Plainly translated from Spanish, Pura Vida means “simple life” or “pure life”, but in Costa Rica it is more than just a saying, it is a way of life. Costa Ricans use the term to say hello, to say goodbye, to exchange convivial greetings, and as a general, universal feel-good reply to most everything. It…
Continue reading →One of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken, the Panama Canal, was begun by the French in 1881, to cut a 48-mile ship passage across the Isthmus of Panama and create one of the most significant waterways on earth, connecting the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean (via the Caribbean Sea). The conditions…
Continue reading →It’s always special to see a country from the inside out, with a local. And that is what I got to do, a little bit, for an afternoon in Costa Rica. Allan, our friend and neighbor back home, is from this warm, friendly country and his family in Puntarenas, whom I had met last summer…
Continue reading →We were warmly greeted at the port of Corinto by shy, pretty girls in native dress and a marimba band with guitar, güiro, a Latin merengue rasp-like percussion instrument, and guitarilla, a small guitar like a mandolin, playing for our pleasure and their hope of monetary offerings. With a population of about 16,000, the small…
Continue reading →Like it’s national bird and symbol of freedom, the dramatic and sacred Resplendent Quetzal, the mystical bird of the Mayans with its iridescent plumage, Guatemala has its own splendor. It has a wide diversity of landscape from humid highlands, tropical jungles, rainforests, volcano-guarded mountains and spectacular ancient ruins, all in a country about the size…
Continue reading →Huatulco is a tourist development in my favorite Mexican state of Oaxaca, where I spent several extended visits much earlier in my life. We docked at Santa Cruz Port, a favorite with the crew for it’s easy access to the beach of the same name, located right next to the pier with cafes and souvenir…
Continue reading →In real time, we recently visited the vacation and spa destination of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico on June 25, where it is said there are so many street vendors you can even buy a timeshare right off the pier, though the beauty of its beaches and abundant aquatic and marine activities just might tempt you….
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