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…

Welcome to Week One of Latin American Potpourri

Welcome back!  Spring Quarter ended and Summer Quarter has begun.  The old saying goes, “The more things change, the more they stay the same”.  This is true in most things, and certainly is true in Geography class.  This quarter’s blog will concentrate on Latin American Potpourri…a hodge-podge of countries in Central and South America that will include:

·        Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Panama in Central America

·        French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru,     Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina in South America

·        The Galapagos Islands and Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean

·        The Falkland Islands and South Georgia Island in the Atlantic Ocean

Because it would be difficult to do so many countries justice in the short span of the ten weeks that make up the Summer Quarter, we will only briefly touch upon some countries.  A more in-depth focus on Argentina, Chile, and Costa Rica will help round-out our look at this interesting and less known part of the world.  See you next week when we learn a little ‘sumptin-sumptin’ about Central America.

It doesn’t seem possible to me that the Spring Quarter is coming to an end and that this is my final blog on Italy.  Three months ago, I had little experience even reading blogs, much less writing one.  It’s been a great experience, but it hasn’t been enough time to truly cover the subject matter the way it deserves.  Despite the many cities and sites left to talk about, I will stick with my original plan and blog about Venice.

Venice is situated in north east Italy approximately 340 miles from Rome, on the south west, and about a 5 ½ hour cross country drive.  It is actually an island city…one of over 100 small islands that make up the Venetian lagoon.  (Murano, world renowned for its beautiful glass making, is also a part of this cluster of islands.)  And, while its difficult to pin-point exactly when Venice was built, popular opinion seems to mark the date around 425AD.

Trumped only by Paris (blogger’s opinion), Venice is undoubtedly the second most romantic city in the world.  Miles of watery streets beckon to the young, and young at heart, to cuddle closer aboard one of the many gondolas.   Imagine the gondolier pushing your boat, with ease and grace along the Grand Canal in the moonlight.  Heck, he’ll even sing for you….for a small fee, of course.

And, if the speed of the gondolas is too slow, you might consider moving about on a motorboat bus, called a vaporetti.  There’s also the cabled-operated mass transit tram, called the Venice People Mover (which was obviously named by a government employee with about as much imagination as a pork rind).

I’ve already mentioned the Grand Canal.  It is the major thoroughfare, running the entire length of Venice, and sports the beautiful Rialto Bridge, which is not to be missed….and, likely is too big to be missed anyway.  While there, other must see sites include the Bell Tower, the Clock Tower, the church at St. Mark’s Square (where Titian is buried), and the School of St. Roch, which was decorated inside by Tintoretto in 1564.

The cafes and restaurants of Venice are too numerous to mention, but if you can make a reservation, and if you want a table you must, check out Antico Martini.  It is definitely one of Italy’s finest restaurants.  And, take plenty of cash or thick plastic…it’s expensive.

Until the next quarter, I bid you a fond farewell.  Ciao!

A resident walks in front of the collapsed San Martino church, in Buonacompra, near Cento, northern Italy, Sunday, May 20. 2012. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

6.0 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Bologna, Italy

This week’s blog was to be about the lovely city of Venice; however, it seems more appropriate to give you the latest update on this terrible natural disaster. 

Citizens of Bologna, located approximately 80 miles east of Florence, were awakened at 4AM on Sunday, May 20^th.  The quake, of 6.0 magnitude, could be felt from Milan to Venice, approximately 140 and 100 miles, respectively, away.  Thus far, seven people have been killed, and dozens more injured.  One of dead was a 106 year-old woman, killed in her bed by a falling roof beam.

The quake hit hardest the Romagna region of the Po river valley, an area known for its production of Parmigiana and Grana cheeses. 

Premier Mario Monti, who is attending the G8 NATO summit in Chicago, is returning to Italy immediately.