Costa Rica for the winter

Subject: Costa Rica
From: winniemih
Date: 28 Nov 02 - 12:19 PM

I'm fortunate to be able to take a sabbatical in Costa Rica this winter (I'm taking a Spanish language intensive). If you have been there, I would appreciate tips on great places to visit, and any info. you can give me on hearing local music and meeting musicians. I'm going to bring a guitar and fiddle, and do know a number of songs in Spanish as well as countless folk songs. Thanks!       Winnie

Subject: RE: Costa Rica for the winter
From: kendall
Date: 29 Nov 02 - 09:21 AM

Stay away from El Salvador

Subject: RE: Costa Rica for the winter
From: GUEST,Fred Miller
Date: 29 Nov 02 - 10:19 AM

Hi, I have a friend who lives there, and I'll try to get hold of her and get back to you. She's not a musician, but I remember her telling me about some big guitar fests there, and that there was generally plenty going on. She and her beau do eco-tours at La Danta Salvaje, a rain-forest reserve bordering Braulio Carrillo National Park, if that appeals to you.

Subject: RE: Costa Rica for the winter
From: winniemih
Date: 29 Nov 02 - 10:45 AM

Fred; Thanks, I am interested in participating in an "ecotour" while in Costa Rica. I'm still in the stages of nailing down the itinerary. And I would like to talk to your friend about the musical events you mentioned.

Subject: RE: Costa Rica for the winter
From: GUEST,Fred Miller
Date: 30 Nov 02 - 10:02 AM

I haven't found her yet, she may be visiting here in Louisville still. Will try.

Subject: RE: Costa Rica for the winter
From: GUEST,Fred Miller
Date: 02 Dec 02 - 06:06 PM

So sorry I haven't found Dawn, my friend, yet. But did fing the e-mail for La Danta Salvaje.

[e-mail]

I've only met David a time or two, but have a strong impression if you asked about the tours, and followed up with a question or two about the music and things generally, he'd be quite helpful.

Subject: RE: Costa Rica for the winter
From: leprechaun
Date: 02 Dec 02 - 09:45 PM

Don't miss Tabacon Resort, where the hot springs from Arenal Volcano form large pools of steaming water. On a good day you can relax in the pools and watch Arenal Volcano erupt approximately every thirty-five minutes. There is a Hotel on one side of the Volcano, I believe it's called Observatory Lodge. If you can spend a night or two there you may be treated to the sight of Arenal Volcano erupting at night, sending showers of molten rock down the sides of the mountain. Try to get one of the rooms across the swinging bridge, with picture window views of the volcano.

There is a butterfly farm and a hummingbird farm near Monteverde.

Check out the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. In that same area should be the sky-walk, a network of suspended bridges in the upper canopy of the rain forest.

My wife enjoyed Tamarindo Beach and Cala Luna, a resort with private villas, each with their own swimming pools.

I had fun at Sarchi, where they make the traditional wooden ox carts.

You'll see monkeys, iguanas, sloths, wild parrots, maybe even toucans and poison dart frogs.

Although some of these places are somewhat "touristy," the biggest treasure in Costa Rica is the people. They were magnificent everywhere we went. My favorite memories were the family I got to stay with in Tilaran, the children at the grade school, and the road worker I spoke with while out picking up coconuts on the roadside near the coast.

I saw Costa Rica on a whirlwind tour with thirty-five fifth graders, all of whom spoke Spanish. I would love to go again and see it at a more leisurely pace. Too much of it passed by in a flash I only got to see from the Tour bus window.

Subject: RE: Costa Rica for the winter
From: leprechaun
Date: 03 Dec 02 - 09:33 PM

Two absolutely delightful musical experiences:
At a party for chaperones and teachers, one fellow brought a guitar, and several of the teachers and their spouses sang songs in Spanish. All the locals knew the words!

We chaperones tried a dismal interpretaion of "This Land is Your Land," before we just gave up because we really sucked.

The last night we were there, we had a party for the kids and chaperones. They found a mariachi type band and a dance group, I think they called themselves "Ballet Folklorico." They treated us to music and dance at a restaurant in San Jose.

Take me with you!

Subject: RE: Costa Rica for the winter
From: winniemih
Date: 04 Dec 02 - 11:06 AM

Fred, I went to the La Danta Salvaje site, and found more connections from there to other websites of great interest. Thanks for the tip. It's hard to know what to focus on, but I'll ask my daughter to make the decision for now; she'll only be in Costa Rica until early Jan., whereas I get to stay all winter!

Subject: RE: Costa Rica for the winter
From: Amos
Date: 04 Dec 02 - 11:14 AM

Winnie --

Please don't go off to Costa RIca without your set of Mudcat Sampler CDs!!


A

Subject: RE: Costa Rica for the winter
From: Dunkle
Date: 04 Dec 02 - 12:57 PM

Check out the following; they're good folks running this place. Don

www.ranchomastatal.com/

Subject: RE: Costa Rica for the winter
From: GUEST,Fred Miller
Date: 05 Dec 02 - 10:17 AM

Glad that helped. I think Dawn may be staying down the street from me, which makes it harder to find her than if she were in Costa Rica. Have a good time.

Subject: RE: Costa Rica for the winter
From: Raptor
Date: 05 Dec 02 - 10:23 AM

I just saw on cnn that Costa Rica was flooded and is under copious amounts of water!

I hope this doesn't effect you!

Raptor

Subject: RE: Costa Rica for the winter
From: leprechaun
Date: 06 Dec 02 - 10:17 PM

Costa Rica is flooded and under copious amounts of water every day between 3:30 and five o'clock, always has been.