are very reasonably priced and offer high quality service.  We welcome you comments.  At the end of this post simply click  on comments or go to the top of this page and click on contact us.

Costa Rica Spotlight: Casa Ridgeway Hostel,San Jose, Costa Rica

If you are traveling to San Jose Costa Rica  and are looking for budget accommodations and would like to be located near downtown San Jose.   Casa Ridgeway Hostel is worth looking into.  In the light of the current economic crunch it’s pricing is very reasonable.  It is different from most hostels in that it has strict rules. No drinking and no partying.  Quiet hours are enforced starting at 10 p.m.  Dorm rooms are $14 per person with shared bath.  Private rooms $19 per person with shared bath.
Private rooms with private baths are $34 for double and $22 single .  included is wireless Internet, a very nice library, and  shared sitting room with TV.

Casa Ridgeway is conveniently located west of the Justice Tribunal on a dead end street off 15th Street between Avenue 6 and 8.  You can walk to the National Museum, and other museums such as the gold museum and to the National Theatre-all located downtown  and also convenient to the major shopping area on Central Avenue.  And a short taxi ride will get you to all the public bus stations which go to all outlying towns of Costa Rica.

Casa Ridgeway is operated by Friends Peace Center which was founded by a group of Costa Ricans and Quakers from the United States, in reaction to the violence consuming Central America. The Center hosts regular discussions and many of the speakers choose to stay at Casa Ridgeway.

Please take a look at their web site for complete information  www.amigosparalapaz.org

Costa Rica's Sodas, Family Run Restaurants, Great Food for Less Money

[caption id="attachment_2359" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="A typical Costa Rican family run soda"][/caption]

In the Costa Rica we find small family run restaurants called  Costa Rican sodas. The restaurants have their own individual names, but the general term is soda. Here you can save a lot of money because the food is cheaper and very good.   If you order the "casada " or plate of the day, you get a lot of  food for around $6.  The plate comes with rice and beans, fried plantains, salad of chopped cabbage and tomato,  tortillas, and a meat which is usually chicken or beef.  And believe me when you finish you have had plenty to eat!   Also the sodas serve sandwiches and some of them even have a buffett style meal for very reasonable price.

I alway tell my tourist about the sodas.  They get to know what Costa Rican food tastes like,  plus they save money and time.  The service is fast.

I have been asked.  Is there a lot of hot pepper in Costa Rican food-like in Mexico?  No there isn't, but garlic is used generously.  This really flavors the food and garlic is supposed to be very good for your health.

Ask for one of the delicious natural drinks, made of fresh papaya or pineapple or other fresh seasonal fruit.  This is cheaper than soft drinks such as cokes and is also very good for your health.

Here at Costaricalearn we strive to make your visit to Costa Rica a better one.  We offer advice on how to save money on your vacation.  Please leave us a comment to share with our readers.  Simply click on comment  the end of this article.   Or click on contact us at the top of this page.

Overnighting near San Jose International Airport, Costa Rica?

If you are flying into the San Jose International Airport and need to overnight one or two nights before heading out to other tourist destinations in Costa Rica?  From my travel tips on "how to travel Costa Rica smarter and cheaper, "  I can advise you to do the following,  pick a hotel around the Alajuela area.  Why?  It's only 2 miles from the San Jose International Airport.  The taxi ride is shorter and cheaper. And the hotels are going to cost you less.  The town of Alajuela is slower moving and easier to get around in than the big city of San Jose which is 9 miles from the international airport.  And it is only two miles to the Interamerican Highway or Highway 1 which can take you northward to the many popular tourist destinations.  There are many hotels to choose from in and around Alajuela, and I'm sure there is one to fit your budget.  You can simply  click on google and ask for hotels in Alajuela  and search for  your price range.

And if you have purchased a tour which takes you  east of San Jose such as the Tortuguero Canals tour, the  company's tour bus will pick you up  and bring you back to  the Hampton Inn, located right at the entrance to Alajuela at the San Jose international airport.

San Jose can be very hectic with heavy traffic and hard to get around, especially during rush hour traffic.  Alajuela is less hectic and much much easier.

We at costaricalearn hope to make your travel easier.

Coffee "Costa Rica's Gold"

“Starbucks in New York City serves Costa Rican Coffee.”

Tourist traveling to Costa Rica have asked me, “What is the best gift I can bring to my relatives and friends back home?”  And I tell them, “Costa Rican Coffee.”

The cup of coffee you drink in Costa Rica will be very fresh, recently harvested and roasted.   So the coffee is always good.

You can buy bagged coffee in all the supermarkets and at the gift shops in the international airports.  All the brands are good.  The most popular seems to be Britt which you can buy in it’s organic form.  Also the decaffeinated Britt coffee apparently is processed with water instead of with chemicals.  There are other brands of coffee in Costa Rica that are excellent.  In fact I have not found a bad brand yet.

The coffee beans  grown in Costa Rica came from Ethiopia and Arabia and were brought here by the Spaniards.  It was first grown in people’s yards as ornamental plants with its deep green leaves and pretty white blooms with a jasmine scent, and  big red berries.

Coffee was so easy to grow in Costa Rica, especially in the higher elevations of 4,000 feet in the rich volcanic soil, plentiful rainfall, and warm tropical sunshine.

In the year 1843 Costa Rica made it’s connection to the European markets for it’s coffee.  It so happened that an English sea captain named William Le Lacheur was on a return voyage to England from the west coast of the United States and made a stop on the central  Pacific coast at Puntarenas.  His ship was empty and he allowed Costa Rican coffee to be loaded and taken to England where it was an immediate success.

And now,  over a century later we walk into Starbucks in New York City  and drink a cup of Costa Rica coffee!  You’ve come a long way Baby!

Tourist visiting Costa Rica can take a coffee tour, learn all about “Costa Rica’s Gold”  and take a walk in a coffee plantation.

Doka Four Generations Coffee Tour is located in the central valley just 5 miles north of Alajuela.  Here you can learn about the life cycle of the coffee plant, and tour the plantation.  Coffee is harvested and processed November through January, but the tour is open all year . You also learn how coffee is processed, roasted, and  packaged, visit the gift shop and buy coffee to take home,  and have a delicious Costa Rican lunch.  plus taste the different flavors of the Four Generations coffee. Learn more at www.dokaestate.com

Britt Coffee Tour is  located near the hillside town of Heredia between Jan Jose and Alajuela.  The special treat here is theatrical presentation about the history of coffee in Costa Rica, a fun way to learn all about coffee. Also Britt grows coffee organically and here you will learn how this is done.   Find out all about Britt Coffee Tour at www.coffeetour.com

Here at costaricalearn we strive to provide our readers with interesting and educational topics of interest to the traveler.  Got something to say about Costa Rica coffee?  We'd love to hear it.  just click on comments at the end of this post and tell us.

Traveling to Costa Rica? Tips on Handling Money

Are you planning on traveling to Costa Rica?  Costaricalearn is going to offer some tips on handling money. Don't change dollars to colones  which is the Costa Rica monetary unit  BEFORE leaving your home country.   Change it when you arrive to Costa Rica but DON'T  change it in the airport because the exchange rate is poor.  Taxi drivers will allow you to pay them in dollars from the airport to your hotel.  Just be sure you have small  bills on you so you don't get confused when the taxi driver gives you change in colones.  Good tip is:  write on a 3x5 card the exchange rate for $1  $5   $10  $20   $50  $100   That way you can quickly figure it in your head.

The front desk of your hotel will change a small amount of your money into colones, usually $50  at  a rate close to the official exchange rate at the bank.  So I go ahead and change this much at my hotel.  Then I ask at the hotel front desk  directions to the nearest bank.  If it is within walking distance sometime later I go to the bank and change some more money at the official bank rate.

I never carry a large sum of  cash money around with me, and I carry it in a money pouch-under my clothes.

If you are shopping in a central market for crafts etc.  you can ask for a 10% discount by paying in  cash colones

Some places will surcharge you up to 6%  for paying with a credit card.   An example of this is small hotels,  so it's better to pay them in cash.  Best thing is to ask ahead of time-when you make your reservation.  So there are no surprises.

American Express credit card is NOT accepted everywhere in Costa Rica so be aware of this.  Mastercard and Visa  are more widely accepted.

ATM machines?  Yes you can find them.  At the major banks and in areas where there is heavy tourism.  However, they are closed at night for security reasons and I have heard stories of the ATM machines not working.  The ones located adjacent to the banks almost always work, so those are your best bet.

Debit cards?  I have tourist tell me that yes they were able to use a debit card, but on the other hand ,  they  tell me that in some stores they were unable to use a debit card.

Traveler's checks?  You can change these at major banks but there is a fee involved.   Hotels that take travelers checks also charge a fee.    And there are hotels which simply will not take travelers checks  SO check with your hotel before leaving home.

Costa Rica Spotlight: Molino Rojo Hostel Opens On Paseo Colon, San Jose, Costa Rica

[caption id="attachment_2322" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Molino Rojo Hostel San Jose Costa Rica"][/caption]

If you are traveling to San Jose Costa Rica and want a great location that is not far from the San Jose International Airport and very convenient to all the sights in and around San Jose, a new hostel named Molino Rojo Hostel has recently opened on Paseo Colon and Calle 32, diagonal from Kentucky  Fried Chicken .   Very well priced at $10 for a dorm and $25-$40 for  private room and  bath. And yes, there is hot water!   And it comes with continental breakfast and free use of the Internet.  Their tour desk will help you with setting up day tours to all the wonderful places to visit in the area.  There are volcano tours to Poas Volcano National Park,  Irazu Volcano,  tours to an organic coffee plantation,  and in a few minutes you can be downtown San Jose to visit the museums such as the Gold Museum,  The Jade Museum, and Costa Rica's National Museum.  And additionally, Molino Rojo's location  makes it easy to experience San Jose's night life.    Plus it's easy taxi ride to the public bus stations where you can take a public bus to almost anywhere in Costa Rica.  And to Nicaragua and Panama.

The owners share their story of how they completely renovated this structure, with most of the work being done by themselves.  They were inspired to open a hostel when they passed by this beautiful building and saw it in disrepair and thought, "This is a great place to open a hostel"  To give travelers the opportunity for a reasonably priced and comfortable accommodations right in the city.  So they immediately went to work with their saws and hammers,  paints and brushes and a lot of hard work, sweat and tears.  The end results was worth all the effort!

Read more about about Molino Rojo Hostel at www.molinorojohostel.com

At costaricalearn.com like to share  interesting places and interesting stories.  Do you have an interesting story?  Share it with us.  Just click comments or  click reply at end of this article or you can click on "contact us"  at top of this page.

Costaricalearns "Costa Rica Travel Planning Expert", Unique Journeys with Ann Cabezas "Best of Costa Rica's Natural Wonders"

Would you like to travel to Costa Rica on a Spectacular Vacation?  Experience the best of Costa Rica's natural wonders. Explore  the rain forest, active volcanoes,  monkeys, exotic birds,  learn how coffee is grown on a real coffee plantation,  learn how orchids are grown in a real Orchid Botanical Garden, experience the jungle in a comfortable jungle lodge,  sun bathe on the most gorgeous Costa Rica Beaches.

[caption id="attachment_2309" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Poas Volcano National park where we will visit"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2310" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Arenal Volcano National Park where we will visit"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2311" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="canals of Tortuguero National Park where we will visit"][/caption]

Explore the rivers and canals of  Tortuguero on the northern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, an area rich in exotic tropical plants and flowers.

Ann has fifteen years experience  in designing and planning individualized vacations to Costa Rica and has lived in Costa Rica for eight years.  She does vacation planning for individualized, fmailies, honeymoons,   and also for groups. She and her husband Ken now share their time between the Blueridge mountains of Virginia  and Costa Rica.

Yes,  let Ann, "The Costa Rica Travel Expert" help you plan and design you perfect Costa Rica vacation, with no extra charge to you.

It's just that easy.  Ann gets paid by commission from the hotels and tours she books for you...and you will not pay a peeny more.  In fact you will save time and money because Ann knows the most popular tourist destinations and can guide you thru your vacation planning.  One of the biggest errors  tourist make is because they do not know the distances and the great amount of time it takes to drive the mountainous roads.  Ann designs your vacation so you will not spend most of it driving or riding in a bus.

So with no obligation contact Ann today and get started!  anncreed23@gmail.com

 

Costa Rica Spotlight: Mawamba Lodge and the Little Village of Tortuguero, A Unique Place in Costa Rica Costa

Mawamba Lodge on the Tortuguero Canals  of Costa Rica  is a very special place.  What is so unique about Mawamba Lodge? First of all the setting.   It is located between the Caribbean Sea and the Toruguero River, in the mist of  a remote jungle.  Awake to the sounds of monkeys and  tropical song birds.   The grounds are covered with exotic tropical flowers and plants,  not seen in other areas of Costa Rica . The restaurant is open air surrounded by one thousand shades of green.    The food is delicious and fresh, very typical Costa Rican with natural drinks made from fresh pineapple and papaya. Butterflies  and humming birds of all colors fly near by.  The swimming pool  is a great place to take a dip and cool off from the tropical heat. A short walk and we are on the long stretch of black sand beach where the green sea turtle comes at night to lay her eggs.  We are lucky that we are here in July, the month when we are certainly sure to see the turtles.  If we could stay for 10 weeks we could see the baby turtles hatch and raise up out of the sand and run to the sea.  That would be something to see!

The big treat is the tour of the Tortuguero Canals, some of these canals make up part of Tortuguero National Park which was created to preserve this  ecosystem of fresh water lagoons, creeks, wetlands and secondary rain forest. The wildlife here is abundant because of it's remoteness.  We see monkeys, crocodiles,  jesus christ lizards, turtles, and so many birds.

Situated between the Caribbean Sea and the Tortuguero River, only a mile  from the Mawamba Lodge is Tortuguero,   a small village which take us back in time.  Narrow dirt pathways lead  to quaint  houses all made  of wood and painted in hues of blue, yellow, and red, reflecting the

[caption id="attachment_2296" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Remote Tortuguero canals by boat"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2297" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Tortuguero River Costa Rica"][/caption]

influence of their  neighboring Caribbean Islands.  Another pathway leads us  to the blue and white one room school house where twenty five students , grades one through six,  with one teacher,  attend  morning classes .    We continue our walk which leads us to the ocean with it's  dark sand beachs and loud roar of the waves.   And  here at night we can see the large green sea turtles laying their eggs in the sand. This community is a self sustaining community. Being very isolated from the rest of the outside world the people live simply.  Tourism is the biggest money maker.  Here they fish, hunt, and grow a lot of their vegetables, and eat the fruit that grows wild, like bananas, papaya, and pineapple.

Near the waters  edge are located several small hotels where we see tourist sitting by the river's edge drinking coconut juice-from a hole cut in the top of the coconut.    No one in a hurry here!  No super highways, no jet airplanes. Only the sounds of the river, the ocean, and the rain forest.

The school boat docks nearby.  It has brought the school kids up river for their day at school.  The are all neatly dressed in navy and white uniforms.

There will never be a shortage of food here, no worry of going hungry.  Bananas, coconuts,  mangos, papayas, all growing wild and a small vegetable garden in every yard.  The unpolluted river is abundant with fresh fish and of course there is no shortage of good drinking water with so many natural springs.   Rain falls all year round making all the plants and trees a verdant green.  So the people here at Tortuguero led a very simply life.   No need for cars because there are no roads, only dirt pathways.   This is a real life self sustaining  community.  We as tourist are privileged to take a  peek into their  lifestyle  and wish we could take a little of it back home with us.

Here at costaricalearn we would like to hear from our readers .  What do you think.  Have you visited this unique place?  comment and replies at the end of this article  Thanks.

"Paradise Waits" a Great Beach house for Rent on the Coast of the Southern Nicoya Peninsula

"Paradise Waits" is a beautiful three bedroom-three bath fully furnished home for rent on the beach at a place called Santa Teresa/Mal Pais on the southern Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica.

Within walking distance of this unique  house is a beautiful beach  with great big waves for surfing,  a beach lovers paradise.  The house sleeps up to 10 people.

Here you can walk on the beach, see the gorgeous tropical sunsets,  hike into the jungle to see and hear the monkeys.   See Toucans and other colorful tropical birds.  Swim in the blue waters of the Pacific and  go surfing.

Learn more about this  and other beautiful  beach homes and condos for rent in Costa Rica at      www.costaricabeachvacationrentals.com

Please go to the following web site to learn all about Paradise Waits Beach house and how to rent it.   www.vrbo.com/221142

Here at costaricalearn.com we want to share with you these unique places in Costa Rica.

[caption id="attachment_2283" align="alignleft" width="300" caption=""Paradise Waits" porch -perfect for  viewing a tropical paradise"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2284" align="alignleft" width="300" caption=" View from "Paradise Waits"  to the Pacific beach at Mal Pais Costa Rica"][/caption]

Is There a Hurricane Season in Costa Rica?

Hurricanes do not normally come as far south as Costa Rica.   However,  hurricanes  do get as far south as  the Atlantic coastlines of Nicaragua and Honduras.  Costa Rica's weather is categorized into a dry season and a rainy season, and the amount of rainfall depends on what area of the country you are in.   Generally speaking:  Dry season- From around December 10 through mid April

Rainy season -from around mid April through around December 10th.   Exceptions are on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica the rainfall in much heavier and there is really not a dry season and a rainy season.   Seems to rain there less in October and November  (but that too varies)

NW Pacific Guanacaste beaches  is where there is the least rainfall in Costa Rica- even in the rainy season- this part of Costa Rica gets sunny mornings and late afternoon showers.

South Pacific of Costa Rica-this includes the Osa Peninsula.  Very rainy here.  Even in the dry season, rains a lot here. But in dry season usually sunny mornings and afternoon showers.

When traveling to Costa Rica you will admire how beautiful and green everything is.  That's because of the rain,  the rich volcanic soil, and the warm tropical sunshine.

If you are planning a vacation to Costa Rica you would love to have our recently filmed travel DVD "Costa Rica a Travel Adventure Spectacular" travel video.  This full length DVD will show in their most spectacular beauty the 10 most popular tourist destinations in Costa Rica.  Just go to our home page of costaricalearn and at the top click on "buy our video."  There you can view a 3 minute preview and all the instructions on how to order the video.

I invite you to read here on costaricalearn.com more about the weather patterns in Costa Rica.  Go to category weather patterns in the most popular touris destinations.