The National Theater, "An Architectural Gem"

 

[caption id="attachment_3654" align="aligncenter" width="150" caption="Golden Frog, Gold Museum, San Jose Costa Rica"][/caption]

Inside the National Theater, Neoclassical Architecture

The National Theater located in the heart of San Jose, Costa Rica's capital city is an architectural gem.  It is a copy of the famous Paris Opera House.  If you are traveling to Costa Rica on vacation and are in San Jose be sure and go see it or even better attend a performance.   Costa Rica's symphony orchestra plays on Friday evenings  during symphony season.

The theater was built in 1897 when the wealthy coffee barons  of Costa Rica decided they needed an appropriate stage for operas coming from Europe.  The first opera performed was a magnificent performance of Faust and was  attended by the President and a select, finely dressed audience.

In the rear of the National Theater is the Gold Museum, which houses hundreds of  pre Colombian gold artifacts, some of which date back to 500 years B.C.  Definitely this is one of the best museums in San Jose so make time to visit.  Takes about one hour to see it all. There is an admission fee.

Outside the National Theater is the Plaza de Cultura and is a great place just to sit and watch the people walking by.  Mid-day is good when  the people are on their lunch break and the streets are bustling with activity.

San Jose is not a particularly pretty city.  It's noisy with lots of buses and cars and seems unorganized.  It's hard to find your way because the streets and avenues are not well marked.  Best to take a taxi which is relatively inexpensive.  If you are looking for a place to stay in San Jose I recommend that you go to the following web site which has a good choice of hotels in San Jose with discount prices  www.hoteltravel.com/costarica/sanjose/hotels/htm

 

Limon is a town located on Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica

[caption id="attachment_3639" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Private garden on Caribbean coast of Costa Rica"][/caption]

I have heard many travelers to Costa Rica talk about traveling to Limon and saying, "My it is not at all an attractive town and located in such a beautiful coastline on the Caribbean side of  Costa Rica with palm trees and warm Caribbean winds which blow each day.  Limon is a port city and this is one reason it is so unattractive.  Filled will big trucks and large containers  filled with all sorts of things coming into Costa Rica and leaving Costa Rica.   And the weather is  hot and steamy here and rains a lot..all year round.  Takes around 3.5 hours to drive to Limon from the capital city of San Jose.  The road is good and very scenic winding through  Braulio Carrillo National Park with its dense forests and tall mountains.  You dont' want to drive this road after dark due to the dense fog that sets in as you pass thru  Braulio  Carrillo National park.  Then you arrive to the Atlantic lowland forest where you can immediately feel the temperatures warming and feel hot and steamy.

In the 17th century there were cocoa plantations in these Atlantic  lowland areas which were worked by slaves from Africa.  But in the early 1800s the cocoa production was halted.  There was constant trouble from raids by pirates, English pirates from Jamaica, along with the local Miskitos  (indigenous people inhabiting this area of Costa Rica.)

Today this area is planted in Bananas which is the second largest product of export for Costa Rica.  Coffee is first.

Around 1871 the Costa Rican government, because of the growth of the coffee export market, decided that it needed a port of the Atlantic side to facilitae getting the coffee to Europe, so the port of Limon was established in a place that was little more than a migrant black fisherman's village consisting of five huts.  And in the same year the Atlantic Railroad was constructed which went from San Jose to Limon.   Workers were brought to work on the railroad from China, Jamaica, and Italy.  Today we see many Chinese, Italians, and Black people who remained in the area and made it their home.

So Limon became a banana town and a railroad town, populated mostly by blacks from Jamaica and Chinese.  These people who worked on the Banana plantations were no given any rights of citizenship  by the Costa Rica government.  They were not allowed to  move from this area and go to work in San Jose or any other towns of Costa Rica.  However, today the story is quite different and they are full fledged citizens of Costa Rica and work where ever they can find work.

"SUMMER TIME AND THE LIVING IS EASY"

Tourism is a big thing if you travel south of Limon on the coastal road.  Most of these roads are in great need of repair but the landscape along the beaches is beautiful with palm trees swaying in the tropical wind.  You don't see large fancy hotel complexes here,  just small hotels.  The weather is not really suitable to draw the big crowds of tourist to the sun because it rains here all year round.   Life seems very laid back , no one in a hurry.  Lots of people of all ages riding bicycles.  "Just summer time and the living is easy"  There is lots of wildlife here such as sloths, howler monkeys, and so many colorful tropical birds!  The flowers and shrubs are so unique...no seen in any other parts of Costa Rica.

Costaricalearn.com filmed the Tortuguero Canals and Tortuguero National Park and the inhabitants there.  This National Park is located a few miles north of Limon.  You can see it on our video "Costa Rica A Travel Adventure Spectacular Video."    Just go to home page and there see the 2 minute trailor and if you would like your own full length copy, you can order  it there.

An Amazing Diversity: Costa Rica

Costa Rica is not a Caribbean Island but the center of the Central American Isthmus.  Traveling around in Costa Rica you would think that you are in a large country and you think it might take months to explore it all. But it reality it's land mass is only 20,000 square miles and one of the smallest countries in Latin America.   Costa Rica is bordered to the east by the Caribbean Sea and to the west by the Pacific Ocean. To the north by Nicaragua and to the south by Panama. Costa Rica is more diverse than any place it's size on the face of the earth.  It is divided into several distinct regions and each of these regions looks and feels as an entirely different place.

Costa Rica attracts an international community of visitors: Conservationist, biologist, birdwatchers, environmentalists, naturalists, and tourists who are ecologically minded.

Three mountain ranges transverse Costa Rica from the northwest to the southeast:  the Guanacaste range, the Central, and then the Talamanca.  And the highest peak is Chirripo at 12,500 feet in altitude.

Then there is the network of rivers which rise from the mountains and flow to the sea on both coasts.  And provide a seemingly endless supply of  fresh water and hydraulic power.

The soil in the Central Valley is very rich due to the volcanic ash falling over the centuries, and is ideal for the production of coffee, which is Costa Rica's number one export.

Although Costa Rica has several extinct volcanoes several  remain active such as the Poas, the Arenal, the Turrialba,  and the Irazu.  The most active is the Arenal which spurts a daily fireworks show  from it's might summit.

Most of the people of Costa Rica live in the Central Valley in the two largest cities of San Jose, the capital, and Alajuela where the international airport is located.  The elevation here ranges from 1500 feet to 4,500 feet which makes the  climate very nice and relatively pleasant and cool.

Near the coastlines the temperatures are much warmer, averaging around eighty degrees.  But there seems to always be an ocean breeze to help cool things off.

Costa Rica gets a lot of rainfall and that is why it has such gorgeous rain forest.  The rain  comes around mid May and lasts until the end of November although very often you will get sunny mornings with the rain coming around 2 pm.  The dry season is December through April when most of the days are sunny and cooler.  However there are different ecosystems in Costa Rica.  The Caribbean coastlines gets a lot more rain all year round.  And Guanacaste on the northwestern part of the country gets a lot less rainfall year round.  That is way the large mega hotels for beach lovers are located on this NW Pacific coastlines of Guanacaste.

So the unique thing about Costa Rica's climate is that you can be in a very cool place at a higher altitude  with a fireplace and then a day later be at the beach in the warm sunshine where the temperature is around 80 degrees F.

Costa Rica's government has been very wise in setting aside over twenty percent of it's land in National Parks and Wildlife Reserves which to date are more than thirty.  No other country in the world comes close to such a statistic.  Other astounding statistics:  Almost a million different species of flora and fauna,  fifty thousand species of insects, eighty hundred and fifty species birds, two thousand species of orchids.

Of the the first naturalists to help protect Costa Rica's rain forest was Swedish couple named Nils and Olaf Wessberg who came to Costa Rica in 1955 and settled on a farm near Montezuma on the Nicoya peninsula.  The built a home of paln leaves, determined to live in harmony with nature.  They watched all around them with dismay as the virgin rain forest was cut down, so they became activists and raised money to purchase the land ($30,000)  2,930 acres which today constitutes Cabo Blanco Strict Nature Reserve.

A student of Costa Rica forestry named Mario Boza was effective in movement to establish Santa Rosa National park which is located in the Northwestern province of Guanacaste. This was Costa Rica's first National Park, created in 1969.

Rodrigo Carazo, president of Costa Rica from 1978-1982 said, "The National parks are splendid natural laboratories which we offer to the international scientific community and also to young children and to  adults, young and old,  to visit these parks and enjoy direst contact with nature in it's pristine state."

[caption id="attachment_3633" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Giant fern tree in Costa Rica's Rain forest"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3634" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="850 different species of birds in Costa Rica"][/caption]

If you would like to see Costa Rica up close please go to the home page of costaricalearn.com and there you may order our full length 58 minute travel adventure video on Costa Rica's natural wonders and vast biodiversity.  Listen to the interviews of three couples who have made Costa Rica their new home and why they love it so much. It is filmed by Ken and Ann Creed.  It is named "Costa Rica A Travel Adventure Spectacular Video"Ken is a professional videographer and has worked done  travel adventure films which have been presented for National Geographic.

Planning a vacation to Costa Rica?  Contact Ann "The Costa Rica Expert". She will design that perfect vacation -get a away- to fit just your needs and budget. Contact her by going to her web page

www.costaricalearn.com

Tarantula!! "ouch!"....

 

[caption id="attachment_3624" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Can't Believe. It's a Blue Tarantula!!"][/caption]

Yes there are Tarantulas in Costa Rica!  But are they dangerous?  I have  always been told, when inquiring, that  Tarantulas found in Costa Rica are not deadly but if they happen to bite you, "0uch!"  The experience results in a great deal of pain.  Also if they urinate on you, it will cause extreme irritatioin of the skin.

Tarantulas of different sizes live in Costa Rica, some live in banana plants, others live in holes in the earth.  I saw one in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve  which was around 3 inches in diameter, and it lived in a large black hole in the earth.  And you can bet I did not get close to it!

I lived in Cariari neighborhood near the international airport in Costa Rica and a tarantula, about one  inches in diameter,  lived in a hole in the grasses in my backyard.  The Tarantula crept into my kitchen around 8 pm to munch of the crumbs I had dropped on the floor.  I scooped him up and returned him to the grass but he kept coming back each night.  My young son was visiting and offered advice as to how to remedy the Tarantula visits such as keeping the kitchen floor spotless.  But this did not stop the visits.  Finally I put him in my dust pan, then  walked two blocks from my house and put him in the grasses there.  No more Tarantula visits.

I am very afraid of spiders, especially Tarantulas.  Guess it's because they are big and hairy.  As a child I had nightmares about spiders.  So living in the land of Tarantulas was to say the least a little frightening.

I read a story in the NY Times Travel section about a guy who had a pet Tarantula, which he thought was fun and not the least bit aggressive.  Well, he was cleaning the spider's cage one day and I suppose the Tarantula had rather been left to rest.  The Tarantula scratched his stomach and hundreds of tiny hairs sprayed all around, some going into the owners eye.  And to the hospital he went, requiring surgery to cleanse the eye of these tiny hairs.

I have never heard of a cobalt  blue Tarantula in Costa Rica, but that does not mean that there is not one in Costa Rica!!  After all isn't everything in the tropics is very colorful?

[caption id="attachment_3617" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Tarantula!!"][/caption]

My Favorite National Park in Costa Rica: Arenal Volcano National Park

[caption id="attachment_3600" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Papayas in Arenal Region"][/caption]

Mighty Arenal with slight cloud cover

"My Best Acquaintances are Those With with Whom I Speak No Words"

I never tire of visiting The Arenal Volcano National park in Costa Rica. This is truly a place to reach out and touch nature, peaceful and quiet with only the sounds of the mighty Arenal huffing and puffing it's  hot lava from it's giant mouth. Each time I visit I learn something new and different and extremely interesting about the park and the ecosystem surrounding it.   A big question is :  why is there a cloud cover over the summit of the volcano--most of the time?   First, there is a lot of rain-all year round- in the San Carlos Valley where the volcano is located.  And also scientist say that the volcano creates it's own ecosystem.  Constantly puffing not steam and hot lava rocks into the atmosphere.

So it is a lucky visitor who gets to see the entire volcano without the cloud cover.  The best time to see it is to get up at sunrise to see it when the cloud cover has not yet moved over it's summit.  up until around 10 a.m. you may have a good chance of seeing it.   Also the north face of the volcano (from Lake Arenal) is a better chance of a better view.

People ask me, what month should I visit to be able to see Arenal Volcano.  March is a drier month, with less rainfall.  Although there is no dry or rainy season  around the volcano.  The lush rain forests  give testimony to the abundant rainfall...all year round.

This rainfall brings the beautiful tropical flowers and abundant crops this region is so famous for. There are papayas, pineapple, coconuts, bananas,  and platanos.  Plants grow so fast here that farms have been established to grow and export ornamental plants, many of them to the United States and Europe.

And there is the hot mineral springs that flow from deep inside the base of Arenal.  Such soothing waters!  A sure cure for the aching muscles after a long hike.

One of my favorite activities is to get up a 5:30 am as the sun is rising and go birdwatching. Early in the morning the birds are singing and flying through the trees.  I saw tow different species of Toucans.  I was hoping for a scarlet macaw but was informed that the scarlets are not normally found in this region.

And my other favorite activity is to take my digital camera and capture the Volcano, which is not an easy task.  My best photograph is from a boat on the Arenal Lake taken about 8:30 am. Lots of dark brown marine birds flew over and the volcano was in the back drop..with no clouds covering!  I got lucky.

When I visit Arenal Volcano National park,   I like to stay a least four nights or longer.  I always find interesting things to see and do.   From taking a hike inside the National park to a horseback ride on a farm near by.

Traveling to Costa Rica? I highly recommend the area of La Fortuna and Arenal Volcano National Park,  a unique place to visit!

"Arribada" Olive Ridley Sea Turtles Arrive to Ostional Costa Rica

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"The Phases of the Moon, Rainfall, and Black Volcanic Sand of the Beaches at Ostional"  "Arribada" Costa Rica

Traveling to Costa Rica and want to see the nesting rituals of the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle?  Then come in the months of August through December when there is more rainfall on the central Pacific Nicoya Peninsula at a place called Ostional Beach.  It is located near the town of Nosara.

A phenomenon called "arribada" occurs.  This is a Spanish word meaning arrival.  Hundreds or even thousands of Olive Ridley sea turtles arrive  upon these dark sandy beaches to nest and lay their eggs.

The largest arribada recorded was in 1995 when 500,000 turtles came onto this fifteen km stretch of beach and laid up to ten million eggs.

The Costa Rican gov has established a protected area for these sea turtles called The Ostional Wildlife Refuge.

After 45-55 days the eggs hatch and the small turtles race to the ocean.  After approx 15 years these same turtles return to this place of their birth and lay their eggs into the black volcanic sands of Ostional.

If you would like to read more of costaricalearn.com interesting and educational articles about Costa Rica and Costa Rica Travel go to the home page and take a look at the CATEGORIES  You may find something there that will be of interest to you.

Spotlight Costa Rica, Casa Marbella Bed and Breakfast Hotel Tortuguero Costa Rica, A Delightful Place!

 

[caption id="attachment_3580" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="Early morning kayaking,Tortuguero Canals Costa Rica"][/caption]

"A Simple Place in A Natural Setting"

Casa Marbella Bed and Breakfast is in the heart of Tortuguero village, Costa Rica. Owner Daryl Loth can provide extensive directions on how to get to the inn via a combination of public buses and water taxis. Visitors can ask boats to drop them off on Casa Marbella's back dock, right on the canal. Local airlines Nature Air and Sansa also serve Tortuguero.
Casa Marbella Bed and Breakfast hotel in Tortuguero Costa Rica  offers reasonable room rates.  The best rooms are upstairs where you feel the tropical breeze and hear the ocean surf. From July 1 to Oct. 30 and Dec. 1 to April 30, singles are $35, doubles are $40 and triples are $50; the rest of the year, subtract $5. There are also two superior rooms with a canal view on the first and second floor for $50 and $60, respectively, year-round. Contact the inn to inquire about rates for a family room with a double bed and three single beds. Rates include taxes and full breakfast served between 7 and 10 a.m. There are no ATMs in Tortuguero and the inn does not accept credit cards, so plan accordingly.

Loth leads morning boat tours of the canals for $20 (plus $10 admission to Tortuguero National Park) and can arrange evening turtle-spotting tours for $20.

“We run the kind of place we'd want to stay in – clean and laid back,” Loth said.

Loth is being modest. Casa Marbella is an immaculate, relaxing and affordable jewel, run by an owner renowned for his local knowledge. Guests at more expensive lodges might consider whether their pricier accommodations buy them the personal attention or wildlife expertise that a stay at Casa Marbella provides – and that make a visit to Tortuguero such a special experience.

The location of the inn is excellent.  It  sits right on Tortuguero's signature canals, at the edge of Tortuguero National Park.   The brightly painted  green and yellow inn has a kitchen area   where guests can  conveniently store food and drinks in the refrigerator, use the microwave and borrow from the hotel's stash of guidebooks.

Overlooking the canal is a covered breakfast area, where guests enjoy  hearty breakfast following morning rain forest tours.  The kitchen turns out  scrambled eggs, pancakes or French toast, juicy mango, guava, watermelon and pineapple slices, toast, orange juice, coffee and tea. Loth said he might add hammocks to this area so guests can relax , read a book or watch the local everyday life of Tortuguero.
The inn is located on Tortuguero's main road, across the street from the town's church and within easy walking distance of a number of excellent Caribbean restaurants. Just a few hundred meters away is the beach, where, at night, giant sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggs.  However, the beach is not suitable for swimming.  The undertow is too great.

The rooms on the inn's second level are bright and airy, yellow-and-white curtains framing windows that let in ample sunshine and the sound of the nearby Atlantic Ocean. The downstairs rooms aren't quite as open but boast high ceilings and can sleep two to three people.  Everything is very clean.  The rooms have hardwood floors, fans.  Some rooms have private baths so you need to be specific when booking.

Internet access is offered in the hotel's internet cafe.
Loth  offers  extensive advice and tips  – including detailed instructions on traveling to Tortuguero on local buses and boats – and recommending mouthwateringly good restaurants.
Visitors don't have to stay at Casa Marbella to take Loth's tours.   If he is not available to give a tour, he knows a number of local guides who can.
Loth is up at 4:30 a.m. most mornings to start coffee and prepare his boat for rain forest tours – his favorite kind.

Loth knows where to locate the wildlife and  brings guests in close contact with howler, spider and white-faced capuchin monkeys, toucans, caimans, several varieties of heron and more. His enthusiasm is infectious, as he shares stories about the animals' migration patterns, hunting habits and history in the region – all with a sense of humor and appreciation of the natural surroundings.

Travel tips:  Rains a lot here year round...no wet or dry season...so pack a small folding umbrella and a lightweight rain jacket.  Good tennis shoes which are comfortable to walk.  Mosquito repellent and apply it around 4:30 pm.  Do not try to go swimming in ocean, strong rip tides.

Backpack with a bottle of water, bird binoculars, camera, etc.

To learn more about Casa Marbella Tortuguero Costa Rica go to www.casamarbella.tripod.com

How to Get to Tortuguero Costa Rica on your own without going with a Tour Group

This article will tell you how you can get to Tortuguero and Tortuguero national Park, Costa Rica on your own without going with a Tour Group.   Take the public bus in San Jose at 9 a.m. and go to Cariari.

Take the 11:30 bus from Cariari to La Pavona  where a boat will be waiting for this bus.  It's called the Clic boat.  This boat takes you to the village of Tortuguero.

I'd like to share a very nice story with you about a young man named Daryl Loth who along with his Costa Rican wife own and operate  Casa Marbella Bed and Breakfast Hotel in the village of Tortuguero.  Darly came to Tortuguero has a volunteer at a Canadian Biological station.  He loved it so much that he stayed.  He meet a young Costa Rican woman, feel in love, and married.  They now have two children ages 9 and 7.

The B&B is quaint, offers a full Caribbean style breakfast, comfortable rooms, and Daryl will be your personal guide during your stay.  Which is great for you because he knows the area, where the wildlife are located, and when the green sea turtles come upon shore to lay their eggs.  The room rates are very reasonable at around $40 for a double occupancy.

Daryl will show you around Tortuguero village, a small quaint village  right on the Tortuguero canals located on the northern Caribbean

[caption id="attachment_3570" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Casa Marbella B&B Tortuguero Costa Rica"][/caption]

coastline of Costa Rica.   Life is slow and easy here, no cars since access is by boat or air.   Only a few hundred people live here because it is so remote.  Tourism and fishing are the two industries here.   There is a small airstrip where  Costa Rica carriers (Sansa Air  and Nature Air)  fly people in and out.

Rains a lot in Tortuguero Village all year round.  The beaches have a beige colored sand and are quite beautiful but are not suitable for swimming.  The surf is very very strong and undertow is dangerous.

Biggest tourist attraction here are the Tortuguero Canals, narrow inland paths of water filled with crocodiles,  small turtles, Jesus Christ Lizards, howler monkeys, Toucans, wild banana trees, and a gorgeous rain forest which grows all the way up to the banks of the canals.

To learn more about how to get to Tortuguero and what to see and do go to

www.tortuguerovillage.com

On Making A Travel Adventure Video in Costa Rica

[caption id="attachment_3552" align="aligncenter" width="390" caption="nightly fire works show at the Arenal volcano"][/caption]

We were vacationing in Costa Rica near the Arenal Volcano at the Arenal Observatory Lodge and Ken said to me " Wow what a spectacular sight!" As the red hot lava and giant fiery rocks shot from the summit of the mighty Arenal.  So he picked up his video camera and started shooting.  Thus was the beginning our "making a travel adventure video in Costa Rica,"  taking us from the North Central Region of Costa Rica  to the North West Pacific Beaches of Guanacaste,  on to the Central Pacific to Manuel Antonio, and finally to the Caribbean coast.

Initially I had the idea to make a film on Living and Retiring in Costa Rica since I had actually done that myself.  I stayed eight years in this beautiful little country, loved the simplicity of the way of life, and was priviledged to learn quite a bit of the  Spanish language  which enabled me to get to know many of the locals.  I learned to eat their food, listen to their music, and dance their dance.  So when my videographer husband Ken came with me for the first time to Costa Rica he brought along his video camera.

As Ken began to experience Costa Rica he said "This country is so beautiful."  "Let's include in the film the beaches, mountains, and rain forest."  Thus our quest began and led us back to Costa Rica for three consecutive summers.  We wrote script and filmed footage and along the way created  a visually beautiful film.   The finished product is the video which we gave the name-"Costa Rica A Travel Adventure Spectacular."   And spectacular it is!

We met so many wonderful Costa Ricans who were tremendously helpful.  The owners of Arpe,  a large construction materials  company located on main street  in Alajuela  created a space for Ken and his video camera right up on the stage  which was constructed for  the employees to view the annual Horse Parade (know  in Spanish as "Tope")   One thousand horses and their proud riders began the parade.  The  horses were  of  Andalusian descent, brought from the mother country of Spain.  These gentle and  graceful horses danced to the music of the Ranchero  while the enchanted onlookers snapped photos and greeted the riders.

Our most exciting moment was a BIG adventure called The  Canopy Tour.  Ken with the tour guide strapped behind him and video camera in hand zipped  along twelve different zip lines high up over the rain forest canopy.  How Ken was able to hold the camera steady and hold on tight to the zip line rope is still a mystery to me.   Then the rain came down in drops as large as quarters but to my surprise and delight the rain drops were warm.  We got drenched  from head to toe, but took it all in stride and laughed a lot.  After all we were in the Rain Forest!

We returned with  thirty five hours of footage and Ken began his long hours and late nights of editing, deciding what to put in the film and what to leave out, not an easy task.  Costa Rica is a small country of  spectacular beauty  and we would have loved to have made the film longer to include it all.  Knowing that we wanted  a film of approximately sixty  minutes we  sat down to the difficult  task of deciding what to omit.   But we were so pleased to be able to include three different interviews with North Americans who live in Costa Rica in the central valley areas of Escazu and the two mountain side communities of Heredia and Grecia.   Their stories are an insightful look at their daily  lives   in a small tropical country where the sun shines everyday,  and where "Pura Vida"  or "Pure Life"  is the country's  motto.

We sincerely feel that  if you choose to purchase the video, you will be happy with it.  You will experience the immense beauty of a small area of our earth where the rain forest are preserved. More than twenty per cent of it's territory has been set aside for National Parks and Wildlife Preserves.  We would love to hear from you, with your comments on the video at "Contact Us" at the top of the Home page.

Best Wishes,   Ann and Ken at costaricalearn.com

Thinking of Retiring to Costa Rica? Then the video Costa Rica A Travel Adventure Spectacular is for You!

"IT'S SUMMER TIME AND THE LIVING IS EASY"

If you are thinking of retiring to Costa Rica and want to hear first hand what is it like from North Americans who have done just that, then our video Costa Rica A Travel  Adventure Spectacular offers you the opportunity to hear the  testimonials of three different couples from North America who have moved to Costa Rica to retire or to work.  One couple is from Canada and live in Grecia.  He commutes to Canada where he is a consultant for a large corporation.  Another couple live in Escazu.  She works in the US part of the time.  The last is a writer and relocation tour specialist who makes Costa Rica his home full time.  Learn from these people all the reasons to come to Costa Rica, the excellent climate, warm friendly people,  great fresh food, excellent affordable medical care, and much more!

You can do this by purchasing our fifty eight minute video on the home page of costaricalearn.com   First you can preview the film by watching the two minute trailer.

We are confident that you will love the film!

Planning a Vacation to Costa Rica? Costa Rica A Travel Adventure Spectacular Video is the Tool to help you plan that Special Vacation

Planning a vacation to Costa Rica? Would like to know where to go and what to do.  Well our video, Costa Rica A Travel Adventure Spectacular is a tool to help you.  You will see many of the popular tourist destinations in this film and the fun filled activities at each.  We cover the Arenal Volcano National Park with the erupting mightly Arenal Volcano and the small town of La Fortuna, the gateway to the Arenal area.  We show you the best zip line tours, and the best hot springs.   In addition, The Caribbean Coast, The Tortuguero National Parks and the Tortuguero Canals are shown in the film.   In Central Valley we show the Poas Volcano National Park, the largest geyser in the world stretching a mile in width- and a wonderful coffee plantation tour called Doka Four Generations Coffee tour.  We show San Jose and Escazu.  The beaches of the NW Pacific Coast of Guanacaste are highlighted  showing  the sandy sun filled beaches with surfers and sunbathers.    At Manuel Antonio National park  in the mid Pacific coast we show the best beaches within the park as well as the popular hiking trails  and the wildlife such as the white face monkeys, sloths, and Iguanas.

You will see cultural events such as the colorful Oxcart parade in Old Escazu and The Horse Parade of Alajuela with it's one thousand Andalusian horses.  And there is so much more.

Wonder what it is like to live and retire in Costa Rica?  We have three interviews with North Americans  who have done just that!  They tell their stories about why they came and explain why they love Costa Rica and have stayed.  You see where they live and learn about their lifestyles.

You can view a two minute trailer of this Costa Rica travel video on the home page of costaricalearn.com And also order the video on that same page.  We sincerely feel that you will love this video.  You and your entire family will get  fifty eight minutes of entertaining information presented to you "all about Costa Rica"  from Costa Rica A Travel Adventure S

[caption id="attachment_3537" align="aligncenter" width="320" caption="Poas Volcano National Park"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3538" align="aligncenter" width="213" caption="One of a hundred different species of Heliconias"][/caption]

pectacular video

Artist Group Being Formed in the Central Valley of Costa Rica

[caption id="attachment_3531" align="aligncenter" width="221" caption="Jan Yaksko painting"][/caption]

"ART WASHES AWAY FROM THE SOUL THE DUST OF EVERYDAY LIFE."   Pablo Picasso

The new artist group has a name  " Conjunto De Artistas" and is the brainchild of Jan Yatsko.  Jan and her husband have been living in Atenas for eleven years.  She is an artist (oil painting, watercolors, and sketching-including art journals.)

Jan wrote the following article and I will share it with you.

Do you want to join a “Conjunto de Artistas” (a group of artists)?
When  Tom and I arrived in Atenas 11 years ago, I was one of few artists and the only foreign artist in town. One by one, more creative souls arrived attracted by the light, climate and natural inspiration.
The main objective for the “Conjunto de Artistas”:    For a group of people to gather together at different specified locations each month to sketch, paint, collage and/or journal in “plein aire”. The locations will be within a short driving distance (5 minutes to 1.5 hours) from Atenas.
Secondary Objectives:    To exchange ideas and information regarding art techniques, materials, exhibits in Costa Rica, art marketing, etc.
Anyone with a curious mind and the desire to create art, grow and share is welcome to join this group.
Please RSVP for this January 11th meeting and to indicate your interest in joining this group to Jan “Juanita” Yatsko.    Phone: 2446-4039
Email: janyatsko@ice.co.cr Website: www.janyatsko.com
After all, there was the Degas group, the Gauguin group, the American Impressionists at Old Lyme group and even “The Junto” of intellectuals and artisans formed by Ben Franklin.
Throughout history groups of people have banded together for reasons of mutual support, inspiration, growth and shared contacts.
An initial meeting will be held on January 11, 2010 at Atan?o Restaurant (Atenas centro, 50 meters North of Mercado, next to El Rayo store) at 2 PM. The objective is to meet each other and to plan our first plein aire activity to be held on January 18.

You can read more about Jan and her work by visiting her web site  www.janyatsko.com

costaricalearn has a subcategory "Artist and Writers of Costa Rica" under the main category Costa Rica's History, Culture, Food, and Traditions.  You can go to the Categories on the home page and find this.  Here you can read about other interesting artist and writers in Costa Rica.

Costaricalearn's Escorted Group Tour to Costa Rica, Read More About It

[caption id="attachment_3612" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Poas Volcano National Park, 1 mile wide geyser"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3613" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Zip Line Tour at Arenal Volcano National Park"][/caption]

Canoeing down the Tortuguero Canals, Caribbean Costa Rica

EXPERIENCE THE NATURAL WONDERS OF COSTA RICA    Escorted Group Tour


Ann Cabezas Creed and her husband Ken will escort a group tour to Costa Rica June 2010.

We will depart June 19 and and return June 26th........ 7 nights  (Saturday to Saturday)

We visit the rain forest  and banana plantations on the Tortuguero Canals of the Caribbean , the Central Valley with the Poas Volcano National Park, and Doka Coffee Tour, and the Arenal Volcano National Park.  This is a tour which will give you the opportunity to see some of the most spectacular natural tourism attractions Costa Rica has to offer plus be escorted by Ann, the Costa Rica Expert.

The land package is well priced at  $1275 double occupancy.  We stay in small hotels and eco lodges in order to have a first hand experience with nature.

If you would like the full itinerary with hotels listed and activities please email Ann    anncreed23@gmail.com

Travel Tips, Safe Travel in Costa Rica

I am often asked is it safe to travel in Costa Rica?  And my reply is:  Use the same common sense approach to travel in Costa Rica as you would in say New York City or any other large city.

That is:  handle your valuables with great care.  And of course that means your money, camera, passport, lap top computers, cell phones,  jewelry, etc. etc.  Tourist are a target for thieves because we usually are carrying a camera and just simply "look like a tourist"   My advice is purchase a money bag to go under your clothes.  I use the one that goes around my waist.  (I purchased it at Morey Luggage).  I put my money, credit card, and passport in this money bag.  I keep a small amount of money in my pocket or fanny pack so I don't have to get into the money bag so often. I even sleep with the money bag around my waist.

I carry my camera and my laptop computer  in a backpack and do not let it out of my sight.  I don't lay in down in restaurants.  I keep it so I have my eye on it at all times.

I dont' walk alone at night or even with friends we don't walk in places that are not well lighted and where other people are around.

Don't use ATM machines at night unless it is inside a well lighted building such as grocery stores.

I use a fanny pack around my waist,  not a purse.

Don't wear fancy and expensive jewelry.

In very crowed areas always  beware of pick pockets.

One way thieves operate is in groups.  One of them may bump you and the other will grab your purse or backpack.  That happened to me in downtown Mexico City in a very crowded area.

On public buses keep your backpack in your lap.  Putting it in an overhead bin can get it stolen.

Please note that articles on costaricalearn are categorized for you to choose the area of interest you want to read about.  The categories and sub categories are listed on the home page.

Also you may read my more  extensive list of safety tips on traveling to  Costa Rica at www.costaricalearn.com/important-safety-tips-for-tourist-to-costa-rica

Beautiful Iguana Photos, And the Winners Are

Some iguanas are more beautiful than others..just like people.

If you could take one home with you which one would you pick?     Thank you to the great photographers who captured  these wonderful Iguana moments!

[caption id="attachment_3509" align="aligncenter" width="470" caption="It's Good to Be Among Friends"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3510" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="It's Been A Long Day!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3497" align="aligncenter" width="315" caption="In Deep Thought"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3506" align="aligncenter" width="320" caption="The Most Beautiful of All!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3500" align="aligncenter" width="320" caption="Brown Eyed Beauty"][/caption]

Yes, Green Iguanas are in Costa Rica!

[caption id="attachment_3482" align="aligncenter" width="266" caption="Not the Average Pet!! And not Even Green!"][/caption]

I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A PET IGUANA!

My friend  Marina K.  Villatoro , the Travel Experta,   (travel writer for Central America)  and I share a curiosity of the green Iguana.  Marina recently wrote an article on her web site about these friendly reptiles and I want to share with you some of the interesting facts she has gathered.

Green Iguanas are prevalent in Costa Rica and if you are touring around Costa Rica you are sure to see them.  Can you believe that they are great tree jumpers! Using their tail to balance them. An adult Iguana’s tail  can weight up to twenty pounds.
Their bite is not harmful to humans but it is best  not to  get too close to them because they first just run away but it you corner one he will defend himself and may bite.  Then you would have to go to a hospital or first ad station to get the wound cleaned up, and that would be no fun on your vacation.

The bag under their chin is used to store fat for survival in case food is scarce.

Do Green Iguanas make good pets? They have an easy going personality but remember they are wild animals which come from exotic and tropical habitat.  They can live to be up to fifteen years of age and grow to be six feet long and they must live in a temperature of around eighty degrees F. and get a lot of sunlight for Vitamin D.  So if you live in a cold climate and limited space then keeping a green iguana as a pet could be difficult.   They are considered exotic pets and are  grown on Green Iguana farms in warm tropical climates.   Approximately 800,000 are  imported into the United States annually.  Beware that in New York City and in Hawaii law prohibits one keeping an iguana as a pet.  With all those exotic dogs as pets in New York City, all being lead around on fancy leashes one would think that an iguana would  also be allowed  in Central Park if it were on a leash.  But if it got loose-well encountering a large green iguana on a walk in the park would be somewhat scary, especially one six feet long!

If you are interested in vacationing to Costa Rica,  you would love our full length travel video (DVD).  "Costa Rica A Travel Adventure Spectacular Travel Video"  Just go to the home page of costaricalearn.com then to the top of the page and click  on "Buy or video "  That takes you to our 3 minute preview of the video and also instructions on how to purchase it.  If you are curious about Iguanas in Costa Rica, you can see them on our video, along with the scenic beauty of Costa Rica's 10 most spectacular tourist destinations.   Filmed and edited by Ken Creed, a National Geographic veteran and written by Ann Cabezas Creed, a travel writer and veteran Costa Rica Travel Agent.

From owners of pet Iguanas I have learned that they are not easy to tame, and that you need a large space for the Iguana to roam around.   One of my friends said that  her pet Iguana who she named Fred  began to stay in one corner of his large cage  (which she purchased to keep him while  trying to domesticate him)  The vet told her he was probably in "culture shock"  since he came from a tropical  jungle environment  and now he is living in the city.  If you are thinking about  getting an Iguana for a pet I suggest to communicate on line with others who have had the experience of caring for a pet Iguana.  Or go to www.petiguanacare.com

To read Marina's story about Iguanas go to   www.travelexperta.com

Spotlight Costa Rica Yoga Retreat, A Jewel on the Caribbean, Samasati

[caption id="attachment_3468" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption=""Tranquility" The Sea Shore on Costa Rica's Caribbean"][/caption]

"REMEMBER THAT EVERY HUMAN BEING HAS THE CAPACITY TO OBTAIN THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF CONSCIOUSNESS"

Situated within a two hundred and fifty acre nature retreat is Samasati Yoga and Nature Retreat, located Costa Rica's southern Caribbean Coast near the small town of Puerto Viejo.   What is the meaning of this word Samasati?   "Remember that every human being has the capacity to obtain the highest level of consciousness".  These were the last words spoken by the ancient Indian mystic,  Gautam , "The Buddha"

Samasati has it all: Dense jungles with lush rain forest filled with Toucans, sloths, and howler monkeys.  And also the sea shore of the beautiful Caribbean.  Pale sandy beaches lined with palm trees swinging in the tropical breeze.

Samasati  Yoga and Nature Retreat is  that perfect tropical jewel where you can come and experience yoga or come for you honeymoon if you desire a retreat into the healing and rejuvenating power of nature thru  quietness and tranquility.  Their packages are very reasonably priced and transportation is provided from the San Jose International Airport.

The setting of Samasati is on a hillside overlooking the tropical rain forest and the Caribbean Sea.

If you are interested in reading more about Costa Rica's favorite tourist destination go to our CATEGORIES and simply click on the subject of your interest.

Also we offer our full length video "Costa Rica A Travel Adventure Paradise" highlighting Costa Rica's natural beauty:  rain forests, waterfalls, volcanoes,  small villages, coffee production, local folklore, and much more- along with interviews from North Americans living in this tropical paradise.  Just go to the top of page one and you can order it there.

To learn all about Samasati Yoga and nature Retreat including beautiful photos of the retreat and the lush rain forest surrounding go to  the following web site  www.samasati.com

Traveling to Costa Rica's Southern Caribbean Coast? Then Read On

[caption id="attachment_3456" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="adult sloth at Puerto Viejo on Southern Caribbean coastline"][/caption]

If you are thinking of traveling to Costa Rica to the Southern Caribbean Coast then you need to read all the valuable information about  this web site that I am going to tell you about.

It's called greencoast.com and was designed and managed by a network of small hotels and locally owned tour companies of this area.  From Puerto Viejo to Manzanillo. This web site includes only community owned businesses that adhere to responsible and green minded ecotourism policies.

It's all about:  1.  The southern Caribbean's palm fringed beaches   2. It's  rain forest  filled with sloths, toucans, and howler monkeys.  3. The Indigenous community of the people of Talamanca. 4. Locally owned and operated small hotels  5.  Locally owned and operated tour operators with knowledgeable local guides.

costaricalearn.com  organizes it's information into categories which you can find on page one.  Please take a look at these categories to help you find valuable information on many topics related to Costa Rica tourism and also All About Living and Retiring in Costa Rica.

If you want to learn more about Costa Rica's southern Caribbean coast  go to  www.greencoast.com