Most blogs about Costa Rica are promotional in nature (certainly this one is no exception).  There are a precious few 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. I lived there for 10 years and if you search for them you’ll find a few posts like that in this blog.

And 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.

While being tiny in geographical comparison to most others, the country is overwhelmingly rich when it comes to diversity, all kinds of diversity…not just the biodiversity of flora and fauna that you here so much about.

And therein lies the number one amazing fact about this great big little country that I have grown to love so deeply.

I was traveling around a while back in pursuit of a 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 or 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 if you make a b-line for the beaten path.

You need to take a few  of the “scenic routes.”

You’ve got to take to the open road, park and walk down not so well-lit paths.  Doing so is good for the body and the soul and amazing discoveries can be made.

Below I have inserted a short video showing some of Costa Rica’s gems that are off those beaten paths.

So those of you out there considering a Costa Rica vacation (don’t know why else you’d be reading this), go ahead and do your research…

but I am here to tell you that often what you are reading belies the truth of the bigger picture…

a picture that’s nothing short of amazing!