The ABC's of Costa Rica, I-P
I’m back again with more tidbits of information about Costa Rica!
Today we’re going to pick up where we left of at I…
here we go…
I- Indigenous! (as in indigenous peoples). There are 5 tribes of indigenous peoples here in Costa Rica. The Guaymíes, Cabécares, Bribris, Térrabas, and Borucas… for more information, follow the link!
thanks to Ballenatales.com for the lovely photo
J- Jungle! No matter where you go in Costa Rica, the jungle is never far away. My research tells me that there are 13 different types of rainforest in the world, of which 6 are located right here in Costa Rica! CostaRica.org has a lot of really interesting information about the jungles and their inhabitants!
credit for this photo goes to qcostarica.com
K- Kayak! In a place like Costa Rica where the rainy season can result in 150-200 inches of rain per year, the country is absolutely TEEMING with rivers (pun intended). That means that nature-lovers can rent themselves a kayak and paddle their way through much of the country. Once again CostaRica.org has lots of info for those of you who might want to get your paddle on.
thanks to mapsofworld.com for this image
L- Landslides! As with earthquakes, Costa Rica is known to have many landslides each year. This is due to the large amount of rainfall from May-October and the sandy soil found in many areas. For the most part landslides tend to be more common in the areas in and around the Central Valley where they receive the largest amount of annual rainfall.
It’s best to use caution when driving in certain areas because you can easily come around a corner and find something like this ahead of you.
M- I was tempted to talk about the Mountains here since they are never out of sight but in the end I decided to go with Mangoes simply because they are so delicious and they grow in such profusion. I was surprised to know that they are of the drupe family and as such are cousins to both olives AND coconuts…how weird is that?!? I found a site that lists the health benefits of mangoes.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/275921.php#recipes
If you get a chance I highly recommend Mango salsa which is quite common here. Look under the photo for the link to the recipe…
N- Nuts! More specifically…almonds! I was fascinated to learn that many of the trees that grow along the beaches here are almond trees. I am waiting patiently for them to ripen so I can grab a few and try drying them in the sun. Apparently Almonds are also in the drupe family, along with the mangoes, and ripen in the Autumn…
O- Ocean! It’s hard not to think about the ocean when the sight, sound and Smell of it is everywhere. It is awe-inspiring and majestic…mysterious and bountiful. It is worthwhile to learn a bit more about it… https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/oceans/reference/pacific-ocean/
P- Pelagic! (The word "pelagic" is derived from Greek πέλαγος (pélagos), meaning 'open sea'.
Costa Rica is a boat lovers paradise although I was surprised to note that most of the boats in our area are Diesel-powered as opposed to wind-powered. Perhaps this is simply because the deep-sea fishing is just so amazing here. Fishermen can travel approximately 12 miles out into the Pacific to find the Continental Shelf and a wide variety of big fish. Thanks to our friends who own and operate Pelagic Persuits out of Herradura Bay, I have a freezer full of Tuna steak and a new addiction to Dorado. If you like fishing I highly recommend a day aboard Go Fish!
