central america
Central America, once home to the Mayan Civilization, offers a Wander-worthy mix of old and modern.
The Costa Rica Gold Rush
In 1502, when Christopher Columbus set foot on a little island just off the coast of what is now the Limón area, he was first impressed with the ornate gold jewelry that the local indigenous people wore. Along with the fact that the dense green jungles, the abundance of wildlife and a beautiful coastline was the first things that he saw, he named this new land, "Costa Rica" or "Rich Coast". .
By William "Skip" Licht5 years ago in Wander
The Many Beautiful Churches of Costa Rica. .
If you have a few minutes, be sure to Google, "Churches in Costa Rica". Even if you aren't religious, you'll be amazed at what you see. The churches are beautiful here and they're worth a few minutes of your time to learn more about what they mean to everyone here. .
By William "Skip" Licht5 years ago in Wander
The "Pura Vida" Trifecta. . A Beautiful Sunset, a Wonderful Day in Paradise Just Winding Down & a Few Sips of Wine. .
There are countless ways to spend your day here in Costa Rica. If you are fortunate enough to be living in this amazing country, or perhaps you're visiting for a week or two, you are familiar with the 'day trips' that we all take. Sometimes you have to pinch yourself to make certain that this isn't a dream. .
By William "Skip" Licht5 years ago in Wander
How Such a Tiny Country Brings So Much Joy to All Who Visit. .
When one sees Costa Rica in the photo above as a comparison in size with the United States of America, it is surprising. It's tiny, but it does pack a powerful punch! Hundreds of thousands of animal species, plants and ferns and over 5 million people. Remember that New York City, at full capacity, has close to 10 million people living there.
By William "Skip" Licht5 years ago in Wander
A Jungle Stroll. . Beach Time. . Coffee Plantation Tours. . Hiking Up a Volcano. .So Many Things to Do. .
Costa Rica. . about the size of West Virginia. . a little more than half the population of New York City. . Well over 25% of the land mass here cannot be touched. . National Parks, Reserves, Nature Preserves & Wildlife Refuges. .
By William "Skip" Licht5 years ago in Wander
What Kind of Person Moves to Another Country?
We all become comfortable in our lives, don't we? I know you have a junk drawer in your kitchen area. . a place where you can find anything and everything that is necessary to live! Perhaps a spool of thread and a button or two. Maybe there's a measuring tape, a pair of shoe laces. . even a couple of aaa batteries in case the remote dies on you!
By William "Skip" Licht5 years ago in Wander
Cahuita
Much like the rabbits pulled out of tophats, there is a magically undeniable, muscular vivacity of the mind that paints itself out of trauma. I know this modus operandi well and have perfected my stage act, and so I pertinaciously pinch my own cancerous lumps, waiting for a tufty-puss of clouds to emerge. I was always thumb-up, tirelessly caravanning from one Latin American town to the next. Even so, there comes a point for even the most resolute wanderer, the soles of whose feet have calcified densely from sharp rock and sun, when she becomes weary of new beginnings, when she craves nothing more than a pillow that bears the intimate imprint of her own settled skull. For those of us luckless, unsettled phantoms however, again, again, and again, the stag will shed his antlers.
By Jillian Newman5 years ago in Wander
My Solo Trip to Nicaragua - 2021
MY SOLO TRIP TO NICARAGUA - 2021 By Paul Meyer Most people love to travel to find adventure, but few people travel to find love. On my upcoming solo trip to Nicaragua, I hope my journey ends in the lifelong embrace of a beautiful and yet mysterious woman I met on a dating app during Covid. Our romance will be complete if I also become enchanted with her country.
By Paul Meyer5 years ago in Wander
The Art, Skill & Science of Growing Costa Rican Coffee. .
There are many reasons to visit Costa Rica. Our volcanoes, our beaches, the people & rich culture, to name a few. Toucans, monkeys, our smiling sloths. All that one needs to plan a trip here. Well, my friends, don't forget the coffee. It is a national point of pride that many coffee enthusiasts make the trip to one of the happiest countries on the planet to visit the dozens of coffee plantations scattered around. When you actually see what goes into the development of our famous and beloved icon, you'll have a deeper appreciation of what goes into the formation of that perfect cup of coffee that we all NEED & ENJOY each and every morning.
By William "Skip" Licht5 years ago in Wander
Mother Nature & Her Red-eyed Tree Frog Here in Costa Rica!
Costa Rica plays host to way more than 161 known species of frogs & toads. Environmentalists surmise that there are so many more species yet to be discovered here in one of the most biodiverse countries on the planet.
By William "Skip" Licht5 years ago in Wander
Does This Image Scare You or Does it Get You Very Excited? What Lies Beyond the Darkness?
Mother Nature has a way of cleansing one's soul. It's just like taking a long, hot shower from the inside out. . Daily life can wear us all out. We lie back at the end of the day at times and wonder just how we got through and made it to this finally-quiet moment, right before bedtime. And, it all starts again tomorrow. Overwhelming, yet rewarding. . "You get out of life what you put into it". There has to be an antidote for stress. . an antivenom for the poison that naturally seeps into our being, resulting from our ongoing efforts.
By William "Skip" Licht5 years ago in Wander
How to Become One with Nature
I wonder what it's going to take for all of us to 'return to normal'. It's a long road, don't you think? At this writing, a new year is just about a month away. Let's tidy up our 'to-do' list and start planning for the future. . let's figure out what we're going to do TODAY to create 'something to look forward to'. Let's make some profound changes in our path to sanity from this moment forward. I will warn you that it takes time and effort to do so. I once read where a study on 'human nature' showed that the average person spends more time planning for a vacation or a weekend outing (attending a sports function or going camping) than they do planning for their own future. This is rather scary and it shows how time can sneak up on all of us. How many times have you heard an older person say that they just don't know where the time went. They wake up one morning and they're 80 years old and they're full of regrets. Don't let this happen to yourself and your family. .
By William "Skip" Licht5 years ago in Wander
