Nature is Amazing

Ant going to town on butterfly larva

Living and working in the tropics is a real treat. It never seems to amaze me of learning new things that just put you in a position to think "Good Gosh, Nature is amazing...". When doing a tour one of the first things as a nature tour guide in the tropics is to let people know that that tropics is a war-zone of different animals and species of plants all fighting for energy from the sun and other sources of energy in and around the rainforest.

Butterflies, Ants, & Plants

A butterfly lays it's eggs on plants and then when the larva hatches from the eggs it starts to feed off the plant that it's egg was sitting on. It is sort of like giving birth to a baby in an all you can eat buffet and the baby just staying at the buffet eating and eating. They say that pretty much is what butterfly larva is "Eating Machines".

Ants in many parts of the rainforest have a symbiotic relationship with plants. What does the word symbiotic mean? Symbiotic is a close relationship between two species of benefit or dependence. In the rainforest the relationship between the ant and plant in many cases is symbiotic. The ant feeds on the plant at extra-floral nectaries which are basically sugar that the plant is producing for the ant. It is in the best interest of the ant to protect the plant because the plant is the food source for the ant.  In return the ant protects the plant from predators. This is where the plant and butterfly larva come to meet each other.

If a butterfly lays its eggs on a plant that has this symbiotic relationship with an ant species than you can expect the ants to destroy the eggs before the larva has the chance to hatch and start eating the plant would could cause the plant to die. There are many plants in the rainforest with symbiotic relationships with ants. So what can the butterfly do so it does not have it's eggs eaten by ants?

Well the butterfly has had to adapt to laying it's eggs on the tips of leaves where the ants do not visit. When the eggs are place here they are less likey to be discovered and disposed of by the ants. The butterfly also in recent studies has developed a smell that it releases from it's abdomen that tricks the ants into thinking it is really ant larva. Nature just keeps going and keeps adapting to whatever it might be.

Now that is some interesting stuff how nature just continues to adapt to it's surroundings.

Interesing in seeing and learning about Nature in the Tropics?

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Basilisk, Jesus Christ Lizard

I was trying to think of a blog topic for today and I was thinking of the new national Stadium in Costa Rica which was an $88 million dollar project by the Chinese. I was driving by there yesterday and was informed that the Stadium seats 35,000 and only has 500 parking spots.

"JESUS CHRIST! I'm walking on water!"  

This morning I was thinking about that and told a friend that squeezing all those cars in there will be similar to the way Jesus Christ fed all those people with such little bread. That is when my topic for today came to me. The JESUS CHRIST LIZARD happens to be one of the most interesting animals in Central America and I have nothing about it in this blog so it is long overdue to write about "The Basilisk" (Jesus Christ Lizard). For gosh sakes the thing walks on water!!!

Probably the best name I've heard given to the Basilisk besides Jesus Christ Lizard is "miniature dinosaurs". When you look at them it really does look as if you are looking at a dinosaur. It is the male species that looks the most like the dinosaur with it's large crest on head and back tail. The lizard can reach almost 1 meter long which is just over 3ft.   This is a species that enjoys being in warmer weather at lowlands. You will hardly ever see one above 1000m (3,000ft).

How do they Walk on Water

Now everyone knows that they are called the Jesus Christ Lizard because this is the species that can actually walk on water. The question is are they really holy lizards sent by Jesus Christ or is there some other reason for this. Depending who you talk to most will say there is some other reason and I think I will go with that also.

The secret of walking on water for these lizards is that they have very large hind feet with flaps of skin along each toe. This is different than webbed feet. Along with these flaps of skin they move very quickly. The smaller Basilisk (Juveniles) can walk up to 10 or 20 meters across water while the larger (Adult) Basilisk can still do it but look as if they are struggling a little more than the youngsters. Sort of like a bunch of 55 year olds playing pick up basketball.

There are four different types of Species of Basilisk. The oldest reported Basilisk can live up to 7 years.

Interested in Learning How to Walk on Water?

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Plan an Amazing Family Vacation to Costa Rica

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Information for this article was taken from: "Costa Rican Natural History" - Daniel H. Janzen

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!

Costa Rican Resource

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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

Costa Rican Travel Experts

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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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New Luxury Hotel In Costa Rica

Image by Harry R via FlickrWent to Chirripo a few months back and anyone that has been there knows it is a place about as beautiful as it gets. But the first thing that comes to mind is that it is not a luxury trip. The roads are rough and the living conditions are basic (which is fine still an awesome trip).

Monte Azul Chirripo Costa Rica

Well it looks as if some of this might have changed thanks to the new luxuryBoutique hotel called Monte Azul. I have to be honest as of Sept 2010 I have not visited but that will change very soon and I will be posting on it. This hotel had a recent article in Conde Nast Traveler which put it on it's "Hot List 2010" (Can't be bad for business).

The small hotel looks to be very art-friendly, community and evironmently involved, and located in an area that will give you a full taste of the nature around. It is not too far from the park entrance of Chirripo which could make it a luxury stop for your night before entering the park and your night after coming out of the park. 

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Baile Tipico

Does it get any better than this. Who needs clubs in South Beach when you can come on a family vacation to Costa Rica and throw down with the locals on a Rural Tourism Package put together by Costa Rican Resource:

Costa Rica Eco-tourism

All of the traditional vacations have you staying in nice fancy hotels. Which I have to say we agree in and have no problem setting that up. But if you are coming to for a Costa Rica vacation of 8 - 10 days maybe you would want to do the option of one or two nights in our homestay program we have set up in a village in the mountains very close to the famous Pacuare River.

This is a program that is not for everyone but I can honestly say we have had 100% success rate. Basically what we do is we do a family vacation including all the normal hotels and activities. For one or two nights we stop into a village where live the local life for a day or so. We get a chance to eat their food, hang out with the locals, and even watch as they perform local song and dance for us. It is a very humble setting and part of the beauty of being in the area is to see how simple the families live but how they are full of smiles.

Costa Rica Family Vacation

If your are looking that your kids to learn something on a Costa Rican family vacation then we can take them and talk for hours to them about all parts of the rainforest. If you really want them to be aware of how families live in and around the rainforest then this is a once and a lifetime opportunity with so little to be said and so much to learn.

If you think you might be interested in including in this idea remember that this is a large economic boost to the families of the village and all profits stay in the village as part of this project. So for your next Costa Rica vacation you just might want to take a deeper look into Costa Rica and you can check it out with

Costa Rica Surf Classes

I have done some extensive research and after reviewing it I have discovered that the sun should be back. In fact this morning I think I see it cracking out of the clouds a bit. That is why for your viewing pleasure this morning you get to watch a surf video from Costa Rica Vacations. I want you to remember the river rafting and ziplining are not the only fun adventures around. I often see that surfing keeps the kids very occupied during the their Costa Rica Family Vacation. Its interesting because they get guide and recieve lessons but they are on their own and many kids if they are into it will spend ours trying to master the skill. Remember if the sun doesnt come back out we can always go to the new planet:

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7 Natural Wonders of Costa Rica

Elected in 2007 by Costa Ricans were 7 of their countries natural wonders. Six of these places happen to be popular tourist spots with the exception of Coco Island which is 550 km off the Pacific Coast. Take a look at what Costa Rican's considered their 7 natural wonders:

Costa Rica's Best Spots

1.  Coco Island

2.  Arenal Volcano

3.   Chirripo National Park

4.  Poas Volcano National Park

5.  Tortuguero Canals

6.  Monteverde Reserve

7.  Rio Celeste 

Turrialba Volcano Might Re-Open?

Image by Costa Rican Resource via FlickrI personally declared it volcano week since it seems to be the topic of this blog for the last couple of days it seems the local newspaper is lending itself to help me out. La Nacion the main news paper in Costa Rica which I consider the most formal and proffesional came out with the most unproffesional and informal article I could imagine. It was about the idea of re-opening the Turrialbal Volcano, you can read the article in Spanish here.

If it is time to reopen the Turrialba volcano than fine lets do it but if its not than lets wait. I find it interesting that the only way to get to the crater in the rainy season would be for the US not to send warships down but to send some tanks down. The roads are horrible and with these rains I can imagine not much better. The roads in the article were not so much an issue in the article in arriving but during an emergency evacuation. The article then talks about how the volcano is letting out a lot of gas and that it could be dangerous to the tourist, uh? Does this mean like going to Poas and you should only stay at the crater for 30 minutes because of the gases being released or does this mean dangerous from the moment you arrive.

The suggestion from La Nacion is that you would have to hire a tourism proffesional company to take you to the top of the crater to be safe. I've got news for you I run a tourism proffesional company and I dont have a clue when the Turrialba volcano is safe or when it is not safe I just go by what the experts tell me. Well I hope they dont open the park today but if it is open for the next high season I will be looking forward to it it would be quite the plus to any costa rican family vacation with the activity it is displaying and quite the free back massage with the road to get there.

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Scarlet Macaws Costa Rica

Image by alisofff via FlickrWhen making the drive down the Pacific coast with clients now I usually act like I'm looking for something like all good guides do (I happen to "not" be one of those "Eagle Eyes"  guides but when you get in the looking position your clients think you are and it adds a moment of excitement to the bus ride). Well as of late the Central Pacific is one of the best spots for a guide or anyone to give this little trick a try. If you are around Carara or just past Jaco before arriving to Hermosa beach keep an eye out for the Macaws in the trees or flying around in pairs.

They are making a comeback which is good to see but we cant forget that this species is still endangered. The last study showed that there are around 430 Scarlet Macaws in the Central Pacific of Costa Rica. Which is the countries second largest population. The Central Pacific hopes by 2020 to have a population of 1000 which would be amazing and quite the site the way these birds like to make themselvese seen and heard.

If you are on a Costa Rica vacation and want to see the largest population of Scarlet Macaws then the Osa Peninsula is still where you will find between 700 - 900 of these birds. Its a sure bet upon arrival to the Osa you will see and hear the Macaws. If your interested in planning a family vacation to Costa Rica contact us and we promise we will find some scarlet macaws during your stay http://www.crrtravel.com/ or info@crrtravel.com.

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Pacific Costa Rica What were they Thinking?!!!

From what most of you have read you can see when it comes to the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica my main focus would be the Dominical area. I know this area well due to the tours we run hear normally and also working a little bit in and around the area in Real Estate.

The nice part about this area is that there are no large tour operators that is moving large amounts of people daily. For example in the Arenal area you might find a zipline that has 200 people a day or a rafting company that rafts 100 clients in a day. I have never seen that type of tour in the Dominical area and I dont think you ever will. This area lends itself to the type of service we offer on a Costa Rica vacation making the feeling a bit more private and remote.

Then why in the heck do they have a 150 person boat docked off the beach here offering whale tours. The whale tour is a great idea and there are quite a few small companies who do it (they could use a few more bi-lingual guides with more knowledge of the whales and dolphins). I can see their point because the small companies have small boats and the ride is very rough. But they will have to get a monopoly on all the tourist here to even get the boat half full just a few times a week.

It would be a shame to see one boat get all the people on their Costa Rican vacations looking for the whales as many small businesses make their living off these whale trips. We have kept an eye on this boat and I have not seen it move all week I've been here and we are in the Costa Rica family vacation high season. Have any of you seen the whales in Costa Rica? If so where and when?

Costa Rica's Best Zipline

One of the many things that have made Costa Rica famous is the chance to going zipping through the rainforest. Many zipline companies in Costa Rica will take you from tree top to tree top. If you are up for a real thrill maybe you should try mountain top to mountain top and that is exactly what the SkyTrek at the Arenal Volcano will offer you.

This is a zipline where you will zip on 8 different cablse most of which hundreds of feet off the ground the highest being 700ft. The length of the cables can get up to 1km long and you travel at a speed of 40mph.

We enjoy taking all our student travel trips here and most of our family vacations opt for the thrill of the zipline. If you are looking for an amazing adventure then the SkyTrek at Arenal is the right choice. Have you ever been on a zipline that you thought was worth sharing? If so where and tell us about it? Also if your interested in planning a family vacation and enjoying Costa Rica's top adventures then contact us http://www.crrtravel.com/ or info@crrtravel.com.

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Costa Rica Travel Essentials

When coming on a Costa Rica vacation you want to come prepared. This is not like traveling to downtown NYC where you can just walk down the block and buy what you forgot. With our experience we have a list of three essentials to make your adventure to Costa Rica more enjoyable. There is much more that you need to bring but these are three you might not have thought of.

First of all is a pair of watershoes. When traveling to Costa Rica you never know when it is going to rain and you will also probably be doing different adventures such as whitewater rafting and rappeling. You want a pair of watershoes that have good traction and will not fall off. My experience of working in rivers of Costa Rica as a river guide for 9 years has left me to be a huge fan of The Keens. This is an amazing shoe that has lasted on average 2 or 3 years each pair. Being used everyday I find this amazing. The Keens also have the rubber front part which covers the toes. I find this very helpful during the rappel adventure.

Another nice thing to have is a Pelican Case. A pelican case is basically your ultimate carrying case for your camera, phone, or any item you would like to keep safe. There are many brands out there but the pelican is the most respected and comes in many different shapes and sizes. You can even find a pelican for your laptop.

The third Travel Essential I have thought of is actually an App for your smartphone. Assuming you have a smartphone you need to get the Shoot-It app. This is one of the best travel apps you can imagine. You can actually take a picture with your phone, write a message, and send a postcard which will arrive the very next day. I have had 100% success rates with postcards arriving and people really get a big kick out of it. This Shoot-it app will keep you from running around looking for stamps while on vacation.

With all this said these are a few things that might not be absolute essentials but I have put on my must have travel list. Do any of you have anything that you must travel with? If so I would love to hear what they are?

Costa Rica Family Adventure Specialist
The Costa Rican Resource
http://www.crrtravel.com/
info@crrtravel.com

Social Media Outside the Cubicle

When I first got involved in Social Media I asked myself how much time I would really have to dedicate to this idea of being social on the web. My day to day job involves rafting down rivers in the rainforest, hiking through the jungle, and rappeling waterfalls. I do this as a job of taking family vacation groups and student groups through Costa Rica.

I told myself that I probably would not have that much time to sit in the office and tweet, post, and stay connected. Well I was wrong. After some research and an amzing 3G service of cellphones in Costa Rica I was able to put together a Social Media Jungle kit. With a little Gateway netbook and a blackberry I can get connected hanging off the side of a waterfall if needed.

When you are taking 20 kids rafting down class IV rapids you can imagine the emails I get from parents back home wanting to know how their kids are. This is how Social Media has turned our travel company into some of the most personalized service possible. I really dont care right now if I get a bunch of more sales from Social Media. What I am getting is satisfied customers. We keep a blog for each student group so the parents can follow day to day activities with pictures of their kids posted minutes after each activity. The parents all follow and post back in minutes. It gets everyone involved in blogging and is from what the parents have told me an amazing service as a part of our company.

A Social Media kit that takes you to places that have a bit different conditions than your average cubicle should include:

1.) A Pelican Case - These are the cases that are waterproof and pretty much everything else proof if needed.

2.) Kodak waterproof cam. I was going to go with the flip but this was cheaper and took alright pictures also. Short videos for the blog are huge when parents can see their kids.

3.) Digital Camera - get those pictures going and make them easy to upload on the web because time is precious when you are on the road.

4.) Blackberry or anything with a 3G service. For me in Costa Rica I hook my phone up to my netbook and Im posting blogs for parents to see atleast 3 times a day in some of the most remote places of the rainforest.

5.) Carabiners - this is a type of hook used in adventure sports that you will want to hook your pelican up to. These are extremely durable and you will never lose anything hooked up to this.

6.) Headphones - if you are like me and have time on your hands (we often have long drives to get from A to B) then download some Social Media books on Audible.com and stay updated on tips and ideas for soical media.

So for now I am happy with the idea that it is not so much what social media can do for my future sales but how it can improve on sales I've already made and help my company offer some of the best travel service around. What do you guys think about this can you come up with any ideas of how we could keep parents and family members involved in their childs trip through Social Media?

5 Jaguar Facts

If you decide on Costa Rica for a family vacation or a student travel trip it is because you are probably looking for some adventure and wildlife. One of the most sought after animals of the rainforest is the Jaguar. If you happen to see one of these on your vacation to Costa Rica you will join a very small group of eco-tourist who were lucky enough to see the beautiful animal who might not have much more time left on this planet. Take a look at some interesting facts about the Jaguar.

1.) Is a very good swimmer.

2.) The Jaguar is Endangered due to loss of natural habitat.

3.) 3rd largest cat on the plante behind the lion and tiger.

4.) Eats small mammals. (We are small mammals!!!!!!)

5.) They hunt at night. (This is one reason why tourist rarely see them)

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5 Amazing Costa Rican Rainforest Facts

Next time you are thinking of a family vacation maybe you might want to visit one of the most astonishing places on the planet that your grandkids might not have the opportunity to see. Take a look at these facts and tell me if it would be worth take an eco-friendly vacation to help fight the cause of protecting these beautiful areas:

1.) 25% of western medicines are derived from rainforest plants and less than 1% have been tested for medicinal use.

2.) 3,000 fruits can be found in the rainforest and of these 3,000 the western world only uses 200. The native Indians to most rainforest use up to 2,000 different fruits.

3.) More than 1/2 of the worlds 10 million plants, animals, & insects live in the tropical rainforest.

4.) 6% of the Earth's surface is rainforest and experts say in 40 years it could be down to 0%.

5.) 1 1/2 acres of rainforest is lost every SECOND!!!!


Sources: http://www.rain-tree.com/facts.htm

Costa Rica Family Adventure Specialist
Costa Rican Resource
http://www.crrtravel.com/
info@crrtravel.com

Arenal Volcano Vacation Costa Rica

When visiting Costa Rica on a family vacation or student travel trip going to the Arenal Volcano is a must. This is an area where there is so much to do from ziplining, rafting, rappeling, nature hikes, and much more all within a very short bus ride.

This past week we had a group that scheduled their stay for four nights at the Arenal area and they did day trips from the hotel each day. This means they did not end up traveling very long and far on the bus which is often a sacrifice one has to make to see the different wonders of Costa Rica. The one day they did travel far was the Pacuare River. There are other rivers to raft in the Arenal area but the Pacuare is one of the best on the planet so if you dont mind one day of around 8 hours in the bus it is still worth the adventure.

Weather at the Arenal Volcano

The other days were filled with ziplining, rappeling, and chances to see nature with one of our expert naturalist guides. I will say this group had excellent weather at the Arenal Volcano which made staying four days easy. The risk you take on a family vacation or student travel trip is that the Arenal Volcano can actually be cloudy for four straight days. If you happen to being staying in the area for four days and you never see the volcano you will probably be asking yourself why the better half of your Costa Rica vacation was spent looking at a volcano covered by a cloud. But if you happen to visit the area for four days and get atleast 2 out of the 4 days clear and you mix that with a little adventure then you will be happy with the choice of four days at the Arenal Volcano.

So when planning your next Costa Rica vacation if you want to take the chance staying at the Arenal volcano for a few extra days just might be worth the chance.

Costa Rican Resource:
http://www.crrtravel.com/
info@crrtravel.com

Best place to Eat on Your Costa Rica Vacation

When you are on vacation one of the most important things is where it is to eat. It turns out that taking a vacation to Costa Rica not too many come for the cuisine. If you come to Costa Rica for the cuisine it is because you want to load your family up on rice and beans. Dont worry in all the student travel trips we run I can see the importance in the students trying the local food and in some cases even learning how to make it. But what I am talking about here is a vacation, a family vacation. In this case you have to do a little investigation to get hyped up about the Costa Rican food.

The area of San Carlos which is where the Arenal Volcano is comes from a long history of cattle farming and unfortunately this is the reason why years ago Costa Rica lost most of its rainforest. Well with the rainforest making a comeback and the tourist coming to visit there has been a need for some of that cattle still in the San Carlos area which is to offer good meat to eat at a nice place near the Arenal Volcano.

If you visit the Arenal Volcano on your family vacation make sure the restaurant Don Rufino's is on your list. There specialty is meat and coming from the San Carlos area they dont have to travel far. There are many five star hotels in the area but when it comes to some of the best food you will find in Costa Rica Don Rufino's is hard to beat.

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