she’s working as a caregiver in canada,and planning to have a vacation here in the phils.we know that she must work for two years to apply for a permanent residency,on her vacation will that count for the 2years or no?or will the 2years count resume after her vacation?

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This tiny place is home to a chock hold of Earth natural resources and bounties, waiting for you to discover them! Interesting to note that the Costa Ricans have an uncanny passion for life and the ability to relax.

1 percent of the Earth’s land mass, Costa Rica is home to 5 percent of the world’s biodiversity. In Costa Rica there are 26 national parks and areas that have national protection spread out across the country. There is plenty of great views of the Ocean since the Pacific ocean is on one side of the island and the Caribbean Seas on the other side. The Caribbean side offers lots of relaxing time while the Pacific Ocean is for the young and daring who prefers to ride the waves.

You can choose to do almost anything here in Costa Rica. You can view the noisy macaws, magnificent leatherback turtles, the dazzling morpho butterflies and more in this little place. There are rainforest tours you can join and safari trips for the adventurous. You can see for yourself migrating whales, dolphins and sea turtles during specific time.

The Arenal that is located at the northern part of the country is an active volcano. There is another volcano in the midpoint and one at the southern end of the country. The country is blessed with fertilized lands especially around the volcano area, where the lava from past eruptions makes up for much of the nutrients in the soil. Costa Rica attracts tourists from all over the world who often find it exceptionally pleasing to soak up the sun on the beaches of this lovely island.

The best time to vacation in Costa Rica is between December and April which is the period of the dry season and May through November when they go through the rainy season. You really need to plan your vist wisely, when the weather is not too hot, because it is only mere miles from the equator. Always be alert to any possible disasters and be wary about who you do and do not trust as it is easy to get lost foreign lands when out touring. It pays to do your homework about Costa Rica in advance to gather all relevant information and plan your visit accordingly.
About the Author: mompreneur

Maybe your main priority is just to rest and relax, but there are many ways to enjoy yourself and experience new things while you do that.

Here are a few other priorities to consider while planning your family’s next trip.

Experience the Local Culture

This is especially important with foreign travel. Few people would fly their entire family to Italy just to check into a nice resort and lie by the pool all day.

Decide what attracts you to a certain region and whether or not that is the main reason for your trip. If it is, plan your activities around experiencing that part of the culture.

Sample the Local Cuisine

If food is high on your list of priorities do some research on the popular dishes for the region where you will be traveling and the best places to find them.

If you want to try your hand at preparing some of the local fare, plan ahead to get a hotel or resort room with a fully stocked kitchen. Then ask around to find out where you can purchase the proper ingredients. You may even find a native who would be willing to invite you into their home for a cooking lesson and some authentic home cooking.

Visit Famous Landmarks

This is a common way to plan a vacation and some places lend themselves to this kind of activity very nicely.

If you want to see several monuments and museums, though, be sure to plan enough time for travel between the attractions and time to enjoy them while you are there.

Plan your days so that you visit one or two places in the morning and one or two places in the afternoon. You may also want to squeeze in another sight in the evening, if possible.

Be sure to see the attractions that you most want to see early in the week so that if your schedule doesn’t work out exactly as planned you won’t have to forgo your first choices.

Create Family Memories

Sometimes the best way to do this on a trip is to just get in the car and drive. Some of our best vacations have been taken this way.

On one trip we knew that we wanted to visit a ghost town, visit my sisters, and visit my husband’s grandmother. Other than those goals, we just drove and did what sounded fun.

We ended up riding a ski lift (in July), four-wheeling and touring the Anasazi ruins at the bottom of Canyon de Chelley in north eastern Arizona, standing in four states at one time at the Four Corners National Monument, seeing some of Colorado’s most gorgeous scenery, visiting a theme park, and many other adventures.

It was a great trip-and totally unplanned! And we still talk about it five years later. Do the things that your family enjoys most and the memories will last a long time.

Rest and Relax

If your only goal for your trip is to spend long hours doing nothing, then go for it.

This priority will best be accomplished, though, if you have activities for your children to participate in. You could bring along a nanny whose job it will be to entertain your children or you could visit a resort or take a cruise that offers children’s camps.

Whatever you want out of your next family vacation a little planning ahead can make it happen. Do your research. Book your rooms. Plan your route. And enjoy!
About the Author: wordpress themes

Most people in the know, unless they are seeking a spiritual awakening, will not try attempting the seemingly impossible overland trip from Sihanoukville Cambodia to Bangkok Thailand in the rainy season. They will instead take the speed boat, lovingly named the vomit comet, on lumpy days, as it is faster and usually allot less adventurous. The boat would be my choice of travel, but with a relatively small category 5 typhoon battering central Vietnam, I had to do it to make to a scheduled flight out of Bangkok’s new Suvarnabhumi Airport. Typhoons generally create a double whammy as the rivers were sure to rise, and I might be forced to backtrack to Phnom Penh and fly to Bangkok.

This trip started with great promise, with the sun shinning, and only one special couple arriving 15 minutes late. I felt maybe the travel spirits were on our side, with a large smile on my face all the way to the Sihanoukville city limit, where all the drivers were sitting on the side of the road pointing at our van and laughing uproariously. A short few minutes later, I noticed a passing driver franticly signaling for us to pull over, to discover our best bald tire was flat all ready!

As the trip had started so early, and being an industrious traveler, I decided to get some breakfast, and sought out a convenient roadside eatery, located only 10 meters from the van. I ordered some coffee, didn’t have, so instead I got the special, rice soup, which just by coincidence, luckily for me, was the only thing on the menu. I started shoveling furiously to beat our F1 pit crew in training. Being the optimistic sort, I was hoping that I was in for a long ride before the next stop; I sought out the restroom of this fine roadside attraction, which was a truly natural wonder, a sapling in a swampy bog located next to a full pig pen, with the inhabitants happily grunting their raucous approval for my efforts. No doubt the pit vipers and poisonous spiders dripping from the trees were enjoying the show as well. No problem here with long lines waiting for the girls hanging out fussing with their makeup.

Off we go again, with no time or tire to spare, turning off the paved road and into the great behind. The road starts off in fairly good shape, with only a few potholes for the first 10 meters or so, and then we start to hit the rough stuff. Apparently our van has done the trip before, as the parts underneath keep on falling out of the makeshift braces that they have to hold them on. So we make frequent stops to apply a mixture of bailing wire and witchcraft to keep rolling down the road.

We make our first river crossings on homemade ferry contraptions that would bring a sentimental tear to the eye of any mad scientist, that shuttle back and forth across the brown goop. The scenery was so spectacular, that one of our passengers swooned, and slammed her head into the floor with a bass drum like thud. The girl laying there with her eyes glazed over was immediately set upon by her boyfriend who starts French kissing her, and some sex pat joins in as well, and starts having cheap sex with her breasts in a parody of CPR. I being trained in this sort of thing, observed that she was breathing, and commented that they should consider either stopping before they caused her chest to explode or implode from their ministrations, or get a hotel room, as they were embarrassing the locals, who are not very accustomed to the strange western customs of group orgies in public, on their ferries, in the middle of the day, but you could see some interest in this activity from the teenage boys, who were all ready queuing up, money and chickens in hand.

Over the river and through the woods, and into the troughs we go! Where our first spa treatments begin, where we, the paying passengers, get a first class mud bath pushing our very stuck van backwards and forwards, with various colored mud’s and rocks flying everywhere. After only 10 minutes we get the van slewing in the correct direction. Like a mobile 2nd Woodstock, for the next 4 hours we get variations on a theme, we get stuck on hills going up, stuck on hills going down, we get stuck going around cars and vans all ready stuck, and stuck going around construction crews making the mud pits ever deeper, in a serious attempt to make the Guinness Book of World Records again, for largest manmade quagmire!

Amazingly only 3 hours later than what we were told, we arrive at the border looking like extras from a remake gone terribly wrong of Lord of the Flies. The Thai customs guys pointing at us, their version of the 4 o’clock follies, and burst into the very same laughs that we started our trip with. You have to love the value of the laughter on a Cambodian adventure like this, or you might want to take a cheap flight instead.
About the Author: travel to costa rica

The story has been passed down over the years, capturing the imagination of both schoolchildren and adults alike, and for many years students of military history have attempted to no avail, to find the location in the Argonne forest where the action took place.

Formed in 2005. The team objective was to discover Alvin York’s firing site in the Argonne forest, France.

Using historical records and maps from the time, the group set out in March 2006 and over a 5 day period found a number of interesting artifacts from the period but nothing conclusive as to the site of York’s fight. Further research was undertaken in archives by Dr Nolan which resulted in a 10 day expedition in November of 2006. This time, the group altered the position of their investigations slightly. They had no idea of the compelling evidence they would discover.

THE FIGHT IN THE FOREST:

On October 8 1918 the sleepy little village of Ch?tel-Ch?h?ry on the edge of the mighty Argonne forest was to be part of an action that would cast it headlong into a site of military historic homage for the next 90 years. The attack by the 82nd Division at that point was designed to seize a German railway that was supplying German troops along the front line. In part, the attack was also to relieve the Lost Battalion, a group of American soldiers led by Major Charles Whittlesey, who had found themselves surrounded and cut-off by superior German forces near Binarville, a small village in the forest only 8 kilometers distant.

Corporal Alvin C. York was one of the men in the attack, his unit was the 328th Infantry, Company G of the 82nd Division who found themselves pinned down by heavy German machine-gun fire. In an attempt to eradicate this threat, York and 17 men under the command of Sergeant Bernard Early was detailed to work their way through the lines and behind the machine-guns and to destroy them.

Picking their way through forest and undergrowth and an autumnal mist, they made their way undetected for a distance of about 1 mile before they saw 2 German soldiers bearing red cross armbands, they immediately ran off into the undergrowth. Early detailed his men to form a skirmish line and they then gave chase. Coming to a small stream they disturbed a large group of German soldiers, who,surprised to see American soldiers so far from the action, were seated and having breakfast on the bank on the other side of the stream.

After a few initial shots from the Americans, the Germans surrendered. The Americans were in the process of securing their prisoners when they were fired on from the hill behind by a German machine-gun. Immediately Sgt. Early was hit multiple times in the lower body rendering him unfit to command. In total, 6 of the patrol were killed and 3 wounded which left Alvin York the senior N.C.O.

Documentary evidence states that York was in a position where the machine-gun could not properly see him, the German gunners had to raise their heads in order to gain a full view. York being the backwoodsman marksman he was, raised his weapon and was able to shoot the gunners one at a time.

He was then charged by a German officer and soldiers, he shot them all sequentially from the rear most first. This way the soldiers at the front would not be aware that they were being shot, therefore they would not take to cover.

After only a short time, the Germans surrendered to York and the survivors of the patrol. They were rounded up with York and the American soldiers in the middle of the formation and marched back to American lines, collecting more Germans who capitulated en-route.

Upon arrival at camp, 132 prisoners were counted. A little later an American officer counted 25 German bodies at the site of the battle.

York was promoted Sergeant and awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

In 1929 there was a re-enactment of the fight at the Army War College. Two officers from York’s unit, Captain Danforth and Major Buxton (who later wrote the divisional history of the 82nd Division) independently supplied the Army with maps they had drawn as to the route they felt the patrol had taken. Although there is a little difference as to be expected, the two route lines on the map are much the same.

This document was discovered by a member of the team in the archives at Washington D.C. Also found were the map coordinates of the site of burial of members of the patrol who had been killed. This record had been made by the Graves Registration Unit. There was an anomaly with the coordinates as written but after examination it was discovered the positions of the graves had been recorded the wrong way round and when assembled in the correct order the grave locations were in the same area where the Team were conducting their investigations.

METHODOLOGY:It was intended by the group to reexamine the historical record and the physical landscape of the York site using an interdisciplinary methodology combining geography, history and archeology. The whole purpose was to locate Alvin York’s firing position during the action. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology would be employed to integrate historic maps, reports and other documents in a spatial database that would model the landscape as it was in October 1918. Global Positioning Systems (GPS) technology would be used to navigate to York’s most probably position based on historical spatial data. A metal detector would be used to locate artifacts related to the fight. The artifacts would then be mapped using GPS and added to the spatial database. GIS would be used to analyze the spatial data to determine the most probable location of Alvin York’s firing position.It was hoped that the following questions would be answered:

1.How can GIS be used to integrate history and archeology to create an accurate picture of Alvin York’s activities on October 8 1918?

2. Can GIS successfully resolve some of the controversies and contradictions in written accounts of the York fight?

3. Can Gis serve as the basis for preserving the spatial record of the York fight and creating interpretive materials for battlefield tourism?

THE DISCOVERIES:

Previous attempts had been made by others to locate the fight site. Notably the investigation conducted by two Army Colonels in 2000. Their approach was to use modern day application of military tactics in such circumstances as was known in 1918. The METT-T (Mission, Enemy, Terrain, Troops and Time) and OCOKA (Observation and fields of fire, Cover and Concealment, Obstacles, Key terrain, and Avenues of approach) edicts. This method allowed them to identify the general area of engagement but failed to pinpoint York’s firing position or the location of the German participants.

In 2006 a serving Lt. Colonel in the U.S. Army with another team was attempting to locate the position. He used many German records and accounts but strangely discounted the map information as supplied by Buxton and Danforth. The group announced in 2006 that they had identified the firing position and produced a large number of both American and German artifacts from the period to substantiate their claim.

The exploration was re-started by a second visit in November 2006 which was planned to allow for maximum GIS/GPS capability e.g. there would be little interference from the tree canopy foliage, there was an immediate battery failure on the Trimble Recon data collector. Instead the Trimble Pathfinder Pro XRS unit was used for mapping artifacts in the field, but with continental generosity from the D3E Electronique GPS Boutique, the team were able to access base station files that were used to post-process the data to sub-meter accuracy.

The team initially set out to find the site where four German .77m field guns had been captured by the 2nd Battalion on 8 October. This position had been described in a transcript of a question and answer document held between Major G. Edward Buxton and the 2nd Battalion Commander, Major Tillman concerning the battalion attack on October 8 1918. Tillman had described the position of the guns in his account of the attack.

Almost immediately the search revealed three live .77mm shells with the copper driving bands chiseled off by post war savagers. A further search located twelve .77mm shell cases and seven protective shipping covers for .77mm shell fuses. This confirmed the location of the four .77mm guns captured by the 2nd Battalion and fixed the right flank of the battalion attack. This had the effect of increasing the Team’s confidence in the documentary evidence.

Returning to the general area the team had researched previously and making corrections based upon Danforth & Buxton’s map and the coordinates of the burials of the York patrol, it was not long before a number of important finds were made around the location of a small stream.

The remains of a an American cartridge belt consisting of eight full clips of 30-06 ammunition, several loose live rounds and stripper clips, part of the brass cover for a field dressing container, and a pocket knife were discovered. In addition a button from an American tunic and mess utensils were found nearby.

When an article was located it was left in-situ, flagged or marked and then mapped using the GPS before being bagged and tagged.

The following day thanks to the generosity of the French department of Archaeology, a backhoe was brought in in an attempt to locate soil disturbance from the graves of the six American soldiers. The bodies had been recovered in stages after the war and taken to the American Meuse-Argonne cemetery, and in one instance, a soldier had been repatriated to the U.S.

This search had a negative result. However, at the same time as this search was being conducted, investigations continued by the side of the stream. This resulted in finding a bronze unit collar disc inscribed with the number “328′ crossed rifles and letter “G” that confirmed beyond any doubt the presence of members of York’s company at that site and probably belonged to one of the American casualties.

An American helmet was found on the other side of the stream and the base of a steep hill. This had a hole in the side probably caused by a bullet. It is interesting to note that records state that upon exhumation of one of the American casualties, he had received a wound to the left scapula.

The team then worked their way up a very steep hill. A number of interesting artifacts were found here.

Expended cartridge cases from the bolt action rifles used by both sides are ejected to the right and rear of the shooter. The point of impact of each ejected case creates a pattern pointing to the shooters position. In this case, the pattern of the ejected cases had been modified by the steep, forty percent slopes at the engagement site.

Ejected cases found by the group had been displaced down slope from their point of initial impact by the momentum of their ejection from the weapon and subsequently by overland precipitation flow. Consequently, the patterns created by recovered small arms ammunition can only provide a general location of the firing position of individual combatants.

However, the distribution and quantity of 30-06 cartridge cases (US) is consistent with the American accounts that state all members of the patrol fired several rounds when they first encountered the Germans on the side of the hill.

The investigation resolved that York’s squad moved part of the way up the hill to gather prisoners when the German machine-gun opened fire. Private Beardsley of York’s squad stated he took cover behind a tree about fifteen paces to the rear of York with Private Dymowski on one side and Private Wareing on the other. Both of these men were killed by the German machine-gun fire.

Beardsley saw York firing his pistol, and he said he also fired his pistol at least three times indicating that some privates as well as non-commissioned officers were armed with .45 caliber pistols.

Forty-four .45 caliber cartridge cases and four .45 caliber bullets recovered from the middle of the slope indicate the general positions of York and Beardsley.

Documentary evidence indicates York fired 21 pistol rounds and Beardsley three rounds. Evidently one or both men fired more .45 caliber bullets than reported. Major Buxton said that York fired 21 rounds from his pistol and 15 rounds from his rifle. Only four 30-06 cartridge cases were recovered in this area. This suggests York used his pistol more and rifle less than Buxton recorded.

A total of eight 30-06 cartridge cases and two empty 30-06 stripper clips were recovered from the flat area beside the stream.

This confirms that few surviving members of the patrol beside York engaged the German machine-gunners.

A total of eight 9mm cartridge cases were recovered in the vicinity of York’s firing position. York stated that a German officer among the prisoners fired a pistol at him but missed.

When this officer, Lt. Vollmer later surrendered his pistol to York, the magazine was empty. The 9mm cartridge cases provide confirmation that Vollmer fired his pistol at York before he surrendered.

A metal detecting search was carried out on the slope close to the summit and about 60 meters from York’s firing position.

A large number of intact and expended 7.92mm ammunition was found in one spot. From this the team determined that this had been the firing position of the German machine-gun that fired upon York’s patrol.

CONCLUSION:

It is interesting to note that very few German or American weapons were recovered. They consisted of two rifle bolts, three ersatz bayonets, and the remains of four stick grenades. One rifle bolt was from a Gewehr 98 and the other from the Gewehr 98b carbine carried by machine-gunners and sappers. A total of four empty bayonet scabbards or parts of scabbards were recovered. Nine entrenching tools and one scabbard were found.Twenty artifacts were associated with German gas masks, eighteen items associated with eating and drinking were found confirming that some of the Germans were eating when they were captured.

These articles were missed when the American salvage crews later swept the area.

The number of German items of equipment found on the side of the hill is indicative of a group of German soldiers involved in an act of surrender. To remove one’s rifle bolt is and throw it down shows total capitulation, It is safe to conclude through the abundance of evidence that a large number of Germans surrendered at that location, it also follows that an enormous quantity of arms, ammunition and equipment was removed later by battlefield salvage.

The Team concluded that the western side of Hill 223 was the site of the engagement that resulted in York being awarded the Medal of Honor. Whereas it is impossible to confirm or refute every statement by every participant in the documentary accounts based on the type and distribution of the artifacts; the degree of correlation between the documentary and physical evidence revealed by GIS can validate the interpretation of events.

FOOTNOTES:

French authorities have agreed to lay a historic trail. The ceremony will take place in August 2008 at Chatel-Chehery.

A bronze bust of York is being cast. It has been sculpted by a Tennessean doctor. This bust will be presented to the people of the village of Chatel-Chehery in October 2008 at a commemoration ceremony. A number of identical busts have been replicated and will be presented to various educational institutions in Tennessee.

Further evidence may become available after expended rounds found at the site have been forensically examined.

Michael Kelly. June 2008

Hundreds of thousands of foreign tourists visit Kenya each year for, what they hope, a great safari experience in one of those magical sounding places like Masai Mara or Amboseli National Park. As soon as they come off the plane, they are approached by hundreds of street tout who want to sell them a safari tour on the spot. In Nairobi and Mombasa, there are many hundreds of safari tour operators. But they aren’t all good.

While there are honorable companies that try to give you a valuable Kenya safari tour, many companies deliver bad service while others are outright crooks. Complaints range from ignoring reasonable client demands and terrible food to disappearing overnight with your money and sexual harassment by staff members.

There’s often quite some money involved. For a budget camping safari (meaning you’ll be staying in a tent at an open camp site instead of a luxury tented camp or lodge) the minimum prices are around $70 to $80 per person per night – which means at least $560 for a couple going on a 5-day safari (which I recommend is the minimum length to get the real bush experience). This is a lot of money for most Kenyans.

Bad Budget Companies

Most complaints are about budget companies in Nairobi and Mombasa. The ever increasing park entry fees (set by the Kenyan government) and the high gas prices limit their ability to cut costs. They instead try to cut costs by not maintaining their vehicles (so you’ll lose days waiting for a tow truck) or by illegally entering the parks, which may get you into trouble.

Other budget companies don’t have their own equipment, but wait until they have enough bookings and then quickly try to hire some gear. But who says you’ll get your money back in case they don’t succeed? Moreover, some companies don’t even organize the safaris themselves, but only function as a kind of brokers who work on commission for the actual tour organizers. Often, it’s hard to tell them apart. While this kind of agreements are not bad in principle, it may leave you with uncertainty who’s responsible in case of non-compliance.

Unfortunately, even among the best tour operators, quality is not consistent. It’s possible for good operators to perform bad, just like it’s possible for bad companies to shine occasionally. But good companies will at least actually take you out on a Kenya safari tour, and will try to compensate you if anything goes wrong.

Fixing Arrangements On The Spot

Except for the up market tour organizers with a stable track record, it’s better not to book a Kenya safari tour in advance. Though most tour operators allow internet and phone bookings, it’s better to do this on the spot. Visit the offices, talk to the staff and see what kind of people they are, and compare deals. Besides, booking your safari apart from your hotel and/or flight gives you more options and flexibility.

Ask them to set out the details of your plan in advance. Be polite and friendly, but make it clear you won’t take crap from anybody. And don’t pay all your money in advance. Keep at least a part to pay after delivery of service.

So Can You Name Names?

Many travelers ask us to name names: who are the good and the bad companies? That’s why we compiled a special report on which Kenyan safari tour operators are good. After due consideration we did not include a ‘black list’ of bad companies, as this is not without problems. Instead, we focused on those companies that get consistently good reviews of travelers (who submit these at our website and on many other online travel forums). This report is available for free to subscribers of our e-zine.
About the Author: favor boxes

In as much as the excitement is starting to make you more eager to go to Disney World already, you’d have to settle first and plan out your whole Disney adventure. And planning would usually start with getting Orlando Disney vacation information.

Things You Would Have to Consider

Your first concern perhaps is your budget. However, you would have to find out about the cost of your stay, the cost of theme park tickets and the cost of your meals to keep your budget realistic. But then, the whole Disney World is so big and there are so many sites and characters to see. You would have to plan out your itinerary for your whole vacation.

Your accommodations will cost a large chunk of your budget so you have to plan it carefully. There are those would be content with a value room so they will be able to afford more days and they would have more for theme park tickets. They would rather get the Park Hopper option than spend more on hotel rooms.

The next important thing would be the theme park tickets because the tickets are your keys to the fun and adventure you want to experience in the first place. Without them, you wouldn’t be able to enter the Disney theme parks. Generally, these tickets would come out cheaper the more number of days you intend to visit the parks. You can also get the Park Hopper option so you would have the choice to visit two, three or all the four parks in a single day.

Of course, you would have to eat during your stay at Disney World. You have choice between the counter service and the table served restaurants in the area. You may even eat at Cinderella’s Castle if you choose to. The possibilities are so great when inside Disney. Again, perhaps the biggest consideration is your budget. But if you really want to experience new things and you have the funds for it you can try the better and finer restaurants too.

Then for you to be able to map out your itinerary, you should have at least an idea of what Disney World contains. You should check out what each theme park has to offer. Each theme park has different shows, rides and attractions so finding out about them would perhaps make you interested more on some than the others.

Where to Find the Information You Need

The Disney World website is overflowing with information. You only have to visit it and it will connect you to various pages where you will find all the Orlando Disney vacation information you need. You can even read testimonials so you will know about the experiences of other people. This will provide you with more ideas on where to go and how to enjoy Disney World more. For more savings, getting everything in a whole package is recommended. For additional information, there are also several helpful sites on the internet you can visit.

The southern edge of Guanacaste’s Nicoya Peninsula which is actually part of the Puntarenas offers a lot of beauty which many visitors to Costa Rica shouldn’t ignore.

The best way of getting there is via ferries departing from Puntarenas. That is by far the fastest route to the Nicoya Peninsula from San Jos?. It is time consuming but a fun and beautiful route to take via boat.

You get to see San Lucas Island which was a penal colony until the 1970’s along the lines of Alcatraz and Devil’s Island. You can arrange guided tours to the Prison Island from Puntarenas for a guided tour of the now abandoned prison.

The Nicoya Peninsula is separated from the mainland of Costa Rica by the Gulf of Nicoya and the Tempisque estuary. Nicoya Peninsula Costa Rica From its northern base in the arid Guanacaste lowlands the peninsula extends 140 km to the south where the landscape becomes more hilly.

There are two current ferry routes one to Playa Naranjo which is the most popular beach of the area and the other in Paquera. I suggest taking the ferry to Paquera. Making the drive down the coastline is beautiful where you encounter howler monkeys and beautiful beaches.

Must stops include the Curu Wildlife Reserve which is one of the highlights of the Nicoya Peninsula and a dream come true for eco-tourists and animal lovers. Curu is privately owned and part of a large farm which combines sustainable agriculture and forest management with the protection of wildlife and nature. Curu boasts a rich and diverse wildlife in five different habitats ranging from marine zones and mangrove swamps, to tropical dry and moist forest, as well as farmland. The entrance to Curu is 6 km after Paquera and 16 km before Tambor. It is open every day 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. and the cost: $ 8 per person per day.

Then continue your drive to Tambor which has a beautiful beach and a great all inclusive resort called Barcelo. You can make your way down and visit popular surfing beaches of Montezuma, Santa Theresa and Mal Pais. As you make your way to The Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve is situated at the extreme southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula. With its unique combination of climate and geographical location, it ranks among the most beautiful nature reserves in Costa Rica. It was the first protected land by the Costa Rican government in 1963 so no condos here. The Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve encompasses 1,172 hectares of mixed forest, which is classified as moist tropical forest. Beautiful hiking trails which are

Open hours: Wednesday to Sunday from 8 am – 4 pm, Cost: $8.

From Manzanillo you can drive up the cost to the Guancaste province and the beaches of Samara and Tamarindo. For much of the year this road is in bad condition and only passable with a 4WD with high clearance to tackle grades with gaping chasms, and to ford the three rivers. In rainy season it is sometimes impossible to drive this road. Signs indicating directions are scarce and confusing. Make sure you have filled up with gas. The next gasoline vendor on your way is in San Francisco de Coyote. Before leaving, ask the locals about current road conditions. I don’t recommend this route to Guancaste unless you enjoy adventure and do not get car sick.

The Barcelo Hotel in Tambor is an all inclusive hotel and highly recommended. The rooms are comfortable. It’s right on the beach and they have several pools to enjoy.

Follow this route and you will enjoy your visit to the Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica. Don’t forget to bring your camera and say hello to the howler monkeys.
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