Conclusions

thanks for taking the time to translate your adventure into a well organised and entertaining website. I sense, however, you are somewhat a reluctant traveller, and in a journalistic style would do well by taking this to the limit, sortof a 'Dave barry in hell' type of approach. I don't mean to offend, i just notice the possibilities not capitilized on in such occasions as road travel, hotel accomodations, bugs, you know, the basics. Myself, i'm hoping to find the gold coast before the end of this year. Unlike you however, i hope to find out as much as i can before i go, and will at least be able to pronounce some rudimentary vocabulary beforehand - 'doz cerbezas por favor senor' (as long as i don't have to write it...) And as for the roads, well hey - ever been to the west coast of Vancouver Island?

choo

If the only thing you didn't like are the roads,cant see why you would even coment on them.Dosen't sound like you have travelled very much.Or you did but you travel on group buses to a boring place like Virgin islands,etc.Driving the roads in Costa Rica is great,its part of the experince.Its people like you that should stay away!You sound like an American!‰

I recently visited a number of the same sites in Costa Rica this past January, and I have to say that the tropical systems are some of the most wonderful places to experience and appreciate the beauty of life; every turn of the trail offers a different twist on the Northern American life we're used to. As an ecologist, and beginning photographer, it is a remarkable place to open your eyes to the wonders of evolved life, and what needs to be done to protect these wonders. I definately recommend visiting, even if you have to go in debt as I did, just take plenty of film because you'll need it.

I lived in Costa Rica for 8 years (1980-1988)When I came to the US, I left wonderful friends behind. All of which I have kept in contact with. Every year, or every other year, I go back with my wife to spend two wonderful weeks in this wonderful land. The roads have improved greatly. Most of them (if not all) have been paived and are in general good condition. Ecotourism is in. Unfortunatelly, the country has been discovered by Europeans (lots of Germans) and the land has become very expensive, however it is still very cheap compare to the US. It is now very common to find $350,000 homes in almost every town. My next trip is in June of 2002, and I'll be taking my children for the first time. In this trip I hope to find a piece of paradise, so we'll be looking to buy a lot to build our retirenment home down the road. I love CR, its people and its culture. I recommend the following place to go if you are going for the first time:

Readers may be interested in the tours arranged by the international award winning Talamanca Initiative. At the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development, they were awarded the Equator Prize for being the world’s most outstanding example of a community based sustainable development initiative associated with a World Heritage Site.

Their unique, professional “eco-cultural” tours not only highlight the incredible natural beauty and wealth of one of the world’s tropical gems, but also immerse the visitor in the social, cultural and economic context of this area’s struggle for sustainable development. The tours directly benefit local organizations and communities as well as actively contributing to biodiversity protection and social equality.

Tours are conducted in the Talamanca Biological Corridor of south-eastern Caribbean Costa Rica and northern Panama; an area with which I know you will be familiar. This area is recognised by major conservation groups as one of the most biologically rich places on earth. 4% of the world's biodiversity is contained within its tropical rainforest and coral reefs. The area also possesses a diverse mix of cultures, including Afro-Caribbean; local indigenous, and mixed race campesinos. The tours are strongly experiential and participatory, yet offer a high level of comfort and security. Strong emphasis is placed on cultural interaction with local communities, something many travelers crave but are unable to experience. Trip activities take place in a network of community-based groups dedicated to sustainable tourism that benefits local communities and environments.

Tours run between 1 and 13 days. They cover elements as diverse as participation in turtle conservation activities, hawk watching during one of the largest raptor migrations in the world, dolphin cruises, rainforest walks with local guides, visits to local farms, and learning to cook local cuisine. Tours also include an introduction to local initiatives integrating sustainable development and conservation.

Prices include all lodging, food, transport, activities, English speaking local guides and an English speaking master guide, who accompanies the group at all times.

Feedback from participants has been unanimously positive, with comments such as “a cultural experience not provided by typical tours”, “quality of lodging and meals was uniformly excellent”, and “the Talamanca Initiative mission makes this not just a vacation, but an educational and cultural experience with a story to tell”

You can obtain further information from the address below:

Talamanca Adventures Tel: +506 224 3570 Fax: +506 253 7524 Email: anaicr@sol.racsa.co.cr or info@talamanca-adventures.com

I first visited Costa Rica on my honeymoon a few years before the trip that Philip describes here, and I've been following the comments added to the Costa Rica section of photo.net since its inception. I've returned to Costa Rica several times and watched it change from an undiscovered jewel into one of the most popular destinations for tropical travel in the world. Sometimes the advent of all-inclusive mega-resorts, the development of previously sleepy villages, and the encroachment of US pop culture on everyday Tico existence saddens me. Then I look at a map of Costa Rica and realize that the tourism colones are helping to conserve thousands of square miles of unique environments, provide thousands of jobs, and that the impact of tourism are very localized. I suppose that locally negative interactions between the residents and extranjeros are inevitable, but maybe it's for the best overall?
Ray Krueger-Koplin
my travels in Costa Rica

Being a costarican; I can feel your frustrations; however in defence of mother nature; I do like our roads this way, they keep people from disturbing it and access to those who love nature and wants to keep it alive, when I visit CR; I rather travel by bus. There is no perfect country; we all have faults with the capacity of correct them, we just choose not to. For those of you who have had the opprtunity to visit Costa Rica; let us know what to do to improve it. Thanks