Nylon - October 2008 - (Page 114) this side of paradise We emerge from the rain not long before sunset, the twin hulls of the Marina Del Rey easing through the glassy waters. After a day of snorkeling, sailing, and swimming, everyone aboard the catamaran gazes at the horizon, which is framed by concrete-colored clouds. Just off Playa Tamarindo, the captain cuts the engine and the boat drifts in silence for a moment. Then, as if waiting for the cue, the hypnotic rhythm of Massive Attack’s classic “Unfinished Sympathy” rings out from an iPod in the cabin. With the day ebbing away—and filled to the brim with lemon-infused guacamole and seasoned fried chicken, alongside very generous doses of Imperial beer and sweet margaritas—we raise a glass to an afternoon’s perfect closure. We stay until the sky grows dark off the coast of Costa Rica, the small nation in the middle of Central America which, last year, was visited by nearly two million people. There’s a good reason for the recent surge of interest. Once the poorest country of Spain’s expansive new world empire, Costa Rica now possesses one of the most thriving eco-tourism industries in all of Latin America. The difficulties WITH A BUSTLING ECO-TOURISM TRADE AND DESTINATION BEACHES THAT RIVAL ANY CARIBBEAN ISLAND, COSTA RICA IS A DREAM. CHRISTOPHER GARLAND LIVES LA VIDA PURA. that frustrated Spanish colonists in the 18th century— including its distance from other major Central American cities and the absence of an exploitative system of forced labor or slavery—have helped shape two of contemporary Costa Rica’s defining features: a lush, largely undamaged natural environment and the kind of welcoming atmosphere that can quickly make tourists feel at home while abroad. The spirit of pura vida, a ubiquitous local phrase that carries the same gravitas as aloha does in Hawaii, is infectious. Once your plane sets down in Costa Rica, there seems to commence a concerted effort by the locals to extinguish any foreign-born big city or winter blues. There are a number of well-worn paths available for a traveler in Costa Rica. A typical journey starts in the capital city, San José, where the plaintive rush-hour conversation of car horns, the clatter of stalls being set-up, and the busy hum of commerce fill the air. Out near the Coca-Cola factory, tour buses clog the streets, heading towards the environmentally conscious tourist trail of sparkling coastline, protected rainforests, and ready access to an extensive array of untapped (at least for now) villages and remote beaches. Although a couple of days in San José has its rewards—a visit to the ornate Catedral Metropolitana, dinner overlooking the San Jose’s skyline from the rooftop Hostel Pangea, and a perusal of the stores and fresh fruit and vegetable markets near Avenida and Calle Central are all recommended—Costa Rica’s real prize is far beyond the rolling streets and cobbled avenues the 411 LOCATION: Central America POPULATION: 4,200,000 OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Spanish CURRENCY: Costa Rican Colon, or CRC (approx 0.0018 per U.S. dollar) 114 costa rica photographed by christopher garland.
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