Blogs from Cartago, Costa Rica, Central America Caribbean

Now that December is here, the season for holiday foods has truly arrived. From lollipops to latkes, every holiday and region has its own traditions. In many Latin American countries, tamales are the stars of the show. These delicious creations are made from masa – a traditional corn dough – and some sort of filling. Popular choices are chicken, chilies, and pork. Many are familiar with the traditional Mexican tamal, which is wrapped in cornhusks and then steamed. In Costa Rica, however, the masa is wrapped in banana or plantain leaves. And the variations don’t stop there. Tamales, which are thought to have originated with the Ancient Mayans in Mesoamerica as far back as 8000 BCE, have an amazingly long and diverse history. For instance, they were originally designed as portable... read more

Tropical Adventures works hard to keep its costs and fees as low as possible. Still, for several people it can be unclear why they have to pay for volunteer programs. I´ve heard several opinions that it is unethical and so on, therefore I consider as a must to provide a proper explanation on how it actually works. I cannot speak for other organizations, but I can give you a perspective from our sight. We have made several analyzes of certain impoverished areas of the country. This comprises difficult travel and meeting with untold numbers of communities and individuals. We want to know what real needs are present and how we can be of assistance. The truth is, not all communities are even ready to accept volunteer help. It was a tough job narrowing down to just ... read more

You might have noticed that I'm having problems downloading photos from this trip. Only one downloaded so far. Ever since the connection problems I had here a week and a half ago or so this has been an issue. I'll keep trying as there are some very nice ones of Orosi Valley I have yet to try to download. Also I forgot to mention that Maria Elena is a retired judge here in Costa Rica. So she is very educated and highly respected as well as a lot of fun! With so many universities in the country and the cost being quite affordable it is accessible to many. Instead of spending money on having an army, since 1948 they have directed more funding on education, their national parks and tourism. Just wanted to mention this again ... read more

(Day 889 on the road) We had been a little apprehensive about Costa Rica, the Rich Coast as he name translates (named so for the gold found here during the Spanish occupation in the 16th century). All we knew was that the country was, in comparison to the other countries in Central America, overrun by tourists, most of them vacationers from the USA and Europe, who are attracted to the country by its (perceived) better security situation. And lured here by Costa Rica's relentless eco-tourism and nature ("Pura Vida" - pure life) advertisement I should add - the country is banking heavy on the responsible, sustainable nature card. At times it seems as if every idiot operating in the tourism sector has jumped onto the bandwagon and renamed his business Eco-Lodge-this or Eco-business-that. If even tour-bus ... read more

Today was amazing! It's funny how a 7am wake-up call is no problem if there's amazing adventures on the horizon & palm trees out the window! :) I ordered breakfast (eggs, toast & gorgeous fruit platter) and ate while playing on the computer. We met two awesome girls named Kylie & Kristie Chupp from Montana. They're totally fun and we went white water rafting together. None of them had breakfast before we we went and then it was raining so we didn't stop until after the trip, so I felt very superior. ;) I also drank like a liter of water and felt very healthy. Can still get "coca-cola" (yummy bit of home) but am drinking less of it and eating super fresh...vacations make me so healthy! It took us an hour to get to the ... read more