FUN TIMES IN ARGENTINA

With the beginning of week five, it’s time to turn our attention to Argentina.  Instead of starting with the dull, dry facts, let’s start on a sexier note: some interesting and beautiful destinations in theland of the gauchos.  First stop, Mar del Plata.

This beautiful resort area hosts hundreds of hotels along five miles of pristine beaches.  Only 250 miles south of Argentina’s capital city of Buenos Aires, Mar del Plata has a reputation for shopping, gambling and sunbathing.  What’s not to like?  And, when you’re bored with all that, head north to the city whose name literally means ‘Good Air’.

Sometimes referred to as the Paris of South America, Buenos Aires sounds like my kind of place.  The weather is pretty darn good all year round.  December through February, considered their summer, finds highs in only the mid-eighties.  (That sounds fabulous to someone like me who thought they were living in Kentucky but recently discovered it was the Sahara Desert where every day is hotter than the next.)  Winters only see lows in the mid-forties.  Now, take this pleasant weather and add a few sweet beaches, great architecture, wide boulevards, nightlife, food and fashion, and rich culture and you’ve have a recipe for   the good life….or at least an awesome vacation.

Head north to the border Argentina shares with Brazil and Paraguay to find the unbelievable natural water works called Iguazu Falls.  Though usually visited from Brazil, if you’re traveling in Argentina it’s not to be missed.  With nearly 300 falls, covering almost 3 miles, this grandeur of nature is higher and wider that Niagara Falls and may well be the most spectacular waterfall in the world.

We’ll look at a few more next week….Adios amigos.

Costa Rica: The Final Installment

We’ve learned a bit about Costa Rica of the past two weeks, so today let’s wrap it up with a few more details and a brief – very brief – history.

Do you know what the major industries in Costa Rica are?  I would have said tourism, but building microprocessors and food processing are the two biggest industries.  I knew that coffee was a major product in most all Central and South American countries, but the second largest for Costa Rica is bananas followed by sugar and pineapples. The Gross Domestic Products is approximately $45 billion and $7 billion of that comes from exporting the above and other items.

On his first trip to the Americas Christopher Columbus, in 1502, became the first European to set foot in Costa Rica.  The natives were not so friendly and made it difficult for Chris and his friends to establish cities until 1563 when Cartago was founded.  It remained a Spanish territory until independence was won in September of 1821.  Now, every year on September 15 the Costa Rican Ticos and Ticas celebrate Independence Day…their biggest major national holiday.

While it has no standing army – one of the few countries in the world who don’t – there have been few threats to this democratic nation.  One took place in 1917 under a dictatorship and the other in 1948 when rebels revolted and gave the presidency to Jose Figurers (photo at left).  Under Figurers, a new constitution was written and all were given the right to vote.  Today, Costa Rica’s President is Laura Chinchilla (photo below).  Great name, isn’t it? 

See you next week…when we’ll look at Argentina.

               

THE "RICH COAST" OF COSTA RICA

Let’s go to Costa Rica!  I know nothing about Costa Rica except my friends go there often and I am jealous.  They used to tell me when they were going, but my whining became so exaggerated that they stopped telling me until they got back.  That didn’t stop the whining…only delayed it.  So, now they don’t tell me at all; I just hear it from my other friends and then I call them too pissed to whine….and they laugh….guess that is what they were going far.  Anyway, enough about me and the green-streak-of-envy down my back; let’s look at some interesting facts about the country: Costa Rica.

·        Population: 4,075,261

·        Capital: San Jose

·        Size: Approximately 51,100 km…slightly smaller    than West Virginia

·        World Region: Central America (and also considered part of the Caribbean)

·        Geographical Highest Point: Cerro Chirripo (mountain)  (see photo)

The climate in Costa Rica is considered subtropical and tropical.  Its dry season is typically from December to April with the rainy season being the entire rest of the year.  Beaches, “I hear”, are exquisite.

Costa Rica is a Spanish speaking democratic republic that celebrates its independence from Spain on September 15.  The actual separation took place in 1821.

Guess that’s enough for now.  We’ll cover more ‘cold-hard-facts’ next week…along with a little history.  I think I’ll give my friends a call to see if I can get some first-hand information. I’m sure they’ll be thrilled to talk to me about it.J

Central America…Focus on Costa Rica

Let’s get started.  Costa Rica is a small country on the peninsula that connects Mexico to South America in the area known as Central America.  Sandwiched between Nicaragua on the north, and Panama on the south, Costa Rica is a popular tourist destination.  Compared to other countries in Central America, it is a stable and prosperous country.  The weather is nice year round, and the country has a plethora of beautiful beaches and jungle rainforests to explore.  One national park of note is Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve.

Miscellaneous trivia: Costa Rica is two hours behind Louisville, Kentucky’s Eastern Standard Time.  The voltage for the country is virtually the same as the U.S.  (110 volts), but bring an adapter as few three-prong outlets exist.  Male Costa Ricans are called ‘Ticos’ and females are called ‘Ticas’.  Oh, yeah…don’t forget: when flying out, you must pay a $28 ‘exit tax’….It’s true…that’s no ‘pura paja’ (poor-ah pa-hah = bullcrap)!

Until next week…