Costa Rica – Pura Vida

On May 14, 2015May 13, 2015 By Rick McIn travelLeave a comment

… declared sovereignty in 1847. Since then, Costa Rica has remained among the most stable, prosperous, and progressive nations in Latin America. Following a brief but bloody civil war, it permanently abolished its army in 1949, becoming the first of only a few sovereign nations without a standing army. …

Costa Rica has consistently performed favorably in the Human Development Index (HDI), placing 62nd in the world as of 2012, among the highest of any Latin American nation …

Costa Rica is known for its progressive environmental policies …

Costa Rica stands as the most visited nation in the Central American region, with 2.2 million foreign visitors in 2011, followed by Panama with almost 1.5 million visitors …

Tourists love Costa Rica.

I enjoyed my first visit as well. It reminds me more of Hawaii than anywhere else.

Hawaii is better. And cheaper, I reckon.

Prices are high in Costa Rica. Yet service and quality are much worse than Hawaii, by comparison.

The airport in San Jose is inefficient. Shops and food court very expensive. US$12 for a 2 piece KFC chicken combo, for example. Most expensive KFC in the world?

The people are great. My main motivation to return is to visit my new friends. 🙂

Costa Rica flowers

On May 13, 2015May 11, 2015 By Rick McIn photos, travelLeave a comment

One of the highlights of a visit to this tropical nation are the flowers and colourful plants. They remind me of Hawaii.

Costa Rica’s national flower, the guaria morada (Guarianthe skinneri), is an exquisite orchid known for its purple hues and diamond-like shimmer. … blooms from January through April …

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I posted high resolution versions of my flower pics on Flickr.

cycling to the Tabaconcito free hot springs

On May 12, 2015May 11, 2015 By Rick McIn cycling, travelLeave a comment

Tabacon Hot Springs in Costa Rica costs about $60 / person. Crazy expensive as are most of the spas near the Arenal volcano.

But across the highway you can soak for free in Tabaconcito Hot Springs, a warm river flowing away from the volcano. Very popular with the local people.

The Free Natural Hot Springs are one of the highest rated attractions on Trip Advisor, too.

Many take a taxi from town. Or try to find the local bus. I rented a bike ($15/4 hours). Hot and harsh on the way there from La Fortuna. Breezy and easy on the return, mostly downhill.

cycling La Fortuna

related – Tabacon FREE Hot Springs Backpackers Delight (VIDEO)

climbing a Strangler fig

On May 9, 2015May 7, 2015 By Rick McIn travelLeave a comment

Strangler fig is the common name for a number of tropical and subtropical plant species, including some banyans …

An original support tree can sometimes die, so that the strangler fig becomes a “columnar tree” with a hollow central core.

My final highlight in Monteverde, Costa Rica was climbing this one, probably the most popular in the area.

It was pretty easy up until the very top. A tight squeeze. But getting up into the canopy was awesome. 🙂

related – Renate Rigters | That Wanderlust – TREE CLIMBING TO THE TOP OF MONTEVERDE’S CLOUD FOREST

“Bat Jungle” Costa Rica

On May 8, 2015May 7, 2015 By Rick McIn bad news, things getting worse, travelLeave a comment

The BatJungle.com opened 2006. It’s one of the BEST tourist attractions in the Monteverde area.

Guided tour takes about 45 minutes

90 live bats of 8 species in an enclosure 17m (57ft) in length

Exhibit features a special ultrasonic microphone that allows visitors to hear bats echolocating (biosonar) and socializing in real time …

photo via Artifacts and Insects at Costa Rica’s 10 Best Museums

Bats are very cool animals, the only mammal with excellent flying ability. They can dodge thin filaments that birds cannot avoid.

Bats are the second largest order of mammals (after the rodents), representing about 20% of all classified mammal species worldwide, with about 1,240 bat species divided into two suborders: the less specialized and largely fruit-eating megabats, or flying foxes, and the highly specialized and echolocating microbats.

About 70% of bat species are insectivores. Most of the rest are frugivores, or fruit eaters. …

… vital ecological roles of pollinating flowers and dispersing fruit seeds …

… economically important, as they consume insect pests, reducing the need for pesticides …

Here’s the really, really BAD news. 😦

White nose syndrome is a condition associated with the deaths of millions of bats in the Eastern United States and Canada. …

The fungus was first discovered in central New York State in 2006 and spread quickly to the entire Eastern US north of Florida; mortality rates of 90–100% have been observed in most caves …

… the lack of bug-eating bats in summer could cause severe problems in the ecosystem of the Eastern forests and on farmland and beyond: nearly all of the bats Continental US and Canada are insectivores …

White-nose syndrome map

night walk in Costa Rica

On May 7, 2015May 6, 2015 By Rick McIn hiking, travelLeave a comment

My first night in the cloud forrest I signed up for a 2 hour night hike.

I’d done something similar twice in the past: 1) Amazon and 2) Nepali jungle. Both were terrific. This one was too.

There are a number of choices. But Kinkajou Night Walk seems to be the most popular.

We saw a kinkajou. A sloth. Tarantula, sleeping toucans, frogs, snakes and huge insects. I’d not imagined a cockroach that large. Not even in a nightmare. The Walking Sticks are cool.

Somebody forgot to email me the memo reminding to wear long pants and long sleeves when walking through a jungle at night with a flashlight. I was the only person wearing shorts.

It’s spooky enough to keep your adrenaline high. One beetle or another is regularly flying at your head.

Trip Advisor

Recommended.

Linda Vista, San Salvador

On May 2, 2015April 30, 2015 By Rick McIn food, gymnastics, travelLeave a comment

My friend Laura, the El Salvador Events Manager, drove us up the volcano for lunch.

This restaurant is called Linda Vista (Beautiful View) Gardens.

Much higher than the San Salvador, the temperature is significantly cooler. It’s a great escape if things get too hot in the city.

I had pasta and chicken Caesar salad. 🙂

more photos

Here’s the write-up on our Age Group Gymnastics Camp in El Salvador.

straddle pike El Salvador

more photos

Gymnastics Clinic Panama

On April 30, 2015April 30, 2015 By Rick McIn gymnastics, travelLeave a comment

The Gymnastics Federation of Panama hosted the 50th training session for the International Gymnastics Federation’s (FIG) Age Group Development and Competition Programme for Men’s (MAG) and Women’s Artistic Gymnastics (WAG) on April 23-25, 2015. …

FIG

Of the 50 I’ve helped teach perhaps 15. A regular on the circuit.