Category Archives: Costa Rica, Feb. 2016

A two-week trip to Costa Rica in February, 2016 revealed a country of natural beauty under stress from hordes of tourists.

San José: the diamonds among the grit

San José, a gritty, unhappy place, nevertheless has its attractions. Continue reading

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Photo Gallery: San José

Photos of the centro historica in San José, the capital city of Costa Rica Continue reading

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Animals we saw in Costa Rica

There’s a lot of wildlife to be seen in Costa Rica. It was fun to float down a couple of the country’s rivers and follow the directions of our sharp-eyed guides to try and snap off a few shots. This … Continue reading

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Photo Gallery: Ojochal

Photos of Ojochal and the surrounding area. Continue reading

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A village of artisans preserves an ancient culture

A serendipitous meeting between Ana’s friend Lynn and an indigenous artist set the stage for perhaps our best day in Costa Rica, when Lynn and her husband took us to an entire village of artisans who make their living preserving … Continue reading

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Photo gallery: the Village of Boruca

Some shots of our visit to the charming village of Boruca. Continue reading

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Manuel Antonio: one big tourist trap

Manuel Antonio National Park is supposed to be a must-see in Costa Rica. It’s not. Continue reading

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Photo gallery: Hanging bridges at Arenal

Photos from a walk through the El Mistico park in Arenal. Continue reading

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Walking the wild heights: hanging bridges in Arenal

Forget your fear of heights and enjoy the view: a walk across Arenal’s hanging bridges. Continue reading

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An excursion to the Caño Negro, more or less

What was advertised as a tour of the Caño Negro turns out to be a river cruise through some farmland. But there was still a lot of wildlife on display. Continue reading

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A thrill ride to Tilaran

There must have been a mistake; that was my reaction when our schedule said it would take four hours to get to Arenal from Monteverde. The boat across the lake takes half an hour or so and the shuttle to … Continue reading

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The long and winding road to Monteverde

The torturous drive to a village in the clouds where it’s all rain, all the time–even when it’s sunny. Continue reading

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Some views of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve

We were supposed to get picked up at our hotel for a night tour of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve, a UNESCO site. Ana wanted to pay an afternoon visit as well. I was at first reluctant because (as always … Continue reading

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