Costa Rica 2012

October 4-11, 2012

On October 4, 2012, six of us met at the Atlanta airport to begin our journey to Costa Rica. Our one-week vacation was created by Jan and Jill, who had a one week time share. Jan's sister Judy and Judy's sister Bob were invited to go along - and then the fun began! Getting 2 units with 2 rooms could actually accommodate more, so friends Martha and Dianne were included too.

Trip to Nicaragua

Being this close to Nicaragua, it was hard to resist taking a bus tour for a few hours - to Granada, of all places. Dianna and Martha well remember Grananda Spain - how will it compare? We'll soon see!!

The history of Nicaragua is so much more complex, and so much has been written about the Sandanistas and Contras - and the US complicities. It will be instructive to get a first hand view of some of the territory being fought over. One of the beauties of travel is now much it motivates one to explore history and keep up with the news. And so we shall!

Culture"Costa Rica was the point where the Mesoamerican and South American native cultures met..Today most Costa Ricans are of primarily Spanish ancestry with minorities of German, Italian, French, Dutch, British, Swedish and Greek ancestry...Many of the first Spanish colonists in Costa Rica may have been Jewish converts to Christianity who were expelled from Spain in 1492 and fled to colonial backwaters to avoid the Inquisition...Education is highly regarded in Costa Rica... 96% of the population is literate..." Read more in Wikipedia...

History"The colonial period began when Christopher Columbus reached the eastern coast of Costa Rica on his fourth voyage in 1502...During most of the colonial period, Costa Rica was the southernmost province of the Captaincy General of Guatemala, which was nominally part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain...Costa Rica joined other Central American provinces in 1821 in a joint declaration of independence from Spain...In 1856, William Walker, an American filibuster began incursions into Central America...after he entered Costa Rican territory, Costa Rica declared war. Led by Commander in Chief of the Army of Costa Rica, President Juan Rafael Mora Porras, the filibusters were defeated and forced out of the country.." .Read more in Wikipedia...

Music"Most of the music and representative folklore comes from the north of the country, including the Nicoya Peninsula (Mayan culture) and the Atlantic coast (Afro-Caribbean culture). Costa Rican music is marked by a rhythm known as tambito, as well as a distinctive musical genre known as punto. Two examples are the punto guanacasteco from Guanacaste Province, and the sancarleño from San Carlos in Alajuela Province." Read more in Wikipedia...

CuisineCosta Rican cuisine is known for being flavorful, yet fairly mild, with high reliance on fresh fruit and vegetables. Rice and black beans are a staple of most Costa Rican meals, often served three times a day; they are known as gallo pinto...Fresh vegetables are a primary ingredient in most main dishes...Costa Ricans as a rule do not like spicy hot food...Coffee and bananas are the two main agricultural exports..." Read more in Wikipedia

Costa Rica 2012

Costa Rica

Nicaragua

HOTEL - Villas Sol

Web Links

RESOURCES

October 4-11, 2012

Trip to Nicaragua