Cuba & Costa Rica Blog
About this blog
Written by Cuba and Costa Rica expert Christopher P. Baker, this blog will update readers on life in these two diverse and exciting countries.
Recent Posts
- Last blog post on Costa Rica and Cuba
- First-ever group motorcycle tours of Cuba successful
- Cuba’s Mariel port readying for Panama Canal expansion
- Musings on wildlife encounters on Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula
- Cuba’s Steam Trains puffing their last gasp
- My top five thrilling activities in Costa Rica
- Cuba’s fun February festivals include Harleys, Books, Cigars
- Five top volcano viewing experiences in Costa Rica
- New road along Costa Rica / Nicaraguan border mired
- Cuba’s Hotel Campoamor at Cojímar to be restored?
- Cuban revolutionary Celia Sánchez honored in new book
- Christmas challenge for Costa Rica’s sexually abused girls
- Costa Rica opens Chinatown in downtown San José
- David Soul films Hemingway’s car restoration in Cuba
- National Geographic Expeditions receives license for Cuba tours
How many tourists really visit Costa Rica?
A bit of a controversy was stirred up last week when Boris Marchegiani Carrero, president of the Association for the Protection of Tourism (PROTUR) and owner of the Gaia Hotel, in Manuel Antonio, challenged official government statistics regarding the number of tourists visiting Costa Rica.
According to the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT), 2,183,815 visitors arrived in the country last year. This represents an increase of four percent over 2010.
However, a report by PROTUR claims that ICT may have overestimated the number of tourists in 2011 by almost one million. more >>
Take better wildlife photography in Costa Rica
Wildllife viewing comes easy in Costa Rica, where the animals and birds aren’t shy. However, photographing the creatures isn’t always easy, for multiple reasons.
Perhaps the monkeys are in deep in the rainforest. Or maybe the damn butterfly or coatimundi just won’t stay still.
Creatures are untamed and unpredictable. You can’t ask them to stay still or strike a pose.
• The first thing you need is patience. Plenty of it. Take your time and wait for the right moment to happen. If you know the wildlife you want to photograph, it helps to do a little research about their behavior, such as the times of day when they’re active.
Most Costa Rican creatures are most active around dawn or dusk.
• It also helps to dress as inconspicuously as possible. There’s a reason birders dress in greens and camouflage. more >>
National Geographic Events: Discover the Soul of Cuba
Join me in Washington, D.C., for my presentation—Discovering the Soul of Cuba—in the Grosvenor Auditorium on April 13, 2012, at 7:30pm.
The event is part of the National Geographic Events ‘Live’ series.
I’ll take attendees on an illustrated tour of the island, including a vivid virtual tour of Havana’s Old City, the island’s rich nature preserves, and its fascinating blends of cultures. more >>
Costa Rica ranked fifth ‘greenest’ country in world
Costa Rica ranks as the fifth greenest country in the world, according to a study published last week. So says the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2012, conducted by the universities of Yale and Columbia.
Congratulations!
The tiny Central American nation is the only country in the Americas to make the top 25 rankings, and is bested only by Switzerland, Latvia, Norway, and Luxembourg, in that order. How does the USA compare? It ranks a paltry 49th in the world, having moved up from 60th in 2010. more >>
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