LEGENDS FULL OF DREAMS – SIGHTSEEING GRANADA

Title: Facing East
Artist/Group: Thievery Corporation
 
The Architectural importance of Granada is based on the mix of cultures that have inhabited the place since the dawn of history, Ibero-Celtics, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greek, Visigoths, Byzantines, Jewish.  The city reached its maximum splendor under the Nasrid Dynasty, and between 1238-1492 the estate was known as the Kingdom of [...]

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ENJOY GRANADA

The best season to visit Granada is the end of summer and beginning of autumn and spring.  The city is packed with sights, sounds and smells waiting for the visitors to enjoy the monuments and secret places, besides the rich gastronomy.  
 
Granada was the last of the Muslim cities to fall into the hands of [...]

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EATING – TASTE AND SMELL

A path through the jungle led us to the open air dining room of the “Shawandha”, under a huge palm roof and decorated in a Balinese – Tahitian style, where we really enjoyed our breakfasts and relaxing cocktail hours.  The menu offers fusion cuisine, blending French recipes with tropical flavors, which happens to be a [...]

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PUERTO VIEJO SLEEPING – PERFECT JUNGLE SETTING

We had reservations in the SHAWANDHA LODGE for me and my husband and in the PLAYA CHIQUITA LODGE, just across the road, for our kids.  Not that we were willing  to be alone, but there were no other rooms available in the Shawandha by the time we made our reservations, in any case it turned [...]

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PUERTO VIEJO – THE SOUND

The Caribbean Coast music shows a strong african influence as well as popular music genres that include soca, salsa, cumbia and merengue.  The Southern Caribbean is the heart and soul of Costa Rica’s Afro-Caribbean community, the local rhythm is called sinkit, which blends drums and banjos.    
 

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PUERTO VIEJO – Arriving

PUERTO VIEJO – COSTA RICA
 
 
This was a family – surf – trip. This means, kids surf – parents suffer.  We arrived Miami Airport early enough to check in on time, pay a short visit to the free-shop and wait till take off.  We were supposed to arrive to San Jose, Costa Rica,  at 3 p.m., for [...]

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AMBERGRIS CAYE – Time to Say Goodbye

We spent our last day at Matachica sea kayaking and snorkeling in the barrier reef, just a mile away, resting and sunbathing at the beach.  And it was time to say goodbye.  The next morning, the water taxi took us back to San Pedro and we took and island cab to the airport.  This was [...]

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AMBERGRIS CAYE – Couples Massage in the Jungle

We arranged a full day trip to Altun Ha. We set off in a motorboat, full speed through mangrove estuaries towards the jungle.  Cruising up the Northern River we arrived to Bomba Village, a very small place where there are only a few natives who make and sell incredible wood artifacts from trees.  It seems [...]

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AMBERGRIS CAYE – AN ISLAND DREAM

 
We combined a trip to the Swallow Caye, a wildlife sanctuary and manatee reserve with snorkel and beach barbecue at Sergeant Caye.  Once we were in the marine reserve, the guide turned the motor off completely and poled the boat slowly around so as not to injure the manatees.  The manatee is a marine mammal [...]

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AMBERGRIS CAYE – Swimming with the sharks

FIRST DAY:  Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley.
We left the hotel carrying all our activity equipment, that is, masks, fins, camera, sunglasses, sunscreen, insect repellant, towels and some extra clothing in case we got back late. We stood at the edge of the pier trying to keep the balance and waiting for the [...]

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