Volunteer in Costa Rica

Volunteering is a great way to really get to know a new country. Costa Rica encompasses only 0.03 per cent of the earth’s surface, but it boasts 6 per cent of the world’s biodiversity. Volunteers come here to help protect and preserve this precious heritage.

three howler monkeys walk along a telephone line
Three howler monkeys walk nonchalantly along the telephone wire highway. Monkeys are part of the experience when one volunteers in Costa Rica.

A clan of howler monkeys walks calmly along the electrical lines at the side of the road. Excited, we stop the car to stare, but they ignore us. These are just one of four species of monkey that live in Costa Rica. Two days later we manage to see a second as we zip line through the forest canopy. Impish, white-faced capuchin monkeys provide a background chorus of screeches but scamper away before I can get my camera out.

capuchin monkey
This photo comes from Wikimedia but I met his noisy brothers in the forest canopy while zip lining. Unfortunately, by the time my heart returned to normal and I retrieved my camera, they were gone.

Stories abound about the thieving activities of these pint-sized pickpockets of the Central American jungle. Capuchins will apparently even open backpacks.

red and blue macaw in a green tree
A macaw stands out colourfully against the green foliage. These beautiful birds are common.

Monkeys are just a small part of the wildlife in Costa Rica. This tiny country which encompasses only 0.03 per cent of the earth’s surface, boasts 6 per cent of the world’s biodiversity. Protecting that heritage has become a critical job for both the government and many non-governmental agencies who recognize the importance of this task. And it has also become the mission for hundreds of travellers who visit Costa Rica every year. These visitors are a whole new breed of tourist. They’re coming to volunteer.

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The Perfect Cigar -Cuba’s Gift to the World

Woman with cigar in white - The Perfect Cigar

One of Havana’s famous cigar women poses for me. She is dressed in the traditional white of Santeria devotees.

There are several ways to finish the phrase: Cuban _  _ _.       Revolution!  Music!  Rum! But I’ll bet most people end with ‘Cigar’. Cuban cigars are considered, among afficianados, as among the very best in the world.  Continue reading

Cuba – Architecture in Havana

Cuba - Architecture in 500-year-old Havana

Old cars and old buildings in the centre of Havana.

When I thought about my impending visit to Havana, what came to mind wasn’t architecture; it was the music of the Buena Vista Social Club. It was aromatic cigars. It was decades old cars. It was the vibrant Cuban culture. It was even, perhaps, its beleaguered history. And I wasn’t disappointed. They were all there – the rhythms of the bands, the aroma of cigars and the wonderful vitality of the people. Continue reading