andregrois7

La Carreta - Typical OXCART in Costa Rica

Tue, 12 May 2020 00:09:04 GMT

“...the oxcart is STILL being used in Costa Rica... ”

La Carreta - The Typical Oxcart of Costa Rica

Have you seen the colorful oxcarts in Costa Rica?

Yes, they are painted exquisitely, and yes, you can take them home as a souvenir in any size (for decoration, a dry bar, storage and more), BUT it is important that you know that the oxcart is STILL being used in Costa Rica by our “boyeros” to work on the fields and transport their harvests.

Let me tell you a bit more.

Where does it come from, when did they start to use it and why?

When coffee became a big deal in the economy of our country, around the mid 19th century, it was important to find a means of transportation with a solid wheel that was easier to handle in the muddy terrain, big slopes, rocky ground and curves.

Of course this kind of wagon was brought originally from Spain in the 16th century, but it was very simple, made of logs and sticks, and without any paint. The manufacturing technique evolved rapidly, the colors and designs have constituted a peculiar note of the country.

The first coffee export from Costa Rica to England was made in 1843 and this opening of an international commerce intensified the use of the cart becoming an important tool for our farmers to get the “golden grain” (coffee) from the Central Valley to the coasts. This took about 10 to 15 days!

And in many cases, ox carts were the only means of transportation for a family and symbolized their social status.

The painting of the carts began in the early 20th century. By that time each region of Costa Rica had its own design, which allowed it to identify the origin of the owner. At first flowers, faces and miniature landscapes began to appear next to the motifs representing pointed stars. Today you see striking colors and unique designs that can be geometric figures, flowers, animals or landscapes.

Annual competitions were organized to reward the most creative artists, a custom that still continues today.

Watch the VIDEO below of the beautiful paintings of the oxcarts:

"..the tradition of painting was declared a Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 1995"

Many stories have been written about the oxcart, from the wildest legends of oxcarts moving on their own without an ox, up to romantic stories of how the ladies recognized the particular sound of the oxcart of their lover or husband.

The “carreta” was declared a national symbol of Costa Rica in 1988 and the tradition of painting was declared a Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 1995.

As mentioned before, the oxcart is still used by farmers around the country but has been widely replaced by modern vehicles. It still occupies an important place in parades and celebrations, being the “Día Nacional del Boyero” one of the most important festivities in their honour.

This takes place on the SECOND SUNDAY of March each year in San Antonio de Escazú, the little town where the TROPICAL PASS Office is located!

This festivity starts at 5 in the morning with a typical marching band (cimarrona) going through town to wake everybody up. Although, 5:00h is - for most ticos - already late, they normally start their day way earlier than that!

Then, around 9 in the morning, the parade of about 200 oxcarts begins, with the most stunning carts and oxen. I have always wondered how they get the two oxen to look like twins in colors and height, even though they are not even related! Some oxen get golden caps on their horns for embellishment.

The parade ends on the plaza in front of the church of San Antonio de Escazú, where you can also see a huge mural in honor of the boyeros, as well as a statue made by a renowned artist.

Then the real festivities begin, starting with a blessing from the priest (main religion in Costa Rica is catholicism) and it goes on with music and dances, raffle of prizes, food, theater, artisan market and more.

El Día del Boyero is one of the MOST AMAZING festivities to visit in Costa Rica! If possible, plan your vacation accordingly making sure you are in San José on the second Sunday of March!

You will not only see the oxcarts, but enjoy typical food and breath-in the pure Costa Rican culture and learn to know the identity of its people, the real “ticos” (as we call ourselves).

Reserve the next date

Sunday, March 14th, 2021

And if you want to know about more festivities worth visiting, please contact us:

info@tropicalpass.com

https://www.tropicalpass.com/contact

The best Ziplines in Costa Rica – ADVENTURE TRAVEL

Thu, 07 May 2020 22:07:52 GMT

“...with variety comes (the agony of) choice. ”

The best Ziplines in Costa Rica – ADVENTURE TRAVEL

Ever dreamed of flying like a bird over broad rainforest canyons? Seeing the trees from above, while the fresh air breezes through your face? This is possible in Costa Rica while enjoying the best ziplines in our country!

But...is there really one best zipline? Well, if you ask me, it all depends. You will find different options at different places. There are some for beginners and the less adventurous that still want to experience this amazing thrill. And there are some for the most audacious for whom “fear” is not in their vocabulary.

These last ones are my absolute heroes – but I consider myself more like an in-between person. I do enjoy the feeling of butterflies in my stomach while still being able to look 100m below and imagining I am a bird – not a dove but more like a free eagle in search of freedom…

And where do you find ziplines in Costa Rica ? The answer is quite simple: almost everywhere .

There are about 40 or more ziplining tours in Costa Rica and… with variety comes (the agony of) choice...

Remember that no experience is required for ziplining! All tours will include a previous safety demonstration.

So, choose wisely to find the best option for you:

- Consider if you are traveling with small children: most canopy tours will allow smaller children

(starting at age 2, but they will of course ride together with one of the guides.

- If you have a small fear of heights

- If you are one of my heroes and need the maximum adrenaline boost

- If you have a lot of time to spend to enjoy other attractions in the area

- If you are fit (good physical condition) because some tours may include some hikes,

Tarzan-swings, rappel and more.

If you decide to do ziplining, why not also try different ones? Remember that Costa Rica has many landscapes, and they all differ one from another. You can fly through the clouds in Monteverde, unable to see the next platform where you will land… or you may see the deep rainforest at Braulio Carrillo National Park. In Guanacaste the tropical dry forest is fascinating and some canopy tours offer breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean.

Here are some of our suggestions:

Sky Adventure

This park has two perfect options: at Arenal Volcano (stunning view included!!) and at Monteverde!

They also have a tram that you will use to reach the first cable, and other attractions that you may not want to miss!

Rain Forest Aerial Tram

At Braulio Carrillo National Park. You have the option of a Tram (not my favourite though), and the ziplining tour, as well as one special long cable (extra cost!). You can also hike in the forest, join a birdwatching tour, and the park has a very cute lodge on the property.

San Luis Canopy Tour

Located on the way to La Fortuna de Arenal, close to San Ramón. Perfect for a one day tour for people with little time staying in San José. It also gives you the option of Tarzan Swings, Superman cable, and more.

Monteverde Extremo

Located in Monteverde. This is the one for my adrenaline-seeker-heroes. They also have a very cool Superman cable flying through a tunnel! And of course the Extreme Tarzan Swing, Bungee Jumping and more.

Diamante Eco Adventure Park

Located by Matapalo beach, Guanacaste province. Canopy and Superman cable while looking at the ocean, even duo lines to ride side by side, cultural tours, ATV and more. This park has so many attractions, you could spend there 2 days to see it all.

Hacienda Pozo Azul

Located in Sarapiquí. Also very close to San José, perfect for one day tours, but you could also experience the lodging option in tents.

You can go rafting at Pozo Azul, visit the dairy farm, enjoy horseback riding and more.

Selvatura Park

Located in Monteverde. Another great option to enjoy several things in one place: bridges through the canopy of the trees, butterfly garden, hummingbird gallery, canopy tour, superman cable, and more. This is perfect for families!

The list goes on and on , but I only wanted to mention a few especially to let you know that there are different options for you.

In Tropical Pass we make sure to book the best zipline for you, the ones we know have an extraordinary service, that they care for your safety and have their insurances up-to-date, the ones with the best views and complimentary services.

Other things to look into when choosing a zipline tour:

Transfer service from and back to your hotel: some will offer this for free, and some may charge you a small fee.
Private tours are sometimes possible: this means you and your party will not share the tour with other tourists, but you will always be accompanied by your guide.
Night tours are possible in some places only.
Weight limits: weight itself may not be an issue, but the size of the harness.
Equipment for children: make sure they have small harnesses and helmets available.
Some tours may offer a photography and video service. This is definitely worth your money!

Remember that Tropical Pass will be glad to assist you with this tough decision… we will help you find the zipline that will work best for you and your travel companions.

If you came to Costa Rica and did not go ziplining, you missed one of the greatest adventures!

If you have any questions regarding the best zipline in Costa Rica, please do not hesitate to contact us.

info@tropicalpass.com

When is the BEST TIME to travel to Costa Rica?

Wed, 29 Apr 2020 21:07:43 GMT

"“ALWAYS and YEAR ROUND
is the best time to travel to Costa Rica”"

When is the BEST TIME to travel to Costa Rica?

This question is probably the one I get the most when I receive emails or phone calls from travelers that want to visit our country.

Even though my answer is always quite simple: “ALWAYS and YEAR ROUND is the best time to travel to Costa Rica”, there are for sure some differences that you may want to consider when making this decision.

Besides the obvious for you - when do you get vacation from school or from your work? - there is some important information that you may want to look into.

In terms of weather : Costa Rica has 2 seasons: the rainy season (or green season ) and less-rainy-season (also called the dry season !). Pun intended!

Our “dry” months go from December to April, and the rainy season starts in May and goes up to November. A “normal” month of May has thunderstorms and heavy rain on some days, but still some dry days as well. Then, after June you will have sunny mornings to explore the forests and lounge on the beach, and regular showers in the afternoon starting around noon up to 8:00p.m.

During the months of August, September and October you may expect non-stop rain even for days, but also lots of sunshine in the mornings most of the time.

Curious fact : it will rain much less on the Caribbean Coast during these months (Aug-Oct).

Another important fact : rain is not a synonym to cold temperature. On the contrary, it may be even much warmer when the rainy season starts.

Temperature depends on height in Costa Rica, so it will always be colder up in the mountains, and warmer the closer you get to the coasts.

If you decide to travel between December and January, make sure to bring a sweater, since it is freezing (well, freezing for us, of course… Temperature in the capital San José may drop to 16 degrees Celsius at night / 61 Fahrenheit).

If you travel during the rainy season, a light raincoat will be much more helpful than a sweater. The humidity may also make the temperature rise. Do not bring an umbrella, you will need your hands to hold your camera while walking in the forest! Most hotels will provide umbrellas to be used on their property to get to the restaurant and other public areas, but it will definitely not be useful when you are on tour.

Adding to the weather, please note that road conditions may also vary depending on the seasons, and this will be especially important if you are planning to rent a car. Renting a 4x4 during the rainy season is almost mandatory, and if you are not used to driving during a tropical rain, you should practice extreme care.

Truth is… it is a tropical country, and it may rain non-stop for days during the dry season and it may be very dry for weeks during the rainy season.

Clue is: just be prepared.

Also very important: the rainforest has its name for a reason, no matter the season!

"...it will always be colder up in the mountains, and warmer the closer you get to the coasts."

Now you already know about the weather conditions, but there are other important things to know and consider for your trip to be a success.

In terms of pricing , Costa Rica is divided into 3 main seasons. If you are traveling on a budget, this is the most important issue:

High Season : from December to April, some hotels will also include July and August.

Low Season : from May to November.

Peak Season : Christmas and New Year (2 weeks) and again over Easter Week.

Important tip : if you decide to travel during the high season, we recommend making all reservations (hotels, rent a car, tours) very early, February and March are usually sold out a year in advance, so if you are looking for a certain hotel category or even a very specific hotel then make sure to plan ahead!

In terms of attractions: if you are planning to see the turtle nesting in Tortuguero (North Caribbean Coast), you have to travel between July and October. This is also the perfect time to see the whales on the South Pacific Coast.

If you are planning to see the Baulas turtle nesting (biggest sea turtle on earth), then you have to come between December and February.

I could go on and on and on with this list, since there are best times to see a certain kind of bird, best times for snorkeling, best times for diving (depending on which fish you want to see), best times for surfing, best times for sport fishing, and more...

As you see, it really depends, so make sure to inform yourself beforehand and of course Tropical Pass will be glad to help you with this.

In terms of touristy and non touristy places : of course, the most touristy places in Costa Rica will be more crowded during the high season, so if you like to meet a lot of people and make friends from around the world, then the high season is best for you. If you do not feel very comfortable when surrounded by many persons and prefer to see a lot less tourists then choose the low season.

In terms of openings : very few hotels may close during the low season, and if so, they may only close for a couple of weeks for renovations, but it is not the norm. All attractions stay open and will function as normal. Some attractions and transfer services sometimes require a minimum of 2 persons, in those cases a single traveler will profit from this during the high season when minimums are normally met on all schedules.

What else is there to say ? Costa Rica has something special to offer for everybody in any season ! Just wear the appropriate clothes and shoes and you are ready to discover all the charms of this country - no matter the weather!

If you have any questions regarding the best time to visit Costa Rica, considering your preferences, budget, travel companions, length of your trip and more, please do not hesitate to contact us.

info@tropicalpass.com

In and Around the TROPICAL PASS Office

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 21:28:15 GMT

"We have more than 500 thousand different species, 300 thousands of them being insects!"

In and Around the Office of Tropical Pass

In my previous Blog “ Manatees in Costa Rica ” I briefly mentioned that Costa Rica holds 6% of the world's biodiversity. If you think about the size of this country, only 51.000 m², that 6% sounds really amazing!

Imagine: Costa Rica is smaller than West Virginia in the USA… or just a bit bigger than Niedersachsen in Germany but we are considered to possess the highest density of biodiversity of any country worldwide ! We have four percent of species estimated to exist on the planet and hundreds of these are endemic to Costa Rica.

Within this small area, Costa Rica has tropical rainforest, deciduous forests, Atlantic and Pacific coastline, cloud forest and mangrove forest, and also 12 climatic zones.

Over 27% of the country’s land has a protected status, like national parks, wildlife refuges, forest preserves and others.

Costa Rica has always served as a bridge for flora and fauna between North and South America due in large part to its geographical location and the neotropical climate. We have more than 500 thousand different species, 300 thousands of them being insects!

How cute is the saddleback caterpillar?

On your next vacation in Costa Rica, you may discover 1.251 species of butterflies and at least 8.000 species of moths. Also 493.000 invertebrates like spiders and crabs. Frogs represent 85% of our 175 species of amphibians. You can find 225 different reptiles, including 70 species of lizards. You can also admire 250 species of mammals and 894 species of birds (more than all of the United States and Canada combined). Our wild cats are jaguars, ocelots, pumas, jaguarundi, margays, and little spotted cats.

Thinking about all these numbers, it is not to wonder about the many encounters we have had at our Tropical Pass office, in the mountains of the Escazú, about 1.220 meters over sea level.

The office is surrounded by a big garden with high trees that attract many animals that we can admire every day.

Besides our gecko residents at the office and some common flies, bees, wasps and mosquitoes that like to come inside, we have seen many different types of dragonflies, spiders, moths and more.

In the garden we are being visited by an infinite amount of hummingbirds, doves, swallows, yigüirros (our national symbols), rufous-collared sparrows, Blue-gray tanager, cuckoos, vultures, parakeets, iguanas, golden orb spiders and crancriformis, leafcutter ants, butterflies, stick insects, mantis bugs, and many more.

I would like to apologize beforehand, since I am not familiar with all the names of all the animals we have seen, so I will mention only some of them by name, but I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

Please note that all pictures on this blog were taken in and around the office ONLY.

Some of our sightings have left us breathless because we have never seen them before since they are not common for this area or very rare to see. Just this last week we saw 3 American Swallow-tailed Kite (wingspan of approximately 1.12–1.36 m !!) which are most likely to be seen closer to the coastlines or wetlands.

We have had several Montezuma Oropendulas around. A gray hawk was sitting on the 30meter tall Araucaria tree. We saw a golden-colored fly with jade-green eyes that I have never seen before anywhere in Costa Rica but seems to be a rather common fruit-fly in Mexico.

How cute is the saddleback caterpillar? Well, he looks cute, but trust me… hurts like hell to touch it!

And how can I forget to mention the coral snake that had to be taken by firefighters in order to avoid an emergency!

Costa Rica has a “false” coral snake, and a real coral snake, and trust me, this one was real. How can you tell them apart really quick? If the colors align up to read RANA (Rojo [red] - Amarillo [yellow] - Negro [black] - Amarillo [yellow]) then it is real. We also say when red and yellow meet they are dangerous - referring to the Heredia soccer team that has these colors. When red aligns with black - referring to the Alajuela soccer team La Liga - it is harmless. Poor La Liga, they just cannot seem to win anything lately.

Well, I leave it to the pictures to tell the story… and make you want to come to Costa Rica to see all of this by yourself.

Remember that Tropical Pass will be glad to help you organize your trip, and take you to the best places to spot these animals.

Please RE-VISIT this blog frequently… more pictures will be uploaded.

Manatees in Costa Rica

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 00:44:37 GMT

"...it has filled my heart with joy to read about recent sightings of the manatees in Limón..."

April 1 7th, 2020

Ma natees in Costa Rica!

In times of COVID-19 it is mandatory to stay motivated and active, so I decided to start t his new blog on my Tropical Pass website.

Not everything has to be bad these days, we have to learn to open our eyes, and marvel about the things happening out there… in nature!

Costa Rica , being a very small country, holds 6% of the world’s biodiversity , and finds itself among the top 25 countries in this matter! With more than 500.000 species, this country, that has been my home for almost 40 years now, keeps amazing me immensely.

So now, that we are all sitting at home and planes are on the ground and no tourists are to be seen, some animals are returning to their homes, they are taking over what has always been theirs! You have seen the eye-opening pictures from Venice and the clean waters with fish and dolphins… and in Costa Rica we are also enjoying this phenomenon! Recently a puma was seen in a residential area, wondering why there are no cars nor noise.

But todays blog is about the fascinating manatee , which was not seen for many years in Costa Rica and has now returned!

In 2014 the Caribbean manatee was declared a national symbol of Costa Rican marine fauna in order to encourage its conservation. Manatees can reach a length of three meters and weigh almost a ton. They are a family of placental mammals of the order Sirenia, commonly known as manatees or sea cows.

They are gentle herbivores that spend most of their time searching for and ingesting riparian plants and the shallow seabed. Manatees live in both sweet and salty waters, near the coasts of America and Africa. Its only predator is man.

In Costa Rica, these animals live in the brackish waters of Barra del Colorado (north of Tortuguero) and the mixed waters of Tortuguero, where they feed on plants that grow on the banks.

"...the Caribbean manatee was declared a national symbol of Costa Rican marine fauna..."

Although their habitat is in protected areas, manatees are not without threats. In fact, this species is in danger of extinction due to the agrochemicals carried by the rivers and the high traffic of boats through the channels, which hit them, causing injuries that make their mobility impossible and, therefore, their ability to search for food.

It has filled my heart with joy to read about recent sightings of the manatees in Limón, due to the fact that no boats are in the Tortuguero water channels.

T his big fat animal has always been one of my favorites! It is so peaceful to see them swim, as if nothing could interrupt their tranquility.

In these difficult times of quarantine, I like to think of the manatee, just swimming slowly and being happy, like my new role model… nothing can disturb my peace of mind.

So stay at home, feel the good vibe, don’t loose control! Grab a good book (maybe about the manate e?) and just relax!

andregrois7

La Carreta - Typical OXCART in Costa Rica

“...the oxcart is STILL being used in Costa Rica... ”

The best Ziplines in Costa Rica – ADVENTURE TRAVEL

“...with variety comes (the agony of) choice. ”

When is the BEST TIME to travel to Costa Rica?

"“ALWAYS and YEAR ROUND is the best time to travel to Costa Rica”"

In and Around the TROPICAL PASS Office

"We have more than 500 thousand different species, 300 thousands of them being insects!"

Manatees in Costa Rica

"...it has filled my heart with joy to read about recent sightings of the manatees in Limón..."

"“ALWAYS and YEAR ROUND
is the best time to travel to Costa Rica”"