THE FIRST GRINGO TOURIST:

HOLIDAYS IN COSTA RICA 1859 - 1860, By Thomas Francis Meagher
Our link to a scan of an article written by a "tourist in Costa Rica" in 1858 - Thomas Francis Meagher.
To set the stage, Costa Rica had recently been invaded by the so called filibusters - a group led by an
American, William Walker.

But our tale begins in a place we gringos now call Puntarenas - in March 1858 though then it was
known as "Punta Arenas". The gringo Walker had already had his sorry ass kicked back to
Nicaragua in April 1857 . . . as our introduction to this beautifully written tale continues

PAUL'S ORCHID PAGE:

A page of local orchids - excellent stuff! Wherein Paul Mitchell, an orchid wizzard lately of Florida
and soon to be of Costa Rica, comments on photos, habitats, care and nutrition and so on of orchids
found in many places in Costa Rica. Paul will introduce you to a whole host of interesting factoids
and likely stimulate your own orchid interests.

TALES FROM THE PURA VIDA

The Bike Ride: Rural Treats in Costa Rica
The story of a brief trip to the turtle arribada in Ostional and the women's co-op of Isla de Chira.

BOOKS FOR SCHOOLS & COMMUNITY

Click for information "ABOUT OUR LOCAL SCHOOL - Escuela Tuetal Sur."

	The future of our planet is contained in the ecosystems that maintain the balance and health of our planet. The guardians of one of the most diverse ecosystems on this planet are now going to schools all over Costa Rica. They have many challenges ahead and perhaps one you can help with? Bring a book or two with you on your next trip and we'll get them directly to the school library here. Better yet perhaps you'd like to visit the school yourself and take a glimpse into the future of Costa Rica. We are happy to take you to our school when you visit. The school pictured here is a model school in our local community - Tuetal Sur, near Alajuela. The state provides every community with a schoolhouse (roof, walls, floor) and qualified teachers to teach. But teaching materials are another matter altogether. These are provided by the community which in our case is literally "dirt poor" (some homes have dirt floors). But poor in Costa Rica does not mean hungry and the kids you will meet here will invariably prove poor does not mean unhappy either. The book you bring, may be the window to the future for one child! NOW FOR THE BEST READS ON COSTA RICA Here you will find a list of histories, natural and otherwise as well as some eclectic reads discovered from friends in Costa Rica or trolling for material with the word "Costa Rica" mentioned at least once :-). Subjective and amateurish (at least where it comes to an interest in bugs) these reviews may be - is that not the purpose of a review? To seek and discover the perspective of another? The sections below include: - 3 BOOKS TO READ BEFORE YOU COME - MOVING HERE BOOKSHELF - FIELD GUIDES AND THE LIKE - FICTION - HISTORICAL AND POLITICAL - NATURAL HISTORY & A FEW FAT BOOKS - OUR GUIDE TO COSTA RICAN GUIDE BOOKS 3 BOOKS TO READ BEFORE YOU COME INSPIRING & EMPIRICAL: "The Green Phoenix" By William Allen - the story of the founding and rebuilding of a unique tropical dry forest. The vision of a gringo genius, Dan Janzen, combined with the hard work and valiant efforts of the International and Costa Rican conservation community to reverse the ravages of humankind in a new way. Great cast of characters. Long term project. Rebuilding a dry forest without mass replanting - how was it done? The nice thing about this story is "it is working". Restores your faith in the future of the planet. BEST PARKS HISTORY: "The Quetzal and the Macaw" The story of the founding of the Narional Parks of Costa Rica and the particularly valiant efforts of two Costa Ricans - Boza and Ugalde. The tireless efforts of these two geniuses with a real vision of the future are an inspiring tale of possibilities for other developing countries. "Balancing political enlightenment with environmental concerns" maybe one synopsis that describes the efforts of many people to make the parks system a reality. In 1969 not a single acre was under protection from the government - now over a quarter of the country is protected. This book is out of print but email us for a source which has some used ones. BEST FIRST HAND ACCOUNT: "Married to a Legend" Don Pepe By Henrietta Boggs Electronically published at Lulu - ships by mail internationally within 3 weeks or so. It is rare to find a first hand account of Costa Rican history in English. This is the original English language version of Henrietta Boggs' memoir of meeting, living with and leaving Don Pepe. The story takes place in the formative years from 1940 to 1949 with the rewriting of the constitution (hard to tell the exactly dates as Henrietta wasn't much into them). Don Pepe's decision to abolish the army appears to have been a single minded decision after his frustration with the disloyalty of his minister of the Interior, Cardona, who attempted a counter coup in 1948. The book is a fascinating inside view of this Catalonian descended charismatic who commanded any room he walked into with his steely blue eyes and subtle hand gestures. The book covers Don Pepes success as a sisal farmer building a substantial landholding from a small loan at La Lucha, his frustration with the inequities of government, his exile in El Salvador and Mexico (does anyone know if a recording of his fateful radio broadcast was ever made?), the revolution of 1948 from the perspective of a fleeing wife and two very young children in the mountains above Cartago and at an American construction camp on the Cerro de la Muerte (new data for me - the purpose of the road was to move men and supplies to and from the Panama canal in case of blockades of either coast during the Second World war). The book is full of interesting perspective on a lot of what is modern Costa Rica. It is also an excellent tale of the frustrations of a new gringa in Costa Rica in the 1940's. And yes, Don Pepe was responsible for school lunches. Don Pepe made a mark on everyone he met. A tiny excerpt . . . Don Pepe was not very subtle with women . . . while on a trip on his new blue Harley Davidson up the bumpy road to Irazu he suggested to Henrietta (a maybe 22 year old gringa from Alabama who had been in the country under a year), "I believe we ought to get married, you can think about it on the way up to the top." This book is electronically published - you can order online, it automatically prints and mine got here in 3 weeks by "regular mail". As Henrietta said in 1992, "I believe that each of us has a right to two countries: the one where we were born, and the other which we freely choose. As this book will explain, 'the other' for me will always be Costa Rica. BEST BOOK ABOUT COSTA RICANS (by far) "The Costa Ricans" by Biesanz, Biesanz & Biesanz. Read all the books you want about Costa Rica and you still won't find the insights that this excellent book will yield to interested persons. "Costa Ricans are diferent" as nobody will disagree - if you have an interest in why, you must get this book. It covers the land and people, community (a fascinating inside view), class and race, education and a great deal more. There is a detailed bibliography that will interest serious readers (how did they find all this stuff!). Written in the early 1980's the book could do with an update but in it's current condition is readable, enlightening and a very valuable addition to the gringo's bookshelf in Costa Rica. Janet, a knowledgable long term resident, notes "I like the Spanish version of Mavis´ book better than 'The Ticos'. " COMPENDIUM OF COSTA RICAN HISTORY: "The Costa Rica Reader" by Marc Edelman and Joanne Kene This is the fourth of the 3 best books to read before coming to Costa Rica (I can do that, this book is so good). After a recent reading it became clear to me that this book deserved elevation to one of the "great books of insights" into what makes Costa Rica and Costa Ricans tick the way it and they do. If you want history and evolution you will find it here. A most interesting compendium of articles and essays by numerous contributors from the colonial period leading up to the Iran Contra Affair and the Arias peace plan. More interesting now, in that Arias is back as President 20 years later. Did you know about the "parallel state" affair or the origin of the DNA that originally attracted those original settlers seeking "neither glory nor riches . . ."? A MOST USEFUL TRAVEL TOOL - THE MAP TOUCAN WATERPROOF MAP OF COSTA RICA: This is the one we use on our road trips in Costa Rica - and great for the rainy season too as it is waterproof. A good map of Costa Rica is essential in a country with few road signs and confusing directions - better than the car rental maps by far. It is a great replacement for a $10 a day GPS AND you get to meet more Costa Ricans (note to UCLA Sally :-). Inset maps include downtown San Jose, Alajuela, Escazu, Puerto Viejo, Tamarindo, La Fortuna and more. Index to help locate towns and cities. And useful markers for things like gas stations, mangroves and the bigger potholes (kidding on that one). ITMB WATERPROOF MAP OF COSTA RICA: This is the one we used to use before the excellent Toucan map came along - and still a very good waterproof map. Inset maps include downtown San Jose and the San Jose environs (airport locator map). Index to help locate towns and cities. Latitude/longitude grid. Printed on two sides. Scale 1:300,000. MOVING HERE BOOKSHELF GET A HEAD START BOOK: "The New Golden Door to Retirement and Living in Costa Rica" by Christopher Howard. Charles Mills, another resident who benefited from this book, writes: "Chris has recently updated the 14th edition of his book, which is an invaluable guide to all that are looking to visit, relocate, buy property, work or start a business in Costa Rica. Chris notes, "for someone who has never been to Costa Rica what I've done is give them enough information to get a good head start" The book also contains much valuable reference material to make being in Costa Rica less stressful." He continues, " If you are planning on moving to Costa Rica Chris tells the truth about the challenges and many obstacles that you will face. There is a section on what it is like to face the bureaucracy of a Latin American. His advice comes from real life experience and helping many people navigate life in Costa Rica. Chris also tells you of the joy and wonders of Costa Rica and there are many." MOVE HERE BOOK: "Living Abroad in Costa Rica" by Erin Van Rheenen. Erin is talking from experience having moved here in the last 5 years. If you are going to move to Costa Rica you can't have too many such books and this would be on your must read list. The book includes a number of ex-pat profiles - perhaps of someone like you? A section is devoted to prime living locations - a very subjective thing but the recommendations are a worthy read. This book is more current than some others in this category. LIVING HERE BOOK: "Potholes to Paradise" by Tessa Borner. Written by a B&B owner in Grecia, this book covers the good and bad roads towards the dream of living in a foreign country. There is a section on running a B&B that may interest some people moving here looking for an income opportunity. ONLY LEGAL GUIDE TO COSTA RICA: "The Legal Guide to Costa Rica" by Roger Petersen. Do not go without this book if you are considering moving here. Lots of vital information to prepare you for the vagaries of the system. Family law, real estate, automobiles, criminal justice system and a whole lot more - for the final purchase or final decision you must have a local Tico lawyer recommended by people you trust. But to get you started pondering buying that beach front "steal of a deal" or the B&B in the cloud forest or retiring on a shoestring, you must peruse this book first. LIVING OVERSEAS BOOK: "Living Overseas in Costa Rica" by Robert Johnston. There are 4 or 5 books in this series subtitled "follow your dreams to affordable living". This can be the theme of many people thinking of moving to this neo-tropical "paradise" as healthcare and tax costs rise in the first world. With our low cost of living, our minimalistic infrastructure and a decent healthcare system for all, Costa Rica has become more attractive as a place to live either as a first home or as a second home. ABOUT COSTA RICAN CULTURE BOOK: "Culture Smart Costa Rica" by Jane Koutnick A quick guide to customs and etiquette. A small book trying to make sense of the history that led up to this unique culture of peace in a troubled world. This is the kind of book a travelling salesman may pick up who wants a pocket sized picture. Let's hope readers of this book will find the Green Phoenix on their next visit. FIELD GUIDES AND THE LIKE BEST FIELD GUIDE: "Field Guide to the Wildlife of Costa Rica" - by Henderson. If they did 26 more versions of this we'd get them all and be horribly broke. Not so many creatures - but a beautiful selection of the most interesting creatures. One or two pages on each with local Tico names and a distribution of where you might find each based on actual observations. Makes a very nice reference of the creatures you may well see on your trip - just wish it were longer (it is only 530 pages). This book is excellent! THE STANDARD IN BIRD BOOKS: "A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica" by Gary Stles and Alexander Skutch. Visitors who are birders always seem to have this book in hand as they arrive at Pura Vida off American flight 2167 and the like. Guests can't be wrong eh? With "an avifauna of 830 species, more than in all of North America" you need a fat (500 plus pages) detailed book. Skutch was a legendary biologist and ornithologist who died recently at nearly 100 - this book is a part of the legacy of a legend. Get it before you come as it costs a small fortune here. Another excellent guide. A NEW BIRD BOOK STANDARD: "The Birds of Costa Rica" by Richard Garrigues and Robert Dean. This is an excellent birding book specific to Costa Rica. 820 species are identiufied on 166 color plates - birds on every page turn! This is not a replacement for the Stles/Skutch book but is great for field identification. Henry Kantrowitz is a local guide and bird expert and notes: "the new bird book didn't include the common spanish names for a couple of reasons. One is because it is considered a field guide. The Costa Rican common names vary sometimes from area to area. Also many different species have the same Costa Rican name. For example; six of the yellow chested flycatchers are all called pecho amarillo for all six species. They wanted to make the book as compact as possible to take out into the field. Most birders when out in the field are not interested in the common Costa Rican names. This book is not to replace, Birds of Costa Rica by Styles and Skutch. That book goes into much more detail about habits, distribution, nesting, feeding and more including the common Costa Rican names. The new book is excellent for out in the field and Robert has outdone himself with his drawings of the birds. I highly recommend this book to anyone that is interested in birding here in Costa Rica." Henry, thanks for your continued valued commentary! BEST TROPICAL PLANT BOOK (CR specific): "Tropical Plants of Costa Rica: A Guide to Native and Exotic Flora (Paperback)" - by Willow Zuchowski Updated 2007. If you have just one plant/tree/arbusto book this is it. All the Costa Rican names as well as common and latin names, great photos of real trees and plants, good diagrams of seed pods etc, excellent description of habitat, habits and really interesting LOCAL info such as "it is bad to dispose of Guanacaste tree sawdust in streams because. . .". This book has a most interesting organization with chapters on living fences for example, roadside and garden plants (great butterfly plants etc) and fruits (including details on bananas, coffee etc). The author lives here and it shows. A real Costa Rican gem, paperback, high quality binding and paper - a must have for anyone with an interest in the amazing flora of Costa Rica. BEST BOOK OF FRUITS: "Fruits of the Tropics" edited by Sancho & Baraona. There is a new edition of this photographic guide that will help you navigate the more interesting breakfast fruit plates and the wonderful farmers markets every weekend throughout Costa Rica. A slim volume but it does help make our exotic fruits more accessible. As the introduction to the second edition reminded us "admire them in the farmers markets and be sure to taste them". This third edition has more fruits, the common Costa Rican names you will find at the feria and suggestions of what you can do to prepare them. If you haven't tried mangosteen, didn't know that pejibaye was the source of the hearts of palm (I didn't), and don't know what to do with your jaboticaba tree then you'll want this book(let). COOL BUG BOOK: "Smithsonian Handbook - Insects, Spiders and other terestrial arthropods" edited by George McGavin. Wonderful pictures, very detailed "creature layouts" - an excellent recognition guide. Know what just landed on you and see if it is friendly. If it is not, be kind to it - nothing really nasty has bitten us in the 20 years of traveling here. This book is not about Costa Rica but has a good selection from the neo-tropics. BEST SLIMEY CREATURE FEATURE: "A Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica" by Twan Leenders. I prefer the layout of A Field Guide to Wildlife" but the details and photography as well as the specialization is better in this well produced guide. If you want to know what just slithered by you deep in the jungle of Tortuguero, this would be a good book to identify it. The photographs are excellent including a photo of the now extinct golden toad. A nice touch is the section on insects that mimic reptiles as well as something on the evolution of the reptile world. This may not appeal to the creationists who seem to insist . . . well you know the real story. BEST WHITE ALBUM CREATURE FEATURE: "BEETLES of Costa Rica" by Angel Solis. Actually like many books here not only is this the best strictly beetle book, it is the only one I have found. The book is small and very useable - it is in english and spanish and is published by INBio - a marvellous source for books on natural history in Costa Rica. A wonderful introduction to this enormously diverse bunch of critters that scurry around everywhere in Costa Rica. The Cleridae are soooo cute! A BOOK OF PARKS: "Costa Rica's National Parks and Preserves" by Joseph Franke. The introduction describes how we felt our first day in the stunning rain forest of Corcovado park - "If you have never been to a tropical forest, you might not be able to appreciate the trouble that even the likes of Charles Darwin had describing it when he wrote, "Epithet after epithet was found too weak to convey to those who have not visited the intertropical regions, the sensation of delight which the mind experiences." We think you could dispense with many travel plans and use a book like this to wend your way around the wonderful neo-tropical parks of Costa Rica. ABOUT MONTEVERDE: "Science and Scietists in a Costa Rican Cloud Forest" by Sneed Collard. For those wanting more on Monteverde than you can find in a guide book - a nicely illustrated tale of biologists doing what they do best in a place some now call home. Most people who come to Costa Rica will at some point visit this unique area and come back with their own unique reflections. This book is told through the eyes of the visiting or resident scientists. FICTION A FEW GREAT SHORT STORIES: "Costa Rica: A Travelers Literary Companion" edited by Barbara Ras. 26 short stories from each province of Costa Rica. There are some really marvellous tales (some not so) which provide insight into what makes a Costa Rican tick. One tale about a hospital stay maybe 80 years ago features a young girl bitten by a snake and the wonderful time she had in the old hospital in Alajuela - our home town. MORE SHORT STORIES: "When New Flowers Bloomed - short stories by women writers from Costa Rica and Panama" edited by Enrique Levi. 31 short stories from women writers with "a continuous theme running through" for "a note of hope for a calmer future". It is hard to find much translated fiction but this and the previous book add the insights we "gringos" often seek when trying to unravel "what happens" around us in this new culture. I am probably the first and last reader of this particular book. As I turn the pages, each newly read page becomes detached from it's poorly bound spine. Thankfully, for now, the new tales ahead of me are complete and together - ready to create new imagery or provoke new thought or answer old questions. The old tales, images and thoughts are disintegrating into a collection of messy individual pages awaiting the first time this tome gets dropped. The book will fall and (catching air as it does) will fly apart into the components that were once assembled at a cheap bindery ready to go to market. On the floor they will lie - in discombobulated piles. Perhaps that day it won't be so windy? Or hopefully there won't be a big puddle awaiting the opportunity to make matters worse? Who can presume what horrors await? I will notice those certain pages with their corners turned and maybe save JUST them? Where do you put such things? A book is such a nice convenient storage mechanism. When it is done right. Alas this one was not. I am the last reader. FUNNIEST NOVEL ABOUT STUPID GRINGOS TRYING TO MOVE TO THE TROPICS: "Don't Stop The Carnival" By Herman Wouk. Living in a small hotel in the tropics you are sure to run into some characters. One such is Paul, an orchid afficianado, preparing to move to paradise. He suggested Herman Wouk's book and insisted I read it. After ignoring his recommendations for a year finally I did. What a marvellous and funny read and a book NEVER to read BEFORE you move to the tropics. By then it is too late and you are already living Norman Paperman's life. AN HISTORICAL AND POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE NICE OLD BOOK ON COSTA RICA (UNITED FRUIT VIEW in 1914): "Conquest of the Tropics" by Frederick Adams. Published in 1914 and soon out of print I am guessing. This is the sad but true tale of the United Fruit Company and it's role as an instrument of imperialism in another age. The publisher reminds us in an opening note that "the book should have value not just to investors in the great enterprises (UFC) but also to the public which is demanding that far reaching corporations shall give an account of their stewardship." This book is such an account. One day shall we read of Halibuton's stewardship done in such a detailed and enlightened (for 1914) manner? UNITED FRUIT's BANANA REPUBLICS (UPDATED): "Bananas" - by Peter Chapman (2007) "At dawn on Monday February 3, 1975 a man had thrown himself from the forty fourth floor of the Pan-American building on New York's Park Avenue. The jumper was soon identified as Eli Black, aged fifty three and head of United Brands, a large food corporation. A little over 5 years earlier, after one of the largest ever share deals on the US stock market, Black had taken over the United Fruit Company. He had absorbed one of the most famous - if not infamous- companies in the world into the United Brands group." And so begins "Bananas - How the United Fruit Company shaped the world". An earlier work, "Conquest of the Tropics" published in 1914 and still occasionally available paints a very different picture of United Fruit, the company essentially founded by one of the most interesting gringo residents of Costa Rica, Minor Keith. "Bananas" tells the tale of how a banana empire that started in Costa Rica eventually became a king maker unseating the government of Guatemala in 1954 with the able assistance of the CIA. The tiny "rebel force" of concerned citizenry and hand picked invaders was based at a United Fruit plantation just across the border. This event seems to have thus created the seeds for the downfall of United Fruit as America became nervous about spillovers from United Fruit - the Cuban missile crisis being one such nefarious endeavor (2 of the 7 ships involved in the invasion belonged to United Fruit the book reports). Bananas continues . . ."In Costa Rica, United Fruit's oldest country of operations, its leader Pepe Figueres had other ideas. Figueres had previously decided that the best way to keep his army out of politics was to abolish it and turn its quarters into an art gallery." . . . . "Costa Rica needed more schools, hospitals and other demonstrations of the welfare state, he said. It would be extremely rare for Latin America, he added, but fortunately Costa Rica had the means to pay for it. For this he looked to United Fruit, a loyal friend and an integral member of Costa Rican society for some eighty years. He ordered the company to cough up 60 per cent of its profits. Figueres got away with it." Don't you just love the guy? So can we say that modern Costa Rica was funded in part thanks to the succes of United Fruit's imperialistic successes and poor labor practices? As one person close to Don Pepe reminded me, "the local businesses had worse labor practices." Bananas reeks a little bit of "googleresearch" but is an essential read for those interested in how Costa Rica became this unique little island of sanity with odd ideas about how to run a bureaucracy and a beacon of light in the region. GOOD ECLECTIC BOOK ALERT: "What Happen" - by Paula Palmer An oral history of the Talamancan coast - what a surprising delight! First hand recollections from people (now mostly gone) of the first settlers and subsequent development in Cahuita and the surrounding area. The discussion above reminds me how interesting first hand accounts can be. If you are going to the Caribbean coast we'd HIGHLY recommend this unique book. A MOMENT IN HISTORY - US/COSTA RICAN RELATIONS BOOK: "The Sparrow and the Hawk" by Kyle Longley. There are big moments in the evolution of countries - this book describes perhaps one of the biggest for Costa Rica. The rise of Jose Figueres and the influence and balance he established managing the US is told in detail. To understand Costa Rica today you need to understand this relationship and the legendary Figueres - a book worth reading for those ready to go to the next level. The bibliography is particularly valuable. ANOTHER MOMENT IN HISTORY: "Momentos de Lucha Y de Gloria" by Christopher Knight. Christopher Knight was clearing out some of his dad's photos in their house in Escazu when friend's suggested they would make a remarkable book. His dad was a foreign correspondent in Costa Rica at a pivotal moment in time. This is a photographic record of Don Pepe Figueres' takeover of Costa Rica to protect itself from itself and the subsequent efforts to put the country on track to today. This is out of print and fascinating (Don Pepe, an unpretentious man wore the same tie on public occasions for some years and overindulged his son). MOST DETAILED AREA HANDBOOK: "Area Handbook for Costa Rica" by Foreign Area Studies of the American University. Ok so the only area handbook! Completely out of print but available from rare books sellers perhaps (email me if you need a source). This book was designed for military personnel and written in 1969. Good source book for lots of data that shows up in subsequent tomes. PECULIAR BOOK: "Costa Rica Before Coffee" by Gudmundson Society and economy at the eve of the export boom. Turgid prose (was this a thesis at some point?) but his "attack on the rural democratic myth" makes for interesting reading and discussion with your Tico hosts. Nobody here seems to worry about this major concern for visiting gringos. You need this book only if you collect Englsih language books with the name "Costa Rica" in the title. A COSTA RICAN TALE: "The Costa Rica Diaries" by Hilary Amolins "I needed a challenge" is how this personal diary starts. "I could no longer just dream about it . . ." he continues. And so off he went to Costa Rica in 1993 seeking himself and a remote piece of paradise he could call his own. This book could do with a bit mnore editing but nonetheless it is a most interesting read and provides insights from the campo and on the road are just as it is or was. This book contains the unedited diary of a gringo's odyssey trying to find a tropical paradise he could call his own and establish an eco tourism resort in a very remote area in a part of Costa Rica "so isolated the only way to enter is by horseback or by sea". If you are seeking adventure by moving to Costa Rica, I advise reading this book ONLY AFTER you have happily settled in (which is when I read it). This is an excellent tale of a lone gringo's effort to ignore bureaucracy, fight squatters and build a new life in the middle of absolutely nowhere, Costa Rica. Recommended! TALES OF COSTA RICA LIVING: "Guanacaste Snapshots" by Susan Gordon Experiences in rural Costa Rica. Her first chapter is called "Balanced on a Spider Web" and I think this is how many new residents of Costa Rica sometimes feel. The author did a stint as a peace corps volunteer in the 60's and moved to Costa Rica in 1973. Each chapter is a standalone tale of some person, some event or time in a level of detail that makes the book readable and particularly interesting for those studying Costa Rica somewhere below the superficial level. NATURAL HISTORY & A FEW FAT BOOKS WE LIKE BEST OF THE BEST BUG BOOKS: "For Love of Insects" by Thomas Eisner. This huge hardcover book is essential reading for anyone with an interest in bugs. In the neo-tropics, it is bugs that often have an interest in you. In Eisner's remarkable work of empirical research we learn along with him and his students how insects defend themselves, how they evolve and numerous examples of remarkable behaviour such as how does an insect store large quantities of highly toxic material inside them without killing themselves. Excellent photography, very readable and superbly produced - this book should be on your christmas list (OK maybe not yours? well it WAS on mine). Stunning! MOST INFLUENTIAL BOOK: "Costa Rican Natural History" edited by Dan Janzen. With 173 contributors, this is a book with a mission. The contributions were written by 1983 and this book sounded an alarm that has been heard by every naturalist that arrived in Costa Rica since. Nearly all have seen this huge soft cover book and understood the idea. If something isn't done to protect what we have it will be all over for Costa Rica. Most interesting is that what the author worried about most never came to pass. That is - the worst scenario. I am pretty certain that is in part because at some point this book has existed on the shelves of every naturalist who studies Costa Rica. Very detailed, many contributors, choppy, a tough read (for us neophytes), good index and just perfect for it's time. BIGGEST TREE BOOK: "Tropical and Sub-Tropical Trees: An Encyclopedia" written by Margaret Barwick. This thing must weigh 2 kilos. It is a beautifully produced book with excellent photography and put together by someone with a passion fopr trees. Good for anyone with an interest in the many many varieties of trees inj the neo-tropics. Weighs a lot! A TROPICAL NATURE BOOK: "Tropical Nature: Life and Death in the Rain Forests of Central and South America" by Adrian Forsyth and Ken Miyata. Ken died in the rapids of the Big Horn River - in the In Memoriam section of the book are the words "as we wrote this book we labored under the knowledge that the richness of rain forest would ever exceed our ability to describe it." Unfortunately it is true of this book and is complicated by the efforts to set part of the book in Costa Rica and part in Ecuador. Each chapter can be read almost stand alone but I'd prefer more empirical evidence for some of the theories proposed. Thanks Ken, you did leave something behind for the future. BEST VIEW FROM 5 MIILIMETERS OFF THE GROUND: "The Earth Dwellers" by Erich Hoyt. This may be the only book ever written from the perspective of an ant. Set in the nature reserve of La Selva, Costa Rica this book tells us all we wanted to know about the world of ants. What makes this book work so well is the idea that the ants are being observed, tracked and studied by two of the world's most renowned field biologists. One of these is Edward O' Wilson who has taught the world more about ants than perhaps anyone ever. A very satisfying read - you will enjoy it. You may learn that there are some 30,000 species of ant and only 15,000 species have been discovered as yet. "How DO they know that?", I recently asked a visiting biologist studying birdsong at Santa Rosa in Guanacaste. She said "Berni, it may well be 50,000" which somehow didn't help me much. MORE FRIGGIN ANTS : "The Armies of the Ant" by Charles Hogue. Only kidding - I love ants! The tale of what happens when you send a solitary biologist for months to the amazing Osa Peninsular - home of the Corcovado National Park in south western Costa Rica. There is no question in my mind that anyone spending even a little time in the Osa will come back a changed person. "There is hope" for humanity if such a magnificent place can still exist on this planet. Dr Hogue is clearly touched by his experience and his observations of nature at it's most prolific in the Osa MOST DETAILED HORTICULTURAL HANDBOOK: "Handbook of Tropical and Sub-Tropical Horticulture" by US Department of State, printed 1964. Ok so maybe it is the only horticultural handbook! Completely out of print but available from rare books sellers perhaps (email me if you need a source). An interesting 250 page soft cover pamphlet provided to US AID personnel to assist them help local populations reciving aid. Quite detailed. PRETTY VOLCANO BOOK: "Volcanoes of Costa Rica" by Fundacion Neotropica, 2003. More a picture book, delicious ones at that - makes a nice coffee table addition - made us want to take a hike to Rincon de la Vieja. This must be locally printed - find it in Universal. ABOUT THE TROPICS: "A Neotropical Companion" by John Kricher. This book is a decent and detailed introduction to the "animals, plants and ecosystems of the new world tropics". Tropical forests occupy 7% of the earths surface but contain 50% of the biodiversity of the planet. Nowhere is this biodiversity so accesible as in the forests and parks of Costa Rica. This is not a casual travelers book but rather for the amateur naturalist perhaps who wants to better understand the underlying structures and environment that make such biodiversity possible. A good scientific introduction - well written and presented for the layperson. BEST WATERFALL BOOK: "Pura Vida - The waterfalls and hot springs of Costa Rica" by Sam Mitchell. OK, so it's the ONLY waterfall book! This book is surely out of print but also one of the only good descriptions of places like Angel falls, also known as Congo falls - "300 feet of pure devil" and a "raging torrent of hydro-energy" and "swimming in the pool would be foolhardy" . ABOUT THE JUNGLA: "Tropical Nature" by Forsyth & Miyata Life and death in the Rain Forests of Central and South America. Two biologists ponder the issues of forests in Costa Rica and Ecuador. Choppy writing, choppy tales, nowhere near the level of empirical detail of the research described in the phenomenal "Green Phoenix" for example. ONLY KEKOLDI INDIGENOUS BOOK I HAVE SEEN: "Taking Care of Sibo's Gifts" by Palmer, Sanchez and Mayorga. "An environmental treatise from Costa Rica's Kekoldi Indigenous Reserve. From the introduction "The Kekoldi Reserve has fewer than 200 people" as of the writing of this slim volume - their physical and cultural survival is threatened . . . the Kekoldi people want their struggle to be known". There is very little published in english about them - find a copy somehow for a senstive view of their ways. ON OUR READING LIST - RECOMMENDED BY PAUL CHOCOLATE MONKEY BOOK: "Monkeys Are Made Of Chocolate" by Jack Ewing. About Hacienda Barú near Quepos; formerly a cattle ranch and rice plantation and how it was returned to nature; a fascinating read. A RESIDENT AT HOME BOOK: "At Home In Costa Rica" by Martin Rice. It's a wonderful documentation of their time in CR - though they are now former residents. A DIFERENT GUIDE: "Culture Shock: Costa Rica" Part of a travel book series with a decidedly different take on CR. Useful in many ways other travel books are not sez Paul. Er how many ways? A FOODIE BOOK: "!Sabor!" Tells about the use of fruit and other foodstuff in CR and recipes for same. THE WAY IT WAS ON VIDEO: "Carnival in Costa Rica (video or DVD) 1947" A typical Hollywood musical with wonderful(!!) shots of Costa Rica as it was in the '40's and '50s and with a couple of very funny jokes about Tico ways. I can't recommend it myself as the story line is non existent and I don't much like old somewhat contrived musicals - ah well each to their own taste. OUR GUIDE TO COSTA RICAN GUIDE BOOKS The best way to learn about a new country is through the excellent Travel Guides and Costa Rica has a few. If you need personal opinions of where to go we'd be happy to offer them. Each traveller will find something new in any one of these. We thank the authors for the entries in all the guide books. SLEEPING WITH THE TOUCANS: The 100 best places to stay in Costa Rica Pura Vida Hotel appreciates the inclusion in this "guide book". But this is not really a guide book - the authors didn't just visit with each of us. If they enjoyed their stay they then asked us who we enjoyed staying with and went and visited them too. This book is thus an excellent compendium of local knowledge assembled, pondered,visited and written by Alison & Chris who are also Costa Rican residents. This book doesn't replace a good Fodors, Moon or New Key guide book but if you enjoy good eats and good pillows with welcoming hosts you'll want to bring this one too. We keep a copy in the car for our travels here - we know there'll be a place in it "we'd love to stay at". NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELER 2009 An unusually useful book! I would highly recommend this book as a companion to any of the listed guide books. The photography is gorgeous, good history and excellent overviews for each region of Costa Rica. But there's something more you won't grasp until you are here. Imagine this . . . you spent the last 3 nights at a lovely beach in Nosara (it is the dry season), you have heard that Santa Teresa and Malpais are places you just must explore, your 4WD RAV4 you rented way back in Alajuela is heading south and your spouse leans over and tries to explain some obvious logic you seem to have missed "Um er um honey, our map has no roads . . . where do you THINK you are going today!" You feel the 4WD steady underneath you on the dirt track as you head south out of Nosara and smile, "try Page 148 in the Nat Geo book, I marked it for you." Your smile broadens as you remember the bit about the Rio Bongo crossing. NEW KEY TO COSTA RICA Beatrice Blake's eco-travel tome. An excellent work and check out her eco-tours. Travel with your own expert on Costa Rica. Beatrice is an expert on the "roads less traveled" in Costa Rica. If you are interested in rural tourism, her guide book is a must. The new edition has been much revised and the focus on rural tourism makes her work unique. She also helps support the efforts of the rural tourism association (ACTUAR). The Pura Vida Hotel is proud to be on her green rated hotels list From the current Guide Book, "About a kilometer down the road to Tuetal is Hotel Pura Vida(private bath, hot water) a friendly place with bungalows in a hillside garden. Two bungalows have two bedrooms. Owners Berni and Nhi are welcoming hosts; Nhi makes delicious dinners for guests, using her Chinese grandmother's recipes, having fun with local fruit (homemade pineapple ginger sorbet), and decorating everything with flowers. Their website has a wealth of information. Airport pick up included. Recommended." MOON HANDBOOK COSTA RICA The Moon Guide book by Christopher Baker does a very thorough job indeed. Particularly useful are his local maps and commentaries on what to expect. When you read Chris's work you know that a like minded soul has traveled there before you. Now Cuba is opening up you'll want his unique and excelent Cuba book. How he is able to cover so much ground is remarkable. The book is set up with an excellent index and is overall well organized. He has a excellent suggestions for diferent routes to take - most useful if you are renting a car. This is the book we carried when we were tourists here years ago and keep a new edition in the car for our frequent explorations in country. The book comes with a nice "suggested reading" section, excellent town maps as well as other thoughful additions you won't always find in a guide book. RUM & REGGAE'S COSTA RICA Lots of details. At 592 pages this is also the largest guide book on Costa Rica to date with a very useful index making things easy to find. We think that is the main purpose of a guide book? They have a section on Costa Rican Superlatives - you could use this as a list of "must sees" and route yourselves around these locations. They think of their book as "travel with an opinion" and it is. We don't even know when they visited us so they are pretty good "secret shoppers". Here's a snippet from their nice review: "It's a pleasure to wake up among the twenty varieties of fruit trees-such as mango, star fruit, avocado, guava, and grape fruit-while being bathed in volcano views. Gracious hosts amid a serene setting-after a night, all we could say was pura vida! " OPEN ROAD's BEST OF COSTA RICA Charlie Morris's diferent way of doing a travel guide. This book makes no pretense at trying to cover ALL the territory. The author, Charlie Morris, has extensive Costa Rican experience and here he ONLY looks at the "best of this" or the "most interesting of that". This actually would make a good second guide book purchase with ANY other guide book. So for example in our area he shows three don't miss items on page 32 - Poas Volcano, the Doka Coffee plantation and the delightful local zoo, Zoo Ave. We agree wholeheartedly! In the Pura Vida Hotel review on page 130 under "Best Sleeps and Eats" he notes "the gardens are filled with an astonishing variety of flowering things. There is a small orchid garden." And concludes his review with . . . "This is one of my favorites. Be sure to get in on one of their fabulous dinners". EXPLORE COSTA RICA From Harry Pariser, the eclectic writer based in the bay area of California and a frequent visitor to Costa Rica.. Travel tips, photos, and information on Costa Rica. Explore the nooks and crannies as Harry digs into what makes Costa Rica tick. This book has a good introduction to Costa Rica section with good animal sections as well as potted history to help you understand the people and culture better. His latest edition just out has an excellent 100 page introduction to Costa Rica including a nice concise history you won't find in some guides as well as a detailed "practicalities" section. If you like Harry's writing email him for his daily news emails about life in the real world. FODORS COSTA RICA Perhaps the most well known and most used of the travel guides due to their global coverage. Fodor's has a section covering "the sights, restaurants, hotels, and other travel experiences" which are "the best of their type in Costa Rica, not be missed and always worth your time." Last year Fodors writers combed the country in more detail and each year the book has had major improvements to make it often the most current book. The 2009 book improves again with better organization and good detail. As you'd expect there is a thorough travel tips section. Each chapter covers a region with "a Top 5 reasons to go". There is a pull out map at the back to help orient you while you plan your routes at home. Recommended. "Pura Vida Hotel, Alajuela. Perched on a ridge in the countryside north of town, this small collection of bungalows and rooms offers views of tropical gardens and distant Poas Volcano, a mere 10 minutes from the international airport."Fodors went on to note: "Some of these bright and cheery bungalows have separate bedrooms, and most of them have small terraces with chairs. Continental breakfasts and delicious dinners are served in a covered terrace behind the house. The helpful owners and proximity to the airport (15 minutes) make this a good place to begin and end a trip. FROMMERS 2009 A standard with good Costa Rican coverage. This one was written by a local who knows his way around Costa Rica. The organization is by area with lots of travel tips and vacation planning advice. LONELY PLANET & shoestring guides with a reputation for finding you the best deals. This guide book has a bunch of interesting "facts for visitors" and detailed maps though we'd like more town maps. There is a built in wild life guide that has a good overview of what you can see in many parts of Costa Rica. FOOTPRINT GUIDE: The Costa Rica Handbook As they say "Critical listings of the best and most interesting places to stay, eat, drink and party. Costa Rica: mysterious, magical, secretive..." ROUGH GUIDE to COSTA RICA If you have used them before you will be familiar with the style. From Amazon, "The guide features practical tips for exploring the outdoors from trekking the lush cloudforest reserve at Monteverde to rafting down the rivers of Valle Central. There are plenty of practical tips on all the best accommodation, transportation, shops, bars and clubs and an insightful background on Costa Rica's wildlife, politics and culture." LET's GO COSTA RICA One of the budget travel guides. As they like to claim " For independent travelers on a budget, with an emphasis on whatever's hip, fun or free. Hmmm but they didn't find us on their last update! As an Amazon reviewer notes, "Perfect for younger travelers or those on a budget." TRIPADVISOR.COM Visit TripAdvsor to read articles and reviews about Alajuela hotels and attractions. We also like the Discovery Channel INSIGHT POCKET GUIDE to Costa Rica - an excellent overview of the history and evolution of the country. The information on the culture is excellent and the parks are very well covered. But this is not a guide book per se. OTHER ACTIVITIES & LINKS Some interesting links (in semi-alphabetical order) for those interested in Costa Rica: DRAKE BAY TRAVELS: Click on "the palm trees" for an excellent resource if you are considering travel to the Cocovado national park. Our good friend Summer will be taking care of you. 1000INNS.COM: Click on "1000 Inns" for an excellent resource for Inns everywhere you are likely to travel. BBONLINE.COM: When travelling in North America, plan your getaway with BBOnline. Click on BBonline for the B&B's online throughout the world. COSTA RICA LIVING: Here is an excellent source of information from residents of Costa Rica: A Great Local Resource! Click here for the Yahoo group: Costa Rica Living. If you need specific information about a place, a bug, a hotel, a route - there are over 3000 opinionated English speaking members ready to chirp in an opinion. COSTA RICA LINKS: Costa Rica Links is an excellent page of good and useful links throughout Costa Rica COSTA RICA BY BUS:: One way to get around in Costa Rica. The only complete bus guide to Costa Rica. One way to "get off the beaten track and travel the highways, byways, and rocky roads of this mountainous country, the "Switzerland of Central America." DISCOVERYPRESS: A bulletin board about CR A pretty good resource for those that want to get into the details. DRIVING OR TAXI LINKS: Pura Vida Day Trips & Tours Pura Vida Hotel is a great place to stay and start your Costa Rican exploration. We can advise you on things to do and get you the transportation to get you there and back with english speaking drivers. NOTE: if you think you will rent a car and you are coming in the high season, you must book ahead - see our tips on car rentals at Tips for organized tourists FATBIRDER: Fat birder is the premier web resource about birds, birding & birdwatching for birders - hundreds of pages all for birders. An excellent birding reference site - this page has a lot of birding resources in Costa Rica. FELIX FOUNDATION: The Felix Foundation is a local foundation run by a friend of ours -- a worthy cause - helping kids. This is our friend Robbie's great idea - and it IS working. GOODLIGHT BOOK STORE/ALAJUELA: THE GOODLIGHT BOOK STORE is our local bookstore, actually one of the only bookstores in Alajuela. If you are in need of some English language reading they are situated right in downtown Alajuela. Drop by and say hello. 100 North & 300 West from Agonia Church and open 7 days a week. ICT: The Costa Rican Tourist Board is the official site of Costa Rica. IMAGES OF COSTA RICA: Some very nice Costa Rican images Including one of our favorite katydids. Ask us how we named our Katydid Casita? MAP: A nice and even useful map of Costa Rica There are a 1000 bad maps online, this one is pretty useful - takes a while to load. MAPS AND MORE MAPS: A Costa Rican map site. You can never have too many maps! NOWACKIS BLOG: A nice blog entry From a recent guest of the Pura Vida Hotel - muchas gracias! RAINFOREST ALLIANCE: The Pura Vida Hotel is certified by the Rainforest Alliance as environmentally and socially friendly. The Rainforest Alliance has advanced sustainable tourism in part by introducing more than 1,100 representatives of small and medium sized businesses, community and indigenous groups and other public and private organizations to the topic of best management practices and certification in sustainable tourism. We are happy to note that the Pura Vida hotel was nominated for this list by our local school - the Escuela Tuetal Sur - one of the best run "primary" schools in Costa Rica. We encourage our guests to bring a book or more for the benefit of this school - school visits are always welcomed by the kids and teachers.