This Saturday, September 15th, we hope you'll consider joining us on the Talamanca Indigenous Reservation as we gather at the Bambu Retirement Home for a 1-day Helping Hands event. Tropical Adventures staff, volunteers, friends and neighbors are joining forces with Helping Hands Costa Rica members to pitch in and help the folks out at the retirement home. This area is located about 45 minutes outside of Puerto Viejo (Limon), and about 20 minutes past Bribi.

These amazing people way out on the reservation are often lost and forgotten. Many of the 20 residents have been abandoned by their families and taken in by the 13 staff members, who provide for them lovingly. However love only goes so far and the retirement home is supported by 80% of the resident's pensions, which average about 30,000 colones per month. There is no telephone access to the home, and the road is often closed due to flooding.

We would really like to show our support for these great people and lend a hand, helping them to paint, build some exercise equipment, repair their chicken coop, expand their compost pile, build them a garden, and help them to complete some other small tasks around the grounds that they haven't been able to take care of.

We're very excited to say that the "Iain Programa, S.A." has very generously donated $1,000 to go toward buying whatever supplies are needed this weekend! Many thanks to them. And I'm sure that we'll be figuring out some other donations to whip up a delicious lunch for all us workers.

If you would like to join us, please contact the Tropical Adventures office by phone at 574-4412 or via email. We can help you coordinate with others who might be interested in carpooling, we can get you directions how to get there by bus or by car, or help you with hotel reservations.

You also might like to take a look at some photos we took there this week by clicking here. Another option if you can't join us this weekend would be to consider going another time on your own. We could assist you with that as well. Just contact us and we'll be glad to help facilitate that. We hope to see you there this weekend!

I’ve been meaning to post something for a while about my friend Mauricio’s coffee shop. He’s been open about a month now and the place is really cute. I love his upstairs patio. He offers the usual coffee drinks, of course, but also a nice selection of sandwiches, empanadas and delicious deserts.

The coffee shop is called Land Rover Café and is located in Tres Rios across the street from Don Fernando’s meat market and the bar, “Shots.” There is also a full-service salon inside. I guess the whole thing is owned by Mauricio’s brother. I’ve heard good things about the salon too. (click picture to enlarge)

Isaac and I went to the beach this past weekend. Manuel Antonio is one of our favorite areas, and not just because it's the gay mecca of Costa Rica. It's breathtakingly gorgeous! And though it's the rainny season, we found a lot more people there than we had expected. Not to mention it didn't rain once the three days we were there.

We saw lots and lots of animals this time: monkeys, colorful birds, iguanas, sloths, frogs, lizzards, crocodiles and geckos. Check out our pictures. We got some good ones.

Pretty much we just relaxed, sat on the beach, swam, ate and read our books. Then we came home to an amazing sunset. Just perfect, really.

We’re trying to get ready for Semana Santa (Holy Week) here in Costa Rica. Being that we’re a Catholic country, religious festivities are quite a special occasion to socialize and bring out some of the nation's best long-standing traditions.

Each city and town has their own street processions taking place every day this week. They dramatize all the stages of Christ’s way to the crucifixion and resurrection. Oxcarts, horses and trucks are blessed.

It’s also time to indulge in local delicacies of the season, such as chiverre (sweet preserves made from spaghetti squash), arroz con leche and lots of seafood dishes (as many still give up meat for lent).

It’s a very exciting time here, religious or not. Most people have the greater part of the week off from work. And they take advantage of this time to head to the beach.

Time at the beach this during this season can be fun – but crazy. It’s nice to be in the middle of a different culture’s celebrating, but I personally find the beaches nicer when there aren’t many people around. Though it is fun to meet new people, if you happen to be outgoing. And this week all the beaches will be packed!

Those tourists arriving to Costa Rica at this time of the year who have not made plans in advance can have trouble finding car and hotel reservations.

San Jose will be dead on Thursday and Friday, but all the country roads (most especially those leading to the beaches) will be packed.

Besides being a holiday, Easter brings along the end of the dry season, though the rainy season ramps up slowly. So Costa Ricans and foreigners are eager to get a taste of the last sunny, clear-sky weather of the season, while relaxing and hiking at the beach and mountains during Holy Week.

As for me, I’ll be home relaxing!

I’ve lived in many places around the world where I never found time to visit the beautiful destinations nearby. So I’m really trying to make an effort to get out and see what’s near my home. Among the many things around is Lankaster Gardens. Here I’ve included a few pictures I took there yesterday.

They were founded in the 1950's by the British naturalist Charles H. Lankaster and are internationally recognized for its collection of epiphytes (plants which live on other plants), of particular interest are the orchids – more than 800 species actually. Approximately 11 hectares of land (over 27 acres), countless numbers of other species are also found on the premises, including insects and other animals.

The garden is run by the School of Biology of the University of Costa Rica and is located in my town, Paraiso, in the Cartago Province. It is open to the public from 9:30 am - 3:30 pm. One of the most interesting things I observed was the way that so many different collections were able to survive in the same climate. Lankaster maintains huge sections of orchids, bromeliads, cactus, palms and a tropical forest. I doubt many other areas of the planet would allow all these to grow seemingly effortlessly side-by-side.

As they are less than 5 miles away from me, I’m really glad I stopped by. I will certainly be going back again many times. It’s a great place to walk around, enjoy the beautiful day and all the flowers, plants and animals.

How to get to Lancaster Gardens: From the right (east) side of the Basilica in Cartago there will be a sign for Lancaster Gardens, at which point you will turn right. After two blocks, turn left and continue straight until you see the sign for Lancaster Gardens on the right side. Make a right along this gravel road and then your first right, which leads you to the entrance of the gardens. When returning to San Jose follow the same road back until you see a sign for San Jose, which leads to the right. Make your first left, following the signs, and continue until you reach the end of the road; there is a large Plaza clearly visible in front of you. Make a right and after two blocks a left. This road takes you along the auto pista back to San Jose.

Who doesn’t like orchids? Really, they are just amazing flowers. I wanted to let you know about an Orchid and Tropical Plant Presentation coming up on Tuesday, March 7, 2006 from 9:30 - 10:00 a.m. There will be a Social Hour  from 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. The location for this event is Posada El Quijote in Escazu. The best part…it’s free!

The variety of orchids and their care, along with a presentation of other tropical plants. will be discussed. The presentation will be led by Cristiana, owner of the nursery Vivero Floraventura near the Multiplaza in Escazu. Orchids will be on display with some available between 2500 and 4000 colones. Attendees are really encouraged to bring a healthy orchid or orchid in need of care to share in the discussion. Information on care and growing of other tropical plants will be provided.

Furthermore, the National Expo on Orchids will be held in San Jose the second week of March. Our orchid presentation should assist in knowing more about what you will see at the National Expo.

The months of March and April are also when orchids are most on display at Lancaster Gardens, just outside of Cartago. Lancaster also displays hundreds of bromeliads too.  The labyrinthine gardens are run by the biology department of the University of Costa Rica.

Orchids bloom all year and many communities have their own orchid society  and shows. Alajuela this year will be having their show at the Institute of Alajuela between October 6 and 8 from 9-3 p.m. daily.

For further information contact Pat Bliss at 289-8638 or e-mail her. She’ll be able to send you a map and directions for Posada el Quijote.