If you read blogs about Costa Rica they usually focus in on the writer’s daily experiences, good or bad. There are some really good ones out there, but if you pay too much attention to what is being said, you could get the wrong impression. Often, since most people live in or around San Jose, you get a constant stream of gripes about life in the city. About the crime and the grime, the traffic and other daily annoyances. All that is legitimate and true, but to capture a real vision of Costa Rica, I believe you have to step back for a moment and take in the bigger picture. First of all, “Costa Rica” is not San Jose, nor is it Jaco or Tamarindo, or those places where people tend to gather. It is, as I have written in the past, the “smallest big country” in the world. While being tiny in geographical comparison, the country is overwhelmingly rich when it comes to diversity, especially bio-diversity. And therein lies the amazing fact about this country that I have grown to love so deeply. I was traveling around last week in pursuit of my Costa Rican Indigenous project, making art buys in places like Guaitil, Guanacaste and Guatuso, Alajuela. These are remote little gems that most people never get to see and experience, but are well worth the effort. You see, to really get to know this country you have to get a little bit dirty and that ain’t going to happen sitting in one of the bourgeois barrios of San Jose, like Escazu or Santana. You have got to take to the open road and then park and walk a little. Doing so is good for the body and the soul and in doing so amazing discoveries can be made. Below I have placed for you a short video showing some of Costa Rica’s gems that are a little bit “off the beaten path.” So those of you out there who are considering coming here for more than just a vacation, go ahead and read up, but I am here to tell you that often what you are reading belies the truth of the bigger picture, a picture that is nothing short of amazing!
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