Anteaters

Todays topic is the anteater. We have all heard of one but have you ever seen one? Do you know anything about them?

An anteater does enjoy eating ants but also spends a lot of it's time eating termites. They are found around the world in the tropics. There are four different types of anteaters (echidnas, pangolins, aardvark, and aardwolf). All of these anteaters are practically toothless probably because what they eat is so small. The anteaters have long sticky tongues which allow them to get the ants. The anteater has the largest tongue in relation to it's body size of any mammal on Earth. It's tongue can reach up to 2 ft long. It uses it's claws to dig into the ant hill and then sticks its tongue into the hill up to 150 times per minute. This fast rate of sticking it's tongue in and out makes it difficult for the ants to bite the tongue. Then with no teeth the anteater takes the ants that have stuck to the tongue and crushes them on the roof of his mouth and then swallows them.

Costa Rica has three different types of anteaters. The first is the Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) which weighs up to 45lbs and is a terrestrial forest dweller. The second is Tamanduas (Tamandua mexicana) which are medium sized and scansorial (which means it is capable of climbing). The third and smallest species is the silky anteater (cyclopes didactylus) is always arboreal (in the trees) and is rarely seen.

There you have it those are the three different species of anteaters in Costa Rica. Now it is time to go out and see them in the wild. Join us on a Costa Rica adventure!

High Season for Tourism

If it has not already started for many then it is just right around the corner. The long awaited high season of Tourism in Costa Rica is from December till August with a few low parts but all in all that is when the industry of tourism is really moving and shaking.

This high Season of 2011 is a high season that tour operators, hotel owners, and travel agencies have been more anxious for than all the high seasons in the past. The reason for this is that it is coming off a very hard 2 years of recessions, an earthquake, and swine-flu which all took their toll on the economy of tourism here in Costa Rica. What I have learned is that with all the struggling we have had in the tourism industry it is important that we find the positive in the struggles that we had with the recession and things of such. If we can not find the positive then we essentially struggled for no-reason.

Lessons to be Learned

It looks to be a great year of growth here in Costa Rica. There seem to be many more families coming for a family vacation as compared to the last 2 years.  Who knows maybe there were even some lessons to be learned because tourism was growing at a very fast rate every year for the last 11 years. Maybe the drop that we experienced last year remind us that it's not always about growth, getting bigger, and working like crazy. It is about doing what we love to do and that is working among the natural beauties of Costa Rica and doing it at a first class level.

Costa Rica still receives less tourist than many other parts of the world.  This is one of the best parts that you can still find personalized service here. We need to remember that the beauty of visiting Costa Rica is not only it's nature but the smiling faces in the people and if we get caught up trying to make things bigger and bigger we will not have time to smile and laugh with the most important part of tourism and that is, our visitors.



If you are interested in visiting Costa Rica or just want some advice send us an email or give us a call we would love to chat. To all in the tourism industry of Costa Rica the CRR Team wishes you a very safe and fun high season!

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Visiting Costa Rica for a Second Time?

We made this itinerary about a month ago for some clients and the more and more we look at it we love it. This is a perfect trip for those visiting Costa Rica for a second time as you will see many areas that you probably did not see on your first trip to Costa Rica.

Day 1--- Arrive and Drive to Boriquen Resort (Boriquen Resort)

A Mud Bath & a Massage sounds nice... (Those are volcanoes)

Today we will pick you up from the Liberia airport. We will meet you outside and drive to Boriquen Resort. This is a great place a bit off the touristy path and from what we gather a place you will really enjoy. We will be in the northern part of the country. The Boriquen hotel is around 1:15 minutes from the airport. There are a number of volcanoes in the area and you will have views of all of them. The idea on this itinerary is to start north and head down to the Osa Peninsula visitng different areas. (Meals: None)

Day 2 ------ Visit Mud Baths & Horseback Ride (Boriquen Resort)

Saddle up it is time for a little horseback riding. A beautiful ride in a beautiful area we will take off on the horses. But dont worry if you get sore from the horses we have the mud bath set up for you and you will have the chance to take a natural mud-bath which will make you look 15 years younger and help with the pain from riding the horse. In the evenig you can enjoy a great meal at the Boriquen Resort. (Meals: Breakfast & Lunch)

Day 3 ------ Drive to Hideaway Resort (Hideaway Resort)







Great Place for Flat Stanley

Today we will drive to Hideaway. This place is great and is actually the sister hotel of Nayara Resort in

 the Arenal area. Here you will not find the big erupting Arenal Volcano but you will find one of Costa Rica's most best kept secrets and that is Rio Celeste. Ok, it is not a huge secret people know it is there but you just dont see many people there because there is not much going on in the area. What you will be doing on day 4 makes it all worth it though. (Meals: Breakfast & Lunch)

Day 4 --------- Hike to Rio Celeste (Hideaway Resort)



Today we will make the hike to Rio Celeste. This is one of our favorite hikes. It is flat at most parts. We will take our time spending the morning hiking and visiting the different highlights of Rio Celeste. The waterfall is probably the top, and then where the two rivers combined is my second favorite, and then completely natural thermal waters. The amazing part about all this is that the river is sky-blue. It is caused by the nearby volcano and gives this river the most amazing colors even the waterfall is just like nothing you've ever seen. (Meals: Breakfast & Lunch)

Day 5 -------------------- Drive to Villa Blanca (Villa Blanca)

This could be you Peyton!!!

Today we will leave the north part of the country and make our way to the Central area but stop in the cloud-forest. We will be staying two nights in the Cloud-Forest.   Also you will get to see plenty of Bromeliads! Well maybe not quite but one of the most peaceful places I've seen in this country is the Villa Blanca hotel. We will travel from the north and arrive to Villa Blanca just after lunch and enjoy the gardens and take some hikes to stretch the legs. (Meals: Breakfast)

Day 6 ----- Zipline & Nature Hike (Villa Blanca)

Before we get started with the hikes we will go on the zipline.  We will take a nature hike in the morning and maybe even one in the afternoon. This is a day that we plan on educating you on the cloud-forest. We also wanted to mention that in the evening there is only one place to eat and that is the hotel. It has some of the best food I have ever had in this country. (Meals: Breakfast)

Day 7 ------------ Fly to Lapa Rios Corcovado (Lapa Rios)

Today we will drive to the San Jose airport which is just 1 hour away and then fly South to Corcovado. This is where the adventure begins. You will be arriving to Puerto Jimenez where you will then be transfered to Lapa Rios. The Osa Peninsula and Corcovado happen to be the most bio-diverse place on the planet and from the moment you arrive it is Scarlett Macaws, monkeys, and complete jungle all around. In my personal opinion when you first say Costa Rica and tropical jungle I think Corcovado is what people really imagine. It is such a special place. (Meals: Breakfast)

Day 8 -------------------- Day at Lapa Rios (Lapa Rios)



Time to Relax



Full day at Lapa Rios. You will see more Scarlett Macaws today because they are everywhere.  We will be doing some more site seeing of nature. Along with visiting nature we will take the kayaks out into the ocean and do some ocean kayaks. In the evening you will just have time to relax and soak it all in. You want to stay active here to see many different things but you must have some just sit still time also. (Meals: Breakfast)

Day 9 -------------------- Relax (Lapa Rios)

Well if you have not had time to finish the book you are reading this is now your chance. This will be a full day of relax and plenty of optional nature tours in the area. (Meals: Breakfast)

Day 10 ------------------ Fly Home!

We will be taking a flight to the San Jose International airport.

 

How do Monkeys Not Fall?

I'd like to see you swing through the trees Mr Human

The question I was asking myself the other day when I saw a number of monkeys jumping from high in the canopy and catching on to branch after branch and making it look as simple as if a human was taking it's next step was, why don't they fall?  I wanted to do a little research on, why this was so easy for them because any other species on the planet it would be considered suicide trying to make this happen.

When I was watching this I was not thinking of their prehensile tail which some monkeys have basically as a 5th hand. What I was thinking about is their ability to judge on the dime everytime the distance of each branch and jump.

What I found out in reading "A Neo-Tropical Companion" was that monkeys without the prehensile tail actually face a smaller lifetime reproductive success because of the risk of falling. I have never seen this but YES monkeys do miss calculate, fall from trees, and become part of the decompisition of the eco-system.

Monkey's 3D Vision

Then I found the answer that I think I was looking for:  Monkeys have Stereoscopic Vision. This is basically 3-D vision which allows the monkeys to measure depth perfectly traveling at high speeds. This allows the monkey not only to be able to judge the exact distance they jump but also the exact size of the branch they plan to lend their life to as they grab on to it.

Costa Rica Family Vacation

Costa Rica has four different species of monkeys and if you want to see them all then join us on a family vacation!

Costa Rican Resource

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The Cecropia Trip (Trumpet Tree)

Cecropia Tree (Thanks gettyimages)

It looks like this week is turning into interesting plant week. If we wanted to cover all the plants in Costa Rica during interesting plant week this blog would need 10,000 post before the end of the week. Yes, Costa Rica is home to 10,000 different species of plants which if you wanted to see them all on a Costa Rica Vacation I would suggest a helicopter to start. Because of Costa Rica's location in the tropics it makes for a perfect environment for so many different interesting species. Yesterday we talked about the Bromeliad which I'm sure has everyone fired up about todays plant. Drum-role....! Today's plant is The Cecropia (that was exciting!). If you have been to Costa Rica I can almost assure you that you have seen this plant.

The Cecropia is one of the fastest growing plants in the rainforest. This allows it to grow up fast and stick out from the brush in a secondary forest. They sprout up in "light gap" areas.  (Light-gap: Areas that have been cleared by fallen depri in the forest and now sun-light reaches the ground).  The reason why Cecropias are able to grow so fast is because they have an empty stem. This is very common of fast growing plants. This tree can grow many feet in just one year.

The Cecropias most interesting fact and if you are on a nature hike I am almost sure you might here this from your naturalist guide (You Should, if you do not hear this from one of our guides please contact our office info@crrtravel.com). This is the relationship between the Cecropia Tree and the Azteca ants. The ants actually use the tree for a source of food and in exchange because of the ants hard bit it defends the plant against predators. The Azteca ant only takes its food source from the tree to a point that the tree can afford to give without damaging itself. This is a perfect example of one of the most amazing things of nature called SYMBIOSIS!

Along with forty different other species of plants the sloth eats the leaves of the Cecropia. You will hear many guides and books say that the Cecropia is the favorite food of the sloth. The fact is that the Cecropia has a narrow trunk and long extended branches which only has leaves at the end of it's branches which are in the shape of a hand. This makes seeing the hard-to-see sloth very easy to see when in the Cecropia tree. So the Cecropia is the most common plant to see the sloth because it is the easiest for us to see it in and who really knows if it is the favorite.

If you go on the Pacuare Rafting adventure you will see this plant. It is very common and you can see it almost driving anywhere in Costa Rica. On your next Costa Rica adventure keep an eye out for the Cecropia Tree.

Costa Rican Nature Experts

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Costa Rica's Finest

I have shown this video to a number of different people and the reaction I get is always the same, WOW! It has come to the point where I watch it once in the morning and it is like my motivation for running a family adventure business in Costa Rica. In the last 10 years I have to say Costa Rica has changed quite a bit. But the world has changed quite a bit also. At no point can I say Costa Rica is perfect. But instead of looking at the things that have changed for the negative it is always good to be reminded about the positive things of a particular area.

This video is a great snap shot of all the amazing things Costa Rica has to offer that none of their neighboring countries can boast about and actually few countries in the world can actually relate to. I hope many Costa Rican's get the chance to see this video and use it as an inspiration to stay positive in changing times and to remember things are not always as bad as they seem or they could always be a bit worse.

We also like to post this video for reasons why Costa Rica is the perfect learning environment and a must go area for a family adventure:



JUST A NOTE WE LOVE THE CLEAN ENERGY BUT WE DO NOT SUPPORT THE DAM ON PACUARE RIVER

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Arenal Volcano Hotels

Here is a look at some of the hotels in the Arenal Volcano area. We made a list of hotels from 3 Star to 5 Star. The graph is based on a scale of 1 - 10. The 10 being top quality and the 1 being lowest quality.  The Stars of the hotels stand for the infrastructure and all around how fancy it is. The scale of food, service, view, and location are all based upon the same 1 - 10 rating system and have nothing to do with each hotel having a different Star level.



We have come up with this system through a number of different sources. Our main source being our clients and our guides. Coming in and out of the hotels with different private family groups and sometimes larger groups gives us a good idea of how hotels are behaving. Our guides are always required to ask our guest how their stay was and to get comments on the hotel.

Another source is our low season inspection of the hotels where we travel to the different areas of the country visiting different hotels. This never works as well as the guides and clients opinion though because once a hotel knows you are from a Tour Company they know it is time to step up the service. I hope this chart can help you as you decide for your next Costa Rica Vacation. If you are interested in a Costa Rica Family Vacation Contact Us:

Costa Rican Resource

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Coco Island Costa Rica

Coco Island is located off the Coast of Costa Rica and is Costa Rica's least visited National Park. It is surely the most difficult to get to as it is an expedition tour and a 36 hour boat ride. This island was declared a park in 1978 and is 2,309ha of land and another 97,235ha of Marine habitat. The park is known for it's marine life which make it one of the most popular diving areas on the planet. It is also very scenic as some of Costa Rica's most beautiful waterfalls fall from the island into the ocean. There are many endemic species on the island including different reptiles, birds, species, and plants. Along with diving there are hiking trails which open up to amazing views. The island is completely protected though and you sleep on the boats during these trips.

Image via Wikipedia 

I wanted to make this blog entry a little different. The Island is plain and simply an incredible spot and if I write about it's natural beauties much more I will just upset myself that I have not been there, yet. I did find some interesting information on the island reading a book on Costa Rican National Parks by INCAFO.

Now we have all heard that Costa Rica means "Rich Coast" because when the Spanish arrived the Indians had lots of gold and then the Spaniards went back to Spain and told the Queen they found the Rich Coast (Costa Rica). Turns out with all the rough terrain, rain, and disease they never found much gold.

Coco Island Treasures

In the book by INCAFO it mentions that the Isla de Coco (Coco Island) might have actually been the inspiration for L. Stevenson's book "Treasure Island". They say Coco Island is famous for three great treasures that are hidden on the island between 1684 and 1821. Most importantly being the treasure of Lima which consist of tons of gold and silver ingots. After more years more and more treasures were said to be hidden on Coco Island and it became known as the island with the most treasures on it.

Because of this many organized search expeditions have been made to the island. Nothing has ever really been found except some "doubloons" (Old Currency from Europe).

Writing this we were thinking maybe our next Costa Rica Family Vacation Package will be a search party to the Coco Island to hunt for some treasure or we can organize a high school summer program and the kids might enjoy a scavenger hunt around the island.

If the Island has gold or not the Coco Island with all it's beauty and bio-diversity is now considered one of Costa Rica's most prized treasures and the world has begun to realize. In 1997 UNESCO designated it part of the World Heritage and I don't think they were thinking about the "doubloons". The island was also voted by Costa Rica as one of the 7 Natural Wonders of Costa Rica.

Want to Plan an Adventure to Costa Rica:
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Braulio Carrillo National Park Costa Rica

For almost 3 years I worked the Pacuare River Rafting one day trip leaving from San Jose at 6am and arriving back to San Jose at 6pm. It was a very long day but still I have to say everyday you got up looking forward to the tour. It's just one of Costa Rica's best adventures that never gets old.

 One of my favorite parts about this trip was after the long 3 hours of paddling was getting out of the raft and the peaceful drive back to San Jose. Most of the client were sleeping because they were tired from rafting also. They had to rest up for the rest of their Costa Rica Family Vacation and we had to rest up for the next day of rafting. The best part about the drive back was the 45 minutes we spend in the Braulio Carrillo National Park. I still remember hearing a man who had traveled all over the world visiting some of the worlds diverse and jungle filled places.

He made the comment that that the Braulio Carrillo always seemed to amaze him like none other. He said it was so unique in that it was so close to a major populated area as the San Jose Central Valley area. I did not think much at the time and then he went on to tell me how much of the park he would guess has never been set foot on by humans. Not thinking much of it at the time I began to do some research and realized that the Braulio Carrillo National Park is not friendly terrain. It is wet (4,500mm per year), very mountainous & rugged, and extremely tough to get around with many canyons, waterfalls, & rivers. There are a few hiking trails but the more you think about it the more that man probably was right in saying that there are many parts of it that man has never seen and it sits right next too a worlds major Capital City, San Jose (Sort of a major Capital City).

The park measures 47,583hectares and was created in 1978. It was named after the president who went through great lengths to join the Central Valley to the Atlantic Coast Braullio Carrillo.  Probably the most recognized area of the park are the volcanic peaks Barva, Cacho Negro, & Zurqui which can be seen from the now paved highway or the Rio Sucio which is two different color rivers (which was actually a scene from Jurassic Park & the movie Congo). Just a drive through the park on a clear day you will be promised a view of some of the most lush tropical forest you will see anywhere on Earth. The forest here is estimated to have around 6,000 different species of plants.

If you have the chance during your Costa Rica Family Vacation to visit the Braulio Carrillo National Park or atleast make the drive through our suggestion would be to try and do it early in the morning when the mist is rising. If you contact us and you really want to get a taste for the park we can take you hiking but it will not be your average touristy destination.

If you are headed from the Atlatic Coast or Pacuare River to the Arenal Volcano you will not pass the Braulio Carrillo Park although it might be worth to take a short detour if it is a clear day.

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Costa Rica Family Vacation Specialist
Costa Rican Resource
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Voted by CRR as the Best of Costa Rica: Agree?

Canyoneering Costa Rica

Canyoneering is an adventure that has become just as popluar in Costa Rica as the rafting and ziplining in the last couple of years. If you are not familiar with canyoneering it is a sport that is common in the state of Utah in the USA and many other states out west. Here in Costa Rica many often mistake this sport with rappeling. It turns out canyoneering does often involve some rappeling but in Costa Rica companies will often sell you a tour of canyoneering or rappeling and it is important to know the difference.

Canyoneering in the Tropics

The canyoneering involves more of what it says and that is a "canyon". You actually make your way down on your hands and feet sometimes even your knees and butt. There is always water involved in Costa Rica being in the tropics you are surrounded by rainforest and at the bottom of the canyon is where the water tends to be and that is where you start the adventure. Depending on which canyon you are in the hike can be very strenuous but there are a number of trips most in La Fortuna area near the Arenal Volcano that have become commercial canyons that companies have made it possible for family groups and young kids (10 years and up) to make the trip possible. You do want to be in good physical shape though for this adventure and you might want to leave grandma in the spa or the option for the birding trip.

The real fun comes as you make your way down the canyon and you come along where the hiking has to come to an end. That is where the gear which is your climbing harness, ropes, and carabiners is where you put the trust of the next 200ft in some cases. The next step is to rappel. Most companies will give you a lesson of how to rappel at the start of the adventure.

Where to Canyon?  

 There are a few different canyons in the area and the most commercially run ones are in La Fortuna area and they happen to be very proffesionally run, safe, and amazing fun for the family. There are also some places in Turrialba with the company Explornatura.  If you get the chance to visit Costa Rica on a family vacation and you are looking for a little adventure I suggest squeezing in this adventure I know you will not regret it.



Related Articles by Costa Rican Resource

• Costa Rica Rafting one of the Top 5 Rivers on the Planet
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The Real Costa Rica

Look at the lights. It is like being in Yankee stadium with the cameras going off. This is the ropes show the community puts on during our rural tourism tour. You to can be part of the action if you want to make this just two days part of your family vacation and not stay in a hotel for a few nights. What do you think?

Costa Rican Holiday

Image via Wikipedia August 2 is a holiday in Costa Rica. Everyone gets the day off. It is not presidents' day or veterans' day, but the it has to do with a young girl. The story of how this became a holiday goes back some time. A young girl, Juana Pereira, went out to gather firewood. She found an image of the Virgin Mary about eight inches high. She took the image home. The next day she saw another image and took that home. She thought she now had two images. When she got home, the image from the preceding day was not there. Juana kept finding images and they kept disappearing. She gave an image to the priest and it also disappeared. When the priest went into the woods, he found the image on a rock. She wanted to build a church on the spot.
This traditional story has become a symbol of equality in Costa Rico. The Virgin Mary is a symbol of equality of all people regardless of the color of their skin. A beautiful byzantine church was built in the area in Cartago. On August 2 the day that commemorates Juana Pereira's story, people flock from all over the country and walk to the great church in Cartago. People who cannot walk to Cartago have local walks to their area churches. The highways are full of pilgrims walking to their churches. Traffic slows down and moves along with the pilgrims.
This is just one way that the people of Costa Rica express their spirit and their traditions. All people have their local customs. Understanding customs helps us understand others and ourselves.

A nature guides advice

It was about a week ago that one of our nature guides Jheudy Carballo made the comment to me "Im so proud of what my kid did yesterday". I was expecting the response that his son scored 4 goals in a soccer game or he got straight A's on his report card. To my surprise these were not the childs accomplishments. What Jheudy was so proud of that his son did was walk into the grocery store, buy a few items, and tell the bag boy that he did not need a plastic bag. He got into the car holding all the things in his hand and was on his way. Jheudy noticed what his son did and instantly felt good and proud of what his son did.

Jhuedy was proud because he is a naturalist guide that works for our company and has a sincere love for nature and is always looking for ways to protect it. Jheudy looks at the beautiful natural surroundings of Costa Rica as his workplace, his office, and his home and he wants to do everything to make sure it stays that way. Jheudy starts his lessons by teaching at home to his son. Since his son was young Jheudy has taught to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and REJECT. The last "R" of Reject is exactly why Jheudy was so proud of his son. If you dont need the plastic bag then dont take it. Jhuedy was able to see first hand through his son that it is possible to educate the next generation and leave make this planet a much better place.

Americans use around 100 billion plastic shopping bag each year and less than 1% of these bags are recycled. To make these bags it uses around 12 million barrels of oil. It is important to reuse the plastic bags as many times as you can. It turns out that in places such as San Francisco plastic bags are not even an option as the government voted to ban the use of plastic shopping bags at supermarkets and pharmacies. Most people that would use a plastic bag at a pharmacy would use a plastic bag just to carry a few pills.

When you feel you need a bag or you just get tired of walking out of the store with your hands full there is a solution before using a plastic bag. You can get yourself a reusable bag of nylon, cotton, and other materials (one nylon grocery bag requires the same amount of energy as producing 50 plastic bags). Most places will not care if you arrive with your own bag. Also put the recycle logo on your bag and be a marketer for what you are doing.

Congrats to Jheudy not only for being a good naturalist guide and an excellent father but helping set an example on a simplier and greener way to live your life.

Ideas for Traveling Green

When thinking of your family vacation to Costa Rica or a student travel trip to Costa Rica think of all the things that can be done so not only you can enjoy the trip but the beautiful natural beauties around you can enjoy also. First of all try and use the same towel and linens during your stay at a hotel. The average hotel room consumes more than two hundred gallons of water per day. Using the same water and towel can save up to 40% of the usage of water in the hotel.

It seems that on some vacations that you can't leave anything behind. Well if you are coming to Costa Rica it is a casual dress from start to finish and its never really cold so PACK LIGHT! Every additional ten pounds per traveler requires 350 million gallons a jet fuel per year. This is enough to keep in flight a 747 for ten years.

The idea that a disposable camera can be recycled is garbage. More than half the camera ends up as trash. Since we have the digital camera now and you can get them for almost around $100 bucks make the investment. There are over 686 million rolls of film still developed every year which have hazardous chemicals to them.

The luggage tag on your suitcase although seems like a very small piece paper is still a waste. If every American before their flight used the original luggage tag from the bag instead of taking the tag the airlines have on their counters we would save 60 million sheets of paper each year. Also when making the purchase of your airline ticket you dont have to print it out. They call them e-tickets for a reason and again if every American did not print out their e-tickets there would be a lot of paper saved.

Bring your own!!! What I mean by this is dont forget your toothpaste, shampoo, bodywash, ect. The hotels offer the little bottle samples but you dont need them unless you really forgot yours. A 300 room hotel in Las Vegas uses over 150,000 plastic bottles a year.

When you leave your home let it take a rest. Dont forget to unplug your appliances, stop newspaper and mail. This is energy that does not have to be used if nobody is home.

Bottled water. The water in Costa Rica is some of the cleanest water you will find on the planet. Check with your guide and dont be afraid to fill up a bottle water and not have 100 empty plastic bottles laying around the car.

I know if you do some of these small things it can make a big difference. You will surely still enjoy your trip and the natural surroundings that are putting on the spectacular show will thank you for it and your kids and their kids will have a chance to enjoy the same trip. Buen Viaje!!!!!!!!!!

information taken from "the green book" www.readthegreenbook.com

The Tico's Monkey

Image by Daniel Greene via Flickr Quick Facts:

- Squirrel Monkeys live in the Tropical Forest in the Canopy

- Brain to Body mass is 1:17 which is the largest of all primates
humans have a ration of 1:35.

- They live in groups of up to 500.

If I had to pick a monkey that best represents to people of Costa Rica I would have to go with the Squirrel Monkey. First of all they happen to be the smallest monkey in Costa Rica. Most Ticos happen to be not extremely large although with the arrival of Wendy's and other fast food chains this could change. When on a family vacation or traveling with your students I suggest taking the extra effort to try and see these monkeys. One sure bet is that they will make their way to the park of Manuel Antonio at 4pm everyday jumping ridiculous lengths and free falling to and grabbing onto branches the size of an eyelash. Another reason why I like to call this the Tico's monkey is that it is the most passive monkeys. I feel this is quite fitting for a country that doesnt have an army and for a country that has a reputation of the people being very peaceful and kind. Probably the most interesting fact about this monkey is that is that it is endangered. There are an estimated 1500 monkeys left in Costa Rica and this is the only area where these monkeys can be found making it endemic to Costa Rica. So if you have the chance to pass by Manuel Antonio make sure you pass by and visit a species that might not be along too much longer. We can hope that it is and their are associations doing much to help and if you want more information you can visit www.ascomoti.org.

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Come Prepared!!!

Student travel is one of the most rewarding ways to travel. If you are priviledged enough to be a student or a teacher taking students on trips get the most out of it as you can. One of the most important things I can say for students that are going on an educational trip is to come prepared. I have guided student trips in Costa Rica and the groups that show up that have devoted class time before arriving to the History, Climate, Bio-Diversity, and culture and customs always turn out to be the students that retain the most information and leave really knowing a lot about the country and places they have visited. It is great as a guide to be talking about the History of the country and a student interupts you and says "Wasnt he the president that abolished the Army?". This leaves the job of the guide on the trip not to teach all new facts to your students but to simply put the pieces together and make it all a bit clearer with new bits of information to go along with other bits of information they have already learned. Well what if your teacher is not knowledgable on the country of where you are traveling? This is easy all you have to do is buy a Lonely Planet book and read the basics of each section. Another option is to get intouch with your guide or trip provider and try and start an email conversation or blog with your guide. This will put you on a personal level with your guide before the trip even starts and he can supply information that will be covered during the trip. So before you take off on a student trip do your homework and show up prepared!

Just blog it!

This surely is not the only blog on Costa Rica on the web. Starting this blog I guess the main goal will be to include somethings about Costa Rica that you might not find on other blogs. This blog will also be to help the family getting ready for a vacation and the teacher or students who are thinking of doing a trip. We will have hints and advice to make the trip an unforgettable experience. The idea is to make it as interesting and filled with facts and opinions about the real Costa Rica and events that happen everyday in this corner of paradise. With 10 yrs of experience in Costa Rica family vacations and student travel we will touch the topic of tourism with comments on places to stay and go. We invite all readers and bloggers to please leave comments on the blog. We will also have post from our expert guides on the culture, history, and biodiversity of Costa Rica. Our guides make every trip as educational as possible and this blog is to give bloggers a chance to learn from and ask questions to some of Costa Rica's most experienced guides. Enjoy the blog! PURA VIDA!